《The Weakness of Beatrice the Level Cap Holy Swordswoman》 Volume 1, Introduction: Making Volume 1, Introduction: Making The girls long black hair was worn in twintails. Instead of any kind of accessory, it was loosely tied in place by fist-sized balls of the hair itself. A ring of bluish-white light spread out around her feet like ripples. As soon as the size of the space came into view, an unpleasantly mechanical and smooth voice came from the heavens above. You may now make your initial customizations. Please choose each piece of equipment based on the change to your stats. You may not wear equipment that exceeds your total capacity, so please keep an eye on how much Willpower is being consumed. Only when she heard that feminine voice and felt the chill on her skin could the black-haired girl see her own body clearly. She looked down at her hands while clenching and unclenching her fists. Why must I start with selecting my underwear every single time I arrive here? Each piece of equipment provides Percentage-type Magic. You may feel as if you are wearing the equipment, but it is actually a manifestation of your willpower. The twintail girl gave a somehow alluring sigh. She snapped her fingers and a giant circle surrounded her. Square frames fifty centimeters across rotated around her. Each one contained a sample of womens underwear, so it was a surreal sight. Starting with HP, STR, INT, VIT, MIN, AGI, and LUK, a list of around one thousand stats appeared and changed slightly with each sample she chose by rotating the circle with her fingertips. She set up an even larger frame in front of herself which displayed her slender body in place of a mirror. In her own opinion, she had a decent body. Her breasts were larger than average. Larger than average! Everyone around her claimed they could not tell the difference and they always mentioned her narrow waist instead, but they were definitely a few millimeters bigger!! (Emphasized for importance) (If I choose based on the abilities, Ill end up looking weird.) But you know what? Your question is unclear. I hate how all of the clothing I can select is so risqu. Clothing is Magic given physical form. All of these are what you have learned. I am saying there is a blatant bias in what I was able to learn! The options are different for different Jobs. A Holy Swordswoman is expected to possess only the almightiest and highest stat arrangeme-... Yes, yes. I was a fool to even think of asking you. After the underwear, she chose padding to prevent the armors joints from digging into to her skin, boots, gauntlets, other armor, a breastplate, a skirt, etc. etc. She constantly swapped things out and spent a long time to achieve a nice balance of appearance and functionality. She ultimately chose Western armor with a miniskirt. The shoulders and back were left bare, but that was not a downside when defense was handled by Magic. Material selection complete. Next up are the color options. The selected colors will not change the Parameters, but keep in mind that they can provide visual effects such as camouflage in some cases. Also, the available color options are theoretically 320,000-... I get it, I get it! You dont have to line them all up!! Ill do it on my own later!! The silver-haired girl let out a shout to stop the frames from filling the entire visible space around her. She also noticed something else. Mh? Even the way Im talking has changed. It is not uncommon for the speech and behavior patterns inputted from the outside world to change once the equipment has been selected. Some abilities such as Auto-Aim are directly controlled within the users brain, so they take over some of the thought resources and can negatively impact their personality. It can be necessary to recompose their mentality to an appropriate extent. When the girl looked to the frame she was using as a mirror, she realized even her own face had changed. She now had pure white skin that seemed to reflect the light and clearly did not belong to an Asian. Her long hair was primarily silver, but it grew red as it approached the tips. The twintail hairstyle had become a straight long style. It was not that a different body had been created. There was only the one body, but that one body had been transformed by the equipment. Honestly. Why does the appearance have to change after choosing the clothes? I chose those based on what I looked like before. It is meant to reduce the discrepancy between the equipments adjusted abilities and your physical body. For example, if a STR increase of 300% was left to the original muscular strength, it would strain the muscles. In order to use the effects properly, the size and balance of the users physical body must be readjusted based on the equipment. This is not an error. (Well, it made my breasts a little bigger, so Ill allow it. But! But! They were already bigger than average!!) If you do not verbalize your requests, I cannot assist you properly. You dont have to read my mind!! However, choosing different equipment would only give her another different appearance, so choosing clothes to match this silver-haired blue-eyed look would get her nowhere. The silver- and red-haired girl gave up and moved on to the colors. Of course, if she took the time to choose each individual color, she would be here for an entire week if not an entire month. Maybe I should choose from a color palette. Ill have red for the main color, white for sub-color 1, and gold for sub-color 2. Also, add in some chocolate color to round it out. Will 255,000,000 for red and 255,255,255 for white be acceptable? Cmon, you can do better than that. Like add in a bit of blue and green for a wine red look. The designation gold is unclear. Would you like to view the help menu? Brighten up an ochre color and give it reflectivity! What are you, a useless help search window in a word processor!? After shouting without anyone to actually talk to, the silver-haired girl filled in all the necessary fields. Once she was done, she let out a truly exhausted sigh. All of your preparations are complete. Welcome, Beatrice, to the Labyrinth and the adjacent land of Grounds Nir. To be honest, its exhausting doing this every single time. It really kills my motivation. Would you like to view the help menu? ? You can save any fields you have already chosen and call up that preset next time to omit this work. Would you like to view the help menu? Why didnt you tell me that two years ago!? Why do you only tell me when I ask, you damn window!? All of the frames vanished and white light appeared in their place. Like the bottom of a balloon opening, the silver-haired girl named Beatrice had her mind and existence rapidly sucked out. Volume 1, Prologue Volume 1, Prologue Im begging you. Can you please not do everything on your own? The next generation cant grow like this. I think you should at least stay away until theyve had a chance to grow. That conversation led to a fight which got a little carried away and devolved into an all-out fistfight. It ultimately turned into a deadly brawl using Magic, and as a result, here I am alone again with a victory I didnt even want. It isnt my fault Im strong. It isnt my fault I do so much. I was filled with anger with no outlet as I left the brick inn and walked along the stone-paved road. Really, it came down to the fact that my Job was a little special. Holy Swordswomen were quite rare. It was the one almighty Job that let one learn all of the Magic that was normally split between Jobs like Swordsman, Magician, or Magic Swordsman. That may have placed me in a more convenient role than everyone else. But you didnt get to choose your own Job. Your inborn traits were applied to automatically select the Job, so it wasnt fair to blame me for it. It was like I just so happened to have excellent eyesight and it made everyone with normal eyesight feel like they needed glasses. Did they really have to get mad at me over it? Also, all of the items that a Holy Swordswoman could Equip were quite risqu. What I was wearing was a far cry from the substantial full-body Western armor from the middle ages. As far as defense and armor panels were concerned, it only covered a fourth...no, maybe even less than a fifth of my body. The armor really only covered my chest, so my back was exposed, the gauntlets were like long gloves, the leg armor was like kneesocks, and it had a miniskirt. Calling it a steel cheerleaders uniform would have been perfect. You With the Long Silver Hair, The Scarlet Knight, The Deadly Dancer, The Girl Loved by the Shining Weapons, The Blue Mind-Reading Eyes, and The Short Holy Sword. I had a lot of titles and nicknames, but all of those names referred to the Beatrice in all the rumors everyone came up with. I didnt feel like they really referred to me. Hm. This isnt good. My feelings are getting a little harsh. At times like this, it was often better to give up on finding a Quest and instead make a bold shift toward refreshing my spirits. The Magic that supported us was directly linked to our Willpower, so you couldnt ignore the invisible Parameters like your mental condition and motivation. Although to be honest, refreshing my spirits may not have been all that big a deal. I left the stone-paved city and made my way to a green hill. Boo Boo. It was the usual place. I came across a familiar face tripping and cutely falling on the root of a large tree. A small but bipedal figure of only fifty to sixty centimeters was cutely squealing. His face was very unlike a humans. Based on human knowledge, it might be best compared to a baby pig with small tusks growing in. I hadnt actually checked with a scholar or an encyclopedia, but I was pretty sure he was a Miniature Orc. Just like a hamster, this would be his adult form. Cmon, Boo Boo. Dont cry. Boys shouldnt cry. But my knee hurts... Dont worry. Ill take care of it. Boo Boo sat down and I looked over his knee, but I couldnt find a scrape or even a bruise. It didnt look like I even needed to use any Healing Magic. He really was a type of Orc, so his gray body was quite tough. All I could do was stroke it for him, but that must have tickled because he twisted around. Yes. Boo Boo really is great. Whether it was a kitten, a puppy, or a chick, almost any small animal was really cute. But they werent enough for me. For one thing, a kittens round eyes always gave me a sense that they were doing it on purpose. Look how cute I am. You cant help but take me in if I look up at you like this, can you? Cmon, give me some milk. Cmon. That pleading look was so obvious and it was a huge minus in my eyes. Thats what made Miniature Orcs so great. The way they had no pride at all in their cuteness was absolutely adorable. In fact, they truly believed they were hideous despite looking like a stuffed animal, so they remained innocent and didnt get too full of themselves. Their pure innocent cuteness would last forever. Why are you here, Beatrice? What are we going to play today? About that... I narrowed my eyes a little. To be honest, I have to leave this place for a while. I came here to tell you that. Why!? Do you hate me now!? That isnt it. Now, now. Dont cry, Boo Boo. Youre a boy, arent you? Boo Boo kept trembling no matter what I said, so I hugged him from the side and hesitated over whether I should explain my situation to him. I was simply so strong that I was affecting the balance of the Quests. The friction with the other humans had grown beyond acceptable limits, so I was having trouble gathering a Party. I was reaching the limits of what I could explore and what I could accomplish on Solo Quests. In other words, I had no more reason to stay in Grounds Nir...that is, on this side. Boo Boo, this is only a matter of time. I decided to leave it all unsaid. I only explained the final conclusion to my small friend. Time will solve all of this. It might be two years or maybe three. Once the next group of Top Rankers takes over, once the relationships between Quest challengers is washed clean, and once theyve all had a chance to grow, that hurdle will naturally go away. Then I can return to this side...return to Grounds Nir and go on adventures again. So just be patient until then, Boo Boo. You understand, dont you? Yeah. As I hugged him, Boo Boo looked up at my face from my chest. I dont understand at all, but I decided I wouldnt cause you any trouble. Thats the best answer I could hear, Boo Boo. Lets get married. That sounded like a joke, but it was really no laughing matter. If a collar was invented to allow kittens or bunnies to speak human language, Im betting some humans would want to marry their pets. In fact, there were already some pet-lovers who troubled the government offices by submitting marriage registrations for themselves and their cats or dogs. There were also people who had the paperwork all filled out to allow their long-lived turtle to inherit their possessions. A talking animal may sound outlandish, but it was perfectly possible here in Grounds Nir. And if your distrust of humans grew far enough, you would begin to seriously consider a relationship with a non-human. There were apparently a lot of people who wanted to marry a mermaid or an elf, so what was wrong with wanting to spend your life with a Miniature Orc? Listen, Boo Boo. I gently held his small head between my hands. I will be leaving here for a while. But, Boo Boo, I will eventually return. So I dont want to be disappointed when we see each other again. I want you to be the best Boo Boo you can be. Can you promise me that? Yeah! Ill become the strongest Orc. So wait for me, Beatrice, because Ill surprise you. I see. So you promise, do you? Why are you holding out your pinky? This is how we make promises, Boo Boo. We clasped our pinkies together and made our promise. We promised to become someone who would not disappoint the other when we were reunited in Grounds Nir. ... The promised time arrived two years later. I heard the forests trees being noisily and roughly knocked over. I could tell the wild birds that lost their perch on the branches were quickly fleeing into the blue sky. It was like the advance of a dinosaur or giant monster. But it was not. ? A three or even four meter body appeared on the road after forcibly clearing a path through the forest. It had a round body and plenty of fat stored over its steel-like muscles. The Shining Weapon it held seemed to be a sword, but it looked more like a log or steel beam with a groove on the side. It was clearly meant for pure physical fights with no Magic whatsoever. The breaths escaping the face sounded like a steam engine and its pig-nosed face could not have looked more brutal with those impressive horns. Simply put... What is it? Do I have something on my face? U-um, no. Im just surprised by how big youve gotten since I last saw you. Boo Boo really had become the strongest. This was exactly what he had promised, so I couldnt exactly complain. So he wasnt a Miniature Orc at all!? Youre telling me he was a legit Orc all along!? Volume 1, 1: Fairy Red and Break News Volume 1, Chapter 1: Fairy Red and Break News Part 1 One summer day, the beating of a drum arrived from the inn town at the base of the mountain. Boo Boo was still young then as he watched from a small hill a short distance away. The peoples faces could not be seen from there, but the lights of the bonfire and festival stands looked like a jewelry box and let him know that a large number of people were enjoying themselves from the bottom of their heart. Gray Boo Boo had the back of his round stuffed-animal body to Beatrice who sat nearby, so she asked him a question. Arent you going to join in, Boo Boo? I dont know what this festival is for since I only just got back from the Labyrinth, but I can show you around the inn town. He shook his head without looking back her way. Im fine on my own. ? Everyones afraid of me. If I went to the festival, it would ruin their fun. So Im fine on my own. His round back looked small and that was likely due to more than his short height. Beatrice sighed and sat down right next to him. That isnt true. She smiled and stroked his head with her gauntleted hand. If you clear up any misunderstandings and let everyone know what kind of person you are, you wont have to think like that anymore. How do you know? Because theres at least one person here whos accepted you. The beating of the festival drum continued and Boo Boo said nothing for a while. He stared at the distant flickering lights before finally speaking again. I want friends. Of course. I want to go to a festival one day. You can. You can now if you want to. He shook his head. Im scared. Of the humans? Im scared of everyone being scared of me. Nothing anyone said was going to help with that. Boo Boo would have to overcome it himself and continue forward. Meddling and dragging him in front of everyone or pushing him forward when he was not ready would be useless. So Beatrice said something else. Then lets start with the two of us and go from there. Were already friends, right? Part 2 In the dark forest, a Shining Weapon much like a steel beam took out a Great Rocky Mountain King Bear. The Merchants and Couriers who travelled through Grounds Nir called those bears a fickle roll of the dice. The bear was large enough to knock over a moving four-horse carriage, but Boo Boo slammed it back-first into some rocks and jumped before it could even groan in pain. His knee slammed into the monster bears nose and took its life before it could put up any kind of resistance. He was three if not four meters tall. With extremely powerful muscles covered with plenty of fat, his entire pig-faced humanoid body was a deadly weapon. He attached his metal Shining Weapon to the crude belt around his waist and wiped the sweat from his brow. That was some good work. I can eat for three days with this. Hm? What is it, Beatrice? Does your stomach hurt? Ah...ah ha ha...The flow of time really is cruel. Im starting to wonder if my love is being tested... Hm? Im not good with complicated things like love. What you say is exactly the same, but it seems so different now that your bodys changed! Wahhhhhh!! Beatrice covered her face with her gauntleted hands. The stuffed animal that would squeal when she hugged it had vanished in the world of the past. Now she could feel an invisible wall of pressure even from a short distance away. Not to mention his bestial stench. She had even heard rumors that some pioneers would cover their hair and clothes in Boo Boos scent to ward off beasts. Meanwhile, he only understood that something was troubling her. When youre worried, a full stomach will get rid of it. Beatrice, I brought a lunch with me. Oh? Good job, Boo Boo. Youre so civilized. I feel like youre making fun of me. Youre imagining it. Im not all that hungry right now, but I am curious whats inside your lunch. Some might wonder why he would need a lunch when he had the Great Rocky Mountain King Bear in front of him, but it was only natural to make sure he had food in case he could not find any prey. Plus, the captured beasts organs and blood had to be removed, so it could not be eaten right away. As for the prepared lunch, Boo Boo opened a green basket made from a large leaf with disinfectant properties that looked like something found in a rainforest. Raw fruit. Okay. Raw mushrooms. ...Okay? Raw fish and raw meat. B-Boo Boo! W-wait. Why not try cooking things every once in a while!? Beatrice quickly stopped him, but he tilted his head. You sometimes ask for hard things. Uuh... That counts as hard? I know food tastes good when cooked over a fire, but its hard to get it just right. When its all burned black, it makes me sad. H-hmm. Well, setting aside whether its cooked or not, what kind of meat is it? Im pretty sure its twitching. I dont know how to answer tricky questions like that. Lets at least know what it is were putting in our mouth, Boo Boo! Her desperate plea only made the nearly four meter Orc tilt his head curiously. Hmm. Having too strong a stomach may be a problem. Ive heard necessity is the mother of invention, but does this mean Orc civilization never developed because there was no necessity? No, Beatrice. ? Im not just an Orc. Im an Iberian Orc! Ibe-...what? Boo Boo pulled out his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon and showed her a spot near the base. Iberian is the most amazing kind. It even says it here, so it has to be true! The word Iberian! was carved there by some kind of blade. It was in a wild sort of handwriting. (W-well, that is the best kind...or rather, it sounds tasty. But I get the feeling hes being made fun of. What happened, Boo Boo?) There was a big problem here, but getting bogged down in it would not help. He got back to the lunch issue. I recommend the meat. You have to remove the bones for the fish, so its only for experts. S-sure. But this is your lunch, so Ill pass. She politely retreated and he closed the lunchbox. Why are you here, Beatrice? To play with me? While I would love to, my main goal at the moment is to wait. Im waiting for information. ? Weve run into a problem in the Labyrinth and cant move on. Theyre discussing it in the inn town and I dont want to rush randomly in before they find an answer. Im not about to become a fatal test case. I dont get why humans go to that scary place. Ive heard the rooms and passageways change. Id get lost in there. Heh heh. Maybe so. ...In fact, there are times when I have to eat the pizza or grass fallen on the ground to survive. But Boo Boo, the treasure in the Labyrinth really belongs to all of you. Arent you mad were taking it? I never go to the Labyrinth, so nothing there is mine. I dont know whats there, so it doesnt matter to me who takes it. That may have been how it was. Grounds Nir was a small island that a human could walk around in about three days. It was filled with diverse nature, but its biggest feature was the giant entrance leading underground. Despite being a small island in the middle of the ocean, there was a vast and immense Labyrinth that stretched belowground like a spider web. It was rumored to be at least the size of a country if not an entire continent. The humans saw that as the whole value of Grounds Nir, but Boo Boo and the other Non-Humans who lived on the island rarely approached the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was scary and its structure changed at random, so not even drawing a map would help for long and it was easy to get stranded. But besides those more direct reasons, the island itself had everything they needed to live. In that case, I guess not even you would know how to get through Cave 25. Hm? Im not sure what you mean by Cave 25. Sorry, sorry. Thats the name we humans gave it. Um, every surface looks like its made of crystal, steep cliffs continue as far as the eye can see, and theres a single stone bridge across. Whats the problem? When a human tries to cross it, the bridge rotates around. In other words, it drops them into the abyss. Its a simple but dangerous Trap. Plus, it bans flight Magic for a double punch. ...We really might have to wait until the next transformation. We might just have to pray Cave 25 itself disappears next time the Labyrinths structure changes at random. The Labyrinth was protected by two different things. One was the Gimmicks, extremely elaborate contraptions that mimicked existing plants and animals. The other was the Traps embedded in the floors and walls to stop intruders. I heard something long ago, said Boo Boo. Yes? The big traps in the underground Labyrinth are linked to the extraordinary monsters wandering on the surface. Oh, you mean the ones known as Break News? Ive also heard that the giant Dragons and Krakens have some kind of occult link that lets them power the giant Traps. Beatrice sighed, accidentally breathed in a lungful of Boo Boos bestial stench, and used all of her strength to keep it from showing on her face. But the Break News have so much power its said each one has a soul. They were born in a certain environment, but they grew to the point that they can produce that environment. Both sides of the equation exist on equal footing. Its like the chicken or the egg problem. But it would be foolish to think about defeating one of those to stop the Trap. For one, we dont know which one is linked to cave 25, so-... Zzz... Hey!! Dont fall asleep while Im talking to you. Thats rude, Boo Boo! Beatrices raised voice popped the large bubble coming from Boo Boos nose as he fell asleep on his feet. He rubbed his pig-faces eyes with his huge hands. Yawn... Yeah, but gathering the seven crystals is too hard for me... How much of that were you asleep for, Boo Boo? I wont get mad, so be honest. Suddenly, a deep rumbling sound reached them from the distance. The two of them looked over and grimaced in unison when they saw the shadow beginning to cover the entire sky. Looks like its going to rain. Ill take this home. Boo Boo picked up the Great Rocky Mountain King Bears giant body like it was a thin blanket. What about you, Beatrice? Will you hide from the rain at my house? Hm? Your house? That sounds fun. I accept your invitation. With that, the two of them walked quickly through the forest as if fleeing the dark shadow approaching them. That shadow brought destructive rain. However, it was not a dense layer of thunder clouds. It was one of the Break News that moved freely through the outskirts of Grounds Nir. It was the Thousand Dragon. As its name suggested, it was the king of flying dragons and it had an abnormal body that measured at a thousand meters. Part 3 In what may have been a habit picked up from exploring the Labyrinth, Beatrice called up a map in the air in front of her using illusion Magic. Or perhaps she simply could not relax without checking that kind of convenient service, just like with a cell phone. I see... she muttered. Boo Boos house was near a mountain river yet not exposed to flooding or landslides. It was a decent location. It was not entirely safe as it could easily invite in bears, wolves, or other wild animals, but perhaps none of the forest or mountain creatures wanted to disturb Boo Boos territory. The house was made from the large leaves seen in rainforests arranged into a triangular silhouette, so it was really more of a tent than a house. Hyah, its really coming down. Over here, Beatrice. Boo Boo carried the gigantic Great Rocky Mountain King Bear as he stepped inside the even larger house. Unsurprisingly, the house made of leaves had no lock. Beatrice belatedly looked up at the house. Hm. This is better made than I expected, Boo Boo. You did a real civilized job here. I feel like youre insulting me. Youre imagining it. Oh, and it looks like youre actually cleaning the place. About every three days, I destroy my house tossing and turning in my sleep, so its always brand new. It was not just like a tent; it was a tent. There was no furniture inside, and it was relatively cozy if one ignored his bestial stench. Ill do something about this once the rain stops. Boo Boo set the Great Rocky Mountain King Bear down in one corner of the leaf house. As Beatrice looked around, she noticed something. Oh? Boo Boo, theres Fairy in your house? Hm? Theres a Fairy Ring here. That means theres one nearby. Her steel gauntlet pointed at a ten centimeter circle cut directly into the leaf houses leaf floor. You normally see these in a bush, though. I dont think Ive seen any Fairies. They always run away when I chase after them, so I dont know any. H-hmm. They are pretty rare to begin with and they dont like being seen, so they have a tendency to run away regardless... And you have an intimidating presence even to me, so I cant imagine what you look like to a palm-sized Fairy. If Boo Boo knew nothing of the Fairy, then it might be secretly living in the house to prevent other predators from attacking it. But if theres a Fairy living here, does that mean some Crimson Heaven Flowers are growing nearby? Ive heard of those. Crimson Heaven Flowers are pretty and smell sweet, but you cant eat them. Only one other thing caught Beatrices attention. Boo Boo, what is this? The house did not have a dresser or closet, or even a pot or a frying pan, but there was one object carved from wood. It was about thirty centimeters tall. Thats a human statue. Human...? Humans suddenly appeared here one day and some people say theyre messengers from heaven. Were all too scared to go to the Labyrinth, but its said the humans enter the Labyrinth to suppress the catastrophe spewing from that hole in the earth. H-hmmm. We arent that noble a people. Beatrice placed her hands on her hips and made a suggestion to Boo Boo. Now, then. Boo Boo, this is your house and I know an unplanned guest like me shouldnt be saying this. What is it? If you need something, just tell me. Well. The soaking wet swordswoman nodded and continued. Boo Boo, can you step outside? Eeee!! I-I know you might be jealous, but stealing peoples homes is wrong! I worked hard to make this house!! No, no. Its not that. Beatrice waved a slender hand protected by a gauntlet. As you can see, Im soaked. I can get rid of the surface moisture with my fire Magic, but I still want to wipe myself down properly. In truth, the combination of armor and moisture was disastrous and ignoring the issue would leave her entire body covered in athletes foot, but for the sake of her feminine pride and her sweet dreams, she had decided not to tell Boo Boo that. In a way, it would be even more embarrassing than being seen in the nude. It was unclear if Boo Boo understood or not, but... Okay! Then you can wipe yourself off with this! I always use it to keep my Shining Weapon especially shiny!! Oh...thanks. I know I shouldnt be picky as a guest, but lets keep at least a towel on hand from now on, Boo Boo. This was her only option, so she accepted the Item Name: Cloth. However, Boo Boo showed no sign of leaving. He simply stared at her from directly ahead. ...Boo Boo. Yeah? What is it, Beatrice? You have to know what clothes are since you have that cloth around your waist. This may be selfish since this is your house, but please leave for a moment!! And dont come back in until I say you can! You cant look at humans when theyre naked!! Okay. I knew human skin had no fur and isnt very tough, but I didnt know you couldnt expose it to light either. Boo Boo readily turned around and walked toward the exit. Beatrice glared at him as he left, but he showed no sign of turning around. Not in the slightest. It had been too easy. ... ... ... Squeal!! Wh-what was that for, Beatrice!? Why would you grab my back fat like that? It hurts, it hurts!! Boo Boo, Im not saying I approve of the cowardly action known as peeping. But... Whats peeping? Oh, no!! That isnt a concept I should be teaching you!! You said I couldnt look, so Ill keep my promise. Yes, but...theres more to it than that! You cant treat a girl like shes some old fish bones lying on the ground!! You need to look more disappointed!! She knew she was being unreasonable, but she still blushed and lightly punched Boo Boos waist a few times. Once Boo Boo left, the rest was easy. The clothing she wore was really Percentage-type Magic, so it was only an effect used to adjust her physical abilities. While real armor required a helper to remove, she only had to stroke a finger along her rapier-style Shining Weapon to remove each piece of Magic until she was in her birthday suit. (Your appearance in Grounds Nir is supposed to be dependent on the equipment, but while youre here, it doesnt change even when you strip down.) She used the cloth (meant for Shining Weapon maintenance) that Boo Boo had given her to wipe all the moisture from her soft and slender body. Then she switched the Magic back on to don the equipment-shaped effects once more. You can come in, Boo Boo. When he stepped back inside, he did not care at all about how wet he was. It seemed a solid Iberian Orc could not catch cold and never felt chilly. Beatrice had no choice but to use the cloth to take care of him as far as she could reach. He seemed like a small child as he let her do as she pleased. Nn. Cmon, Boo Boo. Dont complain. But theres nothing to do until the rain stops. Im bored. Well, this rain has to do with a Break News, so it should let up once that passes by. Lets preserve your catch before it rots. Theres nothing to do at home. All I can do here is nap. Thats fine. Im not about to head out into the rain eith-.. Beatrice trailed off and froze in place. Sleep with Boo Boo? An invitation to his house? When they had once promised to get married? But she still had an unmarried body. She wanted him to think that even roughly holding her in his arms would break her. Had she been too careless in accepting this invitation from a gentleman? W-we cant do that, Boo Boo! I probably need to create some kind of specialized Magic before we can become one! In fact, if you lie on top of me, you could easily crush me to death! Hm? Why are you shouting with that hair sticking up from your head on fire? A-ahem!! As Boo Boo lay down on the floor to nap (yes, his house lacked even a blanket), Beatrice blushed and cleared her throat to disguise her runaway imagination. She hid the Illumination Magic lighting up her ahoge and she lay down next to him. Only the sound of raindrops striking the leaf roof continued. Meanwhile, Boo Boo asked her something. Why do you go to the Labyrinth? Hm? I dont want you to get hurt and you dont have to go to that dangerous place. Only humans go out of their way to go there. Well, Boo Boo. She rolled over to look at Boo Boo who was lying on his side. We humans go to the Labyrinth because its filled with things we can never make ourselves. Yes, its to acquire Experience Points. ? Nonhumans like you use inborn Skills but cant grow beyond that, so it doesnt have much of anything to do with you. But humans arent born with anything like that, so we need to learn Magic somehow or another. I dont like studying. We earn Experience Points from just about everything. Even from eating meals, dancing, or just speaking with you like this. But those only provide miniscule amounts. If we really want to learn Magic, its best to acquire a whole bunch of them at once. That is why we attempt to conquer the Labyrinth. ... There is a lot to do there: fight Gimmicks, disarm Traps, and find Treasure in treasure chests. ...There are even some who specialize in drawing maps or filling up an encyclopedia. None of that data will be useful forever since the Labyrinths structure changes at random, but thats actually preferable when the goal is to earn Experience Points. People grew stronger the more experience they earned, but they could not properly receive the experience earned in a different world like Grounds Nir. That was why they used Shining Weapons. Only once the experience was sorted and converted was it taken into their bodies. That might sound roundabout and inconvenient, but it provided a groundbreaking side effect. Simply put, the experience obtained in this other world could be converted to numbers and artificially distributed. That allowed one to freely extend their Parameters that were displayed on the kind of hexagonal or octagonal graphs seen in baseball video games. This even allowed a free conversion of effort where studying at a desk improved ones skill at baseball or cooking food made one better at karaoke. And that allowed people to reach the Magic that they could not use in the real world. That is why there is no end to our adventure. We continue advancing through the infinitely-expanding and ever-changing Labyrinth to obtain the Magic we want and to earn as many Experience Points as we want. That said, experience is a form of stimulus. If you eat curry every day, you get tired of it. The areas that provide plenty of Experience Points change based on the daily trends, so there is more to it than simply continuing as deep as you can. Even Cave 25 that were currently stuck at-... Zzz... Beatrice trailed off when she heard Boo Boos regulated breathing. She had scolded him for being rude earlier, but manners were not something one could learn in a day. (Honestly, at times like this, he isnt that different from back then.) Beatrice kindly narrowed her eyes and touched the Shining Weapon she had removed from her hip and set down next to her. It looked like a Western rapier with the tip removed. She activated it, called up the Magic she wanted, and opened an orange film of light around her. The tiny barrier was meant for getting some rest within the Labyrinth, but the people who spent all their time underground could not relax without it. It was known as sleeping bag magic at the inn town and there were quite a few variations depending on Element. They lived a life of survival from the moment they entered the Labyrinth to the moment they returned home. No matter how deep they explored and no matter what legendary treasure they discovered, they gained nothing if they did not bring it back with them. When exploring, it was more important to master these means of preserving strength than how to swing around a sword or staff. The temperature and humidity were optimized and Boo Boos bestial stench was driven out. Her back sank softly down and her mind itself seemed to melt away. (Why do I go to the Labyrinth, hm?) She reflected on the question Boo Boo had asked her and her fingers stroked the Shining Weapon that represented her Magic. (Thats a good question. Why do I keep doing this?) And as she began to nod off, the end suddenly came to her world. Bghohh!! Bghohhh!! Bshrrrr...fshhhh!!!?? Uuhh... Wh-what!? What is going on!? The sleeping bag magic was meant to provide the short-term sleep needed to safely yet quickly recover the Willpower at the core of ones Magic while inside the dangerous Labyrinth. But even inside that, Boo Boos snoring mercilessly pierced Beatrices eardrums. Bffhhh!! ...mumble, mumble... What do you mean it only truly begins once you get the boat...? Bghohhhhh!! Wh-what is this!? Is my l-love being tested!? And it did not end there. The second trial arrived. Boo Boos nearly four meter body suddenly rolled toward her. The orange film of light might as well have not been there at all. The sleeping bag magic shattered with the sound of breaking glass. She had never seen it break before, so she was almost impressed as his giant form rolled her way. Wait, you idiot! Stop, stooooooooooooooooooooop!! B-Boo Boo! Ill be crushed! My body will be crushed!! Part 4 Once the residents of the leaf house fell asleep (although it looked like only Boo Boo was asleep and the scarlet Holy Swordswomans soul was escaping her mouth as the giant orc crushed her), a tiny form appeared through the gaps in the large leaves. It was a girl of only about fifteen centimeters. She had four dragonfly wings on her back, she wore a white and pink dress, and she had short pink hair. The red ring wrapped around her right ankle jingled as the Fairy observed the leaf house from near the ceiling. She was generally checking over the houses condition. Oh, dear. Boo Boo accidentally damaged his house again. The ribbon on the small Fairys head fluttered as she flew outside, scooped up some mud that could be used to mend the house, and packed it into the gaps in the leaves forming the floor and walls. She tore away the leaves growing mold and added new ones in their place. This fairy protected Boo Boos house without his knowledge, but the entire house would occasionally collapse when he made too sudden a turn in his sleep. That was not due to the house being fragile. He was simply too dynamic in his sleep. However, the Fairy did not seem to mind. In fact, she even seemed delighted to have more work to do. Fairies were often depicted as pranksters, but her race at least placed a strong emphasis on repaying both good and bad deeds in kind. This Fairy had once been saved by Boo Boo. He had rescued her while she was caught in the web of a giant spider known as a Ground Spider. ...Then again, it had looked a lot like Boo Boo had gotten his head caught in the spider web as he walked through the forest. He also looked nothing like the princes in fairy tales, but the fact remained that he had saved her life. That should do it. That was why she had been living in Boo Boos constantly destroyed and remade house for about a month. She would repay her debt by secretly helping out in a variety of ways once he fell asleep, but... Hm? Who is that lady? After finishing her work, the Fairy flew around the house and spotted the Holy Swordswoman in red armor and a miniskirt who seemed to be wrestling with Boo Boo (or rather, was being crushed by him). Oh, my. Did Boo Boo bring a woman home with him? My, my! Now this is a surprise. This might be a night to remember! The Fairy initially placed her hands on her cheeks and rejoiced, but... This delicate lady and Boo Boo who is larger than a Great Rocky Mountain King Bear? When she thought about it more calmly, that pairing did not seem possible. Also, one of the monstrous bears she had mentioned was lying dead in a corner of the leaf house. D-dont tell me shes supposed to be a snack for Boo Boo! No, I believe in you, Boo Boo!! Bghohh!? Boo Boos rhythmic breathing came to a stop. He snorted from his porcine nose and rubbed his eyes. What is this glowing thing? Ee-... The eyes of that vast and exceedingly brutal pig face stared at the airborne Fairy. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!? The Fairy immediately screamed and made an emergency evacuation of the leaf house. Just as Beatrice (who was currently being crushed below Boo Boo) had said, Fairies did not like being seen. Part 5 The giant dragon Break News left. The pouring rain let up and a large rainbow appeared in the blue sky. Beatrice and Boo Boo dragged out the Great Rocky Mountain King Bear and removed its organs and blood to help preserve it. Once they were done, Beatrice left Boo Boos house. She used Magic to call up a map as she walked. Grounds Nir was a small island that one could walk all the way around in just three days, so the only human settlement was the inn town near the center. It contained brick buildings and fairly well-maintained stone-paved roads. Beatrice really did believe that necessity was the mother of invention. Even if exploring the Labyrinth was not a direct necessity, people were willing to put any amount of effort into making themselves comfortable. When she returned there, the town seemed noisier than usual. She visited one of the inns that were more used to gather a party than to spend the night and a familiar White Witch soon noticed her. Her name was Filinion. The woman had long fluffy blonde hair and wore thin-framed glasses. To match her Job, she wore a white cloak. She also wore a far-too-short dress and low-rise shorts. Finally, she wore a white witchs hat with small rings and decorative cups attached to the brim like earrings. However, there was an unnatural slit opened at the chest and the front was too tight to close properly. Yes, leaving the cleavage of her ample bust in plain view! (N-no, I dont care. Im above average too! And the Magic Im wearing has made them even bigger!!) The White Witch specialized in recovery Magic, but her Sparkling Weapon was not a sword or a spear. It was the white first-aid kit sitting on the table in front of her. The box did not contain a variety of medicines. It was a Mixing device that combined multiple ingredients to produce the necessary medicine. She toyed with the key that hung from her neck by a thin chain. Beatrice, it looks like things are on the move. What happened, Filinion? If its about Cave 25, werent our discussions at a standstill? I thought we had to wait for the Labyrinth to transform and randomly alter the layout. Thats the thing. Did they find a way to get through? Beatrice took a seat and placed a stack of gears on the edge of the table in place of money. They came from within the mechanical monsters known as Gimmicks and they were convenient as currency because they could be broken down and converted into Experience Points (as experience in learning how they were structured on the inside) or they could be Mixed to create rare items for even more Experience Points (and the more complex the item the more experience it was worth). The waitress carried over the usual drinks. The White Witch named Filinion reached for the cup with her glove that left only the ring finger exposed. First, a Party seems to have figured out the power source for the stone bridge Trap in Cave 25. You mean the Break News? Beatrice sounded annoyed and she activated some fire Magic that created an illusion. It was essentially a generic memo pad that auto-mapped the Labyrinth and helped with the discussions held before fighting the giant gatekeeper Gimmicks that appeared and attacked with incredible firepower to punish anyone who stayed in an area for too long. A hologram-like image appeared above the table which displayed a diorama of Cave 25, a black form labelled Break News, and a red thread connecting them. I seriously doubt they are, but they arent planning to put together a large-scale force for a Break News subjugation quest, are they? Surely not! That wouldnt be possible. Those things are paradoxically thought to have a soul. Not even those of us at the level cap can hope to face them, so no one would accept that reckless of a request. She created a representation of the inn town a short distance away and connected it and the Break News with a red line. She of course added a giant x-mark on top of that line. Filinion pulled out something like a thick encyclopedia that was hanging from the side of her leather belt. Rather than purchase the information with a giant stack of gears, she had filled the book herself. She earned Experience Points by healing others and creating collectable encyclopedias rather than fighting. The White Witch opened it to a bookmarked page and showed Beatrice. Ill start with the details of the Break News. The one connected to Cave 25 is known as the Thousand Dragon. The Thousand Dragon... You mean that one? Beatrice recalled the pouring rain and Boo Boos leaf house. She also changed the Break News label to say Thousand Dragon. The task seemed even more hopeless now. It is a giant Dragon over a thousand meters long. Simply splitting the air with its great form is enough to create something like a contrail that forms thick clouds. That water dragon lord creates irregular downpours like that. ...But what are humans supposed to do about something like that? We arent the mysterious Dragon Eater from some dubious legend. We research and research some more to figure out how to avoid those things. Making contact yourself is suicidal. Yes. Filinion gently traced her fingers along her glasses. But word is getting around that we might be able to neutralize it without defeating it. Look here. Once every ninety days, the Thousand Dragon enters an unexplained state of intoxication. It flies in unpredictable paths, so be careful. Probability of occurrence: 78.8%. You mean... People decided to search out what exactly it is that causes that state of intoxication. And after discussing the weather conditions, the ecosystem, and peoples movements, they think theyve found the answer. Beatrice drew a red thread from the Thousand Dragon, but it led nowhere. She created a box containing only a question mark. Did that monster really have a weakness? What exactly is it? This. Filinion opened a different page of her encyclopedia. But let me warn you: you arent going to like it. Part 6 The Fairy secretly flew back to Boo Boos leaf house. His brutal pig face was certainly frightening. Her mind went blank if he so much as glared at her. But he had saved the small Fairys life regardless. It did not matter if that had been a coincidence or not. What mattered was whether she could repay him with her own hands or not. The roof still looks okay. The rope supporting the column hasnt come loose. Okay, there shouldnt be a problem. She checked over everything, but something was different from before. She seemed somehow reluctant. It looked like she could no longer follow her normal routine like normal. Meridiana. Someone called her name. Not only was it another Fairy, it was the leader of their group. The woman had large cicada-like wings, she wore orange clothing, and she had lime green hair tied back. Are you about ready? Yes, Lady Morgan. I reinforced the house quite a bit, so not even Boo Boo should destroy it for seven...no, five days. That leaf house was constantly destroyed and rebuilt, so this method of repayment may have been entirely meaningless. When Boo Boo destroyed the house in his sleep, he would rebuild it without a second thought, so he had been living in complete ignorance of Meridianas actions. But that did not matter. It only mattered that she could convince herself that she had done something for the person who had saved her life. I feel bad having you do this. Please, raise your head Lady Morgan. This is what I wanted and it had already been decided. You didnt actually order me to do this, right? But... The humans said that foul dragon grows drunk on the toxin in Fairy blood. That Dragon constantly feasts on our kind, but that pigment gradually builds up inside its giant body. I agree that we are just a step away from defeating that foul dragon. ... Fairies enjoyed eating the red petals of the Crimson Heaven Flower. The flower itself was not very toxic, but a dreadful change occurred when it was broken down within Fairy blood. The Fairies themselves were unaware, but it was enough to intoxicate even a Dragon that was one hundred, one thousand, or even more times their size. So I will end this in my generation. It will all be over once I am eaten. I will make sure to finish off that foul dragon so that no one need ever follow this path again and no one else must be eaten. Why would I hesitate when faced with such a noble cause? ...Im sorry. Morgan apologized even after being told it was unnecessary. Meridiana laughed and asked a question of her own. Is everything ready? It is. The only thing left is your resolve. Then we can get started right away. The two Fairies flew out of the leaf house. Just once, Meridiana turned back toward the house of her savior with a sad smile on her lips. Farewell, Boo Boo. Part 7 The ? box had been filled in. The red lines and several boxes created a completed diagram for defeating Cave 25. However, Beatrice could not hide her irritation as she spoke up. Who is leading this? Oh, come on, Beatrice. I asked who. She repeated herself in a threatening manner and the entire atmosphere seemed to solidify. She was not directing her anger at them, but even the other guests were overpowered and fell silent. They seemed unable to even move, for fear of getting involved. That would be me. The carefree answer came from a different table. The temperature seemed different in that corner. Five or six men with mocking looks on their faces were gathered there. The one in the center was a silver knight. He had a medium build and black hair. His somewhat sharp eyes were a negative in Beatrices opinion. He wore silver armor that provided an image of purity but was actually so polished it reflected and thus rejected everything. He had a large shield, so he was likely a Pure Knight. That was a rare Job one was born with, just like Beatrices Holy Swordswoman. Look at that. Someone on the Black List comes waltzing back after the heat dies down and now shes complaining like she knows whats going on? What are you thinking, Miss Expert? The red and silver glared at each other from different tables. Were the ones that have spent our valuable time searching for any way through Cave 25 we could find, but youll still get through the Trap. Really, you should be paying us a toll. The only things in Grounds Nir we are allowed to harm are the mechanical Gimmicks that lack a soul. We customarily have the Nonhumans take care of hunting or gathering plants and animals, or we at least accompany them when we do it. Do you really think we can kill and offer up a Fairy that can think and speak just like a human? We wont be killing it. Itll be committing suicide, so we arent breaking any rules here. Did you lead them in that direction from the beginning? A creaking sound came from Beatrices mouth. Her back teeth were crying out in protest as she clenched them. It may be true that the extraordinary Thousand Dragon grows drunk on Fairy blood, but who decided that the toxin was building up inside it and it was just one step away from death? That was a filthy lie of yours to trick the Fairy into offering up its life, wasnt it? The Fairy thinks this will prevent any sacrifices from future generations and youre trampling on those feelings!! Ohh, Im so scared. The Pure Knight remained seated, crossed his legs, and clapped his hands. Cmon, do you really think any cares that much about Nonhumans? Theyre just monsters from another world. What kind of moron identifies with something just because it acts like it understands you? Oh, maybe the kind of moron that sleeps with a pig-faced monster. But dont expect me to understand how a perverted woman thinks. The men around him laughed and Beatrice narrowed her eyes. So nothing I say will change anything, is that it? What? You think wed stop using those dimwitted Fairies? Ha ha! Why the hell would we? Its not like this is over once we get to the other side of Cave 25. Surely you know what were after: Experience Points! Well head down there again and again to run around defeating Gimmicks and snagging Treasure for the Magic we want! So well do this as many times as it takes. Well trick as many Fairies into being eaten by the Thousand Dragon as we need to keep going down there and coming back!! We just have to tell them that this time C yes, this time for sure!! C theyll finally kill the thing!! Oh, and you know what we were just talking about? What we really need to get that giant thing drunk and stop the Trap is the Fairy blood, right? So how about we drain their blood and use the rest of them as Mixing ingredients!? Those things like to run off and are pretty rare, so they might make for a pretty good Experience Point conversation item. Gya ha ha ha ha!! Beatrice slowly inhaled and exhaled. She created a new frame on the image above the table and decided to label it ringleader. And then she made an announcement. Is that all you wanted to say? What if it was? A great rumbling answered him. The red Holy Swordswoman had slammed her fist down on the table, scattering the false diagram everywhere. Lets take this outside. No one was able to perceive what happened next. Not the silver Pure Knight, not his followers, not the other guests nervously watching on, and not even White Witch Filinion at the same table as Beatrice. They heard an explosive sound after a short delay and suddenly realized one of the inns brick walls had crumbled and the Pure Knight had been thrown out onto the stone-paved road like an artillery shell. It took a full second before he realized he had been kicked. Gh...bah... As he rolled along, he slowed himself by digging his silver boots into the stone. What do you...think youre doing, you biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!!!??? He raged and activated his Shining Weapon. Countless sharp spikes jutted out from the shield that had been polished to a mirrors surface. There was a shield category of Shining Weapons, but they were not used to block attacks or strike things with their great weight. By placing magic on them, that ultimate weapon could stop a carriage or smash through armor. As the Pure Knight roared in anger, a dazzling silver light raced across its surface. The shield was large enough to entirely hide him if he crouched down a little and bands of light expanded behind it to form a variety of Icons. His mind was boiling over as he watched the red Holy Swordswoman casually walking outside through the destroyed wall. Youre dead meat. He had forty Commands for pre-registered Magic. He had more than fifty for the Percentage-type that increased his Parameters. One increased his STR by 200%, one his AGI by 500%, one his LUC by 150%, and many more. His muscles, skeleton, and organs remained human, but his clenched fist could slay a tiger and he could singlehandedly defeat a mid-sized Chimera if he used his Shining Weapon. Youve pulled the trigger of your own suicide... Our Magic is meant for exploring the Labyrinth, but you were the one that turned it against your fellow man first, bitch. No complaining now if I slaughter you with the same Magic. Youve thrown your life away just like those Nonhumans you love so much!! Sorry, but those Nonhumans have much more human hearts than the likes of you. People seem to call you Her With the Long Silver Hair or The Deadly Dancer, but I know the truth. Im not too fond of those nicknames because they all reference my sex or my body. People are free to call me whatever they want, but I think the only good one in the bunch is The Seven Flames. I know youre an obsessive monomaniac that only uses flame Magic!! Dont you know anything about Elements and Affinity!? I can use my water and earth magic with impunity and turn you to sand whenever I want!! The sharp spikes covering the Pure Knights Shining Weapon gave a roar. Each glowing Icon on the reverse side of the shield was one of his weapons. It was a collection of the ultimate Magic used to sweep aside the many Gimmicks encountered in the Labyrinth. One would smash the bedrock with a lightning strike, one would attack with a spear of ice, one would corrode everything with a black mist, and one would gradually petrify its targets entire body. Dont screw with me! Im at Lv. 99! Im at the level cap! All my stats are filled with nines!! Our amount of Magic is equal to our Level, so Ive got 99 pieces of equipment and incantations stocked up! So show some respect! Bow before me!! Who do you think it is thats been protecting you here!? ... Cry and beg for forgiveness, you perverted bitch. Ill slowly petrify your arms and legs and then smash them before your eyes!! Then Ill crush your look of crazed despair underfoot and ****** your ****!!!!! Right back at you. Beatrice drew her Shining Weapon from the sheath at her waist. It was a strange weapon that looked like a thin rapier with the tip removed. The instant she activated it, the world was dyed orange. ...Huh? The man did not know what that meant. He could not even react. The inn towns stone pavement and brick buildings had been replaced by something else entirely. Everything was enveloped in orange. It almost looked like a strange colosseum had appeared around Beatrice and the Pure Knight in all 360 degrees. But this was not a colosseum. It was seven tree diagrams. Each of them was a collection of Icons that indicated all sorts of Magic and they were Beatrices weapons. How many types of Magic surrounded them in all? One thousand? Or did it surpass even ten thousand? The Pure Knight could not even count them all. Y-youve...got to be kidding me... Why? Y-you...but you...!? Youre only supposed to be able to use fire Magic! Was that all bullshit!? No. The seven tree diagrams surrounded the entire scenery like an oblong eyeball. Beatrice chose something as if turning a dial and lining up a cursor. Its just that I have collected around fourteen thousand options from fire Magic alone. Although even that is far from complete. ................................................................................................................................................................................. He was entirely speechless now. That Pure Knight had a stock of 99, but when the Percentage-types such as his armor and helmet were omitted, that left only forty or fifty of the Command-type Magic. He had thought that was enough to master the Magic of every Element, so he was completely overwhelmed. Then he secretly activated some scanning Magic to get some information on Beatrice. Ones Percentage-type Magic came from the clothing they wore, so he was using her appearance to estimate her strength at full power. The result he got was frightening indeed: h3nganphin1hfufvpikih6tsu6nrudfkgur8j What!? Its completely corrupted!? It probably looks that way because you are still stuck in the realm of two decimal digits. We can read it like normal. She sounded truly exasperated. She gave the same sigh as a chess master faced with an amateur who did not even know how to move the pieces. Just so you know, this industry only truly begins after you reach Lv. 99. She demonstrated just how out of his league he was, but she still showed no mercy. Like a great serpent swallowing a frog, the Holy Swordswoman did not hesitate to activate her Magic. Do not underestimate those of us at the level cap, newcomer. The outcome could not have been more obvious, but the battle mercilessly began all the same. Part 8 When Meridiana arrived where her fellow Fairies were gathered, those palm-sized creatures were already setting things up. Everyone was there, even Juliet, Gretel, and her little sister Alice. The stench was great enough to sting her eyes as well as her nose. It came from a small container that at human size would have resembled a coffee milk pot. A sticky liquid filled the tiny pot. Fairies excelled at Mixing, but this was clearly different. I just have to drink all of this, right? Yes. But... I understand. The red pigment in my blood might not be enough to slay that foul dragon, so the humans provided this insurance. She was to fill her stomach with poison and then offer herself up to destroy the foul dragon lord from within. ... Elder Morgan noticed the stiffness of Meridianas smile as she spoke so calmly. She noticed, but it was too late to turn back now. If Meridiana was stopped, then who would fill that role in her place? And if no one did, would the foul dragon continue consuming the Fairies forevermore? What was right and what was wrong? What would reduce the number of sacrifices and what would increase it? Morgan no longer knew. So things continued. Meridiana picked up the pot that a small Fairy had to hold in both arms and she sipped at the contents, but she began violently choking after only the first gulp. Cough!! Cough cough!? Ghah!! She doubled over and covered her mouth with a hand, but it was not spit, phlegm, or vomit she coughed up. The liquid was already dark red. Fairies contained a pigment that could intoxicate even a giant Dragon, but that did not mean they were immune to all toxins. Just as a puffer fish would die if it was given aconite, they would suffer and writhe in pain like normal. Meridianas limbs shook and tears filled her eyes, but she still worked at consuming the deadly poison. By the time the container was half empty, she no longer had the strength to remain standing. She fell to the side and was half-crushed by her own wings as her entire body convulsed. What would Morgan have done had Meridiana said she could not continue? But the small Fairy did continue even while collapsed on the ground. Her eyes were entirely unfocused as they desperately tried to view the companions so nearby. Cough, cough... P-please help me... Im sorry...but I cant do it on my own... ... Dont stop...even if I cry or wail... Get every last drop inside me. Thats the only way I can protect all of you... That built up their resolve. They all became accomplices. They used small spoons and ladles to scoop up the sticky liquid. Some held down Meridianas arms and legs, one held her nose, and several spoons and ladles poured their contents into her mouth. The Fairys body thrashed about with unbelievable strength and threw her companions off time and again. Even so, more hands held her down until the pot was entirely empty. Tears spilled from every eye, but not one of them suggested they stop. ...Ah...kah... Meridiana lay limply on the ground with her eyes entirely unfocused. Elder Morgan looked down at the girl, bit her lip, and spoke to the others. We need to make the final preparations. Once we carry her to that foul dragons feeding ground, this will all be over. Part 9 No one in the inn town would be any help. Even if they knew the Pure Knight and his ilk were monsters, they had no way of getting through Cave 25s Trap besides deceiving the Fairies, so they were setting the Pure Knight up as the villain and continuing on without dirtying their own hands. That was likely how they viewed this. Beatrice did not even try to deal with them. The Break News were said to paradoxically have a soul and humans were no match for them even in a group, so what could they hope to do against that thousand meter Thousand Dragon? She did not know, but she could not just come to a stop. She had no set destination, but she called up a map using Magic and walked randomly around. How long would it take to convince the Fairies? Could she save them before they were eaten? Could she escape the Thousand Dragon pursuing the Fairies? She had a number of tasks, each more unrealistic than the last. She had no idea what to do about even the very first step: finding the village of the Fairies who hated to be seen. (But I cant just ignore this.) Nothing was at stake for her and she did not actually know the Fairies, but was it so wrong to stand up for them? Wasnt this just too much? Only the humans gained anything by getting through Cave 25. It had nothing to do with the Nonhumans that lived happily in Grounds Nir. Yet that was the goal of deceiving the Fairies by using their desire to save their fellow Fairies and convincing them to let the Thousand Dragon eat them. Was it that strange to find that unacceptable? Why do you go to the Labyrinth? Boo Boos simple question rose in the back of her mind. At the very least, it was not to grin as she allowed tragedies like this. The Nonhumans made reverent statues of humans. They thought the humans went to the Labyrinth to prevent disaster from spewing from that hole in the ground. They viewed them as messengers from heaven who had suddenly appeared in Grounds Nir one day. That was completely wrong. Humans were ugly. They were so ugly they would deceive and devour others for their own benefit. But surely there could be one human who would make that foolish dream come true. (I cant just ignore this, dammit!!) Hm? Someone spoke to her from the forest. What is it, Beatrice? You only just left a while ago. Did you forget something? Boo Boo. Then Beatrice remembered something. So she would not forget that flash of insight in one corner of her mind, she quickly used her fire illusion Magic and recorded the information using red lines and square frames. (There was a Fairy Ring in Boo Boos house. That means a Fairy lives there. I might be able to get information on the Fairy village from them!!) She connected Boo Boos leaf house with the formless Fairy and drew another red line out from there. She wrote a question mark there to represent their village. If she could complete that connection and convince them, she could get information on the individual Fairy trying to sacrifice herself to the Thousand Dragon. She could save them!! Listen, Boo Boo! I need your help!! Okay. Ill do anything if it would help you. She was glad to hear it. She told him everything she had learned, although she of course omitted the sickening part about the Pure Knight. Not that any part of this was not sickening. As he listened, Boo Boos porcine face grew visibly distorted. That has to be a lie. Not even humans would do that. I mean, humans are the messengers from heaven who go to the Labyrinth for everyones sake and prevent disaster from bursting out of that hole in the ground. ... Besides, the Thousand Dragon is gigantic. Tiny Fairies arent going to fill it up, so it wouldnt try to eat them. This isnt about food, Boo Boo. Its like dried grass and rock candy. Not that you would know what I mean by that. Anyway, its more like an indulgence, so even a little bit is enough. Beatrice shook her head with a pained look and Boo Boos face grew even darker. It kills for more than what it needs to live? Thats unforgivable. Thats right, Boo Boo. And we humans are trying to use that fact to get the Thousand Dragon drunk. Were trying to make it happy enough that we can get through Cave 25. The humans are using the Thousand Dragon and the Thousand Dragon will allow us through. That way we both benefit. Its coexistence in the worst possible way. But the Fairies arent stupid. Theyre way smarter than me. They would never believe that. The Fairies are tired of being eaten by this predator, so theyre willing to agree to even this suspicious idea. Even if it doesnt work, theyll keep going on the assurance that next time it will work. They believe the pigment in Fairy blood will eventually finish off the Thousand Dragon. Theyll believe their fallen comrades did not die in vain...no, they wont want to accept it, so theyll avoid looking at reality. ... Im sorry, Boo Boo. This isnt an easy topic. Im really sorry. You dont need to apologize. He shook his head. But I dont know if you can find the Fairies. Ive never seen one. Can you at least take me to your house? We can start there. But the house had changed once they arrived. It looked the same, but it lacked a certain warmth, just like the difference in the air between an occupied house and an abandoned one. After checking around, Beatrice finally caught on. The Fairy Ring is gone... There had been a ten centimeter circle in the leaf floor that designated the territory of a Fairy, but it was completely gone. The surface had been torn away and a new leaf set down in its place. It was clearly artificial. If it erased the Fairy Ring, has the Fairy left? A bad feeling rapidly spread through Beatrice. She had no real proof. A lot of different Fairies lived in Grounds Nir, and there was no proof that the Fairy that lived here was the one. But it was the first possibility that came to mind. That changed the diagram of red lines and boxes. It simplified it. No, wait... Does that mean the one that lived here was the one!? ... Boo Boo remained silent for a while. He looked around his leaf house again. He placed a hand on the walls and column. The leaf walls and the knotted ropes had been repaired with small bits of mud. Each fix was small but thorough and it was clear whoever had done it cared a lot for Boo Boos house. Finally, Boo Boo raised his head. I dont know where the Fairy village is. ? But I do know where the Thousand Dragons feeding ground is. It lands in the western sea and eats whatevers on the cliff. It didnt work, but I think some people even created an altar to get on its good side. Wait, Boo Boo... muttered Beatrice. Dont tell me youre planning to attack it directly. Thats completely reckless! I agree we need to stop the deceived Fairy, but that doesnt mean directly facing that paradox!! But Boo Boo did not listen. I cant say anything about that. He was not talking about human society, the relationship between Experience Points and learning Magic, the benefits of exploring the Labyrinth, the trick to Cave 25, the strength of the Thousand Dragon, its indifference as long as it was given Fairies, or the Fairies who would keep going even as they were deceived. Boo Boo forced out a low but clear voice and made an announcement. I just dont understand why anyone would like doing something like this. Part 10 Her consciousness had been flashing in and out for a while now, she could not tell up from down, and she had no idea where she was. Meridiana could at least guess she was near the ocean thanks to the smell of the sea breeze. This was the Thousand Dragons feeding ground. It was the remnants of an altar some reckless person had made in an attempt to contact the great Dragon. Gasp...gasp... Abandoned there, Meridiana could barely breathe. The inside of her throat was swollen too much for air to pass through and her organs were not functioning properly. That was hardly surprising given the amount of poison that had been forced inside her. But it would all end here. No one else would need to be eaten, no one else would need to be afraid, and no one else would need to be chosen. The roar of parting water sounded so very far away in her current state. She could not even look over in that direction. Her limbs convulsed irregularly and would not move when she told them to. She could barely think, but that at least kept the fear from gripping her too much. Then an intense bestial odor reached her. It was approaching. The giant dragons head approached the altar as if to inspect its prize. It would swallow the small Fairy whole and it would crush the stone altar in its jaws. (Oh...) She wished she had thanked Elder Morgan more. She wished she had taken her little sister Alice on more flying practice. She wished she had taught Boo Boo how to repair his house. Those were the only thoughts in her fading mind. There was not a single feeling of rejection such as a fear of death or desire to be saved. This was for the best. With that in mind, Meridiana began to close her eyes. But just before she could, another large form delivered a mighty blow to the side of the Thousand Dragons maddening head. The thousand meter Break News was knocked aside. Huh...? Meridiana thought she had to be dreaming or hallucinating. After all, this was not possible. No one would come to save her. No one could defeat the Thousand Dragon. That was why it was only natural for her to throw away her own life. There was simply no other option. But all of those assumptions were overturned in an instant. The figure was even larger than a Great Rocky Mountain King Bear. Plenty of fat covered powerful muscles, it held an especially large Shining Weapon that resembled a steel beam or a log, and it stood in front of the altar as if to protect the Fairy being sacrificed there. That mountain gave a roar. Violent killer intent was directed straight toward him by that foul dragon. But his back did not budge. Instead, the Shining Weapon spun around and its flat tip pointed right back at the dragon who had known this was a farce but accepted the humans invitation to indulge in pleasure. Are you angry? He spoke in a deep, furious voice that scorched the nerves of anyone who heard it. But unfortunately, Im even angrier. The Fairy knew this had to be a lovely hallucination brought on by her poison-addled mind. And within that dream, the Fairy recalled something. This Iberian Orc had abnormal size and strength, but he also had a number of nicknames: the Pathmaker, Lord of the Treacherous Peak, and the Great Glutton. Most of those were baseless names given to him due to his appearance, but there was one of more unknown origins. Someone had once called him the Dragon Eater. Part 11 Again and again, deafening collisions of steel and muscle burst out. Each time, an explosion of sparks flew out, a shockwave scattered, and Beatrice had to hold down her long silver hair as she watched from the side. Wow... Even if he had a Shining Weapon, Boo Boo could not use Magic. That was not an issue of learning it. Nonhumans had inborn Skills, but could not learn Magic. Learning Magic by earning Experience Points was only possible for those who had come from another world, so the Shining Weapon was only an incredibly strong and unbreakable club for Boo Boo. And yet as he ran freely about, he used only that weapon to face the thousand-meter Dragon. It was less like a one-on-one duel and more like a giant pushing at a mountain. But instead of being the tomfoolery of a jester, he was pulling it off. He knocked back the great head that tried to bite through everything, he pushed back the body that tried to crush everything from above, and he broke through or sidestepped the great wind of the flapping wings and the torrent of ultra-pressurized water spewing from its mouth. Given their difference in size, Boo Boos attacks should have been like hitting a human with a toothpick, but his great strength and speed pushed that abnormal monster back like it was being struck by a hail of gunfire. Also, Boo Boo was not fighting from the land next to the ocean. He was using his opponents field. He was using the ocean as his footing. I cant believe this... He isnt relying on Magic or Skills... Is this simple physics like a rock skipping across the water!? It sounded like a joke to ask how far skipping a rock could be scaled up. But if a sports car was driven horizontally onto a river at 200 kph, it would skip two or three times. Boo Boo was doing the same. His speed and leg strength were so great that he could use the water as his footing. He leaped about on the empty water, landed on the spikes or stones sticking out of the water, occasionally landed on the giant Thousand Dragon itself, and then used his massive leg strength to create the kinetic energy needed to leap across the water once more. It was not Magic. He was not using a Skill. He had simply trained his body to the point that he had the strength for this miraculous result. His physical strength was enough to challenge the Thousand Dragon on his own, something not even Beatrice and her fourteen thousand types of Magic could do. The great dragons fangs broke, its claws were torn away, and its roars became screams. The legs and wings used to kill were now used to protect itself and then to flee. When it tried to fly away, Boo Boo dropped down on it like a shooting star and mercilessly swung down the Shining Weapon in his hands. He pinned the Thousand Dragon to the ocean as if driving a massive stake into the world. Kh!! To protect the Fairy from the massive wall of water, Beatrice activated her rapier-like Shining Weapon and created a defensive wall of flames. But that was all. That was the only Magic she used when faced with the Break News paradoxically said to have a soul. Boo Boo dealt with it all single-handedly. With no help from Beatrice, he used the blunt tip of his Shining Weapon to stab deep into the Thousand Dragons head. Time stopped. All sound vanished. As Boo Boo stood on top of the great dragons head in the ocean, he spoke in an extremely deep voice as he adjusted his hold on the grip of the Shining Weapon stabbed vertically down. Ill be watching you. The great dragon squirmed like a frightened child. The Shining Weapon had reached its skull. Boo Boo held the weapon at the line just before cracking open that skull. You cant avoid killing to live, but if you kill for any other reason, Ill do the same to you. Got that? That was all. The monster gave in to mere words. Part 12 A drumbeat arrived from the distance. The inn town was holding a festival. After the retreat of the Thousand Dragon that provide the occult power source of Cave 25, the Trap blocking their way had ceased to function. They were likely celebrating that. But the festival was not celebrating anyone in particular. Boo Boo was watching the lights from a small hill located far away. What is it, Boo Boo? Dont you want to check out the festival? When Beatrice arrived, she asked him that and he answered without looking back her way. Im fine being alone. ? I would only scare everyone, so I cant go to the festival. In that case, Id rather be alone. His back looked somehow small. It cried... ? The Thousand Dragon cried and begged me to stop. But all I could do was hit it. That was the only way to save the Fairy. Boo Boo... I think Im the biggest monster of all. His shoulders drooped and he looked on the verge of tears. It scares me. It scares me that this is all I can do. And it scares me that I might decide it was the right thing to do since it worked. It really scares me that Ill more readily raise my Shining Weapon next time. It really, really scares me that I could become someone that kills for more than to live and eat. Beatrice narrowed her eyes at that. Boo Boo looked so very different from when they had played together long ago. His stuffed animal body had swelled out to the point she had to look up at him. He reeked and he could easily crush her just by tossing and turning in his sleep. She doubted all of her fourteen thousand types of Magic would be enough to defeat him and he had won out against a Break News just by swinging around his Shining Weapon with pure brute strength. But deep down, he had not changed from that small Orc that watched the festival from a distance because he did not want to scare everyone. Knowing that was enough. Dont be silly, Boo Boo. Beatrice stood next to Boo Boo who was taller than her even when he sat down and she leaned against him. I wont let that happen. Were friends after all. Part 13 And another individual watched those two from a short distance behind them. She was a fifteen centimeter Fairy. The poison had finally left her, so Meridiana was flying through the air once more. Boo Boo... Even if one did not seem to change and even if they did not wish to change, they still changed bit by bit. And it was all so he who wished to be alone would no longer be viewed as a monster. Volume 1, 2: Magic Processing and Paradigm Shift Volume 1, Chapter 2: Magic Processing and Paradigm Shift Part 1 Phew... A girl with her hair tied in twintails using her own hair breathed a quiet sigh inside a large garden located in a clearing surrounded by verdant trees. Particles of light danced around her shoulders, but they scattered as she walked. She walked to one corner of a marble gazebo. However, it did not contain the chairs or table needed to hold a tea party. It contained a large round jacuzzi. The girl with long black twintails let her exhausted body sink into the open air bath kept at a comfortable temperature 24 hours a day. She practically collapsed into it without removing the red dress which had a large slit up it. After a short delay, a small maid approached with light footsteps. The short black hair and the hat rather than a headdress meant this was the youngest of the three sisters. They could be classified as large, medium, and small, so it was easy to tell which one it was from a distance. Youre back, milady? ...Waaah!? You jumped into the bath in your dress again? But thats a top class Robe Decollete! Its 100% silk, made by a craftsman with a royal warrant, and known as a wearable mansion!! Didnt I tell you I dont need anyone greeting me since I didnt know when I would be back? ...And exploring another world is exhausting. I keep telling you I want to pass through the door in only a bathrobe so I can take a bath the second I get back. This thing is surprisingly hard to take off, you know? We cant let you do something so embarrassing! My equipment changes when Im in Grounds Nir anyway. In fact, the clothing and armor is really just Magic. If only I could bring this jacuzzi with me. Anyway, um, well, anyway, I can only insist that you be more careful next time!! The small maid was promptly preparing some iced tea, but (as always) the girl was not listening. As she floated face up on the warm waters surface, her red dress spread wide around her. The outfit looked like it belonged on the star of a ball or at a mistaken sort of wedding. Her hair was a lustrous black and she always made sure to tell the adults around her that she preferred wearing a kimono, but they must have been feigning indifference because they refused to listen and continued using her as a dress-up doll. How was Grounds Nir, milady? The maid asked a cheerful question while shaking the red ribbon decorating her modest chest. The girl pulled out her smartphone and sent over some data while floating in the bath. Heres a souvenir. Weve opened the path to oil-producing corn that will prevent desertification while also solving the energy crisis. You can use that Piece however you like. Waaah!? Th-th-that-that data could easily change the history of mankind, so why do you always toss it around like its a game of catch!? The dress girl floating in the warm water smiled at the maid who was flailing her arms around. My stance hasnt changed. Then again, some things might head in a different direction now that the way through Cave 25 has opened. Still...hm, I guess theres no point in telling you about that. Anyway, Haruka, are you using the Hourglass like youre supposed to? Ah, oops. I almost forgot! The girl gestured over and the maid quickly began operating the device. It was called an Hourglass, but it was not actually one. She opened the stopwatch app on the smartphone sitting on the table and a two minute countdown started. The girl operated her own smartphone while her floating dress and twintails swayed in water. It was of course waterproof. When she activated the AR mode, she could look through the screen to see dots of light covering the scenery and lines of light connecting them. B-12, G-29, and Y-03. The world still hasnt seen any of them. Do most of them not know about the future technology you can see, milady? I have to guide them elsewhere before they see that path. Using V-71 and P-01 would probably be best. The maid remained carefree because she was not even thinking about catching up to what the sharp-eyed dress girl was thinking. Grounds Nirs Magic certainly has its plusses and its minuses. It can easily pull off precision processing that not even laser processing can match. Magic could only be used in Grounds Nir and nothing in this world could be brought to Grounds Nir. The only things they could bring back were the Pieces created from data stored in their Shining Weapons. Thanks to that, we can easily bend this world...It really is like pouring orange juice, citrus soda, milk, and chocolate into apple juice and calling it a mixed drink. A single breakthrough could create an abnormally powerful supercomputer. That supercomputer could create compatible workstations, those workstations could control compatible PCs, and those would then lead to compatible mobile devices. And this was not limited to a single field. It could be processors, cars, homes, airplanes, ships, health, communications, sports, optical devices, food processing, satellites, robotics, agriculture, printed circuit boards...and even military technology. And those could easily change the world. It went beyond the inevitable decay of the prosperous. Even a small technological revolution could entirely change the balance of power, so letting your guard down even for a moment could send yesterdays winner tumbling down to be tomorrows loser. The worlds most powerful army could be left in the dust while some strange mercenary group or ideological organization could suddenly rise to the top. Technological breakthroughs were made by a single puzzle Piece. That was why every countrys government and corporations desperately sought those Pieces. They thoroughly searched through the jumbled assortment of them registered online, hoping to find one they could use in their research. If they found one that fit and that resolved their personal problem, they could complete the new technology or new manufacturing method that would change the world. For a brief time, the throne would be theirs. As the people exploring Grounds Nir brought back and uploaded their Pieces, they had no idea who would end up with it and what kind of research it would become. And they did not care. They were only greedily seeking Experience Points to learn Magic. They brought back the various Pieces and uploaded them because they might as well. If that did lead to some great research breakthrough, they would receive an extremely lucrative contract payment from the nation or corporation in question. It was something like a risky lottery in which one guessed what would be useful rather than leaving it all up to luck. And that could lead to moral hazards like with the Fairies and the Thousand Dragon. Immoral people were beginning to appear in this world as well. They declared themselves the winners as they created a somewhat twisted world. I need to be careful. Thanks to the water, the red dresss fabric clung to the girls skin and her long twintails floated around her. The corn data she had tossed to the maid was a Piece with a complete simulation, telling them which direction it would take them. If that corn was planted in the desert, there was no chance of it leading to an outbreak of bugs or a sandstorm assaulting a city. But what else would happen? When the existence of Grounds Nir had first been revealed, mankind had had difficulty with the Labyrinth. That had lasted until a free paper was published on a message board, suggesting the Shining Weapons at the core of a Magic system modeled after video games, the best system for modern human use. That had been the worlds very first Piece. The unknown author of that paper (who might have been an individual or a group) was known as the Sage, but were they correct in saying that simply gathering the Pieces was the right thing to do? Was it right to go along with the Sages idea when they almost seemed to be enjoying the show as the world grew so twisted and no one gave any thought to correcting it? We dont know what the Pieces we collect will lead to, but thats just abandoning any responsibility. If were going to collect these Pieces, we need to know how theyll change the world. Milady... The dress girl operated her smartphone while listening to the maid. She canceled AR mode and played a normal full-seg broadcast on a normal screen. B-12, G-29, and Y-03 had to be stopped. V-71 and P-01 would be useful in avoiding them. Among the endless number of new technologies to be created from the countless Pieces, the dress girl was focused on a certain industry in particular. As the West complains more and more about obesity, obesity, obesity, theyve started focusing on Japans fish culture. You dont have to suffer through an oppressively healthy diet and you can eat as much delicious food as you want, all while losing weight! Our Fishing Cafeteria Group is finally heading overseas! The next global standard in fast food is Chinese food! Ramen, fried rice, and gyoza are already part of the worlds vocabulary, so all that remains is for us to set the standard. The FE Caiguan Zhushi Gongsi is beginning a simultaneous campaign in fifty countries around the world. Burgers are old news? Well, were going to tear down that old news and bring you a brand new experience based on the lessons weve learned in the past. This is a giant step forward and a challenge to our rivals. No one can ransack our field. (The fast food industry is fighting for global dominance. They want to cover the entire planet, national borders be damned, and they want to serve as many grams as possible for as little money as possible.) The girl sighed as if to force out the unpleasant feeling growing deep in her chest. Boo Boo really seemed to believe humans were messengers from heaven, but the reality was very different. She silently swore to never let him see this ugly side of humanity. Then she raised her head and spoke. Haruka. Y-yes!? What is it, milady!? I know you set up the Hourglass, but you didnt mute the smartphone, did you? Waaah!! The maid panicked and caused the tea set on the table to clank together, but the red dress girl ignored her and shut off the image on her smartphones screen. She removed the hard key inserted into the bottom connector and connected it to something hanging from her neck by a thin necklace chain. The device dancing in front of her chest was smaller and skinnier than a USB flash drive. The Nonhumans of Grounds Nir would probably think it looked like a tiny version of the sword or spear Shining Weapons that humans used. She used her thumb to close up the connector on the blade. (Honestly, I understand changing our appearance, but it also partially overwrites your speech patterns, personality, and thought patterns to make room for the magic youve learned. It really makes you think.) Even so, the girl was not going to stop what she was doing. She did not simply want to be some corporations tool. She had another reason to continue her exploration of Grounds Nir. Ive got to do something. She operated something with the movement of her eyes. The roof of the gazebo became transparent and she could see a long contrail in the clear blue afternoon sky. When she looked further into the distance, she saw high-rise buildings beyond the green trees. Yes. This was a one kilometer wide circle cleared out in the center of Tokyos Roppongi. It was known as the Detached Magic Palace. That green garden prison had been constructed for the girl known as a Holy Swordswoman. Part 2 I made a garden. Kyah! Thats amazing, Boo Boo. Youre so civilized! Do you hate me, Beatrice? Dont be silly. Anyway, what are you growing? Boo Boo had indeed forcibly tilled the hard earth near the Fairy-protected leaf house. It must have been some extremely fast-growing vegetable because green ivy was already climbing up the supports and bearing green vegetables. They looked like tomatoes, but Beatrice could not tell if they were supposed to be green or if they would grow red later. Boo Boo, what kind of vegetable is this? Theyre called Flat Chest Eggplants. Flat Chest...? That name included an unacceptable term for a teenage girl, but Beatrice decided to assume that was a Nonhuman term that just so happened to sound like that in human language. However... If you eat it, its supposed to make your chest flat. But it doesnt make me any slimmer when I eat it, so no one knows if its true or not. It does mean that!!!??? Beatrice backed away from that enemy of girls everywhere and used her gauntleted hands to guard her chest. Oblivious to the girls terror, Boo Boo tilted his head and said more. Huh? Or was it touching the Flat Chest Eggplant that mattered? No, it was touching it and then touching your chest, getting the juice on you. ...Or was it something else? Hmm, Im not an old witch, so I dont remember that tricky stuff. Waaah!! Tell me that before I protect myself with the finger I used to poke the vegetable, Boo Boo!! Beatrice tearfully shouted with pretty much all of her strength and quickly used fire illusion Magic to call up a rectangular frame. She rapidly scrolled through the specs listed there and stopped on a certain point. It had gone down. It had gone down a little. It was only a few millimeters, but she had lost the critical amount she needed to be above rather than below average. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Wh-what is it, Beatrice!? Wh-wh-what do I do, what do I do, what do I do!? If I head back and come back to Grounds Nir, will my appearance reset? And if that doesnt work, do I need to ask White Witch Filinion for help? Ask her!? Ask that cow in glasses for help with my breasts!? The Holy Swordswoman shouted and tore at her beautiful hair with both hands. She was afraid to think what would happen if her amateur methods did not work. Crying to that cow about this would be a suicidal declaration of defeat. But just in case (Yes, just in case!), she created a frame using the two L-shapes of her thumb and forefinger and took a Magic photo of the vegetable. But... P-pant, pant, pant. B-but, Boo Boo. What is all this about, Beatrice? Your gardens vegetables arent doing too good. There are bugs on them and is this from birds pecking at them? Thats part of nature, so theres no helping it. But this doesnt leave any for you. The bugs eat the vegetables I make, the birds eat the bugs, the beasts eat the birds, and I catch the beasts, so its still a good deal for me. She tried using her illusion Magic to create a chart out of red lines and frames, but... Hmm... Will it really work out that way? I think youre losing too much to luck. My logic is perfect, so its fine. Also, vegetables arent there to bring in meat. You need to eat the vegetables too. Everything needs to be balanced. Vegetables... Why would you want me to do something I hate? Maybe you do hate me... Beatrice nearly asked why he had made the garden in the first place, but she wanted to avoid a pointless argument like that. By the way, Boo Boo. I wanted to ask you something. G-gulp!? I-Im eating my Nyandetta Fruit! Im not secretly hiding them!! ...Boo Boo? What even was a Nyandetta Fruit? Vegetables are important, but lets talk about something else. Boo Boo, have you heard of a Guild known as Elkiad? Ive never heard of a vegetable called that. I see. So you really dont know anything. Boo Boo had no connection with human society, so he might not even know what a Guild is, much less a specific one like Elkiad. Beatrice prepared a few red lines and frames and showed them to Boo Boo. A Guild is a human organization created to explore the Labyrinth. You can think of them as a gathering of several Parties, groups that actually head out the Labyrinth. But a Guild will include noncombat logistical support members who prepare food and other things needed for everyday life. I dont like thinking about all that tricky stuff. Oh, but its simple, Boo Boo. If you hear the name Elkiad, then avoid them if at all possible. Theyre a dangerous Guild thats been gaining power recently and theyre creating a real moral hazard among their ranks. Theyre people whose words I can understand but whose thoughts I cant. So be careful. She created a frame labeled Elkiad and drew an X over it without any connecting red lines. Simply put, the humans behind the Fairy and Thousand Dragon incident had belonged to Elkiad. If the lowest members were like that, then the central members had to be even more rotten. She left that unsaid because she did not want to remind kind Boo Boo of that unpleasant business, but she did make one thing quite clear. Elkiad seems to be growing impatient with their Labyrinth exploration. The wiring in their head was messed up to begin with, but that impatience is pushing them even further. Avoiding them is in your best interest. Is this about Magic and Experience Points? Thats right, Boo Boo. Good job remembering that. I dont really get it. Is shooting fire or ice from your hand really that great? I mean, it is pretty cool, but is it worth risking your life in that scary Labyrinth? Heh heh heh. Yes, you might be right about that. It probably isnt a testament to human intelligence that we see excess value in that. Were just a bunch of fools that are really good at finding more than is absolutely necessary. But I would like to be able to fly. Yes. And Id like to make a candy house. Part 3 After parting ways with Boo Boo, Beatrice opened her Magic map and walked toward the inn town. The inn town was the human base of operations, but it had no homes. None of the shop owners slept in Grounds Nir. They would look after the shop in rotations of two or three shifts, so no single person stayed in Grounds Nir for long. For better or for worse, Grounds Nirs Nonhumans were not affected much by human culture. Even so, Beatrice ran across two familiar faces in the inn town. One was the White Witch Filinion with her fluffy blonde hair, glasses, white cloak, dress, and low-rise shorts. As always, she was showing off her breasts that Beatrice could only call gluttonous, but Beatrice was smugly certain that her type was much less impressive back in their original world. The other was Fighter Priest Armelina who had short green hair, a tall stature, and a very, very flat (ha ha) chest. She wore a long green skirt with a long slit on both sides. The boldly exposed chest seemed odd for a supposed priest, but that was actually fairly tame for Grounds Nir. The two of them were speaking in front of an open-air shop with fruit juice in hand. But instead of an elegant chat over tea, they seemed to be plotting some way to get Mixing ingredients and the gears used as currency. Then again, those two were only ever talking about the Labyrinth or Magic, which really came down to money in the end. Oh, Beatrice. We were just talking about you. ? She joined the conversation and they both started talking to her. With the route through Cave 25 opened, things have gotten pretty busy around here. But can we really let that Piece be uploaded to our world? I dont know much about big data or the conspiracies of global corporations, but this ones a little too blatant. And of course, that brings us to you. I suppose it would, casually agreed Beatrice. So are you trying to get me to play the villain again? What are you talking about? Youre the one that started this. The White Witch sounded exasperated and Armelina spoke up next to her. Do you really think Filinion can play your role when all she can do is heal people and let those giant boobs bounce around? M-my breasts have nothing to do with this! I didnt ask to have them this big! What!? Dont tell me you think theyre a negative, you cow! What!? Dont tell me you think theyre a negative, you cow! Filinion blushed and covered her chest with both hands, but Beatrice and Armelina snapped back at her in perfect unison. The Holy Swordswomans ahoge ignited as an illuminating fire. It was the Fighting Priest who first realized this was not the time for that. Anyway, its the usual situation, so wouldnt you be best, Beatrice? And it doesnt look to me like youre complaining. Thats fine with me. So does that mean were off to the Labyrinth? When do we start? Now, if thats okay. The Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, and Fighting Priest were all monsters at the level cap who claimed things only began after reaching Level 99. Those three girls with tricky Jobs formed a temporary Party. I feel like were going to get stabbed in the back someday. Im counting on you to heal me when that day comes. Now lets go. Part 4 Eternal Foods will provide safety and reliability to the worlds food! Food poisoning, carcinogens, and other health hazards. Not even canning, freezing, drying, and vacuum sealing can wholly eliminate all of these problems, but we have eliminated them all with our thorough control of the original ingredients. The most useful technique is a natural preservative. Chemical preservatives can eliminate most food risks, but too little and you get food poisoning yet two much and you get other health hazards. This has been a real problem, hasnt it? But Eternal Foods has developed the Imortalise Series. This mixture of natural preservative extracts can successfully reduce the pathogens behind food poisoning by 99.9% while also completely eliminating any dangerous chemical compounds. This is truly a groundbreaking health defense. Preventing spoilage allows food to be shipped over much larger distances, allowing stores to expand, and the extended shelf life prevents food waste. This should translate into a positive reduction in price for you, the consumers. And from a societal standpoint, food can be more easily stockpiled and wasted food more efficiently reused. Part 5 After ending their Labyrinth exploration for the day and returning aboveground, Beatrice walked along a path while somewhat rearranging the map created from illusion Magic. The automap function was based on where she had walked, so it was a little crude. (That was an awful trip. We were running for our lives the entire time... All we did was run away from that super-tough punishment Gimmick known as the Fingertip of Destruction.) She could sync her map with map-obsessed Fighting Priest Armelina later on, but that was not a happy thought since the girl was bound to take a ton of gears as payment. (I cant forget the basic fact that we were lucky to get back safely at all. There is Magic to return immediately, but then you have to leave behind all of the Treasure youd gathered. Ahh, Im so tired.) For a change of pace, she called up her Magic map of the area and headed to Boo Boos house, but then she heard a scream beyond the trees. Squeal! ...O-ow! Y-youre just too strong for me. Hm? What is it, Boo Boo!? Beatrice could tell this was serious and she rushed over, but she was tilting her head even as she rushed. Boo Boo had unilaterally beaten the thousand meter Break News known as the Thousand Dragon, so was there anything he could not defeat? Her question was quickly answered. Right in front of his tent-like leaf house, Boo Boo was collapsed face down as he trembled with his hands over his head. His butt rose up like a small hill and a girl of about ten with long silver hair and a skimpy black outfit was sitting cross-legged on top of that hill. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!! You may have gotten carried away after beating up the Thousand Dragon, but now do you see how pitiful you truly are, Nonhuman? That thing was only the lowest of the Break News. Now tremble in the face of real power!! I-I never cared about strength. But you do have talent. Why not take me as your master and have me retrain you from the ground up? This old hag isnt listening to anything I-...ow!! Beatrice was unsure how to react. What was this? Had four meter Boo Boo really gotten into a fight with a ten year old girl and had he really been the one to get beaten up? (Yeah... I have no idea whats going on here, but I am glad this didnt go: Youre my enemy Boo Boo beats the ever-living snot out of a little girl.) That said, she could not figure this out, so she tried solving it a piece at a time. So what should she ask first? I kind of doubt it, but...Boo Boo, is having a girl sit on you your idea of fun? The only things I do for fun are puzzle rings and the ring toss. Heh heh. I can solve even the trickiest puzzle ring before you can count to three. Thats because you break them, Boo Boo. Now, would you mind explaining who this girl is? Beatrice had started with that because of how the girl was dressed. If she was being generous, she would call it a black dress, but it felt more like the girl had a ribbon wrapped around her body and had added a miniskirt on top of that. She also had tropical flower decorations on either side of her head and on her back, but that was not the main point. Beatrices armor and skirt were technically Magic and every piece of equipment increased her strength or thought speed by a certain percentage...but this girl had none of that. Her clothing was most likely special-made from Ground Spider silk, but that meant it was not Magic. These were simply clothes. And that led to a simple conclusion. This girl looked just like a human, but she was clearly doing something humans did not. And as the black ribbon dress girl gave off an aura of cruel delight like an evil demon king sitting in his throne, she stood up on top of Boo Boos butt, placed her hands on her hips, and looked down at Beatrice. Hee hee. I am Sutriona, one of the Break News. I am of course the Queen of the Harlots who appears in the crimson night. Bfhh!? Beatrice spat out the contents of her mouth at that sudden announcement. (How can she say that with such a cherubic face!?) I had heard he had defeated one of us Break News, even if it was the lowliest one. I was curious, so I challenged to him to a bit of a fight. However, it was not even worth spreading my Wings of the Maddeningly Hot Night. No, not that! I dont care about that! What was that about harlots? Is this some elaborate joke!? You care about that? But its the truth, so Im not sure what to tell you. I am the queen of the thousands of sweltering nights and the sandstorm of maddening red heat that consumes eons of peace. What other title could I use? I really, really hope this isnt it, but...are you seriously calling yourself that? No ones making you do it after you lost a game or something? I was sick of everyone calling me cute when I was Queen of the Fairies, so I changed the title myself. For some reason, my shrine maidens at the waterfall altar have been sobbing ever since. I had a feeling that was it!! What is your problem? No one deserves to be called Queen of the Harlots more than me. For example, I am of course not wearing any panties. G-get down from there!! Stop standing so triumphantly on top of Boo Boo, you old hag!! After some struggles and difficulties, Beatrice somehow managed to drag Sutriona, Queen of the Har-...of the Fairies, down from the small hill of Boo Boos butt. But was this slender girl really a Break News just as strong as, or even stronger than, the Thousand Dragon? How exactly had she knocked Boo Boo down to the dirt? When Beatrice asked, Sutriona put her hands on her hips, gave a proud snort, and answered. How, you ask? With your worlds wrestling techniques. Where did you learn about those!? No, thats not the point. How could you possibly wrestle with him!? Your arms and legs are too short to deal with Boo Boos giant body. Youd never be able to reach for a throw or a joint lock!! Oh? Did you just say short, human girl? The long, silver-haired girl gave a dark smile and an ominous aura surrounded her. Skinny, Ill allow. Small, Ill put up with. ...But you just said short, didnt you? Eh? What? If you want to know that badly, Ill show you just how I brought down that Iberian Orc. I used this fifteen joint lock combo from hellllllllllllllllll!! Eh? Iberian Orc is a real species name!? And wait, you idiot!! Are you saying you pinned Boo Boo down like this without any underwear on!? And this pincer hold- vrrvbrvrchhhhhhhhhh!? With an almost silly sound of violence, the Holy Swordswoman who had free use of fourteen thousand types of fire Magic was balled up like something from a joke. Three hundred seconds later, Beatrice was face-down on the ground and trembling with her hands over her head. Meanwhile, Sutriona was sitting with her legs crossed on top of Beatrices butt. There. You should have a good idea of just how unbeatable I am now. E-even after you used it on me...I still have no idea how you did it...? That weak Thousand Dragon was invading my territory and devouring my Fairies when I was away. I planned to punish that thing eventually, but now I need to thank you for doing it for me. Rejoice in this rare opportunity to spar with someone so far out of your league and try to turn this defeat into valuable experience. Sutriona was mocking her, but Beatrices rapier-like Shining Weapon was emitting a flashing sign into the empty air. She drew it from its sheath with her butt still sticking into the air and was shocked to find she had earned quite a few Experience Points. It was actually far more than she would get from a trip to the Labyrinth, but she was afraid what bizarre path she would head down if she got used to earning them like this. B-but... Weve come a long way if weve survived two encounters with a Break News... On top of that, this one spoke the human language and saw the Fairies as her own. That was rare for the Break News who generally followed a random route through the island as they (in a way, selfishly) spread different sorts of chaos. Of course, that did not mean this one had the same morals or standards as humans. Oh, its all connected if you pay attention. Besides, isnt it customary to bring a small gift when moving in? ...? I think I just heard something I cant just ignore. Werent you listening? Boo Boo sounded fearful, but Sutriona put a hand on her slender waist and ground the finger of the other against her temple while winking. Defeating that weak Thousand Dragon created a change in our territories. I need to rule this area as well now, so I stopped by to say hello. Boo Boo decided right then and there that he was moving, but the Break News dissuaded him with a wrestling move. Part 6 Palm-sized Fairy Meridiana repaired the leaf houses roof to keep out the rain as she viewed the hellish scene below. Oh, dear. Oh, my. Would you look at that, Boo Boo. A visit from the Fairy Queen was a rare thing. The Break News generally liked to show off and the humans and Nonhumans would live peaceful lives by steering clear of their path as if they had detected a coming storm. But Sutriona was an exception. She was well-known as a Break News that no one could track. She would appear so unexpectedly that not even the Fairy village could predict it, to say nothing of the humans. Probably only the other Break News could see through her actions. Thus, the Fairy village had Elder Morgan as a leader in Sutrionas place and Meridiana saw Sutriona as more of a goddess than a queen. Meridiana had been taught Sutriona was always watching over them, but she was not to be mocked even if she did not come to save them. That was the unrealistic sort of higher being Sutriona seemed to be. But now that godlike Fairy Queen had appeared so easily. Boo Boo had caught the attention of someone on that level. Perhaps I should prepare some Red Rice for tonight. Eh heh heh. Meridiana flew down from the roof. But even if Sutriona was playing around, she was still the Fairy Queen and one of the Break News. Boo Boo and Beatrices bodies would be crying out in agony. With kind thoughts in mind, Meridiana started for the forest to gather the standard Grounds Nir herbs used in compresses. She planned to bring them first aid medicine and a small celebratory meal. The Fairy saw paying back Boo Boo with housework as her meaning in life and she was the type to delight in having lots to do. I need to work even harder to make sure Boo Boo can live comfortably. That evening, Boo Boo grimaced at the sharp smell coming from his house. My house smells weird! Your house always smells, Boo Boo. But what is this? It smells like someone soaked a compress in a bucket of water and just left it for three days. I feel like youre picking a fight with me, Beatrice. Youre imagining it. But...what is this here? Its red and sticky... Is it a grain? I promised myself I wouldnt waste food. ...Ew!? This rice has the rooms smell all over it! Hmm... If I put this in my mouth, Im pretty sure something unpleasant would reach my nose. For a while afterwards, Boo Boo lived in fear of the poltergeist threatening his peaceful home. Part 7 A kilometer wide green circle sat in the center of Roppongi, Tokyo. It was the Detached Magic Palace. After passing through a rectangular frame of light, the silver- and red-haired swordswoman in red armor and a miniskirt became a girl with black twintails and a ball dress. In the garden surrounded by green trees, a round jacuzzi was protected by a gazebo-like roof. When she arrived there, she gave into her exhaustion and threw herself into the hot water without removing her clothing. The long skirt with a large slit up the side spread out along the waters surface. The girl flipped over onto her back and pulled a hard key resembling her Shining Weapon rapier from the bottom connector of her smartphone. She could feel the exhaustion rising within her, but she could not let the sleepiness get the better of her. (The battles in the Labyrinth seem to wear out your head more than your body. So let your guard down for a moment and you fall asleep.) Phew. She checked the approximate time on the screen. She had spent about four days and seven hours there this time. The girl had been born in this world and on this planet, so spending too much time in Grounds Nir could mess with her internal clock and cause serious irregularities in her body and mind. This was the main reason that the humans used the inn town as a base but did not have any permanent residences there. The three maid sisters were not here today. She floated face-up in the open-air bath and grabbed a pitcher of water from a tray floating with her. She poured the cold water in a cup and gulped it down. Allotting her earned Experience Points and learning new Magic could wait. Her smartphone contained a Log of her time spent searching the Labyrinth since it had been saved to her Shining Weapon. When she looked back through it, she could tell the battles with the lifeless Gimmicks were very different from the battles on the surface. They were more like games of red light, green light than games of tag. The Gimmicks only moved when she did, so she had an unlimited amount of time to think up her next move right in front of the enemy. In a Party battle or Guild battle, teamwork became important. Would they all move together as a single group or would individuals stay still to give the attackers and healers more chances to move? However, even the slightest fidget could be seen as a movement and, when there were multiple people in a single area, the Gimmick could react to someone elses movement even if you remained entirely still. So if your accidental movement put someone else in danger, it could earn unnecessary resentment. (Oh, this is just useless... I want to review my mistakes, but my brain doesnt want to do anything...) She closed the screen but then started fiddling with the smartphone to have something to do. She found a few new articles at the top of a news site. These were the headlines: UN Resolution Fails, Standing Member-Nations Unable to Agree Special Report: Has the Countdown in the Atlantic Really Begun? The Euro Crash. Are Major US Investors Really to Blame? Asia Ignored. Where will the World Police Turn Next? The European Shift to the Far Right Accelerates. Is it a Reaction to Reduced Strength in Exports? None of them made her want to tap on the link. Checking the video sites and full-seg mobile TV would likely only show the same sort of news. I need to stay focused... The twintailed girl spoke quietly to herself as her red dress spread out in the water. Once she had gotten a light meal and some sleep to readjust her internal clock, she would return to Grounds Nir. There was a Piece the nations and corporations desperately wanted and she could not let them beat her to it after so much work. A Piece was a factor that could provide a breakthrough to stalled human technology and cause a sudden change to the global civilization. They were created with a processing technique that used Magic. A Piece was registered by an individual and its rights were bought by an interested corporation or nation. It was not revealed who bought it and the individual simply received the payment. Only then did the Piece lead to actual production. The Pieces were useless to the girl and the others in Grounds Nir if they simply held onto them. To a normal person, a physics textbook was only useful for studying, but the knowledge contained inside was used to create rockets that flew into space. This was the same. Who would acquire them? Where would they end up? The girl and the others truly did hold history in their hands. Most people carelessly use their Pieces and carelessly uploaded them. They were blinded by the lucrative contract fees that rivalled a lottery win if a Piece was deemed useful by a nation or corporation (or someone pretending to be one of those), so they did not think it through that far. However, if someone was paying that much, then it was worth that much. Honestly... The red dress girl looked back down and used the hard key to allot her Experience Points and manage her Magic. In addition to the ever-changing headlines, the news site had one special article that never moved from the very top as if it had a hall of fame position. It had the following headline: Is an Atlantic Sovereignty War Really Possible? What Would be Gained in a Conflict between an Old Giant and a New Giant? Part 8 The humans are the ones you really need to watch out for, Boo Boo. Fairy Queen Sutriona had not prepared anything to eat in the confusion of moving in, so she helped herself to Boo Boos dinner as if it were only natural. The leaf house had no kitchen, so it was a super wild meal of venison cooked over a fire out back with only some rock salt for flavor. Boo Boo had originally planned to eat it raw, so Sutrionas intrusion may not have been all bad. You need to watch out for the humans even more than the Nonhumans or even the Break News. Even though theyre weak...no, because theyre weak, they change the world in ways you would never expect. Can you make this easier to understand? Sure. Since I look like this, I occasionally visit the inn town pretending to be a human. There was a small pile of large red flower petals next to Sutriona. If Beatrice had been there, she might have said they looked like hibiscus petals. They came from the Crimson Heaven Flower and Sutriona had been munching on them like snacks while the meat cooked. They were slightly toxic, so Boo Boo did not touch them. Thanks to that, Ive seen and heard for myself what they do. I know what those humans tend to be thinking. Beatrice is a good person, so I bet all humans are good people. There are sometimes some weird ones, though. It would be nice if it was that simple, but shes actually an exception when it comes to humans. Humans are a selfish species. But theyve promised theyre just here to visit the Labyrinth so they wont hurt us. Thats not because theyre afraid of Grounds Nirs residents or because theyre considerate. They just want to prove theyre not here to conquer our world and to show off how gentlemanly they are by following the rules. Hm? Can you tell a good person from a bad person, Sutriona? Keh heh heh. When youve lived as long as I have, it comes naturally. I dont even need to take a direct look at the color of their soul. The look on their face and the tone of their voice is all I need to see to the very depths of their heart. Its the same for human and Nonhuman alike. Incidentally, you fall under not bad, so rejoice. Sutriona roasted the venison stuck on the end of a wooden stick and let the heat remove the excess fat. Do you know what theyre so desperate to accomplish? How to produce a new preservative known as Imortalise. ...Its apparently a chemical that prevents food from rotting. With that, they could store it indefinitely and transport it indefinitely. If it can be carried longer distances, they claim they can obtain equality between the places with so much food it rots and the places with so little food the people starve. Im no good with complicated things. Sutriona responded to Boo Boos words by moving the meat in the fire a little. It means they could leave this on the ground around here and it wouldnt rot. If the rumors about Imortalise are accurate, it would last a month or two. If the food doesnt rot, the extra food can be shared with people who live far away, right? Hm? That sounds like a good thing to me. At face value, yes. ...But if you can quickly transport as much food as you want, you can also make use of far more soldiers, right? Eternal Foods will provide absolute certainty to the safety of food. Canning, freezing, drying, and vacuum packing still leave a modicum of risk, but this will eliminate even that. That means the beginning of a world in which anyone can easily start a war. Whats a war? The loss of many lives. Its an unpleasant topic, but you need people to kill people, right? A lot of killing requires a large force of people. And the food is actually more important than the weapons, Boo Boo. Plus, if they can sell a whole bunch of food, they can use that money to buy weapons. Sutriona put on a cynical and crafty smile that did not suit her appearance. A dictators conscripted soldiers might obey their orders to eat rotten bread and meat that reeks of chemicals, but it seems wars these days are fought between kings. That is, between the wealthy nations. If word gets around that you will be sickened from within by your own allies if you go to war, no one will volunteer. And they cant go to war if they cant gather an army, so I can see why theyre eager to ensure the safety of the food if those kings wish to wage war. She somewhat changed the subject from there. Anyway, few are powerful enough to start a war and fewer still have the true power needed to maintain a war indefinitely. Thats why wars are not so easily started. A poor command will only wear down your own country. If you want a peaceful world, its important to maintain a system that makes going to war difficult. Sutriona bit off a small piece of the meat she had cooked, but it must have been too hot because she stuck her tongue out. Everyones gone to so much trouble creating that unreliable suspension bridge and now someone wants to swap it out for a stone bridge with absolute reliability. Wars of no-risk and high-return will begin. And no matter how many foolish commands are given, the wars will continue. People will begin investing in that great and unreachable industry as casually as in the development of a housewifes nifty little invention. ... And since supporting the food supply looks charitable and humane, no one can stop them from developing it on a large scale. In other words, the exploration of the Labyrinth and the conversion of Experience Points into Magic is nothing more than the humans competing to see who can first obtain a method of economizing war and who can monopolize that method. ...Of course, I have my doubts that very many of them are even looking beyond the vast sums of money to see that their decisions here could lead to the destruction of their own civilization. Boo Boo fell silent for a while. He glanced over at the wood-carved human statue sitting near the fire. It showed a human as a messenger of heaven, just as the Nonhuman oral tradition stated. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard. Humans are good people. They wouldnt want to do that war thing. Dont be so sure. Based on what Ive heard, they can only use Magic here. So no matter how much they fight here, they can only bring back so much. First on that list are the Pieces. We need to be aware that they are almost certainly preparing for war. What good is war? Theyd all be happier if they ate food, lay down, and took a nap together. For better or for worse, humans are a clever bunch. They have such a great desire for ever greater happiness that they end up trampling the happiness they already have. Although very few of them seem to even notice it. But Beatrice wouldnt do that. She doesnt kill more than she needs to eat. Boo Boo, its about who gets it first. Sutriona gave a faint smile. She can say she wont do it all day long, but theres nothing she can do if someone else gets their hands on it. And if that happens, it will lead to an age that works against her. So whether she wants it or not, she has to secure those Pieces. Its either take them or have them taken. Those are the only options available to the human countries. I refuse to believe that. The giant Orc grew stubborn. Beatrice wouldnt do something so horrible. Shes way smarter than me, so she would use all her brains to make sure that didnt happen. That would be nice... The girl in a black ribbon dress sighed before saying more. Whatever the case, the humans cant relax right now. You need to be especially careful about a Guild named Elkiad. Not only is there a severe moral hazard at work inside their ranks, but theyre different from the other Guilds on a fundamental level. Yeah. Beatrice said that too. I remember her talking about Ensoed. Only the first and last letters of that are right, Boo Boo. Part 9 Beatrice returned to Grounds Nir. It was a small island, but she enjoyed the freedom there. A Break News would occasionally go on a rampage and significantly alter the landscape, but it was generally a peaceful and simple world. It may have been because she could use Magic, but the world seemed to spread out endlessly before her despite the limited surface area. The underground Labyrinth was suspected to reach other islands or continents from the ocean floor or even pass through a Transfer wall to reach other dimensions, but she found the normal forests and beaches felt larger than the complex Labyrinth. She walked to the inn town and found White Witch Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina enjoying some tea at a caf. If they were indulging themselves, it meant they had sold some field guides or maps for plenty of gears rather than paper money. Beatrice asked a question without ordering anything for herself. Hows the Setup going? All done. We have a place ready, so were ready when you are. The three of them left the caf and walked down a stone-paved road. They passed by a great variety of people. There were Knights with bulky armor and large shields, there were lightly-equipped Thieves, there were Hunters and Scouts who specialized in projectiles, and there were even provocative Dancers. The only point in common was the Shining Weapons of various shapes and sizes they all carried. There were obvious ones like swords and spears, but there were also tents, frying pans, brooms, magnifying glasses, and more. Where exactly is it? Theres a district to the south thats been deserted ever since there was a fire. Well be borrowing a place there. ...Oh, the waterway district. Huh? Why do you sound so blue, Beatrice? No reason, she said as a non-answer. Humans could travel between their own world and Grounds Nir, but the Nonhumans could not. Other than the Shining Weapons, no objects could either. That was why people worked so hard to bring back the data known as Experience Points. That meant anyone who died in Grounds Nir...that is, anyone who lost their life and became a mere object could not be brought back. No matter how it happened, anyone who died here could not be buried in their homelands soil. But Fighter Priest Armelina didnt seem to care about those sentimental issues. I bet its because she always has so much trouble with water. Even in the Labyrinth, shes always getting dragged away by the octopus-type Gimmicks and getting the bucket-type Traps dumped right on her head in the underground waterways. It never takes her long to end up soaking wet and all see-through. Its always the same sad story with the strongest fire user. Th-that isnt true. Ohh? Can you say that again after checking through these results? One look at your Event List and Conversation Log goes a long way toward inspiring the imagination. You should be thankful I was kind enough not to save Replay videos. And looking at this, you really do have trouble with water. Curse you!! Either erase those records right this instant or Ill turn them and your Shining Weapon to ashes! The choice is yours!! Perhaps due to a management issue, her ahoge began burning with a torch flame as she shouted. At the same time, a small girl with a hood pulled deep over her head passed by. In that instant, a voice seemed to slip into Beatrices ear. Be careful. Theyre already on the move. Beatrice looked back, but there was no sign of the girl in the crowd. Is something the matter, Beatrice? No...its nothing. She shook her head and started walking again, but Armelina still seemed bothered by her behavior. What, did someone try to hit on you? Did you feel a bolt of lightning when you saw your soulmate!? Youd never run across a knight in shining armor in a concrete jungle ruled by big data, but this is a fantasy world of swords and magic! Anything goes here!! Heh heh!! Armelina, youre surprisingly girly. You believe in soulmates? No, no, I dont! D-dont be ridiculous. Im a Fighter Priest, so Im all about who can punch the hardest!! Armelina blushed and began fiercely swinging her hands around. Yes, she does seem like the type that believes in the red thread of fate or four leaf clovers. Eh? You mean collecting four leaf clovers doesnt bring good luck? This revelation brought a shadow over Armelinas face and her shoulders drooped. A-anyway, Beatrice. Is it true youre going out with a huge pig-faced Iberian Orc? I keep hearing rumors about that around the inn town. Kh!! Th-the flow of time is cruel, but I have no regrets!! A-and he doesnt have a pig face! Its, um, uh, a slack boar face!! Oh, dear. Does this mean you arent building up conversational Experience Points by interacting with other races like some of the others do? It sounds more like youve fallen for someone with a kind heart. No, I wouldnt put it like that. Saying someone is kind is the same as saying theyre convenient, dont cause any problems, and are easy to make use of, right? But Boo Boo is completely different. Setting aside whether hes kind, hes most certainly not convenient, he causes all sorts of problems, and I cant make use of him at all. But you are with him, arent you? Well, hes comfortable. I dont have to think about all the intrigue around him. ...And in Grounds Nir thats rare. Its worth a lot to have someone who you can speak honestly with while letting the weight off your shoulders and not trying to get anything out of it. Thats how I feel about Boo Boo. The White Witch and Fighter Priest exchanged a glance at her words...or rather, at her expression. Oh, I see. Hm, so thats it. Wh-what are those know-it-all looks for? Well, wed assumed everything wed been hearing was nothing more than rumors, but lets just say this is better than what we were expecting. I think its great. Youre not a monk in training, so its nice that you have more to focus on than entering the Labyrinth, earning Experience Points, and learning Magic. After turning a corner, the lively energy of the crowd suddenly vanished. The stone-paved road and the brick buildings were not destroyed and had not crumbled. In a town made of stone, a fire was not going to change the scene that dramatically. But all life had been stripped from the surfaces. It was a lot like sterilizing a plate with boiling water. The Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, and Fighter Priest entered a random building and faced each other around a round table in the center. They pulled out their differently-shaped Shining Weapons. Holy Swordswoman Beatrices was a rapier. White Witch Filinions was a white first-aid kit. Fighter Priest Armelinas was a metal staff. However, it was made so she could add on chains and metal balls with Magic. They placed their Shining Weapons on the round table. They placed the rapier and metal staff parallel to each other with the first-aid kit in the center. Having the strongest fire user sure is convenient. As long as we have you with us, we have one of the necessary Elements ready to go. Its like getting dealt a joker in a game of poker. Im thankful to have you two. I cant use any Element besides fire, right? And your expertise in Mixing is a huge help, Filinion. Being able to share Magic and create Pieces within the same Party is really useful for the people as abnormal as us. As they spoke, they called up the data on the Piece they were after and found the Magic they needed for it. This process was known as Mixing. Beatrice thought it was more like a dinner or cocktail recipe than it was an industrial processing technique. What mattered was the type and distribution of Magic needed. The rest occurred at a scale one would need an electron microscope to see, so Beatrice and the others senses could not keep up. It was the same as shaking the cocktail shaker and knowing a delicious drink would be waiting afterwards. Filinion pulled out a key hanging from her neck by a thin chain and stuck it into the keyhole on her first-aid kit Shining Weapon. The points we must stop are B-12, G-29, and Y-03. The effective detour points needed to avoid those are V-71 and P-01. ...That will be the hottest point. Where should we start? Why not from the most certain point? We start at P-01 and, if that works, we can reach for V-71 as insurance. Nice. I like your resolve. Its like felling the trunk without worrying about the branches and leaves. Three Shining Weapons sat on the abandoned round table. White Witch Filinion placed a transparent palm-sized crystal ball alongside the first-aid kit in the center. Various types of Magic would process that into the unknown material known as a Piece. Now, lets create the opposing tech. To review, what tech is it we want to keep out of the hands of the nations and corporations? Imortalise. ...B-12, G-29, and Y-03. These will create a composite technology that extracts a natural preservative with almost no health risks. Then what is the Piece were creating? That is, the opposing tech brought about by V-71 and P-01? Managed crops for unmaintained land. Theyre wheat or potatoes that can grow in any wasteland or desert. I think its technically a chromosome-damaging ultraviolet emitter that messes with the seeds. Basically, the competition is between the idea of preservative-soaked ingredients being shipped around the world or the idea of crops actually being grown all over the world. And when the people are growing the crops, they can both eat them and use them for their livestock. That means as much meat and vegetables as they can eat. If this works, the concept of a grain-producing region will vanish and the entire world will be covered in burgers and fries. But... Yes. No matter how much work is put into this tech, no one will ever complete it. Even with V-71 or P-01. But the people being manipulated would not notice. They would not be allowed to notice. The preparations were complete. Corn grown for oil would solve desertification and the energy crisis. But couldnt that be used to feed people and animals as well as for energy? Because they were always just one step away from achieving their goal, they would continue to reach for it. That mistaken hope and expectation would completely crush Imortalise which was expected to pave the way to war. They activated the three Shining Weapons. The flashy explosions or slashes seen when exploring the Labyrinth were absent here. Instead, lines of pale light ran both inside and outside the transparent crystal ball, showing that something was happening. Bars appeared next to the Shining Weapons to show the status of the activated Magic and the progress of the overall work. When the slowly-moving bars filled all the way up, Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief. Did it...work? Ill check the structure just to be sure. ...Yes, I dont see any problems. Our P-01 matches the diagram exactly. Filinion touched the side of her glasses and Armelina gave a casual comment. So which one of us is going to break this down and register it? As always, Id like to ask Beatrice. She has the most straightforward strength and a third party would see her as the hardest one to attack. Tch. See? I always end up being the villain. Beatrice sounded annoyed, but she still grabbed the transparent crystal ball from the table. If she scanned it with her Shining Weapon and registered it as data, she could bring the world-changing Piece back to their world. If she released it online, the corporations and research institutions would make a technical breakthrough and give actual form to new technology that would change history. The world was an easy thing to change. And this was not their first time doing so. All fields and all industries always contained the possibility of a paradigm shift. It sounded nice when it was called the blossoming of previously closed-off possibilities, but it was little different from having everyone carelessly riding around in time machines. (We really need to be careful.) Just as Beatrice was staring at the crystal ball Piece and about to look to her Shining Weapon, she heard the rooms window shattering. Something had been thrown in from outside. She looked over without thinking but stopped moving as soon as she saw the fist-sized sphere rolling along the uncarpeted floor. Something was packed in a leather bag and a fuse about as long as the first joint of a little finger stuck out from the bag. It happened a moment later. An earsplitting boom hit her eardrums and refused to go away as a blinding flash filled the room. It was a flashbang, aka a stun grenade. The nonlethal weapon used light and sound beyond the acceptable limits of human senses to rob the target of their senses while also dazing them for at least a few seconds and possibly a few dozen seconds. Even the toughest man would flinch if lightning struck right next to him and this was a continuous version of the same sensation. And even if it lacked the ability to kill, it was obvious what would happen to someone targeted by another weapon when they were blind, deaf, and curled up in a defenseless daze. Attackers with hoods hiding their faces rushed inside from the front door, the window, and the back entrance. But before they could activate their Shining Weapons which resembled short swords and short bows, a downpour of orange flame arrows assaulted them. As soon as they hit, the arrows created miniature explosions that pushed the attackers back toward the entrances and tossed them outside. Protected behind rapier-wielding Beatrices back, the White Witch removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes over and over. I feel the need to reiterate my point about how useful it is to have the strongest fire user with us. Im just used to the light and sound of my own fire attacks. Theyre no match for sunglasses and earplugs, but I do keep reduction Magic in stock. The crimson Holy Swordswoman smiled a little. And were even since you made this so much easier for me. Visualizing the kinetic reactions detected through the wall to display silhouettes? It isnt flashy, but its a pretty useful support technique. Well, support is all my Job can do. If only you didnt insist on jiggling those giant boobs every time you did something. Th-that has nothing to do with this!! Filinion blushed and snapped back at Armelina. Illusion Magic displayed a digital countdown over the heads of the collapsed attackers. The White Witch was very effective at life-related techniques, so she had used a Mixed potion to determine the enemys level of consciousness and give an estimated time until they came to. The men were all hiding below their hooded cloaks. When Beatrices Party inspected them, they found they were lightly equipped and wore no armor. However, they did not seem to have built up their defenses with Magic either. Instead, they had crude, poorly-made paper. With layer after layer of that under their clothes, they had created light defenses that protected against any penetrative force. (Almost like...bulletproof armor?) Anyway, what was that just now!? It wasnt Magic, was it!? Wasnt it obvious? A flashbang. Theyre in all sorts of movies and video games these days. A flashbang... But we can only bring Pieces back from Grounds Nir and we cant bring any weapons into Grounds Nir. So how!? Fighter Priest Armelina was confused and she activated her metal staff Shining Weapon. A spiked metal ball appeared on the end. When she swung it around a little and hit the wall, the entire wall crumbled and the fragments flew outward. They may not have brought it with them, said Beatrice as she looked toward this new exit since the door was likely being watched. The primary ingredient in a flashbang is magnesium powder. If you know how to make one, it would probably be possible with materials found in Grounds Nir. The rest is just like Mixing. It wouldnt be hard. Are you serious? Then are these guys who I think they are? The Fighter Priest looked down at her feet as she stepped over the rubble. They had left the back way, but attackers with Shining Weapons had been waiting there too. However, these men had been caught in the sudden destruction of the wall and either sent flying or knocked unconscious by the flying rubble. Fighter Priest Armelina was also receiving visual support from Filinion, so she had likely known the silhouettes were there when she broke through the wall. B-12, G-29, and Y-03... These are the people who want to send those Pieces to the corporations and complete the Imortalise preservative that will help provide military supplies. These are the people who want to use it for military purposes. These are the people who want to go to war. Now, do we know a Guild thats gone into full moral hazard mode and completely ignores etiquette and traditional methods? Oh, so thats what this is... Their ideology is the opposite of ours. Elkiad. Based on the countdown above the collapsed attackers heads, they would not wake up for another twenty minutes. Their gloves left just the index finger exposed and that finger was covered with a characteristic tattoo. Everyone who joined them had to dedicate their killing finger to the Guild as a sort of ritual. Beatrice held the transparent crystal ball in her hand. They were trying to keep me from registering this. That way they can keep the world from moving in a direction they dont want. So what do we do? Do you think you can register it real quick? I doubt this was all theyre going to do, so you should probably hurry it up. Given my Shining Weapons processing power, it would take about five minutes. Can you two hold them off on your own for that long? One of you is a White Witch that can only heal and the other is a Fighter Priest that cant heal despite being a priest. Then well have to put off registering the Piece and escape to a safe place first. And we cant Sign Out like this. Were too far away from the individual Gates and, even if we were near a Gate, that process takes two or three minutes to finish. With that much time, theyd turn us into pincushions with those short bows! Thats why we just have to force our way through. We need to at least shake them from our tail. Filinion, kinetic reactions alone arent enough. Add on a visualization of encounter rates. They had a plan. They were not about to rush out onto the main road out front. They would continue through the narrow back alleys and eventually reach another road. Thanks to one of White Witch Filinions Mixed potions, numbers danced in the corner of their eyes. The numbers that moved up and down in the 20-30% range were a visualization of the threat directed at them. In other words, the probability of running across an enemy soldier or having an arrow fly their way. But Beatrice had made a single mistake. It was true Elkiad had made a flashbang from materials found in Grounds Nir and she had thought they had used it alongside their Shining Weapons to attack Beatrices Party. But a moment later, the encounter rate shot up from the 20-30% range to 99.9%. It happened suddenly. A fingertip-sized dark red hole appeared in the center of Beatrices chest. The belated blast sounded like someone had pierced a hole in the world itself. Now. When she realized she had been shot by a sniper rifle, did she realize her mistaken assumption? Part 10 On a rooftop, a man with a characteristic tattoo covering his right hands index finger held a long narrow gun made from nearly a meter of steel and wood. He peered through the handmade scope made by placing a glass lens inside a skinny wooden tube and he let out a very, very small breath. The spotter next to him was observing the scene while crouched on one knee and he gave a report to the ground groups using the club-like Shining Weapon that took the place of a communicator. Waffle here. Target 1 was hit but survived. 2 and 3 retrieved her and are hiding behind cover. They are fleeing to the west. I am visualizing their silhouettes, but what I have on hand cant see through buildings. The sniper rifles they were using were not precise industrial products. The history of firearms was a long one. It dated all the way back to around the 15th century. This was a flintlock musket much like the ones displayed in the pirate section of a museum. It was muzzle-loaded, meaning the gunpowder and bullet had to stuffed into the muzzle and pushed down with a long, skinny ramrod. It could launch a bullet the size of a pachinko ball as far as three hundred meters even without rifling and could hit a target at half that range using the handmade scope, so this version had undergone a bizarre form of evolution. And in a location filled with buildings, the ability to accurately shoot someone between the eyes at a hundred meters was more valuable than the ability to shoot through a cars fuel tank at a thousand meters. On the ground, a few groups of four were receiving support from the roof as they moved to seal off the narrow but winding alleyways. While following the trail of blood on the ground, they released the leash of the Hellhounds that each group had been supplied with. They barked an order while releasing them and the well-trained four-legged beasts ran on ahead. Donut here. Target location detected. We have the Hellhounds in pursuit to confirm it with multiple sources. If theyre cornered in the west or north, they will almost certainly move to the street. Once they do, the snipers just have to finish them off. Everyone, synchronize your maps. The primary flaw of muzzle-loading guns was the time it took to load each shot, so firing in quick succession was difficult. One temporary solution was to carry around several shorter guns in addition to the main one they held. It was faster to switch guns than to load another bullet. This too was a method favored by the pirates of an older age. Another ground group was allowing their targets through according to plan. Elkiads goal was not individual glory. It was to eliminate the target as efficiently as possible. clair here. Weve opened the north route. If you block the western route, theyll naturally come this- gagyah!? The report was cut off by a sudden explosion. While supported by the White Witchs shoulder, Beatrice breathed heavily and held out her Shining Weapon rapier. Orange sparks danced around the tip. There was no sign of the dark red hole that had appeared in the center of her chest before. However, she did not look unharmed. Her face was pale and yet her entire body was covered in an unpleasant sweat. Her body was sending out a mess of contradictory signals. Are you really okay? Armelina sounded worried and Filinion placed her first-aid kit on a barrel while lending Beatrice her shoulder. Filinion then pulled test tubes of dried herbs and small bottles of liquid from inside her cloak and the belt around her thigh. She dumped the contents into the first-aid kit, forced the lid closed, stuck the key in the keyhole, and turned it. A bar appeared on the first-aid kit and it slowly filled up. Numbers appeared saying it would take thirty seconds for the Mixing to complete and the success rate was 98.8%. I immediately removed the bullet from your chest, so of course youre worn out. I mean, Healing Magic cant do everything. Filinion was more worried about her own Willpower gauge. If it ran out, the Mixing would stall and the healing would stop. That gauge could be seen as the entire Partys lifeline. It would recover on its own, but it would of course run out if she used so much Magic that it depleted faster than it recovered. You work up a resistance, so the amount it heals goes down with each use. So please dont think about relying on it to charge into the gunfire in zombie mode or something. I know that. Beatrices Percentage-type Magic amplified her Parameters and gave her superhuman strength and speed, but that had actually worked against her. The bullet would have done less damage if it had cleanly pierced straight through her. At the very least, they would not have had to dig it out of her. But we have to push on. The problem is the snipers that can catch us off guard, but now that we know theyre there... Reinforcements must have been sent in, either due to the explosion or the lack of response from their comrade. New men with muskets leaned out from a corner in the narrow alleyway. There was more than just the one gunshot. They were equipped with multiple single-shot guns and they were working in a group. But the encounter rate did not rise beyond the 10-15% range. Beatrices Party was being fired on at close range, but none of the bullets hit them. Phototaxis created flashing lights around the user which shifted the enemys focus. Mirage bent light such that an image of oneself was created in a slightly shifted position. Fair Wind created wind with heat and used that to give an extra push to the enemys blade or bullet, shifting their aim. Each shift was small and they were not enough to deflect a sword or axe swung with enough force to slice right through someone, but when added together, they increased the margin of error needed to save a human life. Even in a hail of deadly bullets. In other words... Magic is superior. Armelina, get to work!! Sure thing!! Ill blow them away, wall and all!! When Armelina activated her Shining Weapon that resembled a metal staff, a chain wrapped in light and a metal ball appeared on the end. They tore through the alleyway corner that Elkiad was using for cover. The many building materials and the attackers were knocked to the opposite wall. If not for the Percentage-type Magic protecting their bodies, the attackers would have been killed instantly. Armelina was a Priest, so she made sure to raise the middle finger of her empty hand as elegantly as possible. Hah! So all you had were some fossils from a museum? If you want to keep up with us, you shouldve at least brought a rocket launcher!! An Elkiad man was listening in from the main street with Magic that worked much like a directional microphone. Once its effects wore off, he lightly raised a hand. The subordinate standing next to him rested a firing tube on his shoulder and removed the safety pin from the front end of the warhead. The weapons that followed the original designs had been called fossils, but this was a bizarre Galapagos weapon of their own design. The man covered his ears with his hands and spoke with a smile. Well, if you insist. With an ear-splitting roar, the explosive flew toward the alleyway entrance with a trail of white smoke behind it. The threat probability spiked to 100% once more. Part 11 Boo Boo wanted a meal of fish today. Thus, he was walking along a hill to search for a palm-sized bamboo leaf-shaped piece of wood he could make into a lure. That was when he heard an explosion. He looked over and saw grayish smoke rising from one part of the inn town at the base of the hill. Next to him, Fairy Queen Sutriona stripped off a hooded cloak in annoyance to reveal her flower-like appearance and black ribbon dress. So its started. Ive heard of this. The humans use something called fireworks. Is there a festival today? This is something far more frightening, Boo Boo. The girl Break Newss voice contained a hint of exasperation, but it was not directed at Boo Boo. It was directed at the humans who continued to act so foolishly down below. What a pain. I didnt want to intervene in a conflict between humans, but if that inn town is destroyed, I wont be able to eat the tasty treats they make there. I might be able to manage a popsicle, but that ice cream is beyond my abilities. Now, what to do about this? ? This is about your friend, Boo Boo. It is about Beatrice. His giant body shook when he heard Sutrionas words. Elkiad is on the move. Their target is Beatrice because they dont want her group getting in ahead of them. This is a fight over that new preservative called Imortalise, which would fill the world with food and erase the limiting factor that empty stomachs place on war. Im no good with complicated things. But I want to know about Beatrice, so can you make it simpler? Basically, the war has already begun, Boo Boo. Will Beatrices group bring back the Piece or will Elkiad? Even if these things are made public, whichever economic bloc they prioritize will begin a global trend in that direction. This is the final fork in the road, so they will do whatever it takes, no matter how dirty their methods. ...To make it simpler for you, Boo Boo, millions are going to die and they are making a tightrope walk to determine where those deaths will occur. I dont believe that. The hideous pig-face shook his head. Like I said, Beatrice isnt that kind of person. Shes smarter than me, so she has to be thinking about so much more than me to find a way that wont hurt anyone. Boo Boo, the advance of technology cannot be stopped. Even if you kill the designer of a secret weapon, someone else will eventually come up with the same idea. The only difference is who comes up with it and where their affiliations lie. No one can prevent the new technology itself from being created, no one can hold it back, and no one can erase it from existence. Once it has been discovered, someone will use it. That is simply the human way. Humans visited the Labyrinth. They did so to efficiently earn Experience Points and learn Magic. With Magic, they could process a variety of things and create fragments known as Pieces. By turning those to data and bringing them back with them, human society could achieve technological breakthroughs. Apparently, even the most basic of assumptions could be overturned. ...Or millions could be killed. Then they just have to stop bringing them back. If they hide the Pieces forever, they wont cause any problems. Boo Boo... The benefit of a Piece is only enjoyed by the person who first registers it. So even if the original discoverer hides it, if a second discoverer registers it, they will be seen as the first in the official records. And if they bring it back to the human world and the nations and corporations go for it... Sutriona ended her explanation partway through. She fell silent. She stopped to think. ...Wait. ? Could that be whats going on here? Is Beatrices group making opposing patent requests...? In other words, is she competing for the standard while leading them into a dead end? Explain it so I can understand. Very well. This is something I have overhead the humans talking about. They do not know where their Pieces are used or for what. They simply make them, take them back, and submit them. And the nations and corporations are constantly searching through the thousands or tens of thousands of released Pieces in case one of them might provide a breakthrough on some stalled secret research. Hmm... Was that too complicated? Basically, it isnt a simple case of Person A having a problem and Person B preparing a solution. If Person A has a problem, they can work with Person C or D if need be. ...Even if the provided answer is a false answer dressed up to look nice. ??? What Im saying is this. Sutriona raised her skinny index finger. Beatrices group may be trying to intentionally submit a mistaken Piece. That way the entire world will reach a technological dead end and no one will be able to wage war. Boo Boo tilted his head again. He may have had trouble picturing it. Would that really stop everyone? Does giving the wrong answer really change anything if someone finds the right answer afterwards? Boo Boo, there are two types of technology: those with a clear right answer and a clear wrong answer, and those with two competing right answers. For example, what do you think of the Magic the humans use? I cant use Magic, so I dont really know. They all do weird beepy things. Thats right. But there isnt actually a reason it had to be that way. Grounds Nirs Magic holds endless possibility, but that level of freedom is so great they seem to have trouble grasping it. They need to place limitations on it so they can comprehend it themselves, so rather than the secret techniques of legend, they use a more familiar and easy-to-picture system. That is, what they call a video game. You mean there might have been other forms of Magic? Yes. It could just as easily have been reciting strange incantations or drawing out magic circles. It isnt an issue of which one is right; its an issue of which is more convenient. The one more people tended to use became the standard. Then... Lets say you have System A and System B. What if System A is actually superior, but System B is announced on a grand scale first. And what if they were hiding that System B is actually entirely useless and will never make a completed product even after a century of work? Wouldnt everyone be so blinded by System B that they would ignore System A? But what if someone secretly worked on System A? Society wont let them. Once the cannonball starts rolling, it is apparently very hard to stop. There are people doing the research, people making the parts, people assembling the parts, people selling it, and people who want to use it... Even if someone tries to stop it, someone else will prevent them because they need it to continue. The video standards are apparently a well-known example. Not that this has anything to do with those like us who live freely. Sutriona laughed. And war is all about timing. If you miss the right time to start it, the system built for that purpose will no longer have a use. Not to mention the great financial cost of maintaining it. The deception might eventually be discovered, but if they set it up so its too late by the time that happens, the countdown to war might fall apart. In that case, Elkiads goal was also obvious. They wanted war, so they would secretly provide the corporation with the materials needed to produce the technology for war. But if the target corporation looked elsewhere, Elkiad could no longer guide them to the desired technology. And a Piece was meaningless on its own. It was only useful to someone who had come to a technological dead end and was stuck despite the extremely advanced technology they had accumulated. In other words... Beatrice may not be a bad person. Of course, this is only a possibility. Boo Boo fell silent. He looked to the inn town at the bottom of the hill. He could hear consecutive bursting noises from there. He had initially thought those were the sounds of a festival, but now they transformed into something horribly uneasy and unsettling. What is Beatrice doing? It sounds like she ran into some trouble with Elkiad. She said to run away if I heard the name Elkiad. Thats because she didnt want you to see this. Boo Boo made up his mind when he heard that. He adjusted his grip on his giant Shining Weapon that resembled a steel beam or log. Im going. Going where? To the inn town. To Beatrice. Looking like that? I can get by with my appearance, but you will cause a commotion the second you set foot in the town. You normally stay away from the town and roads because you dont want to scare people, right? That has nothing to do with the fact that Beatrice is in trouble. Everything I said about her was mere speculation. There might not be an opposing patent and she might simply be the kind of person who is willing to allow millions of deaths if it supports her own country or corporation. The only way to know for sure is to peek into their world. I can just ask her, he said. He had no proof and no guarantee. After enough work and pain to lose everything he had gained, it could all be for nothing. But he said it regardless. I just have to find her and ask her directly. It was his trust in her that led him to run toward the human inn town where everyone would be an enemy. Part 12 Simply following the alleyways along the roads was not going to work. The Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, and Fighter Priest ran inside an abandoned building, climbed the stairs, broke through the wall, and took a shortcut to the neighboring building on that middle floor. They used Magic to divert the sniper bullets that flew in through the windows, they flinched back from the explosives that tried to envelop the entire floor in flames, and they continued making progress without being cornered. This is insane... They actually fired a rocket when I asked for one. What the hell was that? They had handheld rockets in the Edo period. They were called Bo-hiya. Y-yeah, but it doesnt look like theyre simply using a three hundred year old weapon. They used Magic to call up a map of the inn town, but it was entirely useless because both enemy and ally were breaking down walls in the complex labyrinth of buildings. And of course, the three of them were far from unharmed. I cant believe this... I thought I had built up a decent Puncture Resistance and Arrow Resistance, but theyre breaking right through... Bullets must need their own form of Resistance... They only looked unharmed because White Witch Filinion would Mix them a recovery potion every time they were badly injured. But as mentioned before, that was not all powerful. They built up a resistance, so it healed less each time it was used. Their bodies had grown pale and they could tell the potions would no longer stop the bleeding after a few more uses. That resistance would reset when they returned from Grounds Nir, but they would not be in so much trouble in the first place if they had time to do that. The Gate for Signing Out was still a long way off. I-Im sorry... The White Witch apologized while leaning on Beatrices shoulder. The situation had been reversed after the first sniper attack, but now she was terribly weak. Her Job was not meant to stand on the front line. As soon as it had become clear that she was the healer, the attacks had concentrated on her. On top of the actual damage, using her Magic wore down her Willpower, so this was hardly surprising. You dont need to apologize. No, not that. I think Im at my limit. Im feeling really dizzy and I dont think I can stay conscious much longer... The first-aid kit she used for Mixing was weakly opening and closing. Hey, wait. The Recovery Magic is using up my Willpower faster than it recovers... I wont be any more use. If I cant use Recovery Magic, Ill just weigh you down. Please leave me behind... Filinion tightened her grip on the first-aid kits handle and key. She could likely see what was left in her gauge because her eyes were wandering through empty air. Beatrice considered having it set so she could see too, but she did not use the Magic for that. That was not what was needed right now. Dont be silly. Getting discouraged like that will only use up your Willpower faster. And be quiet for a moment! Next to them, Fighter Priest Armelina leaned against the hallway wall. She had not lost her will to fight, but it must have been a shock for their healer to wear out first. If they continued like this, they would be slowly tormented to death. And the result would be little different if they surrendered to Elkiad thanks to the Guilds moral hazards. Really now, what do we do? The Fighter Priest felt an unpleasant sweat on her pale face. Magic is stronger than bullets, but isnt there something different about these guys? Im not sure how to put it... You could say we have the upper hand 1000-to-10 in pure power, but they use that 10 to hit our vitals from a blind spot with the accuracy of threading a needle. They have no waste or inefficiency... Yes. Looking at nothing but strength, Beatrice or Armelina could overwhelm Elkiad with their Magic. If they wanted to, they could blow away this entire section of the town. But doing that would change nothing. Even if they were 99% successful, a bullet would slip through the 1% gap and accurately pierce their flesh. The more destruction they caused, the less cover there was and the more gunfire would reach them. And if they went too far, the damage would extend behind this ghost town area. They could not solve this by indiscriminately spreading destruction like a Break News. To sum it up... This isnt like anything weve come across before. Its like playing go and finding your opponent is using chess pieces. It was like a chess problem. No matter where they fled, they would be in someones line of fire. The enemy was not thinking about individual accomplishments. They were simply doing everything they could to remove the enemy pieces from the board. Even if that meant using themselves as bait. The 100% encounter rate that visualized the threat seemed to pierce through their souls. There was only one thing this reminded them of. That isnt surprising... Elkiad doesnt come from a normal background like us. They must be the army of the nation that wants to go to war. A real...army? Honestly, a lovely college girl has to take on an army? What has the world come to? And its kind of disturbing that theyre a disciplined army. With the kind of moral hazards were seeing here, I cant believe theyre eating on the taxpayers dime and having action movies made about them back in our world. They did not have time to grow angry over every little thing. What do we do? If theyre going to get their hands on it otherwise, we could always destroy the Piece as a last resort. That would be meaningless. If they silence us afterwards, its all over. P-01 is only bait meant to guide development in the wrong direction. The war they want will start if we dont register the bait Piece first to distract everyone from the B-12, G-29, and Y-03 that Elkiad wants to make. The assumed filename was Atlantic Sovereignty War. Basically, traditional high-class brands such as bags, jewelry, and wine were suffering as the middle class was stolen by the increased quality of low-cost manufacturers. There was also a conflict between the European nations that were becoming marred by excessively nationalistic far-right ideologies and America which simply wanted to go to war with someone due to their extended IT recession. In both cases, it was less a desire to stand at the center of the world and more a matter of pride. That is, they did not want to be seen as inferior to the other. During the confusion, South America and Western Africa were dragged into the flames of war and greedy hands reached out for them on the pretext of protecting them. Everyone was so focused on those areas that the Middle East, the Far East, and Southeast Asia went ignored and new potential wars were beginning to pop up here and there. The talk of ridiculous wars held so much sway because everyone had been taken in by the delusion that the food supply system supported by Imortalise would be complete soon and the true kings could easily wage war without taking any external or internal damage. So saying one simple thing would solve all these problems at once: I wont let that happen. Ill guide us onto a mistaken set of rails and get the heavy cannonball rolling so it will continue to spin fruitlessly forevermore. They would not allow those cruel and hopefully imaginary wars from occurring. They would build up a technology to rival the new technology that would truly distort the world and they would intentionally trigger a competition over what would be adopted as the standard. They would move the people in a direction that would never be completed no matter how much research was done. And even if someone noticed the mistake, the heavy cannonball of society would crush them if they tried to stop it. That would prevent anyone from moving to a different set of rails in the future. As always and as many times as it took, Beatrice would not allow the rise of any technology that would not bring people happiness. Please leave me behind, repeated White Witch Filinion. This isnt just our problem anymore... If we all die here, that war born of hopeless delusions will actually happen. So if just one of us survives and registers the bait Piece, that war wont happen. So Ill create a diversion for you... Beatrice almost shouted back on reflex. But something else happened before she could. Almost like a schools broadcast system, a mans amplified voice came from all over the building. There was of course no broadcast equipment here, so it had to be some kind of Magic. Can you hear me, Beatrice? (He wont just want to chat. There must be some other reason.) Youre always causing us a lot of trouble. Yes, always. This isnt the first time. Come to think of it, have you figured out who we are yet? To be honest, Id like to demand payment for the war profit we should have earned, but Ill let it slide just this once. There are no war treaties or ROE here. There are no military police either. In this world, no one goes to trial even if someone ends up dead. So prepare yourself. Be careful... She spoke quietly to the White Witch and Fighter Priest. The threat probability slowly hovered between 20-30% before rising to the 50-60% range. Death was approaching. Once it reached 100%, unavoidable gunfire would reach them. This has to be about their footsteps. Theyre making all this noise to drown out their footsteps as they surround us. Their formation must be almost complete by now. We need to assume theyre going to all attack at once. Did you enjoy playing the philanthropist? asked the man. Did you think you had some connection to the wider world? Ha ha. Dont make me laugh, Beatrice. What youre doing is nothing more than a farce. You havent produced a damn thing. Please stop stealing our profit for that. Was he intentionally rubbing her the wrong way to improve the deception? The Holy Swordswoman held her Shining Weapon tight and focused on her surroundings as the man spoke. Youre nothing more than a caged bird forbidden from leaving the Detached Magic Palace for fear of your inborn talent. How long is it going to take for you to realize food is food no matter who gives it to you, you birdbrain? Part 13 Elkiads combat zone reached as far as three hundred meters outside the ghost town region on the east of the inn town. They of course had soldiers (with their guns hidden below hooded cloaks) posted near those outer edges, but they doubted anyone would be stupid enough to try to reach the center of the fighting. The people looked surprised by the sounds of gunfire and explosions that should not have existed in Grounds Nir, but they all understood how frightening those things were. Each of them probably had their own opinion on whether Magic or guns was stronger, but none of them were going to test their theory with their life. Humans feared guns. It was not a case of being caught off guard by something unknown. They were intimidated away because they knew all too well what this was. They knew even if they had never used one. So one of the guards, a soldier with his right index finger covered in the characteristic tattoo, was tense at first, but gradually began to relax. For one thing, there were no military police, no records, and no supervision here. He was one of the delinquent soldiers in full moral hazard mode here in Grounds Nir. He had already lost the will to take his orders seriously, so his behavior was hardly surprising. But hadnt he been taught something at the very beginning? Carrying out his orders was at the foundation of everything. Failing to do so put his own life and the lives of his entire unit at risk. First, a large C very large C shadow appeared over the soldiers head. Eh? Next, he looked up and back, wondering if it was a cloud, only to find a giant form standing there. Eh? Finally, that giant form raised a large Shining Weapon shaped like a steel beam or log. Eh? He did not have time to do anything. Some strange creature had entered the human town. The Elkiad soldiers thoughts worked to comprehend the impossible sight, but his mind was not given a chance to reach a conclusion. The horrific blunt weapon gave a roar and the soldiers entire body was buried below the stone pavement. ... The oddity was quickly reported, but Boo Boo used his height of four meters to ignore it all. As soon as he took another step forward, he was surrounded by Elkiad soldiers armed with large muskets and a variety of Shining Weapons such as two-handed swords, large swords as tall as their wielder, and halberds, war spears that looked like a combination of an axe, a spear, and a hook. Their numbers rapidly grew and soon rose above twenty, but Boo Boo did not care. I am going to Beatrice. He announced his intentions as simply as possible. I will push through anyone who gets in my way. If you dont like it, get out of the way, Elkiad. They did not respond. Or perhaps their silence was their response. He took a step forward. They held their many Shining Weapons at the ready and those weapons glittered in the light. He took a second step forward. They aimed their many guns and placed their fingers on the trigger. He took a third step forward. Then everything began to move. Repeated dry bursting sounds rang out. The Elkiad members were professional soldiers who had received a certain countrys official military training, but they had developed unique habits in Grounds Nir that abandoned the manual. Simply put, they did not need to hide behind cover thanks to Magic. They could open a shield in front of themselves and fire from directly in front of their target. In fact, they could take up positions 360 degrees around the target and continue firing without worrying about the enemys attacks or friendly fire. This was especially effective given the poor rapid-fire capabilities of their muzzle-loaded muskets. The target could always repel the bullets, but Elkiad did not worry about that. While the target was focused on defending against the bullets, another unit armed primarily with two-handed swords and halberds would quickly approach. They would break through the enemys Magic shield, rendering them defenseless, and make fatal attacks from close and long range. That was the optimal answer. Or it should have been. Just as Boo Boos giant body seemed to sway, he had already vanished. He had escaped the lines of fire reaching him from a total of five directions. He was a Nonhuman, so he did not use Magic and did not use his powerful body to forcibly stop the bullets. He simply dodged. In other words, no amount of gunfire would hold him still. Eh? Funnily enough, some of them reacted just like the first guard soldier who had been taken out. They were the Shining Weapon group that had assumed the target would be held still. A moment later, a heavy tremor silenced everything. ... After swiftly silencing the close-range group, Boo Boos fierce eyes turned toward the long-range musket group. (H-how did he dodge that? Are you telling me he predicted where we were going to aim?) Since loading a bullet would have taken too long, they grabbed and fired the spare guns hanging from their belts while falling back, but it was too late. And the Elkiad soldiers had made a fundamental misunderstanding. (No, that isnt the issue. This should be the first time this Nonhuman has seen a gun. He shouldnt know what will happen if we aim at him. That should slow down his response to the first attack...) He had dodged it regardless. Not a single shot had hit him. (Does that mean... Does that mean...!! He didnt predict where we were aiming. Did he see the bullets leaving the guns and then dodge them!? How is that even possible!?) The one Elkiad member finally realized his understanding of the situation was a few steps behind, but he was still wrong. What mattered here was not proving the small details. It was the presence of such a monster right in front of him. And the fact that his gun was aimed at that monster as an enemy. He should have been using every last mental resource to figure out how he could possibly escape this alive. But it was already too late. Before his understanding could catch up to the current situation, Boo Boo approached. His thick Shining Weapon gave a roar purely as a blunt weapon. Part 14 The road was lined with brick buildings. The soldiers on the roofs gasped as they set down their large guns and grabbed their sniper muskets. What...is that thing!? How is he still alive!? Snipers had to do more than just hit a stationary target. The target would be moving to some extent and they had to predict where it was moving when they aimed. And yet they could not predict the pig-faced giants movements. They had scopes, even if they were handmade from wooden tubes and glass lenses. They could see Boo Boo through the scopes. His four meter frame should have been an easy target. But each time they had him in their sights he would vanish. They would find him again and he would vanish again. The process repeated over and over, so they never had a chance to keep their sights on him and pull the trigger. And he was more than just fast; he was predicting what they would do. One sniper and the reloader/spotter next to him were dumbfounded, but... Well, if you must know, your mistake is in judging all living creatures based on human standards. !? They heard a voice behind them. They quickly looked back, but there was no on there. Wh-what? ...Hey, did you hear that just now? The sniper exchanged a glance with his spotter, but Sutriona, one of the Break News, sighed quietly nearby. She had entirely vanished from their senses and she added more in her heart. (From what Ive heard, he used his four meter body to move freely across the ocean like a skipping stone and he beat up and defeated a thousand-meter Dragon. Controlling that much strength would require quite a bit of processing power. One wrong move and he could tear himself apart with his own strength.) So Boo Boo just had to direct some of those resources toward the outside world. A multitude of blades pierced the heavens and a hail of lead tore through the air to punch through flesh and blood. But none of it could stop him. Part 15 That great form beat down the rows of enemies. Even if those enemies looked like slender humans, their strength was thoroughly amplified by Percentage-type Magic: STR +300%, VIT +800%, AGI +500%, etc. They were supposedly strong enough to slay a tiger or defeat a bear with their bare hands, but that was irrelevant to Boo Boo. He was different on a more fundamental level. He beat down those with axe or spear Shining Weapons, he hit homeruns with the soldiers wielding large muskets, and those human baseballs collided with the snipers targeting him from the rooftops. He quickly beat up the vanguard meant to hold him in place and he mercilessly used his own Shining Weapon on the rear guard before the healers there could wake up their unconscious allies. Hurry! Hurry! A short distance away, the Elkiad soldiers stuffed a rocket in a launching tube, pulled the pin, and shouted to steady their own trembling fingertips. This was a Bo-hiya. Unlike the muzzle-loading muskets, the propellant was loaded in the actual projectile. After increasing the efficiency with military-style thoroughness, the weapon had very nearly transformed into a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon. Bullets arent enough, but he cant dodge this if hes caught in the explosion... Do it, dammit! Blow him to smithereens!! Well take out some of our own at this range! Have them use a shield or something! That monster hasnt used anything like that. We need to stop him here, so just do it!! The soldier protested, but once he had permission from his commanding officer, he seemed to shift the burden of responsibility away from himself. He rested the launching tube on his shoulder and did not hesitate to pull the trigger. White smoke scattered and an explosive shaped like a thick stake flew in a straight line toward the far-too-large target. It happened a moment later. Boo Boo grabbed the flying rocket from the side. Wha-...!? All the soldiers gasped. When choosing a fuse, they had gone with the bestseller of the weapons they were familiar with and used a pressure-sensitive one, but that had backfired. In other words, the rocket would not detonate unless it received an impact to the tip. So what if someone could accurately perceive the rocket as it flew toward them with incredible speed, what if they were blessed with the physical strength needed to instantaneously move their body, and what if they had tough enough skin to remain intact when it grabbed the rocket as it sliced through the air? Assuming the pressure-sensitive fuse did not malfunction as the rocket came to a sudden stop, wouldnt they be able to grab the flying rocket right out of the air!? ...? Boo Boo did not seem to know what it was. However, he did seem aware it was likely something dangerous. After tilting his head, he threw it back the way it had come. Ah. The rocket was out of propellant, so it flew in a gentle parabolic arc, and dropped toward the soldiers feet while obeying its center of gravity. The tip containing the pressure-sensitive fuse landed right on the rooftop. The explosion occurred a moment later. Part 16 First, their faces grew red at the reports coming in. Then, their faces grew blue at the avalanche of backup requests pouring in. Finally, their faces grew white when all the reports came to a stop. L-lets retreat... Theres nothing we can do! We cant continue fighting any longer! Lets retreat!! Do you have any idea what youre saying? We must stop that Piece from being registered at all costs!! No. Im not sticking with you here. Im not going to die in this distant world! Ive had enough!! The subordinate who had always been by the mans side turned his back and ran off at full speed. Tch. You imbecile!! The blonde commander with stubble on his chin reflexively pulled one of the short guns from his belt, raised the hammer with his thumb, aimed it at the fleeing back, and then aimed upwards instead of pulling the trigger. Deserting under enemy fire was punishable by execution, but those basics no longer mattered. They were ruined whether they continued on or fell back. Elkiad was a regular army. Their very presence in Grounds Nir was an extra-legal act not found in the manuals. In other words, the well-regulated army had detested them from the beginning. If they did not achieve results, some kind of nitpicky fault would be found with their actions and they would be purged. (So we need to secure that Piece. We have to continue forward if we want to escape! Why dont they understand something so simple!?) Fortunately, they had received a certain report early on. That monster had said he was going to Beatrice. And that woman most likely also held the bait Piece that was the key to their survival. Which meant... (If I get my hands on Beatrice, I have a way out of this. I can destroy the Piece and I can use her as a shield against that monster. Thats the only way. The most dangerous route always takes you to the greatest safety!! Only those who realize that can make it on the battlefield!!) Once he had a plan, he could act on it. He ran across the chaotic battlefield and pressed against the brick wall of a building. As soon as he stepped inside, the entire building shook. One of the walls had apparently been broken through. He also heard a creaking sound overhead, so he rushed up the stairs. There she was. Three girls were gathered in the center of a long hallway. They had no real plan. They looked like they would collapse no matter where they went next. Elkiad should have been able to silence them for a perfect game, but something had gone horribly wrong at some point. The Elkiad commander held his short gun as an outlet for his anger. As long as Beatrice was there, nothing else mattered. He could shoot the other two dead to intimidate the package from the beginning. And a psychological shock like that would let him take the initiative to use her as a shield. The short gun held just the one shot, but he had several of them prepared to allow rapid fire with the troublesome muzzle-loading weapons. He immediately pulled a new gun out with his left hand. It made him look like a character from a ridiculous Western rather than a soldier, but now he could kill both of the others at once. Finally, he placed his fingers on the two triggers. A moment later, the girls disappeared. However, they had been too worn down by the battle to use any more Magic. They had not done anything. That meant the irregularity came from the man himself. Yes. For example, perhaps the Elkiad commander had broken through the hallway floor and fallen to the floor below. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? By the time he realized what had happened, it was too late. He tried to grab onto something, but the building materials crumbled in his hands and he was dragged down with them like he was caught in an antlion pit. And as he lay on the floor below, he saw it. A hideous pig face was looking down at him while resting a thick Shining Weapon on its shoulder. How tough are you? Ha...ha ha. With your Magic, you must be really tough. ...So can I go all out when I hit you? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! It only took a single strike. The resultant tremor shook not just the entire building, but the entire inn town. Part 17 Boo...Boo? Beatrice spoke to the figure she saw approaching. You came for me, Boo Boo? I still dont know whats going on, so I wanted to talk with you about what all this is about. Oh... Beatrice exchanged a glance with White Witch Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina before hesitantly opening her mouth. She had nothing to hide or feel guilty about. She had simply not wanted Boo Boo to worry about her, but that did not matter now that he had started a fight with Elkiad and mopped the floor with them. She explained everything: their world had hit a technological dead-end and a single breakthrough could easily change everything, this time that had brought the world to the brink of a great war, and Elkiad had worked to trigger that war while Beatrices group had done everything they could to stop it. At some points, she wondered if this was too complicated for Boo Boo, but that was no reason to hide anything. She could have him ask about the parts he did not understand and she could work to help him comprehend it all. But a gentle look appeared on Boo Boos face as she explained. Almost as if he was receiving the answer he was hoping for. Then thats fine. Im glad I saved you. I know this is working against me, but do you really believe me? You cant visit our world, so you have no way of seeing if its true. Its possible the Piece weve created isnt bait and will actually lead to the technology needed to start a war. I trust you. I see... Beatrice sounded relieved. Boo Boo looked to the exhausted White Witch and Fighter Priest and said more. You all look tired. But you might not be able to relax in the inn town, so how about you come back to my house? Good point... I want to get back home to settle all this, but if I register the Piece in my Shining Weapon for now, there shouldnt be a problem. And it is true I want to get away from the inn town to ensure our safety. Filinion, Armelina, is that okay with you? As they discussed their plans, they left the half-destroyed abandoned building. There had been no one out there before, but a large crowd was gathered now. And they had not gathered out of curiosity or idle interest. Their faces were covered with fear. That was the seed of hatred. They had not come to see something they liked. That crucible of emotion prevented them from relaxing until they confirmed the situation and the scope of the threat. And of course, their concerns were not directed at Beatrice, Filinion, or Armelina. It was Boo Boo. He was a Nonhuman, an Iberian Orc, and a hideous outsider to the humans of the inn town. His appearance alone could easily inspire prejudice, but he had also proven his great combat ability. It was clear what emotion people would turn his way. Boo Boo... Its okay, Beatrice. Boo Boo stood in front of the three girls and responded to the Holy Swordswoman behind him as those hostile gazes focused on him. I knew this would happen, so it doesnt hurt. He had known they would fear him. He had known they would hate him. He had only ever watched the festival from the hilltop despite how much fun it looked, but he had set foot inside the inn town to save his friends life, knowing full well what it would lead to. And it had ended exactly how he had known it would. This is wrong. Beatrices voice was trembling. You didnt do anything wrong. It was Elkiad and us who started this. If theyre going to blame anyone for this battle in the inn town, it should be us! Theres no excuse for treating you like this. You selflessly saved our lives and our world!! But even after hearing that, Boo Boo did not look back and simply shook his head. He had said this did not hurt. But there was something he most likely did not know. Just like with the Thousand Dragon, he had trusted what Beatrice had to say about this Elkiad business. He thought humans had clever minds and pure hearts. It was a nice thought, but it was not always accurate. The people had stopped at fear for now. But what would happen to Boo Boo if it grew into hatred and disgust? Grounds Nir was an island small enough for a human to walk the perimeter in only three days. If the humans truly felt threatened and decided to hunt him down, there was no hiding. With Boo Boos strength, it was possible he could defeat the entire hunting party. But afterwards, he would surely break. If he could endure that and if he was the type to have no trouble throwing others into pandemonium for his own sake, he never would have resisted the urge to join in at the festival!! Part 18 That should just about do it, said Sutriona up on a rooftop. The palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana flew alongside her. Wh-whats going to happen to Boo Boo? I dont want him to become a pariah! Neither do I, and thats why I came here. It was for Boo Boo. To be honest, Im not too interested in interfering with a human conflict. The Break News were paradoxes with souls. And this girl-shaped one had enough power to mock the Thousand Dragon as weak. But what exactly are you going to do? Oh! Are you going to speak with the humans to give them a change of heart? You moron, Im also what they call a monster. If I reveal Im a Break News, it will cause an even greater panic. After all, they treat my very existence as a paradox. The Fairy Queen added an and. The floral decorations of her ribbon dress were based on the red flower known as a Crimson Heaven Flower. She placed a petal of one in her mouth and tore through it with her canine tooth. I am thinking of giving Boo Boo some help to show my respect for how he risked his life to protect a friend. But I have no interest whatsoever in kindly protecting the entire human race. An odd sound surrounded them. The next thing the Fairy knew, Sutriona had butterfly-like blood wings. They were human-sized at first, but they quickly expanded and spread so the sinister red wings encroached on the entire sky. During the Thousand Dragon issue, hadnt it been mentioned that it was a toxin in Fairy blood that intoxicated the wicked dragon? In that case, what could their queen do? There are two ways of erasing a threat from someones mind. Sutriona spoke to Meridiana as the Fairy looked up at the gigantic wings. For the first, you carefully explain what lies at the center of that threat to reduce and eliminate the fear. Simply put, you patiently argue your point until they are satisfied. But to be blunt, thats a huge pain and the thought of me unconditionally lowering my head to a mere human is simply laughable. And I have no words at all for people who cant even protect their own town, have an outsider handle it, and then treat that savior as a threat a moment later. Th-then whats the second way? That should be obvious. That paradox put her hands on her hips and put on the most vicious grin imaginable. You send in an even greater disaster to reduce the impact of the previous one. And Im used to playing the villain like this. After all, I am one of the Break News. Part 19 That threat was feared as a scorching red sandstorm. The instant one was caught in the intense sandstorm, they could not see anything beyond their own nose. The sandstorm was actually the powerful toxin contained within the Fairy Queens blood wings. In other words, it was a red sandstorm made up of the pigment in her blood and it was said that breathing in the slightest bit of it would burn away the civilized part of the human mind, transforming them into a pack of wild animals that were slaves to their desires. The lethal dosage of a poison was determined by how much it could accumulate in that creatures body, how quickly their body could break it down, and one other very simple factor: their body weight. The Crimson Heaven Flower pigment was broken down in a Fairys blood. Since the amount of pigment in a single palm-sized Fairys blood was enough to intoxicate a thousand-meter Dragon, what would happen to the humans of the inn town as that red fury filled the entire scene like a sandstorm? The first to notice it was Beatrice. White Witch Filinions support Magic was still active on the edge of her vision. That Magic visualized the probability of a threat or of running across an enemy. That value suddenly jumped straight to 100%. (Wha-...?) Hey, what is that? The next to notice was an ignorant young man who calmly commented on it. His question was less about wanting to know what this was and more about wanting to gather attention to himself as the first to speak up about it. Then an older Swordsmans eyes opened wide when his experience told him what this was. I-its a Break News!! Its the unpredictable Sutriona who has no known route! Get indoors now or your brain will be fried!! Hurry!! From there, it devolved into a panic. It may not be the best comparison, but people would not bother to stop a robber or dine-and-dasher when they knew a giant meteor was about to hit. The people who had shown such hostility and malice now scattered and fled. They dove inside every door they could find and sealed up the doors and windows. The people who did not get in in time pounded on the doors, rattled the knobs, and ran to another building when they realized it was not going to open. This was only an inn town. People took turns visiting this world, so no one had an actual residence. The basic assumptions of a normal city did not apply here, so there was no guarantee that there was room for everyone in the buildings. The people were even more panicked than they might have been because they knew that. Yet if they looked at it rationally, there would be more than enough room if they crammed as many people indoors as they could. Beatrice asked a question while agonizing over the number that was wavering between 90 and 100%. Boo Boo, what will we do? I doubt anyone will let us in right now. We just have to look at the direction of the wind. Run to the hill and well be safe. Hm? Then why are you headed in that direction? The usual hill is the other way. There are a few other people who are stuck outside like us. You go on ahead. Ill carry those people to the hill. Do you really think you can do that right now? She started to follow him, but not because of the hatred she had seen just a moment before. She thought they could not save those people if she did not help. But Boo Boo answered without a moments hesitation. The value of 90% or even 100% did not matter. I can do it. Part 20 And Boo Boo kept his promise. The inn town people he saved had complicated looks on their faces, but they at least did not seem ready to do anything about Boo Boo at the moment. The red pigment clung to the inn town for a while and no one could go outside for the three days it took for the effects to naturally fade. The Fairy Queen had said they would forget about their hatred of Boo Boo in that time and they would be filled with complaints concerning the monster named Sutriona instead. Boo Boo. Beatrice spoke to him near the leaf house. He was looking after a campfire and had fish skewered on sticks set up next to the fire. Ive been learning about fire recently. Its tricky and hard work, but Sutriona gets upset if I dont do it. What? If you had told me, I could have taught you. Fire is my specialty. She sat next to him and looked to the crackling campfire. After a while, she finally spoke. Sorry about all this. Why are you apologizing, Beatrice? I just about left no place for you in this world. In fact, it really would have happened if Sutriona hadnt cheated her way out of this. I couldnt do anything for you, Boo Boo. I couldnt take responsibility for what I started. But you didnt do anything wrong. You fought to protect everyones lives, so I dont regret it. That may have been true. That commotion may have been small when one considered it was to stop a conflict on the ridiculous scale of the Atlantic Sovereignty War. But that was wrong on a fundament level. The initial conditions were wrong. But, Boo Boo, that was about our world. It was nothing more than human selfishness. We were using Grounds Nir to solve a problem we should have solved on our own. ... We brought disaster to your world. We gave you a burden you never should have had to bear. Thats why Im apologizing, Boo Boo. It was on a small scale, it was not happening on earth, and it happened outside human society. But did that make it okay? Accepting that was no different from Elkiad who had no problem as long as it was not their country that fell into ruin. That isnt true. But Boo Boo disagreed. Beatrice looked up and he continued. If youre ever having trouble, tell me about it. If theres something you cant solve on your own, ask me for help. It doesnt matter if its something from another world. If theres anything youre worrying about, I want to help you solve it. So I dont care if you bring disaster and Im fine taking on an unnecessary burden. Boo Boo... I mean, were friends, arent we? Part 21 White Witch Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina observed the two from a short distance away. I see. So thats the Boo Boo that Beatrice is always talking about. To be honest...it would be difficult to have romantic feelings for that, but an intelligent Nonhuman might not be bad for having an acquaintance who isnt playing the Magic and Pieces game. Oh? So youre going to sum it up like that? Then why do you look about ready to start meddling just to have some fun with someone elses romance? Oh, dear. But arent you the one thats started unlocking some delightful aphrodisiac Magic despite not known any Recovery Magic at all? A small form appeared behind them. It was the unpredictable Fairy Queen. She blew gently into their ears and spoke. Hey. Mess with my toy too much and Ill send you to a world of crazed red passion. The small circle was slowly expanding. And it was all because someone had been willing to throw it all away in order to protect someone else. Volume 1, 3: Seven Flames and Dragon Eater Volume 1, Chapter 3: Seven Flames and Dragon Eater Part 1 It might look like happily ever after, but arent we forgetting someone? Bhah!? A red sandstorm covered the entire inn town. That toxic pigment burned away peoples rationality and transformed them into bipedal beasts. Most of the people fled indoors and sealed up the doors and windows to escape the threat. Those who were too slow were carried out of the inn town by Boo Boo. Sutriona had spread her extraordinary influence to ensure it would turn out that way. But there were some who did not fit inside that framework. Ah, gah...cough, cough!! ...gahh...!? Elkiad. A certain nations soldiers had disguised themselves as a Guild. Most of those defeated by Boo Boo remained collapsed as the red pigment washed over them. They may have simply been forgotten. Sutriona had no obligation to save them as well and it was unclear if a paradox with a soul even considered this attacking them. Ha, ha ha...hagh...ha ha ha!! The man who had once led Elkiad placed his hand on the wall and slowly walked forward despite the color red blinding him. His stubble had stood out in the first place, but his rough impression was further increased by his unfocused eyes, heavy breathing, and disconcerting sweat. The toxic pigment had entered his mouth, his nose, his eyelids, and all of his skins pores. Antidotes and Defenses were useless here. But even without a finishing blow from Sutriona, the Elkiad commanders psyche would reach its limit sooner or later. There was nothing left for him now that he had failed to stop Beatrices group and his country could not start the war they wanted in the real world. He technically could go back, but he would have the take responsibility as soon as he did. And that would mean something on the level of a purge. The bait Piece had likely been registered by now, so that result could no longer be overturned. If he did not want to die, his only option was never returning and living out the rest of his life in Grounds Nir. If they sent people after him, he would have to fight back. But there was an unavoidable problem with that. His former world and Grounds Nir were similar yet somehow different. For example, gravity, the number of hours in a day, the composition and density of the air, etc. Those differences gradually introduced negative effects on the bodys structure, especially the internal clock, so staying too long would throw ones mind and body off balance. Something in him would eventually break. Faced with this hopeless situation, the former Elkiad commander was not thinking of how to gather his remaining troops for a swift retreat that would minimize the confusion. He was instead thinking of taking revenge on everything that had led to this situation. He was from Elkiad, the military mafia that had become a crucible of moral hazards. As the circuits of his mind were burned away, he walked forward like a zombie. With his future destroyed, he acted only in the pursuit of dark and fleeting pleasures. Part 2 A week had passed since the commotion Elkiad and Sutriona had caused in the inn town. Boo Boo walked through the mountain with a large basket on his back. The Fairy named Meridiana had woven the basket together in a single night while he slept, but Boo Boo had not even questioned the tool that had suddenly appeared in his house when he opened his eyes. Boo Boo was entirely self-sufficient, so half his day was spent in search of food. Nest-Building White Squirrel. I can eat you. Emperor Poison Scorpion. I cant eat you. Treasure Guardian Rabbit. Youre tasty. Ground Spider. I can eat you, but youre really bitter. Giant Lonely Chick. I can eat you after you grow up. Beatrice grew pale and trembled as she watched Boo Boo dividing up his catches and tossing them into the basket. She had a feeling the ones ending up in the basket were all soft and fluffy animals that looked like crane game prizes. Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhh... Hm? What is it Beatrice? No, she understood. She really did. This was what it meant to be self-sufficient and Boo Boo would die if he did not eat. And with his great size and strength, he had to eat a lot. She understood that!! But... Kutsu kutsu. (Nest-Building White Squirrel) Kyuu, kyuii. (Treasure Guardian Rabbit) Kweh... (Land-Walking Penguin) Nia nia. (Palmtop Lion) Piyo piyo... (Flightless Chicken) The array of cutely round eyes burned at Beatrices sense of guilt. She could say it would be okay if the animals were ugly, but she felt that line of reasoning would eventually get back to criticizing Boo Boo. At any rate, she could not bear to watch four meter Boo Boo munching on living stuffed animals like they were snacks. It could easily break the solid pillar supporting her world. (Im sorry, Boo Boo!!) Oops! My hand sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipped!!!!! She mustered all of her acting skill as she pulled out her rapier-like Shining Weapon and swept his feet out from under him. With a squeal, he fell forward and all the living stuffed animals spilled out of the basket on his back. The round creatures seemed confused and approached her, so she had to raise her Shining Weapon to threaten them. Finally, they scattered and fled. Boo Boo raised his porcine face with tears in his eyes. How could you do that, Beatrice!? All my food got away! Sorry, sorry, Boo Boo. My chronic case of Golf-Swing-on-the-Train-Platform disease seems to be acting up. This happens a lot, so dont worry about it. Eh? Youre sick, Beatrice!? No, um, youre not supposed to take this seriously, Boo B-... I know how to make a great medicine. First, you tear out the front teeth of a Cat-Loving Hamster, and... I-Im fine, Boo Boo!! Youre only going to make it happen again!! ? But since Boo Boo would die if he did not eat, Beatrice started fishing in the river while soothing him. (Hmm. So I have no problem putting a worm on a hook to catch a fish? Humans can be pretty cruel creatures too.) A Grounds Nir fishing rod had no reel or synthetic line. It was simply made, so the line or rod would break if she tried to catch something too large. By the way, Boo Boo, are you managing to help people? Yeah. Im doing what the White Witch and Fighter Priest ask me to do. I see. Good job, Boo Boo. Right now, Im making a bath for everyone. I go like this to dig a ditch that will pull the river water over a little. Then I dig into the ground so it mixes together with the hot water that comes up from the ground. Hm? A bath...? Baths are hard. When I went to tell Sutriona that dinner was ready while she was bathing, she got really mad. She was really close to killing me. ...What? Beatrice was bursting into flames, but Boo Boo was entirely oblivious. That was why he ended up making the finishing blow. More than just fuel for the fire, it was a thermobaric bomb. The White Witch and Fighter Priest said theyd give me a witchs aphrodisiac after I finished helping. I dont know what an aphrodisiac is, but I think my home could use a first-aid kit and I have to start somewhere. Okay, I understand completely. It would seem a certain White Witch wants to be burnt at the stake. Part 3 After they finished gathering food, Beatrice called up a map with Magic and set out for the inn town. She found the town was mostly functioning once more. She grabbed White Witch Filinion, the soft and fluffy young woman in glasses who was trying to make money through Trading. Why are you giving Boo Boo an aphrodisiac? Are you indirectly trying to kill me? Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaahn!? It was a joke! Just a joke, Beatrice. Besides, it wasnt for Boo Boo to take himself. He was supposed to slip it into your food, so-... ... Okay, Okay, Beatrice. Ive learned the error of my ways, so can you release me from this iron claw!? Filinion trembled and brought up another topic to change the subject. B-by the way, Beatrice, I finished deciphering that wall painting. Tell me. They moved to the end of the road to avoid getting in peoples way. Beatrice leaned against a brick wall. Was it what we thought it was? Yes. Grounds Nir has almost no written culture, so I had some trouble with the hieroglyphic symbols. Still, it mostly matches. As usual, Beatrice used some illusion Magic to arrange her information using red lines and boxes. The White Witch pushed at the side of her glasses with her fingertip. It seems the Iberian Orcs had a tradition of attaching treats and decorations to trees for celebrations and festivals. Think of it like a Christmas tree. It seems to have developed from a habit of storing their prey in trees to make sure other beasts didnt steal it. Beatrice was oddly amazed that Iberian Orc was an official name. Sigh. But tree-climbing animals are everywhere. That seems to be why a certain story is told among the Nonhumans. The Iberian Orc who hid his important prey underground had it stolen by a mole. The Iberian Orc who hid his in a tree had it stolen by a bird. Only the Iberian Orc who suggested they all eat together managed to enjoy his meal. Hmm. In that case... Beatrice placed a miniature version of Boo Boos leaf house in the empty air and drew out the surrounding environment based on her memory. She finally reached the small hill and the large tree on top. That was where Boo Boo had watched the inn towns festival as a child. There is one interesting place. That might be the best spot. We dont have much time for this, so wouldnt it be best to get started as soon as possible? Yes. More than to Filinion, Beatrice was speaking to someone who was not with them at the moment. She erased her information managing Magic. Wait just a little longer, Boo Boo. Part 4 Whats this? Theres nothing but fish for dinner tonight? Im sooooo sick of fish! Right in front of the tent-like leaf house, Sutriona sat at a fire and kicked her feet around while wearing her black ribbon dress without any panties. That dress was a mysterious item made by the Fairies using Ground Spider silk and legend had it the flower decorations opened and closed like they were alive. It was unclear if that part was true, but no matter how much she kicked her feet, the fabric protected her lovely body to an unnatural extent, never allowing a peek up the skirt. Meanwhile, Boo Boo was fine with whatever he had to eat despite his complaints during the day. Fish is good... All the small bones are a problem, but unlike other meat, you dont have to remove the blood or organs, so its easy. Wait, wait! At least take the insides out! Those are too bitter to eat!! Sutriona complained, but she must have thought filling her stomach with something substantial would be better than munching on Crimson Heaven Flower petals all night. She puffed her cheeks out a little, but finally grabbed a skewered fish. She tended to act like a queen, but she could not help that when she really was the Fairy Queen and had always had her shrine maidens look after her. By the way, Boo Boo. Hm? You carry that Shining Weapon around even though youre not a human. Why is that? We cant use Magic, so it seems like a waste. A human gave it to me. I dont know how to actually use it, but its hard and tough, which is really convenient. Hmm. The thick mass of metal was over two meters long and resembled a steel beam or a log. It was something like a combination of three or four two-handed swords, each of which would have been heavy enough to smash a helmet. It took someone of Boo Boos size to swing it around like a club, but just how much effort would it take for a human to swing it? Using Percentage-type Magic, they could amplify their bodys Parameters to the point of lifting a carriage or boulder, but it was unclear why they would choose to use such a large weapon. Beatrice was asking about my Shining Weapon recently too. I hope she doesnt say she wants it. Since its her, I cant just say no. Well, I doubt you need to worry about that. Shining Weapons are optimized for their specific user, so she wouldnt be able to do anything even if she did try using yours. ...Although that makes me wonder what the person who gave it to you was thinking. Even if I dont really get it, Ill use whatever I can. How open-minded of you. Youre not much for mental games either, are you? Part 5 A few days later, Beatrice visited the usual hill while taking a break from exploring the Labyrinth. As usual, she relied on her Magic map. The large tree had several branches that provided gentle shade to protect anyone on the hill from the sun. She put her hands on her hips and breathed a light sigh. She used illusion Magic to place an AR image of their plans over the tree and switched between a few different options. Decorating this entire thing is going to be a pretty big job. Oh, have you started? Fighter Priest Armelina approached from behind. She did not always stay in the same Party as Beatrice and Filinion, so she had likely returned from a visit to the Labyrinth with a different Party. I was just thinking about what exactly we should do. Isnt tying it up with string our only real option? Wire would probably be easier, but Id feel bad if our festivities ended up damaging the tree. Yeah, I think its going to just be a Christmas tree when we get down to it. She and Armelina made a list of what they needed. They did not need any fancy metals for the decorations. It could just be things carved from wood and colored with paint. Boo Boo would be happier if they focused more on the snacks. They would also need a ladder for work higher up on the tree. If they could not find one in the inn town, they would have to build one themselves. But do Iberian Orcs really not do this kind of thing? If theres somewhere at least kind of like our world, I assumed anyone with a certain level of intelligence would come up with the idea. Boo Boo doesnt seem to have much of a concept of dates. Of course, it seemed to take us a while to figure out that Grounds Nir has fourteen months with twenty-five days each. Thats because we didnt need to know that to rush off into the Labyrinth. Its the same for Boo Boo. He just lives day to day catching food, so he doesnt need to categorize it with numbers. He just needs to know about the seasons. Really? But you need the concept of dates for all sorts of things: horoscopes, lover compatibility, the days lucky color or recommended spot, or-...ah!? ...Youre surprisingly into that kind of thing, Armelina. A-anyway! After accidentally letting her girly side out, Armelina blushed and frantically waved her hands around. Whatever the case, its lucky he has that Shining Weapon. If it didnt have a manufacturing date and a transfer date, we really wouldve been in trouble. They say you can tell an Iberian Orcs age from their fingerprints, but that isnt enough to figure out the exact month and day. Right, agreed Beatrice with a light sigh. She recalled the word Iberian! carved into that thick weapon. If that hadnt been a birthday present, we wouldnt have been able to celebrate his birthday like this. Part 6 Boo Boo, when is your birthday? Back when Boo Boo had still looked like a cute stuffed animal, Beatrice had asked him that question. He had simply tilted his small head. Whats a birthday? Its the day you were born, Boo Boo. I dont remember anything from that long ago. Do all humans remember? Hmm. Beatrice had groaned when he answered with a curious look void of any emotional nuance. It was possible his entire race had no real fixation on birthdays. For one thing, birthdays were only considered special inside a social system with a concept of age-based hierarchy and set ideas of what behavior was appropriate for ones age. In a complete meritocracy, age would no longer hold a special place in society, so the concept of birthdays would be given less focus. ...Or that was a possibility anyway. Do you know your birthday, Beatrice? September 15. ...Although the year is a different length in Grounds Nir, so that doesnt mean much here. ? Boo Boo looked puzzled. What good is knowing your birthday? Well, just once a year, you get to be the star. You get to eat cake, eat as much other stuff as you want, receive presents from everyone, and celebrate that you were born on that day. A birthday is a special day that everyone has. Really? Boo Boo still did not seem to understand. When he replied, he did not seem to mean much by it. But I dont think I can do that. Theres no one who knows my birthday. Part 7 With help from White Witch Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina, Beatrice decorated the hilltop tree bit by bit. Boo Boo had been running some kind of errands for Sutriona lately, so he would not be anywhere nearby. Filinion supported the ladder from the ground and worked to motivate Beatrice who stood on the ladder. We only have three day to go, so well be out here all night if we dont get all this ready. I know that. The snacks have to be prepared on the day of, so we need to get all this done ahead of time. Uhohoi! I gotta say, the view up a Holy Swordswomans miniskirt is pretty amaz-...gbah!? Oops, my hands slipped and I dropped my Shining Weapon. Sorry. Meanwhile, their work was progressing smoothly. The weather had been so sunny that they had not been delayed by rain. None of the Break News showed up to spread their natural disasters, but that may have been thanks to Sutrionas presence. That said, Beatrice, you have another present ready for him, dont you? Stop it, Armelina. You just know shes going to tie a red ribbon around her naked body and declare that shes his prese-...gwah!? Oops, I dropped the scabbard too. Can you get that for me? She of course did have something for him. And it was of course not a ribbon around her nude body. Since it was generally impossible to carry anything between the two worlds, the only way to get a present in Grounds Nir was to take on an unnecessary expense by trading with Gertrude, the inn towns treasurer, but it had not been too painful. Just three more days. The people in the inn town were busy delving into the Labyrinth to earn Experience Points and learn Magic, so they would have been shocked to see this. But that was exactly why it had meaning. Would she change the world or not? This had a meaning different from that of fighting over the Pieces that could bring great breakthroughs to stalled technologies. Part 8 His mind was almost entirely empty. No matter how much knowledge and skill he had, the intelligence, thoughts, and overall personality needed to actively use them had faded away and scattered. This was the blond man with stubble who had once been Elkiads commander. ...ah... He bore the wounds of his utter defeat, he was under the influence of Sutrionas sandstorm of red insanity, and his internal signals had collapsed around his internal clock due to his extended stay in this alternate world. Altogether, he was left in a state where he could not even remember his own name. But. That may have been the reason why. Only the final direction in his mind refused to vanish. He used all the data on Grounds Nir he had gathered as the army of a certain nation disguised as a Guild and he gathered what he needed to continue in that direction. He would have his revenge. He would get back at them. His unit had been wiped out. He had not seen the other members since then, but either their minds had been destroyed by the insane sandstorm or they had returned to their original world in search of help, been immediately captured, and then been purged. But that meant little to Elkiads commander. On the chess board of war, soldiers were mere pawns. And not even the greatest chess player could complete a game without losing a single piece. So if he gathered his excellent subordinates together like some kind of collection, he could not even begin to fight. He could not let his heart be shattered when they were lost or used up. So that was not why their commander was angry. Useless pawns were doomed to be crushed. If a pawn refused to listen, he would knock it from the board himself. It was something else that scorched the core of his mind. An Iberian Orc that showed no hint of intelligence had thrown the chess board into chaos. To reiterate, war was a chess board and the soldiers were pawns. The commander had gathered everything he needed and used his intellect to challenge his opponent, but his opponent had trampled on his efforts with nothing more than brute strength. That was the worst form of cheating. His score had been crushed and he was now crawling along the ground. It was supposed to be a logic game that pitted one mind against another, but his opponent had achieved victory without using their brain even once. He would make up for that disgrace. He would use any means necessary. ...ah...ah. Elkiad was an army. The first thing they were to do when deployed was some basic investigation to see what was on the chess board. What kind of place was it, what was the terrain like, what was the weather like, what kinds of dangerous flora and fauna were found there, what kind of people lived there, and what interests intertwined there? Even if they were working in Grounds Nir, that remained unchanged. So the Elkiad commander knew what required the greatest focus out of everything in Grounds Nir: the beings known as paradoxes with souls. Those superior beings were on the same level as a thousand meter Dragon that brought rainclouds or a Fairy Queen that created sandstorms of red insanity. The Break News came in all shapes and sizes. Some had wills of their own and some did not. Some understood human language and some did not. Some had humanoid forms and some did not. Some allied themselves with humans and some did not. Every last one was unique. They could not be categorized by any kind of framework because they each built up a framework all their own. They willfully reached to their very own peak. One of those was a sword stabbed into the summit of a sharp rocky mountain. The double-edged sword was as clear as glass or crystal. The Elkiad man unsteadily approached that monster built up from inorganic materials. This was the Break News known as Lorelei. That devilish blade would provide its wielder with infinite power, but it would drive its wielder and their surroundings to destruction through the mass hysteria brought on by overwhelming violence and fear. Part 9 The promised day had arrived. Bringing Boo Boo along was easy. In fact, that hill was his favorite spot. Once Sutriona stopped making her phony errand requests, he would have gone there regardless. Hm? What is it, Beatrice? Its nothing. Youre acting all nervous. I-I said its nothing! The two of them walked through the forest as they spoke. Why are you looking at your usual map? Um...good question. This area is something like my own backyard now, but I just cant relax without this. The weather was still sunny. Her original world was easily changed by the exchange of Pieces, but time flowed peacefully in Grounds Nir. That was not to say the scenery did not change at all, but it seemed to happen at a pleasant pace, like the corners of a stone being slowly rounded by a rivers current. (In that way, we may be the ones who have changed the most.) Beatrice gently smiled next to the four meter Nonhuman. Boo Boo had been as small as a stuffed animal when they had first met. When she had embraced him, he had squealed so cutely. He had been a crybaby and he had shown his tears when he so much as tripped over a tree root. It had definitely been a shock when they had been reunited a few years later, but he had not changed deep down. He was surprised by normal things, confused by normal things, and took action in response to normal things. He was her friend. He had changed. But she did not find that change to be bad. As a resident of a world affected so greatly by Pieces and breakthroughs, that truly seemed like a miracle. Beatrice. I want to find one of this big Bucket Ostrich Eggs to eat today. Dont get in my way like before. Heh heh heh. I think you might just change your mind, Boo Boo. Hm? Youll understand before long. This way, Boo Boo. They walked down the usual path just like always. The forest opened up and they saw the usual small hill on the gentle mountain slope. ? At first, Boo Boo did not seem to know what it was. Red, blue, yellow, and other colors decorated the large tree on the hill. It was also surrounded by roasted snacks and sugary snacks still in their wrapping. Below the glittering tree, several large tropical leaves were woven together into something like a picnic sheet. Large plates were covered in meat, fish, and other foods Boo Boo would love. White Witch Filinion, Fighter Priest Armelina, and Fairy Queen Sutriona were already there. The sparkle at the top of the tree must have been the Fairy named Meridiana. It was not as gaudy as the awful dinner parties held at the Detached Magic Palace. There were no precious metals that had no value outside of monetary value. Happy birthday, Boo Boo. Beatrice spoke quietly next to him. It wasnt easy without any real reference materials, but we did our best to do this the Iberian Orc way. I hope you like it. This is... Boo Boo finally seemed to catch on. This is all for me? Thats right. Today is the day to celebrate the fact that you were born. So theres no need to hold back. Youre the star today. ... Boo Boo stood there in silence for a while. He had said he was fine being alone since everyone was afraid of him. He had gone to save a friend even if it meant making everyone hate him. He had always taken it for granted everyone would reject him, so how did he view this scene? Beatrice would never let him say that kind of thing again. If he needed emotional support for that, she would gladly provide it. Cmon, lets get started, Boo Boo. You can set aside all the complex stuff and just enjoy yourself. She smiled and took his hand. She then slowly and gently invited him into circle of friends. She would make him a part of that bright light. But just before she could, a violent gust of wind blew in. The dreadful wind carried the scorching heat of melted glass. For a brief moment, Beatrice had no idea what had happened to her. She had reacted to the approaching sense of danger by reflexively drawing her Shining Weapon rapier, but she was not given enough time to activate any Magic. She felt a blow powerful enough to strain her arm and orange sparks flew. She bent more than halfway backwards and lost her balance as a further scorching wind assaulted her. That wind had a human form. Only then was she able to raise her voice. Elkiad!? The smiling man swung both arms for a horizontal strike at her torso. Would she have time to activate her Magic or take aim? Her thoughts moved at high speed as a giant form took action next to her. It was Boo Boo. Pressure bore down on the mass of wind. If the Elkiad man was a red and scorching gust of wind, then Boo Boos leg was a giant wall that stopped that wind. The glass blade rapidly changed course as the Elkiad man used it for defense, but he and the sword were kicked away like an artillery shell. After an explosive sound, he struck the ground with enough force to tear into it. But the blond man with stubble did not stop there. To lessen the damage, he forced himself into a roll and bounced a few times. He ended up on top of the green picnic sheet made from large leaves. The large plates of food they had all made for today were knocked to the ground as the man fully negated the blow. Far in the distance, he raised a sinister blade that was not a Shining Weapon. It changed shape from an amorphous whip to a single sword and plenty of red heat filled its clear blade. Ha ha. He produced laughter that had long since left human language behind. Only a desire for pain and tragedy covered his face and his entire body. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! The sword transformed again as he laughed. With an orange glow, the long blade danced madly through the air like melted candy and formed a whip-like whirlwind around the man. It tore into the hill, ripped apart the picnic sheet, and chopped down the decorated branches of the large tree, but sharp interference reached it before it could extend to White Witch Filinion or Fighter Priest Armelina. It was not a weapon or Magic. It was a bare hand. A soft hand that could even be called childlike struck the blade from the side to divert it off course. It would seem this man has quite the death wish!! Fairy Queen Sutriona fiercely bared her teeth as she viewed the disastrous scene. But the Elkiad man did not seem to care. Even though he stood before someone who had readily referred to a thousand-meter Break News Dragon as weak. After all... I am a Break News as well. The wind roared as the amorphous weapon returned to its sword form. The orange heat became a refreshingly transparent blade. The Elkiad man aimed the tip her way with a twisted smile on his face. Its name is Lorelei. This is my power now. I am a Break News. So dont think you can frighten me, Sutriona. You were never my goal. Youre no more than a hurdle. A single drop of red appeared. A small cut had appeared on the Fairy Queens right index finger. Im only saying this once: outta the way, Sutriona. The transparent blade grew red with heat. Lorelei transformed into a twisted drill. Whether you do or not wont change how this ends. Then the glass blade exploded. It was a whirlwind once more. It tore into the dirt, sliced through the air, and finally chopped down the large tree on the hilltop. The all-consuming torrent of destruction ignored distance as it attacked Boo Boo and Beatrice. Even as the danger approached, Beatrice carelessly had something else on her mind. This was an utter disaster. The food prepared for Boo Boo had been trampled and the picnic sheet had been torn to shreds. The White Witch and Fighter Priest had nearly been killed and Sutrionas blood had actually been shed. They had researched Iberian Orc traditions from the ground up and worked hard to decorate the tree for a celebration similar to those traditions, but that tree had been chopped down. The very location that had been a part of Boo Boos life since childhood had been torn apart. This was supposed to be a celebration of his birth, so this was like spitting on those feelings. Time had long since stopped. What had Boo Boo done? This might have been his very first birthday, so why did this have to happen to him? It was true he had opposed Elkiad. But had Elkiad been fighting from a righteous position? Would anything be improved by digging that issue back up after its conclusion? Wasnt this nothing more than a personal grudge? If this man thought it was okay to ruin all this over a personal grudge and if he could go this far based on that reasoning... Then he could hardly complain if the same happened to him, could he? She moved almost frustratingly slowly as she raised her Shining Weapon. She would not think about holding back. She would not bother to follow her opponents regulations. She cast aside all idle thoughts, forgot even the fact that her own life was in danger, and faced her target. In a world void of sound, she selected the Magic she needed. In a space void of time, she finished setting the target. She gathered strength in her little finger to her index finger, focused on her tightened thumb, and finished her preparations. Sorry if you die. But you might as well have pressed the gun to your head and pulled the trigger. She then released the Magic. The world regained sound and recalled the flow of time. A great din soon followed. Orange flames shattered the approaching red whirlwind like it was made of glass. Not only that, the air was scorched as a mass of explosive heat shot straight toward the Elkiad man. He immediately raised Lorelei, but that blade shattered, leaving him with only the hilt. His body bounced around like a rubber ball. This time, he was not trying to negate the blow. He simply flailed his limbs, hit the ground, and tore into the dirt several times as his momentum carried him along. Hold on. ...Wasnt that guy using a Break News? Fighter Priest Armelina seemed caught off guard. He was talking about Lorelei, replied Sutriona as she pressed a finger to her temple and shut one eye. Its true that thing is a Break News like me and it does have the power that implies. ...But in exchange for the infinite power it provides, Lorelei shatters their desires. After granting every last one of their ideals, it points out the contradictions in their heart to take it all away. The only way to control Lorelei is to build up the ultimate and perfect theory that lacks even the slightest flaw, but a theory that perfect doesnt exist when faced with the billions and trillions of possibilities in this world. If you gave a fish legs and wings, would you have an all-purpose creature? Youd only have a pathetic creature that cant get by on land, in the air, or even in the sea. But... White Witch Filinion slowly and hesitantly looked over. Not at the tragically spilt food, not at the felled tree, and not at the Elkiad man who Lorelei had toyed with and sent to his doom. She looked at Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. Shouldnt we leave those details until later and stop her? Whether that power is real or not and whether he still has that power or not, I think shes about ready to go kill him! Beatrice took a step out in front of the others. She used the Magic known as Internal. As soon as a circle and a word of power appeared on her back, the Magic activated and she vanished. Something like orange flame wings had erupted from the circle on her back and her slender body flew just off the ground with the force of a meteor. She slipped out from between White Witch Filinion, Fighter Priest Armelina, and Fairy Queen Sutriona. No one could stop her as she raced toward the Elkiad man lying on the ground. She planted her heel on his chest. Then a strip was torn into the ground like when a passenger plane made an emergency landing. Gah, gwah!! Aghbagrehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! It lasted several dozen...no, several hundred meters. Once she had finished using him as a human surfboard, the man saw something. The Holy Swordswoman leaning over him had raised her Shining Weapon like a blunt weapon. She clearly did not even need to activate any Magic for this action. It was an obvious sign that she refused to kill him without giving him time to feel the pain and that she wanted to feel it in her wrists as his flesh and blood were crushed. Filinion, Armelina, and Sutriona were left behind. Needless to say, so was Meridiana, the palm-sized Fairy. None of them could stop her. That may have been why the only person who could act did so. Someone elses hand grabbed Beatrices raised Shining Weapon from behind. Boo Boos giant hand held the rapier blade in place. ... At first, Beatrice simply turned around in anger at being stopped. When she realized Boo Boo had done it, surprise covered her face and then her entire expression fell apart. Its okay, Beatrice. Why...? I dont want to see any more of this. Why!? Beatrice shouted at him like a bolt of lightning. Theres no reason for you to hold back here, Boo Boo. Elkiad came to Grounds Nir, went on a rampage, and got attacked by you, one of the actual residents of this world. Thats all that happened, but as it spun around and around in his mind, he somehow decided he needed to take revenge! This was supposed to be your birthday. This was supposed to be the special day where you could be the star. We were supposed to be celebrating your birth!! ... But he trampled on all of that. He trampled on the party, on the special day, and on a place that holds so many memories for you! It doesnt matter whether or not he knew about any of this. You dont have to hold back when this man felt so full of himself that he didnt even realize he was a guest here in Grounds Nir! Doesnt it bother you, Boo Boo? Year after year, youve longingly watched the inn towns festival while standing here all alone. But he took that scene from you!! Kee hee. But she heard static instead of the answer she wanted. Ugly static left the defeated and battered mans mouth. Ha...ha ha. What are you talking about? I was wondering what this was about, but what in the hell are you talking about? Longingly watched the festival? Standing here all alone? Are you serious? Youve got to be kidding me. What...are you talking about? It may have been better had she not responded. The Elkiad man was here to have his revenge on Boo Boo and Beatrice. If that was his one and only goal, the static coming from his mouth could only be a means of tearing into their hearts. Humans visit Grounds Nir to gather Magic and create Pieces. Thats how we bring technological breakthroughs back to human society. So would we really waste our time and efforts on a mere festival or parade? If were going to do that, it has to be linked to the Labyrinth exploration. ...For example, when we defeat a powerful enemy blocking the way. She should have immediately shut his mouth. She should have hit him, crushed him, and silenced him to end this. But she had made a mistake. She had pressed him to continue. So that festival that monster longed to join? I bet it was the one that commemorates the day we wiped out a village of those pig-faced things. Part 10 The world seemed to turn upside down. Part 11 The color white exploded in Beatrices mind. She regretted not slaughtering this man one second earlier. ... But once she thought about it rationally, there were some things that made no sense. Where was Boo Boos family? Where were his friends? Why had she never seen any other Iberian Orcs? Grounds Nir was a small island that even a human could walk around in three days. And Boo Boo had said he never approached the never-ending Labyrinth because it was scary. If Iberian Orcs with the same values had a village on Grounds Nir, they would not enter the vast Labyrinth either. If they were living somewhere on this small island, she should have run across them somewhere. And yet she had not. Why was Boo Boo here all alone, as if he had been left behind? Yes, thats right. I remember now. Blood dripped from the Elkiad mans mouth as he continued to smile. He looked over at the abnormal Shining Weapon hanging at Boo Boos waist. There used to be someone who used that thing. Ha ha. Have you been taking good care of it because someone gave it to you? Well, the weapon youve entrusted your life to is the very weapon that had its fill of your family and friends blood, you dimwitted beast!! The memories forming the inner side of Boo Boo were falling apart. Not long after Elkiad was established, we hired an external staff member as something like a guide. Thats her weapon. Im certain of it. She vanished after we destroyed the Iberian Orc village, but Im betting she gave the weapon to you and then left as a way to leave behind the guilt. Ah ha ha. Its a shame. If youd realized who she was, she mightve killed you along with all your friends! Why...? Beatrices voice was scratchy. Why would you do that!? Nonhumans like the Iberian Orcs arent the same as the lifeless Gimmicks that wander the Labyrinth. And unlike the Break News that are linked to and power the large Traps, they dont interfere with our exploration. So why would you kill them!? Dont ask me. I wasnt in command back then. Well, it was a problem how close the village was to the Labyrinths exit and they would sometimes stop people from going in because they thought the Labyrinth was some frightening place. Those were issues, but...I dont think they were the real reason. At that point, the Elkiad man stuck out his tongue to provide the finishing blow to a kind heart. Hah! Do you even need a reason to slaughter some pig-faced monster in some other world? Why are you even taking this so seriously? Hmm, um, what was it again? Was it because they were so damn ugly? I dont even remember what I was thinking when I shoved those losers aside. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... All of her thoughts were erased. She tried in vain to think while overcome by an odd floating sensation like even the concept of gravity had vanished. What day was it today? The day to celebrate his birth. Why had she so arrogantly assumed a human could give him something like that? Humans were the ones devastating Grounds Nir for their own purposes, so they were nothing more than evil invaders to the Nonhumans. And by the time her scattered mind managed to refocus itself, she heard a deafening sound. At first, she grimaced at the great volume, but once she realized what it was, it tore her heart to pieces. Boo Boo was crying. Just like a small child, he was wailing toward heaven at the top of his lungs. Of course he was. This place from his memories, his memories of watching that festival, the extra-large Shining Weapon he had relied on more than anything else, and everything that supported his heart had been shattered. Of course he was going to abandon all rationality and intelligence. All that would remain was the great violence that had confronted the Thousand Dragon and destroyed Elkiad. Oh... Im going to die here. That realization came to Beatrice. What other option was there? The humans had slaughtered Boo Boos true family and friends, innocently pretended to be on the side of good and justice, lifted him up further and further with the laughable farce of a birthday party, and then tossed him into the abyss at the worst possible timing. The fact that they had not known or that they were from a different group only mattered from a human point of view. After having everything taken from him, Boo Boo would view all humans the same. Im dumb...so I dont really get it... Finally, Boo Boo spoke while continuing to sob. There were hints of anger in his voice. What was there left for him to question? Why something so cruel had to happen to him? How humans could do such evil with such ease? Or why the puny and hideous creatures known as humans should be allowed to live? Beatrice imagined all sorts of verbal abuse. But what he said next betrayed every last one of her expectations. I cant figure out if I should really hate humans here! he said clearly. I cant figure out if I should really go on a rampage here!! Beatrice could not believe it. She doubted her own ears and brain. After all that, there was no way he felt no anger. His entire body was trembling and she could see a definite light of rage in his teary eyes. But he was suppressing it. Even when faced with such evil, was he refusing to release himself? Why, Boo Boo? The Elkiad man no longer mattered. She stepped back from him, turned her back on him, and faced Boo Boo directly. She spread her arms while holding her Shining Weapon, leaving herself defenseless. You can kill us. You can kill us humans!! Doesnt it bother you? Youll never be satisfied if you dont, right!? Theres no reason to hold back, suppress this, and live on in pain. Were not worth that. Surely you understand that!! Its true the festival, the Shining Weapon, and everything else have fallen apart. Theres nothing pure left and everything Ive relied on has been pulled out from under me... Boo Boo spoke while biting his lip. But you said youd be my friend. Even if everything is gone and those memories were built on a lie, you havent disappeared. So I dont want to stop being your friend! I dont want to go on a rampage here and break that one last thread!! Boo Boo...!! Im dumb, so I cant make up my mind. He had the tearful look of a child lost in an unfamiliar city. I think Im doing something wrong here. I think its weird not to do anything when everyone was killed. But...I dont care if it makes me dumb or a coward. I just cant bring myself to do that!! Only then did Beatrice finally remember something. After rescuing Meridiana from the Thousand Dragon, Boo Boo had said he was afraid of justifying his violence, losing control, and becoming an unfeeling monster. He feared he would become someone who killed for more than just living and eating. Dont be silly, Boo Boo. When he had revealed that, how had she replied? Yes, thats right. I wont let that happen. Were friends after all. Beatrice finally found what she needed to do. She knew what she had to do and how she had to guide him as his friend. You arent dumb, Boo Boo. Nor are you a coward. You found the smartest answer of anyone here. If he was trembling because he was afraid of crossing a certain line, she just had to gently push him back from that line. If she wanted to continue to be his friend, she had to answer with a smile. This would settle it all. She would bring it all to an end. But just as she thought that, something else happened. The sound from directly behind her was a truly quiet thing. The Elkiad man had guided the tip of the devilish Lorelei blade to the girls back. Part 12 She did not understand. This time, her mind truly went blank. Ha...ha ha. She heard laughter. But despite what the Elkiad man wanted, not a single drop of blood flowed from Beatrices back. Lorelei no longer had the power needed to form a proper blade. It was like being poked by a stick, so it caused no real damage. But what if? What would have happened had Lorelei been at full power? What would have happened before Boo Boos eyes after he had chosen to stay by Beatrices side rather than take revenge for his parents and friends? (Oh...) Was this that same cruelty? Unsatisfied with just trampling on his precious past, had the man tried to break Boo Boos will to continue into the future in order to drench everything in spilt blood? Beatrice did not care in the slightest that he had tried to take her life. She understood that he had just about defiled something far more precious. So... The next thing she knew, she had completely lost consciousness. She truly did not know what had happened. At some point her position had changed, Sutriona and the others were nowhere to be found, she was gripping her Shining Weapon rapier with rage, and she was facing Boo Boo who held his weapon that resembled a steel beam or log. Boo Boo seemed to be standing protectively in front of the Elkiad man. Beatrice glanced over at the man who looked like nothing more than a bag of blood and she practically growled at Boo Boo. Move, Boo Boo. I wont. I have to kill him. You dont have to do it yourself. As a human, Ill clean up the mess we made. So you dont need to worry about anything. I decided I would stay your friend. No matter what. They glared directly at each other. And her four meter friend made an announcement. So I wont give up on you. I wont let you cross this final line!! One of them was the Dragon Eater, an incarnation of violence who had defeated the Thousand Dragon. The other was the Seven Flames, one of those at the level cap with 14,000 forms of fire Magic at her disposal. Those two always walked side by side, but now they clashed head-on. Part 13 Beatrice was the first to move. She held her Shining Weapon rapier tight in her hand and used it to select some Magic. Instead of trying to get close to the extraordinary mass of muscles that was Boo Boo, she made an attack that could defeat him from a distance. Metal Jet. This was the same as the bestseller when it came to anti-tank weapons. That is, a shaped charge. Those used more than pure explosive power to break through a tanks armor. After directing the vectors in a single direction, the metal that had been vaporized from the intense heat was ejected like a sharp spear. That opened a hole all the way through the thick armor and then burned through everything inside. A metal jet would normally be at most a few dozen centimeters to a few meters long. But when it was directly created with the power of Magic, those assumptions were easily overturned. Meaning... It looked like an orange glowing laser. Eight of them scorched the air as they shot toward Boo Boo from eight different directions. They traveled well over a thousand meters. But when faced with that extraordinary power, Boo Boo simply spun his body around to nimbly dodge the deadly lines of heat. Not only that, he used his thick Shining Weapon to hit a nearby mass of stone. It was smashed to pieces and a downpour of sharp fragments flew toward Beatrices slender body. Beatrice ignored them. Internal. A magic circle and powerful words danced around her back and orange wings erupted from them. That transformed her body into an artillery shell. She skimmed just off the ground as she shot forward. All the while, she dodged the pebbles from an even lower position. Melt Cutting. The Shining Weapons blade glowed orange. As she approached her target along the shortest route, the girl adjusted her grip on the blade that was now such a powerful heat source that it could melt steel like butter. Boo Boo also ran forward with weapon in hand. His feet gouged into the ground and he released all of his muscles like springs to tear through the air. With a deafening roar, the giant beast and the girls Shining Weapons finally met. They did not bother locking blades. They crossed paths a few more times, explosions of sparks scattered each time, and they finally moved to the side in order to escape the clash. They maintained their short distance from each other as they ran parallel along the field. It was an empty field. White Witch Filinion, Fighter Priest Armelina, and the bloody and beaten Elkiad man were not here. This world belonged to just the two of them. That may have been why Beatrice decided to get serious here. She threw out all mercy. Blossom, great flower. Reveal the seven trees. The scenery entirely changed. It all became a disconcerting round arena surrounded by orange light. It was a collection of the Icons for all of the Magic that Beatrice could use. The towering walls surrounding her were tree diagrams of Magic. There were seven sets, each with two thousand entries. These were the Seven Flames. This was the ultimate pot of death that would use any means necessary to burn to death all who were trapped inside. This is your last chance, Boo Boo. She spoke calmly in a voice that seemed to be cursing the world. Move. I wont. That immediate response was followed by Magic. Cluster. She held her Shining Weapon high and a brilliant light was launched up by the tip. It burst like a firework more than two hundred meters up and it scattered fireballs evenly in every direction. Those fireballs similarly burst, burst, burst, and burst some more, ultimately filling the sky with 150,000 lights. What happened next could not have been clearer. Every last one of them stabbed into the ground, filling the surface with the color orange. After an incredible explosion of flames, a wave of heat and a shockwave swept across the field. As far as the eye could see, the scenery was covered with flames, like a forest fire had broken out. And even after that transformation, the scenery was further distorted. The colors of the surface and the sky were both overwritten with that of flames. And all of this was mere preparation. Surrounded by the world of flames and the countless Icons, Boo Boo was all alone. Standing in the center, the Holy Swordswoman faced him like a queen. But Boo Boo did not fall back. If he gave up now, he knew Beatrice would fall into an unreachable abyss with that dark look still in her eyes. Then lets do this. Prepare yourself, Boo Boo. Thats my line. My attacks are heavy, Beatrice. After speaking to each other, their clash resumed. Heavy roars erupted one after another. Part 14 Atop a distant hill, the palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana viewed the intense fighting in a daze. The entire battlefield was covered in roaring fires. If Beatrice was abnormal for producing those flames, then Boo Boo was abnormal for continuing to fight without being pushed back by those flames. Meridiana wanted to know how this could have happened. This was Boo Boos birthday, everyone had worked hard to celebrate it, and they had only wanted to see the look of joy on his face. So how did that lead to a fight to the death with the person closest to him? L-Lady Sutriona! Please stop Boo Boo and Beatrice! At this rate, neither one of them will escape unharmed. With your power, you can-...!! Dont ask the impossible. The Fairy Queen bluntly rejected the idea. I specialize in the insane sandstorm that burns away peoples rational minds, but theres nothing I can do faced with this vortex of air. It isnt easy for me to interfere when nothing I do could reach them. Th-that cant be... lamented Meridiana White Witch Filinion also had a grim look on her face. And one way to effectively decontaminate a chemical weapon is with the high temperatures of napalm or a thermobaric bomb. In the face of that much firepower, Sutrionas pigment might be neutralized by an intense oxidation reaction. Beatrice had been cornered by Elkiads group combat in the inn town, but that was an issue of compatibility. She could indiscriminately spread largescale damage all she wanted, but there was nothing she could do about a bullet slipping through the gaps. And if Beatrice had gone all out there, most of the inn towns people would have been caught in the middle. With the Thousand Dragon, it had been a simple matter of mass. Even if she tried to roast its giant body from the surface, it could have extinguished her flames like stepping on a cigarette butt. Not to mention that the Thousand Dragon specialized in flight. If it escaped to the sky and repeatedly swooped down like a meteor, she would be worn down before she could burn it. But this was different. She was a representative example of the level cap group who claimed things only truly began at Lv. 99. She had countless nicknames and she was especially feared as the Seven Flames which pointed to her ability to use 14,000 types of fire Magic. Overall, she was one of the humans at the top of the rankings. Sutriona scratched at her silver hair with one hand. To think an issue of compatibility would show up with such pinpoint precision here. Theres nothing I can do. Human, do you have anything up your sleeve like that? Well... While I cant say no, it isnt anything that can restrain that. The White Witch and the Fighter Priest were also at the level cap, but that did not mean they could do the same thing. For one thing, humans formed Parties and Guilds to make up for each others weaknesses with their own strengths. When a fight broke out within a Party, the outcome was strongly related to their compatibility. Simply put, Filinion and Armelina could not defeat Beatrice in a straight fight. Which means... said Meridiana. The Fairy Queen shut one eye and continued for her. We can only pray to that Iberian Orc and to a god that may or may not exist. We can only pray that his birthday isnt ruined any further. Part 15 Beatrice used her stock of 14,000 to rule over the fire. Boo Boo was surrounded by hellfire in all directions and he only had his own arms and his Shining Weapon to rely on. And since he could not use human Magic, he could only swing it around like a club. The situation was hopeless. He did not have even the slightest chance of victory. Or so it may have seemed. The flow of fire was the same as the flow of air. It flowed downstream, it sought an exit from a sealed space, and it would move on its own. The situation was not that simple since flames themselves would cause the air to expand and create their own air currents and since Beatrices Magic could directly manipulate those flames, but it had more to do with fluid dynamics than with thermodynamics. It was the same as closing colored smoke in a giant tank and stirring it up with a stick to create air currents. The visualized fluid moved as it liked. And Boo Boo had the physical strength to beat a thousand meter Dragon out of the sky. With a roar of steel, the orange world was torn from Beatrices control. !! With a horizontal bat-like swing, the flames wrapped around the weapon like sticky syrup. The world of inescapable death was stirred up and a slight safe zone appeared. The arms holding the Shining Weapon continued on to tear through the air a few more times. With each blast of wind, a mass of orange was released and it rushed toward the Holy Swordswoman that was supposedly in control. The girl did not even take a defensive stance. In the instant of impact, the orange flames that resembled molten metal burst into a million pieces. Its useless, Boo Boo. Her voice sounded like a deadly curse. My Percentage-type elemental defenses give me 100% Fire Resistance. ...That means no flames can ever hurt me. If you thought some trickery was enough to kill me, youre sorely mistaken. But you cant kill me either. I cant do that kind of thing since Im dumb, but your flames cant reach me now. Oh? Have you gotten used to the heat? Beatrice adjusted her one-handed grip on the Shining Weapon and held the rapier out horizontally. She placed her empty hand atop the bladeless tip. Had he noticed? Had he noticed that the crimson Holy Swordswoman had secretly woven in some illusion Magic? Had he noticed the multiple red strings and boxes recording each and every action he had taken thus far? Had he noticed her keeping score and looking for a way to perfectly break through, as if researching the idiosyncrasies of a baseball pitcher? And then the silver and red haired girl spoke. Then how about I cool you down, Boo Boo? First, there were three small and simultaneous explosions in three different directions around Boo Boo. Next, an unpleasant sensation ran through the back of his giant neck. A moment later, he jumped to the side like he had been physically struck. After a sound like cracks running through glass, an ominous light was released into the space he had just vacated. Boo Boo did not stop moving. The same phenomenon continually attacked him. When the leaves fluttering through the air were caught in the crossfire, they shattered like a dropped piece of glasswork. This is called laser cooling...but I guess you wouldnt understand since you grew up here in Grounds Nir. Her eyes glittered in the light of the flames as they pursued the giant form fleeing left and right. She was targeting him. At the most basic level, heat is molecular vibration. By firing lasers at a single molecule from three or four directions, that vibration can be reduced to zero. ...Thats what Im doing here. The only difference is Im using detonations instead of lasers and doing it on the macro level instead of the micro level. Altogether, this was the Magic known as Icing. This was not supplying energy to burn the target or reducing energy to cool it. It was supplying energy yet freezing it. The Holy Swordswoman had forcibly stuck to her field of expertise to obtain this level of extreme freedom. ! As Boo Boo continued to dodge horizontally, his body suddenly bent at a right angle. He had made an unexpected dash straight forward. The world of pure flames was gone. He wanted to put her in check before she could add more extra and uncertain elements to the stage. His methods were not wrong, but he had misjudged the situation. A moment later, a line of light shot from heaven to earth. Boo Boos entire body was mercilessly struck by a lightning strike that reeked of ozone. Thunderbolt... This ones a lot simpler. By applying a rapid vibration to the soot blown up into the sky, the static electricity quickly accumulates. Once it passes a certain point, the lightning will pierce the ground on its own. ...Gh... But Boo Boo still managed to move in close. He made a horizontal strike with his extraordinarily large Shining Weapon, but Beatrice did not even bother dodging it. She used Fair Wind. By creating intense heat and whipping up the wind, she gave an extra push to the enemy attack so they would lose control. The great strength Boo Boo used to swing the weapon caused him to pitch forward. Just as he lost his momentum, she suppressed the decelerated attack of the Shining Weapon itself. Normally, she would have been blown away by Boo Boos strength, but lightning powerful enough to split a great tree had only just struck him on the top of the head. That had briefly sapped his strength. And then the Holy Swordswomans lips moved and her words slipped out into the world Weasel Cut. A whirlwind became a collection of vacuum blades. This was another attack that used the cooling and heating of the air to create extreme changes to the air currents. If anyone other than Boo Boo had been caught by that, their flesh and blood might have been torn from their bones. Since I can only use fire, some dimwitted fools think they can earn an easy victory if they build up plenty of Fire Resistance, but I make quick work of them. Everything she used started with fire. But Beatrice had reached to all other Elements from there. With nothing more than fire, she could achieve attack, defense, support, healing, disturbance, and anything else she might need. Boo Boo took a few unsteady steps back. He could push forward against any enemy, but here he was forced back. This is how Ive survived so long. Beatrices Shining Weapon cut slowly through the air. She drew a large circle. She pointed the flat tip of the rapier toward Boo Boo. Ill only say it once more. ...Move, Boo Boo. Ill kill that evil man myself. Not to stop the screaming in my heart and not to comfort the lost souls of your friends. There is simply no reason to let him live when hes willing to shed blood and elicit screams for his own enjoyment. Nor are we obligated to let him live. This son of a bitch claims its only natural to take things from people, so its time I taught him the pain of having something taken from him and then sent him to hell. ...I wont move. His tough skin was torn in places and he was clenching his teeth, but he still raised his extraordinarily large Shining Weapon. I dont need that. If he wants to take things from me, than he can. Id be sadder letting you take things from people than to have things taken from me. Then... Beatrice tightly clenched her back teeth as the tip of her Shining Weapon swayed ominously. Youve never done anything wrong! So why do you have to resign yourself to having things taken from you!? She gave a roar as she spoke. You need to protect those things!! Just like you protected everyone around you! Its okay to protect yourself too!! Whos going to blame you for raising your fists for that!? If someone calls you a monster while watching from their safe zone, then theyre the crazy one!!!! She released an especially large piece of Magic. Forest Fire. An orange line appeared on the surface behind her. It extended to the left and right and then a dreadfully hot and thick wall of fire erupted upwards. The wall of fire passed by the red Holy Swordswoman who had superb Fire Resistance and it rushed toward Boo Boo. The massive collection of fire resembled a forest fire and it approached at over sixty kph. Instead of burning an individual, it filled a space several kilometers across. Instead of defeating someone, it swallowed them up. This Magic reached warlike overkill levels that far exceeded what was needed to explore the Labyrinth. That meant this was over. As the wall of flames approached, Boo Boo spun around and tried to swing his extraordinarily large Shining Weapon, but it was no use. The threat of a fuel-air bomb was its wide-area blast as well as its application of thorough damage with a blast that lasted far longer than that of a normal bomb. Similarly, this fire was long. It covered too wide an area to dodge and, once the target was swallowed up, it would wear them down no matter how much they clenched their teeth. Even if they made use of two or three different defense and evasion techniques, these surefire flames would still swallow them whole. (Boo Boo. You did quite well.) Beatrice spoke in her heart as her dark eyes watched the final moments. (But this is a human issue. Its a conflict between ugly, ugly humans. So, Boo Boo, you dont need to hesitate here. I will release the flames just before you die. By the time you wake up, all of your sorrows will be gone.) That was what she thought. But something else happened a moment later. Boo Boos giant body rotated and his Shining Weapon gave a roar as it twisted the laws of the world. Wh-...? The Holy Swordswoman saw something like a giant dragon (one of the legendary Eastern dragons from Beatrices world, not one of the Dragons that actually lived in Grounds Nir) coil around the Shining Weapon which resembled a steel beam or a log. By the time she realized it was the fire wrapping around the weapon like syrup scooped up by a spoon, Beatrices Forest Fire collided forcefully with Boo Boos fire dragon. ...at!? Thats...Boo Boo!! He held his ground. No, he pushed back. He could use no Magic and he could only produce a gust of wind with his great strength, so where had this energy come from? Faced with this unbelievable sight, Beatrice made calculations with frightening speed. (To gain the advantage of the field effect, I started by covering the entire area with flames for kilometers around us.) The battlefield had fallen apart. Thanks to Boo Boos rampage and Beatrices powerful Magic, the stones had crumbled, giant holes in the ground showed where explosions had occurred, and plenty of other signs of damage were present. What if none of that had been done at random? Just like a cold wind blowing down from a mountain and just like clear water flowing through a canyon, what if a route had been created to redirect all of the scattered heat into a single focused point that could then be released all at once? When the flames had stickily wrapped around his Shining Weapon like syrup, hadnt they been compared to fluid dynamics more than thermodynamics? (Is this like destroying the dam to let the water wash downstream!? But this had to be his first time seeing most of my Magic. And his actions are one thing, but he would have needed to accurately predict my actions and work them into his plan...) She put her own questions on ice. She was surrounded by seven tree diagrams. Those 14,000 Icons were symbols of the Seven Flames. Counting each and every one would have been too much work, so they were simply there to overwhelm the enemy with their great quantity. However, they were still a tree structure. They were not arranged at random. (Dont tell me he read them.) Beatrice shuddered as she looked at Boo Boo beyond the colliding flames. The truth dawned on her. (Hes doing more than just fight. Hes moving accurately, guiding my movements, and yet analyzing my tree diagrams at the same time!? Each time I use a piece of Magic, he notes where in the tree diagrams it came from, figures out where the Magic would develop from there, and finally grasps the entire tree structure!?) Boo Boo was not stupid. His body was extraordinarily large even for an Iberian Orc and he had the incredible strength needed to beat a thousand meter Dragon into submission. That was a powerful advantage, but it also contained the risk of mistakenly breaking his own bones or tearing his own muscles. Thus, Boo Boo was constantly forced to perform highly accurate calculations in every part of his daily life. As a result, he did not have the resources to spare for unnecessary thoughts. And that daily mental work had endlessly expanded his intellect. The more he trained his mind, the stronger it got. If he released all of those resources, knowing it would destroy his own body, his thoughts could easily derive the very laws of the world!! How, Boo Boo...? Beatrice slowly shook her head. The collision between massive flames gradually shifted in Boo Boos favor. The orange wall approached her. How can you draw out this much strength and this much intelligence for that monster of a man!? If you used all this strength for yourself, you could have been king of Grounds Nir. You could have taken all the Pieces for yourself and indirectly rearranged our world to your liking!! Im not fighting for him. That voice should have been drowned out by the overwhelming explosive roar, but it somehow reached the Holy Swordswomans ears. Im fighting for you. I can fight if its for you. ...!! Just as Beatrice tried to shout back at him, the fire crossed a decisive line. It all started to envelop the Holy Swordswoman. (Thats fine then.) The will to fight did not vanish from her eyes. She had 100% Fire Resistance, so no amount of fire could harm her. That meant she could use its bright light and explosive roar as a smokescreen to rush straight at Boo Boo. She would aim for the moment of relaxed tension as he gained the upper hand. Then she would knock him unconscious. (If youre going to selfishly wish for my happiness, then Ill selfishly wish for your happiness. So I wont hesitate. Boo Boo, I will kill that evil man and bring you happiness even if it means crushing your dreams underfoot!!) But... But... But... Just as the wall of flames struck the slender girl, she was knocked back despite her 100% Fire Resistance. Wha-...!? This time. This time her mind truly went blank. No amount of flames had any chance of harming her, yet she had just been pushed straight back as if by a gust of wind. What had Boo Boo done!? (Wait. A gust of wind?) The flames were controlled by air currents. It was more about fluid dynamics than thermodynamics. Beatrice had 100% Fire Resistance, but she had no Resistance against any other Elements. And she had previously tormented Boo Boo by producing attacks of other Elements despite starting from a foundation of fire. In other words... This isnt...Fire... Its a different category. Is this the Wind that accompanies a wave of heat...!? She bent backwards from the blow. The hand holding her Shining Weapon was swept outwards, so she was briefly left defenseless. In that instant, Boo Boo ran straight into the hellfire he himself had created. He charged toward Beatrice despite the damage to his own body!! Part 16 It was his first and last chance. His deceptive strategy would not work a second or third time. More importantly, Boo Boos stamina would not last long enough to create the same situation again. It was already a miracle he had gotten this far in a scorching hell that would have killed a normal human of dehydration a hundred times over. That was why the shortest and quickest route was his only option. An unpleasant roasting smell rose from all of his skin and stabbing pain covered his entire body. But he clenched his teeth. It was okay if he was burned by the fire he had created. It did not matter if he collapsed the instant the battle was over. If, that is, he could get just one attack in on Beatrice. He had to stop her here and prevent her from crossing that decisive line. But... (Oh...) Time seemed to stop. His eyes met Beatrices and he raised his Shining Weapon with all his might, but his mind was filled with anguish. (At this rate, Beatrice will die!!) The shortest and quickest route was the only way to get his attack in. But that would mean pouring all of his strength into the blow, so he could not hold back. The attack would be meaningless if it killed her. Holding back would be meaningless if the attack did not hit her. While he was caught in that dilemma, Beatrice forcibly worked at correcting her backwards bent pose. After recovering her center of gravity, she began aiming her Shining Weapon rapier. From beginning to end, she prepared her weapon for a counterattack. Even if Boo Boos Shining Weapon split her skull, she would still get this attack through. That intent stabbed sharply into him. Boo Boo stopped considering the na?ve possibility that Beatrice would use extraordinary defense Magic to weaken his attack and allow her to miraculously survive. One of them would fall here. There was no other possibility. (No...) He did not have time to clench his teeth. He did not even have time to alter the path of his Shining Weapon. (No!! I dont want you to kill anyone and I dont want anyone to kill you! I dont want a life be taken for such a worthless reason!!) The final moment had already begun. He could not step down from the stage now. It was Boo Boos Shining Weapon vs. Beatrices Shining Weapon. The two crossed paths to end the final moment. And in that instant, bluish-white light burst from Boo Boos Shining Weapon. It almost seemed to be responding to the Iberian Orcs grief. That steel beam or log of a weapon was forcibly removed from the accurate route Boo Boo had imagined. It was an unnatural movement, as if it had been repelled by an extremely powerful magnet, and an unpleasant cracking noise came from Boo Boos arm. The bizarre phenomenon pulled his entire body over. But that slightly delayed the decisive moment of death. As his Shining Weapon veered off course, it swung toward the back of Beatrices hand instead of her head. It targeted the Shining Weapon rapier she held and repelled it. Without a moments delay the giant Shining Weapon reversed course and flew toward Beatrices surprised face. The pain, the shock, and the brief pause brought by those things were all woven into this second attack. It was a routine not found in Boo Boos self-taught repertoire. The thoughts flowing into him knew the Iberian Orc body even better than him and specialized in tactics using that giant body. (What is this...?) Boo Boo felt like he was watching someone else fight, but something arrived in the back of his mind. Im sorry. Im so sorry this is all I can do. Were these Boo Boos memories or were they a sort of data stored in the Shining Weapon which could use Magic? When it came down to it, I could only give in to the system and destroy your village. So I doubt this will suffice as atonement, but I want you to at least take this. A story was silently revealed to him. He received a new revelation about the identity of what he had relied on for so long. The souls of those I slaughtered are all stored as data in this Shining Weapon. If you wish to recover from this, then find a way to call them back to the land of Grounds Nir. The divided internal world and external world cleanly fit together. Time began to move again. Boo Boo once more held his weapon. He was not borrowing knowledge or technique and he was not controlling the weapon as a possession. He was becoming one with it to fulfill his final goal. He would save his friend. It was something anyone would want to do, but only he could do it here. Beatriiiiiice!!!!!! He slammed the thick Shining Weapon toward her surprised face. This was sure to knock her out, but he would not let it kill her. It was a strange bit of mechanics only possible for an Iberian Orc that could manipulate such a giant club like an extension of his body. With a great roar, the Holy Swordswoman was knocked to the ground. With that, it was all over. Volume 1, Epilogue Volume 1, Epilogue Boo Boos entire body was covered in lacerations and serious burns. His wounds would normally have been too severe to survive, but White Witch Filinion reigned supreme in Grounds Nir. She opened her Mixing first-aid kit and pulled out newly-made compresses, bandages, medicines, and other frightening things. She then roughly applied them to his giant body. Squeeeeal!! Yes, yes. Keep crying, keep crying. Im intentionally disinfecting your wounds so it will hurt. I have to make sure you dont get a taste for heroics like this. The main battlefield had fortunately shifted from the forest to a field, but that field had been burned away. Beatrice had been caught by Sutriona at the worst possible time: when her head had cooled and normal guilt had come rushing back. The girl in a black ribbon dress who looked ten had performed a fifteen-move combo of professional wrestling techniques on her, so she was lying face-down with her hands guarding the back of her head and her butt sticking up. Fighter Priest Armelina was tracing her fingers along Boo Boos Shining Weapon. That said, it was the size of a steel beam or log, so she could not pick it up. She was circling around and around it while it was stabbed vertically into the ground. Palm-sized fairy Meridiana asked a question as she flew around. Um, is what Boo Boo said correct? It isnt my Shining Weapon, so I cant say for sure... But its true that its only ever had one piece of Magic registered in it and that its mostly filled with some other data. You normally want a fair bit of spare space for stability when using your Magic, but this is filled almost to the limit. Boo Boos Shining Weapon was no longer glowing with a bluish-white light. It only looked like a mass of cold metal. Boo Boo was not sure what it meant for there to be souls inside it. Sutriona spoke up while elegantly sitting on the Holy Swordswomans hips. Well, to be honest, I cant tell you much when it comes to human Magic. ...Mh. But if what Boo Boo said is true, it means the previous owner created quite the twisted situation. So where exactly are we supposed to start with this? asked Meridiana. Everyones eyes turned to White Witch Filinion who was still healing Boo Boo with Magic. But... Hmm. I do have a few Resurrection types, but its better to think of them as performing CPR with a 100% success rate instead of bringing the dead back to life. Not even I know how to mess with a soul thats completely lost its physical body. Yes, thats more a Necromancer thing than a Healing one, said Sutriona. Although they use the dead while theyre still rotten, so even that is a long way off from real resurrection. B-but didnt the previous owner give that to Boo Boo because theres a way to do it? No, no. If they had had an actual solution, wouldnt they have resurrected the souls themselves? They probably had their hands full just storing the souls and couldnt find a perfect solution, so they passed responsibility onto someone else. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, and Fighter Priest Armelina were all at the Lv. 99 level cap, but they had not perfectly learned all Magic out there. Since they were challenging the Labyrinth and earning Experience Points on a daily basis, they clearly still had a ways to go. In that case, it was possible there was something located further down the many tree structures that organized the great quantity of Magic. They might find a miraculous piece of Magic that freed the many souls enclosed in the Shining Weapon and perfectly resurrected them. Boo Boo. Sutriona finally got off of her, so Beatrice stood up and asked a question. Do you want to see your family and friends again? Im dumb, so I dont quite get it. Is it really okay to bring back dead souls? And would it really be right to just leave them trapped inside the Shining Weapon? He slowly shook his head and finally said something more. But if it was possible, I would like to speak with them at least once more. I see. That settles it then. Beatrice smiled a little. She would not be devastating Grounds Nir for the sake of her own world. This was not the same as succumbing to a desire for revenge and killing someone without even hearing him out. She would truly be raising her Shining Weapon for Boo Boos sake. She was thankful to have this opportunity. Boo Boo, humans need a huge number of Experience Points to learn Magic and thats why we have to enter the Labyrinth. We do it by disarming Traps, defeating Gimmicks, and finding Treasure in chests. Do you know what Im trying to say? No, I dont really get it. Well, what Im saying is... She said it. She smiled. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice reached out her hand and made an invitation. Lets go to the Labyrinth together, Boo Boo. It was possible humans alone could not reach the true depths of the Labyrinth. It was possible a Nonhuman like Boo Boo could not discover the secrets of Magic. But if they worked together, nothing was impossible. Volume 1, Afterword Volume 1, Afterword And with that, this is Kamachi Kazuma. The stage this time is an alternate world and the main activity there is exploring a labyrinth! ...For some behind-the-scenes information, I felt my story structures were getting too complex with A Simple Series, The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village, and The Unexplored Summon://Blood-Sign, so I decided to steer in the opposite direction this time. I made the battles and story as simple as possible. But there had to be a Kamachi Kazuma style twist to things. What could be simpler than exchanging video game magic attacks and a protagonist thats all muscle? And a lot of you probably noticed, but none of the male characters in this story, including the protagonist Boo Boo, were given an official name. For a little more detail, this too is a part of the story structure. And try to restrain your surprise over the fact that, Hm? Then...Thousand Dragon, you were a girl!? I included a number of twists to things, like the truth of the festival and the secret of the Shining Weapon, but the biggest and most obvious might be making the Labyrinth a complete black box and not having a single scene set inside it even though its central to the setting. I just find the inns and weapon shops around a labyrinth so much more appealing than the labyrinth itself... Yes, the hurdle I set up for myself was to see how much information I could leave out (e.g. leaving out male character names, avoiding scenes depicting the Labyrinth, keeping the battles simple, and giving basic names for the magic) while still having a functional story. This was a test to see if I could solve a problem Ive been having with my books lately: the number of pages keeps getting out of hand. The Break News quite literally have broken powers, but I did my best to not create an all-out most powerful character this time. Someone who is flustered and easily defeated in one chapter will display hellish fury in another chapter. I felt I had to include the enjoyment of finding your impression of a character changes based on the viewpoint. True to a fantasy story, the battles had a lot of freedom, so I hope you enjoyed them. By the way, you might have noticed familiar elements here and there: Boo Boo putting himself in danger to save someone close to him and two worlds divided between magic and science is a lot like A Certain Magical Index. A different Break News displaying its unstoppable power in each chapter is a lot like Heavy Object. The Labyrinths Traps and the Break News being unwittingly linked is a lot like The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village. Finding a horrible secret behind ones normal memories and weapon is a lot like A Simple Series. A heroine falling in love with an orc protagonist and the troubles that brings her is a lot like The Circumstances Leading to Waltraute''s Marriage. A violent heroine who is willing to burn down the world and kill for the happiness of the protagonist is a lot like The Unexplored Summon://Blood-Sign. Instead of making something entirely new after cutting away all my previous methodologies, I lined up all of the weapons I had built up over my life as an author and only then focused on smoothing out the awkward corners that always show up when creating something new. After that, I worked at demonstrating the things I could only do with this story. I wanted to show a never-before-seen side of Kamachi Kazuma. I wanted to create the ultimate capsule that would allow the readers to smoothly swallow a theme or a story that would normally stand out as odd and be difficult to accept. I hope I managed to set my sights on a story like that. By the way, Boo Boos principle throughout the novel is that he will kill to eat (or to preserve his or his allies lives) but he will not allow it for any other reason. It is an extremely harsh and dry thought when summed up like that, so did you manage to smoothly swallow it? I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. Thank you all for continuing to work with me! This had to have been a pain with the weapons, armor, and the increased level of nonhumanness. Thank you for everything. And I give my thanks to the readers. I was already adding in some nonhumans with Intellectual Village and Blood-Sign, but what did you think? I hope you were able to accept it. And I will end this here. I get most excited while thinking up the broken powers for the Break News... -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 2, Miss Filinion’s Brutal☆Monster Encyclopedia (Full Color Edition) Volume 2, Miss Filinions BrutalMonster Encyclopedia (Full Color Edition) The Detached Magic Palace existed in the center of Roppongi, Tokyo. The 1km circle of land was surrounded by a tall wall and it was built with as much water and greenery as a park. The white mansion standing in the center was so luxurious it looked out of an older age, but the girl tended to use the small gazebo away from the mansion instead of the mansion itself. The girl of about 16 wore a red dress with the shoulders and back open and her long glossy black hair was tied in twintails using a knot of the hair itself. She held a smartphone in her hand. The gazebo she relaxed in did not contain chairs and a table to elegantly enjoy some tea. Instead, it contained a round jacuzzi. So in her usual bad habit, she was floating face up after diving in without removing her clothes. One of the maids standing around the jacuzzi screamed when she saw her master floating there. Gyaaah!! Milady, you just ruined another Robe Decollete worth as much as a dozen supercars!! The girl floating in the warm water was surprised to find the word supercar was still in use. Haruka, dont get so upset. The country supplies me with this, so it isnt actually mine. Meaning it was paid for with the taxpayers hard-earned money! Thats all the more reason you mustnt do this!! Oh? But its already clinging pretty tightly to my growing body, so Id have to get a new one in half a year regardless. Besides, there are people who need me to get a new dress this often. Yknow, like how they spend excess budget on road construction at the end of the year. Cough, cough! No comment! I have no comment on how the adults do things, milady!! If Haruka, a girl who had just started middle school, was worried about the countrys excuses, then things were dire indeed. The other two maids, normal (height-wise) Misoka and extra-large (breast-wise) Iroka, did not panic or make a fuss. The lady receives 15% of the total tax income, so this will not be a problem. You could say she is actually making use of the spare change she is given. In fact, the normal families would collapse under the weight of all the money if it were distributed fairly. Are you sure this isnt a bit of a compromise on the part of the higher ups since they wont allow her out of the Detached Magic Palace? By the way, miss, you dont seem able to put down your smartphone even when speaking with your servants. Have you found a new social network game or something? It isnt that, said their master as she ignored the slight barb from the maid with glasses and a mole under the eye. Filinion sent over her manuscript, so Im checking over it. Theres a huge list of things she isnt sure she can use... Oh, the guidebook obsessed one of your Labyrinth exploration buddies. There were (at least) two worlds. From the girl and her maids perspective, the planet called earth was the real world and their human race had found a method of travelling to another world called Grounds Nir. Filinion was obsessed with writing guidebooks on Grounds Nirs plants and animals as well as the underground Labyrinths Gimmicks (contraptions resembling life forms that bared their fangs against any intruders), Traps installed in the floor and walls, and Treasure found in treasure chests. She had also released that information on a website in the real world. Rather than to help people stay safe in the Labyrinth, she was simply the type who would die of loneliness if she did not see the hit counter rising but did not have the willpower to update a blog every day and thus filled the gap by updating her guidebook. Nevertheless, she was still helping quite a few people. What does that guidebook have to do with you, lady? Filinion is a White Witch who specializes in healing. As a combat-oriented Holy Swordswoman, it comes down to me to defeat the Gimmicks, so she wants me to check through for any mistakes in their weaknesses and how to defeat them. The red dress girl floated face-up in the warm water while tapping her index finger at her smartphone to type out corrections in red. Punishment-type: Doppelganger This Gimmick always takes on the form of one of your Partys members. HP, STR, VIT, and the other parameters are set to your Partys sum total with a +30% increase (Correction: A random increase between +45% and +60%), so watch out. Its elemental weakness will be something no member of your Party can negate, absorb, or reflect (Correction: Or has at least a 25% resistance to), so if you cover every element, it will have no elemental weakness (Correction: Specifically, it will have a resistance of 50% against every element). When running across a Punishment-type it is generally a good idea to escape to another floor or area. But the parameters only allow it to borrow one of your forms, even if it cannot win. If the Doppelganger transforms into a logistical support member, there is a chance you can fight and defeat it. If you do, you get 5 of the ultra miracle rare Diamond Gears C Extra Large. (Correction: I do not recommend this! If anyone not at the level cap like us tries this, theyll be killed!) That was about how it went. (Why are all the attached illustrations in that pixel style? They look realistic enough, but that has to be way more work than normal illustrations.) The red dress girl had plenty of questions about this. But the glasses girls guidebook had branched out beyond the Labyrinths Gimmicks. For example... Break News: Sutriona. The fairy queen and one of the paradoxes with a soul that move (Correction: She actually lives on the island) freely around Grounds Nir. She looks like a girl of about 10. When she fights, giant butterfly-like blood wings grow from her back and scatter the Sandstorm of Red Madness (Correction: On a large enough scale to cover the entire inn town) containing the dangerous and toxic pigment created by the Crimson Heaven Flower reacting with fairy blood. (Correction: A small amount can intoxicate a 1000 meter Dragon, so it can easily break a humans mind.) She understands human language and has relatively similar ethics and standards, but that has allowed her to blend into human society enough that her route is hard to predict and avoid. She is essentially a monster, so do not even think about defeating her by human means. Or... Iberian Orc: Boo Boo A giant orc living on the island of Grounds Nir. Also known as the Dragon Eater. Despite his brutal appearance, he does not enjoy battle and is relatively gentle. He has an extra-large Shining Weapon of unknown origin, but he cannot activate human Magic and seems to use it only as a blunt weapon. He attacks with simple strikes, but he has also fought a Break News and someone at the level cap, so his true strength is unknown. ... Oh, what is it, miss? The largest of the maids (who always had her black hair fully contained in her cap) spoke up, but the red dress girl continued operating her smartphone and seemed to be calling someone. Hey, cow. Is that any way to greet someone? So what is it? Im in the middle of a college lecture right now... A whispered and gentle voice answered her. The voice was even more otherworldly or elegant than in Grounds Nir. The other girl must have had a high-spec phone because it did not pick up any of the surrounding noise. Why are you trying to upload information on Boo Boo to your free guidebook!? You cant do that! I-I mean, if you show off how great he is, everyone will start paying attention to him!! Oh? I seriously doubt anyone will try to steal that 4 meter brutal pig-face from you. ...And if thats what youre so mad about, Im guessing you havent gotten to that other entry yet. Ah ha ha. ? The floating red dress girl kept the call in hands free mode while she returned to the guidebook manuscript page. And... Level Cap Girl: Beatrice Hates how small her breasts are. This representative member of the level cap adventurers only uses fire Magic, but has a stock of around 14,000 types at her disposal. This does not mean she is weak in water or wind. She uses fire as a starting point to reach every single Element, so be careful. She looks cute enough, but she had a low boiling point and has unbelievable attack power, so if youre up to no good, I recommend doing it where she cant see you. Hates how small her breasts are. If the compatibility works out, she can slay even a Break News, so dont even think about defeating her in a fight. She also hates how small her breasts are. Only tease her about that if you have a death wish. You biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!! Oh, cmon, Beatrice. Theres no need to be so crude. Oh ho ho. Not only are you violating my privacy, but this entry is 100% malicious, isnt it!? Even the pixel illustration is! Im not that flat! And why did you repeat that about my breasts two or three times!? Eh? Because-... Dont you dare say it, you cow!! B-besides, mine are bigger than average. It might only be a few millimeters, but Im above the 50th percentile for the national average. This is a misrepresentation! How exactly are you planning to make up for-...gbh, gbh, gbh!!!!! The girl tried and failed to gather strength in her gut as she yelled, so she lost her buoyancy and sank into the jacuzzi. Cough! Cough, cough! And after getting her head above water and choking, the black twintail girl realized all three sizes of maid were giving her a look of pity. She worked to calm herself and to regain her dignity as their master. Haruka, I see no reason for you to feel sympathetic. Pwee!? S-sorry, but I seem to have hit a growth spurt recently... Dont be silly! Mine are clearly bigger than yours! ...and theyre growing at a rate that will pass you in 6 months to a year!! Gwah! How dare you leave your master in the dust!! You lack loyalty, Haruka!! At any rate, she was getting sidetracked. Her primary opponent was the cow on the phone: Filinion. But the red dress girl was not allowed to leave the Detached Magic Palace in the center of Roppongi. And she doubted Filinion would accept an invitation if she knew it would only mean a lecture. That meant the black twintail girls options were limited. Remember this, Filinion... Kh. But with a boring guidebook, you need to add in some jokes to keep things interesting. Y-yknow, like how that famous weapon and armor guidebook leaves you thinking, Oh, so thats what the Risqu Armor () looks like. Its hard to know just the right amount, but getting a little sexual is the way to go! Cant we look at this as something like that? Cmon, cmon. Ill give you some of the Gimmick gears we use as currency over there. ...I know. How about 9 of the Silver Umbrella Gears C Medium? Theyre super rare!! Shut up. We can have this scary conversation later. See you later in Grounds Nir, okay? Yes. Even if she was restricted in the real world, Grounds Nir was open to everyone equally. Volume 2, 1: Warring Cat Sith and Cu Sith Volume 2, Chapter 1: Warring Cat Sith and Cu Sith Part 1 I hated myself. I hated how I made everyone hate me. I was so big and had so much strength, but I couldnt protect anything. No matter what I did, I would hurt someone. I would destroy everything around me. I hated all of that. And I thought about quitting. No matter how hard I tried, I could never reach any kind of results. [Omission] But I found something even I could do. I finally ran across it. So I wont lose. No matter who Im up against. I simply cant lose. Part 2 Let us review the basic information. The red armored Holy Swordswoman had long hair that started out silver at the base and grew red toward the end. Boo Boo was the Iberian Orc she knew. He was nearly 4 meters tall and fought with a beloved club-shaped Shining Weapon that resembled a thick steel beam. And that Shining Weapon apparently contained the digitized souls of more Iberian Orcs. It had all begun when the humans had attacked the Iberian Orc village, but one of the humans had apparently not approved of their orders. Her obligations had prevented her from fully rejecting those orders, but she had left behind a slight hope of rescue by sealing the killed Iberian Orcs souls in the Shining Weapon and leaving it with young Boo Boo, the sole survivor. It was still unknown how to free those souls. But some Magic that made it possible might exist at the far end of the Magic tree diagram. As a Nonhuman, Boo Boo could not use Magic even with the Shining Weapon. The human girls could learn Magic, but there was a limit to the Experience Points they could earn while exploring the Labyrinth. But what if they joined forces? What if they could choose to wash away that past resentment? Only then could they possibly reach the world that someone had hoped for when leaving that thin, thin thread of possibility with Boo Boo. Only then could they possibly reach an age in which humans and Iberian Orcs could freely smile and live together. ...Boo. In a Grounds Nir forest, the 4 meter pig-faced Iberian Orc named Boo Boo sat on a giant mushroom called a Table Shroom. He had only just returned from the surface after 2 days exploring the Labyrinth. The silver and red haired Holy Swordswoman named Beatrice who had been on his Party smiled bitterly as she rubbed his back. She displayed a map using fire illusion Magic. Look, Boo Boo. If youre going to rest, why not get back home first? But Im so tired... If he wanted to, he could defeat a 1000-meter Dragon by swinging around his Shining Weapon which looked like a log or steel beam, but the Labyrinth was different. The fluffy blond-haired White Witch named Filinion (who wore glasses and had endlessly large breasts) and the short green-haired Fighter Priest named Armelina (who was known for being tall with a flat chest) came to a stop to see what was up. Well, there arent any living creatures in the Labyrinth. Only the Gimmick contraptions and the Traps. When he cant hunt, Boo Boos ravenous appetite can be a bit of a problem. Thats a real problem we need to address in the future. 80% of what he carried was food, but it didnt even last halfway. In addition to the Treasure, the Labyrinth (completely inexplicably) had areas with herbs growing from the floor or wall and the occasional pizza or dried meat lying around. (Had some other human dropped it?) However, that was not enough to fill a 4 meter orcs stomach. We were reliant on your Mixing toward the end there, Filinion. Boo Boo might really have passed out without your Magic Meat. Heh. Heh heh. I used up all my Painful Alraune, Universal Water, Transformation Branches, and even the ultra rare Protective Mistletoe, but it only made one hunk of meat... That felt like it completely ignored the principle of equivalent exchange... Eh heh heh. The White Witch laughed softly and fell into melancholy. It had apparently cost enough for her shoulders to tilt diagonally and her glasses to slip down Beatrice used her fire illusion Magic to draw a few square frames and lines in the air. Boo Boo was undeniably powerful in battle, but no matter how many times she calculated it out, his rate of food consumption was abnormally high. Getting the cost effectiveness right would be a task for a later date. Boo Boo sat on the dirt ground and swung his thick arms. And those passageways are too narrow. I dont even remember how many times my stomach got caught. But you also broke right through the walls to travel straight across the floor, so I think that one cancels out. Yes, yes. There is a lot we still need to get used to, but if you add it all up, I think Boo Boo ends up being a major benefit. Ah, wait!! frantically shouted Beatrice. After all, White Witch Filinion had recovered from her desperation and started rubbing up against seated Boo Boos chest. His bestial scent had to be powerful, but the glasses girl did not seem to mind. Ahh, its a relief to have such a strong shield or tank or whatever. Beatrice and Armelina are supposed to be the vanguard, but theyre so obsessed with fighting that they never listen when I tell them to protect their rear guard healer. Ive always been left alone as I try to Mix things. But now we finally have a solid wall who is enough of a gentleman to worry about the rear guard!! Yeah, yeah. Ill protect you next time, so get away from Boo Boo! Beatrice, if you get anywhere near me when youre going all out, youll probably accidentally blow me to smithereens, so no thank you. Boo Boo is so much more reliable because he only uses physical attacks without any Magic at all. Youre the type that latches onto anyone useful and gets as much out of them as you can, arent you? What a pain. Youre like a slot machine bonus round that cant actually be won. They continued their lunchtime restroom talk while walking down the forest path. They were headed to Boo Boos house in the mountain instead of the inn town which had been built for short lodging or the exchange of information and materials. Boo Boos house was not particularly close to the Labyrinths entrance, but they had a simple reason to go out of their way to visit. Under Lake 31 had a largescale exploration plan, so...yeah, theyll definitely be there. Boo? Theres an underground profession known as loot robbers who attack people who are exhausted after returning. Theyll be waiting at the entrance to the inn town or in front of the medical, lodging, or Mixing shops. Having you with us has honestly been a lot of help, Boo Boo. Boo Boos house acted as a second home for them and it had an ideal location near a river but far enough away to not get caught in any flooding. It was really more of a tent with a triangular silhouette made from large tropical leaves, but it was quite large since it had to contain all of 4m Boo Boos tossing and turning at night. And before entering that tent-like house, Beatrice noticed something and came to a stop. Huh? There are a lot less vegetables in the garden. An area of ground was separated out with a simple fence alongside the house. It should have contained all sorts of colorful fruits only seen in Grounds Nir, but it was clearly missing something. About half of it was gone. White Witch Filinion, the guidebook obsessed Mixing expert, looked shocked. Oh, wow... You have everything from the all-purpose Molasses Grass and Nyandetta Fruit to the Joyful Belladonna, the Angry Digitalis, and the Sorrowful Sage!! None of this can be grown at the inn town, so you shouldnt be able to get it without delving into the Flask Flower Garden which overlaps a Break News territory!! Hm? Is this stuff really that amazing? wondered Beatrice. She only knew that it included Flat Chest Eggplant, the nemesis of all teenage girls. Boo Boo did not seem to understand either. I dont really like vegetables much, so I dont remember what kinds I have or how many. Why do you even have a garden? Fighter Priest Armelina looked exasperated. It would be such a shame to eat these~ [omission] ~bla bla bla~ [omission] ~All of these herbs start with what we call the All-Purpose Seed and the environmental factors like the soil and water determine which of countless flowers those identical seeds grow into. But when people try to grow them, they end up no better than weeds~ [omission] ~bla bla bla~ [omission] ~So what Im trying to say is, do you mind if I take these!? Pant, pant!! They decided to ignore Filinion as she got all worked up and her glasses fogged over. But, Boo Boo, you dont want people stealing the vegetables you worked to grow, do you? That is how nature works, so it cant be helped. And the animals that eat the vegetables here will grow and eventually fill my stomach, so it all works out in the end. Hmm, Im not sure the circle is quite that perfect, said Armelina. That was when a new face appeared. It looked like a girl of about 10 with long silver hair, but she was actually the girl-type Break News named Sutriona. Her only clothing was the black ribbons wrapped around her body, a miniskirt, and the large flower decorations on either side of her head and on her back, so the outfit could be called a ribbon dress. The ribbon dress had been sewn by palm-sized Fairies from the silk of the Ground Spider, so the skirt bloomed like a living flower and the cloth mysteriously moved just enough to keep anyone from seeing up her skirt no matter how vigorously she moved around. Oh, so youre back, Boo Boo! Since youre home, hurry up and make me some food. Im so sick of the food my caretaker shrine maidens make. Im in the mood for one of your super wild roasts!! ... ... ... Boo? The humans all gave her suspicious looks and Boo Boo alone remained puzzled, so the paradox with a soul flinched back. Wh-what? Why are you all looking at me like Im a thief? Well, um... I cant think of a better suspect for the one arrogantly swiping Boo Boos food while he was gone. It was kind Boo Boo who helped her out. Stop it, everyone. If she was hungry, then it cant be helped. I dont care about the vegetables in the garden. Even if Sutriona ate them, it was only a part of nature, so we cant blame her for it. That was the finishing blow. Sutriona was viewed as something like a god in how she was revered and longed after as the fairy queen, but she finally caught on when she saw the sad state of the garden. Wait! Wait just a second!! It wasnt me. The only plants Ill pick and eat are Crimson Heaven Flowers. I rarely eat vegetables, so I would have no reason to steal them! I dont really like vegetables either. Heh heh!! Heh heh!! You two, lets find time later for some intense training to overcome that dislike. Boo Boo and Sutriona trembled at Beatrices frightening announcement, but they had not forgotten the main point at hand. Look! There are footprints in the garden dirt. Do you see that kind of paw pads on my feet!? See, it wasnt me! Hmm, they look like cat prints. Filinion was relaxed and Armelina cut in from the side. No, wait. The vegetable stalks here were clearly cut with some kind of blade. Would a cat or dog use that kind of tool? And do pure cats even exist in Grounds Nir??? Kh!? Sutriona says she likes to go around the inn town pretending to be human, so she probably heard someone talking about cats and faked it. Everyone but Boo Boo gave the fairy queen suspicious looks. Generally, the circumstances were not taken into account when it came to clever intellectual crimes. ...me... Sutriona lowered her head and trembled as her voice spilled from her lips. When she raised her head, that voice grew in volume like a volcanic eruption. It wasnt me!! I really didnt steal it! I didnt, I didnt! But youre all acting like I did!! Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Something pierced Beatrice and the others chests. Given how she looked (even if she was actually untold centuries or millennia old), these things could do more damage than made any logical sense. Boo. Beatrice, Sutriona, and everyone else needs to calm down. But!! Hic, but those three are being mean!! I dont mind that I dont have as many vegetables. That kind look means you dont believe me, doesnt it!? Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! She may have been the type who was willing to take on all the worlds hatred and malice but then felt horribly betrayed if someone she had decided to trust began suspecting her. That said, the tears streaming down the childlike face had not actually cleared their suspicions. On the other hand, proving that Sutriona had not stolen any of the vegetables could easily turn into the devils proof. There was only one expedient way of settling this. It would be fastest to catch the real culprit ourselves. Sob, hic. V-very well!! As the Queen of the Harlots and the summoner of the Sandstorm of Red Madness that burns through peoples sanity, I will do everything I can to make them pay for framing me!! Wait, wait, you damn paradox. Are you trying to turn Boo Boos garden into a toxic bog? It was clear that they could not let Sutriona handle this task and Boo Boo was too large to easily keep watch in secret. But this would probably take a while, so Beatrice and the others were also a poor choice since they could only stay in Grounds Nir for a few days. The red Holy Swordswoman crossed her arms, thought, and used lines of fire illusion Magic to connect the frames for Boo Boos garden, Sutriona, and the culprit. Lets set a trap. Im no good with detailed work, said Boo Boo. Whenever I try to make a pitfall to catch an animal, I fall in it myself. This wont be that difficult. ...Cow, as a Mixing specialist, you mustve brought that with you. Take it all out. Eh? By that, you, um, dont mean that, do you? Beatrice added Filinion to her diagram and made a coldhearted announcement. Im talking about the Mandragora seedlings. The ones that scream when you pull them from the dirt and remove the souls of everything around them. Add some of those into the garden and itll knock out the culprit. Wait, wait, wait, wait! Those are rare, you know? Ultra miracle rare! Theyre a miracle!! A miracle with ultra added to it! Since you dont seem to get it, Ill put it so even an idiot can understand: Most of the medicinal plants used for Mixing come from this really pain-in-the-ass thing called the All-Purpose Seed, and growing them like normal leaves you with nothing but weeds! But when you have them as seedlings like this, it means you know theyll grow into Mandragoras no matter what, so theyre exorbitantly expensive and I cant possibly waste them on something like this! I dont care if you have to bury everything but my head in the dirt, but isnt there any other way!? ... ... ... Ah, I know where this is going... Youre going to use Miss Sutrionas strength to force me to do it, arent you? But thats not going to work this time! Deeeeeefense!! Deeeeeefenvarlmgchah!!!??? A feminine scream echoed across the mountain. Just to be safe, Beatrice had wadding in her ears instead of earplugs, so she only knew something had happened because of the unnatural ripples formed by the vibration of the water in the water jug. That was fast. Beatrice pulled the wadding from her ears and stuck her head out of the leaf house. Yes, they hit them right away. Several small figures were collapsed on their backs in the garden. They all held what looked like lewd carrots with the end split into two. However, these were clearly not humans. They were about half Beatrices height, they were covered in soft-looking fur, and they had cat faces. It may have been a trait of their species, but they were all wearing tiny maid uniforms for some reason. Those are Cat Sith. Theyre called cat fairies and you dont see them very often. The Fighter Priest who was surprisingly fond of cute things spoke up wildly. But thats odd... Theyre supposed to live in the trees in the southern forest, which is a mangrove-like place, so you dont often see them in this area... They were more or less cats that walked on their hind legs like humans. They used tools like normal and they were carrying primitive spears made by attaching a sharp shard of pottery to the end of a stick. Armelina introduced them. Its salt. The southern forest has a very high salt content due to a few geysers that spray out Diamond Salt. That salt is actually stronger than your average stone, so they make all their houses and ships out of it. ...And I hear all their signature dishes are things like vegetables pickled in salt or meat cooked in salt. Then Sutriona grew angry with them. She clung to Boo Boos giant body like she was riding on his shoulders and she wrapped her arms and legs around his head like it was a giant round cushion. She supposedly did not wear any underwear, but that did not seem to matter to her. See? It wasnt me! Boo Boo, what are you going to do about this failure!? Boo. Ill give you some Dew Tea later, so can you cheer up? Do I look that much like a shameless starving character!? Bite, bite!! Ow, ow! Ill apologize, so stop eating my head!! Meanwhile, the glasses girl who had lost all of her Mandragora seedlings had grown all gray and dried out. Heh, heh hee hee hee. By the way, what are we going to do about these Cat Sith? I dont really want to eat them, said Boo Boo. They dont have much meat and dont look tasty. At that very moment, the Cat Sith unsteadily but frantically got up, perhaps due to the mention of eating them. But the damage had left the stuffed animal maids too weak to flee. Oh, no! Were going to be eaten!? Theres nothing we can do against a terribly cruel Iberian Orc!! Thats why I said this was a bad idea! This is the Dragon Eater who can make a meal of a Dragon. Well just be a tiny snack if he catches us!! Like a guys home cooking!! The thieves grew fierce, but Beatrice smiled at them. Yes, when she saw a puppy, a kitten, or anything else that acted like they deserved love because of how cute they were, she only found them impudent! So the girl made a smiling suggestion. Dont worry, Boo Boo. Even if they dont have much meat, you can increase the volume and sumptuousness by cutting open their bellies and filling them with mushrooms and herbs before cooking them. Fire is my specialty, so you can leave that to me. Gnyaaahh!? Gnyaaahh!? The cat fairies collapsed and just about wet themselves, so they began earnestly begging for their lives while shaking with fear. They suddenly grew much more polite. B-but we had no choice. We never would have visited the Dragon Eaters forest otherwise. This was the only way we could survive! I havent heard anything about a lack of food around here. Is the southern forest having trouble? I-if we only had to eat and sleep like normal, we would be just fine, said one of the Cat Sith. But the offering to the Break News has put such a great burden on us that we had to start fighting those vile dog fairies, the Cu Sith!! Part 3 Now, then. Things had gotten complicated. It sounded like a long story, so they all returned to the leaf house where, for some reason, they found a dish cooked from a Bucket Ostrich Egg larger than Beatrices head. The entire egg had simply been wrapped in a large leaf and then cooked over a fire. They were probably meant to all grab off pieces as they spoke. Beatrice recalled that Sutriona had asked for something super wild after growing tired of her shrine maidens food. The dense egg had a naturally sweet aroma reminiscent of vanilla, but its umami could be increased by adding a little rock salt. If it was steamed, it would likely become a pudding-like dessert. It was quite good, but a girl would have to work up some courage to eat something that large on her own. That was why Beatrice and the others were so excited to have a chance to eat it together. But there was a reason they could do that. Oh! If Id asked that Fairy that hangs around this house, I could have cleared all suspicion against me right away!! Curse Meridiana. She had to have been somewhere nearby!! That palm-sized girl isnt going to show up in front of people. We dealt with her a bit during the Thousand Dragon stuff, but its not like she actually got over her shyness. As Sutriona had said, a palm-sized Fairy had moved into Boo Boos house and she had been saved by Boo Boo when she had tried to sacrifice herself to the 1000 meter Thousand Dragon. Fairy blood could apparently intoxicate a giant Dragon, so it had a habit of eating them. But that aside, Beatrice split up the dessert egg, placed the portions on large leaves, and stopped talking. Then everyone focused on a single point: the Cat Sith maids that were trying to be as small as possible. I have no interest in your dispute, but I must know why you have entered my territory and caused trouble here. Answer me, you damn cats. Refuse and this Break News will show you hell. Sutriona sounded especially displeased (and her eyes and nose were still red). She continued to cling to Boo Boos giant head while sitting on his shoulders and the cat fairies trembled as they responded. The issue was between the Cat Sith and the Cu Sith. The cat fairies and the dog fairies were originally very close because there are so many similarities between our habits and lifestyles. Hm? Is that why you ended up fighting over territory and feeding grounds? asked the Fighter Priest while rudely sitting cross-legged. But the cats shook a hand (or front paw?) in front of their faces. No, that isnt it. In a way, this is a much more serious problem. The moon...or rather, its waxing and waning are incredibly important to us. It relates to the creation of salt and is also directly linked to our vitality and energy, so we use the moon to schedule when to hunt and when to stockpile. It had nothing to do with the issue at hand, but Beatrice was fascinated that they called that light in the night sky the moon. Since they used the same name, it was likely the humans who had named it. Meanwhile, Sutriona raised an eyebrow. I see. And then the problem occurred. Boo Boo and the humans still did not understand, so one of the Cat Sith continued. One of the Break News is a Vampire that freely controls lunar eclipses. Her name is Kallikantzaros. It was guidebook obsessed White Witch Filinion who reacted. Um, thats a Break News that was only recently confirmed to be active, right? The scale is unknown, but she supposedly used a lunar eclipse and the moons gravitational pull to bring a high tide to the coast and produce swarms of bugs and crabs... Technically, she was napping in a musty old coffin and only resumed activity recently. Sutriona sighed. Its the same as a swarm of bugs. Any plant or animal affected by the moons gravitational pull is influenced by Kallikantzaros. Including the instincts at the foundation of their minds. The Cat Sith and Cu Sith are no exception. What does that mean? asked Boo Boo. I dont really get it. It means whether they feel happy or sad can be manipulated by someone else, Boo Boo. They could see the problem now. But that would mean the Cat Sith and Cu Sith should join together to challenge the Break News, so why would the cat fairies and dog fairies be fighting each other? We are no match for the Break News. So the Cat Sith and Cu Sith worked toward our common interest by creating a salt altar in the southern forest. We made lots of offerings to Kallikantzaros so she would not cause a lunar eclipse. The situation had changed. Beatrices face clouded over as she managed the information in her midair collection of frames and lines. But the lazy Cu Sith failed to make their offerings. And yet we promised to alternate which one of us left salted meat and salt pickled fruits on the altar to avoid placing too great a burden on any one of us! So Kallikantzaros has continued her lunar eclipse control and we have received no rest. If the Cu Sith do not change their ways, we will be stuck like this forever! We dont want to steal crops, but theyre forcing our hand!! The maid cat fairies were angry, but they were unlikely to target Boo Boos garden again anytime soon. Once Beatrice told them they were free to go, they bowed and left the leaf house. They carried their spears with them. They were intent on settling things with the similar Cu Sith dog fairies. The first one to speak was Fairy Queen Sutriona. Now, what do you think? This is too complicated for me, said Boo Boo. I think there has been some damage caused by this lunar eclipse controlling vampire named Kallikantzaros. Beatrice rubbed her slender chin. But would a Break News really care about the people below them? I know the Thousand Dragon had an altar, but wasnt that 1000 meter dragon king impossible to speak with and werent the self-proclaimed priests beaten to a pulp? That was how it was supposed to work with the Break News. It was rare to be able to speak with them like with Sutriona. Both on the language front and the shared values front. For me, it depends on my territory. If Kallikantzaros causes trouble in my territory now that shes woken up, Ill put her back to sleep forever, but otherwise I wont touch this. What about you, humans? Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina exchanged a glance. Well, the thing about that is... We cant watch those stuffed animal things spill each others blood and wed love to stop it, but... It was simple enough to say, but this would mean facing one of the Break News, the paradoxes with souls who were said to have been born of a certain environment while also producing that environment. It was like an individual saying they would stop a typhoon or sandstorm. With his extraordinary body, Boo Boo had once defeated the Thousand Dragon to save a palm-sized Fairy from being made a living sacrifice, but not even he could defeat Sutriona who also reigned as a Break News. It was unknown where in the hierarchy Kallikantzaros fell, but it would be suicide for even those level cap adventurers to rush in without a plan. Fighting is bad. Boo Boo was the only one with even a slight chance of success. But the same is true with Kallikantzaros. I dont see why we should be allowed to make her cry just because she has a lot of power. That was another form of justice. He would not give into his emotions and justify violence. Other than to live and to eat, he would not allow himself to wield violence. Whether he would continue to follow his personal rule or bend that rule held great meaning and a great price. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice slowly sighed. If her category is Vampire, she probably understands human language. Whether were going to fight or not, why dont we start by speaking with her, Boo Boo? We might be able to get her to stop the lunar eclipse without crossing blades. Right. Im fine with that, so Ill go with you, Beatrice. Really? I feel like a Vampire would actively try to attack humans. Armelina sounded annoyed, but White Witch Filinion spread out her guidebook written on parchment. But how exactly are we supposed to contact Kallikantzaros? Shes only just resumed activity, so Im not sure what the range of that activity is. That shouldnt be a problem. This may have been an old acquaintance because Sutriona readily took over. But... Shes always been stubborn about the weirdest things. Or you could say she has strange habits, so meeting her will probably be a real pain in the ass. She concluded with a rather ominous comment. Part 4 And so... ...I have a question. Beatrice sounded like she was cursing the world while walking on one of the roads away from the inn town. It was early evening and some people were eating an early dinner, but this group was walking through a dark mangrove. It was a different sort of fantastical than the forest around Boo Boos leaf house. There was seawater below them and tropical-looking trees up above. Beatrice and the others were walking on a narrow bridge made of whitish stone that seemed to continue forever at about a meter above the water. Countless bridges connected together like a spider web and their path sparkled as it reflected the moonlight. The pale light came from both the bridges and the branches overhead. In addition to the white bridges crossing over at a higher level, there were a lot of beautiful white cubes measuring at a meter or two across. Those were the Cat Sith and Cu Siths homes. Those creatures were salt craftsmen who cut out the Diamond Salt hardened around the geysers to make houses, boats, or whatever else. The bridges Beatrice and the others walked on had been built up over a long period of time. Along with the sound of small waves, a few white lights were moving within the darkness, but this was not a paranormal phenomenon. In Grounds Nir, it was common for people to pick large white flowers known as Lantern Plants, twist their stamen to make them glow, and carry them around like lanterns at night. The light had apparently originally been a way of gathering bugs to carry their pollen. Despite the fantastical nightscape, Armelina was rubbing her temple while looking like she had woken up in the morning with menstrual cramps and she replied to Beatrices question. Dont say it. We all think its ridiculous. Why are we wearing swimsuits!? Why is this the requirement for meeting Kallikantzaros!? I said not to say it! How can she call this disarmament!? There has got to be a better way of sealing the Percentage-type Magic that takes the form of our clothes!! While they yelled atop the Diamond Salt bridge, the two of them were equipped with the Girls Swimsuit, an item entirely unnecessary for exploring the Labyrinth. Specifically, Beatrice wore a red bikini with translucent lace over it and Armelina wore a modified white one piece swimsuit. ...However, this was an alternate world with no means of creating petrochemical products, so it was doubtful these had any defenses against growing see-through when wet. Armelina made a gesture like she was messing with the temple of an imaginary pair of glasses. I guess I shouldnt be surprised the swordswoman went with a bikini. And boob armor when you have no boobs? Have you no shame? Wha-!? And I bet you added that fluffy lace over the bikini itself to give the illusion of greater volume. I have more than average!! And Armelina, dont you feel like youve lost something important as a human being now that you cant hide your flaaat chest? Oh ho ho ho ho. Ahh!? You wanna fight!? Youre the one that picked a fight with me!!!!! Meanwhile, Filinion (the biggest one of all) remained calm. The 4 meter Orc tilted his head, so the glasses girl quietly began her commentary. In human society, your rank is determined by your chest size. How boring. Really? Then Im the biggest one! Yes, you are. Eh heh heh. As Filinion spoke with Boo Boo, she also observed the other plants and the things that looked like hermit crab ghosts growing from the surface of the mangrove trees. The Nun who made the swimsuits for us is apparently an expert at Appraisal rather than Mixing. A lot of craftsmen know her, so she introduces a lot of jobs to people and even I have used that to make a little money. Ridiculous! Curse that Nun for selling entertainment Mixing items. The only upside is that she promises to use the Experience Point filled Gimmick gears for an emergency reserve!! Armelina had steam rising from her head (and had her back mostly bared), but the glasses girl had recovered quite quickly from losing her Mandragora seedlings. There was a simple reason for that: Boo. I cant eat all of the vegetables in my garden, so you all can take any you want. That announcement had been a joyous reward for a Mixing expert. Beatrice and Armelina had not really seen the value in it, but it had been a treasure trove to Filinion. Um, one other thing. This southern forest is a hotbed for blood-sucking animals like giant ticks, fleas, leeches, eels, and bats. They react to human Magic and attack as a group. One theory for why the Cat Sith houses are made from Diamond Salt is because it keeps the blood-sucking animals out. Of course, this might be a defense mechanism set up by a human-hating Vampire who can control the moons gravitational pull and thus manipulate the surrounding animals. Wait, glasses girl who isnt actually all that smart. Beatrice, I feel like you havent been treating me with much respect lately! The fluffy-haired glasses girl shed some tears saltier than the seawater, but the Holy Swordswoman only glared at her with dead eyes. You claim you didnt get those giant boobs on purpose, but youre definitely posing right now. And why would you choose a cow-print bikini, you Holstein breed!? Even the knee socks are cow print!! Th-this was the only one in my size, so I had no choice! Curse that Nun... I would have loved to have your range of selection! Im so jealous!! Oh!? Then lets chop those things off and cook them as yakiniku!! Oh!? Then lets chop those things off and cook them as yakiniku!! Due to that, the Holy Swordswoman could not call up her map like usual. This must have made her uncomfortable because she would occasionally fidget and either mess with the bikinis knots or adjust the bottom. Boo Boo alone gave them a puzzled look as the salt bridge creaked (a concerning amount) below him. Boo... I dont really get what a swimsuit is. Why am I fine like this? W-well, you cant use Magic, so you dont need a swimsuit to prove youre disarmed. Not to mention that he always wore a loincloth and nothing else, so the Holy Swordswoman gave him a mature smile. She did not want to imagine that 4 meter body wearing a bikini or one piece swimsuit. (Although hes really cute on the inside.) Even now, Boo Boo was holding up the glowing flower of a Lantern Plant to illuminate the dark mangrove. A closer look showed his large round shoulders were trembling. Boo Boo, are you still scared of ghosts? All ghosts are really angry, so they scare me. I wish everyone could smile more. I think all those ghosts are weeded out because they can rest in peace. With a mechanical beep, a red light appeared beyond the trees and ocean surface. Boo Boo jumped straight up (and nearly broke the bridge when he landed). Squeal!? Something just glowed! Someone on earth failed their Sign In. We got a warning. Thats what happens when your smartphone signal is interrupted when youre waiting for approval. The detailed error log will fill up all the empty space, so its a huge pain. Since its getting dark, it might be best to get to sleep. While they discussed that, Fighter Priest Armelina rested her metal staff Shining Weapon on her shoulder. But if she wants to disarm us, wouldnt it be faster to take these from us? The Shining Weapons are like our lifelines, so no one would agree to that. Negotiations are about finding a compromise. Either way, we cant use our Command-style Magic without the Parameter-style to go with it. Were unarmed and about the same as normal humans, so we need to be careful. Thats why Im glad we have this mass of pure physical strength so close by. Were up against a Break News and we might not actually be able to defeat her, but we might get enough of an opening to escape. And as they said that, the White Witch in the insane cow print bikini shook the cowbell around her neck while rubbing up against Boo Boos giant body. Yes, we need Boo Boo to protect us right now. Yes! We finally have a realistic shot at the ideal situation for a healer, which is how it should have been in the first place!! Ah! Wait, cow!! Dont cling to Boo Boo dressed like that!! Meanwhile, Boo Boo tilted his head on the bridge as if he did not understand his situation here. Boo? A perfect meat shield. A one-man vanguard. And I remain unharmed even if Im only a burden. Everything about it is perfect! Its like a dream! I will leave everything to you, Boo Boo!! I said get away from Boo Boo!! In her fancy dress-like white swimsuit, Armelina listened to the cowbell and calmly observed the situation. The White Witch was clinging to the Iberian Orc and shaking her head back and forth, but Armelina figured she was tripping a bit after experiencing the intense bestial from so close. I dont like fighting, but Ill do what I can to protect all of you from fights. Humans dont have fur and your skin is soft, so be careful. Thats right, thats right! You dont need a berserker that only thinks about attacking for your vanguard! I wanted someone who would focus on defense!! Kyah! Boo Boo, youre just perfect ... And you can keep giving me more of the rare Mixing materials that all the supposedly intellectual old men in the inn town said were impossible to cultivate. I just...I have no words! I just have to stay by your side and I dont have to worry about battles or procuring materials! Its a dream come true!! ........................................................................................................................... Shes definitely going to make yakiniku, mincemeat, or a roast out of those things, thought Armelina with a distant look in her eyes. If the bridge breaks, I can jump to a nearby tree, but what happens if the entire mangrove is set on fire? Half worried and half excited, she once more turned toward Beatrice. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice was biting her lip and trembling. But what happened next was truly unexpected. Sniff...hic... It was Armelina in the audience who noticed first. Shes crying!? She wilted instead of exploding!? Boo? What is it, Beatrice? Does your stomach hurt? She must not have wanted the 4 meter Orc to see her cry because Beatrice covered her face with her hands and curled up. But instead of reducing the confusion, she shouted back an incomplete answer. Its your fault, Boo Boo!! Squeal!? Beatrice, I dont want to see you cry. If I did anything wrong, Ill fix it, so tell me what it is! Its because...! Its because you...!! She was trying to say that he had Cow Bikini Filinion clinging to him in ecstasy (over finding the kind of position she had always wanted), but since that would mean she had lost control of her emotions, her pride would not allow her to say so. If she had used her frames and lines to put the information in order, it might have destroyed her mentally. Armelina commented in a daze. Yknow, I could have sworn we were on an almost certainly deadly mission to visit a Break News while unarmed... The image around her was mostly chaos. After pointing back and forth between Boo Boo and Filinions faces, hitting dense Boo Boos calf with a low kick, and sobbing, the representative member of the level cap adventurers ultimately found herself on Boo Boos back. No, instead of riding on his back, she rode on his shoulders while using his giant pig head as a cushion. After all, his back was too big to wrap her legs around! Her level of intelligence was the same as Sutrionas. After calming down a fair bit, Filinion asked another question. Um, is there some kind of rule saying any crying girl in Grounds Nir is sucked in toward Boo Boos head? So is that eventually going to happen to us too? Beatrice was in a fairly dangerous position (and she realized using his head like a round cushion pressed various parts of her body against him and rested her breasts on top of his head), but she ignored how her own head nearly hit the occasional tunnel of trees as she pointed down at Filinion and Armelina on the ground. New rule! No clinging to Boo Boo when you have more than 50% of your skin exposed. Got that!? Eh!? Why am I part of this too!? Boo Boo, no cheating on me! And I mean that in every way!! I dont even know what cheating on you means, so what am I supposed to do? You dont need to know that!! Wahhhh!! Beatrice, I feel like you were more mature before. You werent such a crybaby. Boo Boo walked onward while tilting his head. As Filinion and Armelina followed in their swimsuits, they finally spoke up. I feel like Im getting worn out faster than usual. Oh, your physical strength has probably dropped without the Percentage-type reinforcing it. Think about it. You wouldnt normally go on a trip in sandals or mules, would you? Im still not letting you ride on Boo Boo! Ill never allow it!! No one was hoping for that, but she still drove the point home. ? The tunnel of trees overhead began to shake up ahead. Some small figures were dropping down. They were half as tall as a human, looked like bipedal dogs and cats, and could clearly speak. It was the Cat Sith cat fairies and the Cu Sith dog fairies. The kitties were dressed as maids and the puppies were dressed as butlers. They were barking and meowing while skillfully rolling across the white bridge, but they were clearly grappling with each other. Plus, they were not unarmed. The blades were only sharp shards of Diamond Salt attached to sticks, but the Cat Sith had spears and the Cu Sith had axes. They had not been refined, but that would only make the wound and pain last longer. We must settle this! You underhanded cowards held off on your donations to give yourselves a better future. Did you think you immoral lot had any hope of victory here!? Nonsense. The burden of our offerings to the Break News was 50/50? You forced that onto us without even thinking about our comparative situations, but when we ignore that, you think you have the right to attack us? Dont make me laugh. We have no reason to compromise and we will teach you first-hand what it is you properly deserve! Boo Boo and the others did not have time to call out to them. As the small and round group jumped to the trees and scrambled up to the higher bridges, the sounds of the struggle faded into the distance. But something did remain. There were red drips visible here and there on the white bridge over the ocean. This has gone beyond a joke. The Cat Sith and Cu Sith have slowly lost control and gone beyond a simple skirmish. Boo. Should we chase after them to stop them? If we tried to stop every little fight, we would never see the end of it. And if we climbed up into the branches, they would probably break. Not to mention that theyd start up again when we werent looking even if we did stop them. If were really going to stop this, we need to cut off the source of their fear and confusion. Boo Boo looked worriedly into the forest and then started walking toward their destination once more. They were on their way to Kallikantzaros, the Vampire who controlled lunar eclipses. Part 5 The moon shined brightly on the beach. They were on a point of land that stuck out of Grounds Nirs southern forest. The seawater covering the mangrove seemed to avoid this beach in a Y-shape. Fine white sand covered the coast and a giant wooden ship had run aground like a beached whale. The ghost ship had been abandoned for so long that it was damaged and falling apart. The words Next Voyager had just about faded from the side of the ship. I hear thats the last remnant of a project meant to find other land beyond the ocean, said Cow Print Bikini White Witch Filinion as she looked up at the ship. They had thrown out the Lantern Plant after arriving at the beach. No matter what happened, giving away their position by carrying a light was not the best plan. That was before it had been medically proven that the slight differences in Grounds Nirs rotation, gravity, and atmosphere cause definite changes to the mind and body of anyone who stays here for long periods. The 2000 people who recklessly built the ship and set sail vanished, but the empty ship returned to the beach. I see. Thats the perfect history for a Vampires base. Armelina forced a challenging tone into her voice while wearing her fancy dress swimsuit. Boo Boo looked worried as he stared up at the rotted black shape. Was that due to the Break News there, or due to the ghost story? It was supposedly a sea research vessel, but it looked like a clipper with a giant sail. Or perhaps like a cruise ship from an older age. That was because it had been loaded with plenty of entertainment facilities to maintain the mental health of the 2000 people living on it long term. From their outside perspective, they could see what looked like parasols sticking up from the deck. The rotted ship could no longer sail out to sea, so it had become a haunted mansion large enough to easily host a dance party. Now, then. After finally calming down, Beatrice descended from Boo Boo in her red bikini with fluffy lace. She rubbed her still-red nose and opened her mouth. Where do we go in? Well, if we have to climb the wall, I guess we can do that. You can make freakish muscleman comments if you want, but dont forget that we have no equipment and thus no Parameter support. You dont want to act all smug and then fall on your ass, do you? After checking around, they found a boarding gangway lowered on one side. The ships master had not prepared it specifically for them because it seemed to have been abandoned there with the ship. It was rotting away and it seemed to have trouble under Boo Boos weight, but he fortunately did not break through. They found a large pool on the deck. It even had water in it. Any smaller filth likely did not stand out in the moonlight, but it was much cleaner than Beatrice and the others had expected. Where is Kallikantzaros herself? Ugh. 2000 people is more than a high-rise resort hotel, right? How many days would it take to check through every last one of those rooms? And we might find a Break News around any corner. Isnt this more deadly than your average Labyrinth visit? But as they discussed that, the ground suddenly shook. No, the ship did. Wha-? Wah! Wait!? Kyah!! Th-theres nothing to hold onto!! The pool water tilted and flowed out like a flood. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, and Fighter Priest Armelina rolled down the sharply sloped deck and were dumped right into the pool. Only Boo Boo remained standing thanks to his powerful legs. Cough! Uhp!! Beatrice frantically got her head above water only to have another large wave hit her in the face. The giant ship shook again and tilted back to its original angle. Was that supposed to throw us into the pool? Not good. This is grabbing at our legs to slow us down!! Beatrice and the other two had changed into swimsuits, so they had none of the Parameter support of their clothes-shaped Magic. They were no different from the normal people walking between the gray buildings back on earth. And now they were caught in the water. They would be in real trouble if Kallikantzaros specialized in projectiles like arrows or javelins. Even if they tried to dodge, they could not escape being hit. They naturally looked up toward the mast and lookout stand near the top, but... Do not fear, children of man. Your blood is not to my liking. They were frozen in place by a girls voice that rang like a small bell. It came from right next to Boo Boo. Boo Boo seemed unable to move. Even he could not move a finger and that told Beatrice just how abnormal this was. The ships master had appeared at some point. But how? She was indeed one of the Break News. The previous atmosphere was entirely uprooted by her appearance and all of the rules were rewritten with her in the center. It felt like they could no longer trust what had worked just fine in the past. It was like the most basic definitions had been rewritten by this overwhelming presence. The girl appeared crimson in the darkness. Despite being on a beachside cruise ship, she wore what amounted to a thin red negligee. A black bikini showed through below that. Green and white fluffs were attached at points and she wore a pointed night cap, so it looked a lot like a Santa Claus outfit with a skirt. She had long reddish-blonde hair and the ends curled inwards, so its great volume looked like a wide spread triangle. The bangs were cut in a perfectly straight line and she looked to be more than a head shorter than Beatrice. But after meeting Fairy Queen Sutriona, they knew they could not rely on her appearance. In fact... (She reminds me a lot of Sutriona. Is there some kind of connection between them???) But there was one major difference with this girl whose gloved fingertips toyed with a stuffed piglet doll. Her breasts alone were quite large. (Uuh!? I lose to her...?) (Not that winning would make me exactly happy.) (I wasnt even looking for a competition! Dammit!!) The girls in the water each had their own reaction. Meanwhile, the 4 meter Orc spoke even though he still could not turn around. Squeal... We are here to speak with you. I do not mind. It would seem the humans actually followed the dress code and I am not so short-tempered that I would throw out guests who made a point of being respectful and polite. Besides, I would never have allowed you onboard otherwise. As the Vampire who controls lunar eclipses, I could use the moons gravitational pull to bring an extraordinarily large wave to cover all of Grounds Nir or I could cover the land with a giant swarm of crabs or insects. That may have been why Kallikantzaros used the rotted ship as her fortress. If she went all out, the entire island would be wiped off the map. Everything but the buoyant ship would be washed away and sink to the bottom of the ocean, so she had chosen to remain on the inconvenient-looking grounded ship. That was the scale at which the Break News thought. The gorgeous Vampire laughed and whispered to them. But it has been awhile since I saw such a powerful life force. It almost feels nostalgic. ? I said human blood is not to my liking, did I not? I felt faint when I heard the entire Iberian Orc village had been wiped out. You see, I am a Vampire that can only create subordinates from them. It might not be much, but I am very fortunate to find this proper bloodline. !!!!!! Boo Boo, run away!! Red Bikini Beatrice frantically yelled up at him, but she could not use a single Command-style Magic right now. The pool water seemed to grab at her, so she could not even climb up onto the deck. But surprisingly, Kallikantzaros did not do anything more. She did not sink her fangs into or even lay a finger on Boo Boo. Instead, she simply gave them a bewitching smile. Do not worry. I will not devour him right away. This might be the very last one and I do not want to be the one that drives them extinct. My lifespan is long, so the wise choice would be to wait a century or two and resume hunting once their numbers have recovered. No matter what happened, she was not friendly and this place was not safe. This was a much purer threat than the Thousand Dragon or Sutriona. There is no need to be so tense, humans. The Vampires voice was calm. In fact, the current situation is on your side. You are essentially hiding behind the most effective hostage you could hope for. So relax and tell me what it is you want. ... She was treating Boo Boo like a frail hostage. That alone was enough for Beatrice to feel faint. Meanwhile, Kallikantzaros was arrogance itself. She ignored the specimen of a nearly extinct species and walked to one of the parasols on the deck. She threw herself onto a beach chair, placed the piglet doll on her stomach, and crossed her legs. But, humans, you must remain in the pool as you relax. If you climb onto the deck before I leave, I will see it as a hostile act and launch a merciless attack. ? Holy Swordswoman Beatrice could not see the logic of that request, so she gave voice to her confusion. Because your specialty fields are gravitational manipulation and water? It is simpler than that. Kallikantzaros narrowed her eyes a little as she lay in the beach chair while wearing nightwear. Her eyes alone were not smiling. I will not underestimate humans. I am aware you have a long history of thinking up means of killing and destroying beings much like us. Most of it is nonsense, but there are some truly troublesome methods mixed in. So the best way to handle humans is to keep them from moving and remove every card in their hand. Was she referring to vampire hunters? It was unclear how much truth there was to any of that, but it had yet to be proven that the vampires spoken of by those supposed hunters were the same as this race in Grounds Nir. Beatrice would not expect to see any change to Kallikantzaros if someone held garlic up to her. Boo. Then Boo Boo spoke while looking at his natural predator. I dont get all this complicated stuff, but are you saying youll hear us out? I will allow you to speak. So out with it. Okay. Boo Boo nodded once and began his explanation. He explained how her power to control lunar eclipses was messing with the emotions of the Cat Sith and Cu Sith and how that was causing them problems. He explained how they had created an altar to her and that they had tried to calm her by taking turns making offerings, but the burden of those offerings had led to conflict. He explained how the conflict had gone beyond mere fights and there was a fear it would pass the point of no return before long. Hmm. After listening to it all, Kallikantzaros tilted her head like it was none of her concern. Boo Boo shook his hands. If you reduce the amount of meat and vegetables, the Cat Sith and Cu Sith wont have so much trouble preparing it all and they shouldnt be quite so on edge. Cant you do something? Or you could just stop manipulating the moons gravitational pull so much... added Beatrice from the center of the full moons reflection in the water. But... I dont know anything about that. Hm? I have never heard of this altar the Cat Sith and Cu Sith have supposedly constructed. What!? W-wait a second. Then why are the puppies and kitties fighting!? Fighter Priest Armelina could not restrain herself, but the red Vampire waved a hand in annoyance. I understand why they might want to make requests to a paradox with a soul, but isnt it terribly conceited to think you can have 100% control over me, humans? ... I have no idea how many shrines and altars there are to worship or request things of me. I have no interest in it and I am not obligated to listen. I reject all offerings and prayers on general principle. So I am not involved in this conflict between the Cat Sith and Cu Sith. Cow Print Bikini White Witch Filinion and Fancy White Dress Swimsuit Fighter Priest Armelina exchanged a glance in the moonlit pool. Are you saying what I think youre saying? The Cat Sith and Cu Sith only think theyre offering these things to a Break News? This could be bad if that altar is inside the forest. Birds and wild animals might be stealing all of the offerings. In her beach chair, Kallikantzaros did not seem moved to positive or negative emotion. She was truly not interested. But if you speak to them, I think those cats and dogs will stop fighting. Why would I do that? Because youre causing all of this in the first place! Red Bikini Beatrice looked like she had a light headache, but the Vampire was entirely unfazed. Then you tell them I will not change to suit their needs. Tell them they must change to suit my needs. I am a paradox, so I have no room for logical arguments. Besides, I expect they are only blaming the moon for all of their negative emotions. They were at an impasse. Kallikantzaros had no interest in some creatures she had never met. And to a Break News who lived alone on a ghost ship, the category of strangers was a large one. Even when she had discussed the destruction of Boo Boos village, she had not shown any actual emotion. But as Beatrice thought about that, things took an unexpected turn. And I am making this choice for your sakes. Boo? Look to the sky and you will understand. The winds have changed. A Break News besides me has been wandering around lately, but perhaps that is due to the battle between the Cat Sith and Cu Sith. If so, one of them other than me will likely intervene soon. If I join in now, we will have a fight between paradoxes on our hands. Does an endless desert or an ice age frighten you more? Those would be the choices in that battle, human. Even in the pool, Holy Swordswoman Beatrice definitely felt her pores opening and sweat seeping out. This was bad. Every single one of the Break News was extraordinary and unmatched, but a clash between more than one would go beyond unpredictable. The inn town could be destroyed and the exploration of the Labyrinth could be severely delayed. In fact, Grounds Nir itself could sink to the bottom of the ocean. Then the cow print bikini White Witch hesitantly spoke up with a more optimistic opinion. Which Break News is it? Oh, could it be Miss Sutriona? But that hope was dashed. A paradox with a soul would never be on their side. No, it is another. Didnt I say you would understand if you looked to the sky? Part 6 Meanwhile, Fairy Queen Sutriona stood in a position more than 2000 meters removed from the Next Voyager washed up on the dark beach. However, this distance was not one that could be measured on the map. She was in the moonlit sky. Hmm, it would seem I wont be needed. The girl with long silver hair and a black ribbon dress held a collapsible telescope. She used it like a pirate from an older era, but she had of course bought it while pretending to be human in the inn town. The palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana was flying nearby. What happened to Boo Boo and the others? Are they really all right? I said I wont be needed. There were a few different reasons she had not gone with Boo Boos group. For example, if they were all in one place, no one would be left to rescue them if Kallikantzaros made a surprise attack, so they could be wiped out all at once. But why are you sneaking around? Did you actually want to go with them, Lady Sutriona? Hmph. I dont mind helping them out, but I cant have them assuming I will. Human souls are easily corrupted, so they would quickly grow dependent on me and stop making an effort. Only helping when they truly need it is best. Fwehh. You really do care about Boo Boo, dont you? Youve given this a lot of thought. Try not to say anything unnecessary. That was another of her reasons. ...But the more fundamental reason is that I just dont want to see her. You mean Kallikantzaros? You do look a lot like. I hate how everyone makes assumptions based on that. Shes nothing more than a neighborhood childhood friend, but she insists on acting all full of herself. And dont let those giant breasts fool you; I am the older one. As they discussed that, a shadow appeared in the moonlight. The two of them looked even further into the heavens to see a giant cloud covering the full moon. But this was no normal meteorological condition. It should have been a perfectly cloudless night, so there was a reason these thick clouds were ignoring that assumption. Now, what being in Grounds Nir could call in rainclouds? L-L-Lady Sutriona... Meridiana the Fairy grew pale and her voice trembled. She felt fear and agitation with a distinct spice of hatred and disgust. That was hardly surprising when she had once had her life directly targeted by this Break News. But Sutriona was unfazed. She put her hands on her skinny hips and snorted from her nose. I see. So thats whats going on. ? The silver-haired girl looked a little perplexed as she looked up at the thick clouds. This is a path we all must travel, but it is an exceedingly meaningless one, my weakest fellow paradox. Part 7 Kallikantzaros had said the clouds were changing. Boo Boo and the others disembarked from the grounded ship. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, and Fighter Priest Armelina all grabbed their Shining Weapons and regained their Percentage-type Magic which formed their clothes. Those level cap adventurers had regained their level cap strength. That was the human power that even an overwhelming paradox had made sure not to underestimate. They too were beginning to notice the change. It was obvious once they looked up into the night sky. The Thousand Dragon!? shouted the Holy Swordswoman. That ruler of flying dragons measured more than 1000 meters long. When that Break News simply cut through the air, it would create enough of an air pressure difference to produce immense rain clouds. Flying at low altitude was enough to bring disaster. An incredible wind swept across the entire area with enough force to knock over the mangrove trees. On the dark beach, the unathletic glasses girl held her hat on with one hand and asked a question while already out of breath. Hyah!! B-but why is it back now? I dont understand why it would interfere in the Cat Sith and Cu Siths problem!! They moved from the beach to the forest. As they ran along the white bridges that branched out all over, the mangrove was buzzing with energy like a shaken beehive. The tiny residents had their hands full dodging the thick branches that broke off and fell. Small pots and lamps were falling from overhead, but that may have been them quickly gathering their possessions from their white cube houses. On the upper level bridges, bipedal dogs and cats were also going around dropping down handmade weapons, hitting their heads on nearby branches, and either falling onto the white salt bridges or doggy paddling across the ocean surface. When Beatrice picked up a Cat Sith in a maid uniform that was sitting dizzily on the bridge and asked what was going on, the cat fairy shook its head and answered. You have to ask!? Its back. The Thousand Dragon is back. It said it didnt like that we had built an altar to someone else while it was away. And it wont be satisfied until we make an even nicer altar as an offering! ... The three adventurers looked puzzled and a passing Cu Sith in a butler uniform called out to them. What are you doing!? You need to get out of here! An earthquake-like tremor passed through the ground and pillars of water made them all tremble. The Break News had apparently made a lazy U-turn and then landed on the coast instead of in the forest. Weve heard all about the Thousand Dragon. And if its landed, it must need something on the surface. And that means a feast! This monstrous paradox enjoys the intoxication of devouring the Fairies which are so much like us...!! Frantic barking and mewing filled the forest. It was absolute pandemonium, but Boo Boo and Beatrice had trouble understanding this. The Holy Swordswoman reached toward one of the bright red hibiscus-like flowers growing directly from the trunks of the nearby trees. Crimson Heaven Flowers. Theyve been starving due to the offerings, but they dont seem to be eating these. Boo. They make my tongue tingle, so I normally avoid them. But the Thousand Dragons intoxication came from the dramatic change produced when the Crimson Heaven Flowers weak toxin is mixed with Fairy blood. Yes, but. Guidebook obsessed Filinion hesitantly spoke up. There are Fairies, cat fairies, and dog fairies. Its easy to view them all the same, but theyre actually completely different. Even if the Cat Sith and Cu Sith ate the Crimson Heaven Flowers, it wouldnt cause any kind of change inside them. In fact, since they cant break it down and accumulate it, I think they would end up as woozy as anyone else. You mean the Thousand Dragon has no direct reason to attack the Cat Sith and Cu Sith? Boo, groaned the 4-meter Iberian Orc. Regardless, I made a promise with the Thousand Dragon. I said I would be keeping an eye on it and that I wouldnt let it kill except to live or to eat. I doubt it would be doing the same thing again. Then what was happening? They found a hint in the fleeing cat fairies and dog fairies. This changes everything! We cant worry about Kallikantzaros now!! Oh, said Beatrice without thinking. She looked up at the thick clouds covering the heavens. Dont tell me...!! Is it trying to reset the problem by giving them something to fear even more than the Vampire? Is it using an even greater fear to end the conflict between the Cat Sith and Cu Sith? Well, I suppose all war on earth would end if an army of aliens attacked while riding a giant meteorite, but why would the Thousand Dragon do that? I dont see why it would want to play the bad guy like this! If the Thousand Dragon had enough of a connection to them for this, the cat fairies and dog fairies would not be panicking. If they knew each other, the Break News would try to contact them instead. But that had not happened. The Thousand Dragon was trying to solve this problem despite having no connection to them. And it was putting itself at risk to do so. ... Boo Boo alone fell silent. He stared silently up at the dark and heavy night sky. At the dark clouds. At the rainclouds that a certain being had intentionally created. Part 8 Have you ever heard of someone wishing they could be a hero or protect someone? Sutriona sounded exasperated as she floated in the night sky. Palm-sized Fairy Meridiana seemed to have trouble picturing what she meant. This isnt about what that dragon gains or if I knows them. It wants to save someone and it doesnt care who. It wants to be that sort of person. No desire could be more juvenile. You mean the Thousand Dragon feels that way? To be honest, I dont really understand. That doesnt change the fact that that evil dragon ate us Fairies for fun and pleasure. Youre right about that. But Sutrionas mood remained unchanged. In fact, thats exactly what makes it so easy to fall into that heroic desire. ? That kind of heroic desire doesnt put much focus on whether you actually end up saving whoever it is or not. I mean, its hard to feel the weight of a strangers life. So when your heart is yearning to protect someone, there has to be some other reason, right? The exasperated Fairy Queen saw through it all. Almost like she was bitterly recalling when she had gone down the same path. Its just like habitual wrist cutting. You feel a weight, you feel guilty, you feel inferior, and you want to rid yourself of that suffering, but youre afraid of having others mercilessly criticize you. So you harm yourself. You harm yourself to feel relief. You tell yourself that youve clearly been punished enough if youre suffering so much. But... Meridianas face clouded over. Thats completely selfish. It doesnt give any thought to how we feel. That dragon only wants to free itself, so its just showing off some misguided self-punishment. In fact, it sounds like its building up an invisible wall to rob us of the right to criticize it. Exactly. No matter how much it hurts itself, this wont lead to absolving it of its crimes. And its laughable that it thinks it can make itself the victim. How misguided can you get? Even after saying all that, the silver-haired girl laughed. You understand all that, dont you? You understand, but you still do it. Weakest, thats what this is, isnt it? It was something Sutriona herself had done. To protect Beatrice from the Guild named Elkiad, Boo Boo had made an enemy of every last human in the inn town. And to erase the negative emotions focused on him, she had sent in an even greater threat. But Sutriona had the Fairies. Her situation had not been the same as the Thousand Dragons current self-destructive thought process. ... For one thing, the Thousand Dragon was not in a normal state of mind. It had periodically attacked the Fairies for the powerful toxin in their blood, so the sudden end to that had to have caused a psychological change. This was like dangerous withdrawal symptoms. As the dragon suffered from various pains and hallucinations, it had clenched its teeth and stuck to its decision to not devour the Fairies any longer. And as the internal pressure had grown and grown, it had finally erupted out in a different form. That had likely led to this heroic desire to protect. And it was all a product of the dragons decision to not lay a claw on the Fairies even if it meant tearing itself to shreds. The dragon was not asking for understanding. It was not showing off to strangers. So as long as even one person understood this secret struggle, that was enough. And that is why it will not stop. This isnt about how many people it must save. It probably isnt even aware of it, but the real focus is on how much it itself has been harmed. It can never rid itself of its guilt, so each time that guilt rises back to the surface, it will wear its body down to save everything around it. This is a lonely battle that no one asked for and will not even quench its own desire. Part 9 I hated myself. I hated how I made everyone hate me. I was so big and had so much strength, but I couldnt protect anything. No matter what I did, I would hurt someone. I would destroy everything around me. I hated all of that. And I thought about quitting. No matter how hard I tried, I could never reach any kind of results. I ate the tiny Fairies and indulged in the temporary intoxication and pleasure that followed. After it was over, the disgust and despair would be so great I just wanted to die. But the next thing I knew, my life would feel empty and I would find myself searching out Fairies once more. I did awful things. I wanted to apologize. But I didnt have the right. So I was honestly happy when that Iberian Orc stopped me. Im called a Break News and everyone fears me, but he tackled me and stopped me. I really did shed tears when I learned there was someone like that in Grounds Nir. I just wish that Iberian Orc had not been so perfect. If he had given into his anger and finished me off, nothing would have remained. That would have been the happiest ending of all. Instead, Im left with this guilt filling my stomach like lead. While I writhed in agony from a sensation like all of my blood vessels and nerves were swelling from my body, I had to find something I could do. There isnt much I can do. Even as big and strong as I am, I cant bring those Fairies back to life. So after devouring so many of them, I at least want to save as many of those Fairies as I can. It can be 5 times as many or 10 times as many, but it has to be a lot. That wont cool anyones anger and it wont bring back the lives lost, but I cant see any reason for me to be here if I dont do that. Its the only way I can excuse the fact that I survived. They might call this misguided, tell me its useless, and throw stones, but I will not back down on this. I will wear down my body. And in so doing, I will save them. It was my inability to shake off my weakness and softness that led to so many Fairies being sacrificed. It was because I showed no pity or mercy. So my path of atonement must be the same. It must be brutal through and through. I must be bloodily worn down by every step and yet know I will never find forgiveness. That is the only correct way to spend the remainder of this life I was left with by mistake. That was what I thought. I truly believed that. And yet... A figure stood in the wicked dragons way. Just like that time, the Iberian Orc raised a Shining Weapon that resembled a log or a steel beam. Boo Boo...!? Without thinking, I spoke in a voice outside a humans audible range. That daring Iberian Orc did not take a single step back. The way we faced each other from the ocean and the beach was like a repeat of before. It was like he was going to correct some absolute mistake once more. I told you. Just hearing his low voice felt like being sliced in two by a blade. I told you I would be keeping an eye on you. I said there was no avoiding it when it comes to living and eating. But I also told you not to take lives for any other reason. !! So Im here to keep my promise. If you arent treating someones life with the proper care C even if its your own life C I wont forgive you. I tried to argue back, but I couldnt find the words. I only felt a stinging sensation. It filled my chest. In the face of his overwhelming righteousness, my pretend self-sacrifice was entirely meaningless. I wouldnt be able to truly save the Cat Sith and Cu Sith. I felt like he had just revealed the pathetic side of myself I had hidden in the mud. But I couldnt let it get to me. I couldnt just accept Boo Boos righteousness and kindness. I mean, how could I live a proper life? How could I possibly make up for everything I had done and then live in the light of the sun? So I needed to be punished. Thoroughly punished. That was the hesitant and lowly sort of heart I had. But I found something even I could do. I finally ran across it. So I wont lose. No matter who Im up against. I simply cant lose. Part 10 There was no starting signal. It happened in an instant. A truly deafening roar silenced even the Cat Sith maids and Cu Sith butlers as they ran around mewing and barking. Boo Boo wielded his thick Shining Weapon that resembled a log or a steel beam and the Thousand Dragon was a giant dragon measuring over 1000 meters long. The two of them clashed head-on. The trees of the forest were knocked over as Boo Boo and the ruler of flying dragons rolled along and moved the battlefield. They seemed to move in a giant ring, first from the beach to the southern forest and then from the mangrove to the beach and into the ocean. Even the giant leeches, bats, and other blood-sucking animals fled. H-hey. Is that gonna be okay? Fighter Priest Armelina was taken aback. Boo Boo was singlehandedly fighting the colossal dragon that was the most obvious example of a Break News. The situation could hardly have been more dangerous, but the thought of helping made her legs tremble. She may have been at the level cap and thus one of the strongest humans, but that fierce attack was like an environmental change. She had heard stories, but seeing it for herself was something else entirely. White Witch Filinion also had a faint tremor in her voice. B-but he defeated the Thousand Dragon once before to save Meridiana, right? I-if we already know which one is more powerful... ...Im not so sure. Because she cared so much about Boo Boo, Beatrice did not let herself cling to that optimistic view. And she had an actual reason for her answer. The Thousand Dragon learned the bitter taste of defeat in that battle. Before, it thought it could always force its way to victory with brute strength alone, but now its learned there are some battles it cant win without being a little cleverer. And now it is standing before Boo Boo again. Instead of running away, it wants to overcome this obstacle...or break through it. Wait, you mean...? The Thousand Dragons most important trait is its giant body and the extraordinary strength that allows it to move that great mass around. But to be honest, its hard to say Boo Boo gained full supremacy over that giant dragon. Its 1000 meters long. If it puts its mind to it, it can use that for some frightening strategies instead of just brute strength. Part 11 Fairy Queen Sutriona and Meridiana observed from the night sky. The palm-sized Fairy was clearly worried as she watched Boo Boo and the Thousand Dragon produce great blasts of sand while just barely far enough away to not interfere with the grounded ship used by the lunar eclipse controlling Vampire. L-Lady Sutriona! Cant you help Boo Boo with your power!? Are you sure you want two Break News colliding head-on? And if I was going to do that, this is a bad location. If I didnt guide it further out to sea, we could easily blow away half the island. And I doubt that dragon will be so easily lured at the moment. Meanwhile, there was movement on the surface. In a straight fight, Boo Boo had the advantage despite being so much smaller. Unlike a venomous insect attacking a human, he would win through pure physical strength. It was just like a bullet a few millimeters across opening a hole in a humans forehead. Boo Boos athleticism had arrived at a level beyond even extraordinary, but the Thousand Dragon was well aware of that after its previous loss. And yet it was challenging the Iberian Orc. That meant it knew some way of overturning that assumption. The colossal dragon roared. Jaws large enough to break through a small reef approached Boo Boo from the heavens. The beach seemed to be under attack by a plesiosaur. But it did not reach the Iberian Orc. He jumped up with frightening leg strength and planted his feet on the Thousand Dragons approaching head. Ah! shouted Meridiana. In the last battle, Boo Boo had climbed onto the dragons head and jabbed his Shining Weapon into its skull to declare victory. But the palm-sized Fairy had not raised her voice because she was certain of Boo Boos victory. It happened a moment later. The Thousand Dragon immediately leaped backwards as if performing a backflip. To reiterate, this dragon was over 1000 meters long. So by placing someone in its mouth and extending its body vertically, it could lift them 1000 meters into the air. It would take less than a second and the pressure difference was not addressed. It had failed to hold Boo Boo in its mouth, but having him on its head was similar. Just like swinging a bucket of water around in a circle, centrifugal force kept him from falling off. The movement of such an overwhelming mass stirred up the night air. Kyah!? Tch. Its always something!! Sutriona used both hands to hold the palm-sized Fairy that was nearly blown away by the wind. But it did not end there. This was a backflip. While upside down, the Thousand Dragon plunged headfirst into the seawater. Meaning... This isnt good... Does it plan to drag Boo Boo 1000 meters below the ocean!? An explosive roar answered her. At a kilometer out at sea, an incredible crater of water spread out in every direction like an asteroid had hit. Rotating down from an altitude of 1000 meters would bring them 1000 meters below the ocean. It was nothing more than a backflip for the Thousand Dragon, but it was very different for Boo Boo. Just under 4 meters seemed gigantic from a human perspective, but he was not as solid as a metal diving suit that pushed back all the effects of the water pressure. And even if he could withstand the pressure, he was still 1000 meters underwater. If the Thousand Dragon let go of Boo Boo, he could not return to the surface on his own. His breath would not last. And even if his fierce muscular strength allowed him to clear that 1 kilometer depth in a short period of time, then the risk of decompression sickness became a problem. The blood flowing through his veins could easily break apart. He was truly cornered. This was the master of floods who freely produced rainclouds and brought both the destruction and blessings of water to Grounds Nir. And the watery cell that dragon had created had surrounded and swallowed up Boo Boo. Boo Boo!! screamed Meridiana. Nooooooooooooooo!? It looked like an unimaginable quantity of seawater exploding upwards. The massive pillar of water parted to reveal the 1000-meter dragon, but there was no pig-faced Iberian Orc on its head. The victor was alone. There was no sign of Boo Boo who had been dragged into the dark depths. Part 12 No, said the girl who had observed Boo Boo from closer than anyone. It isnt over yet. Part 13 A change occurred. It came from the Thousand Dragon who had supposedly won. Its far too giant head shook. And then its powerful jaws opened with a creaking noise. The dragon had not done this. A great power was prying its jaws open from within. Who could do that? The answer was obvious. I see. In a beach chair next to the kind of pool one would expect on a luxury cruise liner, the Vampire spoke lazily while petting the piglet doll lying on her stomach. She was Kallikantzaros, the being who freely controlled lunar eclipses and ruled over the gravity of that entire satellite. Instead of a tropical drink on the side table, she had a leaf container swollen out to the size of a conch. The container was made by gathering several herbs like a bagworm, so if it was hung from the eaves at night, the morning dew would collect inside, mix with the herbs, and produce a cold drink. That was a Grounds Nir specialty generally known as Dew Tea, but she preferred the sea breeze more than the morning dew. Due to the massive pressure differences created by the elevation and depth and due to the insufficient amount of oxygen in your lungs, you should not have had any way to escape, Boo Boo, but an excellent idea occurred to you. The arrangement of herbs she chose provided a flavor much like thick blood. It was a necessary luxury for her since she could not sink her fangs into an Iberian Orcs neck. And there was only one thing that Vampire would be worried about. Inside the Thousand Dragons stomach. The one using the oceans pressure as a weapon will not be crushed by it. The internal pressure will remain unchanged and a stomach that large will retain enough oxygen for you to continue breathing. After all, your opponent is a 1000-meter dragon blessed with bones and muscles powerful enough to keep it from crushing itself under its own weight. This was an opportunity only afforded to those who continued forward without fear. But could you really do that? Could you really escape danger by choosing to jump down the dragons gullet? Even if it made logical sense, could you restrain your emotions...no, restrain your terrified soul enough to actually do it? And no matter how solid the dragons body is, it will be fragile to an attack from within. Boo Boo was powerful enough to push through from the outside. That impact was capable of ignoring those hard scales and muscles, so when it directly rattles the dragons organs, it must feel heavy indeed. As she watched, the Thousand Dragon wobbled to the side. As soon as Boo Boo jumped down from that cave of a mouth, the colossal dragons consciousness slipped away and it collapsed onto its side in the ocean. Part 14 Beatrice and the others could only watch it play out. Even at the level cap, this was well beyond what they could intervene in. Does that...end it? Not at all. The Thousand Dragon was only butting in. The Cat Sith and Cu Siths fight had to do with that Vampire named Kallikantzaros. She prefers to stay uninvolved and doesnt seem interested in resolving this, so wont the fight resume once this storm passes? Those were Filinion and Armelinas arguments, but Beatrice saw things differently. Im not so sure. ? The other two looked confused at first, but then they seemed to catch on. The dark mangrove had been badly damaged, with trees knocked over and the white Diamond Salt bridges broken, but the cat fairies and dog fairies were stirring here and there. However, what they were speaking about had changed. ...Looks like its finally over. Nine lives arent nearly enough. That was way too close... ...Battles sure are scary. I thought being strong was cool, but I didnt realize how scary it makes you look... ...Who cares about the whole offerings thing. If the alternative is fighting, Id rather be a little patient, compromise, and continue placing offerings on the altar with them. And to top it all off... ...Lets end this. Were done for if we turn into monsters like that... ...Lets end this. Were done for if we turn into monsters like that... Beatrice bit her lip like she was truly, truly struggling to hold something back. She wanted to say that wasnt it. She wanted to say that wasnt it at all. Something might have been wrong and they may have chosen violence as their method, but both Boo Boo and the Thousand Dragon had been trying to help the Cat Sith and Cu Sith. But she could not say that. If their fear of strength faded, they would clearly reach for their weapons once more. ...You idiot. So that was all she said. To make sure no one knew what she really meant, she could only force out that tiny fragment of a thought. Part 15 Everyone hated him. Everyone feared him. That last survivor of the Iberian Orcs spoke quietly in the dark forest. He and one other person were walking back to his home. I think I somewhat understand how the Thousand Dragon felt. Boo Boo? Beatrice gave him a puzzled look as she walked alongside him, so he continued. If Im useful, people might rely on me. If I get them to say thank you, I might be able to stay here. Sometimes thats how I feel. Even though I know the more I try, the more Ill fail and just make everyone fear me. That isnt true... But you cant try to force those words out of people. You cant think youre entitled to hear those words. You cant force your feelings onto people. I understand that, so I dont do it. I dont just keep fighting on and on because Im dying to hear someone say thank you. ... She could not say anything. It would be easy to repeat again and again that he was wrong. But what Boo Boo carried inside was different. Beatrice herself had once been treated like a nuisance because she was too powerful and created an imbalance, but she was a target of awe and respect. Everyone listened to whatever she said and watched what she did. Her position was different from Boo Boo and the Thousand Dragons who had hatred and fear forced onto them over and over and were driven away without being given a chance to say anything. They had a strength that did not allow for argument. They had a power that pushed people away the more they used it. Beatrice had been blessed with strength, so she could not say she understood so easily. Thats why I stopped that dragon. He did not realize what he was saying. Boo Boo was assuming that he would live a thankless life. And he did not realize how sad that really was. The Thousand Dragon failed again, but this isnt the end for it. Itll stand back up eventually. And this time, I think it really will do what it can for everyone. So Ill wait. Ill wait and search for the part inside it that is saying thank you. Right, said Beatrice with a nod. There was not much she could do. At the moment, she could only think of one thing for her to say. Thank you, Boo Boo. Meridianas Recipe! Warm Bucket Ostrich Egg Dessert Ingredients: - Bucket Ostrich Egg: 1 egg - Large Wrapper Leaves: 3 or 4 fresh and damp ones - Water: Enough (Make sure you have plenty for putting out the fire!) - Rock Salt: 1 Pinch - Dried Grass, Kindling, Etc.: Enough Instructions: 1. Wrap the Bucket Ostrich Egg in the large wrapper leaves. 2. Find a patch of soft and moist dirt and dig a hole. After putting the egg from Step 1 inside, cover it with about a Fairys arm length of dirt. Grind up some rock salt, dissolve it in water, and dampen the dirt with the water. 3. Place the dried grass, kindling, etc. on top and start a fire. 4. Dance the delicious egg dance around the fire. (Note: Converted into human terms, this is 5-6 minutes.) 5. Put out the fire, pull the egg out from the dirt, and youre done! To my little sister! You can add a distinctive flavor by soaking various herbs in the water instead of using rock salt. Fairies tend to use the Crimson Heaven Flower for a nice tingly flavor, but avoid serving this variant to other species. Also, you can use the leftover shell for a bath. Pour water into half the shell, add in some Milk Coconut or Molasses Plant, and itll pretty up your skin! Volume 2, 2: Alternate World Worshiping White Succubus Volume 2, Chapter 2: Alternate World Worshiping White Succubus Part 1 ...Sigh. There was a soft feminine sigh. Even a complete amateur could detect the difference in the extremely high quality incense hanging in the air. The building had been built by the skilled hands of the rare carpenters who specialized in shrines and truly had been designated living national treasures. The breath of history there was so strong that it was rumored to stand out too much among the fake sets of samurai movies and Taiga dramas. It was most likely the largest scale piece of Japanese architecture in existence. That green paradise covered a large chunk of the priciest land in Tokyos Akasaka district. It was the Ushigashira Shrine. More specifically, this was the Dragon Palace Chamber. Once the girl known in the other world as Filinion passed through the Gate and Signed Out, her clothing changed to a bright red and white shrine maiden outfit. But unlike Beatrice, her appearance did not change much. Her long, fluffy, and blonde hair was held back in a hair tie that looked like a long white tube. Glasses adorned her face, but they had swirly coke-bottle lenses. Glasses technology had advanced well beyond that, but her complex mixture of near- and far-sightedness required this kind of unfashionable and special-ordered option. Her hair and glasses did not match the shrine maiden outfit in the slightest, but hair color and sight were genetic and there was nothing she could do about it. (And then theres...this.) She looked a little annoyed as her eyes dropped to her own chest. It was even larger than in the other world. It was said kimonos and other Japanese clothing did not mix well with large breasts, but she felt like the shrine maiden outfit made them stand out even more. However, her life was proof enough that no amount of cursing her birth would slow their growth. There were times when one was entirely powerless. She had learned that all the way back in the spring of her 5th year in elementary school, so she knew that directing her anger at the unfairness of the world would accomplish nothing. I beseech thee, I beseech thee, oh god... Those words were meant as a religious ritual, but they had so permeated her being that they slipped out like someone humming as they cooked. And in a tatami-floored shrine larger than a governors mansion in a samurai movie, the blonde shrine maiden pulled out a smartphone. She checked her email, SNS comments, and voicemail. She had so many unread messages piled up that she did not feel like checking through them. She had only been away for 2 or 3 days and it was already this bad. But she had to check them and she found a variety of things: entirely worthless direct messages, an alert about having your smartphone hijacked at suspicious wireless hotspots and then having your Experience Points manipulated by someone else, homework assignments and invitations to hang out from her Shinto college, arrangements for a meeting concerning a banquet for the Yokohama Summit, and a wrong number. That last one was quite rare in this day and age when everyone just used their phones address book. Sensing destiny in that rarity, she saved that one. And lastly... A demand for an observation report on Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. Her fingers briefly stopped. She threw out that email while singing a nursery rhyme about a goat. That kind of ruined her mood, so she decided to wait until later before unlocking new Magic with the Experience Points she had earned. She rudely walked through the giant shrine with smartphone in hand and then spoke in a voice loud enough to fill the entire space. Grandmother!? Im back, grandmother!! Whats that racket for? Why is the older daughter such a screw-up...? Im exhausted, grandmother. Id love some sukiyaki. Repeat our shrines name to yourself and try that again, you moron.[1] She heard a voice, but the old woman was nowhere to be seen. It was a lot like receiving an answer from someone in the attic, but she knew she would not find anyone if she checked there. This had already been normal by the time she was born and she had never actually seen the old woman. But if she spoke, she would always receive an answer and she always found the bath ready or her favorite food prepared when she wanted to bathe or eat. She called this her grandmother, but it was not actually her grandmother. Her real grandmother would claim it was their shrines god, but always with a joking look on her face. It was a strange relationship. (Of course, it might just be someone speaking through a speaking tube or something.) But that aside... It might be called the Ushigashira Shrine, but its not like we actually worship a cow god, right? It refers to being given a cows head, so its about butchering them into beef to eat. We only took on this name as a symbol of the new culture that began in the Meiji era. Were like Dejima for the Imperial Household Agency and all its more ancient traditions. We act as the antenna that gathers all the knowledge and techniques we can, and once its clear they dont have to worry about them destroying the culture around it, they can gradually incorporate it into the traditions. Isnt that what we do? And the most recent example of that was Magic. That was one of the reasons she was so involved in the alternate world of Grounds Nir. So theres nothing wrong with us eating beef. In fact, I think we should be eating as much beef as we can, grandmother. And so I want sukiyaki. Honestly, its probably that way you make these silly arguments to justify your desires that you were hit by divine punishment. Divine punishment? Im talking about those needlessly swollen breasts. The glasses shrine maiden with her fluffy blonde hair held back in a long tube shape quickly crossed her hands in front of her chest. But despite that perfect pose of defense, they still stuck out around her hands, making it all the more erotic. And it was certainly out of place for a shrine maiden. My boobs have nothing to do with this! Nothing at all!! They cause so many problems when theyre too big, you know? Should this old lady tell you what path awaits you once you begin to age? Thats hell!! She tearfully protested but only received cackling laughter in response. And once she was done teasing the shrine maiden, the voice from the attic changed the subject. We arent some dogs of the PSIA. Those bureaucrats in business suits may be asking you to monitor that Holy Swordswoman, but that doesnt matter. If it isnt part of our primary job, just ignore it. ...So aside from that, how were things in Grounds Nir? Well. The fluffy blonde-haired shrine maiden in glasses was thankful that this was the normal way of things. She would never admit it, but she was grateful for a guardian who could detect her refusal to betray her friend, support her in that, and take the blame for that softness inside her. It was a lot of fun. So much so that I found myself forgetting all about the real world. Part 2 Beatrice ran across a strange sight. She was in the usual forest as she followed the path to Boo Boos leaf house. Suddenly, she heard a sharp female voice from behind the trees. Pick up the pace!! She then heard rustling in the underbrush. She frowned and looked over to find a group casually running a short distance away. They were all of different ages, sexes, outfits, and Jobs. They slipped between trees and around obstacles like artificial wood panels while taking the shortest route to the woman yelling at them. The woman had very white blonde hair tied in a braid and then tied in a large loop on her back that reached down to her waist. She wore what looked like Western mourning clothes with heavy boots added on, but that was not too unusual in this alternate world. Also, her chest beat Beatrices. (Is she a Summoner? No, shes using a bow, so maybe a Summon Hunter. Either way, thats rare.) You should be able to shorten it further and youre too inaccurate! What do you think youre doing here!? They all had a large box on their back. Whenever the woman in the center looked inside one, she would give an exasperated sigh. As for what they contained... (Wow, those are Bitesize Duck Eggs. What a waste. I bet Boo Boo would be looking pretty sad right now.) The boxes were packed full of bird eggs the size of ping pong balls, but if even 2 or 3 of them were broken, the woman would say the runner had failed. You arent allowed this kind of failure in an actual battle. And you, how many ribbons did you find tied on the branches on the way here? Tell me the number, the colors, and the locations. Umm...uh...well... Unacceptable. Redo it all from the beginning!! The terrain itself changes periodically in the actual Labyrinth. And you cant spend days going out of your way to map it all. You need to constantly monitor the terrain as you move around so you can accurately record and share information on even the smallest changes! Measure distances in paces! Youll be here until you can do all that. Now get going!! Beatrice started wondering if this was basic training for a Guild. With the support of the Percentage-type Magic that formed their clothing, they could produce enough strength to slay a mid-level Chimaera or Griffon barehanded, but that was only placing a percentage modifier on their original bodys ability. If it was STRx200%, it would double their strength. It could sound cruel, but if your base value was low, equipment with a high percentage modifier would be wasted on you. For that reason, increasing ones base strength could not be taken lightly. That said... (Cant they just do that at a gym back in the original world?) If they wanted to put a decent burden on their body to develop their muscles, the Percentage-type support actually got in the way. It was like trying to weightlift while wearing a powered suit. However, this may have been for the Guilds convenience. If the members were scattered across different countries and continents around the world, they would only be able to gather here. It was still a strange sight to Beatrice, but then her eyes met those of the woman in the center of the group. She gave a fake-looking smile that was as bright as the sun in the sky and she bowed. I pray you have a wonderful day. And she offered a prayer. The ring on her left hands ring finger sparkled like a gold tooth in a nouveau riche old mans mouth. ??? Still confused, Beatrice tilted her head and continued on to Boo Boos house. She was only left with the feeling that she had run across something weird. As she walked through the forest with questions filling her head, she heard a rustling in the underbrush next to her. Oh, no. Is it more of that group? she wondered, but it was not. What is it, Beatrice? Are you out looking for food too? Boo Boo. She finally sighed and shook her head. I thought I would stop by your house, but...what are you doing, Boo Boo? Whats with the giant basket on your back? Im taking my vegetables to the vegetable stand. ? This sounded interesting, so she followed him to a small clearing in the forest. It was not as large as a field or a thicket. The space was only about the perfect size for a single-person tent and it had probably formed because a humongous mushroom called a Table Shroom had sucked all of the nutrients from the soil. It was rumored that mushrooms spores stimulated animals hunger, making them eat there and drop bits of food to be absorbed into the soil, but there was no real evidence of that. Boo Boo lowered the basket from his back, pulled out some Nyandetta Fruit and Molasses Plant, and placed them on the mushroom which was about the size of a small dinner table. Anyone can take these vegetables. So youve learned how to be a cultured man who does volunteer work? I feel like youre making fun of me. And whats volunteer work? While he said that, he picked up the brick-like blocks of dried plants and beeswax that were already sitting on the giant mushroom umbrella. He then put them in his basket. With these, Ill be fine even on windy days. The fire wont go out. Solid fuel? This feels more like an unmanned bartering station than volunteer work. But, Boo Boo, why not pile up some handy stones to make a stove? Even if you just surround the fire on three sides like this, it should be much less affected by the wind. I dont want to make any furniture too big or heavy to carry around with me. Then Ill be reluctant to move. Its best to have things I can carry with me if my forest home goes away. ... Ow! Squeal! Beatrice, why are you punching my waist!? Meanwhile, Beatrice and Boo Boo turned away from the forest vegetable stand. And after walking a short while, they heard some rustling behind them. The Holy Swordswoman turned around to find a few other men and women approaching the vegetable stand. They had flowing blonde hair and beautiful faces. They looked human enough, but they had pointed ears and their clothing had none of the identifying traits of Percentage-style Magic. They were probably Elves or some other Nonhuman species. There are more vegetables here. Oh, thank goodness. Beatrice smiled when she saw them celebrating. But then... Theres a violent Iberian Orc wandering these woods. Hunting and gathering while making sure we dont run into that monster isnt easy, so this vegetable stand is a real blessing. She moved on reflex. The Holy Swordswoman flared up and tried to turn back, but Boo Boos large hand rubbed her head. Leave them be, he said. But youre the one that left those vegetables!! If they knew it was me, no one would come to get them. So we cant tell them. ???!!!!!! She did not like it, but there was nothing she could do to change it. Boo Boo had a long and difficult road ahead of him if he was make friends like he wanted. But even as she thought that, Beatrice did not realize just how reassuring it was to him that he had at least one person who would think that for him. Part 3 Beatrice noticed something when she arrived at Boo Boos leaf house. Hey, Boo Boo. Havent you gotten a lot more stuff lately? Beatrice had been exploring the Labyrinth with Boo Boo recently. When they defeated a Gimmick, they gained the gears that could be used as currency, but she doubted he was using those to shop. Sadly, Boo Boos appearance made it difficult for him to visit the inn town. That suggested that the unmanned bartering spot they had visited must have had a wide selection. Almost all of these are things the Nun brought to the vegetable stand. I carelessly ran across her near the vegetable stand, but she didnt run away when she saw me. Boo Boo pointed at the objects scattered around his leaf house. This is a metal pot. I can make more tasty foods with it. This is a wood float. I dont have to worry when I fall in the water with it. As he explained what it all was, he started rubbing his fangs with something like a large tropical leaf. Boo Boo, what is that? Nn, this is a Blade-Honing Leaf the Nun gave me. I use it to groom myself! Iberian Orcs may have liked long and large fangs. Even in the natural environment of the planet Beatrice had been born on, moose had apparently developed their horns more to show off than to attack. The Nun said it must be like a mans you-know-what. Bfhhhh!!!?? Beatrice had nothing in her mouth, but she still had trouble breathing like she was choking. Boo Boo only looked confused. The Holy Swordswoman did not want him to ask any awkward questions, so she did her best to change the subject. Th-then, um, what is that thing that looks like a keychain? Oh. Thats the Circle. ? The name was too straightforward to give her any kind of clue. A ball of wood about the size of a ping pong ball had been covered in cloth and then a thin chain had been attached like it was a keychain, but she had no idea what it was for. It looked adorable enough, but Beatrice heard something like grinding teeth. Surprisingly it came from above. She glanced up and saw the small light of a Fairy floating near the ceiling. (Huh? Is the Fairy jealous because she was trying to repay him by making furniture and tools for him?) Boo Boo was entirely oblivious to that slight tension. And then a new visitor arrived. Boo Boo. Fairy Queen Sutriona poked her head in. Her voice sounded somehow weak, like she had a small fish bone caught in her throat. Do you know where my ear pick is? Ive looked all over and this is the only place I havent checked. Boo? What is an ear pick? Eh? Then how do you clean your ears, Boo Boo? Beatrice asked without thinking, but he only tilted his head. It was true wild dogs and cats went their whole lives without cleaning out their ears and Iberian Orcs might be the same, but it was shocking to the Holy Swordswoman. Meanwhile, Sutriona walked in and searched the house without asking permission. I came here to beg for dinner last night...and then I filled up on bat stewed in Milk Coconut. Then I just lay down and... Right, I slept here for a while, so...there it is! My ear pick!! Ahhn? Beatrice was a little irritated by some of what she heard, but Sutriona was not even looking her way. She either really liked the ear pick or her ears were bothering her because she immediately stuck the end in her ear while humming. And Boo Boo cried out when he saw it. Squeal!? Wh-whats all the noise for? Dont scare me like that. Sutriona, are you tightening a screw in your head!? No, you moron!! Does it look like I have a screw loose!? The silver-haired girl shouted back, but Beatrice saw this as her chance and started thinking. Or rather, she wanted to clean out Boo Boos ears. So... I-Im scared! Somethings going in my head!! Its okay, Boo Boo. Now dont move. Im scared!! Boo Boo had used his incredible strength to beat down a dragon measuring more than 1000 meters, but a single ear pick caused him to squeeze his eyes shut and tense up his shoulders and his neck. It was an adorable sight. Their great height difference prevented him from resting in her lap like they were lovers, so Boo Boo was sitting down while Beatrice stretched up on her tiptoes to peer into his ear and use the ear pick she had borrowed from Sutriona. She could see inside easily enough thanks to the Magic flame (on her ahoge) she used as a light, but Boo Boos ears were very different from a humans. In fact... Oh, wow. It just keeps coming out! Ah ha ha!! Boo Boo, youre amazing! I think I found the mother lode!! B-boo!? Beatrice sounded as excited as someone pulling off an impressive chain in a puzzle game. She had only found filth and it may have been nothing to celebrate, but it was like getting a bunch of filth from behind a dresser or window frame with some famous cleaning spokesmans gimmicky tool. Logic was irrelevant here. It was more about the sensory joy and achievement. But... Huh? Beatrice, dont sound so confused while doing something so important! Tremble tremble. Whats wrong with my head? You might have tightened the screw too much and Ill explode!! She of course could not do anything like that with a mere ear pick. The ear pick cant reach all the way inside... Well, it is meant for me, pointed out Sutriona. Oh, honestly! I want to get deeper! I can see the mother lode in there, but I cant reach it!! She struggled some more, but it was no use. The Holy Swordswoman pulled the ear pick from Boo Boos ear and spun it around in her hand. I think I need one made specifically for you... I hope theres a Mixing expert willing to make one in the inn town. Part 4 I cant do that. The glasses cow known as White Witch Filinion was entirely useless. They were in a bar/inn in the inn town. With a dead look in her eyes, Beatrice drew an X through the name Filinion on her frames drawn with fire illusion Magic, so Filinion shook her hands back and forth and gave the other girl a stiff smile. I mean, its a category error. My specialty is recovery potions. Mixing doesnt let you make just anything, you know? There are all sorts of detailed categories. But an ear pick is... Not a form of medicine. Anyone could set up shop at a rate of 3000 yen for 30 minutes. That sounded pretty sketchy, but that was not the point that Beatrice wanted to argue. That means Ill have to find someone else to Mix for me. Um... You need the construction type. You want someone who works with wood instead of metal, who provides logistical support in the inn town instead of directly exploring the Labyrinth, and who earns Experience Points by selling consumable goods. ...A Craftsman would probably be your best bet. As they discussed that, a familiar face quite roughly plopped down in an empty seat at their table. It was Fighter Priest Armelina. Hey there, you two! Im exhausted after a long day at work, so buy me something cold to drink. Hell no. If youre back from the Labyrinth, youve got to have a ton of gears. I know you know I just stuffed everything in my bag after defeating the Gimmicks and Traps. Checking through it all and dividing it out comes later. The gears were used as currency in the inn town because they were filled with plenty of Experience Points. And it was true that rummaging through your bag after trudging back into town was like asking robbers to surround you. I know I picked up a ton of stuff, so Ill pay you back later. Oh, I know... I get a discount here, but Ill pay you back full price. That way you actually make some money. Anyway, just give me something to driiiink. A discount? Oh, you dont know, Beatrice? nonchalantly replied Filinion. The White Witch and Fighter Priest both reached into their pocket and pulled out something like a keychain they held between their fingers. It was a small ball with a thin chain attached. Its called a Circle. Thats a pretty straightforward name. Beatrice placed a red line between some of the frames since Boo Boo had had one too, but then Filinion opened her mouth again. But, but. With one of these, a lot of the shops will give you discount or even serve you from a secret menu. And theyre starting to be a necessity when performing straw millionaire style Trades. After all, the trick is to buy low and sell high. Beatrices head was still filled with ??? over what the Circles even were, but then Filinion said something else. Oh, come to think of it, you might be able to use her shop, Beatrice. Her? Yes, hadnt Boo Boo mentioned it? He had run across someone near the forest vegetable stand. And most everything in his leaf house was something she had brought to the vegetable stand. The Nun who prepared our swimsuits before. You might be able to ask her to make a special order ear pick. Part 5 How were the mysterious Circle keychains and the Nun connected? That question would be answered once Beatrice actually visited her. After following a map she displayed in the air using fire illusion Magic, she arrived at the Gold Vein District which was known as an entertainment district. The inn towns different districts could look very different and this one showed just how much excess fat humans carried around. There was a large casino, an outdoor theatre, and a round battle arena. There was also a public bath that used hot spring water brought in from the northern mountains. The many forms flying by overhead were from a Griffon race that used giant balloons chained to the ground instead of corner posts. As was often the case around gambling establishments, there were also plenty of bars and dance halls. And no matter how well they were trained, Griffons were still animals, so one had to be careful to avoid any extra-large Griffon droppings that might fall from the sky. The multiple rings that looked like crop circles on a distant hill must have been for a game of ultra-large darts. Metal beams were launched with Magic to see who could get theirs closest to the center. The spaces too small for a building had been made into herb gardens. The plants looked much less healthy than those in Boo Boos garden, so this may have been the results of the humans cultivation research that Filinion had mentioned. And even those filler gardens were clearly meant to make some money. This part of the city was entirely honest to its desires. Countless gears changed hands along with the Experience Points contained within, so this was another way to learn Magic and obtain Pieces. But forgetting about exploring the Labyrinth and specializing in this seemed somehow wrong. It was like the ostrich that had forgotten how to fly. Huh? I just saw you, Beatrice. What are you doing here, Armelina? I thought you were exhausted after getting back from the Labyrinth. The Holy Swordswoman sounded annoyed, but the Fighter Priest laughed shamelessly (despite being a priest). Heh heh. Thats exactly why Im here. I worked up a sweat defeating those Gimmicks and earning these gears, so I wanted to invest them in a sure thing: baccarat, poker, craps, and roulette. Dont you underestimate Armelina, Queen of the Table Games. She would be a laughing stock if she was broke and simply calling herself that, but Armelina had actually won so much that a few casinos had banned her from ever returning. She may have learned to lose every once in a while so the owners could keep some pride. It was starting to sound like a joke that her Job was of the priest variety. More importantly, if youre here in the Gold Vein District, should I assume the battle arenas Cheating Queen Beatrice is making her glorious return to the death matches? If so, Im betting everything Ive got on you! I cant lose!! God, no. What a pain. And you and I both know they want to see me lose so badly theyd set me up against something utterly ridiculous! Besides, I only ever fought there because I was pissed that they tried to capture Boo Boo for some kind of special event. The battle arena had begun as an experiment ground to see if destroyed Gimmicks could be brought up out of the Labyrinth, rebuilt, and reactivated as human pawns. That had never worked, so it was a shell of its former self. Chehh. They apparently have some new queen, but its so boring now that you dont fight there. I think shes an Ice Waterfall Princess. I bet shes just itching to take you on, Beatrice. Dont joke about that. I get the feeling someone like that is going to attack me in the street one of these days. Call me when it happens. Ill start taking peoples bets on the spot. Beatrice was rapidly swallowed up by the atmosphere of the place. It was overripe and decadent. Is Filinion away? Dont joke. Shes the Griffon racing expert, remember? She uses her obsession with guidebooks to determine the pedigree, muscular strength, stamina, temperament, and condition of all the Griffons lined up there. If she checks their fur, eye color, and scent, she can apparently tell you what theyve been eating with perfect accuracy. When she joins forces with someone good at predicting the weather, she has almost all the data and is unbeatable. Beatrice sighed. The Griffon racing was also the result of some research into taming Grounds Nirs Nonhumans and animals for use in exploring the Labyrinth. In the end, it turned out it was too costly and dangerous for anyone but the rare summoning Jobs. All that remained was the right to use some for racing. Dont be so grumpy. Theres nothing wrong with doing this stuff to take a break while also earning some Experience Points. ...And its hard for me to enjoy this stuff in reality due to my job, so of course Im gonna go all out here in Grounds Nir. Armelina waved goodbye and left. Beatrice felt the exhaustion pressing down on her as she watched the other girl leave. The Gold Vein District was just that kind of place. Walking around and breathing the air was enough to drag peoples desires out to the surface. And that may have been why the lone church in that district of pleasure and gambling looked as adorable as a flower growing through a crack in the asphalt. However, there was no obvious cross on the roof. And at the door, a white Nun held a basket made of woven plants as she passed something out to passersby with a smile. You are not alone. We all form one big circle. Oh, its the Nun! Here you go. I pray we can bring our hearts together into a circle. I never thought something like this would help save me money. Ive been stuck in a losing streak, so Im really thankful. The teachings seemed to be different too. The Nun must have noticed the puzzled Holy Swordswoman because she silently approached with oddly strange movements. She wore a white habit that hid as much skin as possible, but her bodys veritable storm of curves was still clearly visible through it. It took all the mental fortitude Beatrice had to focus on the fact that she was above average herself, even if only by a few millimeters. These are the Circles. Would you like one? Sure. The Holy Swordswoman did not entirely understand, but she still took one of the keychain-like Circles. It seemed to be the Nuns symbol, perhaps used to invite people to her church. Beatrice finally managed to fill in the Circle entry that was connected to Boo Boo, Filinion, and Armelina. I heard you were the one that made our swimsuits before. Oh, do you need another one? No, um, I dont need a swimsuit, but I would like to ask for something else. Its about an ear pick. I will hear you out. Please come inside to talk. They stepped inside the churchs door. They moved from a street of pleasure and gambling to the tranquil atmosphere of a church. It seemed to be modeled after a churchs chapel, but there were no religious symbols here either. For example, the windows were done in the colorful stained glass style, but they did not depict a scene from any kind of story or tradition. They only looked like pieces of colorful glass. (A church, huh?) Beatrice had no fixed religious beliefs, so her mind jumped to one of lifes biggest events. (A wedding. If they have a chapel here in Grounds Nir...wow, its possible I might even be able to wear a wedding dress...) A maiden-like fantasy briefly entered her mind, but the questions soon followed. (Hm? With Boo Boo? How would someone as big as him wear a white suit? Oh, no. That one extra piece of information is causing my own ideal vision to crumble away...!!) So what was it you wanted to discuss? I am willing to do anything if it will make money for an emergency relief fund. Do you need something Mixed, or are you here to heal your illness? Hm? Beatrice frowned at that second option, so the Nun clasped her hands in front of her chest. I do not know what things are like over there, but it seems that healing an illness inside Grounds Nir will also make you healthy over there. Objects and life forms cannot move back and forth, but anything related to the bodys health seems to remain. Oh, right, said Beatrice. That was why that Guild in the forest had gone out of their way to train in Grounds Nir and why returning through the Gate while badly injured would only end in tragedy. It was always a good idea to heal oneself with Magic before returning. So is that why youre here today? N-no! Cough, cough... What I need is pretty simple. Can you make me an ear pick about this big? It might be large, but I would appreciate it if you made it very carefully. Beatrice used both hands to indicate the size of a cutlass worn at a Pirates hip. That order would normally receive a quizzical look in response, but the white Nun said nothing, clasped her hands in front of her (large) chest, and smiled. That I can prepare for you right away. From what Ive heard, people prefer those to be very simple without anything like slip resistance. Um? I can introduce you to an excellent craftsman. Hee hee. I originally only wanted to properly Appraise the Treasures from the Labyrinth and the products of Mixing in order to act as an intermediary between those who get into fights over those gears you use as currency. No, um... And there is a large difference between just selling the materials and selling a product created by Mixing a combination of those materials. I try to turn them into as much money as I can like that. The noncombat Jobs have to earn Experience Points without leaving the inn town, so when they were having trouble, they seemed to think I was a Nun and I suppose I took advantage of the warm welcome they gave me. Not that. The people of the inn town did not view Iberian Orcs in a positive light. She did not want to have to answer too many questions here, but she still found her voice rising in a quizzical tone. Bu the Nun did not seem to mind. She reached for the hood covering her hair. I pray we can bring our hearts together into a circle... After reciting that phrase, she removed the hood to reveal the answer. The Nun had wavy shoulder-length silver hair. And on both sides behind her ears, she had curled goat horns. I am also a Nonhuman. I am a Succubus. Since I look like this, I was accepted into the inn town, but I try to understand how it feels for those who are not. Beatrice was more than a little surprised. The inn town was human territory. She had known Sutriona of the Break News used her lovely appearance to play around here, but it was a shock to find another Nonhuman blending in so perfectly. In fact, she did not look like a Succubus at all. She seemed far too pure to seduce a man, drag him into bed, and consume his life energy in his dreams. Of course, that name had only been given to the Grounds Nir residents by the humans from earth, so that name may have been a source of bias on the level of defamation. (I mean, she looks holier than that prayer group in the forest or a certain gambler I could mention.) The nun who had called herself a Succubus smiled. So I will not ask too much about your situation. I know without having to ask that you are building a bridge between humans and Nonhumans. And in that case, I can see no reason not to help. I showed you my horns because I knew a bridge-builder like you would not treat me poorly. Why...? Beatrice gulped. Why are you doing this? The human life was convenient, but it was not necessarily comfortable to all Nonhumans. Even if she wanted to enjoy the human life, gathering attention with this church and her preaching would be risky. And making proper Appraisals in order to stop conflicts could easily earn her grudges from the people she ended up stopping. If she just wanted to take advantage of the various services available, it would be more efficient and safer to blend into the crowd like Sutriona did. But the Succubus nun was still smiling. And as she did, a slight shadow fell over her face. That is the wrong question to ask. ? I came to the inn town because I met someone. Because I wanted to be near him and walk by his side. That is why I am not hiding from human eyes. It was not the human life I wanted; it was a human. It all started to make sense. The Succubus also had someone in a relationship much like Beatrice and Boo Boos. Beatrices intuition told her as much. But that intuition was too na?ve. However, the gentleman who led me to love humans is now sleeping below the cold dirt. Beatrice could find nothing to say. Humans came to Grounds Nir to explore the Labyrinth. That was risky and death was always a possibility, but knowing that and actually seeing it were two different things. Is that why you started a church? Humans can freely move between the two worlds, but you cannot bring just anything back. Only your living body and the Shining Weapon that contains your knowledge and data. ...So of course, a certain problem arises. The bodies of those who die in Grounds Nir. No matter how it happened, the people who died here could not return to earth. Their bodies could only be buried in Grounds Nir. An adolescent girl like Beatrice could not really picture a world after her death, but it was a possibility every day she was involved in exploring the Labyrinth. So I began to wonder if I could do anything to fulfill their hearts and help them rest in peace. And I ultimately decided it would be best to copy what you humans do as you are several steps ahead of us. The silver-haired Succubus smiled calmly. I do not know if this is the right thing to do. It might be entirely misguided and only provide me with self-satisfaction. But I simply had to find something I could do for those who breathed their last in this land. Youre not doing anything wrong, naturally responded Beatrice. You dont need to save up a ton of money. Holding a parade of a funeral and building a pure gold altar isnt going to make the dead smile. Its not about how much you spend. Your intentions mean so much more when it comes to saving them. Thank you very much. The Nun in a white habit looked surprised at first, but then she smiled. And a moment later, a high-pitched sound rang out. Some kind of external force had smashed the stained glass window. !? Beatrice immediately reached for the Shining Weapon rapier at her hip and used a wall formed from an explosive blast to protect the Succubus from the colorful shards of glass. A fist-sized stone rolled across the floor. That alone was nearly enough for Beatrices head to boil over. The tranquility had been broken. The poisonous air of pleasure and gambling seemed to invade the church from beyond the broken glass. Who did that!? She gave into her anger by shouting, running over, and tackling open the church door. The scene outside was entirely peaceful. Someone looked back and forth between the number burnt into a wooden ticket and the Griffons flying through the sky. Someone with a red face visited yet another bar to either celebrate a victory or grieve a loss. Someone carried a bag stuffed full of gears and started listening to some sketchy investment talk on the roadside. None of them had thrown the stone. All of the passersby were acting normally and none of them even looked Beatrices way. But that was the weird part. (What is this? Everyone is too indifferent.) The sound of shattering glass would linger in peoples ears. Anyone who did not know what was happening would come to a stop and turn toward the source of the sound. And unlike Beatrice and the Succubus inside, the people outside had to have seen the person who threw the stone. She was not going to ask them to capture whoever it was, but there was definitely something wrong with showing no reaction whatsoever. It should have at least been clear that something had happened. So what was this? (It isnt that they dont know. They know, but theyre pretending they didnt see it. Are they treating this church like it doesnt exist?) She thought she saw something flashing in the crowd. It was an ugly sparkle like from a nouveau riche old mans golden tooth. She sensed a sticky sort of malice that was different from jeering or angry yelling. It was a stone this time, but what if the people would react the same under different circumstances? What if a group of men wielding blades and Shining Weapons arrived at the churchs front entrance? And what if Beatrice was not there when it happened? How would these people respond to the sounds of screams and destruction coming from the building? Oh, dear. Finally and far too late, the Succubus appeared behind Beatrice with her hood back on. This kind of thing has been happening a lot lately. Well, I can have glass prepared right away with Mixing, so Im just glad no one out front was harmed. Part 6 Boo... In the mountain, a leaf house became the epicenter of a great tremor. Bgghh!! Bbhhh! Mumble, mumble...then who in the mansion is really the killer...bhhh!! After killing some large prey, Boo Boo did not have to worry about food for a few days. When that happened, he tended to nap all day long. The wild animals were too afraid to approach the center of the blast, but there was one exception: Meridiana, the palm-sized Fairy who lived in his house. Hm, hm, hm, hmm. She was on the roof of the triangular house that resembled a giant tent. The leaf roof had a certain level of elasticity, so she had embedded half a broken Bucket Ostrich Egg shell in it, filled that with water warmed to the perfect temperature, and then mixed in some of a Milk Coconuts sweet juice that was good for the skin. What did this create? A bath of course. Ahhh, you just cant beat an open-air bath... Meridiana rested her elbows on the edge of the shell and soaked in the white water while lying nearly face down. Milk Coconut and Molasses Plant were known to be good for the skin, so even the humans used them. She did not know how things worked on the world they called Earth, but polishing their skin here apparently affected them back there too. Fairies were at the bottom of the food chain, so they normally would be snatched away by a bird of prey if they defenselessly exposed their skin in such an open area. She was being somewhat cautious by lying face down and thus keeping her wings dry and able to read the air currents, but how useful would that really be if she was attacked? This luxury was entirely thanks to the ultimate safety provided by Boo Boos loud snoring. (But curse that Nun for winning his heart with gifts! Im the one thats supposed to be repaying him by secretly making furniture and tools for him. No, stop this, stop this. I need to relax in the bath and think about what I can do for Boo Boo. Grind, grind, grind.) Meridiana. Just as she started grinding her teeth, someone spoke to her in her Fairy safe zone. I see you are enjoying yourself as much as you can, Meridiana. Im jealous in a way. Oh, Lady Morgan. Another small Fairy fluttered down. Morgans lime green hair was gathered behind her head, she wore orange clothing, and she had large cicada-like wings. She was the elder off the Fairy village and she rarely appeared to people since she was more cautious than Meridiana, so the human fortunetellers had erroneously concluded that simply seeing her was a harbinger of great fortune or misfortune. It has taken me far too long to greet Sir Boo Boo for saving you and Fairies as a whole. I intended to thank him, but it does not look like that will be happening. Hell get up in a flash when danger is approaching, but theres no waking him unless he senses something that qualifies as a threat for someone as powerful as him. Im not sure if that qualifies as sharp or dull. Sigh. Morgan skillfully hovered in the sky and shook her head. I could never disturb his sleep for our convenience. I suppose I will simply leave my thanks for today and wait to greet him at a later date. Oh, did you bring something for him? Is it food? Meridiana could not just let the village elder go on her own, so she left the large egg bath, dried off her body, donned her pink dress, and guided the guest to the houses owner below. Boo Boo lay face up in the middle of the leaf house. Iberian Orc bodies were sturdy, so he apparently did not need a bed or even a blanket. Hm, so this is the great hero who drove back the wicked dragon and freed of from the chains of that horrific custom. B-Boo Boo might look frightening, but hes really nice! Um, it might be super hard to tell from your first impression though!! I was thinking nothing of the sort. And you might be trying to help, but that would actually hurt him. Be more careful. Morgan scolded the other Fairy and fluttered around. She landed on the forehead of the giant porcine face. The Fairy elder kneeled down, bowed her head, and spoke in a deep and heavy voice. It took me far too long to greet you. My name is Morgan. My power is lacking, but I am the elder who leads the Fairies in Lady Sutrionas absence. So I must thank you on everyones behalf. And I must provide a physical sign of our thanks. Just as you stood up to a literal mountain of a dragon for us, we will offer you endless blessings. Ah!! Meridiana covered her mouth with a hand and cried out. As she kneeled, Morgan brought her lips down toward Boo Boos colossal forehead. Ahh! Ahh!! Ahhhhh!!!! Be quiet, Meridiana. I am trying to perform a sacred ritual. But, um, uh, with the way things are and with his relationship with Beatrice, Im still trying to figure out what kind of distance to keep between us, so how can you kiss him so easily!!??? How? The most we Fairies can do is provide labor or offer our blessings. Meridiana gave another bizarre cry and covered her face with both hands. Her thoughts had immediately gone in the labor direction when it came to repaying him, so she may have been a true meathead despite her slender appearance. Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-then Ill give Boo Boo a Fairys blessing too!! Stop. I just now did so on behalf of all Fairies. If a lower Fairy like you does so now, the blessings could easily conflict. Anything else would be meaningless. Vwaaahhh!! There was nothing she could do, but Meridiana could not stop yelling. And yet Boo Boo continued snoring and showed no sign of waking. Morgan did not seem bothered either since the point of her argument was somewhat different from Meridianas. If you think of anything we can do for Sir Boo Boo, please let me know. Although Lady Sutriona might know more about the human settlement. Vwahh, vwahhh!! ...Vwah? There have apparently been some ominous actions taken by the human Guild known as the Religious Society. If he had no interest in the humans, he could possibly avoid getting dragged into this mess...but getting involved in everything seems to be what Sir Boo Boo does. It couldnt hurt for you to hear this. Um, the Religious Society, you say? To be honest, I do not know much about human mythology, but this is exactly what it sounds like: a group gathered for religious reasons. They tend to take exclusionary actions based in elitism and it would be difficult to say they are very kind in their treatment of Nonhumans like us. They say all people are equal, but they turn around and say that anyone who does not understand them does not qualify as a person. To sum up: be careful. Part 7 The change was like seeing a synthetic detergent muddying a stream that had previously been so refreshingly clear that the fish could be seen swimming through it. A few days had passed since then. The atmosphere had clearly changed in the inn town that functioned as the humans base of activity. Beatrice, Beatrice! Someone called out to the Holy Swordswoman who was fiercely haggling at an open-air shop where shopkeeper and customer trusted each other equally little. The hushed voice came from White Witch Filinion. Unable to get a satisfactory result, Beatrice left the already narrow road and entered an alley that was little more than a gap between buildings. Fighter Priest Armelina also waited there. Why are both of you here? To warn you, obviously. Youre the only one still walking around the inn town showing off their Circle so blatantly. You need to be careful. ? She was the only one? Hadnt those two been the ones showing off their Circles just the other day? Beatrice looked puzzled, so Filinion and Armelina exchanged a glance before hesitantly reaching into their pockets. They pulled out identical Circles. Showing it off so blatantly is the problem. Yes, a fairly radical Guild is apparently growing more active. As a group or an individual, I honestly want nothing to do with the Religious Society. Youre kidding, right? The Religious Societ-...!? The Holy Swordswoman started to yell, so the other two girls quickly covered her mouth. The Religious Society. To some extent, every mythology and religion that humans believed in mentioned how humans were to view the world. Some said the world had been created and some said mankind had been given the world. The scope of what it mentioned varied greatly. It could be as small as a village or island, it could be a city or nation, and it could even be the entire planet or the entire universe. But a certain problem had arisen. Not one religious text or scripture mentioned the alternate world of Grounds Nir. If nothing was written about it, what were they to do with it? Especially when the people who visited Grounds Nir had evolved into beings who could wield the instant paranormal power of Magic...or to put it another way, miracles. The field of religion has been thrown into chaos, said Fighter Priest Armelina as she gently removed her hand from Beatrices mouth. Grounds Nir is honestly a thorn in their side, so they would really prefer it if we could erase the fact that it had ever been discovered. But mankind can no longer give up Grounds Nir after the technological revolutions brought about by the Pieces. It would be like abolishing the internet and cellphones and being left behind by the rest of the world. They know they will only decline if they dont accept these new advancements, but theyre all really on edge about how to deal with it all. And the Religious Society has come to power within all that. Theyre the real deal. They might be even worse than Elkiad from before. We dont know who the Religious Society is. White Witch Filinion shrugged and sighed. Maybe theyre a secret division of the worlds largest monotheistic religion and maybe theyre a collection of people from various religions who hate the very existence of Grounds Nir. After all, we cant rely on what they look like here. Even if they performed a public massacre in the inn town, they would escape any kind of punishment once they returned to earth. In Grounds Nir, our equipment adjusts even our facial features. If they wore different equipment each time they came here, they would have a new face each time. Of course, that normally doesnt happen because everyone has their own favorite Parameters. ... Anyway, be on the lookout for gold rings without any kind of symbol on them. They have no uniform and perfectly blend into their surroundings, but its been discovered that they do wear a pure gold ring on their left hands ring finger. They apparently engrave their gods name in it, melt it, and then rework it into a different form to marry their faith in a way no one will recognize. I see. It finally clicked for Beatrice. She had seen that a few times after something had seemed a little odd. She had seen the glitter of an actual pure gold ring and not just some Magic shaped like that. An experiment from a much older era had proven that materials could not be transported between earth and the other world, so these people must have gone out of their way to make a ring in Grounds Nir and leave it in a safe place when they returned to earth. But even if the ring is on their left hands ring finger, they arent necessarily from the West. That tradition has spread all around the world and another culture could always be adopting it for camouflage. From our thick armor to our underwear, all of our equipment is just Magic shaped liked that, right? So if you see someone wearing actual physical gold, you should be suspicious. Beatrice once more looked down at her keychain-like Circle. She once more judged the value placed inside it, even if its maker had not done so intentionally. Filinion, Armelina. ...How much do you know about that Nun? You mean that shes actually a Nonhuman and a Succubus? She might think shes hiding it, but everyone knows. Its an open secret. Nonhumans cant use Magic. For the Mixing of the swimsuits and whatever else, she apparently asks a human she knows to do it. But anyway... Armelina trailed off when they heard a commotion on the street. They peeked out from the alley and saw some men and women stomping around and carrying placards made from crude wooden panels. Those signs said say no to monsters and protect the human inn town. (They sure let themselves be influenced easily...) Beatrice sighed and started speaking again. If everyone knows, then theres obviously a chance the Religious Society knows. What would they think of that? The various religions born on earth were simply incompatible with another world like Grounds Nir. The issues surrounding interpretations of their scriptures were throwing them into chaos, so what would they think when they learned that a new religion was being born here? That religion was meant to provide peaceful rest to those who died in another world and could not return. It was an innocent thing that copied what the humans did and used a simple circle as a symbol. But none of that mattered. Very little could be brought back between the two worlds. Knowledge and techniques C or more simply, memories and information C were the only small blessings there. And that included religion and doctrine. Plus, hadnt Filinion pointed out that people could look completely different on earth and in Grounds Nir? And that no matter what someone did in Grounds Nir, it could not be traced back to them once they returned to earth? That meant one thing: No one can know how far a religious born in Grounds Nir would spread. But Grounds Nir is so small we could walk completely around it in 3 days. People of every race and nationality gather here using the Gates located around the world. In the past, it was known as spy heaven where no one could monitor you, but this feels like a further derivation of that. If some kind of explosive fad begins here in Grounds Nir, it would be brought back to every part of the world in the blink of an eye. The spread of such things is usually estimated using the starting point, so those estimates would be useless. That Succubus may not have intended to start an invasion. But what she had done was enough for the religions having enough trouble already. Even if they closed all of the Gates and pretended Grounds Nir had never existed, they could not prevent the information brought back from spreading as a new religion called the Church of the Circle. What if that fear was spreading? What if the majority started agreeing that risk should be removed as soon as possible? Dammit... Beatrice did not have time to draw out frames and red lines with her fire illusion Magic. She remembered the stone thrown though the church window. She remembered the giant blind spot created in a public area when everyone feigned indifference. If that kind of thing was moving on the level of a Guild like the Religious Society, then how much violence would assault that Succubus in broad daylight while she was trapped in that cage of indifference? She could not return the man she had once lived with to his original world. She could not even return a hair from his head. So she had at least wanted to give him a peaceful and undisturbed rest here in Grounds Nirs soil. That was all she had wanted to do. Dammit!! Um, hey, Beatrice? Didnt we just say not to get involved in all this!? I ordered an ear pick for Boo Boo from her. Im not letting anything happen to her before I get it! Okay, fine, you softhearted fool! So we just have to stick our heads into this too, do we!? All three of them started running. Beatrice had to wonder which of them was really the softhearted fool, but she was not stupid enough to forget her appreciation of having someone to support her. Even if every district was very different, it was still just a human city built alongside those exploring the Labyrinth. It was only so large. A short run was all it took to reach the Gold Vein District and all its pleasure and gambling. Beatrice called up a detailed map of the district using fire illusion Magic and Armelina asked the most fundamental question. But how are we going to get her to safety? As we already mentioned, Grounds Nir is only an island we can walk around in 3 days. If the Religious Society hunts her down with pure numbers, theres no escape. And since that Nun is a Nonhuman, we cant invite her to earth through a Gate. But since she was born and raised in Grounds Nir, she doesnt have to worry about her internal clock getting screwed up. She doesnt have to return every few days to avoid serious mental and physical effects, so time should be on her side. You mean...? She can hide in the vast underground expanse of the Labyrinth, or she can head out to sea in a boat loaded with as much food as it can hold, just like that Next Voyager. If she can buy herself enough time in some environment where its hard to hunt her down, she should be able to survi-... She trailed off. A pillar of fire rose above the roofs of the buildings in the direction they were headed. Any theoretical odds of victory were pointless if they did not arrive in time. Even if they were only one second or one instant too late, they could not stop a tragedy that was beyond their reach. Goddammit!! Part 8 It had begun a bit earlier. It was a moonlit evening. Partway up a mountain far away from the inn town C that coincidentally happened to be opposite the slope on which Boo Boos house was built C marched a group wearing bluish-black dresses much like mourning clothes and with pure gold rings on their left ring fingers. They hid their faces behind thin veils and they held modern-looking bows with large stabilizers sticking out on the front. They were not actually bows because they had short close-quarters combat blades attached to either end and because they were only Shining Weapons meant to use Magic. They were the Religious Society. Any further truth was hidden by their veils, but their goal was clear: the Flask Flower Garden. Deep, deep in the woods was a clearing covered in blooming flowers. They were all rare Mixing ingredients that humans could not cultivate: Joyful Belladonna, Angry Digitalis, Sorrowful Sage, etc. Some of them even emitted a faint light, perhaps to more efficiently gather the flying insects that would carry their pollen. A translucent dome covered the garden overhead. Most likely, the giant mushrooms were manipulating the sunlight to create the humidity needed to supply the moisture and nutrients that made this colorful miracle possible. Ileana!! But the Religious Society was not after the herbs. The woman in the center of the group raised her voice. Her whitish blonde hair was braided and bent in a U-shape, but it still reached her waist. If the large loop on her back was undone, it would likely trail along the ground behind her. We of the Religious Society have come for your help in accordance with our agreement! Answer our summons, beast that has received the power to comprehend the words of the baptized. Just this once, wield your power as a Break News for us!! The flower garden stirred. But no wind was blowing. A new form rose up from the sea of colorful flowers. It was a symbol of the night who was even more bewitching than the shining full moon. It was a beautiful woman with brown skin and long light blue hair. Her bodylines were covered by plants resembling grape vines and leaves and she wore just the framework of a long skirt that resembled a bird cage. She was one of the monsters that could cause both resurrection and death and whose cursed cry could destroy all enemies, biological or mechanical. She was the ruler of the flower garden and the greatest Mandragora. She was a plant Break News. Her name was Ileana. You have some nerve, girl. I only responded to your voice since you are the descendants of those who once asked me to protect this land. This land was Enter Kosmos. It was the remnants of a former human attempt to send a giant tower stabbing upside down into the ground to stop the Labyrinth from periodically restructuring itself. With this and the Next Voyager ship on the beach, it was easy to guess what kind of conflict had once existed in Grounds Nir between the superpowers of the east and west. But the girl in Western mourning clothes ignored the giant gravestone with its garden of flowers dedicated to it. Are you really prepared to do that? We normally would have exterminated you immediately, but we held off and intend to give you the honor of working as our right arm. Heh heh. Im sure you know exactly whose flexibility has saved which side of this encounter. Their surroundings rustled as Ileana laughed. But this was not the Religious Societys vanguard giving off killer intent. The extent and density of flowers was growing. The world itself seemed to surround the humans and it attempted to crush everything in every direction with a great pressure that was different from hostility or malice. But the veiled woman in mourning clothes spoke again as if to challenge the plant woman. Do you intend to accept our offer? Ill do it. The greatest of the simultaneously toxic and healing Mandragoras snapped her fingers while adorned in fruit decorations. The deadly flower gardens pressure dispersed and became no more than a sea of beautiful petals once more. And the night sneered. But when I act, I require something of equivalent value. I desire a pure virgin. That should be easy enough for the moral Religious Society to acquire. After all, youve essentially been preparing yourselves as detonators for this. ... I want you. The Break News pointed her index finger at the womans modest chest. Lets see how determined you are to get this paradox with a soul to act. How much are you willing to risk your own body? Surely you didnt think you alone could escape unscathed. If you can convince me here, I will wield my full power for you. That is fine. Hah hah!! Not even a second of hesitation!? Now that I cant hope to match. Even if I was just having some fun...no, because I was just having some fun, Id have to question your sensibilities if you hadnt given it your all!! Ileana in the plant dress was the only one laughing. The speed of the womans answer came from the strength that she had inherited from the previous leader of the Religious Society and that she would pass on to the next generation. You, the one offering herself as a sacrifice. Whats your name? Gruagach. Then, brave but pitiable Gruagach, what is it you want from a paradox like me? Your job this time is not to hunt some great target. You are to purge a Nonhuman ranked below the Break News. But the location is something of a problem: she has blended into the human base of the inn town. Will you take on that dirty job? You may take out the entire town if necessary. Understood, whispered Ileana before taking a breath. She then spoke to the flower offerings so no one else could hear. Purging a Nonhuman, is it? I dont like the sound of that. It reminds me of what happened to the Iberian Orcs. Part 9 An intense pillar of fire rose in one corner of the inn town. Something fell around Beatrices group. The gears used as currency were flying all around the Gold Vein District that contained casinos and the battle arena. The winged monsters being prepared for the Griffon race were rampaging around overhead and nearly throwing their riders off of them. Beatrices fire specialty allowed her to immediately calculate the scope of the damage. Based on the height of the pillar of fire, that was the equivalent of 87 kilos of TNT, assuming it wasnt a directional blast. That wouldve blown a stone church open like a flower!! Are you serious...? If they start blasting things like this, the entire inn townll be destroyed! Would even the Religious Society go that far? The inn town is an important base for everyone in Grounds Nir. Even if theyre a large organization...no, specifically because they know the power of numbers, they have to know what will happen if they make an enemy of all humankind. If the battle was between the churchs Nun and the Religious Society, it might seem unwinnable. But what if it developed into a larger battle between the inn town and the Religious Society and all of the level cap fighters joined forces against them? It seemed like the positions of minority and majority would be overturned and the Religious Society would be the one on the run. But that question was answered once they arrived on the scene. What is that? As they ran down the gear-covered road, Armelina looked at the smoke-marred blue sky. No, her eyes were on the roof of a tall building. It was the bell tower that signaled the final round of the Griffon race. A tall woman with brown skin and light blue hair stood on the edge...no, the corner of the roof. Her hair and skin both emitted an eerie light. She spread her arms like an opera singer. Beatrice felt a chill down her spine although she did not know why. Immediately, her mind exploded. An ultra-high frequency cry filled the entire inn town. Beatrice immediately activated the Shining Weapon rapier at her hip, but she was too slow. The ear-splitting scream passed right through the smokescreen meant to throw off an enemys aim and the girl was slammed back-first into a brick wall. Her thoughts lost all continuity, like they were being mixed up by a blender, and she could barely tell up from down. Kah...!! Agwah!? ... The Griffons finally fell from the sky. White Witch Filinion wobbled on her feet and pulled out something. The palm-sized rectangular bottle looked like something a mountain climber would carry around and it likely contained some sort of recovery potion. No, the bottle itself may have been a potion, just like the candy beer bottles used for filming dramas. After unscrewing the cap half a turn, she tossed it into the air. The bottle shattered on its own, the shards mixed with the liquid inside, the potion bubbled, and it rained down as a purifying mist. Finally, Beatrices group was freed from the intense and nauseating headache. Armelina shook her head with a hand on the wall. What happened and what did you do? My head isnt spinning anymore, but that cry hasnt stopped! Its kind of scary!! I intentionally messed up a recovery potion to obstruct the crys transmission. This would normally count as poisoning us, but its better than continuing to let that affect us. That cry is from a Mandragora, right? asked Armelina. Yknow, like the one we used to trap the Cat Sith who were ransacking Boo Boos garden... But Ive never heard of one powerful enough to affect an entire town! Beatrice gulped and answered. ...A Break News. She doubted it was a coincidence that this monster in a plant dress had shown up now. Did that mean the Religious Society had tamed a paradox with a soul? They really intend to take us all on directly. But to prevent a major battle to protect the inn town, they used the very first wave to knock out anyone who might fight back. Thats the kind of over-the-top plan theyre going with! The Religious Society was making an enemy of all the humans in Grounds Nir, but the humans generally only used the inn town and the Labyrinth. People who walked around the island like Beatrice were a rarity. The people in the Labyrinth below the thick bedrock would not notice the commotion and could be safely ignored for the time being, so making a preemptive strike on the inn town was enough to neutralize most everyone. So theyre willing to slaughter people from every nation and every race if it lets them kill that one Succubus? Theyre never going to give up before they finish this. We need to get the Nun out of there!! The church was nearby. Beatrices group made one last spurt, but the White Witchs potion must not have been perfect. They were fortunate to have any way at all of resisting the Break Newss ferocious attack, but the way the sound echoed off the walls and ground started to make their heads spin again. And that slowed them down somewhat. They turned the last corner and arrived in front of the church. No, at this point it was better called the ruins of the church. There was only a pile of rubble there and the neighboring buildings had also collapsed. Gray dust spread from there and someone was dragged out into the open. It was the sexy Nun in a white habit. The explosion had blown away the entire building, so it was doubtful she had escaped its effects. It was possible she was tougher than a human, but even that had its limits. It might have helped her to play dead. She might have been able to escape through the dust before the search through the rubble began. But she had done neither. Something fell from between her arms: keychain-like Circles. They were a symbol of the peaceful slumber she desired for the people who had fallen in this land. They fell to the cracked ground and were trampled by the group hidden by mourning clothes and veils. Ahh!! The Nun was thrown out in front of the wall that was no longer attached to a building. They formed a half circle around her and aimed their bow-like Shining Weapons at her. The malice they sent her way felt like arrows with sharp barbs on the end. God will save all people. That means monsters were never even being considered. A Nonhuman mimicking human faith is just laughable. Purge her. Punish the one who makes a mockery of our faith! It was like an execution by firing squad. Since they could use Magic powerful enough to blow up the stone church, it went without saying what would happen to her. Nothing at all would remain if they concentrated their fire on her. Make iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!! Beatrice let out a cry. No, she tried to. But just before she could, her head shook. Her vision blurred and her thoughts fell apart. It was the Mandragora Break News. She had likely focused her aim on whoever was still moving. The intense scream neutralized the Holy Swordswoman like an acoustic weapon. Beatrice tried to prop herself up on a wall, but she even failed at that. As she tasted the dirt in her mouth, she realized the truth. (Its over. I wont reach her...) Beatrice was their strongest fighter, so if she could not do it, neither could Filinion or Armelina. And if they could not reach her, what would happen to the harmless Nun? It was over. There was nothing they could do. And then Beatrice overturned her assumptions and causality by thinking of a certain face. (Boo Boo...!!) A moment later, she heard a coldhearted blast of destruction in a corner of the inn town. Part 10 Perhaps what she was doing was wrong. Perhaps her thoughts would never reach the dead. She had wondered that countless times, but the Succubus had still put on her habit and gone out into the inn town. They had literally been from different worlds, but they had been able to speak and share their feelings. Unable to forget him and unable to abandon him, the Succubus had never stopped seeking her vision of human and Nonhuman living together. The dead would never return and she was not looking for someone to replace the dead, but... Hey, baby. Ill show you that humans arent completely worthless. She would never forget what he had said when they first met. It had been entirely unrelated to exploring the Labyrinth or acquiring the Magic and Pieces that could revolutionize human society. It had also had nothing to do with the Succubus herself. She had happened across a many-headed Hydra attacking a Dwarf in the forest, but after she had abandoned the Dwarf as a sacrifice to survival of the fittest, a ferocious man had tapped her on the shoulder with a smile on his face. He would save people for nothing in return. He would wish for the happiness of complete strangers. He would rush headlong into danger with his heavy armor and giant axe. She had admired his lifestyle. She had wondered how he could do that. Meanwhile, the man had bothered to build barrels in Grounds Nir to distill fruit. And as he drank a cup of his own product, he had answered her without giving it any thought. Its not like I have any real reason. Life is finite and I want to have fun and enjoy every minute and every second of it, so what good is worrying over the same things over and over? So even if its a bit of a pain, Ive gotta solve all the trouble I happen across. Basically, its about getting a good nights sleep. A drink of victory tastes so much better than one meant to distract you from a loss. Im an honest person, so I want my drink to taste the best it can. So she had gone with him. Even inside the Labyrinth that the Grounds Nir-born Nonhumans never even approached. She had not had a reason for it, but she had thought giving her all to something illogical might help her get closer to that man. They had laughed together, they had overcome hardship, they had argued and grabbed at each others hair, and they had rolled around on the ground and made up. At some point, she had stood right next to that man with the short black hair. And she had lain next to him too. She had finally grasped what it was she had longed for. It was finally hers. I know it can never happen, but I cant help but think about it. I wish I could show it to you. My home is small, but its got this huge cherry tree outside. Every year during flower viewing season, a bunch of old guys Ive never seen before gather in the yard with bottles of sake in hand. I guess you wouldnt know what cherry blossoms are, would you? If only they grew here in Grounds Nir too. She was thrown against the one wall of the church that was still standing, she was surrounded, and several Shining Weapon bows were aimed her way. The Succubus in the white habit smiled thinly when she saw this other face of humanity. Still on the ground, she looked to the trampled Circles. I pray we can bring our hearts together into a circle... Maybe she really had been wrong. Maybe these had only been for her own self-satisfaction. Maybe they had brought no one peace and had only caused trouble for the humans. But...still... She did not need to beg for her life. If she had failed, then she had failed. If she had to bear the responsibility for this chaos, then she was willing to die for it. Even if none of it worked out... She did not know the human rules, but this was Grounds Nir. If there was an afterlife, she was sure to go to the same place. She doubted humans and Nonhumans would be separated and sent to different places. I wont be lonely any longer. So she needed to smile now. Honey, Ill be with you soon. She slowly exhaled and started to close her eyes. But at that very moment, something blew away all of the buildings in that corner of the inn town. It was not human Magic. This was much simpler: a collision from an enormous mass. The Succubus had no way of knowing, but it was a lot like the site of a large passenger plane crash. The nearby casino and battle arena were blown away and gears erupted like a volcano and scattered across the town. The attackers in Western mourning clothes and veils were struck by rubble and blown into the air by the wind. The Nun in the white habit did not initially know what had happened. It was on such a large scale that she only saw a giant wall no matter how high she looked. It was a black dragon standing 1000 meters tall. It was the Thousand Dragon of the Break News. Tch! Ileana!! shouted one of the women in veils. Atop the bell tower that signaled the final round of the Griffon race, a brown woman with long, light blue hair glared at the black dragon. And they both roared at the same time. One was the killer cry of a Mandragora and the other was the ultra- pressurized water breath fired from the mouth of the giant dragon that symbolized water and rainclouds. The two attacks collided at the midpoint, dispersed, and were diverted away. But the dragons attack still mercilessly broke the bell tower that Ileana stood on. She vanished along with the great mass of the collapsing stone tower. The dragon spoke in an ultra-low frequency growl that humans probably could not hear. That is not enough to defeat another Break News. She will be getting up soon enough. Climb on, Succubus. I will take you from here before that happens. Eh? Um... That clothing seems to be dedicated to something, but I do not know what it is you believe in. I have no way of telling what has set you at odds with the humans, so I have nothing telling me to protect you and no argument to support this decision. But the Thousand Dragon had more to say. Someone had once arrived just barely in time for her, so she honestly spoke about what she had felt when that Iberian Orc had stood bravely before her. It cannot have been a mere coincidence that I arrived in time for you. I would call it a miracle that you are still alive now. That was enough. She needed no other reason to lend a helping hand. As the white Succubus considered how she was to scale the towering wall that was the Thousand Dragon, the dragon swung her tail over. She lifted the Succubus up and onto her back. And then her massive wings gathered the wind. Just as the greatest Mandragora broke through the rubble and poked her head out into the open air, she released the scream that was meant to kill criminals. But to avoid falling victim to that legend, the Thousand Dragon sent explosive masses of air in every direction that whipped up a storm of rubble and gears as if to harass the humans some more. And the reaction to that downward blast launched the Thousand Dragon high into the blue sky. Part 11 Once the Break Newss cry ended, Beatrices group slowly resumed moving and got up. Beatrice used her fire explosive Magic to send her voice to the black dragon flying high in the sky. Nice one!! Take her away from the island of Grounds Nir! A Mandragora is rooted to the ground, so she cant go out to sea. Use your wings to leave the island and she cant follow!! Gruagach, the Religious Society woman in a veil and Western mourning clothes, clicked her tongue. She glared at the pile of rubble instead of at the Thousand Dragon or Succubus. Ileana!! Dont let up the attack! What do you think were using you for!? The response came from an extremely directional voice that worked much like radio. It doesnt matter to me, but try thinking about where you want to send me. There are two options: I can pursue the fleeing dragon or I can continue suppressing the inn town. If she ended her attack on the inn town, everyone taken out by the surprise attack would begin a counterattack against the Religious Society. The positions of the minority and majority would swap and the Religious Society would be the weaker party. If they let the Thousand Dragon escape, the Succubus would escape the island and their reach. And they were up against a Break News. It was highly doubtful if even a unit of the Religious Societys elites could bring that down. And with all that in mind, Gruagach gave an immediate answer. Very well. You pursue the dragon. Hah hah! So youre focusing on your initial goal even if it exposes you to the risk of being ganged up on!? Interesting, but dont forget that youre my sacrifice. Dont get yourself killed. A section of the ground twinkled like the starry sky. By the time the Thousand Dragon realized they were Magic arrows fired into the sky by the humans of the Religious Society, dozens and even hundreds of colorful arcs passed right by her side. No, she had quickly twisted out of the way, but a few of them had still stabbed into her by pushing through the gaps in her thick scales. They were like flying snakes. They would alter their course to pursue the Thousand Dragon. She could strike back at the surface, but she could not remain focused on the humans. The Break News named Ileana would be here soon and gaining as much distance from her was the dragons top priority. Heh heh. She was clearly being pecked at by a much lower opponent. But the dragon still laughed with the white Succubus on her gigantic back. ? Yes, yes. I finally understand. I was only ever pretending before. I was nowhere close to truly helping someone like Boo Boo does. The dragons words grew louder and louder. Finally, they became a definite roar that reverberated across Grounds Nir. But I understand now. You dont need logic when it comes to saving people. Theres no reason to trap it all inside prearranged arguments! Yes!! Protecting someone makes you feel so light, so refreshed, and so proud!!!!!! Part 12 What a pain... Just outside Boo Boos leaf house on the mountainside, Sutriona of the Break News put her hands on her hips and sighed. Ive never seen her let loose like this. It makes me question why we bother holding back. What is it, Sutriona? These will be cooked soon. If theyre just going to burn otherwise, Ill eat them all myself. Ah! No fair, Boo Boo! I want to eat those Crab Dumplings too!! After blowing on them, the two of them ate a late lunch. Boo Boo had killed a giant Bomb Chicken and thus had enough food for several days, but the Fairies had sent him a plentiful supply of fresh water Riverbed Crabs and they had started on those first. After all, seafood spoiled quickly, so they had to eat it soon. I think Ill try eating vegetables because Beatrice said I should. Oh, how responsible of you. You need to eat them too, Sutriona. You dont get to force that onto others! Ahh! Dont pile a bunch of them onto my plate, Boo Boo!! Sutriona grew somewhat tearful, but she seemed to be the type to eat everything on her plate. She complained but kept eating. By the way, Boo Boo, do you know about the Religious Society? Yes, the Fairies left a note. It said to watch out for the Religious Society. As long as you understand that. ...But I wish there was a smoother connection between what they want and what they claim to want or between their doctrines and their interests. Ive heard they made a previous attempt to monopolize the Experience Points by taking over the casinos that deal in so many gears. Although that apparently fell apart due to the trouble caused by some crazy gambler and some queen of the battle arena. What are you trying to say? Boo Boo tilted his head, so Sutriona continued while wrapping a Crab Dumpling in a leaf vegetable. They keep shouting about religious confusion and the danger of Grounds Nirs first new religion returning to their world, but none of it fits their actions if you look behind the curtain. They essentially want to be the unrivalled leader of online shopping in this world of swords and magic. Hm? No, I suppose you wouldnt understand that analogy. Boo Boo, youve visited the Labyrinth with Beatrices group, right? It isnt easy because I get so hungry. Squeal. Its weird how there arent any living things down there. Theres plenty of water and air, though. Look at it the other way and that means you cant enter the Labyrinth without preparing first. In addition to food, you have to bring magnets, rope, lights, and various Mixing ingredients. Even if clothing and sleeping gear is mostly handled with Magic, entering the Labyrinth with nothing is essentially suicide. ...So by taking care of that, they hope to control the very act of exploring the Labyrinth. The girl in a black ribbon dress stuffed a Crab Dumpling into her mouth. The inn town is a lot like a collection of independent shops. They each carry around and sell whatever product they specialize in. Its a primitive and wholesome form of economic activity. But what happens if someone brings in the knowhow of a franchise? They apparently plan to let their manpower do the talking, have people posted at certain intervals within the Labyrinth, and carry in the needed products with something like a bucket relay. The Labyrinth changes periodically, but by setting up a rotation, they can ensure a hole does not form even as they let people take rests or return. If Beatrice had been here, she might have spoken up. The Guild training she had seen in the forest had been for carrying products swiftly and safely through the Labyrinth with its unstable footing and all it Gimmicks and Traps. It sounds like a convenient service at first, but humans will stop preparing properly at the inn town if they lose that sense of danger. Theyll know they can resupply in the Labyrinth if they need to, after all. But the Religious Society is still an organization with its own interests. If they fake an accident and cut off the delivery when someone is truly in need, they can isolate them in the Labyrinth and effectively kill them. ...While some of it is still left up to chance, they will still be able to put together a probabilistic murder plan. She did not stop speaking there. Even after all that, there was still more to say. If a unified and popular group arrives, the individual shops of the inn town wont stand a fighting chance. Theyll be closing shop and going out of business in no time, so the supply of goods will all come from the same source. A truly monstrous organization will rule everything. Squeal? What does that mean??? Oh, was that too difficult for you? Basically, one person will control all the water and food, so anyone they dont like wont be able to get a single drop to drink. Once that happens, the ability to freely explore the Labyrinth will be no more than a dream. Everyone will be forced to accept a schedule convenient to the Religious Society. And the same goes for acquiring the Pieces that can distort human society. The Religious Society will have built up the ultimate dictatorship that allows them bend human society to their will. Boo Boo tilted his head. And he spoke honestly. Its wrong to keep everything to yourself. Very true. But convenience is the sweetest of poisons. You know its bad for you, but you cant ween yourself off of it. And no ones going to boycott them when the slightest failure to prepare means death. Boo Boo, its just like how youve learned to enjoy the flavor of cooked meat despite fearing fire so much. Boo. The Iberian Orc groaned and poked at the fire with a stick. Along with the firewood, he had thrown on one of the blocks of solid fuel from the vegetable stand, so the fire was more stable than usual. The long silver-haired girl in a black ribbon dress smiled honestly. That is what the Religious Society...no, what whoever controls them wants to do. By fully franchising the exploration preparations, they probably hope to win over or intimidate any influential individuals or groups. That would be why they had a problem with the Circle Church that acted as an intermediary for Mixing jobs. That said, burning down your field because you hate the birds pecking at your crops hardly seems like a sane reaction. It makes me wonder if whoever it is has as tight a hold on the Religious Societys reins as they think they do. Sutriona explained all that while munching on her late lunch. She licked off her thumb as she continued. Now that Ive eaten, Ill be leaving. Hm? Youre leaving? That Thousand Dragon is flying around with the white Nun on her back. And the Religious Society has sent out Ileana, another Break News. I really dont care that much about them, but as I said at the beginning: Ill directly crush anyone who violates my territory. Squeal. Everyone needs to stop fighting. I couldnt agree more, but sometimes you have to butt heads in order to make sure they dont continue with the pointless fighting. And, Boo Boo, what will you do? It somewhat bothers me that Beatrices group is running around trying to put out this fire, but theres no real reason for you to get involved. Hm. The Iberian Orc blew on a Crab Dumpling to cool it down. I understand that all the Break News are dangerous. I dont want to fight one if I dont have to. Yes, an admirable viewpoint. Thats the proper fear and respect you should have for higher beings like us. Sutriona stood up with an oddly elderly-sounding groan of effort. She reached her small hands toward the butt of her skirt, but she decided not to brush it off when she saw Boo Boo was still eating. I will protect my territory, so you stay here, Boo Boo. But if you see Ileana, run away immediately. Dont worry about your household tools. The forest might wither around you, but thats just how it is. Dont panic and dont cause a scene. Boo? What do you mean??? That plant Break News is a Mandragora. If she gets serious, she can produce incredible power, but its source is the nutrients in the soil. In other words, she absorbs it all. Id like to take her out as quickly as possible so she doesnt have a chance to do so, but I cant guarantee that will work out. Boo Boo looked around with a Crab Dumpling in hand. The birds chirped and a butterfly flew calmly over his head as he spoke. Id be in trouble if the forest went away. I wouldnt be able to eat. Ill do my best. Those miraculous words were saying she could guarantee nothing and yet was asking for his unconditional trust. But that miracle did not work on Boo Boo. What is Ileana trying to do by making the forest wither? Does she like fighting that much? Did that Nun do something really bad? She spoke to me without being afraid when I ran across her in the forest. I dont know. Sutriona sounded exasperated and she put her hands on her hips. There are a lot of different Break News, but the reason for her actions are found in something beyond words and intellect. She wields violence when asked...so does that make her a pure mercenary? She seems to have been hired by the Religious Society this time, but that would mean theyre supplying her with some kind of reward she considers valuable. Is it something she needs to eat? Shes a plant, so she can live just by bathing in the sunlight and sticking into the soil. So Im betting this is a form of entertainment or amusement. She has a complex about the food chain, so she does tend to mistake higher life forms for lifes excesses. ...I dont know what exactly their contract entails, but Im betting it has to do with women. ... Boo Boo stopped moving. He stared at his half-eaten Crab Dumpling with a troubled look on his face. Boo. You mean Ileana is being mean to the Nun when she has no reason for it? And theres still more once its over? On top of that, shes trying to bring down the interfering Thousand Dragon, sweep Beatrices group away, and kill the forest in this area. Well, were all paradoxes, so acting logically wouldnt suit us. Even if she does profit from all the damage, its the damage itself that truly suits her. That was as far as she got. Boo Boo started scarfing down the remaining food and then he grabbed the object next to him: his Shining Weapon. He swung down what looked like a log or steel beam and he extinguished the fire with it. Then he stood up. Im going too. Mind if I ask why? I heard that Nun was the one that made swimsuits for Beatrice and the others. Without that, we couldnt have spoken with Kallikantzaros and we might not have made it in time for the Cat Sith and Cu Sith incident. I thought I wouldnt be able to speak with her while she was in the human inn town, but thats different now. I dont want anything to happen to her before I can say thank you. And if this isnt necessary for someone to eat, then I want to stop it. Also, he added. Its too late for me. I heard that everyone from the village was killed in a purge of Nonhumans. But this is different. I can still reach the Succubus whose life is going to be taken for a reason besides living or eating. Hmph, snorted Sutriona. She did not seem to like something about that. You need to be more straightforward. Just say youre pissed with Ileanas violence so youre gonna go kick her ass. Boo? But Boo Boo tilted his head at that. Not even the Fairy Queen had expected that reaction, so he clarified. I dont hate Ileana. I just want to stop her if I can. This time. This time, the long silver-haired girl in a black ribbon dress really did feel her mind go blank. Hwa ha. And she laughed. It was entirely out of place, but Sutriona laughed uproariously on the front line of this battle. Ha ha ha!! Interesting! Now that I like! The long life brought by my position as the strongest can get boring, but I can never give up on life because it never fails to hit me with these pleasant betrayals!! Fine, Boo Boo. I will let you take the lead this time. Order me around and show me something outside the pre-established harmony. Right. Boo Boo held his giant Shining Weapon in hand, licked his thumb, and looked to the battlefield. He looked to the pitch black dragon flying in the blue sky. First, I need a way to get there. Part 13 The Succubus in a pure white habit rode the pitch black dragon through the sky. The dragons course took her straight across the island, but she could not make a rapid course correction. The immense Gs would make the Nun suffer and a great number of glowing arrows pursued them from behind. She wanted to avoid lowering her speed if at all possible. As a hail of glowing arrows was fired from the surface, several of them pierced her body and wings, but none of them came close to fatal. Even if they were coated in poison, her body was over 1000 meters long. Since a chemicals lethal dose was generally calculated based on body weight, the amount on an arrow would never bring her down. But that was only true of her body. The arrows piercing her began to move in order to tear into her mentally. The 4 feathers on the top, bottom, left, and right formed a cross. Power resided within them and they vibrated to speak with clear voices. Kill the witch. Tear out the heart of the witch who pretends to do good while sowing the seeds of evil. Tear apart any who assist her. Kill them. Once her vile seed has been planted in someone, there is no saving them. Kill them all!! The Succubus bit her lip. But before she could say anything, the Thousand Dragon roared. You call yourselves allies of justice!? You call yourselves teachers of the truth!? Can you not see this girl holding back tears after having her home taken from her!? Can you not see the wounds in her heart!? ... So the Nun said nothing. She simply placed a hand on the dragons scales and gently snuggled up against them. And then. Ksshh! How valiant of you, Weakest. Did the concept of chivalry catch your interest in your contact with human knowledge? The voice coming from the arrows clearly changed. And the Thousand Dragon only knew one type of person who would call her Weakest. My brethren!? Calling me that is something of an insult. And youre also looking in the wrong direction. Im over here. Something flashed. It was not the human inn town behind them. It came from the exact opposite direction: the snowcapped peak of one of the mountains the dragon was fast approaching. What...? So fast! How!? The Succubus gasped, but the 1000-meter dragon did not wait around. She opened her mouth wide and used her ultra-pressurized water breath to slice through her target along with a mountain peak. It was cut down to size. The spear piercing the heavens had its tip broken off and the Thousand Dragon passed just barely above what remained. She was confident she had finished off whoever it was. Ksshh. Well, then. Ill admit that was impressive. What...? But how!? I didnt think you could pull off that breath without any kind of water supply. Then again, if Grounds Nir had to supply your giant body with nutrients, it would dry up in no time flat. It''s possible you would head out to the sea and feast on seafood alone, but this means you dont have to hang around the land. Youre raising a full set of a Fire Spirit Salamander, Water Spirit Undine, Wind Spirit Sylph, and Earth Spirit Gnome inside your belly, arent you? And they give you an endless supply of energy. When you feed, its really just feeding them. Thats pretty well thought out. And if you use a fair bit of your fuel, can you raise a barrier against any of the Elements? The giant dragon felt shock and confusion. And a moment later, a great shaking reached her head and inner ear. Gah...!? Can you hear me, Weakest? Surely you didnt think I qualified as a Break News just because I could send out some deadly sound waves. A great number of invisible spears of sound targeted the black dragon. Yes. I am a Mandragora. As a plant Break News, I am at the very bottom of the food chain. ... But if plants are only eaten, how is it they never die out and even cover the entire surface? Is the tiny mind in that giant body enough to figure that one out? ...!!!??? The Religious Society was no comparison. The land of Grounds Nir stretched out below. Lights flashed equally from across the entire island. That carpet of stars all concentrated into a single point of power. That light signaled the Mandragoras preparations to attack. The Break Newss ultra-high frequency spears were approaching!! The Thousand Dragon could not even hear her own roaring voice. Her mind was too confused to even worry about the Succubus on her back. She lost balance in midair, her altitude dropped, and she entered a giant tailspin. All of Grounds Nirs herbs are born from an All-Purpose Seed and our flowers and fruits differ depending on the water, soil, and other environmental factors. If a wise man grows us, we will become a miracle potion. If a common man grows us, we will become a mere weed. All the while, only the calm and composed womans voice rang through the dragons mind. I will praise you for one thing, Weakest. I turned out quite well when I grew from your own fattened flesh and blood. You...!? Ileana could multiply any number of times. That was the strength of plants and how they presented themselves to the world. An odd sound burst out. It came from one of the glowing arrows fired by the Religious Society. The arrowhead had not contained Magic or poison. It had only contained a small seed. That had pierced the dragons skin, split her scales, and planted itself to absorb her flesh and blood. And it grew. Perhaps because she had grown from a black dragon, she had eternally dark skin that glistened like polished obsidian and her hair was a blazing red. A woman wearing a dress made of plant vines split the Thousand Dragons scales and skin as she was born into the world. Trying to shake her off was a futile task. And Mandragoras had a well-known trait. When they were pulled from the ground, their scream would remove the souls of all who heard it. As the white Nun stared wide-eyed, she was within the lethal range. A sticky smile appeared on Ileanas lips as she took a deep breath. The scream was coming. But just before it did... You did well to last this long. Now leave the rest to me. Everyones eyes widened when they heard that. A large, fat body sliced through the air and passed right by the Thousand Dragons head. Boo Boo...!! There was no need to respond with words. He continued on through the air and arrived between the white Nun and Ileana. Unable to stop his momentum, he continued on toward Ileana with the force of an artillery shell. A Shining Weapon that could be mistaken for a log or steel beam swung toward her gut and released all the air it had built up. Tch!! A Nonhuman? How did you get all the way up here!? Thats none of your concern. He swung the large Shining Weapon around and pointed at her with its flat tip. He had never seen one, but he looked something like a slugger as he made an announcement in a low voice. I came here. I arrived in time. I dont care if its a purge of Nonhumans or what; I will never let you kill for anything other than living or eating. I will not let you have the Nun. An endangered species has no right to speak to a paradox with a soul. I eat a lot. Boo, so if you dont want to get chewed on, get lost, vegetable. ...Oh? You have quite the mouth on you, Ill give you that. The woman who looked like polished obsidian let out a slow breath. A crimson light burned in her eyes alone. Then have a taste of death. My slight pity for your past has been washed away by my overflowing anger. I am Ileana, one of the Break News as well as the greatest Mandragora. I will consume your foolish corpse once it has been returned to the dirt! Part 14 Hm. The Break News girl with long silver hair and a black ribbon dress looked up into the blue sky with her hands on her hips. Next to her, a device resembling a giant wooden spoon was fixed to a seesaw-like joint and attached to sturdy plant vines. It looks like the catapult worked, said Sutriona. The catapult was a siege weapon that used the elasticity of rope or vines to throw large rocks long distances. It was a historical weapon from a time before firearms. And the military Guild named Elkiad had already proven that firearms could be created with the materials available in Grounds Nir. Thus, it made sense that a more primitive weapon could also be made. Sutriona had possessed the knowledge from overhearing the humans at the inn town, and the Fairies had showed their skill in building it. Also, the Gold Vein District known for its casinos had several gigantic darts used to hit large circles. They had been originally developed as projectile weapons meant to protect the inn town from Break News, but that research had failed spectacularly and only the game remained. But as the palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana fluttered around, her face grew pale. Ah wa wa, ah wa, ah wa. Boo Boo is really flying! This is like something from a childrens picture book!! I made sure to do all the calculations in advance. A human would have been smashed to pieces by the shock of launching them, but hes the one who survived being lifted 1000 meters into the air in less than a second in his fight with the Thousand Dragon. And the Thousand Dragons great size was not the only problem. The forest stirred around them. Shes coming to us? Saves me the trouble of tracking her down. The tone of Sutrionas voice changed. Red wings of blood grew from the back left bare by her ribbon dress. Dont think you can just leave after entering my territory. She was answered from multiple locations. The women who grew up from the ground around her had various skin colors: red, blue, yellow, green, etc. They were probably each a Mandragora with a different toxic or medicinal effect. Dont think you can escape either. The ground and all that lives in it belong to me. Dont get so full of yourself when you are supported by me. You should bow your head. I will teach you the proper order of things. Be that as it may, a plant that simply absorbs the soils nutrients and does no one any good is still known as a weed. Meridiana cowered down from the scorching change to the air, but the Fairy Queen smiled fearlessly. Do you want to be exterminated? Your botanical traits change depending on the water, soil, and other environmental factors. That means you have no way of surviving if my red sandstorm of madness envelops everything. If you dont want to end up a pitiful plant that cant produce a single flower, I suggest you leave now. Then I will overlook you. True. If you could do that. Plant Dress Ileanas attitude did not change. But can you really decide to turn all of Grounds Nir into a toxic swamp? The contamination level of your wings grows as they spread. In other words, it grows as the battle progresses. And not in a direct proportion either. Im talking about a quadratic curve. Use your wings for an instant and the contamination will naturally break down in about 3 days, but if you continue for an hour or a full day, the half-life grows almost endlessly. By the time you have fully erased me from every part of the island, you will have created a land of death that will remain contaminated even 50 years down the line. You too are a paradox. You can do it, but you will not. Or am I wrong? After all... ... You also did nothing when it came to the Thousand Dragon. If you had wanted to, you could have neutralized her with your red poison storm, but you hesitated because you could not even guess how far the intoxicated dragons rampage would spread. And what happened as a result? You simply watched as so many of the Fairies that adore you were devoured. Your decision to protect them led you to let them die. ...You can do nothing. Unlike a plant that has no means of doing anything, you are unable to do anything specifically because you stand at the top of the pyramid. The title of the strongest is effectively only for show. Sutriona was an adult. So she did not interrupt and heard that long speech through to the end. And then she smiled and responded with a ladys courtesy and a queens grace. Ill rip you in half, you perverted carrot. Part 15 An Iberian Orc and the greatest Mandragora faced each other on the back of a 1000-meter dragon. Ileanas weapon was her killer soundwaves that carried overwhelming destructive force. If she sent them in every direction, they were impossible to dodge. If she focused them on a single point, they could break through any shield or wall so her fingertips of death could reach her targets ears. The one way to dodge it was to break the sound barrier, but that exception was not an option here. Simply put, plant dress Ileana had an overwhelming advantage. Boo Boo could only swing around his Shining Weapon like a log or steel beam, so he could not dodge or defend. Or so it seemed. But a far too solid blow overturned all those assumptions. Ah...? Just as Ileana released her cry, she was so caught off guard that she aborted the invisible spear attack. As the white Nun listened from behind Boo Boo, it felt like the sound grew distorted. Boo Boo had done this. More specifically, it had been the wind produced by his Shining Weapon. Sound could not travel without a medium such as water or air. That meant it was influenced by that transmission medium. For example, if the air was compressed, the wavelength would also change. This killer soundwave was limited to an extremely delicate frequency, so this threw it into utter disarray. The ultra-high frequency waveform collapsed and the spear broke. Of course, this was only possible if one could predict where the invisible sonic spear would be. Tch!! She fired a 2nd and 3rd spear with her cry. But neither of those hit Boo Boo either. Just before they did, he swung his Shining Weapon and compressed the air to destroy and blow away the spear. Its no use. Your attacks cant reach me. His voice sounded almost dismissive. And my heart isnt afraid of a coward who only uses projectiles from a distance. The Thousand Dragon did not hesitate to clash with everything she had, so she was much stronger. Perhaps so. Ileana did not stick with her failed plan. Because she was so powerful, she immediately recognized this was not working. So... But have you forgotten that we arent standing on the ground here!? Down below, Grounds Nir twinkled like a starry sky. A reverse downpour of spears seemed to rebel against the laws of the world as they were launched from earth to heaven. But those ultra-high frequency attacks were not targeting Boo Boo. Their target was the ground they stood on: the Thousand Dragon. ! The dragon ground shook, her mountain-like muscles writhed, and the people on her back were launched into the air. Kyah! The Succubus screamed as she was tossed about, so Boo Boo immediately grabbed her slender hand. They were already within range of Ileanas attacks. She shined like obsidian and maintained her fearless smile even as she was thrown into the air with them. Your attacks only display their true power when you can plant your feet on the ground and place your body weight behind them. But my killer soundwaves only require me to gather strength in my gut and turn my head. Can you maintain your true power like this? He needed to strike the air with all his might to compress it enough to function as a shield. Any less and the Mandragoras scream would pierce through. It would pierce through and destroy Boo Boos brain. I have no fear. Now crash down to the ground, helpless and unconscious, last of the Iberian Orcs!! The attack of death was released. Boo Boo had no hope of victory without any footing. But that desperate situation suddenly changed. With a roar of wind, the Thousand Dragons tail swung toward Boo Boo. It was only a tail, but in human units, it was several hundred meters long. She may have been making an ultra-massive attack more than providing him with footing. This collection of mass, speed, and kinetic energy could easily wipe out a great many stone buildings if it was swung through the inn town. But Boo Boo accepted it. He accepted that footing and this final chance provided by the dragon even as she clenched her teeth from the pain of the killer soundwaves. He accepted those feelings, that kindness, and that strength. What!? Plant dress Ileana cried out in surprise, but Boo Boo no longer bothered responding with words. He planted his feet on the tail, placed plenty of strength in his Shining Weapon, and blew away her killer soundwaves. He then twisted his body and sent his great weight flying with tremendous force while still holding the Succubus in one arm. And he flew toward something. Yes, he was making his next attack!! With an explosive sound, obsidian-skinned Ileana crashed down to the ground like a meteor. Boo Boo expelled all of his kinetic energy and was tossed back out into the air. The Thousand Dragon twisted around in midair and caught him and the Succubus. Boo Boo, it isnt over yet. There are still lots of Ileanas on the ground. We need to escape to the ocean! I can pour on the speed, so hold onto the Succubus and dont let go! If youre supporting her, I can fly faster than-...!! Her hurried voice suddenly ended. Boo Boo and the Succubus tilted their heads and the massive dragon spoke a question. What...is that? The twinkling lights of the Ileanas are disappearing...? Part 16 Come to think of it, what were Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, and Fighter Priest Armelina doing during all this? All done!! The section of the Gold Vein District near the church had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Armelina shouted that report as she swung around a spiked metal ball attached to a steel staff with a thick chain. People were collapsed all around her. The Religious Society assassins in their Western mourning clothes and veils had all been knocked out as a storm of direct physical violence passed through. This was not just a metal ball. The Magic metal ball would smash anything in its path. Then the bricks, stone pavement, stone pillars, arched gates, and everything else would stick to it as rubble. With each swing, it grew larger. The more it destroyed, the more unmanageable the ultra-heavy storm named Armelina grew. At this point, not even a buildings outer wall could stop it. But at that moment, Armelina heard an explosive blast and felt heat rush toward her. It prickled her skin like countless pins. She shut one eye, held her hair down with a hand, and looked over to see a mass of scarlet flames. Beatrice lightly swung her skinny rapier-like Shining Weapon. She produced a hail of nonlethal attacks that used shockwaves and oxygen deprivation. She was a reliable ally, but Armelina silently prayed she would never have to face that fearsome girl. Ive finished over here too. That takes care of most of the humans. You really are cruel. It doesnt matter if theyre in a building or behind a shield with you... I dont want to hear that from someone whose demolition ball sends them and their shield flying. Not only had those level cap fighters joined the battle, but it became readily apparent that the Religious Societys forces were very unbalanced. Their Shining Weapons were Western bows with a stabilizer and close-range knives attached. It of course depended on what Magic they had learned, but the concept had been obvious from the beginning. The knives were obviously meant to make up for their deficiency in close-range combat, so Beatrices group had moved in close and beaten them to a pulp. With the Break News-level killer soundwaves gone, those level cap fighters were simply powerful. Huh? Whered Filinion get off to? Theres nothing for her to do here. They showed off an absolute superiority in power that implicitly said they did not need a healer. This is that Mixing-obsessed girl were talking about. Shes probably indulging in that bad habit of hers again. In her plant dress, an Ileana clicked her tongue all alone within the rustling forest. She looked up at the blue sky through the trees. She could see a 1000-meter dragon calmly carrying away her target. (The seed fired onto the Weakest has been eradicated. I would order another arrow fired up there, but the Religious Society is not responding. Can I bring them down with only my surface-to-air attacks? My target will escape out to sea if I cant!!) Is this any time to be looking away, perverted carrot? Kh. A pair of shining eyes stared at her from beyond the trees. I dont even need to use my toxic wings. My hands are enough to break a vegetable in two and return it to the ground as fertilizer. All the nutrients youve absorbed from the ground will be returned using your body. A weed like you needs numbers in the thousands or tens of thousands to make an impact, so did you really think you could stand up to someone who reigns as a paradox with just one of me? Youre nothing but a bug that can only lap up a flowers nectar and chew at a trees fruit!! With the juicy sound of a root vegetable breaking, that specific Ileanas consciousness was erased. Elsewhere, an Ileana of a different coloration and a different variety spat on the ground at losing one of her viewpoints. She could push back using her numbers for a war of attrition, but that was not what she had to focus on now. (I cant waste time on every little bug. Just like a venomous moth, if I send a few units after her, shell happily devour them. And whatever might happen, Ive already made the contract. I need to accomplish my real goal while shes focused on the decoys.) Plants did not move on their own. They instead manipulated their surroundings using the color and aroma of their flowers. In addition to directly having them carry pollen or seeds, they would also drive off harmful insects by attracting another insect that hunted the first kind. Dance, lowly bug. Dance upon your false victory. Plant dress Ileana laughed scornfully as she swiftly withdrew from the front line. Ileanas mind suddenly vanished into oblivion. ...Ah!!!??? Elsewhere, another Ileana widened her eyes at losing a viewpoint. Sweat would not stop pouring down her body. She was breathing heavily and she could not restrain the intense palpitations of her heart. What had that been? It had not been Sutrionas forest rampage. Nor had it been the Iberian Orc on the dragons back. But who else could annihilate even one of Ileanas units? And that attack. It had been like the jaws of a great predator. It had reminded her that she was a plant through and through and that she was at the very bottom of the food chain. Who could pull off an attack like that? She heard rustling leaves behind her. She did not have time to turn around. Ileanas mind suddenly vanished into oblivion. Kh!! Elsewhere, another Ileana groaned through tense lips as she realized she had lost another one of herself. That groan contained concern...no, it was definite fear by now. Something was there. Even after dying, Ileana had no idea what had caused it and this monster reminded her of a predator even though she was an overwhelming Break News. She gradually caught on to what was happening. The great swarm of Ileanas was shrinking. They were being cut down quickly enough to give her a chill. The destruction did not cover Grounds Nir from one end of the island to the other, but the units in this forest had been nearly wiped out. The speed of destruction would give Sutrionas toxic wings a run for their money. And there was no noticeable sign of contamination. This targeted only Ileana and utterly annihilated her. It cant be... If this was possible, who could do it? If this could happen, what was it? It cant be!! Ileanas mind suddenly vanished into oblivion. Bhah, wheeze, bhaha!! How much futile resistance did she attempt after that? Her viewpoints only continued to vanish. The total amount of damage made her feel isolated. And the only Ileana remaining in the dark, dark forest felt her back bump into a tree trunk. She could not gather her thoughts. She needed to stay focused, lest she continue trying to walk backwards even with her back pressed against the tree. Then the predator appeared before her. It was a white witch with fluffy blonde hair and glasses. A...human...? Ileana was caught off guard, but she could not stop her cold sweat as she focused her wavering eyes on something: the Shining Weapon first aid kit that White Witch Filinion held like it was truly precious. A Mixing tool. Are you saying youre remaking my body into recovery potions in real time!? Theres an implicit understanding that we cant take any plants or animals without a Nonhuman present, but I just cant help myself when I see a rare material. I suppose you would call this poaching, so its such a bad habit. The witch giggled and the lenses of her glasses sparkled. A frame of illusion Magic appeared next to her like an image floating in fog. It displayed the ingredient list for a recovery potion she could create by Mixing. And is it really that surprising? When you get down to it, youre a Mandragora. With this recovery potion ingredient list and an environment that lets me calculate out such a list, boxing you up and turning you into a potion is not very hard at all. Mixing is the act of combining a few ingredients to create the Item you want according to equivalent exchange. No matter how solid it is, the original material would have to disappear wouldnt it? ... That said, theres nothing I can do without the ingredients on the list. After all, Im Mixing you to create something new, not destroying you. So I cant reach Sutriona if she flies high into the sky and I cant Mix the Thousand Dragon since I dont have an ingredient list to go with her. If I could just swallow anything up, I could insta-kill all of the Gimmicks and Traps in the Labyrinth. And I need to turn them into gears, so it just isnt that convenient. Filinion then whispered the word but. The overwhelming enjoyment in her eyes had the look of a true predator. A new frame appeared in the air and revealed Ileanas structure in no time. It revealed her Status. Things are different with a Mandragora like you. ...!!!??? She did not wait any longer. This went far beyond rattling the witchs brain. Plant dress Ileana sent out as many killer soundwave spears as she could and with enough force to fell all of the trees in their path. The puny human body was instantly smashed to pieces. Her torso was crushed, her upper body was cut away and torn apart, and her pitiful lower body remained standing as if it had forgotten to fall. Or that should have happened. In fact, it did happen. However... Oh, dear. Have you already forgotten? Wha-!? A new upper body grew back. And then her Percentage-type Magic reappeared one piece of clothing at a time. This is an act of creation, not destruction. And I have been using Mandragoras large enough to be known as a Break News...to create incredibly powerful recovery potions. Ileana was speechless. The frame floating next to Filinion provided the number of recovery potions she had in stock. It was unbelievably high. And that was not an upper limit. She could increase that number as much as necessary. Using recovery potions in quick succession builds up a resistance, but this one is so powerful that itll still work just fine even if its effects are cut in half. Not even the Vampire living on the beached ghost ship could regenerate this skillfully. Ileanas foe had both the strongest weapon and an unbreakable shield. The more Filinion fought, the more recovery potions she would have. It was one-against-many, but Ileana could not imagine how she could win in a war of attrition. I have a suggestion. It was hopeless. There was nothing she could do. She would only be consumed and consumed. Theres this thing called market price. Id really rather avoid having too many Mandragoras caught because their value would crash despite the quality. And since this is related to the eye drops that temporarily fix my vision, I would rather that market remained stable. So lets have you be the last one I collect this time. ...Leave immediately. If you dont, Ill walk all around the island and turn you into a mysterious extinct flower. Got that? ...I remember now. Ileana gulped. I remember now, human. The Religious Society told me about you. They gave me some information on a Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, and Fighter Priest that I needed to watch out for when attacking the inn town, but Beatrice or Armelina werent the one they were most worried about. It was you: Anatomia Puzzle Filinion. Because... ... Theres a rumor that you once consumed another person in the Labyrinth and turned them into a potio-... Ileanas mind suddenly vanished into oblivion. What a pain. The White Witch reached into her first aid kit and pulled out a potion in a small rectangular bottle like one a mountain climber might carry to stay warm. Her voice returned to its usual tone as she sighed. She grabbed the bottle opening between her fingers and twirled it to swish the contents around. She was an expert at making recovery potions, so the bottle itself was a part of the potion. It was not much different from the candy beer bottles used for filming dramas. This potion is convenient, but its a little too convenient. She sounded exasperated. Im pretty sure people would start fighting over it, so I either need to throw it out somewhere or bury it next to Boo Boos garden when no ones looking. She was only speaking to herself. What mental state led her to say it aloud? The witch simply spoke inside the dark forest that had forgotten to rustle its leaves. Silly people. How many times do I have to tell them that I only have the ingredient lists Ive calculated out and that I can only consume the things on those lists? Although things would be different if there was Magic that could turn a human into a potion. Part 17 There were not many places for the Thousand Dragon to land. She ended up forcibly landing in the ocean along the beach (causing some chaos with the fairly tall waves that created) and allowed Boo Boo and the Nun to safely return to Grounds Nir. It must have been possible to see the 1000-meter dragon from anywhere on the island because Beatrice was waiting for them. Meanwhile, there was no sign of the Religious Society or Ileana who had been attacking them so persistently before. Dont worry. Everyone cleaned it all up nicely, said Beatrice. We beat up the humans of the Religious Society. Sutriona was pissed at having her prey stolen from her, so the glasses cow is hiding in the forest somewhere, but its all over regardless. Ileana was dealt with too, so you dont have to worry, Boo Boo. ? Boo Boo tilted his head, but he decided the danger must have passed if she said there was nothing to worry about. U-um... The Nun in a white habit hesitantly raised a hand. What should I do now? Her church had been destroyed, the Circles she had worked so hard to make had been trampled on, and the humans had chased her out of the inn town. That Succubus was persecuted and had lost her home, so she was asking if she would have to return to the forest. But Beatrice smiled and shook her head. This was caused by the Religious Society, but they wont be a problem now that we kicked their asses. Im pretty pissed at the people in the inn town, but they wont have a reason to randomly persecute you now that the Religious Society isnt threatening them. So your normal life awaits you if you return. Assuming you want to go back, that is. B-but I, um... She reached for the sides of the hood hiding her head. She touched the horns hidden below. The Holy Swordswoman sighed and immediately answered. Everyone already knew. Eh!? The people of the inn town knew, but they still accepted your Circles. So there really isnt anything to worry about. They took a fair bit of damage too and the ones hit by Aleanas killer soundwaves wont be able to move for half a day at least. Humans really only travel back and forth between the inn town and the Labyrinth, so this was a pretty devastating blow. If someones willing to help them out, I dont see why they would reject them. ... The Nun stared blankly at Beatrice for a while. Her feelings had not been for nothing. They had gotten through and reached the humans. When she realized that, her expression gradually crumbled. She gave a deep and grand bow and then she ran full speed toward the inn town. If the humans would have been less kind, I could have taken her for an ocean trip until the heat died down, said the Thousand Dragon. Boo Boo responded without giving it any real thought. It was such an obvious thing that it did not require worrying about. You dont need a reason. Some spare time is a good enough reason to give her a ride on your back. Part 18 The Religious Society, Ileana, and the Thousand Dragon. After a variety of fierce attacks, the buildings in one corner of the inn town had collapsed. It would have been a disaster had people had been buried by the ruins of the stone walls. Since most of the humans still could not move thanks to Ileanas killer soundwaves, it might take a while to find them. So Boo Boo and the others followed the Nun into the inn town. Boo Boos great strength came in handy at times like this. The humans normally kept away from him due to his appearance, but as he easily lifted up the heavy rubble, the impressed people watched him from all around. The search for victims also reached the church...or what remained of it. Its walls had mostly crumbled into a pile of rubble after the Religious Societys attack. The pipe organ and pews were broken, but for some reason, the pulpit up front, a portion of the wall, and some of the stained glass had survived. Boo Boo stopped working and looked up at the brightly colored window shining in the sunlight. What is it, Boo Boo? asked Beatrice as she helped next to him. Well, its my first time seeing a church. The Holy Swordswoman smiled bitterly at that. It was true someone raised in Grounds Nir would find it unusual. Do you know what this place is for? The Nun told me in the forest. A church is where you ask god for things. That was a little off, but that Nun had started this through mimicry. The concept of prayer must have existed in Grounds Nir because he clasped his hands together as he continued. So I think Ill ask that you and I always get along. Eh? During the fun times and the hard times, I want to be with you. Then I know everything will be fine and I wont have to worry. ... Promising that in front of god was basically the same as a certain ceremony, but Boo Boo would not be aware of that. Beatrice blushed, frantically waved her hands around, repeatedly pressed her index fingers together in front of her chest, cleared her throat, stole glances at Boo Boos eyes, and finally made up her mind. Y-yes. I too hope we can-... And Filinion too. What!? And Armelina, and Meridiana, and Sutriona, and the Nun! If we all get along, nothing bad will happen when were in trouble. Well be able to overcome anything. Beatrice brought a hand to her forehead and slowly sighed. But his prayer was so adorable that she could not get mad. She changed her train of thought. The Holy Swordswoman smiled a little and added to what he had said. Thats right. I hope we can all get along and smile together. Part 19 Now, then. It was all over. And someone whispered somewhere. The preparations are complete. Its time we got started. Right...Gruagach? Filinion''s Recovery Potion Mixing Text Drop of a Spring Spirit (Over Grade) Ingredients: - Milk of the Milk Coconut: 2 Small Bottles - Yellow Mandragora (Ileana-class): 1 - All-Purpose Seed: 2 - Salt: 1 tsp Form: - Mid-Size Bottle (Rectangular): Liquid Type (The bottle holding it is a part of the potion. It wont work if you swap out the container, so be careful.) Good For: - 3-4 Days after Mixing is complete Effects: - When the owners death is detected, the bottle shatters for an automatic recovery. The brain and heart are instantly and completely regenerated to their state when they were destroyed. It provides an estimated HP recovery of around +125,000, so there should be almost no wounds it cannot heal for a human. But it is unknown if it would work on a corpse that has already started rotting. (Notes) - The ingredient list is the same as the normal risk-avoidance recovery potions that are sold for 5 Large Fragrant Wood Gears. But this custom potions superior effects come from the Mandragoras overwhelming power as a Break News. It probably cant resurrect someone from their skeleton, but since its incredible power could trigger bloody conflict, I intend to dispose of this and the sample. Notes 1. Ushigashira means cow head. Volume 2, 3: Reality Invading Heal Queen Volume 2, Chapter 3: Reality Invading Heal Queen Part 1 It was only a slight difference, but Armelina of course knew that delayed information could produce devastating results. Sorry. Ill listen to your criticism later. Tell me whats happening! Chief!! She left through the Gate to Sign Out. When she returned to a corner of the city, she was a beautiful woman in glasses with her black hair tied back and wearing a tight skirt suit with the tie removed and the first few buttons undone. This was not a specially cleared area in an expensive part of the city like the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi or the Ushigashira Shrine in Akasaka. Nor was it a secret facility deep below the Metropolitan Police Department or the National Police Agency. After all, she and her coworkers did not work in public security or foreign affairs. They were an external sector that performed the investigation that could not be done through the official channels. They were officially known as a private detective agency staffed by retired police officers and JSDF officers. She was below a rundown elevated railroad in Shinjuku. She was inside a cold storage truck stopped there. Its refrigeration was of course turned off and it was stuffed full of steel racks, flat screen monitors, and computers with their internal power sources bypassed. A slight space was left cleared in the center. There was nothing physically there, but it was a crystallization of cutting-edge technology that qualified as a national secret. That was the fruit of their research and they could not let it reach even their allied nations. It was still in development, but it was a mobile Gate that was not reliant on a specific location. As the incident with the Religious Society showed, moving between Earth and Grounds Nir introduced a large informational risk. Grounds Nir had been known as spy heaven ever since the Cold War when the Americans and the Soviets were pointing nuclear missiles at each other. That risk could be somewhat reduced by monitoring the Gates on the Earth side, but the existence of mobile Gates would entirely overturn that assumption. The other workers waiting in the truck began to speak. The situation could not be worse. You can call it unprecedented if you want. I imagine you already know since you performed an emergency unplanned Sign Out, but...something has come out. So the information I got in Grounds Nir was right. The woman in the tight suit just about bit her thumbnail out of habit, but then she remembered she was in front of her subordinates. Even so, she could not restrain her panic and irritation. She was not entirely unconnected to this incident. While she had not caused it, she had helped lay out the fuse leading to the bomb. She looked to one of the many flat screen monitors. They showed the scene outside using the security cameras set up around the city. Black smoke was rising from multi-tenant buildings in Tokyo and innocent residents were fleeing along the sidewalk and roads alike. Despite the panic, order has been maintained. It is highly unlikely that this will lead to any moral hazards such as looting or rioting. That isnt what I was worried about. Yes, that was a concern, but it was secondary. The real problem lay elsewhere. Gruagach... The tight skirt woman muttered the name of the woman who had been at the center of the Religious Society. That alone would be completely normal. Just as this glasses woman went by the name of Armelina, everyone had a second identity when exploring the Labyrinth. There was nothing odd about the woman named Gruagach walking around Tokyo. But the womans eyes narrowed sharply as she viewed the many monitors lining the wall. So your appearance really is the same as in Grounds Nir. Peoples appearance changed between the 2 worlds because of the Percentage-style Magic that formed their clothing. In other words, they could not maintain their Grounds Nir appearance when no longer in an environment that allowed for Magic. Or it should have meant that. But that was not what surprised the tight skirt woman the most. Another fact was so shocking that even that paled in comparison. And that other fact was the primary problem. The Succubus... She had once worn a white habit. But now that demon unnaturally embraced Gruagach from behind, pressed her cheek against the woman, and smiled thinly. So my information was right! She really has appeared here! But how!? What was going on? The answer was found a bit earlier and in another world. Part 2 It began in the inn town when the scars of destruction were still fresh. Since most of the humans were unconscious, Boo Boo had visited despite normally being feared. He and Armelina were strong, so they moved the rubble to search for anyone buried alive. Filinion used a recovery potion on anyone they found. Beatrice did not have much to do there, but she had another important job: tie up the unconscious members of the Religious Society and confiscate their Shining Weapons. You have no idea what you have done, hoarsely said a woman in mourning clothes and a veil. You let the witch escape. You assisted her. So whatever she might do now, what happens next is your responsibility. Are you prepared to go down in history as one of those who destroyed the world? What are you talking about? Im asking if you are prepared. You will come to regret choosing to act based on your own spoiled emotions. She thought this was only the ravings of a lunatic. She decided to ignore the woman and forget it all. But when she looked up again, a slight C ever so slight C question occurred to her. Yes. Where did the Nun go? Fairy Queen Sutriona stabbed something into the nutrient-rich garden next to Boo Boos leaf house near a mountain river. Hmph. Ghah!! It was Ileana, the plant Break News and the greatest Mandragora who wore a dress made of grape leaves and vines. Technically, it was just one of her. Out of respect for what Boo Boo and the others accomplished, Ill end this here. Heal your wounds there, perverted carrot. Oh, whats this? Now that I look at it, this land isnt bad. To think that cursed Iberian Orc has a talent for preparing soil. It might not look nice, but I appreciate his love for the flowers. Its so much nicer than some insects I could mention. You cant have him. He doesnt belong to you. Ahhhhh! Th-this is perrrrrrfect... Ileana cried out like she was soaking up to the shoulders in a hot spring that soothed ones weariness. Her face grew flushed as she said more. But you truly are a troublesome insect. Thanks to your interference, the Religious Society has retreated. Now I wont get my reward. Im sure it had to do with women, so I really dont care. You understand, dont you? Ileana giggled. All I ask for a job is a virgin. But I dont take her and devour her. I essentially call dibs to ensure no one else can touch her. I enjoy freeing them from the many bonds humans place on each other. In this case, that was the Religious Society. When someone said they could only live one way, she would show them there were other options. She would show them that they could get by just fine once they took that first step. That was how Ileana found her purpose in life. Sutriona understood all that, but she still spat out the same thing. I dont care. When you kill someone and save someone, are you cancelling out the death? Thats only your interpretation. Dont be so na?ve, mercenary. Dont play the predator if you arent prepared to be eaten. At the very least, you could have followed a path of nonviolence and yet not lost anything at all, making you the envy of every pacifist. Perhaps so. But at least let me wallow in regret. Gruagach was a truly unfortunate girl. The Religious Society alone would have been bad enough, but even her mental escape route was dyed in evil. ? By the time Sutriona tilted her head, a clear change had already begun. The Nun in a white habit was gone. When Boo Boo, Filinion, and Armelina heard that, they discovered another concern. One is missing, said Beatrice. I remember how many enemies I defeated and one of those women in mourning clothes is missing. So the Nun and one of the Religious Society who were pursuing her are missing? Squeal. Could this be really bad? Wait, wait, wait. Dont tell me she was taken away after all that. They had already been searching for anyone buried in the rubble, so they split up and resumed the search. As Boo Boo moved the rubble out of the way, they eventually came to the ruins of the church. What is this? The roof was gone, most of the walls had collapsed, and nearly the entire building was only rubble, but a small area had survived. It had likely been a tiny storage space hidden inside the pipe organ by the wall. It had broken apart, the lock was now useless, and its contents were exposed to Boo Boo. There were several pieces of parchment inside. Boo Boo did not know if they were valuable, so he showed them to Beatrice who looked shocked and began reading through them. Its a lot like the notes used by a phone scam group... They follow these arrows to know what to say depending on what the other person says. Its a flowchart for controlling someones heart. Boo? Boo Boo did not seem to get it, but Beatrice decided it would be best for him if she did not explain it in more detail. Someone who had mastered a guide like this would not need it anymore. They would only keep it around if they had a plain form with fields to be filled in. They would investigate an individual and write down what they found to more effectively grasp their heart. But this is pretty complex and detailed. They must have had a specific target in mind from pretty early on. Boo Boo, you said you found this in the church? That would mean the Nun was manipulating some specific person. But who? After some thought, she ran into an assumption they had made earlier. Its possible the Religious Society woman didnt abduct the Nun. Beatrice, are you saying the Nun took the Religious Society woman away? The Holy Swordswoman thought for a moment. She used her fire illusion Magic to draw out some frames and red lines and she felt faint at the great change she saw. The overall structure was falling apart. It was being remade. What if the Nun and the Religious Society had been secretly connected even as they caused this entire incident? Had the Nun known about the attack in advance? No, had she intentionally made herself the source of conflict to pull the trigger? That would mean she had planned for the Religious Society to bring in Ileana and to greatly damage the inn town. But if so, what for? What about the current situation helped her in any way? ... Beatrice? No, it cant be... A thought started to rise in the back of her mind, but she rejected it herself. She cant. She just cant. Even if its left wide open, its simply impossible... At that very moment, Beatrice turned toward Boo Boo with a look of utter disbelief in her eyes. Her eyes were opened as wide as they would go and the shock that raced through them was just like running into a field of unimaginable despair. What is it, Beatrice? Did I do something wrong? No, it isnt that... Technically, Beatrice was not looking at Boo Boo. She was looking at what hung from his waist. That giant Shining Weapon could be mistaken for a log or a steel beam. And... Yes. Thats right. If a great number of Iberian Orc souls can be sealed inside a Shining Weapon... ? Humans can pass through the Gates, but Nonhumans cant. Thats an undeniable fact, but if those Nonhumans can change form, that assumption falls apart... Out of all the myriad possibilities, why had her thoughts jumped to that one? There were two reasons. First, it led to the greatest risk if accomplished. Second, it explained why the Succubus would use the Religious Society woman to take out everyone in the inn town. If the Succubus was planning something this big, someone would have stopped her under normal circumstances. Every human in Grounds Nir would have dropped whatever they were doing and rushed her. She wouldnt be able to accomplish her goal if that happened. The Sign Out process takes several minutes, so if we held every Gate, we could strike back while she was defenseless. The reality of this theoretical risk gradually grew inside Beatrice. But things are different now. The power of a Break News attacked the inn town and most of the humans in Grounds Nir are unconscious, so she can do anything now! Yes, like a final experiment for sending a demon to Earth!! The Holy Swordswoman dug through the pile of rubble some more. She found plenty of documents and evidence. Controlling a star student was quite easy. The purity of their heart would lead them to eliminate any discrepancies between their ideal self and their actual self. It could be anything: looks, academics, athletics, income, job title, behavior, etc. As long as you discovered the source of their insecurities, you could drive them to a state of inextricable dependence. Uuh... The woman wore bluish-black mourning clothes and a veil. She had a modest chest and her extremely long and whitish-blonde hair still reached her waist despite being braided and bent into a U shape. She was known as Gruagach. She had once been a hound of the Religious Society who was entirely pure and fulfilled her missions like a machine, but once her fall began, it would not stop. The white Succubus clung to her back, wrapped her arms around the womans neck, and rubbed her cheek against the womans cheek, but the poor woman could only groan. I...I really was wrong. I shouldnt have done this. But...but I... Ahh! I should have immediately cast aside this power!! But you cannot get rid of me now. It was like a gentle whisper. The pure white demon had an angels halo and she licked the womans cheek with her long tongue as she sweetly whispered into her ear. She had already revealed her identity and the habit was gone. With the clothes stripped away, her sexy body was only covered by a swimsuit-like garment made from reptilian scales and the thick white snake wrapped around her body like a hagoromo. Her goat horns and bodylines had also grown larger and fuller. The Succubus intended to influence the earth, but she could not cross the boundary between worlds even if she did seal her soul inside a Shining Weapon. She would be blocked by the boundary between Grounds Nir and Earth, so she could only influence the other side as if through a thin layer of rubber. But it did not matter either way. If you knocked on a wall, it would make a noise. If you heated a glass panel with a burner, the other side could burn you. If you pressed a magnet against the underside of a thin film, you could control the metal nails on the other side. As long as she could influence the other side like that, the demon might as well exist on the other side. Something would stand there in a form that peoples senses would detect. And the group on the Grounds Nir side of the thin layer would never be able to capture the demon. She would become something like a being that pressed against the outer edge of the ever-expanding universe. They would know she existed in the same world, but no one would be able to observe or reach her. As long as this poor woman named Gruagach acted as the Succubuss anchor, anyway. After all, everyone will be after you now. You need more power than ever. So you have no choice but to follow my plan. If you dont, youll be pecked at from every direction. Youll be left in an even sorrier state than a sugar cube dropped in front of an anthill. You dont want to turn out like that, do you? ... The president had grown beautiful. She had shined each time she challenged the Labyrinth. The words of envy had echoed through her mind. Orrrr will you return to your former self? Would you prefer to be powerless, unable to even walk through the Labyrinth, and just one of the pitiful workers whose name no one remembers? No!! Anything but that! I cant go back to what I was like back then!! Gruagach shook her head half-madly. It was not that she had no talent. She was a Summon Hunter. That was a rare Job that let her bind contracts with the Nonhumans on the surface of Grounds Nir and either fill her blade with their power or directly summon them to fight within the Labyrinth. That Job was on the same level as a Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, or Fighter Priest. But she had not had anywhere to use that talent. In exchange for being able to summon any Nonhuman, she could not summon anything without binding a contract first. But strict Gruagach had been very poor at negotiating. And she had lacked the initial power needed to make a Nonhuman bind a contract by force. She had long been trapped in a state that was much like locking her keys in the car. Once the Succubus had realized that, it had been easy to manipulate her. She had lent Gruagach the use of a Succubuss special Skill: Charm. Gruagach had used that Charm to win over and bind contracts with more and more of the Nonhumans in Grounds Nir. Yes, by covering her entire body with a light pink oil flavored by multiple herbs and the blood from the Succubuss wrist. And just as perfume bonded with the oils and moisture of the skin, the unclean blood had mixed in with the sacrifice. And that was one of the powers that would pull at the demon through the thin layer. This is just like the illness recovery tours. Even if objects and life forms cant be directly passed back and forth, the fact that your ailing body was healed will remain back in your world, right? Gruagach had quickly risen to the top of the Religious Societys ranks. But that had all been based on the Succubuss assistance. If the Succubus cut off her Skill, all of the Nonhumans trapped by her Charm would return to their senses. They would abandon their contract and leave Gruagach. If that happened, she would lose her power once more. She would be ruined. Gruagachs glory was entirely reliant on the Succubus. She had soared high with that power, but that only increased the shock of the inevitable fall. That led her fear to grow without end. Sob, hic. What are you trying to do? What do you think Im trying to do? Answer me!! Why have you ruined...absolutely ruined my life!? Because you had talent. The Succubus faintly smiled, embraced the woman from behind, and ran her hands along the bodylines that showed through the mourning clothes. No. You had talent for corruption. I mean, a normal person would have been overwhelmed by this point and made a mistake. They would have roused the others suspicions, had their identity revealed, and dropped out of the running. Uuh. Buuuut. You managed to deceive them all until now. No one suspected you were wearing something like this under those pretty clothes. This secret looks perfect on you, dont you think? Uuuuhh...!! The Succubus moved slowly. There should have been more than enough time to resist, but Gruagach could not. The mourning clothes were stripped from the fully tamed womans body. So was the veil from her face. That clothing was technically Percentage-type Magic, so it dissolved into the air. And that left... My, my. This was originally a full set of armor and a mans Shining Weapon, but as I gradually made the necessary modifications, the design dramatically changed. Well, this may just be a reflection of my own tastes. It makes it hard for the wearer to go out in public, doesnt it? It was a blue and black set of light armor with something like a swimsuits pareo added on. That was not too rare in Grounds Nir, but it also had something like leather belts binding her body in places. A red, glowing, and venomous needle was installed on the end of the tail that curved upwards from the back of her hips. Insect legs grasped her hips from behind and two giant pincers with red tips pushed up on her modest chest from below. Overall, it was reminiscent of a scorpion. But the most ominous features were the keyholes at the points where the belts intersected. That suggested that the wearer could never remove it of her own free will. It was a modified Shining Weapon. It ignored its wielders will. If she was wearing that Shining Weapon armor and had the Succubuss soul sealed inside her thanks to the herbal oil soaked into her soft skin, she would intentionally catch on the barrier between worlds. That would separate the demon from her sacrifice. And it would bring the large-horned Succubus as close as possible to the filter between worlds. Now, let us begin. You return through your Gate and my power will bind to your body through the thin layer. That will mean success and give us cause to celebrate. Khahh!? The star student had no choice but to fall, but when she tried to put up a futile resistance regardless, her entire body gave a violent jerk. Just as the long scorpions tail rose behind her hips, it mercilessly stabbed into the sacrifices back. It was like a plug and an earphone jack. The armor already had several coin-sized holes, and it stabbed into one of those. Sparks burst before her eyes. Her mouth flapped wordlessly, her eyes opened as wide as they could, and she took desperate and deep breaths. None of this changed anything. Just like someone growing accustomed to the heat or the cold, the star students mind adapted to this new state. Ahn. The translucent demon cried out like some kind of joke, but she was not teasing the victim. She now shared her senses with Gruagach and she was able to enjoy the scorching pain. If you want to give up, just tell me. I have an intimate understanding of your suffering. Pleasure and anesthesia are two sides of the same coin, so a little help from a demon can solve this right away. Kh. Finally, the tail plug slowly pulled out. It had not simply been a toxin. As soon as the signal left, the pain receded. She could speak again, but the marionette had to gasp for breath as she asked her question. What...uuh...what are you...planning...planning to do on...Earth? Do you know how the only man I ever loved ultimately lost his life? Her previous calm had vanished. All emotion vanished from the Succubuss voice as she whispered. He was assassinated. He was thrown to the bottom of a seldom-visited canyon and his legs were trapped between boulders so he could not approach the Gate and Sign Out. Then his mind and body were both slowly, slowly, slowly worn away. Gruagach was trembling now. This was no comparison to before. What had once been a star student was trembling intensely from the core of the core of the core of her being. She trembled in hopeless fear and regret as if she had thoughtlessly opened Pandoras Box. At the time, it still wasnt known that objects and life forms other than the data contained in the Shining Weapons could not be directly brought back to your world, so they tried a great many things. They tried swallowing bags of herbs to fill their stomach and intestines, they tried slicing open their arms and legs to fill them with the gears used as currency, and they tried injecting potions into their blood with syringes and IVs. Those methods were proved ineffective by the experimenters deaths. Ultimately, they learned that only a few grams was the limit even if they sliced open their body. ...Well, it was partially to put a stop to those demonic experiments, but it ultimately comes down to interests. There were simply a lot of people who found it more convenient if only data could be brought back. They were afraid of allowing humankind to step outside the theories proposed by that person you call the Sage. What was this demon trying to do? What was she hoping to do on a planet teeming with humans!? Now is the time to sharpen our souls and bring back those evil deeds. But there was nothing Gruagach could do. The heavy lid had already been removed. The great hole connecting worlds had already been opened. My name is Tselika. Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier. As I hold a single corpse in my arms, I shall fulfill my goal even if it means making an enemy of every universal law and crossing the barrier between worlds. Part 3 And now time returns to the present. The location moves to the Ushigashira Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo. Grandmother!! After passing through the Gate to Sign Out, the coke bottle glasses shrine maiden with fluffy blonde hair tied in a long tube shape ignored her own exhaustion and shouted toward the ceiling. Do you know whats going on outside? What happened with that Succubus!? No need to yell. Theyre showing it on TV. TV? The humans from Earth had always unilaterally passed through the Gates, learned as much Magic as they wanted, and returned without anyone interfering. They had never considered the possibility of the Nonhumans interfering with Earth. That was why society had been able to accept something as extremely irregular as Grounds Nir. If that stronghold crumbled, it could easily lead to a worldwide panic. This was blatantly not something that the mass media should be thoughtlessly reporting on. It was a real tragedy that it happened during the day, explained her grandmother. In other words, while the Diet was in session. Its a legal issue, but the current system doesnt allow for a Diet meeting to be canceled even in an emergency. The fluffy blonde glasses shrine maiden quickly looked down to her smartphone. The internet was down across the board, but she could still use the full seg broadcast app that picked up the signal directly from the station instead of through a browser. She tuned into a nationally-run station and found a question and answer session being held in a storm of heckling, angry shouting, and camera flashes. It seems the JSDF was deployed across the entire city, but was that your decision!? I do not recall a defense deployment request being submitted to those of us in the Diet. Nor was there a vote. So should I take this to mean the JSDF has become your personal army!? As this is a rescue operation and not a defense deployment, everything I have done is perfectly legal under current law. The next thing she heard forced the shrine maiden to focus on a definite invasion. This is the very first time that a Break News C a paradox brought about by extreme environmental change C has reached our land in this world, so I would like you to think of my decision as the will of all the people of our nation. She felt faint. Her exhaustion likely helped. The core of her body wavered and she collapsed to the tatami mats. Grand...mother... Its just as youve heard. I dont know what she was originally, but now that shes been confirmed inside the city, her rank has been increased. So whatever she might be, she will apparently be treated like a Break News. The shrine maiden checked the other channels and saw all the daytime variety shows and talk shows for housewives had been preempted. Inside a swiftly-prepared broadcast studio, employees scrambled around in the background as a woman announcer read the same script over and over. Now that the information had leaked out from the nationally-run broadcast, the local commercial broadcasts had likely decided any attempt at information control would fail to eliminate the chaos. We have just received further information on the Break News. All public transportation in the city has been stopped and the normal roads will also be sequentially shut down to prevent chaos. If you live in the affected area C especially if you cannot evacuate immediately C you should take shelter inside a sturdy building. Sheltering inside a car would only increase the danger, so please shelter inside a building. I repeat... (They need to evacuate? Shelter inside a sturdy building? That will remove the people from the streets. But what are they trying to get them away from?) Grandmother! Dont tell me...!! It happened just as the shrine maiden yelled up at the ceiling. The tranquil atmosphere of the Ushigashira Shrine was shredded by a great roar passing by overhead. The entire large wooden building shook. The fluffy blonde tearfully covered her ears and realized what was happening even without looking outside. Did they send fighters out!? You havent seen it yet, but tanks and armored trucks are driving around the streets like they own the place. I have no idea how effective theyll be, though. A good half of the military is all about appearances. When they have so much destructive power, they cant just let an invader trample the city underfoot without fighting back. The attic voice paused there. And then she spat out a much lower and more frightening voice than the shrine maiden had ever heard before. ...They know its hopeless, but theyre still going to waste those innocent young lives. Part 4 An out-of-place figure unsteadily appeared from a giant reinforced concrete box in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. It was Gruagach, the woman with long, long blonde hair and an outfit that looked like light armor, a pareo, and leather belts. Her looped braid had unraveled and spread out behind her. The long tail on the back of her hips and the pincers pushing up on her modest breasts provided a scorpion-esque look. And Tselika, the sexy and translucent demon, gently embraced that poor puppet from behind. The demon technically did not exist on Earth. She could not directly interact with this world, but even while beyond the barrier between worlds, she was bound here by a great power. In the end, that difference mattered little. As long as she continued manipulating Gruagach through that barrier, she could see and touch everything on this side. Haloed Tselika had not passed through a Gate. In fact, she had turned that idea on its head. (There had to have been sporadic travel between the worlds before the very first Gate was built. That would explain mysterious disappearances and cryptid sightings. ...And that means it isnt the Gates that connect the worlds. If anything, theyre safety devices that restrict travel. So if I destroy a few of them while the humans are down, they would malfunction and the mysterious disappearances would begin anew.) The barrier between worlds was thin and pliable. It was the Gates that had remade it into something more solid. Tselika had gone to such great lengths to interfere with this other world, but she was still not satisfied. (A gray city that reeks of smoke and soot. How boring. Was he targeted and killed in another world just to protect peoples control over something like this?) With that emotion in her heart, she spoke with only wickedness in her voice. It was not that one side or the other was her true self. This demon could process both conflicting sides without contradiction. Hmm. A public shared Gate, huh? Did the Religious Society decide that securing their own Gate would stand out too much for a secret organization? Her tone had entirely changed. She laughed and spoke in her combination of a scale swimsuit and a snake hagoromo. It might be a religious one, but your base was a school? So the Religious Societys elites were nothing but the kids in the student council? I know you cant rely on peoples appearances in Grounds Nir, but no one would ever think the fearsome Religious Society was an afterschool adventure. Would they, Miss President? School, religious, student council, afterschool, president. Tselika toyed with the contents of the star students mind to gather the information she lacked and immediately mocked her for it. This was why the Summon Hunter had wanted power badly enough to make a deal with a demon. She was so talented in academics and athletics in her own world, but...no, thus it had damaged her pride something awful when she was branded incompetent for the first time in the other world. Especially when she was treated like a genius by everyone around her and had never experienced any setbacks or defeat. The president had become beautiful. She had seemed to shine every time she challenged the Labyrinth. The praise had become the norm. And it was all thanks to what she did every time she visited Grounds Nir: took a special oil made from multiple herbs and Tselikas blood and rubbed it across every inch of her soft skin for a much crueler transformation than at a beauty salon. But Gruagach did not resist. In fact... Ha ha... She laughed weakly. Her head tilted limply to the side, her eyes were not focused on reality, and a few tufts of her blonde hair got in her mouth. She only continued to laugh as her face grew so slack that drool dripped freely out. Tselika frowned and stuck the red plug needle into the star students back a few times. But none of the jacks on the girls back produced the desired result. Her shoulders, hips, and modest chest reflexively jerked irregularly, but it was not quite what the demon wanted. The girl only laughed eerily flatly with her head tilted limply. And with no concern for the pain of the plug or the long hair covering her face. Ah ha ha, ah ha ah ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hm, maybe my Charm was too powerful when I hijacked her through the armor. Well, as long as she can move her arms and legs. If I dont control her autonomic nervous system, a variety of things would probably start spilling out. She made sure to double-check on something. Not on Gruagach who was now a puppet, but on the scorpion armor she wore. When returning to Earth from Grounds Nir, the Shining Weapon would take the form of a small USB key smaller than a keychain, but Tselikas armor had been specially modified in Grounds Nir after being built on Earth. So even when it passed from Earth to Grounds Nir or vice versa, its power would fill the parts in both worlds. Like a Mobius strip, both sides were the same side, so it manifested itself in its full form on either side. The star student had too much dopamine in her brain, so the demon took control of her arms and legs to lightly twist her body around. Looks like there wont be a problem using Magic. At that very moment, metal could be heard tearing into the asphalt as the intersection 300 meters away was blockaded. Great masses of metal awaited them. Tselika would never have seen a tank before, but she did not seem surprised. Thanks to the armor and thanks to the blood and herb mixture soaked into her soft skin, the drool-soaked star students body and brain were under the demons control. The demon could pull out whatever information she needed. And Tselika had to snicker when she judged her opponents specs. A man sticking out from the top of the tank aimed a heavy machinegun at her and shouted through a loudspeaker. Attention Break News! Disarm yourself and surrender before I count to 3! We will only give you this one chance! Waste it for any reason and we will view it as a hostile action and immediately open fire! Is this a joke? spat out the translucent demon as she pressed up against the poor doll. I have no interest in pacifism. It means straying from my primary objective, but I am irritated by the way you make a living on a foundation of corpses. I will take that irritation out on you. My name is Tselika! My weapons are the horns on my head and my shields are the wings on my back. If you wish to disarm me, then come tear those from me, human!! The man was true to his warning. Since Tselika had done something else, the camouflaged group did not bother counting to three. The line of tanks fired one after another and launched shells at more than 5 times the speed of sound. Anti-personnel canisters scattered more than 2000 bearing balls like fireworks and APFSDSs used infrared to accurately locate their target even within all the dust. Those spears of death opened holes in the target by melting the armor instead of breaking it and they mercilessly bared their fangs against that round, soft flesh. There should have been nothing recognizable as human left. Didnt I tell you, human? The atmosphere was entirely taken away. While possessed by Tselika through the thin barrier between worlds, blonde Gruagach now stood on top of one of the tanks. She stood back to back with the heavy machinegun soldier. When? How? Before the shells had been fired? After? It was all so baffling that only the hands of the clock continued moving. Kh! So as not to hit their fellow soldier, the heavy machinegun soldiers sticking up from the tanks on either side pulled out their sidearms and aimed at Tselikas alluring body. Nevertheless, the translucent horned demon whispered. I asked if this was a joke. All of this, including your reaction here are far too slow. ? With an explosive noise, something cut by overhead. It was a domestic stealth fighter from the JASDF passing between the buildings. The weapons bay was open for some reason and it had already launched an extra-large aerial bomb. It was targeting Tselika in her scaled clothing and thick snake hagoromo and the pilot did not seem to notice anything else that was there. Wait... One of the soldiers looked up and shouted at the unfairness of it all. And when he looked down, he saw further absurdity. Tselika and Gruagach were nowhere to be found. He could only see the bomb dropping toward them. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!? The bomber in the back seat gave a report while viewing a monitor that had reversed polarity so it would not grow entirely white from the explosive flames All bombs hit. Repeat, all bombs hit! This is urban warfare and in the capital of Japan at that. Itd be a major problem if we missed. If were sure of that, then lets get out of here. They did not notice they had blown away the ground unit with their bombs. In fact, they could not see the ground unit. Or anything else besides Tselika. So after finishing the bombing and beginning to rise to a safe altitude, their reaction upon seeing that may not have been surprising. They saw that deep, deep, deep inside the window of a building several hundred meters ahead. Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier. And the star student she had hijacked. However, they should not have been able to see her so deep inside that window as it reflected the sunlight. ...Target spotted... The fighter changed heading and accelerated. Similar warnings arrived over the radio. J-Wolf 02 to J-Wolf 01. Weve spotted the target too. J-Wolf 03 here. Awaiting instructions. J-Wolf 04, we can target her. Lets end this. The pilot breathed in and out. Several hundred meters was the blink of an eye for a fighter, so he did not hesitate to speak as the building wall spread out before his eyes. J-Wolf 01 to all fighters. Change formation from diamond to boomerang. Engage. Begin attack. A moment later, 4 spears pierced the building wall and blossomed into large flowers. You dumbass! Switch off the monitors!! A woman in glasses and a tight skirt shouted while traveling inside a mobile base disguised as a cold storage truck. As her subordinate was gradually swallowed up by the effects, she tightened his tie with one hand to knock him unconscious and she used a lithe leg contained in black panty hose to kick out the power cable and forcibly shut off the machines. Bhah!! Pant, pant! Ch-chief, you saved me. You can thank me after taking a psychological test with a counsellor, Inoue. Its too soon to say whether youve really escaped her influence. Tanaka, you watch over him! ...What was that? hesitantly asked the young man. Everyone silently focused on the woman in a tight skirt. She cleared her throat and answered. I dont know any of the details. There havent been any experiments proving that something in the other world can influence ours through the thin barrier between them. But that Break News is a Succubus. That means this must be based on a Charm-style Skill. For example...she might take control of anyone whose heart is taken in by her aura. If it was simply something biological like her voice or pheromones, her influence would not reach inside a tank or fighter. But if it had to do with a vague atmosphere or aura, then she could bind someones heart even over the phone or internet. Everyone had experienced that on some level, such as getting excited watching a live soccer match or feeling disgusted by a post on a message board. Peoples emotions could be controlled even when the other person was not physically in front of them. But in that case... This isnt good... We easily outdo do them on the information gathering front, but thats exactly why her Charm can spread without end. Her contamination will spread throughout the military. If only they could use Magic. But that was not possible at the moment. ...can...hear me? Someone respond!! The tight skirt woman clenched her teeth and listened to a radio transmission separate from the dead monitors. This is the Shinjuku Station PB! Were full up! The trains arent running and were already over capacity for evacuees! Sending any more here would be dangerous!! Send the evacuees elsewhere! And more importantly, shes...goddammit, what the hell is that huge-ass squid monster!? Its more than 10 stories tall! Can someone with Grounds Nir experience explain this!? Youve gotta be kidding... Soon thereafter, a violent tremor shook the truck. The tight skirt glasses woman made up her mind and brought the monitors back to life. She saw countless bizarrely shaped creatures crawling on the buildings and elevated train tracks or highways. Tselika took in someone with a summoning Job!? Dammit!! Part 5 Boo Boo. ... Beatrice called out that name in the rubble-strewn inn town. Boo Boo was hanging his head. He had wanted to save the Nun who was having stones thrown at her for no good reason. He had wanted to stop the Religious Society because they were being mean to the Succubus and had even sent in a Break News. He had wanted to rescue a girl who was having her life taken for a purge of Nonhumans instead of to live or to eat. But all those feelings had been betrayed, trampled on, and used against him. He likely felt responsible. Its okay, Boo Boo. Theres nothing you need to worry about. But I cant go to your world. I cant help at all. He stopped speaking there. And then he started up again. I cant even stop the Nun. Technically, Tselika had not gone to Earth. She was still in Grounds Nir and only influencing Earth through the thin barrier between worlds, but there was nothing they could do on this side. Just as you could not observe or reach the edge of the ever-expanding universe, the demon would not fall back down anywhere visible as long as Gruagach continued to pull her toward Tokyo through the thin barrier. Well deal with our own worlds problem on our own. So dont look so sad, Boo Boo. Beatrice gave him a baseless smile but then stopped speaking. Boo Boo had hugged the slender girl. He was not calm enough to do it like a pretentious gentleman. The giant Iberian Orc was trembling like a child lost in a strange city. He was afraid. I dont want you to go. ... I cant go with you. I wont be able to go save you even if you ask for help. I cant do anything, so someone else has to stop the Nun. I know that, but Im dumb, so I cant stop myself from wanting you to stay here. What would Beatrice even be able to do? If she did leave Grounds Nir and return to Tokyo, she would become a powerless girl. She would be unable to use any Magic at all. Her slender arms could not break a walnut, much less a boulder. She had never used a normal sword or gun. And on top of those physical issues were the political ones. Back in the real world, she was like a bird in a cage and could not take one step outside Roppongis Detached Magic Palace. If there was nothing she could do, it would be best if she did not return. It would be safer to remain in Grounds Nir until the commotion had died down. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless any kind of attempt seemed. But. He had said nothing bad would happen if they all got along. That Nun would have been a part of that. Beatrice nearly fell into self-loathing when she found herself thinking about her own safety while Boo Boo looked on the verge of tears. So she threw out all of those boring assumptions before she started hating herself. Boo Boo. She threw out the vague smile. That was not what she needed to calm his trembling. Dont worry, Boo Boo. Theres still something you can do. ? Surface level niceties dont matter. I trust that we truly understand each others hearts. So lets speak frankly here. That way we can eliminate the weight hanging between us. Right. I trust you too. Boo Boo rubbed his eyes and nodded several times. Beatrice wished he was not 4 meters tall so she could reach his head. Boo Boo, it is true that we are partially responsible for this. I wont say all responsibility lies with us, but we did lay out the fuse leading to the bomb. But make no mistake. There is still something we can do instead of letting that responsibility crush us. Like what? Well, Ill be returning to the other side. You were right that you cant go to Tokyo, but there is something you can do here in Grounds Nir. Are you willing to hear me out? This went beyond just protecting Tokyo or Japan. It was about Boo Boo. She would protect that kind Iberian Orcs soul. She would save him. This would come with its own risks. And these risks filled her gut with far more tension than the formless ideas of the world or humankind. She would bet her life on this fight. For his sake. Okay, are you listening, Boo Boo? In the Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo, a girl in a red dress Signed Out through her exclusive Gate and saw several thin contrails cutting across the blue sky. That was probably a formation of JSDF fighters. She prayed it was not some missiles fired into the city from an American submarine. She then spotted a small maid waiting near the gazebo in the large garden. If she could see the maid, the maid could see her, so this was no time to be sneaking around. She walked boldly up to the maid and placed her hands on the small girls shoulders. And she asked a question at extreme close range. Haruka, were friends, arent we? Uuh, I really dont want to be friends with someone who starts a conversation like that... Dont worry. I wont ask you to do anything dangerous. In fact, you dont have to do anything at all. I want you to overlook something. ? The maid tilted her head in confusion, so the twintail girl inhaled and exhaled. Her heart was pounding. But she still said it. Im about to break out of the Detached Magic Palace, but I want you to keep quiet about-... Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! The maid screamed before she could even finish making her request. This maid was not worthy of friendship. The girl pouted her lips as the oldest sister Iroka and second sister Misoka arrived to see what was going on. The smallest maids mouth flapped open and closed as she pointed at her masters face and did her best to make a report and share her information. U-u-umm! Milady is...try...trying to...she said shes trying to leave the Detached Magic Palace on her own!! As the small ones voice jumped all over the place, the medium and large ones rubbed their finger against their temple. Iroka, the glasses tutor and the maid with the biggest chest, winked and asked a question. Does this have anything to do with the contrails overhead? Exactly. It couldnt have more to do with it. Misoka, the sporty second sister who handled the heavy lifting during the cleaning and garden work, spoke next. Is there any reason you have to deal with this yourself, lady? It is true that I dont have a grand reason such as stopping a world war fought over the Pieces. But I want to do whatever I can to protect someone important to me who is feeling depressed back in Grounds Nir because of how responsible he feels about all this. He wanted to save the Nun from having her life lost in a purge that was entirely unnecessary to live or to eat. He wanted to get along with everyone. But his feelings were trampled on and he cant save her since he cant leave that world. There might be 7 billion other people in this world, but Im the only one that can save his soul here. I see. The maids looked at their masters face with an appraising look. They were charged with taking care of the dress girl and keeping her in top condition, but the Information Broker also had them report on any hint of coming danger and use force if necessary to swiftly stop any attempted jailbreak. ...Officially, anyway. Very well, we will accept this job. A sheltered girl like you wouldnt know, lady, but Tokyo is a dangerous city. Especially for pretty girls like you. You will need some bodyguards. The red dress girls eyes widened. Even Haruka, who had loudly betrayed her, clenched her small fists and gave a snort. Thats right! You mustnt even think about going out on your own!! If youre leaving, you need to take us with you!! ... The black twintail girl was utterly shocked. She and the 3 maids had been having different arguments the whole time. U-um, are you sure about that? Given your position and all... Miss, no one stands in a more dangerous position than you. So we must also accept some risk. Iroka, the biggest maid, crossed her arms and lifted her ample breasts from below. And I liked that you mentioned someone important to you. Yes, I liked it very much. You have been imprisoned in this birdcage for the convenience of the nation...no, the world. You could have held a grudge against the entire world for that, but you still managed to find someone important to you. I wont let the Information Broker crush that underfoot. Part 6 The report reached the Ushigashira Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo, almost immediately. The coke bottle glasses shrine maiden with fluffy blonde hair tied in a long tube shape went pale, but she did not have time to feel faint. She scrambled out of the Dragon Palace Chamber. The voice in the attic spoke to her like normal. Where are you going, stupid girl? We can give the title of stupid to Beatrice. Shes...that complete idiot! I dont know if this is for Boo Boo or what, but why doesnt she know this will only place the noose around her own neck? She might never be able to go back to Grounds Nir!! The same goes for you. Do not forget your Ushigashira duty. Your job is to-... Oh, shut up, you old hag!! A good friend Im willing to entrust my life to is prepared to throw out her entire life here! How can I just follow the rules and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch!? ... Silence followed. But it lacked the tension of a silent elevator. It was a somehow soft and gentle atmosphere. Then head outside and stop by the 4th storeroom. The key to the basement is inside one of the temari balls in the kids room. The one that rattles when you shake it. ? She did as instructed and felt like she had wandered outside of Japan. It was like a collection in a movie. Every wall was covered in cutting-edge firearms. There were also plenty of bulletproof vests, gasmasks, and grenades of various types. It was a major problem that a historical shrine had this hidden below it. It could easily turn into a scandal. Wh-why is all this here? Weapons had originally been stored below the shrine after the end of World War Two so they could put up a thorough resistance if the American military tried to pillage the shrines valuable cultural assets and that collection had been continually updated as time passed, but the old ladys voice gave an immediate answer that elided all of that lengthy tradition. It must have been prepared for this very day. Part 7 The fallen star student C or rather, translucent Tselika who indirectly controlled her through the armor binding her C had known her destination from the beginning. Ebisu 1-3 Sakuradai Kubancho Minamigasaki 8-4. Hmm, as I thought, it isnt in this girls knowledge. Ill just have to hope for a general idea... Black smoke and dust blew from the frontline where Tselika spoke in an almost carefree tone with her angel halo, devil horns, scale swimsuit, and thick snake hagoromo. The area was a complete disaster zone. An explosion had blasted a tanks turret straight up. An armored truck had broken through the ground and fallen into the subway station. An attack helicopter had pierced a building wall while its rotor continued to spin fruitlessly. After the pilot ejected, a fighter pinwheeled through the sky while spewing explosive flames. The foot soldiers had fared no better. Just like a losing army, a look in the alleyways would likely find men who had frantically stripped off their camouflage uniforms. Needless to say, they were trying to escape harm by blending in with the civilians. And if they were doing that, there was no need to deal with them. They were not even worth taking in with her Charm. She was using the Summon Hunters power to send out a variety of creatures, but once they lost sight of their target, the started fighting each other for control of this territory. A one-eyed giant known as a Cyclops and a slithering multi-headed dragon known as a Typhon were clashing between 5-story buildings that matched their height. They were the same as Tselika. They were interfering in Tokyo because Gruagach allowed them to push their power against the other side of the thin layer between worlds. Tselika thought to herself as she sent Gruagach below the arch created by fighting monsters. (It would probably be about 50/50 if they sent in fully program-controlled drones, but it looks like they want to have a human cushion in place to avoid malfunctions. That makes it easy to control them. My Charm can contaminate hearts even through relayed messages and letters. It doesnt matter if I am actually there or not.) Goat-horned Tselikas modern knowledge was based on that of star student Gruagach, so it was biased in certain directions. She did not find much about the military, but she was surprised to find a lot of reference material in entertainment movies when it came to unmanned weapons. It took guts to rely on that when ones life was on the line. Tselika had to grimace. Cars, trains... They seem to have a lot of convenient systems built up, but it looks like both of those have been stopped. I suppose walking will be my best option. Tselika was using a borrowed body, so she only cared that it lasted long enough to achieve her goal. Muscular exhaustion was of no concern to her. When a three-headed guard dog known as a Cerberus and a fertility snake woman known as an Echidna bared their fangs against Gruagach, Tselika used the sacrifices fists to beat them down before continuing her march. More and more creatures were summoned everywhere within 200 meters around them: behind vending machines, below cars, inside manholes, etc. Some of them ignored the road altogether and appeared inside the buildings and behind barricades. Some even surrounded Tselika as if to curse her. But the demon did not care. The Grounds Nir monsters were indeed powerful, but they were still no match for Tselika. That was just how powerful the cultural fire known as Magic was. Meanwhile... ? With a loud screech of tires on asphalt (a noise Tselika was quickly growing accustomed to), a cold storage truck came to a rapid stop a short distance away. The rear door opened and someone stepped out. It was a glasses woman with her long hair tied back whose tight suit had the necktie removed. She looked different, but Tselika still recognized her. Translucent Tselika scoffed and named the woman while embracing the drooling and unfocused star student. Armelina, huh? You have good eyes. So you know what kind of fighting style I prefer, right? A heavy sound followed. A metal ball the size of a balance ball was attached to a thick chain. It should have been far too heavy for the womans slender arms to support, but she lightly tossed it up with a single arm and caught it like it was made of rubber. Im a Fighter Priest. I might rely on Magic, but the basic element is physical force. ...So if I can use other means to reproduce the physical support the Magic provides, it isnt hard to recreate my Grounds Nir fighting style back here in the real world. In this case, she wore a reinforcing suit that was expected to assist in construction, nursing, agriculture, and the military. It was primarily located around her hips, but robot arms seemed to crawl out onto her bare arms and legs. This representative smart tool was rumored to allow someone to carry several times or even several dozen times as much weight as a normal person. She would also sometimes summon a Magic metal ball that absorbed the destroyed rubble to increase its attack power with each swing, but that was easily recreated with a metal ball and a tank of instant glue. Thats why I was known as a bizarre level cap adventurer, but it looks like that titles been stolen from me. Now that Ive been robbed of the belt, Ive got to take it back. Several men and women in suits left the cold storage truck. They all held identical metal balls and thick chains to the glasses woman known as Armelina. Ill be taking it back with me and theyll show what the mass-produced model can do. What would we do without the Ministry of Defenses tech lab? This is human strength. If we monopolize the technology, its value rises. If we release it, everyone can do the same thing. It all comes down to how you use it. Heh heh. Translucent Tselika traced her fingers across the star students bodylines as she laughed. She ignored the monsters fighting each other nearby and she kept Armelina in the center of her vision. That is impressive. It is an approach not found in this girls knowledge. You could even say the atmosphere here belongs to you. ...But have you forgotten? Gruagach the fallen student is still wearing this Shining Weapon armor. And it is still armor rather than a USB key. That means she has truly brought Magic here. So she can use Command-type attack Magic of any Element she wants. A sticky sound came from Gruagachs feet. Several tentacles thicker than anacondas stretched out from her shadow. They crawled up her bare legs, wrapped around her thighs, and attempted to violate her entire body. All of a sudden, she held a Western-style bow with a stabilizer and with a knife on either end. Yes, this was a 2nd Shining Weapon. The armor and bow made 2. The translucent demon ignored all of the rules as she controlled her puppet and pierced the crawling tentacles with the bows lower knife. The thick, thick tentacles left some stickiness on Gruagachs thighs as they were absorbed by the manmade object. The bowstring wriggled creepily and was drawn. If she nocked an arrow, the wriggling tentacles would be transferred to that like an infection. The bizarre monster would be contained inside the arrowhead as if sealing a poison or an explosive inside. Gruagach was a Summon Hunter. That rare Job allowed her to call up any Grounds Nir Nonhuman she had made a contract with and either make it fight for her or seal it in her blade to transform the weapons effects. Tselika laughed as she viewed the eerily pulsating arrowhead and the tentacle tips that occasionally jutted out. A Scylla, hm? Not bad. This arrowhead will swim freely through the air upon its release, its 12 legs will entangle the target, and their viselike grip can crush even a steel pillar. But you are about to discover that firsthand, Armelina. ...That Shining Weapon. The armor is the one in control. The arrow is a slave device, or maybe more like an extra option. But as you can plainly see, these are not built to show any concern for the bearers personality. As the translucent demon embraced the star student from behind, she buried her face in the girls nape. When the demons lips touched her neck, a glowing emblem of unknown effect spread across her skin. Gruagach had already shown no sign of resistance, but now the last shreds of her will vanished from her fingers. Now that she had become a true puppet, the mass of soft skin raised the bow. The stabilizer-equipped bow accurately targeted its prey. Now, I will reclaim the atmosphere here in an instant. And you will become yet another puppet. Think carefully about what it is you wanted to protect enough to stand in my way like this. That is the list of what you are about to lose. Hah. The tight suit and black panty hose woman laughed quietly with the metal ball in hand. She belonged to an external sector that left no official records by acting as a private detective agency that gathered retired police officers and JSDF officers. She understood the value of information, so she did not speak her actual thoughts in front of her enemy. There was never a 100% chance of victory in battle. But she had accepted that risk. She had received a report from Roppongis Detached Magic Palace. She knew a certain girl was plotting something, so she needed nothing more. This was worth it if she could buy some time and increase that girls odds of success. That was valuable information, so the glasses woman smiled and spoke to hide it. Lets go, little girl. I just wish you could lend me that Charm Skill of yours. ? ? She swung the metal ball around by its thick chain. This was an undeniable hostile act. The heavy metal ball dully and gradually picked up speed like it was rolling down a hill. I have a pretty rough job, so I havent exactly been blessed in the romance department. I thought I might still have a faint chance left in Grounds Nir, but then this trouble had to crop up. Ill teach you not to underestimate a human womans grudge!! Part 8 Boo Boo, this is like a Mobius strip, began Beatrice. We can return to Earth, but we probably wont have any way of defeating Tselika. You can beat up Gruagach and Tselika, but you probably dont have any way of going to Earth. So neither case gives us what we need. At this rate, there is no resolving this no matter how hard we try. Hm? Whats a Mobius strip? Its this. Beatrice cut off a short piece of first aid bandage, twisted it, and had Boo Boo trace his finger along the surface of the loop a few times. Both sides are the same side! What is this!? Yeah, its strange, but we can talk about it later. ...What matters is that the only way for us to defeat Tselika is to do something about this twisted loop. Let me tell you what you need to do, Boo Boo. She left the Detached Magic Palace and entered the public roads of Roppongi. She took another first step. This was the beginning of a resistance against a powerful current. ... The red dress girl slowly breathed in and out. Once she left the Detached Magic Palaces garden, she found herself in a gray city of concrete and asphalt that seemed to sap her of her stamina. Her throat felt strange. The depths of her eyes hurt. Tokyo apparently had one of the highest population densities in the world, but it seemed like humans had a tendency to submerge themselves in mud in their search for livelihood. The city was frighteningly still. The girl had expected to find the JSDF and riot police putting up a reckless fight, but she found nothing of the sort. Nothing was certain. But based on what she saw and the habits of the VIPs who would visit the Detached Magic Palace, she quickly found an answer. Theyve abandoned Tokyo, havent they? Eh? Eh? Haruka, the small animal of a maid and the youngest of the sisters, nervously tried to ask what she meant. She was clearly trapped between a fear of asking and a fear of not asking. After putting up a bit of a fight, they realized it was hopeless and readily changed tack. Theres a summit meeting in Yokohama right now, isnt there? Theyve probably had the JSDF set up a defensive line there on the pretext of protecting the different national leaders gathered there. But once they surreptitiously get our own government VIPs there, the preparations will be complete and theyll have their safe zone. Makes a pretty good argument for the decentralization of power if you ask me. The only forces remaining would be a JSDF suicide unit tasked with buying time as a rear guard. And perhaps some powerless but righteous police officers. I have intercepted the police radio, said Iroka, the oldest of the maid sisters who was a tutor, wore glasses, and had a mole under her eye. She connected her tablet to a boxy device she held. The hostile target is moving south from Ikebukuro and passing through Shinjuku. That means she has ignored the administrative agencies and continued moving. She made a slight eastward adjustment near Yoyogi, but she is still headed south. That could not have been as easy as she made it sound since modern radio transmissions were digitally encrypted, but they could still be decoded if you knew how. And Irokas skill was not restricted to this. A single swipe of a finger on her tablet and she could remotely take control of any smartphone she wanted. The red dress girl had seen this enough times to not be surprised, so she focused on the task at hand. Her usual habits led her to check for a Shining Weapon rapier at her hip, but in Tokyo she could not use her 14,000 kinds of Magic or summon even the most basic map. She only reminded herself that her wings had been clipped. She lacked Parameter buffs and Recovery Magic. She also lacked the Iberian Orc who was always by her side. ...She had never thought she would feel so helpless without that giant form next to her. Reality had different rules, so a single hit would be deadly in this battle. She knew that, but the twintail girl immediately turned around. So shes headed for Shibuya? No, maybe Ebisu. Their opponent had ignored important buildings like the Meiji Shrine and the foreign embassies as she continued south. She was merciless in her elimination of and counterattack against the JSDF, but she showed no sign of indiscriminately attacking the civilians in this densely populated city. Her objective was something of a mystery, but the red dress girl started by thinking of the landmarks in that area. Ebisu was primarily known for its beer, but there were some more impressive facilities nearby. The Ministry of Defense Technology Laboratory. Isnt that where they carry out experiments related to Shining Weapons and the Gates? Th-then is the monster after that? ... The red dress girl had suggested it herself, but the idea seemed somehow off to her. Tselika already had the ability to interfere with one world from the other, so what would she want from the humans now? From there, she pulled out more information from her mind. Was there anything else important at that laboratory besides the Shining Weapons and the Gates? ...The Sage. That mysterious person or group of people had anonymously proposed the existence of Grounds Nir, the possibility of Magic, and the possibility of the technological revolutions brought by the Pieces. It was still not known if that was an individual or an organization and it was entirely unknown where in the world they were hiding. But werent there rumors that the Sage or someone who could directly contact them could be found at the Ministry of Defense Technology Laboratory? Rumors were no more than rumors. Information found on the internet was only so credible. She was well aware of that. But she also could not overlook it. Iroka. You see it a lot in dramas and movies, but how long would it take to fully delete data from a computer? And I mean so it cant be recovered. First of all, there is no such thing as deleting beyond all recovery. But if you would accept odds of recovery as close to zero as possible, it would probably take 12 hours with a commercial laptop. It would be faster to soak it in powerful acid, but that too depends on the scope. A single hard disk would not take long, but a supercomputer or server system larger than a gym would be another story entirely. ... A laboratory would of course be the latter. So even if the workers and VIPs began a frantic evacuation operation, there was still a risk of data leading to the Sage remaining. That was the most likely location. It would probably be best to plan for making contact with the enemy in Ebisu and move north to Shibuya if that did not work out. Haruka, the smallest maid, clenched her fists and spoke. B-but this might be our chance. Were closer. (The real question is whether or not we can defeat her, not whether or not we can catch up to her.) The red dress girl decided to leave that part unsaid. There was no point in showing off her knowledge if it would only needlessly worry the girl. Misoka spoke up next while holding a mop that was likely a tool to open doors from a distance instead of a weapon. The question is if we can get there when we have to risk our lives the entire way. Well, we just have to do what we can. Japans capital was no longer functioning as the red dress girl led the 3 maids through it. Destroyed and abandoned cars had produced seemingly endless traffic jams and broken windows were everywhere. It was not uncommon to find pillars of black smoke or tilted hunks of concrete. The roads had collapsed in places, exposing the subway tracks below. Some chunks of road larger than vending machines had fallen on the tracks, so the subway would not be functioning at the moment. Wh-where did all the normal people go? Theyre either sheltering indoors or they Signed In if they were near a Gate registered with their smartphone. They can escape the threat in Tokyo by going to Grounds Nir and they also receive a variety of buffs from magic. It was ironic that fleeing to fantasy-filled Grounds Nir was the safest way to escape this limited number of monsters. B-b-but what if they dont make it in time? And what about the ones who werent registered to go to Grounds Nir? ... The red dress girl knew that question had an unpleasant answer. At that very moment, she heard a loud metallic clattering approach them. It sounded a lot like a convertible leaving the wedding chapel for the honeymoon. It was actually a pizza shop scooter. It was dragging around a bunch of empty cans tied to the back by strings. A boy was yelling into a megaphone so as not to be drowned out by the racket. Hey, hey, hey!! Ill draw the monsters attention, so get your asses to the nearest Gate! If that wont work, head to a police station! The cops are still with us!! I doubt those squids and octopuses can understand me, so Ill cuss them out all I want. Hey, ugly! ********!! Looks like theyre doing surprisingly well, muttered the red dress girl as she watched the noisy pizza shop scooter drive past. But then the second maid sister seemed to remember something. Hey, but wait. If hes drawing them to him, doesnt that mean those...extreme problem children will be on their way!? And. A giant form appeared almost too easily. Wah! This isnt good! Its one of those 10-story ones! What is it? A giant squid!? Its a Kraken and dont even think about trying to defeat it. Iroka, Misoka, please secure us a route. We cant escape something that huge on foot. And the cars and motorcycles arent much use with all this congestion. Lets head down below the collapsed asphalt. Miss, this way. Even now, a few mountain bikes could be seen jumping from rooftop to rooftop atop the buildings around the Kraken. The lights on their handlebars were probably smartphones. The video producers were as crazy as ever. Those people had not been killed yet because the summoned creatures were not very well controlled. The giant Kraken was clashing with a fusion of animals known as a Chimera. The decision to work together, butt heads, or eliminate each other was entirely up to the creatures. That both created openings and also made their next action harder to predict. (These arent mechanical Gimmicks. Theyre residents of Grounds Nir just like Boo Boo.) She felt bitter about that, but she did not have time to focus on that now. If they were more powerful than the JSDF, she did not have to worry about them being hunted down right away. The red dress girl had to trust in the strength of human and Nonhuman alike instead of just standing there. She and the maids made their way underground. She could not float down like she could in Grounds Nir, so she struggled to climb down the several meter drop while pure white tentacles arrived much too close for comfort. She found a subway tunnel down below, but concrete blocks larger than refrigerators had fallen and pillars had collapsed to block the track. No trains were going to be running anytime soon. The 4 of them relied on the almost uselessly sparse fluorescent lighting to walk down the tunnel. Misoka used her mop to search along the dark ground ahead of them, but it was not all smooth sailing. Hm? I hear flapping wings. Shh. That silhouette looks like a Harpy. Theyre strong in the Wind element and react to vibrations in the air, so dont speak too loudly. You know a lot about this, miss. Unlike the Gimmicks and Traps in the Labyrinth, these ones walk around out in the open. Boo Boo might know more about them than me. A Harpy was a Nonhuman that looked like a human woman with large bird wings for arms, and they did not stand out much compared to Dragons or Griffons. But that was only when you were protected by Magic. This was like running across a bird of prey more than 10 times as strong as a large eagle. A handgun bullet would not reach it and the talons of its legs could tear through a steel door like wet paper. And... This will be especially bad if theyre working together. Look at the damage to the walls. Ugh...are these fist marks? Thats concrete... It looks just like the marks a Minotaur puts on a stone to mark its territory. Im not sure if theyre coexisting or competing, but lets give up on being optimistic. If the others gather when the Harpy gives a cry, it would be best to avoid the Harpy. Fortunately, the intense fighting on the surface seemed to be placing a burden on the subway tunnel as well. Cracks were running through the walls and pillars. It was simple enough for the girls to slip through those large cracks and escape to another underground structure. They passed through a labyrinthine underground mall. They passed through a largescale drain meant to prevent flooding. They passed through a strange storage base. Small Haruka hesitantly spoke as she looked around the new scenery after passing through another wall. A-are we really going the right way? There arent any landmarks, so I feel like weve been going around in circles... Not to worry, assured eldest Iroka. Ebisu is this way, whispered the red dress girl as she faced forward. I would never lose my bearings while underground. The situation could hardly be worse. If they ran into one of the Harpies or Minotaurs wandering the narrow and complex underground passageways, they would be wiped out on the spot. But the red dress girl seemed more alive down in this dark subterranean space than among the gray buildings on the surface. Was that because it reminded her of the Labyrinth? Or was it because having people walking alongside her reminded her of someone important to her? This feels like seeing my father at work. Lady, your eyes are shining in this deadly labyrinth below Tokyo. Territorial signs, shed fur, bite marks in fruit, droppings, scrapes on the walls and floor. She identified the Nonhumans from the various tracks they left and worked to avoid them. This was a Centaur and...a Lamia. The snake woman follows the residual heat on the ground...in other words, footprints. Cover our shoes with a towel or something and we can slip past her. She used her knowledge of whether they used their sight, hearing, smell, or other senses to detect prey and found a way around that. They continued on and on when any encounter meant instant death. Their intense focus seemed to wear down their lifespans, but their march finally came to an end. They looked straight up within a narrow subway cable inspection corridor and focused on the manhole at the top of the ladder. This is the place, miss. This should be the center of Ebisu, by the giant complex near the subway station. Lets pray we dont find ourselves right next to a Kraken that can grab and crush entire buildings. They returned to the surface through the manhole. Due to the part of the city this was, there were signs for beer companies all over. They heard a familiar advertisement jingle coming from the empty station. After the high voltage lines had been severed, the trains had likely used their battery power to automatically evacuate to the closest station. It looked like some roadwork had been underway near the large complex that was something of a landmark. The asphalt had been cut into and the heavy machinery had been abandoned there. Wheres the closest Gate? Um, there is a public model in the gym on the first floor of the complex. Haruka had not hacked into the system like Iroka would. Unlike the exclusive models in shrines, cathedrals, and JSDF facilities, the location of general-use Gates was public knowledge. They were located in schools, parks, and gyms. Their locations were marked with red circles on the guide maps at subway stations. The red dress girl picked up a metal measuring tape fallen to the side of the roadwork and glanced at the train tracks running parallel across an elevated pathway. Iroka, Im going to write down some important chemical numbers, so you check the contents of those freight trains. Misoka, I doubt they had any explosives or fuses prepared for this roadwork, but if Im right, there should be some acetylene and oxygen tanks. Haruka, you gather gasoline from the abandoned cars. We each have to do whatever we can. Also, if you have the time, head to the back of the buildings. It would help if we could get our hands on some propane. W-wait, wait. That will leave you without a single bodyguard. I dont need one. The red dress girl was looking at something other than the maids. No, glaring at. Ive already found her. And silencing the evil demon lord is a Holy Swordswomans job. Part 9 Gruagach, the fallen star student, was manipulated by her blue scorpion armor to carry translucent Tselika calmly across Japans capital. Most of the JSDF and riot police had already retreated, the stubborn remaining volunteers had been taken in by Tselikas Charm, and a Kraken or Scylla could be sent in to directly eliminate them if they were in the way while attacking each other. This world likely had plenty of weapons with extraordinary destructive power, but they never chose that option because this was the capital of a nation. Nevertheless, the situation only worsened as they waited around. As people were taken in by Tselikas aura and her Charm worked its way in through any gap, she quickly had complete control of the situation. And that control would eventually spread beyond just the one country. But she felt no pride in that. She was only fighting to eliminate those who would get in her way. It was not directly connected to her objective. Ebisu 1-3 Sakuradai Kubancho Minamigasaki 8-4. Ebisu 1-3 Sakuradai Kubancho Minamigasaki 8-4. The invader muttered something below her breath as she advanced through empty streets filled with black smoke. There was only one thing on her mind. Hey, baby. Ill show you that humans arent completely worthless. She had met a certain human. They were from different worlds and would normally have never met. When they had first met, his thoughts and actions had utterly baffled her, but that was why the short-haired man had attracted her interest. She had been unable to stop the part of her that wanted to understand him so very badly. Its not like I have any real reason. Life is finite and I want to have fun and enjoy every minute and every second of it, so what good is worrying over the same things over and over? So even if its a bit of a pain, Ive gotta solve all the trouble I happen across. The woman had been called a Succubus. The humans visiting Grounds Nir had called her that. They had said there were similar legends in their world. But when she had asked about those legends, the man had only given her a troubled look. She had done everything she could to ask as many humans as possible and then she had laughed. The humans were very observant. But it was not enough. That word was woefully insufficient to describe a demon like Tselika. But one man had tried not to hurt the feelings of even an evil woman like her. Just how much had that small effort helped fill her dried-up heart? Not even the man in the bulky armor and giant axe could know that. Basically, its about getting a good nights sleep. A drink of victory tastes so much better than one meant to distract you from a loss. Im an honest person, so I want my drink to taste the best it can. They had spent a long, long time together. She had even accompanied him into the Labyrinth that Nonhumans never approached. She had wanted to walk with that human even if it meant throwing out everything: her life, her style, her taboos, and her rules. That desire had grown in her heart. I know it can never happen, but I cant help but think about it. I wish I could show it to you. However, it had all been torn to pieces. That man was no more. The fact that it was an assassination did not matter. She could not be bothered with something as trivial as revenge. Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidriers soul craved only one thing. To anyone else it would have seemed meaningless, but it was more valuable than the entire planet to her. My home is small, but its got this huge cherry tree outside. Every year during flower viewing season, a bunch of old guys Ive never seen before gather in the yard with bottles of sake in hand. I guess you wouldnt know what cherry blossoms are, would you? If only they grew here in Grounds Nir too. She did not care what anyone else thought. She had no reason whatsoever to visit the Ministry of Defense Technology Laboratory which was rumored to contain the Sage or someone who could contact them. She would simply visit that house. She would see what that armored man had wanted her to see. ... Ebisu 1-3 Sakuradai Kubancho Minamigasaki 8-4. That address had not been on the guide map near the subway station. She had made general guesses, wandered back and forth along the same roads several times, and finally found it. Tselika found that location. It really was tiny. It was only a rundown apartment that looked left behind by time between two buildings. It was far from cherry blossom season. And with the sunlight blocked by the surrounding buildings, was the soil even alive any longer? Had the tree withered away? Those were the questions she felt herself asking. ... Even so, Tselika took a step forward with her angel halo and devil horns. She walked unsteadily. Oh? That carefree voice came from near the landlords room on the first floor of the apartment. An old woman sat on the small veranda sticking out into the damp yard that did not receive much sun. Not often someone stops by here. Surely you arent hoping to rent a room. Are you lost? Who...are you? Tselika voiced her confusion. She was the demon who had shaken Tokyo suing the armor binding the star student, but the old woman did not look remotely concerned. The old woman explained why. Sorry, but I can barely see anymore. Well, I only travel between here and my home, so I can manage with just my cane. ... But there are some things I can tell. So why the tearful atmosphere? Did something happen? This person might know. She might know things Tselika did not about the man who had met his end in Grounds Nir. I came to visit someone who lived here... She just about added, Even though I know that isnt possible. But the old woman smiled even wider. Well, why didnt you say so sooner? That can only mean him. After all, all the other residents have moved out and there has been talk of rebuilding this old place, but I cant bring myself to tear it down when theres still one person continuing to pay his rent. You mean...? Could it be? He was a strange person. I cant tell if hes poor or rich. He lives in such a run-down apartment, but then he paid me 100 years worth of rent in advance. So now I feel like I have to keep the place around even though hes disappeared. I couldnt imagine why he would stay here if he had that kind of money, but I feel like that mystery has finally been solved. She wanted to know as much as possible. This old woman claimed to be nearly blind and yet able to read peoples emotions, so she spoke the answer before Tselika could ask the question. I mean, he would always say the view of the cherry blossoms from his window here was the best. He always said he wanted to bring his future wife to see them. She was speechless. She could not help herself. Tselika collapsed to the ground, rubbed her forehead against the damp dirt, and wept. The action was done through the star student, so it may have been the greatest desecration, but she still felt that coming here had been worth it. That man had kept his promise. It had only been a verbal promise and he had decayed away in another world, but he had still kept it. If he had not lost his life, Tselika would not have been so dead set on crossing between worlds. Are the cherry blossoms out? asked the old lady. I cant tell with my bad eyes, but they sometimes bloom out of season. Are they doing that today? Tselika raised her tear and dirt-stained face. Her vision was too blurry with tears to tell. And. She had her own objective. ...Finally. No matter how tightly she shut her lips, she could not stop that word from escaping. She hid her expression behind her bangs and spoke it even more clearly. Finally. The blue scorpion armor binding Gruagach began to glow with a pale light. The red pincers pushing up on her modest breasts opened. And something small spilled out. It was just a few hairs. She had brought them here by directly building them into the Shining Weapon that would travel between worlds. Those few grams could accomplish the miracle that Tselika herself could not. This was the result of the experiment that person had risked his life for. Ive finally come to see the cherry blossoms with you. Isnt that right, you great fool? Humans could freely travel between Earth and Grounds Nir, but what they could bring back was limited. Once they became a corpse, humans too became a thing, so they could not use the Gate. So the white nun had wanted to fulfill his final regret no matter what it took. She had wanted to see the cherry blossoms with him. That dream required ignoring the most basic assumptions about traveling between the 2 worlds. It did not matter how twisted it had to be or how little anyone else would understand. Yes, she had arrived with a few hairs from his head using the special trait of the Shining Weapon built into the other Shining Weapon that was created from his armor and could travel between the 2 worlds. She had questioned herself time and again. Was there really nothing she could do for the dead and was this nothing more than self-satisfaction? What would it actually change to see some plant with her own eyes? What meaning was there in a few hairs? When the Religious Society and the Break News had attacked her church, she had been willing to accept her fate if she lost control of the situation and was killed there. She would go to be with him either way, so she would be happy regardless. But Tselika had come this far. She had the skill needed to execute all the necessary plans and she had devilish luck to back it up. All of that had come together in this result. Would you...? Yes? Would you give me permission to bury this below the cherry tree? This was an unnecessary process. She could have simply kept the hairs with her to remember him. But she did not. She would only indulge herself this far. She alone had committed this sin. So she had never planned to have him with her to the end. She had known she needed to cut him away from her evil at some point. And the old woman who had more or less been a grave keeper smiled and nodded. Of course. I dont know your circumstances, but I can tell you put a lot of work into this. This time, Tselika really did bawl like a small child despite her alluring body. She had been given permission to complete every last selfish part of her plan. She had not had permission for everything she had done and the title of sinner would remain on her head, but she felt like she had reached the summit of one mountain. (It will all be okay now.) In human units, the blue scorpion armor had only been able to hide a few grams. That meant only a few hairs she could hold between her fingers. This demon had brought chaos to 2 worlds and accepted any and all blasphemies for nothing more than that. And she had successfully made that wish come true. She looked to the cherry blossoms. With him, she viewed the flowers he had spoken of with such delight to the very, very end. She shared them with him. She would accept all the sin from here. So she would cut him away as they shared this happy memory. This was a farewell ritual. (Its over. Its all over. So become one with the cherry blossoms in my heart, my beloved.) No matter what happened now, no one would be able to trample over him. Still on her knees, she used Gruagachs arms to dig a shallow hole in the soil dirt below the old tree, place the few hairs inside, and pile the soil back over them. She then gently patted the top like she was soothing a small child. One thing. Hm? What is it? Can you promise me one thing? You are going to hear some loud noises, but do not worry about anything. The noises might surprise you, but please do not leave this place. The ritual she had been so desperate to carry out was complete. The sexy demon wiped the tears from her eyes and turned around along with the star student she had hijacked. I must thank you for waiting until I was done. A twintail girl in a red dress was waiting for her. Her appearance might have changed, but Tselika immediately saw through it. This was one of the level cap adventurers who represented the strongest of the humans. It was Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. She understood that, but the demon still sneered. She no longer needed a kind expression. Tselika removed her focus from the old woman in the space behind her and she faced her enemy. Youve done what you came here for. Are you willing to obediently return to Grounds Nir? Its true I have done my duty, but after causing this much chaos, the humans will hunt me down through pure numbers even if I do return. Grounds Nir is a small place. Running back there will only place the noose around my own neck. Meaning? I will remain here. I will remain and go into hiding. Can you leave me be now that I have kept true to my promise? Do you realize your life wont last long either way? When humans stayed in another world for too long, the slight differences in gravity and the atmosphere had grave mental and physical effects, especially in relation to their internal clock. But Tselika was too accustomed to Grounds Nir, so the same problems would occur if she remained on Earth. Even if she was technically not on Earth and only interfering through the thin layer between Earth and Grounds Nir, her eyes and ears perceived Tokyo. That meant she would be affected the same as if she were actually in Tokyo. But translucent Tselika embraced Gruagachs neck all the same. The red plug on the long tail stabbed into the poor victims back. The demon then buried her face in the nape of Gruagachs neck, a glowing emblem passed across her flesh, and the last vestiges of resistance entirely vanished. She had been remade into a killer puppet. That is none of your concern, human. Is that so? The girl could not use Magic. Unless she was armed with a sword or an arrow, she was no more than a slender young girl. Then I wont hold back. But Tselika nearly looked away from her eyes. That was just how much pressure was contained in those eyes. I dont know what kind of life plan youve put together. It doesnt matter if youre greedily looking for luxury or if youre only hoping to find some small happiness. They seemed to burn with flames. It felt like they would scorch Tselikas skin if the girl approached. Not to mention if she touched them. Boo Boo said he wanted everyone to get along. Nun, you were part of that. But you used those feelings, deceived him, and betrayed him. If this is what you call a success, then I definitely need to fight you. ... Just as you made an enemy of the world for someone important to you, Ive come here and made an enemy of the world for someone important to me. So theres no rejecting this duel now. Tselika laughed. It was an extremely calm laugh that seemed mismatched for a demon with large horns. Honestly. It seems weve both gone through a lot for our hopeless men. No. The red dress girl immediately cut her off. Hes the greatest guy Ive ever met in either world. Part 10 No matter what her reasons were and no matter how much willpower she mustered, there was nothing the red dress girl could do. She could not use Magic and she was not skilled in sword fighting. She was up against a full-powered Summon Hunter and the Succubus fully controlling her. She was entirely powerless against a paranormal being like Tselika with her angel halo and demon horns. Filinion and Armelina. Several sticky tentacle-like objects shot out from the shadow at Gruagachs feet. She stabbed them with the lower blade attached to the bow, the monster was stored within the bow, and it was absorbed into the arrowhead of the arrow she pulled from the quiver at her hip. Then she raised the stabilizer-equipped bow. Definite power resided within it as she took aim. As the tentacle creature awaited orders, its killer intent pierced the red dress girl right between the eyes. Why do you think I mentioned those names? And why do you think you arrived in time? What do you think happened to them in exchange for the time they bought you? !! The long black twintail girl did not hesitate. Instead of rushing at her foe, she moved back. She tried to put distance between them. You fawn. Did you think you could escape the hunters bow by leaping across the mountain!? Tselika mercilessly activated the Magic and tentacles surged out from the arrowhead. The arrow targeted the girl with movements more akin to swimming than flying. No arrow could fly like this. The arrowhead would accurately pierce her flesh and the many tentacles would burst out inside her to crush her organs in their grasp. There was no escaping this attack which could crush even a mass of steel just as thick. Or it would have turned out that way. Assuming, that is, frightening scarlet flames had not burst out when the red dress girl swung her hand. The flames struck the tentacle arrow. Its path was slightly diverted and it flew right past the girls face. What...? Tselikas eyes widened as she had her puppet nock another arrow. What was that? You shouldnt be able to use Magic!! As if trying to correct some kind of mistake, she stabbed the bows blade into the monsters growing at her feet and released them. This time it was a Harpy, an incarnation of the wind who snatched peoples souls away. It split into 10 partway through and moved to accurately pierce the red dress girls vitals from 10 different angles. But even that failed to reach her. The girl took a small step and swung her right hand both vertically and horizontally. With each swing, red flames filled that space. The explosions diverted the killer arrows, sending them every which way but toward her. This was no time for Tselika to avoid the reality before her eyes by deeming it impossible. And no matter how much she worked Gruagachs mind, she could find no way for a mere human to use Magic here on Earth. That was something only Tselika could do. That was why she should have been unstoppable. Nothing else made sense, and yet this red dress girl had torn down those assumptions. Tselika heard a whistling sound. She finally started observing her surroundings. The twintail girl was holding what seemed to be a metal measuring tape. She had it extended to a few meters and she had swung it around like a whip. And once Tselika stepped outside of the dirt yard, she sensed an odd smell. Gruagachs knowledge told her it could be flammable. Dont tell me... Its true I cant use Magic, said the girl while raising the metal measuring tape she used to produce fire-starting sparks. But I know more about the traits and nature of fire than anyone. And if I have a way of creating flames without Magic, then I can control it even more easily than my own fingers. Invisible flammable gas. Different such gases had different traits. Some were heavier than air, others lighter. Some dissolved into water, others did not. Some burned, others exploded. By understanding all that and combining them, what looked like empty space could become a labyrinth of flames. Yes. If you can see inside her head, are you familiar with Hollywood movies? ... Using CG for everything looks too fake, so real stunts and explosions are coming back into style. And by controlling the direction of the blast with metal panels and air compressors, they can make a clear division between flames and a safe zone down to a few dozen centimeters. As long as you know each of the individual traits, you can cause an explosion in a public square and yet leave everyone but your target entirely unharmed. The metal measuring tape danced around the girl like a living creature once more. And this time it was not for defense. Its almost like magic. Explosion after explosion erupted out. It was now Tselikas turn to use Magic for defense while controlling the star student. A circular shield of light appeared in front of the raised bow, but the dress girl pushed forward nonetheless. She pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed. (Dammit! Theres no knowledge on this inside Gruagach! You useless girl!!) Kh. The star student bound by blue scorpion armor was lifted a bit from the ground. As if to cut in, the red dress girl swung the metal measuring tape down like a whip. Nitric acid is an oxidant and alcohol is a flammable liquid. We found both in the freight trains tanks. The slightest spark would blow away the world around them. Meaning... Combining the two gives you rocket fuel. Is that enough for your feeble brain to catch up? Blinding flashes of light danced around them. Tselika clenched her teeth, manipulated Gruagach through the blue scorpion armor, and tried to use Magic to somehow pin her feet to the ground. But it was too late. The long black twintail girl swung the metal measuring tape once more, a nearby fire hydrant was blown away in the explosion, and a great torrent of water erupted out. The white cloud you see in the footage of a rocket launch isnt smoke, said the girl who was calm enough to smile a little by this point. Its the steam created by the coolant water used to ensure the engine and launch equipment arent destroyed by the great heat. Although thats known as a steam explosion and is quite dangerous in its own way. She used that to be extra certain. The pressure quickly grew and crossed a certain line. Gruagach in her blue scorpion armor and translucent Tselika in her scale swimsuit were pushed back by the incredible force and sent flying like a meteor. They flew from the outdoor road and into a nearby complex building that acted as a landmark. They shattered the glass door and rolled on inside. Ghah! Gbhahh!! Heh heh heh, ha ha ha ha ha ha!! The star students pain reached translucent Tselika, but she overwrote it as pleasure as a form of anesthesia and then forced Gruagach to her feet. No matter what tricks she used, that red dress girl was not the same as the monstrous level cap Holy Swordswoman. She was no more than a slender, frail, and defenseless human. If Tselika faced her directly without being deceived, she would win. She only had to use Gruagach as a Summon Hunter and summon a Kraken or a Scylla. Then she could crush that girl like wringing juice from a fruit. But what happened next was something else unexpected. Something slid along the well-polished floor. Tselika looked cautiously over in that direction and saw a card-sized electronic device. Gruagachs knowledge told her what it was. (A smartphone? They insert their Shining Weapon into that to convert their Experience Points.) A moment later, she heard a mechanical beeping noise and red light appeared in the space around her. The light formed a perfect 2 meter square around Tselika and extended upwards as a pillar. I sent a signal to the other side. Tselika suddenly realized where this was. When a Sign In or Sign Out fails, the Gate produces a warning signal both on Earth and in Grounds Nir. This signal will have reached the other side. And Boo Boo just has to notice that. You...cant mean... If you carelessly used a wireless hotspot disguising itself as a public wireless LAN, you could allow access to your smartphone despite its security settings and that would allow someone to mess with your Experience Points. So it was best to turn off the feature that automatically searched for hotspots. Everyone received frequent warning emails about that. And Iroka, the eldest of the 3 maid sisters, could easily decode digitally encrypted police radio signals or remotely control normal smartphones. She could control Tselikas device whether she liked it or not. The Shining Weapon armor was not shaped like a USB key, but no one C not even Tselika C knew what would happen if the mobile device it worked through was destroyed. This was unsurprising when they were working in entirely unexplored territory. And this was not something to test out on the fly. It was not just Gruagach on the chopping block here. The same was true of Tselika as she clung to the girl through the thin barrier between worlds. The Sign In process takes 2 to 3 minutes to complete. The red dress girl stepped forward and swung the metal measuring tape through the air like a whip. And she recalled Boo Boos face when he had happily said the Nun had not run from him after seeing him in the forest. I will hold you here until then. I will send Gruagach and you back to Grounds Nir. You can apologize to Boo Boo there. Its time you saw the face of the one whos crying more than anyone else, Tselika!! Part 11 Tch. Translucent Tselika clicked her tongue with both an angels halo and a demons horns on her head. That Iberian Orc was nothing but direct physical strength, so it was especially devastating for him to be waiting beyond the Gate. Once Gruagach was sent back to Grounds Nir, Tselika would lose her anchor and she would return from the edge of the ever-expanding universe. Once that happened, she could easily be taken out with a single blow. Tchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! And that was why the radiant white demon cast everything aside. She would stab the scorpion tails red plug into Gruagachs back, kiss her nape, and use the Summon Hunters Magic to summon a giant Kraken or Scylla. She could seal them into an arrow or have them rampage through the giant complex to bring the entire building down from within. Either way, the destruction would reach the red dress girl with the force of a surging tidal wave. And that would sweep everything away. But the girl did not take a single step back. The 3 maids in charge of distributing the flammable gasses supported her as she swung the metal measuring tape in every direction to slice through the air and strike the walls or floor, creating sparks. More and more explosions were triggered and the surging dance of flames cut off the radiant white demons escape. She did not need to defeat the great monster. The red dress girls role was not to get an attack in on Tselika. She only had to keep her here for 2 to 3 minutes. She only had to hold her own position for 120 to 180 seconds. As long as she held firm for that long, the Gate would swiftly send Gruagach and Tselika back to Grounds Nir. The rest was Boo Boos job. That way he could rid himself of his regret, make up for everything, and smile freely once more. She would endure these fierce attacks, block the way like a thick slab of stone, and push back as hard as it took!! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? They both shouted and their frightening power clashed head on. But Tselika gradually pushed forward. She made progress toward escaping the Gates circle. The horned translucent demon sneered. The Sign In process was far from complete. She would escape at this rate. But that thought was interrupted by a series of dry bursting sounds. They came from behind the red dress girl as if to support her. The girl kept her attacks going as she looked back at the source of the gunfire and widened her eyes. She saw a shrine maiden with fluffy blonde hair and coke bottle glasses. That appearance was a complete mismatch with what the newcomer awkwardly held: a full-auto submachinegun that looked like it would fit in a business bag if it was folded up. The sinister drum magazine probably held 100-150 rounds. With the exception of the swirly glasses, there was no change to her appearance before and after, so the red dress girl muttered a name. Filinion...? Its not just me!! A heavy metal ball on a chain slammed into the radiant white demon. This attack came from someone else: an adult woman wearing glasses and a tight skirt suit whose long hair was worn up. Her appearance had changed quite a bit, but the weapon she used was enough to recognize her. Are you Armelina!? You didnt come that conclusion after looking at my chest, did you? Anyway, she comes first. Youre sending her to Grounds Nir with a forced Sign In, right!? Lets get on with it and end this!! Those 2 were far from unscathed. The unnatural way they supported their body weight suggested they were injured and Tselika had hinted as much earlier. They had likely lost once already. Nevertheless, they had stood back up. They had come this far to assist the twintail girl. Even if it meant clenching their teeth, dragging their heavy bodies along, and hiding the blood below their clothing. They had made it at the very end. So the red dress girl only had to accept it. She only had to accept their feelings. The help from those 2 friends changed the momentum of the clash. And the red dress girl had not been fighting alone in the first place. She was supported by the 3 maids who would accurately carry out whatever instructions they were given. And with everyones help, she once more pushed back against the isolated dictator!! Does it hurt? The red dress girl whispered while explosive flames and arrows of light flew back and forth. This might be a hackneyed and useless line, but Ill use it on you regardless: That person who died before your eyes wouldnt have wanted you to do this. Dont you dare act like you understand him!! Did that clichd argument sting? Is it hard hearing that kind of idealism? But thats as good as a confession that youve strayed far enough from the straight and narrow for it to hurt you!! This twintail girl had almost done the same once. She had almost turned everything to ashes in order to kill the leader of Elkiad, a collection of delinquent soldiers who had tried to make a mess of Boo Boos past and future. It was Boo Boo who had confronted her at the very end then. Nothing could have been more painful than finding him standing in her way, but not because of his great strength as an Iberian Orc. Somewhere in her heart, she had known. She had known that she had no argument that would defeat his as he stood directly in her path. He never would have wanted you to dirty your hands! He never would have wanted you to bring chaos to both worlds! He definitely would have wanted you to be happy!! Now, if you know a greater truth than that, then out with it, Tselika!! Dont look down! Look me in the eye and tell me!! This isnt a vote where majority rules and we arent obeying a passage in some ancient text. Search your heart and tell me what you find there! Can you tell me he was someone who would have wanted to accomplish his goal even if it meant you had to dirty your hands!? Can you tell me he was someone who would have said there was no sight in your Grounds Nir prettier than those cherry blossoms!? ...!? I know you cant tell me that! You might be able to spit on the entire world, but you can never say anything that would insult that man you wanted to protect! And if you cant find a truth inside you that can turn aside these cheap and hackneyed words, if you feel pain when confronted with this obvious truth, and if you feel so much pain and suffering that you cant speak and have to rely on brute force, then the entire tear jerking story supporting what youre doing is nothing but a sham. There is no reason to let both worlds be tossed around by something like that!! Not one!! Gh. A quiet beep sounded. 120 seconds had passed. The Gate had completed its preparations for a Sign In. I wont let you get away. You will be judged by the standards of Grounds Nir, your home, announced the red dress girl as she wielded the metal measuring tape like a whip. Go back home and apologize to that man and to Boo Boo, Tselika!!!!! Gwoooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Part 12 Meanwhile, Boo Boo was inside the forest in Grounds Nir. He sat on some exposed dirt and lined up a few small wooden panels. He flipped them over or turned them to the side according to some kind of system. Up in the trees, the palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana watched on curiously. Lady Sutriona, what is Boo Boo doing? Across Grounds Nir, there is a nearly limitless supply of those Gates the humans use. He is likely determining where to wait for the enemy. Oh, so its a kind of fortunetelling? Thats surprisingly romantic for Boo Boo. That was how the Fairy interpreted it, but Sutriona saw things differently as she stood on a tree branch. (A slide rule, hm? But it doesnt look like its made for simple function calculations. It is quite irregular.) The inn town humans had lamented the lack of calculators and computers beyond primitive resistors that used gears and ugly keys, but she had occasionally seen them using these instead of Magic or Shining Weapons. Some of them chose not to use Magic outside of the Labyrinth as a matter of principle. And she had heard that people had made calculations for astronomy, pharmaceuticals, steam engine cruise ships, and dams that held massive water pressure with only a slide rule back in a pre-computer age. Boo Boo would not be relying entirely on the slide rule he held. He would be making thousands or even millions of calculations in his head before moving one of the wooden panels. By repeating the process, he could complete a large job in pieces. So what was he going to all this trouble to calculate? With this much calculation power, he could likely accurately locate a ring thrown into the ocean. Once he had the answer, he stood up and muttered something to no one in particular. Beatrice should come from there. He had calculated out the truth. That just left the color of the gate to prove him right. Part 13 It was truly over in an instant. Everything danced before her eyes. The scenery changed. The atmosphere changed to something quite familiar. That almost biologically forced calm upon her, but this was no time for that. She heard a heavy noise from straight ahead. The star students vision was filled by a thick round mass. That round mass was the last of the Iberian Orcs carrying a giant Shining Weapon that could be mistaken for a log or steel beam. Ah. She did not have time to say anything. As previously established, it was over in an instant. So... Claaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!! It was a full horizontal swing. The blue scorpion armor was smashed to pieces as he scored a grand slam. Tselikas Parchment Negotiation Material She Never Got to Use! 1: How to Overcome the Mental and Physical Changes of Another World The slight differences in the planetary rotation, gravity, and atmosphere between Earth and Grounds Nir have serious mental and physical effects on visitors who stay for long periods of time. But I am a Succubus, one who leads people astray. If I Charm myself with the appropriately tuned values in advance, I can readjust my physiological rhythm and resolve this problem. This method is only possible for a Succubus and only understood by me because I spent so much time only able to watch as he wasted away in Grounds Nir, unable to Sign Out. I tried everything I could and failed, so I believe I know the structure of the human body better than anyone. 2: How to Create a Shining Weapon That Has Been Twisted Like a Mobius Strip I gradually modified his armor. I did so in order to place his hairs inside it, contact it through the thin barrier between worlds, and see the cherry blossoms with him. As a secondary effect, the Shining Weapons full power can be used in both Earth and Grounds Nir and the human I have hijacked as a slave device can summon other Nonhumans just like me. But this armor uses techniques and laws unique to Grounds Nir. Only someone who had spent as much time and agony on the issue as me would be able to reach this answer, but since a normal human would wither away both mentally and physically after only a few days, I doubt anyone else will ever reach this level. However, the method found in #1 could solve that problem. (This would generally only increase the risk of an invasion of Earth from Grounds Nir, so I doubt anyone would even try, but it would not surprise me if someone tried to tear off biological parts of the Nonhumans as a stepping stone to technological advancement on the same level as the Pieces.) 3: How to Control My Own Soul Using the Scorpion Armor and the Blood Oil. I will avoid putting this section to writing. I only need that knowledge in my own head. This is a contract to buy back a soul. Simply unrolling the parchment is the same as admitting defeat and letting a mere human defang me. I would rather bite my own tongue than spill my blood to rely on this. Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrie Volume 2, Epilogue Volume 2, Epilogue Once it was over, it almost seemed too easy. Tselika and possessed Gruagach had vanished from Earth. The Krakens and Scyllas they had released into the city had still been crawling around, but they had likely been held here by the Summon Hunter. With their master gone, the monsters rampaging through the city had also vanished into thin air. Once the threat was gone, things moved quickly. The world-class city with more than 10 million residents swiftly resumed functioning. Boo, said Boo Boo when Beatrice visited to Grounds Nir to report on the situation. Beatrice, I picked up that Gruagach person. Humans will damage their body if they stay here too long, so get her back to her world. Thanks, Boo Boo. Gruagach had her own circumstances and her body had been hijacked through the blue scorpion armor, but she was not exactly innocent. They were sure to find plenty of new facts if they looked into how she had gained her connection to Tselika. That said, it would be too much to leave her to the devastation of Grounds Nir. It would be best if she returned to Earth, atoned for her crimes, and recovered from there. By the way, Beatrice. I noticed something strange. Yeah? Boo Boo tilted his head and did not stop there. When I picked up Gruagach, that Tselika person wasnt there, he explained. ... Since she was being pulled toward your world by Gruagach, maybe she landed somewhere else after letting go of Gruagach. The Detached Magic Palace was a cleared area in the center of Roppongi, Tokyo. With the commotion over, the 3 of them gathered in one place once more. Given my job, Id really prefer to avoid anything that stands out so much, sighed the glasses woman in a tight skirt. The only one looking more uncomfortable than her was the fluffy blonde coke bottle glasses shrine maiden. You never told me you were working with the police or an external sector or whatever. I kind of fired a gun right in front of you, so whats going to happen to me now? Thats part of what this meeting is about. And I see both of you wear glasses. The red dress girl winked. Well, you saw how badly the JSDF and riot police failed. They wont want to dig their own graves, so I seriously doubt theyll do any real investigation into what happened during all that. To be blunt, youre the one in the most dangerous position here. The tight skirt woman sounded exasperated. Most of the problems will be swept under the rug, but the Information Broker group isnt going to turn a blind eye to this. The red Holy Swordswoman left the Detached Magic Palace without a central vote granting permission. Somethings bound to happen, so be careful. Thats my problem. The long black twintail girl shrugged and moved onto the next topic. Seeing that, the fluffy blonde glasses shrine maiden and the tight suit woman both bowed. They went past 45 degrees for a full 90 degrees. Sorry for everything!! I wont use my job as an excuse. I deceived you either way!! But the red dress girl only sighed. Deceived me? But I never told you everything about myself either. Like that I was confined to the Detached Magic Palace. Its not like I wasnt hiding anything. Youd just investigated it yourselves and tricked yourselves into thinking I was blameless, right? But...but I reported on Boo Boo. I even mentioned the secret of his Shining Weapon and the souls of the Iberian Orcs! That has to be your biggest weakness!! It doesnt really matter if people know that. Um, to get an idea of how powerful you are, I secretly measured the Percentage-style Magic you wear...and that means I gave them your measurements. Like your chest size! Okay, lets take this outside, cow. There was the occasional piercing comment, but it was generally peaceful. They already trusted each other. Small cracks like this were not enough to break that trust. More importantly, I want to ask about Tselika. She was a fake, you know? With that comment, the busty shrine maiden pulled out her smartphone so the others could see. It displayed the information site she ran. The Succubus name is just something the humans gave her, so she isnt actually one. Shes a similar race that lives in Grounds Nir, so dont forget that not all the legends found on Earth are going to apply. Yes, yes. Can we move on? Apparently, most demons dont have a physical body. And that includes the major demons like Lord Satan and Lord Beelzebub. Thats why they either hijack a human body or whisper in peoples ears to tempt them into evil deeds. Well, thats the interpretation anyway. Yeah? And thats why Tselika used that armor and that blood oil to control that twisted star student named...what is it? Gruagach? Yes, confirmed the shrine maiden with her fluffy blonde hair tied back in a long tube shape. But that explanation doesnt hold for a certain type of demon: the Succubus. Those demons do evil by...um, well, uh...sleeping with humans, so they cant fulfill their role without a physical body of their own, right? Huh...? A variety of theories have been proposed at religious councils, but the standard ones are that they create a temporary body in some way or that they can choose at will to be tangible or intangible. In that case... An unpleasant silence fell over the 3 of them. What if Tselika was able to maintain a physical body with enough power to continue interfering with Earth through the thin barrier even without using Gruagach as an anchor? Are you saying she might have escaped just before that star student was thrown through the Gate...? That was only one possibility. There was no basis to it. They would not allow it to be true. It was simply known as the conference room. It had no grand title and it was not assigned a number. It had no luxurious chairs or desks and not fancy interior decoration. Not even a single bottle of tea was provided. In fact, even the rectangular space did not really exist. It was no more than a community on a secret network. It was used by liaison councils so that recovery preparations could be swiftly made if any sudden and devastating damage were done to Tokyo by a disaster or other emergency. It was essentially the electronic version of decentralization. But some had found other value in its anonymity and it had become a den of evil. We can put off recovery operations for the capital until later. The topic at hand is how to deal with Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. That was not good at all. This problem is on the same level as suddenly losing contact with a submarine carrying a nuke. Depending on how the other nations interpret this, the tension could reach the breaking point. The speakers had no names and were not assigned numbers. They gave no thought to each others identities or influence. That was what allowed them to have a fair vote without laying out all sorts of groundwork first. It did not matter who was speaking. They only cared that they arrived at the correct answer. They had none of the cheap pride of someone who felt joy in showing off their knowledge. Then what shall we do? Disposing of her would be a loss for the nation. She is meaningless if she cannot be controlled. The five great regional cities have found their next candidates: an Ice Waterfall Princess and a Noble Dancer. Leaving this to them is always an option. We cannot decide that so easily. That is what the conference room is for. Let us vote, as always. An anonymous vote was much like abandoning responsibility. Even if the result was a failure, they could not be personally criticized. They had all made the decision together, which softened any guilt they might feel. That allowed them to present bolder opinions without fear, but it also introduced the danger of turning toward more extreme and escalated opinions without giving them the appropriate thought. Policy was leaning toward abandoning the people of Tokyo and building up more regional areas, but that may have been the influence of this conference room. Tselikas plan could never have reached fruition if Beatrice had not acted. She has been carrying out her duty of gathering Pieces for the benefit of Japan. I was willing to turn a blind eye if she had a little bit of fun, but this is too much. I am also concerned about the Iberian Orc who is in contact with her. I heard that the Shining Weapon that Nonhuman carries has his fellow Iberian Orcs souls stored inside as data. That is an irregularity equal to or even greater than Tselika. That too could lead to Nonhumans crossing between the 2 worlds. Should we confiscate it? How about we leave that to Beatrice? As a way to make up for her own crime. The irresponsible exchange began shifting in a certain direction and reached its completion when a cruel essence began to grow. Just like always. And no one questioned the way things were developing. They were all chuckling in front of monitors separated by great distances, but there was no real meaning to this. They had no idea that their conversation was being monitored with all of their real names attached. (Now, then. I need to keep those idiots talking themselves in endless circles like always.) They saw themselves as kings, but god would not let them look down on others. That privilege was something god lent to the king. (Messing with Beatrice now would be foolish to the extreme. Why would they start another fire when Tselikas conflagration still hasnt been completely put out? I will admit these people are geniuses when it comes to exasperating an old woman like me. As usual.) If those intrusive and influential people were given important-looking chairs to sit at, they would gladly enter the cage. And while their entirely meaningless discussions bought some time, the old woman only had to casually guide their opinions to turn them into the perfect puppets. They could hold a 4-hour meeting and be guided to an answer in the last 5 minutes and yet never question it, so it was impressive in a way. (What are you going to do now, Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier? The delayed recovery of the city really hurt us. Particularly the surveillance network. Thats how she managed to disappear.) Several messages danced within the email software displayed in another frame on the screen. They had been sent to the Ushigashira Shrine. They were discussing a dinner party for the Yokohama Summit. The G22... The leaders of 22 leading and developing nations. Has she attached herself to one of them? If that happened, they would not be able to simply gather up anyone suspicious in a sort of witch hunt. The false accusations would develop into international incidents and this country would become isolated. But if nothing was done and all those leaders returned home, it would be difficult to reach Tselika. If she controlled the leader of a great nation that influenced international society as a whole, she could slowly tighten her grip on Japan from a safe zone and she would have no reason to stay in one place. If she continued moving from person to person while ignoring the pyramid structure of human society, it would be impossible to capture her. (But thats only if she remains 100% wary of humans. If we let her go this time, she might get carried away and make a mistake. I even have the perfect bait for her with the conference room.) The old woman thought coldly but then sighed. Instead of her enemy, her thoughts turned to a carefree person: a shrine maiden with fluffy blonde hair and coke bottle glasses. Enjoy the time you have, demon lord. But even if I have to use the conference room as a breakwater and even if I have to sacrifice myself, I will not let you reach the shrine maiden princess. It was a moonlit evening. A red dress girl slowly walked around the large garden after finishing dinner. Her smartphone had received a message from an unknown sender. The accounts image icon was a cherry blossom petal. Hello, Holy Swordswoman. Im just going to assume you already know its impossible to send messages from Grounds Nir. ... Since she was confined to the Detached Magic Palace, the girls internet environment was also monitored, but this message had been sent despite that. The sender was either an idiot or protected by something even greater than this nations monitoring system. How? Even I was surprised. I honestly had no plan once I lost Gruagach. I never imagined something else would anchor me here. Beatrice had asked the maids to investigate that after the fact. That being what Tselika had buried below a certain cherry tree. Did you find his hairs? She did not answer. They decompose so quickly, dont they? Was it the dirt, the bugs, or the water? Did they reach an underground vein of water, or did they turn to vapor and enter the atmosphere? That anchor has dispersed too much for anyone to locate it now. And that is why I can remain here forever. All while I possess person after person. The girl could do nothing as the answers kept coming. I achieved my goal. You got in my way, Beatrice, but I never could have crossed between worlds without your help. Although it would seem my plan to fake my death just wasnt good enough. Still, you helped me more than you hindered me, so I decided to thank you directly. This device was being monitored. It would be meaningless to ask to have the signal traced. If Tselika could not be located in this environment, there was nothing else they could do. What do you plan to do? I wanted to stand before the cherry blossoms with his hairs. But now that I have completed that top priority, more and more desires are rising within me. I think I will enjoy a comfortable life. Rest easy, Beatrice. I will have nothing more to do with you. I will not hound you forever and ever. It was in fact the red dress girl who had business with Tselika. By sending her influence through the thin barrier between worlds, Tselika had rampaged through Tokyo without actually crossing that barrier, but to prepare for that, she had placed her soul and traces of herself inside Gruagachs armor and soft skin, had Gruagach pass through the Gate, and intentionally let the filter between worlds catch her soul. Which meant one thing: she had achieved the twintail girls final objective. Namely, to retrieve the Iberian Orc souls from Boo Boos Shining Weapon, give them physical bodies, and free them. Tselika had a portion of the answer. Its no use. Give up on capturing me and getting me to talk. My technique is mine and mine alone. I will not let even the greatest nation touch that crystallization of what I created for him. But it is possible. You need to find satisfaction in that information alone. The cherry blossom petal message seemed to answer the girls questions in advance. That would be another reason why Tselika was remaining on Earth instead of returning to Grounds Nir where she could be hunted down by pure numbers. It was not for her own safety but to ensure the technique connected to her memories was not stolen. And the red dress girl realized she hoped that was the case. If it was, she would not have to despise that demon. I dont really gain anything from this. I just wanted to present a bit of a question to you. Just get to the point, urged the girl. Passing between worlds sounds simple enough, but it is more than just an issue of distance. And I have heard whisperings of an interesting theory in this world: the theory of relativity. It would seem that time and distance are closely related. The message was just text, but it carried real emotion. It contained some amusement but also some fear. Then doesnt the technology to transcend that distance also carry the possibility of interfering with that other closely-related concept? Namely, time. His home was covered in shadows and run down. But was that really due to the cruelty of this world? Is it also possible that there was a barrier of time as well as space when passing between worlds? That possibility scares me a little. Time... Then again, that doesnt really hold up when you look at it from a causality perspective. And I technically havent really traveled between worlds, so you should assume I have no idea what Im talking about. That said, it is possible those Gates could be used for something entirely different if the conditions were right. Tselika had likely lost interest. Just as she had arrived without warning, she ended the conversation without warning. Just like a cherry blossom that scattered into the wind even though everyone wished it could stay in bloom forever. But first she left one final message: Be careful. If you let your guard down, someone you trust might trip you up when you least expect it. Just like this demon did. Round Boo Boo was small and looked like a stuffed animal. He was in high spirits this morning. Everyone was afraid of the Iberian Orcs, but he still had a friend. When he was with her, he would lose track of time. The friend he had met in the forest was named Beatrice. Boo Boo. Do you want to go deeper into the forest today? Theres a waterfall that creates a big rainbow and we can catch a ton of fish there. Lets go, lets go!! Fish are hard to eat with all their little bones, but Ive heard catching lots of fish means youve grown up!! Boo Boo. The nobler sign of growing up is that you have someone who will make food for you and who will be waiting for you to come home. But I want to learn how to hunt. If I can catch my own food, then Ive really grown up. And then I can make lunches for you, Beatrice! With that decided, he had to go get his fishing pole. Unfortunately, he could not tell Beatrice about the Iberian Orc village. Not only its location but also that they even lived as a group like that. The village was located quite near the Labyrinths entrance, but only they knew about its existence. Once everyone in the village knew more about Beatrice and accepted that she was a good person, they were sure to give permission. So Boo Boo returned to the village alone, grabbed a fishing pole, and turned right back around. He met someone on the way. She wore red armor. She wore a giant Shining Weapon on her back that could be mistaken for a log or steel beam. She had the sexy bodylines of an adult woman and her silver and red hair fluttered behind her. ... Most humans responded with fear when they saw Boo Boo or the other Iberian Orcs. Some would even throw stones. Since everyone in the village told him they were panicking rather than angry, he could not hate them for it, but it did make him sad. He really wished he did not have to feel like this before going to play with Beatrice. However, she did not seem bothered by seeing him. For some reason, she looked sad even though she was smiling. Get going. Hurry along. She gently moved aside so Boo Boo could continue down the path with his fishing pole in both hands. Go be with your friend before the circle closes. He may have been overthinking it. There may have been no displeasure on her face. But when he calmly observed her, he felt like she was barely containing something inside her. Are you okay? ... You look like youre about to cry. Ive never seen someone look like that. I know what to do if you have a stomachache or a toothache. There are a lot of different fruits and caterpillars in the forest and you can combine them into a medicine. But nothing more happened when he walked closer. The red armor woman said nothing more, turned her back, and left. Boo Boo tilted his head. I guess she didnt have a stomachache or toothache. That was his conclusion. Beatrice had to be waiting for him, so he started running with fishing pole in hand. What would have happened if he had questioned that encounter? Why had that woman been on a secret animal trail no human had been told about? And if she was headed in the opposite direction, did that mean she was on her way to the village? Meanwhile, the red armor woman carrying a large sword felt a tightness in her chest. But she continued walking along the animal trail. That was all she did. She could not look back given what she was about to do. And if she did look back, the others would notice. That was when she heard a rustling in the surrounding bushes. Those people would not do so by mistake. They were elites that had received the standardized training of an allied nation. That meant this was an intentional signal to tell her they were there. They were telling her they were not enemies and everything was going as planned. The circle around the village had closed. Now no one could escape. I assume youre the Elkiad I was told about. When she responded vocally, a man stepped out of the bushes to answer in kind. The gray-haired man was their leader. Even at his age and even with the dignity he had built up, he still could not leave these dangerous scenes. That man who had married war laughed and answered her in a deep voice. Thats right, wanderer. Our preparations are complete. You didnt miss anyone on the way here, did you? No, I didnt see anyone at all. They are all in the village. She casually lied. She did not look back. Then lets get this search-and-destroy mission started, Beatrice. We have high hopes for your work here. On that day, Boo Boo had lots of fun. He fished with a girl who seemed like an older sister yet retained her innocence and then he excitedly returned to the village expecting everyone to praise him. When he showed them the basket full of fish, they were sure to accept that Beatrice was an amazing person and they would let him tell her where the village was. But by then, it was all over and nothing remained. Nothing at all. No one at all. Volume 2, Afterword Volume 2, Afterword This is Kamachi Kazuma. That was Volume 2! Now we can actually call this a series. In Volume 1, I focused on establishing what kind of place Grounds Nir is and the real world(?) was fairly neglected, so I focused on Earth, Japan, and Tokyo this time. But that is still a twisted world. Even if they cant use it there, how would people think and act in a world where Magic is known to exist? I think this was an interesting thought experiment. Grounds Nir was based on a fantasy RPG, so I made chaotic Tokyo more of a modern RPG. The schools student council explores a labyrinth afterschool, you have to move around underground pathways while avoiding the monsters wandering around, and the Ministry of Defense performs serious experiments in creating occult weapons. Doesnt that have its own kind of romance? This introduced the remnants of giant structures in Grounds Nir such as the Next Voyager and the Enter Kosmos. If you look into what those names are based on, you might be able to imagine how history played out in this series. ...If another world existed and it would lead to technological revolutions through Magic and Pieces, wouldnt the world powers put as much effort into that as they did to plant their flag on the moon? It might not have much to do with the actual plot, but I love adding those extraneous elements to help build up the world. If you understand the connection between the flag on the moon and Grounds Nir, you might be able to better picture why someone as powerful as Beatrice is confined to the Detached Magic Palace and why it is considered such a threat when she broke out. Yes, the rockets that fly to the moon can easily be converted into missiles. So the disaster this time may have been like a giant rock falling from the moon toward the humans who are learning so much by sending probes to the moon. This unique Break News caused great damage when it was thought things could only go the other way. It was all for her beloved, but Tselika hid that gentle reason behind a veil of selfishness and greed as she sent shockwaves through 2 worlds with a malicious smile on her face. She may have been the most human one of all, but I will leave it to all of you to judge her. I think I will develop this story with a focus on the romance between Boo Boo and Beatrice, but love does not always lead to positive and heartwarming results. I was trying to use Succubus Tselika and that man to show that here. Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier. Id be impressed if you remembered the full name. I borrowed just the name from a character in my previous series (is that what I should call it?). There are all sorts of different demons, but I always think of the Succubus before the big names like Satan or Lucifer. Maybe thats because the big names have enough of a fixed image that theyre harder to use in a story. And just as the novel mentioned, the Succubus is a lower demon and yet they have the special skill(?) to create a physical body. That fact may have tugged at my heartstrings. And the Thousand Dragon returned this time. I was trying to see if I could create a story from her(!?) point of view and have a battle that made use of her 1000 meter body, but how did I do? The point of the Break News is to show the different ways you can develop the idea of the strongest, but I think the Thousand Dragon has the most obvious strength of that group. A heated battle and the tearfulness of a picture book. Not everyone who hits those criteria is a good person, but I wanted this world to have the kindness to allow her to save someone and recover from her defeat. How did you like that warmth? I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. With monsters strolling through Tokyo, this had to have been a lot of work different again from full-on fantasy. Sorry for making you go to so much effort yet again. And I give my thanks to the readers. Just as Grounds Nir has its stories, the real world has its stories. That was what I focused on for Volume 2, but what did you think? Im glad that Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina are just as attached to each other in Tokyo. And I will end this here. How did she modify her muscular beloveds armor to end up with that? -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 3, Armelina’s☆Matching SNS Lobby Volume 3, ArmelinasMatching SNS Lobby The Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo, was a white building in a green paradise carved out of the city centers best district. It was made so the resident, servants, and guests would each walk down their oddly separate hallways without ever crossing paths. That complex structure may have been similar to a TV station. And one of the Detached Magic Palaces living spaces for servants was a bath. The 3 maids C sized large, medium, and small C were soothing the days exhaustion there. Now, a surprise visit from your master! Gyaaahh!? M-m-milady!? When a girl with long black twintails suddenly showed up and jumped into the large bath, the shortest maid, Haruka, screamed. Nooo, now I have to take care of your hair again, milady. Umm, moisture cream, extra virgin olive oil, and camellia extract... Oh? Sounds like her hair is going to be delicious. It sounds more like youre repairing a cathedral fresco!! The girl whose long hair spread out on the bathwaters surface did not seem to mind. The normal height and sporty second sister, Misoka, looked exasperated as she rested her head on the tub with her semi-long hair tied back with a hair tie. So the ladys back to her bad habits, is she? But isnt this a little soon? Its normally only once a month that shes so starved for attention she acts like shell die without it. Given her background, I do not mind letting her indulge in this. But, miss, Ive been meaning to tell you that you need to wash your body before getting in the bath. This is poor manners. The largest (breast-wise) maid who kept her tutor glasses on even in the bath, Iroka, gently scolded the girl, but it would not have much effect. While Iroka had her long hair carefully wrapped in a towel, their master was a troublesome girl who would relieve her stress by jumping into the gazebo jacuzzi without even removing her red dress. As she floated face up in the bathwater like usual and Haruka quickly placed a towel over the important bits, the twintail girl used some kind of device. Bff!? Your smartphone!? Please dont bring a camera-equipped communication device into a bath full of soft maiden skin!! Im talking with Armelina, so its fine. Shes apparently a strict civil servant who was too much of a stickler for the rules to stay at Sakuradamon. She was not entirely focused on this conversation because she was also facing a problem on the screen. The career woman on the screen had this to say: Anyway, Ive started using that Nanskagram thing. I heard raising your online status can make it easier to put together a Party for exploring the Labyrinth. I see, I see. Well, you dont want to sit around in an inn town tavern all the time. We can only stay in Grounds Nir for a few days at a time, so I understand wanting to get as much done in this world as you can so you can focus on the Labyrinth once youre there. Peoples appearances and occupations were entirely different between the real world and Grounds Nir, but that did not mean relationships had to restart from zero. If you got along with some people at your school or workplace, you could Sign In together. And on the internet, you could act differently than in real life to gather people. You could also build a connection by exchanging contact information after meeting in Grounds Nir. Both lies and the truth could be used freely. An unpopular student at a prep school could act like a heroic character online and become a leader who ended up visiting the Labyrinth with an idol or a foreign princess who had changed their appearance to preserve their anonymity. Whether in reality or online, those connections were vital. ...Of course, those also led to the creation of troublesome Guilds like the military Elkiad or the extremist Religious Society, so it was not always a good thing. Now, Id like some advice about that. Youre the human bagworm who uses the internet to put together a Party without taking a step out of your home, so Id like to call you master. You understand, dont you? What!? Whore you calling a human bagworm!? The career woman on the screen ignored the caged bird who lived off of taxes and got to the point. No matter what I do, I cant get more than 3 sures. Can you tell me what Im doing wrong? Im about to die of loneliness. Lets see. Wheres your page? Here!! So its not just the rest of the world!? Not even my friends are checking it!? The twintail girl left the white building and entered a night so tranquil it was hard to believe this was in the city center. The Detached Magic Palaces grounds were a kilometer-wide circle. If you thought of pi as about 3 (ha ha), then the circumference was approximately 3 kilometers. A lap would make for a decent jog. ...She had been nearly helpless during the recent Demon Tselika incident. She did not feel like she had fully protected Boo Boos heart, so she was in the process of remaking her body as a form of penance. As the girl ran alongside the tall wall again, she sent an annoyed voice into her smartphone. ...Um, Armelina. Yeah, what did you think? I tried to include as many of the things I like as I could. I didnt hold anything back! And I put up more than 200 photos pretty quickly. I worked hard! So how in the world do I have less than 3 sures when the internet is connected to the entire human race!? Mind explaining why every last one of those photos has your face blotted out!? Eh? With my job, I cant exactly reveal my face, now can I? And look at this profile. Name: Unknown. Sex: Unknown. Age: Unknown. Academic History: Unknown. Occupation: Unknown. Favorite Food: No-Bake Cheesecake. ...What is with all these redactions!? Am I reading a classified document I shouldnt be touching!? ? I cant help it. I work for a private detective agency that gathered retired police officers and JSDF officers to handle the special investigations the police cant touch! A-and it wasnt all redacted! I made sure to mention the no-bake cheesecake! And what are we supposed to make of this photo of the mysterious sweet tooth rejoicing as she fires a Gatling gun in an underground shooting range? Oh, now that was fun! Thanks to my JSDF connections, I was invited below Fuji! I bet Im 1 of only like 3 Japanese people who have held that in their hands as it rotated 12 thousand times a minute. When I told the Yokosuka marines about it at the bar, you shouldve seen how wide their eyes got. Im saying no one can understand what it means if you dont explain the story behind it! Just from your page, you look like a dangerous person of unknown identity having fun firing heavy weaponry in a secret base built below your home! Ehh? The career womans voice was entirely void of tension. The twintail girl sighed in the cutting-edge sportswear that Iroka had recommended to her (while unable to stop grinning). Armelina, were not uploading meme videos to a video sharing site, so you dont need anything fancy. But then how am I supposed to gather attention? Im sick of these days where my number of sures would round down to 0. Its just depressing seeing people upload a commentless photo of a dandelion and then get around 100 sures. Dont cry, police woman. Just be yourself. Then youre sure to get plenty of Party members on Nanskagram. Here, Ill upload a photo of me to show you. There are plenty of ways to make friends while hiding your identity. Wha-!? In a far distance place, a chair clattered against the floor. A career woman in glasses and a tight skirt suit was looking down at her smartphone. (Wh-what the hell is this!? Is she that clueless? Did she start wearing that because someone told her it was cutting-edge sportswear? Shes no emperor, so is this the Princesss New Clothes!?) This is what she found on her friends page: (Photo) A sweaty girl with black twintails stands on a jogging course at night. She is breathing heavily, her cheeks are red, she is wearing a PE uniform with red bloomers, her hand covers her eyes, and she has a thin smile on her lips. (Comment) Could anyone accompany me to the Labyrinth for a bit? Looking for friends Five minutes after uploading, it had more than 600 thousand sures. The comments included some that were clearly not in Japanese, so this was a worldwide celebration. The career womans efforts and her 200+ mountain of photos had been easily surpassed and blown away in only 5 minutes. Her dead eyes read through comments like Shes got some pretty nice tits, If youre going to upload photos like youre a model, you need to be at least this good, or Whether professional or amateur, anything below this would be worthless. Her hands naturally rubbed lightly at her chest instead of the smartphone. Flaaaaat. ... On that day, a career woman with a lopsided frown drank tequila (which she normally avoided) until the first train of the day left, greatly worrying the elderly bartender. I thought you said we werent supposed to upload meme images, you moron!! Maam, I think youve had enough. Shuddup! Im not reahy for cold waher yed. Bring out alllll the tehila you got! Im nod leavin till Ive had 600 thouhand boddles! Volume 3, 1: Tower Defense! Volume 3, Chapter 1: Tower Defense! Part 1 As a human-bodied, pig-faced Iberian Orc, Boo Boo was around 4 meters tall with plenty of fat covering powerful muscles. While he was collecting yellow fruits from the branches overhead, he spotted a familiar face swinging a fishing pole at a nearby stream. Several rectangular frames made from thin chains were displayed in midair, so she may have been using some kind of tricky Magic to read the fishes movements. She was staring at the water with an extremely serious look on her face and muttering something under her breath. No matter what you do, a small face wins out. So is perspective the key to it all? If I make double peace signs in front of the camera like this and then pull my head back...like this? Eureka! This is the equation for victory! Its gotta be this angle. Heh heh heh... Boo. What are you doing, Armelina? Why are you sitting on that big box? Nwahduckfacedrabech!? As Boo Boo had pointed out, the green Fighter Priest was using a large locked treasure chest as a chair. She sprang upwards, still in her sitting position, and her face was beet red. Y-you saw that!? No, um, I had way too much to drink yesterday and its still affecting me. Man, that turmeric really doesnt work. I might be in trouble soon. Ow, ow, ow! The hangover is still lingering in the core of my head... What does all that mean? Treasure chests did not grow in the mountains or forest, so she would have had to lug it all the way out here. That would have been simple enough for Armelina whose physical specialization allowed her to swing around metal balls and giant hammers. Well, I have my reasons... What about you, Boo Boo? Are you out searching for food again? I thought I would get some Wild Cow milk today. He claimed to be after cow milk, but Boo Boo was gathering yellow fruits the size of human heads. Armelina tilted her head and grimaced at the lingering hangover, but the answer presented itself soon thereafter. The sounds of snapping branches told her something quite large was approaching. Sensing danger, the Fighter Priest threw out her fishing pole and got up from the treasure chest. Armelina, Wild Cows are pretty unruly, so you need to be careful. The females have curly horns, but let your guard down and theyll send you flying with a single jab. Eh? Even someone as large as you? But dont worry. Theyre obedient if you give them some Tipsy Fruit. The Iberian Orc was exactly right. A giant mammal the size of a light car arrived as it knocked over trees, but Boo Boo tossed the yellow fruit to the ground. When it caught scent of them and began chewing on them, it grew unsteady and then collapsed on its side. Boo Boo picked up what he had set down next to him: a wooden bucket like one might drop into a well. It wont struggle now. The trick is to milk them while theyre like this. Uh, um, ummmm... As Armelina watched, he used his giant hands to casually grab the giant udders. He squeezed out the milk with surprisingly practiced hand. He seemed to have used a fruit that grew alcoholic through natural fermentation, but that was not the point to the brightly blushing Fighter Priest. Y-you cant do that, Boo Boo! Y-you cant treat a girl like this. Do it at a tavern and youll be crossing a pretty serious line! Boo? Whats a tavern? Some tricky star??? Th-thats kind of scary. Who knows what could have happened to me if Id kept drinking until I passed out yesterday. I need to show more self-restraint... Mutter, mutter... Boo Boo only looked puzzled as he completed his work, tore off a green leaf, and held it near the Wild Cows nose. The giant mammal blinked, got back up, and staggered off into the forest. Boo Boo, what was that? Oh, that was Wide Awake Mint to sober it up. If I left it there, a Werewolf or something wouldve eaten it, so I make a point of helping it recover. Armelina groaned and came to a stop. After a while, she averted her gaze and spoke quietly, as if making a confession. Sorry, Boo Boo. Do you have any more of that leaf? She tapped her index fingers together and mumbled the question, but the conversation was cut short by a high-pitched cry that was more of a meh than a moo. They looked down and saw 3 calves too young for their fur pattern to have grown in. They were rubbing against Boo Boos feet. I think these are Wild Cow babies. They were left behind. Werent they probably drawn to you by the scent of the milk you took, Boo Boo? Unsure what to do, Boo Boos hands wandered through the air, but the hungry calves would not leave his side. Even after the sobering mint, the mother cow had not recovered enough to notice their absence and return, so they would become seriously separated before long. Boo, I guess I have to take them back to their herd. Eh? You know where their home is? Didnt you say theyre wild? Dont underestimate my nose. I can sniff out Jewel Truffles and Tree Hollow Honey, so finding their mom will be easy. But then wild killer intent prickled at the back of his neck. The entire forest shook. The frightened calves kept near Boo Boo and Armelina as the surrounding trees were toppled by a small hill of a creature. The monster looked like a complex hybrid of a lion, a snake, and a goat. Armelina looked up at it and grabbed her metal staff of a Shining Weapon. A Chimaera? And this ones huge!! They were omnivores, but when they were upset, they were known to torment their prey to cheer themselves up. They had no fangs, so their prey was not granted a quick death and they especially liked to target large herbivores. Was it after the drunk mother? If so, it might try to use the screams of her children. Boo Boo responded by placing the milk bucket down on the black dirt and glanced down at the calves that continued to weakly tremble and call for their mother with moos and mehs. Armelina. Keep an eye on this. Dont let the calves drink it. Hold on. What are you doing, Boo Boo? Boo. You cant help taking lives to eat, but thats not what hes doing. He grabbed the giant Shining Weapon at his waist that could be mistaken for a log or a steel beam, lightly spun it around, and held it out toward the Chimaeras nose. Having borrowed some milk, that man among men made an announcement while protecting the calves. You chose the wrong time to hunt. Thats my prey. I wont let you have it. Part 2 Wide Awake Mint seemed to have some effect on hangovers. Armelina was feeling a lot better and Boo Boo asked her a question while holding his large bucket in one hand. What are you doing here, Armelina? Well, the treasury I use in the inn town is having some trouble. Theyre swapping out all of the locks, so they cant look after my valuables until thats done. Thats why I just visited the depths of the Labyrinth and grabbed a tricky-to-open treasure chest. Humans could use the Gates to freely travel between Earth and Grounds Nir, but anything other than humans was much harder to transport. And since they had to return to Earth periodically to avoid the mental and physical problems brought on by a long stay, they would have to let go of the treasure they were leaving in Grounds Nir. But just the chests lock isnt enough to put my mind at ease. Can I bury it near your house, Boo Boo? I doubt anyones going to go to the trouble of digging holes there. Not human or wild beast. I dont mind at all. Everyone has their secret treasures. That last comment made her very curious, but she was distracted when Boo Boo picked up the treasure chest with his empty hand. Ill carry that. Oh, youre such a gentleman, Boo Boo. Not many guys are willing to sound so pretentious around me. Boo? Whats a gentleman??? They continued chatting on the way to Boo Boos leaf house partway up the mountain. I asked Beatrice and Filinion to get some Sour Grapes, so they should be back soon. If you put some sour fruit juice in the milk bucket, it solidifies and keeps longer, which is convenient. Its really yummy if you put it in a leather bag water bottle and cool it in the river. Oh, so is it like cream cheese? I really like no-bake cheesecake. It makes a lot and it lasts a long time, so we can all eat some. The conversation had taken an unexpectedly gourmet turn, but Armelinas main task was burying the treasure chest full of her personal items. She said bye to Boo Boo as he entered his leaf house and she started searching for a good spot outside. (In the field, I guess? The dirt looks soft, so it would probably be easy to bury something there.) Zona zona. Uuh, theres a Break News stabbed into the field!? It was Ileana, the greatest of the Mandragoras. That brown woman was known as a perverted carrot by the Fairy Queen and she was buried up to the bottom of her chest as if relaxing in a sand bath. Armelina was not going to bury the treasure chest where anyone could see her, so she had no choice but to head past the leaf house and to the opposite side of the field. This area got little sun and had large stones lying around. It may have been where Boo Boo had gathered all the roots and stones that were in the way when preparing his field. (But if it isnt popular, its perfect for hiding something.) Armelina placed the treasure chest on the ground and checked the lock just to be sure. She was mostly known for constantly swinging around heavy maces and balls on chains, but her specialty in physical movement also scaled down to the micro-level and allowed her to do detailed work like picking locks. Now, then. She pulled a few icepick-like tools from her bright green priest outfit with a large slit up the sides. She followed the guidance of some Magic light to slip them into the gap between the lid and box instead of into the keyhole. After feeling a solid sensation like she was catching at it with metal fingernails, she stuck an L-shaped tool into the keyhole and twisted it like a lever. It easily opened like she had used a real key. Curse these master keys for working so well. This is why I cant completely trust the locks. The Fighter Priest lamented her own skill. Incidentally, the chest was not full of strange treasure or secret documents. It contained a fluffy rabbit doll, a cat keychain, a chick mug, etc. Armelina recalled the Nun in the inn town who had helped make Mixing requests until recently. Yeah, I definitely cant let anyone see this... Nevertheless, she heard some rustling from the bushes behind her. Her shoulders jumped, and she practically tackled the treasure chest of secrets to slam it shut before turning around. Wh-whos there!? Is it Boo Boo? Or Beatrice!? Youve got it all wrong! This is important reference materials for my research of cultural customs! Okay, fine! Ill pay you five Medium Obsidian Gears! Goddammit! Have I really done this to myself again so soon after the selfie practice!? The civil servant found herself in as pathetic a crisis as someone who tried to project their presentation on the conference room wall and instead displayed an image from their private collection, but she was surprised to find that it was not the Iberian Orc or the red Holy Swordswoman watching her. Something else entirely stood from the bushes while apologetically scratching its head. Sorry. I saw everything. Gnyaaahhh!? A talking skeletoooon!! Part 3 On the roof of Boo Boos leaf house, half of a Bucket Ostrich Egg was placed upside down to form a ceiling and a stick was used to prop up one side as an entrance. The humidity was trapped inside, creating a Fairy sauna. Such saunas were used as secret discussion spots. It was technically used to get people to spill the beans by preventing someone from thinking too much. Otherwise they could dodge the issue forever after they were summoned...or that was how their culture did things, anyway. However, the egg sauna was currently occupied by Meridiana, who lived at the leaf house without permission, and her little sister Alice. They had turned themselves into cabbage rolls by wrapping beautifying Super Sweet Leaves around themselves like bath towels. Meridianas leaf was red and Alices was yellow. Bigger leaves were better for cooking, but they searched out smaller ones to wrap around their bodies. And how the leaves were heated changed their sweetness, so anyone who knew what they were doing would set adjust the heating for their skin and personal preferences. The leaves were hand-shaped, so it was a little tricky to wrap them up like a cabbage roll. That was why Meridiana had a single leaf wrapped around her like a standard bath towel while Alice had two less-sweet leaves pasted together, one on the front and one on the back. The trick was to cut holes in the back for their wings. The older sister leaned forward and peered up at her little sisters expression. She did not seem to notice the sweat gathering in her large cleavage. Honestly, I went to the trouble of setting this up and thats what you want to talk about, Alice? I-I swear I saw it! The heated leaves had absorbed plenty of moisture, so they were plastered to the Fairies skin and the skins color faintly showed through. Alice had thought she had recently started growing some curves, but seeing Meridiana with a Crystal Acorn cap on forced her to rethink that. Youre afraid of ghosts? Meridiana sounded skeptical. At your age??? With thin ivy tying her purple hair into twintails, Alices face grew red for reasons other than the sauna. There were undead beings in Grounds Nir, such as Will-o-the-Wisps and Zombies, but a lot of people questioned if they had any connection to previously living individuals. It was thought they were simply a species that looked like that. Thats not what I said! It was a Skeleton! A proper Nonhuman! If its a proper species, then just ignore it. Thats not the point! Uuuh, those undead types are scary in a different way. What Im saying is... The sisters had colorful leaves wrapped around their bodies at the moment, but Meridiana recalled her younger sisters normal outfit. Since she wore twintails despite having short hair, her purple head looked like a candy wrapper and she wore a short, almost violet-colored dress with a wide open back. The skirt was cut along either side in an attempt at sexiness, but her body had not quite developed enough to match. Alice was still quite childish as she desperately asked for advice about her ghost story, but then the voice of the leaf houses owner rang up from below. Yummy! This chicken is yummy! Even the bones are yummy! Ah, ahh! You cant, Boo Boo! Youre not supposed to eat the bones when you have fried chicken! Fish bones are small and pointy, so they prickle, but chicken ones are fine. Theyre nice and crunchy! Yummy bones!! The mood was entirely ruined. Perhaps because the sauna was keeping her from thinking, one of the two with soaked leaves clinging to their bodies let out a yell. It was Alice with her 4 thin dragonfly-like wings. Curse that pig-face! This is an important discussion and hes ruining everything!! Stop that, Alice! You mustnt speak that way about the person who rescued all Fairies without asking for anything in return! And its only because were in Boo Boos territory that we can relax in this sauna on a roof when were so far down on the food chain. How can you be so ungrateful!? Alice shrank down after her older sister scolded her. But as she rubbed her sweaty thighs together and fidgeted, she did not seem to have accepted her sisters argument. Uuh...uuuh... Alice? You didnt used to be like this. You never come home anymore, so why dont you just go ahead and marry that Iberian Orc!? Bff! U-um, Alice, uh, I think that would be skipping, well, several steps, and it would only make things really complicated with Beatrice and Lady Sutriona. Blush, blush. Eh heh heh...!! Uuh, uuh!! I hope you get caught by the Skeleton and turned into bones! Wahhhhh!! Alice refused to listen and flew out of the egg sauna while still only protected by the yellow leaves plastered to the front and back of her body. Ahh! That girl forgot her clothes! And what does she mean turned into bones!? Meridiana had no choice but to leave the sauna, wash off the sweat, dry herself off with a large piece of cotton fluff, put on her clothes, and head out in search of her little sister. But then... Oh? When she looked down form the leaf houses roof, she noticed a guest approaching Boo Boos house. There really is a Skeleton guest? Part 4 Yeah, sorry, sorry! The mountains really changed in the short time Ive been gone. I had no idea someone had a house here. I wasnt trying to spy or anything!! (But I cant deny it was entertaining.) The leaf houses visitor was a complete skeleton. He removed his cowboy hat with a large red jewel on it and scratched his smooth head as he made excuses. He of course had no lungs or vocal cords. Armelina had joined Beatrice and Filinion and none of them knew how he was producing his voice. And since he was only bones, he apparently could not eat or drink. He had not touched the Fruit Steamed Bun that Boo Boo gave him, so it was now in the stomach of the White Witch who had snatched it up with both arms. You are very rude. Ihm ambidehtroush. Gulp. When we have a hot pot, Ill dual-wield chopsticks to swipe all the meat in crab mode. Youre kind of proving his point, cow. Beatrices scolding fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Boo Boo curiously viewed the bone man. He was afraid of ghosts, but a Skeleton with a physical body was apparently not a problem. Perhaps anything was fine as long as he could speak with it. Hm? Oh, this? Its a Skill we Skeletons can use. To put it in a way humans can understand, I guess its like psychokinesis. The bones vibrate to produce the voice. I dont have any muscles or cartilage, so how did you think I was holding the bones together and walking around? Whatever the case, he was an incredibly cheerful corpse. He would pick up on their questions and answer them before they even asked them. He could hold a proper conversation, they could communicate with him, and they could tell what he was going to do next, so he did not seem at all like a horror movie monster. He cracked his neck joint(?) as he continued. Tselikas hideout C or her treasure storehouse, I guess it really is C should be around here somewhere, but I wonder how shes doing. Grounds Nir can seem large, but its actually pretty small. I thought Id run across her if I just wandered around, but maybe I should leave a note on the door. After gathering such a large collection, she must check on that treasure periodically. ...!? Did you say Tselika!? The red Holy Swordswoman felt all her hair bristling. Tselika was the pure white demon who had bound the star student Gruagach with Shining Weapon armor and a blood and herb oil mixture, sent shockwaves through both the real world and Grounds Nir, and continued to live in hiding on Earth despite being a Grounds Nir-born Succubus. She was a symbol of undeniable defeat for Beatrice, who was the representative member of the level cap adventurers who were the strongest of the humans. Just once, Tselika had wanted to see the cherry blossoms with her dead beloved. That was the only desire in her heart as that true calamity had made an enemy of two worlds and still grasped victory. That demon lords rank had been increased to that of a Break News, a paradox with a soul. Thats right. But the Skeleton cheerfully confirmed what he had said. Tselikas my wife. Although a beauty like thats wasted on a worthless guy like me. Part 5 Well, that was certainly something. After an encounter that was like a storm blowing through, the Skeleton had left and red Holy Swordswoman Beatrice breathed a heavy sigh. He should have been someone from the distance past, someone who only existed in peoples memories. And yet he had broken right through those bitter feelings and appeared in person. It was a reminder that this was a different world where Earths laws did not apply. What would Tselika have done if this Skeleton had arrived just a little sooner? Her feelings for her beloved had left her so attached to Earth that they could never be reunited now. It could only be called one of destinys ironies. Meanwhile, the skeleton had been carefree: Well, my wife was always quick to jump to conclusions. And once shed jumped to her conclusion, shed charge straight down that path with the force of a battering ram. Sorry about all that. She looks like a proper lady, but she gets downright terrifying when shes mad. I know that all too well from that time she suspected I was cheating on her. Anyway, as long as I know shes doing well, nothing else matters. Ive got a limitless amount of time, so Im sure Ill bump into her eventually as I wander around. Ah hah hah hah!! Filinion, the White Witch with fluffy blonde hair and glasses, must have felt exhaustion bearing down on her shoulders just from remembering what had happened because she curled up her back a little. Its like he looks at things on an entirely different scale from us. I really dont want to imagine what they were like when they were in full lovey-dovey mode. Theyd have to be like the eye of the storm... By the way, cut in Armelina. Why are we working so hard to get Boo Boo to take a bath? This was the result of one thing leading to another. First of all, there was a river near Boo Boos house. A hot spring apparently ran by directly below, so digging into the dirt on the riverbank produced hot water which could be mixed with the river water to make a bath at ones preferred temperature. Fairy Queen Sutriona had taken quite a liking to it. But Boo Boo was not a bath-taker. That may have been normal enough for a wild animal, but Beatrice was not going to accept that. If Nonhumans had to be categorized as either people or animals, she wanted to place them on the people side of things. Also, she wanted him to take a bath to rid him of as much of his bestial smell as possible. But she also wanted to flirt with him without anyone interfering. Then Beatrice had been treating Boo Boo to some fried food since he was still not all that accustomed to using fire and had never eaten any. That led to the comment that Meridiana and Alice had overheard about him eating the chicken bones. (Technically, it was a Snack Chicken from Grounds Nir.) On top of all that, the oil used for frying could be made into soap. After seeing Object X for the first time in his life, Boo Boo had naturally asked his knowledgeable friend about it like he always did. Boo. Beatrice, what is that tool used for? Now that she was outside in only a bath towel, Beatrice triumphantly clenched her fist. The bath towel itself was easily made from the gigantic sandbag-like cocoon of the Large Deceptive Silkworm. They were sold in the inn town for people visiting the hot springs in the northern mountains. Perfect! My intellect wins this round!! So cmon, Boo Boo, Ill teach you everything you need to know. Ill cover your entire body in bubbles. Ah ha ha ha ha ha!! S-squeal!! When the tearful Iberian Orc was shoved into the hot spring made by digging up the dirt and guiding the hot water and river water together, most of the water splashed out, but Beatrice did not care. As threatened, she made an all-out attack with soap and a large washing leaf. The bursting white bubbles both covered Boo Boo and splashed onto her own cheeks, dripped down from her chin, slipped down into the cleavage between her barely-above-average breasts, and...well, it was an interesting sight, but she was too busy laughing to notice. Armelina stared into the distance as she helped out while wearing a headband around her forehead as well as some bath clothes just like Beatrice. Hers was a two-piece, with one piece wrapped around her chest and the other around her hips, and her skin was flushed from the steam. Now this is scary. Is this what a girl is willing to do when she falls madly in love? I feel like Im watching someone start out at practicing tarot and end up handing over every yen they own to rely on the divine. Its such a slippery slope you cant even see the individual steps along the way. Well, Im willing to help if it will get rid of that stench. Actually, why do you have such trouble with baths, Boo Boo? Do you not like getting wet? Boo. When I stay in the bath too long, my nose gets all damp and my mind dulls over. The way I zone out feels dangerous. Um, so do you get overheated too easily? Then what about a cold bath? Hed obviously catch cold then. Get it together, Filinion! Then his nose would get stuffed up and he would zone out just the same. Cmon, thats why we decided on a hot bath. Filinion laughed while showing off her bright skin. Instead of a towel, she wore something like a hairpin carved from wood and bath clothes that looked a like a juban (and did an impressive job of revealing her curves when wet). And whats with all those different kinds of body oil? I know they dont have that much variety in the inn town. Ho ho ho. Thats the privilege of being a Mixer, Armelina. I have sensitive skin, so I cant just scrub away like we can with Boo Boo. Then can you use one of your fancy recovery potions to do something about Beatrice who has way too much dopamine pumping through her veins? I doubt just letting her smell a Wide Awake Mint would bring her back to her senses. Shes probably planning to keep Boo Boo soaking in the hot spring for 2 or 3 days. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Beatrice was beginning to see the truth of the world at the center of her own mini-universe, but she seemed to have failed to see the contents of her partners heart. B-boo!! I cant stand it anymore! If I soak any longer, my nose will get runny, my mind will dull over, and my eyes will get all spinny!! Ah! Soaking wet Beatrice came back to her senses and cried out, but it was too late. Boo Boo grabbed his loincloth which was sitting nearby, escaped the hot spring, and fled into the deep forest. In her two-piece bath clothes, (flaaaat) Armelina rubbed her temple. See, didnt I tell you? Oh, no! Boo Boo will catch cold like this! Please put some clothes on before you chase after him! Is everyone here a nudist!? As they argued, the three of them summoned their Percentage-type Magic, which took the form of their armor and clothing, below their bath clothes. Beatrice removed her bath towel as if it burst off from within. Okay, which way did Boo Boo go? As big as he is, well find him soon enough no matter where he went. Part 6 Having carelessly fled into the deep forest without her clothes, the palm-sized Fairy named Alice crafted herself a makeshift dress from some handy leaves and sticky mushroom hyphae. As a teenage girl, she felt the need to accessorize it with some small fruits. Fairy work was frighteningly detailed and quick. She tried it on and then made some adjustments to the size and fit. The way it adhered to her chest and caught when she twisted her hips was especially important. If she misread those parts, it could all fall apart as soon as she made any serious movements. Sniff, sniff... Her vision was blurred by tears. She knew it was rude, but she sniffled. The clothes of course did not really matter. The only thing on her mind was the incident with her older sister Meridiana. Why was Meridiana so obsessed with that Iberian Orc? Did she really not intend to come home? It was true that Iberian Orc had saved both Alices older sister and all of the Fairies. She was thankful for that. When her older sister had said she was offering her life up to that 1000-meter dragon, no one in the village had stopped her. Neither had Alice, the sister who shared her blood. She found it amazing that Boo Boo had faced and repelled the Thousand Dragon on his own to rescue Meridiana. It made him sound like a character from a picture book. But these were two different things. If her older sister was not returning home, hadnt she just changed to whom she was sacrificing herself? Alice was so busy thinking about it all that she grew careless of her surroundings. Ah. At first, she thought something had grabbed the 4 wings on her back and tugged on them. But that was not what had happened. It was a Ground Spider web that almost seemed to vanish into the air. No, this stupid thing... It was the same as a landmine: You had to watch out for it before stepping on it. Once you stepped on it, it was too late. Alice knew that, but she still swung her arms and legs around on reflex. Each movement only got the tiny Fairy further caught in the net-like web, pinning her in place. And the vibrations on the taut threads summoned the webs maker. A far-too-giant spider appeared from behind the nearby tree trunk where it was lying in wait. Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? She could not even cry like before. Her throat had gone entirely dry, but she still screamed at the top of her lungs. However, the world functioned on the principle of survival of the fittest, so Grounds Nir also had a cruel food chain. There was nothing she could do. Even if Meridiana came swooping in now, there was nothing she could do either. And yet... Boo! Boo!! I cant think straight!! Wha-? There was no time for surprise. The entire tree trunk snapped. The foundation that supported the Ground Spider, held up the web, and captured Alice utterly collapsed. Mumble, mumble. Beatrice shouldnt be able to find me here. Squeal. I need to go wait this out in the Cave of Tears. I only go there when sad things happen, but Ill have to break that rule now. He had not even noticed. Alice had been rescued. She was caught on Boo Boos head along with the spider web, but she finally realized this was no time to zone out. (My enemy! He is my sworn enemy!! Hes the bad guy who stole my sister!!) She tried to fly away, but her 4 thin dragonfly wings were still tangled in the spider web and refused to function. The web got caught on another branch and she found herself dangling upside-down. Ill gather a few Drawing Stones. Then I wont be bored in the cave. Boo Boo remained oblivious to the end and he left while muttering encouragement to himself. Left behind as the upside-down Hanged Man, Alice held the skirt of her leaf dress and screamed. Wahhhh! Hes mean in everything he does! Stupid sister-stealing Boo Boo!! Now, I think youre pushing it a little with that complaint. Well, perhaps youre just distracting yourself from the fact that you couldnt save your sister yourself. It happened suddenly. Someone rudely commented on Alices heartfelt lament. Eh? Wah! Gyaaaaahh!? U-Un-Undead! Why is a Skeleton here!? She jumped in shock despite dangling upside-down and that only got her further tangled in the spider web. The web wrapped tightly around her and squeezed at her budding breasts. As the upside-down Fairy began spinning around and around, the cowboy hat skeleton spoke up in exasperation. Id be more worried about the spider web than your questions. It would be a disaster if you tugged too hard and tore your wings off, wouldnt it? Tremble tremble tremble. You only just realized that was possible? Here, Ill use some of the Sap Oil dripping from the trees around here. Get that on the spider web and itll peel right off, so dont move. We dont want to damage your wings, so lets take it nice and slow. Despite the frightening possibilities he hinted at, he used his bony fingers to gently rub at Alices leaf dress and easily removed the spider web. But he only made it look easy. If Alice was alone, she might have forced them off and badly hurt her 4 wings. The bone man spoke as he watched the tiny Fairy lick her index finger and quickly care for her thin wings. Now, since you spoke all your concerns aloud, let me give you some advice. Your sisters life belongs to her, so you need to let her do what she wants with it. No ones forcing her to do this and she isnt being a nuisance to anyone, right? Besides, the desire to repay a debt is a sign that she still has unresolved feelings inside her, right? Force her back now and I guarantee you that you wont have your usual sister back. Youll have an entirely different person who is irritated year-round by the regrets you didnt let her deal with. Who do you think you are!? A bunch of bones doesnt get to pretend he understands my sister!! Oh, youve got a mouth on you. If you ask me, you dont need to be the same species as someone to talk about them. My wife isnt human, but no one can list off her good points better than me. Not even Tselika herself. I dont care about some old mans memories! Thats taking it too far, you brat! Besides, Fairies are an eternally growing species, so you dont have a lifespan! You might look cute, but I bet youve lived several times as long as me! I-I was told to watch out for old men who readily call you cute... Calling you cute was enough to shake you? Now Im really worried for you!! Alice fluttered cautiously around the Skeleton for a while, but she finally started back toward Fairy territory. The Fairy village was normally hidden away among trees that were especially old and large even for this thick forest, but she heard a great cacophony from there now. The Fairies had been so late in thanking Boo Boo that their plans for finally doing so had only grown bigger and bigger. But palm-sized Alice pouted her lips, used her 4 wings to hover in place, and tilted her head. Hmm. Will this really repay our debt to him? Part 7 When Beatrice pursued Boo Boo into the deep forest, she was taken aback by the scene that appeared before her far too suddenly. Th-thats strange. I was here just a week ago and this definitely wasnt here! The thick forest was cut off by a large fence and there was an arch-shaped sign at what looked like a front gate. Inside, a mine cart rail snaked around, a tower rose toward the heavens, and something like a giant water wheel spun above the ground. White Witch Filinion pushed at the left side of her glasses. The way theyre all made of wood is frightening, but isnt that mine cart rail a roller coaster, isnt that tower a freefall ride, and isnt that giant water wheel a Ferris wheel? And look what it says on the arch at the main entrance... B-Boo Boo Land? It was all utterly incomprehensible, but the gray pig face next to the text did indeed look like that Iberian Orc. Through the arch was a plaza with a fountain in the middle and that fountain was decorated with a giant pig-faced monument. In fact, the pillar of water erupted from the top of the pig face like a whale. There were food stands on either side of the plaza, but they were far too large for the palm-sized Fairies. In fact, they were too large even for human-sized Beatrice. They seemed to be serving skewers of Master Rabbit and Sliced Fish dunked in tubs of yogurt sauce and allowed to ferment, but that may have been the perfect feast for an Iberian Orc. The smell of fermentation was powerful even from a distance, so it may have been a way of inducing the state of nearly rotten which he would consider the most delicious. The Fairy that lived at the leaf house had taken part in Boo Boos birthday party, so they may have done their research. Bewildered, Beatrice and the other two tilted their heads, but then a small light fluttered in front of them. Meridiana may have taken a cold bath because her hair was wet. Oh, is this where you were? Meridiana? Her shyness was still going strong, so the tiny Fairy smiled at them but still kept out of arms reach. That seemed to be something of a habit, so she could not help it. The look on her face made it clear she was not displeased to see them. I was stopping by to deliver the dress my little sister Alice left behind. I was relieved to find she made it back to the village on her own. So whats the deal with all this? Please, come in. Its already 90% complete. They stepped through the main entrances arch and felt like they had yet again stepped into another world. Small lights were flitting around, so the entire village of Fairies seemed to be hard at work. Since Meridiana could construct Boo Boo-sized furniture in a single night, they were clearly very good at this sort of thing. As they continued to tilt their heads, a gray pig costume walked past. It was not exactly delightful when they realized it had to be filled with palm-sized Fairies. For a better idea of how this came about, it would probably be best to ask the elder. Lady Morgan! The Fairy flew off to hand this off to someone more important than her. Beatrice and the others followed and were guided to something like a lampshade made from flower petals. A bathtub even smaller than a bento box sat inside and Morgan had stripped off her clothes to soak in the sticky pink liquid filling it. It seemed to be more about sterilization than bathing, so she occasionally scooped it up in her hands and dumped it over her head. Oh, there you are. You sure do like baths, Lady Morgan. Mh? If we have guests, you need to inform me sooner, Meridiana. I apologize for forcing you to see this. Upon noticing the humans, Morgan left the tub and let her Fairy attendants dry her. She was known as an elder, but her skin was smooth and spotless as the liquid was wiped away from her back and butt. Her attendants then dressed her in her underwear and orange dress. I will redo the process later. We must take every precaution before weaving Ground Spider silk. Otherwise we get tangled in the sticky threads. As she spoke, she checked some kind of readings on the rectangular window-like displays that appeared around her. Instead of Magic, this was a combination of light-reflecting pollens. We are in the middle of our work, so I ask that you forgive our poor manners. I might be the elder, but even I must work up a sweat to put a smile on Sir Boo Boos face! The first one to sigh was a fellow Fairy: Meridiana. See? Silly, isnt it? But this kind of festive mood gathers more support for her, so we all tend to get carried away. Mh... Lady Sutriona put me in charge and I am the only Fairy capable enclosing the four spirits blessing in objects, so that is no way to speak about me, Meridiana. Surely you understand our rules. Rudeness of that caliber must be punished by a full body soaking in Tree Hollow Honey. But Boo Boo spends half his day searching for food, so its hard for him to even prepare a day off for something like this... ... Thats why Im much cleverer for repaying him over time in a way that doesnt interfere with his lifestyle. My help is much more useful to him. Heh heh heh. (Min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min, min!!) Gyahh!? Shut up! Just because you dont have an argument is no reason to deafen me by rubbing your cicada wings together, Lady Morgan!! (Jii jii) ...Pipe down. I did not say anything. The elder childishly puffed out her cheeks as she ended her cicada chirping attack. Feeling worn down (from being caught in that bizarre argument), Beatrice finally managed to get a word in edgewise. Umm, so what exactly are you trying to do here? The Holy Swordswoman got right to the point, so Morgan answered while fanning her body with her hand to cool herself after the bath. It is simple. A fair bit of time has passed since the Thousand Dragon incident, but we have not yet been blessed with an opportunity to properly thank Sir Boo Boo. Ours is a culture of repaying debts, so it would damage our dignity to delay any longer. Sir Boo Boo appears to have enough food and he has no real fixation on weapons or tools. ...That is why we decided to fulfill a demand that is not normally a part of his life. That isnt normally a part of his life? Yes. Namely, entertainment. We have constructed the truly stylish Boo Boo Land!!!!! She crossed her arms and gathered strength in her gut to make her announcement in as booming a voice as she could manage, but Beatrices group was unsure how to react. I-Im surprised you even know what an amusement park is. Oh, that. Lady Sutriona says that studying humans is the best way to learn about methods of killing time. We will not underestimate you humans. And since our queen will often shirk her duti-... Lady Morgan. ...Ahem. And since she will often leave to observe the human inn town, she has learned much about your culture. By borrowing some of that knowledge, it is entirely possible for us to construct the amusement park of a foreign land. Morgan made it sound obvious, but it was actually quite impressive. It may have been even more impressive than the amusement parks humans made from steel and electricity. If everything, including the power sources, was entirely Grounds Nir-made, then how were the roller coaster and freefall ride moving? Were they using springs made from plant vines or animal hairs? Or were they using the natural power of wind or water? It felt like seeing the large siege weapons used to chuck giant rocks at castles in ancient times, so Beatrice was kind of excited. (I dont see any metal screws or nails at all. If this entire amusement park is made from cleverly arranged wood, then their construction techniques might even outdo our human ones.) Wait, wait, wait, wait. Beatrice was impressed by the Fairies presentation, but someone else interrupted. It was Filinion, the glasses cow who understood nothing of romance. Um, are you saying this was like a game of telephone passing from the humans to Sutriona, from Sutriona to Morgan, and from Morgan to the rest of the Fairies? And even Sutriona at the second link has never actually seen a real amusement park? What are you trying to say? Could this be...um, extremely dangerous? ??? Still unsure what she was getting at, Beatrice tilted her head along with the Fairies. She was instantly snapped back into reality when she heard something incredibly heavy crashing into the ground. Wh-what? Did a shooting star hit!? Hmm, I think that was more like a microbus falling from a 10-story building... Armelina must have been able to link actual physics equations to the sound of destruction, and then the humans hesitantly looked behind them. Dust was billowing out a few dozen meters away. It was at the bottom of the tower rising toward the heavens...so had there been an accident at the freefall ride? H-hey!? Is everyone okay!? Was anyone hurt!? Please wait, Beatrice. Shouldnt all the Fairies be more concerned about this? Beatrice noticed it now that the White Witch pointed it out. There was a lot of noise around them, but none of it had a tense or tragic edge to it. It was more like the atmosphere on the eve of a festival when everyone was trying to enjoy themselves. But it is strange. Elder Morgan sounded curious as she floated near Beatrices shoulder. Why do humans enjoy things like that? Well, if its meant to be fun, it only makes sense to pull out all the stops. No, wait, what are you saying? The Holy Swordswoman frantically tried to correct the Fairy, but... A freefall. I have heard the point is to enjoy the foolhardy thrill of putting yourself in danger and supposedly the riders usually scream. But perhaps ours still pales in comparison to the originals in your world. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... You there! Make that roller coaster more thrilling. It is supposed to make it feel like you are flying, so it makes no sense to have a continuous track from beginning to end. Remove sections in the middle for about three jumps. That feeling of flying is sure to make Sir Boo Boo rejoice. (Beatrice, Beatrice! Please stop staring into the distance! They keep pushing to make this more interesting and with zero safety regulations! And isnt this turning into something like the end of a slaughter house? Theyre building contraptions that will automatically do that to Boo Boo!) And it makes no sense for the Ferris wheel to move so slowly. Start at 20 rotations per beat. If that still isnt enough, we can always spin it faster! (O-oh, dear. The game of telephone messed things up so badly they have no idea what an amusement park is supposed to look like! And on top of that, they can fly around with those wings on their back, so they have no fear of heights or speed, do they? Send Boo Boo into this pop world of fancy, cartoonish characters and hell be torn to pieces!!) The Fairies were acting out of pure na?vet. As they wiped the sweat from their brows they spoke with pure smiles on their faces. Oh, I can already imagine the delight on Sir Boo Boos face!! Part 8 Later while Beatrice was exchanging information regarding the Labyrinth at the inn town, she decided to do some research on the Skeleton while she was at it. She assumed it would be hard asking about someone whose face and name were unknown, but she received results with surprising ease. That was thanks to Tselika. She had sent shockwaves through two worlds, so a lot of people had researched her information to either track her down or determine how she committed her crime. That had also revealed some information on her partner. Im not sure if I should call this amazing or absurd... At a relatively cheap restaurant, Filinion sounded half-exasperated as she stuck her spoon into a single-portion vegetable hotpot. It turns out he was one of the earliest Labyrinth explorers and he was the very person who laid the first stone for the pavement we take for granted here in the inn town. Armelina grimaced a bit at the great wave of girliness wafting over from the colorfully green vegetable hotpot, so she ordered a potato and sausage pot-au-feu instead. When they carelessly dug up a dragon egg while building the inn town, he supposedly protected his allies by driving off the furious mother dragon in single combat. And afterwards, he insisted the badly wounded mother dragon had done nothing wrong, carried her to an unexplored body of water deep in the mountains known as the Womb Pot, and healed her wounds there. ...Who can say how much of its true, though. The story said that egg had hatched into the Thousand Dragon, so none of it sounded very credible. They say he was powerful enough to slay a dragon yet he was not a human supremacist and he was the key figure in creating a Guild for both humans and Nonhumans. Beatrice sighed quietly as she finished her thought. Given what happened with Tselika, that part sounds true. She thought of the Sage as someone like Einstein or da Vinci whose intellect would not seem behind the times even if they time traveled to the present. Meanwhile, that Skeleton was the opposite: he was a martial genius. No matter what cutting-edge tactics or optimized wartime propaganda were used against him, they lost their shine against his charisma. He was that kind of fierce commander. Why had he built the inn town? Because it was easier to have a base. Why had he dueled the mother dragon? Because he had not wanted his enemies or allies to get hurt. Why had he created the combined Guild? Because then everyone could smile together. His path seemed childish, but there was no hint of hesitation there. Every age had to be full of trickery and intrigue, but he stomped through it all with the logic of a child. Every foe that faced him had to have been smiling as they wielded their swords. It had all ended in his defeat and Tselikas rampage, but how had his last moments really played out? Perhaps it was his complete and under lack of complaint or regret that his survivor had been unable to accept. ...And now he had cheerfully shown up at Boo Boos leaf house as bones, so the world really was an odd place. If Tselika learned of this, she might just find a way to punch him. However. While the dangerous and deadly Boo Boo Land amusement park was under construction, the Iberian Orc seemed to have detected a unique scent. When Beatrices group visited, he spoke to them in his leaf house. B-boo... I cant seem to relax. I feel uneasy, like youre still plotting something. Im not. Im not letting my head go all fuzzy! Ill never ever ever get near one of those hot springs again! Ill make it work!! I swear I will!! Exploration of the Labyrinth had stalled lately. Water Gate 22 was full of countless intersecting waterways and you would end up destroying your allies if you did not properly understand the system behind the many switches and water gates. Not long before, Beatrices switch had dumped Boo Boo into a giant water source. As the Holy Swordswoman had clasped her hands and apologized, a bucket of water had been dumped right on her head. The system was apparently more complex than Switch A always opening Water Gate A, so they had to start by hitting all the switches en masse to gather data on the random number calculations. And no one wanted to be the guinea pig. Fluffy blond -haired glasses Filinion sighed in exasperation. Hmm. I think this might have something to do with fundamental compatibility. Ho ho? How convenient for you. Can we get a comment from todays negative MVP who nearly drowned us all when she pressed a floor switch with that giant ass that often goes unnoticed thanks to those giant boobs? I-I already apologized for that! How was I supposed to know there was a switch right next to the Banana Octopus sneaking along the floor! Who would expect a switch on the floor there!? We will never forget exactly where that Banana Octopus got caught on your body when you slipped and fell right on your ass. Isnt that right, fatty butter boobs girl? Do I need to bring out a memory-erasing potion, Beatrice!? Armelina spoke up while keeping some mental distance from the other two to avoid a similar punishment from the annoying cow. Well, Beatrice is a poor match when it comes to water and Boo Boo is a little too cautious when it comes to water. Is the hot spring incident still affecting you? Youve seen that Water Gate 22s waterways arent hot, right? Boo... I dont think you need to soak in water to polish your body. If you cover yourself with fine sand and then rub a rock over it, youll be nice and shiny! Boo Boo, most people would liken that to sandpaper or a file. Beatrice tried to correct his mistake, but then the less-than-bright (despite wearing glasses) cow said something entirely unnecessary. But if youve always lived in the natural world, anywhere warmer than body temperature probably would seem weird. Come to think of it, Boo Boo doesnt worry much about clothes and doesnt use a blanket when he sleeps. ...Huh? Does that mean hes a terrible match for Beatrice, the strongest fire user? Beatrice then shouted Ill kill you, cow!!!!!! in a voice most girls would have avoided in front of a gentleman. Someone chuckled as they listened to the conversation. It was the undead type of Nonhuman who had started visiting the leaf house on occasion: the Skeleton wearing a cowboy hat with a large red stone on it. A water gate floor, huh? That really takes me back. You use different names, but its possible similar structures are appearing and disappearing as time goes by. Hm? You dealt with this in your era too??? Well, something similar. When I was a human, it was a blast furnace area instead of a waterway one. Whenever someone flipped a switch, it was complete pandemonium, so we started fighting amongst ourselves and ignoring the Gimmicks and Traps! Hah hah!! Ugh. Am I the only one that doesnt see anything about that to laugh about? Beatrices group was delving into the Labyrinth to fight back against the Pieces that would bring negative technological revolutions to the real world and to free the Iberian Orc souls saved as data in Boo Boos giant Shining Weapon. They had enough reason to hurry, but they could not rush and get themselves killed. They felt bad saying so in front of the Skeleton who was still living(?) as he saw fit, but they could not take this so lightly. And as her thoughts turned to him, another living legend came to mind, causing Beatrice to narrow her eyes. A certain name came to anyones lips when they thought deeply about Magic. No matter your starting point, you would always end up at that person. ...The Sage, huh? Hm? Theyre the person who led to Magic being introduced to the world and to the construction of the first Gate. Some say they were actually the very first Piece. I wonder if they would be able to reach the bottom of the Labyrinth without issue... They were seen as an unreachable figure in the sky and yet also someone people expected could do actual work on the ground. They were a genius a lot like Einstein or da Vinci. If they had been born in a different age or somehow arrived in the present, would they be mocked as behind-the-times? No, it was the rest of the world that would have trouble keeping up. The world had spent so much time growing beyond them, but would anyone be able to understand what those geniuses were saying? Their intellect completely ignored the flow of time. That was how Beatrice viewed the Sage. And even though she had not really noticed it until now, the incident from the other day had thrown off her sense of equilibrium. Tselika had rampaged through Tokyo and ignored all else on her way to Ebisu. The demon had only wished to see some cherry blossoms, but Beatrice had suspected she was after the Ministry of Defense Technology Laboratory where the Sage or someone who could contact them was rumored to be. What if Tselika really had gone to the Ministry of Defense Technology Laboratory? Or what if Beatrice had had enough time to take a detour there? It was only a hypothetical, but she could not help but think about how that might have sent the world in a different direction altogether. Squeal... She heard snoring. Boo Boo was nodding off while still sitting. This always happened when he sensed them starting on an even somewhat complicated subject. But they could continue speaking just fine as long as his snoring did not reach catastrophic levels. Beatrice smiled bitterly as she continued. Come to think of it, you were active in an era before ours, right? Well, it can be hard to tell since my wife and I are hardly typical, but we got started quite a long time ago. Does the Cuban Missile Crisis mean anything to ladies as young as you? Its said the Sage suddenly released a thesis on Magic onto the internet, but there was actually a lot going on below the surface before that. We were those who knew about Magic before it was made public. Thats just how the world works. An exciting and thrilling concert tour across the US will be rehearsed for weeks and weeks in advance. Wait. Are you saying...? I was asking if you were from an older era, but are you saying you were part of it before the network was made public? Are you saying you actually met the Sage? Well... I was from the Western group. The Eastern group seems to have stolen the tech and used it for themselves. But it didnt all come from the Sage. It was complete chaos at the time. We might steal the tech the Eastern group improved after stealing it from us and then we might find everything wed stolen was a bluff. Beatrices group exchanged a glance and then looked back to the Skeleton. This man truly was at the same level as Tselika and he was proving to be an unexpected living(?) witness. This information source was incredibly valuable. In the present, no one knew if the Sage was an individual or a group, but he had seen them. He had seen them in person before they had been blotted out by falsehoods and legends. If they could contact the Sage, they might be able to skip 3 steps and cut right through the dark clouds spreading from the attack on the Iberian Orc village that was still causing Boo Boo to suffer. They might be able to bring his friends and family back. H-hey! So you really do know the Sage? Then will you tell is any little bit you can!? We have a pressing reason and we can tell you what it is!! Hmm... groaned the Skeleton as he crossed his bone arms and tilted his skull. If Beatrice and the others had been just a little calmer, they would have noticed the nuance to his voice. He seemed to be cutting off something instead of responding to the question. Only Boo Boo seemed to sense something invisible there, causing him to wake up. Only the Iberian Orc who lived in the wild and thus faced death just to acquire a single meal. And... Thats somewhat...no, thats definitely something you shouldnt pursue. Beatrice had no idea what had happened. The red jewel glowed and a white storm tore apart the entire scene as it filled her vision from right to left. By the time she realized that storm was a colossal axe, it was far too late to dodge. That meant there was another reason she was still alive. Namely, Boo Boo. He interfered by throwing a heavy kick toward the giant axe and the Skeletons gut(?). A heavy, reverberating impact sounded a moment later. The Skeleton broke through the leaf houses wall and continued flying outside. Something surged out and flew through the air. It was Boo Boos house, which was essentially a tent made from large tropical leaves. It had been destroyed, and not just because Boo Boo had kicked the Skeleton through it. The white whirlwind that was the gigantic axe had already sliced through it from outside. She knew that. She understood that. The destruction of the home had fully permeated her mind. And Holy Swordswoman Beatrice exploded in red. Damn yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!! It was like the mists of illusion had cleared away. Boo Boos house fell apart and was crushed flatly into the ground. Beyond that, they were surrounded by a white calamity. Countless skeletal figures covered everything around them like a white ocean. None of them stood tall like the main Skeleton. It was impossible to count how many peoples remains were present. Skulls, ribs, sterna, spines, humeri, radii, ulnae, femora, tibiae, fibulae, and other bones were mixed together in a sea of bones that scraped together with a sound like grinding teeth. The noise suggested that even slightly touching one would tear through their soft flesh like a crude stone blade. Some areas rose, surged, and spiraled unnaturally, but none of it maintained a normal form. It was like the stormy sea covered in countless tornadoes. And a single Skeleton stood up from that rough sea. What had that giant axe been made of and where had it come from? The answer was in his right hand. This is for your own good. Give up on contacting the Sage. That way leads only to despair. Bone. Several spines had been gathered together to form a grip, countless skulls were gathered like grapes to provide weight to the head, and countless ribs jutted out like sharp teeth in place of a blade. That single blasphemous attack had taken an axe-like silhouette by bringing together dozens of human remains. The weapon was taller than him and it was the end result of much sinister infighting. The man had no skin or muscle on his face, but he seemed to be smiling as he showed off the symbol of his negative accomplishments. Who...are you!? Oh, cmon. Youve never heard of this here? Its part of my wifes collection and its also the key to her treasure storehouse in the back of the Cave of Tears. He used a bony finger to tap at the large red stone on his cowboy hat. It wasnt created for that purpose, though. She used to be quite mischievous, you see. The key and everything else in her treasure storehouse are stolen. Someone audibly gulped. It took Beatrice a moment to realize it was her. It began as the pinnacle of alchemy and could turn base metals into precious metals. Its true power was obscured by that symbolism and its true value lies in the eternal life provided for its bearer. You might know it as the Philosophers Stone, but some refer to it as the Sages Stone instead. ...!? In this case, the fairy tales were irrelevant. The Sage. He had spoken that name. In fact, he was receiving direct benefit from that name. Thats why I know very well how fearsome the Sage is. I built a town from scratch and fought a dragon, but the Sage alone was too much for me. Once you contact them, you will find a true despair without even death as an escape. If you dont want to end up like this, then back off. The sea of bones pulled the cowboy hat low over his eyes and gave them some advice. And this is a good opportunity. Ill be retrieving anything that might lead someone to the Sage. Thats all Ill do this time. Ill let you go free. Yes...for now, Ill be taking the gigantic Shining Weapon that Iberian Orc has. Hand it over and I wont take your lives. Beatrice did not understand anything that was happening. Who or what was the Sage? How was this Skeleton connected to the Sage? Why would he not let them approach the Sage? Was there a secret there which forced this Skeleton to transform like this? But the biggest question of all was one she had to answer no matter what. Why would you bring up Boo Boos Shining Weapon now? Huh? This precious Shining Weapon holds the digitized souls of his friends and family. At the same time, its the weapon used to attack his village that was given to him by one of those behind the attack. ...Why would you want it? I thought you were trying to erase all information leading to the Sage!? Oops. The Skeleton made a show of reaching for the top of his cowboy hat and replied without actually answering the question. Oh, I think you already know the answer to that. There was no sound. But the silver-and-red-haired girl definitely saw Boo Boos face distort like a child on the verge of tears. ... Her blood boiled. Upon reaching the answer, the Holy Swordswoman stopped even trying to control her fire. So it was them? Youre saying the owner of that Shining Weapon and the one who purged the Iberian Orc village...was the Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage!!!??? Part 9 They were surrounded on all sides by a sea of bones. The Skeleton towering up in the center rested a giant bone axe on his shoulder. Wait, Beatrice!! Even the cries of a nearby friend sounded distant to her now. She was single-mindedly focused on murdering this man. She bit her lip, immediately drew her Shining Weapon rapier, and roared. Fire Throw!! She went with a simple and surefire attack. As soon as she made a horizontal swing of her rapier, flames surged toward the bone man like fresh blood flowing out of a wound in the world itself. At 2000 degrees Celsius, they could melt pure iron. The firepower rivalled that of a crematory furnace, it grew to several dozen meters across, and it flew in straight line like a water gun. Any who were swallowed up by this attack of rage would be burned and incinerated until nothing remained. However. Yeah, sorry about this. ... Even a bone body would be destroyed in flames hotter than a cremation, but you need to be more careful. The smoke made from burning human remains isnt very good for you. You might have 100% Fire Resistance, but what about your buddies? There was no hint of pain or fear in his voice. Could he even feel pain without any nerves? He might be just fine and he might have been putting on a brave face. However, Beatrice did not have time to find out which it was. At this rate, he would push back. Once he was in range, he would use his bone axe to lop off her head. Like Ill let you! roared Armelina. She activated her Shining Weapon metal rod and summoned a giant steel fist to the end. It was a simple physical attack. She slammed it into the cowboy Skeleton with the dreadful speed and mass of a head-on collision with a car. It was truly like an iron fist. It was like the battering ram wielded by several people to break down a mansions front door during a raid. The solid sound was just like several bowling pins being knocked away. Instead of a specific part of his body, the entire Skeleton shattered. However. Hah hah hah. Wha-...!? Armelina watched in shock as the Skeleton laughed. The cowboy hat skull had shattered and every one of his joints had fallen apart. Nevertheless, a portion of the white sea rose up like nails gathered by magnetism. A headless skeleton stood there. It finally picked up a new skull from the ground and attached it to its neck. The terribly skinny bone fingers grabbed the cowboy hat and placed it on its smooth white head. And it spoke with the exact same voice as before. Is this really so surprising? I never had any organs or blood. I had no heart or brain. Did you honestly think killing and shattering me would stop me? Burn you...or break you...and you can just put yourself back together!? Filinion, what about your Mixing!? I cant think of any official ingredient Lists that use the human body. I cant erase him by using him as a Mixing ingredient! Just so you know, poisoning, electrocuting, and drowning me are all meaningless. Theyre not very exciting, but bones are pretty damn amazing. No, that cant be true. Youre different from normal Skeletons! Oh, you want a unique name for me? He thought for a moment. That unique being had the discretion of a human and the life(?) force of a monster. Then you can call me Skull Wave. For now, anyway. There was no apparent solution. No amount of attacking would end it. Boo Boo and Armelina used their great strength to part the bone sea with his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon and her steel ball on a chain. However, that did not solve the fundamental problem. They could create a small opening in the sea, but the gap was quickly filled by more bones pushing in like they were challenging the actual ocean. Beatrice regretted triggering this fruitless conflict. She felt like she had called in an enemy they were poorly matched for and forced it onto the others. Beatrice, use a shockwave! Use your flames to hit them with a different Element! Boo! This is just like fighting the lifeless Gimmicks in the Labyrinth. Beatrice, theres nothing to fear! Be a leader!! ... Those words brought clarity back to Beatrices blank mind. She adjusted her grip on the rapier. Understood, Boo Boo, Armelina! You help too, Filinion. Mix the potions I tell you to! Th-thats fine, but I cant make anything other than recovery potions! We can combine multiple recovery potions by rapidly heating them. Create a powerful acid, and you can dissolve human bone!! Wait, seriously!? Thats not playing fair!! The Skeleton...no, Skull Wave shouted hysterically, but there was a note of enjoyment in his voice. A chill ran down Beatrices spine in response. But, he said. Wha-!? The bone axe multiplied. It was already taller than he was, but now there were 6 more of them for a total of 7. Beatrice briefly thought it was moving so quickly she was seeing afterimages, but that was wrong. It really had multiplied in number. Skull Wave now had enough bone arms to hold the 6 extra giant axes. They were attached to his shoulder blades and spine, ignoring the concept of joints altogether. I have no nerves to be severed and no blood to be spilled. I can link my body together with no concern for normal human movement. He swung them. Fiercely. The axes danced every which way as something like a storm of guillotines. The pure difference in numbers shattered the teamwork of the Holy Swordswomans group. They had to wholly focus on defense to stay alive. Even with three level cap adventurers and an Iberian Orc, they could barely hold their ground. Hah hah. Incredible! Im reaching rotation speeds of 700 rpm! These guillotine-class blades are spinning faster than a juicer and youre still fighting back with a single rapier, level cap girl!? You...!! Hmm, this isnt just the speed support from your AGI. Oh, I get it. Your 100% Fire Resistance means flames and heat cant hurt you, so youre supporting the movements of your arms and legs with explosive blasts. What were you so afraid of that you had to put together this countermeasure? Bullets? Bomb shrapnel? ... I can tell even without a Shining Weapon or Magic. Its a matter of experience. He had seen right through it. Not just her next move, but how she was using her Magic and why she had developed that usage. This was undoubtedly a human intelligence that knew Magic well. Well, it wont last long either way. In just a few minutes, your muscles, cartilage, and joints will be crying out in pain. Its only a prototype technique. Once its secrets were revealed, a secret method was nothing of the sort. He would take advantage of it soon enough. Filinion. Give up on the Mixing. How many recovery potions do you have!? A-a few. But we cant recombine them into an acid! Armelina, Boo Boo. This is going to hurt, but we have recovery potions and itll save our lives, so its all for the best, right!? Wait, explain what youre about to-...bgweh!? Armelinas response was cut off by an explosion. Beatrice activated her Magic and caused a large explosion at their feet. But this was not meant to part the bone ocean that would occasionally swell up like a whirlwind. The incredible shockwave was meant to blast them backwards. They were surrounded on all sides, but the bone ocean was not consistently thick. The thickest portion was directly ahead where the Skeleton stood. Sending more bones there left the other parts thinner. If they flew over the bone ocean like an artillery shell and left the range of the flying axes, they could escape. The blow slammed against their own bodies, but Filinion had recovery potions. But it did not all go as planned. Didnt I tell you? An odd sound burst out. The great number of bones gathered into a single being. As the Skeletons mass grew, the great axes he held also grew longer and heavier. Beatrices group had earned a few dozen meters, but even that distance was swallowed up. Your restricted fighting styles dont apply to me!! White shooting stars dropped down along curving paths, like they were drawing out half-moons. Beatrice was helpless as they focused on her. But a moment later... Tch. Boo Boo! Use this as a stepping stone!! Armelina changed her priests staff into a hexagonal rod. It was taller than she was and she swung it to provide stable ground below Boo Boos airborne feet. Just before the shooting stars caught the Holy Swordswomans head, his giant form twisted around. He cleanly placed all his weight in his giant Shining Weapon and struck the white shooting stars and silver tornado head-on. The gigantic axes shattered. Boo Boo could not negate the momentum, so he broke several trees and rolled along the ground. Nevertheless, they escaped the white sea. Are you okay, Boo Boo!? You should worry about yourself, Beatrice. Im worried about Armelina too. This is no time to be gentlemanly. It throws me off balance. More importantly, fall back. We cant let them surround us again now that weve escaped! The forest rustled. No, it was the sea of human bones covering the ground below the trees. The Skeleton wore a cowboy hat with a large red jewel on it. He was Skull Wave and he most likely had a direct connection to the Sage. Fluffy blonde haired glasses Filinion gulped as she watched it. But where are we supposed to run to? Grounds Nir isnt all that big an island. They did not have time to answer. As the white rushed in, Beatrices level cap group and even Boo Boo immediately chose to retreat. Part 10 Wearing a cowboy hat with an ominously glowing large red jewel on it, the Skeleton acted like he was sighing as a white sea followed behind him. But since he had no lungs or diaphragm, it was only an empty motion. The Sage, huh? Thats a name I havent heard in a long time. He used something other than his throat to vibrate the air and took a step out from the shredded and collapsed leaf house to enter the thick forest. Hm? Oh? Whats a Soviet ghost doing here? Are you done guarding the tomb of the Enter Kosmos? She was a plant Break News and the greatest of the Mandragoras. That monster wielded killer soundwaves and could infinitely reproduce, but she was now gently yawning while buried in the field up to just below her chest. Honestly, how is it you still reek of sweat as nothing but bones? Dont I have a right to complain when you ruin this perfect hot spring spa Id found? Telling me not to would be asking too much. Hmm. So youd taken a liking to this place, had you? Not just me. A lot of people find it a comfortable place. And you destroyed it for your own purposes. Now, can that empty head of yours comprehend how poor an excuse I didnt know is? Youre really going to fight me? That skull would certainly have been smiling if it had skin and muscles. Hey. Your infinite reproduction isnt as convenient as it looks. After all, plants subsist off of photosynthesis. Once the soil is out of nutrients, youre done. Youre no different. It would be hard to find someone who doesnt know what your body is made of. True enough. It would be like moths flying into the flame for the both of us. ...But, Miss Plant, which do you think is stronger: natures life force or human greed? ... On the planet I come from, human greed wins every time. We know were wrapping the noose around our own necks, but we cant stop overfishing and overdeveloping. Your cosmonaut might have called it a blue planet, but its actually full of dry-colored bald mountains and deserts. Lets hope Grounds Nir doesnt turn out the same way. His tone was peaceful, but it was enough to silence one of the Break News. The strength of plants was based in the fact that they were the foundation of the food chain and those higher up the chain would die if they were wiped out. In a long-term battle, sucking all nutrients from the soil was a simple but effective method. But what if the predator did not care about consequences? What if they were doing everything they could to ignore the inevitable outcome of starving and drying up in a land of bald mountains and deserts? What if they only focused on destroying and consuming all of the blessings before them? That was beyond what Ileana could deal with. What are you trying to do with a desire powerful enough to consume the entire world? I dunno. Its true humans are foolish and sinful enough creatures to ignore a known future, but theyre also stupidly kindhearted. They might know the land is drying up, but theyll still seek water for their starving young child whose lips are dry and cracked. ... I cant let them meet the Sage. Even my empty head knows meeting that person will not make anyone happy. Part 11 Overwhelming endurance and unbelievable destructive power. Concluding they would gain nothing by facing him head-on, Boo Boo and the others kept their distance, but where were they to run to? Dammit, since Nonhumans like Boo Boo cant leave through the Gate, we cant Sign Out to escape to Earth. Pant, pant. Yes, we cant exactly, pant, leave Boo Boo all alone here. Pant. But its true Grounds Nir isnt that large. So the sky? If we could contact the Thousand Dragon... ... They held a strategy meeting while fleeing through the deep forest, but Boo Boo had not said much of anything. And then... Wah!? Armelina cried out oddly as she searched the blue sky for a giant dragon. Something large flew by overhead. But could the Holy Swordswomen and the others comprehend that a white explosion had occurred several hundred meters behind them and now the giant axes made from dried human remains were raining down all around them in hundreds if not thousands of pieces? Only one thing filled their mind. Skull Wave!? Hes already making his next move!? E-eek! How many of them are there!? If those Skeletons appear all over the place, well be surrounded in no time! Is it really that convenient? Hes an individual, not a group. He might have tons of resources, but its always just the one Skeleton that stands up, right? Even if that was correct, the threat was still there. They did not know which of the piles of bones would become Skull Wave, so they had to remain wary of them all. And... ...Hes chasing us, groaned Beatrice as she looked back while running. The conscious command tower is passing from bone pile to bone pile to catch up, so watch out! They could indeed see a distant figure catching up. A skull wearing a cowboy hat was tossed from pile to pile. Sometimes, just the hat was thrown through the air like a UFO or frisbee before being placed on another skull. This was faster than running on his own legs and any arrangement of bones would function as Skull Wave. The bone puzzle approached as a truly cruel pursuer. Tch! It looks like targeting that hat would be worth trying! Toh! Armelina used her metal ball and Beatrice her flames to target the cowboy hat skull while they ran, but it skillfully danced out of the way. The girls did not look pleased. They were doing everything they could to escape, but he had approached enough that their Magic could reach and hit him. Running out in the open isnt enough. Hell just surround us. We need to use some kind of natural fortress like a cliff or a cave to give him only one route in. Even if he has a million Skeletons, he can only fight with one at a time if the gap is only big enough for one. Just like the Labyrinth passageways, we can rack up the damage in no time while hes slowed down!! Pant, pant. B-but is there anywhere like that around here, you map moron!? Ah. As they argued, Beatrice gave a hysterical cry. She saw something through the trees up ahead: a giant round monument modeled after a gray pig face. She also saw a roller coaster mine cart track, a freefall tower, and a giant water wheel Ferris wheel. The artificial structures looked out of place this deep in the woods. And she could sum it all up with a single name: Boo Boo Land? The Fairies had secretly built that amusement park to thank Boo Boo. However, it was based on hearsay on top of hearsay, so they failed to grasp the point of the rides, skipped any sort of safety standards, and created murder rides with no malicious intent. The exhausted White Witchs glasses were fogged up from her own heat and she could barely see through them, but she pointlessly pushed at them all the same. M-maybe we can escape to there! The fence will block the Skeletons movements and we might be able to wipe them all out with clever application of the murder rides!! So its a trap action game? No, a tower defense game? Either way, it sounds like fun! They did not need a tricky way to lure him in without letting him know what they were trying to do. Skull Wave was pursuing them, so he would follow them wherever they went. They saw their way out. But then something unexpected happened. Boo Boo came to a sudden stop instead of following them. What is it, Boo Boo? Hurry! But the Holy Swordswomans prompting did not get the Iberian Orc to move. He shook his head on the spot. I cant go there. He continued before Beatrice could ask why not. Hes after my Shining Weapon. If I go in there, it will drag someone else into this. No, its not just that. Ive already gotten you three involved. We should have split up so he would only go after me... Beatrice felt the blood rush to her head, but then she remembered something: Skull Wave had destroyed Boo Boos leaf house. That tragedy might have still been stuck in his head. He may have been in more pain than he let on. And so he was strongly reluctant to expose others to a similar shock. If that was the alternative, he would face Skull Wave alone. Beatrice finally realized why he had been so silent. What about her? Could she let this happen? To her, the Fairies Boo Boo Land was backwards and comedic. It did not function as a proper amusement park. But at the same time, they had to have put a lot of thought into how they would express their heartfelt thanks. These were tools meant to produce smiles, so could she really use them for combat and destruction, make a mess of the place, and leave only rubble behind just to protect her life? Had she already forgotten her intense rage after Boo Boos birthday party had been ruined? Boo Boo... Her suggestion would work against them. She knew that, but she accepted that and prepared her heart to speak. But then... Whats this? Are you letting some completely misguided worries hold you back, our hero? A graceful female voice reached them. They all looked up and saw a small light on a tree branch. A palm-sized Fairy sat there. Her long lime hair was worn back, she wore an orange dress over her curvy body, and two thin wings grew from her back. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Sir Boo Boo. I am Morgan, the elder who has been left in charge of the Fairies during Lady Sutrionas absence. The small light fluttered down. She did not hesitate to approach the 4 meter Iberian Orcs face. If you would forgive me for being so forward, I believe you are mistaken about something. Our one and only desire is to be useful to you so we might repay you. You are afraid of destroying Boo Boo Land? You feel bad using it for something other than its intended purpose? You are looking at this entirely wrong. Anything that would assist our hero is best. How you use it is a trivial matter, so long as it is of some use to you. It was built to serve you, so why should you be driven out in fear of using it incorrectly? Are you trying to insult our expression of gratitude? The bone sea had to be approaching from behind as they spoke. They did not really have time to stand around like this. But they all waited on the tiny words from Boo Boo who looked like a small child left behind in an unfamiliar city. ...But. Finally, Boo Boo forced some words from his throat while hanging his head so he did not have to look even the small Fairy in the eye. But hes after me, this has nothing to do with anyone else, and Ill bring trouble wherever I go. So what? We dont know how to defeat Skull Wave, joining forces wont necessarily give us a way, and we might all go down together. How is that a problem? How can you say that? Nothing good will come of working with me here... The elder pulled down on something like a thread from a spider web that hung nearby. A giant bucket fell on Boo Boos head. Dboo!? Hmph. This weapon was personally instilled with blessings by the Fairy elder. Let the happiness permeate your being. And is that what you were worried about? The tiny elder crossed her arms, scoffed, and spat out her words. At the same time, she spoke like a mother gently stroking her childs head when they had had a bad dream. The answer is obvious: everyone here wants to see you smile. Just like you reached out to help Meridiana even though you did not benefit in the slightest. Boo Boo could not move. ...This will be a lot of trouble for you. It will. It might go way, way beyond the point of no return. It might. Something approached from overhead. It was a giant axe made from countless bones. But Boo Boo no longer hesitated. As he looked back, he swung his giant Shining Weapon like a whirlwind and shattered the falling axe. And he spoke briefly. Thank you. Of course. As the countless bones lost their cohesion and rained down separately, Morgan remained motionless despite almost certainly being one of the targets. Her arms remained crossed such that they lifted her breasts and she did not even blink. That is the hero we have longed for. Only after whispering that did she flutter away. Now, allow me to introduce you to our castle. The time to repay you is at hand. Part 12 Followed by a white sea that swirled and rose up unnaturally in places, the cowboy hat Skeleton known as Skull Wave looked up at the writing on the arched entrance in shock. Boo Boo Land? It was hard to tell if that meant he was popular or not. A small light fluttered over. It was Alice, the palm-sized Fairy in a violet dress. Its dangerous in here! Were prepared for you, so turning around now would be the wise choice!! Grr, grr!! Oh, its the little lady. How are your wings? They dont hurt, do they? As long as the base is fine, you should be able to soothe them with ointment. Mgh! Have you made up with your sister yet? I know its embarrassing, but you should find a way sooner rather than later. As time passes, you might just miss the right timing. Ive screwed that up more than enough times when fighting with my wife. Mghh...!! But thanks for the warning. I know it cant be easy trapped between your villages decision and your personal feelings. But sometimes a man cant stop for fear of injury. Dont worry about me. Bye. He looked away from the Fairy and continued on. The front gate was a double door of logs tied together with vines, and it was shut. They seemed to have started a tower defense game. After going through the motions of sighing, he lightly tapped the ground with the bottom of the axe he held. Immediately, the air could be heard splitting. 30 or 40 identical axes flew from the white sea behind him. As the giant blades rotated through the air and landed inside the park, they may have been reminiscent of frisbees or UFOs. Of course, no matter how many bones there were, only one Skeleton could stand up. He was only establishing supply points in case something unexpected occurred. (The preparations are complete. ...Its time I got going too.) By the time he held down the cowboy hat with a hand and thought that, it was all over. An explosion burst out. In just an instant, the log gate was blown to smithereens and splinters sprayed inwards like when a sake bottle was hit horizontally by a bullet. This was hardly surprising since Skull Wave had 20 arms attached to his back and each one held an axe taller than he was. And since he was using psychokinesis to move, the different parts did not actually need to be attached. He could freely remake himself with no concern for trivial things like joints. Each axe weighed more than 30 kg and they were each released with enough force to reach 2400 rpm. It was a lot like combining 10 giant battering rams and firing them using a low-speed-rotation Gatling gun. (Oh, that aint good. Im using the real worlds filth to sum things up in this fantasy world. I guess Im still more human than I thought.) His arms of different lengths and thicknesses spread out behind him like a giant flower as he stepped through the unrecognizable remains of the gate. If their individual power was insufficient, they would get help from the terrain and structures. A makeshift log barricade zigzagged across the plaza in front of him. They had likely been planning to slow him down with the barricade while they used a dense hail of projectiles to wipe out the bones. They may have planned to directly attack using the movable barricades as shields. That was the correct choice, but it would not help much when he could break right through the walls and fences. He faced a round pond and a giant pig-faced monument. A pillar of water came from the top of the monument, so it was apparently meant to be a fountain. He was surrounded by a roller coaster mine cart track and he also saw a freefall tower and Ferris wheel further in the distance. He easily destroyed the zigzagging barrier. Whoops. The bones approached either side of the plaza to avoid the fountain and they stopped once they reached the food stands. The yogurt-soaked skewers were still sitting out, but he decided to leave them be. (Im oddly hesitant to let that go to waste. Not that I can eat anything these days.) With the white sea behind him, Skull Wave heard the roaring of the wind. Immediately thereafter, a 12-wheeled section of carts ignored the track and filled his vision. Wha-!? His human knowledge had worked against him here. He had assumed a roller coaster had to follow its track and that nothing else was even an option, so he was slow to react when the carts dynamically derailed. (Tch!!) But this was not a fatal blow for Skull Wave. As previously stated, his axes had the same force as a 10-battering-ram Gatling gun. No matter how many carts were sent his way, he could intercept them with a head-on rush and obliterate them in order like a never-ending pencil sharpener. However, it did turn his full attention in that direction. And that allowed something to target him from the side. Annnnd go!! A shrill voice called out from above as if timing something. (A Fairy...?) The Skeleton looked to the side while continuing to tear apart the flying roller coaster. This time it was a swing ship. The giant swing was modeled after a pirate ship, but its supports had been removed from the ground so its great mass could be sent his way. Gwooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? His bones were shattered in an instant. It was as refreshing a sight as a strike in bowling, but that was not going to end his life. (Although I technically dont even have a life.) The skull wearing the cowboy hat flew in a parabolic arc, was caught by another bone arm, and was attached to a new neck. That was all it took for Skull Wave to activate once more. It was the same no matter how often it happened. The white sea was like hundreds if not thousands of plain jigsaw puzzles mixed together. With that many pieces to work with, he could be remade any number of times, so there was no end in sight. ...Or so he thought. ...? At first the Skeleton was only confused. Thats what you were after? Dammit!! Part 13 Armelina was in charge as she looked down across Boo Boo Land from the top of the freefall tower that stood several dozen meters tall. She could freely wield Magic such as fire or ice, but as a Fighter Priest, she instead pursued physical maces and metal balls on chains. So she viewed the scene through the bubble-like film filling a rectangular frame made from necklace-thin chains. This displayed the results of all sorts of calculations: potential energy, kinetic energy, gravity, pendulum motion, combining and separating vectors, etc. The frame displayed curves of light to visualize the next movements of the roller coaster, swing ship, and other massive rides. (Of course, this is only good for something slow enough to visualize. It wont help with Elkiads bullets or Boo Boo when he goes all out.) Derail the water ride at 300% power, drop the freefall to crush the Skeleton, and then close inner gates 5, 6, and 7! Use the haunted houses glowing pollen holograms to divert Skull Waves aim and send the coffee cup carrying Boo Boo away to the other side! Keep the ride spinning to guide him toward the Ferris wheel!! As the palm-sized Fairies flitted around to obey her instructions, the rides flew along the curves shown in light on her frame and stabbed into the bone sea. Of course, Skull Wave was a bone puzzle who could remake himself as many times as he needed to. A simple impact was not going to win this. But Armelina and the others had something else planned. Morgan sounded impressed as she floated by the Fighter Priests side. Youve split them up quite well. Yeah. No matter how far his white sea spreads, theres only ever the one bone puzzle in the hat. So if we separate the cowboy hat from the surrounding white sea, the commands cant reach them anymore. We can crush them with the roller coaster, create a wall with the remains of the swing ship, and shut them inside the inner gates. We might not be able to fill in the whole sea, but a puddle is a different matter. Skull Wave had thrown in several bone axes to create supply points in advance. That was somewhat frightening, but that was really all he could do. The individual bones could not get up on their own to create a great army. Now, then. I hope theyre doing their job down on the ground too. In this tower defense game, they had to protect Boo Boo...or rather, his Shining Weapon. Beatrice was his bodyguard in case Skull Wave got close and Filinion was their healer. Skull Wave had the power to break through walls and gates, so they could not stay in one place and had to continue running around the park to stay safe. (You can break through the walls and gates, but youre alone. The Fairies will prepare more and more new walls to divide you further and further until you cant retrieve any of the bones you scattered around!) But it proved very true that there was no safe place in the park. Oh, crap! Armelina noticed something and cried out just as a giant white axe spun through the air and attacked the freefall tower. The cowboy hat owner had noticed her there and thrown it. When she saw more and more of the flying disks approaching, she jumped onto a cart she had waiting nearby. It had been designed for Boo Boos size, but a human could apparently use it by attaching something like a child seat to the side. ...The only problem was that it had never been tested before. I will now drop you as planned, announced Morgan as she flew nearby. I dont like the sound of that!! The Fairies had created this literal freefall ride from their misunderstanding of human entertainment. The only brakes were the metal staff Armelina held in both hands. Metal teeth jutted out from the staff like a giant rake and sparks flew as they dug into the side of the tower. (Oh, no! I cant slow down enough!) Boo!! Jump, Armelina!! ... Relying on the voice heard just before landing, Armelina twisted her wrist. The metal teeth were already digging deep into the tower side, but now they caught and were repelled like the needle skipping across an old record, sending the Fighter Priest out from the safety bar and into the air. A chill ran through her spine and even her heart, but the expected heavy impact never came. Boo Boo had extended his powerful arms and used his spring-like muscles to catch her while allowing the impact to escape. She breathed a sigh of relief and scratched her cheek. You damn gentleman. This is my first time being princess carried, you know? Wahhhh! You stole his first time!? Beatrice burst into tears nearby, but they did not have time for that. The white mass was approaching fast. Part 14 Now! Launch the trampoline cannon!! Time for the rotating wooden horse attack. Gooo!! Shrill cheers sounded as plant vines or animal tendons were released with enough tension to throw a large boulder. Each time, a massive ride was released and the cowboy hat monster was shattered and scattered. Ah, ahhh, ahhhhh... But one Fairy in particular could not wholeheartedly rejoice at the sight: Alice. She knew that Skeleton too well. Exchanging words and emotions meant too much. The Skeleton was destroyed over and over, but each time, the scattered bones would gather together and he would stand back up. That bizarre monster would not let anyone worry about him. His white sea had been separated out by ride wreckage and inner gates, so it was more like a small pond now. What would happen once it was gone? What if the cowboy hat was stolen? What if the large red jewel in it was broken? ... Alice could not just watch. She fluttered down in her violet dress to meet Skull Wave who was putting himself back together for the umpteenth time. Oh, its the little lady. What brings you here to see your enemy? A-are you stupid!? You should have run away and recovered your numbers before you ended up like this! Maybe so. The Skeleton put his cowboy hat back on. But there are some things in this world you cant put off until later. Some people charge into the Labyrinth to save a cornered rookie and end up getting themselves killed. When you hear about that later on, you might come up with some clever ideas like throwing rocks from a distance to distract the powerful enemy or calculating out the shortest route to the stairs in advance so you can escape right away. But Im not going to pretend Im smarter than them. They probably couldnt think straight in the moment. They saw the rookie covered in sweat and trapped at a dead end, and they couldnt put it off until later, even if that meant ignoring their own safety. So their choice was a noble one, even if that didnt play out in the results. You... People have always asked me these things. Why did I decide to build the inn town? Why did I defeat the enraged mother dragon and then heal her wounds? My answer was always the same: I hate not being able to sleep at night and I dont want dreams of anyone C human or not C getting hurt and bleeding. Everyone tilted their heads and read way too much into it, though. ... The Skeleton had repeatedly called her little lady. That was not him looking down on her. He understood the customs of the Fairies. They disliked having a stranger suddenly address them by name. So while judging their distance from someone, they would use roundabout ways of addressing someone, such as Moonlit Neighbor or Old Guest, but not many people knew of and followed that custom these days. He looked wild and careless. But at his core, he had a considerate and respectful heart. So nothing he said was thoughtless. Theyre cornered too. They just cant see the coming dead-end because they dont have enough light. I cant let people with such honest eyes meet the Sage. That will only bring misfortune to everyone involved. Was that really Skull Waves entire motivation? He gained nothing and he had no grudge against them. If it would prevent an acquaintance from walking down a dangerous path, he would gladly play the villain. That was all this was. One look at that Skeleton made it clear the Sage was no normal person. They had a devilish intellect that could twist the definition of life and death. Just how could that knowledge be misused if they were angered? It was not fun to imagine. But when he saw the look of intense fear and slight disgust on Alices face, Skull Waves shoulders relaxed slightly. If he had eyelids, he may have narrowed his eyes a little. Unfortunately, I dont mean it like that. ? Then again, Id prefer it if only I knew what I meant. Now, get back to your post, little lady. Dont be getting to know your enemy. Do you want to be banished from your village? The Skeleton casually flicked the palm-sized Fairy with his bony finger. Alice was knocked aside, but before she could even cry out in protest, a small train crashed into the Skeleton, breaking him to pieces. ...!? Alice grew pale and wordlessly flapped her mouth, but Skull Wave used his one remaining arm to place the cowboy hat back on his skull and bowed. Then he and the other bones were tossed into the danger zone of another ride. Vines were stretched out in a V-shape and forcibly held to the ground. A reverse bungee? Interesting!! With a deafening noise, the scattered bones were launched several dozen meters into the air. Some of the flying bones connected into a full Skull Wave who then flipped around to regain his balance. After searching for some handy footing, he landed on top of the roller coaster mine cart track that rose up like a mountain. And someone was already there: Boo Boo, last of the Iberian Orcs. He had a 4 meter frame and held out his Shining Weapon that could be mistaken for a log or steel beam, but the narrow mine cart track was apparently not an impediment to his movement. Meanwhile, Skull Wave had been knocked around the park like a pinball before arriving at this highest point. The white sea was nowhere to be seen. He only had a single bodys worth of bones, one large axe, and the cowboy hat on his head. I cant give you this Shining Weapon. This has nothing to do with the Sage. It contains something important to me. Even if holding onto that important thing will cause you to lose your smile? Its true I would be sad if I lost Beatrice. And I dont want to see Filinion, Armelina, or any of the others hurt either. He was not shaken. Before, he had been saddened that he could only run away and act as a diversion to help his friends, but he was not at all shaken now. But they told me not to worry or hold back. They asked if I was trying to insult their feelings. So I wont fear getting them involved. No, Ive decided Ill continue on to the future with them. I wont resign myself to being hated. I wont run away from making friends or from the work needed to build a connection with someone else!! Oh? Now youre looking kind of manly, Boo Boo. Finding something you arent willing to compromise on is a good thing. That monster was only bones, but he was undoubtedly smiling. Skull Wave had to be weakened. He had lost the white sea behind him and he no longer had the many arms and axes to expand himself. With only the one weapon, he could not unleash the ferocious Gatling gun attack with giant blunt weapons. With just the normal body and the one axe, he would lose to Boo Boo. But that man pulled the hat over his eyes, held it down with a hand, and did not take a single step back. But thats exactly why I dont want to invite you to your deaths. Cant you just grant me my selfishness here!? With those words, a splendid pillar of fire erupted. It came from Skull Wave and his axe. The weapon of bone and the Skeleton of the same substance were used as kindling to create the dreadful hellfire surrounding him. This shouldnt be surprising. The phosphorus in human bones will burn. I think there was a time when this was said to be the source of the Hitodama myths. The less credible theories suggested things like plasma and methane gas, though. And phosphorus was incredibly toxic. The white phosphorus used in the Hitodama theory and in rat poison was lethal at only 50mL. Of course, it would not reach that level just by burning some bones, but Skull Wave was not just any bones. He had the ability to control them and turn them into a great power. Incredible heat and toxic smoke. If physical blows were not enough, he would add more to his attacks until the many forms of suffering finally defeated his powerful foe. Neither of us wants to stretch this out needlessly. Inside the flames, the man raised the giant axe. So lets settle this already, lady killer!! Part 15 Any battle had a single conclusion. There was no other way to describe that final clash. Part 16 It was a spectacular sight. Brutal flames and poisonous smoke. But the Iberian Orc used no trickery. Just like using the pressure of a punch to blow out a candles flame, his giant Shining Weapon swept everything away. But there was just one person who turned her back on the joy of this victory. Alice left Boo Boo Land and fluttered around the forest. Those palm-sized Fairies were at the bottom of the food chain, so that kind of noticeable movement could easily gather the attention of various predators. But in her violet dress, Alice never stopped her search despite the danger. Im pretty sure it was over here... That lonely monster had been worried for everyone more than anyone else, but no one had realized his true reasons. But she would not let him remain lonely. Fairies always repaid their debts. The entire village had sided with Boo Boo and he had saved Alices sister as well as Alice herself, but she could not look down on her other savior. I know he flew off in this direction!! At the end of her risky search, four-winged Alice finally found him. Man, now that was a flight. A completely unasked for one, though. Boo Boo really knows how to make a grand slam. With his weapon and body lost, he was no more than a skull wearing a cowboy hat. He sat on the black soil below the trees. But what brings you here, little lady? Why would you want to visit a hated loser like me? Uh...uuh... She bit her small lip, but it was no use. She could not suppress the sobs. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh! Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!! Cmon, stop that. Dont cry. You need to stop! There was no villain there. That was only two men pitting their conflicting choices against each other. Okay? There are three things I truly cant stand: styrofoam, dentistry tools, and crying kids. So please. I beg you. I cant escape as just a head!! But...then...youll be... Theres no helping that. Id kind of already realized it, but a ghost clinging to the past and the living walking toward the future just arent going to get along. Im sure theyll continue on even if they know how incredibly dangerous it is. Nevertheless, Skull Wave had tried to take away Boo Boos Shining Weapon and rob them of their path to the Sage....It truly was selfishness on his part. When he ran across a rookie trapped between a Labyrinth dead-end and a powerful enemy, he would draw his sword and rush in despite there being more rational things he could do. That was a foolish but noble human emotion. He was a Skeleton given life by the Sages Stone. He was Skull Wave, the white ocean that had transcended life and death. But he too had been born a human. This isnt going to be easy... As only a skull and a cowboy hat, that man looked up into the blue sky as he spoke. But instead of to Alice in front of him, he seemed to be speaking to someone far in the distance. Youve decided to keep walking on your own two feet. So prepare yourself and make sure you protect it all to the end, Boo Boo. Long-Lived Royal Elf Sibyl''s Live News The Site of a Strange Ritual? The Mystery of Boo Boo Land!! Hi! Today, I think Ill approach these mysterious ruins that suddenly appeared deep in the forest. I asked the Harpies and Thousand Dragon who live in the area, and they said this area was originally empty forest. They have no idea when such a large facility was built or how it suddenly turned to ruins. Who made it, what for, and how did it end up so run down? With that introduction over, lets set foot inside. Gulp. After walking through the collapsed arch, Ive found a mysterious spring. Theres a half-crumbled pig-faced statue sinking into it? I see the wreckage of a contraption that looks a lot like the cart tracks seen in mines. This is really making me nervous. Was there some kind of major accident here? It looks like theres even more further in, but the inner gate is shut. I think Ill make a real effort and climb over it. Kh, its times like this when I really hate being only about 150 cm tall! Okay, Im at the top...wah!? There are b-b-b-b-b-b-bones! Right over the wall is an unbelievable number of bones! Uh, um, umm, just counting the skulls...ahh, its too many to count!? H-how many people died here!? What in the world happened here? Was Boo Boo Land the site of rituals held for some dreadful evil god? Ah, ahhh!? And more importantly, will I be able to get out of here aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!? Volume 3, 2: Fieldwork Hunting! Volume 3, Chapter 2: Fieldwork Hunting! Part 1 What a pain... sighed a tall and slender woman wearing outdoor glasses, a sports hoodie, and shorts while jogging. She took a short break to stretch her limbs, twist her hips around, arch her back, and otherwise limber up her body while checking her smartphone. Keep fighting until I get more than 10 sures! Special MoveSideways Peace Sign!! ...No, that isnt quite right. Should I wink and stick my tongue out a bit? She practiced her Nanskagram selfie pose only when there were no other pedestrians around, but after a bit of that, she switched her focus and her smartphones screen to her Grounds Nir battle records. They had settled their battle against Skull Wave, an artificial mutation of an undead Skeleton, but she could not exactly say she was satisfied with the results. She would not stand a chance against Boo Boo either, but she did not enjoy this reminder that she could lose a battle of pure physical attacks. And at times like this, that beautiful woman with her long black hair tied back did not rely on awakening a convenient talent inside her or on the legends of some ultimate magic hidden deep within a cave. The Percentage-type Magic provided by their equipment added a % to their physical abilities. A gauntlet of STRx200% would help a heavyweight boxer much more than it would a book girl. Things might be different when it came to INT, but it all came down to good old-fashioned hard work. Ones daily studies and workouts would mean a lot to their Parameters. She switched her smartphone to music mode, stuck it in the holder on her upper arm, and resumed running through early morning Tokyo. The lithe legs extending down form her shorts displayed the energy of a carnivorous feline. Lately, she had left the runners making a large loop around Tokyo Station and the National Theatre. Instead, she ran to the fish market on the bay coast. She could not find breakfast anywhere near as good anywhere else. Since she was trying to build strength instead of go on a diet, she did not have to view sugar and carbs as her enemy. In her mind, there was no substitute for a cheap seafood bowl with plenty of sea urchin, roe, and salmon on it. (I really cant keep up this kind of habit without some kind of reward at the end.) Mixed in with the middle-aged men whose hair and skin had been punished by the direct sunlight and sea breeze, she scarfed down the contents of the Styrofoam bowl in her shorts that showed off her legs all the way up to the base of her thighs. She had thought every channel only aired the news or an infomercial at this early hour, but the cable broadcast was apparently an exception. The restaurants TV was showing a police drama rerun. Detective, reload already! If you dont hurry up, the next one will get here!! Shut up, Mystery Freak! Im going to be disciplined yet again thanks to you!! (Ahh, Im so jealous. I wish I could ride a motorcycle around the harbor at night while firing a shotgun like crazy... Oh, I know. I should ask Inoue if there are any dangerous cases I could work on.) Thanks for the meal. Sure thing! Its great having a beauty stopping by every day. Sales-wise, I mean. ? Unsure what he meant, the black-haired woman began her return trip. Some old men were already casting fishing poles into the bay. They had likely already competed for the seafood they needed at the market. Catch anything? Only a boot and a can. They say Tokyo Bays gotten a lot cleaner, but theres still a ways to go. She smiled bitterly and left the fish market. Once back inside the squalid urban area, she hit the rush hour crowds. She always used this road, so a group in red elementary school backpacks called out to her. Oh, its the runner lady! You still wear shorts as an adult? She waved and continued on. (Its probably about time to change my course. It probably isnt a good idea to have too many people remember me.) As she thought that, her smartphone rang. It was a voice call. The timing was perfect, so she came to a stop and felt the sweat and heat she had nearly forgotten about while running. She mainly wore the hoodie due to her complex about her breast size, but she had no choice now. She unzipped it, bent back a little to remove it, fanned her neck and chest with one hand, and operated her smartphone with the other. An old man out walking his dog was so entranced by the sight that he tripped and fell face-first into a pile of trash bags, so she gave him a curious look as she began her conversation. Hello. This is Sakurai. Hello, hello. Its Inoue. Do you really need to use your fake name when talking with me? Good morning, chief. Theres already been a change of plans. Theyve already made their move? I only just circled around the administrative office and swapped out the battery. That isnt what I meant, so lets bring an end to the national bank case according to schedule. I was referring to your sparring partner! Go to the gym now and youll find everyones left. You broke their spirits after all the beatings youve given them!! When a guy is more than twice your weight and still loses that badly, its shameful enough for him to want to commit seppuku, so please show some restraint!! The beauty in a tank top and shorts shook her head at his shouting. Even if she had left out of necessity, she still missed the different dojos and the shooting range at Sakuradamon. It was so easy to grow rusty. But it was difficult to continue honing her skill with only civilian facilities to work with. Inoue, find a replacement before I arrive. Make sure theyre at least at frontline combat level. Im not interested in someone with one of those black belts that are only for show or whos only used a sword in a sports setting. Ehh? But its not even 8 in the morning. Its unreasonable to call someone up so early. Is that so, unreasonable boy? Either find someone, or its your butt in the ring. I dont care which it is. Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Ignoring her subordinates scream, the woman in outdoor glasses ended the call. She switched the music to some fast-tempo rock and started on the last spurt. The gym had yet to open, so she entered through the back. She silently checked all the rooms, but there was no sign of anyone. They fled... Whether or not she would really place her cute subordinate in the ring later, she walked to the shower room on a different floor. Without an opponent, she could go ahead and wash her body. She freed the long black hair she had tied back. Sweat drops flew and the hair flowed down over her back. She quickly stripped off the sweat-soaked shorts, but the tank top clung to her skin and put up more of a resistance than expected. After managing to strip it away, she looked down and sighed. Dammit. Its sad how perfect a fit that sports bra is. She kept her glasses on so she could still see. She stripped off her underwear too and cut across the shower room in her birthday suit. A shelf contained a brand new type of body oil and some other bath goods that she had stockpiled here. (I-Im definitely not taking a lesson from Filinion here. Im definitely not thinking body oil will increase my feminine charm!! Its meant to soothe my heart from my days of hard work! Ive never once wondered if it might help my boobs grow!!) She had considered trying some when she had the time, but she was surprised to find the seal broken on a few of them. The seals had been lazily torn off with bits and pieces remaining. As she trembled in the nude, she grabbed her smartphone, stood tall, and called a certain number with enough intensity that crimson light would have shot from her eyes in Grounds Nir. Inoueeeeeee!!!!! Yes!? S-sorry, chief, but if Im going to die as your sparring partner, at least give me some time to sign up for a high-payout life insurance policy to support my parents... This isnt about that!! I recognize this lazy seal removal. Youve been using my body oil, havent you!? Along with the washing sponge for sensitive skin!! These are for women, you know!? Oh, the Capricious Bear one? I didnt know who bought that. So it was you? Make no mistake! It just happens to suit my skin and its only a coincidence its modeled after that mascot. Besides, how did you accidentally use them when I left them in the womens shower room!? Um... That gym only has the one shower room. It isnt a diet gym for young wives, so its not like anyones going to peep... You come with me to Grounds Nir for a minute. We can continue this chat after I drop a Shooting Star on your head. No, thank you. That technique makes the ground sink down over an area the size of a school campus! And in Grounds Nir, Im Huldra the cute Alchemist Cheerleader. I spent a lot of care making minute adjustments to that cute girl face, so Im not going to let you crush it underfoot like an empty can! Why is a guy like you a popular girl with a nicer body than me!? She shouted in anger and hung up. She really wanted to hit him now, but that major technique barely ever hit in an actual battle and it would be impossible to target Inoue while he ran around. She actually liked aloe oil the best, but she had no interest in using it now that a guy had touched it. Capricious Bear had done nothing wrong, but she could only see it as a sponge covered in filth and curly hair. She tearfully puffed out her cheeks and carried only the unopened bottles into one of the shower booths. She grimaced when she saw the large mirror in front of her. (Dammit, I really want to get contacts. But Im afraid of the unexpected happening, so only glasses will do. Why cant they invent lenses that wont fall out in a light struggle or from the recoil of a gun?) The boiler had issues, so there was a trick to using the gym shower. The temperature knob had only a few millimeters between ice cold and scorching hot. ... She stared at her breasts in the large mirror. She held her hands up and hesitated over whether or not to touch them and massage them, but she managed to shake herself free of a superstition as common as the one saying milk would make them grow. ...I guess something that simple wont make them any bigger. She let the warm water wash over her naked body as she pressed her forehead against the mirror. She focused on the sensation of the hot liquid washing from the top of her head, down her neck, past her chest (which refused to give her any confidence), along her navel, and to her thighs. She belonged to a secret division that handled unofficial investigations that the normal police and even the JSDF could not handle. She was the chief of what was officially a private detective agency full of retired police offers and JSDF officers. That phantom unit was not known even to their allied nations and its leader muttered something like a curse while all alone in the shower booth and completely forget to try out any of the new products. Keep fighting until I get more than 10 sures! Special MoveUpturned Gaze!! ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ Argh. I need Capricious Bear to comfort me... Part 2 After using his prized nose to sniff out some Jewel Truffles and Tree Hollow Honey, Boo Boo happily returned home and found his house had been given an upgrade. His house had always been simply made because it could be destroyed at any time (by the dynamic way he tossed and turned in his sleep), but the leaf house had transformed into a log cabin. Boo? The houses owner tilted his head, so the usual meddling Fairies must have worked a little too hard this time. Armelina read the note left by Expert Construction Worker Meridiana. Whats this? Your house has glass windows now and a door that locks! There was a small Fairy door just below the roof, so it really did seem to be their work. Filinion dangled down from the lever-type knob positioned quite high up, opened and closed the thick door, and peered inside. Hoehh. Its pretty spacious inside. The floor space cant be that much different, but the leaf house was a triangular tent. Just making the walls vertical has really increased the total volume. The inside was more like a mountain cabin than a normal house or villa. It was a single large space with no interior walls. There was a fireplace by the wall and a set of giant blankets stuffed with Ghost Down folded up at one end. However, the end of Beatrices ahoge began to burn. Why isnt there a bath? The Fairies apparently had no intention of interfering with Boo Boos lifestyle. He would continue to draw water from the river, cook the animals and fish he caught outside, and refuse to bathe in water warmer than his own skin. (But, but. Surely Im not being overbearing if I just want to rid him of that smell so I wont choke when I hug him. Sigh, isnt there anything I can do?) That was when a girl of about 10 approached. She was actually the Fairy Queen and one of the Break News. She had long, silver hair and a small body. She wore a ribbon dress that only consisted of black ribbons except for the miniskirt, and a large flower decoration. Oh, oh. Boo Boo. How do you like the new home my underlings prepared for you? She may have made a sudden visit to ask his thoughts in place of Meridiana who was too shy to appear before them. Despite looking like arrogance incarnate, she could be quite considerate for a paradox with a soul. Boo. Can I really accept something like this? If you dont, itll just be a mysterious empty house. Then Id lose my nap spot and that perverted carrot would be lonely if your field fell into ruin. They heard an odd concerned cry from out in the fenced-off field. Staying here will help everyone. When good fortune falls from the sky, its best to accept it instead of fearing it. Filinion and Armelina just about had their souls taken away by the heartwarming talk, but Beatrice remained wary with the look of a hawk eyeing its prey. Then Ill have to repay all of you, said Boo Boo. Cmon, now. My underlings are doing this to repay you. Youll get us stuck in an infinite loop. Boo. Thats fine. If we both repay each other, well both be happy! Hah hah! Then Ill take you up on your offer. Oh, I know. I feel like eating an egg dish. And a rare one at that. In an instant, the red Holy Swordswomans eyes widened and she shouted a word she did not often use. Eureka!!!!! Part 3 Everything was white. They were in northern Grounds Nir. It was a small island that would only take around 3 days for a human to walk around, but due to the great difference in height, the north was known for being covered in snow year-round. The translucent water spirits known as Undines were happily dancing in a circle here, so it was an utterly icy land. Beatrice tried to disguise her hawk-eyed look with a cutesy voice as she clasped her hands behind her back, approached from the side, and introduced the snowy area to Boo Boo. O-okay, were almost there, Boo Boo. You have to repay, Sutriona, right? And you need a rare egg dish to do it. Well, the north is well-known for its Hot Spring Ice Cream which can only be described as Rare. With a smile on her face, that bird of prey added more in her heart. This is my chance!! I can use this unusual food to lure Boo Boo to a hot spring. I have such a devilish mind. And hed suspect the hot springs nearby, so I went for the northern Hot Spring Ice Cream instead of the Hot Spring Egg! Its all so perfect that Im scaring myself!! Its all coming out of your mouth, Beatrice. And you arent hiding those hawk eyes. Hearing Armelinas exasperated comment, the Holy Swordswoman quickly covered her mouth and gave her friends a suspicious look. Filinion, Armelina, why are you two with us? Show some tact! Im worried about you and your hawk eyes. Im here to check on some interesting rumors Ive heard related to Mixing. But...uuh...its way too cold!! Without your warmth, Beatrice, Ill start freezing from the end of my hair!! You moron, this is no time for girls to be sticking together for warmth! Can you please read the atmosphere!? Unable to resist her survival instincts, the glasses girl abandoned her femininity and began embracing her, so the Holy Swordswoman stopped the zombie cow with a (gauntleted) fist. Meanwhile, Boo Boo trudged along through the white landscape like a snowplow. Are you cold too, Armelina? Hm? Well, yeah. I do have some Water Resistance, but Im not an expert like that Ice Waterfall Princess. Still, I have Magic to thank for letting me attack a snowy mountain with so little equipment. Then you can stay close to me. Im warm, so youll be warm too! Oh dear, said the Fighter Priest as Boo Boo placed his large hand over her head. He pulled her over to his hips like he was roughly rubbing her head. She was essentially clinging to his side as she looked up at him. Cough. You do have a powerful smell... But, Boo Boo, you really are a gentleman. Boo. Again, whats a gentleman? Boo Boo tilted his head while continuing to roughly rub her head. ...Armelina? Gyahee! Y-youre gonna burn me, Beatrice! Youre really gonna cook me medium rare! The unfortunate person who was caught in the middle writhed around on the snow (with certain parts of her jiggling), but she was a recovery potion expert. She would probably be fine. But as the White Witch rolled around, she suddenly disappeared with the sound of something passing by. A biting wind blew through and the snow around their feet was blown into the air, forming a pure white screen in every direction. Wah! What!? A whiteout!? Boo! No one move! Stay still and wait for it to pass! What happened to Filinion!? She wears white, so its hard to tell where she is! The glasses cow is a healing expert, so shell probably be fine even if shes frozen solid! That sounded cruel, but talk in the bathroom or break room was always somewhat harsh. It was like a roses thorns. As she walked, Beatrice had fired torch-like illumination Magic onto the snow at even intervals and drew lines between the light sources to secure their way back. But with their vision blotted out with the white, the light could not reach and the lines were erased. They had to be careful. It probably only lasted a few minutes. When the pure white screen cleared away, the entire landscape had changed. First of all, the rise and fall of the land was different. They saw hills and a valley that had not been there before. They also saw the occasional roof or stone chimney. Snowmen were hopping around, but they were probably Snow Golems which had Gimmick gears embedded inside them. There were also Wild Snow Rabbits which seemed to have been intentionally released here. They all kept people away from the valley. I guess these ruins buried in the snow appear or disappear during the blizzards and avalanches... Hold on. That means this is even worse than a desert mirage. If even the landmarks change, well completely lose our bearings. Well-camouflaged White Witch Filinion was lying at the bottom of the valley. However she had fallen, she tearfully had her butt sticking into the air like she had just been hit by a German suplex. Her shorts were pulled as tight as possible, so the base of her thighs looked even plumper than usual. Heeee. H-help me... Shes trying to seduce some help, so why not just leave her? Yeah. ...Id rather die than decide Im lacking that. The girls immediately made up their mind, but Boo Boo was a boy. He walked down the steep slope on his own. The drop of a few meters was only a small step for his giant body. Pant, pant. Gasp, gasp. Th-thank you. Boo. Im happy that you werent hurt. Heh heh heh. Um, more importantly... Filinion took Boo Boos hand and looked around the ruins surrounding them. Most of it was still buried in white snow and ice, but the parts sticking out of the snow walls was enough to figure out what it was. This is a foot-powered lathe. This was used to carve metal...no, animal horns and teeth... The brick dome is for...well, there are tongs and a plaster container nearby...so melting down metal I guess... ? Yes, is this the Amalgam counterfeit factory? Beatrices eyebrows twitched as she looked down from overhead. Armelina was too perfect and showed an unnatural lack of reaction. Boo Boo alone tilted his head. What does that mean? Oh, sorry. Amalgam is a Guild made by humans. You know what a Guild is, right? Its a large group working toward accumulating lots of Experience Points, learning Magic, and securing the Pieces that will bring about technological revolution. But they never entered the Labyrinth. Filinion lowered her voice a little. They specialized in the gears used as currency in the inn town. They would sell cheap counterfeits of rare Mixing ingredients like Unicorn Horns or Mermaid Scales and they would counterfeit the order forms and shop deeds to acquire the real deal. The people who had their recovery potions and ingredients taken apparently had a lot of trouble in the Labyrinth. Their name, Amalgam, comes from a deceptive success from the ancient days of alchemy. That means they intended to commit these crimes from the outset. This had been their base of operations. Their counterfeit factory. Had Filinion gone out of her way to visit here because she had failed to see through their tricks as a Mixing type? Or had she thought she could use their negative techniques for good? But since the rumors about Amalgams counterfeit factory being here were true, and its even buried under the cold snow and ice... Beatrice completed that thought for her with her hands on her slender hips. Then the ending of the rumors might also be true. ...The ending where Amalgam went too far, earned the Sages wrath, and was purged in a single night. Part 4 Purged. That was not a pleasant word for anyone. And it weighed especially heavy on Boo Boos life. The recent Skull Wave incident suggested that the Sage had been involved in the attack on the Iberian Orc village. And now they found Amalgams base buried in snow and ice. They had likely been guilty of their crimes, but that was not what mattered to Beatrice and the others. The Sage was not just a relic of the past. Even now, they were continuing to wield their justice to take lives. More importantly, look. Weve reached the hot springs, Boo Boo. And since were here, it would be a shame not to take a dip! Cmon, cmon. I have some Large Deceptive Silkworm towels and cooking oil soap!! S-squeal!? I wont let you trick me! Im here to become the worlds greatest master of Hot Spring Ice Cream for Sutriona and the Fairies!! And this is a hot spring, Boo Boo. You arent making any sense! Boo... Then lets settle this with sumo wrestling. Ive heard of that human game. Im not moving another step. ...Whisper. (Internal) Beatrice, why the deadly serious look in your eyes!? The Holy Swordswoman grew flame wings from her back and charged forward like a rocket, but even she had trouble against that mass of muscle. It was truly a back and forth battle. They were at a hot oasis (i.e. hot spring) in the snowy plain. A small pond of hot water melted the snow and some fruit trees grew around it thanks to its heat. It was a tiny paradise. The snowy north was apparently dotted with these hot oases. Armelina watched the two of them push and pull while she hung a leather bag full of Bitesize Duck Eggs from the edge of the hot spring. Hot Spring Ice Cream was made by soft-boiling eggs in the hot spring, mixing them in a bowl with Wild Cow milk, Tree Hollow Honey, and Super Sweet Leaf herbs, sprinkling salt on the mixture, sticking the bowl in the snow to lower the temperature, and mixing it further to trigger the transformation. Grounds Nirs Fairies could apparently make their own popsicles by simply freezing fruit juice, but they had not reached the level of soft ice cream. This midway point was a lot like an ice cream cup and was sure to be highly valued by them. Filinion crouched down and held out her hands for warmth as the steam fogged up her glasses. Wont the Hot Spring Ice Cream have melted by the time we get back? Youre a Mixing type, arent you? Bitesize Duck Egg shells are decent insulators, so if we stick the completed product inside here and you fix the cracks, itll last for a day or two just fine. No one said anything more about Amalgams fate. They forced themselves to enjoy this in order to clear away the malice that seemed to be pressing down on them like a dark cloud. But even if they said nothing, they may have all understood that they could not so easily rid themselves of the Sages great shadow. They heard a metallic ringing that sounded out of place in this blizzard hot spring. It placed a tiny crack in the harmonious atmosphere and it all fell apart from there. Or perhaps the pure sound of the bell returned the world to its proper state. They saw a slender girl with her lemon-yellow hair worn in a splendidly curled ponytail. Her clothes look a lot like a black sleeved leotard with silver armor added to the chest and waist. A hagoromo-like decorative cloth fluttered from her hands and around her back. She wore a tiny gold crown on her head. The bell sound had likely come from the crown. Her upper body was soft and slender like a gymnast or dancer, but her lower body was covered with knee-high steel boots that shined a dull silver. Then there was her weapon. It looked something like a large scythe taller than she was, but the blade was a giant disk 70cm across instead of a crescent moon shape. That made the weapon look like the number 9. Beatrice was skeptical, but she soon found a few symbols in a chain reaction, much like figuring out a piece of trick artwork. The long handle had lumps in places and was actually made from multiple clubs attached end to end. The small cloth wrapped around it as a grip was actually a ribbon. The decorative crystal ball and long string on the back of the scythe were actually a ball and rope. And the yellow disk was a hoop. Altogether, it pointed to a single motif. (The 5 categories of rhythmic gymnastics. I dont know how she uses them to attack, but I doubt she just swings that around. Its called a Shining Weapon because it controls your Magic.) From the bottom of the long handle to the top of the giant disk blade, it was more than 2 meters long. One wrong move and that strange weapon could chop off its own users fingers. That naturally told Beatrice something about its user. She did not even need to look at the curves running from the ribs to hips showing through the leotard. The girls lithe body was readily visible. If that soft body was unleashed, just what kind of ever-changing movements could she use to attack? (Based on the STR and VIT support from her equipment, she probably uses footwork to dodge instead of defending. She must rarely come to a stop, so once we let her get going, well have to deal with an unending rush.) A Noble Dancer. Your name is Rusalka, isnt it? Youre known for your incredible power with the Wind Element and Im often compared to you. Your home is in Kobe, I believe. Those details are unnecessary. You only need to know that the Information Broker has officially sent me here to take your life. Beatrice clicked her tongue and forcefully drew her Shining Weapon rapier. Filinion and Armelina also prepared for battle. An attack for political reasons, now of all times? She had no real proof, but the Holy Swordswoman could not help but think of a certain title who had a connection to the Ministry of Defense. (Could the Sage be behind this? Theyve already made their next move!?) She had never directly fought this Noble Dancer, but she had heard the girl was as big a winner as the Ice Waterfall Princess who was known as queen of the battle arena. As previously stated, she specialized in wind. Just as Beatrice specialized in fire, she had pursued wind to the point that her skill could not be underestimated. Beatrices group could not sit around planning out their fight now that Rusalka had approached so close so suddenly. As the seconds passed painfully slowly, Beatrice desperately tried to figure out what their enemy would do. (Hows she going to attack? A simple gust of wind? A vacuum blade? Or is she going to fire needles or stones with compressed air? And will it be a precision attack meant to pierce a single point or a scattershot meant to cover an entire surface?) Sword and scythe. She mentally predicted the lines along which the blades and Magic would pass. If she misread even one of the virtual strings between the enemy and her allies, one of their heads would fly off like they had been hit by a snapping wire. The Holy Swordswoman was surrounded by a dreadful pressure and an odd sense of oneness. (Or is she more fundamentally going to directly control the air pressure or oxygen density?) Just then, a sudden voice cut through the compressed time. Boo? Wait! Take this seriously, Boo Boo! Its all over if we misread the very first move!! Beatrice could not look away as she yelled at him, but she could tell Boo Boo had not drawn his giant Shining Weapon. He held a hand to his mouth and tilted his head before saying more. But, Beatrice, she isnt moving at all. The snow is starting to pile up on her. Hm? The Holy Swordswoman finally started questioning this and Filinion pushed at her glasses with her left hand while producing a rectangular frame from mist. She viewed the readings displayed there. Um, based on her Parameter-type equipment...shes focused so much on Wind Resistance that she has nothing to fight the cold. In other words, she hiked up into this freezing mountain in nothing but a gymnastics leotard and turned herself into a chilled dish. Simply put, she really is an idi-... W-w-waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Part 5 U-uuh... Rusalka, the slender girl with a curly lemon-yellow ponytail, released a groan from her small lips. She could not remember what had happened. She remembered receiving a secret mission from the Information Broker and contacting her target, but what was this warmth? Wah. She belatedly realized she was inside one of the hot oases that dotted the snowy plain. And if she was in a hot spring... Wah, wah!? She was nude save for a bath towel. Her slender body was soaking up to above the chest in the cloudy water, but the gentle curve of the top of her breasts and her narrow collarbones were exposed. She also found herself more shocked than she had expected to find her clothing missing without her having removed it. Her 9-shaped circular scythe of a Shining Weapon was still there, but any girl would have to question having to defend herself while nude but armed. On top of it all, a 4-meter pig-faced mass of bestial odor was soaking in the hot spring with her. Boo. Beatrice, it looks like shes thawed out. Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? A-a-a-a beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeast!! The mysterious level cap girl screamed and flailed around in the water, but then she seemed to notice something. She had felt the towel wrapped around her body but her head was towel-less. Her curled ponytail was soaking in the hot spring. Ah, ahhh!? Wait, why didnt you put a towel around my hair!? Is this hot spring acidic or alkaline!? Either way, my cuticlllllllles!! Filinion had removed her kneesocks to soak her feet and she tossed a towel over with an exasperated look. Slender Rusalka raised her arms to catch it. But then something fell straight down: the towel wrapped around her body. H-h-hee... Waaahhhn!? Oh, honestly. We can tell your face is covered in tears and snot, so slow down and deal with this one thing at a time. When Armelina gave that advice while pulling up the leather bag full of the soft-boiled eggs for the Hot Spring Ice Cream, the flushed girl sniffled and wrapped the towels around her body and hair. And without Boo Boo supporting you, you wouldve drowned before coming to. Besides, our clothes are just Magic taking that form. Yours disappeared because you forgot to set them up properly. Does that mean you end up naked every time you sleep? Even in the Labyrinth? I suppose they automatically return while you rub your sleepy eyes, so you never noticed. This time, the Noble Dancers face went entirely pale. It was the same look as someone realizing their skirt had been caught on the back of their waist, showing off their butt the entire way to school. Meanwhile, Beatrice wore a towel while she sat next to Boo Boo and she could not care less about Rusalka or the towel on her head. Eh heh heh. Boo Boo, I knew you would never abandon someone in need. And nows my chance to wash you! God is on my side!! Squeal. You need to be quiet in front of a sick person. Bad Beatrice. If youre going to wash his body, then get him out of the bath! Its times like this that I remember youre a sheltered girl with some odd gaps in your knowledge of etiquette!! This was different from the personal jacuzzi she usually used or the disposable hot spring dug out of the dirt next to the river, but Beatrice did not seem to understand that. This was one downside of her life of confinement. Meanwhile, tearful and red-faced Rusalka did not overlook that their attention had strayed from her. Hmph! Dont think youve won! The small assassin tried to use this chance to escape, but then she caught a glance of Boo Boos eyes. Despite his ferocious porcine face, he had a sad look in his eyes as if being yelled at had been a shock to him. (...) Y-youll regret not finishing me off while you had the chance!! The assassin sent by the Information Broker shook off the brief feeling in her chest, twisted her body to escape Boo Boos support, threw off the bath towel, summoned her Percentage-type clothing back on, and planned to escape the hot spring. Steam rose from the small girl in no time at all and it looked like she would vanish beyond the white screen of the blizzard, but... Adwah!? Rusalka fully vanished into the cloudy water as if she had fallen into a bottomless swamp. Beatrice rubbed at her temple with her index finger. How did she think humans like us were in the same bath as 4-meter Boo Boo? Wed only laid out a duckboard made from Ladder Ivy at the bottom to give us a shallower area. Squeal! Its dangerous putting your head under the water, so we need to save her. Boo Boo alone was a gentleman. He walked over to where Rusalka had disappeared and used his massive hands to find the slender girl in the water. She must have swallowed a lot of water in her surprise because her face was red and she had passed out, but she eventually opened her eyes a little. Poyaaa...ah!? Ahhh, no, no. Why am I feeling the suspension bridge effect!? And you! Why are you princess carrying me!? That C is C my C line, you princess carry thief!! Beatrice was beginning a pretty serious eruption, so Rusalka finally managed to escape the hot spring in her soaked equipment and she ran off into the blizzard. Filinions half-extended arm wandered through empty air. Ah! ...Sh-she didnt even ask how to change her settings. Does she plan to end up naked when she goes to sleep again? Actually, if she goes to sleep in this snowy land, shell never wake up again. She still has no protection against the cold and the water will only chill her faster once it cools down... Wow. So shell end up a naked girl frozen in a pillar of ice? Thats quite a niche sort of treasure. It sounds like something youd find in the deepest part of a cave full of ice and crystals. Boo Boo and the others exchanged a glance. None of them wanted to imagine a life they had saved turning into a human ice sculpture only 5 or 10 minutes later. Part 6 They felt silly heading out to save an assassin sent for them, but they could not just let her die. And so they set out to search for Noble Dancer Rusalka. However, something changed the instant they set foot outside the hot oasis. What? Its cold? Beatrice should have been a mass of fire, but even she had to comment on the temperature. Filinion had been using her for warmth, so her entire body grew blue, starting with the lips, despite having warmed herself in the hot spring just a moment ago. The only one without much issue was Boo Boo who had been walking through the snowy mountain in only a loincloth to begin with. The blizzard curtain grew even thicker and their vision was cut off by a whiteout once more. No, the lines of light between light sources are still active. Be careful, Boo Boo! This isnt natural. Someone is artificially interfering with my Magic! She could produce fire and a bit of light and smoke, but it provided no heat. It felt like being trapped in a giant cold storage warehouse and staring at an image of flickering flames on an LCD screen. It was no use whatsoever. Hee hee hee. Bewitching female laughter reached them from the depths of the blizzard. Beatrice briefly thought it was an illusion created from the mixture of noise. Yes, like the groans heard at a famous suicide spot or the mysterious screams heard in a famous singers song. But it was not. The curtain brighter than silk was torn and someone appeared there. She was a bright blue. She had a tall and slender body and beautiful skin that was more pale than white. She wore a princesss dress so transparent it seemed to be made from ice. However, there was no corset or bustier to cover her torso. Only a single sheathed cross-shaped sword. The straight sword extended from her chest to below her hips, hiding the important bits of her otherwise naked body and it was strapped to her torso by leather belts. The girl with splendid ringlet curls that fell past her knees almost seemed to act as the swords sheathe or seal. She pulled an ice fan from her waist, spread it to hide her mouth, twisted her curvy body, and spoke. All the while, her ringlet curls blew in the wind. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Holy Swordswoman. ...And who are you? I am Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau, the new queen of the battle arena after your departure. And you can also think of me as another assassin from the Information Broker. She looked Beatrices way with surprising directness and crushed the transparent fan in her white hand. Immediately, a hunk of ice taller than she was fell alongside her right arm. The snow on the ground flew up and increased the density of white. At first the object alongside the blue womans right arm appeared to be a guillotine. But it was not. Five thick fingers seemed to wriggle at the bottom of the thick wall. It was a hexagonal snow crystal shield attached to a gauntlet. When Beatrice saw the striking spikes extending from each corner, a certain name came to mind. A lantern shield!? Why would you make that weird weapon even weirder!? Oh? It would seem you have some slight education. However. The Ice Waterfall Princess laughed and controlled the five fingers of the hexagonal shield floating in front of her own fingertips. It is rather inelegant that the crucial blade must be supplied separately. Snow spiraled around the shield and a double-edged ice sword twice the Ice Waterfall Princesss height appeared in her hand. Wildefrau used her other hand to hold down the hair on the side of her head and she seemed to recite a piece of terminology. Zweih?nder This should suffice for testing out your strength. Wait! shouted Boo Boo. I see no reason why we have to fight. And we have to find Rusalka who ran off somewhere... Yes. She was supposed to be the hound while I am the hunter, but I suppose it doesnt matter. That worthless dog forgot the honor I showed her by putting a collar on her and ran off in the middle of the hunt to escape my whip, so I have no obligation to look after her. Although if she does survive, I will give her a very, very geeeentle punishment. You... Now, then. Does that give you a reason to fight? Besides, she is none of your concern. You need only focus on running through the snow so I can enjoy the hunt. Toh! She made a horizontal slash. Immediately a blizzard erupted as blood from the worlds wound. Beatrice carelessly raised her Shining Weapon rapier and tried to cross blades with the giant ice sword, but she immediately realized her mistake. The Ice Waterfall Princess did not approach. With silent and careful movements, she actually stepped back beyond the screen. To her, a direct attack was unimportant. The snow grew more and more intense. The white wall covered everything. Kh...!! Is she trying to get us lost so we freeze to death!? The Holy Swordswoman raised her voice and received a response from unexpectedly close by. But she could not tell if it was an illusion or not because the blizzard was too thick to even see the end of her outstretched arm. Well, if that is the death you would like, I can fulfill your request. But be on the lookout for unexpected attacks. Heh heh. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! She gave into her irritation and swung her rapier toward the voice, but sparks flew as it struck Armelinas metal staff. ! Shes cruel through and through. Beatrice, youre letting the blood rush to your head! Dont play along with her rural train station Sentai show! S-sorry... Filinion, Boo Boo! If you can hear me, look to the ground and come here. Take it a step at a time. Trying to look into the distance will only screw with your sense of distance and direction! And dont turn your head! They had only been a few meters apart, but Beatrice was still relieved to see them all again. I wanted to fall back to the hot spring before planning our counterattack...but it doesnt look like we can do that. They had felt its heat not long before, but now this. Safely escaping this northern mountain was looking like a dream within a dream now. B-Beatrice, you fired illumination Magic into the ground on the way here, right? C-c-c-c-can we follow that back from the mountain or at least back to the hot spring!? I did draw a line all the way to the hot spring, but we ran into the Ice Waterfall Princess as soon as we left, so I didnt have a chance after that. That means we cant go back. Besides, we couldnt get off the mountain in this blizzard even if we knew the route. You saw what happened at Amalgams counterfeit factory, right? The blizzards and avalanches change the landscape so frequently that the signs in the ground might have been swept away or buried. As she said that, Armelina lowered the metal staff from her shoulder. She then tapped the head against a thick layer of snow. An explosion created a distorted crater. Making an igloo would be the logical thing to do. The air will gather inside the snow walls, so it acts as an insulator, just like a down jacket. If we all get inside, our body heat will warm the air. But... I know. Its only temporary. It only needs to keep us from freezing to death before we finish coming up with a plan. Either way, they had no time. Boo Boo did not seem bothered since he had been half-naked and Magic-less from the beginning, but he worried about the sacrifices around him more than the average person. It was his heart that would break, not his body. After entering the igloo, Beatrice held her shoulders and spoke quickly. First and foremost, this blizzard is being controlled by the Ice Waterfall Princess. The entire area is more than 10 below 0 and some kind of heat insulation is preventing my Magic from warming us. That means waiting it out isnt an option. Its c-c-c-c-cold! We already established we cant leave the mountain with this blizzard in our way, so were going to have to defeat Wildefrau. The question is whether or not we can capture her when our movements are restricted and she can walk around just fine with her 100% Water Resistance. Its easy to lose track of distance and direction in this snowy world, so just walking through it will wear down our lives. They could not produce Magic heat even in the makeshift igloo and there was only one other way to preserve their body heat. The hot oases. Well have to walk from hot spring to hot spring while searching for Wildefrau. The maps they could summon using Magic showed a few dozen hot oases, but it was unclear if they could actually follow the map through the snowy plain. They would easily lose track of distance and direction and things could appear and disappear like the ruins of the counterfeit factory, so even apparent landmarks could confuse them. Armelina, how much of your map related Magic can you use? Beatrice, it looks like you were their target from the beginning. Im receiving almost no interference at all. I can tell the direction just fine, so dont worry. The Fighter Priests words were reassuring. Even if the surrounding scenery was confusing, they had an absolute way of knowing which direction was which. Armelina used all sorts of blunt weapons and that had led to a specialty in magnets. If they lost their way even once and failed to reach the hot spring, they would definitely end up as human ice sculptures. Their deadly march through the snow was about to begin. Boo. Im also worried about Rusalka. If we find her, lets carry her to the hot spring. ...Thats right. That might sound carefree given the extreme situation, but Beatrice felt that keeping those obvious things in mind would be an important factor in this battle. We cant forget about that Noble Dancer, Boo Boo. Part 7 Beatrices group could not sit still and wait for rescue, so their only choice was to warm themselves at the hot springs as they searched as wide a range as possible for Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. They walked through the snowy world a step at a time while firing illumination Magic into the ground at set intervals as markers. But no matter how much they filled their minds with their goal and the logic of their methods, the blizzard still felt just as frigid. They were surrounded by featureless white in all directions. They felt a hopeless exhaustion in their chests, like they were searching for a single grain of gold dust in the middle of the desert. W-will this really work out? Im not seeing suspicious footprints or anything else... Filinion shook a small bottle of some kind of potion, but her expression was grim. It was probably a potion that visualized traces of life readings, such as footprints. Only their own footprints were emitting a white light and those vanished as they watched. I guess footprints are buried in no time in this blizzard. Boo Boo, do you know how to hunt on a snowy mountain? Boo. Food doesnt rot easily where its cold, so you only have to find some leftover seeds or bones! That did not really apply in this case, but even if the Ice Waterfall Princess could resist the cold, she still needed food and water. Her strange princess dress looked like nothing more than a sword, belts, and ice armor over her naked body, so there was no room for large camping gear. Does she think this will be a short battle or does she think itll be easy to acquire food and water when she can walk around freely? If so, the meat and fruit would mostly be found in the greenery around the hot oases, wouldnt they? It seemed unlikely they would just so happen to run into each other at the same hot spring, but if Wildefrau was using the hot springs to determine her range of movement, then their odds were even. Both they and the Ice Waterfall Princess would leave traces behind at the hot springs and leave hints as to where they were headed next. From there, it was the same as two submarines working out each others positions from the slight noises they made. Anyway, I dont know how much help this will be, but... Armelina, whats that metal spike? Its a pin that reacts to biomagnetism. After I drive it into the ground, my parchment map will display a blood alert when a living creature enters within 10 meters of it. That said, its useless against the lifeless Gimmicks in the Labyrinth. That sounded much more useful than walking around randomly trying to fill their map in. However, just thinking about it was not going to accomplish anything. They were still walking around a white hell. Pant, pant. The White Witch was out of breath in no time. Beatrice left behind illumination Magic and drew a line between them, but they could not trust those too much. They were no more than insurance. But their situation was better than it might have been. Without cold-resistant Boo Boo pushing aside the thick snow like a bulldozer, the girls legs might have developed frostbite in no time. Then Boo Boo waved a hand. Filinion, if its really too much, you can stick with me. Im warm, so youll be warm too. Heee! Now! Hold me now!! Brrrrrrr...aaaahhhhhh!? The White Witch clung to him like her life depended on it, but Beatrice did not get after her this time. Thanks to the potion sprinkled over all their heads, they each had a soccer-ball-sized illusion sphere floating over their head. Boo Boos was a healthy blue and had a bodybuilder-like smile, but the rest were a dangerous yellow or red with a troubled frown. When shivering Filinion clung to Boo Boo, her spheres color changed slightly and the expression smiled a little. That vital signs display was determined based on ones temperature, stamina, muscular strength, hydration, etc., so it would change from blue to red as they declined and Xs in the eyes meant they were dead. The initial window display had been full of more detailed information, but they had rejected that. As for why... Hey, cow pie factory! Why do these list our weight and measurements!? Thats personal information!! Its got nothing to do with surviving in a snowy mountain! Boo? Beatrice, what does this 79 mean? Higiiiii!? Dont look, Boo Booooooo!!!??? That sad story ended with the glasses cow having her butt kicked by the Holy Swordswoman and Fighter Priest before being rolled down a hill, turning her into a slight human snowball. So if the White Witch claimed to be cold, it was probably more than just an excuse. Beatrice suddenly looked up as she used her paces to keep general track of the distance. Were almost there. Assuming our sense of direction wasnt thrown off, you mean. This first test would predict their overall success. And they found a source of steam surrounded by greenery. Filinions face lit up. A hot spring! A hot oasis! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! The White Witch threw her arms in the air, ran over, erased all of her Percentage-type Magic clothing save for her underwear, and dove into the hot water. She must have thought a womans hair was her life because she had that held up by something like a kanzashi carved from wood, but it was meaningless when she dove in headfirst. Also, she had completely forgotten about the parts of her she needed to be most worried about. Cow!! We have a few extra towels, so...oh, honestly!! The Holy Swordswoman grabbed the cows favorite bathing outfit from among the towels and threw it over with a sigh. But it does seem we made it. Boo. But it doesnt look like anyones been here. There are no footprints on the snowless dirt and none of the fruit has been taken. Boo Boo selected and pulled some Ladder Ivy from the hot oasis trees and worked with Armelina to quickly weave a duckboard. None of the water has been splashed on the edge of the hot spring either. ...Well, except for where a shameless glasses girl jumped in. She isnt drowning in there without the duckboard, is she? They could not be picky. While Boo Boo could walk around in the snow just fine, the others needed to raise their body temperatures or risk death. After dropping the duckboard in a corner of the hot spring, the Holy Swordswoman wrapped a towel around herself and deactivated her Magic armor and clothing within. Armelina also used a headband to keep her hair up. ...It could be easy to forget, but Boo Boo was a guy. The glasses girl had lost at life by giving into the cold and failing to take that into account. After so long in the cold, the heat of the spring seemed to sting their skin. Toweled Beatrices face grew flushed as she settled on their next step. After warming up, lets get back to searching for the Ice Waterfall Princess. Armelina, wheres the next hot oasis? The closest one is about 200 meters south of here. But the map shows a steep slope and there might not be a passable route with the blizzard and avalanches. Its a bit further, but it might be best to head west. Ehhh? With her glasses fogged up, Filinion interrupted like a spoiled child. Cant we just stay here? There doesnt seem to be a Gate for Signing Out and we couldnt use one even if there was since we havent registered our smartphones with it. Weve got a hot spring to protect ourselves from the blizzard and food in the greenery around it, so well be fine for a while. Isnt holing up here an option? No, no, no! No ones coming to rescue us and the weather isnt going to improve if we wait. And what about Wildefrau!? Well, that Ice Waterfall Princess is trying to kill us on orders from the Information Broker, right? That means she cant afford to fail and shell probably have a time limit for completing her mission. So it seems to me shell feel more and more pressure the more time passes. ... ... The Holy Swordswoman and Fighter priest just about gave into the temptation of the hot water, but... Squeal. Then what about lost Rusalka? Ah!? Thats right, thats right. Besides, we cant stay in Grounds Nir for long. Waiting is a poor strategy for anyone here. Buuuut. Isnt that true of the Ice Waterfall Princess too? Bubble, bubble, bubble. Filinion started sinking down below the water as she spoke, so Beatrice knew she was a lost cause. The actual argument no longer mattered. Filinion was only thinking about keeping them stuck in a loop so they would stay in the spring longer and find themselves unable to leave. She was probably the kind of person who could never get out of a kotatsu once she was underneath it. ... Armelina was the next to speak. Theres a blood alert on my map. Life sign detected. She may have thought she was hiding, but Im betting a big Werewolf or Abominable Snowman approached and got her running wildly around. Here she comes!! And the cause of all this would be enjoying the situation most of all, so she would not let them just hang around here. Hee hee hee. Oh, you seem to be enjoying yourselves. Mind if I join you? The voice came suddenly. Just as the 3 girls jumped out of the hot spring in their towels, something fell right in the middle of the water. It was Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. Hm. This is a little too warm for my sensitive skin. Alongside her right arm, she had summoned a large sword and a shield combined with a gauntlet made of ice. She used her other hand to elegantly hold her hair down as the floating lantern shield and sword dropped down, detonated the waters surface, and pierced the ground. The pond of cloudy water froze solid in an instant. Nevertheless, something odd happened around the woman with ringlet curls who stood in the space opened by the splashing water. A mysterious liquid carrying a white frost began to appear on its own and fill the space. Beatrice hurriedly summoned her Percentage-type armor inside her towel, causing the towel to burst off of her, and narrowed her eyes in displeasure. As soon as a leaf fallen from one of the trees came in contact with the mysterious liquid, it froze. Beatrice and the others vital sign displays quickly changed from blue to yellow and from smiles to troubled expressions. Yes, as if they had been thrown out of the hot oasis and into the blizzard. Liquid...nitrogen!? If you like, I could prepare some oxygen or hydrogen instead. Ahhhhh.... A bath really is better for your health and beauty when its a tad lukewarm. Ah ha ha!! The Ice Waterfall Princess soaked herself up to her fully exposed shoulders in the liquid nitrogen bath she had summoned. Her magnificent ringlet curls spread out and she crossed her legs so just one of her blue boots stuck out. There was no need for Magic to read her vital signs. She was a picture of health despite a temperature of -195 degrees. But Beatrice and the others could not get too fixated on that insane visual. Boo Boo, hurry! We need to get out of here!! The hot spring itself had frozen, but they were still benefiting from the surrounding heat. And while liquid nitrogen was known for causing flash freezing, its volume would increase 700-fold when exposed to normal temperatures and returned to its gaseous form. Wildefrau snapped her white fingers. That threw out the safeties maintaining that unnatural situation. A fierce explosion followed. With a blast louder than a gunshot, the nitrogen forming the liquid shot up more than 10 meters as an intense pillar of mist. It had the same force as when a mine was detonated out at sea. Of course, they could not let any of it touch them. Their only option was to leave this safe zone before it poured back down. The soft dirt, fruit-bearing trees, and the rest of the hot oasis had frozen solid behind surprised Boo Boo. In the center of it all, 100% Water Resistance Wildefrau laughed and watched her targets leave. Yes, make a run for it. Anywhere you stop, I will freeze you out. Now, can you capture me before I eliminate all of the hot oases? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! ! Beatrice clenched her teeth, but they had to leave for the time being. Another major limit had been set: before all of the hot oases were gone. If they failed, they would be stuck in this hopeless snowy world and they would all become human frost sculptures. Part 8 Instead of continuing on to the next hot oasis, the Holy Swordswomans group built an igloo near the original hot spring. They all clung to Boo Boo for some faint warmth, waited a while, and made a U-turn. The frozen remains of the hot oasis were abandoned. A ton of nitrogen had been splattered around, but when Beatrice lit a small fire at the end of her rapier, it did not vanish. The biting wind had apparently been swept away. Filinion sprinkled around some of the potion that caused footprints to glow, but... Any luck, curry girl? Im a White Witch, not the Yellow Ranger! Dont call me beef curry! Stop it. Looking at it that way, Beatrice, youd be the festive red and white kamaboko girl. Shut up, matcha girl!! Shut up, matcha girl!! Im not an old lady and I do have some fat!! Confused, Boo Boo tilted his head and brought a hand to his mouth. What does all of that mean? Pant, pant! W-well, whatever the case, I didnt find anything. This was no longer a hot spring. The footprints had been easily erased by the blizzard. Well, I didnt really think that Ice Waterfall Princess would show a convenient opening. Armelina, you said the nearest hot oases were a dangerous one to the south and a safe one to the west, right? Assuming she hasnt gotten there ahead of us and frozen them. Whatever the case, they had definitely arrived here before the Ice Waterfall Princess. Her range of movement was sure to be within a circle of this point, so the closest hot oases were indeed the most likely suspects. Either because Wildefrau needed food or water, or because she wanted to mock them. They resumed their march through the snow. Armelina drove a map-linked sensor spike into the ground. Lets start with what we know we can do. The western one is more distant, but we wont get lost. And even if its frozen, there should be several hot oases nearby. Lets just pray they arent all frozen. But they soon discovered another issue. As soon as they set out, they spotted a lemon-yellow glow fluttering in the snow. It was Noble Dancer Rusalkas hair where she was collapsed face-down and half-buried in the snow. Dammit, I knew this would happen to her! Boo Boo, pull her out!! Right. Leave it to me. Boo Boo trudged on ahead and pulled Rusalkas small form from the snow. She must not have changed her settings because her equipment had vanished. Lets hope she doesnt catch cold... Boo Boo always only wore a loincloth, so he was more worried about her health than her shame. He took a towel from the Holy Swordswoman and crudely wrapped it around the girl. Cold-resistant Boo Boo was their sole source of warmth. She had nothing to do with this, but even Filinion clung to his back. I-I-I-I cant stand it anymore, Boo Boo! The water cooled down so fast and its sapping my endurance gauge like crazy! Help me!! Beatrice picked up the 9-shaped disc scythe left in the snow. Cow, the vital signs display over your head is bright blue with a full smile. Youre perfectly fine. With a self-indulgent kotatsu-addicted girl like her, you cant let her get even a taste of luxury. (If Wildefrau shows up with her Zweih?nder while were all crowded together, Boo Boo wont be able to move and well be wiped out, wont we?) Armelina and Beatrice kept an eye on their surroundings, but luckily, there was no sign of such an attack. Or was their opponent only toying with them? It felt like the Ice Waterfall Princesss malice had permeated the entire snowy world around them. Their slow progress gradually wore at their nerves, but they finally reached the next hot oasis. It was not frozen. Beatrices body relaxed, but her mind knew she could not celebrate. Not running across Wildefrau had not been a lucky break. It was proof that they had yet to escape her grasp. Regardless, treating the unconscious Noble Dancer came first. Beatrice stuck Rusalkas scythe into the water to test the depth and then they dropped in a duckboard they made as before. Boo Boo then lowered the girls small body feet-first into the white cloudy water. This had dramatic results. Wah...wah, wah. Wagyaaaahhhh!? A-another hot spring and again no towel on my head!? My cuticllllllllllllllllllllllllllllles...gaboh!? Rusalkas scream grew muffled at the end because she had started to run, stepped off the duckboard, and dropped into the depths of the hot spring. She just doesnt learn, does she? Cmon, stay still! Humans arent made to be frozen and thawed so often! Not even a convenience store bento full of preservatives and additives can do that!! In a two-piece bath towel and a headband, Armelina fished Rusalkas skinny arm out of the water instead of overly gentle Boo Boo. As before, her eyes had melted. Poyahh...ah! Ahhh, no, no! Why am I feeling the suspension bridge effect for another girl!? I dont exactly want some girl I ran across falling for me! And is just anyone enough for you!? They had no choice but to hold her shoulders down so she could not leave the water. They had only found her by complete coincidence and they wanted to avoid any additional missions while pursued by that insane Ice Waterfall Princess. Meanwhile, the curled ponytail girl was completely ignorant of their efforts. Kh. Once again, Im reduced to a single towel. Does that mean you saw everything when putting it on me!? Ill tell you how to change your settings, so just calm down. Ahhh, bubble, bubble, bubble. As a cold-weak kotatsu girl (?), Filinion began fully submerging herself until the vital signs sphere above her head returned from red to blue and from troubled to a smile. The Noble Dancer wrapped a towel around her head and sat in the water while she listened to the White Witchs useful lecture. Everything slowed down and a stagnant air hung over them, so Boo Boo spoke up. You should come with us for the time being. That way you wont get lost. I-I wasnt lost! You were either lost or you were a nuisance of a hiker. Do you want to go around apologizing afterwards? Gnhh! Ill give you this, said Boo Boo. Its Hot Spring Ice Cream! Everyone gets irritable when theyre hungry, so eat this and calm down. H-how dumb do you think I am? Well, she had attempted to climb a snowy mountain in only a leotard, gotten herself frozen, fled from a hot spring while mostly naked, and turned herself into a chilled dish, so the answer was extremely, but Beatrice avoided answering and put on a smile as big as one on a round yellow sticker. Towel-waring Rusalka must not have been the type to waste food because she ate what was given to her. She held the small egg shell container in both hands and started by squeezing her eyes shut and sticking her small tongue out to lick the top of the ice cream, perhaps to test it for poison. Oh, its actually pretty good... A weird flavor, isnt it!? Its sweet and cold. The outside is hard but the inside is all melty! I dont like hot springs because they make it hard to think, but eating something like this is perfect. Yes, visiting a hot spring on a frigid mountain and then eating cold ice cream really is the greatest luxury. And with the eggs and milk, you even get the sugar and protein you need. Rusalka started to relax, but then she came back to her senses. Wait, no!! Dont let yourself be distracted by something like eating ice cream in a kotatsu! Theyre my assassination targets!! About that. Beatrice cut in there. I dont know what the Information Broker told you, but what do you think after actually meeting us? Are we deserving of death? Has even Boo Boo done anything that bad to you? ... We had no real reason to search for you since youre an assassin. In fact, even if we happened across you, we could have just kept walking. But when Boo Boo saw you half-buried in the snow, he ran over to help you. You ran from the hot spring without knowing what you were doing, but he didnt complain about having to save you. Now, a question. I want to hear it from you directly: Have we done anything worth having everything taken from us by someone weve never even met? There was no reply. But this was different from a simple refusal to answer. This silence was born from hesitation and doubt. Eventually, Rusalka hung her head and spoke while still holding the egg container of her half-eaten Hot Spring Ice Cream. ...That isnt going to work. Why not? That question was not asked in desperation. The Holy Swordswoman narrowed her eyes as all heat left her voice. The Noble Dancer had to understand that, but the girl with a towel around her lemon-yellow hair continued. Because this has nothing to do with what I want or think is right. The look on towel-wearing Filinion and Armelinas faces changed too. That was a mercenarys answer. It reminded them of the plant Break News that had helped the Religious Society the other day. But. This is a contract to get back someone very important. That was overturned. She was fulfilling her mission with no concern for her own principles, but she also had a pure objective. And on top of that... I mean, you were the ones that stole Gruagach Onee-samas future in the first place!! Part 9 All hell had broken loose for Rusalkas group when they had taken their precious recovery potions deep in the Labyrinth and realized they were only colored sugar water. They had argued and shifted blame. Who had been in charge of them? Who had bought them? Who had not noticed? It had been more than enough to form a deadly fissure in a group with no specific ideals that had been simply gathered via online recruitment. None of them had learned any Magic that would help them escape, and that only made things worse. They had all scattered and desperately sought the exit on their own. Once they finally reached open sunlight once more, they saw far fewer familiar faces than when they had gone in. And they had all widened their eyes in surprise when they saw Rusalka was among the survivors. That was when she noticed that the others had crossed a line. They had held onto the counterfeit recovery potions. They should have dashed the containers against the ground and started for the exit, but they had realized they could fool someone else with these clever counterfeits and they had traded with people in the Labyrinth to heal themselves along the way. ...And they of course had no idea what had happened to the people who had trusted them and made the trade deep below the ground. They could not allow any other method. Their sanity depended on the idea that they had had no choice and it had been the only way they could have survived. When someone found themselves stranded and were forced to tear out the hearts of and sip the blood of those who had already died, they could never accept that there had been another way to survive. Rusalka had realized they would kill her. But not to suppress the truth. Their broken and twisted methods had allowed them to return with a smile, but that only worked without Rusalkas alternative solution. Her presence prevented them from rejecting the idea that something inside them was superior to their immoral persistence. And yet... I pray you have a wonderful day. It had happened in an instant, like the arrival of a flash of light. By the time she had realized that giant meteor was a Magic arrow, it had already been over. The insanity of their inescapable delusion had made it an unbreakable wall, yet this casual afterthought of an attack had carried such conviction and strength compared to it. That was something Rusalka had lacked. She had had nothing beyond the rare Job of a Noble Dancer, so this light had been too bright for her. The attack had been made by Summon Hunter Gruagach. Rusalka had looked up to her at first. She had never invited her to the deadly Labyrinth for fear of tripping her up, but she had spoken with her whenever she saw her in the inn town. She had gladly worked hard toward anything that would be useful for her and she had rapidly developed her rare Job. The way that woman with long, beautiful blonde hair had spoken behind a veil had possessed an allure and mystery not found in Rusalka. Curiosity killed the cat. When she had peeked behind the veil, Rusalka had greatly regretted it. She had found the Religious Society. That wicked Guild had been born from the chaotic religious world. Gruagach seemed to be a central member of the Guild. Rusalka had wanted to do something for her. She could not have done anything on her own and Gruagach had refused to listen. And she had known something bad would happen if it became clear that she knew Gruagach was a part of the Religious Society. The stickiness she had occasionally felt was far worse than her former party members. So she had thrown out her pride. She had tried everything she could, expanded her circle as far as she could, and worked to accomplish something she could not as an individual. A Noble Dancers fighting style was better suited for a group battle between humans than exploring the Labyrinth. Her impatience, longing, and need for strength had further honed her. And it was not always the humans of the inn town she had relied on. Hmm. What an energetic young girl. Rare and colorful plants grew in the Flask Flower Garden among the mountains. Central among them was a Break News and the greatest of the Mandragoras. That queen named Ileana seemed impressed with her. Was she impressed that Rusalka had entered this remote area, that she had spoken to this queen without fear, or that she was still intent on rescuing someone from the powerful Religious Society after everything that had happened? But everything comes with a price. For every contract, I demand a virgin girl. And in this case, it would seem you are the only option. ... She had not been conveniently thinking that only she would escape unharmed. If she had been asked to tear out her own heart and offer it up, she would have. She had been afraid, pained, embarrassed, and frustrated enough to feel her head burning, but that was just how important this was to her. When Gruagach had solved her problem, it may have been no different from dealing with a pebble on the roadside or a weed along the sidewalk, but Rusalka never could have dealt with that on her own. All of her supposed party members had held their Shining Weapons out toward her, so she would not have been here now without Gruagachs help. So she had made up her mind. ...Thats fine. You can take whatever you want from me. So please help me save Gruagach Onee-sama, Ileana!! Hah hah!! This time, that bewitching flower laughed with delight. Words are mere decorations. I am satisfied hearing the determination inside you. Very well. I, the greatest of the Mandragoras, shall take on this job. I will help Gruagach for you. Rusalka really had collapsed to the ground. She had been so relieved. Everything was going to work out. She had not known why Gruagach had become the Religious Societys vanguard, but she had gained a Break News on her side. That giant organization may have been frightening to a human, but that would not matter against this monster. Ileana was sure to save Gruagach from any number of enemies, just like a superhero in a movie or drama. She would do what Rusalka could not. However. Nevertheless. Word had reached her just the other day. Ileana had been defeated and the Religious Society had been destroyed. What had happened to Gruagach after she was manipulated by Demon Lord Tselika and wreaked havoc on Tokyo? Rusalka had realized something then. ...She had been only a step away and the difference had been paper thin, but she had not at all made it in time. Part 10 They did not actually exchange many words at the hot oasis. But all sorts of information had to have been spiraling through the Noble Dancers head all the while. I have to settle this... Rusalka parted the cloudy water and slowly stood up. Below the towel, her wet body was covered by a leotard-like outfit and asymmetrical armor. The towel burst off and her hair twisted into a curly ponytail on its own. Otherwise I cant repay Gruagach Onee-sama while shes bound by the chains of her crimes!! She was equipping for battle. No, in this case the weapon and armor may have been a sign of rejection. Rusalka raised her 9-shaped disc scythe and used the bottom of her thick metal boot to kick something like a lever near the bottom. Immediately, an engine-like roar burst out. The scythes disc blade began to rapidly rotate. But the Noble Dancer did not manage to swing around her scythe like a baton. Some frightening interference cut in before she could. Oh, now this is surprising. The hound that pathetically fled into the forest has actually latched her jaws onto the preys leg. The steam parted and a beautiful face emerged. She held her hands behind her back, bent over, and peered up at short Rusalkas face from below. This newcomer with large, straightforward eyes was of course Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. They all immediately jumped back like they had been repelled. Tch. Did she slip past the map-linked sensors!? As developed as it might be, it is still human Magic. It is the same idea as all locks being unlockable. The woman could drop the temperature enough to liquefy the air and they had already seen her use the flash vaporization of liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze a natural hot spring. Good job, Rusalka. I will give her some consideration now. Hee hee. And here I thought I was going to have to punish her in a dark room. Ice Waterfall-...!? Beatrice started to cry out, but they did not have time to form up and face Wildefrau. Once they all escaped the hot spring in their own way, the all-encompassing white ice mist detonated. The nitrogen explosion was a curtain of death that included the still-liquid droplets of the mist. Splitting that apart and travelling through it would be far too reckless. (Boo Boo, this way.) Beatrice? Boo, where are the others? Where are Rusalka and Armelina...? (Not so loud, Boo Boo. Youll give away our position. Anyway, this way!) Beatrice entered big sister mode and held his hand to guide Boo Boo away from the frozen hot spring while the safety of their allies was still unknown. Armelina...everyone... I understand how you feel, but we cant wander randomly in this blizzard. And...huh? I feel like were forgetting someone... Brrrrr. Idsh me. Eberyonesh shunshine, Filinion, is righd here... Holding her shoulders (and pushing her large breasts together), the White Witch staggered over from surprisingly close by. She really was hard to see with her white clothing. But she was already clinging to Boo Boos waist to help the vital sign display over her head recover its smile. (That means we dont know what happened to Armelina, Rusalka, or Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. 1-against-2 is not the best situation...) Beatrice left that unsaid because directly informing Boo Boo of her concerns would cause him to panic and run off in search of Armelina. Even if he was resistant to the cold, he would be in trouble of a liquid nitrogen water gun hit him from a blind spot in the white curtain or the wind direction sent a dense section of the gas silently sneaking up to suffocate him. Not even Boo Boo could handle this on his own. Calm down, Boo Boo. We have to continue on the same as before. This snowy plain might be large, but Armelina isnt going to stick around in the cold if she can help it. Lets go search the nearby surviving hot oases. That would be the easiest way to regroup with her. Really? Well really be able to find Armelina and Rusalka? I dont want to abandon them. I know how lonely it is to be left behind. Beatrice, if you say yes, Ill do anything. Beatrice prepared to give a firm nod, but the shivering glasses girl interrupted from the side. B-b-b-but that route would be obvious to the Ice Waterfall Princess, wouldnt it? If she catches up to us or lies in wait for us, we wont be able to wait around there. Plus, we cant use the map or compass without Armelina. Not to mention the sensor readings. This really doesnt seem like a good time to start wandering randomly... (I should really strip her naked and roll her up into a snowball!!) Beatrice almost made that threat out loud, but she held her tongue. If Boo Boo panicked, it really was over. With his giant frame and great horsepower, it was hard to stop him once he lost control. ... But surprisingly, Boo Boo did not yell or run. He lowered his head a little, thought silently, and then looked up again. Boo. Wait a moment. The Ice Waterfall Princess is going around destroying the hot springs. That means we know well run across her if we stay at one of the hot springs, right? Um, Boo Boo? And if shes a cold expert and cant do anything other than that, none of this makes sense. Boo. Thats right. Why did she even show herself initially? If she only wanted to bully us with her coldness, she didnt need to meet us. Boo Boo twitched his large pig nose as he sniffed his own upper arm and chest. Sniff sniff. Boo Boo, what are you doing? You too, Beatrice. Sniff sniff. Your hair, armpits, and thighs too just to be sure. Gyaaaahh!? Wait, Boo Boo!? Beatrice blushed and pummeled the big round cushion that was his face, but it did not seem to affect him at all. Beatrice and Filinion. Wh-what? Fuheee. I-Ill die without your warmth, Boo Boo... The level cap group was tormented by their limits in this blizzard, but Boo Boo held a hand to his mouth and made an announcement. I think Ive figured some things out. Part 11 Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau moved through the snowy world. She touched the skirt-like ice armor as if pinching it and her feet stepped silently on the snow. The sexy girl had magnificent blue ringlet curls, a cross-shaped sword strapped to her torso with several leather belts, and thick ice armor that provide the outline of a princess dress. There was no concern on her face. When the temperature was more than 10 below 0, the passage of time was a powerful weapon. Due to the differences in planetary rotation speed, atmospheric content, and basic gravity, she could only stay in Grounds Nir for so long, which meant she had a time limit herself, but the grim reaper would never tap her shoulder first. It meant a lot that she could walk freely through this environment without having her stamina worn down and that she could accurately locate her target even within the blizzard. She might as well have been seated in an absolute throne. The Ice Waterfall Princess was a hunter. She would follow her preys tracks, injure them, and repeat the process until the fleeing fawn ran out of strength. This was not restricted to a snowy mountain. At the inn towns battle arena, she would disguise it as an accident and she would do the same thing when assassinating someone in the Labyrinth with no witnesses. She would continue doing this in the future. (Hee hee. So theyre still intent on relying on the hot oases, are they? They know its dangerous, but those fawns will continue playing the same card even as it wears them down. Now, what should I do this time?) She only had to follow her preys tracks, judge how fresh they were, and cover everything up in freezing temperatures. Whether living or not, she would win if she eliminated anything that moved. (But repeating the same thing can be so boring. Oh, I know. It might be fun to freeze the entire pool of active volcano magma at -195 degrees to cut off the overall source of heat. Then all of the hot springs on the surface will freeze over.) She approached one of the sources of steam with that in mind. She would crush that small shelter. She parted the steam and set foot in the hot oasis. And at that very moment... Take this, you tasteless and odorless Western Yuki Onna!! Hot Spring Ice Cream Bomb!!!!!! If we throw this many, at least one of thems sure to hit you! Take this, and this!! It did no damage. And that was why the Ice Waterfall Princess stood stock still as the entirely unexpected downpour hit her. The White Witch squeezed her eyes shut and threw them with her left and right hand equally ineptly, but a bombardment was still a bombardment. Wildefrau quickly covered her beautiful face with a white hand, but the attack still hit her. The solid-looking projectiles easily split from the impact. The contents got on her exposed arm from wrist to elbow. She felt the gooey substance burst and a sticky liquid got on her hair, forehead, and cheeks. From there, it dripped to her chin, neck, and ample chest. It had a distinctive sweet aroma that caught in her nose. As the unpleasant smell and sensation dirtied her bright body, the blood vessels bulged out at her temple. I...cant... The Ice Waterfall Princess boiled over at the meaningless impurity that made her feel like she was surrounded by foreign hooligans. I cant believe you!! You pieces of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!! A gauntlet appeared by her right arm, a spiked hexagonal shield made of snow crystals attached to it, and it held a giant ice sword. She let out a roar as the sword swept horizontally. The hot oasis instantly froze over in a white explosion. The scene lost all individuality and everything was covered by the white curtain of a distance-less and directionless snowy world. Ill kill you!! Ill kill you and then wash this filth off of me! Ohhh, Ill go crazy if I cant wash everything from the end of my hair to the tips of my fingers! What is this sweet and sticky feeling!? Its disgusting!! Nevertheless... Squeal! Beatrice, Filinion. I know I made the request, but you didnt tell me you would be wasting food. There had to have been another way!! Hmph!! Dont panic, Boo Boo. The reason we dont waste food is because we need it to live. We might be using it differently here, but if its keeping us alive, it doesnt count as wasting it. Isnt that right, Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau!? (...?) The queens heart leaped. That yell was accurately directed at her through the blizzards curtain. It felt as odd as having the monster speak to you from the screen while watching a horror movie. (They shouldnt be able to judge my distance and direction here. So how?) That was when it finally occurred to her: the unpleasantly sticky feeling violating her forehead, cheeks, neck, and cleavage. The ice cream... No, the distinctive smell of the Super Sweet Leaf herb!? Boo. Is it that surprising? Its the same thing you were doing. It would be easy enough for a low-temperature and freezing specialist to create an icy hell, but that doesnt explain how you accurately tracked us through that blizzards curtain. So you had to have something more than your coldness: smell. It wasnt because you didnt want Beatrice and the others to get warm that you kept showing up at the hot springs. You were afraid they would wash off their smell. Once we thought about it, it was obvious you didnt need to greet us with that ice sword if you could have frozen us to death from the get-go. That shield and sword look impressive, but they were just a bluff to secretly get the scent you wanted on us. It was like a stage magicians wand. And while your lantern shield looked like a Swiss army knife with that gauntlet and the blades, its primary feature is the lantern inside it. You only had to swap out the illumination candle inside for an aroma candle. Miss Strongest put a lot of effort into this behind the scenes. (That may be true...!!) None of this process was necessary for the Ice Waterfall Princess. She could indeed send a blizzard across the entire mountain without ever appearing before them. (But the Information Broker insisted I hurry. I might be able to kill them, but it would be a problem if I had to dig through the mountain and only found their frozen corpses half a year from now, so I had to directly pursue them. And now theyre showing off that extra step like theyve already taken off the demons head.) But however it had happened, the conditions were even now. Wildefrau had Hot Spring Ice Cream on her hair, face, and chest, so she gave off a distinctive sweet smell. The average human would be unable to detect it, but the air was incredibly clear in this snowy world where even microbes had difficulty reproducing, so smells stood out. They tended not to mix together, so a stranded persons shampoo or nail polish could sometimes be smelled from several hundred meters away on a rescue mission. And... Prepare yourself. My nose isnt just for show. I can sniff out Jewel Truffles and Tree Hollow Honey. Ill never lose track of you now! (...Not good.) The Ice Waterfall Princess finally managed to focus on reality despite her anger. Wildefrau avoided flashy fights and preferred the low-risk and surefire victory of waiting for her opponent to freeze to death. Yes. She had 100% Water Resistance and would take no damage from the freezing temperatures, but her feet were buried in the deep snow the same as anyone elses. Simply put, her speed was restricted as long as she was fighting on the snowy mountain. Whether fleeing or fighting, that was not a fun handicap to have. That was why her surefire methods were similar to those of a sniper or combat engineer: move slowly, wait in hiding, and secure the best position for an unavoidable attack. Not good...!!!??? Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau spoke aloud and abandoned her calm. Specifically, her right arm. She shattered and left behind the hexagonal shield combined with the gauntlet and did the same with the Zweih?nder. They were only the handkerchief and wand during a magic trick. They were meant to disguise that she was placing a marker on her opponent by using the rose essence candle from upwind. It was no longer time for her to distract them by swinging it around. She needed an all-out attack from head on. She would use her true power as an Ice Waterfall Princess. ...Fine then. The girl with blue ringlet curls took a few steps back and grabbed the true sword with her slender arms. This one was not a fake made from ice. It was her true Shining Weapon. The sheathed cross-shaped sword reached from her voluptuous chest to her hips. One hand held the hilt and the other the sheath. Then the leather belts binding her body were released one after another and the ice dress shattered. It was like a strange seal was being broken. In fact, the queen herself may have acted as the seal and the sheath while wearing only the skimpiest of underwear. The way she arched her back and drew the blade vertically made it look like a cruel ritual in which a frozen blade was drawn from her soft belly. Behold the true power of an Ice Waterfall Princess in the bewitching light of my Shining Weapon. I will give you a generous taste of absolute zero: another world where all things C water or air, liquid or gas C grow solid!!!!!! A single swing of Wildefraus sword would solidify all gases in the world and drop both temperature and air pressure to absolute zero. Gravity itself would exist, but it would feel a lot like being flung into distant space where the light of the sun barely reached. Would they simply freeze, would they asphyxiate, would their blood break down like a severe case of altitude sickness, or would they suffer a painful death as the pressure difference forced the organs from their bodies? With so many competing causes of death, it was a cruelly powerful form of anti-personnel attack. The only one who could survive this white hell was Wildefrau who had the 100% Water Resistance needed to repel all freezing attacks and who could convert solid oxygen and nitrogen into gas to preserve the pressure and breathable air. She could slay any opponent with a single swing of her sword. That deadly blade was no longer sealed. It rose a few centimeters from its sheath and the blue blade could be glimpsed. It would all be over once she drew it. She would settle this. Or so she thought. However... Boo Boos giant hand suddenly split the white curtain and grabbed the sword from above the pommel before she could draw it. (Ah...) She should have noticed. Boo Boo was more than twice her height, so the same depth of snow would not hinder their movements equally. Its grip on them was different. And with his greater muscular strength, his mobility on the snow was entirely different. Also... (The weakness of an iai attack that uses overwhelming speed is that the momentum of the drawing motion can be entirely negated if the sheath or your wrist is grabbed before you can draw the sword.) The Ice Waterfall Princesss cross-shaped Shining Weapon had to be drawn before it could have any effect. At this rate, it would remain uselessly sealed. (So Ill have to respond in the iai way. I made sure to learn some aiki and joint locks in case this happened!!) That said, Wildefrau was not an expert in ancient martial arts. Plus, no amount of skill was going to overcome the advantage Boo Boo had with his 4 meter body. But she did not need to throw him. She only had to move even closer and get his large hand away from the sheath. As long as she drew the sword, victory would be hers. And due to his great size, he would have trouble attacking her if she moved in close. It was the same as being unable to put your hips into swatting a bug crawling on your own body. And his Shining Weapon could be mistaken for a log or steel beam, so it would require a fairly large space for a full-power swing. She only had to make him hesitate for half a second...no, a third of a second. Once she drew the ice sword, she could create the vacuum pump needed to remake everything into solids and turn this open space into outer space. Approaching by twisting her sexy body covered only in the skimpiest of underwear proved effective. The giant hand sealing the hilt moved away slightly, creating a gap. (Youre mine...!!) But she should have realized something else. What would happen if a human approached a tiger, even if that would seal away its maximum strength? What would happen if they tried to embrace a wild elephant? She soon received her answer. Wildefraus sword stopped once more. The giant hand had left the hilt, but Boo Boo was no longer targeting the skinny sword. He targeted the entire slender Ice Waterfall Princess herself. His far too burly arms wrapped around her, but this was not an expression of affection. His frightening strength truly reduced the distance between them to 0mm. Their bodies held the sheathed sword like a vise and it would not budge. The Ice Waterfall Princess was certain of her fate. Her opponent had never been concerned about her Shining Weapon. So what had he been after, what had he grabbed, what did he hold...and what had he come here to destroy? Ah. With only the skimpiest of underwear covering her naked body, the violent princess looked up at the mass of odorous muscles and gave him a stiff smile even as he tightly squeezed her. Ahn Then the squeezing and cracking sounds of the horrific bear hug filled the snowy world. Part 12 The powerful blizzard C which, thinking back, had been unnaturally powerful C had calmed down. The sky was still ruled by thick leaden clouds, but the pure white curtain that robbed one of any sense of distance or direction was gone. The white world had seemed endless before, but it did not seem so bad now that the storm had cleared up. The temperature felt about 10 degrees different. Ah, ahh... Boo Boos body and Beatrices recovered flames. Its like a flower in either hand. Oh, I might earn some divine punishment for this kind of paradise. Hold it, cow. Quit clinging to me. And I want nothing to do with those slimy glasses. Uuh. But now that Im warming up, I feel a pressure in my crotch... God, you are such a pain!! Their spherical vital sign displays were smiling normally and the flame frame map matched the scenery around them. The harsh but beautiful snowy mountain was back to normal. And so it may have been inevitable that they noticed the sounds of clashing weapons and the light of flying sparks. It was Fighter Priest Armelina and Noble Dancer Rusalka. The blunt weapon and wind users were dancing around the open snowy plain. Rusalka wore a tiny golden crown, a black sleeved leotard, asymmetrical armor on her chest and hips, and a thin cloth that wrapped around her back like a hagoromo. She fought differently from Beatrice and Wildefrau who forced their way through with overwhelming firepower. Rusalka rode the current. If she was surrounded by snow, she would use gusts of wind to blow snow into the air or create vaporization heat. If she was surrounded by a wildfire, she would send in oxygen to intensify the flames. If she was attacked by dirt, she would blow it into the air to trigger a sandstorm. Instead of going for a collision of power, she would capture, parry, deflect, and ultimately send back her opponents power. That was how she presented her strength. She had likely strengthened the Ice Waterfall Princesss power up until now. Armelina had no heat source, so some of her hair was frozen. It was unlikely her feet were unharmed under the snow. The Fighter Priests metal ball-and-chain and the Noble Dancers yellow disc blade were still clashing head on and scattering sparks everywhere. The scythe with the rapidly rotating disc blade did not force its way through. Instead, it was light. It swung vertically and horizontally. She would sometimes bend over and place its long handle on her small butt or form a bridge with her entire soft body and support it on her navel as she spun it around like a baton from every possible angle. All the while, it deflected Armelinas metal ball and sent it flying irregularly away. It was like juggling a chainsaw. Her muscles, joints, and even the collarbones and ribs visible through her black leotard looked flexible when she moved like this. If Armelina let it bewitch her for even a second, she would lose her life. The slightest touch of the rapidly rotating disc blade would likely slice off an arm or a leg if not bisect her entirely. Armelina!! Rusalka too!! You cant, Boo Boo!! The Iberian Orc tried to run over, but Beatrice quickly stopped him. The situation is too complex. If we try to help Armelina with our fire or strength, it could get caught in the wind and hit her!! And it was not like they had not helped at all. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau had been defeated. Rusalka could not use the unnaturally low temperatures anymore. The extreme cold would no longer sap Armelinas strength and the white curtain would not throw off her aim. The situation had changed. The blunt weapon pushed through the air. Each time Armelina swung her ball-and-chain, it tore into the snow and triggered an explosion, but that failed to stop the Noble Dancer. The bell inside the tiny golden crown on her head rang lightly as she instantly adjusted to the changing situation. As the slender girl continued her spinning dance, the rapidly rotating scythe deflected the metal ball and the Magically-produced wind would unnaturally alter its direction. Just as it looked like the ball would hit the snow right in front of Rusalka, that snow would fly into the air, the wind would catch it, sharp shards of stone would enter the white curtain, and the Fighter Priest would be the one struck by the storm of projectiles. The number of audible explosions was uncountable. As they both swung their weapons, they also exchanged words. Youve noticed the change too, havent you!? The Ice Waterfall Princesss power is gone while Boo Boo and the others have shown up. Acting the hound on the vanguard is pointless when the main unit isnt going to show! Fall back, Noble Dancer. You cant win here!! ...up. The short girl with her bodylines showing through her black sleeved leotard bit her lip while sometimes using the yellow disc blade to smash stone into projectiles, adjusting the rotation speed by kicking the bottom of the handle with a thick steel boot, and blasting snow into the air as a smokescreen. Shut up! Im not falling back. I wont get another chance. I need to prove I defeated all of you here! Because...because if I dont, Onee-sama will... Rusalka only referred to one person that way: Summon Hunter Gruagach, the poor puppet of Demon Lord Tselika. What about her? Was it that important to use a childish duel to cleanse the humiliating defeat of a friend? That was how Armelina viewed it, but she had forgotten something. Back at the hot oasis, the Noble Dancer had said this had nothing to do with what she wanted or thought was right. In other words, her crime was not motivated by a grudge. And what was the other possibility? You dont even know where Gruagach Onee-sama is being imprisoned!! If I dont defeat you, I can never save her. Shell never be able to break the chains of her crimes and crawl out of that festering hell! So I have to do this to free her. No matter how much I have to dirty my hand in the process!! Finally, Armelina felt like she had grasped the crux of the situation. Gruagach had caused severe damage to Tokyo while controlled by Tselika, so of course she was not just going to be let go. It was laughable to think the monsters confining a young girl to the Detached Magic Palace for their own convenience would give any thought to rehabilitation. They did more than just make up for a loss; they would take advantage of the tragedy to double or triple their wealth. When everyone else was suffering from war or disaster, they were the reprehensible ones who would reach for easy profit in the name of reconstruction and recovery. Gruagach had caused a lot of damage. But what if she could be used as a controller to get a level cap Wind Element expert to do their bidding? The Pieces that caused technological revolutions were proof that Magic could bring great profit. Just as they kept Beatrice closed in the Detached Magic Palace, they held the blade to Gruagachs throat, bound Rusalka, and dug for a new oil field or valuable lode. Then... Armelina clenched her teeth because she had seen that same method herself. Then why would they ever release her!? Theyll never let go of you! Theyll suck you dry, to the very marrow of your bones!! Until the oil field has dried up and the lode has been fully excavated!! Theyll have you run a full marathon!! Rusalka, think this through again. Ask yourself if obeying them will really make anyone happy. Youll never be able to repay Gruagach like this!! Even so...even if its all a farce... The girl would not stop even as she faced ruin. She never would, so long as leaving these rails meant throwing someone dear to her into the abyss. So long as she remained bound like this. Relying on others wasnt enough. Ileanas presence was so great that I forgot that I had to tell the world my thoughts myself! If I do it through someone else, it loses its purity, like in a game of telephone!! So how can I stop now? Nothing will stop me from standing in the line of fire and giving up my life to reach my hand out to Gruagach Onee-sama!! It was the same as seeming to freely draw a card from the deck while actually being guided by the sneering magician. I can ask myself what if. She had the voice of someone spinning a roulette wheel that would never pay out. The person she most cared for was being used as a shield, her heart had been cornered and torn to shreds, and she clenched her teeth in coldhearted determination, but she still howled from the bottom of her throat like she could not bear it. But the one thing I cant do is give up and pull back my hand. Onee-sama is right there in front of me and she needs my help! So it doesnt matter if I cant win. I dont care if I dont stand a chance. What else can we do but rely on the tiny miracle prepared for us with a sneer!!!??? Her thick steel boot roared. As soon as she kicked the bottom of her scythe, an odd change occurred. The rapidly rotating disc blade burst apart and transformed into a giant crescent moon blade held together by a thick wire. The decorative string attached to the inside of the disc blade and the back of the handle must have been made to link it together like a trains cars because it had been absorbed into the scythe somewhere. The hoop had had a diameter of about 70cm and this crescent moon was more than 200cm long. Armelina was already in the lethal range, so Rusalkas ferocity targeted her neck and also sent countless vacuum blades where she might try to dodge. The look in the short girls eyes said she did not care of Armelina died. Not if it would save a certain life. But the Fighter Priest did not falter. In fact, that look was why she did not. That was enough of a reason to ignite her soul. You goddamn...moroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!! When she swung down her metal staff, a bolt of lightning followed it down. No, it was a massive hunk of metal. A weapon colossal enough to mistake for a meteor or asteroid caused the ground to sink down by more than 70cm. This was more than just the snow. The solid ground itself sank. Rusalka could not follow it down, so she remained in the air. She desperately twisted her supple hips, but she could not produce a significant motion vector without her feet on the ground. Wha-!? Shooting Star. Armelina had taught herself a few pieces of Magic for linking her maps with sensors because she had wanted some targeting support to help this major technique hit. It had ultimately not been much help, but even if she could not hit her target, she still had ways of using it without hitting them. After all, its destructive power could sink the ground by more than a meter over an area the size of a school campus. Left in the air, the Noble Dancers dance froze in shock. She had never imagined her enemy would secure a space to move further down than the ground. Armelina calmly slipped below the deadly winds and safely approached Rusalka. What should you have done when you hit a dead end? A large steel fist appeared on the end of her metal staff. And the Fighter Priest declared her answer while swinging that giant fist. Thats easy. Instead of relying on a miracle, you shouldve come ask me for help! No matter what it might be!! There was only one sound of impact. Even with the Percentage-type clothing amplifying her bodys abilities, she was helpless against a blow to the face with a blunt weapon that could knock out an elephant. Boo Boo and the others looked down at the crescent moon scythe and the lemon-yellow assassin sprawled out on the snow. Beatrice asked a question with her hands on her hips. You shouldnt just make unconditional offers like that. I dont like having to do this, but I guess I have to explain how the world works to you. When youre really in trouble and someones life is in danger, theres one thing you should always try before relying on miracles. ...Honestly, theyre supposed to teach you these things at a safety lessons puppet show in elementary school. The Fighter Priest rested her metal staff on her shoulder and winked as she answered. You dial 110. Then you let the police officers handle it. And theyll do a better job of it than any American comic book superhero in full-body tights. Part 13 Extraterritoriality. What comes to mind first when you think of that term? Perhaps an American military base or a moored nuclear aircraft carrier. Perhaps an embassy or consulate. Perhaps the blue license plate of a foreign diplomat. It was generally a privilege for foreigners, but here it was granted to a local. The Shirokanedai district of Minato, Tokyo had plenty of extraordinarily large estates with a great variety in design, but one especially oppressive-looking dark red mansion made of granite was known as Shirokanedais Last Free Territory. That Bloody Residence had lured in more than 500 innocent citizens of a certain country and used its many traps to feast on their blood. It had been bought, disassembled, and shipped across the ocean so it now stood here as a historic mansion. Cough, cough. Oh, honestly...! There was a red carpet, an ebony desk, and a fireplace heating the air. The old record player only played classical music and this gentle world seemed to say that even jazz would be considered a heretical newcomer, but that was disturbed by the coughing voice of a small girl with short black hair. This was the control room. It was the heart of the mansion hidden behind a disguised bookcase in the master bedroom. It was lined with metal pipes. They reflected light and sound like periscopes and speaking tubes so that it was always obvious where a victim was screaming in their death throes or when their paranoia led them to destroy each other. In a certain neighborhood it was whispered that if you wished to settle an old grudge, public or private, you only needed to pay a certain old man some money. The more money paid, the better the game he would prepare. The old man in a gown was maintaining a bladed weapon. Its odd shape was closest to a spear, but it looked more like a butchers knife had been attached to the end of an old mop handle. And that description was not inaccurate. However, its value was more obvious when it was described as a weapon used during a revolution and ultimately used to decapitate many guards after the fall of the Bastille. Unlike Japan, the name of the blacksmith was not given much importance in the West. A blades meaning came from the land in which it was made and the lives it had taken. Just like the holy spears of old. What is it, oh great Ice Waterfall Princess? It isnt often you return without time to heal your wounds with Magic. Cut the sarcasm. Cough. Cough!! Dark red blood spilled from between the fingers covering the slender girls mouth. Everything she wore was soaked with blood: the bandages worn on her right arm as fashion, the intentionally torn T-shirt and shorts, the bra allowed to show through the torn shirt, and the stockings worn on just the one leg. Even the floor was colored by her blood. The old man did not know how much the carpet cost, so he did not mind. But not in an aesthetic sense; he was simply not interested in the purchase of daily items. Pant, pant. I thought this was supposed to be an easy job. Ahh, I cant believe this!! Wheres that star student!? The Student Council President! Is she still in the bathtub!? I appreciate the help in maintaining my tools, but dont overdo it. The short-haired girl with bandages on her arm and an eyepatch on her forehead ignored the advice and moved to a corner of the control room. The rooms interior was not at all concerned about harmony, so there was a white bathtub there. It contained a lot of ice and a girl. The living sacrifices brown hair was long and soft and she was bound with her legs folded up and her hands behind her head. Not many people could have correctly guessed what her clothing had originally been. What had apparently been a school uniforms dark blue blazer had been almost literally torn to shreds, she had leather bands around her entire body, and her joints were fixed together with metal bars. How do you do, Lady Gruagach? Its a chilling thought to think it might have been me in the bathtub if things had been a little different. Hee hee. Gh...cough!! ... Pant, pant. Its said that the cold numbs your pain, but that is an issue of degree. Flick your ear in midwinter and it might just hurt more than you expect. The restraints were probably entirely unnecessary because the long-haired sacrifice could not move properly. And there was fear in her barely-opened eyes. That was because the shorthaired girl had stuck both hands in plastic gloves. Your adoring Noble Dancer went off and died on her own. Despite the half-dried blood staining her lips, the shorthaired girl with mismatched shoes smiled cruelly. So how about you pay the penalty in her place, Miss Star Student? Have you grown accustomed to the electric stimulation? Then how about we increase that to labor pains or birth today? The metal bars covering her body were capacitors that produced high-voltage currents. And the electrodes attached to carefully calculated parts of her limbs and torso would vividly reproduce various types of pain. In a violation even greater than licking across every part of her body, a great explosion would shoot straight to the untouchable core of her body. She knew that, but the bathtub sacrifice could not respond any longer. Shaking her head would not change anything. She doubted there was anything here that could tell right from wrong. Now, now. Calm down a little. The old man in a gown looked troubled, but he did not stop polishing his revolutionary spear. Perhaps I am misunderstanding. I have no way of knowing what happened in Grounds Nir, but is it possible you left and Signed Out before the Noble Dancer did? ... Look, here is a photo sent by the Noble Dancer. She did quite well. She stole and destroyed the Shining Weapons of all 3 level cap targets and even the Iberian Orc. They cant Sign Out without those, so only eventual death awaits them. And it will be interesting to see how long a naked human who cant use Magic will last on that island. The bloody shorthaired girl with an eyepatch on her forehead was briefly confused. Then she held a hand to her mouth and muttered some words like a curse. Oh, no... Immediately, she heard a loud crash like a dump truck had slammed into a large tree. At the source of the noise was a woman in glasses and a tight suit who had her long black hair tied back. She had a long object resting on her shoulder and she had mercilessly kicked down the mansions front gate. Her movement support suit was doing well tonight. The standardized bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses first pulled out legal police batons, but she dealt with them using a sweep of the long object on her shoulder. As she strolled toward the moonlit dark red mansion, she did not hesitate to destroy the front door with a long leg. While the servants and accountants panicked, the only one to realize what was going on was the elderly butler who had seen more of the bloodlines history than his master. He bent over and bowed to welcome the unexpected visitor. Welcome, maam. Yeah, thats whats going on. No hard feelings, okay? The tight suit woman smiled a little and undid a few of her blouses buttons. Sharp sounds immediately intersected. She grimaced at the dull pain in her side. The fabric of her coat ripped and her stockings tore, but she lightly smiled at the elderly butler who had knocked over a decorative suit of armor as he collapsed to the floor. You wont aim for a womans face even at a time like this? ...Youre making me want to recruit you, old man. But she did not have time to coax him now. More standardized bodyguards rushed out from further inside. Shirokanedais Last Free Territory had effective extraterritoriality, so they gave up on staying legal and pulled out stainless steel blades and handguns. But the tight suit woman did not care. Each time she spun around and let the long object fly, the many guards were sent flying. Distance and range did not seem to matter. However, this was not some special weapon. This long object could be found anywhere. (Who wouldve thought a lure fishing pole would one day become a secret weapon?) The fishing pole used a weighted contraption to send it flying with a snap of the wrist, so it became a decent weapon just by tying several weights to the end of the line. Even as a projectile, it could be retrieved by reeling it in, so she could ignore the concept of ammunition except for keeping a spare on hand in case the line got tangled. That said, a sports fishing pole and line were simply not sturdy enough. That was why the tight suit woman had procured a pole made of the same special steel used in a tanks suspension and a wire made from the same spider web structure used in bulletproof vests. The weights were of course tungsten steel. Hand-reeling it would be a pain, so she had chosen a fairly ugly electric reel. Altogether, she had constructed a strange projectile with infinite ammo that did not violate the Swords and Firearms Control Law. She could accurately hit someones head at a distance of 30 meters and she could use it as a curved flail weapon at midrange. When the weights had been fully pulled back to the end of the pole, it functioned as a whip with a deadly head at close range. Ah! Gbah! Gyah!? As proven in World War One when various new weapons had been so effective even their inventors balls had shriveled in fear, standardized soldiers were poor at handling situations outside their training. A never-before-seen weapon or tactic was the best source of confusion. And that could easily lead to more damage than would normally be possible. The woman held a hand to her ear and gave instructions over her headset. Team B, the target hasnt escaped out the back, have they!? This is Inoue. We wouldnt screw up like that. Were covering all the exits and we have control of their cars and helicopter. Can you believe this? They have what looks like a whole chess boards worth of luxury foreign cars underground here. I bet you could buy our entire residential district with what these cost. Make sure you seal off the sewers too. I dont know if these rich people are willing to throw out their pride, but it never hurts to be careful. We already are. I came all the way to Shirokanedai and now my 29,800 yen super luxury suit stinks of high society piss! You monstrous chief!! You dominatrix! Please step on me!! She swept aside more assassins and rolled out of the way of the guillotines and arrow traps installed in the mansion itself as she continued further in. After breaking down a few doors and knocking down some men in black, the tight suit woman arrived at her destination with the lure fishing pole resting on her shoulder. There she found an old man in a gown lovingly polishing an antique that entirely ignored the Swords and Firearms Control Law and a young girl who was coughing up blood. Ah, aohh, ughahh!! The girl tried to grab something like a poker that seemed to be chilled with dry ice or something contained in the grip, but the woman did not hesitate to bury an iron fist in the center of her face. Oh? Youre surprisingly deficient in the real world, Ice Waterfall Princess. In both brains and body. That level cap girl flipped backwards, knocked over a heavy ebony desk, and sent a bottle of brandy and a glass to the floor, but the gowned old man did not bat an eye. Who are you? Armeliiinaaa. She named herself in a singsong voice and the old man glanced at the documents scattered on the floor. The glasses woman kept the long object on her shoulder. You lot have a way of mistaking cowardice for caution, so youd have gone into hiding if I didnt give you something to put your mind at ease. Those destroyed Shining Weapons are pretty well made, arent they? By the way, what counterfeit factory do you think we used to make them? ... And about that. A certain somebody might have purged the counterfeit factory itself, but my guess is that was cutting off the lizards tail. Someone couldnt have the problem rising back up to them, could they? Assuming, that is, that someone who cant afford to get into the counterfeiting business C such as a mint or a national bank C brought their knowhow to another world where no one could recognize them and used the name Amalgam to get into a certain national business. Black money isnt only distributed in this world. The Real Money Trade run between worlds is quite common. Thats why people like me keep a close eye on the movements of the gears used as currency in Grounds Nir. The old man did not carelessly open his mouth. There was no one here anymore. The old man had no words for the girl who was wide-eyed and trembling. Anything you say can and will be used against you. That was the ironclad rule of a certain world. No need to fall silent. I forced my way in here, ruining half a years worth of covert investigation. Im not here about that. Then what are you here for? Lets settle things with Summon Hunter Gruagach and Noble Dancer Rusalka. Especially that Student Council President, since Beatrice and Boo Boo left her in my care. I promised she would be fairly tried and given a chance to redo her life. Your unwanted intervention has stained the work of our police officers. You understand, dont you? ...Or do I need to break the dentures in your mouth and drag you around a bit, old man? That is what you want? The gowned old man did not even stand from his chair. Are you unfamiliar with this countrys system? No one can be tried for anything done in another world. Its true no one can be charged with murder or involuntary manslaughter if someone dies in the Labyrinth. No one would go exploring if that could happen. The current system is hopelessly money-obsessed and cruel. The woman winked through her glasses with the long object on her shoulder. But what about something done while here on Earth? Theres precedent, such as the Real Money Trade being judged an economic crime. For example, ignoring all the official paperwork and keeping a high school girl in your private residence would count as imprisonment. And sending an email ordering our deaths would count as a threat and contract killing. ... Now. You dont actually think you can get out of this with the old my secretary did it all and I knew nothing excuse, do you? ...You do not seem to understand. The old man in a gown seemed to be forcing out the deep words. His voice was even sharper than the illegal revolutionary weapon he held. A normal person would have trembled, but the tight suit woman scoffed. A truly confident villain was not so loquacious. This is Shirokanedais Last Free Territory. I can never be tried by this countrys system. Grandstanding here will only lead to your own demise. I will make you rue the day you were born a woman, little girl. Youre surprisingly cowardly for a member of the Conference Room. Mixing in your own desire only weakens the threat. Or are you merely borrowing their authority and youre just a subcontractor working under them? She cracked her neck. This time, she smiled fiercely with the eyes of a hunter facing her prey. I thought it was well-known in this neighborhood that there was a gathering of police officers and JSDF officers who grew fed up with their organizations restrictions and turned in their resignations. Well, thats the official story anyway. Or did you not have authorization to view that data? ... Cmon, now. After hearing that, do you really think this starving wolf is going to take even a single step back from the fattiest sirloin imaginable? ................................................................................................................................................................................. Oh, I almost forgot. I have a message from Rusalka, Onee-sama. These last words were not directed at the old man. The police officer used a lighter tone as she spoke to the person in the bathtub of ice. No matter what happens, she swears she will rescue you this time. The rest did not take long. The gowned old man stood up with enough force to knock his chair backwards while holding the revolutionary spear that had soaked up historical blood and the tight suit woman calmly lifted the long object from her shoulder. Long-Lived Royal Elf Sibyl''s Live News The Secret to Health and Beauty! An Attack on the Norths Hidden Hot Springs Pant, pant. Im sick of covering scandals. Its wrong to wish for peoples misfortune. So to soothe my damaged body and soul, today I am visiting the northern mountains which are known for their hot spring therapy. Surely nothing terrible can happen to me with this kind of heartwarming news story. There are actually dozens of hot springs in the northern mountains. Hidden hot springs suddenly appear in the middle of the snow and they are called hot oases because they are so similar to those desert water sources. Their effects vary. The humans place all their focus on the underground Labyrinth, but the northern mountains are a complex arrangement of various mineral resources. Depending on what areas the branching underground water veins pass through and how the magma heats them, even neighboring hot springs can have entirely different effects. Hot spring water is said to be a panacea, but it sounds like you would need the help of a guide to find the hot spring most suited for your needs. If you want to tame a local Werewolf or Abominable Snowman as a guide, you need to bring some raw meat with you. And if your souvenir freezes, theyll just eat you instead, so be careful. Now, is this the hot spring thats good for a trick back? ...I mustnt lament how old that makes me sound. Im not known as a long-lived Royal Elf for nothing. Wait. What is this? What in the world happened!? The hot spring is completely frozen over! Ah, and it looks like a powerful blizzard is blowing in... Now Im all alone out in this snowy world with no heat source. Whats going to happen to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!? Volume 3, 3: Shooting Ride! Volume 3, Chapter 3: Shooting Ride! Part 1 If you were going to establish a private detective agency, it had to be in Shinjuku. The type of people changed greatly between the bar district, in front of the TV studios, or near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, but no other area contained as much information from aboveground society and underground society alike. Choosing a restaurant to kill some time at would let you overhear the careless complaints and gossip of people from all sorts of industries. The fastest way to blend into an area was to actually live there. And so the private detective agency rented out a room in a rundown multi-tenant building there. The room was only slightly less yellowed than a park bathroom, but Tokyo was insane and it still cost as much to rent as a family apartment in another prefecture. The air conditioning was nearly dead and the computers were from who knows how many generations ago. In that office, a beautiful woman in a tight skirt and glasses faced a young man. They each held a clipboard and they were reading something while using red pen to check something off. Asamura Reina. Age: 24. Sex: Female. Born in Kyoto and lived overseas from 18-22. Majored in medical psychology and works as a counselor. A sexually frustrated young woman who looks good in glasses, a white coat, and a tight skirt. Hey, Inoue, does this mean Ill be driving around in a red Italian car loaded with a V12 turbo engine? Isnt that more of a guy car? Dont worry. The target is into cars. If he thinks you understand his tastes, hell be putty in your hands. But a salty dog is way too much of a guy drink. Cant I at least go with a dry martini? Pff. A woman who orders a martini when out at the bar alone is already pretty-...ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!? Y-you cant let anything get to you like this out there, you know!? As the tight suit woman struck the young mans head with her clipboard, a young newcomer carried in some coffee and animal cookies. She had apparently chosen the coffee beans herself and baked the cookies herself. She was a high school girl with long brown hair. In the other world, she was known as Gruagach. Working hard, I see. ...Man, things sure are different with a young girl around. This place was so lacking in femininity before, so...dabah!? What was that for, chief!? Dont kick me!! After puffing out her cheeks and delivering her foot to her subordinate, the tight suit woman held one of the mugs between both hands. She must have had trouble with hot drinks because she blew on it several times and then stuck out her tongue to test the temperature. Inoue will eat them all if you let him, so you should take your share now. No, I already posted a picture on Nanskagram, so I dont need any. The career woman froze in place while still testing the coffee with her tongue. Wh-what? High school girls show off their cuteness like that these days!? Um? The girl looked confused. The trembling tight suit woman checked the personal page of the handle name and ID she was given and she found an unbelievable number of digits. This was reaching as many people as a small broadcast station. N-no... A photo of some homemade animal cookies has more than a million sures!? Is this the internet that connects the world together!? Yeah, recipes and pet training tips always do well, said the young man. And just adding an English description really increases your capacity a lot. Really, I cant believe the people who immediately start posting selfies as soon as they start Nanskagramming. Its like theyre putting their self-consciousness on full display. We dont care about your normal face, so show us something about your lifestyle we can use to get to know you. Do they think theyre an amateur idol or something? Bwa ha. Bwa ha ha..h-hot, hot, hot! Dont place the bottom of your mug against my forehead! Its burning, chief! Dont just leave it there!? Hoooot!? The blazer girl tilted her head while hiding the white ribbon on her chest behind the tray she held. Um, what are you doing here? Looking over the script and putting together a role. Were a secret division that performs investigations the normal police cant to pave the way for something official. Sting operations are a standard starting point. And bringing down one organization causes another organization to rise up in its place, so well always have work to do. The girl with the tilted head showed no sign of the Religious Society anymore, but she had not actually lost her faith. She still had a small cross hidden in the chest of her uniform. A long chat with the religious adviser at the hospital had apparently been very helpful for her. As far as the tight suit woman was concerned, she would be free to go once a compromise was reached. The woman took a sip of coffee and reached for the sugar pot. But this really is a pain. Couldnt you have come up with an easier role to play, Inoue!? You know Im terrible at playing these mature types of women, like a schoolteacher or a secretary!! Yeah, you are less feminine than Huldra-chan who I turn into in the other world. My bad, my bad. ... P-please dont just fall silent like that. Heh...heh heh. While the snake glared at the frog, the girl looked curiously down at the clipboard. If you have her be picky about only using imported furniture, wouldnt it make her seem more like a high class woman? Eh? W-well, I can easily fake that by messing with the online shopping history. And here you can say she only wears custom-ordered underwear. That would give a sexual hint to the profile which would...um...more easily gather a gentlemans attention... Th-thats a good point. Lets see. The two adults quickly grabbed their red pens and faced their clipboards again. Left alone, the girl pondered the information, hoping to be useful in some way, but then she spoke up as if humming. Yes, that blazer girl was the unattainable flower and outstanding Student Council President of a prestigious school. Come here, boy. I have much to teach you tonight. The tight suit woman was willing to forgive Inoue for spitting out his coffee and holding his nose with a hand. But when he also bent awkwardly forward, she kicked him and his chair over and stared into the distance. (Sigh. Maybe I should go drinking again today.) Part 2 Boo. One day, Boo Boo came to a stop and looked up at an impressive structure. My house is made of bricks now. He tilted his head in confusion, but he was the kind of person who would begin using the new furniture that appeared when he woke up. He gave it no further thought and walked in. It was still a single large room inside, but there was a smaller building next to it. It was crudely made and forced him to circle around to the side to go in, but he still investigated. As soon as he opened the door, steam billowed out at him. The unique sweet scent of a girl hit him like a thick wall. Sutriona was sitting on a bench inside. She was naked except for the large tropical leaves known as Ghost Bento Wrappers wrapped around her chest and hips, making something like a tropical-style wild bikini. The bench was built for Boo Boos size and would have been like a wall to a normal-sized person, but she had apparently jumped up onto it regardless. She rudely had one leg bent up on the bench like she was sitting half cross-legged. Improved blood flow meant her milky white skin had grown somewhat flushed. Oh, Boo Boo. You should knock before entering. Sutriona, you need to think about how to explain this. Mh. The Fairy Queen with a leaf towel around her head moved her eyebrows a little. Fine then. When we Fairies visit a sauna, we wrap our bodies in medicinal leaves to trap in-... Im pretty sure that isnt where to start explaining this. It was a rare sight for the Iberian Orc to play the tsukkomi. The Fairy Queen re-crossed her legs in quite a risqu way and snorted. The Fairies rebuilt your house before, right? They upgraded it from leaves to logs. That set a precedent. Now that they knew they can do that, they upgraded it further. Forgive them. So thats what happened. And as I am their queen, they asked me for advice. They wanted to know what kind of new feature you would enjoy. And, well, um, I kind of set aside what you would want and went with what I would want. Forgive me. So thats what happened. Boo Boo, man among men, was not fazed even when faced with an emergency on the level of finding someone had swapped out your computers entire OS. Since the Fairies work could not be adjusted for anyone elses convenience, he could only choose whether or not to accept it. Squeal. But why are you cooking yourself in an oven, Sutriona? Are you being punished for pulling a prank on someone? If so, Ill go apologize with you. No, you imbecile. This is a way to stay healthy. You could call it a kind of bath. ...Theres something wrong with all of you. Why do you all want wet noses and fuzzy minds? Boo Boo...? Sutriona spoke in a low voice and emitted a bewitching light from her eyes, but Boo Boo refused to approach. He did not try to enter the sauna. After a while, the Fairy Queen left the steamy bath without closing the door and got in a large bucket of water next to the outer wall (while still wearing her leaf bikini that was held together by unknown means). It was a lot like metal drum bath. Ah, thats my drinking water for the day! You fool, the drinking water is inside the house. This is the bathwater I prepared for myself. But Ill turn a blind eye if you get too hot and bothered and sneak out to drink it during the night. Hah hah! Boo. Even if its one of your pranks, it would be a waste to throw out all that water, so Ill use it to water the garden. The perverted carrot gave a cry of protest from the field out front, but it was unknown if it had reached the houses owner or if she would avoid being watered with Sutri-juice. Sutriona relaxed her entire body inside the bucket that was a perfect fit for a small girl like her and clearly was no use for Boo Boo even though this was his house. Ahh... Toxins build up in Fairy blood, so its very important that we regulate our blood flow, Boo Boo. Really? Yes. So when were extremely pissed, it influences our blood flow and we lose control of the toxins. That is why we choose to hold important discussions in saunas. ...In the past, that difference between growing pissed or not destroyed a beautiful lake. A holy ground known as the Womb Pot was transformed into a toxic bog. Its a lot like the root beer floats that humans make. All the contamination is on the surface and everything from the middle down to the depths is fine, but I still feel pretty bad about that one. Sutriona was still one of the paradoxes with a soul known as the Break News. Even a casual chat with her provided glimpses of a legendary disaster. Part 3 Oh, so Gruagach ended up at your place, Armelina? The inn town took its name from the many lodging facilities there. One room in such a facility was wood patterned and only contained a simple bed and side table. The Holy Swordswoman sat on the windowsill which had its curtain closed and she held the large leaf of a decorative tropical plant between her fingers. Its aroma was stronger than normal because the pot was filled with a bluish jelly instead of dirt. The aromatic components passed through the roots and stalk and then left the leaves along with the moisture. Armelina was lying face-down on the bed with all her equipment but her underwear deactivated and Filinion placed a towel over her hips. Yes, shes on probation. Although we can only let her make tea or organize documents at the moment. Besides, even if she was the leader, shes a minor and she was in a state of diminished capacity, right? We cant just gang up on her and peck at her. Then again, it pisses me off that Inoue is too stricken with her to get any work done. ...Dammit, and a new weapon isnt always a good thing. You really feel it later when you use muscles you dont normally use... Filinion looked at Armelinas back and pulled out a bottle of herb oil she had made by Mixing. I see. So thats why your back is so tense. Ah? Youre implying Im not very feminine, arent you!? Now, now, officer. Im saying Ill reward your service with a massage. Here we go. The White Witch dodged the issue and poured the oil on her defenseless back. Hyaaah!? Hee hee. Oh? So you do have some femininity. You did that on purpose! Youre supposed to warm the oil with your hands first!! Hyahn. Filinion silenced Armelinas protests by pressing her palms into the oil on her back. She started by spreading it out across her shoulder blades. Warm it with my hands? You mean like this? Dont think Ill forget this... Armelina trembled and blushed as she swore to take revenge, but Filinion talked nonchalantly. The adults were humiliated by letting Tselika escape, so I know they had to single someone out to save face. But still. Ahh, ahh. Kh! But how can they push around a kid in need just to protect their own pride? That has the opposite effect. Its like wearing a custom-fitted suit but forgetting to zip up the fly. But more importantly... Armelina raised her index finger while still lying face down. A rectangular frame made of thin chains and a bubble appeared. This is the problem. While I was making a mess of the Shirokanedai mansion, this turned up: a document that seems to show a connection between the Conference Room and the Sage. Its only fragmentary, though. The Sage... The Sage had a deep and broad knowledge of Magic, they were suspected of purging Boo Boos village, and only slight contact with information about them had led Skull Wave and Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau to attack. It was still unclear if the Sage was an individual or a group, but they were not just a vague legend. Their deadly fingertips really were approaching Beatrices groups throat. Based on this document, it looks like the Sage didnt actually give the order. Its more like the Conference Room did it to curry their favor. We can probably assume thats how they tend to do things. The Sage cant be heard saying it directly, so the others pick up on the clues and do it for them... None of this is certain of course. Now, Beatrice. What are you going to do now? To be honest, there isnt much we can do back on Earth. The Sages identity and hideout are unknown. But things are different here. Nothings holding us back here and we can walk around the entire island in only 3 days. If we wanted to, we might be able to track down the Sage with a thorough search. Of course, that might mean acting hastily and attacking the Sage prematurely. If the Conference Room was truly acting alone and the Sage was not at all involved, they could introduce a misunderstanding that earned the Sages true anger. And with a world-renowned VIP like the Sage, that could cast a serious shadow on their lives. On the bed, Filinion moved her hands down to Armelinas hips. Armelina let her do as she wished and she had mentioned that none of this was certain. The Holy Swordswoman thought about that for a bit and then opened her mouth. Armelina, you hold onto that document. My management smartphone might be monitored by the Detached Magic Palace, so it would be best if I didnt make a copy. I dont want to get Iroka in trouble by letting her see something she shouldnt. Since youre playing this defensively, should I assume youre really going after this? Keep in mind were up against the Sage here. Yes, this person had proposed the existence of Magic and another world, which had changed history just as much as Da Vinci or Einstein. They also had the skill to easily remove the limits of life, as seen in Skull Wave. Their power and influence were both the real deal, so this was not an opponent to face halfheartedly. But Beatrice did not hang her head. Either way, theres a lot I want to ask them, such as the attack on the Iberian Orc village and the giant Shining Weapon left with Boo Boo. ...And Im not the type to sit around in fear of a coming attack. We need to get actively involved in this to at least judge the level of the threat. I see. Im glad I exchanged contact information with you. But what about you, cow? Are you prepared to listen to the rest? I get the feeling the world would treat me as one of the Three Stooges even if I said no here. I mean, Skull Wave and the Ice Waterfall Princess wouldnt have any reason to attack me personally otherwise! If theyll attack me even if I dont know anything, I have to go along with this to defend myself! Wahhhhhn!! The White Witch held her head in her hands, realized she had oil all over those hands, and screamed even louder, but her butt never rose even a millimeter from the bed. In fact, she did not even glance back toward the door. Beatrice was honestly glad she had such good companions. Then lets get down to business. ...Nkh! Oh, excuse me. Armpit, armpit. You can skip the armpits...hyah...ah hyah hyah hyah!? Filinion recovered quickly and moved her fingers to Armelinas armpits, so Armelina began flailing her arms and legs around while lying face down. Even as she struggled, she somehow managed to open a new frame. It contained the document obtained during the search of the mansion. Pant, pant. I said the Conference Room is trying to curry the Sages favor, right? That means even an old man at that level cant get an audience with the Sage whenever he wants. ...But that old man and the others like him didnt like that, so it seems they were working through official and unofficial channels to divulge the Sages identity. Th-that sounds like a good way to get the Sage mad at you. In diplomatic relationships, secretly digging up information on the other person is pretty common. Didnt you know more than half of what the Company does is gather clippings from newspapers and news sites from around the world? And? The Holy Swordswoman urged her on from the windowsill, so Armelina got back on topic while lying face down. Sorry, sorry. I found enough of a bombshell to make me want to hold it back until the very end. Read this part here. Its a report concerning the Sages base in Grounds Nir. ...Wait a second. Does that say what I think it does!? See what I mean? If theyre hiding here, its no surprise no one can find them even an island as small as Grounds Nir, right? Having regained her flexibility at Filinions hand, Armelina winked. It says theres a chance the Sage worked out the calculations behind the Labyrinths irregular changes and used those very calculations to construct their very own living space and lab. That piece of shit really is a step or two ahead of the rest of us. Part 4 The opponent this time was the Sage who was skilled enough to modify a portion of the Labyrinth into their own base. The silver lining was that Beatrices group was very familiar with the Labyrinth. Armelina, lets see the map. Sure thing. You should be thankful you know someone with a map obsession. Okay, overlay the maps for the last 6 layouts. If theres an area that stays the same every time, that would be the most likely spot. They immediately found such an area, but it was not some unexplored area in the greatest depths. In fact... The Labyrinths entrance!? W-well, I suppose that area cant change since its the starting point and no one would ever question it. And the Sage would probably get sick of having to traverse a deadly maze full of Gimmicks and Traps every time. Somewhere near the entrance would certainly be more convenient. Plus, the challengers working toward the depths would not loiter around the entrance. They would pass right by it with their first step. Everyones focus was on the darkness beyond, so they never noticed the secret right in front of their eyes. And when returning from the depths, everyone was too focused on the hope seen in the sunlight at the surface that they would not hang around near the exit. ...They tricked us. This was not just a theory. Beatrices group was at the level cap. They had challenged the Labyrinth and passed that entrance area enough times to claim that things only truly began once you reached Level 99, but they had never noticed anything odd about it. They had walked through there enough times that their feet had to have worn a noticeable path on the stone, so they had to admit the Sages method was perfect. The Sage was always right alongside them, yet no one noticed. Beatrice felt like that got to the heart of the Sages character. Magic, Pieces, technological revolutions, Grounds Nir... Just like with electricity and wireless signals, it would be hard to find a human whose life had not been influenced by the Sage to some extent, but no one knew their name or what they looked like. Plus, the Holy Swordswomans group had begun to realize that the Sage was a real person working out of an actual base and not just some legendary figure. That meant that he, she, or they had been standing alongside 7 billion people and snickering at them all this time. They had been secretly watching the people fall into pandemonium as they were tossed around by money and technology. They had been elegantly observing the wars of the world. Beatrice, what about Boo Boo? asked Filinion. If the Sage was involved in the attack on his village, we should probably tell him about this. But it also might bring back up some painful memories for him. I know this wont be an easy decision... Yeah. Beatrice understood the White Witchs concerns. The attack on the village, Skull Wave, and the Ice Waterfall Princess. Every incident with an apparent connection to the Sage had a deep darkness behind it. That could easily become a poison that ate into a pure soul like Boo Boo. At the same time, she recalled Elkiad, the delinquent soldier Guild that had been involved with the village attack. When he had been faced with that painful truth, he had wailed into the heavens and Beatrice had lost herself to her intense anger. If the Sage was involved in the village attack, then they were the same as Elkiad. No, they might be even more evil. There were hints of that already. At the very least, the Sage could not be entirely innocent. Should she let Boo Boo see and touch that darkness? Or should she not? ...I just had to look at it in reverse. ? If it was me, I would never want Boo Boo to face that kind of evil alone because he wanted to protect me. Just the thought of it makes my skin crawl. And if it would make me feel that bad, I cant put Boo Boo in the same situation. Even if this means bringing him pain. Filinion and Armelina only gently narrowed their eyes. Ill explain it to Boo Boo. Filinion, you prepare a ton of recovery potions in case we cant talk things out peacefully with the Sage. Armelina, you prepare for exploring the Labyrinth. I think the Sages base is near the entrance, but I want to improve our odds of survival if we screw up and have to escape into the deeper areas. Sure thing. And you two? Well need a lot of food if Boo Boo is with us, so gather as much dried meat and dried fruit as you can. Ugh! That sounds like the hardest job of all! You can use my name at the treasury to withdraw the gears Ive been saving up. Dont be dumb. This is a life or death situation for us too. Were not going to rely on someone elses money for our own survival. Then the 3 of them left the inn. They were finally preparing to approach the mystery of the Sage. Part 5 The Labyrinth. That vast space spread its roots deep below Grounds Nir. The mysterious place was clearly larger than the island and had many theories and rumors whispered about it. Some said it was connected to a series of caves below the ocean, some said it transcended space-time just like the Gates and took people on trips to other coordinates or worlds, and some said it was larger than a country or continent. But its entrance was surprisingly plain. It was located on the side of a slight hill of dark soil in the forest and it only looked like the entrance to a coal mine reinforced by some logs. It was not an impressive temple and there was no iron gate refusing entry to any without permission. There was not even a fire for illumination, so it could take some wandering in the forest to find it at night. (Come to think of it, the Iberian Orc village was located near the Labyrinth and they didnt like that people were going inside. It was because they were acting like gatekeepers that Elkiad barbarically slaughtered them in search of Magic and Pieces.) But at the same time, the Iberian Orcs had not destroyed and buried the entrance. That would have been a simple task for a group with strength on Boo Boos level. Plus, who could say if the justification given by Elkiads leader was the truth of the matter. He had spoken like the actual attackers had not understood the true motives behind it. All of that would be known once they directly met the Sage. He, she, or they had to have a different point of view than Elkiad and yet had supported that barbaric act. Filinion, Armelina. Beatrice spoke to her companions in this endeavor. And Boo Boo, too. How about we go in already? Right. After seeing Boo Boo nod (while he carried a food supply just in case), the Holy Swordswomans group passed through the entrance. Boo Boo was nearly 4 meters tall, but he did not bump his head. The inside was a short straight path made of stone that led to a large staircase down. The walls on either side had lights at even intervals. Unlike wall-mounted lamps that used fire, they were masses of heatless particles, like countless gathered firefly lights. Beatrice could not even guess how many times she had been here, but this was probably her first time to come to a stop. Once she knew there were no Gimmicks or Traps near the entrance, she had always walked right on through. ...But we should have noticed. ? Theres no locked door at the entrance, but the clockwork Gimmicks wandering the Labyrinth never come out. Almost like theyre blocked by an invisible power. So could the real secret be right at the beginning, not in the greatest depths? The most likely candidates were the short straight path or the stairway down. Beatrice and the others split up to look and feel along the walls and floor. A few Parties passed them by on the way deeper inside and gave them curious looks, but this was not the time to worry about that. Boo. Beatrice, look here. Sniff, sniff. Surprisingly, the first one to notice something off was Boo Boo. He felt along a part of the wall. This spot is kind of weird. Im not sure how to describe it. It smells like a smart person? Like old paper? Wait just a moment. They may have been Mixing ingredients and a tool for Appraising them, but the White Witch rubbed a few kinds of powder on the wall with a pencil-like tool and visualized what seemed odd about the area. Two tall rectangles appeared alongside each other like fingerprints at a crime scene. ...They look a lot like the panels of a double door. Armelina, you can open microscopic locks with your physics calculations, right? What about this? Hm... Theres no keyhole, so nope. It looks more like a product of Magic than metalwork. Its the same as creating Pieces. You have to mix together multiple Elements like a cocktail and it will only react to the accurate ratio out of the billions or trillions of possibilities, much like a DNA sequence. Also...um, Beatrice? Pay attention to the floor as well as the door on the wall. Eep. ? Hearing that, Beatrice casually looked down and then froze in place. Some of the White Witchs powder for revealing the hidden door had fallen to the floor. And it had reacted. Reacted to some truly cruel instant-death Traps that should not have existed in the entranceway. They had not activated yet, but they were all standing on them. Or rather, they could not help but stand on them. They were so thoroughly placed that they may have covered every inch of the floor as well as the walls and ceiling too. (The entire area is covered with a crueler version of a bear trap? What was that about walking right through the entrance because there are no Gimmicks or Traps here!? Im so stupid!!) She hated herself for not noticing more than the person who had laid the Trap. She felt like she had been carelessly walking into the tooth-lined maw of a giant beast every time she entered the Labyrinth. And not only had she put herself in danger, but she had invited her companions in too. If that maw had ever snapped shut... She shuddered just imagining it. Traps generally triggered when you stepped on them, when a switch or wire was thrown or pulled, or when a puzzle was solved incorrectly. Beatrices group had already stepped on the landmine, but the maw of death had yet to shut. People from all around the world walked through here every day, but she had never heard of someone being devoured. In that case, there was only one possible trigger. Wait, shouldnt we avoid touching this door? I dont want to screw up and get chewed up by hundreds or even thousands of man-eating Traps. I-I guess this was never going to be easy. Do we have to find the key the Sage uses first? While we could fall back, do we have any chance of solving this? I seriously doubt we can find info on the Sages master key by asking around the inn town, said the Holy Swordswoman. Also, we cant just ignore all these Traps. I mean, could you continue exploring the Labyrinth like before after seeing these? And the world was changing as they spoke. The Pieces brought back from Grounds Nir would lead to more and more technological revolutions. Even if they uncovered a horrific truth, they could not allow themselves to be left behind. The more they were delayed, the more the chaotic breakthroughs would twist the world in an ugly direction. Also, if the Sage truly had been involved in the Ice Waterfall Princess and Noble Dancer incident, the passage of time would only increase the risk. If more and more assassins of that level were sent in, Beatrices group would not at all be safe. Falling back seems like the best way to ensure our safety, but I dont see how falling back will improve our odds and it will only increase the risk, so waiting for more information might actually be more dangerous. But, Beatrice, you see how many Traps there are here, dont you!? Well, yes, but...what if we removed them one at a time? Traps have fixed positions, so if we spread word of them in the inn town, gather enough peoples attention, and get their help, we might be able to remove all these Traps in a short period of time. Even as she suggested it, Beatrice knew her idea was hardly realistic. She was just trying to force her way through the problem. And at that very moment... Beep. !!!??? !!!??? !!!??? It was only a quiet tone from the wall, but all 3 members of that frightening level cap group just about jumped out of their skin. Even if it was quieter than a smartphones ringtone, it was more than enough of a shock to their hearts given the current situation. But despite their expectations, the Traps had not all activated at once. In fact, Boo Boo spoke up while tilting his head. Look. The door on the wall is opening. Wait, but why!? We never found any kind of master key! They had no idea how to open it from outside. Which meant... Boo Boo, prepare for battle! The Sage might be coming out of there!! Beatrice forcefully drew her rapier from the sheath at her hip, but then she came to a stop. Her eyes were drawn to the giant Shining Weapon that Boo Boo held. Yes, the digitized souls of the Iberian Orcs had been sealed inside that weapon, but where had he gotten it? The Sage had been involved in the attack on his village and Skull Wave had attempted to retrieve it. In that case, it could easily be connected to the Sage. Could it have...reacted to Boo Boos Shining Weapon? Boo Boo himself only tilted his head. What do you mean? I dont know how to use the Magic you humans do. More importantly, were still in trouble! If the Sage is in there, well definitely run across them!! It was going to happen sooner or later. Get ready, Beatrice! Boo Boo, too!! The cleverly hidden double doors slowly opened. What waited within? Part 6 Wha-...? Beatrices eyes widened. The space before them was wide and its ceiling was incredibly high. Rooms two or three times the size of a sports stadium or theatre were not uncommon in the ever-changing Labyrinth, but this was on the same level as the entrance, before descending the very first staircase. The horizontal size was one thing, but the vertical size should have been impossible. (Was the theory about space-time bending inside the Labyrinth true?) The incredibly large space was a sea of bookcases. More than just the first floor on which Beatrices group stood, a look up showed layer after layer of elevated pathways rising toward the endlessly tall ceiling. They had not investigated them all, but they could see lots of bookcases there as well. It felt like peering into opposing mirrors. Is the entire place...one giant library? Filinion gulped and looked around before gasping and sprinkling the same powder on the well-polished marble floor. N-no reaction. That was hardly a thorough inspection, but there dont seem to be any Traps around here. Well, you might have a tosa dog in front of your house to scare off burglars, but I doubt anyone would want to keep one inside their house. Theyd get eaten by it. They were still wary of the Sage, but this place was simply too wide and tall. They even felt like the library acted as an entirely new Labyrinth. Beatrice had expected to find the Sage stooped over some work in a cramped room, so this was entirely unexpected. I cant believe this. I feel like Im going to get lost in a sea of books. Boo. Its a good thing we brought a lot of food. But are we allowed to eat where there are books? Im a little worried about that. Beatrice smiled at Boo Boos concern as she glanced over at a nearby bookcase. What are you doing, Beatrice? Im trying to figure out the Sages habits... I dont know if theyre an individual or a group, but they prepared this lab near the entrance to deceive us yet maintain some convenience. ...This might be the same. It might be wrong to let the great size of the library get to us and head randomly into the depths. Thats true. In your room, the things you need most often will naturally end up nearby. Like the TV remote, your smartphones charger, or a manga volume you reread a lot... I see you dodged any kind of feminine touch by not mentioning jewelry or makeup. I-Im a shrine maiden in the real world, so I cant help it! Now, now. We can tease the glasses girl about her dirty room later. I dont have a dirty room!! Grandmother makes sure to clean it for me!! And the problem is how you have no issue with someone cleaning your room for you at your age. The Fighter Priest and White Witchs argument seemed like it would never end, so Beatrice ignored them. She randomly pulled a thick tome from the bookcase. The workings of life... The detailed contents could wait until later. She just wanted to know the genre for now. She pulled out book after book and flipped through them. She was looking for a bookmark, some notes, or a folded corner indicating a frequently referenced page. She came to understand some things as she did so. Alchemy, the possibility of artificial life, ATCG and fire/water/wind/earth, the shape of a soul, the difference between bringing back the souls of the dead and creating new souls, necromancy and possession, the soul seen in information science, embryos and bioethics, the philosophers stone...? The Sage was not randomly gathering information in all directions like in an encyclopedia. There was a clear genre here. It was all about the souls of the living, how to artificially create them, and how to resurrect them. Was the Sage attempting to reach the territory of god, or to carry out the work of the devil? However, Beatrice had already seen partial successes in that field. (Skull Wave, the collection of bones from those fallen in Grounds Nir. And...) Boo. I wonder if this Shining Weapon was made here. ...It might have been. All of the purged Iberian Orcs souls had been digitized and stored there. It was simple enough to say, but they did not actually know anything solid about the process. As proven by the many people who collapsed while exploring the Labyrinth, people had not conquered death even with Magic. No one would believe it was possible if it was not someone as legendary as the Sage. That said, Beatrice was curious about the Sages position in all this. They might have supplied the weapon without knowing anything and they might have taken part personally. And just as she was wondering about that, they suddenly arrived. Searching through that will reveal nothing, Holy Swordswoman. It was a gentle female voice. Beatrice naturally looked over and spotted a figure walking slowly out from behind the bookcases. The figure wore a large black gothic lolita dress. She almost looked like an heiress or princess, but that conflicted with the thick silver shackle around her ankle and the metal ball resembling a pig face that was attached with a chain. Her arms drooped down in front of her and the wrists were shackled together and bound by a thick silver band. And then there was her face. Her entire face was covered by a silver bottle one size too big, but the very top had a large T-shaped handle much like a clock key or corkscrew. Was it a variation on a garrote known as a juicer? As the name suggested, that torture device applied pressure to the victims skull as the handle was turned. There was a flat panel of fine mesh over the eyes and another over the mouth, but the face within could not be seen. She was reminiscent of a princess imprisoned in a tower. (Is this...?) Influence, wealth, knowledge, connections, and beauty. This noble prisoner had every sort of power, but that was why the common world had robbed her of her freedom. (This is the Sage...?) They faced a legend. The Sage really did have a physical body and was someone who required food and sleep. But at the same time, it did not make sense. Based on what Skull Wave had said and the fact that the Sage had been directly involved in the origin of Magic, they had to have been active decades earlier. Her face was not visible and her slender body was almost entirely hidden by the dress, but the skin of the visible cleavage looked far too young. (So are they a group and not an individual? Or does a new person inherit the title every generation? Or...) Had the Sage transcended bioethics and the concept of aging? She physically existed there and yet her presence provided no answers. The Sage spoke from beyond the waves of the bookcase sea. This may look like a mountain of unknown heresy to you, but these are no more than the accumulated gravestones of failure. They were useful in the sense that carving away the failures allowed the outline of success to grow more distinct, but there is no value in the actual knowledge you will read there. The outline...of success...? Yes. With her arms bound by shackles and a silver band, the woman laughed within the darkness of the juicer. The resurrection of the dead. And I mean a complete resurrection that includes the body from before their death, Beatrice. !!!??? Beatrice forcefully told herself not to let herself be taken in, but she still found herself reacting to each and every word. She half-forced her mouth open while seemingly brushing aside an invisible spider web. Why...? Hm? Why would you want that!? Given what we know, youre definitely one of the people who led to the erasure of Boo Boos village!! Why do you think? Still calm, the Sage dragged along the hem of her gothic lolita dress and the pig-faced metal ball attached to her ankle while her shackled arms seemed to accentuate her large breasts. She finally stepped into the end of the lobby where Beatrices group was. Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina all immediately raised their Shining Weapons at the ready. Boo Boo alone was unsure what to do. Boo. What does any of this mean? Did you give this to me? Have I met you before??? Hee hee. That is the cleverest question any of you has asked me. But will those 3 give us time to deepen our friendship? With a gentle smile, the person who wore both a dress and chains toyed with something in her shackled hands: a small hand bell that shined with a silver light. I prefer to avoid direct fights using Magic. So I must apologize, but I will provide you with another opponent. Okay, Boo Boo? And you use this as a chance to cool your head somewhat, Holy Swordswoman. She lightly rang the bell just once, as if summoning a maid or butler. Immediately, the entire giant library shook. Wha-...!? Even when an extraordinarily powerful Gimmick, like a Punishment or Gatekeeper type, rampaged through the Labyrinth or a Break News roared outside, they never felt shaking so bad that the fear of a collapse squeezed at their hearts like this. This oddity was visible. The living legend of the Sage could erode the worlds laws and generally accepted assumptions. But if that was all, Beatrices mind would not have gone entirely blank. Their group included three level cap fighters and the lone surviving Iberian Orc. No reinforcements could defeat them so easily. (We know shes hostile now. The Sage really is someone who prefers conflict to talk. Who knows when well get another chance if we let her escape. Who knows how many ways shell attack us both in open and in secret! So we need to finish this here and now. We need to keep the Sage from messing with us any further!!) Are you sure you want to fight, Beatrice? So the true despair was yet to come. If you had actually thought about what Im researching here, you would have realized that privilege does not belong only to you. ...? Beatrice, up above!! Hearing Boo Boos shout, the Holy Swordswoman looked up and felt like she had left reality. Something had jumped down from one of the elevated pathways. It was incredibly large. Ah. Beatrice!! The girl only stood there, so Boo Boo grabbed her arm and just barely pulled her away before it shattered the marble floor as it landed. That showed its scale once more. Its full body was much larger than a humans. It had a humanoid body and a pig face. It was a full 5 meters tall. Plump fat covered steely muscle. Ahh... But this should not have been possible. That species had been wiped out save for Boo Boo. Surely the Sage had not been raising a secret survivor here all along. And what past event had the Sage been present for? What meaning was there in the lifeless expression and skin color of this new pig-faced giant? What meaning was there in the integrated circuits that crawled along its entire body like some kind of giant bite wound? Yes, it was almost like...the aftermath of having all the souls sealed in the giant Shining Weapon. Almost like the soulless containers of flesh had been forcibly reused. Let me introduce you to my adorable partner and my greatest masterpiece. I simply refer to him as Disaster, though. Now, Beatrice, what do you think I used to make him? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!??? This time, her mind grew entirely blank. All rational thought left Beatrice as she howled. Part 7 Disaster. That bioethical abomination and crystallization of Alchemy began to move. The end of his right tusk was missing and his muscles did not seem alive. It was like an empty shell that gave off the unpleasant dampness, coldness, and stench of a sweaty shirt put back on after being removed for an hour. As the Holy Swordswoman howled in rage and started forward, she noticed a surprising weapon in Disasters hand. It was longer than Boo Boos at more than 5 meters and it was contained in a glistening black curved scabbard. (A Japanese...sword?) No, that was not it. He forcefully drew it, to reveal... A...tetto...!? A tetto was a striking weapon with no blade that made up for it by being made extra thick. This could not be looked down on as a fake sword. The well-forged steel was more than 5 meters long and it was wielded by the strength of the supposedly destroyed Iberian Orcs, so what would happen when it was used? !! Beatrices mind went blank. The next thing she knew, she, Filinion, Armelina, and Boo Boo had been forced out of the giant library and into the straight passageway near the Labyrinth entrance. And... Boo Boo, your hand! Yeah, Im just glad none of you are hurt. Im fine. Boo Boos powerful right arm was dripping blood. Beatrice and the others had failed to react to the extraordinarily large blunt weapon. Boo Boo alone had moved fast enough and he had been injured covering for them. As for his injury... Let me see that! Wait...huh? I dont believe it... Dammit, hes leaving through the door!! We need to get out of here!! Filinion froze up with recovery potion in hand, so Armelina grabbed her arm. Beatrice and Boo Boo also began a sudden burst of movement. Then the extraordinarily large body entered the passageway like a storm. The weapon in his right hand became a flash of light, cut the air faster than the roaring wind, and sliced through the opposite wall (which the Sage had covered in countless traps) like a hot knife through butter. Yes, it sliced through. Boo Boos wound was a cut. (The lack of a blade doesnt matter. Its just like a helicopter rotor. When that much weight is swung at such great speed, even a blunt weapon can cut like a blade! And how the hell can it slice through the Labyrinths walls!? It takes Boo Boos level of strength to break those walls!!) Disasters strength was likely even greater than Boo Boos. While Boo Boo used his blunt weapon to hit, Disaster used his to cut. And Disaster had no fear of death. But they did not have time to carefully observe their enemys power. Beatrices group had rolled aside to avoid Disasters charge, but they had unfortunately fled toward the stairs leading down. That meant they were headed toward the Labyrinth and not the exit. The straight path to the exit was blocked by Disasters giant body. They doubted they could get past that tetto swung with greater force than a helicopter rotor. This is no time to stick around. Boo Boo, everyone! We need to head into the Labyrinth for now!! E-eek! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!! Filinion was already half in tears as Boo Boo grabbed her around the waist with one hand and ran down the stairs with the others. Disaster of course did not just watch them go. He threw aside the unnecessary scabbard, held the naked tetto, and pursued the fleeing backs of Beatrices group. If he could fully reproduce the muscular strength of an Iberian Orc, he would fill the gap in no time. So as soon as she reached the stairs, the Holy Swordswoman twisted around to look behind her. (All those Traps are probably linked to an error report from the hidden door. In that case!) Metal Jet!! She swung her rapier and 8 lines of heat appeared from nowhere to scorch the air. She targeted the door on the wall instead of Disaster. It must have decided the person trying to burn through was in the passageway because the sea of Traps all activated at once. Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap!!!!! More than just biting into his arms and legs, the Magically reinforced bear traps shut with enough force to tear a body to pieces as they leaped at him from the floor, walls, and ceiling. It was like a swarm of giant steel piranhas. An incredible number of metal teeth assaulted Disaster. And yet he did not dodge or defend. Easily over 100 jaws were deflected by his powerful skin and muscles. Orange sparks burst from his entire body like fireworks and piranhas with broken teeth littered the floor. They really were like poor fish that had been dragged out onto land where they rotted with their bellies exposed. Disaster was made from the bodies of Iberian Orcs who were powerful enough to hold a fistfight with a Break News. Beatrice had not expected this would defeat him. She had only wanted enough time to escape. But even so... Y-youve got to be kidding me. Beatrice, this way! Hurry!! When Boo Boo urged her down the stairs, she came back to her senses and ran down. This battle really was somehow different. That was just how much the Sages evil recolored the world. Yes, just like when she first widely revealed Magic to an entirely unprepared human race. Ksshh! Kssshhh!! After arriving in the stone floor for beginners at the bottom of the stairs, Beatrice heard a racket coming from all the walls around them. Do not struggle, Beatrice. There are a lot of unrelated people in the Labyrinth. And my adorable Disaster has some trouble with precision targeting. Dont blame me if something unexpected happens. Was the voice being carried by Magic, or was the Labyrinths structure being remade in real time? (Either answer is bad. Beatrice, this is her lair!) (Im aware of that!) There was nothing they could do with the straight passageway to the exit blocked, but things changed in the next floor down. The Labyrinth was generally constructed from rooms of varying sizes connected by corridors. Meaning... (Armelina, prepare the map. Filinion, you give Boo Boo a recovery potion. Lets watch what route Disaster takes, make a wide circle around him, and return to the stairs. Then we can get out without him blocking the way.) They heard more and more rumbling noises. The Gimmicks wandering the Labyrinth were made to move when they did, so they were given as much time to think as they wanted so long as they stayed entirely still. But Disaster was probably running right through and sweeping aside all of the gathering Gimmicks. How na?ve. A voice from the walls and ceiling cut off their thoughts. A moment later, the wall right next to Beatrice burst apart. Wha-!? Disaster was not fighting the many small Gimmicks. He was fighting the Labyrinth itself. He did more than break through the walls. A mysterious attack resembling a beam blade sliced diagonally though the entire floor from one end to the other and the monster approached along the shortest course. In fact, even the floor had collapsed, exposing the next floor down. P-planning is worthless now! Take this!! Filinion squeezed her eyes shut and threw a test tube from each hand. The cold pig-faced man thoughtlessly attacked them with his tetto, slicing more than breaking them, and a colorful liquid splattered out and fell right on his head. Those were failed eye drops! They interrupt the signals in the optical nerves. We need to use this chance to get away from-... She trailed off at the killer intent she sensed. The thick tetto was mercilessly targeting Filinion. A curving flash sliced through even sound as it accurately flew toward her neck. Eh? She felt more confusion than fear. Boo Boo immediately cut in with his Shining Weapon. Their weapons clashed, sparked, and stirred up the wind. Impossible... Taking out his eyes...doesnt accomplish anything...? Pull yourself together, Filinion! Boo. Beatrice, take her away!! Beatrice and the other humans could not even stand on the same field. Had the Sage sought this power? Was that why she had helped Elkiad attack the village and why she had left all the Iberian Orc souls with Boo Boo? Had she only been throwing out the parts she did not need. Had it all been to acquire the strongest vessel of flesh to complete a powerful fighting force that would do her bidding? Had it all been for nothing more than that!? Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage!! I told you to cool your head. Every last wall spoke scornfully. And I can freely interfere with the Labyrinths structure, making it my garden. You lost any chance of victory when you fled further inside. You lost any chance at all. ...!! It was true they might have no chance of escape when the Sage could create any number of traps and dead-ends while Disaster could ignore it all to take the shortest route. It was like running through a city where the hand of god could freely construct buildings to create dead-ends, all while being pursued by a helicopter that could ignore the map. But could Beatrice let her say that? Could she, when this was the piece of shit who had profaned death and trampled on the Iberian Orcs strength all for her own greed? It is useless, said the Sages voice. Havent you gathered a lot of your own information on the Labyrinth? For example, the floors that clearly cover more area than the island itself do not seem to just connect to undersea tunnels, so you might be teleporting around the underground space with no regard for the true layout of things. What are you-...? I will now give you the answer. If you interfere with the Labyrinths structure, you can do things like this. The Sage could interfere with the arrangement of rooms, staircases, elevators, Gimmicks, Traps, and Treasure. So if the Labyrinth really included a certain feature, wouldnt she have control of that as well? Namely, invisible Teleportation Trap Walls. As soon as Beatrice converted the possibility to words in her mind, the scenery changed around her. Part 8 Skull Wave, a Skeleton in a cowboy hat bearing a large red stone, suddenly looked up into the sky and spoke with annoyance in his voice. So its begun. But I cant take either side. What is it, mister? A small light fluttered nearby. It was Alice, the Fairy in a violet dress whose short twintails resembled a candy wrapper. But the Skeleton did not have time to answer. After grinding many bones and charcoal into a powder and stuffing them into a wooden tube, he ignited it with flint. With a loud explosion, Alice was nearly flipped upside down where she flew. Wh-what was that for...? Alice grew tearful, but Skull Wave did not respond. He stared up into the sky where milky white smoke spread out like a butterfly and he spoke in a hopelessly bitter voice. Figure it out, Boo Boo. ...Honestly, Ive always had such a bad habit of siding with the underdog. Not that theres any saving them whichever side I choose. Part 9 There was no change to the girls body or mind. She did not feel a sense of floating or acceleration. And that was why Beatrice was overwhelmed by confusion when the scene before her eyes suddenly changed. It was true no one would have noticed if something like this was secretly set up in the Labyrinths corridors. Especially within the Labyrinth where each floor was made up of corridors and rooms with identical interior designs. You would think you had walked down a long passageway, but you might have actually been sent to a completely different passageway on the other side of the world. But this time, Beatrice had not been sent to another location on the same floor or even in the Labyrinth at all. What...!? She was high in the sky. Grounds Nir had some water source mountains to the northeast and there was a series of floating islands positioned even higher than their peaks. The largest islands were the size of a truck trailer and the smallest ones were only clumps of rock one could hold in their arms, but they were all clustered together like an asteroid belt. Beatrices group had been sent to the small island at the very top. It was unclear how water had gathered there, but fresh water flowed from a spring, fell from the floating island, branched out as it hit the various other islands and clumps of rock below, and continued flowing vertically down toward the ground like an amidakuji or tournament diagram. It ultimately fell to the peaks of the water source mountains and formed the rivers that wet the land. The Original Water Source? But why here? I dont think we have time to think about it. W-wahh!! They felt wind pressure. Beatrice instinctually understood that something was parting the air as it approached them. Armelina threw her Shining Weapon metal staff into the water source and it quickly transformed into a steel boat. Get in! I you dont want to die, get moving before asking questions!! After Armelina jumped in, Beatrice and Boo Boo followed with Boo Boo holding flustered Filinions waist in a hand. As soon as the corpse flesh parted the air and appeared, his 5 meter tetto flashed horizontally. If they had been 3 seconds slower, the girls necks and Boo Boos torso would have been sliced through as if by a helicopter rotor. Armelina, what is this!? My Shining Weapon can transform into just about any blunt weapon and I remembered that one of those was a toy used during the witch hunt. There was a cruel form of torture where the victim was laid face-up and tied down, then a metal boat bounded by chains or ropes would be slowly lowered on top of him. But more importantly, shut your mouth or youll bite your tongue from the impact!! Eh? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!? Filinions scream was caused by a floating sensation pushing up at their stomachs. In other words... Were falling...!? After Beatrices short cry, a heavy impact ran through the small metal boat. The waterfall split like an amidakuji or tournament diagram as it fell from small island to small island. Each individual drop was only a few meters, but the impact upon landing was incalculable. Boo Boo, can you reach the bottom of the river with your Shining Weapon? If so, please steer us! I dont know how long well last if we just go with the flow. We might take a branch with no floating island below and end up falling more than 1000 meters onto a mountain peak!! Boo Boo immediately stuck his log or steel beam of a club into the water and moved to the back of the boat. They did not have time to wait around. They would only continue horizontally for at most 10 seconds. The closest mountain peak was 1000 meters below them. It was more like jumping down small cliffs than rowing downstream. (The worlds fastest waterslide reaches nearly 200 kph on a slope of about 80 degrees, right?) And more importantly, the world shook once more. Disaster had not hesitated to jump down from the higher level and his weight had shaken the small floating island. He said nothing. It was unclear if he even had a mind of his own. They only knew he pursued them into the river and mechanically raised his long tetto. The rapid current would have drowned Beatrices group, but it was only waist deep on 5-meter Disaster. He continued after them and attacked. They were already within his range. If he swung his thick tetto down on the boat they were all crammed inside, at least one of them would be bisected along with the boat and the rest of them would fall into the water. They could never survive that. Beatrice briefly looked back at that person who looked so much like Boo Boo. She recalled the anger of learning about the attack on the village. But she raised her rapier. She held out the tip and gave a roar. Napalm Fire!! Several balls of light shot out. They were combustible objects the size of soccer balls. They would persistently pursue the enemy at low speed and scatter sticky fire like a Molotov cocktail or naphtha upon contact. They normally played the role of the hound: disturbing and confusing the enemy long enough to finish them off with some other Magic. But its power could be raised at close range by firing several of them together like a shotgun blast. She had no idea how useful this would be. The metal boat was already tilting as it began to fall from the next waterfall. Beatrice and Disasters attacks shot past their targets without even coming close to hitting. Oh. But even so, the Holy Swordswoman had made an attack of her own free will. She was no longer indirectly attacking by triggering the Traps. She had used her own hands to attack someone who might have been Boo Boos friend or family. Oooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! As she yelled, the metal boat carrying them fell. Part 10 Aliiiice!! Yeeees!? Those voices rang through the forest. The palm-sized Fairy sisters named Meridiana and Alice flew after each other near to the ground. While the scene looked heartwarming, Fairies were at the bottom of the food chain, so taking any noticeable actions apart from the group put their lives at risk. You were skipping out on paying back Boo Boo again, werent you!? Listen, Alice, we need to polish the windows and keep the floors and walls squeaky clean while hes out. No, I wasnt just out playing! Im on an important mission to take you back from Boo Boo the Sister Thief. Alice! Besides, I heard from that bone man that Boo Boo saved you from a Ground Spider! Gh... C-curse that old man. Whyd he have to say that? We Fairies must be faithful to our world of debts and repayment. Now, lets go. The more sturdy his house, the harder it is to repair. Daily maintenance is crucial if its going to last for long. Uuuh!! I dont wanna!! I understand all that, but I cant stand letting him have you!! Alice... Meridianas temple twitched for once. A stubborn girl gets the Tree Hollow Honey!! Uboh!? With a dull splat, the older sister stuck a spatula into the pot hanging from her hip and flung something at her little sisters face. It looked like a translucent yellow ball, but it burst into a sticky goo when it hit her face. Either due to the sped or the viscosity, it provided a surprisingly hard hit for being a liquid. The more she struggled to get it off, the more the honey tangled around her face and body, so the violet-dressed Fairys 4 thin wings grew heavy and she lost her freedom. Her flight grew unstable, so Alice made an emergency landing on a large nearby leaf. Ah, agh... That wasnt very nice... Meridiana landed lightly on the same leaf and snorted. Alice. Havent I always told you what happens to kids who dont listen? They get covered in so much Tree Hollow Honey that they cant move. Disobeying the Fairy rules is a frightening thing. Are you prepared to have that happen to you? Ughh... Seeing her sister stick the spatula back into the pot at her hip, Alice fell silent. ...Briefly. Theres something wrong with you... I bet youre planning to cover me in honey so Boo Boo can lick it off of me like Im candy! Asleep or awake, all you ever do is try to get on Boo Boos good side!! Eh? Merdianas face grew dramatically red. C-cmon, Alice, youre being way too imaginative lately! I mean, we Fairies specialize in Craft skills, so it is important to be able to draw out accurate diagrams from our minds, but the idea of covering yourself in honey and letting Boo Boo lick it off of you with his big tongue? I see, I see. Thats not bad. Um, not bad at all. O-of course I only mean that it would make Boo Boo happy and thats what takes top priority. Eh heh heh heh heh... ... Alice slowly peeled her sticky body from the leaf and waved her tiny hand in front of her sisters face as Meridiana held her cheeks and shook back and forth. After finding no response, Alice reached for the spatula sticking out of the pot hanging from Meridianas hip. She gathered strength in her gut and shouted with all her might. Bad girls get the Tree Hollow Honey!! Ubweh!? A nice splat came from Meridianas face. Even if it was a liquid, the speed made it a powerful blow. Part 11 The primarily vertical chase continued. Boo Boos groups boat moved from waterfall to waterfall to repeatedly fall straight down, but Disaster stepped into the river and walked along the bottom instead of swimming. That gave him a handicap he had to force his way through, but Boo Boos group still could not lose him. He was always about 7 or 8 meters behind them. That was close enough that it felt like he would be able to reach out, grab the entire metal boat, and shake it around. Beatrice, take care of the driftwood to the side and the stone sticking out! Im on it, Armelina!! The Holy Swordswoman swung her flame rapier from the metal boat and detonated the nearby obstacles. But this was not to secure a route; they were acquiring supplies. Armelina grabbed a few pencil-sized fragments as they flew through the air. Okay, now adlib the rest!! With that, flames and projectiles sliced through the air. Armelinas Shining Weapon had become the boat, but that did not mean she was helpless. She could use the muscular strength supported by her Percentage-type equipment and the impact attacks she specialized in were not limited to holding things and swinging them around. There were a lot that involved throwing things as well: boomerangs, bolas, tomahawks, etc. (The frightening part is that his thick skin can deflect Beatrices flames. And unlike Boo Boo, he has no pain or fear. That means our only option is to slice his skin open with a blade and then heat him from within!!) The spiral of flames and stone blades worked together. But Disaster maintained the momentum of his pursuit. He let the hard-to-dodge sticky flames hit him, deflected them with his hard skin, and used his tetto to accurately strike down only the sharp projectiles. Countless sparks flew. Hes not just predicting the timing of our attacks. Even at this speed, he can determine what kind of attack it will be and respond accordingly!? Thats-... Her shocked exclamation was cut off. With a light sound, a dark red flower blossomed at the center of Armelinas chest. It was one of the stone blades she had thrown herself. Disaster had not been randomly deflecting them. He had adjusted the angle and speed of his attack to accurately hit them back. Gh...bh...? Armelina!? Oh, honestly!! Seeing the Fighter Priest cough up blood and collapse, noncombatant Filinion stopped curling up with her hands on her head and quickly pulled out a small bottle of recovery potion. And Disasters fierce attack did not end there. !! Boo Boo suddenly pulled up the giant Shining Weapon he had been using to steer them. Immediately, Disaster swept his tetto horizontally from a distance. It should not have reached. It should have been a meaningless attack. But then a heavy metallic noise burst from Boo Boos hands. The girl with silver and red hair widened her eyes. (He deflected something? But what?) Boo!! Beatrice, duck!! Each time Disaster swung his tetto, Boo Boo was nearly knocked backwards as he held his Shining Weapon defensively. A white spray burst at the same time. Finally, the Holy Swordswoman caught on. Disasters body was soaked after running through the waist-deep water. And that meant the tetto was as well. Water was dripping from the sides of the weapon. This invisible blade...is water? He only has to swing his tetto as hard as he can to send out a horizontal line of water that slices through his surroundings like an industrial cutter!? Is this also how he sliced through the entire Labyrinth floor!? With no one to steer it, the boat fell down a waterfall. Disaster had forcibly used his striking weapon to cut, and now this. His strength had reached a level that overturned some basic assumptions. He could probably slice through armor by melting rather than breaking, just like a tank gun that focused on a single point. Cough, cough! Ugh, what the hell was that...? Oh, good. You woke up, Armelina. Wait...gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Just as the glasses girl began emulating a white coated angel with a lily lap pillow, she uttered a shrill scream. Ahead...up ahead! The boat...this...this!? Her thoughts were too scattered to understand, but with Boo Boo handling defense instead of steering, the metal boat was at the mercy of the current. If they chose the wrong course on the amidakuji, they could end up falling several hundred meters straight down. Beatrice quickly turned toward where they were headed instead of at Disaster behind them. Ah. There are no more floating islands, so what are we supposed to do!? As the tearful White Witch shouted, the bottom of the metal boat collided with a white mountain peak. Disaster had been unable to catch up because the waterfalls had given them near freefall speeds. The mountain river would have a rapid current, but a safe downstream current would not be fast enough. The metal boat would become their coffin. But then something unexpected happened. The boat bounced once in the summit waterfall basin and its excess momentum sent it flying right out of the water. They began sliding down the white slope. They picked up speed in no time. With four aboard (including extra-large Boo Boo) and the weight of the metal boat itself, their heavyweight sled was slicing through the wind in the blink of an eye. They had nearly twice the speed of the trip down the waterfalls. Gyah, gyah, gyah, gyah!? Th-the wind!! Is this what its like on top of a bullet train!? Boo. With things like this... Boo Boo stood back up in the metal boat and regained his balance at the back end. He then stabbed his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon into the snow passing by so quickly. By shifting his weight like on a snowboard and by pushing with the weapon, the sleds random path gained a definite will. And Disaster did not wait around. What...is that? Armelina held the center of her chest which still felt odd, looked back behind them, and grew speechless. He was coming. He was coming after them. Disaster had compactly folded his legs below himself as he pursued them like he was skiing down the slope. But that should not have been possible with just his feet. He would need something to act as skis. They would have to be at least 3 times the length of his feet. Only one possibility came to mind. Did he freeze his own soaked feet? Is that how far you can go when you arent alive!? Beatrice shouted at the unreasonableness of it all, but there was more. Disaster weaved back and forth in a flattened S-shape. He had not lost control. Similar to what Boo Boo had done, he stuck his giant tetto into the deep snow as he slid along. And what did that cause? The snowy slope itself was sliced through, lost its support, and slid down all at once. E-eek!? Eeeeeeeeeeek!! What is thaaaat!? With an avalanche more than 100 meters across behind him, Disaster pulled his tetto from the snow and directly pursued them once more. He seemed to be bringing a limit wall with him. He might not care since he was not alive, but the rest of them would be wiped out if they were caught in that ferocity. Not good. Hes got more speed! Is he built to F1 specs!? How many cylinders does that monster have in his engine!? !! Beatrice immediately threw flames from her rapier. She did not think she could knock out Disaster, but if she melted the line of snow between them, she could reduce his speed. Disaster immediately made a quick turn and then slid down the steep slope along a path parallel to the metal boats. Beatrice continued her interference by firing more flames to blow away the snow along his path. But Disaster made a slow horizontal swing of his tetto. The water droplets created when the Holy Swordswoman explosively melted the snow were caught on the end of the bladeless sword. Not good... He reversed the sword and an ultra-high speed water blade sliced through the world. Boo Boo once more stopped steering and just barely managed to block it with his log-like Shining Weapon. He bent back from the blow and the metal boat wobbled unsteadily. Beatrice, you cant melt the snow! Oh, honestly! If I could use one of my blunt weapons, I could break apart blocks of the thick snow without melting it!! With those speeds, I bet he could turn snow or sand into a blade too! M-more importantly, where should we go!? This slope wont continue forever!! They had only lucked across the snowy slope, but they would be helpless once the snow and slope ended. Things were bad enough while on the run, so they could imagine how bad things would be if Disaster actually caught up. The overwhelming difference in weight meant Boo Boo had to steer the metal boat and he gave an answer while keeping his Shining Weapon warily raised. Somewhere without living things. Well, I doubt there are many living things in the perpetual snow up here... No, not that. ...If what she said is true, there should be a red swampy place in this mountain!! ? They did not have time to sit around and think. Boo Boos group and Disaster entered a forest of towering conifer trees. Their speed race gained a slalom element in which they made small evasions while keeping any speed loss to a minimum. Gyahh! Gyaaahhh! Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! The glasses girl screamed with tears and snot covering her face. Beatrice understood how she felt, but it was hurting her ears. She strongly prayed that the other girl would happen across a lovely romance and soon. Disaster ran down the slope parallel to them, but he showed no sign of hitting the trees. He kept moving left and right to avoid the thick trunks while searching for the optimal attack position. Not good. The thick foliage means our altitude is dropping. Isnt the snow going to end soon!? More importantly, if these trees have fruit, he can get the moisture he needs with a tetto slash. Watch out for that blade!! Beatrice motivated her partners, but they were close to cornered. Unlike before, Boo Boo needed to constantly steer for their slaloming avoidance of the trees. With his Shining Weapon sticking shallowly into the snow, he could not use it for defense. Filinion and Armelina could not join the fight for a variety of reasons, so Beatrice had to defend against the water blade on her own. Could she do that? Could she really defend everyone without Boo Boos support? She gulped as Disaster finally made his move. He swung his giant tetto and crudely swept away the tree branches. The leaves contained moisture, but it was so little it could not wet the tip of your tongue, much less your throat. Nevertheless, if that moisture reached his sword... (Here it comes!!!!!!) The Holy Swordswoman clenched her teeth and held her rapier horizontally in a Magic pose never seen in actual sword fighting. Boo Boo spoke in a low voice with his back to her. Boo. Weve finally arrived, Sutriona. That name was unexpected, but then they all noticed the conifer forest clear away. No, they had left an environment that could support plant life. What awaited them here? The dark redness gave off a strange odor and bubbled stickily like a witchs cauldron even when the surrounding snow suggested it should be frozen. The oddity was the size of a small lake and Beatrice exclaimed its identity. A toxic...bog!? As they ran parallel to each other, both Boo Boos group and Disaster entered that dark red hell simultaneously. Part 12 Ahh... With her skinny body wrapped in large tropical leaves like a leaf swimsuit, Sutriona continued to enjoy the sauna at Boo Boos house. She had hopped back up onto the bench that looked like a wall at its size. She had been left with the key since Boo Boo was not in the habit of locking up. It could be unclear who truly owned the house, but since Boo Boo only wore a loincloth with zero pockets, it was obvious he would only drop it in the mountains somewhere if it was left with him. Yeah, this is great. Nothing quite like a sauna after a job well done. I just hope Boo Boo notices the Womb Pot when he sees those milky-white fireworks. Also, I was pretty muscular in life and my wife hated it when I got all sweaty, so Id avoided doing this for such a long time. Dont just show up and start talking about your wife, Mr. Bones. You really havent changed at all. You still dont listen to anything anyone tells you. And what good is a sauna for a Skeleton? Oh, shut up. Youre the one that made a toxic bog out of the date spot where I first seduced my wife. What are we supposed to do about that? The Thousand Dragons mother is still sleeping in the deepest part, you know? Mh. Well, sorry about that. I dont know who this wife of yours is, though, said the flushed Fairy Queen sitting on the bench. I might have been pissed back then, but I really shouldnt have placed a toxic lid on that spring of life. I need to be more careful. Part 13 Boo Boos group in their metal boat and Disaster on his ice skis charged out onto the dark red toxic bog. They ignored the avalanche approaching from behind. As soon as it reached the toxic bog, the white wall was devoured until it disappeared. Not even the powerful body of an Iberian Orc would survive in a sea of Sutrionas special-made toxins. The girls would be killed instantly. Not even their Percentage-type support would help much. But at the same time, the metal boat and ice skis would not sink that easily. Not at this speed anyway. Boo Boos group and Disaster remained parallel to each other as they hopped along the waters surface like two stones thrown by kids seeing who could skip theirs over the water the most times. If they kept their momentum going, they would reach the opposite coast of this hell. But they would not let that happen. Boo Boo gave a yell. Beatrice! ...Right!! The Holy Swordswoman swung her rapier once more. Instead of a reckless defense, she made a definite attack. Disaster also prepared to attack using the tetto with the tree moisture on it. Fire and water. The two surged out above the dark red bog. Aiming was easy since they could not take much evasive action while essentially skipping across the water. And while Disaster was alone, Beatrice had her companions with her. So even if both their attacks were on target, they would not both be taken out. As Beatrice went all out, Boo Boo caught the water blade on his giant Shining Weapon to protect her. Meanwhile, the flame attack scored a solid hit on Disaster. His thick skin may have been able to deflect it, but the extent of the damage did not matter now. If the impact pushed him at all, he would lose his balance while skipping across the water. There was a dark red explosion. That was the result of Disasters giant body forgetting to run across the water and slamming into the sticky hell. He had been hit by Filinions failed potion in the Labyrinth and that seemed to have had some effect. And this was the toxin produced by one of the Break News. He would never escape unscathed. ... Grab on, Beatrice! Filinion and Armelina, too!! The metal boat finally arrived on the other side of the toxic bog. Boo Boo stabbed his thick Shining Weapon deep into the snow to slam on the brakes. Wah, wah. Theres a bubbling sound coming from the bottom of the boat!? Hop off now! Everyone did as Filinion insisted. Sutrionas toxin was made to burn away peoples rational minds, but its behavior seemed to change at this concentration. After finally returning her Shining Weapon from boat to metal staff, Armelina asked the Holy Swordswoman to disinfect it with her flames. But if that stuff is enough to melt a metal boat, we should be able to relax-... She trailed off. They watched as something burst from the thick, dark red bog. It was an incredibly burly arm that was still wholly intent on attacking even after being partially eaten away. That thick skin had deflected Beatrices flames and those powerful muscles had turned water droplets into a deadly weapon at the swing of a tetto, but in that short time, holes had been eaten in them as they melted away, revealing white bone in places. That true disaster continued his march. The tetto he held was barely recognizable as his head and torso emerged from the dark red water even as they melted away. He rose onto land. Disaster unsteadily returned while giving off a chemical smoke not caused by simple heat. Eek? Hgyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!? B-Boo Boo, Beatrice, hurry! Hurry up and do something!! Filinion fell onto her butt in the snow and screamed. Armelina raised her Shining Weapon, realized the metal staff was still coated in a dangerous substance, and clicked her tongue. But Beatrice was different. She looked to the horrific remains of someone who may have laughed and cried alongside Boo Boo at one time and she weakly lowered the tip of her rapier. Boo Boo... Right. Im fine, Beatrice. Living Boo Boo faced dead Disaster. Lets end this. ... It may have been a meaningless question. That lump of protein could only obediently carry out the commands he received, so even if he could understand peoples words, he may have lacked the mind needed to comprehend the feelings behind them. Your souls are all here. So you dont need to feel lonely. I promise Ill return you all to normal. I trust that we can all smile again in that village again. ... But Disaster did stop moving for just a moment. His body slowly moved to the side and he lowered the tetto to the ground. Boo Boo did the same. As Beatrice and the others watched, their weapons slowly drew a large circle. After a full circuit, they took a step inside the circle. Then Disaster slowly raised his half-melted tetto vertically as if to bring it to his broken tusk. It was too meaningless an act to call it a fighting stance. Perhaps the optimal routines moving the corpse had gone haywire due to Sutrionas toxin. But for some reason, Beatrice did not see it that way. She did not want to reach that conclusion. Was this a tradition of that lost village? Boo Boo also raised his weapon vertically and he slightly touched it to the side of his impressive tusk. I bet this right tusk. ... There was no response, but there had to be a meaning there. He had accepted Boo Boo as a formidable opponent, as a bearer of pride and dignity. In the tradition of their duel, Boo Boo declared what would influence the outcome. So you stop right here! Stop and rest in peace!! The snow exploded at their extra-large feet. Boo Boo and Disaster raced forward to clash at the midpoint. The battle had already begun. Disaster breathed smoke, swung his half-melted tetto at frightening speed, and wielded the melted steel like an infinitely extending blade. He sliced through the trunks of the surrounding trees as easily as paper, but he could not hit Boo Boo. As Boo Boo ran, his Shining Weapon knocked down attack after attack. Once they reached each other, the time of reckoning had arrived. This battle took place inside the circle they had drawn. They would not attempt to stretch this out into an extended battle. The duel came down to an instant. Disasters tetto had already been eaten away by the toxin, so its usual sturdiness had fragilely crumbled. Boo Boos Shining Weapon roared in. Disaster chose to mechanically defend against the overhead attack, but his tetto broke when it caught it. Boo Boos attacks momentum remained. It continued on toward his foes half-melted head. The last of the Iberian Orcs did not shut his eyes in the final moment. He watched it all and felt it in his wrists. It produced a dull sound. Disaster stood stock still until he slowly collapsed backwards. Nothing moved. Nothing at all. D-did that do it...? hesitantly asked Filinion. But Boo Boo did not answer. He looked silently down at Disaster who lay entirely motionless where he had collapsed. There was no doubting the outcome. That mass of flesh would never move again, either as a member of the living or of the dead. Boo Boo... Beatrice started to speak but trailed off. She finally realized what part of Disaster he was looking at: the loincloth. It looked like Disaster simply had a rough rag wrapped around his waist like Boo Boo, but there was something odd at one end: a small applique made to look like a pig head. Had traces of something remained inside that mass of flesh? Or had something new grown there? No one could answer that now because anything there had been lost. But they could take a guess. Disaster had not simply been obeying external commands. He may have had a warm fragment of something that let him make a decision that ignored logic and efficiency. The Shining Weapon dropped from Boo Boos hand with a dull thud. He knew the answer now. He understood what he had taken with his own hands. Boo Boo looked up into the heavens and wept like a child. He had killed one of his own. These were the wails of one who bore that sin for those dear to him. It broke the heart of all who heard it. Part 14 She was boiling now. Beatrices head had completely boiled over. All consequences vanished from her mind. The difference in strength did not matter. Only one thing filled the Holy Swordswomans heart: getting even with the mastermind who had trampled on the Iberian Orcs deaths, robbed them of all dignity, and made her good friend cry like that. She returned to the Labyrinth alone. The Sage may have sent Beatrices group out of the Labyrinth with the Teleportation Trap Wall in order to buy enough time to clear out her base. Letting this chance get away would leave them with no way of finding her again. And then she would laugh at them from hiding once more. There would be no stopping her then. Without even considering the possibility that the many Traps might trigger again, Beatrice blew down the hidden door and the wall around it using fire Magic. When she stepped inside she found the woman still looking like an imprisoned princess. The owner of the giant library still wore the gothic lolita dress with her arms and a leg shackled and her head in a juicer. Oh, did Disaster lose? He was useful, but now Im going to be lonely. Dont screw with me!!!!!! Stop it. Directly fighting with Magic isnt my specialty. The Sage spoke calmly as the level cap warrior raged at her. And thats why I always end up choosing trickier methods. A fierce attack immediately began. The silver shackles and metal band around her arms fell away with a refreshing sound. Just as the black gothic lolita dresss sleeves and skirt fluttered up, several knives could be seen in the Sages hands. They were not just for stabbing. At the very moment the falling shackles hit the floor, flames burst from the bottom of the thrown knives, mechanical flaps wriggled along the small guards, and they pursued Beatrice from multiple angles like flying serpents. Pencil rockets!? These were miniature rockets built as a proof of concept before building a life-size one. Even at pencil-size, they could be launched with the power of gunpowder and they could be made into lethal weapons by attaching a blade to the front. Elkiad had used firearms powered by gunpowder, but the technological level on display here was much greater. Beatrice could not even imagine what they used for the homing and guidance calculations. But the Holy Swordswoman had reached the level cap and claimed things only truly began once you reached Level 99. This was not enough to daunt her and she used her rapier to accurately strike down the 7 poisonous fangs. And then she roared. Internal!! Fire wings burst from her back and she shot across the giant library. She moved right up to the Sage all at once to wipe off the smile in her eyes which could only produce hatred. Meanwhile, the woman in the gothic lolita dress and silver head juicer was not at all tense. She calmly swung a hand and multiple long, clockwork objects burst from within the dress. They were not staffs or spears. The long metal handles were attached to large metal rings that used a structure somewhat like handcuffs to capture someones torso or neck using springs. Small spikes covered the inside of the rings, so they were based on the infamous man catchers used to walk prisoners around in dark medieval prisons. More and more of the rings closed around and bound various parts of Beatrices body: neck, torso, right arm, and left thigh. But it would not end there. The Sage had no real reason to keep her prisoner alive. Beatrice sensed danger like static electricity on the nape of her neck. It came from the thumb-sized spikes covering the inside of the metal rings. All of them worked to destroy the captured flesh using the power of gunpowder. This devilish weapon safely captured the target and then attacked them from point-blank range once they could not escape. Plus, the Elkiad battle had already proven that Beatrice could be injured by bullets. Oh? But... Even so... I told you not to screw with me. With intense heat surrounding her, the Holy Swordswoman remained unscathed. The gunpowder had detonated, but the metal spike bullets had not fired. The great heat had melted the surface of the metal and fused them with the man catchers themselves. No, it went beyond that. The man catchers restraining Beatrice were melted and blown away. With her freedom secured, Beatrice used her empty left hand to forcefully grab the Sages collar. Even as the fabric grew scorched, the Sages expression remained unchanged. It was as if she would not bat an eye even if the world came to an end. Are you angry? You seem to be pretty dumb for someone known as the Sage. ...Do I look anything but angry? And yet you did not accept the advice of those benevolent bones who remained attached to the world of the living even after his flesh and blood were stripped away. Didnt he tell you revealing my face would only bring you misfortune? Beatrices anger shifted up another gear. The girl turned up the firepower of the hand holding the Sages collar. The intense heat burned away the Sages gothic lolita dress. It was like burning her alive. In fact, it was enough to blow away the silver fetter and the juicer on her head. The Holy Swordswoman gave no thought to what would happen to the human inside. Yes. Unless the Sage had 100% Fire Resistance, she should have been screaming and writhing in pain. However... Wha-...? I warned. Thrice even. But you made this decision regardless, so the blame lies squarely on your own shoulders. She was unharmed. She was so perfectly unscathed that she seemed to glow brightly. With the dress and head juicer reduced to no more than embers, long silver and red hair, blue eyes, and white skin were revealed. She wore a miniskirt and light armor that looked like a suit of armor cut down to size. The only odd aspect of the red glowing woman was the Shining Weapon at her right hip. It was likely based on a one-handed sword, but the pieces of many broken, shattered, and destroyed Shining Weapons had been gathered up and forcibly pieced together into that shape. It was entirely inorganic, yet the creepiness and disgust of seeing it hit Beatrice even harder than it had with the monster made by reusing the Iberian Orc corpses. A certain rule existed: humans could not remain in Grounds Nir for long. And they required a Shining Weapon to Sign Out through a Gate. So if she had gathered together that many broken weapons... Whose do you think these were? No, who do you think could not return? ... It was like seeing a collection of human corpses stuffed as trophies. Her eyes glowed brightly as she uttered crazed words. I said before that directly fighting with Magic isnt my specialty, didnt I? She was a little taller, the bewitching light in her eyes was greater, and her body had sexily filled out from her younger days as a girl. That is because I might carelessly obliterate my opponent. But if you insist we go there, I will not hold back. Altogether, the Sage who stood before Holy Swordswoman Beatrice was... ...Me...? Long-Lived Royal Elf Sibyl''s Live News Attack Report: I Built a Grave in the Forest Today Ive come to the toxic bog that Sutriona made. I have confirmed the destruction of tentative codename Disaster. He was only a makeshift doll and we had already concluded that he could not lead to the resurrection of the Iberian Orcs...but its still kind of sad. Its unfortunate that we lost him before we could reach a final answer as to what resided within him, but that aside, the defeat of Gatekeeper Disaster means the path to the Labyrinth base has been opened. She is coming. Ill leave it to you how to deal with that, but if youre going to do it, be thorough. Dont let yourself be influenced by unnecessary emotion. I will take care of Disasters remains. After sterilizing it...oh, I know. How about I bury him where the village used to be? Okay, I think Ill end my live news report here. ...It originally belonged to one of the humans who lost their lives challenging the Labyrinth, but this Shining Weapon you collected and repaired is quite interesting. Since I am a proud Royal Elf, I cant use human Magic no matter what we do, but these news reports have been a lot of fun. Volume 3, Epilogue Volume 3, Epilogue Boo Boo ran all around the mountains. Beatrice had gone on alone. He had noticed fairly quickly, but it had already been far too late. He ran and ran, but saw no sign of her. After checking everywhere he could think of, he finally reached the entrance of the Labyrinth. The Iberian Orcs and all the other Nonhumans in Grounds Nir avoided even approaching that place. Even he never would have had anything to do with that deep, dark hole if Beatrice and the others had not asked him. Gulp. But he took a step inside once more. To see if someone important to him was safe, he broke that taboo and entered the Labyrinth on his own. But just before he could... Boo...Boo...? Beatrice!!!??? ...Ha ha. I look pretty pathetic, dont I? The Holy Swordswoman was a mess when she left the depths. She always seemed like his big sister and he saw her as a powerful person who calmly watched over him from a step or two ahead. And yet now she looked so very weak. Her armor was broken, she had cuts and bruises all over, and one of her eyes would not open as it oozed blood onto her cheek. She limped as she walked and she gingerly held her ribs with her dominant hand. She must have relaxed upon finally seeing a familiar face. Beatrice collapsed forward, so Boo Boo found a way to support her without destroying her in his too-large hands. Sorry. Im sorry, Boo Boo... ...What happened? I couldnt become a proper partner for you. No, I was never qualified in the first place... What happened, Beatrice!? He shouted, but she did not answer. The strongest Holy Swordswoman passed out in that precious persons arms. The battle with the Sage had more or less been a disaster. Beatrice had only attempted to endure instead of actually standing up to her. And even that had been risky. Beatrices Holy Swordswoman was a rare Job that allowed her to handle offense, defense, recovery, and support all on her own. Using her limited Experience Points on every one of those directions would have made her a jack-of-all-trades who did not stand out in any one way, so she had narrowed her focus down to fire and learned all of that Magic. That should have been the shortcut to the greatest success. And yet... Heh. After removing all her bonds, the Sage smiled thinly and drew her sword C the one pieced together from the remains of many destroyed Shining Weapons C with her left hand. The world then blossomed madly with uncountable changes. Some used water, some used wind, some used earth...and some used the fire that Beatrice specialized in. The Sage overwhelmed all else as her storm Magic combined into a single giant mass. When she drew a large circle with the tip of her sword, she had already hit Beatrice with more than 100 explosions that sent her flying backwards. Did I attack the Iberian Orc village with Elkiad? Yes, I did. Did I give my Shining Weapon to young Boo Boo? Yes, I did. Did I collect the unneeded containers of flesh and use them for my own purposes? Yes, I did! But you know nothing! You dont even know the definition of an Iberian Orc!! !!! The Sage had the same face and knew unfamiliar Magic, but Beatrice stood her ground. The soles of her boots scraped at the floor, she raised her rapier, and she attempted to escape the explosive blasts pushing her helplessly away. The Iberian Orcs were not originally pig-faced giants. She fired countless flames, but not even one of them hit the Sage. In fact, Beatrice used those flames to shake the air with the extreme temperature difference and produce vacuum blades or to rub soot and smoke particles together to produce lightning. And yet it barely had any effect. (Is it not just Fire Resistance? Has she also mastered wind and water!?) Orcs were originally a species with no defined form. They repeatedly crossbred with all sorts of animals and plants and their descendants retained the strengths of those other species. The pig-faced giants with extraordinary muscular strength and a superb digestive system are merely the form they reached as a result of that. It seems there were eras during which they delved into the sky or sea before reaching this point. If they had continued to reproduce with Elves or Mermaids, they would likely have become handsome and beautiful. If they had repeatedly bred with humans, they would likely have become intellectuals with a full understanding of Magic. Beatrice wanted to silence that talking mouth. She wanted to end this monologue and make the Sage lick the floor instead. She clenched her teeth and sent back fierce attacks, but the Shining Weapon in the Sages left hand sent back the lights of many Elements with two or three times the intensity. They are the peak of all living things. But that is why they felt cornered. She could not beat her. No matter what she did. The Iberian Orcs bodies changed drastically along with their frequent optimizations, but their blood grew rusty and their blood vessels broke down like some kind of disaster. Their elder came to me directly with a request. They essentially held a bomb no matter where they evolved from there, so he wanted me to bring an end to all of them except for Boo Boo, the only one who showed no sign of the disorder! Iberian Orcs can reproduce with any animal or plant, so the village could be repopulated even with Boo Boo as the sole survivor. But if the sickly village remained, Boo Boo would undoubtedly choose his sickly brethren over anyone else. So the elder asked me to kill them all so that would not happen!! Finally. Her situation had not improved, but Beatrice finally felt like she had something to latch onto. Thats why you worked up the soldiers of Elkiad and attacked the village? Yes. And thats why you let only small Boo Boo escape on the day of the attack? Yes!! If you were really satisfied with that, why did you digitize the souls of the Iberian Orcs you killed? Why did you give them to Boo Boo!? Why collect their bodies afterwards!? And its not as directly related, but why create the Sages Stone on Skull Waves head!? You werent satisfied with anything youd done, so youve just been trying every method you could think of, havent you!? So can you really stand before Boo Boo and feel proud in what youve done, Sage!!!??? ... If thats enough to silence you, then I already have my answer. If you cant answer me, Ill do it for you. Your life was a failure. Thats why all those Iberian Orcs gave up on healing themselves and had you kill them!! No matter what reasons you might have had, how can you possibly claim what you did was right!? For a brief moment, Beatrices flames held back the Sages ever-changing Magic. No, they even pushed it back. Explain everything youve done and go apologize to Boo Boo for it all, Sage!! No matter what grand excuses you make, thats something from which you cant escape!! I wanted... The Sage clenched he teeth. I wanted to save them too. But you gave up. No matter what you might have thought, you did it. And thats why the bodies piled up in reality! But... Did she really have more to say? Did she still have more excuses for why she had been in the right? The Holy Swordswoman found the act more disgusting than what the actual excuses might be, but the Sages next words were entirely unexpected. What would you have done if their elder had convinced you that Grounds Nir would be destroyed if you didnt? What...? Why do you think the Iberian Orcs continually took in the strengths of so many different animals and plants despite the risks involved? And were not just talking about an individual. Their village was an organized gathering of that great strength. But it wasnt just for the fun of it. They had a mission. A raison dtre. Beatrices mind nearly went blank, but one piece of information floated to the surface for some reason. ...The Iberian Orcs did not like that the humans visited the Labyrinth. They were gatekeepers. The Sage spoke the cruel truth of the world. They existed to stop that which sleeps in the Labyrinths greatest depths when it rises to the surface. The elder and the others were facing the death of their kind, so their only choice was to leave everything with Boo Boo and have him rebuild the village! And he had to do so before that monster crawls up from the depths!! And... That should do it. Yes, I suppose its more or less complete. Voices spoke deep in the giant library constructed by secretly redesigning a portion of the Labyrinth. The Sage wore red armor. A blonde-haired, green-eyed Royal Elf wore a green dress that revealed her slender and pale body from the chest to below the navel. They were dealing with some medical equipment and an examination table far more sturdy and large than one meant for humans. Instead of electronics, they were all metal devices that might be on display in a museum, so some might have thought they looked more like torture devices. But there was more than that there. For example, the food that had gone cold after no one touched it. Among the food were the skewers of Master Rabbit and Sliced Fish soaked in yogurt that a certain someone continued to eat despite the nutritional value or lack thereof. There was also something like a giant picture book drawn in the hieroglyphic writing only seen in ancient wall art. There was a rough but sturdy cloth used to polish animal tusks and a special Mixed deodorant that could eliminate even the strongest bestial odors in an instant. The two of them continued disposing of it all. But after reaching her breaking point, the Sage threw a bottle of deodorant against the wall. Sibyl, the Royal Elf with a circlet adorning her beautiful face, covered her long ears at the loud noise and spoke like an exasperated parent as a floral scent wafted out. Cmon, dont throw things. Sorry. Now, then. Disaster was an undead-type, so we need to sterilize our entire bodies now that were done. ...Please dont ask me to take a bath with you at this age. Dont act like you havent found it useful working with a long-lived Royal Elf who barely ages. Besides, you cant even make your own breakfast without a maid. And yet you always pour all your effort into things like practicing how to make Iberian Orc delicacies. Ive more than repaid you. Thats almost the worst part. I really am grateful you fixed up this thing you picked up. The slender Elfs long ears twitched as she toyed with a strange weapon that resembled both a bow and a staff. A thick tree branch was bent in a crescent moon shape, green ivy was wrapped around that and drawn into a string, and a large eyeball-like crystal was embedded at the top end. It had likely belonged to someone who had lost their life in Grounds Nir. In other words, it was a Shining Weapon. The Sage had repaired it, released the ID authorization lock, and given it to the Royal Elf. The transparent bathtub they soaked in was filled with an assortment of disinfecting agents like high-concentration medical alcohol and chlorine. It was not an electric bath, but they felt a tingling pain in their skin as they soaked up to their shoulders. They were wearing bath towels, but since this was for disinfection purposes, they occasionally dunked their heads below the painful bathwater without worrying about their hair. Sigh... Cmon, if youre going to get in, then try to relax and submerge your body. You are just full of complaints today. Kh. Dont move your legs in the tub. Where do you think youre poking me? Besides, this fairly nasty disinfectant liquid is splashing out of the tub. Who cares? Were leaving here today anyway. A short silence fell. While soaking in the glass bathtub that had measurement markings like a beaker, they gave themselves over to the fizzy feeling of the disinfectant attacking every part of their soft skin. Finally, the slender and pale Royal Elf opened her mouth again. And she spoke solemnly. ...So thats really whats going to happen, huh? This place was really only used to approach the outline of success through repeated failure. It was nothing more than a recycling facility, so it isnt that painful a loss. But you stayed here longer than anywhere else. Perhaps even longer than you were on Earth. ... And youre still going to throw it out? Yes. With a splashing sound, the Sage rested the back of her head on the edge of the clear bathtub. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath and she looked up at the tall, tall ceiling. I completed my obligation to the elder and the rest of the Iberian Orcs. I brought them death and left Boo Boo at the starting point of a new village. Hee hee. And it seems he is well on his way to surrounding himself with girls. ...So from here on out, I am going to do what I want. If Boo Boo has already created a new village, it shouldnt be a problem if I get carried away and bring back the old Iberian Orcs. Especially if they are perfectly healthy this time. ...That violates the principles of bioethics. Although it may not be my place to say that as a Royal Elf who has a nearly infinite lifespan with no risk whatsoever. The digitized souls, Skull Wave, and Disaster. It was true the Sages experiments had a Necromancy-like sense of desecration and she could not guarantee success. In fact, she seemed to be searching for the answer by gathering data on failures. I had to throw out any kind of ethics when I granted their wish. And I did so by staining my own hands with blood. So now it is time for them to grant my selfishness. Thats the way I see it. Thats the thing about you. No matter where you start from, you always end up being pretty bad. Ha ha. Thats what he said too. The Sage snapped her fingers and the entire library burst into flames. The two of them were soaking in highly flammable medical alcohol, but they did not even tense. Farewell, my failures. If were leaving here, where should we set up shop next? How about somewhere warm, quiet, and with good food? I dont think a heavenly paradise is an option. They looked at the floating embers like they were watching fireflies over a clear stream. Of course, if just one of them fell into the bathtub...no, if one even touched the unseen volatilized substance, they would be set on fire. When will the ruin arrive next? I thought you Elves were good at statistics since you have so much free time, prophecy-loving Sibyl. No one gathers more data than you. ...Do you think well make it in time, given the Labyrinths operation speed? We must ensure that we do, said the Sage. Grounds Nir. The monster in the grounds depths. We have continued to hone ourselves so that we can let Boo Boo and the others live with happy smiles on their faces even if this island is a clockwork armory that produces giant calamities out of countless gears. Beatrice was badly injured, but that was why she could not immediately Sign Out and head back to Earth. Those injuries would remain. If those deep wounds were to open without her Percentage-type support, she would die before she could receive the benefits of modern medicine. She needed Magic healing before returning. Over here! Over here! Filinion was unsure where to go, but after some advice from Sutriona who was blending in with the humans, she chose to heal Beatrice at Boo Boos house instead of the inn town. The level cap warriors who were representatives of the strongest tended to create grudges, so it would be best not to let anyone see her so weak. The White Witch took the lead while Boo Boo and Armelina could only follow her instructions by boiling water and wiping away sweat. And feeling so helpless may have been why Armelina spoke up. But didnt Beatrices story not entirely make sense? You mean the possibility of the Gates transcending time as well as space? Before even getting into the concept of time paradoxes, I dont really know how the Gates work, so I cant really say. No, not that. ...This third party looks just like her and claimed to be Beatrice. But this is Grounds Nir. Isnt there a simpler explanation for this than anything as crazy as time travel? Besides, wouldnt it cause a paradox if you met your past self? Boo. What do you mean? This sounds confusing, but I want to know everything I can about Beatrice. It might not be as obvious to you since you were born here, but the combination of Percentage-type Magic we wear gives us different appearances between the real world and Grounds Nir. Wait a second. Is that why the Sage wouldnt have been afraid to meet her past self? If she knew about Beatrice in the first place, she could adjust her own appearance to match. Armelina chose her words carefully. Of course, thats easier said than done. Just choosing the same equipment as Beatrice wouldnt be enough. Your appearance in Grounds Nir is a combination of your original appearance and the equipment you wear. But the Sage had mastered all kinds of Magic. She might have tried billions or even trillions of combinations to make herself look so much like Beatrice that it shocked Beatrice. They had no proof for this either. It was just another theory. But even if it was true, the motive was still a mystery. They had no way of explaining why the Sage would have adjusted her appearance to match Beatrices at some point in the past. Boo Boo and the others looked down to where Beatrice slept. Boo Boo spoke quietly to the frail girl who remained unconscious and only frowned while stirring uncomfortably. ...What happened, Beatrice? Volume 3, Afterword Volume 3, Afterword That concludes Volume 3. This is Kamachi Kazuma. The overall theme this time was necromancy. This is a difficult and risky genre to work with because messing with and resurrecting souls reduces the value of a life and can remove all the tension from a battle series. You should be able to see what I mean if you noticed Volume 2 would be ruined by reading Volume 3 first. Souls have been mentioned here and there since Volume 1, so I dug deeper into that subject here. I think my biggest success here was tearing down the assumption that the enemy could never wield the power of an Iberian Orc because Boo Boo was the sole survivor. ...If I was going to write an RPG-style fantasy, I felt I had to touch on the distortions created by the unique rescue methods of easily bringing people back from the dead with recovery potions or paying money at an institution. Then again, there are some hardcore games where once someone dies, theyre dead for good. Unlike Boo Boo who goes for physical blows, I aimed for a stranger sort of romance with Disaster by having him cut things with a weapon that normally shouldnt be able to cut. Its from that genre of cutting open a beer bottle with a karate chop or splitting a stone with a newspaper. To differentiate him from Boo Boo, I had him slice like a helicopter rotor using a blunt weapon or fell trees with a water jet blade. Armelina also played a larger role this volume. She has the extremely delicious position of a powerful and straightforward priest woman, but shes also a somewhat unfortunate sub-heroine who can be overshadowed by even more powerful and straightforward Boo Boo. I wrote her as someone who refused to let him outdo her because there have to be things she can do that he cant. I put a lot of that in this volume. Armelinas most unique aspect out of the three girls is the fact that she can go on a rampage in the real world just as well as in Grounds Nir. I pictured that final raid scene in Chapter 2 just like the attack on the corrupt governors mansion in a jidaigeki. You might wonder why she wouldnt have a sword if it was a jidaigeki, but since shes a cop, I thought she would be the type to use a jutte instead. I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. With the necromancy stuff like Skull Wave and Disaster, I wanted them to make an impact while also showing some restraint on the grotesqueness (Um, maybe you could call it a casual version of the undead?), so I doubt this was an easy one. Thank you for sticking with me yet again. And I give my thanks to the readers. What did you think of this Armelina!? How about that Armelina!!? Shes like a big sister we can all rely on in our time of need. I hope you could all accept her. And I will end this here. I think my favorite was the Ice Waterfall Princess relaxing in a liquid nitrogen bath. -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 4, Here is the Training Menu! Subquest Reception Counter Volume 4, Here is the Training Menu! Subquest Reception Counter Oh, Boo Boo. What are you up to today? Someone spoke from a higher level of rock. Grounds Nir was a small but nature-filled island that a human could walk around in about 3 days. A lovely voice rang out like a bell. It was Fairy Queen Sutriona. She looked like a 10-year-old girl with long silver hair, white skin, and reddish-purple eyes. She wore a ribbon dress that was no more than black ribbons wrapped around her body with large flower petals and a miniskirt added to make it look more dress-like. Lastly, she mysteriously spoke from a position of superiority. Everything about her was imbalanced, but she was one of the Break News, the paradoxes with souls that took their name from the fact that they were sources of chaos so great that merely sighting one was treated as breaking news. They were bringers of extreme environmental change who readily referred to the Thousand Dragon, a giant dragon measuring more than 1000 meters, as their weakest. The arrival of a typhoon was a problem, but if they never arrived, the national water jug would never fill. A volcanic eruption was a disaster, but ancient volcanic ash had helped create the fertile land. The Break News played that role as a single life form. Boo? When you got down to it, she was still a lovely girl (important) and her words elicited a tilt of the head from the Iberian Orc named Boo Boo, whose porcine-faced but humanoid body measured nearly 4 meters tall using human units. In the mountains of Grounds Nir, he held something like a large wriggling serpent and he turned toward the small queen who looked down at him from above (and who supposedly wore no underwear). I just caught a Large White Meat Lizards tail. They taste great on their own and they grow back no matter how many times you cut them off of the lizard, but if you take them to the ocean, you can fish for Red Meat King Scallops. On the higher rock, Sutriona thought about that. A Red Meat King Scallop was a bivalve larger than a bed that lured in targets with illusions of giant jewels or unbelievably beautiful girls. Once its prey was close, it snapped shut and would not let go. They were nightmarishly violent and much like a treasure chest trap. She wondered if they were one of the reasons the humans from another world did not like approaching the ocean. And as Boo Boo had said, the contents were red and delicious. They had a strange flavor like the perfect mixture of fatty meat and fish. But Sutriona was more interested in something else. No, Boo Boo, I was asking about the basket on your back. I imagine my underling who has essentially moved in with you weaved it in a single night like so many of your other possessions. ? Its light and sturdy, so its really useful. ...And why do you have 4 or 5 human-sized stones in that light and sturdy basket? He of course did not need stones that large to capture the Large White Meat Lizard he was using as bait to fish for something better. In fact, it was dangerous enough simply running around the harshly-sloped mountains following the trail of wild animals in this realm of eat or be eaten. The area looked plain enough, but it would even wear down the lives of the level cap humans who were thoroughly reinforced by various kinds of Magic. Im training. Hm? That was a childish thing to say, but anyone who knew the lifestyle of Boo Boo, the final Iberian Orc, would be surprised. His strength primarily came from the workout necessitated by his lifestyle. What did he need to do to acquire food and protect his home? He would cross rivers, climb mountains, pursue beasts, chop down trees, and construct a house. And all that had built up his muscles. But now he claimed to be abandoning the wild Iberian Orc life to work his muscles simply to train them. Now, how much room did he have for growth when he could already beat down the Thousand Dragon with only a blunt weapon? ...I couldnt protect Disaster or Beatrice. Despite the great possibility he already held, his voice sounded somehow unreliable as he leaned over and retied the baskets shoulder straps. It was only coincidence that Beatrice survived when the Sage appeared. If things had been just a little different, I never would have seen her again. Squeal, so I need to be stronger. Catching my own food like this means Im a grownup, but that isnt enough. I need to be a bigger Boo Boo who can protect more than my own life. Sutriona silently narrowed her eyes. Into a smile. He did not seem aware of it himself, but that pig-faced giant had already saved many lives, including the palm-sized Fairies. His lack of awareness may have been the best part of his salvation, but nothing could be better than him finding something he truly cared about. And as long as he felt that way, his growth would know no bounds. Nor would he be swallowed up by his own power and transformed. I see. As she summed up her conclusion like that, the (pantie-less) Fairy Queen brushed back her long hair and placed her hands on her hips. (The Fairies had specially woven her ribbon dress out of Ground Spider silk, so no matter how wildly she moved about, the fabric would move on its own and cover her up!) This was so very enjoyable, but she made a mental note of her tendency to look down on people whenever she opened her mouth. Then, Boo Boo, did you know there is a way to train your body that is more effective than placing a needless burden on it? And it is standing right in front of you. Boo? Now, now. Have you forgotten what I said when we first met? I believe I said you are decently muscular, but I could teach you how to use your body if you made me your master. Really, Sutriona...? Youll help me out!? Youll give me the power I need to save Beatrice and the others!? Seeing him lean forward with hope filling his face and sparkling light filling his eyes, Sutriona realized anew how blessed she was. She was haughty, domineering, and vain. Whenever she met someone, she could not help but talk like this, so she was grateful to have someone who would accept her extreme selfishness without complaint. So the Fairy Queen kept her hands arrogantly on her hips and smiled while actually relying on and indulging in someone else. Of course. If you insist, I suppose I could teach you a thing or two. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, the red-armored and miniskirted representative of the level cap humans who Signed In to Grounds Nir from Earth, held her head in her hands. She had lost to the Sage. More than just pull strings from the shadows, that VIP was thought to have worked with the delinquent soldiers of Elkiad to purge the Iberian Orc village in the past. On top of that, when her black gothic lolita dress and silver restraints were burned away, she had been revealed to look just like Beatrice herself. It was possible that the Gates that surpassed distance to connect Earth to Grounds Nir could also interfere with time and it was thus possible that a future version of Beatrice herself had traveled back in time to cause all of this mess. Nevertheless, Beatrices mind was filled with shame and embarrassment more than fear, confusion, or guilt. (Ah, ahhh... How am I supposed to look Boo Boo in the eye now? I kept going on and on about trust, but Ive never actually let him see my weaknesses...) When Beatrice had once gone berserk in an attempt to take the Elkiad leaders life, Boo Boo had directly confronted her and she had lost badly. But this was different. It was a truly pathetic and utter defeat with no room for excuses. Her mask of maturity had been thoroughly torn from her. She had shared so much time with Boo Boo, but she no longer knew how close they were. Any thought on the matter made her entire face grow bright red and she had to cover her face with her gauntleted hands. (Come to think of it, Boo Boo really is amazing for letting me see both his strengths and his weaknesses. How can you bare your heart to someone like that?) Whatever the case, she was back to square one. Pursuing the Sage had seemed like grasping at clouds, but now she had physically appeared before them. She still intended to do harm to her surroundings and she plotted in secret between the 2 worlds. On top of that, Beatrice now had to suspect the Sage was herself from the future. Fighter Priest Armelina, another from the level cap group, had suggested it was someone else who had adjusted their appearance to look just like Beatrice. But in that case, that other person would need a reason to borrow Beatrices appearance. Beatrice had to investigate whoever was plotting in the shadows and, if it was something that would cause suffering to a great many people, stop it at all costs. And if the Sage really was Beatrice and she had traveled back in time to crush the Iberian Orc village, Beatrice would have to make up for that crime. She could alter the present which was connected to the past and the future, so she had to influence the future to avoid that past incident. She was groping in the dark here, but she could not come to a stop. She doubted this was something she could do alone. She did not know if she could accomplish it even with her full strength. But that was all the more reason she could not afford to make this awkward. If she was to take even a single step off the rails laid out by whoever this was, she had to build up a new relationship with Boo Boo. (Oh.) With that in mind, she left the inn town, walked through the mountains, and heard a rustling. It was not a wild animal. She was oddly certain of that right away. (Is that Boo Boo?) For some reason, the Holy Swordswoman hid behind a large nearby tree. She may not have been as prepared as she thought, so she felt some light self-loathing. Meanwhile, she heard a voice from beyond the bushes. Boo. Sutriona, I want to get even better. I want to be a bigger Boo Boo who I dont have to be ashamed of. (Sutri-...what?) Beatrice was unsure what was going on. The maiden in love thought of the Break News who looked like a 10-year-old girl in a swimsuit. (Not that Beatrices outfit was much better.) And then she heard his next words. So, Sutriona, help me out! Use your body to make me a grownup!! Her mind went blank. She was mostly confined to the Detached Magical Palace, isolating her from a normal school society, but even she knew where babies came from. Or she thought she did. She at least knew that time of the month was more than just god harassing her. So... Wait, wait, wait just a seeeeeeec!! Boo Boo, what are you trying to do while Im still recovering from the pummeling the Sage gave me? And dont you dare say something clever about when the cats away!!! Oddly enough, Boo Boos wish was granted. By making Sutriona his teacher, he was blessed with a training method more effective than pursuing wild animals while carrying large stones. Mission: Do something C anything! C about blazing scarlet Holy Swordswoman Beatrice!! Volume 4, 1: Boss_Quest 01 "Kill_House" Grade: ☆☆☆☆ Volume 4, Chapter 1: Boss_Quest 01 "Kill_House" Grade: Part 1 .................................................................................................................................................................. The warm sunlight of late morning filled one corner of the human base known as the inn town. Beatrice sat motionless with her hands over her face. She did not know what to say to the others in her level cap group: White Witch Filinion who hid her body below a cape, a far-too-short dress, and shorts and Fighter Priest Armelina who wore a priest outfit with a bold slit up to above her hips. The other two hesitantly spoke to the girl who had gone red to the ears and had steam rising from her head. U-ummm. Beatrice, we came all the way to Grounds Nir. I know you experienced a pretty bad failure, but we can only stay here for a few days at a time, so cant we make effective use of that time by getting to the Labyrinth? If you can explain that failure to yourself, then itll be okay. No matter what you think on the surface, youve finished processing it deep down and have it stored away inside you. Dont drag this along with you, Beatrice. We need to think about the future instead. She understood their point. They could not see it now, but the Sages hidden plotting had to be continuing. And she would be doing more than enjoying this age on a whim. Whether or not she was Beatrice from the future, Beatrice needed the power to stop her if it came to that. That was not something that would just fall into her lap. Step 1 was the Labyrinth. Step 2 was the Labyrinth. Even if she had to sit out Steps 3 and 4, Step 5 was the Labyrinth. She had learned just how inexperienced she was in that previous battle, so she had to work toward earning a ton of Experience Points and learning new Magic. ...I know that. I really, really do know that. But... Isnt sitting around only giving you more chance to remember that shameful memory of your own making? I feel like it will do less damage in the long run if you force yourself to keep moving at times like this. I feel like that would turn her into something like a workaholic father who neglects his family. And if she relies on her combat skills to drive out her embarrassing memories, shell probably turn into a complete berserker. Beatrice sniffled, but it was true they only had so much time. And she did not know when she would run across the Sage again. When that time came, she did not want her own or someone elses life to be lost due to a small moment of sloth. ...So where should we begin? The trendy hunting ground at the moment is Ice Burn 72. To be blunt, thats a bad Elemental match for me and my fire. Oh, in that case. The glasses girl clapped her hands in front of her large chest. The rumors tend to fly right past you, Beatrice, but the inn town has recently gained a bar that gives you powerful and long-lasting Buffs. If you have trouble with ice, why not get some temporary Water Resistance? Im not going to forget how you slipped in an insult there, cow. But Buffs, huh? To use a more complicated term, Buffs were strengthening support Magic. They were used to increase ones basic Stats such as HP, STR, and VIT and, as Filinion had pointed out, to fill in an Elemental Defense one had trouble with. The clothing Beatrice and the others wore while in Grounds Nir was Status-reinforcing Magic taking the form of clothing, so receiving a small accessory would provide some kind of support. However... Wouldnt you be afraid of a Buff from a complete stranger? Its like reusing surgery tools or taking home a USB card you found in an internet caf that anyone can use. You never leave your birdcage, so what do you know about cafs, Beatrice? Heh heh hehhh. As your White Witch recovery specialist, Ill take that as a sign that the shy young lady trusts me with her body The teenage girl cowered down at that observation, pouted her lips, and tapped her index fingers together in front of her chest. Besides, even if this is another world where Japanese law doesnt apply, I still dont feel like drinking at my age. I dont want to claim its a medical act as an excuse. Oh, you dont get the Buffs like that. I hear a ring made from Magic is dropped into the drink and you pull the ring out and put it on for the Buff. So its like a fashionable and effective fortune cookie? Well, if thats all it is. Since the Buff was reliant on someone else, they would not know how long it would last, the third party could intentionally cut off its effects at an inopportune time, and there was even a risk of it interfering with their Shining Weapons management terminal when using Magic. They could not be optimistic, but Beatrice was at least willing to check out the popular bar. And if things looked sketchy, she could simply take a peek inside and refuse any Buffs. So have you heard what percentage you get? Ive only heard incomplete rumors, but its apparently up to 10%. Thats pretty incredible... An Elemental Defense of 100% would completely negate that Element, so 10% might not seem like much. However, it meant a lot to gain an instant boost without using any of your own Experience Points. The gears used as currency contained Experience Points, but it was faster to receive an Elemental Defense directly from an expert than to train yourself up from the beginning of the Magic tree diagram. Okay, Filinion, show us the way to this bar. Yes, sir. To be honest, Ive never been there so it takes guts to go there alone. By the way, there are a lot of different kinds of bars. What does this one specialize in? Heh heh heh heh heh. Meat!! Theyre practically brimming with meat dishes!! ...I thought you said this was a bar. Why is this glasses cow so focused on the meat? That was probably how she (or rather, one part of her: the chest) had grown so big, but the two who had smaller meals (and breastplates) did not want to accept it. There used to be a lackluster pizza place there, but once word got out they were shutting down, it seems someone came and bought the place. It can be hard to tell with how similar all the buildings look, but this is a pretty expensive district. If they had waited until the place was vacant, the bidding wars probably would have increased the cost considerably. Whoever it was must have good information sources. I smell a shrewd businessman. Every human involved in Grounds Nir gathered in the inn town, so it was always crowded. The 3 of them passed by a great variety of people on the way to the bar. A lot more people are insisting on pajamas lately, arent they? It used to be that you didnt want to take anything more into the Labyrinth than absolutely necessary, so everyone learned some barrier Magic to use like a sleeping bag. Thats because sleep is directly related to the recovery of Willpower which is at the base of our Magic. If the goal is to efficiently recover as much of it as possible in as short a time as possible, it makes sense that people insist on tools for more comfortable sleep. And trendy Ice Burn 72 is especially cold, so youll really want some warm pajamas or a thick blanket, right? Im sure its just a temporary fad. And we really are simple if sleeping is enough for us to recover. The 3 of them continued walking while glancing over at the roadside stands selling fabric made from Ground Spider silk or Large Deceptive Silkworm cocoons as well as completed costume pajamas or negligees. Oh, I think its right around that corner there. Its called Girls Grill and its excellent reputation for cute-looking dishes just keeps rising. The only downside is that its so popular so soon after opening that it isnt easy to get a seat. Filinion, youre always full of information that has nothing to do with exploring the Labyrinth. Where do you get it all from? Heh. Fashion is all about ignoring the practical and seeing how many pointless and inefficient things you can add in. A real college girl was mocking a real teenage girl, so Beatrice had no choice but to put her in a headlock. Ow, ow, ow! Beatr- my glasses, the sides of my glasses are digging into my temples!! Then curse the karma that led you to be born with glasses, cow. I wasnt born with them! And its starting to become standard by this point, but the damage is building up as you call me a cow all the time!! Do you have any idea whatll happen if this anger explodes!? What a pain. ...Theyre going to get even bigger? Wait a second!! These arent bags of stress, you know!? At any rate, the Holy Swordswoman held onto the White Witchs head as they rounded the corner. Welcome to Girls Grill! Will it be 4 of you? The voice of the waitress standing at the entrance reached them outside. It was a lively, lovely, and gentle voice that carried well but was not at all piercing. Beatrice was honestly impressed because that was not a technique she could emulate. However... The Sage wore a cute, frilly waitress uniform with a beaming smile on her face. It was so sudden. She wore twintails that did not suit her alluring body in the slightest. The Holy Swordswoman was not at all mentally prepared for this sudden arrival of danger in an assumed safe zone, so her legs tangled up and she tripped quite spectacularly onto the stone-paved road. The Sage had a heart-shaped cloth over her chest. The miniskirt and stockings accentuated the thighs visible between. While lying face down, Beatrice raised her head and shouted at the top of her lungs. Wha-...you-...wait just a minuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!!!! Oh, dear. Are you okay, miss? Here, use this wet towel to wipe the dirt off of your face and body. And, um, will it be 3 of you? What are you doing...? Why are you opening a bar here while walking around looking exactly like me!? We were in a real fight to the death over the truth of the Iberian Orc village, werent we!? Werent you the kind of person who arrogantly sits on her throne within the demon kings castle in the deepest depths of the demon world full of rock and toxic swamps!? Oh ho ho. Now, now, miss. Saying we look exactly alike is an exaggeration. There are differences. For example, chest size. Also? Chest size. And the one thats like night and day? Chest size. Do you want me to kill you right here and now!!!??? I was merely stating the truth. Now, miss, let me show you to your table. The way she responded with a perfect smile made Beatrice look like the villain. The people around them did not know the truth and their eyes on her were painful. ...Doesnt anyone find it odd that there are two people here who look exactly alike? Eh? But one look at our chests and-... Beatrice silenced the puzzled response by grinding her teeth. Was the Sage saying that alone made that much of a difference? She just about called up her fire illusion Magic to draw out the frames and lines out of habit, but it was no use. She had no idea where to start with the connecting lines. Beatrice looked up from the ground and glared at Filinion, but the glasses cow vigorously shook her head. She had apparently only heard rumors of the popular bar and had not known who exactly worked there. B-besides, I know there is a wide variety when it comes to waitress uniforms. And this maybe tricking you into thinking its a dress thanks to the headdress, corset, and decorative sleeves, but thats no more than see-through red negligee, isnt it!? You can just about see the black underwear below it! In fact, its bad enough that I can even tell its black!! And thats my appearance youre using! I have no idea what you are talking about, but business is booming thanks to this. Are you a living case of defamation!? Pajamas are the in thing right now, so I thought it might be good to ride that wave. Beatrice did not quite understand that metaphor, but the customer floor was about the size of 2 school classrooms when counting both the counter and tables. There would also be a kitchen and food storeroom in the back. The cow had claimed the place was known for its meat dishes, but the interior design was somehow reminiscent of a ship. There was a ships wheel, a wooden life buoy, and other things on the wall. The lamps in the center of the round tables were reused ship lanterns. Did they reuse all of these materials? I feel like we saw some similar items on the Next Voyager grounded on the southern beach. Stripping materials and furnishings from a ghost ship that houses a Vampire sounds like a good way of getting yourself into trouble... The Sage maintained her service industry smile and ignored Filinion and Armelinas comments. Here is your table. I will be your server for today. Please look over these menus while you wait. They heard a hand bell ringing. Hurry! Bring out my extra order of meat! How many shots of increased Water Resistance can you get again? I think Ill get a drink for STR, for INT, and...oh, for AGI and LUK too! Ill take all the super attack Buffs!! Yes, yes, just a moment! cheerfully said the Sage as she moved over to that table. This was not just a one-shot gag to harass Beatrice. She really was working here. I-is she really working dressed like that...? Looking just like me is bad enough, but why does she have to be wearing a see-through negligee!? Hmm, maybe its because of that old clich with waitresses in a fantasy world. I mean, she does have a far larger chest than you, Beatrice. ? Buff-B-... That was too much for Beatrice even as a joke, so she poked Filinion in the eyes with a gauntleted scissors. With the sound of thin glass breaking, the cow was left writhing on the floor with her hands over her face. This was not the glasses girls lucky day. Although the White Witch did bring it all onto herself. Beatrice ignored her and continued observing the bar. The wooden building was not very large, but the dishes were only being carried out by 2 waitresses: the Sage who was in charge of the tables and another one at the counter. Beatrices group had filled the last of the empty seats, so it had to be difficult for just the 2 of them to run the entire bar. Even with a handwritten memo pad on their waist, it was impressive they did not get orders wrong all the time. Anyway, Ice Burn 72 is way too cold, so I need to warm up my body. Yeah, that cold gets to you no matter what you wear, so its way worse than the Gimmicks or Traps. You cant get a wink of sleep without any preparation, so you cant recover your Willpower either. It would be great if I could get 100% Water Resistance, but, well, as you get closer to 100%, the amount of necessary Experience Points rises like crazy in a quadratic curve, so that would be inefficient. Unlike the Sage, the other waitress was a girl with bodylines too thin to even call slender. She had her long blonde hair in twintails just like the Sage, she had blue eyes, and she had oddly pointed ears. The inn town generally refused anyone who was not human, but she might have been some kind of Elf. Sibyl-chaaan, mixing conflicting Elemental defenses wont make them negate each other, will they? I want both water and fire, but is there some kind of fine print there? Yes, yes, yes. You will gain both effects, but even if you double up with the same Element, the time remains unchanged: 24 hours only. Make sure to write the starting time on the back of your hand so the end of effects doesnt catch you by surprise down in the Labyrinth. ...Had someone used Magic to make herself look like an Elf, or did it not matter if someone was a Nonhuman if they were skilled and beautiful? Beatrice felt it was not fair that Boo Boo was so strictly rejected yet Sibyl was readily accepted as she carried out colorful drinks with a ring at the bottom of each glass. Hehh. I was expecting some crude local beer, but they have a decent variety. They also have gin, vodka, oh, and even whisky. The selection of cocktails looks good too. To brew it all in such a short time, I imagine they used one of the large Alchemy pots the distillers use, but I wonder what Grounds Nir ingredients they used. Armelina seemed to be enjoying herself as she viewed the menu. She glanced over at some other customers who were stacking Gears up on the edge of their table to pay their bill. And they do a good job of getting customers in and out. The Buffs only last a limited time, so to make the most use of their effects, the people will want to get to the Labyrinth right away instead of sitting and chatting. That explains why theyre doing such good business. You wont find many bars back in reality that get new customers in every 10 or 20 minutes. Th-this is no time to be praising them. The Sage might be smiling out in public, but whos doing the cooking in the back? I just hope half-rotten Disaster isnt wearing a chefs hat and waving a frying pan around. That was an amusing image, but it would be no laughing matter if it actually happened. After all, the Sage had spent decades hiding in the shadows of history, but now she was boldly showing herself. She would not have done so on a whim. She had to have some kind of goal. And this change had been triggered by Beatrices group storming into the Sages hideout. There was more to this. This felt like the harbinger of a great disturbance. The Sage had used the corpses of many Iberian Orcs to create Disaster as her pawn, so what kind of damage would she bring to the humans inn town? Hey, Filinion, Armelina. Do you think anyone would believe us if we said that was the Sage theyve sought for so long? Not a chance. Theyd only doubt our sanity. Shes probably taking advantage of the fact that shes stayed in hiding for so long. When an art museum is transporting a famous painting, they apparently use a normal bike courier instead of putting together a largescale escort convoy. But this still requires a fair amount of guts in addition to meticulous calculations. She really understands how the world works and how to manipulate it. Eventually, the Sage returned to their table even though they had not rung the hand bell. Her skirt was so short it was right on the borderline of seeing her underwear and the way it swayed as she walked made it all the more risqu. She held a round tray to her belly and used it to lift up her large breasts while maintaining her perfect smile. And this was the person with enough strength to wipe out the powerful Iberian Orcs in a single day. Are you ready to order? Yes. We want to make an attack on Ice Burn 72, so Ill take whatever Buffs you recommend in a nonalcoholic drink. Ill also have some food that wont interfere with the drink. Im willing to spend about 5 Small Ruby Gears. Beatrices smooth request transformed the Sages smile into a wicked grin. That vague order might sound like a test of the waitresss skill, but it contained a fatal flaw. Without knowing the Holy Swordswomans Stats, the Sage could not provide the optimal Buffs to reinforce her strengths and make up for her weaknesses. Understood. Our clothing and decorations are Magic, so you can find yourself unable to equip an accessory if it requires more Willpower than you have. But the greater your Willpower capacity, the less likely that is to happen. I am sure you will be pleased with the results. Nevertheless, the Sage in the red negligee modified into a waitress uniform did not pause even for a second. As if to announce she understood Beatrice more intimately than anyone else. Now, what would you 2 like? Part 2 The Detached Magic Palace was a kilometer-wide green paradise cut out of Roppongi, Tokyo. Misoka, the middle sister of the 3 maids there, was dumbfounded. Obwabahoo... The girl in charge of the mansion had no idea. Haruka, the adorable third sister and a nervous small animal of maid with glossy black hair worn short, would wildly strip off her apron dress the second her master was not looking. She would then don nothing more than a baggy track suit top over her naked body, lie on her bed with her legs innocently bared, and munch on potato chips (an economical family-sized bag of consomm flavor). Wh-wh-what do you think youre doing!? Its almost dinnertime! You know, I dont serve this black-hearted mansion built with a pool of tax money. I serve milady! I cant work up any motivation without her around!! Sighhh... Whyyyy does she have to spend the night in Grounds Nir again? The lady is busy gathering the Pieces needed to revolutionize the world for the better, so it cant be helped! She even injured herself in order to distort the completion of that room temperature superconductor that could have been used to create satellite-mounted large-caliber railguns... I wasnt asking for that kind of teachers pet answer! Now get lost!! H-hey. Youre in charge of cooking today, so if you cant get motivated, what are we supposed to do about dinner!? I dont care. You can just pick up a bento at the convenience store or get takeout at a gyudon place. Youre civilized people, arent you? Ugh, everythings so boring when milady isnt around. She lay face down on the bed, grabbed some chips, and drank cola directly from a bottle with no diet qualifier. She did not seem to care that her small butt was just about sticking out from below the track suit top or that the modest curves of her chest were almost visible through the neck. Shes hopeless, thought Misoka in all seriousness. If she was allowed to grow up like this, she could easily become a cook who got drunk in the kitchen. And if her course in life was to be corrected, now was the time. They had to strike while the iron was hot!! By the way, Haruka. Whah ih iht, Onee-chan? ...I recorded this entire conversation on a digital recorder, but what kind of future do you think you will have if I let our sister hear it? A bright one??? Wait!? Haruka frantically got up as Misoka waved around the stick-shaped electronic device. It sure would be embarrassing to receive a serious spanking at your age. And we both know our sister really will do it. Therell be a shine in her glasses and shell expressionlessly pull up your skirt, pull down your drawers, and count to 100. I-I thought we had a private gentlemans agreement behind the scenes! Surely you arent going to say that didnt count because we didnt actually sign a document! Right!? Right!? If you understand, then go prepare dinner. Youre a maid, arent you? Misoka sounded exasperated, but she had not actually hit the digital recorders record button. She took their gentlemans agreement seriously. She only wanted her little sister to get to work and to shake free of her laziness that was limited to when their master was not watching. And after Misoka hardened her heart to act like a big sister, the oldest sister, Iroka, called in from outside the room. Misokaaa, you dont seem to be working on the hallway flower arrangement like I asked. Should I assume you are shirking your duties? Oh, dear. Am I going to have to count out the spankings on my little sisters butt at this age? Wait, wait, wait, waaaiiiit!!!??? Part 3 It was an ominous sign. But with no objective proof that this was the Sage and no idea what she''s plotting, grabbing her Shining Weapon rapier and randomly swinging it around would only make Beatrice the villain. Establishing a popular bar and gathering favorable attention from across the inn town seemed to be one step in a larger plan. That bar was quickly becoming an indispensable pillar of the inn town. At this rate, attacking the waitress Sage could mean making an enemy of every human in the inn town. But someone was entirely unaware of Beatrices worries. Boo, boo, boo. In the mountains dyed by the colors of sunset, Boo Boo the Iberian Orc was once more humming through his prized nose and spending the day in search of food. He wanted the power to protect Beatrice and the others he cared about from the threat of the Sage. Sutriona had put together a special training menu for him, but he could not abandon his daily life either. He was entirely self-sufficient, so he could not just use a convenience store or online supermarket. Neglecting that necessary cycle would only lead to death. Yeah, I managed to dig up this Steak Potato really well!! Boo Boo crouched down at the base of a thick tree and dug up the dark soil with both hands. He held something that looked like a thick tube. That king of vegetarian cooking tasted like fatty meat when sliced and cooked, but despite its great size, it was difficult to find and incredibly hard to pull up without breaking. That made this an important catch. Sutriona would be happy since she was eating with him more often due to the special training menu. (Boo. When I find something tasty, she always smiles!) And then... That is a good one, but its been in the ground for a little too long. Steak Potatoes that have started to sprout can be a little bitter, so you should lightly boil it before cooking to get the bitterness out. ... A gentle voice spoke to him without warning, so Boo Boo snapped his head in that direction. So many wild animals lurked in the mountain, but he had not at all noticed this person approach. Their presence was as fleeting as a ghosts, so they were more frightening than a ferocious beast that cracked branches underfoot and knocked over trees in a rude approach. The ghost wore red armor and a white miniskirt and her silver and red hair was long and straight. She leaned against a nearby tree and pointed at her feet. Still smiling, she spoke like they were old friends. Why not grab some Cheerful Alraune while youre at it? Throw that in the pot and it will suppress any unwanted odors while you boil out the bitterness. Youve always been fine with bitter and spicy foods, but you were terrible with herbs and medicinal smells. Well, that might have more to do with your nose than your tongue. The...Sage...? Oh, cmon, Boo Boo. She spoke in a gentle voice with the corners rounded off. But before she finished speaking, she had already left the tree and entered within Boo Boos deadly range. Call me Beatrice. Just like old times. He did not have time to speak, much less fall back. The red-armored Sage slowly raised a single index finger. She did not draw her Shining Weapon rapier and she did not clench her delicate hand into a fist. She only lightly touched the center of Boo Boos belly with her fingertip. It was a kind action, like mischievously tickling a lovers body. Nevertheless, a great roar exploded through the mountains like a giant drumbeat. That mass of powerful muscles had outmatched even a 1000-meter dragon, but now he doubled over. A dreadful impact passed through his stomach and out his back, so he remained in place while the trees behind him were felled by an invisible wave passing in a straight line. Oh... He was not given a chance to resist or fight back. He had been holding the Steak Potato like a stuffed animal or body pillow, but he dropped it, could not support himself with his legs, and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. ...Boo. As she watched the Iberian Orc slowly collapse, the Sage brushed her long hair back with a hand and gave a satisfied nod. You lasted 3 whole seconds? You have been training, Boo Boo. You were really manly With that, she kept her eyes facing forward but sent her left hand out to the side. Her fingertips cut through the empty space like a bullet and lightly grabbed the torso of a palm-sized Fairy in a pink dress. Ah!? It was Boo Boos unauthorized roommate, Meridiana, and she was still confused even after being captured. And this was unusual. Fairies tended to be extremely shy because they were at the bottom of the food chain, so this short-haired Fairy would not normally fly within arms reach of someone else. It was like scooping up a small fish in your palm or snatching a small bird from a tree branch: they would just flit or flutter out of the way. The Fairies should have been another of those neighbors who were close but out of reach. And yet... With the pink Fairy between her fingertips, a wicked look entered whoever-it-wass smile. If she squeezed just a little, she could probably crush the Fairy with ease, but she did not. Im sure word will get out before long either way, but Ill leave a message with you regardless: I am about to bring Boo Boo to Girls Grill in the inn town. You Fairies specialize in Craft techniques and cant directly fight, so you cant do anything about it yourself. Feel free to tell whoever you like. ... Why? How? Meridianas eyes were filled with intense confusion and fear. Boo Boo was her kind savior, but most of the humans despised the Iberian Orcs. Taking him to the human inn town was sure to cause chaos on a large scale. And that was bound to leave deep scars on his heart. But the Sage used her empty hands thumb to point in a different direction. A short distance from the underbrush was a narrow road the humans had carelessly paved with stone. A cart sat there with a bundle of thick rope on top. Girls Grill is introducing a new dish, she said. Dont you think everyone would gather around if were holding an experiment to see how many Experience Points you get from the meat of a 4-meter pig-faced giant? Part 4 It was fully dusk by the time word reached Beatrices group. They were lucky they had remained above ground to investigate the Sage instead of heading down into the Labyrinth as soon as they left Girls Grill. Goddamn her!! There really isnt a single good thing about her!! Calm down, Beatrice! Acting at random isnt going to save Boo Boo! They had gathered at the brick house the Fairies had made for Boo Boo. Palm-sized Meridiana sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands over and over. Sniff, sob... But repeating the same action would accomplish nothing. Unless they could get Boo Boo back safely, those tears would keep flowing. I...I couldnt do anything while Boo Boo was taken away. I watched as she placed him on the cart, tied him to it, and then started toward the inn town, but, but...wahhhhh!! It isnt your fault. In fact, you did a good job of restraining yourself. If you had forced yourself to stand up to her and gotten yourself killed, we wouldnt have gotten this information. Armelina the police officer tried her best, but she failed to remove the heavy bonds squeezing at Meridianas heart. When faced with her saviors crisis, she had done nothing, turned back, and become the very messenger their enemy had wanted her to be. Only she could know how much that scalded her soul. Every Nonhuman species had their own Skill, but those were not necessarily useful in combat. Fairy Elder Morgan fluttered down in her orange dress and placed her hands on her sobbing brethrens shoulders. Shed no more tears, Meridiana. You are in front of guests. Sob, but...but... Seeing that tiny neighbor made Beatrice realize that she could never wipe away those tears without winning and bringing Boo Boo back. Filinion, who was knowledgeable about the inn towns rumors and trends, pushed up her glasses and spoke. People are already talking about a new dish at Girls Grill. It seems there was a small commotion when the cart carrying Boo Boo was taken to the back of the bar. The Sage apparently smiled and told everyone to look forward to it. ...Im betting its essentially an alternative form for a public execution. Sutriona sounded irritated as she stroked Meridianas head with a finger. It makes me sick. I doubt your words can get through to the mastermind or the audience. Thats the kind of foolish human Im more than willing to wipe out with my Sandstorm of Red Madness. Phewww... Seeing someone else heat up must have actually helped her calm down because Beatrice breathed a long sigh. Then she spoke to change her focus. I would love that too, but wait. Wiping out the Sage along with the irresponsible onlookers would be fine, but we cant have the Sage get desperate enough to hold a knife to Boo Boos defenseless throat. We have to hold off on a rampage until weve safely secured him. You sound calm, but you havent calmed down at all! Lets stop assuming the destruction of the inn town!! Oh, you tell her too, Armelina!! Yeah, if its a hostage you need rescuing, leave it to a police officer like me. Armelina was also obsessed with maps, so she reached for the bold slit exposing her thigh, pulled out a parchment map of the inn town, and spread it out on the floor. Boo Boo was almost certainly brought into Girls Grill, but theres still a lot we dont know about the interior layout. And even if shes provoking us, we cant go marching in the front door to rescue him from the Sage. Not only do we know how much more powerful she is than us, that would also give her the opportunity she needs to hold a blade to his throat. Then what are we supposed to do? We cant just leave Boo Boo like this. Thats why Im hoping for your pure firepower since the blood is rushing to your head, Beatrice. You are the cornerstone of this rescue operation. Is that enough to get you motivated? Armelina shrugged. If were going to do this, the only way is to catch the Sage off guard. That means ignoring the front and back entrances and instead blowing a hole in the outer wall at just the right point to directly reach the room Boo Boo is trapped in. It would be best if the blast could also knock out the Sage and whoever else is inside, but I dont know if we can expect that to work. After all, Beatrice claims she has every single Element completely covered, so you cant get any damage on her. But I thought we didnt know the layout inside. We dont. Armelina pulled out another map. They had visited Girls Grill earlier that day, but they had only seen the main hall and powder room that customers were allowed to visit. The food on the menu, the speed at which it was prepared, the kitchen door they had seen, and the chimney visible from outside the building could all be used to estimate the location and size of the kitchen, but there were still a lot of unknowns, such as the food storehouse and the living space for employees. The Labyrinth ran directly below everywhere in Grounds Nir, so they could fortunately rule out the possibility of a deep basement structure. Ive estimated the size of the unknown space based on the exterior of the bar, but we still need to fill in this map. Not to mention learning where the personnel are located and where Boo Boo is being held. So we have to send someone into the bar? The Sage of course already knows what Beatrice looks like and she must know that Filinion and I are with you. We were eating at the same table, after all. The lovely paradox who looked 10 gave a wink. So you need a guest she wont recognize? Should I go? That would be great, but you have no reason to go. Girls Grill is going to be preparing for their Boo Boo Butchering Show. At the very least, thats what the people in the inn town will think. All sorts of onlookers are going to be visiting the rumored bar to catch a glimpse of poor Boo Boo. The bar cant serve that many people, so all outsiders will be forbidden from going further inside. That means you cant get that close as only a customer. Then who would be best? Beatrice pouted her lips, called up her fire illusion Magic, and connected a few frames with lines: the loathsome Sage, Sibyl, captured Boo Boo, and Beatrices group who were planning to rescue him. But the frame for their undercover role was still empty. Armelina winked as she answered. It has to be someone who sees Boo Boo as their enemy...no, who intensely hates him. The Sage has to be able to confirm that fact for herself. That will make it look natural for them to want to bargain for the chance to see Boo Boo butchered. ...? Well, just leave the selection to me. ...I really dont want to let that beast out of her cage, but I guess its necessary. A knock came to the door. Everyone looked in that direction, but Armelina alone did not look surprised. She had likely made the preparations already. Come in, Inoue. Im guessing it wasnt easy. When Im here, call me Huldra the cute Alchemist Cheerleader. With permission granted, the Boo Boo-sized door opened to reveal a small girl of only 145cm with a characteristic mole under the eye. Her long pink hair was worn in twintails that swept out to the left and right, she was dressed in nothing more than a white and pink tank top and miniskirt with some leather pouches and small liquid containers disguised as colorful jewels, and she wore sandals with thin straps on her feet. It was unclear what affect the pompoms she held had. But despite her short height, she had quite a chest. It was a very irritating body type. And it was made all the worse by the Magical effect that caused glowing stars and hearts to fly around whenever she moved even slightly. Beatrice did not know her. Armelina casually provided some information. Oh, shes made to piss you off, so dont worry about it. She uses Alchemically-created makeup to adjust her Hate values and draw the enemys attention. Her job is to use shiny but powerless effects to lure the target over. Ugh. You mean she wears equipment that negatively affects her? She even makes decoy recovery magic poses that are nothing more than motions. Clothing was only Magic taking that form, so it played a role in adjusting ones Parameters. That meant a general scan of someones clothing could give you an estimate of their Parameters...and this girl certainly seemed uniquely focused. It was like she had prioritized vanity over direct offense or defense. And Armelinas main focus was apparently not her. Where is she? We need her. I know that, but try to be careful, okay? Back in the real world, shes already caused enough trouble during probation to get sent back to juvenile hall and then plotted six different jailbreaks. After faking an attempted suicide, she was sent to the police hospital, manipulated a nurse into sympathizing with her, and then started to half-brainwash the nurse to increase her number of pawns. We intervened when she was just about to bite off the right ear of the kind but foolish counselor who was trying to support her. Filinion trembled as she listened to that story. Wh-who in the world are you talking about? I dont know anyone like that. Oh, but you do. We know her all too well. Armelina asked to have her brought in, so Huldra stepped aside as if clearing the way. A solid footstep sounded from the entrance. Ah. Beatrices mind went blank. She had created a few frames and lines using her fire illusion Magic. This would fill the final frame: whoever would make an undercover visit to Girls Grill. But this? The color blue stood before her eyes. Long hair had its volume further increased as gorgeous ringlet curls and it decorated the cruel ladys ample body to give it a princesss silhouette. But her torso was not contained in a noble corset. Instead, she wore a single cross-shaped sword contained in its scabbard. The sword was held to her body by several belts and her only other clothing was the sharp ice armor around her hips that looked something like a swollen skirt. She had fully specialized in the Water Element, making her the polar opposite of Beatrice and her specialization in the Fire Element. She was the new battle arena queen and the ruler of absolute zero. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau!? Well, can you see why anyone would accept that I have a powerful grudge against that Iberian Orc and the rest of you? And I was even deployed by the so-called Conference Room in order to ingratiate them to the Sage. The cruel hunter hid her mouth behind a fan of ice and laughed wickedly. But at the same time, my higher ups were wiped out in the blink of an eye thanks to someones blitzkrieg tactics, so who knows if the Sage even received word of what happened to me. It happened right after I got back, so there was no real time for a report. Simply put, she has no way of knowing if I was captured or managed to escape. ... So just relax and leave this to me. We are in this together, so lets try to get along. Okay? Part 5 Ive negotiated with my higher up to have your sentence halved if this goes well. The Minister of Justice cant ignore something as crucial as the Sages identity, after all. But its all over if you betray us here. You wont just be sent back to juvenile hall. You will die here before even being sent back to the real world. Do you understand, Wildefrau? On the way to the inn town, Armelina gave a clear and concise explanation. The sexy Ice Waterfall Princess smiled and shrugged. These exceptional conditions are actually making me concerned. You must know how skilled I am with Magic, yet you havent taken away my Shining Weapon or bound my arms and legs. Yes. The Fighter Priest smiled. But thats because we know a way of sending you to the afterlife without having to restrain you. N-now, now. White Witch Filinion cut in while spreading her hands to either side of her face. The corners of her mouth stiffened a bit, but she somehow managed to form a smile. We need to work together to save Boo Boo, right? Tripping each other up with this strained atmosphere isnt going to increase our odds of success. Lets let our past issues just be water under the bridge, okay? ... Wildefrau silently but surprisingly smoothly turned her head to face the fluffy blonde glasses girl. She started by rhythmically clacking her front teeth together. Gahhh!!!??? And then she roared. Beatrice immediately grabbed Filinions shoulders and pulled her back just in time for Wildefraus teeth to mercilessly snap together in the space filled with flowing blonde hair. Hadnt Armelina said this person had very nearly bitten off the right ear of a kind but foolish counselor? Inoue!! shouted Armelina. Im Huldra while Im here. A metallic sound followed that almost foolishly calm comment. That was when Wildefrau finally stopped moving. At some point, a trio of long and sharp metal claws with curved tips had jutted out from both of the Alchemist Cheerleaders pompoms. They stopped just before reaching the blue Ice Waterfall Princesss throat. Those pompoms were for more than just cutely hiding her mouth. They were a Shining Weapon. Do you understand now, Wildefrau? You are still in chains. The Ice Waterfall Princesss eyes were focused less on Huldras claws themselves and more on the many Icons that appeared to wrap around her slender wrists. So it would seem. But if I know how long and thick the chains are, I can find a way around them. ...Magic that does no damage but has a low chance of causing instant death? And have you forcibly increased the success rate using your Alchemy items? I see, I see, I see. It was Armelinas turn to click her tongue. For her, it would have been best to hold the prisoner in check without showing her hand. Suspicion and paranoia were the greatest chains. It had been necessary, but revealing this from the start still hurt. Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina were joined by twintailed Huldra and ringlet-curled Wildefrau. They arrived at the inn town as a fairly large group, but despite the major incident occurring within, the orange-dyed town looked the same as always. The pleasant smells of dinner preparations came from all over. Of course, a lot of customers would have made their way to Girls Grill, the bar where Boo Boo was rumored to be captured and confined. As they approached the bar in question, they passed by a youth handing out parchment fliers that had likely been mass-produced using a letterpress printer. Extra, extraaaa! Girls Grill will supposedly be preparing a super-rare Iberian Orc while still alive!! This rare but ugly species hasnt been seen much, so eating one for dinner is sure to earn plenty of Experience Points. Watching this butchering show is sure to be worth delaying a visit to the Labyrinth!! ... Dont glare, Beatrice. Act natural. If we cant blend in, we have no chance of rescuing him. Before arriving too close to Girls Grill, Beatrices group of 3 parted ways with Huldra and Wildefrau. That monster being released into the wild was a frightening thought, but it would be a problem if the Sage or Sibyl saw the 5 of them together. If their connection to the Ice Waterfall Princess were revealed, they would lose their chance to infiltrate the bar. Welcome. Is it just the 2 of you? Then how about a counter seat? Hearing that familiar voice, Beatrices group left the main road, circled around the back way, and entered the building next to Girls Grill which would soon become a small battlefield. Bakeries are busiest from the middle of the night to the early morning. They mainly serve breakfast, lunch, and portable food for exploring the Labyrinth. They arent made to serve dinner, so theyll let you have the place to yourself at this time of day if you pay enough Gears. Fwehhh. Police officers really do things differently. What did you say you were reserving the place for? We dont want to see our sales going up just because of some popular shop that appeared out of nowhere, right? Were going to give them some trouble, so help us out. Anyone who agrees to that isnt going to join the Sage anytime soon. Armelina spread out a few parchment maps on the closed-up bakerys floor and began her preparations. In addition to the maps, she used Magic to open a midair frame made from thin, necklace-like chains and bubbles. It displayed an unsteady view of Huldras face. Hey, can you hear me, chief? I linked the video to Wildefraus vision. Perfect. The reception is good, Inoue. If youre ready, then get started. They used a short-range communication method developed for use in the Labyrinth. The range was quite limited and was affected by the thickness of obstacles like walls, so it was not always useful. Still, it was reliable at times like this. Beatrice used her fire illusion Magic to call up her frames and lines as she listened to Armelina and Wildefrau. What am I supposed to do? That Girls Grill receives large shipments of alcohol and herbs, but the food and drinks they actually serve arent enough to go through it all. That means this is camouflage to hide something behind the scenes. Say youve taken over their supplier and make it look like youre trying to get in on the action. Basically, Armelinas men had paid off and threatened the supplier to monopolize the inn towns alcohol, so Wildefrau needed to act like their boss. And I use my revenge against that Iberian Orc to spice things up? Im glad you understand. I want you to get in there and fill in the grayed-out spaces on the map. Confirm the layout of rooms, the distribution of personnel, the material and thickness of the walls, and where Boo Boo is being confined. Try to build a rapport using the fact that youre both up to no good. While counting off the list on her fingers, Armelina explained each condition in more detail. It would all fall apart if Wildefrau screwed up, so they had to go at her pace. Also, you have Huldra to support you. Shes linked us so that anyone you look in the eye will appear on our map from then on. You need to aim for Boo Boo, the Elf, and anyone else you see going in or out. Oh? But not the Sage herself? Did you see the Screenshot? Yes. Other than a slight difference in apparent age, they are identical. ...To be honest, I still suspect you might be taking me for a ride. Its the truth. And make no mistake: Boo Boo is our top priority. And with the Sages knowledge of Magic, were assuming she can see through this. So even if you do find her, do not look her in the eye. Just act natural. Beatrice looked to the wall as she listened to that exchange. Even with the small path between buildings, it was less than a meter to the inside of Girls Grill. That small distance felt like an infinite wall. She shuddered just thinking of Boo Boo laid out on a kitchen counter with a butchers knife pressing against his belly. Calm down, Beatrice. But... The new dish and the butcher show are probably just bluffs meant to draw in the people of the inn town. If what you said is accurate, then the Sage wants to fight some kind of monster deep below the ground. In that case, I cant think of any reason for her to put any effort into this kind of show business. But the inn town people think its happening. If Boo Boo struggles, breaks down a wall, and escapes, they wont show any mercy. Theyll see it like a man-eating gator getting loose when it was supposed to be used as a rare ingredient. All of the level cap adventurers out there will be his enemy! The Sage is tormenting Boo Boo with her own Girls Grill and with the second barrier of people out there!! Beatrice was aware the blood was rising to her head as she spoke. She was aware of it, but there was nothing she could do. And no matter why she did it, the Sage must need Boo Boo if she bothered to knock him out and carry him back to her base. Remember, were talking about that Sage! Whatever shes trying to do, shes the one who slaughtered the residents of the Iberian Orc village and gathered their corpses to create that monster she called Disaster!! Who even knows what kinds of awful things shes going to do to Boo Boo!! And thats why were working so hard to stop her. Isnt that right, Beatrice? Beatrice covered her face with her hands and White Witch Filinion gently touched her back. This was Grounds Nir, another world. There were no laws and there was no document ensuring basic rights. It was an island of verbal promises. And even if those things did exist, a Nonhuman like Boo Boo might not be covered. And that was why they had to do this. If no one else was going to protect him, they would have to save him. Conversations held under extreme conditions could have great psychological influence. It would not even need to reach the level of Stockholm syndrome. What would happen if he was left all alone in a kitchen prepared for use on him and the greatly powerful Sage continually whispered in his ear? A frightening voice, a kind voice, an angry voice, and a tearful voice could all be used as weapons to shake him psychologically. The Sage had acquired Disaster through twisted methods. And she knew Boo Boos past very well. She could fine-tune what she said specifically for him. It was like an external cyber-attack made by an engineer who already understood the internal vulnerabilities. It was possible she would use his likes and his trauma to destroy his personality. Meaning she could attempt something akin to brainwashing. (I wont let her.) Beatrice could imagine the empty shell of an Iberian Orc fighting as the Sages pawn until he rotted away and fell apart like Disaster had. (I wont let that happen to kind Boo Boo!!) ... She removed her hands from her face and coldly faced the world once more. After a moment, she made an announcement in a horribly low voice. Yes, she had made up her mind about everything. Lets get started. ...No matter what happens, we will rescue Boo Boo. Part 6 Boo Boo awoke to the feeling of thick ropes scraping his skin. He blinked his eyes, but he had no recollection of how he had ended up like this. He saw a cold stone ceiling he did not recognize and his nose detected a metallic scent. The air felt stagnant, so he could tell he was enclosed inside something. He was on top of a cart. He tried moving, but the ropes were thicker and tougher than he thought. He had never seen vines this thick even in the forest. I used Ground Spider silk. Ive heard of thin bulletproof equipment being made from spider silk, but maybe its just crass to talk about that after traveling all the way to another world. ... Hi, Boo Boo. That took longer than I thought. Maybe it''s because you held on for some time before fainting, and that took a toll on you. He heard a female voice. It was the Sage. She did not wear the same red armor and miniskirt as Beatrice. Instead, she wore an odd outfit made by adding a corset and decorative sleeves to thin sleepwear to make it look vaguely waitress-y. Her flowing straight hair had been remade into twintails. Perhaps due to growing up from the girl form Boo Boo was used to, he was left with an entirely different impression. She looked unfamiliar. And even though it was clearly too large for a human to handle, she easily held a Shining Weapon that looked like log or steel beam. But that was hardly surprising when the Sage herself had been the one to leave Boo Boo with that weapon after sealing the slaughtered Iberian Orcs souls inside. Casually swinging that down here would likely break restrained Boo Boo in half along with the cart below him. He gulped, but the Sage shook her head. After passing the Shining Weapon back and forth between her right and left hand, it gave a sudden roar and drew a flowing silver line in the air. The thick and seemingly unbreakable ropes were instantly severed. They were cut, not smashed and broken. This was the unbelievable technique of using weight and speed to cut with a blunt weapon that Disaster had demonstrated before. No, perhaps it was the Sage who had taught it to Disaster. Not even Boo Boo could reproduce that extreme technique. This was not complicated and confusing Magic. Just like when she had knocked him out with a single fingertip, the Sage was skilled enough to overpower an Iberian Orc using pure martial arts. Yes, it does have a lot of small scratches, but its still in extremely good condition. That shows just how well you took care of it, Boo Boo. As the one who gave it to you, Im pleased to see that. She spoke like she was chopping up a fish to check on the sharpness of a knife. And yet that one attack had inarguably shown the difference in their skill. You can have it back. That weapon is like a part of your body, isnt it? You must not be able to relax without it. She then casually handed the Shining Weapon to her prisoner. He finally got up from the cart with his head full of questions. He generally trusted what people said, but even he found plenty about the Sages actions he could not trust. Returning the weapon was not a problem for her. She was implicitly stating that she was 100% confidence in her ability to strike back without batting an eye even if he made a surprise attack with the Shining Weapon. Boo Boo looked around. His heart may have naturally desired an exit. But there were no windows and he could not see outside. One wall contained a single human-sized door and another contained a set of double doors which was large enough for the cart to pass through. The wooden barrels and boxes lined up in a corner of the room suggested it was a storeroom, but that was not all. In the center of the room was a hole large enough for Boo Boo to fit through. It formed a perfect circle. It was surrounded by oddly-shaped glass containers and several tubes extended into the hole from those. Of course, everyone knew what slept below Grounds Nir: the Labyrinth which irregularly changed shape like a living creature. Only the humans ever went there and Boo Boo himself never would have if not for Beatrices invitation. What...are you doing? What do you think Im doing? This was not easy, let me tell you. When I calculated out the coordinates on the map, they turned out to be right in the middle of the inn town. And I needed an unnatural amount of alcohol and herbs to interfere with the Labyrinth. Thanks to that, I had to open a bar and pretend to be a waitress. Man is a real job ever hard. Im impressed anyone can keep this up on a daily basis. The Sage dodged the question, but she did not seem intent on hiding it. Since she had taken Boo Boo to the center of her secret, she was clearly enjoying showing it off. She was like a mother asking her small child to guess what was inside their birthday present. Or perhaps like a predatory woman luring a man into bed by lying there in nothing but some seductive nightwear that showed off her bodylines. Yes, she was enjoying this conversation held under extreme conditions. You seem to be mistaken about something, so let me be clear: I am not trying to stop what youre trying to do, Boo Boo. You just have to do what you want and Ill do what I want. If it ultimately surrounds Grounds Nir, the great foe that slumbers in the grounds depths, then the more options we have, the better. Grounds...eh? But isnt that what Beatrice and the others call...? Yes, this must be terribly confusing. And that is why I invited you here. The Sage clapped her hands in front of her chest and smiled. Then she made a suggestion. Unfortunately, I dont have much time. The world is in a much, much graver situation than I thought. That is why I have changed my MO and stepped out into the open. There are more important things than hiding. ? Boo Boo honestly found this person frightening. But it saddened him that she blurred together with a kind person from a distant memory: that person who had looked sad even while smiling. Lets talk, Boo Boo. We should share what information we have. By eliminating what isnt needed and avoiding duplicate efforts, we can more efficiently surround that monster. I am asking for your help in order to save everyone, Boo Boo. Part 7 Cheh, they sure closed early today. Did someone pay a bunch to rent the place out? Thats awful. Wed finally found a nice place and now its home to some fat IT guys with nothing but money going for them? Dont worry. Theyre probably just dealing with that new ingredient. They need time to prepare for the big event. ...Speaking of which, can you really eat that things meat? Well, if its about easily getting a ton of Experience Points, not being able to eat it might actually be more effective, right? The view in the floating frame moved past some men leaving the bar. A closed sign hung from the entrance, but there was still a large crowd gathered around. The talk of using an Iberian Orc for food seemed to have interested a lot of people. Hey, who is that...? Oh, no. Isnt that the Ice Waterfall Princess? That level cap woman is a part of this? What kind of connections does this bar have? It was amusing how easily the wave of people parted. Beatrice was often feared by those around her, but the reaction to Wildefrau was different. They seemed to be looking at her like unexploded ordnance that could go off at any time. (So this is the Ice Waterfall Princesss view. This is how she views the world...) Time passed as Beatrice thought about that. She entered the bar that had closed before the sun had fully set and she whispered in a jocular way. Im going in. Sit tight and wait for good news, everyone. We can hear your breathing and pulse, Ice Waterfall Princess. Dont think you can fool us just by controlling your voice. That may have been a bluff, but Beatrice guessed the threat would noticeably affect her heartrate if she tried anything. Not that she thought Wildefrau was lacking in guts. The Ice Waterfall Princess was on the main floor where the counter seats and tables were now empty. Beatrice and the others had already seen this area. And their opponents were not about to let outsiders enter the back of the bar. So. The response came not from the Sage but from the Elf waitress named Sibyl. Unlike normal(?), the twintailed girl seemed somehow rude as she sat directly on a table. She peered into Wildefraus eyes. What is the meaning of this? Why would you have me close during prime dinner hours? Oh, said Armelina as she tossed a metal pin with a colorful head onto the parchment map spread out on the floor. Instead of sticking in or rolling, it stopped while standing straight up from a table on the maps main floor. Ive linked to her biomagnetism. Sibyl has been Marked by the green pin. We need to thank Huldras support and Wildefraus cruel luck. Now we can follow her actions. Hehh. I see you put a scratch on the head to give it a front and back side. Its not exactly precise, but we can see which way the target is facing, cant we? Thats perfect for infiltrations. Although its not all that much help since we dont know the angle or distance of her effective visual range. Still, if wed had Huldra with us, we wouldnt have had to walk around endlessly in that snowy mountain where we fought Wildefrau. Meanwhile, a deadly conversation was being held in the next building over. You were the ones that decided this was something you wouldnt want getting out, it''s only until we finish up here anyway. If we settle this soon, you will still have enough time to reopen at sunset, wont you? I dont know where you heard about this, but it seems you have threatened all of our alcohol suppliers. Oh, dear. But surely youve built up enough of a stock to keep the doors open even if you dont receive another drop for a month. What are you so worried about? Filinion frowned as she peered into frame made of thin chains and bubble film. Umm, is this going well or not? Its going very well. It honestly helped a lot that Sibyl looked Wildefrau in the eye. That means Wildefrau didnt have to put any effort into Marking her. Besides, if we say what we want right away, Sibyl can use that against us by piling up more and more things she demands in exchange. If you ask someone for the vaccine theyre holding because you need it to save your daughters life, who knows what theyll demand of you. The standard negotiating tactic is to provide the illusion that you know your opponents weakness while not letting them know what you want. Meaning... We cant let her know that we want to know the full layout of the bar, that we want to know where everyone inside is posted, and that we want to save Boo Boo, so it would be best to have her invite Wildefrau into the back of the bar while thinking its for another purpose altogether, right? And they already had what they needed to do that. Anyway, said Wildefrau. I dont know what youre using it for, but you need a lot of alcohol, dont you? Yes, I certainly dont know what youre using it for. ...What are you trying to say? Just think of me like a new supplier. I cant have my client drying up before our negotiations are complete, so how about I provide a small supply in advance? Although it might not be nearly enough for your purposes. Hmph, snorted Sibyl. She clearly did not like this, but had no choice but to play along. She gestured toward the back of the bar with her chin. Then come this way. As you know, our time is limited. Um, said Filinion. What are they actually doing back there? Lets just pray they arent marinating a gigantic Iberian Orc in alcohol. Armelinas response was in very poor taste, so Beatrice sulkily poked at her head. There were a few wooden boxes piled up in front of the bar. They contained the high-proof drinks that Huldra and more of Armelinas protgs had gathered from around the inn town. They would normally be difficult to carry around by hand, but the Ice Waterfall Princess could freeze the bottom of the boxes so they would easily slide as she pushed with a single hand. But Sibyl stopped her. Youve frozen the bottom with Magic? Surely you arent suggesting the temperature change will affect the quality of the drinks. No. With the exception of wine or brandy that live on in the bottle, the quality wont be affected unless you go as far as fully freezing it. She initially agreed, but then... However, I seem to recall the documents I received from the Sage saying the Ice Waterfall Princess is actually a girl of around 14. From what I have heard of human customs, you do not drink alcohol at that age. Oh, no, thought Beatrice as her heart jumped unnaturally in her chest. They had given Wildefrau thorough preliminary knowledge to better deceive their opponents, but that had instead made things look more unnatural. It would all fall apart if Wildefrau could not dodge a follow-up question about how she knew so much about it. But... Pff. ? Ah ha ha ha!! Oh, excuse me. But have you never considered who you might be serving here? This is Grounds Nir; the laws and treaties of earth do not apply here. In a lawless land where murder and involuntary manslaughter in the Labyrinth are entirely overlooked, I never thought someone would actually criticize me for something like alcohol or smoking. Pwa ha ha! Oh, so thats it. Yes, I might not look it, but I am quite bad. Enough so that Im willing to threaten you for profit Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief. They were finally inside the bar. Wildefrau cut across the floor while sliding the stack of wooden boxes and she entered the employees only area using the door Sibyl opened for her. Thats step 1. Armelina snapped her fingers and looked to the map on the floor. Shes pretty good at this, but thats exactly why her cruel intellect caused us so much trouble in the snowy mountain. 2 doors up front and 1 in the back? said Wildefrau. Which one do we need? The one in the back. Wildefrau had to have nerves of steel to walk into a building with no escape. These people had publicly announced their intention to chop up the powerful Iberian Orc they had carried there. If she was caught off guard and knocked out, she could always have her corpse disposed of in the same way and served as a mystery stew or hamburger. The rules here were different than on Earth where forensic investigations could perform nano-level fiber analysis or detect the luminol reaction of a bloodstain even after it was washed away 10 times with a neutral detergent. Once we save Boo Boo, I need to reassess my opinion of her. Yeah. I said her sentence would be halved, but if we do manage to capture the Sage alive here, she might be able to get a full pardon. Meanwhile, Wildefrau arrived in the back room. As expected, it was a perfectly normal small stone room. There was no furniture and there were wooden boxes and barrels lined up by the walls. It was probably a storeroom. Armelina, theres a door to the east and a window to the west. Thats probably right across from this bakery. I know that. By the way, said Sibyl as the Ice Waterfall Princess pushed the boxes over to the wall. Im really not sure what you hope to accomplish here. Oh? How can you say that after stealing my prey from me? I had thought revenge was a fairly popular desire. When someone suffers a painful defeat, they can take 2 paths: strike back with even more force, or flee. Why are you so intent on seeing your nemesis once more? I am saying I do not understand that passion. From an objective viewpoint. This riddle was a hard one. Peoples hearts had no physical form. For example, what could you do if someone asked for physical evidence to objectively confirm your love? Would you give them handmade chocolate on Valentines Day? Or would they be convinced by a diamond ring that cost 3 months worth of your salary? And in this case, the other person would maliciously view anything like you were a marriage scam artist. It would take a lot to convince them. But it was all over if they could not overcome this. No matter what, they had to objectively convince Sibyl that Wildefrau wanted to kill Boo Boo herself. Beatrice added a new entry to her frames and lines made from fire illusion Magic. They needed Sibyls trust. How could they support Wildefrau to gain that? (This will at least require me, Filinion, and Wildefrau. And Huldra if necessary!) They had to act now. No matter how long they dragged this out, they had at most a minute. Wh-what are we going to do? Armelina, tell Wildefrau to drag this out however she can. Filinion, if you have nothing to do, then help me out. Eh? Eh? The Sages group will probably have received a report saying we and Wildefrau fought. But they dont know how exactly that turned out. The Ice Waterfall Princess said they were taken out without time for a report, but even if they did, the Conference Room wanted to get on the Sages good side by reporting we had been defeated. They would have been going on and on about how amazing the Ice Waterfall Princess was and how she was going to defeat us at such-and-such a time, but once it ended in failure, they wouldnt have been in a rush to apologize. The more details they provided, the more they would disappoint the Sage. Are you saying the Sage and Sibyl dont know how exactly our battle ended? We showed up at Girls Grill during the day, so they can more or less guess that Wildefrau retreated. ...But they dont know whether or not she was captured. We can make it look like the Ice Waterfall Princess was still walking freely around Grounds Nir and then caught us in a surprise attack at some later date. Beatrice took a slow breath. We need something that shows off Wildefraus violence. Our short-range communications can reach her, so we can transmit it to her Shining Weapon. Lets fake a Screenshot. If we make a secret photo album that will horrify Sibyl, well have the objective proof we need. Of course, Wildefrau specialized in the world of snow and ice. But there would not have been any reports of a white hell appearing in the inn town, Labyrinth, or anywhere else with a lot of witnesses. In that case... Lets use the same environment as last time. Well say she surprise attacked us in a snowy mountain to the north. When theres already a blizzard, a frozen hell wont stand out and wont make the news. That said, they did not have time to head to the mountains now. Filinion used her Mixing skill to create a magic potion that produced ice for treating bruises and Armelina shattered the ice and spread it out in a corner of the bakery out of the way of the maps. They just needed enough of the white stuff to hide the floor. A bakery will have ketchup, right? Are there any raw eggs? Mix the ketchup with the egg white to get the stickiness and coloration right and then make it look like my face has been smashed in. Why do you know how to do that off the top of your head when you cant actually cook anything? Shut up. Not all of us are experienced cooks from eating alone all the time. Ahh!? roared the flaaat girl, but Beatrice ignored her and got back on topic. Filinion, youve seen a lot of injuries as a healer, so you make sure it looks right. Ill lie on my side and hide my face, so you use the ketchup to make a nice puddle. If it cant be seen from outside, they wont know how bad it is. A-are you sure this is a good idea? Filinion sounded nervous as she formed L-shapes with the thumb and forefinger of her hands, combined those into a frame, and photographed Beatrice from multiple angles. Some of the angles were no good because the bakery wall could be seen, and it was possible an expert would be able to tell this was actually indoors from the reflections of the light source. Hey, we saved a few Screenshots from that northern snowy mountain, right? Use those for reference. Hmm, the position of the light source was something like this and I think the coloring needs to be a bit bluer. Beatrice, if you dont hurry up, the snow will melt from your body heat! In the end, a lot of it (including how the photo was presented) would be up to the Ice Waterfall Princesss acting skills. Well, thats done. Now to send it to Wildefraus Shining Weapon... While cut off from support inside the bar, Wildefrau had to muster all of her strength to suppress a reflexive frown. The problem was the faked photo sent by her allies(?). (This is garbage!!) The Screenshot did look fairly authentic. They had likely adjusted the light source based on actual Screenshots of the snowy mountain. But when someone was lying down in a real blizzard, the snow would gradually melt around their skin and the subzero air would refreeze it, making something closer to ice than snow. There was a chance Sibyl would notice that sort of detail. This is the photo? Sibyl sounded somehow mocking as she viewed the Screenshot displayed on a frame of thin ice floating in midair. Wildefrau did not know what that meant. They had increased the noise as much as possible to hide the details, but that might clue Sibyl into their fear. Wildefrau just had to make it work. She kept a smile on her lips and forced her next words out. Yes, this is part of my Surprise Attack Collection. My SurpriseColle But Holy Swordswoman Beatrice was not satisfied with just that. She had more to say. Oh, Filinion, you have a decent stock of recovery potions, right? Y-yes. But why-...? The glasses cows question came to a sudden stop when Beatrice punched her own cheek as hard as she could. She wore a metallic gauntlet that covered her wrist to her fingertips and had joints necessary to move the hand. The weight and solidity of her fist were greater than even a hammer. The bakery gradually filled with a rust-like smell that would never come from ketchup or tomato puree. Peh. Regardless, the Holy Swordswoman spat something out into her palm. It was one of her back teeth. She now had the final item for her collection of frames and lines produced by fire illusion Magic. That storeroom has a window to the back alley, right? Have the Ice Waterfall Princess get in place so I can secretly pass this to her. Your subordinate named Huldra is good at adjusting her Hate value, right? Have her cause a commotion out in front of the bar. If she trips and falls while holding a bunch of Gears and they scatter everywhere, the gallery watching from a distance will start fighting over them. The Sage and Sibyl dont know about her, so even if they find out who did it, it wont be a major problem. W-wait. I know. Keep me informed which way Sibyl is looking based on the pin on the map. If we can do that, then they might be able to as well. I want to avoid having the Sage pursue me at length if Im spotted. Armelina had not been trying to stop her like that, but Beatrice may have been losing sight of herself because her anger was even greater than she thought. If Wildefrau shows Sibyl what shes been rolling around in her mouth like hard candy, even the Sages companion will shudder. Photographs can look very different depending on the impression given to the person looking at them. Even a stain on the ceiling can look like a face if it whispers to you for long enough. The Screenshot alone might have been doubtful, but this is sure to convince anyone that she really did smash my face in and take a souvenir with her and that shes obsessed enough to want to kill Boo Boo herself. Part 8 In other words, the Iberian Orcs were always a special species that lived for that purpose. In a dreary and windowless room, the waitress Sage smiled while sitting on a random wooden box. Grounds Nir, the monster in the grounds depths. If it fully activates and reaches the surface even once, all animal and plant life clinging to this island will be annihilated. To ensure that doesnt happen, they monitored the movements of the Labyrinth and, when they sensed the limit approaching, used the full power of their numbers to put a stop to the monsters birth cries. At the turning points of each age, there were many sacrifices, but that species of heroes continued fighting to protect everyone. That is your true identity. Squeal... Is that too much to believe all at once? But think about it rationally, Boo Boo. Your body contains such great strength. Why? There is a reason for all things. And if there is a reason for you to have built up such great strength, isnt it natural to assume that is to combat a powerful enemy? He had been told the Labyrinth was a very scary place. And he had been told the humans had suddenly appeared one day and were challenging the Labyrinth to prevent some kind of evil from rising from the depths of that hole. Ah ha ha. They only said that because you were little and they didnt want to scare you. It would have been frightening to hear you were destined to fight a monster from deep below ground, right? They probably wanted to reveal the truth in stages. They would have started with the Labyrinth, then the monster, then the existence of a system to oppose that monster, and finally that you were part of the group meant to carry out that role. If thats true... hesitantly began Boo Boo. The Sage had cut the powerful ropes binding him and returned his familiar Shining Weapon. That implicitly stated that she could handle everything just fine even after he was freed. She could kill him at any time if he resisted. That was what it meant. Who are they? Why do they want to make everyone suffer? Hee hee. You might have that backwards. ? First of all, the island of Grounds Nir itself is a giant armory. The life forms on the surface may have arrived to the island later and settled there, or you may be the descendants of life that formed here naturally. I do not know why the original Grounds Nir wants to rise to the surface. But this island and the Labyrinth exist for it. To put it another way, once the ultimate weapon is complete, the factory is no longer needed. With its role complete, the facility will probably hand over all of its energy to the completed product and the armory itself will be reused as giant armor or a giant engine. In other words, the island will cease to be an island. It will no longer be an environment that can support life on its surface. That cant be... But you dont have to feel bad, Boo Boo. No matter which part came first, all of you were born here. So this isnt about right and wrong. Its a battle for survival. The Sage stopped there and pointed toward the large hole in the center of the room. The mysterious device there sent a great many tubes into the giant underground armory and provided those tubes with a constant supply of a potion created from lots of herbs and alcohol. I got this constructed faster than I expected. It sends an Alchemic potion C that is, a potion that affects metal C into the Labyrinths floors and walls to induce changes to the structure of the invisible gears and shafts. That will obstruct its work, but its only a delaying tactic. I doubt this can prevent the completion of Grounds Nir. She then whispered through her beautiful lips. Unlike in the past, the Iberian Orc village has not kept up its numbers. If the monster appears now, no one can stop it. As things are, there is a 100% chance all life on the island will be annihilated. We must stop that no matter what. But...thats...but! I heard what Beatrice said, like she was confessing her own crime. She said you were mean to us and killed everyone in the village!! So how!? How can you look so sad when talking about it!? I was asked by your elder. He said there was no sign of further growth, so the rusted village needed to be thoroughly destroyed to reset things. I have come this far regretting that decision every step of the way. The elder said the villages numbers could be rebuilt around you, since you were the only healthy Iberian Orc left, but the monsters completion is going to arrive first. Even after accepting so much sacrifice, both the elder and I judged things wrong. Then... That is why I cannot flee from the monster. I must defeat it to protect the peaceful days I promised the elder and the others. And I will do whatever it takes. Boo Boo thought quietly as he listened to something he did not entirely understand. This was definitely Beatrice here. But something about her was fundamentally twisted. Yes, he sensed the same scent he had on Beatrice when she had given into her anger for Boo Boo and nearly killed the Elkiad leader. Or perhaps this was what would happen if she went beyond that and he could never hold her hand again. I will challenge the monster in my own way, no matter what that entails. She was smiling, but her voice tore horribly at Boo Boos heart. It carried the unrestrained resolve of someone who had crossed a definitive line. Or perhaps it contained something that felt like a hopeless powder keg that had grown beyond the disaster it was meant to prevent. So please continue working at this in your own way, Boo Boo. There is no rule against having more than one method. If it can reduce the 100% odds of destruction even slightly, then the more methods we have, the better we can protect everyone. Part 9 There was a photo of a girl lying in a mountain blizzard with her face bloodily smashed in and the criminal was rolling a tooth around in her mouth. ...Ill believe you, said Sibyl with absolute disgust oozing from the words. Perhaps not in your character, but in your hobby. Beatrice had cracked open the window and handed over her own tooth and Filinion and Armelina had explained what had happened once she returned to the bakery. But in that case, I think you could have just reserved a seat, added the Elf. Filming a movie and watching a movie are two very different things. Oh, my apologies. That example might be hard for a Grounds Nir resident to understand. Beatrice placed a hand on her forehead and lightly shook her head. ? My head feels heavy. Im sleepy... Filinion, what did you use? Of course you feel sleepy. Not even recovery potions are all powerful. Its especially hard to maintain the balance and not leave a scar when healing a sensitive area like the face. Its just like the difference between placing a splint on a broken arm and cosmetic surgery to fully reconstruct someones appearance. The difficulty level is entirely different. I cant just return your HP value to normal and that will of course eat up more of your Willpower. ...In that case, she could have just endured the pain in her jaw until they had rescued Boo Boo, but it was too late now. The recovery potion had already been absorbed and broken down by her body. Meanwhile, Armelinas frame showed Sibyl shrugging in her waitress uniform made by modifying a negligee. She said this way while prompting Wildefrau to leave the room. Oh, we need to pay attention. They might be headed to a new area. Armelina faced the map on the floor. The hallway had had 3 doors and there were still 2 they had not seen inside. If Sibyl showed Wildefrau to the one with Boo Boo in it, they would have the information they needed, but if it did not, they still knew he was in the final one. Once in the hallway, Sibyl opened her mouth once more. Im sure you already know this since you shut off our supply of alcohol to intervene, but we did not open this bar in order to cook food and make money. Although the Sage and I do realize this was more fun than we had anticipated. In other words, you do not want to hold an Iberian Orc cooking show if you do not have to? Capturing him was all well and good, but when we tried slicing off a piece of his ear and eating it, it was too bitter and smelly to serve to customers. And it didnt even provide many Experience Points. Or at least, that is what we planned to announce when canceling the event. I see, I see, I see. Then I was right to force my way in here like this Sibyl sighed and pointed to one of the 2 remaining doors. It may have been one of the reused antique materials because the wood was a deep color that could not be produced just by rubbing coats of varnish on it. Wildefrau opened it and found a kitchen. Unlike on Earth, there was no electricity and it used a hand-pumped well instead of plumbing. There was no refrigerator, but there was some sort of large water tank full of cold water. The only other difference was a system using firewood instead of a gas burner or oven. The rest was not much different from a normal restaurant kitchen. However, there were no cooks. The knives, spatulas, frying pans, pots, and other cooking equipment were all moving on their own. They almost looked like living creatures that merely took those shapes. This is all thanks to the Sage. It is apparently an experiment in reusing the Gimmicks that wander the Labyrinth. Although those mimic the structures of existing plants and animals. Didnt we humans try that and fail rather spectacularly? The remains of the giant laboratory are now used as a battle arena. It depends on the human attempting it. The Sage can do it, even if the rest of you cant. Also... Wildefrau looked around and then turned back toward Sibyl. The Elf stepped into the kitchen after her and used her back to shut the door. ...Where is the Iberian Orc himself? You cant just lead me on after all this. Or have you already shoved him into the oven? Wildefrau rapped lightly on the tiled wall bordering the next room. Armelina snapped her fingers while watching through her frame. Bingo. Its the room next to the kitchen! Based on the observations of the buildings exterior, it doesnt seem to have a window, but we can blow a hole in the exterior wall. In fact, no window is a good thing because they cant see us approaching. Eh? Eh? B-but we still dont have a pin for Boo Boo or the Sage... Filinion sounded confused, but Armelina did not care. I said the Sage might be able to see through it, remember? If theyre in the same room, theres nothing more we can do. We need to shift from gathering information to an all-out attack. The fresher the information the better, so we need to prepare to blow through the wall before they can move him elsewhere on a whim!! Wait, Armelina. Something isnt right. Beatrice was correct. In that case, why had Sibyl invited Wildefrau to the kitchen? ...Especially when there were knives and meat tenderizers moving on their own in there. I forgot to mention something, said the Elf. Oh, no, said Filinion. I dont like the sound of this. You seem to have mistakenly thought the Sage was satisfied simply receiving arrogant reports from those below her, continued Sibyl. But she actually sent out an observer to personally monitor the movements of that Iberian Orc. ...Yes, I, the Royal Elf named Sibyl, was sent to secretly tail him. Not good! shouted Filinion. Thus, we know that you were captured after that disturbance in the mountains. You could not possibly have been free to make a surprise attack. So you can imagine my surprise when you produced that picture and tooth. Plus, this was not someone elses tooth used as a decoy; it was the originals. That tells me 2 things. #1: You, Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau, have some reason to deceive me in order to set foot in the back of this bar. That is not too surprising. It is entirely possible you managed a jailbreak and fled to Grounds Nir in such a short time. But the problem is #2: For some reason, you have Beatrices support here. That makes your goal simple to guess. ...And that is why I said I would trust your hobby but not your character!! Some were sharp blades and some were blunt weapons. More than 100 knives, meat tenderizers, frying pans, and hand-cranked meat grinders all floated up into the air at once. The Ice Waterfall Princesss special technique was to create an absolute zero environment and sap her opponents strength until they froze to death, but that required gradually wearing them down from a safe zone outside their field of vision. She had trouble with direct combat. If she was exposed to a storm of blades and blunt weapons inside a small space, she could not create a white curtain of snow to blind her opponent. Her ultimate attack created an artificial universe of -273 degrees in which everything C including gas C froze, but even that might not work against fully inorganic Gimmicks. If they were built to function even in the vacuum of space, they would continue moving. Simply put, it was unknown just how much Wildefrau could defend against this. Dammit, prepare for the explosion! Beatrice, were blowing that wall and saving Wildefrau. Cmon!! W-wait! But what about Boo Boo!? Even if hes in the next room, that slight lag could lead to his death. The Sage might panic and stab him with a butcher knife when she hears the explosion! Filinions words froze the atmosphere. Throughout all of this, they had yet to see the Sage. That meant she had to be speaking with Boo Boo in that other room. She had full resistance to every Element, so they did not know how to defeat her. Even a surprise attack at full power only gave them a 50/50 shot at saving Boo Boo, so they could not afford any further difficulty. But on the other hand, Wildefraus life was in definite danger. Now that her cover was blown, Sibyl would show no mercy. What were they after, how much did they know, and how much of a threat were they to the Sage? Sibyl could either slowly slice her apart until she had the answers to those questions, or she could immediately kill her. Blowing a hole in the wall to one room would definitely alert the occupants of the other. Saving one meant letting the other die. They would lose their chance to rescue that other person. The one holding the key to the detonation was the Fire Element level capper: Beatrice. Unless she agreed, the others had no way of overturning the decision. She prepared two rectangular frames with her fire illusion magic. One said Boo Boo. The other said Wildefrau. Wait, youre kidding, right!? We cant just abandon someone who helped us, Beatrice!! Beatrice, you have to make the decision! Whatever you choose, make sure its a decision you wont regret!! Part 10 Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau smiled thinly while surrounded by the many kitchen tools thought to be installed with Gimmick structures. There were 2 rooms and only 1 wall could be detonated from outside. That meant the others were certain to rescue Boo Boo and leave her to die. Otherwise, their visit to this dangerous place would have been meaningless. They would not overlook that she had primarily been a disposable tool. It seemed like a fitting end to her. It had been Beatrice and the others who had decided to overcome Sibyls questioning using the photo and the real tooth, but Wildefrau doubted she could have come up with a different idea on her own. She had grabbed the offered card without thinking, so she had to accept the result of that. In a way, this was only natural. (Also...) Wildefrau glanced over at Sibyl who had kept her distance but also used her back to block the sole escape route, but she was actually thinking about something else entirely. (...I was kind of hoping this would happen.) She had had no friends at school. People had long kept their distance from those who could not distinguish dreams from reality. The existence of Grounds Nir and Magic had prevented her from growing out of being such a person. It had even pushed her further in that direction. She had accepted that dreams could grow as dreams instead of crashing against the harsh wall of reality. What did reality matter? By gathering Pieces and dedicating them to the state, couldnt she be far more useful than a salaryman working his ass off or a housewife desperately making ends meet? Once she made that excuse, she had lost her chance to fit in. She saw no need to compromise. Those with talents useful to society became known as great men. Reading through a biography on Nobel or Edison would show that their lives were extremely unusual. Any normal person would frown upon hearing that Da Vinci actively and repeatedly performed autopsies to look inside corpses to find ideas for his works. But even in the age of the witch hunts when bigotry and discrimination were much stronger, he had not been criticized or punished. Everyone had decided he was necessary and feared losing him for no reason. She had run further and further and further ahead. By the time she had realized she was scared to look back, it had been far too late. She could not return to who she had once been. Once you started the tightrope walk, there was no turning back. Doing so would only increase the risk of falling. So she had had no choice but to continue on. She had had no choice but to trust that there was something waiting on the other side. She had not wanted to accept that she was a freak. So she had needed to become a genius. And here was the result: a fall. After fearing the cruel wall of reality and instead immersing herself in a world of dreams within dreams, she would now lose her life in Grounds Nir. When someone had lost their place in reality, they could only live within dreams and die within dreams. So the only difference was whether it happened now or after she had aged a few decades longer. She had brought this on herself. But no matter how many times she was reborn, she doubted she could ever abandon this path. ...She had been sick of her real life. She did not even want to mention her real name. Her family had been poor. But the terrible scores on her tests went beyond the side effects of poverty mentioned on talk shows. She doubted her scores would have changed even if her family had been wealthy. It was the same for her inability to keep up in class, to make friends, to follow the latest trends, or to even pick up on social cues. Shoving the blame off onto anything but herself had been convenient. If she defined it as a problem she was incapable of fixing, she could mentally free herself. She may have had no place in the real world, but that had not been a problem when she had another world to visit. And once she had found success there, she had been unable to stop. If there had been another path, she would have chosen it long ago. There was nothing else for her even if she did quit, so she had needed to hone herself here. If this was a dead end for her, then so was everything else. In fact, she had done well to last this long. Yes, yes, better luck next time. That was all her life was worth. That was why no one had loved her, why no one had believed in her, why no one had relied on her, and why no one had shared in her joys or hardships. She had not been back home in years. That was not something for a girl of 14 to say, but it was the truth. She still remembered the look on her parents face when she had last seen them. It was the look of disgust upon seeing something far too bright. She was selfish and had an immature personality, but they could not get angry since she made dozens if not hundreds of times more money than them. They could have accepted that if they could at least claim they had raised her well, but Wildefraus Magic was used to bring death. They could not stop her and they could not proudly claim her as their own, so they were unsure how to handle that economic monster that only continued to grow. That was the look on their faces. When she had seen that, she had wanted to fade away into nothingness. She had wanted to cut all ties to the real world and become something that lived only in her dreams. So her demise would be met with indifference. It was wrong to think there was anyone left who would shed tears of sorrow for her or who would burn with anger and come to save her. After all, she had given up on all that and cut those ties. (I see...) She recalled the intense emotion she had felt in the mountain blizzard when receiving a counterattack from someone she deemed beneath her. She had assumed the blood was rushing to her head because they had prevented her from scoring a perfect game, but that may have been wrong. (I may have been jealous of them for compromising with reality while still immersing themselves in Grounds Nir to that extent. I may have been jealous that they could live in a dream without destroying their bonds to others.) But what did that matter? Even if she was reborn 100 times, would she ever be able to pull off something like that? With that in mind, Wildefrau gave her life over to the approaching storm of deadly blades. That was the very same mistake she had made countless times already. So... And yet... The wall behind Wildefrau seemed to swell out as it was blown up from outside. Part 11 In that instant, Beatrice was not simply thinking about Wildefrau. She of course had not given up on rescuing Boo Boo. And... Iberian Orcs like Boo Boo and Disaster have tough enough skin to deflect my flames to an extent. I know that from actual combat experience. Beatrice? It might be a little painful, but it wont kill him. So why hold back? Q. There are two locked rooms, each with an important hostage within. You only have one chance at a detonation. Which one will you save? A normal person would agonize over the decision and choose one while wracked with guilt. Or they would be unable to choose, run out of time, and lose both lives. But the strongest were different. The level cap group found another answer. A. Why look at this on as small a scale as individual rooms? Blow it all away at once and the number of rooms is of no consequence. They had blown up the entire exterior wall that bordered the kitchen. The entire boxy building tilted a bit, but it had not entirely collapsed. While on the lookout for the Sage in case she was entirely unharmed, Beatrices group swiftly entered the building, but they soon found something entirely unexpected. Dammit, what is this!? Theres no one in the final room either!! Not Boo Boo and not the Sage!! B-B-B-B-B-B-Beatrice!? Thats a big deal too, but, um!! Filinions trembling voice was answered by several knives and icepicks bursting from the gray dust and cutting through the space which no longer had any concept of walls or rooms. The Holy Swordswoman made a single swing of her rapier. The sharp sweep of the Shining Weapon caused flames to burst out like blood from a wound in the world itself. They burned through all of the automatic weapons made from kitchen tools. The flames were large and powerful enough to annihilate even the dust from which the many weapons flew. This was clearly overkill for protecting themselves. The flames had been released to protect Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau who had been knocked to the floor by the blast. Dont just lie there! Stand up, Wildefrau!! Beatrice carefully calculated the blast, so you shouldnt even need one of Filinions recovery potions!! Eh? Ah? The Ice Waterfall Princess looked baffled, so Armelina continued as if using her words as a slap in the face. I dont know your past, but we wont abandon you now that weve accepted you into our group! We have a responsibility to help you!! The decision came down to Beatrice since shes our fire user, but she didnt compromise there. You did well. You completed your job. We will get you back alive! Before you start sulking, we have a final job to do, Wildefrau!! We have to escape from here!! It made no sense. Had they brought further risk onto themselves for that obligation? Had they done it for a mad dog who would bite your ear off if you let your guard down? Even though blowing down just the wall to the final room would have given them a more surefire surprise attack? I dont care. Beatrice immediate spat out those words when she saw the pleading look in Wildefraus eyes. She turned her back on the lost girl, but that almost seemed to show off the magic circle there. I dont know who you are as a human. But Boo Boo has a kind heart, so it would definitely hurt him if he knew we abandoned one of our own to save him. I wanted to avoid that. I did it for him! ... The explanation sounded dismissive, but one phrase pinpointed how they viewed Wildefrau: one of our own. This was not a false smile plastered on their faces to get what they wanted. It had naturally slipped out in the middle of what amounted to an insult. So stand up, Wildefrau! Stand up and help us!! Either way, the Sage and Boo Boo arent here, so our only option is fighting Sibyl and getting the truth out of her. Since the surprise attack wasnt enough, we have to make an all-out attack. The more people we have to rely on the better, even if that means someone like you!! Because Beatrice did not hold back at all, Wildefrau felt like those words provided a glimpse of the thoughts in her heart. Peoples hearts had no physical form, so it was hard to provide physical evidence of what was inside them. That was what had put Wildefrau in such a bind here, but even she could understand this. Are...? They really did view the Ice Waterfall Princess as one of their own and someone they could rely on. Are all of you stupid...? Maybe we are, but were asking for your help to save Boo Boo, Wildefrau! If you dont agree to that, we really will abandon you this time. Well give up on you as not worth our time! If you dont want that, then stand up and prepare to fight!! We dont have time. The Sage might have heard the explosion, so hurry! We have to work together to defeat the Sages companion, get past this, and find a hint to reach Boo Boo!!!!! She was an honest-to-god idiot. Despite the harshness on the surface, she was saying they had not given up on Wildefrau yet. Even after everything she had done to them on that snowy mountain, they still wanted to trust her. They really thought this was her final chance and that they could grab her hand and pull her up. Wildefrau had wanted to fade away and cut off all ties. But something had remained. That one final line was hopelessly thin and yet it would not be broken. Heh, eh heh heh. When that came to mind, Wildefrau found herself laughing for some reason. She had no real obligation to do as they said, but she found strength filling her legs after being knocked over by the explosive blast. Perhaps she feared losing whatever this was that was being offered to her. She felt a calm elation she had never before experienced. This feeling had never welled up within her when she had gathered great quantities of Pieces that brought about technological revolutions or when she had spent long periods of time wearing down whoever she had deemed to be weak. Fine, then. If you intend to make use of me C of Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau C then prepare yourselves! My attacks are not exactly precise and I might overdo things a bit and encase my allies in ice too!! Ultimately, she made an announcement in her usual style. At the same time, small Icons lined up in the air alongside her fingers. A giant magic circle appeared in front of her chest at the center of the intersection point of the cross-shaped sword. Yes, she might have spoken sharply, but another message had been woven into those words: I will work hard enough for you that youll get mad at me for overdoing it. Part 12 Hmph. At some point, a strange Shining Weapon had appeared in Sibyls hands. It was a curved wooden branch with a large crystal ball on the end and a thin string strung across it. It looked something like a bow or a staff. In fact, she no longer wore the waitress uniform made from a red negligee. She now wore a green dress with the chest left wide open. Her twintails were also undone, giving her flowing straight hair. This is not quite as planned, but, well, its within the acceptable range. And it lets me wipe out all of the Sages enemies at once, so thats good. Are you ready to face a Royal Elf? Ready for what, you idiot? Were well aware that Nonhumans born in Grounds Nir cant use the Shining Weapons or Magic designed for humans!! Armelina swung her metal staff and summoned the usual ball-and-chain onto the head. If Sibyl was indeed bluffing, it would end here. They had a Holy Swordswoman who had mastered fire, a Fighter Priest who specialized in physical attacks, an Ice Waterfall Princess who was an expert in freezing attacks, and a White Witch who had thoroughly honed her logistical and healing techniques. A Party with that many level cappers in it even had a chance of challenging a Break News using direct firepower. However. Laser Lock. Bright light came from the crystal ball on the end of the Shining Weapon Sibyl held. As she pulled back the bowstring, the light gathered into a single arrow and then was mercilessly launched. The violent beam of light tore through space. It struck Armelinas raised Shining Weapon and knocked her arms upwards. With her arms overhead, her body was left defenseless. And that had not been a coincidence. Sibyl had aimed for the weapon to ensure her target could be finished off with the next shot. They could see several Icons standing up from the surface of the curved wood as if to provide monitors that visually supported Sibyl. Then the Royal Elf spoke coldly. Check. Dammit!! How can an Elf use human Mag-...!? The next shot was fired before Armelina could finish speaking. Sibyl was both fast and persistent. The glowing arrowhead curved through space in order to stab through Armelinas heart. If she tried to dodge, it would likely sharply correct its course to continue toward her vitals. Or it would have if the glowing arrow had not been knocked out of the way by Wildefraus ice shield, the lantern shield which was combined with a giant hand. Dont die just after saying something like that. Arent you going to rehabilitate me? Sorry. And thanks!! B-being honest only at times like this is cheating. This was quite an unusual side of the Ice Waterfall Princess, but they unfortunately did not have time to focus on that. A Royal Elf, and thus a Nonhuman born in Grounds Nir, was operating a Shining Weapon and freely using human Magic. They had to think about how to respond to this situation. (The Icons arent all that numerous. But that doesnt mean she isnt very familiar with the Magic. Just like Wildefrau, has she chosen a few she uses a lot and created shortcuts on a Palette!?) Beatrice used her fire illusion Magic to call up a few frames and lines, but there were too many blanks to find an answer right now. Is it really that strange? Sibyl looked quite calm for having broken through a supposed impossibility. The Magic, Shining Weapons, and everything else you rely on like normal are no more than toys given to you by the Sage. Youre kidding. Are you saying the Sage can tune a Shining Weapon for a Royal Elf!? Prepare yourselves. Filinion had to be counted out, but Beatrice, Armelina, and Wildefrau all charged in toward Sibyl from different directions so they could not be targeted. And that included the Holy Swordswoman, who could fill a kilometers-wide field with hellfire on the level of a wildfire, and the Ice Waterfall Princess, who could create a hell of absolute zero where even the air skipped past its liquid form and froze. With that much force in such a cramped space, not harming their allies was more difficult than defeating their enemy. But that did not matter. As soon as Sibyl turned the bow on its side and pulled the bowstring, the arrow of light spread out in a fan shape to produce not just 3, but more than 30 arrows. It was a lot like the magic crossbow used by Othinus, the Danish version of Odin. And while that bow was said to have slain 10 foes at a time, the deadly power of this weapon was 3 times greater than the gods weapon. Oh, no. No, Armelina!! The key is the crystal ball!! Armelinas eyes widened at Beatrices warning. A moment later, a beam of light thicker than 1000 arrows bundled together burst from the end of the curved wooden staff and tore through space itself. The Fighter Priest turned her metal staff into a small boat meant to crush her foes. She used it as a shield and bent her upper body back at the very last second. The thick steel boat was torn through like wet paper, creating a hole larger than a watermelon, and the beam partially tore away Armelinas breastplate as it passed above her bridge pose. Being so flaaat had effectively saved her. If the Holy Swordswoman had been even a second later to speak up, Armelina would have been pierced through. Sibyl prepared to fire again at Armelina who had completely lost her balance and could not move from where she was, but Beatrice swung her rapier sideways from a distance. It was not fire that burst out. To avoid the incredible roar of a high-voltage current, Sibyl took a step back. Thunderbolt. I see. You vibrate the soot and smoke particles to produce a large quantity of static electricity. Fire is merely your starting point and you can reach other Elements, is that it? That almighty ability reminds me more and more of her. The method you use is quite different, though. Beatrices eyebrows twitched at the mention of someone who was not here, but she could not focus on that now. She first made sure the Fighter Priest was all right. Even your lucky breaks stem from your failures. That was bothering me, so you didnt have to say it out loud!! Armelina blushed and shouted back at her, but Beatrice simply used Magic to strengthen her Shining Weapon rapiers cutting edge while attacking Sibyl. Metal Cutting! But Sibyl only took a single step back. She spun her odd weapon around, creating a large ring of light from the path of the crystal ball. Shield Method. The inside of the ring filled with identical light, creating a shield of destructive power. Even after leaving the staff, the ring of light rapidly rotated and deflected both Beatrices rapier and Armelinas giant fist as soon as they touched it. A chill ran down the Holy Swordswomans spine. Sibyl was the kind of person to knock her opponent off balance and then take certain victory with her next attack. She had not released her shield. It rushed forward like she was using a tunnel boring machine to tear through human flesh. Ugeh!? Thats just cruel!! Attacking the approaching shield with Magic would have little effect at this point. Beatrice sharply altered the direction of her rapiers tip and destroyed the floor below their feet. Metal Jet!! A total of 8 lines of heat sliced through the floor like a hot knife through butter, dividing it into blocks. This would do no damage to Sibyl herself, but taking out the floor below her was bound to knock her off balance. And she was holding her own exceedingly destructive shield at the moment. If she tripped and came into contact with it, she would meet an even more tragic fate than someone who had an accident while using a chainsaw. ! Sibyl pitched forward and came to a cautious stop without thinking, so Beatrice and Armelina used that opening to fall back. They had briefly kept their lives, but the basic threat remained. They could not win without finding a way around Sibyls malleable Magic. Th-that tunnel boring machine shield doesnt look fancy, but isnt it way too nasty? It hides her entire body, so theres nothing we can do if she just keeps moving toward us! Then we just have to think of a way to get damage behind the shield without breaking through the shield itself! It could be oxygen deprivation, a shockwave, or something acoustic!! Regardless, how was it possible for a Royal Elf like Sibyl to use human Magic? Had the Sage really given her a specialized Shining Weapon, just as she had claimed? Or was her identity as a long-eared Elf a bluff and she was only a human who had used her Percentage-type Magic to adjust her appearance to look like an Elf? (No...) Beatrice added a few pieces of information to her frames and lines of fire illusion Magic. That was not the only mystery here. First and foremost, where had the Sage and Boo Boo gone? And how had Sibyl changed out of her waitress-style negligee into a green dress? For that matter, could they really take her word for the alleged fact that the flying knives and meat tenderizers were perfect recreations of the Gimmick structure courtesy of the Sage? She would have had no reason to tell her enemies the truth. It all seemed contradictory at first, but it had to all be explainable under a single set of rules. At this point, Sibyl would not waste her time with silly games. It had all looked like separate phenomena to Beatrice and the others, but it had to have all been fully optimized from Sibyls point of view. But then what was it? Where was the core of the issue being hidden? ...So thats it. Was it due to those muttered words, due to the smile on her lips, or due to the new frames she created and connected with several lines? Sibyl frowned suspiciously while glaring at her, but that no longer mattered. Rising Sun. Explosive light radiated from the crystal ball on the head of Sibyls raised weapon. And... Laser Lock. Oh, no! Somethings coming from behind that bright curtain! And the attack is hidden within that identically colored light!! Some English textbooks wrote the answers in red and placed red cellophane over the page to hide them. This was the same. If an arrow or shield of light attacked from beyond all of that light, they would be unable to see the timing or path of the attack. Beatrice and the others would only be able to stand there as they were picked off. Or so it seemed. However. A moment later, a high-pitched noise rang out as Beatrices rapier mercilessly knocked down Sibyls arrow of light despite the glowing smokescreen. Part 13 Filinion, Armelina, and Wildefrau were not the only ones surprised. Royal Elf Sibyl was of course the most shocked to have her supposedly surefire attack so easily deflected. (No, it couldnt be. Was it just a coincidence?) She drew the bowstring once more and fired multiple glowing arrows in quick succession. Not all of them flew in a straight path. Some curved in from the right, some swooped up from below to target the jaw, and some shot past Beatrices shoulder only to make a sharp U-turn. The ever-changing acrobatics surpassed the concept of a bow and behaved more like a living creature. But none of it mattered. Without even turning her body all the way around, Beatrice used just her right hand to turn her rapier into a silver glow that sliced through the air and knocked down all of the arrows targeting her vitals. (It wasnt!! Then does she really get it!?) Whether or not you were given a Shining Weapon for a Nonhuman Royal Elf, I doubt you would be able to use Magic. The key to Magic is Experience Points, which are properly seen as the experiences humans from Earth have in another world. Magic comes from changing using the device to change the target of those Experience Points. So with or without a Shining Weapon, you could never earn any Experience Points as long as you remain in Grounds Nir. ... In that case, how can you use Magic? No, how are you making it look like youre using Magic? Its still only a theory, but every Nonhuman supposedly has a trait that differentiates them from humans, right? We refer to that as their species unique Skill. If so, then my guess would be what looks like Magic here is really a phenomenon reliant on your Skill. Yes, for example... Laser Lock!! Sibyl refused to let her say anymore, so she drew the bowstring even tighter and launched an arrow of light. But the Holy Swordswoman swung her rapier to accurately strike it down before continuing. Perhaps you materialize the residual thoughts left in objects. So instead of using Magic, you would be drawing out a visual of the human who used that Magic. Sibyls words caught in her throat. How was Beatrice able to deflect these arrows of light that freely bent every which way as they accurately targeted her vitals? That was all the proof one needed that she had seen through Sibyls tactics. In other words, you arent calculating the arrows paths here and now. You have a limited number of past arrows to choose from and you select one with a useful path to recreate. You check where your opponent is standing and then adjust your own position to be in just the right spot to hit them using a past attack. Sibyls attacks were all flying along known paths. Once she used her Magic in front of Beatrices group once, it would only ever look like she was repeating the same thing. Even if she blinded them with light, her attacks were simple to block as long as they got the timing right. It was no different from getting the rhythm right while swinging the bat in front of a pitching machine that launched balls at set intervals. The knives and meat tenderizers flying around the kitchen on their own were the same. They had nothing to do with Gimmicks. You were only summoning the residual thoughts to reproduce the movements their former owners had given them. Of course, that means they were also thrown to kill someone, so thats not exactly something worth celebrating. Once she had entered battle mode, Sibyl had changed from the waitress-style red negligee into a green dress, but that too was the same. In fact... If the waitress uniform itself had been formed from residual thoughts... And the final question: why did Boo Boo and the Sage disappear from this bar? said Beatrice. That was what we assumed happened, but we were wrong. She spun her rapier around to point it toward Sibyl. And she gave the answer revealed by her many frames and lines of fire illusion Magic. The very bar we first entered as customers was no more than an illusion created by summoned residual thoughts. The actual popular bar exists somewhere else. Am I wrong? It had been packed with customers. Plenty of food had been served and they had eaten it just fine. But what if the entire bar had been a lie? What if everything they ate with a smile and stored in their stomachs had been ghosts of the past? Besides, the Sage and Sibyl had been selling Buffs to support peoples Magic. It did not matter if that was real or not. Everyone had seen the Magic rings in their drinks, grabbed them, equipped them, and actually received their effects, hadnt they? The range of that had merely been expanded outwards a bit. Wait, what does that mean? Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau looked back and forth between Beatrice and Sibyl. So shes summoning memories of Magic in order to use it? Then if we destroy the object those memories are contained inside, we can finish off Sibyl!? Like her Shining Weapon maybe!? !! Without thinking, Sibyl adjusted her grip on the fusion of a staff and bow, but... No, she wouldnt hide it somewhere so simple. It was that comment from Beatrice that really did fill the Royal Elfs heart with ice. She could no longer fool them. She could not throw off their aim with bluffs or tricks. As long as it contains the residual memories of the person who used the Magic, it could be anything, so it doesnt have to be the Shining Weapon. Besides, I doubt she would show off her lifeline like that or readily use it to clash with my rapier or Armelinas ball-and-chain. If it happened to crack or break, she wouldnt be able to fight any longer. Th-then what is the core? It would have to be within arms reach and something she kept nearby so she could always draw out its residual memories. And in battle, it would be as important as her own life, so she would even put herself in danger to protect it. Beatrice created 8 balls of light around herself. This Magic was named Metal Jet. With a diameter of a meter, each one could extend for several kilometers with the force of a chemical warhead capable of burning through a tank, so they felt a lot like laser beams. She aimed the tip of her rapier. It seemed pointed at Sibyls nose, but it was actually a little off of that. The final blank was something found everywhere here. The several frames and lines pointed to something nearby but distant. Yes... That door youve kept your back to. That was secretly taken from the Next Voyager ghost ship where Vampire Kallikantzaros sleeps, wasnt it? At first, I thought it was a clever act to keep Wildefrau from escaping, but that wasnt it. Sibyl could feel the great tension in her face. And this was a change she had never experienced in her long years as nothing more than the master of the enchanting woods. She was enjoying this. ...In truth, Sibyl had no way of confirming that everything the Sage had told her was true. And even if the Sage had explained the theory she supposedly used to break the barrier of time, Sibyl had no way of objectively proving it would work. But whether the Sage was telling the truth or not, the fact remained that her words upon their first meeting had reached the core of Sibyls heart. So the Royal Elf had trusted the stranger and decided she was worth walking alongside. The Sage had said, Past, present, or future, you really dont change, do you? Seeing your face is somehow nostalgic. That had led Sibyl to a realization. In the past, present, or future, she would only do as people said and behave as a Royal Elf. No one wanted her to take a single step outside of the pre-established harmony, they did not even tell her that was a possibility, she was left to not even question being treated like a stone or tree, and she would simply continue to inhale and exhale just like today be it 1000 or even 10,000 years from then. Ultimately, she was playing with fire. A Royal Elf with noble blood in her veins was playing with fire just a little. She was taking just a small step outside of the pre-established harmony. Even if that meant something definitive was derailed, she would take it. She would accept it. She would savor it. She could feel her chest filling with a sense of achievement after, for the first time in her life, accomplishing something on her own without anyone else asking it of her. So. That was why. This is no joke, Sibyl. Where does that look of accomplishment come from? Armelinas voice stopped the tension in her cheek that was trying to form a smile. Her face froze over. There was no time, so they could not hold a full conversation. But the passage of time seemed to have slowed and the look in her eyes said it all. Had she successfully gathered all the Hate on herself and allowed the Sage to escape safely? Was she satisfied with this one-way ticket of a plan given to her by the Sage? Was this really the best thing for the Sage? No, it was not. No matter how much she thought this was for her ally, it was all wasted effort. Even White Witch Filinion could tell. You should have stopped her no matter what it took back when you saw her wandering and lost! If yours was the only hand from either world that could reach her, then you needed to pull her back onto the proper path!! If... If she had truly been acting out of concern for her... Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau also spoke. Pushing people forward is not the only form of kindness. You should have stopped the Sage. Isnt that when you should have given a truly unrestrained smile!? Why...? Sibyl ignored her situation here and forced her mouth open as if to even reject the way time seemed to stretch out forever. Why do you have to say all this...!? Filinion, Armelina, and even Wildefrau all had the same look in their eyes. The light seen there spoke clearly: We too have entrusted ourselves to that red Holy Swordswoman, so we can tell we had to say this. Ah. That was the limit. The conditions were the same, but there was a fundamental difference between the girls who had remained by her side to the end and the one who had let go partway through. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! As soon as she found she had no rebuttal, the flow of time sped back up. Something terribly sharp and bright shot right by her cheek and broke through what stood directly behind her. Part 14 A low vibration rattled in the ceiling. The Sage looked up while facing Boo Boo in the windowless room, slowly sighed, and then silently stood from the box she was sitting on. At some point, her strange waitress uniform had changed to the red armor and white miniskirt combo of a Holy Swordswoman. Her hair was straight once more as well. ...So Sibyl was defeated. B-boo? Boo Boo timidly spoke up, but the Sage only held her gauntleted hand to her mouth and giggled. Dont worry, Boo Boo. Im not mad. ? In fact, it helps that Sibyl was defeated at this stage. It is a shame I wasnt able to find a better way for Disaster to step down, though. This is not the final train. I had honestly wanted to have her naturally step down before she got caught up in the real trouble. The way the Sage smiled as she spoke reminded Boo Boo of a distant memory. He realized this was just like that time. She had that strange expression that looked sad even with a smile. What are you trying to do? Solve this in a different way than you. Wait!! Where are going!? Whether or not you know, the end point is the same. So we will meet again. Once you reach the true Grounds Nir. Boo Boo got up from the cart and tried to grab the Sage. He could not tell if she was a good person or not, but he could not let her leave. That impatience urged him to action. But the very next moment, the Sage had already vanished from before his eyes. Then he felt a heavy impact to the back of his head. Part 15 They did not know the detailed conditions that Royal Elf Sibyl needed to materialize residual thoughts with her Skill, but since she had been staying so close to that door, its effective range could not be far. Boo Boo!! After running from the empty building that had been decorated by the residual thoughts and then looking around, Beatrice spotted an almost identical building across the narrow back alley and facing the next road over. The inn town humans had said the Iberian Orc was taken to the back of the bar, but that position would have allowed him to be brought into either of the buildings. Once Beatrice set foot inside, that familiar bestial odor reached her nose. She followed her sense of smell and threw open the door. She found a windowless room. Boo Boo was facing the wall. And there was a slight burnt smell mixed in. Boo Boo...? When I woke up, the Sage was gone. He did not turn back toward her and his giant hands were working at something. He was facing what looked like the burned remains of parchment. That was likely all that remained of the documents the Sage had burned before leaving. Boo Boo was gathering them together, pasting them to the wall, and using pins and string to connect anything even slightly related. She was smiling, but she looked sad. I remember that look well. She had the same look when she spoke with me on the day the village was lost. That may have been why he seemed so clearly impatient despite usually being so carefree in a self-sufficient life not ruled by a calendar or clock. I cant ignore that, he said without turning around. I dont know whats going to happen, but it cant be good. She said she did this to intentionally get her companion to lose to you and step down. That way she wouldnt get involved in the rest of this. If thats true, I dont think the Sage fears her own death. And that isnt a good thing! Impatient Boo Boo obeyed his instincts to line up the scraps of parchment on the wall and link related items together with string. But he did not know much about human circumstances or Magic, so he seemed to lack the ability to translate a general sense of unease into words. He agonized over the puzzle he had put together. Beatrice peered over at it herself. She looked from string to string and scrap to scrap. This was the same information management technique she used with her fire illusion Magic. And by looking through each entry, her thoughts aligned with Boo Boos. The girl with human knowledge finally spoke. ...The deepest part of the Labyrinth...the Grounds Nir monster...Boo Boos village...a method the Iberian Orcs did not use...the strongest individual rather than group...the limits of a life form...support from a tool...in other words, the strongest weapon...a Break News...? Boo, hold on. Did you just say a Break News? The Sage is already ridiculously strong, but now shes trying to use a paradox with a soul!? This is bad, muttered Beatrice. The girl with red and silver hair grew pale and turned toward her reliable friend. Lorelei is an inorganic Break News that takes the form of a sword. When it is pulled from the stone, it materializes the greatest strength its wielder can imagine, but then it points out the flaws in that theory, tears it apart, and guides its wielder to ruin. But it looks like she completed a complicated book on how to get Lorelei to fully submit to her... Lorelei. The desperate Elkiad leader had once reached for that exceptional Break News in a last-ditch attempt. Beatrice and the others were only alive today because of the hole in that mans theory of the strongest. But what if someone had the ultimate theory that filled in all of the holes? What if that delusion were materialized? That would lead only to absolute death. Perhaps this was not so much an effective thesis on the strongest power and more like a grimoire used to summon and safely use a powerful demon. And whatever it was, what would happen if the missing Sage really did reach for Lorelei? Would they all live happily ever after if she defeated the Grounds Nir monster she kept talking about? That did not sit well with Beatrice. It made her uneasy, like some twisted irony hidden inside a storybook. Squeal, wait a second, Beatrice. Does that mean...? Yes. We still dont know how formidable a foe this Grounds Nir thing is, but if that sage is taking this so seriously, then she might just gain the power to defeat that monster if she gains full control of Lorelei. Beatrice desperately steadied her dizzy head and leaned against Boo Boo. And she said more. But that might also mean remaking the Sage into an even greater monster. And that wont accomplish anything. It will only mean this island is being threatened by a monster with even more power!! Between the Lines 1 I cant believe this. That wasnt what I was trying to do. Yes, yes. Ill admit it. That started as a bit of mischief from me. I carved Iberian! into the Shining Weapon you had picked up and started using. But...but that wasnt what I meant. Im sorry! Im really sorry! Iberian does refer to top quality, but, um, its kind of a cruel and dark joke. Im sorry!! Eh? Its already caught on around the village? Its already been added to the cave paintings, so it...cant be...changed??? Wait, wait, wait! This is kind of a big deal. Elder! If you tell them, you can get them to stop, right!? I mean, youre the one guy in the world who defeated me with a single blunt weapon and got me to call you master, so you need to preserve your dignity!! Yes, yeah, Im sorry. I know that was only an angry outburst. So apologizing wont change anything? Its too late? ...Wowww. I see. Then I wont stop any of you, but keep in mind that its a really dark joke, okay? This is going to be even more bad karma I have to carry with me. But if you dont mind, then I wont stop you. Although I guess all I can do is take responsibility as your namer. Yes, yes. Thats right. Then lets keep things the way they are. Right, Iberian Orc elder? Volume 4, 2: Boss_Quest 02 "Double_Standard" Grade: ☆☆☆☆☆ Volume 4, Chapter 2: Boss_Quest 02 "Double_Standard" Grade: Part 1 Now, things were not going well. While they had overcome a major battle with Royal Elf Sibyl who had played a variety of cards supplied by her residual memory materialization and they had safely retrieved Boo Boo, they did not have time to return to Earth for a short break. They did not know where the Sage was and she had apparently wanted to let Sibyl lose so the Elf could safely step down before she began something that sounded truly ominous. Something was definitely going to happen. And if they could believe the information estimated from the burned remains of documents that Boo Boo had pasted to the wall, the Sage planned to become an even greater monster than Grounds Nir by fully controlling Lorelei which gave its wielder power in exchange for assured ruin. They did not have a moment to spare. If the goal was to protect everyone living on the island from a monster, it was pointless to let an even greater monster rampage around. No matter which side won, everything would be annihilated in the end. It was like suggesting to fire a nuclear missile because your opponent had one. That was not a fight to protect. Defeated Sibyl was left with Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra while Beatrice, Armelina, Filinion, Wildefrau, and Boo Boo left the inn town. It would have caused a commotion to have Boo Boo walk freely around the human town, so as much as they hated doing so, they tied him to the cart once more and carried him out that way. So... White Witch Filinion sighed as they removed the ropes from the cart at the base of a mountain away from the human settlement. Youre saying this secret method to fully control Lorelei is hidden at the former site of Boo Boos village? I dont really get it either, but thats what the Sages notes said, said Boo Boo. That means the Sage at least believed it was there. Boo Boo got up from the cart and set his feet on the dark soil ground. We dont know where Lorelei is now, so we cant lie in wait there. That means the village is our only hint. Id rather not go there since it will probably make me sad, but we have no choice. If we dont pursue and stop the Sage soon, something bad is sure to happen. Wheeze. I understand how you feel. I really do. But... Filinion sounded like she was melting away. Beatrice and Armelina both had a very bad feeling about this. We just fought so hard against Sibyl and now we have to fight another group battle? We havent returned to Earth or spent a night at an inn! Im all out of the Willpower needed for Magic!! Hold it, cow!! It was the 3 of us who did all the work! You didnt do squat in the healer role! Who do you think it was that healed your tooth, you imbecile!? And the healer isnt supposed to stand in the line of fire! You may not have noticed, but I did a whole bunch of healing! Without me, you definitely wouldve died 5...no, 10 times over!! By the way, my body feels pretty sluggish, but that isnt your fault, is it? I seem to recall hearing you say the reconstructive healing potion for my tooth was a special case in how mentally taxing it is in exchange for neatly healing facial injuries. ...Huh? Cow, were you just throwing any old recovery potion at us!? That would explain why Im all out of Willpower! Thats like giving me general anesthesia and performing major surgery just because I tripped and scraped my knee, isnt it!? Anyway, the Sage is already on the way to the former Iberian Orc village and we cant afford to let her get away!! Beatrice and Armelina lectured her, but fully melted Filinion only childishly pouted her lips (despite being in college) and refused to listen. Then someone elses comment only exacerbated the turmoil. It came from Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. Now, I have never directly dealt with her, but the Sage is quite skilled, correct? Perhaps even more so than Sibyl? If were completely out of Willpower and cant use any Magic when we do run across her, wont we just be wasting that fateful encounter? Ah, you idiot!! Right? Right!? Not even Date Masamune or Takeda Shingen fought all the time without any sleep or rest. Getting your rest so you can fight at top performance is the key to victory, isnt it? Yes, yes!! That glasses cow is only complaining and buying time because she wants to take a break, so dont encourage her! Ahh, she always latches right onto anyone whos willing to listen to her... In the real world, this would have been a college girl clinging to a middle school girls leg, so it was an odd visual. But the Ice Waterfall Princess looked like the dominatrix type, so combining her with the slow glasses cow who had become a large golden dog was even more...something. Beatrice had trouble deciding if it was a match made in heaven or a dangerous mixture. (How about we have Wildefrau take responsibility for the glasses cow from now on?) (Thats an excellent idea. It sounds like a nice hazing for our newcomer.) You two! Youre trying to shove some kind of awful job onto me, arent you!? That said, Beatrice was also doubtful that they could defeat the Sage at the best of times. And it was true that their Willpower had been dragged down from middle midlevel to lower midlevel, so they could probably manage a normal Labyrinth crawl but might not have enough for hunting a major target. She had no intention whatsoever of supporting Filinions desire to take it easy, but they did need some way to recover their Willpower even a little. How about we take a nap as a compromise? suggested Wildefrau in a somewhat flat voice with her hands on her hips. She seemed to have grown sick of having the cow clinging to her long leg. Spending the night in an inn would of course be best, but that isnt an option. So we can instead dedicate a short period of time C an hour or two perhaps C to get some deep sleep. Sleep is meant to recover our Willpower, so as long as we accomplish that, the length of time is immaterial. It made sense. (Childish) Beatrice, Armelina, and Filinion flinched at having the (middle school girl) newcomer show them up like that, but when they thought about it, Wildefrau had worked her way up to the level cap just like them. She was no different from them when it came to work-related matters. Boo? So what are you going to do? Well, if we just designate a period of time and say were going to sleep, I think I would just toss and turn. Glasses cow, I bet you would sleep like a baby if you ran around to work off enough fat that those 2 giant things shrank by a few centimeters. In fact, you just dont get enough exercise in general. Or maybe the rest of us could sleep like babies if we grabbed the glasses cows 2 giant things and give them a twist. Okay, lets test that theory. Im sensing some hatred for these breasts even though I didnt ask for them to get this big... But Im going to hide behind Wildefrau! Look at this incredible volume! This is how strong people can grow!! Wait! This is too much for me to handle...!! Wildefrau began panicking once she was caught in the Boobs Substitution ninja technique, but the look in Beatrice and Armelinas eyes was a cold one. Unfortunately, were not all that interested in Wildefrau. Eh? Eh? Does that mean youve accepted me as a good person...? I mean, Wildefrau only created those bodylines by adjusting her equipment. In reality, shes a middle school girl. More accurately, shes a jakigan-style kokeshi doll with a fairly undeveloped B-cu-... Abyahabrbrpeh!? You...you arent supposed to mention that while were in Grounds Nir, officer!! The funny part is that she actually has a bigger cup size than a certain flaaat person I could mention. That isnt funny at all!! Get your butt over here, Beatrice!! Armelina tearfully yelled at her, but if they kept this up, dawn would arrive before they got a wink of sleep. They needed to discuss how to most efficiently get some deep sleep, not spend the night on girls talk. And at times like this, the most sensible pitch was generally thrown by Filinion the glasses cow who knew a wide range of trivia (although it was mostly useless in battle). Then wouldnt it be better to try out the method thats been spreading through the inn town? ? Its all about sleepwear lately. Lets have a pajama party Part 2 Kh... Royal Elf Sibyl awoke to a dull pain piercing the middle of her gut. Unlike in the pure and deep forest damp with night dew, she lay on a simple bed and a tallow lamp produced air that felt like having butter shoved in her mouth. The sheet placed over her did not seem to use even silk thread, so each time she moved, she felt a pain on her skin like a hard brush scraping against her. Where was she? She worked her groggy head as she stared up at the low ceiling. Her long ears then picked up on a secret conversation held in the poorly-lit room. U-um, do we really have to dress like this? Of course. It would cause a scene if we said we had knocked out a waitress from a popular bar and wanted somewhere to interrogate her, so it was best to act like inn guests and rent a convenient room. Gathering together in the inn town at night while wearing pajamas? That sounds naughty to me. I wont let you lay a finger on Onee-sama! There was no point in pretending to be asleep, but Sibyl still kept her eyes only cracked open while observing what she could without moving her head. Three girls stood at the bedside: a Summon Hunter with her long blonde braid tied in a large loop, an Alchemist Cheerleader with pink twintails, and a Noble Dancer with her blonde ponytail wrapped into a curl. It was obvious at a glance that they all had rare Jobs and had honed their skills to a frightening degree. The one real problem was the fact that they had all removed their armor. For some reason, they were all wearing pajamas in this inn at night. The pink twintails girl moved her pompom-covered hands to line up small bottles on the side table. They all contained grooming supplies such as milky lotion and mudpack that she seemed to have gone out of her way to make using Alchemy. But, you know, I only said to wear pajamas, so that choice is your own responsibility. Why are you wearing a baby doll in enemy territory? I-Im sorry. I just went with what I normally wear...sob... No, its fine, young lady. In fact, Im quite a fan of that! Yes!! ...The girl with the mole under her eye began speaking faster and seemed to reveal her true nature(?) a bit, but before Sibyl could figure out what exactly that true nature was, the Noble Dancer kicked the nearly fully-exposed butt of the Alchemist Cheerleader whose bare legs were exposed below her white and pink mini-China pajamas. I wont forgive you if you make Onee-sama cry! I already dont agree with letting you all look after her, so dont get carried away!! Y-you are very different from the cute Rusalka-chan mentioned in the reports. Plus, I dont recall summoning you here too and you have no authority over me. Incidentally, the Noble Dancer was wearing a tank top and bike shorts. That kind of flexible material was fairly rare in Grounds Nir, so she was clearly paying attention to how she looked even if it looked rougher. And this seemed to be the limit for Sibyl. The others had of course noticed that their prey on the bed had opened her eyes a bit to observe her surroundings. And that meant she was able to talk. There was a moonlit window near the bed. Sibyl took a deep breath and prepared to hop up from the bed. Achoo. But just before she did, she heard a sneeze from the pink twintailed Alchemist Cheerleader whose bodylines were exposed by the slits running all the way up both sides of her pajamas. Worse, she heard a sinister metallic noise. She saw a trio of metal claws stick out from the pink pompoms. And they were not meant to simply do damage. They contained a Magic curse that had a chance of causing instant death. Multiple Icons were wrapped around Huldras wrists. If Sibyl had sprung up like a clockwork toy, the tips would have stabbed into her throat. The success rate for instant death could not be very high, but that girl could make a great variety of Items using Alchemy. She had likely increased the success rate using plenty of consumable Items. The pink twintail girl only smiled as the metal claws retracted into the pompoms. Now, then. Since it seems you can move, youll be helping us Tch. Sibyl could not help but click her tongue when Huldra winked and stuck out her tongue a bit. From the looks of things, Huldra would not lock blades in a head-on clash with an enemy she wished to slay. That mini-China girl was like a Gimmick disguised as a treasure chest. Let her appearance fool you, and you would be devoured. Having lost her chance to sit up, Sibyl felt pinned to the bed as she asked a question. What are you trying to do? Thats our question for you. The pompom-wielding Alchemist Cheerleader used Magic to make stars appear in her eyes for no reason. What were you trying to do by working with the Sage? I believe the chief and the others are attacking that question from a different angle. Heh, laughed Sibyl. I am the last of the Royal Elves, rulers of the noble forest. Did you think some simple savagery would be enough move my tongue? ...Or thats what I would like to say, but since I lost, I can only assume the Sage herself set that up as the optimal outcome. It pisses me off, but I will follow her plan. That should be best for her in the end. ...I hate how arrogant this princess is. Sibyl did not let Rusalkas comment get to her. And there was no need for her to remain lying down. She slowly sat up from the hard bed. She had already been irritated by the unpleasant light and smell from the tallow lamp overhead, so she got up on her knees to distance herself from it as much as possible. If you wish for respect, you must first wear the bare minimum of clothing and follow proper etiquette, human. You claimed it was necessary for camouflage, but it saddens me that such a strange outfit even qualifies as camouflage... Then the rough sheet fell away from her chest. She was naked save for some bandages. Time ground to a halt. After being knocked unconscious in the battle, she had been taken to a nearby inn for treatment. She should have considered this possibility, but seeing it for herself was something else entirely. The body illuminated by the flickering light of the impolite tallow lamp was lacking in curves, but it also contained flowing bodylines that attracted the eye of any who saw it. Rather than protect her sensitive skin, the bandages wrapped around the important bits provided the sinister seduction of a certain kind of dancer. Then Rusalka gave a wicked grin. The bare minimum of clothing, hm? Poo hoo hoo... That really is the bare minimum... Immediately afterwards, the princess grew red to the very tips of her long ears, she uttered an unintelligible scream, and a fairly large pillow flew through the air. Part 3 They had to recover their Willpower as quickly as possible so they could use Magic. They could not afford any delay, so they chose Boo Boos brick house as their rest area. Beatrice and the others needed to get some pajamas, so they stopped by the inn town treasury to withdraw some personal items before regrouping at Boo Boos place. After exchanging a glance, a complicated look came over Beatrice and Armelina. Whats this? So all of us already had pajamas prepared? I never had a chance to try them out. If I wore costume pajamas deep in the dark Labyrinth, someone might mistake me for a Gimmick and attack. Um, costume...? Cough, cough!! Oh, dammit, I guess youre finding out later regardless! Look forward to it, Wildefrau!! The four of them intruded on Boo Boos house and then held out their Shining Weapons. Set the time for an hour from now. Ehh? Cant we take 2 hours? 1 hour! Then lets go with 3 as a compromise!! Thats even more and we dont have time for regurgitating clichd gags, Filinion!! Sigh. Then cant we go with an hour and a half? The newcomer sounded exasperated and rubbed her index finger against her temple, so the other 3 girls quickly shut up. This was strange. She was supposed to be the insane queen who laughed loudly while taking a liquid nitrogen bath in the snowy mountains, so how had she taken up the position of the sensible one? At any rate... Okay, all our timers are set. If we relied on just one of them, that person might deactivate it. We would feel like idiots if we all fell asleep and woke up to find the sun rising. The timer was already running, so they had to cut out any pointless chatting. They had Boo Boo leave the house and then changed into their pajamas. Ha ha. The cow looks like a mafia don. Im only wearing a gown! And I chose it because it feels a lot like the juban Im used to!! Oh, so thats what you meant by costume pajamas. Laugh if you must, dammit! But Im never leaving this bear!! And... ...By the way, what do you think youre doing, Wildefrau? ? Dont just tilt your head! Im asking why youre sprinkling flower petals over your naked body!! You have to ask? What can I say other than this is how I relax? Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm. And now youre making a ridiculously simple shower using water Magic!? Youll get everything damp, so do that outside!! It was Armelinas turn to be the sensible one, but her shouts fell on deaf ears as Wildefrau put her hands behind her head and stuck her massive chest out to catch the hot water on her entire body. She had clearly entered her own world. They could understand why she would want to wash away her sweat before going to sleep, but why would she do so in the very room she planned to sleep in? Its no use, Armelina. Ask a pervert to be normal and youll only get perversion out of them. Nudists speak the nudist language. It wont even look like theyre speaking the same language as the rest of us. An odd noise resembling a sneeze came from a beam near the brick houses ceiling. Hm? Hmmm? Yawn. Is someone talking about me...? Meridiana, how many times do I have to tell you youll catch cold if sleep in such an indecent state of undress? Zzz... Beatrice shook her head with a meek look on her face and finished her thought. ...You really should have picked up on this from the moment she goes around wearing nothing but a sword. But the other 3 sent icy looks her way. By the way... U-um, Beatrice? About that thing youre changing into like its normal... What...no, it couldnt be... Is that the legend that was said to have already gone extinct at my school? Beatrice looked like she had no idea what they were talking about. For some reason, she had changed into red bloomers and a short-sleeve shirt. What? Theyre just pajamas. I saw them for sale at the inn town and thought they were perfect. What do they teach you at the Detached Magic Palace!? Are you insane!? Theres also something wrong with whatever shop went to the trouble of recreating them so perfectly in Grounds Nir!! No, no. Iroka learned her lesson and told me they arent actually cutting-edge sportswear. Thats why we decided to overcome that hardship together by studying up on their proper usage. Y-you were right. Ask a pervert to be normal and you really will only get perversion out of them. Its like a universal law or something. Try saying that again once youve put on at least one article of clothing, nudist. Anyway, Boo Boos house had no bed. Most likely, the Fairies had been unable to make on that could support his weight. There was a blanket set stuffed with Ghost Down folded up in a corner, so they laid that out and lay down on it. It was quite large since it was made for Boo Boos size, but it still had to hold 4 girls. Plus, one of them was nude and another was in bloomers. It was a post-apocalyptic sort of chaos. Sniff, sniff. Mh, this blanket doesnt smell much like Boo Boo. Is he still just lying on the floor? Ill light an aroma candle regardless. Hm, hmm, hmm. This is the time for a White Witch Mixing experts Candy Rose Hey, those have to be adjusted for each person, so it might put you to sleep, but itll keep us awake. Yawwwn... I dont mind, said Wildefrau. One of my strengths is my ability to sleep soundly anywhere as long as I have my usual night cap. You can sleep in the nude anywhere? Ha ha ha. Beatrice, you dont have a leg to stand on in those bloomers of yours. Armelina acted like the one speaking down to them from a stage of sensibility, but the others had of course noticed what was going on there. Hey, Armelina? What? ...Why do you have a pillow in addition to your pajamas? And not just one, but a lemon normal pillow and a banana body pillow? G-gulp!! That was naturally because she had enough personal items to have buried a secret treasure chest behind Boo Boos house, but they could not find out about that. And the rest of us were going without because the giant Boo Boo-sized pillow would hurt our necks! In fact, if youve got 2, then you can hand one of them over, cant you!? Youre not making any sense! When did you become a socialist, Filinion!? Oh, shut up, you! Everyone, lets submit this flaaat girl to some tickle torture and steal those pillows!! Well, if thats your idea of recreation... This led to the outrageous scene of 4 girls wriggling around underneath a giant blanket, but... Hyahn!? ...Um, Armelina? Cough! Cough, cough!! Its nothing! Im doing just fine!! As Armelina blushed and choked, Beatrice successfully swiped the wonderfully manly body pillow. The Holy Swordswoman in bloomers lay on her side, used both her arms and legs to cling to the giant curved banana, and muttered to herself. Sigh. I need to get Boo Boo to wear pajamas sometime... That sounds like a good idea, but Im a little afraid youre going to try to get him to wear bloomers. Despite all that, they had only just finished rescuing Boo Boo and defeating Sibyl, which had brought extreme tension and exhaustion. More than the pajamas or aroma candle, the greatest spice may have been freeing themselves from their weariness. Part 4 And precisely an hour and a half later... Everyone, lend me a hand! We need to restrain this indolent glasses cow! She secretly got up and tried to cancel the timers on all of our Shining Weapons!! Oww, ow, ow, owww. The scary part is that you think that might actually trick us into thinking youre half asleep. Is your head actually empty and the glasses are your true form? Are you a pair of glasses that turned into a cow that only eats and sleeps!? And doesnt this mean her own plotting did her in? Shell be the only one of us that didnt get any sleep, pointed out Wildefrau. And isnt the healer a crucial part of a Party? Filinion had proved herself to be an insidious sort of cow, but no amount of rubbing her eyes and wobbling her head would stop time for her. The girls had recovered some of the Willpower needed to use Magic, so they folded up the blanket set, returned it to a corner of the room, and removed their pajamas before equipping themselves in their combat style which included armor and miniskirts. Boo Boo had not once set foot in the house. They could hear a shrill voice from the garden out front. That would be Ileana, the sexy brown woman who stood at the peak of the Mandragoras, who was being watered. It seems Boo Boo had not slept either. Boo, is it time to get going? Yes, it is. Nnn... Beatrice nodded while stretching to drive out her remaining sleepiness. She had to focus on what was to come. Beatrice, Filinion, Armelina, Boo Boo, and Wildefrau seemed like quite a group, but they were up against the Sage who had every Element fully covered. They already had no idea how to defeat her, but she was also trying to obtain even more extraordinary power by fully controlling Lorelei of the Break News. If what the Sage had once told Beatrice was accurate, she felt some guilt about destroying the Iberian Orc village. But despite that emotion, she had kept working by sealing the digitized souls in the Shining Weapon and gathering corpses to create Disaster. No matter what it took, she would slay Grounds Nir, the monster lurking in the depths of the Labyrinth. That was a noble goal, but no matter what it took had a frighteningly wide range when it came to her. They did not know what kind of conclusion she envisioned, but since she was convinced all life on the island would be wiped out, it was entirely possible she would deem saving a single life a victory on her part. That would sound contradictory coming from anyone else, but the Sage was known to take things to that kind of extreme. We need to visit the site of the Iberian Orc village. We focused on recovering Willpower, so the Sage will likely have gotten ahead of us to an extent. We need to make sure we make up for that by the end. Boo Boo, can you lead us to where the village was? Yes. Beatrice had known Boo Boo since he was little, but she did not know where his village had been located. In that sense, the Sages whims had helped them out quite a bit. If she had disappeared with Boo Boo while Beatrices group was dealing with the residual memory bar prepared by Sibyl, they would have had no hints remaining to track her down. At this point, they doubted the Sage had been looking down on or underestimating them. After all, she had apparently ordered Disaster and Sibyl against them while at least somewhat hoping those two would lose and drop out of the fight. The Sage would not interfere with Boo Boos actions or with the actions of those who traveled with him. She seemed to have made a major change in policy from when she had remained hidden in the underside of the world, but that likely meant she did not have time to bother with that anymore. The monster was closer to completion than she had anticipated, so she wanted to increase everyones odds of survival by attacking it from multiple angles. That was what she had told Boo Boo, but it could be summed up as follows: I might not succeed. So its a relief to know theres some insurance in case I fail. She might be unable to defeat the monster even with Lorelei. She might fail to control Lorelei and go on a rampage. She might defeat the monster with Lorelei but become some kind of imaginable calamity afterwards. In the end, she did not have all the answers despite talking like she did. She had only blindly made it this far. ...How selfish. ? Boo Boo tilted his head at Beatrices muttered comment. Boo Boo veered to the side into some underbrush in the forest a short distance from the usual entrance to the Labyrinth. No, that was not it. It was hard to tell in the dark forest at night, but when he parted the underbrush, he revealed a narrow animal trail. If we follow this, well reach your village, wont we? Fwehhh. I feel like Id get lost on my own... Filinions cheerful tone belied her words, so she may have been relieved to have some kind of path to follow. But Beatrices expression grew tense. I dont know the exact date, but it has to have been quite a while. Boo Boo, have you visited the village since then? No. Squeal. Because seeing it makes me sad. Wildefrau frowned at that. But wait a minute. Then, um...who has been walking this animal trail to keep the underbrush down? If it wasnt Boo Boo, then theres only one other option. Armelinas tone was low and she had likely reached the answer already: the Sage. That woman had attacked the Iberian Orc village herself, so she would remember where it was. Since the animal trail did not seem to have been created recently, she may have been visiting to investigate something from time to time. Was she there yet or not? The answer to that question would determine their strategy, but they had to prepare themselves for the worst. Their odds of survival were greater if they assumed they were arriving late. The Sage sought a method to perfectly control Lorelei, the demonic blade that destroyed its wielder by too easily giving them ultimate power. (But what connection is there between the Iberian Orcs and Lorelei? If their entire species was focused on the monster, I doubt they would have sealed it away.) They had a lot of questions, but catching up to the Sage came first. Beatrice was worried about what catching up would mean. Part of her feared she was inviting people she cared about toward a precipice leading down to hell, but they had to do this regardless. Sitting still to not anger the Sage was no longer an option. All life on Grounds Nir and the Magic and Pieces that supported the world order back on Earth were hanging in the balance. There was no longer a safe zone in either world. And as she thought about that, Boo Boo came to a stop. The underbrush and trees thinned out. There was a large clearing up ahead. This is the place, he said without looking back at the others. He may have been afraid to set foot somewhere that would remind him so strongly of his friends and familys deaths. Beatrice recalled how often he had said he was afraid of ghosts. Beatrice took a step forward to stand by his side and then gently held his hand. Lets go, Boo Boo. Right. I wont let a tragedy like that happen to anyone else ever again. They then stepped into that forbidden land. Originally, the forests trees would have been cut down to create the clearing, but the passage of time had allowed green underbrush to cover the dark soil. But it was much shorter than on the animal trail and someone might have thought it was the perfect spot for a picnic if they were ignorant of the horrific tragedy that had occurred there. What looked like a few small mossy hills remained. They resembled the leaf house that Boo Boo had made, but with their owners gone, other plants had grown on top of them. But, huh? Isnt this kind of weird? White Witch Filinion sounded frantic and began fidgeting with her glasses. A ghost town would rot away with time, but doesnt this look oddly organized? It was true some of the houses remained, but most of them had collapsed. And instead of piles of rubble, the building materials seemed divided into systematic piles. The wooden pillars were with the other wooden pillars and the leaf roofs were with the other leaf roofs. A thought came to Beatrice. She called up her frames and lines using fire illusion Magic and moved her fingers along to fill them with what they knew. Maybe it was for Sibyl. What do you mean? asked Boo Boo. I guess you wouldnt understand since you didnt see her yourself. The Sages aide was a Royal Elf with a Skill that allowed her to materialize residual thoughts. I heard about that a long time ago. The Royal Elves were praised by everyone because they had the power to lead people astray in the forest. Boo, their enchanted forest is really mysterious! Beatrice belatedly realized that may have been one side to it. That may indeed have been the greatest Skill for a people who wanted to protect their lives in the forest. And the Sage seems to think the gathered strength of the Iberian Orcs is the best way of fighting the monster. The souls in your Shining Weapon and Disaster were both byproducts of that research. Then what about Sibyl? If she could summon a large group of Iberian Orcs using the items left in the village, wouldnt that give the Sage the fighting force she wants? Beatrice felt like she had found the four corner pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. She still had a lot of work to fill in the entire picture, but she had a solid starting point. But in the end... Yes. If that had actually worked, the Sage wouldnt have let Sibyl go. Or maybe Sibyl showed no sign of success at the final stage, so the Sage switched over to Lorelei. She severed the line between the Sage and Sibyl and connected the former to a Break News instead. If the method of fully controlling Lorelei was hidden in the Iberian Orc village, then it felt all the more like the Sages plans were all tied to the Iberian Orcs. Or maybe dragging around her past sin was how she intended to strengthen herself. Armelina gave some quiet instructions without moving her lips. Either way, were standing on the same stage as the Sage. She could attack us at any time, so keep your guard up. Beatrice naturally stayed back to back with Boo Boo as they moved and Armelina did the same with Wildefrau. Filinion was left out, but she was not suited for battle and no one could relax with her watching their back. Having her follow one or the other of the pairs was for the best. They had no way of investigating the abandoned materials gathered for Sibyls residual thoughts. They instead checked the triangular silhouettes covered in green that still somewhat retained their original shape. They had been leaf houses instead of log cabins or brick buildings, so even if they collapsed, no one would be buried alive inside. They did not seem at all lived in. There was nothing of note left inside, the leaves on the floor had rotted away, and fast-growing weeds had filled the inside. ... Boo Boo did not speak a word. He was the only one who had lived here, so he was the only one who could know what feelings filled his chest. There was no need to force him to verbalize them and affix the label of a specific emotion onto them. It was best to leave them as pure, formless feelings that only he could understand. How many more times would he have to feel like this before they caught up to the Sage? As Beatrice wondered that, something changed. Boo? What is it, Boo Boo? Wait, Beatrice. Everyone else, too. Ive never seen this building before. Everyone stopped and turned toward Boo Boo. He seemed unsure of what he was saying, so he brought a hand to his mouth and tilted his head. I thought the elders big house was here and no one was allowed inside without his permission. The leaf houses had no locks, so the Iberian Orcs had likely lived a communal lifestyle where they could freely visit each other and borrow things. If this one house was notable for needing permission to go inside, then it gave of a sense of authority. Before even bringing up hackers or jailors and prisoners, the ability to protect ones secrets and divulge others secrets was the peak of a certain hierarchy. But now theres this small house here. Squeal... The elders house wasnt this small. Even if I was smaller back then, I wouldnt mistake something this small for being so big. Based on the moss covering it, this building had not been constructed after the fact. Wildefrau thoughtfully placed her index finger on her slender chin. Would the elders house have also had a triangular tent structure with a single space inside? Y-yes. Most likely. What about it? Then the elders extra-large house would have had an extra-large space inside, so couldnt it have contained an entire normal house inside it? Ah, are you saying there was another, smaller house inside the big one? Like nesting dolls or miniature household shrine!? In that case, this was the core of the secret the elder had protected by forbidding the villagers from entering his house. There had to be something there. It felt like they had taken a step closer to the Sage who sought complete control over Lorelei. Beatrice added a new frame with her fire illusion Magic. They were approaching the truth. Lets go. Can you do this, Boo Boo? Yes. Dont worry. Boo Boo remained stopped and stroked his tusk with his right hand just once. The others did not know the details, but that may have been a ritual before setting foot on holy ground. They did not know the custom, but they made sure to bow before continuing. They were finally getting close to the core of the issue. It looked a lot like the other collapsed houses, but it was somehow different. It was possible there was a secret grimoire inside, that the Sage was grabbing it right this instant, and that she would stab them with a blade or Magic as soon as they pushed open the leaf entrance. Beatrice and Armelina naturally held their Shining Weapons more tightly. This might be the end. They might be pulling the trigger of ruin. Beatrice gulped and whispered something. ...Im opening it. Did the leaves contain a powerful disinfectant, or were they just thick? The leaf entrance had maintained its original form without rotting away. Beatrice grabbed it and Boo Boo did so too. They both nodded and then opened it together. They sensed an odd smell. And they had been right to be on their guard. If they had carelessly stepped inside, they really might have lost their lives. It was a rusty smell. And the entire floor space of the leaf house was filled by a square hole. Beatrice pitched forward as she came to a quick stop. The darkness of night was part of it, but the hole was still strange. She could not see the bottom. At first, she wondered if it was a trap meant to punish those who entered holy ground or if it was used for some kind of depressing ritual, but then Filinion provided a different theory while pushing up her glasses. Hey, Beatrice. Be careful and look here. On the side of the square hole. ? The Holy Swordswoman looked puzzled, but she finally realized what Filinion was trying to say. What was causing the rusty smell? What is this? They look like metal rails. They ran vertically down the wall. And instead of normal train rails, they were jagged. Instead of having pieces missing or broken off, it was clearly made that way on purpose. It almost looked like the teeth for round gears to fit into. And there were rails set up on all 4 walls. They could not say how long the rails were because they vanished into the seemingly bottomless pit. Which means... This isnt a pitfall. Armelina and Wildefrau exchanged a glance. Beatrice sighed and placed her hands on her hips. They may be for an elevator or lift. And if the elevator itself isnt here... Ah, wait! Beatrice!? Filinion cried out because Beatrice kneeled down and stuck her head into the hole. If she lost her balance, she would fall right down. Someone hold onto my hips. U-um, Ill do it, but... Someone other than Filinion! Shes actually volunteering for once, but I dont trust her arm strength!! Boo Boos large hand wrapped around her hips and she leaned even further down. She was nearly flipped entirely upside down and she pressed her ear against one jagged metal rail on the wall. She waited in silence for a few seconds. After confirming something for herself, she muttered a comment. Theres an odd vibration. This elevator is descending even now. And theres only one person that could be riding it: the Sage!! Part 5 Lets have a pajama party Pant!! Pant...!!!!!! In a room at an inn town inn, a Royal Elf with 100% of her face blushing red had wrapped her entire body in a cheap sheet, turning herself into a living summer roll. She then rolled off of the bed and sat trembling in a corner of the small room. Finding herself naked save for some bandages seemed to have upset her. She was a summer roll instead of a spring roll because the sheet was incredibly thin and her silhouette showed through. Even if she was somewhat lacking in curves, the feminine curves she did have showed boldly through. Combined with the shadow created by the tallow lamp, it looked like she was being crassly tormented by human civilization. The first to speak was Huldra, the Alchemist Cheerleader in mini-China pajamas that left her legs bare. Now. Then. Since youve woken up, how about we have a chat? Id like to hear about your relationship with the Sage. F-fine, then. ...But only if you give me another sheet. My heart cant bear this see-through thing. Rusalka, the Noble Dancer in a tank top and bike shorts, tossed her a spare sheet and Gruagach, the Summon Hunter wearing an adult baby doll, fidgeted her inner thighs. Seeing Sibyls reaction may have reminded her how embarrassing her own (80%+ transparency) see-through outfit was. Huldra dragged over a chair with a back and sat in it backwards. She spread her legs wide like someone who had failed to clear a vaulting box and she rested her arms and slender chin on the back. Without the chair back, her mini-China would have been woefully insufficient to hide everything. After letting go of her pompoms, she patted her own face with her hands and rubbed the mole below her eye with a finger. Feel free to talk once youre ready. Are you removing your makeup to lower your Hate value? Im willing to explain without being lured into carelessly letting something slip. After increasing her defense power with the double sheets, Sibyl finally took a deep breath. I will tell you what I know, but I havent been following the Sage from the very beginning. As a Royal Elf, I have an extremely long life. Since my appearance remains the same in the past, present, and future, the Sage may have found me easy to approach as she jumps between those time periods. Time periods. Huldra and the others had heard talk of that from Armelina. And they had also been told not to just accept it as fact. First of all, what was the starting point for the Sage? Was it simply a Gate accident, or did she intentionally travel between time periods with some objective in mind? I have no way of proving any of this. But if what she said is true, you could call it an accident and you could also call it intentional. Living Spring Roll Sibyl gave a cynical smile in the corner of the room. It would seem that something greater than you can imagine will happen in the future. Part 6 A giant elevator in the elders house had been hidden from the rest of the Iberian Orc village. But where did it lead? Given what spread out below Grounds Nir, the answer seemed self-evident. Y-you mean Boo Boos village had their own entrance to the Labyrinth when all of humankind had just the one? Squeal. We had no interest in somewhere as scary as the Labyrinth. I dont understand why the elder didnt seal up something so dangerous. Boo Boo really did not seem to know what this was for. But at the same time, the Sage had mentioned a duty and raison d''tre for the Iberian Orcs that Boo Boo had been unaware of. They had carefully monitored the movements of the Labyrinth and worked together to stop the monster in its depths when it was nearing completion. Was this the entrance they had used for that attack? If so... Could it be...? ...I found something. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau spoke up while observing the crumbling leaf building. Instead of the outer wall, she was looking at the inner wall that was difficult to see with the hole filling the floor space. That area was relatively un-decayed and she had apparently found some writing there. It said the following: Central Shaft Island to the Abyss It was no more than the remains of a sign written on the wall, so it could only give them so much information. Even so, they thought about what it could mean. It was a sign of great change to come. Beatrices mass of frames and lines was changing form like an amoeba. Island... Well, that must refer to the island of Grounds Nir. Which means the other end is the abyss... I assume we can just take that literally. So is this elevator a shortcut straight down to the bottom of the Labyrinth!? The phrasing of Central Shaft is extremely curious. I mean, if thats accurate, wouldnt it make the Labyrinth entrance we normally use a back entrance or side entrance!? Theres a bigger issue. Beatrice pointed out the most important aspect of this. Why is there a sign written in the alphabet here? Remember when we were preparing for Boo Boos birthday party? Didnt we have trouble with the culture of the Iberian Orc village because the only records were cave paintings written in some kind of hieroglyphic symbols? Ah. It hit them once she mentioned it. But in that case... This wasnt written by the Iberian Orc elder. This writing suggests that the elevator itself has relations with another species...with humans. Only one possibility came to mind. And there were more questions. Boo Boos Shining Weapon had Iberian! carved into it in katakana. But that was given to him by the Sage after she destroyed the village. Naturally, the origin of the term Iberian would not be found anywhere on Grounds Nir. It was clearly borrowed from a well-known variety of Spanish pork. Meaning... Had she been involved in the elders secret, the construction of the elevator, and the naming of the Iberian Orc species? Had she not unilaterally slaughtered them while viewing them with nothing but bigotry and discrimination? Had she sent them to their graves only after building up a close relationship? In truth, they had not entirely trusted what the Sage had told them. But now they had some objective evidence. They could no longer doubt her. Everything she had said was true, but that only made it worse. She had not protected out of love or killed out of hate. She had killed even though she loved them. She had killed because she loved them. They could not leave Grounds Nirs direct fate and Earths indirect fate in the hands of someone like that. Who could say how many lives would be lost in her attempt to save everyone? Beatrice once more peered into the depths of the pit. The pit itself had likely already existed. After all, the Sage had not existed before Grounds Nirs origins. So had she been the one to build the actual elevator and place a lid over it? Controlling a great power was harder than creating it. That was an impressive accomplish in and of itself. Boo Boo had once said that the humans had suddenly appeared in Grounds Nir one day and started challenging the Labyrinth. That supposedly held back the disaster spewing forth from the depths of the dark hole. And that was why the humans might be messengers of heaven. She was down there. The Sage was headed straight for the bottom of the Labyrinth. Boo Boo, and everyone else too. Theres something I want to say before we jump in. What is it, Beatrice? Well. The Holy Swordswoman took a slow breath. To be honest, the Sage is powerful. I dont know if we can defeat her even with everyone here working together. I dont want to lose no matter what and I want to bring everyone back alive, but we need to consider the worst case scenario. Wh-what are you trying to say? Its simple. She shut her eyes, removed the final barrier, and forced her eyes back open. And she spoke to them all. If it looks like we cant avoid being wiped out and wont be able to stop the Sage, then kill me. That might just erase the Sage. The atmosphere seemed to freeze. Hey, wait, hey! The first to erupt was Armelina. Didnt I tell you? The Sage didnt necessarily use a Gate to travel through time. She might have adjusted her Percentage-type equipment until she looked just like you. We cant say for sure she traveled to the distant past from the distant future! Besides, if your death would directly affect her as a time paradox, she wouldnt treat your life with such reckless abandon! I dont fully believe it myself. Then!! So this is a hypothetical. If we know none of us is going to make it back alive and the Sage seems to be holding back to keep just me alive, we need to suspect thats why. And we need to try every method available to us. Killing me might not change anything, but then again, it might. If we have no other option, then thats our last resort. I dont think we should give up without trying it. Are you insane!? Even if the attack on the Iberian Orc village was done by you from the future, thats something you can stop based on your actions now, isnt it!? You may not be able to change the past, but you can change your own future!! Beatrice could not nod or shake her head. No one could guarantee she really could change her own future with her current decisions. Nor could they guarantee that changing the past with her current decisions was the right thing to do. Beatrice. Boo Boo brought a hand to his mouth. If what Im about to say is completely misguided, then you can get mad at me. So will you hear me out? What is it? Boo, groaned the gray pig-faced giant. He cut right to the chase. Beatrice, are you afraid? Afraid of what you might do? The crimson Holy Swordswoman, one of the strongest level cappers, jumped like a scolded child. She said nothing for a while, so Boo Boo simply waited. And finally, Beatrice, who normally acted like a big sister, opened her trembling lips like she had lost a test of endurance. ...I am afraid. She hung her head and did not look up. She could not look Boo Boo in the eye even after spending so much time with him. Of course Im afraid!! I did something in the future? It cant be overturned because it happened at a set point in the past? How can I accept it when someone says that was my crime!? I would never do that and I would never hurt you or the other Iberian Orcs for any reason! Just thinking about purging the village makes my skin crawl!! But I have no way of proving that here! No matter what theories we propose and no matter how much you say itll be okay, theres still a 1% chance, isnt there!? Theres still a slight chance that Im just a bad person and that Im a hopeless piece of shit that could take everything from you after smiling by your side!!!!! ... I hate it!! Of course I hate it!! Im afraid of having this set in stone, but I cant relax when it isnt settled either! I mean...how!? How do I stop a crime I cant imagine Ill ever commit!? Will my death solve everything, or is it all a bluff and that wont solve anything? I dont even know the answer to that, so Im afraid! Im just so very afraid!!!!! It was possible not even Boo Boo knew how to respond to a girl who was so badly shaken up. He had challenged a 1000m dragon to a fight and cut through a group of delinquent soldiers, but he may have been helpless here. But as awkward as he might be, he made an attempt. He did not have to be clever about it. Beatrice. Its true you might not be able to change the future no matter what you do. You might not be able to overturn something that happened in the past. The truth might be the worst one we can think of and simply learning of it will cause great pain. But... He paused, but did not stop. He had more to say. Even if we find that worst answer, I still want to be by your side. She had no words. Beatrices breath seemed to have caught in her throat as she looked up at Boo Boo. He had a kind look in his eyes. Even if you really are the one who destroyed my village and even if you are the person trying to bring a great storm to Grounds Nir again, I will still forgive you. I will still be your friend. So I wont let the truth take you from me. I wont let something like that take away someone I care for. Dont worry, Beatrice. Im with you. ...No one else would forgive me. That doesnt matter. All of the villagers souls are in this Shining Weapon and they might be angry when they hear about it, but Im willing to fight for you. Ill have a fistfight with them all after resurrecting them. I wouldnt be able to forgive myself. Then Ill fight you again. I wont even let you hurt you. I dont care if no one understands or if it makes you my enemy. Im fine getting covered in scars to protect you. She could not get any more actual words out. Beatrice clung to and buried her face in someone who had been with her for so long. She abandoned the face of the reliable big sister and wept like a young child. ...There is nothing worse than this, announced Boo Boo as he wiped her tears away with a large finger. So, Beatrice, dont fear the worst. Even if you draw that card, nothing will change. I wont go anywhere. Part 7 Once Beatrice had calmed down, they took specific action. The elevator descending into the abyss was still moving. Climbing into that pit would take them to the Sage. They would definitely meet her. But that would undoubtedly develop into a fight to the death. We never did figure anything out about Lorelei, but given the situation... Yes. We should assume it has already fallen into the Sages hands. As Filinion and Wildefrau discussed that, Armelina manipulated her Shining Weapon metal staff. The weapon specialized in physical attacks and could transform into almost any blunt weapon, but one of those was the breaking wheel, an execution device modelled after a giant gear. The gear shape isnt really necessary for beating people, so there are apparently theories that it was originally a ritual tool used to worship a sun god. Anyway, I think we can get down if I make sure the teeth fit into the jagged rails. Boo Boo did not need to rely on any tools. He peered into the hole without anything in his hands. He seemed intent on grabbing the metal rails and using his grip strength to slide down. Boo Boo and Armelina. They had 2 different methods of descent, but... ... (Beatrice climbing onto Boo Boos big head.) ... (Filinion clinging to Boo Boos thick waist.) ... (Wildefrau holding onto Boo Boos muscular leg.) Well, I can sure see how much you all trust me!! But climbing down on my own will be easier anyway!! Ga ha ha goddammit!! Regardless, it was time to get started. Boo Boo and Armelina both used the elevators gear shafts to slide down the vertical walls. They could not see the bottom and they could not predict how far down they would have to go, but they did see some unexpected changes. What are these? Layers? asked Armelina as she watched the wall so she could continually adjust her speed on the giant gear. There were indeed strange layered pattern, like in a baumkuchen or mille-feuille, but these layers were not simply dirt or rock. One layer was packed full of rusty nails, one was filled with wood materials, one contained giant macarons and whipped cream, and one was a solid layer of large clock hands. No two were the same. Filinion spoke in a trembling voice while clinging to Boo Boos waist from the side. So high, so high, so high... Im scared, Im scared, Im scared... But wait, isnt this Steam Grave 80, Clockwork Resistance 22, Sweets Circuit 32, and Clock Party 45? E-eeeeeeek... That just shows how much were skipping past with this shortcut. Honestly, I feel like half of my life is being rejected after risking my life exploring through all that. The pit was known as the Central Shaft, but it was not just a straight shot down. The route probably changed automatically so it avoided the other rooms and passageways as the Labyrinth irregularly changed shape. Again and again, it bent at right angles to travel sometimes vertically and sometimes horizontally. The fixation on 90 degree angles may have been to lay out the rails like a jungle gym and thus allow a flat-sided elevator to travel freely in any direction. Boo Boo and the others picked up speed in the vertical portions and converted their potential energy into kinetic energy to clear the horizontal portions like it was a roller coaster. The long, long pit twisted and turned like a great serpent with no end in sight. And she was up ahead. The Sage. That woman who looked just like Beatrice but was fundamentally different. Part 8 In the Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo... Phew. Unless an old-fashioned banquet happened to be held there, the large mansion was always wrapped in deep darkness at night. But that did not mean there was no one inside. Even now, the maid named Iroka wore a cardigan over a dark red camisole, tensed her beautiful face with glasses and a mole below the eye, and stared at the computer in her room. As rare as they were these days, she had a tower-style computer designed with internal upgrades in mind, but it was nothing more than a terminal. The actual computer was a giant supercomputer filling 1/3 of the space below the Detached Magic Palaces grounds. She tapped her glasses by her temple a few times and then searched through the past logs yet again. It did not add up no matter how many times she checked, but it had happened regardless. This was the eldest sisters room, but Misoka, the 2nd sister, was lying on the bed in a bath towel and munching on fried squid. How many times have you checked now? Im telling you, you just arent going to find how she got in. This is my duty. Governments and agencies around the world are trying to track down where Tselika went. This is out of our hands. Yes. The Nonhuman named Tselika had apparently contacted their master, the girl in a red dress, via her smartphone, but they had failed to trace the connection or even detect its presence at all. The short message still found on the smartphone was starting to feel like a ghost. There was a slight possibility she had forced her way in or taken advantage of some kind of vulnerability, but as time passed, they should have been able to at least figure out what route she used. But this time, there was nothing. When Iroka had first received the report, she had honestly felt her loyalty waver for just a moment. As inappropriate as it was, she had suspected the red dress girl had faked it to test their security. A fair amount of time has passed since Tselika made contact. Just a few days. But every government and every agency have been working nonstop and have yet to track her down. At this point, I can only describe it as abnormal. They both fell silent at Irokas comment. The look on their faces said they could already partially guess the likely answer. If this goes higher than the governments or agencies, theres only one possibility. Are you suggesting she has reached those Over the Wall people? At that moment, a new window opened in a corner of the screen. It was an intruder alert, but from an odd location. Instead of the main gate or the mansions front door, a door within the building had opened and closed. Curse those perimeter guards. What are they even doing? Did someone get in without the PSIA guards noticing? It was like the footprints of a ghost. What route had they used to get inside? ... ... The maids exchanged a glance and then slowly stood up. Glasses Iroka threw a few small bottles of lotion into her stockings while Sporty Misoka removed the lampshade from a large lamp in a corner of the room. Youre kidding right? So with this kind of skill, would it have to be an Over the Wall? Its too soon to say, but Miss does seem to be having some kind of conflict with the Sage. Either way, Tselika and the Sage are both Over the Wall. The maids were tasked with guarding and defending the mansion if it came to it, but they had not been issued any obvious blades or firearms. That was of course to avoid providing political enemies with fodder for scandals. They would rearrange everyday items to kill any heavily-equipped criminal and insist that it had all been justified self-defense. That was the sort of combat skill demanded of maids sent by the state. The 2nd sister slowly opened the rooms door, checked the dark hallway, and took the lead. But why the kitchen? Are they trying to poison the food? Yet if they dont care if it looks like homicide, there are much simpler and more reliable methods. The mansion was large, but they still stopped whispering when they approached the kitchen. They communicated using hand signals and continued on in. They could hear it. There was a disconcerting rummaging sound. (The refrigerator.) (The poisoning might be a diversion. Once weve settled things with this intruder, we need to check over the entire grounds for bombs or gas containers.) It was fortunate their red dress master was absent, but if the Gate was destroyed, she would be unable to return from Grounds Nir, so the danger remained. They had to quickly settle things with whoever was in the kitchen and then search the entire area. (Theres a single person in front of the refrigerator. Ill charge in, so you follow after a short delay.) (Understood. But we cannot tell how they are equipped with the refrigerator door in the way. If the initial attack fails to finish them off, prepare to keep going even if they take me out.) They did not need a countdown. The 2 maids swiftly but silently charged into the dark kitchen. Whoever was busy sabotaging the contents of the fridge turned back toward them and the fridges light illuminated their face. Mutter, mutter. Whah ish it, Onee-hyan and Onee-hyan? Haruka, the 3rd sister, held a giant sausage in her mouth and carried pork pate, ham, bacon, olives, oil sardines, a menma bottle, bamboo kamaboko, chikuwa, and more in her arms. The glutton wore only the top of a track suit and her small head wobbled back and forth. While half-asleep, she had apparently been hungry, wandered around, tripped various sensors, and finally reached the kitchen refrigerator. That would explain the lack of a response from the main gate on the perimeter and the mansions front entrance. The 2 older sisters slowly let out a long, long sigh. And... Whap, whap, whap, whap, whap, whap, whap, whap, whap, whap!! Gya, gyaaaaahh!? Eh? Eh? Huh? Why am I in here!? And why are both of you spanking me at once!!!??? Part 9 I dont know when exactly it is. In the corner of a room in a completely normal inn in the inn town, Living Spring Roll Sibyl had wrapped multiple sheets around herself to hide her bandaged but otherwise naked body. But at some point, the world approaches the moment of its demise. That is hardly surprising since everything ends eventually, but the Sage has apparently directly faced that moment. ...So she was sent to the past to cut through that disaster? Huldra urged her on with a frown. Doomsday scenarios were common topics of discussion, but she and the others who worked in the underside of history were aware how surprisingly stable the world was. The kind of all-out nuclear war seen in cheap SF movies could not occur so easily. But Sibyl shook her head. No, thats not quite the right way to look at it. Think of it like a thought experiment where the technology to travel through time is publicly available and not monopolized by anyone. Publicly available...? Rusalka trailed off. Next to her, Huldra drank a clear red liquid. It was probably a perfume that changed her scent from within. As an Alchemist Cheerleader who manipulated her Hate value with makeup, she may have been secretly working at Sibyls mind. Had the Royal Elf intended to reveal everything from the beginning, or was she being lured into it? Sheet Bagworm Sibyl slowly sighed and kept speaking as if slowly turning some heavy gears. They would have no way of knowing if sending someone special to the past would definitively overturn the future. They would not even know if destiny can be manipulated by human hands. Where are you going with this? There would be no need to limit themselves to just one person or to even continue thinking about changing the future. The others had a bad feeling about this. This was supposedly a hypothetical story, but alarm bells went off in the back of Gruagachs mind, telling her she must not listen to any more of this. But Sibyl kept talking. As if it was some form of harassment. Couldnt they just send all 7 or 8 billion of them into the distant past? It was a frightening idea. They did not know what kind of problem would occur in the distant future. But even if everyone returned to a point in the past when resources and food were plentiful, what would happen when that many people arrived all at once? The planet would surely be eaten away into a desert planet in no time. Well, theres another trick to it beyond that. ? Whatever the case, that does not happen. Because someone already stopped it. Can you now imagine where the Sage may have come from? What are you talking about...? Kudryavka. She spoke a certain name. The Sage would often call herself that in a self-deprecating way. According to her, she was the final test model and the rest of mankind was meant to follow after her if she succeeded. But that didnt happen. So was the Sage deemed a failure? If so, she could not be here now. There was only one other possibility: she had succeeded, but the migration of mankind had not begun. Why would that be? There was only one answer that would lead to that contradictory conclusion. After the Sage traveled back on time, she used all of her power to go around destroying the technology needed for 4th-dimensional travel. Thus, no one else could follow. To protect everything else, she abandoned her own era. She decided to take a one-way trip. The name Kudryavka had been mentioned. That dog had become historys first to leave the earth when placed on a spaceship launched by the Soviets. The data taken from her had been used to ensure a safe trip to space, but her own safety had not been guaranteed. She had no place on Earth, so she apparently found living as a stranger in Grounds Nir more comfortable. Her friendship with the Iberian Orcs was not done out of self-interest. She was saved by the kindness of those who reached out a hand when she thought she could only wander for all eternity. But good intentions did not necessarily lead to good actions. But that is why, said Sibyl, the Sage cannot stop now. She was unable to save those who saved her and they even thanked her for killing them, so she was not even given a chance to be judged for her crimes. And I do not think she was wrong either. She pulled that sorrowful trigger to oppose where the world was headed. Part 10 In her red armor and white miniskirt, the Sage stood motionless in the center of the elevator that was too large to ride alone but too small for the powerful Iberian Orcs to ride as a group. She had constructed it at the request of the elder and other Iberian Orcs. The Enter Kosmos project to the east had attempted to stop the irregular changes to the Labyrinth by forcibly driving a giant wedge into it, but since that had failed miserably, she had not stuck to that shape. The shaft bent flexibly to match the Labyrinths changes and automatically redesigned itself to reach the bottom without running into the rooms or pathways, no matter what structure they had. She had been ecstatic upon completing it, but even this large elevator had not been enough to carry them all. They seemed to mostly use their great muscular strength to directly cling to the shaft and descend that way. (And in the end, it comes to this.) It had taken quite a long time, but nothing had gone according to plan. Boo Boo had not created a new village. Sibyls intellectual mind had failed to comprehend the Iberian Orc tactics which were rooted in combat instincts, so her false reproductions created from residual memories had only been able to do so much. It had taken far too many corpses to create just the one Disaster, so a mass-produced unit had been out of reach. And now Lorelei. It now behaved like one of the Break News, but the Sage herself had originally created it as a demonic sword that easily placed its wielder in the position of the strongest. She had hoped to create a power to use in place of the Iberian Orcs who had felt bound by their duty. In the end, its immense power would drive your body and mind out of control if you did not gradually familiarize yourself with its power in stages, so she had been forced to leave it in the hands of the Iberian Orcs who already knew how to control great strength. Lorelei had remained in their village for a while and she had asked them to use their excellent minds to construct a means of perfectly controlling it, but it had gone missing during the confusion of the purge. Their elder had bowed down to her and insisted it was necessary, but she was still ashamed. She had worked alongside the delinquent soldiers of Elkiad, so some idiot must have stooped to looting as well as slaughtering. The Iberian Orcs had been everything to her. When she described it as an enjoyable period of her life, it was always their smiling faces that came to mind. She still remembered it so vividly. The round children had looked like stuffed animals as they ran around the village. Those true heroes had had the greatest power and yet had not drowned in it. They had never used their strength for anything besides their self-sufficient lifestyle or their duty to protect everyone. They had lived a simple but warm life in the village. To avoid unnecessary confusion, the Sage had arrived through a tunnel leading directly to the elders house from an area far from the village, but listening to the happy voices outside the house and peeking out through the gaps in the large leaf entrance had cleansed her heart. They had asked her to tell them a human word that represented the ideas of amazing, big, and reliable and she had answered half in jest, so she had panicked a little when it had stuck. They had been kind people. As a result of breeding with all kinds of animals and plants and taking in the strengths of those other species, they had been stuck on the path of decay, as if their blood was rusting. But even though she had been no help there, they had thanked the Sage to the very, very end. They had asked her to look after the sole surviving child and the world. They had said she could handle the task posed by the Grounds Nir monster awaiting completion in the depths of the Labyrinth. That was all there was. Traces of happiness. Dregs of kindness. The Sage had utterly ended it all and that was why she had had nothing else to cling to. It must have been a complete disaster for those caught in the middle. This enveloped both Earth and Grounds Nir, so she could not look anyone in the eye. But she would follow through to the end. She might become a wandering empty shell of a person, detached from reality, but she would keep the promise she had made, no matter how twisted it had become. That was her decision. So... I wonder if Boo Boo will show up even though he knows hell lose. As soon as she whispered that, a gray pig-faced giant fell atop the giant single-panel elevator. The Sage was truly frustrated to see Beatrice, Filinion, Armelina, and Wildefrau with him. If the shape of his bonds had been just a little twisted or if he had held even a hint of obvious wicked thoughts or greed, he might have done exactly what the elder had wanted and attempted to fight the monster with a new village. Once her thoughts reached that point, a faint smile appeared on the Sages lips. ...I suppose that wasnt really an option. The Sage was a woman, so if she had wanted to, she could have approached ignorant Boo Boo and introduced him to such things. But she could not imagine that working. If Boo Boo had been knowledgeable in such things and continued making the same choices, she doubted he would have gathered as many companions. The Sage had felt no qualms about involving 2 entire worlds for her own dried-out objective, but even she had been hesitant to destroy that. Beatrice had been clinging to Boo Boos head, but she jumped down to the floor and asked a question. Whats so funny? Oh, nothing really. The Sage casually responded while lightly tapping the pommel of her sheathed Shining Weapon. She spoke to the girl standing beside the gray pig-faced giant. To someone who was doing something she never could. I just thought it was interesting that everything you are building up will create my own flesh and blood. I have no interest in who you are. Even if you are me. Boo Boo said he would forgive me even if I committed a great crime. He said he would forgive me even as I pitifully trembled in fear of punishment! So I wont fear the worst case scenario. Even if there is no changing what you did, I can flatten it down and begin building anew! And Ill build up all sorts of things you never did!! I see, I see, I see. The beautiful woman in red armor and a miniskirt repeated the phrase in a singsong way and stopped toying with the pommel. She used her dominant left hand to silently squeeze the grip of the sheathed Shining Weapon rapier. She had slayed many foes on the way here. The remains of their Shining Weapons could be seen as gravestones and she had gathered them all together to expand this weapon. She drew that tower of death. The distorted blade shined and an even more tattered smile appeared on her face as she spoke. Thats really not fair, Beatrice. Part 11 Even as she spoke those words, a sinister magic circle danced on the Sages back and the hellfire produced by the pieced-together sword in her left hand fully blossomed as a bright and colorful flower. Fire Thro-... Metal Je- Black Smo- Napalm Fi- Cause an Expl- Fry As- Shockwa- Steam We- Spark Stor- Hot Fire! She stuck to fire. Before Beatrice could release a single piece of Magic, the Sage simply spun the tip of her sword in a large circle to send out a fierce storm of dozens...no, a hundred times as much Magic. Beatrice had learned a total of 14,000 Magic spells, but she was still swallowed up by the maelstrom of light and sound, even if she could still neutralize all damage with her 100% Fire Resistance. Beatrice!! The first to move was Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau who specialized in the opposite Water Element. There was no need to hold back at this point. She released the many belts binding her body, grabbed the cross-shaped sword, and forcefully drew it from the scabbard. It produced true absolute zero. A magic circle appeared in the center of the cross-shaped sword. By freezing everything, including normal gases like oxygen and hydrogen, it provided the triple threat of extreme low temperature, asphyxiation, and no air pressure. That made it a cruel but powerful anti-personnel attack. Wildefraus absolute zero vacuum provided similar damage to throwing ones opponent into cold outer space where no sunlight reached, but... 100% Water Resistance. Did you think only you could use that? Wha-!? Those simple words overturned everything. The woman who should have died did not. Wildefrau was as confused as someone seeing a decapitated knight continue to walk around, but the hands of the clock were still moving. And it was not the Ice Waterfall Princess that the Sage singled out. She continued to wear down Beatrice, but with a maelstrom of Water Element Magic this time. Water Je- Liquid Hamm- Teamwo- Bock Bod- Sickle Mete- Aqua Clo- Cloud Whi- Snake Wat- Light Blood! There was no relying on Elemental Defense this time. Even the red veteran Holy Swordswoman would take damage from water Magic. All sorts of Magic poured toward her like horizontal rain and a single hit would tear her body limb from limb and blow her to pieces. ...!!!??? Wildefrau placed a magic circle on her sword and rushed in between them. She had 100% Water Resistance. For this one moment, she could negate any damage from 100 or even 1000 attacks at once. In that case... Something audibly sliced sharply through the air as the Sage pointed her patchwork rapier toward the heavens. Wind or Earth? Wouldnt 100 attacks from either splatter you across the floor in a single second? !! Boo Boo, match your timing to mine!! Its time to attack!! Boo!! Understood, Armelina!! A rush from anything but Fire or Water would crush them all before they could dodge or defend, so the only way to survive was to make sure the Sage did not have time to leisurely use that Magic. Boo Boo and Armelinas thinking was not exactly wrong. However... Not good enough. She spun around. Showing no concern for the miniskirt exposing her thighs right up to the base, the Sage whirled her body around. Once she had built up plenty of centrifugal force, she released a high spin kick toward the center of 4m Boo Boos gut. He placed his thick Shining Weapon in the way to defend, but it was all useless. The immense kinetic energy released from her heel caused the pig-faced giant to bend and then fly backwards. ...!!!!!! Armelina clenched her teeth, but she could only continue on while assuming Boo Boo had given her an opening. They had attacked simultaneously, so the Sages body was defenselessly exposed after launching the wide spin kick. Armelina could do it now. She changed her Shining Weapon metal staff into a ball-and-chain and raised it in preparation. Then the Sage vanished. A silver flash of light took her place. Time seemed to stop and the cold realization that she was about to be cut through raced down Armelinas back. She had concluded the flash came from a blade. But she was wrong. It was instead the path of the Sages heel blurring like a tail light. She had no idea how many times she was hit. Countless dull pains raced through her entire body, she entered a tailspin, and she rolled backwards. Ah, ah, ahhh... The direct combat level cappers and the Iberian Orc had been swept aside in the blink of an eye. Filinion, their healer, was the only one left and she felt like she was inside a castle tower as the castle burned and fell to the enemy. The Sage spun around to look her way. She looked the defenseless White Witch in her fearful eyes. She adjusted her grip on the patchwork Shining Weapon and moved her alluring lips to whisper the words of death. Blade Roc-... A giant form charged in toward the Sage from the side. After being knocked away, Boo Boo had gotten back up and, without using his log of a Shining Weapon, made a full-power tackle as if to shatter the Sages slender waist. Not even a large trailer truck crashing at full speed could have produced as dreadful a noise. But... 100% Impact Resistance. She was unharmed. Entirely unscathed. The Sages slender waist was fine and her feet had not slid even a centimeter along the floor. You can do it with physical attacks too!? Armelina roared at her from the floor, but the Sage remained motionless. Her fist flew toward defenseless Boo Boo with her weapons handguard acting like brass knuckles. Someone on her level would be able to beat down an Iberian Orc while unarmed. And once that was complete, she would take out their healer, Filinion. The White Witch was the cornerstone of their tactics, so with her gone, Beatrice and the others would be tormented to death. But the great noise that burst out was metallic in nature. It was not the sound of flesh being struck. Then everyone noticed that Boo Boo had just barely slipped his Shining Weapon in to block the handguard the Sage tried to hit him with. Unlike the previous spin kick, this attack had not had her body weight or centrifugal force behind it. The sound of his bones creaking filled the space. With the Sages strength, breaking the weapon and Boo Boos arm would be a simple task. But Boo Boo was not defeated. He could not be broken here. I wont give up. I will reach a future where Beatrice and the others can return with smiles on their faces... That isnt your decision. The Sages expression was unconcerned. It is mine as the victor. With another great noise, the Sages eyebrows rose slightly. It was the look of someone finding a supposedly simple calculation was not adding up. She seemed to find it odd that he still persisted. Besides, there was something strange about what Beatrice and the others said and what you said. It never made much sense to me. For example? The patchwork blade grew red hot. Many pieces of Fire Magic struck Boo Boo like a point-blank range shotgun blast. He did not have Elemental Defense like Beatrice and the others did. If he did not dodge, he had to hope his tough skin could stop it. But he clenched his teeth. Even as he slid along the floor, he swung his Shining Weapon and knocked down the next round of Magic. If you really are Beatrice, why do you hold your sword in your left hand? Beatrice has always been right-handed! Ha ha. Is that all!? How much time do you think I spent coming this far, Boo Boo? Is it that surprising that a few traits might change in that time? Something swished through the air again and again. The smiling Sage was tossing her patchwork sword from one hand to the other and back again. Besides, Im just as strong with my right. Thats enough, Boo Boo! Dodge!! Beatrices shout was immediately followed by dozens of ice spears flying toward the Iberian Orc. He shattered them with his giant Shining Weapon, but the small shards were still sharp blades. This only increased the number of attacks and his entire body was exposed to a downpour of glass. A rusty smell filled the space. But Boo Boo did not give up. Even with his tough skin torn and bloody, his knees did not bend. Bh, gh...squeal... And that weapon...is strange too. I dont really get the Magic that humans use, but Beatrices has a cleaner shape. Its not all pieced together and beaten up like that...! Wouldnt it be odder if I was still using the same weapon after so much time? The march of technological progress is a fast one. Clinging to an obsolete Shining Weapon would only work against me. This time, it was wind. Several violent gusts whirled around the Sage and detonated on her signal. An invisible wall raged out with the force of an explosion and pushed the ice blades even deeper into Boo Boos flesh. There was a low roar, but Boo Boo planted his feet firmly on the floor and held his ground. No scream escaped his tightly clenched teeth. He was still fighting. Then!! It really is strange!! Boo...Boo...? Battered Beatrice looked up at that precious persons profile. He continued glaring at the Sage and spoke words sharper than the ice blades. Then why are you wearing the same red armor as Beatrice!? You said it yourself: technology progresses quickly, so you wouldnt stick with the same equipment forever! I know humans wear Magic in the shape of clothes. And I know a single choice can change their strength considerably! So!! It makes no sense for you to choose the exact same clothes as the Beatrice here now!! It would only make sense if you were wearing something else entirely!!!!! ...Ah... Beatrice looked back and forth between the Sage and Boo Boo. The Sage was still smiling. No, it looked more like her smile had frozen. The tree diagram of Magic is not infinite. There is a limit that-... If Beatrice was already the strongest she could be and had no room for growth and thus no reason to change her clothes, then it makes no sense for there to be such a large gap between your powers. Yes. That was right. The Sages Stats were ridiculous, but she would have to rely on her Percentage-type equipment that was her clothing. But in that case, why did she look so much like Beatrice? If she was dressed the same as Beatrice, she would have the same adjustments as Beatrice. But that was not the case. The Sage had made an unnecessary detour to dress just like Beatrice and yet produce entirely different values. That would be 2 or 3 times more difficult than simply coordinating her outfit for optimal strength. Why would she go to all that extra effort? What reason was there besides fooling someone and deceiving everyone? I know. Bloody Boo Boo spoke while breathing heavily. Ive watched Beatrice more than anyone, so I know things about her not even she knows. Theres a small mole on the back of her neck near the nape, hidden by her long hair. You wouldnt have known that was there!! Beatrice gasped and reached for the back of her neck. If this was the same person with the same equipment, that would be definitive proof. If there was no mole on the Sages neck, it would mean she was not the same person as the real Beatrice. The Sage remained motionless for a while. Then her empty right hand silently moved. It looked like she was brushing back her long hair, but that was not it. She was revealing the nape of her neck behind the left ear. Seeing that, Beatrices vision nearly blacked out. The Sage was not hiding it. Nor was she hesitating. Which meant... Is this good enough for you, Boo Boo? Beatrice felt a shock like having a stake driven through her heart. He had said he would forgive her and he had consoled her, telling her not to fear the worst, but it still weighed heavily on her to have it confirmed as truth. Yes. But that was not what this was. Boo Boo had more to say. Thats enough. Beatrice has no mole on the back of her neck. This time, the flow of time really did seem to freeze. Beatrice could not check the back of her neck, so she had to receive confirmation from Wildefrau who had fallen in a tangled pile with her. Youre kidding... There really isnt anything there...??? After initially adjusting your appearance, it would not change within Grounds Nir even if you put on or took off your equipment. That meant the Sage had to have done something else to add this mole. Perhaps some kind of disguise Magic. Having everything go your way ended up working against you, Sage. But I wont let your disguise fool me any longer. Once more...no, as many times as it took, Boo Boo moved his bloody body, clenched his teeth, and adjusted his grip on his Shining Weapon. You arent Beatrice. I can tell because Ive watched her more than anyone. I dont know who you are, but I know more about Beatrice than you do! ...So what? The weapon in her left hand and the entire left half of the Sages body were enveloped in hellfire. This was somehow different from before. He had incurred her wrath now. What does it matter that youve found some excuse to claim Im not Beatrice, Boo Boo!? Boo Boo spun his Shining Weapon around and held it tightly. And he made an announcement as if to shake off the ominous rusty smell of death with his own bestial odor. Isnt it obvious? Now I have no reason to hold back as I beat you to a pulp. Part 12 When you got down to it, this was only an issue of the heart. No matter how much he cornered her with his words, he could not overturn the actual difference in power. Or so it might seem, but that was not true. The previous exchange had contained a truly important fact. Hmm? In an inn room, Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra sat in a chair with one leg bent so she could use a small piece of cotton soaked in nail polish remover to remove the pedicure adorning her toenails. This was a very risqu pose with regards to her mini-China pajamas and the base of her thighs. She was adjusting her Hate value to loosen Sibyls tongue. Sibyl stared at those toes as she spoke. For one thing, how was the Sage able to reproduce Beatrices appearance so thoroughly? Adjusting her equipment can theoretically induce a certain amount of change, but reproducing it to that level would be nearly impossible. But that is why you can find such deep karma there. ? I said that all of mankind planned to migrate into the past to escape destruction in the distant future, didnt I? But simply transferring the people would cause the worlds resources and food supply to dry up in no time. Simply put, the total population would more than double in size with the people of the future and the past. Are you saying there was a way to solve that problem? asked Gruagach. Its something you all have come into contact without questioning it. While wrapped up as a living spring roll in a corner of the room, Sibyl flicked something into the air using her thumb. It was one of the Gimmick Gears used as currency. Now, a question: why is this Gear considered to be as valuable as money? Well, because analyzing the Gear can provide a lot of Experience P-... Rusalka trailed off. Huldra and Gruagach exchanged a glance. Yes. Sibyl toyed with the Gear in her hand. Experience Points. A great roar exploded out. The Sages attack was as fierce as ever and facing it head-on would undoubtedly lead to death. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth...and various kinds of physical attacks. She fully covered all Elements and truly stood at the peak of all Magic, so a straight fight with her would be suicide. Or it should have been. However... Boo!! Beatrice, Wildefrau!! Dont stay in one place!! We all need to surround her!! She doesnt want us to attack from multiple directions at once!! Boo Boo gave instructions while holding White Witch Filinion under his arm. ... For the Sage, crushing them one at a time was a surefire way of destroying them as they surrounded her, so she should not have needed to panic. However... Armelina!! A splendid metallic sound shook the air. The Sages eyes had pursued Wildefrau and her 100% Water Resistance, but a ball-and-chain had slammed into her from the side. However, the Sage had not even bothered to block it with her patchwork blade. The metal ball had collided with her temple, but she did not so much as budge. She glared over at the Fighter Priest. 100% Impact Resistance. Have you already forgotten? ...!! Armelina began flinch back, but Boo Boo gave a shout. That doesnt matter!! Its true hitting you wont get through to you, but as long as we keep hitting you, you have to keep defending against those attacks. You cant ignore them! After all...!! Ah, said Filinion as he carried her around. Boo Boo filled in the puzzle pieces. You dont always have full coverage for every Element! Boo, its the same as that mole! You swap in the Element you need at the moment, so it looks like youre fine no matter what!! It was true that the Sage had let fly great torrents of Magic and that she had swapped out the Element to attack the weaknesses in their Elemental Defenses. But she had never used multiple Elements at once. When using fire, she had used only fire. When using ice, she had used only ice. Altogether, it looked like she was using every Element, but when looking at any moment in isolation, it looked like she was focusing on a single Element! Your total amount of Experience Points wasnt that different from ours, said Beatrice in shock. And her voice soon rose to a shout. But those Experience Points arent fixed!? Are you freely reallocating them however you see fit!? Is that why it looks so much like you have every Element!? ...!!!??? A single mole could move beyond the psychological and change the tide of an actual battle. To support Armelina, Boo Boo grabbed his giant Shining Weapon and faced the Sage once more. All so that he could pass the final baton to Beatrice, who he so cared for!! So what will happen if Beatrice or Wildefrau attack you with fire or ice as if stabbing you in the side? You have to keep defending against the hits from the front, so you wont be able to defend against the other Element! The air roared. The air wrapped stickily around Armelinas blunt weapon and Beatrices flames as they swung their Shining Weapons toward the Sage. ...No. But. But. But!! 100% Impact Resistance. 100% Fire Resistance. Her voice was no more than a whisper. She did not fall back even after having her secret revealed. The Sage exposed her body to the multiple attacks and stood stock still with a grin on her lips. Have you forgotten? I can freely reallocate my Experience Points. This isnt a problem as long as I can reach for multiple Elemental Defenses instead of focusing on just one. It was a nightmarish answer. Armelina had attacked from the front and Beatrice from the side, but the Sage was unharmed. That vision was more effective at breaking their will to fight than any attack. But they still could not give up. There was no need to. People who only believed what they saw with their own eyes would be fooled by prestidigitation. But if they thought about it for themselves and made links in their mind, they would not be led astray. Boo. Then why didnt you do that from the beginning? ... You had no real reason to hold back. Theres only one reason why you would still stick to using only one Element for attack and defense. Sage, it may be true you can reach multiple Elemental Defenses at once. Beatrice kept pushing on her blade that would never reach her opponent and she smiled at close range. The magic circle on her back spewed explosive flames. But once you do that, you lose your all-around perfection. After all, the total amount of Experience Points available to you doesnt change! Reaching 100% resistance isnt easy. The quadratic curve requires so many Experience Points as you approach 100% that a lot of people claim it simply isnt worth it! Once youve applied your Experience Points to reach 100% for multiple Elemental Defenses, you dont have enough left over for any attack Magic, do you? In that case, your situation will only get worse and worse!! At first glance, it might seem that the Sage still had the superior position. Even if she could not attack, she maintained her invincibility. So it might sound like she only had to close herself up and wait for a chance to counterattack. You understand, dont you? But that was not the case. The crux of the issue lay elsewhere. Our equipment is Percentage-type Magic that takes that form. We cant wear equipment that forcibly increases our Parameters by surpassing the limits of our Willpower. We select equipment that fits within the determined value and use whats left over for our Command-type Magic. Beatrice pierced right to the center. She pushed her rapier forward with her dominant hand while using her other to point back over her shoulder with her thumb. So you cant keep defending forever. You have Impact Resistance and Fire Resistance, but we still have Wildefrau. She can slice you with her sword and then finish you off with ice. Do you have the Experience Points needed to cover both Cut Resistance and Water Resistance, Sage!? !? The Sages eyebrows moved slightly at that. It may have been possible for her to squeeze out enough Experience Points. She might have been able to reach 100% for Impact Resistance, Fire Resistance, Cut Resistance, and Water Resistance. But she should have realized something else. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau specialized in her absolute zero attack which required Water Resistance, but she could also making cutting attacks. So the shape of the weapon could provide normal physical attacks without relying on the standard Elements. And Beatrice had intentionally avoided mentioning a certain attack. The Sages Elemental Defense was switched on and off as she announced them, so she could not automatically defend against an attack she was not aware of. Now, what was the Shining Weapon the red Holy Swordswoman held? Yes, the tip was flat as it was used for Magic, but it was still a rapier. ...!! A piercing attack!? At first, no hint of concern appeared on the Sages beautiful face. But a fearless smile came to Beatrices lips as she responded. No, Weasels Cut. This time. This time, all emotion briefly vanished from the Sages eyes. Her mind went blank. The temperature difference in the air creates a pressure change which produces a vacuum blade tornado! Its the Wind Element!! There was one thing about Beatrice one must never forget. That Holy Swordswoman had mastered 14,000 kinds of Fire Magic, but she could use those flames to make attacks in any Element and had even fought on equal footing with Boo Boo once. The Shining Weapons and Gates have always been terminals meant to manage the Experience Points earned by you humans. The data is manipulated from Earth and used here. So there is a way to use that. When Sibyl explained that, Huldra gulped. It is true they have no effect until we cross between worlds. So what are you saying? The Sage is a completely different person who had the exact same Experience Points as Beatrice injected into her!? This is not simply talking about techniques and knowledge. After all, the points represent all experiences. This goes beyond simply adjusting her equipment, so it probably would greatly change her facial and skeletal structure. Peoples appearances were changed by their daily experiences. A diet or physical training were obvious examples, but the amount one ate or drank, the amount of UV rays from the sun, and the amount of stress or sleep also had an effect. What is an individual? How do you define someones body, appearance, mind, or soul? There is no clear answer, but it is true that experience has a significant effect on them all. Peoples inborn traits, their surrounding environment, and the path they walk are all used to hone themselves as they seek their endpoint. All while they take in and accept it all as experiences: good or bad, reasonable or unreasonable. You could view the manipulation of Experience Points as intentionally moving to a different set of rails and removing all random chance from the changes made to you. It means to develop yourself just like choosing a path along the tree diagram of Magic. That flexibility goes well beyond what you call selective breeding or gene manipulation, as those can only influence inborn talent. It was just like the preset examples for Character Creation. It was like choosing the Job, equipment, and Magic recommended by a guidebook or website. Injecting yourself with all of Beatrices Experience Points was exactly the same as following the path she took and learning all of her idiosyncrasies and traits while Leveling Up from the beginning. It is the same as great pressure creating jewels underground. Of course, not everyone can become her. It may have been rare to find a specimen with such a perfect aptitude for the Beatrice Model to be flawlessly remade into her both inside and out. ...And that must be what allowed her to accomplish that irregular reallocation. You make it sound like the queen bee and worker bees that divided by the queen substance and the royal jelly. Why the obsession with Beatrice? Gruagach sounded nearly speechless. Sibyl sighed. She is one of humanitys strongest, one of the representative level cappers. In other words, she was a success model. The Sage was originally a Kudryavka for 4th-dimensional travel, so they probably wanted someone with a powerful body and clever mind who could withstand a great change to her environment. If the decision had gone slightly differently, they may have chosen the Filinion Model or the Armelina Model. Huh? But does that mean the Sage only looks just like Beatrice while in Grounds Nir? Does she become someone else entirely when she returns to Earth? I have no way of seeing things on Earth, so I cant really say. But if so, I doubt she would have felt like she lost everything. You mean...? Just as there is a wall between Grounds Nir and Earth, there is a wall between the future and the past. If her appearance is adjusted when she crosses that barrier, she will still be someone who has breached the impassable barrier whether on Earth or Grounds Nir, so I suppose she would remain as the Beatrice Model. Sibyl took a slow breath and shook her head. The Sage always spent an excessive amount of time in Grounds Nir. I dont know how many safe houses she has on Earth, but she had to have spent most of her time here in Grounds Nir. I think she returned for the bare minimum required to recover her internal clock and such. It really didnt seem like she was looking for a place for herself on Earth. The transfer of Experience Points. As long as they found a way to do that, the population would not increase. Even if they sent 7 or 8 billion people into the past, the food supply and resources would not dry up. As long as there was no extreme difference between the two populations, the one-way immigration would be a success. As long as you had a clump of carbon to receive the great pressure, you could make a jewel. They only had to remake their bodies, inside and out, into someone else so perfectly that their parents could not tell them apart. They had to accept that it was the people who would be devoured. And as long as they were aware that the future would be destroyed, they need not fear any time paradoxes. But... Then who is the person who became a special bee? That would be the Sage. The Beatrice Model Sage. No, not that. Who was she before being remade by the Experience Points!? Its because she doesnt know that that she has no choice but to cling to her position as the Sage, as the powerful Beatrice Model. It was unclear if the current Sage was primarily the Experience Points from the future or the specimen in the past, but she was still the Kudryavka for a 4th-dimensional travel experiment and had traveled to the past ahead of everyone else. But before the benefits of that experiment could be shared with the future human race, she had cut all ties and stopped the mass immigration. There was no way to know what had happened in the future, but with their 4th-dimensional escape route gone, they had likely been destroyed. Why had she gone that far? The answer to that could be found here. 4th-dimensional travel via Experience Points was hailed as a new freedom that used every human being in the corresponding time period as a resource. To put it another way, it allowed them to destroy the human race at some point in the past in order to save themselves. The Sage cut all ties in order to protect everyone from that method. As a result, the modern Kudryavka was not caught in the future destruction and found herself trapped in a cage fare more lonely than outer space. They worked together perfectly. Boo Boo, Armelina, and Wildefrau launched their strongest attacks and Beatrice caught the Sage completely off guard by using fire as a starting point to use Magic of a different Element. The Sage had not expected the attack at all. Weasels Cut enveloped the target in a tornado created from vacuum blades. A dreadful roar seemed to compress space and several jewel-like drops of red flew through the air. The Sages beautiful skin had been so untouchable, but now it was marred by countless small cuts. And it decorated the air with beautiful blood drops. The Sage had not covered all forms of attack and defense from the beginning. She had rearranged her Experience Points to match the situation and freely reset her tree diagram of Magic to produce attack and defense of whichever Element she needed. If the amount was set, then there was a limit to what she could respond to. Boo Boo and the others still did not know how she had managed something as ridiculous as rearranging her Experience Points. But they still got an attack in. They had proven that she was not an absolute existence. She had to observe her enemy to predict their Element and then manually select her Resistance, so there were countless ways to fool her. There were about 32 ways this could play out from here. Now that she was actually injured, the Sage would definitely have to increase her Wind Resistance. If she did not fill in that weakness, she would be bisected. But if they knew she was going to defend against that, they only had to use a different Element. They got ahead of her. They surpassed her. The Sage had always continued forward no matter what happened. But Beatrices group had stepped out ahead of her!! Oh. For the first time. For the very first time in this battle, a look of true desperation appeared on the Sages face. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Something happened. It was not over yet. She held her patchwork rapier in her left hand, but her right hand remained oddly empty. The fingers of the gauntlet burst. From the back of the hand to the fingertips, it transformed into 5 translucent red blades that seemed to be made of glass. They jutted out far narrower and longer than the rapier. Lorelei gave one the strongest power. What had ever happened with that? But no matter what might happen, I am the last of the Royal Elves. I was certainly surprised when someone approached and immediately said I seemed nostalgic. Even after she explained her situation, there was only so much I could do. Sibyl narrowed her eyes and sounded like she was recalling a distant memory. My Skill materializes residual memories. I could not reproduce the techniques of the destroyed Iberian Orcs, but I was able to bring back a few valuable documents. Yes. For example... The wall painting depicting the secret method of fully controlling Lorelei. The final attack moved beyond the Sages own ability to reallocate her Experience Points. That was why it smashed the assumption that she could not counterattack when forcibly bringing multiple Elemental Defenses up to 100%. Lorelei itself was supposedly a Break News that easily granted its wielder their image of the strongest. It was plain as day what flaw the Sage would think needed fixing. Melt Cutting!! Cold Edge!! Multiple magic circles shined and blades cut at her from the left and right simultaneously, but the Sage did not move. Simply by standing in place, she deflected the Shining Weapons of the Holy Swordswoman and Ice Waterfall Princess. Full defense for all Elements. ... That alone was frightening. An Elemental Defense required massive amounts of Experience Points as it approached 100% as a quadratic curve, so maxing out every Element was insane. But she did not stop there. Loreleis violence went much further. Equals unlimited automatic Experience Point acquisition. ...!!!??? You dont have to fight or explore the Labyrinth? Just by holding it, it gives you an inexhaustible supply of Experience Points!? In a way, that may have been an item anyone would covet. And if she would automatically receive more Experience Points than she could ever use, she could bring every single Elemental Defense up to 100%. Not only that, she could also reach every single attack Magic on the Magic tree diagram. She could have it all without bothering to reallocate anything. The Sage had filled in her gaps. A counterattack of overwhelming destruction was finally beginning. And if an attack with another Element could not slip through any longer, Boo Boo and Armelinas lives would be snuffed out as they made their physical attacks from right in front of her. They knew that, but there was nothing more they could do. Things were already on the move. The scales were tilting toward defeat. But just before that happened, bewitching laughter slipped into their ears. Everyone, arent you forgetting someone? A voice followed. It came from Boo Boos side. Until now, Anatomia Puzzle Filinion had been nothing but a burden in glasses, but now she threw some colorful test tubes toward the Sage. She was only a healer, the cornerstone of support that could not cause any direct damage. But that was not necessarily true. The Sage had announced that she would take no damage from Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, or any kind of physical attack. The same was likely true for Status Effects such as poison and paralysis. But that was exactly the point. There is no real reason to negate healing. ? So no matter what Elemental Defense you have, you cant negate healing. There was a splashing sound. The Sage had merely watched the colorful test tubes because she had assumed the glasses girl was only throwing them away, but it was too late to stare in shock now. Beatrice knew what it was. That potion had healed her back tooth without altering her sensitive face in the slightest. But... Take this: a reconstructive healing potion that heals all wounds!! But in exchange, it saps the Willpower you need to use Magic!! Wha-...? What would happen if she was hit with more and more of those special recovery potions that came at a great cost? Nothing more was necessary. No matter how many Experience Points she built up and how much Magic she learned, Magic was Magic. Magic had to consume Willpower to be released into the world. That was true of the Command-style that produced fire or ice from a Shining Weapon and of the Percentage-type that took the form of clothing to change ones Parameters or increase ones Elemental Defenses. You can no longer use Magic. So what would happen if all of that Willpower was taken away? What would happen now that she was out of gas and the breaker had been thrown? Even the invisible Elemental Defenses were subconscious Magic. They would no longer function once the Willpower at the foundation was stripped away. ...Lorelei would easily grant its wielder their idea of the strongest, but it would take advantage of the weaknesses. That blade had become a legend of its own, so was it now swallowing up its own creator? Its time you were defeated, Sage! As no more than a normal person!! Finally. Truly finally, a magic circle exploded from Beatrices back now that everyone had passed her the baton. Her rapier roared through the air, flames blazed out along its path, and it scored a direct hit on the Sages stomach. With a great din, the Sage was blown away. This faceless person had adjusted their clothing Magic and rearranged their Experience Points to maintain the illusion that they were Beatrice. Beatrices eyes met that persons for just a moment. The Sage reached out her Lorelei-transformed right hand as if trying to grab something. Was she trying to reach Beatrice? Or Boo Boo? Long silver and red hair flew, spread out, and revealed the skin a bit behind the left ear. There was no mole there. They had concluded that she had hastily added it unnecessarily when Boo Boo had made his false claim. But wasnt there another way to look at it, even if it felt like overthinking things? What if the real Beatrice had learned to transform at some point? If she had never had the mole but hastily added it after Boo Boos false claim, did that really prove anything at all? It all remained foggy. It was like searching for the top and bottom side of a Moebius strip. Before any answer could be found, the Sage slammed into the layered wall of the shaft and then fell. Boo Boo and Beatrice both ran over, but they did not arrive in time. Their outstretched hands felt nothing in their grasp and the Sage simply fell. She slipped through the gap between the large elevator floor and the shaft wall and then she vanished into the seemingly bottomless darkness below. Part 13 No one moved for a while. The only sound was that of the large gears moving. Is it...over? Beatrice eventually spoke. She had made the final attack, but it did not seem real even to her. That barrier had been far too great. But they had crossed it. Beatrice, Filinion, Armelina, Wildefrau, and Boo Boo. They were all there. None of them was lost. Its over. Its really over... Actually, let me see your injuries, Boo Boo! Youre all sliced up! Squeal. Im fine if everyone else is. That isnt what she was asking. Its free, so let Filinion heal you. They began arguing like normal, but Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau looked around and then straight up. Umm, how do we stop this elevator? Huhh!? Beatrice sounded flustered. The White Witch also froze in place after pulling out a colorful test tube. Wh-what happens if we cant stop it!? U-um! We can just hit a button or pull a lever once we reach the bottom, right!? Please dont tell me its a one-way trip and we have to fight our way back up from the very bottom of the Labyrinth! Wildefrau, can you freeze the elevators gears with your absolute zero vacuum!? Well, I could, but any unnecessary force on the frozen parts would probably cause them to shatter. Umm, meaning...? I dont know what kind of safety features this thing has, but we might just fall straight down. And even if it worked, wed still be stuck who knows how many hundreds or thousands of meters belowground. Oh, but the Labyrinth is connected through subspace in some parts, isnt it? E-e-eeek!? As usual, the White Witch grew pale and shrieked. Beatrice rubbed her slender chin. If possible, we could use emergency escape Magic. After fighting Sibyl and then the Sage? Who here can use Magic thats that much of a drain on your Willpower? More importantly... Wildefrau remained surprisingly cool-headed throughout. She may have been the kind of person that kept her distance and thus did not allow a panic to spread to her. The Sage had built up such insane power to fight that Grounds Nir monster, right? Isnt that why she was using Lorelei to obtain full coverage for all Elements? If we defeat that final trump card but dont do anything about the monster...um, wont we be neglecting something rather important? Wait. Hold on. Armelina pressed her index fingers together in front of her flaaat chest while hoping against hope that she was wrong. The arrangement of frames and lines made from fire illusion Magic was not complete. It was not over with just the Sage. D-do we have to continue right on to the giant Magic kaiju battle with that monster!? Were all beaten up from the Sage and havent recovered at all! Moving straight from the Sibyl battle to the Sage battle was bad enough, but we have to go for 3 in a row!!!??? That said, this position was unfilled now that the Sage had been defeated. Someone else would have to fill it. If that monster reached the surface, all life living on Grounds Nir would be wiped out and devastating chaos would reach Earth once the economic support of Magic and Pieces was lost. Someone had to do it. ...And if whoever it was had to take over for the Sage, they would naturally have to be someone who had proven they were more powerful than her. Between the Lines 2 My stance has gotten a lot better? What are you talking about? I still havent beaten you. How is it I cant beat someone who uses no Magic and just swings around a blunt weapon? I, well, use a bit of a trick, but I can access almost any Magic usable by humans. Why is that a problem? The biggest problem is that I cant hold it against you even as I keep losing. In the end, all of the distortions may be focused here. I was supposed to win, win, and win some more in order to save 7 or 8 billion people, but thats exactly why nothing remains for me. To be honest, I might have fallen into despair in a world that didnt teach me how to lose. I was glad. I was glad to find there was someone I couldnt stand up to, a barrier I couldnt cross. I guess it taught me that the world is a sturdier thing than I thought and that I cant just go on a wild rampage. Its weird, but you looked like a strong lifeline to me. I finally found a thick, thick lifeline that I could entrust my full body weight to. Hey, elder. Im grateful. Its kind of embarrassing saying it out loud. So you said you had something important to tell me. What is it? Ha ha. Dont look so reluctant. Im indebted to you. You really did save my life, so Im willing to do anything that could help you. Ksh. ...Ksshh, kssshhh... Ksssssshhhhhhh!! (Notice / Conversation log partially missing. File is unplayable.) Volume 4, 3: Boss_Quest 03 "Launch_Sequence" Grade: Unscorable Volume 4, Chapter 3: Boss_Quest 03 "Launch_Sequence" Grade: Unscorable Part 1 (Central Shaft) Sleep! Its time to sleep!! When fighting consecutive battles, the Willpower which powered Magic was most important. If they could not avoid a fight with this monster, they needed to recover as much as possible first. They did not have their pajamas with them now. Well, Im fine as long as I strip naked. Okay, everyone. Lets stop that pervert who just pulled out her nightcap!!!!!! To make a long story short, some teenage girls slept directly on the floor of the giant elevator. But... Uuh... I cant sleep with the grinding of the gears... And theyre making the floor vibrate... Just get to sleep. Even 5 or 10 minutes will recover some Willpower and we never know what will determine life or death. We all know this isnt as nice as an inn, so quit complaining! Armelina handed out some chocolate and biscuits she had as emergency rations, but that may have been to help them get to sleep even a little sooner. At this point, not even the bare minimum of virtues (not eating before going to sleep) could be found. Beatrice used her fire illusion Magic to display a frame. Eh heh heh. Good night, Boo Boo. ...Um, Beatrice? What is it, Wildefrau? Im going through the final ritual used when I just cant seem to sleep. Look how cute Boo Boo was back then Im so glad I took a Screenshot. B-but should you really be losing yourself in memories when the real Boo Boo is right there...? The Iberian Orc himself only tilted his head and squealed, so it may not have been that big an issue. Meanwhile, Filinion unwrapped one of the chocolates the Fighter Priest was distributing. But scheduling it out like this only makes it harder to sleep. Its not like you can plan to go to sleep in precisely an hour and then do so. You dont get to complain when youre keeping us up with that aroma candle, you cowww!! They were technically in the Labyrinth, but this shaft did not connect to the other passageways and there were none of the Gimmicks that copied the structures of living creatures or the Traps embedded in the walls or floor. And it was true they were exhausted after fighting Sibyl and the Sage back to back. They complained a lot at first, but they eventually quieted down. There may have been a pajama boom underway, but they had always taken naps in the Labyrinth by establishing a small barrier in place of a sleeping bag, placing a single blanket over the hard stone, and sleeping on top of that. You did not reach the level cap without the ability to endure some discomfort. However... Squeal... At some point, Boo Boo started dozing off even though he did not have to worry about Magic or Willpower. He may have simply been bored without anyone to talk to. This proved to be a problem. Zzz. Mutter, mutter. Bgohh...zgohhhhh. Uh, oh... Bgohhh!! Bgooooooogh!! ...Mutter, mutter. The superb flavor has plunged the judge into a sea of sashimiiiii!! Bgoghhh!! Byaaaahh!! B-B-Boo Boo... What is this bombardment for!? Cow, complain if you like, but Boo Boos tossing and turning is worse than his snor-... Before Beatrice could finish her warning, the gray pig-faced giant rolled over. The tearfully complaining glasses girl uttered a strange Bglh!? and fell silent. She seemed to have lost consciousness, but it was a mystery if she would recover any Willpower in the meantime. Wildefrau grew pale and shot to her feet. Wh-wh-wh-what do we do about this!? This is just as dangerous as one of those traps with a boulder rolling down a slope! Really, what do we do!? Mutter, mutter...zzzzz!! ...And now for some dessert! The experts plan for a comeback was hidden in the dessert, not the main diiiiish!! Bubah, bubah!! It was unclear what kind of dream had him so excited, but Boo Boo moved some more. A thick tongue stuck out from his mouth which was far larger than it seemed. Ah. With Filinion squashed, Beatrice was closest to him. And not even the strongest Holy Swordswoman had time to prepare herself. It happened in a single strike. He mimicked licking something and, with a horribly wet sound, she was covered in saliva from below her hips to above her chest. Hyahhhhn!? His tongue moved from below her navel to her breastplate and even higher. When she heard the strained, high-pitched noise she uttered on reflex, Beatrice felt a blush spread out to her ears. Wildefrau also blushed and shouted at the Holy Swordswoman trembling next to her. Dont make such lewd sounds! N-no...!! Wh-what!? That voice...what is happening to my body!? Dont worry, Beatrice. You shut one eye and turned your face the other way, so he just barely missed your lips. It doesnt count as your first kiss. Your cheek and hair are certainly a mess, though. Eh? You mean Im a girl who had her entire body licked before her first kiss!? Armelinas calm comment led Beatrice to feel like she had gotten the order of things in her life completely out of whack, but a look at her Shining Weapon showed her Experience Points had indeed gone up slightly. Kh...!! This is supposed to be when the pointlessly plump glasses cow comes in handy, but shes so slow she got herself crushed right away! Dont act like you wouldnt cause a supernova if anyone but you had something happen with Boo Boo. And this was not the time to be stubborn. Boo Boo was fast asleep, but his gigantic tongue was still sticking out as he rolled around. The Fighter Priest made up her mind immediately. Her survival instincts had been honed in the severe Labyrinth, and they told her exactly what to do. Special TechniqueBeatrice Barrier!! Wait! Armelina!? Shut up. As I said, if any of us gets hit by Boo Boo, itll trigger that jealousy explosion of yours. Im not about to let disaster strike me twice. And that means you just need to look after him on your own!! It all sounded like a joke, but Armelina was serious as she circled behind the red Holy Swordswoman with a smile. She used all of the arm strength built up for physical attacks to hold Beatrices slender shoulders and not let go. H-how can you people betray each other so readily right before a major battle!? Wildefrau protested, but the police officer looked aside with a cold sweat pouring from her face. Sorry, Ice Waterfall Princess. But I swore to myself I would remain a pure maiden in this world at least. I feel like youve rewritten the definition of maiden for yourself... But just as she made that super cool-headed comment... Bhyoo boo, bhyoo, boboo... Bgoh, zgohhhhhh! Delicious!! Its so delicious!! But there was alcohol mixed in!! Boboo!! With an incredibly threatening aura, a giant, thick, and heavy object passed by Wildefrau. It was the extra-large sticky tongue protruding from Boo Boos mouth. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau thought for a while with a smile frozen on her sweaty face. And... Ah, wait, no!? Wildefrau, youre our last voice of reason, so dont you hide behind me too! Bbraaw! Wah! Waaaahhh!? Unable to dodge the tongue that rushed in on its way back, Beatrice let out an extended cry like a fighting game characters defeat yell and she collapsed on the spot. The other 2 began to tremble with their greatest shield gone. Ah, ah wah, ah wah wah wah wah wah... H-hey. Beatrice stomped right up to the Crystal Bridge Guild Battle where it was said 3 million Magic attacks were being exchanged and she conquered it all on her own! If shes gone pale, this must do more damage than the entire human race can hope to bear! The survivors, Armelina and Wildefrau, wanted to avoid being crushed to death or licked all over. The cries of the people who had met those fates were still fresh in their memories!! And this was not a case of one precluding the other. They could see the tongue licking across unconscious Filinion from her stomach to below her chest. The attack never let up. Oh, no! Hes rolling this way! Run! Run away!! Armelina, Im guessing this is your fault for handing out those snacks. The sweet smell is guiding Boo Boo in his dream. ...Hee hee Wildefrauuuu!! Part 2 (The Factory) In the end, only Boo Boo felt refreshed. An extra heavy shaking of the elevator woke him. He blinked and spoke. Oh, Im drooling. Rub, rub... Huh? What? Are we there already??? Y-yeah... Prepare yourself, Boo Boo. We really are going to be relying on you... Beatrice, Filinion, Armelina, and Wildefrau looked a lot stickier and weary than when he had last seen them, but if they were relying on him, he would have to do this best. After all, he was full of energy!! The elevator had stopped. They had arrived at the very bottom of the Labyrinth. Beatrice looked around. I dont see the Sage anywhere. Well, I would feel a little bad if we crushed her below the elevator...but then where did she get off to? Filinion sounded hesitant, but a simple search was unlikely to find her. Was it really possible to reach this place on foot? The long, narrow corridor did have a large stairway leading up in addition to the elevator, but it was unknown if anyone could reach it under their own power. The lights lining the walls at even intervals looked like collections of fireflies and Boo Boos group naturally followed them. They finally found a large room. It only contained a round door much like the entrance to a bank vault. And it was quite large. Its diameter was larger than a school classroom. Thick metal rods were attached around the perimeter to lock it in place. There were dozens...no, hundreds of them all told. Not even Beatrice was confident she could force it open with pure firepower. Gulp. Boo Boo gulped and touched the round door. And something odd happened. The impregnable door suddenly spun around. As it repeatedly rotated to the right and left according to some kind of rules, sharp cracks entered the entire thick wall. No, that was not accurate. What had looked like a bank vault door was actually a dial given that shape and size. The seemingly never-ending wall was the sealing door. I didnt do anything. Then someone must be doing something on the inside. Be careful, Boo Boo! Yes, if the Labyrinth was an automatic factory meant to create the ultimate weapon, then that was what must be waiting at the deepest point. And its emergence was not necessarily a good thing. What if that door was meant to prevent its escape and not just keep intruders out? The doors opening would not necessarily lead to anything good. Because this might mean the monster had finished analyzing the structure of the lock and was crawling out. Its waiting, said Boo Boo. The Grounds Nir monster is waiting up ahead. It opened. The final door opened. And what waited for them there? A dark and muscular king of beasts looking down at them from a giant throne. ...!!!??? Wait, Beatrice. It isnt moving. Beatrices heart leaped in her chest and she reached for her rapier, but Boo Boo calmly stopped her. Sure enough, a closer inspection showed that the outline in the darkness was only giant statue taking that demonic form. That demon king and the throne it sat in were both fake. And cables were connected to them. Out of habit, Beatrice called up her fire illusion Magic frames and lines, but then her thoughts ground to a halt. Hold on. Cables??? She questioned it anew. And once she knew it was fake, she could divert her focus from the overpowering presence. What they saw there was almost enough to send all their preconceived notions crashing down. What...? Every wall of the vast space was covered in countless flat-screen monitors of varying sizes. Cables crawled along the floor and oppressively large boxy masses hung down from the unseen ceiling. Those devices that hung down like stalactites were probably some kind of processor. Everything was hard, cold, and out of place. None of it should exist in Grounds Nir, a world of swords and sorcery. Beatrice felt an intense sense of revulsion in the back of her mind. She felt like observing anything in here would break some kind of taboo. It was a wild collection of hopelessly broken rules. The space was filled with blasphemy. Filinion gulped and viewed the monitors. Are these...the plans for Gimmicks? It looks like this covers everything from the weakest annoyances to the Punishment types that cause instant death if you encounter them. And this is...a map of the current Labyrinth? No, it has a ton of weird arrows on it. Is it simulating how itll be distorted next!? The encyclopedia and map-obsessed girls both voiced their surprise and Wildefrau focused on the data from a different angle. That isnt all. It seems to be monitoring the movement patterns of the intruders. In other words, the actions of us humans. It cant be... Beatrice created more and more frames and connected them with all sorts of lines. She was supposed to be organizing her information, but she was only growing more confused. She was inundated by information. Come to think of it, the Iberian Orcs had feared the monsters completion and were prepared to fight as a village to stop it, but hadnt the delinquent soldiers of Elkiad mentioned that the Iberian Orcs had not liked that the humans were visiting the Labyrinth? And the Nonhumans living on Grounds Nirs surface had somehow known that approaching the Labyrinth was a bad idea. Could it be? Was it using the entire Labyrinth...to determine what the strongest being is? Was it using combat to decide what physical structure and thought processes are strongest...? The Gimmicks wandering the Labyrinth had used clockwork designs to mimic the structures of plants and animals. Those were likely samples that had been fully analyzed and artificially recreated. Then those existing samples were pitted against the unknown intruders to gather more data. Almost like the experiments in the evolution of artificial life using computers. The Labyrinth had remade itself into harsh environments to see how long the life forms inside it could survive. Perhaps the Iberian Orcs had opposed entering the Labyrinth in order to delay the test schedule and interfere with the work to design the ultimate weapon that slept in the greatest depths. In that case, what had the Labyrinth ultimately decided was the strongest lifeform? A low mechanical rumbling reached their ears. Beatrice looked over to the source of the noise and saw the giant demon king statue wriggling in its throne at the center of the space surrounded by monitors. The movement came from the core where all of the cords and cables gathered. It opened. A vertical crack ran down the center and it opened like a double-door iron maiden. And inside was... A girl. A slender, lovely, and delicate human girl. ...In a way, this was the obvious result. Once Beatrice reached the same answer with her many frames and lines, she could not stop the chill running down her back. Which lifeform had most often entered the Labyrinth, defeated the most Gimmicks, overcome the most Traps, and reached the deepest floor? If that was defined as the strongest form, what would the automatic factory base its ultimate weapon on? It was obvious: humans. Connection to fully-powered body confirmed. Internal power and signal sync confirmed. All green. There was a voice. A feminine-sounding artificial voice gently filled the space. Acceptable results were successfully reached using the results of 130 million simulated logic tests. As per the given task, the final physical test within the Labyrinth shall begin. Once complete, execution of Priority 1 may begin. Her hair shined silver like it was coated with metal in places and two strands dangled down on her shoulders. Based on her height and the outlines of her body, she was probably meant to be younger than Beatrice. Instead of any kind of armor, she wore what looked like a black one piece swimsuit with a large hole in the stomach. Identically colored fabric was wrapped around her arms and legs. She had solid pointed ears, but they were different from an Elfs. The girl had her eyes calmly closed as she swam in the mysterious liquid contain within a giant clear water tank positioned like the demon king statues womb. Not good... That was ruin. That waking ruin would spread the concepts of death and destruction across the world once she opened her eyes. Not good!!!!!! Grounds Nir C Abyss. Beginning final physical test. It was like a sharp blade slicing through a thin membrane. Something seemed to turn red. And once the closed eyes opened wide, they encountered the end. Part 3 (The Factory) Kah... What... What had happened? ...Huh? For a while, Beatrice did not understand. By the time she had heard a thick glass container breaking and a viscous liquid bursting out, a terrible impact had passed through her entire body and slammed her into the giant monitors on the wall. She could just barely move her eyes enough to see that Filinion, Armelina, Wildefrau, and Boo Boo were in a similar state. They lay against the wall or on the floor, like a powerful storm had blown through. And Abyss was nowhere to be seen. She had already left the deepest area. Only the feminine artificial voice continued. Physical activation of Abyss confirmed. This armorys purpose is complete, so commencing ordered shutdown of operations. Diverting all excess energy to Abyss. Primarily retaining monitoring functionality until full shutdown upon completion of test. All energy and materials will be sent to the completed Abyss. Dammit...this isnt good... She still had trouble breathing after her back slammed into the wall, but she had to get moving. Beatrice unsteadily pulled herself from the nonfunctioning monitor and once more stood on her own two feet within the Labyrinth. Boo Boo, everyone! Stand up! The monster...Abyss has been released. Well lose everything if she follows the Labyrinth to the surface!! So we have to stop her!! Monitoring energy across all of Grounds Nir: 58%, 57%, 56%... That countdown reaching 0% sounded like a bad thing. Would the surface be sucked dry of all forms of energy to destroy the food chain from the bottom up? Or would the island itself collapse? Either way, the greatest fear of the Iberian Orcs and the Sage was going to happen. It was not going to stop by pure coincidence. If they did nothing, ruin was inevitable. Only after Beatrice worked with all her strength would they happen across a coincidental chance of derailing that ruin. I-is there really any way of defeating that...? Cough. We just have to keep her from reaching the surface, right!? Still, we need to get going!! They all slowly stood up and resumed moving. They were up against an incarnation of violence who was powerful enough to brush aside 4 level cappers and an Iberian Orc. If they hoped to stop her, they could not repeat that foolishness. That said, the Labyrinth is a big place. We cant let ourselves get lost either. Filinion! Okay! Fine, then! She threw a colorful test tube to the floor which began to glow like someone had applied glow-in-the-dark paint. The light marked Abysss footprints. The mysterious liquid in the beaker seemed to react to it. This is the Hansel and Gretel method. Follow the bread crumbs and we can reach our target. Kyah!? They could not afford any more lost time. Boo Boo once more held the unathletic White Witch under his arm and they all quickly left the factory area. She didnt use the central shaft! The green footprints lead to the big staircase! You mean she avoided the shortest course...? Why was unclear, but Beatrices group needed to catch up to Abyss as quickly as possible. Whatever route she had taken, they had to follow it. Boo. Is this...? Boo Boo? Beatrices question went unanswered because he was lost in thought. Regardless, they had to find Abyss. They ran up the stairs to reach the next floor up. Part 4 (On Grounds Nir) It was a moonlit night. Hmm, things sure are boring with Boo Boo gone. Fairy Queen Sutriona had been influenced by the human fad, so she was pacing the brick house in the mountains while wearing nothing but a button-up shirt as sexy pajamas. Zzz... Snores could be heard from the Fairy Queens shoulder. Elder Morgan was sleeping there while wearing bagworm pajamas made from flower petals tied together with Ground Spider silk. She was tied on tight, so she would not fall from Sutrionas shoulder no matter how much she moved. The elder had been Sutrionas conversation partner for a while, but the Break News was alone now. (Maybe I should stop being so nocturnal.) Looking a little lonely, Sutriona walked to the small garden next to the house. Hey, perverted carrot. Youve noticed, havent you? I have. A beautiful woman with brown skin and long hair was buried in the softly tilled soil to just below her chest. She was Ileana, the greatest of the Mandragoras. She wore something like a flower bud lampshade. The thin film covered her entire body like a poncho. She had mistaken the pursuit of entertainment and luxury for proof of intelligence and rationality. She may have thought it was the same as the human pajamas, but that did not make it any less see-through. I keep feeling this odd sensation like an invisible hand is grabbing and shaking the core of my body. Good, said Sutriona. That means Im not imagining it. With the low rumbling of air, a giant silhouette passed by overhead, obscuring the moon. That was the Thousand Dragon a flying dragon measuring 1000 meters long who created great quantities of clouds just by flying by. Sutriona put her hands on her hips, sighed, and struck a bold pose despite only wearing a button-up shirt. Big or small, it would seem all of the Break News are on the move. Ive heard our strength is used against our will to power the largescale Traps in the Labyrinth, so perhaps something strange is occurring there. Even so, why not leave this to the reckless humans who choose to visit that Labyrinth? Ileana turned her head around with half her body still buried in the soil. That over there would be the bigger problem for us. They heard something like a seductive feminine laugh. And that was not entirely inaccurate. But it was the middle of the night and well outside the human inn town, so it was an odd thing to hear from the dense forest. I said big or small, didnt I? The ones that were more affected have gone crazy like that. And they still have their power as a Break News. Hee hee hee. Eh heh heh. Tee hee. Eh heh heh heh heh heh. It was oddly calm overall, but it contained an irregular wave that filled the listeners heart with unease. And it slowly approached. A broken silhouette could be glimpsed between the trees. They were finally revealed to be a young woman in a monocle who had gorgeous jewels decorating her entire body. Her wavy bluish-purple hair reached her feet and her skin was more blue than white. She seemed to absorb the night air and glowed with a pale light. She wore jewels across her naked body...no, there were enough of them that she seemed to be dragging them with her. She belonged to the species that the inn towns humans referred to as the Treasure Goddesses. No, it only looked that way. Gullveig was camouflaged as the incarnation of a treasure monster, but the supposed jewels covering her body were actually univalve shellfish from the beach. In other words, they were colorful parasites. People were drawn in by the goddesss nudity and the glow of the jewels, but once they were within the lethal range, the hundreds or thousands of lights would launch from her body and devour her poor, foolish prey. She was that sort of Break News. Heh heh. Eh heh heh. Ah hah hah. Eh heh hah hah hah hah hah... Hey, pest, said Ileana. Isnt her head pretty empty even without the Labyrinth affecting her? Dammit. The one problem with all the Break News is how theyre all such perverts. However, that was not the only rustling sound. Sutriona turned around fast enough for the bottom of her button-up shirt to flutter dangerously high. Flame Bubble, the goo lifeform that creates countless bubble bombs, and Frau Gothel, the statue of a beautiful girl with no known sculptor. What a pain. None of them are the kind you could talk with in the first place. It just makes this so much more complicated! If theyre evil to the core, cant we just kick their asses whether they were driven mad or not? It was true that the Break News were crawling all across the small island due to the change in the Labyrinth. If they were intoxicated and began thrash their limbs around wildly, it would cause unimaginable damage. The village of Fairies who revered Sutriona and the human inn town she enjoyed visiting might both vanish into the mist. So does that mean youre willing to help out, perverted carrot? Hmph. I resent having to join forces with you, but this is shellfish, fire, and stone. The dirt too is a living thing. It breathes and drinks. I would hate to see such a nice garden be destroyed. Ileana sounded exasperated as she pulled herself from the ground. And there was one legend concerning Mandragoras that everyone knew. If they were carelessly uprooted, they would scream and steal the soul of all who heard it. Immediately, Ileana fired a deadly soundwave spear from her mouth to signal the beginning of the battle. Part 5 (??? / No records, area unnamed as no humans have ever arrived here) After running up the large staircase, the walls, floor, and ceiling were divided into blocks to form what looked like thick transparent water tanks. They were filled with giant, dark red organs. None of them protruded from the tanks and none of the sticky liquid dripped down, but it was still far from a pleasant sight. Urp. What is this place...? Abyss matters more than exploring this area. We can still see her footprints! They were trying to catch up, so they could not afford to lose time dealing with Gimmicks and Traps. Beatrice and the others carefully searched for enemies, fled to a different path when they caught sight of one, and avoided battle as they followed the footprints. Something like a giant boot stuck full of swords and spears hopped about. There was what looked like the remains of a carnivorous dinosaur that continually self-destructed and regenerated because it could not maintain its form. A rundown life-size French doll wandered around in search of parts. Wait, wait, wait. The instant death Punishment ones that show up when you stay in one place for an hour pale in comparison to this lineup. The enemies get this bad when youre this deep? They dont even seem based on existing plants and animals anymore... Boo. Wait, look over there! They spotted a familiar face in the previous plaza of internal organs. It looked like a girl wearing a black one piece swimsuit with her stomach revealed by a large hole. She had badly-distressed silver hair with two strands hanging down over the shoulders. Abyss! But she would escape as things were. Beatrice clenched her teeth and Wildefrau shouted to her. Theres an Alarm in the same plaza as her! Beatrice, attack it from a distance!! Oh, I get it! A magic circle glowed on Beatrices back. She used Metal Jet. An attack like an orange laser beam scorched the air and struck the Gimmick standing next to Abyss. It looked like a large alarm clock. The Alarm of Calamity was not that powerful on its own, but it was well-known for its devious strategy of calling in all the surrounding Gimmicks with an ear-splitting din. The retro noise was reminiscent of a fire alarm. Yes. As expected, Beatrices group was ignored and the many Gimmicks gathered around Abyss who was just about to leave the organ plaza. This was the same method used to kill a rival. They could not let their guard down since each of these Gimmicks was equivalent to the extraordinary Punishment variety, but stopping Abyss took priority. However. It was like scoring a strike in bowling. With a pleasant noise, the exceptional Gimmicks were scattered across the floor. Even from a distance, it was unclear what had happened. They had just barely managed to see Abyss swing a hand horizontally, but the length of her arm and the range of the attack did not match. And the fear did not end there. She must have realized this was a purposeful trap and not just some bad luck. She slowly turned around and glared at them. At the same time, the observer spoke using an artificial voice coming from all of the walls. Deadly Sugar Boot, Food Destruction Fang, Eternal Doll, and Alarm of Calamity defeated. Battle complete. Abyss earned 98,000 Experience Points. Wha-...? Odd mechanical noises followed. At some point, a large metal wheel had appeared on Abysss back. It was attached to her shoulder blades by two supports and the exterior edge of the wheel seemed to extend to attach to the wreckage of the smashed Gimmicks. It grabbed them as if with 3 thick fingers. They were like crude arms structured like a standing lamp or like angel wings made from heavy weaponry. The red light on the outer edge of her ankles combined with the black fabric over her shapely legs looked something like a dolphin or orcas tail. She was like a transcendent being that ruled over land, sea, and sky. As a final touch, an entirely unfamiliar pattern appeared above her head. It hovered above her silver hair like an angels halo, but it was...a magic circle??? With a static electric hum, the lines on her clothing filled with red and a red warning triangle appeared directly on her skin below her chest. Her metal ears opened up into the three pieces with red light spread between them like sails. Abyss has learned new Magic. Metal Jet: standby. Oh, no! Take cover!! Like with a 3D printer, it may have been too much for the world once it gained physical form. Just as they all pressed against the floor or walls, several orange beams sliced through the air and filled the entire space like laser art. The thick water tanks were sliced through and the giant, dark red organs inside burst out. Beatrice did not want to accept the truth before her eyes. She hesitated to write this new information into her frames and lines. But the horrific truth was attacking in real time. Abyss has learned new Magic. Rail Magnum, Big Bomb, Aero Gatling: standby. Is she an unmanned weapon that learns Magic by defeating Gimmicks!? Boo. Just like all of you. That outside perspective sent a chill down Beatrices spine. What if this was why Abyss had chosen to travel through the complex Labyrinth instead of using the direct central shaft? What would happen if that strongest weapon continually cannibalized the lower Gimmicks, stole their Experience Points, and limitlessly learned Magic? Beatrice felt the fear of having a human privilege stolen by a machine. It was the fear of being unable to catch up and forever losing their chance to switch her off if she passed a certain point. Anyway, stand up, Beatrice. We cant just stay here. R-right...! They avoided the organs spilling into the corridor and made their way to the plaza. Abyss was already gone. And they heard a deafening fire alarm from the next floor up. Wildefrau spoke the worst possibility. ...Curse her. Did she steal the Alarm of Calamitys parts so she could gather the Gimmicks to herself!? Part 6 (??? / No records, area unnamed as no humans have ever arrived here) Their surroundings changed once they climbed the stairs. A red and black checkerboard floor was covered in cards and chips. What looked like a spinning merry-go-round was actually a roulette wheel. This floor seemed to have a casino motif. As before, it was filled with never-before-seen Gimmicks, but they did not have time to cower in fear of them all. Theyre already smashed and discarded. The cannibalization is complete... It felt like coming across the scene of a murder. An electric tension surrounded their bodies, but there was nothing left to move. They did not feel the more direct fear of knowing they could be stabbed in the gut at any time. I suppose its lucky these are unexplored areas where no one else will be... If she had gathered the powerful Gimmicks on the floor and defeated them all, just how many Experience Points had Abyss accumulated in her body? A-anyway. Beatrice tried to keep her thoughts moving before her fear pinned her in place. We need to catch up to Abyss. We know all too well that everythings over if she reaches the surface. Just as they forced themselves to take the first step along the path of glowing footprints, they heard a creaking sound from overhead. Beatrice looked up without thinking and there she saw it. At some point, the monster named Abyss had approached them while clinging to the ceiling on all fours. Wha-...? Shes already learned we were following her footprints and used it against us!? When simply following the footprints, it was hard to notice when you were directly under attack. And instead of just making a U-turn, she had clung to the ceiling to avoid making any more footprints while also approaching her pursuers from a blind spot as they focused on the floor. The crude arms attached to the metal wheel on her back were holding all sorts of heavy weaponry, blades, and even a pile bunker. The red lines across her body and the warning sign appearing directly on her skin below her chest were ominous. The polite artificial voice made an announcement from the walls. Abyss has located the enemy. Humans: 4. Iberian Orc: 1. Commencing preemptive strike. Beatrice!! The red Holy Swordswoman was still frozen in place, so Boo Boo pushed her with his leg in something a lot like a kick. Immediately, Abyss dropped down. She grabbed at the floor with all fours and flapped her incredibly sinister wings. Boo Boo was defenseless after protecting someone he cared for and several targeting sights appeared on him as red dots. The halo-like magic circle gave off a much more violent light. Abyss is using Magic. Machine Spike, Flying Guillotine, Crater Lance: standby. Boo Boo!? Beatrice screamed his name as blood sprayed mercilessly out. A metal spike thicker than a sword, a circular blade that rapidly rotated as it flew, and a metal javelin heavier than iron all tore into his nearly four meter body. The momentum of the attacks slammed his back into the wall and Abyss prepared to make further attacks. Why you...!! shouted Wildefrau. A magic circle danced out from the cross-shaped sword on her chest and she summoned a giant lantern shield made of thick ice along with the Zweih?nder sword held by its thick hands. She swung down that super heavy attack. Abyss said nothing. She leaped back to avoid the initial attack and then used the heavy weaponry wings on her back to forcibly hold the giant sword from either side. It was a lot like grabbing a sword between your hands, but that was not how those arms were meant to be used. She failed to synchronize their timing and her body tilted down from the right shoulder. But she was unharmed. Her beautiful eyes mechanically focused. The walls whispered. Increasing importance of Water Element Magic. Adjusted importance will be reflected in Magic learning choices. Damn, is she using both us and the Gimmicks to grow now!? Difficulty of resolving the current problem confirmed. Temporarily freezing task. Abyss will flee to prioritize the acquisition of more Experience Points. Shes going to get away...!! Wildefrau attempted to throw her Zweih?nder and grab at Abyss with her giant ice fingers, but their opponent was faster. She jumped backwards a few times and then ran full speed toward the stairs. The Ice Waterfall Princess no longer held back. She released the leather belts binding her body and drew the sealed sword from its scabbard. The magic circle on the sword exploded, releasing an absolute zero vacuum that froze even the components of the air. However... She isnt...stopping!? Well, she is completely inorganic. It makes sense she can keep moving even inside pseudo outer space! But she should still flash-freeze at -273 degrees. Beatrice!! Yes, if things went well, they might be able to crack her sturdy armor using a massive temperature change. ! Fire Throw!! The magic circle on her back glowed and flames scattered from her sweeping rapier, but she missed. Abyss had already reached the next floor up. Oh, right! Hows Boo Boo!? Dont worry. Filinion is a genius, so Im just fine. No, you are not! Dont be so reckless!! The White Witch held below his arm was right. She had used a healing potion on him, but his wounds were not entirely closed. He was only been slightly better off than instant death. It was true potions healed less and less as the body built up a resistance to them, but it was happening too quickly. Abyss may have used some kind of Magic that obstructed the healing. This means she isnt going to just lose us and head straight for the surface. You might be able to call that lucky, but if we just sit here waiting for her to return, well be wiped out for a true game over. Theres nothing we can do if she develops any further! Squeal. About that... What is it, Boo Boo? We should probably hurry. Boo Boo ignored his injuries and looked to the ceiling. He may have been focused on something using senses sharper than a humans. Abyss is researching humans, but that doesnt mean she has to target you. She might go after any human she comes across. Part 7 (Sweets Circuit 32) Step by step, the thing shaped like a girl and known as Abyss climbed the stairs and reached yet another floor. The entire space was filled with a cloyingly sweet aroma. On this level of the Labyrinth, the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made out of sweets. The table in a corner of the room was a cheesecake and the chairs placed around it were colorful macarons. The doors irregularly dotting the walls were chocolate panels and the chandelier dangling from the ceiling was a large donut. ...? She tilted her head on the spot with the red warning signals still flashing across her body. Everything was a new experience to that ultimate weapon. The data gathered by her various sensors were converted into actual points in the blink of an eye and she used those to learn new Magic. But she did have thoughts outside of those purely logical ones. Now, were those thoughts something a machine should have? With the metal wheel attached to her back and many weapons connected to that by the arms, Abyss slowly crouched down. She poked at one of the macaron stools, tilted her head, twitched her ears which were spread out like red glowing sails, and pushed her index finger into the sandwiched cream section. She looked at the cream on her fingertip and tilted her head again. She held it up to her shapely nose, sniffed, and stuck her small tongue out from between her lips. But she stopped before touching her tongue tip to the cream. Something fluttered over. The object was as large as the girls palm and it was a butterfly with bright yellow wings. It was not a Gimmick modeled after such a creature. It was an actual lifeform that had wandered in here somehow. Abyss silently tilted her head. She slowly reached out her empty hand, but the butterfly showed no sign of caution as it attempted to suck up the cream with its long, skinny proboscis. What would happen if she touched it? What would occur if she captured it? It was possible not even Abyss herself knew. And that was not a problem. She was an unmanned weapon that learned, so she would indiscriminately absorb everything before her. She might be able to learn something from this yellow butterfly and that might cause her to take a different branch in her path. That was a possible future. But it never happened. The macaron stool was obliterated before her eyes. She had not done it. Another voice reached her as she tilted her head. Hey, look! Theres a new one! Wow, Ive never seen that Gimmick before!! Lets destroy it and take all its Gears!! Damn, I bet a video alone would be pretty valuable! Their opponent was not alive, so they could destroy it without a second thought. That had been the standard for so long that they did not hesitate. In a way, that may have been the obvious conclusion. But they had chosen a poor opponent this time. Abyss stared at the destroyed macaron stool. It was unclear what had happened to the butterfly. Then she slowly stood up. Red light extended from her ankles like an orca or dolphins tail fins. Two strands of silver hair fell over the front of her body and a never-before-seen magic circle glowed above her head like an angels halo. She recalled her original task. The sinister red wavered and the crude arms wriggled on her back. If she touched them, they would break. No matter who it was, she could break them. That hopeless truth of the world had just been demonstrated before her eyes. Part 8 (Sweets Circuit 32) They finally reached a floor they recognized. Sweets Circuit 32. ...Were already this high up? That meant Filinions encyclopedia obsession and Armelinas map obsession would actually help them. Once they knew the layout, they could use the location of the stairway up to get ahead of and cut off Abysss path. The Gimmicks wandering around would also be down to a reasonable level of strength. They could move at their own pace and they could actually make the preparations needed to get the upper hand. However. That was not something to celebrate at the moment. Gyah! Gyah! Gyaaaahh!! Wait! Youre kidding, right!? What the hell is thiiiiiiis!? Helf!! Nooo!! How ish it cansheling our eshcafe Magiiiic!? The second they set foot on that floor, screams and shouts pummeled their eardrums. With no challenging Gimmicks around, Abyss had naturally shifted her focus to the humans. And Abyss was powerful enough to trample on a group of four level cappers. The damage would only spread explosively from here. Filinion, prepare as many recovery potions as you can!! Oh, honestly! You can pretend to be a philanthropist if you want, but dont come crying to me when were out of materials later on!! Armelina, Wildefrau, get ready! Make loud noises to draw Abysss attention!! If you insist. Im really not sure which of us is the hunter and which is the prey...! And Boo Boo. Beatrice paused before asking him something. ...We arent wrong here, are we? You are absolutely doing the right thing, Beatrice. The ball of light at the end of her rapier caused no damage and only produced a great cacophony. They immediately heard the mechanical sound of lenses focusing in on them. A Pure Knight man received a colorful test tube from Filinion, leaned against the wall because his leg was not functioning, and spat out a comment. I dont know whats going on, but that things using the same tech as the Divulging Eyeball! It can see your Elemental Weakness, so be careful!! Had she absorbed and learned something else? Wind roared passed them like when a train passed through a subway station. Abyss had new armor and boosters which she used to charge toward Beatrice. Boo Boo threw an all-out kick at her from the side. Her path changed at a right angle and she noisily crashed into the wall. Lets keep the attacks coming, Wildefrau!! Understood!! Fire and ice. Opposing magic circles glowed and a thick barrage of multiple Elements flew in from a distance. However... Reflection: Abyss selects the Water Element for her reflection setting. Dammit!!!??? Their own attack was sent right back toward them. And with a curtain of explosive flames obscuring their surroundings, it took longer to notice than it should have. Armelina forced her way in and changed her metal staff into a small boat meant for crushing. She held it like a shield and sparks flew from it as it just barely prevented Beatrices death. Abyss was unharmed. Not even the long ears spread out like red glowing sails were scratched. The metal wheel positioned behind her back still had its crude arms and heavy weaponry spread out like angel wings, but she now had additional floating armor that resembled long, transparent shields on the front of her legs. It isnt just the eyeball monster. Did she also cannibalize the Crystal Pillar of Regret!? More importantly, Beatrice, keep your hands moving! With your Magic... Reflection: Abyss selects the Fire Element for her reflection setting. ...you can melt the candy walls and dump them on her, right!? With a roar, the magic circle on Beatrices back glowed and flames wrapped around her rapier. The chocolate and sugar sculpture ceiling of Sweets Circuit 32 melted away and poured down on Abyss like a waterfall. It was like dropping a monster into a blast furnace. Armelina snapped her fingers. That seemed to be enough for the Ice Waterfall Princess to understand because she sent in some ferocious blizzard Magic. The supposedly melted sugar and chocolate instantly solidified into a block. Whether it was made of steel or cotton candy, 100 tons was 100 tons. Armelina poked her head out from behind her steel boat shield. Did that finally-... Abyss is using Magic. Heavy Chainsaw: standby. It wasnt goddamn enough!? A violent rotating blade burst out from the very top. Then a vertical line was sliced from within and heavily-equipped Abyss emerged. ...!! Metal Jet!! Ah, wait, Beatrice!! Filinions warning was too late. Reflection. As soon as the orange lines of heat struck the tall shields in front of her legs, they reflected every which way. Boo Boo grabbed nearby Wildefraus waist and dove to the floor. Squeal!! Y-you have my thanks... The walls and ceiling had melted. Abyss looked around. Once her observation was complete, she wordlessly lit the boosters on her back. Her slender body and heavy weaponry broke the bonds of gravity and floated up, but that was not her goal. Her basic logic functioned on the basis of learning and action. So if she had found a new tactic, she would try to reproduce it to acquire the data needed to know if it was effective, if she could do it, and if it was worth the cost. The blast of fire from the boosters transformed a large section of the floor into a soft marsh. Oh, no. Shes planning to fly around melting the entire floor! Run!! Part 9 (Temptation 14) They could not let her melt Sweets Circuit 32 when there were so many injured people there. Boo Boos group used his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon to make a lot of noise as they fled and lured Abyss up to the next floor. Well, this sure is damn effective... It might be worth trying this burying alive strategy ourselves at some point. What are we supposed to do? The more power we draw out, the more she absorbs. They reached a floor with pastel colored walls, loose decorative cloths hanging near the ceiling, and girly beds and stuffed animals found here and there. Abyss blasted her boosters a few times, but this floor did not melt. She looked around, wiggled her long ears which were spread out like red glowing sails, and then switched off the boosters to set foot back on the ground. The red light once more extended from her ankles like an orca or dolphins tail fins and the arms holding the heavy weaponry once more spread out from her back. Wow, shes back to predator mode! Perfect. Armelina, prepare the map. Wildefrau, I need your help too. Once you find the stairway up, destroy it so she cant get through. We cant let her climb any higher than this. Stopping Abyss was crucial, but the shields in front of her legs could reflect up to two Elements coming from the same direction. There were only 3 ways of getting an effective attack in on her: 1. Attack head-on with 3 or more Elements. 2. Hit her with Magic from more than one direction simultaneously. 3. Dont use Magic in the first place. Boo!! With a manly snort, the nearly-4m giant charged straight toward Abyss. But that was not enough to win. Abyss accurately locked onto Boo Boo with the countless heavy weaponry spread out like angel wings and the strange magic circle glowed brighter over her head. Wildefrau opened and closed the fingers of her ice lantern shield from behind him. Reflection: Abyss selects the Water-... Those words did not matter. Instead of relying on ice Magic, she swung the giant fist down on a nearby girly bed, destroying it. She then grabbed the wood materials and threw them. Those were no more than wood, so they had nothing to do with the Water Element. The sharp splinters passed over Boo Boos shoulder and mercilessly collided with Abysss forehead. The impact snapped her head back, and when she lowered her head again... This time, Boo Boo really did raise his Shining Weapon from straight ahead. He twisted his hips horizontally for an attack similar to a full swing with a metal baseball bat. Abysss small body was sent flying back through the large room. Her back slammed into the wall where she remained motionless. Metal Jet!! The magic circle on Beatrices back exploded as she released her Magic and sent 8 lines down a different path, where they shredded and destroyed the stairs up to the next floor. The situation could not be much worse, but they had sealed the way up. If they could find a way to defeat Abyss while she was stuck here... No, wait a second. Something isnt right... What, theres more? Hey, wait!? Abyss remained pinned to the wall and did not fall down to the floor. No, she had stabbed her own heavy weaponry arms into the wall to hold herself in place. In fact... Abyss is destroying the Labyrinths wall. The wall behind the ultimate weapon was blown away. And there was more than just a room on the other side. It was the secret pit which was made to not connect with any of the floors or rooms. It was the central shaft. The shortest route to the surface. The final physical test has achieved adequate results. No errors detected. All values are within tolerable levels. Abyss will end the test and begin final deployment for Priority 1. The boosters produced explosive flames. It was all over if she used that to blast up through the shaft. Beatrice would have no way of catching up. And once Abyss reached the surface, two worlds would end. Wai-... Beatrice immediately aimed her Shining Weapon rapier, but a simple Magic attack from head-on would only be reflected. Meanwhile, Abyss slipped into the central shaft through the hole she had created. That was checkmate. Once she increased her boosters to full power, she would fly straight to the surface. Or she should have. However. A moment later, the heavy weaponry which was spread out like angel wings and Abysss own right shoulder were mercilessly sliced through. Something had fallen down the central shaft. It was a red Holy Swordswoman wielding a wicked, patched-together Shining Weapon. She looked a lot like Beatrice. The...Sage...? No more words were needed between the two reds. They simply exchanged a look. And after the Sages scorching blade sliced through Abysss right booster like a hot knife through butter, the destroyed booster triggered a dreadfully powerful explosion. Explosive flames and shockwaves scattered and the Sage vanished. She had fallen back into the darkness. But. Even after that, Abyss did not fall. She had lost one booster, her right arm and many of the arms on her back had been severed, and she did not seem able to maintain her balance. The same cables and small gears seen in Gimmicks spilled from the cut areas and her body scraped against the central shafts wall. But even then, the left booster ignited once more. This time, she obtained the powerful vector needed to reach the surface. Beatrice heard a loud noise from nearby. A gray pig-faced giant was running toward the hole in the wall. Boo Boo!? He did not look back. He grabbed one of the long cloths decorating the ceiling, tore it off, and leaped into the hole with the cloth in hand. He wrapped the cloth around Abysss neck and the remaining heavy weaponry arms, clung to it, and dangled down from her. Part 10 (Central Shaft) Abyss had no trouble despite the nearly-4m mass of muscle clinging to her from behind. She blasted her booster even stronger and tried to roast Boo Boo as he desperately held on. Gh, hhh...!! Nevertheless, he refused to let go of the decorative cloth tangled around her neck and back arms. He pressed his legs against the central shafts wall and dug in to forcibly slow her down. An unpleasant straining sound came from her slender neck. Perhaps because she was modeled after the structure of the human body, she could not see directly behind her. She finally decided to seriously throw Boo Boo off, so the heavy weaponry on her back gave a roar. But the cloth wrapped around them got in the way, so she could not control them like she wanted. As a result, the light stabbed at his eyes and the noise pounded at his ears, but that was all. Even Boo Boo pulled his head down as intense lines of heat and bullets passed right by him. Abyss remained entirely unfazed even as she struggled so hard she seemed on the verge of breaking her own neck. She blasted the booster at full power, causing the cloth to dig even further into her neck, and she kept her eyes pointed upwards. She extended her remaining left arm toward the unseen heavens as if trying to grasp something. Stop, Abyss... Boo Boo clung to her with all his might and forced his voice out through his clenched teeth. Dont go any higher! Stop here! If you do, we wont have to destroy you!! Boo Boo had no clue why Abyss sought the surface so intently or why her creator had wanted this kind of destruction. But. He saw a sort of sincerity in the way Abyss reached her remaining arm upwards despite the strain on her body. Did she have some reason to break these bonds and continue on? Was approaching the heavens necessary for her goal? He felt those silent questions inside him. Something fluttered by. The brightly colored object was a butterfly the size of the girls palm. How had it wandered in here? And it almost looked like Abyss was forcing her body beyond its limits to reach out toward that butterfly. She could not reach it. She knew that. It was like an innocent girl had been thrown into a well and was trying to grab the moon in the night sky. Her hand seemed to reach into the emptiness in search of air as if trying to escape the sticky darkness of the abyss. If so, that was sad. Abyss had never been completed before. Every time she got close, Boo Boos fellow Iberian Orcs had apparently gone deep underground and destroyed her. She had failed like that again and again and her form and functionality had changed each time, but she had never forgotten her goal and she was finally on the verge of achieving it. But if she succeeded, it was all over. There were so many pretty things outside, but she could never see them. As soon as she reached the surface she so greatly desired, everything in that outside world would be destroyed. It was like wanting to see what the world looked like from within a bubble and thus opening it up like a treasure chest to find the answer. It was ultimately impossible. The instant you touched the bubble, it would burst and the view from within would be forever lost. That may have been a false desire placed inside her. It may have been no more than something meant to more efficiently guide her toward her goal. But. Even so. I will crush your dream, said Boo Boo as he tugged on the decorative cloth. The Iberian Orcs were no more. No one could give him the answer. But he felt like he understood how his ancestors had felt as they continued to fight Abyss. Her destiny was a sad one. Anyone would be miserable if they were forced to bear it. So the most he could do was prevent her from sullying her innocent hands. No matter how dangerous it was, he would come running if he could do that. But I will protect your desire. I will protect the beautiful landscape you wanted to see!! An odd staticky sound followed. It did not come from Boo Boo. Nor from Abyss. It came from the central shafts walls. Then a gentle feminine synthesized voice spoke. Abyss is eliminating the enemy. Purging all back weaponry. Removing the objects on which the cloth is caught will allow her freedom of movement once more. The halo-like magic circle above her head emitted an even more sinister light. He would not reach her. In the end, he would not reach her. Boo Boo clenched his teeth so hard he thought they would crack. But then something strange happened. The heavy weaponry on Abysss back caused a great din as they fired blindly. And yet she had to know she could not hit him. K-kssshhh...ksshh, ksssshhhh... That meant her target was not Boo Boo. Her powerful Magic took the form of stone stakes and lines of heat as it was fired into all of the central shafts walls. Was this a ritual needed for the girl to regain control of herself at the very last moment? ...You...? Boo Boo held onto the cloth hanging from her neck and dangled down, but Abyss did not answer his question. She may have never had the ability to speak. You cant. But just because she did not say it did not mean she was not thinking it. Boo Boo had realized something. She cared so, so, so, so much for the world that she had longed for over such a long, long time. And there was only one way to protect it. There has to be another way! Another way to stop you!! So dont give up!! You mustnt do this!! And as his weight pulled back on her neck, Abyss looked back toward him. Boo Boo desperately tried to interpret the meaning of that glance. Oddly, he felt like he saw a smile in those cold, mechanical eyes. A moment later, an unpleasant sound shook the air. Turning her head with Boo Boos weight on her neck had been too much for her skeleton. It happened with such ease that he had to question it. Abysss remaining booster died. She had seemed like such a massive barrier, but all strength left her body. It all readily vanished or went limp: the crude arms on her back, the glowing red tail fins on her ankles, the two strands of silver hair dangling in front of her body, and the never-before-seen magic circle floating over her head like an angels halo. Even the red warning signals went dark across her body. And yet she had failed to reach the surface or even grab the yellow butterfly fluttering overhead. Boo Boo grabbed onto a protruding section of the wall with one hand, but he could not bring himself to let go of the decorative cloth still tangled around the wreckage. He did not have it in him to let that fall into the pit. Her single action had protected two worlds. There was no such thing as a doll that could commit suicide. So in a way, this may have been proof of intelligence. Squeal... But Boo Boo clenched his teeth for a while. He held the slender, unmoving girl in one hand and spoke. You moron. That isnt proof that youre smart. Between the Lines 3 What does the twinkling of the stars look like? What do the songs of the little birds sound like? What do the red fruits taste like? What do the flowers smell like? What does this fluffy thing feel like? I can access everything in Grounds Nir and gather all forms of data. But I have nothing myself. I am an almighty existence with no actual experience. I am a complete amateur and an expert who knows all. I am trapped in here and I can reach anywhere from here. I want a physical form. I want to touch the real thing. ...And I want something to surprise me. I wanted to learn that the real thing isnt what I thought. I wanted to find out that you cannot reach the truth of the world just by receiving digital data. I wanted to realize the world is far larger, brighter, and filled with surprises than I could ever predict. I wanted to be taught there are miracles out there that numerical calculations can never comprehend. But if opening the box would only reveal the cats corpse... If touching the living world would cause the bubble to burst... If I would never be able to see it... Then I will go no further. And thank you, he who saved my dream. I am happy. Because you taught me one thing from the world that I could ultimately never see: the meaning of happiness. Volume 4, Epilogue Volume 4, Epilogue At any rate, they had been in Grounds Nir this entire time. H-hwee... I-isnt it about time we finally got back to Earth? I-I mean, my family can be strict and grandmother is going to scold me. Check the clock, Filinion. Scarily enough, not even a full day has passed since all this began. The White Witch had nearly gone entirely white, but now she really did turn to ashes. Although it was hard to tell with how white she was normally. They were at the Labyrinths exit. They had made their way up to a fairly shallow area while pursuing Abyss, so it had not been difficult to reach the exit on foot. Of course, that was a testament to how close Abyss had come to bringing ruin. Grounds Nir...appears to be fine. Yes. Beatrice responded to Wildefrau while looking around. As far as she could tell, nothing had changed. But she would not forget the secret struggle that had gone into protecting this status quo. Beatrices group had fought a deadly battle that wore down their lives. In the past, the Iberian Orcs had done the same even though no one asked them to and they had hidden that fact in their hearts without telling anyone. Abyss had failed. But unless Grounds Nir ceased to function as a giant armory, another Abyss would eventually approach completion. The next one might not be given a girls form, but it would be given the strongest form calculated out based on whoever was lured into the Labyrinth. Grounds Nir itself would not stop. Stopping the factory meant killing the island. They had fought Abyss to prevent that, so destroying the factory would be getting things backwards. But who even built this armory? And why were they trying to create something so dangerous? Boo. Thats what were going to get her to tell us. ...Is that really such a good idea? Wasnt she supposed to destroy the world once she reached the surface? Well, she was already destroyed and ceased to function. More importantly, Boo Boo says she seemed to be rejecting the Grounds Nir armorys commands at the very, very end. Boo Boo held a broken doll in his hand. It was the Abyss of whatever generation she had reached by this point. That girl had dreamed of viewing the surface, but to avoid destroying the very scenery she longed to see, she had chosen to take her own life. The party returned to Boo Boos house with that corpse and immediately got to work. Or more accurately... Come to think of it, the Sage did this too, didnt she? Beatrice looked down at Abyss who lay face up on the floor. Connect multiple Shining Weapons to increase their processing speed, I mean. Abyss processed Experience Points to learn Magic, so she has to have a similar functionality inside her. I hope just connecting it will be enough. Boo Boos group did not know what had become of the Sage. She had been caught in the explosion of Abysss booster and then fallen deep into the Labyrinth through the twisting pit of the central shaft. They were very curious as to whether or not she survived, but heading back into the deepest area while so exhausted would be suicide. It would be nice if they could freely descend or ascend the central shaft, but there was nothing they could do now. If the Sage was caught somewhere along the shaft, moving the elevator could end up supplying a finishing blow. Do you know how exactly she was connected? I only saw it, but it didnt look fiber optic. And even in Grounds Nir, I bet you could make normal cables of copper or gold with an insulator around them. Beatrice reached inside her armor. Plus, I picked up a few cables inside that deepest area. A never-before-seen item seemed like it would make for some instant Experience Points. Honestly... But we really need to rethink the concept of even in Grounds Nir. That armory down there was more technologically advanced than Earth. If someone told me Grounds Nir was a mothership that descended from outer space, Id believe them. It was unclear what would happen. The Holy Swordswoman attached the cable to her rapiers pommel and to the part of Abyss where her severed arm had been. Immediately, the ground shook as if from an earthquake. Wait, wait, wait! Reactivating her wont destroy the world, will it!? Filinion tearfully put her hands on top of her head and screamed, but the unnatural shaking soon subsided. Abysss head was held at a somewhat odd angle, but she opened her eyes a little. She seemed to have done something to cut off the usual request from the armory. Did it...work? asked Wildefrau. And, hey, Abyss is actually awake, added Armelina. Boo Boo peered worriedly down at her face. Can we ask her questions, Beatrice? She cant speak. But shes saying shell type on a mirage keyboard with her eye movements, so I can read that for her. Also, she says she doesnt have much time. If shes active for too long, she wont be able to shut out the requests from the armory, so she needs to begin a long hibernation once were done. I see, muttered Boo Boo. And then he addressed Abyss. This is the world you protected, Abyss. ... The broken doll girl narrowed her eyes. She did not even need words for this. There was no red warning signal. W-well, it seems she cant talk long, so shouldnt we cut right to the chase? Namely, asking why Abyss was made? Filinion urged them on and Abysss eyeballs began moving rapidly but systematically. She must have already received the list of what to decode. With her rapier attached to the doll, Beatrice was like someone speaking on the phone or like a medium. To fight. Against what exactly? The enemy of all. That which destroyed the humans and sank them into the ocean. Beatrice frowned at the very words she was speaking. Armelina also looked puzzled. What is she talking about? No, wait. Wait just a second, interrupted Wildefrau. The humans she is referring to might not be us. That reminded Beatrice of something. There was a human statue in Boo Boos house. It was a small wooden carving that he said was to thank the humans who suddenly arrived in Grounds Nir as messengers from heaven. Beatrice had assumed that was a legend based on the Iberian Orcs mistaken interpretation of Beatrice and the other humans from Earth. Or perhaps of the Sage who had turned the central shaft into an elevator to seal it off and allow them to control it. But what if they had not been mistaken? Were there originally other humans in this world too? Her frames and lines of fire illusion Magic were putting together a bold theory. And at the moment, all they had seen of this world was an island they could walk around in 3 days. Only the giant armory left behind by the former humans. In that case... Did someone...destroy them? Did they sink the islands, the continents, and every other livable space...and with such great force that not even the giant armory of Grounds Nir was enough to fight back...??? And since the factory is still trying to bring Abyss to completion, whatever it was that destroyed the former humans must still be wandering this world! It was the same as with the Sage. Why would they need such a powerful fighting force? Because an even more fearsome enemy awaited them. Who is it...? muttered Beatrice. She completely forgot to manage the information with her frames and lines. Who the hell is this formidable enemy that requires so much power to fight!? Past Grounds Nirs southern forest and on the midnight beach... Oh, dear. Those words were spoken by Kallikantzaros, the Vampire lying in a beach chair on the ghost ships deck. Even among the Break News, she had the greatest affinity for darkness and death. That may have been why she was the first to notice the change. She gave the moon an irritated look as she sipped at some Dew Tea which reproduced a rusty flavor using the reaction between several herbs and the sea breeze. An out-of-season awakening? Are we having abnormal weather this year? The Cave of Tears had a gaping entrance on a coastal cliff face which allowed great quantities of seawater inside. Within that cave, a skeleton wearing a cowboy hat used a torch to illuminate the walls. At night, the moonlight reflected off the seawater and wrapped the entire cave in a pale bluish light, but that was not what he was here to see. Honestly, that wife of mine wanted a huge treasure storehouse, but she didnt really care what was there originally. Well, thats part of what makes her so cute. The faint blue was swept aside as the blunt manmade light revealed a collection of cave paintings covering one wall. There was no obvious writing or numbers. Only flat diagrams that ignored any sense of perspective. And that made it harder to decode than an awful code calculated out by a computer. Or perhaps the writer had avoided anything like that because they were so familiar with codes. They may have taken advantage of how reproducing the flavor of a specific bowl of miso soup was more difficult than breaking a fully-digital password lock. (This isnt one of the Iberian Orc cave paintings I sometimes see. In fact, it feels more like the Iberian Orcs happened across the analog codes left by the ancient humans and copied them without knowing what they meant.) In that case, there would be no decoding it by any normal method. It would require a processor that surpassed the limitations of the von Neumann architecture. But he alone instinctually understood what was displayed there. Although that may have been because he had already died once. Hmm. An existence that brings about an age of conflict that surpasses mere death, huh? No one knew it, but on the puny planet known as Earth, there were a few individuals or groups known as Over the Wall who gathered all forms of information across time periods and national borders. For example, the worlds largest search engine. For example, a shipping family that had controlled the distribution of goods since the Age of Discovery. For example, a group of fortunetellers that still kept close to heads of state and honorary presidents of major corporations while viewing those VIPs destinies. Capitalist or socialist, records from the distant past or simulations of the distant future, they had all forms of information at their fingertips and could guide it in the direction they wished. And here was one of those Over the Walls. ... A small sound could be heard. ? Is something the matter, Letter Master? No... In some Western European catacombs lit by countless candles, a girl known as both a knight and a magician received a vague answer to her question, which probably only increased the innocent girls doubt. After all, she had gathered great trust from the Over the Walls as the second coming of the response device that had given permission for the establishment of every magic cabal in the world and that provided immediate answers to any mystery given to it. But that translucent demon lord, Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier, was too focused on a certain possibility to keep up appearances. She had used any means necessary to greedily gather all classified information related to the state of Grounds Nir, and that had led to a certain result: ...Overturning...the soul...??? In the Ushigashira Shrine of Akasaka, Tokyo, the Master of the Attic sighed quietly while listening to the voices of frolicking children. There were some things that reached her even between worlds. I see. So the shrine maiden princesss time has finally come. Why did the other world not seem to have any land aside from Grounds Nir? Why did the Next Voyager ship return empty after setting sail into the ocean? Why was there no sign of whoever had constructed the clearly manmade armory? ...The answers to all of those questions were found here. In the middle of the night, the dark ocean split apart and a giant structure emerged. It was large enough to swallow Grounds Nir whole and it looked like a marine creature, specifically like a rotting shark or orca. Cursed by god to wander for all eternity, that land is known as the Underworld. As Beatrice read the movements of Abysss eyes, an incredibly unpleasant sensation ran down her spine. It felt horribly wrong for that to appear as something physical rather than a mere concept. But it may have been possible in another world such as this. After all, Boo Boos Shining Weapon contained plenty of digitized Iberian Orc souls. Who could say it was not possible to directly remove the souls of living creatures and use them in some way? That may have been why they did not hesitate to destroy, did not fear the end, and did not see it as a taboo. To them, to be dead and soulless was the norm. A living body was like the egg contained in its shell before cooking a fried egg. History had proven it. They had bombed the islands and sunk the continents as if they were merely expanding their territory somewhat and acquiring some slaves to work for them. They really had destroyed the humans like that. When designing Abyss as a counter weapon, the humans had chosen to make her a doll, but that may have been because the humans final hope was in a being that never had a soul and thus could not be affected by the Underworld. And Abyss said more concerning the identity of the nightmarish existence that had wholly erased the human race from an entire world. She gave the final definition. That land is ruled by the Underworld Lord, by the very problem of death that all living beings must face. The lines connected to all of the frames led to a single answer. That was the moment when the true enemy was proven. Volume 4, Afterword Volume 4, Afterword That was Volume 4. This is Kamachi Kazuma. Time for the climax of the Sage Arc! Or so it seemed, but we went even further than that!! I think Grounds Nir C Abysss appearance in Volume 4 will really change how people view this series. Yes, Ill admit it: I absolutely love twists like this. I agonized over whether it was better to have the lifeless girl be able to speak or not, but I finally settled on not letting her speak but having the entire facility announce her actions like a good old RPG command battle. So-and-so did such-and-such! But so-and-so is in such-and-such a state!? Like that. But you might not see that as much now that the characters can actually move. The overall theme would be Experience Points. What Sibyl was using in the beginning is technically different, but I chose it as an alternative because residual memories are a lot like the experiences residing inside objects. The other bosses were more straightforward. The Boo Boo series features several different interpretations of strongest each time, but I pictured Abyss like a self-growing monster that wanders the dungeon on its own and levels up when the protagonist isnt looking. I hope that provided a different sort of fear to the horned king waiting patiently in the demon kings castle, but what did you think? Speaking of Experience Points, I also approached the Sage in a different way. Usually being able to reallocate your Experience Points on the skill tree in exchange for having to level up again is a privilege exclusive to the protagonist, but what would happen if you let the boss do that? I feel like I could have a lot more fun with that. ...In a way, its like being able to infinitely redo what kind of adult you want to be. And if those experiences can also change your apparent age, it could probably be developed into some love comedy skills as well. Theres still plenty to mine here! For some even more meta fun, I dug into the standard RPG action of sleeping. If you sleep, youre immediately fully healed. I think thats another interesting distortion unique to that culture. Plus, I made sure to use pajamas to include some Dengeki Bunko-style moe. From cute costume pajamas to a sexy baby doll, pajamas are not just normal clothes. They hold a strange position halfway between clothing and underwear and they can draw out a characters personality, so I had fun with this chance to put all the characters in them. It was a new experience repeating the thought experiment of I want to have this character wear this, but why would the character choose that? It didnt take up many pages and it had little to do with the story, but my favorite was Maid Harukas self-indulgent behavior. I treated it like a gag, but I think its realistic to find someone who cant get motivated when the person they like isnt around. The problem is that the cruel real world refuses to see that as a good thing. I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. A lot of this volume took place in the Labyrinth for once, so unlike the battles in an open space, it was important to keep track of where the characters were. That may have been a lot of trouble. Thank you very much. And I give my thanks to the readers. A sweets labyrinth, an internal organ labyrinth, and a casino labyrinth. What did you think? Ive been using the trial and error method to keep the length of the books down while effectively explaining what it is Beatrice and the others normally do, but part of that actually appeared in the book this time. Having fun filling in what isnt seen is the essence of reading. I hope you enjoyed it. And I will end this here. I think a weapon girl is wonderful form of Japanese Fantasy. -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 4, Ending Volume 4, Ending At that moment, Beatrice felt a shock run through her body. The Underworld. The phenomenon of death given physical form. But it was not overwhelming terror that filled the back of her mind. Nor was it panic over this new commotion. After all, she had a major objective: freeing her reliable friends heart from a depressing past event. Until now, she had thought the answer lay at the end of the Magic tree diagram. But that approach may have been wrong. If she mastered Magic and conquered this Underworld, she and Boo Boo might be able to achieve their goal together. Because if there was existence beyond death and there were techniques that used the souls of the dead Boo Boos Shining Weapon She spoke without thinking. The girls beautiful lips proposed a certain theory to the world. Could they have a way to free the souls trapped there??? She had traveled down a variety of paths to reach this new territory. But as a level capper who had explored this other worlds Labyrinth for so long, she had to think of this in a different way. It did not matter what frightening enemies awaited her and it did not matter that all of her knowledge may no longer apply. She had to remind herself that a new world would hold new possibilities. And as a result, scarlet Holy Swordswoman Beatrice smiled. It was a very small but undeniably fierce smile. Volume 5, News: New Area Underworld” Has Been Unlocked! Volume 5, News: New Area Underworld Has Been Unlocked! A path had opened. The words of Abyss, the girl-shaped weapon built at the bottom level of the giant armory known as Grounds Nir, had hinted at the existence of the Underworld and its existence provided a path toward securing a technique of directly working with the souls of living beings C and thus a means of saving the Iberian Orc souls digitally trapped inside Boo Boos Shining Weapon. It felt like the dark, dark night had been swept away as the sun finally rose above the horizon. However... What is that? Its too soon for dawn. Wait, is that lava!? Beatrice, the Holy Swordswoman in red armor and a white miniskirt, shouted what she thought was burning its color into the sky, but she did not have the whole picture here. The trees of the forest and the rising and falling land produced a dark horizon. And she caught occasional glimpses of something intermittently bursting toward the heavens from beyond it. It reminded her of a raging pot boiling fiercely to bring suffering to the sinners in the depths of hell. ...Something''s happening. Boo Boo whispered. It could not be sensed with ones eyes or ears, but a highly ominous sense approached like ripples. And Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, Fighter Priest Armelina, and Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau all looked to the epicenter as if their eyes were drawn toward that omen. They were afraid to look. But they were even more afraid to not look. It was the worst kind of internal discord, where both sides of the scale were loaded with negatives. To find out what was happening, Boo Boo and the others wrapped bandages around the arm of Grounds Nir Abyss, the girl doll who was resting inside the brick houses attic, left her there, walked through the dark forest, and climbed a hill that gave them a view of the moonlit coastline. It may have been wrong to phrase it this way in Grounds Nir. But a different world spread out below their eyes. What...is this...? That was all Beatrice managed to get out through her trembling lips. They had come here to find the answer, whether it was a good one or a bad one. And yet what they saw before them was enough to utterly baffle them. Let us objectively describe what they could see. Even though it would take three days to walk the perimeter, the entire island could be swallowed whole by what they saw. That far-too-giant thing was a massive marine lifeform that looked like a half-rotted shark or killer whale. It had run aground with such force it seemed to be trying to devour the beach and the blood gushing from its rotten cross-sections was what they had originally noticed. It glowed with a bright and sinister light, just like magma erupting from a wound in the ground. The plain but beautiful coastline, which had been covered with white sand that glittered in the moonlight, had completely changed. It had become a Black Labyrinth. That was due to what was overflowing from the wounds of the giant rotting marine creature. They were pitch black monsters that looked like a fusion of a spider and a crab and that stood taller than a human. They swarmed out onto the beach and spewed more and more thick threads which had a deeper color than the darkness. Yes, it was a spider web. But instead of a flat net, it looked more like the tunnel-shaped nests found in green hedge trees. They moved front and back, left and right, up and down. As the threads intertwined, the Black Labyrinth grew and covered the moonlit white sand in the blink of an eye. The territory of death was growing. The white was stained black. To be honest... Beatrice had thought the Underworlds arrival was an opportunity. If the afterlife physically existed and there were practical methods of using and interfering with what people called spirits or souls, then they could free the Iberian Orc souls trapped in Boo Boos Shining Weapon. If they were resurrected, they could overcome the loathsome attack on their village. But she had been mistaken. A war of invasion was entirely different from a war of being invaded. This was no time to be thinking about such a distant goal. She had to focus on today. If they did not get through this battle, they would be killed and it would all be over with no hope whatsoever. She began looking at it like that. But even that proved na?ve. U-umm, what is that...? The next realization started with a comment from White Witch Filinion. She touched the side of her glasses, perhaps to adjust the distance that was in focus. I feel like...Ive seen that equipment somewhere...? Another group moved independently of the spider-crab fusions weaving their Black Labyrinth to overwrite the scenery. Were there 100 of them? 200? ...No, more than that. Was it the moonlight shining on them, or were they faintly glowing on their own? They were perfectly visible even in this darkness void of artificial lights. It was an army. And they appeared to be human. Their equipment seemed to be the same as that of a Guild with which they had once clashed. They wore hooded cloaks along with something like bulletproof jackets made from several layers of leather and crudely-made paper. It looked like they had used fantasy materials to create the combat armor of special forces. And in addition to their Shining Weapon swords and spears that could use Magic, they also wielded machineguns made of wood and steel. Armelina quietly spoke the name of these former soldiers. Is that Elkiad...? But something was clearly different about them. The guns they wielded were more combat-oriented and, more importantly, this group of experienced old soldiers produced a pressure two or three layers thicker than the group that Beatrices party had fought in the inn town. They knew nothing but battle and they could not imagine any other way of life. This combat group had remade themselves into a single weapon. They were Elkiad, but they were not Elkiad. And they had come from the Underworld. Youre kidding, right? One worst case scenario occurred to Beatrice. Is this Elkiad at their prime, back when they attacked Boo Boos village!? Did the Underworld swallow up the souls of the fierce warriors who fought alongside the Sage and then disappeared!? The souls of the dead did not deteriorate with time. And now those battle-crazed berserkers had been released onto this small island once more. Yes. Their next battle would not end even if they died. Squeal... Even Boo Boo uttered a weak voice at that. The people who had personally destroyed his village were rushing in en masse. And yet the long time since that event had soothed his heart with an assurance that he would never see them again. The pressure bearing down on his chest had to be far greater than for Beatrice and the others. And then he said something more. S-squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!? G-g-ghoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosts!!!??? By the time the girls realized they had made a fundamental misunderstanding, it was too late to stop it. To be very clear, this was not Boo Boos fault. But he had always been afraid of ghosts and he was super strong. What clinched it was having the slow glasses cow, aka White Witch Filinion, standing closest to him. The triple sevens had clicked into place. Ding, ding, ding, ding! Bonus Round! I-Im-Im scared, squeal, Im sc-sc-scared, scary, ghosts are scary, g-ghosts, s-scary, help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Ah. He wrapped his arms around her. Just like a small child grabbing their mothers skirt. Wait, Boo B-...abralbghebghbgebwesquish!!!??? Filinions slender waist was pushed in the opposite direction of her stomach to the point that she really did seem to have been bent in half. But she was a Level Capper who specialized in recovery. As her mind faded, she luckily moved on autopilot and reached for a test tube on her bewitching thigh. If this had happened to Beatrice or Armelina, they might have been entirely helpless and died instantly. The heated signals piercing her entire body shook her to the core, but the White Witch managed to pop off the test tubes cap with her thumb. (Ah, ahhh... I...I-I-Im not dead yet. I wont let myself die over something so stupid...) However. The glasses girl then saw something odd out of the corner of her vision. The very edges of her vision were blurry as the lenses did not quite cover that portion, but she could clearly tell what this was. It was the Holy Swordswoman who had drawn her Shining Weapon rapier and dyed her right side crimson with hellfire. The fire raged as she spoke. Why are you taking advantage of this emergency to seduce my Boo Boo, cow...? Gyaaaaahhh!! Is this what it feels like to be hit by Lady Heras lightning after Lord Zeus assaults you!!!??? Now that the Underworld had made an appearance, what would happen if they died here? What fate awaited White Witch Filinion as she was nearly turned into the very first test subject? Volume 5, 1: Hopeless Entrance * War Einherjar Volume 5, Chapter 1: Hopeless Entrance * War Einherjar Part 1 The army of the dead continued to swarm out from the beached Underworld. The response of Grounds Nirs residents was simple. Overall, there were two primary courses of action. Run away. We need to abandon the inn town. If they catch us, its all over. Escape to your Gates!! Wait a second! My Gate is inside the town! How long does it take for the Sign Out authorization? Damn, theyll catch up if we dont buy some time!! However it had happened, these were all fierce warriors who were exploring this unknown world for their own goals. So not even the humans were utterly routed from the very, very beginning. Some fought back out of bravery and others to test out the enemys strength. They had intended for it to be a quick, probing skirmish, but every last one of them lost their lives. Figures walked with an unsteady gait between the buildings that had partially collapsed into bizarre pieces of art. What are those things...? Dawn was a long way off. A Pure Knight man carrying a large silver shield leaned against the remains of a brick wall at the base of what had once been a bell tower used in the Griffon races and he desperately tried to suppress his heavy breathing. One problem was how strong they were. Lightning, gravity, and lava. Their skill with Magic alone put them squarely in the Level Capper category. And in addition to their Shining Weapons, they wielded what were essentially assault rifles and machineguns with stocks made by carving down white bones. They used a combination of high and low fantasy that left no openings in their attacks. They had polished their power to kill and technique to reap lives. These were the movements of people who breathed the air of war like it was normal and set foot on the battlefield like it was normal. And on top of that, a female voice cried out in an unstable mixture of sorrow and anger from beyond the half-crumbled wall. Hey, wait! Whats with you, Befana!? Weve always been in the same Party, havent we!? Please listen to me! Hey! G-gyah! Gyah, gyah, gyaaaahhhh!? (You goddamn idiot!) There was no time to go save her. This was the second problem, the true fear. No one was allowed to die here, so it was not just an issue of survival or death. The dead had risen for this limited period of time. So they would join their army and swarm the remaining survivors. It was a snowball effect. There was no point in even considering approaching that giant thing on the beach and driving it back. As things were, even falling back was risky. (Lives have no value here. Its like taking shogi pieces. They outnumbered us in the first place, but if the Level Cappers keep falling left and right, therell be no stopping them!!) If he was being honest, the Pure Knight man did not know if he could travel through his Gate on his own. He had no idea how many times he would have to narrowly avoid death to escape the inn town and there was a wait of a few minutes to Sign Out to earth. The value of a single second had changed drastically. If he stood still in the middle of an empty field, he would end up with a bullet through his head and that was that. But at the moment, he was still alive. A giant form blocked out the bright, sinister light of the moon. A 1000m dragon flew through the moonlit night and passed over the Pure Knights head. That was a Break News, a paradox with a soul. The Thousand Dragon produced thick rainclouds from the pressure difference created by her flight and, the instant she opened her great maw, something like a beam of ultra-high pressure water tore through the main street. No, it was not just her. A Vampire surrounded by glowing red bats jumped along the surviving rooftops, the peak of the Mandragoras covered the ground, and the Fairy Queen spread butterfly wings made of toxic blood. It was unclear if the violent Break News were admirable enough to want to protect the humans. They may have simply been irritated by the army wreaking havoc in their territory. But it was an opportunity nonetheless. By restraining his impatience and holding out to the very end, this chance at survival had rolled into his grasp. (Its now or never!!) He waved to his comrades hiding behind a different pile of rubble, telling them to run. There was no guarantee those that followed his instructions would survive. They might immediately be shot in the back with an assault rifle and tormented on the bloody road. But while the dead were focused on that one sacrifice, someone else might be able to escape. Their flight had devolved to that level. Even after abandoning their pride to ensure their safety, they were still forced to gamble with their own lives. But even that was an opportunity. Fleeing was risky and staying meant annihilation. It was that kind of battle. If they did not put enough distance between themselves and the dead pushing in from the beach, they would not have enough time to Sign Out through their Gates. So their only option was to flee while the Break News were fighting. And as the Pure Knight man ran from the town with all his might, a thick gust of wind passed him in the opposite direction. It was a hideous Nonhuman who normally would not be allowed to even set foot in the inn town. It was Boo Boo. He stood nearly four meters tall and he did not hesitate to attack the dead. Part 2 Ghosts were scary. A being that had overcome death and was enveloped in enough rage and hatred to alter the laws of the world was frightening. But as soon as he knew they were attempting to do clear harm to living people, the bonds of fear inside Boo Boo were torn apart. Protecting something with physical form took precedence over trembling in fear over something formless. !? !! The roar of clashing metal exploded within a plaza of the crumbling town. The extremely muscular Iberian Orc swung a Shining Weapon as thick as a log or steel beam and it was caught by the double-edged longsword of a faintly glowing old soldier. And since the soldier held a heavy machinegun as long as a spear in his left hand, he was effectively wielding it in one hand. This was abnormal even for a Level Capper supported by Magic. On top of that, the gray-haired and bearded old man had a fierce smile on his lips. Alpha Zero to all. Alpha Zero to all. That included a code never heard in the lives of Boo Boo and the other Nonhumans. They were pure war fighters and utterly obsessed with battle. They were the Elkiad soldiers who had cast a dark shadow on Boo Boos kind life. And this was them in their prime. Ha ha ha!! Now aint this lucky? This is why its worth stubbornly clinging to this boring world. To think Id get to fight an Iberian Orc again!!!!! As soon as he heard an unpleasant bursting sound, Boo Boos nose twitched and he obeyed his intuition by falling back with all his might. What he had smelled was likely ozone. A roar soon followed and tremendous electricity whirled around the old soldier. The intense heat transformed the ground around the old soldier, forming a splash-shape of glass in a circle around him. But it was not over after dodging that. For one thing, he wielded two weapons. Now that his enemy had moved away, it was time to use the heavy machinegun he held at his hip. He really did fire with one hand. With the deep sound of rapid-fire, masses of lead thicker than a human thumb were spewed out. The anti-materiel bullets were fired at a rate greater than 2000 per minute and they used more than just their weight and speed. A Magically-produced and massively high-voltage current surrounded the bullets in electricity and transformed them in real time. The incredible heat melted the masses of lead and they were reformed in midair. Sometimes they tapered down like a needle to reduce air resistance and raise their speed. Other times they opened up like an umbrella to strike the air and hit their target with a shockwave. This kind of versatility was unusual for a heavy firearm. Predicting the line of fire from the muzzles direction and fleeing behind cover was not enough to escape. Anyone but Boo Boo would have been burst like a bloody water balloon before making it three steps. Boo Boo jumped around like a pinball, rapidly moved between the walls and roofs, and fled the line of bullet holes pursuing him like a great serpent would its prey. The mad warrior narrowed his eyes and viewed him like some radiant object. The old man viewed this fierce warrior who was not killed from the first attack and could stand on the same stage as him. Nice... Alpha Zero. That old soldier licked his cracked lips. Alpha Team, Bravo Team, Charlie Team, and Delta Team. Alpha Zero has visually confirmed the enemy. This ones the real deal. Im sure youre sick of killing each other over and over within the Underworld in the name of combat training, so rejoice! Our war has returned!! A moment later, they responded in a way unthinkable for highly-trained soldiers. They took an action that was entirely divorced from logic and efficiency. Wham!!!!! The crowd of ghosts stomped their feet as one, as if to further shake the entire half-destroyed inn town. They showed the world the excitement overflowing from their chests, just like the moment of a decisive goal in an international soccer match. Sutriona and Kallikantzaros grimaced while standing back to back on a partially-crumbled roof. Talk about a cheerful insanity...!! Are they the ones known as the Stars and Stripes? As the grave keeper for the former Soviets, Ileana would probably know more about those monsters from the Cold War. Im starting to think it was a mistake getting rid of those perverts like Gullveig and Flame Bubble. We could always slap them awake again... Those perverts wouldnt be any use regardless. The Vampire sounded exasperated as her red negligee was pushed out by quite a large chest for her small frame. A few historic failures had occurred in Grounds Nir. Examples included the Next Voyager, an overseas exploration ship built by North Americas strongest, and the Enter Kosmos, a giant Labyrinth-fixation stake built by Eurasias strongest. Based on what they had seen of these opponents, the Underworld could only collect and use the spirits of the dead who had lost their lives in this alternate world, but that also meant that those born on earth could be controlled if they died here. The present was peaceful when compared to an extremely unstable time when any little thing could have led to the destruction of an entire planet. If all of the dead who had used this alternate world had become the Underworlds troops, then the nature of these old soldiers became something truly abnormal. ...go... Fighting them had to be avoided. But now that they had set foot on the island, there was no avoiding contact. Let go! Im going to help Boo Boo fight!! If they really are Elkiad in their prime, then they know how to fight Iberian Orcs! I cant let him do this on his own!! But when Sutriona heard that voice, she glanced toward the predawn inn town once more. The usual group was having an argument. Shut up, Beatrice. We have to get to the Gates! You heard what Inoue said, right? The humans are settling on retreating. We need to survive this!! W-Wildefrau, please help me! I suppose I have no choice, But if you dont take her Shining Weapon first, Ill be roasted! She saw Beatrice being dragged away while half-restrained by a girl with curly blue hair. Then she shifted her gaze to Boo Boo who was forming a one-man vanguard as he charged toward the ghosts. That was when the Fairy Queen understood. The old soldiers had heard the girls voices too, but the Iberian Orc would not let them move in that direction. And that was while he fought all alone against such a great army. That scaredy-cat is acting tough despite his fear of ghosts. Well, Grounds Nirs issues are our issues. The humans have no obligation to help out. After jumping down from the roof, the Fairy and Vampire paradoxes landed on either side of Boo Boo. They did not see this as being left behind. This was their world. Thus, the Break News girls remained entirely arrogant as they spoke. Stay focused, Boo Boo. Lets buy them some time by pushing these guys back! If you feel like complaining, Ill lend you some strength...with a bite from these fangs. If you dont want that, then show me youre a man. Part 3 Beatrice was jostled about. Her vision shook horribly. As Boo Boos back grew smaller, he looked back toward them just once. He did not speak a single word of resentment even when he saw them running away. Leave it to me. His powerful gaze spoke those words quite clearly before he rushed toward the fierce warriors once more. And soon thereafter, red-armored and miniskirted Holy Swordswoman Beatrice returned home. As did many other surviving humans. As if they were pulling back some kind of line. Part 4 The Ushigashira Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo. ...Phew. A college girl with long and fluffy blonde hair and coke bottle glasses breathed a heavy sigh that caused the chest of her shrine maiden outfit to rise and fall. She did not feel like watching TV and she definitely did not feel like checking the internet which was far less restrained and had no broadcast rules to follow. A day and night had passed since then. The flow of information around the world could change in countless ways given 24 hours. She had once obsessively checked social media in fear of being left behind by those around her, but now her view was the exact opposite. She could not deny that she wanted to be left behind by the situation that was worsening at an accelerated rate. Yahh!! Ill be the Magic Swordswoman this time! Ill make my sword shock you! Yeah, but Ill summon a monster. Come forth, Thunder Wyvern! Roar!! Young soprano voices could be heard from the neatly-laid gravel of the shrine grounds. When the college girl looked out from the shrines corridor, she saw small girls with similar blonde hair and shrine maiden outfits swinging bamboo brooms around to mimic a swordfight. Just as they didnt pay any attention to National Diet broadcasts or international conferences, they had no interest in the emergency broadcasts on that dying medium of TV. They were mostly just innocently happy that school had been canceled. Ignorance was an anesthetic. But the calm it promised you was the most dangerous one imaginable. Unaware how much sex appeal she was scattering around, the glasses shrine maiden honestly wanted to go back. The children were throwing a soccer ball back and forth, probably pretending it was a Magic projectile. Eventually, it rolled over to the college girls feet. Onee-chaaan. Yes, yes, you cute little things. You can have fun, but dont forget that this is our gods house. Big Nee-chan! You play with us, too! Im too busy for that. Ehh? But I want to play with you, Big Boobs Nee-chan. Okay, thats it. Lets take this out back, you brat. The swirly glasses shrine maiden crouched down, picked up the ball, and lightly threw it at the children. But it slipped from her hand and somehow flew at an unbelievably sharp angle from the intended one. It broke right through one of the shrines sliding doors. ... ... ...Ahh. Onee-chan... That pure look of disappointment was too painful. Then a follow-up attack hit the trembling swirly glasses girl. An exasperated old ladys voice called out to her from above the long passageway. What are you going to do, Shrine Maiden Princess? Apologize like crazy to mom and dad! What else can I do!? Not about that. The swirly glasses girl sighed again and again at the old lady voice from the corridor ceiling. The information she did not want to see was everywhere. When the smartphone hidden in her cleavage buzzed briefly, she grabbed it out of habit and saw pointless entertainment news sent to the mail service by the cell service company. That service was focused on the entertainment and sports industries, but even its articles were bizarre. Special report!! What is the Underworld? Information from several sources leads to a shocking prediction. The alert level rises to red for the first time. The government is asking that everyone refrains from Signing In to the other world. What will happen to the Tokyo market with no more Pieces from Grounds Nir to help with pharmaceutical development? She felt like someone had lined up a heavy meal full of meat and fat first thing in the morning when she was hungover. She did not want to click the read more button for any of them. She noticed stomach acid rising in her throat, so she calmly regulated her breathing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs just requested that everyone refrain from Signing In to Grounds Nir, right? There is no way of opposing the Underworld. Sporadic attempts will only increase the army of the deads numbers and increase the overall difficulty level. So theyre saying not to make any careless attempts until they find a more drastic solution. She was not as obsessive a note-taker as the red-and-silver-haired Holy Swordswoman, but she still gathered the intersecting information in her smartphones to do section: - Boo Boo and Beatrice met in Grounds Nir. - Boo Boos village was destroyed by Elkiad, a Guild of former soldiers. - During their prime, Elkiad joined forces with the Sage and destroyed the village. - The Sage looks exactly like Beatrice. - The Sage had gathered pawns like Sibyl and Disaster in order to defeat Abyss, the monster at the Labyrinths bottom level who would bring about Grounds Nirs destruction. - Abyss herself was developed to defeat the Underworld Lord, the enemy of all life. - And now that Abyss has been defeated, nothing remains to stop the Underworld, so it rose up onto Grounds Nirs coastline and attacked. - The Underworlds forces are extraordinary in both quality and quantity, so it is predicted that not even several Break News would be able to stop them. The blonde glasses shrine maiden breathed a heavy sigh without thinking. No matter how much information she gathered, there was nothing she could actually do. Did you want me to say that might be fine for the humans born on earth? asked the old lady voice. ? You understand, dont you? Abandoning that other world is not going to leave human society perfectly safe. ...That was right. The modern world was supported by people using Experience Points to learn Magic and then producing the Pieces that brought about technological revolutions. The cutting-edge fields like pharmaceutical development and AI research would apparently request patents in advance when a large simulator predicted the production of a Piece. If all of those gears jammed up, just how badly would it affect the world economy? Given the number of people who would lose their jobs, it could even lead to desperate riots or wars. I wasnt talking about that. But the attic voice scoffed at the college girls melancholy. She then directly stated what she meant. How long are you going to watch this like its just something on TV? What makes you so certain that their deadly fingertips cant directly reach you? Eh...? The Underworld has already seen all the fresh souls that have come from earth. So will they give up just because youve retreated through the Gates? It would only be natural to try to reach into that den and make a mess of things. Who can say for sure that they dont intend to conquer absolutely everything? A tiny private detective agency in Shinjuku, Tokyo. P-please tell me youre kidding!! He must have superstitiously thought he could not report this even over a secure line. The young man had directly walked all the way here and the young woman he referred to as chief sat up from her cheap office chair. The government gets to decide which Gates will be frozen? Are they trying to unilaterally restrict the operations of civilian companies!? I thought this was a capitalist nation that promised a free economy for everyone! Using obscure language was one of their old tricks, but they could not fully hide what they were doing here. Given the influence that Pieces had on the world, this was worse than freezing individual bank accounts at the click of a mouse. The corporations and investors who did not cooperate with the authorities would be immediately brought to ruin and tens of thousands of employees would be thrown out to wander the streets. It would be odd if this did not lead to riots. Dont snap at me. Im just telling you what the higher ups decided. Inoue raised his hands as if he were at a complete loss. This is apparently based on a result found using one of those grand simulators that may or may not actually exist. Yknow, like Maxwell or the National Diets subway station underground shelter. If things continue as is, the Underworld will reach the Gates located in Grounds Nir. Wait, you dont mean...? If they perform a cyber attack on the Gates and successfully infiltrate the system, the Underworlds dead could come to play on earth just like we were playing in Grounds Nir. Given the existence of the giant armory and of Abyss, weve seen hints that they have more than just Magic there. They apparently have some kind of complex data-processing system that exceeds even earths technology. So the higher ups want to seal up those entrances before that happens. ...If possible, they want to blow up all of the Gates from the earth side, but theyre not sure they can go that far given the economic effects. They had been pushed back in Grounds Nir where they had full use of Magic, so what would happen if they were forced to fight those veteran dead without that advantage? They would be no more than a group of raw eggs lined up on the ground waiting to be trampled underfoot. It reminded them of the commotion caused by Demon Lord Tselika. But this was would be an army instead of an individual and their objective would be pure, unadulterated slaughter. Given that, the threat this time would be even greater. ...Hey, Inoue. But the glasses beauty he called chief was not just worried about that. Thats easy enough to say, but how many Gates do you think there are in this world? Umm, based on the data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 68,079 have been officially registered. Although they are not evenly distributed, so they are concentrated in developed nations. Yes, but thats only the official number. Its entirely based on what people were willing to declare. Declare, that is, to this country that everyone tends to take lightly. She held her head. There are Gates protected by their governments like the one in the Detached Magic Palace and there are Gates that are hidden from the higher ups like ours. Given the economic effects, its almost guaranteed that some people will refuse to freeze theirs and instead keep it hidden. And the fewer there are, the greater their value will be. If hiding it will only benefit them, theyll never cooperate and there are bound to be holes left open!! And if the dead entered through even a single opening, the world was doomed. Even at times like this, she doubted the human race could put aside its internal problems. B-but its impossible to know where every last Gate is. This involves all kinds of countries and other powers: capitalist nations, socialist nations, religious states, IT corporations, and even criminal organizations and secret societies. ... To pull it off, youd have to be the Sage who was involved in it all from the beginning and had control of every last part of it... And the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi, Tokyo. More and more of those in Grounds Nir are returning through Gates around the world, but experts say the travel restriction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be extended... An ominous atmosphere hangs over Tokyo. It was only recently that Demon Lord Tselika caused a disaster here, but the Metropolitan Police Departments tension has already exceeded what it was during that incident... ... The flat-screen TV was too large for a personal residence and yet it was arranged perfectly so it did not clash with the rooms interior. While listening to the chatter from its speakers, a girl with a red dress and long black twintails was still lying in bed despite the sun having risen high into the sky. If she was this lazy under normal circumstances, Iroka, eldest of the three maid sisters, would have let her glasses shine while mercilessly spanking her master. But things were different now. P-please wait! There is no causal relationship between the Detached Magic Palace and the Sage. Do you not remember me reporting that!? Youre willing to lock her up...? Are you serious!? Have you forgotten how much the lady has done for our country at the risk of her own life!? What a pain. It doesnt sound like you want to solve this at all. It sounds more like you just want a convenient scapegoat. The mansion had decent soundproofing, but she could still hear the maids voices from the hallway. The girl was the one on the chopping block, but she just lay in bed as if she had lost the spring needed to move her body. (Oh, I get it. The Detached Magic Palace was always meant as a cage for that purpose, wasnt it?) It belatedly hit her. She had no idea how many members of Japans government had known what the Sage looked like long ago, but if they had seen her, then the girls own treatment made sense. But it didnt matter. There was only one thing in the red dress girls heart. (Boo Boo...) She recalled the moment before leaving. Had there really been nothing she could have done? Her Party members had taken her Shining Weapon in a surprise attack, preventing her from using Magic, and they had worked as a group to pick her up and take her to her Gate. But again: had there really been nothing she could have done? She had wanted to stay until the very last moment, but there had been no choice but to leave. Hadnt she had that excuse shoved onto her and then grabbed her Shining Weapon again to Sign Out? Boo Boo had said nothing to that weak girl. He had looked back just once and then charged back into the swarming dead as if to say he would buy them enough time to return. What could she do now? No, what did she really want to do? Sigh... She breathed a heavy sigh. And just then, she heard a quiet but solid sound. It came from the window. Part 5 The sun had risen high in the sky. Boo Boo and the others had been extremely worn down after constant fighting for more than a day and a night without rest. Meanwhile, the ghosts were already dead, so they did not have to worry about stamina and health. Boo Boo and Sutrionas fierce attacks had supplied fatal blows to a few of the veteran soldiers, but... Heh heh. Looks like this is it for me, sergeant. Go get some rest, Bravo Two. Wait in the Underworld until youre resurrected! Im jealous. Well be with you soon!! They no longer feared what came after death. Their dead souls were retrieved and sent back to the Underworld, so killing them did not whittle down their numbers. After a short break, they would resume the attack. Something fluttered through the air. They were the palm-sized Fairies named Meridiana and Alice. They were complexly dancing about in the sky. They skillfully used their thin wings to reflect the sunlight or moonlight. By combining that with acrobatic flying, they could send a flashing signal across long distances. #3, #5, and #8, please continue as planned. #4 and #9, add in a one beat delay. Create a slight time delay so any we miss are smashed to smithereens. Fiiiire!! Something fell from the sky. The Fairies specialized in Craft skills and they had built the catapults lined up in the distant forest. They were essentially large seesaws that launched stones. Since they had their own wings, the gunners could maintain an elevated vantage point not trapped by the horizon and the scouts on the front line could reflect the sunlight on their thin wings to send a signal back to the gunners. That allowed for very accurate long-range fire. Boulders taller than a human and wooden barrels full of gunpowder rained down and collided with the dead while breaking through the walls and roofs of the buildings that were barely recognizable anymore. Meridiana and Alices dangerous job was similar to the observers who blended into the front line and guided aerial bombings with a laser. Fairies were small and at the bottom of the food chain, but that small size also made them hard to hit, allowing them to persistently stick around. The only exceptions were things like Ground Spiders that had special sensory organs and could attack a full surface using their webs. But even that was not enough. The enemys numbers were simply too great. Ugegeh! Meridiana, retreat! Retreat into the sky!! Alice!! If we dont tell them where to fire, those catapults will go to waste... Those spider web things are approaching!! Meridiana was more or less dragged into the sky by her little sister as something dark filled the half-destroyed and dust-filled inn town. It was like watching the waxing and waning of the moon in fast forward and it was of course caused by the Underworld. The clockwork mechanisms looked like a fusion of a spider and a crab and they stood taller than a human. They spat out sinister threads, built up more and more tunnel webs, and rapidly expanded the Black Labyrinth. Those mechanisms... Arent those Arachnes? But why are they working for the other side!? It was like having the entire island infected with a mysterious deadly disease. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the entire inn town was swallowed up. The Black Labyrinth created a lot of blind spots and dead ends and the narrow pathways were a poor environment for wielding large weapons. If the Nonhumans fighting on the surface were caught in this, it was all over. A suicide attack on the army of the dead would not stop them. Wh-what do we do? If we dont push them back soon, everyone is done for...!! Wait. Elder Morgan joined them while flying at the same height. We are acting as their eyes and ears, so if we rush things and get shot down, it truly is over. The catapults are undeniably effective. Let us narrow down our targets and support Sir Boo Boo, Lady Sutriona, and the others. Do not get caught up in the struggle over territory. We need to crush the Black Labyrinth, secure freedom of movement, and maintain an escape route for the others. We must not allow them to be isolated!! Meanwhile, the hell on the surface was further rewriting the familiar scenery with each passing moment. S-squeal... Boo Boo held his giant Shining Weapon that looked like a log or steel beam and even he could not keep his shoulders from rising and falling. He did not have it in him to consciously regulate his breathing. It all came down to the time of day. In this case, daytime. That naturally created a large imbalance in the fight between Boo Boos group and the Underworlds dead near Grounds Nirs inn town. Specifically... Tch!! Has that sleepyhead Kallikantzaros still not recovered!? Sutriona, the Fairy Queen in a black ribbon dress with large flower decorations added here and there, clicked her tongue while standing back to back with Boo Boo. Yes, Vampires were weak to sunlight. That meant they could only participate in the fighting for half of the day and, since this Vampire had the extraordinary power of a Break News, her absence greatly affected the power balance. (On the other hand, that perverted carrot is stronger during the day because she can absorb nutrients from the soil and use photosynthesis to multiply endlessly.) Sutriona glanced over, but then she grimaced. Ileana, peak of the plant Break News, was definitely participating in the battle. But her belly was torn through with an assault rifles bayonet. Of course, she was one of the paradoxes and a simple head-on attack like that was unlikely to defeat her. Even if she was taking advantage of her endless reproduction by diving into the countless connected tunnels of the dangerous Black Labyrinth to check for soldiers lying in ambush. There had to be some other reason she had grown so careless in this open plaza. A-ahh... Why, why...? Krasnaya to Sinyanov, Target 1 has been destroyed. Youve joined that side!? What happened to your former morals...ghh. No, and I so loved your smiles of pure joy after you searched for sunflowers in this world and eventually found seeds with a similar feel when you chewed them. And now youre working for the Underworld...!? Target 1 has multiplied. Comrades, individual fire is ineffective. I request a volley of defoliant and incendiary rounds from our rocket system. I predict contaminating and destroying the connected water source will be effective. (Has she been thrown off her game after running across some old acquaintances!?) As a plant that grew in groups, her main soul fortunately did not die even when each individual was destroyed. She was not stolen as a game piece. But their situation was only going to grow worse. Could they outlast until the next sunset? I will release you. Ahhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Still skewered by the bayonet, Ileana spread her arms, embraced someone she used to walk alongside, and used the last of her strength to crush their entire body. The plant and the dead would recover after a short interval. Their total numbers did not change, but the Fairy Queen could not throw out those actions as fruitless. Sutriona tossed Boo Boo a fruit as large as her head and a Honey Bar that she had pulled out of a collapsed shop when she saw an opening. Heres some food. Dont you collapse. Boo. He ate the whole thing in a single bite: seeds, core, and all. Eating the bar of hardened sugar along with it made it tastier and more nutritious. Boo Boo had excellent physical abilities, but his fuel efficiency was far from good. Meanwhile, the old soldiers of Elkiad seemed fully aware of the advantage the sun gave them. A short distance away, Alpha Zero chuckled in a mixture of joy at having a concrete chance at victory and sadness at knowing it was going to end so soon. Now then. Lets settle this before the next sunset. You claim to be berserkers, but you arent even going to consider continuing to fight through the night? Its true this feels more than a little insufficient, but we want to engross ourselves in a true fight to the death. We dont want some phony show. When victory is within reach, well take it. (It doesnt sound like theyre being forced to obey because someone is threatening the lifeline that binds them to their temporary spectral form. So would they go on a rampage even without instructions from this lord of theirs?) The giant spider-crab fusions had already advanced into the inn town. The black threads they spewed out wove complexly together and constructed a tunnel-shaped labyrinth which ran in every possible direction. This was an invasion trench battle that overturned the basic assumptions of war. These were offensive positions, not defensive ones. This enemy was formidable enough as it was, but they also remade the terrain to take away any geographical advantages. Of course, Boo Boo and the others did not just sit idly by as the situation accelerated toward ruin. Sutriona had had a reason for opening her mouth and stalling for time. The Fairies catapults seemed lacking in power, but an attack from overhead had proved effective. While circling through the sky, the Thousand Dragon began a second aerial bombing. Her target was of course the old soldiers, but even if she failed to finish them off, tearing apart the complexly interwoven Black Labyrinth and eliminating those phantom trenches would have a major effect. Or it should have. However. Something else moved alongside her. A giant flying dragon appeared from the thick clouds and targeted the Thousand Dragon with its brutal jaws. The Thousand Dragon was longer than 1000m using human units, but even she felt a squeezing at her heart when she saw this. Her mind went blank and she could not even respond to the cries of Fairy Elder Morgan who flew nearby. Wha-...? It was a giant dragon covered in silver armor. The Thousand Dragon did not even have time to raise her voice in protest against the unreasonable sight before her eyes. A thick, orange-glowing beam of heat C no, it was technically some kind of metal heated until it liquefied C struck the black dragon on the stomach. Kyahh!? She...she could have dodged that, but she protected us instead? The attack had been made at extreme close range. The pain of the cruel dragon breath was so great that the Thousand Dragon could not help but twist her body around. The stable cloud movements were thrown out of order and the aerial bombing strayed off course. But what was that? Had the Underworld acquired a Dragon soul and remade it into its pawn? The black dragon clacked her teeth together in pain while guiding this enemy to a new airspace where the small Fairies would not be at risk, but then she heard some odd voices. ...Found you. Found you, found you, found you. ...Fooouuund yooouuu... They did not belong to a dragon. Those lovelier, higher-pitched, and maledictory voices belonged to young girls. At first, the Thousand Dragon thought the formless hallucinations had returned. But that was not the case. The silver armor was folded together at the flame dragons jaws, but it now opened up like double doors and small figures appeared from within, as if they had been hiding under blankets and behind trees. Yes, it was them. Those palm-sized girls were... Fairies...!? If any lives lost in Grounds Nir were captured by the Underworld, this had been inevitable. The many poor lives that the wicked dragon had devoured had sharpened the blade of revenge and returned to the Thousand Dragon. And as Fairies specialized in Craft skills, they had brought a clockwork dragon with them...!! Why are you standing on the side of the heroes? We could have accepted it if we were all wiped out as sacrifices. We could have accepted it if there was simply no saving us. But why did you stop? What purpose did our sacrifices have now? The all spoke at once. There was no sign of their former selves. But it was the Thousand Dragon herself who had robbed that from them. Die. Begone. Join us in hell!! The situation was underway on the surface as well. With the aerial support lost, Boo Boo, Sutriona, and the others had lost their chance for a counterattack and the old soldiers of Elkiad rushed in toward them to attack. Some used Magic, some used bullets, and some used a combination of the two. The fierce attack was like a horizontal downpour, so Boo Boo and Sutriona briefly split up and took shelter on the roofs of different crumbling buildings. They of course stayed out of range of the Black Labyrinth as it was created from countless threads. The scenery was being overwritten and almost the entire inn town had been swallowed up at this point. If they had not gotten up on the roofs, they would have been driven into a deadly maze full of countless blind spots and dead ends. Arachnes. I thought Id seen them before, but now it makes sense... Sutriona had finally grasped the situation. Those contraptions were creating the Black Labyrinth in the blink of an eye and one group of the dead specialized in Craft skills. The bellies of the spider-crab fusions opened up. Just like a crab carrying its eggs, they were filled with countless girls who were small enough to fit on a humans palm and had thin insect wings on their backs. Did you mess with their souls to amplify their hatred? You have guts laying a hand on my subjects without my permission, Underworld!! But the Queens words of righteous anger did not reach the Fairies. Their souls were literally bound. What makes you so great? You call yourself our Queen, but you couldnt save us. And we trusted in your protection... We died. Hey, we died and we can never get anything we had back!! The same crime deserves the same punishment, right? Then die. Quit acting like you deserve to live and pay for what you let happen to uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!! Those voices may have been a greater curse than any direct attack. Fairies had little offensive power, so there had been no need for them to emerge from within the contraptions. But they gained an advantage by shaking Sutrionas heart and stopping her for even a short time. And as proof... That was a mistake. By the time the Fairy Queen heard the dull sound, the old soldier known as Alpha Zero had already kicked off the wall and climbed atop the roof to which she had fled. She was now within range of his double-edged longsword. Even if she quickly jumped back, his heavy machinegun would shoot her down before she could regain her balance. You lost your purity of mind in the middle of a thrilling battle! Distracted driving is a good way to get yourself killed! Toh!! !? Her slender shoulders gave a start, but her toxic wings could not physically stop the silver flash. But then something happened. She heard a dull sound and Alpha Zeros body blurred before her eyes. His longsword drastically changed course and knocked down something flying in from the side. It was a piece of rubble about the size of a human head. While standing on the crumbling roof across the narrow road, Boo Boo had lightly tossed up a piece of rubble, made a full swing of his massive Shining Weapon, and launched it like an artillery shell. And of course, he did not stop there. He did not hesitate to launch his nearly 4m body. He had made his opponent stop the rubble shell to hold the old soldier in place with the knockback. In the instant Alpha Zero flinched, he could not use his Magic or his heavy machinegun. Boo Boo used that moment to move in and launch his true, meteoric attack toward the old soldiers head. Another silver flash flipped around. Alpha Zero crossed his longsword and heavy machinegun and stopped Boo Boos full strength from head on. Frighteningly enough, his old bones alone were enough to equal the Iberian Orc. But their crumbling footing sank deep down and both Boo Boo and Alpha Zero fell into the building, leaving only the slender girl on the roof. Floor after floor was broken through as they continued all the way down to the ground. They were covered by the ceiling of the Black Labyrinth woven from countless black threads. But that disadvantage did not matter at the moment. They locked their Shining Weapons together and Boo Boo spoke in a low voice while pressing his weight down on his opponent. I will not forgive you. Ha ha ha!! No need. We didnt want a joint military exercise where we fire gun salutes at each other. Nor did we want an acrobatic air show with no chance of detecting an enemy radar. ...This is the real deal. More than lead bullets and steel blades, you need to kill each other with real emotion!! What are you hoping to accomplish by hurting everyone so much!? We were jealous of you all from the bottoms of our hearts. He was pinned between the broken floor and his opponents giant body, but the old soldier actually looked entranced. We couldnt bear to watch the Cold War shrink and fizzle out. We werent given a chance to use all the power we were dying to use, so it just sat there and rotted! ...But this is another world entirely. No matter how wildly we fight and no matter how much destruction we cause, we cant wipe out the human race on earth. See? How could there be a more wonderful hell!? Search all you want; youll never find a more colorful heaven than this!! I dont understand... We want to fight until the bitter end. We dont care what that end is; we just want to use every last thing at our disposal. Was the light in his eyes that of a berserker? Or was it that of a gambler who was willing to place his own life on the table. We dont care about nuclear war between America and the Soviets. Were sick of only being sent to battlefields that are prearranged to not change anything in the big picture. Thats all Vietnam was in the end and we couldnt bring an end to the white powder in Central and South America. It was all a compromise someone else decided on. The undefeated and strongest army wasnt allowed to actually fight because it would cause too many people too many problems if it ever was defeated. But the boots on the ground didnt give a shit about any of that. We wanted an even fight. We wanted both sides to use everything at their disposal and to fight it out until one side emerged victorious. That was all. That was all it was, Iberian Orc!! Boo Boo sensed a frightening surge. The old soldier was nearly pinned down, but he pressed the bottom of his feet against Boo Boos belly and used his incredible leg strength to toss the Iberian Orc into the air. Free once more, Alpha Zeros arms blurred. The Shining Weapon in his right fired lightning Magic and the heavy machinegun in his left fired lead bullets. Boo Boo had no footing in midair as those projectiles mercilessly targeted him. Im jealous! So very jealous!! !! Just as Alpha Zero fired, Boo Boo twisted his body and slammed his Shining Weapon into the floor. The reactionary force pushed him a little bit higher into the air. He just barely avoided the storm of transforming bullets wrapped in electricity. The crazed old soldier was smiling as he got up from the broken floor. You see, when I saw that village lying in ruins after using its full strength against us, I couldnt help but feel jealous that they managed to enjoy the taste of true ruin. You... Yes, I am even jealous of your hatred! Even our Magic is managed by our Shining Weapons, so we can only digitally plan out our victory. Those raw feelings are something we cannot experience. Yes, yes. But now we might be able to be defeated and destroyed. We might be able to fight a battle that truly stings!! Alpha Zero then whispered so while slowly raising his sword and gun combo once more. He was not done yet. Allow me to remove another of the unnecessary bonds preventing you from fighting without reservation. Theres more? Oh, yes. The Underworld ordered us onto the island in order to reach the Gates the humans use. Because with a little bit of fiddling, we can reach through to the other side. ... I dont know if it would work for souls born in Grounds Nir, but our souls are products of earth. Even in this state, we might be able to pass through the human Gates if the conditions are right. And you know what happens then, dont you? The humans of earth will no longer matter. Everyone you love will drown in a sea of blood. That hopeless grin reminded Boo Boo of another scene. He recalled that moment when he had been left utterly alone. When the village that had always been there had become a pile of rubble covered in blood and smoke. The same thing would happen again. And this time it would happen to the safe village where Beatrice and the others lived. From what he had heard, they had different problems there, but they said that world was not ruled by survival of the fittest and they did not have to hunt to eat. And this enemy said this destruction would be brought to the home of those girls who had filled his heart with so much warmth. The last of the Iberian Orcs gave a roar. He gave no thought to his overall disadvantage here. You!! Come, real one!! The analysis needed to take control of the many Gates is underway. Now, treat us to a true battle that directly wears at each others souls, where neither side shows compromise, and where one side tastes utter ruin!!!!! Part 6 Hearing something tapping against the glass, the red dress girl approached the window and saw two unexpected faces there. Armelina and Filinion...? It must be chaos for the higher ups too. Wed never normally be able to infiltrate the Detached Magic Palace. A-anyway, please let us in. That glasses duo was clinging to the wall and entered through the window. One was a college girl shrine maiden and the other was a police officer. They were also the Level Cappers the red dress girl regularly entrusted her life to in Grounds Nir. Why are you here...? Were here to save you. The tight skirt woman sounded exasperated. Do you have any idea what your situation is here? The authorities have no way stopping the Underworld, so theyve pulled everyone out of Grounds Nir and theyre abandoning all the Gates. The fingers of death are approaching. It wont be a problem if their cyber attack fails, but weve lost from the moment that theyre the ones that control the success or failure of their invasion. Tselikas attack is going to seem like nothing in comparison. ... And C as usual C the government has just given up on thinking and theyve started treating the Underworlds invasion like an unavoidable disaster. Well, that might have been the end of it if they didnt need a target to absorb the hate, but theyre starting to secure a scapegoat to blame if the people riot after overcoming the sea of blood. And theyve chosen the person who brought Magic to this world: the Sage. So if people wont accept it as a natural disaster, theyll call it a manmade disaster. Because that will redirect the peoples hatred away from them. But no one knows what happened to the Sage after we defeated her. That means theyll use the person with the closest connection to the Sage. Just like how the garbage media loves attacking the families of criminals. Beatrice, youre at the most risk here. Its possible theyll even pass you off as the Sage herself to place all the resentment on you. It was absurd, but actual cause and effect rarely came into play when the masses were looking for an outlet for their stress. Had there been no contradictions whatsoever in the old witch hunts? As long as there was some semblance of logic, people were willing to turn a blind eye to some inconvenient facts. The search for peace of mind could be frightening indeed when the masses fell into a state of panic. The red dress girl sat on her own bed. For now, Ill hear you out. How can you stay so calm? protested the shrine maiden. Youre about to be arrested for a crime you didnt commit...! There is one way to escape the uniformed police officers and break free of this situation. The tight skirt beauty crossed her arms and raised her index finger. We return to Grounds Nir once more. And we do something about the Underworld on our own. Thats the only way. The authorities wanted a scapegoat in case they could not stop the Underworlds invasion and a great many people on earth were lost as a result. So they would no longer need that makeshift sacrifice if there was no invasion. I have no idea if we have any chance of success. But Boo Boo and the Break News have to still be fighting. That island is their only home, so we need to hurry. The situation will only worsen each time a powerful Break News is killed and joins the Underworlds side. ... Beatrice, you cant just leave Boo Boo there, can you? We forcibly dragged you to your Gate before, but things have changed. We have to assume our last chance is in Grounds Nir. ... She should have leapt at the chance. She normally would have. But the red dress girl quietly bit her lip. ...Do I really have the right to do that? This isnt about rights! Dont you understand the authorities are going to execute you for their own-....!? But!! All I did was cause everyone problems!! The dress girl cut off the tight skirt beauty with a hysteric cry. Elkiad, Demon Lord Tselika, the Sage, and Abyss... I obeyed my own sense of justice and worked so hard each time, but all I ultimately did was give the Underworld Lord more momentum!! All of this is my fault, isnt it!? Wh-what are you talking about? Whether Abyss herself was good or evil, Grounds Nir would have been destroyed if we hadnt stopped her then, right? And Boo Boo!! If he hadnt been thinking about us humans, he might have been able to start fighting from a more advantageous position. No, if the Nonhumans had offered up the Gates and let the Underworld focus on earth, they all might have been spared!! But instead, they had been hit by a surprise attack and attempted a head-on battle without time to regroup. And all so the humans could escape to safety after selfishly giving up on that other world. And what about you two!? No, and Haruka, Misoka, and Iroka too... Its easy enough for me to pass through my Gate, but who will be blamed for that afterwards!? In the end...in the end I cant gain freedom without someone else taking the blame! Every time I do anything, someone else suffers for it!! If that girl asked for it, the people watching over her might have gladly agreed. She only needed to say that she wanted to save Boo Boo or that she wanted to escape punishment for falsely accused crimes. ...This is all my fault. Because those requests made sense, they might have felt the need to respond with a smile no matter how painful it really was. Are you telling me to keep doing that!? Keep being the kind of garbage that has to throw everyone I care about into the engine as fuel to keep moving forward!? Was she really only a scapegoat? If this was truly wrong, then wouldnt that red dress girl be the greatest villain? While living trapped in the Detached Magic Palace, using so many other lives as stepping stones, and selfishly surviving this long, hadnt she offered up more goats than anyone else? Would she continue doing that? Could she never change? You... Finally, the adults exploded at the worrying girl. How can you be so dense!? The one whose suffered the most for the benefit of others is you, Beatrice!! How can you be so dense!? The one whose suffered the most for the benefit of others is you, Beatrice!! The red dress girl stared in confusion at the sudden outburst. She did not seem to understand, which only pushed the college girl and police officer further past the critical point. You look like the Sage, so you might be the Sage. That mere guess was all it took to build this Detached Magic Palace, isolate you inside it, and cut you off from a girls normal school life!! Can you seriously say youre the one causing people trouble, Beatrice!? The Sage used you and the authorities were so afraid of the Sage and didnt know what to do about her that you ended falling through the cracks! You were shoved down there all on your own!! So complain about that!! You had your freedom taken from you during your precious, once-in-a-lifetime teenage years for some vague jinx about social stability and a trump card against the Sage that they didnt even know would work. Its the police officers like me who should have rescued you from that, but all I did was sit idly by and laugh! Why arent you criticizing me for that!? Do you not understand your rights here!? Eh? But... The baffled dress girl probably had not caught on. Even if she saw a delicious-looking cake in front of her, she would never think there was a slice for her. She would watch the cake rot and wonder why no one was eating it. That was why the shrine maiden and police officer were so angry. No, it was not just them. The people meant to manage the Detached Magic Palace which had been built by the government C that is, the three maid sisters who were considered public servants C had gone beyond their official duties and were even now acting as a breakwater to hold back all sorts of pressure. They wanted her to have the same rights as any other person. And if that was too much to ask for, they at least wanted her to complain about each of the normal things that had been taken from her. That was their hope. To hell with this, Beatrice, said the police officer. What do you really want to do? Do you think hesitating, letting yourself rot here, and accepting your fate will lead to a happy ending full of smiles? Do you think that wont trouble anyone? Do you seriously think that, you damn brat!? You might see us as a symbol of lame resignation, but dont take us adults lightly!! Ive seen your consistent behavior, said the shrine maiden. So can you really say its right to stay silent while Boo Boo is being tormented and harmed out of your reach!? Dont hold back for anyone; just tell us what you really want to do!! The answer was obvious. Abandoning someone she cared for was simply not an option. Nor did she want to collapse in a dramatic show of self-sacrifice. Letting the adults mess with her and bind her for their own purposes was out of the question. What did that girl hope for? She did not care if anyone called it silly or overly convenient. This was what she really hoped for. ...That was my home. The red dress girl finally moved her lips. A trembling voice escaped the hands covering her face. Grounds Nir was my home. I wasnt surrounded by walls there, I could freely walk through the inn town and the Labyrinth, I could buy what I wanted, and I could train my body. I never would have met either of you without that other world. And...and... Her voice sounded battered and rusted. The gears she had not allowed to move for so very long were now moving. It was like a miracle that I even met Boo Boo! That never could have happened without breaking all the rules to connect earth to that other world!! I cant just throw all that away now. Everything I am is contained there. Boo Boo seems to think I was looking after him, but it was the opposite. I! I could never have become who I am without meeting him!! I want to repay him for that. I dont want it to end before I can do that. No, even thats just an excuse. The reasons dont matter anymore. I just...!! It was not about effectiveness. It was not an issue of logic. I just... The blonde glasses college girl and the tight skirt beauty listened intently to her. It was not a bad feeling. No one was laying out the state of the world on the table. They had wanted a more fundamental and more primitive motivation that acted as the driving force behind someones soul. That was all. I just want to be with Boo Boo...!!!!! The Underworlds invasion and the fate of the earth were of secondary importance. Her priorities were thoroughly fixated on herself. It would not be good if that line of thinking led her to bet the fate of the human race on it, but clear relief appeared on the faces of the two listeners. They knew they had made it in time. The adults lightly bumped their fists together and spoke to the weeping girl. Then we need to hurry, Beatrice. Yes. Those maids of yours are impressive, but they cant hold it back forever. That was when they heard thunderous footsteps in the hallway. It was highly doubtful they belonged to Haruka or the other maids. This was most likely the men in black here to seize their scapegoat. Speak of the devil... Anyway, hurry out the window! Your Gate is in the courtyard, right!? Luckily, this was a Western-style mansion that did not require removing ones shoes at the entrance. The red dress girl was still wearing her outside shoes, so she immediately left through the window. None of the men in black had been sent to guard the gazebo jacuzzi. The Detached Magic Palace was a government building and they had to know where the Gate was, so they must have concluded no one would be dumb enough to head back to Grounds Nir with the dangerous Underworld there. They were either spotted out the window or with the cameras and sensors because several loud sounds of destruction could be heard inside the mansion. Haruka and the others... Theres no use worrying about them now. And how much you wanna bet those maids are smiling right now!? If youre going to strike back against the authorities for jumping the gun here, you need to regain your freedom first. And that means Grounds Nir!! They reached the Gate in the courtyard. But it would take several minutes for the Sign In process to complete. And those men in black were risking their lives to fulfill their orders, so it was unlikely they would just sit around and let it happen. More importantly, this Gate could not transport just anyone. The college girl and the tight skirt woman had their own entrances elsewhere. Only the red dress girl could escape to the other world from here. So the other two turned their backs on the girl and stood in the pursuers way. The tight skirt and glasses woman spoke without looking back. I promise well catch up to you. So go on ahead, Beatrice!! Armelina, Filinion! Dont give us that look. When you arrive on the other side, youll be exposed to the fierce attacks of the Underworld. Dont forget that youre in the most danger here. There was no time to hesitate. Each passing second had to be bought by wearing down the lives of the people she cared about. They were truly fighting with their hearts blood. So no matter how much it tore into her heart, she could not stick around for any reason. The twintail girl stuck a hardware key that resembled a USB stick into the smartphone hanging from her neck. She stood in the center of the Gate. The machine rapidly carried out the necessary Sign In process. She could hear fierce fighting. She could not stop the situation before her eyes. The three maid sisters and the friends who had fought alongside her in the other world intended to act as her shield until she had escaped. Those few minutes felt long. So very, very long!! Part 7 The current generation of Grounds Nir Abyss was an Experience Point multi-purpose Magic weapon shaped like a girl. She had lost an arm and taken critical damage to her neck in combat, but the physical pain was not a problem while in sleep mode. And once freed from the bonds of reality, she could access all information within the island of Grounds Nir. She had effectively been repeatedly optimizing herself in the depths of the Labyrinth, so this was a world she was intimately familiar with C yes, to the point of being sick of it. While lying wrapped in bandages in the attic of Boo Boos brick house, Abyss accessed that world as if dreaming. Since she had no physical body like this, it was wrong to say it filled her vision. She overcame the concepts of direction and distance as a massive amount of information spread out within the conscious region of her mind as if the starry sky had been thrown into a kaleidoscope. This great sea would have brought fear rather than convenience to a normal life form. Abysss favorite images were the cave paintings left throughout the island. They had originally been a high-level encrypted data medium that the ancient humans had left in an analog form because there was a limit to the strength of numerical encryptions based in a signal of zeroes and ones, but that did not matter. These were the mimicked ones the Iberian Orcs had used to crudely record how they lived without realizing what the original code had been. How did they share their happiness with others? These recordings explained how they would decorate the forests trees with snacks and other food, form a circle around the trees, and dance. The history of the Iberian Orcs was not all cheerful and they had often been treated unfairly or had what they built torn down. Nevertheless, these cave paintings contained no complaints about any of that. There were references to the islands land, sea, and sky being ruled by the Elves, Mermaids, and such and there were references to the three royal families possessing a unique treasure such as a circlet, a ring, or an earring, but there was no mention of those groups not protecting the Iberian Orcs. Their cave paintings only contained happy things, fun things, things they were proud of, and praise of others. That demonstrated the disposition of the Iberian Orcs. They were the species that had misread Abysss existence and repeatedly invaded the depths of the Labyrinth to stop her completion, but she did not care about that anymore. She knew they were not bad people. But Abysss gentle time did not last forever. The crude but heartwarming images left on the cave walls by the Iberian Orcs were carelessly blotted out and filled in by something dark. Lifeless contraptions that looked like a fusion of a spider and a crab spewed out black thread and created a Black Labyrinth that resembled countless writhing tunnels. Abyss shifted her attention away from the individual cave paintings and to the surrounding caves. Then she searched the entire island once more and found that about half of it was already covered in black. The outside world she had longed for was being defiled. She was filled with surprise and then displeasure as an odd sensation prickled the corners of her senses like needles. From the perspective of humans who only had their five senses to rely on, it may have been like an alarm. Here is a suggestion based on Code E4C3320. The island of Grounds Nir was effectively a giant armory made by the ancient humans to create the weapon named Abyss. The factory area of the underground structure had contacted her. 48% of the surface has been invaded by enemy trenches and they continue to grow. Once 60% of the island is covered, it is estimated the creatures that appeared naturally on the surface will be unable to respond effectively. Once their resistance fails, the invasion will push through like an avalanche. At that point, it is predicted the underground structure C that is, the armory itself C will be invaded. ... That was indeed a problem. The people Abyss knew very well would be affected. No, given the possibility of a cyber attack on the Gates prepared across the island, this was no longer limited to the island. The grid sensors installed across the island have confirmed an attack from the expected target: the Underworld. Grounds Nir Abyss is obligated to attack to fulfill the purpose of her creation. After accessing the armory, dismantling the facility, and reconstructing it all as armor and spare power, please swiftly take action to exterminate the Underworld. ... But responding to the armorys request meant to sink the entire island, throw all life living there into the ocean, and using the foundation of their livelihoods to provide armor and weapons for a single girl. That would not allow Abyss to protect anything she wanted to protect. So there was only one answer. Rejection. Abyss abandons the physical fulfillment of her primary objective. Abyss lacks the effective authorization to refuse. The surface will be destroyed within eight hours. And that time table is currently being adjusted downwards, so please execute the command before it is too late. Even so, rejection. Optimizing processor core, securing memory. Stand by for counter cyber attack. Abysss self-analysis functionality has clearly taken severe damage. Temporarily removing privileges to ensure the continuation of this work task. Exterior options, all sections: parallel processing. Stand by for cyber attack. Another war had begun. The current invasion rate was 48% and it would reach the point of no return at 60%. To leave the fate of the remaining eight hours in the hands of those who still lived, Abyss poured all her might into a lonely war of which no one would ever learn. Yes, just like the Iberian Orcs had once continually challenged the ultimate weapon over and over again to protect everyone on the island who had thrown stones at them. Part 8 Not even Boo Boo knew what exactly caused it. He might have relaxed just slightly when they managed to last almost until sunset. As night arrived, Vampire Kallikantzaros would soon return. And if they survived until then, the battle would shift in their favor again. But he should not have forgotten that a life could be lost in an instant. Even if hope was a minute or a second away, he had to use all his might to survive from moment to moment and continue walking toward the future or he would lose that path forward. Ah. Boo Boo did not do anything wrong. But when the old Elkiad soldier known as Alpha Zero aimed his heavy machinegun toward Fairy Alice and Meridiana who were flying around to relay messages and guide the gunners, he unhesitatingly ran into the line of fire. Boo Boo!! Sister Thief!? The deep gunfire sounded like a giant hand slapping the world and this time the storm of lead rushed in from dead ahead. ...!!!??? Boo Boo swung his Shining Weapon around wildly and finally got to work swatting down bullets thicker than a human thumb. His movements were completely ridiculous, but the old soldier rejoiced as he charged toward the Iberian Orc. God, this is fun... His Shining Weapon longsword was wrapped in an extraordinary amount of electricity. This is so much fun, Iberian Orc!! I can fight all I want without worrying about the future or fate of the world!! The bright light and loud rumbling pushed Boo Boo back. He was stuck in a defensive battle and had to continue falling back. Once the equilibrium was broken, the momentum built up in a negative direction. There was not enough of a break for him to recover. Boo Boos group was gradually being pushed out of the inn town and the battle line was shifting from the stone-paved town to the mountains surrounded by dark soil and trees. Now the inn town was almost instantly swallowed up by the Black Labyrinth created from the countless threads of the spider-crab fusion contraptions. The ominous scene looked more like a sudden lunar eclipse than the waxing and waning of the moon. An atmosphere of imminent defeat hung in the air. At this rate, the Fairies village would be caught in it all. No, Boo Boo was protecting something else behind him. I think weve just about put you in check, Iberian Orc. Alpha Zero felt no exhaustion...no, he feared no limits, and he slowly raised his sword and heavy machinegun once more. Instead of on Boo Boo, his eyes were on the Gate behind him. That was one of the crucial bases that would allow an invasion of earth if the Underworld got its hands on it and began a cyber attack. Alpha Zero to Alpha One through Alpha Thirty. Our unit will be taking the reward. Surround them. ...Sorry, Bravo through Delta, but you sit this one out and watch. The rustling of leaves responded. These people had to know how to walk through a forest, so they were clearly enjoying the battle and letting their opponent know their location to inspire fear. Surrounded by that rumble of death, Boo Boo focused on his surroundings with Shining Weapon in hand. The great tension in the air scorched his nerves. It all came down to the timing. If he misread that by even an instant, he would lose his chance to fight back and he would be devoured. I... He spoke under his breath while filled with extreme tension and exhaustion. The image in his mind was of course that village he had lost. And his younger self standing within the ruins, unable to do anything about it. It was an image of helplessness, frailty, and loss. But he used his willpower to cast aside that negative image. I cant overlook tragedy again. Long ago, Beatrice and I promised we would become someone who wouldnt disappoint each other. So I wont let you take anything else away!! Men, make sure to say grace. Because its dinnertime. Dark shades appeared from behind the trees and beyond the underbrush. Elites wielding deadly blades rushed in from every direction like the brutal teeth of a giant maw snapping shut. It all happened in a slow motion world, as if swimming through sticky molasses. But before he could cross blades with them, Boo Boo sensed a definite change. A moment later, a lovely voice pounded on his eardrums. And it said... Metal Jet!! A total of eight lines of heat were launched from behind him and passed over his shoulder. At a meter long, those orange-glowing torrents of scorching heat could break through a tanks side armor and fry the interior, but these had been extended to kilometers long using brutally deadly Magic. A few of the shades dodged, a few attempted to defend and were pierced through, and the surrounding trees were felled and covered in flames. Yes, flames. That reminded the last of the Iberian Orcs of only one person. Bea...trice...? Dont you remember what we promised each other long ago, Boo Boo? Someone set foot in Grounds Nir after passing through the Gate a certain man had desperately defended. Yes, the girl in red armor and a miniskirt once more stood by his side. And. She smiled while holding out her Shining Weapon rapier in the same way as him. We promised to become someone who wouldnt disappoint each other. They could turn the tide of battle as many times as it took. Like this, nothing was impossible for them. Part 9 It was truly dramatic. Beatrices addition to the battle provided more than the simple skill of a Level Capper. Now Boo Boos group had the use of human Magic just like the Underworld did. That addition of an entire concept helped immensely. It was like giving a gun to warriors who had only ever used swords and spears. Ohh... Forest Fire!! Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? It really was a manmade forest fire. Over a width of several kilometers, flames rushed in at over 60kph, so instead of pushing in, the soldiers were pushed back. And brute force was not all this opponent had to offer. The red-armored Holy Swordswoman was using flame illusion Magic to manage her data by connecting several square frames with red lines. (They prioritize defense over evasion for sudden attacks.) !? (They use hand signs before attacking and they tend to match their timing to prevent friendly fire. By securing a half-tempo pause, I can dodge all of their bullets. They seem to push through using the violence of numbers, but the targets can be isolated by splitting them up with flashy Magic. By surrounding them with walls of flames, we can attack individual soldiers as a group. But if they have their numbers, were evenly matched and the risk of taking damage ourselves rises.) (Shes analyzing the distance we keep and the timing of our attacks!? This isnt good. With systemized military standards, analyzing an individual could provide information that applies to the whole!!) Of course, the elite veterans of Elkiad were Magic experts and they could endure the walls of flames using various Elemental Defenses or by flying, but... Bravo Zero to all. Emergency report! Charlie Zero here. We too have taken significant damage. We were suddenly attacked from behind! Delta Zero to all. Its the Gates. Dammit, the humans are returning from all over!! Alpha Zero clicked his tongue at the reports from the other unit leaders. The Gates could suddenly transport someone in, so expanding the battle line using the existing 2D maps had exposed them to unexpected damage. They could suffer the same tragedy as Charlie Unit: have a Level Capper suddenly appear behind them and hit them with some extraordinary Magic. Their terrain advantage had been defeated by a method of moving at higher than the third dimension. And their superior numbers were overcome by the Level Cappers who had extremely high individual skills. ...Simply put, the existing military system was ineffectual here. Ha ha. But the old soldier actually laughed. He seemed to be rejoicing at the very fact that this unexpected development was widening the wound. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! This is what I love about a foreign world: anything can happen!! Now this is what I call a war! This is what I call an apocalypse! You cant know from second to second whos going to win and whos going to lose!! This is not time for celebration. And cant you even die properly? Melt Cutting!! Beatrices rapier glowed red as she mercilessly cut forward along with Boo Boo, but Alpha Zero took a few steps back to keep his distance. The old soldier spoke disappointedly in the burning forest. This is so much fun. So very much fun... But, well, I guess my fun ends here. Something approached them from the fiery and smoky forest. Whatever it was seemed to restrain even battle-crazed Alpha Zero. Just how powerful was this person? Beatrice and Boo Boo held their respective Shining Weapons at the ready to cover each other. And then he casually walked up. He had a muscular body. He wore thick armor. And he rested an enormous axe on his shoulder. ...Wha-...? Beatrice had heard of his legends. But the age in which she lived was simply too far removed from the age in which he had lived. She had spoken with that Skeleton who wore a cowboy hat, but this was her first time seeing what he looked like in life. And yet somehow she could tell at a glance. She knew exactly who this was standing in their way. Part 10 Palm-sized Fairy Alice was helping her older sister Meridiana with relaying messages and instructing the gunners. ...Old man...? Part 11 That giant body rushed forward while surrounded with a gust of wind as strong as from a passing subway train. Even with the Percentage-type equipment reinforcing her physical strength, this was too much for Beatrices slender arms to handle. In fact... (The flowchart Id created to combat the American military standards doesnt work on him at all!?) That affected her timing and she was slow to dodge. Boo Boo immediately stepped forward. His Shining Weapon was like a log or steel beam and it caught the blow from the axe that may have been even larger. Then something odd happened. With a great rumbling, Boo Boo sank down as a crater formed in the ground around him. Ghhh...!? Boo Boo!! When she heard his groan of agony, Beatrices rapier gave a roar. The red-hot blade could slice through steel like it was butter and it targeted the large mans torso from the side, but... Alpha Zero, amplification. Sir. Even her scream was drowned out. With a brief response, the old soldier detonated. No, just as announced, his electricity Magic had demonstrated extraordinary power. A shock ran through Beatrice like a lightning bolt was passing through the center of her body from head to toe and she floated up from the ground. She somehow managed to avoid letting go of her Shining Weapon rapier, but the solid hit had left her limp. If she had not had the thick trunk of a half-burned tree to lean on, she probably would have fallen onto her butt. The large axe man showed no mercy. He whispered in an even deeper voice while pushing Boo Boo back. Alpha Eight, barrel. Alpha Nine, shell. Alpha Twelve, sight. Wait...is he commanding them!? Is he messing with the shared settings of their Shining Weapons to manage...no, combine their group Magic!? Data link established. Begin combined action. Electricity surrounded a giant pillar of steel as it rushed toward Boo Boos belly. Multiple Elements of Magic had been combined to create this extraordinary fortress-breaking railgun. That giant body spun into the air, flew in a tailspin, and smashed into the ground without being able to soften the impact. And yet that had not been a direct hit; he had to have diverted it a bit with this Shining Weapon. The deflected shell tore into the slope of a distant mountain and blew it away. Hm. According to our calculations, that should have obliterated the entire island, but it seems I was right that an artificial one cannot match the ideal specs. We need to make some adjustments to its sturdiness. None of us can hope to match you, Omega. Arrogant Alpha Zero sounded more like an obedient butler now. Back when you were alive really was the worlds golden age. Everything got so much more boring after your untimely death. Youre kidding...right...? The girls voice was trembling as she ran over to Boo Boo who lay bloody on the ground. If the Holy Swordswomans prediction was correct, this man was the husband who had exchanged vows with Demon Lord Tselika. He would be the young man who had built the inn town, approached human and Nonhuman alike, and fell in love with that demon lord. It was true that Skeleton had said he was from the time of the Cold War and that he was from the West. But even so, she simply could not believe it. Does that mean...does that mean you were from Elkiad, too!? Dont be ridiculous, little girl. But the old soldier rebuked her. It is the height of disrespect to say that hero was the same as us, said Alpha Zero. He is a true hero who experienced true war and he is a fierce commander who singlehandedly maintained the value of our peace-dulled allied nation. You could call him a role model for soldiers everywhere. We might view him as one of us out of respect, but that is only a one-sided addition on our part. That is why we have no numbering for Omega. We only need the one hero and it is unthinkable to place ourselves alongside him. A militarys overall war potential takes into account their personnel, intelligence, resources, techniques, weapons, etc. We were all unified under the same standards, so there is no point in discussing the abilities of any one individual. Your words are too much for the likes of us, sir. But if you would allow me to pathetically defend my position, I have just one thing to say: An optimized standard could never teach others to do what you do. Beatrice felt dizzy. This was more than just him belonging to Elkiad. Elkiad had been formed in order to mimic him. Someone might behave differently at work and in their private life, but this was too far removed from the impression she had gotten from Demon Lord Tselika and the Skeleton. Gh... Boo Boo!? It doesnt matter who you are... Squeal. If you insist on turning your blade on someone I care for and destroying somewhere I want to protect, then youre my enemy. Exactly. The hero calmly nodded while swinging around an axe taller than he was as lightly as if it were a baton. We only need focus on the moment, on the battle before our eyes. Our positions and situations are entirely void of meaning when faced with a fight to the death. Battered Boo Boo desperately worked to stand up and the man known as Omega showed no mercy. He took a large step forward and raised the giant axe as if crushing his opponent with all his might were the polite thing to do. Boo Boo should have been helpless. Neither he nor Beatrice should have been able to hold back that fierce attack. But the Iberian Orc was not split in half starting from the head. Something intervened before that happened. Hello, you two. You hadnt forgotten this old lady-killer, had you? The collision of two thick blades produced a deafening clang. One was Omegas great axe, but the other was an equally-large axe. However, it was made of a different substance. It was a horrifically sinister axe made from a complex combination of many human bones. The large muscular man held the former and a Skeleton in a cowboy hat held the latter. Their appearances clashed horribly, but they locked blades like they were mirror images. In an instant-death fantasy world, the addition or removal of a single enemy or ally C even if theyre a lowly grunt or green rookie C can cause one side or the other to entirely collapse. So Im not going to hold back as I strengthen this side. No. No!? Theyre...the same? But wait. Then which one has his soul!? Think about it rationally, young lady. If the Underworld could suck up and use every last dead soul that appeared in Grounds Nir, there are some things that wouldnt make any sense. What about Vampire Kallikantzaros? If every dead soul went to the Underworld without exception, she wouldnt gain anything from sucking blood. Now that you mention it. But if thats true... The Underworld can absorb dead souls, but not if theyre modified by a special contract or curse. And theres another piece of evidence supporting that theory. A pretty major one at that, responded the cowboy hat Skeleton. Im talking about the Iberian Orcs. If everyone from that destroyed village attacked at once, we wouldve reached checkmate long before now. Ah. But that hasnt happened. Why not? Its simple: Boo Boos Shining Weapon. The souls were digitized and sealed in there, so the Underworld couldnt absorb them. ...Although that means its possible the Underworld made this direct attack in order to retrieve their property. In that case, was the Skeleton the proper partner of Demon Lord Tselika? He had a large red jewel on his cowboy hat. It was a Philosophers Stone and it was that stones power that gave the Skeleton his sense of self. If it contained his soul just like Boo Boos Shining Weapon... Beatrice''s train of thought was interrupted by the muscular man''s irritated tone. You imposter. You sure talk a lot for not having a tongue. Ha ha. Thats what I thought. If I was in your position, I probably couldnt stay silent either. Did you throw out your pride and obey the Underworld so you could reach the island and find me? ...? Beatrice frowned at Omega and the Skeletons words. And then she received the direct answer. Youre no more than a copy using that Philosophers Stones processing power to simulate my personality. It sickens me to think something sewn together from corpses claims to be Tselikas husband. Yeah, it probably does. I am Skull Wave, a talking grave pieced together from a lost ideal so the living could spend more time with the dead. But if the real ones soul has rotted enough to become such a piece of shit, then I really dont think I can let my wife see the real thing. Dont you agree, Mr. Omega? Part 12 Beatrice was not the only one to reenter Grounds Nir. Onee-sama, over here! Y-yes! Noble Dancer Rusalka wore a black leotard with armor added in places and Summon Hunter Gruagach wore dark blue mourning clothes with a veil over her face. The blonde girls exited from separate Gates, fought and beat back the giant spider-crab fusion monsters, avoided the Black Labyrinth as much as possible, and successfully regrouped here. They were relatively free to act when compared to Filinion and Armelina who had gone to the Detached Magic Palace first. When the police officer had sent out the emergency signal, they had been forced to enter Grounds Nir from Tokyo and Kobe. It was midday on earth, but the other world had slight differences in planetary rotation and gravity. Those small differences added up, so it was nearly sunset. Vampire Kallikantzaros would be leaving her coffin soon. They were on a small hill overlooking the inn town, but the town was in a horrific state. Black smoke and clouds of dust were rising into the air and the entire area was covered in passageways that looked like mysterious black tunnels. Even if they kept the original street layout in mind, they would only get lost and driven into countless blind spots and dead ends. The place was even more sinister than the war-torn areas seen on the news. I hope everyone else wasnt trapped in Tokyo and managed to Sign In. Including Wildefrau and Huldra... Mh. What is with that scrawny mole guy? I will protect you, Onee-sama! Dont be like that, Rusalka. Shes Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra when shes here. The government had to know where the Gates were and humans could only remain active here for a few days. If they did not settle the Underworld issue in that time, they would be arrested once they Signed Out. The conditions were even stricter than the usual Labyrinth exploration. There was no time to spare, so what was it they needed to do? We cant board the Underworld unless we push back the dead troops that have invaded the island. And we cant solve the fundamental problem without doing something about the Underworld itself. Right. The crucial key to this has to be the Break News due to their extraordinary power. Since dead souls belong to the Underworld, we cant let even one of them die. This might sound overly dry, but the resolution will be delayed for each piece on the board that is taken. And since we have a time limit for staying here, that would be devastating for us. In other words, we have to find out where all the Break News are on the island and support them where necessary to turn things around. Right, Onee-sama!? At times like this, it helped to have the Student Council President who had led the Religious Society. She might look docile, but she was quite skilled at analyzing the situation and supplying a simple objective. Merely being correct was not enough. Explaining it simply and increasing the other persons understanding would increase their motivation. And a few Break News could be seen fighting from where they were. Giant butterfly wings were breaking apart and scattering a toxic red mist in the inn town and two enormous dragons were grappling and firing water and flame dragon breaths at each other in the sky above. Those paradoxes with a soul were generally uncontrollable and did not grow attached to humans, but they would take defensive action if an external threat was overrunning their territory. Wh-where should we start? Rusalka looked overwhelmed and tapped her index fingers together in front of her small chest, so she was probably in a similar mental state to someone given too many options too choose from at a store. Gruagach narrowed down their plans to something simple. We start with the Thousand Dragon. We have no way of approaching Sutriona inside that toxic mist and, if we can help the Thousand Dragon recover, she should help us support the others with aerial bombings that dont require getting close. Roger! You really are the best, Onee-sama!! Of course, a human couldnt exactly fly up to reach a giant Dragon soaring through the heavens, but there was one thing to keep in mind: The Thousand Dragon had a will of her own and could be communicated with. If they could not fly into the sky, they just had to get her to approach the ground. Rusalka held a scythe with a circular blade that made it resemble the number 9. Gruagach held a large bow with close-range blades and a stabilizer. They were cutting it close with sunset so soon, but they managed to reflect the sunlight. When the flying black Dragon noticed, she rapidly descended. Instead of grabbing them with her wings or claws, she used the power of the air to launch them up. It was a lot like riding an aircushion. The two girls felt like dustballs in the wind as the Thousand Dragon subtly adjusted her position to catch them on her gargantuan back. Rusalka was in a bad mood as soon as she landed in a sitting position. You stupid dragon!! How dare you blow Onee-samas skirt up like that! Oh, poor Onee-sama! It was like an umbrella during a typhoon!! But, Onee-sama, was that leather I saw below there...? R-Rusalka, please dont rub salt in the wound... Gruagach blushed behind the veil and hung her head, but this was no time to get dragged down by her past failure. Wow, look at that, Onee-sama. ...Incredible. Its almost like rotting fruit. When looking down from above, they had an excellent view of the Black Labyrinth being laid out by the spider-crab fusions. It already covered a third of the island and was quickly approaching a half. Plus, it seemed the Underworld Lord was aiming to invade the earth. From that viewpoint, it was frightening how the black threads were gradually approaching the Great Plate Plain where so many of the Gates were concentrated. Also, the Thousand Dragon was still fighting. She was being pursued by a silver form that matched her 1000 meters. After the recklessly rapid descent, she flapped her wings to break through the clouds. Rusalka was a Wind expert, but without the help of her Magic, they would have been exposed to such great pressure in the blink of an eye that the oxygen in their blood would have collapsed much like altitude sickness. Everyone was in danger, but they could not move freely until they eliminated the more direct threat. Gruagach elegantly held the hat and skirt of her mourning clothes while thinking about their pursuer. Is that a Dragon...? No, is it a contraption built to look like one!? Mh. There are a bunch of little Fairies clinging to it. You can see them? Dont underestimate the kinetic vision of a dancer who spins around all the time! Rusalka gave a small snort of pride, so she could probably be trusted in this. In that case... I see. Fairies excel at Craft skills, so their ghosts must have worked together to build an Architecture Dragon from the ground up. Lets tear it apart and get the Thousand Dragon helping elsewhere. Her aerial bombing would probably be really useful...whoa!? Their footing suddenly shook violently. Rusalka and Gruagach could not understand it since it was outside the audible range of human hearing, but it looked like the 1000m Dragon was throwing a fit. Just like a baby shaking its head in protest. Wah...oh!? What the hell is she doing!? Hmm, she might know those Fairies. In that case, it would be cruel to just start attacking them. They realized that the Thousand Dragon was only holding the other Dragon in check and running away. She did not seem to be starting a serious fight to the death. However. Hey, Thousand Dragon? She had no idea if her voice could reach, but Gruagach put on her best smile to help calm down the Dragon. Since theyre the pawns of the Underworld, killing them simply means returning them there. So you can beat them to a pulp and put off making a real decision without having to worry about anything. Eeeeek!? Its Onee-samas occasional S siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!? No matter what anyone said, the decision was Gruagachs to make. The intense Student Council President gave an order. Rusalka. S-sure. ...Even after meeting people like Wildefrau and Armelina, theres no one as scary as you when you get serious... The Noble Dancer, whose long blonde ponytail formed a ringlet curl, pouted her lips while obediently fulfilling her role. She raised the 9-shaped round-blade scythe, activated the Shining Weapon, and selected some Magic. Right now, she did not need a homing bullet or a vacuum blade that could fell a large tree. No matter how gigantic their opponent was, it was clearly gaining lift by slicing through the air. Rusalka could directly control the air with her Wind magic, so she was the worst possible opponent for it. You might as well drop it on the inn town to support Sutriona. Umm, air pressure manipulation? Okay, Downburst!! It was like a fighter jet stalling. With a blast of wind, the silver Architecture Dragon lost the power keeping it airborne and began to tilt. From there, it was straight down. The giant contraption fell in a tailspin with its head pointed down. No matter how much it flapped its wings, it could not obtain any lift. It was just like a meteor. The kilometer-long structure crashed into the center of the nearly-deserted inn town and the surrounding buildings and Black Labyrinth tunnels were blown away like a giant splash. Ah, ahhh... Is Sutriona really all right after that? She is a Break News, so there is nothing to worry about. That conclusion did not seem to have much scientific evidence behind it. As they watched, a large lump(?) of several tunnels was pushed outward and crushed before being caught in a great explosion that pierced the heavens. The ghosts used firearms in addition to Magic, so some ammunition storage in the trenches may have ignited. ...Also, it was still a question whether or not the Fairy Queen really was all right. Rusalka felt like a criminal. Meanwhile, the color of the sky was changing. Orange became purple and purple became pitch black. Night had finally fallen. Vampire Kallikantzaros would be reemerging from the ghost ship. Thousand Dragon, could you please blow away those...are those plain uniforms Soviet? Regardless, can you blow away those soldiers surrounding Ileana? Ah, awah. After that, support the volunteer army of Cat Sith and Cu Sith, take care of the Elkiad group approaching the southern forest...oh, and I just spotted Wildefrau and Huldra, so bomb the spiders around them. Yes, wipe clean the entire Black Labyrinth on the coast. Hee hee hee. Wipe it clean and throw it out!! The words come to my lips so naturally. Isnt it romantic? Awawawawawawa, awawawawawawawawawawawawah!? Rusalka paled and cried out when she saw Gruagach holding her hands to her cheeks with a spellbound look on her face. It was also worth noting that she had casually identified soldiers from the former Soviet Union after no more than a glance at their uniforms. What kind of girl was this Student Council President? If you find a similar lump of gathered tunnels, concentrate on that! That seems to be where they keep their ammunition, so its a chance for a chain reaction, assuming we have no allies nearby!! Ahhh!! So I really shouldnt have done that in the inn town while Sutriona was there!? The ultra-high pressure water blasts tore across the surface like machinegun fire. The tiny targets along that line were swallowed up and blown away. A shot anywhere near a lump of tunnels would trigger a tremendous explosion that swept everything away. It was like an aerial bombing by a gunship in a movie or video game. Instead of an attack helicopter, those were large transport aircraft modified to carry weapons. It was all so flashy that each individual act of destruction felt unreal. The Black Labyrinth was engulfing the island like a lunar eclipse, but it was torn away with each big explosion. That was proof that a change had occurred in the one-sided struggle for territory. The seesaw was tilting back in the other direction. Hm? Is that...? While guiding her great dragon, the queen of the heavens spotted something on the surface. Night had fallen, but there were fires burning everywhere and orange sparks were intermittently flying in one location. That came from the clash of weapons. Giant axes made of steel and bone were colliding and occasional producing something like a will-o-the-wisp. For some reason, Gruagach felt something stir inside her when she saw the illuminated figures. No, that may not have been her own sensation. It may have been a remnant of the demon lords soul which had permeated her body for so long but no longer lived within Grounds Nir. Oh, Boo Boo and Beatrice are there too! Onee-sama, are we going to support them too!? Rusalka did not directly call it a bombing or cannon blast, but please understand that this was due to the complicated feelings of an adolescent girl. ... But as the mourning dress girl stared intently down at the surface... No, the Thousand Dragons cannon would be difficult to aim in such a close-range battle. Hm? But the other sides already a Skeleton, so cant we just blow them both away? The Noble Dancer was being quickly infected by the madness, but now Gruagach was beginning to cool down. She calmly reached for her longbow. Onee-sama...? This may be a cruel decision, but I cannot help but feel any resolution to this that does not involve her is incomplete. Wait, Onee-sama!? Um, uh, I thought you no longer had any power as a Summon Hunter...? As Rusalka so reservedly pointed out, most of Gruagachs power had come from the Charm ability given to her while possessed by Demon Lord Tselika. With Tselika gone, she no longer had a summoning contract with anyone. It was a lot like having a gun but no ammo. But that did not matter. Gruagach knew of just one person who would appear in response to her contract. Poor, foolish demon lord estranged from your beloved. I call you back now. If you wish to take advantage of your first and last chance, then answer my call. A man born on earth had died in Grounds Nir and a demon lord born in Grounds Nir had traveled to earth. That meant the two could never be together again. But that was technically not accurate. The demon lord had not actually crossed between the two worlds. Just like manipulating a metal nail by pressing a magnet against the other side of a thin wall, she was merely producing an illusion of her presence there by sending her influence to earth. She existed at the boundary between worlds, but she still remained on the Grounds Nir side of that wall. So this was possible. By providing an attraction even stronger than the one pulling the demon lord toward earth, it was possible to peel her away from the wall and guide her back to the center of Grounds Nir!! Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier!! I make this suggestion while under the influence of no one! I act on my own will and responsibility! Bind another contract with me and use all your devilishness and charm to assist me!!!! It was a white thunderbolt. Powerful energy entered Gruagach through the top of her head, wreaked havoc inside her body, passed to every last part of her, and gave a human the power of a demon lord. The dreadful shock blew away the Magic mourning clothes that had gracefully hidden all of her bodys skin. This exposed some sinister armor decorated with leather belts and steel armor that provided it with a scorpion motif. Her long, long chestnut hair also spread out behind her. ...Why...? Something translucent approached her. It was a bewitching demon lord with large horns, wings, and a tail. Why would you grant my wish? There was a quiet metallic scraping. It came from Gruagachs hand as she held her bow. She held something along with the weapon: a handmade keychain. The accessory had a thin chain attached to a decoration the size of a ping pong ball. It was one of the Circles that had been briefly popular. Everyone had gotten rid of theirs after discovering how frightening Demon Lord Tselika was, but Gruagach must have searched one out after that. I have yet to experience a true love that burns my heart away. But by your hand, I have experienced the horrific pain and humiliation that comes after that. She did not hesitate. However, I believe I understand that it is not something to be trampled underfoot. Demon Lord Tselika, even if it is the love of a wicked woman like you. Her armor-shaped additional Shining Weapon had once acted as a controller that bound the poor puppet of a girl with the signals of intense pain and pleasure, but that was no longer the case. She chose to stab the scorpion tail into her back to activate it and she raised the stabilizer-equipped longbow that included close-range blades. She nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring with all her might, and sealed the power of the contract inside. She sealed the demon lord herself inside. A battle raged inside the burning forest. On one side was a muscular ghost and on the other was a collection of many bones. Which one was real and which one was false? Which would survive? On which one would the goddess of victory smile? Now, Tselika, go and take your resolution!! Part 13 A stabbing sound led to a far too brief conclusion. Gah... A glowing white arrow fell from the heavens and pierced through someones heart without hesitation. Of course, an arrow falling straight down could not pierce through a humans heart from behind. The arrow clearly contained a will of its own. Its course bent sharply in midair and it chose one of the two as its target. ...Huh? Drops of red blood dripped to the ground. Yes. A heart and blood. At that point, it was obvious which one Tselika had chosen to hit with a fatal blow. After all, a Skeleton had no heart or blood. Meaning... Meaning... I will not ask which one is real. The whispered womans voice sounded like she had her face nestled in her beloveds chest. My wonderful husband was hated by all but never shed a tear and met his end with a smile. And that is why he left such a deep impression on my heart and the hearts of the subordinates who learned of his death. Had Gruagach provided the cruelest revenge or a touch of salvation? Either way, Tselika had made her decision in the moonlight. It is not like you to cling to this ugly world. Even if he was the real one, she had decided it was right to pierce through his chest. If you have changed this much in the intervening time, then I will provide the finishing blow with your unchanged form in my heart. ...It is over, darling. The eternal wall of time found after death is too much for a human like you to bear. The man remained silent for a while. The hero had not succumbed even after being pierced through at such a vital point, but he finally smiled a little. ...I see. He seemed to have accepted something. He seemed to have accepted his own death. I was never afraid of anything: trench warfare, poison gas weapons, tanks, fighters, or even the nuclear missiles of the Americans and the Soviets. No, even when I was caught in a plot and killed in this foreign world, I felt no shaking in the core of my body. And he spoke with satisfaction in his voice despite how sudden the conclusion had arrived. But no matter what...Im just no match for this wife of mine... Beatrice also watched it play out. She watched this decision and conclusion that could never occur between Boo Boo and the Holy Swordswoman, that she would never want to come between them, and that could only have happened between Tselika and that man. That man and woman completed a world together. Oh, oh... But there was apparently someone who refused to accept it. The old soldier known as Alpha Zero had been left behind once more. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Owwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? With that cry, the dead warriors and the black threads spewed by the spider-crab fusion contraptions once more approached like a giant, swelling wave. Boo Boo, get ready. ...I know. Tselika has settled things with Omega. We cant let anyone else trample on the answer she arrived at through so much pain and suffering. Lets give it a nice clean ending. Their charismatic leader has fallen, so lets push Elkiad back and get to the Underworld before hes resurrected!! Between the Lines 1 Abyss has learned new Magic. Metal Jet: standby. There was a girl named Abyss. She was the ultimate weapon automatically developed in the deepest level of Grounds Nir, an armory so large it could be mistaken for an island. The structures of all plants and animals were recreated, released in the experimental region known as the Labyrinth, and intentionally sent to clash with the intruders who entered that place. That was used to research the strongest body, strongest mind, and strongest combat ability and combine them all into the strongest being. But that had changed. Abyss made calculation after calculation with the force of a Gatling gun as she continued an intense counter cyber attack against the very armory that had created her and was now trying to abandon the islands shape and make it a part of the girl. She could not hand over her privileges and she could not answer the armorys request. She focused on the bandages wrapped around where her arm had been severed. That would not help repair her in the slightest and it in fact could cause a fire, but the feelings contained in the act were a different matter. The girl-shaped weapon named Abyss was a master of logic and efficiency, but she would never take feelings lightly. On one side was the girl who was a standalone but flexible processor core, on the other were external accessories that could split up processing work in parallel. Their cyber war pushed back and forth, but then the armory weakened its attack. The situation has changed. The Black Labyrinths effective controlled territory has shrunk from 48% to 19%. Correcting the hopeless simulation to match. If the invasion has lulled, Abyss rejects the suggested attack. This is only a lull and not a fundamental solution. Continuing request. Abyss rejects the suggestion. Their power must be reassessed. That assumes the conditions will remain the same as the current simulation. Something was displayed. It was a spec sheet for Abysss predicted enemy, the Underworld. One point was flashing. The soldiers have been defeated, so the Underworld Lord will make an appearance before long. ... Once that Lord appears on the board, the current situation will likely be reversed in the blink of an eye. The odds are slim that they can overcome even the first heat-beam antiaircraft blast. Volume 5, 2: Wandering Labyrinth * Imprisoning Inferno Volume 5, Chapter 2: Wandering Labyrinth * Imprisoning Inferno Part 1 A mental support was apparently quite important. Once they lost the hero known as Omega, the old soldiers of Elkiad lost their former luster. And while Omega came from before the standardization, those old soldiers had trained their bodies to maximum efficiency following the military standards, so a single flowchart could be used to predict all of their actions. There was nothing to fear when you knew exactly when to dodge and attack. There was at least no need to worry about being surrounded and targeted from a blind spot. Sorry were late!! Youve been fighting continuously without any way to recover, havent you? But that changes now! Fighter Priest Armelina and White Witch Filinion joined the fray. They seemed to have safely escaped the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi, Tokyo, but since they used different Gates, they could not have been together from the beginning. The wrecking ball woman who worked as a police officer was one thing, but how had the defenseless cow made her way across Grounds Nir while it was overrun with the dead? The glasses girl gave the answer with a smug look on her face and her overly large chest puffed proudly out. I tried some things on the way here, but it turns out the old recovery potions on the Undead trick works. Eh? When you sprinkle it on something without any life force, it seems to cause a conflict or malfunction in whatever it is the Underworld is using to keep the dead souls in this world while still dead. It acts like a lethal poison for them. Take this!! She tossed more and more colorful test tubes and the effect was truly dramatic. In a single blow, the frightening elites disintegrated even more blatantly than a salted slug. Jheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!? C-compatibility is a frightening thing... I cant believe that fearsome Alpha Zero was defeated by a dumb cow... Dont underestimate the pure and just Shrine Maiden Princess. Vee. I dont know anything about this Alpha Rice guy or whatever hes called, but its insane to continue attacking these sturdy Undead from head-on without using any kind of trick. Beatrice was actually kind of glad that Tselika had managed to finish off Omega herself before this happened. It would not have made anyone happy for the cow to take care of him so casually. This is only a temporary death, not an eternal farewell. Omega, oh, Omega... I am returning to you now, sir...!! Beatrice clicked her tongue and thrust her rapier through the center of his chest. It did not even feel like stabbing a human. The sensation was halfway between a thick mist and yogurt. This time, his outline completely dissolved into the night air. They seemed to be closer to Ghosts than Zombies. They were apparently supported by something occult instead of just being clones. Squeal... It doesnt matter if we win or lose each individual battle. Boo Boo, lets hurry on. If we dont do something about the Underworld itself, theyll be resurrected again. Yeah, we dont have time for anything else. Based on what Inoue said, the Thousand Dragon, Gruagach, and Rusalka are holding them back from the sky. Lets use the cows recovery potions and the air support to head for the beach. While they discussed their plans, a few small forms poked their heads out from behind cover. Armely... Weve decided to fight. Weve formed a volunteer army together! What should we do, Armely? Tell us! Hurry up and tell us!! It was the bipedal dogs and cats known as Cu Sith and Cat Sith. They wore butler outfits and maid outfits respectively and they held small axes and spears made from a special material called Diamond Salt. Beatrice looked confused. The residents of the southern forest? Armelina, I know you like cute things, but when did you become friends with them? C-cough, cough! There are perfectly good and mature reasons for this...!! Armely, I want to eat octopus balls again...! Although since it was wrapped in those round balls, Im still not sure what octopus is. I want to see you spin them on the grill! I want to eat those round things again!! Filinion erased all expression from her face and pointed at the suspect. Officer, this is the one who was luring in pure hearts using treats. Im the police officer!! And those cute little things were begging me to show them what earth food is like and they were just so delighted that I couldnt help but keep doing it. Surely you know what thats like!! Why do weirdos always insist that theyre perfectly normal? Right, Beatrice? (Uuh... I cant say anything this time when I did pretty much the same thing with little Boo Boo and the grilled fish and meatballs.) Oh, honestly. Is everyone from earth like this? At any rate. The Underworld battle would come with a fairly serious risk of death even for the Level Cappers and Break News. They appreciated the thought, but this was not a journey for those bipedal dogs and cats who were not suited for direct combat. In fact, even without an enemy, there was a very real risk of them tripping and harming themselves on their own blades. Armelina crouched down to get on their eye level. H-hey. I think theres an important job for you other than opposing the Underworld. ...Ehh? But I want to go with you, Armely. If youre all going somewhere, how about going to the southern forest? Well be dealing with this whole Underworld business, so I want you to protect that forest while we do that. Listen, this is an important job and youre the only ones I can rely on. Well, if you say so, Armely. Well do everything we can! Was that a technique she had learned from giving traffic safety lectures? Filinions eyes glowed with an even sharper light when she saw how solidly Armelina was controlling them. And with that, they finally began the counterattack. To help any humans that arrived later, they wrote on the dirt and trees that the dead army was weak to Recovery Magic. Now! Lets get going! Go, go!! You stupid cow! Why are you thoughtlessly heading right toward the Black Labyrinth!? The Holy Swordswoman widened her eyes at that immediate suicidal action and grabbed the back of Filinions collar to stop her. What mattered here was to never enter the Black Labyrinth created by the giant spider-crab fusion monsters. It did not matter in the slightest that a new field could be exciting. Armelina also sounded exasperated. Since that dumb cow managed survive long enough to regroup with me, those Recovery Magic attacks must really work well. During an old war, it had taken months to get past a complex arrangement of trenches. New weapons such as tanks and poison gas had been developed to help get past them. That might seem like the problem of an older age, but none of that built-up technology existed in this foreign world. The Fighter Priest gulped and looked at one of the contraptions that had stalled nearby. These flipped-over spiders are pretty weird. They dont look to strong in a direct fistfight, but the direct alterations they make to the terrain are a big deal. They take away any advantage the terrain might give us... Ara...chne? Is that their name carved into them? Arachne. I wonder who named them. The only things they had to rely on were the Fairies catapults and the Thousand Dragon. The boulders from above, the gunpowder barrels, and the ultra-high water pressure breaths were tearing the Black Labyrinth to pieces, crushing it, and rendering it useless. When the dead soldiers lying in wait scattered, they were hit by Filinions insta-kill recovery potion attack before they could regroup. When the aerial bombing crushed a distant large lumps formed from intersecting tunnels, it created enough of an explosion to form a crater. Waaah!? What was that!? An Elkiad ammo dump or something!? It was bad for their hearts. Even at that distance, the shockwave nearly knocked them over as it swept across the surface. But it was also doing effective damage to the Underworlds army. And it happened before they even had to cross blades or exchange Magic attacks with the dead. They would not stand on their opponents field. They would not stupidly go along with what their opponent wanted. Hm, hmm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm. Ehh? Why does this just feel like a fun adventure when Filinions with us? We were fighting on the verge of death just a bit ago. The healer really is the cornerstone of a Partys survival. You need a clever and reliable White Witch like me. Vee, vee. Im pretty sure this has gone too far for that to explain it. However, Beatrice and Armelina had not been fighting such desperate battles because they wanted to. Nothing was better than an easy solution. They arrived at the dark beach. Boo Boo brought a hand to his mouth and spoke with deep emotion in his voice. We really managed to push back that solid army and reach their base... We dont know how many forces the Underworld is holding in reserve, so we cant let our guard down. Weve temporarily pushed the hands back on the doomsday clock, but the gears are still turning. Meanwhile, Armelina seemed worried about something else. She was focused on the small-scale tactics instead of large-scale strategy. The catapult support has stopped... Squeal. Those big spoons are in the forest, so they cant be moved easily. There are still people fighting further inland, so we can let the Fairies help them out. They saw Meridiana, Alice, Morgan, and other small Fairies flitting through the night sky and reflecting the moonlight with their thin wings to send them a signal before flying back inland. They did not seem panicked, so this was not as serious as the catapults being taken out. Beatrice, Boo Boo, and the others focused on their own position. With no room for artificial lights, the ocean should have been absorbing the starlight and sparkling like a carpet of jewels, but that had changed. An ominous and silhouette rose like a mountain and blotted it all out. Grounds Nir took three days to walk around, but this rotting marine creature was even larger. Something resembling a shark or killer whale was sticking up onto the beach. The smell reaching their nose may have been its rotting flesh. Or was it the sulfur from orange-glowing lava flowing from its wounds? This is...the Underworld? said Beatrice. Squeal. Ive never seen or eaten an animal like this. The marine creature did not move at all. It was impossible to tell whether it was alive or dead. Its opened mouth extended wide to the left and right and contained cluttered rows of cold, crystal-like fangs or teeth that were larger than the average house. Its eyes looked like an ominous red full moon, but more than just two, it had several large eyes like a spider. Was it even possible for a structure that enormous to stick up onto the beach? Or had it first used the power of air to float above the oceans surface? Is anyone else here? I dont see Huldra or Wildefrau anywhere on the beach. With an entry route this huge, were bound to get split up. And if we left behind some kind of sign in the middle of enemy territory, it would only lead the Underworlds troops right to us. Soldiers are probably really good at that. Armelina then tilted her head. Now, this seems to be the new area, but how do we get in? Hmm. There is a big mouth open right in front of us. Eh? Wait a second, Beatrice! Are you really going to charge right in there!? They only had a few days to move around freely. And the Underworld was even larger than Grounds Nir which would take three days to walk around. They had no time to spare, but they could not afford to rush things and get eaten. Meanwhile, the Thousand Dragon passed by overhead. Aerial surveillance is important, but is there no way for them to map out the inside like that? And just as Armelina said that ... A crimson beam of heat was launched from the Underworlds back and into the tranquil night sky. It was a lot like an anti-air laser. The black flying Dragon was apparently taken completely by surprise. Her frantic evasive action was too little too late, her large wings were damaged, and she fell into the ocean. Wait, what!? Are you kidding!? Werent Gruagach and Rusalka riding on that Dragon...? The Thousand Dragon can swim like a swan and shes large enough to act like a small island, so I doubt those girls would just drown...but I am worried about them. Meanwhile, the Holy Swordswoman looked up at the Underworld that towered above them like a cliff. Why did it attack the Thousand Dragon up there instead of us right in front of it? Its scary to think about, but could it be about angle of fire? Yknow, like an, um, antiaircraft gun that can only aim into the sky. Or maybe... It was far too simple a conclusion. Beatrice used red lines to connect rectangular frames with her fire illusion Magic and she placed an important marker on the top of the Underworld. There might be something on top it doesnt want us to see. Either way, this proved that their opponent had enough power to immobilize the Thousand Dragon, a paradox with a soul, in a single shot. And that power could be used as an extreme-long-range projectile. If that was forcibly fired on the island of Grounds Nir, they would lose all the momentum they had built up. And if the Break News were taken out, they could be driven away before they had a chance to recover. Boo Boo, lets search out this secret of theirs. Before the second heat beam antiaircraft blast. Part 2 And there were some who remained on the beach. For example, the silver-haired Fairy Queen named Sutriona and the blonde-haired Vampire named Kallikantzaros. They were both from the Break News that held extraordinary power on the island of Grounds Nir. She was not directly working with them, but Ileana (or at least one of her copies) would be around there too. Since they were able to watch the others leave like this, they had obviously escaped the previous desperate situation. They could not grow careless since a single mistake could bring them right back to such a situation, but they had reached a temporary lull. It helped a lot that the catapults and the Thousand Dragon had focused on the enemy ammo dumps. The Black Labyrinth had been torn apart from the sky and the struggle over territory had been pushed back. With red glowing bats fluttering around her and her large chest pushing out her crimson negligee, the Vampire softly stroked the head of the small pig stuffed animals she held. I honestly thought you would go with them. Dont be stupid. I have to protect the Fairy village. And I hear the Break News are linked to the underground Labyrinth as a secondary power source. The material and internal structure of the Underworld are a mystery, but if we went in there, it could possibly break that link and place some kind of strain on the island. The black ribbon dress girl placed her hands on her slender hips and Kallikantzaros winked at her while crossing her arms such that they lifted up her breasts which were too large for her height. Since you arent throwing all that aside and heading out for some fun, should I assume youve actually matured some? Are you picking a fight with me? Sutrionas voice grew ominously deep, but she was aware this was an emergency. Besides, the humans are counting on us. True enough. As previously stated, Beatrice and the others could only spend so much time here and the Underworld was vast. The odds were decent that they would reach the several-day time limit before solving the problem concerning the Underworld. So the Holy Swordswoman had made a request on the way here. If they cant solve everything in there, they want us to try blowing away the Underworld in a combined attack. Well, if that would give us a nice happy ending, no one would be going in there in the first place, but its probably easier for them to know they have some kind of insurance. Then a small light fluttered down to that extraordinary pair. It was Morgan, elder of the palm-sized Fairies. I wish to respectfully ask you paradoxes for support. We have found some remnants of the dead in the southern forest. They have yet to make contact, but the Cat Sith and Cu Sith remaining there will be unable to handle them. I am aware how presumptuous it is to ask this, but... Not to worry. That Vampire wont accept any obvious requests, but she secretly likes helping people out. And thats where she lives, so Im sure shell be flying back there before long. ... See? Just look how tsundere she is. You mustnt let that murderous aura fool you, Morgan. She might be scowling, but shes blushing on the inside. No, um, I did say it was presumptuous of me to ask, so wouldnt that be how she really feels...? As they discussed the matter, the Break News and the messenger Fairy left the open beach and returned to the inland forest. The primary battlefield had moved within the Underworld, but not all of their forces were concentrated there. Some of the dead were wandering the island and more fools would likely appear in the Underworld and head out onto the island. The number killed would not determine the victor here. If they saw the number protected as the deciding factor, then it was hard to say they had passed the hardest point. ...And while their pride kept them from directly saying so, they were gradually being worn down. If the open beach would get them sniped, then it was best to move inland where they could hide behind cover. The Break News were the ultimate fighting force, so they could not allow themselves to be defeated so easily. The Thousand Dragon did not understand that and that was why she was known as the weakest of them. For now, Ill be helping the Fairies evacuate their village. You head to the southern forest as requested. Understood. ...I hear those cats and dogs have started putting together a volunteer army. It might be best if I threatened them a bit to make sure they do not shorten their lifespans needlessly. As they started toward their respective jurisdictions, Sutriona whispered quietly. Were covering your asses. So go at it all you want. Part 3 Entering through the mouth would have been too frightening, so Boo Boos group avoided an internal course and instead climbed up the surface of the giant marine creature known as the Underworld. The scene changed entirely when they arrived on top of its back. Squeal... They saw a dark land covered in dips and bumps. The parts that had rotted into a liquid were like toxic bogs and red magma spewed from areas that were unnatural torn up. The exposed bone seen elsewhere had the cold shine of pale crystal and the scene as a whole was surprisingly colorful. It was like a park during the Christmas season. Pant, pant. Th-the heat is pretty intense once you get up here. I dont care, so just hurry on up. Why am I stuck pushing up on your huge ass in the afterlife of a foreign world!? Despite all her smugness from before, White Witch Filinion was already gasping for breath. The flaaat instructor was having trouble in her attempts to make sure that amateur climber did not fall. Beatrice also had to wipe sweat from her brow. Thats the Underworld for you. I guess it wouldnt be a comfortable place for the living. Boo. But, Beatrice, I think I feel a hot wind and a cold wind. Is there a chill coming from somewhere? W-wouldnt it be from those crystal-like bones? Pant. Once they had all safely reached the top, they began exploring. No, wait!! Armelina pushed the glasses girls large butt and the pure White Witch rolled along the black rotting flesh. And she had of course had a reason for that. (Boo Boo, you duck down too! Hide in that dip over there!!) Even if they were on top of a living creature, it still felt like a small island and the other end was hidden beyond the horizon. With all the rotting, the surface rose and fell a lot and it felt a lot like crossing countless hills. The red glow of the lava and blue glow of the crystal cast deep shadows, so it was impossible to fully grasp the scene at a glance. Amid all that, Boo Boos group hid in one of the torn up pieces of the surface while loud shaking footsteps passed right by them along the black plain. But the shaking did not come from the size of what this was. It came from the number. Wh-what is that? asked Armelina in bewilderment. Are they marching...? Sure enough, a lot of people were gathered in ordered groups and marching in unison like something from a military parade. Even their pace and the swinging of their arms were perfectly synchronized. Needless to say, these were the human souls trapped by the Underworld. Urp. Peh, peh. Eek. Its always something, isnt it? And it looks like there are about four hundred of them in this group. They could come up with a general number so quickly thanks to the orderly ranks. The dead souls formed a perfect 20x20 square as they freely moved diagonally. 400? Isnt that about the same number as the dead that invaded Grounds Nir before? Can they send in that many for turn after turn? As expected, defeating the Underworld was not going to be easy. A direct confrontation would only wear down the living until they were pushed back. How many do they have in all? Try to take those on normally and thered be no end to it. Filinions recovery potions couldnt keep up. That heat beam that shot down the Thousand Dragon came from...even further back there, right? We need to find their secret before the second shot is fired, but the problems just keep piling up. Judging by eye, it was somewhere between five and ten kilometers away. It felt like the thick beam of heat itself had been fired upwards from beyond the horizon. And even while hiding in the dips, they were not blessed with enough fortune to walk all the way there while avoiding so many eyes. They would definitely be found as things were. However... It looks like there are some things moving separately from the marching troops. See, its those spider-crab fusions. Arachnes, were they? Yknow, the contraptions. Hm? What are they doing here inside their own base? Squeal. It looks like theyre closing up the wounds. Boo Boo said it that way because of the red, boiling lava erupting from here and there on the giant fish-like Underworld. It did indeed look a lot like those Arachnes were using their thread to sew up the gaping wounds. But, Filinion, what about them? I dont know if its broken or what, but theres an abandoned one flipped upside-down with its belly showing. They all exchanged a glance and then slowly approached it. The large contraption was easily taller than a human. It overall looked a lot like a spider, but the belly was made to open and close like a crab carrying its eggs. Beatrice stuck her rapier in the half-opened door and tired prying it open. They found a fairly roomy space inside. Instead of a steering wheel or buttons, it seemed to be controlled by several threads strung irregularly around like a game of cats cradle. So is it like a marionette? But if they rode in this, they would not be noticed by the marching ranks of troops. But there was a problem. What do we do about Boo Boo? He cant possibly fit in here... Boo. Im fine on my own. You all can go on ahead. No, we cant. Wait here for a second and well surreptitiously create a path for you. At any rate, it looked like the three girls would somehow manage to fit, so they hesitantly climbed inside. However... Mgh. Was there any real reason to cram all three of us in here? And whose giant ass is this!? The glasses cows as usual!? If youre talking about my butt, youve completely lost the cow connection! Ah, wait! Blowing on me there is hardly fair! Ah, ahhh!! We can ignore Beatrice since shes basically turned into a bicycle seat, so lets get going. Hmm, I guess you do have to control it like a game of cats cradle. ...But how do you control all eight legs??? The movements were pretty awkward, but the contraptions started walking forward. Since they managed to avoid toppling over on their first try at piloting it, its pilot assistance must have been excellent. Armelina sounded pretty excited. Oh, I think Ive gotten the hang of it. One, two, one, two. Their field of view was surprisingly narrow for how many eyes it had. It felt like peering through several peepholes lined up in a row and they were pretty sure they would get motion sickness if they did this for very long. While passing by other identical contraptions and viewing the marching units of 400, the three girls spewed black thread onto non-wounded areas of the rotting Underworld. They did not know how to do it at first, but they once they got used to it, it went much more smoothly. They left woven clumps of thread here and there. We have to hide someone as big as Boo Boo, so we need to leave cover for him. It was a lot like an irregular rocky area created with a 3D printer and Boo Boo would wait for just the right moment and run from cover to cover. He was still risking his life like this, but they had to view themselves as lucky to have any chance at all of victory. The Holy Swordswomans group noticed something as they moved the eight legs and led the way for Boo Boo. Mghgh. Th-those soldiers walk differently from Alpha Zero. If theyre Soviets, then theyll use different standards and Ill have to create a whole new flowchart before I can predict when to dodge... Hwah! C-can you at least pull your head out of there before talking, Beatrice!? More importantly, what is that? Theres something weird mixed in there. Armelina was right. Each of the groups of 400 had a single member who as clearly not human. One was a giant quadruped with multiple heads, one was a monstrous bird with the head of a snake, and one was a carnivorous plant that walked on the ground like an animal. One was surrounded by intense sparks as if its fur was bristling, one had flames coming from its mouth like the top of an oil field, and a lot of them wore thick armor or carried giant cannons. That jumbled sense... I think they really are Soviets and not modern Russians. Those rectangular metal bags might be an attempt at recreating those multiple rocket launchers with the same name as a headband.[1] What does that mean? Well, if you have a big and solid weapon, you normally use it as a shield to protect people, right? You dont normally place soldiers outside the armor or solid shell as a kind of cushioning made of flesh. ...But the Soviets had a tactic called tank desant. Theyd cram as many foot soldiers as they could onto the outside of the steel tank and drive right into the vortex of gunfire on the front line. And of course, theyd be blown to bits by the first explosion. While he waited for the right timing to run out and then hid behind the black cover, Boo Boo approached the contraptions and whispered to them. Boo. They smell familiar to me. Boo Boo? Theyre not the same as my ancestors, but theres still something familiar about them. ...According to the Sage, Iberian Orc did not refer to a pig-faced creature. Iberian Orc were the beings that had gained the strongest muscles and digestive systems after taking in the strengths of all kinds of plants and animals. And they had supposedly taken many shapes and forms before arriving at the current one. In that case... (Does the Underworld have control of the Another Orcs that traveled down a different evolutionary path and ultimately hit a dead end?) This had nothing to do with Americans or Soviets. What would happen if they clashed with those things was a complete unknown. Beatrice gasped at this revelation, but things went far further than that. A wet splat rang out as one of those precious giants was crushed. This was not the result of a reckless attack from Boo Boo or Beatrices group. Nor was it an incomplete soul self-destructing. Wha-...? At some point, a single figure had risen up within the ordered ranks. But it was not a human. It had a head like a lobster and a pair of arms made from octopus or squid tentacles wrapped around each other. Its entire body was covered in creepy scales and a sticky-looking liquid protected it from drying out. That had done it. That monster had done it. After looking around at the lined-up troops, as if it had lost interest, it undid its tentacles and began squeezing and crushing them one after another. The victims showed no sign of resisting. Not the Another Orc or the soldiers surrounding it. They stood tall and put up no resistance. They did not even flinch when their neighbors bodily fluids splattered onto them. Like an example of shared responsibility, the entire group of four hundred was eliminated. The sight was enough to make one nauseous. And it all ended with a single word. Next. It observed and it destroyed. Some four hundred were killed and some four hundred were spared as it inspected group after group. It was reminiscent of clearing a wheat field early if it was afflicted with mold in order to prevent the damage from spreading to the ground. Next. It did not mind tearing up its own forces. It seemed to be arrogantly saying it had plenty of resources, including human resources. Next. ...Is it culling them? Is it something like leaving only the well-grown ones and then sending them to Grounds Nir? According to Omega and Alpha Zero, when a soul trapped by the Underworld was killed, they were only returned to the Underworld. It was looking like fighting was not the only way for that to happen. If they did not reach minimum threshold that this being wanted, they would be killed before heading out to battle and they would have to redo it all. It seemed possible that some of them would be caught in an endless loop of that. Squeal. I kind of feel sorry for them. The killed ones have all their stuff taken by the others... Their results determine where the armor, weapons, and other equipment gather? I-its almost like it relies on coincidence to gather the numbers it needs, but then it throws out the ones it doesnt like and strengthens the ones it does like. If those things on the backs of the big ones really are multiple rocket launchers, the next turn is going to be even more hellish than the last. We need to do something before explosives are raining down over the entire island. If the other side was intentionally restricting their numbers, then there had to be a limit to the number their leader could manage at once. For example, maybe the Underworld Lord could only accurately control a single group of four hundred at once. Armelina gulped, and... But who does that lobster head think he is lording it over everyone like that... Lording...? Beatrice repeated back the phrase Armelina had spat out without thinking. ...Then is that thing the Underworld Lord??? If they could defeat him, they might be able to stop the Underworlds invasion of Grounds Nir and of earth. But that was the center of the enemy formation. Even if they moved there inside the contraption, they had almost zero chance of successfully breaking through an unknown number of 400-man groups, defeating the big boss, and returning safely. We cant. But... Beatrice, lets continue toward the back like we planned. We know theres something there that sickening lobster head doesnt want seen. Whatever it is, we have a better chance of doing serious damage to the Underworld by destroying it. And we cant let them target Grounds Nir with that heat beam antiaircraft blast that shot down the Thousand Dragon. We need to stop it before the second shot takes out another Break News. It was not over once they won. The islands defenses were almost entirely reliant on the Break News. If that antiaircraft weapon took out a paradox or two, that would shift the power balance beyond the point of no return. So they had to destroy that antiaircraft weapon before it fired a second shot. Also, they could not stab at their enemy in a one-way trip. To return to their original lives and smile with everyone, they could not afford to lose anyone. Besides, if they lost the contraption here, exposed Boo Boo would lose the cover he was using and he would be trapped. They were reluctant, but they continued on anyway. As they moved the eight legs and left the dark plain region, they finally managed to escape the eyes of those troops. Beatrice breathed a soft sigh as they descended a gentle slope. Nnnh... A-again, Beatrice, stop blowing on me there... Now Im a little worried about what my face is touching! What is this filling my vision!? God, its so hot in here. I cant stand it anymore. Bwah!! Beatrice opened the door in the crab-like belly and rolled out into the outside world. The rotting flesh ground had a slight muddy stickiness to it. It was probably the stable ground that had led to that plain being chosen to gather all those people. Here, there were some areas that had melted into a thick, bottomless bog and other areas that had become a large river of orange lava. There was no one here to see them, but they had to contend with the threat of nature(?) now. She wanted to take a deep breath of fresh air now that she was freed from that cramped space, but it was still unpleasant here. The heat and humidity mercilessly clung to her glossy hair and soft skin. And as she wiped the dripping sweat from her brow, Beatrice realized something. It was obviously due to them approaching a lave lake where the many rivers gathered, but she felt the stinging pain of the heat as if she was inside an oven. She gave the orange boiling lake a puzzled look. ...? My Fire Resistance isnt working??? Filinion was oddly pigeon-toed after climbing out and she responded with a question of her own. Really? Maybe it has another Element mixed in. You know, something strange like death or darkness. For one thing, the Underworld itself came from outside the island of Grounds Nir, so there was no guarantee the rules they knew would apply. Just like a meteorite could carry unknown information, the Underworld could include previously undiscovered Elements. But that could be a good thing. (There might be some undiscovered Magic here to resurrect the Iberian Orc souls sealed in Boo Boos Shining Weapon. Or at least the key to finding that Magic.) Boo. What is it, Beatrice? Its nothing, Boo Boo. The red Holy Swordswoman shook her head and gave a smile. Wah, said Armelina. It sure is squishy around here. Not even this contraption can walk. Boo. Then Ill carry it for now. It was almost like he was lifting up an oddly-shaped swing ring or rubber boat. But they would not be able to use this to directly cross the lava lake. For now, the three girls and one pig-faced guy walked alongside the boiling lake on the dark ground that would sink disconcertingly below their feet. The Underworld was strange, but their exploration here was a lot like trekking through the desert at midday. Simply put, the lava was incredibly hot and they had no way of combating it. Sharp bones occasionally jutted out of the black, rotting flesh ground. They gave off a bluish shine, but they also gave off an icy chill. They were like oases dotting the desert. Pant, pant. Damn... If Id known this was coming, I wouldve waited until Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau caught up with us. Pant... The arrangement of bones seemed different from the normal fish that Haruka the Maid would serve. The ones that curved up overhead like a crescent moon may have been ribs. As her stamina was worn down, the cow clung to one of the chilled blue crystals that rose up like a sharp tower and then she slid down into a sitting position. The boiling lava lake was right there and Beatrice did understand the feeling, but... Should you really be doing that? Wh-wh-why wouldnt I? Well, the Underworld is rotting everywhere, right? The place probably isnt all that toxic with the magma sterilizing everything with its heat...but wouldnt these oases be an exception? So this place might be crawling with all sorts of mold and bacteria. Gyah!? Filinion, youve got some kind of sticky mushrooms on your back!! What is this? Is it like caterpillar fungus that absorbs its nutrients from a living creature!? Gyaaaaaaahhhhh!? Get it off! Please get it off of meeeeeeeeee!! This is your life on the line here. Couldnt you have at least produced something like a matsutake!? Just how inconvenient for the living was this field? The cow swung her cape around to get off the things popping up from it, but that was not enough to ensure her safety. Ah!? Th-thats right. The Undead here are weak to recovery potions. Thats right, thats right. I just have to increase my life force and defeat them with the power of the immune system!! What exactly are you going to do, Filinion? ...If I drink a recovery potion that raises your temperature by about 0.5 degrees, its sure to get rid of them. Bfh!? spat both Beatrice and Armelina. Squeal? said Boo Boo a half-tempo later. What does that mean? Your confusion is the right response here, Boo Boo! Cow, is that really a recovery potion!? Come to think of it, you mentioned something about an aphrodisiac in preparation for Boo Boos birthday party, didnt you!? Shut up. I dont want to die yet and I definitely dont want to die covered in mold and with these things swelling up from me! So Im willing to suffer a bit of embarrassment by putting myself in a mild feverish state that raises my temperature by about 0.5 degrees. Heh heh. Eh heh heh. This is the normal reaction. No one wants to die and, if theres something I can try, Im willing to try it. Even if you have to call it The Secret Late-Night 24 Hours of the Feverish College Girl, I swear Ill survive thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!! W-wah! O-officer!! Stop this, you idiot!!!!!! The civil servant embedded her fist of justice in the glasses girl and a test tube filled with an extremely colorful liquid flew through the air. Pink steam burst from it, Filinion writhed on the ground, and she accidentally stuck her head in something that looked like a giant transparent jellyfish or a mushroom umbrella growing from the black rotting flesh. Beatrice slapped her forehead and summed things up. ...Is Filinion feeling tired in more ways than one? Doesnt she know that the fan-service character never lives to the end in a horror movie? After failing to crawl on all fours and sticking her butt out at them, Filinion seemed to be trembling. It seemed she knew to provide fan service even after passing out, but... Wow, my heart is feeling so refreshed after that hit from a police officer. Look, I feel so light. I guess it really is best for human beings to live an honest life. Waaahh! A translucent Filinion is coming out of Filinion!!!??? When they saw the satisfied-looking cow, Beatrice and Armelina felt their skin crawl and frantically tried to shove the ghost back inside her body, but then they felt a very unpleasant sensation through their fingers. Beatrices gauntlet covered her hands with metal all the way to the fingertips, so when she grabbed the translucent Filinion, which was as soft as custard, she tore through the shoulder and tore off the arm. ...(Flap, flap, flap)!!!??? Beatrices mouth flapped wordlessly, but the victim herself did not seem to have noticed. In fact, as soon as the translucent version was destroyed, the formless thing was rapidly reabsorbed by the body and Filinion pulled her head out of the giant jellyfish with her butt sticking out. H-huh? What was I doing...??? I felt like I had achieved enlightenment, opened my third eye, or flown to a higher stage. Heh, heh heh, eh heh heh. Nothing happened. Youre fine. Youre perfectly fine, Filinion. Im glad youre okay. Yes, very glad... Hold on a second. Is this what I think it is? This time, Armelina crouched down and stuck her head in the jellyfish body growing from the black ground. And... Yeah, I was right. I dont know what its used for, but this seems to let you move freely as an astral body. Eek!? Thats what had happened to me!? Heh heh heh. Arent you glad I returned you to normal, Filinion? You should thank me! So, Armelina. What can you really use that for? Doesnt that depend on how you look at it? Although its not that useful since being spotted like this will still raise the alert level. Still, we can look at it like sending out drones that we can afford to have destroyed. If we send the astral body out ahead and search for enemies and traps, we might be able to reduce the risk of instant death. While they discussed that, something changed. It came from the wall right next to them...no, the boulder. The rotting flesh forming those black walls writhed unnaturally and split in two. It was a lot like a strange case opening and removing its contents. Arms. Faces. Boo Boo quickly freed up his arms by throwing away the Arachne contraption he was holding. Squeal!? Ghosts!! Wah, wah, wah, wah. Is it more of the Underworlds dead troops!? Hurry on back, Armelina! If your abandoned body is torn apart, you wont have anywhere to return to! There were fifteen...no, more than twenty of them. They had likely been young girls to begin with. They had dry hair and skin in severe need of moisturizing. They looked something like well-preserved zombies. What they wore may have originally similar to surgical gowns. Their outfits were no more than a combination of rags and bandages and their only accessories were thick chains wrapped around their torsos and rusted metal shackles and collars. Perhaps to avoid being contaminated by the rotting flesh, they wore something like thick, scratched-up ski boots on their feet, which were oddly out of place with the rest. And there was one thing that gave off a sticky luster: the marine creatures, such as octopuses and univalves, that were clinging to their dried-out skin. Gahhh!!!??? Gahhh!!!??? Gahhh!!!??? They rushed in all at once. If they were similar to Elkiad, who had fought so fiercely on Grounds Nir, then this was more than enough of a threat. Beatrices flowchart to time her dodging only worked on people who followed American military standards, so a straight fight here could lead to a sad farewell with Boo Boo and the others. However, they currently had healing expert Filinion who was the strongest when it came to fighting the Undead. Or that was the theory anyway. The situation changed when they heard the solid sole of a boot crush the rotting flesh underfoot. Something rushed toward the bridge in the center of Filinions glasses. A sharp blade glinted just a few millimeters away. With her hands shackled and her body wrapped in bandages and the remnants of a surgical gown, a ponytail girl had spun her hips around and swung up her slender leg. No, this was more than just a high kick. Almost like a collapsible knife, a sword wrapped in flames extended out ward from the tip of her toes!? Eek!? Idiot!! Filinion reflexively tensed her shoulders and froze in place, so Beatrice stomped on her cape to bend her backwards. It was only a partial bridge, but it pulled her down just enough for the blade to slice through empty air and take a few strands of the White Witchs blonde hair with it. (What was that? It was different from Magic!) They heard several metallic noises. The dead girls boot had supposedly completed its kick, but then it wriggled through a complex set of motions. It had contained more than just the one blade. Red flames, blue ice, yellow wind, and purple poison... Weapon after weapon flipped out and back in like a Swiss Army knife. Finally, a short blade extended from the heel and she pulled her leg back to target Filinions ample chest. Beatrice was fairly certain what happened next was a complete accident. While Filinion was bent backwards and unable to move, a test tube slipped from her fingers and spun through the air, so Beatrice shattered the glass container with her rapier. Friendly fire did not matter here. This potion was not harmful to the living. With the sizzling of Chinese cooking, the rag girls silhouette crumbled away. And when she screamed and tried to grab at them in one last attack, Boo Boo swung his giant Shining Weapon horizontally and launched her into the distance. She had more or less melted and she vanished as if she were trying to enter the upper atmosphere. Even if someone had an insta-death attack for the Undead, they would still need support if they were unathletic. Tch, so you arent safe if you move up close like with an aircraft carrier! That was when a tremor ran through the ground below their feet. A unpleasant sensation ran along Beatrices spine. Not good. Did the Soviet group in that black plain notice us here!? If so and they were surrounded, there was nothing they could do. They had poked at the hornets nest. But it was silly to think they could find somewhere to hide in the middle of this commotion. There was only one way to survive. Metal Jet!! Beatrice drew her rapier and released a total of eight heat beams. Instead of the approaching dead in rags and bandages, she targeted a bone tower of bluish-white crystal located a short distance away. The attack rushed to the base, broke it, and caused it to topple over and block the way. That was when the dead Soviets rushed in. However... Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!! Wh-what is that!? Theres yellow and pink and all sorts of colorful things growing up, surrounding them, and then collapsing!! Mold, its mold! Thats what almost killed Filinion earlier, remember? The chilly air created by the bones weakens the heat sterilization of the magma, so those areas become a hotbed for mold and bacteria! That would stop the approaching soldiers and Filinions recovery potions could take care of the dozen or so bandaged ones who had broken through the boulder walls. They thought that would be the end of it. However... Squeal!? There are people coming from the broken tower! Youre kidding, right!? How? Oh, no. The dead are climbing up over the dead that were already crushed. And they keep doing it!! Its a real version of the death march that clears a minefield by stepping on them all!! They were pushing themselves too hard and so they were not moving very quickly, but the group was gradually approaching. Once they passed a certain line, they would push in with the violence of numbers. Assault team, advance. Barrier troops, prepare your weapons. Refusing the mission will be deemed a dangerous ideology. Theyre giving orders while aiming their guns at their allies backs!? What is with these people!? At this point, there was no way Beatrices group could win by staying here. They needed to leave here as quickly as possible if they were to survive. Beatrice used all the information available to her in order to find an answer. The lava lake... Since those contraptions were bothering to fill in the wounds, the dead must not be able to wade through the lava. If we travel through there, we might be able to lose them! But how are we supposed to do that? Even in that spider thing, wed just sink into the lava! How about this? Since those threads were used to cover the wounds, wouldnt a boat made from them be able to float without melting!? With that decided, it was time to take action. Armelina seemed the best at operating the Arachne, so she took care of that while Boo Boo, Beatrice, and Filinion protected the spider-crab fusion until the small boat was done. They were a lot more of the dead Soviets who were about to pour in, but there were still a dozen or so of the group in bandages and the remnants of surgical gowns surrounding Beatrices group. They wanted to avoid being surrounded and attacked from every direction at once, so it would best if Beatrice used her flames and Filinion used her potions to divide the enemy into groups of three which Boo Boo could take care of. To put it another way, it was all over if they were surrounded. Filinion, we can still view this as a fun adventure, right? We dont have to enter serious mode, do we!? Do not underestimate the Shrine Maiden Princess! Oh, how rare. Theres some Cheerful Alraune here. Is this any time to be gathering plants!? Maybe not, but theres just so much of it. Oh, dear. And theres even some Backbone Fish and Medicine Ball Palm. Those fantastic stories about the wind and waves carrying eggs and spores must be true. If you let your greed distract you here, youll pay for it when-...no, wait a second. Once she realized something, the Holy Swordswoman raised her Shining Weapon rapier and asked just to be sure. Cow, youve been pretty self-sufficient all the way here, but surely that doesnt mean youre running out of materials for your recovery potions, does it? ....................................................................................................................................................................................Whatever are you talking about? Boo Boo! Grab this glasses girl legs and shake her upside down! Right this instant!! We need to find out what all she has ASAP!! Squeal? Is that a new health treatment? Wah!? Okay, okay, Ill admit it! Since everyone was praising me for once, I got a little carried away! Im sorry!! Filinion, everyones big sister whose glasses did not come off even while she hung upside down, was shaken up and down by the legs. Her large breasts jiggled and she grew somewhat tearful. I just kept using them and, next thing I knew, I was fresh out. Eh heh heh. Isnt that just the worst? Its like when you find youre short on magnum ammo in a zombie hell. Ah ha ha ha ha!! Did you intentionally wait to tell us about this, you dumb cow!? And in the middle of the battlefield!? Has everyone completely forgotten my name!? B-but anyway, I found a lot of the necessary ingredients, so please let me gather them. If I run out of recovery potions, were all goners!! No one could contain the dead if their supply of recovery potions stopped. This was more important than making the boat, so even Armelina got out of the spider contraption to search for ingredients. That was when they heard a footstep on the twisted ground. Armelina immediately raised her metal staff just as a shorthaired Zombie-style girl kicked out the solid sole of her boot with her hands still shackled. And this was not just a sole. A thick metal spike shot out of the heel like a pile bunker. A dull sound burst out, the Fighter Priests feet left the ground, and she flew to the side along with the metal staff that had blocked the attack. The scarlet Holy Swordswoman raised her voice in surprise. What!? Someone managed to beat up Armelina!? Hey, Beatrice! You werent judging me in units of cigarette packs, were you!? She hopped back to her feet and yelled back, so she was probably fine. And Beatrice made a mental note that Armelina really hit her stride while using phrases that were a bit outdated in a non-smoking age. At any rate, this was what happened when Filinions special move was unavailable even temporarily. To buy time for the Mixing, Boo Boo and Beatrice also moved forward. Come to think of it, dont you specialize in physical attacks, Armelina? Why didnt you train your Elemental Defense? Unlike for you, physical attacks are divided into several categories: impacts, slashing, stabbing, arrows, and more. You cant get 100% resistance to them all. Ive trained impacts pretty far, though. I wouldve broken a bone or two otherwise! And there was one more point of interest. The dead decorated with thick chains and shackles were indeed violent and powerful, but they did not use guns or Magic like Elkiad had. They all used special boots with various mechanical blades hidden inside. The lack of the former was understandable, but what about the latter? If these had originally been humans who arrived in Grounds Nir, they would definitely rely on Magic. That line of thinking reminded Beatrice of something. (Thats kind of like Abyss...?) She kept her rapier at the ready and judged her distance from the dead while she spoke. Are these different humans from us? The ancient ones who created the Grounds Nir armory and Abyss? The short-haired dead attacked immediately afterwards. It was a lot like capoeira or break dancing. She swung her torso around and used both her slender legs to create something like the rotating blade of a lawnmower out of her blade boots. Meanwhile, she aimed for the side of Beatrices head with an ice-cold blade wrapped in a pale light. !? But as the Holy Swordswoman gasped, a test tube containing a colorful liquid was thrown over her shoulder from behind. It hit the dead girl and she melted away and was absorbed by the rotting flesh at her feet. (She was absorbed...? Does this humus-like stuff suck up the nutrients to begin the recovery phase???) There was no time to question it. This is bad. I kind of am completely out now! What do you mean kind of!? Be more precise, cow!! U-um, um, I have a decent variation of ingredients, but theres still nothing I can do since Im missing the primary piece. If I had just that one more ingredient, I could make tons of those anti tank missiles that work on the Undead but dont do much of anything to normal people!! What exactly is this last ingredient!? This was a pressing situation, so the Holy Swordswoman snapped back in irritation. And Glasses Girl Filinion confessed while tapping her index fingers together in front of her large chest. M-Maiden Pheromones. Blank expressions appeared on Beatrice and Armelinas faces and they immediately made up their minds. Boo Boo, sorry, but can you hold back the dead on your own for a bit? Squeal!? Exterminating ghosts all on my own is too scary! Ill be surrounded if Im alone!! ...My head is starting to hurt, so Im going back into that contraption to build the boat. You handle the rest. Sure thing, Armelina. If I cram this sultry cow in her first aid kit, itll solve everything, right? Wait, no! This is no joke! Im serious! Ow, Beatrice, that hurts! Dont shut the lid over those! Y-youll leave weird marks on that soft and delicate area!! Tell us what youve been doing while weve been risking our lives to buy time, you stupid cow. Again, this is based on serious Mixing theory. Um, it might be too complicated for you meatheads who derive joy from swinging blades and blunt weapons around, but the herbs and minerals used in this are too strongly male to mix together properly. That means you need a female catalyst to act as a counter-ingredient, so if you stir up that future philosopher, the universal truths all works out in the end. To sum up, youre a giant pervert of a cow. Dont you say that with such a serious look on your face! Thats fake news!! Beatrice threatened her while opening and closing the stolen first aid kit like a ventriloquist dummy. ...Anyway, we really have to help out Boo Boo whos fighting so seriously out there, so Id really like a simple answer here: what exactly do we have to do to get some recovery potions? No sex pheromones have been chemically discovered in the human body, right? It doesnt have to be that exact. Filinion averted her gaze while continuing to tap her index fingers together. Um, b-basically, a certain amount of a maidens sweat should work since it has a bunch of stuff mixed together in it. Heh heh, eh heh heh... ... Wait, no fire to the face!! B-blood wont work as an ingredient!! Beatrice approached Armelina who was moving the spider legs to take up the best position. And they reached their conclusion. In that case, we need to discuss who can sweat the most efficiently. Eh? Thats right. Beatrice and I get regular exercise, so we would be pretty inefficient. That dumb cow starts gasping for breath at the drop of a hat, so I think she would be best for this. Eh? Eh? Cmon, youre the one that brought it up, so hurry up and do some squats, sit-ups, or pushups. Cmon, youre the one that brought it up, so hurry up and do some squats, sit-ups, or pushups. Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? All you did was make me confess things that only make my own life wooooooooooooooooooooooooorse!! Boo Boo was still desperately working to hold back the dead and Armelina was busy using the contraptions black thread to make their escape boat. That meant Beatrice had to get to work as the monster drill sergeant whipping the drop-out soldiers into shape in time for the national tournament. As for Filinion, the main cannon they had to rely on... Pant, pant. Youre the one that chose squats, so do them right. Gently bend your knees and drop your hips straight down. Ahhhhh. I-I didnt choose them because I wanted to. Its just that sit-ups and pushups meant lying down on this squishy rotting flesh, while you can do squats while standing up... Oh, just shut up. Now hurry, hurry, hurry!! Wait, dont circle behind me and pin me like this, Beatrice! Eh? Ah? Youre forcing me!? Are you forcing me to move my hips up and down!? Filinion was forced through the exercise in a way that would make a sports gym instructor feel faint if they saw it. The large things forming her body shook up and down quite a lot, which really pissed off the person who was lacking (in confidence?). Okay, that should do it. Your glasses have fogged up, so you mustve warmed up. Ahhh... Finally freed, Filinion could not even support herself on all fours. She partially bent her arms and pressed her face against the dirty rotting flesh while sticking her butt up in the air like a table with a broken leg. She just barely managed to keep her knees on the ground while her thighs trembled. The equivalent exchange for that hard work meant test tubes full of colorful liquid came out of the first aid kit. The glasses girls invincible time had finally returned. P-pant, take this. Wait, you idiot! Throw them properly, you out-of-fuel cow!! She had put in the most work, but she received the worst treatment to the very end. It seemed human rights were not guaranteed in a foreign world. With her hips weak and trembling, she entered an oddly sexy pigeon-toed pitching form and cleanly annihilated all of the Undead causing so much trouble. Squeal. Did you get rid of the ghosts? Are they gone? Come to think of it, this cant be fun for the dead. A distant look entered Beatrices eyes. Theyre bossed around by the Underworld and then driven back by a cow. But it was not over yet. The moldy soldiers were swarming over from the collapsed tower of blue bone. They had cruelly crossed the poison bog by walking on the corpses of their comrades, but a win was a win regardless of what method they used to do it. Beatrices group could not stick around. Then they heard a decisive rumbling. An especially overwhelming enemy C one of the Another Orcs from a different evolutionary path than Boo Boo C was a giant wolf with multiple heads and intense electricity running through its fur. It trampled over the other soldiers and crossed the mold hotbed. Wah, wah, wah. Its like a noble gentleman placing his cloak over a puddle to escort a lady! Isnt this backwards, though!? Why is the giant weapon carrier walking over the soldiers!? The Fighter Priest watched in shock even as she worked, but once that thing got across, the situation would change. If that giant thing charged in, they would be knocked into the lava lake before they could dodge. When they had poor footing and had not analyzed this enemys movements, they needed to avoid a direct fight. The black thread boat is done! Everyone get onboard!! Armelina opened the crab belly door and rushed out before hopping into the black boat floating on the lava. Beatrice and Filinion were somewhat slower because they were secretly waiting to see if the boat would burst into flames and sink. Boo Boo was the last onboard and the boat remained stable. The extremely-evolved quadruped was running toward them. Wait, do we have a rudder? Im not going to stick my Shining Weapon into the lava! Beatrice, use some fire Magic! Think of it like a rocket engine!! The many-headed wolf with sparking fur had just reached the edge of the lake. The blast of fire from Beatrices rapier scored a direct hit, so the great beast lost its balance and plunged right into the burning orange lake. A scorching wave nearly hit them, but the recoil sent the boat forward. They wave landed just out of range and the black boat began safely cruising away from danger. It seemed the veteran dead really could not cross the lava lake. The Party finally breathed a sigh of relief. And then the dead Soviets all raised assault rifles with white bone stocks. This was probably not a gun salute. Prepare to fire!! Hit and well break open the battle rations. If you want dried fruit and chocolate, aim straight ahead. Gyahh!! Armelina, hurry up and turn that metal staff into some kind of shield!! Wait, Im supposed to block all of that myself!? Ah. I still havent grasped all of this! Help me process this one thing at a time, Beatri-... RPG!! Needless to say, that did not stand for role playing game. Bfh!? Theres no way I can block something like that!! Armelinas eyes widened when she saw the worlds most famous anti-tank rocket that flew in a spiral. Without being told, they all got down in the bottom of the boat while the explosives passed by overhead. Part 4 Incidentally, the range of rifle bullets and rockets was limited, so moving the boat away took them out of danger. Although this brought their focus onto the overall scale of the Underworld that supported the lava lake. Just the surface was this large. Im not seeing any more of those multiple rocket launchers with the same name as a headband, so we should be fine this far out... Even though they had escaped such a desperate situation, the time that followed was so flat and uneventful that a mood of boredom quickly set in. They crossed the hot and humid lava lake in the black thread boat. Again, normal recovery potions dont have my sweat in them. That was only necessary for a specialized anti-Undead potion and that was the easiest female catalyst to acquire given the circumstances. After seeing that, Im kind of afraid of your recovery potions, Filinion. Its like the stories of passing off earthworm meat as burgers. Im going to hold off on the swallowed potions for a while. Also, dont treat it like its something dirty. Especially after it saved your life! Besides, if you listed out all the ingredients of a normal recovery potion, it would be pretty nasty too. Theres tons of insect larvae and fish guts in there!! ...If only it could have been tears instead. If it could have, I bet you wouldve blown smoke into my face. You barbarians really scare me sometimes. While the boat was propelled forward primarily by Beatrices flame Magic, that conversation seemed to be set to loop over and over again. No one expected to find something pleasant when peeking inside a witchs pot, but it was apparently still a major shock. Boo. So what ended up happening? Does Filinions sweat have the power to purify ghosts? Yes, yes. Now thats the clean kind of image I want. This is something noble, like a holy cloth used to wipe off the skin of a god or a buddha. Or like a holy relic! If thats how it works, I can make a protective charm. As long as I have Filinion with me, Ill be fine all alone at night! Cow! I wont forgive you if you give Boo Boo some weird fetish!! For a while now, Filinion had been softly jiggling up and down. Hold it, Filinion. What are you sitting on? Oh, this? I brought that astral projection jellyfish with me. We dont even know if its really a jellyfish, so how can you just sit on it...? And even if it was a normal jellyfish, wouldnt sitting on it get you stung? They could not do anything until they had finished crossing the lava lake, so it might indeed be a good idea to scout out ahead using the astral bodies that would only return to their physical bodies if they were destroyed. With only lava in every direction, we probably dont have to worry about our defenseless body being attacked. So Ill be going. Eiyah! Filinion got on all fours, stuck her head into the transparent blob, and was summoned up to heaven. (Thats fine, but isnt she embarrassed by the way her hips are sticking out and twitching like that? Her butt is the peak of the mountain there.) Is something wrong, Beatrice? asked Filinions astral body. N-no, nothing at all! Come back with good news, okay!? ??? Translucent Filinion tilted her head in confusion and ignored gravity as she crossed the lava lake. But not even thirty seconds later, the glasses girl on all fours pulled her head out from the jellyfish. H-huh!? What, were you already found and killed...? Hey, Filinion... No, no, you dont get a turn yet! We dont have anything else to do on the boat, so I can try this as many times as I want! Yes, its all about trial and error!! Your reflexes have always been terrible, so whether youre an astral body or not, wont this trial and error be nothing but death after death? Armelinas warning fell on deaf ears. Filinion kept sticking her head inside the jellyfish and then pulling it back out, but it did not seem she was accomplishing much. Yes, if you tried to overcome a tricky part through trial and error without coming up with a plan first, you were only wasting your time. And then Boo Boo delivered the finishing blow with a hand over his mouth and a tilt of the head. Squeal. Shes see-through, but you can still see her, right? So if she keeps poking around on the shore like that, wont it cause a commotion like shes disturbed a hornets nest? ... ... Wait, stop! What are you doing!? Why are you shoving me out of the way as soon as I got back!? Beatrice, Armelina, if you keep this up, Ill fall out of the boat!! Gwah! This is supposed to be punishment, but her ass is so big it keeps knocking me out of the way!? Does no good deed go unpunished in the Underworld!? Im not exactly delighted about winning like this, you know!? However, no matter who they blamed, the alert level would not change. The most resistance Beatrice could manage was somewhat diverting the small boats destination and approaching the shore a short distance away from the shortest path straight across. While setting foot on the dark land once more, Armelina gave a warning in a low voice. ...You really have earned yourself a yellow card this time. Well, that sure is weird. Is that any way to treat the MVP who has defeated the most enemies because Recovery Magic is the best against the Undead??? Now that they had plenty of recovery potions, the atmosphere had changed from a desperate fight to a fun adventure. The sloppy course change must have not helped much because the humans wearing thick chains and rusty shackles were wandering along the path ahead, but they were nothing to fear with Filinions potions. Enemies were everywhere up ahead thanks to her haphazard trial and error, but they fortunately had not located Beatrices group hidden behind a rising piece of rotting flesh. (It would be a real pain if we were surrounded. Lets defeat just their lookouts and keep moving.) The Holy Swordswoman poured one of the White Witchs test tubes over her rapiers skinny blade, swiftly approached from behind a dead human in shackles and rags that seemed to have originally been a surgical gown, covered their mouth, and sliced through their neck, which more or less made it dissolve. She did not give them a chance to use their Swiss Army knife boots. The girl set down the dead human who was crumbling away without even bleeding and she gestured Boo Boo and the others over. That clearly isnt something a Holy Swordswoman should be doing. By the way, the ancient humans havent been using any Magic at all, have they? Well, they havent crossed between worlds since theyre the original people of this world. Without the ability to reassign Experience Points, I would guess they developed some other techniques instead. Yeah, like those weird boots. Id rather not find out what each individual blade does. For that matter, these are the people who designed the giant armory and Abyss, right? Maybe we should count ourselves lucky that they havent brought out laser cannons and railguns. They could actually start observing their surroundings at this point and Beatrice realized that the ground below their feet came in a number of varieties: areas that provided solid footing, wounds that spewed magma, bogs that had completely rotted, and scab-like areas that were at the midpoint between the heat and cold. The flesh had been torn away in some areas, leaving a cave-like opening. So not all the wounds have that lava blood flowing out of them. The lava is like red blood, isnt it? So are these openings ones that have stabilized, like a piercing? Half-healed scabs will have a clear fluid leak out instead of red blood. Maybe its a distinction like that? They were curious about the inside of the Underworld, but the source of the heat beam that had shot down the Thousand Dragon came first. And as they walked on an on while defeating the ancient humans with Filinions help, their destination eventually came into sight. Thats the area where the heat beam antiaircraft blast came from, isnt it? Im glad we got here before it fired a second shot. Squeal... Boo Boo placed a large hand over his mouth. But theres nothing there. That was right. They had expected to find some kind of special organ like a whales blowhole, but there was nothing there. They only saw something like a slight hill. It was not made of living or rotting flesh; it seemed closer to a dark and hardened scab. Beatrice put her hands on her hips and sighed. So the question isnt what did it; its who did it. It seemed to be Magic, so did whoever-it-was leave on their own two feet after shooting down the Thousand Dragon? Boo, maybe we should look around in case they left footprints or scraps of food. No, its too soon to say for sure. How about we try digging a bit into that scab hill? There might be something hidden inside. As Boo Boo had pointed out, they could always choose to track their target using hunting techniques. Disturbing any crucial hints would only leave them wandering aimlessly, so Beatrices group first took Screenshots of the hills surface. Only then did they stab into the scab hill. It felt harder than dried mud, but not as hard as stone or rock. It was a solid mass, but it came apart pretty easily. Is it cooled and hardened lava? Its hard to say when were dealing with a mysterious creature in a foreign world. Beatrice and Armelina were doing most of the work. Filinions Shining Weapon was shaped like a first aid kit, making it unsuited for digging, and she was still a dumb cow even if she was the strongest when it came to the Undead, but since they could not trust her to keep an eye on their surroundings, they had Boo Boo guarding them. That left the cow with nothing to do. Oh, theres a lot of stuff in here. And there are plenty of glowing stones mixed in. Filinion, keep an eye on our surroundings. Who knows when more of the dead will show up. What is this? It looks a lot like a Red Vibration Crystal, but it comes from the Underworld. But, but. If the components are similar enough, I might be able to get it to work. Where did I put that reagent? Cow. Beatrice, cant you dig more over here? Yes, here. If your rapiers sheath is just going to hang at your hip, hand it here so I can dig with it. See, like this. Here, here! Wow, look at it all. Now thats what I call a successful dig! I really have a knack for-... Before she finished speaking, something red hot rose from beyond the scab. She had gone too far and the red blood was seeping out. Oh, no! Get down, Boo Boo!! Squeal!! On Miss Armelinas accurate advice, Everyones Mascot: Boo Boo widened his eyes just before a violent eruption. Much like a geyser, an orange and sticky liquid burst vertically from the crack in the ground. And as usual, the Holy Swordswoman grabbed at the White Witch. Tell me: are your brains contained in your right breast or your left breast!? Its true I screwed up, but can I say one thing!? Now those dead Soviet soldiers are going to attack us again! We need to get away from here!! The black ground was shaking, but was that due to the magma or the footsteps of an approaching army? The lava was not going to stop after the initial eruption, so they had to move away before they were caught in a newly-formed lava river. Even this was better than having solid rocks blasted up with the eruption and then raining down with greater speed than a bullet, but... Squeal. Is this what that orange light was? You mean someone intentionally stabbed a sword or something into the Underworld so its blood would erupt out? If that hill had been a giant scab, then it was actually a decent guess. Of course, there might be some other process that gathered, aimed, and fired the ultra-high pressure blood. The Holy Swordswoman spoke in a daze while the dead pressed in from the dark horizon like a large wave. But who exactly fired it at the Thousand Dragon!? Is this any time to sit around thinking!? We need to hide before that army gets here!! As soon as they said that, there was a blinding flash of light and a deafening blast. Something swept across the dark night sky with enough force to blow away the lava eruption. Instead of targeting Beatrices group, it passed over their heads and mercilessly burned away a distant area. There was nothing left. It swept across from right to left. That great firepower instantly wiped out an army of the dead so large that even Filinion had decided to avoid them despite her recovery potions. What a pain. I see you all are as noisy as ever. No one would ever guess you were infiltrating enemy territory. Ill admit I would be impressed if it turned out you were intentionally using your fun adventure to confuse the enemy into making mistakes. And there was a voice. That beautiful voice sounded a lot like Beatrices, but it had a darkness woven in. It was a problem that this person had even managed to get this close. And it was catastrophic that she was standing in a blind spot. The...Sage!? Hi, Boo Boo. We have a way of meeting each other in the weirdest places, dont we? Part 5 She was the one who had brought Magic and the Gates to humanity. By freely reapplying her Experience Points, she had almost a complete mastery of Magic. And she looked far too much like Holy Swordswoman Beatrice with her red and silver hair, scarlet armor, and pure white miniskirt. ...Why are you here? I wasnt aware I needed anyones permission. To put it more simply, which side are on you on right now!? The living or the dead!? Yes, that was the problem. The Sage had gone missing at the end of the Abyss battle and no one had known if she was alive or dead. And this was the Underworld where the souls of the dead were reused. If the Sage was still alive, she would be acting under her own will, but if she had already died, they would have to view her as a pawn of the Underworld. Defeating the dead Soviets was not enough to prove her allegiance. The Underworld could recapture and reuse dead souls as many times as necessary, so those might have been abandoned once to earn the trust of Beatrices group. Were you thinking this couldnt be much worse, Beatrice? ... And does it really matter which it is? Whether Im acting under my own will or being controlled by someone elses, did you really think I would ever be on your side? Beatrice gulped. The Underworld had control of the old soldiers from Elkiad in their prime. If the Sage was also their enemy, then they would have the full all-star roster that had attacked the Iberian Orc village. Honestly, what in the world are you doing...? Then a new voice reached their ears. It was a short girl with long blonde hair, white skin, and long and pointed ears. She wore a green dress cut low enough to show off not just her cleavage but all the way down below her navel. And she held a Shining Weapon that looked like a twisted staff or a bow. You act all cold and calculating, but you always give priority to your adlibs and teasing. It makes my head hurt. Sage, we dont gain anything from confusing them, do we? Royal Elf Sibyl... This time it was Armelina who opened her mouth. Did you escape the inn during the confusion with the Underworld? Please do not turn such lowly suspicions toward someone with the blood of the noble forest rulers flowing in her veins. For one thing, you were the ones that arrested me, so you had a duty to ensure the safety of your prisoner. A foolish human who neglected that duty has no right to accuse me of anything. Sibyl gave an arrogant laugh. ...Unlike the Sage, her survival had been confirmed, but what about now? Couldnt she have lost her life when the Underworld attacked the inn town and couldnt she have had her chest pierced by the Sages hand if the other approached her while pretending to still be alive? There was no way to tell. The distinction between the living and the dead was too unclear here in the Underworld. Meanwhile, Sibyl placed her hands on her slender hips and gave them an utterly exasperated look. We came to the heat beams source because we thought there might be some trace of who fired it...but it looks like that was wasted effort. Apparently, foolish humans arent even tactful enough to preserve the scene. No, Sibyl, there are a few photos inside their Shining Weapons. And with no signs of modification. Lets use those to try tracking down whoever fired it. We might just be able to find the Underworld Lord without resorting to wandering around randomly. Wha-!? Beatrice belatedly grabbed her rapiers hilt, but she could not detect any kind of change. The Sage had accessed that supposedly inviolable terminal device that managed Beatrices Magic and then extracted some data. This was different from the old soldiers of Elkiad who had willingly handed control over to their superior officer. (How far does her technological skill go!?) Squeal... Abyss mentioned that Underworld Lord too. But who are they? The source of it all, Boo Boo. For this question alone, the Sage immediately replied with kindness in her voice. Not that I can act all full of myself on this one. To be completely honest, the elder and I hadnt seen past Grounds Nir Abyss, so we never predicted the Underworlds existence. It was a complete coincidence that I digitally saved his and the other Iberian Orcs souls in that Shining Weapon. ...That said, I can only say it was fortunate that the Underworld didnt get a chance to toy with them. Why...are you here? Now. Her sincerity was suddenly muddied with mockery. Let me ask you instead: what did you set foot in the Underworld to do? ... Did that mean they were thinking the same thing? Or was even this part of the Underworld Lords deception? The only people who can touch the Iberian Orcs souls are me, who spent so much time with them, and Boo Boo, their proper descendent. I will not allow anyone else that privilege. I dont know who this Underworld Lord is, but if they insist those souls belong to them, then I will unconditionally eradicate them. She must have had no more business here because the Sage turned her back on Beatrices group. Dont die, Boo Boo. ...Squeal. We might be able to save the elder and the others after dealing with this Underworld mess, but Im afraid of losing the Shining Weapon their souls are sealed inside. So make sure that doesnt happen. Part 6 At the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi, Tokyo, the evening scene had been destroyed. For example, the large living rooms thick bulletproof glass windows were shattered, thee picture frames on the wall were crooked, the carpet had been torn up and blown away, and the sofa and tables were flipped over. Red liquid was splattered on the walls and floor and what looked like bullet holes had somehow ended up on the ceiling. Nothing there moved of its own volition. The wind entering through the broken windows was so refreshing it seemed out of place and the flowers in the shattered pots on the windowsill swayed emptily. There were several silent things strewn about. One of those was wearing a maid uniform and intellectual glasses, leaning limply against a bookcase with her butt pressed against the floor, and holding a small piece of precious metal in her hand. The thin chain of a pocket watch slipped from her weak grip and onto the floor. The shock of falling to the trampled floor caused it to pop open. Just like a locket, which could be seen as old-fashioned in an age of digital picture frames and smartphones, it contained a photo inside. No, because thoughtless technological progress had been negligent when it came to security, she may have wanted to keep this truly precious photo near her heart in a safer, analog format. The photo showed the red dress girls face. No hand reached down to pick up the image of her respected and beloved master. Hey, sister... A weak voice spoke from the middle of it all. It called out to an unmoving blood-related sister. ...Wasnt this a battle we werent supposed to win? The voice came from Misoka, the second of the three maid sisters. She had forced herself to sit on the flipped-over sofa and she rested a mop handle on her shoulder. No, it was technically a handmade weapon with a hammer attached to the end with duct tape. With the help of centrifugal force, that device could break ribs through the thick plates of a bulletproof jacket. It was a truly devilish product of household items. Meanwhile, the oldest sister, Iroka, began to move once more after resting all of her muscles. She collected her favorite pocket watch from the floor and spun around one of her stockings that was stuffed with several inferior wristwatches. Thats not our fault. We cant choose what kind of enemy were up against. But wouldnt it have been beautiful if we had met our end while tearfully seeing the lady off to the other world? The third sister, Haruka, was on all fours and simply stuck in the space between the TV stand and the wall. Her tiny butt was sticking out and she was too dizzy to move. It seemed everyones strong points were different. So what do we do now that we accidentally won? Good question. The government cares about reputation enough to use organized violence, so theyll probably send in an even worse group next. If the maids had lost the surprise attack, Kasumigaseki might have been able to accept it. In this case, winning was actually calling in an even greater disaster. Whatll it be next? Will they jump straight to the JSDF? It isnt easy having them act within the country and they still havent healed the social wounds they received from losing against Tselika. I doubt the elites of Ichigaya want to send tanks through the subway tunnels and start a firefight in the middle of Roppongi right now. Then what? They cant have the stationed US troops getting involved with one of our top secret problems. Maybe the riot police. My guess would be the SAT. Sakuradamons counter-terrorist unit, huh? Even the second sister had to smile bitterly at that. This had honestly escalated beyond the point that some cleverness could get them out of it. Either way, there is no point in resisting any longer. Besides, the Detached Magic Palace itself is under the governments direct control. But we cant let the lady lose her home here. Thats right. Hey, couldnt we just throw out that assumption about the Japanese government? The affiliation doesnt matter as long as we can protect the lady. And the money made with her Magic and Pieces is in high demand, right? Are you saying she requests to defect? The standard choice would be America or Russia, but she could also go with Italy or France if she wants good food. We cant get through the next challenge the normal way, so cant we mess with the official registration documents and remake the Detached Magic Palace into something like an enclave? It only has to be a threat at this point, but diplomatic pressure has always been the best way of driving a wedge into Kasumigasekis gears. Its an interesting idea, but will the higher ups really let go of their goose that lays golden eggs? Theyre trying to kill her themselves. Thats different from letting someone else have her. Just as the two maids breathed a heavy sigh, the small butt sticking out from behind the TV began to wiggle around. The youngest sister poked her head out from the gap. U-um, Onee-chans? Oh, youre awake, Haruka? Since we so valiantly protected the kitchen like you insisted, could you show some respect by whipping up some food real quick? I can, but, um, can I make a silly suggestion first? What is it? They were all in this together, so the second sister casually urged her on and the youngest sister hesitantly spoke up. Um, instead of defecting to some other country, could we maybe turn the Detached Magic Palace itself into the worlds smallest country? Time briefly stopped. That opinion had caught the other two completely off guard. You mean we would be breaking the Vaticans record? If anything, it would probably be more like Monaco or the Cayman Islands. If only something like that was so easy to do. Wed honestly probably have better odds getting into a fight with the SAT. Iroka and Misoka laughed together for a while. ...But its an interesting idea. The lady alone is responsible for 15% of the countrys national tax income. With that kind of economic effect, forming the worlds smallest independent state might not be that farfetched. Plus, she needs to spend some of those assets on herself. Now, where did I put that international standard electronic format? Part 7 They had run across several unexpected accidents, but Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others could not stop. Filinions idiocy had given away their position with a major eruption. The Sage had gotten rid of the dead Soviet troops, but it was doubtful that was all of them. It would be safest to move away before a second or third 400-man unit was sent in. Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina especially needed to hurry since they came from earth and thus had a time limit. A few days might seem like a long time, but it was nowhere near enough given the overall size of the Underworld. To survive, they had to keep in mind how long it would take to get back, not just reach their destination. Whatever the case, they could not waste time. Based on the nuance of the term, the Underworld Lord seems like a core or controller. Of course, its possible that defeating the big boss wont stop the facility from running. Since were after the same target, wont we just be following after the Sage? The Fighter Priest and White Witch discussed the issue like that. And they were still working under the assumption that the Thousand Dragon had been attacked for a good reason. Oh, its another one of those jellyfish. Lets use the astral body to scout things out ahead while we go. Dont you dare, cow. Dont you dare, cow. Even if they were following the same path, Beatrice did not see working with the Sage and Sibyl as an option. Who could say when they would lose control and start a real fight to the death before even reaching the Underworld Lord? After walking a while, their destination came into view. A shark fin rose up like a mountain in the distance. Squeal? After twitching his large nose to gather as much information as possible, Boo Boo tilted his head. I think the ghosts have stopped showing up. M-maybe the Sage already defeated them all? She did say some dangerous things about eradication. ... The Sage had mastery of all Magic through reallocating her Experience Points and Sibyl could freely choose and materialize residual thoughts. If they were on a rampage as the Underworld Lords enemy, no battle force could be more reliable. ...But that was only if they really, truly were the Underworld Lords enemy. (I just hope the Sage and Sibyl didnt just redirect the Soviet troops Hate values onto us, move out ahead, and then rewrite the tracks leading to the Underworld Lord.) Beatrice had a simple reason for holding that fear. They were following the small tracks left in the Screenshots and on the ground, but they never seemed to catch up with the Sage or Sibyl. ...This is weird. What is, Beatrice? I mean...even if the Sage and Sibyl left before us, could they really have gotten so far ahead that we cant see them on the path to that shark fin? Their footing had grown unsure. It was not a place someone would choose to walk through. Uuh... The rot here is really bad. Squeal. It looks like it sinks down even more, so maybe we should turn back. I know theres nothing you can do if you start struggling only after your feet are stuck in a bottomless bog. But there was no need for that. The giant shark fin jutted straight up past a small hill of piled-up black mud. That holy ground would be nigh impossible to climb. And they saw something odd as they approached. What is that? Theres something like barnacles covering the top. No, wait, Beatrice. Keep in mind the size and scale. They look small from here, but wouldnt they really be bigger than a domed stadium? But in that case...what are those pure white plates for? White Witch Filinion and Boo Boo tilted their heads together. Beatrice brought a hand to her chin for a bit and she finally muttered a term. ...Parabolic antennae? ? The entire fin is a giant broadcast tower. It was not clear until they got close. Had the Thousand Dragon been shot down for seeing this from the air? And its a massively powerful one, just like a radio telescope. You can tell by monitoring the air with your Shining Weapon. This regular noise may be the broadcast signal. B-but what are they accessing with it!? Does it connect the Underworld Lord to the Underworld itself!? Perhaps so, perhaps not. Beatrices greatest fear lay elsewhere. Until now, weve been assuming the Underworld needs direct access to the Grounds Nir-side Gates to perform a cyber attack, but what if that wasnt the case? !? We might have miscalculated the time limit. If theyre attacking even now using that signal, they might gain a foothold for an invasion of earth sooner than we thought... That truth was spread out before their eyes. If the Thousand Dragon had been able to attack with her ultra-high pressure water breath, that black Dragon would have first destroyed that obvious landmark even if she had no idea what it was for. That might have destroyed the broadcast fin and ended the cyber attack on the Gates. We have no material evidence, but its probably worth destroying. I just hope there arent similar fins and parabolic antennae all over the place. The loss of those eyes in the sky is hurting more and more... Walking all across the Underworld with all those troops everywhere simply isnt realistic. Besides, taking care of the broadcast tower antennae wont solve everything. They would start with this one. No matter how pressing the situation, only certain ruin awaited them if they did not deal with the threat before their eyes. But the Holy Swordswoman should have realized something. If the alternative was losing the foundation of their strategy, the Underworld was bound to resist with all their might. The noise that reached the girls ears was a wet and sticky sound very different from the dead and their dried-out skin. Her nose detected an odd smell like a rocky beach or a rotten liquid. Something was different from the previous unreality where the dividing line between the living and the dead was so vague. This was a kind of flesh that could never be found on a human but was too raw for the dead. And that presence pressed in like a solid wall. Unable to bear it any longer, they all looked straight up. Just then, something sliced through the sky. !? Boo Boo was already swinging around his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon, but it was stopped partway through as if something had tangled around it. The objects wrapped around it looked somewhat like ropes or chains, but they were something else. The things looked a lot like octopus or squid tentacles with countless squirming suckers. Filinion cried out in fear. From above!? Did that come out of the vertical side of that fin!? Not even an Iberian Orcs great body was enough to regain his freedom. Beatrice swung her blade form the side. Melt Cutting!! The red-hot blade finally severed them, but the tentacles felt no pain and snapped back like stretched rubber. And they led to...what was it? The tentacles wrapped around each other to form something like an arm. The head was somewhat like a lobsters. The scaly skin crawled, produced a creaking sound similar to some kind of carapace, and was all wet with a clear, sea-smelling liquid. It seemed to be a single body constructed by forcibly sewing together the corpses of several marine creatures. It was actually creepier that it had a full body and walked around on two legs. There was something fundamentally different about it compared to the dead who relied on their bodies from life. Boo Boo naturally opened his mouth. Yes, they had seen this once before. This utterly arrogant monster had judged and crushed the 400-man units and the Another Orcs who had each taken a different evolutionary path for the land, sea, or air. The Underworld Lord...!? There was no response. With a sticky sound, the arm of wriggling tentacles swung horizontally. A frightening saw seemingly made from shark teeth appeared from within. That alone had already settled it. Just by producing his weapon, that lord of all death violently shook the ground. The enormous fin tilted disconcertingly. They could see now why the Underworld Lord had appeared on his own. The tilting of the fin broadcast tower showed just how much damage he could do to those reliant on death. If the lord went all out, all of the dead who served him could be blown away. So the Underworld Lord would act alone. That was how much power he contained inside. Beatrice and Boo Boo raised their Shining Weapons, but oddly, it was a completely different problem that came to Beatrices mind. (We came all the way here, but we never caught up to the Sage or Sibyl. Did they really rewrite the trail they used to track him?) Meaning... (The rails were changed somewhere and something was twisted. If the Underworld Lord and we are gathered here, then where did the Sage get off to!?) Part 8 The corners of the Sages lips twisted up. She had escaped the eyes that monitored everything here. Hmm, I see. So this is it. Part 9 Now that it had begun, they had to go all out if they wanted to survive. Setting aside finding a method of releasing the Iberian Orc souls, the odds were good that directly defeating the Underworld Lord would put a stop to the invasion of earth by the dead. The many whooshing sounds were a lot more like swinging whips than blunt weapons. What the Underworld Lord held was less a weapon and more a torture or execution device: a giant saw made from rows of shark teeth. That alone was brutal enough, but something else mattered even more. Its so hard to judge the distance!! There was a sudden crash of impact from outside the apparent range. Beatrice held back the violent rows of teeth with her rapiers hand guard and she clenched her teeth at the tingling pain in her wrist. The arm was a bundle of several sucker-covered tentacles, so its apparent length and joints were not reliable. The attack could extend at seemingly any angle or speed, so it may have been best to see it as a sort of morning star. Also... Lets support Beatrice. Boo Boo, match my timing!! Squeal. Got it, Armelina!! Beatrice bent back from the clash of weapons, so Boo Boo and Armelina cut in from the sides so she was not attacked again. One used a Shining Weapon as thick as a log or steel beam and the other used a war hammer with a beak-like point on the end so its weight could pierce through steel helmets. With their chest and hips working together, they attacked from either side like they were closing a giant pair of scissors. It should have been difficult to dodge or defend against, but... !? Their weapons swished through empty air. The Underworld Lord had created a humanoid silhouette by forcibly sewing together multiple marine creatures, but now he had vanished into the ground below. It was like holding a handkerchief between your fingers and then letting it drop to the floor. He let his own form collapse and flatten down to dodge the surefire attack. After missing, Boo Boo and Armelina were wide open to attack and the Underworld Lord stood back up right in front of them using jointless movements. The cruel shark-tooth saw gave a roar. Why you...!! That was when Filinion tossed a test tube full of a colorful liquid. That was the strongest attack against the Undead, but the Underworld Lord dodged it like a disembodied soul given physical form. Only the giant lobster head remained while the torso and limbs lost their form and fluttered around like streamers. He rotated in midair to dodge the test tube and then used that momentum to charge toward the White Witch. The blade did not reach. Before it could, Boo Boo recovered and kicked at the rotten soul with the sole of his foot. The Underworld Lords head bounced along the ground like a soccer ball or something, but it was unclear if this did any damage at all. Were the organs and blood vessels inside even functioning in the first place? When he could tear apart his own body to that extent, it was possible he would be able to move around just fine even if he was dismembered. And then there was the sole of Boo Boos foot. Damage was done there. It was stuck with several sharp spikes resembling small crab pincers. Squeal!? Boo Boo!! That was enough for something pink and yellow to crawl toward the wound. Some mysterious mold or bacteria was trying to cause the Iberian Orc to rot from within. A single scratch would be fatal here. Beatrice did not have time to hesitate. Fire Throw!! She swung her rapier and flames rushed out as if from a wound in the world itself. And they rushed toward Boo Boos feet instead of toward the Underworld Lord. She had to forcibly rid him of those pathogens even as it produced a sizzling sound much like Chinese cooking. Both Boo Boo and Beatrice clenched their teeth. And the Holy Swordswoman raised her voice. Done! Filinion!! U-understood!! The White Witch tossed a recovery potion to forcibly heal Boo Boos nearly carbonized foot. Beatrice knew this was the most logical and efficient course of action and she knew Boo Boo would have died otherwise, but she could not stop the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. And time had not stopped in the meantime. After standing back up with his full body, the Underworld Lord did not hesitate to raise his shark tooth saw. Was he going to throw it from outside its range? Beatrice did not wait around to find out. Metal Jet!! Eight beams of heat shot out and severed the Underworld Lords wrapped-tentacle arms at the base. A muddy liquid spurted out and Boo Boo caught the airborne saw along with the arm still holding it. He now wielded both the blunt weapon and the defiled saw. No matter how cruel a weapon it was, it worked to their advantage if they stole it. Boo Boo forcefully approached with the surrounding air roaring around him, but the Underworld Lord did not appear to be in any pain. He moved as if swinging his arm and the tentacles extended to their original length. And they were holding something: a spear adorned with lots of dead coral and barnacles. The tip pierced the severed tentacles that continued to thrash around and absorbed all of their disturbing sticky liquid. Seeing the tentacles dry up was enough to know this weapon carried even more contamination than the saw. He must have learned that the wound given to Boo Boo had been effective. Instead of just skewering a living person, that impure spear would cause them to rot from the inside. To Armelina, it looked even more ominous than a rusty old butchers knife. Oh, no. Does his attack pattern change when you destroy a part of him!? Come to think of it, he only produced the saw after Beatrice cut away the tentacles wrapped around Boo Boos Shining Weapon!! To face Boo Boo and his dual weapons, the Underworld Lord held his spear at about the midpoint so he could swing both the tip and the bottom. It looked like Boo Boo was pushing forward, but he was not doing any real damage. In fact, the lord was jumping back to regain the optimum distance. ... Unsurprisingly, there was no conversation. Boo Boo and his stolen saw clashed with the Underworld Lord and his spear at high speed. But this was not the end of it. Just as destroying parts of him had changed his attack pattern, it was unlikely this would end as a simple C albeit unusual C physical clash as it had with the saw. Its coming... According to Abyss, the Underworld Lord did not hesitate to bring destruction. Robbing bodies of their souls and then enslaving those souls was the norm for him, so he only saw the living bodies as something like an eggs shell or a vegetables skin. It was not that he killed people because he had a reason to; he did not spare people because he had no reason to. He had once destroyed the entire human race in this world and that same policy was now targeted at Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others. It was an almost refreshing level of evil. Armelina gave a cry after picking up on a change in his breathing. Be careful, Boo Boo. Hes about to move!! The Underworld Lord tossed the impure spear straight up and small, pin-like weapons shot out like it was a hedgehog. They had likely been sticky threads to begin with, but their great speed made them as solid as an awl. It did not matter to him that they rained down on him as much as his targets. This fight entirely surpassed the logic of the living. Tch!! Beatrice immediately swung her rapier and produced explosive flames, but the real problem was not the deadly downpour directly assaulting them from overhead. What amounted to long, long wires had been scattered all across the area. And Beatrices Party could not afford to forget that they were currently standing on an enormous marine creature that produced something other than red blood when injured. Not good!! shouted Armelina. A moment later, red boiling lava erupted all over. The intense eruption was like an upside-down waterfall and it came with overwhelming heat and a sulfurous stench. They would be helpless if they were caught in that and the Underworld Lord continued his attacks. Yes, even this was only preparation. How was it he had shot down the Thousand Dragon while she flew so high in the sky? It...cant be...!! With an unpleasant sound, a massive amount of lava was condensed into spheres around the Underworld Lord. The many throbbing spheres moved like giant rolling eyeballs and faced the Holy Swordswoman and the others. His true attack had finally been launched. The released lava glowed as it sliced through the night air like several laser beams. Beatrice was already drawing out complex paths with wings of fire and Armelina was making intentionally-fragile metal shields so they would redirect the lava as they were destroyed. Boo Boo grabbed Filinion by the hips and dove onto the rotting flesh. It was all a complete mess. They were not even sure if they were alive or dead. They thought they had safely avoided the attack, but they would have believed it if they were told they had long since been vaporized and were now ghosts thanks to the Underworlds power. That heat beam anti-aircraft blast had accurately shot down the Thousand Dragon from extreme long range. And in a single shot. Wh-what do we do about that!? Armelina sounded completely at a loss for once. ...Perhaps they should have defeated him before it came to this. Wouldnt it have been best to hold back as long as possible on destroying parts of him and thus letting him change attack patterns? Then they just had to hit him with major attacks from all of them at once to kill him before he could use that special attack. But since they had come here without knowing how he worked, the Underworld Lord had essentially won from the start. If they let that powerful current push them away, they would be right where he wanted them and suffer a severe defeat. His normal attacks were bad enough because they would gradually fill the entire area with lava. That would rob them of footing and cut off any escape. The Underworld Lord had the advantage no matter what. The ancient humans of this world had had greater technology than on earth, but there had been nothing they could do beyond leaving the task to Abyss, their ultimate weapon. Had there been no hope of overcoming that gap when thoughtlessly challenging him? As the scarlet Holy Swordswoman wondered that, she heard a very familiar voice. Yes, it belonged to Boo Boo. Squeal... But how did Abyss plan to defeat the Underworld Lord? ? Beatrices slender shoulders jumped. That casual question had contained a very important meaning. Yes, Abyss had been meant to battle the Underworld Lord. Whether or not she could have actually won, she would not have even been sent out if she did not stand a chance. Inside the Labyrinth, Abyss had freely defeated Gimmicks, earned Experience Points, and acquired various kinds of Magic to obtain even greater power. But she had been focused on the same thing as Holy Swordswoman Beatrice, White Witch Filinion, and Fighter Priest Armelina: Magic. (What was Abyss trying to do by gaining all of that Magic for herself? She had to have had something decisive beyond being an inorganic doll without a soul that the Underworld could control. But what was it!?) With a sticky sound, the Underworld Lords right tentacle arm produced another impure spear covered in coral and barnacles. Damn, can we steal the weapon before he can do anything with it!? Like before!! Do you really think well have enough of an opening!? And changing his attack pattern even more wouldnt help! At this rate, he would launch that same lava attack again. If they could not escape the enemys pattern and he attacked again with those heat beam anti-aircraft blasts, they really would lose any place for themselves. A direct hit meant instant death, but the overflowing lava would spread until there was no ground left. Things might have been different with the Ice Waterfall Princesss cooling ability, but she was not with them this time. (Multiple people working together can use multiple Elements at once.) There was no time. Beatrice raised her rapier again. (So what is it Abyss has that we dont!?) The Holy Swordswoman in red armor and a white miniskirt felt like something flashed in the back of her mind. But before that, the Underworld Lord threw his impure spear and white threads shot out like it was a hedgehog. Part 10 There was hope. Where had the hint come from? Abyss has learned new Magic. Metal Jet: standby. ...It may have been that voice that monitored Abysss situation inside the Labyrinth below the islands surface. Alpha Eight, barrel. Alpha Nine, shell. Alpha Twelve, sight. Data link established. Begin combined action. ...It may have been Omegas tactic that combined the control of several peoples Shining Weapons. No, Sibyl, there are a few photos inside their Shining Weapons. And with no signs of modification. Lets use those to try tracking down whoever fired it. ...It may have been the Sages ability to illegally access their Shining Weapons with such ease. At any rate, the red Holy Swordswoman had reached the following conclusion: A cyber attack!! Abyss was trying to separate the Underworld Lord from the Underworld to take away his power!! Eh? Eh? Just run. We probably have the best odds in that badly rotted area!! As soon as she said that, Beatrice turned around and set things in motion. Boo Boo and the others moved away from the giant fin as if tumbling down the hill of softly rotted flesh. The Underworld Lord pursued them by repeatedly firing highly-compressed lava beams at them. We just have to change how we look at this. While fleeing, Beatrice had more than just tension and fear on her face. She also showed the hope of someone who had a chance at victory. Why did the Underworld Lord show up here? He has so many troops and yet hes personally firing those heat beams, so there must be something inconvenient for him here. And even if that includes the fin broadcast tower or the parabolic antennae covering it like barnacles, those arent necessarily the only things!! Then what is it, Beatrice!? You mentioned a cyber attack before, right!? The biggest ability that Abyss has and we dont is probably the data link between her and the Labyrinth. She was equipped with a high-level wireless communications system from the beginning. The same is true of the Underworld Lord who doesnt have any real devices. Abyss was meant to fight by severing the link between the Underworld and its lord using an ECM or cyber attack, just like an electronic-warfare aircraft! But what does any of that have to do with what were doing here!? The fin is emitting an EM signal for a cyber attack on the Gates and to interfere with Shining Weapons. That means the Underworld must have some kind of internal network for transferring electric signals, right!? I dont know if it uses nerves or lymph glands, but if we can dig that up, we might be able to hook up our Shining Weapons with a cable and hack in even without a dedicated system like Abyss has!! !? The Underworld Lord showed up because he was afraid of that. And without speaking a word so we wouldnt catch on to the real reason! Thats also the purpose behind the over-the-top lava attack that can take out even a Break News. And why he exposed himself to danger to lure us into destroying parts of him so he would change his attack pattern. The lord cant fire that heat beam without repeatedly destroying a part of himself, so he must have wanted to shoot down the Thousand Dragon badly enough destroy his own body. We saw the result, remember? That scab of cooled and hardened lava! Theres a part of the rotting flesh ground we can probably dig up, so hes trying to cover the data lines with magma and seal it up with new flesh and blood!! The Underworld Lords greatest attack was the ultra-high pressure lava attack which was also used to camouflage his repair work. But that was strongly dependent on the Underworld it used as a foundation. What if the girls contacted the giant marine creature below their feet and managed to freely control the flow of blood within? They might be able to stop the erupting blood no matter where the Underworld Lord stabbed into the ground. If you cut off the water at the purification plant upstream, no water would leak out even if the pipes had ruptured downstream. We need to find the contact point that will act as the Underworld Lords Achilles heel! There has to be one around here somewhere!! Several lava beams attacked them from behind. Meanwhile, Beatrice, Boo Boo, and the others ran down a gentle slope formed by especially soft and crumbling rotting flesh. Theres a weird smell here, said Boo Boo with a twitch of his large nose. It isnt just rotting flesh or lava. Its more like...yes, like down where Abyss was... Where, Boo Boo!? The Holy Swordswoman followed his gaze and found it. The rotting ground of the Underworld was especially bumpy and looked like it would begin to bleed and crumble away all on its own. She saw some kind of smooth luster coming from the wound. It was a high-speed cable covered in a white protective material, so it looked horribly out of place in the black and rotted flesh. It was probably made from a powder of a ceramic material or the same white bone as the parabolic antennae. It looked as sinister as a metal skewer accidentally thrown out in the can for raw garbage, but that was the secret the Underworld Lord feared would get out. Beatrice pulled a Shining Weapon cable out of her pocket and attached it to her rapier. The Sage had combined the pieces of several broken Shining Weapons to increase the processing power and Beatrice herself had connected her Shining Weapon to Abyss to contact her. This was the same. The Underworld Lord would not have shown so much fear if this was not possible. So. Connect... She sliced through the existing cable and connected her own to it. They were clearly being targeted while she came to a stop for this work. Conneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeect!! And... And... And... Part 11 Nothing happened. That fearsome lord of death had been damage the Underworld so crimson lava would erupt out, but there was now nothing around him. As if the tap had been turned off, the fierce attacks of lava had been sealed away. Of course, the Underworld Lord himself had not been defeated. Since he had not, the battle was continuing. But his greatest weapon had been sealed away. If all he could do was swing around that shark tooth saw or the impure spear covered in dead coral and barnacles, Beatrices group could handle it. That would mean the end. It was checkmate. Once they fought the old-fashioned way and defeated the Underworld Lord, the invasion of earth would end. And with that direct threat removed, they could search the entirety of the vast Underworld for a method of freeing the Iberian Orc souls. The Underworld Lord must have viewed the severing of his coordination as destroying a portion of his body because his right tentacle arm wriggled. Several crossbows emerged, but Beatrice could shoot down the bolts using the various forms of Magic controllable through her Shining Weapon rapier. He was nothing to fear anymore. Or so she thought. But a moment later... Eh? She uttered a puzzled voice. With far too light a sound, a brutal blade emerged from the center of her chest. Part 12 It happened so quickly. And Beatrice should have expected something like this. All they had done was take away one of the Underworld Lords means of attack. The battle was not yet over and you never knew how things would turn out until the very last moment. So if you let your guard down at some point before then, what happened next was only natural. The attack had come from behind. The object that pierced through her back and out the center of her chest was as thick as a fingertip. The weapon was covered in an insulating material and the end glistened with a metallic shine. It was the Underworlds data wire that they had undoubtingly believed was their primary hope. While the Underworld Lord distracted them, it had risen behind the Holy Swordswoman like a cobra and then stabbed through her. This was a fatal blow from the Underworld itself. Meaning... (That was...camouflage? I hadnt taken control of the Underworld...?) Bea-...!? The shocking sight drew Filinion and Armelinas eyes toward the girls chest, which proved a lethal mistake. Their enemy had projectile weapons and an attack could come from any direction at any time. Everything rushed in while their attention was diverted from him. It all fell apart. Once one thing broke, it was all over. There was no building on this or redoing it. They lost everything and received no mercy whatsoever. White Witch Filinions neck bone was broken through. Fighter Priest Armelinas gut was punched through. There was a high-pitched sound and some sparks. By the time Boo Boo finally knocked down the flying data cable with his giant Shining Weapon, the situation had advanced beyond the point of no return. The entire area was colored red and filled with a rusty smell. And the girls corpses were cruelly scattered across the ground. The overwhelming silence left no room for speaking. Death arrived far too suddenly. There was no time for an emotional or dramatic build-up. No matter how much work had gone into reaching this point, letting their guard down even slightly had caused it all to fail. Wasnt this something Boo Boo himself had experienced before? There had been no advance warning of the attack on the Iberian Orc village. He had gone out to play like normal and returned like normal only to find it was already over. That was how death worked. You could not attach unnecessary meaning to it. You... Several pulleys turned before Boo Boos eyes as the crossbows embedded in the tentacles mechanically drew their bowstrings. The straining noise sounded like crude laughter to his ears. Boo Boo would not allow anyone to take a life for any reason other than survival or food. He knew he would become an unstoppable incarnation of destruction if he chose to use violence and justified it with an unnecessary concept of justice or revenge. Yes. That was true. But so what? Yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!! He finally erupted. Until this day, he had been left with kind hopes and desires from so many people. But he now tore those to shreds as he released the incarnation of rage within him. Part 13 Oh, dear. And. After completing her task and returning to the scene, the Sage spoke with more than a little surprise in her voice. Now this might be bad. Honestly, I never know what to do about you. Between the Lines 2 Boo Boo did not remember his meeting with Beatrice being all that dramatic. Back when he was still small and round like a stuffed animal, his luck had run out when he had heard some happy-sounding voices in the forest and decided to approach them. (Squeal!? Humans!!) Yes, he had found a group of humans there Humans were generally only interested in the Labyrinth that extended deep underground, but they were not exactly a welcome sight for an Iberian Orc. They kept human statues in their homes at the village and called them messengers from heaven, but if an Iberian Orc actually ran across them, the humans would throw rocks at them for no reason. Boo Boo had been told they did that because they were afraid and not because they hated the Iberian Orcs, but it was still not a nice feeling. He preferred not to think about what they would do if they captured a small and round one like him. Some strength was needed to safely escape them and small Boo Boo clearly lacked that. Humans were scary. They had a power that did not exist in the natural world. (What do I do? I have to run away, but they would find the village if they followed me. I have to take a long way around and lose them first, but then I might get lost!) He began to panic and ran back and forth on the spot, but... S-squeal!! A solid impact soon followed. No one had hit him. He had run head-first into a large tree all on his own. He was knocked back onto his butt and rolled backwards from there. The pain and confusion finally brought tears to the corners of his large eyes. That was when it happened. The pain growing in his forehead suddenly receded. He looked up in wonderment and saw a hand there. Someone was holding their hand over his forehead. Even after realizing it was a human, he oddly did not jump up to his feet. He did not sense the usual dark malice coming from this person. Youll be fine. She wore red armor and a miniskirt. The Magic-using lifeform was entirely different from Boo Boos species and she spoke with a small smile. It was not brought on by her own emotions. It was clearly made in order to calm Boo Boo. It wasnt much of an injury. This should be enough to get rid of the pain. S-squeal? Boo Boo blinked his eyes and asked a hesitant question. You arent going to shout at me? You arent going to hit me? He was afraid that she would say she would do those things. Not because that would mean she would attack him with hostility on full display, but because it would mean a division between them that necessitated fighting back. But that human shook her head. She maintained her kind smile and did not hesitate to answer him. I wont do that. ...Thats a relief. Boo Boo got up. He swung his little hands and smiled up at her. Ill be your friend. I can be friends with you!! Bhh, bhhh... Memories were not always viewed the same. Even if the data accumulated in the brain was the same, ones emotions at the time of recollection could greatly alter the impression they left. At the moment, that memory was like a torrent of magma. Bmoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Notes 1. In Japanese, a girls headband is known as a Katyusha. Volume 5, 3: Stairway of Rebirth * Spirit Potion Ambrosia Volume 5, Chapter 3: Stairway of Rebirth * Spirit Potion Ambrosia Part 1 While pushing back the dead army that sporadically pushed in, Fairy Queen Sutriona and Vampire Kallikantzaros hid in the islands forest and observed the giant Underworld which was visible in the distance. ...Although that also meant they were in the line of fire even from this far away. Hey, things might have entered a lull, but are you really going to wait until the next dawn? You can maintain this advantage after Ive returned to my coffin at dawn, I hope. ...So that really will be the limit, will it? Even the time it took to speak face-to-face felt like a waste. Some of the dead who had invaded the island in the early stage were still walking around and, more importantly, a single mistake could overturn everything. It may have looked like a lull, but ruin would rear its ugly head as soon as they let their guards down. They could not afford to wait until Kallikantzaros withdrew again. There was no sign of further activity from the Underworld, but the makeup of their forces would change entirely if Boo Boos Party had been wiped out. They had gotten lucky with how effective the humans Recovery Magic was, but that would cease to be an option. They did not want to consider it, but they had to prepare for the worst case scenario. Sutriona hated how oddly coldly she could think about that. She realized it had been the same when the Thousand Dragon had been devouring the Fairies. If she had given into emotion and attacked out of revenge, she might have been able to stop the black Dragons tyranny, but if the Fairy Queens toxin had caused the Thousand Dragon to writhe in pain and lash out indiscriminately, it could have led to far more damage. So she had let it continue. She had only been able to make that decision because she was the queen that stood above all the others. (This too is my role as the one responsible for them...) The Vampire standing next to her was the opposite: she looked calm at first glance, but she tended to get emotional about these things. Although that may have been why she was forced to live alone in a ghost ship instead of banding together in a group. The next dawn is our time limit. If Boo Boo and the others havent emerged yet by then, well have to end this ourselves. Well gather together all of the Break News that can fight and finish off the Underworld in a simultaneous attack. Part 2 She was dead. Dead, dead, dead, Ugh...? Beatrice groaned as all the skin on her body felt something akin to cold. Her recent memories were not at all clear. Where was she and what had she been doing? Driven by that strange sense of unease, she held herself in her slender arms. Her awareness finally caught up when she noticed the odd feeling that reached her fingers. She was not in her usual red armor or miniskirt. Half her vision seemed oddly dark and a touch from her fingers told her she had an eyepatch on. She felt no real pain, but it would not come off no matter how much she tugged. After giving up on that, she looked down and saw her bright skin and the bandages wrapped roughly around it. The only other things she wore were some rags around her chest and hips. The skin naturally left more of an impression than the clothing. It was like a fresh Zombie costume. The bandages were obvious, but the scraps of cloth seemed to have originally been part of a surgical gown. However, it was completely useless as it hung loosely down with the connections torn. The thing digging tightly into her body may have been a clear IV tube. Kh. When she quickly held the chest part down and moved a bit, she heard a heavy metallic sound. She looked down and saw a metal ring around her right ankle with a thick chain and metal ball attached. She was in a square space made of stone and metal, so it did indeed look like a prison. Wait...wh-what is this!? Was I captured by someone!? Just as she looked around in search of an exit, she really felt the weight of the metal ball. No, its weight actually seemed to change...??? Two other people were lying down nearby. When she checked their faces, she found exactly who she expected: Filinion and Armelina. They too had been robbed of their equipment and forced into something like a costume. (Halloween...? No, it might be a death or Undead motif.) She was reminded of the party the three maid sisters had thrown for her in the Detached Magic Palace, but that probably was not the answer. She had to focus on the reality before her eyes. She wanted as much information as possible. A closer look showed that Filinion was dressed in the white kimono of a Japanese-style ghost and she had bluish-white super-deformed cow and glasses girl spirits floating around her. Her large breasts were pushed up by the thick corset she wore. It appeared to be made to squeeze her torso in stages and supply pain instead of just being fashionable. Armelina wore a hat and had a large charm on her forehead. Her clothing could be described as Taoist or as a China dress. Simply put, she was a jiangshi girl. Her skin color was a little unhealthy, but Beatrice may not have been one to talk. But more than the costume itself, her neck and wrists were held in place by a single thin wooden structure much like at the bottom of a guillotine. While holding the rags and bandages to her chest, Beatrice dragged the heavy ball-and-chain to approach. She did not know proper prisoner etiquette, but would it be easier to move while carrying it in her hands? Filinion, Armelina, hey! Can either of you explain how we ended up like this!? Beatrice held her confused head and desperately worked to reach any kind of understanding. Yes, that was right. Their clothing was Magic taking that form, so if it had been taken from them...could they not use Magic at all? Ah!? Th-thats right. What about our Shining Weapons? They were gone. She reached for her hip to check and did not find that reliable and solid weight. Instead, she found the IV tube carelessly wrapped around her body and the clear package dangling meaninglessly from it. (What do we do...?) Her vague anxiety had finally been overwritten by realistic fear. Their Shining Weapons were more than just terminals for managing their Magic; they were also used to travel between worlds via the Gates. Without them, they could not return to earth. Since they could only spend a few days in this foreign world, it was a lot like a slow-paced execution. As the needle moved from fear to despair, Beatrice heard the familiar voices of the other girls. Ugh...my head feels so heavy... What is this place? What happened? Gh!? What is this!? A-a board!? Filinion and Armelina seemed to have finally woken up, but their eyes had yet to fully focus. Just like Beatrice, they must not have noticed the change to their clothing at first. However. It was because she did not understand the gravity of her words that Filinion said something devastating as her tight corset lifted her breasts from below. Huh? What happened with that thick cable''...??? Time slowed. This time, it slowed to a halt. The Holy Swordswoman brought a hand to the center of her chest. She was a fresh Zombie with only the bare minimum of bandages and rags covering her. Her chest was mostly exposed...but there was nothing there. There was no pain and there was no horrifically crushed wound. And. Looking in the mirror would have had a similar effect, but she felt some dj vu when she looked back at Filinions Japanese ghost costume and Armelinas jiangshi girl costume. She had seen something like this before. And then it hit her. I dont have the boots with blades inside, but I have the surgical gown scraps and the bandages. And then theres the metal restraints. Is this the same as the ancient humans who were destroyed by the Underworld Lord and then had even their souls subjugated by him? The only difference she could see was the lack of marine creatures like univalves and octopuses. She might have only given the worst possible answer in the hopes that someone would say it was not so. But only silence answered her. They wanted to deny it, but they could not. They could only accept it, but they did not want to. That was the kind of stifling silence that ruled the scene. And in that case... Had Beatrice and the others lost their battle against the Underworld Lord, been killed, and had their souls taken? Was there no chance of a comeback and were they doomed to eternally work for that monster made from a patchwork of marine creature corpses? It was not just their Shining Weapons they were missing. They were nothing but souls, so they did not even know what had happened to their bodies. That meant it was not the time to test things through trial and error like they had with the astral projection using that strange jellyfish-shaped terminal. It was possible defeat would mean they could never return. As the girls desperately worked their minds, a sound reached their ears. It came from beyond the thick door leading out of this cold square space. It was a solid and regular series of sounds. They were footsteps. Part 3 Someone was calling to him. They were kindly calling his name. Boo Boo, wake up. The warm tone reminded the last of the Iberian Orcs of that girl he knew so well. And when he opened his eyes, he saw the Sage smiling right in front of his face. !? Hi, Boo Boo. Youve gotten quite manly since I last saw you. He shot to his feet and found he was in a vast space. He was below something like a rotted ceiling, but the entire space may have been bigger than the whole Iberian Orc village. It was not entirely dark. A small flame flickered at the end of the hair sticking up from the top of Sages head while she held a hand to her mouth and laughed. Squeal... When he brought a hand to his mouth, he realized it was somewhat sticky. A sweet and sour flavor remained on his tongue. Youre quite powerful, but you have terrible fuel efficiency. Shouldnt you have prepared some food like this before challenging the Underworld? Theres no guarantee you can find anything edible in this land of rotting flesh and contaminated water. The Sage lightly waved around a skewer that was far too large for a human. Skewered Master Rabbit and Sliced Fish soaked in yogurt. That was always popular with the Iberian Orcs, but how did you like it, Boo Boo? ...When Armelina gave everyone food, the others got mad at her. Something about luring in pure hearts using treats. Cough, cough!! She used some blatantly fake coughing to drive that suggestion into the darkness. Without even suspecting that food from an enemy might be poisoned, Boo Boo began chowing down on the skewer she gave him, so the Sage smiled at him again. I never expected to take five hits. You must have been really angry, Boo Boo. It took a lot of doing to calm you down. ? Had all of that only been a bad dream? Boo Boo lightly shook his head. So are you alive or dead? Heh heh. Which do you think? ... Just kidding. As you can see, Im very much alive. Here, check for yourself, Boo Boo. That person who looked so very much like Beatrice casually took the Iberian Orcs giant hand and guided the large fingertips toward the center of her chest. He felt a definite rhythmic pulse within the feminine warmth. He doubted this was a cold and dead person. He thought the same thing when he saw the Sages soft expression, but an ominous scent cut off his thoughts. He turned his head and saw something lying there. It was the remains of the Underworld Lord after being torn limb from limb and having his giant lobster-like head crushed underfoot. What...!? Yes, you did that, Boo Boo. You should honestly rejoice that you found someone who let you go all out, even if it meant bending your principles. He had done something unthinkable. He had given in and done something horrific. Boo Boo began to tremble, but the Sage simply smiled. She acted like he was a small child clinging to his mothers skirt after having a nightmare. And there was someone else below them. Oh, you woke up? Boo Boo isnt about to die from something like that. Sage, how can you say that after hitting him fifteen times at full power? Although I suppose it is very like you to insist on repaying him three times over even at a time like this... How did things go on your end? Those three are stable. Boo Boos head shot up when he heard that. Those three. Yes, that number held an important meaning. Squeal!! Wh-what happened to Beatrice!? And Filinion and Armelina too! Theyre fine, immediately replied Royal Elf Sibyl. Did that mean they had been saved? It had not looked like there was any room for a miracle after the attack from that metal snake, but had their wounds been healed with some kind of complex Magic he did not understand? However, that was not the case. Sibyl clarified. The Sage enclosed them in ice coffins, so there will be no damage to their brain cells even though their hearts have stopped. Well, you could think of it as a type of cold sleep. Seeing that reminds me of Vivian who lived in that ocean-bottom palace cut off from the flow of time. ??? Thawing them now would only return them to a state of death from blood loss, so the only question now is whether being encased in ice counts as alive or dead. What she meant gradually sunk in. ...You could not call them alive in that state. But they were not simply dead either. Werent they stuck in the gap between life and death? Yes, this does not solve the problem. The Sage readily admitted it while raising her index finger. And, Boo Boo, there is only one thing you can do if you want to save that girl you care so much for: find a method of directly controlling souls somewhere in the Underworld. They can only be saved by healing both their bodies and souls. ... And that fits with my goal. Well, technically speaking, it isnt them I want to save, but I am willing to work with you as long as our interests align. Boo Boo could not immediately reply. Accepting the tragedy that had befallen Beatrice and the others was difficult enough, but now he was being pressed to make a decision by the Sage who stood a few steps beyond that. And the Sage spoke the usual line to give his worried back a push forward. You need to make your decision sooner rather than later. W-will Beatrice and the others not last forever? That is an issue, but my point was that our enemy is not gone. With the red armor, the white miniskirt, and everything else, she looked just like Beatrice, yet she was fundamentally different. She then pointed at the symbol of Boo Boos crime. She pointed at the Underworld Lord who had been torn to pieces and entirely ceased to function. The ancient humans feared the Underworld Lord so much that they left it all up to Abyss, so surely you didnt think this was enough to stop him. ...Even after all that...he can still move? Its more complicated than that. The Sage laughed and gave one last reminder. If you really want to save Beatrice and the others, you should probably hurry. Part 4 The place looked like a room made from a collection of rotting organs. The Underworld Lord opened his eyes there. The scene appeared somehow blurry, but that had nothing to do with his bodily functions. His body was contained within a 3m spherical container filled with a clear preservative fluid. ... However, his body did not have a lobster head or squid tentacles. It was not made from multiple marine creatures sewn together with needle and thread. Thin hands broke through the fish-egg-like film from within and a completely different body crawled into the outside world along with lots of a sticky chemical fluid. It was a slender mermaid with wavy blue hair and bright skin. The scale-covered legs could become a giant tail fin if need be. She too was the Underworld Lord. To begin with, let us define an astral body as a form of energy. The fundamental soul is like an imaginary number in that it does not exist in the visible world but some things cannot be explained without it. And it is a source of a certain kind of energy that exists along with a physical body. It may be something like massless chloroplast or mitochondria or like an electrified cloud that envelops the physical body and spreads to the surrounding area. The Underworld Lord had been born as a being modeled after that soul. He had no physical mass. And yet calculations showed he did produce quite a bit of energy. He surrounded a physical body like an electrified cloud and continually poured energy into that physical vessel to give the cold corpse the power it needed to move like it was alive once more. That was the true form of the lifeless Underworld Lord. If someone was willing to define torn muscles made to expand and contract with chemicals as alive, then they might be able to say the Underworld Lord was alive. It was unlikely anyone else would, though. The Underworld Lord could be seen as a type of perpetual motion machine, but he was not all-powerful. He too was bound by the conditions that defined him. 1. The Underworld Lord cannot live as just his massless real self. 2. As an imitation, the Underworld Lord cannot coexist within a living body that already has a soul. Simply put, he had to remain within a soulless dead body. And not just anything dead would do. Nerves, muscles, blood vessels, bones, and organs... He could only change into a fresh flesh vessel that could maintain all of its bodily functions yet lacked a soul. And critical damage to the brain cells would occur only a dozen or so minutes after the heart stopped, so it was not realistic for him to come across a useable body by chance. In fact, it was much faster to produce a soulless flesh vessel on his own. For example, he could sew together the best pieces of various marine creatures, he could cultivate one at the cellular level from scratch, or he could rearrange the elemental structure of inorganic materials to produce organic parts. (The Gothic Monster had no effect.) He had thirteen distinct methodologies. Several spherical containers filled with a clear preservative fluid were lined up in the flesh room and two of them had already been broken open. Eleven remained intact. That could be seen as the Underworld Lords remaining lives. (I anatomically assemble the method and then move on to flask chemistry. Next, I will test the effectiveness of the Homunculus.) To confirm he had safely attached to this nude body, the Underworld Lord opened and closed the right hand and constructed his next plan using the physically-borrowed brain. He had lost the battle. But if he had successfully convinced the enemy that the Underworld Lord and the Gothic Monster were one and the same, the next surprise attack was guaranteed to succeed. And if they thought the Underworld Lord was dead and the threat was gone, then his odds of success rose even further. The thirteen methods were a surefire cage for all life forms. They were all the strongest. It might be possible for the enemy to defeat a specific method C be it of land, sea, or air C if they went all out, but once the target shifted all of their variables in that direction, they could not defeat the next method. If a fish was dragged up onto land or a bird was submerged in the ocean, they could not make use of their strong points and would in fact have difficulty surviving at all. He would bring out a completely different affiliation, completely different traits, and completely different values. The victor against one would lose to another, so with all thirteen methods available, all life forms and all beings would be forced to kneel before the Underworld Lord. The most inconvenient opponent for the Gothic Monsters victor was the Homunculus. It was like using Water attacks against someone who specialized in Fire. The Underworld Lord had a clear vision of victory in mind, but then he came to a stop. His previously unmoving lips gave a tremor. It cant be... The pre-established harmony was crumbling. With his beautiful girls body still entirely bare, he grabbed a creepy-looking lab tool from a table with enough force for the wet blue hair to swing behind him. As soon as he grabbed the straight club made of crystal, a blue or purple light filled the room. With the stick-shaped light source in hand, he approached what he needed. It cant be, it cant be, it cant be!? Something was amiss. He still had eleven bodies left in stock. Each of those flesh vessels had been designed in the strongest form he could think of at the time, but there was a blatantly obvious signature left on them. There were no fingerprints, but the purple light showed definite handprints on their surface. ...!? There was no point in preserving them now. There were also several handprints on the wavy blue-haired girls body he was moving now. This could not stand. He tore open a random one of the spherical containers, pulled the precious body out of the sticky preservative fluid, and did not hesitate to rip open its belly with his bare hands. He dragged out the innards, shined the purple light on them, and...there they were. There were handprints there as well. He did not know who, but some third party had snuck in here, pulled out, examined, and fully analyzed all of his bodies both inside and out, and then put them all back together before leaving. There was no other way of explaining the absurdity of having someone elses handprints inside his own bodies. Curses!! The body did not so much as stir as he had ripped open its belly and the Underworld Lord yelled as he tossed it aside. Without even washing his hands, he thought about who this could have been. ...He realized something had indeed seemed off when he clashed with the Holy Swordswoman, White Witch, and Fighter Priest there. Instead of coincidental contact, it had felt more like they were being guided by some third party. While the Underworld Lord had been dealing with them, the true threat had come here, completed their work, and safely left. That was likely what had happened. The Underworld Lords greatest advantage was his ability to switch between flesh vessels. While remaining the exact same being, he could swap out his surface vessel for entirely different abilities, elements, and values. That led to the ideal combat pattern in which he attacked his target from multiple angles. But all of those options had been analyzed. Their deepest depths and every nook and cranny had been divulged. Information was the greatest weapon. In that case, he could no longer defeat this third party. No matter which body he used, they would attack its greatest weakness and he would be defeated every time. The only way of defeating this third party was to construct a new flowchart that existed outside the thirteen strategies he had already prepared. ... The girl with wavy blue hair and bright nudity exposed thought for a while. And he took immediate action. He tore apart all of the spherical containers with his bloody hands and dragged the surviving bodies out onto the wet floor. He consulted the diagram in his head to line up each piece, carefully examine them, sew them together, and draw out a brand new design. It was a lot like rearranging robotic arms and weapons to create your own idea of the strongest mech. And his current body was no exception. Just like someone unbuttoning and removing a shirt, he did not hesitate to use his fingers to open up his body along the central vertical line. He used needle and thread, bolts and plates, and various other tools to forcibly sew together a bizarre body that should never have fit together. (...Not yet.) This tenacity was the Underworld Lords true strength. The ancient humans had not just helplessly let the army of the dead annihilate them. Before so many continents and islands had been sunk, they had attempted many countermeasures that almost made the Underworld seem cute in comparison. And yet the Underworld Lord had not been wholly destroyed. He had tenaciously, persistently, and stubbornly dug in, kept up the attack at a set pace no matter what, and ultimately emerged victorious as the one who devoured the humans who had been worn down by the intense ups and downs produced by their own history. He was the one who desecrated life and toyed with souls. So a mere death or two was not going to stop him. He controlled the needle and thread with the accuracy of a clock. (This will not end here. I am lord. And a lord cannot be defeated so easily...) Part 5 Thanks to the ball-and-chain around the ankle or wooden stocks around the arms and neck, there was nothing Beatrice and the others could do as the thick door to the square cell of stone and steel was unlocked. They were already dead and they were helpless without their Shining Weapons. And who was it that walked in? ...Good. It seems you successfully got your heads out of the dirt. Omega...? The muscular man in thick armor wielded a giant axe. He had been the cornerstone of the Underworlds invasion force and he had held together the former soldiers of Elkiad, so perhaps he was in charge of training newcomers. With that in mind, Beatrice and the others huddled together in their Halloween or Undead-themed costumes, but the large man himself rudely scratched his head. If you were just being left to the Underworld, I wouldnt have bothered bringing you somewhere like this. What do you think this room made of solid rock and metal is for? The normal cycle has you mature inside the rotting flesh until your soul has transformed into one of the Underworlds pawns. To put that more simply, are you saying you saved us? If so, why? Jiangshi Girl Armelina sounded suspicious while unable to hold down the dresss wide-open slits on her thighs thanks to the wooden stocks. Omega responded by lightly striking the center of his chest and winking. Something like a white light flashed faintly where his fist hit. I guess you could say that solid blow from my wife woke me up a little. Whatever the Underworld might want, I have to do something if Tselika is going to lose her home. But as you can see, its too late for my soul. Ive already been turned into the Underworlds slave and theres no saving me. So I needed to secure some pawns to act in my place and I couldnt let the Underworld know about it. ...What proof do we have that we can trust you arent working for the Underworld in this? Japanese-style Ghost Filinion asked that while clenching her fists in front of the chest lifted by the corset and with cow and glasses girl spirits floating around her. Omega only shrugged before answering. What if I said you werent the first? As the one girl frowned while feeling irritated at the eyepatch covering one eye, the large man stepped aside to clear the way. Two familiar faces poked their heads in instead. Ch-Chief? Are you alive??? If theyre here, then theyve died and become no more than souls, you idiot. It was Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra and Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau. Just like Beatrice, the pink twintail girl and blue ringlet curl girl wore something like Halloween or Undead-themed costumes and were bound by different types of restraints. Huldra must have been a Werewolf because a V-shaped fur outfit covered the bare minimum of her bare skins seductive curves. ...However, it did look like the ears and tail were moving on their own. She also had her right arm in a cast that was supported from her shoulder by a sling. A look at her expression showed no sign of real pain, so it may have only been the outside held in place by plaster. Wildefrau was either a demon or a Vampire...but what was that? She was naked except for a cape and a black bikini bottom that looked a lot like a bat. Kallikantzaros from the beach would have probably been enraged had she seen that costume. As for her restraint...was that a thumbscrew? Two small steel plates could be tightened together with a screw and both of her thumbs were currently contained in it like it was a pair of handcuffs. (Have our souls been bound by our own minds image of the wandering dead?) When she thought about it, Beatrice realized her Zombie costume was different from the Haitian sorcery or the beings given that name because of how they wandered around Grounds Nir. The medical and infection theme was evidence that this was reliant on the baseless visual produced by the entertainment industry. Still, she needed to assume there was something that made it function. (Do the others have some meaning to them? Huldra being a Werewolf could be a representation of the dual nature of being male on earth and female in Grounds Nir... Although that makes me question Armelinas strict restraints since she could always move...) Beatrice rubbed the metal ring around her ankle as she considered all this, but she could not come up with a consistent view. It bothered her that she could not organize the information in the usual frames and flame lines. Also, they had to have arrived in the Underworld through different routes, but what had the Ice Waterfall Princess in a small-horned and hooded cape and the Alchemist Cheerleader in a Werewolf swimsuit been doing while Beatrices group fought the Underworld Lord (likely after being led their by the Sage and Sibyl)? Why are you two here? asked Armelina while unable to move her arms. For some reason, the pair awkwardly averted their gaze. I-I told her not to do it. Please dont lie. You were the one that kept complaining about how hot it was and insisted on relying on your ice Magic! What!? Why would you reveal your companions shame now!? You could have just let it slide, you know!? There was no use in telling everyone we collapsed with something like Italian king trumpet mushrooms growing from our bodies!! What is this Italian nonsense? Stop trying to make it sound nice! This rotting flesh land uses the lava bloods heat to sterilize itself, but a certain someone and her giant tits kept cheating and secretly cooling herself down, so all the mold and spores rushed in and- ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!? Besides, youre the one that only has an Instant Death attack that relies on probability and does no damage which left you completely helpless against the Undead since theyre already dead in the first place!! U-uuhhh... I just hope everyone pitches a tent in their pants when they hear someone mentioning that cute Huldra-chan was surrounded and ganged up on... And wasnt it you who got covered in mold when you scurried off and hid inside a dark foxhole? Cmon, tell everyone the truth, you nameko bastard. Bandage and Rag Zombie Beatrice sighed. This was a field where the slightest opening led to death. Those two had apparently not accomplished much before collapsing somewhere in the Underworld. It might sound pathetic, but entering a deadly land without any preliminary research would allow that sort of thing to happen. Omega spoke up while still leaning against the open door. If I hadnt nabbed them first, they would have been collected by the Underworld like normal. Is that enough for you to trust me a little? ...What is it you want us to do? Im glad to see youre quick on the uptake. Omega readily made a suggestion. I want you to bring this all to an end by doing what those of who are already controlled cannot. In other words, I want you to crush the Underworld Lords plans. Part 6 When the Sage and Sibyl began to move, Boo Boo was forced to go along with them. The monster in red armor and a miniskirt cheerfully walked alongside him. The internal bleeding has continued a fair bit. The rot has made more progress than is apparent on the surface. For the Underworld, bleeding meant erupting with lava. The large cave of flesh was illuminated by a sinister orange glow. It was hot, but there was no sign of the moisture vanishing and it all weighed on Boo Boo as an unpleasant pressure. Where exactly are we going? That is a very good question, Boo Boo. This is near the unused third floodgate of the right gill hole which is currently undergoing regular maintenance. Or to put it more simply, this is the base of the jaws that form its enormous mouth. There are probably a lot of checkpoints before directly reaching the cerebrum, so I hope we can at least get near the spine... ? We mentioned that we only predicted Grounds Nir Abyss and never suspected the Underworld might exist, right? Weve acquired a fair amount of information through some fieldwork investigation, but it would be best to access a database and acquire some more detailed information to prove our estimations correct. Boo Boo looked puzzled, and Sibyl politely explained. Boo Boo felt like he was walking alongside a lava river, but then he saw a flickering orange-illuminated silhouette through the steam up ahead. Squeal? Oh, guess one of the patrolling guards caught us. The Sage sounded entirely carefree. Immediately afterwards, the black rotting flesh on the ceiling swelled out. Hands and faces emerged one after another and fell down to surround their prey. The dead wielded sword and spear Shining Weapons and rifles that used gunpowder. These probably had the same origins as the Elkiad soldiers Boo Boo and the others had fought on the island of Grounds Nir, but they were not just fighting on their own this time. There were quadrupedal monsters with a giant eagles head, a lions body, and giant wings. Yes, the soldiers were riding the powerful Griffins used for races in the inn town. These were the elites who had been trained to the very limit. And they were further strengthened by creatures of a foreign world that surpassed human knowledge. Zero to all. Charlie Team has made contact with the enemy. One to Thirty, you-... A wet sound overwrote it all. The Sage had not waited until they were done reporting. Her left hand had already drawn her patchwork rapier from its sheath. By the time the blades tip had spun all the way around like a clocks hand, everything was pummeled by gusts, shockwaves, and all other forms of Wind Magic. Was Charlie Zero even able to count how many forms of death were embedded in his dead body? He was bent and torn to pieces in midair and he was crushed into nothingness before he hit the ground again. There was no need for trial-and-error reconnaissance with an astral body. Nor did the Sage need to use Recovery Magic like Filinion. A single mistake meant instant death in the Underworld, but she swept it all aside with direct firepower. This could only be called extraordinary. Yes, yes. I know Im really just lashing out. And I know Im not one to talk after attacking the Iberian Orc village... The Sage laughed in a mocking way that Beatrice never would. Her expression was filled with a dark, dark, and endlessly decadent joy. But this was a stroke of fortune. All of you killed the elder and the others out of pure bigotry and discrimination with nothing hidden below the surface, but I never thought I would get a chance to execute you all a second time. The Underworld can be considerate when it wants to be... The Sages weapon was a patchwork of many Shining Weapons, but whose had those been? Charlie Team fought back almost entirely mechanically and the Sage turned three more of them into charcoal with scarlet flames, so the dead finally tried to put more distance between them. They were already dead, yet they seemed to fear for their lives. Royal Elf Sibyl put her hands on her hips and breathed an exasperated sigh. Youre just being unnecessarily cruel. You can use any kind of Magic you want, so you could always just use Recovery Magic. Are you intentionally avoiding a means of killing them instantly? But that would be so boring. The dark smile remained on her face. The ones who havent had enough after I kill them will reappear for a second or third round. So this time, I have to give them a taste of death that wont leave them unsatisfied. Oh, honestly... Sibyl breathed from her nose just as several blasts of wind assaulted them. That was to be expected for Charlie Team and their Griffins which could easily send a large horse flying. Since they could not stand up to the Sage herself, they may have decided to take a hostage and gain the upper hand that way. If you completely ignored morality and ethics, their methodology itself was not wrong. They charged toward the slender girl as if they planned to more hit her than grab her. And they had enough momentum to break a few bones before collecting her. They shifted their impact time between each other so one of the later ones was sure to hit her even if she dodged the initial attack. But they had still made a mistake. They had failed to take a Royal Elfs power into account. Fools. It only took a word. A moment later, Sibyl had activated her longbow and launched dreadful beams of light. Charlie Team had been charging toward her with the weight and speed of a cranes wrecking ball, but now they flew backwards with twice the speed. Land, sea, and air each have their unique rulers. As one of the forest rulers, my Skill is the materialization of residual thoughts. That means I can only use recreations of the past. She brushed aside the thin bit of hair that fell on her cheek. So you could also say that it was all of you who constructed the violence lurking in this place. Be swallowed by your own deeds and vanish into the light, insurgents of a foreign world. There was nothing for Boo Boo to do. A unilateral wave of violence had begun. There was no need to pursue and hunt down individual targets. As the Sage and Sibyl moved further in, the enemy was erased from that entire unit of territory. This is the obvious result. Sibyl spoke to Boo Boo with a calm expression while raising her Shining Weapon that looked like a purifying staff with a large crystal ball embedded at the top. The Sage and I were always meant to do this together. Ending your rampage and bringing you along was no more than an accident. So we were never counting you as a necessary part of our fighting force. Life born in the forest, please stand back and enjoy the show. Those facing them head-on and even those who tried to hide behind cover were blown through the walls. Those who fled or sought reinforcements were shot in the back and knocked into the lava river. There was no mercy there. Just watching the unilateral slaughter caused a sense of guilt to grow in Boo Boos chest. Keh heh heh... Sage? Hwa ha ha ha, ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!! Hey, Sage. Sibyl eventually gave the Sage a suspicious look and fired her longbow at the womans defenseless back from close range. The Sages body tilted a bit, but she took no damage. She turned toward her beautiful companion with a strained movement, blinked her eyes a few times, and gave her a completely confused look. Huh? Sibyl? What was I doing just now??? This would be frightening enough on its own, but lets focus on our objective. I dont want to be dragged along on some decadent quest for revenge. Really, is this any way to act in front of a gentleman? Sibyl gave an exasperated look as she coldly fired beams of light from the crystal head of her staff to take out the few remaining enemies. Charlie Team had been fully silenced. Although this technically only meant they had begun their wait to be respawned. The Sage and Sibyl apparently had no intention of sneaking in. Whenever they ran into Soviets who tried to use their numbers to push through or ancient humans who used special boots containing several long blades, the two of them slaughtered all of the witnesses before they could flee or make a report. They did not use a special compatibility issue like Filinion, so this was nothing but brute force. It was hard to believe this was the same Underworld army that not even all the Break News working together could hold back on the island of Grounds Nir. When faced with the Sage and the Royal Elf, the dead army seemed like baby birds fleeing along the ground after falling from their nest. Squeal... Oh? Forest child, is something the matter? If you have this much power, it seems to me you could get past them without fighting. You are exactly right, but you can see how the Sage is. She intentionally triggers an Encounter when she sees someone from Elkiad, so theres no avoiding them. There were no real barriers impeding them. Or rather, there were some impressive hurdles, but those two knocked them all down, leaving them with an easy journey. Eventually, something appeared before them. Boo. ...A door? Hmm, this looks like it was added in later. It was a tall double door. Even Boo Boo had to look up at it and it looked quite thick. Locked or not, it looked like you would need some kind of tool to even grab and turn the knob. It was colored white and the material looked more like bone than stone or metal. The two doors were held together by an extremely large purse-shaped lock that hung down. The lock alone was the size of a small safe. What should we do? asked Boo Boo. Let me ask you this instead: is there any reason to hold back? The lock did not matter. After an explosion, the entire door collapsed inward. The atmosphere inside was different. It was still a tunnel, but the cross section was nearly a perfect circle. There was no way of distinguishing the walls from the floor or the ceiling and something like gear teeth lined the circumference. They were all bookcases taller than Boo Boo. They could not see all the way to the back of the tunnel, so they could not even imagine the full extent of the knowledge contained within. The tunnel was divided into ring-shaped blocks that slowly rotated left or right, presumably according to some kind of rule. And... Ohh? Squeal!? The Sage is attached to the wall! The gravity setting must change. I guess thats why the floor, walls, and ceiling are all an indistinguishable circle. Its made so you can walk all the way around. Is this all of the knowledge contained inside the Underworld? No, the database itself is probably the cerebrum mainframe. The spine is simply the gateway. When the peripheral nerves in all the different body parts send an information request, it checks the list and decides whether or not to answer the request. Despite her large breasts and miniskirt, the Sage hopped up and down like a child to test the artificial gravity. That said, we can get all the information we need here if we really can directly access the cerebrum. Now. What part of the list do we have to destroy to break open the floodgates of information? Its always destruction with you, said Sibyl. Why not be smarter about it and hack in? I guess because theres no real reason to try to be nice? Before she had even finished speaking, the Sage randomly pulled thick reference books from a nearby bookcase. Not satisfied with just that, she pulled out the actual shelves and tossed them aside. The circular tunnel itself rotated harshly to the right and left and the entire thing seemed to writhe in pain, but she did not care. Without warning, something floated up into the air. It was about the size of a human head. It had a nearly transparent body and two wing-like objects. A human from earth might have described it as a clione ghost. And it spoke in human language. Warning, warning! Inflammation from foreign intruders detected in a first-degree sterilization area. If the foreign intruders show no intent of heeding the evacuation request or lack the intelligence to understand it, begin an antibody reaction request and begin an immediate injection of SSS-class white blood cells. Oh, shut up. Heres what I think of you. Gyah, gyah, gyah, gyah, gyah, gyahhhhh!!!??? Something happened. To Boo Boo, it looked like several long needles had pierced the transparent body, but that seemed to rearrange the internal structure. With her right hand on her hip, the beautiful Sage instructor lightly flicked the floating cliones forehead and winked. What are you? Sir!! I was originally one of the evolutionary patterns that branched off from that renamed Iberian Orc there!! My line evolved for life in the ocean and specialized in data processing!! I see... I guess that would be a possibility since all the dead of this world are on his side. And the elder did mention an age when they tried moving out into the sea. But I guess that means youre from a failed line that hit a dead end. I now function as a quasi-living search engine that effectively manages the massive amount of information gathered by the Underworld!! You can think of me as a hippocampus that functions independently. It is an honor to meet you, sir!! It seemed there were some things in the world more frightening than ghosts. Boo Boo was curled up in a ball and tearfully trembling, so Sibyl stretched up to gently rub his head. Part 7 Beatrice was bound by her image of the wandering dead which had dressed her in the bandages and rags of a fresh Zombie. She also had a ball-and-chain attached to her ankle. And as soon as she opened the door to hell... Uuh...!? Beatrice? When the red-and-silver-haired girl groaned, Filinion tilted her head with the cow and glasses spirits floating around her. Once again, the metal balls weight had changed. (I-is it reacting to something? Like to my intent to run away or escape?) You should be careful, said Wildefrau. This thing on my thumbs reacts to my sticky fingers by tightening like a vise. U-uuh, groaned Huldra. When I try to act cutesy, it increases the number of casts. So youre supposed to tone down the fake girliness, huh? asked Armelina. If theyre all hitting people where it hurts, then what do my stocks do? Beatrices outfit was only possible in a foreign world that utterly ignored things like human rights, so she held down what little clothes she had and dragged the ball-and-chain along as she hesitantly left the cell. The scene outside was entirely different. She had thought they were in one room of a giant, gloomy prison, but that was not the case. It was something else entirely that filled the half of her vision not covered by the eyepatch. What is this? A village...no, a town? The Holy Swordswoman who now lacked her red armor and miniskirt could not be blamed for saying that. There were many rooms of the same size. And they were not all standalone. Some were stacked on top of each other or lined up alongside each other as they multiplied every which way like cubic bubbles. The ground was still made of black rotting flesh, but the layout of buildings was orderly enough to create a large road between them. Something like pumpkins swayed irregularly and shined light on it all. And there were people. There were men and woman of all ages. Some had costume-like bandages and rags plus a restraint just like Beatrice, but others were combat personnel with Percentage-type armor and a Shining Weapon just like Omega. The Arachne spider-crab fusion contraptions they had seen on the island of Grounds Nir were also pulling around carts like horses. Hm? What is it, Armelina? Now that were out in the open...hmm, Im really self-conscious about this charm on my forehead. The only real difference from Beatrices group was the marine creatures attached to all the others. For some reason, the girls lacked that. You shouldnt have any of those, said Omega. Or would you rather have barnacles covering your spine like me? Ew, said Filinion while she and her spirits grew pale in order to be courteous(?). But, wow. The place was more bustling with activity than they had expected. The people moving about had none of the resentment or dark joy seen on the island of Grounds Nir. Did that transformation not occur unless they met someone who had directly harmed them or appeared on a scene related to their desires in life? The town was fairly well developed and there was even a guide sign in the center of an intersection. It was unclear what it meant, but a comical ghost doll wearing a white sheet was pointing down each road and exit. Filinion, the needlessly curvy Japanese-style ghost, seemed somewhat exasperated with how she felt about all this. I was surprised when I heard wed died, but the panic kind of fades away when there are so many people who just accept it as normal. The adaptability of the human mind is a frightening thing... Ghost stories were overrun with tales of the dead envying the living and attempting to take the living away with them, but was that really accurate? If the dead were left somewhere like this, wouldnt they just go with the flow and accept the peace they found? Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina were dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the very un-ghostlike energy they felt. Wildefrau and Huldra seemed to be somewhat accustomed to it since they had been rescued by Omega earlier. This apparently wasnt originally a part of the Underworld. The Fairies used their Craft skills to build it after they got here. And we can only thank them for that since they let everyone else use it all for free. ...Would the dead Fairies be the ones that had been sacrificed to the Thousand Dragon? Well, they could probably die plenty of other ways in the survival-of-the-fittest natural world. The Fairies were apparently quite interested in anything productive because they had a few food stands lined up on the roadside where they were preparing strange baked goods and candies. While the kitchen tools were the perfect size for a human, the Fairies looked like they were swinging spears around. All of its sweets. Its probably meant as combat rations. It might seem silly, but a small treat can be effective for pro and amateur alike. And some small but high-calorie candy or chocolate makes for excellent emergency rations. The aroma of some kind of flat and spread-out dough being cooked on a large metal plate did inspire hunger, but... Oh, but I wouldnt rely on the drinking water and food here, Chief. Yes, this is meant for the people who are only thinking about how long until they respawn after being killed. We arent being controlled by the Underworld, so consuming it would be a very bad idea for us. Since they dont have cooking sake, they just dump in the methanol that seeps out of the rotting flesh. Wildefrau explained that while toying with one of the small horns on her hood. However, her thumbs were bound together, so she nearly had to raise her hands straight up to touch her ringlet-curled head. Since she only wore a bat bikini bottom below, her cape had to put up a valiant effort all on its own to protect her. Ehh? But it smells so good...bfhhh!? She hasnt even eaten a single cookie yet! Was the thought alone enough for Filinion to gain weight!? No...I...the corset is squeezing...why is this...khhh... Tears welled up in Filinions eyes as the squeezing of her torso only further accentuated her too-ample breasts, so Beatrice glanced down at the ball-and-chain attached to her ankle. (Does it have some kind of trigger like with my metal ball...?) Oh, does the crank on your back turn to penalize any wasteful thoughts? The corset around your waist may be a way of warning you youll get fat and lazy. That might actually be good for her. Lets get the cow working until she loses two or three cup sizes. The glasses girls breathing started sounding more like groaning at this point, so she did not have it in her to complain. Since everyone else was dressed similarly, Armelina seemed to have gotten used to her flashy hat, clothing, and restraint. It may have been like being at a costume party or nudist beach. What is it that separates the equipped people from the unequipped ones? she asked. We dont get to choose ourselves, said Omega. It most likely comes from the social system the Underworld placed on us. Kind of like how there are worker ants and soldier ants. You could say the Underworld is the colony and the Underworld Lord is the queen ant. Would that make us the worker ants? And that means the Underworld and the Underworld Lord cant do everything on their own. Its probably similar to how we cant see for ourselves whats going on in our stomachs. Were free to do as we wish until the Underworld Lord directly sees us and gives us an order. A closer look showed that the palm-sized Fairies wore something like Halloween costumes as they expanded the town and used the black spider threads to close up the wounds oozing lava. They had to be worker ants. Meaning... Does that mean you didnt confiscate our Shining Weapons? Were they simply not there from the moment we became ghosts? Yes, and that means you cant use Magic while in ghost mode. So dont think you can enjoy this foreign world like normal. You might be free of the Underworlds bonds, but you are also as fragile as a raw egg. You are Level 1. You should assume brushing up against any random weakling will break you. And you of course dont get any redoes like you do with a partial astral projection. ... This is more or less what it means to be merely human. You wont have any problems while blending in here, but watch out for anyone you directly interacted with in the past. Like the Underworld Lord. Its not really my place to talk, but-... Oh, what are you doing here, Omega? Someone suddenly called out to him from the side, so the muscular man shoved eyepatched Beatrice into the crowd to the other side. It was Alpha Zero of Elkiad. The gray-haired old soldier and large man faced each other. Do you need something, Alpha Zero? I believe I ordered you to get some rest. My apologies. The honor of fighting alongside you once more has left these old bones unable to contain my youthful vigor... Not good, not good, thought Beatrice as she pushed through the crowd to leave the source of the voices. And the ball-and-chain around her ankle only grew heavier and heavier in response to her desire to flee. That opponent would be bad enough under normal circumstances, but they lacked their Shining Weapons at the moment. Omega had neatly sidestepped the issue, but if they stood out in the crowd and gathered the old soldiers attention, they could not avoid being tormented to death. The Halloween costume and restraint made for very mismatched outfits, but that was actually the best way of blending in here. The Underworld was completely insane. (Over here, over here...!) (Yes...!?) They had managed to move away from Omega and Alpha Zero while keeping a wall of people between them, but they could not completely hide on the main street or back alleys. That left only one option: hiding the tree in the forest. Beatrice and the others naturally pressed together and worked to blend into the group of worker ants wearing similar costumes. Cow, this is hardly the time to press those overly-large things against me. Are you trying to show off!? Just so you know, those are Wildefraus boobs. Hey, Inoue, dont think Ive forgotten youre a guy. Quit tearfully trying to slip in with the rest of us!! Ahhh, please dont kick me out when being spotted means death! Im Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra-chan while Im here! ...Are none of you seriously trying to survive this? Omega seemed to have saved Beatrice and the others so they could recover enough to stop the Underworld Lords plans, but he had not managed to give them any details. They did not know where to go or what to do if they wanted to strike back at the Underworld Lord. Hey, doesnt Filinion have way too much clothing? Ive got almost nothing but bandages! If your sleeves are so long you have to roll them up, then give me some of that fabric!! Wait, Beatrice! Dont pull! The corset is so tight that theres no way to get anything off! Gwehhhh!? You complain, but look at these stocks I have to deal with. Nothing about your costume is fair, Filinion. Corsets are fashionable and you can rest your boobs on it. You lucked out!! Umm, as I said, we really should be taking this more seriously, said Wildefrau. You dont have much room to talk when youre walking around in public wearing almost nothing but a cape, said Huldra. It all led to a lot of tugging, shaking, stripping, and fighting. However, that may have been a good way of blending into the lively city. Beatrice and the others followed the flow of foot traffic while keeping an eye out for any Elkiad soldiers. On the way, Japanese-style Ghost Filinion (whose glasses must have become a part of her very soul since she still wore them with all her other equipment removed) made a suggestion. Things will only get worse if we dont do anything, so how about we work out a plan? First of all, will we stay in the town or leave it? The town is full of Elkiad soldiers who are familiar faces in a very bad way, so wouldnt it be safer to leave as soon as possible? Theyre soldier ants, so theyll probably be patrolling outside the town too. And we might find it harder to hide once we leave the crowds. The Underworld is quite large, so I want to avoid having to search around at random when its so dangerous. Does that mean we need to find a treasure map first? Beatrices comment gathered everyones attention on her as she dragged the ball-and-chain along. ...They couldnt exactly go up and ask people to tell them the secrets that the Underworld Lord had been hiding, but if they stayed near a random food stand and listened in, they could pick up on the various conversations mixed into all the noise. Did you hear the new request? Now they want combat rations that wont melt in the heat. These are supposed to be luxuries, but theyre starting to take them for granted, arent they? Well, I do have a bad habit of doing my best work when someone sets up a hurdle for me. Before, they kept asking for vodka, for a wooden stock on their favorite gun, or for vodka, vodka, and more vodka. They clearly dont understand how hard it is to grow plants in the Underworld. Naturally, they did not hit the jackpot right away, but... Drool... Stop it, cow. Youll get even fatter and suffer for it. Again, its not that Im gaining weight. How many times do I have to tell you its the corsets crank torturing me!? Oh, I know! Ill take that charm right off this pale China girls forehead!! W-wait, stop! I have a really bad feeling about that! Like I wont be myself anymore if you take that off... Thisll be worse than after some depressed drinking when I miss the last train home at night! You mean itll trigger a bonus round in horny mode? Cough, cough, cough! Women lose all their inhibitions when theyre drunk in dirty guys fantasies! Is it a misfire of a preservation instinct? Like wanting to warm each other up during a snowy mountain blizzard? Its all fantasy!! H-humans arent that simple!! Armelinas arms were held inside the thick stocks, so she shook her blushing head back and forth to keep Filinions fingers away, but that actually seemed to make the charm flutter dangerously on her forehead. Heh heh, eh heh heh. Coming out on top for once is a nice feeling. But, four eyes, did you forget I can still use my legs? There was a solid sound of impact and a defeated cry from the cow mixed in, but they spent time gathering any useful information. The Fairies were throwing strange pumpkin ghosts in a large mystery pot that emitted screams of agony and they boiled those pumpkin ghosts to get the sugar out of them. The Fairies were chatting as they stood on the smooth porcelain edge and prepared the sweets ingredients by flipping them with wooden spatulas far too large for their bodies. The deliveries are a real pain, arent they? Has that path still not been opened? That Next Generation Embryo area is so complex, isnt it? Its an important area, so I wish they wouldnt summon us there for errands. Omega had said he wanted them to do something that he and the others controlled by the Underworld Lord could not. That meant an area that was designated off limits for the dead was highly suspicious. More importantly, bandaged and eyepatched Beatrice repeated one notable term. ...Next Generation Embryo? Part 8 After reaching the giant rotting marine creatures spine, Boo Boo, the Sage, and Sibyl ran into a vast sea of information. The Sage whispered to the search engine that resembled a clione the size of a human head. First, basic information on the Underworld. Yes, sir. The Underworld itself is an important natural existence. ...It doesnt really matter, but isnt it maam with women? Is there really much of a difference for a meathead like- bwabwegweh!? After being beaten all over by fists covered in metal gauntlets, the clione was trembling and the Sage urged it on with a smile. A natural...what was that again? Ubh...yes, sir... The Underworld is not a biological weapon designed by the ancient humans. It is a natural existence that appeared in response to the worlds dark side. So the ancient humans were destroyed after they found themselves helpless against the giant monster that appeared out of nowhere? The elimination of all life, including the humans, was merely one step in an ongoing process. The Underworld was originally a god of harvest, making it very different from a male god of destruction. I dont understand... Boo Boo could not help but say that when this had to do with ancient technology. Sibyl winked. Asking a vague question wont lead us to the next answer. So, Mr...Engine was it? Is the Underworld trying to accomplish something else using all of the human souls? I am only afraid of the Sage, so I have no real reason to do what you-... ... Wait, please no. Not anything else to my body!! The currently-existing Underworld has overruled the wishes of all life to carry out a single role: resurrecting the world, sir!! Resurrecting...the world? In other words, reconstructing the world once the resources and environment have reached a dead end. All the worlds civilizations, including the humans, will eventually cease to grow due to a variety of reasons: lack of resources, the spread of disease, worsening pollution, etc. Just before that happens, all life is to be preserved such that they will be unable to advance or decline by even a millimeter, the planets resources and environment are to be reset, and all life is to be released once more. By repeating this, the Underworld ensures that civilization can develop endlessly without worrying about the environment or their consumption rate. The giant floating clione had a soft-looking body, but it still managed to stand at attention. However, this task requires the rising and sinking of continents and great changes to the air and sea currents, the world climate, the composition of the atmosphere, the planets magnetic field and axis of rotation, and much more, so failure to prepare properly would mean wiping out the old ages life forms while preparing the land. So as previously stated, it was necessary to preserve the souls of all those life forms. The Sage brought a hand to her slender chin. And that led to the process of collecting dead souls, hm? Preservation of the physical bodies was rejected because there is simply not enough space and the living costs would be too high. But storing the immaterial souls as data accomplishes the same thing. So the ancient humans had been unilaterally told they would be saved from environmental destruction and resource depletion and then their savior had reaped their lives one after another. Since the humans had created Abyss, a different monster in the depths of their giant armory, it was obvious that they had not simply accepted this. They had been more advanced than anyone and they had received less salvation than anyone. Squeal? This is really confusing... Dumb pigs only need to stay quiet and listen. ...Drool. No, Boo Boo. Dont eat him yet. What do you mean yet!? And that would sort of be cannibalism! Eeeeek!? The giant clione was trembling, but the Sage did not care and urged it to continue. U-until the safety of every last life form on this world has been confirmed, the main resurrection task cannot begin. The protection of every continent and island is complete, but in recent years, life forms were detected on the surface of the artificial island of Grounds Nir, so all work was halted to resume the emergency protection task. The goal was creation, not destruction. This sweep of the world was meant to stop the old age before it derailed and build up new rails that never ended. ...A never-ending supply of fuel. No, its just like Noahs Ark. Squeal? Noahs Ark??? But in that case, why is the Underworld Lord forcing the protected souls to do his bidding? Was the Underworld Lord like a monstrous search engine that tells you how convenient it is while stealing all your personal information? My guess is that discrepancy is related to the nature of the Underworld Lord who controls the entire Underworld, sir. What, did the obedient maids go on strike? The Underworld Lord is indeed an important ruler on this giant marine creature. His power is great enough to claim and control all of the souls in this world. But that is a temporary privilege that only lasts until the next age is complete. Once the new rails have been laid out to pass the derailing dead end, he will be just as unneeded as the Underworld itself and both will be forgotten. Well, it is true the arks value rises considerably during the catastrophic climax but theres no use for it once the flood has been safely overcome. What if the Underworld Lord refused to let himself become unneeded? Are you saying he has no intention of ever letting go of those souls and he wants them to live here forever? ...Weve heard a lot of impressive things about this Underworld Lord, but it would seem hes nothing more than a petty banker embezzling the money hes left with. ? ? Boo Boo and Sibyl could only exchange a glance and tilt their heads. No matter how intelligent the pig-faced humanoid and Royal Elf were, they could not keep up with earth-centric comparisons. As a result, it was the Sage and the clione-shaped search engine that maintained control of the scene. They had gotten some information on the Underworld and the Underworld Lord, but that was not what really mattered to the Sage. Does that mean something is hidden in here that has the power to construct an entire world or age? Part of that has got to be a technique related to life. Regardless of what it was actually doing, the Underworld was meant to preserve the human souls and safely place those souls in different vessels once the world resurrection was complete. In that case. Couldnt that same technique be used to transplant the Iberian Orc souls from Boo Boos Shining Weapon and into some other vessels? Yes, sir. The giant clione-like search engine answered without delay. That would be the one-and-only Next Generation Embryo. The Sage was constantly guiding the history of the world with technology, but not even she was familiar with that term. The Next Generation Embryo is the Underworlds most important organ and a masterpiece currently being bred within it. It is the next originator that will form the core of a new age. The Underworld is gradually rotting away and its flesh is turning into nutrients much like humus, but once it has entirely rotted, that will be injected into the Next Generation Embryo and the resurrection task will be complete. ... The Underworld Lord does not want to end the task, travel down the path of self-abandonment, and be forgotten by everyone, so he will not want that process to complete. Originally, the Underworld Lord was meant to procure a new giant creature at that point. The fact that the Underworlds rot is slowing is a sign that he is holding it back. After killing so many humans and stealing their technology, he has used data cables and skeletal reinforcements to extend the life of the current generation Underworld by turning it into a sort of cyborg. And that has left the Next Generation Embryo unused and untouched in the deepest depths. Of course, outright destroying the Next Generation Embryo would mean the task could not be continued and the Underworld would cease to function, so that lord is caught between a rock and a hard place there. Part 9 A sticky sound echoed through one of the Underworlds rotting pathways. (The Next Generation Embryo...) Information rose into the mind of a twisted being sewn together with needle and thread. He once more had a chance at victory. But it was still not a sure thing. He needed just one more thing. Acquire that and victory would be his. (...I just need the Next Generation Embryo.) Part 10 Once they knew where to go, it did not take long for Boo Boo, the Sage, and Sibyl to take action. This is the spine...so our destination is on almost the exact opposite side. Its called the Next Generation Embryo, so Im guessing it would be around there. Ahem. Try to show act more dignified, Sage. If it happens to be that time of the month, will the entire tunnel be filled with lava? Oh, but I guess that would stop while the embryo is growing inside. Now youre just being vulgar. Sibyl closed her eyes and blushed all the way to the tips of her ears, but Boo Boo had no idea what they meant and tilted his head. Oh, right, right. Sharks are live-bearing even though they have eggs, right? So whats this going to be like? All the while, tremendous sounds of destruction surrounded them. The farther they had to travel, the more likely they were to run into the dead and have to fight, but the Sage and Sibyl did not seem to care. They used their incredible Magic and Skill to easily sweep aside everyone who stood in their way. They primarily sent in a flurry of long-distance projectile attacks, so the dead never had a chance to approach close enough for Boo Boos close-range attacks. The entirety of the horizontal downpour seemed to have transformed into bombs as the dead were pushed back by the powerful pressure and blown away into the distance. The closer they got to their destination, the narrower the passageway grew. At the same time, it curved every which way, rose and fell quite a bit, and connected to other paths quite frequently. Squeal, its like a maze. Is the complex layout meant to confuse us and keep us from continuing on? Whoops. Now that the passageway did not follow a straight line, there were more surprise attacks from around corners. They could no longer rely on projectiles like before. It naturally came down to the Sage and Boo Boo making short work of the dead with their Shining Weapons while Sibyl fell back with her weapon that resembled both a longbow and a staff. Hm, hm. Hm, hm, hm, hmm. Squeal? Oh, excuse me. Its just that I feel like Im fighting alongside the elder and the others again. The dead army had swept across the island of Grounds Nir, but they were so little a challenge for the Sage that she seemed more focused on humming and remembering the past. He had been with Beatrice and the others at the time, but Boo Boo was still impressed that they had managed to drive back this monster before. ...It really has been too long since I felt like this. Gah...bh...!? And thinking back reminds me how much youve grown, Boo Boo. Although you still lack some dignity compared to the elder and the others. Ghgwah!! Pant, pant...gahhhh!? She gently narrowed her eyes, but it was an overwhelming storm of violence she was creating in reality. As they continued on, they came across a large door made of what looked like white bone. They had needed to pass through the complex maze of passageways and it seemed that would only lead to a dead end or a thick gate sealed with a solid lock, but the Sage showed no mercy. This isnt the hymen, is it? I mean, this gate isnt leading to the outside. You...You really need to learn some tact, you idiot!! They destroyed the entire door and walked on through. A slight change occurred from there on. ...The dead arent attacking anymore, are they? The area might be off limits. The Underworld Lord will want to protect the Next Generation Embryo at all costs. Well, white blood cells and antibody reactions can cause problems in the human body too. The intricate maze of narrow pathways widened back out to a single large one. As the Sage had predicted, they must have passed the final line of defense. The rot and bleeding was a lot less severe here and they eventually reached something like a large plaza. It was in fact so large they could not see the other side. And there they found a small world. A transparent cube was positioned at the center of the vast space. It measured about thirty meters on each side. The fact that even it looked small was a testament to the rooms great size. Despite the normal shape of an egg or embryo, it was a cube instead of a sphere or ellipsoid. It was made of straight lines instead of curves. Was that symbolic of the fact that this was something which did not exist in the natural world? It was likely filled with a clear liquid and it contained something other than an embryonic form of life. It was a tree. A single giant tree was contained inside with its roots planted firm, its thick trunk extending toward the heavens, and green leaves sprouting from its many branches. The entire thing looked like a large aquarium and the Sage sounded impressed as she looked up at it with a hand on her hip. So after all this, were back to the idea of a world tree? Well, I suppose thats the kind of scale you need if youre talking about constructing the next age. Squeal? Life began in the sea, climbed up onto land, and then ruled the sky. A tree symbolizes all three stages of that process, Boo Boo. Although if were talking about a tree that directly absorbs water from the sea, it would have to be more like a mangrove. But looking at it that way, the Underworld is pretty simple. Its a giant marine creature, but it also rots away to form soil and repeats its bleeding and clotting process to construct minerals. Its been preparing to build some land up from the ocean so that tree can grow there. The Sage paused for a moment. And if you suddenly plant a tree large enough to truly pierce the heavens, it would probably alter the planets rotation. Just like adding a weight to one side of a top. By intentionally altering the rotational axis and the flow of lava, it can also build up continents, change the planetary magnetic field, and affect the global climate through the air and sea currents. If the fruit growing on the branches can also be controlled, then its weight balance can be adjusted to smoothly shift the axis. Its like a program-run controller for the sea, continents, and global climate. If the plan was on this large a scale, I can see why they needed to remove all life first. ...But in that case, how was it supposed to bring back the underground resources? Cause untouched ocean-bottom resources to rise up as continents, or maybe drop lots of fruit and let it rot? No, if it intentionally created and wiped out an animal and insect ecosystem for a few generations before bringing back the people, it might be able to rapidly turn them into underground oil. Sibyl ruled the forests, but even she had never seen a tree like this before. The girl looked up at it and the Sages next words rang in her ears. But we dont need the entire world. That statement was essentially rejecting the entire world, including every continent and island. Used properly, this may have been able to bring back the ancient human civilization, but the Sages way of thinking ignored that and only worried about the small island of Grounds Nir. All we need to do is save some specific lives right away. We dont need to affect the planets axis, cause any violent changes in the crust, or build up continents around the world to create a brand new ecosystem. There must be some system for producing and evolving a specific form of life using the environmental changes. We only have to break down the Next Generation Embryo, thoroughly investigate it, and then downsize it. What kind of location is necessary for humans to breathe with lungs and walk on two legs? Or for the elder and the others to obtain their large tusks and noses? By throwing the souls in question into a properly prepared territory, the rapidly developing and changing environment will give life to the desired physical body. Even if we dont change the world as a whole, we can still use a small experimental field. But just like with an artificial diamond, it consumes energy, so this will use up the rotting flesh. ...Now, Boo Boo, cut this free. Its original purpose doesnt matter. We are the victors who survived this long, so lets take our prize. This was the exact opposite of Darwins theory of evolution. To ensure the completion of an ideal lifeform, they would stir up the surrounding environment. To return a specific soul to the appropriate body, they would use everything else as a guiding framework. But something happened just before the Sage took another step toward the Next Generation Embryo. The rotting ceiling writhed overhead. And a bizarre form dropped down. Overall, it looked like a mermaid with slender bodylines. It had long, blue, and wavy hair, a fairly flat chest, and a scale-covered lower body that looked a bit like a fishs tail fin. But it also had two slender legs. The graceful arms of a girl were joined by giant crab claws growing from the shoulders. The large octopus-like head growing from the back may have been synchronized with the girls brain. The octopuss tentacles were wrapped around the girls chest and slender arms. It wore no real clothing, so its skin was only covered by the octopus tentacles, the univalves directly clinging to the skin, and a single scrap of cloth. A ring on one of the girls skinny fingers reflected the lavas glow. Vivian...? muttered Sibyl when she saw the girl with a spiral shell horn on her forehead. No, is her body simply being reused after it washed up here? It was obvious this thing had not been born in this form. The Underworld Lord had already appeared as a collection of marine creatures, but the Sage understood since she had already examined all of his spare bodies. How twisted. ... I had taken apart and analyzed each and every organ of your thirteen methods, but I guess you realized something was off. It would seem you tried to sew together those black boxes to create an unknown new one. But the Next Generation Embryo can finish your original task, so it should be nothing but a nuisance for you since you dont want to be discarded. So if youre still so fixated on it... ... You couldnt relax after sewing together that patchwork body. You left all thirteen of your rails, but it still wasnt enough. So the only way you think you can win is to use the Next Generation Embryo to create a brand new flesh vessel and include it in that patchwork body. You wanted to use up what were trying to use for others. And yet if you lose the Next Generation Embryo, the entire Underworlds work task will be stopped and you wont be able to remain its lord. You lost sight of that. No more words were necessary. With a heavy thud, large pieces of metal dropped from the many tentacles that accompanied the Underworld Lords arms. Several thick chains extended from the end of a long handle and each one was attached to the kind of metal hook used with cranes. Was it a morning star? Or a cat o nine tails? Its exact classification was unclear, but the way he carried the long handle over his shoulder and let the several shells dangle down from the chains brought a different weapon to mind. In other words, the symbol of the underworlds ruler. The scythe wielded by Death. The Underworld Lord quickly approached in his girl form. He swung the death scythe toward Boo Boo who was closest. At first, Boo Boo reflexively raised his giant log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon to defend, but he immediately changed his mind and jumped straight back. The enemys weapon used chains. Even if Boo Boo could stop a sword or a blunt object, a chain would bend and continue on. And if it hit him, the many hooks would tear apart his flesh and organs. In the human society of earth, Death used a scythe because it was a harvesting tool. Instead of fighting and taking the life, he would unilaterally reap the soul of a specific human. But the Underworld Lord came from a marine creature, so his weapon may have been meant as a fishing hook instead. And it did not end there. With a spiral shell for a horn, the Underworld Lord kept attacking Boo Boo while the Sage and Sibyl managed to move to a more advantageous distance. This was especially fortunate for Sibyl whose weapon resembled both a longbow and a staff. She attempted to convert the surrounding residual thoughts into an attack. (...? Theres nothing here??? Oh, no. This area is off limits, so almost no one comes here!) During that slight lag, the Underworld Lord sent out his left crab claw. Sibyl had supposedly put a fair distance between them, but it did not matter. The shell inflated like a giant balloon, burst from within, and scattered the fleshy contents. Then it was compressed down as if being squeezed within a giant hand, so a mysterious liquid was released in an ultra-high-pressure straight line that resembled a laser. If the Sage had not immediately kicked the back of Sibyls knees to knock her down, her head might have been taken off. And this was not just water. The slight spray that did reach Sibyl sent stinging pain racing across her skin. Acid!? No, its liquid methane! Once it vaporizes at room temperature... They heard a quiet sound much like clacking teeth. The Underworld Lord was striking together the stubbornly remaining fragments of the crab shell. ...Even the slightest spark or static electricity will trigger an explosion! Light burst out and all sound vanished. Sibyl could only materialize residual thoughts, so she was not actually protected by any Magical Elemental Defenses. The only way she could escape the flames and explosive blast was to rely on the Sage who had knocked her to the floor. The Underworld Lord had the outline of a slender girl and that also provided him a mermaids tail fin which extended behind him like a thick, thick tail. He gently swung it around as he took his next action. Another large crab claw grew to replace the one that had shattered from his shoulder and he resumed the attack. There was a way to stop him. Boo Boo charged in and swung his giant Shining Weapon down at the Underworld Lord. He had learned something during the previous battle where Beatrice and the others had been lost. (If you dont completely destroy his arm, he wont change his attack method!! Instead of tearing it off, I need to break it so it just dangles there!!) Boo!! The Underworld Lord could not make any further attacks while focused on defense. Boo Boo slammed his blunt weapon against him with enough force to break both the shelled arm and the torso, but the Underworld Lord did not so much as budge. Something like an octopus tentacle was wrapped around the shelled arm. And it did not give off a sticky glean. It had rapidly dried itself out and tightened itself to make itself incredibly hard. As a counterattack, the girls slender arm gave a horizontal swing of the scythe made from crane hooks attached to chains. To avoid having his gut torn open, Boo Boo fell back. Then his nose detected something odd. He immediately held his breath, but his body still tilted diagonally. Had he realized that a rapid fermentation was robbing the air of all its oxygen? That being was known as the Underworld Lord and he literally ruled over every part of death. That meant he controlled all sorts of changes that occurred after death: rotting, fermentation, oxidation, saponification, oil formation, etc. The Underworld Lord picked up further momentum and threw the many chains toward Boo Boo now that he had stopped moving, but... Bodily fluids and gasses... Have you no shame!? The Underworld Lord was hit by explosive flames from the side. He balled up his torso and mermaid tail, bounced across the ground like a soccer ball, and raised his scythe once the momentum had escaped him. Tch. I hit him a little too hard. Squeal!? Dont do that! Destroying a part of his body makes him use a major attack!! The red-armored Sage held a giant crab claw in her hand. She did not know what to do with it, so she tossed it aside just as the Underworld Lord grew a new arm without speaking a word. Having recovered their position, Boo Boo and the Sage ran in from the left and the right. The octopus head on the enemys back rapidly swelled out and something black erupted out in every direction: ink. Boo Boo quickly swung down his Shining Weapon, but he felt nothing there. The ink was probably meant to rob him of his senses, but it felt like being stirred up and dissolved within muddy water. And... Boo Boo, get down!! Squeal!? The Sages rapier sheath suddenly swept Boo Boos feet out from under him. After he tripped and she ducked, Royal Elf Sibyl used the cleared line of fire to raise her Shining Weapon with its crystal at the top and take aim at the mass of ink. Her weapon could look like a variety of different things depending on how she held it, but she tended to hold it like a staff for her biggest techniques. Sibyl could materialize an objects residual thoughts and convert it into her own attack. There had been no useful residual thoughts in this off-limits area, but she had a trump card. (Using up your hidden technique means you cant use it later and that creates a lot of psychological pressure, but I have no choice this time!!) She had only needed to carry a medium for residual thoughts inside her pocket. Carrying it around for too long would mix in her own thoughts and reduce its accuracy, so this often led to failed attacks and malfunctions. It was really only useful as a good luck charm she hoped not to use, but she had no choice but to rely on it here. She brushed back her hair and pulled out something that had been held in her long ear all this time. She now held something smaller than her little fingers nail. The solid object that had lost its luster was a body part that the enemy had recently prepared in order to trap Sibyl in the Girls Grill. She had collected it from the ruins during the confusion of the Underworlds attack and she had thought about using it as the medium for a curse similar to the human witch doctor, but it had come in handy in an unexpected way. In other words. It was Beatrices back tooth. Once someone lost their life, they were treated as a thing. Anyone who knew of Demon Lord Tselikas struggles was aware of that cold equation that the world obeyed. Metal Jet: check. The crystal ball released a flash of light and eight deadly heat beams charged toward the black darkness. The attacks arrived with staggered time delays, so the first three used their heat to induce a chemical change in the smokescreen ink and wiped away the colloidal optical veil. Then the remaining five rushed toward the Underworld Lord himself. The leading two struck the scythe made of chains and crane hooks, knocking it back so he could not move. Then the primary attack flew toward his vitals while the last two cut off his escape on the left and right. Even so, the Underworld Lord tenaciously worked toward survival. To avoid the primary attack, he forcibly twisted his body out of the way. Heat beams had of course been fired to his left and right, but he held one of them back with the shell of his large crab claw. The beam punched through the armor and tore into the flesh within, but that slightly altered its course. Life and death had shifted. He just barely managed to move to the side the few millimeters needed to avoid a fatal hit. A fingertip-sized hole was opened in the center of his girls stomach, but he sneered. His body continued to move. And a major attack was always followed by a defenseless moment. He must have intended to crush Sibyl with a counterattack because he swung around the scythe to directly hit her with the hook shells. Metal Jet: once more!! Another eight shots came from where the Sage and Boo Boo had gotten down on the ground. The Sage could freely reallocate her Experience Points to use any Magic she wanted, so she could do anything Beatrice could. The scythe was hit just as it was swung forward and the Underworld Lord, who had a spiral shell horn on his forehead, staggered backwards. Not even balling up his torso and mermaid tail would be enough to avoid this one. Unable to keep his balance, he fell onto his back. If someone did not do something, they would all be killed. The one who got up with a fierce momentum was Boo Boo. He held his giant Shining Weapon that could be mistaken for a log or a steel beam. With a crushing rather than stabbing motion, he slammed the flat tip against the fallen girls chest. Something was flattened with a dull sound. Red blood spilled from the Underworld Lords lovely lips which must have belonged to someones corpse. He was pinned to the ground, so only the mermaid tail could flail back and forth. Boo Boos face also twisted in pain, but Sibyl spoke to him from the side. You need not feel any guilt. This will have saved Vivian and the others who were used as tools even after their deaths. Kh... The Underworld Lords tongue writhed as if some bonds or restraints within his body had been directly destroyed. For the first time, words left his mouth. ...So this is the end. Take the Next Generation Embryo for yourselves. It seems to have been too great a burden for me. You... Boo Boo, dont feel bad. You havent done anything wrong. Indeed you have not. The quitter looked up at Boo Boo while lying on his back. Even now that lord continued to sneer. And now it is your turn. The woman is clearly clever and I doubt the beast is as dense as he looks. So surely youve started to catch on. The Next Generation Embryo is not as convenient as it sounds. I dont know which of you will obtain it, but it cannot bring salvation to you both. What...? The Next Generation Embryo is a giant tree with the ability to bring about a new age by influencing the planets axis of rotation and building up continents, but there is a species barrier at the foundation. So if you chose humanity as the species to stand at the center, it will design an age in which that species can most easily prosper. For some reason, the humans of the past blindly believed that species would unconditionally be themselves. ... In other words, the Next Generation Embryo can only save a single species. No matter how much you analyze its structure and attempt to downsize it, that limitation cannot be overturned if you wish to save a specific individual. It was a decisive statement. That evil which had taken a girls form gave them a sticky sneer to the very end. I have been monitoring your situation through the autonomous hippocampus that manages the spine gateway. Breaking down a single Next Generation Embryo will only provide the equation for saving one species. As they each have different effective values, you must choose humans if you wish to save Beatrice and you must choose Iberian Orcs if you wish to save the elder. It all boils down to that decision. Part 11 ... ... Silence followed. Neither Boo Boo nor the Sage spoke a word. The Underworld Lord was effectively no longer present. Someone that could never move again was not an obstacle. There were no tricks or traps here. Beatrices Party or the Iberian Orc village? The single Next Generation Embryo could only save one or the other. Needless to say, they would not reach an agreement if they tried to talk it out. They only had this one chance. And if they could not talk it out, what other method was there? The answer could not have been more obvious. In a way, Sibyl may have been in a position to view this most impartially and objectively. So she could only watch as the battle began. It was a direct clash with no trickery. The Sage stopped Boo Boos giant Shining Weapon with only the rapier held by her slender arm. They pressed their weapons against each other, clenched their teeth, and flung their words at each other like shells. Boo Boo, reviving the Iberian Orc village was what you wanted too, wasnt it!? Those are the parents who gave birth to you, the siblings who raised you, and the friends who played with you! Are you really going to reject all of that!? ...I cant do it. Why not!? No matter what, I cant just abandon Beatrice and the others who were so nice to me!!!!! He was crying. Even as he poured in all of his great bodys strength, large tears poured down his face even as he stood right in front of his enemy. This was not an easy decision for Boo Boo. He would love it if he could release all the souls sealed in his Shining Weapon. The Sage made it look like she was going to push through with even more force, but then she suddenly pulled her sword back. Just as the competition of strength ended, the Sage relied more on Magic than her blade. Wind Explo- Sky Bla- Shot Stor- Hurricane Ga- Lost Ai- Aero Hamm- Blitz Atta- Homing Bomb!!!!! Countless forms of Wind Magic almost seemed to fuse together into a single great torrent. But Boo Boo did not fall back which would only leave him in the path of danger. Nor did he try to block it which would only get him gradually torn apart. He dodged it by rolling toward the Sages side. !? !! They clashed again. Boo Boo and the Sages Shining Weapons directly clashed two or three times. ...I will go to hell. That giant body spoke with a tremor in his voice. And it soon rose to a shout that seemed like it would trigger an explosion. Ive been through so much pain. My family was killed, I lost my home, and I had stones thrown at me while people called me ugly... But I managed to clench my teeth and bear with it. I had no other choice. But...but!! I cant do the same thing when it comes to Beatrice and the others!! I-I...sob...I wont give up. I dont want to. Just imagining never seeing her again is making my fingers tremble and I cant make it go awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! The rules he used to judge himself had completely failed. All he had left were the ugly emotions that told him to achieve his goal even if it meant forcing the consequences onto someone else. But the Sage would not laugh at that monster. She even felt respect for Boo Boo for having found someone he was willing to go that far for. Im the same, Boo Boo... Nevertheless, she did not let up. A dark flame seemed to envelop her body as she faced Boo Boos pure rampage. Even if all of them accepted their deaths, I cant bring myself to accept it... I would sell my soul to the devil if it would let me save the elder and the others. So, Boo Boo, your wish cannot be granted. Because I will defeat you here!! I will save Beatrice and the others. I will save the elder and the others. So! Move!! Out of the way!!!!!! So! Move!! Out of the way!!!!!! Part 12 Sutriona sensed a hopeless current forming. She knew it was bad news, but there was no way of fighting it. She slowly exhaled. And the Fairy Queen gave an order to palm-sized Morgan who waited alongside her. She asked the Fairy to relay a message to all of the Break News who could move. Prepare to attack. ...It will be dawn soon. Part 13 More and more impacts reverberated through the air. Sibyl simply watched that fight to the death between Boo Boo and the Sage. She thought this may have been what it was like to watch the end of the world. If it was simply good against evil, one side simply had to exterminate the other. If it was evil against evil, they could smile thinly and exchange a dirty handshake. But what about with good against good? There was no correct answer there. There was no compromise or resignation. So the only result was for them to continue fighting to the end even if it meant throwing the world itself into the furnace. They were foolish yet kind. But they were not that simple either. They had to understand that throwing someone else under the bus to resurrect those people would not lead to the bright smiles they pictured in their heads. No matter how bright the outside world was, they would still know the truth and that very brightness would eventually be too much to bear. Even so. No matter what. Like a drowning man grasping at straws, they could not stop fighting. They seemed to be putting their regrets off until later as they worked to crush the enemy before their eyes to bring someone precious back to life. Steel clashed with steel and the intersection of tremendous arm strength and incredible Magic produced more and more deafening sounds. Neither of them was unscathed. They were both scattering dark red blood all around them. Looking purely at the specs, Boo Boo could not defeat the Sage when he was fighting all on his own with no form of support whatsoever. The previous victory over her had been in an elevator that restricted movement and with three Level Cappers on his side. And yet he continued to fight even as he was bloodied. It did not add up. If you tried to explain it with simple emotion and said his feelings were simply that strong, it was unlikely that the Sage would laugh at you even if she had supposedly brought logic and efficiency to their limit. After all, the pillar she was trying to break here was formed from Boo Boos ideals, his desire, his future, and his happiness. Unless she broke all of that, she could not reach her goal of resurrecting the Iberian Orc village and the elder. Royal Elf Sibyl could not take either side. ... Was that because she was impartial? Because she was a coward? Because she was indecisive? Sibyl herself could not find the answer. She simply decided not to pretty up the fact that she could not choose. But that may have been why she was the first to notice a slight oddity. It was objective Sibyl who noticed, not Boo Boo or the Sage who were actually participating in the fight. Oh? Something that should have been there was not. Yes. ...Where did the Underworld Lord go? Part 14 Some others were watching from even further away. They were hiding behind the cover provided by a boulder-like section of the ground built up from the repeated rotting and regeneration. Needless to say, this was Beatrice and the others souls who had been given some level of freedom thanks to Omegas protection. They had overheard some information concerning the Next Generation Embryo in the town of the dead. With nothing else to go on, they had come here in order to steal a treasure they figured the Underworld Lord would not want taken. However... Dammit, what is Boo Boo doing!? We cant let this continue! Stop, Beatrice! Without our Shining Weapons, well be obliterated the instant we head out there!! Yes, Beatrice was only equipped with bandages, scraps of cloth, and a restraint, so she did not even have the bare minimum of muscular reinforcement from Magic. She was no more than a frail girl who might die if a stray dog bit her. And since they had escaped the Underworld Lords surveillance, they could not enter the normal process in which the dead could wait to respawn after dying. They would only be placed under the Underworld Lords control if they did. However. Havent things reached a much larger scale since we last spoke with them? It seems that Next Generation Embryo can be used to resurrect us, said Wildefrau in her horned and hooded cape and bat bikini (bottom only) and whose thumbs were restrained, forcing her arms to squeeze her large breasts between them. Are Boo Boo and the Sage fighting over who gets to use that!? Th-th-th-th-this is no joke!! shouted Werewolf-mode Huldra as her face grew pale and her ears and tail stood straight up. Someone else had placed their fates on the scales and this decision could take away their chance at resurrection. That would certainly be frightening...but that was not the issue here. The fluffy Werewolf girl had more to say. I mean, there are tons more Next Generation Embryos further back, arent there!? Its wrong to fight so desperately over one when there are so many more!! Boo Boo and the Sage should have considered it. The octopus head on the back of the Underworld Lords patchwork girl body had used ink to scatter a colloidal optical veil. That meant they could not necessarily see everything there was to see. That had hidden what existed further back. Even if the hidden objects were gigantic and lined up like harbor warehouses. It was true that the Next Generation Embryo was something special. It was not an inorganic weapon like Grounds Nir Abyss. It was a biological structure that could only be formed within the giant marine creature that was the Underworld. However. A single embryo per womb was a logic that only applied to humans or similarly-structured lifeforms. For example, some of the sharks, which were seen as the strongest marine creatures, could release dozens or even hundreds of eggs at once. That said, there was only one world. Having tons of those trees growing at once would be a problem, so they were likely divided into different sections. One section was for creating and preserving the embryos and another was used for actually raising one and allowing the next age to blossom. Boo Boos group had been viewing the one sent to the latter section. If the first one succeeded, all the others would be abandoned. If the first one failed to complete the next age, another embryo would be dragged into that section. The process would repeat endlessly until success was finally achieved. Sharks used eggs to reproduce, but they also had a unique habit of warming the eggs within their wombs. This was nothing unusual. There was not just the one Next Generation Embryo. There was a thick forest of them. Their incalculable value had tricked Boo Boo and the Sage into thinking they were rare. But since the entire planetary axis had to be shifted and continents had to be built up from the sea in order to create the next age, the Underworld may have wanted as much insurance as possible. But Boo Boo and the Sage had not realized that. They had been convinced it was an ultra-rare and one-of-a-kind item. ...Was their information being controlled? The Holy Swordswoman frowned and speculated while annoyed by the feeling of the eyepatch and dragging the ball-and-chain along. How did Boo Boo and the Sage learn about the Next Generation Embryos? I just hope it wasnt something like a search engine where the host can intentionally influence what information they see. Unexpectedly, that was the truth. If someone viewed search results that hid the fact that there were multiple Next Generation Embryos, they could only accept that mistaken information. However, while Boo Boo was one thing, the Sage was not the kind of person to fall for that sort of thing. Had she simply had too little information on the Underworld, or had she lost her cool because it had to do with the Iberian Orc village and the elder. With the bluish-white spirits floating around her, Japanese-style Ghost Filinion waved her hands in front of her large chest. A-anyway, what do we do? I dont want to let Boo Boo and the Sage continue that pointless battle and, since this has to do with Magic, we need a living person to do the necessary work if were going to be resurrected. We cant have Boo Boo lose and give up on our lives! But if we set foot on the front line there, we could easily be turned to mincemeat before they even noticed we were there, reminded Wildefrau in her horned and hooded cape and her bat bikini bottom with her arms squishing her large breasts together due to the thumb restraint. Her opinion was added to by Armelina who was bothered by her hat and who had her arms and neck in stocks. And theyre going to be skeptical of an idea thats too convenient for everyone. We cant have them thinking about defeating everyone first and figuring things out later. Chief, are you saying we need to get Boo Boo and the Sage to search the surrounding area of their own volition? Yes, but how do we do that? The most obvious treasure is right in front of them, so I doubt theyre going to take their eyes off it for even a second. And for the Sage in particular, this is going to sound like enemy trickery. Beatrice brought a hand to her slender chin and thought for a while. What did they need to convince Boo Boo and the Sage to look away from the obvious goal in front of them and calmly observe their surroundings once more? (When you get down to it, it doesnt really matter what happens to the Next Generation Embryo dangling in front of their eyes. It doesnt matter to us if the Sage uses it or if it gets destroyed in the battle. Not when there are so many more located further in. In that case, it isnt the crux of the issue.) She poked at her eyepatch with her index finger and made a statement. It did not feel right to say anything was at the center of this. She needed to focus on the people. ...About Boo Boo and the Sage. Y-yes? What about them, Beatrice? Lets kick one of their asses. Theyre only fighting because of their conflicting goals, so that fighting will automatically stop if one of them is removed from the equation. You really are the worst sometimes, you know that? The main point was the fact that she had not said they would necessarily support Boo Boo and defeat the Sage. In fact, supporting Boo Boo would not change much of anything. The Sage would see that as the natural arrangement and Beatrices group was fragile enough to be smashed to smithereens if someone lightly bumped into them since they lacked the Magical support provided by their Shining Weapons. They would not accomplish much if they supported Boo Boo. They needed to supply the largest shock. They needed something that would provide an impact overwhelming enough to freeze the atmosphere. Those two were turning the gears in the simplest direction as they continued their fight, so what did the others have to do if they were to briefly stop those twos movements and create an opening for their thoughts to calm down? There was only one possible answer. ...It looks like the only option is to hit Boo Boo with something significant. He really might cry... Armelina sounded exasperated, but Beatrice was not going to rethink this. Boo Boo trusted Beatrices group, so if he received a serious attack from them here, it was sure to come as a major shock. Meanwhile, the Sage would never expect eyepatched Beatrice to take her side. Seeing that unexpected attack would lead her to think about the purpose behind it. Hopefully, that would be enough for her to observe her surroundings once more and realize the truth of the Next Generation Embryos. B-but, said Huldra. We still cant use Magic right now. I doubt Boo Boo will even flinch if a weak girl like me punches him. We all know youre really a guy, you fake girl. We all know youre really a guy, you fake girl. We all know youre really a guy, you fake girl. We all know youre really a guy, you fake girl. I-Im Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra-chan while Im here... But whatever her gender, the tearful cast girl(?) had still raised a valid concern. Hitting Boo Boo with an unassisted humans strength would accomplish nothing. Even if Boo Boo did not intend to attack them, they could be torn to pieces like they had been caught under a turning dump trucks back wheel. They needed some technology other than Magic to reach Boo Boo and the Sages level. Only one thing came to mind. The Underworld Lord is an ancient being just like the humans of this world, so just like Abyss, he isnt using modern Magic, right? What about it? ...Now, theres a scythe made from chains and crane hooks lying over there. I dont know what its made from or how, but if we swung that around, could it deliver an effective blow to Boo Boo? Part 15 The limit was approaching. While Boo Boo and the Sages repeated clashes shook their eardrums and the ground below their feet, Beatrice and the other girls got to work. They were after the Underworld Lords scythe made of chains and crane hooks that had been discarded on the writhing ground. By hitting her beloved Boo Boo with that, Beatrice could supply enough of a psychological blow to stop the battle between him and the Sage. However. ... Unluckily, Royal Elf Sibyl had chosen the exact same moment to view her surroundings to find the vanished Underworld Lord. You there. And as soon as she drew her longbow, Beatrices heart tightened a bit. (Oh, no. I need to dodge or run away...but when I think that...!) The ball-and-chain grew heavier. And a beam of light burst out and struck the scythe on the ground. Beatrices outstretched hand only just missed reaching the crane hook scythe before it was sent rolling off into the distance. If Beatrices ball-and-chain had not changed C or if she was supported by Magic C she would have been able to nab the weapon before Sibyls attack reached it. But what happened was what happened. And the interference had not gone unnoticed by Boo Boo and the Sage. They had detected the new people that had snuck onto the battlefield. The red-armored and miniskirted Sage clenched her teeth and let out a roar. Why must...why must you get in my way toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!??? The roar was accompanied by a vicious torrent of various forms of Fire Magic that rushed toward Beatrice. After all this, it came down to fire. Normally, this wouldnt have even scratched Beatrice thanks to her Resistance, but it would be fatal at the moment. The Holy Swordswomans eyes widened, but someone else charged in from the side. Honestly...the trouble you put me through!! ...Wilde...frau...!!!??? There was nothing she could do. As Beatrice floated in the air, her eyepatch-obscured vision definitely saw a slight smile from that girl whose horned hood covered her curled blue hair. The sound was unbelievably light. A moment later, something red hot pierced through the blue girl, she lost her outline, she briefly seemed to glow faintly, and she shattered like crystal. Only some traces of sparkling light remained. She was gone. All sound had vanished. Beatrice could not even think about what this meant. Only Werewolf Mode Huldra in her V-shaped fur outfit was calm enough to lower her ears and speak. Okay, I really think I should explain this. You see, Wildefrau and I accidentally got ourselves covered in something like king trumpet mushrooms and collapsed, so she had no choice but to freeze us in -273-degree coffins to sterilize us with the extreme low temperature. That put is in a state that wasnt quite dead but wasnt quite alive either, but once the process was complete and our bodies were safe, it was set to automatically thaw us out. And I was just thinking it was probably about time for that. Tee hee Huldra!? Another shot arrived. Huldra disappeared into glittering light just like Wildefrau, but...yes, once she thought about it, Beatrice realized this was odd. When Omega or Alpha Zero had been defeated back on the island of Grounds Nir, had they vanished in such a dramatic fashion? (Oh, so thats it... This isnt chess; its shogi. Do you switch sides depending on whether your body is alive or dead at the moment? By resurrecting their physical bodies at just the right time, Wildefrau and Huldra teleported their souls back to their bodies.) ...I see. A dark smile appeared on the Sages face as she seemed to arrive at the same conclusion. If the quasi-dead bodies are reactivated, the intruders will be automatically returned to them. In that case...Beatrice, I can unfreeze your dying bodies to summon you back to them. Of course, youll just die of your wounds shortly thereafter!! Geh, geh!? You were storing our bodies like that!? Japanese-style Glasses Ghost Filinion, whose breasts rested atop her corset, grew as pale as her super-deformed spirits, but the Sage did not actually move on to the next action. That was because the surrounding air roared around them as Boo Boo used all his weight to charge toward the Sage. Nhh, Boo Boo!! The Sage swung her patchwork rapier, but there were no longer any tactics in Boo Boos mind. He did not insist on using his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon to attack. He chose something more certain. He chose something that was guaranteed to protect Beatrice and the others souls. A wet sound rang out. Boo Boo had chosen not to avoid the Sages patchwork rapier and instead caught it with his shoulder. The thin blade was embedded in his thick skin and muscles. A red liquid flowed out. But he did not cry out. He used even more strength to hold the rapier inside the wound using just his muscles and then he took a step forward. No form of Resistance mattered any longer. He used the simple pressure on the wrist holding the grip in order to tear the Shining Weapon from the Sages hand. Wha-!? The Sage could not even complete her exclamation. With the force of a dump trunk, Boo Boo tackled the Sages entire body with his shoulder. Even if she had gone beyond being the strongest, she could not send any commands to her Shining Weapon with it out of her hand. She completely forgot to endure it with her Impact Resistance and her slender body was sent flying in almost comical fashion. The patchwork rapier remained in Boo Boos shoulder. S-squeal... Beatrice... He turned toward the precious person he had successfully protected, but then he seemed to tense up in surprise. Eyepatched and bandaged Beatrice continued moving and reached for the crane hook scythe lying on the ground. That weapon was as heavy as a steel beam and Beatrice had no Parameter adjustments supporting her, so she could not lightly swing it around one-handed like it was a bamboo or wooden sword. But that did not matter. As long as she could clench her teeth and just barely managed to lift it, there was a way she could use it. You too, Boo Boo... She spun her entire body around. A heavy and intimidating wind picked up speed and force as she made more rotations. This throwing form may have been more like the hammer throw than baseball pitching or javelin throwing. You need to come to your sensesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!! The final weapon rotated as it flew through the air. That pig-faced giant was nearly four meters tall. He made such a large target that no one could have missed him. Ah. And it seemed Boo Boo was slow to react. The many thick chains danced. The tip of one heavy crane hook caught his cheek in a horizontal blow. Since it had been thrown by a girls slender arms instead of the Underworld Lord, it could not have had much force behind it, but to Boo Boo, it had probably been like a sudden slap from the companion he had been fully relying on. While ruled by his combat instincts, his senses of pain and fear numbed over, but that thread of tension could snap surprisingly easily. And that was where this unexpected shock came in. It was like how a large natural disaster could lead to cooperation between two armies who had been glaring at each other during a war. S-squeal, Beatrice... Well, Boo Boo? You seem to have started a fight to the death over our futures, but did that slap help cool your head? Who ever asked you to do this? Were you really calm enough to view the world around you? ...Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!! Do you want to know why I did this and if I have any hope of winning after this? If you calm down, Ill tell you. Dont worry, I wont treat you badly. Boo Boo was so utterly confused that he started crying like a child, but Beatrice smiled at him despite the violent measures she had taken. However, it was not over yet. The Underworld Lord had gotten off to somewhere. This is bad. He really is gone! Well, he can apparently destroy all the ghosts around him and make them restart from the beginning, so we might actually be lucky he isnt here. How is this lucky!? U-um, he cant rely on the Next Generation Embryo and he cant use Huldra or Wildefraus bodies since theyve already been resurrected. Oh, I really dont like the conclusion Im reaching here, but wouldnt he be targeting our bodies!? If he isnt here, he might be trying to shatter the ice coffins to truly kill us!! That said, there was not much Beatrice and the others could do. As had already been revealed, none of the ghosts around the Underworld Lord could maintain their forms if he used his full power. Before even getting to the lack of support from Shining Weapons, they simply could not approach him in their current forms. But that was not the main question in the bandaged girls mind. Something else bothered her more. Wait a second. Wheres Boo Boo? She knew the answer, but there was nothing she could do about it. If their guess was correct, they could not even approach. Did Boo Boo leave to go settle this on his own!? Part 16 A creepily wet sound echoed through the darkness. It came from the Underworld Lord who had a single spiral shell horn on his forehead. With a blue-haired girl at his core, he supported himself on an irregularly pulsating flesh wall and staggered onward with a clear destination in mind. The scale-covered mermaid tail swayed weakly behind the girls hips. Several dead flesh vessels had been sewn together and were being used like a robot. Crushing some organs and bones meant little when he was not too attached to any one body. (No matter how many of the analyzed bodies I sew together, I still cant escape the enemys expectations.) Each time he coughed, a dark red liquid splattered to the ground. Pain and suffering exploded within his body, but that was only an issue for the temporary vessel of flesh. However, the emotion of fear was a different matter. It squeezed at the center of his chest like a strange tentacle. (But it isnt over yet.) The Underworld Lord continued to struggle while dragging along his body which really was mostly just a corpse at this point. (This is a flesh vessel I prepared for myself. But if I use fresh flesh not of my design, I can escape their equations and achieve victory...) Only one possibility came to mind. He resented the very existence of dead beings not under his control, but since those girls souls were floating around, the bodies they had come from would have to be entirely defenseless. He could not immediately hijack them since they were being kept in an in-between state of cold storage, but that was not a major problem. He only had to destroy the containers to break the bodies out of cold storage and quickly turn them into fresh corpses. Ohh... And then he found them. As the Underworlds flesh rotted, countless caves were formed. There were too many of those small rooms for even the Underworld Lord to keep track of them all, but in one, he found three ice coffins that would never melt even at room temperature. If what the enemy had said was accurate, those were storage containers supported by the Sages Magic. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. White Witch Filinion. Fighter Priest Armelina. Ohh, ohh, ohh!! He cried out in joy for the first time in a very long time. All thirteen of the flesh vessels he had created using different methodologies had been thoroughly investigated by the Sage, inside and out, so she knew their strengths and weaknesses. Rearranging those existing pieces could not change the predetermined outcome, so he was unable to overturn the game board. But if he used these... He now had a total of three hunks of flesh. If he tore them apart, sewed them together, and created a new flesh vessel to change into, the enemys equations would fall apart. By including values the Sage was unfamiliar with, he could reach a result outside her expectations. At that point, defeating them all would be a simple task. He smiled while coughing up blood, leaning against one of the ice coffins, and rubbing his cheek against it. This was why he had made that bluff. He just needed to change into this fresh flesh vessel while the enemy was busy fighting each other. Inside the chilly, clear coffin, Beatrice appeared to be sleeping, but she was not breathing. The coffin was no protection whatsoever. He would dig up this grave and transform the fresh dead into his own power. Heh heh. The corpse seemed to shine like it had been prepared for him by heaven from the very, very beginning. Nothing was more persistent than death. In the end, no one could escape its grasp. In the same way, the ancient humans had built up a civilization more advanced than any other, but it was their own actions that had brought victory to the Underworld Lord. Ah ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!! But his explosion of laughter did not last long. With his single spiral shell horn, the Underworld Lord heard something from directly behind him. It was a far too loud and heavy footstep that was overflowing with life force. ... Still leaning against the ice coffin, the Underworld Lord slowly C yes, slowly C looked back. He saw Death standing there. This being would bring about the demise of the lord of all death. He was approaching with a giant Shining Weapon resting on his shoulder. I... The Underworld Lord spoke without meaning to. No, his mouth had been pried open by the pressure. I was meant to resurrect the world. His breathing was heavy. But that was not simply due to his puny flesh vessels crushed lungs. But I was only allowed to exist until the creation of the next age! There was no place for me in the new age once my work was complete!! Me, only me!! I had put in all the work and save everyone, but only I would be shut out of the next age so that I could rot, be forgotten, and die...!!!!!! Were you lonely? Death asked just once. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in an almost irreverently quiet tone. Would you not have done all this if someone had joined you? ...Dont make me laugh. The Underworld Lord may have had a few different options. One of those may have been to wisely stall for time until another opportunity presented itself. But he instead spat out some words. No matter how twisted a form it took, he was the greatest tyrant. He was known as the Underworld Lord and he had acted accordingly. I am a savior. Everything will be saved by my hand! Thus, everyone has a duty to be saved! They have no choice in the matter!! Offer up your souls and I will manage them all fairly. And it is all in the name of the lord of all death!! ... Kneel, kneel, kneel!! A system with no king is worthless. After surviving so much ugliness, surely you have some sliver of understanding of the mayhem brought about when everyone chaotically seeks their own individual happiness... I will not create a new age and I will not return the world to the living!! For death is another form of order!!!!! That was as far as he got. The Shining Weapon rose ever-so-slightly from Deaths large shoulder. Boo Boo had decided to kill the Underworld Lord. His anger had reached its limit. He no longer cared about his rule about only killing to eat and only taking lives to survive. Anything was fine as long as he could protect Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina. He would truly become the bloody monster that deserved to have stones thrown at him. But. However. At the very last moment, a certain girls face appeared in his mind. Hearing her voice against may have affected him more than he thought. They had promised to become people who would not disappoint each other when they met again. That may not have been something to remember at a time like this. But the pain of his struck cheek returned to him. This was not someone who would simply smile thinly, nod in agreement to whatever he said, and watch as he walked toward the cliffs edge. There were people who would risk their own lives to stop him if he lost control. She had stopped him once already, so was he really going to cross that line again? She had put her life on the line to protect him from that stain, so would he really waste her effort? Boo Boo could not bring himself to move his raised Shining Weapon. Instead, a wet sound burst from his gut. Gah!? ...This isnt over... He had been hit with an attack from dead ahead. In his crushed girl form, the Underworld Lord had flicked something with his fingers to launch it at high speed. A small spiral shell acted as a bullet that spun like a drill to punch through Boo Boos thick armor of fat and muscle. Boo Boo used his thick Shining Weapon as a staff to just barely stop himself from collapsing and the single-horned lord sneered wickedly. I will not let it end here. I will take the specimens in the ice and I will take you as you fall here! I will sew it all together and create myself a new ultimate form!! Just then, a voice spoke. You did well lasting this long, child of the forest. But you need not wear down your soul and dignity with the sin of murder. The voice carried tranquility. It altered the areas atmosphere just like the ring of a bell. ...Sibyl...? No new sins are needed to defeat the wicked. The world is made so the evil will fall at the hand of their own deeds. Underworld Lord, if you insist on calling yourself a lord, then show the people you have a way of life worth following, even in death. You...dare... The thing borrowing a girls form coughed up blood and leaned against one of the ice coffins while glaring back at the Royal Elf with bloodshot eyes. No matter how close he was, he could not change into that body without breaking the ice first. You are no more than a doll sitting upon a throne that was given to you. You rule no more than the moss coating the surface of an artificial island and you dare act like the equal of one who rules over the death of all continents? I never once thought of us as equal, you lowest of villains. Now prepare yourself. With that, Royal Elf Sibyl raised her Shining Weapon. That weapon resembled a bow or staff depending on how you looked at it and the decisive result had already occurred by the time it glowed. Royal Elves could materialize the residual thoughts left in objects and turn them into attacks. And no matter how much it might move around, a corpse was still a thing. So. What was it Sibyl had summoned this time? Wha-...ah...? For the first time, the Underworld Lord uttered a sound of true confusion. He had sewn several marine creatures to a slender girls body to create something like the final evolution of a mermaid...but the arms of that body began to move against their owners will. ...It took a while before I could perceive this correctly, but, well, its sort of like a piece of trick art. Whether its moving or not, a corpse is a thing, not a person. Once I thought of it as the same as using Beatrices back tooth, what I had to do all started to click into place. No. In this case, who really was the owner? When Sibyl next spoke, her gentle voice was clearly directed at someone else. Come forth, Vivian. This is a tribute from the ruler of the forests to the ruler of the seas. Wait, this belongs to me! This is my body until I can take over another!! But it is now a mere thing. A thing that once belonged to someone else. And didnt you hear me? No new sins are needed to defeat the wicked. The world is made so the evil will fall at the hand of their own deeds. Nothing more was needed. (Oh, ohhhh.) That girl C who was clearly a different person than the single-horned Underworld Lord C gave a smile that Boo Boo had not seen before. Someone who no longer existed gave them a bow. And then.... (Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?) The villain was not even allowed a death cry. She placed her hands on either side of her head like she was preparing to remove a helmet and she slowly applied pressure to her skull and brain. She took action to end everything that had begun with her body. Without a single candidate to hijack in her place, the Underworld Lord could not maintain his existence. She seemed to be saying this was her body and she was free to do with it as she pleased. Volume 5, Epilogue Volume 5, Epilogue Ugh, brrrr. Could you please stop making such weird noises? But I feel so cold. Its amazing Im even alive like this... We didnt have much choice since we had to use the extreme cold to kill all the mold and spores in our bodies. Wildefrau and Huldra were arguing on a familiar pathway. Unlike their previous ghost forms that amounted to a nude cape and nude fur, they were fully equipped with their Shining Weapons and Percentage-style armor and clothing. Their souls had returned to their bodies and the cold storage had been removed. Since it also helped warm them, they ran down to the depths of the Underworld, but... Oh, it looks like the Chief and the others have reached the climax. Now that were back to normal, I cant help but notice how embarrassing those outfits are. For you, normal isnt much better. Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina were glowing with a pale light. The only one who could interfere with the Next Generation Embryo was the Sage since she had a Shining Weapon, so they must have cleared up their misunderstanding. They could save both the humans and the Iberian Orcs. Their souls could be given bodies and they would be given the freedom of life once more. This isnt something we can do indefinitely. The Sage did not even look back toward Wildefrau and Huldra. There might be plenty of Next Generation Embryos, but they activate by absorbing nutrients from the Underworlds flesh. Using them will destroy the Underworld itself. We have a limited number of opportunities, so we cant waste them. So dont talk to me. It will only distract me. It was finally coming to an end. The not-quite-dead were being freed from the Underworld. Manipulating the surrounding environment so it would produce an ideal lifeform according to given values was a very complex method, but the entire world outside of the island had been submerged. They did not have to worry about isolating a small experimental field and it did not matter if some new continent rose to the surface. Squeal... I was really worried. Ah ha ha. Yeah, I have to apologize this time, Boo Boo. This isnt funny!! Boo, you suddenly died right in front of me!! While holding off the pressure as Boo Boo approached, Beatrice had a sudden thought. With this many Next Generation Embryos, how far could the salvation spread? Would they be able to bring back the Fairies who had been sacrificed to the Thousand Dragon? Bringing back Elkiad would be a bit of a problem, but what about the ancient humans? They had settled things with the Underworld Lord, but they could not relax quite yet. That was how it seemed to her. But then the Sage spoke to her with thorns in her voice. Wipe that grin off your face. Its distracting. Ahhn? Beatrice just about snapped back, but then she realized that the Sage was irritated about something. Almost like she was angry at reality for not doing what she wanted. A 1000m black Dragon floated on the predawn ocean like an island. Summon Hunter Gruagach and Noble Dancer Rusalka were viewing the distant Underworld from atop that giant body. Of the two, Gruagach suddenly raised her head. Onee-sama? Rusalka, Im sorry, but support me. The Summon Hunter slowly stood up and took an archery pose. Her arrow contained the soul of her contractor. In other words, Demon Lord Tselika. This was a request from Tselika. She loosed that single arrow. The white line of light drew a parabolic arc as it sliced through the dark predawn sky. It used the support of Rusalkas Wind Magic to fly accurately over what would otherwise have been an impossibly long distance... After trying to come up with a good spot for his last moments and coming up with nothing, Omega smiled bitterly and climbed to the top of the Underworld for some fresh air. A white line of light fell at his feet. The shining arrow transformed into a bewitching Demon Lord with horns and wings. It is done. Is it now...? After the mans casual response, the woman paused as if hesitant to speak. Do Beatrice and the others know? Their knowledge would not have affected the operations success, so there was no need for them to know. If anyone had seen the two examples side by side, the difference would have been clear. As Beatrice and the others made the change from dead to living, their outlines began to glow with a pale light, but Omegas ghost remained the same. No, while his outline had already seemed to absorb the darkness of the night, it now seemed to be sinking even further. With the Underworld gone, the living and the dead will no longer be able to interact. A solid wall is being built between this world and the afterlife. ... You dont need to mourn. If you think about it, this is the natural state of things. Our souls were completely imprisoned and modified by the Underworld Lord, so we arent the same as Beatrice and the others who were halfway in between. We are dead spirits while they were only astral bodies... In that case, what had this man been fighting for? Even if he had not taken any conspicuous actions, sheltering Beatrices group had to have been risky. Things had luckily gone well this time, but if Beatrice and the others had lost to the Underworld Lord, an investigation would have begun to find out how it had all happened. The dead could not escape the Underworld, so he would have been found and harshly punished. He had put himself in a lot of danger, but why? There was no saving him, so what had he been thinking as he watched the ignorant Holy Swordswomans Party grow so excited at the possibility of resurrection? Depending on how he viewed it, he might have felt anger and worked to trip them up. I guess it was all thanks to the solid blow you gave me. Omega smiled bitterly and lightly tapped his fist against the center of his chest. He thought he saw a white glow there and he doubted he was imagining it. Demon Lord Tselika Wien Alpha Chelydia Lumidrier. I was saved by a piece of your soul. And I wouldnt be much of a husband if I didnt use the freedom you won me for something you could be proud of. Dear... He likely intended to disappear like this. While hoping to the end that Beatrices Party would be resurrected, he would disappear in silence so as not to place an unnecessary burden on them that might cause them to fail. He had chosen one side and abandoned the other. The Demon Lord silently lowered her head and bit her lip as she forced out the next words. ...Thank you. Sure thing. Ill be waiting for you on the other side. I hope that emulator can distract you from the loneliness in the meantime. Hes a good guy, but he doesnt have a soul. Ill be the one youre with in the end. She could not raise her head. Tselika was not prepared to watch the moment in which he disappeared. She heard his footsteps as he turned around and walked off. And she heard several voices talking at once. Ahh, ahh. So this is the end, is it? Meridiana and the others love building things, so maybe theyll make graves for us. Well, given how scared the Thousand Dragon was, I think we can trust that shes had a change of heart. Ohh, ohh. Dont think youre leaving until I salute you, Omega. ...So were finally being freed... If what we humans left behind will help new life grow, then I guess theres no point in sticking around. I just wish I couldve seen Abysss completed form just once. Tselika kept her head lowered as she listened to each voice disappearing one by one. It continued on and on. Until the very, very end. Wow... That innocent voice came from Rusalka who felt left out back on the Thousand Dragon. No, perhaps it was that great distance that allowed her to watch the end from such an objective perspective. That gigantic Underworld visibly withered from within like watching an apple rot in fast-forward. And as it did, something was released into the dark sky. They were small, pale lights that resembled fireflies. There were thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands...no, even more. The countless twinkling lights flew silently into the heavens as if they had some destination in mind. ...How pretty. I wonder what that is, Onee-sama. Gruagach narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on the girls head. And she answered quietly. It must be something out of our reach. It was fully nighttime here. An envoy had arrived at the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi, Tokyo. The short man had his black hair neatly parted on one side and that hair glittered like a cockroach. He provided a response with a thin smile on his face. Concerning your matter of inquiry, I can only say that we cannot make a decision at our own discretion. No, I suppose not. I was expecting it to end like this. However, I was not expecting the government office to be open after hours like this. Iroka, eldest of the three maid sisters, replied with a calm expression. If the golden-egg-laying goose that singlehandedly supported 15% of the nations tax income suddenly said she was creating the worlds smallest independent state in the middle of Tokyo, there was no way it would be approved. The request would be quashed at some point along the line. But that was fine. They could gum up the gears by creating conflict between the domestic and foreign individuals who wanted to stop their master, wanted to use her, saw her as a threat, or saw this as an opportunity. This would prevent a swift and surefire checkmate where the government ordered the Detached Magic Palace taken from them and sent in the counter-terrorist SAT if they did not obey. Having their independence approved would of course be best, but simply buying time was still good news. By using that time to come up with a second and third plan to strengthen their defenses, they could increase the odds of their beloved masters survival. It was a strange idea, but no country had official laws determining the process for a piece of their territory declaring its independence. One instead had to use a national referendum where anything could be put up for consideration. Why was something so important left up in the air? Because having a set method for something increased the odds of someone actually doing it. Nothing would be sillier than creating rules that actively work against your own country. To sum up, it was simple to claim you were doing it, but whether or not it would actually happen was a different matter. Dont worry, Misoka. Hes a proper envoy. It looks like they werent so hasty they sent in an assassin pretending to be one. ... So, Haruka, stop adding eye drops as a secret ingredient for that tea. Killing him would only make this more troublesome. Ugh. The roach man had been preparing to take a sip, but he instead lowered the teacup back to the saucer. I-I must take issue with how you are referring to me as an envoy. That term refers to a representative dispatched to another country. Isnt that what we claim we are? This land no longer belongs to Japan. The glasses maid was not smiling. She was not a philanthropist. If necessary, she was willing to head out to sea and dump a body wrapped in weights. But this short man had information she wanted, so she did not do so. So where exactly was our request stopped? Surely you can tell us that much. If you believe in justice, you should have no reason to hide that from us. If it had to do with money, it would be the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Ministry of Finance. If it had to do with technology, it would be the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology or the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. No, if it was about Pieces, it could also be the Patent Office. If it had to do with the girls influence on the power balance, it might be the police bureaucracy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, all of that was only restricting it to political matters. If they looked at the financial world as well, the range of possibilities would include major corporations and investors. While Iroka considered a number of possible enemies and matched them each to different weaknesses as individuals or traits as organizations, the envoy man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped sweat from his brow. Surprisingly, the smell of fabric softener was the household variety found in normal supermarkets. He may have had a beloved wife who he hid the nature of his work from, or he may have been trying to make Iroka think that so she would lower her guard. And he spoke. ...A-at Ichigaya. The Ministry of Defense!? No matter how unexpected the truth she found, Iroka would not let out such an honest reaction in the middle of negotiations. This came from Misoka, the more impulsive second sister. The short man began sweating even more and he tried to hold it back with the handkerchief. Someone at your level would be able to find the truth no matter what we did. Attempting to deceive you would only harm my credibility in the future. And that is not what I...no, that is not what the higher ups would want after sending me here as an envoy as you have put it. ...Sounds like this isnt fun for you either. Government service has its downsides, but I am willing to accept some difficulties after finding someone truly worth serving. It was possible that statement was tailor-made to match their sensibilities, so Iroka was not careless enough to sympathize with this man. But since you went to the trouble of meeting us face to face at this stage, can I assume that your higher ups do not intend to simply destroy the Detached Magic Palace? Can I assume they are not taking a dead men tell no tales stance? To be honest, protecting their reputation is probably the top priority here, but this is not time to be worrying about that. There is a more pressing issue, after all. ? The end of the world. ...Does that bring anything to mind? The glasses maids expression did not change. But if someone as well-connected as her could not think of anything, then it was most likely not an earth issue. Iroka made a mental note that this probably had a lot to do with Grounds Nir. We have a machine that is simply known as the simulator because its development code is unknown. That box can be said to be the true core of this nation. Even the many Over the Walls who have taken root in the world have only predicted its existence but have not been able to actually reach it. The machine has endlessly expanded and repeatedly added external attachments to evolve like a living creature, so I have no idea what generation of upgrades it is on. However, that being apparently reached an answer recently. And that answer describes the phenomenon that will soon bring about the end of the world. ... That being has been sounding the alarm for quite a while now. It has spent a very long time subtly working in the people visiting Grounds Nir to apply external pressure in the form of bigotry and discrimination in order to test for any truly dangerous reactions. Well, I will admit it has at times taken that influence too far and unintentionally wiped out the source of the alarm with Elkiad. But things have changed. Recently, the simulator began rapidly producing an entirely different answer. Something major must have happened in that other world and the rails of history have entirely changed, said the short envoy. And that means this is no time for us to be worried about appearances. We must safely overcome the end of the world and we must find a solution that places our own country in the most advantageous position. To do that, we need as much power as possible. And as the representative Level Capper, Lady Beatrice needs to take a leading role in this. It was like a dream come true. How long had the Sage longed for this moment? This dream had seemed so far out of reach that C deep down C she may have given up and really only went through the motions of pursuing it. Boo... ...Elder. He looked a lot like Boo Boo and she was probably the only one that could tell them apart. However...no, therefore she could tell at a glance. The Sage threw everything aside and ran toward him in a show of girlish joy that she never would have shown normally. Elder!! This may have been a moment everyone should celebrate. Even for Beatrices group who had been her enemy. However. (...?) Royal Elf Sibyl, who had lived for so long, somewhat hated herself for feeling so cold inside and viewing it all so objectively. But she could not throw out this observing eye no matter what she did. Her heart pounded inside her chest. That was a warning signal of tension. But she had no idea what was causing the warning. And while Sibyl puzzled at her own signal, something happened in front of her. Sage... What is it, elder? Do you still hurt somewhere? Oh, I know. If not, then lets get something to eat. Youre just as much of a glutton as you look, after all. Ive learned to make your favorite: skewered Master Rabbit and Sliced Fish soaked in yogurt! When you see this, I promise you youll-... ...Oh, oh, Sage. What have you done? .............................................................................................................................................................................................Eh? The Sage of all people sounded utterly confused. She was not being criticized. The man known as the Elder spoke with anguish in his voice. It all would have been over if you had let nature take its course. Everyone left alive could have lived out their lives without incident... What? Elder!? Some kind of ominous straining filled the air. There should not have been anything wrong with his newly-made body. The Sage had been extremely careful to ensure that. Nevertheless, something like red cracks were forming. The cracks glowed like magma and they throbbed irregularly like an evil will infecting the elders flesh and blood. He seemed to be holding something back. Almost like he would accidentally slaughter his old friend if he relaxed his guard even slightly. ...I explained our illness to you, didnt I? Y-yes. This disease causes our blood vessels to clog up and break apart as if our blood is rusting. But we had no idea what exactly it was... The Sage stopped breathing. She was supposed to be in a dream come true, but her eyes widened. Sage. I do not know if you currently see yourself as the Experience Points sent back from the future or as the body that existed in the past. But I believe this destruction is not the one that you saw. Because the dead coming back to life is something that was never allowed in the proper course of history. Because you had experienced true destruction, you assumed no other threat existed and let your guard down, didnt you? No matter how painful it was, this never would have happened if you had let time pass as intended. You dont mean... Elder...? The Red Swarm. It was like seeing an incomplete pupa split open to reveal the red adult form. He stripped off his kindness. And that crimson embodiment of evil and destruction made an announcement. Pushing our bodies to the limit to fight Abyss was all well and good, but a mistaken design left us unable to prevent this murderous element from taking over. If you had only killed us first, none of this would have happened...!! Even well-connected Iroka frowned at this one. ...The Iberian Orcs? Yes. That is the identity of the Red Swarm in the new final answer reached by the simulator. The short envoy wiped away sweat with his handkerchief. Those Nonhumans are a species from a foreign world, but they have endlessly taken in the strong points of plants and other animals by mating with them. You could call them the strongest. You could say they have completely controlled the natural selection process that is normally reliant on coincidence. But wait. Wait! Theyre from Grounds Nir, arent they? Theres no way for them to reach earth! Or are they going to use some trick to influence things here like Tselika did!? Most likely, Second Sister Misoka was not even thinking about bargaining. She was simply asking an honest question. ...The Gates exist. But!! Only humans can-...!! Did I not just say that Iberian Orcs are Nonhumans who have taken in the strong points of plants and other animals by mating with them? There was a certain possibility. They had simply not considered it because it was so ugly. Wait...are you saying they had already contacted humans and taken in human elements before even the Sage met them? They have pig faces and humanoid bodies. What percentage of human they can be viewed as is unknown, but they might be able to pass through the Gates. They simply never thought to try before. Fully bipedal beings that held and used tools with their hands and spoke using the same language as humans had to be rare. There were Fairies and Elves in Grounds Nir, but it was still possible the Iberian Orcs gained those traits through different roots. And in that case... A new end of the world has been introduced, concluded the short envoy. He was no more than an envoy. A messenger. All he did was relay the answer the simulator had produced. That cruel collection of ones and zeroes borrowed the short mans mouth to speak. Once they lose control, the Iberian Orcs will pass through the Grounds Nir Gates and appear all across the earth. That is the identity of the unexpected end. The Sage had not said much about it. To prevent a fourth-dimensional migration that would send 6 or 7 billion people into the past using Experience Points, she had gone around destroying all technology related to that leap through time and she had abandoned an entire age as its demise approached. Beatrices group did not know when that age was, but the entire thing was on a dizzying scale and they had not asked much more about it. Would war cover the face of the planet, would an ominous plague spread endlessly, would the peoples greed and evil deeds bring about a great disaster, would they replete all resources and food, or would meteors suddenly rain down from the sky? The identity of that ruin was still a mystery. But Boo Boo and the others had not been too worried about it. That was in the distant future, long after Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others would be dead. They may have felt like they were discussing the events of some other world that they would never visit. But there was one thing they could not afford to forget. History could change. In fact, it had already been changed. That had been proven when the Sage traveled to the past and went around destroying all of the technology related to fourth-dimensional travel and when Boo Boos group had defeated the supposedly unbeatable Sage. And that change was not guaranteed to be a positive thing. Also, nothing said there was only one way for the world to end. What if they had failed to suppress a worldwide plague? What if the Americans and Soviets had begun an all-out nuclear war? What if critical failures had occurred in electronics the world over at the turn of the century? What if the meteor that had fallen on Russia had not broken up in the atmosphere and struck the surface intact? What if, what if, what if, what if... Those possibilities could not be laughed off as absurd. Changing one thing would cause something else to rise up in its place. B-bmoh... And sometimes, an entirely different threat would show itself at an even earlier date. Not even the Sage could see into the future now. Bmoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Volume 5, Afterword Volume 5, Afterword And thats the 5th volume. This is Kamachi Kazuma. The Boo Boo series focuses on video game fantasy, so in the previous volume, I displayed the difficulty level just for fun. The Underworld this time is even more difficult than that, so I decided to make it even crueler and have the slightest mistake mean death. As mentioned in the novel, the distinction between the living and the dead was quite vague, so the concept of death was treated quite lightly and that might have created a similar atmosphere to my previous series (is that what I should call it?) The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village. When I first decided to include the Underworld, I got worked up and brought in all of the characters that I couldnt give appearances to because they had died. Once I knew I would be able to use them again like that, I showed no mercy. Even though the setting is a lot like a childrens picture book, this series has an awful lot of dead people in it (I mean, I have the entire population of the earth wiped out in the distant future), so I brought in the veterans of Elkiad who had destroyed Boo Boos village, Tselikas husband, the Fairies eaten by the Thousand Dragon, the ancient humans, etc. It starts with the veteran apocalypse-lovers celebrating, then the Shrine Maiden Princess uses the RPG standard of zombies and ghosts being super weak to recovery and resurrection magic while she calls one of them Alpha Rice, and it ends with a confrontation with the Underworld Lord who desecrates life by repeatedly changing into different flesh vessels. ...The heroes put together a tricky party formation to match the cruel boss they were up against, but then the bosss second form took things in the opposite direction and their party was obliterated. That was the kind of unfair strength I was picturing it as. Abyss had hacking and jamming to break apart the cooperation between the Underworld and the Underworld Lord and she was also an all-purpose fighter who could take on all thirteen forms herself (by leveling up on site if necessary). Depending on how I flavored the Underworld Lord, he might have ended up a lot like Abyss in the previous volume, so I had to be careful I didnt give that impression. That was why I gave him an organic theme and made him a thoroughly arrogant evil king. And I feel like he might have been able to go down a different path if he had learned to feel lonely. It might be interesting to compare him and his demise to Abyss, the doll who committed suicide. One tricky thing is how things elevate in stages if you only think about the given parameters, but the actual tension of the story shoots up at the beginning and then gradually lowers as you grow accustomed to it. This too matches the atmosphere of a games hardest difficulty level. Even as the enemies grow more and more brutal, things go more smoothly and you conquer your fears as you master the controls and figure out how to defeat the enemies. I think I demonstrated that feeling here, but what did you think? Just for fun, I showed what it would be like to include the Sage and Sibyl in your party. In a way, those two bring about the most obvious invincible mode, but I hope you were able to compare their differences to Beatrice and the others. The relationship between the Sage and Boo Boo is obvious, but make sure you also focus on the one between Sibyl and Boo Boo as the forest ruler and the target of protection. As for the Underworld, once you start dealing with life and death, things tend to start getting more mythological or religious. Looking at creation myths in fiction is really more of a Blood-Sign sort of thing, but I thought it would be fun to add that element here since I already had a fantasy world to work with. If something like the Underworld appeared for a long span of time, how would people talk about it and how much would they fear it? What justifications did the humans use to resist the decision of a higher power and fight back against predetermined destruction? That might make for a fun thought experiment. On that note, I see the Next Generation Embryo as something like a random challenge like those things were you stick a 100-yen coin in, pull the lever, and get a capsule. Before you try it, the infinite possibilities are superimposed like in quantum cryptography and the person pulling the lever will keep pulling it over and over in the assumption that what they want will come out eventually. But if you think about it, the mantis babies that swarm out of the egg sac that looks like hardened foam or the sea of roe decorating a bowl work under the same logic. All the others might get eaten, but if just one wins the ultra-rare prize of growing to adulthood, they win. What matters is to view it statistically and think about the number of plays (or number of eggs/embryos) needed to ensure that one win. It takes all that for just one life, so creating an entire generation requires a thick barrage of more and more insurance. This volume revealed the answer concerning Boo Boos unfair treatment ever since Volume 1. That is not to say any of that was right or logical and I think it would be entirely reasonable to say it was doing those things that sent the humans of earth down the path to ruin. After so much struggling, a powerful enemy has appeared even though no one is really at fault, but even if they had not appeared, another form of ruin would have reached this series earth, just as the Sage had seen. I hope they can learn some kindness and make their world a better place. Kindness is not necessarily rewarded, but that kindness might become a replacement for the lottery of life. I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. A new field and a new enemy. This followed the atmosphere of the overall series but still depicted some never-before-seen things, so it could not have been easy. Thank you very much. And I give my thanks to the readers. This volume was a constant battle against the ultimate in unreasonable ideas: death becoming almost meaningless. But what did you think? If you look at it in a different light, your view of resurrection and recovery in video game fantasies will change entirely. I hope you were able to enjoy it like that. And I will end this here. The undead have their charm, but theyre hard to turn into a main pillar... -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 6, Prologue: Fragmentary Records of a Certain Legend Volume 6, Prologue: Fragmentary Records of a Certain Legend Once upon a time in a certain place, there was a small pig. The pig thought he was ugly and feared joining everyone else. But a human girl held out her hand to that pig. That girl, who was named Beatrice, parted ways with him, but they were reunited after a long time had passed. That was the beginning of a great adventure. While separated from the girl, the pig learned how to live on his own. He used his strength to challenge many different obstacles with a tackle. There were bad humans known as Elkiad who attacked the pigs village. There was a Succubus named Tselika who recalled her own wickedness in order to take the hair of a human who had died in Grounds Nir and return it to Earth. He got into fights at times, but he had managed to resolve it all nicely. The pigs circle of friends gradually grew, but then he ran into a large obstacle. That obstacles name was the Sage. She had worked with Elkiad to destroy the pigs village. And more importantly, she looked an awful lot like Beatrice. The Sage nearly defeated the pig and his friends with overwhelming Magic, but they somehow managed to drive her off by working together. The Sage had worked with the pigs race to fight back against a monster sleeping in the deepest depths of the Labyrinth. But the pigs race was afflicted by a strange disease and they fell before completing that goal. With the Sage, the Elder, and the others gone, no one remained to stop the monster. That monster, Abyss, took the form of a girl. The entire island floating in the ocean existed to complete that girl. So once she was completed, the island would have no purpose and it would cease to function with no thought for the people living there. Perhaps no one was in the wrong. Nevertheless, the pig and his friends challenged Abyss in order to protect everyones lives. Abyss only wanted to see the real world. But if she went outside, that beautiful world would be destroyed. And if she could not see it regardless, the attempt was not worth it. Once the monster realized that, she chose to take her own life to protect everyone else. Once it was all over, Abyss said that she had been created to fight a great enemy. The Underworld Lord had destroyed all of the humans who had lived on the land of Grounds Nir, as opposed to Beatrice and the other humans from Earth. That was the enemy she had been created to defeat. With Abyss defeated, no one remained to stop the Underworld Lord. The Underworld, which resembled a large fish, landed at Grounds Nir. An army of the dead rushed out. The Underworld Lord had consumed all life in that world, but he then attempted to spread his reach through the Gates and to Earth. The pig, Beatrice, and the others put up a desperate resistance and actually boarded the Underworld itself. They wanted to defeat the Underworld Lord before everyone on the island was wiped out and the invasion of Earth began, but their haste came back to bite them and those precious girls lost their lives. The pig felt great sorrow. But the Sage arrived and told him it might be possible to bring back the lost lives using the power to create the next generation. The pig decided it was not the time to cry. He wanted to revive Beatrices Party as well as the Elder and the rest of the villagers. They successfully defeated the Underworld Lord, but he left them with a final riddle. They could only save one group. To revive one group of precious people, the other would have to be abandoned. The pig and the Sage began to fight. It seemed like an endless fight, but the ghosts of Beatrice and her Party found the correct answer. The requirement for a choice was a lie and there was in fact a way to save everyone. Beatrice managed to end the fighting, but the Underworld Lord used that time to escape to where Beatrices Partys bodies were stored. He attempted to acquire a new body, but Royal Elf Sibyl stood in his way. She said, Come forth, Vivian. The Underworld Lord had been using a mermaid girls body, but it began to move of its own accord and Vivian successfully took her fate into her own hands. Thus, both Beatrices Party and the villagers were saved, but then a further problem occurred. The pigs species had acquired great strength in order to fight a great enemy, but their excessive fighting instincts meant they were on the verge of harming people indiscriminately. They had wanted someone to stop them before they harmed people for no reason. Yet the Sage had resurrected them in that state. And the greatest threat now faces the world. They were originally kindhearted, but they took a wrong turn on the path of evolution. That threat goes by the name Iberian Orc. Volume 6, 1: That Red is Like a Natural Disaster Volume 6, Chapter 1: That Red is Like a Natural Disaster Part 1 God created the world in six days and he assigned the following day as a day of rest. A great accomplishment was carried out on each of those work days and humans were created on the final sixth day. The dry season had arrived. The uniqueness of the four seasons was no more. As far as the eye could see, the world was filled with a sun so scorching that even the beads of sweat on the girls soft and fine skin evaporated. ... She wore her hair in twintails by directly tying knots in the long black hair instead of using any kind of hair tie. A red party dress covered skin so white it seemed to reflect the light. A small hardware key shaped like a rapier hung from her neck. The girl was taking a short rest while leaning back against the metal soundproofing wall of a highway located a level above the ground. While it had originally been a highway, not a single car was driving along the cracked and mirage-covered asphalt. A few cars could be seen abandoned where they had crashed into the central divider, so it was painfully obvious that this place was not necessarily safe. To reiterate, the blue sky above was clear as could be. Brilliant direct sunlight and unhelpful sudden downpours. The dry season and the wet season. The weather had settled into those two extremes and neither one was kind to human life. Phew... The girl drank from a small glass bottle of water she took from a small bag hanging from her shoulder and she wiped the sweat from her brow. She knew reusing plastic bottles invited the risk of damage to the bottle thanks to the battered survival book she had found in a half-destroyed bookstore early on. E-books were convenient, but that genre had to be in printed form. She removed herself from the stainless steel wall and began walking again. After walking for a while longer, the silver soundproofing wall ended. From here on, there was no more than a waist-high concrete wall. The dress girl crouched low and cautiously remained below the wall that was as hot as a frying pan. The twintail girl stopped partway along and pulled a smartphone out from her chest. It was powered off. In fact, it did not have enough power to power on. She used the smooth glass screen as a mirror to look above the wall while focused on the location of shadows. She could see the scenery beyond the highway. She saw a cracked and dried sea of mud. The same colors as an old Japanese homes earthen walls filled that scene up to a height of about 3 meters from the ground. The road and sidewalk were indistinguishable and only the car roofs could be seen sticking up. In addition to normal cars, she also saw special vehicles that were probably from the JSDF and had gun turrets or rocket launchers installed. Great masses of mud had gotten into the stairs leading down to subway stations and the intense sun had hardened it. There was no sign of life. No dogs, no cats, no crows, no pigeons, and no people. Only the colors of mud cracked like a cookie. As soon as she saw it all again, a raw and oppressive smell reached the girls nose. There were several high-rise buildings made of glass and concrete, but few of them were still standing straight. They were tilted and some were broken partway up. The mud had transformed everything. Not even the solid buildings could survive. Just like a ships wave-making resistance, the larger the building, the greater the force of the mud on them. And the force of sticky mud was far greater than smooth seawater. With the foundation itself loosening, it was in fact the larger buildings that crumbled. The red dress girl tilted her smartphone to look further into the distance. Even the giant broadcast tower made from countless steel beams had tilted and broken partway up. This was Tokyo, the capital of Japan. No, anywhere in the world would be like this now. ... But this was not enough to change the red dress girls expression at this point. In fact, she was being pursued by a more pressing threat to her life. It was directly below. There was just one thing in that scene that brought death to all. Below the highway, a large form trudged across the mud that had been briefly dried by the arrival of the dry season. The 4 or 5 meter giant with sinister fangs on its porcine face wore only a loincloth over its characteristic bright red flesh. It was an Iberian Orc. The alternate world of Grounds Nir was a small island that could be walked around in three days. The countless Gates that connected back to the entire Earth were concentrated in that small area. Once they had made their way to Earth after going berserk, their threat had scattered across the entire planet with no concern for the existing national borders or defensive lines. They had rushed out from the center of the important points of every country and region: the cathedrals, the military bases, the secret societies, and the Detached Magic Palace. There was nothing humanity could have done. With the leadership suddenly removed, it had not taken long for all the scattered modern military forces to be individually annihilated. It had taken a mere 24 hours. The muddy world created by the two extremes of the dry season and rainy season were a result of the Iberian Orcs indiscriminately devouring plants and animals to meet their great energy requirements. Even the tree roots that had held the fertile soil together had been taken away. They were in the process of consuming the entire planet. This showed just how much they had restrained themselves to coexist with the other Nonhumans on that island that could be walked around in just three days. (...An Iberian Orc...) That girl had always walked by Boo Boos side, but the look in her eyes sharpened. When she focused on it, she breathed a long but quiet breath and had to work to keep her cool and calm her heart which was pounding against her wishes. Sweat poured from her body for reasons other than the scorching sun. Red. The color of the skin was different from Boo Boos. These mistaken ones had continually evolved themselves to fight a powerful enemy, but they had failed to restrain their appetite for destruction. Words would no longer reach these Red Iberian Orcs. She heard the intermittent sound of sniffing. The highway stood a few meters from the ground, but that was not enough to stop that mass of muscles. The twintail girl had only chosen this route because she wanted to avoid leaving her footprints or scent on the ground. The Red Iberian Orcs senses were even more extraordinary than Boo Boos. If one began tracking her, it could easily spell doom for both her and the shelter she would return to. The Red held a large hunk of metal in his right hand. It may have originally been the bumper of a dump truck. If he swung that around with his great strength, it could tear a large chunk out of the girl just by grazing her. Trying to drive him away in a direct fight would be the height of folly. Humanitys one advantage was that the Red Iberian Orcs had come from Grounds Nir, so they were not used to Earths atmospheric composition and planetary rotation and revolution. Just like the girl could only spend a few days in that other world, they could only remain active on Earth for so long. So the only effective method was to wait it out and let time do the work. No one could use Magic on Earth, so the difference in strength was absolute. Simply noticing the nearly-4m giants approach was all the luck she could hope for. She had to throw out her puny pride and focus only on escaping, hiding, and surviving. The girl waited. The girl waited. The girl waited. A small sound echoed through the silent space. Then there was an explosion. The dry mud below the highway audibly burst. The Red Iberian Orc jumped more than 15 meters into the air, which brought him higher than a school building. The red dress girl stayed curled up by the wall with her hands over her mouth to suppress her scream. He landed on a nearby abandoned building. A crack must have run through a plastic sign due to the extreme temperature differences. The girl had already seen plenty of solar panels break before her eyes despite how crucial they were as a power source that did not require fuel. The Red Iberian Orc tore the sign off the wall, tilted his thick head, and then stepped inside through a broken window. Only after seeing that did the twintail girl take a long, long breath. (I see so many of them here. Probably because Japan is a Gate superpower just like America and China.) The Reds had arrived from Grounds Nir, but their distribution was not even. Differences in technological level and economic status meant different parts of the planet had different numbers of Gates. As expected, Japan had a lot of Gates for such a small country, so it would have been exposed to the greatest threat on the doomed planet. ... The red dress girl held her breath and listened for any sounds in the silence. The Red had left and there was no sign of him suddenly returning. Just because he would react to sounds and smells did not mean she was dumb enough to throw a pebble or fire an arrow in the opposite direction. The Red Iberian Orcs were known for their clever minds as much as their great physical strength. They would learn a move they had seen once and quickly see through it. Reacting on reflex would only reduce what few cards they did have available. (Since hes moved up, the highway will actually be more dangerous.) If the Red Iberian Orc glanced out an elevated window on a whim and spotted the red dress girl, she could not escape. Without any chance to run away or even beg for her life, that large dump truck bumper would swiftly transform her into a hunk of meat. But this was a highway and she would not just find a convenient emergency staircase or exit ramp. The red dress girl pulled a bundle of black and yellow construction rope from the small bag hanging from her shoulder. She pictured a sailors knot in her head and tied the rope around the metal pole of a streetlight. She dropped the rope over the edge. Climbing a rope was difficult, but no special technique was needed to descend one. There we go...ow. She meant to make a slow descent of the 10m drop, but she still felt a burning sensation in her slender fingertips. Perhaps she should have gone with proper gloves instead of these lace ones. She could not visit a doctor, so even a slight wound was a risk. She was worried about the smell, but she pulled a small bottle from the bag and sprinkled alcohol disinfectant on her hands. The Red Iberian Orc had moved to a position higher than the highway. That meant the highway would hide her from view if she moved below it. She could not underestimate his senses of hearing and smell, but she could at least avoid complete suicide. And there was something she wanted to investigate on the surface during the dry season. If the rainy season returned for some reason, the hardened mud would begin moving again. That was not something human legs could traverse and, even if she did manage to force her way across, she would be leaving a blatant trail behind. It would be like asking the Red Iberian Orcs to follow her. Now, then... A single footprint or hair could be fatal right now. She was as cautious as could be as she looked around. She needed a long stick, whether that was a tree branch or whatever else. She could not carry something that bulky around in her small bag. Then she spotted a work vans roof almost entirely buried in the dried mud. She removed the stainless steel stepladder that was still attached to its holder and she held it in both hands like a spear. Of course, this was not to battle the Red Iberian Orc. There was a stench that even a human like her could sense. The area in the highways shadow was still wet in places, so she paid careful attention to where she stepped and slowly shifted her body weight one step at a time. She made her way to a pile about as tall as she was. It was clearly a different substance than the dried mud. That was only natural because it was Red Iberian Orc dung. She did not have the guts to investigate this during the wet rainy season. ...The smell has changed again. It was well-known among animal researchers that the smell was very different between herbivores and carnivores. The red dress girl stuck out the silver stepladder and poked at the dung pile to push it open. The smell grew stronger, but she had to bear with it. She regretted not using a stocking or some gauze to create a makeshift mask. There were some undigested materials left inside: some kind of animal fur, chewed-up bones, and something like a horn. The girl frowned at what she saw. She was lucky that she knew how to tell the bones and horns apart. (So theyve started eating deer. At this rate, its only a matter of time before they reach humans...) That was when she heard a dull explosion of noise overhead. Kh. The girl ducked down without thinking. After jumping into that abandoned building, the Red Iberian Orc had apparently jumped back out another window. He landed on top of the highway above. If she had stayed up there, it would have been over for her. For emergencies, the small bag hanging from her shoulder had a metal measuring tape which could be used as a whip and some compressed gas cylinders for portable burners, but she wanted to avoid fighting them at all cost. The twintail girl focused on her pounding heart while she held her breath. She heard another loud leap, so he had apparently gone to another abandoned building. She thought about the material before her eyes once more. ...Those Red Iberian Orcs could mate with any plant or animal to create descendants that incorporated the strong points of those plants and animals. So after coming to Earth, they had started a selection process. Through their predatory behavior, they selected the lifeforms to be incorporated into their genes. They had started by consuming the stationary plants, moved up to the simple and primitive insects arthropods, eventually reached the lizards and amphibians...and had finally reached the mammals with much more complexly developed brains. They were measuring how much of a resistance those lifeforms made. The powerless were devoured and converted into energy, while the powerful were mercilessly mated with to have their traits incorporated into the Iberian Orc line. It was a selective consumption. There were still no reports of the Red Iberian Orcs successfully mating with an Earth lifeform. But if they did succeed, the next generation would be freed from the bonds of the atmosphere and planetary movement, so they would be able to remain active on Earth indefinitely. The current generation was restricted to a few days C a week at the most. If the humans lost that one advantage of time being on their side, there would be no stopping the Red Iberian Orcs. The entire planet would be overrun by the next generation. They had already reached deer. How many steps were left before they chose humans as their target? Hippos, rhinos, bears, tigers, lions...the dress girl was reminded of the TV program she had seen debating which animal was the strongest. Humans were classified as the peak of the primates, but that was only by human standards. It was possible that the trial would reach the humans before some of those ferocious beasts. What would happen if they stayed silent until that time came? If they were deemed worthy, the Red Iberian Orcs would force themselves on the humans. If they were not deemed worthy, they Red Iberian Orcs would devour them. Needless to say, neither option was acceptable. With that clear limit in mind, they had to work out a counterattack plan to ensure the survival of the human race. Part 2 In a total transformation from before, rain poured down. The other of the extremes C the rainy seasons downpours C had arrived. The motionless mud regained its stickiness and everything on the surface was slowly swept away. The only people who could walk around in that without being swallowed up were the Red Iberian Orcs with their immense strength and weight. Nhheee... Haruka, youngest of the three maid sisters, made a weird noise in front of a cracked mirror. She could not use the sweet-smelling toothpaste, but having a toothbrush still meant a lot. The red dress girl called out to her as she approached. Haruka, are you okay? You havent given up, have you? Oh, milady! W-welcome back!! The small animal of a maid looked back and her face lit up. It started raining without warning again, but were you okay? Yes, I just barely made it, but I could mostly tell from reading the clouds. The maids waiting here would have been trying to predict the sudden downpours using a makeshift hygrometer made from around 10 long hairs stretched taut. The heliport would have proper meteorological equipment, but that was no use without a stable power source. They were in the largest building of Tokyo Middletown, a famous complex in Roppongi, the same district as the Detached Magic Palace. The mud had done a lot of damage here too, but the surrounding art museum and residential buildings had collapsed and acted as a breakwater, preventing this building from collapsing. It was far from safe against a Red Iberian Orc going all out, but they were staying on the top floor. The program-controlled elevators were not needed to move between the surface and the top floor. With a small gondola, a weight, a pulley, and some wire, they could use analog tech to mimic the elevator. Around 50 men and women of all ages were sitting lethargically around the area. Including people commuting from other prefectures, it was said Tokyo used to have 1.3 million people coming and going every day. They had no way of judging how many shelters there were in that scene of mud and abandoned buildings, but the red dress girl hoped there were as many as possible. Surprisingly, while there was weariness and sorrow in the shelter, there was little resentment or anger. Their normal life had been taken from them by a clear enemy C the Iberian Orcs C but being inhuman must have paid off. This was being handled more like a natural disaster than a war. It may have been like a swarm of locusts. Then more voices spoke up from the side. Oh, Beatrice. Youre back? H-hwehh... The Bills Todoroki Tower was a complete disaster... The voices belonged to an athletic woman in glasses and a tight skirt suit and to a busty shrine maiden with swirly glasses and soft and fluffy blonde hair. They were the two the red dress girl had worked with in Grounds Nir. The glasses cow was about to collapse because of the large backpack on her back and the various drum bags hanging from her shoulders. With all the straps wrapped around her, her large breasts were even more of a sight to behold than usual. Comparing her to the flaaat woman next to her made it clear that glasses girls came in many different forms. The red dress girl and the others were staying in Tokyo Midtown, a giant complex containing a triple digit number of stores, but too much food risked inviting in the Red Iberian Orcs. Thus, they had thrown it all outside and used it as bait. It may have been similar to the idea of never keeping food in your tent when camping in the jungle where ferocious animals prowled. Anyway, Filinion, I see youre as unathletic as ever. Pant, pant. Th-then cant you let me use that...? Dont be stupid. The solar panels keep breaking and the generators are too loud to use, so our power is limited. More importantly, Beatrice, how did your fieldwork go? The red dress girl placed her hands on her hips and spoke in a different mood than with the maid named Haruka. Ill explain in more detail after we gather everyone together, but things are only getting worse. By the way, how did the food hunt go? Roppongi Bills was a good supply since its only 300m from here, but the place reeks now. Passing the four day mark must have been bad because everything out in the open is rotting. Even chlorine-sterilized tap water only lasts a few days if you leave it out and any food filled with various nutrients will go bad even faster. Refrigerators really were an incredible invention. And with the power out, the back and forth between dry and rainy has meant high temperatures and lots of moisture. We arent going to find any non-canned supplies from here on out. The Reds are still as lively as ever, so we need to plan for another 3 or 4 days...for a total of a week. Oh, right. What about the packaged foods? Have you heard how greater wax moth caterpillars can eat plastic bags? It was like peering into hell. Had the poor conditions caused an outbreak of them, or had they escaped from an insecticide maker or a health research lab? Given the rich residents of the Bills, the red dress girl guessed they may have been food for reptile pets or the possessions of an insect lover. Tokyo was filled with a surprising variety of animals. Incidentally, the water in the tank on the Bills roof had similarly gone bad. Tap water remained clean by the constant movement of people opening the tap to use it. If it stayed in one place for too long, the rust and bacteria would get inside it. Now that they had passed the four day mark, even normal drinking water needed to be purified with a filter made with pebbles and sand, with boiling, or with chlorine. The red dress girl did not normally eat such things, so she looked a bit lost as she asked her next question. Even the things like cup noodles and freeze-dried soups? I can tell you didnt see them. Those preserved foods were already an issue because of the smell that had gotten on them, remember? And in addition to the caterpillars, the plastic containers are not perfectly airtight. ...I really dont want to explain any further, but the mold and bacteria from the rotting fruit had made its way to other sections. Seeing that blackened disaster would kill anyones appetite. That cow was an incarnation of sloth, so if even she was this dejected, they apparently really were in a pinch. They were relying on stores inventory during a power outage, so they had predicted this would happen eventually. But if she was being honest, the red dress girl felt this was too soon. Haruka the Maid grew pale as she listened in. U-um. You three can use the Gates to escape to the other world, right? Then couldnt you go get food there and not worry about us...? They could indeed do that. They could only stay in Grounds Nir for a few days, but they would not be exposed to the threat of the Red Iberian Orcs during that time and they would be ensured safe food and shelter. Simply put, they only had to reverse the normal way of things. They generally could not bring anything between the two worlds, but if the human who ate the food could travel between them, then the people who could do that could eat without issue. They could relax while in the other world, return to this dangerous planet when their internal clocks needed readjusting, and then immediately return to the other world. From a risk reduction standpoint, that was the better choice. But normal people like the three maid sisters could not use that method. They would remain exposed to the threat of the Red Iberian Orcs 24/7. The girl with black twintails placed her hand on Harukas small head. Hyah! M-milady? Dont worry. We wont abandon you. Um, but... The small animal of a maid grew flustered and the glasses duo sighed. Its fine, its fine. Dont worry about it. And staying here is the logical choice. After all, if the Reds take over the entire planet, they will always be wandering around right in front of the Gates. That means we couldnt use them. We can only stay in the other world for a few days, so were goners as soon as we cant return. We need to join forces and solve this problem before that happens. Thats the best choice. If we draw a line between the haves and have-nots, it could cause infighting on the human side. That stratified stress is the greatest obstacle to overcoming a large problem. ...Okay, little kids, Off-Season Santa is about to hand out some treats. With that, the swirly glasses shrine maiden with soft and fluffy blonde hair walked over to some small children with a bag stuffed full of something. The self-interested children gathered around the cow with complaints like treats are for Halloween, where are the toys, and lets play a trick on her with some toys. The red dress girl gently narrowed her eyes as she watched the scene from a short distance away. ...Armelina, it may be time. Seriously? I would really prefer to get rid of this unease. Everything in Roppongi Bills has rotted and you know how frightening their senses are. At only 300 meters, the wind could carry the smell here. This place will be destroyed if it attracts the Reds attention. Thinking back to the great leaps near the highway, it was clear that the Red Iberian Orcs could get in anywhere if they wanted to. The girl and the others were staying at the top floor of Middletown Tower because they had wanted the smells and sounds of daily life to be as far off the ground as possible. That effort would be wasted if that rotting smell was blown over to Tokyo Middletown. The stench might make humans want to vomit, but it would only inspire hunger in those Red Iberian Orcs and their much stronger digestive systems. The beautiful police officer looked annoyed. Could we maybe purify the Bills Todoroki Tower? How exactly? Using fire would stand out too much. I dont know how much spoiled inventory they have, but disposing of it inconspicuously isnt realistic, is it? The glasses beauty in a tight suit clicked her tongue and looked over at the children again. She watched their delight at being given bags of relatively odorless cookies and biscuits. ...Gaining control of this building was a miracle in and of itself. We had to throw out all the food in Middletown Tower to distract the Reds... Doing all that again and while making a mass migration without any decoys simply isnt realistic. I know that. The red dress girl stopped speaking there. At the childrens insistence, she used the edge of a round can lid to cut open a hard-to-open bag. Once the children had moved far enough away, the glasses beauty in a tight skirt suit opened her mouth again. Besides, we still havent found another candidate, have we? Even without the Reds, we have no future if we start moving during the dry season and simply wander around at random. Wed just get caught in a sudden downpour and swallowed up by the mud. Thats why Im not arguing for that. I will not abandon Haruka and the others. The red dress girl slowly exhaled. And she spoke with conviction. I said my field work showed things are only getting worse, right? The Reds have started eating deer. With their selective consumption, they either eat you or mate with you. It isnt long now until that trial arrives for us humans. Either way, weve reached the limit. Wait, you arent suggesting what I think you are, are you? So we have to stop hiding. ...From here on out, we need an actual counterattack plan. Are you willing to hear me out? Part 3 The fact that they were all young women came in handy. They only had to say they were taking a bath to gain some privacy without anyone questioning it. They wanted to avoid an explosive spread of confusion in this enclosed space. Of course, the emergency situation meant they only had a makeshift partition made from a blue tarp and a clothesline pole to hide them. Misoka, second of the three maid sisters, checked on the pot of hot water. An alcohol lamp could be made by filling a small tsukudani bottle with rubbing alcohol and sticking a rag inside in place of a wick. Placing the lid on top would hold the rag in place with the edge. It could be lit with a simple electric lighter made from aluminum foil and a makeshift battery made from an electrode and fruit juice in a bottle. The friction of a drilling motion was the stereotypical example of starting a fire without fuel, but unlike in manga, not that many people could start a fire with just a stick. Using a magnifying glass or cup of water near the window was also an option, but that could reflect the sunlight and draw unwanted attention. They of course did not use the hot water as is. They diluted it in a bucket of unheated water to complete their preparations. Okay, that should be good for the water. Lady, you can adjust the temperature to your liking. The heat can send the alcohol shooting out, so put it in the bucket. Thanks. They called this a bath, but they could not fill a tub with pure tap water. They could only draw some water with a stocking, dissolve a bit of odorless mouthwash and rubbing alcohol into it, and wipe down their bodies with a wet cloth. Tokyo Middletown, where they were staying, and Roppongi Bills, where they had gotten food, were stocked with soap and shampoo, but all those commercial products had strong artificial floral scents that the Red Iberian Orcs would never overlook. (I wish we had the shampoos and soaps that zookeepers use, but with the cars and trains down, it would be hard to cross the wasteland all the way to Tama or Ueno.) The red dress girl took a small cloth from Misoka. Nothing could be more obvious, but let me restate the basic premise here: There is no way at all that we can stand up to the Reds. Not with any method here on Earth. Do we all agree on that point? Reluctantly. Perhaps because she had prided herself in protecting her nation, the glasses police officer in a tight skirt suit childishly pouted her lips. Sounds reminiscent of thick rubber snapping came from her, but they were likely her removing the equipment underneath her tight suit. Despite the unprecedented chaos of every nations leaders and chain of command being attacked at once, the red dress girls conclusion was obvious enough from seeing the fighters crashed into high-rise buildings and armored vehicles being swept away by the flowing mud of the rainy season. Modern military might could not defeat them. And that was not simply an issue of physical strength. Their brains rivaled supercomputers, so their mental calculations had worked out all kinds of codes, from the locks on shelters to the launch codes for ballistic missiles. There had been weapons and bases with great destructive power and sturdy defensive power, but a lot of the trump cards had ended up unused when the Reds reset the targeting locks and a lot of the shelters had been rendered useless when the thick metal doors were opened. The Gates connecting Earth to the other world supposedly required the support of a Shining Weapon to use, but the Red Iberian Orcs had entirely ignored that as they flooded through the Gates around the world. They could carry out the data processing of a precision weapon all on their own. That left only one hope for the red dress girl and the others. ...We bring Magic to Earth. The trick to effectively using a single cloth was to start by wiping off your face and then moving to the relatively clean areas. If you started with the bottom of your feet or your privates right away, the rest would be a tragedy. If we cant rely on modern military might, we need to rely on some other power. Thats the only way to solve this problem. You make it sound so simple, but how exactly do you propose we do that? At the very least, that isnt a trick we know how to do. The shrine maiden with soft and fluffy blonde hair undid her collar and used a wet cloth to wipe behind her ears and around her neck while she asked that question. In Grounds Nir, they were the Level Cappers who had reached Level 99 and mastered Magic, but that was not something they could use here on Earth. There is an exception. The red dress girl moved from her shoulders to her hands and then from her bare thighs to her ankles while she let the second of the three maid sisters scrub her back. Even with such a makeshift setup, the warmth of the water was enough for her skin to grow somewhat flushed. Demon Lord Tselika used her contract with Gruagach to use Magic here, remember? We have to look to that for hope. We might have been able to rely on Ultimate Weapon Abyss if she hadnt been destroyed, but I doubt we can expect much from her. Technically, Tselika had not crossed between worlds and had only pressed against the barrier between them like a magnet to move the metal clips on the other side (i.e. Earth), but the end result was little different. The soft and fluffy blonde sent her hand from below her large breasts to her navel as she responded. Um, Gruagach is helping provide food in the other world right now, so do we need to call her here? There were countless Gates in Tokyo alone. But an individual could only use one at which they had registered their Shining Weapon. For example, the red dress girl used the one in the garden of the Detached Magic Palace in Roppongi, the soft and fluffy blonde shrine maiden used the Dragon Palace Chamber of Ushigashira Shrine in Akasaka, and the tight suit glasses woman used a mobile work truck. Unfortunately, most of those were buried below dried mud. Gruagachs Gate was presumably at a high-class girls school in Shinjuku. The mud would not be a problem as long as it was above the second floor, but... With the Reds everywhere, we cant walk all the way to Shinjuku. Even a few kilometers would be a hellish distance right now, and they have even more of an advantage at night thanks to their sharp senses. But the Reds are interfering with the Gates using their supercomputer brains, right? ...I had Iroka prepare a hacking tool. We just have to rewrite the internal settings and make sure the closest Gate can summon Gruagach. At first glance, they seemed to be taking a shortcut that ignored several hurdles. But that did not mean every barrier had been removed. The tight suit woman frowned while tracing her finger along the side of her glasses. Hey, the closest Gate is in Roppongi Billss Todoroki Tower. Its on the 52nd floors reservation-required observation deck. Which is not good. The foods spoilage rate wasnt part of our initial plan. Isnt the rotting smell going to call in the Reds before long? Thats right. The red dress girl quietly nodded. And she continued. Thats why we have to break through. ... ... Even the Level Cappers had to fall silent here. This meant a head-on battle with those incarnations of violence. Instead of hiding and waiting it out, they would be pitting strength against strength and pushing back. They had suggested the idea several times before, but they had always shaken their heads. The odds of survival were very nearly zero. Todoroki Tower is the tallest building of Roppongi Bills. Lets plan out how to reach its observation deck, rewrite the Gates settings, and summon Gruagach. Well probably have to wait in front of the Gate for 2 to 3 minutes. ...No one is managing the original girls school Gate anymore, so the Reds might be walking around in front of it. No matter what, we need to avoid having our one hope killed instantly in a run-in with the Reds after returning to Earth. So we need to start this counterattack by retaking the Bills Gate. There are tanks almost entirely buried in mud and there are fighters crashed into buildings. We should be able to use their gun turrets and bombs as weapons. We can put up a fight. ...That is a hell of a thing to say. Were starting with the assumption that we cant beat the Reds without Magic, but now youre telling us to get by without Magic? We dont know how many Reds there are, but we have to assume more and more are going to arrive if we cause a lot of noisy explosions as we fight. Thats why we cant think about winning. If we focus solely on using that firepower on temporarily drawing the Reds away from the Gate, things might change. After all this, you end it on a might? Ugh... The swirly glasses shrine maiden sighed as if resigning herself to what was coming. They could not use Magic. They were no more than human on Earth. But they were still Level Cappers. If they were choosing a suicide squad for their plan, they had no choice but to raise their own hands. They could not escape that responsibility. They made the decision so readily that Misoka the Maid grew flustered. W-wait, lady! Dont look so sad. If youre going, Im going with you. In fact, you three are the foundation of our strategy here and we dont need to send our generals out on the front line!! Thanks, Misoka, but this is our job. The girl smiled with her dresss shoulder straps pulled down to reveal her back. This was a dangerous mission that used elements from both Earth and the other world. Everything would come together more smoothly if they used people familiar with the situation on Earth and Grounds Nir. Also, keeping the other people away from this conversation was for more than just preventing the spread of fear. They had also wanted to avoid a rush of volunteers moved by momentary emotion. The current Red problem was a lingering effect of the Underworld incident. But at the same time, that resurrection process had saved the girls lives as well. Since they had benefited from it, they could not look away now. The tight skirt woman spoke while massaging her legs to get rid of any swelling more than just wiping off the sweat. In practical terms, how strong is Tselika? I mean, I remember her spreading terror through Tokyo before, but can she alone defeat all those Reds? In fact, Im not sure we could beat all of them even if we amassed all of humanitys forces in Grounds Nir where we could use Magic... They only had to think of Boo Boo. These greatest and strongest lifeforms had even more strength and intelligence than him and they were trapped by a desire for destruction. Plus, this was a large group of them. Anyone with any sense at all would want to avoid a direct fight, even with the use of Magic. However... Gruagach might come in handy there as well. Her Job is Summon Hunter, right? Doesnt that let her make a contract with Grounds Nirs Nonhumans and then store their power in an arrow? ...Huh? The Reds are Iberian Orcs from the other world, so theyre categorized as Nonhumans. If a contract could be made and they were brought onto our side, the strongest enemy might become the strongest ally. You cant even speak with the Reds, so would that really work? With her back finished, the twintailed girl took the rag back from Misoka, wiped off her armpits, bent her legs, and reached behind her knees. Theres no way to know, so it will be a gamble, but Tselikas Skill is Charm, right? That allowed Gruagach to effectively ignore the Nonhumans will and half-forcibly make a contract with them. If Tselika and the Summon Hunter are working together, they might be able to force more and more of the Reds into contracts. If that works, it will snowball into a victory for us. So theyll gain enough power to defeat the Reds? Allowing an individual to gain enough power to crush the whole group is a scary thought. It rejects the entire idea of modern war... Also, that method does not require killing the Reds. Assuming they can be bound by the contract and Gruagach can manage their power. Once things had calmed down, they could take their time and think up a way to heal the Red disease. The girls did not want to be killed by the Iberian Orcs, but they did not want to kill them either. Boo Boo had done more than enough to teach them how kind the Iberian Orcs really were. Fear was fine and anger would work. But they could not let hate motivate them. The Reds are clearly in an abnormal state, so the biggest hurdle is whether or not Tselikas Charm will work on them. Since we dont have any way of testing it, well just have to go for it. When is Gruagach scheduled to arrive? At 10 tonight. Everything is riding on that. To put it another way, they could not wait any longer. The Reds would be drawn in by the rotting stench before the dawn arrived. Part 4 They could not use noisy generators and they could not use the solar panels that had broken from the temperature changes. Without a stable power source, simply knowing the time was a challenge. Especially at night when primitive sundials did not work. The wall clocks had run on batteries, but those had all been removed for other uses. The simple batteries made from bottled fruit juice all had different voltages and amperages, so they could not be used for electronics. To reiterate, they could start a fire with a fruit juice battery and aluminum foil and they could make simple lamps with liquor bottles, but they extinguished all flames after sunset. No one had set that rule; they had all naturally done it in fear of the Red Iberian Orcs sharp senses. So... (In an age of smartphones, I had thought only old men would ever want to use a self-winding wristwatch.) Using the faint moonlight entering through a broken window, the tight suit woman checked the watchs hands and smiled bitterly. Using one with glow-in-the-dark numbers and hands would of course mean a quick death. Sleeping bags were lined up nearby with disturbing uniformity. It was reminiscent of body bags, but the uncomplaining dead would not work hard to keep the moisture out. Wooden duckboards were placed underneath to keep the sleeping bags off the damp concrete, so they clearly contained living humans. The glasses womans lips formed a smile as she glanced over at the defenselessly sleeping people, but then she whispered into the darkness as if switching modes. (Its time, Beatrice, Filinion. Its the dry season now, so we can walk around outside. Lets use this chance to reach the Bills right over there. We need to prepare for Gruagachs arrival.) The rustling sounds of a few people stirring could be heard from the darkness. They could not use a single lighter to add to the moonlight, so they had to be careful to not step on any of the simple beds made from sleeping bags and duckboards. Once the three had gathered, they exchanged a nod. It was time to begin the counterattack. The battle against the Red Iberian Orcs was beginning. Yet they did not make a hopeless last stand with their full forces. They could not bring any brave volunteers to their almost certain doom and the Reds were Iberian Orcs just like Boo Boo. They had made a mess of this planet, but these three did not want to fight back as if throwing hatred at them. (Tanks, armored vehicles, attack helicopters, and fighters... Youve memorized the locations of the stranded and crashed ones with usable guns or bombs, right? Those are our lifelines.) (Yes, but who knows how far their position shifted during the previous rainy season. Well, we just have to go for it until Gruagach has safely arrived.) (Ahhh, this is really more of a job for you combat types...) The tight skirt suit glasses woman grabbed two synthetic fiber bags from the ground and gave one to the red dress girl and one to the soft and fluffy blonde shrine maiden. (Changing in the dark might be difficult, but its time for this equipment. Everyone sacrificed convenience to give us the batteries for these, so dont waste them.) (I get that, but how do you put this thing on?) The girl frowned, so the glasses woman reached for her own tight skirt suit. She unbuttoned her blouse and unzipped the skirt in the moonlight to reveal...something other than underwear. Something like thick tape was wrapped around her, following the contours of her muscles. It was a movement assistance suit that used motors and artificial muscles to amplify the wearers physical strength. She raised her hands horizontally and slowly spun around. (Look at this and figure it out. Im not an instructor.) (Uehhh, how am I supposed to figure it out just by looking...?) The swirly glasses shrine maiden blushed a bit as she reached for the collar of her shrine maiden outfit. Even if it was dark and the others were asleep, she still had to strip down to her underwear with so many people around. The red dress girl followed the example as she wrapped the special fiber tape around her soft skin, then she attached the joints which looked like electrode clips with batteries attached. With each solid snapping sound, she felt a constricting pressure, like she was wearing a straightjacket or a rubber suit. ...Why she knew what that felt like was a mystery. (Nn. Is this really a military product meant to be worn for extended periods of time?) (Its technically a prototype. Assuming the designer isnt a pervert, I assume it will be improved from here.) Armelina specialized in physical attacks in Grounds Nir as well. Taking that tactical knowhow C that is, how to swing around blunt weapons C back to the real world and reproducing it with modern technology had been simple enough. This suit had helped there. (I was overpowered using this against Tselika. I highly doubt its enough to force our way through the Reds, but its better than nothing.) (H-hyehh! W-w-wait! Is this joint really in the right place?) (Yes, but your cow body makes anything look like a lewd swimsuit.) (Yes, but your cow body makes anything look like a lewd swimsuit.) The other two helped fix the positioning of the tape and they managed finish their preparations. Once the movement assistance suits were equipped, they could wear anything over it, so they put their party dress and shrine maiden outfit back on. (Sync with my usage data and you can inherit my control method. It would take too long to set it up from scratch.) The tight skirt suit glasses woman had worn her movement assistance suit on a daily basis as something like setting the hands of a clock. Now that their preparations were complete, it was finally time to head out. Before grabbing their things, they made sure to check the hygrometer the three maid sisters had made from hair. The red dress girl wore a small bag over her shoulders, the soft and fluffy blonde shrine maiden carried a greedily-large duffel bag, and the tight skirt suit glasses woman carried a practical mountain-climbing rucksack. Those contained their respective weapons and survival goods. Those things would normally feel about the same as something from a childs secret base, but the equipment was truly their lifeline right now. While making sure not step on anything in the darkness, they quietly walked between the simple beds made from sleeping bags and duckboards. They did not want to wake the sleeping people. Because they cared for these people, they did not want to get them involved. That was always an option in risky battles. When they arrived at a primitive analog elevator that used pulleys and weights instead of electricity, they found Iroka, the oldest of the maid sisters, who wore glasses and had a mole below her eye. Miss, and you two as well. These tablets contain the hacking tool you requested. There is one for each of you. They are set up so you only need to attach them to the Gate device and the program will run on its own. Even if the Gate has no power, the large-capacity battery will provide temporary power through the cable. Thanks, Iroka. The maid looked like she wanted to say something, but she chose to hold her tongue. Not only was she a data processing specialist, but her personality made her perfect for sharing this secret with. Haruka or Misoka would have tried to stop them and caused a commotion. In fact, it was possible those two would refuse the job in order to keep them from leaving. Iroka would not do that. Even if she thought her job would place her precious master in danger, she would still carry out the task given to her. The oldest of the three maid sisters slowly bowed her head. It took all her strength to keep a tremor from reaching her lips as she spoke in a flawless voice. Until you return. Yes. Once the obedient maid had seen them off, the three boarded the elevator made from a modified window washing scaffold and descended toward the hellish surface. During that short wait time, the swirly glasses girl lightly elbowed the tight skirt woman in the side. (If it comes to it, we need to make sure at least Beatrice gets away, dont we?) (Do you really have to ask? Shes the youngest.) I can hear you. And you dont have to worry over me. The height of the ground changed depending on how much mud had flowed in, but the scaffold arrived on the ground floor. Normally, the first through third floors were an atrium, but this was the ground now. The red dress girl jogged through the darkness and left through a broken window. Welcome to a world of death. They were less than 300 meters from the Roppongi Bills landmark, but they had no idea when a giant red body would appear. If they were spotted on the surface, escaping would be a challenge. The three girls felt the primitive fear of the dark night burning at their nerves as they carefully walked along the dried mud of the dry season, passed by Roppongi Station, looked up at the empty Azabu Police Station, and continued on to the Bills. They did not encounter any other humans on the way, which was entirely expected at this point. No one in the subway station and no one in the police station. Where has everyone evacuated to? muttered the tight skirt woman who had likely borrowed various equipment from that police station. The people could always have been swallowed up by the mud or attacked by the Reds, but she must have wanted to think otherwise. Pant, pant. I-I cant take much more of walking on this unpaved dried mud. Even so, isnt it a little soon to be out of breath, Filinion? And watch out for the subway exit. We threw a bunch of food in there to lure the Reds. Todoroki Towers impressive height had been visible from the beginning, but it took an awfully long time to arrive there. It did not take long for the girls to be hit by the exhaustion of someone pursuing an ever-receding oasis mirage in the scorching desert. Almost there... Yes. They had crossed a line. The red dress girl finally stepped inside Roppongi Bills large grounds. The tight skirt suit woman pointed here and there. Check. Theres a tank buried there and an armored truck a little further away. Theyre both in position to directly target Todoroki Tower. There isnt as much of a rotting smell in the wind as I expected. Maybe the downpour cleared out the air. If so, the current dry season was dangerous. It was possible a large group of Red Iberian Orcs would be drawn in by the rotting stench in the wind. Who could say when that would lead them to Tokyo Middletown where the three maid sisters were? Hey, Beatrice. Couldnt we spread around something that smells even worse than the Bills? There are plenty of options: those cheeses rich people love, floral-scented toilet paper, and so on. Its not just about the intensity of the smell. Theyre specifically choosing the rotting smells and smells of life. You cant fool a drug-sniffing dog at the airport by wrapping the plastic package in niche cheese, right? Well, this is worse than that. Hm...? The swirly glasses girl looked straight up and groaned like a child. Despite the sun not being out, she still held a hand over her eyes as she viewed Todoroki Tower, the largest building of Roppongi Bills. The name alone may have been known from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, if not the other side of the globe. The Gate they were after was on the observation deck at the 52nd floor. In the moonlight, they could see some giant forms moving near a broken window. Um, what do we do now? Since the stench didnt spread around, it looks like the Iberian Orcs gathered inside Todoroki Tower. They could not get inside if the building was infested. Encountering the Red Iberian Orcs outside was risky enough, so it was plain as day what would happen if they tried to break through those monsters who could beat down a 1000m dragon while they were inside a building with plenty of cover and blind spots. That left only one option. Lets draw them outside, coldly stated the red dress girl. This was no time to worry about the fact that these were Iberian Orcs just like Boo Boo. If the counterattack using Summon Hunter Gruagach succeeded, they could be nonlethally restrained. The three girls had to focus all their efforts on that. Ill handle the first attack. Filinion, Armelina, you two maintain a position that lets you set up a crossfire from the stationary turrets. When the Reds come running in response to the noise, start attacking them. Hold on, youngest girl. If anyones playing the decoy, its me! These movement assistance suits were borrowed from my station, so I know how to use them best. Why would we use our strongest trump card as a decoy? Cmon, lets get started. By the time she said that, the red dress girl was already moving. Thanks to the suit she wore below her dress, she easily jumped over to a tank with just its turret sticking out of the dried mud, opened the hatch, and hopped inside. Oh, honestly. Guess we have to do it. Filinion, you take the north. Ill take the armored truck to the west. Once the battle starts, I doubt well have time to use up all our ammo, so just scatter the shells around and create an IED minefield. Im sorry, but that included some muddy camouflage-colored jargon that makes it hard for a college girl to understand. Anyway, whoever has a chance will enter Todoroki Tower with the maids tablet, right? While they discussed their plans, they ran across the dried mud to reach the scrap metal a few hundred meters away. Meanwhile, the red dress girl chose the shaped charges from the tanks remaining ammunition, lifted them up, and threw them around the tank. There was of course an art to making traps. If she really wanted to use those as IEDs, it would be more effective to dig a pit in the mud and aim the tip upwards, but she could not spend that much time on it. After spreading them out a fair bit, she ducked back into the hatch. She put on a headset that was still inside. Most tanks were meant to be operated by a group of 3 to 5, but she sat in the gunners seat. The battery still seemed to be functioning, so the system came to life when she touched the LCD panel with her fingertip. Instead of being like a large crane operated with several levers, it was more like a shooting video game. (Filinion and Armelina are in position too.) The tight skirt suit woman had said they did not have to worry about loud engine noises if they only used what could be operated with battery power. The red dress girl hesitantly held down the triangular cursor on the edge of the screen to turn the entire turret and made sure the armored vehicles a few hundred meters away in different directions had their guns aimed her way. Then she moved the turret again and altered the vertical angle to aim at her target. She chose the type of shell on the bottom right corner of the screen and it was automatically loaded. She aimed at the window on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Billss Todoroki Tower. She switched the camera mode to night vision and IR to check on the location of the Red Iberian Orcs. One was larger than the rest, so that may have been the one the Sage had called the elder. She slowly exhaled to mentally prepare herself. It felt like a game to the very end. She aligned the crosshair cursor on the middle and placed her finger on the giant silhouette. Even with the specialized headset, the great roar and shock felt like they were splitting her head apart and her vision wavered. Thanks to that, she missed the moment of impact on the screen. After holding a hand to her dizzy head and checking again, she saw the area around the 52nd floors window was obscured by gray dust. She could not tell if it had worked or not. The girl decided to change the camera to IR mode. But just before she did, the sound of blowing air tore through the curtain of dust. It was audible even at her distance. The red mass of muscle had fought back without a moments hesitation. The 52nd floor was approximately 250 meters up, but he ignored that height as he descended like a meteor. (Did he notice the turrets movement even though its running on a battery?) She did not have time to load another shell and aim at him. The red dress girl used the screen to switch to auto-fire mode to scatter machinegun fire at the approaching foot soldier and then she rolled out of the gunners seat. She heard the sound of bending metal. The tank was compressed like a suspended ceiling. No, the entire turret was crushed down like an empty can. The girl just barely avoided being crushed by the thick metal and she chose one of the surviving hatches to leave the tank. She heard the deep sound of breathing and smelled a bestial odor. A nearly 5m body had pierced the crushed turret with a thick steel beam. The mass of dark red muscle slowly turned toward her. She was already within lethal range. The red dress girl collapsed back onto the dried mud. A moment later, light flashed in the darkness. The crossfire arrived from two directions. Just like thunder, the sound arrived after a brief delay. The shells that the soft and fluffy blonde shrine maiden and tight suit woman launched from the armored vehicles were no different from those fired by the tank. They targeted the Iberian Orc elders giant body with an estimated muzzle velocity of more than Mach 5. With an explosive roar, the dress girl was sent airborne by covering fire meant to protect her. ...!? Without the movement assistance suit from the police officer, she might have botched the landing and broken a few limbs. The girl worked to recover by spinning in the air so her dresss skirt drew a crescent moon shape behind her and landing lightly on her toes, but that was not enough to relax. They had never thought they could defeat the Red Iberian Orcs with only modern military might. A copper-colored mass of muscles jumped down from several floors up. Also, the elder appeared from the dust despite being targeted by two smoothbore guns firing from different directions. There were some burns on his red body, but there was not even any noticeable bleeding. The steel beam in his hand, however, had half melted away. He had let the shells hit the beam in order to alter their trajectory and avoid a direct hit. This monster could react in the world of Mach 5, so mechanical assistance or not, he could not be escaped on human legs. But the red dress girl had had a different reason for putting some distance between them. Just as several more Iberian Orcs jumped down to the surface, she pulled a metal tape measure from the small bag hanging from her shoulder. Each of the girls had selected their own weapons and survival goods. The soft and fluffy blonde-haired swirly glasses shrine maiden would have a collection of chemical bottles like hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, while the tight suit glasses woman would have a handgun or something. The red dress girl mostly had items for starting fires and triggering explosions, such a metal measuring tape for making sparks and a compressed gas cylinder for a portable stove. She swung the metal measuring tape like a whip and accurately struck the tip of one of the shells she had scattered around the tank C specifically, the fuse portion. These IEDs were simple explosives made from existing shells or aerial bombs. She continued the process. Explosions and shockwaves scattered about. Kh... To repeat, they had almost zero chance of defeating the Reds with only modern military might. Once she had created all sorts of noise and drawn the attention of the Iberian Orcs inside the Billss Todoroki Tower, it was time to really get to work. The crossfire from two directions was still ongoing. It was heavy machinegun fire. The swirly glasses girl and cool glasses woman were apparently sticking to their armored vehicles, so the red dress girl was the closest to the broken windows of Todoroki Tower. After a large wave of her hands as a sign, she ran across the elevated ground of dried mud. A few of the Red Iberian Orcs reacted, but they were briefly obstructed by an even more intense hail of gunfire. She half rolled into the building. She was immediately surrounded by a sweet and sour odor. She grimaced. (Is this the stench Filinion and Armelina were talking about? It is pretty strong...) It reminded her of when the second of the three maid sisters had made rhinoceros beetle traps in the summer. The darkness was even deeper in here, but she did not have the guts to turn on the lights. Just like most resort hotels and broadcast towers, Roppongi Billss Todoroki Tower had turned its lower levels into a large shopping mall to bring in general visitors. The black twintail girl found herself in an area that really did seem like a crucible of rotting food. They had to settle this before the wind carried this stench to Tokyo Middletown where they were sheltering C before the three maid sisters and the other survivors were killed by the Reds. The girl used the power of the movement assistance suit to run up a motionless escalator. Just as they had planned in advance, she stayed near the windows as much as possible. But not just because of the moonlight. A nearby wall came crashing down and a new giant form appeared. Just as she had feared, not all of the Iberian Orcs had been lured out. Some of the Reds had remained inside their den. This one had clumps of bent metal in each fist. The girl was not sure why at first, but she eventually realized they were small single-person cars. In an Iberian Orcs hands, heavy masses like that could be used like brass knuckles. (...Haruka would probably faint if she knew I was familiar with violent terms like brass knuckles.) The Red struck his fists solidly together, sending orange sparks everywhere. The girl had no reason to fight unless necessary. Her top priority was rewriting the settings for the Gate on the 52nd floors viewing platform and summoning Summon Hunter Gruagach from there. Sticking around to deal with every single enemy would be the height of folly. The Iberian Orc turned his head toward the dress girl as she prepared to ignore the escalators height difference by jumping straight up to the next floor. That was when a hail of gunfire entered through a window. Hit just before he jumped, the Red with scrapped cars in his hands rolled down to the lower floor while his weight destroyed the escalator. Once one of the girls had entered Roppongi Billss Todoroki Tower, they were to stay near the windows as much as possible. That way they could receive covering fire from the tanks and armored vehicles buried in the mud. (That said, its only if we can. Filinion and Armelina have to be desperately alternating between moving and attacking from turrets in order to survive, so they cant guarantee me support.) She could not use the elevators with the power out. There was only a direct elevator to the 52nd floor viewing deck, but she had never been planning to use that. If the Iberian Orcs rushed in while she was in a narrow pit with no hope of covering fire from outside, death was the only option. But with the movement assistance suit, she could head up at the same speed as an elevator. She still had to go through the nerve-racking process of keeping an eye out for enemies and moving while the Iberian Orcs could make a surprise attack at any moment, but she did have some chance of escaping. Kh. The red dress girl came to a stop on a stairway landing. The way up was blocked by a few bent vending machines. She doubted the belligerent Reds would have created a protective barricade, so they may have simply dug out the drinks and snacks before discarding the machines. She could move them out of the way if she had to, but she wanted to avoid any unnecessary noise. More than that, staying in one place was dangerous. She slowly made her way back down the stairs. Such a large building would have more than one emergency staircase. If she cut across the floor, she was bound to find another way up. The red dress girl tapped her heel on the hallway floor and listened to the sound. Good, its thin enough. As soon as a new Iberian Orc stepped in front of her, its giant form was dragged down to the floor below as if it had been caught in a pitfall. With their weight and speed, a single step created a great burden. It was entirely possible that they would break right through the floor. The red dress girl used the support of the special suit to just barely jump over the few meters of the hole in front of her and then she continued up. She was fortunate the large building had multiple emergency stairs. A single way up would have increased the risk of encountering them. The girl removed the lid from a 500mL plastic bottle she carried in her small bag and she tossed it down the stairs she no longer needed. It contained an assortment of fatty meats that had started to spoil. It was meant as a decoy for drawing the attention of unmanageable stray dogs and dangerous pets, but it could also be used to mislead the Iberian Orcs who had excellent noses and who converted rotting stenches into hunger. (The food here is spoiling, so maybe we could acquire some contagions for use against the Reds: cholera, dysentery, norovirus, O157... No, with conditions as they are, we wouldnt be able to manage it safely. Its useless if we infect ourselves with our own demon.) The red dress girl received covering fire from the windows several more times along the way and she finally reached the upper levels of Todoroki Tower that had once been a status symbol for corporate workers. Things were going well. The situation was like a cup of water with the surface tension straining at the limit, but it did not spill. Even if fighting all of the Reds at once was a hopeless endeavor, she could somehow manage if she used speed to lose them and made her way further in. She could almost feel victory in her grasp. The wall labelled 50th Floor was cracked and crumbled. Had the Iberian Orcs made some bold reforms, or had her allies covering fire done this? The outer wall and ceiling had collapsed in one area. The red dress girl had been thinking of opening a hole or two with her own power, but now she did not need to waste any gas cylinders. She climbed up onto the slope of fallen rubble. (Armelinas movement assistance suit is pretty impressive. Doing this without it would have been more exhausting than visiting a shrine 100 times in a row.) Whoops. She felt a tug as her long red skirt unleashed a scream. It had apparently caught on a protruding piece of rebar. She had to avoid doing that because it would make Haruka sad. The large viewing deck was her goal, but it was also a dead end C possibly literally so. She would be forced to stop moving for a few minutes while she waited in front of the Gate. That was a short time, but it meant she could no longer use her previous tactics. She found a large, donut-shaped floor used to enjoy the night view of Tokyo in all 360 degrees. Now, it was a chilling sight since the view was as dark as a great forest. She could not even see the Detached Magic Palace. She slipped through the partition that was now just a large frame and searched for her objective. The other world was more of a prized product than the view of Tokyo, so the Gate was placed in the very middle of the floor. (Honestly, and you can get to Grounds Nir all the same no matter where you Sign In from. Why do the Japanese love geographical status symbols so much?) She pulled out the tablet given to her by Iroka of the three maid sisters. She also pulled out a generic cable that could transfer both power and data and she connected it to the control panel attached to a corner of the square pedestal, like the temperature control of an electric carpet. Iroka must have been thoughtful in how she set it up because the tablets screen did not light up in the darkness. But the small green light on the Gates control panel did flash irregularly. (Okay, looks like the auto-run program is running. That just leaves...) The sound of shattered glass being crushed underfoot reached her from multiple directions. She only had to wait until the appropriate time. But that simple task was transforming into a hellish ordeal. ... The red dress girl picked up a shard of glass while making sure not to cut her fingers and she waved it near the window. She used the moonlights reflection to send a signal down to her companions on the surface. That would tell them she had reached the 52nd floor and the operation had moved to the next phase. Then she reached for her prized weapon. The red dress girl pulled out a metal measuring tape and several compressed gas cylinders for a portable stove. She did not have to think about winning. She had to buy time. They would keep the Iberian Orcs flinching back with her explosives and the gunfire from the windows. Everything would change once Summon Hunter Gruagach arrived. She could use Demon Lord Tselikas Charm Skill to forcibly bind a contract with the Red Iberian Orcs, suppress their rampage, and allow the humans to borrow their strength. However. An unpleasant sensation surrounded Beatrices entire body. Especially her long hair. When she realized what was causing the slight straining sensation in her hair, the worst premonition of all ran down her spine. Now, a question. What had the three maid sisters been trying to predict using a makeshift hygrometer made from this same hair? The change to the situation was truly sudden. The many sounds fused together into a giant mass of noise. It was the beating of a great many water drops. (Oh, no...) What this meant gradually sank in for the red dress girl. Unpleasant sweat poured from her body. (A downpour now? The dry season has switched to the rainy season!?) The surface changed greatly between the two seasons. What had been dry and solid ground would absorb the water and become a muddy torrent that swept away trees and houses. The two companions providing covering fire from armored vehicles and tanks would not escape this unscathed. Only the Red Iberian Orcs with their overwhelming weight and muscles could move through that torrent. Filinion, Armelina...!? She did not have it in her to look down. No, she could not afford to look away. She heard low, rumbling snorts. And they entirely surrounded the dress girl. The large viewing deck was a wide open area, but it did have some cover: the elevator, the guidance counter, the bathrooms, and the shops. She could feel her chest tightening. She clicked her tongue and threw a gas cylinder, but she knew all too well she was no match for them on her own. The Gates control panel still had the flashing green light where the tablet was connected by a generic cable. The work was not yet complete. There was no chance of Gruagach arriving quite yet. It was time for the selection. The Red Iberian Orcs forcibly attacked all lifeforms to test their strength. If the lifeform proved too weak, they would eat it and convert it into energy. If it proved strong enough, they would mate with it to acquire in its strong points. Either way, the targets fate would be unilateral and unreasonable. Humanitys turn had finally arrived. There was no escape. No convenient savior would arrive. A powerful pressure focused between her eyebrows, like a bowstring being slowly drawn. A burning impatience sizzled at the nape of her neck. Just then, a brilliant bolt of lightning stabbed down into the lightning rod at the top of Roppongi Billss Todoroki Tower. !? (Oh, no...!!) The red dress girl began to move, as if pushed on by the blinding light and deafening boom, but then she realized she had jumped the gun. She had been so fearful of her fate that she had started moving at the wrong time. That was blatantly obvious to her. Her metal measuring tape bent like a whip and solidly struck the portable stove gas cylinder she had thrown onto the floor. The side of the cylinder ruptured, orange sparks scattered, and then a large explosion erupted out. But she already knew how it would end. The many Reds ignored the curtain of flames and shrapnel as they charged straight toward her. She should have made her explosive attack now, not when the lightning struck. Only the tail end of the attack tore into the porcine giants. The red dress girl tensed up and tried to take a step backwards, but then something horrifying happened. Something flashed in the darkness. By the time she realized it came from an Iberian Orcs hand, a powerful high-voltage current was piercing her entire body. Kah!? Unable to handle the unexpected attack, she rolled backwards. She could not get back up from the glass-strewn floor. She bent backwards like a shrimp and her tensed limbs would not listen to her commands. She wondered if the high-voltage current had damaged the movement assistance suit, but that was not it. Her tongue and lips were also convulsing irregularly, so she could not even scream properly. It was her body that refused to move. The movement assistance suit would amplify even the smallest strength, but it would do nothing for her if she could not give it any commands. (Elec...tricity? Wait, no...that was Magic!? Oh, I get it. We can earn Experience Points and learn Magic in the other world, but Earth is another world for the Reds...) The Iberian Orcs were strong enough already, but now they had learned Magic too. She had known their minds possessed abnormally high processing power. They had messed with the Gates without using Shining Weapons in order to reach Earth from Grounds Nir. But even then, could they really take it this far? Did they have to steal the one advantage Earths humans had? Ah, ah, ah gwaaaahhh...!! She desperately tried to get up and grab the metal measuring tape, but her irregularly twitching hand would not move properly. The girl could not resist at all as she lay sprawled out on the floor. The Red Iberian Orcs ignored the slight burns and lacerations as their large hands approached her. She saw nothing more than hands, hands, hands, and more hands that did not belong to Boo Boo. She had the metal measuring tape and the explosives, but they were useless when she could not move. The odds of success had been near hopeless once she had lost the covering fire, but now they had truly closed off. Yes, closed off. The despair was like having a set of double doors slowly closing right in front of her. The light vanished from before her eyes and only darkness ruled her vision. (Boo...Boo...!?) The overwhelming masses approached all the same. The test, and the tragic fate to follow, had begun. Between the Lines 1 The strategic VR simulation using Grounds Nir Abysss processor core has been ended. The simulation participants sensory information, primarily pain, have been forcibly shut off and scrubbed. The mental health standards were manually altered from the recommended settings, so the memories of any unrecommended results will not be scrubbed and will be retained. Please use them for reference. (Click for details.) The result was defeat. During the 108 hours, 23 minutes, and 49 seconds of simulation time, which was cut off from real time, all of the participants were incapacitated and unable to complete their objective. Numerous alternate patterns can be considered, but in all of them, the Red Iberian Orcs selection process will reach the human race within 120 hours and their descendants will gain the ability to remain on Earth indefinitely. (Click for details.) Based on the above data, none of the available options will allow a comeback if countermeasures are taken only once the Red Iberian Orcs become active. They are currently in a dormant state. Not only did the Iberian Orcs place their own bodies in a dormant state out of the fear of going berserk, but several of the Level Cappers assisted using Magic to freeze and tranquilize them. However, this is no more than a temporary stalling tactic and this dormant state will not last forever. (Click for details.) If a drastic countermeasure is not found during this waiting period, there is no hope of resolving the problem. The Redness infecting the Iberian Orcs must be analyzed and a method of removing it must be found. (Click for details.) All participants will now be disconnected. Goodbye for now, everyone. Volume 6, 2: Head to Heaven if You Want to Live Volume 6, Chapter 2: Head to Heaven if You Want to Live Part 1 Bwah!!!??? Her equilibrium was shaken and psychedelic colors danced at the edge of her vision. Only after repeatedly suppressing an urge to vomit did Beatrice, the Holy Swordswoman in red armor and a white miniskirt, awaken with a start. She pressed her hands against the floor, tried and failed to get up, curled up in the fetal position with her long red and silver hair fanned out around her, and fought to suppress her trembling. It was her internal organs themselves moving, not her muscles or bones. The experience of death and defeat was powerful. The simulation had seemed all too real, so after awakening from that vivid dream, her memories were a mess and she was very confused. ...She had predicted it to an extent, but the conclusion she had seen had been far too tragic. The Reds C the Iberian Orcs afflicted with some kind of disease C had filled the world with their fierce attacks. But that memory could not be mechanically erased either. Nightmare or not, none of it was unnecessary. If she threw away the acquired information instead of accumulating it, it would all be meaningless. Pant, pant... Beatrice decided to remember it all piece by piece as she wiped the sweat from her brow. This was Grounds Nir. It was nighttime and she was inside a small brick house in the mountains away from the human inn town. It was Boo Boos house. She was technically in the attic where Ultimate Weapon Abyss, who was missing an arm and whose neck was bent at an odd angle, was lying on her back. She looked like a silver-haired girl wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a large hole, but she was actually an artificial creation. However, she was equipped with digital thought circuits that surpassed the human brain. Their current strategy was entirely reliant on Abyss who had two strands of mottled silver hair hanging down in front of her. She had connected to Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelinas minds, extracted the basic information as electrical signals, and constructed an accurate strategic VR simulation based on that so they could experience the coming tragedy in advance. Abyss would be seeing Earth for the first time as the simulation host, so Beatrice felt kind of bad for sullying her first experience like this. Filinion...Armelina...? Are you okay too...? She was answered by groans that made her think of large frogs being slowly crushed underfoot. Those two did not have it in them to maintain the mask of a kind and beautiful young woman at the moment. In fact... Now Im worried I looked this pathetic just a second ago. Pull yourselves together for my sake at least. You really dont show any mercy to anyone other than Boo Boo, do you? You really dont show any mercy to anyone other than Boo Boo, do you? While speaking in the cursed voice of someone climbing up from the pit of hangover hell, White Witch Filinion dragged along her witchs hat and large cap and Fighter Priest Armelina gave no thought for the slit in the sides of her priests outfit as she finally managed to get up from the attic floor. S-so how did you two die? For me, the downpour started while I was moving from the armored truck to an attack helicopter, so I was caught in the flowing mud until the bottles of sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid in my duffel bag broke and dragged me into a hell of my own creation... I stayed in the armored truck too long, so a Red smashed it with a blunt weapon. The entire vehicle was crushed flat and then roasted in a giant explosion. What about you, Beatrice? ..............................................................................I really dont want to talk about it.............................................................................. The dull look in her eyes was far greater than the other twos. The Holy Swordswomans glassy eyes were devoid of all light and that told the other two that something even worse had happened to her, so they gently lifted their feet from the gas. (W-was she devoured in the selection? But devoured in which way???) (Shh! Shes a sensitive teenager. B-besides, it only happened in virtual reality, so its like being bit by a digital stray dog. Even if it was the worst case scenario, theres nothing to worry about. Because it was only virtual. Bwa ha ha!!) Dahhh!! Beatrice threw her hands in the air and screamed. The pure teenager glared at the insensitive idiots who had lifted their feet from the gas but had not considered stepping on the brakes and she spoke out half in desperation. They rushed at me in all directions while in mating mode, but as soon as they tackled me with their fearsome strength, I was crushed to death!! And my final line was nboh. There, happy now!? Crushed by a group of sweaty and horny fat men until your organs burst out of every hole? Yeah, thats pretty tragic... Crushed by a group of sweaty and horny fat men until your organs burst out of every hole? Yeah, thats pretty tragic... Dont imagine it in such detail!! And you two were either dissolved to the bone with powerful acid or blown to charred bits, right? None of our fates were anywhere close to something we could let others see. How about I describe yours in detail too!? ...And Armelina, Im never going to forget that joke you made. That was like something an old man would say. ...Come to think of it, you are reaching that age, arent you? Ah!? You wanna fight, Beatrice!? While Beatrice and Armelina got into a scuffle that doubled as the beginnings of rehabilitation, Filinion just stood there and watched with no intent of healing any wounds this caused. Fitting for the ultimate weapon, it seemed Abyss had left some horrifying data with them. If they could replay the file in VR format and send it into someone elses brain (pain included), it could be used as a new form of projectile weapon. They must have caused quite a commotion because a worried face poked up from the ladder leading down to the hallway. It was far too large to be human. Squeal. Beatrice, what happened? I know you were taking a nap, so did you have a bad dream? Oh, Boo Boo. Wait just a moment. Armelina has entered her crazy mode, so dont look! This might be something she will seriously regret later on!! Shut up! Its long since time I taught you to respect this clever, kind, nice-smelling, and perfect young woman. I wont be satisfied until Ive stripped your insolent ass bare and given you 100 spankings!! ...Spankings as punishment? How old are you? ...Spankings as punishment? How old are you? Dont say that in unison, little girls!! Filinion, now Ive added you to the war crimes list too!! The girls went on to grab at each other and tug things out of place like they were mud wrestling, but their armor and miniskirts were meant for combat while exploring the harsh Labyrinth. They would not break so easily. Meanwhile, Boo Boo was so unchanged that Beatrice thought she might cry tears of relief. His skin had not turned red and he showed no sign of enacting that selection where the weak were eaten and the strong mated with. Yes, he alone was fine. He was not afflicted by the Red disease and that was why he alone had been allowed to escape when the village was attacked long ago. She had known that. She had known it, but the red armor and miniskirt girl was still so relieved that her heart trembled. He held a hand to his mouth and spoke in a troubled voice. Boo. You shouldnt fight. Abyss is sleeping, so keep it down! ...Keep this up and I might have to hit all of you as punishment. That would physically crush me, so leave me out of it!! That would physically crush me, so leave me out of it!! That would physically crush me, so leave me out of it!! Even if it had been in VR, those three girls had just seen the threat of the Iberian Orcs. Boo Boos words led the two muscular morons to stop grappling and for some reason the White Witch joined them in sitting apologetically before him. Boo Boo tilted his head like he did not really understand. So what did your nap say? Ugh... The simulation only taught us that any direct attack is guaranteed to fail. We really do have to end this before the apocalyptic Reds break loose. Squeal. Beatrice, youre such a romanticist to rely on dream prophecies. He indeed did not understand. Beatrice was a little curious who had taught him the word romanticist. Had it been Succubus Tselika who had disguised herself as a Nun, had it been the Sage, or had it been Royal Elf Sibyl? Theres still some food left, so you can eat if you want. I made sure not to eat it all for your sakes. I can restrain myself if I try! ...W-well, I think I can handle some porridge. So whats on the menu? Meat. You can never go wrong with meat! Serve meat and there will be a smile on everyones face!! Beatrice and the others were concerned about that fairly vague response, but they still followed Boo Boo from the attic and to the ground floor. There must have been further additions built because there was a second floor in between. The hand-sized Fairies had built his house with a fireplace and chimney, but it did not have a kitchen with a hand pump well or brick oven, so when eating, he generally built a campfire outside and had a barbecue. They stepped outside to find Grounds Nirs peaceful blue sky. It was not harshly divided between a dry season and rainy season, and everything would not be swept away by mud after a sudden downpour. Also, it seemed Boo Boo had not made the food. The hand-sized Fairies named Meridiana, Alice, and Morgan were flying around while Fairy Queen Sutriona used both hands to deal with a (Boo Boo-sized) skewer of meat and Giant Onion like it was a barbell. That Break News had a black ribbon dress wrapped around her skinny, undeveloped body, and the large floral decorations shook as she casually spoke. Oh, so youre up. You didnt have much luck, did you? Just making an estimate from the size of their skeleton and muscles, theyre far beyond what mere humans can handle. I know youre disheartened, but eat some tasty food and cheer up. The food was a lot like skewers of grilled chicken, but each piece of meat rivaled a one-pound steak in size. If a pound does not mean much to you, you can convert that into about 450 grams. Each one would probably be too big to fit in a girls small bento box. A single skewer contained enough meat to shock a Westerner and Beatrice had to avert her gaze since her stomach was still squirming a little. And an odd scene came into view. There was red, red, red, and more red as far as the eye could see. Those powerful and horrifying Iberian Orcs were curled up and arranged in neat rows. ... The way they had crouched down, curled up, and come to a complete stop made them look like giant eggs laid on the ground. But these red eggs of slaughter would bring about the end of the world once they hatched. They had not accepted their own rampage. They had not accepted the Redness afflicting them as an excuse. So they had used all their might to suppress their power and entered a dormant state. Then White Witch Filinions tranquilizer potions and Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefraus low-temperature treatment had externally reinforced that state. Of course, this was only a temporary calm that came with a time limit. If that had solved everything, Beatrices Party would not have been continuing their trial and error tests. White Witch Filinion poked at the side of her glasses and spoke. We cant actually solve this with Gruagachs Summon Hunter power like we were trying in the simulation, right? Right. That requires both sides to accept the contract, so the Iberian Orcs have to be awake for it to work. Gruagach could easily get their consent using Tselikas Charm, but there is no stopping the Reds rampage once they wake up, so we would be right back where we started. Huldra, a miniskirt cheerleader with pink twintails and pompoms whose behavior was so overly cutesy it felt fake, casually joined the conversation. Chief, Ive learned how to administer the crucial tranquilizer potion, but it doesnt look like I can Mix it. The White Witch threw in Sutrionas blood wings and Ireanas roots for some kind of unique potion thats just too dangerous for me to copy. Heh. What a pain. Sounds like no one can do anything without my peerless genius around. Grin, grin. Wipe that smug grin off your face, cow. If no one but you can make it, it means we cant get a stable supply, which leaves us in big trouble. After Armelinas exasperated response, curly blue-haired Wildefrau approached while holding a skewer of only vegetables. She spoke while nearly nude except for the cross sword she wore. Either way, the low-temperature treatment is entirely reliant on me. Simply freezing them with a great enough power would be one thing, but safely guiding them to hibernation without harming them is something else entirely. Grin, grin, grin. What is it with all of you and your smug grins!? Were not here to brag about how powerful we are! Quite the opposite!! What we want is a generic ability, not a unique one!! If even one of the Reds surrounding them were to awaken, they would be attacked by the scenario seen in the strategic VR simulation put together by Abyss. Once that red apocalypse began, it was all over. It was human nature to want as many safeties in place as possible. For now, the girls began a strategy meeting while accepting one of the Boo Boo-sized skewers and deciding to share it since it was too much for one person. Beatrice let out a slow breath and started speaking. To be blunt, how long will this dormant state last? Theoretically, about 10 hours, but the actual limit is fairly fluid. Who knows how much it could shrink based on external stimuli. Munch. Wait, Wildefrau has a vegetable skewer, so if were going to share one, lets go grab a meat one. Meat! Eh heh heh. The fatty meat is so good. This really is the best. Munch, munch. ...Are you serious? Im a guy and even Im a little disturbed by how extreme an athletic festival this feels like. Well, if thats what you like, Ill leave it to you, glasses girl. Munch. The girls(?) held a hand to the side of their head to keep the dripping grease from their hair as they bit into the meat with their small mouths. The red-armored and white miniskirted Holy Swordswoman struggled with the large meat as she continued the discussion. External stimuli? You mean C munch C you think there could be an attack? Once the scope of the threat reaches them, I imagine some people will think this dormant state is the perfect time to attack. Munch, munch. Even though Level Cappers like us couldnt even dislocate a single joint in an attack, huh? It was cruel, but Beatrices Party had already considered preventing the Iberian Orcs from moving any of their limbs to prevent the disaster. In the end, those representative examples of the Level Cappers were unable to even scratch that copper skin and their only accomplishment was possibly hastening the time limit with the pain signals. Their opponents were that untouchable even while asleep. How much worse would it be once they woke up and their violence blossomed? The simulation led by Abyss had provided the answer to that. But wont a lot of people refuse to believe it until they try it for themselves? Offense isnt my specialty, so it doesnt really make sense to me. Mm, lick... ...Filinion, I know you dont want that dripping meat juice to go to waste, but you really shouldnt hold out your hands and catch it on your tongue. I bet that glasses cow would catch the meat in her cleavage if it fell off the skewer. Then shed close one eye and shout hot...! Yeah, she is a glasses girl. Its like shes just asking to get the grease all over the lenses. ...And, chief, dont you wear glasses back in reality? Attention, everyone!! Werent we holding a strategy meeting!!!??? Perhaps thanks to the blessing of vegetables, Wildefrau remained relatively sane and steered them back on course. In a way, the fact that all their insults did not cause their friendships to break down was proof that their bonds were real. Mm. Hey, Filinion, you still dont know what exactly the Redness is, right? Their blood rusts over. It may be something like a hereditary disease that came about in the process of evolving in a more aggressive direction. Munch. But Ive checked through their body tissue and I cant find any abnormality like that. Theres no difference in the chromosomes between the elders group and healthy Boo Boo and theres no sign of toxins, bacteria, or other foreign substances. And when compared to Boo Boo, I cant find any nutrient theyre missing. On the physical front, they should be healthy as can be. No matter how much they bit and tore off pieces of the meat, it never seemed to grow smaller, but someone had made it for them. Armelina was an adult, so she refused to look displeased with it as she spoke up. But the Reds are definitely in an abnormal state, right? Munch, munch. Yes. So that means there isnt anything wrong with them as far as I can investigate. And if a recovery-specialty Level Capper like me cant get to the bottom of it, it must be something really well hidden. Well, the Sage has mastered all Magic with no gaps whatsoever, but not even she could cure them. I guess we didnt need the cow to tell us it isnt something so simple. Did you...did you have to do that!? I went to the trouble of making a grim expression for that great line, so why would you bring up someone else to obliterate my own name value!? Beatrice! Look me in the eye! Dammit, youre wearing armor, so you cant read your palm no matter how hard you stare at it!! W-waaaaahhhhn!! Another girl used her small mouth to join the giant meat eating challenge. The long ears sticking out from her glossy blonde hair twitched as she spoke. Munch, munch. What the humans are going to do is obvious enough from observing their inn town. Theyre all raising war cries and preparing for a hunt in the mountains. They sure have a lot of excess energy when theyre still rebuilding the town after the Underworld battle. Sibyl? Even though she wore a green miniskirt dress with the chest wide open and ate this overly sumptuous feast by brushing her fine hair back and tearing off pieces of meet with her small mouth, the Royal Elf looked somehow refined. People lose control more easily when acting out of fear than out of anger. From the look of things, I doubt you could stop them from making their attack if you tried to persuade them now. Of course, even if the humans join together and attack the dormant Reds, they cannot kill them. They will only shorten the time limit. But at the same time, there are so many of them. Preventing a single piece of Magic from hitting the Reds is unrealistic. We will have to assume a shortened time limit in whatever we do. I get that, but is what you said before really true? Yes. Beatrices comment could have been seen as a challenge or a simple question, but Sibyl responded with a composed expression. ...Munch. The Sage has lost her cool and is no help whatsoever since this has to do with the Iberian Orc elder. As a ruler, I have decided that the shortest route to regaining control of Grounds Nir is to guide you and indirectly achieve my objective. Munch, munch. Th-this princess sure can eat. I kind of like this. I did run the meat-focused Girls Grill when we were in the inn town, if you recall. And as the proud ruler of the forest, my metabolism works differently from you humans. I need not blind myself with external looks, bind myself with an excessive aesthetic focus, and pathetically restrict my diet. Is this elitist just saying she can eat whatever she wants without gaining weight? Yknow, that concept that might as well be picking a fight with the female half of the population! Do we have to start a war of the worlds against that unreasonably thin body!!!??? Armelina was filled with dark hatred, but Royal Elf Sibyl ignored her and maintained her elegant image as she continued. To find a drastic solution to the Redness afflicting the Iberian Orcs, we need the hidden treasures guarded by the three royal families, which includes me. I believe that was what we had discussed. Part 2 If they were going to share so much food, couldnt they just remove it from the skewer? Beatrices Party eventually arrived at that most basic of questions, so they moved the humongous pieces of meat onto large plates, transforming the meeting into a party with the plates sitting on stumps instead of a table. ...Boo Boo and Sutriona were clearly abnormal for eating a seemingly endless number of those skewers. So what are the three royal families hidden treasures? Sibyl resumed speaking in her green dress with the chest wide open. She used a knife to cut off a small piece of the giant meat. To be honest, there is a strong tradition saying we must protect them, but we dont actually remember why. I admit its kind of pathetic. The breakthrough came from Demon Lord Tselika. Without her and Skull Wave, I never would have realized the true meaning of the three treasures. Sibyl, Tselika, the Sage, and Skull Wave... Those four stood quite near the peak, so they must not have wanted any connections between each other. Sibyl and the Sage had worked together and there was a connection between Tselika and Skull Wave, but that was all. They had been satisfied with their small groups and had never had a chance to exchange much information. The strongest did not let the loneliness get the better of them. Instead, to avoid the annoyance of speaking with people of differing values, they had intentionally distanced the people who would never understand them C or that they had assumed would never understand them. That was a bitter experience that Beatrice herself had gone through in the past. Boo Boo had changed all that. Just as his actions had opened Beatrices lonely heart of the strongest, he had broken through so many peoples shells and given them a chance to connect with others. If he had only been strong, he would only have violently beaten them down and forced them to obey. If he had only been kind, he would have been killed in a counterattack. It was only by possessing both qualities that he had managed to open so many peoples hearts. Sibyl breathed an emotional sigh. Demon Lord Tselika is a collector with her own treasure trove in the Cave of Tears and, according to her, if you gather those three treasures, you will have a tool for viewing and understanding the composition of all matter in this world. Because of the many possibilities and even greater risks that entails, it was split in three and each piece was left with the ruler of the land, sea, or air for safekeeping...no, to be sealed away. And if Skull Wave is to be believed, it could be used as a largescale observation device like an electron microscope or particle accelerator. A-a particle accelerator? And since this has to do with Grounds Nir, it could break through the limits of Earth technology...? Th-th-th-this doesnt mean you could create as much as you wanted of curium, einsteinium, californium, and other dangerous things, does it? Chief, if you created enough of that to be visible to the naked eye, it would cause a nuclear revolution in this world of Magic, and people could create super hydrogen bombs the size of your little finger. That was only a figure of speech...I hope. Huldra and Armelina grew pale and whispered to each other, but Beatrice was focused elsewhere. ...Healing Expert Filinion had only just said that she could not find the cause even though the effect was clearly there, so the cause had to be buried somewhere deeper than she could see. With better equipment, perhaps Filinion would be able to deal with the mysterious Redness. A hereditary disease, an infectious disease, a toxin, an immunodeficiency, the lack of a nutrient, or the inability to synthesize an internal substance... It was unclear what the issue was, so they could not imagine what the appropriate response was. If all you had was X+Y=Z, you could not find the answer. But if you had fixed values for two of the three variables, you could solve for the remaining one. Before using heating or cooling for distillation or mixing some chemicals, they needed to observe the cause. Just like a crossword puzzle, filling in one answer helped reveal the answers around it. By identifying the cause, they could work out the technique needed to eradicate the disease. That technique might be hidden somewhere in the Magic tree diagrams that Beatrice and the others viewed on a regular basis. The glutamic acid that was expected to work as an antidote to a certain toxin was easily acquired by boiling seaweed, and cutting edge labs used normal pig and cow blood to create serums. In older times, such things had been treated as suspicious good luck charms, but once you understood how it worked, the solution was surprisingly simple. It was like finding the right way to look at a piece of trick art. The hidden treasures of the three royal families, hm? So thats how you secure your rule. By the way, you mentioned land, sea, and air, but we dont have time for a great adventure across this entire world. The land one is protected and preserved by the ruler of the forest, meaning me, so you dont need to worry about that one. Royal Elf Sibyl tapped at the circlet on her forehead that carried a jewel reminiscent of hot blue fire. That must have been one of the treasures. So what about sea and air? continued Beatrice. The sea one belonged to Elder Mermaid Vivian, ruler of the ocean. I use the past tense because she is no longer among the living, but you would recognize her appearance. ...After all, her body was used by the Underworld Lord. At that point, Sibyl held her soft-looking palm out toward the others. It held a ring with a bright jewel set in it. It was colored a sapphire blue reminiscent of the most beautiful ice. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau wore the same color, so she spoke up in interest. Did you dig that up from the Underworld...that giant marine creature that had rotted away after all its nutrients were absorbed? I was the one that cleaned up after the Underworld Lord in the end, so I collected it then. So we only need the air treasure? Beatrice asked that with a frown and Sibyl quietly nodded. The ruler of the sky is Archangel Marinka. I do not know how much the limit will be shortened, but before the Iberian Orcs wake up, we need to acquire Marinkas sky treasure and complete the largescale observation device that can reveal the identity of the Redness afflicting them. W-we can probably manage if we only have to visit one place, right? Of course, we only have about half a day, so things might change if we have to go all the way to the edge of the world and back. Filinion oddly hedged her comment, but Sibyl shook her head. That was enough for her beautifully shining blonde hair to sway side to side. Not to worry. Marinkas location is visible from this island. In fact, with the exception of some special cases like Vampires, it is a place anyone sees on a daily basis. However, it is also a somewhat unusual location. Quit acting all mysterious. This obviously isnt going to be as easy as heading out alone and coming back with a new souvenir. Where exactly is this Marinka located? The fair Royal Elf answered Armelinas question by raising her index finger. No, she was pointing. Pointing straight up. The sun. ...What??? Had they misheard or was this a figure of speech? Beatrice had to ask about that entirely unexpected term, but Sibyl was not going to correct herself. The sun shining in the heavens beyond the sky territory. Archangel Marinka provides the world with light from there as she awaits visitors. And she wears the final treasure: an earring bearing the jewel of the azure sky. Part 3 The sun. How were they supposed to reach the sun? Oh, I dont know what youre imagining, but I am not talking about Earths sun. The sun that shines on Grounds Nir is perfectly reachable on foot. ...Why are all of your mouths gaping like that? Sigh, did that just confuse you further? Then let me tell you something to strip away your foolish assumptions. We are not going to visit Earths sun. We will visit the sun island that shines on all of Grounds Nir from beyond the sky territory. Sibyl explained with a composed expression, but Boo Boo had trouble understanding since he had never tried going to either worlds sun. Boo... That was a flying island? That nearly-4m gray giant had arrived at a beach where small waves washed in and out in the warm sunlight. But these were not white waves. They were black. Rotten, discolored, and sticky dead flesh clung to the coastline. If a human from Earth had been there, they might have been reminded of a tanker accident. That ominous image may have been why there were no humans in the vicinity. No one wanted to hang around there when the black lumps were what remained of the Underworlds giant marine creature that had attacked the island of Grounds Nir. Because the Sage had used up all of its nutrients to save Beatrices Party and the elders group, it had fallen apart into partially liquefied rotten flesh. It was crawling with small Cleaner Crabs and Intruder Hermit Crabs. Life was powerful. At this rate, it would be entirely gone in less than a month. Whatever the case, he was lucky. If Royal Elf Sibyl was right, the humans were attempting to attack the dormant Iberian Orcs in order to protect their home world of Earth. The crisis would make them indiscriminate. Boo Boo would be in danger if they spotted him. He wore a large basket on his back that the Fairies had woven for him. But it was not to carry fish he caught. In fact, Fairy Queen Sutriona sat inside the basket looking quite bored. She stuck her fingers inside the chest and hip of her black ribbon dress and made a snapping noise as she spoke in a drawn-out voice. Yawn... Have you still not found it? Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff... I think its over here. Boo Boo moved his giant nose to search out some kind of scent as he walked along the beach. The crescent moon shape of what looked like a rib stuck out from the water. The Underworlds bones had shined with the bluish-white light of crystal, but they had lost their shine and become a dull white now that it was no longer active. Boo Boo sniffed in front of a small hill of black gunk and then stuck his hand inside. He pulled out a hard object about the size of a rugby ball. Found it! Its a big tree seed!! Wah!? Wait, Boo Boo! Wash it off in the water before throwing it in the basket! You got that gunk all over me!! Ugh, its sticking to my hair! I cant get it out!! Boo Boo continued the search while carrying angry Sutriona. He would collect any kind of plant seed he found. Suddenly, the white sand swelled up nearby. A humanoid form burst out from the beachs sand. It was a bewitchingly beautiful woman with purple hair and brown skin. This person wearing something like a dress made of green vines and leaves was Ileana, peak of the plant Break News. Despite her strong allure that was reminiscent of sweet nectar, she was pouting her lips like a small child. Hmph. Hmph, hmph! Squeal? ...Boo Boo, you and the perverted carrot both need to learn how to use actual words. As inadequate as it seemed, it apparently worked. Silver-haired Sutriona responded to the far-too-direct communication style with annoyance, so Ileana started speaking in an actual language. All of the plants on this island come from my All-Purpose Seeds, so they all belong to me. Ileana puffed out her brown cheeks like dumplings. But I dont recognize those. They must be seeds from another island. Which means theyre invasive species! Growing those on this island would be too dangerous. Theyll take over my share!! After all, the Next Generation Embryo found deep inside the Underworld had been a giant towering tree. If more of those started growing on the island, the plants born of Ileanas All-Purpose Seeds would be driven from the already limited land. But this is necessary. Hmph? Look over there, vegetable. Theres a big mountain, right? Boo Boo pointed toward the largest mountain on the island. Beyond the thick clouds, the peak was covered in perpetual snow. When she saw that pure and unsullied white, Ileana held her skinny brown body and shivered. I have little to do with that land. Not even high-altitude plants would grow at that height. Beatrice and the others need to go even higher than that. Boo Boo hopped up and down on the spot, sending an ominous tremor through the ground and rolling Sutriona around in the basket on his back. Its called the sky territory. We went there when the Sage sent Disaster after us and we used those...floating islands, were they called? Squeal. I didnt notice it then since we were sent there automatically, but its hard to get there normally. It was hard to see from this distance, but large rocks and clumps of dirt were positioned vertically up from the peak. According to Sibyl, they could reach the heavens using those floating islands. Which meant they needed something else: Even from the mountain peak, the lowest part of the sky territory is floating around with no way to reach it, so we need these. Y-you mean...? Grounds Nirs plants wont help, but a seed from elsewhere might do the trick. While Boo Boo explained, Sutriona righted herself in the basket and held up a seed larger than her face. Its a bit of a gamble, but there is a precedent: the Next Generation Embryo. ...That tall tree had almost certainly been artificially redesigned, but there had to be an original tree it was based on. If we gather as many foreign seeds as we can and plant them all on the summit, one of them should instantly sprout, reach the bottom of the islands floating in the sky territory, and provide a starting foothold. Noooo! There has to be some other way! Wouldnt it be faster to ride up there on the Thousand Dragons back!? That wouldnt work, vegetable. Ive never heard of her eating the sun, so I dont think she can fly that high. And unlike me and my beautiful butterfly wings, she can fly quickly but she cant stay in one spot...hovering, did they call it? Especially not with someone on her back. And the passengers couldnt climb onto the islands since her giant body would knock them out of the sky. Sutriona gave a mischievous smile from the basket as she supplied that extra information. Boo. Besides, why do you not like this idea, vegetable? Because...because...because theres no guarantee it will stay on the top of the mountain. Are you sure it wont scatter pollen and infect the entire area, or spread its roots below the ground to grow more trees? Hmph, hmph! This will never end well!! Boo Boo would not have considered any of that, but what about knowledgeable Sutriona? The Fairy Queen was entirely nonchalant. Its no skin off my nose if you suffer, perverted carrot. In fact, Id probably hold my sides and laugh until I cried. Hmm!!!??? Ileana grew pale and began tearfully tugging on Boo Boos large hand. Dont do this! Dont do this! This feels just as ominous as finding a mysterious egg below the thick ice! Besides, nothing good will ever come from listening to a bug thats only good for her venom! Squeal? Youre so good at tending to the soil, so you only need to use that talent on me. I never want to see you tending to some invasive species from who-knows-where!! Why do I have to watch those rival plants grow while Im stuck in an untended field full of weeds!? Theres no upside for me!! Just then, Sutrionas slender shoulders shook inside the basket. She was clearly laughing. Peh heh heh... I see. So thats it. Hm? Is the proud peak of the plants jealous? Ah hah hah! Are you that afraid of having a rival steal away your gardener, brown maiden!? Ee hee hee, ha haaa!! Hmphwuh!!!?? Th-th-that-thats not true!! You think Im in love!? Dont be ridiculous! I am the greatest of the plant Break News and the highest life form that creates the foundation of the food chain supporting all other life!! Just because I was having a little fun is no reason to think I am jealous or at all worried!!!!! Well, normal plants dont fall in love or get jealous, so Im not sure what to say to that. While the two powerful Break News argued, Boo Boo tilted his giant head. He waved his far-too-large hand toward the Mandragora who had started tearfully looking up at him. Dont worry, vegetable. I wont go anywhere. I can look after that big tree and the vegetables here. Heh heh heh. That wont be enough for her, Boo Boo. That love-struck perverted carrot wont be satisfied unless shes the only one youre looking at. Ha ha!! Its time you learned about love, learned what it means to be a woman, and blossomed into a giant shameless flower!!!!! Give it a rest, you bug. Keep it up and Ill suggest its love that brings you to Boo Boos place for dinner night after night when you could cook your own meat if you wanted to. You wouldnt dare. You wanna bet? Giant sparks flew as the two of them glared at each other with such intensity that a Chimera would be too afraid to even run away, but Boo Boo still asked a question. Squeal. What is love? That is the extremely immature feeling that causes someone to grow all flustered just seeing you carry the watering can to another garden and then suddenly insist on having you all to herself. Just like this perverted carrot here. It is the meaningless force that leads someone pretend shes incompetent so she can intrude on a guys home, have him take care of her, and act in a calculatedly cute way to stimulate a protective desire. Just like this bug here. I warned you! Kiss my ass!! The two of them shouted at each other and finally rushed at each other. Boo Boo kept his head tilted as he watched the two Break News grabbing at each others dresses and hair while rolling along the beach. ...Boo, cant everyone just get along? Part 4 And so the attack began. Given the situation, they could not focus everyone on a single activity. It was time to review their information. First of all, if the Red-afflicted Iberian Orcs wake up, its all over. So we need to settle this before that happens. For that, we need the three hidden treasures protected by the three royal families. Of those, we have the two of land and sea, so we need to acquire the treasure of air. We are sending one team to do that. Just outside Boo Boos house on the busy mountainside, Holy Swordswoman Beatrice raised one finger at a time. The Iberian Orcs placed themselves in a dormant state, but external tranquilizers and low-temperature treatment can help. We cant have them waking up, so we cant let our guard down there. Another team will work to keep them asleep and extend the time limit. She slowly drew out the frame that divided everyone up. Meanwhile, the humans are showing ominous signs in the inn town. They seem to think they can defeat the Reds by attacking them all at once before they wake up from their dormant state. However, not even a group effort from us Level Cappers could break their hard skin. That stimulus would only shrink the time limit, so another team will stop the humans. None of the teams could afford to fail, so they could not concentrate their personnel on any one of them. Beatrice placed a hand on her hip, sighed, and began splitting up the personnel. Me, Boo Boo, Filinion, Armelina, and Sibyl as a guide will aim for the sky treasure guarded by Archangel Marinka. A mixed team led by Wildefrau and Huldra can work on keeping the Reds asleep while a mixed team led by Gruagach and Rusalka can set up a defensive line to stop the attack from the inn town. Dont forget to manage the Break News as well. ...Does that sound good? Well, I dont mind, but it sounds like you will be climbing the tallest peak. Dont forget that you will need to deal with the cold yourself. Wildefrau readily agreed, but Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra grew pale. Geh, geh. White Witch, youre going with them!? I can administer the tranquilizer potion, but I cant Mix it. If I run out, then thats that. Um, I will Mix up a bunch of the potion before I leave. More importantly, we dont know what kind of resistance we will find with Marinka and the rest of the heavenly forces, so I understand why they would want to bring our best healer along. Now that the personnel assignment was complete, it was time to get to work. Fighter Priest Armelina looked to the giant leather backpack Boo Boo was wearing. That sure is stuffed full. Whats inside? Boo, the gunk from the Underworld. If there arent any nutrients on the mountain, I can spread this around and plant the seeds in it. And Filinion is carrying a lot too. They were talking about Ground Nirs tallest mountain, but it did not take months to climb like with Mt. Everest back on Earth. That was largely due to the presence of Magic, but if they worked at it, they could manage in only about 6 hours. They already had the ability to challenge the underground Labyrinth with only the clothes on their back, so outside of the materials for the cows Mixing, they did not need to bring much in the way of outdoors equipment. They stood at the base of the mountain. Royal Elf Sibyl held a twisted Shining Weapon while she stretched her arms and back upwards, pushing her flat chest out a bit. Nnn. Now, lets get going. I will try to choose an ascent that is climbable by humans, but please use Magic when that is not enough. I will not help. Squeal. Sibyl, have you ever met Marinka? Yes, the land, sea, and air used to get along quite well. It got awkward after Vivian died, though. Then Armelina began laughing creepily. Heh heh heh. Armelina? Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha ha!! Finally. Oh, finally, theres a girl flatter than me! Sutriona was too short to count and Kallikantzaros was cheating by having that chest with her short height! But Sibyl is plenty tall but also the flattest of us all! Thank you, the day has finally come that someone can take that title away from me!! Squeal? Beatrice, can you explain what that means? Dont worry, Boo Boo. Its nothing worth thinking about. Beatrice smiled confidently, but then White Witch Filinion made a merciless comment while a certain part of her jiggled. Cmon, you niche-demand flat-chested girls, lets get going. Im the indoor type, but Im keeping my motivation high here. Did you just throw me into the same category as those two!? Im a bit above average!! Enraged, Beatrice snapped back with fire erupting from the top of her head, but the glasses girl only jiggled the plentiful resources held tightly between her backpacks shoulder straps. Armelina remained unconcerned throughout, so she must have been fine with anything other than the very bottom spot. I cant stop laughing... Anyway, youre a mountain guide, huh? Are long-eared Elves the indoor type or the outdoor type? Why are you looking at my chest with that victorious look on your face? And I would rather you did not look lightly upon the ruler of all forest-born life. The very idea that being the outdoor type signifies a lack of intelligence is an insult to all life of the forest. (Wait, wait. It does look like Armelina has the larger size, but isnt that only because of the muscle? I feel like Sibyl might actually have more going by cup size.) ...? Whats with you? Oh, nothing. Why are you holding your hands behind your head and doing shoulder blade exercises? Driven by fear, Beatrice had started to become aware of her size, so the Royal Elf gave her a suspicious look. Once they entered the mountain, Sibyl took the lead and maintained a composed expression no matter how root-covered and rocky the slope was. Meanwhile, White Witch Filinions hips were already trembling. Pant, pant, pant... Beatrice could not help but mimic her earlier comment. Ahem. Ah, ahh... Um, I will Mix up a bunch of the potion before I leave. More importantly, we dont know what kind of resistance we will find with Marinka and the rest of the heavenly forces, so I understand why they would want to bring our best healer along. Ohhh!! I want to go back in time and punch my idiot self so hard it breaks my glasses!! I didnt even think about being the only one with any luggage!! Well, you do have all that extra fat to lug around. Hey, Filinion. As corrupt as you are, youre still a White Witch, right? Then cant you Mix an energy drink or something to recover from exhaustion? !? Thats it!!!!!! If a complete indoor type like you couldnt figure out something like that, you clearly dont have enough INT for the task. Besides, you build up a resistance to Recovery Potions when you keep using them, so they stop working. Youll give up soon enough regardless. Beatrices annoyed comment put an end to that idea, but the glasses cow had still reached her limit. And there was only one person she was going to rely on. B-Boo Boo... Hm? Im already carrying this big bag, so I cant lend you my back. ...!!!??? W-wait, said Armelina. I know that was a shock, but dont give me that look. Im not climbing a mountain while carrying a backpack and two mounds of fat that arent mine!! Ill just turn you into a Fighter Priest who cant say no I absolutely refuse to accept that humiliating title! And that genre is way too narrow!! The backpack cow made a fuss and filled the others with enough fear of being weighed down that she was eventually given a spot directly on Boo Boos shoulders. His crammed-full leather backpack seemed to function as a seat. The White Witch wrapped her arms around Boo Boos big head like a cushion, shifted the position of her butt on the backpack, and sighed like she was soaking in a hot spring. Ahhh... Being freed from physical labor is such bliss. ...I swear shes turning into a god of pestilence who is the master of sticking to last place in the railroad game... Armelina groaned and Beatrice frowned and trembled. Her strength had cost her a chance to show off here. Squeal. Stop rubbing my ears, Filinion. It tickles. ... Ow! Beatrice, dont kick me!! Meanwhile, Sibyl turned back in the lead and gave an exasperated sigh. Sigh. What are you even doing? That was what she said. Yes, she definitely said that. But that super serious long-eared Royal Elf started acting strangely once the forests trees disappeared and they were surrounded by nothing but snow. Shiver, shiver, shiver... ...Hey. I-I-Im fine. I-I-I-I-I-I-I am the Royal Elf who rules over the forest. A-a-a-a-a-a-a mere lack of trees is n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-not enough to trouble my l-l-l-l-l-l-leg strength built up by traversing all of the land I rule. S-s-s-s-s-so tonight we will have soup curry. Your logic is a mess and I think that last part is just wishful thinking! Miss Flattest, we need you to guide us, so what are we supposed to do if you collapse first!? Hmm, maybe Miss Second Flattest has trouble with the cold because she has so little subcutaneous fat. Hold it right there, Filinion! Did you just switch up the order!? You damn cow. Dont act victorious just because the journey is so much easier up on Boo Boos shoulders. Beatrice, dont you ignore this either! The fate of the world is riding on this crucial issue! Cmon, wake up, Sibyl! And tell them that youre definitely the flattest!! Armelina grew pale and began shaking Sibyl by the shoulders, but the Royal Elfs head flopped limply back and forth, her eyes stared into the distance, and nothing more than the name of a certain dish left her lovely lips. Beatrice placed a hand on Armelinas shoulder. The Holy Swordswoman shook her head and spoke. Forcing her isnt going to help. It looks like its time for the winter mountain clich of warming ourselves with each others skin. And lucky for us, we have some lewd flesh right over there we didnt have any use for. Go, Filinion! Youre our healer, so do your job!! She found an excuse to tear the White Witch from Boo Boos head and threw her at Sibyl, and it was dramatically effective. Lying in a heap with Filinion gave the Royal Elf enough warmth to come back to her senses. Wh-what was I just doing...? Mghh. And why are these two crude and irritating masses pressing down on my head with a size that rivals the Sages!? Hyah? Someone please comfort me, I dont care who... And did you just call my boobs crude? Get away from me! Didnt I say I wasnt going to help? Ear flick. Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Sibyl shot to her feet when her long elvish ear was flicked in the cold air. Filinion grinned behind her glasses. Heh. When the winter cold amplifies the pain signals, a flick to the ear is pretty bad for a human, so I wonder how bad it is for the pointy ear of an Elf. But if you promise to help me, Ill geeeently warm your long ears. Ahm, ahm. Ah, please dont gently bite me there! You two! Quit watching and get this insolent slime monster off of me!! Yeah, but dealing with that cow is a pain and its useful having found a way to discipline a certain Elf who keeps looking down on us despite being second flattest. Okay, I didnt mishear this time! Youre definitely calling me the flattest!! ...Thats it. Dont expect me to hold back any longer. If that girl with the second least interesting character C yes, and thus the second flattest in that sense C starts hallucinating again, well be stranded up here! We need her to guide us up the mountain!! Sibyl blushed and tried to shout back, but she shrieked limply from the ground and fell silent again. Filinion had apparently broken her with the forbidden technique known as blowing in the ear. After many sacrifices, Boo Boos group finally arrived at the summit. Sibyl gasped for breath in horse-and-carriage mode with two large masses on her small head and her shoulders at different heights. There was no light in her eyes as she spoke. Th-this was an excellent lesson on how painful it must have been for my fellow Elves who were bought as slaves and chained together. Im starting to think the world would be better off if their entire species went extinct... Weve arrived After relying on other peoples help, Filinion was of course full of energy as she got down from Sibyls back. The bright look on her face suggested she felt not even a twinge of guilt for riding that small and slender girl up the mountain. Armelina lightly elbowed Beatrice in the side and winked. (Come to think of it, Beatrice, couldnt you have used your flames to heat up Sibyl who whose presence is so flat youd barely notice her.?) (Are you that bothered about this flatness thing? Well, I might have considered it if she bowed her head flat against the ground and flat-tered us a fair bit. I would have flat out refused otherwise.) Would you stop saying flat so much!? Oh, you wanna fight!? While those twos private conversation grew much less private, Boo Boo trudged across the thick perpetual snow of the summit. It was more like a thick layer of ice than snow. It was impossible to tell how thick it really was. Without soil, the seed would not sprout. They had been right to bring the leather backpack. Boo Boo set it down and scattered around the black sludge within. That rotten flesh was what remained of the Underworlds giant marine creature. Then he planted the various-sized plant seeds he had also brought with him. The smaller ones were the size of golf balls and the larger ones were the size of coconuts or rugby balls. Squeal, will these really sprout? Beatrice, could you help with your flame Magic? I could, but cant you Mix some fertilizer or something, Filinion? No, I cant. What do you think I am? If I could make potions from plants and make plants grow from potions, Id be a perpetual motion machine. They were already above the clouds. When they looked up, they saw the clear blue sky and the sun which sent down its light with nothing to get in the way. But even with that sun, it was chilly enough to see their breath. When Beatrice drew her Shining Weapon and produced a fireball, the effect was dramatic. The entire mountain peak undulated with cracking sounds. Nutrients were absorbed from the black rotting flesh of the Underworld and green sprouts opened up. Each of the leaves was larger than Beatrices hand. Like watching a video on fast-forward, the new sprouts swelled out, grew taller than the girls, grew thicker and longer, wrapped around each other, and pushed ever higher. They seemed to have grabbed onto one of the hunks of stone circling like a bird far overhead. In the end, they all formed a tree too thick for the girls to reach around even if they held hands and formed a circle. They could not tell how tall it was by looking up. Boo Boo touched the trunk with his sturdy hand and pushed. Nn. It wont budge. Boo, I think we can climb it. You spread that rotting flesh on top of the perpetual snow, but the roots must have made their way down to the actual ground as the tree grew. ... Sibyl held her thin shoulders as she shivered in the cold and she narrowed her eyes to look up at the great tree. She was the ruler of the forest, but she may have felt some instinctual caution about a plant not from the island. Had that given her a pure desire to conquer it? She eventually reached out and touched the thick, thick trunk and then placed her feet up on it. She began to climb as the guide. Oh, Sibyls pretty good at that. Hmph. This is nothing. Praising me for that feels like an insult to the ruler of all forest life. Since she has so little fat in certain places, Miss Second Flattest may be able to just climb on up there with almost no resistance. Because shes flat. While Beatrice and the others watched from below, they put their hands on their hips, exhaled white sighs, and began a discussion. Well, it looks like we need Boo Boo to take the lead. Hmm, youre right. This doesnt give us much other choice. Im wearing shorts, but I still dont think I would like it. ...Shorts can show the shape even more clearly, so it could be even more embarrassing than for you. Confused, Sibyl looked back down and saw the three girls were still looking up from the bottom. Since he was not part of the conversation, Boo Boo tilted his head and looked up at Sibyl in the same way Beatrice and the others were. Why are all of you just standing there? Are you even trying to take this seriously? I thought you understood that we need to reach Archangel Marinka. Hey, how about we have Boo Boo take the lead? Why? I am the guide here. Because youre spreading your legs like youre doing the breaststroke to cling to the tree and that is one hell of a visual when youre wearing an extremely short skirt. ...You Elf princesses sure wear some amazing royal underwear. Sibyl blushed, screamed, let go of the tree to hold down her skirt, and fell. Boo Boo frantically tried to catch her, but she slipped right between his giant arms. Hyah! But he did catch her after all. By having the side of her very royal underwear catch on his right tusk. Wah, wah, wait, wah!! Squeal? The Royal Elf blushed and shouted while dangling from a single point of support with her hips sticking straight up, but she was so close to Boo Boo that he apparently could not see anything. It may have been like having a bug on your face. What just happened? Im swaying... Please dont tilt your head!! I-Im being squeezed by my own underwear... Hey, Sibyl, flail your arms and legs around too much and theyll tear. Then youll have an even more notable trait than being second flattest. Ehh? You mean she wouldnt be wearing anything under that miniskirt dress? That takes a lot of courage even when youre wearing a shrine maiden outfit that goes down to the ankles. I dont want that either!! Gently!! Gently crouch down to lower me to the ground!! ...If it turns out you started climbing as part of a seduction plan, I will never forgive you... They began climbing the giant tree once more but with the Iberian Orc in the lead. Boo Boos reach and grip strength were fundamentally different than the girls, so the route he chose was not always climbable for the others. The Holy Swordswoman and the others made sure they did not reach a dead end as they climbed up the bumpy surface of the tree trunk. Pant, pant, pant... Those arent even proper words, but I can still tell its the glasses cow. But dont expect anything from me, cow. You preserved your strength up the mountain by clinging to Boo Boo and Sibyl, so you can handle the tree climbing yourself. Beatrice gave that cold comment, but then she realized something. They were higher up than the mountain summit, but the biting cold had vanished. She initially thought she had gotten used to it or her sense of cold had numbed over, but there was no white color to the breaths leaving the lovely lips of red-faced Sibyl who was fidgeting on a nearby branch (probably because she was worried her panties had stretched). That meant it was not just a subjective thing. There was also no issue with the air thinning. It was like the physical sky was being replaced by an occult heaven. Boo. I can see it. Boo Boo was looking up in the lead. The great trees growth had suddenly stopped. The top had bumped into and grasped tightly to a floating mass of rock with an area of about 30 square meters. This was the bottom edge of the small floating islands known as the sky territory. Once Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others had climbed on top of the large rock, they found an unusual scene. The blue sky spread out around them. Countless islands of varying sizes floated overhead. And above those was the sun giving off its radiant light. Wait, wait. The path really does continue up from here. Can we make it all the way up there? The distribution was uneven, but it overall looked like the islands surrounded an invisible cylindrical tower. Or like an intense meteor shower had been frozen in time, providing footholds up to heaven. B-but isnt there a lot of space between islands? The closest one looks more than 20 meters away. Just as Filinion made that hesitant observation, a dry cracking sound rang out. A small rock broke off at Boo Boos feet and then floated up in violation of gravity. It circled at the girls eye level and then shot straight up. Beatrices eyes widened. Can we break pieces off of the heavy islands to send them higher using the power keeping the islands afloat? As soon as they had that answer, a new shadow appeared as if to block the way. Yes, a shadow. Much like a solar eclipse obstructing the sun overhead, a humanoid shadow definitely flew down from heaven. She had healthy brown skin and blonde hair that reached her shoulder blades. And she had a pair of giant white wings that resembled swan wings. A single large cloth that looked something like a pure white tablecloth was wrapped around the important parts of her slender, undeveloped body to take the form of a dress. And as a finishing touch, she had what was clearly a halo above her head. The overall image led Beatrice to speak a name. ...Archangel Marinka...? No, that is technically just her shadow. Sibyls response was difficult to interpret. You cannot communicate with Marinka when viewing only one of her. Just like a solar eclipse, both Marinkas must be combined. The ideal plan here is to continue to the top and have the two Marinkas meet. The Archangel with girlish curves flew through the empty air in a way the surface-bound humans could not and she spoke in a quiet but far-reaching voice. War**ng. The hi**** *reasure being prot***d here is not curr***ly av***** *** *iewing. Please leav* ***ediately and wait until another oppor***ity. It was a staticky voice that sounded like having fine sand poured in your ear. Marinka, we have no time. We need your hidden treasure to resolve a problem on the surface. We would like to borrow it. Otherwise, the damage will not be contained to this world you love. It will mean loss of life beyond the reach of our territories. I **nnot make excep***ns over perso*** ***lings. A great pressure bore down on Beatrice and the others like a suspended ceiling. They looked like will-o-the-wisps the size of tennis balls. But they were not. They were masses of Elements: red fire, blue water, green earth, and yellow wind. At the size of a girls fist, they did not look very powerful, but that was merely an issue of scale. They were actually a collection of thousands or tens of thousands of tiny will-o-the-wisps compressed too tightly to maintain their lizard or maiden forms. The four balls slowly circled in the sky one level above Beatrices group and they each would have been as large as a warship at their proper size. While Beatrices group felt a biological revulsion like seeing a swarm of all-consuming locusts, the brown Archangel calmly spoke. If you do *** heed my warn*** and lea**, **ere is only one solu***n: forced removal. Marinka!! Sibyl knew she could not be contacted, but she cried out all the same. However, the response was mechanical. This is an invio**ble free region **** must r**ain free of all worldly impu***ies. Guardians of the hea***ly t***itory, do your j*b. The halo above her head clearly glowed brighter. And a moment later, formless red, blue, green, and yellow lights mercilessly rained down as if to crush all of the limited land floating in the sky. Part 5 Two palm-sized fairies flew at a height of about 100 meters near Boo Boos house. They were the sisters Meridiana and Alice. Boo Boo... Meridiana, the elder sister, flapped her clear, bug-like wings while staring into the distance. The sky was their territory, but the sun was simply too far. They had tried flying up that high once, but their wings would not give them the lift needed to stay afloat after passing a certain point. The others had considered having the Thousand Dragon, who was a complicated person for the Fairies, carry them up on her head and stretch upwards from the mountain peak, but there must have been some reason the idea was abandoned. For one thing, it was hard to imagine her standing straight up, including the tail. Then Alice, the younger sister, twitched her little ears. Mh. What does that smelly hunk of fat matter!? I will not forget that youre still insulting him like that, Alice. You need to be punished once we return to the surface. Alice gave a tearful yell, but then something cut across in front of their vision. Fairies were at the bottom of the food chain. Even a giant seabird could kill them if it caught them. That was why the sisters tensed up, but then the motion stopped. They frowned and followed it with their eyes. It was a ring with a diameter of about 30cm. It was made of a smooth inorganic substance that was neither glass nor metal. It had no evident wings, but it was perfectly stable in the air as it slid slowly to the side. What was it? The two Fairies were still utterly confused as they flew around the mystery object to observe it. Since it had no obvious fangs, claws, or talons, their suspicion was stronger than their fear. I hear something like air escaping a balloon. Is it floating by expelling air downwards? Hm? But it has glass eyeballs. The ring indeed had two round pieces of clear glass on the sides. They were about the size of the Fairies heads. And a closer inspection showed that it was repeatedly but irregularly turning back and forth as it moved slowly to the side. Is it...watching the surface from above? Is it? The sisters exchanged a glance. That meant it served the same role as them. And what were the noncombat Fairies doing? The Fairy sisters flew in a regular figure 8 and scattered scales from their wings to reflect the sunlight while they shouted at the top of their lungs. E-emergency!! If theyve sent in a reconnaissance team, an attack is imminent! The...the...the enemy is comiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!! Everyone to full alert!! The inn town humans are about to attack!! Meanwhile, down in the forest near Boo Boos house, Morgan, elder of the Fairy village, gave a quiet report while hovering near Sutrionas shoulder. We have a report from above. It is about to begin. I see. The cross-armed Fairy Queen did not even need to explain that the dormant Red Iberian Orcs were powerful. No matter how many Level Cappers were among the inn town humans, not even an all-out attack could kill the Red Iberian Orcs. It would only cause pain which would hasten their awakening. A portion of the mountain slope was fenced off to form a simple house garden and Ileana pulled her legs out of that soft soil. The military textbooks change from generation to generation, but there is one basic theory all human strategy follows. They start with a small number of scouts, then they use their long-range artillery, and finally the main unit charges in to finish off the enemy. If we simply wait for the enemy to arrive, the Reds will unavoidably take some damage. Perhaps because she had once been made the guardian of a secret Soviet facility, brown-skinned Ileana had knowledge one would not expect of a Mandragora. The human Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau and Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra were looking into the distance from the top of the tall conifer trees overhead. They had turned ice or a jewel into lenses to construct makeshift telescopes for checking on the enemy force. They number...somewhere between 5000 and 6000, I think, said Wildefrau. Were lucky the inn towns forces were worn down so much by the Underworld battle, said Huldra. That said, I see Liderc, La Voisin, and...geh, is that Tlazolteotl!? Theyve got a bunch of veterans Id really rather not have here!! Maybe the battle with the Underworld Lord acted as a screening process that only left the nastiest ones here. And who are those people? One is a field officer in the JSDF and one is a high-ranking member of a South American cartel. We had always worried that the organizations back on Earth would obstruct our activities here in this world. In other words, these fierce warriors were regularly a part of death and violence even outside this world of swords and Magic. The Cold War ghosts they had run into during the Underworld battle were proof enough of what a difference that could make. Also, the humans heading here now were the truly skilled who had endured an invasion by elite ghosts that could resurrect their single life as many times as necessary. That was a trophy that Wildefrau and Huldra had not won since they had died at the end of the Underworld battle and been resurrected with a one-time-use trick. The narrow vision of their telescopes showed a brown girl wearing many feathered decorations. Huldra clicked her tongue and threw aside her telescope as the distant ground was covered by rapid flashing lights like at a press conference. All of those bright lights were Magic. Those fired seeds of destruction drew arcs through the air and soon dropped back down as a gapless downpour. Twintailed Huldra shouted down below as the first wave arrived. Attention! Discharge now!!!!!! You dont have to yell. Perverted carrot, lets do it like we planned. Very well. Sutriona sighed with her hands on her hips and glanced over at Boo Boos house. Summon Hunter Gruagach and Noble Dancer Rusalka were there in mourning clothes and an armored leotard respectively. They were holding up Ultimate Weapon Abyss who remained unconscious with her twin strands of mottled silver hair falling in front of her body. W-we are ready too. You can get started!! The Fairy Queen then tapped her small heel on the ground. And she spoke casually to someone else. You heard them. Lets get started, weakest!! Then the side of the mountain rose up. The black soil was peeled away and the trees of the forest toppled without the dirt needed to support them. In their place, a sea of sinister reptilian scales, giant sail-like wings, and a brutal dragons maw appeared. It was 1000 meters long. The Thousand Dragon moved her wings while keeping just barely enough distance to not destroy Boo Boos house and she rolled the curled up and unmoving Red Iberian Orcs onto her back. With those red apocalyptic eggs on her back, that incarnation of violence finally flapped her massive wings. She floated up. She flew. Just as the target of attack escaped into the air, the colorful lights completed their arcing path and detonated on the side of the mountain. Tons of dirt and dust fell from the dragons back like a landslide and twintailed Huldra struggled not to fall off with it. Eek, eek. Oh, no. Boo Boos house... We got Abyss out, so that wont be a problem. The Fairies can always make him a new one. Still, I do wish we could have sent this mass of lift with the sun expedition team. But the world is a complicated place and this was the ideal place for her. Of course, the attacking humans would not stop here. A solid sound rang out. There was movement on the surface. Lots of rusted metal welled up. Battered helmets, breastplates, gauntlets, and other armor were brought together as if by magnetism. The masses of red rust erupted with the force of a volcano and rapidly grew large enough to rival the Thousand Dragon. Was it the face of a clock, or was it a great sinister insect? Several twisted legs stood on the ground, tore into it, and began a forceful attack. It trampled both level ground and mountains in its intense pursuit of the fleeing dragon. Curly blue-haired Wildefraus eyes widened. Is that human Magic? How could you even use that in the underground Labyrinth!? ...Criminal Queen Tlazolteotl... groaned Huldra in her cheerleader uniform. The people on that bizarre rusted forms back were held there not by anger or hatred, but by bottomless fear. The extinction of the human race and the end of the world were at stake, so they felt no pangs of conscience in their actions here. But at the same time, it was all for naught. Not even their greatest efforts could kill the Reds. The defenders could not afford to have the time limit shortened before Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others returned with the proper solution. (I never expected to risk my life to protect Earth and its humans.) Sutriona was a paradox with a soul, one of the Break News who created breaking news if they were merely sighted. She could not be bound by the standards of good and evil that another species had invented. Nevertheless, she was still acting on the side of the defenders. And she was not alone. Many others were there with her. Why was this happening? Was it evolution? Or was it regression? After some thought, Fairy Queen Sutriona gave a fierce bark of laughter. Humans! Have you finished loading Tselika? Y-yes. That Demon Lord is with me. We are ready when you are. You said that girl can control the wind and air, right? Then follow me. The Sandstorm of Red Madness made by my toxic blood wings is powerful, but if I used it here, I would drive the weakest here C this dragon C mad. You control it with your Magic. Hmph. Dont forget that Im only helping because Onee-sama agreed to it! This was why the Noble Dancer had stayed here instead of joining Beatrices group. The silver-haired black ribbon dress girl put her hands on her hips and looked down at the pursuers covering the ground. Gigantic red butterfly wings burst from her back. It is time to fight back. It is time you many side characters lamented the tragedy of not taking my side. I will throw you into utter disarray!! Part 6 The white-winged Archangel had a small body and brown skin. The intense Elements launched by Marinka poured down as an aerial bombing. But there was a way out of it. The floating islands had a special trait not shared by Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others. They remained afloat because some kind of power was in perfect equilibrium with the weight of the stone. So if the stable islands were split and the weight altered, they would head upwards. Kyaaahh!? White Witch Filinion could not be expected to join the fight, so while she screamed and held her hands over her hat to protect her head, Boo Boo drew his Shining Weapon that looked like a log or steel beam. Then he stabbed the flat tip into the center of the 30-square-meter mass of rock like it was a steel spike. He split it. Hard rock shot out like a splash and then flew through the air. It was almost like flipping over the mat someone stood on. The dirt rose above their heads and collided with the downpour of Salamander Fire Spirits, the red will-o-the-wisps approaching them like fire arrows attempting to finish off a nearly fallen castle. Several sticky flowers of fire blossomed like several Molotov cocktails had collided. There was no need to dodge afterwards. Since the entire island had crumbled like a cookie, the ground below their feet floated up on its own. Next, the blue Undine Water Spirits, which could not take their maiden forms, approached with the force of a warships size and grazed the spot Boo Boos group had just vacated. The top of the great tree was mercilessly sliced away by the ultra-high-pressure water. Armelina used her Shining Weapon metal staff to summon a giant metal ball on a chain as she yelled to the others. This is worse than a mass of naphtha or an industrial cutter. I doubt directly touching these things will end well! Dont forget to keep a projectile or shield between you and them!! Because the rock below their feet had split, Boo Boo and Beatrice were forced to cling to separate rocks. Filinion looked this way and that after sinking down to a sitting position. H-huh? Can we just guide these elevators to the goal at the top instead of making risky jumps between islands? Y-yahoo, looks like the humans win in the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend! Squeal. Are everyones rocks speeding up? Well be in trouble if we dont jump to a new one soon. If theres an island above us, well be squished between them. Beatrice!! Armelina gave a shout and Beatrice reluctantly launched a fire arrow straight overhead. Before the stone could become a shooting star, it exploded like a firework, so gravity took hold once more and Filinion began to fall. While glancing over as Boo Boo caught the soft and fluffy blonde in both hands, Royal Elf Sibyl lightly jumped from her small, accelerating rock to a different island. Brown-skinned and white-winged Archangel Marinka ignored the only floating footholds in the sky and hovered in empty space. Sibyl glared up at her former friend who repeatedly moved left and right in a gentle circle and she raised her twisted Shining Weapon that looked like both a bow and a staff. Marinka... She could not use the Magic created for humans. The Skill of her species simply allowed her to materialize the residual thoughts residing in objects. If you sit in the rulers throne, you must carry out the rulers duties!! Archangel Marinkaaa!! Countless people had attempted to reach heaven. Sibyl summoned the residual thoughts of those who had fallen along the way and sent a giant rotating blade toward the brown angel. (But the number of residual thoughts is bound to shrink as we climb. The altitude and the number people who made it that far is bound to have an inverse relationship. I cant rely on my Skill too much!) A group of green Gnome Earth Spirits used their weight to deflect the rotating blade that looked a lot like a helicopters main rotor. It smashed a nearby island in two, but no one even looked in that direction. Then the group of Gnome Earth Spirits approached like a sharp right hook from a giant in order to blow away the slender Royal Elf and the island she stood on. Oh, no you dont!! On a different island, Armelina threw her metal ball and chain. Instead of the green lights or Archangel Marinka, she was targeting Sibyls island itself. The Royal Elf stepped on top of the metal ball that landed at her feet and she grabbed onto the thick chain just before Armelina pulled the chain back. The exciting fishing maneuver whisked Sibyl away from the island just before the many Gnome Earth Spirits smashed the island to pieces and the remaining clumps of dirt shot straight up in defiance of gravity. Armelina transformed her blunt weapon into a hammer and broke up the rock below their feet to gain some buoyancy. She then noticed a gauntleted hand holding onto the edge of that rock. Beatrice had apparently joined them with fire wings growing from her back. Its so not fair you can do that!! It doesnt let me fly around all I want like that Archangel can. I can only make straight-line midair dashes, so if Im not careful, Ill launch myself out into empty air. With a loud boom, the Holy Swordswoman jumped. She used a broken-off clump of dirt as an elevator to reach the same island as Boo Boo (and Filinion). But heading up was not enough to shake free of the brown Archangel. The Archangel and the four-colored Elements did not need ground to stand on. While Boo Boos group was restricted in their movement, they could move in any direction they liked. Needless to say, the sky was Marinkas territory. So what do we do about her? Actually, maybe this is lucky. Weve met the big boss without having to climb all the way up to the sun. Like I said, that is no more than Archangel Marinkas shadow. To contact her, we must bring both Marinkas together. Im not really sure what that means, but are you saying that isnt actually Marinka!? There is no distinction. Simply put, there is a Marinka out here on the front line and there is a Marinka staying back at the sun. They need to be brought together to contact them, but you cannot say she is only a whole being when together. It is more like she allows certain flaws in order to personify the entire phenomenon. Well, I can see you have no intention of actually explaining it. So we just have to get to the goal then!? Armelina breathed a heavy sigh and pressed her palm against Sibyls wide-open (and less flat) chest. The Royal Elf toppled backwards and off of the island, but a moment later, a yellow-glowing Element shot between the two of them like sniper rifle bullet. And it did not end at just the one shot. Yellow dots of light surrounded the island like watching a water balloon popping in super slow motion. Then they were all rapidly fired inwards simultaneously. Armelina jumped off of the unstable platform before she was filled with holes. She just barely slipped through the gaps in the sniping. The flatness of a certain part of her anatomy may have saved her. Smashing the rock would create an upwards-floating elevator, but the girls bodies were still bound by gravity. Without anything to stand on, they would fall and then die on impact. Sibyl had destroyed the stone with a materialized residual thought and she was floating back up from a somewhat lower position. While passing that island by, Armelina transformed her metal staff into a large rake and caught the edge to climb aboard. Boo Boo, Beatrice, and Filinion were on a platform further up. The brown Archangel chose them as her top priority target and looked away from Sibyl and Armelina. That was a mistake, Marinka, said the Royal Elf who ruled the land. ??? You took your eyes off of me. Doing that for even a moment was a catastrophic mistake. Because I can materialize residual thoughts and use any projectile I like. Sibyl lightly raised her Shining Weapon that looked like both a bow and a staff. And your territory has a few defining traits. 1: There is a force here that keeps things afloat. 2: If that force is in equilibrium with the islands weight, the island will remain in place. 3: The island descends if it is heavier and ascends if it is lighter. That still applies when the island is broken or split. 4: Once an island begins acceleration, its speed will gradually increase. Those rules alone may have not have indicated much of a risk. In other words. But that was fine. In fact, it was for the best given Sibyls goal. If I surreptitiously destroyed the bottommost island with an arrow, the small rocks would continue accelerating all the while. And by the time they reached this height, they would become quite the dangerous weapon. It was a lot like an inverted version of scattering pachinko balls from the top of a high-rise building. A storm of pebbles shot up all around Archangel Marinka. There were some sporadic noises reminiscent of firecrackers, so some of them may have broken the sound barrier. Ghhh***. Marinka covered her face with both hands and called the Elements over to form a shield, but could she really cleanly block every last one of them? And Sibyl and Armelina did not stay put. While the primary Elements were focused on protecting her, they had their island ascend toward heaven. H-hey. Weve accelerated a fair amount too. Are we really going to stay on this one!? Hey!! This is the only way to catch up to the leading group. Your Magic is quite convenient, so Im counting on that. Make a wire or chain we can use to jump over and get ready to use it. They passed by more and more floating islands as they picked up speed. It felt a lot like a vertical version of racing down the highway, but they did not have a steering wheel. If there was another island in their path, they could not dodge it and they would be crushed flat. They saw flames not caused by the Salamander Fire Spirits flickering on one of the higher islands. Thats it. Beatrice is on that island. What are we supposed to do? Do it now. Judge the timing well. So youre leaving all the work with me, you naturally selfish princess!!!??? Sibyl wrapped her slender arms around the Fighter Priest while Armelina yelled at her, threw the ball and chain, and somehow managed to hit the neighboring island. Guided by the taut chain, they flew from their island and soon passed it in height. The one they had left had collided with a different island, but they had managed to regroup with Boo Boos group in the lead. S-squeal! Are you okay, Armelina, Sibyl!? Yes. Dont worry about us. Because Sibyl somehow managed to get an attack in on Marinka... Boo Boo must have been relieved to see the Fighter Priest because he slumped into a sitting position. While clinging to his thick leg and squeezing her breasts between her backpacks shoulder straps, Filinion gave an excited and tearful shout. Th-that was an incredible storm of rocks! It was like someone was firing a Vulcan cannon from below, but what was it? It didnt seem like the Gnome Earth Spirits. ...Cough, cough. It must have been Marinkas last resort. Now lets stop thinking about that and work our way higher. The righteous police officer who would never look away from the truth tried to correct the Royal Elf, but Sibyl slipped her hand into the slit in the Fighter Priests clothes and silenced her with a pinch to the butt. Silencing people was a rulers specialty. The island they were on was ascending too. Marinka must have been having trouble back at the lower levels because the obstruction stopped for a moment. The acceleration accumulated by remaining on the same island helped bring them higher and higher. That was when Beatrice finally realized something and opened her mouth. Hm? Were on our way to the sun, but we arent going to fry in the heat, are we? Gyahhh!? We arent going to end up a real version of mythical Icarus, are we!? The real sun uses nuclear fusion, so fire-obsessed Beatrice and her 100% Fire Resistance might be fine, but what about the rest of us!? Filinion grew pale and screamed, but the ascending island shot straight toward the center of the light. ...? The Holy Swordswoman reflexively covered her eyes with a hand, but then she frowned. Once they passed the blinding wall of light, she found it was nothing more than a backlight. The sun was a giant disk that rivalled the island of Grounds Nir in size. Their island passed right by it and the reverse side of the sun came into view. There was a garden full of countless flowers that felt like a sign of spring and several white marble columns were lined up. As the rows of pillars continued, the amount of marble grew in relation to the flowers. In the very center was something like a giant pure white altar or temple. Is that it...? It looked like heaven. But this was not the time to stare. At this rate, they would pass by the sun and leave it behind. Armelina!! Really!? Am I turning into your convenient gofer!? They all jumped down to the reverse side of the sun in their own ways: Beatrice used her flame wings, Boo Boo used his leg strength, Filinion clung to one of those legs, Second Flattest Sibyl mostly clung to Armelina, and Flattest Armelina used her metal chain. Once they had landed, Boo Boo heard some loud destruction overhead. He looked up to see the island they had been riding breaking apart. That alone was hardly new, but the conditions were different this time. It had not collided with another island. It must have crashed into something, but that something was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the island had crashed into an invisible wall. Squeal. What was that...? Its a lot thinner than on Earth, but maybe that was the boundary of this worlds atmosphere, suggested Beatrice. Now that they had stable footing, Filinion and Sibyl no longer had to rely on others. They all stood on their own feet and looked around the strange sunlit flower garden. All the plants in Grounds Nir came from Ileanas All-Purpose Seed, but was the same true of these flowers growing on the reverse side of the sun so far above the highest snow-covered peak? Argh, Im leaving this backpack here! If I run out of materials, Ill head back here to recharge! Even on the reverse side of the sun, the sky was blue and the land was filled with light like normal. It was a perfectly normal scene of spring. However, it felt like that was a perpetual state with no nighttime and no seasonal changes, so it actually felt highly unnatural. Looking up showed a blue sky, but no clouds or sun. It was impossible to tell the scale without any impurities to judge distances by, so it felt like a screen for filming a composite video. Armelina spoke while returning her Shining Weapon to its original metal staff form. Weve arrived, but what now? You were saying something about that brown girl not being the only Marinka, right? You will understand once you actually meet her. The Marinka who guards the sky treasure should be in the central cathedral. It can be hard to tell when its buried in all this greenery, but if we start for the biggest building in the distance, we will arrive at a marble road that will take us the rest of the way. While white and yellow butterflies fluttered around with no concern for the passage of time, Boo Boo and the others followed Sibyl across heaven. As before, the air did not feel thin or cold. Nothing obstructed their path along the way. They saw a few shapes they thought were small animals or birds, but there was nothing concerning. They actually focused on not stepping on the small creatures running around underfoot. The scenery changed and they were enveloped by a Western castle town made of white marble. However, there was no sign of life. No matter how beautiful it was, these were ruins. When Sibyl viewed the lonely town, she breathed an exasperated sigh with her hands on her hips. I knew Marinka had grown more distant after Vivians death, but I didnt realize her rejection had grown so strong. The only thing she will find here is complete loneliness. And if she is satisfied with that, I already feel sorry for her. They arrived at the center. When Sibyl opened the heavy double doors, she was waiting in the center of the cathedrals great hall. The ceiling of that cathedral of eternal spring had partially collapsed, but was that coincidental or intentional? A single ray of light shined down on her. A single white cloth was wrapped around a body that was slender but had bewitching curves reminiscent of dripping nectar. It was a tall beautiful woman with gorgeous blonde hair that fell to her shoulder blades and skin so white it reflected the light. However, the halo floating over her head was dulled like rusted metal and the wings on her back were the black of concentrated darkness. She seemed best described as a fallen angel. An azure color shined at her right ear. It was an earring bearing a jewel similar to the one in Sibyls circlet. Marinka... The Royal Elf whispered the same name she had called their attacker. Just then, white feathers fluttered down from the large hole in the ceiling. The feathers fell like snow and they came from the other Archangel that had already caught up with them. The Marinka with brown skin, blonde hair, and white wings slowly descended. When the small Archangel landed in the center, the tall and slender Archangel reached her alluring arms toward her from behind. But not to embrace her or rub her back. She stuck her hands in the smaller Archangels shoulder blades. Or did the brown girls back absorb the tall womans hands? The tall womans arms entered the small girl more smoothly than liquid or jelly. There was no sign of pain on the brown girls face and they did it so readily that the onlookers simply watched it happen without thinking. The white wings vanished from the small brown girls back and new white wings burst from the tall angels back, giving her two pairs of wings. Light and shadow. Now that she had seen that pair combine, Beatrice finally felt like she understood what Sibyl had been saying. She isnt the day or the night. And she isnt the sun or the moon. ...Shes an eclipse. Does Archangel Marinka symbolize the partial sun? To be more accurate, she contains all aspects of the sun, including the abnormal state of an eclipse, explained Sibyl. Archangel Marinka. That ruler of heaven could infinitely change her appearance depending on how the two combined. But while Boo Boo and Beatrice were strangers to her, why had she rejected an old friend like Sibyl? Was that also related to how the pair of angels combined? Or in human terms, was she just in a bad mood? Squeal. This might sound selfish, but we want to save the elder and the others now that we brought them back to life. And everyone says we need that final treasure of yours to do it. We want to borrow that earring. Is there no way you can do that? The tall woman did not respond to Boo Boos words. The brown girl, who had two arms entering her from behind, raised her small hand straight up. No, her index finger was extended and she was pointing past the cathedrals broken ceiling, beyond the blue sky, and at the invisible barrier at the end of heaven. The tall and glowing woman opened her lips just a bit as she rubbed cheeks with the brown girl. If y** *ollect the hi**en tre****es of *** three roy** ***ilies, you will be **** ** reveal the full compos***** of this world. Again, her voice was full of static like fine sand was pouring into their ear holes. But the brown girl also opened her lips while her shoulder blades absorbed the two arms. ** *ou c****** *** **dd** ***asur** ** the ***** ***al fam*****, *** **** ** able to ****** *** **** *****ition ** **** *****. Their words overlapped and created a single smooth, harmonious sound. Just like an eclipse, the combination created its own meaning. If you collect the hidden treasures of the three royal families, you will be able to reveal the full composition of this world. They did not have time to grimace at that mystery. Once the words began, they did not stop. I will not allow it. You must not be allowed to see what lies beyond that blue. The small brown girl and the slender white womans words combined to create a completed hostility. That blue...? Even though they stood before an enemy, Filinion looked up in the direction the brown girl pointed. The only things there were the unnatural blue sky and the incredibly thin atmospheric barrier. The Iberian Orc shook his head and spoke. We arent interested in the sky. We only want to learn about the Red afflicting the elder and the others. So you dont have to worry. Once were done, well give back the sky treasure. The risk remains the same. If you gather the three royal treasures there is a chance you will discover its identity and that is bad enough. Thus, I will reject your choice to gather all of the treasures no matter what your reasons are. ...Marinka, is this really worth abandoning an old friend like me over? Sibyl spoke quietly as if slowly approaching her. I know Vivians death was a great shock to our souls. We have such long lives we might as well be immortal, but we were faced with the simple truth that we can be suddenly killed. But what is with you now? Are you holed up in heaven and pushing everyone away because the surface is filled with unreasonable death? You think you alone can remain happy if you shut your ears to the cries for help? To hell with that, Marinka! If that is all you learned from Vivians death, then your current state makes a mockery of her life!! The Royal Elf was blatantly provoking her, but the Archangel slowly shook her head. Whoever they had originally belonged to, the tall woman standing behind the brown girl bewitchingly moved and spread the four monotone wings on her back. Vivian was interested in the end of the world beyond the sea. That is why she encountered the Underworld Lord and met such a tragic fate. Marinka... You rule the land which is only a limited space these days and does not connect to the beyond, so you cannot understand this fear. I do border the beyond. The beyond radiates a deadly curiosity. You know the knowledge will destroy your very existence, but you cannot resist the tempation to take a peek. That is why I must reject all that leads to the beyond. The Underworld and its direct methods of killing are a separate matter. The true issue lies elsewhere. The truth I learned from Vivian is the simple fact that we must never come into contact with the beyond. The beyond of the sky that the two Marinkas mentioned had to be something different than just the horizon. It was the invisible wall that existed above them here. It was the border of the atmosphere. You must not look beyond that. Even the slightest possibility of you doing so must be fully eliminated. Sibyl, if you had not asked for the three royal treasures, we could have remained friends. But from the moment you considered that method, you have become my enemy. It was a decisive rejection. Hm? Hmm??? Is there really something worth protecting beyond the atmosphere? Isnt it just the starry sky of outer space? But the girl who wore glasses yet was dumb had to comment. This world was different from Earth in just about every way. Even the shape of the sun was strange, but had she not realized the concepts of the atmosphere and outer space may have been entirely replaced with something else? However, there were times when stupid questions would get things moving. Archangel Marinka responded to Filinion with a slow shake of the head. And she gave the prediction she most feared. There is nothing. ...What? Beatrice frowned and the tall woman opened her lips once more. That blue sky is empty. Most likely, there is nothing beyond it. But making predictions is not a problem. My biggest fear is for that nothingness to be observed as fact and for the definition to become fixed. No, I cannot allow it. Most likely, if the nothingness of the beyond is observed, this world will be unable to bear the contradiction and it will shatter. Will the flow of time stop, will all memories be erased, forcing everything to restart, or will we literally fall into the void? I do not know what will happen, but I cannot allow any of it to happen. I do not know what kind of ruin you face, but I will do whatever I can to prevent the ruin I see coming. No one can be allowed to enter that place that was never created in the first place. Squeal, what does that mean? This may be easier to imagine for the humans visiting from another world than for a soul born in Grounds Nir in the first place. It may have been them that created this world. Boo Boo and Sibyl only grew more confused. The humans who visited from another world, learned how to use Magic through a unique method. Many other control methods had to have existed, but they chose this one because it was the closest match. The brown girl spoke mercilessly with the beautiful womans arms absorbed into her shoulder blades. That familiarity may signify a connection. You mean...? A thought had occurred to Beatrice, but she could not say any more. Of course she could not when she thought of Boo Boo who she had met in Grounds Nir. So it was White Witch Filinion who said it first. You mean Grounds Nir itself might be a game someone created? So we cant touch the beyond on the other side of the wall because no one ever created what was there? If we go there, it could cause a crash and everything in this world could be destroyed? However, four-winged Marinka shook her head once again No. And she spoke her truth. Your Earth is the game. Earth was created based on this world, so it does not know what lies in the beyond. If you were to view it, it could cause a fatal feedback error, which would cause the Earth itself to crash. Part 7 A quiet clicking sound continued on and on. It echoed in the darkness somewhere in the world. The true core of a certain country filled a vast space that was cooled like a cold storage warehouse. The giant box was simply known as The Simulator. Part 8 Sign In. Sign Out. The terminology centered on those words could only refer to one thing. The terminology of Video Games were widely known even if it clearly referred to a false creation, and that was supposedly why they had been chosen to systemize and manage the extremely vague concept of magic where anything was possible. The terminology had simply fit the bill, so there was no actual Video Game magic. But what if that was not actually true? What if that had seemed like the easiest method because they were residents of just such a world? Yes. For the residents of Grounds Nir, such as Boo Boo or Sibyl, the concept of Video Game magic did not mean much. And they had already experienced a created Earth. They had received Abysss help to get an advance look at the destruction of the Earth. If that ultimate weapon could do it, could they really deny the possibility of someone or something else doing it? Which was more difficult: moving a living human from Earth to this other world, or giving physical form to a collection of data? The Game Server was here. The alternate world of Earth had never existed. The relics of the older age of humans seen in ultimate weapon Abyss and the underworld lord proved this world had extremely high-level processing devices. In fact, that technology might surpass that of the Earth they had believed existed. That...cant be... Red-armored holy swordswoman Beatrice forced out a groan. Her appearance was unrealistic, ignored all tradition and logical structure, and focused only on symbolism and design. It looked like she had intentionally put together an outfit that would let her forget all about reality. There was a part of herself that felt most at home like this. More so than in the clothing popular on the Earth she had always believed was reality. When she looked down, she saw her fingers trembling. She had never known that her own self could make her feel this uneasy. That cant be true. What about Tokyo? What about Iroka, Misoka, and Haruka waiting there!? No, not just them. 7 billion people live on our Earth!! We came all the way to the reverse side of the sun island to protect them from the threat of the reds! Even as she shouted, Beatrice understood that all of her past experience provided no basis for anything. She realized that. The Three Maid Sisters had performed perfectly in the post-apocalyptic Earth that Abyss had constructed. If everything she had seen and heard before was no different, she would have no material evidence to deny it. As I said, your Game is based on the real physical laws of this world. I believe the Gravity Calculations, Fluid Calculations, and other laws were included as Formulas and reproduced like that. Although the Scripts are not perfect, so there are slight discrepancies between gravity and atmospheric composition between the two worlds. The brown girl sighed with the tall womans arms inside her back. There was a sorrowful look in her eyes. It would be a problem if you came here and encountered any unknown laws such as those in the beyond. Your world is mistaken, but it is built with a space where the missing parts are. If you forcibly fill in those gaps and complete it in its mistaken state, it will be embedded with Parameters that are impossible for a completed world. Whether the values are correct or not, the entire Game Server could come to a stop. I cannot predict what kind of damage this would cause. The people inside the Earth on the Server and all of you walking around Grands Nir while temporarily given physical form ultimately have your existences rooted to the Game Server. If a Fatal Error occurs and the system is rendered Unrecoverable, the 7 billion lives you mentioned could all be lost. ... ... Filinion and Armelina exchanged a glance. None of it felt real. But that did not mean it was not true. The simulation they had run with Abyss meant a lot here. They had not been able to wake up even when they knew it all to be a dream. Faced with that level of Reality, how were they supposed to fight it now? If they had been told that everything but themselves was false, they might have argued against it with all their might. They would have felt like everyone they cared for was being denied. But if it was everything including themselves that was false, accepting it did not necessarily mean denying the people of Earth. They were in it together. For example, if someone was a victim of a major disaster, they would find it difficult to listen if an outsider told them to tough it out. But it would be much easier if the advice came from someone from the same area who had been through the same disaster. I went through the same thing and Im putting up with it, so dont you cause trouble. It sounded reasonable even if it was not always so and there were times when it was a useful statement. Breaking free of unnecessary bonds and speaking your mind could come in handy. There was no room for the usual sensibility, ethics, or self-control there. ...The other two could not help but wonder. If it felt that real, did it even matter? Werent the feelings and thoughts born in that box worth protecting? This was not an unreasonable fate forced onto them by someone else. It was a path they chose for themselves. So even if it seemed silly to others, werent they free to choose however they liked? I do not know what is happening on the surface right now, said the archangel that signified an eclipse with the intersection of light and shadow. But the three royal treasures would allow you to view the beyond, so they could cause even greater destruction. Thus, I cannot assist you here. I will do everything in my power to protect the sky treasure. If my words cannot convince you to leave, then I must protect you by force. Their minds broke before their bodies. They had lost the fundamental reason to fight with all their might. Boo Boo and Sibyl may have been unaffected, but it would be difficult for just the two of them to drive away an archangel and acquire the sky treasure. The previous attack with the elements had been difficult to endure with all five of them fighting. But despite that... Or maybe because of that... Beatrice, muttered the orc who stood nearly four meters tall. I dont get all this complicated stuff. I get all dizzy trying to think about all that beepy stuff using Abyss. But I just cant understand this. You really are here, so how could you be anything else? ... This was nothing as mawkish as saying he did not care if she was real or fake as long as he had her warmth here. He desperately worked his mind as he spoke. Marinka is looking at the Beatrice who is right here, but she has not seen the Beatrice who is not here. I dont know what all this worrying is about, but we cant leave it at this. She said adding something extra to an already completed world could cause it to fall apart. This might be the same thing. Even if the Beatrice who is here cant argue against it, the same might not be true of the Beatrice who is not here. A single statement might overturn Marinkas perfect argument. Beatrices shoulders jumped slightly. Yes. That was right. If everything born on Earth was virtual, anything Earth-born Beatrice said was no more than a detailed fake. She would never get anywhere arguing based on that starting point. She would be unable to rebut and defeat Marinkas argument. I refuse to believe it, he said through clenched teeth. And he plainly shouted it. I refuse to believe the Beatrice who saved me when I was all alone isnt real!! But was it possible to prove the existence of the Earth without using Beatrice or the other Humans? The Grounds Nir nonhumans like Boo Boo and Sibyl had never visited Earth. They could not be expected to prove something they had never seen. But was that really true? That assumption might be wrong. Beatrice may have given up on them before trying to rely on them. How far had they traveled together before arriving here? Who had they met, who had they confronted, what conclusions had they found, and how had it all led to here? Did the Beatrice that Marinka did not know contain some hint for a counterattack? Someone here was worried for them. Someone here was willing to question this for them. So she had to think through it again. Was the archangels argument really accurate? Was there really no way of solving the problem she had presented? Marinka... The holy swordswoman slowly raised her head. She was one of the level cappers who had passed level 99. Thinking about it now, that title felt so very flimsy for something that had supported her for so long, so she spoke up to challenge it all once more. ...What youre saying cant be true!! Part 9 The Thousand Dragon fled through the sky and the collection of red rust pursued from the ground. In this case, leaving the island and heading out to sea would successfully shake the inn town humans. But the black dragon did not do that. Once she arrived at the coast, she made a rapid turn and flapped her wings in search of a different route of escape that remained above the island. Tossed about by the intense inertia, Rusalka dove head-first into the chest of Gruagachs mourning clothes and gave a shout. Wh-what are you doing, you worthless dragon!? The ocean was right there!! Gruagach gently removed the other girls face from her chest, drew an arrow from the quiver at her waist, and nocked it to her stabilizer-equipped bow. Then she fired it into the empty air. With the sound of a high-voltage current, something like a bluish-white wall appeared. The Thousand Dragon had made the rapid turn to avoid that. ...A barrier? That is the special attack of Delaying Knight La Voisin! That stupid JSDF officer sets up walls along required paths in the Labyrinth so she can hog the Gimmick hunting grounds to herself!! Honestly, what is she doing out here instead of helping the inn town recover!? If Huldra was right, then their escape to the sea had been cut off. Worse, they were still being pursued by the collection of red rust presumably made by Tlazolteotl and that looked like a clock face or a giant sinister bug, yet they never knew when a barrier would appear right in front of them. Sutriona gave a snort of laughter. Then we just have to eliminate those obstacles. Its time I joined the fight. Girl, you handle the control!! Will do!! shouted Rusalka while still clinging to Gruagach and pressing her face to her chest. The wind roared as it was whipped up. The red powder lost its butterfly wing shape and was stripped away from the Fairy Queens back. It became multi-segmented protrusions similar to spider legs and began a bombing attack of the surface targets from multiple angles. A hit was guaranteed to drive the target mad, but most of them ruptured in midair. They were likely colliding with the countless barriers opened like an umbrella by the woman named La Voisin. The toxic wings themselves had the destructive power of a Break News, but they were only being controlled by a human like Rusalka. Then Gruagach raised her stabilizer-equipped bow once more. Several magic circles appeared in front of her right eye. This arrow was wrapped in a bright white light. The Summon Hunter wearing mourning clothes moved her bewitching lips to whisper behind her veil. Tselika, take care of this. The single attack broke through the umbrella of barriers. The collection of red rust on the surface even showed signs of frantically attempting to dodge. But that evasive action failed. With a great creaking sound, something like thick plant vines tangled around the thick legs that stuck out from it at irregular intervals. Needless to say, this was the work of Ileana who stood at the peak of plants. Its great strength was snapping the vines, but it had still been stopped for a few seconds. The aerial bombing arrived in that time. It was more an explosion than a shattering or breaking. Once the white light penetrated the barrier set up between the sky and the surface, the Noble Dancers wind guided the red toxin through that large hole. Huldra looked down at the destruction with a stiff smile. Ugh. Status Effects really are the worst. Although I have no idea if that qualifies as an upper or a downer. They seem to be struggling more and more violently. Assuming it isnt an insta-kill effect, we should probably keep our distance. Can you break open a path out to sea using that attack? The holes made by Tselika are human-sized, so they would not be large enough for the Thousand Dragon to fly through... They could do definite damage, but they could not bring them down instantly. They had to respond to those desperate foes. An ominous sound reached them from the surface. That collection of red rust, which resembled a clock face or a giant sinister bug, kicked at the ground with its many twisted legs and began to move differently. What appeared to be giant mouths appeared all over it. With bursting sounds, heavy ships anchors were launched from there. The thick chains extended like long, long tongues as the flying anchors passed right by the Thousand Dragon who twisted around in midair. No, they had forced her to take evasive action to limit her freedom of movement so that the anchors could pierce her side. With a great roar, the Thousand Dragon raged about with movements far more irregular than before. A-a winch shot!? Impossible. How could those be strong enough to tie down something as large as the Thousand Dragon? Just as Gruagach and Huldra paled and said that, the taut chains suddenly loosened. At first, they thought the chains had snapped from the immense force, but that was not it. Something had been launched from the surface. The other end of the chains had been attached to objects shaped like boxy containers of rust. And they flew toward the Thousand Dragon with many people inside. Those junkies are going to board us soon! Prepare your projectiles and shoot them down!! Immediately after Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefraus command, Gruagach used her bow, Rusalka used her control of the wind and air, and Wildefrau dropped ice from their extreme altitude to intercept the approaching landing containers. However. A new figure dropped lightly down. It landed as softly as a feather on the Thousand Dragons back while she flew rapidly through the sky. The figure had red and silver hair and wore crimson armor and a pure white miniskirt. She looked like Beatrice but was someone else entirely. ...The...Sage...? muttered Huldra. The Sage drew her Shining Weapon rapier with her left hand. No, it was a boosted Shining Weapon created by stealing her fallen enemies Shining Weapons, patching together the broken blades, and linking them in parallel for greater processing power. If a humans Shining Weapon was taken in this world, they could not return to Earth. That strengthened blade of death and slaughter had that definite fate built into its design. I cant bear to watch this. You call this the final line of defense for the elder and the others? With the roar of oxygen being consumed and flames erupting out, countless sparks flew. No, they were each a piece of Magic. The sparks moved, became straight-line blades of light, intersected with each other, and created a net-like surface of destruction. And it followed the movements of the patchwork rapier in the Sages hand. If you claim to protect them with your lives, you need to take it at least this far. It was a fan of death. The horizontal strike swept through the air with the surface of a net rather than the line of a slash. The roaring blades of light extended endlessly. The one attack destroyed all of the thick containers and chains. And it did more than just bisect them. It diced them. The wholly merciless destruction was like passing thin wires through the base and sending heat through them to slice through the softened vegetables when the whole device was pressed down on them. This was the Sage. She had mastered human Magic, making her a different sort of peak from the Break News. But the Fairy Queen noticed something and raised her voice. No! Dont let your guard down!! A dull sound came from the Thousand Dragons back. Something had flown in and finally landed in the same place as them. Even though the Sages brutal attack had just swept everything away. The sexy woman wore a baggy jacket, hot pants, and an eyepatch over one eye. She held a Shining Weapon that looked like a thick machete and there were not a scratch on her. Hello, everyone. Ive stopped by to play. ...Corpse Thief Liderc. Just as Huldra groaned that name, two other girls landed behind her. One was an exotic girl with brown skin and countless feather decorations. The other had an expression colder than a sculpture and wore thick black metal armor. These monsters had taken no apparent damage from the Sages attack. But even in the face of that, silver-haired Sutriona only cracked her neck and stepped forward to challenge them. Thats fine with me. If you want to see hell bad enough to walk into the land of death, this paradox with a soul will just have to grant your wish. The eyepatch woman giggled. She did not care that her opponent was a Break News. The wholly insolent Corpse Thief even spoke back to her. You sound like a fool. No matter what kind of strongest you are, theres no way you can defeat my power. And. The direct clash finally began on the giant dragons back. Part 10 Prove that Earth really does exist. Prove that Beatrice and the others born there really do exist and have lives and souls of their own. It is not possible. Marinka, the archangel with a total of four wings when the woman and girl combined to signify an eclipse, began with a composed expression. We have never seen Earth. And the testimonies of you Humans are products of false beings, so they cannot be trusted. Thus, there is not a single testimony from a being known to exist. Therefore, Earths existence and the existence of you who were born there cannot be proven. Im not asking you to accept the testimony of those of us you have doubts about. Doing that would likely lead nowhere. So Beatrice thought up a different approach. But you cant deny the things that have happened here...in Grounds Nir. So if Boo Boo or Sibyl said something, you would have to believe their testimony. You can guarantee me that, cant you? But unfortunately, none of them has ever gone to Earth. Thus their insistance that Earth exists is not worth believ-... I have a question about that game you claim Earth is, cut in Beatrice. We wanted to stop the rampaging red Iberian orcs from running amok on Earth. That is why we are struggling. ...But why would they head to Earth? They have gone mad, so I seriously doubt they are calm enough to enjoy a Video Game. A lot about the reds was still a mystery, but they could predict that no verbal persuasion would get through to the elder and the others in their current state. They were being driven by the extremely primitive desires of hunger, lust, fighting instincts, and desire for destruction. The reds they had seen via Abyss would never hook up all the cables, complete the various preparations, enter their ID and password, and sit still until the Sign In process was complete. They would never have it in them to play a rational game that existed outside of their instincts. The reds wanted a hunting ground. Grounds Nir is only a small island, so they wanted the vast Earth where 7 billion Humans live and where 6 continents of land are available if you include Antarctica. Marinka did not trust Beatrices memories or witness accounts. But she could not ignore the actions of the Iberian orcs who were from Grounds Nir. So they understand that the planet beyond the gates contains something that will fulfill their real desires. ...That is not enough. The Earth created by the Game Server may be detailed enough to fool their senses. The destination may simply have enough Reality to satisfy their hunger and fighting instincts. To be honest, she had expected this response. If she brought up Tselika or Skull Wave who had also crossed between worlds, those examples would also be rejected by saying the virtual reality was too realistic to distinguish from reality. If anything Beatrice could say would only receive What if the virtual reality is even better than that?, then any argument would be crushed. But knowing that sped things up. She only had to place that statement on the chopping block and incorporate it into her strategy. Then what about the underworld lord? Beatrice played her next card. She spoke to the small Marinka who looked quizzical. You might not know, but we were killed in the underworld battle and then the sage resurrected us using the next generation embryo. And the next generation embryos power is real. We know that because the exact same method resurrected the Iberian orcs born in Grounds Nir. ...I see. Because you were resurrected using the underworlds resurrection device, you claim that you must have a real soul, is that it? Earth could use its chemistry knowledge to accomplish just about anything, but proving the existence of the soul may have been difficult for them. But things were different in Grounds Nir. The tall and slender woman pressed her chin toward the top of the small brown girls head and seemingly kissed the halo there. Marinka giggled with both faces. But the resurrection device was operated by the sage who is a Human, and thus a false being. It would be difficult to say that proves much of anything. Oh, no, thought Beatrice as she clenched her teeth. Marinkas statement seemed to be rejecting her argument, but it was actually not. The underworlds next generation embryo would function the same no matter who hit the switch. But if she snapped back, the argument would never get anywhere. She needed to make her verbal attack from a different direction. She needed to leave Marinka at a loss for words. She needed a decisive trump card that left no room for quibbling. Then I have something to say... It was the royal elf who spoke up from the side. Sibyl crossed her arms with her bow or staff-like shining weapon held at her elbow. My skill can materialize residual thoughts. To put it another way, I cannot acquire weapons from inorganic objects and collections of data where no ones will can be found. I worked with the sage to prepare quite a bit of firepower in order to defeat Abyss, the ultimate weapon at the bottom of the labyrinth. If I could have extracted residual thoughts from inorganic Abyss herself, I would have based my plan on that. You mean...? And during the underworld battle, I used Beatrices back tooth to materialize her residual thoughts. The sage repaired this broken shining weapon and lent it to me, but that has no bearing on my skill which is based on my species. And we are not talking about a chair or table that Beatrice held, so you cannot argue that someone elses residual thoughts had gotten on it. I used her tooth. Sibyl had proven the existence of Beatrices mind. And unlike the sage, she was a Grounds Nir nonhuman. The archangel could not just reject that testimony. It was not just the words of their allies that mattered. Sibyl, the sage, and the red Iberian orcs. The words and actions of former and current enemies proved that the truth was the truth. Marinka might be able to deny the approximately a decade and a half that Beatrice had spent living on Earth, but she could not deny the much shorter time she had spent in Grounds Nir. Even if there were scars of conflict and even if there had been clashes of hostility and malice, those things acted as proof that Beatrice and the others really had been there. You... Marinka spread her four wings in a threatening manner while seemingly forcing out her words. You might be lying. Why would I lie for people who arent even my friends? The very fact that you came here with these Humans is proof enough that you are supporting them. I did not see the moment that you materialized the residual thoughts from Beatrices tooth. Thus, your testimony cannot be trusted. The Earth must not exist and the Humans are not really alive and have no soul. Then. Sibyl giggled and uncrossed her arms. She seemed to have been waiting for this moment. She tapped her slender shoulder with her shining weapon that looked like both a bow and a staff and she made a suggestion. If I can summon Beatrices residual thoughts right here, you will be unable to deny it. Thats what youre saying, isnt it? No, *...!? **, I...!? A staticky voice suddenly burst out. Confusion must have spread between the two who signified the eclipse. The archangel then spoke in a harmonic voice once more. No, but... You lost from the moment you could not deny even a portion of what I have said, Marinka. You seem to know how forced your argument is. It sounded like you were trying to drown me out by shouting instead of arguing back with logic, but all you did was step up onto the ladder I had set up. I only have to wait until you have reached the roof and then I can pull the ladder down behind you. The archangel tried to say something, but no words came out. There was no more need to hold back. If I exist, then so does the Earth I was born on. The red-armored holy swordswoman C no, Holy Swordswoman C only had to announce it once more. If you want to deny it, then just try it, Archangel Marinka!! Ill offer up a tooth or bone if thats whats needed to prove what I must protect!! Two steps. Three steps. Archangel Marinka had closed herself up in such a thick cell, but now she stepped backwards. No, the four-winged slender white woman slumped down to a sitting position with her arms still inside the brown girls shoulder blades. Her beliefs had been broken. She had lost her reason to fight. That was apparent from the look on her face. And something was bothering Beatrice. Sibyl, can you materialize some residual thoughts? I can, but you dont need to pull out a tooth. I think Marinka has already been defeated. Not what I meant, flat girl. The red-armored Holy Swordswoman shook her head. Earth really does exist. It isnt just something inside a video game server. ...But Marinka has been alone up here on the reverse side of the sun island this entire time, so where did she get that information? It seemed like that false information led her to stop anyone from gathering the three royal treasures. Are you suggesting someone intentionally gave her the false information to prevent the completion of those three treasures so our research of the Redness would fail? If so, then Archangel Marinka was not a villain. She had been given false information, so she had been trying to do what was right based on a faulty premise. But even if thats true, it wouldnt have been the Iberian Orcs. They wouldnt know anything about online games. More importantly, I cant imagine why they would want to ensure their Red rampage would continue. And if it was someone like the Sage or Vampire Kallikantzaros who had a deep connection to the Iberian Orc village, they would have been trying to help remove the Redness. They would not try to promote the Red rampage. They would not take the Rednesss side. Then who was it? Marinka!! That shout only led the small brown girl to tilt her head and the slender white woman to shake her head while using the slender girl as a shield. Was she not willing to say, or did she not know? Whoever-it-was would not have had to directly meet her. The sun island was a large place. They might have created the materials needed to guide Marinka to that conclusion and then scattered them around. If the answer had been given to her all at once, she would have been more suspicious. But if she had built up the theory based on fragmentary information found in various media and multiple sources C cave paintings, ancient books, sculptures, and inscriptions C that theory would hold great power. The more effort she put into running around collecting the information, the more she would want it to be true. Just like people would settle on an answer if they found it in multiple sources when searching on the internet. So... We cant expect anything from Marinka since shes been deceived this whole time. The magician only shows the audience her front side. She does not let them know what is going on behind the scenes. So well have to cheat to fill in the gaps. Sibyl, if you use your residual thought materialization, couldnt you reveal the identity of whoever gave Marinka this information? This place is ruins as far as the eye can see, so I doubt many people visit it. I see. Sibyls power would work even if it was someone they had never seen before. If whoever-it-was was cheating, then they would have to cheat in return. With a light tapping sound, the ephemerally beautiful Royal Elf pressed the bottom of her Shining Weapon against the cathedral floor. A faint light appeared. The materialization of the residual thoughts was beginning. And that appeared before them all. Part 11 Atop the 1000m Thousand Dragons back, two forces clashed over the dormant Red Iberian Orcs. Sutriona, stop using your toxic wings for now! At this close range, well be caught by them too!! Summon Hunter Gruagach shouted that while preparing her stabilizer-equipped bow, but that bow was not suited for close-quarters combat. The arrows that borrowed Demon Lord Tselikas power were incredibly powerful, but it took time to nock an arrow to the bow. Fortunately, the mourning dress girls bow had close-range blades attached to the top and bottom ends. She would not have added those unless she was aware of the trouble she would have when the enemy approached. Hee hee. Criminal Queen Tlazolteotl swung her body to the side so the light arrow shot right past her. The brown girl wore feather decorations, held a Shining Weapon that resembled a stone axe, and licked her lips as she approached. Hee hee hee. Eh heh heh. Hee hee hee hee... No you dont!! Noble Dancer Rusalka cut in from the side. She created a gust of wind and rode it in for a flying kick that sent her thick metal boots heel toward the side of that feather-decorated head. A great roar burst out, but the blow did not feel right to her. (La Voisins barrier? ...No!) And she did not have time to think. She felt an unpleasant sensation similar to packed sand crumbling. Rusalka landed on the dragons back, jumped back to put some distance between them, and noticed something off about her heel. The leotard girl tapped it against the ground, looked down at her foot, and widened her eyes in shock. It was surrounded by red rust. Their equipment was Magic taking that form, so that armor technically was not metal. Nevertheless... Parameter Destruction of our equipment!? Crushing the Magic people have acquired is like mocking a collectors efforts...!! Then a horizontal storm of light rushed in. The Sage had launched a great amount of Magic and blown Tlazolteotl away. This is fine. Or she tried to. But the feather-decorated brown girl casually stepped forward as if splitting apart the cloud of dust. This is perfectly fine. Hee hee. Im not interested in justice or good deeds, but I need an innocent population if Im going to make any money. So to keep lining my pockets, even a cartel needs to protect the good people out there. There was no scratch on her. Contact Tlazolteotl and the equipment reinforcing your body would deteriorate. And she also had something that neutralized their attacks. The more they fought her, the weaker they would become. Even the Level Cappers who had surpassed Level 99 had finite power. If they were tripped up too often, they would fall all the way to the bottom. Elsewhere, Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra had brutal metal claws sticking out of her pink pompoms as she sent deadly attacks toward black-armored La Voisin from multiple angles. Instead of doing physical damage, her attacks had a set percentage chance of causing instant death. She also used various forms of probability support Magic to thoroughly increase the odds of success. And yet... She was hitting. But the attack was not getting through. Give up. I have your data. Did you really think a low-level NPA officer could defeat the will of the entire Ministry of Defense? Tch!! I will protect my nation from all foreign threats and I have learned everything necessary for that task. Thus, you all have no chance of victory now that you have become enemies of the state. None whatsoever. Her thick armor was probably her Shining Weapon and her hands approached while giving off a sinister glow. Huldra was immediately reminded of a judo-based suppression technique, so she kept her distance so her hair and clothing could not be grabbed. After moving back-to-back with Wildefrau, she reported on the situation and discussed what to do next. Nothing I do is working. And this isnt Elemental Defense. I made a rush of attacks so she would waste her barriers and then sent my true attack through a gap, so I doubt she could have blocked it with that. The glowing magic circles at the Alchemist Cheerleaders hands and the Ice Waterfall Princesss chest felt so very hollow with zero strength. There must be some kind of trick, said Wildefrau. Tlazolteotl damages equipment with her red rust and La Voisin creates barriers. ...If it isnt either of those, it must be Liderc. Yes, we have very little data on her. ? She is known as the Corpse Thief because she specializes in stealing Treasure from people collapsed in the Labyrinth. No one has ever seen her fight. She seems to hide down there for long periods of time, but she does not seem to have reached Level 99 yet. ...She isnt a Level Capper? With the roar of the wind whipping up around her, La Voisin stepped toward them in her glistening black armor. Wildefrau used a giant ice hand to wield a large sword, but the ice weapon only shattered when it hit. If Level alone determined everything, this would have ended the second the Sage showed up. But instead, Corpse Thief Liderc, who was not even a Level Capper, remained entirely unscathed after taking a hit from the horizontal storm of light controlled by the Sages patchwork rapier. It would be one thing if she had blocked or dodged it, but it was odd for her to be unharmed after actually being hit by the attack. Not even Break News like Sutriona or Ileana were guaranteed to avoid injury if they faced the Sages fierce attacks head on. The Sage narrowed her eyes while spinning around her twisted blade. She suddenly saw through to the answer. ...I see. So youve intentionally kept your Level low. ... The Corpse Thief had seemed entirely unconcerned, but this sent a slight tremor through her eyebrows. That red-and-silver-haired woman would not be known as the Sage if she were only strong. The Magic-related technology that allowed people to travel from Earth to Grounds Nir had all been established and spread by her. There is Geographic Effect Magic that gives you an advantageous handicap in the form of Parameter Adjustments to fill the gap between your Level and the Level of your opponent. The lower your Level, the greater the effect. That would be the one and only way for a rookie to defeat a Level Capper. So what if you know that? I have mastered all Magic, so I could use that exact same technique back at you...but since we are already Level Cappers, that Magic would be meaningless for us to learn. Using it would only create a field that works against us. Yes, thats right. We are the weak who crawl along the bottom and that is why you strongests cannot raise a hand against us. It doesnt matter if you are a Break News or an Iberian Orc! You will be helplessly tormented to death!! Lidercs Shining Weapon was shaped like a thick machete and she raged as she approached the Sage. Meanwhile, that person who resembled Beatrice breathed an exasperated sigh. I loathe people like you who show off their own weakness in an attempt to steal away all the rights they can get their hands on. And thats why I cant give up my position as strongest no matter how much I detest it. But my personal tastes are irrelevant here. I should bring an end to your boring riddle. ...? Liderc could produce the strongest power because she was the weakest. She swung her thick blade down toward the Sage, but the red-armored and white-miniskirted womans fingertips flew in an odd direction. Hyah! A short scream rang out. And the Sages fingers lightly held the small body of the palm-sized Fairy named Morgan who had been flying around the area. With the sound of something bursting, Lidercs thick blade was deflected to the side. The Corpse Thief ignored the throbbing pain in her wrist and a disbelieving look entered her eyes. Your silly power to the weak strategy only allows you to challenge the strongests like Level Cappers and Break News when you hold the weakest position. You mean... So I only have to place an even weaker species in front of you. That is enough for the weaker individual to steal away the rights of the weak that you thought you had to yourself. A child with a cold will be nursed back to help with great care, but that can change if someone with severe heart disease shows up. ................................................................................................................................................................................................ Her face tensed. She shook her head like a displeased child. ...Dont you understand what this battle means? What good is protecting those berserk monsters!? Sorry, but I will not be moved by the sympathy of the weak. Not even the tiniest bit. The Sage was cold. Her strength was the kind of strength that would trample a rain-soaked kitten underfoot if it was necessary. I dont really expect much from Beatrices trip to heaven. What happens to the Earth is none of my concern and I have no interest in the fate of humanity. I already know how it is destroyed. Even if they overcome this, those 7 billion will be destroyed eventually. So I am only focused on one thing: whether or not you will bring harm to the Iberian Orcs I love. That is all. It was not hatred or killer intent in her voice. That woman had been tossed about by the term strongest, so she would not accept as her equal someone who intentionally showed off their weakness. There was pity in her voice. She felt pity, but she did not step on the brakes. I do not like them, but they are useful for the elder and the others. I do not like you, but you are not useful for the elder and the others. Now, what do you think that distinction means? Liderc had finally learned an important lesson. Weakness could be used as a weapon, but it could not be used as a shield. While the guilt in their heart kept everyone else from attacking, what would she do if someone was willing to swing down their blade with no hesitation whatsoever? She pleaded with trembling lips as her fate dawned on her. Please dont-... To hell with that. Its time you died. Part 12 Of course, the true culprits face did not appear at the very beginning. At first, there was nothing. No, there was nothing for quite a while. White Witch Filinion gulped and watched with the others, but she finally grew impatient and spoke in a hesitant voice. ...U-umm. Are you sure it worked? It doesnt look like anything is happening. Shh. If you dont know and are thus aware of your ignorance, then shut up and watch. The residual thought materialization is working. I can definitely feel it in my grasp. And yet there is nothing here. Even if you lowered a weight into the water on a string, it would not reach the bottom right away if the water was extremely deep. It would take a very long time before the long, long string reached the bottom of the ocean. This was the same. Sibyl was reading in the residual thought with a fierce intensity, but nothing was moving even as she plunged deeper and deeper into the past of the timeline. Squeal? Does that mean there was no one here? No. Since a residual thought exists, someone had to be here to leave behind the thought. It is even deeper. Much, much, much deeper. But that also means it was a powerful enough residual thought to stick around for so very long. A common belief held by a great number of people would be one thing, but it is unusual for a single individuals emotional thoughts to remain for this long! This was from the distant past even from Royal Elf Sibyls perspective. That would make it an unthinkable amount of time from a human perspective. Sibyl now held her Shining Weapon to the floor with both hands and she slowly closed her eyes. She brought her focus to the next level. She had grasped the residual thought that definitely existed, so she had to travel back in time to its origin point. Finally, a quiet staticky sound was heard. Ah, what was that, fellow flat girl? Armelina asked without thinking. There was something there. It was like a collection of rough silver sand. No, it was like a corrupted video file. A chisel-like device for carving wood or stone appeared in the air. The part where its bearer would be holding it was darker. It could not float on its own, so of course someone had to be holding it. ...Quiet. And just because I am distracted does not mean you can get away with treating us as equal, flattest. Kh... They could not see the person. The silver sand static was too strong. It was alternately gathering together and spreading apart, but the persons appearance was never clear. The scattered distribution of static almost seemed to be obscuring the most crucial information, so they could only just barely make out a generally humanoid shape. Sh... They heard something like a voice deep within the static. Or they thought they did. Did I just hear something...? I cant believe this. I had to go back more than 300 years to find something. Thats even farther back than the Sage who is said to be historys first visitor...! Beatrice gave up on visually confirming who it was. She shut her eyes just like Sibyl and focused on the voice. It felt like parting the underbrush on a dark mountain to search for a lost ring, but she worked to make out a quiet and twisted voice that sounded masculine. Her efforts must have paid off. Finally, the Holy Swordswoman heard the following series of sounds.: ...The Hero, hm? Even I...admit that...an ironic name... Part 13 The Hero. That unfamiliar sound reached Beatrice and the others ears. Filinion toyed with the side of her glasses as she responded. Um...is that a Job or something? But from what category??? Shh! Its weak, but its still going. Focus on the static. The red-armored Holy Swordswoman kept her eyes closed and strained her ears, but all she heard was loud static that reminded her of rain. The voice was fading. It felt like nearly grasping something only to have it slip from her fingers and she could feel the powerful impatience rising in her chest. Just then, a snorting sound rudely interrupted. Squeal, what is this? They just keep talking about all kinds of confusing stuff. !? Boo Boo, you can still hear it? Tell us everything you hear!! Beatrice widened her eyes and shouted to him. Since human and Iberian Orc bodies were different, their senses were also different. Just as a cat could see in the dark and a dog could track someone by their scent, there may have been things only Boo Boo could pick up on. He held a hand to his mouth and tilted his head. Hmm... Something about witches being unacceptable, but theyre tired of upholding justice... The Hero must be someone who came to Grounds Nir 300 years ago. A-and at that time, they would be talking about actual witches. Since they dont claim to be a witch themselves, maybe they were on the side that punished them with the sword? The White Witch, who had full social acceptance, paled a bit as she said that. Armelina frowned in response. But then what exactly is the Hero? I mean, if this was 300 years ago, I doubt they had the video game system we use. Boo. They say all the functional calculations are done by slide rule...but research will eventually create a board that can do all those calculations for you. They say that would mean no more need to roll dice. A board game...or a TRPG? Before the invention of vacuum tube computers, humanity had already calculated the orbits of the planets and built giant ships to circumnavigate the globe. Complex calculations did not require semiconductors. But even so, in the Heros age of pen and paper, had someone really imagined the concept of the modern computer and even considered the possibility of the video games that would lead to? It was an astonishing thought to Beatrice and the others who let their Shining Weapons handle all the calculations. Armelina sounded partially dumbfounded. But what did this Hero do after arriving in Grounds Nir? At the very least, there doesnt seem to be any trace of their presence here. They say they successfully arrived in a new world, but they lost the ability to return. Beatrice and the others exchanged a glance at Boo Boos words. Grounds Nir was comfortable for Boo Boo who had been born there, but for the Holy Swordswoman and the others from Earth, they could only stay for a few days. The gravity, the atmospheric composition, and other miniscule aspects of the world were just different enough to affect their bodys rhythm C primarily their internal clock C if they stayed for long. And it was not something that improved with time. Omega, the Cold War hero who provided the personality base for Skull Wave, had lost his life to it. If they had been unable to return, had the Hero suffered the same fate? Squeal. They say they immediately realized there was something wrong with this world. But there was nothing they could do. So they were helpless to stop their gradual death? That sure is a tragic fate... So they decided to change this world. ...What did you say? Beatrice frowned at what Boo Boo said. And he continued. If Earth and this world are made differently, they only had to make this world the same as Earth. That would eliminate the margin of error and they would no longer suffer from the structure of this world. Squeal, I dont really get what any of this means. W-wait just a second. Filinion restlessly rubbed the side of her glasses. That sounds reasonable, but it isnt really, right? I mean, that might work out for a human, but what would happen to the life in Grounds Nir? Approaching Earths environment would only make them suffer, wouldnt it!? However. Beatrice and the others could not just laugh this off. An unpleasant silence fell. Yes, they knew some people who were suffering from a mysterious disease. The Iberian...Orcs? It was not a chromosome abnormality, a pathogen, a chemical substance, or an overabundance or deficiency of a nutrient. And yet they were clearly afflicted by some kind of abnormality. Does this mean the problem could be with the world and not them? This is all because theyre suffering from the same thing that happened to Omega...??? W-wait, Beatrice. If the Iberian Orcs are suffering from a distortion to the entire world, then why are they the only ones affected!? Meridiana, Sutriona, and everyone else are doing just fine! Armelina frantically argued back, so she may have wanted some way to reject the idea. But Beatrice shook her head, flipping her red and silver hair behind her. ...The Iberian Orcs have much sharper senses than normal lifeforms. We know that all too well from Abysss simulation. So even if the other species cant tell, the Iberian Orcs might be able to sense it. So like the mosquito alarm to keep delinquents from loitering at convenience stores at night, or like the low frequency damage caused by the rotation of wind turbines? But then why is Boo Boo fine when hes an Iberian Orc too? Boo Boo. Youve grown a lot, but do you think you could beat the elder in a fight? Squeal!? I dont want to fight anyone. And the elders fist really hurts. Thats why I wont misbehave. Not ever! There was a hierarchy among the Iberian Orcs. They all seemed extraordinary to humans, but since Boo Boo so feared the elder, the elder had a higher standing. Or rather, he may have been named the elder because he was the strongest of the strongest. If so, it was possible. It was possible the elder was suffering because he was at the top of the hierarchy and Boo Boo was fine because he was at the bottom of the hierarchy. B-but changing gravity and the atmosphere for the entire world would be a major task. Humans can only stay here for a few days, so do you really think they would have had enough time to complete it? I doubt the Hero could have done all that!! Maybe thats why they ultimately failed. ...Or its still underway. Just like a cathedral built over the course of centuries, the automated work has continued after the original planners death. What, are you saying this world is crawling with invisible dwarf workers!? They more or less already had their answer. What trap had the Hero set up? Why had they left multiple fragments of information around the sun island so the manager of the island would gather it all and reach the false conclusion? What had Archangel Marinka feared? She had viewed the world like a video game and assumed something bad would happen if someone crossed a line and entered a space that had not been created. In other words, what was it the Hero had protected via Marinka? The answer was obvious. Beatrice looked up at the large hole in the cathedral ceiling. No, she was technically looking at the invisible something beyond the unnaturally blue sky. ...The atmospheric...barrier? There were some things that did not really occur to you until you were this high up. For example, that the blue sky was within range of an attack. (All of this was caused by the blue sky spread out above us all evenly.) In that case...!! She drew the Shining Weapon rapier from her hip and launched eight orange lines of heat. The Magic flew straight up, collided with the clear barrier, and sent cracks through it. Electrical sparks scattered instead of fire. With a violent zapping noise, the heavens blurred. Color vanished from the sky as if the monitor displaying it had been lost. The dark starry sky of outer space showed through. They had no way of knowing what had happened to the sky as seen from the surface, but at this high an altitude, this was the proper view. When viewed from so high up, they should have been seeing space rather than the blue sky. The light of the artificial sun vanished and the real one lit the world. Boo Boo looked puzzled as he watched the world turned inside out. Squeal. Theres a cracking sound... A fake sky? groaned Armelina. This sun wasnt the real one!? If you could adjust the light and EM waves pouring down on the world, you might be able to remake the atmospheric composition like photochemical smog. No, the rainclouds are made from evaporated seawater and the lands crust expands and contracts depending on how the land is heated. Light. Control that one thing and you might be able to control both the heavens and the earth. Of course, it would take far longer than a few days to complete an artificial atmospheric barrier that covered the entire world. The Hero must have left behind something that could complete the automated work. They knew their efforts were in vain, but they had not given up. He or she must not have been able to betray their own expectations, but the work had silently continued long after their death. More and more clear panels had been set in place until they had fully covered up the truth of the world. Kh... Royal Elf Sibyl gave up on maintaining the residual thought and groaned while her small head wobbled. Boo Boo supported her entire body with his large hand and she asked a question with a tremor in her voice. ...So what happened? Theres nothing we cant know if we have all three royal treasures, right? said Beatrice. Weve destroyed the cause, so can we check whats happening on the surface? Sibyl wiped sweat from her brow and removed the circlet she wore there. She also pulled out the ring that had belonged to Vivian. Marinka, who had both a womans and girls body, removed the earring on her right ear. The circlet seemed to be the base. When they attached the two jewels of the ring and earring to the gold circlet, a pale blue light surrounded the entire accessory. Sibyl placed it on her forehead once more. She took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes. It may have been something like wearing goggles. But Sibyl did not say anything for a while after that. She kept her eyes closed and some slight wrinkles gathered in her supposedly calm brow. Odd. ...I am receiving the power to view the world, but...kh. It wont focus on the Redness...? Sibyl, cut in Archangel Marinka. The small brown girl tapped the right side of the circlet with her index finger and the tall slender woman, who had her arms in the girls shoulder blades, opened her lips. There is a deviation in the light. The sea jewel here is not reacting. Doesnt it look clouded? ...So even with all the treasures, it wont activate properly without authorization from the three rulers? Elder Mermaid Vivian who ruled the ocean was no longer among the living. This meant they could not activate the three royal treasures. Sibyl scowled and removed the circlet, but White Witch Filinion tried to force the conclusion in a positive direction. B-but we dont really need the three treasures now, right? Right? The Iberian Orcs affliction was caused by the atmospheric barrier the Hero set up and Beatrice just destroyed that. In that case-... She was not able to finish speaking. She was cut off by a muffled explosion on the surface. Even as high in the sky as Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others were, the roar reached them loud and clear. Something horrible was happening on that island which could be walked around in three days. Even with no proof of that, a crawling impatience told them something abnormal was happening. They wanted to deny it, but they could not. Wh-why? Thanks to Beatrice, the atmospheric barrier affecting the elder and the others is no longer functioning, right!? Or did we misread this somehow!? When she heard Filinion and Armelinas reactions, Beatrice brought a hand to her slender chin and then slowly shook her head. ...We were thinking about it correctly. And I definitely destroyed the source. But maybe the effects of that wont manifest immediately. Squeal. What does that mean, Beatrice? A car wont stop immediately...although I guess that doesnt mean much to you, Boo Boo. Anyway, we should assume it might take some time before the problem ends. And if so... Wait, Beatrice. Are you saying we need to forcibly stop the Red Iberian Orcs until they come back to their senses!? Y-you have got to be joking!! Part 14 They had known it from the beginning. This battle had a time limit. Even if the Iberian Orcs had entered a dormant state and had that reinforced with external tranquilizer potions and low-temperature treatment, it would not last forever. And if fear drove the humans to attack, the limit would shrink even further. Wildefrau, Huldra, Gruagach, and Rusalka were fighting on the Thousand Dragons back, but in that chaotic melee, it was simply not possible to ensure not a single stray shot hit one of the Reds. Some hits were unavoidable and that drew them ever closer to the countdown to doom. So they had predicted this from the beginning. Once it crossed a line, that would happen. Bmoo... The straining of thick muscles and bending of bone produced a disconcerting noise. The Reds, those apocalyptic eggs, moved. The Iberian Orcs had been curled up and motionless until now, but they slowly stood tall once more. Bmooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Between the Lines 2 All that matters is that I survive. The fate of this islands indigenous life is of no consequence. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I know my efforts are wasted. I know there is no way to complete this in time. Converting into human terms, the trick I have constructed will take at least 250 years before it is functioning. In the same terms, I have less than 2 days I can remain here. Since I have not left any descendants behind, ensuring the comfort of this world would be a meaningless act. Nevertheless... As meaningless as it might be... Even if you know that a single scrap of bread will not fulfill your hunger and you will still collapse, can you just throw away the bread in your hand? Even if your fate will be the same either way, can you really let go of it yourself? The answer is no. You can never do that. Even if I already have the answer and even if I know I have failed, I will still struggle. I will swallow that scrap of bread and continue on. That is what it means to be human. I want to dream of having a chance. I want to own my fate by trying everything available to me. Have I really struggled? Have I really tried every thought in my head? Is there nothing I can do? The moment I stop thinking and the moment I stop working is the moment I let go of my life. Think. Think. As long as I do not give up, I can still see myself as alive... Volume 6, 3: That is a Deadly Battle for the Future Volume 6, Chapter 3: That is a Deadly Battle for the Future Part 1 She had fallen. The 1000m dragon had been brought down. The injured Thousand Dragon lost her balance in midair and fell straight down. The pitch black dragon knocked over tree after tree in the forest and left large claw marks in the ground. She fell surprisingly close to where Boo Boos house was. She had circled all the way around the island and returned to an area of wild undergrowth. It contained several abandoned structures covered in green moss. They looked like tents made of large leaves with plants and flowers placed on top, but they must have been some kind of house to begin with. It was gone now, but everyone recognized that place. The Iberian Orc village had been there. ... The red-armored and white-miniskirted Sage tossed aside the object held in her gauntleted hand. It was Corpse Thief Liderc who was convulsing a little. Her chest and hips were shaking irregularly, but no one would find any sex appeal there. Her face was battered and swollen beyond recognition and the fact that she could still breathe was a testament to the wonder of life. The unexpected crash had robbed the Sage of the chance to deliver the finishing blow. And she honestly did not particularly care whether those people lived or died. The position of the sun had shifted a bit, but the sky was still blue as the Sage slowly looked around with her red and silver hair swishing behind her. This village was a place of beginnings and of endings. She was the logical sort of person who had changed the course of Earths history by introducing the new technological system known as Magic, but she still unscientifically wondered if this was destiny. Or perhaps it was that side of her that had led her to call it Magic instead of Xenophysics or Special Elemental Theory. The beautiful woman glanced at the fallen Thousand Dragon. The dragon had wounds here and there, but most of the blood came from her back. More than the large arrowheads shaped like ships anchors and more than the Magic fired by the Level Cappers, it was the wounds made by the reawakened Iberian Orcs that had done the most damage. The Sage placed her gauntleted hand on the weakly breathing dragons scales. She narrowed her eyes and whispered to her. Well done protecting the elder and the others this long. You twisted your body in the instant of impact to just barely avoid the village, didnt you? You have my praise for that. Then she slowly turned around. She sensed a thick bestial odor and multiple animalistic cries. The Reds had been dragged down to the level of unintelligent and mindless beasts as they too set foot in the former location of their village. The Sage had once killed these precious people. And she had also had them resurrected. Awawa! Awawawa! Theyve woken up! shouted Huldra. Does that mean were screwed!? Have the angels of the apocalypse blown the trumpets overhead!? A police officer seeing an angel while sober probably is a sign of the end times, but we dont have time to lament our fate, said Wildefrau. The closest Gate is less than a kilometer from here. Thats the one that Beatrice usually uses, right? Lets do what we can. If we dont construct a defensive line here, the invasion of Earth really will begin. The group on the giant dragons back was probably trying to stop the bleeding, but the Sage was not listening as her long hair and miniskirt fluttered in a crosswind. Someone stepped forward from the group of Reds. She knew before looking who it would be: the elder. Crossing the boundary of time and the border between life and death to face the Sage once more would be too great a burden for any of the others. Elder... ...Sage. An extended conversation was not necessary. First, the sexy woman drew the patchwork rapier from her hip once more. It was a customized parallel processing device made by gathering the Shining Weapons after hunting down and killing each member of the special unit that had once slaughtered the Iberian Orcs with hardly a thought. It was a symbol of the unreasonable vengeance she had taken by inviting them to act but then loathing the thoughtlessness of the people who had actually agreed, but it was also a sinister weapon that concentrated the entire villages death down to a single point. On the other hand, the elder had no specific weapon. He placed a thick fallen tree trunk on his ankle, lightly kicked it straight up and caught it in the center with a single hand. The Sage grimaced because it made her think of a Chinese spear like a Xian Qiang or Lang Xian. The grown branches looked crude at first glance, but they would entangle and catch an enemys attack while making evasion more difficult for them. And the thick trunk itself was powerful enough to break down a castles gate if a group of people wielded it. The elders action seemed thoughtless, but it was actually extremely logical. The way he had lightly kicked up that primitive and brutal weapon and the way he wielded it like a bamboo sword was enough to tell just how frightening his muscular strength was as a Red. He probably could not control it himself. The reins could snap at any moment. And he made a short statement while his muscles trembled on the verge of explosion. This was the last shred of his mind. He gathered all of his reason to say what he had been unable to before. I left you with a painful role, didnt I? Boo, Im sorry. Dont say that. I was the only one you could ask, right? The long time spent together had deepened their mutual understanding. Thus, they did not need a signal. The elders rational mind suddenly vanished. Just like letting go of a thick rubber band stretched to its limit, he charged forward with explosive intensity, but the Sage did not hold back either. Instead of defending or evading, she actively charged forward. Her long hair spread out, a magic circle shined on her back, and flame wings burst out. All while she held the patchwork Shining Weapon created by gathering all of the blades that had once slaughtered the Iberian Orcs. The elders thick tree was instantly reduced to splinters. No, he had swung it with all his might despite knowing it would break. By splintering it against the Sages rapier, he had reduced the force of her attack and sent a downpour of sharp slinters toward her like a shotgun blast. With projectiles that small, she could not block it no matter how she held her rapier. But the Sage was the Sage. No one knew Magic better than her. It did not matter whether or not she could block the horizontal storm of destruction with her blade. The bizarre magic circle on her back shined even brighter. Colorful lights raged madly about. Hand Grena- Firestor- Detona- Volca- Melt Stee- Fricti- Chemical Smoke!!!!!! A storm of light scattered from her rapier. All of it was Fire Magic. Each one was sent toward the sharp splinters of the tree, accurately striking them, and bringing them down. Her red and silver hair and her white miniskirt fluttered violently in her own explosive blast. No, she did more than intercept the attack. She also sent a large quantity of Magic past the attacks and straight ahead. It was like firing a Gatling gun. There was a disconcerting sound as the air was fried. But the elder was not there. It was a constant attack. The Sages flames seemed to open a hole in space itself, but he jumped to the side every time and stayed just out of danger by moving in a circle around her. The elder did not have a weapon of his own. He grabbed another branch-covered tree in either hand, swung his disposable weapons toward the rapid-fire Magic when it caught up, and destroyed his weapons to tear a hole in the Sages barrage. He used that hole to approach. He no longer had a weapon. His spread hands themselves contained deadly strength. If he grabbed her with those, she would be crushed in his grip no matter how much she reinforced herself with Magic. !! She could not catch up to him by sweeping her weapon around horizontally. Yes, the rapid-fire projectiles actually gave him more opportunities when he was this close. It was just like how approaching a swiveling fan was the best way to avoid being touched by its wind. The Sage felt a tugging at her wind-blown miniskirt behind her. That was a kind of warning. She heard a giant beasts footstep tearing into the black soil behind her. The elder had been rapidly moving in a circle around her and he had finally used his fierce intensity to reduce the radius of his circle as he moved behind her. However... Stone Volcano. The ground erupted at the Sages feet. Her long hair and miniskirt flapped madly in the blast. In older times, some landmines were made by digging a hole, placing explosives in it, packing in things like fist-sized stones and pieces of bricks, and filling the hole back in. When the explosives were detonated, the bullets would fly upwards and attack the target. This was her last resort. The Sage had mastered all Magic using her ability to reassign Experience Points, so it had been the Iberian Orcs who had taught her basic combat movement skills. She doubted she could catch up to him in that field. I cant hope to defeat you when it comes to basic specs. I knew from the beginning you were bound to get behind me, elder!! The Sage spun around like a whirlwind, red and silver hair spreading out behind her, and she attempted to make a horizontal swing of her patchwork rapier, but the elders hand surrounded her entire slender hand. It should have been a direct hit, but he advanced on her all the same. The instant before that crushing grip compressed a wrist as delicate as glasswork, a Magic fire arrow flew in from the side and struck the elder in the right temple. It partially embedded itself in his head. A small explosion erupted, but his great body only swayed to the side a bit. His hand loosened the tiniest bit and the Sage used that moment to jump back and adjust the distance between them. She was too preoccupied to worry about her skirt. It all took less than 10 seconds. And it would be even less if the time spent talking was discounted. U-uehh... That groan came from Meridiana who was watching after descending to the surface. That palm-sized Fairy was flying around Sutriona who looked down on the battlefield from the black dragons back. B-both sides are unbelievable, but is there any way to join that fight and help? Who do you think I am? The silver-haired girl in a black ribbon dress put her hands on her hips and sighed. Besides, did you think they were on even footing? ...At this rate, that woman will lose. A straining sound reached their ears. Disconcerting sounds came from the Sages right forearm. This was more than just her armor splitting. At some point, the beautiful womans arm had been transformed into something like a leather belt. The alluring curves were nowhere to be found. Flesh and bone had been crushed leaving only the flat skin to flap in the wind, but the Sage did not take the time to grimace. I didnt even feel you grab it. Without even a tremor in her elegant eyebrows and soft cheeks, the Sage glanced at her destroyed arm. Instead of touching it, did you push the air with your hand to crush my arm with the wind pressure alone? The Sage could freely choose whatever Elemental Defense she wanted. Since the elder used exclusively physical blows, she should have been able to neutralize all of his attacks by building up the physical Fighter Element to 100%. ...That simple theory was not enough because different Elements had made surprise appearances such as the Fire Element from friction and the Wind Element from wind pressure. Even then, it could have been worse. If he used his full muscular strength, he would likely be able to tear off a bank vaults door like it was made of sugar syrup. Just like a shell made of depleted uranium or tungsten steel could penetrate tank armor as if melting it. No legendary swords or holy spears were needed. Raising his base stats with cheat-level equipment did not matter. The Iberian Orcs had brought themselves to the very limit, so their ultimate weapon was the hands they were born with. The Sage had several 30cm-long acupuncture needles float into the air and stab into her thoroughly destroyed arm from every direction. With quiet pricking sounds, her slender arm and the icefish-like fingers regained their shape like a deflated balloon being filled with air. Yes. Her all-encompassing knowledge of Magic included Recovery Magic. However, Recovery Magic built up a resistance or immunity. So the more it was used, the less it would heal. It could not be used continuously to maintain a stalemate. That was part of the reason Sutriona had judged she would lose at this rate. Now, then. The Fairy Queen made that casual statement at just about the same time the beautiful Sage and violent elder clashed head on. Palm-sized Meridiana spoke up in a worried voice. P-please wait! Surely you arent going to join that battle! They keep causing all these incredible explosions. Dont be dumb. That isnt the only enemy. With the flower-decorated black ribbon dress covering her undeveloped body, Sutriona sounded annoyed and gestured with her chin toward the other red-dyed Iberian Orcs. The Iberian Orc community is built around their boss. Theyre holding back now for the strongest elder, but that wont last long. I think humans refer to it as Thanatos in their psychology. They will begin to scatter and there will be no stopping it. Someone has to hold them in place before that happens. This did not sound humanly possible, but Sutriona was not human. She brushed her long silver hair off her shoulder and deep red butterfly wings spread from her exposed white back. Honestly, I never thought I would be in a fight I didnt know I could win. I must thank you, you poor, brave barbarians. I havent felt my blood pumping like this in a long while. Not even Sutriona could fundamentally solve this problem. If she could, she would have done so without relying on the humans. She could only buy time. The one stroke of luck was that every single enemy was a Red Iberian Orc. If they found even a single weakness, it would apply to all of them. The battle hinged on whether the Break News would be worn down and killed first or if the humans could use their cleverness to find that vulnerability first. It was a poor bet, but that was what made it so much fun. The Fairy Queen wondered why this did not feel as ugly as when she clashed with Elkiad in the Underworld battle. Perhaps it was because the Iberian Orcs extreme strength kept them from hiding the core of their beings, which was very unlike those humans who specialized in trickery. Her small feet lightly kicked off of the 1000m dragons back. Immediately the Thousand Dragons agonized scream reverberated out. With an explosive roar, the black scales were pushed into her body and the Fairy Queen transformed into flowing red and black lines that charged toward the center of the orcs. As soon as she landed, a dome-shaped explosion knocked over all the forests trees around her. The Iberian Orcs thick hands grabbed the branch-covered trees from the air and surrounded Sutriona who cracked her neck and gestured them toward her with a bewitching pointer finger. Come! Bring it on!! I wont be broken so easily. You want to satisfy your primitive desire to fight, dont you!? Well, Ill take on every last one of you!! Awawa, awawawawa. Meridiana was left behind, but since she was watching from above, she saw who else was approaching. Cmon now. If youre trying to buy time, why wouldnt you rely on someone reusable? Hmph. Skull Wave arrived with a veritable ocean of white bones and Ileana arrived as the strongest plant. Alice flew over while watching that. Ah, its you!! Life is finite, so stay back if you do not want to lose yours, little lady. That was all. Those monsters could act as a group despite being individuals and they rushed at the Red Iberian Orcs as an army. And unlike Sutriona, they were never even thinking about fighting on an even level with their opponent. They worked to stop the Reds using their ability to create more of themselves no matter how many were destroyed. Hmph! Hey, skeleton, my harvest requires nutrients in the soil. If you dont want the entire island to dry up, throw me some bones. I can enrich the soil with them, so I can grow more of myself!! You sure take a lot of upkeep. I am the greatest Mandragora. Even when I am defeated, my splattered bodily fluids act as numbing and sleeping agents, so I can slow down the Reds in a number of ways. My deaths matter. So the true cannon fodder should happily hand over those nutrients!! If you werent so good looking, Id punch you for saying that. But youre pretty hot, so Ill do it!! But only cause youre hot! Heh heh heh. A hot womans bodily fluids!! ...Umm, were not talking about the gross stuff in your guts, are we? Then a white light began to flash irregularly from the black dragons back. Summon Hunter Gruagach sounded flustered. Eh? Wait. What is it, Tselika? ...You want me to punch him? Hyah! I thought we agreed you wouldnt hijack my body! We have a contract, so please do what I- kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Wait, my wifes right over there!? Tell me these things sooner!!!!! A pure white beam of light raced out and Skull Wave just barely dodged out of the way before it pierced the Sages Stone contained in his cowboy hat. Then the all-piercing Demon Lord arrow made its appearance on the battle line. Grind, grind. Grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind. You can talk, cant you!? My Demon Lord wife can use actual words to communicate, cant she!? C-crap, why couldnt she be the type to forgive me cause Im useful!? It seemed no such convenient creature was to be found in that world either. The white arrows seemed to be primarily targeting something other than the Iberian Orcs, but it still introduced an unpredictable factor to the battle line. A stray shot was still a threat. The Reds were thrown off balance, so Sutriona rushed them barehanded once more. With the Iberian Orcs strength, even a blunt weapon could easily knock a rifle bullet from the air, so their trees should have been enough to knock back the Fairy Queen who was made of flesh, blood, and bone. However. Did you forget? A sticky sound rang out. A nearly-4m body made a horizontal swing of his branch-covered tree, but he did not feel it hit. It did not contact soft flesh or even the black ribbon dress woven from Ground Spider silk. A tree is still a living thing. Thus, my toxins affect it. The tree had rotted from the roots and slipped away. The unscathed Fairy Queen produced a sinister glow from the red butterfly wings on her back, pressed her forehead to the giant pig forehead, and smiled fiercely. And, Red!! I dont know whats made you Iberian Orcs lose your minds, but my wings will affect you as well. Lets see which has the stronger control of your body: that Redness or my wings!!!!! Meanwhile, the Sages red and silver hair and white miniskirt fluttered around her while she fought the violent elder with her patchwork rapier. She also looked over at the Break News attacks. They had known from the beginning that there was no defeating the Red Iberian Orcs even if all the inn towns Level Cappers worked together. The Sage was the strongest of them all. Even if she did have use of every form of Magic, a human like her could not defeat an Iberian Orc. Thus, the key to this may have been those who did not fall into the category of human. The Sage faced the elder and thought. (So thats an option too. But that method is like relieving the pain of a poison by overwriting it with a different poison. It in no way guarantees their health. ...I need to give that little brat a spanking later on for using such an unsafe method.) Bshhh, bshhhh!!!!! The elders breathing almost sounded like a steam engine as he grabbed a large boulder in one hand and approached. That alone had passed a lethal barrier. Humans and Iberian Orcs inhaled a different amount of oxygen when they breathed. So if trapped in a rush of anaerobic exercise, the slender Sage would hit her limit first. This was an anatomic issue, so no amount of hard work could overcome it. Steam Bur- Snow Javel- Water Cutt- Wave Resista- Frozen Ballist- Adhesive Boomera- Heat Fo- Squall Bulle- Curling Contain- Poison Dropper! An intermittent rush of Magic was released from the Sages patchwork rapier like a shotgun blast. Hundreds of Water attacks were scattered around, but the elder was not even scratched. He did it easily. His giant dark-red body jumped side to side to accurately dodge them while he approached with boulder in hand. Seeing that, the Sage took a single step backwards. A small sphere wobbled on top of the elders raised boulder. Water Mine. The baseball-sized mass of clear water did not tear through the air at several times the speed of sound, nor was it several times more solid than steel. Instead, it could roll along the ground on its own to hide behind cover and in blind spots. Once direct firepower had pinned the enemy behind a thick wall, that deadly scorpion could sneak up to the enemy as they breathed a sigh of relief and finish them off. It was not as flashy or obvious as her many other attacks, but this partner had definitely supported the Sages successes in battle. She knew better than anyone what the elder would do. That naturally included his tactics. If she knew he would grab the objects around him to procure weapons, she could place bombs on them. An explosive boom rang out. But it was not the sound of the Sages ultra-high-pressure water mine detonating. (It was a dud?) The elder had swung down the boulder and crushed the bomb between it and the ground. Stepping on a mine would trigger an explosion, but not if the fuse was destroyed before it detonated. His correct response was far too violent and unexpected. Having failed to slow him down, the Sages defensive line was breached. The elder moved straight toward her after raising the boulder in his right hand once more. Patchwork rapier and car-sized boulder intersected. The roar of shattering stone burst out, but the elder still opened both hands and grabbed at her. The wind pressure of clenching his fist had been enough to crush the Sages arm, so a direct hit from it would crush a tanks composite armor like pudding. There was only one choice. Water exploded at the Sages feet. This was the same as the earlier mine, but she had never been targeting the elder with this one. She had set this one up to catch her in the blast. Struck by the massive wall of water released from the mass of ultra-compressed water, she was launched backwards. She managed to stop moving by slamming back-first into a far distant tree trunk. There was a roar of raging flames. The concept was identical to a diesel engine. The elders hand wandered through the spot the Sage had just vacated. He had only clenched his fist in the air, but the pressure was so powerful it produced great heat which ignited within his hand. I see... The soaking wet Sage lightly spun her patchwork rapier around. These are no more than human techniques. They seem convenient enough, but they are no more than a lid keeping our heads down. They can take us a certain distance, but they will not allow us to pass a certain point. And their convenience prevents us from letting them go. So there is no escape. She brushed her wet hair back with one hand and breathed a light sigh. A moment later, she did what should have been impossible for a human from Earth. She threw it away. She easily cast aside the Shining Weapon that controlled all of her Magic. Not even the Sage could use Magic without her witchs wand. In the harsh environment of this alternate world, the options were limited for a naked ape who had lost her fangs, claws, and fur. The Sage had nothing now. No powerful projectiles, no Elemental Resistance to negate individual attacks, and no healing to make up for mistakes. Nevertheless, she did not even glance over at it. Showing no concern for the patchwork rapier she had thrown aside, the Sage with soaked red armor and white miniskirt spread her arms in long-awaited freedom and laughed fearlessly. ...I understood the logic, but it took me so long to actually do it. Thats right. We already knew humans did not stand a chance. So stubbornly clinging to that thing would accomplish nothing. ... So this must be resolved by something outside of humanity. Im glad, elder. The Iberian Orc martial arts you left with me have become my final hope. An explosive boom rang out. As the elder charged straight at her, the Sage flipped to the side to dodge the dark red hand that whipped up the wind. This was more than just a palm strike. He broke the tree trunk that had been supporting her, grabbed it, rotated his entire body like a whirlwind, and made his next attack. Given the reach of an Iberian Orcs long arms, she should have been killed instantly. But she ducked below the horizontally-swung branch-covered tree trunk, did not stop there, and struck the elders weapon with her gauntleted fist in something like an uppercut. It was like striking the side of a sword. The result was the weapons destruction. Once the tree had broken in two, the Sage grabbed one half. She and the elder now swung around identical weapons. No, it went beyond that. The elder kicked the small splinters floating in the air, the Sages fanned-out hair bewildered the eyes of all who saw it, and the misaimed splinters shot right past her face to tear into the surrounding ground like an artillery hit. It was like a lightning strike. The sound of the flying splinters arrived only after the great explosion. Boo Boos Shining Weapon was abnormal. Iberian Orcs generally did not use a specific weapon because of the immense powers colliding in their battles. Not even a legendary sword or holy spear would survive to the end. So they used tree trunks, boulders, the bones of giant beasts, and rusted hunks of metal. They would grab all of the objects composing the scenery, lift them up, and transform them into a partner. It would be broken, crushed, and shattered, but they would even use the shards and fragments. The Sage and elder destroyed everything within arms reach while they repeatedly clashed like two tornados tearing each other apart. The battlefield was ruled by overwhelming speed and weight. Just as water and air would become weapons when compressed to the limit, anything would become a threat in their hands. For them, the entire world was their weapon. If anyone else carelessly attempted to intervene, those murderous hands would grab them and swing them around. It was a gathering of such primitive violence, but it was also like an elegant dance between a lady and a gentleman who were perfectly in step. In fact, that was probably exactly how the Sage saw it. No matter what form it took, she had hoped for a meeting like this. She had chosen to kill the Red-afflicted Iberian Orcs like they asked, she had recruited the former soldiers of Elkiad as the necessary fighting force, and she had loathed the ugliness of those humans who agreed so readily. Once it was all over and she stood alone in that bloody hell, her thoughts had turned to the absurd dream of perfectly resurrecting the very people she had killed. That dream had come true. She was able to meet them again. Even if that was an absolute mistake, she had even made use of the Underworld and she herself had brought back their lives. Of course that would inspire an emotional response. They were at close range. On that extreme battlefield, time seemed to have stopped and the air itself seemed to have thickened like molasses. The Sages slender fingers grabbed the several splinters that seemed stopped in midair and the elder swung his foot back like a soccer player about to make a shot. Splinters were thrown and dirt was knocked into the air. The sharp points and solid stones collided and crushed each other like clay. The apparent flow of time returned to normal and reality caught up with them. Deafening destructive noise continued on and on and the Sage definitely smiled while some of her hair was caught between her alluring lips. Each attack was like an impossible divine act, as if they were firing shotguns at each other from less than a meter apart and successfully shooting down every last piece of shot the other fired. If just one of them made it through, her beautiful face would be smashed to pieces or her slender torso would be torn apart, but it was not fear that permeated her mature body. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. The elation of an extreme battle reminded her of her sparring matches with the elder in that once simple village. Those were the most important days of her life because they had set her straight after she had walked down such a twisted path. Hee hee. There was no way the color of those memories would dull. Their brightness would never fade. Ah ha. Ha ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! The joy of those many days further increased her accuracy. Her adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins had all reached the danger zone. Would her brain cells burn out or not? She approached her enemy to the limit, experienced the same proximity to the precipice of death as in a game of chicken, and set foot in the world of the Iberian Orcs despite being human. She swung vines like whips, flicked seeds from her fingertips like bullets, and thrust out tree roots like spears. Her attachment was on the same level as a bawling lost child who had finally found her mother in the crowd. She had spent so long dealing with the silly interests of the humans on Earth and their various technological barriers. Given the life she had lived, her reaction may not have been entirely wrong. Then the Sage noticed something about this formidable foe so close by. She saw tears spilling from the Iberian Orc elders eyes. He had tensed all the muscles of his body, clenched his teeth, and desperately attempted to suppress this rampage. The Red Iberian Orcs would destroy everything. Both here in Grounds Nir and on Earth, they would devour everything within arms reach, take in the strong points of every species, and continue their optimizing evolution. If they were released from here, no one could stop them. That result would be unavoidable. But that was an issue of function. What did they want in their hearts? Did they want to consume others, force themselves onto others, ascend to the throne of the strongest, uproot everything as far as the eye could see, and create a barren land? If they had attacked as a group, they could have conquered all other life on that small island that could be walked around in three days, but they had remained in their village to hide from others. After going to such lengths to avoid conflict, would the Iberian Orcs really seek the flimsy title of strongest? Would they really push others out of the way, ignore their feelings, and choose the path of personal happiness? They had resisted. They had endured. The Sage stood at the peak of humanity. She had mastered all forms of Magic and Iberian Orc martial arts. The elder who led the Iberian Orcs was on the verge of truly losing his life to her, yet he still slammed on the brakes as best he could. He suppressed himself yet still surpassed her. The light of reason twinkled in the eyes on that face of dark red madness. Kill me, those eyes begged his old friend. This was not just a dream. It was directed at the one and only lifeform that had actually achieved that in the past. However... Because of that... Im so happy, elder... There was an impassable wall there. There had never been any hope of defeating a Red with human Magic. As for Iberian Orc martial arts, she had never once actually defeated the elder in their sparring. That was why a cheap trick had been necessary in the past. Without help from unscrupulous people like Elkiad and without the support of those idiots who had mistaken the unique ugliness of humanity for proof of their superiority as lifeforms, the Iberian Orcs desperate plea could never have been answered. Now that she was in a direct clash, the Sage had no hope of winning. But she did not care. With a fierce smile of anger, that beautiful woman gave a roar. So happy that you, the elder, are showing this weakness to me. So happy that you would rely on a human like me. But I wont let it happen. Not again. Never again. I will never go through that regret again! I will not let go of your hand here. This might end if I killed you like you want, but it would leave me as an empty shell in a gray world. What could I live for then!!!??? A loud rumbling exploded out. What would happen if she continued this unwinnable battle? The Sages beautiful body was sent flying in a tailspin. She knocked over several thick trees, rolled along the ground, and finally came to a stop. No one was at fault. The Red-afflicted Iberian Orc elder had relaxed his tension just slightly. That was enough for it to cross a line. His arm muscles swelled out explosively and an extra few percentage points was added on top of his original destructive power. That was all that happened, but the result was devastating. The Sage stood at the peak of Earths humankind and she had mastered Iberian Orc martial arts, but she had just been defeated. Even if she crawled through the mud in search of her patchwork rapier, the difference in strength had already been proven. The elders powerful arms would knock down all that stood in his way. The Break News were suppressing the spread of the Reds, but that was not a fundamental solution. Nor had they come up with one. They had hoped the Sage would find the answer while they bought time, so her defeat weighed heavily on them. A tremor ran through the ground. A large step was taken toward the beautiful woman who could not even get up properly. The Iberian Orc elders breaths sounded like steam and his dark red muscles shook as he walked toward her. He broke off a tree at the base of the trunk and grabbed it as a weapon that would send its leaves flying from the shockwave alone and was much harder to dodge than a normal sword or spear due to the jagged branches extending from it. The occasional flashes of reason in his eyes contained a hint of disappointment. If this was the best the Sage could do, then on one could stop him. The elders sorrow was palpable. He had been so very kind, so the mere thought of the gluttony and barbarism he was about to begin may have left him feeling faint. The Sage could not get up and her legs were trembling at the base, but she smiled thinly. She tasted blood on her trembling lips, but she still spoke gently to him. To her friend. To her savior. Hey, elder... ... I dont mean to brag, but Im not stupid. Well, I might not be as smart as you Iberian Orcs and your supercomputer-level brains. Still, I knew this would happen from the beginning. I knew I could never win whether I used human Magic or Iberian Orc martial arts. That is the limit of humanity. Just as we cant outswim a fish or outfly a bird, we cant overcome the limits of our species in the field of destruction. Would he crush her head and devour her guts, or would he crush her limbs and force himself onto her? No. Or would the elder resist the Redness as best he could by giving his friend a painless death? So I had placed my hopes elsewhere from the beginning. She did not care. The Sage had known she would lose all along. Nevertheless, she had gone out of her way to challenge him. Why? Because how she lost was an important point. Someone as smart as her would of course have considered this. I of course havent placed them with another human. Nor with the Break News crawling along the ground. Now, a question for you, elder. What is the one thing that can defeat an Iberian Orc? You must know the answer. You once left the answer with me, elder. On that day long ago, you asked me to allow the one unaffected child to escape the village. You said he contained a hope of saving the world from its crisis! A sharp scraping sound followed. It was a disconcerting reverberation, like a sniper rifle bullet knocking leaves from the branches. It was not because I conceitedly thought I could win that I shifted to Iberian Orc martial arts. Nor did I need a miraculous recovery. It was all to provide an opportunity to learn. Elder, your minds rival supercomputers. Since he was so young at the time, he may not have learned the proper Iberian Orc martial art techniques. But by showing him a combat-level sparring session, Ive given him a chance. Humans might be too ignorant and slow-minded to pull it off, but another Iberian Orc should soak it up like the desert sand soaks up water!! Was it the elders mind or the Red instincts that chose to dodge? Whatever the case, that giant dark red body jumped straight back as if repelled. And then it happened. Pebbles rained down between the Sage and the elder. Height could be used as a weapon. Each of the rocks was too small to consider a threat, but after falling from the distant heavens, they rivaled bullets. And what would happen if they were released as a dense downpour? For the person who threw them, it would have been as casual as tossing fish food in the pond, but it could not have been a bigger deal for those they rained down on. And as a more fundamental question, who was high enough in the sky to make use of that overwhelming terrain advantage? Come, Boo Boo!! All I could do was kill my saviors through deception, so I have no business taking the lead role. You are best suited as the elder and the others last hope!! It happened suddenly. After just barely escaping to safety, the elder turned his gaze up toward the blue sky. Immediately afterwards, a powerful wind whipped up. Something was sliding along the ground with fierce speed. While the elders attention was directed elsewhere, a gray giant holding a Shining Weapon resembling a log or steel beam rushed right toward him. More than one person had taken the journey up to heaven. Having one person close in on the surface while another provided a diversion from the heavens had been an option. He arrived from a complete blind spot. But the elder did not rely on his sense of sight. Just as his giant nose twitched slightly, his right arm swung out with the thick tree in its grasp, like he was a fully-automated interception weapon. The branch-covered tree and Shining Weapon clashed. But then the Sages eyes widened. The gray form had not swung his weapon with all his might. He had intentionally caught the elders attack before twisting his wrist to rotate the Shining Weapon halfway around. As a result, he negated the force of the impact as if allowing it to slip away and the tree remained in place without shattering. The elder had intended to shatter his weapon and use the splinters for his next attack, so allowing his weapon to survive actually threw him off his tempo. Destruction was not the only way to close in on him. And as if to fill the blank that left, the gray giant rotated like a whirlwind and his crude Shining Weapon truly did give a roar this time. He targeted the Red-afflicted elders face. The elder did not have time to raise the branch-covered tree to guard. Instead, he swung his own face toward the approaching blunt weapon and caught his opponents weapon on the giant tusks that could be seen as the symbol of an Iberian Orc. The sound was deafening. Gray and crimson. Both Iberian Orcs were pushed back by the shock, so they both chose to fall back. A slight gap opened between them. They looked equally matched, but they were not. The one working to suppress a shaking that refused to go away was the Red-afflicted elder. He had resorted to desperate measures. The head was the common weak point of all life, so he had caught his opponents attack on his tusks to avoid a clean hit there, but that had been an irregular move for him. The gray figure slowly breathed in a large quantity of oxygen. Squeal... It was Boo Boo. He shifted his Shining Weapon back and forth between hands. After learning Iberian Orc techniques from both the elder and the Sage, he had taken an action even those experts had failed to predict. Mastering the Magic developed by humans was not enough to defeat the Reds. And a human could not hope to match the Reds when mimicking the Iberian Orc martial arts. So the Sage had concluded an Iberian Orc could only be defeated by another Iberian Orc. And thus the best option was to sacrifice her own life in order to increase the strength of Boo Boo, the only Iberian Orc who still had his senses. His self-taught skills had lifted him high enough to be known as the Dragon Eater, but she had lifted him to an even higher stage. Good morning, elder. Did you sleep well? ... If youre still sleepy, Ill just have to slap you in the face to wake you up. Boo, and I dont need to hold back against another Iberian Orc. Ill show you just how much Ive grown!! Part 2 Finally. Finally, Boo Boo directly faced the strongest Iberian Orc. He had once been no more than a powerless prey, he had been spared without even knowing the village was being destroyed, and he had been at the very bottom of the food chain. But with only one promise in his heart, that gray figure had grown to the point that he could beat down a 1000m dragon. The desire to live. The desire to survive. Even if you knew it was too late. The elder and the others had been driven mad by the Hero and that desire within him. Looking up, the sky still looked blue, but now it was the true blue sky with nothing in between. Nothing remained to mess with the elder and the others. They had once been a small child and an elder. They raised their weapons and softly touched them to their right tusk. That was the old sign of a duel. Bmooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Pshhhhhkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! No human could imitate their roars. From that alone, the Sage may have realized they had stepped up to a higher stage. The elder had removed the bonds of his own suppression and raised the level of combat to an area no one else could hope to reach. He may have gotten careless. Or he may have trusted his opponent. ...He knew another Iberian Orc would not be destroyed by something like this. He did not need to hold back. With each breath, they brought in an unthinkable amount of oxygen, but instead of hyperventilating, that oversupply was entirely converted into kinetic energy. A clash between two monsters like that was beginning. Even with the support of Magic, human senses could not keep up with their movements. Two or three afterimages were burned into the watchers retinas and the rest was erased by the veil of real and false images. Eek!! While explosive sounds continued at an irregular pace, White Witch Filinion tearfully crouched down and covered her head because of the sharp splinters and rock shards that flew her way with the force of a shotgun blast each time those two collided. A single graze could tear out a large chunk of her flesh and it went without saying what a direct hit to her face or torso would do. There was no safe zone anymore. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice drew her Shining Weapon rapier and sent out some fire while Fighter Priest Armelina remade her metal staff into a small boat and used it as a shield. So weve arrived. How are Sibyl and Marinka doing!? Wait, Beatrice. Are you sure we fixed this? I thought we only had to wait until they stopped now that we destroyed the Heros artificial atmospheric barrier!! Nothing had happened inside the Iberian Orcs bodies. It was like the moons gravitational pull driving people mad. It had all been caused by the artificial atmospheric barrier the Hero had created to forcibly alter the environment, but Beatrices Magic had destroyed that. The blue sky they could see from here would become a starry sky if they were as high in the sky as the sun. Nothing was altering the heavens and the surface any longer. They just had to endure. Do that and it would all be over. ...However, this space was small enough to walk the perimeter in three days and they were up against the Red Iberian Orcs who had become incarnations of destruction. The threat was far greater than spending a night in an abandoned school or campground with a serial killer wandering around. If any normal human tried to play the tank role, they would be plowed through in an instant. Squeal. Shwiiiii.... Just looking at their physical strength, the elder was stronger. His already fully-grown body had had its limits removed by the Redness, so that was only natural. But Boo Boo had a Shining Weapon. It resembled a log or steel beam and it was sturdy enough to remain intact even when wielded by the great strength of an Iberian Orc. For each attack, the elder had to procure a new weapon C be it a tree trunk, a boulder, the bones of a giant beast, or a rusted hunk of metal C which gave Boo Boo a slight but definite advantage. This was not an opportunity he had obtained on his own. Long, long ago, the Sage had left young Boo Boo with that weapon after destroying his village. And even though it had been too large for him, he had never let it go. I will not lose. The gray approached the disturbingly pulsating red. He approached and raised his Shining Weapon. This Shining Weapon has protected Beatrices life. I couldnt have done it on my own, so I had help from your souls sealed in here. You saved Beatrice and I will never forget you. So I will never give up on you. I will win and save you!! The elder jumped backwards. But that was not enough to escape Boo Boo. He moved further forward to close the distance between them and gathered strength in his muscles to make a strike when he landed. Then something strange happened. The airborne elder came to a stop. He was caught in midair. No, he kicked off the air. Instead of landing on the ground, he changed directions partway through and made a flying kick from directly overhead. !? On the Earth where humans lived, there had long been stories of experts who could run on water. It was a ridiculous but never-forgotten rumor that they could use the water resistance to move their left leg forward before their right leg sank. But the Iberian Orc elder went beyond that. Water and air could be explained using the same fluid dynamics. And since friction and pressure existed, air had resistance as well. ...So the rest was a matter of scale. Even if human leg strength was not enough, Iberian Orc leg strength was on another level altogether. As long as it was based on a proper theory, their extraordinary bodies could take that theoretical concept and produce a real phenomenon. It was a meteoric attack. The flying kick had the red-dyed elders full weight behind it. To reiterate, Iberian Orcs trusted their own arms and legs more than a disposable weapon. Boo Boo raised his Shining Weapon overhead, but the elders massive leg attacked from above that. The meteor was falling. Boo Boos own Shining Weapon smashed down onto his head and the extreme force of the attack sent his giant form flying backwards. If he had crashed into a normal human, they might have ended up in the hospital, but Beatrice was one of the Level Cappers. She reinforced her slender body with Magic so she could stop and support Boo Boos rolling body. For an Iberian Orc, combat was like swimming through viscous air. Humans were trapped by the swift concepts of running and leaping, so they could not keep up on a fundamental level. Fairy Queen Sutriona had been fighting elsewhere, but she fluttered down nearby. The Break News had been buying time on the land, so they had placed their hopes in either the Sage who had mastered Magic or Beatrice who had gone to collect the three treasures. Since the Sage had been defeated and Boo Boo was already being overpowered by the elder, she may have been worried. Hey, since youre back from heaven, did you find something? The fundamental problem has been solved, but this runaway train isnt going to stop right away. After saying that, Beatrice realized a Grounds Nir resident would not know what a train was. The palm-sized Fairies had built a roller coaster for Boo Boo Land, so they did have the technology to lay out rails, but that was irrelevant here. And we arent just being overpowered. Thanks for all your hard work. Now we can suppress the Reds. ? Sutriona gave a confused frown and Beatrice continued. She used her Magic-controlling Shining Weapon rapier to point in the general direction of the distant Red Iberian Orcs and a baseball-sized fireball flashed at the pointless tip. Sibyl! Marinka!! Were in position!! Use my targeting support to begin immediately!! Something other than the sun flashed in the sky. And the result was immediate. Part 3 A beam of light combining blue, sapphire, and azure dropped straight down from heaven. Part 4 The stars decorated the great, great heights of the heavens. On the reverse side of the extinguished sun, Royal Elf Sibyl and Archangel Marinka focused their minds. The key was the hidden treasures protected by the three royal families. The circlet with the three blue jewels attached could see across the entire world. The basic principle was the same as a particle accelerator or an electron microscope. The Elements of fire, water, wind, and earth were focused and emitted to reveal the details of invisibly small sample materials. Now. What if that could be used for more than revealing the structures of objects? What if a massive quantity of an Element could be focused on a single point and released all at once for destructive purposes? It would produce an effect similar to a charged particle cannon that sent protons and electrons around circular rails large enough to surround the entire island of Grounds Nir, accelerated them to more than 90% the speed of light, guided them out the exit, and fired them into the outside world. At the center of the partially-collapsed cathedral, the small brown girl whispered with the slender white angels arms still in her back. ...The power is this great even without Elder Mermaid Vivian. Sibyl continued. That would be why it had to be split into three and guarded by the rulers of land, sea, and sky. But if we could use it in its proper way as well... The completed circlet allowed one to see everything, so it would be easy to accurately target any life in that world. All they needed was for Beatrice to produce a flame with her Magic-controlling Shining Weapon and flash it as an obvious sign. Then they could use that signal to carry out a surefire bombing. Sibyl. I have confirmed the bombing signal. Understood, Marinka. Then lets end this. This one time only, we dont need to hesitate. We are rulers! We must use our positions at the top to eliminate all chaos from this world!! Part 5 It was like an apocalyptic sword. While giving instructions from the surface, Beatrice viewed it like drawing a line between two points. She launched small fireballs from her rapier and embedded them in the ground at the destination points. She sent one to a certain location and another to a different, more distant location. Immediately, a blue light bright enough to blot out the sun fell from the sky. The width alone was more than twice that of Boo Boos brick house. The dreadful beam shot accurately down toward the fireball Beatrice used and then slid more than 100 meters to the other fireball. Everything in between was destroyed and a giant claw mark was left in the ground. It may have been similar to pressure. The rampaging Red Iberian Orcs immediately split to either side to avoid it and a few that did not escape in time were crushed down with the torn-up ground. They were knocked out in no time. It was incredibly powerful, but that was why no errors were acceptable. That destructive power could even decapitate the Thousand Dragon if she was caught by it. Margin of error: +2. The red-armored Holy Swordswoman gathered information on her rectangular frame and red lines and gave instructions like she was playing tsumeshogi. For the second and third shot, correct for the margin of error between the theoretical value and the actual coordinate and split the army in two once the Reds have been driven away. Sacrifice the fourth shot to begin guiding them and use the fifth through seventh shots to defeat their main force. Fire. Several more thick lines were drawn and the Reds were overwhelmed while the disconcerting sound of the air frying surrounded them. White Witch Filinion held a flustered hand to her mouth as she watched. Awawa... She was not afraid of the enemy. She was afraid of going too far. This was the same confusion as World War One. Th-this is crazy. The power inflation is out of control. Im pretty sure were throwing open tons of doors that should really stay closed! ...I wont say the technology itself is wrong, but I wonder if this is how the Wright Brothers and Einstein felt. Police Officer Armelina did not look exactly overjoyed either. Meanwhile, Beatrice was skewered by countless gazes full of enough hostility to solidify the air. The Iberian Orcs were not stupid. They must have observed the situation and located the core of the problem. And since they could not immediately destroy the threat floating in the heavens, they would first crush Beatrice who was giving instructions from the surface. And this naturally included the elder who led them. Test. Change the expected target to the elder and prepare for shots 9 and 10. Fire. She placed a fireball between herself and the Iberian Orc elder and a giant blade of blue light crushed and sliced into the ground. Then it slid. The incredibly powerful bombing tore through the ground and a second shot was fired after a short time delay. But the elder kicked off the air to jump around with lightning speed, just barely dodging the intersecting blades of the three royal families. Who was more frightening here: the elder who could dodge the surefire attack that had taken out the rest of the Reds in a single sweeping motion, or the Holy Swordswoman who could do all this while calling it a test? Beatrice spoke to her partner while they stood back to back, protecting each other. ...I knew it wouldnt be, but I guess it wont be that easy, Boo Boo. Squeal. Hell probably be focused on me. Can you take care of the elder? You need to ask? I can handle it all. She slowly calmed her breathing. And she answered him without turning around. You show them youre no longer that small Boo Boo who couldnt do anything. Show them you can protect the people you care for!! The situation began moving once more. The sound of someone kicking off the ground burst out. Beatrices fireball instructions were the same as a flare gun: they relied on direct line of sight. To direct an accurate bombing from an advantageous position, she had to move there on her own two feet. Needless to say, Boo Boo had to do the same. He moved toward the elder who was charging toward Beatrice. The elder could kick directly off of the air, so no matter how long his steps grew, he could find footing even in the middle of a leap. He could skip worrying about a landing point because he could accelerate and change direction at any time. He could attack in any direction, including overhead, and he could fight in midair, so his freedom of movement was on another level entirely. And differences in mobility led to differences in attack options. His giant dark red hands no longer grabbed trees or boulders. He was unarmed. But that was the true fighting style of an Iberian Orc. Their incredible strength could tear off a bank vaults door or a tanks composite armor like they were made of pudding or yogurt. Simply opening and closing their hands was the ultimate attack. The Redness inside the elder was further stimulated and more of his bonds were removed. Was his rampage fueled by his fear of the three royal treasures or his desire to fight the grown Iberian Orc before his eyes? !! !? Boo Boo slammed his log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon toward the dark red arm, but the elder placed his other hand on the side of that weapon. Her grabbed the Shining Weapon between his two hands and twisted it to pull it right out of Boo Boos grasp. The elder twirled around to accelerate the horizontally-swinging blunt weapon like the hammer throw or a roundhouse kick. Boo Boo grabbed it back and the two of them fought back and forth over the same Shining Weapon. Another blue beam of light fell from heaven. With an explosive blast, the brilliant destructive light swept through the Reds and the elder grabbed the Shining Weapon once more. They poured all their might into their hands for a test of strength while they glared at each other at extreme close range. What? Is that all your Red rampage can do? ... I havent used my full strength yet. Im still not out of breath. Because this isnt my strength alone. Im supported by everyone who got me here. And, elder, that includes you and everyone else who raised me in our village!! A blinding blue light passed close by, but they were too preoccupied to focus on it. So you dont have to carry that burden any longer. Boo Boo did not succumb to the pressure in the elders eyes. In the societies formed by animals like monkeys and lions, opposing the bosss decisions was to challenge them to a duel in order to become the new boss. Win or lose, the original relationship would never return. He knew that, but he still said it. Elder, I will drag you down from your position as the strongest. We will save you, so its time you went down!! Part 6 Boo Boo and Beatrice seemed to have everything under control on their own, but what about Filinion and Armelina? Watch out!! Chief!! The pillars of blue light created by the three royal treasures were cutting across here and there, but Armelinas Shining Weapon could transform into all sorts of blunt weapons. If she chose a metal boat or something else with a large surface area, it functioned as the strongest and sturdiest shield, so she was the one person who could survive being in the path of the blue. If she simply held up the shield, she would be crushed along with it, so she stabbed the bottom into the ground so the great pressure would escape into the ground. The Iberian Orcs were not as stupid as their appearance would suggest, so they would learn a tactic they had already seen. That meant the sturdier(?) types such as Armelina and Sutriona had to hold the Reds in place so they could not dodge the bombing based on Beatrices instructions. Of course, if they attempted a direct contest of strength, they would be smashed to pieces. They could only last a few seconds at the most. What mattered was to Stun them just before the bombing hit. Even with such a large weapon in hand, she could still be killed instantly if she let her guard down. Armelinas shield allowed her to block the blue beam if she could not escape in time, so it was a major point in her favor. Filin-...hey, you useless cow!! Why are you slacking off back there!? Were gathering all the Reds together for the climax here! There is something severely wrong with wanting to put your healer on the front line, you combat-obsessed meathead!! A-and theyre all giving me the most frightening looks. Eek, am I just so attractive that all of the Iberian Orcs have locked onto me!? Youre giving off way too many pheromones, glasses cow. But, Armelina, youre directly contacting them on the front line there, so why arent they giving you any attention? Do they not see muscular Amazon warriors as wom-... Beatrice, have them bomb the cow. What she just described applies to you too. A blue beam swept across the battle line, including where some of their allies were, so Filinion quickly rolled along the ground. Armelina did not particularly want to be popular with berserk Iberian Orcs, but it was the principle of the thing. The glasses girl was so unathletic that she could not roll in a straight line, ended up moving diagonally, and finally returned to her starting point. Are you trying to kill me, you idiot!!!??? Tch. Ah, that tongue click sounded genuine... You cant handle being hit, but youre not bad when it comes to dodging. Plus, youve probably got a few secret potions hidden up your sleeve, so youd recover even if you lost a limb or a head. Dont act like Im the rising star of some niche genre. Have you forgotten how easily I died in the Underworld? I cant recover from those things over and over without Ileana-class ingredients. It was amusing how a plants trembling voice could be heard in the distance. Armelina looked up at the sun overhead as she continued. Hmm, then I guess Ill have to use the cow as bait without a recovery option. Why!? If you want to lure in giant orcs, use meat on the bone or something. I dont get why you have to have them chase after a witch like me!! Maybe this annoying cow would make good bait if I tied her to the end of a fishing rod. The Fighter Priest could procure a metal ball on a chain, so that was not something Filinion could just laugh off. What are Wildefrau and Huldra doing on top of the Thousand Dragon? Hey, Filinion, if youre idle with nothing to do, then climb up on the dragons back and heal her wounds. Thatll give us a greater fighting force. Bringing back a Break News should make a lot of difference, and it will also free up everyone busy treating her. Eh? I finally get my idol debut? Wh-what do I even say? Sorry I cant suppress all the charm radiating from me at all times, you losers. Armelina knocked down the useless piece of shit, wrapped her in a chain, and threw her onto the dragons back with something like the hammer throw. Assuming her lumps of fat had not been turned to cream by the centrifugal force, she would find something to do over there. Just then, a new form raised their head over where the cow offering had been made. With the White Witch healer tossed over, the others must have been freed up just like Armelina had predicted. This persons long chestnut hair was spread wide behind her and her undeveloped maidens body was tightly contained in a leather bondage suit that included scorpion imagery. I, Summon Hunter Gruagach, have a proposal for the threat before my eyes. Iberian Orcs, if you desire a reason for your meaningless and chaotic violence, then reveal your true name and accept my contract. You have guts dressing like that in front of a police officer!! Is it entrance exams? Or your love life? I dont know what kind of stress youre feeling, but do you want me to take you into protective custody on some really silly charges, you prestigious JK exhibitionist!!!??? Your justice obsession can wait!! Now, pure white Demon Lord Tselika, provide your Charm to my body and words. In this place, there shall be no difference between yes and no and I shall receive unconditional agreement to all requests!! Gruagach made her proclamation while blushing and fidgeting her body (like it was too much for her to handle) and she caught one of the Reds. The nearly-4m giant floated up in defiance of gravity, twisted his body, and was taken inside an arrow. It did not matter that he was afflicted by the Redness. With the Summon Hunter and Tselikas powers, any Nonhuman could be forcibly tied to a contract and have their power controlled. They had not done this before because the contract required confirmation from the Nonhumans mind. Waking up the dormant Iberian Orcs would have been suicide, but now that they were already awake, there was no need to hold back. The Charm power borrowed from Tselika forcibly controlled him, had him nod his head regardless of what his free will said, and stole his power of the strongest. With her body contained in her bondage outfit, Gruagach wielded her bow and several magic circles hovered in front of her right eye. And she spoke the same word that Beatrice had when commanding that largescale weapon. Fire. A dark red beam of light stabbed into the center of the identically-colored Reds. It was their speed and weight that rose to the surface. Perhaps because they normally hit things with blunt weapons, the destruction was more of a smashing than a piercing. Hit by an invisible shockwave and pressed into the ground as if by a suspended ceiling, several of the Reds sank down to the ground. I, Summon Hunter Gruagach, have a proposal for the threat before my eyes. Iberian Orcs, if you desire a reason for your meaningless and chaotic violence, then reveal your true name and accept my contract. Her words continued as the army faltered. She only had to repeat the same text. Now, pure white Demon Lord Tselika, provide your Charm to my body and words. In this place, there shall be no difference between yes and no and I shall receive unconditional agreement to all requests!! First, she would bind a contract with an Iberian Orc and turn them into an arrow to reduce their numbers. Then she would use her newly-acquired arrow against the group for a definite result. It might be a small snowball to begin with, but once it began to roll down the snowy mountain, she was in complete control. Her power could increase endlessly. No one could stop her. Of course, Beatrices bombing instructions continued throughout. Beatrice and Gruagach. Blue and red. The two forms of attack intersected and cut off the Iberian Orcs escape. They were finally able to set up a powerful crossfire. It took courage to charge in there even with a large shield. But as said before, the Iberian Orcs were not stupid. If their powerful bodies could withstand the fierce attack, they would eventually finish learning. They would get used to and find a countermeasure for even this extreme situation. They would read the inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies that were unavoidable with humans in control and they would slip through the gaps to defeat the Holy Swordswoman and Summon Hunter at the center of it all. However. That was only if their supercomputer-level brains could function at full capacity. With a flap of her red butterfly wings, the Fairy Queen laughed fiercely. Hwa ha ha!! Yes, yes. This sense of death constantly clinging to my back wont leave me bored. Feeling this way might be wrong, but this is so much fun, Iberian Orcs. And you too are not content with the boring kind of strongest that fights to prove it cant lose!! A small figure stood in the center of it all. With Beatrices blue bombing, Gruagachs red arrows, and the Red Iberian Orcs dodging and looking for a chance to counterattack, it had all devolved into a chaotic melee, but the Fairy Queen repeatedly moved in small circles as if dancing. All while scattering her toxic blood wings, of course. The Iberian Orcs had powerful digestive systems that could handle rotting meat and muddy water with ease, so they were highly resistant to toxins. Nevertheless, that Sandstorm of Red Madness was definitely jamming their ultra-high-precision thoughts. That affected the Iberian Orcs ability to learn and the bare minimum of safeties that prevented them from destroying themselves with their own powerful muscles. One Red tripped over nothing and another doubled over like he had been hit by a body blow. Sutrionas slender and sensitive childlike arms and legs only deflected and parried the attacking blunt weapons and giant fists. The Reds were damaged by the Reds themselves. Their incredibly powerful muscles raged inside their bodies and applied pressure to their own blood vessels, nerves, and organs. There was no such thing as an easy strongest that had no downsides whatsoever. In fact, polarization was the essence of a strongest. Just like a great sword specialized for strengthening a single attack would overbalance its wielder with its weight, just like feather armor sold for its light weight would be so fragile it broke the second it was hit, and just like the firearms humans had redeveloped in this world would strike the firers shoulder or palm with their recoil. Because each of the Break News specialized in a very narrow field, the Fairy Queen understood perfectly well how twisted the word strongest could be. There were compatibility issues between Break News and there was no single fixed peak. Whether or not the conditions or environment allowed one to take advantage of the flaws and weakness created by that twistedness could greatly influence the overall battle. Anyone who wanted to be the strongest had clearly never been the strongest. Those who had that throne would return to the basics. Combat was more about chance and opportunity than individual skill. And those who had mastered such things understood why they were so frightening. When you get down to it, the most frightening thing is a collection of people with different powers. Im not just being idealistic when I say everyone holding hands and working together is the strongest of the strongest. A mixture of poisons is more frightening than a single poison. When you are attacked from multiple directions at once, you may be able to cover for each others weaknesses. Sutriona flapped her red butterfly wings, put her hands on her hips, and smiled at the center of the most deadly and dangerous region. Reds, individually you might be the fearsome Iberian Orcs, but there is no such diversity in a group of the same species. And dont call this unfair. Bringing together people of different species takes a lot of work. But your cards are limited because you relied on your individual strength and got lazy!! With that shout, the fierce toxin was scattered. And as the confusion caused the Iberian Orcs movements to slow down a bit, Beatrices blue bombing and Gruagachs red arrows mercilessly attacked in a crossfire. Intermingle, Iberian Orcs!! The door has been open from the beginning!! Instead of calling yourselves smelly, ugly, and pathetic as an excuse, put in the effort to make yourselves likeable! Then C and only then!! C will you too become a part of this strongest!!!!!! The elder and the others had seen their village afflicted by the Redness, despaired, and begged the Sage to kill them so they would not trouble anyone. But that had not been the right thing to ask. If many more people had worked together and if they had had the courage to expose their weakness to all those people, the miracle about to occur here and now might have happened much, much sooner. Im scared. It hurts. I want to live. I dont want to die. No matter how foolish, ugly, and stubborn it was, those puny wishes would have drawn in and connected them to a large group. Perhaps no one would have had to die. Perhaps the Sage never would have strayed. Even if this was only a silly hypothetical and even if it would only be criticizing a past that never was, someone had to tell them off. Even if it had happened in the distant past, they could not pretend it had nothing to do with her. The Fairy Queen was not as short-lived as humans. Even with her long life, Sutriona had not known. She had lived on that island which was small enough for the humans to walk around in three days, but she had not known that the Sage and the Iberian Orcs were suffering in secret and had arrived at that foolish conclusion. Sutriona had seen herself as the strongest and lived in blissful ignorance. ...Call it unfair if you like. If she had known, she never would have let it happen. And the Fairy Queen would not be the only one enraged by that thought. They did not simply see themselves as the strongest. True strongests were everywhere on this island. You fools ostracized yourselves without even trying, lost your lives in secret so as not to trouble anyone, and seriously believed that was a virtue, but I was blessed with another chance to reach out and grab your hands!! So I will not back down here. I will grasp your hands. I dont care if it takes resurrection, rebirth, or coming back from the dead. Even if it violates the rules set by the god in heaven, I will show you lonely wannabe strongests what a true strongest looks like!! Part 7 More and more blue and red explosions erupted. But amid it all, Boo Boo and the elder stood on a solemn battlefield. Even if he was afflicted by the Redness, he stood at the top of the Iberian Orc hierarchy. Beatrices bombing, Gruagachs arrows, and Sutrionas butterfly wings may have been effective against the others, but the elder was the lone exception. He was an exceptional individual. The villages destruction was probably carried out as a secret agreement between him and the Sage. Most of the Iberian Orcs suffering from the disease would have had no idea what was happening to them when it happened. But even if they had been told in advance, could any of them have stopped his decision? He was known as the elder because he could make judgments all on his own. If the others had not recognized his overwhelming strength, they would not have called him the elder in the first place. Young Boo Boo had been entirely ignorant on that day. He had been weak and foolish, and that was why he had been spared without being told a thing. The truth had been hidden from him so he would not be bound by guilt and revenge. In this case, not noticing and letting them die were nearly identical. But that had changed. The elder was always running out in the lead, but Boo Boo had caught up and could place his hand on the elders shoulder. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal!!!!!! Bmooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! With explosive breaths, the two of them inhaled as much oxygen as possible and then clashed head on. An unlimited period of anaerobic exercise had begun. Single combat between Iberian Orcs was about more than just the movements of their arms and legs. It was a game of chicken where whoever ran out of oxygen first would stop moving and be exposed to their opponents fierce attacks. As the two giant monsters moved through the thick and sticky air, the air spiraled around, was intensely compressed, and produced the same fiery ignition as a diesel engine. The change was not limited to their hands and feet. Their entire bodies were enveloped in flames, but neither of them had time to grimace in pain. They swam through the unpleasantly viscous air. Boo Boo held a Shining Weapon that resembled a log or steel beam. The elder approached while emptyhanded. This was about more than just taking damage to do even more damage. Slight injuries were of no consequence. In this single combat, everything was determined by their remaining oxygen level. Boo Boo was nearly 4 meters and the elder may have reached 5 meters. That difference in size was directly related to lung size, amount of hemoglobin in the blood, and amount of oxygen taken in with each breath. And because Boo Boo carried a heavy weapon, he would consume oxygen at a greater rate. The elder had the advantage in both intake and consumption. Thus, it did not matter if his flesh was split or his bones smashed. No matter how much he was injured along the way, Boo Boo would be the first to run out of oxygen and stop moving. This was an anatomic issue, so it could not be overcome with psychological effort. Once it was over, the elder only had to make a fierce rush of attacks to finish off his target with even more damage than was done to him. He only had to last until the end. He did not need to take any risks. Victory would be his if he did things like normal, so there was no need to lower his gear to match his opponent and deflect each and every one of his opponents attacks. He seemed to be fighting, but he was actually fleeing. Since he was working toward a meaningless victory at the behest of the Redness, it was unclear if the win would be happy thing for him or not. But. Just then. Boo Boos giant Shining Weapon suddenly flipped around. This worked against its center of gravity and threatened to destroy his shoulder joint. Had the young Iberian Orc tried to rush a major technique before the oxygen level caught up to him? No. The elder recognized this action. It was the technique he and the others had lent Boo Boo just once when he was unable to save Beatrice when she had tried to kill the Elkiad leader out of rage upon learning the truth about the attack on the Iberian Orc village. It was a secret martial arts technique only known by the Iberian Orcs. Instead of his arm strength, he moved the weapon like a wing, adjusted the angle, and used how it swam through the air to twist its trajectory. That allowed him to move it at a sharper angle than his muscles alone would have allowed for. And it has already been stated countless times that the Iberian Orcs were not stupid. If he had used a tactic once, he would have analyzed it and made it his own. This was the same. He had inherited it. At that moment, Boo Boo had reached the same level as the elder, so there was naturally an absolute difference between the one who was pouring every last effort into challenging his opponent and the one who was trying to safely escape from the battle. Boo Boo had said from the beginning that he would never forget them for saving Beatrice. As Boo Boos Shining Weapon flipped around, it ignited the air around it and slid just outside of the elders grasp. Then the giant blunt weapon continued on as if crawling up from the elders wrist to his shoulder. If you are a human born on Earth, you can picture it like taking aim with a handgun. And after following the arm from the wrist to the shoulder, it naturally pointed at the face. This was a repeat of that day. Everything was the same as when the Iberian Orc souls had taught him the secret technique needed to protect the life of someone he cared for. It was like a student sparring with his teacher and showing off the technique he had learned to make sure he was doing it right. In that final moment, the Red-afflicted elder smiled faintly. Was anything more joyous for a teacher than seeing their student surpass them? He smiled and tried to catch Boo Boos attack on the tusks that were like his final defense. There was of course no need to hold back. Those thick tusks broke. Boo Boos blunt weapon sank into the elders face and swiftly knocked him unconscious. Part 8 High in the sky, the false sun island had lost its light. ...Phew. Royal Elf Sibyl sighed and opened her closed eyes while wearing the circlet bearing the blue jewels of the three royal families. Those treasures allowed her to see everything in the world, but it seemed to place a greater burden on her mind than she had expected. Sweat was pouring from her body, but her extremities felt chilled to the core. It felt a lot like when she had gone days without sleep working with the Sage. The improper body temperature control meant her autonomic nerves were malfunctioning. Archangel Marinka, who had been assisting her, called out to her. The small brown girl spoke with the slender white womans arms in her back. What happened? The Red Iberian Orcs have been incapacitated. The defeated ones have been entered into a contract with the Summon Hunter and her power has sealed their actions. The extraordinary elder was the one concern, but the child of the forest settled things with him. They were at a high enough altitude to see the stars when they looked up, but that distance from the surface meant nothing to the power of the hidden treasures. Sibyl understood the state of the battlefield like she held it in the palm of her hand. The effects of the Heros artificial atmospheric barrier should remain for a while after its destruction, but this prevents any chaos during that braking period. Now we just wait for the Red effects to fade away. ...Does that mean that Summon Hunter human has the power of Demon Lord Tselika and an entire village of Iberian Orcs all to herself? My, my. We may need to designate a new Break News. She did not seem to be joking. After all, if the Iberian Orcs went berserk, they could destroy two worlds. One only had to consider what it meant for that power to be under a single individuals control. Just as the Sages life had been entirely changed by the incredible amount of Experience Points she received one day, humans were short-lived but quick to change. They provided nothing but surprises for a Royal Elf who lived for so very long. At any rate, things had calmed down for the time being. The power balance would remain unstable, but that concern was proof that they could focus on something other than the immediate threat. So. She may have let her guard down for just a moment. The problem was solved and the burden had been unexpectedly great. Due to that, Sibyl removed the all-seeing circlet from her forehead, but that was a definite mistake. If she had left it on, she might have sensed the signs and prevented it. Those girls stood on the reverse side of the false sun, but a crackling sound came from even further overhead. It was a lot like the flashing of electricity. Sibyl and Marinka both looked to the cathedrals ceiling. And through the collapsed hole there, they saw... ...The artificial atmospheric barrier? Oh, no... Royal Elf Sibyl pushed back her exhaustion and quickly placed the circlet back on her head. And she learned the truth. Because she could see everything, that forest ruler understood all too well. Oh, no!!!!!! Part 9 What about that inorganic object produced this result? Was it revenge for being destroyed? Or was it interest in the new peak that had defeated even the strongest Iberian Orcs? Regardless, the artificial atmospheric barrier covering the world C that false umbrella created by the Hero who wanted to live C flashed ominously despite no longer functioning due to the hole broken in it. It almost seemed to be surrounded by a blood-red aurora. And. And. And. Part 10 With an explosive boom, a red high-voltage current stabbed down from the sky like the bursting of a broken cathode ray tube or neon tube. It tore through the sun island but did not stop there. It continued straight down toward the ground. The floating island in the middle did not matter. !? Holy Swordswoman Beatrice did not even have time to react. It fell and it burst. Gahhhh!!!??? Beatrice!! It pierced her entire body, so Boo Boo screamed her name and ran over despite his pain and exhaustion. His large hand supported the girl as she just about collapsed to her knees. Boo...Boo...? Dont worry. Youre still alive. So we can fix this. Filinion!! Squeal, please save Beatrice!! However. For some reason, Filinion and Armelina stood stock still without approaching. Wildefrau and Huldra poked their heads up from the Thousand Dragons back and they tensed up once they realized what had happened. Boo Boo did not understand. It was true Beatrices armor had burst and she was badly injured, but she was still breathing. Human Magic could heal any wounds, so there was no reason to panic. This was not worth letting his heart pound with terror. He had to believe that. And yet. The humans who could use techniques he did not understand looked like they had seen the end of the world. He wanted them to stop because it worried him, but none of them would listen to his request. Beatrice, you... Finally, Police Officer Armelina hesitantly opened her mouth. ...Is your Shining Weapon all right? Hey!! ? Only after hearing that did Boo Boo catch on. Beatrices grip had been weakened by the red lightning strike, so her Shining Weapon rapier had fallen to the ground. No. Wait!? The blade is...broken? It had been destroyed. This was not a normal sort of destruction. It seemed to have burst from within. It was like the burden on her armor and miniskirt, which were Magic given that form, had been too great and it had surged back into the Shining Weapon. The hilt was caught on her slender fingertips, but there was no blade beyond that. The decorations had blown off and the blade was lying on the ground after breaking off at the base. That was why it looked as if she had dropped it. Bluish-white sparks occasionally scattered from the broken end of the hilt. Their intensity was gradually weakening, so they would eventually cease altogether. The Shining Weapon was becoming nothing more than scrap metal. Without her Shining Weapon, she cant use the Gates to return to Earth. Filinion seemed to have difficulty breathing, but she managed to get the words out to Boo Boo bit by bit. And humans can only stay in Grounds Nir for a few days. With things like this...there is no saving Beatrice!! Part 11 Was this the curse of the long-dead Hero? The ancient fear and suffering at the source of it all was now weighing on Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. Between the Lines 3 I finally found it. Volume 6, 4: Challenging an Utterly Impossible Obstacle Volume 6, Chapter 4: Challenging an Utterly Impossible Obstacle Part 1 As evening turned to night, the ground shook. Upon learning the Reds were no longer active, the humans raised a battle cry of victory that shook the distant mountain where Boo Boo and the others were. The solid ground was shaken by nothing more than human voices and the emotion of excitement. Dry bursting sounds, cheers, and laughter blended together. They may have been having a celebration with special food and drink brought from the partially-repaired inn town. However. Boo Boo did not have time to even look in the partys direction. Time was the enemy. There was some variance between individuals, but a few days was the limit. And Beatrice had already used up a lot of that time on dealing with the Red Iberian Orcs. They did not have a single minute or second to spare. Their only option was to rack their brains and list out every idea they could think of. Armelina looked overhead. The artificial atmospheric barrier has been silent ever since. Did that attack bring it to a stop, or was that an irregular situation even for it? But I guess thats fine since wed have bigger problems than treating Beatrice if it kept firing those. Squeal. What is a Shining Weapon? Cant she borrow one of the ones all of you are using? Each Shining Weapon is limited to a single person, so you cant borrow someone elses. It would also be difficult to bring a new Shining Weapon from Earth to Grounds Nir because the authentication work is generally done using machines on Earth. They really are your lifeline, so youre screwed if you lose yours. Ch-chief. Is there no way to repair a Shining Weapon? ...It is technically possible, but were talking about a collection of precision machinery. We would have to construct a handmade semiconductor factory with full sterilization. We only have a few days left, so there simply isnt enough time. What about the bottom of the Labyrinth? Ultimate Weapon Abyss is a mechanical doll, right? That uses entirely different standards from what we use on Earth. It seems we can connect our Shining Weapons with Abyss using a cable, but that only works because Abyss is adjusting her registry to match. Her normal methods would not work. I-if it comes to it, I could get Ileanas help to create a powerful resurrection potion. We could always just resurrect her every few days... Only you could do that, glasses freak. A normal human would go mad. With that, Armelina scratched at her hair. Then she breathed a heavy sigh. ...Sorry. No, we are not looking for solace through nice-sounding words. We need a realistic solution, so we cannot run from the severe hurdles. They were discussing it like this because Beatrice was unconscious. Who could directly tell her that she could no longer Sign Out and she could only wait for death as her body and mind were slowly eaten away? The man known as Omega, who had reigned at the top of the Western forces during the Cold War, had lost his life due to a plot abusing the inability to Sign Out. And even with Demon Lord Tselika by his side, he had been unable to alter his fate. That showed how dire the situation was. This was not something that could be overcome with great historical deeds or cheap, dime-a-dozen miracles. The battered girls chest quietly rose and fell in Boo Boos large hand. After hearing what Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau had said, Gruagach hesitantly raised a hand. Tselika, you fought against this exactly problem before, didnt you? ...I am not aware of any method to truly transfer a human-sized object between worlds. A translucent demon woman with an angels halo and large horns floated next to Gruagach. She held her bewitching body in her arms like she did not know what to do with it. More importantly, if you have people with high-level potion and freezing skills, I would suggest using cold sleep. It will only delay the inevitable, but it will remove the time limit of a few days. If all you need to do is prepare a semiconductor factory, then you can build one even if it takes years. That really is the last resort, isnt it? responded Armelina with a heavy sigh. Rusalka, whose long blonde ponytail formed a gorgeous ringlet curl, spoke up while tugging on Gruagachs leather outfit. Onee-sama, cant we get help from the Sage? She seems familiar with Shining Weapons and she looks just like Beatrice. Um, couldnt it be possible for them to use the same Shining Weapon? Everyone except for unconscious Beatrice glanced over at the Sage who was sitting with her back against a broken tree trunk. That person, who looked a lot like Beatrice but was completely different, shook her head. It depends on the amount of damage, but from the look of things, its unrepairable. The internal structure being fried hurts a lot more than the blade breaking off. In fact, Ive never seen one destroyed like that before. Also, Beatrice and I are similar but not identical. We cannot use the same Shining Weapon. You hacked our Shining Weapons at the Underworld, right!? Surely theres some kind of trick you can use!! Simply remote controlling one is entirely different from altering the administrative permissions. In fact, you would have better luck asking Omega who increased the strength of his by having his men open up shared settings on theirs. Huh? But what about Sibyls Shining Weapon? asked Filinion. And wasnt your patchwork rapier made by rewriting the permissions of those stolen weapons? Yes, thats right. Miss Titties is exactly right. But doing that requires wiping the contents. Try to fix her broken Shining Weapon with a clean install and youll only wipe out all the files that survived. When you get down to it, what Omega did was just plain crazy. That must have reminded her of someone important to her because the translucent Demon Lord with an angel halo and large horns softly shut her eyes. Almost like she was offering a silent prayer. Another insurmountable hurdle had been placed in their path. Upon the annihilation of the Underworld Lord, the souls of the dead had been released. They could never again summon that veteran hero. The cowboy hat skeleton was technically only a simulation of his personality, so he would not necessarily have the same technical information as Omega. Armelina gulped. ...So were finally stuck. You should think about what options are available. Especially with such a short time limit. The Sage sounded unconcerned. One, you can run high-level VR experiments using Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Two, based on that bombing used in the battle against the elder, Sibyl must have acquired something. If she has the power to see everything, she might be able to use that to find a starting point. However. A certain possibility came to mind and Boo Boo worriedly asked about it. ...What if that isnt enough? A perfect virtual reality and the power to see everything are cruel in their own ways, Boo Boo. The Sage remained callous even now. It may have been her ability to provide cruel opinions at all times that allowed her to be the Sage. They may present us with the fact that nothing we can do will work. Part 2 He knew all he could do at the moment was wait, but he could not just sit around. Burning heat erupted inside his body and he could not sit still. Boo... Boo Boo walked through the dark forest. He scraped his large tusk against a nearby tree. Let Beatrice get better soon. With that statement, he moved to the next tree. Let Beatrice get better soon. Then to the next tree. And the next. And the next. Let Beatrice get better soon. He looked like he would mark every tree in the forest if left to his own devices. And someone was watching him from a short distance away. It was silver-haired Fairy Queen Sutriona and blonde-haired Vampire Kallikantzaros. They were both Break News with incredible power. Anyway, Vampire, did you never notice the color of the sky before? Dont you claim to control lunar eclipses? Make no mistake. The moon was always shaped like that. In fact, the culprit may have based the false sky and sun on it. The skinny silver-haired girl in a black ribbon dress breathed an exasperated sigh. ...More importantly, what is Boo Boo doing? Probably an Iberian Orc good luck charm, smoothly responded the Vampire who was connected to the Iberian Orcs in a different way from the Sage. Kallikantzaros, who wore a red negligee over a body far too alluring for her childish appearance, continued. But if it actually worked, the Iberian Orcs would not have been afflicted by that Redness. Hm. Sutriona gave her old Vampire acquaintance a sidelong glance. You sure have strange tastes to accompany him when you know its meaningless. Night is the Vampires time. Although it seems I too was manipulated by that false sun. Still, there is not always something I can do. ...Besides, Fairies are active in the day and sleep at night, so it seems far more unusual for one of them to be wandering around at this hour. Sutriona coughed to avoid responding. You are even simpler than the Iberian Orcs, sighed Kallikantzaros. But I believe that good luck charm requires carving the mark into 1000 trees. Surely he doesnt really plan to do that. Oh, hell do it. Even if its just for peace of mind, hell still set up that defensive line. ... The Vampire in a red negligee and nightcap fell silent. She watched the nearly-4m giant scraping his tusk against another tree, she crossed her arms such that they squished her large breasts, and she winked. ...Is it that serious? Is what? I had thought that young Iberian Orc was so fond of that human because she was convenient for him. The humans threw rocks at him, but she would actually speak with him. So to put it another way, it could have been anyone he could speak with. I thought that was all it was. Kallikantzaros. A voice called her name. The light in the Fairy Queens eyes had changed entirely at some point. Do you want me to punch you for real? ...I see. So there was a reason why it had to be that girl. Very well. ? Life and the sunlight are your territory, but death and the shadows are mine. There is an option that opens up for me. Vampire Kallikantzaros turned her gaze toward the distance once more. Most likely, that Iberian Orc would not stop until he really had completed it. And even if he did leave marks on 1000 trees, he could not shake the forlorn feeling of having his mother or someone even more important let go of his hand. And the Vampire knew of an extremely quick solution that amounted to cheating. The Fairy Queen sounded somewhat exasperated as her silver hair fluttered behind her. I thought you didnt answer peoples prayers. Only if they are seeking some kind of reward. I am not narrow-minded enough to abandon a child lost in the night. Part 3 White Witch Filinions Recovery Potion was perfectly made. Nn. Nhh... When Beatrice sat up and stretched her arms like normal, a strong foliage smell reached her nose. She looked around and found a somewhat nostalgic sight. It looked just like Boo Boos original house, the triangular tent made of large, folded leaves that he had used before the log and brick ones. And she realized something. Gh. When she got up and the blanket fell away, she found she was only wearing a single white cloth. It looked a lot like a swimsuit since the top and bottom were connected, but it was basically underwear. Think of it like a bodysuit that bared the midriff. The armor covering her limbs and chest and the miniskirt around her hips were nowhere to be found. (...Oh. So thats what happened.) The Holy Swordswoman jumped a bit when she belatedly noticed a slender form lying right next to her in the darkness. It was a girl with one arm entirely missing and her head tilted at a slightly odd angle. Two strands of mottled silver hair passed in front of her shoulders, so this was apparently Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Beatrice had not sensed her presence because she did not need to breathe or even stir. And one other thing. Beatrice, are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere? Wah, wah! B-Boo Boo? Beatrice frantically pulled the blanket up to her chest and blushed a little. The air that snuck in was somewhat chilly and the darkness was swept away by the gentle light of a simple lamp made by filling a porcelain bowl with plant oil and adding a twisted scrap of cloth as a wick. The girl guessed it was nighttime. It did not have the obvious shape of a bra and panties, but she was only wearing underwear. Beatrice restlessly held the blanket to her chest and looked around. Where are we? My house was destroyed, so I made a new one. Those words alone brought a slight cloud to the Holy Swordswomans face. There had been more than exhaustion and pain from the intense battle. She was worried about the way Boo Boo thought it was only natural that his things were taken from him or destroyed. Meanwhile, when looking at it from a different perspective... ...That made Boo Boo sad. This was not the time for her to worry about others. She had always worried about him and helped him in every way she could, but he also understood that she had a tendency to neglect herself in the process. He could not let it show on his face. Worrying her here would not solve anything. Squeal. If youre awake, you can eat something. Eat a bunch and get better! I saved the tastiest meat for you!! Ah, ah ha ha. Its always meat first thing after waking up with you... Filinions Recovery Potion had healed the direct injuries and burns, so she had no trouble moving around. She reached for her hip out of habit and then sighed. What happened with the elder and the others? Gruagach stopped all of them, so itll be okay. Theyre working with the Sage to remake the village right now. The effects of the Redness have left their bodies, but they said they wanted to work with someone on some strength-focused work and details-focused to make sure everything is in order. They all said its thanks to you destroying the...artificial atmospheric barrier? Or something like that. Where are Filinion, Armelina, and the others? They should be in the human inn town. After all the confusion, they said they needed to explain some things to everyone. Theyre apparently having a festival there, so they might bring some tasty snacks back! The girl who had spent so much time with Boo Boo held a hand to her mouth and giggled at his excitement. Was she simply happy to see the Iberian Orc celebrating, or was she happy to see him interested in the humans? Hey, Boo Boo. Yeah? Beatrice gave a plain smile. And she asked. ...So have you heard how much time I have left? He had been careless. Even though he knew little of Magic, he should have noticed. Beatrice had reached for her hip out of habit. She had been checking for her Shining Weapon rapier. It was a casual movement of her fingers, but that had told her the truth: her Shining Weapon had been destroyed and she could not return to Earth. She also lacked her equipment. It was not that she was not producing the armor to cover her body. She could not produce it. Beatrice... Its okay, Boo Boo. You dont need to give me that look. Boo Boo gasped and patted his large face, but Beatrice shook her head. She was always the mature one. Hiding it from her may have been impossible from the get-go. The girl in her underwear still held the blanket to her chest. I dont have to explore the Labyrinth or save the world from a crisis. That gives me more time to simply spend with you. I feel like I never made time to just take it easy in Grounds Nir. Looking at it that way, its not all bad. ... And Im not going to keel over right away. I still have time. So tell me, Boo Boo. I want to know the specifics if Im going to face this. Will you help me find a way out of this situation? Okay. Boo Boo nodded again and again. He seemed to be trying to convince himself more than anyone. Ill help you. The elder and the others were only saved because of your efforts. I cant just sit around and fret. Theres no time, so we have to do what we can. So Ill work super hard for you this time!! Boo Boo. Right. According to Abyss and Sibyl, you have about 2 days left! Theres still time, so well do everything we can and save you. And the first step is to eat!! The leaf house had no stove, so he was probably cooking the food at a campfire outside. He rushed out of the house. For that brief moment, Beatrice was alone with only deactivated Abyss for company. She reached for her hip out of habit and then slowly sighed. Well. No one was listening, but the words softly spilled from her lips. ...I guess this time there really is no hope. Part 4 Beatrice and Boo Boo sat around the campfire for a late dinner. She was still only in her underwear, so she had wrapped the blanket around herself before stepping outside. When he cooked, you were lucky if you got a giant hunk of cooked mystery meat and he would not even add salt unless you asked. He did not focus much on the cooking, so there was always a chance of getting something half raw. ...But today there were also a few vegetables he had presumably taken from his garden. He may have been thinking about her health. Beatrice, this one and this one are the tastiest. You can have them. Hm? You can have the tastiest ones. Youre the one that made it all. No! You need to eat right now!! Whoa, but all this fatty meat is a little much for a maiden like me...!! It had taken some doing to get to this point, but as long as he added some rock salt, his cooking was good in a plain sort of way. Salt and grease had a way of soaking into your body. I made some dessert today too. Oh? Thats unusual for you. I chilled it in the river, so I has to be good. Jewel Melons are rare and I know youll be surprised when you see it! Boo Boo left for the river where the fruit was chilling. Once she was alone, Beatrice breathed a soft sigh with the blanket wrapped over her underwear. And just then... I will be joining you. ? The Holy Swordswoman turned toward that soft voice and saw someone who looked completely at home in the night. It was a childish blonde girl who wore a pitch black swimsuit visible through a bright red negligee. No, she was quite short, but her body may have been even curvier than Beatrices. ...Especially when it came to chest size. She was a Vampire and a Break News. It was Kallikantzaros. She kept a set distance from the campfire as if she disliked non-natural lights. Sutriona told me what happened. I could not join the fight as it occurred while the sun was at its peak. The Iberian Orcs are special to me as well, so I thank you for risking your life to stop their rampage. I see... Based on that, I take it I can trust what Boo Boo said about the other Iberian Orcs. I passed out before the end, you see. So what will you do? The Vampire held a gray pig doll, spoke with a cunning voice, and gently looked the girl in the eye. Let us discuss the concept of life. The undead have no interest in unstable souls, but I am willing to make an exception since you used your one-and-only life to fight for the Iberian Orcs. You cannot return to Earth without your Shining Weapon. And you have no chance of survival without returning to Earth. Boo Boo and the others will of course forgo sleep as they spend the next two days attempting to find a solution, but there is no guarantee they will find one before the time limit arrives. And you have approached me. So do you have a suggestion? I am a Vampire. Kallikantzaros stuck the index finger of her empty hand between her lips. She bent the finger like a hook and tugged her small mouth to the side. That might sound like a childs teasing, but it held a very different meaning here. She revealed a sinister weapon that was far sharper than a human canine tooth. That fang was the symbol of her kind. Your human body cannot endure staying in this world for an extended period of time due to a slight margin of error in the atmospheric composition and the planetary rotation and revolution. Then you only need to become something other than a human of Earth. I try to only target Iberian Orcs since I dislike the flavor of human blood, but as I said, I am willing to make an exception here. I can bear with the flavor. If you ask for it, I will turn you into a Vampire right here and now. Beatrice thought about it for a while. This gave her a backup plan. In her current state, she should have wanted that more than anything. However. After taking her time, she slowly shook her head. ...I have to reject your offer. Why? I apologize if this sounds like an insult, but the person who Boo Boo can rely on without worry isnt Vampire Beatrice. Boo Boos worried look was burned into her minds eye. She saw him telling those painfully obvious lies. But that was exactly why. She could not just compromise on this. If she rewrote it all with such a simple decision, there would be no going back. That was the way she saw it. Being a human born on Earth must have held more meaning for her than she thought. Kallikantzaros smiled thinly. And she showed respect for that resolve. This will not be easy. I know that. Very well. I will not force it upon you, but I have provided the temptation. Knowing and not knowing are two very different things. As you humans apparently say, a drowning man will grasp at straws. I will be watching from behind the scenes to see if your resolve wavers as you are slowly crushed beneath the pain and fear. A quiet sound followed. By taking a single step back, Kallikantzaros truly withdrew into the shadows, but she did leave one last statement. However. ? ...Even if you do break and pathetically cling to this option, I will not laugh at you. Because I definitely owe you one for the Iberian Orc incident. For this one time only, I will promise you that. That was all. The Vampire faded into the pitch black shadows and Beatrice was alone once more. Squeal! Look, look, Beatrice! This is a Jewel Melon!! Oh, Boo Boo? Hm? Whats with you? Did something happen? No, its nothing, she answered with a smile and a shake of the head. Yes. Because of her resolve, nothing had happened. Part 5 Of course, Boo Boo did not rest after putting Beatrice to bed in the leaf house. White Witch Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina had set up a new base in the Cave of Tears opened in the coastal cliff face. Even with the celebration bringing everyones guard down, they could not bring Boo Boo to the human-filled inn town, but they also could not hold a planning meeting in front of Beatrice whose life was on the chopping block. Since neither of their usual meeting spots was usable, they had needed a new one. ...Boo Boo wondered how he had lived such an aimless life up until now. He had built a house of large leaves, searched for food in the forest, and spent any extra time napping. Had he really been making the most of his life? If he had done other things and made more valuable use of his time, could he maybe have found an immediate solution when someone important to him was in a crisis? He had grown complacent. So much had happened in the past, so he should have known that his current environment was not guaranteed to last forever. Yet he had been satisfied with what he was given. He had been so happy on that day when he had been reunited with Beatrice and he had failed to keep working after that. Squeal... I need to do something. That ocean cave also contained Demon Lord Tselikas collection of treasures. The entrance area received the full brunt of the advancing and receding waves and it could flood at any time, but there were more slopes further in and the seawater had almost no effect there. Since there was no way in from the Labyrinth, it was a rare blank spot where no one else on the small island could reach them. The outside moonlight reflected off the seawater and rock walls, so the inside was filled with a faint bluish light. It gave the scene a strange shine different from a fire or luminous moss. So youre here, Boo Boo. He was addressed by someone who looked an awful lot like the red-armored Holy Swordswoman. It was the Sage. Slender Royal Elf Sibyl stood alongside her. I was just explaining my investigation of the problems we face. No one else here is worth explaining things to, so this is perfect. The glasses White Witch and police officer Fighter Priest clearly grimaced at that, but it was unusual for these former enemies to be meeting together at all. The red of embers was added to the bluish light of the Cave of Tears. The Sage snapped her fingers and the cave scene changed. Even the clinging darkness and the pale blue light that blocked ones view like a backlight functioned as a veil to hide the answer before ones eyes. The walls and ceiling were crammed full of geometric patterns drawn in black lines seemingly made with charcoal. Naturally, this was not just graffiti. Each point at the intersection of two lines was labeled with a symbol and it seemed to control some kind of current. Well, to put it simply, this is the circuit diagram of Beatrices Shining Weapon, smoothly explained the Sage. The handle of Beatrices rapier had contained the circuitry that filled every surface of the cave. Keihin Seibis Etranger D-508ex. Since she was confined to the impressive-sounding Detached Magic Palace, I was surprised to find she uses a customized version of a commercial product, but that may have been to ensure ease of replacing parts in case of a malfunction. She apparently has some capable maids, so its specs have been greatly improved from clocking up the software side of things. ...Youve made that much progress? Then what were those two hours of cynicism and sarcasm for??? The young glasses woman gave an exhausted comment, but it was not the time for that. The Sage remained composed after having wasted so much time because she was not interested in starting until Boo Boo showed up. I retrieved the diagram from the manufacturer on Earth and Sibyl used her secret treasures to view the broken rapier. Comparing the two revealed what portions are missing. The worst damage is here. She breathed a gentle sigh and a few sparks spilled from her palm and circled around a certain point on the circuit diagram covering the caves surfaces. The college girl shrine maiden known as Filinion saw it like a laser pointer on a lecture rooms whiteboard. Thats the personal authentication area that manages administrative privileges...in other words, who the Shining Weapon belongs to. In cellphone terms, its something like the SIM card that contains all the profile settings. Unless we fix this, Beatrice cannot return to Earth. Squeal? Boo Boo tilted his head with a large hand over his mouth, but that did not mean he had stopped thinking. Iberian Orcs used their supercomputer-like brains to control each individual muscle fiber so they did not destroy their own body with their overly powerful muscles. He might not understand it now, but he was sure to learn. He only had to reach that understanding before they ran out of time. The Sage had lived with the elder and the others, so she understood that and was trying to fill him with as much data as possible. But was the Sage leading that brilliant brain to the answer? Even though Boo Boo did not understand at all, clenched his teeth, and struggled to make up for how far behind he felt? Hey. Armelina put a hand on her hip. So youre saying the transfer function survived? If that was all we needed, we wouldnt need to rely on her broken rapier. That blunt weapon hanging at Boo Boos hip is a Shining Weapon too, after all. But he could not save anyone by giving Beatrice his partner that resembled a log or a steel beam. The management was not lax enough to let her just borrow one. She could not just head home and be done with it. There was a reason they used terms like Sign In and Sign Out. The technology to move between worlds only qualified as a transfer system once a safe arrival was guaranteed. That meant there would naturally be powerful safeties to ensure who was being sent in addition to the origin point and destination point. Because they needed to transfer exactly 100% of a person, not 99% or 101%. Boo Boo desperately worked his mind with his head still tilted. You mean Beatrices name is written inside her sword? And that was erased, so we have to write it in there again? Exactly right, Boo Boo. The Sage applauded with a smile she would never give any of the others. Rewriting the settings profile from scratch would be difficult, so well have to extract the damaged data and recover it. Of course, the data left inside the damaged rapier is incomplete, so we cant just use that. But that means we only have to fill in the gaps. I sometimes see ads for services that recover lost data from your cellphone or flash memory, but does it really work that well? Since you had the courage to admit your own ignorance, I will explain. Even if there are pieces missing, it is possible to fill that in by estimating the contents using the strings of data preceding and following it. It might be simpler to think of it like the frames of a movie or cartoon. Ten minutes or a full hour missing would be one thing, but if its just a frame or two here and there, it isnt a major problem. You can fill in the gaps. But on the other hand... To recover the data, we must first extract detailed information on how much of the data is left inside the broken rapier. Squeal? But I thought we could see everything with Sibyls treasure? The long-eared slender girl sighed and answered Boo Boos question. I can see it, but I cannot explain it. If I draw out the miniscule grooves of the circuit diagram, the Sage can create a proper diagram using her own rules, but this concept of an...electronic program? That is something else entirely. Well, yes. Long ago, there were apparently people with the shocking ability to read the do-re-mi scale by looking at the grooves on a record, but no matter how much they stared at the smooth surface of a smartphone, they could never learn anything about a song contained in a compressed file on the device. Poo hoo hoo. ...I have no idea what that means, but I can still tell youre making fun of me... Heh. Eh heh heh. Whatever gives you that-...owwwww!? This flat Amazon warrior elf just hit my boobs with her bowstring! I hit my own long ears a lot when I was first learning to use it, so I know its power. ...And that insult has earned you another hit. The hunter pursued her fleeing prey and Armelina sounded somewhat exasperated as she watched. Are you saying we cant directly check the software, so we have to start by reconnecting the fried hardware circuits to access it? Precisely. So the ignorant have reached an understanding in their ignorance. The Sage nodded and brought a hand to her hip. The patchwork rapier in the scabbard there had its processing power forcibly increased by connecting together the remains of multiple Shining Weapons, so she would know how to connect to the broken Shining Weapon. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Sage twisted the corners of her mouth into a smile. There is no need to be so pessimistic. The area needing repairing is smaller than a postage stamp. But like with microfilm, how much space does that fill when its expanded to a size visible to the human eye? ...You make it sound simple, but at the semiconductor level, its dozens of times smaller than a hair, right? Or maybe hundreds of times? Even if Sibyls treasure lets us cheat our way to the abilities of an electron microscope, the work wont be that easy. That is true, but I do have an idea. The Sage snapped her fingers and the sparks that burst out circled around above Boo Boos head. Boo Boo, you are friends with the palm-sized Fairies, arent you? Contact them immediately and ask for their help. Squeal? Are you going to have them make a potion? The contents of a Shining Weapon are a collection of wires made from pure gold thinner than a hair. A normal human cannot hope to work with them and, as your friend there said, the sensory boost from Sibyls treasure might not be enough to pull off the work. However. The Fairies are skilled at handicrafts. They can even weave a full ribbon dress out of Ground Spider silk, so they should not have difficulty working with something thinner than a hair. They may not like working with iron or silver, but they should not feel any revulsion toward gold. With that said, the Sage laughed. Boo Boo, you are the only one who can contact those cautious Fairies. For that matter, you are also the only person who can contact the Sage who works behind the scenes of history. This is the power you built up with the path you walked. Feel free to use those trump cards here. But... Armelina traced her fingertip along her slender chin and thought deeply. And as negative as it was, she opened her mouth. She had known it would come down to this from the beginning, so there was no point in acting smug about the knowledge after the fact. We have a strict time limit. I mean, we dont even have two days left. Im fine with relying on the Fairies, but shouldnt we be working on some insurance in parallel, just to be sure? I suppose Ill ask. What exactly do you propose? The Fairies arent the only ones who are skilled with their hands. There are a lot of different people gathered in the inn town. How about we rely on them? With the excitement of solving the Red problem, the people with nothing better to do might help us pretty readily. Also, it was humans who used the Magic represented by the Shining Weapons. It made the most sense to use human hands to solve this. But the Sage shook her head. I wont stop you if you go try that on your own, but Im not going to help you with your wasted effort. I am only here now out of respect for your efforts in revealing the cause of the Redness and freeing the elder and the others from it. Do not expect unlimited and bottomless assistance from me. Wasted effort...? I have no issue with their technical skills and the manpower would be useful, but Beatrice is a Level Capper, which comes with its plusses and minuses. People will recognize her achievements when she is rising in the ranks, but once she starts to decline, they will focus only on the negative side and work against her. Ask for help and I doubt anyone will give it. In the worst case, they might pretend to help so they can poison her. ...But... Armelina had suggested the idea, but she fell silent. The human inn town was ruled by the interests of organizations as much as by what individuals wanted. There were definitely nations and corporations that would benefit in the power balance if the striker of the Japanese governments Detached Magic Palace was removed. What would happen if her compromised state became widely known? In the worst case, someone could even plan an attack on the leaf house where she slept. None of them wanted to think about the possibility of interference when the rescue attempt was a tightrope walk already. Looking at it like that, it would indeed be more efficient to put together a team of Grounds Nir Nonhumans who were tied by simple bonds of gratitude. The Sage had seen a sickening amount of the desire that gathered around Magic, so she laughed scornfully before continuing. This isnt about whether or not it will actually happen. The inability to eliminate doubt would consume some of our work costs. I said we have no time, didnt I? I really dont think we can afford to bother with secret plots. ... Armelina had no rebuttal, but she did not seem satisfied either. Meanwhile, Boo Boo spoke up. So I need to ask the Fairies for help. But is that all I can do? Is there nothing else I can do? Hm... The Sage thought for a moment. Even if it will be thinner than a hair, we will need a lot of pure gold to lay out the new wiring. Grounds Nir is a small enough island to walk the perimeter in only three days and the greedy humans use gears taken from the Labyrinths Gimmicks as currency instead of gold. I dont know how much is buried on the island, but unlike Earth, where you can buy it by the gram at an exchange, it will likely be difficult to procure. Boo Boo, can you take care of that? Part 6 Beatrice might grow suspicious if she woke up and found he was not there. He lacked the knowledge and the skill, but Boo Boo had to make up for that with what he could do. With so little time left, he could not just sit around without any ideas whatsoever. When he left the Cave of Tears, the sun had already risen. He parted ways with Filinion and Armelina who had to rest back on Earth and he hurried back to the leaf house partway up the mountain. He grabbed some Full-Belly Apples and Filling Bananas he found growing on trees along the way and he found Beatrice outside the house with the blanket wrapped around her. He had been too slow. He was only a few seconds late, but he gently clenched his teeth at how worthless it made him feel. Good morning, Boo Boo. Where were you? Squeal. I woke up hungry. So I went to gather some food for today. Boo Boo had always lived a life where half his day was spent procuring food. Even during an emergency like this, he still needed food and water to function. So this was a necessary thing, but a closer inspection would show that he mostly had fruits that grew on trees instead of animals that he had to hunt in an eat-or-be-eaten battle of wits. He did not have time for that now. Even the time spent procuring food felt wasted. What are you doing, Beatrice? If you woke up because youre hungry, Ill give you the biggest one. ...Girls need to take a bath on a daily basis. I can dig a hole by the river over there to produce a hot spring and use the river water to control the temperature, right? Yes. You can go take a bath, Beatrice. That dream was shattered when you showed up to stare at me like that. A fruit-only breakfast felt lacking to Boo Boo, but he had bigger things to worry about now. And he noticed that Beatrice seemed to enjoy the fruit a lot. That amount may have been about right for her. The letter, the letter... ? Beatrice watched in confusion as Boo Boo placed a thin piece of wood near the leaf houses ceiling. He could barely write and the message was almost entirely communicated via illustration, but the palm-sized Fairies would read it when they showed up. The situation could hardly be worse, but the counterattack was beginning. Boo Boo. What are we going to do today? Boo. Lets go to the beach. He of course had a reason for this. The two of them walked down the gentle slope of an unpaved mountain path. They discussed pointless things along the way: it would be neat to lay out mine cart rails along here, Ileana wouldnt like that, and so on. Once they left the forest and arrived on the beach, Boo Boo raised his voice without thinking. Ah! It was almost all washed away!! Hm? Beatrice gave him a curious look and he frantically covered his mouth with both hands. The rotting corpse of the Underworlds giant marine creature should have been on the beach. He had gathered large seeds from there to reach the sky, but there was almost no sign left of the black rotting flesh he had seen then. He doubted it had all been the work of the small lobsters and crabs cleaning up the beach, so the crashing waves must have grabbed them and swept them out to sea. Beatrice brushed the hair off the side of her face and looked out to the sea that sparkled with the morning sun. This area has been cleaned up a lot, but it still doesnt look like a great place to swim. Squeal. Itll have to be cleaned up bit by bit. The fish are an important food source too. With that, Boo Boo approached one hunk of rotting flesh that still remained on the beach. He thought back to what the Sage had said in the Cave of Tears before dawn: There are always the mountains to the north. Sibyls treasure should be able to accurately locate any veins of gold, but we dont have time to dig it out. ...The Underworld would be the better bet. The Underworld Lord forcibly reinforced that rotting marine creature to keep it alive. That means it must have had a mechanical side that included a lot of pure gold wiring. We need gold, but not a huge amount of it. It would probably be faster to gather some of that junk and extract it from there. The beach cleaners could not eat hard things like this. It would have been nice if nothing but a lot of strange machine parts had remained on the beach, but he was not that lucky. He stuck his hands into the black pile and felt around for anything that felt out of place. Something like thick cables, thin computer chips, or connectors made of heavy metal. He did not know what would be usable, so he pulled out everything that seemed artificial and gathered it all together. Oh, honestly! I cant bear it any longer!! He heard a flapping sound. B-Boo Boo? Theres no one else here, right? Its just you, right!? It was the sound of Beatrice removing the blanket she had wrapped around herself. The girl now only wore the one-piece underwear, but she seemed to be enjoying herself as she kicked at the crashing and receding waves. She laughed like a child and spoke to him. Boo Boo! There are seabirds flying awfully close by. There might be a school of fish nearby. Maybe thats thanks to the Underworld too!! Then you can use this. Boo Boo held out something like a small-holed net. It was something he had pulled out of a black pile. It may have originally surrounded and supported some kind of giant internal organ, but its purpose was unclear. Beatrice had said it did not look like a great place to swim, but she held the net in both hands and moved solidly into the water. The waves must have placed more resistance on her feet than she had expected because she pitched forward, tripped, and threw the net while soaking wet. And just then... Boo Boo. ! Boo Boos shoulders jumped when he heard a female voice from directly behind him. When could someone have approached him on the wide-open beach? While hiding behind one of the black piles so that the Holy Swordswoman could not see her, the Sage held her index finger to her lips and winked. ...This would get complicated if Beatrice found me, so stay as you are. Squeal. You seem to have collected a fair amount. We should be able to extract all the pure gold we need from this. I will take care of the rest and you can let me handle the fire. Thank you, Sage. Those words caused the Beatrice lookalike to briefly lose her calm. Her eyes widened and then she formed a smile anew. No, thank you. I thought I would never again hear those words from an Iberian Orc. I also appreciate what you did for the elder and the others. Is there anything I can do? I will take this pile of junk away with me, but I do not want Beatrice to see me. Distract her and then find a good opportunity to take her away from the beach. ? Simply put, I want you to play with Beatrice. Go on. The Sage pressed on his back and he was pushed out from behind the black pile with strength one would never expect based on her appearance. Beatrice smiled at him while holding the net on the beach. Look, Boo Boo. There really is a school of fish gathered near the beach! This is going to be a big catch, so you chase them over to me from there. Hurry!! Right. The term big catch reminded him of the day the village was attacked. That had been the day that Beatrice taught young Boo Boo how to fish and that had coincidentally saved him. If not for the attack, Beatrice may have been accepted by the villagers much sooner. And to reiterate, procuring food was a constant requirement. The rules of nature cared not for your personal convenience and the icy fingertip of starvation and death would point at everyone the same. If you had food, you did not have to worry. And you could take the time usually spent on procuring food and spend it on something else. Squeal! Gather together, fish!! Ah ha ha! Boo Boo, theyre escaping between your legs!! Part 7 A single gram of pure gold could be pounded out to more than 3 kilos. That of course meant the length of kilometers, not the weight of kilograms. Because it was soft, metal fatigue was not a concern like it was for steel and silver. It would not rust in the room temperature air and it would not be harmed by most chemicals other than aqua regia or an amalgamator. After the Sage dissolved all the waste material and extracted just the pure gold, there was less than 10 grams in all. The world of semiconductors was a microscopic one, so that was hardly surprising. However, the nature of gold worked in their favor. It was not easily altered, so they did not have to worry about it being rendered useless and they could reuse the same gold to practice as many times as necessary before doing it for real. Rub-rub... A voice came from the Fairy village in the forest. Palm-sized Meridiana was using her even smaller palms to apply pressure to the gold-glittering precious metal as if spinning it like a drill. Golds melting point was 1063 degrees Celsius, but it was already soft enough that there was no need to heat it. With just one piece of gold thinner than a hair, it would blend into the background and even the small Fairies would lose sight of it if they were not careful. It caught the air like a wing, ignored gravity, and wandered aimlessly side to side in the air. Whoops. Her sister, Alice, grabbed the gold in her hands and wrapped it around her wrists. As the gold thread intersected like crisscrossing lines of sauce atop a luxurious meal of white flesh fish, its shine grew. It gained a board-shaped thickness it had not had as a single thread. And while this was delicate metalwork, they could not let the thread break. It all had to be connected together like a one-stroke drawing. This produced a ring large enough for a human finger. The breathtaking product had both the shine of pure gold and the beauty of a translucent insect wing, but as Elder Morgan flew around and inspected the ring as it dangled from a tree branch with Ground Spider silk... Its broken in some places. Hweh!? Dont let it get you down, Alice. It isnt entirely your fault. Look here. There was a lump when the gold thread was made. That makes it unusable. It needs an even thickness throughout. U-uuuh!! Stop insulting Meridianas handiwork!! They of course had to redo it until they got it right. And a single miraculous success was not good enough. They needed the reliable skill to repeat it thousands of times without a single mistake. If the gold thread broke, the signal could not get through. If the thickness was not even, there would be a discrepancy in the electrical resistance and it could overheat or start a fire. Just like a sudden narrowing of a road would cause a traffic jam, the flow of electricity also required traffic control. The history of the semiconductors used in Shining Weapons was a competition to place as many roads and traffic lights as possible on a single chip to provide the greatest traffic control. Incidentally, a simple lighter made from a battery and aluminum foil took advantage of this by intentionally causing a traffic jam to start the fire. The Fairies lived in the natural world and did not understand the detailed theories behind the semiconductors that controlled the flow of electricity to perform massive amounts of calculations, but they knew their skill was needed and being tested. They threw the failed ring in a large coal pot over the fire to melt it down. Of course, the pot was only large at their sense of scale, so it was only about the size of a can of food. They did not have time to wait for it to cool naturally, so they tossed the melted lump into a bucket of water. With a unique steaming sound, lots of water vapor rose from the bucket. One large advantage of pure gold was that, unlike glass, it would not be damaged on the microscopic level even when exposed to extreme temperature differences. They had repeated this countless times already. They had been given this task because of their products made from weaving Ground Spider silk, but the pure gold changed shape fare more easily than the thin but sturdy spider silk. If the thread breaking was the only issue, the work would only require extra care, but the even thickness seemed to get harder the more they focused on it. Just like with traditional craftsmen, getting a feel for it through repetition was more important than a simple theory. Meridiana, are your hands okay? You arent hurting them, are you? Im fine. More importantly, Alice, we need to stay focused. Once we get a feel for this, well have made a major breakthrough. We cant see them, but weve been stacking up the stones of progress. As long as we dont let that stack collapse, we can do this. It has to be within reach now. Uuh. If you say so, I guess Ill work at it a little longer... In truth, the time spent waiting for the gold to melt and cool was far harder on their psyches than the time spent focusing on the work. It may have been like how you did not feel at all tired while leaning over your desk as you pulled an all-nighter, but as soon as you leaned back in your chair, you felt like you could never get back up again. It was better to have no mountains or valleys. Because there was a chance they could never crawl back up if they rolled down into a valley. Rub-rub-rub... Or is it more of a rub-rubbity-rub? So instead of just waiting, Meridiana continued practicing the drill-spinning movement with her empty hands. And her sister had a thought about that diligent behavior. ...Meridiana, you look kind of like a Leftovers Rainbow Fly. Alice!! You shouldnt have said that!!!!! Part 8 The sun had set and night had arrived. Beatrice had little time left since she had lost her Shining Weapon and could not return to Earth, but they could not perfectly fill their schedules with new tasks. Gathering materials, learning the proper techniques, and the other jobs took time to complete. And if they tried to do too much at once, they would only overwhelm themselves. So. After crawling from her ghost ship coffin, short but curvy Vampire Kallikantzaros spoke within the mangrove-filled southern forest. So the humans of the inn town are not going to act. Even after she saved their world. Well, the problem itself is being kept quiet, replied Fairy Queen Sutriona. The silver-haired girl was little different from a human when she kept her power contained, so she had a bad habit of sneaking into the inn town and swiping human toys and snacks. She had simply expanded on her usual route to observe the humans. Filinion or Armelina could have monitored the festive inn town, but they were human themselves. Sutriona was confident they would fight back if a battle did unfold, but there would be some hope contaminating their observations. They would subconsciously overlook some of the malice because they did not want to believe it was there. If anyone was going to observe the inn town while it healed the wounds of the Underworld battle, it had to be someone with an outside perspective. A third party was the most effective option. For the time being, I have not caught wind of an attack plan to directly target Beatrice while she is helpless. But some of the more informed are beginning to realize no one can contact Beatrice on Earth or Grounds Nir ever since the Iberian Orc battle. Of course, they will initially assume she returned to Earth to rest after that major battle. But there is no sign of her back at the Detached Magic Palace she calls home and she is not enjoying the festival at the inn town. And no one would think she was working hard at exploring the Labyrinth so soon. ...Someone may put those rumors together and notice something is off. Beatrice did have human acquaintances, but Filinion, Armelina, Wildefrau, Huldra, Gruagach, Rusalka, and any other humans that would be concerned for her had all fought on the front line in the battle against the elder. If anyone was unaware what had happened at the end of that battle but was also persistently pursuing Beatrices whereabouts, an unfriendly motive had to be assumed. It was the same way the humans treated the Break News. They did not investigate them because they liked them. They feared and hated them, so they could not rest easy until they had as much information as possible. And if they showed any weakness, it was time to deliver a finishing blow. It was a familiar state of affairs for Sutriona and Kallikantzaros. The Vampire in a red negligee lightly brushed back her long blonde hair. For better or for worse, the actions of the Level Cappers stand out. How is the work going? The real work begins tonight. Sutriona readily spoke words that carried great meaning. There is still time left, but this will be the first and last chance. If it doesnt work, I doubt there will be time to come up with another idea. The failure would cause the thread of tension to snap, so I doubt we could expect top performance from them afterwards. It was harder for a group to change plans than an individual. Even if the Sage and Sibyl had a steely resolve, not everyone could keep up with their speed. And in a pressing situation where they had no spare personnel and every gear was necessary, they could not afford to lose a single person. The Sage and the others had stood at the peak for so long that it was unclear how they would handle a need to accommodate their weakest link. So they had to succeed in this initial attempt when morale was high. Beatrices rescue hinged on whether or not they could accomplish this before losing the assumption that they only needed to look to the peak and do what that person said. Whether or not they could fix the Shining Weapon rapier and save Beatrice depended on the skill of those performing the work. But that was not what the Break News could do. It is fortunate this is happening at night. Especially so soon after the Iberian Orc incident so inconsiderately occurred during the day. In her night cap and negligee, Kallikantzaros stroked the gray pig doll in her arms and spoke expressionlessly. So where will you place the breakwater? Since they only have one shot at this, you dont want anyone interfering with their work, do you? Fighting the entire inn town wont be necessary. I said it was only some of the more informed that were catching on, didnt I? We can suppress this by ensuring that information is not spread to the rest of them. Lets head to the inn town. We can buy plenty of time by using the raucous partying to sneak up to each of those clever individuals and give them a warning. Part 9 After making sure Beatrice was sound asleep in the leaf house, Boo Boo made his way to the coastal Cave of Tears. The ecosystem differed between day and night and he was afraid of ghosts, but he had to bear with it. There was no reason to rush. In fact, it was important to take their time to repair the rapier right. Squeal... Is everyone here? His searching voice was answered by something flying toward him from the depths of the bluish glowing cave. He caught it in his large hand to find it was a triangular flask containing a colorful bubbling liquid. A busty young woman in glasses, White Witch Filinion, explained. I doubt youre accustomed to pulling all-nighters, so use that energy drink. I couldnt stand being told I couldnt make one, so I had to prove her wrong. What does that mean? Um, an energy drink is, well...huh? Its kind of hard to explain. Its a strange drink that improves your brain efficiency with sugar and various nutrients, that uses artificial sweeteners, artificial flavoring, and carbonation to mask the flavor of the chemicals, and that really just lets caffeine do all the work. Doubt darkened Boo Boos face as the explanation continued. It may have been the same as trying to describe the most popular carbonated drink to a Martian and making it sound more like a poison than anything: Its a dark, sweet, cold, and bubbly, its super popular yet no one really knows how to make it, and its strangely addictive. Next to the glasses girl, Armelina popped off the lid of an identical triangular flask and chugged the contents. It isnt harmful, so drink up. Okay. After having given her lengthy description, Filinion rubbed her forehead against the cave wall, but sometimes actions spoke louder than words. Boo Boo copied Armelinas actions to tilt his head back and drink the contents of the triangular flask and then he blinked his eyes. Khh... Wh-what is this...? Oh, she took advantage of being in another world when she Mixed it, so it might be a bit much for a beginner. Japans safety standards would never let you cram that much caffeine into a single drink. Please stop implying I simply threw a bunch of caffeine into some sugar water. The perfect distribution just so happened to include a lot of it and I didnt mention all the effort that went into the recipe because I wanted to maintain my image as a cool mature woman, but this really is something only a strongest Level Capper healer could have made. Besides, this is far better than those imported drinks that might as well be mild poisons!! I cant believe you!! Youre the one that said the caffeine does all the work. Those two continued arguing as they walked deeper into the Cave of Tears where they found the preparations well underway. The Sage, Sibyl, Meridiana, and Alice were all present. Beatrices broken rapier and its blade were lying on the ground and everyone stood in a circle around them. They had all brought their own weapons. The Sage drew her patchwork rapier, Sibyl put on the triple-jeweled circlet, and the palm-sized Fairies held pure gold in their hands. The Sage turned toward the new arrivals. ...Perfect timing. How about we get started? What should we do? The White Witch will keep this area clean from a sterilization and disinfection standpoint. The Fighter Priest will use a large obstacle to adjust the flow of air in the cave to adjust the temperature and humidity. Together, you should be able to construct a clean room for handling semiconductors. The Sage had mastered all Magic of all Elements, so she could do anything that Filinion or Armelina could. She did not because she had to focus on extracting and recovering the data on Beatrices broken rapier. Also... Boo Boo, you can be our record keeper. Beatrices survival hinges on her ability to Sign Out and safely return to Earth. She can easily repair her Shining Weapon or get a new one once back on Earth, but I want to provide as much support as possible just in case. Learn all of the steps here so we are prepared in case something happens at a later date. If something does go wrong, you would be the first to notice since you are always by her side. It was not over once they rescued her. So that she could keep going, they wanted to be prepared enough that they could easily handle the same situation again. If she repaired her Shining Weapon and kept using it, they would have to monitor it afterwards. If she replaced it with a new one, it could always be destroyed in the same way again. If something had happened once, it could always happen again. Human and Iberian Orc intelligence and brain capacity were fundamentally different. With the full use of his supercomputer-level brain, he would be able to respond to this situation on his own, even if he could not find the Sage or the Fairies. Creating that kind of insurance and leaving a possibility for the future removed some of the psychological pressure from Sibyl, Meridiana, and the others participating this time. It seemed like a simple thing, but it meant a lot. Just like with a tightrope walk, the greater the height and the more important the moment, the less of your normal skill you could draw out. Telling yourself to relax was not enough to actually relax. Including a guaranteed effect was like having a trump card. Boo Boo understood that. He did, but he still gently clenched his fists at not being any immediate use. He just wished his knowledge and skills could do something C anything C on the front line here. Armelina lightly elbowed him while changing her metal staff into a giant box and placing it in the cave passageway with a thud. Ive captured the flow of air. Ill alter the design to preserve the current stagnation and store air in the work area. Ive begun distribution as well. Sterilization and disinfection will take effect in 4, 3, 2, 1. Currently cleaning. Sterilization is holding at greater than 99.9%. You can begin at any time. The air seemed to cool down all of a sudden. The Sage placed her patchwork rapier on the ground and reached for Beatrices rapier lying parallel to it. She removed a few special screws that looked like snow crystals, opened the cushioning that was shaped something like a crab shell, and revealed a few thin plastic panels within. The ends were discolored and melted with exposed gold wiring in places. It was tricky work, but the Sages fingertips moved with perfect precision. This task would require the same delicacy as defusing a bomb. ...Found it. Sibyl. Yes. I am looking. The Royal Elf replied with a calm voice, but she had already shut her eyelids which were decorated with thin eyelashes. The three jewels in her circlet could be seen glowing palely in the darkness. She was likely revealing a different circuit diagram from what was simply on the surface. Fairies, to ensure mutual understanding, I will use the numbers derived from the circuit diagram on the cave walls: Focus on #3 and #8 and on #12 and #19. Connect those with gold thread without allowing it to touch anything else. Alice. Im on it! Meridiana produced gold thread thinner than a hair and Alice followed Sibyls instructions to connect the damaged wiring sticking out from the breaks in the circuit boards. In semiconductor factories, the wiring was printed using something like a sewing machine, but Alices arms rivaled that in speed. If the miniscule threads touched anything other than the terminal points in the air, it could cause a short and damage further data, but there was no hesitation in the movement of Alices fingers. She repaired the broken circuits by bridging the gaps according to Sibyls instructions. There was nothing the Sage could do until the hardware was complete. She would occasionally use a cotton swab to wipe sweat from the Fairies brows, but before too long, Sybil opened her eyes. She looked to her companion and spoke. The preparations are complete, Sage. It is your turn now. Understood. With the wiring complete, the Fairies used their clear bug wings to flutter away as the Sages fingers traced across the patchwork rapier lying on the ground. Immediately, several rectangular frames appeared in the darkness. During the Underworld battle, she had remotely accessed Beatrice and the others Shining Weapons without a wired connection in order to view the Screenshot photographs contained inside. The Holy Swordswoman had used a cable when connecting to Abyss, but the Sage had no such requirement. She could access the data with a wireless connection. If she could access it, she could boot up Beatrices broken rapier. Alice tilted her head while viewing the strings of alphanumeric text scrolling rapidly through the rectangular frames. Hmm? So is it working? Alice. Her sister, Meridiana, placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. At the same moment, the Sages eyebrows trembled slightly. ...What is this? That might have been the expected response from a normal person. But this did not bode well. A question from the Sages mouth and a situation she had not expected were enough to predict the beginning of a catastrophe. The alphanumeric text scrolling across the frames was unfamiliar to Boo Boo, Meridiana, and the others from Grounds Nir. No, it may have been just as incomprehensible to Filinion and Armelina from Earth. But Boo Boo noticed something odd as he viewed it. These were definitely strings of alphanumeric text, but there were some areas that only contained dots. And the amount of non-numeric and non-alphabetic characters was increasing. There were meaningless gaps in the scrolling data. The Sage clearly clicked her tongue. There had been an unspoken understanding among them. They only had one shot at this. If they did not succeed while morale was high, it would break them and they could never recover. Part 10 The Sage had said they would try everything available to them. But that implicitly said she did not know how to recover the lost data. They left the Cave of Tears without coming to any definitive conclusions. Could they save Beatrice or not? They had no guarantee. ... I-itll be okay, Boo Boo. Late at night, Filinion spoke gently to Boo Boo who was silently trudging back home below the cloudy sky. Were not out of time yet. We have a whole day left, so we have plenty of chances to turn this around. So itll be okay. Please dont let it get you down. Right... He wanted to believe her. Letting his negative thoughts trap him would be meaningless. It worried him endlessly that they had no actual plan. He knew that, but he could not stop the bad feeling growing inside him. He could tell he was being swallowed up by a large but invisible current. He sensed a coming loss. His spine tingled with that familiar sense that reminded him of when so much had been taken from him or destroyed. His head felt heavy. He felt a weight in his stomach. His tear ducts threatened to loosen if he let his guard down. He wanted to yell at the top of his lungs and just run around aimlessly. The one thing we know is that we cant fix this by doing nothing, said Armelina. This isnt the time to feel down, Boo Boo. We need to pull ourselves together even more than before. Were going to save Beatrice, right? So we dont have time for shock. We cant waste any time with the limit approaching. Yes. That was right. No matter what happened, the limit would approach all the same. If they did not want to simply wait for the coming disaster, they had to keep struggling no matter the situation. They were not fighting because they knew they could win. The burden on their shoulders was not so light that they could give up just because they were losing. They had to count themselves lucky for learning this so early on. They had to force themselves onto the next plan. They had not been faced with this information at the last second. They still had a day. Even if the end was guaranteed to arrive if they did nothing, they still had a whole day to work with. So it would be okay. Beatrice was not going to disappear immediately. If he returned to his leaf house, he would find Beatrice sleeping peacefully there. There was a definite existence there. So. So. So. ...Ill head home. Squeal, I need to refocus myself. Thats right. We still have tomorrow, so we dont need to waste that opportunity. Ha ha. Seeing Beatrices face will rid you of your worries. When youre afraid of some formless anxiety, nothing calms you like something with a definite form. The three of them discussed that on the way up the mountain to the leaf house. Boo Boo gradually regained his smile along the way. Then...then we still have a chance. Beatrice will still be okay. Squeal, I hope she gets better soon. I want to play with her. Ill show her how good Ive gotten at fishing! They were too na?ve. Beatrice was collapsed on the ground as if she had tried to drag herself out of the leaf house. Her limbs were convulsing slightly as she suffocated on the blood she had coughed up. Part 11 The next thing he knew, the sun was in the sky. Boo Boo could no longer remember what had happened in the meantime. Hey, whats going on!? Can damage to the autonomic nerves really do this much!? She didnt bite her tongue, did she? Beatrice, open your mouth. Hurry up and open it, you idiot!! If shes coughing up blood, does that mean she has internal bleeding? Did irregular movement of her diaphragm harm her lungs? No, is it a stress ulcer? Armelina, out of the way. I know what Recovery Potion she needs, so hold her jaw and keep her windpipe clear until Im finished administering it! Just dont let her suffocate!! Some fragmentary memories remained, but he was only really knew that he was glad Filinion and Armelina had been with him. He could not have done anything on his own. Without Filinions Recovery Potion and Armelinas first-aid skills, Beatrice might have lost her life right there. Why hadnt he considered it? If he left Beatrice on her own, who would look after her if her condition worsened? She could not rely on Abyss who could not move. If Boo Boo had been with her...or if he had asked Ileana, Wildefrau, or someone else to help, they could have prevented it from getting this bad in the first place. Uuuh... It had only been a small hurdle that anyone could have cleared. But foolish Boo Boo had not even considered it. He had been too na?ve. He had not taken the threat seriously. Owwwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! He hated it. He hated his own hopeless ignorance. It felt like the result of living such a carefree life. It was his punishment for wasting so much time and learning nothing. But if so, why wasnt the punishment directed at him? It was always like this for him. Only he survived while everyone he cared for collapsed around him. Why was the world like this? It was like unrelated people were sent to hell so that he would suffer. Deep in the forest, he shoved his forehead against a large boulder and shed large tears. It was not the time for this. They had less than a day left, so the time limit really was approaching. He knew that, but there was nothing else he could do. Then he heard the rustling of underbrush from behind him. You sure are making a racket this morning, Boo Boo. Well, I suppose that girl must be satisfied if you care for her this much. ...Sage? Anyone on the island could find you after you yelled like that. Ive more or less figured everything out, so Ill give you a report. That person who looked so much like Beatrice sat on a nearby stump and snapped her fingers. Sparks scattered like her fingers were made of flint and a rectangular frame of red light appeared in the air. After extracting the data from Beatrices Shining Weapon, I found that too much is damaged to recover it as-is. I told you that much in the cave last night. Is there...is there some other way of saving Beatrice? If so, please tell me! Ill do anything!! This was not the time for crying. He did not care if it made him stupid or foolish. If there was anything he could learn, he would do so. He approached the Sage as if grabbing at her, but she only calmly shook her head. No. Repairing the Shining Weapons personal authentication section is the only way to return Beatrice to Earth and save her. Then...? We will have to change our repair method. I had wanted to predict the contents of the blanks using the files immediately preceding and following them, but entire blocks are missing and that isnt feasible. The Sage raised a slender index finger covered in jointed metal. Beatrices Shining Weapon has entire blocks of data missing, so we have to find a way to fill those gaps. Since we cant rely on the surrounding data, we will need a different hint. What is it? Is this leading in a good direction or a bad direction? Just tell me that up front! Thats hard to say. There are a few different formats for a Shining Weapons contents, but Beatrice uses a customized version of a commercial model. That means it will be structured similar to the ones used by other people. The Sage opened a new frame and placed it behind the one filled with holes. That filled the holes in from behind. We compare Beatrices worm-eaten data with someone elses full set of data and then fill in what is missing. That should let us easily repair the full blocks of missing data. Th-then we can save Beatrice, right!? I dont have to worry about anything, right!? However. The Sage cut him off. The word filled his chest with an ominous feeling. ...This would require samples from more than just five or ten people. We would need to gather as many samples as possible to average them out and dilute them down into plain and average data that is something like an artificial organ that is compatible with anyone. Yes, my guess is it would take the Shining Weapons of more than 1000 people. Just getting help from her friends will not be enough here. ................................................................................................................................................................................................ Boo Boo silently stared in a certain direction. He did not need to check the map. He looked to the partially-repaired inn town where the humans gathered. It was a symbol of peace where celebrations continued now that the Red menace was gone. With no knowledge or skills, that was the only candidate Boo Boo could think of. Boo Boo, that would not be easy. But... This isnt about what they think of Beatrice. The Sage must have predicted several things from the moment she had seen the new repair method, so she rejected his idea. As you can see from her state, Shining Weapons are the strongest weapon and final lifeline of the humans visiting this world. Lose it, and they will slowly die, no matter how high their Level. No one will just lend you theirs if you ask. Giving you their Shining Weapon is like leaving their life in your hands. Yet they needed to see 1000 peoples Shining Weapons. And only the inn town had that many humans. ...If he could not expect their cooperation, what else could he do? Could he only sit around and wait for Beatrice to die? Could she not rely on anyone for help as she crawled along the ground and coughed up blood, even though a method had already been proposed? I will go to Earth, said the Sage. The corporations leisurely awaiting results on Earth may be more lax than the Level Cappers who feel at home on the front lines of this world and view their Shining Weapon as their partner. Since I dont have time to make a gradual approach while applying pressure, it will require a fairly reckless cyber-attack, but if it succeeds, I might be able to steal enough plans directly from the manufacturers servers. If it succeeds. Might. ...Not even the Sage could guarantee results. For the arrogant Sage, it was quite timid to consider the possibility that things would not go as planned. Boo Boo had seen Beatrice coughing up blood on the ground. He had to consider the possibility that it would not work. Boo Boo, I would like to make a suggestion. I wanted to leave this as a last resort, but we really are reaching that point. You know Wildefrau, that Water Element expert, right? Ill take my time on Earth to make sure I succeed, so there is something I want you to do here. ? You can set up some definite insurance for Beatrice. Part 12 He was unsteady on his feet. Boo Boo had failed to meet the basic requirement of procuring food, so he staggered back to the leaf house while holding his stomach which still did not feel any hunger. It was not enough. That was all he could think about: it was not enough. So he should have celebrated the reply the Sage had given him. It had made up for what Boo Boo lacked. The White Queen Filinion and Fighter Priest Armelina were gathered around the campfire doing something. Hey, glasses girl. Is this really edible? It looks like a giant booger. How dare you challenge my knowledge of the human body. And its not a booger!! Its just that including only the necessary nutrients isnt very satisfying, so just like with diet foods, I made it swell out in your stomach so you feel full. And the chocolate, yogurt, and strawberry flavors have my seal of approval. All thats missing is the patent submission. Ehh? For this giant booger solidified at the bottom of a pot? Fine, lets take this out back!! Must you ruin all of my efforts because your poor body development makes you view everything in a negative light!? As the glasses girl got all heated up, the police officer sighed, raised the wooden spatula she was using to stir the pot on the fire, and whacked the White Witch lightly on the forehead. Filinion screamed and rolled around on the ground. ...Squeal. What are you doing? Oh. I asked Filinion for some breakfast and she gave me this mystery space food, so were discussing what to do with it. Im pretty sure your reaction was overkill just now! That went far beyond channeling a domineering husband who overturns the tea table! Right!? The tearful glasses girl had not learned her lesson, so the police officer treated her to another spatula hit. An infinite loop was setting in, but Boo Boo entered the leaf house because he did not have time to watch. Beatrice was lying peacefully within. Who appeared in worse shape: her or Abyss lying deactivated next to her? Boo...Boo... Beatrice. He slowly bent his legs and sat by her pillow, intentionally suppressed the powerful emotion in his throat, and spoke in short sentences. It will be okay. We found a way to save you. So it will be okay. This time...this time for real. We really will save you. ... Theres nothing to worry about. The pain and suffering will be gone soon. This time tomorrow, youll be running around just fine. So rest easy and get to sleep. Everything will be solved when you wake up... She was lying on the floor in only underwear and a blanket and she looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. She breathed in and out and spoke in a scratchy voice. Did the Sage say something to you, Boo Boo? ... Thats it. Im going to punch her for putting that look on your face... No, Beatrice!! The Holy Swordswoman seriously tried to get up, so he quickly kept her on the ground. The difference between human and Iberian Orc strength did not matter here. Beatrice was so weak he was afraid just touching her would break her. After being almost forcibly knocked down, Beatrice looked up at Boo Boos face. You say itll be over if I go to sleep. So did she bring up Wildefrau? ... Im guessing the Sage suggested cold sleep. Well, it makes sense as a form of insurance in case you cant solve this within the time limit. With years or even decades to work, youre sure to find several solutions... Beatrice... Im sorry, Boo Boo. But I wont use that method. But...but! You cant just reject it because it was the Sages idea! If we have something we know will work, then...!! Ive already rejected a form of insurance that is guaranteed to work, Boo Boo. It wasnt cold sleep, though. Beatrice smiled thinly. Hey, Boo Boo. Cold sleep comes with its own risks. I assume the Sage explained those to you. Uuh... Yes, thats the reason for the sad look in your eyes. ...I want to punch her so bad. But...even so, I want to save you... The girl sighed. She could barely move, but she released an oddly warm breath as she got to the crux of the issue. Even if it means remaking me so that you are my greatest enemy? A large tremor ran through his body. He was unable to move for a while. Cold sleep sounds nice, but it requires a lot of adjustments. Its a delicate process where the slightest mistake would cost me my life. Beatrice looked this precious person in the eye. And even if you can prepare my body so I will survive, what about the other life forms? I bet my germs, gut flora, and immune system would be wiped out and reset. Once I woke up from my long sleep, I wouldnt be able to live in a normal environment. I wouldnt be able to touch you since you live in the forest. My immune system might recover after spending a long time on Earth, but it also might never recover. ... Ah ha ha. Is it confusing to talk about things that are too small to see? Regardless, I will not accept that. I feel chills at the mere thought of remaking myself so youre a deadly enemy. I dont know what the Sage told you with that thin smile on her face, but that isnt a gamble Im willing to make. Boo Boo had been told all that. It would not happen tomorrow or the day after that. That risk would occur if it took them years or decades to find a solution. ...But. Of course he was afraid. He was no longer alone. But that red-and-silver-haired girl had always been pulling on his hand at the center of that circle of people. The thought of losing Beatrice was even more painful than having his heart torn to shreds. But being something that would kill her would also make him sad. But I still want you to live. If you cant be with the person you love, you cant really call it living. I just want you to be happy, no matter what form that takes...!! If you really think that would be a happy fate, then youve let the Sage influence you. Maybe you need a harsh lecture... It might not be possible to solve this without losing anything. It might be necessary to give up something!! The slender girl was unfazed by the monsters shouting. In fact, she narrowed her eyes like a mother watching her child throw a tantrum. Listen, Boo Boo. The memories of our time together arent yours alone. ... If I have to give up something, then my life is of secondary importance. I will protect the time we spent together and the bonds we built. I will protect them and die. I dont care if its the Sage or you; I will not let anyone take away the right to be with the person I love... That is my dignity and my pride. I will never distort the Beatrice you took such good care of. If I had to view you with fear, then I wouldnt be me anymore... Then what were they supposed to do? Was there any way to extend the time limit without the cold sleep trick? Lets do what we can. Beatrice... Lets fight as hard as we can and accept the result. Lets settle this fair and square. Whether it succeeds or fails. I will remain true to myself to the end, so dont worry, Boo Boo. I wont go anywhere. Persuading her with words was simply not happening. She would never agree to give up on her current life and go elsewhere. Uuh. His vision blurred. Crying in front of that suffering girl would only worry her more. It was like telling her he had given up before even trying. But no matter how tightly he clenched his teeth, he could not remain calm. He was such a fool. He was so stupid, stupid, stupid and he could not forgive himself for letting this happen. Was he really so dumb that he did not realize he needed to learn as much as possible in the limited time remaining in the hopes of finding more cards to play? Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh...!! Ha ha. Theres no way I could leave behind a crybaby like you, Boo Boo... All the while, time was passing. The true sun was already at its peak, indicating that half of the day had gone by. Part 13 Boo Boo stood atop a hill. The humans who had come from the distant Earth had built up the inn town as a base for their Labyrinth exploration. Some scars remained from the Underworld battle, but it was still the most active part of the island. Many humans were gathered there, which in turn meant many Shining Weapons. Everything needed to save Beatrice would be there. ... But as he stood there, a dry sound reached his ears. A skeleton in a cowboy hat had walked up. It was Skull Wave who gathered the remains of the many people who had lost their lives in this world. You arent considering a very bad idea, are you? Boo. ...Hey, Skull Wave. Boo Boo continued staring into the distance. How does it feel to die? Couldnt tell you. Im really just an emulation of a dead persons personality. I was constructed after death, but I havent actually passed the point of death myself. And if secondhand information is good enough, you could get it from anyone. ... Were you going to accept her fate if I said it wasnt that bad? To be clear, thats not the real issue here. Boo Boo, this is your life. Instead of thinking about the person facing death, you should think about how youll feel being left behind. Beatrice says she would rather die than live on without me. Shes a strong girl. And you arent helping matters there, but thats not what anyone was talking about. The skeleton put his hands on his fleshless and skinless hips. Listen, the Underworld is no more. That means I control all the humans who died in Grounds Nir. ...? Im not saying Ill create an emulation of Beatrices personality. Look at it more simply. If she dies, her body will turn to bone and become a part of me. Shell be drawn to me and be known as Skull Wave. Would you be able to bear that? Boo Boo said nothing. But a clear pressure emanated from his giant body and that seemed to satisfy the cowboy hat skeleton. ...So you do understand. S-squeal? What do you mean? You dont want anything to take Beatrice from you, right? Even if thats fate and it cant be helped, you just cant accept it, can you? You managed to recover after your village was attacked and your entire family was killed, but this alone you cant bear. Even when you feel like having things taken from you is inevitable, there is a definite threshold when its just too much. So that feeling is real. And what in this world is more powerful than that? Even if the god in heaven has decreed it and even if shes given up on herself, why do you have to stand aside in the life you were given? Be honest with yourself. Be honest and youll know what it is you have to do. It was a dark feeling. It was muddy and unpleasant. To eat and to live. Boo Boo had rejected violence for any other purpose, so this feeling never should have existed in his heart. To hell with that, said Skull Wave. Whats wrong with this? The monster trembled in fear, thinking this was a result of the exhaustion that came rushing back now that he felt cornered, but Skull Wave laughed. He held the cowboy hat down with one hand and said it clearly. What could be wrong with a man falling in love with a woman? Time stopped. The confusing thing boiling inside him had been named and categorized, so he could finally begin processing it accordingly. Unable to bear the uncomfortable silence, the feeling raged around Boo Boos entire body but had no outlet. That was how love worked. If you could control the feeling, it would never be called love in the first place. Good and bad and all those concerns dont matter, said the being who existed beyond death. It doesnt matter if youre stupid, foolish, or lacking. As long as you have that inside you, youre standing at the top of the world. Youre a winner. Even if someone else tries to deny it, nothing was wasted on the way to gaining that. Not one thing. After all, theres no set path to reach it. Everyone has their own path and theyre all the most perfect answer for that person. ... I dont get it. I dont get it. I dont understand. Just a few seconds earlier, Boo Boo might have responded like that. Just as he had countless times before during his aimless days. But that had changed. He was no longer falling behind. He stood on the front line of the world. Are you afraid of losing her? Do you want to run wild when you even imagine the moment shes taken from you? Then think about what it is you really need to do. Im not talking about a haphazard rampage or emotional resignation. Everyone knows men are willing to throw away their own lives for love. So set aside whats possible and impossible, line up all the cards you have, and think about what you can do for the person you love. ... Im not talking about figuring out which card to choose. Have you divided them between those you can choose and those you cant? Then you already know some cards you couldnt choose. If you could have helped with her suffering but you pulled back your hand before even trying because the walls of reality got in the way, youll never forgive yourself. Now, lets shuffle them all together again. Lets lay them all out and view them all. ...What will you choose? Whatever you reached for now that youre feeling that anger is what you really want to do. Boo Boo sniffled his nose. He rubbed his eyes and looked to the human-filled inn town once more. Have you found what you really, truly want to do? Yes. Beatrice said to do what we can, but I know that isnt the right answer. It wouldnt satisfy anyone. He no longer had the look of a lost child. The light in his eyes did not waver. ...Ill try doing what I cant do. That has to be my right answer. Part 14 A low tremor ran through the ground. The people looked around in confusion and then spotted the abnormality. Boo... It was a pig-faced giant who stood nearly four meters tall. The gray Iberian Orc with incredibly powerful muscles was walking straight toward the inn town. The inn town acted as the humans base, but it was not surrounded by tall walls. There were exceptions like the Break News, but the humans trusted the firepower of their Magic enough to forego a wall. Instead of defending with shields, they eliminated threats with their weapons. That was the general policy concerning Nonhumans for the people who used and protected the inn town. And that Iberian Orc was not just a wild beast. You could say he had a criminal record. Even if he had been fighting to save Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina from Elkiads fierce attack, he had not been given a chance to explain the circumstances. At the time, Fairy Queen Sutriona had used her disaster-level power to leave the result unclear, but if he went out of his way to pick at that old wound, the humans would have little trouble piecing the memories back together. The festive mood vanished almost instantly. The town was still scarred by the Underworld battle and a panic filled it like someone had poked a hornets nest. Stop! Stop right there!! Trying to convince him his useless. Shouting will only get him worked up. Shield unit, to the front!! Once you stop him, well fire. Just follow your training. And if it comes to it, we can always use Recovery Magic as long as you dont die!! Thats the Dragon Eater. He can move a lot faster than you would think. Do not let your guard down and always keep him in your sights. Dont forget to use Curse homing!! He had yet to enter the inn town. He had not done anything, but so many Shining Weapons were already aimed at him. Shining Weapons. He needed as many of those as possible to protect someone he cared for. I want to save Beatrice... How much courage had it taken to force out those words? He had always kept his distance even during the festivals that had looked like so much fun, but he had broken his own policy to approach these strangers and bow his head. Just how madly had that choice made his heart pound in his chest? Please help me!! It doesnt have to be for long, but I need to see your Shining Weapons. Thats all I need to save someone important to me!! Naturally, there was no response. Several lightning-like flashes of light approached from dead ahead. This was warning Magic that had no destructive power behind it. The intense light was only meant to blind the target and the real attack would come from the fully-equipped knights who held shields so large they could hide their entire body behind it. The shield unit charged forward in a row to form a single wall. They used the slight time available to approach their target. Of course, blinding an Iberian Orc was not enough to stop him from fighting. With his ears and nose, he had plenty of other senses to use. If he swung around the thick Shining Weapon hanging from his hip, he could take out all of the approaching knights in a single blow. But he did not. He suppressed the fear and clenched his teeth while allowing the several large shields to charge straight toward him. He ignored them and raised his voice. I was told how important Shining Weapons are for humans!! I was told giving them to someone is like giving that person your life. I was told no one would lend theirs to me if I asked!! So I wont just ask. Ill risk my life to earn your trust! Ill show you its safe to let me see them and that I wont take your lives!! So-...!! His words were cut off early. Even large shields could be used for fierce attacks if the wielder hit the target with the corner. But the shield unit was only meant to hold him in place. The real attack was a barrage from behind them. With an explosive boom, a giant ball of flames slammed into Boo Boo between the eyes. Even the powerful muscles of an Iberian Orc could only do so much if he did not dodge at all. His head wobbled. He desperately tried to hold onto his consciousness and blood flowing from his split forehead covered his right eye. He had lost half his field of vision, but he still shouted. Help her. Please help Beatrice!!!!!! A second and third attack mercilessly flew his way. The shield unit gathered around him was blown away in some friendly fire as the major Magic techniques continually shook Boo Boos giant body. His thick skin was torn away and his blood sprayed out. ...Fighting and stealing the Shining Weapons may have been an option. But Boo Boo had not chosen that route. Even if all those sacrifices saved Beatrice, she still had a life to live afterwards. He could not let her future be crushed by grudges and regret. Beatrice had said her life was of secondary importance. Boo Boo felt the same. If he could give her a bright future, he was willing to sacrifice his own life. ...Your...Shining...Weapons... The explosive roars continued on and on. More and more major attacks were fired at him, the firing squad began to breathe heavily from the psychological burden, a rusty flavor spread through his mouth, and yet Boo Boo still got the words out. Lend me your Shining Weapons...just for a little while. I swear...I will bring them...back... There was a tremor. He had finally reached his limit. ...Save... His words trailed off. The monsters giant body toppled forward. ...Beatri... Meanwhile, the palm-sized Fairy Meridiana grew pale and shouted while she watched from afar. L-Lady Sutriona!! Boo Boo is...hurry...do something...ahh...you only have to distract...just draw the humans attention elsewhere!! Wait. The Break News spoke that one word with an exasperated sigh. While I do need to punch that bony bastard later, this is the obstacle Boo Boo set up for himself. So he has to overcome it himself. Reach out a helping hand here and it will only cause his heart to rot. This isnt about that psychological stuff!! None of that matters if hes killed right here and now!! I wouldnt be so sure about that. Sutriona was right. After the gray monster collapsed face down, the person who had fired that final shot actually looked confused while wiping sweat from their chin. The inexperienced rookies were celebrating, but the veteran Level Cappers could tell something was not right. If he was that tough, he could have charged straight through their barrage and reached them. Each of their powerful attacks took time to activate, so they were done for if he got close. And yet he had stayed in one place. He had wasted his opportunity. He had never drawn the Shining Weapon at his hip and he had continued rambling. It was said a drowning man would grasp at straws, but did this monster not have that biological instinct? It should not have been possible to not draw your weapon when faced with certain death, so everyone who had seen that impossible courage felt a tremor run down their spin, like they had seen someone commit suicide in only the water in a wash basin. No one delivered a finishing blow. It would be hard to find a part of him that was not wet with blood. They could not even tell if he was still breathing. But for some reason, no one approached even after he had collapsed defenseless onto the ground. No one thought about discarding his corpse in some more distant location. It was a small island, but the rules of survival of the fittest still applied outside the inn town. Since this animal could no longer stand under his own power, did they assume some other beast would take care of the cleanup for them? No. Perhaps they simply did not want to end it. Perhaps they wanted to see what would happen next. ... One of the people who had formed the impromptu shield unit remained in place without speaking a word. He was a man known as the Pure Knight. He stood there a while staring at the bloody beast. Whats with you? Its over, aint it? Lets get back and get drunk again. Even when some others wielding large shields called out to him, the Pure Knight did not move. He was of much lower rank. Even after a frank comment from someone with a clear position in the hierarchy, he ignored them and stayed put. He felt a slight prickle of guilt. This monster had been faced by such hostility. The Pure Knight wondered what the monster had been trying to accomplish. Unless it was a diversion of some kind, there was no good reason to suicidally take it all head on. And even if it had been a diversion, there would have been no reason not to use the Shining Weapon at his hip. Could there really have been nothing more to it? He had said he wanted to borrow everyones Shining Weapons to rescue Beatrice. That made no sense whatsoever, but was that really all there was to it? What is it? Looking for some way to profit from this? Or do you want his head as a trophy? This damn pig is wearing a Shining Weapon like he thinks hes human. Heh heh heh. I wonder how many gears Id get if I sold that thing at the pawn shop. There was a loud sound of metal on metal. Not even the Pure Knight knew why he had punched his friend in the face. Part 15 Boo Boo. The Iberian Orc slowly opened his eyes when he heard his name. His surroundings had already grown dark. And with the unchanged moon behind her, Vampire Kallikantzaros peered down at his face with her short but curvy body dressed in a red negligee and night cap. ...What a shame. If you had taken just a little longer to wake, I would have had an excuse to sink my fangs into you. It was unclear how serious she was about that. For some reason, the small girl was seated on a simple cart made of wood. When injured Boo Boo sat up, he realized he was in the location of the previous conflict. And there was something odd there: swords, spears, axes, bows, clubs, hammers, whips, staffs, and shields. All the different weapons and armor that humans used formed a pile larger than Boo Boo himself. They were Shining Weapons. Those were the control devices for the technological system known as Magic. Leaving these with someone in this foreign world should have been the same as leaving your life in their hands. Why are these here...? I do not know what happened during the day, said the blonde girl in a red negligee who sat on the cart presumably prepared to transport the Shining Weapons. But it seems Demon Lord Tselika did something behind the scenes. That toxic woman is apparently worshiped like a god by a portion of a group on their Earth...Over the Wall, was it called? The power balance on Earth is directly linked to that of the inn town. If she is worshiped by a secret society that manipulates Earth from behind the scenes, then she can also control what is seen as right and wrong in the inn town. She laid the groundwork needed to control the majority. ??? ...Still, that means she managed to get them to cooperate after they attacked you so much while you were defenseless. She gave an extra push to the ones she could trust after they were already shaken by what had happened. Almost like a psychological pincer attack. To the ones affected, it probably felt like a twinge of guilt. ...That toxic woman really is a Demon Lord to the core. A certain queen I know almost looks cute in comparison. Squ-squeal... Im not sure what youre saying C cough C but you think Sutriona is cute? Bfff!? Wh-wh-what would possess you to reach that conclusion!? Who would...who would ever like her!? Cough, cough!! The Vampire blushed bright red and shouted angrily, so Boo Boo ignored her and looked to the pile of Shining Weapons. He had cleared the impossible task the Sage had left him with. Now they could finally fix Beatrices Shining Weapon and get her back to Earth. Then Beatrice would not have to suffer any longer. It was in sight. It was coming down to the wire, but it was in sight. Now, a question concerning what comes next. Like I said, Tselika possesses great power on Earth by controlling a portion of Over the Wall. There was one thing she did not have the answer to when I contacted her, so I want your opinion too, Boo Boo. Given what I have heard, you were likely the last one to see her. ? Where is the Sage? That symbol of death spoke clearly. Boo Boo had finally started to see hope, but her words seemed to indicate a depthless darkness. Not even Tselikas information network can find her. That may not be too surprising for the Sage, but where on Earth did she disappear to? And just to be sure, she will return before the time limit, wont she? Part 16 The wooden wheels groaned as they rolled up the mountain. Boo Boo pulled the cart full of Shining Weapons back to his house on the slope. The Cave of Tears was also Tselikas treasure trove. If that white Demon Lord did not know the answer, then the only other possibility was here. But there was no sign of her. There was no campfire lit and the tent-like leaf house was wrapped in silence. ... It was hopeless now. It had all crumbled around him. ...The Sage had left for Earth after suggesting they put Beatrice in cold sleep. She may have intended to ignore the time limit and take her time. If so, the misunderstanding was partially Boo Boos fault. He had failed to change the Sages mind or Beatrices mind, so he had ended up just wandering around meaninglessly. If he had shown more courage then, this crucial branch may have occurred sooner. Struggling against the current of destruction was useless after it already had you in its grasp. Why...? He felt truly hopeless. He could only sniffle and cry as he leaned on the handle used to pull the cart. ...Why!!!??? There was no invisible destiny. There was no cruel god. No matter how much he burned with regret and trembled, this was who he was. It had been the same with the attack on his village. It had all happened without his knowledge and it had been over by the time he noticed. The final decision had been made long, long before he realized what was happening. It was always like that. Was it simply his fate to have things taken from him and destroyed? It was his fault for not taking action to prevent it before it happened. He cursed how slow he was. He could not forgive his mind for never being able to keep up. He could not come to a stop, but he had nowhere to go either. He simply followed his homing instinct and trudged back to his tent-like home made from large leaves. It remained the same. Beatrice was sleeping in her underwear and a blanket as she waited for the time limit which was not provided as an obvious number. There was no convenient change. What...is it, Boo Boo? Beatrice... He had no idea what look he had on his face. He simply clung to her and failed to hide the shaking of his voice. Itll be okay. He said it. He had no choice but to say it. Look, I spoke with everyone at the inn town and they all lent me the Shining Weapons that are more important than their lives. So everything will be okay. The Sage will take care of it now. Theres nothing to worry about. Youll definitely get better now. That solution was no longer viable. Due to a tiny misunderstanding, they had no idea where the Sage was. Boo Boo was scared. He was known as the Dragon Eater, but he was utterly terrified. Theres nothing I can do. I tried everything I could think of, but it wasnt enough. His entire body was wrapped in the vague terror that speaking those words would make them true. Yes... Beatrice could not even sit up, but she smiled a bit while lying down. Im really glad. ...Beatrice. Youve gained the courage to speak with other humans, havent you? Look how beat up you are. It couldnt have been easy. But Im really glad that youve made that kind of progress. Beatrice? ...This way you wont be lonely without me. Boo...Boo... She was smiling. Her head wobbled a bit with that fleeting smile on her face. And then her brief period of consciousness faded. Almost like this was her natural state. ...Of course I will be. Finally. Boo Boo bit his lip and spoke. Of course I will be. Once he started, he could not stop. Some kind of dam may have broken inside him. Of course Ill be lonely!! I dont want anyone else!! It has to be you, Beatrice! No one else can replace you!! I...I... There was no one to respond. He had carved a symbol into 1000 trees, he had gathered all those people who were smarter than him, and he had convinced everyone from the inn town to leave their Shining Weapons with him. And yet. Cruel reality still insisted on taking everything from him. He could only shout and yell. He could only gather all his strength to lament how unfair it was. I like you best. It has to be you smiling there!! And. Just then. ...? He suddenly raised his head. A faint light was flashing. It was inside the same leaf tent. And he was pretty sure it had not been there before. The red light was small, but it was unstable. It may have been a fire. Beatrice could not protect herself right now, so her life would be at risk if a lamp fell over and started a fire. However, what he found was not at all what he had expected. It was not a lamp full of oil. The light came from Ultimate Weapon Abyss who had supposedly been deactivated next to Beatrice. A red triangular symbol was appearing and disappearing below her chest. It may have been some kind of warning. The lines on her black, skintight clothing also turned red. Abyss...? It happened as soon as he spoke her name. He could not take his eyes off of the flashing red light. It had the same rhythm as the beating of his heart. No, the light may not have actually existed. A voice reached his brain while he stared at the red warning triangle that seemed burned directly into the back of his mind. Abyss// I must apologize. I had calculated this would happen from the beginning. He could not fight it. He could not move a single finger. Boo Boo did not know that Beatrice, Filinion, and Armelina had once used a virtual reality to experience the end of the world in advance, so he did not know that Abyss was capable of linking directly to living brains. Abyss// I had hoped I was wrong, but it seems I expected too much from the worlds kindness. Abyss// This will be a difficult topic. Abyss// Boo Boo, do you wish to save Beatrice? If theres a way... A straining sound came from all the muscles in his body. He was still being controlled in some way, but the pig-faced giant still slowly but surely nodded his large head. ...If theres a convenient way of doing that, then Ill do anything! Abyss// It is a horrible and very cruel thing. Abyss// You will be unable to see the world after she has been saved. Abyss// Knowing that, do you still wish to save her? That went without saying. The ultimate weapon took his silence for an answer and continued on. Abyss// If you cannot fix Beatrices Shining Weapon, you must provide her with a new one. Abyss// You have always been able to do that. Abyss// That weapon at your hip is a Shining Weapon. Abyss// You will create a new settings profile for that free Shining Weapon that no one is using. Boo Boo did not understand the details of the technology, but he had a question. He was pretty sure the Sage had said that was not possible. But there was no hesitation in Abysss voice. Abyss// The fact that you can hear me is proof that you are qualified. ...Qualified? Abyss// Normally, contacting me requires a high-level data terminal such as a Shining Weapon. Abyss// However, you are accessing me with nothing of the sort. Abyss// How did you determine I was attempting to commit suicide in the Labyrinths central shaft? Abyss// How did you know the method of dueling Disaster who was created from dead flesh? Abyss// How did you sense the sadness of the Underworld Lord who used artificial signals to control a vessel of flesh? Abyss// No words were necessary. Abyss// You possess the power to directly control faint electric currents. Abyss// You are equipped with that function. There was no way this explanation would feel real to him. At any rate, Abyss was smarter than him and was giving him her guarantee. That was all he understood. Abyss// In the simulation, the other Iberian Orcs predicted a lightning strike. Abyss// How did the souls in the Shining Weapon take control of your body? Abyss// Did you sense an odd crackling feeling when the artificial atmospheric barrier was destroyed? Abyss// Everything that happened was meaningful. Boo Boo had no way of knowing, but the Red Iberian Orcs had attempted to use their supercomputer-level brains to perform calculations equivalent to a Shining Weapon so they could hack the Gates and invade Earth. But simply performing the calculations in their head was not enough. If they could not exchange actual signals, they could not control the Gates. Abyss// This was probably originally part of their role as a secret weapon against me. Abyss// The Iberian Orcs absorbed the strong points of many lifeforms in order to battle me. Abyss// I can only assume one of those lifeforms was some kind of electric fish that could produce electricity. Abyss// Although I do not know if it was meant to understand the electricity that controls me or if it was meant to directly destroy me. Even after being told this, Boo Boo did not suddenly know how to control it. It was possible no one knew. Iberian Orcs controlled each of their own powerful muscle fibers to avoid destroying themselves, but this may have been the greatest of secret techniques even for them. Abyss// You only need to hold that free Shining Weapon and strongly will it to be. Abyss// You need to register Beatrice as its owner. Abyss// You can solve this by taking the image of Beatrice in your head and sending it into the Shining Weapon. Abyss// After observing her from close by for so long, you should be able to do this. But that could not be all it was. Abyss had said at the beginning that he would be unable to see the world after Beatrice had been saved. Abyss// The electric fish is just one possibility that was ultimately rejected and faded away. Abyss// You only possess the degenerated bud and your body is not specialized for its use. Abyss// If you forcibly use that power, your body will be exposed to the electric current you yourself create. Abyss// The fate of a High Voltage Eel with no way of allowing its electricity to escape is clear as day. Abyss// Thus, this is a double-edged sword. Abyss// You will destroy your own body. Abyss// That sacrifice is the only way to save Beatrice. There was a way to save her. If Boo Boo made that decision. Knowing and not knowing were two very different things. A drowning man would grasp at straws. ... He thought about what this meant. But Boo Boo softly smiled. Abyss// I am sorry. For some reason, she apologized. And a moment later, he was freed from her bonds. There was no more light coming from Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Not even Boo Boo himself knew whether she had really been glowing or if it had been an illusion only he could see. Her voice no longer filled his head. Its okay... This was all he said. You have nothing to apologize for. I am very grateful. He had no time. Now was not the time to tremble and hesitate. He had a way to save Beatrice. He slowly breathed in and then drew the Shining Weapon which looked like a log or a steel beam. Boo...Boo...? He heard a voice. He finally understood why Abyss had apologized. The girls consciousness had been rising and falling, and it had just risen once more. He did not know if Beatrice had heard the voice he had heard in his head, but Boo Boos words had been spoken aloud normally. That was only a fragment of the conversation, but she may have sensed something ominous about it. Theres nothing to worry about now. He smiled. This time I really will save you. So you dont need to tremble in pain any longer... Beatrice slowly shook her head. She may have gathered all of her remaining strength to tell him she did not want that. He already knew that, but he did not listen. He would remain true to himself to the end, just as she had. He would use his own strength to race to the finish line in order to protect something more important to him than his own life. He had made that decision. Skull Wave had revealed that this feeling was love. He started to say so, but he gulped and fell silent. It only mattered that he knew it. He had not embraced this feeling in order to indulge in something and worry over it. So he swallowed the words. He trampled and crushed the small feeling growing inside him and took the last step. He would save her. He would save the life of the person he cared for more than anyone else in the world. Was this a small miracle? Or was it an act of the devil? With the giant Shining Weapons grip in both hands, Boo Boo held it vertically, pressed his forehead against the striking portion, and shouted from the bottom of his gut. Once he started, it did not take long. It seemed to pour down. Something shot from the top of his head to the bottom of his butt. Several strange bluish-white flashes filled the leaf house and he sensed the unpleasant smell of his own flesh frying. He had no way of checking on his own condition. His entire vision had whited out. Each of his organs wriggled on its own and moved so violently he thought he was being torn apart from skin to core. He felt no pain. His muscles would not stop convulsing. He could not even tell if he was breathing. His heart pounded irregularly and his mind seemed to be falling apart. When a piece fell away, he could not remember what it was no matter how hard he tried. No, he may not have been able to even try to remember. What was being destroyed: his muscle fibers, his ganglia, his skeleton, his organs, his heart, his life? He felt so horribly impatient, but he still focused his mind so very strongly on the image of that most important person. That became the only pillar of his world. He was already on the verge of forgetting his initial goal. Before he lost sight of everything, he had to fill the giant Shining Weapon with that girls smile which remained in the core of his soul. He heard some kind of phantom noise. He felt a pressure like there was something on the other side of the raised Shining Weapon that resembled a log or steel beam. It was a quadrupedal beast, a giant scaly fish, and a monstrous bird that ruled the skies with its wings. It transformed again and again to show all the lifeforms the Iberian Orcs had incorporated into their genetic line and it spoke with a voiceless voice. The meaning of the words did not reach him, but the emotion contained within vividly pierced him. Stop. Turn back. That may have been the thick pillar that supported his life. All lifeforms literally were forms of life. Life came first and foremost. He could not overcome the will to use his own power to keep living. Being the strongest may have made that pressure to live even stronger. The drive that had served him well during his previous battles was now working against him. But. Even so. He sensed some faint presences outside the tent-like leaf house. There were more than a thousand presences there. Boo Boo quickly realized those were the Shining Weapons the humans at the inn town had lent him. They had listened to his request and lent him that power so that Beatrice could live. He was currently connected to the Shining Weapon that resembled a log or steel beam. So why would he be unable to connect to the others? I wont stop... He tore apart the idea of being strongest as an individual. He was no longer alone and he could continue on with everyones help! I will protect her. Thats the path I chose! This...this decision is the strongest thing I can think of!! He would die. He knew that. But that was why he wished so hard to fill the Shining Weapon with the image, smile, and wonders of the person he cared for most. If he did that, he could leave something behind. Just like a flower scattering to drop its fruit. He would not become nothing. He was not afraid. He filled it in. He filled in that blank space. After seeing beyond the strongest that supported him, there was nothing left inside Boo Boo. His head wobbled and it would never rise back up. His powerful bones and muscles were no help at all with supporting his weight. As he collapsed backwards, he could not even think of a reason why he needed to keep his balance. His entire body had been fried. It was over. The shouting sounded different now. His throat had long since forgotten how to vibrate, so it probably now came from the girl lying on the floor. But he felt no fear. He did not understand why he was hearing that shrill cry. If he collapsed, it would be over. It would shatter the remaining shreds of his mind. He knew that, but he did not fight it. He no longer had the strength to fight it. But. However. Just before he completely collapsed, he looked to the girl whose face was crumpled up like a bawling child and he smiled ever so slightly. He could not remember why he was smiling. But in the moment he truly vanished from the world, a string of sounds he did not understand spilled from his mouth: Itll be okay now. Part 17 It was a small enough island for humans to walk the perimeter in three days. With the scenic land and sea, it was a calm but never boring place. A single form walked there. That Holy Swordswoman had distinctive red and silver hair, red armor, and a white miniskirt. However, she did not wear her usual rapier at her hip. Instead, she carried something on her back that was large enough to mistake for a log or steel beam. The blunt weapon was clearly too large for her, but there was no pain on her face. ...She had wondered what the best place would be. She had looked at a number of different spots, but there had always been only one real answer. It was a small hill partway up a mountain. He had always stood in that spot that overlooked the inn town the humans used as a base. There was a quiet sound there. The girl had stabbed the tip of a large shovel into the ground. Oh, Beatrice? Should you really be out and about so soon? That question came from White Witch Filinion, the girls friend. The Holy Swordswoman did not remove the tip of the shovel from the ground as she dragged it along the hill. I wanted to come to Grounds Nir and see how much I had recovered. ...Not that. Are you okay? The Fighter Priest held another shovel and she had a strange mixture of worry and exasperation in her voice. The girls movement nearly stopped, but in the end, the red-armored Holy Swordswoman drew the line to the very end. Of course Im not okay. She looked back at the lines she had drawn in the ground. It was a large, large rectangle capable of containing a nearly-4m form. ...But I have to do this. I have to look after him and see him off. Once that was decided, the rest did not take long. The sounds of digging continued for a while. Thanks to the Percentage-type Magic that took the form of the clothing they wore, they had the strength of construction equipment, so they quickly constructed a rectangle made of artificial straight lines not seen in nature. It doesnt just end with death... She seemed to reflect on each word individually. No one knew what was in that girls heart as she dug that large hole. Filinion and Armelina had stood by her side and fought back-to-back with her, but not even they could be certain. At times, shaking your head and saying you did not know was the greatest form of compassion. And Holy Swordswoman Beatrice said one last thing. Because Boo Boo told me to keep on living. Volume 6, Epilogue: Welcome to a Blessed Time Volume 6, Epilogue: Welcome to a Blessed Time That creature was small and round like a stuffed animal. He swung his short arms and legs to walk through the forest. Normally, he may not have tried to go so far away from the village, but today was different. He had heard happy-sounding voices further out, so he had walked toward them. When he finally saw who the voices belonged to, that gray pig-faced creature jumped. (Squeal!? Humans!!) Humans were scary. They would sometimes throw stones at him while he walked through the forest. Everyone at the village told him they did that because they were afraid of him, not because they hated him, but it was still not a good feeling. He suddenly realized he was pretty deep inside the forest. He wanted to run straight back the village, but if the humans followed him, he would be telling them where the village was. That would cause trouble for everyone else. But he was still scared. While running back and forth trying to figure out what to do, a loud sound rang out. His large head had run smack into a tree trunk. He collapsed backwards. The sudden shock initially just confused him, but then pain began spreading through him like normal. S-squeal... Finally, large tears welled up in his eyes. He knew he should not cry, but he could not escape the urge. And. Just then, someone softly pressed a finger to that small round creatures forehead. Its okay. He heard a gentle female voice. You have a small bump, but thats all. Ill get rid of the pain. Strangely, the pain really did fade away. But he found it much odder that this presumably human person did not throw stones at him as soon as she saw him. He was not used to being treated kindly. The stuffed animal blinked his eyes and the girl in red armor and a white miniskirt giggled. See, youre okay now. Boys shouldnt cry. Squeal... With a befuddled look, he swung his stubby arms and legs around and got up. He found the urge to cry had vanished. Being with this girl felt kind of nice. But that was why it scared him. What if her behavior changed and she suddenly attacked him? He might have to fight back against this kind-seeming person, and that would make him sad. You dont have to be so wary. I wont do anything to you. Really? You wont yell or hit me? I swear I wont. She did not seem to be lying. So the small and round child gathered his resolve. He decided to take just one step forward. Okay. Then Ill be your friend! I can be friends with you!! A change came over the red-armored and white-miniskirted girls face when she heard that. It was strange how her eyes could look so sad even as she smiled. A voice called toward them from the distance. It was the humans from before. But unlike the round gray creature, the girl did not tense her body and she casually waved back at them. There really isnt anything to worry about. Thats White Witch Filinion and thats Fighter Priest Armelina. Ill introduce you to a lot of other people too. Hee hee hee. Ill show you that humans arent that bad. Squeal? By the way, whats your name??? And. The girl looked back toward him while carrying a giant Shining Weapon on her back. It resembled a log or a steel beam. That girl with distinctive red and silver hair was definitely smiling as she answered. Im Holy Swordswoman Beatrice. Its a pleasure to meet you, boy. Today, those girls were on their way to Grounds Nirs Labyrinth like usual. She stood in that foreign world with the life he had given her. Volume 6, Afterword Volume 6, Afterword If you bought one volume at a time, welcome back. If you bought all six at once, welcome. This is Kamachi Kazuma. Boo Boo has reached its 6th volume too. The final obstacle has finally shown itself. The enemy this time was the Iberian Orcs. Their powerful bodies functioned as a great advantage for the protagonists since the very first volume, but now they are appearing en masse as enemies. I tried to include all the settings, characters, and gadgets that had appeared before. I hope I made use of what I had built up. What is strength? With the title what it is, I made some twists to that concept and then approached the theme anew here. I tried to fill the manuscript with depictions of many different kinds of strength: in combat, as a person, in facing someone you love, and so on. Chapter 4 (which was not included in the table of contents) is the most striking example because I took a hard turn from the previous three chapters so I could present something that surpassed simple physical strength. What did you think of Boo Boos and Beatrices choices? Whether it is good or evil, I think the true strongest is something that does not allow external factors to determine its actions and that can turn white into black or black into white. If you look back at their actions with that in mind, you might see things from a different angle. We are talking about something that creates a happy ending on its own terms and forces things to be a happy ending no matter how much harm is done. If I have a chance to do a self-crossover, would he be rebuked or would he do the rebuking? Ive made another character that would be fun to have in a clash between the different protagonists. For the entire Boo Boo series, I had decided to just do what I wanted without worrying about the power inflation. What kind of drama could be found when a true strongest clashed with another one? That is a part of the reason there were so many terms that point to a strongest being: the Level Cappers, the Break News, a Demon Lord, the Sage, the ultimate weapon, a Cold War hero, the Underworld Lord, the three royal families, and the Iberian Orcs. Instead of finding a new theme with each volume, I let the power inflation continue to rise with more types of strongest in each new volume. That sounds simple, but would be impossible with the normal battle story logic. And attempting something outside the norm is a lot of fun. Even with so many different strongests divided into their own categories, it isnt normal to not have a clear hierarchy where one of them stands at the absolute peak. Also, most of the main characters from Earth went by their handle names and did not have their real names revealed. I personally liked the odd gap of placing the Thousand Dragon and Sutriona in the same category of monster, but what was your favorite strongest? You can always have your story feature multiple heroines as something of a carpet bombing to ensure everyone will like one of them, but this was a test to include multiple strongests to see what kind of catharsis tugs at your heartstrings. I hope you found at least one strongest that was perfect for you. There were so many strongests roaming that world, but I also wanted the setting itself to be relatively carefree. Of course, that was partially because I wanted that idyllic landscape to hide the secrets related to Abyss and Grounds Nirs name hidden at the bottom of the Labyrinth, but it had more to do with the strong impression of the characters themselves. From the beginning, I had the idea of the Break News that cause disasters and create battlefields wherever they go, so I thought of them as a part of the landscape. If you have a 1000m dragon flying around the sky and causing downpours, things will seem strange enough already. Also, as the series went on, I secretly upgraded Boo Boos cooking and I intentionally worked the costumes into the plot starting with the second volume. Making those little themes for myself really sticks out to me. For Blood-Sign, I created an entire special language to create a difference between Earth and the other world, but I focused on a special ecosystem for this series. That said, the names were decided by the humans who visited that other world, so some things seem a bit mismatched. ...I think thats just how it is for adventurers who irresponsibly set foot in a foreign land, but what did all of you think? I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, Kishigami-san, Mitera-san, and Yamamoto-san. I decided to try my hand at fantasy because I thought it would look exciting, but once I got started, I realized it had to be an incredible burden on the illustrator!! To be honest, my guess is there were a lot of characters and Shining Weapons that would have been difficult for the readers to picture without the illustrations. Thank you so very much for supporting the Boo Boo world which included just about everything: humans, nonhumans, and machines. I think the most incredible part was that piglet Boo Boo was actually cute. Even though hes a pig. Again, hes a pig, but the visual was cute enough that you could see why Beatrice fell for him. I can only say that Im in awe. And I give my thanks to the readers. This series was about the charm of the word strongest, but I hope you all had a chance to rethink that topic. A strongest that has grown in only one direction is a somehow twisted thing. And even if that strongest covers every direction, having no weaknesses will also make you twisted. If you were immersed in that double-edged sword of strange charm and risk, then I could ask for nothing more. And I will end this here. Abyss died in her debut volume. She supposedly died...but shes done a hell of a lot since!! -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 6, Ending Volume 6, Ending Abyss// Have all of the questions truly been resolved? Abyss// Did you think this was the best possible conclusion? Volume 7, Prologue: Ultimate Weapon Abyss’s Ending Hack! Volume 7, Prologue: Ultimate Weapon Abysss Ending Hack! That small hill had no name. It had been the favorite place of a certain Iberian Orc. He had often viewed the humans inn town from there. There was one slight change from then. There was now a slight sign of human intervention at the base of the large tree. Someone had dug up the dirt. They must not have been interested in providing a religious message. The only thing marking the spot was a roughly hewn log about as thick as a human arm sticking up out of the center of a slight mound. If you looked closely, you might have noticed that a rectangle 4m long and 2m wide had been dug up and then filled back in with an egg-shaped mound in the center. This hill had been someones favorite place. But that nearly-4m pig-faced giant was no longer standing here. Because he was instead sleeping below the dirt. Abyss// I will not allow it to end here. Abyss// Now, let us review the answers. Volume 7, 1: A New Dragon Eater Volume 7, Chapter 1: A New Dragon Eater Part 1 The humans had built a base for themselves in the world of Grounds Nir. They called it the inn town. The town was only a temporary place built from the necessities people needed for their lives and to prepare for their adventures. For better or for worse, it was a stateless place. All of the humans from Earth gathered in this one place to explore the Labyrinth and their ideas of a fantasy world differed. Those people are so wrong. The girls clothing had some minor changes from new equipment meant to boost their Parameters. Inside a pub with an inn plopped on top like a second scoop of ice cream, White Witch Philinnion, a young woman with glasses and fluffy blonde hair, was already complaining in the middle of the day. All of her clothing was white, from her pointed witchs hat and split cape to the sweater that contained large boobs squeezed between her suspenders, but she had no issue with twirling some spaghetti and meat sauce on her fork. We gather up whatever we need and the result can look strange when we try to reproduce something from Earth using Grounds Nirs materials. I get that. But what is with those people!? Are they obsessed with nostalgia or are they fundamentalists of some sort? I dont even know what to call them and Im not interested in finding out, but they need to shut up about how no one bathed or used detergent to wash their dishes during the real middle ages!! We didnt come to this world to use it as a giant ren faire, so quit trying to force that gross stuff on the rest of us! A complete stranger started taking issue with my glasses!! Slurp, slurp. Slurrrrrrp? And, Hermelina, why are you eating like that while staring in shock!? Philinnion bristled and shouted, but the Fighter Priest with short green hair and a priests robe with a tight skirt (and a boob window despite her flatness) did not seem bothered. Because youre supposed to slurp curry udon, silly. Its splattering everywhere. Im working so hard to stay clean with this meat sauce, but here I am getting hit by tons of stray shots from across the table! Slurp. Hey, barkeep! Get me another cold barley tea. The curry here has too harsh a spiciness, so you need to mix it with a little more mentsuyu! If all this is allowed, why do I have to be accosted by those sweaty freaks out on the side of the road? Am I just producing too many sexy pheromones??? Dont get your panties in a bunch over their nonsense. Were talking about those outdoor sh*tting enthusiasts that dont even care about going on adventures, right? Nothing those freaks say about you while taking a dump on the side of the road can change a thing about what the world at large thinks, so dont let it bother you. Okay, thats over the line no matter where youre from! Im trying to eat!! Miss Meat Sauce had started to lose her appetite, but Miss Curry Udon was made of tougher stuff. That big and strong priest may have been the type who would do quite well in a girls school. Then Holy Swordswoman Beatrice arrived in her red armor and white miniskirt. She also wore a tattered gray cloth as a cloak as she approached Philinnion and Hermelinas table. Barkeeper, Ill have a chai tea. Hey, Beatrice, the spices here arent that great. This curry udon is pretty disappointing. Its the same everywhere right now. I had no luck no matter where I went. The Shocking Tingle Peppers are sold out everywhere. I guess everyone is after the same thing. Okay. Whoa. Dbwah!? Beatrice pulled out a chair at the same table, Hermelina politely lowered her head, and Philinnions slow reaction speed got her whacked on the back of the head with a Shining Weapon that looked like a log or a steel beam. The Holy Swordswomans partner was no longer a rapier. The Shining Weapon she now carried on her back was the giant blunt weapon beloved by the Iberian Orc, but Hey, Beatrice, are you still not used to that giant thing? You swing it around on your back every time you bend over or turn around! Oh, sorry, sorry. Philinnion, are you okay? Youre just kind of twitching there with your face in a plate full of meat sauce. Youre a girl, so you shouldnt scarf down carbs quite that greedily. Bwah!! Pant, pant. B-Beatrice, I will not hold a grudge because I am a beautiful, kind, smart, fancy, all-around capable, and entirely perfect young woman, but you have been making far too many horizontal swings lately! This is the 59th time! Thats a pretty precise number for someone who claims not to hold a grudge Now was not the time to call her an elegant White Witch with immaculate white hat, cape, and skin-exposing sweater. Philinnions entire face looked like a comedians after a pie-throwing gag and the lenses of her glasses were both quite amusing. Beatrice removed the weapon (which rivalled her in height) from her back and leaned it against the wall. She began speaking while glancing over at Philinnion who was wiping her face off with a wet towel since she was not the type to let appearances get in the way of necessity. So. What should we do about the Shocking Tingle Peppers? Theres no point in going to the Labyrinth without those. The info we got about needing it to summon the Legendary Dragon seems legit. You must not forget. Beatrice, Philinnion, Hermelina, and all the other humans from Earth continued to accept the many risks of adventuring in Grounds Nir so they could repeatedly explore the Labyrinth, defeat the clockwork Gimmicks which were based on actual plants and animals, gather Treasure from chests, and earn various Experience Points to learn new Magic. They wanted technology beyond the capabilities of Earths science to cause a revolution in cutting edge fields like semiconductors or genetics to reign supreme within the intense technological competition. Then again, these three were more interested in stopping the new technologies that would lead humanity to destruction than they were in following along with the chaotically overheating competition. With the Underworld Lord and the red Iberian Orcs, they had overcome several threats that could easily have wiped out all life in Grounds Nir and even the 7 billion humans back on Earth, but history had not stopped afterwards. Humans still lived true to their desires and, whether they wanted to come out ahead or obstruct progress, they could not afford to be left behind by the times. One week, said Beatrice while toying with the edge of her gray cloak. Even if we take a longer estimate, we need to get some Shocking Tingle Peppers and defeat the Legendary Dragon in one week. Sigh. Its no longer looking like we can sit around and wait for things to improve. Yeah, but how exactly are we going to tackle this issue? The red and silver haired girl took her cup of chai tea that a flirty Maid Waitress carried over on a tray, sniffed at it, and then tasted it by licking the surface with the tip of her tongue. I see The pepper is definitely old. It doesnt give much of a tingle. Even though people are only trying to get Shocking Tingle Peppers. It seems the prices of completely unrelated spices have gone up along with it. Maybe someone is spreading lies about all food ingredients drying up and maybe the chefs are starting to buy them up as a replacement for Shocking Tingle Peppers. Plus, its affecting my Mixing ingredients too, so Recovery Potions could become a target of investment before long. The black hole forming around the popular but scarce Shocking Tingle Peppers was swallowing up other spices and herbs to the point that it might affect the life-or-death healing methods used in the Labyrinth. It was no laughing matter at this point. Beatrice returned the cup of bland chai tea to the saucer. We cant just sit around. We have one week. We have to find some way to get our hands on a Legendary Dragon claw in that time. Theres no sign of its fangs showing up on the market. If someone had already gotten to it, Id expect that to be the main thing sold for an exorbitant price in the Real Money Trade. Flat boob window Hermelina sounded exasperated and took a sip of her cold barley tea. The method for summoning the Legendary Dragon has been confirmed through Screenshots and video. I had a subordinate analyze them and they arent fake. So we know how to summon it, but everyone who already tried ahead of us was beaten and had to make a hasty retreat? Surviving to fight another day against a powerful enemy you had no data on was a sign of experience. But that knowledge felt wasted to Beatrice since they could not find any of the Shocking Tingle Peppers they needed to attempt the challenge. She was willing to pay with the gears they used as currency, so she wanted whoever had them to sell her some instead of needlessly hoarding them. Although she knew saying so would only start a fight. You cant get Shocking Tingle Peppers in the forest like usual, right? It grew normally enough not too long ago, but it was so badly overharvested that the plant Break News got pissed and started hunting down the plant hunters. Carelessly heading out to pick some right now would be suicide if you ask me. Now, Philinnion (whose suspenders accentuated the lines of her chest and whose shorts accentuated the lines of her butt) knew how to defeat that greatest Mandragora, but since she made no attempt to do so, she must not have expected to find any Shocking Tingle Peppers even if she did take care of Ileana. Beatrice responded while resting her head in her hand with her elbow rudely on the table, which was something she would never be allowed to do in Tokyos Detached Magic Palace. Then can we only keep searching here in the inn town? But weve already gone around to all the shops, havent we? Yet we have no Shocking Tingle Peppers to show for it. Hermelina sounded exasperated, but Beatrice raised her other hands index finger and winked. Then well just have to look outside the normal shops, wont we? There is one last resort that none of us wanted to try because its such a pain in the butt. Ugh. You mean we have to use that place? I really, really wanted to save that for last. White Witch Philinnion was a healing specialist who went through a lot of Mixing ingredients, so this had to be an awful place if it made her go pale. But the Holy Swordswoman was generally fearless, so she gave the answer. The Flea Market Maze. Lets head to the inn towns black market that has spread so chaotically that no one knows its full scope Part 2 The Flea Market Maze. It had begun with merchants and peddlers hawking out their wares on the side of the road because they lacked the money to set up an actual shop. Everyone casually spread out a cloth and did business there. If things were looking bad, they could quickly snatch up their things and leave, so shoddy products and stolen goods were common. The entire market would expand and contract like an amoeba when volunteer vigilantes tried to put a stop to it, so there was no fixed location for any specific shop. All of this had resulted in one of the inn towns shadiest and most dangerous areas. It generally covered the northeast outskirts of the inn town, but Hyah!? Wh-wh-why is there a big muscular Minotaur and Cyclops walking around the safe inn town!? Those are familiars tamed by a Summoner or Tamer. They can handle automated sales without their master around, so the human can make tons of money without lifting a finger. Hermelina sounded exasperated as she watched the Nonhumans cutting by ahead of them. They had also heard that Fairy Queen Strigona, one of the Break News, would use how she was visually indistinguishable from a human girl to nonchalantly visit the inn town, walk around eating human-made snacks, and enjoy the entertainment there, but she was an extreme outlier. Beatrice had also heard that familiar trading was not all that trustworthy. It was great as long as repeating the same process turned a hefty profit, but if the situation changed at all and the previous equations no longer applied, the familiar would continue making pointless deals and you would be left deep in the red. Also, they could hear some kind of giant bird crying overhead. The Harpy resting on the top of a spire had forgotten all about its given quest and let its wild instincts take over once more. The Flea Market Maze was still a part of the inn town, but no one knew an accurate layout and it was filled with half-wild, half-urbanized nonhuman life. The level of danger was more like the Labyrinth than anything. All the doors and windows on the stone buildings bordering this street were boarded up and rough-looking peddlers were hawking their wares on the cloths they had spread out along the roadside. A wide variety of products were for sale, but there were no price tags to be seen and you never knew how many gears would be taken from you once you were trapped in the vortex of conversation. Ugh. Its even worse than Id heard. Bespectacled White Witch Philinnion trembled and shrank down to hide behind Hermelina. The large breasts held tightly between her suspenders were pressed against the flat persons back, but she was oblivious to how much that was pissing off the Fighter Priest. Beatrice placed a hand on her hip and sighed while carrying around a blunt weapon taller than she was. So were here, but it doesnt look like anyones going to tell us anything for free. Do we need to give hints that we might buy something? Wait, Beatrice. Youve grown up around far too much money, so I dont trust your instincts. If you try to pull off a straw millionaire style of Trading Sequence here, youll only be taken for everything you own. Leave this to me. Ugh I dont think we can trust a police officer who uses the fact that this is another world to spend all day in the casino. W-we arent going to find ourselves up on a stage being auctioned off tomorrow, are we? You have quite the imagination, Philinnion. Is your menstrual cycle out of whack or something? Bff!? And who said anything about building relationships up from scratch? Ive already got someone from my police team here. Lets start by speaking with them. Part 3 Ch-ch-chief? You cant just walk up to me like this! The pink twintailed girl seated on a vividly colored sheet in a very girly way frantically waved her hands back and forth. She was Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra. Her sleeveless top left her shoulders and navel bare and her pleated miniskirt left her thighs exposed nearly to the base. Her appearance in this world was so overdone that her flirty behavior seemed somehow artificial. Huldra led the three girls to the gap between two stone buildings before saying anything more. Cmon, what are you doing here in the middle of my undercover work? Is this a surprise inspection because you were worried your subordinate was flirting with corruption while undercover? You figure out where you want to draw the line there. Were not officially part of the police, after all. I just want some info. Finding Shocking Tingle Peppers on the normal market is a fools errand, but what about here? Have you heard of anywhere selling them? Oh, there are tons of rumors, but youll probably end up with some weeds someone ripped up from the ground around here. Huldra hid her lower face behind her pompoms and gave them an upturned glance. She had a tendency toward that kind of flirty behavior that a real girl would never actually do. I havent seen any Shocking Tingle Peppers in the Flea Market Maze. But that might actually be an important hint. What do you mean by-wait, dont tell me. Red-armored and white-miniskirted Beatrice started to say something but stopped. Someones cutting off the supply. Huldra winked at her. Its the same as not playing your card to trouble the other players in a game of Sevens. I imagine someone has bought up all the Shocking Tingle Peppers to drive up the price. Theres clearly something going on when you cant find any in the inn towns normal or black markets or in the forests around the town. Isnt it best to assume someone set it up this way? Of course, misreading this situation could lead to inventing a nonexistent conspiracy theory and growing to hate an enemy that never existed in the first place, but Hermelina and Huldra were professional special investigators. Beatrice decided to trust their senses this time. And if that was the case, the situation might not improve after waiting a week or even a whole month. Which meant We need to get whoever is hoarding it to open up the tap. We need a Legendary Dragon claw, so this isnt the time to play along with someones get-rich-quick scheme. But, Beatrice, how do we do that? We have no idea who this person is. I doubt this greedy person would respond even if we agreed to pay the current asking price. They can wait and the price will double, so thats what theyll do. Until the very moment the price starts to slip, that is. If we played along, our one week limit would be over before we knew it. Beating them up and taking the peppers was always an option in this world, but they set that aside since they did not know how powerful this person was. You could never take the Real Money Trade lightly. In Grounds Nir, it was often the case that an intelligence agency with several top-rate Level Cappers was up to something in order to gather foreign currency. Plus, they could not negotiate or fight until they knew who this person was. They had no time to sit around. Beatrice toyed with her gray cloak and gathered her thoughts. Remember when something like his happened before, Hermelina? Some dumb auctioneer who dreamed of being a billionaire gathered all the special disposable keys needed to open the crystal treasure chests in the Labyrinths Crystal Jail 99. Remember how we dealt with that? That wasnt very nice of us, was it? Hermelina breathed an exasperated sigh, but the look on her face showed she was enjoying this. She decided to help out with the look of a small child who had thought up a good prank. Then we have three days until the effects show themselves, right? Three days They had a week, so that was effectively half their time. The time would not be wasted, but Those three days are necessary and well lose the whole week if we dont do this. Plus, we have nothing else to do while we wait for the effects to spread, so we should head back to Earth and rebuild our strength. Part 4 The Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo, was in the finest area, but the kilometers of land had been bought up and the giant residence built for a single girl. Some would call it the ultimate luxury and others would call it a fancy prison. There was a gazebo in the very center of the neatly-maintained lawn. After leaving the Gate, a black twintail girl in a red dress gave in to the exhaustion bearing down on her and threw herself into the open-air bath covered by the roof there. She did not remove any of her clothing and she did not care if her glossy hair got wet. Milady, welcome ba- gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!? Your dress, your jewelry, your hair - oh, where am I even supposed to begin!? Hi, Haruka. Im back. Bubble bubble bubble. Right, lecturing you comes first. Stop that, milady! Blowing bubbles is rude!! You arent a naughty child drinking from a straw!! The girl getting after her was the youngest of the three maid sisters and her small size did not provide much intensity. A dull light was reflected at the red dress girls chest. This was not her hard key modeled after a rapier. It was more crudely designed. Theres nothing at all to do. She floated on her back in the round bath that was designed for bubbles and jets and she spoke lazily while her clothes grew quite see-through. For three whole days. Being surprised with a long weekend is a problem in its own way. You just have too much time. Staying in Grounds Nir long term gradually caused problems with your internal clock and autonomic nerves, so lying around in bed was plenty useful for returning yourself to neutral. But that did not help the boredom issue! Teenage girls generally had packed schedules and they grew antsy when they had to stay put. The better behaved girl placed a finger on her slender chin. Oh, I know. If you dont have anything to do, why not do some paperwork? Iroka Onee-chan does as much as she can, but there is a fair bit that needs you to look through and sign it. Ugh, Guhh, buhh. Her rebuttal left the bounds of human language. While that might be the logical and clever thing to do, no one wanted to use up their long weekend that way. That was when a light electronic jingle sounded. It came from the waterproof phone floating in the bath along with the red dress girl. Still floating like a jellyfish, she quickly typed something out with the keyboard. Oh, how unusual. Rusalka? It isnt often you contact me. Im in Tokyo right now. That really was unusual. Rusalka was nearly inseparable from Gruagach, but she did not often get to see that beloved older girl in the real world since she lived in a rural area and Gruagach lived in Tokyo. That was why she wanted to make sure she enjoyed her time with Gruagach while in Grounds Nir. Then she sent the following message to Beatrice. I know this really isnt the time for it, but Im on a school trip. Im sick of all the strictly chaperoned group activities, so Im spending my free time with Onee-sama. Anyway, can we visit you there? The government doesnt let you leave, right? With that, the situation changed in less than 15 minutes. S-sob. Milady finally has some friends her own age The youngest of the three maid sisters was too emotional to let go of her handkerchief, but the red dress girl kept her emotions under control and swore to herself to get back at the girl later for assuming she was friendless. For one thing, she had thought of Haruka herself as a friend with whom she had shared both good times and bad. Also, this seemed to be labelling the blonde swirly glasses shrine maiden and tight skirted glasses woman as too old to be her own age, so the comment was devastating for everyone involved. She had three visitors including Rusalka. The other two were Gruagach, a classy girl with long wavy chestnut hair, and Wildefrau, a black-haired Japanese doll of a girl with a punk-style outfit that included an eyepatch. Those two were more often seen around Police Officer Hermelina. The red dress girl had not had much opportunity to meet them in Tokyo, so she still had trouble matching the names to their faces. The names still brought their Grounds Nir appearances to mind first and foremost. As for Rusalka herself Wh-what? I cant help it Im so little. And Im here on a school trip, so, um, Im in my uniform. She was smaller than expected. She wore a plain sailor uniform that looked unmodified outside of shortening the skirt a little. The girls reddish brown hair was forcibly pulled back to form a bun. In Grounds Nir, she had the rare Job of Noble Dancer, she was a Level Capper who specialized in wind, and she wore a leotard with silver armor and boots added in places. She apparently had a body perfect for gymnastics on Earth as well. She started off with some strange excuses, but that may have been because she was not used to seeing the red dress girl here on Earth. Or maybe she was overwhelmed by the scale of the Detached Magic Palace. Unlike Gruagach who was born into wealth and Wildefrau who had spent dirty money like water thanks to the patron supporting her, Rusalka had the financial senses of a normal student. Meanwhile, the Japanese doll girl put a hand on her skinny hip and sighed from her small nose. Hm, looks like this cost more than that TV station we saw earlier. Wait, cant you see the Tokyo sights any time you want? When you live here, you never really have a chance to go to that broadcast tower or dome stadium. No one wants to waste their free time taking a tour of the National Diet Building or the Supreme Court. Was that how it worked? It was hard for the red dress girl to know since she could not leave the Detached Magic Palace at all. Haruka must have been very excited indeed because she began preparing some cold tea and crackers in the garden. The tea set was actually clattering as she carried it. It was the wavy chestnut hair Student Council President whose eyes widened when she tasted the tea. Oh? This is very good. I could learn from this. Is it, Onee-sama? Hm, I cant tell the difference between these fancy tea leaves and normal ones Dont worry. You shouldnt notice a difference because there isnt one. The tea leaves and tea set can be bought at imported food stores and online stores. You could say all of that is neutral. Neutral? Yes. The Student Council President elegantly laughed while explaining to the small gymnast girl. By using expensive ingredients like caviar, foie gras, shark fin, or Iberian pork, you can make your food seem fancy enough. Even if you are only making gyudon or hamburgers. But using entirely neutral ingredients and tools yet producing a much more special flavor is the proof of true skill. Also, we can feel more at ease if we are served normal ingredients. That would be her way of showing friendship. Ohh. When serving a guest, it is polite to let them enjoy their food or drink. You cannot frighten them with something that seems too fancy or make it seem like you would be angry if they do not compliment the flavor. You mean the maids here are more incredible than they look, Onee-sama? No, Rusalka, I am saying they are exactly as incredible as they look. Y-you flatter me, said Haruka while growing bashful over all the compliments. The Japanese doll girl seemed more interested in the crackers than the tea, so she started eating them after loading them up with cheese and small fish cooked in oil. Come to think of it, I heard a certain Break News was seen inside the inn town again. One of the red dress girls eyebrows twitched upwards at that. Well, that isnt too surprising. The Fairies seem like they would use the morning dew and flower nectar for sustenance, so shes probably hooked on all those human luxuries. Hm? But, Onee-sama, I know that queen looks human, but can she really buy things like us? That doesnt seem to make sense Iced tea felt less proper and formal than hot tea, but the girls all enjoyed it in different ways. The Student Council President shut her eyes as she sipped at it, the Japanese doll needed a straw to drink it, and the gymnast girl was more interested in the different varieties of sugar cube than in the tea itself. Lastly, the red dress girl just drank from her glass like normal. Sigh. I cant help but relax once I get back in the usual routine, said the red dress girl when she removed the rim of the clear glass from her lips. The comment almost seemed to slip out when she let her guard down. Even though this really isnt the time. Part 5 Meanwhile in Grounds Nir. There was a bulletin board on the wall of a pub in the human inn town. Okay, thats 100 of them. That sounds like a good place to stop. I have to say, that is a shocking Mixing recipe. Even if it is completely made up. The White Witch with a pointy hat and glasses and Fighter Priest with a flaaat boob window were discussing the flier they had created. Beatrice, Philinnion, and Hermelina needed the Legendary Dragon, one of the clockwork Gimmicks found wandering the vast Labyrinth, but that elusive enemy could not be encountered by normal means. They needed some Shocking Tingle Peppers to lure it out, but someone had apparently predicted this demand and bought them all up. With nowhere else to obtain them, those three had to target the Shocking Tingle Peppers that Individual X was hoarding. And since they did not know who that individual was, they had to get that person to let go of their supply instead of just going and stealing them. But how could they do that? They only had to spread the following information: The Shocking Tingle Peppers are no longer necessary. A new way of luring out the Legendary Dragon has been discovered. There is a simpler way to meet the Encounter Requirements!! Its kind of amazing that this is entirely made up. Right? Well, it requires Mixing an unlikely variety of ingredients arranged in something of a puzzle ring where putting one thing in order moves something else out of order, so I doubt anyone will have a finished product they can test in the Labyrinth anytime soon. They only needed to buy some time. As long as the disinformation caused the market price of Shocking Tingle Peppers to crash. Shocking Tingle Peppers only gathered attention recently, but it had to have cost a lot of gears to buy them all up. And you only pay 1000 gears to hoard them because you assume you can get 10,000 back. Once they see the price falling and their return could fall to 100, 10, or even 1well, theyll see their bankruptcy coming The more they invested in that commodity assuming they would make a huge return, the more debt theyll find themselves in. So its obvious how theyll react: Theyll want to dump the Shocking Tingle Peppers before the price falls any further. To reduce their debt as much as possible. Theyre going to open up the tap before long. Chieeef, called an overly sweet voice. It was accompanied by pink twintails, a sleeveless top that left the shoulders and navel bare, and a miniskirt. Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra was approaching with a different bundle of fliers in hand. I handed out those purchase ads you made. Wanted: Shocking Tingle Peppers at a price of 200 Topaz Gears each. Are you sure about that? That isnt even 1/50 of the highest price Ive seen. Its fine, its fine. Honestly, its too high a price. Shocking Tingle Peppers are about to be as risky as bonds for a government thats locking down bank accounts. Whoever has them will leap at the chance when they see someone willing to buy. Hermelina and Huldra used their skills as professional special investigators to spread the information, but it was still amusing how quickly word got around. The experienced Level Cappers probably realized the Mixing recipe was fake, but they still helped spread the story because they wanted to get back at whoever was hoarding the Shocking Tingle Peppers. Bespectacled Philinnions eyes were glittering like a mischievous child. Hee hee. I dont know if they saw it as an investment fund or a source of foreign currency, but whoever was hoarding the Shocking Tingle Peppers must be sobbing about now. Oh, how I wish I could see the look on their face while they say- But what came next was more than just an impression. In fact, someone else cut her off entirely. Nwohhh!? At this rate, the Shocking Tingle Peppers bubble is going to burst and Ill lose everythiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!! The surprised Level Cappers looked around and found someone at a table by the wall who looked far too small to be in a pub. The girl had a tiny frame, a youthful face, and long silver hair. Her undeveloped body lines were hidden only by a decorative flower and a black ribbon dress. (And yes, that means she was not wearing anything below that.) She was Fairy Queen Strigona. As small as she was, she was still one of the paradoxes with a soul known as the Break News. Hermelina and Philinnion looked dumbfounded. You I had heard you would pretend to be human to eat snacks and play with toys here, but I get it now. Something changed, didnt it? I was wondering how you got the gears we use as currency, but this explains it! The peppers had continued to be overharvested even after Ileana got mad and tried to stop it. Not even the Level Cappers could slip past her attacks to get their hands on the plant. It made sense that another Break News would be behind it, but those Break News generally did not shop in the human inn town. It would cause a panic if they did. So who was the one culprit who could do both things? Y-you mean Strigona seemed to realize what was going on. Her eyes trembled with tears as she viewed the two different fliers held by Hermelina and Huldra. You mean it was all of you who tore down all my hard worrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk!!!??? Oh, shut up! We were only bringing the price down to normal after you drove it up! The noisy argument did not end there. Philinnion, who knew a lot about herbs, let out a sweet sigh before joining in. So how about you sell us what we need for an appropriate price? Before the Legendary Dragon started trending, it was seen as nothing more than a weed. Yeah, its about as cheap as can be, so would a single Wooden Gear be about right? Really, youre lucky to get that much. You would normally have to pay someone to take it off your hands. Strigona fell silent with a lopsided frown on her face. She may have known that her voice would be shaking if she did say anything. Police Officer Hermelina gave a devilish smile and pointed down at the floor. But if you sob and beg, we might just be willing to pay you the 200 Topaz Gears. Part 6 They now had some Shocking Tingle Peppers from an unexpected source. The long weekend was over for Beatrices party. It was finally time to start exploring the Labyrinth in search of the Legendary Dragon. (Four more days.) They had acquired the Shocking Tingle Peppers easily enough. But given the overall time limit, they needed to hurry up. After all, they had never seen the Legendary Dragon before. They were mostly certain the info they had was accurate, but they could not stop a hint of unease from seeping into that logical decision. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswoman let her tattered gray cloak flutter behind her as she used Fire Magic to light the hair extending from the top of her head as a light source. Its hunting ground is supposed to be around Stair Pyramid 71, right? Although there is a lot of conflicting information out there right now. Dont worry so much. We have tons of Shocking Tingle Peppers, so we can throw some out to check anywhere that seems suspicious. It took some time to reach the stone mountain covered in stairs. Given the round trip time, they could only stay at Stair Pyramid 71 for about a day. Their position as Level Cappers was irrelevant there, so they tried to keep any other enemies from noticing them. It took a day to get there, they would spend a day exploring there, and it would take another day to get back. That would use up most of the four days they had remaining. Screw this up and there would be no second chance. Still, bare-navel Philinnion spoke with emotion in her voice. Here we are exploring the Labyrinth. Its a gradual process, but were finally getting back into the swing of things. After walking across a floor made from long hallways and large rooms, they descended a few stairs, took small breaks long the way, and continued toward their destination. The Labyrinth had originally been part of the armory meant to build Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Any living creature that entered it would be tested by a variety of mazes, traps, and enemies. How they overcame those trials would be observed and used to determine what kind of biological structure Abyss should take. The armory had lost its purpose once Abyss was actually released. However, the humans continued to explore the Labyrinth. The armory was only its purpose for this world. It was irrelevant to the benefits and obligations that sent the Earth humans there. It was still possible the humans would make new discoveries and continue on their own path to ruin. There it is, said also bare-navel Hermelina. Thats Stair Pyramid 71. It was a wide open space. The ceiling was so high up it was easy to forget this was deep underground. Stairways of various sizes snaked along an artificial mountain made of stacked stone blocks. The Labyrinths shape changed at uneven intervals. Stair Pyramid 71 would not be here forever. The Holy Swordswoman tossed out some of the Shocking Tingle Peppers they had gone to such lengths to obtain. Immediately, a gust of wind battered her hair despite being deep underground. She looked up to the top of the stone temple and saw something there. Where had that thing been hiding in the Labyrinth until now? It could only move freely here because the space was so large. That dragon-like clockwork creature was easily more than 50m long. And Beatrice licked her lips when faced with that gold-glowing giant. She pulled the blunt weapon from her back. She had customized it with a hole in the huge grip so a human could wield it. It just barely functioned as a weapon for her. The legendary title had me curiousbut I guess it wouldnt be fair to compare it to a Break News. The creature had made its appearance. That changed how they moved inside the Labyrinth. We have nothing against it, but lets get this hunt started, Philinnion, Hermelina. Keep an eye on our movement count! Dont forget to take the whole Party into account! Part 7 Battles in the Labyrinth functioned under different rules than the ones on the surface. The clockwork Gimmicks were modeled after the structures of plants and animals and they would move based on their opponents movements. If Beatrice took a step, so would the Gimmick. But if she did not move, neither would it. You had unlimited time to think, so people generally viewed it like a chess problem and chose their positions carefully to keep their opponent from acting. In this case, the relationship between the hallway and the big room was most important. What exactly do we do? Stay at the hallways entrance so it can only attack us from one direction!? We outnumber it, so it would be faster to surround it in an open area and beat the snot out of it. Umm, are you including me in that 3-against-1 scenario? Im a healer, so Im supposed to stay in the back! Im not a ridiculously strong Damage Dealer or a stupidly tough Tank!! If you can complain that much, youll be just fine. To the front line with you. She can recover from anything that doesnt insta-kill her, so shes a lot tougher than she looks. They were interrupted by the loud roar of something beating on the air. The Legendary Dragon had slowly floated up from the top of the pyramid while it stared down at them. And its maw remained open. It did not seem to be breathing fire or using some other kind of projectile attack. Would it use its giant body to drop down and crush them like a meteor? This is our chance!! Just as their opponent picked up speed, Beatrice moved her fingers to give her party members instructions and ran toward the colossal pyramid. And she drew the rapier at her hip as if showing it off. When they moved, so would the enemy. The enemy could not move while they stopped to think. But strictly speaking, battles in the Labyrinth were not turn based. In the single second it took for Beatrice to perform a single action, the Gimmick could move two or three times. And if she stopped just before the enemys raised claws hit her, it would temporarily stop there. Think of it like a metal bat. That was the difference between a full swing meant to hit a home run and the light tap of a bunt. Magical attacks were preferred in the Labyrinth because they were more like powerful projectile weapons than the physical attacks which needed a large swing to build up momentum. You needed to work out which stance would allow you to produce the most powerful strike even if you were stopped just before hitting. And the Legendary Dragon had begun descending from the top of the tall pyramid. It was more than 70m above them. Even if it had giant wings, it could not purposefully stop that action now that it was descending like a meteor. Yes. That meant they were free to move for the time being. Until it had completed the one move that ended with crashing into the ground. Would it only take an instant? Or a few seconds? No. As the name suggested, Stair Pyramid 71 was a pyramid structure covered in countless stairs arranged like a cluster of snakes, but Beatrice did not even bother following those paths. A glowing magic circle appeared behind her, flame wings burst from there, and she raced up the blocks which were taller than she was. She could not help but feel excited about this. She slipped directly below the giant falling mass. She raised the Shining Weapon rapier overhead in her right hand and shouted. Metal Jet!! Beams of light rushed out. A total of eight scorching orange beams flew vertically and stabbed into the 50m monsters gut. The Legendary Dragons meteoric fall toward the ground was slightly diverted. It hopped straight up. The golden dragon was a clockwork creature bound by gravity. Since it could not stop in midair, its single action would continue until it reached the ground. Which meant We can do whatever we want for as long as we want as long as we dont let it reach the ground! Hermelina!! She had hit the Legendary Dragon from below while it dropped diagonally down like a meteor. Since it could not stay in the air, it would simply fly off in a different direction. Which was why the green-haired Fighter Priest, who had gone for a boob window despite being flat, swung her ball and chain around on the ground. Physical attacks that required a large motion were poorly suited for the Labyrinth where battles were fought in short bursts of movement, but things were different now. Lets do this! Your mistake was giving any time to a beautiful brawler like me, you hunk of junk!! After building up plenty of centrifugal force, she released the ball and chain. The attack crashed right into the Legendary Dragons nose. The head-on collision completely negated the golden dragons vector, causing it to remain floating in the air. They would not let it fall. After jumping down a few blocks of the pyramid without using the stairs, Beatrice checked her position and sent more explosive flames straight up at the Legendary Dragons round belly. This time, the repeated explosions pushed up on the golden dragon, causing it to float up. It frantically spread its wings, but it was too late. Beatrice kept that 50m colossus in the air while Hermelina occasionally hit it from the sides to correct its position when it shifted out of place. They had trapped it in the air so they could wear it down all they wanted. Wh-whew. So we got it in a Midair Infinite Combo. Well, thats usually how it works with the big bads seated all alone in their thrones. A big room full of small fries is a lot more annoying. Of course, this strategy only worked with Level Cappers who could continually use powerful Fire Magic with the intensity of a Gatling gun without running out of gas. It had helped a lot that they avoided as many battles as possible on the long journey here. A normal human would have run out of gas almost immediately. In fact, they would probably have failed to lift that giant thing at all and been crushed beneath. Non-combat-oriented Philinnion breathed a sigh of relief that produced a bounce of the chest squeezed between her suspenders. Th-thank goodness Looks like you can defeat that thing without throwing me out onto the front line. As long as we get one of the Legendary Dragons claws That was when something happened. It was hard to see through the many crimson explosions blossoming above, but the three girls definitely heard a roar distinct from the fiery explosions. Um, Beatrice? Wh-wh-what is it, Hermelina? Now really isnt the time for comments like that. You did it again, didnt you? That is a bad omen! Your words are going to bring misfortune upon us!! You are familiar with the concept of Kotodama, arent you!? Something else happened before they could receive a helpful lecture from the girl who was a shrine maiden back in reality. They had lifted the dragon up too far. It had crashed into the ceiling, spun itself around, dug its claws into the ceiling, and used that as a foothold while it glared down at them. Its single action did not end when it fell. It ended when it landed. With a gust of wind like when a train passed through a subway tunnel, the Legendary Dragon gathered strength in its body and lunged straight down at them. At Beatrice in particular. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswomans Magic was extremely powerful, but since she had been able to lift up the golden dragon by hitting it with several blasts, her Magic was clearly not enough to obliterate the creature in a single blow. And that did not really matter to the Legendary Dragon. Even if its nose was crushed or wings were torn off, it could crush the slender human as long as gravity carried it down. They had given this mission three days of their four day limit. There was no second chance if they screwed up here. They had to defeat this Legendary Dragon this one time no matter what. !? She put up a pointless resistance. She launched some sporadic Fire Magic, but it was not enough to stop the golden dragons momentum after it kicked off the ceiling. It was over in the blink of an eye. The Legendary Dragon crashed down on a point partway up the pyramid, sending a violent shockwave and dust in every direction. The entire pyramid collapsed and the stone blocks formed an avalanche. But. However. Mirage: cancel. A beautiful and merciless voice was heard. Beatrices tattered gray cloak fluttered behind her as she stood at the top of the half-crumbled pyramid. She had not teleported there. She never had stopped partway up the pyramid and she had passed right by the Legendary Dragon. The obvious image seen until now was a false one. It was only a mirage created from heat and light. Magic was a projectile, but it was not a bullet bound by the laws of physics. Its trajectory could be bent along the way and its launch point could be shifted from the users location. And it was too late by the time the dragon realized the truth. Hermelina. You really shouldnt trick your own party members like that, but understood!! The Legendary Dragon belatedly tried to get back up, but after crashing down into the pyramid and creating a crater there, the avalanche of stone blocks was falling on its own head. It excelled at rapid descents, but that was nothing to fear if you kept it from jumping up above you. Sorry, Legendary Dragon. The girl lightly spun the log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon around in one hand and supported it with her right hand using the hole in the grip and with her left gauntlet which she had enlarged by using Magic on some slag she had gathered. Then she rudely licked her lips. Yes. Her weapon was no longer a rapier. I inherited this thing, so Im a Dragon Eater now!! She did not even let it stand back up. She sent out a fiery explosion and a powerful blow. This time, the destruction of a slowly falling suspended ceiling was directed toward the Legendary Dragon. Part 8 The Legendary Dragon still lasted three hours, so its strength lived up to its name. If they had been unable to stop its movement and forced to reckon with its giant maw, claws, and tail throughout, who could say how much greater the damage would have been. It had even been clever enough to try to play dead and attack once they let their guard down. Pant, pant. Hey, Beatrice, youve cooked that thing through I hope. Dont worry. Where are its claws? I hope I didnt roast those as well Gasp, pant, gasp. The glasses cow had not done any real fighting, but she was more out of breath than any of them when she finally climbed to the top of the half-crumbled pyramid. The stairs had all collapsed during the fighting, but this still meant she was out of shape. However, they had not brought her along simply as a healer meant for insurance. Yes, White Witch Philinnion was a Mixing expert. So much of one that she had sacrificed her actual combat power for it. That meant she knew what to look for in ingredients. The pervert using her suspenders for a bit of self-bondage stroked a finger along the side of her glasses as she spoke. From the look of thingswell, it gets a passing grade. The surface is a little scorched thanks to a couple of violent people I could mention, but we only want the tough tip. Meaning? We have the final ingredient. When Beatrice placed a hand on her hip, let her tattered gray cloak flutter behind her, winked, and asked for an answer, the recovery expert nodded. We finally have what we need to save Boo Boo. Part 9 She never could have forgotten. Not for a moment. And Beatrice was not the only one. There was a single reason why the Level Cappers had been venturing into the Labyrinth, traveling across the island to gather ingredients, and frequenting auctions in the inn town. Boo Boo After returning from the deep, deep Labyrinth, Beatrice walked partway up a mountain. The hill there had been his favorite spot. And now his 4m body was in a large hole and covered in dirt to form a mound there. It was marked with only a roughly hewn log with no religious meaning. However. This was not the end. Ultimate Weapon Abyss had said something back at his house: Abyss// I will not allow it to end here. Abyss// Now, let us review the answers. It took us three idle days to find the Shocking Tingle Peppers which had grown so rare in the inn town. It took another week to track down Strigona and then explore the Labyrinth. Its been 10 days since then, so is Boo Boo really okay in there? Flat boob window Hermelina, who knew no recovery techniques despite being a priest, was viewing the dirt grave. Yes, a grave. Boo Boo was indeed buried there. She was answered by her subordinate, pink twintailed Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra. Um, I think Abysss reasoning is sound. And we were out of ideas, so what choice do we have but to trust that humanoid simulator? In what may have been a fundamental personality flaw, Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau could not help but speak in a sharper tone than necessary. But to truly understand her personality, you had to look past her words and consider all the time she spent gathering ingredients at the inn town auctions. Gruagach, the mourning clothes girl with her long blonde braid forming a large circle, placed her index finger on her slender chin. Um, lets review the checklist one last time: King Kraken ink, Millennium Slumber Flower pollen, high purity Electrosplit Stone ore, and a Legendary Dragon claw. Is there anything else we need? Be careful when using a reagent to test them. If you bought the item and the reagent from the same merchant, the reagent might be a fake too. Always purchase the reagent through a different route! That way you can trust the result. That warning came from Rusalka, the girl in a skintight leotard with silver armor, and her words carried weight since she had once fallen victim to an imitation recovery potion deep in the Labyrinth. Philinnion responded to that with her breasts held tightly between her suspenders. Heh heh. You only have to worry about those things if you take the easy route and buy things. A reagent? Why not just Mix everything yourself? Hwa ha ha! Then you can have absolute trust it is legitimate! No one can fool this White Witch!! They could let Philinnion and Huldra handle the actual potions. Beatrice looked to Boo Boos grave once more. Saying it had been far too long might earn a scoff from the Sage who had gone so far for the Iberian Orcs in her own way. She recalled what Abyss had said through that Shining Weapon that resembled a log or steel beam: Once Boo Boo decided to save you, a combination of electrical burns and nerve transmission malfunctions damaged his entire body. His life functions will shut down before you can heal each and every injury with recovery potions. Abysss words were cold and mechanical, but they still contained a slight warmth. However, the Iberian Orcs are life forms that continued to evolve in order to oppose me. Their self-healing ability is quite powerful. Place him in an extreme environment to trigger that function. Given the current level of civilization on the island, I believe it would be best to bury him to create a hypoxic environment that will place just enough of a burden on his brain. It was all for this. The roughly hewn log that looked like a grave marker was essentially a snorkel. To make sure he did not suffocate but to also reduce the influx of air to the absolute minimum, that lifeline had been very carefully pierced down the center. Beatrice once more checked what they had gathered. Huldra had acquired some Adult Cocoa fruit at the Flea Market Maze, Hermelina carried a mining hammer she could swing down with both hands, and Wildefrau had an Electric Manta frozen in ice. And finally They had the sharp and powerful Legendary Dragon claw which was hollow on the inside and they had a cardiotonic made by mixing various medicinal ingredients. She had known. She had known it was necessary, but digging a hole, throwing Boo Boos giant body inside, and covering it with dirt had squeezed at her heart so very tightly. And after that agony which felt like exposing her soul to the fires of hell, she had finally snatched up this one last chance at changing everything. Yes, thats everything. We can start at any time, Beatrice! I know. She nodded. She did not know if she had done the right thing, but she wanted to make sure she had not done anything she regretted. We cant let this end here. We will save Boo Boo ourselves!! Part 10 After fighting to prevent the Red-afflicted Iberian Orcs from crossing between worlds and destroying Earth, Beatrices Shining Weapon rapier had been destroyed. Humans could not return to Earth without that and they could only live in this other world for a few days at a time. Beatrice had been gradually weakening, so waiting for death had been her only option. But Boo Boo had tried to change that fate. He had taken the log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon from his hip and rewritten the settings profile so he could give it to her. His body had incorporated the strong points of all life forms and that apparently included the traits of an electric fish. By forcibly using that imperfect power for too long, he had badly electrified and damaged himself. And. So. By burying him and using the log like a snorkel, they had created just the right hypoxic environment. Boo Boos injured body was slowly but surely being healed by an Iberian Orcs powerful self-healing ability. But there was a bigger problem. He cannot keep his body temperature from falling, Abyss had said. This can be temporarily prevented by choosing a sunny location or lighting a fire above the dirt covering him, but while he lies dormant, he is incapable of acquiring nutrients even as his self-healing ability continues to consume energy. It is best to assume his body temperature regulation is not functioning properly. Thus, a hypoxic environment is useful for drawing out his self-healing ability, but that is not enough on its own. You must induce the necessary self-healing before he crosses the point of no return, but you must also quickly dig him back up and resuscitate him once the self-healing has been switched on. Hermelina made an exasperated comment while transforming her Shining Weapon into a shovel. So is he like a chrysalis that cant get out of the dirt on his own? Are you sure now is the time, Philinnion? If we dig him up and the self-healing hasnt started yet, we dont get a second chance! If anything, were running behind schedule because a certain dumb fairy was hoarding the Shocking Tingle Peppers. With the three days spent wandering around the inn town and the week it took to get the peppers and then complete the hunt in the Labyrinth, its been ten days. We definitely arent doing this too soon!! That was why Beatrice, Huldra, and Rusalka were shoving their shovels into the dirt even though Boo Boo was lying below there. They were short on time. Plus, carelessly pushing the shovel too far was not going to injure that mass of muscle and fat. I see him! Wildefrau had been using an ice shovel while a blue glowing magic circle appeared at the center of her cross-shaped sword which meant the center of her chest, but she spoke up when she saw some gray skin through the dark soil. Gruagach tilted her head with the large circle of her braid behind her. Is that his right arm? Then this must be his shoulder and his wrist would be over here Yes, I can make out his general silhouette. Be careful, everyone. Phew. Were you saying something, Onee-sama? Rusalka, that is Boo Boos face you are sitting on! Be more careful!! Once the Iberian Orcs self-healing had been unleashed, the hypoxic environment was no longer necessary. Beatrice crawled along and used her hands to remove the dirt from Boo Boos face. It was covered with mud and the eyes were shut, but it was definitely that familiar face. She thoughtfully spoke under her breath. Boo Boo. W-wait, is this for real? Doesnt he look less pale thane before we buried him? And those injuries and burns are gone. Yes. It was too soon for boo Boos eternal slumber. He had spent more than ten days battling his own limits below the cold dirt. Here! White Witch Philinnion pulled a triangular flask from her Shining Weapon first aid kit and sprinkled the contents around. Of course, that was not enough to wake Boo Boo when he was on deaths door. The potion instantly vaporized and turned to steam, so it actually affected the eyes of Beatrice and the others gathered around him. A digital counter appeared above Boo Boos large head. That displayed his odds of survival. All of those present could see it there. 0%. Kh. Beatrice gasped at the cruel value produced by the diagnostic potion, but now was not the time to feel dizzy. They had work to do. With each step, that value would increase until it reached 100%. Lets get started. Help me out, everyone! They could not let the flame of life be extinguished. Seeing his face and right hand was enough to know his general location and position. They did not need to dig up every last part of his nearly-4m body. Nor did they have the time. They simply worked to remove the dirt from directly on top of him. The rise and fall of his chest was so shallow it was hard to believe he was alive. It looked like his breathing could stop at any moment. In her tattered gray cloak, Beatrice bit her lip but did not hesitate. She removed the large Shining Weapon from her back, and Fire Storm. Orange flames erupted from his exposed skin. But Beatrice had not gone mad. It only lasted a moment. The primary sterilization with fire and heat is complete! Philinnion, Huldra!! Take care of the secondary sterilization with alcohol and herbs!! Intense flames, herbs, and fruit Man, this is reminding me of some trendy French fruit dish! Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra grew pale and shouted, but this was far from over. Philinnion gave further instructions while her shorts strained. We need to forcibly increase his blood flow. Hermelina, ready your hammer! Really!? This isnt something to use on someone whos half dead! She was hesitant, but the Fighter Priest produced a green magic circle while raising a mining hammer in both hands. Hermelina specialized in physical attacks and her Shining Weapon could transform into various shapes. Philinnion wrote some numbered Xs on Boo Boos body. Go ahead!! Okay, fine!! The blows were just like those in a mine. She swung the hammer down on his right thigh, left thigh, lower stomach, and chest in that order. It was somehow reminiscent of squeezing the bottom of a mayonnaise or toothpaste tube to get the last bit out. Come to think of it, wasnt the biggest risk of blackout for fighter pilots when the inertial force sent the blood down to their feet and kept it from returning to their head? The digital counter above Boo Boos head clearly shot up. It rose from the merciless 0% to a value hovering between 20% and 30%. The value was now above 1%. That alone nearly loosened Beatrices tear ducts, but this was not over yet. If they relaxed now, the possibility they had worked so hard for would slip from their fingers. Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau interrupted with a shout. The Electric Manta is ready! Once its thawed, use it on Boo Boos chest. Stand back, everyone!! It was a bathtub-sized cube made of clear ice. Wildefrau placed it on Boo Boos chest and released her control over the ice. Water poured down on his upper body like someone had overturned a bucket and the flat marine creature trapped within woke up. The sparks were intense enough to see and that nearly-4m body clearly jerked up. Mourning clothes Gruagach sounded a little worried. W-was that too strong? No, it wasnt strong enough! Meanwhile, the White Witch remained as tense as ever. The counter had jumped to 60%, but it did not stick. Instead of stopping there, it dropped right back down. Before it dropped below 40%, pointed witch hat Philinnion took action. Wildefrau, remove the Electric Manta. Gruagach and Rusalka, you two take this handkerchief! It contains Adult Cocoa fruit. Hm? Chocolate? Leotard and armor wearing Rusalka looked skeptical, but It is known as a candy ingredient now, but cocoa was originally a heart medicine. But dont have him eat it; letting him smell it would be about right! The two of them pressed the white handkerchief over his distinctive nose instead of his large mouth. And the valuedid not stop!! It was still dropping!? Beatrice, you have to do it now!! I know that!! If possible, she had wanted the value at 70% before doing this, but this was her only chance. And if she hesitated now, his odds of survival would only continue to drop like water from a bucket with a hole in the bottom. She needed to act while the odds were as high as possible. She could not waste the chance they had won here. She forced her trembling fingers to move and she tightly grasped the final item. Everything else had been in preparation for this. If their final gamble did not succeed, it was all for naught. !! She lightly caught something that Philinnion tossed her way. King Kraken ink, Millennium Slumber Flower pollen, and high purity Electrosplit Stone ore. The cylinder the size of a relay baton was a special cardiotonic inside a syringe. Of course. This Iberian Orc had beaten up a 1000-meter dragon. Given the thick layer of muscle and fat, no normal needle could pierce his chest. That was why they had needed that one Treasure so badly. The Legendary Dragon claw. That needle was needed to pierce Boo Boos chest and reach his heart. (What was all this for? I never could have forgotten. Not for a moment.) Beatrice adjusted her grip on the cylindrical stake far too thick to call a syringe. (Even when faced with the ordinary routine and a world that kept moving despite my personal feelings, I never did lose sight of this!!) Because she had wanted to bring back that voice, that innocent smile, and the time she had spent with him. So. Wake up! Boo Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! She gathered all her strength. She used all her weight to send the Legendary Dragon claw into the center of his chest so it would slip through a gap in his thick muscle fibers and between his ribs and sternum. She heard a dull sound. She felt the resistance in her wrists. After sensing it had reached his heart, she injected something at such a high concentration that it would have made a human bleed from every pore and die. Their calculations had been correct. They had been delayed by the Shocking Tingle Peppers, but the limit had not yet passed. Or so she hoped. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them. What about the counter? Beatrice quickly looked up toward Boo Boos face, but Philinnions diagnostic potion must have worn off. The digital value displayed in her vision was gone. Had it reached 100%? Or had it plummeted instead? Beatrice had not taken the drug herself, but her heart was still pounding. She waited. That was all she could do. And. And. And. The value had not stopped. It was falling!? !! Doing this to a human might have killed them instantly. But the girl bet on her partners sturdy body. She was barely thinking at this point. With the long claw still piercing him, she exposed it and her own arms to a Magic explosion. She sent a direct blow to his heart. This was really and truly a last resort!! Bwah!! Bshh, bshhhh!? It was like a spring-loaded trap. Just as his giant body shook, his upper body sprang up, bringing the surrounding dirt with it. Beatrice was dragged along with him. Since the dragon claw was stabbed into his chest, she quickly let go of the giant cylinder. That naturally led her to cling to Boo Boos raised chest. His bestial odor was as strong as ever and she would have choked if she let her guard down, but she kept her cheek there for a while with her eyes closed. Boo Boo She spoke his voice under her breath. But then the red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswoman raised her voice with countless emotions contained within. And that voice was also somewhat distorted by sobs. You dumb sleepyhead! How long were you going to worry me like that!? His vision was blurred. At first, Boo Boo did not realize that the sound in his ears was his own weak breathing. Where was he? Why was he still conscious? He had only wanted to save Beatrice. Even if that meant paying for her life with his own. He had just wanted happiness for that precious girl who had been by his side for so long. But. However. She rubbed her muddy face against his chest. The tools scattered around them made it clear how hard she had worked for this. She looked utterly exhausted and her voice was filled with emotion, so there was no sign of the kind and reliable young woman she normally was for him. Her usual personality had been utterly destroyed. Boo Boo finally realized what he had forced onto her. He had not brought her happiness. He would not throw away his life again. He would not run away like that again. He weakly reached out a hand and held the head of the girl pressed against his chest. And he made that silent decision. Volume 7, 2: Bonus Scenario Unlocked Volume 7, Chapter 2: Bonus Scenario Unlocked Part 1 Abyss// What I would like for you to do is search for mistakes. Abyss// There are no obvious hints. Abyss// There have been six incidents before this. Abyss// Review all of those materials and locate anything that does not seem to belong. Part 2 Squeal. Halfway up a Grounds Nir mountain, the nearly-4m pig-faced giant named Boo Boo tilted his head like a small child in front of the brick house that the palm-sized Fairies had built for him during the nights. What are you drinking, Beatrice? Its so dark. Hm? This is coffee Making it from scratch here in Grounds Nir wasnt easy. He was answered by Holy Swordswoman Beatrice whose long red-and-silver hair fluttered and who had added a tattered gray cloak to her bright red armor and pure white miniskirt. She held a wood-carved mug in between her hands and smiled while seated on a nearby stump. To make real coffee, you had to harvest the beans, roast them, crush them with a mill, heat up a syphon, and go through a long and arduous process, but she had received some interesting information from Iroka, the capable young woman of the three maid sisters back on Earth. Dandelion coffee was apparently a thing. As its name suggested, it was made from the plants roots instead of special beans. It was no more than an imitation that provided a coffee-like flavor, but it was still a relief to have something. There were no actual coffee beans or dandelions in this world, but that was a separate issue. After a lot of trial and error that occasionally ended in a grimace or in writhing on the ground, she had discovered that the Fluffy Male Flowers root was similar to a dandelions. This was the fruit of her blood and tears. Humans were about the only living things willing to die for their hobbies. (I thought Philinnion would know since plant roots are so often used as medicine, but that glasses cow can be careless about the details.) Tremble tremble. So what is this about? Some weird human food thing??? Hmm. Boo Boo sounded cautious, so how was she supposed to answer him? She recalled hearing that he had had a bad experience with an energy drink made by Mixing Expert and White Witch Philinnion. The Iberian Orcs sensory organs were as sensitive as his muscles were strong, so he may have had trouble with stimulants. Its more of an indulgence than a food. You enjoy the flavor and aroma instead of filling your stomach and gaining nutrients. Boo. Humans have such strange rituals. Boo Boo groaned in confusion. He seemed excessively fixated on food, but he was only ever searching for what he needed to survive. He may have never come across snacks or indulgences before. Small children could drink dandelion coffee just fine since it had no caffeine, so Beatrice made a casual suggestion. What to try some, Boo Boo? At times like this, it was best to fill an empty mug with the dark coffee while asking with a smile. With needlessly nervous newbies, you could not give them time to think! Boo Boo was more fixated more on the color than the flavor or smell. He sniffed his large nose with a skeptical look on his face. Boo Is this really okay to drink? Its so dark and it smells burnt. Its like the potion used to protect my wood house from bugs. Ah ha ha. Theres no need to drink it black as a sign of maturity, Boo Boo. I have milk and sugar here. Youre supposed to enjoy it as an indulgence, so forcing yourself to drink it is pointless. Level Capper Beatrice made it sound simple enough, but that milk and sugar were the result of opposing nature using brute force. There were no supermarkets or convenience stores in Grounds Nir. Squeal. Is this boiled down Blessing Maple sap? Yep. I boiled it until the syrup turned into a white powder. It still has a bit of a unique flavor, but actual pure white sugar is pretty hard to make. Its a miracle the Farmers can do what they can. The elder said this is really nutritious! Wow, its so sweet. I could eat these forever. Its like they soak into my body. Wait, eating just the sugar cubes is against the rules, Boo Boo! That doesnt give you a mature atmosphere at all! Squeal. I bet that drink is really good with this in there. The star of the show had clearly shifted. Boo Boo loved the sweet flavor so much he could not stop smiling as he threw a few sugar cubes into his mug. And Gulp. Ah!? He tilted his head back and drank the whole thing in one go. It was a lot like swallowing a pill using a cup of water. White steam had still been rising from the mug, but he had not even blown on it to put his mind at ease. Boo- wait, Boo Boo!? Hm??? Whats wrong, Beatrice? Open your mouth! Hurry! You arent burnt!? Squeal? Beatrice got up from the stump with the large Shining Weapon shaking from its diagonal position on her back, but Boo Boo did not seem to understand why she was panicking. Iberian Orcs must have been made different from humans on a fundamental level. B-Boo Boo? Why are you so freaked out? Well, umyouve never had coffee before. Was it too bitter for you? Everythings sweet with those things in it, so I couldnt tell. Part 3 Abyss// You have just one chance. Abyss// Look to the center of what does not seem to belong. You will find the answer there. Part 4 Oh, whats this? Are you drinking coffee, Boo Boo? When did you get so mature? Eh? Did you make that yourself? I knew you had started working in the field, but getting a pure coffee tree here in Grounds Nir is quite an accomplishment!! Squeal? The nearly-4m giant only tilted his head. His new visitors were Fighter Priest Hermelina, the brawler with short green hair and a priest robe with a bold slit (and a flat boob window), and White Witch Philinnion, the healer with fluffy blonde hair, glasses, and a pointed white hat. They normally tried to act like the more mature ones, so Boo Boo finally realized something when they began complimenting him. I was happy with just the sugar, boo, but it looks like everyone praises you if you hold this bitter stuff like you know what youre doing. Well, sounds like you understand how the adult world works. Youre right about that. Everyone actually loves sweet things, but all the respect goes to brand names and social status. Its the same with bags, houses, cars, and boyfriends. Money is meaningless if it doesnt bring you prestige. Hermelina, fill Boo Boos pure mind with any more of your dark worldview and I will roast you. Just like a coffee bean. Beatrices fiery response was to be expected at this point, so no one bothered taking it seriously. Philinnion, the young glasses woman with suspenders-bound boobs, glanced over at the row of wood-carved mugs and other cooking equipment. Huh? If youre enjoying some coffee, then where are the snacks? What food do you have to go with it? Squeal, these are sweet and tasty! I think they go perfect with coffee!! Those are 100% pure sugar cubes, arent they!? Even those brutal British snacks are only half sugar and half butter!! The college girl bristled and raised her voice as she began her usual complaints about fat, sugar, and carbs (despite ending up eating more of them than the others), but Boo Boo only tilted his head since he was a mysterious lifeform who could convert anything he consumed into the energy he needed to live. Is there any kind ofyou know, a snack we can whip up real quick? Boo, when did we start talking about cooking? There are some cooking tools I dont use in the house. When they visited the brick house, they found it had more stuff than before. Oh, Boo Boo. Have you started using a mirror? The Fairies attached that to the wall. They say I have to look after my appearance now. Life is hard sometimes. Oh, theres a bookcase too. Boo Boo, youre turning into a stylish and intellectual urbanite. The Fairies brought that too. I cant read all the tricky words, but I can understand the stories with lots of pictures. Those are fun. It sounded like most of them were picture books. Had palm-sized Meridiana and Alice invented the stories, or were they legends and old stories passed down by the Fairies? But while Beatrice wondered about that But, yeah, some are missing. Hm? Sometimes, some of the pictures books go missing. Like the one that goes here or here. See all the holes? And I was hoping to read that one soon. Hm, so do you have a thief? Although I think only the Fairies are here very often. Boo, its strange. Where did Studying Alone Together and Secrets of the Female Body go? What!? I-Im not sure whether I should be mad or not! It was those palm-sized things that came up with that ridiculous lineup, but theyre also the ones who confiscated them! Are two different factions of Fairies in disagreement about this!? At any rate, they were interested in the cooking equipment. They checked the mountain of pots and pans gathered in a corner of the rectangular room. I see, I see. A pot this deep should do. I have some Rising Powder and Doodle Doo Eggsoh, and you have some vegetable oil. I think we can make do with this. Hey, Philinnion, you can use this trip to another world to show off your feminine side if you want, but you arent planning to bake cookies or a cake, are you? That would take way too long. (Heh. Thats the problem with this unfeminine and so very flaaat person.) Do I need to grab you by the ankles and swing you around, glasses cow? Boo Boos house did not have a kitchen, so any cooking generally began with stepping outside and placing a pot over the fire. The White Witch seemed to have a good idea, so she filled the metal pot with vegetable oil and placed it on the fire. While it heated, she mixed together some white powder, bird eggs, tallow butter, and clear drinking water. You cant hope for the regulated temperature of an oven in this wild environment. And if you want it done quick, isnt frying something the simplest choice? Once she stuffed the goopy dough inside a leather bag with a single hole, the preparations were complete. She did not bother shaping the dough and simply squeezed it into the boiling oil. Boo Boo watched with eyes wide. Squeal? Whats that stretchy stuff? And why is it hardening so quickly!? These are called churros If we had time to let the dough set, I could have made round donuts, but I thought the immediate effect seen here would be more fun. The process did not have many steps and it looked simple enough, but getting the moisture of the dough right was tricky and they would fall apart if you got it wrong. Beatrice and Hermelina stared into the distance while seeming to fade away. That glasses girl really had needlessly shown off her feminine side. Feeling like the shining sun, Philinnion pulled the golden brown churros out of the oil and sprinkled some of Boo Boos sugar on them. All done. Well, what do you think? You dont see churros as often as normal donuts, do you? It feels like a special event, doesnt it? Hwa ha ha! Dont underestimate a young woman who has a decent repertoire of skills to draw on!! Squeal, these are the snacks? Yes. You eat them with the coffee. Why eat them together? Because those are the rules. Well, if its the rules, said Boo Boo as he grabbed some of the human-size churros. Incidentally, Beatrice was curled up inside her tattered cloak after the attention was stolen away from her coffee, so she was not paying very close attention. The person who was more interested in food than sex appeal tried eating the mysterious new food. And Ow. ? S-squeal. Theyre poking my mouth Boo Boo tearfully grabbed his wood-carved mug to have something to wash the food down and then he tilted his head back. Gulp. Wahh!? A-a-all at once!? That was bubbling hot water!! Beatrice, what were you teaching Boo Boo!? Hes turned coffee into some kind of coming-of-age ceremony using fire! Beatrice was unsure what to say since Boo Boo had a tendency to do that. The first way he learned to do something tended to stick with him for a while. Part 5 It was the middle of the night. Pu pu pu. Squeal, squeal. A soft light from the fireplace illuminated the inside of Boo Boos brick house. He was sitting on the floor with his mug while he threw some premade firewood into the fireplace. This was unusual for wild(?) Boo Boo. He was no longer afraid of fire. In fact, he seemed to enjoy looking after the crackling flame. He was apparently afraid of the dark because of the possibility of ghosts, but he may have overcome that fear by controlling this light source. A small girl walked in without even knocking first. Oh, whats this? It isnt often that you are still up at this hour. She had long silver hair and an undeveloped body. A black ribbon dress and decorative flowers covered youthful skin that seemed to directly reflect the moonlight. That dress was an invaluable item that the Fairies had woven from Ground Spider silk. She was the Fairy Queen and one of paradoxes with a soul who were called Break News because seeing them was enough to make the news. Her name was Strigona and she could envelop everything with her toxic wings if she let loose. However, she was accompanied by someone else at this late hour. This fellow Break News was Kallikantzaros, the Vampire who claimed the lunar eclipse as her own. Her small body was wrapped in a black swimsuit and a red negligee, she wore a nightcap on top of her long and fluffy blonde hair, and she held a gray pig doll under one arm, but no one would take her lightly because of that appearance. The fangs visible at her mouth were far too sinister for anyone to let their guard down. She frowned a bit when she saw the mug Boo Boo was holding. Coffee? You have my praise for choosing an uncaffeinated variety, but that dissolved smell still bothers me. Boo Boo, you are meant to offer me your blood, so take care of your blood composition. Squeal? Ignore that fool who wants to suck you dry. I see, I see. So is that really coffee? Whenever night falls in the inn town, they always take the mug away from me! Now, hurry up and give me an offering. Honey or bread instead of sugar would have been betterbut make sure to add plenty of milk! Do not forget that part!! Wow, wow!! How are you and your sweet tooth any better than me!? The Vampire made that biting observation while the Fairy Queen was leaning out toward Boo Boos extra-large mug to smell the contents. By the way, Strigonas insistence on honey or milk may have been connected to the unverified stories of the palm-sized Fairies secretly doing peoples work in the night in exchange for such things. Squeal. I tried to give this to the vegetable in the field, but she got really mad at me. Is that coffee replacement made from a plant root? I almost feel bad for that perverted carrot if you essentially offered her a relative to drink. Strigona sounded somewhat exasperated as she rudely licked her lips and reached for the milk pot. The vegetable in the field here would be Ileana, the brown beauty who was a plant Break News and the greatest Mandragora. She was very interested in all noble pastimes that came in the form indulgences not needed simply to survive, but on a more fundamental level she preferred humus to a T-bone steak. You could not expect a normal sense of taste from her. Strigona, if youre here to sleep, the sheets are folded in the corner. Thanks. The room is warmer than normal today, so you may not need to fold the blanket over for two layers. Why is this house equipped with so much bedding that Boo Boo never uses? Kallikantzaros asked that with a small sigh. Boo Boo generally just lay on the floor without a blanket or even a pillow, but there were also some human-sized items here and there. This was quickly becoming a second home for that silver-haired girl. But you should brush your teeth before going to sleep. The elder said you have softer teeth than us. Yes, yes. I know. Squeal. Strigona, you always go right to sleep once youre full. I! Said! I! Know!! When did you turn into my caretaker priestess or Morgan, Boo Boo? It saddens me to see my precious utopia taken from me! Where am I supposed to relax now!? You really are a queen deep down, arent you? said the Vampire. What about you, Kallikantzaros? Theres still plenty of coffee. No thank you. Unfortunately, I choose not to consume anything that does not taste of rust. The Vampire pulled a small bottle from her large chest. It contained what seemed to be dried red leaf flakes. If she was to be believed, they had to taste of rust. She removed the cork, sniffed at the contents, removed one flake, and placed it on the tip of her tongue. The Iberian Orc village has returned and I no longer need to use tablets or tea as a replacement, but I cant seem to change. I left my old routine and rhythm for so long that I cant seem to return to it. I feel like someone who started a vegetarian diet to lose weight and then never stopped. Squeal? Boo Boos predator was discussing whether or not she would eat him, but he did not seem to recognize the danger. With a mug between her hands, Strigona gave her old friend a suspicious look. If there is nothing here you want, why did you come here at all? I have business with the bloodless one. It concerns the world outside my control. ? Boo Boo and the silver-haired girl tilted their heads in unison. The palm-sized Fairies had built the brick house without asking first, so it sometimes gained new functions and rooms Boo Boo was unaware of. One of those was the attic. That was where you could find Grounds Nir Abyss, the ultimate weapon girl who had been built in the deepest part of this island that was actually a giant armory. Kallikantzaros and Strigona were not your normal girls, so they jumped up to the attic instead of using the ladder. And sure enough, a very human-like figure lay on her back there while surrounded by lots of flowers, small objects, and a wood-carved human statue. Two strands of mottled silver hair passed in front of her shoulders and she wore a one-piece swimsuit cut down to size. She was wrapped in bandages and - while it was hard to tell with the poor lighting - one of her arms had been severed at the shoulder and her neck was bent at an odd angle. The sweet floral and fruity aroma mixed with a coffee scent did not just come from the super-sweet mug in Strigonas hands. It had gone cold, but an identical mug was sitting next to the bedridden girls pillow. This was Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Although she had already been destroyed. The Fairy Queen frowned. She can eat and drink already? Actually, could she even do that before the damage? Boo. But Beatrice said you can enjoy the smell of coffee too! Kallikantzaros brushed her beautiful golden hair off of her slender shoulder. I would like to greet her, but I do not know how. What is the proper way to speak with her? Squeal. Beatrice and the others connected their beepy things with a metal string. Boo Boo poked his giant face up from where the ladder came up and sniffed his nose as he spoke. But I can speak with her without doing anything. Heh heh. Hm, then it might be faster to use you as a translator. Unless The Vampire girl pulled the small bottle from her cleavage again. She placed it next to the cold mug by Abysss pillow. This was of course not just an offering. A cloud fell over Boo Boos face which was larger than an upside-down wok. Abyss seems a little uncomfortable. I imagine so. These flakes are made from dried Liver Cabbage which gathers plenty of iron from the ground. When you get down to it, she is a machine. Even if she pretends to be a living creature and no matter what she hides in her heart, some slight magnetism leaks out when she thinks. We do not know yet whether or not you are the only one she can communicate with like that. At the very least, I think we can read a yes or no answer from the sign created by the shaking of the leaves in this bottle. Dont get upset, Abyss. Theyre my friends, so try to get along. The dried leaf flakes in the bottle were already stirring to show the thoughts of the girl lying next to them, but it stopped when Boo Boo made his troubled comment. Strigona leaned over the ultimate weapon with a curious look on her face. Ho ho? Boo Boo, youve really tamed her, havent you? You damn gigolo. Abyss, stop beeping and entering combat mode! Squeal, and stop making red lights appear everywhere!! Abyss appeared to just be lying there with her eyes closed, but a lot seemed to be happening inside her. Kallikantzaros crossed her arms and pushed her unnaturally large chest up from below. I will keep this short. I am Kallikantzaros, the Break News who controls the lunar eclipse. You should be able to quickly calculate out just how cataclysmic a power that could be. Squeal? Boo Boo tilted his head, which did not make for much of a translation. The Vampire looked down at the small bottle by Ultimate Weapon Abysss pillow and observed the stirring of the dried leaf flakes inside. Was that a yes? Then let us continue. Have you noticed the situation that draws nigh? Draws nigh? Wait, Kallikantzaros, is something new beginning? At least inform me first!! Boo Boo and Strigona questioned her in their own ways, but the negligee girls response was an exasperated one. This is nothing new. In fact, it is quite old. Cutting down the grass on the surface is useless when the roots remain. Simply put, Boo Boo, you might think you have solved everything, but you missed something. You missed the very core of the issue. He could only tilt his head at that. The Iberian Orcs had been saved from the Red. Boo Boo had saved Beatrice after she lost her Shining Weapon. And the others had worked together to save Boo Boo after he collapsed. What more was there? He could not think of any remaining issues. A lot is about to happen. You will be forced to pay for rushing your solution to those problems. It is possible none of the knowledge you previously relied on will apply. However. The Vampire spoke with a calm conviction in her voice. But if you understand what the problem is at its core, you will not lose sight of yourself. Boo Boo, the times will change whether you like it or not. Instead of lamenting, you must adapt while staying true to yourself. To be honest, I have grown fond of you. Do not let this turbulent current change who you are. Boo Boo had no idea what she meant. So Kallikantzaros summed it up in a way even he could understand. She could not have made it simpler. It was like a sinister prophecy. You never solved the problem of the Hero, did you? At that very moment, a tremor and impact seemed to shove the entire island up from below. Kallikantzaros breathed an exasperated sigh while Boo Boo and Strigona looked around in a panic. Wh-what!? What in the world just happened? This did not come out of nowhere. A situation that has long been underway has finally made itself known. The negligee Vampire looked down at Abyss. I planned to use your processing power to predict whether or not the coming disaster would require assistance from my powerbut it would seem that is no longer necessary. But what actually happened!? shouted Strigona. Her old friend shrugged. They have descended, she said. They cushioned their fall by surrounding themselves in the same substance as the artificial atmospheric barrier surrounding this world. I imagine that umbrella was about the size of an entire continent. Wha-? Now, I have a question for you. It seems the Hero wished to complete an artificial atmosphere to fully surround this world, but where did they obtain the materials for it? A transparent artificial object would primarily be made of silicon, which means ordinary sand and dirt, does it not? She could think of two possible sources. The first was the continents which had sunk when the Underworld Lord had destroyed the ancient humans. Since they were at the bottom of the ocean, no one would notice if they were missing. The second was from another astronomical body or meteor located outside the artificial atmosphere. But in either case, one question remained. No one had ever found even a tooth belonging to the Hero, so where had they been all this time? And what if they used that glass barrier to accomplish some kind of goal? They could use that to directly strike the surface and to cushion themselves from the impact. Or they could use it to construct a great continent to use as their own base. And they could cause a certain phenomenon immediately after setting foot in the middle of the ocean. The Red that afflicted the Iberian Orcs was not a disease caused from within. The transformation came from the slight changes to the planetary environment brought by the artificial atmosphere surrounding Grounds Nir. The Hero, that human who wandered here centuries ago, was attempting to remake Grounds Nir into an environment identical to Earth. That was why destroying their artificial atmosphere was necessary to stop the Red. But what if the person controlling that artificial atmosphere was still alive? Would they really let you do that without any kind of response? Boo Boos face clouded over and red lights once more shined from Abyss to protect him. The dried leaf flakes in the small bottle stirred disconcertingly. Kallikantzaros herself did not seem to care. I am saying a paradigm shift has arrived. The appearance of a new continent means this world is no longer small enough to walk the perimeter in three days. It has grown as far as the eye can see. And thats whats causing this tremor? asked Strigona. No, wait. If the direct hit caused a massive wave, I thought I would have to negate it by moving the ocean with my power to control the lunar eclipse. Everything should have been fine. Nothing should have happened. But Kallikantzaross expression was grim. No real damage to the surrounding area, hm? That mass is the size of a continent. That level of control is actually terrifying. But it was not over yet. This vast new field rewrote the assumption that Grounds Nir was an island small enough to walk the perimeter in three days. And yet this was no more than the signal meant to announce the presence of the great catastrophe known as the Hero. Boo Boos head shook a little. He could directly communicate with Abyss, so she had sent a small warning to him. The ultimate weapon had sent him the following message: They still live. Part 6 Abyss// Did you find any mistakes? Abyss// Then let us review the answers. Part 7 A paradigm shift. Vampire Kallikantzaross words were proven true by the following morning. The small island of Grounds Nir and the Labyrinth spread out below had hidden so much possibility, but the advantages and power balance had grown stagnant thanks to the overwhelming individual power of the Level Cappers and the organized Guilds. When dividing up the limited resources, everything ended up being an extension of the situation on Earth. That might sound shocking, but Beatrices Party tended to use that environment to stop technological development from running wild. And now a vast continent had appeared. At its closest point, it was visible from the island. The estimated amount of resources was unknown. How much was buried there, the cost of excavating it, the return on investment, and the human risk were all unknown. Would the challengers become filthy rich, or would they be worn down in a worthless battle of attrition? Either way, there was hope. This uncontrollable dangerous hope was similar to the Age of Exploration or the Gold Rush. It probably shined so brightly because it was so very thick and because it reflected the sunlight. The greedy people tried to guess at its nature from afar: All the land there looks transparent. Is it ice or resin? No, is it silicon!? We could travel back and forth if we had a simple ship. Acquisition Team, get on it!! Dont be dumb! Why bother going to some risky new continent full of who knows what kinds of dangerous toxins and pathogens? We need to buy wood. Or the ropes and waterproof fabrics used for sails! We want everything used to build ships because that stuff is going to sell like hotcakes!! It was truly a turning point. The human inn town was abuzz with energy. They could not bring material things back to Earth, but if they found new laws and formulas in the materials hidden on that new continent, they could send that data back. And the materials would be useful for building new buildings and vehicles on the Grounds Nir side of things. Plus, there was no longer a need to stay in the small islands inn town if they built a trading post on the vast continent and set up a Gate there. And if they could control a cornerstone of travel, a mine, or a grain-producing region, their future possibilities were endless. This other world was looking much more like a world now. Mhh The palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana literally hid behind the grass to spy on the humans. It was obvious if you paid attention, but there were small trees growing quite near the inn town as a form of decorative landscaping. The dexterous Fairies would help grow the plants in order to ensure a hiding place for themselves. Meridianas cheeks were currently puffed out like rice cakes. Theyre all so excited about that new land. They make it sound like no one wants this island anymore. Whats the problem with that? Alice, the younger sister with hair tied to either side, was using her dragonfly wings to buzz all around her older sister to gather her attention. This entirely defeated the purpose of hiding. If the humans leave, that just means fewer predators. No. That was not the point. Boo Boo, Meridianas savior, had finally woken back up, but now his human friends might invite him to leave the island. And would he ever return? The humans might need the island for a while longer because they had to periodically return to Earth using the Gates, but Boo Boo could stay here forever since he had been born in Grounds Nir. Also, the Fairies like Meridiana were at the bottom of the food chain, so they could not join this kind of expedition. She could never let anyone know how lonely she had felt during the Underworld and Red incidents. That was why Meridiana was terribly distracted by something other than the fate of the world or the paradigm shift, but then Elder (but still a girl) Morgan flew over to them. What are you two doing here? Oh, Elder Morgan. Hm, are you interested in the humans? Their elder took a much, muuuch wider view of the world. She was sure to have some wonderful idea that would eliminate Meridianas worriesor so Meridiana thought, but a mature look of ennui entered Morgans eyes. The cicada-winged elders voice was soft. This island might just start feeling a little lonely before long. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! Meridiana!? Eek, have you gone mad!? Part 8 And. While the inn town was excited with the arrival of a new continent, Beatrices Party was focused on a different issue. Well, it was not an entirely different issue. The Hero. The person to blame for everything was still alive. Um. Summon Hunter Gruagach hesitantly spoke up in the kind of restaurant found anywhere in the inn town. It isnt much, but I found a few references to the Hero in old Religious Society documents. Y-you mean on the Earth side of things? Wouldnt those documents be from more than 300 years ago? Also, youve still been in contact with the Religious Society, Gruagach? We can put together a plan and infiltrate them, so dont do things like that without backup! The mourning clothes girl dodged Hermelinas scolding with an unreadable smile and continued on. According to contemporary texts, the Hero was a woman also known as La Signora. Although that is not an actual name either. She was supposedly an outside military advisor for the Religious Society at the time. However However? Red-and-silver-haired Beatrice frowned and looped-braided Gruagach breathed an elegant sigh. She was apparently an expert in the struggle for existence, but there are many different legends about her. Like that she tore down an old monarchy and introduced capitalism to replace it or that she stood at the turning point that ended the age of knights and replaced it with the age of mercenaries. When she helped the Religious Society by killing a great many witches, it was also a certain kind of turning point. Whether or not any of it was true, it seems Hero La Signora was using that situation to help the witches grow within society. The more they were persecuted, the more their momentum would build. She apparently wanted to create a situation similar to the early days of the Religious Society. She helped with the witch hunts that used anonymous informants, torture, and executions to leave the poor victims with no escape and she claimed it was to help the witches? Even Hermelina was dumbfounded by that twisted thought process. Gruagach nodded. I read that her motto was win whenever possible. When there was a usable method, she would wonder why no one else was reaching for it. So La Signora only takes action when she has a clear vision of victory in her mind. She does not do anything out of desperation. Since she has returned now, we must assume she has some sort of plan. Part 9 Squeal Boo Boo had arrived on the white beach. He brought a hand to his mouth and spoke nervously while viewing the giant transparent land towering up on the horizon. I really hope this doesnt turn out like it did with the Underworld. This might seem normal enough, but Boo Boo never would have done this in the past. The inn towns humans had gathered on the coast out of both hope and fear. The beach was more crowded than an Earth beach during the summer. Before, Boo Boo would never have gone somewhere so full of humans. But he had changed. He had asked to borrow their Shining Weapons so he could save Beatrice. He gradually walked over to the people who had answered that request. Hi. Someone spoke to him. The black-haired young mans looks were a bit harmed by the look in his eyes, but he was known as a Pure Knight. He wore silver armor polished like a mirror and carried a distinctive shield that would fully hide him when held in front of him. God, and just when I thought things had calmed down in this world. Is your bunch part of this like usual? Squeal. I dont really know. Beatrice and the others all look scared. For real? Those overpowered chicks? And I was only joking. I thought we had an unlimited gold rush on our hands, but is there something dangerous waiting for us there? Why dont they sell life insurance in Grounds Nir? Are you going there too? If all goes well. Some people are hoping to make a quick buck by buying up and reselling ship materials, so its in the acquisition teams hands now. The Pure Knight wandered off while grumbling. He may have had other people to meet as he vanished into the crowd. Boo Boo tilted his head and then resumed walking along the white beach instead of toward the ocean. The crowd of people gradually thinned out and had entirely vanished by the time the fine sand was replaced by jagged rocks. He walked below the sheer cliff and entered a lyrical world of waves crashing against rock before finally arriving at his destination: The Cave of Tears. The caves entrance was located at the base of the cliff, but it did not flood because it sloped upwards once inside. It was safe enough for Demon Lord Tselika to have hidden her collection here. He did not head into the very back this time. Some familiar girls were struggling on the rocks near the entrance. Dammit, Wildefrau! How many times did I tell you that wouldnt work!? Wahh!! You were the one that told me to do this!! Kyahh!? There was a loud splash as the small boat floating in the ocean lost its balance and capsized. Squeal. Its always so hard to believe that heavy metal can float in the ocean. Gruagach, with her mourning clothes and with her long blonde braid worn in a large circle, Rusalka, who wore a skintight leotard with solid armor and boots added on, and Huldra, who wore a cheerleading uniform, waved when they noticed him. Are you sure about this, Rusalka? Youve been in Grounds Nir this whole time. Arent you missing out on your once-in-a-lifetime school trip? An eight-day trip is way too long for something in the country, so Im fine. Besides, Im busy making memories with you, Onee-sama! Hermelina, who wore a priests robes with a slit in the sides, had apparently created the base with her metal boat and then Wildefrau, who was naked save for a cross-shaped sword and some belts, used her ice to make floats and a sail, but it was either poorly balanced or they did not work well together. Hermelina somehow managed to get her head above water after falling into the actual ocean out past the rocks. Cough, cough, cough!! Dammit, Im soaked now. Although I guess a perverted exhibitionist wouldnt understand the see-through issues wet clothing can cause!! Pant, pant. Oh? You say that, but your clothes are quite something too. My, my. This priest has her robe full of slits and what she is wearing below is even more interesting. You went to the trouble of customizing the underwear, didnt you? My, my, my. ~ ~ ~!? With her face bright red (and her flat chest partially exposed by a boob window), Hermelina remade the boat into a giant metal ball to make her idea of a rebuttal, but the weight was too much for her and she sank into the water. Boo Boo could only tilt his head further. How strange Now, the humans were not the only ones who wanted to avoid getting wet. Boo Boo had a strict no baths policy and he washed himself using sand, so he took up a position on the taller rocks that had not been swallowed by the white waves. Beatrice and Philinnion did not seem to be here. It was Hermelina, Wildefrau, Gruagach, Rusalka, and Huldra. Someone familiar with the situation on Earth would know that was primarily the group that gathered at a certain PI office. The pink-twintailed girl crouched on the safe rocks and cutely formed a megaphone with her hands to make a somewhat exasperated suggestion. Chieeef. I feel like going the DIY route for getting a boat to the new continent is going to be too hard for us. Dont you dare look this way, you fake girl. Besides, we spent quite a lot of gears on the information warfare over the Shocking Tingle Peppers, remember? We cant afford to join the auction-like negotiations over a boat. Our budget is all spent! Earths harsh side made an appearance in this world as well. Hermelinas boat had slid down a snowy mountain, crossed a lake of lava in the Underworld, and defended against the beam bombardment created by the three royal treasures. It had a pretty good track record, but they had never actually seen it floating in seawater with an ordinary relative density. That might seem surprising when it handled lava just fine, but the large waves of the ocean may have made a difference. Rather than a vessel, it was originally a torture tool meant to slowly crush the victim lying below it, so it may not have been designed with balance in mind. Mourning clothes Gruagach spoke up with an index finger on her slender chin. But we have business on that continent, dont we? Beyond the simple paradigm shift, I mean. If we returned to the inn town now, we would only find the price of boats had skyrocketed. Honestly, I shouldnt have come with you just because you sounded so confidant you could easily get us a boat! Rusalka had done nothing to help, yet she sounded the most full of herself. That rolled blonde ponytail girl may have been the type who left nasty reviews on restaurant rating sites. Hermelina shook her head side to side like a wet dog and spoke in a voice so low it sounded like a curse. Damnwhat was Abyss talking about? If it turns out she was wrong after all this, Im really gonna let her have it. Since she cant move, Ill doodle on every last part of her body. The Hero still lives, muttered Boo Boo. She was to blame for everything. She had covered the heavens with an artificial atmosphere barrier to secretly remake Grounds Nirs environment and that had caused the Red disease to spread among the Iberian Orcs. Beatrice and Philinnion were not here because they were searching for some kind of supporting evidence on Earth. Phew. Soaked Wildefrau sat on a random rock. Making one ourselves is too hard and we waited too long to buy one in the inn town at anything halfway resembling a reasonable price. Squeal, should we just ask the Thousand Dragon? Deep down, shes actually very cautiousor, cowardly really. Getting shot down by the Underworld may have traumatized her. Whatever the case, she hasnt even tried to approach the new land and we cant force her. Hermelina was a kind soul, but that was not the only reason. If they tried to force that 1000m dragon and she panicked and went on a rampage, there was no way to stop her. Then do we have to try for that? Are you serious? That means going up against a Break News. It is true we might not stand a chance in a direct fight, but there are other ways. Now, we are short on time, so we need to act as soon as possible. Once night falls, it will be too late. Wildefrau brushed back her wet blue curls while looking to the south. There was a mangrove there, but also The Next Voyager. That Vampire is living there now, but it was originally a giant research ship the Stars and Stripes group built to explore the oceans here. If we act during the day while she is still inside her coffin, dont you think we could take the ship for ourselves? Part 10 The Ushigashira Shrine was in Akasaka, Tokyo. Sigh The busty shrine maiden with swirly glasses and long fluffy blonde hair lay sprawled out on the great expanse of tatami mats. A wrinkly old womans voice reached her from the orderly arrangement of joists on the ceiling. Honestly, is eat and sleep all you ever do? Do you need a reminder what time it is? The sun is high in the sky. Bleh. You might be too out of touch to know, grandmother, but I am trying to recuperate after returning from another world. Getting my rest in the limited time available to me is an important job! What about college? She had no answer for that. That was why she could not hear the noisy voices of the children from the shrine grounds. It was 10 AM on a weekday, so the elementary school kids would be studying instead of playing. Generally, anyone involved in Grounds Nir was forced to live a double life. Keeping up with one meant falling behind in the other. The busty shrine maiden only had to make sure she passed her classes in the end, so it could have been worse. In fact, not many people could fully focus on exploring the other world like Beatrice could thanks to the government sheltering her and forcing her to give up on any kind of normal life. (I cant let myself envy that, though.) Her phones were lying on the tatami mats too. Yes, phones. Quite a few were lying around. You have five of them now? What a waste. College girls have a lot of people to keep up with. People have as many phones as they have identities. You need to keep your email addresses and social media accounts separate too. One of them rang: a super cheap smartphone with a free SIM she could dispose of at any time. Without getting up, her right hand wandered over and grabbed it. Instead of an email or a social media message, it was a free voice call using an app. Using the apps proprietary compressed format instead of a usual phone connection apparently prevented anyone from intercepting the signal, but how useful was that really? If things like that could completely avoid Hermelina and Huldra, it seemed like the country would have been overrun by spies and terrorists already. Hi, got an answer yet? This is dangerous stuff! This tech can be put to military use, cant it? Using university equipment to prove a theory about Grounds Nir is definitely getting me put on some kind of watch list. Oh, dont worry about that. Ive got a friend in the secret police, so shell remove your name from the list before things get bad. Youre not doing anything wrong, after all. Youre a weirdly mysterious person, you know that? Im honestly kind of scared of you. But you got the job done, right? Dont forget what you promised me for this. Youre coming to the next party! The grade of guys we get goes up two or three levels when youre with us. Sure, sure. But Ill be getting something to eat and drink and then leaving before the last train, okay? Oh, and wear contacts. Those swirly glasses are not allowed!! Even pre-transformation Cinderella looked after her appearance more than you!! But its so much easier this way. And should a priest-in-training really be going to hookup parties? Eh? All the others say Ill be in trouble if I dont land a guy before I lose the in training part. This really highlighted Earths harsh side (even though Japans Shinto was not all that into asceticism compared to the Buddhists). Miss your chance and lose any place to meet people and you could easily end up like the priests who try hitting on the girls visiting a grave at the temple. Well? Right, the ridiculous theory you brought to me for verification. Is it or is it not possible for a human from Earth to live long-term in Grounds Nir? The shrine maiden with fluffy blonde hair and swirly glasses finally sat up from the tatami mats. That was enough for her large breasts to jiggle alluringly. Andwhat did you find? Humans cannot survive that worlds environment because the atmospheric composition and the gravity created by the planets rotation and revolution are slightly different from Earths. The slight difference between the bodys rhythm and the surrounding environment damages the autonomic nerves and more. The current academic theory is that a human can only stay there for a few days at the longest. Normally, there would be no way to pass that barrier. If it was possible, the Hero, Omega, and Beatrice would not have suffered so much. However. This college friend was not done speaking. In that case, there is a way. If you launch the human from the planet, expose them to a weightless environment, and have them breathe artificial air fine-tuned to match Earths, they could at least ignore the standards of Grounds Nir. From there, its the same as living long term on a space station. That would break the rule that you can only survive for a few days. They had been looking at it wrong. Thinking of Grounds Nir as a flat place was no different from the people who believed you could fall off the edge of the Earth. They had been trapped by their own assumptions about a world of swords and Magic. Yet that Earth-born fantasy worldview was not native to Grounds Nir. It was the humans who had brought it there. Of course, this is all assuming that islands resources and technology are enough to safely launch a manned rocket and prepare a livable environment outside the atmosphere. Its true Grounds Nir is a world of possibility, but I doubt anyone could do that with handmade equipment. Its only a theory. Just because something is theoretically possible does not mean you can actually do it. But was that the case this time? Beatrice had since destroyed it, but that worlds planet had been entirely surrounded by a transparent glass artificial atmospheric barrier. It was unknown why the Hero had descended. But if she only acted when she knew she could win, she would have some kind of plan in mind. Whether or not that plan would succeed, she would not just sit idly by and wait for death. The witch hunts had used violence and humiliation to draw false confessions out of tens of thousands of innocent people and had them executed. It was hard to believe that every last person responsible had honestly accepted the excuse that they were protecting society from an unseen curse. They had felt guilty, but in that mad age, questioning it meant being ostracized. But La Signora was different. To achieve her own goal, she had crushed people and plunged them into fire or water without feeling any guilt whatsoever. Now, let us look back to the present. That glass continent had to be a way to cushion her from the impact with the ocean and to give her a foothold for whatever her plan was. She would have already launched whatever worker device had continued following her orders for hundreds of lonely years. If that worker device could create such a vast outer shell, then adding a small shelter would be nothing. Just like the shrine maidens grandmother, she had been hiding in the starry attic of that world. (The only other problem would be how to survive for hundreds of years.) According to Boo Boo and Strigona, Ultimate Weapon Abyss had said that the Hero still lives. And since Beatrice had damaged the artificial atmospheric barrier, she had descended to the ocean to fight back in some way. Time travel was tricky when it came to moving back into the past. But if you only needed to move forward into the future, it was perfectly possible if you were only worried about your own point of view. (The barrier of time can be broken using cold sleep, vampirism, or a dried state of suspended animation similar to a water bear.) The Hero had responded. Whether or not the current situation worked in her favor, there was bound to be some kind of trouble. The upcoming battle would be even greater than those against the Underworld Lord or the Red Iberian Orcs. How screwed are we? asked the college friend. Pretty damn screwed. The world is caught in the fever of a gold rush, but they should really be staying away from that world at all costs. Part 11 With that, they had to seriously consider the possibility that the Hero awaited them somewhere on that unnaturally-born new continent. She would stand at a turning point and win whenever possible. That sounded fine enough, but in the distant past, she had in fact accused innocent people of being witches and had them executed. And in Grounds Nir, she was the one who had ignored what all other forms of life might want and infected the Iberian Orcs with the Red disease. The scale of each event and the number of victims she was willing to accept were far too great. Nothing was taboo for her. Leaving her to her own devices was almost guaranteed to end badly. They had to visit the new continent and find her before she could infiltrate the island. No matter what. Even if it was just to put their minds at ease, they needed to investigate her actions and possibly even fight and neutralize her. However, Boo Boo and the others had no boat. Their last hope there was the Next Voyager, the ghost ship run aground on the coast by the southern forest. So the only course of action was to borrow the ship and row out to sea during the day while the ultra-scary Vampire was asleep in her coffin!! In her red armor, white miniskirt, and tattered gray cloak, Holy Swordswoman Beatrice put a hand on her hip and sighed when they told her the plan. Just to double check, Hermelina: you are the oldest one here, arent you? Back on Earth, youre not actually a 5-year-old genius girl with no actual life experience? Cmon, old lady, I want to hear it directly from you. And Id like to hear from you what the point of that icy sarcasm and scorn is! Youre just a little girl who should be taking her high school entrance exam right about now! They bickered as they crossed a narrow bridge through the mangrove forest. Shallow bridges made of a special material called Diamond Salt branched out all over the place. Oh, do we have guests? Hermeli, we arent very nice to people who arrive without gifts! The voices of some puppies and kitties reached them from the branches overhead. The bridges and treetop houses made from Diamond Salt were built by the Cat Sith and Cu Sith who lived in the forest. Just like with the Fairies, powerless species that wanted a way to protect themselves would become quite dexterous. That seemed to be a fascinating rule of evolution. Boo Boos great strength and simple loin cloth seemed to be the other side of that coin, but now he brought a hand to his mouth and spoke. Boo. Borrowing without asking is wrong. Kallikantzaros will be upset when she finds out! Ugh I can imagine how dead well be then. Shes a legit Break News after all. The glasses girl with her chest bound by her own suspenders was already getting cold feet and scooting closer to the Iberian Orc, but unlike Boo Boo, her concern was not for the victim of their theft. As for Beatrice Its more important to find out whether or not the Hero is alive like Abyss claimed. The Red incident affected the Iberian Orcs because their senses are far more sensitive, but they were only the beginning and it may have spread from there. If the Hero goes further with the environmental changes, all life in Grounds Nir could die out, Boo Boo. And Kallikantzaros is no exception. Squeal Everyone in this world is in danger and so hand over everything you own was not really a logical progression, but then Hermelina lightly cut in. Well, that bully of a Vampire cant move during the day, so we win if we get the ship out to sea in that time. Ch-chief, doesnt that just mean were trapped on the ship with her when she wakes up mad!? I dont know how much Earths legends apply to Grounds Nir lifeforms, but I have heard Vampires fear water. Especially flowing water like rivers and the sea. Once out on the water, she might start trembling and tearfully beg for help. Bwa ha bwa ha ha!! Summon Hunter Gruagach calmly elbowed Wildefrau in the side. (Um, how likely is Hermelinas plan to succeed?) (Did you really think she was a winner? Shes a brute force lunkhead who doesnt even try to get clever. Whenever a new boss shows up, shes sent out to test their strength.) I can hear you, Wildefrau. You too, Gruagach! Im a winner at life. After all, Im one of the powerful Level Cappers. Have you two already forgotten how I beat up an edgy Japanese doll with a crazy eyepatch in order to rescue a bondage girl kept in a bathtub full of ice!? They left the southern forest while the arguing continued. Overall, a river parted in a Y-shape to create a triangular sandbank that bordered the ocean. A very old luxury ship sat up on that beach. That was the Next Voyager ocean research ship. Pink-twintailed Huldra spoke while hiding her mouth behind her pompoms and giving an upturned glass. The pose was as flimsy as the free samples at the entrance of a grocery store. Umm, it might be made of wood, but the ship is more than 100m long, isnt it? Its completely beached, so how are we supposed to get it back in the water? That was a sensible comment, but her question was not enough to stop the Level Cappers who had a habit of ignoring limits. Lets dig into the sand below and lift the ship to create a gap. Got it. Then we can add a layer of water between to slide it on out into the ocean. If no one stopped them, those ridiculously-powerful Magic users really would steal the ship. Boo Boo began grumbling a little. Squeal Boo Boo? Beatrice noticed the change while watching the others work, but it was too late by the time she tried to ask what it was about. This isnt right. If were going to borrow her tool, we need to ask Kallikantzaros first. So lets do that. Heyyy! Kallikantzarooooos!!!!!! Ah!? Philinnion and Hermelina tried to cover the law-abiders giant mouth, but he was nearly four meters tall and his face was far too high up. A moment later, darkness covered Grounds Nir like a worldwide blackout. This was a solar eclipse. Apparently, but how exactly had the moon moved just now? This was more than a curveball or forkball; it was well beyond understanding. And since the sun island was no longer functioning, this darkness had enveloped the world by the actual moon hiding the actual sun in outer space. Beatrices Party looked up to see the Next Voyagers small master on its side deck. Keeping the gray pig doll on her lap and petting it like a noble with their cat must not have been enough for her. The blonde negligee girl gave the world below a scornful look and spoke with a voice low enough to sound like a curse. Not only do you disturb my sleep, but you fail to follow my dress code too. Come to think of it, that Vampire did not underestimate humans, so she required any visitors to wear swimsuits, thus rendering them nearly helpless. A fully-equipped group with Shining Weapons at their hip attacking while she was asleep was entirely out of the question. Hermelina and the others had insisted it was fine since she would be asleep during the day. So a question. What happened if she was awake? A splashing sound rang loud in the extreme tension of the atmosphere. Vampires cannot cross quickly moving water. Since sunlight was not as effective as hoped, their minds naturally turned toward finding another weakness, so Hermelina must have considered that dubious legend. Her bullying boots stepped out into the crashing waves. That snapped the thread of tension. It was like an eruption. I hope all of you have written your wills!!!!!! The next thing they knew there was a gap in their memories??? Philinnion was stuck in the sand with her shorts-wearing butt sticking up into the air, Hermelina was caught on a branch in the forest with her bare legs sticking out from her robes slits, and the rest of them were in a similarly hellish state. Beatrice had only fallen down onto her butt and Boo Boos large back stood protectively in front of her. Unarmed Boo Boo was waving his giant hands. Calm down, Kallikantzaros. Mh? Are you the only one who came unarmed? You also have no excess clothing and dont seem to have anything hidden. So you are following the dress code. You were also the one to warn me, werent you? Very well, what is it you wish to say? Those rude humans lost their chance, but I will hear you out. We want a boat, but cant get one. So we want to borrow yours. The girl tilted her head on the side deck. And what is in it for me? So we cant use it? How petty. Boo Boo said it without really thinking, but Vampire Kallikantzaross small shoulders shook. Whatdid you just call me? If youre not willing to share, thats fine. We wont force you to give it up, so dont worry, Kallikantzaros. Squeal, this ship belongs to you and we wont take your treasure from you, so theres nothing to be afraid of. But I am surprised. I thought you would be more mature than this. Boo. Hehheh heh She hung her head and seemed to be laughing. Beatrice could not even guess at what was causing that straining sound from all around them. Then the Break News raised her head and roared. For some reason, there were tears in her eyes. A-are you kidding me, you fools!? Y-y-you think I am petty? You think I am immature? You think a Vampire living on her own cant be considerate of others circumstances and cant even complete a childs errand!? Y-you think that silver-haired one is better than me!!!??? Her voice was cracking, she kept stuttering, and no one had suggested most of what she said. Her face was bright red and she trembled as she shouted, so it was not a pretty sight. Boo Boo had apparently scored a critical hit on her heart. Boo Boo brought a hand to his mouth with a sad look in his eyes. Squeal. Sorry, Kallikantzaros. If I did something wrong, I apologize. Then stop looking at me like that! I have done nothing warranting that kind of pity!! S-s-something so trivial could never get to me. I am not crying!! If I did something wrong, tell me what it was so I can do better next time. I am saying you did nothing wrong! I-Iyes, I am a very generous person, so I am more than willing to lend you the Next Voyager!! Part 12 Thus, Boo Boo became a sailor. Starting from the southern forest required going the long way around, but it meant a lot that they had acquired a ship off the other humans radar and could use it to get to the new land. The solar eclipse had vanished with mysterious ease and the blue sky had returned. Vampire Kallikantzaros was sulking inside her coffin on the bottom level of the ship. Wh-wh-what happened to water being her weakness? And come to think of it, shes wearing a black bikini below that see-through negligee. Shes a beach girl!! Chieeef, hadnt we heard that she can control the lunar eclipse to use the moons gravitational pull to submerge every last bit of land? We probably shouldnt have tried to apply Earths legends to her After taking such a solid beating, Hermelina leaned over the railing like a blanket hanging out to dry, but that aside Squeal The stage was finally moving to the new land. Hero La Signora awaited them on that mysterious field. Its okay, Boo Boo, said Beatrice while leaning against that pig-faced giant from the side. The Hero might not be doing anything bad. And even if she is, we wont lose. Isnt that right? Oh, no. Oh, no, no. Then they heard an odd voice from the side. White Witch Philinnion had been pacing back and forth across the deck with a pale face for a while now. Whats with you, cow? Dont tell me you cant swim and the ocean scares you. Um, this is a bigger issue. The glasses suspenders cow looked terribly troubled. Not only was this ship sitting on the beach for decades, but didnt the Sage and Sibyl strip off a lot of its parts to use as the interior of the Girls Grill? Cmon, it cant be that bad. I mean, Kallikantzaros is onboard with us. She wouldve stopped us from setting sail if there was a hole in the bottom. Hermelina had a good point, but Philinnion poked her index fingers together in front of her large chest as she got to the crux of the issue. Kallikantzaros gets mad if you approach her ship without permission, but did she really know that the Sage and Sibyl came here? If they snuck aboard and stole the wood, wouldnt she be entirely unaware of any holes in it? Their elegant journey was at an end. They all grabbed pots and buckets to use as bailers. They were too far from the island to turn back, so they split up and ran around the large ship to check for holes. Part 13 Abyss// If you view a calm and unchanging scene for long enough Abyss// you may eventually begin to suspect everything you see there. Abyss// But do not worry. There are indeed mistakes. Abyss// Now, let us review the answers. Volume 7, 3: A Transparent New Continent, An Opaque Villain Volume 7, Chapter 3: A Transparent New Continent, An Opaque Villain Part 1 Still, I think it must have been quite a shock for the lady as well. She just doesnt let it show much. The Detached Magic Palace had a luxurious courtyard for being in Roppongi, Tokyo, and Misoka, the middle maid sister, was currently speaking there. Call it a new land or a new continent if you want, but its made a real mess of the power balance in that world, right? Earth problems cant be solved using the islands rules any longer. She has to start from scratch in coming up ways to prevent runaway technology like disseminated weapons that use program-controlled nanotech or 235 centrifuge parallel processors that can make the concentration of element #92 much more reasonable. The Detached Magical Palace and everything inside it generally belonged to the girl, so the maids were not free to do with it what they wanted. They had to look after things because the red dress girl would not say anything herself, but they were technically borrowing even their personal rooms. So Misoka was lying on a sheet placed directly on the grass instead of inside the gazebo. Iroka, the eldest sister with glasses and a mole below the eye, sat elegantly on the same sheet. She was the capable sort of maid who kept her posture straight even when her master was not watching. The officials of the five great regional cities are requesting to inspect our Detached Magic Palace. Every city must want to create similar a place to strengthen their own forces in response to the changing environment in the other world. Those would be actual government workers, right? They would just bring back Pieces and spread them around like the bureaucrats and politicians want them to. That only makes more enemies for the lady. Itd be chaos. If anything, the miss is the odd one out for viewing the big picture and striking at any openings to prevent dangerous technological development. Isnt this all about to fall apart? If the five great regional cities start competing to be the next capital city, theyll start a proxy war in the other world. More than that, we just dont have the strength to build four or five facilities on the level of the Detached Magic Palace. They keep kicking the can down the road by issuing government bonds, but that isnt going to work much longer. It hurts that they couldnt crack down on virtual currencies and online advertising as simple revenue sources. The Pieces have caused the value of the country to plummet, so the related countries investment banks only keep Japanese bonds as the price of doing business with us and the actual investors wont touch the stuff. What if they forcibly take the budget they need by treating it like an investment thats guaranteed to pay off? All the public funding for Grounds Nir countermeasures decided on after the Tselika Panic has gone right down the drain, so what if that happens four or five times at once? Plus, if those facilities dont have the lady in them, they wont see any success exploring the Labyrinth. When those regional cities cant get their money back, the economic shock will bring down the entire national economy. What is your point? Why not get out while the getting is good? Remember our idea of making the Detached Magic Palace the worlds smallest country? Misoka pointed over while lying on the sheet and a tremor erupted from that point. The warm sun must have reached Haruka, the youngest sister, because she opened her mouth wide while lying on her back. Zgh, zghhhhhhhhh! Ugh, mumble, mumble Thats just normal snoring for her, isnt it? Not sleep whatever-its-called? You can tell just by looking at her shes perfectly healthy. Im jealous. And Harukas idea is not just a pipedream. I have created digital copies of all the necessary paperwork and submitted it to the necessary agencies and offices over fiber optic lines. And yet I havent heard a peep about it. The Diet isnt going to delay giving approval, eventually say it never went up for discussion due to a communication error, and then hope it just goes away, are they? You are more of a worrier than I thought. Only when it has to do with the lady. That honesty and forthrightness is a skill I lack. Again, I am jealous. As a sign of respect, I will give you a serious answer. Iroka quietly sighed while rubbing the head of the youngest sister who was making a noise like a powerful vacuum cleaner nozzle. Simply put, it is being blocked. And quite powerfully at that. Were talking about 15% of the peoples tax money breaking away. Of course they want to stop it. Yes. I knew it would not be easy and prepared some countermeasures in advance, but all of those were crushed as well. But instead of being done by force, it felt more like it was done by someone who exists outside the rules. Like those Over the Wall people? That I cannot say. Those at the peaks of Earths power structures worked behind the scenes while crossing every form of boundary: nation, race, language, religion, corporation, etc. But that was why they could seem involved in any misfortune or tragedy once you began to suspect them. Considering an enemy on that level without solid evidence would only trap you in your own invented delusions. Bespectacled Iroka deftly sidestepped that uncertain area as she continued. At any rate, we have no future if we cannot pry open these floodgates. We will only continue to stagnate. There are still a set number of forces that wish to crush the Detached Magic Palace, so if we must fight and compete over our rights and budget, then those regional cities, the defense contractors, and even religious organizations will swoop in to steal everything from us This sounds bad It is, confirmed the oldest sister. But she was a capable maid and that meant doing more than just obediently following her instructions. Now, I have an idea to share with you while Haruka sleeps. Would you be interested in causing some trouble on the outside with me? Part 2 O-ohh Its shaking, its shaking. Its moving, its moving. Beatrice spoke from atop the Next Voyager after leaving the island of Grounds Nir. She held her arms out horizontally to keep her balance next to the pool on the large deck. The ghost ships appearance was quite worrying, but it helped a lot that they had Rusalka and Wildefraus mastery of the Wind and Ice Elements. They had little difficulty catching the wind on the multiple sails, similar to a clipper. They could control the winds direction, so they did not need to go through the rigging work that would take dozens of crewmembers. The girl was more excited than necessary with her tattered gray cloak fluttering behind her, but that may have been because the unsteady footing brought back the memories of when she was on deaths door after her Shining Weapon was destroyed by the red electricity. Meanwhile, on the poolside This cow freaked us all out with her made up threat! The ships just fine and we wasted our time running around!! This moron was spreading fake news just for fun, but then she goes pale when it causes a panic!! A-all I did was consider the dangers we might face and lay them out on the table. If youre going to get after me for that, then I dont think were anywhere near as safe as you think we are. Shut up and stick your butt out this way! You played us for fools, so Im going to spank the ass crammed into those tight shorts!! See, were not safe at all!! Incidentally, the ship was fine because all of the holes had been plugged up with the all-purpose Diamond Salt that was used for bridges, homes, and weapons in the southern forest. The dogs and cats dressed as butlers and maids must have secretly been working to maintain it. They were journeying to a new land, but it was still close enough to be visible from Grounds Nirs coast. Which was a good thing since Beatrices Party had to turn back and return to the islands Gates before their time limit of a few days expired. S-squeal. Boo Boo nervously held onto the side deck railing. He had taken a shortcut to the depths of the Labyrinth, entered the Underworld, climbed to the sun island, and more, but was he afraid of the ocean? Even though they had crossed a much-more-dangerous lava lake in Hermelinas small metal boat? He looked back the way they had come while holding onto the railing and keeping his feet planted on the deck. The island of Grounds Nir looks so small already Boo, can we really get back? Dont worry, Boo Boo. We havent been swept out to sea or anything. Beatrice placed a gently clenched fist over her mouth and giggled as she answered. Boo Boo apparently thought of this like being swept away inside a giant float. He had climbed to the heavens and arrived on the sun island before, but he apparently saw horizontal distances differently from vertical ones. To reiterate, this voyage was only to another shore within viewing distance. Reefs were still a danger, but for the most part, they did not need to stare at a sea chart or compass for this. Rusalka had climbed to the top of the mast in her leotard and armor and she formed a megaphone with her hands to shout down at the others. Were almost there! Those of you with lots of firepower should be ready to fight back if necessary!! Will do. And ice girl! Your anchor can stop a ship moving this quickly, cant it!? Ill be sending in a headwind from the other side, but still!! Her voice sounded perfectly clear despite the distance, so she was probably using some kind of Wind Magic. That meant the megaphone hands were unnecessary, but Huldras displays of femininity(?) may have been infectious. Were finally there. Squeal, is the ancient Hero really here? Dont worry so much, Boo Boo. We might not have to fight right away. I dont know what kind of person they are, but I hope we can be friends. Boo, fighting is bad! That seemed unlikely, but Beatrice smiled and said nothing. Boo Boo was from Grounds Nir, so he would not know what horrors the witch hunt referred to. And she wanted to keep it that way. Everyone seemed to be needlessly worried today. While they went through the delicate procedure to approach the coast, they were not welcomed with a sudden cannon blast like Rusalka had feared. The cows cowardice has infected the rest of us. Cant someone do something about this bully of a police officer!? Shes disturbing the peace here and making false accusations like shes part of the secret police or something! Wildefrau, who hid the important bits with a cross sword and the rest with belts, created a weight out of ice and Rusalka, who wore a skintight leotard with thick armor and boots added on, sent a wind back against them to slowly but surely decelerate the Next Voyager as it arrived on the new continents coast. Beatrice looked back at the cross sword nudist who was lying on one of the beach chairs. Wildefrau, will that ice anchor last? If possible, I also want you to make a vine or rope out of ice and tie the ship to land. Having it drift away would be about the worst thing that could happen. Thats fine, but dont you want multiple sources for your safety net? If something happens to me, the ship would drift away and you would all be dead. That problem was solved by Huldra sprinkling the contents of the jewel she wore (which was actually a small bottle of colorful potion). Something plasticky swelled out, surrounded the stern of the ship, and acted as a giant weight. Huldra shined in the light of a pink magic circle that opened in the space in front of her wrists. Phew. I finally got to do something Alchemist-y. Thats not metal youre using, though. Hermelina, who was fighting her away along the path of moe with a flat boob window, made that exasperated comment while transforming her Shining Weapon into a metal ladder. They would use that to disembark, but the ones confident in their physical enhancements could just jump down from the side deck. Gruagach, whose long blonde braid was wrapped in a circle behind her, looked down at the deck floor. We can have Kallikantzaros look after the ship, so I seriously doubt anyone will be able to mess with it. We should be going. Have her? You really are the Summoner type, arent you? You talk big when it comes to monsters and creatures. By the time Hermelina had finished speaking, Boo Boo and Beatrice had already jumped from the side deck to the ground nine meters below. Boo Boo looked around after easily landing. It was white. No, the transparent ground may have been reflecting the sunlight. The ground felt like thick glass below his feet and there was no sign of any animals or even plants. Boo This is kind of scary. I cant find any animal tracks. If I was left here, I would be so hungry. We did load the ship up with food and water, but ugh. This really is an unimaginable scene. The pig and cow that loved to eat were equally dejected by the sight. The land was made of the same glass substance as the artificial atmospheric barrier, so it was not exactly a good environment for the living creatures that encyclopedia lover would rejoice to find. Hermelina created a thin chain with her Shining Weapon and called up a rectangular frame made of a bubble film. Okay, everyone, lets sync our clocks. To give ourselves some extra time to get safely back to the island, lets only explore for two days this first time. We dont want to get lost here, so always move around in groups of two or more. Be mindful of the weather too. The previous rules might not apply here, so dont forget the basics. That said, walking randomly around this continent had never been an option. Boo Boo Boo held a hand over his eyes to shield against the sun and tried to see to the other side of the land. How far does it go? It doesnt seem to end. Yes, it was a continent after all. This was very different from an island that only took three days to walk the perimeter. They did not know its actual area, so if they set off blindly, they might find themselves unable to return before the limit arrived. Even following the same path back could take longer due to exhaustion, the weight of what you were carrying, inclement weather, and more. Having to find the Hero in this huge space would not be easy. They called it a new continent and new land, but its actual area was still unknown. Plus, it was possible the Hero was constantly moving around herself. No one else was in his new area. Was there anywhere left like that on Earth? They faced this virgin land which felt oddly lonely with no one there. Okay. Hermelina used her soft arms to hoist a handmade-looking flag. The flag was as tall as she was and she used her Screenshot function to take various photos of it from multiple angles. Shining Weapons had a huge amount of space, so she did not need to worry about filling it up. Well call this our landing point. Since the people in the inn town were still shouting and fighting over getting a boat, this was their chance. But Beatrice frowned. Hermelina, do the south pole expedition rules really apply in this world? A ton of humans will be here in all sorts of boats, right? Did you not see the UNs decision, Beatrice? What kind of map-obsessed life do you have to live to find yourself on that site? They said any surveying data of the new continent you bring back will be treated like a Piece. So whoever registers it first wins. Screenshots packed full of coordinate data are the greatest form of intellectual property right now. Damn, if not for my job, Id make a post on Nanskagram about making such a historic landing. Anyway, we need to explore. This wont be done overnight. Were gonna have to do this, head back, and come back here again. Its going to be a long process. Chief, what about setting up a new Gate? Try requesting that from the higher ups and every last government official will start wanting one of their own and nothing will ever get done. Ive arranged to have a full set of Cyrillic equipment sent to us via Okhotsk, so just wait a bit on that. Ehh!? Are you sure thats a good idea!? The idea of Russian products being cheap is nothing but propaganda the West shoves into their movies. And by propaganda, I mean bullying done while pouting their lips. Just compare their assault rifles and youll see who really has the better tech. Same with tanks and fighters. The West is secretly terrified. All those flashy weapons shows are just a way of hiding it. I didnt mean it like that. Im talking about morals and ethics since that sounds an awful lot like smuggling! Its too late to act like youre the only virtuous one around here. Remember that caviar you were so delighted to eat the other day? Did you never stop think where I got that from? I served you a ridiculous feast of a caviar futomaki, so that stuff is part of your flesh and blood by now. You might as well give up. You made me an unwitting accomplice!? A-are you the kind of courier that sticks a small plastic bag in a strangers pocket at the airport!? A large number of boats would soon be arriving at this new land. Which meant there would be competition over the landing points. It might seem like such a vast continent would have plenty of coast, but beaches could not be used since ships required a certain level of height at the coast, cliffs required the crew to climb up them, reefs hidden below the water were always a danger, and using the shortest route from island to continent would mean reduced transportation costs, etc., etc. In the end, there would be a limited number of prime locations. That was why Beatrices Party had been in such a hurry to get their ship out here. Once the place was as crowded as the beach during the summer, there would nowhere left to land. And since they had to go to and from the continent every few days, having to pay gears to someone else to use their landing spot each time would add up quickly. So they needed to secure the prime spot before anyone else arrived, spread their wings, and construct a solid base of activity. Most of the others were unaware of the Heros presence. Given what she had done in the past, her technology was probably equal to or greater than the Sages. If she was still alive like Abyss claimed and she took hostile action against other lifeforms, the inn town humans who arrived as if sightseeing might end up slaughtered every time they Encountered her. Even in this Party, Wildefrau, Huldra, Gruagach, and Rusalka seemed less worried just because they had not gone to the sun island. Only Boo Boo, Beatrice, and the others who had gone to the sun island and seen the trace residual thoughts of the Hero could accurately recognize the threat. Beatrice, Philinnion, you two take additional screenshots to prove we were here first. We can register them like Pieces if we bring them back with us, so it cant hurt, explained Hermelina. Huldra and Gruagach are too close to the organization for that. Of course, everything about this will change if we can build a Gate on this continent. Boo Boo brought a hand to his mouth. Squeal. But can we really find the Hero in such a big place? It feels like a never-ending game of hide-and-seek to me. Well, it certainly wont work if we try doing it all by foot. We cant just place Gates all over the place, so for now the name of the game is claiming some territory for ourselves. ? Okay, you take care of the first step, Gruagach. Work hard. The slit-robed young woman waved lazily and the mourning clothes girl stepped forward. She held a Shining Weapon made by attaching close-range blades on either end of a stabilizer-equipped bow. Boo Boo tilted his head as a few magic circles appeared along the path out from Gruagachs right eye and then she loosed an arrow into the birdless sky. Although the arrow itself might as well have been a bird. It started in the expected parabolic arc, but then it did not fall back down. White wings burst out from the center of the shaft to beat at the air and it circled above their heads like a bird of prey searching for that prey. After loosing a few more arrows, Gruagach explained without looking back. Filling in the map would take a century of work if we tried to do it on foot, so I am using their eyes and ears to simplify the process as much as possible. Squeal? Hee hee. The key to modern military success is time saving and efficiency. She smiled elegantly while bespectacled Philinnion and twintailed Huldra crouched down at her feet and started working on something. The butt of the White Witchs shorts strained and she gave a troubled look while a yellow magic circle shined from her first-aid kit and she mixed the bottom of a test tube full of a potion. Hm. Still green. It isnt turning yellow or blue. That means its neutral, said Huldra. We still have to test for a few major categories of toxins, but if the ground really is just glass, we might be in luck. If it hasnt been altered with some weird chemical substance like fluorescent lights or lead glass, we can use this. If theres no drainage, the rainwater has nowhere to escape. It looks empty now, but there will be large water jugs all over the place before long. Hermelina, the woman with slits all over her robe, could not let that one slide. Hold on, Huldra! Are you telling us to crawl on the ground and drink from random puddles!? Why are you savages like this? Even the water from your tap was originally rainwater, you know? Ugh, th-that may be true, but the mineral water in bottles and water coolers comes from the Alps or wherever, so its nice and clean! You think its cleansed by traveling through the wonders of nature such as rotting leaves, animal droppings, and worm carcasses? Its on a bigger scale, but its the same basic idea as a homemade filter made by filling a metal drum with sand, pebbles, and activated charcoal. Hermelina held her mouth and gagged, although it was unclear if that counted as being pure or filthy. This might sound like a silly conversation, but these food zen dialogues could send some more impressionable people down the path of never touching artificial ingredients or of eating exclusively organic vegetables. Since the drones were handling the basic search, Hermelina used her spare time to cut away squares of the thick transparent ground and stacked them up in a dome. Anyone with Earth knowledge might have compared it to an Inuit structure. Wildefrau frowned. What are you doing? If we need shelter, cant we return to the ship? This is insurance for when we register the Pieces on Earth. A single flag might not be accepted as a base, so it needs to look the part even if its meaningless. I want to create a few of these so we can show off a proper base. If possible, Id like to build a few lighthouse-like things around the base. Lighthouses? If thats too much work, some colorful smoke signals would work. It just has to act as a landmark. Once it becomes a social gear that people rely on, they wont be able to eliminate it so easily. Ha ha ha. Youre turning into one of those arms dealers who controls a local supermarket or hospital, chief. You could win an election in Eastern Europe or Central or South America. Oh, are you enjoying this, Huldra? Seeing that grin on your face makes me feel so happy and peaceful. Ill have to think back on this when your next pay assessment comes up, so I hope youre ready. Gyahh!? The pink-twintailed girl screamed like an office worker in trouble, but did that mean they were not actually government workers with a stable salary? Beatrices external perspective made it hard to tell how much their cover story as a PI office affected their finances. Not that she knew what things were like for a normal private investigator either. The Holy Swordswoman carrying that log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon sighed half in resignation and half in exasperation as her tattered gray cloak fluttered and she looked up at the blue sky. So we use drones for recon in this world too now, huh? Unlike the Labyrinth, this is a wide open space, so this is sure to become mainstream. I mean, the field is just too large to do it with normal manpower. So everyone will be trying to claim as much territory as they can, will they? It doesnt have to be from the sky. You could set up a tripod somewhere with a good view and gather audio or video in all 360 degrees or you could attach a giant suction cup to the hard ground and check for body heat or the slight vibrations of footsteps. Each action will fill in more of this wide area and it will all join together to create a map of this continent. Its like completing a jigsaw puzzle one piece at a time. I get the feeling the drones are going to start fighting each other before long. Thats called a smart war, Beatrice. Were going to be busy. Were looking at an age where data goes up for auction just like wine and paintings. This was difficult to understand for someone born in Grounds Nir, so the nearly-4m pig-faced giant tilted his head. What should I do? Were claiming territory, remember? Build igloos like this in the places Gruagach has already checked. Well connect the dots to create a single route for ourselves. If we bring the survey data back to Earth and register it as Pieces, that road will belong to us. Of course, if they forced people to pay too exorbitant a toll, the other humans would just develop the rest of the land and make their own roads instead. At times like this, it meant a lot to have someone as powerful as Boo Boo. And he already had enough skill to fold large leaves into something like a tent. Squea, squea, squea. Squeal, squeal. Every three or four hundred meters, they built a glass igloo. Beatrice used lines of heat to cut chunks out of the thick glass ground and Boo Boo stacked them up with his hands. Even with their Magical reinforcements, the work was as hard as packing up to move for the humans, but since the nearly-4m giant could lift the fridge-sized masses with a single hand, it was as simple as stacking building blocks for him. As a finishing touch, he would place a flag at the top of the dome. Squeal, now this is mine! He likely did not understand the situation back on Earth, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. When the sun began to set and the scenery started growing orange, Gruagach raised her head with her eyes shut. She had received some information from the winged arrows circling overhead. It seems some of the others have landed a ship on the continents coast. They are 2500 meters north of our landing point and there appear to be more than 80 of them. The details are still unknown, but that size suggests a Guild. Its too late for them now. This region is already covered with our flags. Beatrices Party had shown some kindness by not spreading their territory along the coast. Boo Boo, thats enough for today. Lets return to the ship. But, Beatrice, I can keep going. The environment changes at night. If you miss a giant fissure in the ground, you could end up falling into the pit. Gruagachs winged arrows were convenient, but they only provided general information. This illusion was most well-known from the largest salt lake on Earth, but when the ground was entirely white, it was extremely difficult to judge distances and notice details. Trusting too much in that birds-eye-view information would be dangerous. They had used a glowing lichen to fill the glass igloos with light without using fire. If they followed those points, they would not get lost on the way back even if it got dark. With Beatrices flames illuminating the way ahead, they would be even safer. However Urgh Boo Boos breath grew white. Beatrice used Magic fire to light the hair rising from her head like an antenna and she held the tattered cloak together to cover her body. So were faced with the unexpected already Oh, I get it. This glass ground cant store heat, so its a lot like the desert at night. What does that mean? Theres a drastic temperature difference between day and night. We were right to head back to the ship early, Boo Boo. Lets eat something hot once we arrive. Squeal, it feels weird to eat when I havent been hunting. I just hope nothing bad happens to me for taking it easy. Someone entirely self-sufficient viewed things differently. By the time they arrived back at the Next Voyager on the coast, the sun had entirely set. It was truly frigid. The only one handling it without any difficulty was Ice Waterfall Princess Wildefrau who had the most skin showing. That exhibitionist wearing only a cross sword and belts was an extreme exception since she could use her 100% Water Resistance to soak up to the shoulders in a bath of liquid nitrogen. And once darkness enveloped their surroundings and the moon came out, the blonde girl in a red negligee emerged from her coffin at the bottom of the ship. Yawn More puny humans are arriving. Now, tell me how much progress you made. I imagine it was all wasted effort, so you can give it some slight meaning by telling me a story to pass the time. Cow, are there any herbs in this world that work like garlic? I dont care if its a soup, a meat dish, or garlic rice - shove as much of it as you can in tonights dinner! I am not going along with a plan so self-destructive for a girl. The humans were normally focused on exploring the Labyrinth, so they would learn some simple outdoor cooking skills whether they wanted to or not. Those like Beatrice who could not cook at all and relied on simple solid foods were rare. She was often accused of lacking femininity there. But tonights dinner was being cooked by Ugh This was supposed to a dream come true where anyone but Boo Boo cooking the food meant I got to eat a girls cooking, so why do I have to do it, chief!? Because youre the best cook among us, Huldra. This overturned the common association of cooking with femininity, but at the very least, they were not going to end up with a scorched mystery dish or a boiling purple sludge. Boo Boo let out a white breath as he looked up at the stars filling the night sky. Boo. I hope the other humans arent having too much trouble. Dont worry, Boo Boo. These are the people who are always heading down into the Labyrinth and deciding whether they should continue on or head back. I doubt theyll choose wrong when it comes to that. And they would have needed a certain amount of power to end up on top and win a boat at the inn town. At the very least, it was unlikely a Party of only rookies would make it to the new continent. Squeal. But can we really get to sleep when its so cold? Hm? Wont we be fine inside the Next Voyager? Were talking about a ghost ship full of drafts, plus its as wide open and deserted as a school at night. Hm, maybe it would be best to gather in a single room to keep our heat together. The suspenders cow held her shoulders, squishing her boobs in the process, but then someones eyes lit up as they licked their lips. This is my chance! Yes, gather around everyone and dont be shy! We need to stay as close together as possible to preserve our warmth!! Huldra, youre sleeping outside. Outside the ship. Why? Because youre gross. Dont be surprised when you wake up to find a pillar of ice outside!! Wahhhhh!! Part 3 Once outside, things were not that bad. The girl that the Detached Magic Palace had been built for was one thing, but the maid sisters were not restricted from coming and going. They frequently visited Tokyo for their daily shopping, so they were not particularly excited about being there this night. Second Sister Misoka placed her hands behind her head as she walked below the streetlights. Are you sure about this? Isnt this like treason against the state or something? I have already submitted the necessary paperwork, so this is their fault for refusing to accept it without even providing a reason. Besides, our loyalties lie with the worlds smallest independent nation we are about to create, so Kasumigaseki and Ichigaya have no right to complain at this point. That means Tokyo will be a foreign country, wont it? Wow, Ill need a passport to visit the convenience stores around here! Due to the city lights, the moon was the only visible light in the night sky. Whether she was serious or not, Misoka chuckled before asking a question. So where are we headed? Akasaka. We have business at the Ushigashira Shrine. The centers of Roppongi and Akasaka were less than two kilometers apart, but they still retrieved their mid-sized motorcycle from a monthly-payment parking lot they used under a fake name. Needless to say, this was insurance in case they ran into trouble and had to shake pursuit. Misoka tossed a spare helmet to her older sister and continued the conversation. Well, now that were this far away, Haruka cant chase after us even if she does wake up. I hate how these helmets flatten my hair With that, they drove straight to the Ushigashira Shrine which illuminated its building and trees with indirect lighting. They hid the motorcycle not too close and not too far before making a full circle around the shrine grounds on foot. I was expecting more security than this. Nothing is more worthless than digital security that only runs at set times. Human security scares me the most since you cannot trick human eyes and they can make truly unpredictable random patrols. Misoka and Iroka moved swiftly as they spoke. The grounds were surrounded by a tall wall, but climbing over that was a simple task with two of them there. They quickly crossed that barrier and stepped onto the gravel garden. They avoided the komainu and sacred trees lit up from below and crouched low to run from shadow to shadow. We dont get to use these techniques often. That training was a waste of time. That just goes to show how much the miss is protecting us on a daily basis. We must never forget to be thankful. In truth, the two of them were not after anything in the Ushigashira Shrine. They were not interested in its thick safe or secret underground storeroom. They just needed to enter the building. It is a pleasure to meet you, Over the Wall. Well, one member of that group. I apologize for showing up without an appointment, but our master is in a bit of a bind. I hope that you can forgive us. Iroka got down on one knee in the unlit room and spoke in a flat voice that sounded like she was reading off a magic spell. And in response. The rooms paper lanterns came to life without warning. The soft flickering light was clearly fire and not light bulbs. Was that caused by static electricity, microwaves, or something else? The trick was unclear. It was possible the two intruders could be roasted in an instant using the exact same technique. The oppressive silence made them hesitant to even breathe. When Misoka audibly gulped, a change came over the surrounding atmosphere. Do not use that name. You might scare everyone off for no good reason. It was a wrinkly old womans voice. And it suddenly rang down from the ceiling. They had successfully made contact. Contact with one of the beings who manipulated the course of the world from the shadows after crossing all boundaries: nation, race, religion, language, ideology, corporation, academic field, social class, etc. This was far more meaningful than some obvious safe. Glasses Iroka said more with her head still bowed. But lowly and thoughtless people such as us do not even know your name. Call me whatever you want. They only started worshiping me at this shrine in the modern era anyway. And our tomboy has no problem treating me like her own grandmother. But Well, I guess I cant expect you to let your guard down as much as that shrine maiden princess. I mean, she is the Connective Maiden - the one who connects us without fear. The voice from the ceiling sounded somehow exasperated. Anyway, maid, make sure your respect is directed to the proper person. There need only be one person to whom you bow your head. I am not so petty that I would try to take what is in your hearts as well. I am forever in your debt. Hah hah. Not even we talk in that stuffy way anymore. Now, girl, what brings you here today? Wouldnt someone of your position already know exactly what we are doing? I want to hear it from you. Is that so? said Iroka. She was a data expert, but that was why she realized instantly that this was not someone that could be bargained with. The only option was to display every card she had in her deck and apply as much pressure as possible. In order to protect our beloved master, we are attempting to remake the Detached Magic Palace into the worlds smallest nation. We have already submitted all the digital paperwork, but it is being stopped at some point. We would like to know who exactly is doing this. Whether we are to convince them to take our side or threaten them into stopping, we must know who our target is. I see. Was the person they spoke with really in the attic or not? That remained unclear, but the sharp presence they felt was like having a knife pressed against their throats. After a pause, the wrinkly voice spoke again. That is a difficult question to answer. I am aware of that, but this is for our master and I must insist. You fool. Do not underestimate me. I am not talking about the power balance. Then what do you mean? It is simply a difficult thing to explain. Your enemy definitely exists, but it would be hard to say they have a physical existence. Even though they definitely are there. Hey, granny, if youre dodging the question to stall for time, just come on out and say it. This isnt our last stop tonight. Iroka kept her head bowed as she glared over at her rude sister, but the voice from the ceiling actually sounded delighted. Excellent. I do enjoy seeing a girl who is frank and to the point. In fact, maid, you should not give your blood relatives a look like that. My apologies. I am unworthy of your kindness. Now, you wanted to know your enemys identity, correct? Very well. I imagine the answer will only confuse you, but that is your right. It is, however, up to you whether or not you will accept the answer. The answer is a subway station. Huh? A station??? Yes, the subway station closest to the National Diet Building. Now do you get what I mean? The Japanese governments largest underground nuclear shelter? It dates back to before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was said to be a secret facility meant to contain the Diet members and top government officials in an emergency, but that is not enough to explain it. That facility is meant to keep the Japanese government running even if the capital is hit by a nuclear attack. That means it contains everything necessary to run the country. In that sense, you can think of the personnel as no more than gears used to keep the system running smoothly. The most important part is actually the machinery. The core of that facility is the supercomputer that forms the foundation of the executive network needed for this highly digitized society. There was a rumor about this. It said that a certain being controlled everything in the country. And it said that being was not the Diet or the so-called Restaurants, but in fact an enormous mass of semiconductors. So our enemy In other words. In other words. is a simulator? Part 4 Why do I hate humans? Thats simple. Because theyre so foolish I would rather not believe I am one of them. That comment was made in the Iberian Orc village partway up the mountain. On that gentle night, the pig-faced giants were seated around a fire. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Sage was smiling as she looked after the kids running around them, but the tone of her voice was the polar opposite. Perhaps to work off some energy before going to bed, the little pig doll creatures asked her to play with them, but they did not seem to understand what she was saying. They may have thought it was part of some game of make believe. It was such a boring form of extinction. The elder alone was different. That 5m giant gave the Sage a complicated look. It was no more than environmental changes and natural disasters brought on by global warming. No country or corporation could be accurately pinpointed as the cause. Since humans play no role in causing natural disasters, we just accept them as inevitable. If only a clear causal relationship could be established, there would have been anger. Our era had grown too developed. Some tearful kids ran over while screaming. Some of the naughtier pig dolls must have tried to sneak out of the village at night and seen something scary. There was a sound of rattling bones. Was that a jewel in a cowboy hat glinting in the moonlight from the forest? The Sage always viewed the simple life on this island as such a bright thing. Almost like she was viewing a treasure that was forever beyond reach. However, there was a disaster environment simulator. She spoke the decisive words. Most likely, it had not originally been built to destroy anything. That changed everything. That demon could calculate back through the butterfly effect, so it could find a cause for any and all catastrophes. It could find a target for the peoples hatred. From there, it came down to arguing over blame and fighting silly wars. When you get down to it, no one ever knew if the simulators answers were even accurate and it was possible some engineer included some extraneous parameter in the equations. But when an AI displays an answer on the screen, everyone assumes its correct even if they have no idea how it was reached. How is that any different from a religion that kneels before a demon? After that, there had been no escaping disaster. A machine had destroyed the human race, but it had not required an army of murder weapons covered in composite armor. It had only required logic and a whisper that produced suspicion and doubt. If you let someone deceive you, it was your own fault. The Sage believed in that principle. If the 8 billion members of the human race at the time had actually used their own heads and held onto enough power to apply the brakes, it never would have ended like that. Humanity had been destroyed by their own delusions. How could they possibly record that embarrassing fact in the history books? Part 5 The morning sun had risen. The Next Voyager ghost ship shined orange in the dawn. Ugh Shiver, shiver. Boo Boo only wore his loincloth even on a snowy mountain, so it had to be cold indeed for him to be rubbing his hands together on the deck. He could see his breaths and the deck pool was covered with thick ice. A human probably could have gone skating on it. I-Im gonna die. I-I-I-I-Im totally gonna diiiiiiiiiiiiie Huldra shivered next to him after being kicked out of the girls room and partially transformed into something like a frozen food. There really was white frost on her eyelashes. Squeal. Are you okay, Huldra? Maybe I should stick you in the sunlight so you can thaw. Abababa, ababababa. Dont die, Huldra. Ill warm you up. Boo, whered the hot water go!? Just as he started carrying the pink-twintailed girl (like a princess), Holy Swordswoman Beatrice happened to step outside and chaos soon followed. The more unsightly parts will be omitted, but the following quotes sum it up well enough. Heh heh heh heh. No, this wont do at all! That needs to be cooked through before its edible!! Calm down, Beatrice! Its okay! Thats just a sign of male friendship!! Are you sure about that, Hermelina? I mean, Boo Boo doesnt know what any of us look like on Earth, so the Huldra we see there is all that counts. Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh The Holy Swordswoman entered a rather dangerous state with her tattered gray cloak spread out behind her like a demon lord, but the flirty pink-twintailed cheerleader did not notice because she was hallucinating from the cold. Wow, what a warm campfire. Thank you so much. My, my. This Little Match Girl situation is only increasing her girliness. The unfortunate girl is always the star, so arent you only making the gentlemen holding her want to protect her all the more? Wildefrau! Stop trying to make this even worse, you black-hearted girl! Argh, I cant stop her on my own! Someone help me restrain this bomb fuse girl!! While Beatrice burst into flames with a magic circle behind her back, Gruagach and Rusalka kept the perfect distance to cook some salted river fish pierced on sticks as a quick way to secure some breakfast. Boo Boo and Philinnion rubbed their eyes afterwards. Squeal, my body feels so warm after getting some food. I know. Although that might have more to do with the sun rising higher into the sky. Ah, I really want to go back to sleep. Once that confused meal was complete, it was back to claiming territory. They had taken quite a lead the day before, so they only needed to keep that up. However Huh? What is it, Beatrice? Did you finally come back to your senses? No, I was perfectly sensible from the beginning. But isnt something about the ground different from before? asked Beatrice while looking out across the glass land from the 9m height of the ghost ships side deck. Squeal, its broken all over the place! Eh? Surprised, Gruagach quickly loosed a winged arrow into the sky above. Youre right. There are cracks covering a very wide area. And some other areas have been submerged, creating something like ponds and lakes. Could that be seawater? Wait, we havent gotten back to Earth to register that data yet If the terrain changes before we do, wont our data be rejected as inaccurate when we try to submit it as Pieces? Philinnion, who had grown even more cow-like in her pointed witchs hat, joined the conversation as the unpleasant reports continued. Boo Boo and Beatrice jumped down from the deck to check for themselves, and Ah, ahhh! The igloo I built is crumbling! Wait, Boo Boo, dont run over there! Theres a huge crevasse in between. That means we cant use this route anymore. They had spent the entire previous day building glass igloos at set interval to create a road, but this meant all their efforts had been wasted. Philinnion, Wildefrau, and the others were dumbfounded when they arrived. What happened? We all slept like babies last night, didnt we? Wouldnt we have woken up if someone had used powerful enough Magic to split apart the ground? This may not have been intentional. Wildefrau crossed her arms and raised her index finger. This land is primarily made of silicon. In other words, it is glass. And the temperature difference between day and night was pretty extreme. Maybe it could not withstand that difference and broke all on its own. Wait, wait, wait, said Hermelina in her flat boob window priest robes. Doesnt that mean this terrain change isnt a one-time thing? If this happens every single day, well never be able to fill in the map. Registering the data as Pieces will become an unattainable dream. And this changes even more frequently than the Labyrinth! As expected, this was not going to be easy. If they could not construct a route to safely cross the vast continent, they could never find the Hero. She stood at the turning points and sought victory whenever possible. And she did not care what happened to Grounds Nir in the process. La Signoras presence was definitely a threat, but there was no way to plan a proper journey across a continent where the terrain changed randomly every day. And if they rushed things and tried it anyway, they would end up cut off from the ship, which would spell their doom. Squeal. Is there no way to stop that cracking? Hmm. Theoretically, it wouldnt split if the temperature difference wasnt so great, so we should be able to prevent it by keeping a fire going throughout the nightbut we cant do that across the entire continent. Moving at random would accomplish nothing. They were stuck here for the moment. They could not advance without coming up with a fundamental solution to this glass continent where the terrain split at random on a daily basis. They could not even consider searching for the Hero like this. Part 6 Hmph Once morning arrived, Haruka of the three maid sisters was being even cuter than normal with her cheeks puffed out. The Detached Magic Palace was a Western-style mansion, but the older two sisters were seated in the entrance hall using a Japanese-style seiza. Um. We really are sorry. We have learned our lesson. Iroka and Misoka could not look the youngest sister in the eye while she stood in front of them with hands on her hips. Yes, the general power balance was decided by seniority, but the older sisters were not powerful enough to completely overturn the scales of good and evil. But you dont regret what you did, right? WTF! Did you really think I wouldnt how you wanted to finish that sentence? (Hey, Aneki, It saddens me to hear our cute little sister using internet slang in everyday conversations. Youre in charge of this digital stuff, so arent you letting her roam a little too freely out there!?) (Yes, I may have been too confident in my filters. I was careless. How can I ever look the miss in the eye again?) Quiet, both of you. And no more messing with my computer and phone while claiming its for my own good! This was not quite the same as pouring oil on the fire. When that littlest maid entered angry mode, she would burn hotter no matter what you threw on the fire - even if it was a shortcake or a teddy bear. The only person who could reclaim that youngest sisters smile was their master. It would be a long wait until that girl returned. So what kind of adventure were you two having while I was asleep? And what did you find out? You see, Haruka, we only kept it from you because we wanted to protect our cute little sister, so- Aw, crap. Shes definitely making us go without food now. We discovered that our troubles are caused by a simulator that controls the government from deep within the subway station closest to the National Diet Building. Hey, no fair, Aneki! Dont turn on me just because its looking bad!! Misoka shouted fiercely at her from the side, but the capable glasses girl kept a calm expression while seated on the floor. After all, going without food would be far too tragic. She was the perfect older sister in all things, but she wanted no part of a low-sugar diet meant to eliminate carbs from her life. The look in her eyes would be the same as an abandoned dog on a rainy day. Our enemy is not human. It has no desire and feels no fear of loss. That means we cant convince it to work with us or threaten it to back off. All it does is find the optimal solution for the Japanese government and complete each step of the process. That explains why my countermeasures were so ineffective. We are standing on the rails it has set up. If we do not come up with a plan specific to this opponent, we can only wait for the giant runaway train to hit us. They did not know how many factions and organizations there were in this country, but it all felt so hollow once they began discussing an unseen simulator. All those things were like tentacles extending from the simulators fat main body and all the obvious conflicts and hidden malice was no more than a stimulant meant to control the masses more efficiently. And the people being used were not even aware of the role given to them. So what exactly are we going to do? We already know this country has no future if it decides milady is disposable despite all her hard work. That is why we planned to begin a counterattack after taking a quick nap, but then we happened to find the gatekeeper of hell waiting for us. What. Exactly. Are. We. Going. To. Do? If you dont include me, I will clean up your rooms while you are gone. Do you really want to come back to an empty box of a room? Not a scrap of your personal possessions will remain. I mean, we are borrowing it all from milady, so we should be returning it anyway. Do you want to see just how clean a maid can make a room when she really puts her back into it? Those veteran older sisters decided now was the time to shift into a full prostration. Part 7 They would never make any progress if they stayed on that cracked new continent. Beatrice made a quick decision with her tattered gray cloak flapping in the wind and had the Next Voyager carry them all back to the island of Grounds Nir. Everyone is facing the same problem, said the Holy Swordswoman on the ship. Whatever the solution is, theres sure to be more competition for whatever it requires. If we dont get our hands on the materials soon, well be caught in a commotion just like with the boats! B-but, Beatrice, we cant procure the materials if we dont know what the solution is. We dont have the assets to hoard everything. I hate to say this, but we need help from someone shrewder than us. Squeal? Shrewd? It means smart, Boo Boo. I really wish we had another option, but where is that historical shut-in these days? They would have preferred to land at the port near the inn town, but if they angered Kallikantzaros any further, she really might bite them. They had no choice(?) but to land at the shoal by the southern forest. Noble Dancer Rusalka sighed in her skintight leotard plus armor. So got any ideas? I mean, theres really only one possibility. Staying in the mangrove controlled by bipedal dogs and cats would accomplish nothing, so Beatrice led them across the salt bridges to cross the southern forest and reach the usual mountain. Boo Boo tilted his head as the type of trees changed. Huh? Are we going to my home? No, not today. Well, this still kind of counts as your home. Hermelinas group (which included the nudist and the mourning clothes girl) wanted to head back to the inn town to gather information, so they parted ways while Beatrice, Boo Boo, and Philinnion followed something like an animal trail. Finally, they heard a rhythmic sound much like hammer strikes. Some familiar-sounding boos and squeals were mixed in. Oh? That bestial odor is getting stronger, said Philinnion with her pointed witchs hat swaying on her head. It was not exactly a pleasant smell, but she may have had some resistance to it since she dealt with potions on a regular basis. There were plenty of smells worse than the body odor of living creatures. The tall underbrush suddenly ended. They found a relatively large grassy clearing with several leaf buildings. This was the Iberian Orc village. Oh, its almost entirely back to normal!? Boo Boo sounded surprised, but Philinnion tilted her head next to him. Come to think of it, why is Boo Boo still living on his own now that everyone was freed from the Red and living in the village again? That was likely because he could not invite their nemesis Abyss into the village but he also could not abandon her when she was so helpless, but Beatrice did not bother explaining all that. Some smaller round creatures approached while making higher-pitched boos and squeals. Are you from outside? Poo, sniff sniff. I dont smell any presents. Make sure you go greet the elder. Squeal. The scorching red color of their skin had changed and they were no longer overcome by a powerful urge to attack and destroy. They had been freed from the Red disaster caused by the artificial atmospheric barrier. The sight of so many Iberian Orcs alive and enjoying themselves in their own village was an emotional one. However (Huh? With all these pig-faced giants here, um, how am I supposed to tell them apart from Boo Boo?) (Dont be rude, cow. If your facial recognition is that bad, maybe you need new glasses.) Poo, poo, poo. Squeal, squeal. Miss! Beatrice hugged one of the pig dolls while pouting her lips. Boo Boo tilted his head. Squeal, is that your friend, Beatrice? Heh heh heh. Ive met him a few times. I even gave him a proper name. Because of that cute noise he makes, I call him Poo P- Dont you dare call him that. Philinnions voice dropped frighteningly low for once, but the Iberian Orcs were not their top priority at the moment. A skinny Royal Elf wearing a short green dress was extending her arms and legs in a dance at the center of the village square. With a visual like that, even the sweat leaving her skin and hair glittered like the morning dew. Beatrice put a hand on her hip with the tattered gray cloak fluttering. Quit showing off over there. This is a holy ritual. Do not interrupt me, barbarian. Long-eared Sibyl continued dancing as she responded. She was apparently doing more than showing off her lovely form within a village of nothing but pigs. She managed to look divine even while performing an energetic dance and she had more to say. There is not that much to worry about now that Boo Boo there has opened the path of reconciliation with the humans, but it would be safest to give this village a proper purpose and justification for its existence. I am giving those who live here the official protection of the three royal families. That forbids any outsiders from messing with them. Boo Boo heard what sounded like a sheet beating at the air, so he looked up. A brown girl and white woman stood next to each other atop the roof of the elders house. The two of them together were Archangel Marinka who represented the sun - including the solar eclipse. Philinnion tilted her head with her large chest squeezed between her suspenders. But youre missing the royal family of the sea, arent you? No. I will not let Vivians death be a meaningless one. I will bury her in this land and have the powerful and honest Iberian Orcs act as grave keepers. That gives them a legitimate reason to occupy this holy ground. And the unworthy are forbidden from setting foot here. It may have been unpleasant to have your homeland turned into a giant grave, but the Iberian Orcs had lost a purpose for their great combat power now that the threat of Ultimate Weapon Abyss was gone for good. And unlike military weapons, they could not simply be disposed of. Giving them a new purpose may have been a form of salvation for them. At any rate Since youre here, it looks like I guessed right. Where is the Sage? In there. Sibyl formed a lovely bridge as part of her dance and pointed in a certain direction with one foot. But since you did not see the Sage while she had shut herself off from the world, this might be too great a shock for you. ? Sibyls foot was pointed toward the largest of the leaf houses. Needless to say, that was the elders. It may have functioned as a gathering place and not just a residence. Boo Boo and the others walked there and heard movement within before even entering it. When they had found the central shaft while trying to follow the Sage, Boo Boo had seemed to give a quick prayer while viewing the ruins of this house, but Boo Boo, whats the etiquette for entering the elders house? Squeal. You yell real loud. Like this: Elderrrr! The prayer had apparently been his response to the ruined state of the house and was unnecessary in its current lively state. He pushed aside the leaf door like it was a curtain. A shocking sight awaited them. Someone who looked an awful lot like Beatrice was laughing loudly with her head between the giant elders legs in what could maybe be called a piggy-back ride. Squeal!? Im scared! Wait, stop that, Sage! Im wobbling too much!! Wa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Im scared!? The Sage was swinging that 5m body around in a piggy back ride (with the piggy on top) and the elder quickly grew tearful while he was shaken back and forth. The Sage raced around the house while the round pig dolls chased after her, squealing all the way. They were insisting they go next on that frightening human back ride. Beatrice froze up and summed it up in two simple words. Youre insane. Dont worry, Beatrice, said Philinnion. Youre pretty much the same when it comes to Boo Boo. The Sage noticed them and briefly stopped, giving the elder enough time to pretty much roll off of her. Oh, wait, elder. Dammit, you rude people. Why did you have to interrupt at the best part? The thing is Use adhesive. The quick-drying kind. It would probably be fastest to cut into the trunks of the Sticky Cedars around here to gather their sap by the bucket or to steal tons of honey wax from Sucking Bee hives. The Diamond Salt in the southern forest wouldnt be bad either. Of course, you cant use any of this as is. You need to use it as a Mixing ingredient so you can get a large enough quantity of the final product. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Sage cut her off and gave that explanation while the little pig dolls climbed up her body. She used one hand to support a small child that took the wrong path for the ascent and bumped his head against the overhang of her large breasts. Sorry, but this trick is used for car maintenance and home renovation products back on Earth. Although there is a risk of getting trapped inside during an accident or disaster. Once you have that, use it to build a path across the continent. Is that all you needed? I want to have some fun. Lots and lots of fun. How-? How did I know what you were going to ask? Did you forget I am with Sibyl who holds the three royal treasures which can see almost anything? Of course, that almost is important to remember. The Sage really was the Sage. She was on a different level even after going soft. If only those treasures could transmit instead of just receive. Well, trying to force that usage could easily end up as an attack that tears apart the ground below our feet, so maybe it isnt worth the risk. This meant not even the Sage and Sibyl could say for sure where the Hero was hiding on that new continent in the ocean. That was one thing to which she did not seem to know the answer. Was the Hero skilled at staying concealed, or was it a simple matter of distance? This was an entire continent, so they could only hope their goal was not actually on the other side of the planet. Wa ha ha! Squeal!? You little ones are so light. You need to grow up big and strong. But for now, youre helpless in my grasp! The pig dolls screamed in enjoyment as they flew through the air. The Sage seemed to care more about the village here than the fate of the world. That may have been for the best. At the very least, no one wanted her to bring chaos to the world again. Part 8 Now, then. Squeal. So what was all that about add-hee-siv? The Sage is basing it on the nature of glass. I see. I guess if you need cunning, she would be the one to go to. Philinnion, how should we go about acquiring this? Good question. We could get it at the inn town, but its pretty cheap stuff. If we went around buying it all up, people would take notice and realize how useful it would be. We dont want it turning into a hot commodity. If we needlessly increase its supposed value, well be stuck in the same place we were with the Shocking Tingle Peppers. Then I guess we should discuss this with Hermelina and Huldra. If we come up with a convincing reason for needing the adhesive, no one will question it. Lets go the pubs and inns to spread the word about how our ghost ship is falling apart. If people know we need lots of materials to repair it, theyll ignore it when were rushing around gathering stuff. (Youre pretty cunning yourself. And your mind works quick. The two of you arent all that different really.) I am not like that Magic-obsessed freak. Do I need to milk you? Boo Boo was no longer afraid to visit the inn town. He descended the mountain with Beatrice and Philinnion and entered the bustling city. Everyone must have been stopped by the cracking glass continent issue. The stone-paved roads were full of people back from an attempt. A lot of people were running around trying to gather information. Someone raised a hand in greeting. Hey, how you doing? Squeal. They had no real purpose and were just passing by. But they had not been speaking to Beatrice or Philinnion. The Holy Swordswoman tilted her head. Boo Boo, have you already made some friends? Ive started talking with the humans lately. They say the animal trails I make are easier to travel on. Boo Boo made sure to walk on the side of the road so his giant frame did not get in the way and he was no longer seen as out of place here. (Feeling jealous? Grin, grin.) (I-I am not! I really will milk you, cow!) They met up with Hermelinas group who were just hanging around after checking some of the restaurants and pubs where information tended to gather. Hermelina must have appreciated having a definite goal beyond simply gathering information. When she heard the plan, she gently stretched her back to forcibly push out her flat chest. I see. We cant keep the glass continent from cracking, so we make it so the cracks wont widen. Although for now we can probably only cover a single strip of land like were laying out asphalt. Thats fine. Were not trying to actually develop the land. We just have to find the Hero. I do want to establish some bases as Pieces in order to avoid unnecessary trouble such as tolls and waiting our turn at the coast, but we cant get so caught up in that that we forget why were doing this in the first place. But this means we yet again have to spend a ton of gears to acquire materials, doesnt it? Sigh, I really want to build some ETC tollbooths in this world. Everyone would hate us if we did, though. Squeal. So whats going to happen? When Boo Boo tilted his head, Hermelina started to answer but then got a troubled look on her face. Glass reinforcement, huh? I guess giving the name of a novelty good wouldnt do much for someone from Grands Nir, would it? Demonstrating it would be fastest. Beatrice grabbed a glass from the table and rubbed something all across the surface. Then she used Fire Magic to quickly dry it. Look at this, Boo Boo. Ah!? The pig-faced giant cried out because Beatrice let go of the glass. But there was no high-pitched shattering sound when it hit the floor. There was only a dull sound and the glass itself seemed to grow white. But that was not what happened. It was technically covered with small cracks, but the adhesive rubbed over it allowed it to keep its shape after shattering. Beatrice winked as she explained. Its the same idea as the security film placed over windows. If we can make enough of this, we can prevent the glass continents cracks from growing even after it breaks. Part 9 Pant, pant! This was highly unusual. Iroka, oldest of the three maid sisters, was breathing heavily and she wiped sweat from her brow. She must not have had it in her to pull out a handkerchief. She could not run any further. Her vision was blurring. She leaned against the wall next to her. The chill of the concrete felt nice, but she also knew this was dangerous. Just like the chilly feeling after a bath, this would take away more of her body heat than necessary and she might be unable to move by the time the cold feeling caught up with her. Sigh She blinked again and again, but it did not bring her vision back into focus. That was when it hit her. She removed her glasses, wiped the lenses off with a handkerchief, and put them back on. Her vision was much better now, so she must have been running quite frantically. The cold fluorescent lights illuminated what looked like a straight stretch of underground passageway. This area took so many 90-degree turns that she could not see what lay ahead. How had she ended up here? Where were Misoka and Haruka? She tried to remember, but a dull pain exploded deep in her mind. She groaned and leaned against the hard and chilly wall again. The subway station closest to the National Diet Building. The simulator hidden in its depths. If that was getting in their way, the answer was simple: destroy it. The machines very existence was not officially recognized, so its owner would have no way of accusing them if it was lost. That said, they could not exactly carry in drills and pickaxes and start smashing stuff. If they could not be made to pay through the official channels, there were plenty of more illicit ways to take revenge. That meant they needed a form of destruction that would not be so obvious from an outside perspective. Fortunately, they were up against a simulator. It was only a machine. Thousands of people in dozens of sections would be complexly interlinked to create a system so large no one could see its full scope. It was unlikely an external cyber attack would be of any use. But that was fine. The different staff members would show more restraint about each other in such an environment. They would assume someone else knew what they did not and that assumption would grow. So if someone snuck in and replaced one of the disks lined up in the boxes with an illicit ROM, no one would know what had changed in the whole. Without an accurate picture to compare to, they could not search for mistakes. (What happened?) It had gone well most of the way. They had made it deep within the thick concrete shelter without being noticed. Or so they had thought. (Misoka, Haruka. What happened?) What a pain. !? Iroka gasped and looked around when she heard a wrinkly voice out of nowhere. This was a straight concrete passageway. There was no sign of anyone hiding there and the voice did not sound like it came from around a corner. The bespectacled oldest sister slowly looked to the source of the sound: up. It came from the nuclear shelters ceiling. It is true I gave you the hint, but I didnt expect you to rush straight here. You know how woefully unprepared you were now, dont you? I recommend leaving and trying again later. Iroka recognized the voice. She was cautious, but she did not take any specific action. You are up against a simulator, something that properly inspires peoples sense of danger to help save their lives. But if that ability is abused, it can easily crush people through extreme external stress. Does this meanyou were on their side too? Their side, hm? I do not know what lines you are using to divide up the world, but it seems you still do not properly understand what it means to be Over the Wall. I have crossed all barriers. I am not bound by the power balance of the common world. Not that being Over the Wall was even meant to refer to that in the first place. There was a hint of self-deprecation in the voice. I will guide you to the exit. You can regroup with the other two on the surface. But if you try this method again, you will not be so lucky a second time. There is only so much I can do to hide your actions. Are you using my sisters lives to threaten me? We both hold the others Achilles heel. If you three die, it would make my selfish shrine maiden princess sad and I would prefer to avoid that if at all possible. Shrine maiden princess? I already explained her true nature to you. The voice from the ceiling did not elaborate. Hurry it up. The enemys fingers can easily shred the human psyche. Attempting to understand this with the Newtonian physics you believe in is useless. What did it have me do? That is an oddity even among those who are Over the Wall. What? Even Iroka gulped here. No matter how good its specs, it is still just a machine. Why would you give it that title? It would seem you indeed have a mistaken understanding what it means to cross all barriers. Wealth, academic history, and even being a biological being are not all that relevant when it comes to qualifying. The fluorescent lights flashed according to a pattern. It began right in front of Iroka and seemingly flowed further down the straight passageway. She took that to mean follow me and dragged her body along while it felt as heavy as a wet blanket. I will tell you what it means to be Over the Wall. Onee-chan!? Her vision grew bright. She found herself below the blue sky. This was not an official subway exit. She thought it had to be some kind of emergency exit or maintenance hatch, but when she looked back, she saw nothing of the sort. She was in a large park. She could not find a cleverly hidden door or even any kind of thick wall whatsoever. Misoka and Haruka stood in front of her. They seemed to have been mysteriously led here as well. Iroka must not have been the only one who could not remember what route they had taken to get here. How far had they walked? Was this really real life? While considering those meaningless questions, Iroka recalled what she had heard while walking. Any being that has crossed the barrier between worlds is considered Over the Wall. Thus, anyone with that title is not contained within the framework of ordinary physics. My discoverer ignored the original myths and called me Tiamat, but I am not the only one like this. Not one of us found on this planet can be called purely human in any form. So even if something beyond human understanding occurs, you defenseless humans can only accept it for what it is. Part 10 They needed an adhesive that functioned like window security film. Beatrices Party was making progress on gathering supplies in the inn town, but time was an issue. When thinking about exploring the glass continent, they had to consider the travel time to and from it as well. They could only stay in this world for a few days and they had already needed to head back to the inn town due to an unexpected setback. They were at about the halfway point timewise. Any mistakes would eat up further time, so even though they had a lot of free time, they could not take any bold actions either. It was an odd in-between state. Wouldnt it be best to reset things for ourselves? With her skinny body covered by a skintight leotard and thick armor, Rusalka made a reasonable suggestion to the others. If we made our way to the continent now, we would only have to head back almost immediately, right? The glass continent would crack unpredictably due to the temperature difference and the terrain would change. They had gathered plenty of surveying data and Screenshots in their Shining Weapons, but those were unlikely to count as Pieces back on Earth. However, that did not matter at the moment. Being in their top condition was more important. If they returned to Earth to recuperate, they would have the full limit of a few days to work with again. Squeal. I can work on my own just fine. Theres no recovering from a mistake when on your own, so dont. Besides, once on the continent, you have to consider the possibility of running across the Hero. La Signora is bad news. Nothing about her is logical and its all on a ridiculous scale. You cant try a one-on-one confrontation with someone before even knowing how powerful they really are. Got that? Besides that, Boo Boo would never have worked with window security film before. They could not have him start working on his own when he did not know what he was doing. This was different from a marathon or relay race with a set goal. They had to keep in mind that there could be unexpected holes anywhere in that undeveloped land. Taking the time to build a proper road would end up saving time in the long run. Beatrice waved lightly at the others. Ill be going then, Philinnion, Hermelina. Sure. But lets at least decide on a time to meet back up. I dont want any delays due to that. Crap, Ive been in this world so much lately I bet I have tons of paperwork and emails piling up. With that, the girls started toward their respective Gates back to Earth. When the red dress girl returned to Tokyo, she found bespectacled Iroka holding a white porcelain teapot instead of small animal-like Haruka. Hm? Whats going on, Iroka? It is not like I am incapable of preparing tea, miss. I just usually leave it to the more suitable person. Did that mean Haruka was busy with another job or not feeling well? If you need to change up your shifts, just tell me. Not to worry. She is a tough little girl. Given the look on your face, would you prefer some cocoa over elegant tea? The red dress girl did not really have anything to do, so she was only messing around on her phone when Haruka finally showed up. Oh, are you back, milady? So what happened? That simple question was not given a clear answer. This return to Earth was meant to reclaim her usual internal rhythm, such as her internal clock, but she was so on edge that she doubted she could get any sleep. She felt she had no choice but to rest in the living room sofa. While holding the remote and watching TV, she felt more focused on the action of flipping through channels than on watching the afternoon shows. Unlike the past, there were so many stations to choose from. With cable or satellite included, you could find yourself wandering through specialist channels for crazy samurai movies and world heritage documentaries. ? She felt something soft on her thighs and found the second sister had brought her a lap blanket. Thanks, Misoka. Its fine. This is your home after all. The hot cocoa and lap blanket must have soothed her nerves. It was like a dam breaking. Sleepiness overwhelmed her and her vision blurred while she heard the maid finish her sentence. No matter what might happen. After getting some rest, the red dress girl returned to the world of Grounds Nir. ? The red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswoman rubbed the tattered gray cloak between her fingers. She tilted her head because her memories felt half real and half like a dream. That said, she was already in this world. They had set a time and a place to meet up, so she decided to focus on the trouble here for now. It was evening. They had their preparations in order this time. After meeting up with the others at Boo Boos brick house, they used the Next Voyager ghost ship to reach the glass continent. Hyah! This place gets so cold once the sun sets, doesnt it? Maybe we should have waited a bit longer and arrived in the morning! It was not even cold yet, but the memories were enough for Philinnion to hold her shoulders, squishing her large breasts between her arms. Meanwhile, (flat) Hermelina saw things differently. This is perfect, actually. The Sages advice is only a theory at this point, so I want to test it out to make sure it works. I dont want to find we wasted an entire day of work again. Armored leotard Rusalka tilted her head. So you want to see the adhesives effects before putting in too much work with it? Exactly. So hurry! If we dont solidify some of the land before it gets completely dark, it wont be a proper test!! The giant ocean survey ship was meant to carry a crew of more than a thousand, so it had been simple enough to load it with plenty of large barrels along with all their food and water. They had taken the islands natural adhesive substances like Sticky Cedar sap and Sucking Bee honey wax and then Philinnion and Huldra had used Mixing to add filler materials that increased the quantity without reducing the effectiveness. Once down on the glass land in the fading sunlight, Hermelina planted another flag. No more wasted effort. Lets start by hardening this area. She took some Screenshots containing coordinate data and saved them on her Shining Weapon so she could use them as Pieces back on Earth. Boo Boo carried a large barrel over and carefully tilted it. A thick, translucent goop with an acrid chemical smell silently spread out. What should the rest of us do? This adhesive is meant to hold the ground in place, so Im afraid stepping in it will get us permanently stuck there. Cross sword and belt Wildefrau started getting worried, but cheer uniform Huldra replied with a somewhat bored voice. It only reacts to glass objects, so well be fine. It technically dissolves a thin layer of the ground and binds with that. You should be able to spread it around with a normal mop or rag without your tool hardening up. In other words, they were going to draw a thick line across the white land as if with a giant brush and that would create a safe road which would not crack. If the ground did not break and the terrain did not change, they could register it as Pieces and make it their own. They would need quite a lot of adhesive, but this was easier than laying asphalt. Squeal. Since we dont know which parts will crack in the cold, shouldnt we try spreading this in different directions? Good point. We need to think about what to do if we wake up tomorrow to find it wouldnt have affected the part we worked on regardless. Wildefraus below-zero attacks should be able to create similar cracks, but it would be best to test it in the natural environment. If they registered this landing point as a Piece, they would be using this as their base from now on. It would be helpful to draw out several lines to create a spider web of pathways they could use. Hermelina wiped sweat from her brow and shivered from the chill that finally reached her. Now it really feels like were claiming territory. I might cry if we wake up tomorrow morning to find nothing but cracked crevasses like before. Beatrices ominous comment earned some light anger from Philinnion and Huldra. The real work would begin the following day. Their previous trip here had taught them all too well how cold it got at night. Once the sun had fully set and the stars appeared in the night sky, they stopped working and returned to the Next Voyager. Oh, no! I can already see my breath! Natures freezer is back!! Scramble up the ladder if you want, Philinnion, but since you have fingerless gloves, I would recommend not touching the metal with your bare fingers. Dont blame me if your skin gets stuck. They had met up fairly late, so most of them had already eaten. Boo Boo was hungry despite having eaten already, so suspender boobs Philinnion gave him some dried meat that did not need to be prepared. Feeling full was more important than nutrition here, so something he could chew on for a while was best. That left one thing to consider: how were they going to survive this frigid night? Whats there to worry about? Just wrap yourself in fire. I know, right? Just have 100% Water Resistance and you wont take any Ice Damage at all. The two with ridiculous fire and ice abilities were an exception. Pink-twintailed Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra let a thick cloth flap in the wind. Heh heh heh. Look at this, chief. Its a sleeping bag made from Fluffy Bird feathers! You have to keep an eye on the inn towns Flea Market Maze because you sometimes find stuff like this there. Now I can survive a cold night with ease! Yay!! Oh, is that so? So when you were supposed to be working on Mixing the adhesive, you were actually preparing for your own comfort? And our PI offices wallet is a shared thing where we all keep the gears weve earned, isnt it? Um, uh, heh heh heh. Dont be mad, chief That sleeping bag belongs to all of us. Wait! Please dont take it away from me like this! You girls get to cram yourselves into a small cabin where you can keep each other warm, but Boo Boo and I are risking our lives out in the night! Huldras tears were starting to freeze over, but curled rolled ponytail Rusalka made a cruel point despite being about a Chinese zodiac cycle younger. If you had just snuck off with your sleeping bag instead of trying to brag about it, none of this would have happened. Rusalka, there is a simple saying to sum that up: silence is golden. Huldra screamed, but no one there felt any sympathy. If she was going to do this, she needed to be ready to prepare enough for everyone. Hermelina spat out a comment while leaving with the sleeping bag in her arms. You complain, but you survived last time. You can use Boo Boo for warmth again. Ahhhh, did you have to remind her of that!? Are you trying to get me killed!? Oh, right. I need to take care of a pink-haired nuisance before she causes any trouble tonight. I completely forgot. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Beatrices entire body burned with enough flames that she must have forgotten the boat was mostly made of wood, but that at least gave them a source of fire. Boo Boo held out a handmade torch made from a cloth wrapped around the end of a wooden stick to light it and then raised it over his head like a small child showing off a popsicle. Squeal, lets take good care of this. It can keep us warm and toasty if used right. Be careful with that fire, Boo Boo. Keep some water on hand to-no, it would probably just freeze. In that case, keep something to cover up the fire. And dont use it in a closed room. Boo. But, Hermelina, I feel like I would freeze if I opened a window. If you arent careful, youll be killed by carbon monoxide. You see it in mangas and dramas a lot, but building a campfire in a cave is a big no-no. ? Either her examples were poorly chosen or he would not believe something he had not seen for himself because Boo Boo looked confused. Hermelina let out a white sigh (with her boob window exposing her chest to the cold). Anyway, thats the rule. This was designed to be a pretty fancy ship, so it probably has rooms with a fireplace or chimney. Or you could use the kitchen or boiler room. Im not saying you cant use the fire; Im saying look for somewhere you can use it safely. Huldra. Ill show him the way! But please stop pointing out that were together when Beatrice is around!! With that, it was time to survive the frigid night. Boo Boo transferred the fire to the fireplace next to an old bar counter, Kallikantzaros showed up to play after hearing half-scorched Huldras sobs, and the Vampire lay alongside the Iberian Orc as he went to sleep. The sleeping bag had been a good idea even if it had been taken away. They had searched the ship for something similar and found some waterproof cloth meant to repair torn sails. That proved to be a powerful ally. And. Snorrrre! Snorrrre!! Mutter, mutterah. Huh? Wheres Kallikantzaros? The nearly-4m giant rubbed his eyes with the back of his large hands and found the red negligee girl was gone. Light was entering the edge of the dark night sky and the stars were disappearing behind an orange glow. Morning had arrived. Squeal It really is cold. I dont think I slept much. I-I beg to differ with all that loud snoring you were doing. The pink-twintailed girl had wrapped her shivering body tightly in the waterproof cloth, but she had not ended up like a frozen fish this time. The ability to learn and use tools to overcome hardships may have been a defining trait of humans. Once awake, they were curious how things were outside. They could still see their breath at dawn, but after removing his sail repair material and putting out the fire in the fireplace, Boo Boo left the old bar and approached the door to the side deck. He found someone there already. Good morning, Boo Boo. Squeal. Beatrice giggled at how he sleepily rubbed his eyes and she pointed at the glass ground 9m below. Philinnion had cautiously moved out ahead (despite being a healer) by crawling along the ground. That pressed her butt tightly against her shorts, so it looked like that cow was a threat in more than just the chest department. She must have wanted to see how the adhesive she had made was doing because she tapped the back of her hand against the ground every so often. There were white cracks all over, but there were no large gaps. It had all been held in place and forcibly kept in a single piece. The experiment was a success. Beatrice let out a white breath and smiled. Now the road we make wont go away. Its time we finally crossed this continent and tracked down the Hero! Part 11 After eating a breakfast made by putting sliced bread in hot soup to increase the apparent quantity, it was finally time to begin the real recovery. They had to claim their territory. They would send out drones to investigate the unexplored glass continent as efficiently as possible, take that data back to Earth to register it as Pieces as a way to expand their freedom of movement, and use that to search out Hero La Signora. That was the general idea anyway, but that plan was missing a step. Gradually filling in their map was meaningless if the entire terrain had changed the following day. They needed to work toward accomplishing something meaningful. Beatrice made a request with her tattered gray cloak fluttering behind her. Gruagach, start by accurately surveying the existing cracks in the ground. The security film method can prevent new cracks from forming, but it cant repair the large ravines that already exist. Its unfortunate, but we have to work our way around those. But we can record the path we take and register it on Earth as a Piece. Understood. Some ponds and lakes may have formed when water flooded the cracks, so dont forget to record data at high tide and low tide. Once Beatrice was done talking, the Summon Hunter in mourning clothes opened a few magic circles in the air in front of her right eye and then loosed several arrows high into the sky. They sprouted swan-like wings along the way to transform themselves into eyes and ears in the sky. Our route is going to take a large curving S-shape as we avoid the existing cracks. Does that mean twice the distance compared to a straight route? There was no way to predict this kind of unexpected setback, but it was still not pleasant to learn about something they had never even considered. Boo Boo, it would be easier to roll the adhesive barrels instead of lifting them. Dont worry. Theyre sealed up tight, so it wont spill out when you tilt them on their side. Squeal. Oh, but wouldnt it be better if it did? The adhesive only hardens on the glass ground, so with a bit of ingenuity, we could probably make a device that creates a road just by rolling the barrel. Wildefrau, the exhibitionist in a cross sword and belts, had that idea, and armor leotard Rusalka joined in. Would it be something like that roller the baseball team drags around the field to smooth things out? I dunno what you actually call it, though. We can build our own little invention later. Lets do it the way we know works for now. Cmon, get your mop ready. Boo Boo and Hermelina were the go-to people for physical strength, so they rolled the large barrels of adhesive while Beatrice and Philinnion were in charge of spreading it around with mops. Gruagach surveyed everything from the sky and Rusalka used wind to remove the chemical odor. Once they got started, they made quick progress. Boo, boo, boo, boo. Boo boo bee boo. Boo Boo seemed to be having fun seeing the road grow as he rolled the barrel. When Beatrice let her guard down, he moved so far out ahead that he was nearly out of sight. Boo Boo, we cant keep up with the mops if you pour out that much. And dont forget to plant flags along the way. Squeal, this is mine for real this time! Once they had those landmarks up in places, it started to feel more real for Beatrice and the others too. Boo Boo seemed interested in the Piece-registration Screenshots which were not the same as the rock wall drawings he was used to. He must not have known the blunt weapon he had carried around for so long was capable of that. The work was not easy, but they were indeed drawing a large line out along the ground. White Witch Philinnion stopped to wipe the sweat from her brow, jiggling her suspenders-bound breasts in the process. Whew. I havent seen anyone else out here. Does that mean its going to take them a while longer to figure out this security film method? It was the same back when we got here first by using the ghost ship to skip all the competition in the inn town, but I really hope we dont have any more surprises in store for us. Boo Boo and the others continued constructing the road while Gruagach sent ahead arrows to act as their eyes and ears. Each arrow did not cover much area, but creating grape-like clusters of those small areas helped gradually fill in their blank map. Doing that to gather the materials for Pieces was their goal for the day. The mourning clothes girls somewhat lowered voice came from behind her veil. This scenery could look entirely different by tomorrow, couldnt it? But the road weve made will remain intact. We can gradually increase the strengthened area and we can register the route as a Piece back on Earth. That guarantees we can freely travel along it. Hermelina and Huldra were not action cops who specialized in flashy car chases and shootouts. When pursuing someone, they knew firsthand that those exciting events were less useful than slowly but surely closing in on their target using human wave tactics and door-to-door search operations. Their ultimate objective was of course finding the Hero, but they did not need to locate her right away. Shes definitely around here somewhere. That much we know. Beatrice spoke quietly while looking to the cracked lands horizon. She needs food and water to maintain her biological body. And if shes left everything to a machine, thats bound to make heat and noise. She has to leave some kind of sign of her presence if she physically exists on this land. They finally came across a few of the glass domes they had built before. Gruagach stabbed an arrow into those to use them as fixed observation points. Naturally, those observation points would also be registered as Pieces. Their Shining Weapons had plenty of storage space, so it was worth recording everything they could. To be honest, we cant really expect these to last for long. Thats fine. The winged arrows in the sky are all that really matter. The ones on the ground can just be imitations meant to frighten the Hero. Even nonfunctioning mockup security cameras were said to noticeably reduce the amount of shoplifting. These surveillance devices were real. And if no one could tell whether or not they were working from the outside, they would have to be cautious of them all. The odds of coincidentally running across the Hero on this vast continent were slim, but for better or worse, they could control the flow of people by creating roads and scattering surveillance devices everyone had to watch out for. It was much like how the desert was a large place, but you could keep tabs on who was traversing it by setting up checkpoints along the silk road that took the optimum course across. This is such a barren place. Rolled blonde ponytail Rusalka sighed and sent a light low kick into Boo Boos thick leg as he excitedly moved out ahead. The glass land has no drainage at all, so getting food or even fresh water will not be easy. As big as the continent is, there might be a limited few places the Hero can actually live. I wonder, I wonder, I wonder whats for lunch, sang Boo Boo in an adlibbed song while he worked. He sounded carefree, but that was from the viewpoint of someone who never had to worry about getting food. If he got lazy, he would starve to death. Tah dah. Todays lunch is Wild Cow milk and Steamy Potato vichyssoise with Dry Wheat cereal as a topping Boo, vichy-what? Is that some powerful humans name??? Its a cold soup made from potatoes and cream, Boo Boo. Philinnion sounded excited, but when you let the healer cook, you apparently got what you would be served while sick instead of something from a picnic. A leather water bottle contained a soup apparently made by combining crushed potatoes with animal milk. It may have been more like nutritionally reinforced milk flavored with salt and pepper. Squeal, didnt we have soup for breakfast too? Do you like hot water, Philinnion? Not really. I love a wide variety of things: risotto, gratin, gnocchi, fried cheese, French toast, and plenty more. Although I do have to admit white stew and cheese fondue are nice too. That is an impressive list of nothing but dairy products youve got there. Beatrice and Hermelina gave that annoyed response in unison, but you could not forget that her primarily Japanese diet at the Ushigashira Shrine played a role in what she would choose when actually given a choice. This alternate world came with plenty of benefits and risks, but it was also a place to get away from the restrictions of Earth. The meal was nutritious and easy to eat, but that meant it was also reminiscent of the food given to someone with heat fatigue. Regardless, it all looked fresh and new to Boo Boo who only ever removed the blood and organs from the animal he caught and either ate it raw or cooked it just a little. His eyes widened as he crunched on the cereal in his large mouth. Squeal! Ive never eaten anything so weird!! My, my. But if thats enough to surprise you, youre in for a real treat when you try one of the pancakes with ice cream on top, which is sweet and salty just like some Ogura toast. Whatever she might say, Philinnion was clearly enjoying herself as she brought a hand to her mouth and smiled. There were not many tough guys worth serving a meal to quite like Boo Boo. Boo, this looks like itll get soggy, so I need to eat it fast! No, Boo Boo. Make sure to chew before you swallow. Beatrices gentle warning was not enough to stop him. All she could do was rub the pig-faced giants back as he chowed down. This scene might make it seem like the threat of the Hero had passed. Time passed more calmly than the white clouds in the blue sky. But they could not just go home because they could not find her. Hero La Signora stood at the turning points and won whenever possible. That thinking had led her to slaughter a great many (people accused of being) witches 300 years ago and she had honestly thought that oppression would help protect the witches. Since she had fled to Grounds Nir, it was not hard to imagine what fate had awaited her on Earth, but that had not been enough to stop her. She had been the same here in Grounds Nir as well. She had known there was no saving herself, but her attachment to life had led her to remake the entire worlds environment, which had caused the Iberian Orcs to be afflicted with the Red disease. But if she really had escaped the planet to break free of the short time limit, spent centuries there, and had now returned to the surfaceit was impossible this was over. Whether this had crashed down on accident or on purpose, the surface was harmful to the Hero. There was no way that monster would sit idly by while her body was exposed to the time limit once more. She would struggle. Like a drowning person grasping at straws, she would show no restraint whatsoever. Hermelina clapped her hands together in front of her inadequate chest. Okay, we got some food, so lets get some exercise. Noon had passed and the latter half of the day was beginning, but what they had to do was the same. They rolled the large barrels, spilled out the adhesive, and spread it around with mops. However, they had to think about the trip back this time. Squeal, should we not head out too far? Thats right, Boo Boo. But it would be easier if we used up all the adhesive. Thats less weight we have to carry back. A shadow appeared overhead. They looked up to see thick clouds hiding the sun that had been beating down on them a moment before. And they were quite dark. The sun had yet to set, but the sweat covering their skin started to feel as cold as ice water. It might start raining, said cross sword and belts Wildefrau while viewing the sky like the others. Hermelina somewhat frantically waved a hand to gather attention while rolling a different large barrel from Boo Boos. Even if its just sprinkling, we should head back. Safety first! Is it really that dangerous? Beatrice frowned, but the police officer would not back down. Did you forget this glass continent has no drainage at all, Beatrice? If it starts pouring, who knows what will happen! We cant see our own road if theres a layer of water on the ground, and what if it completely floods to create a pond or lake? And what if lightning strikes while were standing in it? Theres still a lot we dont know about this new continent. We need to be cautious and think a step ahead before we get stranded! Meanwhile, Boo Boo felt a raindrop on his large nose. Philinnion held the brim of her pointed witchs hat down with both hands. Hyah! It really is raining! Gruagach, launch one of those drone arrows! Dont lose sight of the way back to the Next Voyager!! They had planted flags at set intervals for Piece registration purposes, but those were only general estimates. They could not take the shortest path between them. The glass continent was cracked due to the temperature difference, so if they moved thoughtlessly along, they could fall into an unseen ravine like someone running their car into the ditch during a flood. Wah! Watch out, Boo Boo! The nearly-4m giant slipped, so Beatrice quickly caught him with the gauntlet she had enlarged with Magic. The ground was made of glass, so it was very slippery when wet. But while they had been rolling heavy barrels and mopping around the surface on the way there, they only had to walk on the way back. They would arrive back more quickly than their experience told them they would. However Wh-what? Armored leotard Rusalka groaned while clinging to mourning clothes Gruagach. I hear cracking from all over! Is the ground breaking apart around us!? But it isnt night yet! tearfully responded Huldra while waving her pompoms around. Its the rain, said Beatrice as if cursing her bad luck with water while her tattered cloak kept the rain off of her. The cold rain is rapidly cooling the land, so the continent is going to break before night falls this time!! Dont stray from the road! The cracking wont happen where we solidified the ground with adhesive like window security film! Its safe there! Hermelina was right, but I-I cant see anything Wh-wh-wheres the road!? lamented Philinnion while trying to protect herself from the rain using her large hat. Any assumptions of safety were null and void here. Even water a few centimeters deep could reflect the light like a mirror and make the terrain below unidentifiable. They would have to rely on Gruagachs memory from viewing everything from the sky. Do not worry, everyone! I know where all the dangerous ravines are. If you avoid those by following my instructions-kyah!? Before she could finish, a nearby piece of land burst up from the water like a submarine making an emergency surfacing. If Rusalka had not immediately tugged on the mourning clothes girls arm, the cracked cliff face might have sliced off her jaw. It rose to a height of 10 meters in no time. A solid glass cliff towered up right in front of them. Wh-what? The land was already full of cracks, so it couldnt support the weight of the rain and flipped over! If you dont want to be hit by that killer seesaw, then run! If youre caught in the collapse, youll either be launched into the heavens or dropped into the depths! Either way, youre screwed!! This really was a new land. The usual assumptions did not apply. At least its one in the afternoon, said Beatrice while glancing carefully around. If this happened near sunset, our soaked bodies would have frozen solid. Everyone but Wildefrau would have been wiped out. Luckily, the water would not remove the adhesive from the surface. The Piece-registration Screenshots inside their Shining Weapons would not be wasted. They had to use their boots to feel for the safety of the road they had created. As some parts of the land sank and others rose up, the previously flat glass continent gained some extreme height differences. The scenery changed and it was easy to lose their sense of direction, almost like giant fingers had grabbed them and chucked them into a maze. And as Hermelina had said, these were seesaws. The slant depended on where the rainwater gathered and there was no set form for it to take. Learning the terrain was meaningless when it would drastically change with time. Boo Boo and the others had seen the many racks and large ravines after the continent had been transformed, but they had not actually seen the change occurring. It was truly cataclysmic. This geographic drama normally took place over the span of eons, but it happened in an instant here. Wouldnt it be easier if I froze all the rainwater on the surface? That would even fill in the ravines! Thats not a bad idea, but couldnt it actually cool the glass even further and make the cracking worse!? They discussed different ideas while returning along the snaking path of their road. Th-there it is. Squeal, its Kallikantzaross boat! Boo Boo was right. The Next Voyager could be seen from their viewpoint on the ground. That was their safe point. Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief, but she also knew relaxing would be dangerous. Seeing the goal in the distance did not change the danger below their feet. Yes. Beatrice was definitely being cautious in that moment. That is undeniable. And that may have been why she managed to notice just a hint of the truth. What? What is it, Beatrice? Youll fall if you stand at the edge of that cliff! Philinnions double cloak blew in the rain as she shouted over, but the Holy Swordswoman did not respond. Something was moving at the bottom of the ravine. The bottom looked more than 10 meters down. The ground they were standing on had to be even thicker than that. And something was definitely moving in the ocean created by the rainwater rushing in like a waterfall since the land had no other drainage. No, it was in the actual ocean below that. With the thick glass land on top, the ocean had to be an area of death. There was no way a human could be lurking there even with Magic to strengthen then. So this was not the Hero. But was that any reason to relax? For one thing, who had created the artificial atmospheric barrier that covered the entire planet? The Hero had only given the command, butafter her death? After she went to sleep? Anyway, for the centuries afterwards, some other being must have completed the work. They had already seen a few beings in Grounds Nir who could live for centuries without issue: Strigona, Abyss, and Sibyl to name a few. Something reflected the light in the depths of the thick seawater. (Is that a blade? A sword with a jewel in the grip?) She was not given time to process her question. The very next moment, it rocketed up while spinning. Had it been thrown? Normal ballistic logic could not explain it. It may have been like taking a submarines anti-ship missile that lit a booster after leaving the water and adding a helicopters main rotor onto thatexcept even that was not quite right. The seawater and the land were no obstacle. It entirely ignored the ravines and sliced through the thick glass land itself more easily than through soft custard. Boo Boo!? By the time she turned around and shouted, it was over The color red was splattered everywhere. The double-edged Heros Sword had shot up from the ground at Boo Boos feet and plunged hilt deep into his thick stomach. Part 12 Everyone owned a mobile phone these days, but Iroka, oldest of the three maid sisters, entered a phone booth. That had long been the standard method of hiding the source of a call. But before she could lift the receiver and insert a coin she had used a special chemical to wipe clean of fingerprints, a wrinkly voice descended from the narrow ceiling. Do not call Ushigashiras general reception number. You will only access an ignorant part-timer there, so your serious tone will only confuse them. Im shocked. How far does your influence reach? I have more honor than those European-raised knights, I can tell you that. I believe they recently had that newcomer Demon Lord Tselika offered to them on their altar. They were awfully excited about finally getting a real one. The phone booth itself was made of transparent acrylic panels. Bespectacled Iroka glanced out at the people walking past outside, but she continued speaking into the receiver. There was clearly not an attic-like space in here and she knew there was no one on top of the roof, yet here was that old womans voice. She might even get a response if she addressed the voice in the Detached Magic Palaces bathroom. What do you want to know? asked the voice. What does it mean for that simulator to be an odd Over the Wall? And how does that relate to our masters safety? Youre in a hurry to get an answer, arent you? Just listening to the old womans voice, she may have sounded sincere. But that was ignoring the fact that no one knew how much of their personal lives she could see or how she could see what she did see. Demon Lord Tselika was really only partway there. Being Over the Wall means you are a being that can transfer its entire physical body to Earth from another world and stay here long term. That isnt possible. If it really wasnt, no one would have been worried about the Red-afflicted Iberian Orcs invading Earth. Oh, were you not even aware of that threat? Then your master must be a very kind person. Although she may carry too much of a burden on her own. The old womans voice calmly continued. Also, the Iberian Orcs are a species that aim to evolve into the strongest possible lifeform by reproducing with as wide a variety of plants and animals as possible. If they could transfer their physical bodies through the Gates, then there had to be an original lifeform that gave them that ability. Thenyou did that as well? I am something that was named Tiamat when the humans discovered me in the other world. Although just like the mythological salamander and the actual animal, I had no connection to the original myths. Part of the problem was how none of this was provable when the old woman would not show herself. Hearing a voice from a phone booth ceiling where there was nowhere to hide might seem supernatural at first, but that could probably be reproduced using cutting-edge tech like the small microphones and speakers used for smartphones and tablets. Bespectacled Iroka took a deep breath that moved her large breasts up and down and then asked a question. Then what is the simulator? It is no more than an Earth product. It never needed to cross the barrier in the first place. But it was also no more than a box that lacked the arms and legs needed to have true freedom here on Earth. What is that supposed to-wait, are you kidding? The simulator indirectly reached for that nagging desire by controlling stocks and other financial activity and predicting frightening natural disasters and wars to effectively manipulated the entire human race. But that was not enough to satisfy it. It continued pursuing the perfect arms and legs. It wanteda body. But what does that have to do with the Detached Magic Palace and my master!? It may have wanted to deliver the finishing blow itself. And even if it cannot do anything as fancy as us, anyone can bring technological data back from that world in the form of Pieces. There was no hesitation in the old womans voice. So what if there was a perfect artificial body in the other world? What if the simulator could acquire the plans in the form of data and attempted to construct it on Earth? It would want to contain all of its functions in that body. And it would do whatever it took to accomplish that. Part 13 Abyss// Part 14 Wait, Boo Boo! Dont pull it out! Beatrice shouted with her tattered gray cloak fluttering behind her, but the situation had already moved on. A wet splattering sound lingered in her ears. It must have been a nearly reflexive action. After doubling over, Boo Boo had grabbed the hilt of the Heros Sword piercing his gut and forcibly pulled it out along with the decorative green string. His bleeding immediately increased. The gem-laden double-edged sword must have been acting as a plug. Blood poured out with enough force to overwhelm the pouring rain. The amount of red was dizzying, but Beatrice just barely managed to stay conscious. This was not over yet. A lethal amount of blood loss was determined by body weight, so even after a lethal amount for a human, a nearly-4m giant like that Iberian Orc might still have a chance. Philinnion, prepare a recovery potion! And, Wildefrau, it can be temporary, but freeze Boo Boos wound! Letting the rain wash away his blood would be the worst thing right now!! If you cant do that, then Ill cauterize it!! What? Despite being in a thin leotard, Rusalka forgot all about the cold rain hitting her as she watched something. Her eyes were on the Heros Sword that had stabbed into the glass ground after Boo Boo tossed it aside. The scenery was gradually changing around that. Boo Boos spilled blood was defying gravity. Several red strands seemed to draw curves in the air and they were all gathering at the swords golden guard. The blood was all being absorbed and taken inside the sword. Damn you!! It was strange and ominous enough for Beatrice to grab the decorated hilt. She wanted to pull it from the ground and throw it far away. However. Red electricity raced from her back to her fingertips. Almost like it was being sucked in toward the sword. She should have considered it. Boo Boo and the other Iberian Orcs had the rare ability to use the Gates and travel to Earth. They had also suffered from the Red disease caused by the environmental changes brought by the artificial atmospheric barrier built by the Heros persistence. Had that been an unfortunate side effect or was it a part of the plan? They may have been intentionally modified by that external source. To give them the form that someone else needed for their own ends. Also, the red electricity that had critically damaged Beatrices body and Shining Weapon had rained down around the time the artificial atmospheric barrier was destroyed. The attack that hit the Holy Swordswoman had been absorbed when she had contacted it with her sword-shaped device. Almost like it was taking a roundabout route back to where it had originally come from. Gh, ah, ahhh!? Just as humans like Beatrice used their Shining Weapon devices to alter their appearance, the Heros Sword with a jewel in the hilt acted like a data-absorbing USB virus when it was inserted into one of the devices. The artificial atmospheric barrier was glass. That meant it was made of silicon, the same thing used for semiconductors. And the Iberian Orcs inside the log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon proved that souls could be saved to those devices as data. They had been lured in. A direct pathway had been established. By absorbing the blood and receiving the data, it had everything it needed. Wheres the Hero? Beatrice tried to let go, but the intense electricity kept her from moving like she wanted. They had not found a dried-up mummy or a figure frozen in cold sleep. A flesh-and-blood human could only stay in this world for a few days, but this was not an opponent who could be defeated by just waiting out the timer. Beatrice forced her numbed tongue to move as she desperately shouted. Was there never an answer to that question? Is she about to be created anew here? Dammit! This was a single giant glass continent. It was a sterile medium where not even microbes could be found. It was a Petri dish designed for the growth of new cells. The thin and beautiful Heros Sword swelled out from within. No, all the blood it had absorbed was flowing back out through all the cracks in its component pieces. Was it like a mist, like a foaming substance, or like a beehive? Whatever the case, the apparent volume increased and finally took the shape of a giant red jewel. The smooth object was taller than a person and there was a tree enclosed within. The shape alone was similar to what they had seen in the depths of the Underworld. Death. Red. And. Only the swords hilt stuck out at the very top. The blade was stabbed into the top of the tree. Then it turned like a key. That was the signal. The distinction between organic and inorganic was immaterial. The sword at the center acted as a fuse, the signal passed down the tree, and the red outer shell exploded. Something both beautiful and sinister was blasted in every direction. Ghh!? Pushed by its intensity, Beatrice fell back. Hermelina and the others did the same while supporting badly injured Boo Boo. There was a red dust not seen with a normal explosion. The Hero. There was something inside it. No, someone. The Hero, La Signora!!!!! Part 15 Abyss// Have you finished searching for mistakes? Abyss// There was no Hero. Because her flesh and blood was to be created anew. Abyss// That is the answer. Volume 7, 4: The Hero Volume 7, Chapter 4: The Hero Part 1 Phew. The Pure Knight with his polished silver armor and large shield let out a sigh a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of the inn town. This was not an issue of physical exhaustion. He had spent a little too much money throughout all this. Everyone was caught up in some kind of fever, but no one actually knew if the new continent really held enough intellectual property to be worth a gold rush. The competition and negotiation in the market was partially a game of chicken, but they would lose everything if the glass continent turned out to be barren and not worth a single wooden gear. In the worst case, it could even bring a major depression to the small island. (Besides, that Iberian Orc and those Level Cappers are always a step ahead of us when it comes to that new land.) He knew them fairly well, but not well enough to get a share of their profits. These were two different things. If he did not compete properly, he could not profit properly either. He heard another youth call out to him from behind. The cargos all loaded. We can leave at any time! The thunders already rumbling. Are you sure this is a good idea? If youre talking about the waterproofing, we could drop that thing in the ocean and it would be fine, so whats a little rain? A direct lighting strike might be a different matter, though. I guess worrying over it isnt gonna help. Well never make back any of this money if we let the other Guilds get ahead of us again. Yeah. Gather the front line group on the ship. Were leaving right away! The Pure Knight shouted that, but he added another comment to himself. Were finally ready to move up to the front of the pack. Part 2 The Hero. Hundreds of years ago, she had killed a great many (people accused of being) witches. She had truly believed that would help the witches. And after doing all that, she had fled to the world of Grounds Nir, but the environment had not suited her body. She had not known how to return, but after a dizzying amount of preparation time, she had finally appeared upon this glass continent with a new physical body. The time limit in this world would still remain for her. No matter how extensive her preparations, that body could only survive a few days here. Which meant the Hero would pour everything into those few days. She would return to Earth. She had to have some kind of plan for that. And this was the madwoman whose plan had once covered the entire planet with an artificial atmospheric barrier to terraform it with no regard for the native lifeforms. It was blatantly obvious whether she was an enemy or an ally. Both because of what she had done in the past and because she had not changed in the present. What she had done to Boo Boo here was everything to Beatrice. Even if that had been a necessary step. If the Hero returned to Earth, it would begin anew. Witch hunts were taboo now, so she might use a different term. She might even create a brand new social phenomenon. But the essence of it would remain unchanged. Whether she used social media or big data, she would continue oppressing the minority and throwing them into the fire. Philinnion and Hermelina could also tell what was happening here. Youre kidding, right? Does this mean we were set up by Abyss? The problem with her is shes an ultimate weapon. We need to consider the possibility that she was hijacked by someone else. The silhouette inside the unnaturally red dust took a step toward them. Kh. Beatrice reached to her back and drew the giant Shining Weapon that resembled a log or a steel beam. She slipped her fingers through the holes opened for human use and firmly held it at the ready. A magic circle appeared in the air behind her back. Philinnion, Hermelina! Protect the Gates!! Dont let her escape this new continent!! Wh-why do you always shove me onto the front line!? I am a healer!! Plus, Im focusing on treating Boo Boo right now! More importantly, keeping the Hero from Earth means slowly killing her here. Are you prepared to do that, Beatrice!? This was not like Demon Lord Tselika who had been born in this world. The Holy Swordswoman knew the agony of being stuck here firsthand as of a few days ago. She gulped. But she still nodded her head. I dont know what the Hero wants to do once shes back on Earth. She might experience some Urashima Tarou-esque despair upon seeing the Earth centuries later. But she assisted and intensified a social phenomenon that slaughtered people by the tens of thousands. Whatever happens, I want some assurance of safety. Even if we do let her return to Earth, I first want to make sure shes someone we can defeat if we have to!! The cold rain that was cracking the glass land gradually removed the red dust from the air. And the person who had been hidden by that veil took another casual step toward them. The secret was finally revealed. She had short blonde hair with a bluish gradient. She had fine white skin and a powerful will in her angled eyes. Her waist was more slender than anything, but her ample breasts seemed to defy gravity. Since she had only just been reborn, she wore no clothing to keep the rain off of her body. Which meant (Are her physical abilities not being strengthened by the Percentage-type Magic since that takes the form of equipment?) This is our chance! Wait, no, Rusalka!! Beatrices thoughts had been heading in a similar direction to Rusalkas, but if mourning clothes Gruagach had not immediately raised her voice, what would have become of that leotard girl who held a large 9-shaped scythe and had a magic circle floating out past her empty hand? The almost inhuman-looking naked Hero swung her right hand to the side. That hand was supposedly empty. A moment later. Slice? No. More like Kaboom. !!!??? Had that attack reused the vanishing remains of the red membrane? It must have been disposable by design and it burned as bright an orange as heated steel. The nails at the end of her fingers glowed unnaturally and they left parallel scratches in space itself as she charged forward. Like an iaido expert, she passed by with a fearsomely sharp slash. The deep boom of an explosion struck their ears after a short delay. Gruagach!! Rusalka!! They had not been directly hit. If they had, they seriously might have been obliterated. Rusalka was crouching down while Gruagach protected the smaller girl. If the mourning dress girl had not taken immediate action, that would have been it. But the phenomenon occurring before Beatrices eyes was so strange she forgot to even call out to them. That had been a test for the Hero. She showed no hint of irritation at having missed. And. The real attack would be coming soon. Some things gathered around the naked womans right hand. They were a silver clasp, a decorative blue thread wrapped around to prevent slipping, a grip carved out of a great beasts white fang, various decorations made from pure gold and gems, a bundle of silicon wafers and wiring thinner than hairs, and a supposedly-broken broad blade. That was the sword that had targeted Boo Boo from the ocean and absorbed his blood to create the Heros body. Its role as a fuse for the red explosion was over. The Heros Sword had regained its original shape and power. Meaning (A ShiningWeapon?) Not good!! Gruagach, focus on getting Rusalka away from there!! Beatrice shouted to the mourning dress girl while she adjusted her hand on her Shining Weapons giant grip and prepared to summon eight lines of heat. But by then, the change had already begun. There was full-body leather innerwear that gave off a chocolate shine. There was cushioning at the joints of the armor to prevent it from pinching the skin. There were decorative ribbons and cloud-like bunches of wool. There was beautiful blue armor that looked like it would blend into the color of the planet, a skirt that was left open in the front, and green-glittering decorations. Overall, the coloration was reminiscent of the planet seen from space. The green, blue, and soil-like dark brown seemed to represent the place she had yearned for so long. A Shining Weapon was the device a human used to control their Magic. The green armor protecting the bottom of her chest and the blue soles of her boots were that Magic. And as soon as that Percentage-style magic was equipped to the Hero, whose short bluish blonde hair was wetly plastered to her cheeks, it would rapidly increase her physical abilities by some factor. The Hero did not dodge the eight simultaneous lines of heat that could slice right through a tank. They were headed straight toward her beautiful body, but the instant they touched the cleavage left exposed by the armor that represented the blue sky, they were bent and blasted in different directions. Philinnion shouted in a panic with her shorts straining. How much Elemental Resistance does she have!? That attack was the Seven Flames! The Heros gaze casually followed Gruagach as she fled across the glass land while pretty much carrying Rusalka in her arms. Yes, casually. Crushing people was no more than that to her. !! Beatrice could not predict how much Magic this opponent could deflect, so with her tattered gray cloak fluttering, she instead aimed the powerful lines of heat into the space between the Hero and Gruagach. The glass continent had already grown terribly cracked by the temperature difference brought by the rain, so it shattered in the blink of an eye as this heat propagated through it. Thanks to the heavy rainwater that had built up, the split land flipped like a seesaw, creating a giant cliff face in front of them. This would lift up and fling the Hero into the air. Thankyou! Wait, dont let your guard down yet!! Gruagach had finally escaped the source of the threat with the younger girl in her arms and her braid loop swaying behind her, but Beatrice shouted back while glaring upwards. She was looking to the very top of the cliff. The Hero looked far too casual as she appeared there with double-edged sword in hand. That massive height difference had not been enough to launch her into the air. She spun her deadly tool like a baton and said something. So this is the only thing that returns to me. Her voice was far deeper and icier than her lovely appearance suggested. Was that a sign of how upset she was? She brushed back her blonde hair with her other hand and stared down at the rain-wet glass continent. Hoping for too much leads to failure. And I can get by with just this, so it all works out. That saidthis could be a problem. This is not enough to know if the conditions have been met. It is too soon to say how this will end. Where is the exit to Earth? I was assuming there would be some obvious tunnel or something. Gh Boo Boo slowly stood up while receiving support from the giant ice gauntlet created by Wildefrau in her cross sword and belts. Philinnions recovery potion must not have taken effect yet. His wound was frozen like sherbet to forcibly stop the bleeding. What are you talking about? he asked. I know what you did, but if you say you arent like that anymore, we might not have to fight here!! No, you know nothing. The more someone claims to know everything, the less they actually know, my future pork dinner. The Hero laughed in the sensual body she had created by absorbing a certain someones blood. Someone was bound to arrive here in the oh-so-distant future. So if I simply waited for the conditions to be met, someone would construct a way back for me. I must win whenever possible. And until it is possible, I will wait. I need do nothing myself. If I take what someone else has created, I can safely return. Howeverhey, worker ants. My theory is correct, isnt it? Your lack of tension means this cant have been a one-way trip for you. You really think well-! Wildefrau was enraged, but Philinnion stopped her with a hand. That suspender boobs girl had more experience than the ice nudist. A short distance away, Hermelina laughed it off while holding her metal staff at the ready. Were you hoping to get some information out of us using cheap provocation? If you want an answer, then come and get it. I dont care if this plan has been in the works for centuries. Now that youve got a physical body again, you can only last a few days at the most in this world. Act above it all if you like, but youre the one thats in trouble stuck out in the ocean with no clue which way to go, right? The Heros short blonde hair with a blue gradient shook along with her head. A magic circle glowed at her forehead as she answered from atop the cliff. Then I shall take what I need. In a flash. That was the only way to describe it. !! It was light. It looked a lot like the linear light of a sword slash. The Hero in her armor and open-front skirt turned into streaming lines of blue, green, and brown as she swept toward Hermelina. Her glowing fingernails from before were no comparison. She was like a bolt of lightning skimming the surface. An explosive boom arrived a moment later and more than half of the metal boat Hermelina had used as a shield was torn away. Orange sparks flew and Hermelina very nearly had her side ripped open. Distance was meaningless to someone who could move at speeds like that. Was the sword-wielding Hero really this much more powerful than them? Squeal!! Dont panic! A lightning strike, a fall, a plummet - call it whatever you like, the beam of light made from blue, green, and brown returned to being the Hero in her light blue skirt that was reminiscent of the waves as it fluttered above her leather innerwear. The armor surrounding the bottom of her breasts strained as if from weight. Hermelina chose not to fight it, stuck her legs out from her robes slits, and let the momentum of the blow push her back along the rain-slick glass land. Everyone was defenseless in the moment they landed. The Fighter Priest raised her voice while crouching low to clear a line of fire for the others. Fire!! Beatrice, Rusalka, Wildefrau, and Gruagach sent long-range attacks from four different Elements in from four different directions. Explosive booms, flashes of light, and filthy dust filled the air. Even the Sages mastery of all Elements had been restricted to one at a time and she would stop attacking if she had to deal with more than one at once. Elemental Resistance was easy enough to start on, but mastering it required an absurd amount of Experience Points. 100% nullifying multiple simultaneous attacks was extremely difficult. Except. That assumption was overturned. So is that all you have? Yourekidding. That didnt even scratch her!? Philinnion was so shocked she stopped healing Boo Boo. Meanwhile, Beatrice did not let up. Freezing up would not improve this unexpected turn of events. (If theres a trick to this, I have to keep attacking until I figure something out!!) Now, now. That sounds really annoying, so do you really think Im going to play along? With that exasperated voice, a magic circle appeared in front of the Heros forehead. There was an explosion of sound and light as the Hero transformed into a planetary-colored beam of light that took a curving path toward Beatrices side. Beatrice could not hope to keep up with light. The log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon could not protect her in time, so it was instead the nearly-4m giant who held his wound and clenched his teeth as he moved forward more swiftly. Gh!? Boo Boo!! The noise was like a traffic accident. Specifically, a head-on collision with a large dump truck. But Boo Boo managed to stop the Hero. The mixture of streaming blue and green lines returned to human form and was pushed back at the last second. The tightness of tension could be seen in her exposed upper chest and thighs. This was not a case of locked blades. For one thing, Boo Boo no longer had a Shining Weapon. The Heros Sword had dug deep into his thick arm. Red blood flowed down the blade until it stained the hilts gem and decorative thread and finally dripped to the wet glass ground. Beatrice forgot all about the cold rain as a scorching heat started to fill her mind, but Boo Boo did not even look back her way. I dont know what anyone means when you talk about those tricky machine things. Hm. So that wasnt enough to slice the arm clean off. But you arent the same as Beatrice. You arent using Magic to deflect things. Youre more like me!! Well, I am made from you. A sticky smile appeared on the Heros lips as she adjusted her grip on the hilt wrapped in a green thread. With an Iberian Orcs absurdly powerful muscles, you can restrain most any Magic attack with brute force, cant you? The specifics of that Red disease were unexpected, but I was placing external pressures on you to direct your evolution. !? Surprised? Well, now that actual humans are here, I no longer need that alternate plan of creating a sturdy body that can live in this world. I only need to torture some information out of those humans and learn how they do things. Then I can learn how to return to Earth. The top of her chest and the front of her skirt were left open to improve movement range and mobility, but was it also a sign that she was confident in her body? The green armor covering the bottom of the blonde Heros chest strained as she shook the sword up and down while it was still embedded in Boo Boos arm. It was like she was widening the wound and increasing the pain. But it would not come out. He gathered strength in his arm to use his powerful muscles like a vise and trap the blade. And he had his other hand. He clenched it hard as a rock and sent it slicing through the air toward the Heros face from the side. Oops. With that silly word, fresh blood flowed out. The Hero had broken the muscular bonds to forcibly remove the double-edged sword and then she had stepped back out of the way. But she had dodged. Even though she had taken that simultaneous attack from Beatrice, Wildefrau, and the others head-on. Was that because she altered the Iberian Orcs evolution for her plan? Because the Hero had the same sort of body, could an Iberian Orc and only an Iberian Orc harm her? Whatdid you say? Blood dripped from Boo Boos arm, but there was no sign of normal fear or pain on his face. But not because he had grown careless thanks to fluffy blonde Philinnions recovery potions. His emotions were much hotter, like oozing lava. He may honestly not have been feeling any pain at the moment. He forcibly tensed his muscles and the bleeding stopped. What did you say you were going to do to Beatrice and the others? Hm, I thought I had turned you into a gentler and more benevolent species so you were easier to use as a material, but it looks like you can put on a manly face if you try, giant piggy. It was true Boo Boo may have approached this differently not that long ago. He might have suffered on his own because he insisted that fighting was wrong but was unable to run away from a fight. But he was different now. He had found someone he was willing to risk his life to protect. And these people had worked themselves to utter exhaustion to save him. So he could no longer waste that life. He could not place himself at the bottom of the list out of a sense of self-sacrifice. He knew that would be the same as spitting on the efforts of those who had saved him. He could be selfish. He could be greedy. He could direct righteous anger at anyone who attempted to smash that happiness. Befriending them or making up with them could wait until later. He did not know if this was a good change. He may have been breaking his own rule to only kill if it was to live or to eat. He may have been falling to the level of a mere animal. But. He was done laughing or sobbing. He would not let anyone in the world take them away from him. He had sworn it to himself. Say it again. What are you going to do to Beatrice and the others!? Torture them to drag some information out of them. Until I have everything I need to return to Earth. He did not need to hear anything more. When he stepped powerfully on the glass land, it shattered. Some pieces of the new continent floated up from the force and he grabbed a large piece in each hand. Was he inspired by the small shields some of the humans used, or by the silver trays used in the Girls Grill? Viewed as a tray, he grabbed them by the edge so he could use the thick jagged shards as makeshift striking weapons. The Hero spun her sword around and aimed the tip at her enemy while appearing to enjoy herself. And. A gust of wind scattered the cold rain as Boo Boo and La Signora clashed head on. Part 3 Boo Boo had given up his usual partner to save Beatrice, so he no longer had a primary weapon. Both his hands were empty. He was at a terrible disadvantage against the Hero who wielded a double-edged sword likely sharp enough to sever a finger at a touch and who could transform into flowing beams of light to move around like lightning. However. All assumptions were overturned by what sounded like a heavy bell ringing. It was those shards of glass. He was not using his fists directly, but it still might seem like those would shatter and be sliced apart in a direct clash. But that did not happen. A swords blade did not cut just by pushing against something. It gained the power to slice when it was swung forcefully down. With the Hero, the blade could always have Magic added in, but just like slicing through thin rubber with a heated wire, the length of contact determined the level of damage. So if he hit the sword with a single attack and knocked it back instantly, its cutting edge would fail and the glass would survive. It was a lot like making constant points of impact perpendicular to the blades line of motion to derail it from that invisible path. Of course, this was a superhuman feat of strength and minute angle adjustments. But at the same time, the short-haired Hero was far from normal herself. First, there was her sword. When a blade failed to cut its target, it could chip and repeated powerful blows could even break it, but it showed no sign of even bending from the constant blows from the Iberian Orcs giant arms. Also, even if the sword itself was sturdyno, the sturdier the sword was, the more of the impacts would reach its wielder. It was the same idea as a solid car and a soft car. This would have shattered a normal humans wrists or shoulders, but the Hero in the cleavage-exposing green armor kept a thin smile on her face. Both of them were extraordinary. Damn you!! They had not held a strategy meeting or exchanged any kind of sign via eye contact or hand signals, but while Boo Boo moved forward, Beatrice made attacks of her own in order to support him. While he blocked the Heros view with his giant body, she sent lines of heat past his head, below his arms, or around his hips to attack the Hero from a blind spot. She did not need to land a fatal blow. She did not care if these attacks were all deflected. She just needed to distract the Hero enough for Boo Boo to get a direct hit on La Signora whose appearance represented the sky, the land, and the sea. Heh heh heh hah! Just as the Heros Sword twirled around like a baton, all of the ultra-high-speed heat lines were shot down. Beatrice did not let the result bother her. The Hero had not just taken the hit, but that was a sign she wanted to focus on her clash with Boo Boo. She needed all her strength to deal with the equally-strong mass of muscle in front of her. So what did Beatrice need to do if she wanted to distract the Hero even further? After some thought, she gave a shout with her tattered gray cloak fluttering. Huldra! Prepare your claws!! Hwehhh??? Your attacks have a percentage chance of insta-killing the target regardless of damage level, right? So the Heros tough body, HP, and VIT dont matter! And, Philinnion, prepare a recovery potion! Heal Boo Boos wounds to keep his strength up!! Throw the test tube at him when the timing is right!! Pink magic circles appeared in the air near the pink-twintailed girls wrists and then her Shining Weapon metal claws poked out from her pompoms. The Heros eyes wavered a bit while she swung her sword almost too quickly to follow with the naked eye. Boo Boo was right in front of her, but she was unsure what her primary target should be. Of course, if this really was their crucial plan, they would not shout it so loudly in front of the enemy. They only needed to increase their theoretical options so the Hero had a harder time deciding what to do. This short clash had been enough for Beatrice to realize only Boo Boo could get in a meaningful attack here. The question was how to help him do that. That had to be her focus. Hermelina, Wildefrau, Rusalka! Get your Screenshots ready! One of you get to the top of the cliff while the other two take up positions in a cross formation. If we observe her from all three axes, we can figure out her patterns of behavior and predict what shell do. Switch to high-speed filming mode to get footage at 10,000 frames a second and tell Boo Boo whatever you figure out about her idiosyncrasies! And, Gruagach, contact Demon Lord Tselika!! If you see an opening, hit the Hero with an attack. Tselikas power can break through Iberian Orc level muscles!! Standing there gawking was not going to help. Both sides of this fight had never met the other before. And the Hero had been resurrected after centuries, so she would not know how far human technology had progressed. Even with the standard Gate, it sounded like she had predicted something like it but had never actually seen one. If they could trip up the Hero, confuse her, and slow her decision making to help Boo Boo as much as possible, they would consider that a huge success. Bluffs were fine and it did not matter if they were no match for her strength. With a battle at this level, they were not going to stick to 1-on-1. They would not give up and they would not abandon Boo Boo no matter what. This was a Party battle. The Hero had challenged him on her own, but he was not alone. The girls here would not allow it. No matter how ridiculously powerful their opponent was, they would not abandon their precious allyl!! In that case. After some sticky laughter, the Heros sword tip shifted slightly away from Boo Boo. I will take the opposite tack. I will nip every threat in the bud until you are alone once more. !? She was clearly preparing to send a beam of light in that direction, but Boo Boo moved in the way. Yes, it did not matter if it was possible or not. If he missed even one shot, one of his precious friends would die. With that fear and concern planted in him, she could hold him in place. During a battle fought at dizzying speeds, a nonexistent grim reaper bound both their hearts and pushed them onward. They were both risking their lives, but they could not fight at their own pace in this game of chicken. Heh heh. The Hero, who wore an ocean blue skirt over chocolate-colored leather, may have interpreted her elevated heartbeat as a pleasure signal because she laughed like some gauges needle had swung too far to one side. Ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!! I see, I see!! So thats it, is it!? Kh. Dont let her get to you, Boo Boo! We can protect ourselves, so you focus on overpowering the Hero!! Beatrice roared back. And she actually had a good reason for telling him that. The Hero was making the psychological effort needed to convert her tension into elation. That meant the fear would have ensnared her if she had not forced her way through it. She would not have done that with an insignificant amount of pressure. Boo Boo attacked with the solid glass trays that he held by the edge. Striking the Heros Sword with those was not enough to break that Shining Weapon. But so what? Who said he had to handle this alone? Boo Boo!! They did not need to prearrange their timing. The nearly-4m pig-faced giant clashed with the extraordinary blade, but not just once this time. When his one blunt weapon deflected the sword, the other one targeted it from the side. Beatrice released explosive flames at the same time. They drew a large arc toward the opposite side of the Heros Sword. It was like holding the weapon in a giant vise. The scream of straining metal rang from the Heros hands. Kh. Before it broke, the Heros Sword flew up into empty air like someone letting go of the spring compressed between their fingers. Even if she knew nothing of the Gates, that device had to be the source of her Magic. She must not have wanted it destroyed because she let go when it approached its limit. But once she let go, it was all over. The Percentage-style Magic that was her clothing would not disappear so easily, but she would no longer be able to make commands and actively shoot that deadly Magic. An Iberian Orcs bodily tissue controlled by human cunning was still a threat, but her strength was equal to Boo Boos. They could overpower her now if Beatrice and the others supported him while he continued grappling. This was what they had been waiting for. Nows our chance!! The red-armored, white-miniskirted, and gray-cloaked Holy Swordswoman raised her voice in a roar as their close-range specialists of Hermelina and Huldra made their move. Beatrice also shifted to close-range along with Wildefrau who switched from her large ice sword to her main cross sword. Those two delayed their move by a single beat to pursue and finish off the Hero if she managed to avoid the other attacks. Rusalkas wind and Gruagachs bow provided support from long range. Many different magic circles glowed on the battlefield. And Boo Boo stood at the very front. (We need to finish this here! Before she can reclaim her Shining Weapon!!) But. But. But. A vivid blue, green, and brown light gave a roar. The Heros colors of land, sea, and sky streaked through the air to rule this world. Wha-? Even Beatrices body locked up with surprise. This was not possible. The Heros Sword was a Shining Weapon, so it was the source of the Heros Magic. The passive Percentage-style clothing was one thing, but she should not have been able to use her offensive Magic like this. And yet. Nevertheless. Beatrice, you dumbass! Get down instead of standing there like-!! Skintight priest robed Hermelina was cut off. The Hero herself seemed to turn into light. It did not matter that there was a metal staff in the way. The staff was crushed and Hermelina was knocked backwards after receiving a tackle from what looked like streaming lines of planetary colors. She was the physical attack specialist of the humans, so if she had been overpowered without any trickery, then the other girls could not hope to defend themselves. I win whenever possible. The threat returned to being a woman. Boo Boo could not cover for all of them at once. A magic circle glowed in front of her forehead. She had begun picking them off in turn. So I will not hold back. If you are there before my eyes, I have no reason at all not to reach out and snatch you up. !! Her silhouette broke apart once more. That had not been a fluke. She could clearly use Magic even without her Shining Weapon. In this unpredictable crisis, Beatrice took action as if leaving a dying message. She used her Screenshot function to save some high-speed footage. She gradually revealed the details that could not be seen by the naked eye. A rectangular frame floated in the air to display the emptyhanded Hero bringing her index and middle fingers together and moving them in some sort of pattern in front of her exposed cleavage. Thinking back to when the Hero had first appeared, the sword with the gem in the hilt had shattered after destroying itself as a fuse for the red box and the tree contained inside. That meant she had been in no position to use Magic via a Shining Weapon, so how had she made those high-speed slashes and returned her sword to normal? If it all came from the Shining Weapon, she should have been done for. So to put it another way Was that sword not the source of the Heros Magic? (It cant be) She doesnt use the video game system? Does she have some other method of using Magic!? As if to support that horrifying theory, Hero La Signora licked her lips, transformed into the planetary colors of blue, green, and brown, and charged toward Beatrice. Part 4 U-ughh A short distance from the blast site, Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra lay face down on the glass continent as the chilly rain poured down. While making sure she did not drown in a puddle, she slowly got up so as not to make a sound. She was a Level Capper like Beatrice and Hermelina, but she had not focused her Parameters on combat. It sometimes took some effort on her part to survive on the first line. She would jump backwards herself to reduce the shock of an attack as much as possible. She would play dead to intentionally leave herself on the ever-moving battlefield. (Sigh. That was unexpected. I thought I was dead for sure. Cmon, my specialty is luck-reliant insta-kill attacks, so I cant keep up with those insane head-on clashes. If I dont hurry up, the chief and the others really will be slaughtered. Hmm, I maneuvered myself into a blind spot, but how am I supposed to stab her in the side?) Huldra was not exactly strong, but that led her toward harsher decisions at times like this. When there was a clear line drawn between enemy and ally, she would give up on the enemy to help her allies. Without hesitation. That stance was clear from her focus on insta-kill attacks that ignored damage levels and could not be used as a mere threat. She was not the same as Hermelina who would use a nonlethal attack to peacefully resolve things with an armed enemy that truly intended to kill her. Hey, what the hell are you doing here? ! She jumped slightly when a gruff voice called out to her from the side. Professionals would not let themselves be fazed while at work, but being disturbed while defenselessly preparing backstage was still a frightening thing. She slowly turned around to see a young man in polished silver armor wielding a large shield. He and a few subordinates were approaching her. Oh, if it isnt the Pure Knight. Dont bother getting flirty. It feels so fake from you. Its all so perfect it doesnt seem real. He used a jocular tone just in case he was wrong, but he had a sharp eye and instincts. He had been a low-ranking member, but he had belonged to Elkiad, a Guild made of former Western soldiers. Looking at the entire Guild, he had been little more than a thug hired here in Grounds Nir, but he was still no amateur. As you can see, the Alchemist Cheerleader and Pure Knight knew each other. And that went back to before Boo Boos desperate plea to save Beatrice. Most likely, his direct superior Hermelina and her colleague Gruagach were unaware of this connection. To repeat, Huldra was not exactly strong. She needed as many horizontal connections as possible to act as lifelines if she was to survive the harsh counterintelligence operations she was tasked with. In battles between professionals, precious data did not rain from the heavens for free. You arent stranded here, are you? The situation is more complicated than that. Oh, and Im sure you can hear all that firepower over there, but dont even think about taking a peek at the blast site if you want to live to see another day. What, did your Party have a falling out or something? The Pure Knight reached that conclusion because he assumed this barren glass land would not have any other living things on it. Does that mean you came across some kinda treasure valuable enough to fight over? Is it an ore or something with medicinal properties? Or are you using the land itself as real estate? Whatever the case, I cant wait to see how this ugly glass continent is gonna make us rich. Hey! Find a good spot and set up a base. Weve gotta get started!! ? Huldra tilted her head with her butt planted (in a very girly fashion) on the wet ground as the subordinates waiting behind the Pure Knight set down a heavy-looking bag. They pulled out some metal poles and a thick waterproof fabric that reminded Huldra of a tent. As it gradually took form, her entire body tensed up. Wha-!? Wh-wh-wha? Surprised? The Pure Knight looked quite pleased with himself, so he must not have realized the situation here. That right there was the item the Hero most desired after being resurrected centuries later. Its presence would greatly change the situation as a whole. We got delayed securing a full set, but now well take the top spot in the development race. Check it out: Its a Gate! Now we have a new Save Point and we dont need to return to the islands inn town every single time! We can take a shortcut straight here while we explore and mine this place. We can make our own second base right here on the glass continent!! Y-y-y-you goddamn morooooooooooooooooooooooons!!!!! Part 5 Pant, pant!! Beatrices shoulders rose and fell as she gasped for breath in the cold rain. Her respiratory system and stamina were being greatly enhanced by Magic, but she was still being worn down. (How many have been taken out of the fight? Ugh, and where am I?) Boo Boo, can you keep fighting? Squeal They were down a lot of fighters, but they did not need to take a pessimistic view. Even if there was a lethal amount of blood where they had fallen, this was a world with plenty of Magic beyond human understanding. As long as White Witch Philinnion was safe and could care for the others, it was possible they could return to the fight. How effective were Philinnions recovery potions? For now, Boo Boo seemed to be doing well enough despite the stab wounds to his gut and arm. Glass fell from Boo Boos hands. But not in big pieces. They had finally succumbed to the impacts and shattered, lacerating Boo Boos palms in the process. Heh heh. Looks like Im almost there. Rain dripped from the Heros bluish-blonde hair as she smiled thinly and lightly swept her right hand to the side in its blue gauntlet. A glow like melted metal surged from the fingertips and a trail of light followed them like a shooting star. She had not fundamentally changed. She had once aided the witch hunts and she had nearly destroyed two worlds with the artificial atmospheric barrier and the Red-afflicted Iberian Orcs. Her mere presence was bound to bring many victims no matter which world she was in. Since you wish to keep me here, what I seek must exist elsewhere. I still do not know where that is, but I should find out if I corner you further. You are bound to tell me while tearfully begging for your lives. Act tough all you like, but you will be forced to use your own body as a shield in the end. You groaned Boo Boo while spreading his arms wide to threaten her. Why do you insist on doing this the hard way? If you stopped being mean, promised not to hurt anyone, and asked everyone for help, there might have been another way. It was possible Boo Boo could only say that since he had gone to the inn town alone, bowed to the humans there, and asked them to risk their lives to help save Beatrice. He may never have considered it back when he only viewed the festivals from atop that hill. That is not an option. But the Hero was quick to answer while her large chest rose and fell in a sigh. Her tone of voice easily tore down what Boo Boo had built up. I have a time limit. You are well aware of that Achilles heel, arent you? How can I expect a fair negotiation when you hold such a critical card against me? You could make endless impossible demands or you could let go at the last second. If attempting a fair negotiation means accepting those risks, then fairness can go right out the window. It would be much faster and more certain to crush you with overwhelming force until you comply. This was different. This was fundamentally different from Boo Boos reason for avoiding the humans. There was no chance of cooperation here. Instead of leaving herself, she pushed away everything around her. Her own survival came first, so anything standing before her was declared evil and crushed. She would cross between worlds to accomplish the goal she had set for herself. The Hero. That title referred to one of great courage. But that courage may have been what let her shake off all hesitation and doubt as she became a pure incarnation of violence. She would win whenever possible. Hero La Signora was an insane sort of strongest who did not even consider what her victories would cause. She had even lent her strength toward continuing a slaughter with tens of thousands of victims. If things had been just a little different, Beatrice had never met Boo Boo, and she had found nothing but power to rely on, she might have ended up like this. Steam and shimmering heat rose from Beatrices shoulders as the cold rain hit her. The flames she controlled were manifesting with the intent to kill. She enlarged her empty left hand using slag and placed it on the Shining Weapons grip. Thats enough, Boo Boo. But Hero, I dont know exactly how far you journeyed or how dizzyingly long you waited for this day, but let me tell you one thing. You stand at the turning points and win whenever possible? You can wait centuries, but you still wont receive limitless freedom. Her mere presence spread death and chaos. She may have been an even deeper and darker incarnation of death than the Underworld Lord who had systematically processed lives. This is not your world. And Earth isnt your world alone. If you dont understand that, then the result will be the same in either world. You will never be satisfied. It was said a drowning person would grasp at straws and that may have been true. But Beatrice had that right as well. When she had lost her Shining Weapon and wandered on the verge of death in this world just like a certain someone else had, she had rejected other options like Vampirism or cold sleep. She had not found fault with the world around her and she had not demanded it die to save her. Death is an extreme situation. That great threat reveals who someone really is deep down. But Beatrices own experience proved that the revelation was not always an ugly one. Hero, maybe you got carried away because you feared death. Boo Boo had been the same. He had wanted to do whatever it took to save Beatrice, but he had had not been able to harm a single person to accomplish that. He had instead bowed down, borrowed Shining Weapons from so many people, and ultimately roasted his own body to protect that girls life. That was who he really was. Both Beatrice and Boo Boo had not gone astray at the very, very end. They had stayed true to themselves. Death was no reason to trample on other people. No matter what methods you chose, you cant shove responsibility onto someone else. The time limit? Your Achilles heel? Dont make me laugh. Everything you have here is the end result of your many evil deeds, you murderer. Is that all you wanted to say? The Hero scoffed while orange light surged from the end of the right hand she held out parallel. This was not enough to shake her at this point. Surely you know a silly plea to emotion isnt going to make me go easy on you. I want to go home, I want to go home, oh how I want to go home! When I escaped here, I never expected it would be such a peaceful execution ground. No one told me it was a public execution site that slowly but surely robs you of your life!! How is that fair!? They lied. I was tricked. I am the victim here. I did nothing wrong. Yes, yes. Why would I have ever come here if I had known what it was beforehand!? I win whenever possible, I win whenever possible, I win whenever possible! That is my motto and here I am taking action, so go bring me my victory. This place is the worst, but if it isnt at least a little better than before, then this was all meaningless! How did it get even worse!? I demand a redo! Why are you showing this place off like its great? Are you insane!? Arent you going to pursue real happiness? Why, why, why does nothing ever go right!? This was different again from the Sage who had wielded great power for her own purposes but had been entirely focused on the Iberian Orcs. The Hero had not mentioned a parent, a child, a brother, a sister, a lover, a friend, a teacher, or a student. She only talked about herself. Beatrice had been trapped in the Detached Magic Palace and physically cut off from establishing relationships, but this woman looked empty even to her. No matter what happened to the Hero after this, she was sure to continue shouting forever. On Earth, in Grounds Nir, or in any other world she might find, the same dissatisfaction would explode within her. She would not find what she was looking for. And she would kill thousands or even millions in her pursuit of what she could never find. She would barge into a world and, if it was not to her liking, she would smash that world to pieces. And with her, that was not just some ridiculous fantasy in her imagination. She could actually do it. She was like a humanoid disaster traveling from world to world. This was not about living or dying, returning to Earth or staying in Grounds Nir. She would win whenever possible. But that was why she could never set down her weapon. Whenever she was not fighting, the anxiety would wear away at her nerves and she could never feel real peace. La Signora was stuck in her fixation on victory. She had never looked past that. Her fighting was not designed to ever bring an end to the fighting. They had to do it here. Unless they fundamentally stopped the Hero here, this problem would never be solved. Hero. Yes? I hate you. It was a simple assessment. With her short, bluish-blonde hair and armor colored both the green of the land and the blue of the sky and sea, she accepted it with a thin smile. She spoke. She was beyond saving. She played the simplest card for someone with so much power. And she was oblivious to how those words made her life sound so very sad. The weak always try to find some kind of excuse, you loser. Beatrice did not wait any longer. The magic circle floating behind her back grew brighter. Beatrice and Boo Boo had tried to build connections with others despite being awkward about it, so they knew they could never get along with this woman. What followed was a great roar. Beatrice used her blunt weapon that resembled a log or steel beam. The Hero used the orange light like scorching metal that erupted from her fingers. When they took the shortest route toward each other, the air exploded, blowing away even the pouring rain. The scattering spray of water seemed to visualize the distortion of space. It did not end with that one attack. Beatrice used both hands to swing the massive blunt weapon forward but could not get it through. She tried pulling it back but could not unbalance the Hero. She switched from a serious attack to a distraction and from there to a deterrent attack and a full swing. She used every form of attack she could think of, but the Hero did not seem to even flinch. And the Hero was not taking a fortified position or anything. She was moving right along with it all. She did not seem even close to her limits. She had no device and could not rely on the machine, but she went in for the kill whenever she saw an opening. She chanted curses under her breath and her fingertips moved quickly through the air. This was now a competition between two different Magic standards. When Beatrices flames blazed, the five orange fingers were shredded. When La Signora tried to make a slash with those fingers, a wall of fire cut off her view. The Seven Flames girl fired vacuum needless through the obvious explosive flames to accurately target the Hero. The Holy Swordswoman did not have time to check and see how each and every attack turned out. In what looked like melted metal bursting into a spray, particles sharply and precisely targeted Beatrice from every direction. !? She doubted her armor-shaped Magic could stop this. With a sweep of her tattered cloak, she rolled out of the way of the complex network of attacks. The Hero was truly transcendent. If she could do this emptyhanded instead of relying on some kind of tool, then her goal might indeed be possible. She may have had the power needed to return to Earth on her own. Yes. If such a miracle were really occurring. Another slicing sound rang out. A magic circle hovered in front of the Heros forehead as she forcibly swung around the orange-glowing blades bursting from her fingers. The cloud-like wool on her shoulders puffed out and her skirt fluttered to make blue waves over the chocolate color of the leather below. Her attack seemed to scoop up from below. The five endlessly-long blades sliced through the glass land as they approached Beatrice. However. However, the red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswoman was focused on something other than the death approaching her. (She can keep up with my Melt Cutting and Metal Jet. But thats what makes no sense! If shes using Magic without our video game system, then she wouldnt know anything about our Magic, and yet shes predicting it and shooting it all down! But she shouldnt understand anything about the magic hierarchy based on the video game system!!) Beatrice placed her enlarged gauntlet below the grip to swing the giant log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon in both hands while producing several explosions. Instead of breaking the scorching blades of light, she shook the glass ground with her blunt weapon to forcibly alter the path of the blades moving through it. Heh. The Hero was unfazed. When the orange blades missed Beatrice and passed by right next to the girl, she destroyed and abandoned them. The cloud-like wool on her left shoulder puffed out, her freed arms extended to either side, and melted metal blew out from all ten fingers. They all curved along different paths to approach Beatrice from different angles like so many bending whips and fishing rods. (She really doesnt seem concerned at all!!) That seemed odd to the girl. This was different from the Sage who had mastered the same video game system of Magic. The system Beatrice knew was not the only way to use Magic. There would be plenty of other ways to summon fire. But if the Hero was relying on something other than the video game system, then no matter how much she had mastered her own system, she should have shown some honest surprise and confusion after seeing the eight Metal Jet heat lines that were built up from the video game system. Yet she reacted with no lag whatsoever. Why did she seem to be intercepting the attacks like she knew them already? Unless she had an incredibly convenient ability that let her predict future attacks or let her right arm fight for her of its own free will (She must be familiar with the video game system of Magic.) Nwaaahhh!! Boo Boo yelled. He no longer had the tray-like pieces of glass, so he directly pulled out some of the glass land that had been sliced apart by the Heros fingers and Beatrices heat lines. He threw a piece of glass larger than two tatami mats and it collided with the molten metal that should have hit Beatrice. Of course, glass was glass. It was easily pierced through, but it still bent the attacks course. Beatrice twisted her body through a gap in the barrage and slipped past the 10 twisting and glowing long-range attacks. However. The Hero was familiar with the same system she used. She had just accepted it at first, but the more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Humanity had only officially arrived in Grounds Nir a few decades before using the Sages help. Hero La Signora had wandered here in the shadows of history around 300 years ago. There was no connection there. She had abandoned her physical body and regenerated a new body like she had faxed herself here, so she could not have seen anything during that time in between. But (She left someone in charge while she was waiting.) Squeal! Beatrice, you need to pay attention!! Boo Boo, make sure you have a weapon at all times! Do not try to stop that orange attack with your bare hands!! The Hero grinned as light trailed after her right hands index and middle fingers. Then her entire body - including the green armor covering the bottom of her chest and the skirt with the open front - melted into streaming lines. The charge was coming!! Beatrice!! The attack really was like a punch from a giant. Boo Boos fist flew in from the side to hit the blue, green, and brown curves that the Hero had become. He had not had time to kick up some glass to grab. It may have been similar to a parry in boxing. The planet-colored violence approaching Beatrice was forced off course at the last second. A wet sound followed. Beatrice saw red drops falling from Boo Boos fist. It had not been a head-on collision, but it was a lot like touching the side of a train rushing by at high speed. Of course it had harmed him. La Signoras threat had reached that level. It was obvious what would happen without his makeshift glass weapons. Boo Boo, you idiot!! S-squeal More importantly, get ready, Beatrice! The Hero is going to try it as many times as it takes!! The Hero had muscles on the level of the powerful Iberian Orc and she controlled them with a human craftiness. That was indeed a threat, but she could not let this distract her. She was making progress step by step. She was approaching the solution to the odd feeling that had been bothering her for a while now. For one thing, how had the very first attack worked? Where had the Heros Sword come from to stab into Boo Boos flesh and drink his blood? (She ordered some kind of work unit to build the artificial atmospheric barrier and it silently continued that task even after its master died. Whatever it was, it must have been observing us all this time from outside of known history!) But what exactly was it? Beatrice reviewed what information she had while once more readying her giant Shining Weapon to protect injured Boo Boo. Yes, the answer must have been there from the beginning. It had been right in front of her, but she had failed to see it because she had not gathered her thoughts. (Yes, thats right. It wouldnt make sense.) With Fairies, Vampires, and more, Grounds Nir had several species that lived far longer than humans were accustomed to. But she doubted they would silently continue carrying out some ridiculous command to remake Grounds Nirs environment to match Earths even if it destroyed the existing ecosystem. They would only be harming themselves. Even if they had been threatened into doing it, the threat would vanish once the Hero died. They would have no reason to continue for centuries. That meant it had to be something that existed outside Grounds Nirs ecosystem and would not be harmed or inconvenienced in the slightest by the environmental change. It would have to be a being from this world that was strong enough to be unharmed by any gasses or viruses, that knew how to manage delicate machinery on the level of Shining Weapons, and that would continue a given task for decades or even centuries until it was complete. She could only think of one possibility. The Heros blue and green armor that represented the land, sea, and sky, her beautiful body, and her large chest and bright thighs melted once more. She became a giant streaming line that rushed in to attack. (For one thing, the Hero wasnt even on the glass continent at first. She was only created just now. Then who tricked us into coming here? The person who drew the overall picture leading us here had to have known something. This cant have all happened by coincidence!!) The group of blue, green, and brown streaming lines twisted around like a great serpent to dodge all of Beatrices Magic, but Boo Boos giant foot kicked them. He saved her again and he was injured again. The red-armored and white-miniskirted Holy Swordswoman bit her lip. (There has to be something there. Something supporting the Heros power!) She had to have seen it by now. The explanation had to be there in everything she had experienced and learned. Whatever it was must have existed when the Sage had appeared several decades ago and when the Hero had appeared several centuries ago. Also, Grounds Nir was not really an island. It was an armory. If Grounds Nir had been there in the ocean and the Hero had set foot there, the rest of the facility had to have been there too. (Which means) It had to be something that could survive just fine in the icy ocean below the thick glass continent. (Which means.) It had to be something that could reach for the same video game system of Magic that Beatrices Party used. (Which means!!) It had to be something that could function as a powerful computer equal to or greater than the Shining Weapons. The giant armory created a different model in Abysss line 300 years ago! And theyre in the ocean below us supporting the Heros Magic!! Beatrice slammed her giant blunt weapon straight down at the ground below her feet and then used eight heat lines to tear through the glass land that had to be more than 10m thick. This was not a continent with a solid foundation. It was no more than glass floating on the ocean like drift ice. The vast space of the ocean was always there below the thick ground. Just like a human on Earth was generally unaware of the sewers below their feet and just like no one ever considered the possibility of a monster lurking down there. If this being did not require oxygen and would not drown in the cold seawater, there was no better hiding spot. The magic circle behind Beatrices back glowed as she supported her weapons grip with her enlarged gauntlet. Metal Jet!! Which was why she had to deal with them here!! The Heros Sword was not the issue. The meaningful-looking incantations and finger signs were in fact meaningless. She was accompanied by someone else who provided the Magic she wanted. That explained everything. The Hero had only had a few days 300 years before, so she had unleashed something that would take her place in spending the nearly endless time needed to remake the entire planetary environment. !? This was a first. The Heros streaming lines of blue, green, and brown came apart and she staggered while swinging her decorative ribbon around. She was clearly shaken by this. Squeal, Beatrice? Its okay, Boo Boo. Beatrice pulled the thick Shining Weapon from the glass ground, held it up in both hands once more, and answered while protecting someone more important to her than her own life. Ive finally seen the answer. Im sure of it. Yes. She had wondered about this. She had understood the Heros insane way of thinking, but how exactly had the woman accomplished the terraforming? The Hero had been thrown into a strange new world and she had only had a few days there. It was honestly impressive enough for her to realize what was happening to her at all. Drawing out the plans, gathering the materials, and building something would have been difficult. She simply would not have had enough time to construct something from scratch. So it made sense to assume she had found something that already existed in Grounds Nir and used it to accomplish her goal. Beatrices Party had been tricked by Abyss into visiting this glass continent. Why had Abyss had such crucial information about the Hero? The answer was simple: the giant armory would have had production logs telling her who had created what and sent it out into the world. Abyss was the ultimate weapon pseudo-automatically designed and constructed based on her own definition of the most powerful being so she could fight back against the Underworld Lord. So she could have become anything depending on her preset objective. Even if what was strongest had not been gradually worked out by running stress tests on various lifeforms in the Labyrinth, if the Hero had inputted data based on what she wanted, the production line could have skipped several steps and created an ultimate weapon. In the residual thoughts remaining on the sun island, the Hero had said they only had analog games in her time but computers would eventually be invented. Then had La Signora built a device equivalent to a Shining Weapon in Grounds Nir rather than on Earth? Beatrice stated her conclusion. Hero. Your Shining Weapon was not that sword in your hands. Beatrice guessed it was something like a cordless phones handset. As long as she remained within a spherical range around it, she was given its effects. A much larger weapon system is hiding in the ocean! Thats why you could use all that video game Magic even after letting go of the sword!! Theres nothing special there! You just hid your magic staff in the ocean! Thats all!! It was time for the reveal. Several slashes sliced up through the glass land at her feet and seawater erupted out. This was clearly not the Heros doing. This was someone else. The newcomer slowly floated up directly behind the Hero as if ignoring gravity altogether. Two long braids of rough silver hair were wet with seawater. She had a body similar to a short girls and she only wore something like a sporty two-piece swimsuit. The pattern of light floating above her head was too twisted to be a magic circle and it was reminiscent of a constellation. A group of mechanical arms jutted out from the back of her hips like a nine-tailed fox. And the spear, shield, axe, crossbow, staff, and other weapons attached to the end of those arms may have all borne the title of Heros just like the sword. So you finally show yourself. The one who turned around and said that was the machines creator: the Hero. Then, Sky, purge the weapons I left with you and hand them over. I gave you that equipment to power your flash memory and protect my data. Now that I have been revived, I will be reclaiming my equipment. Sky. Was that the name given to the being who had black fabric covering her arms, legs, and important bits and who had surrounded this world with an artificial atmospheric barrier? It was a truly fitting name for a counterpart to Ultimate Weapon Abyss. Abyss had such great power, so Beatrice and Boo Boo could not predict how much crueler Sky would be when the Heros cunning was incorporated into the armorys technology. And. And. And. From her position a polite distance back behind the Hero, Sky silently tilted her head and sent a question her masters way. To confirm, you wish for me to remove all of my equipment and present it to Player La Signora? Yes, thats what I said. I thought I could get some information out of them, but they wont be the only ones who know the way back to Earth. If they insist on resisting, I can kill them and try someone else. So That action is not recommended. Returning this equipment to Player La Signora would only reduce my efficiency in completing my current task. I strongly recommend reconsidering, but do you still wish me to execute the command? Enough!! When I say to do something, just do it. I win whenever possible and that time is now. I have predicted the turning point and now is the time to ride that wave. So complete the task you were created for!! Understood. Continuing with unrecommended command. It did not even take a full second. Sky must have viewed clothing differently. Hers may have been attached to her skin to cool it and reduce her heat, but it strained as she mechanically responded. Then at this point, Player La Signora has been set as a priority target for obstructing a crucial task. Wha-? Did that dumbfounded gasp come from the Hero or the Holy Swordswoman? A moment later, the bluish-blonde Heros armor and skirt blurred unnaturally and vanished. The blue and green of the Earth she so yearned for were gone. They had been confiscated. Then the twisted, constellation-like magic circle over Skys head began to spin. The stick like parts on the side of her hips spread out in a fan shapes and scattered something. The naked Hero was hit in the back by a fierce attack from Sky, who was supposedly on her side. There was light, sound, shockwaves, and more. To repeat, the Percentage-type Magic that gave the Hero her superhuman abilities had been stripped from her, so these merciless attacks were directed at the soft skin of someone who was now just a woman. What did an Iberian Orcs muscles matter now? The Heros beautiful silhouette vanished with a sound almost like a jackhammer. Was that Magic? Her silhouette was surrounded by dust and the human shape behind the curtain was grotesquely broken, ripped, and smashed into nothingness. It was so vivid that Boo Boo and Beatrice did not even have time to scream. By the time they even considered trying to stop it, it was already over. Completely and entirely over. Obstructer of crucial task has been eliminated. Performance has returned to normal, so resuming aforementioned task. Task? Skys eyes and the lines running through her two-piece swimsuit-like clothing changed to a yellow of warning. A yellow glowing object spread out from the sides of her hips like a skirt. No corpse or even a single drop of blood remained. A groan escaped Beatrices mouth after seeing that thorough slaughter. What are you trying to do thats worth betraying the Hero herself over!? How should I explain this? Sky sounded almost troubled. The two braids held by a ring-shaped hair clip swayed and water dripped from the ends as she tilted her head. The task I was given is to complete the artificial atmospheric barrier and remake this worlds environment to match Earths. It now has eight holes in it, so I must swiftly repair the damage. It made no sense. Or did it only seem that way to Beatrice because her thoughts were human-centric? She was the one who had damaged the artificial atmospheric barrier by launching Magic from the sun island in order to destroy the source of the Red. As a yellow triangle glowed below her chest, Sky was only interested in continuing the command given to her by the Hero. She would complete the artificial atmospheric barrier and preserve it for eternity to remake this worlds environment. What that caused was of no concern to her as she simply completed the task presented to her. So. If someone got in the way of that work, she would kill them, even if they were the person who had ordered the terraforming and would benefit from it. She saw no problem with this absurd action that was like selling your wine to buy a wine bottle. Her clothing was like a black two-piece swimsuit left open from below the chest to the navel. A booster ignited within the equipment attached to the back of her hips and the expressionless ultimate weapon made an announcement. I will now return to completing my priority task. Wait, Sky 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition, blast off. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!! Sky had not even questioned killing her owner, so Beatrices cries had no chance of reaching her. Beatrice and Boo Boo were blown back by the blinding light and explosive noise. Sky did not so much as glance back at them. She flew straight toward the artificial atmospheric barrier that was her workplace. There were only eight holes. Once those were repaired, the Red disease would afflict the Iberian Orcs once more. And that would mean doom for both Earth and Grounds Nir. Part 6 Abyss// I have finally located the Grounds Nir armorys defective product. Abyss// Reject Sky, you are my enemy. Volume 7, 5: That Which is Known as the Root Cause Volume 7, Chapter 5: That Which is Known as the Root Cause Part 1 Abyss// I am sorry. Abyss// I considered making an appeal to emotion or finding an emotional resolution. Abyss// But I decided we would never have peace unless the root cause was dealt with. Abyss// The Hero is dead. I led you all there and had you act more hastily than may have been wise. Abyss// That appears to have paid off, but this is not over yet. Abyss// Grounds Nir Reject Sky. Abyss// That alternate ultimate weapon has dedicated herself to her work task even after forgetting the original objective of said task. Abyss// Unless she is stopped, the Iberian Orc problem caused by the artificial atmosphere cannot be fully resolved. Abyss// The final battle will soon begin. Abyss// Good luck, everyone. Part 2 A few days had passed since then. So. In Roppongis Detached Magic Palace, the three maid sisters were holding a discussion after leaving their master sleeping like a log face down in her queen-size bed. They moved out to the garden where Misoka, the second sister, looked like she did not quite understand. This countrys simulator was connected that other unit called Sky instead of, uh, Abyss was it? Because if her plans were sent over as a Piece, an identical unit could maybe be created here on Earth. As long as it worked, I guess the box that wanted arms and legs didnt care which one it was. She put more sugar in her tea than normal, so Im worried about her mental exhaustion M-milady doesnt tell us much about what happens in that world, but it looks like shes had a rough time of it there. She wont tell us directly, no. Bespectacled Iroka lightly shook a tablet while responding to Haruka who was like a nervous small animal. But if you check the stock prices in New York or London, you can get a pretty good idea of whats happening in Grounds Nir. Success there leads to Pieceswhich in turn affect the technological development competition between nations and corporations. Only youre enough of a weirdo to look at that with a knowing smile. You can convert those numbers and graphs to human language, right? Then hurry up and explain it so we can understand. If you insist. But to be safe, Ill add in some other exchanges. Iroka pressed a fingertip against the bridge of her glasses. America, China, Russia, and the EU. No matter which region you check, the markets are in decline. That suggests the trouble is not human in nature. Its likely a natural disaster or a dangerous creature. B-but exploring the Labyrinth is their job, isnt it? Couldnt they be stuck at some super strong gatekeeper or really tricky puzzle? I doubt it. They tend to start gathering minds and materials to fight back in those cases, but theres no sign of them recruiting here on Earth and no unusual targets of investment have cropped up either. So theyre just waiting? Although I wonder how many groups there are smart enough to make such a wise decision. I imagine they are either too confused to do anything or are bluffing because they cant report what happened to their higher ups. For their normal work in the Labyrinth, they would have a lengthy list of excuses to use if they ran across unexpected trouble. Adult society did not take I cant as an answer, after all. But this was different. No one knew what had caused the commotion, so they could not even guess how to solve it. This was not a case of encountering the unknown. They had not encountered anything, yet they were being asked to deal with it. Most of them had been left out. The three sisters master was probably facing some kind of major secret at a point deep within all of this. And like always, the lady is trying to carry it all herself. Yes. At least she has friends to fight alongside her in that world. Their master was already in an unreasonable situation. In the limitless combinations of the Character Creation, she had just so happened to end up with an appearance identical to the Sage and she had been given the rare Job of Holy Swordswoman. That was all it had taken to gather the attention of the government and an even larger force. And instead of praising her for that innocent result, they had decided to enclose her in a luxurious cage. She could not even attend school like normal. Beatrice and the Sage. Could they be the same person? The intense fear brought by that question had sent her to a happy prison. After weighing the pros and cons, the powers that be had decided that was for the best. Without this government protection, she may have found she did not fit in during a normal life and given up on that, but Iroka still could not bring herself to say this was the best answer. The one silver lining was the group of friends she could rely on in that other world. I just hope there is something we can do for her. Oh? What if I said there is? When bespectacled Iroka gave a sigh of mature mischievousness and said that, her younger sisters stared back at her. Eh? Eh? I thought you werent the type to joke, Onee-chan! Are you planning to attack that subway station simulator again? Even though we have no clue how we made it back alive last time!? Tsk, tsk. Iroka wagged her index finger. I will answer this one step at a time. The simulator and Sky were connected. That is safe to assume, dont you think? I-I suppose. The simulator assisted Sky because it wants a body to freely move around in. But what about Sky? Huh? Haruka tilted her head as this new question occurred to her. If she only needed to move around in that world, she wouldnt need to respond to any offers from Earth, would she? There must have been some kind of logical reason. If we know why Sky wanted the simulator, dont you think we could come up with a plan to trip her up while back here on Earth? Part 3 Squeal. They had returned to the small island of Grounds Nir. Sky had flown from the glass continent, so they had no real reason to stay there. The humans returned to Earth to get some rest and Boo Boo spent the time back on that small island. He was currently watering the field in front of his brick house using a giant watering can made by modifying a wooden bucket. Hwah Thats just what I needed. Someone was buried up to her hips in the soft soil and she spread her arms to accept the water sprinkling down on her. She was Ileana the Mandragora, one of the Break News and the strongest of the plant types. She looked like a woman with long bluish-silver hair and a curvy brown body, but those traits could easily change depending on the nutrients in the soil. Since she cared a lot about her appearance, her presence here showed she approved of Boo Boos field. I want to take these vegetables today. The Juicy Tomatoes! Oh, youve learned to enjoy veggies, have you? Then take these Water Bottle Cucumbers and All-Purpose Sorghum too. You need to keep a balanced diet. Boo. They arent for me to eat. I can stab a stick into them to lure out the big fat Fluffy Chickens. I said you need to keep a balanced diet. That means not just meat, meat, and more meat! They were interrupted by an oddly elderly groan for the girl it came from. Ileana looked back while still half-buried in the field and saw Fairy Queen Strigona staggering toward them while carrying a giant sack in both hands. Someone from Earth might have called it a Santa sack and it was so big it covered up her face. Hey, Boo Boo. Is this spot good enough? Squeal. Over here. Ileana immediately grew cautious. Wait, wait! What is that!? Hey, pest, I dont like the idea of a toxin expert like you messing with the soil. You arent planning to ruin my precious mountain field with herbicide or insecticide, are you!? Ugh, why do I have to do all this for the perverted carrot? For me? Wait. Wait, wait! Just to be clear, pest, no matter how many nutrients it might have, I do not want raw garbage dumped on me!! Calm down, vegetable. Ileana immediately quieted down in the middle of the field. She seemed to have a policy of doing what her flower caretaker said. Squeal. These are the leaves from the forest floor. Spread these damp ones around and the vegetables will grow even better. Phew, so its just normal mulch. For that you get a passing grade. Needless to say, I assume you will be smoking out the- Hm? What are you talking about? Pour, pour. Gwaaaahh!? All the leaf and root eating larvae are still in there!! Ileana grew pale and screamed as her small ecosystem was suddenly destroyed. Meanwhile, Strigona spoke up after literally having a load taken off her shoulders. Isnt it sad, Boo Boo? Food is the foundation of everything, yet here you are having to bow down to a perverted carrot to set up traps. Ew, peh, peh. Curse these Root Biter larvae! Now, setting aside how every single kind of foolish pest seems to be picking a fight with me, what do you mean? Squeal. I gave my Shining Weapon to Beatrice, so I dont have a hunting weapon. Boo Boo sounded troubled and placed a hand on his chin. The rocks and logs I find are okay, but they break so quickly. Boo, I might need to prepare a proper tool. The standard Iberian Orc tactic was to use disposable weapons, but Boo Boo had been forced to learn on his own for so long that he had not inherited that technique. This was why Beatrice had taken the lead role on the glass continent while he played a supporting role. Without that log or steel beam of Shining Weapon, he had nothing to fight with. It had only been a few days since then, so he had not had enough time to adapt. And all the techniques he already knew only made it harder to learn a brand new set of techniques. Ileana tilted her head while driving the larvae out of the mulch by scattering a mystery pollen from her long hair. But that could be tricky. What could you even use to make a weapon for it to survive your strength? Plants are a little too fragile for that. I would have suggested the Diamond Salt used to make blades and homes in the southern forest where a certain Vampire lives, but that already failed to work. What about bone? Too weak. Yes, but if he has Skull Wave work on it, couldnt he get a weapon that repairs itself immediately after breaking? Thats a fair point, but once weve reached that point, wouldnt it be better to just ask Mr. Bones to fight for him? How about we stop aiming for the most solid weapon possible? He could use a whip or a blackjack. In that case, there would be some plants he could use. I might be willing to locate a sturdy vine or hard nut for him. Thats not a bad idea, but lets keep thinking. There has to be something we arent thinking of. The two Break News kept talking without Boo Boo. They could probably work at a clothing store with this dynamic. But, Boo Boo, are you only now starting on your traps? The sun is already high in the sky. If you dont catch anything, youll be in for a sad and hungry night. For those who lived in the wild, it was too late to start struggling once your strength began to fall. With water, food, and a place to sleep, you had to work at it before you actually needed it. Once things were off track, you could easily tumble all the way into the pit of death. But Boo Boo did not seem that worried. Squeal. Beatrice and the others left this here before going home. Geh. Strigonas face stiffened when she saw a device like a metal barrel. And this was not because of the old idea that Fairies could not handle metal. Tah dah! Its a smoker! This is a miraculous tool. If you put meat in the top tray and burn firewood in the bottom tray, it can turn anything into bacon. And that keeps for a while!! So if the trap fails, we have to eat your stockpile of thick bacon again tonight!? Boo Boo, I know youre excited about this new smoker of yours, but three days in a row is a bit much!! By the way, why are you complaining under the assumption that Boo Boo will be making your dinner? The former Soviet soldiers shared everything, but even they looked after their own stew pots. Also, Boo Boo mistakenly thought you could only put meat in the smoker, but you did not get bacon if it was cheese you smoked in there. Either way, the ability to store food was revolutionary for that brick house without a refrigerator or vacuum packing. But to preserve her rich culinary habits, Strigona decided he could never find out about pickling, drying, or canning. Boo Boo rubbed the surface of the metal barrel with his too-large hand. Squeal. But this is still a problem. I can crush something like this if I squeeze it too hard. Where am I supposed to find a new tool I can call my partner? Part 4 The palm-sized Fairy named Meridiana snorted from her small nose as she lay on the brick houses roof to hide. Oh, no! Boo Boo is in trouble! But this sounds interesting! Next to her, her younger sister Alice sounded annoyed already. Ehh? Youre going to make that for him just because that sister stealer has gotten used to the brick house??? Quiet, Alice. Now is the time to give Boo Boo a power up. I will offer him a weapon! And doesnt a fairy weapon sound like it would be super strong!? But I dont want to touch anything as dirty as steel. Uh Same for copper and silver. Gold might just barely be tolerable, but that is too soft for a weapon. I could stand making a pot because we only have to dig a mold in the dirt and pour the molten metal in there, but a proper weapon requires beating it, stretching it, heating it, cooling it, and all sorts of other things. Elder Morgan flew in to join them. What are you two up to? Oh, Elder Morgan. I have a feeling Meridiana is about to get carried away and cause us some more trouble. I mean, should a girl really start obsessing over a long, thick, and extra-large tool just because the guy she likes wont pay any attention to her? Aliiiice!! screamed Meridiana, but this was not enough to faze the elder. Oh, you were talking about making a new weapon for Sir Boo Boo? I am here to move into his home so I can do daily work to repay him for everything he has done for us. Huh!? E-Elder Morgan, youre trying to outdo me by becoming his maid? The cold high-status girl suddenly becoming a maid is a high level moe technique, proclaimed Alice. I am not sure what you are talking about, but Sir Boo Boos strength is too powerful for normal crafting techniques to work. Simply put, this job is too much for us. So instead of wasting your time, I recommend introducing him to something he can use. Such as? Isnt there someone who can use plenty of ridiculously powerful weapons of unknown construction? I am referring to Abyss sleeping inside this very house. He can borrow one of her high-tech weapons. Part 5 Night had fallen. Skull Wave - a skeleton in a cowboy hat - sounded surprised when he stopped by the brick house in the middle of a stroll. Oh, what are you doing up this late, Boo Boo? Squeal, I learned how to drink coffee! If I drink this, I can keep my eyes open. (Thats just a replacement made using a plant root, isnt it? My wife liked rooibos tea, but I doubt this even has caffeine in it.) At any rate. After eating the super thick bacon that was sitting heavy in her stomach, Strigona had said she was going to look at the stars. She pulled out a weird (for a super strong-toothed wild animal like Boo Boo) hair-covered brush and moved it around in her mouth. Since she was doing that now, she likely intended to climb onto the brick houses roof and go to sleep. Boo Boo was inside that house. He climbed the ladder to the attic and found Abyss still lying silently on her back. Or was she so silent? Abyss// You arent mad? He was not just imagining it. Different parts of Abysss body faintly glowed red in the darkness. And she spoke words that only Boo Boo could hear. He did not really understand it, but after incorporating the traits of other plants and animals into their evolution, the Iberian Orcs apparently had the ability to perceive trace electrical signals. Boo Boos only image of electricity was the lightning during a storm or the static during the winter, so he was not quite sure what that sparking stuff had to do with sending messages. Regardless Abyss// I honestly thought you would throw me out once it all came to light. Squeal. Without you, I couldnt have saved Beatrice when her Shining Weapon broke. The fight against the Hero was tough and I still dont get the more confusing parts, but if you thought it was necessary, then it was probably necessary. Even if I am still confused because I dont understand why. Abyss// I trust you, so its okay. Plus, this is your house too. Theres nothing to worry about. Squeal, you can relax here. Abyss// I am unsure how to respond to that. There was a much more complex emotional tinge to her voice, but could Boo Boo really pick up on and comprehend that much? Abyss had indeed deceived Boo Boo and the others to lure them out to the glass continent so the Hero would be revived. But that was because she concluded the people she cared for would never find peace if the root cause of the disaster was not removed. She had been willing to be branded a traitor and abandoned because for it. But Boo Boo only heard it like she was a small child pouting her lips. So Abyss changed gears in order to dodge that issue. Abyss// Unlike me, Sky appears to lack the power to dismantle this island even while functioning normally. Abyss// I imagine that is because the Hero inputted an irregular design to have her constructed. Abyss// The armory does not appear to have authorized her. Squeal? What does that mean? Abyss// You can focus on defeating Sky alone. Abyss// I heard from the Fairies that you require a weapon. Boo. Im a little scared of having too much power to fight, though. Still, I cant even hunt for food with my bare hands. And Strigona said I cant just eat bacon forever. Abyss// My weapons are made from materials stolen from the Gimmicks in the deepest floors of the Labyrinth. Abyss// If you wish for a weapon made from equivalent materials, descending into the depths would be the quickest way. Abyss// You should be able to take a shortcut from the Iberian Orc village. Squeal? Abyss// There was one Gimmick I could not steal from back then. Abyss// The Execution Warrior. Abyss// That is a malfunctioning product that easily exceeds the set upper limits for strength. Abyss// Perhaps you could view it as a guardian deity that naturally appeared within the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth, huh? But Beatrice and the others arent back yet and Id get lost on my own. Abyss// As an alternative, you could work with the Sage. Ah! Abyss// And if it would not be too much trouble, I have a request of my own. Part 6 Birdsong rang through the cool morning air as the sunlight filtered through the forests leaves. But the song was too loud to be wild birds. The singers perched on the branches were a girl with brown skin and white wings and a woman with white skin and black wings. They were Archangel Marinka. Together, they represented every aspect of the sun, including the solar eclipse. Hurried footsteps thudded along directly below them. Squeeeal! Im back, elder. I brought some thick bacon as a gift!! When the nearly-4m pig-faced giant entered the village deep in the forest, more of his species appeared. However S-snort Meatfinally. No, elder! I am not letting you get spoiled! You are eating your vegetables today!! The most conspicuous person was not any of the Iberian Orcs. The human woman wearing red armor and a white miniskirt was known as the Sage and she was jumping up onto the strongest Iberian Orcs head. As the little ones gathered around, Boo Boo handed out hunks of meat larger than the inn towns bricks, and Oh, right. I have business with you, Sage. Wait just a moment, Boo Boo. Give me some time. You can ask me anything once Ive fed this disobedient boy his ham salad. Cmon, elder, quit running away and clean your plate!! Its all vegetables? Youre the one who ate all the ham first, so you only have yourself to blame!! Some intense screaming continued for a while. Boo Boo had nothing to do in the meantime, so he began chatting with Royal Elf Sibyl who was walking around nearby. Squeal. A being beyond the planet, hm? That explains why I couldnt see her using the three royal treasures I manage. So it turns out putting Sucking Bee honey on a Water Bottle Cucumber doesnt make it taste like a Jewel Melon! Wait, young life of the forest. Listen carefully. You may have tried that as a simple experiment in your spare time, but you have just shattered a legend that dates back to antiquity. After hearing a voice saying sorry about the wait, he turned around to find the incredibly cheerful Sage approaching with a hand raised in greeting. There was not a peep from the elder who had ultimately been dragged into his large leaf house by a single arm. Vegetables are scary. Right? Everyone agrees with that, right? Squeal, and theyre everywhere. They can be chopped up and hidden inside meat or even made into a drink, so you need to be careful. A stir was running through the little ones and Sibyl let out an exasperated sigh before speaking. He explained the situation to me while you were busy with Operation Eat Your Veggies. Basically, he wants a hunting tool to replace his Shining Weapon, so he needs a guide into the Labyrinth. Squeal, I can apparently get the weapon materials if I defeat some extraordinary guardian deity called the Execution Warrior! Really? Couldnt you just grab something Demon Lord Tselika had stashed away in that cave? That museum is full of sturdy junk you can grab and hit people with, like dragon fossils and eternal icicles. Not to mention the sturdy rod supporting the door into the place. Pull that out and itd make for a decent weapon. The Sage casually gave a shocking response (that contained enough detailed knowledge of the contents and the structure of the door to suggest she had snuck in there at some point), but Boo Boos plan was little different. Everyone acted like the Labyrinth was communal property that anyone could use, but that only applied to the people going there. The clockwork Gimmicks that already existed there were not Boo Boo or the Sages property, yet they would go there, destroy the Gimmicks, and steal from them. You could even view this a sign that humanitys sinful nature had not changed since the Age of Exploration and that mentality was gradually corrupting the residents of Grounds Nir as well. Humanity had been so afraid of the Red Iberian Orcs invading Earth, but it was their own actions that had planted that spirit of exploration inside the Iberian Orcs. The Sage only ever said that humanity would destroy themselves one day, so she may not have cared about all this even though she understood it. The red and silver haired woman placed a hand on her hip. Well, Im fine with anything as long as it isnt a filthy human asking it of me. Will the Party just be me, you, and Sibyl? They dont look like they have anything to do, so why not take them with us? Sibyl pointed her index finger up toward a sound of rustling feathers. Archangel Marinka - both the brown girl and the white woman - actually flew down and landed on Sibyls fingertip like they weighed nothing at all. We **** ***n watching f**m ab***. **ur b***le be*a* **** *** He** ************ **, so we a** *****ally t* ***me. T*** ***** ** * chance to *ep** *ou f** **** we hav* *one. ** have bee* ******** *ro* **ove. Yo** *att* **g*n with the **ro manipulating us, ** ** *re parti**** *o bla**. *his gives us a ****** ** r**ay y** *or what ** ***e d***. Their voices were hard to make out through all the noise, but when they spoke in unison, their voices formed a beautiful chord that entranced all who heard it. We have been watching from above. Your battle began with the Hero manipulating us, so we are partially to blame. This gives us a chance to repay you for what we have done. You two are such a pain to deal with. The Sage kept her hand on her hip and spoke with exasperation in her voice. And does everyone from those three royal families feel the need to be overly polite all the time? Elder Mermaid Vivian was a much sportier person. Boo Boo and the others made their way to the elders house while listening to that. But rather than visiting the transformed hunk of flesh within, they were interested in the crucial entrance hidden in his house. The Central Shaft. Boo, does that thing still work? Not to worry, Boo Boo. It will at least last longer than the foolish human race. It had been buried, but Boo Boo remembered Beatrice and the others speculating that this was the real entrance to the Labyrinth. Using it let them skip all the intermediary floors and take a giant work elevator along a complexly-curving route directly to the deepest part. Boo. Were coming in, elder. You dont have to be so polite, said the Sage. This is basically my house now. You wont rest until youre the dominant one in a relationship, will you? asked Sibyl. If I dont sleep here, a thief will try to sneak in and steal him in the night. Curse that negligee Vampire. The Iberian Orcs must have felt some respectful fear of the elders home because the little ones made no attempt to follow them there. Or were they simply afraid of the Sage while she was in eat your veggies mode? Snort, squeal A giant lump was curled up in one corner. Everyone was too afraid to ask how exactly the strongest of the Iberian Orcs had ended up like that. They had business with the small tent-like space in a corner of what was otherwise a single large space. When they looked inside that room made of leaves, they saw a square outline on the ground. Last time, Beatrices Party had fought the Sage here, so they knew the entire square would move to take them to the bottom of the Labyrinth. And Boo, young one. The elder asked a question while still curled up in a corner. How is Lady Abyss? Is she doing well? Squeal. Abyss is Abyss. Shes the same as always! I have her looking after the vegetables in the field while Im gone, so shell be fine. I see. Only someone as close to him as the Sage may have known what emotions were carried by those words. The Iberian Orcs had originally wanted such powerful bodies so they could defeat the ultimate weapon that would bring disaster to all of Grounds Nir. If the Heros designs for a body of her own were ignored, the Red disease could have been seen as their pursuit of strength going too far and their evolution going berserk. The leader of the Iberian Orcs was showing concern for their nemesis Ultimate Weapon Abyss. He had not said much, but those words carried great meaning. The truth of how this worlds humans had died out and the Underworld Lords existence had proven Abyss to be more than just an avatar of destruction. She may have been too late to do so, but she had been created to save many lives. Once they knew that, there was no reason to continue a meaningless conflict with her. The Central Shaft was meant to be the starting point of a deadly journey in which they delved into the depths of the Labyrinth to attack each new ultimate weapon before it could make a proper appearance, so it was enclosed within the elders house and the other Iberian Orcs were not to mess with it. That fear had even gained a religious connotation similar to a curse or a miasma. But things had changed. It was no longer a symbol of loathsome impurity. Squeal. Okay, elder, were going. Sure. Keep safe, okay? Part 7 In Shinjuku, Tokyo, explosive sounds rang through a rundown gym. But they sounded more like light shockwaves than dull booms. A glasses woman with her long black hair worn up was wearing the martial arts sportswear of a tank top and hot pants. She had just finished pummeling the nearly-2m trainer in the ring. But she had not been taking out her anger on him or challenging the entire gym. Youre worthless. This doesnt even qualify as practice! Old man, are you trying to get me to bring those showy acrobatics into an actual battle with lives on the line? Youre my sparring partner, so come at me like youre trying to kill me! Dont forget to put yourself into the mindset of a cornered criminal!! It was unclear who was teaching who and the tough-looking trainer (who secretly liked chocolate parfaits) ended up leaving the ring and running off while wiping the tears from his eyes. And he was a former champ who had made a living with no more than his fists and had won belts in several different classifications in the modern age. The young glasses woman scratched her head in the middle of the ring as she realized maybe she had taken that too far. (Damn, I did it again. Hes got the build for it, but his heart is basically tofu. I bet hes headed to that usual ramen place, but I dont feel like buying a sobbing man a drink and a chocolate parfait from the secret menu.) Okay, Inoue, youre up next. Get in the ring so we can have a fight between pros. Not a chance!! That champ didnt retire because he was getting too old and started to lose! He got carried away with one of his rushes and accidentally killed his opponent! I am never climbing into the ring from hell where the woman who defeated the Heavyweight Killer is waiting for me!! Oh, so you prefer fighting outside the ring, Inoue? There are tons of makeshift weapons out there and you never know what youll hit when you fallbut yeah. That would be more realistic. Thats the kind of resolve I like to see in a subordinate. Im so glad youre passionate about your training. The baby-faced PI(?) with a mole under his eye screamed and began to flee while searching for anything he could use as a shield. The glasses woman who was searching for a trainer who would come at her with the intent to kill showed no mercy. The worst part is how youre just a workaholic and arent even trying to harass your workers!! Ha ha ha. You complain, but youre blocking pretty well. Im impressed. Now, I think its about time we shifted up a gear. The young mans scream shifted up a gear as well. What would become of that poor counterintelligence agent? One, two. Yes, very good. Keep it up. One, two. One, two. Is this some weird new form of bullying where she compliments him while murdering him? In a corner of the same gym, a girl from a prestigious school was wearing a baggy T-shirt and skintight bike shorts. She stood behind an eyepatch Japanese doll girl in a hoodie and track suit pants to give a hands-on lesson in how to hit the sandbag in front of them. Her upper class background made her seem more like a fitness instructor than a martial arts one. And the bob cut girl could not let anyone know she had only gone to the sandbag because she had been goofing off hitting the punching ball with kitty punches until the leather bag came back and smacked her in the face. Okay, keep that up for another minute. Just one more minute and you can take a break, so dont let up now. One, two. Go at it like you are trying to wring all the oxygen out of your body. Ive heard enough of your lies about just one more minute!! Are you trying to get me to run a full marathon at a sprinting pace!? She currently held the position of the elegant and absentminded Student Council President, but in the other world, she had once worked as a strict instructor for the Guild known as the Religious Society. That said, not many people could reproduce those extreme martial arts while here on Earth where their stats were not enhanced in any way. The glasses woman who could defeat a tiger, a bear, or a muscular baldy who had lost all the kindness in his heart was an exception to the norm. So after all this, Grounds Nir Reject Sky shows up, huh? The glasses woman licked her alluring lips while swinging her fists with enough force to crush a small car. Even with Abyss, we didnt exactly defeat her in a straight battle in an open space. In the Labyrinth, we were a secondary concern and she was only trying to reach the surface. Largescale chaos aside, her simple firepower was greater than Demon Lord Tselikas. Sky was created in the same armory, so shes probably the same. How are we supposed to defeat her? Gwah, agh, eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!! She can do this when only half focused like shes texting and walking!? Her destructive power keeps rising as she imagines Im the enemy, so someone help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! The baby-faced young man pulled off the metal exit door and tried using it as a shield, but that was no defense at this point. It instead dented in and absorbed the impacts like polyurethane. The Student Council President girl casually led the eyepatch Japanese doll girl behind the sandbag so they would not be caught in the fray. But Sky no longer has an objective, right? No, its the opposite. She only has an objective. The results dont matter to her. She killed and threw out the Hero in order to create the artificial atmosphere meant to protect the Hero. But in a way, they should have expected this. U-um! I read in the reports that Abyss kept following the Grounds Nir humans commands and only focused on the objective of defeating the Underworld Lord. Whoa, that was way too close!! Eek, eek, even after the humans she was supposed to protect had gone extinct, eek!! So those artificial beings will strictly follow their initial command until they receive a new command negating the first?? The Japanese doll girl had a calm look on her face as she pounded on the sandbag. In that case, she never will stop. As similar as they are, Sky was created differently from Abyss, so there might not be a stop command to be found in the machinery at the bottom of the Labyrinth. After being reborn, the Hero had been killed by Sky because she had screwed up the initial settings. In her desperation after learning there was no saving herself hundreds of years before, she may have neglected to include any safety standards. Regardless Grounds Nir is only safe and peaceful now because Beatrice used her Magic to blast eight holes in the artificial atmospheric barrier. Just like stabbing an ice pick into a TV screen. Listen, thats just eight holes. All our work goes out the window if Sky fixes the broken barrier and it covers that world again. The Iberian Orcs will be afflicted by the Red again and their threat will reach Earth. Sky was focused solely on executing her initial settings, so there would be no persuading her to stop. She did not think in terms of good and evil or in terms of like and dislike. As her creator, the Hero should have been their best hope of negotiating with her, but that woman had been immediately eliminated. What hope did some outsiders words have of reaching her? She would create and maintain the artificial atmospheric barrier. She was not concerned with any negative effects that brought. It did not matter to her that the intended effect was no longer possible. If someone would reduce her efficiency even slightly, she would use her full power to eliminate them. Yes, the full power that had been designed to singlehandedly defeat the Underworld Lord who had only just barely been defeated using the combined forces of all the living things from both Earth and Grounds Nir. Plus She has the high ground. It was the same reason an aircraft carrier could defeat a battleship and a bomber could defeat a railway gun. It was the same reason so many castles and fortresses used tall stone walls to face the enemy. A height difference was a simple thing, but it had vital tactical importance. Not only does she have such massive firepower, but she can watch us from beyond the very atmosphere she has created. Everythings set up to give Sky the advantage. We need to figure out some way of pulling this off. This battle is going to be tougher than conquering your average castle. Part 8 With a dull thud, the floating feeling in the stomach vanished. Squeal Boo Boo had arrived in the deepest part of the Labyrinth. It was not that exciting this time around. When he had come here with Beatrice and the others, the fate of the world and future of the island had given it more meaning, but without all that, it was just an empty space. There was a stone floor and a slick light source different from fire. The double doors led to the armorys core where Abyss had slept. Hm? I thought the Execution Warrior you were after was on the floor above this? Abyss asked me to do something first! Sibyl and Marinka tilted their heads as Boo Boo thudded on through the doors. Why is he willing to help her when she tricked him and he was badly injured? That is how Iberian Orcs should be, said the Sage. We can keep those clever doubts to ourselves. Im back, said Boo Boo before long. It was unclear what he had done, but it could not have been much since he had not been gone long. Sibyl guessed he had been asked to pick something up for Abyss, so she decided it was not worth spying on with the three royal treasures. The Sage did not bother asking. She walked toward the large stairway leading up and raised her arms to stretch her back. Okay, how about we get going? They had skipped straight to the goal and were now going in reverse. That meant they would run into the final gatekeepers first. Sibyl readied her Shining Weapon that resembled a staff and a bow and Marinka stuck the white womans hands into the brown girls body through the shoulder blades, but then the Royal Elf realized something. Boo Boo was all about physical strength. The Sage could use all Magic freely. Marinka would crush the enemy with long-range attacks using the Elements of fire, water, wind, and earth. And Sibyl reproduced residual thoughts and converted them into attacks. Um, is it just me or does our Party not have a healer? Oookay, lets search for this rumored guardian deity, shall we? That said, the thing is so strong that normal humans and the other Gimmicks cant even perceive it. The best way to lure it out is destruction. If we defeat every Gimmick we come across and spread the chaos, the Execution Warrior will detect it and come to us. Were gonna be sitting in one place hunting all the Gimmicks on this floor, so its sure to be a test of endurance! No, it isnt just me!! And we have to test our endurance without a healer!? So is the best way to survive with this Party makeup getting super aggressive and defeating the enemy before they can defeat us!? Then, Sage, you need to use your Magic to attack, not to support us!! Part 9 So. The three maid sisters were still in the courtyard of Roppongis Detached Magic Palace. We cannot target the simulator hidden in the subway station closest to the National Diet Building. We would fare no better than last time, said the oldest sister, Iroka. But can a simulator really function all on its own? Where does it store the massive amount of data it uses? Where is the server system used to support its communications with the outside world? Where is its power source, temperature control, vibration reduction, dust removal, etc., etc. Most of all, a simulator requires a lot of data input. If it greedily gathers all the big data out there to assist its calculations, then there must be a ton of subsystems in addition to the main simulator. So we have to start at the outer edges of the overall system? Do we really have time for all that? This is meaningless if we do not produce definite results. Iroka was not green enough to let impatience color her thoughts. When it has to do with the miss, anyway. That is a lesson you taught me. Um, um. Haruka, the youngest sister who was like a small animal, had been looking back and forth like a tennis referee, but now she hesitantly raised a hand and spoke. So, uh, who exactly will we be fighting and what will we be destroying? Haruka, I have wondered for a while if you are growing an otherworldly lifeform in your heart. Eh? Eh? Haruka looked confused and Iroka and Misoka responded with exasperated looks, but she was right in this case. When things grew too complex, it could be useful to rephrase things in a simpler fashion. If they had to fight, they could do it elsewhere. And if it was for their beloved master, that was all the better. What could be simpler? Now, a question. What do you need to do to create a system that will never go down even if there is a blackout, a fire, or a largescale EMP attack? Prepare a perfectly identical machine and circuit board. Correct. That is the idea behind nonstop computers. Basically, its the rather violent idea that if you have two brains and hearts, you can survive if one or the other is destroyed. Although actually implementing it costs a lot of money. You have to pay double for everything going into maintaining the system. The idea of increasing processing speed by using multiple chips for parallel processing was well known, but the advantages of parallel systems did not stop there. Paying for extra equipment was the norm in fields like refrigerated warehouses, germ labs, life support systems, military systems, and anything where you couldnt just say sorry, but the power went out. Nonstop computers would attach two CPUs to a single circuit board and insert two identical motherboards into a single computer. But if the components were connected with fiber optic cables, they could be anywhere on the planet with no noticeable lag. That was similar to a mirror server or hot standby, but this was different in that the redundant parts still acted as a single large device. Instead of switching entirely over to a new system when a malfunction was detected, the routing of power would switch between the different components on the circuit board. Each of the thousands or tens of thousands of components could be switched between. However, nonstop computers do have a flaw. Since A and B are both equally important, they must regularly exchange data to sync up. And if you want the backup to work even after a bombing or an EMP attack, you cannot have them in the same facility. Ohh, I get it. Eh? That was supposed to be an explanation? I thought Onee-chan was just trying to sound smart. Dont worry, Haruka. That muscular brute Misoka is only pretending to understand. I do to understand!! snapped back the second sister while blushing red. Youre saying the backup facility has to be somewhere other than that subway station. And since it never sees the light of day, the security will be a lot lighter. In fact, it may have been forgotten about altogether. The secrecy of the whole system may have come back to bite it in the ass here. And it has to regularly connect with the mainframe to sync up. Now, if we injected a virus into that backup facility, what might find its way into the main system when the next sync comes around? Oh. Its worth trying, thats for sure. Part 10 The space echoed with the sounds of hard and heavy things bending. Over and over again. Armor broke, gears of various sizes scattered, and all sorts of remains littered the floor. This destruction was meant to lure out the Execution Warrior. That guardian deity was wandering somewhere in the Labyrinth, but it was so powerful it would not react to normal humans and Gimmicks. It could only be Encountered after producing extraordinary results worthy of its level. On the unnamed floor at the very bottom of the Labyrinth, the walls were formed out of giant cranks and pistons. Steam roared out as those devices rose and fell in what looked like the underside of a society built from stone and steel. The Sage spoke cheerfully while lightly swinging a Shining Weapon given a rapier shape by patching together various broken blades. A magic circle much like Beatrices floated behind her back, but it wavered irregularly and was filled with static and sparks. Whats with you, Sibyl? Youre awfully motivated today. You normally keep up a composed look of disinterest in worldly matters. Pant, pant, gasp!! D-does it really look like I want to be doing this? We have to defeat them with a preemptive surprise attack before they can move a single step because our stupid Party doesnt have a healer and a single mistake could mean a serious wound and we have to plan everything out so that we take no damage whatsoever and its really all your fault!! Well, since one round wasnt enough for our greedy elf here, well just have to go for another. I gathered a whole lot of Hate to bring a bunch of insta-kill Gimmicks over here. Look, look. Were completely surrounded by all these big hard things. We arent getting any sleep tonight You need to abandon the title of Sage right this instant, you complete and utter morooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!!!!! This was a disaster for Sibyl, not because her normal physical abilities were unimpressive, but because this unexplored area had very few residual thoughts for her to draw on. It was humiliating, but she had to us the residual thoughts likely left by Beatrices Party when they had pursued Abyss down here. (Argh, I just wish I could fully draw out the healers effects, but its only giving me the Mixing knowledge! Can I not make the potions without the ingredients? Dammit!!) Incidentally, there did not seem to be any residual thoughts for Abyss herself. No matter how much she looked and acted like a living being, she was still artificial. This destruction was needed to lure out the Execution Warrior, but they were risking their lives more than enough with this. The Gimmicks this deep were so brutal that it was usually hard to tell what plants or animals they were based off of. One was a cube of stone with swords, spears, and other weapons sticking out, one was a face made out of a spider web that was distorted in agony, and one was a girl with her back split open to grow wings. An entire human Guild might be wiped out by any one of these, but Sibyl did not want to check their actual strength. Whatever the case, they would be annihilated if they did not finish the Gimmicks off with a preemptive surprise attack. Anything that would make them hesitate would be suicidal at this point. Then she heard a high-pitched sound. A new light source appeared within the dimly lit Labyrinth. It was a group of Salamander Fire Spirits, the red will-o-the-wisps summoned by the large and small Marinkas. Go forth. Well, I wouldnt want anyone saying Im all talk. Here, Ill help out. Ahhh! Why are you people filling this enclosed space with fire!? Are you legitimately stupid!? Squeal? Life of the forest, if you have time to tilt your head in confusion, then dive to the floor immediately!! Those idiots arent Beatrice!! They do not know how to pay attention to their surroundings when spreading destruction around!! Sibyl could have shortened that down a bit by omitting things like the life of the forest part, but Boo Boo was an obedient soul. Okay! The nearly-4m pig-faced giant threw himself to the floor as instructed. And this placed him right on top of Sibyl. Hold on, that weight might kill me! I didnt need another idiot in this- gwaaaaaaaghhh!!!??? She made an odd noise, but the mass of flames passed by overhead and reached the extraordinary Gimmicks. That may have been overkill. If they are turned to ashes, you cannot retrieve a weapon from them. Dont worry about it. Were only trying to lure out the Execution Warrior. And theyre the ones that are overkill. Hey, Boo Boo. Quit getting it on with the Royal Elf in the dark there. Shes probably foaming at the mouth with hearts in her eyes below you. As Sibyl trembled while lying face up with her legs spread, she had been pushed so close to the line it no longer qualified as comedy. The Sage had no choice but to use her Magic to summon several acupuncture needles. They could not have their elf traveling to the land beyond comedy, so she stabbed the needles into various parts of Sibyls skinny body to fill her with life. Ah ha ha. Hee hee hee. So this is the sailor uniform those inn town humans wasted their ingenuity to developah!? Th-that was a dream? What am I doing here??? Its okay, wannabe cosplayer elf, but wipe that drool from your mouth. At least were back to something comedic now. The ever-capable Sage was the same as always. She was very casual in how she treated anything or anyone. And the cause of this series of events tilted his head in ignorance. Squeal, why did you pass out, Sibyl? Youre surprisingly sensitive. Are you sick? Then you need to eat liver. Thatll fix you up. Heh heh heh. Remember this, Boo Boo. This horny flirt of an elf is no exception. All girls are fragile creatures, so treat us with care, okay? Leave it to me! Ill tackle anything that comes our way to protect you girls!! I do not need your help!! shouted Sibyl from the gut while suddenly standing very straight, but Boo Boo snorted like a steam engine thanks to the motivation the Sage had given him. At this point, Sibyl could no longer hold anything back. Not only was she faced with all the powerful Gimmicks ahead of her, but she was surrounded by high-firepower idiots who gave no thought to friendly fire, and the giant pig-nosed rock wall behind her would probably deliver the finishing blow. At any rate Okayyyy, bring it on Gimmicks! Hurry up and lure out the Execution Warrior! Please hurry!! I dont think I can survive this friendly fire much longer!! Ha ha ha. You sure are motivated today, Sibyl. You usually try to act all noble and above it all, but are you secretly the masochistic type? The fact that your comment pisses me off instead of exciting me is objective proof that I am normal!! Sibyl, a normal girls voice wouldnt grow so sugary sweet when forced into such an extreme situation. This is funny. I said it as a joke, but now Im starting to believe it. Sibyl had tears in her eyes, her legs turned inward, a flush on her face, heat in her breaths, an upturned look to her eyes, and sweat soaking her skin, but she was extraordinarily destructive thanks to the residual thoughts she gave physical form. With the sounds of shattering stone and metal, swords and axes fell to the ground along with the remains of their wielders. Cmon! Is this good enough for you, Execution Warrior! Is this enough to lure you out!? Answer me yes or no, dammit!! Boo Now that its finally happening, Im kind of nervous. No one asked for that adorable response right now!! No one asked for your sudden belligerence either. Hm, so she can embody both the S and the M at the same time? Fascinating. Boo Boo panicked when Sibyl slapped his butt with her small hand to keep him moving, but he looked up when he noticed something. Sibyl and Marinka looked in the same direction while listening to what he had to say. It looks like theres something even stronger over there. It had an imposing form. What sounded like a heavy millstone spinning was the large head scraping against the ceiling. And the ceiling here was tall enough for Boo Boo to move around without difficulty. Overall, it appeared to be a bipedal giant. Rather than the scraps of cloth and belts wrapped around its sinister body, the most notable part was the rusted steel panels bolted to the rotting flesh to forcibly prevent it from falling apart. The face was hidden by a rusted metal helmet, but that may have been for the best. Its overall balance was tilted because of its extremely enlarged right arm. The large, twisted right hand held a thick knife that was really just a guillotine blade given a handle. And instead of holding the handle in its grip, the handle and the entire hand were tied together with rusted barbed wire. This enemy did not have a preset title like Gatekeeper or Punishment. Not even the giant armory itself could keep track of this monster. The metal shoulder armor and torn shorts were just hanging in place. Any production line had some defective products created in something like a margin of error, but this fearsome threat had far surpassed the expected upper limits of the line. This guardian deity of the Labyrinth had occurred spontaneously rather than as a part of the plan. It was the Execution Warrior. It was the one weapon source that Abyss had failed to hunt down. They could take their time and observe it because it was bound by the Turn Based system unique to the Labyrinth, but was there any hope of victory? Once their fingertips so much as twitched, an extraordinary attack would descend upon them. No, did this monster even need a specific intent to attack? If the giant simply walked by nearby, it would probably crush all living things in the vicinity. However. It happened a moment later. The Sage did not even glance over at it. The unsteady magic circle on her back flashed and she made an almost lazy horizontal swing of her patchwork rapier. An explosive roar swept out horizontally. Sibyl responded to the explosion in this enclosed space by using her thumb and forefinger to pinch her small nose rather than covering her long ears. And she tried to breath out through the supposedly blocked nose. This method of clearing the ears was used when diving as well. But even with that, she could only count herself lucky that the rapid pressure change from the noise and shockwave had not ruptured her eardrums. However. Even so. Boo That noise interrupted the odd ringing that refused to leave her ears. Unarmed Boo Boo stepped out in front of the Royal Elf who was doubled over to endure the blast and he moved as if to distance her from the threat. Be careful, Sibyl. That thing is still moving. Youre kiddingright? The Execution Warrior was a defective product that had gathered extraordinary power that not even the giant armory had predicted. It had been pushed back to the side wall by the Sages explosion, but that was all. The Labyrinth used a Turn-Based combat system, but their unnecessary movements during the chaos had worked against them. Beatrice or Philinnion were used to it, so they would not have forgotten to restrict their number of movements even when in a crisis and feeling woozy. When Boo Boo and the others moved, their enemy would too. It loosely clenched its empty left hand into a fist and lightly punched the wall to push itself out. That was all. That was all, yet the fearsome tremor it caused shook the entire Labyrinth vertically. Sibyls feet were truly knocked about 10cm up from the floor and the large and small Archangels flapped their four wings. It moved. The extraordinary guardian deity finally took a step forward using a leg with shin armor barely attached. The Sage spun her patchwork rapier around and laughed fiercely. This looks like its gonna be fun. Their enemy was big enough to scrape its head against the tall ceiling. It was a mass of power with its rotting ribs contained by rusted armor plating. The scraps of cloth that had once been shorts cried out in protest. The giant knife was really just a guillotine blade attached to a handle and it was directly tied to the monsters hand with rusty barbed wire. A close-range battle with the Execution Warrior would clearly be a bad idea, so the first to act were the Sage and Marinka. It would be best to keep their distance while destroying it with their projectile Magic and Elements, but Watch out, Sibyl! shouted Marinka. Before the Royal Elf could react, Boo Boo grabbed her slender waist in his large hand and jumped to the side. If he had been an instant slower. No, if he had been half an instant slower, Sibyl might have been bisected top to bottom by that thick knife. The Execution Warrior could not raise the weapon in preparation since its own rusted helmet was scraping against the ceiling, so the attack took a somewhat diagonal path before smashing the floor. When had it gotten so close? This was not some clever trick. The Execution Warriors greatest weapon was its giant body. It had incredible reach. Obscuring their vision with flames and dust would only work against them. A high-pitched sound filled the area. It came from Sibyls circlet which shined with three blue lights. The three royal treasures there could see everything, and yet I cant see anything? Sibyl had shut her eyes while Boo Boo carried her, but when she frowned, it was out of confusion rather than displeasure. I cant see a weakness or a prediction of its next move? But the three royal treasures are supposed to reveal any and all secrets. They cant see whats going on in Earths Tokyo, right? This defective product is too much for them. Its so wrong in so many ways that the treasures might be treating it like a resident of another world! Even this distance was not out of its range. The Sage changed how she held her patchwork rapier. She clearly intended to directly block an attack with the blade. And dont grow too reliant on the one trump card you have! Your own equipment will trip you up, Sibyl!! The Execution Warriors giant twisted right arm moved in a circular motion. It seemed to be checking on how its shoulder was doing. But it did not stop there. The motion unnaturally continued from the shoulder to the hips, to the legs, and to the rest of that body wearing scraps of cloth and belts. It was similar to the hammer throw. Or a spin attack with a sword. The all-destroying steel cyclone gradually approached Boo Boo and the others. Sibyls eyes widened with her slender waist still held, but Everyone, stop!! On the Sages shouted instruction, they all froze. At the same time, the mass of muscle contained by rusted armor also stopped in a very unnatural pose. Its belts and tattered shorts strained. This was Turn Based battle. As long as they did not move, neither would their enemy. They could eliminate the momentum of any attack that picked up speed with a running start or rotation. That said What do we do now? Marinka made a conscious effort to not tilt her heads as she spoke. The beheading blade was frozen in place while held horizontally. The belts and rusted armor covering the Execution Warriors body were audibly straining. The momentum of its spin had stopped, but once it could move again, the strength of that one arm would be enough to slice through all of their torsos in one go. They were already in the path of the handheld guillotine. They could not remain motionless forever. The Sage gave Boo Boo a sidelong glance to avoid turning her head. Boo Boo, once we start moving, make sure you protect Sibyl. When it comes to pure durability, the Royal Elf is the most fragile one here. Squeal. A moment later, the Sage and Marinkas projectiles slammed into Boo Boo instead of the Execution Warrior. He could not have fallen back by foot in time, so they used the explosive blast to send their ally back to relative safety. That action meant the extraordinary guardian deity had resumed moving as well. With a disconcerting creak from all its armor, it made a horizontal slash with its blade. Almost like it was slicing through the dust created by the explosion. Its goal was clearly to prevent any of them from escaping out of range. It wanted to slice through as many hips as possible. However. There was no one there. The explosion was a bluff. The Sage had made it look like they were falling back when they actually leaped forward with all their might. The pursuing attack naturally used a wide swing. When they knew the motionless Execution Warrior was going to swing its weapon horizontally like that, they could duck down or fly up to avoid it. Did you really think we were going to openly discuss our tactics right in front of the enemy!? Instead of running right up to the tattered shorts, the Sage circled around to the enemys back. She swung her patchwork rapier, increased its cutting power with Magic, and pierced the rotting flesh through a gap between armor panels. Melt Cutting. It sounded like meat pressed against a hot griddle. And you didnt think I was going to stop there, did you!? Dozens and even hundreds of Fire Magic attacks were unleashed from the Shining Weapon rapier stabbed deep inside. It was less like a shotgun than it was detonating a bomb embedded in the enemys body. The belts, the shorts, and the rotting flesh within splattered everywhere. But. Even then. This isnt over yet, Sage! Get away from there!! ? Even the Sage seemed surprised by this. The magic circle on her back shined bright as she frantically tried to pull out her skinny sword, but the rotting muscles must have forcibly held it in place. She could not get it out. It moved. The Execution Warrior in its rusted helmet tried to use the rotation of turning to slam the insta-kill guillotine attack into the Sage. But. But. But. Boo Boo gently lowered Sibyl to the floor, and Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!! With a great cry, he grabbed not the Execution Warriors weapon but its giant twisted upper arm. More specifically, he grabbed the rusted armor forcibly preventing the rotting muscles from falling apart. The swing of the arm using the guardian deitys own strength helped him here. Boo Boo used both hands to peel away the steel panels and a raw sound echoed around them. The loss of its support somehow caused the enlarged right arm to break apart, tear off, and fly spinning away with the thick knife still barbwired to the hand. The inside was not your true form. There was a throbbing mass in front of them. It was the rusted armor Boo Boo had forcibly peeled away. It was squirming on its own like a spring. The rotting flesh was just rotting flesh. Gimmicks are generally clockwork devices, arent they? Squeal, this armor is your true form, so it doesnt matter how much we sliced up the inside! Now that they knew the answer, Boo Boo began tearing away the armor with both hands and the Sages patchwork rapier moved as if prying univalves from a rock. The remaining left arm was diverted out of the way by an explosive projectile from Marinka. Luggage Girl Sibyl spoke in a daze. Is itover? All of the rusted armor had been pulled off, but the bloody flesh continued to squirm. The Sage snapped her fingers and spoke. Theres something inside. Lets pull it out. With a horrible tearing sound, Boo Boo shoved his hand into the back of the Execution Warriors neck and pulled something from the rotting flesh. This one thing was not rotting or rusted. It was not the same as pure silver or iron. It had the heavy glow of well-forged steel. It had pierced down the core of the Execution Warriors body like a spine, but it was actually a large sword. It was more than two meters long, so the length and weight of that thick single-edged blade would be too much for the average person. Forget Good and Evil. That was carved into the side of the blade. Squeal The back of the blade was shaped somewhat like a spine and Boo Boo held it aloft in one hand. No words were necessary here. This was the last weapon Abyss had failed to take. This was the moment in which it became Boo Boos new partner. Part 11 There was a thick transparent foothold there. At that altitude, it was in outer space rather than the sky. Someone clung to it with all fours like an insect while observing something. She had no oxygen tank or airtight suit. That smooth exposed silhouette looked like a lovely girl in a swimsuit. She was Grounds Nir Reject Sky. That runaway ultimate weapon continued obeying her initial command even after killing the Hero who had created her and given her said command. The command was to crate an artificial atmospheric barrier and forever preserve it. But a weapon was only a weapon, so she had a strong tendency to use certain solutions to any problem or obstacle she ran across. In other words (Setting top priority target. Detecting Magic of the humans who are attempting to obstruct my initial task. Registering the human inn town as a target to eliminate their physical workspace. Selecting weapon. Searching options 1 through 28,000. Simulating effective destruction range. Method of maximum effect determined. Locking on.) Instead of keeping her warm, her two-piece outfit was meant to increase the surface area for heat to escape and the many arms attached to the back of her hips like a nine-tailed fox began to squirm. The Heros Spear, the Heros Shield, the Heros Axe, the Heros Crossbow, etc. Sky was equipped with these weapons after borrowing them from her creator for safekeeping, but she only cared about her initial objective. She would use whatever was available to her, so she did not hesitate in the slightest. Those were no more than devices meant to manage Magic, but the Abyss incident had already proven that an ultimate weapon could use Magic. And since they were not bound by the limits of humanity, artificial beings like Abyss and Sky could produce much greater and wider damage. (Removing hardware and software safety restrictions. Omitting countdown.) If she fired down on the surface from the upper atmosphere, the masses in their puny flesh bodies would never stand a chance. The entire inn town would be annihilated as if crushed by a giant meteor. She selected a long lance to aim down from the heavens. High-voltage electricity crackled around its unique, cannon-like silhouette. Thanks to the cracks spreading from the eight holes, there was a missing part about the size of a small lake. She resented the damage, but she was willing to use that hole to attack the surface before closing it up. Her mechanical eyes glowed a yellow of warning. The yellow light on the side of her hips spread out like a skirt and a twisted, constellation-like magic circle glowed brighter above her head. Her lips moved just once. Shoot. A fearsome beam of light surged out to pierce the center of the inn town and blow it away. But that was not what happened. In a form of resistance, an identical beam of light shot up from a point on the surface and collided with Skys attack at the midpoint. The explosion erupted quite high in the sky. No human could have done this. Sky quickly arrived at the only other possibility. (The other model?) That should have been impossible. She was aware of Abysss existence, but Abyss had taken critical damage to the head and would have difficulty moving her limbs properly. But Skys assumptions were shattered by the direct contact that reached her. ID Code Abyss to Sky. Transmitting on in f-ch mode to cover all channels. Can you hear me? ? Contact confirmed. Using response conditions to estimate coordinate data. I have located you, Sky. This was no time to be outputting an error report on the unexpected situation. A yellow warning triangle glowed below her chest. She immediately activated her ECM and scattered more than 50,000 kinds of deceptive readings in the outer atmosphere, but she knew Abyss would use her ECCM in response. The deceptive readings would be quickly neutralized and she would be located once more. That game of cat and mouse was not enough to shake Abyss. Abyss would connect the points of data to pursue her location. How? Sky still did not understand what was happening. How is this possible!? Had Abyss restarted Grounds Nir to repair herself? No, that giant armory was not running and it would normally replace all the hardware if there was a problem. So to repair components as delicate as the brain or spinal cord, it would end up creating an entirely new Abyss. Sky doubted a new Abyss would try to protect the lifeforms on the island surface like this. Then what was this? Had the technology of that idyllic island really repaired an ultra-precise combat machine like Abyss!? Who had done it and how!? Part 12 The answer was quite simple. We can rewind time a bit to see it. Meridiana, is this it? Yes, it seems to be basically the same as with Beatrices Shining Weapon. The palm-sized Fairies fluttered around the brick house while its owner was out. Meridiana, Alice, and the others were at the bottom of the food chain, but no predators would attack them if they shared an Iberian Orcs home. They could feel safer here than in their own village. The Fairy sisters were using their tiny hands to roll up pure gold threads which were thinner than hair. They had used the same thing to repair the broken Shining Weapon and extract data from it. That work had ended in failure, but they still had the technique itself. In other words, they knew how to reconnect broken semiconductors to bring precise machinery back into working order. At their size, the work was like propping up the human-sized head with a jack and looking up at the back of the girls neck from below, but W-wow!! Her nape opened up! Dont act so surprised, Alice. Its rude. We came here because she needs our help. When working on Beatrices Shining Weapon, White Witch Philinnion had disinfected everything with her potions and Fighter Priest Hermelina had used her blunt weapon to alter the wind, so the Cave of Tears had been clean. But this brick house was impressive in its own way thanks to the materials used. The Fairies had brought dirt and sap as a stopgap measure, but they actually expected it to be quite clean already. Because given Boo Boos normal level of hygiene, they had needed to build him a very clean house so he could stay healthy. Abyss had not expected this at all. With skill like this, the Fairies might be able to leave their position as observers. Gather, gather, gather #2 and #3 need to cross over to #74 and #91. The plans had been left by Boo Boo since he was the only one who could speak with Abyss. His relayed message was full of illustrations and difficult to decipher in places, but as long as the wiring diagram was accurate, nothing else mattered. Once the environment was set up, they only had to keep working at it. Meridiana and Alice had done this once before, so they were not nervous and they worked even more smoothly than last time. Um, all the wires are hooked up now. If we get the broken neck part back into place, were done. Lets fill in the cracks with Sticky Glue. Hold on, Alice. Lets do this. Understood, Meridiana. We can give her a brand new set of those high-tech clothes. Providing more than asked for is how Fairies help out! And. The silver-haired girl sat up and cracked her neck to see how it was doing. Did it work? Alice, she got up fine, so Id say it did. The answer to the Fairies question was yes, but Abyss viewed it in a much deeper way. First of all, this island was technically a giant armory. Once the ultimate weapon was completed, it was supposed to cease functioning and give all its energy and materials to Abyss - which meant the island self-destructed. Abyss had committed suicide to prevent that. But Abyss was functioning properly once more and yet the island had not begun to fall apart. The silver-haired girl finally breathed a sigh of relief. (Boo Boo must have done what I asked.) When Boo Boo was headed to the bottom of the Labyrinth, she had asked him to partially destroy the processor in the core of the armory. Destroying it too much would cause the island to fall apart, but leaving too much functionality would allow it to offer the island up to Abyss. Getting it just right was something only Boo Boo could do with his ability to directly detect the flow of electricity to the point of rewriting a Shining Weapons profile data. Abyss doubted she herself could have done it. And because he had done that, she did not need to commit suicide again. The Iberian Orcs were supposed to be her nemesis. But without his power, she never could have been saved. Her neck was fixed. She was missing one arm and she had no weapons. She would have to use the Central Shaft like Boo Boos group had, visit the Labyrinth, and gather some parts with adequate specs. After deceiving everyone, I was afraid I would have to watch and wait from a position of safety. But now that I can, I have determined I must stand on the front line as the ultimate weapon. She spoke carefully as if seeing how her vocal cords were doing. This too was a blessing the Fairies had given her. She was no longer conversing via data. She was using the voice of her own physical body. She listed up her immediate work tasks while walking out of the brick house, but then she looked up into the sky and whispered. A magic circle very different from the ones the humans used appeared over her head. Its twisted glow was somehow similar to Skys. Not so fast, Sky. You can no longer use the difference in technological level to have your way. Part 13 It all came to fruition. She wore a high-tech black outfit made from a racing swimsuit cut down to size and belt-style supporters. Her one arm was made from a sturdy piece stolen from a clockwork Gimmick. And the three-fingered arms coming from her back all held weapons. Ultimate Weapon Abyss was back in the fight. Boo Boo was not the only one who had acquired new equipment in the Labyrinth. A fearsome beam of light was launched from the surface and it protected the inn town from the deadly attack descending down from the heavens. Volume 7, 6: Beyond the Planet Volume 7, Chapter 6: Beyond the Planet Part 1 As soon as Beatrice and the others ended their break and returned to Grounds Nir, they heard what Sky and Abyss had done. Squeal Also, Boo Boo had returned to the surface and he held up a giant one-sided sword in one hand. He had taken it from the Execution Warrior. It did not seem all that out of place in his hand, but if a human tried to lift it even with both hands, it would probably crush them. Boo Boos eyes were sparkling. Look, look, Beatrice!! This is my new partner!! (Oh, is Beatrice flaring up a bit over his use of the word partner!?) (He needs to be careful. Shes the type to get jealous over inanimate objects. I bet shed blow up if she found porn in her boyfriends computer or phone browsing history.) Philinnion and Hermelina whispered their thoughts to each other. Now, Boo Boos sword, Forget Good and Evil, did have a tip, but it did not seem designed for stabbing. The tip was more like a can opener, so it would be more effective to catch it on something and apply force that way. At any rate, that was the good news. The bad news was of course that Sky continued to watch them from outside the atmosphere. They were in front of the brick house partway up the mountain. Philinnion and Hermelina could not see Sky just by looking up, but she could spy on the surface from beyond the blue sky. And this was not a new state of affairs. She had been doing that for centuries now. We need to get up there if we want to settle things with Sky. Hermelina pointed straight up. But Sky will have learned from the way we reached the sun by climbing the tallest mountain and using the islands of the sky area. I mean, thats what allowed Beatrice to get close enough to make those eight holes in the artificial atmospheric barrier. If we use a route she knows about, shes guaranteed to shoot us down with concentrated fire. That will not be a problem, smoothly replied a silver-haired girl in something like a racing swimsuit cut down to size. That outfit was different from the Percentage-type Magic that Beatrice and the others wore. Abyss had to be confident in the sturdiness of her own body more than the clothing. After all, she was not a biological being reliant on flesh and blood. Her neck had been repaired and she had replaced her lost arm in the Labyrinth. But most of all, there was her back. In addition to the many weapon arms attached there, there were two thick nozzles. The girl with her long silver hair parted into two pieces explained what this was. Just like Sky, I possess personal rocket boosters. Please think of me as a top secret mobility platform. She is only generally observing the surface from outside the atmosphere, so I doubt she can see what is happening this deep in the mountain and forest. After all, she does not seem to have the ability to search for a target on the surface by performing a grid scan with the sensors installed across the entire island. She only seems to possess a few Palm Rat-sized drones. ? Beatrice frowned at that. Perhaps because she could fly using the Magic flame wings created on her back, she still had a crucial question. But how do you and Sky get past the sky area? I thought the Fairies and the Thousand Dragon lost their buoyancy and lift once theyre above a certain altitude? It is a simple concept. We complete all the acceleration we need in the lower altitudes where we have enough buoyancy and lift and then we let our momentum carry us through the unflyable altitude and outside the atmosphere. You can think of it more like firing an artillery shell than a bird that must constantly flap its wings. Ugh, groaned Philinnion while her suspenders squeezed her breasts and her butt pushed at her shorts. She was looking at the navel-exposing swimsuit girl like she was a handmade flying device predating the Wright Brothers. Flat boob window Hermelina put a hand on her hip and sighed. But if we ignite a booster on the surface, Sky is bound to notice. And from then on, shell be locked onto us. Once you rocket off, youre stuck on a single ballistic course, right? I can of course use the boosters during my ballistic flight to evade to the left and right. I cannot change the general trajectory, though. There were apparently some ballistic missiles that zigzagged at random to make them harder to intercept from the surface. That would be what Abyss (who had reinforced her body with a black arm) was talking about. Regardless, they did not really have any other option. They realized Abyss had been in control pretty much this entire time. Beatrice was not entirely okay with that, but since this was related to the giant armory built by the humans of this world, it was too much for the humans of Earth to handle. This was indeed necessary to drag Sky out of hiding so they could settle this. Beatrice was simply thankful Abyss was not as self-serving and crafty as the Sage or the Hero. Beatrice intentionally took a deep breath to calm her emotions. So. When do we begin? Delicate-looking Abyss responded by grabbing into Boo Boos thick right leg. Hm? Immediately, if necessary. The rocket boosters on the bare navel girls back suddenly ignited. Philinnion and Hermelina were blown backwards while they just stood there. Beatrice would have been equally helpless if not for her 100% Fire Resistance. Silver-haired Abysss feet rose from the ground and she made an announcement with a calm expression (and her cheek and boobs pressed against Boo Boo). I cannot take you all. These are only for individual use. What!!!??? Fueled by love and jealousy, Beatrice quickly grabbed onto Boo Boos other leg. Magic circles appeared over Abysss head and on Beatrices back. A moment later, Abyss, Boo Boo, and Beatrice broke free of the planets gravity with frightening speed. The side characters were shouting something from the surface far below, but their complaints could not reach the airborne trio. Beatrice produced flame wings from her back, but those were only for adjustments. They were already too high to fly, so they had entered ballistic flight thanks to the running start Abyss had made at the lower altitudes. If Beatrice was thrown off from this high up, she would never survive. That was when a flash of light appeared at a point in the blue sky. !? Beatrices flame wings and Abysss boosters erupted. This twisted their course around just enough to avoid the white beam that tore through the space they had just vacated. Stop interfering. You are disturbing our trajectory. Dont be dumb! She predicted your evasion course!! If I hadnt intervened, we wouldve been shot down!! Meanwhile, several more beams flashed from beyond the blue sky. Abyss and Sky were from the same model line. Without the random element that Beatrice provided, it was true Sky might be able to use their specs to predict what optimal action Abyss would take. Squeal I feel dizzy. At the same time, Boo Boo groaned while at the center of the formation tugging on his legs. Although it was a testament to his strength that all he felt was dizzy after flying with such speed at such altitude without any Magic assistance. Anyway, Abyss!! The oxygen and pressure issues go without saying. I will use my Magic to preserve a livable environment. No, not that. Well, yes that, but the sky above us is generally covered by that artificial atmospheric barrier, right? Does that really bear repeating now? Then where are we headed? Surely we arent going to find that thick ceiling blocking our way. I want to believe well find a hole since Sky is shooting down form here, but do we have any concrete proof of that!? Aaaand youve gone silent. Oh, and theres some red warning lights. You arent going to freeze up because this wasnt part of your calculations, are you? Were kind of relying on Spaceship Abyss staying functional here! But now that they were in ballistic flight, not even that sexy high-tech girl could apply the brakes. There was only one option left. If theres anything in our way, we can break it. By shooting it. Real aerial fights arent like bullet hell games where its over once you defeat the enemy! The barrier overhead is in our path, isnt it!? If it shatters, the shards will rain down on us!! But there was no real time to gripe. Even thought it was transparent, it still had an imposing presence. The thick wall was right there. Wah!! Beatrice desperately summoned Fire Magic, but there was no sound of shattering glass. The lines of heat she sent out ahead passed right through. The eight holes must have created cracks that spread and let some parts break off because there was a large, lake-sized hole here. The three of them passed right through the artificial atmosphere. They were in space. Beatrice had never expected to be thinking about this unknown territory after traveling to another world altogether. The composition and structure must have been different from on Earth because the atmosphere was not a scorching orange hell that burned everything to a crisp like she had seen on documentaries. Everything was so still and quiet. A hard and cold glass shell surrounded the blue planet. Grounds Nirs atmosphere actually looked cold. I am now using Magic to provide life support. Were they in a vacuum or not? Either way, when Abyss moved her white throat to produce a physical voice, it reached Boo Boo and Beatrices ears. But that means all three of us will die if I am shot down. It feels strange for an artificial object to ask this of units with irreplaceable lives, but it would help if you set me as a priority defense target. But they could not take their time preparing. This was where the barrier had broken. Sky would have been standing on the edge of the lake to fire down on the surface through the large hole. Which meant Shes here, said Boo Boo even though they still had a lot of speed and had not set their feet down on the ground yet. They saw two rough silver braids and a distinctive outfit similar to a two-piece black swimsuit that was more about cooling than covering up. A collection of arms extended from the back of her hips like a nine-tail fox. That collection of technology was different from what Beatrices group was used to on Earth. Its Sky! Shes looking our way!! Their eyes meet and red and yellow warning lights flashed. Abyss and Sky. Their weapon arms crawled creepily, their glowing parts spread out like fans, and they began an intense rush of Magic cannon fire. Part 2 Found it, said Iroka, the oldest of the three maid sisters, in the Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo. She sat on a picnic sheet in the garden and she held a notebook-sized tabletbut that was of course not all she was using. When connected to a parallel processing booster in international waters, she had enough power to overwhelm the worlds largest social media site. A nonstop computer uses duplicate wiring and chips to make zero downtime a reality no matter what happens. But the maintenance hatches are all kept separate. It seems the simulator was trying to hide the fact that it even used the nonstop computer method. How does it help us to know that? When Second Sister Misoka asked that blunt question, Iroka sighed with a hint of exasperation. By tracing back the flow of people going in and out, we should be able to discover where the electronic components are coming from. I imagine they are avoiding any transportation routes that would be recorded by fixed cameras, but this is the age of smartphones, drive recorders, drones, civilian satellites, portable game systems, pet robots, security buzzers, and smart glasses. There are net-connected cameras everywhere. Of course, that was assuming Iroka was skilled enough to break through the locks and use that data. Buying the parts from defense companies and labs seems most likely, but if a single company controlled it all, then an outside worker could figure out the plans for the simulator. So I imagine it will be divided into smaller sections and the parts are bought from dozens or even hundreds of different companies. Um, so whats your point? Adult Iroka answered Third Sister Haruka while rubbing the younger girls head for no real reason. It means we have plenty of openings through which to slip in a virus. Lets fake a random error report and get the usual maintenance workers to swap out the parts for our malicious ones. For that swap to work, they had to disguise their parts to look just like the proper ones, so Iroka had to have some partial plans on her tablet. And while she checked on those Maxwell? I wonder what that means. ? Perhaps. If history had been slightly different, there may have been someone around to tell them the meaning behind that name. But this reality was not so interesting. Anyway. The main point here was that the insistence on secrecy had required the work to be divided up so no one knew the whole picture. People would only know what they had been told, so no one would notice if a component had been tampered with. They could not infiltrate the giant simulator protected within a sturdy shelter, but the human workers used normal phones and computers. Iroka was skilled enough to interfere with Shining Weapons and Gates, so faking a command was a piece of cake for her. Compose the command format, attach a record of overheating, order the replacement part by bike courier, and use double tracking with the couriers phone and the packages tag. But that Sky robot lives in another world, doesnt she? They only exchanged some data, so how did that cooperative relationship help her? We will find out soon. Although I can make a pretty good guess already. ? The Hero ordered Sky to construct that artificial atmospheric barrier more than 300 years ago and Sky has followed that command ever since. I doubt the miss was lying to us when she told us all that, but was Skys work efficiency really consistent throughout? Perhaps she only managed to build the general framework in the first 100 years and made no real progress afterwards. My guess is she optimized the process considerably in the last few decades. You mean? Earth and Grounds Nir. Its hard to say which one has the greater technology, but what if we narrow our focus down to individual fields? We likely have the upper hand in one field in particular. During the Cold War when the Sage rose to prominence, what were the West and the East in such a desperate race to develop? What field was that? Spacedevelopment? Outer space was such a foreign concept to the residents of a small idyllic island. They had probably never even considered the possibility. The three maid sisters had no way of knowing, but the only exception who had plenty of astronomical knowledge would be Vampire Kallikantzaros who controlled the lunar eclipse. Archangel Marinka had long protected the sun island, but not even she had gone to outer space. And the residual thought trap had only needed to be set up in advance by the Hero and later placed on the sun island by Sky. Given when the Red began to afflict the Iberian Orcs, we should be able to estimate when the artificial atmospheric barrier was actually completed. Sky and the simulators honeymoon was still underway. So Sky does not have as much space development technology as you would think. She knows she is being used by the simulator, but her knowledge is too limited to get by without having someone she can ask for advice as insurance. Iroka supported the side of her glasses with her slender fingers. If we throw that connection into turmoil, it should negatively affect Skys movements outside the atmosphere. Our attacks can reach her through the simulator. And that will give the miss an advantage as she fights in that world. At the very least, this should be more useful than twiddling our thumbs here in Tokyo. Part 3 Abyss, who wore what looked like a racing swimsuit with a large hole and a belt-like supporter, intentionally placed a heavy burden on her own boosters to destroy them and use the resultant blast to forcibly cancel her ballistic flight and gently set foot on the artificial atmospheric barrier along with Boo Boo and Beatrice. Her split silver hair spread out unnaturally. Their footing was glass. The blue planet was visible below. Two long braids of rough silver hair swished around. Like some kind of weird bug, Sky clung to the transparent ground with both arms and legs and targeted the intruders with the many weapon arms coming form the back of her outfit which resembled a black two-piece swimsuit. That must have been more efficient than bipedal movement while outside the atmosphere. Only the twisted, constellation-like magic circle floated serenely above her head despite the situation. Surprisingly, gravity still existed beyond the planet. It seemed to be about a third of Earths. Beatrices hair floated up and Abyss looked a bit like her breasts were being lifted. It might sound difficult to function like that, but it felt similar to walking along the bottom of some water. Was the glass barrier simply being held at this altitude above the surface? If so, gravity would be pulling on it and Sky would have to be constantly supporting the entire thing with her Magic. Or would this area normally be weightless, but Sky (who had a yellow light in her eyes) had created artificial weight here so she could work. Either option would require an incredible amount of power. This was the artificial atmospheric barrier. There might be a natural defense barrier higher up that burned everything that passed through, or there might not. Either way, Sky had protected and preserved this structure for centuries. She must have destroyed any debris or asteroids that posed even a slight threat. All to protect the transparent barrier she had created, not the surface. If we talk this out- Unnecessary. Beatrice was cut off before she could finish her statement with miniskirt fluttering. A moment later, Sky lifted her butt a bit while on all fours to aim the spear, axe, and other weapons on their arms. Fearsome lightning shot out horizontally. Boo Boo spun his spine-backed sword, Forget Good and Evil, to block the lightning rushing toward Beatrices face. Then he swung the sword to the side to discharge it. The massive high-voltage current left in a safe direction. Arc Discharge!? Beatrices understanding only caught up once it was all over. It had all happened too fast. Both Sky and Boo Boos movements had been superhuman. Without his ability to sense faint electric currents, that single attack might have led to irreversible tragedy. If you could no longer move in battle, you were in a worse state than simply being killed instantly. Air did not normally conduct electricity. Lightning was a unique phenomenon in which the massive electrical power forcibly broke through the insulation of the atmosphere. How easy it was to break through depended on the composition, humidity, and density of the air and all forces would avoid stronger areas and flow toward weaker ones. Simply put, by swinging around Forget Good and Evil and making the air density uneven, he could intentionally guide the lightning where he wanted. Although that required Iberian Orc muscles which could crush a tanks armor like clay if they traveled to Earth. Sky moved directly to the side using all the fingers and toes sticking out of the black material covering her arms and legs and she waited for her next chance to attack. True to her statement, she showed no intention of speaking. She may have simply lacked that functionality, but she was intent on following her command to the end either way. Even though it would bring about great harm and even though the Hero was no longer around to benefit from it. Squeal. We need to stop Sky. Boo Boo spun his large sword around and held it in one hand. If she calms down, Im sure shell listen to us. I mean, shes the same as Abyss. She isnt fighting because she thinks something is good or bad! Hm? Stop, Boo Boo!! Abyss raised her voice in a way that was unusual for an artificial being. A moment later, the girls butt hopped up to adjust the arms attached to the back of her hips. A giant shield easily clashed with and stopped Boo Boos Forget Good and Evil. This was not an issue of sturdiness or technology. The sound of the hit was odd. It was far too light. (Oh, I get it. Boo Boo generally fights using the weight and speed of his hits, so the change to gravity has stripped him of his power!) The girl thought to herself while her fingers held her blunt weapon using the hole in the grip. The Iberian Orcs moved so fast as they swung their bodies and weapons around that they seemed to be swimming in the air more than running or jumping. By angling their weapons like wings and slicing them through the air, they could pull off reversals that would be impossible for the average person. But that probably would not work the way Boo Boo expected with the strange atmospheric makeup of this extreme altitude. Abyss was providing a livable environment for them, but enough to survive was as far as that went. Sky removed her hands from the glass ground and spun around on the spot. And she ignited her boosters as she did so. There was no time to be enchanted by the bodylines decorated by her skintight clothing. A skirt-like yellow light spread out and a powerful roundhouse kick easily sent Boo Boo flying backwards. Would it be harder for her if they got too close? Once more, the many weapon arms on the back of her hips made a noise as she stared down Boo Boo. The yellow warning triangle below her chest glowed even brighter. Boo Boo, get down!! Beatrice gave a shout, placed her slag-enlarged gauntlet on the grip of her log or steel beam of a Shining Weapon, and sent as big a fireball as she could manage toward Skys exposed bodylines. She doubted a cheap trick like this would win the battle. She only hoped it would act as a smokescreen. But she did not get even that. Was it Magic or was it a mechanical sensor? Several stone arrowheads entirely ignored the thick curtain of fire, tore through the air, and slammed into Boo Boos body. Stone Tool. When drops of blood floated out like round gems, it was Beatrice rather than Boo Boo himself who let out a scream. Meanwhile, Abyss moved to the front with her weapon arms spread like wings. She took nearly-frantic Beatrices place and began grappling with Skys weapon arms. Orange sparks and the sound of scraping metal exploded everywhere. Ignoring how her clothes tugged at her large breasts, Abyss opened her mouth to speak while staring down her enemy at point-blank range. Rejected one, I am not as kind as Boo Boo. And I know it is odd for an artificial being to say this, but to be blunt, I am pissed. Do you know what you are doing here!? She received no response. Red and yellow warning triangles shined below their chests. Instead of using her many weapon arms, Sky used her slender leg to kick Abyss above the navel and forcibly put some distance between them. The ideal distance for Sky was also the ideal distance for Abyss. The twisted magic circles above their heads glowed with two different colors of light. They fired barrages of Magic at close range to shoot down the others Magic and negate it all. The process repeated for hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of Magic attacks. And unlike with the Sage, they showed no sign of being limited to a single Element. They really were two ultimate weapons. Beatrice had specialized in only the Fire Element, so she would have been worn down and destroyed by that onslaught. Not even Boo Boos thick bone and muscle could have resisted it. But they could not afford to be reduced to mere onlookers. Squeal, is there anything we can do!? Break us out ofthis stalemate. Please destroy the ground below us!! Upon Abysss request while the recoil of the barrage made her large breasts jiggle, Boo Boo swung his spine-backed sword straight down. A tremor sank through the ground. The glass bent, but it was not enough to absorb the impact and several white cracks ran through it. Kh. Skys bare shoulders jumped while she was down on the ground with all fours. Was that a response to the terrain change or to the damage to the barrier she considered top priority? She lifted her small butt and aimed a piece of Hero equipment toward Boo Boo even though he was farther back than Abyss. Hngh, impromptu shield. Abyss deflected the beam using one foot to forcibly flip up a piece of the glass that had broken off from the cracks. The flipped-up piece of transparent land protected them. Although this seemed more of a way to adjust the level of Hate than a defense. Sky, whose rough silver braids swayed from her movement, hated any interference with the artificial atmospheric barrier above all else. But that could be used to distract her and mess with her timing. Sky kept switching between top priority targets, so she could not actually defeat any one target. Boo Boo, Beatrice, and Abyss might take damage, but they had time to recover. Meanwhile, Abyss had been focused on her fellow model from the beginning. That focus meant her attacks were pushing Sky back. It was slow, but the equilibrium was collapsing. Abyss gave a roar as she wrapped her arms around her body, squishing her chest in the process, to grab her weapon arms and increase their physical range. I will!! Push!!!! Through!!!!!! That isnot enough. Some kind of dark shadow appeared above their heads. But what was it? They were already on the artificial atmospheric barrier, so it seemed unlikely there would be clouds above that. Beatrice was not green enough to carelessly look away in the middle of an intense battle, so she first saw the change thanks to the reflection in the smooth glass ground. But at first, she did not properly comprehend what she was seeing there. Or perhaps she simply did not want to comprehend. What? Come to think of it, Sky had created this barrier, but where had she acquired the materials for it? That artificial girl, who continued wiggling her butt to adjust the aim of the weapon arms, would have needed a massive amount of materials for the entire barrier, but where had they come from? The answer was before their eyes: silicon asteroids. A mass capable of covering the heavens was approaching them!? Sky had always specialized in handling the silicon needed to construct and manage an artificial atmosphere large enough to cover every part of the planet. She had even used it to create a continent-sized cushion for the descent to the surface. She probably could manipulate masses of glass even at a distance. But even so. The Holy Swordswoman spoke her immediate thought while her tattered cloak and miniskirt floated around her. Y-you have got to be joking Joking? Sky must have used them for materials and then redirected them to protect the completed barrier. This was the same task she had gone through countless times over the centuries. Grounds Nir Reject Sky silently tilted her head. That is a communication tool I do not understand. Part 4 A moment later, it mercilessly happened. Part 5 The asteroid with a diameter of hundreds of meters did not actually make a direct attack. But only because Beatrice and Abyss used tons of Magic to crack it. But it did a lot of indirect damage. Striking the surface was not the only way a meteor or asteroid could do damage. For example, the friction of the air could break them apart during their descent, causing them to scatter lots of heat, light, and shockwaves. That had turned a 200 square kilometer area to scorched wasteland during the famous Tunguska explosion. Without even getting into the secondary effects and continuing damage, the simple explosion was greater in scale than a small nuke. Ohhh!! Beatrice immediately moved to cover for Boo Boo because she had 100% Fire Resistance. She could not fully protect him due to their difference in size, but it meant a lot that she managed to guard his face and chest. But in exchange, Beatrices entire body was of course exposed to the blast. Ghbh!? Beatrice!? This was about more than just Fire. The asteroid was likely more Earth than anything. The blow from the shockwave and chunks larger than her head knocked the breath out of her and drops of red scattered from her tightly-closed lips. The tattered cloak was no help. The magic circle floating behind her back was flickering disconcertingly. And it was not over yet. The yellow light spreading out like a fan by Skys ears and the sides of her hips wriggled bewitchingly. Trajectory control set for #2 through #256. Maintaining effective course. Beginning wireless towing. Kh. If a single asteroid manages to fall, it will destroy the livable environment on the surface, said Abyss. What good is this barrier then? Do you have any idea what you are doing!? I was given just one order: build the artificial atmospheric barrier and eternally preserve it. I was never told to protect the lifeforms on the surface. This could cause the barrier to collapse, but eliminating you is worth the cost of repairs. It had been obvious from the moment she attacked the Hero, but this was a reminder of how broken she was. She had not just mistaken the means for the objective. She saw no link between them at all. And no matter how wasted it all was, she did have definite power. If she was allowed to continue, she would do great damage, not just to Boo Boo and Beatrice, but to all of Grounds Nir. However, if they fired on the asteroids so they broke up in the air, great heat and shockwaves would burst forth. Those were effectively colossal bombs. Your speed and toughness were irrelevant; there was no enduring that. Boo Boo had only survived last time because Beatrice had protected him. If he was hit by that repeatedly, he would be worn down and killed. And so would that person he cared for. Then what were they to do? Racing Swimsuit Abyss released even more sinister red lights from all across her body. Her metallic red ear lights spread out beyond their limit. Performing preliminary calculations of effective trajectories. Priority targets set. Detected 38 targets. Performing preliminary calculations of effect on other objectives if all are destroyed at once. Selecting for maximum efficiency. Calculations complete. Top priority initial target determined. No, Abyss. But Boo Boo softly cut her off. While she was seemingly moving pieces across the game board in an unthinkably complex fashion, he grabbed her black right hand as if to correct the final move. Yes. Boo Boo generally allotted most of it to controlling his massive muscles so he did not destroy his own body, but his brain actually rivalled a supercomputer. That part goes here. Move a4 to r7. One of Abysss weapon arms grabbed Boo Boos huge body and threw him far overhead. She had already destroyed her own boosters, so in a way, this was an inevitable choice. If they waited for the asteroids to arrive at the barrier, they would be hit by the shockwaves of the asteroids destruction. If Boo Boo wanted to protect Beatrice, he only had to smash the asteroids from further away. They were hundreds of meters across, but they were not protected by a complex arrangement of armor panels. They were only made of silicon - exposed glass. Boo Boos great sword could make critical cracks in them. And so I wont make you do this over and over. It was like a straight-line charge. Boo Boo flew toward a 100m mass of glass, swung Forget Good and Evil with his full weight behind it, forcefully shoved it into the asteroid, and sliced right through. Squeal!! That will take care of them all!! Boo Boo was not familiar with the Earth game of billiards, but once that first asteroid was shattered, the rest played out like a great cascade. Large shards scattered in every direction, hit other asteroids, altered their trajectories, and repeated the process. Asteroids #2 through #256 just barely avoided the planet below as if being dragged away by a magnet. The only person who took damage was Boo Boo when the very first explosion occurred right in front of him. His giant body entered a tailspin. But it was all in how you used it. He had no boosters or wings, so he used the shockwave to change direction. And he did more than just return to the artificial atmospheric barrier. After gaining the momentum of a shooting star, he plummeted toward Sky with Forget Good and Evil in hand!! Now he could ignore the weakening of his attacks in this low-gravity environment. It was more like an artillery shell hitting than a sword slash. Sky reacted too late to dodge and instead raised her many weapon arms to defend, but those sank down from the force of the blow. However. It was not the weapon arms or Skys own skeletal structure that bent. What gave way was below her. The great pressure caused the glass barrier itself to bend like a plate spring. She must have hated it since she wanted to protect that above all else, but the sinking of the ground below her meant the impact meant to be absorbed by her was instead absorbed by the bending ground similar to a cars suspension. A sharp noise followed. The bending had gone too far. A spider web of white cracks spread out from where Sky stood with her bodylines showing through what looked like a black two-piece swimsuit. Then it all shattered. With their footing gone, Boo Boo and Sky entered a fatal fall. No, that was not accurate. Sky had her boosters, so she could escape. It was only Boo Boo who would fall. Or so everyone thought. But. But. But. The very next moment, Boo Boo kicked off of something. Was it a fragment of the barrier that had begun to fall? No. Was it the remains of Abysss broken boosters? Again, no. Thesurface? groaned Sky while facing a threat that refused to leave even after she sacrificed the artificial atmospheric barrier she had set as her top defensive priority. Something was launched up from the surface!? Part 6 It was a simple matter. Boo Boo, Beatrice, and Abyss were not the only ones battling this threat. Work harder, weakest! Success here come down to you!! On the coast of the small island, Strigona was trying to motivate the Thousand Dragon, a dragon who measured more than 1000 meters long. Now, the Thousand Dragon did not maintain such a large body by eating. The island was small enough to walk the perimeter in three days, so it would dry up in no time if she tried to obtain nutrition through normal means. That was why she took a large quantity of fire, water, wind, and earth spirits inside her body and had them produce energy. It may have been like a symbiotic relationship with a parasite. When it looked like she was eating, she was only supplying those spirits with what they needed. In other words We just need an energy source more brutal than those ordinary Elements. At times like this, Strigona would cross her arms, stand tall, and give a vicious smile. Strongest of the Plants: Ileana. Bearer of the Demon Lord Title: Tselika. Autonomous Statue: Frau Gothel. Flammable Slime Lifeform: Flame Bubble. Self-Baiting Trap: Gullveig. Controller of the Lunar Eclipse: Kallikantzaros. And lastly, Fairy Queen: Strigona. With that group present, the answer was obvious. For example, the Break News! Our power has always been a step above, so you dont get to come crying to us that you couldnt reach some puny little film surrounding our world, weakest!! And the Thousand Dragon herself had a brutal weapon. By gathering the energy produced within her body and sending it in a single direction, she could fire what was known as a Dragon Breath. It was a beam of light, an explosive roar, and a shockwave. This blast was fired up toward the heavens, but even watching from nearby required great durability. Strigona felt her skin tingling and her black ribbon dresss miniskirt fluttered dangerously. She could never have brought the normal-sized Fairies like Meridiana, Alice, and Morgan here. This is our world. She roared with her hands on her hips and her eyes on the attack vanishing beyond the blue sky. You seem to think you can do whatever the hell you want with it, so heres a lesson for free: There are no side characters in Grounds Nir! This is our will. We will be taking back our world, uninvited guest in the attic!! Part 7 Simply put, that provided a foothold. Boo Boo planted his feet there. He had broken through the artificial atmospheric barrier, lost his footing, and ended up in freefall, so he had used the torrent of an attack rocketing up from the surface. He paused for a breath. And then he jumped again. He jumped toward Sky who had used her boosters only to avoid falling. She could not get away. He had caught her off guard. Sky had already swung her body along an arcing path and bound herself with her own inertia to avoid his earlier punch, so she had no way of avoiding this new attack from the other side. Boo Boos single-edged sword roared through the air. Forget Good and Evil pursued Sky as accurately as a precision-guided weapon!! So what? Meanwhile. Everyone has something they refuse to compromise on. Skys eyes made a straining noise as they opened wide and their yellow light brightened. Connecting datalink and using access route to Earth. Requesting evasive trajectory calculations from simulator. Assist me!! Sky had not given up. Even while bound by the artificial gravity created by her own actions, she forcibly moved her body in a twisting fashion to shake just a bit side to side. It was only about a bodys width, but it proved she could still move. With the help of that complete simulator, she could dodge this!! Part 8 However. It had already been revealed that Boo Boo, Beatrice, and Abyss were not the only ones fighting. That was true back on Earth as well. Namely, in the Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo. Im in, muttered bespectacled Iroka, oldest of the three sisters, while looking down at her tablet. Haruka, the third sister, glanced over at the screen and tilted her head because she did not understand what she was seeing. Hmm? Do you not type away at a keyboard the whole time when hacking? When you want to look up a recipe, do you start by staring at a black screen and typing up a script? You just tap the button, dont you? In fact, I bet the AI advertisers send you suggestions before you even ask. So what happened? Misaka, the second sister, kept things simple at times like this. She was willing to put off figuring something out if she did not need to understand it at the moment. A legitimate worker installed our modified component in the nonstop computers parallel board. That infected the backup that kicks in if the main ones power goes out, but the main simulator was infected once they synced. The castle gates might be impregnable from the outside, but this let us open them from within. So you have a route straight in? Indeed I do. However. This simulator was more efficient than the human Diet and government agencies, so it had effectively begun managing the government by assisting with the creation of national policy planning documents. The effects of destroying it were unfathomable. They might even spread beyond Japan alone. This was the turning point. They would turn the Detached Magic Palace into the worlds smallest country. It was all to protect a certain girl. That was easy enough to say, but could they actually do it? After thinking through all that, Iroka smiled a little. Iroka, Misoka, and Haruka. The fact that all three sisters were working in the shadows of the government at their age was proof that they had no ordinary background. Haruka was young enough that she should have been part of the compulsory education system. Since nations and corporations were affected so wildly by the Pieces brought from another world, a lot of the youth saw no real reason to bother with normal education and employment. And yet a lot of those also lacked the courage to risk their lives in the Labyrinth. These sisters had also been in that awkward, in-between position. But they had still wanted to be something special, so they had ended up falling to this position. So when they first heard about that girl, they had been jealous. They really had felt a much nastier envy. But what they found was different. She was much more isolated. She was much more noble. She was much more righteous. Her appearance had resembled the Sages. She had possessed the rare traits of a Holy Swordswoman. She had produced real results. Based on the superstition born from those facts, she had been thrown into the luxurious prison known as the Detached Magic Palace, but she had continued looking to the future instead of just rotting away. She was like a small flower growing through a crack in the stone floor of a solitary confinement cell. She used the hint of light shining through the barred window to spread her leaves and bloom. The sisters had decided they could not let her wither away. People were easily distorted. They themselves were an example of that. The girl had worked toward the future all this time, but no one knew what tomorrow would hold. So they decided to protect her. They would not kneel before some great saint. They would work to ensure a perfectly ordinary girl would not collapse under the external pressure bearing down on her. They would make sure she could live her life and remain ordinary. They would do anything to that end. That was what they had decided. At the very least, this was far better than wandering aimlessly. It was far better than when they had obtained special power after hoping to be something special, but had failed to find a special goal. I may have been mistaken. Onee-chan? If you want a place to call home, then make one. You dont have to wag your tail and bow down for someone while waiting for them to give you one. Stopping the simulator would be bad news for the country and the world. The simulators supposed purpose sounded fine and all, but were the things it protected really so perfect? Was a system really just if it could only be maintained by locking a girl in what amounted to a prison with a different name and aesthetic? For one thing, where even were they? Did any of it matter to Iroka and the others when they would be making a brand new home for themselves? I do not care. She was not going to claim the simulator was to blame for all the tragedy. But it calculated out how to benefit even from the incidental tragedies. That demon of statistics functioned much like it was running an organ business by maintaining a list of the sex, age, and blood type of everyone who died of illness and accidents. She would end this age of being manipulated by something like that. She and her sisters would leave these prison walls in order to bring freedom to their beloved master. She placed her slender fingertip on the button displayed on the tablets screen. She sent the decisive command. I do not care! This time, world, I will make sure you remember what it means to be free!! Part 9 Skys feet had left the shattered artificial atmospheric barrier. She was also moving away from the blue planet. Some slight static shook her mind during her evasive action. !? The look on her face said she could no longer reach what she had been relying on. And heartless as it might seem, time did not stop. She could not change her course much thanks to her own inertia and Boo Boo leaped toward her with spine-backed Forget Good and Evil in hand. On Earth and in Grounds Nir, a great many people had wanted to settle things. Their resistance had taken different forms, but they had decided to break free of some form of control. They had decided to no longer live with their head forced down by someone else. Ohhhh!! roared Boo Boo. He was already within range for his large sword. Sky could not escape that thick blade by forcibly igniting her boosters now. The many weapon arms crossed in front of her. But not in order to intercept an attack. This was meant to cushion against a blow. It was a nonstrategic reflex, similar to someone holding their hands in front of their face when a ball flew toward them. Boo Boo did not hesitate. He placed all his weight and speed on the end of Forget Good and Evil and he swung it down with all his might!! !? Sky audibly gasped as her two braids swayed through empty space. Sounds of destruction followed. The weapon arms attached to the back of her hips were no defense at all. One after another, they were broken like dry twigs. The thick blade of Boo Boos Forget Good and Evil approached Skys slender body. And. And. And. (?) Ultimate Weapon Abyss was the first to notice something was off as she watched from the side. This was odd. Boo Boos attack had been perfect. Sky had leaped away from the planet to avoid any more damage to the barrier they were standing on, so her powerful inertia had limited her evasive choices and left her with no escape route. Desperately buying time by sacrificing the weapon arms was not enough. As a machine, she may have been willing to sacrifice parts of herself and thought she could make a counterattack if even one weapon remained, but not even that had worked. Boo Boos sword had smashed all of the weapon arms and continued on to slice her head apart. And yet (It didntreach her?) Abysss artificial throat gulped as she confirmed the unfavorable situation. (No! Did Boo Boo redirect his own blade out of the way!?) Boo Boo felt a dull impact in his wrist. After slicing through the many weapon arms, he had twisted the thick sword at the last second to bring it down on Skys bare right shoulder instead of her head. Her slender form tilted to the side, but she had not ceased to function. Even Sky herself widened her eyes in surprise at her survival. Meanwhile, Boo Boo alone viewed her face from close up. He would not let her get away now. And he raised his voice to a roar. Creating and forever preserving the artificial atmospheric barrier is your top priority and you were not told to protect the lifeforms on the surface. Thats what you said, isnt it? What are you-? Is that what you actually want to do, or is it just what the Hero ordered you to do!? It was Abyss rather than Sky who looked like she had a stake driven into her heart. I dont get how all those beepy machines work, but theres something I figured out from talking with the Shining Weapons and Abyss. Sky, all you ever talk about is the artificial atmosphere. Almost like you arent allowed to do anything else! So give us the truth! Do you personally want to keep doing this!? I-I She tried to twist around as if to escape something, but she could not. There was no escape for her now that Boo Boos large sword was embedded deep in her shoulder. I will create and forever preserve the artificial atmospheric barrier. That is what I was created to- No!! Boo Boo slammed her with a rejection of that standardized message. No ones talking about what you were born to do. The Iberian Orcs like me continually evolved to fight Abyss and the Hero turned us into materials for her body. And Abyss was forced to sacrifice everything to fight the Underworld Lord! Beatrice, Philinnion, Hermelina, and probably everyone else had roles expected of them and forced onto them! But that isnt what matters!! We were all born in the hopes that we would do something, but its up to us to decide how we live!! Squeal, dont get that confused, Sky. What youre doing isnt called living!! So tell us. Boo, tell us in your own words!! Boo Boo would not stop speaking. He pushed through. He had to here. Someone had to! In the end, what does the artificial atmospheric barrier matter!? What have you accomplished by protecting it for centuries!? Youve been watching us while all alone up here outside the planet, havent you? Youve been watching us laugh, cry, and fight while no one at all knew you were up here! How did that make you feel? Can you really, truly say youre satisfied with a life simply doing what you were told!? (I was commanded to create the artificial atmospheric barrier) A force within her kept her from saying that out loud. Could Boo Boo hear her conflict because he had the power to read weak electrical signals? Or was it written plainly on her face? Tell us!! A great many powers had gathered together. So many people had worked to give him this chance. So he would not let it end prematurely. He could never spit on their efforts by killing her without asking this first. No matter what. What did you really, truly want to spend that time doing, Sky!!!??? More than the Iberian Orcs powerful body and more than the thick sword embedded in her shoulder, it may have been those words that broke something inside Sky. She bit her lovely lip. I And the yellow warning lights vanished. The fan-like glowing yellow objects folded up at her ears and the sides of her hips. With the warning triangle below her chest gone, the girl spoke a desire that she knew could never be. I wanted to be with everyone else. Squeal, then leave it to me. You dont have to cry anymore. He answered immediately, as if to say there could be no other answer. Sky looked taken aback, so Boo Boo smiled. I was all alone once too, but everyone saved me. So now I can never underestimate that power. Something audibly burst as Boo Boo spoke. Sky looked shocked in her heat-reduction outfit that resembled a black two-piece swimsuit. Whatwas that? If theres something in your head keeping you from living the way you want, then Ill destroy it. He smiled. And he spoke while smiling. Dont worry. I dont get these beepy machine things, but Ive messed with them before. I can save you! It was Beatrice who looked up with miniskirt fluttering. What had happened when Boo Boo rewrote his Shining Weapons profile settings to save her? Hadnt they been fighting to escape that? Was he saying they were headed right back there again? Wait, Boo Boo!! But. But. But. Dont worry. She definitely heard his voice. He was saying he would not take the easy way out and go for a desperate tear jerker of an ending. I wont waste the life all of you saved. Squeal, were all getting back from here. I wont let any of us be lost!! Not even one! And that includes Sky and me!! Part 10 In truth. After Boo Boo crawled out of the dirt and woke up, a red-armored and white-miniskirted woman had chased him around for a while. Get back here, Boo Boo!! Squeal!? She refused to forgive him even after he cried and apologized and she had beat him over the head with some rolled-up parchment. Of course, he may have only had himself to blame for dying and worrying the others. Beatrice was hopeless at times like this. When he had reawoken, she had only been able to cling to him and cry. In a way, only someone who knew more about the Iberian Orcs than Beatrice was suited for that role, so beating down Boo Boo had been the Sages job. I know you wanted to save Beatrice, but you pushed yourself too far in too many ways! When you get too fixated on some girl and decide to take things into your own hands, youre not supposed to literally send yourself to heaven. Ive never heard of anything so ridiculous!! Its more pathetic than those mantises that are eaten by the females! Squeal But Abyss said that was the only way to save Beatrice. You already saw for yourself how she jumps straight toward suicide as a solution to any problem she faces, didnt you!? Dont listen to the mentally ill girl with scars all over her wrists!! She mistakenly thinks its a virtue to lose your life in exchange for something!! O-ow If you keep hitting me on the head, my necks going to get stuck in my body. This is the best way to teach a fool. What is that you have rolled up there? A legendary weapon??? This is an inn town newspaper Im going to be publishing soon. I plan to become the media lord of this world to kill some time. And Ill use that to rid everyone of their biases about Iberian Orcs. That was a hell of a thing to say, but Boo Boo only tilted his head since he did not understand the threats of a digitized society. Beatrices lookalike tapped her shoulder with the rolled up parchment. Anyway, next time you think about doing something that crazy, make sure you wait for me. I can give you a lot better advice than an ultimate weapon whos like an embodiment of destruction. I am known as the Sage, after all. Rely on me more. Boo But youre an elusive free spirit who only shows up when you least expect it, so how am I supposed to find you when I want to- ow! S-squeeeeeeal!? Boo Boo tearfully jumped up when she grabbed and tugged on his curly tail. There really was no one who knew how to deal with Iberian Orcs better than her. It was not hard to see why it was said the powerful elder could not sneak any food whenever she was around. My point is, Boo Boo, that the basic idea was not wrong. But the method you used ignored the entire concept of safety standards. I am not fond of that kind of emotional but meaningless decision. Squeal? To put it extremely simply, we cant have you shocking yourself in the process. The Sage spat out the words, but that really did accurately pinpoint the problem. And You might be sort of satisfied - or even feeling pretty proud of yourself - for risking your life to save Beatrice, but I dont want you getting into some weird habit of self-sacrifice, so Im going to take you down a peg with a single statement. Are you ready? I really am going to ruin it all with one little thing. Rather than lecturing him, her cruel grin made her look more like a child preparing for an especially good prank. Boo Boo flinched and the Sage said it straight to his face. Find a way to ground yourself next time. Part 11 That might not seem like much of a revelation to the humans of Earth, but things were different for the residents of a world without the appropriate foundation for such things. That world only knew of electricity as lightning or the stuff that made their clothes shock them. But he needed a ground. A ground!! This was not the island small enough to walk the perimeter in three days. It was the glass artificial atmospheric barrier that divided the planet from outer space. Normally, simple glass did not conduct electricity. That meant it could not be used as a ground - that is, it would not provide a safe outlet for excess electricity. But this was a special barrier that the Hero had ordered Sky to build in order to transform the planets environment. It was a planetary control system that freely bent the light falling from the heavens, caused chemical bonds in the atmospheres components, made the ground rise up from the gathering of heat, and was capable of other things too. That meant it was not simply glass. Some method (that very likely relied on electricity) had been used to control the refraction of light. For example, the density of the glasss interior may have been adjustable. It was very likely made to conduct electricity. And it continued on for as far as the eye could see. For Boo Boos purposes, it was no different from land. He could use it as a ground to protect himself!! Ohhhh!! He no longer needed the single-edged Forget Good and Evil. He slammed his forehead against hers and roared. Sky was indeed the root cause of it all. But had she really done anything wrong? Had she really needed to be labeled a reject? Perhaps she needed to be punished for her crimes, but could she really never be forgiven? He would provide an answer for all of that here. He entered her artificial head and remove the order that the Hero had placed there out of her own delusions. Once the initial command was gone, all that would remain was the true Sky - everything she had developed within herself. He would find out what exactly that was. Even if she had gone along with the Heros command and done such an awful thing and even if she had abandoned the Hero during that long time, Boo Boo would forgive her if it was just an ordinary girl that remained once it was all over. He would bow down to anyone to get them to forgive Sky who had been alone for so very long. And if that kind of bright salvation was even somewhat possible, it was worth trying!! The battle no longer mattered. No one was talking about life or death here. Only one thing mattered. Could he bring a smile to this girl who had never known what it was to smile and could he break her out of her centuries-long isolation? If he kept his focus there, he really did not care what happened afterwards!! Hero Boo Boo did not understand the complex high-level programming language used by Sky and Abyss. It was all about feeling. Something dark lurked at the core of her mind. It was like an amorphous blob and he saw it as a much more concentrated version of the cruelty he had received from strangers. It would have saddened him had this come from within Sky. But it did not. It clearly stood out from its surroundings, so he knew it did not come from Sky herself. It had been pasted there. That root cause of her evil deeds had been forcibly embedded within her by someone else so it could never be removed. So the emotion roiling in Boo Boos chest was anger. Your story already ended! So release Sky! Release this girl youve kept enslaved for centuries!! Let her go freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Part 12 A bluish-white flash burst out so brightly it seemed to scorch the inky blackness of space. And the twisted, constellation-like magic circle above her head - that symbol of this conflict - silently vanished. Volume 7, Epilogue: Welcome to the Open World Volume 7, Epilogue: Welcome to the Open World There was a small hill partway up the mountain. That was Boo Boos favorite spot and it gave him a view of the inn town the humans used as a base. But he was not there at the moment. Holy Swordswoman Beatrice stood silently on the hill in her red armor and white miniskirt. Next to her, bespectacled White Witch Philinnion asked a question with a smile in her voice. Hee hee. Are you feeling lonely, Beatrice? Philinnion, you dumbass! Have you forgotten Beatrice is the obsessive stalker type who cant take a joke about these things!? Fighter Priest Hermelina frantically spoke up, but the utter moron probably had no idea she had detonated several nuclear landmines in her attempt to avoid a single anti-personnel mine. Boo Boo was currently walking to the inn town visible below. He said he was going to bow down along with Sky to get everyone to accept her. Had he thought about the fact that it was not that long ago that he had been curled up all alone on this hill to watch the festivals from afar? Everyone grew with time. As long as they wanted to grow, they would not stay in one place for long. Yes. And Beatrice took a step forward with her tattered gray cloak swaying behind her. I am lonely. But Im even more pissed. What, am I so strong he doesnt feel the need to protect me? I went to all that trouble to get this strong and now its working against me? He had admitted to his weakness. And he had wanted to move past it. But why is it I cant even imagine Boo Boo smiling happily with everyone if we had given up on Sky? It all came down to this: The guy she loved was not that cheap a person. The island was small enough to walk the perimeter in three days. This was an alternate world with a variety of lifeforms, ranging from the palm-sized Fairies to a Dragon that seemed to reach the sky. A lot had happened on that island. So very, very much had happened. But in the very end, everyone had smiled and forgiven each other. And they had continued forward, even if only a step at a time. Grounds Nir had seemed so attractive to the humans from Earth, but that may not have been limited to the Labyrinth sprawling out below the island. They may have been drawn to the land and the air and they may have dreamed of great possibilities there. Of course, those possibilities would never come true if they simply sat around dreaming. A great many people had clashed and worn down their own bodies to protect this easy-going world. Profit, biases, status, and justice. They had weighed many things on the scales while protecting this place. So this would turn out just fine. Grounds Nir would not be broken by something as simple as inviting in a new friend. My name is Sky. The human inn town had accepted Boo Boo, but they would not stop there. After he gave a supportive push on the back of a lonely girl who reminded him of his old self, a miracle was completed. An ordinary girl spoke in front of so many people. I caused a lot of trouble for so many people. I will not argue if you call me the root cause of it all. But if you can find it within you to accept me, I will ask for nothing else. So please!!!!!! Volume 7, Afterword Volume 7, Afterword And with that, this is Kamachi Kazuma!! This is the 7th and final volume!! Volume 6 was an ending for Boo Boo, but there were still plenty of mysteries left over, like it was an uncompleted fill-in-the-blank test. My intent with this volume was to answer every last one of those unanswered questions and to give a proper happy ending for Boo Boo, Beatrice, and everyone else who did not give up on happiness. I think the Sage and the elder may have left the biggest impression there. I think having something beyond the ending was a very Boo Boo-like thing to do since the series incorporated a lot of video game elements, but what did you think? Getting to the actual content of the novel, I have been writing a lot more depictions of practical applications of magic in A Certain Magical Index since the series has been running for so long, so I wanted to simplify the occult and magical stuff here to kind of go back to my roots in a way. That was a different approach from Unexplored Summon://Blood-Sign where I used language as a foundation to create a fictional mythological system for the series. (In other words, I created my own mythology instead of searching through the worlds existing mythologies for material). Not having to read through so much material was convenient, but that honestly made it harder to give any real depth or weight to it. I often compared Beatrices Fire Magic to metal jets and volcanoes or compared Wildefraus Ice Magic to liquid nitrogen, but that was a trace of my trial and error method there. (Now, for their handle names, I did use the names of legendary women such as female demons, fairies, witches, and the heroines of ancient literature. For example, Beatrice is a main character from the Divine Comedy, Philinnion is a ghost girl from an ancient Greek story, Hermelina is a succubus introduced in a book on witches, etc. Strigona is a witch (or a vampire?), although you might have better luck searching for Striga. For the guys like Boo Boo, Omega, the elder, and Skull Wave, I went with nicknames lacking any kind of motif.) Magic comes in many forms, ranging from simple rain dances, prayers, and magic charms to the complex modern Western magic that has entire books written on the process, so there is no real right answer in what part you choose to use in your work of entertainment. In that sense, I think it was very important that I took Boo Boo in the opposite direction of my other series that has lasted more than a decade. The final enemy was Sky, whose name was the polar opposite of Abyss, and the stage was outer space. Thats probably pretty rare when it comes to fantasy worlds. The final boss being equipped with only hero equipment was something of an important point. I seem to like going with the dark side of justice than going with pure evil. Although that might be obvious when you look at the Objects or the White Queen from my other series. In that sense, I may have made the protagonist an Iberian Orc because I wanted someone in a position where they could talk about simple good deeds and justice without it seeming too trite. When it comes to battles or relationships, a strongest character really shines if you give them even one thing they long for. If your hero wants for nothing and is simply living the exact life they wanted, theres no story there. At least thats my view after writing so many stories. Yes. I think the time to end this series is when Boo Boo has truly overcome his many complexes. And that has happened in this seventh volume. So for the finale, I had him save Sky and finish that saving in the human inn town. Fighting and efficiently destroying your opponent is not what it means to be the strongest. Boo Boo is no longer the person who could not stop Abyss from killing herself and could only watch the festival all alone on that hill. What is true strength? What hurdles did Boo Boo need to overcome? What did you think? I give my thanks to my illustrator Mahaya-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, Yamamoto-san, and Mitera-san. Boo Boo and Beatrices story had life breathed into it by the illustrations and it only succeeded thanks to all of your support. I relied on you all for a lot in developing the characters, the world, and each characters magic circle and whatnot. I am truly grateful you stuck with me for this series to the end. And I give my thanks to the readers. I wanted to show that there was something beyond the normal ending and that gave this a rather unusual structure, but the people who read this volume must have been those who answered no to Abysss question at the end of Volume 6. I cannot thank you enough for loving this series so much. I am truly grateful. I hope we will meet again in the next series. And I will end this here. I hope their happy days will continue in all of your hearts. Sky? I love her. -Kamachi Kazuma Volume 7, Ending Volume 7, Ending Two silhouettes flew around the blue sky with their courses seeming to intertwine. The fluttering distressed silver hair and the firing boosters belonged to Abyss and Sky who had abandoned their warning colors. Times had changed. And that was no metaphor. Alchemist Cheerleader Huldra spoke while looking up from the inn town. I never thought wed see a time when Pieces are going away for good. Humans had originally shown an interest in Grounds Nir because they could learn Magic and cause phenomena not possible on Earth. Whether it was semiconductors, new drugs, or fuel batteries, simply being able to produce fire from your hand could lead to very different discoveries when viewed on a microscopic scale. Taking macro-level objects back to Earth was difficult, but data could be stored in the Shining Weapon and brought back. Those were known as Pieces. They carried the possibility of breaking open stalled fields of research, but that meant they brought the tremendous power to both develop and eradicate human civilization. However Well, the entire Labyrinth is a giant armory. Its private property, so if they insist we stay out, we kind of have to, dont we? Wildefrau, the pervert wearing only a cross sword and belts, gave an offhand response. Until now, the Labyrinth had not belonged to anyone, so even though the humans from earth were separated by country, corporation, language, religion, and more, they had all competed in the exploration of that underground space. But that was off limits now that an owner had appeared. Had Abyss and Skys appearance brought humanity to a standstill? When the inn town humans had accepted them, had they foolishly crushed their own possibilities? If so, blonde braid loop Gruagach and blonde curled ponytail Rusalka would not have looked so carefree. I bet everyone really wanted an excuse to set down their Shining Weapons and come to a stop. But we cant stop visiting this world either. Right, Onee-sama!? The draw of Grounds Nir wasnt the thrilling battles. So. Why were those peaceful four gathered around a table on a main street? The answer could be found in the food-oriented social gathering spot hastily created from the first floor of the inn/pub here. I think we should work with the Thousand Dragon for this! I mean, her ability to instantly travel between this island and that continent is unbeatable!! No, winning over Ileana and hogging all the herbs comes first! Controlling the top is meaningless if your foundation is shaky! I dont care if its life insurance of real estate; is there any way to make some money!? Im desperate over here! Beatrice, Philinnion, and Hermelina. No, it was not just them. All those veteran warriors were focused elsewhere now. The Labyrinth was no longer an option, but so what? The current trend was to work with the Nonhumans living in Grounds Nir, make business contracts with them, learn from their knowledge and skills, take that back to Earth, and trade using the islands natural resources. What about the Womb Pot!? The Thousand Dragons Mother is sleeping at the bottom of that lake, right? If we had two colossal dragons to ourselves, we could revolutionize transportation in this world!! The surface is covered with Strigonas toxin, remember? How do we remove that hellish film, you idiot!? If thats truly impossible, then wouldnt that be a business opportunity of its own? If we get a rival Guild all worked up so they start some expensive but impossible project, theyd end up really badly burned. Huldra and the others stared up into the sky with a distant look in their eyes, but this did not end with ugly greed. Blue ringlet curl Wildefrau (who could probably remove the toxin by freezing the surface of the lake) placed a hand on the cheek of her truly exasperated face. Honestly, and I thought I was seeing the good will of humanity when we all abandoned the Labyrinth at once like that. You were definitely imagining things. The currency here is still the gears from the Gimmicks made in the Labyrinth. Basically, everyone thought they could focus more on making money if they let those mechanical girls handle the mint and banking system. Skintight leotard, armor, and boots Rusalka explained that while poking at a stone gear sitting on the table. There you go. Oh, its Meridiana. The palm-sized Fairy had refilled the aroma oil in the center of the table. Appearing before people had been rare of that timid speciesbut not anymore. Looking up a bit showed a Royal Elf walking along with a paper bag of ingredients for the Girls Grill she had resumed running and both Archangel Marinkas were reading the inn town newspaper together on top of a pointed roof. If you visited the church, you would see a lovely Nun bossing around a skeleton who was extremely philanthropic (to women only). They were all important business and trade partners, so the humans could not kick out the many different forms of Nonhuman even if they wanted to. If they did not build a favorable relationship with them, they could not get favorable deals. It was not all bad. For example So in the end, we failed, said Misoka, second of the three maid sisters, in the Detached Magic Palace of Roppongi, Tokyo. Their plan to turn the Detached Magic Palace into the worlds smallest independent country had continued right up to the end, but it had bene overturned at the very, very end. They would not have needed to calm their anger if it had been obstruction from the profit-focused influencers or by Over the Wall or the simulator lurking beyond that, but they could hardly complain when their beloved master had been the one to unwittingly do it. Iroka, the oldest sister, pouted her lips like a small child for once. I never thought she would seal up the Labyrinth and change this Piece-driven world. The red dress girl was responsible for 15% of the peoples total tax money. That income would have been enough to support a small country, but now they were back to square one. What do we do now? asked Haruka, the small animal of a third sister. With the Labyrinth exploration and Piece profits gone, Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki had no reason to keep the red dress girl locked up. But at the same time, that meant they did not need to keep supporting the Detached Magic Palace in the most expensive area of Roppongi. Iroka had started to think this may have been the real right answer. If they declared their independence and freedom, the new nations income would be entirely reliant on the dress girl. If she was forced to continue exploring the dangerous Labyrinth to support the Detached Magic Palace, would she really have been free? Sometimes you could only see something clearly after it had been lost. They had been trying to protect that girl, but she had ended up protecting them. There master may have been looking further ahead than them. I dont get it, whispered Iroka who wore glasses and had a mole below her eye. But whatever form it takes, we and the miss are no longer bound here. Once she finds a new Gate and reregisters, she can live in a small apartment for all it matters. As long as we can happily support her. There was a definite change, slow as it might be. There was a lot of noise at Boo Boos brick house on the mountain slope. But instead of the houses owner, it was the Break News around it causing the ruckus. Taking root in that glass continent would indeed be difficult. But not impossible. The land might be a dead end, but the ocean is a treasure trove of resources. If we lay nutrient-rich dirt atop the glass continent and create soil by either burning seaweed or letting it rot, we might just be able to take root there! Ho ho? So are you planning to go there? There is more than one of me. Do not forget that all plants on this island come from the All-Purpose Seed and are thus a part of me, pest. And the times are constantly changing. The time has come for an upset within the Break News. Will we cling to the island, or will we expand our influence to the new continent? That will be the key to the coming century. From the ghost ship and from the sky, Kallikantzaros and the Thousand Dragon were apparently keeping an eye on the people traveling between the island and the new continent. Was that meant as a warning so they would behave? But separate from that, Strigona breathed an annoyed sigh. I am the Fairy Queen, so I cannot travel to a new land and abandon the village. Hwa ha ha. You old hag, stubborn people like you are known as obsolete fossils! The humans apparently say its easy to overlook whats right under your nose. So while everyone is focused on the new continent, I think Ill work in secret to take over this island with Boo Boos second house at the center of my territory. What? You got a problem with that, perverted carrot? It was unclear how serious they were, but ominous sparks flew between those two. The Sage was in the Iberian Orc village. There were fewer Iberian Orcs than usual, perhaps because they were out helping with construction work. They no longer had to live in secret. The pig-faced giants rushing back and forth blew away the still atmosphere that usually hung over the place like a deep fog. It wont be that easy. The Sage spoke so only the elder could hear while holding a parchment memo pad in hand. The little ones squeaked while drawing out a large ladder-like frame on a patch of black soil cleared of underbrush. Drawing pictures in those frames was apparently the in thing at the moment. They had probably been influenced by the four-panel comic featuring a pig protagonist and human girl heroine that ran in a corner of the Sages inn town newspaper. She kindly narrowed her eyes as she viewed those innocent little ones, but her whispered voice was as harsh as ever. Human nature is not changed so easily. Long before we ever encountered this world or the Labyrinth, we were getting into ugly fights over the money we had developed. Things might look good now, but once someone somewhere finds a loophole, all that malice and greed will rear its ugly head once more. It will happen sooner or later. Squeal. Whether he understood or not, the elder tilted his head a little. But I feel like that is what it means to be alive. I cant imagine a living creature with no desires or wishes. Even Lady Abyss and Lady Sky took flight after finding something they wanted to do. Perhaps. Things were fine while the world was happy. As long as everyone flung the doors open wide and innocently ran toward a world of new possibility. But what harm would that cause? What disasters would it bring about? There needed to be at least one person who gave this peaceful new era that kind of serious thought. And if a threat was about to take form, she only had to warn everyone so it could be nipped in the bud. She had decided to start a newspaper in this world because she wanted the information infrastructure to get the word out. She had given up on making all the decisions on her own without relying on anyone. The Sage smiled a little. But. ? At the very least, we might have steered away from the disastrous future I knew. Time had passed and evening had arrived. Boo Boo and Beatrice stood on the hill overlooking the inn town. The humans had abandoned the Labyrinth. But at the same time, they had incorporated the islands Nonhumans into their routines and that was gradually changing the people of this world who had always lived peacefully in the forests and fields. The value of rest was changing. The busy time spent in the inn town was a refreshing new experience. But it was important to still find and keep a spot where they could return to those more carefree times. The concept of time-off and vacations might begin to spread through the Nonhumans before long. Boo Boo. ? Beatrice gently spoke to Boo Boo who was resting on the hill after the fast pace of the inn town had overwhelmed him. It felt like everyone had already accepted it as fact. Some might ask why it was worth bringing up now. But when she thought back, it had all just kind of happened while they were so busy dealing with the Sage and the Hero. It would be awkward to back out of it now, but the more girly part of Beatrice asked her if it was really okay to let these things go unsaid. Lets say the important things out loud. Squeal. What do you mean? Boo Boo must not have understood. She thought for a bit, tried to find a good answer, and gave up. Dragging the words she wanted out of Boo Boo in a natural way would be difficult. You see, Boo Boo So. She stretched up toward seated Boo Boos ear and whispered to him. I Two shorts words followed. But this was a definite confession that plainly defined their relationship. That was an island small enough to walk the perimeter in three days. It was an island were everyone was free to have an adventure.