Akatsuki Translations

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.

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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】.