Chapter 121: Embodiment of Fate

"We’ve arrived. I’ll give you the rundown on the boss first," Ouma said, his voice flat as we stood before the massive, sealed gates. "The master of this Dungeon is called Abyss Chloris... essentially, a monster bearing the name of a flower goddess."

We had trekked through the scorched wasteland that was once a lush floor, finally reaching the heart of the lower depths. Before we stepped into the boss chamber, Ouma shared what he knew.

I couldn't judge the threat by a name alone, but if the lore in Mythologia held true, she was a goddess who presided over all things floral. According to the myths, her "paradise" was a place where the inhabitants had all been transformed into flowers.

"What are its traits?" I asked.

"Status ailments using hundreds of different plant species, the generation of opium-producing vegetation, and unavoidable attacks that manipulate the entire room," Ouma listed them off with a practiced indifference. "Then there’s the army—humans and monsters she’s turned into flowers."

"Understood... Hey, Ouma, do you think we'll actually find what we're looking for? There's no sign of our target yet."

"If it isn't here, then so be it. But we should still take this thing down regardless. There's no telling how much it's grown after being left alone for six months."

"Fair enough. Do we have enough firepower?"

Our current party consisted of Luna, Balor, Ouma, and myself. I didn't know the exact scale of the room yet, but if the opponent was massive, I’d need to call upon a Summoned Beast suited for heavy-duty countermeasures.

I could probably rely on Sol’s power for a single, decisive blow if the timing was right... but if I was going to use Balor against an opponent of this caliber, I needed to keep a potential [Origin Burst] in mind.

"We can probably wipe the floor with them, and I know what your companions are capable of," Ouma said. "But the problem is that many of these enemies are a nightmare to deal with if you don't kill them in one hit."

"In that case... maybe I should call on Shibaru."

"The one from back then? Yeah, he’d be a good fit."

I sent out a brief telepathic message to get his consent before summoning him. Given their history, I’d been worried about how he’d react to Ouma’s presence, but the Shibaru that manifested this time seemed... calmer, in a way.

"...I'm counting on you, kid. And that idiot hiding in the shadows, too," Shibaru grunted.

"He says he's sorry for dying on his own," Ouma muttered, seemingly to the air. "Anyway, I'm leaving my back to you, Camazotz."

"Right. Let’s do this. Everyone ready?"

They nodded. I pushed the doors open.

We stepped into a temple swallowed by overgrown vegetation. The path leading to the inner sanctum was lined with human corpses. They were displayed like morbid works of art, each face frozen in a mask of blissful happiness.

"...Talk about bad taste," I muttered.

"I’ve never seen a specimen collect this many," Ouma replied, his eyes narrowing. "It’s safe to assume this thing has grown significantly."

I felt a wave of pure revulsion. I’d encountered people with these kinds of twisted hobbies in the other world, but seeing it again after all this time was hard to stomach. What made it truly sickening was the mana lingering in the bodies; they were still faintly alive. Their souls are being imprisoned here, I realized with a grim sinking in my gut.

"Balor."

"Yes, Lord Reima. Let us grant them their end."

In the other world, Balor had been known by another name: the Saint of Death. She had spent centuries hunting monsters and seeing off their lives, a solitary figure witnessing the end of countless souls. Her power—the ability to kill anything she looked upon—was a curse that could end anyone depending on their mana. Yet, her essence was one of profound goodness. Because she had lived so long in isolation, wishing only to grant a blessing to those who could not die, I knew this sight affected her deeply.

"...Reima, if you destroy those, the boss will just get a power boost," Ouma warned.

"I don't care. We'll just kill it anyway. For now, let them go."

A blessing for those who cannot die. Balor’s [Death Eye] was a power that affected anything possessing a soul. As her gaze swept over the flower-corpses, they crumbled like dolls with their strings cut. Their souls were finally free.

"...Please, sleep in peace," Balor whispered.

Having ended so many lives at once, she offered a short prayer and turned back to me. Her expression was tinged with a lonely sort of sadness. I need to say something, I thought, wanting to lighten her burden even a little.

"Good work, Balor."

"Thank you... It has been a long time since I performed such a task. Did I... did I send them off properly?"

"You did fine. Your 'death' is a kind one, Balor. I’m sure they’re at peace."

We shared a moment of silence for the fallen before turning our attention to the boss. Luna and Shibaru closed their eyes briefly. A few seconds later, Ouma’s mana flared violently as he sensed an anomaly.

"Reima, something’s wrong. The moment you destroyed those bodies, an attack should have come."

"Is it even here?"

"It might just be sleeping, but stay sharp."

The instant he finished speaking, a blood-curdling scream tore through the air—a woman’s voice, echoing from the depths of the temple.

"NO! NO! I WAS ONLY DECORATING THEM! WHY ARE YOU TAKING THEM?! STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IIIIIIIT!"

The sound of something being brutally shredded followed. We sprinted toward the back of the chamber, only to find the plant-monster being toyed with by something... inorganic.

It was a pitch-black, faceless horror. Massive claws sprouted from its arms, and as it carved the boss into ribbons, I realized the thing was laughing, despite having no mouth to speak of.

"—That... thing..."

For the first time, all emotion vanished from Ouma’s voice. I didn't know what was going through his head, but the sheer killing intent and mana he radiated in the next second made me flinch. [Kyokurai]—a blast of inorganic, blue lightning—radiated outward before focusing into a singular, devastating beam.

"Die, Demi-Nyarla!"

But as the entity turned to face us, it simply... devoured the attack. It opened a gaping, impossible maw and neutralized the strike completely.

"Indra? Ah, my Indra from back then. Hey, hey... give me that Scripture. It’s okay, it’s okay... I’ll use it so much better than you. Don't worry... I’ll kill you beautifully."

The voice was fluent yet utterly alien. Even without a mouth, the words resonated directly inside our skulls.

"Hey... so... let me eat you, Indra."

"You..." Ouma growled, his voice trembling with a cold, focused rage. "You’re the one person I will kill, no matter what."