Crown of the Wonderland ⑧
Having packed up our Encampment, we were heading towards the Great Temple.
And now, despite being before an important battle, I found myself in the throes of utter embarrassment.
Ugh, ahh, I never thought I’d actually cry yesterday.
And I certainly didn’t expect to be comforted.
It’s just that… various things… had been building up inside me.
Especially about Knife. No, that knife had stabbed much deeper into my heart than I’d realized.
And even though it wasn’t something I could easily talk about, I ended up blurting it out anyway… like that.
I showed such a disgraceful side of myself to Ms. Pachira. I can barely look her in the eye.
“Hah…”
“Oi. You alright?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Wof. Did you sleep well?”
“Not really, actually.”
There was no way I could sleep.
Rell-san pushed his glasses up.
“Sleep is important. But don’t end up like my ninth sister.”
“What did she do? That sister of yours.”
“She does nothing but sleep.”
“…”
“Can’t really say much ’bout that, eh?”
Hearing about Rell-san’s sisters eased my mind a little.
Along the way, we encountered and defeated Puppets and Mobile Mimics.
We spotted other Monsters here and there as well.
“This is Edda’s Sanctuary.”
The one doing most of the defeating was Megadia-san.
Even if this was the Dungeon’s Innermost Area.
She apparently couldn’t forgive Monsters strutting around Edda’s Sanctuary.
Perhaps she had strong feelings about it as an Edda.
She summoned multiple black spheres and attacked with them.
The way they made things disappear upon contact resembled [Vanish].
That must be the origin of her title, ‘Megadia the Black Devourer’.
However, controlling multiple spheres remotely resembled [Phantasmagoria].
Maybe it’s because she’s an Edda?
Proceeding smoothly like this, we arrived at the front of the Great Temple.
The enormous doors before us were closed.
“Whoa! This is amazing, ‘ssu ne!”
“It doesn’t look like human strength can open it.”
“Nn… Lupinus… think you can…?”
“What do you take me for? Impossible,ですわ.”
“…I think… I’ll wait around here after all.”
Mineha-san listlessly flew onto a broken pillar.
She seemed completely traumatized. Seeing this, Megadia-san spoke.
“There’s no need for everyone to fight anymore. We’re just settling the score. However, Wof-kun, your participation is mandatory. Sorry about that.”
I can see Crown’s [Vanish].
That caused some dispute. It wasn’t right to involve a child who wasn’t even a Seeker in battle.
That much was obvious.
In the end, the danger posed by the enemy outweighed those concerns, and it was decided I would participate in this battle.
“Well then, let’s do this. I’m gonna go set up a Return Transfer Array in an empty room in the Great Temple now. But while I’m setting it up, I’ll be defenseless, y’see, so I’d like to ask for protection.”
“In that case, I shall volunteer, ですわ.”
The first one to speak up was Lupinus-san.
“Lupinus… you!?”
“I excel at defending, ですの. Consider it part of my apology as well, ですわ.”
“An apology, y’say?”
“Yes, therefore, I shall ensure Alexander-sama’s safety, ですわ.”
Is this an apology for suspecting him of being the same kind of Monster and trying to condemn him?
Come to think of it, that whole issue was left unresolved after Alexander-san returned.
We had bigger things to worry about back then, so he himself doesn’t know anything about it.
“I’ll stay behind too, ‘ey. Hearin’ ’bout this Crown fella, seems like I ain’t good with ‘im. I’ll make a victory meal for everyone.”
“I’ll stay too. However, Ax. You alone must participate. Protect Wof.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“Nn… Liv will stay too.”
“What did you say?”
“What was that?”
The members of Torquetum were surprised.
Liv-san mumbled softly.
“…Crown… not Liv’s type…”
“Then help out over here.”
“Nn… okay… Pachira… leaving it to you.”
“It cannot be helped.”
“So these are the ones staying behind, then.”
Staying behind are: Mineha-san, Alexander-san, Lupinus-san, Liv-san, Rell-san, and Hoss-san.
And the final battle team is: Megadia-san, me, Ms. Pachira, Bid-san, and Ax-san.
“These giant doors respond to Edda.”
Megadia-san touched the massive doors.
Is it just my imagination? It feels like Megadia-san’s purple eyes are glowing.
“
As she chanted, the giant doors reacted and began to open.
“I-It really opened.”
“Does it only react to Edda, ‘ssu ka?”
“That’s right. These doors themselves are Legendary.”
“Why did they open yesterday, I wonder?”
“Perhaps some malfunction occurred?”
“That shouldn’t be possible, though.”
“Ah, geez. There’s no tension here, ‘ssu ne.”
“Hearing you say that feels rather out of place, ですわ.”
“Lupinus-san! What’s that supposed to mean, ‘ssu ka!”
Everyone laughed. I laughed too.
We’re about to head into the final battle, yet there’s really no tension.
But somehow, that feels right. That’s fine for us.
The massive double doors opened completely.
“Well then, we’ll be off to set up the array, y’see.”
“Yes, I shall accompany you, ですわ.”
“Nn… Going now.”
“We’ll go procure food in the Temple District, ‘ey.”
“We’ll have a feast ready for you. Hoss will make it.”
“Rell, you help too.”
“Be careful, okay, Wof?”
“Yes. Mineha-san.”
“
As Megadia-san chanted, the giant doors slowly began to close.
Megadia-san entered first.
Then Bid-san, Ms. Pachira, and finally me.
The massive double doors closed with a heavy thud.
And so, we parted ways with the standby team.
Stained glass glittered across the entire ceiling. A vast worship hall.
“Wh-What is this pressure… ‘ssu ka?”
“What is this… oppressive aura…?”
“This is awful.”
“I feel it slightly.”
Even Megadia-san feels it slightly?
I don’t feel anything.
And there, in the back, was the statue of Generous Reappearance. Directly beneath it, a gaudy, cheap-looking throne?
Someone was collapsed beside it. It was Crown. He was rolling around on the floor, looking like he was in pain.
According to [Danger Detection], Crown is red.
“What? Is he getting crushed by the pressure too?”
Ax-san looked bewildered, his sword still drawn.
“Given this pressure, it wouldn’t be surprising, ‘ssu kedo.”
“How pathetic.”
“What could it be?”
Indeed, what is this… hmm.
Come to think of it, Alexander-san mentioned it.
Crown is a Monster that flees.
So he fled in here, and the doors closed, trapping him.
How foolish, but fitting for a jester.
That’s what we thought.
Each of us readied our weapons and advanced towards Crown.
In that instant, I saw it.
“?!”
Above! Something huge and pitch-black was falling.
Pitch-black.
“Wof-kun, look out, ‘ssu!!”
Thud! Someone pushed me hard.
Immediately after, a tremendous vibration and deafening roar echoed in the distance.
『Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaattz!』
I hear laughter.
『Aaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaahhh!』
I hear mocking laughter.
What, my body won’t… move properly… it hurts… what happened…?
My arms move. My legs… probably not.
In that case… I reach into my pouch. Deep inside, I touched the Egg.
I grasp it, take it out. Open it and somehow… put it in my mouth.
Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve drunk an Elixir.
What is this? My body, my strength, my consciousness— I feel them rapidly returning.
I stood up. I was able to stand. The pain in my body is gone too.
And I look.
A giant black something had destroyed the Great Temple’s worship hall.
The statue of Generous was shattered too. No, that doesn’t matter.
Is everyone okay… eh?
I’m lost for words.
“………—Eh?”
Megadia-san was lying collapsed in a corner near the black mass. Is it my imagination?
Her neck looks like it’s bent at an unnatural angle.
Bid-san is nowhere to be seen.
Right, Bid-san was the one who pushed me then.
Where did she— Suddenly, I saw her short bow lying on the ground.
And… from beneath the giant black mass, a small arm.
That leather gauntlet.
No… th-that can’t be… Ax-san!?
I frantically look around and spot it immediately.
Ah, Ax-san’s s-sword… only his sword… was there.
Where’s Ax-san!? Where did Ax-san go!?
He must be nearby, he has to be—!?
“W-Wof…”
“Ms. Pachira!”
I rush over to Ms. Pachira, who was staggering and covered in blood.
Her injuries are severe. But she was alive. That alone was a relief.
“Wh-What on earth happened?”
“…That is… the carcass of the giant Land Catfish… that we defeated…”
“You mean the Dungeon anomaly…”
It was that big? It’s bigger than a whale.
“That carcass was………”
Dropped. From above.
How? Teleport. The Relic [Teleport].
Then the teleportation during the earthquake… whose doing was that?
Crown.
『Aaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaahhh!』
Atop the carcass, Crown was rolling around, slapping it and roaring with laughter.
So he was the root cause of everything?
I handed the Elixir Sacred Egg to Ms. Pachira.
“Use this to heal your wounds and look after everyone.”
“Y-You… this is… could it be!?”
“I’m going to defeat him now.”
“Wait, hold on.”
I use [The Silent One] and immediately become [Generous].
My hair turns purple, and purple mixes into my blue eyes.
My heart grew calm. Right now, I have no hesitation, nothing.
“…I’m going.”
“—You must return.”
Ms. Pachira smiled gently.
I leaped onto the carcass of the giant Land Catfish in one go.
Atop the massive body, like a pitch-black landmass, Crown awaited me.
Megadia-san… Bid-san was dead. She died shielding me, crushed beneath it.
Ax-san too… probably ended up crushed beneath that giant Land Catfish and died.
And the others, Hoss-san. Rell-san. Mineha-san.
Alexander-san. Liv-san. Lupinus-san.
I don’t know if everyone is safe.
No, even before that, this thing, this Crown, caused so many casualties.
I won’t forget the tragedy of the Mimics in the Junkyard. Even if it never happened from now on.
I’ll make it pay for everything.
I manifest 【Phantasmagoria】 and the [Arms of the Cosmos] on my left arm.
Then, I draw the Elixir Knife with my right hand.
[The Silent One] informs me. Remaining activity time: 4 minutes.
That’s plenty.
There’s still, still a way to take everything back.
The thing I was given back then, when I stood before the statue of the Reappearance of Generous.
The Restriction Relic 【Banishment Line】—.
I learned both its activation conditions and its effects right there.
This Relic changes the world. It changes it.
That’s why I wouldn’t use it.
More than anything, the final piece of the conditions was missing. I had no clue where it could be.
But I found that too, during yesterday’s battle with Crown.
An OOPArts compatible with 【Vanish】. The 【Vanish Knife】.
And after talking with Megadia-san yesterday, I thought about it again.
This is something people shouldn’t use.
Humans shouldn’t become gods.
But I’ll use it.
I will use it. I have to use it.
For everyone’s sake, I will use it.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahattttttttttttsu”
Crown laughs. A roaring laughter.
What is always, always so funny?
“I don’t know what you are. Whether you’re just The Fool or not. A subspecies. Whether you’re truly an anomaly of the Dungeon. Or something else entirely. I don’t know at all, and honestly, I’m not interested. I have no reason to fight you. No, I do have reasons. But I don’t resent you, nor did I have any intention of definitely defeating you. That’s not my role. It’s Mr. Agaro’s or Megadia-san’s job. But… none of that matters anymore. It’s all become irrelevant. I want to save everyone… save them. That’s why I’ll do what I can. For that, I can throw away and abandon anything. With that resolve, I will now completely erase your existence. Not defeat you, not kill you. Erase you from the past—and the future… Do you understand what that means, Crown?”
“Aaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahattttttttttt”
Crown clowns around, producing four 【Vanish】 orbs and juggling them, but…
My 【Phantasmagoria】 suppressed Crown.
I dash forward simultaneously. Crown had stopped time.
【Phantasmagoria】… Countless 【Vanish】 orbs halt in mid-air.
Time stop. But it doesn’t work on me. It probably knows that.
That’s why Crown produced a cross-shaped knife.
A cross-shaped knife where even the crossguard was a blade.
It’s an OOPArts compatible with 【Vanish】. It erases whatever it cuts.
The 【Vanish Knife】.
Laughing, Crown comes straight at me, slashing and thrusting.
It was fast and skilled. But my Knife Handling isn’t inferior.
Dodge, retreat, advance, deflect with 【Vanish】, dodge, now!
There was a faint metallic sound.
The 【Vanish Knife】 and the Elixir Knife clash. But only for an instant.
Like melted butter, the blade of the Elixir Knife was diagonally erased.
Crown sneers. But I smiled too. Remaining activity time: 3 minutes.
With the [Arms of the Cosmos], I grab the 【Vanish Knife】, blade and all.
This arm is connected to the cosmos and absorbs all attacks.
And by punching, I can strike the opponent with that power.
I punched Crown with the [Arms of the Cosmos].
Crown retreated, laughing, and I snatched the 【Vanish Knife】.
The spot where I punched Crown hadn’t vanished.
Just as I thought, Crown’s 【Vanish】 is weak.
I gripped the 【Vanish Knife】 with the [Arms of the Cosmos].
This was the one thing I absolutely needed to obtain. And I finally have it.
“—I’ll take it all back. Everything. With your existence as the price!”
The conditions for this Restriction Relic are six:
【Vanish】
【The Silent One】
【Generous】
【Phantasmagoria】
【Arms of the Cosmos】
【Vanish OOPArts】
Come to think of it, perhaps these are the six eyes of [Generous].
No, I don’t know. But they’re all assembled.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahattttttttttt”
Crown laughs. It laughs heartily. This thing does nothing but laugh.
Is it because it’s a Dungeon Monster, an Undead, The Fool, and a clown?
Or does it just want to keep laughing? I don’t know. Remaining activity time: 2 minutes.
While remaining [The Silent One], I become [Generous], grip the 【Vanish Knife】 with the [Arms of the Cosmos], and layer all of 【Phantasmagoria】.
“—From the Deductive Gods. Restriction Relic 【Banishment Line】—!”
It was a line of the cosmos.
My dominant arm becomes the line of the cosmos itself.
That is the 【Banishment Line】.
Crown laughed as it used 【Vanish】, 【Time Stop】, and 【Teleport】 to flee.
Useless. Time and distance mean nothing to this.
Even if you flee to the ends of this universe, it’s meaningless.
You can’t escape now.
Without hesitation, I cut Crown with the 【Banishment Line】.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…… —Hmph, O God.”
Crown was ‘erased’.
Not just from this place. Its existence vanished from all universes—past and future.
Restriction Relic 【Banishment Line】
Completely erases an existence from the universe, including its past and future.
All phenomena related to that existence will converge via induction.
Usage Conditions: 【Vanish】, 【The Silent One】, 【Generous】, 【Phantasmagoria】,
【Arms of the Cosmos】, 【Vanish OOPArts】
Cooldown: 5,670,000,000 years.
The 【Banishment Line】 dissipates.
Simultaneously, the 【Vanish Knife】, unable to withstand the strain, crumbles to pieces and vanishes.
I really pushed it too hard. I’m sorry. Thank you.
“And… Crown. I’m not a god.”
Activity time: 0 minutes.
“I’m just Wof, age 13.”
Now, let’s go home.
Back to everyone. Back to where everyone is.
Ms. Pachira is waiting.