Akatsuki Translations

Thanks to the adventurers and the knights, the malevolent attackers of the Island-Eating Turtle were defeated.

The citizens of the city of Aruto were relieved by this good news. They calmed their rising anger and mourned the victims. The large amount of food and supplies that should have been transported, the immense magical resources for city operations, the loss of trust in the Island-Eating Turtle, and above all, the many lives lost, meant the situation could not be called a complete resolution. Many scars remained. It was an incident with no gains.

However, those living in this world tainted with evil had resilience against calamities. While they grieved, they didn’t dwell on it. Therefore, while the citizens mourned the dead, they also praised the knights and adventurers who played key roles in the incident.

However, the true hero of the incident, the one who deserved the most praise, was never mentioned by the people of Aruto.

“Eh, it’s fine. I did tell them not to make a big fuss,” said Diz, the true hero who defeated the necromancer. Waking up in the finest room of the inn after a day and a half, she calmly responded when briefed on the situation.

“Honestly, it feels awkward to be praised while leaving Diz out.” -Ur

“It’d be troublesome if I, out of all the 【Seven Heavens】, was seen as a hero.” -Diz

“【Seven Heavens】, huh…” -Ur

The lead nation of the Grand Federation, the【City of Sin, Proudia】,  is where the head of the【Temple】, the 【Wise Heavenly King】, resides.

Diz is a part of their strongest force, the 【Seven Heavens】, holding the title of 【Hero】. When Ur first heard this explanation, he thought:

“Why is someone like you lending money…” -Ur

“It’s convenient for collecting magical items, this job.” -Diz

It seemed that Diz, who didn’t even have a ring, was able to negotiate smoothly with the knights and adventurer guilds because of this. Of course, her own overwhelming efficiency played a part, but it was still impressive.

“…So, why don’t you like being treated as a hero? You are one.” -Ur

“Well, you didn’t know much about me as the 【Hero】, right?” -Diz

“That’s… true.” -Ur

Ur did know about the 【Seven Heavens】themselves.

Of course, he’d heard of the great 【Wise Heavenly King】 and his close subordinates like the famous 【Heavenly Sword】 and the terrifying magician,【Tenma】[1]. But he barely knew the name of the 【Hero】. If he did, he might have had some idea when he heard her name.

“I’m the lowest-ranked among the Seven Heavens, being the ‘weakest’. It’s troublesome if I get too famous. It upsets the balance.” -Diz

“Lowest-ranked, huh…” -Ur

Ur didn’t say it out loud, but he thought she was quite laid-back for someone in such a position.

“Diz-sama, I’ll clean your other ear now.” -Shizuku

“Don’t move; I’ll apply the soothing oil.” -Rose

Shizuku tenderly took care of Diz, who was lying down, cleaning her ears with an earpick. Her devoted, service-oriented nature was as always, but Rose Luckbird, another person who was rescued in this incident, was also taking care of Diz, following Shizuku’s example. She was using products from her own shop on Diz, who was lying in bed. She diligently applied a healing aromatic oil to her body, which still held a fever from the intense battle.

A little before Shizuku woke up, Rose, accompanied by a butler, had come to visit and, with good timing, bowed her head and expressed her thanks to Diz as soon as she woke up.

“Thank you for saving me. And I apologize for my previous rudeness.” -Rose

Even Ur was surprised by the change in her attitude, a complete turnaround from her aggressive stance on the Island-Eating Turtle. Apparently, a lot had happened during the rescue. Diz, still bleary-eyed, responded to the gratitude and apology with a slightly troubled expression.

“I won’t return the Blazing Sword, okay?” -Diz

“That’s alright. For me, you are the ‘Blazing Sword’ itself.” -Rose

Of course, Ur didn’t understand what had led her to that conclusion. It seemed that Diz didn’t quite understand it either. Nevertheless, reconciliation was achieved.

Incidentally, Rubus, the butler who had requested Diz’s rescue on the Island-Eating Turtle (he had cried tears of joy upon reuniting with her when he returned to Aruto), was very surprised to see the state of his master. However, he happily accepted his master, who now had a somewhat softened smile.

In any case, it seems that the relationship between the two settled down in this manner.

“I’ll gratefully accept the goodwill, yeah. I’m pretty tired after all.” -Diz

Saying that, Diz lazily consumed a fruit that had been offered by the inn, known to be the hero of the incident. She was treated somewhat like a noble from somewhere. Considering that she is one of the 【Seven Heavens, 】 it may indeed be her actual position.

“But has Diz always been fighting like that?” -Ur

“Well, yeah.” -Diz

Diz nodded as if it were obvious. Such major incidents, shaking various city-states, seem to be, well, daily occurrences for her.

“Usually, I prepare more proper equipment before fighting, but everything is being adjusted right now. As a result, I had Akane help out… but well, I pushed her a bit too hard this time.” -Diz

Saying this, Diz took something out of her pocket.

It was a “sphere” mingled with red and gold. A strange metallic sphere. It was Akane.

Akane takes various forms when resting her body. While it is not so common to take such a simple form, it is not particularly unusual either. However, since the end of the fortress battle, she remained in this state without waking up even once. Ur had no memory of her being like this for such a long period of time.

“…I wonder if she’s alright.” -Ur

“Don’t make a face like you’re going to kill someone. It’s alright; I can feel my connection with her.” -Diz

Diz’s sensation didn’t quite make sense, but Ur understood that Diz was not the kind of woman to tell clumsy lies at times like this. To begin with, there are too many things about Akane’s characteristics that even Ur, her family member, doesn’t know.

There was no choice but to trust Diz. Ur gently stroked Akane, who had become a sphere.

“Take a good rest, Akane.” -Ur

《——–》-Akane

When he gently stroked the sphere, a bell-like sound resonated. Ur didn’t know whether there was a slight consciousness or it was merely sleep talking, but it made him feel warm.

“If I make her do unreasonable things, I have to let her rest a bit. Can’t be helped, right?” -Diz

“Have you realized the value of Akane?” -Ur

“She’s troublesome and a problem.” -Diz

“You’re a real cold bitch, aren’t you?” -Ur

“Don’t you have anything to use as a substitute?” -Shizuku

“I have properly prepared weapons and armor about the same as quality Akane…but, you know.” -Diz

For a while, Diz lay on the bed, holding Akane like a pillow. Then, after pondering for a moment, she stood up, deciding.

“Once I finish my errands, I guess we should soon leave Aruto.” -Diz

“I’ll follow my master’s orders, but for what reason?” -Ur

“To retrieve my equipment in the City of Sin, Lust. I intended to move while looking at the situation in the surrounding areas a bit more, but thanks to them coming to me, the big trouble in this area has been resolved.” -Diz

“If it has been resolved, you should take it easy for a bit.” -Rose

Even though she was lamenting and grieving that there was no rest, she was in quite a hurry.

“If only trouble would take a break, I could rest too… Rose.” -Diz

“What?” -Rose

“That necromancer was using the ‘Emblem of the Serpent that Devours the Sun’, wasn’t he?” -Diz

At that question, as if trying to recall an unpleasant memory, she slightly furrows her brow and ponders. Then,

“Yes… but, now that I think about it, it was more like… a dragon than a snake.” -Rose

Dragon

Along with the utterance of that word, Ur flinched slightly. Ur had only seen Diz and the “Dragon of Gluttony” fight for a brief moment. But still, that presence is remembered. A black, distorted, winged monster that let out a cracked laugh, as if stirring the inside of one’s chest. It is a target that Ur Shizuku must eventually defeat, but for now, he didn’t feel up to it. In fact, he even feel repulsion at getting any closer.

The necromancer with the emblem of a serpent that devours the Sun, Zerudia, and who summoned the dragon.

It was impossible not to feel an ominous impression.

“The dragon worshippers are beginning to get lively. ‘It seems like various things are starting to happen.’” -Diz

Her voice, uttering the ominous words “dragon worshippers,” was almost prophetic, with a faintly chilling credibility.

“…Wait a sec.” -Ur

“Hm?” -Diz

“Is there going to be trouble like this time in the future too?” -Ur

“It might happen. It might not.” -Diz

“In that case, will Diz stick her neck into it?” -Ur

“Unless it’s an ‘enormously dangerous problem’, the basic stance is to leave it to the locals.” -Diz

“In the ‘enormously dangerous’ case?” -Ur

“We’ll intervene.” -Diz

“What about us?” -Ur

Diz smiled beautifully.

“Do your best, dear escorts.” -Diz

Ur fell silent, then took a breath and shouted.

“This fuckin’ fraud…!” -Ur

It’s a fraud that their protectee, who they thought was under favorable conditions for them, is a berserker who thrusts her neck into urban-scale disaster troubles. Naturally, they weren’t aware of this when they made the contract.

“I didn’t lie. I just requested an escort.” -Diz

“Damn it.” -Ur

To begin with, when she asked him, just impulsively jumping at the request without thinking was enough for one to call Ur a fool, but even so, it was too much. Ur learned that one must pay the utmost attention to attractive offers that do not go through the Adventurer’s Guild. Although he learned this too late.

“Well, obviously I have no intention of making you do something impossible. If I get an Adventurer’s Guild ring-bearer killed in vain, it will affect my work too, you know?” -Diz

“So that’s why you tried to let us escape back then?” -Ur

“I thought it was impossible, but looking at the results, that was a misjudgment on my part. I’ll praise you for that.” -Diz

When he approached her, who was beckoning him over, she patted his head. He tried to pull away, feeling like a child, but before he could, she grabbed his cheeks with both hands.

“What are you touching me for?” -Ur

“No, I just think I found something really interesting. More accurately, it should probably be said that ‘it has grown interesting.’” -Diz

Ur couldn’t understand what was so interesting about such an ordinary person such as himself, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. And, for some reason, she embraced Ur’s head as it was and whispered in a voice so soft that only he could hear.

“Defeat me, Ur.” -Diz

Ur completely failed to understand her words at that time.

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TL Note(s): For 「天魔」, I’m using the romaji instead of the literal translation, since in Buddhism, Tenma is an actual figure.

I also sorta like the sound of “Tenma” over “Heavenly Demon.” (I’m sure some of y’all have heard the term, “Tenma” used in some other East Asian works before.)