From the shadows of the earthly world… your gaze has awakened something.
Do you dare to continue reading the scriptures of this forbidden novel?
Then listen well, curious soul.
I have opened a digital temple on Ko-fi.
With a simple offering of $1 dollar, you will help me summon sacred illustrations: authentic portraits of the beings that inhabit this story.
But every pact deserves a reward:
The faithful will receive personalized, unique images… and perhaps, a secret reserved only for the chosen ones.
[Make your offering here]
In a deathly silence, at the end of the fight between Javier Valderrama and Ryuto Kaito.
—Good fight; come anytime, I will accept your challenge—.
Javier said, ceasing to supply arcane energy from the star's core to the runes, which disappeared.
Ryuto Kaito was in no condition to listen to Javier's words; he writhed in pain as he removed everything piercing his body, falling.
—... It's over for him—.
Someone mentioned.
Ryuto Korei, who had appeared to catch him, realized at a glance that although the wounds had pierced his body, they did not damage major organs or veins. Even so, losing an arm not only damaged his fighting prowess but also his chances of advancing as an arcane mage, stagnating forever as an Arcane-Armor mage or, in the worst-case scenario, losing the ability to be one entirely.
—Ugh…—.
—Ahh, a pity, he was an excellent mage of the Ryuto family—.
Was heard among the murmurs.
—Ahahaha!! A splendid display of power! Although I highly doubt that was all you could achieve, and it only took one of the few qualified ones they had left!—.
With his body trembling with rage upon hearing every word that was a slap to his pride and the millenary surname he carried on his shoulders.
Ryuto Dachi could accept the loss in combat of one of his clan's young members, since as arcane mages, the danger of death was something no one could evade, not even himself. But when Radiant Hayato laughed at the "splendid" fight shown, it was something no one could stand.
Although old and experienced, he couldn't prevent his mana from flowing like a landslide that swallowed everything under an immeasurable weight.
—Mmm—.
Chuckling to himself, unaffected, Radiant Hayato continued eating some of the fruit on his table.
—We can continue, or are you going to tell me you're upset? Come on, old age has made you sentimental… How scary!—.
—Shut your filthy mouth, or do you want my fist? I'll rip out your tongue—.
Upon hearing Negima Kenta's warning, the mocking smile disappeared into a bored one; with nothing else to do, he took a fruit from his table and began to eat in silence.
Radiant Hayato, who could afford to act as he pleased due to how powerful his space magic was and the tricks along with his arsenal of techniques up his sleeve, knew clearly that he couldn't play with a Negima. His body still remembered a life-or-death fight from which he had to escape, leaving him on the brink of death, and the only reason he was saved was due to the resources of the Radiant clan.
Ryuto Dachi, seeing that Negima Kenta took action, used a breathing technique to calm the arcane energy, relaxing the pressure around him.
—... You have shown us your combat skills, which are enough to survive within the Exodus Dungeon… It seems no one can object to your entry—.
—Thank you, Negima-sama, as well as the Eight Golden Fish for letting me enter the Exodus Dungeon—.
He said, half-bowing with his hand over his heart, turning around to see Ryuto Kaito receiving emergency care.
—Ha, the most serious wound is almost closed; I have stopped the blood flow in his other wounds to prevent further blood loss and applied a high plasma injection—.
—He will be saved!—.
—If it's in my hands, there is a 90% chance of survival, but it is better to take him to a medical center. Luckily, we are still outside and not inside the dungeon; otherwise, recovery and possible infection like the "whiskers" would be too late, affecting his life—.
Listening to what the doctor said: a man between 25 and 30 years old speaking to a woman with the same facial features as Ryuto Kaito, but more feminine.
Noticing Javier's approach, the doctor showed respect while continuing his treatment, which consisted of life magic, silver needles in the affected areas, and some acre-colored rhombus-shaped magical objects that he made levitate so the patient would not touch the ground.
But clearly, it was not the same with Ryuto Kaito's twin, who frowned upon seeing him.
—Nao—.
—¡!...—.
Clenching her fists at Ryuto Korei's warning, she swallowed what she was about to say.
—It seems I caused some trouble for your clan again—.
—Coming from you, it sounds like you're mocking me—.
—Although it wasn't my intention… I hope this compensates for something—.
—What are you trying to do to Kaito!—.
Not responding to Ryuto Nao, who was trying to protect her brother, Javier wrote a rune in the palm of his hand.
Clap!.
—Even if the stars die, their radiance shines for eons through time and space—.
Hearing the last phrase, the rune activated, letting an iridescent cosmic black completely swallow Javier's hand up to the elbow, which in turn formed a complex runic arrangement that seemed as close as seeing the moon and being able to hold it in one's palm, yet at the same time so distant.
Incredulous to their own eyes, although their instincts told them something amazing was happening before their noses, rationality prevented them from processing it.
The only one who understood something was Radiant Hayato, who had to stand up and look, spellbound by the complexity, depth, and weight of the space-time rune formation.
While everyone looked at the formation, Javier made faces of pain, pale and losing the color in his face, but no one noticed that.
Simultaneously, like a camera in reverse, the open wounds left by the branches closed in seconds, followed by a mist of blood appearing in the shape of a human arm, which then reappeared as if nothing had happened.
—... Fuuu, so exhausting… as I thought it would be, uuu. But well, job done; with this, I don't have to feel guilty, and there will be no grudges between us—.
He said in a dull but upbeat tone.
—Javier, your arm—.
Out of nowhere, Asai Yuuko had arrived at Javier's side, noticing his state.
The Eight Golden Fish, seeing the bony forearm that seemed to hang only by the skin above the elbow, breathed a sigh of relief, as did several in the crowd.
—Ahh, it's just an effect of manipulating space-time runes. They aren't that useful in prolonged battles, plus they carry a price for the user who cast them. This will heal after eating and resting for a bit, since the time I used it wasn't that long—.
Taking note of that deliberate information he gave them, Javier looked at everyone and at Yuuko, who was holding Polaris.
—Ahaha, I think I made a mess of the little gathering, sorry—.
—Don't worry. Come… sit down—.
Allowing himself to be pulled by Yuuko, he saw Lola setting up a circular table with abundant food and a place to sit.
Leaving him seated, Yuuko sat across from him and let the already restless Polaris hop off her lap and leave.
—Lola and the other ladies are already taking care of it—.
Observing more closely, he noticed people—men and women dressed in yukatas—directing the slaves who were picking up the wounded; they were of their own kind, sharing space with the spoiled food and the tables.
Javier was about to do something when a shadow blocked him.
—An impressive battle, comrade! I must say few people have excited me like that!—.
—...—.
—Oh, sorry for my poor manners. I am Negima Mitsuo—.
—Negima Mitsuo-sama !!—.
—Drop the formalities. In a few hours, we will enter a world of death and survival of the fittest. If we meet, I hope to fight shoulder to shoulder with a man as strong as you—.
As soon as he finished speaking, he patted Javier's shoulders quite energetically and withdrew.
—What was that?—.
—Something to drink?—.
—Anything would be fine—.
Immediately, Lola handed him a cup filled with a milky liquid that emitted black mist.
—What an interesting drink?… !!, delicious, mmm. I've never tasted anything like it; it's creamy, I thought it would be cloying, but it turned into little explosions on the palate. When it reaches the stomach, a cold current rises… What a fun drink—.
Loving it, he blew puffs of smoke from his nose.
—Then my choice was not wrong—.
—Mm? You made it for me?—.
—No. This cup is called the Giralu. It comes from a small pocket world located in Estonia; the Gul fruit is found there. This drink has a strong effect for regulating arcane energy; it is rare—.
Observing from the corner of his eye how she slowly moved her cup to take a sip while looking at him, Javier laughed and replied.
—Not bad. I like having rare things. How about a list of them? I'll let the Ryuto clan and the Asai clan collaborate to export it—.
—I'll let Lola and Ryuto handle creating the list and a distribution document—.
—Ok, less than 40%, and I don't agree—.
—!. Ehehe, a waste of assets—.
—Could be—.
In a cheerful mood, they drank what was left in their cups, and Asai Yuuko answered his previous question.
—The one who just came by is Negima Mitsuo, second son of Negima Kenta-sama. Just like his entire clan, his only weapon is his body. They have perfected their fighting style over centuries. If you ever have to fight them, avoid a frontal confrontation; it's a waste of time, plus you'll break your hands and damage your weapons. From childhood, a Negima is rigorously trained. First, they train them with their strengthening technique for their internal organs; through breathing, they call it 'Elephant Trumpet.' If they are able to withstand one test, the next is the 'Pintena Bolts' body technique, strengthening their muscles and bones...
Wetting her throat with a drink Lola provided—one was also provided to Javier—she continued.
—... a physique capable of matching the hardness of a diamond and 200 times stronger than steel. Conventional weapons are not effective, nor are low-caliber firearms. And if you think they are slow, you're wrong; they are capable of reaching a speed of 100 km/h, and that is just their motor strength without using their arcane energy—.
—Oh, I imagine more of a human tank—.
He said jokingly while sipping a greenish drink.
—You're not that far off. In general, you never have to worry about a Negima; their only purpose is to perfect their martial arts. Although they are not forbidden from entering politics, in more than two thousand years, they haven't; instead, their history is in the military. For that same reason, you won't see any Negima married at an early age; all clan members start looking for a relationship at age 50—.
—Mm, they won't lack suitors with their fame and influence. Even if arcane energy runs out, they will continue to have a lot of power within the Japanese armed forces—.
—Yes. The reason he approached you is simple: he values your strength. Any Negima values strength above all else—.
—Even for their marriage?—.
—... It depends on the Negima—.
—Ahaha, what does that mean?—.
Shrugging her shoulders, Asai Yuuko left the cup on the table and took some snacks that were served.
—It is as you hear it: their partner must be just as strong as they are. But there have been cases where they have fallen in love with their partner's qualities—.
—Oh… Finishing with the Negimas, I thought the other young people from the clans would come like ants to sugar, wanting to get along with me—.
Asai Yuuko couldn't help but laugh, forming dimples that highlighted her natural beauty, leaving the young men sighing as they saw her.
—It's not that they don't want to; they are seeing who goes first, unlike Negima Mitsuo who doesn't care much… Look at that one—.
As if she wanted to get it over with quickly, judging by her disgusted tone. Javier followed her gaze.
Separated from the different groups was a man in swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, showing off his defined pectorals.
Unique, he was defined. Almost everyone wore casual clothes, some even more elaborate like cocktail dresses or jacket-and-pants suits.
But he looked as if he were at the beach, taking a stroll.
—Radiant Hobo. He is a hopeless womanizer; he goes after every woman he finds interesting. He has impregnated so many that it exceeds three digits since he was able to do so, not counting the unofficial ones. He has as many slaves as he is allowed or wants. His fighting method involves tonfas with many tricks; he is vicious when fighting. The exact method he uses is unknown, but it is rumored that he uses mating to nourish his body—.
Radiant Hobo, noticing both of their gazes, raised his cup and nodded his head, but Asai Yuuko's intense gaze made him laugh, his shoulders moving up and down before he continued eating.
—This clan certainly is peculiar, with skin as tough as an elephant's foot—.
—You're telling me. And even so, there are small clans that want to associate with them—.
—Shouldn't the main clans prevent it or make some reform to help them?—.
—In general, the problems of these small clans are: money and security. Some refuse to leave their past behind and still call themselves clans, even though they no longer have any arcane mages in their ranks. Other problems go…—.
Listening to the problems afflicting the arcane magical society, which ranged from the decay of knowledge to learn arcane magic to conflicts between clans that were not limited to verbal conversation, leaving death and destruction that didn't end until one of the two was extinguished. Some came out of isolation because they could no longer be self-sufficient, exposing themselves to danger, which led to fragmentation due to their ideologies and self-destruction.
Javier listened without much interest, as he didn't see how they could be of help—a bunch of rigid people rooted in the past. Asai Yuuko, sensing the lack of interest, changed the subject.
—Do you know what you must do once inside the Exodus Dungeon?—.
—Mm, if I'm not mistaken, it's to meet up as soon as possible while advancing; the goal is the 12th floor, the safe zone—.
—That's right. As you must know, when one enters the Exodus Dungeon, they are teleported randomly. The first floor is as large as Tokyo; there are many areas, from deserts, mountains, and labyrinths to the sea. Well, its diversity is so wide that even if one maps it, it changes, making them useless. Its most common monsters are !!—.
—But what do we have here, my close friend Yuuko—.
Seductive, with a vibrant, energetic voice that enveloped and seemed to whisper directly into your ear, making anyone's knees tremble. Javier turned his gaze back to his companion, as he could see the different powers gathering with certain people.
Almost in front of Javier stood a seductive and elegant lady in the glow of her beauty.
Long-legged, defined by the red Chinese dress that clung to the silhouette of her graceful figure.
—You wound my feelings, Yuuko—.
She said, seeing the evident detachment on Asai Yuuko's face.
—I didn't know you had feelings. More than your obsession with hunting men—.
—Ehehe, I have a much broader focus. How is Ryuto-kun doing?—.
—… In good health, thank you for worrying about my fiancé, but… coming from you, I hope you pull those claws back—.
—{giggle} it's simple courtesy, dear friend… Aren't you going to introduce us?—.
—You know, I was wondering what time you would come by—.
—Why do you make it sound as if I had any intention other than having a little chat with you?—.
Acting as if that comment had hurt her feelings, Asai Yuuko, for her part, indifferent, introduced her to Javier, who had remained silent.
—Javier, Okobi Esmeralda, direct disciple of Okobi Ayano-sama. Esmeralda-san, Javier Valderrama—.
Without trying to say anything else, Javier stood up and, with composure, bowed with his left hand over his heart like a gentleman.
—A pleasure to meet you, Okobi Esmeralda-sama—.
—Since you are a friend of Yuuko, you can call me Esmeralda, Javier-kun—.
—I'll take you up on that if you just call me Javier—.
—¡!, ehehe, delighted to meet you, Javier. Your duel with Kaito-kun was impressive. Very few can stand up to him as an Arcane-Armor mage—.
An internal compliment disguised as a question. Javier, unperturbed, said to her, looking into her cheerful, greenish-gray eyes.
—He is strong, a bit stronger than my head of security. But I can't tell you my strength very well compared to you mages—.
—Mm?—.
Stunned, not knowing how to take the second phrase, she barely tilted her head, and her wavy, dark blonde hair slid warmly from her shoulders. Javier, understanding the reason for her reaction, clarified.
—In principle, a runic mage and an arcane mage follow the same path. But I had to take a dangerous shortcut; upon becoming a core mage, I made the decision to destroy it and create a rune in my arcane pool—.
Mouth agape at such a revelation, the murmurs were not long in coming.
—Imprudence!—.
—Can such a thing be done?—.
—Experiments have been recorded, but all have failed, leading to an uncontrolled mana saturation that ended in deaths and an unstable zone of arcane mana, now known as the Pools of the Fallen Deities—.
—I had never heard of such a thing! It's not in the clan records—.
—They must have been forbidden for the same reason: imprudent mages who believe that because of their innate talent, they are Gods and that everything they do will turn out perfectly—.
—But how did he achieve it?—.
—Who knows, maybe it was luck or he had more information than his predecessors—.
—If I remember correctly, there is a Pool of the Fallen Deities less than 100 years old in Greece—.
—That pool was the breaking point for runic mages. Under German expansion, their arcane-runic forces dominated the battlefield, marking a milestone of how powerful they were. Having complete control in Greece, they gathered every slab, artifact, and relevant document of mystical runes. In the insular zone of its islands, near Keros—now an archaeological treasure—the experiment was carried out that took with it hundreds of runic masters and along with it any probability of that title shining again, until the death of the runic master Zhao Jinrui—.
The younger generation, hearing such information that was not general knowledge, seeing that Javier had achieved something many runic masters had failed at completely, felt a flame of proving their worth and lineage bloom.
—Are you sure it wasn't easy to achieve?—.
Esmeralda asked, noticing the atmosphere surrounding the younger ones with dreams of greatness.
Javier, who also noticed it along with the death stares from the Eight Golden Fish, hurried to tell them.
—Of course not. Besides vast information on runes, delicate control of arcane energy, runic formations, and materials that will be the base to stabilize my condition, even with all that, you will have an agony of suffering that will make you want to commit suicide. Preferably, I hope never to go through that a second time, and if I had to go back to the past, I wouldn't have done it and would have followed a normal life—.
—Ehehehe—.
Barely containing her laughter, Esmeralda, with refined composure, covered her mouth with her hand. With a cheerful look that continuously enhanced that pair of curved eyelashes and a simple gesture of tucking strands of hair behind her ear.
—… You are very funny. In my whole life, it's the first time I've heard those words—.
—It's because you haven't lived long enough yet—.
—Is that so?—.
—Ahaha—.
Escaping a little smile, Javier with a gesture of his hand pulled up a chair.
—Excuse my rudeness, keeping you standing all this time—.
—How gentlemanly—.
As she passed, a trail of summer freshness with the fragrance of freshly cut melon made him want to eat one. Javier, being no exception, looked at Esmeralda as she sat down while flirting with him with her eyes.
Asai Yuuko, who seemed to have been left aside, clarified upon seeing Esmeralda's flirting with Javier.
—Javier, I think you should be careful with Esmeralda—.
—Yuuko, why do you say bad things about me? You know me well; I never get into trouble.
Sounding hurt by Yuuko's comment, Javier said nothing, only watching the distress of being wronged by defamation by someone she knew—.
—It's because I know you that I must warn him. Listen Javier, although you see her as a high-class, refined lady who doesn't mess with anyone, she is a total man-eater. She has a preference for stealing men from their fiancées and girlfriends with tricks that beguile them. Ayano-sama has already warned her about her tastes. To date, she already has 10 men under her skirt; unless you want to become number 11, don't be fooled by her beauty—.
—Oh—.
Speechless, he looked at Esmeralda, who showed indifference, playing with the tip of her wavy hair.
—All that is in the past now. I promised myself not to do it again—.
With an expression that provoked pity to the point of wanting to cry for her past actions, Yuuko didn't believe her, and Javier—as the God of Hentai—didn't believe her either, as he could discern through the layers of lies.
—That's in the past; I don't care what happened either. Esmeralda, how did you meet Yuuko?—.
Sighing with a look of knowing nothing, Esmeralda smiled like an incandescent bulb. Using her attributes that stand out through her Chinese dress, she emphasized them by crossing her arms under her charming breasts, the perfect size of a tender and juicy melon.
—Mm, when was it?… I suppose it was 6 years ago; at that time, I was 16 and Yuuko was 10. It was her first time entering the Exodus Dungeon and seeing her, how nervous she was, I approached to chat; we hit it off very quickly—.
—That's not how things happened. In the first place, you weren't there to talk to me; it was just an excuse to get close and chat with Arata Nii-san—.
—Ehh, but we laughed together; I thought we had been friends from that instant—.
Not even denying it, Yuuko, not knowing how she could be so bold, told her.
—You barely said hello and goodbye; the only one you were laughing with was Arata Nii-san. Our second meeting was in the Exodus Dungeon on the eighth floor. In that instant, we were under siege by the "Elephant-Trunk Owls." They were hours of incessant combat; while we were moving at full speed, we ran into Esmeralda's team. With new reinforcements and Esmeralda's contracted beasts, we turned the battle around, reached the platform to the ninth floor, and had a brief rest—.
—I remember it too; when we heard the flapping of the Elephant-Trunk Owls heading in our direction, I decided to send one of my tracking beasts. Realizing the situation, I contacted Ryuto Shun, who seemed to be the leader of your group, while I created a summoning slaughter matrix. The others in my group had to defend me since it requires a lot of breath; luckily there were some from my clan in that group, but none in mine. Knowing what my plan was, they helped me and the difficulty was less; by sharing the breath, I was able to recover for the battle that awaited us as soon as we entered the ninth floor—.
Javier, who was listening intently, excited by those anecdotes of battles in the Exodus Dungeon that he would soon enter, heard barking, which made him turn his head; he saw Polaris hindering the work of some female and male slaves.
—What's wrong with that dog? Ahh, excuse me, I'll go see my pet—.
He said, getting up from the table, showing a lack of interest in leaving, but feeling he must as the owner.
—Polaris, what are you doing, bothering…—.
Unable to finish speaking upon seeing a young slave woman lying in the muddy earth of her own blood.
A tree branch was piercing her abdomen. Javier pushed the slaves aside and touched the pale face of the young woman.
[Slave: Owner Okobi]
Name: ????????
Age: 18.
Gender: Female.
Measurements: 75, 55, 80. Cup A.
Health: Weak, blood loss.
Blood: O.
Sexual: No experience.
Likes: None.
Dislikes: None.
Bloodline: Titan Blood (embers).
Birth: March 31, 2010.