Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 103
“Gale Break”
Dialogue should be held between equals.
The moment I saw Kazunuma, I launched my attack.
It didn’t cut him in two, though.
But it was enough to make him collapse on the floor with a single blow.
“Don’t resist. Shut your mouth. You’re a terrorist from another country — normally I’d be justified in killing you here and now. The only reason I’m here is because I promised our country I’d capture you myself and give you a chance to speak, as your fellow countryman.”
A web of lies. Lies made to sound like grace.
Now that I’ve shown the overwhelming difference in strength, and I clearly hold the power of life and death over him, he probably has no will left to resist.
“Captain Cres, target secured. From what we heard, this one’s supposed to be the toughest among them. He’s restrained now — and if he resists, I think it’s fine to rough him up a little.”
“…Understood.”
Then, once more:
“Kazunuma’s already been reduced to a rag! If any of you are still hiding, come on out! I won’t kill you! The knights are about to start a search, and if you’re found, don’t expect any mercy!! We’ll expose you, violate you, humiliate you — until you can never smile again!!!!”
Okay, that was way too much!!!!
Crimson Howl is way too fired up!?
But maybe it worked — because from deep within the mansion, Hishida-san and Samie-san appeared.
“Is that really you, Shizuma-kun…?”
“You’d better keep quiet. You’re terrorists now, both of you.”
“Tch!”
“Huh?! You’re seriously full of yourself, you traitorous freak—”
I used to think the idea that girls are dumb was just a stereotype,
but in her case, it might actually be true.
Before I could even move, Samie — who kept up her defiant attitude — was restrained by the knights.
Hishida-san remained calm, quietly offering her hands to be cuffed.
“Restrain everyone. Even that man on the floor. Hishida-san, I’ll allow you to speak. Isaka and Inami escaped, didn’t they? Through the underground?”
“…Yes. I knew it led underground.”
“Of course. Let me be clear: I won’t be pleading for leniency. This was the path you chose.”
“Tch!”
“Don’t get cocky, you traitor! Selling out your classmates! How dare you!”
“Knight, this noisy one here is supposedly fast on her feet, so—”
I swung my sword.
Accurately — I made a shallow cut across Samie’s Achilles tendon as she lay pinned to the floor.
“Here’s a potion. Let her drink it once she’s locked in a cell.”
“AAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!! IT HURTS IT HURTS!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”
“You know… maybe death is the only cure for you? You’re basically like a death-row inmate back on Earth. No lawyer, no trial — you could be killed on the spot and no one would lift a finger.”
I pointed my sword at her again.
Faced with actual danger and real physical pain,
she finally seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.
Tears streamed down her face as she desperately nodded.
“Captain Cres, I’m heading underground. The remaining two are likely stronger than the three we’ve caught.”
“…Understood. It seems no one is more suitable than you. Thank you for minimizing our casualties.”
“Just repaying the kindness you showed me. I’ll be off.”
It was probably Isaka and Inami who went underground.
Strategically, letting the two strongest escape was the right move.
…Who has been coming and going from underground until now?
That suspicious person Melt spotted — most likely one of our classmates.
“Who knows the route to the Underside from underground? Lead me.”
“…I’ve been using it.”
“Then lead the way. If you try to run, I’ll cut your head off instantly.”
“…Understood.”
I decided to trust Hishida-san and had her guide me through the mansion.
After descending several sets of stairs, we reached a makeshift underground prison.
She led me to the back — a storage room.
But—
“No way!? Why…?!”
“…It’s completely destroyed. They never considered the possibility of their comrades coming back for them. Was it Isaka’s plan? Or Inami’s?”
“…Hey, Shizuma-kun. Can I ask you something?”
“I’d usually tell you to shut up, but fine. What do you want to know?”
“…That provocation you used to lure us out — what you said.”
“I’m not apologizing. I meant to kill everyone anyway. What I said to the dying doesn’t matter.”
My heart was completely numb.
At least when it came to my former classmates, I felt absolutely nothing.
Not even real hatred — probably not even the desire to kill.
Just the cold need to eliminate a threat.
“…No, I meant Inami-san.”
“Huh? Oh, the part where she tricked me?”
“Yes, that. At the mansion in the forest, she suddenly begged us — begged us to make a wish: ‘I want to go outside now,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to stay in this terrifying place anymore.’
But we were told you refused to leave no matter what.”
“Huh. Is that so? In contrast, she came to my room and told me to ‘think it over until the very last minute.’”
“…I see.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore how it happened. Those two are dangerous elements. Even if we can’t chase them now, there are already surveillance eyes on the Underside.
Once they’re found, they’ll be executed.”
“…And us?”
“Who knows? You can try begging the people of this country. If you’re useful, you might be spared. If you’re useless or rebellious, I’ll recommend execution.”
This was all for the sake of the country…
No — for me and Melt, who live in this country.
Those summoned like them, while not as strong as me, still have potential.
So it’s better to kill them now, before they become a problem.
“…Let’s go back. You’ll be escorted by the knights.”
“Alright.”
With the path underground completely sealed off,
forcing my way through would be reckless.
Honestly, if they encounter the Killcrawler, I doubt they’ll survive.
…But they probably have other allies.
If Marquis Allheus helped them after arriving in this country, then someone else must have helped them get into the country in the first place—
Meanwhile, just as Shizuma discovered the underground escape route had been destroyed…
the very person who destroyed it was being interrogated by two of the students.
“Why did you destroy that place?! Our allies might have been able to regroup!”
“Did you think… our allies would lose if someone came after us?”
“Yes, I did. It seems the other side has a ‘Hero Candidate from another world,’ just like you.”
It was a collaborator of the mysterious gentleman who had repeatedly appeared before the students.
A person Marquis Allheus could not defy—likely someone very close to being the mastermind behind this incident.
Therefore, the two of them couldn’t press the issue any further.
“Still… he was terrifyingly strong, that young man. If you were that strong, we wouldn’t have had to worry.”
“Wha… Shizuma-kun is that strong…?”
“No way… Why…?”
At those words, Isaka ground his teeth in frustration, while Inami’s face showed signs of anxiety.
“It seems I’ve drawn the short straw here. But, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you escape safely. And not only that… I’ve also found the other thing I brought you here for—a fragment of the Dungeon Core. So, what will you do? Prioritize escaping? Or go retrieve the fragment?”
It was a subtle manipulation.
A bait dangled by a man who had implicitly labeled them as failures or useless.
He was merely offering a chance to “redeem their honor”—but only to secure the “fact that they chose to retrieve it of their own will.”
“It was said to be somewhere underground, right? If you’ve found it, we’ll go retrieve it.”
“Excellent. But the Underside is now on high alert. We’ll need to be quick.”
“Inami-san, what do you want to do? It’s okay if you want to escape on your own.”
“No! I’ll go too! …Everyone made sacrifices for us… I want to do what I can here!”
Hearing Inami’s reply, the gentleman gave a twisted smile.
But it wasn’t because things were going according to plan.
It was because he had found someone with an appallingly ugly mindset.
“Heh heh… well, this is interesting. Yes, indeed. Everyone ‘sacrificed’ themselves, didn’t they? So we must honor those sacrifices, yes?”
Why was Inami so eager?
Why was she so calm despite the crisis?
“Let’s go, Isaka-kun! If it’s us… I’m sure we can do it!”
“Yeah, you’re right. Could you show us the way? Um…”
“Ah, I must have delayed introducing myself. My name is Hus Fan. I’m an old acquaintance of King Golda—a bit of a friend, you could say.”
“I see… Fan-san, please guide us to the dungeon core fragment.”
“Yes, of course. Please follow my instructions. The current Underside is very dangerous.”
The answer was simple:
Because from the moment she arrived in this world until now, she believed it was all part of a grand story—and that she was its protagonist or heroine.
In her imagined scenario, there was no place for “background classmates who aren’t even friends.” Even in dire situations, she believed that “it’s only natural for supporting characters to sacrifice themselves for the heroine.”
From beginning to end, she was only ever interested in discarding “unnecessary elements to her convenient story,” and acting in a way that made herself appear dramatic within that story.
That’s why she could pretend to be sad.
Why she could pretend to be a kind classmate.
Why she could act like the heroine to the strongest person around.
And that’s why the gentleman, Hus Fan, laughed—this enigmatic collaborator smirked.
Because he thought, “I may have stumbled upon an unexpected treasure.”
The Underside was a hidden district that had existed since the early days of Lindblum’s construction.
Because of that, many things had been buried there—things hidden by time and shadow.
The more the surface city developed, the more such things accumulated.
The harder it became to find what was hidden.
Some of it could even be ancient treasures, prepared in anticipation of a far-off crisis yet to come.
“This is my second time coming to the Underside, but I didn’t realize it went this deep underground.”
“Yes, this particular area was only recently discovered. I made a few modifications to the artificial dungeon to make the Dungeon Core fragment easier to locate. We’ve taken some measures on our side.”
“Um, earlier, there were guards up top… once we get the fragment, we’ll need to escape through that blockade, right…?”
“No need to worry. The fragment grants tremendous power to its wielder. With that power, brushing aside the guards up there will be easy.”
“Really!? Inami-san, if only one of us can gain the fragment’s power… can I have it? I have to become stronger—for the king, and for everyone else. I can’t lose to someone who would say such shameful, vile things.”
“Yeah! He was awful… Shizuma-kun. Provoking everyone with nothing but nonsense…”
“Yeah. One day… we’ll settle this.”
Step by step, they moved forward—toward the destination, toward the fragment, toward ruin.
Perhaps already seeing the outcome, Fan’s smile grew more ecstatic as he led them.
To the place where the fragment had been enshrined, buried beneath layers of history’s shadows.
Imagining a weakened Holy Principality of Lendia, unable to maintain its artificial dungeon after losing the core fragment…
Hoping to gain a useful pawn for their ultimate goal…
They continued deeper underground.
Eventually, the end arrived.
Deep underground, different even from the city’s foundations, Fan stepped into a strange structure.
At first glance, it looked like a stone temple—out of place in the underworld. It had an aura of sanctity and at the same time, an eerie, forbidden feel.
“This is where the ancient king enshrined the Dungeon Core fragment and placed part of the earth’s power under control. It seems this place wasn’t made by human hands. Some higher-dimensional… incomprehensible being must’ve left this behind.”
Fan spoke with a hint of reverence and fear in his voice.
A ruin from a different civilization—perhaps an ancient one.
Isaka and Inami followed Fan into the ruins.
“To think there’s a ruin this deep underground… How did you find it?”
“As I said earlier, we made some modifications to the artificial dungeon, which is powered by the fragment. Since they’re closely connected, abnormalities in one would lead to abnormalities in the other. That’s how we found this place. You were investigating too, but your methods were less efficient. Still, I won’t discredit your efforts. You were getting close.”
“I see… So Hishida-san and the Marquis were looking into it…”
“So, with the fragment deeper inside… Isaka-kun can become stronger, right?”
“Yes, indeed. You possess a ‘vessel’ vast enough to house many powers. With that, you will grow into a being that surpasses all others.”
Like the sound of a sweet, enchanting melody, Fan’s words entered Isaka’s ears and made his face flush.
Isaka had always desired it—the title of “Strongest.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even thought to utter such an outrageous request.
And so, deep within his heart, he harbored a burning anger toward Shizuma, who had provoked him with scorn and derision, as if mocking his current state.
A dark emotion—twisted joy—warped Isaka’s expression.
“…This time, I’ll truly become the strongest. No one will stop me… I’ll gain the power to fulfill my mission.”
“Yeah! I’ll do my best too, so I don’t lose! I’ll practice my magic a lot!”
“Alright! And if we get stronger, how about we go back and help everyone? What do you think, Fan-san?”
“That’s something best avoided. What you’ll obtain is merely a ‘great vessel.’ To fill it… will take considerable time. However, there is a way to fill it quickly. For now, please follow my instructions. Eventually, you will become the strongest. You’ll rescue your friends, and defeat any foe who stands in your way.”
As they spoke, they reached the deepest part of the ruins.
And there, it was—just as described.
On a pedestal of stone and machinery—it lay.
A fragment of a naturally formed Dungeon Core, crimson red and dazzling, exuding a dangerous and captivating glow.
No—“fragment” might not be the right word. It was more like a “half.”
Fan reached out toward the fragment, which was about the size of half a clenched fist.
But then—
“Tch! As I suspected, I’m not worthy.”
His outstretched hand was repelled by a flash of red lightning.
Smoke rose from his palm as if it had been scorched, but Fan looked at the fragment with a satisfied expression.
“Are you okay!?”
“Yes, no problem at all… I see. As I thought, someone like me can’t touch it. Well then… as planned, we’ll proceed this way!”
Fan suddenly seized Isaka’s arm and, using brute strength, hurled him toward the pedestal where the core fragment rested.
Isaka, thrown with shocking force, drew an arc through the air and landed squarely atop the pedestal.
“Waaah! Aaaaahhhh! AAAAAAAHHHH!! GYAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
The core, which scorched flesh with a mere touch, was now pressed against Isaka’s chest as he fell upon it.
His scream—like a dying animal—pierced the chamber as he convulsed violently.
Watching her classmate shriek in agony and seeing Fan smiling joyfully as he inflicted it, Inami was paralyzed with fear and collapsed to the ground.
“W-What have you done!?”
“Just watch. Do you really think a hero from another world would die so easily? Look—observe.”
Isaka continued to scream from atop the pedestal.
It looked as though a sacrifice was being offered.
Like a sacrificial altar, where the offering writhed in torment.
But then—the screaming stopped.
Not because he had died—no, it was as if he had endured it, as if he had adapted to it.
“See now… How do you feel, Isaka-kun?”
“Ah… Aah…”
“Ideally, Muraki-kun—who had the highest compatibility—would’ve been the one, but your values were next highest. Now… rise, Isaka Iori.”
Slowly, like a zombie, Isaka rose from his facedown position.
Inami, watching, thought he truly resembled the undead.
Fear. She was afraid—of her classmate.
He had seemed normal just moments ago—but now, his movements were inhuman, monstrous.
Even Inami, usually composed, couldn’t contain her dread.
“Wh… what is… this…?”
“The Core has fused with you! You have become the vessel! The power of the land, the strength of the dead—it will all flow into you! You will ascend—to the strongest, and beyond—to a place beyond humanity’s limits!”
Isaka looked down and gently stroked the red jewel embedded deep in his chest, as if it had parasitically merged with his body.
It was a grotesque, unnatural change—something that should have repulsed anyone.
And yet—he smiled.
“Yes…! I’ve transcended humanity! Fan-san… thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Now… let us withdraw. To our King. Don’t worry, Isaka-kun—an event is coming soon that will allow you to absorb the strength of many humans.”
“That… sounds exciting!”
What those words truly meant—
Regardless, on that day, a non-human threat was born.
“One who abandoned their own thoughts, trapped in delusions, endlessly pursuing power—this is the twisted result.”
A path that, had he taken a wrong step, even Shizuma might have followed to ruin.
The paths of the three—no, now divided again—drift apart once more.
The three vanish.
And with the overwhelming power of the vessel, they begin devouring countless souls—