Surviving without God

After that, everything flowed as if greased.

— Staticfield!!!!

The first thing to fall upon the very center of the fanatics’ formation was Tarsha’s fully charged spell, into which she had poured every last drop of her mana.

Boom—!

Lightning speared into the ground with a crash that seemed capable of tearing the heavens apart. Electric currents flooded across the surface, branching in all directions like the roots of a tree, and in the blink of an eye ensnared dozens of people. The stench of burning flesh and melting metal filled the air.

...Under normal circumstances, such power would have been unattainable. Before she could have accumulated that much energy, the enemy would have either interrupted her or the target would have escaped. Ironically, the “formation” erected by Luthien for their own protection instead allowed the large-scale spell to be completed, concealing it from prying eyes.

— A-a-a-a-agh!

Yet her goal was not simple slaughter. Lightning magic, being a destructive area attack, simultaneously inflicts critical debuffs upon its victims: “Electric Shock” and “Paralysis.” The effect depends on the difference in stats, but an attack from a 4th-hierarchy mage who had poured in all her strength was enough to temporarily “freeze” the entire area. Even the Table Companions were locked in place, unable to take a single step.

Crackle—!

Streams of electricity lashed in every direction, intertwining and splitting through the air, covering the battlefield in a shimmering net. Watching the overwhelming scene, Gunther drew °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a deep breath. Beside him, Tarsha, having fulfilled her role with honor, collapsed helplessly onto the ground.

— That’s all I’ve got!

Now it was his turn. He aimed “Seren Gless” precisely at the target.

— Prepare yourselves!

Shouting the command at the top of his lungs, he released the full power of the “Minor Formation of Omnivorous Devouring” that he had conserved until this very moment.

— Ghh-h-h-h, no!

The Eldest of the Table Companions, having grasped Gunther’s intent, lost his composure for the first time. But his desperate cry could not serve as a shield.

Whooom—!

A colossal mass of energy descended directly onto the “target”... the barrier surrounding the staff. The very barrier Luthien had painstakingly weakened over the past several hours.

Crunch—!

A snow-white beam shattered the obstruction to pieces and pierced straight through it. As fragments of light scattered into the air—

— I-I’m going!

A nimble silhouette shot up from the opposite side of the position. White hair carved a long arc through the air.

Dash—!

Blanc, the dodge-tank. She already possessed the highest Agility stat, but Gunther had additionally handed her an entire bundle of enhancement potions tailored to it. Naturally, Parco had received the same.

— Blanc! We begin! Trust me and run!

Thanks to Parco’s “transfer capability,” the doping effects stacked atop one another. As a result, Blanc’s body accelerated to such a degree that the word “lightning-fast” felt painfully insufficient.

— A-a-ah...

Of course, the price was steep. Massive recoil crashed down upon her. The sensation of muscles tearing spread through her limbs, the air in her lungs burned so fiercely that every breath felt like her throat was cracking apart. Her heart pounded like a bomb on the verge of detonation. Nevertheless, Blanc clenched her teeth and, like a meteor, tore across the battlefield.

— I won’t ruin it at my stage!

Several fanatics at the edge of the epicenter, less affected by paralysis, rushed to intercept her, but—

Bam—!

Levain’s precise shot stopped them. And his muzzle was not aimed only there.

Clang—!

— Huh?

The locks of the temporal prison burst apart, and the shackles binding the captive victims snapped one after another.

— Over here, all of you!

Continuing to provide covering fire so the people could retreat safely, Levain shouted until his voice nearly tore apart:

— Go, Blanc!!!!

Hearing him, Blanc squeezed out the last drops of her strength. She staggered, nearly losing her balance, yet still climbed onto the altar. Neither the butcher’s knife thrown by the Eldest nor the needle-sword of the Youngest managed to touch her.

— Mission...

Grab—!

Blanc’s hand clamped down on the staff. Her eyes blazed with radiant light.

— COMPLETE!!!!!!

.

.

.

At that very moment, Gunther shouted at the top of his lungs:

— Now we bail!!!!

In his raised hand was clutched a portal creation device.

Fwooosh—

Soon, blinding light engulfed everything around them.

***

The Eldest glared furiously at the flickering gray portal before him.

U-u-u-u-um—

Just five minutes ago, the heretics had fled to the second basement floor using a portal creation device. The paralyzed cultists could do nothing but watch helplessly, gnawing at their frustration.

— ...Filthy, filthy, filthy scum!!! — the Youngest ground her teeth, practically hopping in rage. — What are you waiting for! Aren’t you going to chase them?!

An inter-floor portal has a limit on the number of people. Usually a maximum of ten. That meant five more could still use this portal. If they followed right now, they could track them before they vanished.

— .......

Yet the Eldest did not move. He stood frozen before the portal, merely narrowing his eyes.

“...There’s a high probability this is a trap.”

Despite his crude and brutal appearance, he possessed a calculating and cautious nature. After repeatedly suffering defeats by underestimating his opponents, his vigilance had sharpened anew.

“To leave the portal open like this?”

...A portal created by a device, unlike standard inter-floor portals, allows movement to preset coordinates. What if additional forces from Night Raven were lying in ambush on the other side? With only five people, they would not escape annihilation.

“...They’re thinking well,” the Eldest ground his teeth, secretly impressed. It was an escape method that perfectly exploited the Labyrinth’s mechanics.

— Brother!

— Fuuuh... Wait.

He drew several deep breaths. The greater the urgency, the more crucial it was to remain calm.

“There’s no need to rush.”

In any case, the Labyrinth opens only on general access days. They were trapped like rats in a jar.

“After all, we have him.”

On the contrary, they needed to tighten the noose slowly and flawlessly. The Eldest spoke only once the full picture in his mind had formed.

— ...How many portal creation devices do we have left?

The adjutant answered immediately:

— Two remain.

— Only two?

— ...My apologies. We expended nearly all of them to rapidly deploy forces to the third basement floor.

— Use them to open portals first.

As the adjutant hurried off for the devices, the Eldest continued issuing orders:

— I, the Youngest, and twenty elite fighters go up first. The rest are to devote all efforts to securing portal devices and locating inter-floor portals.

He did not forget to encourage his shaken subordinates:

— Warriors of the god! Do not bow your heads before fleeting hardship. We are those who follow the great will and bring it to fruition. That our small steps lead to great victory is an immutable truth! Do not yield to confusion and continue your service!

...Everyone cried out fervently and lowered their heads—everyone except the Youngest. She muttered quietly:

— How will we know where they ran off to set a new portal? We might have to sweep the entire second basement floor. Maybe you and I should just jump into this portal...

— No, there is no point in taking unnecessary risks.

Noticing her lingering dissatisfaction, the Eldest added gently:

— Don’t worry. Soon they will kneel before us.

His gaze shifted to the man walking behind them.

Fwhuh—

A black robe rippled like a wave, revealing beneath it long ears and deathly pale, grayish skin. He took his place behind the Eldest like a ghost. At once, the dissatisfaction in the Youngest’s eyes diminished slightly.

— That man...

It was an Arcane Runner sent as reinforcement from the continent. An irregular whose abilities far surpassed those of ordinary Runners. Rumors claimed he was a test subject born of secret experiments. It was precisely thanks to his exceptional hacking skills that a unit of over a hundred people had moved through the Labyrinth so swiftly.

The corners of the Eldest’s lips curled ominously.

— Their thoughts are obvious. They’ll try to hide and stall until the closing day. But as long as this man assists us... their hopes will remain nothing but empty dreams.

Step—

The Eldest, together with twenty chosen fighters, stood before the newly created portal. His cold eyes stared into the void beyond.

Both the sacred relic... and those bastards he was ready to tear apart with his teeth would soon be in his hands.

He believed this without the slightest doubt.

***

At the same time.

Hummmm—

The wavering portal flickered and vanished like a candle snuffed by wind. Parco, watching with held breath, muttered in astonishment:

— They really aren’t chasing?

— I told you.

— No, but what was your confidence based on?

— He’s the cautious, calculating type. After getting properly beaten, he won’t act recklessly.

— I meant how you knew that mountain of muscles had that kind of personality!

He learned it through “Reading.” But he couldn’t explain it outright. Gunther merely shrugged casually.

— Just an ability.

Blanc perked up immediately:

— Oh...! Is it some kind of pre-prediction or something?

— Something like that.

— O-o-o-o!

Deciding it was better she misunderstood in that direction, Gunther confirmed her guess, and genuine admiration flared in Blanc’s eyes.

[Affinity with “Blanc Ibel” increases]

— R-read mine! I mean, please, predict my fate!

Watching her simplicity, the platoon members burst into laughter. Of course, the situation was not fully resolved yet... but their faces shone with excitement and exhilaration.

— In any case... that was perfect. Seriously.

Under dreadful conditions where survival itself was uncertain, they had not only humiliated Luthien but also stolen the objective. They had not achieved such a significant victory in a long time—since their previous leader’s death, they had done nothing but take blows.

— Heh-heh-heh-heh...

Especially Tarsha, now holding the staff: her cheeks were flushed like a child who had received a long-desired toy. The sight, so contrasting with her usual cynical and mature demeanor, was charming in its own way.

— ...Mana, mana is overflowing inside me-e-e!

Though no official contract had yet been formed, the residual power within the staff alone was enough to restore Tarsha’s mana—previously at zero—by half. Levain adjusted his glasses in astonishment.

— What kind of divine relic produces such an effect? At minimum, an Official-level. Yet its waves do not align with any god I know...

— No idea. We’ll deliver it to base, and the support division will figure it out.

...Whatever god it belonged to, he was the silent type.

[Ruler of the Oceans silently observes you]

After that single message, no further reaction followed.

[Alphonse of Red Street adds that he was always like that]

[Drug-Addicted Saint eagerly awaits reunion; she says they are very close friends]

[King of Ninety-Seven Defeats gazes at the staff with a detached expression]

“...?”

A detached expression? From the King of knights?

[Alphonse of Red Street snickers]

For a moment, Gunther doubted what he had seen, but then returned his gaze to the staff.

In any case, an immediate contract was impossible, and due to his negative Karma he could not obtain even a Stigma. To maintain interaction, some sort of foundation was necessary... It was slightly disappointing. To seriously wield this staff and the power of the “Ruler of the Oceans,” he would first need to repay his Karma debt.

“How much debt will remain after this mission? A thousand? Five hundred?”

As Gunther calculated mentally, Parco rose and asked:

— So what now?

By habit, the fighters’ gazes turned to Levain... but he merely smiled faintly and nodded toward Gunther. Gunther readily accepted the gesture of trust and stepped forward.

— First...

His eyes met those of his comrades one by one. Just a few hours ago, caution and doubt had filled them, but now they looked at him with deep trust and anticipation. Feeling a strange surge of pride, Gunther began the final briefing.

— You’ve done well. One last obstacle remains, and we’ll return home safely.

The last obstacle. The fighters swallowed in unison.

— ...We just run. From now until the Labyrinth’s opening day, we have to keep moving and hold out with everything we’ve got.

A direct clash was impossible. The gap in power remained overwhelming. Now the enemy would not relax. There would be no “one-sided victory” like before. In a war of attrition, they would inevitably lose. Even the combative Tarsha nodded in agreement this time.

— However, simply running is no less dangerous. There’s still a long time until opening day, and our enemies are not blind kittens.

Six full days until opening. The realization that they would have to hide that long darkened the fighters’ expressions.

— .......

But the confidence in Gunther’s eyes did not waver. And confidence is contagious. Instead of losing heart, the fighters clenched their fists and waited for his next words. He did not disappoint them.

— Therefore, we...

The image of perfect victory he had carefully painted in his mind was complete. Gunther grinned broadly.

— We strike back at their Runner.