Evil Avalon
Clutching a piece of black crystal about the size of a small bottle, the black-haired girl—Chizuru Mamiya "Chi-chan"—runs alongside me down the hallway of the 54th floor.
“Just pour magic into it and wish for it to ‘lend you its strength’... Is that really all there is to it?”
“Ehh!? A fairy really shows up that easily!?”
Because her kimono hem nearly brushes the ground, she can only move her ankles in quick, tiny motions as she runs—but thanks to her high-level physical enhancement, she’s moving at about Olympic athlete speed. This strange girl looks back and forth between me and the crystal with a dubious expression. Apparently curious as well, Kano peers into the black crystal and joins us in running.
(I hope we can get to the 44th floor without incident…)
According to Kirigaya, who was coordinating with our allies to gather intel, up to the 51st floor had already been scouted. So we could run without caution up to there without any problems. That alone helps us save a lot of time.
The problem is what lies beyond that. If we move too slowly out of fear of an ambush, we’ll miss the time limit for the explosive magic circle. On the other hand, if we rush through a corridor where members of the Holy Empire might be, and happen to run into them, it could result in total annihilation. I’ll probably have to go all-out with my power—but that’s a concern for later.
“Please… lend me your strength! …Um. It doesn’t seem to be working?”
“…Try asking with a bit more of a smile, maybe?”
Chi-chan furrows her brow and glares as she focuses on the black crystal, but when it doesn’t respond, she glares at me instead. The fairy inside is a highly cautious one, so that kind of forceful request won’t make it appear.
When I ask her to pour her magic into it gently, with a smile, within seconds a faint light begins to glow and materializes into a fairy about the size of a palm. It’s a dark-skinned “Dark Pixie.” Though timid, it’s also very curious, so I figured it would respond relatively easily to someone with affinity… and this one is even more of a pushover than expected.
The fairy floats around Chi-chan, observing her, and then apparently decides there’s no danger. It folds its pale blue wings and perches lightly on her shoulder. Then it starts to speak in a singsong whisper.
“〚―・――・・―？〛”
“…Huh? What did it say? Was that even a language?”
“It seems to be asking, ‘Will you play with me?’ …Um, could you please lend us your strength?”
The fairy’s words sound like the tinkling of wind chimes—so much so that it’s hard to even tell if it’s language. Kano voices her honest confusion. But once a summoner and spirit are connected through magic, the meaning of their words is conveyed directly through something like telepathy—so there’s no problem.
The Dark Pixie tilts its head in thought, then taps its chest and stands up.
“〚――・・！ ――・・―！〛”
“She says, ‘Give me more magic, and I’ll consider it.’”
“In that case, Chizuru, give her plenty.”
As Chi-chan and the fairy converse while practically tumbling down the stairs to the 53rd floor, Subaru Shinomiya—carrying a massive jar on her back—joins in. Despite the jar’s obvious weight, she runs without showing any strain, indicating strong physical enhancement.
We descend another floor to the 52nd, and just as the stairs to the 51st come into view—
“Stop! We’ve got intel!”
Kirigaya, who was leading the way, raises his arm with a “Stop” signal. Apparently, there’s a battle happening just a few steps down the next stairwell. When we pause and listen closely, we can hear angry shouting and clashing metal. It’s pretty close.
How strong are the enemies patrolling this area? I doubt it, but if they’re on par with the ones we fought on the rooftop, then escaping or defeating them will be incredibly difficult. Considering the risk, it might be wiser to find a different route.
There’s a main stairwell that runs from the 1st to the 55th floor, which would be the fastest route—but it’s highly likely that the Holy Empire’s forces are patrolling it, so it’s unusable. That means we have to pick one of the four emergency staircases located in the east, west, north, and south of the building… but we don’t know which of them is safe.
“This way—I’ll guide you!”
Kirara-chan, who had been holding a device to her ear, now leads us in a different direction. She had been muttering to herself for a while—it turns out she was communicating with Kunoichi Red.
Kunoichi Red said that Kirara’s superior—a glamorous woman who previously helped us out. She had infiltrated the building with her team in advance, but communication was lost due to interference, and their status became unknown. However, since we destroyed the rooftop magic circle, part of their communication network has been restored. Kirara is now acting as the temporary leader, consolidating intel.
Now we’re getting enemy position data from both Kinrankai and Kunoichi Red. If Chi-chan can tame the Dark Pixie, it’ll be even easier to find the magic circles—
“…Um. I poured a lot of magic in, but… she fell asleep.”
“More like… she looks drunk.”
Sure enough, the Dark Pixie is sprawled out on Chi-chan’s shoulder, lying in a starfish pose. Her eyes are slightly open, so Kano suspects she’s actually intoxicated. In Dun’Ex, giving too much magic to a spirit could induce a drunken state, but I didn’t expect one to get tipsy so easily. Did we draw the short straw?
Just as I’m about to suggest giving her a flick to wake her up, Satsuki—running alongside with a large staff—hands me something small.
“Souta, take this!”
It’s a ring. A love confession? No—definitely not, since the ring is decorated with three menacing, horned skulls. It’s a rare item often found in demon castles.
“Lisa said she was taking a while to prep… but maybe she’s planning to come fight too!?”
Satsuki came ahead with usable items, while Lisa apparently stayed back to finish some kind of preparation. Satsuki doesn’t know the details.
This ring is called a [Demon Ring]. It automatically consumes MP and adds the dark attribute to skills. While it burns through magic quickly, it greatly increases attack power against enemies weak to darkness.
However, Mikhail, the Holy Empire troops, and most humans aren’t weak to darkness—so using it in regular fights just drains MP for little benefit. That means Lisa didn’t send it for offensive power.
“She’s serious, then.”
“I thought so! She was really tense!”
Lisa has a skill that greatly boosts her power, but only in areas filled with dark magic. In other words, she’s telling me to “prepare the battlefield.”
That skill is an extra-skill of a top-tier job. Using it puts a strain equal to—or worse than—my own Overdrive. She must be prepared to pay that cost because she sees this as a critical moment we cannot afford to lose.
That said, it’s best if we never even need to fight—and Lisa never has to step in. Hoping we can just destroy the magic circles without issue, I slip the ring onto my finger—just in case.
"This way, everyone."
Kirara-chan flipped her dress as she opened the door leading to the emergency staircase and guided us through. The lighting came only from small emergency lamps, so our footing was dim, but everyone descended the steps two or three at a time without missing a beat. No one here was soft or inexperienced, so this much was nothing—until—
"Whoaaa… gyahh!"
Bringing up the rear, I confidently stepped into the staircase to follow the others—only for a sudden strong tremor to shake the entire building. My foot slipped, and I tumbled down the steps. While rubbing my sore backside from the rather painful impact, the previously drunk Dark Pixie darted to my face and began squeaking with laughter. Even in Dun’Ex, fairies were often known to be cheeky, but this one takes it to a whole new level.
"Souta, are your legs okay!? I'll heal you right away!"
"No, I'm fine. More importantly, what was that just now…?"
Satsuki began casting a healing spell, but I waved her off—no real damage was done. Still, for a spell to shake a skyscraper this hard... The small window in the emergency stairwell was flickering with flashes of light, a clear sign the battle was intensifying. Arthur is in Arachne's body and can’t be killed, but I can only hope he holds out until we destroy the magic circle.
But just then, new combat intel blocked our path.
"Wait… we’ve received more info. A battle is happening three stair flights down. We’re taking a detour."
"But to reroute from here, we’ll have to loop around the entire building."
When Kirigaya gave the order to avoid the area, Kirara-chan, who was checking her wrist device, voiced concern. According to the 3D data of the building, reaching another emergency staircase via a safe route from here would require a significant detour.
Why is the Holy Empire lying in wait so persistently? Probably because they're obsessed with this “escape game” setup. But even with the bomb timer running out, how can they afford to waste time fighting? Do they have an instant escape method… or is the entire explosion just a bluff? In any case, without certainty, we have no choice but to stop the detonation.
So—do we take the long way or break through?
Kirigaya, still gathering data via his device, cross-checked with Kirara-chan’s 3D map and made another proposal.
"Then let’s cut through. The report says our side has the upper hand. Plus—"
Ahead of us were over a dozen allied adventurers, while the Holy Empire had only four combatants there, and our side was apparently winning. Even better, there was a staff-only “elevator” just beyond. If it worked, we could reach the 44th floor in one go.
Some Kinrankai members were already in the battle zone and had offered to clear a path for us. The real concern was the strength of the Holy Empire’s fighters.
(Four enemies… how strong are they?)
Kafka and Svetlana, the ones we fought on the rooftop, were the real deal. This time, there are four opponents. But it’s unlikely they’re stronger than those rooftop guardians. Besides, the building might get blown up at any moment—we don’t have the luxury of hesitation. If we really have the advantage, even if it's risky, maybe we should push through.
And since we know a fight is coming, we can prepare in advance.
"How should we form up? I’d rather not fight while carrying this thing."
"If Onii-sama can’t fight, that’s a big setback… I believe we should detour after all."
Subaru seems to possess some mysterious technique but clearly doesn’t want to reveal it—he declines participation right away. That leaves the question of who’ll take the most dangerous front-line role. These are elite adventurers from the Holy Empire, with real combat experience. Average strength or technique won’t be enough to survive even one blow.
Kano and Satsuki aren’t quite at that level yet, and Kirara-chan and Chi-chan probably can’t handle it either. So that leaves… sigh, I guess it’s up to me.
"I’ll take point—《Handmade Golem》!"
"That spell is the same as Kano’s… I see, so it’s called a golem. You plan to use it as a shield."
In the dim hallway, I flipped my wrist and summoned a humanoid golem made of mithril alloy. Its durability wasn’t fully reliable against Holy Empire forces, but if it could block just a few attacks while we passed, it would be enough. As I mentally reviewed the plan, Chi-chan stared at the golem, then shook her head and dismissed my idea.
"Pardon me, but that construct is too weak. And I judge your own strength to be grossly insufficient as well… Dark Pixie-chan agrees with me."
"〚――・――・・―！〛"
Kano’s golem was made entirely of pure mithril and imbued with stronger magic—yet even that couldn’t stand up to the Holy Empire. What could this weaker golem possibly do? Chi-chan pressed the point with a quiet, simmering anger.
She even added, "She also says, ‘Don’t try to act cool after tripping on the stairs, clumsy boy.’", translating the smug Pixie’s teasing as it stuck out its tongue an inch from my nose. Clearly, they doubt both the golem and my ability to use it. And honestly, I couldn’t blame them for not wanting to entrust everyone’s lives to someone they didn’t fully trust.
Chi-chan stood tall, puffed up and glaring down at me, while the cheeky Pixie mimicked her posture from her shoulder. I opened my mouth to protest, but their intense “Get lost, weakling” stares left me speechless.
But then, two people stepped in between us.
"Geez, Chi-chan, you really don’t get it. Onii is the strongest, you know!"
"Chizuru, I think he can handle it. Let him do it."
I wanted to counter Kano’s confident claim that she’d prove how strong her Onii is later, but even her older brother backed me up. Caught off guard, Chi-chan backed down. In the end, she glared at me one last time in silent protest—but we were out of time. I took the lead, placing the golem at the front, and drew a new magic circle with my left hand while calling out orders.
"Satsuki, buff our reaction speed!"
"Got it! The effect lasts only three minutes, so be careful! Blessing of instant sight, dwell in everyone’s eyes… Awaken! 《Accel Vision》!"
Satsuki rose on her toes and raised her staff high. My vision shook violently, then time seemed to slow—this was the strongest buff spell from Satsuki’s class, Cleric. For close-quarters combat, improving visual reaction speed offers even more advantage than a basic stat or defense boost.
Kirigaya and Kirara-chan, unfamiliar with the skill, kept waving their hands as they tried to adjust to the effect—but once we push forward, all that matters is not getting hit.
"Kirigaya-san, please give the order."
"The fight is three flights down. From there, go forward 50 meters, then turn right—that’s where the staff elevator is. And then—"
If we could successfully push through and use the elevator, we could reach the 44th floor in under a minute. That extra time could then be used to search for and destroy the magic circle—something that could very well determine the fate of everyone in the building.
But first, we needed to focus on one thing: making sure every single one of us boarded that elevator alive.
When Kirigaya gave the command, the mithril-alloy golem clanked loudly as it charged down the stairs, with me, Kirara-chan, and Kirigaya following closely behind, using its body for cover. Satsuki, clutching her staff to be ready to cast healing magic at a moment’s notice, followed in the middle. In the rear were the Mamiya siblings and Kano.
Even after descending just a bit, the sound of clashing metal grew louder. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Holy Empire soldiers were just ahead. I sharpened my focus, traced glowing lines with my magic-imbued fingers in midair, and completed a new magic circle.
"…《Aerial》."
"What kind of spell is that?"
"It lets you make platforms in the air, anywhere! But why would you use that in such a narrow hallway?"
As green magic flared and lifted gently around me, Chi-chan blinked in surprise and asked what the spell was. Kano answered in my place but tilted her head, wondering why I’d prepare for aerial combat in such a tight space.
Even in a confined area, the ability to create footholds could drastically expand one’s tactical options. Kano had previously mentioned she wanted to try using 《Aerial》 herself—maybe this would be a good chance to demonstrate. Though, in this case, it would be the golem doing the actual fighting.
The hallway ahead was filled with dust, making visibility poor, but we charged in anyway. Members of the Kinrankai noticed us coming from behind and quickly moved to support us, surrounding Kirigaya and the golem. Their coordination was excellent, but then—
(Here it comes… they’ve made their move.)
A knife-wielder, clad in a white robe with their face hidden behind a mask, kicked aside one of our adventurers and charged toward us in a zigzag pattern. One of our allies tried to block them, but the enemy used unfamiliar footwork to slip past and slash at their side in passing, then exploded forward with another burst of speed. Definitely a top-tier adventurer—easily over level 30.
The enemy ran up the wall, ignoring the golem and me at the front, and raised a knife toward the person behind us—Kirigaya, it seemed. The Kinrankai members tried to react but were too slow. I immediately sent a command to the golem, telling it to swing its sword to deflect the attack.
Just in time, the golem extended its blade and knocked the knife away. The force behind the strike was strong—sparks flew violently.
"――vei dansa cu mine!"
The knife-wielder hadn’t expected to be stopped and widened their eyes briefly, but then they surged forward again, shouting something as they bounced off walls and the ceiling. This time, they had their sights set on the golem.
(Damn, they’re fast…)
The enemy bounded around the narrow hallway like a pinball, picking up speed and grinning as they brandished their blade. They might even be faster than the white-robed enemies we fought on the rooftop. I gave the golem the order to stall them—it responded by unleashing a surge of magic and running up the wall.
Moments later, sounds like a demolition site echoed as the golem and the knife-wielder clashed in the air.
"Aerial combat!? In a place like this! But—"
"Why is that frail-looking golem able to block such strong attacks?"
The knife-wielder was striking hard enough to shatter concrete walls. Each slash carried explosive physical and magical force—blows that could destroy a car. Yet the golem parried them mid-air, spinning with the impact and countering with its own strikes.
Stat-wise, the golem was nearly 10 levels below its opponent. So how was it holding its own in such an even fight? Both Kano and Chi-chan pressed me for an explanation, clearly impatient.
But this wasn't the time to explain. That guy’s abilities far exceeded my expectations—he was way too dangerous. The golem wouldn’t last long, but as a decoy, it might buy us the time we needed.
Just as I opened my mouth to say that, the knife-wielder landed nearby with a boom, back turned. He was completely open, his attention still locked on the golem. Now was our chance to run.
But then—a girl with long, flowing teal hair dashed forward, drawing a glowing short blade.
She closed the distance in a flash and swung at the enemy from behind.
"――Perish! 《Double Sting》!"
Kirara-chan, her eyes filled with murderous intent, had entered the battle.
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