After leaving the village behind, Abel and Rin continued their journey.
For the first time in a very long while, Abel found himself genuinely enjoying traveling without immediately solving every problem with overwhelming power.
He had sealed away most of his strength.
He refused to simply rewrite reality whenever something inconvenienced him.
If there was a river, they crossed it.
If there was a mountain, they climbed it.
If monsters attacked, they fought.
If people had problems, they talked.
It was surprisingly refreshing.
Rin, meanwhile, had become accustomed to Abel's absurd personality.
Unfortunately, that meant she had also become accustomed to his habit of treating dangerous situations like entertainment.
One afternoon, while walking along a forest road, they heard shouting from a passing group of merchants.
"Did you hear?!"
"The princess was kidnapped!"
"They took her into the old fortress!"
"Those bastards are demanding a ransom!"
Abel stopped walking.
Rin looked at him.
"No."
Abel blinked.
"I haven't said anything."
"You were about to."
"I was merely thinking."
"Your face gives it away."
Abel smiled.
"A kidnapped princess."
Rin sighed.
"Don't."
"I was only going to say that saving a princess would fit perfectly into a classic adventure."
"And that's exactly why I said don't."
Abel placed a hand against his chin.
"Hero arrives."
"No."
"Defeats bandits."
"No."
"Rescues beautiful princess."
"Abel."
"Returns her to the kingdom."
"Stop."
"And perhaps receives a reward."
Rin stared at him.
"You've been reading too many stories."
"I've lived through enough realities to know the pattern."
Rin shook her head.
"Fine. Let's rescue her."
Abel smiled.
"I knew you'd agree."
"I agreed because leaving a kidnapped girl to die would be terrible."
"Same thing."
"It absolutely isn't."
The fortress stood deep inside the forest.
Ancient stone walls rose between enormous trees, covered in moss and vines. Several guards patrolled the outer walls, while torches illuminated the entrances.
Abel observed the fortress from a hill.
"About thirty guards outside."
Rin crouched beside him.
"More inside."
"How many?"
"At least fifty."
Abel nodded.
"Interesting."
"You could destroy the entire fortress."
"I could."
"You could probably erase the bandits from existence."
"I could."
"You could probably sneeze and accidentally kill half of them."
Abel looked offended.
"I have excellent control over my sneezing."
Rin stared at him.
"That isn't the point."
Abel laughed.
They entered the fortress through a concealed passage Rin discovered beneath the forest.
Her stealth was excellent.
Abel, despite possessing enough power to crush the entire structure, followed her quietly.
They moved through dark corridors.
Past guards.
Past storage rooms.
Past sleeping quarters.
Eventually, they reached the deepest part of the fortress.
A locked chamber stood at the end of the corridor.
Rin looked at Abel.
"That's probably her."
Abel opened the door.
Inside sat a young girl.
She appeared to be around sixteen.
Long hair framed her face, and her elegant appearance immediately distinguished her from the ordinary people surrounding her.
She wore a simple dress that had clearly once been royal clothing.
But what caught Abel's attention wasn't her beauty.
It was her eyes.
They were calm.
Far too calm for someone who had supposedly been kidnapped.
The girl looked up.
For a moment, her expression remained completely neutral.
Then she smiled.
"Are you here to rescue me?"
Abel narrowed his eyes slightly.
Interesting.
Most kidnapped people would be terrified.
This girl wasn't.
Rin stepped forward.
"We're taking you home."
The girl stood.
"My name is Isabella."
Abel smiled.
"Abel."
Rin glanced at him.
"Rin."
Isabella looked between them.
"Thank you."
They began leaving.
And Abel noticed something.
The lock on the cell had been deliberately damaged from the inside.
Not broken.
Damaged.
There was a difference.
Someone had attempted to escape.
And failed.
Or perhaps...
They had simply wanted it to look like they had failed.
Abel said nothing.
The return journey was strangely easy.
No bandits attacked them.
No monsters appeared.
No traps were triggered.
It was almost suspiciously convenient.
Rin noticed it too.
"Something feels wrong."
Abel smiled.
"Good."
"Good?"
"Yes."
"You enjoy this too much."
"Maybe."
Isabella walked behind them.
Her eyes occasionally rested on Abel.
Not with the admiration of a rescued princess.
With curiosity.
As though she were studying him.
Abel noticed.
He simply pretended not to.
When they reached the kingdom, the gates opened immediately.
"THE PRINCESS HAS RETURNED!"
The city erupted.
People gathered in the streets.
Soldiers rushed forward.
Servants cried.
The news spread through the capital like wildfire.
The king himself came to meet them.
When he saw Isabella, his expression changed completely.
"My daughter!"
He embraced her.
"I thought I'd lost you."
Isabella smiled.
"I'm fine, Father."
The king then turned toward Abel and Rin.
His expression became solemn.
"You have my deepest gratitude."
He bowed his head.
"Whatever reward you desire, name it."
Abel waved his hand.
"We don't need anything."
The king looked surprised.
"You saved my daughter."
"It wasn't a difficult rescue."
Rin looked at him.
"You say that after sneaking into a fortified bandit stronghold."
"It wasn't difficult."
The king laughed.
"Then at least allow me to host a banquet in your honor."
Abel shrugged.
"Sure."
Rin sighed.
"Of course you'd accept food."
"Free food is free food."
That evening, the royal palace was filled with music.
Tables overflowed with food.
Nobles filled the hall.
Musicians performed.
And Isabella sat beside her father.
Yet her eyes kept drifting toward Abel.
He noticed.
Rin noticed.
Everyone noticed.
Abel leaned toward Rin.
"She's staring."
"I know."
"Why?"
"How should I know?"
"Jealous?"
Rin nearly choked on her drink.
"Why would I be jealous?"
Abel smiled.
"Interesting reaction."
"I am not jealous."
"Sure."
"I mean it."
"Of course."
Rin narrowed her eyes.
"You are enjoying this."
"Very much."
Abel looked toward Isabella.
"She's beautiful, though."
Rin's expression stiffened.
Abel continued casually.
"I think she's probably the most beautiful woman I've encountered in this world."
Rin smiled.
A very dangerous smile.
"Indeed."
"You're not angry?"
"Why would I be?"
She leaned closer.
"And you're not exactly ugly yourself."
Abel laughed.
"Careful."
"Why?"
"Someone might think you're complimenting me."
"I'd rather compliment a wall."
"Yet you did."
Rin looked away.
"Shut up."
Abel grinned.
Later that night, Isabella approached him.
"Abel."
He turned.
"Princess."
"May I speak with you?"
"Of course."
They walked onto a balcony overlooking the capital.
The night sky stretched above them.
Isabella rested her hands against the railing.
"Thank you again."
"You've already thanked me."
"I know."
She looked at him.
"But I wanted to say it again."
Abel smiled.
"You're welcome."
There was silence.
Then Isabella spoke.
"You're different."
"I've heard that before."
"You don't act like an adventurer."
"I'm not really an adventurer."
"Then what are you?"
Abel looked toward the stars.
"A traveler."
"Traveling toward what?"
"Everything."
She smiled.
"That's a strange answer."
"I'm a strange person."
"I noticed."
Abel laughed.
Isabella looked at him for several seconds.
Then quietly said:
"I like you."
Abel blinked.
Straightforward.
He respected that.
But he shook his head gently.
"Princess..."
"I know."
She smiled sadly.
"You're leaving."
"Eventually."
"And you won't stay here."
"No."
"Because of your journey?"
"Yes."
She looked down.
"I understand."
Abel smiled.
"You'll meet someone better."
"I doubt it."
"Don't say that."
She laughed softly.
"You're very confident."
"I have reasons."
For a moment, they simply stood beneath the stars.
Then Isabella stepped backward.
"Goodbye, Abel."
"Goodbye, Princess."
She turned away.
And as she walked back toward the palace...
Her expression changed.
The sadness vanished.
The softness disappeared.
Her eyes became cold.
Ancient.
Predatory.
She glanced back toward Abel.
He was still standing on the balcony.
Watching the stars.
Isabella smiled.
"Interesting."
The following morning, Abel and Rin left the kingdom.
They traveled several miles before Rin finally spoke.
"She wasn't a normal princess."
Abel smiled.
"I know."
"You knew?"
"From the moment we found her."
Rin stopped walking.
"Then why did you pretend you didn't?"
"Because I was curious."
"About what?"
Abel looked back toward the distant kingdom.
"Why would a kidnapped princess be calm inside a fortress?"
Rin's expression darkened.
"And?"
"And she wanted to see what I would do."
Rin frowned.
"You think she was testing you?"
"I don't think."
Abel smiled.
"I know."
Back at the palace, Isabella stood alone inside her room.
The royal servants were gone.
The guards were gone.
Her father was gone.
The princess facade disappeared.
Her body changed.
The atmosphere around her distorted.
Her hair became silver-white.
Her eyes turned a brilliant, unnatural blue.
The beautiful young princess was gone.
In her place stood a being whose presence seemed to exist outside the laws of the world itself.
Zadd.
The First Devil.
The forgotten first creation.
The being who had wandered through countless realities simply because existence had become boring.
He looked toward the direction Abel had traveled.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
His voice was completely different now.
"So that's what you do when you limit yourself."
Zadd had watched everything.
The village.
The bandits.
The negotiations.
The rescue.
The princess.
Everything.
He had deliberately entered the kingdom in disguise.
He had deliberately allowed himself to be "kidnapped."
And he had deliberately placed himself in a situation where Abel would have to make decisions without relying on overwhelming power.
It wasn't about whether Abel could win.
Zadd already knew that Abel possessed absurd strength.
That wasn't interesting.
What mattered was what Abel did without it.
Would he dominate?
Would he manipulate?
Would he destroy?
Would he abandon people?
Or would he actually try to understand them?
Zadd's smile widened.
"He passed."
He turned toward the window.
"But..."
His eyes narrowed.
"He still has a long way to go."
For the first time, genuine excitement appeared on his face.
Then he laughed.
"Let's see how long that confidence lasts."
Several days later...
Abel and Rin were walking through a forest.
Everything was peaceful.
Birds sang.
The wind moved through the trees.
Rin was talking about their next destination.
Then Abel stopped.
Rin looked at him.
"What?"
Abel didn't answer.
A pressure descended upon the forest.
The trees bent.
The earth cracked.
The sky seemed to darken.
Rin immediately drew her weapon.
"What the hell is that?"
Abel's expression became serious.
A figure appeared several meters ahead.
Silver-white hair.
Blue eyes.
An elegant smile.
Abel stared.
"You."
Zadd smiled.
"Hello, Abel."
Rin looked between them.
"You two know each other?"
Zadd ignored her.
"I've been watching your little journey."
Abel's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"I was curious."
"About what?"
"Whether you were actually capable of uniting anyone."
Abel's expression hardened.
"So the princess..."
"Was me."
Silence.
Rin's eyes widened.
Abel stared at Zadd.
Then he laughed.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Zadd smiled.
"No."
Abel's smile disappeared.
"You manipulated that entire situation."
"Yes."
"You used yourself as bait."
"Yes."
"You made me rescue you."
"Correct."
Abel cracked his neck.
"You're annoying."
Zadd smiled.
"And you're arrogant."
The next instant—
BOOM.
Abel was launched through the forest.
Trees exploded behind him one after another.
Rin's eyes widened.
"ABEL!"
Zadd stood exactly where he had been.
His expression hadn't changed.
Abel crashed into the ground several hundred meters away.
He slowly stood.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Then he smiled.
"Finally."
His eyes burned with excitement.
"Someone interesting."
Zadd's smile widened.
"Good."
He stepped forward.
"Now..."
His eyes gleamed.
"Show me what kind of uniter you really are."
And for the first time since beginning his journey...
Abel realized something.
He wasn't the strongest person in the room.
He wasn't even close.
And Zadd was going to make damn sure he remembered it.