◆ Avangarde Royal Capital ◆
“Wow, this is tough. I wonder why our attacks aren’t hitting, Ritta.”
“The Five Elites are struggling too. It’s unbelievable that the strongest warriors representing our nation can’t even land a blow…”
It wasn’t just my brother Nikka. Mugen and Shinbu, along with the other members of the Five Elites, were all unable to touch the enemy before us. The gaunt, gray-winged being, who called himself the Ash Angel Zeyel, looked down at us with an air of superiority, as if it were only natural.
“Humans. Resistance is futile.”
“I don’t care who you are from the Celestial Realm, but please don’t rampage through our country. As a soldier of this nation, I will naturally consider someone like you a target for extermination.”
“With the king gone, I shall now govern in the name of the Ash Angel Zeyel.”
“Words may be understood, but the conversation is lost.”
As Shinbu said, something was fundamentally wrong with Zeyel. The fact that we couldn’t even communicate properly due to our different worlds was alarming. And the bizarre power he wielded was the reason the people of the Royal Capital had fallen into distrust. I had managed to catch a slip of his words.
“Humans, do not trust. The only one to be revered is this Zeyel.”
“We need to get out of here…!”
【Ritta’s Azure Sky Strike! It missed the Ash Angel Zeyel!】
Zeyel merely sidestepped, effortlessly avoiding the spear that traced a half-moon arc. He clearly wasn’t making any significant movements. In fact, he didn’t seem to possess any martial arts skills at all; to put it bluntly, he was an amateur at best.
“Ugh… If only we had gathered a few more numbers, things might have been different. Yuyu, the Enhancement Magic should be in effect, right?”
“Of course, it should be. But Mugen, isn’t it strange that we are the only ones here with any fighting spirit?”
“That Zeyel, and even the sound of Laurel’s Harp, aren’t reaching the people at all.”
“…It’s the distrust. That power he wields, ‘Distrust,’ is the cause.”
Only the people here had shown any fighting spirit against Zeyel. The rest were overwhelmed by this so-called distrust, losing not just their will to fight but even the will to live. Townsfolk, adventurers, colleagues—yet they still believed in Zeyel. There were even a few behind us, praying to him.
“Distrust… so we are…”
“We’ve even lost faith in our own skills. Unconsciously, we’ve succumbed to that incomprehensible gaunt figure.”
“If that’s the case, then I’ll believe in my skills and strike again…!”
“No, it seems that’s unnecessary.”
As I glared at Mugen, trying to understand his denial, I realized what he meant. Ah, thank goodness. Despite being unable to trust even their own skills due to the power of distrust, those two had a strength that allowed them to feel that way from the depths of their hearts. A girl who suited the slender golden dragon well. A girl I admired, even though we were the same age. Not a day went by that I didn’t wish to be like her. Thank you for making me believe, even in times like this.
◆ Avangarde Royal Capital ◆
“The Ash Angel Zeyel. One of the ‘Guardian Celestials’ of the Celestial Realm, holding the rank of Holy Angel. Long ago, when he descended to the human realm, he gathered too much faith, leading to a religious war that split into multiple sects. That’s what Meria said, right?”
“Don’t ask me…”
“That was long before the Kingdom of Metallica was established. Zeyel has been around since that time. Thanks to the large-scale religious wars that occurred long ago, regulations on faith in various nations were later established.”
“I nearly fell asleep listening to that part.”
I felt relieved to see Ritta, Nikka, and Mugen. They hadn’t completely succumbed to Zeyel; at least there were people resisting. However, it felt a bit awkward since it had been a while since we fought alongside the Five Elites when we stormed Avangarde Castle.
“You’ve come at a good time.”
“You’re late.”
“We’re dealing with an opponent that’s beyond our capabilities. Both of you, please do your best.”
“Yuyu, your way of speaking is still as strange as ever…”
To my surprise, they welcomed us warmly. I remembered how Shinbu had attacked me the first time we met. Looking back, that was quite reckless. Mugen, Shinbu, Laurel, Yuyu—only Eeks from the Five Elites was missing. Still, it was understandable that we were facing an opponent who might not even exist in the human realm.
“You did well, Ritta. Thanks for stopping the damage.”
“N-No, compared to the amazing Lua, I haven’t done anything…”
“That’s not true. Just drawing Zeyel’s attention made a significant difference.”
“You’re so kind… You’re really cool…”
Ritta blushed, cupping her cheeks with both hands. I hadn’t said anything that warranted such joy, yet she looked incredibly happy. And at times like this, it was always the case that Kurinka would wear a displeased expression. She tugged at my arm, trying to redirect my attention back to Zeyel. She probably wanted to remind me that we were in the middle of a battle.
“Lua, it seems that Zeyel is using some power called ‘Distrust.’ I don’t know the details, but because of that, we’ve lost faith in our own skills and can’t land a hit. It’s a lack of training…”
“That’s not true, so don’t blame yourself too much. He shouldn’t even be here in the first place. It’s quiet and subtle, but he’s far more dangerous than Vandalsia.”
“That power of ‘Distrust’ is turning people to ash, Lua-chan. Treating the dead like that is just as disgusting as that Juo…”
“No, the distrustful humans have devoted their lives to this Zeyel.”
He suddenly interjected when the topic turned to him. He seemed a bit angry, though he appeared emotionless like Zaniel. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
“Having lost faith in something, they wandered the world, ultimately succumbing to the divine majesty of the Holy Angel, becoming his hands and feet.”
“That’s a strange way of speaking! In short, ‘Distrust’ is a divine nature that causes one to be untrusted by everyone, yet for some reason, Zeyel is the only one they trust. Not all divine natures are good… hmm.”
“He’s quite similar to the World’s Strongest Man. He was blessed with a good divine nature, but it seems to have brought him misfortune. If it weren’t for Kurinka, I wouldn’t have understood any of this…”
“Humans. Place your trust in Zeyel. The time spent serving the Holy Angel is bliss. If the life of a human is filled with pain, then there is nothing more lamentable than this situation. Surrender your being.”
In other words, he’s saying that rather than suffer during our short lives, we should turn to ash for his sake. Thanks to Kurinka, I was starting to grasp what he was saying. If that’s the case, I might as well ask him what I want to know.
“Hey, Zeyel, are you here in the human realm on Madias’s orders?”
“…! Out of the question!”
【The Ash Angel Zeyel has appeared! HP: ????????】
His expression, previously devoid of emotion, suddenly twisted into a snarl, baring his teeth. It was the same furious expression that Zaniel had when he attacked us. Was my question a mistake? If he was from the Celestial Realm, he was just a different race, and I would prefer not to fight him. But it seemed that wasn’t an option.
“Out of the question! Out of the question! Out of the question! Aaaaaaah! Iiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“W-What is going on? Why is he suddenly like this?!”
He clutched his head with both hands, writhing as if trying to shake something off or as if he were possessed by something terrifying. His bloodshot eyes darted around before finally locking onto us.
【The Ash Angel Zeyel attacks! Lua dodged skillfully!】
“Whoa…!”
He extended his thin arms skillfully to scratch at us. The wind pressure alone blew the cobblestones away, and I could see them being shredded by his claws, indicating that his physical abilities were far beyond his appearance.
“Looks like we really have no choice but to defeat him.”
【The Ash Angel Zeyel scattered red ash!】
I wondered where he was storing that ash when he suddenly spewed it from his mouth. It shot out like a fountain, dark red in color, and I had a terrible feeling about it. I instinctively covered my mouth, but I thought the attack had already ended the moment he scattered it.
“Kurinka, if anything happens to everyone, please…”
“Lua-chan… Speaking of which, you didn’t wash the dishes yesterday, did you?”
“Huh? Not now…”
“You keep dumping all the laundry on me… At least show some interest in housework.”
“E-Eh… Are you really saying that now?”
“Kurinka! Please don’t bother Lua! She’s having a hard time too!”
Kurinka’s eyes were glazed over, and Ritta suddenly got angry, stepping forward. That red ash would have an effect even if we didn’t inhale it. I could guess what kind of effect it might have, but I was still somewhat shocked to be confronted with Kurinka’s complaints.
I might have been putting a burden on Kurinka all this time. Even when I occasionally helped out, I would mess up the seasonings, and feeling guilty, I would go outside to train alone in solitude. There was even a time when I was trying hard to master the skill of running on flowing rivers, and Kurinka came over with the laundry, glaring at me with a damp expression. Reflecting on my mistake, I started training in the forest, practicing Shadow Entry, a technique often used by the Comet Wolf Brigade. I was such a fool. How do they even do it?
“I don’t want to trouble Kurinka… and I get so down when things don’t go well…”
“But you still push through even when your combat training isn’t going well!”
“Ugh… yeah.”
“Rua-san is working hard to master Shadow Entry!”
“How do you know that? It’s scary!”
For now, I decided to stop overthinking. I suspected that this situation was due to that guy’s ashes, but what effect did they have? Did they make me more irritable? That seemed right. Kurinka would get angry if I slacked off too much, just like now.
“The reason we couldn’t coordinate well is your fault!”
“Huh? Before blaming others, maybe you should reconsider your self-centered style, old man.”
“I hope you think it over and improve.”
Over there, Mugen and the others had started a fight, so there was no helping it. I steeled myself and jumped in front of Zeyel, swinging Disballade with all my might.
Rua’s Attack! Dealt 1,654,055 damage to Ash Angel Zeyel! Defeated Ash Angel Zeyel! HP 0/370,600
“…Ugh! That was tough…”
The impact of that strike was incredibly heavy. I managed to slice through him with my sword, but why was he so tough despite his slender frame? It might have been the same as when I landed a full-force hit on Zaniel. Simply put, he was tougher than any opponent I had faced before. I could ignore it with the Power of Destruction, but I needed to reflect on this. If I couldn’t maintain a certain level of power against any opponent, I would end up crying someday. Perhaps thanks to my life in the Abyss Cave, I could even come up with points to reflect on during times like this.
“Honor Zeyel, praise Zeyel… Ze, I…”
Even after being cut in half, he continued to speak. It was only when he finally fell silent that I felt relieved. The sensation of cutting him and the way Zeyel seemed unaware of his own defeat felt strange. There had been many arrogant beings before, but Zeyel was different somehow. It felt as if he was speaking to me from a different position, observing us. Living in the Celestial Realm must make them so different from us.
“…I’ve done it now.”
“Lord Daigami.”
Out of nowhere, Lord Daigami appeared, gazing intently at Zeyel’s corpse. It was quite uncomfortable, especially since he had opposed this so vehemently. Without saying a word, Lord Daigami pointed his nose toward the sky. The clouds looked somewhat gloomy, almost dark. Just a moment ago, it had been clear, but now the clouds were swirling slowly like a vortex. I understood without needing an explanation what was about to happen. However, one thing didn’t sit right with me.
“It’s up to you all from here.”
“…I want you to cooperate too, Lord Daigami.”
“To turn against the Celestial Realm?”
“I’m not saying you have to force it.”
As I watched the swirling clouds, I remembered one more thing that concerned me.
“Kurinka, you’re okay now, right? You’re not angry?”
“…Yeah, I’m calm now.”
“I think it was just the ashes of someone with a naturally irritable temperament that made you like that. I destroyed all the ashes floating around here.”
“But my feelings about helping with housework are genuine.”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best after the battle is over.”
That wasn’t it. While that was a big deal and I wanted to escape it, there was one more person I couldn’t ignore: Rulud.
“You both did well. Now, we don’t have much time. Did Genia manage to prepare everything?”
“Meria…”
Meria was waiting at a distance, watching us defeat Zeyel. Even for her, it would have been impossible to take down Zeyel, so it might be more accurate to say she was in hiding.
“Meria, how about Rulud…?”
“If he has been granted the power of miracles, it would be meaningless unless we cut off the source. To put it simply, now that he is enamored with that power, it’s our chance. If we sever the source of that power here, the rest will take care of itself.”
“I figured as much…”
“Since it’s a miracle, I can’t even say if your Power of Destruction will reach him. Especially when it comes to the source, Madias… Rua, Kurinka. Have you made up your minds?”
“Yeah. We’re going to the Celestial Realm.”
I already knew how to get to the Celestial Realm. We held hands, leaving the rest to Meria. I wondered why we couldn’t go until after defeating Zeyel. Apparently, it would be easier if they opened the entrance for us from their side. Meria’s Creation Magic was a type of magic that no one besides her could fully understand. It was a spell to travel to another world, and I couldn’t pry into it, but I understood it was far more complicated than I imagined. Still, I was curious about why she created such magic.
“What concerns me is… the timing seems a bit too early. It’s as if the Celestial beings were eager to act even before Zeyel was defeated…”
If I had to think of one person, it would be Aboro. If Aboro had taken down Zaniel after invading the Holy Nation of Uzei, then it would make sense.
“Very well. Let’s begin…”
“Yeah… Meria, I want to thank you in advance. Thank you.”
“You two are the ones who brought me and Elmera together. Believe it or not, I am grateful. So, this much is only natural.”
“After we defeat Madias… I don’t know what will happen, but I hope it becomes a world where humans and elves can understand each other.”
“That would be impossible.”
“What?!”
I never expected to be denied like that. As the moment drew near, Meria smiled slightly before adopting a serious expression.
“It would be difficult enough to disrupt the tuning of the current world.”
“Is that so? It doesn’t sound that hard.”
Not mocking her, Meria silently nodded in agreement. At this point, I felt like I could do anything. I didn’t want to witness more people dying for no reason. It was time for those so-called gods to disappear.
“…Just between us, I’ve actually been to the Celestial Realm once.”
“R-Really?! So that’s why you knew so much…”
“Though, I couldn’t venture very deep. After all, nearly all the monsters wandering there could bring calamity to this world.”
“M-Monsters exist there…”
“I somehow survived and was brought back to the human realm after going through many twists and turns. To be honest, I never want to go back there again.”
“Even you, Meria, were pushed to that extent…”
Recalling that time, Meria bit her lip slightly. She was trembling faintly, and it might have been painful for her to send us off like this. I wanted to apologize countless times for putting her in such a position.
“It was when Elmera was still small. Concerned about the serious hunting of other races by humans… or rather, the Vandalsia army, I thought about borrowing the power of the Celestial Realm, but… I was naive.”
“…It’s fine. We’re going to end those pointless things.”
The reason Meria spent so long developing magic to travel to other worlds was to protect what was precious to her. She believed it was better to seek help from another world than to create powerful attack magic. Meria had been fighting for a long time, long before I was born, battling against the unreasonable. If I could be of help to someone like her, I would be truly happy.
“Rua-san!”
Ritta and the others gathered, looking on with curiosity. To my surprise, they were smiling.
“I’ve heard the situation. I can’t do anything, and I can only say irresponsible things… but leave this to us!”
“We’ll whip those slackers into shape. We need to prepare for battle too.”
“If I had known you were such a troublesome brat, I wouldn’t have meddled from the start.”
“Just the other day, I thought I had passed the A-Rank Promotion Exam, and now I’m off to some faraway place.”
“I don’t know if my melody will reach you, but I will challenge you with that mindset. No matter what comes our way.”
Their words stirred something within me. I fought back tears, feeling my eyes welling up. Even though terrifying foes might come to attack us, being sent off like this with such brightness was overwhelming. Having fought against the Five Elites, perhaps it was a good thing in the end. Because we knew each other’s strengths, we could share these words. Ritta, Mugen, Shinbu, Yuyu, and Laurel were the finest warriors of the Avangarde Nation. Having earned their recognition, I knew failure was not an option.
“Oh! Lua, are you about to depart?”
“Y-Genia!”
A small Airship had lowered its ladder, and Genia hurriedly descended. I had asked her for something unreasonable. Considering that we didn’t know when the battle would begin, it was unrealistic to expect her to be fully prepared. Yet, she had come to see me off.
“We need to head to the Nation of Normitz next. Look up at those castle walls.”
“Is that… the Heartless?!”
Before I knew it, the mechanical soldiers we had fought before were lined up on the castle walls. They looked like members of the Zodiac, but they were machines. They had even prepared something like that.
“While their numbers are a bit concerning, they should be sufficient for immediate reinforcement. I’ve also contacted some fierce warriors from various regions, so we’ll have even more support. Some of them are people you know well.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re so busy…”
“Oh no, it’s better than going to the Celestial Realm to fight the Divine Being. But I at least wanted to see you off…”
Then, it came suddenly. I could hear everyone’s voices, but my vision turned white, and I couldn’t see anything. It felt like the two of us were isolated from everything.
“Lua! You can do it!”
“Well, if it’s you two, I believe you’ll manage!”
“I left Platiu behind. If I brought her here, she’d definitely throw a tantrum.”
As their voices gradually faded away, silence enveloped us completely. To be honest, I might have felt a bit lonely if I were alone. After all, this wasn’t just any dungeon. This was a different world altogether. The warmth I held in my hand was the very source of my strength. My Kurinka responded by tightly squeezing my hand back.
“Kurinka.”
“Lua-chan.”
Just as we finally called each other’s names, my vision began to clear.
◆ Shin Report ◆
No way…
Hey…
Is this the Celestial Realm that I was dragged into?
Just because it’s the Celestial Realm?
Who… is this?
Ah!