276 - - a three-headed keeper

The place was open beyond comparison with the other places I had been to.

The ceiling is frighteningly high and spacious.

The width, however, is only about twice as wide as the passageway we have passed so far.

Even so, the depth illuminated by the dim light extended far beyond the end of our field of vision.

The place to which Kikiriri led us was a subterranean cavern of tremendous length.

The view of the cavern, colored by the pale light of the molten rock, was mesmerizingly fantastic.

However, there was one element that spoiled the view.

It was the deafening sound of laughter.

It was coming from one of the monsters.

Clinging to one wall, the demon was so strange looking.

The reddish-brown skin of the creature suggested that it was probably of a certain age.

He had no hair, including his eyebrows, and his ears protruded somewhat disproportionately to the sides.

The eyes were pupil-less and covered with a cloudy white membrane.

There are many things that are not clear, but at any rate, the face looks like a human being.

The creepy man opened his mouth wide in an unsightly manner, and was laughing with a laugh that lingered in the bottom of his ears.

And the man next to him.

He looks exactly the same, but his emotion is anger.

His eyes are centered and black teeth are peeking out from his severely distorted mouth.

There seems to be another man, but his expression is unreadable as he is facing the wall.

The only sound emanating from them is a gruesome sound, as if they are gobbling something.

They certainly seem like an odd trio if you only look at their faces.

But if you search the wide world, you will find many others like them.

The only problem is that they had nothing but their faces.

Extending from just below their faces were a great number of thick, undulating tentacles.

Nothing else.

Three huge faces attached to each other, and countless tentacles supporting them.

That was the true identity of the thing laughing in this scorching labyrinth.

"What's up, Sola-chan?"

Moo, who had been peeking down the passageway with Sola, holding her hand, looks up at Sola and asks her worriedly.

Thor, who was supporting the girl by putting his hand on her shoulder, also spoke softly to her.

"Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah. Maybe I'll be fine. I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Sit down for a minute."

Thor, holding the bloodless girl on his side, carried her to a safe place at the end of the aisle and sat her down.

Thora exhaled heavily and fell face down.

Thor gently stroked her hair and her breathing gradually regained a calm rhythm.　

She had been trying to act as usual since her first encounter with the demon, but Thor knew that she was just trying to be cheerful.

And he was more than aware of the reason why the girl was upset.

"Thank you, Thor.

"Don't move yet. Rest."

You can't force me. Come on.

"That's right, Miss Sora."

The hands of Yuril and Mu also caress Sola's head gently, as if they were cuddling her.

The girl, cheered up by the three of them, smiled happily.

She is still pale, but the sparkle in her eyes is returning.

Finally relieved, Thor's cheeks relaxed a little.

Kikiriri, who had been watching him closely, speaks to him in a tone of voice with a slight hint of worry.

"Don't look at that, Sola. You'll lose your mind."

"I'm sorry. I was careless.

"And what is that?"

"He's a demon, just like he looks. And a most annoying one at that."

According to Kikiriri, there are several large cavities like this one in the hierarchy of the Flaming Hell.

If we could pass through them, we could gain distance at once, but there was a reason why this was not possible.

But there was a reason why we couldn't. It was that demon.

The front part of its face is a glutton.

The left side has a big smile on its face, and the right side has a big rage.

Together, they are called the Three-Headed Demon.

"Only the big one has a bad accent."

"I don't know. Complain to whoever decides."

A three-necked demon, it is said to roam the caverns, constantly eating rocks.

However, their huge size prevents them from entering narrow passages.

And although they are blind, they seem to have very sensitive ears, and their presence in the cavities is immediately noticed.　

The speed of the tentacles is not to be underestimated, and it is almost impossible to escape from them.

"It's a nuisance because it faces in three different directions."

There is only one convenient thing about such a troublesome opponent, and that is that basically only one of them is generated in the cavity.

And in this wide and long space, there are several side roads leading to it.

This means that if the big-faced demon is not nearby, one can enter the cavity from a side passage and proceed to a different side passage.

The way to know the devil's location is by the sound of his deafening laughter.

"If you go through the middle room on the north side, it will take a lot of time because of the dogs and the fire-heads.

Fire-head is a nickname for a demon with a burning wight in tow.

"I see. So it's easier to proceed if it's in the back.

Yes, that's what I mean.

I'd like to give it a try, but I'm not sure I'm up to it this time.

It would be reckless to take on such a risk with Sola, who was clearly out of shape.

The group decided to call it a day and head back to the stairs.

On the way back, they do not encounter any monsters and safely reach the safe zone.

The twins sense the presence of several people beyond the door opened by the blue skull key, and raise their hands in caution.

But they immediately frown in disgust.

Inside the cave were a few of their peers.

Each of them was sitting comfortably in a small folding chair.

One of them noticed Thor and the others, got up from his chair, and called out to them happily.

It has been a long time, Mr. Thor.

His soft voice, which struck a chord in my ear, sounded familiar.