Chapter 2 ▼ The Trial of the Gods (Part 1 of 2)
“Where… am I?”
My vision went dark for a moment, and when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a square chamber, each side stretching fifty meters, built entirely of stone bricks.
It was as if I were inside a massive cube.
Torches lined the walls, their blue-white flames flickering faintly. Though the light was dim, it was enough to illuminate the space.
Looking around, it seemed all the raiders who had joined the expedition were here with me.
There was no cube to return to the real world—perhaps this was a one-way passage.
Normally, there would be a smaller cube at the entrance for people to exit through, but I couldn’t spot anything like that here.
“No exit cube… Alright, let’s start with a headcount! If I call your name, respond!”
Tanaka-san began calling out names from the list of participants.
I answered when my name was called, and eventually, everyone was accounted for. The American soldiers nearby were doing their own roll call as well.
“Hm, everyone’s here. Stay put for now! There’s no exit cube, but don’t panic!”
After giving the order to stand by, Tanaka-san took a few people with him to investigate the space.
A massive box-like structure surrounded by stone walls.
On the wall directly in front of me hung three enormous paintings.
They were arranged in a row, so I started with the one on the left.
“Is this… a battle? Demons and… humans? A knight, maybe?”
The first painting depicted humans fighting what looked like monstrous creatures.
The humans wielded swords and wore armor, their appearance resembling that of knights.
One knight in particular was locked in combat with something—I couldn’t tell exactly what, but it looked like a demon.
“The next one… a knight and an angel? So the first one must be a knight too…”
The second painting showed what appeared to be a knight and an angel.
A human knelt with hands clasped, bowing before a figure that seemed angelic.
It felt familiar, like something I’d seen before. Right—it reminded me of a knighting ceremony from overseas.
I’d seen it in an anime once—a knight swearing loyalty to their lord in that same pose.
“And the last one… it’s too damaged to make out…”
The final painting was severely weathered. It was clearly a painting, but the details were impossible to discern.
Still, there was one clue I could pick out.
At the top of the ruined painting was a triangular symbol.
The triangle resembled a pyramid, with an eye in the center.
I’d seen that symbol before.
I think it’s called the “Eye of Providence” or something like that?
I’d definitely come across it online somewhere.
As I stared at the wall, lost in thought, Tanaka-san approached me and looked up at the paintings.
Noticing the triangle with the eye in the center, he muttered to himself.
“That’s… the Eye of Providence… the All-Seeing Eye of God. Just what is this place…?”
As he spoke, he lightly touched the painting.
And at that very moment—
“The Trial of Strength begins. Number of participants: sixty… Countdown: 10, 9…”
“What!?”
A monotone voice rang out, as if it were echoing directly inside my head.
We exchanged glances. It wasn’t an illusion—everyone had heard it in their minds.
“All personnel, prepare yourselves! We don’t know what’s coming!”
Tanaka-san immediately drew his blade, standing back-to-back with his comrades, ready for battle.
I had no idea what was about to happen, but I drew my iron sword as well, bracing myself.
“6, 5…”
“What the hell!? What’s going on!?”
Satou and his group were visibly panicking.
“4, 3…”
“Issei, what is this…?”
The woman next to Tanaka-san drew her own blade, her sharp gaze fixed on the doorway.
“2, 1…”
“I don’t know. A Trial of Strength… Just don’t die, Midori.”
“0—”
“M-Me!? I’m ready to die if I have to! For Nagi’s sake!”
“—Time’s up. The Trial of Strength begins.”
In an instant, everything went dark.
“…Where am I?”
When I came to, I was alone, gripping my sword in a space similar to the one from before.
The other raiders were gone. It seemed I’d been transported to a different chamber.
Another fifty-meter cube, but this time, it lacked the massive doorway from the previous room.
And there was one more difference.
“…A Trial of Strength… Does that mean combat?”
Ten meters ahead of me stood a Hobgoblin.
An ugly green creature wielding a wooden club—long ears, long nose, and a physique noticeably sturdier than a regular goblin, roughly my size.
“GAAAHHH!!!”
The Hobgoblin was a rite of passage for novice raiders, often appearing as a boss in E-rank dungeons.
Generally speaking, it wasn’t an overly difficult opponent.
But for someone like me—below E-rank, with no level to speak of—it was a different story.
With this magic-infused sword in hand, I might stand a chance…
“Phew… So the trial is to defeat this thing? The weakest of bosses… but to me, it’s a towering wall.”
Hobgoblins were always slaughtered effortlessly by Satou and his team, but that was because they were C- or D-rank.
This was my first time facing one—my first time fighting a monster at all, for that matter.
A single swing of that club could easily be fatal.
“Urgh!”
The Hobgoblin charged at me, raising its club and swinging it down.
I leapt to the side, dodging the strike.
Cold sweat dripped down my back. Still, I’d managed to evade it.
I seemed to have the edge in speed, but there was no way I could match its strength.
I glanced at where the club had struck. The seemingly solid stone floor had cracked open.
There was no chance I could cut through that club.
“Small attacks while dodging… I need to play it safe.”
My strategy was to avoid every attack and gradually whittle it down with my sword.
Since I had the advantage in speed, this was the most effective approach.
“GAAAHH!!”
“AAAAHH!!”
The tense battle began.
I wasn’t trembling with fear—perhaps because I’d already resolved to face death.
Even if I died, my sister, as the surviving family of a raider, would still receive government-funded treatment.
That was why I’d taken on this dangerous dungeon in the first place.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to die.
I was prepared to face death, yet I’d much rather succeed in this raid.
I swung my sword carefully, meticulously, leaving no room for error.
With its strength, a single hit would knock me out, and that would be the end.
I couldn’t let my guard down for even a moment.
All I had—someone with nothing—was the resolve to never give up and the will to fight with everything I had.
“Grr…”
The Hobgoblin was panting heavily.
It had lost a lot of blood, its green skin covered in shallow cuts, purple blood dripping down.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
I wasn’t in much better shape.
To stay safe, I’d been dodging with all my might, and my stamina was nearly spent.
The next move would decide it.
That’s what I thought—and the Hobgoblin might’ve been thinking the same.
I gripped my heavy sword tightly, and the Hobgoblin clutched its club with equal determination.
We charged at each other simultaneously.
The Hobgoblin raised its club high and swung down, just like before.
I’d seen this attack pattern several times, so I dodged to the side as usual.
But in that split second—
“Guh!?”
The Hobgoblin swept its club sideways, striking me in the abdomen.
I’d been naive—not careless, just naive.
I’d underestimated what it meant to fight for survival.
After our repeated exchanges, I’d assumed it would swing down again.
I’d thought it was just a monster, incapable of thinking.
If that overhead swing was a feint, it meant it had anticipated my dodge to the side.
I realized then that it was the one truly fighting for its life.
I understood what battle really meant.
I was flung sideways, crashing hard into the ground.
“Haa… haa… It hurts…”
Blood trickled from my mouth as I glared at the Hobgoblin.
Its grotesque face split into a grin, as if it was certain of its victory.
As my consciousness began to fade, a thought surfaced.
I don’t want to die.
Suddenly, fear gripped my body.
The moment death became real, a sensation of my mind and body splitting apart washed over me.
I couldn’t move.
It was terrifying.
If I did nothing—just stood here—death would claim me in mere seconds.
It was right in front of me.
My short eighteen years of life were about to end so easily. I trembled in fear, my body frozen stiff.
“Don’t… don’t come closer!!”
The Hobgoblin sneered, dragging its club as it approached me.
Perhaps driven by terror, I took a step back for the first time.
I’d thought I was prepared to face death, but I wasn’t—not really.
I hadn’t grasped that battle was a desperate struggle for survival.
The moment fear took hold, I became acutely aware of death, and my body refused to move.
“GEEEHEHE!!”
The Hobgoblin swung its club and charged at me.
“No, no, don’t come closer!!!”
In the heat of battle, I instinctively closed my eyes.
I couldn’t face what was about to happen.
(Nagi… I’m sorry…)
The last thing in my mind was an apology to my sister.
And then…
✽
“Nagi, your Onii-chan will save you. I promise I will.”
✽
The last words I’d said to Nagi.
Then, I opened my eyes…
“AAAAHHH!!”
I let out a guttural roar.
Fury at my own foolishness surged within me, and through that scream, I forced my trembling body into action.
True, I had resolved to face death.
But to claim I wasn’t afraid of dying? I was an utter fool.
I’d decided to give it my all—Nagi was fighting too, so how could I, with the freedom to move, give up so easily!?
I raised my head.
With my left hand, I blocked the Hobgoblin’s club as it swung down with one arm.
A sickening crack echoed as my left arm broke, but I managed to push the club back.
The pain was unbearable—I wanted to scream and cry, my whole body shaking.
But I gritted my teeth and gripped the heavy sword with both hands.
My bones were shattered, and blood spurted with every movement.
Even so, I held the sword tightly.
“WAAAAAHHHH!!!!”
With my broken left hand and my right hand gripping the sword tightly, I swung it with all my might, thrusting it into the approaching Hobgoblin’s abdomen.
The Hobgoblin hadn’t expected a counterattack and couldn’t react in time.
It reached out, trying to grab my sword and stop the strike.
“GAAAHHH!!!”
“AAAAHHH!!!”
What followed was a contest of strength.
Either I’d succeed in bringing it down, or the Hobgoblin would block my attack—and I’d be the one to die.
I shouted with everything I had, pouring all my strength into the effort.
“AAAAHHHH!!!!”
“GAAAHH!!!”
I kept screaming.
I didn’t stop—couldn’t stop—yelling as blood sprayed from my left hand, the bones exposed, yet my force never wavered.
I can’t die.
I can’t die here.
I haven’t done anything yet—haven’t accomplished anything.
I haven’t saved Nagi!
“AAAAHHHH!!!!”
I pushed the sword forward with reckless abandon.
I don’t know how long I shouted, never letting up.
Before I realized it, only my voice echoed through the space. My grip gave out before my spirit did, and the sword slipped from my blood-slick hands—that’s when I noticed.
I stumbled hard, collapsing onto the Hobgoblin.
I immediately lifted my head, intending to grab the sword again, but then I saw it: the Hobgoblin hadn’t moved an inch in that time.
“Haa… haa… Did I… beat it?”
I examined the Hobgoblin’s condition.
My sword was lodged in its stomach, its tongue lolling limply to the side. It was dead.
“I won?”
I’d won.
It had been a razor-thin victory, but it was still my first triumph.
For the first time in my life, I’d defeated an opponent I wasn’t even sure I could overcome.
Then I fell back onto the ground, staring up at the ceiling.
Only then did I register the excruciating pain in my left wrist. Just as I was too overwhelmed to savor the victory, writhing in agony, that voice rang out again.
“Challenger: Ash Tenchi. Trial of Strength cleared. Initiating teleportation.”
“Huh? Where am I? Urgh!? It… it hurts…”
The monotone voice sounded abruptly, and by the time I processed it, I was lying back in the original chamber.
I must’ve been teleported here. After a brief sensation of floating, I came to and found myself in this space.
My sword had been transported with me.
But more than that, my left hand hurt so much I teared up.
“Are you okay!?”
Tanaka-san and another woman rushed over to where I lay.
“The injury’s severe. Midori, please handle it.”
“Got it. This might sting a bit—here we go!”
“AAAAHH!!!”
A striking woman with short black Ashr named Midori—who seemed tough as nails—grabbed my broken left hand and forcefully realigned it.
The searing pain sent tears streaming down my face as I cried out.
“Hold it together! You’re a man, aren’t you!?”
“Ugh… Yes… Thank you…”
Then Miss Midori placed both her hands over mine.
A soft green light suddenly enveloped my hand.
This was healing magic—a rare ability that only a select few could use to mend injuries with mana. She must be one of them.
To reconnect bones this quickly… she had to be a highly skilled healer.
“There, it’s set. If you make it out alive, get to a hospital for proper treatment. It’s a rough fix and not perfectly aligned. I’ve healed your other wounds too.”
“That’s amazing… Th-thank you!”
I opened and closed my left hand.
It still hurt, but I could move it now.
So this is magical healing… Truly an incredible power.
“Heh, consider it a freebie today. Out in the real world, this kind of treatment would cost you a million yen.”
Miss Midori chuckled and winked.
Healing magic was precious and, as a result, exorbitantly expensive.
She wasn’t kidding—simple treatment like this really did cost that much.
“I-I can’t thank you enough.”
I sat up, offering my deepest gratitude.
At that moment, Tanaka-san crouched in front of me and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Congrats on surviving. You probably know me already—I’m Issei Tanaka. This is our guild’s healer, Midori Tendo.”
“Oh, I’m Ash Tenchi. No rank… but… I somehow made it through.”
I shook his hand.
Looking closer, Tanaka-san seemed injured too—his clothes were stained with blood.
“No rank, huh… You did well, Ash. You’re the fifth one to return.”
“Huh?”
I glanced around.
Including me, Tanaka-san, and the others, there were only five raiders in the room.
“Ash, what did you fight?”
“I faced a Hobgoblin. It’s weak… but for me, it was a tough opponent.”
I admitted it, feeling a bit embarrassed.
With Tanaka-san’s strength, he could’ve taken down a Hobgoblin with one hand, yet I’d struggled so much. How pathetic.
“A Hobgoblin… No, don’t feel ashamed. Taking one down solo is no small feat—winning is impressive. So it’s as I thought…”
Tanaka-san glanced at Miss Midori, who nodded in response.
“Ash, I fought an Ogre—a high-tier variant, an A-rank lower-tier monster. Honestly, one slip-up and I’d have been dead. It was a grueling fight, and I barely scraped by. Midori here had a similar experience—hers was a close call too. Same for you, right?”
“Huh? So you mean…”
“Yeah, it’s just a theory, but it seems they’ve pitted us all against opponents we’re not guaranteed to beat—matched to our strength. It sounds impossible, but this dungeon is clearly different from any we’ve seen before. And… that mechanical voice, the knightly selection ritual, and this ‘Trial of Strength’—what does it all mean? Heh, even an atheist like me is starting to wonder if a god exists. A pretty cruel one, if so.”
Tanaka-san’s expression darkened as he spoke.
I couldn’t take everything he said at face value, but I, too, felt certain of a god’s presence.
Even if it wasn’t an all-knowing, all-powerful deity, there was at least some force beyond human comprehension at work.
“Hm? Sorry, Ash, we’ll catch up later.”
With that, Tanaka-san and Miss Midori hurried off to the next raider who appeared.
For a while, I just stared at the massive door ahead.
The triangular pyramid with an eye.
If this was a trial of the gods, how long would it go on?
As I gazed blankly at the door, that monotone voice spoke again.
“The Trial of Strength has concluded. Out of sixty challengers, fifteen have passed. Time until the next trial: 1000 seconds, 999, 998…”
“What?”
I couldn’t believe what the voice had said.
Dead? Out of sixty participants, including the soldiers, forty-five had died?
I looked around. Where there had once been so many raiders, the remaining few could now be counted at a glance.
And every one of them was badly injured.
“All personnel, gather here!!”
After the announcement, Tanaka-san called everyone to the center.
I followed his instructions and headed toward the middle.
“You all heard it—the next trial is coming. We might get split up again. Right now, we know nothing, and since we don’t know what’s ahead, we can’t prepare—”
“What the hell!? You’re in charge here, aren’t you!?”
A familiar voice shouted.
I turned toward it and saw Satou standing there.
His clothes were tattered—he’d clearly survived a brutal fight.
Whether it was luck or skill, he must have some talent for combat.
“Y-Yeah, exactly! This dungeon is insane! They promised it’d be safe!”
“Let us go back!”
“Take responsibility!! Do you even realize how many people have died!?”
Angry shouts erupted one after another.
Everyone felt the same way.
Even I, with my resolve to die if necessary, couldn’t help but want to complain after facing such an unreasonable ordeal. But Tanaka-san wasn’t the one to blame.
The more I listened to the yelling, the angrier I got.
The group descended into chaos, but then—
“QUIET!!!”
Tanaka-san’s booming voice silenced the room.
“Complain all you want once you’ve survived. I’ll negotiate with the government and the guild for as much compensation as possible. But that’s only if we make it out alive. Right now, we shouldn’t be fighting each other—we need to focus on surviving with everything we’ve got. If you get that, shut up and listen!”
The usually kind Tanaka-san exuded authority, and no one—not even Satou—dared to speak.
“Good. Luckily, we’ve got ten minutes. We don’t know what the next trial is, so hydrate and eat now. All the food here is free to take. Some of you have lost a lot of blood. Move! Hurry! We’re short on time!! If you’re seriously injured, come here—we’ll treat you as best we can!”
Following Tanaka-san’s orders, we went to grab food.
Having lost so much blood, I needed water badly.
Whether it was anemia or dehydration, I felt dizzy, so the water was a huge help.
“Excuse me, Tanaka-san.”
“Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred.”
As I drank, I saw Tanaka-san speaking with one of the American soldiers.
I only knew a little English, but Tanaka-san seemed fluent.
I caught their names—the imposing soldier was apparently called Alfred.
He wore his cap low, his gaze piercing.
With his muscular build, he could probably take on a hundred of me without breaking a sweat.
“I’d like the command of the Japanese handed over to me. I’m S-rank—you know what that means. Five of my nine men are dead, and they were all A-rank. Things are only going to get worse, and you’re smart enough to know what needs to be done when sacrifices are required.”
“…The Japanese are under my command. That was agreed upon by both nations. And I won’t let anyone be a sacrifice.”
“…Hmph. That reminds me—you’re not a soldier, just a civilian. Preach your ideals all you want, but face reality. If things go south, I won’t hesitate. If it gets out of control, I’ll use force. Be ready for that.”
“…I’ll pray it doesn’t come to that.”
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred returned to his soldiers.
Out of the original ten, only five remained.
All of them were covered in wounds.
Exhausted from the deadly trial, that kind of fatigue wasn’t something ten minutes could fix. But even if we did nothing, the countdown continued.
Some trembled in fear, others wept for lost friends, and some burned with rage.
Everyone focused intently, watching the ticking seconds.
“Time’s up. The Trial of Wisdom begins. Number of participants: fifteen… Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7…”
“USA! USA!”
“OORAH! OORAH!”
The American soldiers circled up, shouting to boost morale.
“6, 5…”
“The Trial of Wisdom… What’s it going to be…?”
Miss Midori murmured thoughtfully.
“4, 3…”
“Damn it, damn it!! I’m going to survive—I won’t die! I’m not a loser!”
Satou shouted, psyching himself up.
“2, 1…”
“Phew… Alright, I’m ready. I’ll face it head-on and never give up until the end.”
I spoke aloud to myself, determined not to repeat my earlier mistakes.
“0.”
“May you all emerge victorious!”
“Time’s up. Initiating teleportation.”
Then, darkness swallowed our vision once more.
“Where… is this the same place? No, there’s no ceiling? And everyone’s here?”
This time, we weren’t sent to separate spaces—we were all together.
All fifteen of us stood in the same area, another fifty-meter square room.
Unlike before, there was no ceiling—just a pitch-black sky above.
And there was one more thing.
Tanaka-san muttered as he looked at the pattern on the floor beneath his feet.
“Is this… a hand? That’s an eye, a foot… a body… No, a torso?”
The square space was divided into four smaller squares.
Each section bore a different symbol: an eye, a foot, a hand, and a torso.
We were currently standing in the area marked with a hand.
To the left was the foot, to the left-rear the torso, and to the right-rear the eye.
“This… what is it…? Hm?”
As Tanaka-san pondered aloud, he seemed to notice something and suddenly looked up.
We all followed his gaze in the same direction.
“What’s that?”
I stared at the glowing object.
It descended slowly.
Radiating golden light, with pure white wings and a sword in its grasp.
Its face was doll-like, artificial.
“An angel?”
Seeing the descending figure, my first thought was, It looks like an angel.
But for an angel, its appearance was unsettling.
Even so, the shining golden glow and sacred white wings matched the legends perfectly.
“All personnel, on guard!”
“Assume combat positions!”
Tanaka-san and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred shouted almost simultaneously as they eyed the angel.
At their command, everyone drew their weapons.
And then—
Clang—
“Huh?”
My sword fell.
Not just mine—everyone’s swords, shields, and axes dropped to the ground.
It was as if our hands had suddenly stopped working.
“My hand…”
I lost all sensation in my hands.
There was no pain—they were still attached—but it felt like my brain and arms had been completely disconnected. I couldn’t move them at all.
“What… what the hell! What’s happening!?”
Satou panicked.
“Colonel!! What’s going on!?”
“Stay calm, maintain formation!”
It was the same for everyone—no matter how hard we tried, our hands wouldn’t budge.
Defying our will, they hung limply against gravity.
Then, the angel landed in front of one of the raiders.
He was a tall, burly man, a seasoned warrior by the look of him.
But his thick arms were useless now—worse than useless, a burden.
“Ah… ahh…”
The angel, though smaller than the raider, exuded an overwhelming presence that made victory seem impossible.
We were paralyzed.
The angel slowly raised its sword and rested it on the raider’s shoulder.
Then, its doll-like face tilted to one side.
“S-Stop… Stop it, please!!”
The raider trembled. As the angel tilted its head further—
Slash.
His head was severed.
It flew toward me, landing on the ground.
My eyes met his—gritting his teeth, blood streaming like tears.
“WAAAAHH!!!”
My scream rang out as blood sprayed everywhere.
In that instant, the raiders, who’d been rooted in place, erupted into shouts.
“Everyone, scatter—!!”
“Fall back! Spread out!!”
At Tanaka-san’s yell, everyone bolted.
The raiders dispersed, fleeing from the angel.
I ran with all my strength too.
I didn’t understand the situation, but I knew we couldn’t beat that thing.
Fighting didn’t even cross my mind as an option—it didn’t feel winnable.
Everyone must’ve felt the same. Even Tanaka-san, an A-rank near-monster in his own right, could only run.
Not even Lieutenant Colonel Alfred, likely the strongest among us, was an exception.
I fled in the opposite direction of the angel.
To the left—the area marked with a foot.
And in the next moment, I crashed hard to the ground.
“Urgh!”
Had I tripped over something? But there was nothing there.
No—looking around, everyone had fallen just like me.
“M-My legs!!”
I noticed the anomaly.
My legs wouldn’t move at all, but my hands were suddenly free.
That’s why I’d fallen so hard.
“…What… the foot?”
I looked at the ground where I’d landed.
There, like a mural, was the symbol of a foot.
“It’s just a hunch, but based on what’s happening…”
“Once you move to a patterned area, the part of the body it depicts becomes immobilized!?”
Realizing the rule, I lay on the ground and glanced back. The angel stood calmly before the last raider, whose legs were paralyzed as he struggled desperately.
Then, the angel placed its sword on his shoulder, tilted its head, and without hesitation, severed his head.
At that moment, one of the raiders returned to the hand’s area and stood up.
His voice trembled as he shouted at the angel.
“Damn it—!! You killed my brother—!! I-I’m A-rank—!! I won’t forgive you!!”
The raider’s hands wouldn’t move. Unarmed, he charged at the angel anyway.
His feet pounded the solid stone floor with such force it seemed he might crack it, then he launched himself at the angel with blinding speed.
True to his A-rank status, he possessed the kind of strength people called monstrous—worthy of a nation’s military might.
His full-force knee strike shot forward like a missile.
I thought it would hit the angel, but they passed each other, and nothing happened.
No—there was a split second where the angel seemed to move at an impossible speed.
With my current level, I couldn’t tell what had occurred.
“What?”
Just then, the raider crashed into the wall right in front of me.
With a sickening thud, he collapsed.
He had no head.
“No way… It cut his head off already?”
His head soared into the air, spraying blood everywhere before hitting the ground.
Even a top-tier A-rank human couldn’t resist—it had been decapitated at an imperceptible speed.
Tanaka-san’s jaw dropped as he witnessed it, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“This is absurd… What kind of trial is this?”
Tanaka-san and Miss Midori lay prone on the ground, their faces pale.
Against an angel we had no hope of defeating, we were forced to fight with parts of our bodies disabled.
If both hands and feet were immobilized, even the strongest raiders would be helpless.
“Even S-rank Lieutenant Colonel Alfred can’t handle this… Ash!?”
I crawled forward with all my strength, reaching Tanaka-san and Miss Midori, who were at the front.
“Tanaka-san, Miss Midori! I think as long as you’re in a patterned area, the part of the body it shows can’t move!”
“What!? …I see, so that’s the rule. This area has the foot pattern. Impressive you figured that out in a situation like this.”
“So I’m going to head to the torso area next. If my heart stops, I’m done for, but we have to take the risk!”
“Ash!? Th-That’s too dangerous!”
“But if we keep going like this, we’ll all die. I… I won’t give up!! Tanaka-san! If something goes wrong, can I count on you to pull me back here?”
“…Alright! Leave it to me.”
Though he hesitated for a moment, Tanaka-san nodded decisively.
His ability to make snap decisions in a crisis was incredible. His gaze met mine with unwavering seriousness.
“Hey! What are you planning!?”
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred called out, concerned about my actions.
But I didn’t have the energy to respond—or the English skills to do so.
Using only our arms, Tanaka-san, Miss Midori, and I moved forward, stopping just before the torso-patterned area.
Behind us, screams echoed as the angel methodically beheaded another raider and moved toward its next target.
“…Here I go!!”
“Don’t worry! If anything feels off, I’ll pull you back immediately!”
With that, I rolled into the torso area.
“Urgh!?”
I clutched my chest.
“Ash!?”
Seeing my startled expression, Tanaka-san moved to drag me back with just his hands, but I held up a hand to stop him.
Then I quickly rolled back to the foot area.
“Haa… haa… Tanaka-san, I figured it out! The torso—it stops you from breathing!”
The moment I entered that zone, I couldn’t draw air.
Whether it was my lungs shutting down or the act of breathing itself being blocked, I couldn’t tell.
“I-I see. So the torso is the lungs—breathing. Then the last one…”
“Right!”
Together, Tanaka-san, Miss Midori, and I rolled into the torso area, then stood up.
Our goal was the final zone—the eye area.
Though we couldn’t breathe, as awakened individuals with mana, we could hold our breath for a few seconds and sprint dozens of meters.
The three of us stepped into the eye area.
If my hunch was correct, this zone—
“I knew it! Tanaka-san, it’s—”
“Yes, the eyes. We can’t see—it’s taken our vision. But other than that, there’s no issue. Hands and feet work, and we can breathe.”
“If we catch our breath here, then hold it in the torso area to survey the situation, we should be able to last a while. Then…”
After regulating our breathing, we stepped into the torso area.
Opening my eyes, I saw five people still in the foot area, surrounded by a mess of blood and flesh.
“Damn it…”
Out of the original fifteen raiders, only eight remained.
Me, Tanaka-san, Miss Midori, Satou, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred, and three soldiers.
The emotionless, doll-faced angel placed its sword on another person’s shoulder.
“Stop it! Why… Damn it! Damn it!!”
One of the soldiers fought desperately, grabbing the angel’s arm.
With A-rank strength, he resisted with Herculean force, but the angel didn’t flinch, slicing off his head as if it were nothing.
Now there were seven.
The angel chose its next target: Lieutenant Colonel Alfred.
“Damn it, damn it!! What is that monster!? I have to get back to my country and report this!!”
Alfred’s legs wouldn’t move as he thrashed in desperation.
Then he noticed a boy in front of him.
It was Satou, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Sorry, boy.”
Alfred grabbed Satou with one hand and hurled him toward the angel.
“W-Waaahh!!”
Satou crashed into the angel. But the angel didn’t budge, its eyeless face turning toward him.
Satou flailed his arms wildly, either frozen in fear or panicking because his body wouldn’t obey.
In that moment, a dark impulse surged within me.
I felt malice toward Satou—the one who’d told me and Nagi, the weak, to die.
But…
“…Damn it!”
I slapped my own cheek hard.
This might be the wrong choice, but my body moved on its own—I couldn’t stop it.
“Ash!?”
I rushed toward Satou.
I couldn’t breathe, but I could still run. And since there was air, I could still make sound.
“Satou! Over here! Crawl if you have to—just get here!”
I shouted to him with all my might.
Then I stepped into the foot area, collapsing to catch my breath.
“What?”
Satou, crying, reacted to my voice.
The other raiders caught on too, crawling toward me with everything they had.
“This way, Satou! Your legs won’t work there! You can’t breathe here, but you can move freely! Hurry!!”
“Ah… Okay!”
Satou, as if spotting a lifeline, scrambled toward me.
The angel pursued slowly from behind, but Satou was just fast enough.
I stopped breathing in the torso area, stood up, and pulled Satou to his feet.
“Haa… Sorry…!?”
Satou tried to catch his breath and calm down, but suddenly clutched his throat, looking pained.
I’d told him you couldn’t breathe here, but in his panic, he didn’t seem to grasp what was happening.
Unable to breathe, he clawed at his neck in distress.
“Calm down!!”
Satou was frantic, and I, with no rank, couldn’t restrain a C-rank like him.
I tried everything to settle him, but in his agitation, he punched me, knocking me to the ground.
In that instant—
“Huh?”
A sword rested on my shoulder, its cold touch grazing my cheek.
I looked up.
The angel stood before me. Its emotionless, expressionless face stared down.
“Ah… ahh…”
The word “death” flashed in my mind.
Would I, too, die with my head severed?
In that moment, the blood drained from my body.
The angel gazed at me, tilting its head.
That motion again.
Why? Why did it tilt its head? What should I do?
Why did it look at me, acting like it was waiting for something?
Then it hit me.
“The Trial of Wisdom—”
The painting from the room at the start.
(Could it be… I have to do that!?)
I dropped to one knee, pressing my fist to my heart.
Then I closed my eyes quietly, bowing my head.
I mimicked the pose from the mural—the knight swearing fealty to their lord.
The angel and the knight. What existed between them was feigned loyalty.
But judging by the gesture alone, I was unmistakably pledging allegiance to this angel now.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears, as if something might burst from my throat at any moment.
There was no proof this would work, but that massive mural had indeed shown a knight pledging loyalty to an angel.
Then, the sensation of the sword on my shoulder vanished.
I slowly raised my head and saw the angel walking toward Satou.
I was saved.
“Satou… It’s the… mural’s… pose!”
Unable to breathe, I forced the words out to guide him.
In his desperation, he understood my words and the purpose of my actions, mimicking me by kneeling with his fist to his chest.
At that moment, the angel’s blank, doll-like face shifted, revealing a sinister smile directed at us.
(Good… This is it.)
I felt relief. But…
(No! Breathing!)
I’d taken the same pose of allegiance as Satou.
But I couldn’t hold my breath much longer.
The angel merely grinned menacingly at us.
Time ticked by, pushing us closer to death.
After about a minute, my face paled, and Satou’s legs trembled beside me.
(I can’t hold on… I’ll have to make a break for it…)
I felt I couldn’t last any longer and was about to gamble everything when—
“!?”
I was suddenly shoved aside.
It was Satou.
He’d knocked me over, flashing his usual wicked grin.
Then, as always, he sneered at me.
“I’m going to survive! I’ll live! I’m not a weakling like you!!”
Those words must’ve been his true feelings.
Stunned, I fell, and Satou resumed the same pose.
The angel’s expression changed as it looked at me.
It seemed angry.
Satou had intended to use me as bait.
The angel approached me slowly.
I’d been betrayed. I’d tried to save Satou, only to die by his hand.
I couldn’t breathe anymore, and there was no way to escape now, was there?
Behind me was the foot area—where I could breathe, but my legs wouldn’t move. I couldn’t pledge allegiance there.
Had I made a mistake?
Was it because I’d tried to save someone, acting out of reckless kindness?
Was self-sacrifice ultimately meaningless?
Would I die here?
“Ash! Jump back!!”
At that moment—
I followed the voice’s command and leapt backward with all my strength.
A massive wall of fire erupted between me and the angel.
I traced the flames to their source.
“Ash! Take the long way around and come to us from the other side!!”
It was Tanaka-san.
He’d unleashed fire magic.
The towering wall of flames rose up, separating me from the angel.
A mage’s ability allowed them to convert mana into magic, and fire was one such skill. This blazing barrier was likely forged from Tanaka-san’s mana.
The scorching wall blocked the angel’s view of me.
Losing sight of me, the angel turned away from me across the flames.
Satou must’ve planned to wait for the angel to target me and then make his escape. Now, caught in the angel’s glare, he stumbled back in panic and fell to the ground.
The sword rested on his shoulder again, and he resumed the pose of allegiance.
I rolled into the foot area, catching my breath.
Then I crawled with all my might toward the hand area.
During this time, the sword remained on Satou’s shoulder, pinning him in place.
Finally reaching the hand area, my legs regained movement. I sprinted toward the eye area with everything I had.
My vision vanished, but all I had to do now was charge straight ahead. In the darkness, I ran toward the boundary between the eye and torso areas—where Tanaka-san and the others waited.
“Haa… haa… Thank you for saving me, Tanaka-san.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe, Ash…”
“…Playing the hero on the battlefield… How foolish.”
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred and two soldiers had survived as well.
Alfred stared at me, dumbfounded.
His words were clearly aimed at me—someone who’d nearly gotten himself killed trying to save another. His tone made that obvious.
“…Sorry. At the very least, I’ll keep you etched in my memory.”
Tanaka-san spoke as if apologizing to Satou.
“I’m sorry—it’s my fault.”
“Don’t say that. I made the call to let him die as your scapegoat. You’re more valuable to the raid, someone we need. And seeing him shove you—the one who came to save him—pissed me off.”
“No, Tanaka-san, you’re not wrong. It’s my fault for acting on my own.”
“Alright… But don’t go over there again. I won’t be able to save you next time.”
As I started to rush back, Tanaka-san grabbed me firmly, stopping me from running off.
I closed my eyes, abandoning the idea.
If I acted recklessly again, I might drag Tanaka-san and the others into danger too.
Tanaka-san and I watched Satou.
Unable to breathe, any movement would mean decapitation.
The angel wore a devilish grin, simply resting its sword on Satou’s shoulder and staring at him.
Satou was trembling.
He seemed to be crying. To others, he’d always appeared tough, but now he looked like nothing more than a frail student.
He’d always beaten me up for fun, laughing gleefully—the strongest person in my eyes.
But right now, he was pitiful.
“S-Save… me… W-Waste… Ten… chi…”
His hoarse voice struggled to call my name.
It had been years since I’d last heard Satou say my name properly.
I knew he couldn’t breathe anymore.
Satou was a jerk, but we’d known each other since high school.
He’d called me a waste, used me as a punching bag, and I’d always dreamed of hitting him back someday.
But in his final moments, he was almost too tragic to watch.
Satou, as if he couldn’t hold on any longer, stood up desperately, reaching out to me for help.
“Save… save me, Tenchi—”
Slash.
In that instant, Satou’s head was severed, and he lost his life.
His head flew into the air, landing with a thud.
I half-closed my eyes.
He’d left me with nothing but miserable memories, so I didn’t feel much sorrow.
Still, the death of someone I knew stung a little.
“…Tanaka-san, I’ve realized something. If you perform that allegiance pose in the eye area, you can pass this trial.”
“Yeah, I figured it out from what just happened too. It only works in the eye area. You can do it in the torso area, but you can’t breathe there. They might just stand there, waiting for us to run out of air and move—pretty nasty.”
Tanaka-san seemed to have noticed it too. He moved to the eye area and addressed everyone.
“Everyone, get to the eye area! Take the prayer-like pose from earlier! If they put the sword on your shoulder, don’t move! Hold it together!”
He relayed it to Lieutenant Colonel Alfred too.
“You understand, Colonel Alfred?”
“Yeah, thanks to that kid. A naive heroic streak… His self-sacrificing spirit somehow won the gods’ favor. Lucky us.”
Then all of us entered the eye area and assumed the allegiance pose.
The sound of footsteps—tap, tap—approached.
It had to be the angel walking toward us slowly.
The sword rested on my shoulder, and cold sweat trickled down my back.
Even knowing I’d be fine, the fear made me want to bolt.
The sword lingered on my right shoulder, then shifted to my left after a moment.
Satisfied, the angel’s footsteps moved aside.
I strained my ears. It seemed to repeat the process with everyone, and then I heard the sound of wings flapping.
I opened my eyes—my vision had returned.
The angel beat its wings and vanished into the boundless darkness above.
Immediately after, that monotone voice spoke.
“Challenger: Ash Tenchi. Trial of Wisdom cleared. Initiating teleportation.”
As the voice sounded, we were transported back to the original room.
Relief washed over me. I collapsed onto the floor in a sprawl, closing my eyes.
“I survived…”
“The Trial of Wisdom has concluded. Out of fifteen challengers, six have passed. Time until the next trial: 1000 seconds, 999, 998…”
“It’s not over yet…”
My ominous hunch had come true.
How long would these trials go on? Strength, wisdom—what would the next one be?
I looked at the paintings on the wall. The leftmost one had to represent the Trial of Strength, the middle one the Trial of Wisdom we’d just faced.
But the most critical piece of information—the next trial—was obscured by the damaged rightmost painting.
“Ash, thank you. We all survived because of you.”
As I studied the paintings, Tanaka-san and Miss Midori approached.
“N-No, don’t say that! It was just luck.”
“No, if it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead. Sure, it’s not hard to figure out if you stay calm, but honestly, I was too rattled to think straight. Some top-tier guild member I am—pathetic. Come here, you’re hurt. Let me heal you.”
Miss Midori placed her hands on the injuries I’d sustained from falling, mending them.
A gentle light enveloped my body, warm and comforting.
“You saved us, lucky kid!”
“Stupid or not, I like you, hotshot!”
The two soldiers ruffled my Ashr playfully.
Their smiles carried the relief of survival and gratitude toward me.
Their big hands embarrassed me a little.
“Tanaka-san, shouldn’t we share intel? At this point, sticking to command structures doesn’t matter.”
“Agreed.”
The three of us Japanese and the three Americans sat in a circle.
Then came the introductions.
“I think most of you know me already. I’m Issei Tanaka, an A-rank lower-tier mage specializing in fire magic. I’ve got some sword skills too, though not on par with warrior classes.”
“I’m Midori Tendo, a healer from the Avalon guild. I’ve got decent combat ability—B-rank. Also, I’m Issei—Tanaka’s—fiancée. We haven’t had the wedding yet… but it’s coming up soon.”
“Oh, I see! Congratulations!”
“That’s something worth celebrating. A couple pulling such a reckless stunt in times like these… Wait, no, maybe that’s why you’re both here together? HAHAHA!”
The six of us took turns introducing ourselves.
I’d initially found the soldiers intimidating, but through Tanaka-san’s translations, my impression of them softened.
They all had families, children they wanted to protect, and fought for their countries.
They happily showed off photos of their loved ones, insisting they had to make it back alive.
Even the stern-looking Lieutenant Colonel Alfred was no exception. I couldn’t forgive him for throwing Satou out as a decoy, but I understood it—people prioritize their own survival. I couldn’t condone it, but I could empathize.
He was a cold, hardened soldier, yet still human.
Then it was my turn.
“I’m… Ash Tenchi… No rank.”
“WHAT!? No rank!? A no-rank survived this!? You’re kidding!?”
The soldiers were shocked by my words.
They were A-rank, surrounded by other powerhouses, yet the weakest—a no-rank—had made it through. Their surprise was palpable.
I gave a bittersweet smile, and the two quickly apologized.
“Sorry, no offense. It’s just… you know, no rank is basically like a regular person.”
Their reasoning made sense, and I completely understood.
In a world where nearly everyone had awakened, those without a rank were at the bottom—unable to even protect themselves.
People called folks like me mana-deficient relics of the old humanity.
Among them, my mana was a measly 5. Calling me a waste wasn’t an exaggeration—I couldn’t beat anyone.
But Tanaka-san refuted them.
“Sure, he’s unranked, but that’s exactly why he survived using his head. That’s humanity’s original greatest weapon—our ability to think. Not like us, relying on this vague power called mana. I genuinely admire him.”
“Tanaka-san…”
He placed a hand on my shoulder, as if to comfort me.
“Exactly! Lucky boy, we’re counting on you next time too! My newlywed wife’s waiting at home—I’ve got to make it back alive.”
“Me too! Though my wife just wants me to drop dead already, haha! But my daughter… she’s still little, so cute.”
The soldiers opened lockets hanging around their necks, revealing photos of their families.
The little girl was adorable—impossible not to dote on—and the tense atmosphere lightened.
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred didn’t show us, but he wore a locket too, likely with a family photo inside.
For the remaining time, we shared stories about ourselves.
I felt that, precisely because of this situation, we could transcend race and language, opening up to each other honestly.
Everyone, of course, had families—loved ones waiting at home.
I was no different.
I had Nagi.
My precious little sister, trembling in the dark, waiting for me even now.
So I had to survive.
“Alright, everyone, up!”
At Tanaka-san’s command, we stood, placing our arms around each other’s shoulders in a huddle.
“Let’s get through this together to the end. If we work as a team, we’ll clear the next hurdle. When it’s over, let’s all grab drinks! Japanese sushi’s amazing, you know.”
“OKOK! Great idea!”
“Japanese food’s delicious!! Sukiyaki! Shabu-shabu! Sushi!”
“I love Japanese beer too—especially the silver one.”
“Ash, can you drink? You don’t look like the type.”
“I’m not of age yet… but since it’s a special occasion, maybe a little.”
We laughed, arms around each other.
I hadn’t huddled like this with anyone since middle school. It was a bit embarrassing, but it sparked a fire in me to fight on.
“We’re going to survive! Let’s do this!!”
“OHHH!!!”
“OORAH!”
“Time’s up. Number of participants: six. Initiating teleportation.”
With the voice, our vision darkened, and we were transported elsewhere.
“Where… is this?”
We arrived in a small room.
A stone-built chamber, about the size of a classroom, with two doors in front of us.
“Three people? Does that mean only three can enter each?”
Both doors were marked with the word “three.”
“So we split into two groups of three…”
“Easy enough. We’ll take this door—you three take that one.”
“Yeah, that’s the simplest way to do it.”
The groups were decided in an instant.
The three Americans in one, and Tanaka-san, Miss Midori, and I in the other.
We faced the soldiers, exchanging handshakes.
“Goodbye, Issei, Midori, and Ash. I’m not fond of Japan, but I don’t dislike you guys.”
“Good luck, Colonel Alfred and you two.”
With a creaking groan, the doors opened, and we parted ways.
This had to be the final trial. With three paintings, this should be the last.
—.