96-the first act of the town
ãA one-story house with a rather old-fashioned appearance, located in a corner of a residential area in the city of beginnings. The house was built decades ago by an adventurer.
ãThe house has been unused for the past few years, but for the first time in a long time, there are sounds of life in the house.
'After all, I feel at home here, don't you?
ãAmber muttered to herself as she sipped tea in her house, which she had purchased as an adventurer for the first time and had taken good care of ever since.
ãIt's a house that I managed to buy and build on my own when the town of my beginnings was a bit more quiet. That's why he felt so strongly about it, and even now that he has become busy, he still maintains this house.
ãThis time I had a reason to stay in the city of beginnings due to a request, so I was able to come to this place after a long time.
ãFor a while, Amber had not taken any jobs as an adventurer after travelers from other countries began to appear.
ãThis was in order to make contact with the "children" and eventually find Sukuna, the beloved child of the demon gods.
ãNot only that, but he was also able to meet other travelers who had grown up when he returned home. They, too, will become indispensable pieces in what I would call the great swell that Amber is about to take on.
ãWe have already found the key.
ãNo matter what lies beyond the door, we will not stop.
'But it will still take some time.
ãAs far as the key Sukuna is concerned, the minimum level she was assigned by the demon gods is around 50. If she is at that level, she has probably already reached it.
ãHowever, in order to raise the child to the next level, she needs a level above 90.
ãEven if the fight to prevent the invasion will raise his level somewhat, it will take a long time for him to reach 90.
ãIn any case, it was going to be a long time before Amber's purpose was fulfilled.
'Is something troubling you?
'......!
ãI shuddered.
ãA familiar voice reached Amber's ears.
ãHe had been distracted, that was for sure.
ãBut how could he not notice the presence across the table?
'............ This is heartbreaking, Melty.
'Hmm, I'm sorry I scared you. It's just that when I see a strong girl like you, I want to play a prank on you.
ãMelty Bloodheart. Amber couldn't hide her surprise at the reunion with the hero she had just met.
ãPerhaps because the little prank was successful, Melty was smiling happily.
ãPerhaps it was wrong to be surprised. Amber could only marvel at the presence of a massive, non-standard being.
'I brought this girl with me today.
'Bubbeh!
ãAs soon as Melty slid his finger into the space, a crack appeared in the space and a woman fell through the gap.
ãPerhaps it was because she was dropped on her head, but there was an unpleasant cracking sound.
ãWhen Amber saw the woman who screamed, she looked at her with indescribable sympathy.
'Hey, Melty!ãIf you're going to take it out, take it out normally!ãWhy do you keep dropping it on my head, you idiot?
'You're not as dumb as Lin, are you?
'Ah!ãYou're being silly again!ãI'm not going to drop someone on their head!ãI'm sure you're not the only one. I'm not sure.ãI'm not sure what you mean.ãIt's a good thing I'm not the only one.
'...... My name is Amber. Nice to meet you, Lin.'
ãThe way he shouted at Melty without any mercy. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
ãAnd then there's the harshness of his stormy words and his shifty personality.
ãThere's no doubt about it. This woman is the Blood Purifier. She's the last of the bloodline to be favored by the Heavenly Eyes.
'Oh, come on, we're not strangers anymore. Amber, don't just stand there, sit down.
'Melty, don't be so arrogant with the landlord. Where's my chair, by the way?
ãYou're right, there were only two chairs available to begin with. That's because Amber has never invited anyone here. It is true that there is no place for Lin to sit since one chair is used by Melty and the other is used by Amber herself.
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ãAmber wondered.
'Lin is fine on the floor.
'What?ãYou're kidding, right?'
'What?'
'You're kidding, right?ãHey Amber, do you have a chair for me?
'Oh, ......, no, don't worry. I'll get it out of my inventory.'
ãI wonder if I'm being played for comic relief.
ãWith that in mind, Amber took out a chair from her inventory that she could use and placed it by Lin's side.
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ãMelty was obviously playing with Lin.
ãThere is a legend that he once destroyed a country that tried to harm the Pure Blood. I thought that's how much the favorite princess of the Heavenly Eyes was loved.
ãBut looking at her like this, Amber thought that she gave a very different impression from what she had heard.
ââ
'So, what can I do for you today?'
'The Creator is delaying the gate's collapse. At this rate, we should be able to hold out until the tenth day.'
'...... You're saying you're still short after all those people kept trying?'
'Hmm, that's what I don't understand. My eyes are not infallible, and the future can easily change. Still, I think it's something that can be settled by Amber alone in the end.
ãWhat Melty told me was even more obscure than I had imagined.
ãAs for the collapse of the gates, it is difficult to say that a definite date has been set, and a gap of a day or so has always been tolerated.
ãI think it was Melty's power that allowed him to clearly say that the date would be extended for three days, but even so, the reason is unclear.
ãFrom the way Melty spoke, it didn't seem that this gate was particularly difficult, nor that there was a shortage of manpower.
ãIn the end, even if it is said that Amber alone can manage it, the story will be very different depending on whether it is a fight in which you can afford to risk your life or not.
ãIf possible, I don't want to use the "final ceremony" now. For Amber, the End Ceremony is a genuine trump card, and above all, it is too powerful to be used in the city.
ãIf we fight to protect the city of beginnings and the city of beginnings is wiped out, everything is going to fall apart.
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ãI'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
'...... No, uh, Melty. Are you acquainted with the Sirens or something?
'Hmm?ãYeah, he's been coming in too often.
ãI don't know whether he came to give information, to flirt, or to complain, but it seemed to me that Amber was being bought by Melty.
ãIt is true that Amber understands the nature of the world to some extent, and she knows more about the Seven Star King than most people.
ãHowever, he has never actually fought the Seven Star King, and it is a myth. Even amber is not close enough to the core of the world to be able to talk about it with a knowing face.
ãBecause the last time the Seven Star King came to this world was 700 years ago.
ãIt is a heroic tale in which the great hero in front of you, along with the monsters of the world who were called heroes at that time, defeated the fourth star, Seraflore, the Angel of the Beginning. ã
It's a fairy tale.ãAre you talking about the Siren, the diva of fairy tales?
'Yes.
'The Immortal Diva and the Hero of the Stars'!ãShe's the heroine of the second volume of the Hero of the Stars series!ãI love that story.
ãIn contrast to the anguished Amber, Lin was as excited as a child.
ãWhen she stroked the desk, a puddle of blood appeared with a popping sound.
ãLin thrusts her hand into the puddle and pulls out a book.
''Ta-da!ãIt's one of my treasured collections, and it's a first edition premiere!
ãThe hardcover book that Lin hugged happily revealed a terrifyingly vast amount of mystery.
ãIf Melty hadn't put up his wards, the pressure of his presence would be so great that it would cause a tremor in the city of beginnings.
ãThe amount of magic was so great that even Amber was horrified.
ãIn other words, it was proof that this book was the original.
'Are you kidding me ......?
'This one she has is the real deal. And it's a complete set.
ãThe Hoshi no Yuusha series is the story of a hero who defeated all the Seven Star Kings, who existed even before the time when the demon gods lived.
ãThe vast 20-volume work has been passed down from generation to generation in eternity under a powerful preservation spell.
ãWhat is now called "the original" in the world is a kind of forbidden book, and everything in the world today is just a copy of it or a modified version of it.
ãAmber has read all the copies, but this was the first time she had seen the original books in person.
ãAnd if Lin's words were to be believed, it was a first edition.
ãThat would mean that it was the oldest original text.
ãThinking to that point, Amber suddenly remembered.
ãBlood Purification is a kind of nickname that was given to it in later times.
ãThe name it was called before that was, I believe, .......
'The Immortal Princess' or .......'
''What's that?''
ãI'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
'The only person who doesn't know is you'.
'I guess so.
ãAmber couldn't help but laugh.
ãThe "Immortal Princess" is a character from the 19th volume of the Hero of the Stars series.
ãShe is only a sub-character, and her appearance is one of the best comedy scenes in the Star Hero series.
ãLike Melty, she also exists in the world of mythology.
'Mmm, you two are getting to know each other. If you do that, I won't let you read this.
ãLin hugged the book tightly in dissatisfaction, but Amber was rather grateful for that.
'No, I'm sorry, but if I read it, I'll die. I'm not proud of it, but I have the weakest magic resistance in this world.
'With Amber's magic resistance, it will probably explode the moment you open it. I'll bring you back to life, so why don't you try to explode?'
'Why don't you come and kill me like that? I don't want you to come and kill me like that.
ãAmber replied to Melty's teasing by poking her foot under the desk, as if she really didn't like it.
ãMelty laughed happily, and Lin turned pale and began to shake.
'I'm going to put this away because I don't want to give Amber a painful ...... explosion.
'Lin had a lot of explosions in the past, didn't she?
'Don't forgive Jiryu!
ãWhen she saw Lin's anger, she felt that she understood why Melty was making fun of Lin.
ãAnd she felt very jealous of the relationship between the two.
ãThe "Immortal Princess" has received the curse of "immortality" on her body as compensation for the sins committed by her mother.
ãIt is said to be the worst curse in the world, an absolute curse given by God.
ãShe is the only one who has lived unchanged for thousands of years.
ãYou can't be strong, you can't be weak, you can only live in an unchanging time.
ãDespite the curse that would normally destroy her heart first, Lin continues to maintain a sound mind.
ãThe being with the strongest heart in the world.
ãThis is the "Immortal Princess" Lin, the one who the heroes of the stars called "the sun" for the brilliance of her soul before challenging her to the final battle.
ãThe last bloodsucker, who could even be said to be the incarnation of night, is standing beside such a sun, a strange scene that seems like a contradiction.
ãThis figure seemed to shine brightly to Amber, who had been fighting in solitude.
'What's the matter?ãWhy do you look so lonely?
ãPerhaps it was because she was quiet, but Lin spoke to her in such a way.
ãIn response to the words, which may have been spoken without thinking, Amber opened her mouth a little hesitantly.
'No, ...... you're right. Maybe I've been lonely.
ãIt is said that demon gods once had a best friend who could be called a half of their soul.
ãI'm not sure if I'm a good person or a bad person.
ãAt best, she is friendly. At worst, she is a one-sided woman.
ãAfter all, Amber's seemingly friendly attitude is a sign of her caution to avoid letting people enter her heart.
'Hmm, then we'll be your friends from now on!
'Please don't add me too.
'What?ãMelty is already Amber's friend, right?ãYou're such a brazen barging into people's houses.'
'...... You sometimes hit me where it hurts, don't you?
'Ouch, ouch!ãMelty's stupidity will make you demented if you decapitate her!
'I've always been bad, so why bother now?
ãBefore I knew it, Melty had kidnapped Lin next to his chair, bound Lin in the shadows, and peppered him with a series of decapitating blows.ãHe was hitting her with a series of decockpins.
ãIt was only a decapitating blow, but it was so fast that his fingers seemed to slow down.
ãAnd yet, he was able to control the strength to the extent that Lin was in pain. This is the kind of sophisticated and useless technique that is useless.
'Hmmmmmmmmm, hahahahahahahahaha!ãNo, looking at you guys, I feel like my problems are ridiculous!
'You've got a good look on your face. I'm sure you can get there now. You'll get to where she is. ......
'I feel more confident when someone as good as Melty says so. I've had so many good things happen to me lately that I've become anxious, but I guess I've been impatient myself. I'm so embarrassed that I said those things to Sukuna.
ãHe laughed loudly and profusely. I can't believe how long it's been since I've done that.
ãGet stronger, get stronger. Perhaps she was wearing out her body and soul to reach the ideal she was pursuing.
ãAmber looked radiant, as if a weight had been lifted from her heart.
'Oh, ...... that's right. About that Sukuna...'
'Ah blah blah blah.'
'Hmm?'ãDoes Melty know about the Skuna?'
'Yeah, a little bit at Feas.'
ãAmber was a little surprised to hear the name Sukuna come out of Melty's mouth.
ãShe was the only one who had defeated the red wolf, so she was certainly a subject of interest to Melty.
ãHowever, he was still like an immature egg. The reason for the contact was that Melty himself was not someone to be powdered.
ãThe reason for the contact was far beyond what Amber had expected.
'She's going to fall soon.
'......!
ãThe words that followed from Melty's mouth made Amber shudder.
ã'Falling'. That would mean that he would be violating the prohibition of the demons.
'I don't know how she, a foreign traveler, can keep such huge emotions inside her. Or maybe I should say I don't know how she can keep them inside. It must be a tremendous pain to live with something like that.
ãAll living things have turbulent emotions. Only a few people with special skills can see them.
ãAt least, Amber could not feel any such emotion from that cheerful and lovely child girl.
'There's one thing for sure. The Skuna is like a tense balloon. If a small hole is made, she will surely activate the thing.
' ãDead Skillã....... A curse created by the demon gods, or .......'
'The most likely condition for activation is the loss of a beloved person. And unfortunately, she has one, doesn't she?
'...... I see. Their parting is only temporary and simulated. Still, if she were to lose it in front of her eyes, her precarious equilibrium would be shattered. ......?
'Yes. ...... Hopefully, that day will never come, though. If you're going to let it out, it's better to do it now, when you're not so strong. When the world's most powerful demigod was swallowed by the darkness of Deadskill. You don't know what he did, do you?
'Of course.'
ãDestroyed three of the most powerful species.
ãEnded dozens of nations.
ãPhysically rewrote the map of the world.
ãThe number of creatures that died in his rampage is in the millions.
ãWhat the demon lord once did was the worst calamity on par with the attack of the Seven Star King.
'I'll kill them if I have to. If you don't like it, you'd better prepare yourself to bring her back to her senses. That skill is so evil.'
'Yeah, I know. I still want to believe in her strength.' ......
'I agree with you. She's got a heart strong enough to laugh while holding it. I'm sure she'll overcome it.
ãSkuna is the most important thing to Amber right now.
ãIt's not only because he's valuable, but more importantly, because he's a friend who supports Amber's dreams.
ãThat's right. Melty and Lin are the same.
ãSkuna is an important friend of Amber's, too.
ãI'm not saying protect them.
ãWe're just trying to help.
ãI'm not saying to protect them, but to help them, because amber has the power to do that.
'Ugh......, that hurts......, are you done talking?'
'Hmph.'
'Aah!
'Buf!
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'Well, you don't have to worry so much about Sukuna. Since she's in Fierce now, I'll take care of her there. You just focus on protecting this city.''
'Oh, thank you. Help the boy.'
'Only if I have to. She might not be as bad off as you think.''
ãThey smiled at each other, and Melty lifted Lin by the collar of her dress as she rolled on the floor.
'I'm going home.'
'Ugh ...... Oh, is that so?ã'So long Amber, see you later!ãAnd don't drag me with you, I'll walk!
'What?ãWhat did you say?
'Melty's an idiot!ãIdiot!ãYou're not a person!
'Yes, because you're not a person.'
'No, Amber, save me! ......!
ãAmber closed the door of the house after watching Melty leave with a giggle, tormenting Lin.
'Stormy people, aren't they?
ãStill, it was fun.
ãIt wasn't a long time, but it was the first time in a long time that Amber had really laughed.
ãI think it was worth the time.
ãIt was the first time in a long time that amber made me laugh seriously.