248 246. Lost child.txt (1/2)

-- magic reflects the world of the 'past'.

The place that is reflected is the same place where I was standing just a few minutes ago, right in front of the ”big hole”.

I'm going to be able to look down on that place like a bird looking down from the heavens. The magic of past vision and spatial perception seems to be working normally. After confirming this, I calmly look into the 'past'.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get the best out of it. There is an artificial scaffolding like a spiral staircase on the side of the inner perimeter of the Great Pit, through which they seem to be heading for the entrance to the labyrinth at the bottom.

The searchers must have challenged this labyrinth many times over the past year.

The staircase would have been frightening to an ordinary person, who would have gone headlong into the ”big hole” if he or she had missed a step, but the searchers seemed to be used to it. It is an interesting sight to see them descending through the narrow foothold without much nervousness, planning the day's exploration with their friends.

However, the daily life of these searchers is now coming to an end.

This is the moment I see the end.

First of all, there is a scream from the bottom of the Big Hole.

Naturally, the searchers who were walking on top of the Big Hole look downward with suspicious eyes.

Downstairs, strong searchers were running out one after another from the entrance to the labyrinth. Everyone was frightened and fleeing as if they had encountered a 'monster'.

Those who make their living dealing with monsters are climbing the stairs as fast as they can, showing their backs without shame or offense.

Everyone looking down understood that it was an anomaly.

And soon, the cause of the abnormality would be throbbing and overflowing from the doorway of the labyrinth.

Red mud gushed out of the side holes, as if blood was pouring out of the wounds.

The people who had been looking down were baffled by the unidentified object.

Then, a blazing fire erupts from the entrance of the labyrinth.

There, people guess that the red mud is lava. The first thing that comes to mind is the eruption of a volcano.

Even those who have only heard of it through the grapevine must have known what it was all about. They must have known how much death and destruction the calamity would cause.

The loudest screams came from those who knew the horror of the eruption in turn.

The screams filled not only the bottom of The Great Pit, but also the surroundings of The Great Pit. The fear spread to the city above ground. The searchers who were about to challenge the labyrinth turned on their heels and started running, trying not to get caught up. Seeing this, the townspeople panicked and the soldiers began to try to figure out what was going on.

Soon after, the Second Maze City Daryl was swallowed up in a vortex of confusion.

And at the center of the vortex.

At the bottom of the ”Great Pit” - the eye of the storm - a girl with black hair and dressed in black appears from the entrance to the labyrinth, where there are no more searchers left.

It was obvious that the girl was the ”monster” that the escaped searcher had seen.

First of all, the magical power that leaked from her body was incomparably huge, and it was as miserable as if she was carrying darkness on her back. Furthermore, reddish-black flames were constantly erupting from the gaps in its black clothing.

The object you hold in your hand is also extraordinary. The pitch-black 'scythe' wavers like a shadow, and it is easy to see that it is a weapon forged in an uncommon way.

Both of its eyes were wrapped with multiple layers of bandages that must have had some kind of technical formula written on them, and there was a deficit pattern floating around its neck. That meaningful magic formula and pattern was enough to make you guess that it was sealing something bad. Furthermore, even with that seal, the girl's body still couldn't stop the horrific magic power from gushing out of her body, which would make an ordinary searcher scream or two.

There was no doubt that this black girl was the culprit of the lava.

Not only the searchers, but I, too, was convinced.

Then the girl walks on the lava and suddenly looks up at the sky.

To be precise, I saw the tail end of the searchers who had failed to escape.

Magic spun from those tiny lips.

''-- 《Midgalls Blaze》''

The outpouring of flames from the girl's body gathered together and transformed into a giant dragon of fire.

Immediately, that dragon took flight and burned everywhere around the inner perimeter of The Great Pit. No, with its fierce heat, it would melt everything.

Fortunately, when all the searchers have escaped from the Great Pit, the flaming dragon finishes melting the spiral staircase. Just in the nick of time, it hasn't reached the catastrophe of burning and melting people.

As I watched the scene calmly from the sky, I realized that the girl had deliberately let the searchers escape.

Perhaps the girl's goal was to get the searchers away from here. In her own way, she drove them away with her flaming dragon to scare them away.

However, even with the kindness, it was still a devastation that made me want to cover my eyes.

The rock face melted and the lava flowed like a river. The air is distorted by the hot air, and the too-dense magical power is turning the bottom of the 'Great Hole' into the bottom of the cauldron of hell. One could tell at a glance that no one could ever pass through it again.

Confirming the devastation, the girl drowns out the flaming dragon and begins to magically move the lava at the bottom of the Cauldron.

The lava cools and hardens, and a beautiful path is born in the side hole that seems to be the entrance to the labyrinth.

Then, as if she had finished her work, the girl wipes the sweat from her own forehead and floods her body with darkness instead of fire. That darkness gathers and takes shape just like the dragon before.

The darkness takes the form of a young girl, pretending to wipe the sweat from her forehead, just like the girl who controls the flame, and she makes a very jovial voice.

''Whew, here we go. This labyrinth exploration has given me more uses for my magic in various ways. But it's a bit tiring.

To which the girl on fire replies.

'I'm fine with it, though. Now there's no one else. Now, it's time to call Shea and the others. I'll adjust the temperature to prevent them from burning. --Heat, Flame.

There's no doubt about it.

The culprits who caused this devastation - that's my friends, Maria and the Reapers.

Maria's clothes and magic power had changed a bit, so I was a little late in being sure. Maybe it's because I wanted to believe that my companions were not the kind of kids who would melt other people's property until the very last minute of confirmation.

After I had gained that conviction, two more figures emerge from the doorway of the labyrinth.

These were also two people I knew.

A frail-looking young man with brown hair and a small but vivacious girl - Glenn Walker and Shea Legacy. I'm surprised at the strange combination of Snow's brother and Palinkron's niece.

As soon as the two of them emerge from the labyrinth, they open their mouths wide at the horrific situation around them.

'Ugh, wow ....... This is awful ......

What?　Why is this happening?　You were more normal when you came in!

The two relatively sensible people seemed to find it hard to believe the devastation Maria and the others had caused.

But Maria replied as if it didn't matter.

''We just blocked the doorway to the labyrinth a little. More than that, Sia should focus more on 'affinity'. The information you just gave me isn't enough to make me feel comfortable.

Then he points to the pendant hanging on Shea's chest.

''I'm at my limit!　That thing you just did was just barely enough!　We won't get any more information!

'Not yet. You should try to be more 'friendly'. I'm not saying that you have to be like me. Just a little more.

I noticed that the magic stone used in the pendant that Shea was wearing was the 'Magic Stone of Tida'.

Next, the word 'affinity' reminds me of the two last days of Arti, the one who steals the logic of fire, and Palinclone, the one who steals the logic of darkness. Those two men also used the word 'affinity'.

I don't know how that happened, but it seems that Sia Legacy, Palinclone Legacy's niece, is trying to 'affinity' with the 'Magic Stone of Tida'.

''Ha, it can't be helped. ...... Let's just find out that blood kinship alone isn't enough, so let's leave it at that this time. Better yet, shall we hurry up and go south? ...... We need to burn that ”World Tree (Yggdrasil)” thing in the home country of Fuzzy Yards as soon as possible. If it's really what Shea says it is, there will be some kind of reaction. It would be ideal if the people of the Apostle Diprakra, as an example, would come out of the woodwork: ......

What?

Shea-chan took a step back as she prepared herself for that boisterous statement and immediately refuted it.

''Apostle-sama reacts, or rather, surprises me!　No, it's not that I'm surprised, it's that the apostle inside is going to die!

'Let's catch them threatening to come out and talk to them. If they don't come out, ...... well, it's just going to be the same as here.

”Same as here!　In the heart of the mainland - and in the heart of the Great Sacred City, in the World Tree!　You're doing the same thing!

Shea's face twitches as she checks the devastation around her.

''I'll take care to make sure that no one gets hurt like this time. Besides, if that's where Apostle Di Prakra is, he'll come out before that happens. We're in a hurry, so we'll do whatever it takes. Now, let's waste time chatting, so let's leave immediately.

'Yeah, yeah. ......'

Sia was speechless as she realized from her expression that the girl in front of her was serious about what she was saying.

Maria saw that the objection was gone and called out to the last one.

'So, what do you want to do, Glenn-san?'

Glenn-san was just as confused as Shea-chan, but he was a little quicker to bring it back up than she was. He immediately turned serious and replied with a hand on his head.

'Yeah, I'm curious about you too, Apostle-sama. ...... Besides, I've been hearing voices lately. A voice in my head that won't stop resounding ...... all the time.

I don't know what I'm talking about again. So you're going?　Aren't you going?

However, Maria cut off that looming line as if it didn't matter very much. Ms. Glenn sounded pathetic and lamented it.

'Ugh, that's awful ....... You should be more interested in me, too. Really, Maria, you're not interested in anything but Kanami-kun .......

Yeah, and which one is it?

Don't be so angry. ...... Of course I'll be there. I'll be there.

Yes, it's unanimous.

Maria creates a staircase for herself on the side of the 'big hole' by manipulating the lava and walks out before anyone else. Only, Shea shouts to stop her from doing so.

'It's not unanimous!　What's my opinion!

That doesn't count. You're technically a prisoner of war.

It was not going to stop.

Seeing the leader of the party who didn't mean it at all, Shea sadly decided to rely on the other girl.

''Li, Reaper-chan, ....... Maria-chan says - she's going to burn the Great Holy City - ......

Don't worry about it. The only person stronger than Maria-chan in this world is the Lord of the North, so don't worry about it. Even if you burn the World Tree, I don't think you'll be caught, so don't worry!

'No, it's not about getting caught, it's more about ethics: ......

However, Sia's hopes are cut short as her common sense ethics do not match up with the Reaper, the Grim Reaper.

However, Maria, who is leading the way, follows up with Sia, perhaps thinking of the situation that awaits her. Although the shy Maria called Sia a prisoner of war, it is clear that deep down she cares about her.

'Of course, if it's a peaceful way to go, I won't burn it. Now we're just talking about the worst of it.

That's right. You don't just burn them up, do you?

Just because I seem to have been favored by the worst endings in my entire life: ....... Just be prepared for that to happen, Shea.

'Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this ....... I've got an awesome bad feeling about this .......

Shea pats everyone on the shoulder and trudges along behind them.

Finally, Maria, who is leading the group, announces their departure.

Then let's head south. Our destination is the World Tree in the home country of Hoozeyer's. Once there, we will be able to meet the Apostle Diprakra, who is said to be the wise man of a thousand years ago. I'm sure you'll find a way to defeat the 'Lord of Lords' or find a way to find Kanami-san--

Thus, Maria and her party, which has a strange composition of ”Witches”, ”Grim Reapers”, ”Formerly the Strongest” and ”Palinkron's Niece”, sealed off the ”Second Labyrinth”, left the ”Second Labyrinth City of Daryl” and headed south with their friends...

Apparently, this is the end of the memories left in this land.

Little by little, the effects of the Dimension Graduate ”Prequel (Recall)” dissolve, and the world returns to the ”present”. The world that had been repainted will return to its original form.

◆◆◆◆◆ ...

--The effect of the magic ends and consciousness returns to its original place.

I'm glad.

The first thing I do is to be relieved to see that my friends are in good health.

It's a good thing that they are careful not to injure anyone, even though I feel that Maria is doing too many things. I think she's matured a lot since she's been trying to burn me alive and dead for so long.

For some reason, it's probably acceptable for Glenn and Shea Legacy to accompany him. If anything, it's an unexpected stroke of good fortune that Maria has made a decent, sensible friend.

If there is one thing that is troubling, it is that the girls have headed south.

After taking a big breath, I let everyone know that the magic is over.

''--Whoa. Snow, it looks like the cause is still Maria. I read the remaining magic at this site with the Dimension, and I'm sure of it.

'I knew it. You're able to do ...... or even that. As expected, Kanami.

While me and Snow were convinced of the reason for the devastation, the other two were not. On behalf of the group, Titi asked to speak to us.

'Hmm?　First of all, who's Maria?

It's the girl who was exploring the maze with me a while ago. She's good at fire magic and has a guardian's magical stone. I think that girl did this.

Oh. This?　That's quite something.

''I've got that Arti magic stone. Probably, only in fire magic is it as good as anyone else, right?

'Alty ......?　Who's that?

'What?　Oh, surprisingly, Arti isn't as well known as I thought. It's the one that steals the logic of fire.

I see. I knew there was a ”thief of fire”, but his name is Arti. ......

Apparently, there was no interaction between Titi and Arti. He reported on the situation, making sure that not all of the guardians (guardians) knew each other.

'And Reaper and Glenn. And Shea was there.

Reaper?　I know that magic, the Grim Limbo Reaper. As I recall, it's the magic that Kanamin threw at Areis. That's the magic that's haunting you and Maria now. Hmmm, this is interesting.

Alty seemed to know the Reapers even if he didn't know them, so the thousand year old connection was an odd one.

'What, Brother Glenn is ......?　I didn't ask. ......

Snow seemed to be more concerned about Mr. Glenn than the Reapers. As I recall, he said he was in the war in Epic Seeker, but I wondered if he'd left in the middle of it.

'Yeah, I was in a party with Maria. I don't think I'd recognize his face in the quicksand.