Behemoth, the Ruler of the Land
Leviathan, the Ruler of the Sea
Bahamut, the Ruler of the Sky
The three Divine Beasts said to have been commanded by the Holy Gods during the mythological era, vying for dominion over the world.
Their power is said to be immense, capable of rending the skies, shattering mountains, and draining entire lakes.
According to myth, they traveled from star to star, sweeping away the armies of the Old Gods, the Outer Gods, and the Dragon Gods.
It is said that after these three rampaged, the planet would become uninhabitable for a time.
(Well, it's just mythology, so it's probably exaggerated.) (Eugene)
At least, that's what I thought.
Until I saw it with my own eyes.
"If you make eye contact, it's best not to stare for too long. There's a risk of mental contamination." (Uther)
"...Huh?" (Eugene)
Principal Uther casually took the Space Telescope from me.
I took a deep breath to steady myself and stood up.
My body was still trembling slightly.
"The final Trial of the Gods… Do we really have to face that?" (Eugene)
"Most likely. It resides at the very top Floor of the Zenith Tower, so it stands to reason. As far as I know, no one in human history has ever reached that Floor. Based on my estimation, there are probably Divine Beasts stationed at the 900th and 800th Floors as well. The difficulty of the Zenith Tower likely rises by several ranks beyond the 500th Floor." (Uther)
The Principal answered while stroking his beard.
I barely managed to break through the 200th Floor with a joint expedition, yet that was apparently nothing in comparison.
"That's just unfair. It's like the Holy Gods never intended for anyone to clear this trial." (Eugene)
"Perhaps they have their reasons…but normally, that's not something the people of the surface should be able to fight against." (Uther)
Even the Principal didn't say that defeating it was possible.
"Or maybe…it's just really big and slow, or maybe it's incredibly dumb or something…" (Eugene)
Just as I was about to finish my thought…
A chill ran down my spine.
"…!?"
I hastily looked up at the sky.
All I saw was the vast blue expanse.
(I'm being watched…!?) (Eugene)
"Eugene, it can hear you. You'd best not badmouth it too much." (Uther)
"Wait… Huh? It can hear me?" (Eugene)
Just how far away do you think it is?
Saying it has good hearing would be an understatement.
"Bahamut, the Ruler of the Sky, soars through space, monitoring the surrounding stars. It listens to the voices of those on the surface, searching for any anomalies. Of course, it can hear you." (Uther)
"Uh… Wow. The Divine Beasts from mythology really are on a whole different level. So cool, so amazing, I totally admire them." (Eugene)
The oppressive feeling of being watched vanished.
…Wow, it really did react to badmouthing.
I should be careful about what I say.
As I stood there silently, hesitant to speak…
"Bahamut rarely stays on a single planet for long. It will likely leave for another one in a few days." (Uther)
"So it doesn't remain on the top floor of the Zenith Tower permanently?" (Eugene)
"There is also Leviathan, the Ruler of the Sea, active on this planet. Having two of them stationed here at all times would be overkill." (Uther)
The Principal was saying something outrageous again.
"Leviathan is here too?" (Eugene)
"At one of the Last Dungeons, the Deepsea Temple. You've heard of it, haven't you?" (Uther)
"…So it really exists." (Eugene)
I learned about it in my dungeon studies lectures, but it never felt real to me.
Even the professor teaching the course had never actually seen Leviathan.
"Oh, it's definitely there. Guarding the temple to prevent intruders." (Uther)
"…You actually saw it?" (Eugene)
From the way the Principal spoke, it seemed like he personally challenged the Deepsea Temple.
"Yes, and I panicked when Leviathan spotted me. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the terrifying Evil God said to be sealed within the temple." (Uther)
"…What were you thinking?" (Eugene)
It seems that, during his days as an explorer, the Principal had ventured into all sorts of dangerous places.
"Oh, it's already this late. By the way, Eugene, do you have any free time?" (Uther)
"I wouldn't say free exactly, but I have the morning off." (Eugene)
"In that case, could you run an errand for me? You've met the new supervising angel of the 100th Floor, haven't you?" (Uther)
"I talk to Rita-san often. What do you need?" (Eugene)
The Principal handed me a thick stack of papers.
"This is a report summarizing recent anomalies in the Zenith Tower. Could you deliver it for me?" (Uther)
"Sure, but why don't you deliver it yourself?" (Eugene)
The Principal held the record for reaching beyond the 400th Floor.
He could get there in no time with the dungeon elevator.
"I am not acquainted with the current angel of the 100th Floor. It's faster for someone familiar to handle it. Also, it would be helpful if you could ask how the administrators are interpreting the anomalies." (Uther)
"I see. Understood." (Eugene)
I gladly accepted the Principal's request.
"Then I have another matter to attend to. I'm counting on you, Eugene." (Uther)
With that, the Principal disappeared using Teleport.
Busy as ever.
I tucked the papers under my arm and headed for the Zenith Tower.
Along the way, a thought struck me.
(Doesn't the Principal have the Magic Eyes of Clairvoyance?) (Eugene)
It wasn't as precise as the Destiny Oracle's power, but he could see glimpses of the future.
He acted like he just happened to run into me, but maybe he had foreseen that I'd be the ideal candidate to deliver the documents.
(He could've just ordered me directly. I would've listened.) (Eugene)
Principal Uther had the authority to command its citizens as the ruler of the Dungeon City.
But I have never heard of him giving unreasonable orders.
The only times he did were when a demonic beast escaped and he issued an evacuation order, or when a magical experiment failed and he issued another evacuation order.
A lot of evacuations, huh…
He is a mage at heart who loves research above all else.
The governing principle of the Dungeon City is: Unity and Peace.
The people here all trusted King Uther.
Myself included.
(I'd better deliver this properly.) (Eugene)
With that resolve, I arrived at the first Floor of the Zenith Tower.
The dungeon elevator was relatively empty since it was just before lunch.
Checking the Satellite System, it seemed no expedition teams were currently challenging the Trial of the Gods on the 100th Floor.
I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 100th Floor.
◇
Ding.
The doors opened.
Stepping onto the 100th Floor, I found myself surrounded by a vast expanse of lush green fields with scattered groves.
(Alright, time to find the angel.) (Eugene)
I headed to the place where Rita-san often did her paperwork at a large desk. There were piles of documents, but the angel herself was nowhere to be found.
I had a feeling she would return if I waited here, but since I wanted to attend my afternoon classes if possible, I decided to go look for her instead.
It was a place with a good view.
Thinking I'd find her soon, I walked around, relying on my instincts…
"........."
"........."
And heard the sound of someone talking.
One of them was probably Rita-san. If that's the case, then the other person was likely Eri.
Well, I'd find out for sure once I got there.
I walked toward the voices.
Gradually, their conversation became clearer.
"…This is bad…-ta-chan."
"…Eeh…even though…actually want to♡"
(Hm?)
The other person wasn't Eri.
And the voice sounded familiar.
The area was a wood grove, making it a little hard to see.
The voices were coming from behind the trees.
Just as I was about to peek over…
(Idiot! Eugene! Why are you wandering around!? This is the good part!) (Eri)
Someone yanked me back from behind.
(What!?) (Eugene)
I hadn't sensed anyone there at all.
Since when did they get behind me!?
I hurriedly turned around, reaching for my sword's hilt —only to realize that the person who had pulled me back was an overwhelmingly beautiful silver-haired woman.
"Er—" (Eugene)
(Too loud!) (Eri)
The Demon Lord covered my mouth.
She didn't want me to speak.
(What's going on?) (Eugene)
I mouthed the words silently.
Eri seemed to understand and responded through thought transmission.
(Peek through there. And be quiet.) (Eri)
Following her instructions, I carefully peeked out from behind the trees…
(...Huh?) (Eugene)
The sight before me was so unexpected that I nearly gasped.
"This is a bit sudden, isn't it, Rita-chan?"
"After coming this far, are you really going to leave me hanging-ssu ka, Claude-kun?"
What I saw was…
…My best friend Claude being pinned down by the angel, Rita-san.