I developed a red-black wave around myself.

'The wave of erosion or the origin of Hidaka Masamune, the symbol of the abyss.

Then the dragon muttered something strange.

'A symbol of the Abyss?'

Don't you understand?　The first abyss that represented you. At that point, you already had your answer.

The answer?　You think this wave of erosion is the answer?

Yeah, but don't think about it anymore. If you're going to think about it, be smart about it. It's not the same as worrying about it.

Huh I never thought the word smart would come out of a dragon's mouth, it doesn't look good on you at all.

I couldn't help but smile.
It's not a smile of composure.
It's the kind of smile you get when you're stuck.

'That's it.　Laugh!　Stop worrying about it!　　Surely people change, you have changed through your travels and adventures. But how did it work?　How can you forget those days?　Hmm?　If anything, the anger grew stronger, didn't it?　No matter how much fun you were having, you were still angry at the sight of it coming at you out of nowhere, weren't you?　Isn't it?　　That's what I mean. That's what you are!

That's me...

That's for sure.
There's no denying it.
It's just that those days are always lonely for me.
And every time I did, I wanted to kill them.
I remember that feeling.

"Yeah, well... That's nothing to be ashamed of. Good and evil are just convenient terms for someone you hate. So you have been misled. The same is true of morality and ethics. You have locked your mind with that stupid expression. So you doubt yourself every time you conflict and disagree!　"Am I wrong?"　And I'm conflicted!　You're wasting your time. The world is more selfish than you think. If you know that, why do you always refuse to take the last step?　You are the abyss, you know?　If you don't at least love her, who will?　You are the only one who understands you.　You are the only one who will not abandon me!

The dragon blurted out the words as if they were folding.

This is my problem.
That's why I didn't even talk to Toa about it.
I thought it was something I had to figure out for myself.
I still think that's not wrong.
Some answers aren't worth seeking out right away, you know?

"I haven't given up on me, okay?　That's why I hated those guys.

'Well...'

I glanced at the dragon.
His glazed eyes were looking down at me.
But there was no malice in them.

"I always wished everyone would die.　I wished them all dead and that's why I made a promise to myself at that moment. "I wished they were all dead, so I made a vow to get rid of all those annoying things around me.

Yeah. That's it.

'But ... it's none of your business. I'll do what I want to do. I'm not going to let you fool me either.

That's when the dragon's nose hit me hard.

'That's it,'

This is my magic. No more hesitation. And no more of that tedious wordplay.

It's a pain in the ass, isn't it? But it's just like you.

I deployed the encroachment and I spied on the dragon's way out.
But I'm the one being spied on.
This dragon is cleverly trying to make me aware of something.
In other words, to put it to the extreme, this guy has no intention of killing me.
He may have even noticed that.

''Then, shall I kill you?''

See?　I'm aware.

The dragon was expressionless.

'I don't know what you know about the Abyss, but what do you want with me?'

Hmm?　Abyss?　I don't know the abyss. I'm just saying that your mind is not stable, so I'm just saying what I think.

Are you still playing with me?　What about this dragon?

So how do you know?　Every word is my heart, just like it is. How strange is that?　Are you ... Vell?　Or else....

There is no response to Vel's wand, which is flipped as usual.
And in front of me is a dragon that says the same thing as Vel.
I'm not even sure........

''There's no point in stalling for time, you know?

What?　Stalling?　I just asked you what I honestly thought, okay?

I see.

Then the dragon took an uncomfortable pause, and then muttered that.
Then he seemed to laugh a little.

What?
Did you mispronounce it?
I had no intention of stalling.
The image of Vel passed through my mind for a moment, so I just asked him about it in passing.

Then the dragon let out a snort like a sigh.

'That's the last time. But you know what?　If you keep making the same mistakes over and over again, it's the same no matter how many times you go back. So I have preached.

...What are you talking about?

Then the dragon spread its wings and threatened me.
Then it didn't speak, but fired two shots of fire in rapid succession.

'Answer the question!'

I dodged the flames while using my "divine speed".
But I couldn't continue to dodge easily because there were three people behind me.
Because there are three of them behind me.

The dragon also attacked, using its right arm to reappear towards the destination I had moved to.

I dodged its arm and magnified the wave of erosion as I dodged the arm.
I didn't want it to hit the three of us.

And--.

[Goddess Blood Tears, Dies Bradley]!

A magic circle appeared at the dragon's feet.
In the next moment, countless rains of blood penetrated the ceiling and rained down on the dragon's body.

''The Blessed Frolic Spear [Benedict Javelin]!

I made the Spear of Light appear and plunged it into my own heart.
This will prevent the mana from drying up.

The Beaker surrounds the dragon, and blood fills the area.
And at the same time the goddess's figure disappears, the beaker shatters and blood begins to spill out at once.

''d*mn!''

Then the state of the dragon is revealed.

'....No?

The dragon was unharmed.
It was just soaked in blood.

'Why?　Why isn't it working?

Level difference?
I peeked at the status of the dragon with the [Devil's Eye of Truth].

''Nah!''

But it was labeled '--Unknown--' there.

And a moment after I showed an opening, the dragon blows fire again.

'd*mn it!'

But this is inevitable.
If I avoided a breath of this size, it would hit the three behind me directly.

I further expanded the erosion.
I extended my range as far as I could so that the fire wouldn't reach the three men behind me.
But the dragon began to swing its head from side to side, spitting fire around.
Flames were unleashed indiscriminately.

I looked back behind me with a sideways glance.
Nem is standing by, not trying to touch it, as I instructed.
But I could see the anxiety on his face.
So are Toa and Sufilia.
They just stare at me, not saying anything.

........
I can't protect the three of them in this situation.......

At that moment, the dragon narrows the momentum of the fire to just me.
It directed all of its breaths at me alone.

I poured my magic into the erosion and blocked the breaths.
But slowly, I could feel the dragon's fire burning the erosion.
What erosion?
You can't even invade a single piece of dragon fire.

Why do you... why don't you do as you're told?

But I know that.

--But I know that because I have my doubts.

I think the erosion is going to hurt us all.
You're subconsciously afraid you're going to get scared.

How do I deal with it?
Can we expand these vibrations to their limits without hesitation?
But if! .........

.....

I never hesitated before.
I wouldn't have doubted magic, and myself, for a millimeter.

As if the dragon could see through my conflict, it was still blowing fire and smiling with a smile in its eyes.

-- "Don't doubt the abyss."

That's what Vel said to me then.

--"If you doubt yourself, you'll be swallowed by the abyss."

Well......
I must have been swallowed by the abyss.
That's why Ichijo's arm was invaded.
Then what am I going to do?
I thought I had no intention of killing him, but I can clearly feel the killing intent from this guy right now.
He's trying to kill me.
If I die at this point, the three of us will be killed by this dragon.
So you'll release the erosion?

--It's the only two anymore.
But it's only one of two.
I'd rather be eaten alive by a dragon....

For the last time....

Then the dragon stopped breathing once.

".........

The dragon says nothing.

'I don't doubt myself anymore. No I can't doubt myself anymore. It's the only magic I have left. Once I lose this abyss, all that's left is a dumb kid.

Then the dragon opened his mouth.

'It all makes sense. Not everyone can get to the dungeon. And not everyone can get to the meaning.

Then the dragon put his arms on the ground to support his body.

The abyss is not only for those who seek it. The abyss is not only for those who seek it, it is all about harmony. But don't think of yourself as special?　It's also a product of unreasonable coincidence.

I don't care what you say. I am who I am. I will follow the magic I believe in!

At that moment, the dragon released a breath like never before.

''--[Waves of Erosion [Disappearing Aura]!

I poured all the magical power I had into it at once, releasing the erosion all at once.
I didn't have a millimeter of doubt or anxiety anymore.
It doesn't matter how much of that stuff you learn, it's no use anymore.

I expanded the erosion to the point where it engulfed the three of us.

At that moment, there was a cacophony of breath and erosion mingling and grinding against each other.

-- "Do you doubt the abyss?"

I didn't doubt him!

I further extended the erosion.
It would have touched all three of us long ago.
But I'm not looking back.
No more regrets.
I'm not going to hurt those three people.
So I'm not worried.
The invasion obeys me.
I don't hurt my friends.
That's the magic I was meant to do.
This is the cheat I've been given!

"Invasion of the invading world!

I screamed.
I screamed, my emotions out.
Make the dragon disappear in front of me, I reminded myself.


At that moment, the dragon stopped breathing for some reason.
And then--

My King.

In that moment, the erosion instantly invaded the dragon.



It was an instant.



In an instant, the dragon disappeared, leaving only the particles behind.
And even the particles disappeared and were gone.


-- "Due to the defeat of Doppeler , [Goddess Blessing] has been activated, but there is no loot."


-- "You have been upgraded from level 1262 to level 2009 by gaining experience."


What is a dungeon I think I've figured out what it is.
I guess that's the truth.

I regulated my ragged breathing and slowly turned back around.

'So it's over........'

Toa was smiling at him.

'I did it!'

Nem laughed in relief.

'Nito-sama I trusted you.

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry to worry you.

The erosion didn't hurt the three of us.
I mean, I believed in myself.
I believed in myself with all my heart.
Then there's no turning back.

We are going to capture the dungeon and fulfill the oath we made that day.
That's what I believed in.

And then? ....slay the dragon and that's it?

The end?　You know I worked pretty hard too.　Wouldn't it be nice to give me a good workout once in a while?

Even though he did his best, Toa easily switches to the next one.

Well you did well!　Masamune!

Toa told me with a big smile as he made the goo sign.
I was somewhat relieved.
That's all there was to it........

''Huh........Oh well. Oh, and this guy isn't a dragon, he's a doppelganger. It's a doppelganger. That's why he was able to change his appearance at will.

But I don't know why Saeki, or any of the dragons I've met before, were able to change their appearance.

'But then again, you were in a hurry when you saw Masamune backed into a corner, weren't you?

Toa looked at the two of them and said.

'What, I thought you believed me?'

'I believe you, but that was a quandary I'd be worried about. Because there was so much blood spilled...

Then Toa held his mouth as if he remembered.

'....huh?　I've been thinking since we entered the dungeon that Toa isn't good with blood?

I'm fine with blood, but I'm not good with anything that's kind of cruel.

Hmm.

But I heard from Sierra later that the Toa were very successful in stopping an Imperial raid on Razhuisen before, and I wonder if they were okay with that?
I'm sure you saw some blood then, too.
But since he says so, it must be so.
The point is, it depends on the degree.

When I looked around the spacious gymnasium and saw that the dragon was gone, I felt a bit relieved.


But at that moment.

--I felt another big shake.

''Everyone!　Stay with me!

The four of us held hands and we froze in one place.
Then all the walls and ceilings and floors came apart at once, with us in the center.
And there was a pure white space.

'What... what do you mean...?'

I looked around at the white world.

'What happens next?'

Toa asked.

'I don't know...'

I've already figured it out.

"This is for me.

What?

This dungeon is just for me.

That means...

Toa had a question mark on his face.

'It's all been about me from the beginning. I'm not exactly sure why, but that's what one would think. Then what comes next has something to do with me, too.

At that moment, the landscape around us was suddenly disrupted, like a radio interference.
Then, as if turned into a display, it began to show some kind of image.
On the ceiling, on the walls, and under our feet.
The images were projected all around us.

The three of us lost our voices and watched the images.
We could hear voices in the image.

"Who's this?

What does this dungeon want to do?

It's me... when I was a kid.

There was a reflection of me as an elementary school kid.

But there's not a single thing about me that's smiling.
All me turning over and crying.
Alone.

I'm being called "germs".
I'm laughing at it, and then I'm crying by myself at the end.

"Masamune? ........this.

Me crying alone, left out of the group.
Yes, this has changed me.
All you see at an early age is the brainwashing of education.
It can be.
This is what made me the man I am today.

"Sufilia?　What did you think?　Why do you think you're a princess? Why didn't it have to be someone else?

Yes.

'Me too. Many times I wondered why it had to be me. Each time I thought it was unreasonable.

The image repeats itself, and I'm left crying forever.
It doesn't want to get up.

We're all on our own, aren't we?　You took the liberty of defining my character and putting me on the side of my tormentors.

Yes, Master Nito, we are all on our own.

Yeah, I knew it. But that's okay. Each one of us is acting in our own way, for our own reasons. Each one of us is acting according to our own convenience. It's always for your own reasons.

It's always expediency that drives each of us.

I just think about everybody. I just think about you all. I need your support. I don't want to go back to that time ever again...

Master are you sad?

Nem asked softly.

'No, I'll be fine with Nem by my side.

I'll be there for you.

The Toa took my hand.

"Toa...

My voice echoes around the area as I don't cry and whine, just giggle and give a small sniff.

'Me too. I'll always be with you, Nito-sama.

Sufilia also grabbed my hand.

I'm not alone anymore.
I don't want to think so.
So I'm going to do what I have to do to make sure I don't have to.
And I'm going to do what I said I would do.

"Listen to me, all three of you...

I looked at the three of them.
I looked into each of their eyes and then back again at their wills.

'I'm ... Nito. Masamune is dead now.

He's a master, sir.

Nem smiled and chuckled.

'I understand. Master Nito.

Sufilia's expression was gentle.

''Okay ... nit.

Toa called my name awkwardly.
But there was no denying me in his eyes.

--I don't need this name anymore.


I've been living in two worlds for a while now.
Yes, I was Japanese, and this world was still an illusion.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I didn't recognize it.
I thought it was a dream.
I felt pain, but I didn't feel life.
But now it's over.
It's the end of the other world.
There was never another world.
Because this place this world is the world I should be living in.
There was no need to start out with a dream.

"Everyone I'll tell you again. My name is Nitto. And...

The magic isn't all a dream.
This is real.
This is my world.

"I shall kill them all and we shall not be lost."

I will fulfill the oath I made that day.

-- "Status Anomaly: I have completely cured the Otherworldly Syndrome. Status restored to normal."