Chapter 80: Clown of the Wonderland ⑧

Breaking camp, we are now heading toward the Grand Temple.

And yet, despite the important battle ahead, I find myself in the middle of a whirlwind of embarrassment.

Ugh… I can’t believe I actually cried yesterday.
And worse, I had to be comforted.

I mean, yeah, I was holding in a lot of things.
Especially the knife. That knife that had lodged itself far deeper into my heart than I had realized.

Even if it wasn’t easy to talk about, I still ended up blurting it out… and in such a disgraceful way.
I can’t even look Pakira-san in the eye anymore.

“Haah…”
“Hey, you okay?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Wof. Did you get any sleep?”
“Actually, not much.”

Of course, I couldn’t sleep.

Rell-san adjusted his glasses with a sharp motion.

“Sleep is important. But don’t end up like my ninth sister.”
“What did she do?”
“She sleeps all the time.”
“….”
“Well, there’s not much else to say.”

Hearing about Rell-san’s sisters lightened my mood a little.

Along the way, we encountered puppets and mobile mimics, dealing with them swiftly.
Other monsters appeared here and there as well.

“This is Edda’s sanctuary.”

The one taking down most of them was Megadia-san.
Even though this was the deepest part of the dungeon.

She couldn’t stand the fact that monsters were roaming freely in Edda’s sanctuary.
Perhaps, as an Edda herself, she had her own reasons.

She summoned multiple black spheres and used them to attack.
Whatever they touched simply vanished—similar to Vanish.

That must be the origin of her title, Black Devourer Megadia.
But the way she controlled multiple spheres remotely was more akin to Phantasmagoria.
Maybe because she was an Edda?

As we continued making progress, we finally arrived at the front of the Grand Temple.
A massive door loomed before us, shut tight.

“Whoa, this is incredible.”
“There’s no way a human could open this.”
“Hmm… Lupinus, what do you think?”
“What do you take me for? Of course, I can’t open it.”
“…I think I’ll stay here.”

Mineha-san leaped onto a broken column, her movements weak.
The trauma had completely taken hold of her. Seeing this, Megadia-san spoke.

“There’s no need for everyone to fight. We’re just here to settle things. But Wof-kun, you’re coming whether you like it or not. Sorry.”

I could see the clown’s Vanish.

That caused some arguments. Dragging a kid who wasn’t even an explorer into a battle wasn’t right.

It was an obvious concern.
But in the end, the threat our enemy posed outweighed it, and I was made to participate in this fight.

“In that case, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll go into the Grand Temple and set up a return teleportation circle in one of the empty rooms. However, while I’m setting it up, I’ll be completely defenseless. So, I’ll need someone to guard me.”

“I’ll do it.”

Lupinus-san immediately volunteered.

“You?!”
“I’m good at protecting. Besides, this is also an apology.”
“An apology?”
“Yes, which is why I will protect Alexander-sama without fail.”

Was this her way of atoning for accusing him of being a monster?
Now that I think about it, after Alexander-san came back, that whole issue was left unresolved.
We were too busy dealing with everything else, and he himself wasn’t even aware of it.

“I’ll stay too. From what I’ve heard, I really don’t like this ‘Clown’ thing. I’ll stay here and prepare a victory feast for everyone.”

“I’ll stay too. But Axe, you need to go. Watch over Wof.”
“Got it.”
“…I’ll stay too.” 

Liv muttered.

“What?”
“What did you say?”

The members of Torquetum were shocked.
Liv mumbled under her breath.

“…Clown… not my type…”

“In that case, help us out over here.”
“…Okay. Pakira… I leave it to you.”
“I suppose I have no choice.”
“So, these are the ones staying behind.”

The ones staying:
Mineha-san. Alexander-san. Lupinus-san. Liv-san.
Rell-san. Hoss-san.

And the ones heading to battle:
Megadia-san. Me. Pakira-san. Bid-san. Axe-san.

“This massive door responds to Edda.”

Megadia-san touched the enormous door.
For a moment, it seemed like her violet eyes glowed.

“…”

As she chanted, the massive door reacted and began to open.

“Whoa… it really opened.”
“So only Edda can open it?”
“Yes. This door itself is Legendary.”
“Then how did it open yesterday?”
“Maybe there was some kind of malfunction?”
“That’s impossible.”
“Ugh, this group has no sense of tension.”
“Says the one who sounds the most out of place.”
“Lupinus-san! What do you mean by that?!”

Everyone laughed. I laughed too.

Despite the battle ahead, there was no sense of tension.

But somehow, that felt right. This was how we should be.

The massive double doors fully opened.

“Alright, we’ll go set up the teleportation circle.”
“Yes, I’ll accompany you.”
“…We’ll be off.”
“We’ll gather supplies from the temple town.”
“We’ll have a feast ready when you get back. Hoss is cooking.”
“Rell, you help him.”
“Take care, Wof.”
“Yes, Mineha-san.”

“…”

As Megadia-san chanted, the massive doors slowly closed.

Megadia-san stepped in first.
Then Bid-san. Then Pakira-san.
And finally, me.

With a heavy thud, the massive double doors shut.

We were now separated from the waiting group.

The ceiling was covered in gleaming stained glass.
A vast worship hall spread before us.

“What… what is this pressure…?”
“This… oppressive aura…”
“This is nasty…”
“…I can feel it too.”

Even Megadia-san was affected, if only slightly.
I felt nothing.

And at the far end—beneath the statue of the Girl of Generous Return—
Next to a gaudy, overly elaborate throne,

Someone was collapsed. Clown.
Rolling on the ground, writhing in pain.

Using Crisis Perception, Clown showed up in red.

“What? Is he also being crushed by this pressure?”

Axe-san kept his sword drawn, but his expression was one of confusion.

“With this pressure, it’s no surprise…”
“What a pathetic sight.”
“…Indeed.”

Yeah, what the hell is this…?

Now that I think about it, Alexander-san once said:

The clown is a monster that runs away.

So, he fled here, only for the doors to close behind him, trapping him inside.

Pathetic.
Yet, somehow, fitting for a jester.

Yes, that’s what we thought.

Each of us readied our weapons and moved toward the Clown.

At that moment, I saw it.

“!?”

Above me. A massive, pitch-black something was falling.

Pitch-black.

“Wof-kun, watch out!!”

I was suddenly shoved hard by someone.

Immediately after, an incredible impact and a deafening roar echoed in the distance.

‘AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!’

I could hear laughter.

‘AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!’

A maniacal laugh.

What…? My body isn’t moving properly… It hurts… What happened…?

My arms still work. My legs… won’t move.

Then… I reach into my pouch. Deep inside, my fingers find the egg.

I grip it, pull it out, and somehow manage to put it in my mouth.

Come to think of it, this is my first time drinking an Elixir.

My body… my strength… my consciousness—rapidly return.

I stand up. I was able to stand up. There’s no more pain.

Then I look.

A massive black something had destroyed the sanctuary of the Grand Temple.

Even the statue of the goddess Generous had been shattered. But that doesn’t matter.

Is everyone safe…?

…Wait.

I lost my words.

“…………———No way.”

At the edge of that black something, Megadia was lying there.

Was it my imagination, or was her neck bent at an unnatural angle?

Bid’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

That’s right. He was the one who pushed me out of the way.

Where did he go—?

Then I saw it—his shortbow, lying on the ground.

And from beneath the massive black something, a small arm was sticking out.

That leather gauntlet.

No… No way…

Where’s Axe…?

I frantically look around and immediately find it.

A-Axe’s… sword was there.

Where’s Axe!?

Where did he go!? He has to be somewhere nearby, he has to be!!

“W-Wof…”

“Pakira-san!”

Pakira staggered toward me, covered in blood.

Her injuries were terrible. But she was alive. That alone was a relief.

“W-What the hell happened…”

“That… is the corpse of the giant land catfish we defeated…”

“That means… the dungeon’s anomaly…”

Was it really that big? It’s larger than a whale.

“And that corpse…”

It fell. From above.

How?

Teleportation. A Relic of 【Teleportation】.

Then the teleportation that caused the earthquake—

Was it the work of Clown?

‘AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!’

On top of the corpse, Clown lay sprawled out, pounding the ground, laughing hysterically.

It was the true cause of everything.

I handed Pakira-san the divine Elixir Egg.

“This will heal your wounds. Please take care of everyone.”

“W-Wof… This is… Could it be!?”

“I’m going to defeat that thing.”

“Wait, wait—”

I activated 【Silent One】 and immediately became 【Generous】.

My hair turned purple, and my blue eyes were mixed with violet.

My mind became calm. Right now, I had no hesitation.

“…I’m going.”

“———You must come back.”

Pakira-san gave me a gentle smile.

I leaped onto the massive corpse of the giant land catfish.

On that vast, pitch-black expanse, Clown was waiting for me.

Megadia… Bid was dead. She died protecting me, crushed under the corpse.

Axe was likely the same—buried beneath that massive land catfish.

As for the others—Hoss, Rel, Mineha, Alexander, Liv, Lupinas—

I didn’t know if they were safe.

But before any of that—this Clown had caused so many deaths.

I will never forget the massacre at the garbage pit mimic nest.

Even if it had never happened in the first place.

I will settle everything.

I summoned 【Phantasmagoria】 and 【Cosmic Arm】 on my left arm.

Then, I drew the Elixir Knife with my right hand.

【Silent One】 informed me: I had four minutes left.

It was enough.

There was still a way to reclaim everything.

That moment, when I stood before the statue of Generous’s reincarnation—what I was given.

The Contract Relic, 【Vanishment Line】———.

I knew its activation conditions and effects entirely from that moment.

This relic will change the world.

That’s why it must never be used.

More than anything, the final missing piece had been nowhere to be found.

But I found it yesterday, during the battle with Clown.

The Out-of-Place Artifact adapted for 【Vanish】—【Vanish Knife】.

And after talking with Megadia yesterday, I was sure.

This is not something humans should use.

Humans should not become gods.

But I will use it.

I will use it. I will use it.

For everyone’s sake, I will use it.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAA!!”

Crown laughed—boisterous, resounding laughter.

What was so funny, always?

“I don’t know what you are. Just another ‘Fool,’ or something else entirely? A variant? A true anomaly of the dungeon? Or something else entirely? I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. I have no real reason to fight you. Well—no, I do. But I don’t hate you. I never had the intent to kill you, to defeat you. That wasn’t my role. That was Agaro-san’s, Megadia-san’s. But now… none of that matters. I want to save them. I want to save everyone And for that, I will do what I must. I will throw away everything, cast it all aside. With that resolve, I will completely erase your existence. Not defeat. Not kill. Erase. From past and future alike. Do you understand what that means, Clown?”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Clown juggled four Vanish relics in mockery. But in the next instant, my Phantasmagoria locked him down.

I dashed forward. Clown froze time.

Phantasmagoria—the countless Vanish relics in the air halted mid-flight.

Time had stopped. But it didn’t affect me. He knew that.

That’s why he pulled out his cross-shaped blade.

A Vanish Knife—a relic forged to erase whatever it cuts.

Clown lunged, slashing and thrusting with practiced ease.

He was fast. Skilled.

But so was I.

Dodge. Step back. Advance. Deflect with Vanish. Dodge.

Here!

A small metallic ring—a clash of blades.

For just a moment, my Elixir Knife met the Vanish Knife. But it was brief.

Like butter melting under heat, the Elixir Knife’s blade was sliced diagonally—erased.

Clown sneered.

I grinned back.

Three minutes left.

I grabbed the Vanish Knife with my Celestial Arm.

That arm was connected to the cosmos—it absorbed all attacks.

And that power—it could be redirected.

I punched Clown with my Celestial Arm.

He staggered back, still laughing.

And I stole his Vanish Knife.

The spot where I hit him—it hadn’t vanished.

So his Vanish power wasn’t absolute.

I clenched the Vanish Knife in my Celestial Arm.

I had to obtain this no matter what.

And finally—I had it.

“I’m taking it all back. Everything. In exchange for your existence!”

There were six conditions for activating the Covenant Relic.

Vanish.
Silent One.
Generous.
Phantasmagoria.
Celestial Arm.
Vanish Relic.

Perhaps these were the six eyes of Generous.

Maybe.

It didn’t matter.

Everything was in place.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Crown laughed. Uncontrollably.

Was it because he was a dungeon monster? An undead? The Fool? A mere jester?

Or—

Did he just want to laugh?

I didn’t know.

Two minutes left.

As Silent One, I became Generous.

I gripped the Vanish Knife in my Celestial Arm.

I layered everything together with Phantasmagoria.

“By the decree of the Deductive Gods—Covenant Relic: VANISHMENT LINE!”

It became a thread—

My dominant arm transformed into a cosmic thread itself.

That was the Vanishment Line.

Crown laughed.

He vanished. He stopped time. He teleported. He ran.

It was pointless.

Time and space held no meaning here.

Even if he fled to the ends of the universe—

He was already in the palm of my hand.

Without hesitation, I cut him with the Vanishment Line.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……———Oh, God.”

Crown was erased.

Not just from here.

From past—future.

From the entire universe.

—Covenant Relic Banishment Line—
Completely erases existence, past to future.
All phenomena tied to the erased entity are reconstructed through induction.

Usage Conditions:
Vanish.
Silent One.
Generous.
Phantasmagoria.
Celestial Arm.
Vanish Relic.

Cooldown: 5.67 billion years.

The Vanishment Line dissipated.

At the same time, the Vanish Knife crumbled to dust, unable to withstand it.

I had pushed it too far.

I’m sorry. Thank you.

“And Clown… I am no god.”

Time left: 0 minutes.

“I am just Wof. Thirteen years old.”

Now—

Time to go home.

Back to everyone.

Pakira-san is waiting.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter