CH 79.1

At the same time as the stillness returns, the fog seems to have returned as well.

Footsteps can be heard coming from beyond the murky white air. It’s Giran and the others. Kure and the Shishikaba sisters, plus a few Xolotls.

“It looks like they have defeated Bishop. You did a good job, Abe.” (Giran)

“Yes, thanks to you… It was very strong, though.” (Shuu)

“Ah, as expected of my Little Shuu… this is how shy he is, even while calmly doing things that no one else can do.” (Kure)

He’s trying kiss me, so I push his chin with the palm of my hand.

Giran sits down in front of me who was still crouching and offers his paw/palm. I accept and shake hands with him.

“Ours was also tough. Treant was a nuisance, and I shot all the [Fireball] I have on hand.” (Giran)

“I don’t want to see any beef for a while.” (Midori)

“Maybe we’ll have pork at the next BBQ?” (Aoi)

The twins also sat down next to me and patted me on the shoulder. Everyone is covered in blood and dust.

“Um, what about the other Xolotls?” (Shuu)

“I sent them back with the wounded. No one has any life-threatening injuries. They are all alive and there were no casualties.” (Giran)

Makko rejoices at the safe reunion with her friends and there was a cry of Mau Maus.

“Well, thanks to your diversion, I managed to manage it, but if it was a solo fight, wouldn’t Mr. Giran be better? You’re stronger than me.” (Shuu)

In that case, my role would have been to fight an endurance battle against the zombie army.

“…No. Even if I am your senior, the difference in potential our obvious. At the time you got [Accumulation], you’ve already surpassed me.” (Giran)

I thought he was being modest, but his rather serious face made it difficult for me to respond.

—What does this man, Gillan, think about me? I wonder how aware he is about my situation.

Even if I wanted to ask, I couldn’t. I would be digging my own grave.

“…Well, this is the end of our short break. The war isn’t over yet. I’d like to finally capture their base, but—” (Giran)

All eyes looked up at the altar.

The largest and tallest in the city is still silent, not even a single movement of its body.

(That reminds me of an “Aztec Altar” which was treated like a taboo topic on the Internet.) (Shuu)

The place closest to the sky where sacrifices are made to the sun god.

According to Nai’s story, Kukulkan’s egg was hidden away behind a shrine at the top of the altar by the woman who brought out the golems. When it is about to hatch, it was to be the first to become their food. A true sacrifice.

Unless the egg is retrieved and Rook is killed, there will be no peace on the 31st floor. But then…

“…It still hasn’t come out yet?” (Giran)

“…Yes…” (Shuu)

Giran and I whispered for some reason.

I look at Tamiko. She shakes her head pensively. She can’t see its level, which means she can’t seem to confirm its presence.

“The top, is it really there?” (Midori)

“Isn’t it possible that these are all golems?” (Aoi)

No wonder the twins are skeptical. Even the Xolotls, who have been fighting for three years, have never seen it since they first appeared on the scene.

“I don’t think it is not here, but…” (Shuu)

I sensed it once. If asked if it was just my imagination, I can’t disagree with it.

“The only way to find out is to climb up on the altar once anyway. It would help if it had been asleep for a long time, or if it had secretly starved to death.” (Shuu)

“Sha-sha! Or it’s afraid of me, squeak!” (Tamiko)

The lively squirrel begins to shadowbox. After her tiny fists hit the altar several times through the air—Kaboom! A something heavy hits the ground.

“Pigyah!” (Tamiko)

Without a pause, the ground shakes with a low rumbling. I stood up and looked in the direction of the epicenter of the tremor, which was clearly coming from the altar.

“…Seriously…” (Shuuu)

“…is it coming…?”

And then—the side of the altar exploded, and a pair of gigantic arms emerged from within.

“There it is!”

It is a scene that seems to reproduce Nai’s words. Rook, the giant golem, has appeared.

But why at this timing? Was it really because of Tamiko’s provocation? —no way.

Its arms, arched like the horns of a helmet—it swung down toward the top of the altar. The shrine is blown to pieces, scattering dust.

“–Eh?” (Shuu)

Everyone is stunned.

The golem’s arm destroyed the shrine. If that entire altar was used as a body, it was like a monkey swatting its own head to get rid of a fly.

And—there is something falling mixed in with the flying debris. Bouncing on the cobblestone pavement, it lets out a voice like a squashed frog,

“Ouch—What the hell are you doing, you idiot!” (Anna)

It’s a human, a woman. She is yelling at the altar with her eyes wide open.

I mean, how could she have fallen from that height and only “ouch”? It didn’t look like she had taken a passive stance.

“That’s… isn’t that Anna?” (Midori)

“Really…hey, Anna!” (Aoi)

The twins called out to her. They seemed to know each other.

“Oh my God, I’ve been spotted. I was sneaking around.” (Anna)

Showing an embarrassed expression, she is wearing a white robe over her jersey. I wonder if she is around 30 years old, she is a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair. She is very beautiful (very important).

“Do you know her? What a beautiful girl.” (Giran)

“Ah, that is Anna Yano. She is an apprentice preacher in the Church.” (Midori)

“She used to be a hunter, and we used to see each other in the metro.” (Aoi)

I think I saw a lot of Metro Church preachers and their apprentices wearing clothes like that.

“Why is that girl here?” (Midori)

“I mean, it’s dangerous. Hey, Ann–” (Aoi)

Giran stopped them by grabbing them by the collar as they were about to run up to her.

The altar rumbles again, drowning out the protests of the two.

The surface of the altar rattles and crumbles. The sharp-edged pyramid roars low and changes shape.

“…Rook…”

Soon there appeared a rock giant more than 20 meters long. It was the third golem, Rook.

The twins involuntarily back away, but Rook does not even look at them (although it probably does not have eyes) and takes its first step toward the woman, Anna, whom the twins have called. With that single movement, the ground shakes, fog blows away, and dust rolls up.

I turned to Tamiko, who is riding on Noa’s shoulder. As I have guessed it—her body is trembling slightly.

“…The Golem is around 75, squeak…” (Tamiko)

It’s the highest of the three, but it’s not like it’s out of standard. However, that huge body alone is a threat.

“But… that person, squeak…” (Tamiko)

Tamiko’s eyes are not on Rook, but on the woman facing it, who is as tiny as an ant in comparison.

“Ahhhh… You seem to have completely forgotten what your mommy looks like. Well, I don’t remember your name either.” (Anna)

Anna shakes her head and holds up her hand as if to say, “Oh dear.” She then holds the a [Katana].

“That’s why I have to punish naughty kids~!”  (Anna)

—99 squeak.

Tamiko’s muffled murmur barely reached my ears, as it was almost drowned out by the sound of destruction emanating from right in front of us.

As Anna jumped up and thrust her fist into Rook’s chest, a series of shocks shook the giant’s body, and for the third time, things burst out of his body. The staggering giant slowly, frame by frame, falls on its back.

Behind the dusty dirt, the shadow of a woman standing with a sword on her shoulder looks like the most ominous god of death.