CHAPTER 98
The Ex–Demon Lord and the Path to the Underworld
I ran.
I ran as swiftly as I could through the ruins.
My feet refused to cease, driven by an impulse I couldn’t identify. The feeling of the devil at my back slowly began to fade, and, eventually, I came to an unconscious stop.
“…Just what was all that?” I couldn’t understand. Why did I flee? “…No point in thinking about it. There are more important things that need my attention right now.” After saying as much to convince myself, I took a deep breath and started walking.
Soon after, I was reunited with my companions, and the moment they welcomed me back, I felt my knees buckle. My anxiety and disgust had turned to relief. The faltering was my body’s reaction to the sudden shift in my mental state.
“…What is it, Ard Meteor? Did something happen?” Olivia, my big sister figure, inquired with a look of concern. I forced myself to smile as I responded.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just finally felt free of that monster when I saw your faces.” Even if I once bore the title of Demon Lord and the fearful respect that came with it, dealing with an Evil God was still exhausting. However, I couldn’t just let myself bask in my relief. I shared what I’d learned from Mephisto with my friends. “Getting into too much detail will make it sound absurd, so forgive me for summarizing my findings.” With that disclaimer out of the way, I explained. “Lord Alvarto has a true self and a separate body, and unless the former is destroyed, he won’t die. Basically, if we can kill his true self…”
“Even the unkillable monster will kick the bucket,” Olivia finished.
Nodding, I responded, “The issue is where Lord Alvarto’s true self is located. That’s the key. It’s in the underworld.”
“Ahh. I see, I see. So, I’ve lost out to him yet again.” Verda made a frustrated face and groaned. “He’s always a step ahead of me. I’ve spent the last few millennia researching the underworld, but… Even I, a goddess-level scholar, haven’t been able to unlock its secrets.”
Making part of the underworld self-aware and then connecting it to a vessel in the material world… Creating an artificial life-form using that technique was a feat that required a deep comprehension of the underworld.
Mephisto had that deep understanding. Meanwhile, it seemed that Verda had yet to grasp even the fundamentals.
“You’re all making this so complicated! I mean, the long and short of it is we just have to go to the underworld and blow Alvarto away, right?! Let’s get going, then!” Sylphy’s assertion was a good encapsulation of her personality. She discarded the small details in favor of taking action. There was no trace of skepticism or doubt in her mind.
By contrast, Ginny, as an ordinary person, found the entire discussion bordering on the ludicrous. “G-go to the underworld…? Just how do you do that? I mean, you’re not suggesting we die, right?” It looked like she had a headache. I’m pretty sure the miasma in the ruins wasn’t the only cause.
“True. The underworld is generally understood to be where the dead end up. However—”
“It’s possible for the living to go there. I visit the place from time to time.”
“Is it really somewhere you can just stop by for a stroll?”
“Yup. Easy peasy… However, that’s only if it’s a region I can construct an entrance to,” Verda answered casually.
“The underworld is extraordinarily large. The areas that Lady Verda and I know about are only a small part of a nearly infinite space. As a metaphor, we basically have a single grain of sand from a great desert. There’s no knowing the dangers that await us until we arrive. I can confidently state that we won’t be afforded the slightest bit of safety,” I added. Of course, I was sure that everyone here was already aware of that fact.
“We’ve gotten a touch off topic. Let’s return to the subject at hand, getting to the underworld. If you construct a gate that connects the material world to the underworld, it’s possible to enter it as a living being. There are no specific complications, either. If I wanted to, I could do it immediately. However…”
“As Ardy said, the underworld is stupidly large. Which is why, even if Ardy or I took a gate to the underworld, getting to our actual destination would be…”
“There’d be no way to know how long it’d take. What’s more, we wouldn’t know our relative position. It should go without saying, but there’s no such thing as a map of the place. Meaning that we also wouldn’t know which way to go… That means we would waste time wandering for the better part of eternity.”
Blindly traveling to the underworld would make it impossible to reach our goal. Thus, there was a specific process that we needed to follow.
“There’s a gate that connects to our target in a dungeon. Let’s start by going there.”
Among the many notable places in this world, few were as old or as dangerous as where we were headed.
The Gates of Purgatory. That was the name of the place we teleported to. A name that had been used since far into the ancient past. It was a desolate landscape, and nothing lived there—not even a single blade of grass. Further, the ordinary laws of physics didn’t apply in this place, and strange phenomena constantly beset it.
What had turned this place into this nightmarish landscape? The cause was still unknown, and academics considered it a mystery that would forever remain unsolved.
Strange occurrences constantly popped up here in the Gates of Purgatory, but one, in particular, was considered more incomprehensible than others.
It was known as the Infinite Flames, or the Rage of the Gods—and we now had a front-row seat to it.
“Ahhh, it’s always a lovely sight to see!”
To a scholar like Verda, this sort of supernatural anomaly must have seemed a great research opportunity.
However, it was an overwhelming sight that struck an ordinary person like Ginny dumb with its sheer scale. Even to those of us from the distant past like Olivia, Lizer, Sylphy, and I, it was a sight that inspired the faintest prickle of fear.
“…Ordinarily, this is something I’d hesitate to approach,” Olivia remarked, voicing what we were all feeling. This otherworldly wonder that burned at the center of the Gates of Purgatory was aptly named.
As the name suggested, the Infinite Flames burned without end. They stretched far into the horizon and gave off such intense heat that they seemingly threatened to devour the heavens. It looked like a miniature sun. While the Gates of Purgatory were typically engulfed in darkness, the Infinite Flames made it as bright as midday.
“I—I don’t mean to doubt you, Ard, but…a-are you sure this is safe?” Ginny’s anxiety was understandable. We were about to head straight into the middle of this bizarre supernatural phenomenon.
“It’s true that the fire is perilous. If we enter without any protection, we’ll be burned to a crisp. However, I can guarantee that we’re safe for now.”
A powerful magical wall currently shielded us, blocking every bit of the fierce heat radiating from the raging inferno. The only thing left to do was hope the spell worked as we calculated.
“You need to steel yourself for anything, Ginny.”
“…You said you were willing to risk your life to follow us. Was that a lie?”
Sylphy’s encouragement and Olivia’s challenge must have resonated with Ginny, for she nodded with intense resolve glittering in her eyes.
“Then let us be on our way.” The moment I kicked off the ground, the others also jumped high into the air and leaped into the blaze. Although the tongues of flame licked at us, they did no harm.
We kept falling and falling.
While most people were unaware of this, the Infinite Flames weren’t fueled by the ground beneath them. They came from a massive pit. More precisely…
…the source was actually Flare Breath spewed by a great serpent that lived deep below.
“Almost there, I think.”
While it was impossible to make a visual confirmation because we were surrounded on all sides by swirling crimson, we must have been close to the serpent’s mouth.
It went without saying that this was no ordinary snake. Technically, it wasn’t even a living creature.
After a little longer, we managed to get inside the serpent.
The brilliant fire that filled our vision abruptly changed, and I felt a hard surface beneath my feet. We now faced a stone dungeon. The amount of miasma that permeated the area was far greater than that of any ordinary dungeon, however, and that stood to reason. It was connected to a place where no living creature ought to tread—the underworld.
“So far, so good, it seems.”
“…The problem is what comes next.”
“If I recall my master’s lessons, this dungeon is divided into hundreds of layers, and it gets more dangerous the deeper you go. And, of course, our goal, the gate to the underworld, is at the very bottommost layer.”
Everyone looked tense. Undoubtedly, they imagined just how dangerous and difficult the path to the lowest floor would be… But I broke the tension with a casual remark.
“Not a problem. I’ve made a few preparations.” I aimed my right palm at my feet. A moment later, a magic circle appeared before my hand and released a giant luminous ray. The beam carved a large vertical shaft through the dungeon and eventually reached the deepest layer. “Shall we, then?” I pointed to the newly created passage and looked up at my companions.
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sometimes I feel like you’ve got nothing but brute force in that brain of yours!”
“…You truly do seem to ignore any rules with your power.”
“But this means we can avoid a troublesome dungeon crawl!”
“Indeed. Time is money. It’s a good solution.”
Verda laughed with exasperation, while Olivia looked on with a stony expression. Sylphy and Lizer were rejoicing at how efficient this was. Ginny could only gape in astonishment.
I decided to leap in first and left my companions to their reactions. I descended swiftly through the dungeon’s tiers. The scenery flashed by at an almost dizzying rate.
Downward, farther downward. And at the end…
…we encountered a room shrouded in abyssal darkness. The shadows flitted around like a sea of chaos. This was the space that linked the material world with the realm of the dead, and it was the only entrance that connected to Alvarto’s region of the underworld.
Darkness surrounded my companions and me as if to swallow us. No light awaited us beyond. There was only pitch-black.
Now the real work began. This was where things got complicated. Up until now, I could keep us safe. That wouldn’t be the case from this point onward.
The first and the greatest hurdle to entering the underworld was quickly approaching: the Soul Ripper.
“Everyone! Be strong!” I shouted as I felt myself floating in the darkness. I couldn’t see anyone around me. But that didn’t mean we were separated. That notion would be our only weapon against what awaited. “We’re not alone! We’re all bearing the same pain! If you feel yourself reaching your limit, think of the faces of your comrades—”
It began as I was in mid-sentence, and it came without mercy. A particularly deep shadow appeared within the thick darkness. Although it was the same color as the rest of this space, I could clearly see the ebon beyond the dim ripple, and I thrashed as it reached its tendrils toward me.
A moment later—it arrived.
It reached out with a predatory arc while I was immobilized. There was no use in resisting. This was a concept, a law of nature, something that couldn’t be conquered by mere mortals, an unchanging and absolute rule.
The underworld always tried to bar the living from gaining entry, which was why there was a mechanism to keep intruders locked in this border zone.
That was the Soul Ripper.
In this transitionary place between the material world and the underworld, the living had their souls torn from their bodies. Of course, if this was permitted to happen, everything was over. Once a soul was sent to the underworld, resurrection was impossible. We had to survive this trial intact.
Unfortunately…
“Guh… Urgh.”
…it was excruciating. I had hoped never to suffer through this again. Yes, this was the second time I’d endured this pain. Once, Verda had sent me on a research mission to the underworld.
The place was the ultimate destination for all who died and was thus inviolable to the living. I’d hoped that unlocking its secrets would allow me to bring back the companions I’d lost.
Some had been destroyed, soul and all, but many had just been sent to the underworld, so I assumed they still existed in some fashion. I hoped that, with enough study, I’d see them again.
The first obstacle I’d faced during my initial journey to the underworld had been the Soul Ripper. After surviving, I’d forged a gate that linked the material world to the underworld, bypassing the Soul Ripper. I then spent a long time buried in research, but all it taught me was despair.
After intense pain and an enormous amount of time, the answer that awaited me was a simple and cruel one. Things lost could never be recovered.
Although, if it wasn’t yet gone… If it was still there…
…I could recover it.
“Ireena…!”
My best friend. The person who meant more to me than my life. I would overcome any challenge for her and all of my precious classmates. Surely, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. In particular, Olivia, Sylphy, and Ginny were probably approaching this with a comparable strength of will.
But even so…
“Ugh… Agh…!”
“Guh…!”
“Urgh…!”
…I heard the voices of pain. The moans of agony that were filled with anguish came to me. This wasn’t good. I had cast spells that increased tolerance to pain on everyone, but even then, it seemed the suffering was difficult to bear.
“H-help…!” Ginny, in particular, was in trouble. Her cry betrayed how close she was to breaking.
But what can I do…?!
There was no going back. Once here, the only outcomes were to fall victim to the Soul Ripper and die, or to overcome it and set foot into the underworld. I wanted to help, yet there was nothing I could do.
“Miss Ginny…! Please endure it…! It’s not much longer…!” I struggled to so much as give her encouragement.
“Urr-urgh…”
I heard only a soft groan in reply. I needed to do something. But what could I do to save her? The mounting anxiety left me vulnerable, and the anguish from the Soul Ripper intensified. If things continued, even I was unlikely to make it. The worst possible outcome flashed in my mind.
It was at that moment…
“Geez. You’re so helpless.”
…a voice rang out in my head.
Soon after, I felt something tugging on me, and…
…when I came to, the scene in front of me had changed.
The abyssal darkness flooding my eyes was gone, as was the lethargy that left my limbs feeling like lead.
Now we were in a desert after dusk. That was the best way I could describe the sight.
The land was formed by countless grains of sand. A full moon hung above. The air was chillingly cold. Slivers of argent light and groups of traveling souls confirmed our location.
“…It seems we’ve arrived,” a familiar voice said behind me. It was Olivia. Everyone else was lined up next to her.
“T-that was really hard, that it was…”
“Well, I guess that’s true if it’s your first time. It’s actually kind of addictive once you get used to it.”
“I’m going to decline to experience that a second time.”
Sylphy, Verda, Lizer, and…
“I—I… Am I still alive…?”
…Ginny.
She was the one who was slumped onto her knees, and she looked quite pale, but that didn’t change the fact that she was alive.
“Ohhh, thank goodness… Thank the gods…” I let out a deep exhale of relief.
“Welcome, everyone. I, Alvarto Egzex, greet you from the bottom of my heart.”
Once again, a voice sounded in my head.
“First, let me say, well done. It really was quite the feat to arrive. Particularly you, Ginny Fin de Salvan. I found your efforts and tenacity truly moving. At first, I honestly considered you a weakling not fit to be present, but allow me to correct that misconception. You are indeed worthy of being my enemy.”
The voice sounded amused, happy, and yet…somehow hollow, with a touch of ennui. Despite the fact that his enemies were beginning to turn the tables on him, there was no trace of panic or fear in his voice as he continued to speak.
“Now that you’ve made it this far, the rest is simple. Turn your eyes to the west.”
We all did as instructed. The desert stretched as far as we could see. There were the white sands, the dark sky, and an ash-gray moon that floated above…but that wasn’t all.
In the distance, there was a crimson rift hanging in the air
“That is the place you need to make your way to. If you wish to face me, then head west,” he explained in a calm, level tone. “Of course, your journey will not be a peaceful one. I won’t allow that. I shall make you suffer through things that exceed everything you’ve endured up until now.” It was then that the mechanical voice adopted a note of joy. “For example—this.”
A shudder ran up my spine. A moment later, I felt a presence under my feet.
I jumped reflexively and observed what had emerged as I landed. A single arm stretched out from under the sand. The next moment…
…the sound of sand being displaced echoed from all around. The dunes shifted, the sand flowing off them as figures began climbing out of the desert.
It was an army of dead warriors. They held a variety of weapons in their hands, but none of them wore any armor. They were garbed only in red outfits that appeared vaguely like military uniforms.
“This army… Are they…?”
They looked familiar. The thing that immediately came to mind was Alvarto’s ancient forces, the Mad Blood-Oath Unit. That, and the armies of Luminas wol Croft, the Outer One he had once served. The crimson warriors who had been the greatest force of their time. Their ranks were now lined up against us.
“Now, shall we begin? This is the final battle. The one that will end me.”
There was a certain hopeful note in the voice as it trailed off. Seconds later…
…an assault.
The warriors who surrounded us struck as one.
“All right, then! Demise-Argis!” Sylphy reacted the quickest to the sudden commencement of hostilities. She summoned her Holy Sword to her hand and fearlessly charged the enemy. “Rahhhhhhhhhh!” She slashed, cut, and diced her way through their ranks. The intensity of her attack was worthy of her title as the Raging Champion.
“I can’t stand around, either…!” Ginny was the next to move. Having been born in the modern age, she didn’t have the strength to fight an ancient army. But it seemed she understood that fact, which was why she immediately conjured a magic item, a crimson spear. It was a piece of handcrafted equipment that I’d given her a while ago. Even a modern-born fighter like Ginny could hold her own against ancient warriors with its power. “I’m not going to be a burden!” With an intense shout, she activated her weapon’s power. Red lightning arced across the field and vaporized scores of enemies with a single blast. Ginny looked every bit the part of a powerful war maiden.
“…Her youth means her skill leaves much to be desired.” With a sigh, Olivia vanished. She moved faster than the eye could follow. When had she drawn her sword? When had she attacked? Many of our opponents fell to her blade before they could so much as acknowledge her presence.
“Hahh. Lately, I seem to be getting caught up in violent incidents rather often. I’m not really the violent type, you know.” Verda exuded no fighting spirit, yet her power was immense. “Dimension Monster, come to me!” Without a moment’s warning, countless black holes opened in the sky. And from them peered a monster that defied description.
It possessed an ugly head that vaguely resembled a sea serpent’s. It opened its jaws and spewed forth a shining beam. The vast army could do nothing in response and was simply vaporized under its assault.
“…She’s no longer a scholar but a walking natural disaster.” Lizer made no particular effort to fight and instead switched to standing next to me. “It would appear we have the advantage for the moment, but… How do you see the situation?”
This man was currently trying to ascertain the situation on the battlefield. I, too, was thinking along the same lines.
“…It does seem that, on the surface, we’ve got the advantage. However…” The reality was that we weren’t in an especially great position. I activated magic to confirm whether or not my suspicion was accurate. It was a salvo attack that combined roughly two thousand different elemental spells. An enormous set of magic circles appeared either below or above the enemies. In the blink of an eye, the entire army was eradicated
“W-wow…!”
“You always take the limelight.”
“You know, if you can do that, you should’ve started with that!”
Ginny’s, Sylphy’s, and Verda’s expressions were somewhat relaxed at the situation. It seemed they believed the battle was over now that the enemy force had been wiped out. Lizer, Olivia, and I were still on guard, though.
“Don’t relax. It’s not over yet,” Olivia scolded sharply, perhaps warned by the uniquely sharp senses of a therianthrope. No sooner had she made her statement than the dunes beneath our feet began to shift again.
“Oh boy. I figured this might be the case, but, c’mon, gimme a break,” Verda murmured with exasperation. As I followed her gaze, I spotted what I’d been expecting. The crimson warriors were rising from the dunes again.
Their numbers totaled the same force we’d just wiped out… No, there were slightly more. Either way, this situation pointed to a single truth.
“As expected, this army will spawn from the dunes endlessly.”
“Indeed. Perhaps that’s to be expected in the underworld.”
Yes, we weren’t standing in the material world. We were in the underworld, the afterlife. It was the final destination for every person of every age. There were practically infinite souls here…and these troops would likely continue spawning until those souls were exhausted.
“No way am I dealing with an immortal army!” Sylphy cried.
“W-what do we do…?!” Ginny exclaimed.
Olivia and Verda remained quiet, as though pondering something. Meanwhile, Lizer and I had a clear, specific solution to our current situation.
“Ard Meteor. How would you handle this situation?”
“A silly question. There’s only one answer.”
“Indeed. So we are of the same mind.”
As we exchanged nods, Sylphy shouted at us in irritation. “If you have some brilliant plan, now’s the time to tell us! They’re still coming!”
In sharp contrast to her panic, Lizer and I replied very calmly.
“The best response to this situation…”
“The optimal recourse is…”
““Retreat!””
With that, Lizer and I took off running. We dashed without the slightest hint of guilt or shame, proudly plodding through the sand. After turning our backs on the enemy, we scurried away at full speed. Sylphy, Ginny, Olivia, and Verda all stared at us for a moment.
“Wai—! Hold on! Wait for uuuuuussss!” Sylphy shouted before taking off. Seeing her flee, Ginny and the others gave chase.
“Running away from the enemy is embarrassing, it is!”
“Embarrassing is fine. The only important thing in battle is to win. No one cares how good you look doing it.”
“I completely agree.”
“Grrrrr! You were enemies until a few days ago, and now you’re totally on the same page?!”
Sylphy looked upset, but the other three girls had accepted my and Lizer’s reasoning.
“T-true. There’s no need to actually fight them.”
“…Our goal is, in the end, defeating Alvarto Egzex. In which case…”
“We can ignore bothersome opponents and keep going! Quite logical! But…”
“It’s meaningless if they catch us!”
Obviously, the army forces wouldn’t just sit there twiddling their thumbs as we engaged in our banter. They pursued, kicking up an enormous dust storm in their wake.
“Oh, dang it! I really hate this kind of fighting! It truly annoys me, it does!”
The unbeatable soldiers were all quite swift. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they caught up. However, that was only assuming that we didn’t do anything to slow them. Naturally, we were going to take measures to impede the rapidly approaching enemies. And even as she was kicking up a hysterical fuss, Sylphy understood that fact better than anyone.
Hence…
…there was a beep from behind, and then…
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
…with an enormous clamor, searing heat scorched our backs. This was definitely her doing. Yes, Sylphy Marheaven’s specialty was trap magic.
“…It was nothing but trouble at the academy, but now it’s quite useful.”
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sylphy the Runner returns!”
“Don’t call me that, stupid Verda!” Even as she puffed out her cheeks in protest, Sylphy continued to scatter traps in her wake.
The continuous noise of destruction sounded from behind. The dead army was blasted around, and their pace slowed. And, of course, that meant the enemy’s presence was starting to drop off into the distance.
“No one can do a fighting retreat better than you, Miss Sylphy!”
“I don’t find that to be much of a compliment! I don’t! Not at all! It totally isn’t! Not in the slightest!”
Her shouts overlapped with the explosions. As her title, the Raging Champion, implied, Sylphy’s fighting style was an aggressive one that focused on pushing forward at all costs, and her tactical dictionary lacked any terms for retreat. However, that was only when we were talking about her as an individual combatant. When viewed as a commander, Sylphy Marheaven was, in fact, exceptionally skilled with rearguard actions.
That was undoubtedly because of the Champion Army. Lydia regularly ignored orders and treated brilliant tacticians like dirt, so the group was often on the receiving end of beatings from intelligent enemies. As a result, they lost several battles in a row multiple times. In turn, this made the Champion Army grow to be extremely capable at fighting retreating battles.
Sylphy, in particular, always served as the rearguard while fleeing. After stealing techniques from other commanders, she had grown into being the most skilled commander in the world at flee-fighting, a genuine professional.
“Experience really is important, isn’t it? I mean, with enough of it, even a dummy like her picks up a few tricks.”
“Indeed. I’ve never seen anyone else who could position trap magic so expertly. Despite her stupidity, she’s quite skilled in this art alone.”
“I’ve never considered you more dependable than right now. You truly are good at this… Though you’re still a fool in other ways.”
“Are you all trying to piss me off?!”
“Hah! An idiot savant, I suppose! I didn’t expect you to be able to deal with them so well. Alas, I must change my view of you, Sylphy Marheaven. You are not a mere fool. You are a truly remarkable idiot!”
“Alvarto, why are you joining in?! Oh, for…! This is why I hate you Four Heavenly Kings! This! You all keep mocking me!”
Yeah, this was how the Four Heavenly Kings and Sylphy had been, even back in ancient times. It brought back memories. However, this was no time for nostalgia. As though to prove that point, a powerful presence approached from the side.
“Grraaaaaaaaaaah!” An enormous shout pierced the air, and an intense presence sped toward us.
Before we could catch sight of the approaching person, a blade flashed in the night.
“Tch!” Olivia had been closest to the enemy. Her action was probably reflexive rather than conscious. Still, there was no hesitation behind her slash, and any ordinary opponent would have been split cleanly in half by her blade. This was evidently no typical foe, however.
The adversary twisted like an invertebrate creature and dodged Olivia’s strike. Yet rather than counterattack, it stepped in farther and aimed for a different target—Ginny, who hadn’t reacted quickly enough to this new combatant. It was understandable why the enemy chose to pick her off first.
“REEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” With a mad cry, the enemy lashed out with a deadly blow.
A pair of strangely shaped curved swords drew a symmetrical arc in the air as they reached for Ginny. She had just noticed the attack and had no chance of reacting.
I needed to protect her. Before I could, though…
“Leave it to me.”
…I heard Lizer speak to me.
The twin swords met Lizer’s two-handed mace, and their clash released a blast of air.
“Waargh?!”
The attacker made no effort to push back against Lizer and instead stepped backward with a shout. It was here that we finally had the time to stop and get a visual confirmation on this assailant. He was dressed in crimson, like the others. His wild, long hair was streaked with gray, while his expression and the wrinkles etched into his face denoted fearsome experience.
The arms that held the curved blades were relaxed, and he smirked without a trace of tension. Altogether, he seemed a perfectly developed warrior. Despite his unassuming appearance, the aura radiating from him was immense.
“…This person looks familiar.”
At Olivia’s murmur, I nodded. I, too, recognized his face. If I recall, his name had been Lucius.
He was a close vassal of Luminas wol Croft, an Evil God, and he was also one of the generals of her army who formed the mighty duo called the Twin Jewels.
“He’s revived his old companions to send at us, then?”
“…No. This isn’t a revival, but a re-creation.”
Lucius had perished several thousand years ago in battle, meaning that his soul had already been lost within the underworld. Hence, the figure in front of us was simply a doll meant to resemble him.
“Ahh, it’s a good day to die…,” he mused as he looked upon us with drowsy eyes. The phrase, like his appearance, was familiar. However, it was only an imitation—a copy without any intention behind it, behaving as it was programmed to do. Knowing that, I couldn’t help but feel pity.
This Lucius doll wasn’t created to be used as a killing machine. It had been forged out of loneliness. Yes…like how I’d once crafted a false Lydia.
Alvarto, too, had re-created the past and used it to console himself… And then he undoubtedly had despaired at the hole that remained in his heart afterward.
“…I see. I need to take responsibility for that.” I thought of what Alvarto felt and tasted the sharp tang of sentimentality. Lizer raised his voice to snap me out of that daze.
“Don’t waste time on unnecessary distractions. Think only about how to deal with the situation in front of you.” With that, he stepped forward and stood in a position some distance away from the rest of us. He continued to speak as he faced off against Lucius. “There’s an army at our heels. Even if we were to try holding them back, there’s one who can still disrupt us. Focus on the masses, and we’ll be undone by the individual, yet if we concentrate on the lone assailant, we’ll be crushed by the horde… Ard Meteor, what is the best solution in this situation?”
The moment he posed that question, I understood what he had decided. There was only one thing to do in response.
“Giga Wall!”
I activated a magical barrier. It was a giant wall suited to defending an entire city. Not only was it immense enough to bar the army’s way, it separated Lizer from the rest of us.
“W-what are you…?!”
The only one who let out a cry of surprise was Ginny. Everyone else understood what I had chosen to do, although their faces made it clear they were conflicted. Lizer nodded approvingly.
“Well done. This is the correct answer.”
The enemy force was enormous, and even my Giga Wall wouldn’t last long. What’s more, there was now an extremely skilled agent there to block any efforts to escape. If we’d continued as we were, it would only have been a matter of time until the dead soldiers overtook us. So how were we to avoid that fate and reach our objective?
“Lord Lizer, I’ll leave this in your hands. Please hold them off until we can enter that rift.”
Lizer Bellphoenix was remaining behind to buy us time. To an unaffiliated observer, it must have appeared a cruel choice, like we were forfeiting him to get ahead. I had no intention of sacrificing anyone, though. Because…
“With your powers, the enemy’s numbers will likely work in your favor.”
…of Lizer’s extraordinary ability, which he had mastered into an Original spell. Any opponent that touched his mace was forced to obey him, and the weapon also massively boosted their strength. But that wasn’t all. Those who had fallen under Lizer’s spell could also then bind others to his will. With this technique, the enemy’s numbers would become a liability…
Still, there were risks involved. Would Lizer’s power even work on the dead denizens of the underworld? There were additional concerns, too, which was why it was risky to stay behind with him. So he had to fight alone.
“Now go. I will take care of this. There is no place for you here,” Lizer stated calmly. I felt the strength of his determination as he turned his back to us. This wasn’t the resolve of a man who was resigned to death. It was the will of a man who had hope, who was going to do whatever he needed to do to fight through this situation and survive. Saying anything to a warrior in that state would be rude, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“Let’s hurry along.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“…Quite.”
“Run! Run!”
Everyone hurried off toward the rift.
For our objective. To save Ireena, to save the world.
Even as we heard the intense sounds of battle behind us.
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