The Boundary of Aesthetics

Day by day, Lady Bellona's teachings grew deeper. It started with simply following her instructions, but gradually I began to conceive and create my own "works."

In the fourth lesson, Lady Bellona granted me complete freedom.

"Today, you'll choose the materials yourself and decide on the theme of the piece."

The man I selected from the cage was young and handsome, but his eyes gleamed with cunning. Unlike the others, he wasn't gripped by fear—instead, he glared at me defiantly.

"A fine choice," Lady Bellona said with a smile. "What caught your eye about him?"

"His eyes. They're full of malice."

"Exactly! Your instincts are sharpening. He's actually a vile criminal who swindled poor girls."

A spark of joy ignited somewhere deep inside me. It felt strangely satisfying to have Lady Bellona praise my selection.

Miel watched the entire scene anxiously, fluttering above my head. The blue glow of her wings was gradually turning black. She was still trying to warn me, but honestly... it was getting annoying.

Miel, quiet down a bit...

This time, I started the work on my own without Lady Bellona's help. My techniques had become familiar by now. I picked up the scalpel and carefully incised the skin, avoiding the major blood vessels.

The man's screams no longer sounded horrific like before. Instead, they felt like background music.

"Peel back the skin while preserving the shape of the muscles," I muttered to myself.

Lady Bellona watched my work silently.

Once the skin was fully removed, the red muscles were revealed. It looked truly beautiful—like a crimson flower in bloom.

And this time, I tried something new. I carefully sliced away parts of the muscle and spread them out like petals.

The man convulsed in agony, too overcome to even scream.

"Wow, what a creative approach!" Lady Bellona cheered.

Hihi! Her praise made my chest burn hot.

As I continued, I immersed myself like a painter crafting a masterpiece. The scalpel became my brush, blood my paint, and the man's body my canvas.

Crimson Bind vibrated with delight at the sight. Red mist poured from the sword, writhing around the workbench like a living thing. Sometimes, it even seemed to guide my hand—telling me where to cut and what to preserve...

Is this really art? The thought flickered through my mind occasionally, but it faded more and more. What unfolded before my eyes was undoubtedly art—more vivid and intense than any painting or sculpture.

As the work neared completion, the man drew his final breath. In that instant, I understood what Lady Bellona had said. True beauty lay in the boundary between life and death, in that fleeting moment.

So pretty...

"Perfect! Now you've grasped the Aesthetics of Murder!" Lady Bellona beamed, cupping my cheeks in her hands.

Eek! Aesthetics of Murder is a skill too!? I thought the only thing from Lady Bellona was the trait I got on the first day!

The next day, in the fifth lesson, I challenged a more complex piece. I called it "Garden of Flowers." I extracted the man's spine and arranged it in a circle, then spread his entrails like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blooming petals atop it. The heart in his chest flowered like a rose, and the lungs became broad leaves.

"This feels like my greatest masterpiece yet."

Lady Bellona nodded. "Your senses are developing so quickly. Impressive~"

From the night I completed Garden of Flowers, I no longer had nightmares. Instead, my mind overflowed with ideas for the next work.

"Ricoris, true aesthetics lie in eternity," Lady Bellona said late one night under the moonlight. "All beauty is momentary, but capturing that moment forever—that is art."

"Like... preserving a flower at the instant before it wilts?"

"Precisely! That's it. Death isn't an end; it's the beginning of beauty."

Her words resonated deeply within me. This wasn't mere cruelty—it was the sublime art of turning a fleeting instant into eternity.

As time passed, I delved deeper into Lady Bellona's teachings. What began with fear and revulsion gradually shifted to awe and understanding. My "works" grew ever more intricate and refined.

Especially those leveraging my floral essence: delicate sculptures with sharp root tips, or pieces where the agony-twisted expressions from poison felt vividly alive. Even Lady Bellona ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠marveled at them.

Once, while experimenting with pollen for a new creation, I unlocked a fresh pollen skill.

Huh? Plantification? Just from the name, it sounds like turning someone into a plant...?

The plantification pollen gradually transformed the man's body. His skin sprouted tiny flower buds, and his veins turned green, resembling leaf veins.

So cool...!

"Ricoris, this is astonishing innovation!" Lady Bellona exclaimed. "A work transcending the boundary between human and plant—truly a new realm."

"Hihi! Thank you!"

Emboldened by her encouragement, I attempted even bolder experiments. One man's entire body bloomed into flowers while he lived; another's organs were replaced with plant structures. Their screams and suffering now sounded like music to me.

Every evening, staring in the mirror became a habit. Day by day, my appearance changed. When I first arrived in the Demon Realm, only the tips of my hair were red—now over half was blood-crimson. My eyes deepened to a richer scarlet, sparkling like pomegranate seeds. Even a faint pink aura began to linger around me.

Will Master and Lady Michael recognize me like this? The thought crossed my mind again, but soon a smile spread across my face. They'll surely love how much more beautiful I've become.

Every night, Lady Bellona shared tea time with me, discussing art. Her philosophy seeped deeper into my soul. Our teas were held on the temple's high balcony. Gazing at the Demon Realm's night sky with its black moon became routine, and those profound conversations beneath the beautiful vista were precious to me.

"Ricoris, you're the most special disciple I've ever had. I thought you were extraordinary from the moment I found you, but I never imagined you'd progress this fast~"

Lady Bellona poured my tea as we sat on the temple balcony, watching the black moon of the Demon Realm.

"Hehe... It's all thanks to your teachings, Lady Bellona."

It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was sincere. She had shown me a completely new world—a radically different view of life and death, pain and beauty.

On the way back to my room after tea, I suddenly realized Miel was gone.

"Miel? Where are you?"

I found her weakly fluttering on the bed. Her once-lustrous blue wings had turned completely black, and her flaps were slow and feeble.

"Miel! Are you okay? Why are you so weak?"

"What!? Really!?"

My mind snapped awake. What had I been doing all this time? Lost in the Aesthetics of Murder, forgetting to hurry back, even neglecting Miel...

Lady Bellona's teachings were special, but nothing was more precious than Miel.

"Miel, hang in there just a bit longer. I'll ask about speeding up the passage. We'll get out of here soon."

I couldn't let Miel, who was dragged here unjustly because of me, die. Master and Lady Michael were waiting. It was really time to go home.

After checking on Miel, I rushed straight to Lady Bellona's room.

"Lady Bellona, when will the passage be complete? Miel's condition is critical. I can't wait any longer."

"It should be done within the week. Why so urgent?" Lady Bellona looked puzzled.

"Yes—Miel might vanish if she stays in the Demon Realm too long. Please help open the passage sooner."

"Alright. I'll push as hard as I can. If that's what you want..."

A flicker of disappointment crossed her face, but it soon turned to understanding.

"I get it. Everyone wants to go home."

"Thank you... So, what does the passage look like? Just a door to step through?"

"More like a cave entrance. Since it connects entirely different realms, the hole will be pitch-black, surrounded by intricate magic circles etched with runes for contrast."

"...Who makes such an amazing passage?"

"Passages between the Demon Realm and human world must be built from both sides simultaneously. Here, the evil gods centered on Abraksas handle it; in the human world, his cultists do."

Eek... Abraksas...?

Didn't I slaughter hordes of his followers, the evil god cultists...?

"Abraksas...?"

"Yes, do you know him? He's a rather diligent and passionate evil god. While others gave up intervening in the human world after the cutoff, he alone kept researching ways down—and now his designed passage is nearly complete. A male god, but respectable in his way~"

No way... Abraksas is that kind of character? Diligent and passionate hard worker...?

So different from the evil god I imagined. And if Abraksas recognizes me, what then? Wonder if I can even use the passage...?