993: Entrance to h.e.l.l

It is time for todays atonement. We go together, Fannabelta.

Fannabelta! Im sure of it now! Thats the name of Intelligence Weapon belonging to Trismegistus!

Fran noticed it too.

!

Trismegistus stared at the silvery-white falchion in his hand Fannabelta.

Thats

Surely someone at Trismegistus level would have noticed Frans gaze. However, the golden dragonkin didnt seem to show any interest in her, simply walking away without saying anything further.

I think he was just completely interested rather than ignoring her on purpose. Maybe Frans lack of hostility played a role too, but he simply didnt care enough to express it in words.

Despite Frans intense gaze on his back, Trismegistus walked with ease. Each step caused the tail from the hem of his robe to swap back and forth.

Certainly very graceful movements.

C-Can we hurry up, please!

If you wish to hurry, then do so yourself, brother of the priestess. I shall not stop you.

My name is Frederick.

You will have to become stronger if you wish for me to remember your name.

Trismegistus retorted with a straight face, without so much as a slight smile. It seems he really didnt care for remembering the names of anyone too weak.

Kuh!

Fredericks face contorted with the impatience clearly visible.

Should we go on ahead?

No, its too dangerous.

?

The area under this castle contains more antidemons than any other place on the continent. Going in alone is equivalent to suicide.

Though impatient, Frederick did not attempt to rush ahead. He knew about the ridiculously powerful antidemon swarms blocking our way to the Core Room.

And they were so powerful that even the current Frederick said it would be impossible to make it through alone.

It seems his parents brought him here once, back when he was still young and his elements had yet to be formed.

Thats apparently a rite of pa.s.sage all dragonkin warriors go through. The purpose was to make them experience great fear at an early age, so few things will frighten them later in life.

The safest way to make it through such a place would be to make use of Trismegistus. As long as we followed behind him, we didnt need to endanger ourselves.

Meanwhile, the uninterested Trismegistus didnt even ask us to fight alongside him. His stance was more like follow me if you want.

Him inviting us to come along with him was actually extremely irregular. All thanks to the presence of Izario, one of the few people Trismegistus recognized.

After we finished listening to the explanation of the castles underground area, Trismegistus arrived at a large hall at the back of the castle. A huge dome made of gray stone with little ornamentation, over 100 meters in diameter.

The rough appearance of the dome stood out from the splendor we saw on our way here. This was clearly no ordinary dance hall.

Immediately after entering the dome, both Fran and Urus.h.i.+ flinched and froze. But that was to be expected.

A huge, gray thing was sticking out through the floor from the center of the room. There can be no doubt. This was the Abyss Eaters main body that we saw earlier outside the castle.

The Abyss Eater took up the bigger half of the dome. Even from this close up, it looked exactly like a huge tree.

However, the abnormal mana it radiated confirmed that this was no ordinary lifeform. If we take the aura of an antidemon and make it hundreds of times denser and more aggressive, maybe we would get something similar.

Aggressive? Perhaps it would be more correct to say starving. Its said the Abyss Eater cant move on its own, but its intention to consume, to devour us, was displayed clearly in this aura.

I can see how this being is the origin of those gluttonous antidemons.

As Fran stopped to stare at the Abyss Eater, Trismegistus headed to the stairs at the side of the room. Apparently, thats where we descend underground.

Little lady, you okay?

Im fine.

Its h.e.l.l from here on out. Make sure to keep yourself together.

Okay.

A place even Izario calls h.e.l.l? I cant even imagine it. Still, we definitely have to resolve ourselves before entering.

Fran. Lets go.

Nn!

Fran and Izario followed after Trismegistus.

The staircase itself was nothing special, one you would see anywhere. But now that we stood in front of it, we immediately sensed that only h.e.l.l lied at the end of it.

Antidemons

Yeah, its crawling with so many super powerful antidemons that I can sense them through the Abyss Eaters aura

If all the antidemons in there were unleashed upon Gordicia, wouldnt the entire continent be wiped out in the blink of an eye? The antidemons I sensed were just that powerful.

Dont worry. I told you about how this castle was protected by the power of the G.o.ds, right? The antidemons down there will never be able to escape.

I guess the G.o.ds sealed away both the Abyss Eater and the antidemons below the castle. Trismegistus descended the stairs, pa.s.sing through the gateway to h.e.l.l without hesitation.

To that man, this was merely a daily occurrence. As we hurried after him, the change came abruptly.

It is time to begin.

As he descended the stairs, Trismegistus began formulating an enormous amount of magical power, turning his whole body golden. He was yet to unleash his mana, and the air had already started trembling.

And yet this aura wasnt violent in the slightest. Its like he was completely calm. The one shaking was not him.

Riiiing!

As if trembling in antic.i.p.ation of battle, the blade of his silvery-white falchion emit a high pitched metallic sound.