Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 134: The Neomia Of Delusion IV

Following the scent of the beast, packs of wolves raced onward.

The smell of abominable blood. The same cursed smell as that of vampires. That's not something that the Endguard are originally meant to fight. But through a strange twist of fate, they are now mortal enemies.

The people who sealed away the vampires are now opposing the enemies of the vampires. And the last Endguard that they follow is a foreigner who has drunk the blood of vampires.

What an ironic yet rousing conflict.

With the wind rushing by, we emerged into the Garden.

The Garden of the Dead, where glass flowers bloomed.

The beast had the goddess of the moon of misfortune by the neck. In the hand of the beast, her neck looked like a slender twig.

The beast moved to snap it, but we were faster.

With a single swing of the scythe, I cut through Barfuru's right arm. To return the favor, I hacked it off just below the elbow. The wolves snatched up the severed arm and started to chew on and devour it. Barfuru took a big leap backward to avoid the return swing of the scythe.

「………Adventurer」

Along with the wolves, I stood in front of the lady.

「You’ve let your soul be tainted, huh? Souya!」

「You're one to speak of being tainted, beast」

Barfuru swung his mace at me. Even though he had lost an arm, it didn’t slow him one bit.

「You're a fool, you know that?」

I stopped the mace with one hand.

I hadn’t stopped it using force. My physical abilities have improved dramatically ever since becoming a vampire, but that doesn't mean that I’m capable of that.

This is but a simple trick.

「W, what!?」

Even with Barfuru's strength, he couldn't move the mace a single inch.

「I'm an Endguard. From the moment you recognized me as such」

Now that I'm technically the only living Endguard in the world, I can make the white wolves obey me.

The wolves do not disappear.

Even if they’ve been reduced to nothing more than bones.

「Turn back!」

In response, the mace shattered into pieces. Unable to fathom what was going on, Barfuru leaped back even further.

The shattered pieces of bones were swept up by the blowing snow. Which then formed into white wolves.

The mace had turned back into eight wolves.

I pointed the scythe's blade at Barfuru.

This weapon is really hard to use. I suppose that's only natural as it's not a weapon. It's merely a farming implement used for harvesting.

Alone, I would be at a disadvantage, but in a pack, I have the upper hand.

The white wolves stepped forward.

They were all large wolves. They were the same size as Barfuru, the only difference being that they were on all fours while he stood on two legs.

「Are you going to stand in my way once again, Endguarddd?!」

Fresh blood spurted out as a new right arm grew out of Barfuru.

Using that new hand, he pulled out Zamonglass' sword, which he had stuck into his belt.

「I’ll fight you as many times as I have to. Until I kill you!」

The deformed man held up a sword meant for human use.

I, a man in human form who had deformed beings obeying me, readied my deformed weapon.

「Do it if you can! You mere vampire!」

The wolves howled in response to Barfuru’s roar.

Blood splattered and pieces of flesh flew as deadly blows were exchanged.

They had no choice but to do so.

One Endguard warrior was as strong as twenty knights of Elysium. Each and every one of them were warriors who deserved to be called heroes.

Elysium had their own heroes. However, Elysium did not pit their heroes against the Endguard.

The reason was simple. The Endguard were just too strong. They feared that their heroes would be defeated. If their champions were to lose, they would lose their reputation as the strongest human country.

What a pathetic reason.

Yes.

In the past, Elysium had cornered the Endguard using sheer numbers.

Then I suppose the current situation is their revenge for what happened 500 years ago.

One after another, the wolves pounced on Barfuru, the sole remaining survivor of Elysium's expeditionary force.

Attacked from all sides, Barfuru's flesh was eaten, his bones crushed, but he continued to fight back regardless.

It was quite the gruesome sight, and under normal circumstances, I would have felt pity for him.

I went into Barfuru's blind spot and slashed his back open with my scythe. The wound was so deep that I could see his spine, but he paid it no mind and struck back at me.

I ducked behind the wolves and kept out of range of his sword.

I simply have to mercilessly and steadily whittle him down until he dies. The pride of a warrior is nothing in the eyes of wolves and vampires.

I hid myself among the wolves, took advantage of openings, and inflicted deep wounds six times.

Even so, there was no hesitation in his sword swings. Despite being outnumbered, Barfuru fought like the Endguard of old.

With one swing of his sword, he cut three wolves in half, and with the return swing, he killed twice as many.

It wasn't just with the sword. He also killed wolves by punching them to death with his bare hands. If a wolf sank its fangs into him, he would bite it back. If a wolf tore at him using its claws, he would retaliate with his own. Kicking, kneeing, and elbowing, he used his entire body to kill wolves.

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Barfuru started laughing.

It was as if he was living out a long-cherished dream. He fought while laughing with all his heart.

Not caring, I cleaved through both of his legs with my scythe. Blood gushed like a fountain, and I was sure that I had cut through bone as well. Both of Barfuru's knees crushed the crystalline flowers beneath him. In a flash, wolves bit down on both his shoulders, crushing his bones.

We've taken away his freedom of movement.

This is where it'll be decided.

I'll kill him.

I released all the limiters in my body. I could hear my heart pounding like an engine. The increased circulation of blood stimulated my cells. Mists of blood erupted from my fine blood vessels as they ruptured under my abnormal muscular strength. Constricted bones shattered, only to instantly regenerate even harder than before.

Killing intent filled every inch of my being.

I started to run.

I gritted my teeth.

I raised up the scythe.

Reading my mind, the wolves retreated in unison.

The strike of the demonic god that severed all things in existence.

I swung the scythe down, aiming for his neck. I should have cut it off. My senses told me that I had definitely killed him.

But that was just a false impression.

There was a discrepancy in my senses because I was still unaccustomed to the body of a vampire.

The sound came late. It was neither the clang of metal nor the crunch of bone. It was a strange crushing sound.

Just as the scythe blade sliced halfway through the beast-faced man, he caught it between his fangs and crunched down on it, shattering it to pieces.

To use his fangs to catch the blade that’s moments away from decapitating him, what a godly feat.

Well……

I had cornered him nonetheless.

I held the now-lighter long handle like a spear. Reading my intentions, the butt of the long handle formed into a twisted spike.

I thrust it home.

This time, I had definitely struck a vital spot. I wrenched the handle around, mangling up the heart I had stabbed through. Even though it had been impaled, I could still feel its thick rubbery flesh beating furiously.

「Guargh」

Barfuru threw up a large amount of blood into the air.

My top hat got drenched with his blood. Smoke rose from my cloak.

Is the dragon blood rejecting the abominable blood and burning it away, I wonder?

「It's over」

I'll let the wolves finish him off.

I shouldn't be the one who brings the curtain down on this.

As I let go of the handle and stepped back, the Endguard swarmed in. Blood, flesh, bone, and guts, they devoured every last bit of him.

A knight who worked in the shadows of the heroes and fought in order to bring them glory.

He was brilliant at what he did.

He successfully cornered the Endguard, who were in no way inferior to the heroes.

It's only now, when the wolves and I are connected in mind, that I finally understand. The Endguard cannot be defeated through sheer numbers. Something other than superior numbers is needed. Either a heroic act of valor or a misdeed so evil that one has to take it to the grave.

The outcome was as I mentioned earlier, that one knight was able to corner the group of heroes known as the warriors of the end.

However, that was the limit of what the shadow knight could accomplish.

At the very end, Elysium's army was buried under the snow, and the Endguard turned into wolves.

The country that claims to be the strongest probably erased this entire event from history. The knight lost everything.

All that remained was an obsession(delusion).

A beast knight who wandered the world.

The wolves feasted on the beast.

Turning my back to them, I approached the lady. The languor and grace she had shown not so long ago were gone, and she was slumped over.

The fact that I’m thinking that she got what she deserves is probably proof that I'm not under her control.

「Hey, it's over」

「What are you talking about? Something like that isn't enough to stop a nightmare」

What?

Just as I thought that, I saw wolves being sent flying out of the corner of my eye. Turning around, I was greeted by a black mist.

Mist? No, this is snow. It's a tempest of black snow. And it looks like it’s trying to form into some sort of shape.

「Go to the throne room at the very top of the castle」

「What's going on?」

「Quickly!」

The lady shouted at me with a deadly serious look on her face.

One of the wolves laid down and urged me to get on its back. I got on, then reached my hand out towards the lady.

「It's fine. I'll be seeing you later」

「Huh?」

She didn't take my hand.

The wolf broke into a run.

It was faster than the gigantic horse I had once been a passenger on. Looking behind me, I saw the wolves and the lady get swallowed up by the black snow.

The wolf was going so fast that I would be flung off if I wasn't careful, so I grabbed the scruff of the wolf's neck and held on for dear life. With me on its back, the wolf sped through the castle's corridors at a dizzying pace. I shut one eye against the strong wind blowing in my face.

After rounding a few corners and traversing several long corridors, it ran up a long flight of stairs.

The place we arrived at was the throne room.

Having used up all of its strength, the wolf turned back into snow, and I dropped to the ground and landed on one knee.

The throne room was overwhelmingly more opulent than Lemuria's and felt more grand and historic than Ashtalia's. Long red curtains similar to theater curtains hung from the ceiling that was adorned with stained glass made from pyroxenes. Intricate reliefs had been carved into the walls and floor.

This entire dome-shaped space seemed to be telling a story of some sort.

On the ceiling, glistening mountains and giants resembling beasts.

On the right wall, elves and dwarves engaged in battle with those giants.

On the left wall, elves presenting ears of wheat to Hemus.

On the far wall, a crowned Hemu defeating the giants.

On the floor, the crowned Hemu transforming into a beast, with eight children and a woman holding up swords.

And in the center, there was a solitary throne.

It was an oddly-shaped throne that seemed very out of place. From the fact that its armrests and backrest were made from skulls, I guessed that the limb-like bones that made up the rest of it were all human bones.

Upon that odious throne sat a corpse with a crown on its head.

The corpse looked as withered as a mummy.

「What's going on?」

The mummy, which appeared to be the king, had been stabbed through the heart with a sword. And there was another one. The corpse of what must have been the knight who had plunged that sword into his heart was lying on the ground beside him.

From what I’ve seen, vampires turn into ashes when they die. If the crowned one is the king of Neomia, then he shouldn't be dead yet, given that he hasn't turned into ashes.

Moreover, who is this knight? Although it’s pretty badly damaged, I can tell from its design that his armor is that of the knights of Elysium. The crumbling sword also bears a striking resemblance to Zamonglass' sword. In addition, the tattered gray cloak he has on looks just like Barfuru's.

「What am I supposed to do here?」

I found myself at a complete loss in front of the corpses. But I wasn't given much time to mull it over.

I heard the roar of a beast.

Right next to me.

The air quivered from the force of the roar. The entrance that I had come through moments earlier was blown apart as a huge beast emerged from it.

It had long black hair that looked almost like it had been spun from night, was ten meters tall, and moved on all fours, much like how a human would crawl. The claws on its hands and feet were thick and sharp. The head of the beast was the very image of a wolf. Its long tail was vague and blurred, occasionally leaving black snowflakes in its wake.

It was directing a distinct killing intent at me specifically.

I was unable to react to the beast of abominable blood.

I should have been able to sense it earlier, but even when it was right in front of me, I had trouble believing that it was really there.

I immediately reached for the sword that had been thrust into the corpse.

I was too slow. The big hand of the beast was faster, and it grabbed me before I could grab the sword.

「Garghhh!」

It closed its fist tightly, and every bone in my body shattered, sending blood gushing out of every orifice.

The beast lifted me up and threw me against the wall. By chance, I slammed into the part of the relief depicting the king.

I suppose I should say, as expected from the body of a vampire. If I were a normal human, there would be nothing left of me, but I'm still alive. My body is regenerating and getting ready to do battle again.

But I have neither claws nor fangs.

The only sword in this place is right beside the beast. Diving for it would be a dangerous gamble. In the first place, there's no way I can fight the beast with a crumbling sword like that.

In that case……

「Agathionnn!」

I called out for the magic sword. I yelled its name, hoping against hope that my voice would reach it by some miracle.

The beast charged at me at breakneck speed.

I thought about dodging, but I had only regenerated enough to walk. If it were to crush me again, I would surely die this time.

I knew that I wouldn't make it in time. A sense of resignation mixed with serenity settled in. I closed my eyes and let the rumbling of the beast's footsteps wash over me.

No, that wasn't all it was.

Mixed in with the sound of footsteps, I heard the echoes of something going boom, boom, boom.

「By the shortest route, huh?」

Agathion came bursting out through the floor. It pierced through the beast's right arm and settled into my outstretched hand.

The beast's shriek was deafening. It wasn't a cry of pain, but of anger. As if to prove my point, the wound on its arm regenerated instantly.

Of all the beasts I've fought to date, none have shown this kind of regeneration.

Is this guy really a beast of abominable blood?

The more I observe this beast, the more uncertain I am of its identity. It resembles the beasts I've encountered in the past, but it also looks like a mere shadow of them.

Can I kill it?

No, don't waver.

Accomplish what must be accomplished.

With hands that were covered in blood, I brought the blade of my magic sword up and placed its tip against my chest.

「I'm counting on you」

I thrust it in. The blade went into my chest, just missing my heart.

In the past, the seal on the magic sword was broken by the blood of a maiden divine medium. It was done using some kind of magical technique and a pattern that looked like some sort of master code. I don't have the expertise to perform magic rituals. So I'll have to forcibly break the seal open by overwhelming it with sheer volume. I don't know how much power the blood of the vampires and the blood of the goddess of the moon of misfortune that flows within me possess, but it's worth a try.

I prayed and I begged.

This sword has stayed by my side all this time without a single complaint. I already think of it as my partner, the same way as I do Makina, Izora, and Yukikaze.

I'm begging you, so……

「Awaken!」

The magic sword answered my prayer.

The sword pulled itself out of my chest. Black electrical discharge encompassed the magic sword. One moment it was so heavy that I couldn't hold it up even with the strength of a vampire, and in the next, it became as light as a feather.

The beast loomed over me, and I met it head-on.

The first swing of the magic sword cleaved the beast in half. With the return swing, I carved a cross into it. The destruction caused by the sword traveled all the way to the walls and ceiling, destroying the story depicted.

The falling debris and pyroxene rained down on the beast.

I know it all too well.

That something of this level isn't enough to finish it off.

「UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」

As it roared, it regenerated.

As it regenerated, it attacked.

It no longer even looks like a beast. It's a demonic monster of black snow. I could disperse it with a single swing of the unsealed magic sword, but that would not kill it.

There's no doubt about it. This is an immortal creature.

However, there’s no such thing as immortality without reason. If it were indeed immortal without reason, then all resistance would have been pointless.

I need to figure out why the lady sent me here and why the beast is attacking me so desperately.

………………Desperately?

Did this thing chase after me out of hatred? Think. There's no need to think too deeply into it. I don't have time for that. Just connect a few simple dots.

The possibilities that I can come up with right now……

「What do you know, isn't there just one?」

It may be that the answers are always so very simple.

I lifted Agathion up and held it above my head.

The electrical discharge emitted by the magic sword was starting to subside. After the next swing, the awakening would end and it would go dormant. I put all my strength and every bit of my soul into this one swing.

Stepping in, I unleashed the final blow.

Cut in half, the demonic monster dispersed, and before it could regenerate itself, I dove in.

The distance was short, but it was too far even with the speed my vampire legs gave me. The demonic monster had regenerated much faster than it did before. It swung both of its arms downward in an attempt to crush me.

In that moment,

White wolves rushed the demonic monster.

Snow had come in through the destroyed ceiling and walls of the throne room. But even the wolves of the Endguard were too short-lived and unreliable in the face of the demonic monster now. With one swipe of its claws, they broke apart into white snow, which was then swallowed up by the black snow, and disappeared.

It was a very meager resistance.

Nevertheless, it had bought me enough time to close the distance.

I pulled the crumbling sword out of the corpse on the throne and stabbed it into the knight.

The blade struck him in the heart, and the mummified knight let out a soundless scream.

In his place, the demonic monster shrieked loudly.

「You sure have slept for an awfully long time」

As I gouged out the heart, the sword shattered without a trace. Right as the tip of the demonic monster's claw brushed my bangs, the magic sword cut off the knight's head. After a single beat, the head of the stopped demonic beast also fell from its body.

Its death cry lasted for a moment, then turned into a wolf's howl as it died away.

The black snow turned into white snow then melted into dust.

It was not just the remnants of the demonic monster that was disappearing. As a gust of wind swept through the room, the rubble turned to snow. Engulfed by the snowstorm, the castle also began to fade away. Before I knew it, the place I was standing on had become a field of snow.

The entire world was slowly being consumed by the raging snowstorm.

It was becoming a snow-covered world with nothing in it.

It felt fake, like something out of a movie.

There was no sound, not even that of the gusting wind.

From within the fake-looking snow and wind that didn't feel the slightest bit cold, a woman in a black dress appeared, with a sleeping Maria in her arms.

「Well done. You've exorcised a nightmare that has gone on for far too long. The soul of my mortal enemy may now return to the place it has long desired to go back to」

She handed me Maria.

In the distance behind the lady, I could see Neomia's castle, the place I should have been only moments ago. I also saw the backs of a group of vampires who were returning to the castle. Toto was among them.

「What about you all?」

「I will continue to guard the castle until Lord Blue-Scale awakens」

「When will the dragon wake up? And when it does, will it burn down the continent?」

「Fufu, I wonder」

She giggled alluringly. But somehow, all I saw was a sad little girl.

「If it gets up on the wrong side of the bed, then maybe it will」

From somewhere, the lady pulled out my katana and sword.

As she returned my equipment to me, she said, "One more thing," and produced a certain item.

「It's a fragment of the nightmare that cannot be destroyed in this world. But who knows, maybe it'll be of some use in your world」

It was a fang. In all likelihood, it was the fang of the demonic monster that was Barfuru.

I accepted the second fang and put it in my pocket.

Or is this actually the first fang?

「My blood that flows through your veins will disappear along with the dream when you awaken. After all………this is all within a dream」

「What do you mean? This place, what the heck is―――――」

My questions were cut off by the ringing of bells. They sounded surprisingly close to me.

The snowstorm intensified and the lady disappeared from sight.

A white world with nothing in it.

「Farewell, adventurer from a foreign land. You should also return to the place where you belong. Be careful not to get trapped by obsession(caught up in delusion) and forget the way home」

I heard a calm yet weary male voice. I could faintly make out silhouettes beyond the snowstorm.

They were of the lady and a crowned person standing next to her.

The moment I saw them, my vision went dark and the annoying racket the bells were making filled my ears.

I was unable to hold onto consciousness.

Into a darkness deeper than sleep, I fell.

And when I opened my eyes―――――

I know! Another cliffhanger! ($&%^*&! For certain thematic reasons, this entire volume has pretty been much like this…good news is that the volume is ending soon…

Like I mentioned before, the word 妄執 can mean either obsession or delusion. You’re probably starting to see it, the extremely legendary plot device, but once the full reveal is done in the next arc, you’ll see the deeper meaning behind all the times this double meaning appears! Also, doesn’t “trapped by obsession” remind you of Otou-san?

So, after that long battle, we’re left with so many questions!!! Worry not though, those that are related to this arc will all be answered very soon! Those that are related to this arc, that is.

I found myself writing a lot then having to delete it all because I felt I was potentially giving the plot away. Hence, this afterword is surprisingly short. Of course, that means that there’s stuff here in this chapter, doesn’t it? XD Well, stay tuned, there’s one more arc to close out this volume!