Capítulo 83: Surprising Sighting
Jayr POV - Tortus, Orcus Great Labyrinth - 2013
After dealing with Himaya, at first, the Hero Party was a little off put, but then I reminded them that if he was able to stab Hajime in the back once, he could easily do the same to them again if it means that he can get what he wants, moreover I again reminded them that he is in fact still alive, something that they could easily check.
But for sure I kept for myself what kind of mental torture he is going through, the sensation of not feeling, seeing, nor hearing anything, but your own thoughts, can be a literal living hell, there is a reason if the most badass of my Universe know how to cut off or seal the senses of their enemies, ie: Shaka, Saga, Kanon.
Anyway, after that, I put the living vegetable in a sack, as I didn't want to expose my S.T. to them yet, and then lead them down the lower floors.
Needless to say, the floors between the 80th and the 90th were very easy, and not because my and Eri's presence helped them in dealing with the monsters there, but because Freid and his familiars have already mowed down everything in his path, in the time it took them to decide what to do and in dealing with Drooling Sack of Shit-kun.
So with tension going down, it is natural that the girl starts chatting among themselves, especially Suzu that was curious about what happened to Eri since she fell, while the guys started to talk to me to get to know me better, in fact, the first to speak was Ryutarou who said "Well, in the end, we never introduced ourselves, I'm Sakagami Ryutarou, I'm 17 years old and my class is Monk, nice to meet you!", to which I replied with "I'm Pucci Jayr, Adventurer, 16 years old. Nice to meet you too".
They were surprised by the fact that I'm younger than them, then Ryutarou asked how I got so strong, and seeing to reason to hide it, but not wanting to tell them the whole truth, I decide to go on with and half-truth, I simply told them that my grandfather is a really strong warrior and that I trained with him since the age of five, I also told them some bits of my training, like the time my grandfather made me climb a steep cliff with a massive 100kg rock tied to my body at the age of 6, or when the same year he left me alone on a small island full of ferocious beasts to learn to survive, or when we sparred for 3 days straight.
The gazes of pity that they gave me, made me stop talking, while at the same time, I thought, 'And those are only the fun and easy ones... There is a reason why the Saint training has a 10% survival rate... Some of the things I did are batshit crazy, especially if I remember the fact that I was younger than 10! Like the time I withstood the water pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, 11,000 meters below the sea surface, that's deeper than flipping Mount Everest upside down, I felt like dying while every cell in my body seemed to collapse on the inside as the pressure squeezed me, moreover the unexpected temperature change was borderline deadly torture, from almost reaching 0° Celsius to over 371° where I was almost cooked alive many times... I still have nightmares sometimes... Maybe that is also the reason why I decided to use Water as the base idea for my techniques...'.
While I was thinking that, the guys tried to change the subject, but then our discussion was interrupted by the girls' surprised exclamation as they surround Eri, then I noticed that Suzu and the other girls started to throw some glances in my direction while intensely blushing before once again whispering and giggling with a strangely proud looking Eri, making me realize just what has Eri just told them.
Luckily the time for chatting finally came to an end when we reached the 91st floor, as we finally caught up with Freid, so I and Eri moved back and let the Hero Party work with Freid and his Familiar in conquering the Labyrinth.
At the start there were some problems with cooperation between them, in fact, it was a mess, many times they barely avoided some friendly fire from both sides, so after 5 floors of them messing each other rhythm so much that in fact, they took care of the monsters a lot slower, I couldn't stand that sight anymore and told them to just act as two separate units at least until they get used to each other presence and fighting styles.
And so we finally picked up the pace again and finally conquered the halfway point of the Orcus Great Labyrinth, the 100th, but after defeating the boss monster that was some kind of huge winged minotaur with a huge greatsword, but what we found isn't a stairway leading to the 101st, but a big magic formation engraved on the ground, on that surely will lead us to the second half of the labyrinth, the true challenge, but this caused some unrest in the Hero Party but just as they started to think that we fooled them, I quickly explain to them that the magic formation will teleport us to the next floor.
Meanwhile, looking at the magic formation engraved on the ground, and the word "Exit" engraved on the wall, I couldn't help but think, 'This is for sure Miledi's idea... After an exhausting 100 floors, a group finally reaches the end and finds a shortcut to get out of there... Only to find themselves in the second half of the Labyrinth where the difficulty jumps from Difficult to Asian... Such a devious idea can only be hers!', and from the gaze, Eri is throwing at me I realize that she thought the same.
Before stepping on the magic formation, I once again explain to them what they will find on the other side, I talk about the Kick Rabbits, the Two-Tailed Wolves, and the Gale Bear, while also once again warning them that they would be all be at the same level of the Minotaur, while the Gale Bear is stronger.
After that, we step into the magic formation and finally start the conquest of the second half of Orcus Great Labyrinth, again.
Jayr POV - Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom Capital City - 2013
A few weeks passed since we started conquering the Orcus Great Labyrinth, obviously, we were successful, and everyone was able to reach Orcus' Abode at the end of the Labyrinth and learn from Orcus' residual image the true history of this world in only 5 days, quite a record, but with me remembering the layouts of all the floors and the abilities of the monster, it was quite easy for Freid and the Hero Party to quickly move through the floors, they do have the advantage in numbers and knowledge.
Freid was the one that was hit the most by Orcus' words, his already shaky faith in Alva is almost on the point of crumbling, in fact since then, he has been mostly silent and in deep thought, brooding over something.
After conquering the Labyrinth, I gave Kouki, Ryutarou, Suzu, Shizuku, and Kaori, a long-distance communication artifact, in the shape of a handheld mirror, imbued with Spatial Magic and Telepathy so that they can contact me, then I gave Sack of Shit-kun to Nagayama Jugo and opened a Gate for the 71st floor for them so that they can regroup with Meld and the knight before returning to the Capital, meanwhile I, Eri and Freid, got out of the Labyrinth and after regrouping with Freid's dragon familiar we started to slowly travel toward the Capital City of the Heiligh Kingdom, it is quite easy to find since it is located at the foot of the Divine Mountain, the largest mountain in this region.
And after traveling for a few days, we finally reached, the Capital City, looking at it for the first time, I can't help but say "Well... This is for sure different from the other places we saw until now...".
We are standing on a hill nearby, that allows us to see the general layout of the city, 'After all, it is impossible for a member of the Demon Race to walk inside without alerting everyone, as there is still a war going on between the two races...', and what greets my sight is a city bustling with activities.
The city has a squarish layout, built on four levels at the foot of the Divine Mountain, all level is protected by a set of high rocky walls, from this distance it gives me quite a clear and peaceful feeling, with its buildings mostly built in white stone, but of course, the most impressive one is the palace standing at the top level of the city that gives a very majestic feeling, but behind the palace, I also see in the distance my nemesis that makes it omnipresent presence know once again, a long-ass set of stairs sculpted into the mountain leading to the Main Cathedral of the Holy Church near the top of the mountain.
As I'm checking over the layout of the City, I hear Freid's voice as he asks "So what are we waiting for? Why are simply standing here now moving when our target is so close?", I move my gaze away from the Main Cathedral, and look at him, and see that his gaze is also focused on the Divine Mountain, while he is slowly caressing Uranus snout, and after a few seconds I reply "First, I'm waiting for Kouki and the other to give me some info on what is happening in the city, to see if they notice some strange movement from the Holy Church, and if there are some unexpected events going on...", to which he simply nods and moves his gaze back toward the Divine Mountain.
Looking at him I think worried, 'This is... He is clearly lost because he realized that everything he believed was a lie, but at the same time, his drive to grow stronger to protect his race has increased by a lot... Hell, he barely sleeps and most of the time he focuses on mastering the Age of Gods Magic or on improving his other skills... But he is losing sight of everything else around him... I'll wait some more time, if he doesn't get better I'll do something...'.
Then I remember what Miledi told me and say "But if you have to grow bored of waiting, I can tell you what I know about this Labyrinth...", in response to this, Freid's gaze focuses on me and he simply nods as he continues to caress his Familiar's snout.
And seeing this I start to explain "The Divine Mountain's layout is quite simple. In order to reach this Labyrinth, a challenger must meet three conditions: To have cleared at least two other labyrinths or be with someone who has when they enter, disavowing the God of Tortus, and have defeated someone under the gods' influence. If a person has not met the third condition of defeating someone who worships the gods, then they would be tested through a series of mental trials".
At this point Eri finally takes part in this conversation and asks "What kind of mental trial?", and Freid scoffs and says "Probably the same kind that I went through in the Frost Caverns of Schnee, in that long single pathway I heard my own voice in my head that exposed all of my fears and hatred that I had towards myself and some other people...", but I shake my head and say "Wrong... the mental trials of the Divine Mountain include being brainwashed into serving Ehit, alter our subconscious, lead us astray with visions, and all manner of misdirection and persuasion... Quite nasty...".
Then I continue to explain "There are two paths to enter into the Labyrinth. The first option is the traditional route that leads to the Main Cathedral, where the challenger would have to confront the church's current forces, and by extension, Ehits Apostle. The other option is using a hidden route located by the mountains nestled near the Divine Mountain, which leads to the room where the challenger would fight visions of the church's servants. If they have managed to clear them, they would fight against illusions of the church's templar knights that lived during the Age of the Liberators. Only after clearing the challenges would the spirit of the Labyrinth's creator appear and guide them to the room that would award them the Ancient Magic... And to tell you the truth, I'm leaning more on the first path...".
Curious Freid asks "I had the impression that you prefer to avoid bloodshed if possible, so why do you prefer the first option?", now Eri is also curious, and so I answer "Simple... While it is true that I do not want to kill if possible, there are also some enemies that are better off dead, for example, the Pope, and many high-level members of the Holy Church are power-hungry and evil, so much that they wouldn't hesitate to use the lives of many innocent people just for the sake of their own agenda... Those kinds of people do not deserve mercy", and soon after I said this both Eri and Freid form a small smile on their faces.
After waiting for a few hours, I finally receive a call from the communicator, so I take the small handheld mirror and open it to answer, and reflected on the mirror is the image of Shizuku that quickly says "You were right, Jayr-san! Something strange is clearly going on here... The King Eliheid Heiligh and many nobles began to express a greater devotion towards their god Ehit, they are basically subservient to the Holy Church to a scary level".
Hearing that I nod and think, 'It seems that Ehit already sent one of his Apostle there to gain more control of the Heiligh Kingdom... but what is this strange feeling, I feel like I'm missing or forgetting something important...'.
While I was thinking that, she continues "In fact, princess Liliana, came to us undercover as soon as we returned and warned us of this as she heard her father talk with the council about finding some way to force Aiko-sensei and the others in joining the fight against the Demon or be declared heretics, and when she tried to make him change his mind her father threatened to also declare her a heretic in response, much to her shock...".
I look at the Capital City in the distance and say "I see...", then I look at the worried face of Shizuku and ask "Well, did you warn them about Ehit's true nature?", to which she nods and replies "Yes, we did, Aiko-sensei quickly believed us, but some of the others didn't at first and wanted further proof, but then princess Liliana came and told us her story, and now everyone is unsure on what to do, moreover we are under heavy surveillance...".
I nod and with a hopefully reassuring smile, I say "Now all you guys have to do is to prepare, I will attack the Main Cathedral tonight, this will for sure spread some chaos, use it to your advantage to escape, and take the princess with you, I do not know what will happen to her if she remains...", after that, I close the mirror and think back at everything that Shizuku told me, and the feeling of something being wrong grows stronger and stronger.
Until all of the sudden, I realize "That's it! It is all moving too fast!!", my exclamation catches the attention of my companions, and Eri quickly asks "What is going on? What is too fast?", and looking at Eri and Freid, who already know about me being from another Universe and having some knowledge of this one, I explain "These event and moves are happening way too fast! Ehit only made these moves when he learned of Hajime's existence and especially Yue's survival, as her body is the perfect host for his soul... So he has forgone all the subtle manipulation to gain more leverage so that he can capture her... But at this moment, Hajime and Yue, shouldn't be under the radar of Ehit yet, as he shouldn't have to meet any member of the Church or the Demon Race yet! So how could he know about them!?".
But then Freid reveals "Well, there is that strange being from another Universe, maybe he told it to Alva..." then he grits his teeth and adds "...And Alva told it to Ehit...", and as soon as he said that I realize, 'That is right! There is the other Champion! At first, I found it strange that even with his advantage nothing much changed until now... The plot was more or less like I remembered, and all the changes that I have witnessed could be attributed back to my actions in some way, so in the end I also forgot about it... But now it seems that the Champion, called Maoshi if that is his real name, joined force with the Demons...'.
While I was thinking that, Eri throws Freid a fierce look and says "So you already knew about the other Champion and you didn't say anything?", but undeterred Freid calmly replies "Why should I? At first, we were enemies, yes you guys defeated and spared me while also asking me to join you while telling me improbable stories about the God I believed in my whole life. Of course, I withheld some pieces of information, I didn't know if you were trying to take advantage of me to hurt the Demon Race! But what you said also reminded me of some things I felt strange about... So I chose to be careful and follow you to find out the truth with my own eyes! What is wrong with that!!".
Before Eri could say something else, I move forward and hug her to stop her and say "Eri, he is right... I would have done the same in his situation...", then I look at Freid and say "But since you are now telling us this it means that you come to a conclusion, right?", Freid lets out a sight and replies "Yes... After everything, I went through, what I saw in our journey, plus Orcus' story, and the situation in this Kingdom... I can only accept that you were telling the truth... Not the truth I wanted, but the truth nonetheless! The Gods are really using us for their own entertainment, all our sufferings are only a game for them!".
After that, Freid starts to tell us everything he knows about this other Champion, that while it isn't much, it is enough to narrow down, who my possible opponent is.
Freid said that this Maoshi, is about 3 meters tall, with crimson red skin with some golden tribal tattoos on his arms, shoulders, head, and horn, yes horn he also has a pair of huge curbed horns, sharp tusks, a really long tail that ends with a triangle shaped sharp golden tip, he has immense physical strength and seems to be an expert in Fire Magic, moreover, he is also very sadistic, cruel, and merciless, he fought in the middle of the Demon Race Capital, without care about the innocents in his way destroying everything in its path.
Hearing that, I sit down on a nearby rock and start to think while looking at the ground, 'These physical traits are quite distinctive... in fact, it narrows down the possible candidates by a lot... He could be the guy that choose Bleach as his starting Universe, I remember that he choose to be a Hollow, and those can be so monstrous, but it doesn't quite fit... The one from Solo Levelling... neither... While some kind of awakened transformation ability or some other thing like a familiar or summoned creature is possible, I clearly remember that his concept of Death seems too much of a stretch...'.
Then I raise my head and look at the sky and realize, 'This leaves only the guy who choose Re:Monster as his starting Universe... I do not remember much about it... It is one of the first JP novels I have read, but from what I remember... it is quite a weak Universe... Still, I can't underestimate him... Hell, he could end up becoming something like Rimuru from Tensura... But what worries me the most is his attitude, probably a peaceful solution won't be possible...', and now that I more or less know, who is on the other side, I feel a lot calmer.
I get up and look at my companion and say "Well, now that we have a general idea of what to expect, I think its time to move on with the plan...", and seeing both of them nod, I continue "So we will divide into two groups, I and Eri, and her undead puppet will enter the Capital, and in the evening we will start a frontal attack on the Holy Church hoping to make the Apostle come out, while Freid and his familiars will move unseen on the other side of the Divin Mountain and use the other entrance to start his attack on the Labyrinth once the Chaos starts... But I don't kill unless you are forced or you are fighting some zealots... Clear?".
But just as they are about to nod, I quickly turn my head and start to look at the horizon because I sense something quickly flying in this direction, and soon I see a small shadow quickly closing on the Capital, and once the shadow in the distance gets close enough, I start to see its clears appearance, and my eyes open wide in shock, as I mutter "What in the holy Elysion...!? What is she doing here!?".
The flying object that is quickly closing in on us, is a 7 meters long dragon with golden eyes and pitch-black scales, she is nonother than, Tio Klarus, one of the Main heroines of this Universe.
(Image Here - Tio Klarus Dragon Form)
Quickly my mind tries to come up with a reason for this happening, 'Tio is here... Why? Why she isn't with Hajime? They didn't meet? Think, Jayr! Think! From what I remember they meet each other near Ur... something about the disappearance of someone... Wait! The battle at Ur!! The gloomy young man!!! He is the one that defected for the Demons!', then with a quick look at Freid, I realize, 'And since he is here with me, the Demons didn't try to make him and the others defect! Damn it! After this, I have to check if the little girl was saved! No way, I'll let her become a slave!'.
Then, seeing that she is clearly aiming at the Capital, I pull out my Tactical Arms Flight Form, and before Eri and Freid could ask what is going on, I quickly fly in front of the big black dragon, who stops, and in a strangely feminine voice that contrasts with its menacing appearance she asks "Who art thou? Why are thou standing before this one?", I lightly bow my head to greet her and reply "My name is Jayr Pucci. You are one of the Dragonman, right? I'd like to ask for a moment of your time if you could please land on that spot over there where my companions are waiting... Maybe, we can help each other...".
Tio silently looks at me for a few seconds as if she is searching for a hint of any kind of ill will toward her, but since I have absolutely none, she soon nods and says "Very well. Lead the way...", and without hesitation, I turn around, showing my back to her, and fly back toward our vantage point on top of a hill nearby the Capital City.
We quickly land, and both Eri and Freid are shocked by the presence of the dragon behind me, and their shock increases even more when the Dragon's body is completely wrapped with cocoon-like, jet-black magic power, and its big size begins to decrease.
Following that, after it reaches the size of a human, the magic power immediately disappears, and the next moment, in its place there is a beautiful, voluptuous woman in her 20s, she is over 170 cm tall, with long black hair, golden eyes, and slightly pointed ears.
She wears a set of black traditional Dragonmen robes that are similar to a Japanese kimono with unique floral designs along the bottom, and a pink undershirt similar to a hadajuban, she also wears a red Japanese-styled hairpin and piercings on the top of her hair, as well as worn oiran's sandals.
(Image Here - Tio Klarus)
Soon after she makes her appearance Freid exclaims "What!? A Dragonman!!? I thought that they were extinct!!", but Tio quickly replies "No, we weren't. We just hid ourselves...", then she looks at me and as her eyes narrow a bit she asks "Now, what did thou mean with assisting each other?".
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