Multiverse Adventure – My Journey Begins in Danmachi 130

Multiverse Adventure – My Journey Begins in Danmachi 130

---

Edited by: Tiny Fan Fiction

---

Chapter 130 Root, Return, Karen

“…As expected, I can’t hide it from you, Noah.”

A beauty with white hair and crimson eyes, similar to Irisviel but more exquisite and divine, looked at Noah and slowly revealed a smile.

When this smile appeared on her overly beautiful, almost inhuman snow-white cheeks, it instantly radiated a gentle vitality, like the spring snow melting and the grass and trees sprouting.

The Winter Saint, or rather ‘Ryougi Shiki’, silently gazed at Noah.

Although there was no smile on her face, and there was no change from before, it still evoked an extremely calm and subtle warmth, but if one tried to capture it, it would immediately vanish like a fleeting moment.

This elusive, even somewhat mischievous warmth felt like the morning sunlight in the cold spring season.

It was precisely within this clear coldness that one could feel the faint warmth.

That ‘Ryougi Shiki’ would appear here was something Noah had not anticipated, yet it was also something he expected.

After all, she is the embodiment of the Root; it’s not surprising to find her anywhere, right?

Moreover, Noah believed that no matter what ‘Ryougi Shiki’ was up to, she would never harm him.

Since that’s the case, why waste brain cells thinking about what to do?

Instead, Noah looked at ‘Ryougi Shiki’, who had reappeared before him after more than a year, and felt a ripple in his heart.

Although it wasn’t strong, it was like a delicate white hand gently stirring the calm surface of a pond, creating subtle ripples.

Yet it lasted for a long time, continuously spreading towards the distance, even reaching the depths of Noah’s heart that he hadn’t noticed himself.

Then, Noah was surprised to realize… oh, it turns out I miss her this much.

Clearly, it always felt like she was right by my side…

The faint melancholy lingering in his heart was probably similar to the feeling of being away from home while working in a distant place, where one doesn’t feel much, but once they set foot on the journey back home and see familiar sights, an inexplicable nostalgia surfaces.

This made Noah instinctively reach out his hands, wanting to embrace ‘Ryougi Shiki’…

Looking at ‘Ryougi Shiki’, who had a face almost identical to Irisviel’s, showing him 7 parts indifference, 2 parts warmth, and one part playfulness, Noah couldn’t help but pout in disdain.

“Hey! Hurry up and change back! With this face, I feel no appetite!”

Her ruby-like, crystal-clear eyes blinked, and ‘Ryougi Shiki’ deliberately tilted her head, gazing up at Noah like a curious child.

“Why? This body should also be a rare beauty, right?”

This expression, when superimposed on the Winter Saint’s stunningly beautiful face, made it instantly come alive, and even somewhat resembled that mischievous and lively Irisviel.

However, Noah still shook his head, unmoved.

“I don’t know, it just doesn’t fit my aesthetic.”

Noah could proudly claim that he didn’t understand what beauty was, and as long as it wasn’t ugly to an extreme degree, everything looked the same to him.

What truly moved Noah about ‘Ryougi Shiki’ was a certain…

It was the kind of beauty that, for the first time, made Noah think beyond his usual standards of “this one can be cut, that one can’t, this one can be killed, that one can’t be killed for now” and realize the beauty of “I am male, she is female”.

Seeing Noah’s conflicted expression, a faint, subtle joy flickered in ‘Ryougi Shiki’s eyes.

Moreover, this joy was something she herself didn’t even notice at first, she just couldn’t help but prolong her gaze on Noah.

It wasn’t until she became aware of this that ‘Ryougi Shiki’ snapped back to reality.

During the time she ‘observed’ Noah, her consciousness and personality seemed to become more refined.

It wasn’t bad at all.

Without any shyness, conflict, or pretenses, ‘Ryougi Shiki’ silently transformed her appearance into that of a black-haired girl wearing a snow-white kimono.

At the same time, within the boundless, endless, and timeless Root, the Heaven and Earth underwent a transformation in an instant.

Countless delicate snowflakes gently floated down from the night sky, not only covering the ground in white, but also as if absorbing all the noise, making the world serene, peaceful, and infinitely distant.

Then, within this pure Heaven and Earth constructed from black and white, ‘Ryougi Shiki’ lifted her small face, opened her clear black eyes under her slender eyelashes, and silently gazed at Noah with a soft, moist gaze that pierced through her gently swaying black hair.

Gentle, quiet, profound, and serene, yet beautifully tranquil, as if all the beauty of the Elf females in the world had merged into her.

Looking at the kimono-clad girl, who was exactly as he remembered, bathed in the warm yellow light, Noah stared blankly for a few seconds before unhesitantly stepping forward to embrace her.

The so-called preparations, communication, interaction, probing, and questioning, all the necessary tools for human relationships, were unnecessary between the two.

Although they had only met once, although they had never expressed their feelings, although they had only exchanged a few words, they both understood each other’s intentions.

This individual understood me, and understood that I understood him, understood that I understood that he understood me…

So, ‘Ryougi Shiki’ simply closed her eyes and accepted Noah’s embrace without any resistance.

Clutching the lithe and tender body, Noah inhaled the crisp, cool fragrance of ‘Ryougi Shiki’, experiencing a stir in his heart that none of the other elf females had ever invoked.

The biting winter wind of the frosty night held no meaning for either of them, yet it made them more acutely aware of each other’s warmth, slowly merging into one.

In the boundless silence of the snowy night, only their breathing techniques and heartbeats tuned the souls that had sunk into long solitude, nearly forgetting sorrow, to a shared frequency.

It was a tranquility that made them discard all worries and loneliness, almost losing themselves, as if returning to the peace within a mother’s womb.

Perhaps only minutes had passed, or maybe years, but they both opened their eyes with a gentle tremble.

Their gazes met, and they saw the smiles that had crept onto their own faces reflected in each other’s eyes.

Such a soft and unguarded smile, both understood, was a sight only the other could witness.

For in front of others, no matter how hard they tried, they could never show such a smile.

“‘Shiki’?”

After the embrace, Noah felt it was time to end his journey in this otherworld and return to Orario to continue his battles.

If it were any other elf female, leaving so soon after an embrace might have seemed heartless.

But Noah believed that ‘Ryougi Shiki’ would not think that way.

She understood his thoughts and would surely support him.

Noah’s trust in ‘Ryougi Shiki’ surpassed even his trust in himself.

‘Ryougi Shiki’ understood Noah’s intentions and, with a gentle smile, lifted her delicate, pale hand from beneath her kimono sleeve to softly brush against him.

In that instant, Noah felt as if his soul was washed over by a clear hot spring amidst a snowy landscape, chilling yet warm.

Though the spring’s touch was fleeting, he felt something within his soul being cleansed, lightening him considerably.

Without ‘Ryougi Shiki’ having to say much, Noah knew it was the darkness left in his soul after the battle of ‘Elegy of Light’s Inherent Barrier.

A darkness capable of absorbing all offensive arts for its own use naturally came with a price, one that Noah could not avoid.

For that original darkness was his essence, much like how the Black Mud could not harm Angra Mainyu.

Each time Noah uses that Inherent Barrier, it’s as if the clay doll that is he walks through water, reverting his personality and soul back to their origins somewhat.

Before, Noah would have been somewhat confused, but after invoking the Scarlet Flame of Karmic Debt, he understood everything clearly.

At its core, Noah’s mission since birth has been to destroy that broken world teetering on the brink of ruin.

Incinerate everything tangible and intangible with the World-Ending Flame of Karmic Debt, reduce it to the original Void, and then merge it into the primordial darkness, awaiting the next cycle.

He is both the World-Ending Demon King and the world-saving hero, embodying despair as well as hope.

This cycle may have already occurred many times.

It’s just that this time, some unexpected twist allowed Noah to break free from his fate.

However, if it weren’t for encountering that useless trash system that brought him to the Otherworld, perhaps he would have still returned to his original path after death.

But, if ‘Ryougi Shiki’ could help him remove the darkness from his soul…

Sensing a new possibility, Noah’s eyes sparkled with a Shiny (Gilgamesh) brilliance as he looked at ‘Ryougi Shiki’.

Looking at Noah, ‘Ryougi Shiki’ raised her hand, gently cupping his face.

In those pitch-black eyes, there was an endless void, as well as endless contentment.

“…Sometimes, I wonder, could there be an origin even more vast, thorough, and unified than the Root? Otherwise, how could we have met.”

If she hadn’t met Noah, ‘Ryougi Shiki’ might have simply returned to the Whirlpool of the Root and fallen into eternal slumber in this dull world.

Although returning to the original darkness with Noah wasn’t exactly the same, it didn’t seem to make a huge difference either.

The two of them became the reason for each other to stay in this world, like 2 small boats about to be swept away by different whirlpools, yet somehow managing to latch onto each other.

“…Who knows, if I get the chance, I’ll definitely find out the reason behind it.”

Noah felt a sense of joy in his heart, yet it felt so natural, because the one in front of him was none other than ‘Ryougi Shiki’.

So, he simply pulled the girl in front of him into his arms once again.

*

In Fuyuki City, after a brief holiday, Matou Sakura resumed her daily life of attending school.

As Noah leaped into the gate that led to the sky, Medea (Caster) was also illuminated by the light of the Third Law before the gate closed, becoming a Servant who remained in the mortal world, just like Artoria.

Furthermore, after the world’s rift closed, Medea (Caster) had an epiphany and, through a wish, managed to condense the vast Mana of the Holy Grail System into a Sage’s Stone.

With the immense Mana of the Sage’s Stone, Medea (Caster) repaired Irisviel’s body and rebuilt Kenneth’s Magic Circuit.

The Einzbern family and the El-Melloi faction left Fuyuki City.

Matou Kariya also departed with them, as he sought to explore more of the unknown world.

Given that Tohsaka Tokiomi had passed away and Matou Kariya had left, and both the Matou and Tohsaka residences had been reduced to rubble, it seemed only logical for Matou Sakura to reunite with Tohsaka Aoi, who had made amends.

However, Matou Sakura chose not to do so, instead moving back into the Ryūdō Temple, where she lived with Asagami Fujino and received guidance from Medea (Caster) and Artoria.

Although the path ahead was uncertain, Matou Sakura was confident that she would one day reunite with the Figure who had saved her from hell.

If being a Colorless Magus isn’t enough, then I’ll become a Crowned Magus!

If being a Crowned Magus still isn’t enough, then I’ll reach the Root, the legendary realm where Magi can attain omniscience and omnipotence!

In any case, Matou Sakura didn’t need Noah to wait for her; she decided to take the initiative and catch up to him!

So, Matou Sakura should study hard, eat well, learn Medea (Caster)’s Magecraft earnestly, and practice Swordsmanship that Artoria taught her!

On her way home from school, Matou Sakura suddenly saw a Figure on the roadside.

Silver hair.

The first thing she noticed was the girl’s hair color, which was the same as Noah’s.

Then came the girl’s identity.

It was a girl, about her age, but because of her special temperament, it was impossible to tell her exact age.

Under her softly curled silver hair, her upright features held a hint of pitiful charm, wearing a dress similar to a nun’s.

However, the emotions in her pupils, between amber and gold, were so thin that even indifference didn’t exist, giving her a ghostly beauty.

For some reason, the moment she saw the girl, Matou Sakura felt an urge to help her.

On that lonely figure standing on the winter street, Matou Sakura seemed to see a reflection of her past self.

After much deliberation, Matou Sakura bit her lip, mustered her courage, and walked towards the girl.

My weak self is already dead!

I want to be as brave as Noah-nii!

Standing on a foreign street, the girl, hungry and unable to even take a step, couldn’t help but think if this was the punishment she deserved.

Otherwise, why would her grandfather, whom she had never met, bring her here from a foreign country and then abandon her at the church?

She had been eating everything she could find in the church for days, but now she had to come out and search for something to survive.

After all, her mother had committed suicide, defying God’s love, and was a sinner.

As the daughter of a sinner, she was naturally not eligible to receive baptism or attend school.

The priest, who was well-funded, only gave her prayers and work.

Despite this, she harbored no resentment, because there was only emptiness there.

From childhood, the girl knew her true nature.

Whether inherited from her father and mother, or a sudden mutation within herself, since she had memories, she felt a void as if all things were about to be destroyed, isolating her from the world.

Compared to normal people, she was extremely abnormal.

​​Therefore, she always faces everything with an indifferent attitude, using a well-behaved woman puppet mask to cover up her inhuman nature.

Just occasionally, she would also be uncontrollable and extremely sharp ironic.

This made her deeply disliked by adults, and it was naturally impossible for peers to accompany her.

However, after going hungry for so long, she had even lost the ability to mock others and could only sit dazedly on the street corner.

Until, a sudden piercing pain jolted her awake.

Her heartbeat quickened, her skin tingled, her breathing technique became rapid, and a few beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

…In an instant, she understood why she was reacting this way.

Since she was young, she had a peculiar constitution that was prone to injury, often inexplicably covered in bruises.

Later on, she realized what her constitution meant… It was something like a spiritual medium, extremely prone to attracting demons and being harmed by them; as a demon detector, it couldn’t be more useful.

Moreover, when exposed to abnormal magical influences, she would occasionally have strange reactions.

This caused her to instinctively raise her eyes and look at the black-haired girl standing in front of her.

No, it’s not this little girl.

She immediately made a judgment.

Although her right eye could barely see, her sense of taste was faint, and her perception of the world was dull compared to others, it also gave her a sharpness that ordinary people lacked, with keen observation of certain things.

She could now confirm that it was not the little girl herself that was causing her body to react, but someone who had been with her for a long time.

That individual’s presence was too tangible, to the point that even after leaving, they had left a profound imprint on the black-haired girl.

That imprint was to her as a striking color in a world of pure gray.

Although just being near that color caused her skin to feel as if it were being tortured with intense pain, her chest seemed to be twisted and clenched, making the feeling of suffocation grow heavier.

But still, she did not want to flee.

Despite having been prompted numerous times to follow the priest and pray to the gods in the church, the girl felt the true proof of a deity’s existence for the first time.

Ah, God, have you finally deigned to bestow grace upon a sinner like me?

Even if it means falling into hell, please let me feel more of the presence on that great, unnamed being!

Under the girl’s brilliant gaze, Matou Sakura felt as if ants were crawling all over her body.

But she could also feel that the silver-haired girl’s intense gaze was not on her.

It seemed, it seemed to be directed at something or someone around her.

Strange, was there anyone else around her?

Although she had entered the world of Magecraft and witnessed some cruel battles, Matou Sakura’s childlike nature still made her extremely afraid of ghosts and monsters, involuntarily glancing around and quietly using observation Magecraft to scan her surroundings.

“Hmm, there’s nothing there. Did I misread it?”

When she looked at the silver-haired girl again, she found the other’s expression had returned to normal, making her almost think she had misread it.

“So, uh, are you hungry?”

The silver-haired girl nodded.

After a moment of hesitation, Matou Sakura looked at the silver-haired girl again.

“May I ask, what’s your name?”

If possible, she wanted to offer whatever help she could.

“Karen, my name is…Karen Ardeasia.”

At this moment, Karen decided that no matter what, she would use this girl to find that great existence!

---