The Gorugas Great Canyon, the Sacred Ground of the Giderde Clan, lay roughly a two-day trek east of Berhes. Sheer cliffs dominated the horizon, the earth split open into a deep valley as if it had been sliced by a giant blade. From a distance, the canyon appeared to be a narrow crack, but up close, it was unexpectedly wide—broad enough for five heavy carriages to drive through side-by-side.
Lowell and I were the only ones who had proven ourselves worthy during the Arena Contest... or so it was supposed to be. However, thanks to the intervention of Mr. Guster and Mr. Abarum, Spira and Halfa were granted entry as special exceptions. Considering how those two had gone on a rampage during the joint training requested by the Giderde Clan after the tournament, I suppose their aptitude was deemed more than sufficient.
Each of us wore a purple scarf—the official Warrior's Proof. Of course, since such a thing could be easily forged, Mr. Abarum was accompanying us. He had earned his own proof years ago and had visited the Sacred Ground once before.
"What exactly is at the end of this?" I asked.
"Nothing but a small altar," Mr. Abarum replied. "There, one makes an Indomitable Vow to the Nameless God whom the Giderde Clan once served. That is the Warrior's Ritual passed down through our people."
"A Nameless God? Not the War God?"
"Who can say? While many now follow the War God, our clan's legends only speak of a Nameless God."
Mr. Abarum's explanation provided me with a lead on yet another deity. The Nameless God, huh? Even Ren-kun had never mentioned such a being...
I wondered what truly awaited us. I still didn't know if the "something" Garnalava was worried about was actually here. "East of Berhes" was a terribly vague lead to follow.
I continued onward, grumbling internally about Garnalava.
The path was littered with large, tumbling rocks, making for a difficult trek. That would have been manageable on its own, but the threat of rockfalls made it genuinely dangerous. Fortunately, I hadn't sensed any signs of falling debris yet.
This place is so boring. I’m getting tired of this...
Shiroru had started the hike in high spirits, but she was clearly getting bored of walking through a landscape where rock walls were the only thing to see. She whined as she clung to my leg.
"Just think of it as a picnic!" Halfa chirped.
"Time flies when you're chatting, doesn't it?" Spira added.
They were certainly staying positive. It was a grueling route to call a "picnic," but the two of them walked along happily, lost in conversation. Considering they spent nearly every moment together, I found it impressive they still had so much to talk about.
A picnic! That means we need lunch! Let’s eat!
The word "picnic" immediately made Shiroru think of food, and she began to make a fuss. To be fair, it was about time for a midday meal.
I glanced at Mr. Abarum, who let out a weary sigh and shook his head. When I had first introduced Shiroru as a Holy Beast, he had seemed struck by awe; now, he looked at her as one might look at a common house pet.
"My apologies, but please endure it. This is, officially, the Warrior's Ritual."
Since we were only allowed inside under the pretense of the ritual, I suppose having a rowdy lunch party wasn't the best idea.
Hmph... Fine. Then give me a candy!
"Alright, alright."
Knowing Shiroru wouldn't be satisfied with nothing, I handed her a piece of homemade candy—sugar boiled down and flavored with a hint of mint. Since she could eat it while walking, I figured it wouldn't hurt.
I peeked at Mr. Abarum again. His expression remained grim. Was even the candy pushing it? Well, since he didn't say anything, maybe we were barely in the clear. Still, I decided I should probably refrain from having any myself.
We walked for another two hours along the straight floor of the valley. We didn't encounter a single monster or even a wild animal. Eventually, the canyon walls began to close in.
"The altar is just ahead. Though, there don't seem to be any particular abnormali—"
"No, something is wrong," Spira interrupted, contradicting Mr. Abarum. "The spirits here... they might have transformed into something else. I’ve felt a sense of wrongness ever since we entered the canyon, and now I’m gradually losing my ability to speak with them."
We hadn't seen any visible signs of trouble yet, but it seemed the state of the spirits was unusual. Whether they had always been this way or if a recent event had caused the change, I couldn't say.
The rest of us, of course, couldn't sense spirits at all. Since Mr. Abarum had no way of perceiving them, he couldn't confirm or deny her claim. However, Lowell’s next observation made him pale.
"We haven't seen so much as a single bird since we got here. Is that normal?"
"...No, it isn't. So, there really is an abnormality."
It seemed that the total absence of wildlife was indeed a bad sign. While the floor of the canyon was barren, the tops of the cliffs were lush with trees. It was unnatural for not even a bird to be flying overhead.
Finally, we reached the end of the canyon.
"W-What is that...?"
The words escaped Mr. Abarum's lips, but the sentiment was shared by all of us.
The altar where the warriors were meant to swear their oaths had been cruelly pulverized, leaving no trace behind. Instead, we were confronted by a nonsensical sight: silver arms protruding from a spatial rift, thrashing about wildly.