Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture

The gate that Sora-san mentioned has been confirmed.

However, our current situation leaves us with no time to open the gate and jump in.

After all…

[Uoooomuuuu!]

“Woah, wait!? It’s moving faster than I expected!?”

“Akira onee-sama, hang in there! Please do your best!!”

It’s because the worm that’s pursuing us is swifter than we imagined!

Why the hell is it catching up with us when I and Ys are driving “Frozen Cloud” with all our strength, damn it! 

Is that it! The kind of thing in which an elephant and a rat compete, and at first glance it appears that the rat would prevail, but in reality, the elephant comes out on top! The size difference is a joke!

[Woowumoo!]

“It’s throwing up something! Toki nee-chan!”

“Amenoma-sama!”

I can’t tell since I am facing ahead driving “Frozen Cloud” smoothly in the wilderness environment, but it seems that the worm spits forth some liquid-like substance, and I can see plumes of a smoke-like substance billowing up in several places on the ground ahead of me.

From the sound of Toki-san’s and Sora-san’s voices, the “Frozen Cloud” is about to be affected by it, but apparently Toki-san is able to block it.

“Akira onee-sama! Can’t your right eye be used to counteract it!?”

“Impossible! I’ve already directed most of my strength into the ‘Frozen Cloud,’ and in the first place, with that size, only the surface part of it can be frozen!”

We do not, nevertheless, know when it will close the gap to us, even if we continue fleeing.

Yet, the power of Ys is not very effective against a monster of that magnitude, and a frontal strike would be challenging to manage.

Suppose this worm was to be defeated, at least two groups of decoys and attackers would be absolutely indispensable.

The optimal approach therefore would be to somehow stop the worm or draw it away before escaping through the gate.

I mean, even at that scale, a single core is a conventional monster… Something is amiss.

“Don’t we have any move to use… yeah! Akira-san, what about the purifying salt!?”

“That might work…”

[It’s in the bag of the sidecar driver!]

“I understand!”

When Toki-san mentions the precise location where Ys, not me, stores the purifying salt at this point, I start searching for the salt and find it.

Even if I harbor a few thoughts on this fact, now is not the appropriate moment to reflect on it.

It’s a risk, but in this case, we have no other choice.

“Toki-san, give me that!”

“Yes!”

“(Ys! How to use the purifying salt!)”

[Chant it in sync to my words with divine power! You may then hand it off to someone else to hurl it into its mouth!]

“(Understood!)”

Toki-san gives me a packet of purifying salt via Sora-san, and I take it in one hand while using the other to channel the power and pour divine power into the “Frozen Cloud.”

“(Let’s get started then!)”

[I get it!]

“[Iiran nacchi onaraki onsoshisu aherokku.]”

Perhaps in reaction to the divine power that has started to permeate into it, the wrapping paper begins to waver.

[Uoooomuuuu!!]

“Akira onee-sama, to the left!”

“Tsk!? [Eamamatoiku eamamachi ara wa eamatte sakutechi!]”

At Sora-san’s cry, I instinctively turn the steering wheel of the “Frozen Cloud” to the left. Immediately after that, the earthworm let out a strange cry towards the place where we had just been, and its mouth tentacles, which are coated in a liquid that appears to be very corrosive, extend with powerful forces like a javelin.

The sight would have been appalling if I hadn’t been obeying Sora-san’s cry.

[This is the last one!]

“(I understand!)”

“[Eamatekojirisu edarakisemifu itsuonosu oonomuranamisokoi] Toki-san!”

“Yes!”

Right upon completion of the chanting, the entire wrapping paper of the purifying salt starts glowing, and I pass it over to Toki-san, all the while refocusing on operating the “Frozen Cloud”.

By nature, I should have told her what to do after handing it over to her.

But I am certain of it. I am convinced that Toki-san can hear Ys’ voice, which ordinary people should not be able to hear.

“Take this…!!”

“It’s going to be fed to it!?”

[U… uoooooomuuuuu!!?]

[All right!]

And exactly as Ys says, Toki-san feeds the earthworm with purifying salt, causing it to consume it and then erupt into grotesque squeals while at the same time ceasing to move.

“Heh…”

While directing “Frozen Cloud” towards the gate, I turn around for a moment to check on the worm.

The earthworm then convulses all over its body and shivers on the spot while ice-like substance forms on each part of its body.

However, since the worm has not yet been completely immobilized or destroyed, it is progressively approaching us.

Yeah. It seems that it can’t be restrained for a long time, so we should get away from it at once.

“At last, we’re at the gateー”

“In the end, we didn’t find any survivors.”

“(Ys, this gate is…?)”

We eventually reach the gate that Sora-san has discovered.

In front of the gate lies a single type of footprint. Usually, it is the one that belongs to that escaped member of the team… but somehow I sense something unwelcome from this gate.

How should I put it… the air of this “Maze” where we are now is simmering and deepening, at any rate, the atmosphere from the door is thickening.

This atmosphere reminds me of the story that “Mazes” that have been in existence for a long time possess multiple levels. This is most likely the situation.

[Perhaps your feeling is right, Akira. This gate probably leads not to the original world, but to a deeper level. It’s possible that it’s more perilous than the place we are in now.]

“…But we have no alternative but to proceed.”

[Yeah, it’s impossible to keep on running forever against that worm, you know.]

Ys affirms my thoughts while telling me that there is no other solution.

Well, I suppose we have to advance ahead, regarding it as a retreat that will undoubtedly result in our death and an advance that will hopefully destroy the “Maze,” which may be a tiger’s den, yet will also allow us to survive.

But I don’t believe that the threat at the fork in the road will only be at tiger level.

“Be ready for whatever comes next, both of you.”

“Sora. Unfortunately, we can’t return to the surface just yet.”

“Uee… so this means the gate that I found is the one to descend, right? As long as Akira onee-sama is going, I am willing to accompany her wherever she wants to go.”

[Let’s hurry and move on; that earthworm seems to have brushed away its restraints.]

“(Right.)”

And we pass through the gate in front of us and head for the depths of the “Maze”.