SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 329

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 329: Starlight (2)

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In the quiet depths of the Colosseum, I hummed leisurely.

"Constantly calling me 'little child' and 'human' to emphasize those words ended up poisoning your own chances. You are a Constellation, while I am merely human. It seems you were trying to plant that perception in my subconscious... but I'm far too lean a man to be fried up with wordplay."

"You bastard."

A terrifying sound emanated from Mutia's teeth.

"Did you think anything would change merely because a wretch like you took a place at the very tail of the constellations!? A creature without even a single authority dares to..."

"There is a big difference."

It wasn't my voice.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to make you honor the contract."

It wasn't the voice of any of the two hundred Apostles lying in the Colosseum. It wasn't the voice of the Guardian Spirit or Holy Sword, nor the fox, and certainly not Mutia's.

I furrowed my brows.

'...I've heard it somewhere.'

I couldn't immediately recall.

On the other hand, Mutia seemed to immediately know who the owner of the voice was.

"The trickster..."

Looking up at the sky, the golden Constellation gnashed her teeth.

"It's not over yet! The preemptive strike I requested, it's still valid!"

"The validity wasn't set by [time]. You know, I know, and all the high-ups of the tower know. If you start messing with time, there's no end to it."

Above.

Looking up from below, the sky appeared as if a hole was perfectly cut out.

In the middle of that, a person dressed in loose-fitting clothes floated, looking down at us.

"Your surprise attack is recognized only as long as [the King of Death doesn't realize his own ascension]. Now that he's aware he's become a Constellation, there's no more advantage for you guys to enjoy."

The owner of the voice held a thin, abnormally long staff. With the middle, ring, and little fingers, she lightly twirled it.

A mage, perhaps?

The staff seemed fragile enough to break with just a bit of force, but the mage skillfully stirred it.

[The sixth pillar, The Staff of Time Immemorial manifests.]

Ah.

Only after hearing the message did I clearly realize where I had heard that voice.

An existence similar to [The Princess Who Strolls Through Mirages]. Those who manage this tower and convene meetings to discuss issues when problems arise. One of the six subordinates of the Tower Master, a pillar.

"Hmm."

The mage glanced over and met my eyes.

"It's been a while, Yabi."

"...Trickster? Are you talking about me?"

"You were pulling underhanded tricks and summoning us while you were still wet behind the ears. Underhanded is yabi, so that makes you Yabi. I get the pleasure of insulting you, and you get to be insulted with a surprisingly cute-sounding nickname. Two birds with one stone. Mutually beneficial communication."

"Eh? Uh? No..."

I don't think I have such a preference.

"There's quite a bit I have to discuss with you."

The [Staff] murmured.

With a voice as loose as a pencil without lead.

The [Staff] spoke without a trace of hostility or malice, in a tone as indifferent as time and as flavorless as plain water.

"Before that, let's do what I must first."

The [Staff]'s staff lightly touched the void.

Crack crack crack...

That's when the sky shattered like a pane of glass.

"No!"

Mutia shouted.

"I cannot accept this! I appeal against the contract! Call a meeting! Discuss it! I, [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow], request that an agenda be set immediately to discuss the treatment of this matter..."

"Rejected."

Crack crack crack!

"We've already allowed far too many disadvantages against a newly ascended child, Mutia. All because of the requests you and Hisimet Cretsu made."

The sky, once dyed red, noisily shattered. The void broke into billions of fragments, scattering. As the wind blew, carrying the red pieces, it seemed as though the sky was bleeding.

[The power of The Ruin-Harvesting Cow has been suspended.]

[The Chains of Time that forcibly fixed your growth have been released!]

Once more, the sky shed its skin.

[The power of The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth has been suspended.]

[The Information Distortion that blocked some messages from reaching you has been released!]

The peeled sky was a black infinity.

Without the sun, crescent moon, or Milky Way, only a pitch-black darkness yawned in that place.

In the black-colored sky, a serpent covered in blue scales was hiding.

"Damn it!"

Sssss.

Like waves in the night sea, the dark blue scales rippled.

The snake was huge enough to occupy a corner of the sky, and alone it created a sea in a sky devoid of the Milky Way.

"I knew this would happen!"

The serpent's eyes were shaped like inverted triangles.

Unlike humans with white sclera and pupils, the giant snake shone with blue pupils on black sclera.

"I was told attacking before he's fully aware of being a Constellation would give us a chance! It's my fault for being deceived by that cow-headed brat!"

-Now this is getting interesting. That's Hisimet Cretsu.

The Guardian Spirit twisted his lips and crossed his arms.

-Its alias is [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth]. It presides over information distortion, manipulation, exposure, riddles, contradictions, labyrinths, and secrets. It acted as though it was interested in you, Zombie, but that was a fake-out, huh?

"Ah...."

Only then did I realize the truth of this battle.

"So the two of you Constellations conspired to attack me before I could grow any stronger. You aimed for the opening before I awakened to any Constellation authorities and tried to crush me in one blow."

Regretting the lack of moonlight in the pitch-black night, I drew a crescent moon with my lips.

"One is a Constellation who controls time. The other is a Constellation who controls information. Thanks to the two of you joining forces, I didn't even hear the message that I had become a Constellation. What a perfect match."

"....Grr!"

The serpent with reversed eyes bared its fangs. Its upside-down eyes poured out a terrifying light, glaring sharply at Mutia.

"You were so confident, so it's your fault! Deal with it yourself!"

"What."

"I know nothing of it!"

Blue flames wrapped around the snake's body.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth flees to its own world!]

Literally tucking its tail, it fled.

"You foolish thing!!"

Left alone beneath the ground, Mutia spat blood from her mouth and shouted.

"If I am conquered, you will be the very next target! Your turn is next! Whether we end up dead or alive, we must settle this here. Do you think running away will buy you even six more days? Do you think you will enjoy your power for even one more day? You incurable imbecile who would not improve even in death!"

"Well, whatever. I'll just take a day off and then go up."

"......"

Mutia was at a loss for words.

I smiled broadly.

"If a day seems too harsh, how about I take a full week off for you? After all, you two formed an alliance just to catch me. It wouldn't be right for there to be bad blood between you two. I'll considerately give you that much."

"Ugh......."

"Whatever reason you two had for banding together to attack me, I'll hear it out eventually... Uh, I'll find out later."

Even if you don't tell me, capturing [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth] and giving it a good beating will suffice.

I meant it that way, and it seemed Mutia understood it in that sense too. The hammer she held in both hands hesitated.

"Surrender."

"......"

"I won't say that I'll accept your surrender without any punishment. I will take what needs to be taken. But I won't add emotion to the fact that you ambushed me while blocking my sight and hearing and double the weight of the punishment. I promise you that."

Hesitation swirled in Mutia's eyes.

Mutia, who had prepared five or six plans just to capture me, now truly had her back to the wall. With [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth] abandoning her and fleeing, there weren't many options left for Mutia. My suggestion of surrender had narrowed those few options down to one.

"What do you want?"

"Goldencup. Turn Silvia Evanair over to me completely."

I started with the most obvious condition.

"Never claim ownership of Silvia again. And never object to the fact that Silvia is a member of my family."

"......"

Mutia's lips twitched. Neither a yes nor a no came out. We both knew this was just the first demand.

"And?"

"You must also help in capturing [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth]. What world does that Constellation live in? How can we break through easily? Release all the information you know."

Still, Mutia's lips did not utter either confirmation or denial.

The second demand was also quite easy.

Hisimet Cretsu had betrayed Mutia first. What could be easier in this world than betraying someone who had betrayed you? Because it was so easy, Mutia must have guessed there were heavier conditions yet to come.

"Is there more?"

"Kneel."

"......"

"In front of the Apostles watching, make it clear that I am stronger than you, that I have defeated you, and that you have surrendered to me."

Drip.

Blood flowed from Mutia's mouth.

It wasn't from biting her lips. It was from the teeth crushing each other so hard that the gums couldn't bear it, biting down so fiercely that wounds opened between the canines and molars.

"You, as a Constellation, have an aesthetic."

I continued to speak.

"A kind of law, or a self-discipline. Excuses like 'even though my body kneels, my heart remains steadfast' that common humans might make don't work for you."

It was similar to pride but different.

A Constellation is an entity made of power. Perhaps the power is the reason for a Constellation's existence.

For a human, that core is like the heart.

For Mutia, [the Constellation of Regression], to kneel to me, someone with a regression skill, would be to acknowledge my superiority within the same domain, like one general losing to another, or a musician submitting to another's music.

Could the Guardian Spirit ever kneel to another swordsman?

After kneeling, could the Guardian Spirit still claim to be the supreme swordsman of all time?

The condition I imposed on Mutia was laden with the weight of a fortune.

"If you refuse..."

And it was precisely as heavy as a life.

"I will take your remaining horn, the only one you have left."

"......"

"I'll give you 3 minutes."

Three minutes passed.

A death-like silence accumulated at the bottom of hell.

Just before about 160 seconds had passed, the only noise that rang out made the silence all the more eerie.

[The Ruin-Harvesting Cow manifests her power.]

[A Music Box Just for You manifests its power.]

I could tell what Mutia was attempting.

She tried to stop time.

Mutia couldn't come to terms within 180 seconds. There wasn't enough time. She needed the luxury to ponder. She tried to forcibly extend the unpermitted time, but she was thwarted by the fox.

"......"

And thus.

"I, Mutia."

An unsettled heart leaked out through Mutia's hands.

"The Ruin-Harvesting Cow."

Thud.

A crack formed where Mutia knelt, and holes were dug in the ground where her hands were placed, following the five fingers.

"To the King of Death..."

Blood dropped.

Blood that flowed from her mouth, down her chin, and dripped, drip, drip, seeped into the holes dug by Mutia's fingers.

"To the Heaven that Gathers Wails... I surrender."

I nodded.