Translator: Marctempest
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Chapter 83: Landfill Maze (5)
The source of the noise was a wide clearing.
I immediately understood the situation upon entering—it was clear from the sight of the concentrated malice.
Boom!
When my eyes widened in surprise, black armor flew and slammed into the ground.
I had seen a similar scene before.
“…This time as well.”
The opponent was the Black Calamity.
It truly was the root of all evil.
First, I approached Chandrafail to check his condition.
“…Hmm.”
Though his injuries were severe, he could still speak well enough, and there was no major problem.
He wasn’t the kind of guy to die from wounds like these.
As I turned my head, my eyes met Mahabharata’s.
“Ah…!”
A sinister and oppressive aura came rushing in immediately.
Just looking at it made my heart tremble.
The creature had become an even greater monster after absorbing divine power.
I shrank back and watched it cautiously.
However, the Calamity’s reaction was unexpected.
【──!】
The moment it saw me, its body flinched, and it froze. Although it didn’t have a body, the flow of malice told me as much.
What’s with this reaction?
A brief standoff unfolded.
“Quellière…”
Suddenly, the Black Knight called out to me.
It didn’t seem like it was about to attack right away, so I looked down.
“Why?”
“…Are you fully prepared?”
“Prepared?”
“The Calamity has become much stronger than before. Even for you, it will be difficult to handle it as you are…”
I silently gazed at him.
His clouded eyes were filled with seriousness.
It was sincere advice and a warning, fitting for a Black Knight whose life revolved around combat.
“Look at this tragedy.”
At his words, I surveyed my surroundings.
The allies who had followed me did the same.
Their faces showed clear confusion and reluctance.
“This is the calamity caused by its magic.”
The scorched area was entirely devastated.
The ground was gouged out as if a meteor had struck, a technique I recognized.
The disastrous power of “Dark Meteoric Strike,” a massive-scale destructive ability of the Calamity.
I asked a question.
“Are those Imperial soldiers?”
“That seems to be the case. They were fighting the undead.”
“Undead?”
The Imperial army’s formation was utterly broken.
It looked like a disorganized, crumbling group.
Scattered fragments of undead corpses could be seen here and there.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the undead also seemed unable to escape the shock.
“…I see.”
This was the opportunity.
Even the Calamity likely couldn’t use such a large-scale skill in quick succession.
It was then.
A dark voice, sharp as it pierced the eardrums, seeped into the air.
【It has been a long time.】
Mahabharata had finished assessing the situation.
It glared at me with eyes sharp enough to kill.
【The only remaining foolish one.】
“You’re still spouting nonsense.”
I responded coldly.
I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
After all, how much had I suffered because of this dreadful being?
“That rotting stench of yours remains unchanged, Mahabharata.”
【…Now I must ask. How do you know my true name?】
Though the question carried genuine curiosity, I had no intention of answering kindly.
“Don’t ask—think about it, you fool.”
I maximized the traits of the Snow Maiden.
Had anyone else dared to hurl such insults in the face of the Calamity?
The surroundings grew chaotic with confusion.
“Quill—Quellière?!”
“Do… do you really need to say that much?! I mean, sure, the Calamity is absolutely vile, but…”
The comments came from Nell and Lucia respectively.
Others were also flustered and noisy, but I had no time to look at them.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted violently.
Finally, unable to hold back, the Calamity lunged forward first.
【Silence that mouth─!】
A torrent of demonic energy crashed toward me like a storm.
I tensed and reached into my bosom.
Before pulling it out, multiple figures surged ahead of me.
“D-Calamity, stop~!”
“You blasphemous creature! Shut that mouth of yours!”
Nell and Dewade, who had spent considerable time with me, were here.
So were Sigina and Lucia, whom I had reunited with, along with the forces of the Holy Kingdom.
Overall, it was a reliable combination.
That is, as long as the enemy wasn’t the Calamity.
The battlefield was engulfed in bloodshed, and Mahabharata was rampaging.
Thud-thud-thud─!
A tentacle lunged toward me, prompting me to summon my magic.
However, before I could act, a slash from the side severed the tentacle.
It was an astonishingly swift sword strike.
“Greetings, Quellière.”
The culprit was a man I had never seen before.
With striking green hair, he appeared to be part of the Imperial forces.
“This is our first formal meeting.”
“···?”
“Though I’m sure you’re aware of my existence, I am Harold Grypheon.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
While his help was appreciated, his words were cryptic.
“I heard your sharp rebuke… no, confession earlier. Calamity truly deserves such treatment. Only you could confront it in such a manner.”
“Well, I mean… that aside—”
“Yes, I know. More pressing matters await. This is an urgent situation. Allow me to assist, even if modestly.”
With that, he charged into the battlefield.
Whoever he was, he didn’t seem like the type to listen to others.
“······Who is he?”
Anyway, I needed to focus.
Slowly, I turned my head.
The ferocious calamity and the heroes confronting it came into view.
KRRRRRRRRRRNG──!
The battlefield raged with relentless bombardments and fierce combat.
It was a scene straight out of a mythical epic.
Everyone was fighting valiantly, managing to inflict small damages on the Calamity.
However, I frowned.
“······This won’t work.”
The outcome was obvious.
It was already a struggle against the Calamity, let alone Mahabharata, empowered by divine strength.
As expected, our lines were gradually being pushed back.
Slowly, yet inevitably.
To the point of no recovery.
“You damn Calamity! The problem is clearly you! I should’ve blamed you instead of the gods!”
“Something’s falling! Everyone, get back~!”
We were being forced into a corner, rendered helpless.
I let out a shallow sigh and contemplated within.
A book came to mind as I did so.
「The Apocalypse of Calamity」
It was the only weapon capable of opposing the Calamity.
This was our sole hope.
I then pulled out the artifact, “Talisman of Dawn,” from my belongings.
“This comes first.”
I had only two items to sacrifice as offerings.
Since the Ring of Lost Origins was far more precious, I decided to burn the talisman first.
As an offering, the talisman turned to dust and scattered.
And then,
─────!
A burst of light erupted.
Blinding flashes swept through the battlefield.
Although smaller in scale than in Disdel, the intensity of the light was still remarkable.
【······!】
A groan of pain echoed.
It was the rarely heard voice of the Calamity.
That’s when I realized something had gone wrong.
It had only achieved that much.
The artifact merely inflicted “considerable pain” on the creature.
“What, what’s going on?!”
“This light…!”
Soon, the creature recovered, and the others uncovered their eyes.
Everyone’s gazes shifted back and forth between me and the Calamity, who stared directly at me.
The creature seemed to be enduring just fine.
“······.”
This was bad.
At this rate, all I had done was provoke it.
Just as I touched the ring in preparation for its attack, the Calamity let out a roar, its grotesque eyes contorted.
【──!】
The earth trembled as if heaven and earth were being shaken.
It seemed enraged and intent on killing me.
I hurriedly prepared the Apocalypse, but the Calamity’s voice reverberated in my ears.
【Kahahaha!】
“······?”
Though the roar was wild, it felt different this time.
There was a mix of anger and amusement in its tone.
Its next words confirmed it.
【Indeed… not yet. Goddess, I shall claim your life when the time comes.】
With a maniacal laugh, the classic villain’s line, it departed.
Like the setting sun, it sank into the ground.
Peace arrived abruptly.
Everyone blinked in confusion, and so did I.
“······Huh.”
Releasing my grip on the ring, I pondered for a moment.
Had I missed something?
As I reflected, a plausible hypothesis came to mind.
“‘Not yet’… was that really the reason?”
The Calamity’s decision made it clear.
It was undeniably overestimating me.
My attitude and its previous defeat must be the reasons.
Perhaps the recent pain further reinforced that delusion, leading it to retreat for now.
“Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate.”
At least I survived for now.
Should I be glad about this?
As I let out a quiet sigh, a cheer erupted around me.
“Waah! Waaahhh!”
“We… we defeated the Calamity!”
Thunderous shouts of joy.
Both the Imperial Army and the Holy Kingdom’s forces joined together in celebration.
There was no hint of worry on their faces.
Well, their immediate joy was overwhelming, after all.
“Quellière!”
At that moment, Dewade approached me.
He exclaimed in a voice brimming with heat.
“I saw it! I saw that majestic light! Quellière’s victory—”
“Stop.”
It was still too soon to celebrate.
As usual, I cut off the praise and turned my head.
Suddenly, I locked eyes with someone.
“Your Highness! Are you alright? Let me assist you!”
“No… no need. I am fine.”
It was Crown Prince Artan, staring at me as if entranced.
His staggering figure was in complete disarray, clearly a result of his insistence on standing at the forefront.
“…That’s right.”
I had forgotten about him.
I began walking toward him.
“Did you hear what the Calamity said? It definitely mentioned a goddess…”
“I-I heard it too. And it seemed to promise a future encounter… does this mean its grudge runs that deep?”
“…It must. Perhaps it has continued since before the Empire’s founding.”
The Calamity didn’t leave quietly.
It vanished after igniting a troublesome ember.
Though it was all a misunderstanding, the soldiers whispered among themselves, sharing astonishing revelations.
It was too late to stop them now.
I feigned composure, keeping my steps steady.
“…”
The closer I got, the more Artan’s pupils widened.
No one stopped me as I approached the Crown Prince.
Instead, they stepped aside as if clearing the way.
Eventually, I stopped in front of him.
Before he could utter a word, I spoke.
“Who are you?”
My tone was much sharper than I intended.
Of course, it wasn’t surprising to him.
“Uh… Pardon?”
Yet, it seemed surprising to him.
Artan was visibly flustered.
I continued.
“What are you doing here?”
“…I resolved to subjugate the Burial Grounds. That’s why I led this expedition—”
“Who doesn’t know that? You’re still as foolish as ever.”
He flinched, and internally, so did I.
I only meant to point out his flaws.
“Then what are you…?”
He accepted my cutting remarks naively, even as blood flowed from his battle wounds, his attention focused solely on my words.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t disappoint me?”
“…! You remembered.”
“And yet you nearly died here? Is this the sincerity you spoke of?”
We were still at the outskirts of the Burial Grounds.
If the leader were to die here, it would greatly demoralize the troops.
Not that it was my only reason… I’m not that cold-hearted.
“…That’s…”
Artan lowered his head, clearly ashamed.
My words had been harsh, but I was merely asking why he was so helplessly defeated.
I had planned to scold him for his carelessness and offer some light encouragement, but I had failed spectacularly.
“How pathetic.”
So, I pressed on.
The Crown Prince’s spirit sank even further.
At this point, I felt the need to offer some encouragement.
With the decisive battle ahead, I needed him to put in his best effort.
I also felt a bit of gratitude for how far he had come.
“Lift your head.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look this way.”
I scanned his entire body.
After identifying the most noticeable wounds, I brought my hand to his cheek.
“…!”
Artan flinched.
I used ‘Healing’ and spoke coldly.
“Stay still.”
The wound was not minor, and I needed to focus more carefully.
My touch swept across his skin.
He could only move his lips slightly, unable to budge an inch.