The Silent One 11
The Great Temple. Straight ahead.
Even though it’s half-destroyed, seeing it head-on like this…
Its majesty and presence are overwhelming.
“…It’s like a giant’s temple, isn’t it?”
Mineha-san says, as if groaning.
Considering her size, I guess all buildings must seem like giants’ constructions to Mineha-san.
“So this really is the Dungeon’s Innermost Area.”
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about something.”
“What is it?”
“That Land Catfish said the Dungeon was created and fragmented by the earthquake from the anomaly, and then another earthquake brought it back together, right?”
“Yes.”
“And that the anomaly is a failed Dungeon Lord.”
“Yes.”
“And this is the Dungeon’s Innermost Area, right? According to the Land Catfish. Not the ‘Lowest Floor,’ but the ‘Innermost Area,’ right?”
“Yes. Judging by the scale, there’s no doubt this is the ‘Innermost Area’.”
It’s true, if you asked if this was the ‘Lowest Floor’ of a small-scale Dungeon, you could say it’s different.
That’s how overwhelmingly vast and grand everything is here.
“So, where is this Dungeon’s Dungeon Lord?”
“Eh? Now that you mention it…”
“This current Dungeon anomaly. Isn’t it this Dungeon’s Dungeon Lord?”
“…No way.”
But considering the connection, could that be it?
It makes a certain kind of sense. In fact, it fits perfectly.
“Well, it was just a thought. We’re here… Nn… Nngh?”
“Mineha-san?”
Mineha-san swayed as if she felt dizzy.
“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Y-Yes.”
We step inside.
There was a colossal door, large enough to make you wonder if giants truly passed through it.
It was wide open.
I can see a statue deeper inside, though.
“Th-This is…”
“…Incredible…”
Upon entering, we gasped in awe.
The ceiling and skylights were entirely made of stained glass.
Light streamed in, illuminating the space with a fantastical radiance.
Mineha-san and I were completely captivated.
Anyone would be. It held that much power to inspire awe.
“It’s so spacious, though.”
“…Yes.”
Perhaps because it was a prayer hall? It was a vast circular space, large enough to hold hundreds of people.
At the far end of the prayer hall, beneath the stained glass, stood a stone statue.
It was set upon a remarkably tall stone pedestal with a strange, undulating, three-dimensional pattern.
Something like golden letters were densely carved into the pedestal, but I couldn’t read them.
It was a statue of a young girl clad in simple white cloth.
What was slightly unusual was that parts of it were colored.
First, the hair was purple. A vivid purple.
That makes sense.
“Th-This is Generous… isn’t it?”
“…”
Not six eyes, but two, and indeed, they were purple.
But… they also looked blue. Bluish-purple eyes?
Her raised right arm was the cosmos. That’s [Arms of the Cosmos].
Countless translucent spheres seemed to float around the statue.
[Phantasmagoria]?
“Hm? In her left hand…?”
She was gripping something in her left hand. That’s— Wha-?! The Relic [The Silent One] activated on its own!
(———… Restriction [▢■■◇■■■■◇▢]…———)
What? A voice in my head… Restriction…? What was that just now? What happened?
“I-I can’t take it anymore…”
Mineha-san, who was on my shoulder, suddenly fell off.
“?!”
I hurriedly caught her. I instinctively grabbed her with one hand.
“Pant… pant… pant… haah… haah…”
“A-Are you alright?”
Sweat beaded on Mineha-san’s cheeks, and her breathing was ragged.
Could this be the mysterious pressure Ax-san mentioned?
A-Anyway, I need to get out of here. I carefully held Mineha-san with both hands and moved away from the statue.
“W-Why… are you… unaffected…?”
Mineha-san muttered, as if delirious.
Come to think of it, I’m completely fine. Why?
No, no, that doesn’t matter right now.
I need to get Mineha-san outside quickly.
As I exited through the giant door—the air changed.
“?!”
A slow tremor started.
Immediately after, a tremendous impact and vibration struck everything.
“Uwaaahhh?!”
Sounds of shattering, collapsing, and falling echoed from all around.
Then, it became unnaturally still.
“…What in the…?”
Utterly bewildered, I started walking and left the Great Temple.
“Eh?”
The view from the Great Temple was an unbelievable scene of despair.
Six of those giant Mimic boxes had appeared, and puppets and Monsters were wandering around.
What on earth happened?