538 The 21st Tower of Defense
Touted as the toughest dungeon in the Pandora Continent, [Divine Annihilation Realm, Avalon], depicted the imperial capital of the distant past. The gigantic city at the center of the world, created by the Demon King—Mia Elrod—continued to exist to this day.
Presumably so.
No one could say for certain, as nobody had ventured into the deepest part of that dungeon. Through the ancient maps that could be obtained from relatively low-risk areas on the city outskirts, the general layout of the ancient imperial city of Avalon was roughly depicted as a residential area.
Based on the map, the construction itself was similar to modern times. A royal castle as the central focus, surrounded by an aristocratic district, and an urban area where ordinary citizens lived spread radially. In light of that, the search had progressed up to the city area.
According to history, the most seasoned and adept adventurers managed to reach the ramparts that separated the urban area from the aristocratic district. However, they were attacked by powerful guards who used ancient magic to protect the castle walls and were forced to withdraw.
—Back to the present, a group of daredevil adventurers had braved the toughest and worst unexplored dungeon.
“Your Highness, beyond this door, the Royal Guard awaits.”
A gorgeous knight, clad in brilliant holy silver mithril armor, led the party. Instead of a chainmail, she wore light armor that didn’t sacrifice mobility. Instead of a helmet, a circlet adorned her head. She had neither a shield nor a spear; with her only weapon being the saber strapped on her waist.
At a glance, she seemed like a knight, but her equipment said otherwise. She was a swordsman—a magic swordsman, judging by how her saber was beaming with light.
“You’re right, Celes. Despite the thick door, I can feel a strange presence.”
Contrary to Celes, who was somewhat tense, the princess answered—or rather, affirmed calmly. She was Nell Julius Elrod, the first princess of Avalon; the nation that claimed to be the successor to the Elrod Empire.
In the guild, Nell was no longer registered as a [Priest], but [Battle Maiden], just like Bellclausen. She wore a white and red shrine maiden outfit, which was both dazzling and sacred. After a short but intense training period, a pair of white gauntlets—which resembled that of a dragon’s arm—were fitted to her arms. Suffice to say, the distinct equipment didn’t befit the image of the dainty princess.
As if being drawn towards it, the white dragon’s arm lightly touched the tightly shut steel gate.
“…Your Highness, let’s turn back.”
As if she’d seen enough, Celes advised Nell, who was about to open the door.
“Oh, why?”
Genuinely oblivious, Nell, who was wide-eyed, tilted her head. Celes quickly averted her gaze as if she’d seen something terrifying.
“The boss here is dangerous. What if the number of victims increases?”
“Adventure always comes with the risk of death.”
“—Which is why adventurers prioritize their safety the most.”
“Hehe, that’s right. Certainly, in this party, only Celes and I can handle the Royal Guard.”
When Nell turned around, she saw the faces of boys and girls she’d become acquainted with over the past month.
Indeed, they were none other than a chosen few students who were the pride of this academy’s season. They were assembled to accompany Nell in exploring the [Divine Annihilation Realm]. Including Celes, the number of people was six. Of course, all of them were participants of the prestigious knight selection,
All the people there were talented individuals who were acknowledged by both themselves and others. Even if they were suddenly assigned to any chivalric order, these young aces were ready to fight.
…However, as of the present, said young aces were pale. In fact, the male students of the warrior class—who were known for their physical strength—were visibly out of breath.
“—If anything, I should commend you for coming this far.”
Nevertheless, they weren’t at the academy, where geniuses were praised and spotlighted, but instead in the middle of a dungeon where fearsome monsters lurked, unseen by anyone. Not to mention, it was also Pandora’s most difficult dungeon, the [Divine Annihilation Realm].
The giant corridor was basked in an eerie blue twilight, so much that they didn’t require a torch. The passageway was as wide as Avalon’s main street, while the ceiling was as tall as a four-story building. Decorations and patterns depicting motifs of ancient religions and myths covered the walls.
Nell and the others stood in a place where such artistic finish only added to the ominous background.
According to the map, it was the underground passage of the castle wall that surrounded the urban area. The steel gate in front of them turned out to be the door that led to a facility called the [21st Tower of Defense].
“Considering our current strength, this is as far as we go.”
Even though they weren’t even halfway through the dungeon, they were forced to turn back. Despite that, Celes didn’t sound frustrated in the slightest. After all, rather than being reminded of their own weakness, they were simply being reasonable.
Even the Rank 5 adventurers—a legendary party that’d achieved many heroic deeds—could only reach the wall of the aristocratic district. Meanwhile, even though they were only students, they managed to reach the city walls.
If they pushed through, the danger level would spike dramatically to the point where even a Rank 4 adventurer party could be annihilated in an instant.
Nobody regretted having to turn back here. Nor were they ashamed. Needless to say, it was simply time to withdraw.
“—Then, Celes and I shall enter, so please wait here for a moment.”
Yet, Nell refused to back down.
“No way, Your Highness—!?”
Celes and the other students were reluctant.
“It’ll be fine. We’ll return after defeating the boss. Besides, don’t you want to impress your fiancé?”
Nell devilishly stared at the line of students behind Celes. Among them, there was a low-ranking male student wearing plain glasses. Although it hadn’t been made public, he was engaged to the popular Celes Ann Arkwright.
Of course, she also knew that the two fancied each other. Knowing how wonderful love was, Nell sincerely congratulated the two, but… The straitlaced Celes must be adamantly thinking that right now wasn’t the time to mention that.
“—No, it’s not like that!”
“Ei~!”
Treating Celes’ desperate words of persuasion like air, Nell casually pushed the gate with a cute exclamation.
With Nell’s gentle push, the steel gate—which was thrice her own height—easily opened. It was as if the heavy gate would automatically open, welcoming anyone with the slightest intention to enter—not. As if a giant had kicked the gate with all his might, after a strange sudden acceleration, the door was open with a bang.
—Gaan!
In fact, it even made a loud metallic sound, as if a bell had been struck with an impeccable martial art. The gate opened majestically on both sides.
However, no one was surprised. The reason was because both Celes and the others had witnessed the extent of Nell’s power… a lot of time during their journey.
“All right, let’s go.”
Leaving that as a throwaway line, Nell stepped into the defensive tower where the fearsome ancient knights were waiting, her long black ponytail and white wings fluttering gallantly behind her.
“I-I’ll accompany you, Your Highness…”
The silver knight, with her shoulders slumped in both disappointment and fatigue, chased after the brave princess.
***
“Phew… I came this far, but I didn’t get anything of worth.”
What a shame… Nell lamented from the bottom of her heart.
Despite having defeated the strongest monster among those she’d encountered thus far, she still couldn’t obtain the suitable gift for Kurono.
Nell didn’t see the activity as dungeon crawling, but more so of shopping in the high-end brand stores in the city center, trying to find what she was looking for.
I want to find something that will make my beloved smile.
Not for her own training, let alone for wealth and glory, but for a man.
Was there ever an adventurer who challenged this dungeon with such a flippant attitude?
“Your Highness, please stay cautious.”
Immediately after defeating the Royal Guard, a voice called out to Nell. Of course, the owner was the student council president, Celes, aka her dependable comrade-in-arms. Although she seemed a bit worn out, she had no visible injuries.
The two skillfully worked together and successfully took down the boss.
“With Celes around, this level of opponent is nothing! I’m not even the slightest bit injured!”
“No, it’s all you, Your Highness.”
Celes wasn’t being humble, either. Anyone who saw the gruesome remains of the Royal Guard lying at the princess’ feet would say the same.
What awaited them within that room, the [21st Tower of Defense], was an armored knight-type that was the most difficult to defeat, even among the many variations of Royal Guard knights.
He was about three and a half meters tall. However, rather than a human, it was as if there was a wild minotaur instead. Well, considering that it was an undead body with only a skeleton left, it’d be difficult to guess the race.
The black armor, presumably made of dark matter alloy, was so thick and heavy that it could withstand a direct hit from an intermediate-level spell. However, it was nothing when compared to his tower shield. The huge shield seemed as if it’d been stripped from the castle wall itself.
Not only was the thickness of the shield two or three times that of the armor plate, its surface was imbued with an ancient enchantment that reflected magic. With such a shield, simply shooting magic in hope that it’d penetrate the armor wouldn’t work.
A heavy knight with an impregnable defense and an invincible magic reflection shield. As if that wasn’t enough, he also possessed supernatural strength proportional to his gigantic body. The sight of him swinging a massive ax capable of cleaving a house in two would be enough to make most adventurers flee in tears.
But said knight now laid face down in front of Nell in a devastating state. Like a boiled crab shell, his proud armor shattered and fell off, exposing the giant humanoid skeleton underneath. His left arm, which held the invincible shield, was bent from the elbow, lying in the corner of the room. As for the shield itself, it’d been split in half after some kind of impact.
It was as if a giant went on a rampage and ruthlessly tortured the knight to death. The one responsible for such a tragic sight was none other than Nell. Despite how nimble and precise Celes was, her power was still within the realm of senses. As such, her attack only cut through fragile parts, such as the heavy knight’s joints.
Surely, only a shameless man would claim that he played a part in the battle—especially after witnessing Nell’s resounding victory.
“I still have a long way to go. As it is, I’m not strong enough… I need to keep practicing.”
Smiling gently, Nell gave such a humble answer, and Celes couldn’t help but shudder. No one would believe that it was the same person who felled the heavy knight of [Divine Annihilation Realm]. In fact, during the battle, she was holding back. Yet, she said that she wanted to get stronger, unbelievable.
—In the first place, was she really Nell Julius Elrod?
In a month or so since they started conquering the [Divine Annihilation Realm], Celes kept asking herself the same question.
Despite having telepathic ability, Nell was unaware of Celes’ doubtful heart. Still hadn’t given up, Nell kept looking around the room. No matter how frustrated she whined, in the dimly-lit atrium of the first floor of the [Tower of Defense], neither glittering jewels nor ancient treasure chests materialized.
“Hey, Celes, that door—”
“N-no, you can’t, Your Highness! That door leads to the city!”
If they carelessly stepped into that door, they might get lost. After all, from here onwards, there was but little information about the city area beyond the ramparts, as the level of danger spiked even further. For the past several hundred years, seasoned parties did risk their lives to gather information on how to conquer [Divine Annihilation Realm].
In fact, the information was stored in the Avalon Guild Headquarters, but even so, only about 30% of the urban area was covered. Even the layout of the streets was unclear, much else back alleys and hidden passages. When it came to underground passages with old waterways and mysterious giant tunnels, that was completely uncharted territory.
Despite her extraordinary power, Nell was nothing more than an adventurer in front of the dungeon called [Divine Annihilation Realm].
“It’s all right. I just want to take a sneak peek outside.”
However, Nell, who failed to fathom even a shred of Celes’ anxiety, smiled, before casually pushing the double doors open.
“—Your Highness!”
Ignoring Celes’ cry, Nell peeked through the gap in the slightly opened doors.
“So, this is the ancient capital of Avalon…”
So far, they’d only passed through huge castle walls and the ruined perimeter. As such, the state of the city was unknown. After crossing the castle walls and setting foot inside the city, Nell saw the streets of the fallen imperial city for the first time.
The row after row of buildings in the distance caught her attention. A tower so tall, it reached heaven. On a closer inspection, it looked like a long, narrow rectangle. A bunch of them were scattered, resembling that of a forest.
Since she’d never witnessed anything like it before, she couldn’t gauge how tall the building was. Nevertheless, judging from the distance, it was safe to say that they were at the center of the city—the aristocratic district.
Above such an ancient tower, dark clouds soared in the air, from which bright crimson lightning scattered. A glimpse of the sky, which could be seen beneath the thick clouds, was blood red.
Presumably, the ominous red sky was the great ancient barrier that dispelled all divine protection.
The bleak cityscape, devoid of hope, was the embodiment of the end of the world. At the very least, the landscape that expanded in front of them was still within the realm of senses. Nell saw rows of ancient-style houses, which resembled those preserved in archaeological sites as part of national heritage. Nevertheless, since the place was still part of a military facility, a rugged square building made of sturdy bricks stood out.
“There doesn’t seem to be any enemy…”
Rather, there was no signs of them. Also, considering that not a single arrow flew at Nell, who was deliberately peeking through the door, ambush seemed unlikely.
Overwhelmed by the desire to explore a bit further, she took a step forward, but in the next second, Nell froze.
“T-that’s…”
She saw a red light. A flickering, bright red with poisonous glow.
Unconsciously, Nell’s gaze was drawn towards a certain figure.
“…Lily?”
A pair of shining wings. Lustrous platinum blonde hair. A black one-piece dress. The delicate body of a girl. No matter how she looked at her, the silhouette reminded her of that beautiful yet abominable fairy.
But Nell remained uncertain.
Although the girl closely resembled Lily, something was amiss.
If she recalled correctly, Lily’s wings would shine with a faint, opalescent color. However, the gleaming feathers that this girl sprouted were red, as if soaked in blood.
No, in the first place, the shape was different. Like other fairies, Lily’s wings looked like elongated leaves. But this girl had butterfly wings. Every time the wings fluttered quietly, crimson phosphorescence twinkled around, like flakes of scales.
Just how much magic was contained in a single particle?
Even from this distance of over 100 meters, Nell felt chills simply by looking at her.
“—!?”
At that moment, their gazes collided, and it reminded her of their first meeting in Ischia Castle.
At that time, Lily stood near the castle wall, staring as Nell hugged Kurono.
At that time, Lily shot her the same gaze, too.
That enigmatic smile was unmistakably Lily’s—still, it’s different. After all, the girl had heterochromia, in which her right eye was green, while her left was black. The green color definitely belonged to Lily; but her abyssal jet-black eyes seemed almost identical to Kurono’s.
Except for the wings and the eye color, the resemblance was uncanny.
Therefore, she had to make sure.
“Celes! We have to get back!”
Before she knew it, the figure that resembled Lily vanished into the shadow of a distant building. In fact, when their gazes briefly met, Lily was crossing the street. Nell didn’t have enough time to confirm whether or not it was her.
“Your Highness, what’s going on!? Is there a dangerous monster—”
“I’ll explain later! Quickly, we have to leave this dungeon right away!”
Nell immediately ordered them to withdraw. Celes’ eyes widened when she saw how flustered the usually carefree girl was. She had to wonder what kind of danger they were facing. However, Celes’ calm and composed personality prevented her from acting out of turn.
Soon, the members who waited outside the door were notified of the withdrawal, and quickly began to retreat. Amidst the relief from finally being able to leave that nightmarish dungeon, Nell was sweating bullets.
“That couldn’t be Lily…”
It has to be someone else.
She desperately convinced herself. Nell, who had a sharp instinct, was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness.
If Lily truly underwent such a drastic change, just how much power did she obtain? Nell keenly sensed it—something was not right. Within Lily’s skin, was the presence of a monster. A being that could only be obtained by forsaking something important—
—such as humanity.
“Aah, Kurono…”
Please stay safe…
She wished for his safe return from Galahad, and for their peaceful student life in Spada to continue…
All Nell could do was pray. In this realm of divine annihilation, which erased even the power of gods.
538 The 21st Tower of Defense
Touted as the toughest dungeon in the Pandora Continent, [Divine Annihilation Realm, Avalon], depicted the imperial capital of the distant past. The gigantic city at the center of the world, created by the Demon King—Mia Elrod—continued to exist to this day.
Presumably so.
No one could say for certain, as nobody had ventured into the deepest part of that dungeon. Through the ancient maps that could be obtained from relatively low-risk areas on the city outskirts, the general layout of the ancient imperial city of Avalon was roughly depicted as a residential area.
Based on the map, the construction itself was similar to modern times. A royal castle as the central focus, surrounded by an aristocratic district, and an urban area where ordinary citizens lived spread radially. In light of that, the search had progressed up to the city area.
According to history, the most seasoned and adept adventurers managed to reach the ramparts that separated the urban area from the aristocratic district. However, they were attacked by powerful guards who used ancient magic to protect the castle walls and were forced to withdraw.
—Back to the present, a group of daredevil adventurers had braved the toughest and worst unexplored dungeon.
“Your Highness, beyond this door, the Royal Guard awaits.”
A gorgeous knight, clad in brilliant holy silver mithril armor, led the party. Instead of a chainmail, she wore light armor that didn’t sacrifice mobility. Instead of a helmet, a circlet adorned her head. She had neither a shield nor a spear; with her only weapon being the saber strapped on her waist.
At a glance, she seemed like a knight, but her equipment said otherwise. She was a swordsman—a magic swordsman, judging by how her saber was beaming with light.
“You’re right, Celes. Despite the thick door, I can feel a strange presence.”
Contrary to Celes, who was somewhat tense, the princess answered—or rather, affirmed calmly. She was Nell Julius Elrod, the first princess of Avalon; the nation that claimed to be the successor to the Elrod Empire.
In the guild, Nell was no longer registered as a [Priest], but [Battle Maiden], just like Bellclausen. She wore a white and red shrine maiden outfit, which was both dazzling and sacred. After a short but intense training period, a pair of white gauntlets—which resembled that of a dragon’s arm—were fitted to her arms. Suffice to say, the distinct equipment didn’t befit the image of the dainty princess.
As if being drawn towards it, the white dragon’s arm lightly touched the tightly shut steel gate.
“…Your Highness, let’s turn back.”
As if she’d seen enough, Celes advised Nell, who was about to open the door.
“Oh, why?”
Genuinely oblivious, Nell, who was wide-eyed, tilted her head. Celes quickly averted her gaze as if she’d seen something terrifying.
“The boss here is dangerous. What if the number of victims increases?”
“Adventure always comes with the risk of death.”
“—Which is why adventurers prioritize their safety the most.”
“Hehe, that’s right. Certainly, in this party, only Celes and I can handle the Royal Guard.”
When Nell turned around, she saw the faces of boys and girls she’d become acquainted with over the past month.
Indeed, they were none other than a chosen few students who were the pride of this academy’s season. They were assembled to accompany Nell in exploring the [Divine Annihilation Realm]. Including Celes, the number of people was six. Of course, all of them were participants of the prestigious knight selection,
All the people there were talented individuals who were acknowledged by both themselves and others. Even if they were suddenly assigned to any chivalric order, these young aces were ready to fight.
…However, as of the present, said young aces were pale. In fact, the male students of the warrior class—who were known for their physical strength—were visibly out of breath.
“—If anything, I should commend you for coming this far.”
Nevertheless, they weren’t at the academy, where geniuses were praised and spotlighted, but instead in the middle of a dungeon where fearsome monsters lurked, unseen by anyone. Not to mention, it was also Pandora’s most difficult dungeon, the [Divine Annihilation Realm].
The giant corridor was basked in an eerie blue twilight, so much that they didn’t require a torch. The passageway was as wide as Avalon’s main street, while the ceiling was as tall as a four-story building. Decorations and patterns depicting motifs of ancient religions and myths covered the walls.
Nell and the others stood in a place where such artistic finish only added to the ominous background.
According to the map, it was the underground passage of the castle wall that surrounded the urban area. The steel gate in front of them turned out to be the door that led to a facility called the [21st Tower of Defense].
“Considering our current strength, this is as far as we go.”
Even though they weren’t even halfway through the dungeon, they were forced to turn back. Despite that, Celes didn’t sound frustrated in the slightest. After all, rather than being reminded of their own weakness, they were simply being reasonable.
Even the Rank 5 adventurers—a legendary party that’d achieved many heroic deeds—could only reach the wall of the aristocratic district. Meanwhile, even though they were only students, they managed to reach the city walls.
If they pushed through, the danger level would spike dramatically to the point where even a Rank 4 adventurer party could be annihilated in an instant.
Nobody regretted having to turn back here. Nor were they ashamed. Needless to say, it was simply time to withdraw.
“—Then, Celes and I shall enter, so please wait here for a moment.”
Yet, Nell refused to back down.
“No way, Your Highness—!?”
Celes and the other students were reluctant.
“It’ll be fine. We’ll return after defeating the boss. Besides, don’t you want to impress your fiancé?”
Nell devilishly stared at the line of students behind Celes. Among them, there was a low-ranking male student wearing plain glasses. Although it hadn’t been made public, he was engaged to the popular Celes Ann Arkwright.
Of course, she also knew that the two fancied each other. Knowing how wonderful love was, Nell sincerely congratulated the two, but… The straitlaced Celes must be adamantly thinking that right now wasn’t the time to mention that.
“—No, it’s not like that!”
“Ei~!”
Treating Celes’ desperate words of persuasion like air, Nell casually pushed the gate with a cute exclamation.
With Nell’s gentle push, the steel gate—which was thrice her own height—easily opened. It was as if the heavy gate would automatically open, welcoming anyone with the slightest intention to enter—not. As if a giant had kicked the gate with all his might, after a strange sudden acceleration, the door was open with a bang.
—Gaan!
In fact, it even made a loud metallic sound, as if a bell had been struck with an impeccable martial art. The gate opened majestically on both sides.
However, no one was surprised. The reason was because both Celes and the others had witnessed the extent of Nell’s power… a lot of time during their journey.
“All right, let’s go.”
Leaving that as a throwaway line, Nell stepped into the defensive tower where the fearsome ancient knights were waiting, her long black ponytail and white wings fluttering gallantly behind her.
“I-I’ll accompany you, Your Highness…”
The silver knight, with her shoulders slumped in both disappointment and fatigue, chased after the brave princess.
***
“Phew… I came this far, but I didn’t get anything of worth.”
What a shame… Nell lamented from the bottom of her heart.
Despite having defeated the strongest monster among those she’d encountered thus far, she still couldn’t obtain the suitable gift for Kurono.
Nell didn’t see the activity as dungeon crawling, but more so of shopping in the high-end brand stores in the city center, trying to find what she was looking for.
I want to find something that will make my beloved smile.
Not for her own training, let alone for wealth and glory, but for a man.
Was there ever an adventurer who challenged this dungeon with such a flippant attitude?
“Your Highness, please stay cautious.”
Immediately after defeating the Royal Guard, a voice called out to Nell. Of course, the owner was the student council president, Celes, aka her dependable comrade-in-arms. Although she seemed a bit worn out, she had no visible injuries.
The two skillfully worked together and successfully took down the boss.
“With Celes around, this level of opponent is nothing! I’m not even the slightest bit injured!”
“No, it’s all you, Your Highness.”
Celes wasn’t being humble, either. Anyone who saw the gruesome remains of the Royal Guard lying at the princess’ feet would say the same.
What awaited them within that room, the [21st Tower of Defense], was an armored knight-type that was the most difficult to defeat, even among the many variations of Royal Guard knights.
He was about three and a half meters tall. However, rather than a human, it was as if there was a wild minotaur instead. Well, considering that it was an undead body with only a skeleton left, it’d be difficult to guess the race.
The black armor, presumably made of dark matter alloy, was so thick and heavy that it could withstand a direct hit from an intermediate-level spell. However, it was nothing when compared to his tower shield. The huge shield seemed as if it’d been stripped from the castle wall itself.
Not only was the thickness of the shield two or three times that of the armor plate, its surface was imbued with an ancient enchantment that reflected magic. With such a shield, simply shooting magic in hope that it’d penetrate the armor wouldn’t work.
A heavy knight with an impregnable defense and an invincible magic reflection shield. As if that wasn’t enough, he also possessed supernatural strength proportional to his gigantic body. The sight of him swinging a massive ax capable of cleaving a house in two would be enough to make most adventurers flee in tears.
But said knight now laid face down in front of Nell in a devastating state. Like a boiled crab shell, his proud armor shattered and fell off, exposing the giant humanoid skeleton underneath. His left arm, which held the invincible shield, was bent from the elbow, lying in the corner of the room. As for the shield itself, it’d been split in half after some kind of impact.
It was as if a giant went on a rampage and ruthlessly tortured the knight to death. The one responsible for such a tragic sight was none other than Nell. Despite how nimble and precise Celes was, her power was still within the realm of senses. As such, her attack only cut through fragile parts, such as the heavy knight’s joints.
Surely, only a shameless man would claim that he played a part in the battle—especially after witnessing Nell’s resounding victory.
“I still have a long way to go. As it is, I’m not strong enough… I need to keep practicing.”
Smiling gently, Nell gave such a humble answer, and Celes couldn’t help but shudder. No one would believe that it was the same person who felled the heavy knight of [Divine Annihilation Realm]. In fact, during the battle, she was holding back. Yet, she said that she wanted to get stronger, unbelievable.
—In the first place, was she really Nell Julius Elrod?
In a month or so since they started conquering the [Divine Annihilation Realm], Celes kept asking herself the same question.
Despite having telepathic ability, Nell was unaware of Celes’ doubtful heart. Still hadn’t given up, Nell kept looking around the room. No matter how frustrated she whined, in the dimly-lit atrium of the first floor of the [Tower of Defense], neither glittering jewels nor ancient treasure chests materialized.
“Hey, Celes, that door—”
“N-no, you can’t, Your Highness! That door leads to the city!”
If they carelessly stepped into that door, they might get lost. After all, from here onwards, there was but little information about the city area beyond the ramparts, as the level of danger spiked even further. For the past several hundred years, seasoned parties did risk their lives to gather information on how to conquer [Divine Annihilation Realm].
In fact, the information was stored in the Avalon Guild Headquarters, but even so, only about 30% of the urban area was covered. Even the layout of the streets was unclear, much else back alleys and hidden passages. When it came to underground passages with old waterways and mysterious giant tunnels, that was completely uncharted territory.
Despite her extraordinary power, Nell was nothing more than an adventurer in front of the dungeon called [Divine Annihilation Realm].
“It’s all right. I just want to take a sneak peek outside.”
However, Nell, who failed to fathom even a shred of Celes’ anxiety, smiled, before casually pushing the double doors open.
“—Your Highness!”
Ignoring Celes’ cry, Nell peeked through the gap in the slightly opened doors.
“So, this is the ancient capital of Avalon…”
So far, they’d only passed through huge castle walls and the ruined perimeter. As such, the state of the city was unknown. After crossing the castle walls and setting foot inside the city, Nell saw the streets of the fallen imperial city for the first time.
The row after row of buildings in the distance caught her attention. A tower so tall, it reached heaven. On a closer inspection, it looked like a long, narrow rectangle. A bunch of them were scattered, resembling that of a forest.
Since she’d never witnessed anything like it before, she couldn’t gauge how tall the building was. Nevertheless, judging from the distance, it was safe to say that they were at the center of the city—the aristocratic district.
Above such an ancient tower, dark clouds soared in the air, from which bright crimson lightning scattered. A glimpse of the sky, which could be seen beneath the thick clouds, was blood red.
Presumably, the ominous red sky was the great ancient barrier that dispelled all divine protection.
The bleak cityscape, devoid of hope, was the embodiment of the end of the world. At the very least, the landscape that expanded in front of them was still within the realm of senses. Nell saw rows of ancient-style houses, which resembled those preserved in archaeological sites as part of national heritage. Nevertheless, since the place was still part of a military facility, a rugged square building made of sturdy bricks stood out.
“There doesn’t seem to be any enemy…”
Rather, there was no signs of them. Also, considering that not a single arrow flew at Nell, who was deliberately peeking through the door, ambush seemed unlikely.
Overwhelmed by the desire to explore a bit further, she took a step forward, but in the next second, Nell froze.
“T-that’s…”
She saw a red light. A flickering, bright red with poisonous glow.
Unconsciously, Nell’s gaze was drawn towards a certain figure.
“…Lily?”
A pair of shining wings. Lustrous platinum blonde hair. A black one-piece dress. The delicate body of a girl. No matter how she looked at her, the silhouette reminded her of that beautiful yet abominable fairy.
But Nell remained uncertain.
Although the girl closely resembled Lily, something was amiss.
If she recalled correctly, Lily’s wings would shine with a faint, opalescent color. However, the gleaming feathers that this girl sprouted were red, as if soaked in blood.
No, in the first place, the shape was different. Like other fairies, Lily’s wings looked like elongated leaves. But this girl had butterfly wings. Every time the wings fluttered quietly, crimson phosphorescence twinkled around, like flakes of scales.
Just how much magic was contained in a single particle?
Even from this distance of over 100 meters, Nell felt chills simply by looking at her.
“—!?”
At that moment, their gazes collided, and it reminded her of their first meeting in Ischia Castle.
At that time, Lily stood near the castle wall, staring as Nell hugged Kurono.
At that time, Lily shot her the same gaze, too.
That enigmatic smile was unmistakably Lily’s—still, it’s different. After all, the girl had heterochromia, in which her right eye was green, while her left was black. The green color definitely belonged to Lily; but her abyssal jet-black eyes seemed almost identical to Kurono’s.
Except for the wings and the eye color, the resemblance was uncanny.
Therefore, she had to make sure.
“Celes! We have to get back!”
Before she knew it, the figure that resembled Lily vanished into the shadow of a distant building. In fact, when their gazes briefly met, Lily was crossing the street. Nell didn’t have enough time to confirm whether or not it was her.
“Your Highness, what’s going on!? Is there a dangerous monster—”
“I’ll explain later! Quickly, we have to leave this dungeon right away!”
Nell immediately ordered them to withdraw. Celes’ eyes widened when she saw how flustered the usually carefree girl was. She had to wonder what kind of danger they were facing. However, Celes’ calm and composed personality prevented her from acting out of turn.
Soon, the members who waited outside the door were notified of the withdrawal, and quickly began to retreat. Amidst the relief from finally being able to leave that nightmarish dungeon, Nell was sweating bullets.
“That couldn’t be Lily…”
It has to be someone else.
She desperately convinced herself. Nell, who had a sharp instinct, was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness.
If Lily truly underwent such a drastic change, just how much power did she obtain? Nell keenly sensed it—something was not right. Within Lily’s skin, was the presence of a monster. A being that could only be obtained by forsaking something important—
—such as humanity.
“Aah, Kurono…”
Please stay safe…
She wished for his safe return from Galahad, and for their peaceful student life in Spada to continue…
All Nell could do was pray. In this realm of divine annihilation, which erased even the power of gods.
