Ur clenched his teeth, as if shattering something inside himself, and asked.
[Listen…]
“Tell me.”
In response to Ur’s question, Diz fell silent for a moment. Perhaps the situation on her end was also dire, or maybe she hesitated to entrust anything to Ur. Probably both.
But with no time to hesitate, the order came through.
“If possible, I want you to destroy the fallen necromancer—【Core Demonstone】.”
“That blackish-purple thing, huh?”
“Its nature is 【Gluttony】 and 【Sloth】. Since Rose is saved, fortunately, 【Lust】 hasn’t mixed in yet. Shatter it before it devours its prey and grows larger.”
The communication cut off. Once again, intense noise and light erupted from the command tower.
It seemed no further advice would be coming.
Ur sighed, refocusing his attention ahead. The death knight, who had been silently waiting for some reason, began to laugh again with a clattering sound.
[Kakakaka, done talking?]
“You waited for me?”
[Be grateful, will you? Holding back my orders isn’t easy, you know.]
Looking at him, it was clear that he was forcibly restraining himself—his limbs were trembling. It seemed he truly had been waiting for our conversation to end before making a move.
[But it seems I can’t resist this impulse any longer.]
“Impulse?”
[〝Devour,〟 he says. Kakkaka.]
Baring his well-aligned teeth, the 【death knight】 gripped his ominous greatsword. With the massive 【Starving Skull】 finally beginning to move behind him, he laughed.
[If you don’t want to be devoured by me and the undead, fight for your life, kid.]
—
—
“If you’re so worried, why don’t you just kill yourself, old bag of bones?”
【The Great ■ Labyrinth – ■■■ Fortress】
Sin Erosion—Gluttony, Sloth, ■■
The Battle of the Undead Army Begins
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Canaan Fortress, Command Tower, Necromancer’s Room
“…Cut off, huh? Well, I kept you waiting.”
[Gugegege!!]
“Ah, right. You weren’t waiting at all, were you?”
“──────”
As Rose regained consciousness from the blackish-purple explosion, an even more abnormal situation unfolded before her eyes.
The surrounding space had completely changed.
An eerie blackish-purple pulsation filled the room, staining the crumbling ruins with a dark hue, yet brimming with raw vitality.
Mana surged, creating the illusion that the fortress itself was alive—no, perhaps it truly was alive, and now its malice was laid bare.
[Geggegegigigigi!]
“Aatatata──tto!”
At the center of this bizarre space, Diz faced off against a small creature. With a single crimson sword, she fended off the creature’s lightning-fast, grotesque “tongue” attacks.
But the being she faced could hardly be called a “small creature” anymore.
[GEGEGEGEGEGEGEGEGEGE!!!!]
The creature was growing.
Its once short, immature limbs elongated, its claws gleaming grotesquely. Its torso doubled in size, and bat-like wings stretched from its back.
Its growth was twisted and uneven.
Only the functions necessary to harm its opponent were prioritized in its grotesque evolution.
“Nnn…!”
Diz continued to fend off the creature’s relentless, flesh-rending “tongue” attacks, but as she did, blood began to spurt from various parts of her body. It was clear to Rose that Diz wasn’t fully holding her own.
And yet, she didn’t retreat a single step—because she was protecting Rose.
“Diz!!!”
“Don’t move. The 【Barrier】 will break.”
Rose couldn’t help but shout, but Diz didn’t turn around.
Then Rose noticed the 【Barrier】 Diz had mentioned. The intricate spellwork emanating from the heels of her crimson armor began to form a circle around Rose.
“【White Barrier】.”
With a clang, Diz activated the spell by stepping on its edge, and a barrier enveloped Rose. At the same time, Diz took a step back and rolled into the magic circle.
[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!]
The grotesque creature extended its tongue, trying to pierce the barrier itself, as if attempting to devour it.
But the white wall of light neither blocked nor repelled the tongue. Instead, the tongue passed through the barrier and Rose as if they were illusions.
[GYA?]
The creature, surprised by the lack of resistance, swung its tongue again, but still couldn’t touch anything. It was as if it was trying to grasp a reflection on water.
“It… can’t reach?”
“We’re displaced. Now then…”
As Diz sighed, the crimson armor she wore began to melt away, sliding off her body.
Her bare skin and the wounds she had sustained in the battle were now exposed.
“…!!”
The number and depth of her wounds were far worse than Rose had imagined, and she gasped. These were no light injuries. And every single one of them had been sustained while protecting Rose.
[Diz! Your arm!!]
“I’m fine. Healing magic will take care of it.”
The crimson armor transformed into the form of a fairy, expressing concern for Diz. Though it was a bizarre sight, Rose had no time to dwell on it. She watched with trembling eyes as Diz healed her wounds with magic, then looked down.
“…Why do you go this far?”
“Hm?”
“I… don’t deserve to be saved by you.”
She had no right, no qualification to be saved.
She had clung to a deal that was long over, crying, screaming, and relying on Diz.
She had made a fool of herself, deserving nothing but scorn and contempt. So why did Diz save her?
Why did she go this far, covered in blood and wounds──?
“Why does everyone ask the same thing…? There we go.”
But in response to Rose’s question, Diz shrugged as if it were nothing, her tone light as always, before turning back to face her.
“I used ruthless means to take your family heirloom. You clung to a deal that was long over and followed me around. Our relationship couldn’t be worse. We’re not friends or anything.”
But, she placed her hand on Rose’s head, as if comforting a child. Rose frowned, trying to push the hand away, but──
“There’s no need for you to die, right?”
With that, Diz smiled.
A gentle, loving smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world—a smile that seemed to say Rose was more important than anyone else.
Rose knew that smile. It was mercy. The same loving smile her lost parents had once given her. A smile devoid of logic or calculation, filled with unconditional kindness.
“Di…z.”
“God may be in heaven, but the world is far from peaceful. Even if there were a single god, the world would still be filled with chaos, and the weak would be easily tossed about, trampled by malice.”
Still, she caressed Rose’s cheek and kissed her forehead. Immediately, Rose’s eyelids grew heavy, and her consciousness wavered. As she reached out, Diz was already rearmored and gripping her sword.
“You don’t have to die. You don’t have to be lost. That’s what I think.”
[Is that why you’re risking your life?]
Akane called out to Diz, who stepped out of the barrier to face the dragon.
“I’m just doing what I want. There’s no need to talk about risking my life. It’s just selfishness.”
[Really?]
“That’s right. Now then, Akane.”
The grotesque dragon sneered at the prey that had stepped out of the barrier once more. Its murky eyes reflected nothing but the desire to torment and devour.
This creature must never escape. It must never be allowed to live. And so──
“Give me your omnipotence. Or die.”
[What about Niitan?]
“Ur, Shizuku, the people of Alto—if we don’t stop 『that』 here, everyone will die.”
[Fine. What a troublesome 『world』.]
“Yeah,” Diz smiled.
“But I like this world. It’s alright, more or less.”
With that, her smile faded. She looked ahead, raising the back of her right hand toward the dragon.
“I, a guardian of the world, one of the 【Seven Heavens】──”
Her mana, refined through countless brushes with death, filled her body to the brim.
Her adoptive father’s love, the protection of her hair ornament—both were released at once.
Even as her pointed ears became visible, her radiance didn’t diminish in the slightest.
“──【Hero】.”
Her mana, honed to its limits, manifested as the form of her soul—a magical name.
Like the pattern of the sun, a dazzling shimmer appeared on her hand, spreading to her arm, her armor, and finally her back, where it formed wings of light. The radiance seemed to protect the sleeping girl behind her and the world beyond from all evil.
The dragon narrowed its eyes and roared with disdain. Unflinching in the face of its malice, Diz calmly declared.
“I will slay the demon dragon and become the cornerstone of the world.”
Heavenly Sage King’s Decree: Zeuradia Quest
［Dragon Slayer］ Begins.
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