Chapter 27 The Escape and the Sacrifice
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We slipped out of the hollow tree—quietly, but as fast as we could.
Leaves rustled above us, our steps brushing against roots and grass. I hoped the fire’s roar would cover the sound. The smoke was already thick in the Black Forest, carrying heat that clung to my skin.
Wood cracked in the distance, popping like fireworks.
High above, the ceiling glowed orange from the flames. Smoke had nowhere to go, gathering under the dome and raining sparks back down. Each spark set the ground aflame again.
It was a perfect fire trap. A closed dome, full of fuel.
Soon this place would be hell.
I was being carried on someone’s back—her back.
”Master, try not to breathe too much smoke,” she said.
”Okay. I’ll try.”
”The entrance should be sealed to keep the fire from spreading. We’ll head for the second layer of the dungeon.”
”That means we can escape through another route, right?”
”Yes. It’s dangerous, but still better than staying here. Monsters don’t usually chase across floors.”
We had chosen to flee.
I couldn’t stand the thought of burning alive—or watching Trash-san die slowly beside me. I’d cried harder than I had in years, until my eyes stung.
”You really cried your heart out,” she said. “Still hurts?”
I sniffed. “Yeah. My eyes are sore.”
”What a troublesome master. When you said you’d rather die than watch him suffer, you left me no choice. That was unfair, wasn’t it?”
”I couldn’t help it! You expect me to just sit there while Trash-san and that C*mslut choke to death? Knowing we’d be next? No way!”
”Then I said I’d find a way to live outside, didn’t I?”
”You don’t have to disappear like a dying cat,” I muttered.
The truth was, this whole disaster had started because I, a reincarnated person, entered the dungeon. It was my fault—my adult mind in a child’s body.
So many people had died already. If I lost even her—my only trusted sister figure—I wasn’t sure my mind would survive.
Maybe drowning in women could help me forget… but probably not.
”Both of you. Quiet,” Trash-san hissed.
”Ah—sorry.”
”My bad,” she whispered.
”I get how you feel,” he said. “Fear makes people talk. But right now, silence keeps us alive.”
I pressed myself against her back, holding still.
Then I whispered near her ear.
”But we can even talk like this because you learned to use your power while moving, right?”
She chuckled. “Heh. Guess I’m growing up. I’m a woman now, after all.”
She glanced back at me and smiled.
Her psychic ability—something that once needed full focus—had evolved through our training. What used to be a silly practice, controlling one part of her body, had become a skill she could use even while walking or fighting. Now she could maintain strong defenses around us both, keeping us safe from heat and ash.
”Even when sparks land on us, it doesn’t burn,” I said softly. “It doesn’t even sting my eyes. That’s amazing.”
Still, the protection weakened when she moved too fast. Power and mobility were a trade-off.
Suddenly, Trash-san stopped ahead.
We froze and whispered.
”This way, right?” he asked.
”The map said so,” she replied. “But there are no landmarks here. Give me a second…”
”You sure we’re not lost?”
”Can’t help it. I didn’t expect we’d have to find a path to the second floor. Don’t you remember the way?”
”I can’t read maps.”
”That’s a fatal flaw for an explorer,” he muttered. “Forget I heard that.”
It wasn’t that we’d forgotten—the dungeon simply went deeper. This forest was only the first layer of many. Each floor led downward like a giant maze beneath the earth.
Our main exit might already be blocked. If we reached it and couldn’t pass, that would be the end. At least deeper in, there’d be fewer monsters watching.
Going down was the only chance.
Past the second layer, doors connected to other dungeons in the Kazusa Province—like tunnels in a giant ant nest. If we went far enough and slid sideways through the deep layers, we might even reach my hometown, Kujukuri Town.
”That’s bad,” Trash-san said suddenly. “I can hear the call.”
”Already? We haven’t found the way down yet!”
”They’ll be on us in ninety seconds.”
”Damn those Ichihara bastards. Gave us a useless map because we’re outsiders…”
I heard it too—a sharp cry, like a horned owl’s scream, cutting through the crackle of burning wood.
”Do we run?” she asked.
”Yeah. But keep an eye out for any side doors,” he said. “If we can reach the Inage route, that’s best. Hiding in another hollow now would just mean waiting to die.”
”You serious? We don’t even know where that leads!”
Before I could reply, the world began to blur—the scenery rushing past as we started to run.
The two of them charged ahead, ignoring the thick trees and dense underbrush.
They kicked roots that looked like wire mesh and sprang between trunks, weaving through the trees as if bouncing. I would have tripped on that stuff for sure.
”Hang on—we’re going up onto the trees for a moment!”
”Ooh.”
”Whoa!”
The scenery shifted again.
The Black Forest shone as if lit by the setting sun. Gravity felt weak here, and in that long, slow hover I could see the whole cave. A giant dome arched above us. The ceiling was brown rock; below, a black forest spread like a sea. Here and there, holes opened in the canopy, and doors—like the one we’d used to enter—stood alone in those gaps.
Flames were sweeping everything up with fierce speed.
A chemical stench hit my nose. In low gravity the flames curled into round shapes, and their power felt much stronger than normal.
”Ah, wrong—someone’s already fighting. Oh, found them. It’s on an elephant’s back. Someone’s in there fighting. Yes—go! Kill that damn bird!”
”There are survivors?!”
We ran across the treetops, sliding over the canopy like skiers.
High above a break in the forest, something darted through the air at high speed, diving toward a clearing again and again. From the ground, a huge blue arm reached up to push a Horned Owl away. It must be an Imperial Guard’s psionic ability—using supernatural power to fight the monsters.
We moved away from that battle, heading the other direction.
”Go! Hit it! It’s like swatting a mosquito—do it! Knock it down there… oh, it’s dead.”
”They must’ve escaped through fire tactics. Same as us… Damn it. If only we could’ve helped.”
”Uh oh. It’s looking this way.”
I couldn’t see it well, but the two of them could spot a tiny brown dot far off—like a sesame seed floating in the air. It seemed to be watching us.
”It’s a little over a ri away. Ten seconds and it’ll be here.”
”Unbelievable luck… No time to complain.”
We surged forward.
We were running as if flying. But nothing could escape a true flier. Something small and terrifying was closing in at a terrible speed.
”Wha—wait…!”
I couldn’t make sense of it. Someone’s Imperial Guard had been fighting and then was losing, and then—
”Young Master, close your eyes and stay still,” she ordered.
”Cover is on its side. I’ll use every flash grenade we have up in the trees.”
”Got it. Then what?”
”After we stun it, we retreat toward the nearest door.”
”Understood.”
They organized quickly while I just panicked and stammered. Then the high, piercing call cut off—probably because whatever it was could reach us faster than its voice.
”Three… two… one… now!”
The last thing I saw was Trash-san tossing a small cylinder into the air.
My ears rang with a high-pitched whine, and the world went blind.
Pure white. An endless white field stretched on.
I blinked out of habit, puzzled. The white didn’t change. The ringing didn’t stop, but it didn’t hurt.
This always happened when a flash grenade went off while C*mslut held me fixed. It was strange. Maybe this is what heaven looks like.
When my sight finally returned, C*mslut was holding me. A few drops of red trickled down my cheek.
”Ah—w-wait a sec,” I muttered.
”Sorry, Young Master. I scared you. Oh—this… my eye’s fallen out somewhere. But I still have one, so don’t worry!”
She was bleeding from one eye. The blood gushed in a way that made the damage obvious. A deep, red line ran down her face where a claw had sliced from top to bottom. Where her eye had been, there was an empty socket. Sweat poured from her face; she had been ripped open and one eye torn out. It was clear at a glance—she was blind in that eye.
”She’s on guard. Flash grenades are scary, huh. Be a good kid and stay like that…”
Her remaining eye stared toward something—a small bird. It beat its wings furiously but hovered in place, watching us. It was tiny—probably smaller than a pigeon.
”Gii?” it chirped.
Round orange eyes, brown feathers, a little hairpin-like crest and erect ear tufts—watching us closely.
The Horned Owl hovered before us now, so near I couldn’t be sure it was ten meters away.
It flapped like a hummingbird but made no sound. In the silence, a faint static like a TV storm buzzed, and the Owl’s position jumped. Even this close, it was too fast to track. It seemed to appear and vanish like broken footage.
The Owl hovered above a sea of fire, flying reluctantly in the searing wind.
”Giiidd! Giiidd!” it cried.
”Hey! Over here—aim for me, not the Young Master! Try and hit me instead!”
”Gii!”
At that moment, the hovering Horned Owl blurred.
Then my vision snapped. C*mslut, still holding me, lurched back. I didn’t know what had happened—only a breeze passed through me as if something had just flown by.
”Damn it… too fast to hit! Shit, I’m not going to get taken down!”
C*mslut raised her blade with one hand, swinging it in a sharp counterstrike—so fast it barely looked human.
But it didn’t matter whether she hit or missed. In the time it took her to swing once, the Horned Owl had already ripped through her body three times.
”Damn it… you bastard… too fast…! I won’t let you touch the Young Master!”
”Ah—your blood! You’re bleeding too much! Why didn’t you fix yourself properly? You have to stop!”
”I’ll get it… Come on then, I’ll kill you myself!”
She shouted and lifted her sword again, ready to strike—but the monster was nowhere to catch.
”Come on! I’m not that—ah!”
The tiny Horned Owl flashed past her side. A wet, heavy sound burst out, and blood gushed from under her arm.
A red waterfall poured before my eyes, splattering over the ground.
She dropped her sword and pulled me in tighter with both arms.
”Young Master… closer,” she whispered.
I pressed myself against her chest.
”It hurts… damn it… damn… ngh…”
I felt her body shuddering. Something slammed into her back again and again. Each time, the air rippled and her blood misted through the smoke.
”Ah… no more…”
”It’s fine… it’s nothing, Young Master… you’re fine…”
Tears welled up as I clung to her. Her strength was fading fast. The light in her eye was dimming, her voice weak, muttering the same words again and again.
”Heh… don’t worry, Young Master. We’ll make it. But hey… why’s there so much red at my feet?”
Over her shoulder, I saw the Horned Owl hovering easily, rising a little higher. The little reaper was preparing to dive for the final strike. Below it, her white neck was exposed like it was waiting on a guillotine.
Just then, from the burning trees, a woman in a white uniform leapt out.
”Sorry to keep you waiting! One more blast—brace yourself!”
”—!”
I saw it—Trash-san’s thrown cylinder. The moment it crossed paths with the Horned Owl in midair, the creature froze with impossible speed. It lowered its ear tufts, sealed its ears, and shut its eyes tight against the flash.
It was bracing for light and sound.
”Giiizz!”
But the explosion wasn’t a flash. A wave of fire and metal fragments tore through the air.
”So it was after the Master first,” Trash-san muttered.
”You’re late, idiot! I nearly died playing bait! Guh… cough—damn it…”
”Sorry… but this is worse. Even that didn’t scratch it.”
I was locked in place, fully sealed by C*mslut’s psionic field—unable to move, unable to speak.
When the heat and dust cleared, I saw Trash-san’s shape again. His clothes were shredded. His skin was burned raw, metal shards stuck deep everywhere. He looked like a man carved apart.
”Gii?”
The Horned Owl perched on a branch right in front of us, unharmed. It tilted its head, watching curiously, as if wondering why there’d been no light—why only heat and shrapnel.
”This is it,” Trash-san said quietly. “I lit the path to the second floor. Follow it. I’ll keep it busy.”
”No… my artery’s done. You go.”
”…You can’t?”
”I’m counting on you.”
But the Horned Owl didn’t wait for their last words. Realizing there was no danger left, it leaned forward.
”Gii, gigi… gi?”
Before I knew it, its claws were buried in C*mslut’s face—right where her remaining eye had been. It was too fast to see, too sudden to react.
But she wasn’t finished. Her psionic field pinned the Horned Owl to her face, locking it in place.
”Guh… ngh—Got it. It’s stopped. Go. Run. Young Master… stay alive…”
Kneeling, blind in both eyes, she didn’t let go.
Then she shoved me away.
The Owl thrashed, wings beating wildly, trying to lift off her slack body. But she’d trapped it. Both of them froze in that awful stillness, like a grim statue of flesh and feathers.
When I came to, I was in Trash-san’s arms. He carried me through the burning forest. Behind us, C*mslut and the Owl vanished into the fire.
”Wait—no, wait! She’ll die! C*mslut’s going to die! We can’t just leave her!”
”Please, endure it. There’s nothing we can do now.”
”But—!”
”As long as she’s holding it, that thing can’t attack. Honor her wish, please.”
”No… it can’t end like this. Please—!”
”She’s doing her duty—to buy us time to escape. I’m sorry, Young Master.”
I looked back. All I saw was black smoke and burning trees.
Notes:
• Kazusa Province – A region cited in Chapter 29 dungeon records defining unreturnable dungeons. Serves as a geographic and academic reference for explorers.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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