The girl was dreaming.

Or maybe it wasn’t a dream.

Through her hazy vision, she could see the “Black Sword” fighting desperately to protect her. Spiders were swarming from all directions, and the Black Sword stretched and extended its form, intercepting them. But as the spiders continued to multiply, it became harder for the Black Sword to fend them off.

An accelerating cycle began, with more spiders appearing the harder the Black Sword fought. Finally, at the moment when the sword could no longer hold back the swarm, it seemed to pause and look directly at her, almost like a puppy caught sneaking a treat, gauging its owner’s reaction.

After what felt like a long stare, the Black Sword transformed. It turned into a tiny creature, no larger than the palm of her hand, with bright yellow eyes. It resembled a cute fairy, even though it lacked wings.

A memory surfaced in her mind.

She recalled a time when an unknown black Object had fallen into a flowerpot—a tiny Object that had also made a cute beeping sound.

That’s when it started following me, she thought.

The dream quickly faded.

The Black Sword, which had transformed into a monster to protect her, was then swallowed by a colossal gray creature, ending the dream.

In the frigid cold where even snow seemed to rise back up into the sky, the girl and the Rebel Reaper were huddled together, sharing warmth as if to survive.

How should I torment this Rebel Reaper so that word gets around? I pondered seriously as I looked at the girl, noticing her condition seemed dire.

I’d thought she was partly an Object and therefore resilient, but she was burning up with a fever. Before anything else, I needed to heal her.

I tried to summon the Blue Reaper for healing, but the labyrinth’s resistance was formidable. Forcing open the space, I managed to tear a gate to the Mini Reaper Garden.

As the gateway connected, the shy Blue Reaper leaped out, followed by a cheerful swarm of Golden Reapers.

“Please heal her.”

Seeing the sick girl, the Blue Reaper chanted strings of text, wishing for her recovery. Once her breathing steadied, the Blue Reaper seemed displeased with the labyrinth and swiftly returned to the garden.

The Golden Reapers, however, rushed to me with arms raised, filling me with their excitement.

“Mom!” they cried.

Barely separated from me, they clung to my body as if they hadn’t seen me in ages.

“Yes, yes, it’s your mom.” I patted each one and then tossed them back into the garden.

The Golden Reapers rolled around in the garden, betrayed looks on their faces. I had to continue my adventure, so I shut the gate.

“Mom!”

They tried to scramble back as the portal closed, but it shut before they could cross.

Now that the girl was healed, it was time to torment the Rebel Reaper.

I slowly pulled it out from the girl’s arms and pinched its cheeks, waking it from its slumber. Still groggy, it blinked in confusion until one of its eyes, still carrying the white flame, caught the light.

One side white, the other yellow—eating all those flames had transformed it into a sort of heterochromatic creature. It was fascinating.

“Mom…?” the Rebel Reaper whispered, giving me a trusting smile.

Trying to charm me with a smile, huh? Not falling for it!

I opened my mouth and pretended to devour it, chewing like I might swallow it whole. Panicked, the Rebel Reaper struggled, babbling nonsense about its “weak” mom who could now eat them like a “strong” one.

Eventually, it went limp, resigned.

“Goodbye, Mom,” it whispered solemnly, closing its eyes.

I rapped it on the head lightly, feeling a twinge of disappointment.

I’d never hurt them on purpose, but the Mini Reapers had too little faith in me. After a few more pats, the Rebel Reaper opened its heterochromatic eyes, and I reassured it, “No, I’m not eating you!”

It seemed relieved and let out a soft giggle.

What had that creepy, flaming figure been doing to the Mini Reapers anyway?

Tormenting the Rebel Reaper would be enough for now. It always ended up feeling like a tragic tale whenever I teased it.

As I let it go, the other Black Reapers swarmed it, checking if it was okay.

“Are you hurt?” “I’m fine!”

Watching them chatter, I noticed the girl starting to stir.

“Black Reaper armor!”

I quickly spread my arms wide, summoning the Black Reapers. Like pieces of a suit, they reassembled around me, forming the armor once more.

The Rebel Reaper, seeing the girl waking up, happily burrowed into her embrace and transformed into a black sword, melding with her seamlessly.

The girl raised herself, groggy but rested.

The first things she saw upon waking were twofold.

In her arms lay the Black Sword, and before her stood a mysterious figure in black armor.

Only half-awake, the girl recalled flashes of what had happened—the Black Sword’s rampage and the arrival of the armored figure.

Though her memories were vague, she knew this armored entity had saved her. Yet, as the yellow glow from within the helmet met her gaze, a wave of tension gripped her.

She sensed the object’s formidable presence, far more terrifying than any monster she had encountered in the labyrinth.

In her mind, she knew she should say, “Thank you for saving me,” but her mouth refused to move.

The black armor seemed to wait for something, then, perhaps realizing she was still fearful, lowered its gaze and sat back down.

For some reason, the girl felt as though the armor was disappointed.

She wanted to say thank you, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

Her stomach growled.

Clutching her belly, she gave an embarrassed smile. The armored figure clenched its small fist, then opened it with a puff, revealing a large, appetizing pudding.

Her stomach growled again.

Pudding! It looked delicious.

Though the city offered plenty of food, sweets were scarce. She hadn’t had any snacks since entering the labyrinth.

The battle between her fear and her appetite ended with appetite’s victory. She devoured the pudding, not realizing the surroundings had shifted.

Sweets, cookies, a white, fluffy bonfire, and a flamingo torch made of clear candy surrounded her.

The cold, snowy landscape of the labyrinth's second floor warmed up, filled with the aroma of sweet treats.

“Wow!” she exclaimed, eating to her heart’s content.

After filling her belly, the girl no longer feared the black armor. Even the yellow glow within seemed almost kind.

She stood, bowing in gratitude, “I can’t remember clearly, but you saved me and this sword, right? Thank you!”

Not understanding Japanese, the Gray Reaper could still sense her gratitude and nodded slightly.

As she continued talking softly to the sword, she seemed to know everything.

With a sense of foreboding, the Black Sword melted back into its reaper form and began to tremble as if fearing abandonment.

The girl hugged it tightly, stroking it as if it were a pet, and said, “Thank you for protecting me!”

The Black Reaper smiled, its hardships momentarily forgotten. After giving it a final pat, she turned it back into a sword and asked with a serious tone, “I’m going to explore the labyrinth to find the exit. Will you come with me?”

She had no map or experience, but she asked with a firm resolve.

Though I couldn’t understand her words, I could sense her determination, courage, and hope.

Finally, I had a party member for the adventure!

With the girl beside me, I began exploring the labyrinth’s second floor. As we walked, the clinking of armor filled the air, and I felt both confined and exhilarated.

The helmet’s restricted vision was frustrating compared to my usual 360-degree awareness, but the adventure was thrilling.

We ventured further until a dense fog surrounded us. And then, she was gone.

“No! My first party member!” I panicked, searching the fog.

Through the dense mist, I heard a scream.

Rushing towards it, I found a bizarre scene—a girl on her knees, holding the Black Reaper sword and crying, with a middle-aged man, skewered through the abdomen, bleeding profusely. The severed head of the Black Reaper lay nearby, spilling yellow flames like blood.

Something was terribly wrong.