Instant Death - Volume 2 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Without apology stones, I’d be dying
It was someone who gave blessings.
Granting people’s’ prayers, giving what they desired.
It didn’t do anything for itself, nor did it care about the good or bad of the prayers. It was just someone who mechanically gave blessings that complied with the number of sacrifices.
It *stagger* wandered about the human world, and continued to grant any prayers.
As though a matter of course, people sought and quarrelled over it.
Keeping it in one place or something couldn’t be done, and inevitably, they decided to scramble for the place where it was.
Even if a blessing wasn’t needed, it was because they couldn’t shut their eyes to another person monopolizing it.
People did nothing but fight, and prayers were granted as they desired.
It didn’t take much time until mankind was reduced by half.
As it was, mankind would be destroyed.
When humanity saw their fate, people realized their own stupidity at last. They realized it was something that mustn’t be touched, something beyond humans’ control.
The left over people took each others’ hands, and challenged a battle against it.
At the time, what it thought wasn’t known. However, it turned its hostility towards mankind and bared its fangs at them.
And then, mankind was on the verge of extinction.

Rick was reciting the battle of a millennium ago to Rainier.
Yogiri and Tomochika were talking sneakily a little ways away, but they were straining their ears.

“In the first place, when did you kill it?” (Tomochika)

“Right after we entered the barrier? When such things as miasma were said, I think.” (Yogiri)

“At least try to confirm your opponent!” (Tomochika)

“It was, by mistake, reflexively.” (Yogiri)

“W-, well, if you felt like hearing the story, I have a feeling that you could’ve killed it separately, though?” (Tomochika)

She wondered if she was blaming him too much. Tomochika spoke as if to comfort Yogiri.

“How would I? I feel that humans paid for their mistakes. This, the Devil is bad?” (Yogiri)

“Well, if you say so.” (Tomochika)

“I just refused the source of the miasma, though. I felt that, ‘it may be fine to kill it simply like that’.” (Yogiri)

“Ah, it was still thought to be such things as unpleasant. Even by Takatou-kun.” (Tomochika)

“That’s right. I wonder what it means. If I kill what I think to be a harmful animal, it feels like it was a protected species on the verge of extinction, if I carelessly broke a filthy sculpture, it seems it was an important cultural asset.” (Yogiri)

Yogiri was feeling something similar to the weight of history.
There was history of a millennium here, and there were those who protected this place during that time. They thought that it wouldn’t be something that an outsider dealt with easily.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped even if we think about it too much. Let’s be silent and not leak it out.” (Yogiri)

“Easily! And a swift recovery!” (Tomochika)

“If there is harm, I have no choice but to kill it anyway.” (Yogiri)

Probably, the barrier would continue to be maintained as it was. If that was the case, the likelihood that they’d know ‘the Devil was dead’ was very little.
It may be useless to continue to seal the dead Devil, but it wasn’t at all different from up till now. Yogiri came to that clean decision easily.

“Well, let’s go down the tower. Halfheartedly, I’d like talk to the Sword Saint properly and head towards the royal capital.” (Yogiri)

If you noticed, there were almost no people on the rooftop.
Who was remaining with Yogiri and others, was only the little girl who was Rainier’s friend.
As one would expect, it didn’t mean that the little girl was also being dumbfounded for good. It appeared that she finally realized that Rainier was left, and came over to Yogiri and other’s location.

“You have a stone, don’t you? Hand it over!” (Little Girl)

The little girl held out her hand as though she was thrusting at him.

“Eh, um, what are you going to do?” (Rainier)

Rainier became frightened at the appearance of the overbearing little girl. As far as what was being seen from nearby, it couldn’t be thought that it was a very friendly relationship.

“Doesn’t it restore magical power. So, you can also boost it, can’t you? This time I’ll drive it in with a full-speed swing!” (Little Girl)

“Um, I think I’ve explained it before, but apology stones are restricted to me, and cannot be used by another person……” (Rainier)

“Haa? The heck did you follow me for if that’s the case!” (Little Girl)

“……I didn’t particularly want to follow you……” (Rainier)

“You’re really not useful! Forget it!” (Little Girl)

The little girl went by herself in anger, which left just the four people on the rooftop.
There were several rooftop structures on the rooftop, and it seemed that you could go downstairs from there.
Selecting where seemed to also be one of the trials.

“Well then, that way.” (Yogiri)

Yogiri pointed at a door where the little girl hadn’t headed for some reason.
There were no objections.

“GYAAAAA!” (Rainier)

A spear that flew out from the wall was stuck in Rainier’s abdomen.
It was a trap.
It seemed to be bad luck.
Yogiri was able to grasp the location as danger of death even if it was a trap. Most of the traps had been activated already, or those who went through before were cancelling them, but Rainier accidentally trampled the last activation switch that was left.
Entering the door of a rooftop structure, they immediately descended the staircase. Practically no time after being warned, there was an event in the blink of an eye.

“Rainier-san!?” (Tomochika)

Tomochika was panicking. Rick drew his sword and cut off the spear sticking out from the wall.
Rainier, who lost his support, collapsed onto the floor, groping about his body desperately while enduring the pain.
Thereupon, Rainier’s body shone again.
And, he stood up as if nothing had happened. The spear in his abdomen was pushed out and fell to the floor. It was the same as when he recovered from being in two halves: even up to his clothes were completely as before.

“Fuu, without apology stones, I’d be dying.” (Rainier)

Rainier wiped the sweat on his forehead with a carefree look in some respects.

“I’ll make a practice of not worrying for Rainier-san from now on!?” (Tomochika)

After all, if you thought that he’d succeed in some way or another with the apology stones, it would be absurd just to worry about whatever happened.

“No, even if you say so, it is a dangerous place even now? Because I cannot use apology stones if I’m not holding them in my hand.” (Rainier)

“Why not hold them in your hand continuously then?” (Tomochika)

“Aah! Thank you very much! I hadn’t even realized such a thing!” (Rainier)

Rainier said so and held the apology stone in his left hand.

“I am anxious if it’s just this. That’s right, could you please *wrap* wind my hand with something? As I am, I think I will drop it or something in a crucial time after all!” (Rainier)

“Haa, if it’s a thing like that.” (Tomochika)

As Tomochika was told, she bound Rainier’s left fist with a decorative string she had on hand. There was little chance it’d be dropped as it was tied quite tightly.

“Um, was it star crystal? I don’t know it as it is limited information, but what effects does it have? From what I’ve seen, it would be an existence that also could be said to be a lifeline for Rainier-san. I think that us also knowing might be good.” (Rick)

“Aah, that’s right! Even with me saying things like star crystals, it isn’t understood normally!” (Rainier)

Rainier replied honestly to Rick’s proposal.

“There are two uses of the star crystals themselves. One is complete recovery. No matter what kind of injury, it will be recovered completely, and my magical power will also be filled up to the maximum. The other one is boost. Every ability is greatly strengthened temporarily. That I became able to bear the miasma, was thanks to this strengthen ability.” (Rainier)

“Um, you said ‘temporary’ just now, right? Then, how long do you have?” (Tomochika)

Tomochika, who suddenly felt uneasy, asked.

“It is about 30 minutes……Aah!” (Rainier)

Yogiri also noticed. About thirty minutes had passed since his last time. He cut off the source of the miasma, but perhaps what was drifting about in this surroundings would be what sprung forth from the fight one thousand years ago. Still, the miasma hadn’t disappeared.

“A-, and I can turn the gacha with star crystals! Items are put into my hand with this, and I summon comerades……f-, for now I’ll turn it!” (Rainier)

“Why now!?” (Tomochika)

Rainier put his right hand into his pocket, and took out three star crystals.
The star crystals disappeared while shining, and something *plop* fell down in front of Rainier. It was a scrubbing-brush.

“Ummmm……is it an amazing scrubbing-brush of some sorts?” (Tomochika)

“No. It is an ordinary scrubbing-brush. It is a one year scrubbing brush¹.” (Rainier)

It seemed to be a miss.

“A-, at any rate, I have to take out items that can break the deadlock in this situation!” (Rainier)

“……When considering it with the bad luck of this person, star crystals aren’t very helpful……” (Tomochika)

When Rainier was able to obtain the ring of crushing evil in some way or another, was when the remaining star crystals were three.

Translator’s Notes

¹ – Not sure what it means by that. Maybe it lasts only 1 year?