Chapter 50: Unity Forms a Blade

Darkness has gravity.
Like a black hole that lets not even light escape, a power great enough to rule this universe.

There’s no need to give it direction. [Orgostra] simply unleashes power. It drops the darkness, bound to the two poles of earth and sky, down into the middle.

That indiscriminate force pins the Grids down, tears them apart, and the next instant, smashes them into the ground after suspending them in midair. The number of enemies doesn’t matter. Darkness bares its fangs equally at every foe.

—O cruel, devilish adventurers.

Truly, that’s exactly right.
We trample, ravage everything, take, take, take as we advance.

If we aren’t demons, then what are we?

“……… …ha… …haa…”

I’m dizzy.
I’ve never used this much magic before. On top of that, I burned a lot of power to open the gate. My thoughts are sluggish. I feel faintly sick.

A vast horde of Grids stripped of their original forms. What’s splattered across the floor can’t even be distinguished as flesh or organs. A tremendous quantity of blood evaporates away.

And in the middle of that horrific scene, the King was still standing.

“Ah… va… vah… vah-vah AAAAA!”

Even with his crumpled armor sliding off, his fur peeled and his whole body soaked in blood. Still gripping the axe he’d driven into the ground, he stands without so much as dropping to a knee.

This is a battle for life.

Even if that light is as fleeting as a spark.
It isn’t over until it goes out.

“[Lebe…]—No good.”

I can’t summon any more shadow soldiers. Not just that. In this condition, I doubt I can maintain magic with elemental imbuement.

—Ah, I hate this.

I can still do body enhancement. I can still fight.
But if I keep fighting any longer…

I’ll only get in her way.

I release my magic and slowly exhale. Even the golden-wolf Grid doesn’t move at the presence rapidly drawing near.

With a sound like a quake, the whole mountain shakes. The source of the impact is above.
With a thunderous roar, the ceiling collapses.

“[Primordial Great Tree]”

Plants wind around the rocks that looked like they’d fall as-is and the walls about to cave in all at once. Thanks to the quick reinforcement, only a faint dust settles on me.

“Go on. I won’t let anyone get in your way.”
“Thanks!”

A voice far too bright for a deathtrap. A scarlet girl falls like a comet.

She lands right between me and the golden-wolf Grid. Her back is so reliable it makes me grit my teeth.

—The truth is, I wanted to be the one to finish this.

Be an adult. I’ll end it here. If I leave the rest to Lila, we’ll win. That’s the end of it.

I entrust this battle to you.
Once I decided that, it felt like my heart grew a little lighter.

“Itsuki!”

She calls my name with strength. Drawn by that voice, I lift my face, and Lila is smiling.

“Let’s win together!”
“—!”

I didn’t know.
I knew nothing about the girl named Lila Scarlet Tears.

“Haha. …Normally, you’d tell me to stop.”

Lila won’t allow me to collapse, to halt my steps, to give up the fight.

She’s a shura—more bloodthirsty than any demon.
And that shura tells me it’s okay to keep fighting. She smiles at me, saying I can still go on.

So now.
I cast off my hesitation and entrust everything to her .

“We finish it in one strike.”
“Got it!”

I squeeze out my willpower and construct the final spell. At the same time, Lila breaks into a run.

The golden-wolf Grid also squeezes out the last of his strength. Despite suffering multiple mortal wounds, there’s no decline in his movement. In fact, bearing death on his back, he looks to be in his very best state at this very moment.

I’ve used every card in my hand. In this state, the only magic that can decide the match is the one thing engraved in my soul.

—The adventure doesn’t end.
The magic of the person who, with a sunny smile, entrusted me with his power.

The golden-wolf Grid swings his axe. Without trying to avoid its path, Lila dives straight in.

That’s fine. There’s no need to dodge.
I’ll link it.

“[Law of the Blade]”

I imbue Lila’s sword with my all-out magic. In that instant, she swings through.
She splits the metal axe like paper and, without losing momentum, cleaves up through his neck.

The Golden Grid topples, slowly. Standing beside him, Lila quietly sheaths her katana.

A deep breath.

I walk as if testing the ground. My condition is the worst, but I can’t collapse yet.
Amid the piled corpses, Lila and I bump fists.

“Perfect.”
“You too, Itsuki!”

“What about everyone else?”
“Mostly fine. The adventurers who got separated—Uika apparently went around pulling them out.”

“‘Monthly’… the three-person party that was with us?”
“They’re alive. Thanks to the ‘Ora-ora old man’ who came back with you guys and blew away the silver-wolf Grid.”

“Let’s stop calling him the ‘Ora-ora old man.’”

If he hears us, he’ll ora-ora us too.

“So, can we actually get home?”
“That ‘Creepy Skeleton’ is still alive. Either that, or you use your magic.”

“I can’t. I busted my staff. And stop giving people weird names.”
“It’s hard to remember a lot of names.”

“Do your best.”

A limp laugh slips out.
From the collapsed ceiling, enormous tree roots descended. Beyond them is Yuuka-san.

This adventure is over.
Let’s go home. To our family.

◇

Everyone’s eyes were on Itsuki Isshiki.

But the boy who’d become the center of attention could barely manage to walk unsteadily, and when spoken to, he only gave dubious replies. Shigeatsu and the others surrounded him and decided to lay him down at the camp for the time being.

Whether he was a clean freak or just felt bad dirtying the bed, Itsuki at least took a shower before going to sleep. He was in such an extreme state that he lost consciousness the moment he collapsed. After confirming the sound of his breathing, Shigeatsu headed to the mess hall.

Waiting for him there were those who had gotten through this run with no major injuries.
Veterans, and those whose names were beginning to spread—everyone here had recognized ability.

They rearranged tables and chairs so they could talk. Stared at by that illustrious lineup, Shigeatsu felt a twinge of nerves.

“Has he fallen asleep?”
“Yeah. Out cold.”

Yuuka of the “Yggdrasil Order,” who’d been in the same squad, called out to him, and he felt relieved. It looked like she would be the one to steer the proceedings of this gathering.

Of everyone here, Yuuka was probably the most versed in magic. She led four mages, so she was regularly exposed to magic other than her own. As a facilitator, there could be no more suitable choice.

“Well then, let’s talk a bit so he won’t be bombarded with questions when he wakes up.”

Those who had been returned to the [Fallen Holy City] were wearing the look of people who had seen something unbelievable.

“As for the gate he opened—let’s say it isn’t an impossibility. Right, Rokuro-san?”

The gaunt man sitting in the corner twitched his shoulder in reaction, then pulled his mouth up into an exaggerated grin. He looked like a Halloween monster, and the surrounding adventurers subtly put some distance between themselves and him.

“Indeed. In theory, a staff retains stronger magical traces than a corpse… If you lower the output, you can also reduce the difficulty of extraction. Theoretically, yes. …keh!”
“Recreating magic from traces of magic that already exist. That’s a theory that exists. So sorry, but there’s nothing to debate. He was a genius. That’s all. If you want more detail, ask Rokuro-san.”

“Keh… most welcome, indeed.”

Rokuro’s unexpected sociability drew impressed looks from a few adventurers.

Yuuka murmured behind a hand at her mouth.

“What I’m more curious about is why he was transferred straight to the golden-wolf Grid… Maybe he already has a ‘key’?”

The room still hadn’t settled, and Yuuka’s voice reached only Shigeatsu sitting beside her.

The unfamiliar term made Shigeatsu furrow his brow, but he didn’t ask. In this setting, it felt improper to speak lightly from a position close to Itsuki. Knowing that, Yuuka didn’t toss the question to him either.

Gradually, the room calmed down.

Most of the adventurers felt relieved to have their doubts cleared up. But the leaders of each squad looked dissatisfied. Yuuka gave precise eye signals to just that group. A sign to come later.

“You’re all tired today. I’ll close with a line like this, and we’ll call it a night.”

In the 10 years since the dungeons appeared, one man reached the pinnacle of magic.

The first in history to reach Area 9. After that, he challenged Area 10 and never returned. A legendary mage. Just before setting out on his final adventure, he cast aside his epithet of “Demon King” and said this.

“‘Do not confine magic in the cage of science.’”