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*Omniscient POV following Emir*

As soon as I started fighting and cutting Alessia and Delia, I wonderfully started to lose my sense of self again.

That helped me to bear the pain of my loss, so I surrendered to the sensation and soon began to contemplate everything that was happening around me as if it were a dream.

My body moved mechanically, acting and reacting almost automatically to the attacks of my two enemies, while my lethargic mind wandered over trivial matters.

But this state of reverie eventually allowed me to begin to reflect a little more on the situation I found myself in.

The more I fought against the monster versions of Alessia and Delia, the more I realized that what I was seeing made no sense at all.

No monster could move like that.

However, it was the conversation between Blue Wind and Zariche that finally woke me up from my daze.

It was very surprising to hear for the first time the voice of the weapon I helped create.

But if Blue Wind was still on Delia's side, that meant that it was really Alessia and Delia that I was trying to assassinate.

And not two deformed monsters, as my senses perceived.

Still, strangely, my body was no longer responding to me at all.

So I could only be a passive spectator as I watched in despair as my body tried to eliminate the two people most important to me.

Or that was until Zariche mentioned that about 'Store him in the labyrinth'.

' - Ouch... that hurts. I was just trying to be friendly, but... Haa... anyway, you won't be the first talking weapon I have to destroy... I was probably freed because of you, but now that I'm free, I don't need you in the world anymore. I don't like the idea of destroying a newborn, but there is no other choice. It's not your fault, little one. We are too incompatible and I... I will not allow anyone to store me back in this filthy labyrinth as if I were a mere trinket!'

However, at that very moment, the blood in Zariche's veins began to concentrate on the blade's edge, giving it a bright red color.

Simultaneously, I noticed that the sword's description now included a second plus sign for its Edge rune, which distracted me from the sword's actual words.

For that very reason, it took my dazed mind quite a while until I reflected on a specific word again.

'Store...

It's true that, while I'm holding Zariche, I can't use any of my skills that require pronouncing their name to activate....

But...

What about the skills I can use by merely willing it?'

As soon as that thought finally took shape in my mind, the cursed sword disappeared from my hands and went inside my almighty inventory.

At that very moment, several things happened.

On the one hand, my body swayed violently as I suddenly regained control of it.

At the same time, I began to feel overwhelming waves of pain radiating from my innumerable wounds and bruises.

But my pain instantly took a backseat in my mind, for at that very moment the illusion of the cursed sword finally lifted from my eyes, whereupon I once again saw my two girlfriends, who are surprisingly unharmed, normally.

On the other hand, somehow sensing that I was finally myself again, Delia's consciousness faded away and the little-but-powerful Saint started to fall towards the ground.

So now I rush towards her to prevent her body from hitting the ground, as she is still holding Blue Wind and the weapon might end up damaging her as a result of the fall.

'Activate Agility profile! Sword breathing style!...

Right, I don't have a sword equipped...

Well, the distance between us is really short...

The speed of my Agility Profile will have to suffice.'

Alessia tries to get between Delia and me, but I store her sword in my inventory and that automatically slows down her speed tremendously.

Before my first girlfriend can try anything else, I already have Delia in my arms.

At that moment I notice that there are specks of light blue and gold that are surrounding her body, but they are barely visible.

Before disappearing, some of these spheres of light quickly begin to merge with Blue Wind's blade, erasing the cracks on the blade in the process.

When the last of the small lanterns finishes disappearing, the spear is completely restored.

"Don't worry, Alessia..." I say, as I taste my blood as I speak and look at my first girlfriend with a reassuring but surely bloody smile.

'Was it really necessary for them to hit me so hard in the face?...

Yes, I suppose it was more than necessary....

If not for the fact that I was able to store the sword in my inventory, knocking me out was the best option they had at the time....

It was either that or kill me...

They wouldn't be trying to kill me, would they?...

No...

That's a stupid idea...

But with how sore I feel...

Anyone would say that's precisely what they were trying to do.'

"... I'm back!"

Hearing my words, Alessia, who was scowling at me, finally relaxes her expression and drops her butt on the ground.

"Master... Don't you ever scare us like that again..." Alessia says in a faint voice and completely lies down on the ground, after which she closes her eyes.

"... I'm terribly tired... I feel as if I have fought against... Against... well, against you... I can't stand it a minute longer.... Don't talk to me for a few minutes, please."

"Okay, but wouldn't you rather rest in our house instead of on the floor of the no man's zone?" I ask, looking in the direction of the rock where the sword was stuck.

On the stone surface has appeared an illusory door, which, if my assumptions are correct, will lead us out of the labyrinth.

"Haa... I'm not in the mood for your nonsense right now, Master. I know perfectly well that we're lost, so don't think I'm going to take another step before I've rested," says Alessia, her eyes widening furiously.

"All right. Suit yourself. But I don't know if that illusory door is going to just wait there until we decide to use it," I say, pointing with my eyes in the direction of the door.

"Master! I swear if this is another one of your nonsense-" Alessia starts to say as she turns to where I'm pointing but is instantly silenced when she sees the door.

"... I don't know... It could be another trap. We don't have any proof that it's going to get us out of the labyrinth..." says Alessia, reluctantly rising up to sit on the floor.

"... I'm deadly tired, you look like you've recently come out of a meat grinder, and Delia is unconscious."

"Yes, I know what you mean.... We're in no condition to risk it..." I say as I walk towards the illusory door.

"... On the other hand, we don't have to go through it completely. We can just take a look and, if it's safe, go all the way through."

"Master, I'm not sure about this.... Considering what we experienced today, that door may end up cutting you in half..." says Alessia, with fear palpable in her voice as she stands up, wincing in pain.

"... I don't want to lose you again now that we were finally able to get you back."

"Don't worry. I have no intention of leaving you. But right now, as you rightly pointed out to me, we are in a rather precarious situation. If we don't take advantage of this possible way out, nothing assures us that we're going to get out anytime soon…" I say awkwardly, because my mouth hurts a lot when I speak.

"... We are in the area outside the path. Another monster may appear at any moment, and it may be a monster we can't beat even if all three of us were in top condition..."

As I speak, I see Alessia open and close her mouth several times, as she seems determined to contradict me.

But she doesn't find any argument to defend her position.

'My girls certainly went out of their way to knock me unconscious... I hope I don't end up losing any teeth from this experience.'

"... But, again, our conditions right now are pretty far from optimal. That's precisely why, as I see it, going through that door is just as dangerous as deciding not to go through it."

"Hmt, you're right. Right now I don't feel like facing another mishap.... But it's true that, as long as we're still here, we're in mortal danger… Haa... " says Alessia, looking at me with a frown.

Then she moves ahead of me in a determined manner and steps in front of me to block my way.

"... But you stay right where you are! I'm going to take a look at whatever's through that door. Worst-case scenario... You two will be fine without me.... It was quite evident a few moments ago that I'm not as strong as you are."

Alessia says those last words with moist eyes as she pouts tenderly.

But now I'm really not in the mood for her inferiority complex.

"Sure, we would be just fine without you..." I say, snorting sarcastically.

"... Alessia, look at the state I'm in. Right now I could pass out at any moment, and then, without you, we'd be two unconscious people in this place..."

Alessia opens her mouth to protest, but now I'm the one who starts to get annoyed, so I don't let her speak.

"... There are times when I really don't understand you! I'm mush, and I feel like I could die at any moment. I have no idea what really happened while the sword was controlling me, but do you expect me to believe that it's Delia who's responsible for this?"

Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit about dying from the wounds I have.

But if it weren't for me holding Delia in my arms, I would have drunk an HP potion a while ago.

"No, but-" Alessia starts to say, blushing suddenly, but I interrupt her again.

"Exactly. We both know that Delia has zero experience when it comes to fighting people. And if we add to that the fact that I was the one you had to fight against..." I say with irritation as I hand Delia over to her so that it's Alessia who carries her in her arms.

"... I doubt Delia was very inclined to raise her weapon against me. But she did, judging by what I noticed when I came to my senses. And that's obviously because of you,"

"I couldn't do anything against you until Delia helped me… She was able to face you as an equal," she says in a breathless whisper as she ducks her head.

"This isn't a fucking competition! I thought we were well past that stage… if you had been alone against me, you would have surely died. And the same can be said if it was Delia who had to face me alone! We're a fucking team..." I say, looking at her, truly angry that she still feels that way, after which I turn away from them and walk towards the illusory door.

"... We're strong because we can compensate for our individual weaknesses. If you can't understand that..."

' - He's right... If it wasn't for the two of us, Master might not have been able to free himself from the control of that sword, but-'

"... Haa... Right now we shouldn't argue about these things. The three of us are exhausted. I'm now going to take a look through that illusory door, and if we have favorable luck for the first time in our lives, we'll be able to quickly return home. Afterwards, at some other time, when Delia is awake, the three of us are going to have to talk at length about various matters."

' - Master has never been angry with me like this before.... I understand perfectly well that he's right but.... I feel like I'm a tiny insect next to him.... I hate this damn situation... Couldn't this disgusting day just fucking end? I wish I could just forget about everything we went through today.... It's all that damn thing's fault.'

"F-fine... But first I want you to answer me something: how did you get rid of that horrible sword?" asks Alessia in a trembling voice, although, as she's at my back, I don't know if it's because she's crying or for some other reason.

But, surprisingly, I don't care.

Right now I feel like shit.

I'm tired, terribly sore, and, worst of all, very disappointed.

Alessia just proved to me that maybe my impression that she and Delia were getting along better and better was just a fantasy of mine.

And that depresses me much more than anything else.

I don't feel in the mood to comfort anyone.

"I stored it in my inventory." I say dryly, not turning to look at her.

"Ohh, couldn't you have done that before?" asks Alessia, in a tone of voice that disgusts me because of how similar I find it to that of her three annoying friends.

"It wasn't that easy! Ok?" I exclaim, turning to look at her for a moment, getting angrier and angrier.

'She is crying...

I should do or say something...

No! I can't bend to their wishes every time I see them crying....

Alessia's words…

They are not something I can ignore....

I have to get her to stop this stupid competitiveness with Delia....

We are a family...

Or aren't we? Haa... I'm too tired. I shouldn't be thinking about these things in this state.'

"Ok..." says Alessia, trembling slightly at the sight of my expression.

"... That thing is dangerous, Master. I want you to promise me you'll get rid of it as soon as possible!"

' - I don't care how he decides to do it. I just don't want that damn thing to be anywhere near Master again. If I could, I'd destroy it with my own hands.'

"Alright. As you wish." I say, turning my back on her again, after which I drink an HP potion and prepare to examine what's through this mysterious illusory door that's in front of me.

I don't have the slightest intention of getting rid of the stupid talking sword, but right now I'm capable of saying anything to Alessia as long as she'll shut up.

'Let's see... What's behind door number one?'