The magic was unavoidable, hitting me at the center of the explosion.
Before I knew it, I was flat on my back on the ground of the 99th floor, collapsed.
High above, like the sky, red amoeba-like blood swirled, and I could see the giant void I had kicked open beginning to repair itself.
“Guaa—”
I groaned.
Yet, my body had sustained almost no damage.
Looking around, I saw no damage to the 99th floor, despite the massive explosion.
It was magic that did not involve physical force.
However, my body wouldn’t move at all.
I had endured the vibrations and wind of Saldra’s magic, “Dragon Slayer’s Dragon Blade.” I was confident I could take the attack and not even budge next. But I had fallen.
The reason was simple: my wings, my means of flight, had vanished from my back. The moment I was caught in the explosion, my “Dragon Wings,” which had been so full of life, lost their substance and turned into red mist. Furthermore, my arms, legs, skin, and even teeth were all reverting to those of a normal human, emitting red mist.
This was my first encounter with “Magic Nullification.” I instinctively understood that my “Dragonization” had been nullified.
In other words, the explosion earlier was secondary. The true effect of the magic was this de-transformation. It was a magic truly deserving of the name “Dragon Slayer.” And it was a magic specifically designed to counter me.
Could this magic, which I had never heard of before, be an ancient “Curse Technique” from a thousand years ago? It was incredibly complex and employed a unique “Spell Formation.” Yet, it possessed a completeness and dignity befitting ancient magic, along with a novel, fresh allure.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I was overcome by an abnormal sense of exhaustion, and my limbs wouldn’t move. I knew it, but the strain of excessive transformation was weighing heavily on me.
“Hah, hah, hah…”
Because I had resigned myself to never returning to normal, my exhaustion was severe, and I was out of breath. But I filled myself with fighting spirit, believing I could still fight—
“Hah…, hah…, hah…—”
Even though I should be able to fight, every cell in my body was crying out for rest. With “Dragonization” over, my brain had mistakenly concluded that “the battle was over.” My body felt like it was saying, “I’ll repair myself even stronger, so please wait a moment.”
I felt like I could easily pass out at any moment, my blood draining away.
“This… magic…!”
I forced myself to speak, to rouse myself and stay conscious. As if to comfort me, an explanation rained down from above.
“It’s understandable you don’t know it. It’s an ancient magic that was lost after me.”
Seldra stood beside me. I could only move my face to look at him; the bleeding had stopped, and I had healed completely. Still, his face looked somewhat tired as he looked down at me and spoke.
“To be precise, it’s ‘Gene Restoration Magic,’ a unique modification I created by combining ‘Dragon Slayer’s Magic,’ taught during the God Slayer’s education, with extraterrestrial radiation therapy. …You know how a milder version of “Bloodline Dilution” spread on the surface? This is its origin.”
He must have been certain of victory. Seldra’s fighting spirit had dissipated, and he was spouting complex words that didn’t suit him. Like a doctor, he gently explained that his “Dragon Slayer’s Dragon Blade” was actually cutting-edge medical treatment.
“If this continued, one of us would have surpassed ‘Demon’ and achieved ‘Complete Dragonization.’ So, I used it before that happened. It’s a cheat, and I’m sorry. …In my ‘Plan,’ such painful futures are all eliminated. Kukuku.”
His smiling face was the same gentle Seldra who had taught me everything just a little while ago. He had become suddenly calm after unleashing “Dragon Slayer’s Dragon Blade.” However, it was clear this was only temporary. He was likely compensating for something by offering a piece of his spirit as a ‘Price’ for the ‘Incantation’ of that magic.
The man who clung to ‘Incantations’ as much as gods, mocked the sight of my complete defeat.
“Kukukukukuku… See, Snow? Failed again. …Of course, you fought seriously. You single-handedly defeated the soldiers on the surface, Diplakla, Kuuneru, and the ‘Blood Land’ with ease. …Do you need a translation? I’ll lend you some recommended books later. Anyway, you were like a hero, a peerless warrior, Snow, but you ultimately can’t win against those you can’t beat. You said earlier that you’d try again and again, but this is the result. I can even make you lose your ‘Dragon Person’ form. —A complete defeat. And if you’re stumbling here, you’ll never reach godhood. Hahaha, hahahahaha!”
Seldra laughed, relieved. He had completely overwhelmed Snow Walker, a strong and troublesome opponent. But it was also an unnecessarily considerate and safe way to win.
Even if I had lost control and gone berserk, I had always doubted and believed Seldra’s words.
“Seldra… just because you can’t reach it… don’t run away… Let’s go… even if we can’t go back…”
I continued to invite him. However, Seldra deliberately ignored me, let out a big sigh, and sat down next to me. Seldra, who had finally lowered himself to his waist, looked up at the strange, post-battle sky and slowly continued speaking.
“You mean, even if we can never return to being ‘human’ again? Hah, you’re such a good person, Snow. …But isn’t it enough now? Don’t you think we’ve tried hard enough? We were born with a horribly skewed destiny, but we lived with all our might. Let’s rest now, shall we? Isn’t it easier to pray than to fight? Isn’t it easier to heal than to hurt? Everyone finds ‘happiness’ so much easier than ‘misfortune’…”
Saying this, Seldra petted my head as I lay there. His rough but gentle combing of my blue hair, disheveled from the battle, was his way of saying it was time to rest.
This was cruel. It was impossibly indulgent. With a hint of anger, I moved my weak lips to retort, “But that’s not what a ‘partner’ is… I won’t be able to support Kanami…”
“Supporting a god is impossible. Give up on being their equal. Even I couldn’t do it.”
“I can’t… do it alone… I’ll fail… that’s… right—”
I tried to respond immediately to his immediate answer. But I no longer had the strength in my throat, let alone my mouth. I had no stamina left in my body to even vibrate. I was stunned by this first-time experience.
“So you’re going to invite all the enemies? That’s so naive, I can’t even laugh. It’s impossible, impossible. It doesn’t matter how many of you there are. It’s not a matter of numbers; that’s what makes a god a god.”
“Even if it’s impossible… even if it’s a painful path… we shouldn’t make mistakes, right—”
Seldra, seemingly tired of my persistence, coldly pushed me away. At the same time, I felt my consciousness fading. But without giving up, I chose my words carefully. I delivered the most important words to Seldra.
“Hey… Seldra… what did you… learn from… Kanami—”
“What I learned from Kanami? Me, from Kanami…?”
I looked into Seldra’s eyes, and I could see him thinking earnestly. I wanted to watch his expression change, but my eyelids were starting to fall. I felt like I was so close to finding the trigger to convince him.
But Seldra was too strong. He was born too strong, too greedy, and too strong with the power of the ‘Curse.’ I couldn’t continue this heart-to-heart ‘Talk’ with him for long. It had probably been this way for thousands of years. Because of his overwhelming strength, Seldra had never had anyone truly delve into his core. And now, even though I was the only other ‘Dragon Person’— and I was sure I could convince Seldra— if only I had a little more time— The bitterness of defeat weighed on me like lead as my eyelids closed. Darkness, darkness, darkness— Then, a worried voice echoed from above.
“…Snow!? …No, she’s alive. If left alone, she’ll recover on her own and get used to it. Or maybe… the ‘Oblivion’ flame first— No, the god is concentrating, so I’ll throw her to the surface for now and have her try again. Like I did in the past, if she experiences defeat many times, she’ll understand.”
He muttered more words of indulgence. Just as I thought, “making you lose your ‘Dragon Person’ form” was just talk—his monologue suddenly stopped.
“…Hm? What is this? This feeling… is it magic?”
Only Seldra’s voice echoed in the silence of the 99th floor. Having defeated me and gained some composure, allowing him to turn his attention elsewhere, he seemed to have sensed something amiss on the battlefield. A few seconds later, I felt the vibration of Seldra standing up. Then, the vibration of him taking a single step forward. The second and third steps followed, but the vibrations didn’t shift from their spot. Seldra, trapped as if walking in place, exclaimed in confusion.
“Is… is this magic that distorts distance… ‘Default’!? It’s crude, but I feel a ‘Connection’ too…!? No way, no way—!!”
I heard the names of familiar dimensional magic. ‘Default’ was likely the magic binding Seldra. And the other was magic for creating portals. Seldra understood the meaning of using that magic just before the ‘Deepest Part,’ and his voice contained the most panic he had shown all day.
“This unstable magic— Damn it! Using Snow as bait, you’ve been working behind the scenes all along!? Beyond that lies the throne of god! No one will step foot there!!”
I understood too. Someone was trying to sneak up on Kanami, who was in the ‘Deepest Part.’ Realizing this, I tried to muster strength back into my body. I managed to pry my eyelids open again.
“Ugh…”
But I had exceeded my limits. I couldn’t even lift a hand. All I could see through my hazy vision was Seldra’s back. I still wanted to fight Seldra. Because Seldra’s opponent was me. Perhaps whoever was infiltrating now believed I would stop Seldra and had been acting behind the scenes all along. However, contrary to the sense of responsibility and fighting spirit swelling within me, my strength continued to drain away. The view I had managed to open was once again being covered by a black curtain— Just then. A dark silhouette appeared in my vision. It was a large back. A familiar voice echoed.
“—Snow-san, you’ve changed. So, please leave the rest to my brother.”
He stood before me and praised me. At the same time, he uttered words telling me to rest. Normally, I would never have tolerated such words. But towards that back and that voice, it was different.
“Thief of Nothingness, Seldra Queenfilion, I am your opponent. Snow-san’s proud older brother, Glen Walker, will inherit his sister’s fight— no, the fight of the ‘True Hero’.”
It was because it was my older brother, Glen. And, even through my fading vision, I could see two ominous ‘Black Threads’ extending from both his arms and wrapping around Seldra’s wrists—threads that I could tell were dangerous at a glance, even after ‘Demonization.’ And he hadn’t just restrained him. The ‘Black Threads’ seemed to cut through Seldra’s skin and flesh, causing him to bleed profusely. Even I could only damage his surface, yet my brother had effortlessly surpassed my achievements.
“G-Glen…!! That means the other one is Fafnir, right!? And you’re going to leave without me!?”
“No, I’m going too. But only after I surpass you. Today, here, I will prove that I am the true ‘Strongest’.”
The comforting vibrations of my dependable older brother continued. Seldra, on the other hand, grew anxious with the appearance of a new enemy. My lips curved into a smile. I was the one who had changed. My timid, shy older brother was uttering such reliable lines, just like a ‘Hero.’ It felt a little nostalgic. The situation on the 99th floor of this labyrinth reminded me of my childhood. As a child, I would always rush ahead alone in dungeon exploration, doing reckless things. The reason I could do that was that my older brother was always there behind me, supporting me. No matter what mistakes I made, my older brother would support me from behind. His skillful hands always compensated for my shortcomings, which were often too excessive. Drawn by that nostalgia, other memories also surfaced. One day in my childhood, after my older brother Glen and I, who were from a hidden village, were taken in by the Walker family, we joined a Guild called ‘Epic Seeker.’ The Guild Master there, a man named Will, was a renowned explorer at the time, called the ‘Strongest’ in the Allied Nations. From him, we learned about the existence of the ‘True Hero.’ However, that was something we all learned together—including Glen. Many nostalgic backs flashed through my mind, and my resolve wavered. My older brother Glen’s vibrations felt so comforting, so reminiscent of that person… Brother, I’m sorry. Just for a little while, I want to rest… I’ll wake up soon. My incredible recovery power, always keeping me energetic, is my strong point. Seldra, we’ll fight again when I wake up. Next time, I will absolutely not lose. In this battle, I’ve mostly gotten used to the attacks. I’ve also gotten used to the pain. Next time, I’m confident I can endure and overcome this strange nullification. Most importantly, with my older brother Glen. —Together, as siblings, we will be even stronger. I will definitely crush Seldra… So, just a little longer… please continue and wait for me… Just a little bit, Brother… Lastly. As I let go of my consciousness, my back half-turned. My blurry vision caught a glimpse of his figure, transformed by ‘Demonization.’ Although he looked dark and hard to see, his eyes were unchanged. My older brother Glen, watching over his sister with incredibly kind eyes. My brother was moving his lips. He was saying something. But no matter how good I was, I could no longer sense vibrations. Still, I felt like he was probably saying, “I’m sorry.” In his usual way of speaking. Just like always— I thought my brother would buy me some time, time that I alone couldn’t get. So, unable to resist my fading consciousness, I let go.
This is a viewpoint change, so I will divide the story here. Since it’s too short, I’ll post the other half tomorrow, July 25th, at 20:00, after a day’s break.
*The voting results for the light novel popularity contest have been released. “Let’s Aim for the Deepest Part of the Otherworld Labyrinth” ranked 39th for Volume 13 and 42nd for Volume 14. Thank you everyone for your votes and support!
