Akatsuki Translations

“I guess the caster didn’t realize they succeeded in the summoning and went through unnecessary trouble. I can’t tell if that’s good luck or bad luck…” -Diz

It was clear that the creature was a child.

Small limbs, a petite body, and a large head. It was unclear what kind of being it was, but there was an imbalance, suggesting that its body was not fully formed. It somewhat resembled a human infant.

However, there was not a shred of cuteness. It was distorted, eerie, and grotesque. The overwhelming feeling was one of revulsion.

Biological instincts rejected it. There was a sense that one shouldn’t feel affection for this being.

『Gu-geh』

From its large mouth that seemed to split its head in two, an eerie snake-like tongue spilled out. Such a massive tongue, it was hard to believe it could fit inside.

『Gu-geh』

The next instant, the tongue swept across the space of the room.

“Wha-!?” -Rose

“Shield.” -Diz

《Eeek!! 》-Akane

A loud noise echoed in the room.

Rose couldn’t see what happened. All she saw was that Diz’s crimson-armored hands had transformed into a shield-like shape, vibrating intensely, seemingly having blocked a great force. At the same time, almost half of the items in the room had “disappeared”. The scattered magical tools, the magic stones, and even the dismembered corpse of the necromancer were all gone.

“A subordinate of 【Gluttony】, huh? What a nuisance.” -Diz

Diz muttered, looking at the eerie creature, which was now swelling its already oversized head and wriggling grotesquely. It looked like an amorphous slime with just its head; it was strange.

“What… is it doing?” -Rose

“It’s eating. The magic stones, and the necromancer’s corpse.” -Diz

Huh? Just as Rose was about to ask again, the small creature stopped moving. It suddenly opened its mouth wide, revealing a shining red-black stone inside that looked like a magic stone.

It had things resembling blood vessels pulsing on it. It looked almost like a heart.

“What is that…?” -Rose

“The ‘former necromancer.’ 【Blazing Light】.” -Diz

Rose had no time to digest the rapidly changing situation.

Diz pointed her finger, releasing a powerful flash of light. It pierced through the head of the bizarre creature, further breaking the wall behind it, and shot out like a shooting star in the dark night.

However,

『Gu-geh』

Despite being hit by the flash, the strange creature was still alive. With the red-black magic stone still in its mouth, it tilted its charred head slightly, scratching it with its immature feet, and

『Pu-peh』

It spat out the magic stone. Out of the fortress window and into the outside world.

“Whip.” -Diz

《Aye 》-Akane

『Gu-ggeh』

Again, a moment of intersection occurred.

The shield that Diz held transformed into a whip, stretching to smash the spat-out magic stone. But just before it could, the snake-like tongue struck Diz’s whip, deflecting it.

In that moment of distraction, the magic stone shot out of the window.

　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

In the darkest and narrowest prison within the Fortress of Canaan.

At the bottom of the hole leading to the dungeon, created in the prison where the bandits had been treating the captives as slaves.

“…Ugh, g-gah.”

Gada, who used to be the boss of the bandits, groggily “got up.”

His head hurt. His consciousness was fuzzy. He couldn’t clearly remember what happened before he lost consciousness. He winced at the unpleasant pain in the back of his head. Then he remembered the intruders responsible for this situation, and rage boiled within him.

“Damn…those, those brats… I’ll find and kill ‘em…!” -Gada

No, merely killing them wouldn’t be enough. He’d torment, assault, and torture them thoroughly before killing them like slaves. After they were dead, he’d let the necromancer use their corpses as toys.

Driven by his dark emotions, he staggered and looked up at the hole. Probably all the hostages and intruders had already left. He couldn’t sense any other humans nearby.

He regretted “not killing them.”

With that thought, he somehow managed to grab onto the ledge of the hole and began climbing. It was difficult to ascertain how this hole was excavated, and climbing up the dungeon wall was quite challenging.

While struggling, the other comrades came stumbling from behind one after another. It seemed they had all been pushed down into this hole. Gada, thinking highly of himself, cursed at his comrades.

“Hey, don’t dawdle! We need to get out of here and find those brats!” -Gada

『…Th, t-hu, Bo-B, Boss, those brats, th-they, 』 -Bandit

In response to Gada’s fury, the replies from his comrades were dull. They made strange, incoherent noises and followed Gada’s wall climbing with slow, shuffling movements.

“Yeah, that’s the spirit! Finally, you’re talking some sense, you idiots!” -Gada

However, Gada seemed oblivious to his comrades’ groaning. In fact, he seemed oddly pleased as he climbed the wall with that same “shuffling movement.”

『Gah… gugge, goro, goroz, goro, goroz, GOGOGOGOGOAAA』 -Bandit

“That’s right! Those brats! I’ll make sure to torment and kill ‘em! I’ll flaunt that brat’s severed head while defiling that woman and then finish ‘em off!” -Gada

『AAA… AAAAAAAAAAA』 -Bandit

“That necromancer better be prepared! If he hadn’t pulled that stunt…! Haha!!” -Gada

『AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…. ahAAAAAAA….!!!!』-Bandit

『HAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!! 』 -Gada

Gada, whose “half skull was caved inward,” laughed as he and his comrades tried to crawl out of the hole to hunt down the intruders.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Canaan Fortress, Courtyard

“…?” -Shizuku

The first to notice the anomaly was Shizuku.

They had defeated most of the bandits and freed the hostages. While using the barrier to hide from the undead soldiers’ gaze, they began guiding the hostages outside. The enemy’s diversion and confusion tactics had already been completed. They had significantly reduced the bandits’ forces and rescued the hostages. Any further conspicuous actions were unnecessary. All that was left was to retreat swiftly.

The complete annihilation of the bandits could be left to Aruto’s knights. Although Ur’s party would have liked the fame of subduing the bandits, the notoriety gained from endangering the hostages would be minimal.

So, without hesitation, they were leading the hostages to safety when…

“Shizuku?” -Ur

While moving through the largely devastated courtyard of Canaan Fortress, Shizuku suddenly stopped in her tracks. She gazed intently at the command tower that loomed above from the courtyard.

Before he could ask her what was wrong,

“Ur-sama.” -Shizuku

 She turned around and whispered into Ur’s ear, “Something’s wrong.”

At those words, Ur had a bad feeling.

“What’s, that?” -Female Hostage

One of the female hostages voiced her confusion. Naturally, Ur’s gaze followed in that direction. From near the top of the command tower, something emerged. It was a sinisterly glowing red-black stone, clearly visible even in the dark night. It looked like a magic stone, or even a heart.

The “thing” that emerged didn’t just fall; it slowed its descent and hovered in mid-air, pulsating like a heart.

“What?” -Ur

A loud thumping sound echoed throughout the area, reverberating within the barrier surrounding the fortress. An abnormal situation was unfolding. Ur and Shizuku took defensive positions around the hostages they had led out.

『『『ＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡＫＡ！！！！！！』』』

It wasn’t long before their caution was justified.

From several entrances to the courtyard and amidst the debris, undead soldiers suddenly appeared in overwhelming numbers. Dozens, if not hundreds, of skeletons emerged. It was unclear where they had been hiding. The number of undead soldiers that appeared was incomparably larger than those seen on the Island-Eating Turtle or within the fortress.

“Hii…!” -Hostage

“Stay calm.” -Shizuku

Shizuku calmed the startled hostages within the invisible barrier. Her barrier not only obstructed vision but also sound and magic. At least, the undead soldiers shouldn’t notice them—this had been proven earlier when they ambushed the slave room.

Therefore, they kept quiet, observing from a corner of the courtyard. It would be impossible to break through with the hostages given the number of undead soldiers present. They had to wait for an opportunity and find a way to slip awa-.

“Ah, AHHHHHH…!” -Hostage

“That is…” -Ur

From a different direction, the bandits emerged, distinct from the undead soldiers. Just moments ago, with faces contorted in anger, they had been relentlessly pursuing us, but now they were fleeing with terror etched across their visages.

“What’s happening, you all?! Sto-stop it! Aaarghhhh!!” -Hostage

To be precise, they were “formerly” bandits.

『GAAAAAAA…AAA!! 』

They were now among those who tore apart their comrades’ necks, slurping up their blood, the bandits who had turned into something else entirely. Some of them had rocks embedded in their heads, or necks twisted in unnatural directions as they shambled towards the center of the courtyard alongside the undead soldiers. Their eyes were cloudy white, and their wounds had turned pitch-black, not a drop of blood spilling from them.

If these weren’t some peculiar breed of humans, then there was no doubt that they were dead as well.

“Undead soldiers.” That’s what they were. However, it hadn’t been much time since Ur and Shizuku had killed them. Even so, had the necromancer somehow made use of their corpses? There shouldn’t have been time for that. If that was the case…

“As expected, they were originally ‘dead’ in some sense.” -Ur

The preliminary hypothesis had been correct. There was no surprise. Ur continued to observe the undead soldiers. They had suddenly gathered in this courtyard. If it wasn’t because they had spotted Ur and the others, then the cause must still be that “crimson-black magic stone” hanging in the sky.

『KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA！！』

『OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！！！！』

In an instant, the undead soldiers and the other living dead swarmed and piled up, reaching for the magic stone in the sky. The red stone was no longer visible, but an eerie light pulsed from it, illuminating the surroundings periodically.

The situation was uncertain. However, the only clear thing was that the undead soldiers were not showing any hostility towards them. Ur signaled to Shizuku, then whispered to the hostages hidden within the barrier.

“Everyone, we need to move now. Follow us.” -Shizuku

With Shizuku, the magician maintaining the barrier, leading the way, they all began to move. Ur guarded the rear. Then, an elderly man, who had been speaking with Ur earlier, stopped.

“What’s wrong? Hurry up.” -Ur

“Do you know what they’re doing?” -Elderly Man                           

The man didn’t look at Ur but was fixated on the undead soldiers and the pulsating magic stone in the sky.

“They’re worshipping a new master.” -Elderly Man

“―――” -Ur

Then, the man suddenly turned his head towards Ur, and with a great sword he had somehow procured, swung it down at him.

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