Nick awoke to silence. “Is it…over?” he mumbled. Zem and Bond were next to him, both pale faced. They had barely managed to sit up and didn’t have the energy to lift another finger. They, like Nick, were more exhausted than they’d ever been. Adrenaline and fear had kept them going during the fight, but now that the enemy was defeated, they wondered despondently if they were going to die. Nick was afraid he’d shortened his lifespan or damaged his soul. “Don’t sleep, Nick! You’ll die!” “You pushed yourself too hard, Nick. Honestly, it’s a miracle you’re still alive.” Nick looked up to see Karan beside him. Alice was there, too, holding a mirror with an odd reverence. Nick could see his own reflection in it. “I’m not gonna die. I think. Diamond just healed me… But I am dead tired,” Nick said. “You were too reckless,” Karan told him. “Geez… You really are lucky to be alive,” Alice said. Nick looked across the room and saw devastation. The corpses of nameless adventurers and monsters that had been slaughtered by Argus were strewn across the room. The monstrous titan that Argus had become stared off into space with the same empty eyes as Nick. The flame of its soul had burned out. The ruins of the Sword of Tasuki were on the floor. The only people left alive in the room were all familiar faces. Surprisingly, Bellocchio was alive and having a friendly chat with Tiana. They looked so much alike, they could have been sisters. “I always imagined Tiana’s instructor as an old man, not a woman about her age,” Nick said. “Oh, well… It’s difficult to explain,” replied Karan. Tiana noticed Nick watching them. Joy flashed across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a troubled expression. She walked briskly toward him, her expression shifting with each step, and stood before him with her hands on her hips. “…You imbecile!” she yelled, grabbing him by his collar. “Sorry,” Nick said. “Sorry’s not gonna cut it! You have no idea how worried I was about you… Haah… I’ve been angry all the time lately. Why do adventurers all have to be such foolhardy idiots?” Tiana ranted. “Yeah. You’d better listen to her,” Karan chimed in. “Karan! That goes for you, too! You put yourself in serious danger!” Tiana yelled. “Whuh?!” Karan said, surprised to be getting a scolding, too. Her reaction made Nick and Tiana laugh. “…Oh, whatever. Apologize to Karan, Nick. And Karan, make sure to give him a piece of your mind when he deserves it. Okay?” Tiana turned and walked back to her instructor. Nick chuckled to himself. The woman was like a force of nature. He sat up and faced Karan. “…Hey, Kar—” She cut him off with a hug. “Wh-what?” Nick said, blushing at the feel of her breath and body heat. He was too tired to push her away, nor did he want to. Instead, he yielded to the warmth and softness of her body, neither of which he had ever been conscious of before. “Never leave me again,” Karan said. Nick had been afraid of the sinking feeling in his body and his heart. He felt that acknowledging it would mean the end of his adventure. That he would become incapable of getting his revenge or finding the answers he wanted from the people who’d upended his life. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” Nick said. “Don’t die, either,” Karan told him. That he would lose the ability to put his body on the line for his injured comrades. That he wouldn’t be able to say he’d throw his life away if it meant bringing down the enemy. “I’m not gonna die,” he replied. “You’d better not be lying,” Karan said. That he would no longer be able to tell himself he was acting for his friends while averting his eyes from the truth of the matter, and trick himself into thinking he’d accomplished something with a series of easy fights. “I realize now. I don’t want you to go anywhere, either. Stay by my side. It seems I’m hopeless without you.” He realized that all those things wore him down in battle and distracted him from his true feelings. The truth was, he’d sought solitude in his adventures only because he lacked the courage to join hands with like-minded people. Karan wasn’t criticizing him by telling him not to lie, nor was she placing shackles on him. She was being kind and telling him he didn’t have to hide his feelings anymore. Nick hugged her back to thank her for that kindness. This time Karan blushed, and she squeezed him harder. “Ow.” “Oh, sorry.” Karan let go just before Nick’s joints started crying out in pain. Nick smiled wryly; it seemed she’d gotten her strength back. “Anyway…,” he began. “If that person is with Alice, I assume that means she’s on our side. She’s been staring at me, and it’s making me uncomfortable.” He’d been conscious of a strange woman watching him from the mirror Alice was holding. He didn’t know if she was literally inside the mirror or if the mirror was connected to another location. “You don’t remember her?” Karan asked. Nick cocked his head. “Do I know her? When would I have met someone who lives in a mirror…? Well, I might’ve dreamed of someone like that as a kid… Or was that an imaginary friend…?” Marde chuckled as Nick struggled to sort through his memories. His innocent behavior made Alice smile, too. “Well played, Nick. I see right through you, you flirt,” Alice teased. “It takes true skill to woo a lady while comforting her. I didn’t know you had that in you, Nick,” Marde piled on. Nick glared at them. “You have it wrong. Have we…met before?” “My name is Marde. I’m Alice’s boss. I have been closely observing this case and giving support where I can. My form may be unusual, but I am an artifact similar to a holy sword.” “You don’t look like a Sun Knight… Well, it doesn’t matter what you are as long as you’re on our side,” replied Nick. “Wow. You’re quite broad-minded, leader of the Survivors.” “There’s no point in wondering now… We’ve got some cleanup to take care of first.” “…You mean him?” Marde asked. Nick was looking at the titan that had once been Argus. It was standing unsettlingly still and staring into space. Its injuries hadn’t healed, and it showed no sign it was going to say anything. “He appears to have been forcibly reborn. His body, organs, nerves…even his brain have been completely transformed. There is no chance that his memories remain. All this monster shares with Argus is his soul. It is a miracle that it fought for us…or rather, for you, Nick,” remarked Marde. “You don’t say. Hey, could you heal me a little more?” “I could, but… Why?” “I wanna put that thing out of its misery,” Nick said. Marde was speechless. Karan and Alice were equally flabbergasted. “Hey, Sword of Might. Do I have a chance of beating it in a fight?” Nick asked. “Oh, Nick. The possibility is practically zero. It would likely break your arms or legs with its first blow, smash your cranial nerves or spine with its second blow, and use a magical vibration to inflict irreversible damage to your soul with its third blow. You might last five blows, but that would be a miracle,” the Sword of Might said. “Damn, you sure don’t hold back,” Nick responded. “Flattery would be pointless. Why are you asking for your chances of victory anyway? I determined that you would want to do this regardless of my answer,” the Sword of Might said. “You’re right.” Nick staggered to his feet. He took one step forward with grim resolve, but a man stopped him. “…Wait, Survivor.” Fifs looked like he’d been healed since fighting the burning knight. His breathing was still heavy, but he was steady on his feet. “Oh, Fifs. Thank you. I’m honored that someone of your standing came to help us…but don’t get in my way,” Nick told him. “It wasn’t long ago that you and your party members were naive newcomers in Labyrinth City, but you’ve just achieved something greater than any S-rank adventurer has. I should be thanking you,” Fifs said, tapping Nick’s chest with his elbow. It was a surreal moment; this man exemplified the perfect ideal of what an adventurer should be. Nick felt both honored and embarrassed. “Huh? You know who we are?” he asked. “I don’t know everything about you, but I have heard a little. I would like to stick around and deepen our friendship, but…” “The look you’re giving me says you don’t have time,” Nick said. “That’s right. I have other business to take care of. So I don’t want to get in your way. I just want to talk,” Fifs said with a shrug. “This may be surprising to hear…but I’m not here for the Sword of Tasuki.” “…Huh?” Nick was confused. He sensed that something was off, and he instinctively gripped his dagger. Fifs saw this and quickly shook his head. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to reveal myself as the secret mastermind or anything like that. I’m the leader of the team working to contain the large-scale Stampede, after all. Speaking of which, if we fail to stop the Stampede and the miasma spreads, it could end up resurrecting the demon god.” “What? The demon god…?” “You were only paying attention to the Sword of Tasuki, weren’t you? He was certainly the ringleader behind this whole mess, but our goal here needs to be bringing an end to this incident, not just defeating him.” Nick looked away. Fifs was exactly right. The others looked awkward, too; they were probably feeling the same way. “He did accelerate the large-scale Stampede, so you weren’t mistaken in going after him… But it’s not time to celebrate yet. I need all the help I can get,” Fifs said. “For what?” Nick asked. “The demon god is being resurrected. The ritual is likely progressing as we speak, and we need to stop it as fast as possible. This isn’t the bottom floor of the labyrinth; I’m guessing there’s something farther down.” “But the labyrinth’s creator—the Sword of Tasuki—is gone.” “That doesn’t mean he’s completely destroyed or dead. Either way, we can’t expect him to have been kind enough to set up a ritual that halts upon his death.” Nick felt the intoxication from their victory fade, and the air seemed to grow damp. Unfortunately, it seemed like this wasn’t even close to being over. “…I remember hearing that holy swords are basically immortal unless they’ve mutated,” he said. “Yes, that’s right. But that must mean…,” the Sword of Might trailed off timidly, imagining the worst. The worst answered. “Correct. Unlike you all, I have not mutated.” Footsteps echoed from below as a man slowly emerged from the staircase leading to the bottom floor. He looked as if he was out on a leisurely stroll. To everyone’s disbelief, it was Callios—the Sword of Tasuki. He had lost his burning knight form and powerful mana from earlier, so he looked like an ordinary adventurer. “What the…? How the hell’re you still alive?!” Nick yelled angrily. “…I know I’m not one to talk, but you’re as unkillable as a cockroach, Sword of Tasuki. It’s past time you gave up,” Diamond’s image said with an exasperated shrug. Everyone quickly looked around. Alice and Karan quietly drew their swords, preparing to respond to any type of attack. However, Nick and the others soon realized something was off; they didn’t sense the intense ambition or animosity he’d shown during their fight. It even looked like he had accepted defeat. “I externally removed my limiters, but my essence has not changed at all… Though, unfortunately, centuries of hard work just went up in smoke. You all got the best of me, much as I hate to admit it. Do you have any idea how hard it was to find such brilliantly talented people who would accept my rule?” Callios asked. “…You were following your own ideals. But your methods were wicked and deceitful,” Karan said. “You tested people while being unable to put yourself in their shoes. That’s why they all left you.” “…That almost sounded intelligent. You’re far more eloquent than when we fought together, country bumpkin.” “You got that right.” Callios looked surprised to see Karan agree, but then he chuckled. “Well, seeing that you beat me, you’re probably right. I wasn’t able to think of the souls that way, nor did I intend to. I’m a thief by nature, after all. It hurt me to realize that, but I had a lot of fun once I accepted it.” Karan found his blunt words unpleasant, but she didn’t let it show on her face. She understood there was a sadness to them. “A tasuki—a type of sash—to preserve souls for future generations… That is the concept under which I was forged. I can store souls as a resource and use them even without their consent. My potential increased significantly when I realized that, and I would not have done so without Callios. I am grateful to him for that.” “Who was Callios?” Karan asked. “A run-of-the-mill bandit from a gang called Viper. He was from the dregs of society, earning his keep deceiving people like I did you…though, yes, I suppose he was a friend. He was the only one you were unable to persuade earlier,” Callios said, surprising everyone with his honesty. But that was as far as his explanation went. “Well, that hardly matters now. Callios is the only one who stayed in the end. That’s the truth. He implanted my memories into a copy of the Sword of Tasuki.” “Then why are you here? Do you both want to die?” Karan asked. “Hold off on that; I’m already going to die,” Callios said. “This body is a sham. I lost, and nothing will change that. The Stampede and the demon god resurrection ritual are out of my hands. You’ll see once you reach the bottom floor that the ritual cannot be stopped.” “Haaah… That’s what I expected,” Fifs said, looking troubled. “I—by which I mean, the reproduction of the Sword of Tasuki I am inhabiting—was just tossed into the furnace as a sacrifice. My consciousness and memories will soon disappear.” “What furnace?” “For burning sacrifices to the demon god.” The titan reacted to Callios’s words first, dashing down the staircase to the lower floors with astounding speed. “Whoa there… He never did listen to me. We were like oil and water, him and I… Well, that hardly matters now; our fates are severed. This next part is up to you all,” Callios said, studying the Survivors. “What’re you planning?” Nick demanded. “Defeat the demon god and become heroes. I’m sure you can do it. You bested me, after all.” His words were hopeful but also a curse. With that, Callios, the Sword of Tasuki, disappeared like smoke, leaving them all behind in the slightly cold room. “Geh… To the lower floors, everyone!” Fifs ordered, and the others obeyed. Following the titan was a cinch. The Colosseum of Carnage was a difficult labyrinth, but not when you had an ally of its strength charging ahead and clearing a path by tearing the monsters limb from limb and disabling the traps with brute force. All they had to do was run behind it. “S-sorry about this…,” Nick said. “Don’t worry about it,” Fifs replied. “Honestly, I wanted to let you all rest, but I need you to hang with me for a little longer.” However, many of them were in no state to walk, let alone run. Nick, Zem, and Bond were beyond exhausted, and Leon and the Sword of Evolution were still unconscious, so Fifs had cloned himself to carry them all. “Instructor, you need to go ahead and use Split… That body’s lifespan is really short, isn’t it?” Tiana urged with concern. “The danger is not yet past,” Bellocchio replied, looking unbothered. Karan and Diamond ran behind Fifs in silence. The group continued to race through the Colosseum of Carnage, unease building in their hearts, until they found a hellscape of a room. It was boiling hot and smelled rotten. The room was strewn with the corpses of the monsters that had likely been guarding it. The source of the heat and stench was a mysterious egg-shaped object enshrined in the center of the room. It was immediately obvious that this was the furnace the Sword of Tasuki had mentioned. The egg felt as hot as the sun; there was clearly a massive heat source inside it. The purpose of the eggshell was likely to keep that heat inside. The hot air that did escape was still strong enough to make everyone squint against it. The egg was close to a kilometer away, but it was so big that it appeared closer. “Instructor, is that…?” Tiana trailed off. “It is quite crude, but it is likely a tool to extract mana. It melts down and homogenizes magical energy from things such as corpses, artifact cores, and mana crystals, using them as sacrifices,” Bellocchio said. “Sacrifices? Does that mean what I think it means?” Tiana asked. “Yes. They are offerings for the demon god’s resurrection,” her instructor confirmed. “…This is quite concerning. Diamond, what do you think?” “…I’d give it a week,” Diamond said, her expression uncharacteristically grim. Her reaction scared Nick; she hadn’t looked nearly as bothered when fighting the Sword of Tasuki. The situation here must have been significantly worse. “Oh dear. With this, we will be destroyed in earnest,” Bellocchio said, going pale. “Hold on. We need to think,” Fifs chimed in. “The Sword of Tasuki was an evil bastard, but he was always testing people. There must be a way to save the day at the last second.” “The issue is what he considered ‘saving the day.’ Worst case, he could have decided that avoiding extinction with a handful of survivors was enough for humanity to pass the test,” Marde said. “Sure, but we have to think of something!” insisted Diamond. “What do you think we’re trying to do?!” Fifs said. He, Marde, and Diamond continued to argue heatedly. “Tiana, can we go home? I’m pooped. I wanna sleep,” Nick complained. “…Don’t say that. I’m trying my best to hold out, too,” responded Tiana. “Yeah, I know,” said Nick. Diamond and the others realized they were leaving the Survivors out of the conversation and turned around to face them with embarrassed expressions. “I’ve got bad news, and I’ve got really bad news. Which do you want to hear first?” Diamond asked. “I wanna hear an idol give me a white lie that makes me feel better about this whole mess,” Nick said. “The bad news it is, then. The Sword of Tasuki is completely gone, but he sacrificed himself to the demon god. You could say he quit while he was ahead. His plan is still in motion.” “…Wasn’t his plan to Awaken Argus?” Nick asked. “It doesn’t necessarily need to be Argus; he was just one candidate. The Sword of Tasuki’s goal will be achieved if someone, no matter who, fights the demon god and Awakens in the process,” Diamond explained. “So you’re saying he chose us as his next candidates? You’ve gotta be kidding me… Hey, hang on,” Nick said, realizing something. “What?” “…You said you have even worse news?” he asked. Diamond and the others continued their explanation without answering Nick’s question. That in itself was their answer. “The demon god’s resurrection will occur when the Stampede reaches its peak. A body will manifest in this world created from sacrifices born from the fight between monsters and people, and monsters and monsters. But…” Bellocchio picked up where Diamond left off. “Significantly more unpleasant mana than that of a typical Stampede is gathering in the ground. It feels like something with highly dense mana is about to be born into this world… That can only mean one thing.” “The demon god is resurrecting with a physical form,” Fifs said. “And we only have one week before it happens.” “…If it comes to that, this’ll be way too much for us to handle alone. This is gonna turn into an all-out war. Shouldn’t we prioritize returning to the city to share what we know with the knights and the army?” Nick asked. “We won’t make it back in time. The angels will descend once the Awakening reaches a high-enough level. They’ll burn the land to ashes,” said Diamond. Everyone fell silent; they knew that would be a death sentence for the world. Nick couldn’t even bring himself to object. Everyone there believed Diamond was telling the truth. He fought against the urge to drift off to sleep and grew jealous of Leon, who was still unconscious on Fifs’s back. But as Nick dreamed of escaping reality, he realized something. “Hey, where’d Argus go? He came into this room, didn’t he?” “Huh? Oh yeah…,” Diamond said. She put a hand to her ear and cautiously looked around. The titan was nowhere to be seen, despite likely being responsible for the monster corpses throughout the room. Marde realized the answer first. “Did he…go inside?” “You mean inside the shell? That’s crazy! He’s way too injured to try something like that!” Nick protested. “That shell is an impenetrable barrier made by a god. I highly doubt breaking through it is possible,” Bellocchio said. “It is possible,” said the holy sword that Fifs was carrying. “Oh, Sword of Evolution, you’re awake,” said Fifs. “Somehow. I thought I was going to die… Anyway, Argus is capable of destroying it. He desired the ability to inflict irreversible damage on artifacts, so I gave it to him when I evolved him. He can destroy any artifact, and a god is no exception… The Sword of Tasuki was able to avoid this by producing an innumerable number of clones, but this egg is just sitting there. Argus should be able to damage it.” “He can really damage artifacts?” Nick asked. “Holy swords and other higher artifacts are semi-immortal. Gods are close to truly immortal, but the logic behind their immortality is essentially the same. As such—” “Stop. I don’t need a detailed explanation,” Nick said, interrupting the Sword of Evolution. “So you’re saying…he can defeat the demon god? Right now, before the ritual is complete?” “…The Sword of Tasuki inflicted him with a number of curses. It is a miracle that he is still alive and fighting. I do not think he will be able to completely destroy the demon god,” the Sword of Evolution conceded. “Huh…” They all fell quiet, feeling helpless. The silence was soon interrupted by an explosive sound that was accompanied by a blast of hot wind. “What was that?” Nick exclaimed. “Don’t tell me the resurrection is complete.” The group’s despair was palpable. As fatigue threatened to overwhelm them, one person glared at the demon god’s shell. “…No, that was not a sign of the resurrection. That was sabotage from the inside.” It was Bellocchio. He had an excited smile on his face. “Instructor?” Tiana asked, worried that he was getting dangerous ideas again. Bellocchio ignored her concern and turned to Fifs. “Mr. Fifs, would you be willing to assist me? I would like you to be a human shield and help me reach the shell.” “…I can’t say I like the sound of that,” Fifs said, grimacing. “Ha-ha-ha, I am not asking you to die for me. I would like you to last as long as you can but retreat before you expire.” “That’s not what I’m worried about. I know what you’re thinking. You want to reach the demon god’s shell as unscathed as you can, then get inside and destroy it. Just like Argus is doing now.” “…Well, yes, essentially,” admitted Bellocchio. “Argus’s death is inevitable, but that’s not true for you,” argued Fifs. “You’re here because you took every measure to ensure your own survival.” “H-he’s right! That body already doesn’t have long left! You’re going to die if you don’t quickly dispel it and return to your original form!” Tiana added. Bellocchio just shook his head. “Dead Man’s Balloon worked, as did my defensive measures. But something unexpected happened.” “What?” asked Tiana. “The Sword of Tasuki had a high soul level from capturing and equalizing a great many souls. Fighting him was a spiritual experience impossible under normal circumstances, and as a result, my soul level rose until I stabilized in this state.” “…You ‘stabilized’?” “That means I can’t dispel Union. Unfortunately, that also means I cannot do anything to fix this body’s short lifespan.” “Oh…” Tiana and the others were speechless. “B-but I’ve used Union many times and fought the Sword of Tasuki, and that hasn’t happened to me!” protested Tiana. “What is the advantage of using a magic item or holy sword as a catalyst to perform advanced magic?” Bellocchio asked, tapping the floor with his staff as if to announce this was a lesson. “…You’re able to use a spell even if you haven’t learned it,” Tiana answered. “And why is that?” “Carving the magic words onto the core simplifies the ritual and incantation and prevents the caster from losing control of their mana or casting in a mana-deficient state. That enables the spell to be used stably.” “Yes, that is correct.” Bellocchio smiled with his distinct mixture of tenderness and madness. It was unsettling on his new young woman’s face, which resembled Tiana’s. “Using Union in this manner is forbidden,” he continued. “Gathering body parts from living people and combining them is not far from necromancy. If I do happen to survive and extend my life, I will be exiled from the academy and learned society. I will likely also be given the death penalty—or worse, sentenced to be frozen.” Tiana glared at Alice and Marde. They’d probably known about that and kept quiet. “…The world hasn’t fallen so low as to behead a person who distinguished themselves when humanity was on the brink of destruction. The Order of the Sun Knights is in shambles anyway. I’m sure we can figure something out,” Alice said. “It is not the Order of the Sun Knights that punishes people for forbidden magic. The sanctuary—or rather, a secret assassination division within the sanctuary—takes care of that. Regardless, I know that I have dirtied my hands with heresy.” Bellocchio chuckled as he continued. “But this is not all bad. When I embraced the Sword of Tasuki, I stole a significant amount of mana from him. It may not be enough to defeat the demon god, but in my current state, I am likely as strong as any mage in Labyrinth City. Besides, there is no guarantee I will perish. Don’t you want to have some fun after coming this far? Does this not excite you?” “There’s no other way, huh…? Guess I’m putting my life on the line, too,” Fifs said. “Yes, there is! Figuring out how to extend that body’s lifespan would be much more constructive!” Tiana insisted. She knew, however, that her instructor wouldn’t lie about this, nor would he make an error of judgment in such a high-stakes situation. “Doppelgänger,” Fifs chanted, performing a different spell from the one he’d used during the fight earlier. “You made copies of yourself… Oh wait, they’re all wearing different equipment,” Nick said. A number of Fifs clones appeared, each wearing a different outfit. One Fifs had a large shield, one wore light armor, and one wore a mage’s robe. Nick recognized this as Fifs’s signature spell. He was famous for being an S-rank adventurer who used Doppelgänger to create copies of himself and use them as a perfectly coordinated party. “The previous spell I used summons my main body…a higher existence to which my soul is linked. It’s not something I can cast repeatedly. I actually couldn’t have used it all without a ritual catalyst I borrowed from Marde, which I’ve already exhausted,” Fifs explained. “I see… I always doubted that you could actually use an advanced spell like Doppelgänger on a daily basis, but it must be easy for you. You are a persona of your main body, and you are simply borrowing personas from it that exist in other dimensions,” said Bond. “It may be my main body, but I don’t have much of an idea what it’s thinking. Anyway, this is hardly the time to be having such a complicated conversation. We need to move.” Fifs and his other selves formed a perfectly coordinated squad with Bellocchio standing at their rear. “Shall we be off?” the mage asked. “W-wait!” Tiana exclaimed. “Nick, Bond! Use Union with me! We can do something about this instead!” “Be reasonable, Tiana,” her instructor chastised her. “How can you say that?! You’re about to kill yourself!” shouted Tiana. Fifs and Bellocchio ignored her cries and ran toward the demon god’s shell. Their figures grew smaller until they were visible only as pinpricks of coppery light in the intense heat, like a pair of tiny, faraway stars. The others could only gulp and watch as the two of them risked their lives. Eventually, a brilliant light surged from the egg. Once it faded, Tiana spoke up. “What happened?” she asked timidly. “That’s a good sign,” Alice said, pointing toward the demon god’s shell. A giant crack had formed in it. The heat spilling from the shell intensified. There was another small explosion, making the crack grow larger. Dense heat and mana gushed out, and a figure emerged. It raced toward Nick and the others with giant leaps and stood before them. “Argus…,” Nick said. “Instructor!” Tiana shouted. Argus’s wounds had worsened significantly. He was so beaten up, he looked like a corpse. Nick didn’t know what to say to him; however, one thing spoke loudly of his intentions: He was holding Fifs and Bellocchio in his right hand. He laid them gently on the ground. “He’s still breathing! I think Fifs will make it!” Diamond said. Fifs was severely burned but breathing, and Diamond hurriedly chanted healing magic. But she just glanced at Bellocchio and ignored him. It was clear he was beyond saving. “Instructor… Why?” Tiana whimpered. Bellocchio’s current body was an artificial construct made out of corpses and doll parts. Some of the skin on his limbs had burned away to reveal metal bones underneath, blurring the line between human and object. Anyone who found his corpse would have assumed he was an unfinished doll. “…Please don’t be too angry with me. Actually, being the target of your anger isn’t so bad. It has been rare for such emotion to be shown for me in my old age,” Bellocchio said. His arm moved as if searching for something. Tiana immediately understood what he wanted. She embraced Bellocchio, took out her own tobacco pipe, and put it in his mouth. “I never liked having other people light my pipe… No matter how elegantly they did it… But…this isn’t so bad…” “Instructor?” Bellocchio calmly breathed his last. Tiana began to sob, and Karan approached her quietly, giving Nick a look that told him to let her handle this. Nick apologized to Karan in his mind and turned toward Argus. “…I like the new look. It suits you. You’ve finally got a face that reveals you for the failed adventurer you are,” he said. His provocative words shocked Tiana and Karan, but neither girl intervened. “You said I don’t behave like an adventurer. That we have conflicting principles. But Combat Masters is done for. You killed them all and stole their souls, and now those are gone, too. Even the venerated Sword of Tasuki you spent so much time with was nothing but a common thief. You never had any principles. Everything you cared about is gone. Are you satisfied?” The monstrous Argus watched Nick in silence. He seemed both human and not. No one would have argued if you called him a monster, but his eyes were as calm as could be. “Damn it! Are you just gonna stand there?! Say something, Argus! Why don’t you ever say the things that really matter?!” Nick yelled. “You’re wasting your breath. He cannot speak because I left out his vocal organs when I evolved him. He is now naught but a being designed specifically to destroy artifacts,” the Sword of Evolution said coolly. “Shut up, you worthless piece of junk! I wasn’t talking to you!” Nick snapped. “…Hmph, fine. But look and you will see what he accomplished.” As if in response to the sword’s words, Argus showed what he was holding in his left hand. He threw it violently to the floor, unlike when he’d laid down Bellocchio and Fifs. “Are those…magic items?” Nick asked. Marde answered. “That is the remains of the Sword of Tasuki…a magic item…and some kind of orb… I see. These are sacrifices to the demon god. Not only did he ravage the shell, he stole some of its mana source.” “Those are all first-class artifacts. He probably destroyed other sacrifices, too. The shell’s mana has been greatly decreased… That should buy us time!” Diamond said. “We might be able to work with the agents to delay the angels’ descent and the final battle… This could save us!” exclaimed Alice.
Chapter 97
28 min read