kscans

Chapter 302 - The Battle for the Fortress and the Crimson Brigade

It seemed the magic circle had transported me to an unfamiliar place. The texture of the walls and the stone tile floor had changed. The dim corridor was filled with the same musty, dusty smell as the dungeons I had entered from the shrines in Famu's village and Lily's Village. I looked around, but Famu and the others were gone. Behind me was a wall, and in front of me, a stone-paved corridor stretched out in a straight line. The far end was dim and shrouded in a haze of dust, making it impossible to see deep inside. Famu and the others wouldn't have just left me behind. We should have all been caught in the same transportation. I couldn't tell if I was the only one sent here, or if we were all sent to different places.

I waited for a while to see if any of the other members would be transported here, but all I felt was the cold from the stone floor seeping up into my body. If this was a straight path leading directly to the Area Guardian's room, I would have to fight alone.

"That's impossible..."

My mutter echoed emptily in the stone corridor. Considering the level of Okita Soji, whom I fought in Famu's village, and the Bishop from Lily's Village, there was no way I could face such an opponent without being able to use Goddess Summon.

I had to assess the situation. There was a chance I could encounter monsters, but even if I was going to wait for Famu and the others, I should gather some information first. If a monster appeared from the front, there would be no escape.

I checked the sword at my side and began to walk.

I don't know how long I walked. The corridor remained a single, straight path, with no monsters appearing and no change in scenery. When I was with my companions, I walked without thinking much, but now the loud sound of my own footsteps echoed in the corridor, amplifying the out-of-place atmosphere and my sense of loneliness, and my anxiety grew. I had intended to keep going until I found something different, but now I felt like turning back and waiting for one of my companions to come find me. It was then that I saw a human-shaped silhouette approaching from ahead. I thought it was one of the members of Levante and was about to let out a sigh of relief, but then a red hood caught my eye, and I reached for my hilt.

"The Crimson Brigade!"

The figures in red hoods were clad in leather armor. They were all men. My heart began to pound like a drum. In an instant, I was surrounded by six mercenaries. They already had their weapons drawn and were ready for battle.

"Tch."

I drew my sword and aimed the blade at the man in front of me. He alone was lightly armored and had a dagger hanging from his waist, but he hadn't drawn it. As I considered whether I should try to take him hostage, the man suddenly vanished as if he had dissolved into mist.

"Don't resist. We've captured your companions too."

A cold voice came from behind me, and I felt the prick of a blade against my back.

"Companions?"

Before I could finish my mutter, one of the mercenaries took my sword. Then, my arms were bound behind my back. Their movements were so fluid and efficient that I was given no time to resist.

"We'll let you see them, so shut up and walk!"

I had no way to defy them. I began to walk, escorted by them.

I was looking for a chance to escape, but no such opportunity arose. Surrounded by six mercenaries, I was led to a large hall with a massive door. Six paths radiated out from the hall. One of them was the path I had just taken. About thirty mercenaries wearing red hoods were there.

"Mmph-mmph!"

A muffled cry drew my attention, and I saw Famu. She was tied up just like me, with her hands behind her back, and gagged. Mizuki, Myra, and Marmi were also tied up and sitting in the same manner.

"You bastards!"

My mind went blank, and I tried to punch the man nearest to me, but I had forgotten I was tied up and just slammed my whole body into him. He then landed a counter punch, and I collapsed to the floor.

"Stay still. You wanna die?"

As the man looked down on me, I pushed myself up to my knees. I spat out what had collected in my mouth; it was mixed with fresh blood. I looked at Famu and the others again. None of them seemed to have any external injuries. Perhaps they hadn't put up much of a fight. But how had they managed to capture Famu and Marmi, let alone Mizuki and Myra? It seemed impossible for the people here to capture Mizuki in particular. Maybe there was a mage who used some kind of sleep or mental magic, or maybe she had given up fighting because she hated hurting people. I stared at Mizuki, and she returned my gaze with a strong one of her own, but I couldn't discern her intent. Then, my gaze shifted to Nephi, who was standing with her arms crossed in front of the door. She was the only one not bound. The members of the Crimson Brigade weren't wary of her. Her usual smile told the story that she was no longer on our side. The Crimson Brigade had been hired as a mercenary group by the Leafkraut family. It was conceivable that Nephi, who had been in Clovis's party, had connections to them.

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

Perhaps because I had been punched, I didn't feel a strong sense of anger at being betrayed. Just a feeling of resignation, like a gaping hole had opened in my heart. I wanted to say something sarcastic, but nothing came to mind.

"Of course I didn't know this would happen. It's all a coincidence."

She shrugged her shoulders playfully. The mercenary who had escorted me carelessly tossed my weapon onto the floor. Famu's and the others' weapons were also gathered there. All I could do was glare at them.

"So why did you capture us instead of killing us? Planning to sell us as slaves?"

Famu's groan overlapped with my words. I turned my gaze back to Nephi, and she glanced behind me. It was the lightly armored man. He was about my height but much thinner. His cheekbones protruded, and from the hollows beneath them, dark, stagnant eyes watched me. He looked old, but his straight posture also gave him a youthful feel.

"That man is the leader of the Crimson Brigade, Jinma,"

Nephi's voice echoed. Come to think of it, Kaima had the same kind of dark eyes. I didn't know which of them had been the original leader, but Kaima had died in the battle of Miglutt. Now, Jinma must be in control of the brigade. His body suddenly vanished. When I realized it, he was standing next to Nephi.

"Teleportation? Is that your special skill?"

He didn't answer my question, just glared at me as if sizing me up. By showing me his skill, he probably wanted to demonstrate that he could use it repeatedly, implying that escape was futile. Famu and the others might have been captured by his special skill as well.

"I want to make a deal. We're stuck in this dungeon and have been staying here for days. We've sent several groups deeper in, but we've had no response from any of them."

His voice was low. Jinma gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. Behind him was a massive door. Beyond it was the Area Guardian's room.

"You can't get out?"

Jinma nodded at my words.

"You're the ones who released the giant in these mountains, right? I don't know if that's the reason, but the shrine in this fortress reacted."

"It's not like we released the giant because we wanted to."

"I know. When we tried to touch the shrine, it shattered, a black hole opened up, and we ended up fighting the monsters that poured out. And when we came to, this fortress had become a closed space."

I guessed from the way Jinma glanced at Nephi. He already had information about what we had done in the dog-eared race's village. For the first time, I felt a real anger towards her. What had her attitude been all about? As if sensing my anger, I noticed the sticky gazes of the surrounding mercenaries on me, which helped me regain some composure, and I turned my gaze back to Jinma. We had met the mercenaries fleeing from those monsters days ago.

"You must have been trapped in this dungeon for days. How have you survived until now?"

"Strangely, we don't get hungry in this space,"

Jinma replied. I figured the shrine must have something related to the Jar of Holy Oil sealed within it. In the original world, the contents of that jar were food. Just as monsters had poured out, the contents of the jar might be filling their stomachs. I tried to rub my own stomach but remembered I was tied up and couldn't move. I contorted my body to check my stomach, but I couldn't tell if I was hungry or full.

"With your teleportation, you should be able to get out of this dungeon, right?"

Jinma just snorted at my question. There must be some kind of restriction, but he had no intention of answering. I let out a deliberately loud sigh.

"So you're telling us to defeat the Area Guardian? Why don't you do it yourself?"

Jinma didn't answer this question either. He should have two other special skills besides teleportation. Maybe he was just cautious, or maybe he didn't have any subordinates he could trust to form a party.

"There must have been writing on the shrine's stone monument. You could read it, couldn't you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Haven't you heard from Nephi? Only transmigrators can read the writing on the monuments. And the shrines are guarded by Area Guardians related to those words."

Jinma stroked his chin and glanced at Nephi. With the same smile on her face, Nephi gave him a quiet nod.

"Yakumo Tatsu Izumo Yaegaki Tsumagomini Yaegaki Tsukuru Sono Yaegaki wo."

Hearing those words, I looked at Mizuki.

"Could you remove her gag?"

At my words, Jinma jutted his chin. One of the brigade members removed Mizuki's gag. Mizuki coughed and then stared at me. She was probably wondering if it was okay to say everything. I nodded back, using only the movement of my eyelids.

"That's considered the very first waka poem in the country we lived in. It was sung by a god when building a palace after defeating the Yamata no Orochi."

I hadn't known it was the first waka poem, but the rest of my knowledge was the same. Did they teach that in school? Or did she learn it out of curiosity?

"Then the Area Guardian is the Yamata no Orochi, right?"

"Or... the god who defeated it."

At her words, I swallowed hard. The thought of being forced to fight a monster like that black giant in a confined space was unbearable.

"But the item related to the shrine in this place is supposed to be related to the Jar of Holy Oil. And the writing on that monument was about the Kusanagi sword... related to the Staff of Dominion."

The item related to the Staff of Dominion should be the battle-axe that became Myra's weapon.

"But, to defeat the Yamata no Orochi, they prepared eight jars and filled them with sake. And the Yamata no Orochi is also said to be a symbol of the raging river that flowed through that land."

"I see..."

A river's flood could wash away people's lives, but it also carried nutrients for the land. Thinking about it that way, the Yamata no Orochi could be considered the same as the mana created by the one true God. Mizuki didn't say anything more, but she probably thought I understood. I turned my gaze back to Jinma.

"I can't defeat the Area Guardian alone."

"Don't worry. I'll release your companions. Unlike other dungeons, you don't need to destroy a Crystal Core. If you defeat the boss, this dungeon will be released, right?"

Nephi must have told him. I glared at her, but she remained expressionless. It was infuriating to have to grant Jinma's wish, but either way, I couldn't just stay in this dungeon with the Crimson Brigade. I had no choice but to accept his demand. Since we would be the ones to defeat the Area Guardian first, we would be able to leave the dungeon first. Then I could contact Trusar outside and annihilate the brigade. But there was no way Nephi hadn't told him about Trusar's presence. Just then, as if reading my mind, Jinma's lips twisted into a smirk.

"I've taken out some insurance. One, Nephi will accompany you. Two..."

He said, turning his gaze to Famu. One of the brigade members approached her and pulled down her arm cover.

"What?!"

A Slave Mark was carved into her arm.

"We have no intention of staying in this fortress anymore. And we can't show our faces in Miglutt either. We've decided to head to the Demon Kingdom as well. If we make it to the Demon Kingdom safely, we'll remove that Slave Mark. If anything happens to us, that dog-eared girl dies."

"Jinma... you... bastard...!"

"Is it a good idea to direct your killing intent at me?"

"Kuh...!"

My back teeth ground together. I shouldn't be directing my killing intent at Jinma right now. But even after the momentary surge of passion had passed, I couldn't tear my gaze away from him.

"Well, we're companions until then. Let's get along,"

Jinma said with a crude smile.