"Hey, Levi-san... Tell me something. Why did you call out to me back then?"
That was the question I finally put to her.
It was something I’d been meaning to ask since the moment I arrived in Oceanus—in a way, it was my main reason for being here.
"...Um, do I have to answer that?"
"I won't force you, but it would help if I knew."
"Why the question mark...? Ahaha, well, I suppose it's fine."
I watched her as she sat on the bench.
She looked bashful, maybe even a little conflicted, as she scratched her cheek. Then, as if she’d finally braced herself, she continued.
"I learned about you, Reima-san. I watched you. And I just... I found myself thinking that I wanted you to smile, even if it was only for a moment."
Ehehe... she giggled, looking away shyly. That was her answer.
Perhaps embarrassed by her own words, she lowered her head.
"The truth is, I couldn't even manifest back then. I only learned about you by chance—I read the records of your life kept within the Doomsday Mechanism."
She swung her legs back and forth, a nostalgic, happy smile playing on her lips.
"For so very long... you were just a boy trying his hardest for everyone else's sake. You were radiant, cool, and even a bit funny. You and your friends saved so many people... the Hero Who Ended the Universe."
She spoke while reflecting on the story she had seen, a story she clearly held dear.
Levi-san spun the tale of my past adventures with care, as if cherishing every word, her expression shifting rapidly with the memories.
"The story ended in betrayal. Your journey in Mythologia was a tragedy. Because it ended like that, I wanted to give you a reason to smile. I wanted you to finally acknowledge your own worth."
"It's strange, isn't it?" she added.
She said that as someone who was merely a bystander—a mere reader—she had no right to say such things. But even so...
"I wanted you to be rewarded for all your hard work. I couldn't help myself, so I came."
Standing up slowly, she met my eyes and smiled again.
With a proud, boastful look on her face, she put her hands on her hips, striking a pose to look cool.
Hearing those words, I realized just how earnest and kind she actually was.
"Actually, I worried about it a lot, you know? Should I start with a 'Demon King' move, or should I declare war in my serpent form... things like that. But then there you were, hanging your head by the sea at night, so I cheated a little and tried to draw the truth out of you."
"Ah—I have plenty of complaints about that part."
Thinking back, I was probably under the influence of her Magic Power of Envy then. While I’d been able to be honest with everyone, the fact that it was embarrassing hadn't changed. I felt a bit conflicted about it.
"Well, I am technically a Demon King, after all. Anyway, putting that aside, the rest went exactly as you know: a 'please find out my true identity and try to defeat me' sort of thing. It was a makeshift plan to try and restore your confidence."
They were a series of answers that felt very much like her, even in the short time I'd known her.
It was a blunt, muscle-brained plan similar to something Ciel would come up with, but it was packed with her kindness. I could tell she had genuinely been trying to save me.
Her expression looked fleeting now, as if she might vanish at any moment. Looking at the world around us, I could see the surroundings were gradually dissolving; we were running out of time.
"Well, to be blunt... it was love at first sight."
"Wait—what!?"
"Ahaha, you really are dense, Reima-san. So, yes—I love you. At first it was admiration, but every time I read more, I wanted to know more. I wanted to meet you so much that I became the kind of girl who crosses worlds to find him."
I can’t quite process this. Isn't this a bit "heavy"? It’s all so sudden I’m genuinely stunned. I have no idea how to respond.
"Since I've already said it, I'll say it as many times as it takes: I love you, I love you so much. And if I can have my way, I want to stay with you, play with you, and just be by your side."
She poured out her uncontrollable emotions.
The Demon Lord of Envy was declaring herself proudly and directly. Looking toward Ciel for a lifeline, I found her staring at me with judgmental, cold eyes. She wasn't going to help.
"What I yearned for was to be an ordinary girl. I yearned for that normalcy—having no power, just spending time with the person I love. I wanted to fall in love for the longest time. But, since that's already come true..."
The world began to change violently.
Levi-san's form grew faint. Much like Perseus had, she was fading away, her existence unable to maintain itself any longer.
"It's goodbye—my beloved hero. If we ever meet again, please let me fall in love with you all over again!"
As if concluding her story, Levi-san prepared to vanish with a smile.
I knew that if we parted here, we would likely never meet again.
Her mere presence brought ruin to the world, so this was likely the "best" conclusion, and what she intended. But still...
"I'm not accepting an ending like that."
"—Eh?"
"You read my story, didn't you? Then you should know how stubborn I am."
I wanted the people within my sight to be smiling.
I wanted the people in my reach to enjoy themselves, to laugh even just a little. I didn't want them to be hurt, and I didn't want them to cry... That wish had been my starting point, and it hadn't changed.
"I can't just send you off when you look like you're about to burst into tears. That's why I'm going to overturn this ending."
The world was dissolving.
If this place was built from Levi-san's magic power... then I just had to do what was done to me by Behemoth back then.
"Do you know, Levi-san? I'm selfish. I want to save everything; I don't know how to give up. I refuse to believe that I can't move forward unless I throw something away. I want a future where I can keep everything and laugh about it later."
I released my mana.
Using every drop of my current magic power, I wove a spell to forge a path and force a contract with Levi-san.
"Are you stupid? Are you an idiot? There's no way the world would allow—"
"Shut up. I said I don't like it, and that's that. If the world has a problem with it, I'll just have to take the world down too. All that’s left is your own will. So, what’s it going to be? Are you coming with me?"
It was the first time I'd ever tried to force a contract from my side.
It drained an extraordinary amount of magic, and my very soul felt like it was screaming under the pressure... but none of that mattered. I just waited for her answer.
"...I'm incredibly 'heavy,' you know?"
"I don't care. Apparently, my other companions are pretty heavy too, so it won't make a difference."
"I'm jealous, I'm troublesome, and I'll cry if you don't pay enough attention to me!"
"That's fine. It's a bit late to worry about that. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want you around! ——Ngh!"
A massive burden slammed into me. As I tried to bind the contract, something external interfered, trying to snap the spell.
"Master, leave this to Ciel-chan. I'll help."
My reliable Terminus Beast.
Since she was the one who had forced a contract on me originally, she must have known the trick to it. The pressure eased instantly. Ciel's magic power flowed into me, reinforcing the spell I’d woven.
"Hey, Levi, stay with us. It’s fun inside Master. It’s lively."
"You heard her. So, what’s the verdict, Levi-san?"
At that, she finally laughed.
Tears fell from her eyes, but she looked genuinely happy—as if a weight had been lifted from her soul. She reached out and took my hand.
"Ah... honestly. You’re so unfair. How am I supposed to say no when you put it like that? You really are the worst kind of hero."
The moment our hands met, the contract was sealed.
She leaned her face close to mine, and for a second, I thought...
"...You'd better take responsibility, okay?"
Wait. Did I just make it so I can never escape?
"Fufu, ehehe. Well then, I look forward to our time together, my beloved Reima-san!"