After leaving the A rank party, I aim for the deep part of the labyrinth with my former students
Although we entered through a familiar entrance, the interior was unfamiliar… no, maybe it was familiar.
After all, the inside of the tower was filled with a clear, transparent darkness, as if we’d descended into the depths of the Achromatic Darkness.
“…Looks like we were right to go in just the four of us.”
“Yeah. Even if it’s not the ‘Inverted Labyrinth Tenebre,’ this place is far too different from our own world. Without ‘Existence Stigma,’ it might actually be dangerous.”
“I’ll go on ahead for reconnaissance.”
With her ears twitching as she focused ahead, Nene spoke.
“We don’t know what’s out there. Be careful.”
“Roger.”
Wearing her Hidden Mantle of Invisibility, Nene quietly dashed into the darkness.
I wasn’t particularly worried—after all, I trust her skills—but looking at the inside of this tower, it’s hard to feel reassured.
“I tried using Sense Magic to check the surroundings… but yeah, it’s a little strange.”
“Yes. Even the spirits in the area are distorted and unbalanced.”
Hearing Rain and Silk’s reports, I unconsciously touched my cheek.
For some reason, that usual unpleasant throbbing sensation wasn’t there.
With the atmosphere of another world this strong, I’d expect a stronger reaction.
If anything, I actually feel a little better than usual.
“What’s wrong, Yuke? If something’s going on, don’t hold it in, okay?”
Perhaps noticing my odd behavior, Jamie leaned in, her expression somewhere between worried and annoyed.
At times like this, it’s better to just answer honestly.
Jamie can be a little scary when she’s mad.
“No, I just thought… something feels a little different, that’s all.”
“If that’s all, fine… but don’t push yourself, alright? None of that ‘I’m fine’ crap.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just… I guess I’ve gotten too used to this place.”
That’s right—my body no longer felt any discomfort in the transparent darkness of this alien world.
Maybe I really had started to develop an awareness of myself as one of the culled.
“Well, someone like you carrying all that baggage? That kind of thing’s bound to happen. As long as you’re not unwell, that’s fine by me.”
Jamie’s easygoing response left me slightly deflated.
Does she really not feel any disgust at me drifting further away from being human?
“Yuke, you’re underestimating us a little too much.”
“Exactly. Or rather, you’re saying that now? Feels a bit late for that.”
Ah… am I being scolded? Or just met with exasperation?
No—probably both.
“You’ve got some nerve. But listen, Yuke—just so you know, nothing you do now is gonna shake us, alright? Whatever you are or become, we’ve already decided we’re staying with you.”
At Jamie’s words, Rain and Silk nodded deeply in agreement.
Seems like I messed up somewhere and earned myself a lecture.
“Oh, but don’t you dare get all giant-sized or anything. Then we couldn’t all fit in the bed anymore.”
“If that happens, we can just have a bigger bed made.”
“One… big enough… for everyone.”
“Oh, that’s a nice idea. We should seriously think about that when we get back.”
The three of them started discussing among themselves, leaving me behind.
For the record, I have no plans to grow giant or anything.
“I’m back! Route’s all clear!”
As I stood there bewildered, Nene lifted the hood of her Hidden Mantle of Invisibility beside me.
“What are you guys doing?”
“I don’t know. Apparently… they’re discussing the design of a giant bed.”
“What’s that about? Sounds kinda dreamy!”
“Well… yeah, you’re not wrong.”
I still didn’t feel totally convinced, but it was good that they could talk about the future like that.
Still, one piece of the puzzle was missing.
“Alright, time to move. …If we’re gonna get a bed, we need to hear Marina’s opinion too.”
“True. That girl has a bit of a wild sleeping style.”
“Leaving her out would be wrong. So, let’s wait until she’s back to continue.”
“Agreed.”
“Next time… count me in, too!”
Everyone nodded to one another, then turned their gazes toward the darkness ahead, steeling themselves again.
That’s right—first, we have to save Marina.
Shatter the Seventh Order’s ambitions, end the Great Rampaging Stampede, and restore Finis.
…All of us, as Clover.
So for now, talk of the future ends here.
We can’t even talk about it until we’re all together.
“Alright, Clover, advance. Let’s move forward…!”
With determination in my voice, everyone fixed their eyes in the same direction.
◆
We advanced carefully through the interior of the tower, which so closely resembled the depths of the Achromatic Darkness.
One small mercy was that, unlike the last time we entered, there didn’t seem to be any sudden environmental shifts.
That said, this scenery was hardly comforting either.
A ceiling like a night sky without moon or stars, a faintly translucent floor beneath our feet.
And nothing but a few crumbling columns that looked like they might collapse at any moment.
Even here, monsters appeared.
Shadow Stalkers, inverted beasts, and even some strange creatures I didn’t recognize—probably strays from some other world.
It really drove home that this was the Achromatic Darkness.
“We’ve come a long way already, but… how much farther do you think it is…?”
“We can’t even tell if we’re skipping floors or not. Especially when the scenery never changes like this.”
We took a break amid the wreckage of something like a collapsing gazebo, checking our situation.
I was worried about Marina and about the “Festival,” but it wouldn’t do for me as the leader to get too impatient.
With that in mind, I ordered the group to rest.
“Alright, all good! You can turn around now!”
Apparently finished cleaning herself up, Nene called out, so I turned back to face the group.
“Supplies check complete. There’s some fatigue, but our weapons and gear are holding up fine.”
“Mana, also, no problem. Thanks to Yuke’s Refresh Mana.”
“And you? You’re not pushing yourself too hard, right?”
Jamie’s words came mixed in with Silk and Rain’s reports. I nodded lightly in response.
“I’m fine. No real problems. I’m more worried about everyone outside.”
“I thought to check… but looks like the Tablet doesn’t display anything. Maybe because we’re inside the dungeon. If Rune were here, it might have worked, though.”
“This place is halfway outside the world. The GoPro-kun’s still running… but who knows if the stream’s actually getting through.”
The “GoPro-kun” currently sitting in my hand, stream paused, was a special magical artifact—the GoPro-kun G—imbued with Niberune’s “golden” power to bypass external barriers and broadcast outside.
But since she wasn’t here now, there was no way to tell if the live stream was reaching anyone.
“There… might be an emergency broadcast from Finis. I’ll set it out, just in case.”
“Yeah. Keep it in receive mode. Maybe we’ll even pick up a trace of Niberune.”
Rain nodded as she slipped the Tablet into its special shoulder case, which let you check the screen at a glance.
This Tablet, too, was specially made to sense Niberune’s “gold.”
Even here inside the dungeon, it might still pick up outside transmissions, depending on conditions.
“…Everyone, stay alert.”
Nene’s cat ears twitched as she issued her warning.
We rose to our feet, weapons at the ready.
And standing before us was a familiar figure—one of the Seventh Order’s female officers.
“Mama.”
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