kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 9 The Cave of Trials (Part 4)

9

They reached an arena again. Zariya read the characters on the stone tablet.

“It says ‘One who has not yet entered the arena must enter,’” she said, looking at Bard. She was asking him to decide who would enter the arena next. Bard looked at Karz, and Karz nodded, stepping up to the three-step platform leading into the arena.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed, and the area was plunged into darkness. No, it was not complete darkness. There was a faint light, like on a moonless night. Karz had already entered the arena, and was now staring at the far end.

This time, Karz’s body did not grow larger as it had before. He was his usual self. Somehow, the arena had transformed into a grassy plain, swaying in the wind that blew in from somewhere.

A figure stood at the far end of the arena. As Karz’s eyes adjusted, the figure became clearer. A young, naked man. What a beautiful man he was. His slender physique had not an ounce of excess flesh. His face was smooth, without a beard, and his short-cropped hair framed it perfectly. Even the tips of his dangling fingers were graceful and beautiful.

The room gradually grew brighter, until it was as bright as day. Karz continued to stare ahead, but the man’s figure was gone. In his place stood a large wolf.

“The hero who is half-god, half-beast. Skarlar,” Zariya murmured.

Skarlar was a human man. The moon goddess Sarie sought his affection, but he rejected her advances as he already had a lover. Enraged, Sarie transformed him into the form of an ugly beast. During the nights when Sarie rules the heavens, the beast reverts to the man’s shape. Sarie has thus made the man her own. But there was one who did not approve of this. The beast god Doug, who was enamored with Sarie. Doug repeatedly tried to kill the man.

Sarie stole the pelt of the most powerful of the eight wolves that pull the sun god Corama’s chariot of flames, and made the man wear it, drink its blood, and eat its flesh. With the spirit power of the flame wolf, the man became so strong that the beast god Doug could not approach him. However, the sun god Corama noticed that the man was wearing the stolen wolf pelt. Corama cursed the man, saying that he must complete seven adventures by a certain deadline or else die.

The man succeeded in the seven adventures and became a hero to the people, gaining immense power at the same time. At night, he is a beautiful man. During the day, he is an invincible, muscular wolf. This is the demigod hero Skarlar, half-beast and half-god.

Karz and the wolf charged forward at the same time, at an incredible speed. They soon grappled each other at the center of the arena. Karz evaded the wolf’s claws and struck at its neck with his crimson magic sword, Van Fleur. Bard thought the wolf’s head had been severed. But the wolf continued to move unharmed. Bard recalled the myth that the flame wolf’s pelt is impervious to all cutting.

Since the neck could not be cut, Karz could not stop the wolf’s attack. The wolf lunged at Karz’s throat, and though Karz evaded it at close range, the wolf’s fangs tore into his shoulder.

A high-speed battle ensued. Karz seemed to be slashing at various parts of the wolf’s body, but his attacks were completely ineffective, the crimson sword trails merely bouncing off the resilient pelt. In contrast, the wolf’s attacks were gradually inflicting wounds on Karz.

Eventually, Karz was covered in blood all over. It seems that his movements have slowed down a little, somehow.　At that moment, Karz stumbled, his feet caught in the grass.　Not missing the chance, the wolf bared its fangs at Karz’s throat.　But it was an illusion, and the magic sword Van Fleur had been deeply thrust into the wolf’s throat.　The stumbling was a lure.　While the fur may be impenetrable, the inside of the mouth is not.　The magic sword has likely pierced through the throat and reached the internal organs.　With Van Fleur still inside, the wolf spewed blood from its mouth.　However, the wolf’s life force is not easily extinguished.　It writhes.　It writhes.　No.　Even in such a state, the wolf continues its attack on Karz.　Its fangs may be sealed, but its claws remain.　The wolf still struggles, inflicting wounds on Karz’s body, but Karz does not flinch.　Karz pushes the sword deeper and deeper into the wolf’s head.　Karz’s body becomes covered in wounds, and the blood of the wolf and Karz mixed together, indistinguishable.　Letting out a terrifying roar, the wolf continues to struggle.　But eventually, after a long time, the wolf stops moving and reverts to its human form, collapsing.

The bell rings three times, and the arena returns to its original stone platform, with a new passage opening behind it.　Zariya tended to Karz’s wounds.　The leather armor crafted from a Wolf demonic beast is already in tatters, and the beautiful body it had enveloped is covered in wounds.　But Karz’s gaze holds not the slightest hint of wavering.　No.　There is even a somewhat a slight glint of pride in those eyes.　That is how it appeared to Bard.　Bard faintly smiled.

“Karz, that was a magnificent battle. I am proud of you.”

Bard silently praised Karz’s fighting prowess within his heart.　Zariya tended to Karz’s wounds for a while.　The scars remain, but the bleeding has stopped.　The pain must have subsided as well.　After all, Karz does not show any signs of suffering, even if he is in pain.　But since Zariya has treated him, the pain must have eased to some degree.　The group then proceeded onward.

10

This time the cave was filled with a blue light.　There, small Rowagul (shield frogs) like enemies attacked.　They are only about the size of a human head, but they have unusually large feet and can make tremendous leaps. A long, sharp tongue extended from their wide open mouths, and getting struck by it would paralyze the body. Around a hundred of these enemies attacked them all at once. While defeating the enemies, they were gradually became paralyzed as well. Even Karz, perhaps still damaged from the previous battle, finally failed to evade an enemy’s attack. Zariya tried to heal her paralyzed comrades, but unfortunately she too was attacked and paralyzed. Yemite, the last one remaining, was able to defeat the last enemy, so they managed to win. Eventually Zariya healed herself and the rest of the party.

A little further ahead, Bard ordered a break and they had a meal. Everyone was quite fatigued. So far it seems that once they defeat enemies in an area, they don’t reappear there.

After a sufficient rest, the group resumed their advance. Bard felt a sense of dissonance. It was about the enemies appearing in the cave versus those in the arena. The two enemies that appeared in the arena were certainly formidable foes, but their fighting spirit was stately and stirring. However, the enemies in the passages are insidious. From the passage enemies, one senses malice, or some sort of evil. There is no joy in that combat. What does this difference mean?

11

The party arrived at the next arena.

“‘One who has not yet ascended to the arena may now ascend’. It’s the same as before, isn’t it? Hey, Bard. Could you let me go this time? I have something I need to think about.”

Zariya was surprised by this offer, as she had not considered herself a combat operative. However, she likely has some plan in mind. Bard nodded and granted Zariya permission. (t/n: should be Bard surprised, but raw is like that)

The arena had now transformed into a swamp. It was a swamp with tall grass surrounding it, but there were no enemies in sight. Zariya was looking up to the sky.

There she was. The enemy was there, floating high in the sky.

A beautiful woman, clad in thin robes with long, bright chestnut hair flowing. She was smiling serenely. The wind that was billowing her clothes and hair seemed to be emanating from the woman herself.

Sosierra, the Goddess of Wind.

At times a gentle guardian of growth, and at others, a merciless goddess of destruction. The winds Sosierra brings to weary humans can steal away their painful memories, granting them oblivion. She possesses the spiritual power to cut all things, yet her body cannot be cut or pierced. There she floats, laughing in the void. How is one to attack something in the sky? And if the legends are true, swords, spears, and hammers cannot wound Sosierra. She is an immortal, unkillable goddess. Her form may disappear, only to resurface and sweep through the heavens once more. Sosierra is such a deity.

How is one to do battle with such an opponent?

Zariya advanced to the edge of the swamp and thrust her staff into the ground. Sosierra exhaled a gentle breath. That breath became a blade of wind that sliced through Zariya’s left shoulder. Zariya’s left hand fell to the ground. She picked it up with her right hand and murmured an incantation. The severed hand reattached seamlessly.

Zariya continued chanting the incantation, her staff glowing red and her own body softly illuminating. Sosierra exhaled again. The wind blade approached Zariya’s neck. But the blade struck the staff, and was deflected away. The goddess looked a little surprised and blew on her again.　Once again the wind blade hits the staff and goes off course. The goddess’s smile faded as the blades continued to be deflected by the staff.

Zariya persisted in her incantation. The goddess spread her arms wide and made a beckoning gesture. From her left sleeve emerged five blades of wind, and from her right sleeve another five. The ten blades of wind all converged on Zariya, but were deflected by her staff. Some of them, however, grazed Zariya’s arms, slicing them open.

The blades of wind that flew past struck the grass around, mowing it down. But they did not reach Bard and the others who were watching over Zariya. It seemed the blades were prevented from leaving the arena.

Zariya’s incantation continued unabated. The goddess spread her fingers wide, and from each of the ten fingers she unleashed a stream of blades of wind in rapid succession. It was a dense, relentless barrage of attacks. Most were deflected by the staff, but some managed to graze Zariya’s body. Zariya’s face and body were now covered in blood, but she kept her eyes closed, murmuring the incantation.

The staff that had been deflecting the fierce onslaught of blades of wind finally reached its limit and snapped with a loud crack. The goddess ceased her wind blade assault and smiled wryly. She then brought her outstretched hands together into one.

It is coming. The finishing blow is coming.

At that moment, Zariya suddenly snapped her eyes open and let out a shout. A whirlwind of wind arose around her, and the grass that the goddess’s attacks had cut down began to spiral upwards in a vortex. The grass tornado surged upwards with tremendous force, approaching the goddess. Zariya took something out of her pocket and shook it off. Sparks flew. It must have been a flint. The sparks ignited in an impossible, rapidly spreading inferno, engulfing the swirling grass and bursting into flames around the goddess. The burning grass was merely the catalyst. Zariya had summoned hundreds, thousands of times more flames from that spark.

A anguished scream echoed. The raging inferno was extinguished in an instant, but the goddess’s form had vanished from the void.

The bell rang three times.