kscans

Chapter 59 - An Informant in the Shadows and a Broken World

That great black tower was no longer there.

Once the symbol of the Magic-Armored Nation of Nemesis Gear, the hall of knowledge and magic that surpassed a thousand floors, Nemesis Tower.

That great tower was now nothing but rubble, spewing black smoke, leaving a gaping hole in the world.

"...I can't believe it really came to this," Mamoru, the Goblin Knight, said quietly, touching the ruins of the collapsed tower.

Magical residue drifted all around, and the air was saturated with mana. It was a collapse so severe it felt as if the very boundary between the demon and human realms could warp.

"The world... is starting to tear apart," said Emily, the Lizard Sage, her brow furrowing slightly.

"...Somethin' deep in my gut has been hot for a while now. Is this what the 'presence of ruin' feels like?" Defray, the Orc Paladin, stood frozen, leaning on his spear like a cane.

"The tower... it looks like it's crying..." Koni-chan, the Flame Troll, whispered softly while gazing at the rubble.

It was then.

"...My, my, that's quite a blaze. I thought it was a bonfire from hell, I really did."

A voice. Low, cloying, laughing from the back of the throat.

From the shadow of the rubble emerged a man wearing a soot-stained hood pulled low over his eyes. One of his eyes was a milky white, while the other held a sharp, beast-like glint.

"A pleasure to meet you. Mamoru-san of the Hobgoblins... is that correct?"

The man smiled faintly and gave a slight bow.

"My name is Gil. I'm an intermediary for a dark guild called Dreadbind. I've heard about you from the Demon Lord, yes I have."

Mamoru frowned. "The Demon Lord...? What did he say?"

"Things like 'the one who walks the line between human and demon,' or 'the one qualified to face the Hero.' Quite a few interesting titles. That Demon Lord has a surprisingly good eye for people."

Gil chuckled quietly as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a sealed letter, marked with a magical seal that looked like it was written in blood.

"I've brought a souvenir for you today. The information concerns..."

He glanced up once at the remains of Nemesis Tower.

"Crow Sakakibara and Izabel Crawford... Hero Ares has taken care of the two reincarnators."

The air stood still.

"...Hey, what did you just say?" Defray's fist could be heard clenching.

"Shall I repeat myself?" Gil said with perfect composure.

"Hero Ares 'disposed' of the reincarnators. And now, he has departed for the location of the next reincarnator, a magic girl by the name of Mel Aria."

"Aria... from Never Island." Emily's voice trembled. A rare sight for the ever-calm girl.

"Indeed. That very island. Rumor has it that everyone who lives there is being controlled. Turned into living dolls. Well, as for how much of that is true... please, see for yourselves."

As Gil finished speaking, a wind blew through the scorched bones of the tower. Mamoru stepped onto a crumbling staircase amid the ash and spoke to Gil.

"...I'll trust your story. So I'll say this. I'm going to find out for myself just how mad Hero Ares has become."

Gil's single good eye narrowed as he smiled.

"...Have a pleasant journey, 'demon-san.' Beautiful flowers bloom on that island, you know. Poisonous ones, that is."

With those parting words, the intermediary vanished behind the rubble.

Mamoru quietly looked around at his companions and said,

"Let's go. To Never Island. This time, we're going to stop that 'mad hero.'"

Never Island, the isle of madness ruled by Mel Aria. The gates of hell were already open.