Carried forward by the momentum of my thrust, I plunged straight into the giant’s chest—and burst through the other side. I emerged from Ymir’s back more than twenty meters above the ground as he’s falling.
With a clear “chiiing”, a gold coin peeled away from the short sword. I clenched the coin in my hand, and golden magic power enveloped me, slowing my descent until I was gently drifting toward the ground.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, I looked back.
“Ymir…!”
The Primordial Titan had dropped to one knee, completely motionless. A massive hole had been punched straight through his body, from his back to his chest.
The Sword of the Daughter of the Sun had pierced through the body he had created from magic power.
Then—
Thump.
A heartbeat reverberated through the air.
Using the Blessing of the God of Hunting, I activated Wild Heart to sense the flow of magic power. Inside the enormous hole in Ymir’s body, a brilliant crimson light was flickering.
『Rion 』
Solana’s voice echoed inside my head.
“…Yeah! His heart is inside that hole!”
The body he had created had been blasted straight through, exposing the source of his power—the Heart of Frost and Flame.
This is my only chance.
“Wake-up!”
I summoned the wind spirit Sylph from the short sword. The power of the wind lifted me upward, and I dove through the enormous hole in Ymir’s back.
The morning sunlight streamed inside, making it a little hard to see. Ymir’s body was hard and cold. Its interior looked less like the inside of a living creature and more like a cavern that had been carved out with perfect precision.
Floating in midair was a heart encased in ice.
I reached out my hand. As though responding to my touch, it began to beat. I took it in my hands. Just as some god had done thousands of years ago, I am going to steal the Power of Creation from this titan.
—Ooooh
A sound reached my ears. It was somewhere between the howling of wind and a low, anguished groan.
Then a scream came from outside.
“It’s fallinggggg!”
The ground beneath me suddenly tilted.
If I got caught beneath that collapsing body, I’d be crushed to death!
Still clutching the Heart of Frost and Flame, I leaped toward the exit on the titan’s chest. I kicked off its massive chest, slipped beneath an arm that seemed to reach for me, and jumped down onto the snowy plain.
Behind me, the enormous body crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, sending clouds of snow billowing into the air.
I somehow managed to land safely, but my heart refused to stop racing.
Eventually, the cloud of snow began to clear.
Ymir’s body, which had grown to nearly forty meters tall, lay on its side with its right half pressed against the ground. His enormous left eye was wide open, glaring into empty space. His right eye was buried beneath the snow.
No one spoke.
There should have been around a hundred adventurers here. And Gods too. Yet no one said a word. The snowy plain had fallen completely silent.
“…Is he dead?”
Even with the Blessing of the Hunting God, the red glow of magical power now barely clung to Ymir’s enormous body.
Solana’s voice came from the gold coin.
“Ymir was already weakened to begin with. He did manage to reclaim the Heart of Frost and Flame once, but…”
The goddess fell silent.
The Heart of Frost and Flame in my arms gave another beat, and I tucked it safely into my pouch so I wouldn’t lose it.
“Rion, you held out. Meanwhile, the adventurers, Freyja, and the others carried their magical power all the way to the Celestial Realm. Because of that, before he could fully draw out the heart’s power—we were able to unleash all of our strength against him.”
The reason we won.
I wasn’t sure if I could really sum it up with words like that.
“A battle of attrition…”
“You endured until your allies arrived. That kind of strength is so very like you.”
The morning sun had risen completely now, bathing Ymir and all of us in its light.
Perhaps because we had spent so long within the void of Ginnungagap, the wind blowing against me felt strangely warm.
Then Solana spoke softly.
“Well… the greatest threat has now passed. The gods and humanity alike will surely change even more from this point onward.”
“Huh?”
The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.
What did she mean?
Solana’s voice trembled slightly.
It sounded faint. Weak.
If a voice hadn’t suddenly descended from the heavens, I think I would have asked Solana what she meant.
Everyone.
A familiar voice echoed through the sky, which was still painted with the colors of dawn.
The adventurers and the gods all looked up at once.
It was a global message from the Celestial Realm.
Ymir has been defeated. The apocalypse has come to an end. The heroes—no, every single person—has driven back the monsters.
The adventurers looked at one another.
I think the battle had been so overwhelming that none of us could quite grasp the reality of the word victory.
By now, back in the Royal Capital, Mother, the princess, and Safi were probably breathing sighs of relief. Perhaps the sky had even returned to its normal color, fading back from twilight.
And ever since Ymir had fallen, the bitter cold of the snowy plain seemed to have eased as well.
—We won!
—The monsters are gone!
Cheers rang out from above.
Come to think of it, I’d heard distant voices earlier, too. Could this be some kind of service from the gods—letting us know about the joy spreading throughout the kingdom?
No.
It wasn’t just that.
The global message was being used to share that joy with one another. The corners of my mouth curled upward.
“Thank you, Norn.”
『 You’re welcome.』
The words echoed inside my head.
Voices continued to rain down from the sky.
—Thank you.
—You saved us.
—We’re alive because of you.
Encouraged by that downpour of gratitude, cheers began to fill the snowy plain as well. My legs finally gave out, and I sank to the ground. The snow felt wonderful against my overheated body.
“Ah…?”
“Good work, Rion.”
Solana’s voice was warm and gentle.
“You really did your best. Not just for your family and friends. In the end, you managed to protect everything.”
“…It’s all thanks to you and the others, Solana.”
“You always say things like that.”
The goddess emerged from the gold coin.
Her white dress and long golden hair, reaching all the way down her back, fluttered in the gentle breeze. Her sparkling eyes narrowed softly as Solana bent down and peered at me.
“Good work. Just this once, let me be proud of you.”
As always, the goddess was surrounded by a faint radiance. But if her usual glow was like sunlight, the light surrounding her now was as frail as a candle flame.
And then I noticed something else. Tiny particles of light were drifting away from her. Almost as if her body itself were coming undone.
Looking closely—
I could faintly see the scenery behind her through her body.
“…Solana?”
My chest tightened. She had come all the way to that freezing void to save me. And it wasn’t just that. From the moment I received that gold coin until the moment Ymir was defeated, she had been there for me. The gods must have been battered and exhausted themselves by now.
“Thank you.”
Still sitting there in the snow, I reached out and hugged Solana.
I couldn’t think of any other way to express everything I was feeling.
My gratitude.
How much I loved her.
Our eyes met—her golden eyes gazing into mine.
“Mm. And thank you, too.”
Solana smiled. She looked even more beautiful than usual, and this time, my heart felt completely full.
The goddess whispered,
“Thank you.”
Before I knew it, my body was moving.
I pressed my lips against Solana’s.
A moment later, we pulled back and stared at each other.
I could still feel the sensation on my lips. As I realized what I had just done, both my cheeks grew hotter and hotter.
Solana’s face had turned bright red, too.
“Ah…”
“Eh…?”
What am I doing?!
We both hurriedly scrambled away from each other.
“S-Sorry! I just—out of nowhere…!”
“N-No, it’s fine…!? L-Luisia told me that if you wanted to express something beyond just saying ‘thank you,’ then… that was something people did…!”
L-Lu…!
She taught the goddess about going on dates and everything, but did she really teach her “that”, too!?
I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Still sitting there in the snow, I covered my face with my hands in gauntlet.
At a time like this, in a place like this…
Am I really the kind of person who would do something like that…?
Then the goddess spoke.
“I-I didn’t dislike it.”
“—!”
A cold breeze brushed against my cheek.
Once again, golden particles of light scattered from the goddess’s body, carried away by the wind. The pounding in my chest suddenly went cold.
I looked at her and asked—
“…Are you going to be okay?”
The warm magical presence I had felt until now was growing weaker.
Solana smiled.
“To be honest, I do not know.”
She had already been wounded to begin with.
And yet all the gods had summoned the last of their strength for the sake of humanity.
That thought suddenly struck me, making me freeze.
The last…?
Why had I instinctively sensed that this might be the “last”?
“Oniichan!”
A voice called out from behind me. Lu came down onto the snowy plain from the sky alongside the other gods. They must have brought my little sister here from the Grand Staircase.
Mia-san and the others came running toward us as well.
I planted my feet firmly and forced myself to stand.
Thor raised his thick eyebrows.
“…Hmm? Rion, why’s your face all red?”
My heart skipped a beat.
“What!? I-Is it!?”
I desperately looked away.
My eyes darted from one place to another, and I could tell I was being painfully obvious. Beside me, Solana lowered her head, her face bright red as well.
Felix-san cleared his throat.
Then, all at once, every god except Lu and Mia-san, started jabbing the God of Thunder. Thor’s eyes went wide as he looked around in confusion. Completely overwhelmed by the other gods, he was gradually herded away and isolated toward the back.
While I sighed at the whole spectacle, Lu walked over to me and stood at my side, looking up at Ymir’s body.
“It’s over, isn’t it, Oniichan?”
“Yeah.”
That was when I noticed something different about Lu. Her eyes had returned to their usual sky-blue color. Before the battle with Ymir, her left eye had been green—the same color as Freyja’s magical power.
Perhaps noticing me staring, Lu lowered her chin.
“…Freyja-sama is no longer inside me.”
Lu told me what had happened at the very end of Freyja’s life.
After that, she had somehow managed to recover a tiny amount of her magical power and helped us.
“I see.”
“I think… even though it was only at the very end, I’m glad the two of them were able to talk.”
I nodded at Lu’s words.
In my mind, I pictured the goddess who had taught me the sword—and the resolve to wield it. At the very least, I would never forget her.
Solana pointed toward the titan’s body.
“Rion, look.”
Ymir’s body was gradually turning black. Starting from the edges—his toes, his fingertips, and the other extremities—his flesh crumbled into black ash and dissolved into the air.
The monster was dead.
“The titan’s final moments.”
I nodded to the goddess. His body would turn to ash and disappear, dissolving away just like any other monster.
But when the disintegration reached his chest—
The adventurers erupted into murmurs.
I found myself holding my breath.
The nearly forty-meter-tall giant still had more than half of his body intact. Black ash swirled upward from his body, carried into the air. And somewhere along the way, white light began to mingle with it. The light gathered around Ymir’s chest, beginning to form a sphere of radiance above his enormous body.
Lu let out a small gasp.
“That…?”
The sphere of light grew to more than thirty meters in diameter. White radiance poured down from it, dyeing the snowy plain even whiter.
We had seen it before.
“Oniichan. That’s in the Celestial Realm…”
“Yeah. The Light of Creation!”
Now that Ymir had died, had the magical power he had consumed been released once more?
Or was this simply the way a magic stone manifested for a Primordial Titan?
The sphere of light slowly rotated, drawing in the black ash and magical power around it. The presence of its power was overwhelming. I felt as though every adventurer here—even the gods themselves—had been left holding their breath.
Then a voice descended from above.
“As I expected. Just as I had predicted.”
An old god clad in robes descended onto the snowy plain.
Odin.
He rested the spear in his hand against the ground like a staff. Beside him stood a beautiful woman dressed in green.
“Freyja-sama…”
Lu whispered the name.
Her golden hair swayed in the wind, glittering brilliantly beneath the light of the sphere.
Odin planted his spear firmly in the snow and looked around at the gathered gods.
“Thor. Loki. Uru. Sigris.”
Then he continued.
“And Solana, Daughter of the Sun.”
The goddess stood there, growing weaker as particles of light leaked from her body.
Odin narrowed his eyes at her.
But his expression quickly returned to its usual blankness. He looked up at Ymir as the giant continued to crumble—and at the enormous sphere of light above him.
“As gods, let us carry out our final task.”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Now, I had regained the full strength I had possessed at the peak of my previous life. And along with it, the emotions from back then came flooding back.
—The sorrow of being rejected by my master.
—Jealousy toward all the couples in the world.
—Hatred toward handsome men.
Down with the lovey-dovey masses. There is no mercy!
Hmm?Wait.
If that was the case, shouldn’t I start by killing myself?
After all—
1. My stepsister has feelings for me.
2. A girl with a chuunibyou streak and the kind of figure you’d expect from an eroge heroine calls me “Master”.
3. I have 【Charmed】 a witch who’s two thousand… no, only a few hundred years old.
4. I’m good friends—and murder buddies—with a beautiful shrine maiden swordswoman. (I’ll ignore the fact that my sense of ethics has completely collapsed.)
And that’s not even getting into Mizuka-san (cat ears) and Manya (succubus), both of whom I’m deeply involved with.
Hmm. By any reasonable definition, I’m a member of the lovey-dovey masses.
And then there’s Herbert.
Just look at the poor guy. Not only was he rejected by Phyllis, he got psychologically beaten to a pulp and eventually stopped being human altogether.
All right!
I’m on Herbert’s side.
I’m going to beat the ever-loving crap out of myself.
…
Eh?Wait a minute.
Calm down.
My thoughts were obviously heading in a very strange direction just now.
I’m supposed to rescue Mia and Phyllis from Herbert. So why the hell am I siding with Herbert?!
This is bad. If I stay transformed for too long, I’ll become consumed by hatred for the lovey-dovey masses and end up cutting my own head off. What kind of drawback is this?
I know that overwhelming power is supposed to come with a price and limitations. It’s the classic trope. But couldn’t they have given me something a little cooler? At this rate…. even if I keep resisting while using mana, I’d probably have an activity limit of around three minutes. Like some kind of Ultra hero.
Come to think of it, wasn’t the whole “Ultraman can only fight on Earth for three minutes” thing actually not part of the original series?
As far as I remember, all the original series established was that the Color Timer would start flashing when his energy was running low. The actual three-minute time limit came later, starting with the series after next—the one where the protagonist’s girlfriend gets run over and killed by a car.
Uh-, sorry for the completely useless trivia.
“What the hell are youuuuuuuuu?!”
The Creepy Vine Man—or rather, Herbert—screamed.
Countless vines whipped through the air, rushing toward me in an attempt to capture me.
“《Time Spell》—《You, Anti, Shall Not Defy Time: Reverse Clock》—《Enchant: And》—”
But it was pointless.
“—《Light Spirit Spell》—《My Precious Halo Shall Split the Darkness Into Eight: Ultra-Man-Like Technique》!”
What I unleashed was a ring-shaped blade of light—a chakram. A staple weapon for any proper chuunibyou, right alongside the segmented sword. The rapidly spinning blades of light tore through the vines one after another.
At the same time—
“《Flame Spell》—《My Blade Is the Phoenix’s Purifying and Scorching Vanguard: Blade》!”
I drew my sword.
The same crude, broad-bladed sword I had used back then. Flames engulfed the blade.
You see techniques like this all the time. Like Shishio-sama. Or Sh—well, never mind.
I charged forward and cut once. In a single stroke, I freed Mia and Phyllis from the vines.
They’d both been left dangling in midair, so I caught them securely as they fell.
“…Oniisan…?”
Mia seemed bewildered.
Probably because my appearance had changed so drastically.
“It looks like you managed to draw out the conceptual information that had been stored inside you.”
Phyllis, on the other hand, seemed to have reached her own conclusion. Incidentally, her white dress had been thoroughly disheveled from being wrapped up in the vines. Her right shoulder was exposed, and the upper half of her chest was almost shamelessly on display.
“…Want to touch?”
Phyllis gave me a seductive little smile.
“If you let me examine what’s underneath that armor, I might allow you a little.”
It was an incredibly tempting offer.
But now was hardly the time.
“Why are you hurting meeeeeee?! Why?!”
Herbert shrieked hysterically. Several vines twisted together, forming a gigantic arm.
It swung at me. I couldn’t dodge. Mia and Phyllis were right behind me after all.
I lowered my stance and took the blow head-on. The fist was enormous—large enough that it looked like it could crush someone my size without any trouble.
But—
“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!”
The one who screamed was Herbert.
His fist collapsed in on itself.
The reason was this spell:
—《Reflection Spell》—《I Am Protected by the Black Elephant’s Blessing: Hit Me and You’ll Die, Got It?》
In other words, physical reflection. Its effective duration was exactly one second.
I took no damage whatsoever. The impact was simply reflected straight back at Herbert.
“IT HURTS! IT HURTS, IT HURTS SOOOOO MUUUUCH!”
Herbert writhed in agony.
The halo-like chakram I had unleashed earlier struck him again, adding to his torment. It had already shredded his limbs, robbing him of any means of escape.
That said, once someone has been offered up to an evil god or its minions, they are beyond saving. Restoring them to their former self is impossible, even with “Temporal Magic.”
Well…I had already wrestled with that particular dilemma in my past life.
“Gravity Magic—”
Just as I was about to deliver the finishing blow…
“…Yoshito, let me do it.”
Phyllis spoke up.
“I don’t know the full details, but Herbert is in a situation where he has to die, isn’t he?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then I’ll do it. Let me. …Otherwise, I think I’d regret it.”
Perhaps this was her way of taking responsibility for her apprentice. Herbert’s “Temporal Magic” had already been neutralized. Phyllis’s magic would be more than enough to end his life.
“Goodbye, Herbert. You were a bit lackluster as a man, and as an apprentice… well… actually, you were lackluster there, too.”
Come on. At least lie to the guy and tell him, “You were a fine disciple.”
“Defying one’s master is punishable by death. That is the law of our world. But if you want to resent me, then go ahead. —《Tenfold, Twentyfold: Funeral Flame Dragon Cremation》.”
A dragon of flame roared as it mercilessly burned Herbert’s body to nothing. The vines went up in flames and crumbled away.
And as they burned, Herbert left behind one final statement:
“If only I’d known this would happen… I should’ve taken advantage of that girl I kidnapped while I had the chance…!”
What a terrible final testament.
A mama’s boy and a lolicon?
What is he, some three-times-faster red guy?
＊ ＊ ＊
Herbert—deemed lackluster both as a man and as a disciple—vanished, leaving behind a lingering, uneasy feeling in our hearts.
＊ ＊ ＊
I dispelled my transformation into the Black Knight. I was reaching the limit of my ability to suppress the urge to kill myself.
The armor faded away in an instant, and I returned to the body of an ordinary four-year-old.
“…?!”
The moment it happened, the mana that had been nearly full was completely drained. It happened in the blink of an eye.
Was it some kind of backlash from the transformation?
My consciousness began to fade. There was no way I could stay standing.
“O-Oniisan?! Hang in there! Stay with me!”
Just before I hit the ground, Mia caught me in her arms.
And that was where my memory cut out.
—
When I next came to, I was lying in my bed at home. The ceiling seemed awfully close.
“Is this… home…?”
I rubbed my eyes and looked around. The red glow of the setting sun streamed through the window.
It must have been evening.
“Ah… Good morning, Oniisan…”
Something warm stirred beside me.
“Mmm…”
She rubbed her face against my side. She’s probably still half-asleep.
What had happened after that? How had I ended up back home?
About thirty minutes later, Mia finally woke up properly, so I asked her what had happened.
“Phyllis-san took care of everything afterward. We should go thank her later.”
Apparently, Phyllis had not only carried the two of us all the way home, but had also explained the situation to the exorcists who had been at the scene and reported everything to the Department of Divinities’ Affairs—the people who had apparently been too busy squabbling internally at the Imperial Household Agency to do anything themselves.
As for the finer details, she had apparently crushed any further questioning with the connections she’d built up over the years.
WasPhyllis, perhaps, a much more formidable person than I’d realized?
I was grateful for everything she’d done. At the same time, I had to admit that Kijima had some serious nerve to pick a fight with someone like her.
Incidentally, Kijima had been handed over to the Department of Divinities’ Affairs. They were apparently still deciding what to do with him.
“Also, about you bringing those exorcists back to life with the 《Time Spell》…”
Thinking back on it now, I suppose I may have acted a little recklessly. It’s not exactly a particularly convenient spell, either. At most, it can rewind things by about an hour, and if the soul itself has already fallen apart, there’s nothing I can do to save them.
Physical death and the death of the soul.
Those two things really ought to be considered separately.
“Apparently, Phyllis-san used hypnosis on them to cover things up. But she said we should be careful, since there might still be people who remember what happened.”
“Got it. Thanks for telling me everything.”
I thanked her and gently patted her on the head.
“~♪”
Mia happily clung to my right arm.
“Hey, hey, Oniisan.”
“What is it?”
“I gave you some of my mana back in the cave, so I was thinking… maybe you could give me a little something in return?”
“I’m still in kindergarten. I barely get any allowance.”
“Not a present or anything. Just, uhm…”
“Just?”
“I want you to hug me. A nice, big hug. Like a squeeze.”
“…Like this?”
It wasn’t like before, with the futon between us. I am holding Mia’s small body directly in my arms. Mia, too, wrapped her arms around my waist. Perhaps she was being unusually clingy because we had just barely survived a brush with death.
We were there together in the same futon. It felt as though our body heat was melting together and mingling.
I found myself thinking that if Shuji-san or Yuko-san saw us like this, they’d surely get the wrong idea…
Tac. Tac. Tac. Footsteps were approaching.
Could they be coming to check on us?
Then again, neither of my parents knew where we’d been or what we’d been doing last night.
I wondered how that had been explained to them. Mia said nothing, nor did she make any move to let go of me.
Tac. Tac. Tac.
The footsteps drew closer. I could feel my heart beginning to race.
—Creak… click.
Thank goodness.
I didn’t know whether it was Shuji-san or Yuko-san, but apparently one of them had gone into their own room. As I was breathing a sigh of relief,
“Oniisan.”
Mia whispered, her cheeks flushed crimson.
“……That was kind of fun, wasn’t it?”
She had a mischievous, devilish little smile on her face.
I had the distinct feeling that we’d just opened a door that probably should have stayed closed.
—
Incidentally.
Apparently, Mia had explained to our parents, “Brother and I are both feeling kind of sluggish. Maybe we have the flu.”
It was February, so it wasn’t exactly an implausible excuse. Thanks to that, nobody found it particularly suspicious that we’d spent the entire day sleeping.
That night.
We slipped through the gate beneath the bed and headed over to Phyllis’s apartment.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t there. Maybe she was busy dealing with the aftermath.
The following afternoon, Mia and I were watching a movie in the living room. Shuji-san is watching with us. The final part of the live-action Rurouni Kenshin series, The Legend Ends.
Oh. Shishio was pretty impressive in the original manga, but this version really nailed that final-boss vibe, too.
“I kinda want my own group like the Ten Swords…”
Mia said that as the end credits rolled.
Just to clarify, the Ten Swords are basically the same sort of thing as the “Four Heavenly Kings”, the “Seven Heroes”” or the “Eight Princes”.
Okay, maybe not the Eight Princes.
Either way, the fact that her attention immediately went there was probably proof that she really was the successor to the Demon King.
――――This movie would later become one of the indirect causes that led us to create something resembling a secret society.
After the movie ended, we decided to head to GE○ with Shuji-san.
What should we watch next? The anime version of Rurouni Kenshin had that Reminiscence OVA that everyone seemed to rave about. I’d avoided it because the artwork was different from the TV series, but since we were here, maybe I should give it a try.
Except someone had already rented it.
What a shame.
As I stood there looking disappointed, Mia came over and said,
“Hey, hey, this looks kind of like the technique Brother used yesterday, doesn’t it?”
She held up the DVD case. A girl with flame-colored hair and burning red eyes stood there, wielding a sword engulfed in flames.
The melon-pan-obsessed girl with the famous “Annoying, annoying, annoying!” routine, voiced by Kugyu.
……Whoa. Stop.
If I keep going, people are going to figure out what kind of person I was back when I lived in Japan in my previous life.
I’m just an ordinary guy who knows a little about Gunda○ and ○ltraman, okay?
That was the sort of monologue running through my head when, before I knew it, Shuji-san had already paid for everything.
Oh no. He’d actually rented Sha○a.
Well, at least it wasn’t some moe-moe harem anime.
Still, I was mortified. Was I seriously supposed to watch this in front of my parents? More importantly, I have certain dark chapters of my past that I would very much like to forget.
Stuff from that other world.
Like the time I used 《Time Spell》 to regenerate myself and actually chanted:
《I am lost between midnight, today, and tomorrow, wandering eternally in the space between, unable to reach anywhere――where am I?》
Ugh. Overly bold self-interpretation is the privilege of youth.
I want to die. My spirit thoroughly battered, I returned home.
Honestly, this was harder to endure than my battle with Herbert.
We left the New Matsuki Station-front store and walked back through the residential neighborhood. We were just about to reach home when I spotted a black limousine.
Huh. It was exactly the sort of car you’d expect some filthy rich family to own. Could there really be some high-born young lady living around here?
Wait. Hey.
Isn’t that parked in front of the Kirasawa family’s house?
Wondering what the hell was going on, I approached the car together with Shuji-san and Mia. Standing beside it was an elderly butler in a black suit and white gloves. The moment he spotted us, he gave us a polite bow. Then he introduced himself as the butler of the Matsuki family.
“Please forgive us for the sudden visit. Our young lady, Ayano, has expressed a strong desire to meet you. If it would not be too much trouble, would you be willing to come with us?”
By the way, the full name of the kindergarten I attended was Oomichi Kindergarten, affiliated with the Private Matsuki Academy. And the school where Shuji-san works is the Private Matsuki Academy High School. And, as it happened, the Matsuki family was one of the most prominent families throughout Matsuki City.
So, yeah. There was no way we could refuse.
“P-Please wait just a moment…”
It had been a long time since I’d seen Shuji-san, who was usually so composed, actually panic like this.
Mia and I were both made to change into blouses, while Shuji-san and Yuko-san changed into their finest going-out clothes. Then the entire family climbed into the limousine.
“Y-Yoshito.”
Maybe he was nervous, because Shuji-san’s voice was trembling—something I almost never heard from him.
“Are you…close with the young lady of the Matsuki family?”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t really told my parents much about what went on at kindergarten. I suppose this was the consequence of the lack of parent-child communication in modern society.
“Y-Yeah.”
As for me, I was actually stiff with nerves myself. And it wasn’t because I’d been invited to the home of some rich family or anything like that.
I had remembered. The voice that had echoed inside my head, shortly before and after I transformed into the Black Knight yesterday.
――I wish you’d stop calling me “Foie gras”.
――Sacrificing me to summon me… I really don’t get it.
――The person they’re trying to summon is standing right in front of them, and nobody’s noticed. Kind of funny, isn’t it?
That was Ayano Matsuki.
What the hell was this?Was I about to face the true final boss?
Then again, she had sounded pretty friendly, so maybe everything would be fine.
Or maybe it wouldn’t. Alright that’s it. There was no point overthinking it.
I’d just handle things like I always did. Leave it all to fate.
Good luck, future me.
……She isn’t going to come back from the future and get revenge on me someday, is she?
The Matsuki family mansion stood in the hills north of Matsuki City.
Why did rich people always seem to want to live up high?
Maybe it was for protection against floods and tsunamis.
The limousine passed through the grand double gates and entered the estate.
We drove past a landscaped garden complete with a fountain, eventually arriving at an entrance that looked more like the lobby of a luxury hotel. This was where Mia and I parted ways with our parents.
We were escorted to Ms. Matsuki’s room.
“Oniisan…”
Mia looked a little uneasy.
I had already told her through telepathy that “Ayano Matsuki = that Evil God.”
That was probably why she’s a bit tense.
“It’s okay. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”
I took her hand.
That seemed to reassure Mia a little.
“Aww, how nice…”
The maid who had been escorting us muttered wistfully.
“I’m already twenty-eight, and I’m still single… sniffle, sniffle, wuu――――”
Being told something like that by a four-year-old was, well… awkward. At the very least, there was one thing I could say. “Sniffle, sniffle” is a bit much for someone almost 30.
The route through the mansion was surprisingly complicated. I wasn’t sure we’d ever find our way back to the entrance. The hallways were decorated with all sorts of avant-garde paintings I didn’t understand, along with vases that looked like they cost a fortune.
As expected of the rich.
The Kirasawa family seemed to be doing fairly well thanks to the influence of my 【Good Fortune】, but they were still nowhere near the Matsuki family.
As I wondered idly whether I’d ever get to live somewhere like this, we finally arrived at Matsuki-san’s room.
And so, we found ourselves face-to-face with Ayano Matsuki—the Evil God I had supposedly erased from existence completely in my previous life.
She bowed deeply and said,
“Long time no see, Mia-chan. Or should I say, Mia Gransfield? From the looks of it, I guess you’ve been told who I really am.
If that’s the case, then this should be easy. Mia-chan, don’t you want to avenge yourself?
I’m incredibly weakened in my current state. With Yoshito-kun’s power, you could probably destroy me without much trouble.
This isn’t a trap or some kind of scheme. I’m telling you the truth. Even though it was something my followers did, I still ruined your life.
So it’s only natural that you’d hate me, and I think it’s only right that I pay the price. I won’t complain.
Mia-chan, what are you going to do?”
Matsuki-san asked in a tone that almost sounded like she was provoking her. There was something about the way she said it that made her seem almost eager to be punished.
As for Mia…
She closed her eyes and thought for a while.
Then, softly, she said,
“Before we talk about whether to kill you or not, there’s something you need to do first, isn’t there, Matsuki-san?”
“Are you talking about compensation? Money or something?”
“No. That’s not it.”
Mia shook her head.
“Ayano-chan, you go to kindergarten too, so your teacher must have taught you this. [When you do something bad, you say, I’m sorry.]”
When she put it that way, she was absolutely right. It was common sense.
But somehow, watching from the sidelines, I’d completely forgotten about it.
Maybe I’d been too fixated on the fact that Ayano Matsuki was the reincarnation of an Evil God.
Apparently, Matsuki-san had made the same mistake.
“Um, well…”
Looking somewhat bewildered, she said,
“……I’m sorry for using you as my vessel.”
“You mustn’t do anything that troublesome again, okay, Ayano-chan?”
Mia gently scolded her.
“Then that settles it. We’re friends again. Okay?”
She held out her right hand.
……Could it be that Mia was actually kind of a big deal?
“Is that really okay?”
Matsuki-san was suddenly much more hesitant than before.
“Because what happened was something your followers did on their own, right?”
“That’s true, but I’m an Evil God, and――”
“Are you planning to do something bad?”
“Well, not particularly…”
“Then let’s be friends.”
Mia reached out and took Matsuki-san’s hand herself.
“I don’t really understand all the circumstances, but you were reincarnated as a human, right?”
“I suppose that’s technically what happened.”
“Then I think it’s fine. More importantly, be my friend. I don’t have anyone at kindergarten I can really talk to, and honestly, it’s not that much fun.”
“Ah, right. You’re always all by yourself, Mia-chan. Where do you even eat lunch? In the bathroom?”
“……Okay, you really do need to be erased!”
Mia pounced on her playfully.
“Eeeek! Soooomeone save meee!”
Matsuki-san seemed to be having fun, too.
Considering that one of them had been the other’s vessel in their previous lives, maybe they were actually a pretty good match personality-wise.
――After that, Matsuki-san told us the whole story of what had happened this time.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Ever since then, for some reason, a dull ache had been throbbing in my right side. That was exactly where I had absorbed the 《Faceless Mud》.
…
Huh?
Why do my cheeks feel strangely cold?
The ground is awfully close.
No—wait.
I was lying on the ground.
When did I fall?
Did I pass out from running out of mana?
That’s strange though. I could have sworn I still had enough mana left for at least one more fight.
Thump!
My right side suddenly throbbed violently. And with it, my consciousness began to fade—
“Oniisan!? Hey, Oniisan, stay with me!”
I came to at the sound of someone’s voice. Forcing open my heavy eyelids, I found myself staring into the familiar face of Mia.
“What happened, Oniisan? Are you hurt somewhere?!”
“Probably just out of mana.…”
When I told her that, Mia nodded.
“—《Supplemental Transfer Spell: My Spirit Energy Is Your Nectar of Vitality, So Draw It Forth》.”
She chanted the spell and took my hand. A gentle warmth slowly spread from the point where our hands touched.
Supplemental Transfer Spell. Just as the name implied, it is a magic that allows one person to share their mana with another.
The transfer was painfully slow, but little by little, my consciousness began to clear.
“Thanks. You saved me, Mia. …But why are you here?”
Wasn’t she supposed to be outside, treating the wounded?
“I had a bad feeling. It was really vague, but… I felt like you were in danger, Oniisan…”
“I see. The power of love, huh?”
I answered jokingly.
Mia nodded.
“Maybe. Because I really do love you, Oniisan—my Hero.”
She suddenly dropped that on me.
“…”
“…”
“…Don’t say something like that and then get embarrassed yourself.”
“…………You’re the one blushing, Hero.”
Damn. What the hell were we doing, getting caught up in some cheesy romantic-comedy scene?
I had managed to drive Reona and Aria back, but it was still far too early for an epilogue.
That earthquake from earlier was bothering me, too. I needed to hurry and go after Phyllis.
“Hero, think you can move?”
“Yeah.”
I slowly pushed myself upright.
Then—
“Seriously, you can drop the ‘Hero’ thing now.”
The thought had suddenly occurred to me, so I said it aloud.
“If someone else heard you calling me that, they’d wonder what the hell was going on.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Just ‘Oniisan’ like usual. Besides, why did you suddenly start calling me ‘Hero’ in the first place?”
“Why not? I just felt like it. It’s a mood.”
I really didn’t understand a woman’s heart.
Still—
“Then call me by my name. Seriously, being called ‘Hero’ in this world is… well, it makes my skin crawl.”
Back in the other world, it had been an honorable title. But this world was different, and so were the circumstances. Nobody exactly went around using the word “hero” in everyday conversation here. And if they did, it would probably be in the sense of “Yeah right, hero, lol.”—Something meant to mock whoever was being called one.
“Your name… y-you mean your first name, right?”
“Yeah. You remember it, don’t you?”
“Of course. It’s the same as in my previous life, right? Uhm…”
Mia hesitated for a moment, looking distinctly embarrassed.
Then, somewhat shyly, she finally said—
“Y-Yoshito… …Oniisan.”
“Drop the ‘Oniisan.’ Try again.”
I gave her a hard time on purpose, rejecting her first attempt.
“Take two. Start!”
“Huh? Whaaat?! …Y-yo, yo yo yo—”
“Yocchan Squid?”
For the record, I like the spicy version with the winning lottery ticket inside. Back when I was in elementary school, me and my three other friends had pooled our money and bought a fifty-pack in a glass jar for a school field trip. The snack budget was capped at 300 yen per person, so 300 × 4 = 1,200 yen. It was a perfect plan, right? But for some reason, the teacher got angry with us. I still don’t understand why.
“Y-yo… Yoshi… Yoshi—”
Mia was still hesitating. She kept going “yoshi, yoshi…” though. Was she trying to pat me on the head or something?
Eventually—
“…Yoshito.”
At last, she managed to say my name. Her cheeks were even redder than before, practically the color of a freshly boiled octopus.
“Mia.”
When I called her name in return—
“Fwah?!”
Boom! Mia’s face exploded. Well, metaphorically speaking of course.
“Uu… auuu…”
I watched Mia flounder in embarrassment as I got to my feet. I was still on the verge of running completely out of mana, but at least I was doing better than before.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
“O-Okay.”
We started walking, still holding hands. Mia’s left hand, my right.
The [Supplemental Transfer Spell] is still active. Neither of us said a word. The only sound echoing through the cave was the steady rhythm of our footsteps. It wasn’t long before we reached the deepest part of the cave.
There was a door.
A massive double door, completely out of place in a cave.
“Oniisan, is that…?”
Mia is pointing at the emblem carved into the door.
How should I describe it?
An “eye caught between two shells” might give you the right image. It was the symbol of an evil god I had supposedly erased from existence in my previous life. If I were to write its name in Japanese, it would probably come out something like「ゼェャダフォァグィレャ」. It was an absolute nightmare to pronounce, so I figured I might as well call him the “Evil God Foie Gras.”
Apparently, there were two other gods of the same kind, though their names hadn’t been passed down. Probably “Evil God Caviar” and “Evil God Truffle.” You know, going by the whole “world’s three great delicacies” theme.
“…Man, now I’m getting hungry.”
“This is no time to fool around.”
I got scolded.
Sorry.
“The door’s locked with magic. …Wait here for a moment. I’ll open it.”
Mia placed her hand against the door. She was probably using the 《Unlocking Spell》. It took her a little over ten seconds. Not a bad time at all.
We pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The chamber was laid out like an altar, and an unexpected tragedy was unfolding before us.
“Phyllis-sama, why won’t you accept my feelings?! If you wish to experience love, then your disciple, who adores you with all his heart, is right here!”
“But Herbert, you’re so boring. You’re not my type. And on top of that, just because I rejected you, you retaliated by stealing someone else’s research and kidnapped a little girl. How many negative points are you planning to rack up?”
Phyllis is gouging Herbert with her words like knives. No, at this point, she is practically stabbing him over and over.
“But… I just wanted you to notice me—”
“I’m the sort of person who’ll use any means necessary to achieve my goals. But at the very least, I don’t use methods that directly contradict those goals. Or perhaps, you wanted me to find this kind of stupidity adorable? Don’t dump your mother complex on me.”
Whoa. Phyllis really had zero mercy.
Come on, being called a mama’s boy is a critical hit against any man. Cut the guy some slack.
“Uuuh… Uaaaaaaaaahhhhhh—!”
Oh, great. Now Herbert is crying.
“Phyllis, I think that’s enough…”
I couldn’t stand watching any longer, so I stepped in to stop her.
“Oh, Yoshito. You’re late. And Mia came too?”
“Yes. I just had a bad feeling you see…”
In a sense, Mia’s intuition had been dead-on. If we hadn’t shown up, Phyllis might have continued her verbal assault on Herbert until there was nothing left of his spirit.
Hmm. Judging from their conversation just now, this guy had been trying to get Phyllis’s attention. He had planned to sacrifice Matsuki-san to summon something, all so he could prove his abilities to her.
…They say love can drive people crazy, but I wish that he could spare a thought for everyone else getting dragged into it.
Come to think of it, I placed a curse on Herbert that made him endlessly relive his most terrifying memories. I wonder what became of that.
When I asked Phyllis about it,
“Sorry, but I had to remove it. Otherwise, we couldn’t have had a proper conversation.”
In other words, she had freed Herbert from my curse, only to kick him straight back into hell herself.
Phyllis is terrifying...
“I’m bored—no, I mean, I’ve had enough. Let’s take the kidnapped girl home. She’s over there.”
Phyllis pointed toward the back of the altar.
There was a suspicious-looking magic circle drawn there, with a single girl lying unconscious in its center. It was Ayano Matsuki.
“I’ll take Herbert with me. Can I leave the girl to you and Mia?”
Got it. Strengthening my physical abilities barely required any mana, so carrying Matsuki-san should be easy enough.
And with that, the case was solved.
Thankgoodness.
Oh yeah, oh yeah!
Except—
That didn’t happen.
“…Kukukuku… Ahahahahaha!”
It was just as Phyllis began casting a spell to restrain Herbert.
He was laughing hysterically through his tears, choking between bursts of laughter.
There was something warped about his laughter. Something deeply ominous.
“Oniisan, the magic circle….”
Mia’s words made me notice it. The magic circle was glowing a pale green, moving as though it were crawling across the ground. From where Matsuki-san lay towards Herbert’s feet.
And then—
“Ahahahahahaha! Kuhahahahahahahahahaha! Why am I the one getting rejected?! It makes no sense! This is ridiculous, ridiculous, isn’t it?! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”
Along with his maniacal laughter, Herbert’s body began to melt, turning into a viscous mass. The magic circle spun as it rapidly shrank in size, and a slender pillar of light shot upward.
Space warped.
Then it tore open.
Amid the smell of something like scorched iron, something began to crawl out.
I had seen this sight before.
In my previous life. Back when the members of the Evil God cult sacrificed their own bodies to summon a familiar of Foie Gras.
And this one, is exactly the same.
“XGyyyyYHAaaaaAAAAA….”
Accompanied by an indescribable growl, a grotesque silhouette emerged.
If I had to put it simply—
It’s a “Creepy Vine Man”. A writhing mass of vines had gathered together, forming something vaguely resembling a human. A translucent fluid dripped from each of the vines, making the whole thing thoroughly revolting.
I activated 【Appraisal】.
[Name] Herbert von Eulen [Gender] Male [Race] Evil God (Kin) [Age] 27 [Titles] Young Girl Kidnapper, (Former) Disciple of Phyllis, Bondage Enthusiast, Masochist [Stats] ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Level 0 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Attack Power: 1 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Defense Power: 1 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Vitality: 1 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Magic Power: Unmeasurable ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Mental Strength: Undefined ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙Agility: 1 [Ability] Familiar: Foie Gras [Skills] Bondage X, Strangulation II [Magic] Time Spell (Passive/Always Active)
Level 0. Attack, Defense, Vitality, Agility—all 1. A characteristic trait of evil gods and their familiars.
But that didn’t mean they were weak. Their virtually infinite reserves of mana made up for everything. And because the 《Time Spell》 is constantly active, all attacks against them were rendered completely ineffective. There is only one way to fight them. We have to use the 《Time Spell》 ourselves and neutralize it.
The problem is, I am the only human capable of using it.
Thisisbad.
Even if it was only a familiar, I didn’t have enough mana left to kill this thing outright.
“H-Help me! W-What is this?! Why is this happening to me?!”
Something wriggled its way out from among the vines to Herbert’s face. His expression is twisted with terror and disbelief.
“Phyllis-sama, this is too much, even for you! Ah, help me! Help me—!”
Wait a second. Hadn’t Herbert sacrificed himself because he had snapped and decided to take things too far?
There was no way that scream was an act.
“I thought I had already destroyed the summoning spell…!”
Even Phyllis looked completely bewildered.
What the hell was going on?
“Please, help me! He…Help… me! Uwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”
Herbert let out a desperate scream. But despite his pleas, the countless vines slowly raised their heads—
And then lunged straight at Phyllis.
＊ ＊ ＊
“At least rest in peace, Herbert. —《Tenfold, Twentyfold: Funeral Flame Dragon Cremation》!”
Phyllis reacted instantly. She cast the spell before the vines could even reach her.
It was probably the equivalent of the 《Fire Spell》 from the other world. Dozens of dragons made entirely of flame appeared and descended upon Herbert all at once. The fire dragons meticulously burned every last vine to ash, then vanished with a triumphant roar.
Not even a speck of ash remained.
—And yet, the 《Time Spell》 surpassed it.
“W-What? What’s happening?! What have I—what have I become?!”
Almost immediately, Herbert regenerated.
“This… It is the same magic Yoshito used?”
Phyllis realized what was happening in an instant, then turned her eyes toward me, as though seeking instructions.
That brief moment of hesitation proved fatal.
“—Kyaaah?!”
Vines burst from beneath her feet, wrapping themselves around her entire body.
Looking closely, I noticed that several of the vines extending from Herbert’s body had burrowed underground. A surprise attack from beneath the ground.
“Tch!”
There was no way I could just abandon Phyllis.
“—《Time Spell》—《When Your Time Comes, Do Not Defy the Flow of Time: We Shall Die Properly》—《Enchant: And》—《Wind Spirit Spell》—《My Hand Is the Sword That Severs the Sky with Magic: Cut Down the Worthless》!”
I swung my right arm downward. A blade of wind shot forth, slicing through the vines and freeing Phyllis.
So far, so good.
The problem was what came next.
“—!?”
My legs suddenly gave way. Along with the dizziness, my consciousness began to fade.
The telltale sign of running out of mana.
No way…
If I had to put my remaining mana at one hundred, then the 《Time Spell》 plus the 《Wind Spirit Spell》 I’d just used should have cost me no more than five. I should still have plenty left.
So why?
—Thump!
Once again, my right side throbbed.
Could it be…?
Was the 《Mud》 I had absorbed into my body somehow siphoning off my mana? But nothing like this had happened until now.
Why all of a sudden?
“Ow! That hurts! Why don’t you help me so it doesn’t hurt?!”
Herbert bellowed. As if giving form to his rage, the vines twisted together, taking shape into a gigantic arm. A colossal fist came hurtling toward us, dragging a vortex of wind along with it.
Then—Bang!
For a moment, I felt weightless. Then I was slammed into the ground.
“Ugh… ah…!”
The air was driven from my lungs. A moment later, the pain hit. An excruciating agony, as though my entire body had been torn apart piece by piece.
“Oniisan—Yaaah?!”
“Mia?! Ngh…!”
Mia’s scream.
Phyllis’s groan.
I desperately clung to my fading consciousness.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my eyelids open.
And there, through my blurred vision—
“Mm… hya… hn—”
“Yaa… ah… ugh…!”
Mia and Phyllis had been captured. Vines dripping with viscous fluid were wrapped around their bodies, crawling over them as though licking every inch of their flesh.
“Oh, I’m sorry Phyllis-sama, but you look absolutely wonderful like that! Ahahahahaha! And the little girl beside you isn’t half bad either. If I’m not getting out of this alive anyway, then I’ll drag everyone down with me! This is your punishment for a world that refused to go the way I wanted! Hyahahahahahahaha!”
Spouting that utterly deranged logic, Herbert tightened the vines around their necks, squeezing harder and harder.
I tried to rush over and save them immediately. But my body wouldn’t move. The bones in my arms and legs had been shattered, twisted at grotesque angles. And then an overwhelming drowsiness came crashing over me.
Damn it.
There was no way I could let myself pass out here.
I had to save Mia.
I had to save Phyllis.
But my vision was gradually swallowed by darkness—
—Thump.
For some reason, the only thing I could still feel clearly was the pulsing in my right side.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
—Hey, Yoshito-kun. How about I lend you a hand?
—But there’s one condition. It’s nothing major, really.
—I’d like you to stop calling me “Foie Gras.”
—I mean, that’s the fatty liver of a goose or a duck, right? It’s pretty hurtful for a girl to hear that.
—Okay? Make sure you keep your promise.
…
…………
…………..
—Alright, work’s done.
—I never expected you to absorb the “Mud,” but I guess it all worked out in the end.
—Your operational limit is probably around three minutes.
—Should I throw in a “Color Timer” while I’m at it? Just kidding.
…
…………
…………..
—Huh? You’re asking if I was supposed to have vanished?
—Bwahaha! As long as there is evil in people’s hearts, I shall rise again and again!
—Just kidding…. I’m more like… a bonus that came with Mia-chan?
—Just so we’re clear, I had nothing to do with this whole affair.
—I just thought the whole idea of using “me” as a sacrifice to summon “myself” made absolutely no sense.
—It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? The person trying to do the summoning was right there, yet nobody noticed.
—As for why our kidnapper friend ended up becoming the sacrifice… well, maybe I’ll tell you next time we meet.
—Good luck out there, Yoshito-kun.
—I’d be happy if you played house with me again sometime, if you feel like it.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
I dreamt. In the darkness, I was talking to someone. I couldn’t remember what we had been talking about, but I had the feeling that the other person had been a girl.
Then, in the next moment, I found myself floating in a pure white space.
—Clank. Clank.
The sound of armor approached from somewhere in the distance. A jet-black knight clad in armor, a red scarf wrapped around his neck.
It was me.
My former self.
Suddenly, I remembered my conversation with Phyllis. The results of her examination of the 《Mud》.
> It looks like the conceptual information of the Black Knight is stored inside Yoshito.
>Sorry, could you put that in simpler terms?
> I don’t know how yet, but there’s a possibility that you might be able to use the Black Knight’s power…
So that was what this meant.
I reached out my hand. The armored knight reached out his hand as well.
My past self. My present self. The two became one.
I opened my eyes. The exhaustion I’d been feeling just moments ago was gone as if it had never existed. The mana that had been on the verge of running dry now surged through my entire body.
I stood up. Metal struck against metal with a loud clank. My eye level was higher than usual.
I looked down at myself.
I was clad from head to toe in jet-black armor. The form I had possessed in my previous life.
The power of the Black Knight. More than enough to destroy a familiar of the Evil God.
All right. Let’s go.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Even far from the Frost Palace, the battles against the monsters continued.
In the Lake City.
In the Mining City.
In the Royal Capital.
And throughout the world, far beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Asgard.
When the sky was dyed in twilight, the Primordial Titan loosened his seal. The effects spread to dungeons across the world. Countless adventurers were fighting to survive the massive outbreaks of monsters.
One party was running through a dungeon. They cut down monsters as they went, racing alongside their companions so they wouldn’t be surrounded.
“This way!”
“They’re catching up!”
Just as they brought down yet another wolf-like monster—so many that they had long since lost count—a roar reverberated throughout the dungeon.
—WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A great cry that seemed to rise from the very depths of the earth.
The adventurers trembled instinctively, their faces paling.
They didn’t know it, but around the same time, Rion and Ymir were fighting within the Ginnungagap. The roar Ymir had unleashed beyond the world itself traveled through magical power, echoing all the way into the dungeons.
The frightened adventurers ran straight into a horde of monsters. They didn’t panic only because a sound meant to encourage them drowned out the terror of the roar.
—A horn.
Across the dungeons of the world, the sound of the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, rang out—strong, yet gentle. The threat of the monsters was no different outside the dungeons. In the royal capital of the Kingdom of Asgard, the battle to defend the city continued.
For a moment, it had seemed as though the monsters were losing momentum. But when Ymir’s roar thundered across the sky, they began fighting once more as though they had gone mad.
Here, too, the sound of the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, rang out.
A young dwarf girl, the leader of the warrior corps, and the mother of the boy with the horn all looked up at the twilight sky.
“Rion.”
The dwarf girl, Safi, swung her golden hammer, carving the magical runes into the city walls once more.
“Rion-san.”
Princess Pauline used the skill Seal beneath the great tower, weakening the monsters even if only by a little.
“Rion…”
While tending to the wounded inside the cathedral, Rion’s mother looked up toward the window.
The sound of the horn was still ringing. Everyone felt as though the boy had given them a push from behind.
“We can win!”
Someone shouted.
“Let’s go!”
Voices answered in return.
The horn was a call to courage, encouraging everyone who continued to fight against the monsters.
—Win!
That was what everyone wished for, in every battle.
◆◆◆
The cheers of adventurers from all across the world reached even the celestial realm.
The old god Odin’s eyes widened.
When the sound of Gjallarhorn echoed through the royal capital and the dungeons, the wishes of people from every corner of the world were carried back to the distant Frost Palace as well. It was almost as though the entire world were encouraging one another.
The sound of the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, spreading across the world was one thing. But the idea that the words of ordinary humans could travel across such vast distances was difficult to imagine.
Not unless a god lent them his power.
Odin turned around.
“N-Norn…?”
At some point, a goddess with black hair and dressed entirely in black had appeared behind the old god, standing there like a shadow.
The Goddess Norn lowered her chin in response to Odin’s question.
“I acted on my own authority and delivered the sound of the horn throughout the world.”
The goddess clad entirely in black almost resembled one of the ravens Odin used to send messages.
Her ability was to transmit statuses and messages to adventurers.
“I used a global message to let the people outside the dungeons hear the sound of the horn. Within the dungeons, I made use of the divine artifact for communication, the Water Mirror of the World Tree Yggdrasil.”
“That must have required a great deal of magical power.”
The Goddess Norn bowed.
“I have watched over the adventurers for a very long time. I suppose I have developed some small measure of affection for them.”
“…I see.”
As Odin stroked his beard, Norn lowered her head.
“My chief god. Will you punish me for transmitting that message to the adventurers without your permission?”
The content Norn transmitted was normally decided by Odin. Never before had the goddess chosen to convey something of her own accord.
Odin narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
“…At this point, everything happening here is their strength.”
The Water Mirror in the celestial realm displayed the scene unfolding at the Frost Palace.
A great number of adventurers had surrounded the Primordial titan.
Ymir had grown to a massive size, now towering over ten meters tall. Dark red flames burned around his neck, waist, and joints. Muscles that rippled like mountain ranges were illuminated pale white by the morning sun.
Voices from all across the world were being sent to the Frost Palace.
—Rion!
—Don’t lose!
—You’ve gotta win!
The boy straightened his chest as though taking those cheers into himself. His blue eyes remained fixed on Ymir, unwavering.
Odin spoke quietly.
“The Gentle Strongest, huh…”
Even he, who had once devised a scheme to abandon this world, was now trying to do something for their sake—for the humans who were determined to protect this world.
And for that very reason, the chief god still could not afford to exhaust his power.
There was only one thing he could say now.
“Win, boy.”
Rion stepped forward, charging toward the giant as he raised his fist.
◆◆◆
I had returned to the surface from the void.
The morning sun was blinding, but warm. Even my white breath seemed to sparkle faintly in the light.
On the grand staircase leading to the temple, we faced Ymir.
Solana and I stood in front of Lu, shielding her from the primordial titan.
The gods had all gathered as well—Thor, Loki, Uru, Sigris, and Heimdall.
Mia-san and Felix-san led several dozen members of the warrior corps, surrounding Ymir.
I raised my voice.
“Everyone!”
I blew into the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn.
The resounding horn stirred the gods and adventurers gathered on the grand staircase, filling them with courage.
Skill『Alarm』was activated. 『Master of the Horn』… Fully draws out the power of the horn.
The adventurers erupted into cheers. Multicolored lights began to burn within their chests. Perhaps the magical power they had received from the gods had been further strengthened by the horn.
Sigris, the God of Medicine, pulled out a large spoon and smiled at me.
“Rion-san!”
I nodded and activated my skill to get them back on their feet.
Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』was activated. 『Golden Flame』… Enhances physical abilities. Grants additional effects for a limited time.
Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』was activated. 『Valkyrie’s Spoon』… Restores health. Consumes magical power to expand its area of effect.
Sigris leapt high into the air, scooped up the Golden Flame with the enormous spoon held in both hands, and scattered it across the entire battlefield.
The Golden Flame enveloped the bodies of all the adventurers.
Ymir let out a roar.
—WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The force of it nearly blew me off my feet.
Ymir had devoured the heart of frost and flame and regained his original power. His body had grown larger, and he was now nearly fifteen meters tall.
Most of the temple had already been swallowed by the rift, but the entrance still remained. Three massive pillars, each roughly three meters wide, stood at the enormous gate. Ymir’s face was around the boundary between those pillars and the ceiling.
“…Oniichan!”
“Lu, stay back!”
I stopped Lu.
I took a deep breath and looked around.
At the top of the grand staircase stood Ymir. There were still monsters on the snowfield, fighting the adventurers guarding the bottom of the stairs. Perhaps Ymir had opened another rift somewhere after returning and called more monsters to him.
It certainly felt like their numbers were gradually increasing. There was nowhere truly safe for me to protect my little sister.
Mia-san and Felix-san came running over.
“Hey, isn’t Ymir getting bigger!?”
“Yes! He’s beyond giant-sized now. It almost looks like he’s growing even larger…!”
As we watched, Ymir grew larger still, his body creaking and cracking as it expanded.
He placed a hand against the temple gate.
At last, his head rose above the height of the Grand Temple.
—WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The air itself trembled violently.
Solana’s golden hair fluttered in the wind as she spoke.
“Ymir has taken the Heart.”
Mia-san groaned.
“Y-You’ve gotta be kidding me…!”
A booming laugh filled the sky.
The Thunder God Thor was raising his hammer, Mjölnir.
“Who cares!? What we gotta do hasn’t changed, has it!?”
Ymir’s enormous eyes rolled toward Thor, glaring at him.
He swung his right arm, and a massive boulder was hurled toward Thor.
He created it!
Thor dodged the rock and threw Mjölnir. But Mjölnir missed Ymir by a wide margin, disappearing behind the giant.
Ymir had already grown to twenty meters tall. With a low growl, he raised his fist like a hammer and swung it down at Thor.
“…You thought I missed?”
The Thunder God grinned.
—That’s right.
This god was a god of war, too. There was no way he would miss in battle.
“What I was aiming for was his footing.”
Mjölnir came arcing back and struck the ground beneath Ymir’s feet.
The edge of the grand staircase shattered. Ymir lost his balance and fell onto the snowfield. A body that was too large to begin with had one major disadvantage—he has trouble maintaining his footing.
The temple pillar Ymir had grabbed in his massive hand snapped miserably, and the remaining entrance to the temple began to collapse as well.
Lu screamed.
“Oniichan!”
“Wait here!”
I pulled Lu into a tight embrace. I entrusted my little sister to several members of the warrior corps.
“I’ll definitely come back. Okay?”
“…Yeah!”
I ran to the edge of the grand staircase and looked down at Ymir below. The titan was slowly getting back to his feet, his growls reverberating across the battlefield. Even if that giant stood upright on the staircase where we were, it would probably only reach his waist.
And this place was supposed to be about three stories up.
Heimdall shouted from above.
“Ymir has fallen! OOOOOOOOH!”
Felix-san answered his cry.
He raised his staff and shouted toward the adventurers.
“Right of the temple! OOOOOH! All adventurers, concentrate your forces on Ymir!!”
The adventurers cried out and began moving across the snowfield.
Red, blue, purple—colors matching the magical power of the gods streaked rapidly across the snow. Our forces consisted of the gods, bolstered by the horn, and roughly one hundred adventurers.
Against us were Ymir and the monsters he had newly summoned.
“Everyone, let’s go!”
We leapt from the grand staircase down onto the snowfield.
Ymir was rising to his feet.
Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting 』was activated. 『Wild Heart』… Detection. With magical power consumption, effects can be further increased.
A brilliant crimson light enveloped Ymir. The magical power it gave off was stronger than anything I had ever sensed before, sending a shiver down my spine.
But I noticed something strange. There were two magical power signatures. One was the overwhelming magical power radiating from Ymir’s enormous body as a whole. But there was another. At the center of his chest, there was an even more powerful light.
It pulsed dark red.
Thump. Thump.
“That’s… his heart.”
I swallowed hard.
Solana descended beside me, scattering golden radiance.
“I can sense powerful magical energy coming from his chest as well. That must be the core of the monster.”
A massive eyeball glared down at me. Dark red flames burned around Ymir’s neck, waist, and joints.
The adventurers and gods surrounded Ymir as he stood on the snowfield. It looked like the other monsters were following after him as well, but Thor and Uru were reducing their numbers from a distance.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, we faced Ymir. The giant’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, as though probing us.
—What is the source of your strength?
I remembered the question he had asked us before.
“Ymir.”
I spoke.
“It’s true that you’re weak when you’re alone… but that’s exactly why we don’t fight alone.”
He was a terrifying monster. We had once wounded him to the brink of death. We had gathered all these gods and adventurers against him. And even so, we were still in danger.
But perhaps there had been signs of change within this monster, too. For example, he had witnessed human lives during the age of myths. Perhaps he had seen the bond between gods and their followers.
Perhaps—
He had seen an ordinary little girl stand against the Primordial Titan and witnessed the will that created that unyielding bracelet. There were kinds of strength that could not be obtained without someone else. Maybe that was why he had taken an interest in Lu’s bracelet.
Of course, some of this was only my imagination. But to this titan, this world had been born from his own power. If his desire to reclaim his body had become hunger, and that hunger had begun to cover up every other feeling.
If, to this titan, “understanding” meant “devouring”, then…
“—I’m going to defeat you, Ymir.”
I pointed my short sword at him.
“Because if I don’t, your loneliness will never end!”
The titan continued to grow, little by little.
I wondered how large his original body had been. Or perhaps there was no limit at all. Perhaps he would continue growing until he became infinitely enormous.
—WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
His voice was far too deep to be called a roar.
It was more like the howling of the wind. I felt a kind of awe that came not from facing a monster, but from standing before something like a storm or a volcano—Nature itself.
Ymir raised his fist.
The sun was blocked out, and an enormous shadow spread across us.
To us, it was like having a castle come crashing down. Even so, Solana and I stepped forward.
The fist and arm slammed into the snowfield. A violent cloud of snow robbed us of our vision. The impact itself was blocked by the goddess’s magical barrier.
“What incredible power…!”
My body actually bounced into the air for a moment. Even the shockwave alone was enough to make my bones tremble.
“Haa!”
I slashed at his mountain-like leg. Blood spilled from the wound for an instant, but it stopped almost immediately.
And then—
“Gigi…!”
“Gigii!”
Monsters began emerging from the ground where his fist had struck.
Goblins, kobolds, sahagins.
Mia-san and the others moved to deal with them, but the sheer, seemingly limitless magical power Ymir possessed—the power he could use to create monster after monster—sent a chill through me.
“Solana, he’s completely different from before!”
“The enemy consumed half of the magical power in the celestial realm that was meant for creation. Now that he has reclaimed his heart and destroyed the bracelet as well, he is transforming everything he has devoured into his own body.”
But Solana continued.
“Even so, he is still better than he would have been in the Void. That place was filled with cold magical power. Had he remained there, he would likely have gained strength without limit.”
A shiver ran through me. I was truly glad we had managed to escape.
“If Ymir continues converting his magical power into physical strength and grows powerful enough that we can no longer touch him, we lose.”
“Then… if we target his heart before that happens…”
“His growth will stop.”
“…So it’s a race.”
Ymir swung his arm. The blow came for me as I slipped beneath his feet, kicking up snow like a raging storm. A fragment of shattered rock grazed my temple, and blood began to trickle down. The impact threw off my sense of balance. With white spray filling the air, I could barely see a thing.
Then his enormous body lunged into view right in front of me.
“Whoa!”
Heimdall caught the arm with his sword. The god in red armor flashed a broad grin from atop his massive frame.
“How strange! Primordial Titan!”
His laughter rang out as the god of awakening swung his shining sword. Magical power surged through the blade, cleaving the cloud of snow apart.
My vision cleared.
Heimdall thrust his sword toward the sky, and the golden reliefs along its surface proudly caught the light.
“You know what? Compared to us, battered and half-dead as we are, you look like the weaker one right now!”
With his sword, he knocked Ymir’s fist back.
“Now go!”
Ymir’s furious assault turned toward Heimdall.
With every single blow, golden magical power scattered from the god’s body. A defense that was, quite literally, shaving away his life.
Even so, the god shouted toward me.
“You can see it, can’t you?! That titan’s weakness!”
The god of awakening was battered and sent flying. Yet he immediately rose again, charging forward through the swirling snow.
“The only ones who have the magical power to pierce that giant’s chest right now are you and Solana! Run, jump, and finish this, boy!”
“Yeahhh!”
The adventurers roared.
“You hear him?!”
“Keep Rion focused on Ymir!”
“The monsters on the outside are nothing special!”
“Anyone got their hands free?!”
The loudest voice of all came from an adventurer who had come from Flocia—Lloyd of the Stone Warhammer.
“Make an opening for Rion! We’re going in from behind Ymir!”
Deliberately raising their voices to draw his attention, a group of adventurers charged at Ymir from behind. The ground shook beneath their feet, snow exploding into the air.
Ymir turned.
He was enormous, yet the way he lowered his body and moved was almost beastlike. Just getting caught up in one of his movements could mean instant death.
Ymir broke away from Heimdall’s pursuit and closed the distance to Lloyd-san and the others in a single enormous stride.
Lloyd-san shouted.
“Scatter!”
Relying on the instincts of seasoned adventurers, they split apart at exactly the right moment.
Ymir’s massive foot came crashing down, but they dodged the stomp. But their opponent was the Primordial Titan. Flames began to gather in his mouth.
“No—!”
A sweeping torrent of fire erupted from his jaws.
Desperately chasing after Ymir, I couldn’t help but shout.
“Lloyd-san!”
Red-black flames spread across the snowfield, completely swallowing Lloyd-san and the others.
They’re done for.
That was what I thought. But when the flames finally died away, a wall of ice emerged.
Lloyd-san and the others were safe, protected on all sides by the ice. Then an exasperated voice drifted down from above.
“Humans really are reckless.”
Hovering overhead, shrugging his shoulders, was Loki in his black robes.
The moment he snapped his fingers, the mass of ice collapsed.
“With this much snow all around us, we can turn it into ice. Even against flames unleashed by a Primordial Titan, it’ll hold for a few seconds. You were saved by the environment, eh?”
Loki closed one of his languid eyes and casually said something terrifying.
Then Loki’s grin widened.
“Now then, it’s my turn! I think I’ll make use of all this snow packed with magical power that’s piled up around the Frost Palace!”
Snow began rising from the ground one after another. Curving into arches, the snow converged around Loki. Once it formed a mass roughly ten meters across, a flash of flame melted it into water—only for it to freeze solid again.
By the time I noticed, countless ice projectiles were already floating behind Loki.
“I hope you’ll like this sort of thing.”
Loki gave a slight bow.
The ice projectiles rained down.
Ymir caught them with a magical barrier. Even so, his advance came to a complete halt.
“I’ll join in, too.”
It was the whispering voice of Uru, the God of Hunting.
A multitude of shining arrows shot through gaps in the magical barrier and struck Ymir’s body. By now, the giant stood well over twenty meters tall. The arrows probably didn’t hurt any more than a thorn prick.
But the God of Hunting had certainly succeeded in drawing Ymir’s attention. His enormous golden eye followed the god’s movements.
As I ran, I shouted,
“Everyone’s creating openings for us…!”
Solana nodded.
“Yes! We’ll close in… and blast through the chest where his heart lies with our magical power.”
I tightened my grip around my short sword.
Heimdall, who had caught up with us, had resumed his attack as well. The god fired magical power from his sword, piercing Ymir’s shoulder.
We had already reached the giant’s feet.
Heimdall flashed me a grin.
“I’ll cover you!”
“Thank you!”
Solana, Heimdall, and I leaped into the air together.
Ymir had already grown to around thirty meters tall. His head was so high that I had to crane my neck just to see it.
—OOOOOOOOH!
Ymir roared.
Magical power surged through his bellow. We had already leaped as high as his chest, but the force blasted us away in an instant.
Solana caught me in midair.
Ymir stomped his foot.
The sheer intimidation drove back the adventurers who had been closing in. Then he clenched both fists in front of his chest. Flames gathered around his right hand. Frost enveloped his left.
“Ice… and fire…?”
My voice trembled as I stared down from the air.
Ymir brought his two fists together—ice and flame colliding. And from between them, darkness began to spill out in heavy, dripping masses. The black lumps fell onto the snowfield and, before my eyes, rapidly formed arms, legs, and heads.
I caught my breath.
Even the adventurers had fallen silent. What emerged were giants about eight meters tall, wreathed in fire. Just like the Flame Giants we had seen in Alvis.
Three of them. Smaller Giant Soldiers also emerged from the masses of darkness that had fallen across the snowfield.
A groan escaped me.
“He’s… creating giants!?”
Ymir’s body rippled, growing even larger.
Heimdall growled.
“This is bad. If he gets any bigger than this, we really won’t be able to stop him.”
Ymir swung his enormous body around.
It was like watching a tornado. The adventurers on the snowfield were sent flying by the sheer force of the movement.
His gaze locked onto us.
“Solana!”
“Right!”
Still holding me in her arms, Solana dropped lower.
We plunged almost straight downward, breaking out of Ymir’s line of sight as we fled.
A foot like a slab of rock rose into the air, nearly crushing us beneath it. On the ground, even more small monsters were being born alongside the giants. Centered around Ymir, a black wave of monsters spread outward in a widening circle.
“Oniichan!”
Lu was watching us from the grand staircase of the temple.
The thought that I couldn’t lose burned inside me once more.
“I’m fine!”
I dodged the palm rushing toward us, intent on crushing us, by shooting straight upward.
As if answering my words, blue armor flashed through the sky, passing us in midair.
“Everyone!”
Sigris landed on the ground.
She had brought another ten or so adventurers with her, appearing alongside Lloyd-san.
“Follow me. Forward!”
Led by the Valkyrie, the adventurers charged toward Ymir. The sight of them cutting through the black wave was like a shower of shooting stars.
Something flashed in the sky above.
A hammer. Wrapped in lightning, it came crashing down upon Ymir. Thunder boomed, and cracks spread across his magical barrier.
“Thor!”
The God of Thunder burst into laughter. His torn, bloodstained clothes made it clear that he, too, had been through a fierce battle.
“You’d better not forget about me!”
Solana called out.
“What about the monsters in the rear?!”
“I took ’em all down! Now there’s only Ymir left!”
Working in concert with Thor’s hammer, Uru’s arrows and Loki’s magic attacked from different directions.
Ymir, forced to maintain his magical barrier, could no longer move as he pleased.
On the ground, the adventurers and Sigris closed in on Ymir, while Heimdall cut down monsters one after another. The spreading black wave and everyone’s resistance were locked in a fierce struggle.
—OOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Ymir once again slammed his fists together—ice and flame.
From the masses of darkness that fell to the ground, even more giants emerged. From within the darkness, the enormous head of a serpent began to crawl out.
Then a wolf’s head followed.
Was he trying to create Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, and Fenrir all over again…?
Every instinct I had screamed that we were in danger.
If this continued, Ymir would truly create an army of monsters—the end of the world would begin again.
“Rion!”
“Yeah. We have to hurry!”
There’s no time!
We landed on the ground and ran. From the air, the magical barrier and Ymir’s enormous arms kept getting in our way. Our only option was to weave through the chaotic battle with the monsters on the ground and approach him from a blind spot.
The sound of chains rattled.
Mia-san and Felix-san came running toward us, and we joined up with them.
“Ymir’s feet, right?!”
“We’ll cover you!”
Felix-san drove the Giant Soldiers back with fire magic.
Using a Spirit Stone, he even unleashed a powerful gust of wind, creating a clear space around Ymir’s feet.
Mia-san shouted.
“This way!”
She hooked her chain axe around Ymir’s arm. Solana and I grabbed Mia-san’s left hand.
“Hold on tight!”
Ymir swung his massive arm upward. The momentum carried me, Solana, and Mia rapidly upward along the chain.
“Count on me!”
Mia-san let go and fell back toward the ground.
Solana and I used the momentum to soar even higher. We rose until we were right before Ymir’s eyes.
“Ymir…”
I stared at him.
His enormous eye, nearly as large as my entire body, glared down at me.
“Let’s end this.”
My voice carried through the sky.
—Rion!
—Please win!
—Come back safely…!
Safi, the princess, my mother.
Voices of people I knew.
Voices of people I didn’t.
The warmth in my chest became heat.
I glanced at the goddess and reached for the coin in my pocket. The gold coin I had received from the antique shopkeeper during that cold winter gleamed in the morning sunlight.
The goddess smiled.
“Shall we?”
Solana entered the gold coin.
With a clear, ringing chime, the coin attached itself to the hilt of my short sword.
Heat gathered in my hand. The gold coin began to shine brilliantly as it fused with the blue-crystal short sword.
In the blink of an eye, blades of light were born in both my hands.
Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』was activated. 『Sword of the Sun’s Daughter』… Imbues the Daughter of the Sun in a weapon.
An enormous wave of heat surged from my chest, through my arms, and into the short sword. The overflowing golden light formed a gigantic blade, its length rivaling Ymir’s towering height.
My gaze met that of the Primordial Titan.
“It’s over, Primordial Titan.”
For just an instant, the anger and fighting spirit vanished from Ymir’s burning eyes. His gaze became puzzled, as though asking me a question, “Am I going to lose?”
I felt as though Ymir’s voice had echoed inside my head.
“Yes.”
I changed my stance.
“You have a strength that I can never reach.”
Not through hurting others.
Not through devouring them.
I held the golden blade straight.
My target is the center of Ymir’s chest.
—Is that something I cannot devour?
The calmness in Ymir’s eyes lasted only an instant.
His fighting spirit immediately flared back to life, and he reached out toward me. Our cries mingled, echoing through the space between us.
I thrust the blade of light forward and released the golden magical power toward his heart. A torrent of light pierced straight through Ymir’s body.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
The next day, we finally caught sight of the walls surrounding the Royal Capital in the distance. Shiro and the others leaned out from the back of the carriage, staring excitedly at the cityscape far ahead.
“Now that we’re this close, we should reach the Royal Capital in about half a day.”
“““I can’t wait!”””
Sue was leaning out from the carriage as well as she gave us a rough estimate of when we’d arrive.
I imagine it must have been quite an emotional moment for Sue to finally be returning to the Royal Capital, where she had been born and raised. Incidentally, we’d reach the military facility in about an hour, which meant our mission would be completed for the time being.
“I remember being told that a field trip isn’t over until you’ve made it home. We haven’t actually entered the military facility yet, so we still need to stay on our toes.”
“Since it’s a clearly defined destination, there’s a chance the dark organization might try something.”
It wasn’t just Sue and me. Ao also remained vigilant. There’s still a possibility that the dark organization would make one final attempt to resist. And unfortunately, that concern was about to become a reality.
“All right. First, let’s get the prisoner transport carriage inside.”
While Tory-san gave orders to the troops, we stayed on guard around the area alongside the soldiers.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, something came flying from the highway and was thrown into the military facility.
Wait… isn’t that thing shaped like a grenade?
“Ao, magic barrier! Everyone, keep watch on our surroundings!”
““““Yes!””””
As I shouted the order, I also wrapped the object that had been thrown inside a magic barrier.
BOOOOM!
“So it really is some kind of explosive magic device.”
Whoosh.
“They’re throwing another one!”
“Gah! Magic barrier, again!”
They actually threw another explosive magic device right after the first one. This time, Sue and I worked together to enclose the explosive magic device inside a magic barrier.
BOOOOM!
“Phew. We stopped it, but I guess they really were going to make a move.”
“““Wait!”””
Shiro and the others, and Ao took off after the suspicious person who had thrown the explosive magic device. Even if the culprit managed to flee the scene, I seriously doubted they could escape Shiro and the others’ incredible sense of smell.
“Shun, Sue, you saved us. Thanks to you, we were able to get the prisoner safely inside the cell. The cells are sturdy enough that even a fairly powerful explosion or magical attack won’t break them.”
“But just as we suspected, the dark organization really did attack us.”
“If all they have to do is throw in an explosive magic device, then anyone who knows how to use magic devices could do it. They may be a little different from the expendable pawns we’ve encountered before.”
Tory-san came over to Sue and me and thanked us for stopping the attack.
Perhaps the dark organization had different people for different jobs: those who were only good for attacking, those who knew how to handle magic devices, and those who were capable of even more.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
As we drew closer to the Royal Capital, the scenery gradually changed. The fields and forests became fewer, while houses and other buildings began appearing more and more frequently. Naturally, there were also more people traveling along the highway.
“But we’re going pretty fast!”
“We’re really moving fast!”
“So fast!”
Ao is driving today, with Shiro and the others sitting beside her in the driver’s seat. They’d already finished their studying for the day, so Shiro and the others seemed to be in particularly high spirits.
“If we keep this pace, we should reach the military facility on the outskirts of the Royal Capital as early as tomorrow.”
“Well, at this speed, there’s no doubt we’ll make it.”
Sue and I were taking it easy inside the kotatsu today. We spent the time discussing what we would be doing once we arrived.
“After we hand over the people under escort at the military facility, we’ll go to my family’s estate. After that, I have a letter entrusted to me by Emilia-sama, so we’ll head to the Royal Palace.”
“Uh… don’t tell me the person that letter is addressed to is…”
“His Majesty the King, Emilia-sama’s father.”
“Haha… So we’re going to meet His Majesty the King immediately after arriving in the Royal Capital?”
But we had something to deliver, so there really wasn’t much we could do about it.
“If possible, I’d also like to visit Telma and Casey’s estate.”
“Well, we do have quite a few things to discuss with them regarding this incident.”
There was also the matter of Telma-san and Casey-san, who had returned to the Royal Capital ahead of us. We needed to explain the situation to their families properly.
“Also, nobles from all over the kingdom will be gathering in preparation for the New Year, so I imagine we’ll be quite busy with parties and other events toward the end of the year.”
“Come to think of it, Fina from the Northern Margrave’s territory said she absolutely wanted to meet us.”
“In that case, we’ll also need to visit the people from the Church who helped us back in the Eastern Margrave’s territory.”
Just meeting up with everyone we knew was already looking like quite a lot of work.
The hot spring trip could be done in two days and one night, but aside from that, it looked like we’d be staying in the Royal Capital until the New Year celebrations were over and all the nobles returned to their respective territories.
“Also, my brother’s child is turning five, so he’ll be able to keep Fran and Horn company.”
“Your brother?”
“Technically, he’s my mother’s elder brother’s grandson. He’s my first cousin once removed, but since he’s older than me, I’ve always called him my brother.”
I see. Sue’s father was unknown, and her mother had already passed away.
Being in the Royal Capital might put her in a somewhat awkward position. Still, Sue was much stronger mentally than she had been when we first met. Maybe she was strong enough now to face whatever difficulties came her way on her own.
“Oniichan! It’s almost break time!”
“Got it.”
“Hehe.”
Shiro leaned out from the driver’s seat and called out to me. Seeing Shiro brimming with energy, Sue couldn’t help but smile.
There were plenty of things waiting for us, but first, we needed to deal with whatever was right in front of us, one thing at a time.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
The next morning, after Tory-san contacted the relevant parties, we set out once again. Apparently, through the army, the Adventurer’s Guild would also be conducting an investigation into adventurers with disciplinary problems. They were also planning to investigate people with criminal records.
Of course, we remained on our guard as we continued along the road.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
“We should reach the Royal Capital in another three days.”
“Since we didn’t make any detours, we’ll be there before we know it.”
Today, Shiro and I are taking turns driving the carriage. Fran and Horn are studying with Sue and Ao inside the kotatsu.
Lately, Fran and Horn had been able to concentrate on their studies quite well. Even compared to other five-year-olds, Horn in particular seemed to be exceptionally bright.
“Shiro, are you doing okay with your studying?”
“Yep! I’m doing it this afternoon, so it’s fine!”
Shiro had also started setting aside specific times for studying and sticking to them, which was quite a big step forward. She was really starting to feel like a good big sister to Fran and Horn.
“Shiro, what do you want to do once we get to the Royal Capital?”
“Hmm… I wanna stay at Sue-oneechan’s house!”
“Yeah. We’ll probably end up staying at Sue’s estate while we’re in the Royal Capital.”
Sue is the daughter of a baron, so she had only planned to spend a single year working as an adventurer. We’d already accomplished our original goal of meeting the Southern Margrave, and Sue was planning to retire from adventuring by the end of the year.
Well, with all the trouble involving the underground organization and the Human Supremacy Church, the future was still pretty uncertain.
“What kind of quests do you think they’ll have in the Royal Capital?”
“Maybe they’ll have jobs cleaning big mansions!”
“Hahaha. I’d really rather not clean an entire mansion…”
Personally, I’d be perfectly happy with something simple, like gathering medicinal herbs. Still, first things first. We’d have to check what kinds of quests were available at the Adventurer’s Guild in the Royal Capital.
“Hmm… Other than that, I kinda want to go traveling somewhere again.”
“Now that we’ve got such a nice carriage, it might be fun to go somewhere.”
We didn’t necessarily need a quest as an excuse, either. A leisurely trip to visit some hot springs sounded pretty nice. Fortunately, we had plenty of money, so travel expenses weren’t exactly something we had to worry about.
Just then, Shiro climbed inside the carriage.
“Hey, hey, Sue-oneechan! Are there any hot springs near the Royal Capital?”
“There’s a popular hot spring town within a day’s trip. If we have some free time after we arrive in the Royal Capital, why don’t we all go together?”
“““Let’s go!”””’
I never would have guessed there was such a popular hot spring town right outside the Royal Capital. Even a two-day, one-night trip would be more than enough time to get there and back.
Maybe we really should start planning that hot spring trip.
“Then what other places are there?”
“There’s a large lake near the hot spring town. It’s connected by a river to the Southern Margrave’s territory.”
Come to think of it, our very first job had been cleaning out a warehouse along the canal. Thinking back on it now, I couldn’t help feeling a little nostalgic.
The day passed peacefully, with no attacks during the night. And when we all went to bed, we spent some time talking about where we wanted to go.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
“Honestly! The whole idea of trying to solve every obstacle with brute force in the first place is just…!”
From an outsider’s perspective, it must have been an utterly ridiculous sight.
Here I was, standing in front of the entrance to West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon, getting lectured by a “barrier.”
—Incidentally.
The attack from the arm of light that emerged from the barrier hadn’t actually done any damage to me. I’d been caught off guard by the Goddess’s counterattack and sent flying, but I’d quickly made my way back to the barrier.
Physically, I was perfectly fine.
“Well, you didn’t answer when I called out to you!”
I had a point, so I decided to protest a little.
It wasn’t like I’d just tried to destroy the barrier out of nowhere without a plan.
“You think I can just answer you whenever it’s convenient?! Girls have all sorts of things going on!”
Girl?
…Well, whatever.
Apparently, the reason the Goddess had felt pain when I punched the barrier with 【Burial Fist】 was because she used a part of her own body as the medium through which the barrier was created.
The upside was that it allowed her to achieve absolute defense. The downside was that she couldn’t eliminate her sense of pain. What a troublesome ability.
> I wonder what the Goddess was doing
> Taking a dump?
> Maybe she was desperately editing all those hidden-camera videos
> Probably working
> 【Burial Fist】 couldn’t destroy the barrier after all
> She’s a goddess, after all
> Dungeon Master is no joke
> But she definitely felt that one
> So it did do a little damage
> Level up some more and maybe it’ll work
> So what are you gonna do now?
> Is she letting you in or not?
> Come on, which is it?!
I think that’s enough discussion about the Goddess’s barrier. Right now, all I wanted was for her to let us into the dungeon already.
“Whatever. I already have a pretty good idea of your circumstances, so there’s no need for an explanation.”
“Huh? So you really have been secretly filming us this whole time?”
“SHUT UUUUP!! Don’t worry about those little details! Just listen!”
“Y-Yes… Sorry…”
I’d asked a perfectly reasonable question, only to have the barrier-girl scold me with the equivalent of, “Shut up, brat!”
Apparently, secretly filming people was just an everyday occurrence for the Goddess.
“I more or less understand the Guild’s intentions… in other words, the intentions and schemes of the human side. I even anticipated that they would send you here.”
“Huh? Then why don’t you just come out of there and talk things over with us?”
If she already understood the situation, this should be easy!
Loli Goddess, instead of sitting in that dark place secretly filming people all day, why not come up to the surface and have a meeting with the Guild?
I’m sure even Yuda-san would really like to get along with you!
Let’s work together to find a future where the world and the dungeons can coexist!
“…You still have that same flower-child way of thinking, Daishi Ajiri. Well, I suppose that might be part of your charm, too.”
Oh, right. This goddess was the type who could read other people’s thoughts.
That was dangerous. I had to be careful. If I let my guard down and accidentally thought something like “loli hag”…
“…There won’t be a next time, Daishi Ajiri.”
“Sorry.”
Yep. I really needed to watch my thoughts around her.
“Daishi-saaaaaan! What have you been running around doing all by yourself this whole time?”
“Looks like you couldn’t destroy the barrier after all.”
“Not even that devastating blow left a crack. What a terrifying barrier.”
“SHAAAAAA!”
My companions, who had been watching from a short distance away, came running over.
Apparently, they hadn’t been able to see or hear my exchange with the Goddess.
『 Oh, and there’s no need to explain anything about me to them. I’ll let you all inside for now, so just wait a moment. 』
Almost at the exact same moment the Goddess’s voice echoed directly inside my head, my companions and I were suddenly enveloped from head to toe in bands of light.
“Huh? What is this?!”
“Whoa! Huh? Whaaat?!”
“Hmm! Is this a trap?!”
“Shwooooo!”
Everyone was understandably confused by the sudden development.
Wh-What is this light…?
『 I’ve simply synchronized you with the barrier, so don’t worry. In this state, you should be able to pass right through it. Just walk through the entrance and come inside. Oh, and I’ll allow you to keep streaming, so you can leave the camera on.』
Sure enough, even the camera floating in midair was wrapped in bands of light. This goddess didn’t seem to have much of a problem with exposing herself to the entire country. She’d even let us stream her voice before, after all.
Could she actually be some kind of attention-seeking, validation-hungry monster who secretly loves being in the spotlight…?
『 You’re noisy, old man Ajiri. Hurry up, explain things to everyone, and move on.』
『 Sorry.』
Having my thoughts read was seriously inconvenient.
But I guess there wasn’t much I could do about it.
“Ah, apparently that light was something the Goddess prepared so we could pass through the barrier. So there shouldn’t be anything to worry about! …Apparently.”
My companions looked suspicious, so I immediately relayed the Goddess ‘s explanation to them.
Although…
Judging by their faces, nobody seemed to believe me.
“See?”
“Ooooooh…”
I was still a little skeptical myself, but I cleared my mind and stepped through the barrier first. And sure enough, I passed right through it without any trouble.
My companions followed after me, marveling as they slipped through the barrier as well. Apparently, the Goddess really had decided to let us in without a fuss.
“All right! Now that we’re inside, let’s hurry up and have you zip us straight over to where you are, Goddess—”
『 Huh? What kind of sleepy-headed nonsense are you talking about, Daishi Ajiri?』
『 …What?』
『 You really think you can just meet me that easily? Now that you’ve made it here, you’ll have to undergo a trial.』
Huh?
Another trial?
We’d already been put through all kinds of training the first time we came here. I’d gotten plenty stronger since then, so I really didn’t need any more of that sort of thing.
『 You can’t even break through a barrier like that, and you’re already talking big? The world is a vast place. Stop whining and overcome my ultimate trial.』
『 Your… ultimate trial?』
『 Yes. This time, I’ve prepared a dungeon that goes all the way down to the seventh underground floor. So work together with your friends and do your best to make it through without dying.』
The seventh underground floor…
Honestly, that sounded like a huge pain. But if we wanted to reach the Goddess , we had no choice but to do it. Well, if it’s only that deep, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
We’ll just dive in, breeze through the place, and be done with it!
『 Let’s see how long that confidence of yours lasts.』
『 We’re strong. You shouldn’t underestimate us, Goddess.』
『 ……New Selection Zone.』
『 Huh?』
『 I’ve transplanted the soul system from that other world into this one and upgraded it. It’s got a pretty hardcore set of specifications now, so I hope you’re looking forward to it. Oh, and by the way, if you die here, all of you are going to become my toys. Just so we’re clear.』
“…”
Apparently, there really were no gods or Buddhas in the world we were living in after all.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Now that people can actually send me money, I need to make more of an effort to tailor my streams to what the viewers want. I can’t afford to get blinded by the ¥ signs.
First, I need to properly explain the answer to the question that’s flooding the chat:
> What’s the situation right now?
“So, basically, this happened, and then that happened, and somehow it all turned into this…”
“…Daishi-san, that’s not how it happened.”
“…Seriously. Are all middle-aged men like this? Give them any young woman and they’ll fall for her.”
“…For an old guy like him, it seems like any woman would do.”
“SHAAAA! (YOU PERVEEEEERT!)”
“…”
I’m literally just trying to explain the situation to the viewers, yet everyone on the sidelines keeps throwing their prejudiced opinions at me.
…Hey, guys. Are you still holding a grudge over how hopelessly smitten I was with Yuda-san?
> Okay, I think I’ve got the gist now > Hey, young folks, old men are a whole different species > Be gentle with him > I don’t think he means any harm > He’s just getting carried away > Wait, the Guild Representative was a woman? > Man, I wish we could’ve seen her > Dude, this is turning into a harem route > I’m so jealous it’s criminal > [Never mind all that—what are you gonna do about that barrier? ¥500]
A Super Chat came flying in, snapping me back to reality.
Okay… I guess we can drop the whole “I’m a pervert” thing now.
According to Mina-chan and Shion, the barrier currently covering the entrance to West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon is an absolutely ridiculous piece of work.
We needed to figure out what exactly we could do to break through it.
> Why not ask the Goddess for help first? ¥500
Among the steady stream of Super Chats was a suggestion for one of the methods I’d already been planning to try.
Yeah. Let’s start with that.
The Goddess, that loli, has always been frighteningly good at secretly taking photos and eavesdropping on people. She’s probably still spying on us from somewhere right now.
For starters, I could try calling out to her telepathically…
『 Hey, Loli Ha—no, wait, Goddess! Goddess! Can you hear me?』
I raised my mental voice as much as I could, calling out to the Goddess and waiting for a response.
“…”
I closed my eyes and waited for five seconds, but I didn’t pick up so much as a peep from that childish voice in my head.
So this method doesn’t work?
I’m pretty sure she’s watching us, though…
Could she be taking a dump or something?
“The old man’s 【Burial Fist】 might be able to destroy the barrier. Why not give it a try?”
Shion offered a constructive…
No, a “destructive” suggestion.
So basically, she was telling me to try brute force first?
“Yeah. It doesn’t look like there’s any way to deactivate it through technical means.”
“Then we’ll just have to smash it!”
Mina-chan and Satsuki-chan seemed to agree.
Looks like we had no choice but to give it a shot.
> Nice! [Burial Fist] > It’s been a while! > Can’t wait~ > Hit us with something epic. > What do your stats look like now? > You beat the Hero, so your level must’ve gone up, right? > [Spill the details! (¥1000)]
Oh! Speaking of my stats! I still haven’t allocated my excess Burial Points!
Good thing the viewers were interested in my stats. Actually, maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t allocated them until now. Given the situation we’re in, the way I should distribute my stats practically decides itself.
All right, let’s do this!
I opened the status screen and hit the ▲ button next to the stat allocation…
With this much of a boost to my physical strength, I can expect even more destructive power from [Burial Fist]!
I’m a genius!
> Still makes no sense even when you hear it again > Physical strength over 8000 lol > He’s a god > Too much of a monster > He’s gonna send the whole dungeon to the grave lol > Looks like he might split the Earth in two > Don’t accidentally punch the ground > Better get ready to run, just in case… > Alright, do it! Daishi! > So excited > Viewers are coming back too > How many now? Oh, 10 million > The viewer count is on a whole different level lolol
Thank goodness! Looks like everyone is still expecting me to pull something off!
This many people are cheering me on!
I can’t let them see me make a fool of myself!
“Everyone, get as far back as you can. You might get caught in the crossfire!”
I stepped forward, moving another few paces closer to the barrier.
I was planning to hit it with everything I had, so I wanted everyone to protect themselves with defensive skills or something, if possible.
“Well, when it comes to defense and healing, I can handle pretty much anything. So, Daishi-san, don’t hold back! Go ahead and smash that barrier!”
That’s my Mina-chan! I’m counting on you to keep everyone safe!
“Don’t worry about us. Give it everything you’ve got!”
“Do your best!”
“SHAAAAAA!”
All right! Then let’s get started…
Tap!
Whoosh!
“Up close, this thing looks insanely tough… But!”
I closed the distance in an instant, moving at practically teleportation speed until I was within striking range of the barrier. A wall of light stretched out before my eyes, shimmering with a nauseatingly garish color.
“HAAAAAAAAA!!”
I immediately dropped into a low stance, focusing every ounce of concentration I had.
Maybe it was because of my immense Burial Power and physical strength, but I could feel an incredible power and intensity of energy surging through my body—something I’d never experienced before.
With a high-pitched “Kiiiiing!”, white aura began gathering around my clenched right fist, one wave after another!
Th-this power…
With this, I can definitely finish him off!!
“HAAAAAAAAA!! TAKE THISSSS!! 【Burial Fist】!!!”
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
An earth-shattering impact rang out, so loud it felt like my eardrums were going to burst!
Th-this has to be…
“OWWWWW!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! YOU IDIOTTTTT!!!”
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
“GYEAAAAAAH!!”
> Huh? > What? > Uhh… > Wait, old man is… > He’s flying LOL > What the hell just happened? > A giant arm of light just came out of the barrier and punched him LOL > Wait… was that the Goddess just now? > LMAO
Apparently, the wall of light we’d thought was a barrier was actually a part of the Goddess body.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
However, even after we left the marquis’s territory, we kept running into members of the underground organization wherever we went.
“Hmm… Is this their ‘even a blind arrow will hit something if you fire enough of them’ strategy?”
“Shun, you do have a way with words. Though, in their case, their arrows are so poorly aimed that even firing a hundred of them wouldn’t make a difference.”
Tory-san and I were talking over lunch, but every time we arrived in a town, we’d run into another bunch of guys dressed head to toe in black. At this point, it was starting to feel like deliberate harassment.
“There are several routes from the Western Margrave’s territory to the marquis’s territory, but there’s only one road from the marquis’s territory to the Royal Capital. So they may have been lying in wait in the towns along the way after we left the marquis’s territory.”
Sue, who is eating grilled meat beside me, explained why the attacks had suddenly increased.
Even so, the attackers were so incompetent that they weren’t remotely a threat.
“Can’t they at least attack us while we’re asleep or something? Even when they ambush us in town, they’re practically announcing their presence. It’s easy to tell because they’re practically leaking bloodlust everywhere.”
“Indeed. The army’s reconnaissance units are far better at concealing their presence. With these people, it’s almost as if they’re asking us to find them.”
They had a decent level of skill, but whether they had actually received proper training in conducting attacks was questionable.
And we got our answer that very night.
Piiiiii!
“Hm? What’s going on?”
I was sleeping inside the carriage at our campsite for the night when the sudden sound of a whistle rang out. Still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I climbed out of the carriage with Sue and Ao, who had woken up at the same time.
“What happened?”
“Another group of men dressed in black attacked us. There were five of them in total, but we’ve already captured every one of them.”
Oh, they’d already captured all the attackers?
That’s the national army for you. Just to be safe, I used Search Magic, but there was no one else hiding nearby.
Tap, tap.
“Hm? Ao, what’s wrong… Ah!”
“Did you notice it too, Shun-san? I never would have expected it to be that person…”
When we saw the attackers being held near the campfire, Sue and I were absolutely stunned.
“Shun, do you know that guy?”
“Yes. He’s that narcissistic-looking adventurer who picked a fight with us in the Southern Margrave’s territory. If I remember correctly, he was involved in an incident involving a bladed weapon, and his adventurer’s license was suspended.”
Tory-san had asked me about him too, but the person being restrained was none other than that narcissistic, overly suave adventurer who had tried to force his way into our party back in the Southern Margrave’s territory.
Still, this might finally give us a way to narrow down who was behind the attacks.
“The dark organization and the Human Supremacy Church may have been recruiting adventurers with disciplinary problems. In fact, the underground organization approached adventurers who participated in the tournament back in the Northern Margrave’s territory.”
“So they figured adventurers with criminal records and poor conduct would be easier to lure into doing dirty work. We should probably make an inquiry with the Adventurer’s Guild.”
It made perfect sense for a criminal organization to recruit criminals. And if they were only using them for grunt work, they could simply throw them away once they were no longer useful. In that sense, maybe the underground organization was becoming more organized.
For us, though, it was still nothing more than an endless string of annoyances.
“Tory-san, what are we going to do with these guys?”
“We still have room in the carriage being used for the prisoners. Put them in there. We need to make absolutely sure they tell us who recruited them.”
With that taken care of for the time being, we returned to our carriage and crawled back into our sleeping bags.
This is turning into a much bigger hassle than I’d expected. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
