"Come light. A small light. A light.

　We stepped onto the stone staircase, using the light that Linse had created in the air to guide us into the basement.
　The stairs spiraled at a gentle angle and led endlessly underground. As we walked, I felt a ridiculous sense of unease, as if it was leading to hell.
　Eventually, at the end of the long staircase, a wide stone passage appeared.
　It stretched straight ahead, covered in darkness, and I couldn't see what was there at all. A lingering dampness drifted in the air, creating a rather eerie atmosphere.

''Nah, it's kind of... creepy... it looks like a ghost...''
"What are you talking about, Master Else!　There's no such thing as a ghost, that there is no such thing as a ghost!　...right?

　Yae overreacts to Else's blurted out words. I don't care, you guys stop pulling my coat...it's hard to walk....

　In contrast, Linse is proceeding down the stone pathway without a care in the world. That's ballsy.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. The ceiling of the corridor grew higher and higher as we moved forward, until we came to a large hall.

''What the hell is this...?''

　The front wall of the building was filled with what appeared to be letters. The wall was 4 meters high and 10 meters long, and the writing was spread out over several tiers.
　On closer inspection, the writing appeared to be more like pictographs than letters. I felt that they resembled the ancient writing of the Inca and Aztecs and other areas.

'Linse can you read what it says?'
'No...I have no idea. It doesn't sound like an ancient magical language... or anything like that...

　Linse doesn't even turn to me in response to my question, but instead is stunned by the wall in front of her.
　Surely this is a historical relic. Even a layman like me can understand that much. However, if you ask me if this is a treasure, I have a feeling that it is not. I could understand the reaction of the search.
　Oops, let's just take a picture of it. I held up my phone and pressed the take button on the camera app, and a bright flash fired up.

'Ugh!　Why not, that is!

　A sudden flash of light freaks Yae and the others out. When I gestured that it was okay and showed them the phone in my hand, they all breathed a sigh of relief. The girls are gradually getting used to my odd behavior. I shouldn't call myself an oddity.
　I took several pictures of the mural. By the way, why is this thing here....

'Hey, hey!　Guys, come here for a minute!

　Else, who had been exploring the hall, suddenly spoke up. She was on the right wall side of the hall, in front of that wall, and she pointed to a section of the wall.

'There's something buried here.

　Part of the wall, just at eye level, was a single brownish, transparent diamond-shaped stone embedded in the wall. About two centimeters in size. Jewelry....it's faintly dirty and looks of poor quality.

''This is...a magic stone. It's an earth attribute magic stone. Probably some kind of trick will be activated when you channel magic power.
What do you mean, like a trap?
I'm not saying that's not a possibility, but... there's no way it would be so obvious a trap.

　I can understand Linse's explanation, but.... I wonder what it is, this anxiety. If there was a switch, I'd want to press it. I wonder if it's a trap using that feeling.... Am I thinking too much?

Then, Winter Night, let the magic flow through you.
It's me!

　Else's plain statement makes me turn around with unexpected alacrity. Even though it could be a trap!

Because the only person who has the earth attribute is Winter Night.

　Mmm, indeed. Linse has fire and water, and light, Else has nothing, and Yae has no attributes. And I have all attributes. Well, it can't be helped........

''........why is everyone leaving?''
"'Well, just in case...'

　He distanced himself from me and glared at everyone who laughed and cheated with zit eyes. After a single sigh, I poured my magic power into the magic stone.
　 It's quite a fancy door to open and close.

''What is this...?''

　Peering behind the vanishing wall, an object covered in dust and sand was placed in the center of the room.
　I don't know how to describe it. The first thing I imagined was an insect. A cricket. It looks like one. Six long, slender, leg-like things were growing out of an almond-shaped object that looked like a head. A few legs were broken, though.
　It would be about the size of a light car. Its limbs had been ripped off, making me think of a dead cricket.
　However, its form is streamlined and simple, making it look more like a machine than a living organism.

'What the hell is this?　Is it a statue of something?

　Else peered at it from various angles. Upon closer inspection, a red object the size of a faint baseball could be seen through the back of what appeared to be a head.
　Brushing away the dust and sand from the surface, she found that this mysterious object was made of translucent material. ...Is it glass? It's too dimly lit to see clearly... hmm?

''Linse.......Didn't Light's magic have such a short duration?''
'What?　It's true that I'm not very good with the light attribute, but... but even so, it can last at least two hours for light.

　Linse puffs out her cheeks in a way that is just as unexpected, but she tilts her head when she sees the ball of light floating in the air.

''Huh?　The light seems to be getting weaker...
Like, not like. He's definitely getting weaker. This is....
Lord Winterfellas!

　When I turned my gaze back to Yae's scream, the cricket's head, the red ball I could see in the back, was beginning to glow. The cricket's body was vibrating in fine detail.

''Fuyao-san!　The Light's magic is being absorbed by that thing!

　So that's why the light is so weak!　The ball's brilliance grew and grew, and the crickets began to move their bodies a little more. No way... it's alive, this one!　The leg that had been broken has regenerated before I knew it. Are you saying that he has taken in magic power and resumed his activities!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Ugh... this... this...!

　A high-pitched sound echoed around the area, like a ringing in my ears. The impact was so strong that it reflected across the room and chattered, making my body tremble all over. A crack starts to appear on the wall with a snap. Not good!　I'm going to be buried alive!

Gate!

　I make a gate of light appear in front of me and send everyone else to the ground one by one. As I was about to pass through the gate for the last time, a cricket stood up and stretched out one of its legs toward me at great speed. The cricket stretched out like a spear from a distance of at least five meters to me.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find your way through the gate and out to the ground. Soon the gate closed and the ruins of the ground spread out before us. It seems that I didn't get buried alive.

''What was that?''
I've never seen a demon like that before, that I've never seen...

　As Else and Yae were looking at the entrance to the basement and talking nervously, a rumbling of the earth rang out again with a gogogog....
　A cloud of dust rises with a roar at the back of the ruin. Perhaps the basement hall had fallen down. That cricket demon must have been caught up in it and crushed without a trace.......
　Everyone gulps and silence dominates the area.

...Kiiiiiiin....

　This sound....no way....

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

　It's coming...!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　Boom!　It broke through the ground and appeared on the ground.
　An almond-shaped head, with six elongated legs extending from it. A body like crystal shines under the sun. Is this translucent creature a crystalline life form?
　The cricket stretches out its legs again and calms them to the side. As I crouched down and ducked, the ruined wall behind me is cut off like tofu. How sharp it is!

''Flame, come on, red barrage, fire arrow!

　Linze shot out a series of flaming arrows at the cricket. However, the cricket didn't even avoid them and took them in flat. One after another, the flaming arrows disappeared as if they were sucked into the cricket.

''The magic has been absorbed!
Yeah, then!

　Yae draws his sword and fires a blow to the cricket's head. However, the only thing he was able to put on him with that attack was a single scratch.

''How hard it is, that it is!
d*mn it...!

　Next, Else fires a straight fist thrust from the side of the cricket. It wobbled slightly, but it still didn't seem to be able to do much damage.
　The cricket's legs extended towards Else. He ducked just before he was skewered.

''What should I do, this!

　Magic is absorbed, the blade will not penetrate. What to do...!　... wait, even if the attack magic doesn't work on that guy, if it's indirect... let's try it.

Slip!

　The moment I set the coefficient of friction at the cricket's feet to zero, he took a huge tumble. Yes!

Linse!　It doesn't work if it's not directly magic, but indirectly!
'I see ... okay!　Come on ice, great ice lump, ice rock!

　Linse casts an ice spell. A huge block of ice appears above the cricket's head and falls in place. It crushes the cricket. OK!　It seems that direct attacks of magic power are absorbed, but objects created by magic power cannot be absorbed.

''Gee!''

　The crickets creaked like a rusty door, and the crickets were frightened. However, even an attack with an object generated by magic power seems to be able to do only mild damage to that hardness.
　Towards the guy who stopped moving, Else dives like a bullet.



　I'm going to use the non-attribute magic "Boost" to increase my physical abilities and release an all-out kick for the cricket's long and slender legs.
　The next moment, one of his legs shattered with a sound like glass shattering.

''Yes!''

　It's not that you can't do some damage. If we can do a little damage, we'll beat them one day!

Gee...................

　Suddenly, a cricket roars and the red ball on its head shines. As if in response, the leg that should have been shattered is regenerated. Hey, you're lying.........

''It regenerated........''

　A regenerated foot attacked Else, who was standing stunned. For a moment, she misjudged the timing of her avoidance and it stabbed deep into her right shoulder.

''Ugh...!
Sis!

　Else immediately jumps backwards to escape the chase. Blood trickled from her shoulders and mouth, staining the clothes on her upper body. She finally dropped to her knees, sweating from the greasy sweat.

''Yae!　Linse!　Keep me busy, please!

　They nodded and Yae distracted them with her quickness, while Linse started dropping ice blocks again. While the cricket's attention was focused on the two of them, I ran over to Else and cast a recovery spell. Surrounded by a soft light, the wound on my shoulder slowly closed up, and eventually the blood stopped.

"Thanks...I'm fine now...

　There's no way I'm okay. The wound may be closed, but the damage shouldn't be gone.
　It has the ability to regenerate, absorb magic, unusual hardness and strength... how do you defeat it...?　Do you have any weaknesses?

"No matter how much I crush my body, I can't help it if it regenerates...!
''........Come to think of it.......when I found that guy, his body was still shattered.... Why is that........?

　As I recall........I absorbed Linse's magic and then regenerated....... You need magic power to regenerate? Come to think of it, the ball on my head was glowing at that time too. It's possible that the red sphere on that head is the nucleus....

''Else, it's just...''

　I tell Else what comes to mind.

'What?　You can do that!
'I don't know... But it's worth a try.
Okay.

　Huffing and puffing, I focused my magic power towards the cricket and pictured the object. You can see it so well because its body is so transparent!

Apports!

　A dull, glowing red crystal appeared in my hand. Okay, it worked!

Else!
Boost!

　The enhanced Else's fist is shot down at that ball I threw at it. The object that was sandwiched between the ground and the fist and smashed into pieces with a crack.



　The crickets that have been nuked stop moving. Eventually, its entire body cracked and collapsed with a rattle. Glittering and reflecting in the sun, the crystal demon finally collapses.
　We turned our attention to it for a while, wondering if it would regenerate again, but the crystal demon didn't revive for any length of time.

''Fui──........''

　I sit down on the ground, the tension I'd been tensing up released. I had an idea, and I'm glad it worked. When I looked to the side, Else and Yae were sitting down as well.
　Linse picked up a shattered demon fragment and was examining something.

''Perhaps this is a supply similar to the demon stone...''
With a magic stone?
'The characteristics of the demon stone are the amplification, accumulation and release of magical power. This demon absorbed other people's magic power and used it for its own regenerative ability... no, maybe even for that defensive ability... Absorb, accumulate, and release.... It's similar to the characteristics of a magic stone.

　Could it be that she can't create her own magic power...?　That's why it was inactive in the ruins...?　It's a complete mystery.

''Should we report this to the guild or something, that we should report this to the guild...?
''No, the underground ruins and such... considering that this was once the royal capital, I thought it would be better to inform the state authorities. Let's talk to the duke.

　That's more like it. That's more like it.
　Let's go to the Duke's.

The Gate.



Well, there are such ruins in the old royal capital...

　The Duke crossed his arms as if he were thinking, and leaned back in his chair. Sue and Master Ellen seemed to be out and unfortunately they were not home. We were ushered into the parlor and told the Duke what had happened.

I understand. I'm sure it has something to do with the royal family. We'll send a team from the state to investigate. And of course, the demon.
''Uh ... the underground ruins have collapsed, so it might be difficult to find out ...''
What?　Well I was curious to see what was written on that mural...

　The duke shrugs his shoulders in disappointment. I've done a bad thing.... It was not us who destroyed the ruins, though.

Oh, but we took pictures of the murals, so we might be able to fix it.
Chasin?

　I open the photo screen from my phone's camera app and show the Duke.

'Hey! What's this?
It's my attributeless magic that records images.
Ho-ho..., you're still great, as always...

　The duke was easily fooled by the lie that was quickly told. Sorry, I'm sorry. It's a bit complicated to explain.

''If you give me time, I'll transcribe it for you.
Please. Because it may contain the mysteries of the relocation of the capital a thousand years ago.

　Oh, why doesn't the government know why the capital was moved? Normally, I would think that the government should keep a record of such things, but. No, perhaps the Duke was right, the reason for the relocation of the capital might be recorded in that fresco. It's also possible that they might have something about that crystal monster.
　We now know what the demon's weaknesses are. The next time we face it, I think we can beat it.
　But something is bugging me. I can't help but feel that the reason why the old royal capital became such a shabby ruin is because of that demon.
　With a bewildered mood, we left the mansion, leaving the Duke to deal with the aftermath.