The Purple Gem's Awakening
The wriggling started again. Wriggle. Wriggle.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong, Kael?”
I thought I’d heard something….
“It’s nothing….”
It was probably because the image of Eleanor being violated by those parasitic tentacle worms was still burned into my mind. I kept imagining I could hear the faint sound of worms squirming.
“Mm….”
Eleanor, having barely escaped the earlier crisis, looked utterly exhausted. She was trying to cover herself with the outer coat I’d given her, but it did little to hide her full breasts. She huddled with her body curled inward, clutching the collar so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Between the folds of fabric, angry red bite marks stood out clearly against her skin. Even her nipples—small compared to the generous swell of her chest—were swollen and marked, easily twice their normal size.
She had always been the one who smiled brightly to reassure everyone around her. Now that light was gone. For a long while we said nothing. Eleanor focused on steadying her breath while gripping my coat; I kept my sword ready and scanned our surroundings.
The labyrinth remained oppressively silent. Distant monster cries or the rumble of collapsing stone reached us now and then, but this immediate area felt almost peaceful.
After some time had passed and Eleanor’s breathing had evened out, I spoke carefully.
“How’s your magic power?”
“A little better.”
She offered a small, tired smile.
“I can’t fight back-to-back… but at least I should be able to support you, Kael.”
Brown motes of magic began gathering around her. A dense orb formed at her fingertips and shifted fluidly through several shapes at her will. The movements were sluggish, yet the forms held steady. It looked like the ability itself was intact. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“That’s a relief.”
“Yeah….”
Lucrezia had been swept away by the underground stream; the odds were high she’d ended up on the lowest floor. Descending in our current condition might be reckless. But if we retreated to the surface to regroup, she could face something even worse. The thought of never seeing her again was unacceptable.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
“Let’s move.”
Eleanor gave a silent nod. Our destination was the labyrinth’s deepest level, and the fastest route was the straight tunnel the tentacle monster had carved through the stone. I stared at the dark-red trail beyond the collapsed wall. It looked less like a passage and more like a savage wound torn through rock and floor. Shattered masonry and sticky dark-red fluid clung to every surface; fragments of still-living tentacles twitched here and there.
It felt repulsive, but it would be far quicker than navigating the labyrinth’s maze-like corridors.
“We’re going down this way.”
“…That way?”
Eleanor’s face stiffened for a moment as she gazed into the tunnel. I understood. Stepping back into the very path left by the creature that had just tormented her was no small thing. Still, we had no time to search for another route.
“If Lucrezia was carried by the stream, we need to head as far down as possible.”
“Right.”
Her answer was short.
“Let’s go, Kael.”
We stepped into the tunnel the tentacle monster had ripped open. The path sloped steeply downward. The ground was slick, the walls crusted with dried fluid and scraps of flesh.
Wriggle! Wriggle!
Every time Eleanor passed, the severed tentacle pieces reacted, twitching violently—until she pushed them away with a burst of magic. They slapped weakly against the stone and fell still. She wasn’t fully recovered, but she could repel these dying remnants easily enough. We picked our way downward, avoiding the slippery debris and lingering worms.
After descending for what felt like a long time, a low growl echoed from deeper in the tunnel. I adjusted my sword at once. Black shapes crawled out of the darkness. Other monsters were climbing up from below, using the tentacle beast’s path.
“Of all the rotten timing…”
Eleanor clenched her teeth. Instead of answering, I moved forward. The lead monster lunged.
Crunch!
My blade severed its foreleg. Two more immediately burst out behind it.
“Kael!”
A streak of brown magic power shot past my side. Eleanor’s spear of force punched straight through the creature’s torso. The blow lacked its usual strength, but it created the opening I needed. I swung hard. The monster’s body split halfway open, spraying black blood.
Eleanor staggered as though she might collapse, yet she kept her magic moving—raising shields to guard my flank one moment, lashing out with spears to disrupt the enemy the next. I exploited every tiny gap she gave me, sword flashing.
When the last monster finally fell, I was breathing hard. Eleanor leaned against the wall, shoulders heaving.
“You all right?”
“Yeah… I can manage a little longer.”
She forced a smile.
“We can’t keep Lucrezia waiting.”
I nodded. We continued downward along the dark-red trail. Before long the air changed. A fierce roar of water echoed from ahead.
“Hear that?”
“Yes.”
Eleanor gave a small nod. It was the underground stream. The tunnel widened. The marks left by the tentacle monster grew more pronounced—great grooves where its massive body had scraped the walls, scattered rubble, and dried fluids everywhere.
Rush—!
We finally reached the section where the stream that had carried Lucrezia flowed. In the pitch darkness the water still thundered past. But one thing was different now.
The blue ice fragments she had desperately created while resisting were gone. Whether the current had swept them away or they had simply melted, I couldn’t tell. Only the cold roar of water and empty traces remained. I stared at the flow, jaw tight.
Then—
“…?”
Something in a corner of the cavity beside the stream caught my eye. At first I thought it was a dead monster’s corpse. Large sections had been torn open; parts of it were crushed and sprawled across the floor.
“Kael.”
Eleanor had seen it too.
“Could it be…?”
“Yeah.”
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Lucrezia had brought this thing down. Hoping for any clue, I approached at once.
Wriggle.
The body I had assumed was dead twitched faintly. I readied my sword. Eleanor drew up what magic she had left and braced herself. Something felt wrong. It was definitely alive, yet its movements were… off.
Screee…
Its mouth-like opening parted, releasing a cry that blended a beast’s roar, an insect’s screech, and something disturbingly close to a human moan. The sound alone made my skin crawl.
“What the hell…?”
Eleanor muttered before she could stop herself. I felt the same. As we drew nearer the creature thrashed, trying to rise. Or rather, it attempted to. It crawled across the floor like a thing that had never learned to walk. Its twisted limbs pointed in conflicting directions; its torso hung limp, unable to hold any proper shape.
Squelch. Squelch.
It dragged its bulk forward but toppled sideways after only a few awkward movements. The sight resembled a newborn beast more than a monster. An instinctive sense of dread rose inside me. This thing could not be left alive. Without hesitation I stepped forward.
“Kael?”
Eleanor called out, but my sword was already in motion.
Schunk!
The blade pierced what passed for its head. The creature couldn’t even scream properly—only a malformed gurgle escaped its ruined throat.
Screeeeech…
The sound faded like air leaking from a punctured bladder. The limp body twitched a few more times, then lay still. I kept my sword buried for a long moment, watching in case it moved again. There was no further reaction. Only then did I withdraw the blade and examine the corpse closely.
Up close it was even more grotesque. Traces that resembled a minotaur were scattered across its body—thick slabs of muscle, jagged bone fragments like broken horns. Yet they looked less like a finished form and more like something that had begun to grow and then failed halfway. As though it had tried to become a minotaur and fallen short.
“…This is wrong,” Eleanor murmured, face tight as she studied the remains.
“They said the commanding entities suddenly multiplied near Tilen, right?”
“Yes.”
“And the place they flowed from was this labyrinth. The theory was that a breeding ground for monsters existed somewhere inside…”
She paused. Her green eyes grew cold.
“But what we just saw wasn’t a normal monster.”
“It looked like something that had been made but left unfinished.”
“Exactly.”
She nodded slowly.
“If the monsters aren’t being born naturally, but are being created somewhere in this labyrinth…”
I didn’t need to hear the rest. I silently adjusted my sword. We continued deeper. Deformed monsters appeared throughout the tunnel—none of them could be called normal living things. Fortunately they weren’t strong.
After walking for some time, a familiar blue glow caught my eye on one wall.
“…!”
I moved toward it almost on reflex. Ice clung to the stone. It was badly shattered, but the traces were unmistakably Lucrezia’s—ice formed by her magic. I reached out and touched the cold surface. It hadn’t fully melted; the mark couldn’t be very old.
“Kael.”
Eleanor came up beside me. She looked at the ice and gave a small smile.
“We found her trail.”
“Yeah.”
“At least we’re going the right way.”
The tension in my chest eased a fraction. Until now it had felt like we were chasing shadows. Now we had proof. Lucrezia had definitely passed this way.
“She really doesn’t go down easily,” Eleanor said with a quiet laugh.
“Of course not.”
“Right, Kael. Of course.”
For a brief moment both of us wore expressions of relief. Then—
Wriggle.
I lifted my head sharply. I thought I’d heard something again.
Wriggle.
There it was. The sound of movement, somewhere close. I readied my sword and scanned the tunnel. Eleanor gave me a puzzled look at my sudden reaction.
The passage was empty. No monster presence. Yet the sound continued.
Wriggle wriggle.
It felt as though it were right beside us. Without thinking I turned my gaze toward Eleanor.
“Eleanor.”
“Yes?”
I couldn’t speak right away. I wasn’t sure whether the sound I’d heard was really what I feared it was.
Wriggle wriggle.
“What’s the matter?”
She looked at me, confused. After a moment’s hesitation I asked,
“Did you just hear—?”
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from deeper in the tunnel. The shockwave shook the stone walls. Dust and gravel rained from the ceiling. Eleanor and I spun toward the sound at the same time.
“That was…”
“A fight.”
I gripped my sword tighter. The noise didn’t stop.
Crunch!
Rumble!
Something shattering. The heavy impact of a huge body slamming into rock. And then—
“GUOOOHHHH!”
A monster’s roar echoed from afar. Eleanor’s face went rigid.
“A minotaur?”
“Probably.”
I broke into a run, heading deeper. This location, combined with the ice we’d just found—it was too perfect to be coincidence.
“Kael!”
Eleanor hurried after me. The sounds of battle continued. We sprinted full speed toward the noise. The closer we came, the clearer the signs of combat grew. Large sections of the walls were frozen solid.
“Lucrezia…!”
Eleanor seemed to realize it too; she caught her breath. Soon the tunnel ended and a vast cavern opened before us.
“……”
The entire space looked like a war zone. Grotesque monster corpses lay scattered everywhere. In the center stood a creature that dwarfed all the others.
It was half minotaur in shape. But it was clearly wrong. Dark-red tentacles writhed across its body; misshapen limbs dangled grotesquely from its back. A monster that had tried to imitate a minotaur and failed. It roared madly and swung its massive arm forward.
GUOOOHHHH!
On the opposite side, blue light flashed.
Crunch!
A gigantic ice spear pierced the monster’s shoulder. The creature staggered violently. Then a figure appeared.
Golden hair. Blue eyes. A person covered in wounds, gripping a sword. It was Lucrezia.
She was breathing hard. Blood stained her everywhere. Clearly exhausted, she used her sword like a cane to stay upright. Yet her eyes burned with sharp focus. After steadying herself she raised the blade once more.
“Lucrezia!”
My shout rang through the cavern. Her body jerked. She turned, disbelief written across her face.
“Kael…?”
Her blue eyes trembled. For the first time since we’d arrived, relief softened the face that had been fixed only on the monster. The corners of her mouth relaxed—just a little. That was when it happened.
GUOOOHHHH!
The monster didn’t miss the opening. Its enormous arm tore through the air, swinging straight at her.
“Watch out!”
I shouted on instinct. Lucrezia turned belatedly, but it was already too late. There was no way to dodge at that range.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire cavern. Yet Lucrezia remained unharmed. A massive wall of brown magic power had risen between her and the monster’s arm, blocking the blow.
Crack-crack-crack!
Fissures raced across the barrier, but it held.
“Haa… haa…”
Eleanor grinned at me through gritted teeth.
“Seriously… I really can’t take my eyes off you for a second.”
Lucrezia’s eyes widened.
“Eleanor…?”
“It’s been a while, Lucrezia.”
Eleanor smiled wearily.
“We came to save you.”
Lucrezia couldn’t speak. She simply looked back and forth between us. Strangely, the weight crushing my chest felt a little lighter. The three of us were finally together again.
Of course the situation hadn’t improved. A giant monster still glared at us with open hostility, and everyone was exhausted.
But at least we were no longer alone. Lucrezia adjusted her grip on her sword; cold air began to pour from her. Eleanor gathered her brown magic once more. I leveled my blade at the monster. Just like we had done countless times at the academy, we naturally fell into formation. No words were needed.
“Haa!”
With a sharp shout I charged the monster.
* * *
Thud!
The monster’s neck twisted as it collapsed to the ground. I exhaled roughly and flicked the dark-red fluid from my blade. Eleanor leaned against the wall catching her breath. Lucrezia stared at the fallen creature for a long moment before slowly lowering her sword.
“Whew…”
Only then did the tension finally ease. I walked straight to Lucrezia.
“Lucrezia, are you all right?”
“What about you, Kael?”
She gave me a tired smile and looked me over. Then her gaze shifted sideways.
To Eleanor.
She was still clutching the coat I’d given her. Her large breasts remained covered in bite marks. Lucrezia fell silent. Uncharacteristically, she opened and closed her mouth several times.
“Eleanor…”
After whispering the name, she quietly approached and wrapped her arms around Eleanor’s shoulders without another word.
“You’ve been through so much.”
“Lucrezia.”
Eleanor lowered her head. Lucrezia gently patted her back. Seeing two women with such generous figures hugging each other—breasts pressed tightly together—felt strangely awkward. I deliberately looked away. Eleanor glanced at me and smiled.
“What’s the matter, Kael~? Feeling shy?”
“N-no.”
“You are.”
“I said I’m not…”
“You definitely are!”
Even exhausted, Eleanor managed to giggle. Lucrezia let out a small, helpless laugh at the sight.
“You two really haven’t changed.”
For a brief moment the atmosphere in the cavern softened. But we couldn’t linger. I brought up the important question.
“What happened after you were swept away?”
Lucrezia’s expression grew serious again. She looked toward the far side of the cavern.
“After the underground stream took me, I barely managed to escape where the current weakened.”
She paused to catch her breath, then glanced at the corpses littering the floor.
“The real problem started after that.”
“The deformed monsters?”
Lucrezia nodded at Eleanor’s words. She pointed her sword at a nearby corpse.
“At first there were only one or two. Their numbers kept growing, but most of them couldn’t even fight properly, so I managed. While cutting them down I felt something was very wrong… and that’s when I found that door.”
She indicated the enormous stone gate on the opposite side of the cavern. It looked nothing like the structures we had seen elsewhere in the labyrinth. It felt as if an ancient ruin had been sliced out and transplanted here. The gate stood at least ten meters tall. Both pillars were densely carved with unrecognizable runes and geometric patterns.
In the center was a single circular seal—overlapping rings and intricate lines that looked like a ward meant to contain something. But the seal was no longer normal. Dark-red tissue had crept up from beneath the door, wriggling as it burrowed between the ancient carvings.
Lucrezia turned from the ominous gate to face me.
“I believe the entire series of events is connected to that door, Kael.”
I nodded silently. Eleanor stared at the stone gate with a tense expression.
“Honestly, I really don’t want to go inside.”
Yet after coming this far we couldn’t turn back. We caught our breath, then slowly approached the gate. At that moment—
Hummmmm.
The entire door began to vibrate. The dark-red tissue writhed like living things. Black mist seeped out through the cracks.
“Stay back!”
Eleanor instantly raised a wall of magic. The black mist didn’t strike the barrier. It simply circled us slowly, as though examining us.
Creeeeeeeak.
With a deafening groan the massive stone doors opened by themselves. Dust and debris cascaded down as if they had not moved in centuries. Beyond lay a space that resembled a colossal temple.
Lofty ceiling. Pillars dozens of meters tall. Walls covered in indecipherable script and shattered reliefs. At the center stood a single huge altar. The surface was carved with the image of a winged being, and above it floated a purple crystal radiating brilliant light.
Thump. Thump.
Inside the gem, rays of purple light pulsed like a heartbeat. My feet stopped without conscious thought.
“That’s…”
Lucrezia swallowed. I couldn’t look away. It felt as though something were calling me.
One step. Another. Before I realized it I stood directly before the altar.
“Kael?”
Eleanor’s voice came from behind, but it sounded strangely distant. The crystal shone even brighter.
KWAAAAAAA!
Black mist exploded outward from within the gem.
“Kael!”
Lucrezia’s shout rang out, but it was already too late. The dark energy plunged straight into my body. A freezing sensation swept through me. Deep in my chest, something wriggled.
“Kael!”
Eleanor rushed over and grabbed my shoulder. Lucrezia seized my arm, checking my condition.
“Are you all right?”
“I… don’t know…”
At that instant, some of the black energy flowing from me seeped into them through their fingertips.
“Ugh!”
“…!”
Both flinched. But that was all. Nothing else happened. The black mist vanished without a trace, as though it had never existed.
Crack.
A small fracture sounded. We all turned toward the altar at once. The purple crystal’s light was fading rapidly. The once-brilliant gem lost its color in seconds and—
Plop.
Fell powerlessly onto the altar, as if the force sustaining it for thousands of years had been completely extinguished. The entire temple fell silent.
“…This doesn’t feel like a good thing,” Eleanor said anxiously.
“Kael, are you okay?”
Lucrezia’s face had gone pale. I stared at the fallen crystal for a long time. Something had definitely entered me. It was no illusion.
“Let’s take it with us.”
“Is that safe?”
“I don’t know.”
I slipped the crystal into my coat.
“But I think there’s someone who might be able to analyze it.”
The two women exchanged glances, then nodded. After one final look at the now-empty altar, we slowly left the temple behind.