Thus the Boy Runs Through the Labyrinth ~The Story of an Ordinary Boy Who Ended Up Punching Heroes, Demon Lords, and Even Gods~ – Chapter 701

The battlefield in Dome J-04 was reaching its climax.

The attack by the crimson-robed man who descended from the sky was fierce, effortlessly cutting down the Forbidden Creatures that surged like the sea as if they were mere scraps of paper. The difference in power was obvious. From any angle, the man was overwhelming.

Even the Ô that was so feared was sent flying like a piece of paper before him—but there are limits.

“…This is tiring,” he muttered.

However, even for a superhuman man, it seemed impossible to continue defeating every single enemy that rushed at him like a tsunami. Sweat began to bead on his brow, and his wounds increased; he downed many potions, but it was still a struggle.

He possessed such abilities. It should have been easy to escape, yet he made no move to do so. The reason was clear. Behind him were the weaklings who couldn’t stand against the Forbidden Creatures.

To protect them, he fought a battle on the front lines with such intensity that he couldn’t even catch his breath. The members of the vigilant group were not so shameless as to stand there in stunned silence, unable to do anything.

“Support him!”

One person shouted, and many soldiers followed suit.

“Don’t try to defeat them! Just give him a chance to rest!”

“Slow down the surging waves even slightly!!”

“Attack in shifts! Create a wall of attacks!!!”

“Ah, what is this, you pathetic weaklings? Don’t get too close,” the crimson-robed man who had arrived sighed, looking troubled by their efforts. His words and actions offered no cause for gratitude whatsoever. So, while grumbling curses like him, the soldiers responded.

“We can fight too!! Get some rest!!”

“Shut up, I hate being protected by weaklings.”

“We do too!! We hate it!! Being protected all the time!!”

Yes, it was infuriating.

It was infuriating to be saved by the very people they were told were their enemies, abominable usurpers. It was even more infuriating that they, who had unknowingly harmed such a person, were now being saved by them. Fueled by this anger, the soldiers grasped their guns.

A strange alliance began, and a semblance of cooperation started to form. Yet, the vortex of negative emotions did not cease; they somehow managed to hold on without being crushed—but that was when it happened.

“…What is that?”

One of the soldiers pointed to a continent floating in the sky. Its presence was clearly visible even from here. It was the Ark. And above the Ark, which now looked like a mountain floating in the sky, something began to shine.

“…Huh?”

The light gradually grew larger. What had seemed like a small…light continued to expand, drawing intricate and bizarre patterns, filling the entire sky. It did not stop at the Ark’s perimeter and continued to expand. Eventually, the entire sky in this area was covered by the light’s patterns—a magic circle.

“Another troublesome thing has happened? Poor disciple,” only the crimson-robed man muttered with a laugh, as if he had realized something amidst the lingering confusion. The grip of his clenched fist tightened.

***

Israelia, a colossal god manifested using the Tower of Babel as a conduit, had deployed something. Ul couldn’t determine what it was, but he knew it wouldn’t be for anything good.

However, at least the god’s actions would not immediately affect them. Realizing this, he sat up and looked around. He had to confirm if the people in the deepest layer had managed to teleport successfully.

Shizuku, who was the most weakened among them, also managed to lift her head. Then, looking at the faces around her—she noticed the Queen staring at her, quivering slightly.

“Eshe— *cough* ”

“Shiiiizukuuuuu…!!!”

It seemed she had been holding back quite a bit. The moment her name was called, Echel lunged and embraced Shizuku… it was more like a tackle. Shizuku, who was weakened, was completely knocked over. Ul thought about warning them, “You’ll die, hey,” but—

“I’m so glad…!!”

“…Yes.”

Forgetting what she should have said, Echel, crying and laughing as she clung to Shizuku, and Shizuku, nodding with a slightly troubled and bewildered expression, made Ul relax his shoulders and his strength drained away.

“I’m glad. Well, that’s that.”

It was a very brief thought, but at the moment, it was better not to get too complicated and just have a simple thought. Yuri, who had been watching the two of them, seemed to think the same thing, letting out a small sigh with a hint of exasperation.

“Let’s leave it at that… Although there are things I can’t easily let go of due to my position.”

“I’m sorry, Yuri.”

Diz smiled apologetically at Yuri’s quiet muttering. Yuri clicked her tongue, annoyed.

“I’m the fickle one who sided with you first and then betrayed you. The one with the problem is me, so you have nothing to apologize for.”

“Then, thank you, Yuri.”

“…It’s fine now. Queen of Uuga, I’m relieved.”

Sighing again, resigned, she turned to Echel and bowed with a serious expression—but this time, Echel’s face contorted strangely.

“Ugh—…”

“Why are you groaning?”

“I became Ul’s slave first!!!”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t seem interested!!!”

With an unprecedented indifference, Echel cried. And somehow, as if in her place, Sua sat down and stroked Ul’s head, nodding.

“I have become your retainer.”

“Ugh—!!!”

Some kind of argument arose.

“Nii-tan, nii-tan, it’s a harem.”

“What a hellish harem. Whose is it?”

“Who else could it be besides you?”

“Could you phrase that with a bit more cushioning? Zero.”

The child’s observation was merciless. Then, Gronzon, who was beside Sua, stroked Ul’s head.

“Indeed, Ul. You must be considerate, won’t you?”

“Thank you for the sensible advice. By the way, is it okay regarding Sua-sama?”

“Indeed, if we consider only rationality, the current connection between you and Sua-sama is at a stage that should even be recommended?”

“Seriously…?”

He wanted to say it was a joke, but Gronzon was serious. He then looked ahead.

“After all, the world is like this.”

Babel, the heart of this world, Plaudia, is controlled by the creator, who is trying to destroy the world. The city at its foot is mostly in ruins, and the sky is about to be covered by a mysterious magic circle.

It was a scene of the end times. It was even worse than when Diz and Shizuku had been rampaging.

“It’s good that everyone returned alive.”

A voice, not belonging to anyone present, called out. Turning around, a face peeked out from the Command Tower, a face that felt strangely nostalgic. Shizuku, who was being held by Echel as she pleased, turned and whispered softly.

“Rine-sama.”

“Oh, Shizuku, I’m glad to see your face again. Truly, not sarcastically.”

“…”

Rine smiled. Shizuku lowered her head slightly. “Your usual composed demeanor is the opposite,” Rine said with a sigh, tilting her chin towards the Command Tower, gesturing for them to go inside.

“Don’t linger here, hurry back. Everyone is waiting for you.”

With that, she returned into the tower. Her attitude was far from a moving reunion, but that, too, was reassuringly familiar. “Alright,” Ul nodded and stood up.

“Well then, shall we go? It’s time for a strategy meeting.”

***

In the Uuga Command Tower meeting room.

Since Uuga’s creation, various discussions have been held here. It was also a place where topics far removed from the “ordinary” had been discussed. The peculiarity of Uuga, coupled with the peculiarities of those who utilized it, only fueled the eccentric nature of their discussions.

However, this meeting was likely to be the most bizarre of them all.

After all, it was a strategy meeting to decide whether to be destroyed by the God of Creation or to destroy it.

“So, the creator of this world has appeared and intends to turn everything into a wasteland… Is everyone alright?”

Ul finished explaining the entire situation to the representatives of Uuga’s crew, the warrior corps, the Knights Commander and Adventurer’s Guild Master who had evacuated from Plaudia, priests, the former Sun God and Moon God, the Seven Heavens, and the current Heavenly Sage. Then, he looked up.

“Can I just pretend I heard nothing and go back to sleep? Are there any comfortable beds left?”

“…My head hurts.”

“Why is it like this…? Why is it worse than an apocalypse?”

“There was no lower point than this… Why is that bottom breaking?”

“Maybe it’s because it’s Ul…”

“There has to be a limit… Is he cursed?”

“He’s not spreading curses, is he?”

“There’s a possibility. Someone, sprinkle salt!”

“That hurts.”

“It doesn’t look good.”

The situation was grim. Ul was hurt, and Diz, who was trying to offer support and commentary, gave a wry smile.

“Listen up.”

“Please, J-Star.”

Amidst the somber atmosphere, J-Star, whose complexion was relatively better, was the first to raise his hand. He nodded and pointed to the remote viewing crystal placed in the center of the meeting room.

“Various pieces of information have emerged, but the conclusion is that we have no choice but to defeat it, is that correct?”

“Yeah, that’s how it looks.”

“It” was, of course, the god reflected in the crystal. It was still continuing to deploy the mysterious magic circle in the sky, its scale expanding. Simultaneously, it was launching attacks. As a result, Uuga could not approach, and it circled the god with violent trajectories, acting as a feint. Because of this, the meeting room shook quite frequently.

“So, the first important thing is how to get close to the god?”

“Uuga can go part of the way… but if we get too close, the opponent’s magic interference could cause Uuga itself to crash. Even at the current distance, we are experiencing significant interference.”

“What about teleportation techniques?”

“The phase should be the same, but the magic power around the god is too dense, so direct teleportation is impossible. We need someone close enough to act as a starting point.”

The spellcasters who had been dispatched from Grador and decided to remain on Uuga amidst this chaos answered. Their faces showed signs of fatigue from the constant tension since the war began, but they still answered clearly.

“Part of the way by Uuga, and the rest directly?”

“Using an application of gravity magic and the Machine Screw, we can deploy a Path. Davine, is that possible?”

“Of course! …Although, the only one made with the White King Array is the one Ul has.”

“Very well, then who will go next?”

Gronzon continued to confirm, and Yuri raised her hand in response.

“The fundamental premise is that anyone below Heavenly Sage or Gold rank cannot directly confront it.”

“Below Gold rank…?”

As if it were a joke, Victor looked at his daughter, but Yuri shook her head.

“It’s the truth. Can you understand it as a battlefield where destructive magic exceeding the Final End is constantly unleashed over an extremely wide range?”

Her answer silenced everyone. Indeed, from Ul’s experience, it felt that way. It was not an opponent that could be countered with mere techniques like positioning or anticipating enemy movements. It was an enemy that continuously unleashed magic with instant-kill destructive power and scale over a wide area. Anyone who charged in without means of resistance would be of no help. It would only increase sacrifices.

“That’s terrible. In that case, do I have to go as well?”

Ikaza raised her hand, and Diz frowned, looking at her body.

“Master, you are also in terrible condition?”

“To be lectured by you, who fought a god after becoming a god,” she said, with a hint of a joke.

“When you put it that way, I have no retort.”

She seemed to have enough composure for a joke, but from Ul’s perspective, her expression still showed deep fatigue. He had heard that she had overexerted herself to save everyone during the evacuation to Uuga.

Of course, she was still far more reliable than an ordinary warrior—but she had another role to play.

“Ikaza and Knight Commander Victor, I would like you to command the warriors within Uuga.”

“Ah, I see. The warriors you kidnapped.”

At the word “kidnapped,” Echel flinched. But it wasn’t wrong. After Uuga’s assault, many warriors who had absorbed the surrounding magic power and were unable to move were transferred to Uuga.

Naturally, their impression of Ul and the others would not be good. Therefore, he wanted them to take command.

“Magic power can be restored by Echel’s repayment. There should still be quite a few who can move.”

“Did you anticipate this situation, and that’s why you went to such extremes?”

Victor asked in surprise, but Ul honestly shook his head.

“There was no way I could have anticipated it. But it is true that I thought it would be better to have more warriors who could move without injury in case of an emergency.”

It was better to incapacitate them without causing injury.

Wasn’t that what Greyre said? He had interpreted it as concern for his circumstances, or for the aftermath. But perhaps it was possible that he had even anticipated this situation, but there was no way to confirm it now.

“Indeed, we must also protect Uuga, or there’s no point.”

“Yes, it’s unlikely that their only enemy is that colossal god. If Uuga is shot down, even the support for the combatants will be insufficient.”

“Then, Jain, I’ll leave the overall command to you.”

When Ul spoke to Jain, he frowned and looked at Ikaza and Victor.

“Hey now, aren’t the two of you better suited for this than me?”

“For command within Uuga, there’s no one more suitable than you. Please.”

Ikaza and Victor nodded in agreement with Ul’s words. Jain clicked his tongue slightly.

“Alright, alright. Gaza, Rei! Take your positions! Rabbin is with me!”

“Then, first, I will consolidate the conversation. Please guide me to the warriors’ location.”

“This way.”

Victor also nodded, cast a brief glance at Yuri, and then left. It was a rushed situation, but unavoidable. After all, they didn’t know when the world would truly end.

“Also, the power of spirits cannot be used in battle.”

Sua raised her hand for the next point.

“When I faced it, my blessings were forcibly taken away. Spirits are under its control. Or rather, the Star Sea has been closed, so I cannot communicate, nor can I receive new blessings.”

Saying so, Sua held out her palm, but the usual radiance of the spirits was not around her. There was only a gray flame, similar to what Ul possessed. Seeing this, several warriors looked at Ul with expressions of incredulity, so Ul pretended not to notice.

“Even spirits are not free… Truly the God of Creation… Will it be taken from here as well?”

“It doesn’t seem so. At least it can still be used.”

Ul glanced at Karkara, who then conjured a rock from her palm. This meant that not all spirit powers were being confiscated without question.

“But if we get close, it will likely be taken away the same way. If Sua-sama cannot resist, then no one can.”

“Priests are confirmed for rear support… By the way, was Echel alright?”

“Perfectly fine.”

“She’s truly out of the ordinary… What about Ul? If the Moon God is in its grasp, wouldn’t the dragon’s power be similar?”

Diz smiled wryly at the nonchalant Echel and then turned her gaze to Ul. Ul turned his consciousness inward, placing his palm over his heart.

“It seems to be resisting.”

“Then shall we trust them? Next. This connects to the topic of blessings, but the prerequisite for fighting a god is whether one possesses a weapon that can counter a god.”

A weapon that could resist a god.

The words, so ominous, caused a gulping sound to be heard from those who still had not fully grasped the reality of confronting a god. Diz continued without concern.

“So far, effective against it have been the Heavenly Fool and Magic Severance, and…”

“Me!”

Suddenly, from the silver threads on Shizuku’s fingertips, a scarlet voice echoed. Diz smiled.

“Akane, right? Can Echel do it too?”

“I can. My power was effective.”

Echel nodded clearly. For a moment, Karkara clasped her hands as if in prayer, but then she stared directly at Echel.

“What about your subjugation? Can you make more?”

“I really can’t lend it out that much. Originally, I just passed on what I couldn’t handle myself.”

Ul shook his head at Yuri’s question. The power he used at the last moment was not that freely available. In the first place, it was a technique designed to forcibly push gods out from Diz and Shizuku, not to share power.

Furthermore, the amount of power Ul possessed was not that great. If he gave away too much, he would run out of his own supply.

“The Heavenly Fool should definitely be effective. After all, it was originally a failsafe against gods.”

“Naturally, Ul will be the center.”

He felt like crying out in complaint under the immense pressure, but he swallowed it down.

“Who can fight? Me, Diz, Shizuku. Echel, Yuri, Sua-sama?”

“I can. However, I cannot control your flames as strongly as the spirits.”

“Then it’s better to have them provide support, along with Gronzon and J-Star?”

“I can too! I will do it!!”

At that, Zero eagerly raised her hand.

“We also can’t match Zero, but we can provide support.”

As if restraining Zero, who was about to leap forward like her guardian, the Fives nodded. However, the techniques of the True Persons were certain. Having morale was also reassuring and helpful.

“…Then, the remaining issue is…”

“How to defeat it, perhaps?”

Shizuku, who had been silent until now, asked softly. To the question from her voice, still like a beautiful bell despite her exhaustion—

“…”

—No one could immediately provide an answer and remained silent.

“Can’t be helped. Well, that’s understandable.”

However, that was understandable to a degree. After all, there was simply no starting point.

“Based on the information we have, it possesses power that surpasses the gods we once believed in, doesn’t it?”

“Moreover, it controls those gods…”

“It’s so ridiculously dire it’s almost funny.”

Indeed, the opponent was despair itself. The Sun God and the Moon God were, by themselves, formidable opponents. However, they were merely gods in name; they existed at the extension of the tools they used or the enemies they faced. There was a starting point.

But with the Creator, there was no starting point. None at all. Nothing came to mind. Even Ul and the others who had actually faced it felt the same way.

However, even so—

“—But we can’t just let ourselves be killed, can we!?”

Kosuke said, unable to bear the silence any longer, and Ul smiled.

“That’s right. It’s pointless to despair before we even fight. Besides, there’s not necessarily no possibility… Rine.”

Ul called out to Rine. She had returned to her research space from the command room and was now absorbed in her magic circle with an almost frenzied expression. Although Shintani and her disciples were around her, no one could match her murderous concentration.

“She probably can’t hear.”

“We don’t have time to wait for her, but is that alright?”

“It’s alright.”

Ul answered Yuri’s question immediately. “Then it’s fine,” and Yuri didn’t press further.

“Alright,” Ul stood up.

“Everyone, let’s start doing what we can.”

***

“Ul-sama.”

As everyone in the meeting room began to move frantically, and the atmosphere suddenly became bustling, Shizuku suddenly called out to him. Her gesture was weak, like she was tugging at the hem of his clothes.

“I…”

And then, she fell silent, unable to speak further.

“You look lost.”

“Is that so?”

“If you don’t want to fight, that’s fine. I didn’t say it in front of everyone, but it might be like going to die.”

Then, Shizuku firmly shook her head.

“There’s no longer safety in Uuga, is there?”

“Once ‘that’ is complete, it’ll be the same no matter where we are.”

Looking at the magic circle in the sky from the remote viewing crystal. Several mages were investigating what it was. But even without investigating, Ul, and everyone in this room, somehow sensed it.

Once “that” was complete, everything would be “over” at that moment.

That “it” was preparing to erase everything.

“Well, we’ll do our best. The reason ‘that thing’ appeared is—”

“Our fault, isn’t it?”

“《That’s right?》”

Diz picked up Ul’s words from behind him, and Akane followed from Shizuku’s silver threads. Ul smiled at their words and shrugged.

“Yeah. So, we have to do something. What about you?”

“I…”

Shizuku fell silent again. Her expression was still weak, and even uttering a single word seemed like a struggle. But, even so, she looked up and said clearly.

“I want to be with you.”

“Is that so? I’m happy to hear that.”