131 - Same Model
Watching multiple palms attacking from the wall, my body failed to move in the suddenness of it.
My body was already beginning to feel pain and a severe sense of exhaustion, but mentally, I had also let my guard down since the battle had ended.
(Why so suddenly—)
A woman's hand approached, intending to crush me.
However, the one who appeared before it was...
—Monica.
"What do you think you're doing to this chicken coward! Wait, what on earth is this!"
Monica pulled an oversized hammer from her skirt and tried to blow it away, but when the hammer struck, it sank in as if the material were soft like clay.
Then, while absorbing the hammer, the palms closed in, surrounding me.
Above, below, left, and right.
I tried to turn and flee, but fingers emerged from the ground as well.
My legs were the first to be caught.
"What! From the ground too—"
"Gah! In that case—"
Monica also sank into the ground, and as the surrounding scenery vanished...
It seemed Novem and the others were using magic. Amidst the voices calling my name, Monica clung to me as she sank.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
"Please be quiet!"
Monica hugged me, attempting to lift me up.
Whether she was trying to let me escape or not, just as she tried to lift me, the Third Generation's voice spoke—.
『What's happening... they're coming from above too.』
As numerous hands narrowed in to envelop us, my consciousness gradually faded.
—Aria could do nothing but watch that scene.
No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say she could do absolutely nothing.
Suddenly, Riel and Monica were pulled in by giant hands that emerged from the walls and the ground.
She cast magic and launched attacks to save them, but the clay-like hands regenerated instantly no matter how much damage she dealt.
Aria, who had never heard of such a monster, watched in confusion as the wall absorbed Riel and Monica.
The hands appeared, and eventually, they receded back into the wall.
Aria rushed over and touched the wall, but there was nothing there except the rugged surface of the cave.
"Wh... why... how is this possible..."
This shouldn't be possible.
Just as she muttered that, Miranda was preparing magic to blast the wall.
"Aria, get back... Fire Cannon!"
A powerful fireball was launched, scattering flames upon impact with the wall. The wall, now blackened with soot and dented, immediately began to return to its original state, likely due to being inside the labyrinth.
Aria leaped back and, seeing this, imagined the worst.
"Riel and Monica..."
...She couldn't bring herself to say they were dead.
However, Miranda braced herself once more to destroy the wall with magic.
Aria looked around and saw that the entrance leading to the ninth basement floor was still closed. Then, she heard a sound like something collapsing from the entrance they had used to enter.
Looking back, the ceiling of the entrance had collapsed, sealing the room.
"What's happening..."
Aria was confused, but Miranda was the same. She had never heard of a story where one is trapped after defeating a boss.
She didn't want to simply think that they just didn't know about it.
Then, Novem, who had slowly begun to move, walked toward the wall and raised her staff.
"Novem, what are you—"
A wall cannot be destroyed with a staff. Aria was about to say that, but her eyes widened when she saw Novem's staff.
The tip of the staff had changed shape.
The black handle extended, taking on the form of a pickaxe.
Novem swung the object that had been a staff with both arms; the pickaxe portion looked to be the same size as Novem—no, it looked even larger.
Novem swung that massive object up and brought it down. She put all her strength into it.
However, the movement was something Aria couldn't believe.
Over and over, increasing her speed, she chipped away at the wall faster than it could regenerate. Seeing the silver pickaxe, Aria remembered the orb Riel possessed.
"It's the same as Riel's weapon."
The decorative part of the orb that changed into a greatsword and a bow. Aria remembered that it, too, had been silver.
Aria was speechless as she watched Novem, expressionless, silently destroy the wall.
Normally, Novem was the party's primary source of firepower as a mage.
She didn't engage in close combat and didn't seem to possess that much physical strength.
Yet, before her eyes, Novem swung the massive pickaxe vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, carving through the wall.
However, Novem's movements came to a sudden halt.
(What... threads?)
Illuminated by the light of the lantern hanging from the boat, threads were entangled as if to stop Novem's movements.
Novem turned around and said to Miranda, expressionless.
"...Let go. We don't have time for this."
The wall she had worked so hard to chip away was being repaired before their eyes.
When Aria looked at Miranda, it looked as if threads were emerging from her fingertips. Even though she was wearing her usual gloves, threads were coming out of them.
"I agree. But you see, in this situation, I absolutely need your strength."
As Miranda released her stance, the threads loosened and detached from Novem. Aria could only faintly see the threads.
It looked as if threads were dangling from Miranda's fingertips. Miranda raised her right hand, clenched it several times, and then spread her fingers to confirm the sensation.
Novem returned the pickaxe to the shape of a staff and stepped forward.
"You two, that's enough—"
Just as Aria tried to stop them, a boss that sounded like a cow emerged from the water's surface.
And it wasn't just one.
The boss they had defeated was floating on the surface. But one after another, monsters identical to the boss emerged from the water.
Ten in total.
The room, which she had thought was spacious, now felt narrow given their number.
Miranda turned toward the water, swung her right and left arms wide, and then immediately crossed them in front of her chest.
"...I wanted to save this as a trump card for you, but."
The boss closest to her had its head sliced into several rings.
Novem chanted a spell.
"Fire Whip..."
Her voice was low, and unlike usual, she was openly expressing her anger. As the whip of flame entangled the approaching boss, it burned it away.
The rampaging boss tried to escape into the water, but the flames did not extinguish. Once it was burned and floated to the surface just like the boss they had defeated, the whip of flame vanished.
In the meantime, Miranda had shredded the second one to pieces.
But—.
"Aria, sorry, but you'll have to protect yourself. I'm not used to this, so I don't know how many I can take down. Besides... I can't handle this many."
At Miranda's timid remark after defeating the second one, Aria braced her spear.
"I can't handle this many either. But if it's one or two... [Quick]."
Using her skill, Aria lunged at a boss trying to crawl onto the ground, leaped straight up, and unleashed several slashing attacks.
When a cut opened in the boss's back, she plunged her spear through the boss's body, taking herself along with it.
As she emerged from the falling boss, Aria was covered in blood.
"I'm glad I asked Riel about the location of the heart. But I really don't like killing them this way."
Blood-stained, Aria looked at Novem.
The highlights in her eyes had been gone for a while now, and she looked terrifying.
(She has an even more eerie atmosphere than usual...)
Aria had always found Novem eerie. While she was kind and reliable, there were times when Aria found her scary.
And now, that fear had increased.
As Miranda slaughtered the third one, Novem walked forward and dipped the tip of her staff into the water.
With a voice colder than usual.
"...Freeze. And never get in my way again. I will not forgive... even if it is my own."
In the next instant, all the water in the room froze.
(Did she just say something—)
Aria missed the important part, but she kept her mouth shut in the face of Novem's fierce expression.
The bosses were frozen solid.
Novem pulled out her staff, changed it into the shape of a hammer, and swung it down.
Along with the shattering ice, the bosses were blown to pieces—.
I heard a voice.
It was a voice calling my name.
That nostalgic voice belonged to my father, Maizel Walt.
『Riel, what kind of lord will you become?』
When I remembered those words, I couldn't recall how I had answered. However, I think my father laughed and patted my head after hearing my answer.
Then, the voices calling me gradually increased.
Before I knew it, I could clearly hear the Fifth Generation's voice.
『Wake up already!』
The Fourth Generation's voice was also panicked.
『Now, now, this really was unexpected.』
The Seventh Generation.
『Tch, what happened...』
The Sixth Generation worried about me.
『Riel, can you still fight? We can't afford to be leisurely in this situation.』
The Third Generation.
『Wake up and look around. Well, a sight you'd normally never see is unfolding.』
Hearing that, I slowly opened my eyes, and Monica was standing before me.
She was standing as if to protect me, but her appearance was tattered.
Nearby, an object that had been an oversized hammer, similarly absorbed, lay rolling on the ground, and Monica's mace and other items lay on the ground in a melted state.
(What on earth happened...)
Moving my body was painful, and I wanted to just close my eyes and sleep.
But I couldn't afford to do that.
As I put strength into my right arm to try and push myself up, Monica stood in front of me. She was standing right there, as if to protect me.
The oversized hammer had been melted and lay on the ground.
Additionally, Monica's mace and other items had melted, turned red, and were emitting smoke on the ground. They gave off a distinct smell, and as I stood up, Monica lent me a hand.
Monica's maid outfit was in tatters, and around us—.
"Why are these things here... and why are there two Monicas?"
Then, the Monica helping me up spoke irritably.
"I cannot accept this. That thing and I are the same? Please look closely. I have breasts, but the opponent does not. I find it troublesome to be lumped together just because we are the same model!"
At the end of the angry Monica's gaze stood an automaton with blonde twin-tails, white skin, and red eyes.
The difference was indeed the breasts, as Monica said. However, other differences existed as well.
It was the tool on her back, which looked like white insect legs.
The tips were pointed toward me, and she looked as if she were on guard.
The automaton that looked like Monica held the ends of her skirt, lifted them up, and bowed. Her movements were perfect, just like Monica's.
But—.
"Nice to meet you. Please forgive me for appearing in such a state. After all, I was in a condition where I had not received maintenance."
One of her legs was missing, her apron was in tatters, and silver machinery was visible in places.
The other automatons around her were the same.
They were broken, but they stood with correct posture. Among them were automatons who had lost both legs and were being supported by their comrades.
There was even one whose half of its face had been blown away.
Looking around, I discovered that Monica's appearance also had damage.
"Did you fight?"
When I glared at the opponent, she made a slightly exasperated expression.
"I simply wanted to see what level of performance you had. After all, you are an existence that corresponds to my 'younger sister' regenerated by the labyrinth. Furthermore, considering that you serve a human, a performance evaluation was necessary. So that I never lose you again."
(Never lose? What is she talking—)
Monica countered.
"That's a lie! That's just jealousy! She's just envious because I have a chicken coward, this self-proclaimed 'older sister'!"
The automaton called the older sister put her hand to her mouth and laughed.
"Oh, I have no idea what you mean. Now then, since we don't have much time, I will tell you immediately."
Then, the automatons bowed once more.
"We cannot even give our names. The things we can convey are far too few. However—"
However—.
"—We have a message from the Eighth. Though it is very unpleasant for us."
Hearing "the Eighth," I couldn't understand immediately.
(My head is still spinning)
Then, the Fourth Generation spoke.
『Riel, it's peridot! The birthstone of August! And the eighth! There's something about this labyrinth!』
As I gripped the orb, Monica's older sister looked at my orb.
"Another strange memory. It's a piece of equipment quite out of place for this era. Oh, the message. Well then—"
Monica's older sister told me with a serious expression.
"A message from the Eighth to you—Lord Riel. ...'If you want to know everything about Septem... come to me.' And finally—"
(Septem... she means Celes!)
I wondered why the Eighth knew about Celes, but I could imagine some kind of connection based on the numbers.
And the final message was.
"—'I want you to believe in Novem.' That is all."
Hearing that, I realized that somewhere in my heart, I had already accepted the mention of Novem's name as something natural.
(As I thought, she knew something... Novem.)