Akatsuki Translations

【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.