Chapter 2: The Opening Battle
“What is this?!”
Several amorphous white Moya appeared before me. They writhed as if yearning for the living, clinging and gnashing, as if trying to swallow us whole.
My instincts screamed at me. This is bad news!!
“O beings that have spilled forth from the seal!”
I was slow to notice their presence due to their faint aura, but thanks to Sensei, we managed to avoid disaster. Sensei dispatched one of the Moya behind me, but five of them still remained, swaying and crawling toward us.
Given their appearance, I figured magic would be more effective than physical attacks, right? No, it’s my first time seeing them, so maybe it’s time for the 《光の剣（サイリウム）》 to shine? Yeah, I should use the Cyalume since I haven’t used it much! As I pondered this in my mind, Sensei faced the Moya and shouted, “Haaah!!!”
A mysterious, powerful light burst forth from her palm, striking the Moya directly, causing them to sizzle and vanish in an instant.
“Haha…”
I knelt down and bowed my head to Sensei.
“What are you doing…?” Sensei exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
“I expected that would appear soon.”
“Are you talking about those Moya from earlier?”
Sensei nodded, focusing her awareness on the surroundings for a moment before saying, “The presence has vanished. For now, we can relax.”
Noticing my sigh of relief, Sensei’s eyes softened.
“It’s still too early for breakfast, so let’s head to your room and find something to snack on. I’m starving.”
As we walked, Sensei suggested we talk while eating. Once we reached my room, I urged her to take a seat while I sat on the bed. I pulled out some buns I had bought from a merchant who spoke in a Kansai dialect and placed them on a plate for Sensei. “Buns, huh… I do like them, but I really want to eat some taiyaki again,” she murmured wistfully.
Normally, I would have brushed off her request, saying, “Stop being selfish and just settle for this,” but there was a hint of nostalgia in her voice that tugged at my heart.
“I can’t make them in the shape of fish, but I’ll order a griddle with depressions next time and make something that resembles taiyaki, so please bear with me until then.”
I was weak against Sensei’s sad expression. Seeing her smile as she said, “It’s a promise,” filled me with warmth.
“About those Moya from earlier, what exactly are they? Please explain while we eat.”
Sensei picked up a bun and boldly stuffed it into her mouth. “Mmm, mmm,” she chewed, and after swallowing, she began to explain.
“Though this place is indeed a Labyrinth, it was originally referred to as the 《封印領域》.”
“The Sealed Domain…”
“Yes. In terms of the Sealed Domain, the Labyrinth is like the core at the center of the domain. Within a specific, extensive area surrounding this core Labyrinth, monsters appear. And they come in droves, without rest.”
“Without rest…?”
“That’s not an exaggeration; it’s simply a fact. Initially, everyone thought it would eventually end. So, how long would the monster emergence last? A week? A month? A year? None of those are correct. If left unchecked—unless we seal or eliminate them, they will continue to emerge indefinitely.”
Imagining the writhing Moya spilling out everywhere sent a chill down my spine.
“Indeed, your imagination is spot on.”
Sensei looked down, adding, “No, it might be even worse than that.”
“The formless Moya will eventually take on distinct shapes and prioritize attacking the living. The domain will gradually expand. But people will resist, fighting desperately against the monsters that appear one after another. Yet, mocking the struggling humans, the monsters will continue to spawn endlessly, attacking without limit.”
“Just imagine,” Sensei said.
“Even if humanity uses all its strength to defeat the monsters, they will be produced at an even faster rate. Moreover, the speed of monster production will increase exponentially. Eventually, humanity will be exterminated down to the last person, and this world will be filled with monsters.”
It was a situation worse than a bad zombie movie. The tale Sensei told was not just about the end of humanity in this world, but the end of life itself.
“So, what should we do?”
Sensei took a bite of her second bun. After chewing a few times and swallowing, I worried she might choke and stood up, saying, “I’ll make some tea.”
“Well, yes. Two of the three seals are still intact. For now, if we can manage the monsters that appear around here, we can buy ourselves some time.”
“Here you go,” I said, handing her the tea. Sensei accepted it with a grateful, “Thank you.”
“The core Labyrinth will likely appear in this area where the seal has been broken. After the Labyrinth shows itself, that’s when it gets crucial. We need to reach the depths of the Labyrinth and destroy the source of evil before the domain expands and the damage worsens. That is essential.”
“You experienced it last time, right? Why did you choose to seal it instead of destroying it?”
As she sipped her tea, Sensei paused for a moment.
“All of humanity underestimated the threat of the Sealed Domain. Even I thought, ‘It doesn’t concern me, so let them handle it.’ At that time, there were also troublesome internal conflicts in this country. It’s foolish, but humanity fell behind. As a result, it took the use of three Mythic Armaments to finally achieve the seal. So, it wasn’t a choice to seal it; it was the only path available.”
She seemed lost in thought, as if recalling some profound parting or hardship.
“There was a lot that happened, huh?”
“Indeed, a lot happened.”
Sensei sighed, “Humans never change.”
“They remain foolish as ever. They were quite the fools last time, but this time, it was some idiots who broke the seal that caused this.”
Just then, as Sensei popped a third bun into her mouth, we heard a knock at the door.
“Ichiro, are you awake?”
The voice belonged to Anon.
“Forgive my rudeness, but I came to wake you.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m awake!”
When I opened the door, I saw Anon looking up at me from beneath their hood.
“What’s going on? It’s still early in the morning.”
In response to my question, Anon replied, “Ichiro, Ashley has awakened.”