Around the time when Kris was nearing the entrance to the Abyss King’s tomb, an excited shout echoed throughout a certain passage in the labyrinth.

"He's close! Follow me!" (Eliza)

Just after reuniting with the rest of her companions, Eliza told them about Kris falling down a pit after defeating numerous monsters.

They unanimously agreed finding Kris was their top priority.

Eliza took over the role of vanguard and led the group through the labyrinth. She did not bother using the tracker since she could once again track Kris by his scent.

“How can you be so accurate Eliza? The tracking tool is very vague to begin with, but navigating this place so easily without it is beyond my comprehension…” (Lily)

Lily voiced her concerns from the center of the group with a voice tinged with envy.

Priding herself as an exceptional mage with spectacular skills in locating targets, she now felt her skills paled in comparison with the White Wolf girl in front of her.

“I lost track of Kris’s scent after he fell, but it seems whatever was obstructing it has worn off. Now I can smell it clearly. We should catch up to him in the next few minutes. Let’s hurry!” (Eliza)

Without waiting for her comrades’ consent, Eliza quickened her pace.

“Hahh she’s as lively as ever…” (Gale)

Gale sighed as the rest of the group was left in the dust by the Demi-human Savior rushing ahead.

“She’s not the only one. Even I’m anxious to see Kris again. He’s only human after all, yet he believes he can accomplish everything on his own.” (Lily)

“Well, almost human. Having a dragon’s strength sure is convenient.” (Gale)

Gale only meant it as a joke, but Lily showed a serious expression to his words.

“That’s exactly why I’m worried. He may not say it directly, but he gives off a feeling of always wanting to face danger alone without support, no matter how dire the situation is. Of course, it might just be his way of looking after his team, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, I fear he relies too much on his power and does not realize he’s just one person.” (Lily)

Gale could not immediately understand Lily’s concern.

He had always seen Kris as a capable leader who did not shy away from a fight, but knew when a battle was too tough to fight alone.

Gale did not feel that Kris was too confident in his own strength that it blinded him, but he also knew Lily was an excellent judge of character and her observations were rarely wrong.

For now, he thought it was best to sort out this matter once Kris was found.

****

Taking the right flank as usual, Sylvia remained silent and listened to her companions’ discussion.

She had been pondering over where she stood with this diverse group of people for quite some time.

Despite a somewhat natural distrust of other people, Sylvia decided these fellow Saviors were worthy of her trust and worked hard to support her comrades in order to gain their respect. In return, they supported her and she felt her place was with this group.

Especially surprising for her was finding out the leader of the group shared the same blood as her.

Sylvia never had the luxury of friends in her nation due to her position as a princess. However, Kris ignored her social standing and talked to her as a friend would.

At first, Sylvia thought of Kris as a bothersome Human with strength on par with her, but as she began feeling there was something more to him, she found herself wanting to learn more about her leader.

Even so, I never would have predicted Kris is technically my kin. He's a very interesting man...

Once she discovered the connection between them, Sylvia was convinced she belonged with Kris and her important companions.

Lost in thought, the four heroes had already entered a large room before Sylvia realized it.

In the center of the ceiling, a single massive light crystal completely illuminated the hall.

Eliza continued her fast pace towards the exit with the rest of the group doing their best to keep up with her.

"!!?" (Eliza)

Suddenly, Eliza came to an abrupt halt.

Gale, Lily, and Sylvia also stopped and were about to ask the reason for the sudden rest when they noticed Eliza’s condition.

Eliza’s white skin seemed to be paler than usual and her face was frozen in shock. Her body was trembling so much, it seemed like she would break into pieces.

“Eliza? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” (Lily)

“…gone…” (Eliza)

To Lily’s question that did not hide her anxiety, Eliza let out a barely audible voice.

“’Gone’? What do you mean..?” (Gale)

Upon being asked again, Eliza answered with quivering lips.

“K-Kris…h-he’s…h-he’s…he’s gone…” (Eliza)

The other heroes did not understand her stutters, but before they could inquire further, Eliza continued talking in fragmented words while tears started to form at the corner of her eyes.

“H-his scent…just…vanished…I-I can’t…sense him anymore…h-he’s gone…gone…GONE!” (Eliza)

Gradually, the rest of the group understood the severity of her words and did not know how to respond.

As if on cue, a short ring came from each of the trackers the heroes were given. Fearing the worst, the heroes checked their individual trackers.

On the display, there were five markers altogether, but only four were green, indicating those four people were unhurt.

The marker that was furthest away, the marker displaying Kris’s location...was black, the color for deceased.

Silence resumed as the group stared in shock at the magic tools that informed them their comrade was no more.

The only sound that could be heard was the sobbing of a broken-hearted girl.

Eliza clutched the sides of her head with her hands while hunching over. Fresh tears streamed down her face with no sign of stopping.

"It's...all my fault. I couldn't...do anything. I was just a burden for him and now...now...he's dead. Kris is...Kris is...dead." (Eliza)

Eliza shut her eyes as tight as she could, as if trying to escape reality. Her face was distorted from pain and sadness. The ears that usually pointed up were drooped low over head and her tail ducked in between her thighs.

Her companions did not have the composure to comfort her and instead suffered in their own way.

Immediately after the tracker showed Kris's demise, Lily had been chanting a Spirit Magic spell designed to locate a single person the user desired. Even though her face hid any feelings of sadness, she could not stop the trembling hands in front of her chest.

Gale did not bother hiding his rage and brandished the axe on his back. Aiming for a pillar nearby, he screamed "Damn it!" and shattered the structure in one swing. He wiped away tears with his free hand while catching his breath.

Sylvia's face remained expressionless, but if one were to look closely, they would see her eyebrows twitching constantly as she tried with all her might to hold back the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Without paying attention to the condition of her comrades, Eliza continued speaking to herself in a low voice.

"It's a lie, right?...It must be...some kind of trick...right?...Right?" (Eliza)

"Eliza..." (Lily)

After finishing her spell, Lily tried to comfort Eliza by embracing her from behind, but Eliza instantly shook her off.

"No! He's not dead! Kris can't be dead! He's the strongest person ever! He can't die! He can't!" (Eliza)

The strength in her legs failed and Eliza collapsed on her knees, her sobs echoing throughout the large hall.

Staring at her companion with eyes full of sadness, Lily reached down to pull her friend off the ground.

The moment her hands reached Eliza's back-

The doorway leading out of the hall in front of them exploded, shattering the exit and exposing a large hole in its place.

Although it was too dark to see the shape of the figure on the other side, a single feature could be distinguished.

A large yellow eye.

Before the heroes could react, a loud and shrill voice exclaimed from the other side of the hole.

{I FINALLY FOUND YOU HEROES! TIME TO DIE~!} (-)

*

"Arghh!" (Kris)

Kris screamed from an intense pain that struck his chest.

Searching for the source, Kris was dumbfounded once he found it.

The tracker hidden in his armor was giving off sparks and small bolts of electricity, which grew in ferocity with each passing moment.

As soon as it touched the ground after Kris threw it away, the defective magic tool let out one last giant spark before becoming silent.

Kris cautiously approached the device, confirming its components had been burned to a crisp.

That wasn’t caused by a malfunction so it must have been deliberate. But why?

He showed a troubled face as he pondered what was the best course of action in this situation.

Looking back at the entrance, the two heavy doors had sealed themselves while Kris was distracted by the tracker. When Kris tried to slice them apart with his sword, a barrier activated and repulsed his attack.

Amazed at how strong the barrier must be in order to repel his blow, Kris searched the room once more, but could not find another door.

In fact, upon closer inspection, a similar barrier had been erected around the entire perimeter of the room, denying those inside the chance to break down a wall to escape.

With no way of leaving or finding his friends, Kris could only hope they would be able to find him.

“...Now what?” (Kris)

Unsure of what to do next, Kris decided to investigate the tomb further.

Primarily, the sarcophagus at the center of the room, as well as the red sword displayed on top of it.

Kris approached the center very slowly since he took the time to mind his surroundings in case of another trap, but none could be found.

This just feels too...defenseless.

Kris had great pride in his ability to detect traps, a skill that saved the lives of his companions as well as his own many times since entering the labyrinth. While preparing to raid the Abyss King’s tomb, Kris undertook even more training so that he would be ready for whatever the Abyss King had in store for the heroes.

However, it appeared to Kris as if no measures had been taken to defend the Abyss King’s resting place from intruders.

If anything, the tomb has been designed with the intention of trapping victims inside instead of keeping them away.

Kris had an ominus feeling of danger lying in wait, yet still he advanced towards the sarcophagus.

Once he reached the sarcophagus, Kris gazed in astonishment at the beautiful sword above it, but also found himself having a feeling of déjà vu from its peculiar design.

In contrast to a straight double-edged sword, the blade of this sword formed a crescent shape, with only one side being sharpened. Its length was too small to be a longsword, but it seemed to be slightly larger than the twin swords Kris owned. In addition, its handguard circulated around the entire hilt, which Kris had never seen before.

The hilt itself was long enough to accommodate two hands. Some kind of threaded material also crisscrossed around the hilt, creating multiple spaces shaped like diamonds that revealed a gold interior underneath.

(Author’s note: I did my best trying to describe it from a third party’s standpoint. For more reference, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana.)

Looking closer, Kris could see symbols etched into the blade on both sides.

On one side read: 崇高な力で報われるもの. The opposite side read: 不肖の血で納付しなければなりません.

(Author’s note: Its suppose to say "The worthy shall be rewarded with power" on the first side and "The unworthy shall pay with blood" on the other. Please let me know if this is correct and/or how to fix it.)

Despite it looking extremely expensive, Kris sensed a heavy aura surrounding the blade. It gave one a feeling of experiencing many battles, with the blood of slain enemies having stained the blade red.

Kris began to wonder just how many lives this sword had already taken.

Take the sword.

...Huh?

Take the sword.

Kris thought he heard a voice in his head, but before he realized it, his hand was already reaching for the red sword in front of him.

Just as his fingers touched its hilt-

Kris heard the sound of a door opening and he retracted his hand. He then looked towards the entrance he had used earlier, expecting it to be open.

To his shock, the doors remained sealed.

Searching for the cause of the noise, Kris could not hide his surprise when a section of the wall to his right had opened, revealing a new doorway much larger than the entrance.

A loud stomping sound originating from the opening reverberated throughout the tomb.

Sensing imminent danger, Kris took a battle stance.

With each step, the floor shook and trembled. Kris had a hard time keeping his balance as the footsteps started getting closer.

Finally, the one responsible made its appearance from the opening and entered the room.

Kris inclined his head in bewilderment at the sight in front of him.

A giant stone golem roughly three times his size stood in front of him, with symbols matching those on the sword engraved around its entire body.

Its head resembled a knight’s helmet, but instead of eyes, a single red light occupied the visor of its faceplate.

Contrary to its large body, Kris had the feeling it was not as slow as it appeared.

Although visible weapons could not be seen, Kris kept his guard up while brandishing the lone sword on his back. Luckily, its hilt was long enough so that Kris could wield it with both hands, which greatly added to its offensive and defensive capabilities.

The stone golem stopped a few paces across from Kris. Its single red eye glared at him from above. Kris felt a shiver down his spine, but ignored it and gave the golem his own intense gaze before speaking.

“Well, you’re awfully late, aren’t you? Didn't you realize I could have disposed of your precious ruler by the time you arrived? Hmph, I wonder if you can understand me in the first place. Is there even a brain in that thick head of yours?” (Kris)

Kris began ridiculing the golem for its tardiness, but when it failed to respond, he insulted its intelligence. Even so, the golem did not break its gaze from Kris and merely stood in place.

Of course, Kris was not merely playing around. He knew the danger of facing an opponent this deadly, so he tried provoking it in order to understand its behavior and allow him the initiative to land an attack. This was a habit he had picked up as an adventurer.

So either it can't understand me or it can't be provoked with words. Noted.

After making a mental note from his observations, Kris gritted his teeth while preparing himself for battle.

“...If you’re not going to attack, then just stand there and die!” (Kris)

After finishing his sentence, Kris leaped high into the air until he was parallel with the golem’s head. He prepared the sword in a dual underhand grip over his head before raising a war cry.

“Yahhhhh!” (Kris)

Emitting a ferocious yell, Kris brought down his sword with its tip aimed at the opening of the golem’s visor.

In response, the golem positioned its left forearm in front of its faceplate to block the attack.

The tip of the sword approached the stone arm and upon impact -

*SHATTER*

- the sword made of a mithril-iron alloy fractured into multiple pieces.

...Wha-

The moment his mind registered what had occurred, the golem’s right fist attacked from the left.

The stone fist collided with Kris’s left side, and his vision turned black.