Chapter 118
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: God
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The heavy, cold sensation of seawater suddenly blanketed the entire battlefield. For a split second, he wondered if it was an illusion, but the feel of the water against his skin confirmed it was all too real.
'Illusion Manifestation?'
He stared at the demon who had abruptly crashed into the fray—one with pink hair that marked her as a succubus. No mere hallucination could affect someone with his unyielding spirit. This had to be a materialized phenomenon.
But to materialize an illusion on this scale...
'No wonder the Fallen Mirror fell.'
Internally bumping up his assessment of this dungeon's danger level, Lumen cleaved through the raging waves, swinging his sword wreathed in radiant light.
-Kaaang!!
But his blade was halted by skin covered in blue fins.
Another demon who had invaded the battlefield. Among demons, sirens were exceedingly rare, yet here she was, glaring at him with fury pouring from her every pore.
[How dare you target my lord's life...!]
Aqua—who had somehow upgraded her way of addressing Eugene to "my lord"—was unleashing her full power within the illusory ocean Lilith had conjured.
-Kwarrrruk!!!
The battlefield was already under immense pressure from the deep-sea environment she had manifested, and now the water pressure intensified further, crushing Lumen from all directions. Even as jets of water bored into his body, he incinerated them with his aura and casually swung his sword.
[Kuh...!!]
Once more, scales—the siren's pride—sprouted across her skin to block the sword, but unlike before when she had effortlessly repelled the heroes' attacks, they shattered into pieces this time, blood flowing freely.
[What... The pressure bearing down on me right now, and yet this speed and power...!]
When her lord had urgently summoned her to help that blood-scented woman, Aqua hadn't been thrilled about it. She had entered the battle with her rage fully charged, but now she realized the opponent before her was no pushover. She glanced sidelong at Erzsebet, whose wounds were regenerating.
'Her speed's slowed considerably. That succubus... Did she exhaust her power on the illusion? No need to prioritize her. The manifested illusion won't dissipate anyway. Better to...'
Having tested his physical condition and the water pressure with a light swing, Lumen ignored Aqua—who was glaring daggers at him—and unleashed his aura toward Erzsebet.
'Let's see if she regenerates even when vaporized whole.'
-Kwaaaa!!
Even in the deep-sea environment, the radiance shot forth undimmed. In this depth, he might be slowed too, but the other demons—especially that siren—would face even greater restrictions on their movements.
So it should reach just fine...
"Korruruk!"
"...What the hell are you even saying."
-Whirrk!!
'Hm?'
Contrary to Lumen's assumption that she would be hampered like him, Erzsebet dodged his slightly slowed strike without any reduction in her own speed.
She shot an irritated glance at Aqua, who was chattering away but only producing bubbling sounds underwater.
"Fine, whatever. You're the master's gift to me, right? Come at me. And bleed a bit more while you're at it."
[What the hell does that mean, you arrogant bitch! I was helping out of respect for my lord's face!]
"...Can't understand a word, but it pisses me off immensely."
[Representative Employee]:Aqua
Additional Effect: All employees are granted the 'Underwater Breathing' effect.
Erzsebet spoke calmly even underwater. She couldn't see it, but a message appeared before her, Lilith, and Aqua—though Aqua hardly needed it—notifying them that the 'Underwater Breathing' effect had been applied.
Far from a mere removal of breathing constraints, this potent effect eliminated all movement restrictions as well.
"As for why you can breathe and move properly... Eh, the master must've done something."
-Charruruk!!
[Hey! Don't pollute the water!]
Aqua freaked out beside her, but Erzsebet ignored it and replenished her blood into the seawater. Dark red blood mixed into the blue, murky waves, making Aqua grimace, but knowing now wasn't the time to be picky, she clicked her tongue and manipulated the currents.
"Hah... hah... I've reached my limit... just manifesting this environment..."
Since illusion or dream powers were a bad matchup against him anyway, Lilith—who had fulfilled her role by manifesting the deep sea—quietly fell back.
As the second round began, a torrent of blood and seawater assaulted Lumen, only to be vaporized by the ceaseless bursts of radiance. She shrank back watching it, then glanced sidelong at the area behind him.
'There was another human back there just now...'
She couldn't help against the hero herself, so maybe targeting that other human from behind would be better.
'[Employee Management]... Save it for a decisive moment. Could use it for a sneak attack too. But with Lil and Pandora handling things outside and gaining the upper hand, send reinforcements that way...'
Monitoring multiple battlefields through the [Robot Vacuums] scattered like CCTVs throughout the ruins, I sighed in relief at having sent Aqua and Lilith to rescue Erzsebet just in time.
It had taken a bit to reach Aqua on the lower floor and for Lilith to gather power for her urgent illusion, but any later and Erzsebet would've been done for. In the pinch, I'd even registered Lilith as an [employee].
'Damn. What a real monster. Can't even see him properly... Next up... Huh?'
As I watched Lumen rampage wildly through the cameras and reached for my next measure, I spotted another [employee]'s position on the map I'd left open while relocating Lilith and Aqua. I freaked out.
"...Why the hell are you there...?"
I stared and hurriedly tried to activate [Quick Teleport], but unlike with Aqua—who had no cooldown—using it on Lilith meant a reuse timer was now in effect. I bit my nails.
"Rio...!!"
"This is... the sea?"
Behind Lumen.
Jeanne had been dazedly watching the battle between Lumen and the unidentified demons, with no chance to intervene, when two more demons burst in. Suddenly, a faintly salty water barrier formed before her eyes, and Lumen vanished. She panicked.
Judging by Lumen's presence and the ominous radiant aura still lingering, she couldn't see properly, but it seemed the area ahead was submerged in this seawater, with Lumen fighting inside.
'I need to help too...!'
Unsure what to do, Jeanne steeled herself, blessed herself, and prepared to dive in.
Her mind was a mess from the shocking, unexpected situations, but her reason for coming here was to aid Lumen and the heroes in conquering the dungeon. She appreciated Lumen's consideration in protecting her during her first real battle, but she couldn't stay confused forever.
"Hoo... Alright. Here g—!"
The moment she resolved to join the demon fight,
"Why is everyone gone...?"
"Eek...?"
A frail girl's voice came from behind Jeanne.
Whipping around into combat stance, Jeanne found a red-haired girl who looked utterly harmless, rubbing her eyes while riding on the back of a uniquely fiery puppy (hellhound), approaching.
The heroes' sudden raid had drawn all available forces from the ruins to the battles, leaving no one to mind Rio. Lately hooked on riding her hellhound, she had dozed off from exhaustion. Waking to noisy sounds somewhere and finding no one around, she rubbed sleepy eyes and wandered the ruins searching for other demons.
"Ah! Someone's he—!"
Rio, rubbing her eyes, spotted a distant shadow and rushed over, assuming the missing adults were there.
"A h-human...?!"
"A-a kid...?"
They came face-to-face.
"H-human! How did a human get here!"
"A-a little girl...? Why's a child in a dungeon assault...?"
Rio froze at discovering a human. Jeanne froze at finding—even if a demon—a little girl in what she thought was a dungeon full only of dangerous, powerful demons.
Both stood stock-still, stammering uncertainly.
And the first to bravely act was Rio.
"I-intruder! How dare you barge into Master's dungeon!"
Imitating the cool Erzsebet she'd seen before, Rio—emboldened by once defeating an intruding hero—gripped her ever-present [High-Pressure Cleaner] with a spark of courage and pride.
Though startled by the girl, Jeanne snapped to attention at the intruder in the dungeon and the hostility in Rio's eyes, readying herself to invoke a miracle at any moment.
But...
'...H-how...'
She tried to muster hostility, but the girl's trembling legs—bravely fighting fear yet unable to shake it off fully—and her teary eyes sapped Jeanne's will to curse or attack.
Instead, anger surged.
"...This dungeon's master. Sending a child like this into battle. What a piece of trash...!"
On the way in, she'd seen the demons' village. The demons living like ordinary humans there all wore smiles, praising their master—the dungeon lord.
That scene had sparked curiosity about the master, but who knew it was scum arming(?) a child and sending her to the front lines.
"I was wrong. Demons are all..."
"Don't badmouth Master!"
Rio yelled indignantly at Jeanne's muttered curses about the dungeon master.
"Master's not bad! You're the bad ones! Coming to our quiet village and killing everyone...! Killing my sisters and brothers too...! Letting me go on purpose and hunting me down little by little...!"
"...What?"
Her past grievances bursting forth, she poured out her rage in a tearful voice. Her fear vanished, the trembling gone.
Hearing Rio's desperate cry, Jeanne felt her forced anger fade, replaced by burning guilt.
A pure child's shout, unstained. But instead of joy and hope, it was tainted with hatred and pain. In that moment, Jeanne unwittingly resented the divine power granted her.
Eukrasia's authority made it crystal clear: the crying demon girl's words were sincere truth.
"Master saved me! Fed me! Gave me a home! Saved my sisters and brothers! But you humans come every day trying to kill Master first! Even when I begged Master to go out with me, he stayed here and never did anything bad!"
"...Stop..."
"You're the bad ones! Evil humans! I-I, for Master, to bad humans like you...!"
"Stop it......"
"I'll punish y—Huh?"
Fuming, Rio—fear conquered by anger and loyalty to her master—aimed her [High-Pressure Cleaner] to unleash flames, but faltered seeing the human girl clamp her ears and curl up.
'Demons are all wicked. They can never coexist with humans...'
'We were living quietly! They killed all my sisters and brothers!'
'Don't let your guard down just because they seem weak. Weakness doesn't mean virtue. Given power, they'll slaughter humans...'
'P-please spare our child...!'
'This is all the will of God.'
"...Ughhh!!"
A wave of revulsion crashed over her. The unease she'd felt since the journey intensified. The strange aura enveloping her since entering the dungeon lifted, and her holy power shone clearer than ever.
'Follow where the light points. And you shall...'
The divine revelation echoed in her ears. Eukrasia's command to abide where the light led. And the heroes and priests always crying 'God's will.'
"Saintess."
"Ahh..."
Lumen's voice came from behind the enlightened Jeanne.
"Mo-more... my limit..."
"Kuhuk...!"
The deep-sea waves filling the space receded as Lilith's illusion power waned. Aqua—fins torn—and Erzsebet—out of blood to regenerate, a wretched sight—barely clung to life.
Lumen eyed Jeanne slumped on the ground and the bewildered Rio before her, with cold eyes.
"Did that demon harm you, Saintess?"
"...Lord Lumen..."
"Blasphemous...!!!"
Face twisting, Lumen instantly drew his sword and fired radiance, potent enough to slaughter the dumbstruck child demon in one blow.
And...
-Kaaang!!!
"...Saintess?"
"Wh-what...?"
A dazzling light.
Even brighter and warmer than Lumen's radiance—embracing the wounded—descended, deflecting his attack. Jeanne rose protectively before the terrified, collapsed Rio, and questioned Lumen with all her pent-up doubts and unease.
"...Lord Lumen. You said it yourself: killing demons, driving all demons from this land—that is God's will."
"...Yes. Saintess? Why block me..."
"Then... one question."
"Who is the 'God' you so fervently proclaim?"
No priest. No hero.
Had ever cried 'God's will' without invoking the continent's sole deity, humanity's god: Eukrasia. That dissonance dawned on her.
".....That would be."
As Lumen slowly began to answer, a blinding—yet utterly ungentle—radiance poured from his body.
Not just that: from his armor, ring, bracelet—all his holy relics—viscous light oozed, dyeing him. Instead of words, as if tugged by an unseen force, he drew his sword like lightning.
-Kwaaaang!!!
"Kuhk...!!"
Blocking once more with miracle's power, Jeanne gazed at the now expressionless Lumen with trembling eyes.
"Lord Lumen...?"
"...In the name of the One True One."
Invisible. Proclaiming some unknown god's will, Lumen swung at the proxy of the One God, Eukrasia.