(T-This is…) (Eugene)
The plaza in front of the entrance to the Zenith Tower of Babel.
It was filled with the stench of blood and the aftermath of destruction.
Red blood was spread out like a carpet.
Scattered arms and legs.
Collapsed buildings and piles of rubble surrounded them.
Several bodies, clearly dead, were lying around.
(…Barrier Magic: [Steel Mind].) (Eugene)
I forcibly calmed myself with barrier magic.
"Ugh…"
Sumire covered her mouth, on the verge of vomiting.
Sara held Sumire's shoulder, and Airi had a tense expression as she gripped her sword.
Airi's gaze was fixed on the Divine Beast -the Red Dragon- responsible for this devastation.
The Red Dragon stood silently.
Its seven heads all had their eyes closed, like a massive stone statue.
"Hey, Eugy. Isn't this our chance to attack…?" (Airi)
"It's strange that it's not moving at all." (Eugene)
Just as Airi said, there was no threatening aura coming from the Divine Beast.
At that moment, a figure dropped down from the sky nearby with a thump.
A man with orange hair and a red spear; our classmate from the Legendary Hero Department, Claude Percival.
"Eugene!" (Claude)
"Claude! What happened?" (Eugene)
Looking up at the sky, I saw a wyvern flying away.
It seemed Claude had been nearby, riding that wyvern.
"That Divine Beast… It wiped them out. The Twelve Knight Order, the S-Rank Explorers, even King Uther…" (Claude)
"The Principal too!?" (Eugene)
To be honest, I thought no matter how dangerous things got, Principal Uther would be able to handle it.
But with things in this state…
"One blow…and the entire force gathered here was annihilated. I only survived because I was waiting on the wyvern…but everyone who was on the ground…" (Claude)
Claude spoke bitterly.
"You didn't retreat…?" (Eugene)
"How could I!? What kind of man would that make me…!" (Claude)
"Sorry. That was out of line." (Eugene)
Claude was a man of strong responsibility. He'd never abandon others and flee alone.
"Eugene, what do we do…?" (Sara)
Even Sara, who usually voiced her opinions, seemed unable to think clearly.
"Right… First, we need to split up and look for anyone still alive. Rescue and heal them…" (Eugene)
The only thing I could think of was increasing our numbers.
There was nothing we few could accomplish here alone.
Just then…
Shuin
A magic circle appeared in the air.
Three figures emerged from it.
"Oh, good. Looks like all the necessary people are here."
The speaker's voice was shockingly calm given the situation.
"Principal Uther! You're okay!" (Sumire)
Sumire shouted in relief.
"I'm glad to see you're safe as well." (Uther)
The second person was 1st Knight Claire Lancelot.
And the third…the cause of this incident… Dungeon Master, Anemoi Babel.
I wanted to say something to her, but she just kept her head down, looking utterly drained.
It didn't seem like any words would reach her now.
"King Uther, your orders." (Claire)
"Principal, is there anything I can do to help?" (Eugene)
Claire-san and I asked, and Principal Uther looked around at all of us.
"Time is short, so I'll keep this brief." (Uther)
We nodded, waiting for his next words.
"This Dungeon City…will be destroyed in ten minutes." (Uther)
No one could have predicted the words that came out of the Principal's mouth.
""""!?""""
Everyone's faces twisted in shock.
"W-What do you mean!?"
It was the Dungeon Master who voiced the question in all our minds.
Principal Uther alone remained composed, gazing up into the clear blue sky.
"Perhaps by order of Ilia-sama, the Destiny Goddess who oversees Babel… or Althena-sama, the Sun Goddess who rules the Divine Realm. In ten minutes, God Rank magic, Heaven Lightning, will rain down upon this place, erasing the Dungeon City along with the Red Dragon. It seems the Divine Realm have decided they cannot allow the ancient Divine Beast to roam free. Unfortunately, even with my Clairvoyance, I don't know more than that. My foresight doesn't reach that far." (Uther)
"But…But Rita-san said she would speak with the Goddesses!" (Sumire)
"That's right! They can't just do something so outrageous…!" (Airi)
Sumire and Airi shouted in disbelief.
The Dungeon Master trembled, her face pale.
"Sumire-kun, Airi-kun… The truth is, the Goddesses aren't quite so merciful… Oops, sorry, that was a poor choice of words in front of Sara-kun." (Anemoi)
"No… The doctrine of the Goddess Church teaches that trials and punishments are granted to the depraved. But still, wiping out an entire city… That's just…" (Sara)
Even Sara's voice trembled.
"This shows just how seriously the Divine Realm views the situation. Still, things are moving far too quickly… There's no time for the people to evacuate." (Uther)
The Principal's voice was calm…but heavy.
"Principal, there's some kind of countermeasure, isn't there?" (Eugene)
I cut through the heavy air with my question.
"There is." (Uther)
I was relieved by the short reply.
Principal Uther turned to the small red figure.
"Anemoi-dono." (Uther)
"…"
There was no reply to the Principal's call.
She kept her head down, still pale.
"…I apologize." (Uther)
"...…What?" (Anemoi)
The Principal's next words were an unexpected apology.
"My strategy for conquering the Zenith Tower prioritized safety, and that slowed the pace of our progress. Even though I noticed it conflicted with your intentions as the current Dungeon Master, I still placed the lives of students and explorers first, which slowed their growth and the Last Dungeon's conquest. In the end, things turned out contrary to your hopes. As the one in charge of this Dungeon City, I should have communicated more with you. I'm sorry." (Uther)
The Principal bowed his head, leaving the Dungeon Master looking bewildered.
"Protecting the people's safety is only natural for a king!" (Claire)
"I think the Principal made the right call." (Claude)
Claire and Claude defended the Principal.
No one in the Dungeon City had any complaints about King Uther's leadership.
Myself included.
"But I am still responsible for what's happened. And as the one responsible, I must answer for it." (Uther)
He gave us a fearless smile, as if to reassure everyone.
"B-But…how?" (Anemoi)
The Principal's composed demeanor contrasted starkly with the Dungeon Master's nervous one.
"The Red Dragon is currently manifesting on the surface due to the Trial of the Gods system in the Zenith Tower. It's calm for now because it is trying to sever that link…but in ten minutes —no, seven, to be precise— when the Tower's restrictions are gone, the Red Dragon will be completely free and bring great calamity to the surface. To prevent that, Divine Realm Regulations dictate that Heaven Lightning must be unleashed. To stop it, we must return the Red Dragon to its original place." (Uther)
"But that's exactly what we can't do…" (Anemoi)
"Dungeon Master-dono, if the Red Dragon were returned to the inside of the Zenith Tower, couldn't you seal it?" (Uther)
"W-Well… Yes. If it's within the Tower, I could use my full power as Dungeon Master. I might be able to prevent it from leaving again, but…" (Anemoi)
"But even when the Twelve Knights and all the top explorers were assembled, we were defeated in a single blow. Returning that monster to the Tower with just us now is…" (Claire)
Claire-san looked grim.
The Principal patted her shoulder.
"I'll handle that part." (Uther)
"Can you…really do it?" (Claude)
Claude asked softly.
It must have reached the Principal's ears.
"If…I put my life on the line…then yes." (Uther)
He spoke quietly.
"Then I'll go with you!" (Claire)
Claire-san offered without hesitation.
"No, that won't do, Claire-kun. I need you to take charge of the Dungeon City in my absence. With the Zenith Tower out of commission, it won't be easy…but there's no one else I can trust with this. Only you can do it." (Uther)
"B-But…" (Claire)
Claire still looked unconvinced.
"If both the king and his second-in-command disappear, the people will lose hope. Let's see… Claire-kun, you're good at Transformation using fairy magic, right? I'd like you to occasionally appear before the people in my form -as King Uther. If they think the king still lives, they'll feel secure. Can I ask that of you?" (Uther)
The Principal spoke with a gentle expression as if guiding her.
Claire-san's conflicted expression turned to one of determination.
"…Understood, King Uther. I, Claire Lancelot, First Knight, accept this duty." (Claire)
Claire-san knelt and nodded firmly.
"Good. I leave it to you. And one more thing…" (Uther)
Principal Uther turned toward Airi, Sara, and Claude.
"Airi-kun, Sara-kun, Claude… I regret that I won't get to see the Empire, the Holy Union, and the Blue Waters Federation as they flourish under your leadership or achievements…but I'll be hoping for your continued prosperity. Oh, and if you could keep my absence a secret, I'd be grateful… Though I'm in no position to command, so this is just a request." (Uther)
"…Understood, Your Majesty. I won't tell anyone." (Airi)
"King Uther, thank you…for everything." (Sara)
"Uther-sensei… It was an honor to meet you at this academy." (Claude)
Airi, Sara, and Claude responded with solemn expressions.
Hearing the three of them respond, Principal Uther smiled.
Then, he turned his gaze to Sumire.
"Sumire-kun. I would have liked to observe such a miraculous and rare individual —a reincarnated ancient Demigod— for a bit longer, but…unfortunately, time's up. I hope you stay well going forward. Ah, and that Robe of the Salamander…I'll give it to you. You've been treating it like your own for quite a while now, so I suppose it's a bit late to say anything. Besides, no one but you could wear it anyway." (Uther)
"P-Please say something nicer, Principaaaal…" (Sumire)
Sumire was crying.
"Eugene." (Uther)
"Yes." (Eugene)
Principal Uther looked me in the eye and spoke.
"I've asked you to deal with troublesome things like the 7th Sealed Prison and other such matters… and now I have one final 'request'." (Uther)
"…What is it?" (Eugene)
It reminded me of the first day I enrolled, when I was asked to be the Demon Lord's caretaker.
That request had been outrageous…but thanks to it, I was able to grow.
I owe Principal Uther more than I can express.
If it's his final request, then no matter what it is, I have no reason to refuse.
"From here on, a difficult path lies ahead…so, do your best." (Uther)
"…That's your request?" (Eugene)
That was an incredibly vague request.
Not specific at all.
"Yes, that's right." (Uther)
"I understand. No matter what hardship comes, I'll keep moving forward." (Eugene)
I nodded while meeting the Principal's gaze.
In the depths of his blue eyes, I could see a silver magic circle.
What does Principal Uther's Magic Eye, capable of seeing the future, perceive?
"Now then, everyone, step back a bit. I'm about to use a sliiightly dangerous spell." (Uther)
As he said that, Principal Uther was already putting some distance between us.
When he says "slightly" dangerous, it almost always means some mythological-era magical experiment.
We followed his instruction and stepped back as well.
The Principal murmured something, and a small magic circle appeared in the air. From it, a soot-stained magical lamp clinked into his hand.
It was the same lamp he had shown when we fought the Hydra.
The lamp, though it should have been made of metal, quivered like a living creature.
—The air shifted with a shiver.
Black mana, miasma, and a power distinct from magic began to swirl around the lamp.
I felt a sharp prick of a gaze.
At some point, the Red Dragon had turned its attention toward us.
Just moments ago, it hadn't been looking at us at all.
(…Ahh, so he's really using that, huh. Well, I guess there's no other way…) (Eri)
Eri's resigned voice echoed in my head.
(Eri, what is that thing?) (Eugene)
She seemed to know.
(You'll see soon enough. I think you'll be fine, Eugene, but… make sure your friends don't lose their minds when they see that.) (Eri)
(Lose their minds…?) (Eugene)
Eri's words were ominous.
Meanwhile, Principal Uther continued to mutter in an unknown language.
Eventually, what seemed to be a spell chant ended, and the Principal slowly rubbed the soot-stained lamp with his hand.
Black mist began to seep out of the lamp.
The miasma was thick.
Then, the black mist took the shape of a person and rose into the air.
A voice echoed from nowhere.
—So, you're the one who summoned me?
It was an uncanny and strangely enchanting voice, one that felt like it seized your heart in its claws.
"E-Eugy…" (Airi)
Airi clutched her chest in pain.
"Over here." (Eugene)
I pulled my childhood friend into my arms.
The surrounding barrier should make it a little easier to bear.
"Yes, I, Uther Mercurius Pendragon, have summoned you." (Uther)
—Which means you have a "Wish" you want me to grant?
That eerily beautiful voice continued to echo from nowhere.
"Sara-chan!?" (Sumire)
"I-I'm okay…" (Sara)
A little ways off, Sara was barely standing, using her Holy Sword like a cane.
Sumire…seemed relatively fine.
"That's right. I have a Wish, Evil God-sama." (Uther)
Despite the atmosphere being unbearable for anyone to remain calm, Principal Uther spoke matter-of-factly.
—Then let me hear the price for your Wish.
The being the Principal called an Evil God asked.
(…Price?) (Eugene)
Before I could say it out loud…
"All that I possess." (Uther)
Principal Uther declared without the slightest hesitation.