章 101: The Journey to the Netherworld
Dawn was just beginning to break, and the roar of a modified sports car's engine had already shattered the quiet of the early morning. A cherry-red Alfa Romeo streaked along the winding hillside road at over 200 kilometers per hour, racing toward the St. Giardino Monastery.
Its glaring headlights pierced through the morning fog like the eyes of a king cobra. This car belonged to the Bronze-Black Cross.
Stumbling out of the passenger seat came a young woman, who looked barely in her twenties. She clutched a silver case tightly to her chest, her blonde curls slightly disheveled. In fact, acquiring all the ingredients needed to enter the Netherworld had been a considerable challenge for Paolo. Fortunately, the Kranjčar family—Liliana's own—had nearly every necessary herb and magical catalyst on hand.
At Paolo's direction, the Copper-Black Cross had sent its fastest driver to Liliana's family home to gather the supplies.
"Miss Mika! Are you alright?" ran Arianna, hurrying over from the driver's side.
Though Arianna could barely tell the difference between manual and automatic, no one in the Copper-Black Cross could drive faster than her.
"Don't come any closer!" Miss Mika collapsed to the ground, terror written all over her face.
If she could go back, she would've politely refused and driven herself instead.
The usually soft-smiling Arianna looked like she'd been hurt.
Why…why does everyone react this way?
…
For now, though, their top priority was completing the preparations for the [Dimensional Transition].
Being an upper-class spell of E-rank difficulty, it required a lengthy ritual, rare ingredients, and many hours of preparation. Even with Saint Raffaello, Erica, and Miss Mika assisting, the process took until noon before the ritual and elixirs were ready.
The Netherworld is not a place completely devoid of life. Elves, demigods, monks, ascetics, great sorcerers, vengeful spirits… Legends tell of terrifying beings beyond human norms who inhabit the Netherworld. Even sealed Heretic Gods reside there, alongside those who tired of wandering the earth yet refused to return to myth and took refuge in its depths.
Liliana began to recite the ancient chant, and the world around her was draped in darkness. Deep, shadowed realms churned in response. Kurumi stepped forward and grasped Liliana's hand. Together, they plunged into this realm of mystique.
…
A wave of nausea, cold, and headache crashed over Liliana.
The boundary of life and death was hostile to the living, and Liliana's body struggled with severe discomfort. The air felt stifling, as though she couldn't breathe, and her face flushed red with the strain.
Kurumi, on the other hand, felt unexpectedly comfortable.
But seeing Liliana, Kurumi became concerned.
Liliana raised her hand to stop Kurumi, mustering all her strength. In mere moments, she composed herself completely.
Previously, she might've worried about her energy running out too quickly. But now, as a Godslayer, Liliana felt far more assured.
With her mana stabilized, Liliana downed the special potion that amplified spiritual perception and allowed her body to adapt to this alien world. Now, with the worst over, they could focus on their surroundings.
…
The Netherworld is a cluster of countless discontinuous realms and barriers, without any connections between spaces. These isolated realms were the only place capable of housing and sealing beings like Heretic Gods, who could bring disaster just by wandering the earth.
Upon entry, people are typically deposited into a space resonant with their nature, without any direct choice over where they arrive.
And in front of them now—
A vast, white expanse stretched endlessly in all directions, so bright it hurt the eyes.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
The sound of a ticking clock echoed in the white silence, drawing their attention. They walked toward the source and found a massive, antique grandfather clock.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
The ticking grew louder, and then an ancient stone clock tower appeared.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
More clocks and watches of every type materialized, covering the white expanse until there was nothing else to see.
"Zafkiel!" Kurumi shouted, and a towering, two-story gold clock appeared behind her.
Click.
With Zafkiel's single tick, all other clock sounds were silenced.
Kurumi inhaled deeply, casting a wave of invisible energy that rippled outward, causing the myriad clocks to collapse. This "meal" left her more satisfied than the one from the sea demon.
Hand in hand, the two wandered, with Liliana explaining various aspects of the Netherworld to Kurumi. Her family's history as a magical house meant that their knowledge of the Netherworld was deep.
In this world, the rules of travel differ from reality. All one has to do is conjure a destination in their mind and desire to reach it.
With a single step, both disappeared from their current spot.
Before them lay a floating sky island, with a bright blue sky above, though utterly deserted.
"This is interesting…" Kurumi chuckled, grabbing Liliana's hand and setting off on a series of leaps.
Every domain in the Netherworld is a projection of some world that once existed, currently exists, will exist, or has been imagined. The landscapes are bizarre and dazzling, nearly surreal in their splendor.
The Colosseum, Epang Palace, and other famous sites appeared, even glimpses of Fuyuki City, Tenguu City, and places from far older memories.
Some they'd visited, others they hadn't, yet all manifested perfectly, except with no one in sight.
The energy needed to teleport them was trivial to Kurumi, who took Liliana exploring for more than an hour before recalling their original purpose.
But just then, Kurumi ran into another issue.
Where was this Heretic God?
She had come across some other Heretic Gods while jumping through spaces, but none matched the one she was looking for.
After all, a god so alluring that their very presence could cause chaos couldn't be just anyone, right?
Now…this was troublesome.
—
I have seen it—your face, exquisite beyond compare.
…
An eternal hymn murmured softly, while starlight sparkled in the crystal-clear stream of Valinor.
The golden-haired elf's eyes seemed to speak, telling a long, long tale of myth. She leaned back against a sacred tree, one with branches shimmering with silver light, gazing southward with eyes as deep as a lake and seemingly filled with golden starlight.
—How beautiful.
The girl marveled, taking in a view she had thought she would never see again.
She leaped lightly from the branch and began to dance under the canopy of stars. Her bare white feet spun across the grass, and as she whirled, her white gauzy dress lifted in gentle waves. The girl's song and dance called out, summoning, for the time of fate had finally come.
She had ventured to the farthest places and glimpsed futures among the stars.
She was someone who saw through everything, radiating a light that, in this world, no one else could match.
…
Kurumi held Liliana's hand as they continued to move through the Netherworld, seeking that elusive being. Not knowing exactly where to go or what the scene would look like, Kurumi could only conjure a hazy mental image of an elf: golden hair, green eyes, appearing to be about twenty years old. And then she thought—take us there.
Once more, the surroundings blurred and shifted, fading into patches of color before solidifying again in response to Kurumi's will.
Before them stretched a tranquil sea, its depths an abyssal black. Dark, crimson flames that smelled of disaster flickered gently on the surface of the water like flowers.
Kurumi had clearly picked the wrong time to appear. A young woman stood waist-deep in the sea, her arms crossed over her chest, her snow-white skin a stark contrast against the dark waters.
Her transparent, glass-like eyes fixed on Kurumi and Liliana as water droplets glided down her curves.
A chilling wind swept over, like an executioner's final call, and the fire roared to life.
"Well, well, my apologies." Kurumi swiftly led Liliana away. After all, Kurumi wasn't the kind of person to fight just any potential foe she stumbled upon—she wasn't exactly a villain.
Though the girl was stunning, she clearly wasn't the one Kurumi sought.
Hurriedly departing, Kurumi didn't even stop to envision a new destination, only thinking, just leave.
Colors blurred around them, this time taking a little longer to coalesce.
The Supreme God walks upon the earth…
A lilting melody drifted in the air, hauntingly beautiful and filled with a seductive allure that defied gender.
Kurumi squinted slightly; the song was steeped in something dangerously alluring, yet different from the compelling power of Miku Izayoi's hypnotic voice.
The melody itself wasn't commanding—simply enchanting.
"Did you hear it?"
Kurumi gave Liliana's soft hand a gentle squeeze, but the only response was the girl's blank expression.
"Your Highness?"
Liliana hadn't heard a thing.
The voice was calling only to her.
This solidified Kurumi's conviction: the Heretic God who had been driven off by Saint Raffaello and Paolo in Florence was indeed waiting for her.
Take me to her.
Kurumi's lips curled into a slight smile as she took a step forward.
The surroundings began to take form.
A clear stream meandered quietly through the landscape, its waters as pure as a god's tears, rolling with stars as they turned and flowed.
It seemed to be the hour just before dawn, the violet night sky scattered with distant stars faintly glimmering, with no sign of the moon.
The brightest object in the world was the tall sacred tree that loomed before them. Its dark green leaves shimmered with a faint golden glow, much like the light of morning.
The tree had a delicate, graceful silhouette resembling a girl, radiating an intense sense of familiarity for Kurumi.
A powerful sense of rightness washed over her—she had found the right place.
She plucked a small, golden-glowing fruit from the tree and tucked it carefully into her pouch, then took Liliana's hand and began walking north, following the song's source.
A simmering warmth flowed over her shoulders as she moved forward without haste, toward the distant horizon where a silver, moonlit glow gleamed.
Kurumi, like a beguiling fairy, moved with unhurried elegance, blending a ladylike air with a touch of wickedness.
She could behave like a proper lady, or melt hearts with seductive whispers, yet turn away the instant she had what she wanted, leaving only heartbreak behind.
The song drifted on from the north, lilting and delicate, like the tender brush of a kitten's pink paw.
The allure seemed to vary with each person who heard it, for at that moment, Liliana's vision filled with an image of Kurumi in a most enchanting form.
Fortunately, this type of charm seemed to affect women less. With a gentle tug from Kurumi, Liliana shifted her feet, and her mind swiftly returned to the prim and proper girl she usually was.
She's a fascinating one.
Kurumi chuckled, raising her hands, palms up.
In an instant, the world was painted in black and red hues. The stars vanished, blotted out by dark, red-tinged clouds, leaving only the silvery northern glow and the faint golden light radiating from behind Kurumi.
She was making her presence known without any reservation.
Black and red shadows swirled around her, cloaking her in a Gothic outfit of interwoven dark and crimson hues.
Liliana followed behind, her gaze fixed on Kurumi's slender, ivory-colored back.
To Liliana, it felt as though they had reached the edge of the world, where her mistress stood like an ethereal, lonely beauty.
Kurumi's anticipation was palpable, and dark chains coiled around her wrist, awaiting the moment.
Then Kurumi saw her—a young woman in a white silk dress, dancing gracefully beneath a radiant silver tree.
She truly was an "elf," the kind that even Lancelot would hesitate to strike down. Her elegance was refined, and her long, delicate ears swayed slightly with her movements.
The girl stopped dancing and stood at a distance.
She looked to be around twenty, though with elves, one could never be certain. Her figure was anything but frail, a graceful yet voluptuous form that would likely be considered well-endowed by elven standards.
But, regrettably, Kurumi's idea of an elf was something quite different, shaped by figures like Miku, who boasted...ample assets, or a certain dancing knight whose charm couldn't be rivaled by the girl in front of her.
With immense grace, the girl curtsied, a gesture straight from a distant past.
"Greetings."
She smiled at Kurumi.
"Though I can scarcely recall my own name, you may call me…"
"—Vanya."
…
Emerging from an alternate mythology, this elven girl was the embodiment of the Vanyar elves.
Her name was of little importance; her arrival was simply due to the fact that she was among the most beautiful of the Vanyar elves.
It was for this reason she had been given the title "Vanya."
Just as not every Sasaki Kojirō is the famed swordsman himself, she was not the legendary Kojirō—she was simply a wandering soul who had been given the name.
This body was merely that of an anonymous girl.
Her lake-like green eyes sparkled with clarity, reflecting the image of Kurumi.
Vanya.
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