Vol 1 Chapter 4 (2/2)

All that was left was to wait for them to reach the necessary depth of a kilometer; in other words, the 64th or 65th floors.

Upon discovering a vast room with a large tree planted within, it was an inevitability that they’d stop to investigate its presence. Whether their movements took them through narrow pa.s.sages or into a large room, they’d be able to judge by tracing the Divine Pearl.

At which point, they’d use Tina’s powers to teleport to their destination.

The third floor teleporter would never have activated without Tina’s touch.

It was probably safe to a.s.sume that its counterpart far below was the same. There was simply no way for Stefan and his party to know for sure whether anything they found was truly the teleportation device or simply another large stone.

Once Tina activated the device, they’d teleport back to the third floor, concluding the duel.

From what Tina had gathered from the third floor device, it seemed it was possible to configure both the number of targets for, and the range of, teleportation. In short, they could leave Stefan’s party behind and return alone.

Additionally, given that the third floor teleporter was likely guarded by members of the Sky’s Oath Legion, once they teleported, both the guards and Stefan’s party would be made witnesses to their success.

Be that as it may, it wasn’t like there weren’t any uncertain factors.

First of all, this all hinged on whether or not Stefan and his party ever made it to the room in question. It looked like they had made all necessary preparations to do so, but he could only pray that they made it safely there.

The other variable was Tina. Even though she’d consumed a fair amount of items from his store, she hadn’t acc.u.mulated all that much divine energy regardless. Teleporting a far distance consumed a great amount of divine energy, and reserving enough energy for four people to both go and come back – a worst case scenario – was simply an impossibility.

For that reason, they’d decided that only Tina and himself would go. He obviously preferred to allow Franka to be the one to make the discovery, but given that party achievements were recorded on a per-party basis, it didn’t truly matter in the end.

The second they disappeared, Alfred would undoubtedly notice and return to the surface for help. They’d wait for the rescue party at the third floor, explaining that they’d been teleported to the sixty-somethingth floor where they’d stumbled upon the device enabling their return.

Not a word of this had been spoken to either Franka or Alfred. There was simply no way to explain the plan without first explaining both Tina’s powers and her connection to the room in question – both things that Yuuki would prefer went unmentioned.

“Get back!” Franka yelled.

At the same time, a Void Beast – a rabbit with long fangs – burst into flame.

Alfred stood in front, preventing the Void Beast’s forward movement as Franka sought the appropriate moment to use an Orison to end the beast. This was a very basic style of combat. The teamwork of the two was wonderfully fluid, their coordination perfect.

Yuuki, who had no experience working with anyone else, couldn’t help but feel sincere admiration at the sight.

Neither he nor Tina were taking part in the battle, and had taken the role of wards to be protected. Their job was instead to keep watch over the rear as needed.

They were currently on the 15th floor of the labyrinth.

Once the tenth floor had been reached, it was rare to encounter another adventurer. Additionally, the danger posed by Void Beasts gradually, but steadily, increased. That notwithstanding, they were still feeling fine.

The party easily dispatched the few Void Beasts that crossed their path as they continued forward.

“…You understand that you’re to avoid rus.h.i.+ng to the front at all costs?” Yuuki whispered to the person beside him.

“Right now I’m trying to save divine energy, not avoid using it entirely. Even if, under the restrictions imposed on the s.h.i.+nki, I can’t attack, I can at least help restrict the movements of the Void Beasts,” Tina said somewhat reluctantly.

Although her breathing was slightly faster than normal, she nonetheless seemed to be able to handle things. Because the three other members of the party were adapting themselves to her pace, she was able to keep up.

“The sentiment’s what’s important here. If they discover that you can’t be hurt, things could get a little bothersome. If it helps, think of it this way – any divine energy you waste here puts you that much farther from ever summoning your Duelist.”

“I’ve said it before, haven’t I? What kind of s.h.i.+nki would I be if I couldn’t save the people before me? Franka and Alfred are good people; I like them. After my divine energy returns and I summon my Duelist, I plan to let them continue to work under me. ——Oh, you too, if you want to, Master.”

“So I’m just an afterthought, huh. Anyway, allow me to continue to state my preference for tangible rewards. Plus, you’re better off not having me as a subordinate.”

In order for things to work out, the reward from the Church of the Five Holies had better be substantial. Just the sunk cost of the items Tina had consumed had been beyond hefty.

After they’d walked for some time, Alfred turned to face them.

“Are you fine if we continue like this?”

“I’m fine up until the 25th floor. However——”

Yuuki spared Tina a quick glance. It was probably about time for a short break.

Honestly speaking, the only thing that mattered was whether or not Stefan’s party made it, so it wasn’t like they were in any particular hurry.

“Ah, right. Let’s take a breather then.”

Hearing that, Tina sat down on the ground, taking some unknown dried fruit from the wryly smiling Alfred. The sour-sweet taste helped to relieve her exhaustion.

“——You feeling okay, Tina-chan?”

Franka walked over to Yuuki’s side. She, let alone Alfred, didn’t look the least bit weary.

“She was the one who wanted to come along, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Franka sighed.

“I was too reckless. Everyone’s been dragged into this because of me…”

“Reckless is right,” Yuuki readily acknowledged. “If running off on your own like that isn’t recklessness, then what is? If you were gonna regret it this much, you should have just not done it in the first place.”

“I guess that’s true, huh…”

“But—— We all followed you of our own accord. Don’t forget that. Oh, myself included, of course.”

Franka lifted her head in surprise. After a short moment, she uttered a soft, “…Thank you.”

Yuuki sighed. He’d been thinking this entire time that he’d been acting very much unlike his normal self. Perhaps Tina’s personality had been rubbing off on him.

——Well, if he was gonna meddle in someone else’s business anyway, then this was a good opportunity. Might as well have what needed to be said, said.

“So, in the end, who was the one who killed your father? Stefan?”

Franka’s eyes opened wide at Yuuki’s question, and she answered, her words coming forth a little at a time.

“…Not long after I had become an adventurer, I heard a rumor from others I had begun to a.s.sociate with. ‘Among the Sky’s Oath Legion, there’s an arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d who claims to have slain the master of a celestial Dragon Fang weapon.’ Because there wasn’t any evidence to be found, his claims were taken as mad ramblings.”

Franka’s father had been the previous master of the AmnisBlue Water Pike. This, Yuuki had heard before.

“Father pa.s.sed away on the 52nd floor. At the time, he was the leader of a party of five or six. Of their number, the ones who were witness to his final moments were Bertolt and Stefan, those two. ——Oh, did you know he’s my brother?”

“Uncle mentioned it. Same mother, but different fathers, right?”

“Yes. My mother was a former servant of the Klose house, a concubine of the previous head of the house. Even before my brother was born, he was already getting on in years. Before long, he pa.s.sed away. Nii-san was allowed to remain in the household, but my mother was cast out. My father, who was a combat instructor of the Klose’s at the time, saved her. Many things happened, and eventually I was born.”

“I heard your relations.h.i.+p with Stefan used to be pretty good when you were young?”

Franka nodded.

“Every now and then, Father would secret him over to meet Mother. We’d play together often. Even if he was a bit distant, he was still very kind. Yes, back then, he was very kind.”

The scene of that man playing joyfully with his young sister was impossible to imagine. On every occasion he’d seen Stefan, the man’s face might as well have been crafted from iron.

“Even then, however, he was already like this; you could never tell what he was thinking. When it comes to his emotions and other things, he’s a rather unreasonable person.”

For a brief moment, a look of pure nostalgia filled her gaze, and then vanished.

“When it came to the man who claimed he had ‘killed Father’; well, who that was was immediately obvious. Rumor had it that all it took was the least bit of alcohol to loosen his lips and he’d share the story. Nii-san has never been the kind of person who’d boast about that sort of thing, so that left only one person.”

Yuuki looked up. Both Tina and Alfred were listening attentively, though neither spoke a word. They’d relegated themselves to the position of an enrapt audience.

“…And so you requested certain proof using the s.h.i.+nki’s power of miracles?”

Franka shook her head in response to Yuuki’s question.

“No. I’d already heard such rumors two years ago. ——You know, aren’t plays always saying things like, ‘Revenge doesn’t gain you anything,’ or ‘The one who died wouldn’t want you to do this either’?”

Yuuki frowned. Such sayings sounded n.o.ble, but were ultimately not only hollow, but easier said than done.

Seeing Yuuki’s expression, Franka chuckled.

“Yuuki-san, it seems those sayings offend you. I know how you feel. Emotions are, by their very nature, not things that are that simply controlled. However——”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I wanted to try.”

“…”

“It was incredibly painful. I was unable to suppress my raging emotions and unable to simply accept what had happened and move on, but I wanted to try. To leave hate and resentment behind. To let go of the past and focus on the joy available to me in the present.”

Yuuki held his silence as Franka continued to speak.

“You know, I think that way of living is correct. The rescue by Yuuki-san, Boris-san’s consideration, and Master Alfred’s instruction – even if the pain and sorrow never disappeared… I’ve still been very happy, you know?”

She smiled faintly.

“And so Nii-san and I grew apart. The rare occasions when we’d run into one another at the training school, I always felt rather awkward; I didn’t know how to act around him. ——Then on that day, when I saw him in your shop… Bertolt had become a companion of his – a comrade.”

——Ah. Now things made sense.

The brash murderer of her father and her gentle, beloved brother had formed a party together. Such a scene would shake anyone to the core.

“I know that professionalism requires that personal feelings be kept separate from duties, but when I heard that he’d join their party at Nii-san’s request! I couldn’t understand what he was thinking. I ran to confront him, and do you know what he said? That Father died because he was weak. ——That was when I went to the s.h.i.+nki, and pet.i.tioned to see what had truly happened.”

“…And what did you see?”

Franka took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She looked Yuuki directly in the eyes and answered.

“The 52nd floor. Their party had split up, and my father was exploring with the other two as a three-man group. They were ambushed by a Void Beast, and my father was injured while protecting the others. Despite his wounds, he nevertheless dispatched the Void Beast – only to be run through by the sword of the very man he had been protecting.”

Her voice trembled.

“He mocked him as he killed him, insulting him even as he stabbed him over and over. Finally, he laughed loudly as if filled with joy. How he must have loathed my father. Although I could not smell, hear, or feel – only see – I wanted to vomit.”

“And that person was…?”

“Bertolt. Exactly who I thought it’d be. It wasn’t surprising in the least.”

Her voice had already returned to normal.

“But it’s not like I wanted to know who killed him; I’d already known all along. What I desired to learn was what Nii-san was doing as that went on. Nii-san, he——”

Franka gave a light smile, looking as though her heart had been rent in twain.

“He did nothing at all. Even though he was there, weapon in hand, he didn’t try to stop him at all; he just stood there, watching. Watching as my father was murdered.”

“Ha.”

Alongside the unenthused shout, four dog-like heads flew. Spraying blood, their carca.s.ses fell over.

“——What the h.e.l.l – they’re so weak,” Jahar said, bored, as he rested his sword against his shoulder.

The Void Beasts of the fortieth floor, though not few in number, were nonetheless slain by a lone individual. They had, after all, been enlisted into the ranks of the Oath Legions on account of their stunning strength.

“…Don’t be so pleased with yourself, brat.”

Bertolt clicked his tongue. Because his entire party had been lost, Jahar constantly mocked him, labeling him a beaten dog. The relations.h.i.+p between the two was extraordinarily poor.

Even given the circ.u.mstances, however, Bertolt was definitely not someone to be taken lightly. Although inferior to Jahar in both range and raw destructive power, the unpredictable nature of the swordsmans.h.i.+p with which he wielded his scimitar nevertheless left his prey in equally dire straits.

The problem was that he thought nothing of exploiting or sacrificing others – an att.i.tude highly unsuitable for a leader. The fact that his party had been annihilated was something he bore responsibility for, Stefan was sure.

“So are we just going to keep an eye out for the stone monument as we progress?”

“No, that comes later. First, we need to descend as far as possible in one go.”

They wouldn’t need to stop until the fiftieth floor, since those floors had been mapped by the Oath Legions already. He’d taken a look at the maps before setting out; no record of any device like the one found on the third floor existed.

For that reason, spending any amount of time in these floors would simply be a waste of time. No, they needed to focus their time on those deeper floors where the maps were lacking. Moreover, if they intended to concentrate their efforts in the deeper levels, they needed to reserve their energy and items. Simply put, their immediate objective was simply to continue forward.

To press continually forward was a guiding principle for the Klose. From the moment they were born, the men of the Klose house were thrown into the deep end, and this concept instilled in them. This was true even for Stefan, whom was both the youngest child as well as the son of a concubine.

Yes, discard fear, seek strength, and press forward.

“Please, take me with you.”

At that moment, the image of his half-sister flashed through his mind.

——Too foolish. Such an act hadn’t been inspired by courage but by rashness.

The owner of that garbage shop had mentioned something about beating them to the teleporter; surely they didn’t actually believe such a thing was possible? For a party like that to reach even the thirtieth floor would be no small feat. It wasn’t anything he needed to concern himself with.

“Tch. Here they come again,” Bertolt growled.

The Void Beast this time had the body of a snake, two heads, and eight slender legs, like an insect. It wasn’t alone either, though they’d already encountered into several packs of Void Beasts hunting together.

Stefan exhaled lightly, and the AmnisBlue Water Pike appeared in his hand.

The second he felt the sensation of the weapon in his hand, he felt its presence deep within his heart. Use me, it said. Slaughter our enemies.

For the s.p.a.ce of a breath, he swung his weapon without pause. In that brief instant, six beasts were killed.

The AmnisBlue Water Pike pierced through the scales of the Void Beasts like a hot knife through b.u.t.ter. In a blink, the serpentine Void Beast became nothing recognizable.

Void Beasts appearing on the fortieth or fiftieth levels simply did not have the power necessary to stand as his opponent.

Rather, he was fairly certain that there wasn’t anyone or anything that could stand against him anymore.

His companions quickly dealt with the Void Beasts they were facing, finis.h.i.+ng just a bit slower than Stefan.

“Good. Let’s continue, but we need to pick up the pace,” Stefan called out as he started walking once more.

——I’ve become strong.

Yes, when compared to that time—— when compared to that time, I’ve become much, much stronger.

The structure of the 31st through 35th floors was special.

They consisted of a large, cylindrical tor standing five floors high.

Adventurers who reached the 31st floor had to descend roughly 75 meters down the nearly vertical cliff face.

“…Are you going to be alright?” Franka asked Tina worriedly.

“N-No problem. I-I can k-keep going. A c-cliff of this level i-is nothing!”

Tina alternated between gasping for air and trying to put on a brave face. Although they’d made sure to take frequent breaks, she was nearly at her limit.

“If she can’t go any farther, I can carry her on my back, Uncle.”

“Are you really okay, Yuuki-san? You’re not tired…?”

“You guys have been protecting us the entire time. I’m completely uninjured, so I’m still completely rested. I climb mountains frequently when I head there to gather herbs. When it comes to this, I don’t think I’d lose to another adventurer. Moreover, there’s still a bit of a path we can take.”

Because of the constant raiding that went on in this labyrinth, the road down this tor – that is, the road to the 36th floor – was well-established. One simply had to follow the anch.o.r.ed chains marking the path, making descent a much easier task.

Although at first glance, the path seemed so treacherous as to be impa.s.sable, the truth was that several flat terraces protruded from the cliff face like steps, providing places to rest. It thus did not take a superhuman const.i.tution to traverse.

“…I think knowing when to give up is also a kind of courage.”

“We’re almost there. Let’s keep going,” Yuuki replied in response to Alfred’s comment.

He wasn’t lying. He’d heard from Tina just a moment before that Stefan’s party had just sped their way through the latter half of the fiftieth floor. It was just a matter of time now.

“Is that so? Well, I’ll leave it to the two of you then. Oh, one more thing. Though they’re rare, Void Beasts do appear here, so be careful.”

As Alfred finished speaking, the party began to descend as one.

“…Didn’t you say you’d carry Tina on your back, Master?”

“I said I would if it proved absolutely necessary. You still look lively enough to me.”

“So not gentle. ——Oh well.”

Tina’s face showing her displeasure, she walked the path leading down the tor.

Of the five floors, the first floor was still relatively easy going; the hardest being the third floor. The third floor was a nearly vertical precipice, requiring all limbs grasping the cliff face. Even experienced adventurers would occasionally run into accidents here.

It was definitely impossible for Tina to cross that portion of the trip; Yuuki figured he’d carry her on his back during that part, but——

“I-I-I-I can’t! Can’tcan’tcan’tcan’tcan’tcan’tcan’t!”

Tina shook, her eyes filled with tears.

“Forget the third floor, we’ve only taken three steps. C’mon, let’s go.”

“B-B-B-But… it’s t-t-t-oo h-h-high!”

“Well, we’re five floors up; of course it’s high. It’s just that, unlike hiking in the mountains, the drop’s pretty vertical, so it looks pretty scary.”

It wasn’t like she’d get hurt even if she fell, but a fear of heights wasn’t rational anyway.

“L-L-L-Looking down, t-t-the floor… it’s too f-f-far away!”

“It’s only scary if you look down. Stop that.”

“…I know how you feel,” Franka said admiringly.

In the end, Yuuki had borrowed some cord from Alfred and tied Tina to his back.

“W-When we get to the bottom, let me know, okay, Master?”

“Sure, sure. Just don’t move around, alright?”

“No problem. My eyes are gonna be closed super tight. ——Yeah, as long as Tina doesn’t look, then no matter what kind of terrifying, h.e.l.lish scene awaits, Tina won’t be scared. Fufufu, now all that’s left is to deceive myself. Alright, Tina, let’s imagine this. It’s nice and flat here, nice and flat. Flatflatflatflatflatflatflat…”

Hah… If she was happy distracting herself like that, then that was up to her.

Yuuki suddenly noticed Franka’s envious gaze, fixated on Tina, whom was strapped to his back.

“You’re not afraid of heights, Franka?”

“Ah. No, I’m not. What a waste.”

“A waste?”

“Er, nothing. *Ahem* A-Anyway, I’ve already been here many times, so no, I’m not afraid.”

Her steps were indeed steady. Although endurance wasn’t a requirement for clerics, she appeared to be in very good physical condition.

The dark atmosphere that had hung around her when she’d been discussing the circ.u.mstances of her father’s pa.s.sing earlier was gone. She was back to her normal self – a serious and determined young girl.

But that didn’t mean the problem had been resolved.

Even if she finally attained the opportunity to speak to Stefan and Bertolt on equal terms, how would things turn out for her? How would even that help her find peace?

No, it’s better that I not get involved in this any more than I already have, Yuuki warned himself.

Even what he’d done so far had already pulled him in too deeply.

Don’t forget. Don’t think too much. You don’t have that right.

——Suddenly, his hair was yanked.

“What’s up? We still have a long way to go.”

“Master… The Oath Legion party has stopped moving,” Tina whispered into his ear.

His expression sobered instantly.

“How far are they?”

“About 500 meters down – about the 64th floor.”

Both the size and ferocity of Void Beasts directly correlated with the depth of the labyrinth.

By the end of the thirtieth floor, Void Beasts began to be of a size comparable with humans. By the fortieth and fiftieth floors, it was common to have to look up at them.

Once things. .h.i.t that point, it took some effort even for the very best of the Oath Legions. However——

“Ha!”

The spear flashed, and a hole appeared in the head of the three-eyed lizard. Having lost its control center, the large body collapsed upon the ground.

“Haha, very nicely done there, Stefan – killing three by yourself, eh?” Jahar praised him cheerfully.

The power of a celestial Dragon Fang weapon was simply unparalleled. When facing well-armored beasts like the lizard he’d just killed, their most effective formation had Stefan as a lone vanguard with support provided by the two clerics.

The complete opposite of Jahar, Bertolt was fuming, having realized the gap in power between Stefan and himself. His own party had fallen at the sixtieth floor, but they were even now before the stairs descending down from the 63rd floor, which was already one floor below the farthest reached to date.

Stefan didn’t particularly care one way or another, though. Comparing oneself with another was a waste of time. The only thing that mattered was determining how to push his limits yet further still.

——This way of thinking had been taught to him by the previous master of the spear he now wielded.

“Any hint of the Dragon Fang Gem’s location?” Stefan asked Bertolt.

“…No clue. It definitely wasn’t on the floor above, though.”

“What an unreliable eyewitness. Speaking of which, are you sure you even know what you saw?” Jahar interrupted.

“If you want to know where it went, then you should ask it. How the h.e.l.l would I know where it went?”

“Enough. ——Let’s go,” Stefan announced to the four others, heading for the stairs.

Suddenly, as he reached the next floor, he came to a stop with an odd look on his face.

“What is this…?” Bertolt whispered from behind him.

A miraculous scene unveiled itself before their eyes.

Reaching out from the end of the stairway was an enormous room. It was utterly unlike any of the other floors they’d ever seen, which were all twisting, winding paths. It was an unimaginable sight.

The floor and walls were covered with glowing moss, providing enough light to see even unaided by a light stone. Other types of lush vegetation similarly draped the walls and floors. Nor was there so much as a hint of Void Beasts in the area.

“…Stick together,” Stefan reminded his companions as he entered the room.

Within grew an enormous tree. Utterly belying its location, situated in the deepest reaches of the labyrinth, the tree and its thick trunk, ma.s.s of branches, and luxurious green leaves looked as if it had bathed in the sunlight for years.

The trunk sported a large hole positioned around waist-height. Taking care, Stefan peeked in – it was empty.

“Hey, Stefan. Look; over there.”

One of the clerics pointed at a wall.

There stood a large vertical piece of stone. Its shape was reminiscent of a stele – yes, just like the teleportation device from the third floor.

Stefan approached it and gave it a gentle tap.

——The cold rigidity of normal stone pa.s.sed through his fingertips. He felt nothing of the pulsing warmth of the device on the third floor.

“Is that not it?” Jahar asked.

“It doesn’t seem to be, no. ——Still, it’s probably best to investigate this room further. Let’s set up camp by the wall and then we’ll resume exploration,” Stefan directed.

“——At the room already? They’re faster than we expected,” Yuuki murmured as he carefully followed the path down.

His original estimate had placed them at the room about the time they finished descending this rocky pillar. They were even more capable than he’d thought.

“What should we do, Master?”

“Well, most importantly, keep an eye on the road. Once we descend another level, there should be a place to rest. We can make for the 64th floor once we’re there. Perhaps we ought to hint to Uncle that they should head back first——”

Yuuki suddenly stopped as he realized that Tina was looking at him strangely.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you, Master? You sure seem familiar with the area.”

“…”

“You know, considering their skills, wouldn’t a ninth-rank adventurer usually operate solely on the upper floors?”

“I heard about this place from someone else.”

Hmmm, Tina murmured, sounding utterly unconvinced. She continued, “You know, I’ve spent some time thinking about the labyrinth, and there’s one thing that really strikes me as odd. ——At the beginning, Tina ran without stopping, before collapsing after running out of strength. You picked me up then, right, Master?”

“Right.”

“I have to admit that I don’t remember much from my attempted escape, but… The last time we came together, didn’t I run out of energy at the third floor? Even if I was far more desperate back then, and continued until I was completely spent, at most I could only have crossed six, maybe seven floors. Furthermore, the floor that Bertolt guy was attacked on was the sixtieth floor. If we count seven floors up from that—— Master, you were traveling entirely by yourself – just what floor did you find me on?”

“…Uh, well——”

Just as he was about to answer, a voice sounded in his ear.

“Watch out on the left! Three Void Beasts incoming!”

Alfred drew and swung his sword as he shouted the warning. One of the Void Beasts, beheaded, fell down the cliff.

It was bird-like, with a wingspan of three meters. It had razor-sharp talons and its beak was filled with teeth.

Although the path was dangerous, Alfred’s move to action was as speedy as ever.

“There’s no time to dodge; attack it, Franka!”

“Roger!”

One hand gripping the support chains tightly, Franka withdrew two Divine Pearls with her free hand.

Practically simultaneously, two orange b.a.l.l.s of flame flew at the Void Beasts.

The first hit a Void Beast directly, and it plunged to its death below.

The other missed the main body of the next Void Beast, striking its wings instead. Losing its balance, it changed direction – straight for Yuuki.

“——Ha!”

Yuuki kicked off the wall and grabbed hold of a rocky outcropping above him. Ignoring the frightened cries of Tina, swinging wildly on his back, he took a tremendous leap, landing on another rock.

The Void Beast grazed past his leg and slammed into the cliff wall. A close call indeed.

“T-Thank goodness! I’m sorry; it’s my fault for missing it!” Franka exclaimed.

Alfred’s face showed his relief.

——At that moment, two unexpected things occurred.

First, the support chain anch.o.r.ed to the cliff wall suddenly gave way, torn apart by the Void Beast.

Secondly, the Void Beast, its wings flaming and its head concussed, flailed wildly against the cliff wall.

With a roar, the rock face shook wildly – leaving Franka standing on nothing but empty air.

Yuuki instantly thrust out his arm. Though the speed of his reaction far surpa.s.sed that of an ordinary individual, it was late nonetheless. Furthermore, not only did he fail to catch hold of Franka, he lost his own balance in the process.

——If they fell, it would be to their death.

He made a snap judgment. He leapt into the open air, and gave a command to Tina.

“Tina, teleport the three of us now!”

The scenery warped before their eyes.

There were two secrets to a fulfilled life.

The first was to thoroughly enjoy those things that you liked. The other was to thoroughly eradicate any trace of those things you despised.

——That was the creed of one Bertolt, first-ranked adventurer and member of the Oath Legions.

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