Keno’s eyes went wide as she looked at the black orb floating over the mountain.

琪诺瞪大了眼睛，看向山上漂浮着的黑色球体。

She could tell that it was huge, even from a great distance.

从这么远的地方看也知道那个球体非常之大。

What was that? What on earth had happened? Question after question piled on top of each other, but in the end, the most important one was “what kind of power could have created something that scary?”

那是什么？到底发生了什么？诸如此类的疑问层出不穷，但是首先想要知道的还是要怎样的力量才能造成那样骇人的景象。

Was it a secret technique wielded by Suzuki Satoru, her travelling companion? Or was it the power of the mysterious person who had taken Keno’s country, Keno’s family, Keno’s everything from her?

这是一起旅行的铃木悟的秘技吗。还是将琪诺的国家、琪诺的家人、还有琪诺的一切都夺走的某人的力量所造成的呢。

Regardless of what it was, this was not something that Keno’s own power could hope to achieve.This was the nigh-miraculous power wielded by those faraway individuals who stood upon the apex of the world.

无论怎样、这都不是琪诺这般力量所能企及的。这是站在遥远的世界顶点的人物行使那如同奇迹一般的力量所造成的。

It would be good if that was Suzuki Satoru’s power. No -- it was not good.

如果那是铃木悟的力量就好了。不——并不好。

It would mean that Suzuki Satoru, who could casually crush any foe he encountered -- apart from the Brightness Dragon Lord -- had encountered someone who warranted the use of that power.

那就说明随手就能将一切敌人——除七彩龙王以外——都轻而易举地击退的铃木悟，遭遇到了不得不使用这般力量的事态。

In other words, Suzuki Satoru’s opponent was as strong as he was.

也就是说现在铃木悟所面对的对手也拥有同等的力量。

Suzuki Satoru’s might was beyond question.

铃木悟的强大是毋庸置疑的。

He was the person she had spent the most time with other than her family, and Keno had learned that much about him over the course of five years of travel.

经过这五年的旅途，对于这个除了家人之外相处时间最长的人，琪诺已经了解了很多。

He had many flaws.

他有很多缺点。

He had terrible taste in naming. He laughed at the strangest things. He treated the living badly. He made up incredible stories at the drop of a hat. He would gladly sacrifice the lives of others for himself -- and Keno. He was a very cruel person.

命名品位奇差、笑点非常怪异。对于生者没什么好态度，还能面不改色的胡编乱造，为了自己——以及琪诺——的利益可以随意牺牲他人的性命。是个想法非常残酷的人。

Even so, he had many virtues.

可即使是那样他也有很多优点。

He was very polite to everyone. He was very curious. He always looked forward to the unknown and things he had encountered for the first time with a sparkle in his eye. At some point, he had learned how to properly comb out her hair. He treated her as an equal, even though she was weak and could only hold him back. And most importantly -- he was very kind.

对任何人都很讲究礼仪。好奇心旺盛，面对未知的东西和初次见到的事物总是眼中闪耀着光芒。不知不觉就熟练掌握了打理琪诺的头发的方法。对于力量弱小只能拖后腿的琪诺也一直都以平等

的伙伴相待。还有最重要的一点是——很温柔。

Keno hugged her flat, childlike chest, which would never grow.

琪诺两手抱在平坦的——像小孩子一样绝对不会成长的胸前。

He was a man who could protect her while fighting against an incredible monster like the Brightness Dragon Lord, and who had managed to retreat safely from it in the end. Surely he would be able to return safely to her side as well, right?

那是面对七彩龙王那种超级怪物般的对手，一边保护自己一边作战，最后还能全身而退的人。这次也一定能安然无恙地回到自己身边的吧。

Even if she believed it -- no, even if she wanted to believe it -- she could not help but feel uneasy after seeing such great power.

即使相信着，不——即使想要相信这一点，在目睹了如此强大的力量之后心中还是涌出了不安。

“You’ll come back, right? You’ll return safely to me, right?”

「你会回来的吧。会平安回到我身边吧」

He was the one who had saved her, after she had lost everything.

他是拯救了失去一切的琪诺的人。

He was the one that she believed would continue saving her.

相信他也是会继续拯救自己的人。

Keno Fasris Invern had gained eternal life. As a being detested by the living, even if she made living friends, they would eventually die before her.

琪诺·法斯莉丝·茵蓓伦获得了永恒的生命。作为被生者厌恶的存在，即使她与生者成为了朋友，生者也迟早会先她而去。

And then, when she was like this, that night had come.

就是这样的她在那个夜晚。

Being able to meet him in the city was great good fortune.

能够在都市中与他相遇是一种幸运。

He would walk with her towards eternity. He would never let her feel the loneliness of being abandoned in this world. Her meeting with him was destined by fate.

他会和她共同走向永恒，绝不会让她体会到被遗留在这世上的寂寞。与他的相遇是命中注定的。

“...”

「………………」

But now, he was not by her side, and he might abandon her at any moment and flee. This uneasiness tormented Keno.

现在他却不在自己的身边，而且随时可能弃自己而去。这种不安折磨着琪诺。

He had gone out there for her. Keno knew that very well, and she was very grateful for it.

他是为了自己才去的，琪诺非常明白这一点，也非常感激。

“Do your best, Satoru…”

「悟、要加油啊……」

Keno prayed.

琪诺祈求着。

She had once believed in the gods, but after becoming undead, the gods in her heart had died as well. She understood one thing, which was that no matter what prayers one might have, the gods would not answer them.

她曾经相信着神明。但是所有人都变为不死者之后，她心中的神也随之死去了。她明白了一个事实，那就是心中无论抱有何种祈愿，神都是不会有所回应。

Therefore, her prayer was directed to one person only.

所以这份祈求只献给一个人。

The only person who had eased her pain.

那是消除了她的痛苦的唯一的不死者。

Her prayer was to Suzuki Satoru alone.

这份祈求只献给铃木悟一个人。

Please return safely to me.

请平安回到我身边吧。

He could see something black in Cure Elim’s mouth -- something that sent a shiver down the spine of even an undead being like Suzuki Satoru. It was something so overwhelming that his biological instincts -- though he was undead -- were responding to it.

可以看到裘亚伊里穆的口中寄宿起某种黑色的——连不死者铃木悟都感到寒毛耸立的东西。那是生物本能——虽然是不死者——所感受到的极具压倒性的某种东西。

It was too dangerous, too dreadful.

那个东西太过于危险、太过于恐怖了。

Faced with this breath that far eclipsed his own power, Suzuki Satoru lost his cool and shouted:

面对这种这种远远凌驾于自己所有力量之上的气息，失去了从容的铃木悟怒吼道。

“Dark Young, block--”

「黑山羊幼崽、挡住——」

There was nothing wrong with that order. However, it had come too late.

命令并无不妥。但来不及了。

Cure Elim expelled something that looked like a massively thick beam of light.

裘亚伊里穆口中喷出的东西好像极粗的光束一般。

That beam consumed everything.

那光束吞噬了一切。

In just a moment -- no, perhaps it was because he was linked to the Dark Young -- Suzuki Satoru could feel the annihilation of a Dark Young, right before the beam touched himself. That level 90-plus meat shield, whose defensive strength was higher than Suzuki Satoru’s own, had been obliterated.

仅仅一瞬间，不、可能是因为与黑山羊幼崽联系在一起的缘故，铃木悟在被光束接触到的一瞬间前、感觉到黑山羊幼崽被消灭了。超过九十级的肉盾、单论防御力的话比铃木悟还高的黑山羊幼崽被消灭了。

It was probably not some kind of instant-death effect, since the Dark Young resisted that.

应该不会是即死效果，黑山羊幼崽是有即死抗性的。

Then what was it -- Suzuki Satoru thought of the trump card he had just used. Was it something like that?

那么是什么——铃木悟想起了自己刚刚使用过的杀手锏。就是说跟那个相同吗。

But the black beam that Cure Elim had released did not have the weaknesses of his own move.

但是裘亚伊里穆释放的黑色光束并没有那个应该有的破绽。

Was it an improved version of his skill?

这是自己的技能的升级版吗。

The black beam whipped around wildly with the twisting of Cure Elim’s long neck and destroyed another Dark Young. The Primal Fire Elemental was also unable to resist the instant eradication. Then it was the third and fourth Dark Young, along with the demons. And then -- Suzuki Satoru remembered a video clip. It was a video made when a player who had been about to retire had attached an item to an important NPC. Amidst the storm of curses like “God dammit!” “Fucking hell!” “Damn humiefags!” and so on which had filled the video--

随着长长的脖颈的扭动而疯狂扫射着的黑色光束消灭了第二头黑山羊幼崽，火元素精灵也在一瞬间毫无抵抗地被粉碎了。然后是第三头和第四头黑山羊幼崽，恶魔们。然后——铃木悟这时想起了一段录像。那是即将隐退的玩家将一件道具钉在重要NPC身上的场景的录像。在那被一片「去死」「**」「**」等恶言所埋没的录像之中——

It was--

那是——

“Long-- [Wall of Skeleton]!”

「屠圣——<骷髅障壁>！」

At the same time, the staff cast [Veil of Moon].

同时法杖也发动了<月光之帐>[veil of moon]。

Both defenses deployed before him at the same time. It was a double-layered defense, of a physical barrier and an immaterial magical barrier.

两种防御壁同时在面前展开。物理防御壁和没有物理防御能力的魔法防御壁的二重防御。

However, part his mind was coolly contemplating the fact that defensive barriers were useless against a World-Class Item like Longinus.

只是、脑袋里还有一个冷静的部分在默念着，对于屠圣之枪这种世界级道具，防御壁是无效的。

In fact, the black beam had easily pierced the barriers -- as though they were not there -- and swallowed up everything.

事实上黑色的光束也是轻易的贯穿了仿佛不存在一样的的防御壁、将一切都吞噬了。

The beam of darkness racing out at him had no obvious destructive power -- or pressure -- to it.

疾驰而过的黑色光线并没有什么显著的破坏力——或者说是压迫力。

Yet, it was a fatal blow.

然而那却是致命的一击。

With all the interfering nuisances destroyed, Cure Elim pulled its leg out of the fissure.

Although it hurt a little when it raised its leg, that did not matter. Perhaps if it were alive, not taking care of the wound might have inflicted a reduction in movement speed due to a damaged limb, but such a negative status effect meant nothing to the undead.

In addition, pain was not a scary thing to the udnead.

This was one of the three reasons why Cure Elim -- who had once been a coward -- had chosen to become undead.

Cure Elim glared hatefully in front of itself with its crimson eyes -- at the world that had been transformed into a desert that was utterly set apart from the living, and within it, a wall of bones and a shimmering, multicolored wall which looked like a curtain of thin cloth.

Its keen draconic senses spoke to it.

The one who had polluted the world was still there. As though they were waiting for Cure Elim to realize that, the two walls vanished as though they had melted away into the air.

The magic caster who had driven Cure Elim to its wit’s end stood calmly in front of it. Beside it was a floating staff.

While it had no reason to doubt its own senses, its opposition had not been hurt in any way.

Walls like those could not stop the Soulbreaker Breath. That being the case, how had its opponent done this?

Perhaps he had teleported out of its range while Cure Elim’s line of sight had been obscured. The World-Warping Barrier it had opened with simply interfered with teleportation through it. Teleportation was possible as long as the start and end points were both inside the barrier. He could have simply teleported to the edge of the barrier and then walked right through the barrier itself.

In that case, had he evaded the beam in that way? The answer was -- no.

It was impossible to avoid it that way. In that case, there was only one other way to stop that attack.

“Wild Magic…”

Cure Elim’s face twisted in utter hatred. The fact that it was undead was the only reason it could control its powerful emotions. However, the raging passions inside it could not accept that fact. It flared up, calmed down, and then flared up over and over again.

“Destroy, you. Filth. Not even your bones will remain--”

Just then, its enemy extended a hand. He was probably trying to say “wait, hold on.”

“--Cure Elim. My name is Suzuki Satoru.”

What else was there to say at this point? Cure Elim’s face knotted up.

There was no point in knowing such a thing. Or was he trying to award it the name of the opponent it had destroyed, as a sort of trophy?”

That only displeased it more.

If its opponent had been an equal, then the name would have been worth remembering. However, simply keeping the names -- even a fragment -- of those excrescences in its mind made it want to throw up

“Would you call every single piece of filth in your way by name? You world-polluting fiiiiiilllttthhh!”

Its anger became a mighty roar. The explosion of wrath seemed to shake the very earth. However, its foe simply shrugged. Such composure made Cure Elim all the more wary of him.

Its opponent was unhurt, while its own stamina was greatly depleted. Was that why he could be so calm? Or was he laying some sort of trap?

“--Shall we make a deal now?”

Cure Elim was taken aback by those words. For a moment, he could not parse their meaning.

“...What. Are. You. Saying!? We’ve come all this way and you still!?”

“My aim was not to destroy you. Actually, I simply came here to investigate what was going on here, if there was a way to dispel your undead-conversion spell. Do you know? The surrounding countries have promised a huge reward for it,you know?”

「我的目的也并不是要消灭你。其实、只是来调查这里发生了什么，有没有解除这个不死化的方法。你知道吗？周边的国家可是承诺了巨额的报酬哦？」

It could not be sure if this was the truth. However, it was possible that those contaminated rabble were trying to do something about the result of Cure Elim’s magic.

不能确定说的是不是真话。不过、要说被污染的家伙们想对裘亚伊里穆的魔法造成的结果做点什么倒也有这个可能。

However, that only made Cure Elim even angrier.

但是、那使得裘亚伊里穆更为不快了。

Challenging for such an utterly pointless motive as money was incredibly infuriating.

为了金钱这种无聊至极的欲望而站到自己面前挑起战斗，这还真是让人火大。

Cure Elim glared silently at its enemy.

裘亚伊里穆默默地怒视着敌人。

Several seconds, no, almost a minute had gone by. Its opponent had probably sensed that CUre Elim did not want to speak, and so it continued talking.

几秒、不、几十秒过去了吧。对方大概是察觉到裘亚伊里穆根本不想开口。又继续说了起来。

“Money is very important, and it would be wonderful if I could obtain it without having to kill you… because exterminating you would be a source of additional income. In other words, I’d like to get paid twice for the same job… ah, yes, I have another question. All the Dragons I know amass larger hoards of treasure as they get stronger. Does the same thing apply to you too? If I kill you, that means I’ll be able to lay my hands on a huge pile of--”

「钱很重要。并且如果是在不杀死你的情况下获得那就太棒了……因为对你的讨伐可是一个赚取额外收入的机会呢。也就是赚两份钱的意思……啊、对了、还有一个问题。我所知道的龙、越强大就会拥有越庞大的财产。你也是这样的吗？如果杀了你，就能得到大量的宝物——」

Suddenly, several spells exploded against Cure Elim’s body.

突然、在裘亚伊里穆身上炸开了数个魔法。

They were high-tier force-element attack spells.

是力场属性的高位攻击魔法。

They easily pierced the barrier protecting its body and dealt significant damage. This was a group of fairly high-tier magic casters.

轻易地贯穿了保护自己身体的屏障，造成了相当大的伤害。这是一群相当高位的魔法吟唱者。

Cure Elim hurriedly twisted its neck, looking for the source of the spells -- behind it.

裘亚伊里穆慌忙地扭动脖子，转头朝魔法飞来的方向——后方看去。

There were several undead creatures there. Its draconic senses told it that the staves of those undead contained great power.

那里有几具不死者的身影。龙的感觉告诉他，那些不死者们的法杖里蕴含着强大的力量。

And dangling from the necks of those undead was -- Cure Elim turned to stare at its enemy.

而从那些不死者脖子上垂下的项链是——裘亚伊里穆转过头，凝视着敌人。

“Didn’t we agree that it would be one-on-one!?”

「不是说好一对一的吗！」

Demons, those black monsters, and that staff. Cure Elim had nothing to say about those. Anything you could summon by your own power was part of your own strength. After all, Cure Elim had amassed 1’200’000 yuriniggers. However, this was different. Bringing backup was not covered under a one-on-one battle. Surely anyone would feel like Cure Elim did, no matter how they tried to look at it.

恶魔、黑色的怪物、法杖。对于那种参战，裘亚伊里穆没有什么想说的。用自己的力量召唤的东西和道具之类可以说是那个人的力量。毕竟裘亚伊里穆也聚集了一百二十万的僵尸。但是、那些不同。带兵参战可算不上一对一的范畴。无论谁怎么看、都应该会裘亚伊里穆抱有同样的感想才对。

However, its enemy shrugged lightly and nonchalantly replied:

可敌人轻飘飘地耸了耸肩，然后若无其事地说道。

“Hah? We’re trying to kill each other, aren’t we? Why do I have to obey such a rule? Anything goes as long as you win. As long as you win.”

「哈？我们现在、是在厮杀吧？为什么非得遵守那样的事不可？只要能赢就好吧。能赢就好」

Its mind went white for a moment--

一瞬间脑海中变得一片空白——

“You bastaaaaaaaaaarrrd!”

「混账啊啊啊啊啊啊！！！」

Cure Elim broke into a sprint. But it was not headed for its enemy. Rather, it was headed behind, at the undead who had cast spells at its back.

裘亚伊里穆开始猛冲。并不是向敌人。而是后者、向在往自己背上扔魔法的不死者们冲去。

It was easy to tell who was easier to eliminate. Reducing the number of distractions was essential.

要说哪一边更容易干掉的话，答案很简单。必须先减少麻烦的数量。

“You despicable scum!”

「卑鄙无耻的家伙啊！！」

That dialogue had only been intended to buy time for his reinforcements to show up.

那段对话只不过是在为援军争取时间。

Falling into a trap like that and binding itself with the rules of the word one-on-one was truly foolish. No, not expecting his opponent to fight dirty like that was a disgrace.

陷入那样的圈套，被一对一这个词所束缚的自己真是愚蠢。不、没想到对方打得这么肮脏，真是失态。

As expected of filth.

真不亏是污秽。

And for believing a bald-faced lie coming from filth like that, it was truly a Narberal.

相信污秽的什么堂堂正正之类的谎言，自己真是愚蠢。

Though it was undead, it held on to its rage, and Cure Elim rushed at the band of undead with what was probably its greatest speed to date.

虽然身为不死者，但仍保持着激怒，裘亚伊里穆以大概是至今为止最快的速度向不死者集团冲去。

Several high-tier spells flew at it from straight ahead, wearing down at Cure Elim’s health.

数个从正面飞来的高位魔法，持续削减着裘亚伊里穆的体力。

And then behind it was the high-tier magic of the Dragon Emperor’s filth. It was a vile spell, with overwhelming power that could rip its body asunder with three invisible slashes. However, it understood that the spells from the undead band would destroy it before it could annihilate the first enemy, so it had no choice but to ignore the spell.

然后后方则是龙帝污秽的高位魔法。那是能切开自己身体的三重不可视斩击，拥有压倒性破坏力的凶恶魔法。但是、因为理解了在消灭那个敌人之前，从不死者集体飞来的魔法就能把自己毁灭，所以只能无视。

Its draconic senses told it that a great wind was blowing. That wind gusted up to the sky.

龙的敏锐知觉感受到大风的摇曳。那阵风向着天空刮去。

It shifted its line of sight and saw a mighty Wind Elemental, on par with the Fire Elemental from just now. Its opponent was probably trying to gain control of the airspace and suppress Cure Elim.

略微晃动视线，可以看到与那个火元素精灵匹敌的强大风元素精灵的身影。恐怕是想取得制空权，对裘亚伊里穆进行牵制吧。

Suddenly, the word “retreat” flashed through Cure Elim’s mind. However, it was immediately forgotten as it saw the group of undead before it waving their staves.

忽然、「撤退」一词从裘亚伊里穆的脑海中闪过。但是、看到在前方比划着法杖的不死者集群，它马上就把那给忘了。

“Get out of my sight, fangs of the filth!”

「消失吧！污秽的爪牙们！」

Unlike that filth, these undead were not as powerful. Still, it would use Wild Magic to augment its tail’s destructive power, just in case.

与那个污秽不同，不死者们并不是那么强。不过、以防万一还是先使用始原魔法强化了尾巴的破坏力。

After sweeping away these nuisances, it would take care of that enemy. When the time came, Cure Elim would use that magic on its claws and fangs, and finish things in close combat to prevent him from fleeing. It would seize with its claws and pin it to the ground, then crunch him to pieces with its fangs.

扫荡了这些麻烦之后，再去收拾那个敌人。到时候在奔袭中将这个强化也施展到爪子和牙齿上，为了防止他逃跑就用近身战搞定。用爪子抓住，然后按在地上，就那样用牙齿咯吱咯吱地咬成碎片。

Perhaps it ought to widen its World-Separating Wall to prevent enemy reinforcements from continuing to invade. But that would drain a great deal of power, and so it would prefer not to use it. However, it might have no choice, depending on the circumstances.

或许应该张开世界断绝壁障，防止敌人的势力继续侵入。但那个会消耗大量力量，可以的话不想用。不过、根据状况也有可能不得不用吧。

It reached the filt’s lackeys, and then used its long tail to sweep all of them with wind-parting force.

一直冲到污秽手下们的跟前，用长长的尾巴以掀飞的气势将对方全部横扫。

“What!”

「什！」

Cure Elim was shocked. Something had been destroyed when its tailed had swept through the filth. However, nearly half of the undead seemed intact.

裘亚伊里穆很惊讶。自己的尾巴扫过污秽之后，虽然确实有什么被破坏了。但是、有近半数的不死者们仍然安然无恙。

Cure Elim did not consider its tail swipes to be the mightiest of its kind. It would probably be nothing much compared to the Swordmaster Dragon Lord. However, it was impossible for them to be unhurt.

裘亚伊里穆并不认为自己的尾巴攻击是最强的。如果和千刃龙王[Sword Master·Dragon Road]相比的话应该没什么大不了的吧。但是、无法造成伤害是不可能的。

Had they completely defended against it somehow? Or -- could it be, those undead were as powerful as the Dragon Emperor’s filth?

是通过某种魔法彻底地抵御了，还是——难道说、这些不死者们也和那个龙帝的污秽一样强大吗？

The latter was impossible. If that was the case, he should have thrown them into the fray as well. If not, then what other reason could there be?

后者是不可能的。如果是那样的话，从一开始就把他们投入战斗就行了。不能那样做的话就应该

有什么原因。

Spells flew from the remaining undead and pared away at Cure Elim’s strength. The enemy approaching from behind also cast two spells at it. The Air Elemental did not seem to have descended.

魔法从残留的不死者们飞来，更加削弱了裘亚伊里穆的体力。从后方接近的敌人也扔来了两种魔法。占领了上空的元素精灵则没有下来的样子。

What should it do?

该怎么办？

How could it turn this situation around?

怎样才能打破这种局面？

Cure Elim thought.

裘亚伊里穆思考着。

In the end, it came to the two options of “fight” or “flight”.

最终只是得出了逃跑和战斗这两种选项而已。

One Cure Elim said that it ought to flee. Cure Elim barely had any vitality left. Under these circumstances, it would be very difficult to defeat that intact opponent. Now was the time to retreat for the time being and readjust itself before fighting again.

一个裘亚伊里穆说应该逃跑。裘亚伊里穆的体力已经很少了。在这种情况下很难打倒那个完好的敌人。这里应该暂时撤退，整顿姿态再来挑战。

But the other Cure Elim said this.

但另一个裘亚伊里穆却是这样说的。

Are you going to run again? After depleting your collected souls and using Wild Magic and having nothing to show for it? Will you let it end like this?

又要逃跑了吗？消耗了自己收集的灵魂，使用了始原魔法，却没有任何收获，就这样结束可以吗？

That’s right!

（说得没错！）

Cure Elim had already bade its weak self farewell.

裘亚伊里穆已经和弱小的自己诀别了。

It was no longer its old self.

已经不再是过去的自己了。

It swore to annihilate the filth of the Dragon Emperor, here and now.

誓要在这里消灭那个龙帝的污秽。

Having made up its mind, Cure Elim used its most powerful attack

做出决断的裘亚伊里穆毫不犹豫地使用了最强的攻击。

While it had been ineffective against its most hated enemy, there was no way it would not work against the undead before it.

虽然对最憎恨的那个敌人没有效果，不过，对眼前的不死者们是不可能无效的。

Therefore--

所以——

Cure Elim fired the huge black beam from its mouth.

从裘亚伊里穆的口中喷出了黑色的极粗激光。

Suzuki Satoru verified that as he used [Fly] to close the distance

边用飞行<fly>缩短距离，边释放攻击魔法的铃木悟确认了这一点。

The members of “Corpus of the Abyss” who had been forced into the battle had been annihilated. Even the Primal Air Elemental that was airborne to ward against Cure Elim taking flight had met the same fate.

被迫参战的"深渊之躯"的成员们消灭了。就连飞在上空警戒着裘亚伊里穆起飞的根源风元素精灵[Primal·Air Elemental]也是如此。

Naturally, Suzuki Satoru had been attacked as well. However, it had no effect on him because of the protection of his World-Class Item.

当然、铃木悟也被攻击了。不过、因为有着世界级道具的守护所以没有效果。

If this were in the game, Suzuki Satoru would have screamed “you shitty devs” at the idea that such a broken attack could be used twice in rapid succession. However, in a live battle, he had no choice but to accept it.

那种毫无平衡性的技能竟然还能在短时间内连发两次，如果是游戏的话一定会大喊粪运营吧，但

在实战里也就只能当那样接受了。

Suzuki Satoru breathed a sigh of relief.

铃木悟松了口气。

The fact that his opponent had chosen to stand and fight instead of fleeing made him happier than being able to nullify that attack.

比起能够无效化那个攻击，更让人庆幸的是对方没有逃跑而是选择了战斗。

Of course, that was why he had chosen to provoke his enemy. However, taking the special qualities of the undead into consideration, it was very likely that it might have chosen to flee once the situation proved untenable. Suzuki Satoru would have run if things had turned disadvantageous. His opposition had no reason not to do so either. Therefore, he had been very lucky.

当然、正是为此才挑衅了对手。不过、考虑到不死者的精神特性，当发现不利时还是很有可能逃跑的。铃木悟如果陷入不利的话就会跑。对方也没理由不那样做。所以、真是幸运。

However, it was strange that his opponent had not called for its friends. If one could not win alone, then surely one would choose to attack in a group.

只是、对方不呼叫同伴显得异常。如果一个人无法取胜，那么当然会选择群起攻之。

Suzuki Satoru mentally tilted his head in puzzlement.

铃木悟在心中歪着头。

Was that because of pride or something?

难道是因为自尊什么的吗。

If that were the case, then it would truly be laughable.

如果是那样的话，可真的是——太好笑了。

The arrogance of the strong was delicious to the weak.

强者的骄傲对弱者来说是很美味的。

The members of “Corpus of the Abyss” vanished, and Cure Elim’s ray stopped.

深渊之躯”的成员们消失了，裘亚伊里穆的光线停止了。

Suzuki Satoru gave them his sincere thanks. Cure Elim turned, and then it spoke -- in a voice that was surprisingly calm, but which was laced with undertones of a blazing inferno.

铃木悟向消失的他们送上深深的感谢。裘亚伊里穆转过头来，然后用令人意外的平静——但那下方能让人感到有红莲般烈火的声音说道。

“One more time, I can only use this one more time.”

「还有一次、这个只能再用一次了」

It was a lie.

是谎言。

Suzuki Satoru scoffed at Cure Elim’s words. Where could one find an enemy who would reveal their weaknesses?

铃木悟对裘亚伊里穆的发言嗤之以鼻。哪里会有说出自己弱点的敌人？

“This day -- all my efforts up to this day! To think! To think!”

「直至今日——吾直至今日的努力！居然！居然！」

There was no need to reply. His response to Cure Elim’s cry was an attack spell. In truth, the staff had already indicated that Suzuki Satoru should “fuck this bitch up”. However Suzuki Satoru could not help answering Cure Elim.

没有必要交谈。回应裘亚伊里穆呐喊的只有攻击魔法。事实上、法杖中已经传来「干他丫的」的意思。但是、铃木悟却情不自禁地回应了对方的话。

“--You ruined my friend’s life and plunged her into an abyss of misfortune! Your life’s work deserves to end in nothing, you son of a bitch!”

「——将我同伴的人生弄得一团糟，让她陷入不幸深渊的你这家伙的努力就该无果而终啊、垃圾混账！」

There was no more need for words.

已经不需要任何言语了。

“[Triplet Maximize Magic Reality Slash]--.”

「〈魔法三重最强化·现断〉——」

“--[Triplet Magic Wall of Skeleton].”

「——〈魔法三重化·骸骨障壁〉」

Suzuki Satoru’s eyes went wide.

铃木悟不禁瞪大了双眼。

A wall of bones suddenly appeared in front of Cure Elim, intercepting the [Reality Slash].

裘亚伊里穆的前面突然生成了没见过的骸骨之壁，将<现断>给接住了。

Behind the wall of bones that had been rent by the [Reality Slash] was Cure Elim, whose torso was coiled in preparationg to lunge.

被<现断>给切飞了的墙壁另一边，是为了准备突进而沉着腰的裘亚伊里穆。

It had never used tier-based spells until now. Did it still have the strength to fight?

到此为止都未曾使用过的阶位魔法。难道还有余力吗。

Suzuki Satoru began to panic.

铃木悟焦虑了起来。

His opponent’s health was almost gone, but its mana was still full.

对手的体力是没剩下多少了，但魔力却是满槽的。

He sensed the staff asking him “Can we smack him down now?” and responded with “Wait a bit.”

感觉到从法杖传来了「是不是可以开揍了？」的提问，便以「要再等一下」作为了回答。

“[Triplet Magic Undying Flame].”

「〈魔法三重化·不死之炎〉[Triplet Magic·undieing flame]」

As that fifth-tier spell took effect, Cure Elim’s hooked claws and fangs blazed with bluish-white flame. This was a spell that added negative energy and fire damage.

当这个属于第五阶位的魔法发动时，裘亚伊里穆双钩爪和牙齿都寄宿了青白色的火焰。这是一种能追加负能量和炎能量伤害的魔法。

He had finished all the experiments he had planned over the past five years. However, it looked like it had been patched. The bug that caused undead targets struck by it to gain infinite healing was no more.

虽说这五年来该做的实验都做完了。但看来这好像是有被补丁修正过似的。对不死族攻击导致无限回复的bug已经没了。

In that case, it was probably just planning to add fire damage to its natural attacks. That would make it an even lower-tier spell.

这样的话、可能这单单只是瞄准了追加炎属性伤害而已的，那么这就成了更加低级的魔法了。

--Is it in some kind of mode where it can only use spells of the necromantic specialization?

（——这是只能使用死灵系特化魔法的那种模式吗？）

He theorized that this was the case, but he lacked the information to draw a conclusion.

推测来说是这样。但要下定论的话情报量还尚不足够。

Suzuki Satoru had not prepared any spells specifically to deal Cure Elim. Instead, he ordered the staff: “Go.”

铃木悟自身并没有准备对裘亚伊里穆使出什么针对性的魔法，而是对法杖下达了一句「上吧」的命令。

The spell it cast was called “Summon Primal Water Elemental.”

被发动的魔法名为<根源水元素精灵召唤>[Summon Primal Water Elcmental]

The water erupting from the ground took on a massive humanoid shape. At the same time, Cure Elim charged without hesitation. Upon seeing this, Suzuki Satoru could not help but feel relieved.

从大地掀起的水变成了巨大的人形态。在此同时，裘亚伊里穆果断地进行了突进。看到这样的姿态铃木悟不禁感到安心。

His opponent was clearly trying to achieve victory in close combat -- because it did not want to get drawn into a long-range fight. Simply put, his foe had decided that it would lose to Suzuki Satoru in a shooting war of spells. From that point of view, he could conclude that even with ample mana, his opponent would not be able to make full use of it under these circumstances.

这是只有接近战才能从中寻找胜利的机会——因为对手不想就这样被带进远距离战当中。一言蔽之、对方是判断如果进行魔法对轰的话就会输给铃木悟吧。这么看的话、就可以判断为即使是有充足的魔力，也无法在这样的状况下完全活用起来吧。

And the most important thing was that his foe had chosen close combat, while Suzuki Satoru had already summoned up a shield.

而最重要的是对方选择了接近战，而我方已经制作出了盾牌来应对。

In that case, why had it waited until now to use tiered spells? As Suzuki Satoru thought, he arrived at a possible answer.

那么为何到现在才开始使用阶位魔法呢，铃木悟这么想着、并得出了说不定是这样的答案。

Cure Elim did not want to use the magic that he called “the Dragon Emperor’s filth”. Therefore, it had only cast aside his taboo against tiered magic right at the end, when it had driven into desperation,.

裘亚伊里穆并不想使用那些被称作龙帝污秽的魔法。因此在最后的最后被逼得走投无路的时候，才会以舍弃一切的觉悟，来解禁阶位魔法的使用。

Ahhh, what an idiot.

（啊啊、何等愚蠢的家伙啊）

Suzuki Satoru mocked the stupidity of Cure Elim.

铃木悟嘲笑着裘亚伊里穆的愚蠢。

In truth, Cure Elim could have won.

其实裘亚伊里穆是能赢的。

Due to the difference in their sizes, it could have trampled Suzuki Satoru flat. However, its carelessness, its ignorance, and most importantly, its arrogance had all contributed to its defeat.

因为规格上的差异，铃木悟完全是可以被碾压的。然而大意、知识的欠缺、更致命的是傲慢，都成为了失败的要因。

Even in the face of this reckless suicide attack, Suzuki Satoru did not relax. That was because he suspected that it was an act, or it was looking for a chance to slip away.

而就算看着如此无谋的特攻，铃木悟也依旧毫不松懈。那是因为在怀疑着这是演技呢，还是在窥视着逃跑的机会。

Who knows, he might just run away on the spot.

（没准就这样直接溜走了也不一定）

As he considered that it might happen, he prepared the spell that he would need to respond to it. That was also why Suzuki Satoru did not cast a spell, but kept looking straight at Cure Elim as he charge in.

考虑着当这种情况出现，并准备着所要对应的魔法。也正因如此、铃木悟才没有使用魔法而是一直注视着正在突进的裘亚伊里穆。

The staff cast one of its once-a-day spells, [Vermilion Nova], scorching Cure Elim’s flesh.

释放了法杖一天只能使用一次的〈朱红新星〉[Vermilion Nova]，灼烧着裘亚伊里穆的皮肉。

However, it did not break its pace in the slightest. Was it because the undead felt no pain, or because its determination overrode it?

但却没有打乱一丝行进的步调。这是因为是不死族而没有痛感，还是因为觉悟使然呢。

It doesn’t matter any more.

（怎样都无所谓了）

Indeed.

没错。

None of that mattered any more. There was no need to learn about Cure Elim’s state of mind. It was just like how it would be pointless to speculated on the thoughts of an opponent which could not be baited in any way. All that was left was to wear it down until it died.

这样的事怎样都无所谓了。已经没有必要去知道有了觉悟的裘亚伊里穆现在的心境了。就好比去猜测一个无论说任何事都无法进行诱导的对手的思考是毫无意义的。接下来只是开削、致死方休。

In front of Cure Elim, the Primal Water Elemental stood as a shield in front of Suzuki Satoru.

裘亚伊里穆的前方——根源水元素精灵作为肉盾挡在铃木悟的前方。

It did not intend to try for a lunge. Instead, Cure Elim seized the Primal Elemental’s throat.

并不是打算使用杀招的突进姿势，裘亚伊里穆咬住了元素精灵的喉咙。

Perhaps it planned to use its weight to bowl over the summoned monster, but the Primal Elemental was resistant to such things. As one of the undead, surely Cure Elim’s attacks could inflict various status ailments. However, the Primal Elemental was also highly resistant to such attacks. One could say that it was immune to virtually all negative effects.

可能是打算以全身重量来扑倒普通的召唤魔物吧，但元素精灵对这方面的效果却有着耐性。而作为不死者的裘亚伊里穆的攻击会附加上各种各样的负面效果吧。然而元素精灵对这类型的攻击也有很强耐性。应该可以几乎将全部的负面效果给无效化的。

As Cure Elim gnawed at its neck, it raked wildly with its sharp foreclaws. As expected of a high-tiered elemental, it still had vitality left over even after being attacked by a Dragon that was stronger than itself.

啃咬着的裘亚伊里穆正用那尖锐的两只前爪疯狂抓挠着，不愧是高位精灵，受到比自己更强大的龙攻击着仍然残留有体力。

Ahhh, what an idiot. You had one more shot, so you should have used it.

（啊啊、真愚蠢啊。明明还有一发就应该要打出来才对）

As it tore at the Elemental’s throat, Cure Elim locked its hate-twisted crimson eyes on Suzuki Satoru’s

一边咬着精灵的喉咙的龙一边用已被憎恶扭曲了的真红眼瞳与铃木悟交汇了视线。

Cure Elim was almost out of stamina. That big, beautiful HP bar was now nearly depleted, like a candle in the wind.

裘亚伊里穆的生命力几乎已经所剩无几。曾经那巨大光辉的生命力已经所剩无几。犹如风中残烛一样。

The high-tier spells from the staff and Suzuki Satoru -- who had concluded that his foe would not try to escape -- assailed Cure Elim as it grappled with the Primal Elemental.

由法杖击出的高位魔法，以及判断出没有逃走迹象的铃木悟的魔法，一同击袭了正在与元素精灵缠斗的裘亚伊里穆。

The fire in its crimson eyes flared brightly -- and then faded.

真红的眼瞳绚烂而强烈的闪耀着——然后崩坏了。

“Damn you damn youdamnyoudamnyou… damn you… damn… you…”

「可恶可恶可恶可恶可恶……可恶……可……恶……」

Still spilling curses from its mouth, Cure Elim’s ruined body began to disintegrate and flake away. Just them, the Primal Elemental’ slam attack hit with explosive force, and Cure Elim broke into two. Like a piece of spun glass, Cure Elim’s remnants scattered on the wind, and then vanished as though melting into the air.

口吐寄宿着诅咒的话语，裘亚伊里穆全身已破碎不堪并开始崩坏脱落。就在这时元素精灵的殴打攻击造成爆炸般的效果，像是一分为二似得碎散开来了。宛如玻璃工艺品一般的，裘亚伊里穆的残片就这样在空中飞散，像融入空气中一般慢慢消失了。

There was nothing left -- a most unprofitable victory. He could still have gotten some value out of a corpse, if one had remained. Was this because it was an undead Dragon? Or had it saved its last shot in order not to leave a corpse behind?

什么都没有留下——最没有利益的胜利。留下尸体的话明明还有些利用价值的。这是因为是不死龙的原因吗。还是说之所以留着那最后一发没用，就是为了不让自己留下尸体吗。

Suzuki Satoru had no idea.

这是铃木悟无法知道的事。

“...Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, huh.”

「……灰飞烟灭、了吗」

The barrier around them had vanished, and all the undead responses were gone. Just in case, he ought to check the surrounding area to make sure it had been fully annihilated. While he had encountered many kinds of undead, he had not heard of any which could come back to life after being obliterated. Still, he could not entirely rule out the possibility.

四周围张开的障壁都已消失了，而且不死者的反应也完全没有了。以防万一还是要再对这片土地进行调查，确认是完完全全的消灭了才妥当。虽然已经接触到了各种各样的不死者了，但到目前为止都没有听说过毁灭了之后还能重生的不死者，不过这样例外的可能性也不全是没有的。

“Haaah…” Suzuki Satoru sighed in relief.

哈的……铃木悟呼出了一口安心的叹气。

“I didn’t get a chance to use the nuclear mine, the Death Knights and the Overlord Undead General “

「核地雷、死亡骑士[Death knight]、还有死之统治者·不死者将军[Overlord·Undead General]都没有派上用场啊」

There were two more cards he had not played yet., and he had held the upper hand throughout the second battle. However, he had been walking a tightrope during that fight. After all, his foe might very well have had aces in the hole. It was possible that he had just happened to negate all of his opponent’s moves and thus won handily.

还有两张手牌没有打出去，而且第二战始终都处于优势。然而这依旧是一场犹如走钢丝般的战斗。毕竟对手还是很有可能留着什么底牌的。这边没准只是凑巧刚好将对手打出的手牌击溃，顺利地赢得战斗而已。

That was why he hated fighting opponents that he knew little about.

所以才说讨厌和情报量很少的对手打啊。

He wanted to celebrate his victory, but he felt so little joy that it was pitiful.

明明很想为了胜利而感到高兴，然而这份喜悦感却少得可怜。

This victory had not been because of his individual combat strength, but due to his use of tactics an strategy which led to an eventual victory. Had any part of his plan failed, it would probably have been Suzuki Satoru and not Cure Elim who would have been destroyed just now. If he became arrogant because of this overwhelming victory, he might be the one to be annihilated next time. With that in mind, Suzuki Satoru stepped his caution up further.

这并非关因为个人的战斗力，而是只有由战术、战略规模上的胜利成果才能关系着最终的成败。要是任意一方面欠缺了的话，那么刚才被毁灭的恐怕就不是裘亚伊里穆，而是铃木悟了吧。要是

因为这次的压倒性胜利而膨胀了的话，下次被灭掉的就会是自己了。这么想着铃木悟进一步提高了警戒心。

And to some extent, Suzuki Satoru had lost.

而且某种程度上，铃木悟已经是输掉了。

I didn’t manage to find a way to save Keno’s parents, huh.

（没能引导出拯救琪诺双亲的办法、吗）

He had been worried that if he had remained obsessed with that information and Cure Elim had seen that, he would have no way to win. After all, if he exposed his weaknesses, it was possible that they could be exploited.

由于担心如果对这份情报过于执着的话，让裘亚伊里穆看到反而无法成功。毕竟将会成为自己弱点的地方暴露出来的话，那里就会有成为被突破的可能。

He had gone “tch” back then because he knew he had lost his only chance to gather information.

那时、之所以会咂舌，就是因为已经知道自己错失了唯一一次收集情报的机会。

Suzuki Satoru looked around at the desolate desert around him.

铃木悟放眼看着四周空无一人的沙漠。

Since he did not know when Cure Elim’s reinforcements would arrive, it would be best to scan his surroundings for relevant information. But before that, there was something he needed to do.

由于不知道裘亚伊里穆的援军到底还会不会来，尽早对周围进行探索来确认有没有相关情报还是有必要的。不过在此之前还是有一件事必须要做。

“Now then, I need to send her a [Message].”

「那么、接下来必须要向她发〈讯息〉才行啊」

Should she have said that it was as she had expected? Before the door opened, the sight of the chains hanging on the handle in one piece had told her everything. Even so, Keno quietly closed her eyes, and then slowly opened them.

该说果然如此吗。门扉开启前、当看到房间的门把上附着锈迹的锁没有被解开时，就已经说明了一切。可尽管如此琪诺还是静静地闭上双眼、又慢慢地睁开。

Nothing had changed. What she had seen just now was not some deception or illusionary landscape, but reality.

没有一丝的变化。之前看到的一切并不是什么骗人的或者是幻觉的光景，而都是事实。

She was in the sewers of Inveria. Keno opened the hidden room that had been closed five years ago, but the three people inside were still mindless yuriniggers.

茵蓓利亚王都的下水道。琪诺打开了五年前关闭着的隐藏小屋，可是里面的三人依旧还是没有理性的僵尸。

As she had thought, things would not go so easily.

果然、事情是不会这么如人所愿的。

“Keno…”

「琪诺……」

Behind her stood the mightiest magic caster in the world, and also Keno’s travelling companion. He called out to her in worry. Keno turned around, taking care to smile.

身后站着的世界最强的魔法吟唱者、同时也是琪诺一同旅行的同伴发出了疑似担心的呼唤。琪诺便转过头来。这时也不忘了露出出一丝的微笑。

“Mm. No need to worry, Satoru. I’m not hurt by this. I just thought, it really was this way after all.”

「嗯。悟。不用担心。真的没有受到打击啦。只是想、果然是这样啊」

“Is that so…”

「是吗……」

Mm… Say, Father, Mother.”

「嗯。呐——父王、母后」

She looked at the three moaning people in the room, and addressed them.

她向着牢房中、发出呻吟声的三人说道。

“Satoru avenged everyone.”

「悟他、为大家报仇了哟」

They probably would not be happy even if she told her that, because they were not intelligent enough to be. She knew this would happen, but the pain stabbing at Keno’s heart eased a little.

就算说了他们也不会感到高兴的吧。因为没有这样的知性。这种事一早就知道了。但是扎在琪诺心中的刺却感觉消失了一些。

“...Keno.”

「……琪诺」

“I’m fine. It’s alright, Satoru. You don’t need to worry. This world is a big place. Therefore -- it’s possible that there might be an item that could help everyone, don’t you think?”

「没事。没事的。悟。不要这样担心啦。这个世界是很广阔的。所以——在某个地方可能也会有能帮助到大家的道具也说不定的、不是吗？」

“Of course!”

「那当然！」

There was no expression on Suzuki Satoru’s face, but his voice told her that he was very happy.

脸上没有任何表情的铃木悟，但从声音的感觉却能明白他非常高兴。

Surely anyone who could show feelings like this to others must be very kind.

能为别人流露出这样的感情，想必这样的人一定是非常温柔的吧。

“Yeah. The world is large. Let’s go see this world -- together.”

「也是呢。世界是很广阔的。再一起——一起去看看这个世界吧」

“Yeah. I know I might hold you back a little, but -- I’ll be in your care, Satoru.”

「嗯。虽然会有点拖后腿——请多关照、悟」

“Ahh, I should be saying that, Keno.”

「啊啊、我才是呢，琪诺」

Keno looked back, at her family members in the cell.

琪诺再一次回头，看向牢房中的家人们。

Would it be okay to leave them like this?

这样下去真的会好吗。

Keno clenched her hand into a fist.

琪诺紧紧地握起了拳头。

Would killing them and freeing their souls from those hideous bodies not be a mercy? Perhaps those souls might still be suffering, eben now.

杀掉、将灵魂从那凄惨肉体中解放出来难道不是一种慈悲吗。可能即便是在这此时此刻，那些灵魂也仍在承受着苦痛也说不定。

But having one person deciding the fates of others -- even if it was right to do so -- might well be a very arrogant way of thinking. However, one could say that there was only one person who could make this decision, and that was Keno.

但由一个人去决定他人的生死——就算这个说法是正确的——或许这是非常傲慢的想法。但是、现在，反过来说能作出如此决定的人却只有一人而已，那就是琪诺。

She had the feeling that she would not be able to find a way to restore her family to normal, even if she searched the entire world. That was why she had once abandoned that line of thought. However, now that Suzuki Satoru had destroyed the culprit behind the incident, it was true that Keno had gained a new sliver of hope.

大概、已经有预感即便将全世界都找了一遍也不会有让大家回到原来样子的方法。所以曾一度放弃过这样的想法了。然而、由于引起这次事件的元凶已经被铃木悟给消灭了，让琪诺又重拾一丝希望也是个事实。

She could feel Suzuki Satoru start to worry about her spacing out. It would seem she would have to make a decision right now. Otherwise, even Satoru would start agonizing over this.

因为多少有了点迷茫感觉令悟也担心了起来。看来必须现在马上就要作出决定了。不这样做的话会连悟也苦恼起来的。

This time, Suzuki Satory had fought for her. In that case--

这次、悟是为了自己来战斗的。那么——

“--Time to hit the road again. Let’s go, Satoru.”

「——又要上路了呢。那走吧、悟。」

“Ah, ahhh, well, it’s good as long as you feel that way, Keno.”

「啊、啊啊，琪诺要是觉得这样就好的话，那就这样好了」

She waved to the three people inside, and walked with Satoru.

向着里面的三人轻轻挥手，便跟着铃木悟走了起来。

Keno had chosen to leave the problem aside.

琪诺选择的是让问题搁置了。

Originally, she should have chosen to finish off the three of them herself and not endanger Satoru any further. That was the proper way to thank someone who had shown such kindness to her. However, she still could not bring herself to do so, even now.

本来的话、应该是亲自动手将三人了结，不再让悟去冒更多的危险，这才是作为对给予自己如此恩惠的人应有的礼节。只是、现在还无法下定这样的决心。

Keno looked at the sewer shrouded in darkness -- at the room which held her family -- one last time.

琪诺向着被黑暗笼罩的下水道——将家人关着的牢房的那个方向再一次回首遥望。

When she came back here again, would she come to rescue them, or destroy them?

下次在此回来这里来的话——那时候是将大家都救赎的时候呢，还是要消灭的时候呢。

Keno turned her eyes to Suzuki Satoru’s back, a back she had been looking at for nearly five years.

琪诺将视线移回铃木悟的后背上。已经注视了将近五年后背。

Then, she quickened her footsteps, until she was side by side and holding hands with Satoru as they walked together. How long had it been since she had done such a child-like thing?

然后稍微加快了步伐，直至与铃木悟并肩，牵着手，一起同行。这么像小孩的行为都不知何时起就已经没做过了。

She could tell, more or less, from the way Suzuki Satoru had glanced down at her.

从悟不经意地瞥了一下自己的样子就或多或少能感觉到。

However, she did not say anything, and neither did Suzuki Satoru. Their hands -- their icy cold hands, from which one could not feel the slightest trace of body hear -- felt warm to Keno.

不过什么也没有说，铃木悟也什么都没有说。两个人、冰冷的——因为是无法感到体温的手，却让琪诺多少有了些温暖的感觉。

And then, the two of them went forth.