Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 72: Crown of the Wonderland ①
Leaving behind the mystical and majestic Grand Temple, we stepped into a living hell.
From our vantage point—at the highest location in this deep dungeon—we could see most of the surroundings.
Six massive Mimics had encircled the area.
Among them, I recognized one—the Puppet Box—which I’d encountered before.
The others were different, their boxes varying in color and shape, suggesting they weren’t the same type.
Were there different kinds of Mimics?
“Wait, the Puppet Box’s position—!?”
It’s near the campsite.
Are Axe and the others safe?
For now, I carefully wrapped the weakened Mineha in a fresh handkerchief.
With no other choice, I gently placed her inside my pouch and set out to find Axe and the others.
But I couldn’t afford to draw attention.
Cautiously and quietly, I made my way away from the Grand Temple.
All around, countless Puppets and wandering Mimics roamed the area.
Even stationary Mimics were scattered about, standing out due to their excessive ornamentation.
Adding to the chaos were Skeletons, Lizardmen, Kobolds, and Slimes—all prowling around.
And for some reason, tentacles sprouted randomly from the ground.
According to my Crisis Detection, this place was a deep red and black danger zone.
A literal hell.
Just moments ago, it had been nearly empty…
I managed to make it near the western Temple Town.
A deep, artificial trench ran straight through, packed tightly with white buildings.
The surrounding paths were littered with debris, with many ruins around.
Since it was a trench, there was no direct entrance.
The only way in was via stairways leading down from above.
What a strange city.
According to Alexander, the Temple Town had been a place for followers of the faith.
Priests, their families, and other devout followers had lived here.
Meanwhile, the temple priests had their own residential quarters.
Moving carefully through the town, I kept myself hidden among the rubble.
“…Still, what the hell happened—whoa!”
A wandering Mimic suddenly lunged at me, and I swiftly eliminated it with Vanish.
That, however, alerted nearby Puppets.
I took out several while evading them.
Mimics were a pain to deal with, but Puppets were manageable.
Even my knife was enough to take them down.
“…Are they okay?”
I was getting anxious.
I needed to hurry, but with so many enemies blocking the way, it was taking longer than expected.
“Hm?”
The sound of swords clashing reached my ears.
Someone was fighting.
Was it Axe?
Wait, no—
Ad
Up on the rubble, a sword was weaving unnaturally through the air.
That technique—no way!
“…Sky Style—Subaru—Keraïno Blade.”
The trajectory of the blade bent at impossible angles, delivering sharp, right-angled slashes.
It sliced through multiple Puppets at once.
And that voice—could it be…!?
“…Mm. Lupinus… I leave the rest to you.”
“Now! Bid!”
“Ugh, me!? Geez, you guys work me too hard!”
Hearing voices behind me, I turned around—
—and someone leapt right over me.
Mid-air, they fired a volley of arrows from a shortbow.
Multiple shots struck the Mimics and Puppets, taking several down.
Who were these three?
First, a sleepy-looking girl with short, light-pink hair that glowed faintly.
Ad
That was Liv.
She still wore that space-age white bodysuit under a black jacket, totally clashing with the setting.
Second, a tall elf woman in white full-body armor, carrying a large round shield on her back.
Who was she?
Oh—Lupinus.
I’d only ever seen her once before in the city.
And third—
A rabbit-eared girl with Holland Lop features.
Her black hair, large blue eyes, and sprinkle of freckles gave her a cute, friendly look.
She wore leather gauntlets on her right arm, a blue jumper over a yellow shirt, and tight black leggings.
She wasn’t wearing spats, exactly, but they were stretchy, thin, and form-fitting enough that they might as well be.
Her fluffy white tail peeked out from the back.
I’d never seen her before.
She must be an explorer too.
They called her Bid.
Ad
If I remembered correctly, another team had joined the expedition.
She must be from their group.
But… why were they here?
They were supposed to be handling the Hydrangea Dungeon anomaly in the city.
So why were they in an unrelated dungeon’s deepest layer?
“Wait a minute…”
This situation.
This completely unexpected, out-of-nowhere development.
It felt familiar.
Wait, then—where was Pakira?
“…Mm. Well done, Bid.”
“We cleared a path, at least.”
“Ugh, but seriously—where the hell are we!? Where’s our leader!? Where’s Crouton and Romomo!?”
“Mm… Pakira… isn’t here, either.”
Right.
Pakira wasn’t here.
Why?
“That’s what I want to know! For now, let’s find Pakira and Aegis’ group and regroup with Lagaro and the others. We can’t afford to be stuck here.”
“Now that I think about it, I felt like I saw someone right below me when I jumped.”
“Was it not a Puppet?”
“…Maybe I was mistaken…”
That was me.
I had instinctively hidden and missed my chance to reveal myself.
Now I was just observing them from the rubble.
What should I do? When should I step out?
“Hmm, I dunno… They seemed kinda like a kid.”
“Was it not a Puppet?”
“…Maybe I was mistaken…”
“You sure? Ah! Pakira!”
Pakira?
I followed their gaze—and sure enough, Pakira was there.
Her long, mint-green hair reached down to her waist, streaked with white highlights.
Between the strands, cat ears peeked out, and one of her eyes was hidden behind her bangs.
She wore a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her face.
Draped over her was a snow-white robe, with a blue jacket cinched by a broad black belt.
A long white skirt ran down her legs, boldly lined with a single deep blue stripe down the middle.
It was oddly stylish.
In her hand, she held a wooden staff, its tip adorned with a glowing gemstone.
Two white tails—one short, one long—swayed gently behind her.
A cat beastkin girl—Pakira.
It had been a while since I’d seen her.
She looked well.
I raised my hand and ran toward her—
—but from the shadows of the ground, a massive black Mimic rose up behind her.
“Pak—!”
Ad
“…!?”
“Behind you—!!”
Before I knew it, I leapt from the rubble.
The three girls gasped in shock—first at the Mimic, then at me suddenly appearing.
But none of that mattered.
I activated my Relic—【Silent One】 and dived in before Pakira could be swallowed whole.
There was no way to save her in time.
Not with my speed. Not with this timing.
So—
I made a split-second decision.
If I couldn’t stop it from the outside—
Then I’d go in with her, protect her inside, and kill this thing from within.
“…Where is this…?”
Inside the Mimic, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness.
No up, down, left, or right—only empty void.
Yet, I could feel myself floating.
It was like being suspended in water.
And the only thing real—the only thing I could clearly perceive—
—was Pakira’s warmth.
Her soft body pressed against mine, and her tails wrapped around my leg and waist.
“U… Wof…?”
(Wof… Wof…)
“Pakira…?”
What is this…?
My senses… My consciousness…
No—this is bad.
It’s that kind of Mimic.
This thing is probably exactly what it looks like—a Mimic: Black Box.
It must slowly consume its prey into the darkness.
This is bad.
Right now, I have no way to counter it.
(…Wof…)
If this keeps up—
Pakira will disappear…?
And Minéha too…
No.
I won’t let that happen!
I focus.
My Relic—【Silent One】 keeps me calm and guides me to the optimal solution.
I see—
So I can use it like this too?
Then—there’s no hesitation.
For just a moment, I activate my Relic—【Generous】.
And instantly—
I unleash 【Phantasmagoria】.
Countless 【Vanish】 projectiles fire out—
piercing straight through the Black Box.
The darkness shatters—
And the blue sky bursts through, shining down on me and Pakira.