Akatsuki Translations

On the sixth night since the start of the dungeon exploration, at an inn in the temporary city:

“Ur-sama, do you feel any abnormalities in your body?” -Shizuku

“Somewhat. My body’s core still hurts.” -Ur

“That’s a side effect of the White King Formation. It should go away gradually.” -Shizuku

Thanks to Lynne’s healing magic, Ur’s body had almost perfectly regenerated. Considering his body was almost entirely charred, resulting in severe injuries, the effectiveness of her magic was beyond that of a high potion.

However, as a sort of “payment”—though that’s a bit of an exaggeration—Ur had to endure the pain throughout his body. It might be called “recovery pain,” an unusual backlash from the rapid healing.

“……….kuh……” -Lynne

And Lynne, who had performed that miraculous treatment, was still sleeping even after a full day had passed.

According to the healer sent by the 【Great Eagle of Dawn】, Lynne’s exhaustion was more severe than Ur’s injuries.

She was expected to wake up today, but it seemed she had been pushed too far.

“So… after that, what happened, and why did Echelle-sama end up like this?” -Ur

Ur gestured towards his left arm, which Echelle was almost clinging to, grabbing Ur tightly. The concern wasn’t so much the pleasant sensation of the soft touch but the intensity of her grip, which was frightening.

“…Echelle-sama. Could you let go?” -Ur

“uuguuuuuu..” -Echelle

“…never mind.” -Ur

After being growled at with tearful eyes, Ur reluctantly backed off. Turning to Shizuku with no other option, Shizuku just smiled warmly.

“As for Echelle-sama, please give up, Ur-sama.” -Shizuku

“Seriously?” -Ur

“You bear some responsibility too.” -Shizuku

Ur was about to argue, but he couldn’t think of a specific reason—not that there weren’t any. So, he kept silent. It wasn’t a discussion he wanted to continue anyway.

“…So, what exactly happened after that? How did we get out of that situation?” -Ur

“It was thanks to Echelle-sama and the power of her spirit.” -Shizuku

“Spirit?” -Ur

He remembered, she wasn’t supposed to be a priestess or capable of using the power of the spirits, Ur thought as he looked at Echelle. She was making an ugly scowl, her mouth a tight line. Unsure of her emotions, Ur gave up on getting an explanation from her and urged Shizuku to continue.

“With the power of the 【Mirror Spirit Miralphyne】, she repelled the dragon’s breath.” -Shizuku

“Repelled, huh?” -Ur

He refrained from voicing his amazement because he was curious about Echelle’s reaction. The moment Shizuku mentioned the spirit’s name, the grip of Echelle’s hand on Ur’s arm clearly tightened. It seemed, indeed, not to be a simple matter.

“So, it was repelled because it’s a mirror spirit?” -Ur

“Yes, a shining wall with such properties appeared in front of us, received the breath, and reflected it back to the dragon. It was quite a sight.” -Shizuku

It must have been a spectacle. Ur had taken the brunt of the dragon’s breath, receiving the most damage. Not only to block it but to reflect it back was no ordinary power.

“So, was the dragon defeated?” -Ur

“No, it seemed to have taken some damage, but perhaps because it was its own power, it didn’t result in a fatal injury. We took that chance to retreat.” -Shizuku

As Shizuku explained this far, she bowed her head. Surprised, Ur watched as Shizuku raised her face sadly.

“Detection was my role. I apologize for the delayed reaction at that time.” -Shizuku

“If we’re starting with apologies, I have my future predicting magic eye and still reacted slowly.” -Ur

『HAHAH, by the way, we were all dazzled by ‘that’, weren’t we?』-Rock

As they were about to start a round of apologies, Rock chuckled and brushed it off. It felt good to have the conversation neatly wrapped up like this, especially at times like these.

Ur then bowed his head again to Echelle, who was clinging to him.

“Thank you, Echelle-sama. Because of you, I didn’t die.” -Ur

“…..It’s not something you need to thank me for…” -Echelle

However, her expression was one of dejection.

She seemed to be looking down, trying to hide as if she were small. Despite her significant achievements, which she had been seeking, and the undeniable success of this mission, why did she look so despondent?

“……The 【Mirror Spirit】 is detested within the 【Temple】.” -Lynne

“Lynne” -Ur

As if answering his unspoken question, Lynne, who was supposed to be asleep, suddenly woke up and spoke. She looked a bit sleepy as if her body was still weary, but her consciousness seemed clear.

“The Mirror Spirit is treated as an 【evil spirit】.” -Lynne

“An evil spirit… The Mirror Spirit?” -Ur

Ur was completely baffled by her explanation.

He owned a hand mirror himself. It was a cheap, poorly reflecting one but he found it useful. It allowed him to check his appearance, see in places with poor visibility, scout around corners in dungeon passages, and more.

To Ur, a mirror was just a “useful tool.” Why would it be detested?

“Mirrors reflect light, right? Including the light of the Sun God, the One True God.”  -Lynne

“Ah, that makes sense.” -Ur

“So, looking into a mirror, the priests thought this:” -Lynne

Mirrors steal the sun.

“That’s why the Mirror Spirit has another name. 【The Usurper Spirit, Miralphyne. 】” -Lynne

“…By that logic, wouldn’t water surfaces be the same?” -Ur

If water collects, it creates a reflective surface. Even if not, there are other things besides mirrors that reflect light. It shouldn’t be a discussion limited to mirrors.

“That’s true. But water surfaces ripple and blur, right? It’s interpreted that they can’t reflect all the light. The fear-based faith was born from mirrors alone.” -Lynne

“Hmm.” -Ur

“You might not know, but there are almost no mirrors in the temples.” -Lynne

Hearing this, Ur frowned. It seemed like an extremely extreme notion to him.

“That’s inconvenient.” -Ur

“People rely on servants for their personal grooming. At least the high-ranking priests do. That’s how much it’s detested. In the Temple, anyway.” -Lynne

“……In a variety of meanings, I understand.” -Ur

He understood why she had been so reluctant to use her power, despite possessing it.

He also understood why, even after such significant contributions, she looked so downtrodden.

But still, there were things he didn’t understand.

“I get that the Mirror Spirit is problematic, but couldn’t you just use the power of a different spirit? Aren’t priests able to choose which spirit’s blessing they receive?” -Ur

Priests merely borrow the power of spirits. If there are dangerous spirits that could cause one to be shunned by the Sun God, one simply wouldn’t accept their blessing. It would make sense to borrow power from another, more beneficial spirit.

“A priest with high affinity for spirits can receive blessings from multiple spirits, but there’s also the issue of compatibility. If everyone could freely choose any spirit’s power they wanted, they would all choose one of the four great elemental spirits.” -Lynne

“Ah, that makes sense…” -Ur

Fire, water, wind, earth—the great spirits that govern nearly all aspects of the world.

With any of these four, you could do virtually anything. Indeed, if one could choose, everyone would opt for those. But that’s not how it works.

The 【blessing】 from a spirit is essentially a gift from a higher being. While training as a priest and enhancing affinity with spirits can increase the likelihood of receiving multiple blessings, it’s all up to the spirits’ will.

“…I was favored by the Mirror Spirit. I was a 【Favored One】.” -Echelle

At that, Echelle murmured softly. Ur tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.

“【Favored One】?” -Ur

“It’s a term for those who receive a spirit’s blessing without any training, right from the start. A spirit’s favorite. Such individuals are celebrated as potentially great priests who serve that spirit. Normally.” -Lynne

However, the spirit that loved her was the 【Evil Spirit Miralphyne】.

It should have been impossible.

The spirits’ domain, the 【Star Ocean】, managed by the Sun God Zeuladia, had banished the 【Mirror/Usurper Spirit Miralphyne】. It would never appear in the temple, let alone have someone receive its blessing.

Yet, for some reason, she was favored. Whether it was due to her rare talent or the whims of the evil spirit was unclear. But as a result, her fate was disastrously twisted.

“I never received the blessing of any other spirit. All my talent as a priest was devoted to it… unlike my siblings…” -Echelle

“Ah…” -Ur

Ur began to understand why she was so plagued by feelings of inferiority. She could only wield the power of a despised spirit, while everyone else around her was loved by more respectable spirits.

He caught a glimpse of how she had been treated and what she had gone through.

“…It’s complicated.” -Ur

Indeed, her power had helped Ur and his party, but this wasn’t just a simple matter of contribution. It was about accumulated beliefs. Healing her heart, wounded by those beliefs and her own feelings of worthlessness, was not an easy task.

“…Well, it’s okay. Now is not the time to talk about me. There’s something else I want to confirm.” -Echelle

Echelle forcefully changed the topic from herself. Ur wanted to hear more about her, but respecting her wish to divert the conversation, he nodded.

“What exactly is… that thing in the center of the underground waterway?” -Echelle

Indeed, it was something that needed to be confirmed.

The object that had diverted their attention so significantly. The giant magical stone crystal towering in the center of the underground waterways. Whether it was the core of the dungeon, the 【True Magic Core】, was unclear.

『What do you mean by ‘what is it’? It’s the ‘core,’ isn’t it? 』-Rock

Rock stated this with certainty, even though it should have been his first time seeing it too, yet he was very assertive.

“It’s different from a True Magic Core, isn’t it?” -Ur

『Whether it’s different or not, a core is a core. That’s the center of the dungeon city, isn’t it? 』-Rock

There was no room for argument against that opinion. Whether the Dragon-Devoured City existed because of that thing or that thing came into existence because of the Dragon-Devoured City was unclear. The cause and effect were unknown, but it was undoubtedly central to everything.

Even without evidence or basis, everyone was convinced that it was a unique anomaly within the Dragon-Devoured Dungeon.

“So, if we destroy it, the city will return to normal…!?” -Echelle

“………Hmm.” -Ur

“Don’t hesitate to say it!” -Echelle

“We have no idea what it is. Shizuku, Lynne, did you figure anything out?” -Ur

Asking those with magical knowledge, Shizuku shook her head. As expected, but Lynne, lying on the bed, narrowed her eyes slightly while looking up at the ceiling.

“Lynne?” -Ur

“………That thing is――” -Lynne

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

At the same time, on the outskirts of the 【Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga】

“What’re yall doin’ here?” -Jain

Jain of the【White Serpent】called out to the figures standing before them. The men standing in front of them, who had just returned from the Dragon-Devoured City, were known to Jain.

After all, they were also members of the 【White Serpent】.

Meaning, they were colleagues from the same guild.

Yet, despite this, the atmosphere between Jain’s group and their colleagues was exceedingly tense.

One of the men stepped forward. His face, illuminated by the light of the temporary city, belonged to one of the founders of the 【White Serpent】, and thus, one of Jain’s original companions.

“It’s business, Jain.”

“Fuck off, John.” -Jain

Jain retorted sharply, a tone not meant for comrades. It carried an intent to kill far stronger than any “threat” he had shown inside the dungeon to Ur and his party.

“Y’all can do whatever ya want, but don’t interfere with us. Get lost.” -Jain

“Don’t fuckin’ talk about doing whatever we want!”

The one who spoke up was one of John’s subordinates, not John himself. Despite being technically on the same level as his boss Jain, there was not a hint of respect. What was present was contempt, disdain, and hostility.

“Always treatin’ our plans ‘n orders carelessly! Who the hell d’ya think you are, you white pig!!” -John’s subordinate

“Your brain ain’t clogged with fat, ain’t it?!” -Rabin

“—Huh?” -John’s subordinate

It wasn’t Jain who reacted to the clear insult from the followers. It was Rabin, the beastperson standing quietly behind him. Her eyes glimmered dully in the darkness as she tensely stepped forward, her stance like a drawn bow ready to release.

“Stop it, scum.” -Jain

“Why don’t y’all stop?!” -John

But before she could leap forward, Jain hit Rabin and stopped her just in time. John similarly restrained his subordinate, preventing the conflict from escalating. However, the tense atmosphere dominating the scene didn’t dissipate at all.

Ignoring the atmosphere, John raised his voice cheerfully.

“Hey, Jain. You really don’t like “’em”, do you?” -John

“What I don’t like is you guys.” -Jain

John let out a deep, heavy sigh and shook his head, then spread his arms in an exaggerated gesture.

“Is it so unpleasant for us, weak nobodies, to struggle for survival? Things have changed compared to the past. We’ve got more to protect. We can’t stay kids forever, Jain.” -John

However, Jain’s response was severely cold.

“Ya sure spout a lotta pretty words. Enjoying getting drunk on yer own lies?” -Jain

“What do you me—” -John

“It’s funny, you getting fed from the biggest cesspool among the scum and then spouting ideals. Right, John?” -Jain

Jain glanced briefly towards the direction of the temporary city. The recent upheaval with the flying dragon had once again significantly reduced the lights of life. It was only a matter of time before the temporary city could no longer maintain its status as a city. The previous dragon attacks had a role in this. Despite the nameless residents feeling indebted to Echelle, there was a limit. People were fleeing one after another.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

“Was it yer group’s doing? Abducting the Nameless folks here amidst the chaos?” -Jain

A sharp, breaking sound echoed, as if the delicate balance held until now had shattered.

The emotion vanished from John’s eyes, who had been appealing with sad eyes until a moment ago. The same went for his subordinates. In response, Rabin and Jain’s other followers also prepared their weapons.

“I thought I’d founded an adventurers’ guild fer dungeon exploration. Since when did the 【White Serpent】 become a kidnappers’ guild? As a co-founder, I’d liked to have had a discussion.” -Jain

“Jain.” -John

The voice that responded was clearly different from before, emotion stripped away. Jain showed no sign of being perturbed by the cold call.

“So you won’t follow us. That’s your choice then.” -John

“I don’t see any reason why I should follow you.” -Jain

“That so?” -John

With that, John turned and walked away, his subordinates following him. Rabin and the others did not yet lower their weapons; the air was still thick with malice and hostility.

“Damn shame, see ya Jain.” -John

“Yeah, bye John.” -Jain

And with that, John and his group disappeared into the darkness.

“….Thought it was going to be a slaughter here, huh?” -Rabin

The previous malice nowhere to be found, Rabin laughed it off. Jain curtly insulted her with an “Idiot.”

“They were planning to kill us. But John is a man who ensures his own safety first.” -Jain

“Meaning?” -Rabin

“It means, even if we don’t fight here, he has plans to get rid of us.” -Jain

“Are we running?” -Rabin

“It’s too late for that now. We’re going back to the temporary city. We need to hurry and restock, and then—” -Jain

He paused, tilting his head as if deep in thought, and then snorted dismissively.

“Can those brats be of any use?” -Jain

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Dragon-Devoured City, Fifth Underground Level

At the heart of what was originally constructed as a waterway lies a strange, gigantic crystal. Different from the True Magic Core located at the center of the dungeon, this crystal, undoubtedly storing immense magical power, emitted a faint glow, standing quietly in its place.

『ＧＵＵＵＵＵＵＵ』

Occasionally, several sandworms would emerge around it. The one Ur defeated the other day was just a fraction of the sandworms roaming the waterways, crawling everywhere, devouring monsters, and gathering magic stones.

『ＧＵ――ＯＯＯＯ』

Then, they would spit out the accumulated magic stones and leave. As Shizuku had guessed, the sandworms collected these stones and used them for something other than themselves. The gathered stones would be absorbed by the crystal after a while and disappear.

『………………』

The flying dragon simply observed this. It neither disturbed nor helped the sandworms’ work but remained still. Parts of its black body bore deep wounds. Though gradually healing by the dungeon’s magical power, the injuries were significant. To heal, the dragon did not move an inch from in front of the crystal.

Its demeanor was like a parent bird protecting its eggs.

And that was accurate.

It was a guardian.

A guardian meant to protect the gigantic crystal and what emerged from it. Hence, no matter how gravely injured or wounded, it would never leave the crystal’s side, staying to confront any enemy with full force when necessary.

『……………』

The brilliance of the gigantic crystal guarded by the flying dragon was intensifying. With each magic stone the sandworms sent in, it seemed to grow. The light was becoming strong enough to erase the darkness of the underground waterways.

And then—

『――――』

A cracking sound was heard. Along with the sound of the crystal breaking, several pieces shattered and fell. Simultaneously, the crystal at the very center began emitting an even more powerful light.

『—Is it finally completed, Ahaha? 』

No one was there to hear this woman’s voice, distinct from the roar of the dragon.

However, this anomaly, along with a significant disturbance, was transmitted far to the surface—

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Temporary City

“…!? What the!?” -Ur

With the impact sound that seemed to shake the earth, Ur jumped out of bed. The trembling of the earth, a phenomenon known as an earthquake, sometimes occurs due to the pranks of spirits or the saturation of natural magic power. However, it’s not something that happens very often.

Above all, this time it was clearly different from those phenomena. It continued intermittently and showed no sign of subsiding.

“Shizuku! Where’s my gear?” -Ur

“Everything but the dragonfang spear is gone.” -Shizuku

“Damn it, seriously!?” -Ur

Ur’s current equipment was nothing but his pajamas. It was far too inadequate to prepare for the anomalies outside the city.

“Even if you had your equipment, please don’t move now. I will go check the situation. Rock-sama, you’re on guard.” -Shizuku

『What a bore. 』-Rock

“I-I’m going too!” -Echelle

The ones who stood up were Shizuku, and then Echelle. Echelle’s complexion was exceptionally poor. It seems the consecutive troubles have aggravated her stomach. However, Ur was unable to offer her a helping hand at the moment.

“…Be careful.” -Ur

“Please, take it easy and rest.” -Shizuku

Shizuku smiled sweetly, kissed Ur’s forehead as one would do to a child with a fever, and then briskly left the room. Echelle hurriedly followed after her.

『Lovey-dovey, aren’t you? 』-Rock

“Shut up.” -Ur

At Rock’s teasing, Ur sighed and collapsed back onto the bed. He was still enveloped in fatigue and pain, but naturally, he couldn’t feel like sleeping. The intermittent quaking sounds could still be heard.

“…Ur.” -Lynne

“What is it, Lynne?” -Ur

Lynne, lying next to him, spoke to Ur. She seemed more fatigued, but it appears she couldn’t sleep either. Her voice carried a bit of tension.

“…What do you think this trembling is?” -Lynne

“I have no idea… is what I’d like to say, but there’s one thing that’s certain and clear.” -Ur

“What?” -Lynne

“It’s trouble.” -Ur

A chilling premonition rose up his back, something undeniably ominous, confirmed by past experiences.

This happening now is an unavoidable disaster.

“…Well, yeah.” -Lynne

『Interesting, isn’t it? HAHAHA. 』-Rock

“Shut up, damn it.” -Ur

Lynne sighed as if giving up, Rock laughed, and Ur cursed.

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Inn Rooftop

“………………..” -Shizuku

“……….Wha, wha……” -Echelle

Shizuku and Echelle climbed to the rooftop to search for the source of the vibration and soon came upon its true identity. In their line of sight was the city of 【Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga】, a city still under construction, engulfed in what seemed to be a ghastly black barrier.

But now, its appearance was different.

Very different.

“Wha, wha, wha!!!” -Echelle

The black barrier, or something like it, was being dispelled. However, from beneath it, what looked like roots of flesh that had overflowed inside were now sprawling out in a dome shape. The black hemisphere had transformed into an even more hideous dome of flesh.

And the only thing that barely kept the original form of the city, the massive surrounding ramparts, had their surfaces crumbled, with roots of flesh emerging from the bottom, and at various key points,

“…Eyes, aren’t they?” -Shizuku

Objects resembling the eyeballs of living creatures began to look around.

As for why this situation had come to be, there was no one who could explain it at the moment. But if one were to succinctly describe what was happening, it would be this.

The city had become a monster.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?” -Echelle

Echelle’s scream echoed through the temporary city.

Thus, the curtains rise on a frenzied hell.

The quest that began with the coercion of the Sun Knight, Echelle, from here on, would move in a direction neither the Ur’s party nor their supposed client, Echelle, could have ever imagined.