Soft singing drifted through the temple.

“Isn't this a hymn...?”

“I'm a Moon Cult believer, so I hear them occasionally. It really does sound similar.”

The Sun Cult priests looked somewhat offended.

“... Strictly speaking, it does follow the structure of a hymn, but...”

“However much it resembles music from Earth, we cannot treat something from another dimension as the same thing.”

“I don't know what kind of clue it might offer, but it certainly doesn't feel pleasant.”

Hymns were music meant to praise a god and nurture faith. What was more, this place had been revealed to be a former Temple of the Sun. For such a strange hymn to echo through it was blasphemy itself: an insult to the Sun, and praise for something evil.

The faint singing that echoed throughout the temple was eerie with its slight dissonance, yet its gentle melody was languid as a lingering summer dusk. It resembled an animal's cry, impossible to understand. It undulated like a whale's call spreading through seawater.

“...”

“... At any rate.”

Even amid that strange atmosphere, the Hunters turned to the work at hand.

“Our first priority is locating the heart, then?”

“Yes. Often the monster itself is the heart... but a separate heart is just as common.”

“It's also important that we recover the kidnapped Hunter Seo Jio and prospective priest Cha Yi-sol. Both are exceptionally talented. We cannot leave them to die like this.”

“Looks like we'll need to search the place.”

Kang Seodam held up a small, round gem.

“We can use this resonance stone to locate prospective priest Cha Yi-sol.”

The resonance stone, which Iru-da said was one of a pair she shared with her partner Cha Yi-sol, had begun vibrating more vigorously once they entered the frame. It pulsed like a tiny, living heart.

“There's definitely no doubt he's inside this dungeon.”

“Then Hunter Seo Jio is here too...?”

“For now, we'll proceed on the assumption that they're being held in the same place.”

“What about finding the heart?”

“Let's split into two teams, as we discussed up above.”

One would rescue the hostages; the other would locate the heart.

“Hunter Sa Narae, I'm counting on you.”

“Mm-hmm. I'm good at that sort of thing. Don't worry.”

“Please keep your team in line so they don't run off elsewhere even if a powerful monster appears...”

“Haha, don't worry, don't worry. We're very conscientious people.”

'Not very reassuring.'

Kang Seodam met the eyes of the Hunters assigned to Sa Narae's team. They, too, were nodding while holding back sighs. The urgent battle had brought together Hunters of all kinds, but at least none of them were clueless.

'I should be able to trust these ones.'

He nodded.

“I'll see you later.”

“Yes, see you then.”

They split into two groups.

* * *

Gardeners were beings who belonged to a Garden. They called themselves many things. Some literally called themselves Gardeners; others used terms like servant, errand runner, apostle, or believer. Some even called themselves its children.

What this made clear was that a “Gardener” could not defy their Garden.

“Ah, my Flower Garden...”

TAP, PIT-PAT...

Bloodstained petals fell beneath Jeong Youngwon's bowed head.

“My Flower Garden, I'm sorry. I was wrong.”

She wept tears of blood, pressing a hand to her eyes. The lush petals felt soft against her palm. Their pure smoothness, like a newborn baby's skin, filled her with rapture, yet the anger and sorrow her Flower Garden cried out made her weep as well, begging forgiveness.

“My Flower Garden.”

“Youngwon.”

“Ah, please...”

“You can't lose your mind here. You know that, right? Huh?”

“It's too cold for you here, isn't it?”

“Oh, this is driving me crazy.”

The man was the team leader responsible for Jeong Youngwon. Though he did not know she was a “Gardener,” he knew she bore an immense mystery. Looking troubled, he watched over her as she huddled in the cramped, dark space.

“What did you do this time to get punished like this?”

Brilliant flowers bloomed around her eyes and in her hair. Tender shoots sprouted from her fingers. It was a chilling sight: a living person being overtaken by nature.

Art-obsessed lunatics like the people at Collector might have called it “beautiful” or “artistic.” But to a man with ordinary sensibilities, it was nothing more than a gruesome punishment that made his skin crawl.

“My Flower Garden, my Flower Garden...”

“Judging by the timing, this started after you treated Hunter Yu Seongun.”

Jeong Youngwon was one of Eunwol's finest healers, but even she overexerted herself at times. This particular state was what happened when she borrowed power from her “god” without permission.

'Did she have a reason to go this far?'

Of course, if Yu Seongun had not recovered, the boss monster that had just appeared would have devastated the area by now. Many A-class Hunters had gathered here, but every single one of them was a precious asset.

'Losing even one would have thrown things into chaos, but still...'

He could not even understand how Yu Seongun had recovered so quickly in the first place. It was beyond human power, so he suspected Jeong Youngwon had done something, but he could not understand it all.

“...”

The man let out a long sigh and stayed by her side.

“I'll keep everyone else away, so hurry up and recover.”

“Ah, aaagh... haaah...!”

“Oh, what a mess...”

He did not know what had been so urgent that she had borrowed a god's power.

'She's no fool.'

There must have been a reason she had to do it. A reason he did not know.

He stepped outside the room to keep watch. As he shut the door, he spotted a small figure standing nearby, looking somewhat flustered. He blinked, then took stock of the situation.

“Little priest?”

“Ah, yes. I'm Iru-da, a prospective priest.”

“Why are you here?”

“The others said they were leaving me in Eunwol's care.”

“Ah, the priests said that?”

“That's right.”

“Then you're welcome here anytime.”

Eunwol was on friendly terms with the Sun Cult and Moon Cult. That extended to their prospective priests as well.

“What's your primary role?”

“Tank.”

“I understand you've already contracted with a god, Sister.”

“Thanks to a Divinity who looked favorably upon me.”

“Sister Iru-da, you were famous for catching a god's eye the moment you were born.”

“It was a great blessing. Without it, I wouldn't even have made it here today. Whatever you ask of me, I'll deliver above-average results.”

“You don't need to go that far...”

He had heard she had stubbornly insisted on staying at the front, yet she was remarkably deferential. Uncomfortable seeing her humble herself for fear of being sent away, he gave an awkward smile and waved a hand. A child with such an advanced vocabulary was a little unfamiliar to him.

“So you didn't come here because you're hurt anywhere?”

“No, that's not it. I just wanted to know where I should be...”

“Mm, I see. If possible, I'd like you to guard our camp.”

Though it was uncommon, this was hardly the first time he had seen a child Iru-da's age take to the front lines. With practiced ease, he decided her duties and where she would be stationed.

“Most of the people here are healers, so they're all squishy.”

“I'll do the very best I can.”

“Right, and...”

“...”

“... Did you hear?”

He meant the sounds of Jeong Youngwon writhing in pain.

“Would you pretend you didn't?”

“I swear by the Divinity I serve that I will keep silent.”

“I'd appreciate that.”

It was a relief she had not asked why Youngwon was in that state.

'I'm not sure I could explain it myself.'

Jeong Youngwon had been cowering before her “Flower Garden” like that for a long time. It was only because he was relatively close to her that he wondered whether she had a god she served. Even he did not know her full circumstances.

'Still, spreading it around won't do any good.'

She was a good colleague and a decent friend. If there were things she did not wish to discuss, he honestly wanted to help keep them hidden as best he could.

“Could you tell me how your tanking works?”

“I entrance the monsters to gather them in one place, then put up a shield.”

“Like a barrier? Can you trap them inside, then?”

“It works by creating intangible walls, so it's not impossible, but I'm not at that level yet...”

“Being able to put up even one wall is impressive. I admire that.”

What had he been doing at her age?

“What shape is the barrier?”

“Recently, I managed to make it into a hemisphere.”

“How much can it hold?”

“Up to five adult men.”

“Oh, that's quite...”

It was impressive. The most effective shape for a barrier was a sphere, followed by a hemisphere. But most Hunters with barrier abilities ran into a major hurdle when trying to change its shape like that.

'And she can already make a hemisphere that holds five people.'

Even allowing for the fact that a god had chosen her, her talent was extraordinary.

“Hmm. What if you just put up a rectangular wall?”

“I could cover this tent. Though all I'd be able to do is block the entrance...”

“Then let's have you conserve as much strength as possible, little priest. If the front line breaks and the hordes pour through, that's when you'll act.”

“... I don't mean to question the person in charge, but will that really be enough? In the situation you've described, we'd have to consider retreating. That would be as good as losing this battle.”

“You really are clever, Sister Iru-da.”

But that would be enough.

“That's exactly when your ability should be used, Sister. At the very last moment, when there's no one left to protect you and the patients here. That's when you step in.”

“...”

“I'm saying you can laze around doing nothing until then. Understood?”

“I'd feel too guilty...”

“If you feel guilty, help the healers out. I hear the Sun Cult teaches first aid from the prospective-priest stage. Find people who need supplies or something and give them a hand.”

“Ah, yes. I'll do that.”

“More than anything, I don't think we need to worry too much.”

He gave his characteristic smile.

“I'm not taking it easy. I trust the people beyond that wall.”

Every A-class Hunter capable of operating at sea, along with the less powerful B-class Hunters, had gathered to hold the boss back. He believed they would never let it reach the inland areas.

* * *

“Aaaaaagh!!”

“Fuck, who brought the clueless idiot?!”

“Who are you calling clueless, you son of a bitch...!!”

Of course, things at the very front were not going so smoothly.

“Goddamn it, where the hell is it drawing all this seawater from?!”

Thanks to Yu Seongun's efforts, they had managed to freeze the surface and the water beneath it. Yet unfrozen seawater kept surging up from the depths to attack the Hunters. Perhaps even that had its limits: the water being drawn up was gradually freezing into a fluid slush, but...

“Why the hell does the seawater have a mind of its own?!”

“Fuck, this is insane...!”

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH—!!

Mixed with thick, hard chunks of ice, the seawater moved like a living snake, hurtling into the Hunters. They had to fight off the mermaids crawling up from the depths while batting aside the frigid seawater and writhing ice.

“What kind of damned mermaids...!!”

“Hey, someone get the fire-type Hunters over here!!”

“We can't handle this with just the people here...!!”

Watching the humans, the mermaids laughed.

“Ahahahaha!”

“Hahaha, oohoohoo...!”

“Aah, aaaaaah!!”

SPLASH—!!

“Aaaaagh!!”

“Hey, grab that bastard!!”

The creatures did not speak, but they grabbed the panicking humans by the ankles and dragged them beneath the sea. Once trapped beneath the solidly frozen ocean, even a Hunter would struggle to return alive.

Dealing with mermaids made of flesh was not difficult. They could be torn apart with weapons or frozen with cold. The problem was the sheer number crawling up from the deep.

“Why are there so many...!”

Mermaids rose from the sea without end.

“Fuck, did the assault team really get in safely?!”

“We got word they entered the dungeon!!”

Had they traveled by submersible, they could have suffered serious losses, but fortunately that had not happened. Everything was so urgent that the Hunters had not heard how “Black Cloak” had helped, though a little news had reached them.

And Yu Seongun was on a rampage.

BANG—!!!

“...”

The snowfield's ice was harder than anything else.

He drove his spear into the ground and used the recoil to vault into the air, forming another spear in an instant. Then he froze the Little Mermaid's body and tore it apart in the same stroke.

CLATTER—!

A sound rang out like glass marbles or diamonds scattering.

But the wounds soon closed.

“Oh dear, that hurts.”

“Hah. Seriously.”

CRUNCH!!!

Yu Seongun landed, creating more ice atop the glacier, then broke into a run again.

“What a drama queen.”

The face wearing that sneer, the torso that would have no heart, the legs that were surely decorative.

Shooting forward like a bullet, he froze and shattered the woman's face once more, but the result was the same. Countless other Hunters joined him in freezing and smashing her over and over, yet none of it harmed the Little Mermaid.

'Of course.'

The sea existed even at the poles.

'However cold a place is, there's still a sea.'

Parts of it could freeze, but not all of it. Freezing an entire ocean was tantamount to bringing an ice age upon that dimension. He could not do that, nor should he.

'So it's impossible to hurt that mermaid by freezing her when she's become one with the sea...'

SHHHHK—!!!

Sliding across the ice, Yu Seongun adjusted his grip on his spear.

'All the cold can do is stop that thing moving for a little while.'

That alone was an enormous help to the humans. Every movement the boss monster made inflicted heavy losses, so at the very least, they had to freeze it. But that left them at a stalemate.

'And our side is taking more damage.'

The mermaid was the living, breathing sea, but the humans were not cold itself. Continuing this war of attrition would only benefit the Little Mermaid. Once the humans wore themselves out, she would be free to move as much as she pleased.

“Ha, fuck.”

Yu Seongun's face twisted savagely.

“What a sorry fucking sight.”

“Hunter Yu Seongun, freeze it!!”

“Yeah, on it!!”

WHOOOOOSH!!!

CRACK—!!

BOOM, CLANG!!

He froze the seawater harpoons flying at them like arrows, one by one. Stepping onto them, he slid forward. Just as he was about to reach the Little Mermaid's main body, the ice bridge crumbled with a crunch. But he stepped onto other pieces of ice, leaped, and flew, reaching her once more.

The moment he came within a breath of her—

“Tell me.”

The sea spoke.

“Who will win?”

“I...”

Yu Seongun smiled with resolve in answer to the monster's question.

“...will.”

CRACKLE, BANG—!!!

The Little Mermaid's face shattered, the fragments scattering.

“...”

SHHHHK!!

When his feet touched the glacier again, the Little Mermaid, already restored in that brief instant, laughed.

“... Ahaha, haha...!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Isn't all that confidence amusing?”

“Hunter Seo Jio will be on my side.”

“How can you be certain of that? Do you believe he'll love these ungrateful humans?”

“Yes, of course. He was born that way!”

“Do you truly think so?”

Aria asked.

“Do you believe that man is benevolence incarnate?”

“You know he's far from ordinary, don't you?”

“He was human too.”

“...”

“Someone who loved to laugh, chatter, and play jokes...”

Love and hatred.

“A person.”

The mermaid was saying that Giovanni had never been anything like benevolence incarnate.

“He feels pain as pain too. He is an ordinary person who suffers when he is hurt and cries when he is sad. And yet you see the person named Jio as nothing but a work of art.”

“Are you saying I'm arrogant? Ignorant and unreasonable?”

“Ah, yes. It's utterly monstrous. Humans really are so revolting. Why must that precious being be placed among you and made into an idol?! Why must he become a symbol of good fortune, a saint of mercy...?!”

The woman raged.

“He is an ordinary human!!!”

She screamed in anguish.

(To be continued)