『Z……………』

The monster created by the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia, the Hybrid Dragon, was floating in the sky above Uuga.

This underling dragon, forcibly “patched together” with various characteristics of various Dragons of Sin, possessed no proper will. While it’s natural for monsters to take distorted forms unlike normal creatures, most monsters more or less mimic the shape of living beings.

But this underling dragon was different. It was a Hybrid Dragon created for one sole purpose from the start. Moreover, its base was 【Sloth】, the most distorted among the dragons.

The Dragon of Sloth  was closer to a plant, or perhaps a fungus, than an animal.

This was according to 【Heavenly Demon Greylei】, the only one permitted unrestricted research on dragon entities. It’s unclear through what research he reached this conclusion, but as he pointed out, the Sloth dragon had almost no biological activity.

It remained motionless, spreading gas to put surrounding creatures to sleep, kill them, and make them rot.

It turned decayed creatures into undead, expanding the area of decay.

Thus, the sloth species is considered to have the lowest aggression, yet is regarded as the most dangerous dragon.

『………Z……』

Perhaps because it largely inherited the characteristics of the Sloth Dragon, this Hybrid Dragon had almost no will of its own. It wasn’t even aware that it was causing decay in its surroundings. It simply existed there.

If it were a pure Sloth species, it would still show some will, but even that was absent. This was a weakness of the distorted “Hybrid Dragon”. It barely functioned beyond its purpose. It couldn’t find a reason to move.

『….Z………』

Therefore, it was indifferent even to the resistance magic water approaching to engulf it.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Command Tower Rooftop

“A Leyline!! It’s incredible!! The captain was completely blind to her existence!!” Eckstein exclaimed in admiration, witnessing the power of the resistance magic enveloping the tower wrap around the Hybrid Dragon. The cancelling power, negating all magic-related forces, was stripping away not only the power of Sloth but even its flight ability.

『 Z 』

The dragon fell. Soon after, the impact sound and a massive cloud of dust enveloped Uuga. It seemed to have fallen somewhere in the plaza prepared in the center of Uuga for the Sun-Devouring ceremony.

“If it’s down there, we can attack!” Jain said.

“But how do we get close? The power of the magic eye coming from the air is gone, but the mist remains,” Eckstein pointed out while cutting down a bird-shaped monster that had swooped in next to him.

Indeed, squinting their eyes, they could see a thin smoke-like substance still permeating all of Uuga. It was an malicious mist that brought forth slumber, then death, and finally transformed its victims into undead vanguards.

Even if they were no longer exposed to the magic eye, diving into this mist would have the same effect.

“Can we have the Leyline erase it all?” Eckstein asked.

“If we could do that, we woulda done it already. Besides, even that last move seemed reckless. Look,” Jain said, pointing to the sky above the tower.

The resistance magic that had taken the form of water and completely enveloped the tower until moments ago was now visibly reduced. It barely covered just above the head of the giant Jain.

“The ‘total amount’ of resistance magic must be fixed. Meaning we can’t push it too far,” Jain concluded.

Presumably, they were using part of what was protecting the tower to seal the underling dragon’s flight. But it was unclear how long even that would last. Moreover, the center of the resistance magic formation was the 【Command Tower】. Just moving outside the formation would be quite taxing.

“I see… So we have no choice but to deal with the main body. And ventilate the air too,” Eckstein mused.

“We have a way for that,” Kalkara interjected, joining the conversation.

For some reason, she was grabbing and dragging the head of a squirming Griffin behind her. Given that Griffin was clearly larger compared to her build, the sight of him being dragged without resistance was somewhat surreal.

Griffin, for his part, was shouting something loudly.

“Nuooooo!! The water!! The miraculous water is decreasing!!?”

“You’re noisy,” Kalkara chided.

Griffin, perhaps because he was also on the command tower rooftop, must have been exposed to the “drowsiness” threat brought by the underling dragon. But even so, his level of fear seemed a bit excessive.

“But I know!! If you’re hit by the power of 【Sloth】, you’ll continue sleeping until you die, mushrooms will grow in your brain, you’ll die and rot until you’ve become nothing but bones, and continue living forever, right!?”

“Ah, half-baked knowledge has become your enemy…” Jain sighed.

“Being at a third rank Gran’s house has made him annoyingly precocious,” Kalkara commented.

But more importantly, Kalkara turned back to Jain and Eckstein.

“This lump of fat will continue to guard the command tower. More importantly, we have someone who can move to ventilate Uuga,” Kalkara said.

Saying this, she brought forward a young girl who still had traces of childishness. A short, chestnut-haired child. Perhaps about 10 years old. Eckstein recognized her.

“If I’m not mistaken, she’s the user of the 【Spirit of the Wind】…”

Yes, a promising talent among the acolytes, a formidable girl blessed with the protection of one of the four elements, the 【Spirit of the Wind】. Eckstein, familiar with the Wind Spirit, remembered her well.

“She should be able to move freely through the sleeping mist,” Kalkara explained.

“I see… If the threat of the magic eye is gone, we can manage the mist with wind power… But…” Eckstein hesitated a bit. After all, she was just a young girl. Certainly, spirit power grants tremendous strength regardless of age, but the person controlling it is still young.

“It’s alright. I can do it,” the girl said firmly.

“Even if we try to keep her in the tower out of concern, if we leave the dragon alone, the entire tower will be wiped out,” Kalkara pointed out.

“…You have a point,” Eckstein conceded.

There was no room for argument. This was a situation where they needed to mobilize all available personnel. The girl’s expression showed fear suppressed by determination to do what needed to be done. She seemed far more resolute than they had expected.

“Understood. Then let’s leave the minimum force necessary to guard the tower and head out to slay the dragon,” Eckstein decided.

“I want to form a party centered around her to deal with that underling dragon. At the very least, we must destroy the magic eye attached to its belly,” Kalkara instructed.

“We’ll use all the ‘preparations’ for fighting dragons. We’ll bring out everything the 【Hero】 lent us. We’ll worry about the consequences later,” Jain added.

Everyone started moving hurriedly. Eckstein also began giving instructions to his subordinates. In the midst of this flurry of activity, Eckstein suddenly realized he had forgotten to ask something important.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been meaning to ask all this time, what’s her name?”

“She ‘doesn’t have one’,” Kalkara replied.

“What?”

Eckstein couldn’t believe his ears. But Kalkara’s expression wasn’t one of joking. Her face showed a hint of unpleasant anger.

“She doesn’t have one. Probably the intention of the family that cast her out. A 【Curse of Namelessness】 has been placed on her to avoid revealing the family name,” Kalkara explained.

“…”

“Even a clear form of address is sealed. We can’t call her by any proper noun.”

Eckstein was momentarily at a loss for words. But it wasn’t unheard of. Illegitimate children, unwanted children, or criminals from priestly families. When they’re cast out from their families, they’re often removed from the family register. Sometimes they’re given a different family name, but in some cases, even that is sealed.

However, going as far as using a curse was quite extreme.

“If we narrow it down to families in Gradol that are likely to receive the Wind Spirit’s blessing, we could guess whose doing this is. But that’s irrelevant right now,” Kalkara added.

“…Indeed,” Eckstein agreed.

Certainly, it wasn’t important now. It was a nauseating story, but first, they had to focus on not dying here. After all, they must avoid fulfilling the wishes of those who would rejoice at the girl’s death.

“But then, what should we do? What should we call her in an emergency…”

As a practical matter, having no way to address the girl at all would be problematic. Especially since they were about to plunge into a dangerous situation. The lag caused by not having a name to call out in an emergency could be fatal.

“Something like ‘Wind Girl’ would be fine! Wind Girl!” Griffin interjected, still being held by Kalkara to prevent him from running away. Kalkara glared at him coldly.

“Another arbitrary decision…”

“What are you saying! It means she’s a child of the great Spirit of the Wind! It’s a much better way to address her than as a child of those who would abandon a child not even of age!”

“——…Hmm.”

Surprised by the unexpectedly reasonable answer, Kalkara fell silent for a moment, looking at Griffin as if seeing something rare. The Wind Girl giggled softly at Griffin’s words.

“Thank you, Griffin-sama. I’m fine with that.”

And thus, those onboard Uuga set out to slay a dragon along with the “Wind Girl”.

None of them yet truly understood just how difficult a battle this would be.

The 【White King Formation】, preserved until just before activation, utilizing Uuga’s vast magical energy storage.

Its effect was truly simple. Resistance magic targeting the entire tower.

“Puhaa!?” Jain gasped, startled by the water he was about to be engulfed in. Water was enveloping the entire tower. For a moment, he almost mistook it for a new monster or dragon attack.

But it wasn’t. This wasn’t a dragon’s attack. It was the visual effect of the resistance magic. This water itself had no physical form. One could even breathe in it. Though he should have understood this from Echelle’s explanation, he realized he was more confused and dazed than he had thought.

But now, his consciousness was clear.

The powerful, long-lasting resistance magic had brought recovery to Jain and the others. Thus, he shouted:

“You guys!! Wake up!! Hurry!!”

“Mm… good morning… Jain,” Rabin mumbled.

“Snap out of it, you failure of a rabbit!!! You’ll die, dumbass!!!” Jain yelled.

At his shouting, Rabin’s eyes snapped open and she sat up. She grasped her weapon, looked around, and understood the situation.

“…I’m surprised I’m not dead,” Rabin said.

“Be grateful, you fool, and hurry up ‘n get ready!!!” Jain shouted.

The White King Formation’s resistance magic, effective over an extremely wide area. The reason they hadn’t activated it from the start, the reason they had to preserve it until the last moment.

“The monsters are falling!!”

This powerful resistance magic made no distinction between friend and foe.

It also destroyed all of their barriers.

『KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!??』

The monsters that had been blocked by the barrier began to fall. Jain braced himself against this rain of monsters, knocking away those that attacked. However,

“Most of them seem to be falling on their own!?” Rabin exclaimed.

The majority of the monsters that had been blocked by the barrier weren’t falling onto the rooftop where Jain and the others were, but were plummeting outside the tower. At first, it seemed they might have another target, but they simply fell to the ground and were crushed. It was like mass monster suicide.

“The resistance magic is still in effect. Those who were relying on magic to fly rather than their own power suddenly had their wings torn off!!” Jain explained.

“Whoa! That’s amazing!! We’ve caught them all in one fell swoop! If we had done this from the start—”

“Our mages, the priest unit, and anyone using magical devices would be useless too, you know!”

“I take it back, what a pain!!!”

Rabin sprang into action. In that direction were the priests who had become incapacitated. He rushed to help them as they were being attacked by monsters capable of flying on their own.

Jain headed in the opposite direction, towards the Envy Knight Order. Many of them primarily used magic guns powered by magical devices. Naturally, many of them had also become incapacitated.

“Hey, Knight Order!! You guys ain’t dead, are ya?!” Jain shouted.

“…Well, somehow we’re managing,” Eckstein replied, swinging his sword to help cut down the surrounding monsters. But his complexion was a bit off. Looking closer, blood was spurting from various parts of his body.

“Were you sleeping soundly?” Jain asked.

“These are honorable wounds from protecting my subordinates who were doing just that,” Eckstein said with a smile.

As he laughed, his subordinates around him lowered their heads apologetically. It seemed he had been fending off the monster attacks while fighting drowsiness alone.

Of course, the same was true for Jain. Various parts of his body ached. He wanted to recover quickly, but healing wasn’t possible in this place. However, they couldn’t stop this resistance magic either.

『  Z………………………』

After all, the underling dragon was still alive. Its enormous eyeball was fixed on them.

“…We’re going to crush that thing. At the very least, we need to neutralize its magical eye or we’ll be wiped out,” Jain said.

“To think we’d end up involved in dragon slaying… As expected of Ur,” Eckstein remarked.

“You’re saying it’s Ur’s fault?”

“He has a genius for getting caught up in trouble beyond his means.”

“More like a disaster…”

Jain thought that if they survived this, he’d definitely give Ur an earful.

                  ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Command Room

“That was close, so close…!!!” Echelle cried out, shivering.

It had been a close call. No joke, they had been on the verge of total annihilation.

“How about that? Amazing, right?” Lynne boasted.

“Amazing, Lynne, you’re amazing,” Echelle agreed.

“That’s right, I am amazing——————it was dangerous…!” Lynne admitted.

While boasting about the White King Formation as usual, fear was evident on her face. She seemed to understand how close they had come to disaster. She sighed deeply.

“We need to increase the number of people who can at least activate the formation besides me… This is bad,” Lynne said.

“Yeah… but what do we do now?” Echelle asked.

Reflection was important, but they were in an even worse situation now. The crisis hadn’t passed at all. Because they were continuously activating the resistance magic, the command tower was now dysfunctional as they couldn’t use magic. They couldn’t hear from Ur and the others, nor could they control Uuga from here.

Echelle couldn’t feel the link with Uuga in her current state either. To give proper instructions to Uuga, they’d have to stop the resistance magic again. But if they did that, they’d be exposed to that dragon’s sleep attack, and it would be over.

In other words,

“We have no choice but to stop the dragon,” Lynne concluded.

“…Just us?” Echelle asked.

“That’s how it looks.”

“Without using magic?”

“It’s a question of when we release this resistance magic. We can’t use it forever, you know. The magic consumption is intense.”

The currently activated 【Flood of Sins】, the overall resistance magic, was originally meant to be a one-time use, ending once activated. The fact that it was still ongoing was only because they were forcibly maintaining it by diverting the enormous magical power that Uuga could store.

But no matter how vast, it wasn’t infinite. Just because the storage capacity was large didn’t mean the accumulation speed increased. If they used it all up, there would be no magic left to assist Ur and the others in this battle. Thinking about it that way, they didn’t have much time to spare.

“B-but, can we really do something like that…?” Echelle’s voice came out pathetically.

Their options had been drastically reduced. Echelle couldn’t possibly imagine how they could defeat a dragon in this situation.

Of course, the possibility of being attacked by a dragon had been pointed out beforehand. They had also considered what situation they’d be in after activating the resistance magic and had prepared countermeasures. Still, when actually faced with the worst-case scenario they had imagined, the sense of despair far exceeded their mental preparation.

This fear was different from what she had experienced as a child from her family.

It was a more pure fear, stemming from a threat to her life. It was unbearably terrifying.

Just when life had started to become a bit enjoyable, to lose it all—

“Echelle,” Lynne said firmly, grasping both of Echelle’s shoulders, pulling her out of her maze of thoughts. Despite being shorter than Echelle, the hobbit Lynne somehow looked very big at that moment.

“It’s not a question of whether we can do it or not. We’re going to do it, Echelle. We’re going to do it.”

“We’re going to…”

“We’re going to face it, fight it, and win. That’s why we came this far, isn’t it?”

Indeed, that was true.

This battle had the grand cause of fighting for the world’s survival. But Echelle and the others didn’t necessarily have to participate in this battle. They came here out of the will of those who wished for the continuation of Uuga as a place.

They had come hoping to improve their fate even a little. How could they lower their fists before even fighting?

“…I understand. I’ll do it… I’ll try my best…!”

“That’s the spirit, Echelle. Now then, first…”

Saying that, Lynne glanced out the window. The horrifying, rotting underling dragon was still seated in the air. It was continuously casting the 【Slumber】 magic, directing its terrifying magical eye this way, seemingly unaffected by the resistance magic.

“Shall we knock that dragon out of the sky?”

Lynne gripped her staff tightly and struck the White King Formation again.

On the outer perimeter of the Sky Garden, Ur was screaming, his voice filled with panic.

“Waaaaaaahhhh!!??” he yelled, his eyes wide with fear.

『Nuuaaaa!!! It’s hell, it’s hell!!!』 echoed Rock’s voice

Explosions were occurring in rapid succession around them without any warning. A storm of destruction with unpredictable range, power, and timing was unleashing heat and flames one after another. Ur and his companions, racing in the Rock ‘n’ Roll chariot, were right in the middle of this hellish storm.

『GYAAAA!?』

『OOOOOOOOOO!!!』

『KIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!』

Naturally, these explosions were also engulfing the numerous monsters flying about. It was truly indiscriminate. However, there was absolutely no reason to rejoice. Being targeted and attacked by monsters would have been far more predictable.

These continuous explosions had no pattern whatsoever. And the cause was crystal clear.

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!』

It was the “Hybrid Dragon” rampaging in the sky above.

Having literally received an iron fist sanction from the 【Divine Hand】 created by the Wise Heavenly King, the dragon that had stubbornly survived was now thrashing about chaotically in the sky. As a result, the magical eyes possessed by the dragon were firing indiscriminately. Both monsters and Ur’s group were getting caught in the crossfire.

“Anyway, let’s get away from here!!” Ur shouted

『I’m trying——— Ngh!!?』 Rock responded

“Whoa!?” Ur exclaimed

As they hurried to return to the inner part of the central barrier, a sudden impact shook the chariot. Thinking a monster had fallen from above, Ur hastily checked the situation outside. Then, his eyes widened in shock.

“Ikaza-san!?” Ur gasped

“Sorry, let me ride with you,” Ikaza said as she landed on the chariot, cradling an unconscious Begude in her arms.

“…”

His complexion was terribly poor. His right arm was badly burned. Though recovery potions had been applied, he still seemed to be writhing in pain, unable to shake it off.

“He exposed himself to the dragon’s magical eyes to forcibly buy us time. He’s likely been cursed as well. Recovery potions aren’t enough. Can we return quickly?” Ikaza asked

“Rock, hurry! Shizuku! Treat Begude!!” Ur commanded

“Leave it to me!” Shizuku responded

『Of course! I’ll go full speed!!!』 Rock shouted

Rock started moving again. As if switching places with Begude, Ur went outside to clear the way of monsters. However, the driving was rough to avoid the burning, falling monsters, and it was all he could do just to hold on and not fall off.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. If you can fit, stay inside,” Ikaza said.

In contrast, Ikaza stood firm atop the wildly shaking chariot. Her stance was far more stable than Ur’s, who should have been accustomed to the ride. He was tempted to lean on her reassuring presence, but—

“…I… can’t… do… that…!” Ur grunted.

Doing so would compromise his dignity as the chariot’s owner. While desperately clinging on, Ur swung his dragonfang spear at approaching monsters. No matter how unsightly it might look, he had to do what he could.

Seeing Ur’s efforts, Ikaza smiled slightly, continuing to mow down monsters alongside him, releasing lightning-like flashes from her sword. And so, the Rock ‘n’ Roll continued its retreat.

『KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA』

However, even during this time, the dragon continued to rampage, letting out an eerie laugh. Despite having just taken a literal iron fist punishment head-on, it still showed no signs of dying.

“So damn noisy!!! After being hit by such a huge fist…!” Ur shouted.

“The King is concentrating most of his power on supporting Proudia. Even sparing power for the black dragon must have been pushing it,” Ikaza explained, as if reading Ur’s mind. She, too, was glaring at the black dragon that had kidnapped Sua with disdain.

“He’s still managing to hold the black dragon back somewhat, but we can’t keep burdening him like this. We need to do something quickly…” she added.

“Can’t Sua-sama escape on her own?” Ur asked.

From what they could see, 【Heavenly Prayer】 had been swallowed whole by the black dragon. At the very least, she hadn’t been chewed up and killed. If so, it seemed like she might be able to do something if she struggled inside, but Ikaza shook her head.

“If she could, she would have done so by now. Rather, it might be better to think that it’s because she’s still resisting that the dragon’s rampage has been limited to this extent,” Ikaza replied.

“To this extent… you mean this?” Ur said, his face tightening as he looked at the hellish battlefield where explosions were scattering everywhere. But if that was the case, they needed to retrieve Sua all the more urgently. Before the dragon could digest her in its stomach.

“Ur, can you use Uuga?” Ikaza asked.

“I’ve been trying to contact it since earlier, but…” Ur trailed off.

He had been attempting to contact Uuga multiple times since the dragon’s appearance. But there was no response. While there was a possibility that the communication magic itself wasn’t working properly due to the large number of monsters and magical disturbances, it was more likely that some problem had occurred on their end.

“The headquarters is probably preparing other countermeasures besides Uuga. But the more options we have, the better. Please try to get in touch with them,” Ikaza requested.

“Understood…” Ur nodded, glaring at his adventurer’s ring.

“I hope they are alright over there…” he muttered.

　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Dragon-Devoured Uuga Command Tower Rooftop

“…This is… too bad…!!” Jain gritted out.

The Dragon-Devoured Uuga was in an even more critical crisis than Ur had worried about.

Jain was on his knees, gritting his teeth. The 【White Serpent】 around him were in a similar state. His right-hand woman, Rabin, was lying face-down on the ground.

Looking around, the members of the Envy Knight Order and the priest apprentices led by Kalkara were in the same condition. However, neither they nor Jain’s group were injured or wounded.

“……………Zzz………mnya……”

Hearing the surprisingly comfortable snoring coming from Rabin next to him, Jain felt like he was about to snap. But even if he wanted to get angry, his body wouldn’t move properly.

The members of Dragon-Devoured Uuga were all assaulted by an overwhelming “drowsiness.”

It was indeed midnight, a time when they would normally be asleep. It would be a lie to say they didn’t feel a bit sleepy. But this drowsiness was clearly abnormal. Despite monsters still attacking and aiming for their lives, they hadn’t exerted themselves enough to fall into such a deep sleep!!

『GIAAAAAAAAAA!!』

“D-damn it!!!”

Jain smashed the monsters targeting the sleeping Rabin. But his aim was beginning to waver. If he wasn’t careful, he might have smashed Rabin’s head instead of the monsters.

The barrier surrounding Jain’s group had completely sealed the entrance the moment this abnormal situation began. They had agreed to prioritize defense regardless of magic consumption in such crises.

“Ugh… uah…”

However, that barrier was starting to weaken. The casters were also being assaulted by this terrible drowsiness. The barrier, maintained and constructed by multiple people, was now barely being sustained by just one person. Everyone else had collapsed.

Why had it become such a scene of carnage? The cause was clear.

“…Damn it… that’s cheating… that dragon…!!” Jain cursed, looking up at the sky.

Something was crawling out from a hole in Uuga’s barrier.

『………Z………E…….』

The huge white wings on its back made it undoubtedly one of Proudia’s underling dragons. But its body was far from the appearance of an infant. It was an ugly, enormous blackish-blue mass of flesh. Parts of its flesh seemed to be rotting away, its face was festering, with neither eyes nor nose visible. If not for the wings, one might have thought it was some subspecies of a slime.

And on the belly—or rather, the lower part—of this giant mass of flesh, there was a “huge eyeball” attached. Its pupil was glowing, illuminating Jain and the others.

“A combination of the Magical Eye of Greed and Sloth’s Slumber?!! This is the worst…!!!” Jain shouted at the evil combo of the wicked Hybrid Dragon.

But of course, shouting wouldn’t make such a being relent. The drowsiness was progressing rapidly. At this rate, they would certainly be annihilated.

If everyone fell asleep, it would be no different from everyone dying.

“Damn it!! Lynne!! Can’t you activate the “formation”?! Lynne!!”

Jain, throwing away his pride, called for help from inside the command tower.

　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】 Command Room

《Lynne…!! …The formation…!!》

“…Ugh… ngh…” Echelle groaned.

Of course, Echelle and the others inside the command tower were not unaffected either.

Even in the command tower’s interior, where defenses were strongest to protect Echelle, the key figure, the workers had collapsed. Every single person – Echelle, Lynne, the 【White Serpent】 mages, and the warrior guards – all of them without exception.

This was their condition despite not being directly exposed to the underling dragon’s magical eye.

The cause was clear. The command room had somehow become filled with a very faint, pale black gas. By the time they realized it was emitted by the underling dragon, it was too late. Everyone had been assaulted by drowsiness, unable to move.

“We have to… do something…!” Echelle muttered.

One of the dangerous attacks dragons could unleash on the battlefield, as Diz had informed them before this battle began. 【Sloth’s Death Smoke】. Because they knew about it, they should have been well-prepared.

But mocking those preparations, a single dragon had brought Uuga to the brink of annihilation.

“It’s… alright… I’m wearing lots of… anti-magic pendants… I’m still… okay…” Echelle said desperately, trying to put the situation into words while fighting the drowsiness. But even so, her consciousness was gradually becoming hazy. If she let her guard down for even a moment, she’d be carried away by sleep.

From what she could hear through the communication, the situation on the rooftop seemed to be the same. If everyone on the rooftop, the key to withstanding the monster attacks, fell asleep, Uuga would truly be annihilated.

“Somehow, somehow…! Lynne!!” Echelle called out.

After hearing about the dangers of the dragons beforehand, they had prepared countermeasures for emergencies. If it was Lynne, there was still a possibility she could do something.

But the problem was…

“………..”

“Please, Lynne, wake up!!”

Lynne had already fallen.

She had worked the hardest during the preparation stage. No matter how much she had boosted herself with enhancement potions, she had accumulated the most fatigue. She could endure pain, but she couldn’t resist her body’s desire to rest.

But even if Lynne were in perfect condition, this would be impossible. In fact, only a handful of people in the command tower were still able to sit up. Echelle, too, was at her limit.

“Somehow… Lynne… That’s right… Ur…”

In the midst of her hazy thoughts, just one step short of her limit, Echelle remembered Ur’s words. The words that would pour gasoline on the fire within Lynne’s soul, a forbidden phrase that would surely set the surroundings ablaze if carelessly uttered, that was—

“The White King Formation… isn’t that great… after all!!!”

“Wha’dya say, YOU FUCKING BASTAAAAAAAARD!!!!!!!!” Lynne roared, suddenly awake and slamming her staff on the ground.

“【OPEN: FLOOD OF SINS!!!】”

The White King Formation drawn across the area activated, and surging water engulfed the command tower.

The pitch-black something swam through the sky as if flowing.

The pitch-black something was long, large, and terrifying.

Its jet-black body gleamed dully with scales, and along its back, several pure white wings lined up, incongruous with its fearsome form. From its massive mouth peeked sharp fangs and an elongated tongue.

『AAAAAAAAAGAYYAYAAYAAHHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!』

The distorted dragon mocked everything in the heavens.

“…What!?” came the gasping voices of the warriors. It was clearly a sound of intense agitation.

Victor, the knight captain, keenly sensed the crumbling morale that had been rising until just moments ago. The timing couldn’t have been worse. It was right when the 【Seven Heavens】 had strongly demonstrated their power!

The power of 【Heavenly Prayer Sua】 was the key to maintaining this battlefield, both practically and psychologically. And it had been targeted. Perhaps even the Flame Demons had aimed for this?

But he couldn’t leave things as they were!

“Pull yourselves together!!” Victor raised his voice, thoroughly cracking the whip into the air that had gone slack and was on the verge of dying.

“Sua-sama won’t be defeated by something like this!! Everyone, steel yourselves!!! This is where we must stand firm!! We must rescue her!!!”

“O-OOOOH!!!” The warriors, seeming to grasp his intent, raised their voices in response.

For now, the immediate danger of the battle line collapsing had been averted. However, fundamentally, nothing had been resolved. 【Heavenly Prayer】 was still swallowed by that enormous mysterious dragon. If they couldn’t rescue Sua in this situation where hordes of monsters from Proudia continued to attack, the battle line would soon be overwhelmed.

“But what is that dragon… 【Gluttony】? No, the wings are 【Vanity】?!”

“It’s Proudia’s specialty, a 【Hybrid Dragon】. A nasty one’s shown up!”

“Just mixing things together doesn’t always make them stronger! We’ve got to subdue it somehow…!?”

The warriors who had been resting their bodies now readied their weapons, hurriedly preparing for battle. Everyone understood that losing Sua had to be avoided at all costs. Hence, they were also in a rush.

And because of that, they were forced to widen their eyes at the dragon’s subsequent movement.

“No way—————!?”

After swaying in the sky for a moment, the dragon suddenly turned its back to them.

“It’s… running away!?”

Fleeing. The dragon was fleeing. With Sua still in its belly!!

“Stop it!!!!” Victor shouted.

This time, he couldn’t even manage to inspire them valiantly. They had to prevent that at all costs.

The forced withdrawal of their greatest fighting force from the battlefield was far too fatal.

　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The behavioral principles of the monsters in the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 had not changed since the beginning of this battle.

First, the elimination of the 【Wise Heavenly King】.

Second, the elimination of threats that serve as barriers to that goal.

It was truly simple. However, their methods of elimination were not necessarily limited to destruction. They tormented the defense forces with various techniques. This had become clear through the numerous repetitions of the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】.

But it was indeed the first time they had employed such a means of elimination as this.

To kidnap 【Heavenly Prayer】 and then flee with her.

“What a cunning trick!!” Begude cried out bitterly while focusing power into his right eye. He activated his own magical eye.

“【Fixation!!】”

As the word implied, it was a magical eye that could fix other targets in place within his field of vision. He directed it towards the sky. After endless training, he had become able to “immobilize space” at will, allowing him to fix “air” in place and move freely through the sky as if climbing stairs.

“Leader!!”

“You lot, hurry and call for reinforcements!! I’ll hold it back!!”

Issuing rapid-fire instructions to his subordinates, Begude leapt into the sky.

He raced through the air fixed in place by his magical eye’s power. The dragon was drawing near. A dragon leisurely swimming through the sky. A dragon that still held Sua captive. He had to detain it at all costs, or the battle line would collapse!

The dragon was already trying to exit through the hole in the 【Solar Aegis】 opened by its dragon underlings. No matter how reckless, if he didn’t stop it here, everything would be over!

“【Fixation—】”

Though unsure of the extent of its effectiveness, he attempted fixation. His magical eye was less effective on targets possessing greater magical power than himself. Therefore, rather than the dragon itself, he aimed to fix and restrain its surroundings.

An invisible prison created by spatial fixation was his specialty. For a moment, he was certain it had worked perfectly—but

『KA——!!』

“What!?”

The black dragon, which should have been immobilized in mid-air, broke free from the prison he had created in the next instant and began to rampage. Begude realized that the power of his magical eye had been repelled.

But how?

It wasn’t brute force. Begude’s binding technique was designed to be layered in complex, multiple levels to prevent such simple breakouts. It wasn’t something that could be destroyed by mere force.

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA————!!』

“What…!?”

Looking closer, he saw the dragon’s side was glowing. At first, he thought it might be the scales reflecting light, but that wasn’t it. It was emitting the same pale black glow and magical power as Begude’s own.

In other words, those were magical eyes.

“Neutralization through a similar type of magical eye…!?”

Along the dragon’s side, numerous magical eyes were lined up in rows.

One of those had neutralized Begude’s magical eye.

“The magical eye of 【Greed】…!”

The characteristic of these magical eyes was that of the Dragon of Greed. This dragon soaring through the sky was a hybrid, incorporating three traits: Greed, Gluttony, and Vanity. It was excessively wicked.

Moreover, there wasn’t just one eye that appeared to be a magical eye.

Which meant, of course, that the types of magical eyes weren’t limited to just 【Fixation】.

“Gh!?”

Several of the magical eyes on the dragon’s side, crimson in color, began to emit light. While magical eyes came in various types, in most cases, the power concealed in crimson ones was ignition. Begude felt the surrounding temperature rising explosively against his skin and immediately leapt away from that spot.

『KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!』

With mocking laughter, the sky ignited. A sea of fire was born in the night sky. The effect range of the magical eyes was immense. A hell that made the previous Flame Demon’s fire seem tame was born in the sky.

“Guh!?”

The evasion wasn’t quick enough. Begude suppressed a scream as he felt one arm burning in the flames.

The range was too wide!! There wasn’t time to escape!!!

Begude desperately tried to kick off the air to distance himself. But the dragon twisted its body, beginning to move in a way that surrounded the falling Begude. Simultaneously, the magical eyes lining its sides began to glow again. All of them were about to capture Begude——

“Cover your eyes!!!”

A voice echoed from behind. Seeing the magic-sealing orb thrown in at the same time, Begude grasped the intent and closed his eyes.

At that moment, the flash of light sealed within the magic-sealed orb exploded, sealing the dragon’s magical eyes with its intense light.

『GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!???』

“That was reckless.”

The arm wrapped around Begude’s falling body in midair was familiar. Looking back, he saw Ikaza supporting his half-scorched self, rescuing him. Begude let out a sigh.

“…I got impatient and rushed ahead.”

“No, it helped. You bought us time.”

As they fell, Ikaza looked up at the sky. Following his gaze, Begude saw an enormous amount of magical power condensing above the dragon writhing from the flash. The shape formed by that magical power was utterly simple.

A fist, clenched tightly, strongly, and relentlessly.

“【Heaven’s Swift Vengeance】”

The divine iron fist unleashed by the Wise Heavenly King struck the dragon floating in the sky.

“Demon species sighted! Demon species sighted!! It’s a 【Flame Demon】!!”

The urgent communication from the intelligence unit threw Babel’s defense forces into disarray.

The adventurer unit, in particular, visibly tensed. From experience, they understood that an extremely troublesome monster had appeared.

“Flame?! Of all things!!” one adventurer exclaimed.

“Moreover, they’ve appeared in multiple locations, surrounding almost the entire perimeter of the Sky Garden,” reported another.

“Oh, come on…” An adventurer grumbled as he roughly splashed a healing potion on his bleeding arm, his face contorted with bitterness. The Proudia Knights, unable to keep up with this blatant reaction, looked confused. Most of them never ventured beyond Proudia, so their knowledge of monsters from other cities was limited.

“Is it really that bad?” one knight inquired.

The adventurer, looking utterly dejected, readjusted his armor while responding. He seemed to be wrestling with how to explain the situation.

“Just getting close means intense heat. If you try to deal with them up close, you’re guaranteed to take damage. Plus, they’re ridiculously tough. But there’s an even more troublesome point,” he explained.

“Which is?” pressed the knight.

“Even if you defeat them, they’ll recover if there’s a heat source nearby,” the adventurer spelled out gravely.

His words plunged the area into momentary silence as everyone grasped the meaning of “troublesome.” Heat sources that could revive the Flame Demons were currently present throughout the Sky Garden.

As long as their 【Flame Demon】 comrades existed, they would keep reviving.

“Huh? Isn’t that cheating?” a priest blurted out.

“That’s quite the crude observation, Priest-dono. Though I agree,” another chimed in.

“In Envy, these guys appear in volcanic areas, so they’re practically invincible. Compared to that, this is better… No, with no escape route, it might be just as bad,” the adventurer mused, wiping sweat from his brow. It wasn’t cold sweat—the area was physically hot now. Even within the safety zone created by the knights’ barrier, heat from the surroundings was starting to seep in.

And in this situation, they would soon realize that they were in far dire straits than they had initially thought.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【True Babel】 Frontline Barrier Unit

“It’s so hot…!!” One of the knights cried out in distress.

Among the Isralia continent, Proudia had the most stable climate, lacking the sticky heat of the Lust territory. As a result, they were simply unaccustomed to such intense high temperatures.

『A… AA…』

Flame Demons swarmed just beyond the barrier the knights had created. The knights’ barrier completely prevented their intrusion. Naturally, it also blocked their scorching bodies, capable of melting iron. Because of this, the knights’ bodies weren’t being burned directly.

However, the Flame Demons weren’t just burning the knights.

They were burning the very space around them. And that heat was tormenting the knights.

“I want to tell you not to whine… but this is indeed tough,” the senior knight next to him groaned. As knights, they were fully encased in armor, which now felt like a steaming bath inside. The armor was supposed to be engraved with 【Adaptation】 magic to optimize their bodies for various environments, but the magical effect was being overwhelmed.

“My head’s spinning. This can’t be good, can it…!?” one knight asked anxiously.

“Yeah, it’s bad. I know that. But…!” his comrade replied, trailing off.

They couldn’t leave their posts. The more they retreated, the closer the Flame Demons would advance. If the encirclement of Flame Demons filling the Sky Garden tightened, even more intense heat would assail them.

Yet they couldn’t use replacement personnel either. After all, they had just retreated half a period ago. If they disrupted the rotation schedule and increased the burden on some knights, everything would fall apart. If that happened, it would be over.

They had no choice but to endure. But this couldn’t last long.

“Can’t the adventurers do something about this?!” a rookie knight exclaimed.

“They are. Look,” the senior knight suddenly jerked his chin upward. The new knight looked up.

It was the same pitch-black sky they’d seen since the 【Sun-Devouring】 began, with not a single star in sight. Far above, the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia floated, blocked by the Solar Aegis, with underling dragons dancing around it. It was a nauseating sight to behold.

Through that darkness, a dazzling white flash of light raced across the sky.

“【Thunderclap】”

The 【Lightning Empress】 descended. Simultaneously, the surrounding 【Flame Demons】 were scattered in an instant.

“Whoa!!?”

The knight caught a glimpse of the empress’s figure as she fell with the lightning. The black and gold-clad woman was breathtakingly beautiful, even in this dire situation.

Ikaza then rushed past them, seemingly destroying the Flame Demons gathered around the barrier one after another.

“…No wonder the adventurers are so devoted to her,” a knight muttered in awe.

“Is this the time to be gawking?! Everyone, drink your recovery potions! Restore your condition before the demons revive!!!” the senior knight barked out orders. Even as he spoke, the shattered fragments of the Flame Demons were slowly coalescing again.

“We’ll hold out until headquarters comes up with a strategy!! Fulfill your duty as the shield of the Wise Heavenly King!!”

“Sir, yes sir!!!” the knights shouted, trying to rally their spirits.

However, it was an undeniable fact that the heat emanating from the Flame Demons was draining their strength at an alarming rate.

                    ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Of course, Knight Captain Victor understood this reality all too well.

This situation was extremely dire. After all, even the headquarters was feeling the heat.

While it was still better than the hell the knights at the barrier were enduring as they directly prevented the Flame Demons’ intrusion, even the knights who had returned for supplies and the adventurers couldn’t properly rest. Just lying down caused sweat to pour out and their strength to be sapped continuously.

Due to the severe toll on the injured, they had set up partial barriers for temperature control. However, the constant exposure to high temperatures was draining magical power rapidly. A fundamental solution was essential.

“We must deal with this while Ikaza-dono can still move,” one officer stated.

“But how? Even with her efforts, the Flame Demons are reviving each other. Half-hearted counterattacks will only waste our strength,” another argued.

“Then we have no choice but to annihilate them all at once,” a third suggested.

“Easy for you to say…” someone grumbled.

They understood that this was indeed the only solution. But it was precisely a case of “if we could do that, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” If there was someone who could do what even the gold-ranked Ikaza couldn’t, it would be—

“I’ll go,” a voice suddenly declared.

The entire strategic headquarters was shocked as Sua appeared unexpectedly during their meeting.

“Sua-sama!” someone exclaimed.

“Gather them. I’ll return them,” Sua stated cryptically.

“That’s…!” Victor began, but before he could confirm, Sua had already strode back to the center of Babel, to the Wise Heavenly King’s side. The priests, knights, and adventurers all gaped, trying to understand her words.

Victor cleared his throat and clarified, “So, we’re to lure the Flame Demons and gather them in one place, is that it?”

“Presumably…” a priest agreed.

An adventurer scratched his head and grumbled quietly, “Couldn’t she, you know, explain it a bit more clearly?”

“Watch your tongue, that’s disrespectful. There are things you shouldn’t say even if they’re true,” another chided.

Despite the banter, they began formulating a strategy based on Sua’s suggestion.

“The Flame Demons seem to have sacrificed speed for their invincibility and firepower. We should be able to herd them just by physically pushing them,” one noted.

“Shall we use the reserve barrier units to push them?”

“No, we don’t know when or where a wall might fail in this heat. We need to keep replacement personnel on standby.”

“Let’s allocate some Sun Knights. They can blast those creatures from a distance.”

Victor rejected some ideas and reconsidered others. They couldn’t go all out yet, as they needed to think ahead. Efficiency was key.

“In that case, we’ll help too,” a new voice chimed in. It was Ur of【The Walkers】. The smell of singed flesh suggested he’d just escaped from a skirmish with the 【Flame Demons】.

“Hey, brat, what surprising gizmo are you going to pull out this time?” an adventurer asked teasingly.

“You caught on quickly,” Shizuku, the silver-haired adventurer next to him, nodded appreciatively.

The teasing adventurer frowned. “Wait, you’re seriously going to use something weird?”

“Yep, something weird. I’m preparing it now. But first, I need to confirm something,” Ur said, looking around. Spotting what he was searching for, he pointed at the knights’ spare equipment and asked:

“Can I borrow the barrier unit’s 【shield】?”

                    ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【Lightning Empress】 Ikaza was still fighting on the frontlines outside the barrier.

“【Thunderclap】”

She swept away the Flame Demons with a single strike. While the Flame Demons had near-immortal regenerative abilities, shattering them completely could significantly delay their recovery.

“Getting old is really not something to look forward to…” she muttered to herself.

Naturally, such thorough destruction took its toll on her stamina. The area outside the barrier had already become a scorching hell. Sweat poured out with the slightest movement. She could still fight, but there was no time to dawdle.

In her younger days, she could have pushed through on sheer willpower without a second thought. But now, considerations of what came next slowed her steps slightly. Recognizing this fact as a sign of aging, Ikaza laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Teacher, let me help,” came a voice as the 【White Sea’s Ripple】’s Begude and his party approached. Despite wielding a thin sword suited to his small stature, with a single swing, he shattered the Flame Demons around Ikaza into tiny pieces. While not as lethal as Ikaza’s attacks, it would certainly slow their recovery.

“Ikaza-sama! Take this!” one of Begude’s subordinates called out.

“Ah, much appreciated,” Ikaza replied, taking a moment to drink the offered recovery potion. She then turned to Begude and asked, “Has a strategy been decided for this situation?”

“The plan is to gather them in one place and annihilate them all with 【Heavenly Prayer】’s power,” Begude explained.

Ikaza groaned at this. “Sua-sama is as vague as ever. What’s the plan for gathering them?”

“They’re forming mixed units of adventurers, knight mage corps, and Sun Knights with the【Blessing of the Wind】 and the【Water Spirit】’s abilities,” Begude replied.

“Quite elaborate, but we can’t leave a single one. Shall we move as well?”

“Yes… hm?” Begude tilted his head, turning around. Ikaza did the same. A strange, large presence was approaching from the direction of the barrier—

『HAHAHAHAHAHA-!!!!!』

And soon enough, it arrived.

In a word, it was a massive pile of bones. It resembled a carriage, but without horses, somehow galloping on its own. Instead of horses, giant “bone hands” extended out, gripping the knights’ “shields” in both hands, deploying a barrier as it raced along.

『HAAAAHHAHAHAHA!! This is fun!!!』

“Watch out! Even bones will crumble if they burn!!” someone shouted.

『AAAA…』

The Flame Demons were being forcibly gathered, pushed by the deployed shield barrier. It was a reckless method, like sweeping dust with a dustpan, but it was undeniably moving the Flame Demons.

“Rock!! Message from Shizuku! Looks like we missed some on the front left side!!” Ur yelled from atop the bone contraption.

『Alright, let’s go!!』

Ur, riding on top of this tank-like structure, shouted directions here and there as they sped past Ikaza’s group, moving to collect the missed Flame Demons.

“…What on earth is that?” one of the members of【White Sea’s Ripple】 muttered.

Unsurprisingly, no one present could answer that question. Even Ikaza, a legendary veteran adventurer, had never seen such an bizarre contraption.

“I told them to stand down if they couldn’t help…” Begude grumbled, frowning.

Ikaza laughed. “So they went to prepare something useful and came back, is that it?”

“And that preparation resulted in… that,” Begude sighed, looking pained.

Ikaza laughed even more. “You seem to be enjoying this, teacher…” Begude observed.

“It’s fun to watch people who go all out,” Ikaza replied.

“I’d rather the young ones didn’t imitate such recklessness… right?” Begude glanced back at his subordinates, who had been seriously considering “how that thing moves” moments ago. They nodded desperately. Begude let out another sigh.

“You don’t like them?” Ikaza asked.

“They’re reckless, dangerous, and attention-seeking. How would you feel if your child said they wanted to be like them?”

“Haha, I’d certainly rather they didn’t,” Ikaza chuckled, then readied her sword again. The Sky Garden was vast. There were still many Flame Demons that Ur’s team had missed. It was far beyond what they alone could cover.

“Shall we blast these burning remnants to the designated point?” Ikaza suggested.

“I’ll assist you,” Begude agreed.

Soon after, the sound of thunderous explosions and sword strikes echoed throughout the Sky Garden.

　　　 ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The operation to guide the Flame Demons proceeded swiftly.

Spirits’ powers blasted them away, mages froze them, warriors shattered them to pieces, and then they were blown away again. The strange bone chariot scooped up any stragglers or remnants. Gradually, the heat subsided.

Though they couldn’t let their guard down due to attacks from other monsters, the barrier unit could finally catch their breath.

And then,

“Flame Demons have gathered in the southeast sector!” Shizuku shouted, confirming the 【Footprints in Fresh Snow】. But even before she spoke, everyone in the command center could see the result with their own eyes. In the southeast, countless Flame Demons had gathered, swelling up like a single gigantic flame.

While the overall temperature rise had stopped, this was a formidable threat in itself.

Victor turned around. “Sua-sama!!”

Sua, standing next to the Wise Heavenly King, gave a small nod and suddenly vanished from the spot.

Teleportation magic. It was immediately clear where she’d gone. A white light appeared above the massive ball of fire formed by the gathered Flame Demons.

“【Fire Spirit Faranan】【Wind Spirit Fynellian】”

Her voice wasn’t loud. It was like the soft chime of a bell. Yet it reached the ears of everyone in the Sky Garden.

Ruby and emerald lights ignited around the white light.

“【Water Spirit Fisherain】【Earth Spirit Urigandin】”

Sapphire and Amber lights ignited.

The four lights circled around the central white light, accelerating to form a halo.

“【Four Sources, Unite As One】”

The rising flames below wavered violently. Having sensed the threat from above, the Flame Demons reached upward with terrifying speed, using themselves as footholds. They writhed, trying to eliminate the white light.

But it was too late.

“【Annihilating Light of the Four Conquests】”

The halo released its light.

An aurora that momentarily outshone even the wicked demons’ flames slowly engulfed all the fire, erasing it from the edges inward. It was silent. It was closer to annihilation than destruction, and all who witnessed this merciless, unstoppable attack held their breath.

Soon after, the light subsided. Simultaneously, all traces of the demons had vanished without a trace.

“We did it!! As expected of Sua-sama!!” a Sun Knight shouted. Other warriors followed with cheers.

Of course, the situation wasn’t over yet, but it was a cheer for achieving one victory, and for being reminded of the formidable power of the Seven Heavens fighting alongside them.

“Warriors. Stand tall. All the spirits and the Sun God are with us,” Sua’s voice echoed again.

The warriors were about to raise another cheer praising the 【Heavenly Prayer】—

『A—–HA』

—when they witnessed that white light being engulfed by something pitch black.

【Dungeon of Sin, Proudia】

The Seven Heavens’ pace of infiltrating the dungeon was exceptionally fast. Not only had they cleared out the large monsters at key points in advance, but the march of this world’s top combat group was truly formidable.

Where a normal group of adventurers would proceed cautiously, struggling to overcome various terrains and monsters one by one, they breezed through as if stepping over pebbles. And finally—

『AAAA——』

“What, is it over already? I guess it was just a mid-level gatekeeper after all,” the 【Heavenly Demon】 Greylei sighed, looking bored. Before their eyes, the giant 【Hundred-Headed Serpent】 that had been waiting for the Seven Heavens at the deepest part of the mid-level was disappearing. It vanished so quickly that they didn’t even need to coordinate their efforts, and Greylei exhaled in disappointment.

“At this rate, this ceremony might be over in no time! Kahaha!”

“If you’re seriously saying that, I’ll need to lower my evaluation of you even further,” the 【Heavenly Sword】 Yuri dismissed his words coldly. Her gaze was fixed neither on Greylei nor on the vanishing Hundred-Headed Serpent, but on the stairs leading to the deep levels.

“The real challenge starts from here.”

“Indeed, that’s right. Everyone, make sure to replenish properly,” Gronzon said.

With these words, Gronzon drank the elixir he was carrying without hesitation. Everyone, including Greylei, followed suit. The slightly relaxed atmosphere from earlier had vanished from their expressions. Even Greylei had wiped the smile from his face.

“Now, let’s see what kind of tricks they have in store for us this time,” Greylei mused.

“There might be instant-death traps the moment we step in. Giestar, can you scout?” Gronzon asked.

Questioned, the 【Heavenly Garb】 Giestar nodded and held up three fingers. Understanding the meaning, Gronzon nodded.

“If you don’t return after three minutes, we’ll charge in. We’re counting on you.”

Soon after, Giestar vanished. The four remaining sensed only the faintest trace of his presence moving towards the stairs to the deep levels.

“Now, what kind of theme will the deep levels have this time?” Gronzon pondered.

With the inevitably short waiting time, Gronzon sat down heavily. Of course, he could still fight, and if needed, he had trained to the point where he could continue fighting for days without sleep. But when there’s a chance to rest, one must take it.

Once they step into the deep levels, there won’t be another opportunity to sit down until they exit.

“This is my second time tackling Proudia’s 【Sun-Devouring】, but it really changes this much, doesn’t it?” Yuri, the youngest, asked. As she said, while she was a rare swordsman and an unparalleled warrior bestowed with 【Heavenly Sword】 by the Sun God, she lacked experience as her appearance suggested. There was much she didn’t know.

Especially since the 【Sun-Devouring】 occurs irregularly, sometimes with gaps of up to 10 years. She had only experienced it once, four years ago. The 【Hero】 listening beside her was the same. Her experience with Proudia’s siege was no different from Heavenly Sword’s.

In such a case, it would be proper for an elder who had experienced Proudia’s conquest multiple times to offer some advice, but Gronzon’s words were vague.

“Well, yes. It changes. It changes so much that previous experience has never been of any use.”

Originally, this was Proudia’s characteristic. The fearsome Dragon of Sin, Vanity that overwrites reality with shallow fiction, rewriting the space. A dungeon that transforms continuously with this power. The “mutation” that occurs in normal dungeons taken to the extreme—that’s Proudia.

In the middle levels, changes were still confined to “within rooms.”

But once they reached the deep levels, such distinctions as “rooms” no longer existed.

“No one knows what will happen. There are rumors of Seven Heavens members who disappeared, falling endlessly into an infinite abyss…”

“Ah, yes, there were,” Greylei nodded at Gronzon’s words.

“If I recall correctly, it was the 【Heavenly Sword】 five generations before you. Don’t meet the same end, current generation.”

“If the vanguard was lost, doesn’t that mean you failed in your role as support? Doesn’t that indicate your inadequacy?” Yuri replied sarcastically.

Greylei laughed at Yuri’s sardonic words.

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

The legendary magician, always fearless and mocking everything, easily admitted his own inadequacy. And Yuri didn’t laugh at his words. Even for a man who looked down on everything as objects of observation, the dungeon that lay ahead could make him acknowledge his own “insufficiency.”

“Well, it’s been three minutes,” Diz murmured softly.【Heavenly Garb】 hadn’t returned. This meant he had failed in his role as a scout.

No one was surprised by this. Perhaps they had understood the possibility. While getting advance information about the interior would have been a great advantage, they knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Giestar won’t have died. Let’s aim to regroup first,” Gronzon said.

“What if we’re separated the moment we enter? Should we use teleportation talismans?” Diz asked.

“We can’t even be sure magic will work there. I’ll be sure to give a signal. Everyone gather there,” Gronzon replied.

Everyone nodded, and together they stepped into the entrance of the deep levels.

They plunged into what was considered the most dangerous place in this world.

And in the place they entered—

“…So this is how it’s going to be,” Diz muttered.

《…Yes,》 Akane replied.

Dragons were lined up.

Fully grown dragons, the most powerful monsters in this world.

Beings classified as Second Rank: Elder Dragons.

They were lined up in great numbers, mouths gaping open, preparing to unleash their breath attacks.

“What terrible tactical sense!!!!!!!” Diz shouted as all the power in that place was unleashed upon their group.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【True Babel】

“Guh!!?” Ur groaned.

“Ur-sama!!” Shizuku cried out.

Ur writhed at the burning sensation in his stomach. Of course, he wasn’t actually on fire, it was just the pain of injury that felt like—

“No, it’s hot!?”

—or so he thought, but he actually was on fire. Ur hurriedly rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames. Even so, he managed to suppress the excruciating pain that almost immobilized him by directly dousing himself with a high potion.

“What the hell is this thing…!?”

『It’s really burning, ain’t it…?』 Rock remarked, also looking astonished as he faced the enemy before them.

The monster blocking their path was humanoid, over 2 meters tall. Honestly, it wasn’t that big. Some adult beastpeople could easily surpass this size.

The problem was that it was “on fire.”

Not set ablaze by magic. Its body was constantly burning, radiating heat that could cause burns just by approaching it, and continuing to burn. And it was alive in that state!

“It’s a demon race! A 【Flame Demon】 that appears in the 【Dungeon of Sin, Envy】!!” Shizuku exclaimed.

“What’s its characteristic?!” Ur asked.

“It’s always on fire!”

“That’s super straightforward! Ouch, hot!!!” Ur shouted, understanding Shizuku’s explanation that didn’t really add any new information.

Simple, yet vicious. Just getting close caused burns. If hit, one would suffer major damage like Ur just did. Even if blocked with a shield or armor, the heat would penetrate and cause severe damage to the body. It was the type of enemy that absolutely must not be allowed to engage in close combat.

『…A…GAAA…』

However, it didn’t seem particularly agile. Even after damaging Ur earlier, it didn’t follow up with an attack. If they could calmly keep their distance and attack from afar, they might have a chance to defeat it.

The problem was—

『…Are there many?』 Rock asked.

There were far too many.

Ur and his companions were surrounded. By countless 【Flame Demons】. Just as they were dealing with the attack of a large monster and about to return for supplies, a large number had fallen from the sky. Before they could escape, they were instantly surrounded.

“【Sing, O Ice and Water, and Ward Off Evil!!】” Shizuku quickly chanted, spreading a barrier. It was an ice barrier that froze anything it touched, sealing movement.

『I see. With this, those burning fellows won’t be able to app—』

Rock was admiring the barrier, looking around. And then—

『…They’re coming through! Master!!』

『AA…GAAAA…!!』

They witnessed the Flame Demons inserting their arms into the barrier, breaking through it even as they froze. The demons’ arms froze, and immediately after, flames erupted, melting their arms. They were brute-forcing their way through the barrier’s effect.

“Ordinary measures won’t work, it seems. Ur-sama, the 【Roar】,” Shizuku said.

“A heat beam might not be effective against these guys,” Ur warned.

“We’ll freeze them first, then strike to shatter them. Rock-sama, please prepare for escape.”

Shizuku began her incantation. Beside her, Ur twisted his dragon fang spear, condensing magical power. Behind them, Rock began to change his form, discarding his decorative armor.

“【Sing, O Ice and Water, and Harbor Absolute Zero Within Thy Form】”

The ice barrier was further broken. Slowly, the 【Flame Demons】 managed to invade its interior. The air scorched, sweat bursting from their skin. At the center, Shizuku calmly manipulated【Heaven’s Weeping Edge】, swinging it towards a single point.

“【Zero Wave】”

『AA…——』

Where she swung her sword, the Flame Demons froze en masse. Multiple ice sculptures were born. Of course, they knew that like before, the heat inside would soon melt through the frozen exterior.

“【Roar】”

Without a moment’s delay, Ur unleashed destruction.

The frozen 【Flame Demons】 shattered under the destructive blow. A gap opened in one direction of the surrounding encirclement. They couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

『Alright, get on!!』

Rock, who had transformed into a small vehicle, shouted. Ur and Shizuku boarded without a word. Soon after, they launched forward, rushing through the shattered gap.

“Yes, we’ve…!”

They thought they had escaped.

But suddenly, they sensed something from above. It was accompanied by intense heat, and in this situation, there was only one thing that came to mind.

『KYAHAKYAHAKYAHA!!!』

The laughter of the underling dragons, and simultaneously, a swarm of Flame Demons raining down. There were even more than those that had surrounded Ur and his companions before, and they were falling in a range impossible to avoid—

“【Shred】”

Before that, the bodies of the Flame Demons were shattered by multiple overlapping sword strikes.

“Hot!!?”

Ur shouted due to the rain of flames pouring down. But this was better than the alternative. If things had remained as they were, they would have been hit directly by the falling Flame Demons instead of just a rain of fire. The impact of the weight combined with the heat of the flames would have annihilated Ur’s group.

The man who saved Ur’s group swung his thin sword and landed nimbly behind Ur.

“Begude-san!?”

“I told you not to be a hindrance,” Begude said sharply.

Ur straightened his back at the short, sharp words. But without further comment, Begude pointed his thin sword towards the barrier.

“If you’re useless, fall back. The headquarters should be devising a strategy. We’ll buy time with the professor.”

“…Understood. Rock.”

『Aye! Thanks for the save!』

Ur’s group set off again after a brief word of thanks. Fortunately, or perhaps not, there was no further reinforcement like before. Still, a large number of Flame Demons were wandering around, and the surrounding temperature continued to rise.

“That was lucky,” Shizuku remarked.

“We should think of some way to thank him…” Ur mused.

『If we survive this place!』 Rock quipped.

Rock continued to speed along with Ur and Shizuku on board, exchanging light banter. However, behind them, the incarnations of flame were steadily approaching the barrier.

The horde of monsters rushing towards the Dragon-Devoured Uuga was halted by the magical barrier erected around it. It was an even more formidable wall than the one currently deployed by the knights at the center of【True Babel】.

Learning from the previous aerial monster assault, Lynne’s revised barrier blocked the monsters’ intrusion far above where Jain and the others were positioned, incinerating anything that approached.

“Wow, it looks like bugs swarming on the barrier,” Rabin remarked.

“They only look small because they’re far away. Each one is a monster. Don’t let your guard down,” someone warned.

“But seriously, none of them are getting through the barrier at all. Lynne is amazing, isn’t she?” Rabin mused admiringly.

Indeed, Lynne, the user of the 【White King Formation】, was truly something. Despite the short time since Proudia’s underling attack, she had managed to update Uuga’s defensive magic formulas.

—Interfering with the vast amount of magic formulas constantly deployed on Uuga, updating only the defensive barrier without causing issues elsewhere, it’s like acrobatics.

—It’s the pinnacle that only someone with an abnormal passion for formula inscription can achieve.

—I was allowed to see the construction site, and it’s beyond amazing—it’s frightening.

The White Serpent’s magicians spoke with a mix of admiration, amazement, and reverence. Given that these magicians, with their solid skills as silver-ranked guild mages, were so astonished, Lynne’s abilities must truly be remarkable.

In fact, if the monsters continued to be thwarted by the barrier, that would be ideal. It would only make things easier for Jain and the others. However,

“…It doesn’t seem like it’ll be that simple,” Eckstein muttered ominously, closing his eyes to survey the situation with his magic eyes of transcendent sight.

“What’s coming?” Jain asked.

“Proudia’s dragon underlings, like the ones the 【Hero】 showed us during the previous Uuga attack. One of them has pushed through the monster swarm and is clinging to the magical barrier.”

Jain could see it too now. A massive, creepy dragon with the face of a baby was clinging to Uuga’s barrier high above, wearing a disgusting smile. It slowly inserted both hands into the barrier.

『KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!』

The barrier crackled violently, repelling the intrusion. The underling’s hands were charred black. But it didn’t stop, instead spreading its arms wide with a squishy sound.

“Is it… opening a hole!?” someone exclaimed.

The magical barrier was forced open in an incredibly crude manner. Simultaneously, a great swarm of monsters rushed through the opening.

“Hey, isn’t that cheating!?” Rabin shouted angrily, pointing at the dragon underling. Jain agreed.

Magical barriers weren’t designed to be “parted” physically like that. It was like creating a valley by parting water with one’s hands. It was beyond unreasonable.

“But there’s only one underling! Their numbers seem to be limited!” Eckstein noted.

“Here they come!!” Jain warned.

Soon after, monsters began pouring down, rushing towards the command tower.

“【Magic Barrier!!】” the White Serpent’s magician squad and the Envy Knight Order’s magician squad shouted in unison, deploying barriers simultaneously. Although they had promised non-interference with each other, they had coordinated in advance regarding this barrier.

They knew a sophisticated and complex barrier covering the entire command tower was essential.

A multi-layered defensive barrier. In a way, this was copying the battle method used in Babel. However, naturally, there were many things they couldn’t replicate.

『『『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA』』』

“Ugh…!?” The magicians cried out in the face of the overwhelming number of monsters. There were far too many. Even considering that their barrier was created through the cooperation of first-class magicians, it wasn’t enough to withstand such a massive number of monsters.

They didn’t have a large number of replacements like Babel did. It was impossible to perfectly replicate Babel’s fighting style. Therefore, adaptations were necessary.

“Don’t try to block everything!! It won’t hold!! Create openings in certain areas to guide them!” Jain shouted instructions.

The reason multiple magicians joined forces to create the barrier was not just to strengthen it, but to manipulate its structure. They reinforced areas that absolutely must not be breached while creating openings to funnel the monsters to where they could be dealt with.

Of course, monsters would pour through these openings. That’s where Jain and his team came in.

“It’s like a budget version of Babel! Let’s go!!”

Jain swung his axe down on the descending monsters, cleaving them.

                  ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The Envy Knight Order’s strike force, led by Eckstein, also began their battle.

They slashed and crushed the monsters. Though the barrier reduced their numbers, there were still a considerable amount. They had to dispatch them quickly, one by one, or risk being surrounded in no time. Eckstein rapidly issued orders.

“Everyone!! Don’t be overwhelmed by their numbers! Focus on handling what you can manage!!”

“Understood!!”

Eckstein was inwardly surprised by the enthusiasm in his subordinates’ responses.

Despite being forced to fight on the frontlines of this hellish situation to assess the entity known as Uuga, their motivation was higher than he expected. This was far from the strike force’s original role, but—

…Or was it because of that?

The knight order’s primary role was to maintain public order and defend the city-state.

It was clear that their organization, dubbed the “strike force,” deviated significantly from this role, given that they were far from Envy. In a sense, they were merely 【Heavenly Demon Greylei’s】 private army, or more precisely, vanguards to satisfy Envy’s ruling class who were privately using his authority.

Of course, this arguably benefited Envy in some ways, but that was sophistry. The motivation of those belonging to the strike force was generally not very high.

Eckstein knew of those who had quit the strike force and the knight order, shouting, “This isn’t what I joined the knight order for!”

For such individuals, despite being far from home, the chance to participate in a “battle to protect the world” seemed to be received much more positively than Eckstein had anticipated.

“Perhaps I should consult with Gloria about this later…” he mused.

The mental care of his subordinate knights was an issue to address later.

First, they had to survive this.

“【O Lightning!!】”

He cast a shortened spell. In this situation, he could hit something even without aiming, but he tried not to waste shots. It was endless, and his magical power wouldn’t last. Although they had prepared a large quantity of magic recovery potions for this occasion, the act of replenishing itself was a waste of time. Even swords could break if swung recklessly.

This was a long battle. Either way, efficient use was essential. But then he noticed something.

“However, the quality of the monsters isn’t that high, is it…?”

As expected of monsters sent from the sky dungeon, most had wings and were flying. That was troublesome, but their durability wasn’t particularly high.

The ones appearing were bird-type, but their attack methods were limited to close-range strikes with talons and beaks. If they didn’t panic, these weren’t much of a threat. Or so he thought.

“Even though we’re guiding them with the barrier, the enemy comes from above! Always be mindful of blind spots—”

But as Eckstein was giving these instructions, a monster appeared behind him. “It” had hidden in the shadows of countless monsters, darting freely through the air, and as if mocking the knights’ defensive formation, it “slipped through” the gaps and lunged at Eckstein.

『GYAA!?』

“——It’s small!!?”

Eckstein, who had restrained its fangs and struck it with his sword just before it reached his neck, thanks to his transcendent magic eyes’ view, was shocked. The monster he had cut down was small. About the size of a fist. It was an insect-type monster. Two thorn-like sharp fangs had been aiming for Eckstein’s throat.

“【Throat-Slitting Scarabs】 are mixed in with the monster swarm!! Be careful!!!”

Eckstein wiped away cold sweat as he shouted the identity of this new threat.

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【Throat-Slitting Scarab】 Seventh Rank

Known as the “assassins of the forest,” these monsters are notorious primarily for their small size.

Typically fist-sized, at most slightly smaller than a human head in length. Among monsters that often grow larger due to magical power, these are quite small.

However, their strength surpasses that of ordinary monsters. Weak attacks are deflected by their hard armor, and their high-speed flight makes them hard to hit. The strike from their fangs, delivered at this speed, can sever an unprotected neck. The name “Throat-Slitting” is quite apt.

If dealt with calmly, they don’t move too fast to track, and if a shield is placed in their path, they’ll self-destruct from the impact of their own speed. But in the chaos of battle, when they appear suddenly and attack from blind spots, they become an immediate threat.

In the 【Midnight Forest】 area of the 【Dungeon of Sin, Lust】 where these monsters mainly appear, they’re despised as more troublesome than their individual threat level suggests, as they hide in the shadows of various trees to ambush adventurers.

Yes, they’re monsters from the 【Dungeon of Sin, Lust】.

And now, they were attacking Proudia’s domain.

“Hii, hiiiii!!!” Griffin screamed.

Since the monsters appeared, Griffin and the others had been instructed to attack only the monsters in designated areas. They were to line up to avoid friendly fire and use their powers.

And they managed to do so. Whether it was the result of their training or not, they continued to unleash the power of their spirit blessings – hurling rock masses, high-temperature steam, restraining with hard threads, wind blades, and so on.

Griffin was no exception. He swatted down the monsters before him one after another with his enlarged arms. The feel of the monsters was unpleasant, but he managed somehow.

But when the terrifying insect monsters that appeared soon after pierced through his giant arm created by the blessing of expansion, Griffin panicked. Of course, it was just his enlarged body, and his real body was unharmed. But the sensation of his body being blown apart was indescribably terrifying.

“Calm down. Your real body will be blown away at this rate,” Kalkara warned.

“Ka, Kalkara! Please, spare me! I won’t sneak food anymore!!”

“What good does it do to beg me for forgiveness?”

Kalkara’s gaze was terribly cold towards the clinging Griffin. And calm, too. Above, a mass of monsters was surging, and the terrifying buzzing of the beetles hidden among them could be heard.

Even in a situation where seasoned warriors would be confused, Kalkara remained calm.

“Let me tell you, whether I forgive you or not, it won’t save you,” she stated.

“Let me into the tower!! Please!!”

“There’s no escape route, you know?”

Kalkara answered with a straight face. Huh?! Griffin looked at the central staircase of the command tower. But the entrance was blocked by a huge rock. It was so tightly sealed that there was no gap for a person to slip through.

“We sealed the entrance as soon as the monster attack began. If they manage to infiltrate the interior, Uuga is finished in that instant.”

“Are you insane?!”

“Of course I’m not sane, am I?”

“You, you, youuu!!!?”

As Griffin lost his words, Kalkara suddenly generated a stone sword and swung it horizontally. Several beetles were knocked down simultaneously. But one of their fangs scattered and cut Kalkara’s forehead.

“Eek!!”

Griffin screamed as blood gushed from Kalkara. But Kalkara, without even wiping the blood, looked down at Griffin clinging to her feet.

“I’m crazy. I have no interest in whether you live or die. The same goes for the other knight orders and adventurers. Frankly, we don’t have the luxury of protecting anyone but ourselves.”

“…!!!”

“That’s why there’s only you here.”

She declared strongly and clearly, as if seeing through Griffin’s frightened, shrinking eyes.

“There’s no one to protect you except yourself. There’s nowhere to run.”

“Uuuuuuuuaaaah”

“If you want to survive, stand up!!! You have that power, don’t you?!”

The intense buzzing sound approached from behind. The sound of the insect assassins’ approach. Griffin heard the sound coming straight at them from behind.

He hurriedly stood up. Facing the monster approaching right in front of him, he—

“Nuuuuuaaaaaah!!?”

『GYA!?』

—randomly thrust out his fist, enlarged by the 【Blessing of Expansion】, and swatted it down.

“Uwaaaa! Nuooo!! Hiii!!!”

After that, he returned to the front line where the “apprentice priests” were lined up, still screaming. He was desperate to save himself, his life.

“It was a choice between breaking down or rising to the occasion, but you had more guts than I expected, huh?”

“…Even Greed’s instructor was a bit more decent than this, you know?”

Jain, who had been observing the scene from behind, voiced his exasperation at Kalkara, who seemed satisfied with Griffin’s struggle.

The battle in the Babel Sky Garden continued.

An endless onslaught of monster hordes.

And diverse large-scale attacks occurring at irregular intervals.

More monsters had already appeared than a single adventurer might encounter in a lifetime, and the “defense squad” continued to defeat them simultaneously. Yet, this battle was still merely the prologue.

It was a long-term defensive battle with no end in sight. Naturally, it was impossible to maintain peak performance throughout. The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia kept sending out monsters that launched kamikaze attacks without regard for their own lives. Keeping up with that pace was unsustainable.

“Haa!! Damn it!! This is tough!!” Ur exclaimed.

After defeating the second Hundred-Fang Lion, Ur and his team withdrew once. They returned to the inner side of the defensive wall, and the moment they entered the central “operation headquarters,” they collapsed. Fighting higher-ranked monsters in smaller numbers than usual was beyond grueling. The drain on their concentration was extraordinary.

However, the fact remained that despite their desperate efforts, Ur’s team had achieved the least among all the groups.

“The others have taken down about three, huh?” Ur mused.

『That Begude fellow was fighting his fourth one,』 Rock added.

“That’s insane…” Ur remarked.

While gulping down the prepared recovery potions, Ur admiringly commented with a bitter expression. He realized that, as Begude had warned, it was clear to everyone that they were the biggest hindrance.

Indeed, he couldn’t help but have some misgivings. It would have been unreasonable not to feel intimidated.

“There’s no need to overthink this, Ur-sama,” Shizuku reassured him.

“But…” Ur began.

“‘Thanks to’ our participation, we were able to hunt two extra 【Hundred-Fang Lions】 now. While there are conditions for participating in this battle, there’s no upper limit,” Shizuku explained.

As long as Ur’s team didn’t become a significant drag, their participation could only add to the fighting force.

It was an incredibly simple way of thinking. Because of that, there was no room for argument. Regardless of their actual ability or motivations, as long as they could contribute, everyone present would benefit.

Of course, the reality wasn’t quite so simple, but it wasn’t a bad way of thinking. At least, it was far better than brooding like Ur was doing now.

“…You’re right. I guess I should maintain that level of brazenness,” Ur conceded.

“Yes, and—” Shizuku was about to continue when suddenly:

“Proudia is moving!! Be on guard!!” The voice of the Proudia Knights’ barrier team echoed.

Ur and his companions turned to focus on Proudia. However, the swarms of monsters blocked their view, making it difficult to even see Proudia properly.

“Ur-sama, I’ll use 【Footprints】,” Shizuku said.

“Is the sound okay? Won’t it be too loud here?” Ur asked.

“I improved it after the attack on Uuga,” Shizuku replied.

Saying this, Shizuku threw【Heaven’s Weeping Edge】 into the air while holding 【Footprints】 in one hand. As the quietly glowing blade made a bell-like sound, the pages of 【Footprints】 spread open and began mapping.

“Oh…!?”

“Hmm, an interesting grimoire. Which magic author did you buy it from?”

“Save that for later, priest-sama…”

“It’s important to maintain composure. Why don’t you try to be more elegant?”

The adventurers, knights, and Sun Knights resting nearby gathered to see the image of Proudia projected by Shizuku’s Footprints. As the observation team had said, there was a change in Proudia. Above the entrance that continued to spawn monsters like a leaking faucet, several gracefully flapping white wings could be seen.

“Ten underlings! They’re forming a circle!”

“They’re opening a 【Gate】!! Be on guard!!”

About ten underlings appeared and formed a circle above Proudia, which had stopped falling. The convergence of underlings capable of rewriting space itself. Ur had a distinctly bad feeling about this.

Dragons with baby-like heads smiled in unison.

While such a smile might be adorable on a human, seeing it distort into the same exact shape simultaneously across multiple faces was utterly horrifying. The underlings then raised the spears they were holding towards the center of the circle which had created.

The circle turned pitch black. A darkness deeper than the night sky.

『――――――AAAAAAAAAAAAA』

And from that darkness, something began to emerge.

First, enormous, long claws extended out. Next, abnormally long and gigantic limbs bubbled forth. Finally, a head appeared, featureless and flat, but with two large, twisted horns on the sides.

“Over 10 meter tall, large-scale 【Demon】 species have appeared!! They’re equivalent to fourth rank!! And there are multiple of them!!”

“Demon species… Aren’t those monsters from the depths of Greed?”

“Did they go through the trouble of bringing them from the depths of another dungeon? How considerate.”

“Shouldn’t we pull back the adventurers for now?”

The adventurers around Shizuku began to stir uneasily. Even Ur, who had never encountered one before, knew of these infamous monsters by name.

【Demons】

Their forms varied widely, and it was often unclear what specific abilities they possessed. However, they were universally known for their cruelty, immense magical power, and mastery of advanced magic.

They were so dangerous that there were cases where experienced silver-rank parties were wiped out by just a single demon.

And now, multiple had appeared. The tension in the area suddenly spiked.

“What type are they!? If they’re illusion-based, we can counter with the 【Unwavering】 technique!” a Sun Knight shouted.

The abilities of magic-wielding demons were diverse, without any one defining characteristic like other monsters. It was impossible to predict what they might do. The most common were those skilled in illusion and auditory hallucination magic. Countermeasures for these had been prepared. Given the limited number of participants in this battle, equipment was plentiful. After all, the world’s kings were the sponsors.

However,

“…No, no matter how you look at it, it’s not that type, right?” one of the adventurers said.

One of the demons suddenly raised its right hand, palm facing the entry point for monsters in the Solar Aegis.

『【A】』

Instantly, a sinister annihilation light was released from its palm. It instantly vaporized a portion of the monster horde that had already infiltrated the Solar Aegis and struck the knights’ defensive wall.

“Whoa!?”

Everyone at the central supply point inside the barrier fell to their knees from the impact. The magically created footing shook. The knights’ defensive wall, which hadn’t budged even when charged by hundreds of monsters, now shook violently.

“The northwest barrier is crumbling! Move to reinforce it!! Make sure to take out any monsters that manage to infiltrate!”

“They’re gorilla types!! They’re the most troublesome because we don’t have any specific countermeasures!!”

Realizing that arguably the most problematic enemy for this situation had appeared, the warriors began to move frantically. Several moved to address the collapsing situation, while the remaining members discussed countermeasures.

“That was just one attack! If all five of them descend and start rapid-firing, we’re done for!!”

“Can’t Sua-sama do something about this?”

“No, we need Sua-sama to focus on supporting the barrier team. Information squad, what’s the situation with Ikaza-dono?”

“They’re dealing with about ten Hundred-Fang Lions that appeared simultaneously!”

“So Proudia has started gauging the strength of threats against it… That was quick.”

Words were swiftly exchanged among the diverse group, disregarding ranks and positions, and the information squad compiled it all. The headquarters served as a supply base, infirmary, and operation room all in one. All this information was passed to the commanders, who would select what seemed to be the best course of action.

“May I say something?”

Amidst the chaos, Ur suddenly raised his hand. Sharp, intense gazes turned to him in unison. The looks clearly said, “If this is a waste of time, we’ll kill you.” Ur broke into a slight cold sweat.

“What is it, boy?” someone asked.

“Can I try it? That thing.”

Everyone present understood the meaning behind those short words.

When Ur joined, everyone had the details of the “weapon” he brought thoroughly ingrained in their minds. They knew its capabilities, of course. However,

“We’ve heard about it, but will it work? The distance is considerable.”

Even for these battle-hardened warriors, it was a superweapon unlike anything they’d seen before. It was understandable that they would question its effectiveness. But there was no hesitation in Ur’s expression.

“That’s why we should test it. While we still have some leeway.”

There was no room for argument against those words. The knight who had questioned Ur thought for a moment, then nodded as if he had made up his mind. He turned to face the commander of this operation seated at the center of the headquarters.

“…Captain Victor!!”

“What is it?!”

“The adventurer in question is requesting permission to use the【Dragon-Devoured】 against the demon species that have appeared.”

“Permission granted!! Strike the moment the demon species enter the Solar Aegis!!”

It was an instant decision. The knight nodded to Ur. Ur took a deep breath to calm himself, then spoke to his adventurer’s ring.

“Lynne, Echelle. Can you do it?”

                  ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】

Echelle, receiving the communication magic from Ur’s ring, responded while shaking slightly.

“Yeah, I’m fine…!!”

While clearly aware that he was shaking with nervousness, Echelle responded. His hands were unpleasantly drenched in sweat. He understood that this wasn’t good, getting like this before anything had even started, but he couldn’t relax his shoulders or stop the nausea.

“Echelle-sama. Uuga is also under the King’s concealment magic. No matter how much it rampages, it won’t be exposed.”

“I know. I know. I’m fine…”

Responding to Kalkara’s words, she took several deep breaths. She knew she wasn’t in a good state. Haste and nervousness never lead to good results. Echelle was desperately trying to control herself.

“You might as well relax, since there’s little you can do in this situation anyway,” Lynne said, addressing her.

She stood at the center of the command tower, wearing her full equipment used when deploying the White King Formation, along with “gauntlets” as beautiful as the night sky. She gazed intently at Proudia and the giant demon species that had appeared above it, reflected in the farseer crystal.

“Lynne,” Echelle called.

“Don’t worry. Even if you make some ridiculous mistake—”

She gripped her staff tightly and thrust it into the ground like a sword. The broom-like tip of the staff split into countless strands, spreading out around her in an instant.

“The White King Formation is invincible.”

“…Yeah.”

Echelle nodded at Lynne’s confident declaration. Her trembling ceased. Her usual demeanor, bordering on madness, brought Echelle a sense of comfort.

It was just the same thing they had been doing for the past few months against various giant monsters. There was no need to rush.

“【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】 【Ultra-Long Range】 【White King Guided Convergence Cannon】 ready!!!”

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The giant figure over 2 meters tall, the blue-furred beastperson, the Proudia Knights Captain, Victor Bluesky

When asked for permission to use the 【Dragon-Devoured】, his thought was “might as well give it a try.”

To begin with, this 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 was a decisive battle that could potentially determine the fate of the world. Its preparation required extensive time, resources, planning, and training. The coordination of the knights serving as the barrier in place of the 【Solar Aegis】 was especially crucial.

The selection of participants and their coordination training took years.

In short, it was impossible to suddenly incorporate something that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the past few months into the strategy.

For the strike force centered around adventurers, there was no issue with adding last-minute participants. Having more combatants was always welcome.

It was fine for promising new adventurers to join that unit. Exposing rookies with potential to the heat of battle was extreme but could provide good experience.

However, it was difficult to decide what to do with something as massive as the 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】. He had heard of its capabilities and confirmed its results. But it was far too new. There wasn’t enough track record to rely on it. They couldn’t base their strategy around it in the end.

That’s why they were giving it a try.

It would be helpful if it could at least serve as a fixed artillery position, but at worst, as long as it didn’t accidentally hit allies, anything would do. They could just leave it be.

The current position of the 【Dragon-Devoured】 was at a distance from not only the 【True Babel】 but also from Proudia. Due to its sheer size, it couldn’t get extremely close to Proudia. Its 【Roar】 would naturally be an ultra-long-range cannon from that distance.

There was even a question of whether it would hit accurately.

“The demon species have entered through the hole in the 【Solar Aegis】. They will descend into the Sky Garden soon!!!”

Listening to the information squad’s report, Victor confirmed the demons’ descent. The hole in the 【Solar Aegis】 was guided to open at the position furthest from the center of Babel. Thus, the demons’ landing spot was at the edge of the garden. If possible, he wanted to deal with them before they approached the barrier, but—

“Uuga’s 【Roar】 is coming. Everyone, please don’t move,” Ur of 【The Walker】’s voice sounded.

Simultaneously, a white flash of light shone for an instant from the northeast.

『AAAAAAAAAAAAA——————A?』

The flash was instantaneous.

Among the warriors present, hardly any could follow its movement with their eyes.

Victor, an outstanding commander and expert, barely managed to track it with his eyes. The light pierced through the bodies of several descending demons. Moreover, this light “returned” multiple times, tearing the demons to shreds as if sewing them together.

It wasn’t just a heat ray aimed solely at destruction like the giant demon had used earlier.

It was clearly a highly sophisticated magical destruction.

『AAA!!! AA!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!??!』

Faced with the light’s omnidirectional trampling, the demons were helpless. The five large demons that had appeared soon collapsed, their bodies riddled with numerous large holes.

It was an instant kill. All the warriors who witnessed this scene cheered.

“This might be an extraordinary reinforcement——but,” Victor also exclaimed in admiration. However, he simultaneously shouted with a stern expression:

“【Walkers】! Have the 【Dragon-Devoured】 be on guard!!”

There was strong conviction in the general’s tone. He was a battle-hardened veteran who had experienced this 【Sun-Devouring】 numerous times. He thoroughly understood the behavior, or rather the nature, of the 【Dungeon of Sin, Proudia】.

Tenacious and cowardly, therefore—

“Proudia will take notice of it!!”

There was no way it would leave an entity it considered a threat to do as it pleased.

【The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia】Middle Levels

The Castle in the Sky.

The dwelling place of the fearsome Dragon of Sin, who had long been at war with the world’s guardians, 【The Seven Heavens】.

The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia was unique in its very nature, and the structure of the dungeon itself was equally peculiar. The upper levels were still relatively normal. But beyond the middle levels, the characteristics of the dungeon’s Guardian, the Dragon of Sin of 【Vanity】, became more pronounced.

What occurred was a complete transformation of space. Even within the special environment of a sky dungeon, explorers would encounter things that were “impossible.”

For instance, a trap area with sharp thorns covering the entire floor.

Or a space with no ground at all, where the power of the spirit of the earth had no effect, and the night sky stretched endlessly in all directions.

Or a room completely underwater, where one might encounter unknown gigantic creatures that may not even be monsters.

All of these were just a part of the phenomena that occurred within Proudia.

It wasn’t uncommon for instant-death scenarios to suddenly befall adventurers who entered unprepared. Parties challenging the middle levels of Proudia always made sure to include at least one scout or a mage specializing in mapping as their top priority.

However, no matter how meticulous the preparation, there was always a chance of being suddenly thrown into a space that could unleash catastrophic danger.

For example—

“Kahahaha!!!! Look! Look! It’s magma! How stupid!! Did a child come up with this room!?” exclaimed a voice.

For example, a scorching space where the floor, stairs, and everything else had transformed into searing flames.

Caution was thrown to the wind as the Seven Heavens found themselves in a room where one misstep meant instant death. The 【Hero】 and the 【Heavenly Demon】 floated side by side in midair, with no footing beneath them. The Hero wiped sweat from her brow and said with exasperation:

“Instead of making a fuss, I’d like you to do something about this, Greylei.”

“But you see? Proudia has gone out of its way to show us such childish killing intent. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to play along for a bit?” Greylei replied.

“If we don’t hurry, Yuri will be furious when she catches up later,” the Hero warned.

“Isn’t she always furious? Oh—”

As they were speaking, the sea of magma spread across the entire floor began to bubble and churn. The sound wasn’t just from rising bubbles. The molten fluid rippled and parted as something burst forth.

『SSSSSSSSSYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!』

A 【Magma Shark】, swimming through and parting the scorching heat to devour its prey, leaped out and charged towards Diz and Greylei with its massive jaws wide open.

“【Magic Severance・ Doublefold】,” Diz intoned.

『SSYA——』

And just like that, the shark was filleted into three pieces by Diz’s sword, becoming nothing more than debris in the lava.

“We can’t afford to waste our energy in a place like this, so hurry up,” Diz sighed, sheathing her two swords.

But Greylei didn’t seem to be listening to Diz’s complaints at all. His gaze was fixed intently on the two swords she had been using, particularly the one with intermingling crimson and gold.

“Hmm, Hero. The 【Celestial Blade】 is one thing, but that crimson weapon…” Greylei mused.

“I won’t tell you. And I won’t give it to you,” Diz responded, showering Greylei with mercilessly blunt refusal to his probing words.

“Don’t you have any intention of conversing with me, you?!” Greylei exclaimed.

“I’m weak, so I don’t have the luxury. If you can do something about this place, I’ll consider it,” Diz replied.

“Hmm,” Greylei pondered, tilting his head. He then floated his body closer to the magma and lightly touched the tip of his toe to the boiling surface.

Instantly, the magma transformed from his toe into a mass of pitch-black stone. The heat was suddenly stolen, causing it to solidify. This effect explosively spread from his toe to the surroundings, and in the blink of an eye, the scorching space was completely frozen and neutralized.

At the center of this space, Greylei exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Is this good enough?”

“Wow, amazing. Shall we go ahead then?” Diz said.

“Hey, you! Not again!!” Greylei protested.

Ignoring Greylei’s objection, Diz let her gaze wander. Considering the location of the spatial transfer that had separated their group earlier, probably in this direction—

“【Heavenly Sword】,” a voice resonated.

“Ah,” Diz lowered her head. Even Greylei behind her followed suit this time. The next instant, a massive destructive flash swept through the very space above the heads of the two who had ducked down.

The walls that made the dungeon what it was were utterly destroyed. The destruction seemed to have reached most of this floor. And from beyond, the remaining members of the Seven Heavens appeared.

At the forefront, 【Heavenly Sword Yuri】 glared at Diz and the others with an displeased expression.

“What are you playing at? Even as we speak, the Wise Heavenly King is supporting this Proudia,” she scolded.

“Yeah, I agree. Thanks for finding us, Yuri,” Diz replied.

“We nearly died though! Kahaha!!” Greylei laughed.

“Any of the 【Seven Heavens】 who would die from something like this is useless. They should just die,” Yuri said, turning her back. Greylei snickered, mocking her. They were truly a close-knit group. Diz held back a sigh.

《The atmosphere is the worst, isn’t it?》

“If you and Gronzon weren’t here, I’d be crying,” Diz smiled, exchanging quiet words with Akane, who had taken the form of a sword.

Diz hadn’t told the other Seven Heavens about Akane. It was her decision, not wanting the Heavenly Demon to meddle unnecessarily.

However, under normal circumstances, keeping secrets about weapons or armor that could change tactics would be the worst strategy for a party. The more critical the situation, the more essential coordination and understanding within the group become. Secrets should never be kept lightly.

But this wasn’t just about Diz.

Among the Seven Heavens members—【Heavenly Sword】, 【Heavenly Demon】, 【Heavenly Fist】, 【Heavenly Garb】, and the 【Hero】—each of these five had powers they kept secret from each other (even Gronzon, who disliked concealment and preferred a simple combat style).

No one knew the full extent of the 【Heavenly Demon’s】 mastery of magic and knowledge, and as for the 【Heavenly Garb】, almost no one knew their true identity.

As a party, they could only be described as failures.

Moreover, despite the current world crisis, the reason they accepted this situation was—

“Here it comes,” Gronzon said, readying his golden gauntlets and glaring into the depths beyond the destroyed dungeon wall.

『SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII』

What appeared was a massive serpentine monster. Pure white with red eyes, it was a giant snake several tens of meters long. Feared to be large enough to swallow the world, it was once called the 【World Serpent】 by humans of old.

Faced with this legendary monster, the Seven Heavens party simply took their stances.

“【Magic Severance】”

“【O Sword】”

“【Shatter】”

“【Automatic Assassination Technique Activated】”

“【—】”

The reason for allowing their dysfunctional relationships to persist:

Even without superficial mutual understanding, high-level coordination was easy for them.

『S——————』

The massive World Serpent vanished without even a moment’s chance for retaliation.

“Well then, shall we proceed? Do you know where the stairs leading down are located? Greylei!” Diz called out.

“89 meters south from here, kahaha! Thanks to a certain sword demon clearing out the dungeon, it’s easy to walk! Keep it up like this!” Greylei replied.

“I’d rather not tire myself out. You do it, magic maniac,” Yuri retorted.

“…”

The Seven Heavens group moved forward once again. They advanced without hesitation towards the depths of Proudia, the deep levels, to subdue the source activating the dungeon and attempting to bring the entire structure down. However, amidst this, only the 【Hero】 Diz paused for a moment, suddenly directing her gaze downward.

More precisely, she was looking towards her friend who should be there.

“Don’t die, okay, Ur?” she whispered.

《Don’t worry. Nii-tan is tough,》 came the reply.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Diz nodded.

With this brief exchange, Diz and Akane resumed their advance.

This time, there was no hesitation.

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【Babel Sky Garden】 Outer Perimeter

“Even without… Lynne… we somehow… manage…” Ur panted heavily, confirming that the body of the defeated 【Hundred-Fang Lion】 was crumbling away. The collapsing body of the Hundred-Fang Lion was covered in multiple lacerations and impact craters. It had taken this much damage to finally kill it.

“But still… we lack… decisive power,” Ur admitted.

『HAHA! If that’s the case, is it your role to deliver the final blow?』 Rock chimed in.

“Ur-sama,” Shizuku’s voice alerted them.

Ur turned around, readying his spear. Rock did the same.

“More of them?” Ur asked.

Most of the monsters were rushing towards the center of Babel, largely bypassing Ur and his companions. However, if they were in a position that obstructed the charge, the monsters would move to eliminate the obstacle, like the 【Hundred-Fang Lion】 they had just defeated. This was far from a safe place. There was no time to let their guard down.

But what Shizuku pointed at wasn’t a monster. It was a brown-haired hobbit adventurer. Judging from the sword at his waist, he was a warrior, rare for his build. But standing here meant he was undoubtedly a first-class warrior.

“You seem relaxed enough to let your guard down in this situation, 【Slime King Exterminator】,” the hobbit said, fixing them with a sharp gaze. It was a look closer to disgust than hostility.

“Um… 【White Sea’s Ripple】, Begude-san, right?” Ur ventured.

One of the silver-rank adventurers, a hobbit who led the charge against monsters despite his size, 【Crimson Light Begude】. He was one of the adventurers selected to fight in the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】, as confirmed by Ikaza.

Begude neither confirmed nor denied Ur’s query. Ignoring Ur, he continued speaking.

“The others are hunting the second one. You should move immediately too. If you can’t, receive supplies. That’s the message from Ikaza-‘sensei’.”

“So fast… Understood—”

“Let me give you some advice,” Begude interrupted, still gripping his sword splattered with monster blood, glaring at them with an intensity that made them want to recoil.

“If you stick your neck out in this hellfire on your own and end up dragging others down, I’ll cut that neck off myself.”

With just those words, he vanished silently. He had likely moved to the location of his own target.

Ur and his companions were silent for a moment, then exchanged glances. Rock, slicing through the approaching monsters, asked puzzledly:

『What was that about? He seemed really confrontational. Did we offend him somehow?』

Shizuku, while continuously casting spells, answered, “Well…”

“How would you feel if a rookie with undeserved fame and high recognition but lacking real ability stuck their nose into a crucial situation where the fate of the world is at stake? And just to rack up achievements, no less.”

『If it were me, I’d dispose of them before they became a hindrance at the worst possible moment,』 Rock replied.

“So, I guess Begude-san is being considerate… Shall we go?” Ur said.

Slicing through multiple monsters with his dragonfang spear, Ur began advancing towards the second giant monster. Whether they were unworthy or resented, their march into hell continued. After all, stopping would only mean death.

5 days ago, Dragon-Devoured Uuga

“And, up to this point, it’s the usual battle strategy every time. Any questions?” Diz asked.

In the center of the conference room was a giant map, a miniature of the City of Sin, Proudia and the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia floating above it. Ur and the others fell silent, digesting Diz’s explanation of the typical developments during the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】.

“…We intercept the monsters inside the barrier, correct? Can’t we prevent them from entering the barrier in the first place?” Lynne voiced the opinion that everyone in the room had been thinking.

The idea of allowing Proudia to fall and then the subsequent invasion within the barrier seemed terrifying. After all, there were many unsuspecting citizens within the city, in the human habitation zone.

“We’ve tried before. The strategy was to forcefully destroy the large number of underling dragons trying to create holes. However, it hasn’t been very successful,” Diz explained.

“Hmm…” Lynne frowned.

“The minions rewriting the Solar Aegis are probably concentrating all their power on defense. Even the Seven Heavens find it difficult to defeat a dragon in full defensive mode. Moreover, trying to suppress monsters outside the barrier puts too much strain on the King.”

If they tried to forcibly destroy the underling dragons but failed to stop them, and monsters overflowed through the holes while their defense was compromised, it would be counterproductive. The defensive side’s goal was ultimately to protect the Wise Heavenly King. They couldn’t lose sight of that.

As a result, they largely ignore the underling dragons’ interference with the barrier and wait in full preparedness for the monster attack, thus distributing the burden on the King. This is the current basic strategy of the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】.

“Won’t the monsters target areas other than Babel, like residential districts?” Ur asked.

“Double and triple barriers are laid out with Babel as the center, so they’re stopped there, and the Knight Order is heavily deployed on the ground just in case… However,” Diz trailed off.

“However?” Ur prompted.

“There have never been cases of citizens being attacked during the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】.”

Hearing this, Ur furrowed his brow. “From what I hear, a terrifying number of monsters appear, right? Not even once?”

“Never. Basically, all monsters target only the 【Wise Heavenly King】 and 【Babel】. Even monsters that temporarily stray from the horde quickly try to return to the Wise Heavenly King.”

“That’s quite something…” Ur muttered.

“Indeed. There’s also the fact that once they enter the barrier, they have no time to look elswhere…”

Ur felt a sense of obsession in their determination to target the Wise Heavenly King no matter what. Considering whose obsession this might be, he thought it must be the will of the Dragon of Sin, Proudia.

“They really want to stop the Wise Heavenly King, don’t they?” Shizuku observed.

“If they defeat the Wise Heavenly King during the fall, there will be no one left to hold back the dungeon’s descent. If Proudia falls onto Babel, then…” Diz explained.

“…Then?” Ur asked.

“All the 【Barriers of the Sun】 around the world will disappear.”

At Diz’s words, everyone fell silent.

Babel was the key connecting all the temples in all cities, and the Wise Heavenly King lent the Barrier of the Sun to the priests of each temple from Babel. If Babel were damaged, the result would be the complete collapse of the human habitation zones.

Realizing anew the magnitude of the situation, Ur shuddered. The battle he had been chosen for as a means to gain achievements through Black’s machinations was undoubtedly a battle for the world’s survival.

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【Babel Sky Garden】 Outer Perimeter

“…!!!”

The sight that awaited Ur and the others as they leapt out beyond the barrier was quite hellish. The radiance of the Sky Garden split the night, providing visibility even at this late hour. However, what awaited in that clear view was “pitch black.”

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA——GIIIIIIIIIII–』

An army of monsters covered the sky and filled their vision.

The horde of monsters completely enveloped the inside of the Solar Aegis. It was madness. Indeed, if the citizens had witnessed this, they would surely have screamed and fled. But that wasn’t the only terrifying aspect.

“They’re crumbling…” Ur muttered.

The monsters’ bodies were disintegrating.

It hadn’t been visible from inside the barrier, but parts of the monsters’ bodies were breaking off, crumbling, or smoking as they charged towards the knights’ barrier. All to reach the 【Wise Heavenly King】 beyond.

— The inside of the 【Solar Aegis】 is the Wise Heavenly King’s domain. Even if they’re allowed to enter, the King won’t let the monsters leave unscathed.

Ur recalled Diz’s explanation as he headed towards their target monsters.

Naturally, many monsters aimed for Ur and the adventurer squad as they plunged into the horde, but some of these crumbled before they could even attack.

“There they are! 【Hundred-Fang Lions】!! Four of them ahead!!” someone shouted.

Bizarre quadrupeds with multiple claw-like fangs protruding like a crown on their heads. Four massive 【Hundred-Fang Lions】, each about five meters tall, stood there. They were slowly approaching the Proudia Knight Order’s barrier from the outer perimeter.

Unlike the Solar Aegis, the Knight Order’s barrier wasn’t maintained by the blessing of the One True God. It was purely human effort. Naturally, if pressed with overwhelming force, the burden would be great, and the shield might crumble in some cases.

Therefore, they had to eliminate these threats directly before that happened.

“【Black Panthers】 and 【White Sea】, take the flanks! I’ll handle the inner right!! 【Walkers】, you’re on inner left!!” Ikaza commanded.

“Roger!!”

“Let’s go!!!”

With these instructions, the 【Black Panther’s Claw】 and 【White Sea’s Ripple】 parties that had come with Ur split to the left and right. Both were groups led by silver-rank adventurers, and they began combat with practiced movements.

Ur’s group also prepared to engage. But before that, Ikaza lightly tapped Ur on the head.

“I don’t think you’re so inexperienced as to misjudge when to retreat, but I’ll say it anyway. If you think it’s impossible, withdraw immediately. Even if you lose as a result, you can make up for it as long as you don’t die,” she advised.

“I appreciate the advice,” Ur nodded. As she said, if things truly became unmanageable, the option to retreat was certainly there. Supporting everyone from inside the barrier wouldn’t be a bad contribution either.

However, that was far from achieving 【Accomplishments】. Even considering 【Uuga】 as another combat force, if they couldn’t demonstrate their own power, they likely wouldn’t qualify as “worthy of being administrators.”

Ur had a desire. A desire to gain control over the existence called Uuga. He understood that the peace, benefits, and friendships obtained there would all be significant nourishment for the future. No matter how reckless it might seem, there was value worth betting on there.

He thought it might be extremely inappropriate to bare such selfish desires in the face of a world crisis.

But could one survive in mortal danger without baring their desires?

Therefore–

“I’ll do my utmost to resist,” Ur declared.

Seeing the forcefully determined expression that suppressed his fear, Ikaza smiled briefly, then sharply struck Ur’s armor with a fierce expression.

“Very well. Then I’ll say nothing more. Fight to win what you desire.”

Simultaneously, she too leapt towards the fang-lions.

The remaining 【Hundred-Fang Lion】 became Ur and his team’s opponent.

“The Hundred-Fang Lion is sixth-rank. Depending on its size, it could be an even greater threat,” Shizuku warned.

『HAHAHA!! This is good! A higher rank, a higher rank!! I never get bored with you, Ur!!』 Rock cackled.

“There’s nothing good about this!” Ur retorted.

Ur pulled out two 【Pills of Stalwartness】 and swallowed them down. His body creaked, but he endured it. He had also bought a large number of disposable anti-impact amulets. It didn’t matter if it was reckless or ungainly. They just had to survive this one night—!

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!』

“Shut up!!” Ur shouted.

The 【Hundred-Fang Lion】, heading towards the barrier, roared at Ur and his team who were obstructing its path. It was to slightly alleviate their fear.

『Ur! How are we attacking!?』 Rock asked.

“There’s only one thing to do against a higher-ranked opponent!!”

Ur reached into his external bag pocket and pulled out a tool.

“Kill it before it can counterattack!!”

He threw a magic-sealed orb filled with near-caustic spices, poison, paralytic agents, and various other substances at the lion’s head.

『GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!???』

“Spices are effective even against sixth-rank biological types…!” Ur observed.

“But if it rampages, it’ll be far more dangerous than a Great Boar!” Shizuku warned.

“I know!! Let’s go, Rock!!”

『HAHAHAHA!!!』

Ur and Rock sprang forward. The fang-lion, momentarily stunned by the sudden assault of caustic substances, saw a giant spear flying straight towards its eyes with its bloodshot gaze. However—

『GIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!』

“What the—!?”

The lion’s mane of fangs covered its head like a flower returning to a bud. The spear was deflected, and Ur was astonished. The deflecting sensation was undoubtedly from hard fangs as he had seen, but it was completely incomprehensible how they could transform so softly.

『Out of the way, Ur!!』

Rock rushed in from behind. He was wielding that black sword. Brandishing the ominous weapon, Rock thrust forward with a roar.

『【Pass through!!】』

Instantly, the sword passed right through the mane of fangs, impaling the fang-lion’s head inside.

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!?』

『【Spectral Blade】, not bad at all, HAHAHA!!』

Gripping the rare magic sword of uncertain nature, Rock laughed. Impaled and gouged by the sword within its fangs, the fang-lion screamed and involuntarily loosened its fangs.

In that moment, Ur aimed his dragon fang spear at the exposed target.

“【Roar——”

However, they failed to notice something hard approaching from above their heads. Hidden by the bizarrely shaped head of the Hundred-Fang Lion was its true fang—an extremely long, sharp, and sturdy tail poised quietly like a snake before its prey.

It was about to strike.

“【Sing, O Earth, O Invisible Hand】” Shizuku chanted from the rear, providing cover.

The “famous sword” inherited from the previous generation’s Hero of the Seven Heavens, whose origins were now unknown to all, revealed itself. The single-edged blade danced in the air without a wielder.

“【【【Ice-Splitting Enchantment】】】【【【Strengthening Enchantment】】】【【【Rotation】】】” Shizuku continued her incantation.

Through multiple layers of enchantments applied by 【Reverberation】, the sword glowed darkly. This single strike, now far sharper and overwhelmingly powerful, crossed paths with the fang-lion’s descending tail, producing a violent sound.

『GYAA!?』 the fang-lion roared in pain.

“–hh!!?” Ur gasped.

For a moment, Ur’s eyes widened as he realized from the collision sound that death, which had been approaching unnoticed, had been avoided by a hair’s breadth. But naturally, he couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity due to surprise and confusion.

“Gh!! 【Roar – Rapid Fire!!】” Ur shouted.

He fired consecutive 【Roars】 from the 【Dragonfang Spear】 at point-blank range. Tremendous explosive sounds occurred in rapid succession at the fang-lion’s head. This roar, which had even shattered the core of a crystal golem, had absorbed many magic fragments along with Ur as it defeated numerous giant monsters throughout their journey.

Its power was incomparable to what it once was. Especially when taken at such close range–

“–How… about that?” Ur panted.

While stepping back from the recoil of the roar, Ur confirmed the result. The smell of burnt blood and flesh. Several fangs were also shattered. The 【Hundred-Fang Lion】, its head completely crushed, swayed its massive body, and then–

『———————————————-!!!!!!!』 it let out a roar even without a head, and regained its posture.

“…It’s not dying. You’ve got to be kidding,” Ur said in disbelief.

『Even without a head, eh?』 Rock commented.

“What should we do?” Shizuku asked.

“…There’s nothing else to do,” Ur replied.

Ur took a deep breath to steady himself, then prepared to fight again.

“We kill it until it dies!” he declared.

The deadly battle continued. But even this fight was just the beginning of a long night.

5 days ago, Dragon-Devoured Uuga

“The battle that occurs during 【The Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 is simple. It’s a battle of offense and defense,” Diz explained, while everyone participating in 【The Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 was signing a magical contract of “secrecy.”

『Do I have to sign this too? I’m just bones,』 grumbled Rock.

《I’m just a cat right meow,》 mewed Akane.

“Bones and cats need to sign properly too. It was a lot of trouble to prepare all this,” Diz scolded them. Rock and Akane reluctantly resumed filling out the forms.

Ur could understand their reluctance a little. There were so many contract documents. He understood their importance, but just filling them out one by one was quite a chore.

“Offense and defense… Does that mean we’ll be divided between Proudia and Babel?” Shizuku, who had finished with the paperwork first, asked. Diz nodded.

“The Seven Heavens group will enter Proudia. They’re on the offensive side. While they try to stop the cause of Proudia falling, the defensive side will protect Babel. The Wise Heavenly King will hold back the fall,” Diz explained.

“We’re on the defensive side, right?” Shizuku confirmed.

“That’s right. Naturally, Uuga will be on defense too. Simple, isn’t it?” Diz replied.

“So our job is to buy time for the Seven Heavens,” Shizuku mused.

『…Sounds like it’s going to be a tough battle,』 Rock muttered, glaring at the documents. His voice was unusually heavy and sharp.

Diz nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be rough. Depending on the situation, the battle might continue until dawn. When the Sun rises, the Wise Heavenly King’s blessing will strengthen, but even then, it won’t end until the Seven Heavens suppress the cause.”

In other words, they didn’t know when it would end. They needed to fight on, believing only in the Seven Heavens’ ability to conquer the dungeon. It would indeed be tough. More than just a simple long battle, it seemed like it would drain their mental strength.

“By the way, adventurers can’t enter Proudia during this time, right?” Ur asked.

“【The Stairway to Heavenly Hell】 is being adjusted for teleportation magic,” Diz answered.

“Couldn’t we get help from the remaining adventurers?” Ur suggested.

Diz shook her head. “It’s difficult to involve just anyone in this battle. The contract documents you’re all signing now were hard enough to prepare.”

“So it remains a secret from most of the residents,” Shizuku concluded.

“If the city’s people flee, it would shake the foundation of their faith. Plus, there’s another problem with involving the general masses,” Diz added.

“What’s that?” Ur asked.

In response, Diz smiled with a slightly mischievous expression. “Mediocre forces would be of no use whatsoever.”

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【True Babel】 Sky Garden

“FORM THE ‘WALL’!!!” The command rang out.

With this order, the Proudia Knight Order stepped forward. Clad in their distinctive pure white armor, they held up their great shields, forming a smaller circle within the garden’s perimeter.

“DRAW THEM HERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!!” Viktor, the Knight Commander of Proudia, shouted. The knights responded to his voice.

Meanwhile, the number of monsters spilling out from Proudia began to increase explosively.

Perhaps due to the aerial location, there were many flying beasts and evil spirits. In themselves, they weren’t particularly high-ranking monsters. One or two, or even if attacked by a group of more than ten, the battle-hardened warriors present could probably handle them without issue.

However, when their numbers exceeded 100, it was a different story.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me,” one of the knights, permitted to stand here for the first time, muttered softly.

The monsters pouring out of the dungeon that mimicked a palace came like an avalanche. 100 or 200 was no longer enough to describe them. They approached with the force of a tsunami. The cityscape of Proudia that had been visible below was gradually being obscured by the “wall” of monsters.

“Weren’t they supposed to have been thinned out beforehand?!”

“Only by the attack squad,” a seasoned knight replied.

“There’s no way a dungeon could have this many monsters at once! This is a 【Flood】!”

“Proudia isn’t stupid. They must have been saving their forces for a castle siege.”

“Are you saying the dungeon was considering logistics?!”

“That’s right, rookie. If you’re surprised by this much, you won’t last. They’re coming soon.”

As his colleague predicted, the wall of monsters was soon upon them.

Faced with this unknown situation and overwhelming numbers, the rookie didn’t take a single step back. This was due to his own courage and his pride in standing alongside his colleagues who hadn’t moved an inch.

“Activate!!!” Knight Commander Viktor’s order rang out.

With his command, the 【Wall】 activated from the knights’ great shields.

A wall formed by pouring magical power into the engraved defensive formula. This technique, designed to block dungeon passages and hold back monsters, was activated simultaneously by all the knights, creating a spherical barrier.

The wall, completely sealing off all directions, was complete. And at that moment—

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!』

The monsters began a simultaneous charge against the wall.

“Nngh!!!”

The moment the monsters charged, a thunderous roar echoed as if the entire tower was shaking. Although the defensive formula was powerful, it was the knights themselves who had to support it. Even for these battle-hardened warriors, there was a limit to the violence of such overwhelming numbers. Therefore—

“Long-range units!! Begin interception!!!”

They had to thin out the horde of monsters before they became unable to support the wall.

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The Knight Order’s barrier blocked attacks from outside to inside, but allowed attacks from inside to outside.

With the signal, the pre-arranged long-range attack units began their assault on the swarm of monsters clinging to the wall.

“【Roar】”

“【【【Sing, O Flames】】】”

Among them were Ur and Shizuku.

They attacked the monsters in their designated areas one after another with their weapons and magic. The monsters were being cleared away at an almost amusing rate. Each time a flash of destruction struck, it left a gaping hole in the monster wall, giving an oddly satisfying feeling.

『HAHA, no matter where you aim, you hit something!』 Rock cackled.

“Yeah, it’s helpful not needing much skill… but,” Ur replied.

But the holes in the monster wall were quickly filling up again. The creatures repeatedly charged at the Knight Order’s 【Barrier】, trying to push through even as their bodies shattered. Their single-minded purpose, even as they self-destructed and spilled magic stones, was clear.

“【――――】”

It was none other than to kill the 【Wise Heavenly King】, who sat at the center of Babel, still holding back Proudia’s fall. The sight of the Wise Heavenly King, unmoved and continuing to support the dungeon even against this horde of hundreds and thousands of monsters, was almost divine.

And beside him, another of the Seven Heavens—

“【Spirit of Fire, Faranan】【Spirit of the Wind, Fynellian】”

【 Heavenly Prayer, Sua】 murmured in a resonating voice. Instantly, the warriors who had been launching attacks from afar stopped moving. Countless 【Sun Knights】 stood around the 【Heavenly Prayer】, kneeling with their hands clasped towards Sua. Ur realized it was the same as attendants offering prayer power to a priest.

Then, from the center of the barrier, two “humanoid” figures appeared.

“Oh…!”

One of the Four Sources, 【Fire】. One of the Four Sources, 【Wind】.

The manifestation of the two spirits touched, mingled, and became one before Sua. The intertwined fire and wind formed a small sphere for a moment, then exploded in the next instant.

“Whoa!!?”

Ur instinctively shielded his body, but while feeling intense heat and wind, it merely caressed his body without causing a single injury. It incinerated all the monsters blocked by the barrier in an instant.

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!??』

For a moment, the wall of monsters clinging to the barrier vanished completely.

“Change shifts!!! Second barrier team, forward!!”

In that instant, the knights maintaining the barrier swapped with their comrades. The barrier dissolved for a split second, but a new one formed immediately after. More monsters began to charge at this new wall.

“First barrier team, resupply! We changed early this first time to get used to it, but from now on, it’ll be a long haul!! Stay sharp!!”

“Sir!!!”

It was an impressive coordination between【Heavenly Prayer】,  Sun Knights, and the Knight Order.

While impressed, Ur returned to attacking. This long-range attack unit supporting the barrier was mainly composed of adventurers. However, compared to the powerful attack of the spirits earlier and the coordinated efforts of the Knight Order, it felt somewhat sporadic.

“Don’t overdo it. Leave most of it to the long-range specialists,” a voice suddenly called from behind, as if reading Ur’s concerns.

“Oh, Ikaza-san?” Shizuku raised her voice, slightly surprised.

Ikaza, the Adventurers’ Guild Master, was smiling at Ur and the others. Even in the midst of this intense battle, her presence brought a sense of relief. Perhaps it was because they already knew a bit about her capabilities.

“The adventurer group’s equipment and fighting style aren’t as unified as the Sun Knights or the Knight Order. If we get too eager and disrupt their coordination, we’ll just be in the way,” Ikaza explained.

“When you put it that way, I feel even more useless being here,” Ur replied.

The Knight Order’s barrier and the spirit power of the 【Heavenly Prayer】 and Sun Knights seemed to be in perfect coordination so far. Ur and the others were just assisting in bridging that coordination, but wouldn’t it be better to increase the number of Knight Order mages instead of using adventurers?

As if sensing Ur’s unnecessary thoughts, Ikaza gently tapped his head.

“If they could handle everything alone, that would be fine. We’d simply collect our reward without breaking a sweat,” she said. However, she then gazed ahead, glaring at Proudia beyond the wall of monsters.

“But this battle also requires outstanding combat power that can’t be cultivated in a unified organization.”

As she spoke, a rumbling echoed. They had grown accustomed to the large tremors, vibrations, and impacts since the battle began, but this shaking was different from before. It was also a familiar sensation to Ur.

An observing mage who was constantly monitoring the surroundings shouted, “Medium and large monsters have appeared on the garden’s outer perimeter!!! Twenty of them!!!”

At these words, Ikaza looked at Ur. Her eyes seemed to say, “See?” Ur nodded with a bitter expression. Indeed, it seemed they wouldn’t be allowed to take it easy in this battle.

Ikaza drew her sword with a crackling flash and raised it high.

“C squad, continue long-range attacks and focus on supporting the Sun Knights!! A and B squads, follow me!! Don’t be fools who trouble Sua-sama!!!”

With these words, she swung her sword. A flash of lightning simultaneously incinerated the monsters beyond the barrier before them. A deep, large hole opened up at that point.

“Charge!!!!” she shouted.

With her words, the adventurer squad marched towards that large hole along with Ikaza.

Ur and the others followed her as well.

『HAHAHA! It’s war, war! How exciting!!』 Rock cackled.

“You sure are energetic, you old bag of bones,” Ur remarked.

“Should we feed him a magic stone soaked in Ur-sama’s tea when he gets too excited?” Shizuku suggested.

『Stop that!!』 Rock protested.

“Could you stop treating it like a sedative?” Ur sighed.

Exchanging their usual silly banter, the three of them plunged into hell.

5 days ago, two days before Dragon-Devoured Uuga’s entry into Proudia, at the Command Tower’s[1] Assembly Room

“In essence, it’s Proudia’s active period. That’s what the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 is,” Diz explained.

Ur’s party and others were receiving an explanation about the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 from Diz.

Without understanding what kind of battle it would be and what countermeasures to take, there was no way to achieve any merit. So Ur and the others had asked Diz for an explanation, and Diz had agreed.

— Rather than merit, it’s necessary to explain for your survival, right?

— It really sounds like we’re going to hell.

While Ur had been apprehensive, the content conveyed was simple.

“You experienced it in the Dungeon of Sin, Greed, right? It’s the dungeon’s so-called active period. You can think of this as Proudia’s version,” Diz said.

“I see…?” Ur responded.

Ur remembered the active period. He couldn’t forget it. The 【Crystal Golem】 that triggered his acquisition of the adventurer’s ring had moved to the upper layers during the active period. The frequency of monster appearances skyrocketed, and monsters from the deep and middle layers also came up to the upper layer.

It could be said that it was a dangerous time when even adventurers couldn’t enter carelessly… but,

“Hey, Diz,” Ur called out.

“What is it, Ur?”

“If it’s simply monsters becoming more active, it doesn’t seem like a threat. Even there is an active period, what’s the end result?”

The active period of Greed was certainly chaotic, and Ur had been thoroughly caught up in it, but that was mainly due to the overlap with the special event called the 【Subjugation Festival】.

In Greed, even when monsters became active, the adventurers who regularly went there were able to keep them under control sufficiently. It didn’t result in monsters overflowing and flooding the area.

If it were the same as Greed, Proudia has plenty of adventurers too. It’s the world’s largest city-state. It shouldn’t be inferior to Greed in terms of the number and quality of adventurers, so they should be able to handle it.

Therefore, something else must transpire besides the activation of monsters. What could it be?

“Well, to put it simply,” Diz began, “when the Sky Dungeon Proudia activates…”

“When it activates…”

“It falls down.”

Ur, no, not just Ur, but everyone present needed some time to react. The explanation was extremely simple, but their brains refused to understand those words.

Shizuku was the first to recover. She covered her mouth with her hand and asked Diz again.

“It falls?”

“Yup. It falls.”

“The dungeon floating in the sky?”

“That’s right. It falls.”

“Towards where?”

“Towards【True Babel】 where the Wise Heavenly King resides.”

“That’s troublesome, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s troublesome.”

It was truly terrible.

　　                                                           ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

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【Inside the Solar Aegis】

【City of Sin, Proudia】 Outskirts, Undeveloped Area, Northeast Section

【Dragon-Devoured Uuga’s Command Tower】

Uuga was currently docked in an undeveloped area quite far from Proudia’s urban center. Even though the 【Solar Aegis】 could protect a vastly larger area compared to a normal 【Barrier of the Sun】, it was difficult in this world to utilize all of that space.

Even with the power of spirits, creating something from nothing is challenging. It only appears that way, but there are always constraints. Securing the materials to create and maintain it is difficult. Therefore, there are places left untouched, deemed “not worth developing at this point.”

Currently, Dragon-Devoured Uuga was docked there.

Outwardly, it was for safely docking the massive Uuga.

Inwardly, it was to keep distance so that whatever happened, there would be no impact on Proudia.

“P-Proudia is…!” Echelle cried out, sitting on the throne in the command room. It was truly an unbelievable sight.

Although this was inside the barrier, it was quite far from the City of Sin, Proudia. Only Babel at the center was clearly visible, while the rest of the urban area was just a faint glow of light. However, even from here, the 【Sky Dungeon Proudia】 sitting in the sky was clearly visible.

Beyond the Solar Aegis that covered even the sky, the gigantic dungeon floated in the air.

And now, it was slowly falling. It was falling straight towards the massive tower 【True Babel】 that protruded even beyond the defensive wall.

“To think such a thing was happening right under the Wise Heavenly King’s nose…!” Echelle exclaimed.

“It’s truly surprising,” Lynne replied calmly.

“You don’t look surprised at all!?” Echelle retorted.

“I am surprised. Really,” Lynne insisted, her expression unchanged.

Next to Echelle, Lynne was also in shock, though her face didn’t show it.

Rationally thinking, a dungeon floating in the sky should itself be an abnormality, but because it had dominated Proudia’s skies for such a long time, it had already become the norm. Even Lynne, who was from another country, held the perception that “that’s just how it is.”

And now, it was falling. Towards the center of the world’s most populous city.

In the face of this unprecedented emergency that should never happen, Echelle, Lynne, and the mages of the【White Serpent】tasked with managing Uuga alongside Echelle felt fear.

“Hey, don’t get all fuckin’ flustered, you lot!” a sharp, angry voice rang out.

Echelle and the others, who had been dazed by the surreal sight, were instantly brought back to reality. Jain, fully armed, glared at Echelle and the others, with Rabin in tow.

“Our job comes later!! Yer not plannin’ to panic now and then be useless when it really matters, are ya? Pull yerselves together!!” Jain barked.

“I-I know!” Echelle hastily nodded. Kalkara beside her touched her shoulder, gently stroking it. Feeling a bit calmer, Echelle tensed her stomach and raised her voice.

“Everyone, stay on standby for now! But when the signal comes, it’ll turn into a battle in an instant!! Don’t let your guard down!!”

A chorus of “Yes!” came back in response to those words. Most of those present were guild members of the White Serpent. Echelle felt a bit moved that these people, who had once left her, were now firmly following her orders.

However, it’s not as if they had sworn heartfelt loyalty to her. She hadn’t done anything to regain their trust.

So, this was the starting point. Echelle reminded herself of this.

“…Alright, if ya keep wandering around aimlessly, nothin’ll get done. I’m counting on ya, Commander,” Jain said firmly.

“R-Right, I understand,” Echelle nodded in response to Jain’s words.

Echelle, who had once one-sidedly hurled abuse at him and tried to force her selfishness, still couldn’t quite gauge her relationship with him and felt a bit awkward. He didn’t seem to mind, but—

“Also,” Jain continued.

“Eek!” Echelle squeaked.

“What kinda stupid sound is that? Just listen,” Jain said, lowering his voice slightly and muttering softly.

“Have you seen Black?”

“N-No? I haven’t seen him on Uuga. Isn’t he at Babel?”

“…If that’s the case, good.”

Black, the man who had been the trigger for 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】 to get involved in this incredible battle, was not in the command tower now. As usual, or perhaps it should be said, he had disappeared without anyone noticing.

If he wasn’t here, he was probably at Babel. That’s what Echelle thought, but Jain seemed to be on high alert.

“…Um, he’s on our side, right?” Echelle asked hesitantly.

“He’s just not an enemy. Don’t expect too much,” Jain replied, then finally left.

Echelle wondered why he lowered his voice in a place where the person in question wasn’t even present, but she indeed found Black difficult to deal with. She felt like they often met her gaze, though she thought it might be her imagination, but it was still a bit scary. Those eyes were similar to how 【Heavenly Demon Greylei】 looked at her.

Eyes that seemed to peer into everything, seeing through you—

“…Yeah, let’s stop thinking about it,” Echelle shuddered, trying to shake off the eerie feeling, and let out a big sigh. In any case, she had to deal with the approaching threat now.

Proudia continued its descent, completely indifferent to Echelle’s unease. In the 【Farseer Crystal】, Proudia was rapidly losing altitude, approaching the top of Babel’s tower, and then—

                                ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“…Hey, they really can’t see this, huh? The residents of Proudia,” Ur muttered, expressing his small observation about the massive structure approaching before their eyes. It wasn’t exactly a carefree comment; rather, it was an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming urge to back away.

“According to Diz-sama, it’s a concealment technique using the 【Solar Aegis】. Only those who have been given permission can see this sight,” Shizuku explained.

The 【Solar Aegis】 that covers the entire territory of Proudia isn’t special only in terms of size compared to other 【Barrier of the Suns】. That was Diz’s explanation.

The 【Wise Heavenly King】 is able to freely interfere with the inside of that barrier to some extent. He said it was easy to manipulate scenery and sounds. Only those given permission can see the true world.

『That’s quite an extreme thing for His Majesty to do, isn’t it?』 Rock commented.

“It’s to prevent confusion and keep faith from wavering, I hear,” Shizuku explained.

『Well, I’m not interested in politics anyway,』 Rock chuckled.

Even as Rock laughed, the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia continued to approach. Until a moment ago, they could see its entirety, but now only its front was visible. As it got closer, it became too large to fit in their field of vision.

“Well, if people knew this was happening, they’d all leave…” Ur muttered, but his voice probably didn’t reach Rock and the others anymore. The sound of the fierce wind that arose as the Sky Dungeon Proudia approached drowned out their quiet conversation.

Proudia drew even closer. Just as it was about to strike 【Babel】, when everyone present would likely be blown away or crushed, a strong voice that seemed to cut through even the fierce wind resonated:

“【Solar Aegis】”

Immediately after, Proudia’s movement stopped.

As if blocked by an invisible wall, or as if pushed back by unseen hands, the fall of the massive structure halted.

Even though they knew this was supposed to happen, the warriors present stirred at the sight of the dungeon stopping right before their eyes. Their gazes naturally turned to the one who had accomplished this feat.

“Oh! Our King!! The great child of the Sun!!!” one of the Sun Knights shouted.

The other Sun Knights followed with roars, and then the knights and adventurers joined in. At the focus of the overflowing cheers stood the greatest king of this continent:

【Wise Heavenly King】 Arnold Shinra Prominence

Accompanied by 【Heavenly Prayer】 Sua Shinra Prominence at his side, he sat on the throne at the top of Babel, gripping a golden staff engraved with the emblem of the Sun God. He struck Babel with his staff, and two high-pitched sounds rang out.

“Oh, oh, ohhhhhhh…!?”

Suddenly, the 【Dungeon of Sin, Proudia】 began to move again. This time, not falling. It was gradually being pushed back into the sky. The Solar Aegis covering the entire city was supporting and pushing back the dungeon itself.

However, the 【Sky Dungeon Proudia】 was not a natural disaster that could be contained by this alone.

“Underling dragons!”

Dragon’s kin, eerie monsters resembling infants with pure white wings, appeared.

『A——KYAKYAKYAKYAKYA!!!!』

The dragon’s kin, with their grinning smiles, touched the Solar Aegis that was blocking the dungeon. The moment they touched it, their palms burned, their arms rotted, and their bodies crumbled. The crumbled parts regenerated instantly, only to burn again. Repeating this cycle of destruction and regeneration, they began to alter part of the barrier.

With their terrifying power to 【Rewrite the World】, they were trying to erase part of the barrier.

“……”

The Wise Heavenly King frowned in displeasure. But he couldn’t stop them. His current task was to push the enormously massive dungeon itself outside the Solar Aegis, and that required his full attention.

“Bring down the underling dragons!!!” a voice shouted.

Naturally, the warriors were intercepting them, but the underlings were terrifyingly resilient. Even if their bodies were shattered by the 【Solar Aegis】, the attacks of mere warriors barely scratched them. The warriors realized both the greatness of the Wise Heavenly King’s power and their own powerlessness.

“They’re making a hole!! Prepare to intercept!!” someone yelled.

Soon after, the dragons managed to create a hole in part of the Solar Aegis. Just doing that caused countless of them to burn away, and even more of them, still laughing, wedged themselves into the hole to keep it open.

Of course, it wasn’t a hole large enough for the massive dungeon to enter.

But it was more than big enough to send in “troops”.

“THE MONSTERS ARE COMING!!!” a voice cried out.

As the shout rang out, something began to spill from various parts of the gigantic palace. From a distance, they looked like small black dots, but they poured out continuously and in massive numbers.

The black shadows flowing like a waterfall were all monsters. They writhed like a single living organism, heading straight for Babel, towards the king seated at its center.

The warriors braced themselves. After all, they were here to protect 【Babel】 and the king.

“Brave warriors, show your strength to our king,” 【Heavenly Prayer】 Sua’s voice rang out loud and clear.

At Sua’s rallying cry, the warriors let out another roar.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!』

Their battle cries overlapped with the roars of the monsters, and the battle for the world’s survival began.

TL Note(s)

[1] Command Center changer to Command Tower

The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia was a sky fortress.

Normally, dungeons emerged from underground or were transformed ruins. But Proudia was different. Only Proudia was different.

As if to obstruct the Sun God’s blessing, the warm sunlight illuminating the earth, this dungeon floating in the sky was visible to all who lived in Proudia. When offering prayers to the Sun God, it inevitably entered the corner of one’s eye. However, most city dwellers tried not to look at it directly. They desperately averted their gaze.

Not because it was frightening or horrifying.

But because, if they were not careful, they might find their hearts drawn to its beauty.

The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia was far too beautiful. If one didn’t know better, no one would think it was a terrifying den of evil from which monsters overflowed. Mocking the human dwellings crammed onto limited land beneath the sky, a colossal palace reigned among the heavens. This was 【The Dungeon of Sin, Proudia】.

For some time after this dungeon appeared, there was almost no way to enter it.

The reason was clear: there was no means to reach it.

No matter how skilled the craftsmen were at building tall ladders, they couldn’t extend them to the clouds. Teleportation magic couldn’t reach it either. It didn’t help that teleportation magic itself was still immature at the time.

When the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia first appeared, there was no way to cull the monsters overflowing from its depths, resulting in a constant 【Flood】 of creatures pouring out. The City of Sin, Proudia became a terrifying battlefield, forced to fight against the hordes of monsters raining down from the sky.

Proudia created the powerful 【Solar Aegis】 out of necessity.

They were only able to somewhat contain that hellish state of war because the third 【Heavenly Demon】 devised a teleportation technique to Proudia called the 【Stairway to Heavenly Hell】.

This teleportation device, which made it possible to utilize the magic power at the destination rather than that of the individual, enabled free passage to and from the 【Sky Dungeon Proudia】.

And so, finally able to set foot in Proudia, adventurers for seven days, along with members of the knight order and priests, all cooperated to push the monsters back into the depths.

Like other dungeon cities, stability and balance were thus achieved.

However, Proudia was not content with being sealed. Tenaciously, it devised a new means of attack.

That was the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia’s active period: The 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】.

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The time was deep into the night, when the sun had long since set on the Dungeon of Sin, Proudia.

At the entrance to the dungeon, there was a solitary figure.

“Hurry! We have no time left!!” shouted 【Heavenly Fist】 Gronzon Seira Dylan fiercely. Responding to him were his subordinates, the 【Divine Warrior Monks】, a unit directly under the 【Heavenly Fist】 within the Sun Knights. They were running through the midst of the monster-infested dungeon.

Each of them was a first-class priest, as well as an elite warrior combining the blessings of spirits with skillful martial arts.

One of them, the leader of the warrior monks, bowed his head before Gronzon.

“Gronzon-sama. We have completed the monster extermination and adventurer guidance,” he reported.

“Any injuries?” Gronzon inquired.

“A few. Nothing that will have lasting effects.”

“You incompetent fools! Make sure everyone is properly healed! I will not allow the Wise Heavenly King’s ceremony to be tainted with blood!!”

“Understood.”

“Good! Now focus on guarding Babel!”

With those words, the warrior monks returned via teleportation magic. Left alone, Gronzon surveyed the inside of Proudia. With his subordinates gone, there was no presence in Proudia other than Gronzon himself.

It was natural for the number of adventurers to decrease at this hour, but even so, one would usually encounter a few groups of adventurers. Proudia’s title of the largest city on the continent was not for show, and its adventurer population was also the largest on the continent.

However, on this day alone, there was truly no human presence to speak of. This was true not only here but also in the middle and deep layers.

Everyone in Proudia had been evacuated.

“Now then…” Gronzon surveyed the dungeon once more.

Proudia’s interior was, like its exterior, undeniably beautiful. Yet, there was something distorted about it. It was as if all the aspects that humans find beautiful had been gathered and forcibly connected. As a result, while the brain perceived it as beautiful, it also rejected it.

This place felt wrong.

“Mere appearances, a grotesque palace of evil imitating beauty…” Gronzon muttered.

Since Gronzon had taken the seat of 【Heavenly Fist】, he had overcome the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 countless times. He fully understood the threat of this dungeon. He had witnessed with his own eyes how the previous 【Heavenly Fist】 had been devoured by Proudia. Because of this, the way this dungeon tried to beautify itself made him feel unbearably sick.

There were various forms of dungeons in this world, but he was convinced that this one was the most abominable.

However, he had to set aside his personal feelings for now. First, he must fulfill his mission.

He clapped his fists together, driving away the aversion unnecessary for battle.

Suddenly, a presence appeared beside him. Gronzon reflexively took a fighting stance.

“【Heavenly Fist】,” a voice called.

“Ah, Giestar,” Gronzon recognized.

The one who appeared was 【Heavenly Garb】 Giestar Seira Kranfran. The man, wrapped in a pitch-black hood and exuding an uncertain presence, whispered to him in an androgynous voice.

“Our work here is done. We can proceed to the deep layers without major obstacles. For now, at least.”

“Has ‘Proudia’ noticed us?” Gronzon asked.

“Certainly not. Though, once the 【Sun-Devouring】 begins, the situation will likely change dramatically.”

“Hmm, as expected of you.”

In response to Gronzon’s straightforward praise, Giestar nodded quietly, then moved to a corner of the entrance hall and fell silent. Instantly, his presence faded, and though he should have been there, it became impossible to focus on him.

Gronzon didn’t know much about his true identity or circumstances. Probably no one except the King knew the details. Given the blessing of the 【Heavenly Garb】 by the 【Wise Heavenly King】, he possessed the power to transform into any form. Because of this, he was capable of both reconnaissance and assassination, quietly and surely disposing of those who would harm the Wise Heavenly King.

Perhaps to fulfill duties that could be called covert operations, successive 【Heavenly Garbs】 concealed their true identities. In peacetime, if their identities were known, they risked retaliation. It was unclear if Giestar was even his real name. His surname was likely arbitrarily assigned.

Therefore, for his safety, Gronzon didn’t know his true identity and didn’t try to find out. He wouldn’t ask either.

“Well, they’re here,” Gronzon thought as the entrance’s teleportation formation began to glow.

He turned at the presence of his colleagues.

“…Still as unpleasant a place as ever. Proudia with its thick makeup,” remarked a blue beastperson girl, the world’s strongest swordswoman and the Wise Heavenly King’s confidant, 【Heavenly Sword】 Yuri Seira Bluesky.

“Kahaha! I like it! It’s endearing, like a woman desperately trying to hide her wrinkles!” laughed an elegant, tall elf, the world’s most knowledgeable magic user and a driving force of the world, 【Heavenly Demon】 Greylei Grein.

“Coming from you, an elf, that remark is too mean-spirited. You should stop,” suggested a half-human, half-elf, the successor to the strongest Hero in history and wielder of 【Magic Severance】, the【Hero】 Diz Gran Fenex.

“Hmm! Everyone’s in good health!” Gronzon exclaimed.

“You’re too loud, Gronzon! This is why those who only know violence are no good!” Greylei retorted.

“You’re quite noisy yourself, magic maniac,” Yuri countered.

“This group has the worst compatibility in generations. Though our combat ability is high,” Diz observed.

“…………” Giestar remained silent.

【Heavenly Garb】, 【Heavenly Fist】, and the others – a total of five. The world’s most powerful party had assembled.

Among them, the 【Hero】, equipped with dazzling armor and two swords of platinum and crimson-gold, quietly declared:

“Well then, shall we go?”

A battle for the world’s survival was about to begin.

“Please don’t take charge, 【Hero】. You’re the weakest one here,” Yuri interjected.

“Then, will you do it, Yuri?” Diz asked.

“I absolutely refuse to give orders to that magic maniac,” she replied.

“I don’t want to be ordered around by a blind fool like you either, kahaha!” Greylei laughed.

“…………” Giestar remained silent.

“Alright, by process of elimination. Gronzon, please,” Diz concluded.

“I’m worried!!!” Gronzon exclaimed.

The sound of fists cracking echoed through the dungeon.

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At the same time, in the City of Sin, Proudia’s 【True Babel】 Sky Garden

Looking at【True Babel】, the high tower at the center of Proudia, from the outside, one would find no unnecessary decorations or spaces protruding outward. Even the residents of Proudia wouldn’t imagine that such a “garden” could exist on Babel, which resembled a pillar piercing the heavens.

However, a garden did indeed exist in 【Babel】.

But it was not a place to admire flowers, fountains, or masterful works of art.

“I ADDRESS THE WARRIORS GATHERED HERE!!!!” a sharp voice rang out.

The Sky Garden of 【True Babel】 was a semi-transparent magical platform created on the tower’s exterior. A spiral slope led to the top, with platforms set at various points, and a massive hall on the roof large enough for over 100 people to move freely.

In this place called a garden, the voice belonged to a female swordsman with black and gold hair. She was 【Lightning Empress】 Ikaza Gran Sparkray, one of the most famous adventurers not just in Proudia, but in the world.

She looked down from her high vantage point. In her view were countless warriors.

Compared to the total personnel of Proudia’s knight order, the Sun Knights, and the adventurers, the number wasn’t large at all. But everyone here was a carefully selected warrior.

“THOSE STANDING HERE ARE THOSE PERMITTED BY THE WISE HEAVENLY KING TO FIGHT AGAINST THE WORLD’S MALIGNANCY. THERE ISN’T A SINGLE HALF-HEARTED PERSON AMONG YOU!! EACH OF YOU MUST HAVE THAT PRIDE!! ESPECIALLY THOSE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOUR PRIDE MUST BE STRONG!!”

But then, she said, as if cutting through the air:

“BE WARNED!! FROM TODAY ONWARD, THAT PRIDE WILL BE SHATTERED TO PIECES!!!”

No one in this place took those threatening words lightly. Not a single person could fail to properly receive the strong warning from the woman at the pinnacle of adventurers.

“YOU WILL SEE HELL!! SOME OF YOU MAY NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TASK BEFORE YOU!!! YOU MIGHT END UP REGRETTING STANDING HERE!!”

As if describing an unavoidable natural disaster, she foretold the trials to come. Even glorious gold-ranked adventurers couldn’t avoid it, she said.

It seemed like a declaration of despair. But in the 【Lightning Empress’s】 eyes, there was no fear or pessimism. There was only a fiery heat and a spirit that invigorated just by looking at it.

“BUT YOU ALL HAVE THE RESOLVE TO RESIST HELL! THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME DEFEAT! THE COURAGE TO FACE DESPAIR!! THAT IS WHY THE WISE HEAVENLY KING HAS APPOINTED US AS THE 【GUARDIANS OF BABEL】!!!”

At the mention of the Wise Heavenly King, many in the place straightened their backs. They were reminded of the reason they stood here, at the core of the world and the dwelling place of the Wise Heavenly King. The fact that they were entrusted with its protection stirred them.

“SHOW THE KING AND THE ONE TRUE GOD!! THAT WE ARE WARRIORS WHO WILL NOT CEASE OUR RESISTANCE EVEN IN THE FACE OF DRAGONS!!!”

In response to Ikaza’s roar, the warriors present responded, and a whirlpool of angry shouts dominated the scene. In the face of the “war” with Proudia that was about to begin, morale was reaching its peak.

“…She’s impressively dignified. Ikaza-san. Even in front of the Sun Knights,” Ur remarked.

“Well, she’s a gold-rank and has been given an official position,” Shizuku replied.

Ur and Shizuku, who were also listening to the speech in the Sky Garden, watched with impressed expressions. Ur remained calm despite the excitement of the scene. But he wasn’t viewing Ikaza’s speech with cold eyes.

He simply had too much anxiety running through his head to get excited.

“I feel so out of place,” Ur muttered.

Around them was a mixed force composed mainly of the three organizations that made up the city: the Sun Knights, the Knight Order, and the Adventurers’ Guild. Each person lined up was a seasoned fighter, all outranking Ur. He couldn’t match their experience nor their training.

It was a bit awkward to blend in with such a crowd with a nonchalant face. Especially since being included here was already an exception.

『HAHAHA! What’s the matter? You should be getting used to being in out-of-place battlefields and doing reckless things by now, right?』 Rock chimed in.

“I don’t want to get used to that kind of thing,” Ur retorted to Rock.

The three present were Ur, Shizuku, and Rock.

The three of them were huddled in a corner of the adventurers’ guild group among the gathered mixed force. Of course, they were all fully equipped, but Rock’s attire was a bit new.

“That sword?” Ur inquired.

Rock was gripping a black greatsword. It looked like an ominous cursed sword. If he were to equip it in his skeletal form without his ornamental armor, he’d surely become the embodiment of malevolence.

『I… got it from Diz’s old man,』 Rock replied.

“What happened in these three days?” Ur asked.

『My master got something similar, didn’t she?』

Looking over, Shizuku was indeed wielding a curved sword—【Heaven’s Weeping Edge】—given to her by Zain. It matched well with the combat attire for magic users she was wearing, which prioritized mobility. She smiled and answered.

“I received it from Ur-sama’s foster parent.”

『Looks like you both had quite the experience. Ur hasn’t changed at all though, HAHAHA!』

“I learned how to brew a special tea, so I’ll treat you to it when this is over, Rock,” Ur offered.

『Isn’t that the one that made your sister writhe in agony?! You can’t fool me!!』

It was a foolish conversation, but it helped to relieve some tension. Ur mentally thanked Rock.

“Though our time was short until today, I suppose we’ve powered up as much as possible?” Shizuku mused.

“Seems Echelle had some business with Eckstein too…” Ur mentioned.

『Where did that monk go?』

“He said it would be awkward to have knights from another country here, let alone the already diverse adventurers on ‘that side’.”

『Makes sense. So, it’ll be the three of us moving together then?』

Ur, Shizuku, and Rock were the members who had gathered on site as 【The Walkers】. Having been surrounded by quite a large number of members recently, it felt a bit uneasy to move with such a small group.

“But it feels nostalgic… nostalgic? Oh my? I don’t have many memories of this group, do I?” Shizuku realized.

“After Rock joined, you quickly entered the magic academy. And when we all reunited, Lynne was with us. I barely remember it either,” Ur explained.

『HAHAHA! Well, we’ll manage somehow!!』

“I hope so…” Ur muttered.

Ur glared at the dungeon Proudia towering in the sky.

The Sky Dungeon Proudia still floated far above. It continued to exist as if dominating the firmament—or rather, it was supposed to.

“IT’S MOVING!! EVERYONE, GET READY!!” Ikaza’s voice rang out.

As the warriors readied their weapons, the Proudia in the sky slowly began to “move”. Perhaps due to its immense mass, its movement appeared slow, but in reality, it was descending at a terrifying speed, straight towards them!!

“PROUDIA IS FALLING!!!”

How much time had passed since then?

There was no sense of time passing. The only indication might have been the sweat pouring from her body. She hadn’t engaged in any intense exercise even once. Yet, the copious amount of sweat flowing showed just how focused she was.

And then, suddenly, that time came to an end.

“…Phew,” Diz sighed heavily as she stopped moving. The sword slipped from her hand with a clang. At the same time, the blade that had become a part of her body reverted to an ordinary, rusty old sword.

“Well then…” Diz wiped away the streaming sweat, took a deep breath, and then turned her gaze to the intruder who had entered the room, a smile playing on her lips.

“Ur, do you have any excuses?” she asked.

“None. Hit me,” Ur replied.

Ur was struck.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“Here, water. I’ve cast a purification spell on it too,” Ur said, offering Diz water he had drawn from the well outside. A clear imprint of a fist adorned his cheek. Diz, who had wiped off her sweat and changed into casual clothes, accepted it with an amused smile.

“Thank you. Hmm, what a gentlemanly peeping tom,” she remarked.

“There’s absolutely no excuse. I am a peeper,” Ur admitted bluntly. There really was no room for excuses. Ur had been staring intently at her naked body. If Diz reported him to the Knights, he’d probably be arrested without question. Ur’s adventure would end there. It would be an incredibly foolish end.

However, Diz laughed it off.

“Well, it’s my fault for training in such a place dressed like that. Though I did punch you as an admission fee,” she said.

“If that’s the admission fee, I’d say I got quite a bargain,” Ur replied.

“Did you see something good?”

“Yes. It was the best.”

Ur declared this with a straight face. Diz looked at Ur and made a slightly strange expression.

“Ur, you often say things like that, but doesn’t it cause problems?” she asked.

“Problems… Well, I suppose peeping itself might be a problem,” he mused.

“No, I’m not sure myself… hmm…” Diz shook her head, seemingly pondering something, but apparently couldn’t come up with an answer as she shrugged her shoulders. It seemed she had no intention of turning Ur in to the Knights.

“By the way, you suddenly decided to stay, but is Jenna alright?” Ur asked.

“I got a message from Jenna quite a while ago. She said Dāru and Sūru would protect everything properly, so I could rest easy,” Diz answered.

“As expected…” Ur murmured. Jenna was indeed a capable servant.

“But why were you training in a place like this?” Ur inquired. Well, the training itself was normal for her. Ur knew that she would rise before the sun and train her body even after the sun had set if she had free time. But she wasn’t the type of training junkie who would obsessively train to the point of exposing her body in a place like this.

Diz looked a bit embarrassed and briefly averted her gaze from Ur.

“There was a rare mirror here,” she explained.

Her gaze fell on a full-length mirror that had likely been abandoned in this room for a long time. Though old and not particularly clear, it was indeed a mirror.

When she said it was rare, it certainly was. Ur knew the reason why it had become rare.

“In my position, I don’t often come across places with mirrors,” she continued.

“Ah, I see. You are a rank-holder after all, Diz,” Ur remarked.

“In a manner of speaking,” she replied.

Being a part of the Temple, many people around her were wary of mirrors, the “Thieves of the Sun.” Some might even detest mirrors outright. Or perhaps out of consideration, they might avoid placing mirrors around her.

“Well, it’s not impossible to make arrangements, but since I’m in a position where I move around a lot, even if I were to get a large mirror, it would be inconvenient to carry around,” Diz explained.

“So, there was a perfect mirror here, and you couldn’t resist strippi— Ow ow ow, I’m sorry!” Ur apologized as his cheeks were being pulled.

Diz, seemingly satisfied after playing with Ur’s cheeks for a while, released him and let out a deep sigh.

“Well, I’ll admit I was honestly flustered. Being shown something like that…”

For someone of her caliber to say “something like that,” there was only one thing that came to mind.

“Gramps’ 【Magic Severance】?” Ur asked.

“I realized how far away I am from that level. It seems it’ll be a while before I can proudly call myself the 【Hero】,” she replied.

Indeed, the 【Magic Severance】 that Zain had unleashed from a staff that wasn’t even a weapon had been shocking. For Ur, it was so beyond reality that he couldn’t even feel anxious or envious, but for Diz, who was relatively close to that level, it seemed to have affected her differently.

Even now, her expression was still somewhat dark. It seemed to be really bothering her.

“Can I ask you something?” Ur inquired.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Why are you going through so much trouble to be the Hero?”

Ur had thoroughly understood that she was constantly risking her life in battle. In every situation, facing every difficulty, Diz was putting her body on the line, getting injured, enduring pain, and fighting through it all.

Ur couldn’t understand why she would put in so much effort.

“Hmm? You’re asking that, Ur?”

“I do it for my sister’s life, or more precisely, for myself. That’s why it’s fine for me.”

“It’s the same for me. It’s for myself,” Diz replied.

“For yourself, huh…” Ur furrowed his brow, still unable to fully comprehend.

Of course, as Diz said, Ur wasn’t in a position to comment on others’ motivations given his own questionable sensibilities and motives. But that made him all the more curious. What was driving her to push herself so hard?

Diz made a thoughtful gesture, saying “That’s right…” before brushing up her hair. Beneath her beautiful golden hair, her ears were revealed.

Ears too long for a human, too short for an elf.

“I didn’t explain it directly, but you already know I’m a mixed-blood, right?”

“Ah, of course.”

Although Diz had never spoken about it directly, she hadn’t made any effort to hide her characteristics, so Ur had figured it out. The fact that she was mixed-blood, a child of different races.

And Ur held no prejudice about this fact itself. Even if, by the world’s common practice, mixed-bloods were treated as outcasts to be avoided. It was partly because even among the Nameless, while mixed-bloods were rare, they weren’t completely unseen.

“Well, let’s set aside the history and discrimination of mixed-bloods for now. What was important in my case was the ‘constitution’ of my mixed-blood,” Diz continued.

“Constitution?”

“In mixed-bloods, the characteristics of each race go haywire. They don’t mix well. They become… abnormal.”

Physical appearance and features, racial lifespan, magic capacity, manual dexterity, sensibilities, and various other traits.

Each race has its own racial tendencies. Of course, individual personalities further branch out from there, but when different races’ blood mixes, the resulting child doesn’t conveniently end up “right in between the two races.”

In essence, the balance is thrown off.

“Based on such facts, marriages between different races tend to be avoided, but well, setting history aside, I’m no exception to being off-balance,” Diz explained.

“Are your ears part of that?” Ur asked.

“Yes. Having a visible mark of being different meant I didn’t fit in anywhere. Though I can’t complain much, as there are ‘brethren’ whose overall appearance is even more distorted than mine.”

The way she flicked her ear with her fingertip seemed a bit vexed.

She then went on to list the various imbalances in her own body.

She hadn’t inherited the longevity trait. Her growth rate was the same as that of ordinary humans.

Her magical output was also distorted, and in the past, she had nearly died due to inability to properly release magic.

Her body was tougher than normal, quickly recovering from minor injuries.

“And there were people who became interested in this distorted constitution,” Diz said.

Ur had an inkling of what she meant, but he hesitated to ask. He knew it would mean directly touching upon wounds that might not have healed.

However, having come this far, he couldn’t not ask.

“…Who was it?”

“I was kidnapped by the 【Dragon that Devours the Sun】. Want to hear what they did to me?”

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s wise. It’s not something I enjoy talking about either.”

If he heard, it was clear that an uncontrollable anger would well up inside him. Above all, Ur had no intention of making the victim herself recount such painful experiences.

“Well, anyway, I went through terrible things. I almost died, and then I was saved by the previous Hero.”

The 【Hero of the Seven Heavens】 had brilliantly destroyed their hideout. By that time, Diz had been captive to the cultists for several years. Exhausted in body and mind, the weakened Diz was carried out on the Hero’s back.

And at that moment, she thought:

“‘Ah, how beautiful the world is.’”

“…What did you say?” Ur couldn’t help but ask for clarification.

Upon hearing about her body, he had immediately understood. She had truly gone through many terrible experiences. Though it wasn’t something to compare, her life must have been far harsher than that of Ur, a wandering Nameless.

Moreover, after being captured by cultists, going through even worse experiences, and finally escaping, her first thought was that “the world is beautiful”?

“Yeah, your reaction is correct. To be honest, I questioned that sentiment myself. I even wondered if it was brainwashing from the cultists.”

But it wasn’t. Diz narrowed her eyes as if recalling the scene from back then.

“It was a place south of the City of Sin, Lust, using the ruins of a dungeon. When we got outside, the sun was just setting behind the Apas Mountains, and the light of dusk was shimmering on Lake Sola in front. The surrounding trees were dyed crimson as if they were on fire—”

Her voice, describing the scene etched in her golden eyes, overflowed with an uncontainable, deep emotion. Even in hellish circumstances, having fallen into an even deeper darkness, she had truly cherished that scenery from the bottom of her heart.

“It was overwhelming. I was also frustrated. Why did I have to feel moved after going through such terrible things? But I couldn’t help it.”

She cried, screamed, groaned, and even if she looked away, the world remained lovely. Even as she shouted about how much pain she had endured, she couldn’t escape that fact.

Her very existence couldn’t abandon compassion.

“And then, the previous Hero who saved me at that time raised me as his successor, which brings us to now. That’s all. So the reason I protect this world is really just that simple.”

“…You cherish this world?”

“Yes.”

The Guardian of The World smiled.

“I love how the grasslands start to shine with the morning sun. I love seeing people working under the high noon sun, and I love the sight of animals on distant mountains as I watch it slowly set. I love the glittering cities under the starry sky.”

“I feel sad when I see powerful individuals who have lost their way, and happy when I see weak ones striving to do the right thing.”

“I cherish yesterday that has continued until today, and tomorrow that will continue from today.”

She loves all aspects of the world. Therefore…

“I cherish you too, Ur, for worrying about me and making such a concerned face all this time.”

Diz’s palm touched Ur’s cheek.

Feeling her warmth and affection on his cheek, Ur felt a heat rising from deep within his body. This unconditional love, something Ur had rarely experienced, was seeping into the depths of his heart, making it warm. Surely, those who had become devoted to her must have been touched by this aspect of her.

But at the same time, Ur felt sad.

“But, do you properly love yourself, Diz?”

“I think I have a normal amount of self-love? I don’t like pain or hardship, after all.”

However…

“If there’s something you want to protect, you have to do your best, right?”

She’s similar to Shizuku, Ur thought. But there was one crucial difference.

If Shizuku was an artificial being created by someone’s will, Diz was natural. A natural saint.

It’s unclear who or what shaped Shizuku’s values. But Diz is where those values aimed to reach. She is the saint who was born that way. The golden saint who purely cherishes everything around her, without needing to be told or forced, without neglecting herself.

Of course, regardless of which is which, both are equally incorrigible.

The problem is the fact that these two have saved Ur’s life multiple times.

“Well, I understand now,” Ur said.

“Is that so? That’s good, but—” Diz began.

“And I’ve made a decision,” Ur interrupted.

Ur firmly grasped Diz’s hand on his cheek and glared at her intensely.

“I won’t let you kill Akane,” he declared.

Diz’s eyes widened.

The meaning of those words was a declaration of opposition, thoroughly defying Diz’s intentions. But Diz placed her other hand over Ur’s. She spoke with a voice that seemed to cling to him.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Ur affirmed.

She’s overwhelmingly strong, but not omnipotent. Ur understood this through their journey together.

Therefore, if necessary, Diz would choose lives. If sacrificing a few could save many, she would do it. When they first negotiated about Akane’s treatment, the reason she strongly proposed dissecting Akane was this. If it could give her power to save even more people, she would choose that.

Even while struggling with the agony of destroying a beloved existence with her own hands, even while feeling nauseous at the arrogance of measuring lives by numbers, she would absolutely carry it out.

That’s how heavy and deep her love is.

As if he’d let her do such a thing. This woman who is too kind.

“I’ll definitely protect Akane no matter what. No matter what happens, I’ll absolutely take her back from you in the end,” Ur vowed.

“I see… Yes, I see,” Diz murmured.

Diz gently embraced Ur’s head.

It was like a parent cherishing a child, and also like a child clinging to a parent.

“Ur, please overcome me,” she pleaded.

“Yeah, rest assured, I’ll defeat you, Hero,” Ur promised.

Their declaration of opposition echoed quietly in the night basement.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The next morning

“Drink,” Zain commanded.

“It’s hell straight from the get-go,” Ur groaned.

The orphanage had turned into a hellish scene of wailing. Everyone, including the orphans, had to drink the tea Zain had created. The children tried to escape, sometimes even attempting to secretly discard the tea, but Zain’s formidable insight saw through it.

“If you want to drink it that much, I’ll give you another cup,” Zain threatened.

A second cup was poured, and they met their demise.

In the end, everyone drank it all and collapsed, and it was time for Ur and the others to leave the orphanage. The orphans would apparently be focusing on studying reading, writing, and arithmetic. Ur and his group’s presence would clearly be a disturbance.

“Well, thanks for everything, Old Man Zain,” Ur said.

“I only lent you a bed. I didn’t do anything special,” Zain replied gruffly.

『Gramps. Don’t die,』 Akane communicated.

“You too,” Zain retorted.

They exchanged farewell greetings in front of the orphanage, but Zain maintained his usual unfriendly expression. Given his age, this might be their final parting in this life, but his demeanor hadn’t changed at all.

To be fair, Ur and Akane’s responses hadn’t changed much either. As wanderers, they were used to final partings. Knowing that meetings and partings repeat, and that unexpected reunions can happen, they don’t make a big fuss here. It’s to believe in the possibility of meeting again.

“Predecessor, until we meet again. I’ll work hard until next time,” Diz said.

“Zain-sama. Thank you for everything,” Shizuku added.

The two of them bowed their heads, unlike Ur.

However, just as Ur and the others were about to turn and leave, Zain called out, “Wait.”

As they wondered what was happening, Zain threw something towards Diz. Diz caught it.

“It’s the 【Celestial Blade】. The repairs are complete,” Zain explained.

It was a sword sheathed in its scabbard.

The moment Ur saw it casually tossed, he felt his breath catch.

“Amazing,” Ur breathed.

『So cool,』 Akane communicated.

These rather inarticulate impressions escaped from Ur and Akane. They wished they could express themselves more eloquently, but they lacked the words. The sword, seemingly white yet golden, gleamed in the faint morning light. Even sheathed, its presence was overwhelming.

Among all the weapons Ur had seen so far, this one undoubtedly stood at the pinnacle.

“Please don’t throw mythical class items… Thank you, Predecessor. With this, I’m fully prepared,” Diz said, exasperated yet bowing her head.

The sword at her waist seemed to belong there naturally. Shizuku also voiced her admiration at the sight.

“It’s reassuring, Diz-sama,” Shizuku remarked.

“You have one too,” Zain stated.

“Oh?” Shizuku asked, puzzled.

Zain tossed something else to Shizuku. She caught it with her magic, suspending it in the air.

What Zain threw to Shizuku was also a weapon, like Diz’s. However, its style differed from Diz’s sword. The sheathed weapon appeared to be a slender sword with a curve that made it look like a curved sword. However, Ur hadn’t seen much like it before.

“It’s called the ‘Heaven’s Weeping Edge’. It’s one of the weapons I had lying around unused. I’m giving it to you,” Zain explained.

“But I’m a magician, you know?” Shizuku pointed out.

“It can serve the same role as a magic staff. Use it as you like. If you don’t want it, throw it away,” Zain replied.

Shizuku nodded, saying “Hmm,” then unsheathed the blade and let it go. Through her material manipulation magic, the blade floated in the air, swaying and dancing like a leaf in the wind, cutting through the air. Compared to Diz’s 【Celestial Blade】, which exuded an attractive force even while sheathed, the blade’s presence was quiet. Yet, it possessed a beauty that was in no way inferior.

Soon, without even touching it, the blade clicked back into its sheath. Shizuku smiled and bowed to Zain.

“It’s a wonderful item. Thank you very much, Zain-sama,” Shizuku said.

“Do your best,” Zain responded.

The two of them put away their weapons in unison.

While the extent was unclear, the power-up of these two was very favorable for Ur as well. Considering what lay ahead, there was nothing better than his companions becoming stronger.

However, that being said…

“So, don’t we get anything, old man?” Ur asked.

《It’s unfair that only those two get something,》 Akane chimed in.

“This is for you,” Zain said.

When they casually complained about favoritism, Zain shoved something at Ur. However, it wasn’t a weapon, but a small notebook. Puzzled, Ur looked inside to find it densely filled with writing.

“…What’s this?” Ur asked.

“Recipes for magical herbs, medicinal plants, and poisonous plants that can be found in any region. Drink it every day,” Zain explained.

“…Wow, thanks,” Ur said dryly.

《I have work with Diz, so…》 Akane trailed off.

“I’ll give one to Diz too. Drink it,” Zain insisted.

“Yipee…” Diz said unenthusiastically.

《Uheehee…》 Akane let out a pitiful wail.

Well, it was certainly appreciated in a way, but being given only toxic substances compared to the other two seemed a bit too much.

“Also,” Zain continued.

However, it didn’t end there. Zain approached Ur and pointed his staff at Ur’s right arm.

“What is it?” Ur asked.

“Show me,” Zain commanded.

As instructed, Ur raised his right arm in front of him. Of course, the black sleeping band was still on, but Ur felt he couldn’t hide what was underneath from Zain’s sharp gaze. However, without touching it, Zain just stared intently at Ur’s right arm, and then said:

“I see. That’s enough. Take care.”

With that, he casually looked away.

“…Wait a minute, Gramps,” Ur protested.

“What?” Zain asked.

“I thought I might get some advice or something. To be honest, I’m full of anxiety about this,” Ur admitted.

It was a pitiful story, but he was truly scared. Even Diz might not be reliable when it came to this right arm. The only one who seemed to know anything was that guy, Black. But clinging to that man would obviously lead to nothing good, so that wasn’t an option either.

If Zain knew something, even a word of advice would be welcome, but he shook his head.

“I have nothing particular to say,” Zain stated.

“I feel like crying,” Ur said.

“Why are you anxious?” Zain asked.

Ur was about to explain why, but Zain continued with a serious face:

“If it’s you, you’ll be fine.”

Neither Ur nor anyone else present could understand the meaning behind Zain’s words.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Zain saw off the four departing figures. Akane, in particular, kept waving her hand towards Zain for a long time while flying around unsteadily. Although Zain didn’t respond, he didn’t move from that spot until her figure disappeared from sight.

“Don’t die, children,” Zain muttered.

As the four figures disappeared from view, Zain’s gaze turned upward.

The Sun God was beginning to rise, the sky dyed blue, and within it, existed a large shadow. A massive structure floating in the sky. The giant shadow adjacent to【True Babel】. The cause of all reasons why this city bore the name of a Sin.

Zain quietly stared at the 【Sky Dungeon, Proudia】.

Proudia, 【The Nameless Orphanage】

Some time after the series of attacks, the assailants had been handed over to the knights, and Ur and his companions had returned to the orphanage. With the children back, the once ghost-like orphanage regained some of its brightness. Ur and the others had returned to the guest room.

“We’ve handed them over to the knights, but they’re just small fry, including the golem user. They won’t provide any useful information,” Zain said.

Zain, who had demonstrated the incredible feat of cleaving a giant golem in two with just a staff, hadn’t changed his attitude since returning to the orphanage. He showed no signs of fatigue or anything of the sort.

“The magical tools the golem user was using also self-destructed when the golem was destroyed,” Diz added.

“Still, that golem must have been expensive. Now that it’s been utterly destroyed, they’ll likely hold off for a while. Things should quiet down around here for some time. You’ve done well,” Zain remarked.

“I didn’t do anything though,” Ur muttered.

At most, they had caught some thugs who were barely above the level of novice adventurers and turned them over to the knights. Ur didn’t think he had done anything worthy of thanks. However…

“Hey, Ur! Are you Ur the Omen Bird Butcher?”

“Ur! Tell us about your adventures! They must be awesome, right?”

“Is it true you’re from here, Ur?”

The children seemed oddly attached to him. Apparently, stories about Ur had spread even to this orphanage. When the orphans realized that Ur and his companions were the actual adventurers from the rumors, their excitement was incredible. Even now, Ur found himself unable to move, surrounded by clinging children.

“The children are noisy,” Ur grumbled.

“You were once like that too. Play with them,” Zain responded.

“Was I really like this?” Ur wondered.

“Considering how often you caused trouble, these kids are actually better behaved.”

Ur couldn’t argue with that. He silently resigned himself to being climbed on by the children and having his hair pulled. A short distance away, Shizuku was playing house with some of the orphans. The children were remarkably well-behaved in front of her.

“Now everyone, let’s sing a song together,” Shizuku suggested.

“Okay!” the children cheered.

《Yay!》 Akane had somehow joined in as well. It looked peaceful and fun over there, while here, Ur had practically become a playground for the children.

“At least I’m relieved that my predecessor hasn’t weakened. Really,” Diz said. She too was covered in children, giving piggyback rides, but she was in a slightly better state than Ur. In response to Diz’s words, Zain, as usual, dismissed them with a curt “Nonsense.”

“Don’t be absurd. I’ve gotten dull. Thanks to that, my staff nearly broke.”

“The fact that it didn’t break is surprising enough,” Diz remarked.

“I’m not about to be outdone by someone who’s long since retired from the front lines.”

“How do you even know my current skill level when I haven’t shown you yet?”

“I can tell just by looking.”

“What’s the deal with this old man?” Diz muttered.

Ur agreed. He really wondered what was going on. The fact that Zain was the former Hero was shocking enough for Ur. Of course, he had no idea that Zain had mastered such incredible swordsmanship.

To Ur, Zain had always been a taciturn, unfriendly, yet kind-hearted old man who helped the “Nameless” orphans. Nothing more, nothing less.

“You could have told us, you know,” Ur said.

“What good would that have done? The name and deeds of the Hero are useless in raising orphans. Exceptions like this recent incident rarely occur,” Zain replied.

“Well, that’s true, but…” Ur trailed off.

He couldn’t help but think that if he had learned even a fraction of that incredible swordsmanship, his life as an adventurer might have been a bit easier. Of course, Ur didn’t think he could do what Diz did, but was it wrong to want even a small taste of that skill?

“If you absolutely need it now, I can teach you that technique,” Zain said.

“Huh? Really?” Ur exclaimed in surprise, looking at Diz. She just shrugged.

“I’ve seen Diz’s 【Magic Severance】 a few times, but isn’t that a Hero-exclusive technique?” Ur asked.

“In a sense, it is. But that’s only the result, not the intention,” Zain replied.

“The result?”

“None of the 【Seven Heavens】 except the Hero can use it. They have too much.”

“What do you mean?” Shizuku inquired.

Suddenly, Shizuku was beside Ur. Looking back to where she had been earlier, Ur noticed that the orphan children were now asleep. Even the kids who had been clinging to Ur earlier were now slumbering.

“…You put them to sleep well. They were so excited earlier,” Ur commented.

“They were scared and tired, it seems. Once I sang to them and helped them relax, they fell asleep quickly,” Shizuku explained.

The children who had been brave in the face of thugs, excited by Zain’s swordsmanship, and rowdy upon meeting Ur were, after all, still children.

“Thank you, 【Priestess of Wintour】,” Zain said to Shizuku, glancing at the sleeping children.

Shizuku’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You… know?”

“Yes, I know. Do your best.”

“Understood,” Shizuku bowed her head.

It was a brief exchange. Diz narrowed her eyes with interest at their interaction, but there was no further conversation between the two. Zain turned his attention back to Ur.

“【Magic Severance】 is merely a phenomenon that occurs after mastering a skill and stripping away everything else. Essentially, anyone can do it, not just the Hero.”

“Stripping away…?” Ur asked.

“That’s why the other Seven Heavens can’t replicate it. Or rather, they don’t need to. They already have blessings. There’s no reason for them to strip away what they have. They just need to master what they possess to reach their peak.”

“I see…?” Ur said, uncertain.

“But if you want to train in Magic Severance, it doesn’t work that way. Even just enhancing your body with magic takes you further from pure 【Magic Severance】.”

Zain glared at Diz, who raised both hands as if asking for mercy.

“It’s impossible to reach the realm of 【Magic Severance】 without physical enhancement…!” Diz protested.

“That’s because the purity of your single strike is insufficient. If it were just about raw power, there’s no way my frail arms could unleash 【Magic Severance】,” Zain retorted.

“That’s easy for you to say…!”

“You’re different from 【Heavenly Sword】 who was born with divine talent. You must surpass them in the single point of cutting down, or you’ll be nothing but a hindrance.”

Seeing Diz cornered and lamenting her inability was a rare sight indeed. But it seemed that this was something beyond even her capabilities. Ur couldn’t even begin to imagine how to approach it just from hearing about it. He only understood that it was incredibly difficult.

“I somewhat understand that it means continuing to master a single point, but what happens when you reach the realm of 【Magic Severance】?” Shizuku asked.

“You sever everything,” Zain answered Shizuku’s question in one simple phrase. It was an incredibly simple answer, but Ur had just witnessed the true power behind those words. He had seen Zain cleave a giant golem in two with a mere staff, not even a weapon.

“The skin of demons, barriers of ancient magic, blessings of spirits, scales of dragons, even the very laws that govern a place – it severs them all.”

“…”

Ur unconsciously swallowed. Of course, he couldn’t fully grasp the essence of what Zain was saying, but he felt he had touched upon a fraction of the power hidden within that jet-black sword flash. Diz bowed her head to Zain once more.

“I will work hard,” she said.

“Do your best, Guardian of the World,” Zain replied.

Diz seemed to have made up her mind. As for Ur…

“Hmm…” he hesitated, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Originally, Ur had been quite lax in his martial arts training. His daily routine focused mainly on building stamina and repeating practical movements to ensure he could move his body effectively in any situation.

The cause was likely his overwhelming combat experience against monsters, particularly those far beyond common sense. He had prioritized survival skills, undeniably neglecting technique and theory. But this “black sword flash” seemed to emphasize the areas he lacked most, and he couldn’t imagine how to acquire such a skill.

“Just to confirm, can this technique be reproduced with skills other than swordsmanship?” Shizuku asked, raising her hand for an additional question.

“It’s possible. Cutting, thrusting, striking, or even magic can work. What’s important is the purity, not the means,” Zain explained.

“I see…” Shizuku said, looking at Ur with a smile. “Let’s do our best, Ur-sama!”

“…Alright,” Ur replied, thinking to himself, “It’d be nice if I could manage it before I die.”

Seeing Ur’s reaction, Zain stood up with a sigh. “If you find it difficult, I’ll teach you another technique.”

“Another one?”

Zain retreated to the back and returned with a large basket. Ur frowned, then noticed the basket was filled with a large quantity of “wild herbs.” His face contorted.

“These are magical herbs, medicinal plants, and poisonous plants collected by the children. I’ll teach you how to sort them and brew ‘tea’ before the day is over.”

“…How helpful…” Ur said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Alas, it was indeed useful.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

After the arduous task of brewing tea with a taste so vile it could knock him unconscious, Ur finally received a “passing grade” from Zain. By then, the sun had long since set.

As expected of the City of Sin, Proudia, the city remained bright even at night due to the magical lamps. However, it was quite a distance to their inn. As Ur was considering this, Zain simply said, “Stay here for the night,” and so they did.

“Hey, Lynne? Can you hear me? We’re staying somewhere else tonight, so we’ll be back at the inn tomorrow morning. Yeah, that’s right… Echelle? Yeah, please explain… Sorry about that. I’ll treat you to something next time. Alright, bye,” Ur finished his magical communication.

Stretching, Ur looked around. Cracked windows, walls with drafts, an eerie exterior, and a pitch-black landscape due to extreme power-saving at night. It was a nostalgic sight indeed.

“This place looks like some cult hideout or something…” Ur muttered.

《Nii-tan, isn’t this the hole you made in the wall?》 Akane asked.

“No way that’s still here…”

《Look, here. It’s from when you got kicked during a fight. They hid it.》

“…I guess I’ll fill it in before we leave…”

Ur wondered if this was what it meant to have one’s hometown preserve embarrassing memories. The hole in the wall was a bit too large to laugh off as a good memory.

“Well, it’s nostalgic here after all. I’m glad we came before the battle,” Ur said.

《You sound like someone who’s about to die, Nii-tan.》

“Well, I might die.”

As Ur said this, Akane flew up to his head in her fairy form and repeatedly smacked him. Ur silently endured it, understanding her concern.

《Nii-tan, you can’t keep being so reckless!》

“Look who’s talking, Akane. You’re the one on a grand adventure.”

《I’m fine!》

“No, you’re not.”

The two glared at each other. After a while, Akane seemed to give in first, her shoulders drooping.

《It’s pointless, isn’t it?》

“Yeah, totally.”

Ur sighed as well. It was truly futile, this quarrel of mutual worry and insults.

“All we want is to live normally…”

Ur thought that even if they couldn’t live safely in the city like Zain, it wouldn’t matter. He just wanted to live out his life with Akane, without worries or strange obstacles.

That wish might have become an unattainable dream since Akane became a 【Spirit-Bound】. But Ur had no intention of giving up.

《Nii-tan, you really need to be careful.》

“I may have said that, but I have no intention of dying. We’ve come this far. I’m not about to kick the bucket now.”

Whatever the 【Sun-Devouring Ceremony】 might be, or whatever fearsome trials may lie ahead, Ur had no intention of giving up. Even if it was clearly a difficult task far beyond his capabilities, he had no plans to stop fighting against it.

《…Alright, I understand》

Akane smiled softly at Ur. Instead of smacking him as before, she gently stroked his head with care and affection. Then she floated away from Ur.

《I’ll sleep with the little ones. They’re still a bit scared.》

“Okay. Good night, Akane.”

After seeing Akane off, Ur let out a yawn.

Ur was tired too. He had taken a nap—or rather, passed out—at the Adventurers’ Guild, but today had been too eventful. Especially Zain’s Spartan training at the end. Was it his imagination that his fingertips still smelled of herbs?

However, it felt somewhat wasteful to go to sleep right away. The scenery of the 【Nameless Orphanage】 was overwhelmingly nostalgic for Ur.

For Ur, a Nameless wanderer, places that could evoke such feelings were quite rare.

Ur quietly walked through the orphanage, trying not to make any noise. Although there were signs of many repairs, the fundamental parts hadn’t changed at all. It was amusing how everything seemed smaller now.

As he walked around the orphanage, he noticed light leaking from a narrow storage-like space at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement.

Huh? The children should be asleep by now, right?

Intrigued, Ur quietly opened the door, and…

“…Diz?”

Diz was there. Standing tall, holding an old sword that must have been stored somewhere.

And for some reason, she was completely naked.

Faced with a naked Diz, Ur should have either immediately apologized or pretended not to see and left immediately.

But Ur could do neither

“…Wow.”

In the storage room, under dim light, she stood in front of an old mirror that must have been stored there. Without a stitch of clothing, sword in hand, she was staring intently at her own reflection, in a stance.

Ur often fought alongside her. Sometimes, he even received training from her. He thought he had seen her sword stance countless times.

But Ur realized he needed to revise that perception.

Ur had never truly seen Diz properly before.

“—————”

She was breathtakingly beautiful, just standing there in her stance. So beautiful that Ur forgot to run away or apologize.

Exposing her body and holding the sword, she slowly moved the blade. From her toes gripping the ground to the soles of her feet, calves, thighs, waist, abdomen, shoulders to arms, and finally hands and fingertips. She observed every part moving correctly, her movements careful not to miss even the slightest detail.

All her power flowed seamlessly into the sword. The sword cut through the air as if it were a part of her body. Though the movement was so slow that even an insect could land on the blade, Ur felt as if everything in its path would be sliced apart.

In this dusty storage room of the old orphanage, a worn-out sword was quietly cleaving the world.

“……”

Ur stopped hiding. He entered the room, closed the door, and sat down right there.

He didn’t want anyone else to see this. It was a base desire for exclusivity. He didn’t want to show this sight to anyone else. Ur silently monopolized her sword dance.