Betrayed into the Abyss

The fight was over. The two immense presences brimming with massive mana had vanished. They were such overwhelming forces that anyone with even the faintest sensitivity to mana could sense it without needing detection magic.

The survivors realized this and sprang into action.

"Move!! Hurry!! Find Haku the Hero!!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Search every inch!!"

"Damn it!! If only we had rangers or detection mages!!"

The Forest of Beginnings always reset to its original state, so with just a compass and map, there was no need for detection-class jobs—the place was perfectly mapped out. The monsters were weak, and there were no traps, so no one had brought search specialists. In fact, bringing the empire's elite Praetorian Knights' 1st White Squadron to the Forest of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Beginnings was already an absurd overkill.

"You lot, get out of the forest fast and fetch detection adventurers!!"

"Yes, sir!!"

"Let's go!!"

"We have to find Haku by tonight!!"

Renault Baluang said this anxiously. The Forest of Beginnings restored every change after just one day. If they didn't find him now, the scars of this mythic battle would vanish, any trace of Seokgil would disappear, and tracking him would become nearly impossible. Plus, under the effects of Kanami's potion, he was probably in an extremely weakened state— he could die to a passing goblin or horned rabbit if he wasn't careful.

"We'll help with the search too."

"N-no, sir. The heroes' safe return is the top priority. Please head back first..."

"We can't do that!! We have to find Haku!! We must find Haku!!"

"Anyone who wants to go back, do it now. The chairman and I are joining the search."

Seigen and his lackeys, along with Yukihime, Erika, and Kanami, all joined the pursuit. Fujiwara Yuki, the F-Class homeroom teacher, and the rest were mostly in panic from the war, while the delinquents were too scared and chose immediate retreat. And so the search began.

"B-bro!? Where are you!? Bro!!?"

"Seokgil!! Seokgil!!"

"Haku!! Where are you!? Haku!!"

The three women's anxious voices echoed through the Forest of Beginnings.

The massive crater left by Flamma's self-explosion.

"Damn it."

Scraaaape. I was clinging to the wall of this bottomless pit by jamming my sword into it. Fortunately, using the bastard's corpse as a shield had worked perfectly. That's how I'd survived the black flame explosion.

But the shockwave from the blast had wrecked my body. And with the potion's side effects piling on, I couldn't even twitch a finger.

Right before the side effects drained all my strength, I'd barely managed to use air-step to create a mana platform and stab my sword into the wall near the pit's edge. That had let me hold on.

Even then, it might've been okay—at least I'd have had enough strength to keep gripping the sword. The real problem was—

Drip, drip.

Cough...

Flamma's right arm impaled in my gut.

His corpse had definitely blocked the black flames, but not the shockwave. The secondary blast had shattered it like a grenade, scattering fragments. And unluckily, one sharp-clawed hand connected to its arm had pierced my abdomen.

'Even in death, the fucker attacks me.'

Of course, I didn't regret using the corpse as a shield. Without it, I wouldn't have just been pierced—I'd have burned to ash.

But because of it, my consciousness kept fading. I knew this feeling too well. It wasn't my first time.

'Death is near.'

Luckily, unlike the modern world, this one had the goddess's healing miracles and potions that could fully restore even severe wounds like this.

The problem was, someone had to find me before I croaked.

Another problem: I'd drifted far from my original spot fighting Flamma. And this crater, while wide, wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as huge as the explosion should've made it. It was compressed with malice to kill me for sure. But it plunged endlessly deep below.

Anyway, 'Please, someone come...'

I couldn't even send a signal with my voice from here. Yelling that loud would make blood gush out.

And it seemed the goddess who summoned me to this world wasn't such a prick after all.

Clack, clack.

Clear footsteps of a human were approaching.

"Kotono? Over here?"

"Yes, Chairman. My ninja job's tracking skill confirms it."

The voices weren't exactly welcome. Soon after, a man's head peeked over the crater's edge.

"Oh, you're really here. Haku."

Student council president Minamoto Seigen was there.

"You look like hell."

He gazed at me with his usual smug grin.

'Not the ideal rescuer, but beggars can't be choosers.'

"So? You see it all? If you have, pull me out quick."

I'm dying here. Seigen reached out his hand to me. I mustered every ounce of strength, reaching up with my free hand—the one not gripping the sword in the wall—to grab his.

Just as I thought I might live—

"You little shit..."

I froze my rising hand. Because—

Crackle!! A talisman that had formed in Seigen's hand unleashed a fierce pale bolt straight at me.

The current was about taser-level—back in the modern world or even after coming here, it wouldn't have hurt me at all. But now...

I felt a question bubble up inside.

"What the hell?"

From my side, I wanted him dead, sure. But from his, there wasn't that much grudge, right?

Seigen dropped his smug look, his face going blank.

"I can't let trash like you have my Yuki."

Yuki is mine. No one else's. That's how it has to be.

"What the fu—"

Before I could finish—

Crackle!!!

"Gaaah!! Fuck!!!" I lost my grip on the sword handle from the electric shock. Even as I fell, I screamed at him.

"You motherfucking piece of shit!! Seigen!! Yukihime!! You rotten Minamoto bastards!!! I'll kill you all!!"

"Wow, even on the brink of death, your voice alone gives me chills. But don't worry, Haku. You'll be recorded as missing after a heroic sacrifice."

With that, my body plunged into the endless darkness below.

Darkness. Nothing but endless darkness.

My consciousness fades farther. A sensation I'd felt once before—the total erasure of awareness—overwhelms me again.

Then, in my breaking mind, a sound rang out.

With that, my consciousness cut out completely.

The hero assault in the Forest of Beginnings turned the Roman Empire upside down. Of course it did—nearly a thousand demons, forces you'd only see on the front lines, had brazenly appeared near the capital. It was a grave national security threat.

"Find the cause, no matter what!!"

The emperor immediately issued an edict, pouring resources into investigation while bolstering defenses across imperial territory. But with the demon hordes pressing from the north, they were chronically short on troops—no clever solutions emerged.

"The eastern Jin Empire... they're at war too, so no. Send letters requesting aid from the elves and dwarves. And increase adventurer numbers."

That was it.

And there was more shocking news.

"Th-the goddess has issued an oracle!!"

"The demons that invaded the Forest of Beginnings weren't ordinary!!"

Demons evolved from monsters, apex ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Archfiends of each race—beings that surpassed even them.

"The Demon King, stimulated by the goddess summoning heroes from another world, scraped together his forces to create them..."

The goddess dubbed these closest aides to the newborn Demon King, who surpassed even Archfiends, the Four Heavenly Kings.

Just as the goddess faced restrictions on world interference, the Demon King—born from shards of shattered gods—had many limits too. That's why, despite his power, he couldn't leave his Demon King Castle. Humanity had always been able to subjugate him there, in that fixed spot.

But the Four Heavenly Kings were on another level from Archfiends, whom human powerhouses could handle. It meant the war had entered a new phase.

And the otherworld hero Seokgil, who felled the first of these Four Heavenly Kings, became a legend to many. The emperor ordered a grand tomb and a massive golden statue placed prominently in the capital.

He was effectively treated as dead.

As for the summoned group: the homeroom teacher and five civilians, overwhelmed by the fight, lost all will to fight and holed up in the palace. Only after much time, once the mental shock subsided, did they tentatively resume light training.

Swoosh!! Swoosh!!

"Yuki, maybe rest now..."

"The young master is right, miss..."

"No!! I'm still too weak!! Back then... if I'd been able to help Haku!!!"

Some burned with renewed resolve instead. Yukihime was one.

"Eritchi knows... Bro ain't the type to die that easy!!"

"Y-yeah!! Seokgil couldn't have died like that!!"

"That's right!! So we gotta get strong to help Bro when he comes back!! We will be useful to Bro!!"

"I-I'll make stronger potions!! Stuff that'll help Seokgil!!"

Erika and Kanami too.

The world spun on without him.

Shifting scenes to Maximilis, the imperial capital, in the grandest cathedral of the Luminus faith. In the central chamber before the goddess statue—so lifelike it seemed alive—Matthias, fresh from the front lines, knelt and prayed. Then he began recounting recent events.

"That concludes my report, Goddess."

As Matthias finished, the statue's eyes flashed gold.

Matthias was conversing with the goddess here. She could issue oracles or speak to anyone, but it was far less draining with saints or saintesses—those whose wavelengths matched hers best, modeled after her image. So she usually conveyed her will through them. Of course, in true emergencies, she'd speak to anyone. The conversation continued.

"Your words honor me..."

It was beyond even the goddess's expectations—a chilling surprise. She'd nearly lost her painstakingly fetched SSS-grade hero before he could shine!

But there was a silver lining.

"Indeed, truly."

"Yes, we'll honor him with the utmost respect."

Matthias bowed even deeper, overwhelmed with awe.

"Yes, someone whose talent overflowed enough to best the true hero in a duel."

"???"

A flicker of confusion crossed Matthias's face as he listened. The goddess, attuned to him, caught it immediately.

"No, it's... who is 'him'?"

"Pardon my impertinence, but the hero's job holder was a woman, not a man..."

The goddess's voice—stern yet infinitely benevolent, commanding universal devotion—turned utterly dumbfounded.

A panicked tone followed.

"Lu-Luminus?"

Hearing the goddess babble incoherently for the first time, Matthias felt his mind go blank.

[....]

Silence followed.

Soon after—

Matthias heard the goddess cry for the first time in his life.