"Join me as family, and together we shall devour the gods!"
The Blasphemous Blade, wreathed in smoldering dark-red flames, swung toward the group with enough force to cleave mountains. Aiz raised her sword to parry, but the moment the blades clashed, she felt as if a literal mountain had been dropped onto her. Her knees buckled instantly, and the rock beneath her feet shattered into dust.
"Don't try to tank it!" Lynn lunged, shoulder-checking her out of the way. The two of them rolled together, narrowly escaping the aftershock of the strike. The Greatsword slammed into the ground, detonating a fissure several meters long that spewed molten lava.
Rykard slowly stood tall. The human face emerging from the back of the serpent's head remained expressionless, but the fire burning in those eyes was far more terrifying than the beastly form from before—it was sanity. A monster with reason was far more formidable than a mindless animal.
"That you have made it this far has exceeded my expectations," Rykard's voice was low, like thunder rolling from the depths of the earth, carrying a grating, metallic edge. "But it ends here."
He raised his left hand, fingers splayed. A dark-red light radiated from his palm, and the skeletons littering the floor began to tremble before rattling to their feet. Skeletons that had been dead for untold ages rose from every corner of the cavern, dark-red flames igniting in their hollow sockets. Clasping rusted weapons, they shambled toward the group, closing the circle.
"He can do that too?" Bete kicked a skeleton away, only for its bones to snap back together and stand up again. He cursed under his breath, "They won't stay down!"
"Ignore the small fries! Focus on the big guy!" Lynn shouted, though he was also swarmed by skeletons. Individually weak, their sheer numbers and immortality made them like a rising tide.
Rykard gave them no room to breathe. He swung his blade in a wide arc, the flames trailing behind it turning into a crescent wave of fire that engulfed half the battlefield. Tione grabbed Lefiya and dove behind a massive boulder; the scorching heat wave passed overhead, instantly baking the rock face a glowing red.
Aiz used her wind magic to accelerate, weaving through the gaps in the flames to lunge at Rykard's neck. Her blade was lightning-fast, the tip stopping only a fist's breadth from its target.
Rykard didn't even look at her. With a casual wave of his empty left hand, a massive wraith manifested out of thin air, blocking her blade. Aiz's sword sank into the spirit's body as if it were thick mud, her speed plummeting. The wraith reached out with translucent arms, clawing for her throat.
"Aiz!" Tiona charged in, shattering the wraith with a single punch. But more spirits emerged around Rykard—shapeless, shifting horrors that looked like men, beasts, or things unrecognizable, all lunging at the group.
The cavern had become a literal purgatory. Lava flowed freely across the floor, vengeful spirits drifted through the air, and skeletons crawled incessantly from the earth. Amidst it all stood Rykard, swinging his burning greatsword, each strike bringing a devastating firestorm.
Tiona's fists smashed skeletons only for them to reform; Bete's kicks dispersed wraiths only for them to reconsolidate. Lefiya's magic was nearing its limit. Her face was pale, cold sweat beaded on her brow, and each chant was more grueling than the last.
"This isn't working!" Tione yelled, her blade severing a skeleton's spine. The top half of the creature continued to crawl on the ground, reaching for her ankles. "We can't even get close to him!"
Lynn's mind was racing. His gaze swept past Rykard's gargantuan body, scanning every corner of the cave. Bones, rubble, lava, spirits... none of these were what he was looking for. The thing he needed had to be here.
The Serpent-Hunter.
The weapon specifically designed in the Lands Between to deal with the Great Serpent was the key to defeating Rykard. It should be here, in some corner of the Volcano Manor, somewhere in this very cave.
He recalled a legend he had heard in the Lands Between: The Serpent-Hunter is the natural enemy of the Great Serpent; anyone who wields it gains the power to slay the beast. The weapon itself wasn't inherently powerful—the strength came from the "Will to Hunt the Serpent" imbued within it.
The problem was, he didn't know exactly where it was located in this version of the world.
"Lynn!" Aiz's voice came from the distance, tinged with a rare sense of urgency. "What are you waiting for?"
Lynn gritted his teeth. He didn't know what the spear looked like here, but he knew it was present. It had to be. Without it, they could not win.
He began to sprint through the cavern. Bloodhound's Step flashed repeatedly as he wove through the skeleton hoards, slipped between the wraiths, and leaped over the edges of lava pools. He was searching for something different—something that shouldn't belong.
Rykard noticed him. On that distorted human face, the corners of the mouth curled up into a grotesque smile. "What are you searching for?" his voice dripped with mockery. "Hope? There is no hope here. Only me."
He brought his sword down. Lynn rolled away, the blade grazing his back and slamming into the floor; the exploding debris left a bloody scratch on his face.
"Mr. Lynn!" Lefiya's voice was tearful.
"Don't worry about me! Just cover me!" Lynn ran on without looking back.
He sprinted past pile after pile of remains, kicking aside skeletons, his eyes searching desperately through the dark-red gloom. His heart hammered—not with fear, but because time was running out. He could feel his teammates' stamina flagging; Aiz's sword was slowing, Tiona's punches were getting lighter, and Bete's kicks were losing their bite.
Then, he saw it.
In the deepest part of the cavern, tucked away in a corner near the wall, was a pile of bones higher than the rest. They were piled haphazardly, as if discarded. But at the very top, pinned beneath a shattered shield, was a long, silver object.
Lynn charged forward and threw the shield aside.
It was a spear.
A very ordinary-looking spear. It had a silver-white shaft with no decorations, no engravings—a plain tool that looked like it could be bought at any common blacksmith's shop. It lay quietly among the bones, seemingly forgotten for ages.
But the moment Lynn gripped it, he knew he had found it.
As his hand closed around the haft, a cold sensation traveled up his palm, followed by a surge of strange, warm energy flowing from the spear through his arm and into his entire body. It wasn't a scorching heat; rather, it was a peculiar warmth, like a swallow of hot soup in the dead of winter, warming him from his stomach to his fingertips.
The silver light on the spear grew brighter, illuminating the bones at his feet, the darkness behind him, and the entire cavern.
Rykard's expression changed.
The smile on the human face vanished, replaced by an emotion he had never shown before—fear. He stared at the spear in Lynn's hand, the dark-red flames in his eyes flickering violently as if he were looking at his natural predator.
"No..." His voice trembled for the first time. "That thing... should have been destroyed..."
Lynn turned to face Rykard—to face the Great Serpent that had devoured gods, to face the existence that made the entire Volcano Manor tremble.
He raised the spear.
"Come."
Rykard let out a nearly frenzied roar and lunged forward. His speed was staggering, the burning Blasphemous Blade coming down with world-ending force, the dark-red flames turning the cave as bright as day.
Lynn swung the spear.
A silver-white blade of energy erupted from the tip of the spear, slicing through the air with a piercing whistle as it collided head-on with the burning greatsword.
BOOM—
The shockwave knocked everyone to the ground. Skeletons were pulverized into dust, wraiths were torn to shreds, and the lava on the floor was blasted into the air. The entire cavern shook, rubble falling from the ceiling as if the mountain itself were collapsing.
Rykard was blown back several paces. A deep crack appeared on his blade, and the dark-red flames were torn open by the silver-white light. He looked down at the fissure, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Impossible..." he muttered. "It is but a broken spear..."
Lynn didn't give him time to recover. He charged, the Serpent-Hunter dancing in his hands, carving arc after arc of silver-white light. Every strike carried the power to suppress the Great Serpent; every hit left a deep, searing wound on Rykard's body.
Aiz was the first to react. Seeing the spear in Lynn's hand and the sudden explosion of power, a light flashed in her golden eyes. She didn't ask why, nor did she ask what the weapon was; she simply gripped her sword and charged.
She struck from the flank, standing side-by-side with Lynn.
Tiona was the second to join. She rubbed her swollen fists and grinned, "Now that's more like it!" Then, like a cannonball, she smashed into Rykard's side.
Bete and Tione exchanged a glance and charged together. Their kicks and curved blades assaulted the other side. While they lacked the Serpent-Hunter's specialized effect, every attack left a mark, draining Rykard's stamina and focus.
Lefiya used the last of her magic to manifest a massive arrow of light, aiming it directly at Rykard's distorted human face.
"Go to hell!" she shouted, using a coarse word she would usually never utter, and the arrow of light streaked forward.
Assaulted from all directions, Rykard was forced back step by step. His blade was covered in cracks, his body riddled with wounds, and his movements became increasingly sluggish. He tried to counter, but Lynn's spear interrupted his momentum every single time. He tried to dodge, but Aiz's blade was always waiting at his exit. He tried to defend, but the relentless barrage from Tiona and Bete left him no room to breathe.
"You... you ants..." His voice became halting, as if he were using his last bit of strength. "I... have devoured gods... I will not... die by your hands!"
He raised his sword, attempting one final struggle. The dark-red flames on the blade surged—he intended to use all his remaining power for a final strike.
Lynn didn't give him the chance.
He leaped, spear-point down, his entire body like an arrow released from a bow, aiming straight for Rykard's skull. The silver-white light converged at the tip, growing brighter and more intense until it became a bolt of lightning that tore through everything.
"Serpent-Hunt!"
The spear-tip transfixed the distorted human face.
Rykard's body froze. His sword hung in mid-air, unable to descend. His mouth hung open as if to say something, but only a string of blurred, airy gasps emerged.
Silver-white light erupted from within him—from every wound, from every scale, pouring out of his eyes, mouth, and ears. The light intensified until the entire cavern was a white void.
Rykard's body began to disintegrate. Scales peeled away, muscle shredded, and bones snapped. His massive, distorted frame, a horror between man and serpent, dissolved into a storm of flying ash within the silver light.
Lynn landed, dropping to one knee as he used the spear to support himself. His arms were shaking, and there wasn't a single part of him that didn't ache, but his eyes remained bright.
He stood up, watching the ash swirl like snow, looking at the shattered Blasphemous Blade embedded in the ground, and watched as the monster that had once devoured gods vanished forever.
Behind him, Tiona flopped onto the ground; this time, she really couldn't get up. Bete leaned against a rock, gasping for air, lacking even the strength to curse. Lefiya lay flat on the floor, her staff having rolled far away, without even the energy to reach for it. Tione knelt on one knee, her chest heaving as she used her blade for support.
Aiz stood there with her sword sheathed, her golden hair damp and clinging to her face. There was a burn mark from the flames on her arm, but she simply looked at Lynn, her lips curving upward slightly.
It was the first time Lynn had ever seen her smile.
Not a polite, formal smile, but a genuine, heartfelt one. It was faint and light—hard to see if one wasn't looking closely—but she was definitely smiling.
"We won," she said.
Lynn nodded. "We won."
[Acquired: Remembrance of the Blasphemous]
The ash continued to drift in the air like a silent, dark-red snow.
Tanith stood on the high rock, motionless. Her face was expressionless and her eyes were hollow, like a shell whose soul had been extracted. She watched the ash drift down from the air, landing on her hair, her shoulders, and in her outstretched palms.
"...Impossible," her voice was soft, sounding as if it came from very far away. "Lord Rykard... cannot die."
Lynn stood up, leaning on the spear, and looked up at her. His arms were still trembling and his body was in pain, but his gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool.
"He died a long time ago," Lynn said. "The thing you served was just a snake."
"No!" Tanith's voice suddenly spiked, carrying a hysterical sharpness. "You understand nothing! Lord Rykard is the serpent that devours gods! He will eventually devour everything! You are just food—nothing but food!"
She scrambled down from the rock, stumbling toward the piles of drifting ash, reaching out to grab something, but there was nothing to hold. The ash slipped through her fingers like something she could never keep.
Tiona sat up, looking at the woman. Her mouth opened as if to say something, then she swallowed the words. She was usually blunt, but in this moment, she didn't know what to say.
Lefiya looked away, unable to watch. She had seen mad enemies and evil enemies, but never one like this—someone who had lost their entire faith, their entire hope, their entire reason for existing.
Bete huffed, but the sound was soft; he had lowered his volume without even realizing it. He wanted to say "serves you right," but the words stuck in his throat.
Aiz said nothing. She simply watched Tanith quietly, her golden eyes devoid of pity or joy—only a calm, searching silence.
Tanith knelt before the pile of ash, cupping a handful and watching it drift away through her fingers. Her shoulders began to shake, and then her entire body was racked with sobs.
"You ruined everything," she looked up at Lynn, tears streaming from beneath her mask. "You ruined my entire world."
Lynn didn't answer. He just stood there, leaning on the now-dimmed spear, watching her. He had seen that look too many times—in the Lands Between, on the faces of NPCs who had lost everything, in the eyes of those crushed by fate.
"I know," he said.
Tanith froze.
"But that was his choice, not yours."
Lynn's voice was calm, offering no comfort, merely stating a fact. "He chose to become the serpent, he chose to devour everything, and he chose this path. You were just following behind him."
He paused. "But have you ever wondered... he never once asked what you wanted."
Tanith's tears flowed even harder. Her mouth hung open as she tried to speak, but only silent sobs emerged. She knelt before the ash like a child abandoned by the world, her body trembling with grief.
No one spoke. The cavern was silent save for Tanith's crying and the distant gurgle of flowing lava.
After a long time, her sobs gradually quieted. She knelt there, hands supporting her on the ground, shoulders still slightly shaking, but making no more sound.
"Take her away," Lynn said.
Tione stood up, walked to Tanith's side, and reached out her hand. Tanith looked up at the hand and stared at it for a long time. Then, she slowly reached out and took it.
Tione pulled her up. Tanith stumbled but found her footing, though she seemed to have lost all her strength, leaning weakly against Tione.
"Let's go," Tione said softly, leading her toward the exit.
As she passed Lynn, Tanith stopped. She didn't look at him, keeping her head down, her voice raspy:
"That world... that version of you... what happened to him in the end?"
Lynn was silent for a moment.
"He became a recusant of the Volcano Manor. He hunted his own kind alongside you and sought revenge against the Erdtree. Finally, he was sent into the Serpent's chamber by your hand... and there, he killed the Serpent."
Tanith let out a low chuckle. There was no joy in it, only endless exhaustion.
"I see. So no matter the world, there is no happy ending."
She said no more, allowing Tione to support her as they slowly walked toward the exit.
The group began to clean up the aftermath. Lefiya retrieved her staff, which now had several cracks; she touched them sadly before putting it away. Bete stretched his aching ankles, wincing with every movement. Tiona sat on the ground, checking her swollen hands and muttering about needing a hot bath when they got back.
Aiz stood by Lynn, silent. Her sword was back in its sheath. Her golden hair was messy, her face stained with dust and sweat, but her eyes remained clear.
"You're hurt," she said.
Lynn looked down at his arm. There was a burn from the flames; the skin was blackened and the edges were slightly curled. He had been so focused on the fight he hadn't even noticed.
"It's nothing." He flexed his hand, and the pain made the corner of his mouth twitch. He suddenly found himself missing the Graces that usually appeared after boss fights in the game.
Aiz looked at him and said nothing. She pulled a jar of ointment from her waist pouch, unscrewed the cap, took his arm, and began to apply the medicine. Her movements were gentle, but her technique was clumsy, the ointment applied in thick, uneven patches.
Lynn didn't pull away or speak. He looked at Aiz's lowered eyelashes and her focused gaze, thinking that the girl looked quite interesting when she was being so serious.
"There," Aiz screwed the cap back on and put it away. "Have Eina look at it properly when we get back."
Lynn nodded. "Thanks."
Aiz looked up at him, a strange emotion in her golden eyes. "Just now... why did you say those things to her?"
Lynn knew she was asking about Tanith. He was silent for a moment.
"Because she needed an answer. Even if that answer was cruel."
Aiz didn't press him. She just nodded, then turned to walk toward the exit. After a couple of steps, she stopped and looked back at him, her lips curving into a very faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"You're actually a very kind person."
Then she left, leaving Lynn standing there alone.
Tiona leaned in, winking mischievously. "Ooh, 'kind' huh~?"
"Shut up." Lynn pushed her face away, expressionless.
"Hahahaha!" Tiona burst out laughing, her voice echoing through the cave.
By the time they emerged from the cavern, the sky outside had darkened.
The air on the 18th Floor of the Dungeon was still damp and cold, forming a sharp contrast to the heat of the Volcano Manor. Everyone let out a long breath, feeling like they had just crawled out of hell.
Lefiya leaned against the rock wall and finally relaxed, but her legs gave out and she slid to the ground. She blinked in surprise, then covered her face and let out a muffled giggle.
Tiona stood nearby, giving a massive stretch that made her joints pop. "We're finally out! I really thought I was going to die in there!"
Bete leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and for once didn't snap back. He kept his eyes closed, his ears twitching occasionally as if listening for something. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at Lynn.
"Hey," he said.
Lynn looked over.
Bete was silent for a moment, seemingly searching for the right words, before turning his head away and speaking softly: "Not bad."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving behind a purposefully cool-looking back.
Tione laughed from behind him and said to Lynn, "What he means is 'you did great.' Translated, it means 'I've acknowledged you.'"
"I know," Lynn said.
"Then you're our official comrade from now on," Tione said with a smile, reaching out her hand. "Welcome, Mr. Lynn."
Lynn shook her hand. " I didn't plan on joining any Familia."
"Not a Familia," Tione shook her head, her smile sincere. "A friend."
Author's Note: Should I bring Bell along for the next plot arc?
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Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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