Episode 246: A Hazy Light
Rui, Akito, Anik, and the others spent an entire day ascending the Dungeon.
Although they took short breaks, they had been moving without sleep or rest, so everyone’s fatigue had reached its peak.
“Is Yuma alright?”
During one of their many breaks, Akito, sitting on a rock, asked Rudra.
“Yes, he is not awake, but his heartbeat and breathing are stable. If he can get out of the Dungeon and receive the Messiah’s treatment, I believe he has a good chance of surviving.”
“I see… that’s good.”
Not only Akito, but Rui, who was listening nearby, also felt relieved.
The Seekers mustered their strength and began walking again, aiming for the exit of the floor. Just then, Kaira, who was walking at the head of the group, came to Akito and the others.
“What is it, sis? You got some business with us?”
Kaira glanced at Akito, averted her gaze, and looked down with an expression as if she wanted to say something.
“What’s wrong, Kaira-san?”
Rui was also puzzled and asked with a frown. Kaira turned back as if she had made up her mind, and looked at Akito and Rui.
“I… I was wrong to doubt you. We were able to conquer this Dungeon thanks to you guys. I just wanted to say that.”
To Kaira, who said this with embarrassment, Akito snorted.
“Tell that to him. We were able to conquer the Dungeon because of that guy who’s all beat up.”
Kaira shifted her gaze and looked at Yuma, who was being carried by Rudra. His body was covered in bandages, and he was unconscious and in a painful state.
The man who challenged the Labyrinth Guardian alone and defeated it.
Kaira bit her lower lip lightly and muttered with regret.
“That’s right…”
After that, Kaira didn’t say anything and continued to walk in silence.
Dvarapala, 49th floor—
A day and a half since they came up from the lowest floor. Akito and the others were progressing smoothly without being caught by the collapsing Dungeon…
“Hey, sis! Weren’t the rear support supposed to come from the 50th floor? There’s not a single person here!”
Akito showed an angry expression. Dasha and the others who were waiting on the ground were supposed to come to the 50th floor to meet the conquest team once they had cleared the Dungeon.
However, there was no sign of them at all.
Akito was indignant, saying that it was different from what he had heard.
“That’s strange… the Monsters have disappeared from the Dungeon. My sister should have realized that the conquest was successful, but…”
Kaira also stopped with a puzzled expression. She put her hand on her chin and thought, then looked ahead with a start.
“Could it be… something happened up above!?”
Kaira’s face suddenly turned pale. Seeing Kaira’s expression, Anik opened his mouth.
“In any case, we have no choice but to hurry on. There’s no point in thinking about it here.”
Akito and the others nodded at Anik’s words, and they all hurried on.
◇◇◇
Forty-two hours since defeating the Labyrinth Guardian.
The group finally reached the slope leading to the Dungeon entrance.
It meant that they had accomplished a mission that seemed impossible, and that they had returned alive despite the sacrifices, a true miracle.
Some of the Indian Seekers were in tears at the unexpected result.
Akito smiled softly, “Heh,” glad that they had somehow made it back.
While climbing the gentle slope, Rui spoke to Akito.
“I hope Dasha-san and the others are safe.”
“Yeah. Well, we’ll know when we get there.”
When they came out of the Dvarapala entrance, the expressions of relief on the Seekers’ faces suddenly clouded over.
It was because an all too different scene was unfolding before them.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Akito muttered. There was no one near the Dungeon entrance, not Dasha or any of the rear support team.
But what confused them even more was—
“Why is it so dark!? It should be daytime now… but still.”
Kaira said, looking around. Akito and Rui felt the same way.
The current time was 11:00 AM. Even if the weather was bad, there was no way it could be this dark.
As Akito was thinking this, one of the Indian Seekers raised his voice.
“H-hey! There’s someone over there!”
The Seeker pointed in a direction. Akito, Rui, and Kaira turned their gaze.
It was too dark to see clearly, but they could see many figures on a small hill nearby. It must be Dasha and the rear support team.
“Let’s go.”
Kaira and Anik nodded at Rui’s words, and they all headed towards the hill.
As they got closer, they could see that the figures were indeed the rear support Seekers. Everyone was looking up at the sky, standing there in a daze.
Kaira started running.
“What’s wrong? What happened!?”
Kaira grabbed a Seeker by the shoulder and shook him, trying to get him to talk. But the man who was questioned by Kaira didn’t answer, he just stood there in a daze.
Kaira also looked at where the people were looking.
At that moment, Kaira also stopped moving, her face turning pale. Akito and Rui, who were watching from behind, wondered, “What is it?”
“What is it? What happened?”
Supported by Rui, Akito climbed up the hill.
The moment he reached the top, his vision opened up, and a scene from far away came into view.
“What… is that?”
Akito was stunned, and Rui, who was next to him, gasped.
The sky and the earth, all the way to the horizon, were covered in something black and wriggling. Although a little light leaked from the sky, it was immediately blocked, and darkness dominated the surroundings.
“Insectoid Monsters… all of them.”
Rui muttered with a grimace.
It was a horde of Monsters. An overwhelming number of Monsters that filled the sky, filled the earth, and seemed to swallow the world.
Because their eyes and parts of their bodies were glowing red, eerie lights floated in the darkness.
The sight was so unreal that Anik and the Indian Seekers could not move, standing still.
In the midst of all this, Kaira, who had been in a daze, found something and ran off.
Dasha was there, a little down the hill from where she was headed.
“Sister!”
Dasha turned around in response to the voice.
“…Kaira… you’re safe.”
The two hugged each other, rejoicing in each other’s safety. Dasha, who was always dignified, looked like she was about to cry.
“What is that, sister? What’s going on?”
Asked by Kaira, Dasha turned around and looked at the darkly closed sky.
“I knew right away that the Dungeon had been conquered. We were happy and tried to send Seekers to the 50th floor. But we were attacked by a large number of Monsters from all directions… and then HE appeared.”
“He?”
Dasha stared intently at a point in the sky. Kaira also looked in the same direction.
She didn’t understand for a moment, but when she strained her eyes and looked closely, she noticed that there was a small light. A small green light. Something was floating there.
“That is… could it be!?”
Kaira felt fear and unconsciously stepped back.
A hazy light floating in the dark sky. Inside it was a creature with two long tails and moving huge wings.
Large compound eyes and antennae that drew beautiful curves.
A figure that embodied both artistic beauty and nauseating grotesqueness at the same time.
Leading countless Monsters, the strongest and worst Unique Monster that ravaged the country with unimaginable power and drove India to the brink of destruction appeared—the Green Lord.