Arc 6 – 80, 'Death of the Mind”

Arc 6 – Chapter 80, “Death of the Mind”

ーーIt was the scent of rage.

Fragrant, rich, it was the scent of highly pure rage. Prodigiously churning this slender, petite body, he understood that it would uplift it to greater heights.

Ley: “Haha~ ~tsu!”

Facing each other from the upper and lower ends of the spiral staircase, Batenkaitos laughed with sadness and gloom upon Ram’s caustic remark.

The young girl with potent emotions conceived in her light crimson eyes, breathing in the resentment and hatred she directed towards him, Batenkaitos tasted ecstacy.

Should he state without giving much thought to selecting the wording, saying that this one breath was what he was living for wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Ley: “How nice, so nice, quite nice, very nice, as it’s nice, isn’t it nice. As there normally aren’t any people who’d face us with such an enraged expression, you see~. It sure is a really valuable feeling, isn’t i~t. Do you understand? We wonder if you do understa~nd, the delight which we’re feeling right now!”

Stepping on the ground upon expressing the vivifying emotion, Batenkaitos licked his lips.

Yes, this emotion and encounter, was something Batenkaitos normally couldn’t ever hope for.

The『Memories』and『Names』stolen through the Authority of『Gluttony』got disengaged from the world, and with the exception of Roy and Louis, it became impossible for anyone to even be cognizant of them.

The grief of having lost someone precious, the rage of hiestation, the hollow sense of loss, anything and everything got evanesced entirely, beyond all help.

Ley: “So naturally, that’s a matter of course. That’s why, we’ve never minded it, you see~.”

Whenever he operated as a member of the much-loathed Witch Cult, on copious occasions would he meet humans who directed their hatred towards his affiliation. However, never had there been one who knew of Ley Batenkaitos’ deeds, who harboured hatred for Ley Batenkaitos individually, who aimed to kill Ley Batenkaitos specifically.

That natural divine providence brought forth by the Authority of『Gluttony』, that obvious unwritten law, had been overruled.

ーーWith the emergence of an outsider, who did not sustain the effects of the Authority of『Gluttony』.

Ley: “Natsuki Subaru...... ~tsu!”

Whispering the name of the man Louis had been attached to, Batenkaitos attained a sweet ache in the depths of his slim chest. It was not as if he had taken influence by Louis. He had known about him, even prior to that.

He had been thinking of him, powerfully, profoundly, far earlier than even Louis.

That beingーー,

Ley: “ーーNee-sama, will also understand, ri~ght?”

The connection between the origin of this sweet ache in his chest, and the young girl looking down towards him was deep. ーーNo, not merely deep. Two hearts that beat as one, irreplaceable individuals, saying that they were the other halves of each other would be unobjectionable as well.

Thus, she would surely understand. These sweet, fleeting, far too mighty emotions. This sensation, blended with both love and hate, and the ache within the chest longing for release.

That is why, he addressed with half of his mouth open, pouring in that conviction and expectationーー,

Ram: “Ram’s already told you. ーーTo kindly die whilst baying like a pig.”

Ley: “ーー~hk!”

The subsequent instant, Ram’s first move as she flew down after kicking the staircase, made Ley jump far backwards.

He had narrowly managed to draw his body back, but the fine point of the wand being pointed out was accurately aiming for his right eye. Should he be slow in pulling back his head, it shall ransack his brain through the eyeball.

Ley: “Geez, nee-sama is mercile~ss! Had we eaten this one just now, forget about imitating the bay of a pig, we would’ve died unable to do anything ~tsu!”

Ram: “Ram has reconsidered. If you were made to imitate something below the standard of a pig, then it’ll surely be a real affront for the pig as well.”

Flying through the spiral staircase, his landing was delayed solely due to the difference in the levels of stairs. Whilst apprising her chilling intent to kill, Ram’s furious assault waged a pursuit of fierce vigour towards Batenkaitos.

Whilst gyrating her slim figure, Ram pointed out her wand, fired a kick, drilled in a shot of the elbow. Batenkaitos dodged them entirely through the handling of his body, but things like the hit which had grazed past his ear certainly possessed the vigour that upon a single hit, would certainly lead to loss of faculty of that part of the body.

Ley: “Haha ~tsu! Scary scary! It’s scary though you kno~w!”

Batenkaitos laughed whilst using his body to evade the unhesitating strikes in pursuit of him. That wasn’t flexibility, but exaltation. ーーNo, slight flexibility as well.

Ram’s martial arts were quite something. Lacking all forgiveness, she possessed no faltering in her aim to kill. Yet, Batenkaitos dodged with leisure and ease. The reason for that was quite simple.

Ley: “We already pro~perly know, that nee-sama is more amazing, you see~.”

The multitude of『Memories』terminated and packed together within Batenkaitos. Within them was a passionate one which adored Ram as an elder sister, which yearned for her infinite potential.

The untiring trust and expectation towards Ram which those『Memories』were endowed with, conveyed their contrast with the Ram before his eyes, nearly to a sorrowful extent, to Batenkaitos.

To summarizeーー,

Ley: “ーーNee-sama without her horn, is nothing but a counterfeit which even Rem can substitute for, isn’t that ri~ght.”

Ram: “ーーーー”

Ley: “Ah, did you get angry? Have you gotten angry? If you want to get angry then you can get angry perfectly fine, nee-sama. Now that we think of it, we’ve never even had a proper sisterly quarrel before, you kno~w.”

Batenkaitos set forth the reminiscences as if a belonging of his own. Though Ram’s cheeks stiffened in reaction to his speech and conduct, her attacks did not slacken.

Batenkaitos admiringly thought within his innermost heart, that she was really quite pushing herself. It was famously known that Onis who lost their horns lost their bodily control, though it was unclear how much anguish it entailed. Ram had also been continually tormented due to that penalty.

It was unknown just how many times the thought of wanting to take over her pain had come to mind.

However, alongside that also came another thought. ーーThat oneself wouldn’t be able to endure the anguish she bore.

If the agony of losing the horn depended on the strength that Oni originally possessed, then Ram must have the greatest in that regard, which no other Oni in the world could share.

Thus, commendation to her onrushing form by way of her own determination, through that compelling anguish. And, gratitude to her earnest wolfing stance, with an unruffled facial expression.

With the ripening of the greatest, supreme, premier flavour, to simply whom should he express his delight for being witness to the moment the rich aroma arose, he did not know.

ーーHe hailed gratitude and admiration, toward the miracle of happening across this gourmet delicacy.

Ley: “Truly ~tsu! Nee-sama is so wonderful ~tsu!!”

A murderous dance blended with love and hate unfolded om the spiral staircase. Whilst tasting that to his heart’s content, Batenkaitos blessed Ram’s existence.

And, tilting his body, turning over, stooping down, dodging how the『Memories』craved,

Ley: “Now with a ta da, time for a counterattaーー”

Ram: “How truly noisy.”

Surrounding Ram whilst she pointed out her wand, Batenkaitos aimed for her fair neck. His side which had gotten into her undisputable blind spot, and Ram’s line of sight entangled when she turned around.

At that single moment, feeling intimidated, Batenkaitos interrupted the strike and flew in evasion and escaped. However, the instant after wind grazed past his right cheek, he felt blood starting to drip out.

Ley: “ーー~tsu.”

Tracing his cut cheek with his hand, Batenkaitos inhaled faintly.

It was a wound he wasn’t supposed to sustain. At the very least, the『Memories』present within Batenkaitosーー if he were to abide by the existence who best knew the prodigy Ram, then there didn’t exist a future where he should’ve sustained this wound.

Yetーー,

Ram: “Though Ram told you to bay disgracefully, an unsightly opponent’s voice is also rough to hear. Ram doesn’t intend to keep you company any longer, so you’re getting killed.”

Ley: “Nee-sama, this is......”

Ram: “If you had been evaluating Ram relying on the『Memories』, then your evaluation is yet too naive.”

Looking at Batenkaitos after he stained his cheek with blood by his hand, Ram gently brushed her pink hair. With her dreadfully cold sidelong glance towards this side,

Ram: “Were you intending to bring out Ram’s true colours? If that’s the case then that is quite laughable. ーーRam’s potential is infinite. After all”

Ley: “ーーーー”

Ram: “ーーRam is, Rem’s nee-sama.”

A baseless, careless remark, the reason why it echoed with such extraordinary convincibility was because that is how the『Memories』, present within nobody but Batenkaitos, had captured the existence of their elder sister.

Recognising that reality, Batenkaitos erased his smile and distorted his cheeks in annoyance.

Boring. Uninteresting. She doesn’t get it.

Ley: “Both rage and hatred, are spices for enhancing flavours. But, if the taste of the spices is too strong, if it asserts itself too powerfully, then even that platter goes to waste. Guess nee-sama, who doesn’t cook, would be completely clueless about these customs, hu~h?”

Ram: “That’s not true. There’s nothing to hide, Ram’s special dish is steamed potatoes after all.”

The『Memories』which had vivid recollection of that resuscitated, and his stomach growled.

Intentionally ignoring that call of the sense of emptiness and hunger in his stomach, Batenkaitos casted his mood to play around aside.

Ram was still yet to demonstrate the true worth of her strength. In other words, that meant naught but that she hadn’t revealed everything even to the younger sister who was physically quite similar to her.

In other wordsーー,

Ley: “ーーNee-sama, won’t trust even her little sister, talk about the ultimate individualism, isn’t i~t.”

Ram: “......What a superficial way of understanding things. Ram doesn’t know how many human lives you have tasted, but even those people don’t come to mind. Everything aside from Rem is trifle.”

Repudiating Batenkaitos’ outlook on meals, Ram straitened her light crimson eyes.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

And, whilst caressing her own slim chest,

Ram: “Kindly exert yourself as much as you can, Barusu.”

Calling out to the young boy not present here, extraordinary determination levitated across her cold expression.

Ram: “Though something like collective destiny, makes one shiver.”

△▼△▼△▼△

He took a deep inhale, with a cloth covering his mouth protecting him from swallowing the sand.

If he were to be honest then he would’ve preferred to have goggles as well, but that would be a hope too high. Prepared to have grains of sand fly into his eyeballs, he had no choice but simply be careful about his eyes within the vortex of the sandy whirlwind.

Subaru: “Beako! Meili! We’ve gotta pull through!”

If the『Witch of Envy』was regarded as the symbol of fear, then it was the befitting symbol of hope and faith. For this existence had continued to accumulate meritorious deeds of such scale for the world.

The name of that gargantuan and great existenceーー,

Emilia: “ーー『Divine Dragon』Volcanica.”

Ruminating the name it had given for itself, Emilia felt her entire body colden.

Though a strange thing to say, Emilia’s predisposition was entirely detached from nervousness. Though of course she felt her body be heavier when she had to stand in front of people or when she had to talk about something crucial, but upon undertaking practical action she immediately forgot about their effects.

On multiple occasions she had been praised by Subaru or Ram for having that impressive quality.

However, despite possessing that impressive quality, Emilia’s physical movement ceased completely before the『Divine Dragon』.

Such that she felt she couldn’t take even a single breath without the opponent’s permission. To such an extent, the presence of the true dragon was projected, and had its grasp on the world.

“ーーーー”

Whilst inhaling, Emilia once again glanced at Volcanica’s frame.

Scales with a deep tinge of blue were shimmering like jewels, and every single one of them appeared to have been tempered thoroughly, as if sharper than any treasured sword.

Its forelimbs and hindlimbs were endowed with black claws akin to stone, its face, similar to that of a Ground Dragon, gave the impression of having lived for long, and a pair of golden eyes that had witnessed an unfathomable amount of time. On its head were two enormous horns, white like a noble’s milk.

The『Divine Dragon’s』stature was likely about fifteen or sixteen metres in height. Since it wasn’t standing, had its wings and tail folded, its exact enormity couldn’t be determined. But despite that it was this gargantuan, a matter of course that it couldn’t be fit inside the tower.

It was unquestionable that the first layer had been constructed in an open location because of Volcanica.

Emilia: “......The third layer was the『Sage』, the second layer was Reid, and the first layer is Volcanica.”

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

Emilia: “Could it be, that all three heroes of the great antiquity, are involved in the tower’s『Trials』?”

Looking back onto the『Trials』until how, Emilia discovered a similitude between them.

『The Three Heroes』ーー they had formerly made efforts in the sealing of the『Witch of Envy』, and were three heroic figures engraved into the history of the Kingdom of Lugnica. Those being Shaula, Reid, and Volcanica.

Furthermore, Shaula had stated that it was actually an achievement of Flugel’s, Reid was incredibly violent and talked crudely, and Volcanica was not a person but a dragon.

But if they were yet connected in this place, thenーー,

Emilia: “To still be friends after so many centuries, that’s rea~lly wonderful.”

Emilia thought it was a very wonderful thing if something like commitment or unity, had tied the three heroic figures together.

On top of that, Volcanica was the existence who had pledged a covenant with the Kingdom of Lugnica, and as a matter of fact, when a black dragon had been rampaging within the Kingdom of Lugnica multiple decades ago, it had been recorded that it possessed extraordinary power.

Emilia, loved those who viewed promises as important.

She believed that upholding promises was a very nice thing. She cherished Subaru and trusted him, but she believed his characteristic of not upholding promises was no good.

What if Beatrice started imitating him.

Neither did Emilia wish to scold Subaru and Beatrice for breaking promises.

Emilia: “Ah, woops. This is no time to be thinking all that...... Um, Volcanica! I came here to take the『Trial』! The『Trial』of the first layer! I’ll tackle it!”

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

Emilia: “I don’t know how tough a『Trial』it will be...... but, I ask of you to hurry! I must hurry or Subaru and the others will be in trouble. Whatever it may be, bring it on!”

Striking her cheeks with her hands, Emilia reorganized her cowering emotions.

Without even planning so, thinking about Subaru and Beatrice made the root for that. Even if they were to be scolded by Emilia for breaking promises, that was speaking of a distant tomorrow, a distant future.

In order to come face to face with that future, Emilia needed to stand firm here.

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

The silent『Divine Dragon』was intently watching Emilia with its golden hued eyes.

Speaking without exaggeration, those eyes felt deep enough to absorb her entirely.

It had fought the『Witch of Envy』, and forged the covenant with the Kingdom of Lugnica four hundred years agoーー but, the time this great dragon had lived through appeared to be far greater than those four hundred years.

Those eyes, perhaps close to reaching a thousand years of age, were intently gazing upon the world.

It was unknown in what way would Emilia’s existence be projected, to this『Divine Dragon』.

Emilia: “I, am used to being judged. There are people who hate me because I’m a half elf, or meanies like Echidna...... but, like Subaru, Ram or Beatrice and everyone else, there are also people who have laid their expectations on me.”

Whilst addressing, Emilia touched the crystal on her chest with her fingers.

Her family, who was yet asleep, was the first one to affirm Emilia, who largely looked through rose-coloured glasses like this.

With that family of her’s as the beginning, in this tower were her comrades who had accepted Emilia.

Emilia: “That’s why, I don’t care no matter how you look at me!”

Before the『Divine Dragon』she had been overawed by once, Emilia declared sharply.

Even the existence known as Emilia, who had been crushed by the contrast in presence, whose limbs had been quivering and cowering, who had been overwhelmed by the existence acquainted to eternity, shall no longer lose.

ーーNo matter what, she shan’t lose.

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

Emilia strengthened her fist and made her amethyst eyes glitter with might.

Whilst being showered with Emilia’s gaze throughout its entire body, Volcanica slowly blinked. Afterwards, Volcanica moved its dragon jaws with grandeurーー,

Volcanica: [ーーThou, who hath reached the top of the tower. Step forth through the first floor, almighty petitioner.]

“ーーーー”

Volcanica: [ーーI, am Volcanica. In accordance with the ancient covenant, I ask the will of thee who hath reached the summit.]

Emilia: “......Huh?”

Emilia, who had packed her breath and put herself on guard for the challenge Volcanica may ask her of, heard the cumbrous words accompanying the dragon breath and tilted her head.

For she had remembrance of these words.

Emilia: “Um, hadn’t you told me about that earlier? That I am the one who arrived at the first layer, and that you are Volcanica...... is that right?”

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

Emilia: “......Ah! Did I not introduce myself, by chance? I apologize. I am Emilia, just Emilia. Well, there’s many people right now who don’t remember me, so it’ll be a problem if you ask me to prove it, but, I’m Emilia!”

Volcanica: [ーーーー]

Emilia: “......Still, no good?”

Thinking whether her omitting her introduction had brought its displeasure, she reintroduced herself yet no positive change was born in Volcanica’s response.

Had Subaru been here, he would’ve gone so far and thought that skipping introduction led to the revocation of the right to take the『Trial』of the first layer, but Emilia did not think that way.

Emilia believed that even if a mistake was made, upon apologizing the opponent couldn’t continue being so heartless.

Thus, even at this instant she did not believe her impoliteness had bought Volcanica’s silence.

What Emilia had thought of, was the possibility that Volcanica was not angry. But even if that were to be the case, it might’ve been much worse than simply being angered.

After allーー,

Emilia: “Could it be......”

Gazing back into its golden eyes, Emilia timidly moved forward.

One step, two steps, resuming her walk in a place close to the sky, she shortened the distance between herself and the『Divine Dragon』Volcanica. Emilia inched closer, as it breathed, that too with magnificence.

And, gently stretching her hand forward, she touched the scales of the opponent’s front leg.

Emilia: “ーーCold.”

The scales she touched were cold like ice, or like steel which had cooled down.

Just how long a duration would one need to remain stagnated, to lose this much heat.

It did not mean biological『Death』. Those who remained stagnated for a long duration, simply lost bodily energy.

Volcanica: [ーーThou, who hath reached the top of the tower. Step forth through the first floor, almighty petitioner.]

“ーーーー”

Volcanica: [ーーI, am Volcanica. In accordance with the ancient covenant, I ask the will of thee who hath reached the summit.]

Whilst gazing down upon Emilia who was touching its foreleg, Volcanica repeated once again.

Words of reception that had been repeated and stockpiled exactly thrice. They were not with the purpose of condemning the mistake Emilia made with her greeting.

Volcanica’s eyes, which were profoundly staring at Emilia, were reflecting her as if not reflecting her.

Its reason was apparent.

Emilia: “Could it be, you became such an old uncle that you forgot about the『Trial』......?”

Not the『Death』of the body, but the『Death』of the mind had hunted the long-lived dragon.

And for Emilia, who must clear the『Trial』of the first layer, it befell as a challenge beyond the『Trial』of the first layer.

The great library of Pleiades, the trial of the first layer of『Maia』.

The time limit,『The Time For The Survival Of Her Comrades』. Number of challenges,『Unknown』. Number of challengers,『One』.『Content Of The Trial』, unknown.

ーーTrial, begin.