Chapter of Slavery, Episode 8: The Undying King

Reaper finally burst apart with a loud crack!

Specks of pale-blue fire scattered in the air, then burned away along with his soul. Doula and I stared without celebrating our victory, only standing there, motionless. It seemed the others were done wiping out the monsters on their end, too.

Doula’s red hair wavered as she turned to watch them exit Marie’s structure one after another. The hall was now cleared out, and we had defeated over sixty monsters without suffering a single casualty.

It was a brilliant feat, but Zera was somber as he wordlessly walked up to Doula. He then held her by the shoulders from behind, the corpse burning up in flames.

“...A warrior has fallen. I’ll pray for him to reach Eden safely.” Doula nodded.

It turned out that Reaper’s identity was that of those who had been taken away by Shirley. Their souls were being used to create those monsters. Had we done the right thing? If there were a way to save him, what would we have said to his family? As I nearly fell into a pit of these questions without answers, a soft hand squeezed my own.

I looked to the side to find amethyst eyes looking back at me, smiling compassionately. I said nothing and quietly stared at the dying flame.

The fire was beautiful, like the remnants of a fading soul. Just like at the funeral we’d attended some time ago, we continued to pray until it finally went out.

The embers danced in the air, and then, they were gone.

A pile of books were stacked onto the table, obstructing my view. I had no interest in studying, of course. It was Marie who intended to read them, and my role was to watch over her with a blank expression on my face. Or so I thought...

“I need your help. I can’t read through all of these on my own.” It seemed she had a task for me.

I looked up to find Marie’s white hair flowing down as she cocked her head at me. Her expression seemed to say, “You will help, right?”

“Then, let’s split up the task. They’ll probably put me to work anyway if I don’t do something.” I glanced behind me and saw them through the open door. They were hard at work setting up a new base in the hall we had just conquered.

Apparently, a young boy and girl would only get in the way of their physical labor, so they had asked us to search this small room. Maybe it was like when adults told children to go off and play in their rooms. I was actually an adult, but I gladly took them up on their offer.

Well, maybe they were doing this out of consideration. That thought occurred to me as I began reading the ancient texts.

As long as I was focusing on something, it kept my mind busy. Marie looked away hurriedly when I looked at her... so I decided to switch gears back to my usual self instead of brooding.

I let out a puff of air from my nose, then focused on the book before me. There were other things to think about. Figuring out how to clear this floor was our biggest priority.

“Now, we need to figure out how to have Wridra hide her presence. This isn’t something we can talk to Zera and Doula about, either,” I said to no one in particular, and then someone plopped down on the seat next to me. Wridra’s dress was low enough to reveal her shoulders and collarbones, and she looked at me with her obsidian eyes.

“Indeed, it would make sense that the floor master has not appeared because of me. No one would willingly approach someone who far outranks them simply to be defeated.”

“You really are incredible, Wridra. I’ve only seen you get all excited about food until now, so it’s hard to remember that sometimes,” Marie casually said as she reached for a book in the drawer without a hint of malice. I had to agree. My impression of Wridra wasn’t that of a legendary Arkdragon, but of a very attractive and expressive woman. She understood this, and rather than getting upset, she gave us a knowing smile.

I turned the page. The text was written in an advanced ancient language and spoke of a story from long, long ago. But instead of reading the text, I only skimmed it with my eyes. For now, I wanted to organize my thoughts by keeping my brain preoccupied with unrelated things.

Would Shirley the Undying King come soon, or would it scope us out for some time? Either was possible.

If Shirley had multiple disposable bodies, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it came to test our abilities. We already knew that Shirley had been defeated once, only to revive again. As we talked about this, Marie looked up from across the table.

“That’s right. I thought something was off, but that’s a contradiction right there.”

“Hm? What do you mean?” It seemed Marie wasn’t really focusing on interpreting the books, either. She rested her head on her hand and continued to think. She reached for a teacup out of habit only to realize I hadn’t prepared one, and I naturally stood up. That wasn’t good. She must have been exhausted from the battle, but I had so much on my mind that I’d forgotten to be considerate towards her.

I produced a small pot from my bag, and Marie peered at me from above. It seemed she’d finally gathered her thoughts.

“What I meant by ‘contradiction’ earlier is how it can supposedly come back to life but never shows itself. I’m sure you know what I mean, considering how you’ve been adventuring to your heart’s content without any risk of dying. That must mean the floor master is afraid of something other than being directly defeated.”

“Hmm. Maybe it doesn’t want us to know where it’s hiding? ...Same amount of sugar as usual, you two?” The ladies nodded. They seemed to be in a good mood, not because of the tea, but probably because I was starting to calm back down to my usual self.

I poured some water into the pot for the Fire Lizard to boil, then went back to thinking. Your forehead is perfect for placing the pot on, by the way.

Now, Marie had made quite an astute point. Shirley may have been avoiding us because it couldn’t maintain its immortality if we invaded its location. As Marie had pointed out, I was similar, in a way. I could revive as many times as I wanted to in this world, but what would’ve happened if I’d died in Japan? I had no intention of trying to find out, but it was highly likely that Shirley was hiding a secret related to its immortality.

I placed cups in front of the girls along with some biscuits. Yeah, it was relaxing to prepare this sort of thing.

“...Huh. Maybe you wanted tea because you knew this?”

“Hehe, thank you for the tea. Oh, this is tasty. Butter biscuits are the absolute best!”

“Hmm, I must say, chocolate is quite delicious as well. It is simply bliss when it melts in the tea. I could not stand hot drinks while in the form of a cat, so I enjoy them all the more now.” Their peaceful atmosphere was starting to put me at ease, too. These two did go on a garden date together, after all. They just got along so well.

In any case, my thoughts were coming into focus. The Undying King dragged away the souls of the living. As someone who couldn’t die in this world, I decided to pay a visit to this secret place. Even if something happened, I just had to go back to sleep anyway.

“I’ll give it a try, then. If it’s not going to show up even when Wridra hides her presence, this is the only option we’ve got.”

“Yes, you be careful, then. I suspect this foe cannot be detected, no matter what skill you use. That includes Marie’s Primary Skill as well, of course.” I nodded.

The worst case scenario would have been if the Undying King appeared while we were in Japan. It was possible for us to come back only to find Zera and Doula’s teams completely wiped out. In that case, it was better for us to strike now.

I decided not to pry, but I got the sense that Wridra had a theory about the Undying King. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have commented earlier, implying that Shirley would appear eventually. Wridra was kind, after all, I thought as I turned another page.

There was one more issue for us to solve. That being, “How can I contact Shirley by myself?”

Wait a second.

“Maybe that can easily be done, too. Wridra, could I ask you for one favor?” I asked on a whim.

“You are quite impertinent to try to use me,” she replied, seemingly impressed.

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A single group moved through complete darkness without making a sound. Their movements made it clear that they were highly trained, and they surveyed their surroundings vigilantly like veteran soldiers.

There were about thirty of them, each adorned with varying equipment. The group consisted of mostly men, but their beastly eyes gave away the fact that they were decidedly different from the teams raiding the ancient labyrinth. This was the group known as the rebels, and they were even called traitors by some.

However, they resented that label. ‘Traitor’ implied that they had betrayed those they had served, but this completely contradicted their will to serve the greater good. Perhaps this was on their mind, for one of the men spoke up with irritation.

“Hey, boss, where are we meeting up with that blonde guy?” The question had come from one of the bandits, and their leader turned his head slightly.

“You can worry about that once we’ve confirmed a way to destroy the raid teams.”

The man in ragged clothing sighed deeply. Not only had they not found a way to destroy said raid teams, but they were on the brink of destruction themselves. They had been forced deeper into the labyrinth due to its structure having been reshaped by the Magic Stone’s powers.

The bandit scratched his head roughly and made an irritated expression.

“This would be so much easier if we used that. Hesitating to use it because you sensed something, are you?”

“That’s enough, asshole! Watch how you speak to our leader!”

The bandit furrowed his brow at the voice that was like nails on a chalkboard. Many had already been killed. Naturally, tensions were running high. They took their time thinking over how to make that woman shut up, and the eerie air about them made the others around them back away.

But just then, the rebels on the move stopped at once. They ranged from exchanging meaningful looks, looking about suspiciously, and sticking their fingers in their own ears.

“My ears just cleared up like there was a change in air pressure.”

“A large presence in the west just disappeared. What do you think is happening, boss?”

The leader stared ahead wordlessly. The being that had been applying pressure to the labyrinth seemed to have disappeared, but it could’ve been some sort of trick. The steel-eyed man’s companions waited in silence as he blinked several times, and then the orders were relayed out loud.

“We need to make sure. Send him out.”

“Boss, I know what I said earlier, but... let’s not. I have a bad feeling about this. My hunches are usually right, you know.” But the bandit was collectively ignored by the others. The bearded bandit saw their reaction and spat, “Fine, do as you please,” with an exasperated expression. Having spent a lot of time living in other lands, he’d become hated even by his own kind.

The unfamiliar singing reverberated throughout the labyrinth. It was said that it was a song from ancient times... a long, long time ago.

A dark magic user began writing in blood on the walls and ground, gradually changing the air of the surroundings. The cursed words that were forbidden to even be spoken out loud were sung to the fallen.

The bandit watching from the darkness glanced around cautiously before opening his mouth.

“So that’s one of those songs of dark magic? I’ve heard those words reach even the nether world. It does have an ominous feel to it.”

“Yes, those defiled words are fit for defiled men.”

The bandit gave the leader a dubious look in response to his nonsensical reply, but his mocking attitude only lasted until he noticed the oddity concerning the stone wall he’d been touching. His hairs stood on end as he noticed the stringy adhesive stretching from his hand when he let go of the wall.

“The hell? The second floor is starting to change shape.”

The cursed song echoed throughout the labyrinth, as if to swallow his words whole. The voice rang out with unbalanced high and low notes, an uneasy feeling filling the listeners alongside a sense that something horribly wrong was about to happen.

But the leader of the group remained motionless and continued listening to the forbidden song.

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I let out a big sigh as I stared at the ceiling.

The ceiling was built like a lattice and showed a glimpse of ancient construction technology.

A while back, I’d spent a lot of time wandering labyrinths like this by myself. I had no friends to talk to, but I was happy enough just experiencing this fantasy world.

“The silence is kind of jarring now that I’m alone again.”

Things were back to the way they were before, and I thought I would’ve appreciated the familiar feeling in a way. Yet, the first thing I felt was loneliness, and I already missed the sound of Marie’s voice. I could even picture her complaining about the cold and folding her arms in an attempt to warm herself up.

I actually found myself surprised that I used to spend my time alone in a place like this. My shoes clicked against the floor as I tried to put the loneliness out of my head. I moved the lamp in my hand to illuminate my surroundings.

It seemed the time to put away the lamp had come.

I placed it down in the walkway, then waited silently. A cold air soon came pressing in, and even the light of the lamp had a cold chill to it.

Shirley, the Undead King.

The bridge between this world and the spirit realm.

The floor master of the second floor had many names and was feared by most as the god of death. But the situation seemed to be something else entirely from my perspective.

Adorned in a transparent veil, it slowly slipped through the cracks of the stone pavement and appeared before me. Its back was hunched over, but it was still about three meters tall, and it wore a mask with a shape reminiscent of countless sickles curved outward.

It could have been a male or female, judging from its slender limbs, and it walked in a way that gave off the impression that it could’ve been completely weightless. Its toenails dug into the ground, and it advanced by crawling, step by step. Shirley, the second floor master, moved toward me without making a sound.

“Hey there. You’re looking like a living nightmare.”

Maybe it didn’t notice me until I spoke. Or maybe I appeared differently, being a resident of another world. Shirley craned its neck toward me, then released an icy breath.

The floor master may have been taken back a bit. There was no one left in the hallway, and only an empty cavern remained. And yet, the soul-seeker had found me, so that probably wasn’t too big of an issue.

Now, let’s see what having my soul drained feels like.

A half-transparent hand reached for me, its veil wavering without any wind.

“Let’s go then, Shirley.” With that, I reached out and grabbed his—or maybe her—finger.

Seemingly surprised by my lack of fear, Shirley cocked its head, and then my soul was sucked out right away. It was pulled out of my body from my fingertip, and the indescribable feeling gave me goosebumps. Well, I would’ve gotten goosebumps, if I still had any skin or a body.

I was surprised by how easily it slipped out.

The sound of something making an impact was probably my body collapsing to the ground.

But either way, this was just a dream for me. Whether it was a good or a bad one, a dream was just a dream, so I didn’t feel any fear.

I let Shirley take me by the hand and sank into the ground.

Now, let’s see your secret hidden within this labyrinth’s second floor.

I smiled out of anticipation, and Shirley tilted its head again in confusion. I probably seemed pretty strange from its point of view.

My floating feet seemed so unsteady. I tried to stop walking, but it didn’t change my rate of movement at all. It seemed moving my limbs didn’t really have any effect. It reminded me of the way souls moved in movies. They didn’t flail their legs around, instead quietly gliding along. I supposed it made sense. Though, that was just fiction.

I looked up at Shirley the Undying King as it pulled my hand along, and our eyes met. Deep behind that mask, I caught a glimpse of terribly cold eyes.

It finally dawned on me, but it seemed Shirley was a woman. Its long eyelashes reinforced my idea.

“Is it all right if I talk to you?”

She only continued to cock her head in confusion. I wasn’t sure if she understood me or not, but I tried again.

“I’d like to know more about you. If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but I was hoping we could talk a bit.”

This was purely to sate my curiosity, and I doubted she would reciprocate even if she understood what I was saying.

But then the veil went up and over my head.

Maybe this was her response. Instead of words, scenery and emotions came flooding in from Shirley through to me.

Before me was a rich forest. There were animals scattered all around, and I watched a deer shake its head after taking a drink from a stream. Mountains lined the horizon, and a rainbow hung over a waterfall in the distance. After the deer finished taking its drink, it stood staring at that sight.

I looked up to find a sky full of vivid blue. Having gotten used to the long rainy season, the bright, sunny sky gave me a refreshing feeling.

I got the impression that this was a world where organisms thrived and would endlessly continue their cycle of life.

There, she rested.

A golden crown upon her head, and her body adorned in a beautiful grass-colored dress. Her appearance was befitting of a queen.

Perhaps she was the one who had given birth to this forest. What I thought to be patterns on her dress were actually real grass and flowers, and it was evidence that she hadn’t taken a single step from her spot for a long time. They completely covered her body, but Shirley sang without moving. Her song seemed to stir the growth of life, and the world seemed to shine ever brighter.

...It happened in an instant.

Something glinted in the sky like a morning star, and then, a long white line extended down and sank into the ground.

Without a sound or tremor, flames erupted, seemingly reaching the heavens and engulfing the forest and the world along with it.

Countless organisms were swallowed up by the flames as Shirley cried out, and I saw something huge thrashing about within the blaze. It screamed an unearthly scream, and the supernatural creature crumbled in the inferno. It seemed to represent the destruction of this seemingly eternal land.

...Were they bystanders in some catastrophic event? Did they get burned up by the fire that was supposed to defeat that thing? I looked to find that Shirley was falling apart, too.

Her beautiful body had been scorched and reduced to ashes, but she held onto life in her arms, as if refusing to perish. She held animals, plants, and other forms of life against her chest, then shouted a wordless cry once more.

I could feel her intense emotions of wanting to claw at her own heart, and the question to end that had come abruptly: “Why?”

The world was swallowed by flames in an instant, and all living things perished.

I couldn’t keep my eyes open and slowly fell to my knees.

When I came to, I was standing atop the stone pavement.

Several of what seemed to be Reaper’s bodies were lined up before me. A stark contrast to the sight I had seen moments before, I was back in the cold, dark labyrinth.

So this is how she takes souls back and makes new soldiers.

That must have meant this would end soon. I’d lose consciousness and wake up in Japan soon. I wanted to know more about Shirley’s story, but I couldn’t do much about it now.

I turned to face her to at least thank her for guiding me here.

“Thank you for sharing that, Shirley. It must have been painful for you.” But she cocked her head again, then pulled me by the hand.

“Oh, you aren’t gonna put me in that?”

Maybe she changed her mind, because she instead took me to a room in the back. The door was already open, and I entered after Shirley as she guided me with her long, thin fingers. Inside, I saw a circular hall. It was completely dark, aside from the center area with a ceiling far overhead, and my very breath seemed to disappear into the vastness.

“Big place. Is this some sort of arena?” She shook her head.

It seemed that she did understand my words after all. Or maybe she was reading my thoughts instead. That was just how much I relied on her in my current state. It wouldn’t have been unreasonable to say that, at the moment, I belonged to her.

Shirley then showed me to the throne. It was large and made of stone, and it stood directly in the middle of the hall.

Shirley sat on it without a sound, then stared at me.

“Huh? You want me to sit next to you? Umm, then, if you wouldn’t mind...” I then sat on the small chair next to hers. She seemed to accept this and turned her face forward.

Apparently, she was going to show me more of her story. She raised both hands to lift up her veil, and then another scene appeared around us.

It was a forest much like the one she had shown me before, and I was surprised to see another deer drinking from a stream again. The view was pretty limited, but I suspected this was where she had stayed and sang a long time ago.

“Is this where you reflect back on the past? It’s a beautiful and calming place. It makes me wish I could visit it in a dream.” I may have imagined it, but she seemed to smile at my comment.

Then, I thought I heard her singing, like from the vision earlier.

It was strange to think I could find comfort in song, even when I reduced to just my soul. Even so, I wondered why she had kept intruders out of here this whole time.

“Aren’t you going to defeat me, Shirley? I’m an intruder.” She didn’t answer, but stared off into the distance instead.

I wondered what went through her mind as she sat here, and for how many millenia she’d stayed.

Without saying a word, she continued to show me the scenery of her past.

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The hall where Shirley and the boy had disappeared.

Change was occurring in this empty place. The air distorted like a fluttering piece of transparent cloth, and then, it was cast aside.

Suddenly, more than twenty armed figures appeared from seemingly thin air. At their front stood Wridra the Arkdragon, and everyone looked around in wonder. Zera, the representative of the knight corps, stepped forward, looking like he had been bewitched by a fox.

“We really managed to get in here without Shirley spotting us. The heck is goin’ on? Hey, Doula, was that some kind of magic?”

“I-I’ve never heard of such a thing. To conceal our presence on such a scale, and so completely...”

They all looked at each other, then stared at Wridra, standing there in her armored dress. She had just used highly advanced magic, but her unconcerned attitude told them they still hadn’t seen anything close to what she was truly capable of.

Earlier, Kazuhiro had asked Wridra if it was possible for her to extend the range of her concealment ability. As a result, they were able to escape the Undying King’s notice, and only Kazuhiro’s soul was taken, just as they had planned.

“More importantly, is Kazuhiho okay? His soul got taken out, but he won’t come back as another Reaper, will he?”

“That won’t happen. I wouldn’t let it.” They turned to the confident voice to find the elf girl pressing a staff against the ground. A tower began to extend up from the ground: Prison Keeper, an original skill that belonged only to her.

But, despite her tone, the sweat on her face made it clear that her task was not an easy one.

Prison Keeper was normally a skill that extended its range of detection over time. However, in order to find Kazuhiro after he had been taken far away, Mariabelle was actively focusing to manually extend its range.

...Oh no, they’ve gone far underground. I need to focus on Kazuhiro as a target and sharpen my magic and concentration, or I won’t be able to find him.

With that thought, she forced herself to concentrate even harder. Their connection was so fragile that it could sever at any moment. She knew she was only pretending to be confident. Still, she knew she had to make this work, no matter what. Mariabelle gripped her staff until her nails turned white and channeled magic up to her limit. Seeing the desperation on Mariabelle’s face, Wridra whispered some words of advice to her.

“If you do not have enough, take from others. That is the nature of sorcery. Here, feel Kitase’s presence. Hah, hah, do not look so strained. You have always done so before.” Mariabelle blinked.

Wridra was explaining that a vast reservoir of magic was not necessary. Taking in her teacher’s advice, she loosened her shoulders as she usually did. Then, instead of magic, she sought his presence.

His scent, his gentle aura, his kind voice...

What did he say when they had devised this plan? Surely, it was something along the lines of...

“I’m sure it’ll be fine even if you lose me. I’ll wake up again anyway, and you should have a good idea of where I went.” She couldn’t help but laugh at hearing something like that from such a sleepy-looking face. Mariabelle giggled, then turned her smile toward the ground like a cloud had been lifted.

“I can’t believe we’re counting on such a vague plan. I don’t know about you, but I’m making this work no matter what.”

“Understood?” she whispered, and she could picture his troubled face.

Just then, she unexpectedly smelled his scent. He had always been there, and it felt like he was still next to her.

“...You have found it. Do not lose it.” Mariabelle’s eyes widened at the Arkdragon’s words.

She was surprised by how easy it was, and her shoulders were still loose from the certainty that she wouldn’t lose sight of him now.

And so, Prison Keeper’s hidden power was now being awakened.

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Zarish Engel.

The one who they called the future hero stood in the darkness, watching the lingering floor master from afar. His expression was one of pure exasperation with a hint of disdain.

He pulled in the beautiful woman next to him by the hair. He touched her amber skin and gave her lips a passionate kiss, then stroked the goldwork on his slender finger.

“Got itself a pet bird, did it? To think, that’s the Undying King... No, queen. Though, it’s hard to tell with that mummy.” The woman laughed joyfully and watched the two hanging around the stream in their fantasies.

The sound of sand crunching under footsteps approached, and a dark-skinned elf appeared. Her eyes widened at her master Zarish and the sight of the Undying King in the distance.

“Is that the floor master? Lord Zarish, what in the world...” The women around him laughed derisively at the elf, Eve. Eve realized why her master Zarish hadn’t told her anything about this place or what he was about to do, and her face contorted into a frown.

“Hmph, I tire of being a mere soldier. I want my own country. I will acquire all the jewels in this land before I leave, and... Hm?” Zarish looked up. There was nothing but darkness there, but he whispered happily, as if someone was standing before him.

“So you’ve finally found this place, Mariabelle. Ah, you are indeed a good mare.” The treasure he had just mentioned was right there. He smiled as she moved forward into the hall where the floor master was located in an attempt to get closer to that boy.

Zarish enjoyed watching women awaken to their true potential. He also enjoyed watching the look on the faces of men as he crushed their hopes and filled them with despair.

“Heheh... Do it. Slap awake that half-asleep fool known as the Undying King.” The moment he said so to no one in particular, an unintelligible scream echoed from the hall far away.

Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!

Black veins bulged out of Shirley’s body like she had been infected with poison, and the boy looked up with a look of pure shock. Only Zarish smiled gleefully, watching as the boy was about to have his soul shattered to pieces.

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I was shocked by the black veins suddenly protruding from Shirley’s body and her scream like glass scraping against itself. The fantasy around us lost its luster, and all I could do was watch dumbfoundedly at the Undying Queen twitching on the ground at the center.

What... is happening? She seems to be desperately trying to resist something and wanting to kill me at the same time. Though, it wasn’t like I minded if she did kill me. More importantly, it seemed like this dramatic change was due to the appearance of a third party, the real mastermind behind all this.

The transparent veil turned black before my eyes and touched me. I could hear some white noise, and then, an image came into my mind for a split second. In my mind’s eye, I saw the scene of a suspicious group of people casting a curse and the sight of Shirley’s unsettled mind stacking atop each other, and my vision distorted.

“Oh, right... Since I’m in soul form, her thoughts are mixing with my own...” Actually, my consciousness was in danger from her thoughts intermingling with mine so much... I needed to watch her for a little longer. And so, I shook my head and lifted my face.

Just then, something soft and warm gripped my hand. Being in soul form, it was more like something ‘stacked’ with my hand rather than gripped it... But in any case, a girl with amethyst eyes was staring at me with a curious expression, leaving me awfully confused.

“Huh? Wha? Why are you here, Marie?”

“I... don’t know. I was in the hall just a moment ago. Um, but I guess this is a hall, too.” This was all too sudden, and Shirley was behind her, screaming her head off. Hmm, this was all too much for me to process.

Then, I realized Marie’s body was transparent, too. One thing that was different from usual was that she was kind of sun-colored overall, and there were little embers floating around her outline.

So, uh... What?

“Hey, isn’t that Shirley? Hmm, was she always all black like that?”

“I’m more curious about you, Marie. Oh, could it be that this is Prison Keeper’s hidden ability?”

Marie cocked her head and thought about it, but just replied with “I’m not sure.”

Oh, now’s not the time for this.

“Anyway, it’s dangerous here, so get back...”

“Ah.”

My body was sliced through the torso, easily splitting in half.

I turned around as I floated into the air to find a pale-blue, icy scythe. Just as the thought that it was a fitting weapon for the Undying Queen crossed my mind, my consciousness vanished.

I rose from my bed.

This is bad. The night is starting to get brighter. I looked up at the clock to find it was past four in the morning, and there was no time to lose.

But I couldn’t just leave things as they were.

Judging by the fact that Marie was there, everyone must have found out about the floor master’s location. And this was just conjecture on my part, but the secret behind Shirley’s immortality was probably somewhere in that hall. That meant she had no reason to stay on the defensive now. I had a feeling I couldn’t just come back to this tomorrow.

“Was she mad that we intruded on her hall? No, it didn’t seem like it. But that image I saw earlier... Maybe whoever is controlling Shirley was hiding somewhere in there?” I asked out loud, but I was the only one there.

...

Wow, I’m lonely! What is this?! I didn’t expect to feel such a pang of loneliness from waking up in my room alone.

“This is no good. Hmm... Those two are too important to me now.”

No one there to hear my complaints.

No one there to hear me sigh.

And so, I decided to get back into bed and return to the world where the girls were. Worst case scenario, I would’ve used some of the vacation hours I’d accrued if it ended up taking a while. That really was a last resort, though. I didn’t like taking days off without being sick, and it felt like a waste to use my time off unless it was for an actual vacation. For instance, using them before or after a weekend to get three days off in a row. Or, I could take a half day at work and go somewhere right after I got out. Marie ended up liking that garden so much that she’d been wanting an annual pass, too.

As such thoughts floated about in my mind, I fell right back into the dream world without any tossing or turning. I’d always been good at falling asleep.

Oh, but where will I wake up this time? I’d never come back to life after being reduced to my soul, so that question came to mind as I rose from sleep.

And I found myself... in a small, ordinary room. I turned to find Marie and Wridra, speaking passionately in front of me as I stared at them blankly.

“So, is that what they call Astral Body? I’d read about it before, but I always assumed it was just a bunch of nonsense.”

“It appears so. I had been watching as well, but the main body was left as nothing but an empty husk.” Marie’s white-haired head wavered as she went deep into thought.

I’d heard of Astral Body myself, though it was a bit different from just being in the form of a soul. It nullified everything except for mental damage, and it was said that some could even cast magic while in that form.

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’d like to see it again. I was too taken aback to get a good look earlier.”

“Oh, I don’t min—ah? Whaaa! He’s back already!” Surprisingly, even Wridra sat straight up with a shiver running down her spine, and a dragon tail grew out of her lower back and hit the ground with a thud. That was probably an involuntary reaction, and I wondered if it was okay.

“Ohooo! Do not appear so suddenly! I thought you were some sort of ghost!”

“Huh? I’m being scolded for that? Anyway, good morning, you two. But it’s almost time to go to work, so I can’t stay too long.” Wait a minute, was Wridra afraid of ghosts? That was going to make our weekend at Grimland very interesting. There are all sorts of...

“Oops, I can’t be taking my time here. I need to warn Zera that Shirley is in a dangerous state right now.” When we got back to the hall, Zera and Doula blinked at me several times, then slowly tilted their heads. Well, I did just casually appear from the next room over after being taken away by Shirley.

“Umm, Marie retrieved my soul for me, so I’m back.”

“No way... You guys must have some godly teamwork. You found the floor master so easily.”

“Oh, good, we were just talking about what to do if you came back as a Reaper.”

Huh. It might have been fun to become a Reaper while remaining conscious. With all those attacks at my disposal, I probably would’ve lost track of time playing... Err... I cleared my throat before opening my mouth to speak.

“Zera, Doula, we should split our teams into two.” They looked at me with that wide-eyed expression again.

We usually took our time exploring and taking detours in labyrinths, but today we ran straight down the stairs leading underground. Well, “running” didn’t quite describe it. The moment I teleported to one spot, I activated it again to reappear at the next corner. I turned around to find Wridra carrying Marie in a princess carry behind me at a pace that wouldn’t be taxing on her.

We were headed for Shirley’s grave, of course, and I suspected we were going at a speed that was by far the fastest of any team. That wasn’t a surprise, really. No one really based their skill build around movement skills, and it was rare to find Arkdragons that could keep up with my pace.

“But to think the reason we need to hurry is because I might be late for work...” It went without saying, but we ignored every monster we encountered along the way. Honestly, I wanted to take our time going through the labyrinth. I wanted to take in the new enemy types and marvel at the construction. Even so, I couldn’t just ignore Shirley in her current, dangerous state. And with us getting closer to her gravesite...

As we descended the spiral staircase, I caught a glimpse of something out of one of the many peep holes. A wavering veil and an icy blue scythe swinging toward me...

“Whoa.” I ducked instinctively, and something passed through from the other side of the stone wall. Seeing how there wasn’t a scratch on the wall itself, I figured it had to be Shirley’s scythe.

“Wow, how did you dodge that?!”

“Umm, instinct, I guess. You know that ominous feeling before a big attack comes?” She looked at me like she had no idea what I was talking about. Hmm. That was odd, we were playing the same game... I mean, seeing the same dream, so I thought she’d get it.

Anyway, since the secret to Shirley’s immortality seemed to be at her gravesite, she’d come to try and stop us. That meant Zera’s team, which was on its own mission, would be relatively safe.

There were two issues now.

Would their team have been able to complete their objective safely? And if we did find the secret to Shirley’s immortality, would I have been able to break it?

I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to accomplish the latter. Despite her terrifying appearance, Shirley was too kind to truly be considered an enemy.

Hmm, I liked this feeling of being up against a wall. I enjoyed the unique tenseness that couldn’t have been experienced in Japan as we continued to sprint toward Shirley’s gravesite.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The boy died, and only the elf girl with the rare talent remained.

To Zarish, who was also known as a slave trainer, the stage had finally been set. He had slowed down the raid on the labyrinth, and his objective in this land would be complete as soon as he reaped the beautifully ripe fruit.

Zarish stroked his own golden hair as he reflected on the moonlit night with that girl.

...I want her to squirm. I want her to resist to her very limit, and once she’s exhausted and full of despair, I want her to glare back at me with everything she has. I want to discipline her with coldness, and show her the occasional kindness to make her gradually depend on me until she can’t live without me.

“Oh, Lord Zarish, you’ve got that look in your eye.” Seeing that expression on his face, the women around him cooed, “Poor girl,” without a shred of genuine concern. Perhaps they already knew. This girl would end up as a mere slave, but she would still take up one of the limited seats next to him. If things went poorly, it was possible that they would end up being cast away like Eve had been.

Within the hall, Shirley the floor master could be seen within the darkness.

She spread out her veil, her large body floating into the air. The time to slay the foolish knights that had stepped into the ancient labyrinth had come.

“It’s time. I will seize the fruit and...”

“What is that...?” Just as he was about to make his declaration, someone had entered the hall. The women looked at each other blankly, and Zarish gaped with shock.

“Huh...?” The boy whose soul had been shattered by the floor master earlier was standing there. Zarish rubbed his eyes, but nothing changed. He furrowed his brow as if he was staring at a ghost, then spoke.

“I’m going to kill him.”

“Ah, Lord Zarish! This is some sort of mistake! That elf appeared at the end, so she must have rescued his soul at the last minute!” One of the women tried to explain, but Zarish was indignant with a wrench being thrown into his plans. Things would turn out badly if the fact that they were working with the rebels came to light. The boy had a Magic Tool on him, and it could have potentially become difficult to leave the country if he alerted the headquarters.

The women around Zarish hurriedly tried to stop him, but none of them could stop a man with an estimated level of 140.

Yet, he did stop. He had seen the two women who showed up after the boy. Mariabelle the half-elf and...

“Ah! Wridra!” A few of the women turned pale at his elated voice. They had surmised that Zarish wanted the draconian woman as part of his collection.

After hearing that Wridra had left to join the boy’s party, Zarish had spent some time hardly able to eat from shock.

“Show me your power, Wridra and Mariabelle. If your luster is true, I will prepare a seat for each of you.” He chuckled, and the final battle with the second floor master had begun.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

When we finished descending the spiral staircase, a world of night awaited us. There was complete silence, and Marie and I reacted in amazement as we looked up at a ceiling that seemed to stretch on forever.

But this place didn’t bring peace like the night did, for Shirley descended slowly from above, an air of death emanating from her.

Gyaaaaaargh!

A curse seemed to have turned her whole body darker, and countless blades stuck out from her mask as she screamed. We stood where we were, the sound of stones grinding against each other coming from behind us. Monsters had chased us down as we descended the spiral staircase, and I had Marie place a stone wall behind us.

The only exit slammed shut with a heavy thud, and silence filled the place once more.

Shirley’s veil soundlessly descended upon the ground, followed by the creature with its limbs splayed out while exhaling an icy breath.

Music began to play after a short delay—one of the most horrifying tunes I’d ever heard. It made the listener’s heart beat faster, and the fanatic voices heralded the beginning of a hopeless battle.

“Ah! The battle music is scaring me! I’ve never heard anything like this!”

“I’m not surprised. You don’t get a lot of chances to face off with an enemy that’s over level 100.”

“O-Over 100?!” She started to protest that as impossible but cut herself off mid-sentence. Right next to her was an Arkdragon that had an estimated level of over 170... Not to mention, this was merely a piece of her main body that was using one of seven Dragon Cores.

Yet, that didn’t change the fact that Shirley was a beast in a class of her own. At the very least, this was an entity that the most elite of knights, Team Ruby, had barely managed to defeat. Looking at her now, I had a feeling she was only using a portion of her power to scope out her opponents back then.

The sight of her gripping the stone pavement with her claws to crawl around as if she was completely weightless sent cold sweats down my back.

“Good evening, Shirley. We meet again.” I tried talking to her without any expectations in particular, but it seemed to be no use. My words never reached her ears, and her giant scythe swayed as if to slice right through them.

She held her icy-blue scythe at her hips from far away, and then it came speeding toward us in an arc. The swing gapped the distance easily with her incredible reach, and as I tried to hit the ground with Marie in my arms, the scythe was knocked directly upward and away from us.

I turned to find Wridra raising one arm in the air.

“Hmm, it seems I can finally take on my role as a tank.”

“Thanks, Wridra. All right, I’m gonna go check her out.”

“Be careful,” Marie warned. “You won’t have time to go back to sleep this time.”

That was true... This was still a weekday, so I wouldn’t have been able to sleep in as much as I wanted. If this would take a while, I had no choice. I would get out of here with Marie using my long distance transportation skill and call in to my office to take the day off.

With that safety net in mind, I wasn’t too nervous about facing this incredibly powerful enemy. I teleported directly next to the floor master without putting much thought into it.

I felt a shiver go down my spine. Countless swords suddenly appeared in mid-air and began slicing through the entire area surrounding me. I stepped on the ground to pass through them in the next instant. I felt a chill when I turned around to witness the sight. If I had attacked, I probably would have died immediately.

“Whoa, that was close! Was that Dancing Weapons?” I asked aloud, and the Arkdragon responded through Mind Link Chat.

“A blood curse that defends a set area. It seems the Undying Queen has a massive amount of souls at her disposal.”

“Whether you’re attacking or not, I should apply a holy enchantment on you. Your sword seems to be very tough, so I’ll try an advanced version this time,” Marie said.

Ohh, an advanced enchantment. This wasn’t something you saw every day.

I let go of Astroblade, allowing it to float into the air, and a ring of light enveloped the blade. The ring emitted a pure, bright light as it was absorbed into the sword. The light increased in brightness as the phosphorescence stacked upon the weapon in layers. Then, a high-pitched sound rang out at the end. That sound had affirmed that this power could exist in this world.

“Nn! Level 60 is as high as it will go!” Marie exclaimed.

“Wow, that’s incredible. You surpassed your old record by leaps and bounds, Marie.”

“I think that sword can endure more. I’m sorry to say, but my magic can’t keep up. This enchantment should be very powerful, though, so be careful.” The effect was pretty intense. Specks of light were leaking out from the sword, and the weapon made a vwoom sound as I gave it a practice swing. It even left a really cool afterimage in its wake.

“You aren’t thinking anything stupid like, ‘This looks really cool,’ are you?”

“O-Of course not! Oh, looks like we’ve got company.” Shirley raised one hand into the air, then swiped her claws down toward the ground. Blades of darkness sank into the ground, then several more appeared around it in a cluster after a short delay. They had to be about fifty meters wide in total.

When I realized what was about to happen, my hairs stood on end.

“Craaap!” The blades of darkness tore through the ground as they came rushing toward me at once, and I repeatedly teleported to the side to evade them. I managed to get away with just some nicks on my boots, but this was bad. She knew I would teleport away and set up an attack with very little space inbetween.

Could she know all my skills because our thoughts merged earlier? The thought crossed my mind as I rolled across the ground.

“That one was more of a physical attack. Let’s think of a plan, Kazuhiro.”

“Right. Marie, do you remember the formation you used when you roasted those Koopahs?”

“Of course,” she said confidently.

Even if we put up a defensive structure, Shirley would likely use a non-physical attack like that giant scythe from earlier. So instead of opting for defense, I wanted her to set up a stone cage that was used for taking out enemies. Given the right circumstances, we could’ve been able to use it to attack the floor master.

“But Shirley is in soul form. We won’t be able to trap her.”

“True. That’s why I want you to set up as wide of a range as possible,” I said back to Marie through Mind Link Chat as I sprinted forward. Shirley was obviously specialized in ranged attacks, and we wouldn’t be able to seize victory without getting up close and personal.

But just then, countless black spheres appeared around the floor master, as if to mock our efforts. The things writhing around inside of them reminded me of, well... tadpoles as they were about to be born from frog eggs. This was like that, except sped up multiple times.

“Whoa, I can’t even count them all. I wonder what’s about to come out?”

“They are residents of the shadow realm. Hmhm, this will be quite the ordeal, as they follow the laws of their own world rather than our own. It will be interesting to see just how much resistance you can offer.”

Why does Wridra look so amused? But whining about it wasn’t going to change anything, so I decided to start attacking where I could. I drew my sword and swung with all my might, but my eyes widened to find the blade was stuck about halfway through the target, despite the powerful holy enchantment bestowed upon the blade.

“Guess I’ll just have to cut twice.” I sliced through with two swings, and black fluids erupted from the sphere. Eww, looks rotten.

I cut down two, then three more spheres but realized the next one was undergoing a change. A golden eye opened, staring directly at me.

“Whoa, they’re waking up already. How’s your progress over there?”

“I’m not even halfway ready. If you can hold up, I’d like to make another row. What do you think?”

“Don’t mind me,” I replied. I decided to put my Reprise to use to buy her some time to experiment.

The neck area of these creatures seemed to be very thin, so I set a swing that would cut through the bone into the memory slot. When I tried using it to attack one of the creatures, its eye lost its luster before melting onto the ground.

I didn’t want to think about how many were left.

The sphere creatures seemed to spawn at the same rate as I cut them down, and it really registered just how mild the demon on the first floor had been compared to what we were facing now. Well, we couldn’t let these things roam free.

Splat.

I looked around, breathing heavily, to see the residents of the shadow realm spawning one after another. I looked up to find Shirley’s mask and her black veil extending around her.

Then, she held her giant scythe in an offensive stance, and I shrugged.

“Looks like I won’t be reaching you yet. Or are you going easy on me?” I smiled, then teleported backwards.

My skill, Over the Road, was by no means perfect. I needed to step on the ground with both feet and have my destination within sight. Not to mention, if my view was blocked, I couldn’t just jump over to the other side of whatever obstacle was ahead of me.

In other words, I would’ve been in big trouble even if I got surrounded by weak mobs.

“Not sure if they’d be considered weak mobs, though...” As I finished my teleportation, the residents of darkness were already coming for me at full speed. Black drool splattered about as they came at me with their hands pointed like swords, which was quite an intimidating sight.

I also caught a glimpse of something large emerging from the back of the hall. They tore the door open by force, and their large bodies came into view as they leaped forward... Seven Reapers. They advanced with inhuman jumping power, closing the distance in mere moments.

Hmm, this is a bit much. I was almost grateful to experience such a tense thrill that couldn’t be found in video games. Though, to be honest, that was just me trying to be positive.

Two residents of darkness turned their golden, fish-like eyes toward me.

Their bodies were black and viscous like lumps of tar, and their gnarled teeth made them look like mermen. They swung their bladed arms toward me in an impressive swipe.

The blades crossed from both sides, but I had already teleported behind them.

“Well, I’m not your average opponent, either.” I used the optimal attack pattern I’d recorded with Reprise to cut through their necks from behind. They sprayed black blood into the air, and I moved on to the next target without watching them fall.

They came toward me in a massive wave, like a black wall surging in to crush me. I told myself to stay calm to prevent losing my composure.

“They may be strong, but I wanna enjoy this fight. It won’t be fun for them with me running around, though.” I was nearly engulfed by the swarm, but I teleported out of the way and took out a few enemies in the process. I went through the motions with a detached air like a veteran soldier, but the process was automated with my Reprise ability, allowing me to focus on figuring out an escape route.

I then found myself being caught between two Reapers, so I unleashed Acceleration in that instant. I pierced one of their legs with a holy-powered attack, causing a black mist to erupt from the wound.

As I turned to face the other one, Shirley’s bladed mask glowed, and then countless blades came raining down from above. I teleported to avoid them as they flew into both the ground and the residents of darkness alike. A chill went down my spine as they even sliced the other Reaper in two in the blink of an eye.

This was a level 100 I was dealing with, after all. I was thoroughly impressed by its power.

Then, the voice I had been waiting for reverberated in my mind.

“It’s done,” Marie said through Mind Link Chat.

“I’d be grateful if you’d activate it now.” I didn’t even have the time to compliment her on a job well done. The moment after this exchange, stone walls rose up from the ground. I stood atop the sturdy wall and watched my enemies grow farther below.

“Welcome to your prison, everyone... Whoa!” Two Reapers broke down the rock wall I stood upon as they landed on either side of me, and I quickly teleported to another rock wall on the other side. I had acted on a split-second impulse, but it was a close call.

This square enclosure was meant to trap and destroy the enemies. And so, the floor and walls began to grow with a bright light. The setup was wide enough to catch the entire mob as well as the leaping Reapers in a vertical blast of holy light.

“You must have used Double Incantation to set up such a powerful attack. I’m amazed that you did all this in such a short amount of time.”

As a Spirit Sorceress, Marie had the ability to bestow her magic to her spirits. Magic was stored within each of the countless stone spirits that comprised these walls, and by activating them all at once, the effect was amplified in this enclosed space, obliterating the enemies trapped inside.

This was the work of a spellcaster who was level 40-something? It was incredible seeing how far she had come through ever-evolving innovation. Such thoughts crossed my mind as I landed on the ground and looked up at the monsters getting blown into the wind like ashes in an incinerator.

I then wiped the sweat from my forehead and sent a message to Wridra.

“You weren’t able to find that group that’s been sneaking around, were you?”

“Hah, hah, just who do you think I am? I have found them with ease, of course.” That was the Lady Arkdragon for you.

The Magic Tool that had been hanging from my waist started blinking, so I activated it to bring up the three-dimensional map. A blinking light indicated their location in the corner of this second floor.

I pressed the button for the comm link and spoke into the Magic Tool.

“Zera, they’re here. They probably have a curse user among them... Can you take them?”

Bzz, bzzz!

Shirley stared directly at me through the white noise. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I knew one thing for sure. She’d been struggling just as I had.

A voice replied to me through the Magic Tool.

“Of course I can. Nothing’s better at group battles than the Thousand secret arts!”

“This is Andalusite. We’ve regrouped with Aja the Great’s special unit. Preparations for the bloodbath on those rebel scum are now complete.”

Oh, that’s good... Though, that phrase was a bit more disturbing coming from her. I returned the Magic Tool back to my belt.

When I had touched Shirley’s veil and our minds merged, I learned of the existence of a third entity. This was partially conjecture on my part, but I suspected someone was using the power of a curse to control the floor master. That was why we decided to split our raid alliance into two and have Wridra track down the culprit.

“Shirley, can I talk to you again?”

“...”

The floor master enshrouded in black watched me, her veil rippling around her. She didn’t talk much, so I took her silence as acceptance.

“Even I can tell the secret to your immortality is in that garden after you showed me your story. That place is special to you, isn’t it?”

“...” She looked down a bit, which likely meant I had struck the nail on the head. Despite her terrifying appearance, she seemed like a student being scolded as she hung her head like that.

“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to release you from your duty in this labyrinth. I was hoping I could get your approval.”

Otherwise, I just might cry. I would probably get ripped to shreds if I touched her at this point, but I’d already done everything I could. If words weren’t enough, my only remaining option was to touch her.

I sheathed my sword and exhaled before I began walking toward her. I’d never approached an enemy unarmed like this before, but I wasn’t afraid. Either way, I’d already depleted all my energy.

Her black veil wavered, as if to represent the turmoil in her heart.

I doubted any human had ever walked up to her like this before. Or maybe she was more surprised by herself and the fact that she hadn’t attacked me yet.

“I think it would be nice if some stories ended like this. The god of death that was feared by everyone finally gives in to fun and lives happily ever after.” I walked right up to her attack range and looked up toward her.

I felt her staring right back at me from behind her mask.

“You may have noticed already, but that woman over there is a dragon. She’s a foodie who loves food and song.”

...Did she giggle just now? Feeling encouraged, I reached out and touched Shirley’s partially transparent hand. I felt an icy chill, and the darkness on her surface began to peel away.

Oh, looks like they completed their mission, too.

The timing may have been a coincidence, but they sure knew how to make the story exciting. The moment a curse was lifted always signified hope.

“That half-fairy elf over there loves flowers and animals. She made friends with a cat during a walk some time ago, and she’s been frequenting that route ever since.” Shirley seemed to have caught on to the change, too. The darkness that had taken over her body had completely vanished, leaving her body as white as snow. She exhaled a chilly breath, then cocked her head at me in confusion.

“So, I think it’d be nice if immortals like us became friends once in a while. Then we could have fun together for a long time, don’t you think?” She stirred, which I took as her answer.

There was one more thing I wanted to tell her. I gave her my best smile, then said, “Come to think of it, you split me in two earlier, didn’t you? I’ll forgive you if you show me your face right now.”

Slowly, she reached for her mask with both hands and removed it.

She may have been feeling shy, because she moved it just enough to reveal her eyes, then looked at me uncomfortably. I’d thought her eyes were cold earlier, but seeing her like this now, I couldn’t help but find her attractive.

It did, however, make me wonder why I always ended up getting killed by the women I met. But it did usually end up all right, so maybe my deaths weren’t for nothing.

I flashed her a satisfied smile, and her eyes softened.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

Zarish couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Shirley the floor master had walked into the stone walls willingly to be bathed in the purifying light.

Despite the level difference, she would take direct damage unless she put up resistance. Shirley’s presence grew faint, and she even gave them some loot. And that wasn’t all...

“What is that idiot doing?! She’s letting herself be sealed into the source of immortality?!”

“L-Lord Zarish! They will notice you!” As the woman came running toward Zarish, his knee landed directly into her stomach. She bent over hard and crumpled to the ground. Zarish regained his composure as he saw her writhing on the floor... then stepped on her back. Her yelp of pain was of no concern; his attention was turned toward the hall once again.

“At least I got to witness the draconian and the half-elf’s potential. Yes, they will make worthy additions to my collection. Now, about that creepy kid...” He stopped his train of thought and smiled at the women lined up before him. There was an intensity to his expression that made them all tense up at once.

“You all love me, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes!”

“Good, good. Then you must love doing my bidding.” They all nodded vigorously, and Zarish grinned with satisfaction.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The familiar scent of greenery filled my nostrils as I parted the grass.

Living in the city meant living farther away from the smell of dirt, grass, and nature in general. I wasn’t happy about it, but some things just couldn’t be helped.

The elf girl was beside me, my hand in hers as we walked together. But her purple eyes were looking at something above my head, and it seemed like there was something she wanted to say.

Her lips parted and she said, “Such a shame. I never thought I would end up accepting this hobby of yours.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” I replied. “As far as hobbies go, I think it’s nice. It doesn’t even cost money.” The fishing rod I carried on my shoulder was made with flexible wood. I did try inviting her to join me, but she had made an unreasonable request to catch some unagi.

As we walked through the path surrounded by trees, we arrived at a clear stream.

Sunlight peeked through the shade of the trees onto the riverbed, shaped in a curve that seemed to have worn down the large rock on the other side. The sound of rustling leaves put my heart at ease.

The river was shallow and narrow enough that we could walk across it, but the curved part was deep enough that we had to be cautious when swimming across. Though, I wasn’t expecting us to swim while fishing, and Marie wasn’t in her bathing suit, anyway.

I looked to the side to find Shirley in her dress, leaning against a large tree and reading a book. She was semi-transparent as usual, and she had changed the shape of her dress in accordance to Marie and Wridra’s advice.

A matching navy headdress was worn atop her long hair. When she stood up, she revealed a shortened front and knee socks, with boots of the same color.

“...Are you two into gothic lolita?”

“Hmm, I suppose I did get somewhat carried away while trying to recreate this so-called ‘gothic maid’ look I had seen in a magazine before,” Wridra said nonchalantly while laying beside me.

There was something strange about a ghost wearing an outfit that was a mix of modern and medieval styles. Shirley looked up at me shyly, hiding her mouth with the book in her hand.

“I was just troubled by how much that outfit suits you. You know, it’s a shame there aren’t very many attractive ghosts.” Everyone pictured it in their minds. On the second floor, we’d encountered skeletons, souls, the Reapers, and Living Armors.

Yeah, I don’t think any of them would look as good in that outfit.

“Anyway, I’m glad everything turned out okay. Did you ever find out why you were able to create a forest that’s so full of life?”

Shirley blinked at my question, then leaned over to Wridra and whispered something in her ear. I couldn’t hear a word of what was being said, but the draconian nodded along.

“Hm. It is because Shirley presides over life. Now that Marie and I have purified her and released her of the evil soul within, she will be fine from now on.”

“In other words, souls can be cycled into either evil beings or forms of nature,” Marie added, and I made a face that made it clear I didn’t quite understand. In any case, the fact of the matter was that the central section of the second floor had been transformed into a verdant forest. It was some distance away from the third floor and the treasure room, so it was unlikely that the others would come here.

I still had a lot of questions. Where was the river flowing from? What was with the thing overhead that looked like a sun?

I put my fishing rod on the ground, took a seat, and listened to their conversation. There was a peaceful atmosphere among the girls, and they seemed to be enjoying that more than the fishing.

“Japan has such wonderful gardens. The harmony between the architecture and nature is absolutely beautiful.”

Shirley’s sky blue eyes widened as she listened to the elf’s explanation. She listened with great enthusiasm... This must have been how they got her into that gothic lolita outfit. It seemed she was the curious type who wanted to learn things by experiencing them herself.

Just then, a question crossed my mind. Why did she create a forest here, then? Where was that beautiful forest that I’d seen in that glimpse of her past?

Wait a second...

What if that forest was located here in the first place?

Arilai was full of infernal desert lands... but what if that impact that evaporated everything on the horizon in a flash was what changed this landscape to what it was now? The story of the past that no one else was aware of played through my mind, and I shuddered. Maybe the desert would be gone one day. Now that Shirley was back to her old self, she may have been the one destined to change this world.

I was very glad we didn’t end up taking her down. Though, I probably wouldn’t have been able to beat her head-on even if I’d tried. I laid down on the ground like Wridra, finally appreciating the refreshing air and comfortable shade to their fullest. It was nice to enjoy nature like this once in a while.

I listened to the grass rustling in the wind, and a thought crossed my mind. It came to me: what happened to that super creature that had perished along with Shirley so long ago? If this was that same location, was that creature sleeping somewhere here, too? I looked up at the swaying tree as I mulled it over.

And so, we’d successfully completed our alliance raid on the second floor. It took a whole month or so, but I heard the loot and Magic Stones found in the treasure room were more bountiful than expected. As for me, I cared more about the fact that we’d revived this place that was full of nature.

I closed my eyes slowly.

A large, stone throne sat at a corner of the spacious hall.

It was bound with many layers of chains to keep Shirley the floor master’s powers mostly sealed.

But with the plants having bloomed all around it, the air surrounding it had become much more pleasant.

Those who visited this place probably wouldn’t have even realized that an epic battle had once unfolded here.

And those fortunate ones would hear the beautiful singing echoing throughout this forest.

But no matter how hard they searched, they wouldn’t have gotten to witness the queen of the forest.