” ────! “
From when Ur was slammed into the wall, Shizuku’s judgment and actions could be summed up in one word: swift.
“[GAYHAHAHAHAHA, GA!?]”
She crushed the annoying insect, the gem Golem laughing triumphantly, and swiftly struck it with the “Magic Sealing Ball” she had purchased. Startled by the explosion, dust, and explosive flames, the Golem staggered back.
“[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!]”
Swinging the remaining left arm as if to brush away, it had just lost one arm. It lost balance and fell. The vibration echoed through the room.
Seizing that chance, Shizuku ran to Ur’s side. Pressing her fingers against Ur’s neck, covered in blood, she heard a heartbeat. He was breathing. He was still alive.
“Ur sama!”
She called out, but there was no response.
Immediately, she took out a recovery potion from her pouch, sprinkled it on Ur’s head to heal the surface wounds, and poured the remaining potion into his mouth.
“…………Kuh.”
“Is it difficult?”
Her throat didn’t function properly. Shizuku picked up what had fallen, picked it up with her fingertips, and made Ur swallow it. Taking the remaining recovery potion into her own mouth, she poured it directly into his mouth.
“[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!]”
During that time, the gem Golem had recovered from its fall. Annoyed by the insect that had resisted, it shook, and raised its fist to crush the two together.
“Ur sama…”
He still did not wake up. Shizuku calmly assessed the situation.
There were two choices left—escape or protect.
Her top priority was her “mission”. Ur was important for her mission, but not essential. Even if he was not there, the mission could still be accomplished. There was no point in risking her life to save him here, where the risk of the mission being unfulfilled was at risk. That was her appeal.
──You’re mine.
“……That’s right.”
But the contract etched in her heart discarded the options that came to her mind.
“I will protect.”
Turning her back on Ur, she confronted the gem Golem. She stared down the fist swung down.
“[Wind, sing and play with me]”
She tightly held the staff with both hands and devoted all her remaining magic power to a single magic. Along with the chant, the surrounding magic roared, swirled, and sublimated into a mighty phenomenon.
“[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!]”
“[Evil that repels, envelop us with a sturdy shield]”
Even before the mighty cry that shook the space, she didn’t hesitate to confront it, completing the incantation.
“[Robe of Wind King]”
A violent storm arose.
The fist of the Golem that was swung down burst and bounced off, and the storm continued thereafter. It was more of a “fortress of wind” than a “shield of wind”. The Golem’s arm shattered with the recoil alone, the wind was strong.
“[GA!?]”
“Developing magic……!? Alabaster!?”
A surprised voice filled with astonishment echoed from somewhere, but Shizuku didn’t hear it. She concentrated to the utmost, maintaining the fortress of wind. It had to be maintained. The fierce attacks of the gem Golem were not yet over.
“[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!]”
“……Kuh.”
The fist that led to death with a single blow was continuously swung down. All of them were bounced and knocked down by the storm. The fists that were bounced were blown away, walls, floors, ceilings, and dolls themselves. Not even a fingertip to reach Shizuku and Ur. The fortress of wind was terribly strong.
“But, ah……!!”
But needless to say, Shizuku’s burden to maintain that was tremendous.
It was an eerie feeling. The illusion of drowning alone in a raging sea, the magic that could not be handled by the caster alone. It was close to suicide to maintain it, as it was.
But even so, she didn’t stop maintaining the magic. She was connected to her consciousness with the single intention of protecting Ur.
“[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!]”
“……Kuh.”
Such dedication to herself was a little incomprehensible to Shizuku. It was strange.
She wondered why she would be so desperate, for whom.
She was a personification of self-destruction and her own second-rate thing. It was natural and it was a matter of course in everyday life. But why, why would power well up so much? Why is it so desperate?
What warmth, what emotion was it?
“………………”
A groan from Ur’s back. She couldn’t confirm it and was calm. But then, Ur’s arm stretched out from behind and hugged Shizuku to support her.
“……Yes……”
It wasn’t a desperate grasp; it was an arm trying to offer even a little strength. It was the will to support oneself, mustering every bit of energy. The moment she realized this, the warmth in her chest spread throughout her body. Just like hot blood circulating through her cold fingertips, she supported his body.
“I… I was happy, wasn’t I?”
And then, she understood her feelings.
She was happy. She was happy to be told she was important and would be protected.
It was sinful and unforgivable, but she couldn’t help feeling happy.
His kindness was more than she deserved. How sinful it was to wish for him to hold her even more. But at the very least, was it alright to wish for his safety?
“I won’t let you die.”
Expressing her resolve in words, Shizuku poured all her remaining consciousness into her magic. Small sparks scattered repeatedly in her mind, threatening to burn out. Yet she never let the magic waver.
“……….!!!”
[GAH!?]
The one who gave in first was the gem golem.
Cracks appeared on its left arm, just like the already shattered right arm.
It wasn’t just because of Shizuku’s magic. The constant forceful swinging without regard for itself caused it. If it continued, it would undoubtedly shatter. Whether it judged this or simply grew annoyed, the gem golem changed its attack method.
[GAAAAAAAHHH!!!]
It distanced itself and opened its mouth wide, preparing for a [Roar] powered by its magic core.
Compared to earlier, the gem golem’s body was already in tatters. Unleashing its full power in this state would clearly cause damage to itself, but the gem golem hesitated not at all. Its sole purpose now was to destroy the enemy before it.
“…I can’t…”
Shizuku no longer had the strength to withstand it. Despite her words, she had already exhausted all her magic. The wind protecting the two had dissipated, leaving them defenseless. Her staff slipped from her hand, and she collapsed as if losing consciousness—
“Finally, you’ve shown your weak spot, you puppet.”
Catching her, Ur stood up.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
It hurts.
It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts!!!!!!
My whole body hurts. My body is heavy. Just moving a fingertip sends lightning-like pain shooting through me.
Unbearable pain turned to tears, mixing with the blood flowing from my head, making a mess.
“…Ka, guh.”
Even breathing is hard. Every time my lungs move, some part of my body screams. I can’t even stay still. The urge to roll on the ground and cry like a baby crosses my mind.
But despite that, Ur stood. He could keep standing. The emotion overwhelming even the pain supported him, making him forget the agony. That emotion was,
“Ah, I’m so angry.”
Ur was furious. He was boiling with rage. The unbearable pain enveloped and controlled him.
“Why the hell do I have to go through this?”
He gently laid the unconscious Shizuku on the ground, gripped the handle of his dragon fang spear, and growled.
Why did this happen? He could think of many reasons.
It was the fault of the gem golem in front of him. If it hadn’t rampaged freely, this wouldn’t have happened. Then there were the other adventurers. If they hadn’t interfered, they could have taken a safer approach despite the risks. No, if the gem golem hadn’t come up to the upper levels, Diz wouldn’t have given such impossible conditions. Actually, it all started with that stupid, idiotic adventurer who put his precious Akane as collateral. That old man is the root of all evil. I’ll kill him a hundred times over, and it won’t be enough. I’ll definitely kill him if he dies.
Everything, everything is to blame!! But more than anything else—
“Why did I choose this path, you idiot!!!”
[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!]
“Shut up! You’re too loud, you glittering puppet!”
Shouting back at the roaring gem golem, Ur prepared his dragon tooth spear, opening its jaws. The magic core was already activated.
A light as bright as the gem golem’s shine radiated from the spear’s jaws. As both lights reached their peak, the destructive heat beams shot out to incinerate each other.
“!!!”
[OOOOOOOOOOO!!!]
The giant humanoid and the dragon-toothed spear, the energies from both clashed.
The immense heat collided, swirled, contracted, and then exploded.
“Whoa!!!”
“What happened!? Did that kid die!?”
Smoke and dust filled the surroundings, blocking the spectators’ view. While everyone froze, the gem golem alone continued moving.
[GAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!]
The gem golem had no vision. It only had the ability to sense magic. Following that sense, the gem golem moved, swinging its cracked left arm without hesitation.
But—
“It has no senses, only magic detection. It targets the closest one first.”
The golem’s fist slammed into the dust cloud, but the two adventurers weren’t there. Where it struck, only shattered purple dust scattered.
“Good, its nature hasn’t changed even in a rampage—now die.”
Before the watching adventurers realized that the dust was crushed magic stones, Ur had already sprung into action. Using the completely shattered left arm of the gem golem as a foothold, he kicked off and leapt high.
The shattered arm reflected the light, creating a rain of glittering particles.
Amid the dazzling light storm, Ur alone never took his eyes off his enemy.
“Pierce.”
Holding the still-burning hot dragon tooth spear, Ur thrust it into the gem golem’s throat.
///
continue
///
[O──── ]
The gem golem, its heart pierced, shone brightly and exploded.
Roaring wind, thunderous noise, light, and explosions.
The spectators held their breath. The changes in the situation were so overwhelming that all they could do was watch.
[…………]
As the light and smoke cleared, they saw the gem golem slowly collapsing. The once impenetrable body that had repelled every attack was falling apart, gradually being swallowed by the labyrinth. It was the phenomenon that happened to all monsters defeated in the labyrinth.
“Oh, ohhh…”
“Hey! He did it!!”
From the adventurers who had kept their distance, unsure whether to cheer or be astonished, came exclamations. The supporters moved to help Ur and Shizuku, but before they could, the sound of stepping on the remaining fragments of the gem golem echoed.
“─────── “
Everyone there held their breath again.
At the peak of the gem golem’s remains stood the victor, Ur. Holding Shizuku on his back, his appearance was battered and miserable. His armor was dented all over, and the dragon fang spear he held was shattered. Neither he nor his equipment was unharmed. Despite this, an aura that kept everyone away surrounded him.
He was filled with the aura of someone who had fought a deadly battle and emerged victorious.
Ur slowly started walking. His destination wasn’t the supporters or the labyrinth’s exit. He walked straight to Glen, who had been watching over them.
Standing in front of Glen with his blood-stained face, Ur declared clearly.
“We won.”
“Yeah. Good job.”
Ur weakly laughed at Glen’s straightforward praise. Then, addressing the adventurers gathered and perhaps the world itself, Ur proclaimed,
“We won.”
And with that, he fell forward.
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