俺を取り囲む、ブルーゴブリンの群れ。

　次元の断裂から現れた鎖が、群れの前列に並ぶブルーゴブリンたちを拘束。
　じりじりと距離を詰めていた前列の動きが止まったことで、後ろにいたブルーゴブリンたちに困惑の色が広がる。
　中には、斧状の腕で空間の裂け目や鎖をおっかなびっくり突っついてるやつもいる。

「我鎖ニ繋ガレシ獄ノ咎人ヲ貫ク黒キ魔槍ニヨル罪殺ヲ欲ス、第九禁呪第二界解放」

　俺は呪文を早口で唱えながら、来た方向とは逆――新たにブルーゴブリンが押し寄せてきた方向へと、剣を構えながら駆け出す。
　黒い槍が突き刺さっていく前列のブルーゴブリンたちの間を縫い、やや姿勢を低くしながら、前へ。
　その姿勢から、ひゅっ、と剣を半月状に振るう。
　眼前のゴブリンの喉元が、ぱっくりと割れる。

「……ゴ、ガッ……ッ」

　次――。

　振り切った剣を素早く返し、今度は、すぐ横にいたブルーゴブリンを袈裟切りにする。

「グ……ガァ……ッ」

　こうして、二匹を切り伏せた時点で。
　様子見状態だったブルーゴブリンたちが、ようやく明確な殺意を、俺へ向ける。
　鎖に捕まり槍で串刺しになったゴブリンたちは、すでに溶解をはじめていた。

　短く呼吸をする。

　本音を言えば……叫び出したかった。

　あるいは、己の内に巣食う恐れを取り除くには、それもいいのかもしれない。
　が、いくら身体に変化が起きているとはいえ、体力にも限界がある。
　叫ぶ体力すら、今は惜しかった。
　だから極力、呼吸は短く。
　口から出す言葉は、すべて禁呪の詠唱へ。

「我禁呪ヲ発ス我ハ鎖ノ王ナリ、最果テノ獄ヨリイデシ万ノ鎖ヨ――」

　後方から飛びかかってきたゴブリンの首を、詠唱しながら切り裂く。
　その首の切り口から、ぶしゅぅっ、と青い血が噴き出した。
　さらに身体を翻した勢いそのままに、俺は、次に襲いかかってきたゴブリンを切り捨てた。
　その間にも、マーカーをつけることは忘れず。

「――我ガ命ニヨリ我ガ敵ヲ拘束セヨ」

　さらに一匹、また一匹――。
　できるだけ呼吸を短く。
　最低限の動作で、一匹一匹、確実に。
　体力の消耗を抑えながら。
　着実に。
　生き残って、彼女たちのもとへと、戻るために。

「第九禁呪、解放」

　鎖で十数匹を、一気に拘束。
　さらに、前へ出る。
　鎖で拘束したブルーゴブリンを壁に、そして時に盾にしつつ――前へ。

　ずんっ、という手ごたえ。
　こちらに踏み込んできたブルーゴブリンの、額を割る。

「――――」

　……次っ！

　汗が、冷たい。
　だが、身体は、熱い。

「我鎖ニ繋ガレシ獄ノ咎人ヲ――」

　ブルーゴブリンたちを屠っていく最中。
　ポイントを微妙に変えつつ、何度かその斧状の腕に剣を打ち込んでみた。
　それで、わかったことがある。
　ブルーゴブリンの斧状に変形した右腕。
　硬度が高いのは、肘の少し手前までだ。
　ならば――

　一匹のブルーゴブリンが斧腕を振りかざしながら、飛びかかってくる。

「――貫ク黒キ魔槍ニヨル罪殺ヲ欲ス」

　肘のあたりに狙いを定め、剣を振りおろす。
　ずんっ、とゴブリンの腕が切り落とされる。
　俺の脳天を割るべく振り下ろされるはずだった斧腕は、宙に放り出される。
　ブルーゴブリンは赤い目を剥き、消えた己の腕があった場所を見た。
　そして次の瞬間には、晶刃剣に喉を切り裂かれている。

「第九禁呪第二界、解放」

　汗が滝のように流れ出てくる。
　ふぅ、と小さく息を吐く。

　……次。

　止まることは許されない。
　再び禁呪の詠唱に入りながら、ブルーゴブリンひしめく通路の向こうを目指す。

　一匹、二匹三匹……四匹五匹六匹、七匹八匹九匹十匹――十一、十二、十三、十四……十五っ！

　息をつく間もなく。
　次から次へ。
　切って、切って、切り伏せる。

　殺す。
　殺ス。
　殺――駄目だ。

　待て。
　待ってくれ。

　俺は、戻るんだ。

　ここで、おまえに意識をやるわけにはいかない。
　俺は『俺』のまま、彼女たちの元へ戻る。
　死ぬために戦っているわけじゃない。
　生きるために、戦っているんだ。
　だからおまえに『喰わせる』わけには、いかない。

　おまえは、俺が抑え込む。

　Three blows.
　Swing the sword--sixteen--thrusting--seventeen--returning and slashing. --Ten, eight!

..........

　Just ... when the time comes, you can have it.
　I'm going to let you go.
　But you can't just--

　Until I start whining.
　Until I thought it was over.

　Just shut up for a minute.

　Disengage your diseased consciousness.
　A moment of rigidity.
　He's coming at you, Blue Goblin.

　He's fast-- even with rigidity I'm still faster than him!

　Leaning his body backwards, he cuts up the blue goblin's body in an inverted manner.
　A gush of blue blood spurts out.
　The goblin, whose axe arm slices the sky, passes by my side, spilling blood from the wound as it is.

　My balance is crumbling.
　But I stay on my feet.
　Then, I instantly adjust my stance and re-position my sword.

　I let out a single searing breath, a big one.

"I--

　They start chanting again.

"The chains that bind thee to hell...

　...you will survive.

　　　　　　　　　　*

　The day I went to the library to visit Clarice, that day.

"I just wanted to let you know that I have some news for you.

　Mr. Clarice stopped me and said so.

''Regarding the case of someone unfit to handle holy elements dying in the Holy Ruins.

　This is not just a speculation - but after preamble to that, she began to talk about it.

　About death in the Holy Ruins.

　Those who lost their lives in the Holy Ruins can be revived.
　Those who lost their lives in the Holy Ruins will be transported to the ground in a revived state after a while -.

　In fact, the Holy Ruins has such a characteristic.

　According to the rumors I've heard, this characteristic is the reason why many noblemen are determined to send their beloved children to the academy.
　However, it's not a good thing.

　After being resuscitated, those who died in the Holy Ruins would sleep in a coma for at least two years.
　During that time, it is said that they don't need to be fed and defecated, but for example, stabbing a sleeping person with a sword would of course lead to death.

　And if a student dies within the Holy Ruins, the Renowthred School takes measures to expel them from the school.

　The period of time to continue sleeping is 'at least' two years.
　This means that there are those who continue to sleep for more years than that.
　I have heard that some have been asleep for more than ten years already (and, of course, are getting older).
　We don't intend to keep these people at the school if we don't know when they will return.
　That is the school's policy.
　The students who are expelled from the school will be taken in by their parents or relatives, and will leave the school.

　Also, this 'resuscitation transfer' would only apply to the Holy Ruins that were off-center.
　Underneath the Holy Tree - that is, the Holy Ruins that the Holy Tree Knights are conquering right underneath the castle, this 'Resuscitation Transfer' will not be applied to the Holy Ruins.

　And it was precisely because of the discovery of this 'resuscitation transfer' that the school's curriculum of 'having the candidates attack the holy ruins that are off center' was approved.
　I see, that was the reason why the students of the school did not feel that they were going to the land of death to such an extent, despite the dangers of the holy ruins.

　Nevertheless, that resuscitation transfer does not eliminate the 'fear of death' itself in any other way.
　The suffering, pain and fear of dying remain as memories.
　There are many people who are so traumatized by their memories of death that even if they wake up from their slumber, they stay in their homes.
　On the other hand, there are also cases where they survive halfway through and in rare cases, they are made to be taunted by demons that don't let them live and don't kill them (although this is only a rumor).

But this is about someone who has an 'organ' that handles the sacred elements.

　With a serious look on her face, Miss Clarice continued her story.

　This was what she spoke about.

　For the past few decades, the only people who would enter the state-controlled Holy Ruins were basically the Holy Tree Knights or the Holy Tree Candidates who attended the school.
　They were basically those who could handle the holy element.
　However, if you go back to the past records, there are a good number of people who can't handle the holy elements who also set foot in the holy ruins.

　And of the people who had no aptitude to handle the holy element and were resuscitated....................until now, not a single person has been identified.

　What does this indicate?

　That's right.
　I can't handle the Holy Elements.

　In other words, in my case, there's no resuscitation transfer or shit..........There's a very high probability that I'll be 'done' there if I die.

　According to Clarice-san, this is only a story that I have inferred from the statistics of past materials.
　Incidentally, after finishing her story, she smiled embarrassedly, saying that I'm probably the only person who has looked into this kind of thing.

It's just........please keep this in mind. I'm not going to say goodbye right away, either.
'Okay ... thank you for telling me, Miss Clarice.

　And I left the special reading room.

　　　　　　　　　　*

'Huh.........'

　How many blue goblins have we killed...?
　Fifty?
　A hundred?

..........

　Honestly, there was no end to it.
　Killing and killing........new Blue Goblins would spring up from the end of the passage.
　........and of course, from behind.
　Still, I'm not going to give up.

　I can't just die here.

　The four newly-emerged Blue Goblins were heading towards us.
　Swing the sword.
　I will slash and kill.
　I will slash them in the order they come at me.
　As I slash and slay, I aim further down the corridor.

　Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, move forward - just move forward.

　That's when.
　Gulp.
　I feel the blade catch in the flesh of the blue goblin.

"Ouch...!

　Finally, I should say.
　The sharpness.
　The sharpness of the sword began to dull--

　Still, I swung my sword away, with all my strength.

''Gu........gee, gyaaaaaa!

　After letting out a decapitated scream, the Blue Goblin collapses while lazily pouring out blood, Blue Goblin.

''Haha, haha........''

　Oh, no.
　The weapon--
　On the way, the small hand got cracked and became useless.
　So I caught the axe with my sword again and again.
　Or maybe that's why.

"Gegaaaah!　Gogoaaaah!　Gagaagaaaaaaaa!

　You saw that I was weak.
　One blue goblin pointed his axe arm at me and let out a yell.

　I look around.
　Scattered throughout the area are .......crystal fragments.

''Different species sometimes take crystals into their bodies.''

　Well, I heard something like that before.
　But I don't have the luxury of picking up crystals without a fight right now........
　...........
　Wait.
　That's the shard.........

I am the chain--

　He clutches the crystal in his left hand as he casts a forbidden spell.
　Three more of them come towards us from the passage ahead.
　First, I kill the lead blue goblin with a single thrust.
　I quickly draw my sword, and then stab the other one that jumped at me from the right--and then the other one.
　And then the other one.
　The goblin that leapt at me from the left, and in its eye.

　I slammed the sharp crystal as hard as I could.

''Gu........gogaa.......!

　The crystal stabbed deep into the blue goblin's eye socket.
　The goblin suppressed his eyes and snapped his hips forward.
　I'm not going to be able to get it to work.
　At the top of its head, I thrust my sword down from above.
　And while pulling out the sword, I released the ninth forbidden curse to the second realm to the blue goblins that were approaching from behind, holding their breath.

''........Phew.

　
　....................

　Giving up, that's not good enough.

　We can't give up yet.
　We can't get beaten here yet.

　Shaking off that "sensation" that was crawling up, I moved my legs further forward.
　And then.

I hope that's the way out...

　The place we arrived at.
　A door, reddish-black in color, far beyond my gaze.
　But.

You're not going to let me go that easy, are you?

　I arrived at a large rectangular room.
　The ceiling was high and wide.
　In the Holy Ruins, this would be what is called a 'large room'.

　I've accumulated quite a bit of fatigue before I arrived here.
　In addition, although I didn't suffer any deep cuts on my arms and legs, several cuts are peeking out from the rips in my clothes.

''Well........''

　Standing ahead of me was a swarm of blue goblins, so many that I didn't even want to count them.
　When I turned around a bit, I saw a mass of blue goblins approaching from further back.

　Suddenly, I thought of their faces.
　.............
　I knew I couldn't die.
　I want to see them again.

　One big, deep breath.
　If I continue to rush in, I'll be surrounded by a whole group of people - but even so, I have no choice but to go here.
　There's no turning back.

　The Blue Goblins are ready for battle, and I'm going to designate as many markers as possible to them.
　The Blue Goblins begin to move.
　Chanting.
　Activate.

　--Forward.

　俺は、走り出した。
　行く手を阻むブルーゴブリン。

　第二界、解放。

　次元の穴から降り注ぐ漆黒の槍。
　飛んでくる槍に貫かれるゴブリンを横目に、俺は剣で、突く、突く、突く――突き、殺す。
　と、近距離に横たわっていたブルーゴブリンの死骸から、クリスタルが出現。
　それを手に取り――かけて。

　ぱしっ。

　俺は、

　ブルーゴブリンに突き刺さっていた、禁呪によって呼び出された黒き槍の方を、手に取った。

　それを引き抜いて、前方の三匹を――まとめて、串刺しにする。

「…………」

　なるほど。
　こんなのも、アリか。

　これは『検索』でも出てこなかった使い方だ。
　俺としては、無我夢中で、咄嗟に掴んだ感もあったのだが……。
　しかし禁呪は今のところ、俺のイメージで扱えているような気がする。
　例えば、使い方をＰＣのイメージでやっているみたいに。

　つまり、ある程度までなら……どう使うかは俺次第、ってことか？

　三匹をまとめて串刺しにした槍は、最初に引き抜いたゴブリンが消えたところで、穴の中へと引っ込んでいった。

「……だったら」

　禁呪の詠唱をはじめる。

「使えるもんは、なんでも使ってやる」

　鎖で拘束されたブルーゴブリンたちに襲いかかる、無数の黒い槍。
　剣で敵を突き殺しながら、俺は、次々と槍を手に取る。
　時に、槍の先がゴブリンの身体に到達する前に、槍を掴む。
　そして、その槍で、襲いくるゴブリンを貫いていく。

　こいつらを蹴散らして……なんとしてでも、扉まで、辿り着く！

　とめどなく襲いかかるブルーゴブリンの奇声と、青い血の雨を浴びながら――俺は、ただひたすらに、扉を目指す。