Black Summoner – Chapter 810

The darkness Sera and the others plunged into, an elevator shaft to put it simply, had darkness spreading out in every direction. Just when they thought it continued straight down, it wasn’t like that at all. It gently changed direction, began to move diagonally, and had quite a complex structure.

“Ugoah!?”

“Honestly, Gerard, move quietly. You’ll alert the enemy!”

“Easier said than done, though…”

As they descended this path, Gerard repeatedly collided with the walls. Being the sturdiest member of the party, Gerard sustained no damage, but each collision produced a loud noise. While Sera, who had good night vision, was fine, it seemed reckless to push forward on such a path without any light.

“Well, it might be too late for that. If it’s an enemy ranked high among the Ten Authorities, they probably noticed us the moment we entered here.”

“That’s probably true. But it’s strange that they haven’t done anything. There are countless ways they could have gone, like ambushing us in the darkness, or setting traps.”

“Hmm… Maybe they’re like Kelvin, someone who likes a frontal assault? You know, the Ten Authority who defeated Gordiana was like that, right? Oh, thinking about it makes me mad. I let Dahak have it this time, but next time, I’ll avenge Gordiana!”

“No, no, no, avenge? Lord Gordiana isn’t dead yet. She’s just captured.”

“I know that. Gordiana wouldn’t die without a proper farewell. Besides… Well, Gerard, I guess I can let you get your revenge first. She’s my best friend, but Gerard, you and she… you had an adult relationship, didn’t you—”

“—That’s completely wrong! Stop fabricating such relationships!”

Gerard’s shout echoed within the shaft. The word “stealth operation” was nowhere to be found. If Ange, the professional in this field, who was absent this time, were to witness this, she would probably foam at the mouth and collapse.

Well, as they continued along their way, making a racket, they arrived at a vast space illuminated by a faint light. In the center of the space sat a giant mechanical device, connected by several thick cables. Directly above the mechanical device, a large, purplish-red gem floated.

“That looks like a very important object.”

“It’s highly likely the power source for this floating continent. And you?”

What appeared in their eyes was not just the power source of White Wing Land. Before the mechanical device, a person was seated, as if in prayer. Her name was Isabel Roses. In response to Sera’s question, she picked up the staff she had placed on the floor and quietly stood up.

“I-I am Isabel Roses, one of the Ten Authorities. Um, you don’t intend to surrender… do you? And you have no intention of peacefully handing over your souls—”

“We don’t!”

“We don’t!”

“R-right, of course… I’m sorry for asking such a silly question. But, but… you are wonderful.”

Isabel’s expression, when she looked up, was incredibly serene. It didn’t look like the face of someone about to engage in battle, but rather like someone cherishing her opponent.

“Not bending your will even before a god, prioritizing your own intentions… You are truly admirable. Ah, this is truly how the world should have been.”

“…? What nonsensical things are you babbling about? Do you intend to fight?”

“Yes, yes, of course. I want to understand you who were born and raised in this world more. I want to feel you directly.”

Isabel continued speaking, placing a hand on her chest, with a tone like a pastor. Her voice was soft and pleasant to the ear. However, precisely because of that, it felt out of place on this battlefield.

“Gerard, is she alright?”

“Don’t ask me. But, don’t let your guard down.”

“Naturally, not even a sliver.”

Sera and Gerard had already assumed a ready stance for battle. For now, they were only observing the opponent’s moves, but they could start fighting at any moment. They focused intently on Isabel’s words and every single one of her actions.

“Therefore, I too shall show you my sincerity. —Holy Death Torment.”

“—!?”

In an instant, without any preliminary movement, flow of magic power, or any sign, Sera and the others found themselves surrounded by walls that seemed to be a barrier. The barrier was a pale blue, forming a cube with an irregular crest drawn on it. In other words, Sera and the others were now inside that square barrier. While it might have looked like they were trapped from the outside, Sera felt a sense of crisis for a different reason.

“Whoa, I didn’t sense the barrier’s construction at all… Gerard, did you?”

“If you couldn’t sense it, Sera, then I’m helpless. Is it her Authority?”

Yes, the problem was the speed of the barrier’s deployment, which had bypassed even Sera’s perception. Even Kelvin, with his current abilities, needed a moment comparable to a blink of an eye to use magic such as Glory’s Sanctuary. Even if an attempt was made to hide the flow of magic power, Sera would have been able to sense it. However, with Isabel’s barrier magic that she was witnessing now, she couldn’t sense anything like that at all. The fact that it appeared without any warning and was completely imperceptible was, in Sera’s life as a demon, the second time something like this had happened.

(I see. It’s the ability of that Gloria’s older sister, who suddenly attacked us, isn’t it!)

Isabel Roses, the ‘Guardian God,’ listed as one of the Three Authorities of Authority, was, according to Kelvum’s information, supposed to be of a higher rank than Gloria. Extremely troublesome. As Sera thought this, she simultaneously wished that Kelvin had also come here.

“It seems you have many questions. Then allow me to explain. My Authority, ‘Boundary,’ creates barriers under certain conditions. The barrier I just created is, of course, also due to that Authority.”

“Oh, you’re generous. Well, if you’ll teach me, I’ll listen?”

“Fufu, you seem to have an honest personality. Even more wonderful.”

“I don’t need compliments. So, what are the conditions?”

“As the name of this Authority suggests, there must be some kind of boundary. To use a familiar example, it’s the garden fence that separates properties. On a larger scale, it’s the border line that separates one country from another— No matter how trivial, no matter how strict, if I recognize it as a dividing line, this Authority will exert its power. Instantly, freely, at will, without limits.”

“Hmm? Even if that explanation were true, I don’t think there’s anything around us that qualifies as a boundary.”

“… Gerard, the floor.”

“Hm?”

On the floor that served as Gerard and Sera’s footing, a multitude of tiles were laid out. They were ordinary, unremarkable floor tiles, the kind you could find anywhere. However, from another perspective, each of them had a boundary line. The barrier that now surrounded them was indeed formed from those tile boundaries, from their combination.

“… You insist this is a boundary? It sounds like a child’s word game.”

“No, no, children’s games shouldn’t be underestimated. Children have a rich imagination that only they possess. Besides, look, you yourselves are crossing many boundaries right now.”

—Zzzun…!

In the next moment, what rained down upon Sera and the others was a lattice-like barrier that sought to divide all boundaries. No, it was a blade in the guise of a barrier.