Original subtitles

They look like chrysalises. What do you think?

I sense mana.

It's similar to that chain monster's, I think.

I'll scout it out!

Are you all right?!

Y-You saved me. I was about to die...

What are those things? Some sort of worm?

The moment that eyeball looked at me, I froze up and couldn't move.

We can't just leave these here. Let's fight at range.

Got it!

Guess that means this guy's up!

Counting on you, Stinger Joe!

What shall I do?

Fire arrows, please.

Right!

Rain, use ice magic.

They look like an insect's chrysalis, so thermal changes might be effective.

Got it.

Physical Enchant!

Enhanced Arm Strength

Enhanced Leg Strength

Enhanced Stamina

Ready?

All set!

I'm ready!

All good.

Yep!

I'm going!

Flash!

Flash

Blindness!

Blindness

Forbidden zone locked in ice...

Here I go!

Violently blow beneath the frozen star!

Grade 5 Magic: Blizzard!

Blizzard

I couldn't finish it off.

Not a problem! Magic Blade!

Critical Weapon!

Critical Weapon

Okay, I think it's over.

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths

Episode 12:

The Golden Priestess

And that gives us another ring.

Are they dropping in place of magic gems?

It does seem to be something this dungeon's monsters have in common.

What is it?

Marina?

Oh, right... Well...

Give me a little time to sort things out first.

Okay.

Let's rest over there for a bit.

We're taking a little break. Cut the stream.

Goodnight.

Smells nice.

It's berry-flavored tea.

It's not cheap, but...

Ah, that sure hits the spot.

The cookies are delicious, too.

I'm glad you like them.

So, um... Could I say something?

Go for it.

That monster earlier...

It felt like I was fighting a human again.

Yeah.

But... that's not all.

I cut through that pillar on the rebound...

and it felt like cutting through a human then, too.

Before, my Samurai job always told me when I had cut a human.

I wonder why...

Want to cut something else around here to test it?

No, actually, I already tried that in the next room over.

I still couldn't be sure, though.

I think it's because the Samurai part of me isn't fully mature yet.

I only seem to feel it when there's a life at stake.

Sorry for saying all this weird stuff.

Thanks for telling us, Marina.

Yuke...

There is definitely something strange about this dungeon.

Even the spirits feel off.

How?

There's a subtle inconsistency in my communications with them.

It's like speaking in gestures to someone who doesn't understand words.

Like the answers they give don't match up.

If I had to describe it,

it's similar to the Grey Field.

The place where Persephone was?

I get what you mean.

The mana in this dungeon is different, too.

The air isn't the same as it is in normal places.

I feel that, too. On a physical level.

What should we do, Mr. Feldio?

Let's go up to the roof.

I want to get a view of the whole city.

Zoom!

It's huge...

About as big as Duna, if not bigger.

It's hard to believe all this is a dungeon.

Yeah. So this is Glad Shi-im...

I've committed everything in view to memory.

Okay, then, let's head to the castle.

Once we verify what it looks like inside the castle...

we'll leave for the day.

It's too quiet. It seems unnatural.

You said it.

Loge said there were other people here.

Where is that old guy now, anyway?

He didn't show up on our stream.

It's possible we really were hallucinating.

You think so? But you saw him too, didn't you, Rain?

Yeah.

Since I have this Sanity Ring Yuke gave me,

mental interference doesn't affect me.

So that old man definitely exists.

Which means it might be natural to conclude that the Camerat is under

some sort of outside influence.

That's true.

Yuke, over there.

Loge!

Welcome to Vordan Castle.

Tell me, Loge. What is this city?

And what would you do with that knowledge?

This town stained by the twilight and its people

are already saved so well that they are beyond saving.

Were those monsters originally humans?

Well, now! Just what is a human, then?

Is it a creature with four limbs and a head? Or is it—

That's not what I'm asking you.

You know that, don't you?

Oh, no, Mr. Yuke.

Whether a thing can be a human regardless of its form

is a critically important detail.

Loge, what are the golden rings?

The ring is an item we call the One Gold.

"One"? But there are many of them.

What are you compiling with them?

Compiling?

Wisdom does not necessarily bring happiness,

little lady with the sky-blue hair.

I just want to know. What do those rings do?

I believe you are already aware.

Old man?!

When might we meet again?

I, Loge, shall look forward to that moment.

Will you answer our questions then?!

Let the truth find you on its own!

Just who is that man, exactly?

I don't know...

But it looks like we've been invited in.

Okay, let's take a look around inside and then head back.

Entering Vordan Castle. Let's have fun, but be careful.

How'd that data analysis turn out?

I'm rushing through it right now.

We've scoped out the general layout of the structure he called Vordan Castle.

It has a garden, a training ground, stables...

But we were unable to find a way to sneak inside.

The old guy you called Loge didn't show up on the stream again,

but it doesn't seem to have been a group hallucination.

Do you think it could be some kind of magic?

Well, in any case, the investigation is going fantastically.

Your logs are put together well.

You're doing fine work for us.

Royal Academy Local Supervisor Viscount Bodeman

The academy thanks you as well, Yuke.

Oh, I'm just glad I could be of help.

I wasn't expecting you to appear here in person, Viscount Bodeman.

I wanted to see this bizarre dungeon with my own eyes.

Now, there's no need to worry.

We are on the side of adventurers.

Most of my knowledge of dungeons came from your writings!

I can never fully express my respect.

I'm glad to have been of use in the field.

Now, as for this dungeon...

It's possible that it limits entry.

Will it be designated as sealed?

And as for the monster materials you brought back...

The examination is complete.

Results of material appraisal...

"Derived from human or similar being."

So we were right.

Hmm? You knew?

One of our members has the Samurai job,

and she said it felt like she was cutting through a human.

Assuming all the monsters that appear there,

including the Chain Man and chrysalises, are human,

we can no longer allow ordinary adventurers to enter.

I'm sure you can't.

If we let ordinary folks go in there,

we'd just be asking for more extensive damages or even an Overflow.

It sounds like we were in a very risky place.

Viscount, Maniella, is this what Marina was talking about?

She said that even cutting the pillar felt like cutting a human?

Is that even possible?

I brought back bits of the ground and buildings from inside the dungeon.

They should have been received yesterday...

Hey!

Y-Yes, ma'am?

You got some boards and rocks and stuff from this boy, right?

Were the appraisals on those done?

No, I've been told the official appraisal will be completed tomorrow.

Well, go smack that appraiser in the butt and wake him up right now!

On the double!

Y-Yes, ma'am!

I swear...

Also, what about those golden rings?

Yes, we've already begun production on the material Rain requested.

Thank you.

There is one other important thing I must tell you.

You know what happened to Misty, right?

I know they stepped down from the mission because they felt unwell.

It seems some of the people watching their stream experienced similar effects.

Huh?

There were several cases, ranging from mild illness to sudden violent outbursts.

It's probably safe to assume there's something in that stream.

Could it have been that light after all?

It might have some kind of effect on people's minds.

This town stained by the twilight and its people

are already saved so well that they are beyond saving.

We intend to put the investigation on hold for now

and have the government decide whether the dungeon should be sealed or not.

All right.

What should Clover do?

We may have you go in to investigate a few more times,

so I'd like you to stay in Duna for a while.

I've already talked to the Singing Fawn.

Okay.

We'll head back to Duna then.

Th-This is terrible!

That girl went all weird!

Weird?

Yeah, like... she lit up!

S-So... is she okay?

What happened?

I don't know. She just... suddenly did this.

Nothing in particular triggered it.

I've been waiting for you, Yuke Feldio.

Who are you?

I was once known as the Golden Priestess.

Golden Priestess?

There is little time remaining.

The world you live in is in danger of facing a culling.

What do you mean?

What's a "culling"?

It means removing things that are not needed.

Now that our world has begun to show through,

it will likely destroy you all.

You saw Glad Shi-im, did you not?

Twilight, distortion, and a bloated consciousness

will one day blanket this entire world.

Twilight? Do you mean that light?

The light of the setting sun.

It is the cause of the distortion and the essence of the culling.

I knew it was something bad.

It's clear that light swallowed Misty.

So we'll be swallowed by it, too?

You have already crossed the border between worlds once.

You mean...

How do you know?

You have deep ties with the twilight.

So long as you avoid going too deep, it is unlikely to swallow you.

Seek out Loge.

He knows all there is to know.

That old guy?

We've met him a few times, but he won't tell us anything.

You must make him speak.

He remains on the very edge of normalcy by distorting himself.

Why are you telling us this?

We should have fallen.

All of us, the foolish king, and his unknown people.

But we could not accept our collapse.

And then we wished for our eternity to be golden.

Golden?

That which no human should touch,

the cursed universal vessel,

the fruit of the World Tree that grants all wishes.

Wishes?

What kind of wish created that weird city?

Yuke Feldio, stop the Twilight King and destroy the gold.

Should you fail, this world will be swallowed by the twilight as well.

Please, take our sin from us.

Are you okay?

Yes... I'm fine.

Your voice and expression are totally different!

Um... Once again... I'm pleased to meet you.

I'm glad you woke up, um...

I'm Niberune.

Okay, "Rune" it is!

Rune?

Are you feeling all right, Rune?

I suppose so.

The divine aura she had is gone.

But the presence of the twilight is still there.

So should we assume she's connected to that city?

I guess that's obvious, huh?

Um... Niberune, do you remember what just happened?

Yes, a bit.

But that wasn't actually me.

She's a fragment of someone who resides within me,

and she's gone now.

I see. You don't need to worry about that.

If all this is true,

it's a big deal.

Something far greater than ordinary adventurers like us can handle.

One Week Later

Forgive me, but could you leave Yuke and me alone?

Why? You saying an old lady would just be in the way?

Fine, fine. Upsie-daisy.

Royal Academy Director Marquis Bedibore

You needn't be so nervous.

O-Of course I'm nervous.

I had no idea that not only the viscount was here, but the academy director, too.

Yes, I received Bodeman's report.

That's why I hurried out here.

You called it a "culling," correct?

Yes, Marquis.

Um, may I ask a question?

Of course.

You needn't concern yourself with my status at the moment.

What is a culling?

I suppose you ought to know.

You are the one who was chosen, after all.

Chosen?

This is a visual of an old mural in the basement of the royal household.

The former academy director—my father—was researching this.

Can you read it?

No, I can't read ancient script.

According to my father, the culling is a worldwide screening.

A screening?

Yes. Did you know there are hints as to the existence of parallel worlds?

I felt that when I was in Achromatic Darkness.

Our world and parallel worlds generally do not coexist,

but at times, they attempt to overlap.

The large-scale event that occurs to determine which world will remain

is known as a culling.

But from what I've heard about all this, it seems to be arbitrary in this case.

I believe it is not something our world brought upon itself,

but rather, was forced upon it by the so-called Twilight City.

When Niberune spoke of it,

it sounded as if it was brought into this world by accident.

In any case, the culling is upon us.

I will have to rely on you to handle this.

Excuse me?

It is said that some form of countermeasure will be enacted

to defend our world in response to the culling.

Behold.

This is the hero.

Don't tell me...

Yes. Yuke Feldio,

you will become the hero and save this world!

Biblion, the Book Spirit

Next time, "Biblion, the Book Spirit."