Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 2 Record.2

Record.2 Now, Let's Head to the Dungeon

1

The steam and the terrestrial heat which were gushing out.

The mountain path filled with so much heat, which could cause a heat haze despite not being summer. It got hot as you got closer to the summit, and simply standing there would have sweats fall from all over your body without showing any sign of stopping.

The Great Volcano of Galia——

“…………”

“What’s wrong, Ren?”

Kyelse looked up towards Ren in wonder as she walked besides him. Ren scratched his head as he smiled towards her and looked around.

“Nothing much, just thinking it’s peaceful around here. Started to feel like quiet is the best after all.”

Two days ago.

Back when they headed towards the volcanic crater where the Demon called Achendia who was known as the Demon General of Blaze awaited them. Ren himself still did not remember how they got up there.

He was simply desperate back then in taking action.

He only remembered it vaguely.

The ‘Demons’ that were the supreme rulers of the Underworld. The other parties that continued to fell against the Demons.

Under such a situation filled with despair, Ren who was in a battered state continued to challenge Achendia who had shown him the difference in their power.

……I definitely can’t think that I won with my skills alone even now.

……It was the result of consecutive happening of miracles.

But at the same time it proved the training that he did and believed in was not wrong.

It was a fight which made him think as such.

Two days had passed since that mortal combat——

“Are you referring to the merchants walking ahead of us?”

“That too. But the same would apply for that party we had just passed. There was also a caravan with a group of families on-board.”

The mountain path which had been officially closed due to the appearance of one of the Five Great Disaster.

It was even a shock for Ren since it only took two days for it to be opened.

Merchants headed towards the town of the blazing cliff, with the forwarding agency carrying mail. There was also a caravan going through the mountain path carrying a family. So the town of the blazing cliff must have had been granted for entering and exiting now.

“I thought it was good since people can enter and exit like before which was much quicker than I imagined.”

“Yes, indeed. I also didn’t hear about anything like Achendia and her subordinates damaging the mountain path. You could say they were using it as a barrier for temporarily time.”

“I really don’t like that kind of barrier……”

Fear on other hand smiled at the family that walked past them.

Then. Elise who was at the back of the line said it quietly.

“Ren, you probably don’t know about it. But the main cause of the destruction of the mountain wasn’t due to the Demons, but because of a certain Miss Angel.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look there. You can see that huge crater at the slope right?”

Elise pointed at the sharp slope of the mountain.

What laid in that direction was a large spherical crater which had a diameter of nearly hundred metres.

“Ah, that’s right. I was curious about that. Strangely enough, it did appear to be a crater that was made recently, and it did feel unnatural to have it appear in such strange location.”

A trace of a destroyed surface, which appeared as if it was struck by a comet.

Even a Dragon wouldn’t be able create a crater half the size of that if it were to stomp the ground with all its might. It was hard to imagine just how much impact you would need to leave a trace that large.

“That’s simply a trace of destruction left by a single punch from Fear.”

“Eh?”

“Right, Fear?”

Elise looked up towards the Angel with her usual cheeky eyes.

“I’m guessing you started to get excited when you were fighting Achendia’s subordinate and couldn’t help but to punch everything around you without thinking, right?”

“Oh my, you are putting me in a difficult situation Elise. You shouldn’t say something which would make Ren misunderstand me.”

The blonde Archangel on the other hand didn’t break her smile filled with confidence.

“And likewise to you, Elise. Ren, look at that volcanic crater. Can you see how the rocks around that area had been crushed into pieces and the trees has withered?”

“Yeah. I was also curious about that too.”

The direction Fear pointed to was a volcanic crater located in a location where you would have to look up from the mountain trail.

There were huge volcanic rocks rolled over the place around the path they were walking on and there were still spots with thick trees and grasses.

But——that area alone was different. There were giant rocks which seemed like it had melted and turned into small pebbles and the few remaining trees had been covered in white and had withered.

There were no signs of it indicating that it had received any kind of impact or attack.

However, it was a creepy phenomenon since all the giant rocks had turned into pebbles and the plants had withered.

“That was the influence of Elise’s miasma. The black miasma which would erode and dismantle all kind of substances. It’s said that even a Demon would faint right away if one touches it carelessly. It’s the terrifying miasma that once ruled and covered the whole Underworld”

“That’s scary! What the heck. That’s much more terrifying than your normal curse!?”

“Isn’t that right, Elise?”

“Eh, I don’t really remember.”

The former Demon King put her hands behind the back of her head and put on a meaningful smile.

“Oh well. I can just blame everything on Achendia.”

“That’s true. If we play dumb then no one would know it was our fault. Let’s just make it that everything was Achendia’s fault.”

“……I started to feel sorry for Achendia now.”

The huge crater and the decayed area near the volcanic crater.

It was something he knew from the beginning. Their enemy was strong but his three comrades were unrealistically strong.

“By the way, Ren. Look. You shouldn’t just worry about what’s behind us and look ahead.”

“Huh? Ahead……?”

When Ren turned around he sighted two parties.

Both of them were a large party since it was made up of approximately ten members each.

And those two parties, in other words twenty people, stopped just before they crossed path and greeted them by putting their hand on their chest.

——The custom exchanged between parties.

——The greeting which has the meaning of wishing each other’s luck and safety.

It was a greeting none of the parties gave to them when they left the Holy Fiora Journey Academy.

They weren’t considered as a party initially. It was also due to the fact that they were travelling with just three members before they met Elise back then. But even with Elise joining their party, they were most likely considered as a strange party made up of one boy and three girls until few days ago.

But now they were recognized as a genuine party like this.

“Ren, you too. Replying them with a greeting is manners.”

“I-I know!”

Having Fear who was watching him with amusement from behind him urge him, Ren greeted back at them in a rush.

You could say it was his charm where he forgot how to greet them by putting his hand on his chest since he hadn’t done it before even though he was taught how to do a greeting back at Holy Fiora Journey Academy.

Then——

After Ren looked back after his greeting.

“Pardon me. I assume this is the party that had defeated one of the Five Great Disaster at the town of the blazing cliff.”

One of the party that passed them.

The young MASTERKnight man that was walking at the front of his party suddenly approached them.

“Are all of you the member of “the Knight of Reincarnation”?”

“Eh? Ah, well……umm.”

“Precisely. This Ren over here defeated Achendia on his own. You should remember his name very well.”

“Hey, Kyelse!?”

“There was no lies in my words. I simply stated the truth.”

Instead, Kyelse answered him proudly as if she simply said the obvious.

On the other hand the young MASTERKnight says it with voice filled with excitement.

“As I thought! I have read the article that were released from Jio. Hmm, Ren E. Maxwell, I presume. Even though you only look to be around my age……I was still shocked!”

His gaze filled with so much respect. He had a face filled with so much excitement as if he was talking to someone who was far above him even though his age was no different to Ren.

“So how was it? Was the Five Great Disaster strong after all?”

“Yes. She is a legendary great Demon after all. She is no opponent humans who has ill intent such as to raise their fame can challenge and defeat. First of all, you would need to know where you stand.”

“U-Understood! I thank you for your advice!”

The young swordsman bowed his head down to Kyelse’s words.

He then sprinted back to his party and resumed their journey to the town of blazing cliff through the mountain path.

“That swordsman just now said he saw the article that was distributed from Jio.”

Fear who watched the party that had left said.

“He also called us “the Knight of Reincarnation”. Looks like we have been recognised throughout the world by that name.”

The start of all of this was from a gossip article that was distributed from the town of the blazing cliff right after they defeated Achendia.

And the party name that was used to introduce the four of Ren, Kyelse, Fear, and Elise, was “the Knight of Reincarnation”. It was obviously something which Ren and the girls did not call themselves by. It was a name given by the news agency without their permission since they needed to introduce the nameless party.

A party made up of Ren, who was identical to the Brave Hero Eleline, and the three girls.

Is it the reincarnation of the legendary Eleline Sword Emperor Brigade? It was a party name used to exaggerate the advertisement but that name appeared to have spread even outside of Jio.

“The day we defeated Achendia was three days ago. Back then there were dozens of parties gathered at Jio. And they have scattered throughout the world to find the Encore once again so I’m guessing the news about us has spread as rumours now. Ren, you sure have become famous.”

“……Give me a break, Fear-senpai. I’m not used to having people around me praise me like this. Even now I was so nervous that my hand was all sweaty.”

Ren sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

Ren, who had been called the Fake Brave Hero and had been treated as a fool, would have never imagined in his lifetime that a day would come where a party he has never met before would talk to him and look at him with face covered with full respect.

And for that person to be a swordsman who was about the same age as him.

“You don’t like it?”

“I feel that it’s too early for me.”

Ren answered with a bitter smile to Kyelse who took out her favourite candy stick.

“Even with the fight against Achendia, my true feeling would be that I was shown the true difference in strength between a human and a Demon rather than that of a joy of winning against her. ……I know that I can’t just stay like this.”

“Yes. Ren, your will to face forwards is remarkable.”

Fear grabbed Ren’s left arm from behind him.

“Hey, Ren. How about from now on your sis here will give you a special training every night after your ancient summoning training? It will be a one-on-one lesson between the two of us.”

“……I can only have a suspicious feeling when you call it as a one-on-one lesson when it’s supposed to be a training.”

“It’s martial arts. It will be more about defensive body movement rather than attacking.”

“Martial arts?”

What came out from the beautiful Angel was an unexpected term.

“As I mentioned previously, my best expertise is martial arts. In your case, Ren, you might be able to use it to polish your sword techniques if you learn mainly the defensive body movement rather than to learn how to attack using your fists.”

“Ah, that’s not fair Fear! Taking the lead is prohibited!”

This time Elise jumped and grabbed Ren’s other arm from behind him.

“Then I will teach Ren how to use spells!”

“No you won’t, Elise. You also know that Ren is bad at all kinds of spells, don’t you? We would need to strengthen the areas he has potential in.”

“I wonder about that. There are also methods to strengthen the area you are bad with in order to cover up your weakness.”

“Hold on, the both of you. Ren needs to learn sword techniques more than anything and I would be the one to teach him.”

The one who joined their argument was Kyelse.

“But martial arts would work with all areas——”

“He would need to learn about spells which he is bad with first! Leave it to me!”

“Nope, he would need to learn from sword techniques just like a swordsman.”

The legendary Three Great Princesses started to glare at each other.

They glared at each other for a moment but Fear clapped her hands after a while.

“Very well then. Then how about this. For Ren’s daily schedule he would be doing the sword training with Kyelse throughout the morning. At the afternoon he would be doing the ancient summoning to summon the Spirit. At night he would be doing the martial arts practice with me and to wrap up the day he would be learning about all types of spells from Elise.”

“Yes. I don’t mind that.”

“I have no objection.”

“……Well, I think I’m probably going to die from overworking myself.”

Ren made a deep sigh while ignoring the girls who nodded with satisfaction. He looked both at Fear and Elise who had finally let go off him——

“As I thought I would need to practice my sword techniques just like a swordsman. But I will also find time to improve my martial arts and spells too. Elise and Fear-senpai, I will ask for both of your help when that time comes.”

“I see. Understood.”

“Ask me anytime. Now, what spells should I teach Ren? I’m looking forward to it. How about super-wide destruction spells that had been used by all the historical Demon Kings? Or a forbidden spell which would turn everything within the horizon into dusts without mercy. Though it would take you a thousand of years to master it.”

“There’s a limit to what I can do you know!?”

“Ahaha, I’m just joking. But it is true that you should study about spells.”

Elise took a spin and turned around to him.

“What’s important isn’t about you cable of using spells but to know the logic of spells itself. You won’t rarely encounter it, but divine beasts hiding in sanctuaries and the belligerent Spirits would use spells more powerful than your average Demons.”

“……Ah, the instructor from the Academy also said that.”

It was three-hundred years ago when Eleline stood up against the danger of world’s destruction. Even though the world regained peace, the species known as humanity were still considered as the weakest species.

On top of the three rulers of the world consisting of the Dragon of the Earth, the Angels of the Heaven, and the Demons of the Underworld——

Once you take a step outside a wealthy town you would be inside a world with dangerous and large monsters lurking where it would be the battle of the fittest.

If you visit a territory known as a sanctuary then you would encounter the divine beasts which would be the guardians of such places. At times you might fight legendary creatures such as true-beasts or sacred-beasts which appears in folklore.

“By the way, Kyelse. Our destination is the Valley of the Dragons, right? So I can take it that we are heading to an ancient tomb right now which would become a shortcut right?”

“Exactly. It would take several weeks if we simply walked towards the Valley of the Dragons.”

Kyelse answered while biting onto her chocolate.

What would block the path between Jio and the Valley of the Dragons would be ranges of mountains which would have a height of four-thousand metres. Going around the mountain ranges would be the normal route. But the shortcut they chose was to go through the ancient tomb that Kyelse knows of.

“It’s like a tunnel made on a mountain. If we go through there the Valley of the Dragons will be quite close. You saw how my kin appeared in Jio, right? He most likely went past the mountain from the Valley of the Dragons and flew straight to Jio. So our route will also be a direct path like that. We would be travelling in a good pace……if we can go through the ancient tunnel in three days.”

“I’m guessing there are dangerous monsters in the ancient tomb then?”

“I wonder about that. I was also told from Eleline that there was such shortcut three-hundred years ago. So this will be my first time actually going there. After all, I had completely forgotten about it until Elise mentioned.”

“And to add more——”

The point they arrived to was an intersection split into two path.

Fear pointed at the signboard placed there.

“The path we will be taking would be the right path. We will reach the forest with the ancient tomb that Kyelse spoke of if we continue to walk downhill but this is actually a path no one takes. Look there. Can you see how there’s a party and a caravan there where they are taking the left path to walk downhill?”

“You are right. And this path is……umm, the port city, was it?”

“Correct. The port city Fairlucia. A stylish town which started as a trade port. In order to go to towns located in other continent, it would be necessary to take a ship from the port over there.”

The five continent of the world.

The continent which Ren and the girls were currently on was located in the East. The size and the population would be ranked the second highest in the world. There rarely had been exchanges between the continents as they were separated by sea. But it was about one-hundred years ago when that all changed and they started getting more active.

The Era of Great War for the possession of Encore.

It’s said the number of ships and the ship skills needed had improved drastically since many parties had advanced to other continents and had set their eyes on sea routes.

“For example, the holy ground of Canaan——”

Fear said it as she glanced at the side towards the party that took the left path of the branched path.

“It was the location where they found the most habitat of the Spirits and the only land in the world to prosper the belief of the Spirits. The only ANCIENTER“Ancient Caster” in the current era who is officially recognised in the world. In other words you would need a ship to go to the city where the Holy maiden, who is an ancient summoner that controls the Spirits, is residing in.”

“……The Spirits, huh.”

Ren said it as if he was saying to himself and looked above his head.

Spirits——the only existence in the world that has the perfect energy form.

They possessed the wavelength which even the Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons didn’t have. Only the humans from ancient time who could hear that wavelength as ‘voices’ had once controlled the Spirits.

That was the ancient summoning. Currently it was a rare spell which was considered as ANCIENTS“the lost spells”.

The Holy maiden of the holy ground Canaan was called the last person in the world to be the successor of such spell.

But the world didn’t know.

The possibility of Ren who was the second person. The existence of a boy who succeeded in summoning the SALAMANDERancestral spirit of fire despite getting assistance from the feather of Archangel Fear which was a powerful activation substance.

“The holy ground Canaan, was it? I do want to go there one day. If I talk to that person called the holy maiden then I might get a better grip of summoning the Spirit a bit.”

“I don’t mind but there is a place we must head to for the time being. Hurry Ren, don’t fall behind.”

“......Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me.”

Kyelse held his cuff gently and pulled him.

Her gesture looked unusually innocent though it did reflect her personality so Ren made a small smile.

2

At the base of the Great Volcano of Galia——

The scene changed from reddish brown volcano. The place they arrived to as they walked down the mountain path was a primeval forest which was so dense with fully grown trees that the sunlight wouldn’t shine at the spot even at noon.

Even though it hadn’t rained, the earth was partially liquefied due to being heated.

The ancient tree, which was so huge that you had to look up, had its root sticking out from several locations of the ground. If you lowered your attention even for a moment, you would find yourself tripping on the roots.

“Eww……what the heck is that creepy insect? A strange liquid is pouring from its beak.”

“Oh my, this is a rare sight. That’s a rare-type of centipede. Ren, the biologists would buy it from you for a high price if you catch that and take it back with you.”

“Hmm. If that’s that case——”

“Except, that insect is called the king venous specie and it has high poison even among the insects. So please be careful not to be bitten by it. It will kill you instantly if it bites you.”

“Eh? W-Wait, now you tell me how dangerous it is!? …..What the, ah! Now what’s with this creeping plant!? It’s wrapping itself around my arm!”

Ren pulled back his arm that he had stretched out in a panic.

And several green creeping plants started aiming that arm of his and wrapped itself around it quickly.

“Ah, that’s the blood-sucking creeping plant.”

It was Elise who made a light step to spin and the same creeping plant was after her.

“If we don’t leave quickly then it will suck all your blood out.”

“What on earth is this place!? This isn't funny at all!”

Ren somehow managed to get rid of the creeping plants wrapped around his arm.

To be expected from the enclosed primeval forest.

There were dangerous forests like this throughout the world. No, there were deserts, swamps, and volcanic zones, much more dangerous than this place which had not been set foot in yet.

“Kyelse, Fear-senpai, are both of you okay!?”

“Oh my, what’s wrong?”

“Even if you ask us about our safety this is not something you need to worry us about.”

Fear walked through the forest while ripping the creeping plants off from herself as if it were nothing.

And the one who was ahead of her was Fear who had grabbed the poisonous centipede from before with her barehand in ease and threw it very far away.

“……Looks like they really don’t need my concern.”

“Everything is experience, Ren.”

Fear simply jumped elegantly above the tree’s root which was sticking out from the ground.

“If we wanted to we could have turned a forest of this capacity into wasteland or burnt field within an hour or so. The reason we didn’t do it was all for your experience, Ren.”

“An experience to encounter poisonous insects and dangerous plants like these huh……”

The world where experience was more crucial than knowledge.

Ren studied about dangerous animals and plants at Holy Fiora Journey Academy but the knowledge he gained from there wouldn’t satisfy even 10% of what he needed to know and would be just 1% of knowledge he needed to know at best.

“I am sure you had sensed danger of your own life whether you wanted to or not when you confronted Achendia. This would be the same. What you would need to overcome unexplored area isn’t just knowledge but experience and instinct. What is safe and what is dangerous. Please become capable of making immediate judgement when you encounter something new.”

“……I’ll try my best.”

The wriggling creeping plants above his head and the winged insects he hadn’t seen before.

And there was also a flowing small river with blood-like red water. From Ren’s perspective the whole area around him was full of dangers. Though Kyelse, Fear, and Elise continued to go ahead without hesitation. For example they were like an adults that were easily completing an athletic course made for small children.

“Elise, you are also walking as if you are used to it. Do you have experience in entering a forest like this too?”

“Me? Hmm, I don’t have that much experience. I was also the last one to join Eleline’s party as well so it is fun since we didn’t have that much of these sort of adventures. Though——”

The former Demon King made a mysterious smile and chuckled.

“The forests of the Underworld isn’t this nice. The forest itself moves and will attack you. And there will be swamps all over the places. And the magnetic field is a complete mess so there’s no use of magnets. That’s why it has more thrills and is more fun over there. I will take you there one day as well.”

“……Sure. Though not for a while.”

They chased Kyelse who was leading them and Fear who was just behind her.

From the looks of it they didn’t have a map or compass. There were getting their direction from using the slightest sunlight which were coming from above and therefore had a complete grasp of where they currently were and where they were heading to.

“Found it. Over here.”

Roughly two hours after they had progressed through the forest.

Kyesle who was leading the party raised her voice right after Ren had wiped away his sweats.

The ancient tomb.

The lava tube which was created when the Great Volcano of Galia erupted in the past. The nameless King that had ruled this land found it and made it into a ruin by digging a tunnel on the slope of the mountain.

“In other words we can exit from the other side of the mountain if we get past here, right?”

The entrance that was heavily covered by ferns and creeping plants.

It was made from armful of huge rocks that had been piled onto each other and then had been hardened with clay. There was nothing which could be distinguished as a door. It was simply a widely opened entrance that leads into a dark passage.

……Three-hundred years ago.

……The path Eleline took in order to get to the Valley of the Dragons.

“Then let’s get going. From the looks of it this passage is dark and crampy. So who’s going in first?”

“Go for it Ren.”

“You, go.”

“I have high hopes of you.”

“……I knew all of you would say that.”

Ren started to walk into the entrance of the ancient tomb after he had the three girls push his back as if this was the obvious choice.

4

Back to Record.1

Return to Main Page

Forward to Record.3