The Seal
For the deepest floor of a labyrinth, it smelled surprisingly pleasant, S-class adventurer Alex thought.
As a member of the finest dungeon-clearing party, he had traversed countless demonic realms, yet this was the first labyrinth that carried such a captivating scent of roses.
Ordinary labyrinths ought to reek of rotting corpses and the foul stench of monsters. This one, however, was strangely clean, filled only with a pleasant fragrance.
"The scent of roses… As expected, the Dungeon of Immortality really is something else."
And as if to show that this peculiarity was not Alex's alone, his comrade and fellow S-class adventurer Nico spoke. At the words of the woman who boasted beautiful golden hair, Alex nodded as well.
"Yeah. Something's definitely different."
As Nico said, the place they now stood was the Dungeon of Immortality, called the world's most dreadful labyrinth.
In the distant past, a great demonic realm where a hero had sealed away the Progenitor Vampire who had threatened the world.
As an ancient place that even appeared in legends, the monsters that appeared here were all vicious things that exceeded B-class at the minimum.
Because of its notoriety and danger, the Adventurers' Guild had placed strict restrictions on clearing the Dungeon of Immortality, and Alex's dungeon-clearing party Red Moon had only just barely managed to meet those conditions today.
"…Don't let your guard down for a second."
The strongest dungeon-clearing party in history, Red Moon, composed entirely of S-class and A-class adventurers.
Having received permission from the Adventurers' Guild to clear the Dungeon of Immortality, they had, for the first time since the labyrinth's creation, managed to reach its deepest floor that no one had ever touched.
The monsters here were certainly powerful, but to the thirty of them who had accumulated countless experience and know-how, they were nothing more than puppies.
Even so, they could not afford to grow careless. Complacency was a shortcut to hell.
Moreover, as the deepest floor that no one had ever reached, they could afford to relax even less.
"Monster ahead!"
"…!!"
As they advanced, illuminating the pitch-black darkness with only torches and holy magic, the thief walking a step ahead shouted loudly.
-Kyaaaaaaak!!
"A Little Drago…"
It was a Little Drago, a miniature version of a dragon ranked among the highest even within A-class. As it approached at high speed with its terrifying fangs bared, Nico aimed her axe at it.
"Captain, should I handle it?"
"No. I'll do it."
Alex stopped Nico and drew his own sword instead. Then, advancing slowly forward, he split the Little Drago in half with a single strike.
-Kiiik…
The A-class monster turned into gray ash and vanished. It was certainly strong enough that a single individual could wipe out an entire village, but to Alex, who had spent over twenty years as an S-class adventurer, it was nothing more than a one-punch job.
"…"
Alex silently picked up the monster core the Little Drago had left behind.
Monster cores were like the hearts of monsters that appeared when you defeated them, and since they traded at high prices in the market, they were also the main source of income for adventurers.
…A monster core of Little Drago level would definitely fetch at least five gold coins.
True to the name of the Dungeon of Immortality, Red Moon had been able to scoop up monster cores of unimaginable value ever since entering the labyrinth.
If they returned alive and exchanged them, it was certain they would make the highest profit since the founding of the subjugation party.
"Whoa, a Little Drago's monster core! That'll be pretty lucrative, right?"
"…To think that only a Little Drago comes out on the deepest floor. The Dungeon of Immortality isn't as tough as I thought."
Seeing Alex handle the Little Drago, the subordinates began sharing their various impressions.
"Valuable jewels are just left lying around, and it's actually more comfortable than other labyrinths?"
"Right! Maybe the reputation as the most dreadful was just exaggerated over time?"
"…Don't talk so arrogantly."
Alex solemnly warned his subordinates who had let their tension slip in their chatter. But he himself was thinking the same thing.
For the deepest floor of a labyrinth, this place was too calm. The monsters that appeared sporadically were not a single one above S-class, there were no particularly outstanding traps, and only treasures of inestimable value were left lying around here and there.
"There must be even more treasures in the Progenitor Vampire's chamber, right?"
"Of course. It's the deepest part of the Dungeon of Immortality."
"Since we've come this far, how about we just undo the vampire's seal and kill it? Completely eliminate the worry, and get the vampire's incredible monster core too. Two birds with one stone, no?"
"Sounds good? After being sealed for a thousand years, its power should be completely drained. There's no reason the strongest subjugation party like us couldn't win."
"I told you not to talk so arrogantly!"
"S-sorry…!"
Despite his warning, he scolded the subordinates who were now even looking down on the legendary vampire.
Even if it was sealed, a calamity that had once threatened the world was an eternal calamity. It was by no means a simple monster to look down on and freely undo the seal of.
This isn't good…
Alex furrowed his brow.
In the loosened atmosphere, the subordinates' tension was gradually dissolving. A labyrinth teeming with monsters was another battlefield. No one knew what results a moment's carelessness could bring.
"Nico, keep a close watch so the kids don't do anything stupid."
"Got it. Don't worry."
With an uneasy heart, Alex entrusted the surveillance of the subordinates' unexpected situations to his vice-captain Nico. As an elf with a wide field of vision, she would surely be able to monitor everyone's actions well.
"…"
As they advanced for a long while, illuminating the way with torches and holy magic, a vast cave plaza appeared.
That expansive space that seemed like something out of mythology was emitting an overwhelming aura that overpowered the viewer.
And in the center of that place, something wrapped tightly in chains like a cocoon was dangling in the air.
"That's…"
"This is…"
Everyone in Red Moon who saw them could instinctively know.
"…The legend was true."
That that was the Progenitor Vampire sealed by the hero party a thousand years ago, and that this was the deepest part of the Dungeon of Immortality.
As if to prove it, the rose scent that had been felt for a while now intensified further to the point of numbing the tip of the nose.
Having reached the deepest part, Alex issued a command to everyone.
"Everyone, search the deepest part! Don't let your guard down since we don't know what might come out, and absolutely do not touch the vampire's seal! Keep in mind that our goal is not subjugation but the ancient relics that have been left here for a thousand years!"
"Understood!"
The purpose of this subjugation was not to undo the vampire's seal and deal with it, but merely to recover the thousand-year-old relics in the deepest part.
Alex warned and warned everyone again, and only after the subordinates nodded several times could they carry out the missions each had been assigned beforehand.
"I-I found it! An ancient magic tool!"
"Is this a holy sword…?"
Even though not even five minutes had passed since starting the search, everyone shouted while holding rare relics one by one.
"Pathetic fools."
…But the S-class adventurer and archmage of the subjugation party, Derin, had a different purpose. Looking pitifully at her comrades who were absorbed in the treasures, she herself approached the Progenitor Vampire whose entire body was tightly wrapped in chains.
"Ahh, this radiant light…!"
Examining the seal of the vampire who had been called humanity's worst calamity, Derin couldn't hide her admiration.
Even though a full thousand years had passed, an indescribably powerful magical power could be felt from the chains wrapping the vampire like a cocoon.
Ancient magic that even the saints of the time when this world was born were said to have created, magic whose formula one dared not even grasp.
And on those chains imbued with that magic, yellow-colored talismans were densely attached. They seemed like talismans drawn by the ancient Eastern shamans whose lineage was said to have been cut off now.
Legendary magics that could not be found anywhere now. What drew Derin's gaze more than simple ancient relics were things like these.
Especially the spells cast on these talismans were emitting mysterious and unknown magical powers that she was seeing for the first time. Even Derin, who was quite a renowned archmage, was feeling this magical power for the first time.
"Beautiful…"
Derin brought her face right up to the talisman. This too was probably playing an important role in sealing that vampire.
Just what kind of spell, what magic was cast that these small talismans could seal a monster called a calamity.
Derin blankly reached her hand toward it.
"…"
Fortunately, everyone was busy collecting relics and treasures and had no interest in her. Even the unlucky meddlesome elf Nico was currently turned away.
The captain had clearly repeatedly warned never to touch the vampire's seal, but Derin simply could not suppress her desire for research.
Just for a very short while—no, one second would be enough.
If she copied the formula of this talisman in that time, she could surely revive the ancient Eastern shamanism, and at the same time, Derin herself could leave a mark in history.
There were hundreds of talismans attached, so nothing big would happen just because one fell off. If necessary, she could just overlay her own sealing magic instead.
"Ahh…"
With her face flushed with anticipation, Derin began flowing her magical power into the talisman to interpret its formula.
But the moment her magical power touched the talisman, the talisman's formula caused an extreme rejection reaction and exploded, blowing Derin far away.
"Kyaaaaak!!"
The S-class archmage tumbling across the floor of the deepest part, covered in dirt. Everyone's gazes focused on her, and then the vice-captain Nico ran to her first.
"Derin! What happened! Are you okay?"
"Ah, ahh…"
Nico supported the fallen Derin's head and asked. But instead of answering, Derin pointed somewhere with a blank face.
"What? What's over ther…"
Nico's expression hardened as she looked at where Derin's finger was pointing. In her bright green eyes was reflected a small talisman that had been attached to the chains fluttering as it fell.
…One of the talismans sealing the Progenitor Vampire had fallen after the unknown explosion related to Derin.
In that extremely unsettling situation, Nico immediately grabbed Derin by the collar and shouted.
"Derin! What did you do! Why is the talisman falling?!"
"I-I just tried flowing my magical power into it…"
"You stupid bitch! Why did you flow your magical power into it!"
At Derin's foolish action, Nico grabbed the collar even tighter and yelled.
A moment's mistake in a labyrinth soon becomes a butterfly effect that brings the blade of death to everyone. Especially in a high-difficulty labyrinth like this Dungeon of Immortality, no one could predict what it would cause.
"Why do something you don't normally do?!"
"I-I was just curious about the formula…"
"Formula? You did that crazy thing just for a formula?!"
Nico unreservedly criticized Derin's ignorant action that was unlike her usual self.
No, this wasn't the time for that.
A talisman that had been sealing the Progenitor Vampire called the worst calamity had fallen, so nothing good could happen.
Whether they liked it or not, they needed to step back for a moment and observe the situation.
"Alex!"
Nico hurriedly called the subjugation captain Alex who was moving relics at the front.
"Huh? Nico? What's wrong?"
"We're in big trouble! We need to withdraw right no…. …!!"
…Nico's words calling for withdrawal were cut off.
At the same time, her gaze, Alex's gaze, the gazes of everyone in the dungeon-clearing party Red Moon, all turned as one to a single place.
The place their eyes were staring at was the very center of the deepest part, the cocoon of chains that had been sealing the vampire.
Thud, tuk.
The silver-colored chains that had looked as firm as steel began to loosen little by little and unravel.
Every time the chains moved, the talismans attached to them fell off like dry leaves. And the more that happened, the faster the chains unraveled.
Dozens of chains fixed to the cave walls gradually tore free as they lost their strength.
The seal that had been confining the vampire was coming undone.
"Uh…?"
"Th-the chains…?"
"The seal is coming undone…?"
The subjugation party members watching that scene gradually stepped backward.
Was it because they instinctively felt an ominous premonition from long experience, or because of the unconscious fear of the vampire they had only heard of in legends.
…The members who had stopped their missions and were stepping back had, before they knew it, gathered among themselves and formed a combat formation.
"The vampire's seal is coming undone! Everyone gather toward the plaza entrance and form ranks!"
In the unexpected situation, the first to regain composure was the subjugation captain Alex. He gathered all the remaining members who were still scattered and established a complete alert posture at the entrance of the labyrinth's deepest part.
Bang.
…Then, its seal completely came undone.
The chains snapped and lost the form of a cocoon, and what had been hidden inside for a thousand years finally revealed its form to the outside.
"Ah…"
Ash-gray hair that went past the waist.
Crimson eyes as if dyed with red blood.
A captivating naked girl with skin so pale it was white.
Even without anyone saying it first, everyone could know.
That the girl lightly treading the ground like a snowflake was the legendary vampire said to have been sealed a thousand years ago.
"A chill…"
"C-cold…"
Even just looking at the girl, a freezing chill and fear brushed past the skin of the Red Moon subjugation party members.
What was clearly before their eyes was only the appearance of a young girl, but an indescribable fear assailed them.
"My legs won't move…?!"
"Captain, m-my hands are shaking…"
"…"
The girl who had just been released from the seal was doing nothing, merely examining her own body.
But even though she was not applying any threat, the Red Moon subjugation party members could feel their knees going weak.
What should I do…
Subjugation captain Alex furrowed his brow.
In the completely unexpected situation of the legendary vampire's seal coming undone, just what choice must they make.
"…"
If it was now when she had no interest in them, they could escape without issue. But if they left that alone and let it come up to the surface, clearly tremendous chaos and damage would befall the surface.
"Damn it."
Alex twisted his expression at the completely unwelcome situation.
The hero who had sealed the girl in the distant past and the chains with ancient magic were no more. Perhaps right after the seal was undone, now when she was in her weakest state, was the optimal time for subjugation.
If they ran away leaving that calamity alone and let it regain its power, no one knew what would unfold. Clearly a great calamity beyond imagination would unfold.
And Red Moon, the cause of all that, would receive tremendous criticism across the entire continent.
…They had to deal with the mistake they had committed themselves.
"No choice, I guess…"
Having decided to take a hard line, Alex drew his sword and ordered his subordinates.
"Everyone prepare for battle!"
"A-Alex? Battle, are you serious?"
"Yes."
Nico was startled at hearing his order. But Alex only nodded shortly.
"Anyway, if not now, we can't catch that thing."
Since the seal had come undone after a thousand years, it was clearly not in its right mind. Before it regained its power as the Progenitor Vampire, now was clearly the optimal opportunity to subjugate the girl.
"Got it…. Everyone prepare for battle!"
"Prepare for battle!"
As even the vice-captain Nico stepped forward and raised her axe, the remaining twenty-eight subordinates also gained courage and took up their respective weapons. Only the archmage Derin, the cause of all this, was stepping back in fear.
"Magic unit! Prepare fireballs!"
"Understood!"
Alex shouted to the mages of the subjugation party.
…Vampires were in a way a type of undead. And undead were weak to fire. If they poured fireballs targeting now when the girl was half-asleep, clearly meaningful damage would go through.
"Everyone! Prepare the Third Form Flame Magic!"
Receiving Alex's signal, the blue-haired mage Karin prepared the mages under him. They, each a powerful mage exceeding A-class, deployed magic circles that were overwhelming just to look at.
"Everyone! Aim at the target! Fi…. …!!"
But Karin could not even give the fire signal to his subordinates. His face that had been confident, his head, as if crushed by something, suddenly burst spraying brain matter.
"W-what is th, kyaaaaak!!"
"Ka-Karin! What the hell is this?! Kuaaaaak!!"
…Not stopping there, all the mages of Red Moon who had been preparing flame magic together with Karin collapsed on the spot, spewing blood from every orifice of their bodies.
At the sight of the era's greatest mages collapsing all at once for an unknown reason, Alex's face rapidly darkened.
"What is this…"
The mages preparing magic had burst in an instant. At a phenomenon he had never heard or seen, Alex's mind became messy.
And then, an unfamiliar voice was heard.
"You guys are too noisy…"
A voice as clear as dew.
A pure yet colder voice than anyone's.
A voice where blood and tears could not be found.
"All of you shut up for a bit…"
…The Progenitor Vampire had spoken to them.
"Th-the vampire is speaking…"
Seeing that legendary monster speaking the same language as them, goosebumps rose all over Alex's body.
"…"
Alex looked at his comrades who had died spilling large amounts of blood. From the content of the vampire's words, this was clearly something she had done.
"Instant death without even a chant…?"
Beside him, vice-captain Nico collapsed losing strength in her legs at this shocking sight. As she said, snatching away multiple lives in an instant without a single chant was a magic technique that couldn't even be found in myths.
"Damn it."
…That was the power in a weakened state. If it regained its original power, from then on a true calamity would befall.
"Everyone raise your swords! Don't be afraid! We are the strongest subjugation party Red Moon!"
Since it had used that much magic without chanting in an unstable state, it would take quite some time to charge magical power and use the next magic.
Judging that now was the chance, Alex encouraged the remaining subjugation party members and ordered a simultaneous attack in close combat.
"The enemy won't be able to use magic for a while! Everyone attack simultaneously and annihilate it! The opponent is at its limit now!"
"How dare you to our comrades!!"
"Prepare yourself!"
"We'll show you the power of our Red Moon!"
Warriors renowned across the entire continent ground their teeth in anger and charged at the vampire all at once.
It's over, Progenitor Vampire.
Watching that scene, Alex smiled.
The warriors of Red Moon were strong enough that each individual could lightly handle A-class monsters. With such members carrying out a coordinated attack they had practiced for decades, no matter that vampire, with its magical power depleted, it would inevitably fall to them.
"I said it's noisy!"
"…!!"
But that was only Alex's delusion.
As the Progenitor Vampire swung her hand once with irritation, the necks of the warriors who had been surrounding and annihilating her were all severed at once.
…Countless ownerless heads rolled on the ground with dull sounds.
"Th-that's impossible…"
At the great catastrophe that occurred in an instant, strength left Alex's legs. Of the thirty-person subjugation party, now only three remained: Alex himself, vice-captain Nico, and Derin trembling in the corner.
With just two attacks, it had taken the lives of a total of twenty-seven A-class and S-class adventurers.
"Using that kind of magic twice in a row…?"
Using magic that instantly kills people consecutively, just what is its identity? Ancient magic? Was the idea that its magical power was depleted just his own delusion? Or did it use something different from magic?
"Alex! Snap out of it!"
"Ni-Nico…"
Vice-captain Nico grabbed and shook Alex who had fallen into panic from the fear he was feeling for the first time since starting as an adventurer.
"It's over now! We have to run!"
She pointed with her finger toward the exit of the deepest part and shouted.
"I'll try to buy time so at least you take Derin and esca…. Ugh…!"
"Ni-Nico…?"
But Nico couldn't finish her words and lost her balance and collapsed. As her body hit the ground, her head with beautiful golden hair separated from her body and rolled across the floor.
"Nico!!"
Alex screamed seeing his comrade-in-arms who had become a headless ghost. In less than five minutes, all his comrades who had been like blood relatives had died.
Anger swirled in Alex's heart.
"Y-you dareee!!"
It was anger enough to make him forget the fear. Now it didn't matter what happened. He gripped his sword and charged at the Progenitor Vampire.
"Dieee!"
As he swung his sword down powerfully, a blue sword aura swept toward the vampire like a tsunami riding the floor.
It was a powerful attack containing Alex's soul that could crush everything, but the vampire just stood still without any intention of dodging, showing no special movement.
She merely swung her hand to one side.
"…!!"
…Then Alex's sword aura, as if blocked by a huge wall, twisted its path of progress in the direction the vampire had swung her hand.
"Controlling someone else's magic…?"
At his magic that had twisted its path against his will, all of Alex's will to fight was lost.
Interfering even with magic activated by another, just how was one supposed to fight such a monster.
"…"
"Ugh!"
As the vampire swung her hand once more, this time a stinging sensation was felt at Alex's neck. And then, his gaze gradually began to lower.
Sensation of his body disappeared, his vision started spinning, and eventually he hit the ground.
"Ah…"
Alex realized.
That his head had fallen.
That he too would soon go to meet his comrades.
"…"
Before long his vision went dark.
"U-ugh…"
And only the archmage Derin, the cause of this entire spectacle, this catastrophe, remained to watch it all.
Her terrified eyes that had been stuck in the corner met the red eyes of the ash-gray-haired girl who had killed everyone.
"M-monster…"
Indescribable fear.
That is not a creature of this world.
That is a calamity of humanity.
"U-uaaaaaaaaah!!"
Derin abandoned everything and began sprinting at full speed out of the labyrinth's deepest part. In the ears of her running madly, the sound of her own heart rang out like a trumpet.
"U-uaaaaah!!"
She looked back with a scream.
Fortunately the vampire was not chasing.
But even so the fear did not subside.
"I-I…"
…Behind the fear wrapping like tentacles, the shadow of guilt also fell.
Unable to endure a moment's greed for magical research, she had undone the vampire's seal that had lasted a thousand years.
In the two eyes of Derin who had unintentionally directly caused this hellish catastrophe, thick tears began to well up.
"I-I just…"
She muttered blankly.
"What have I done…?"