Entering the sealed room

Kazuto examined the door, but he was not able to understand anything new. Because it was very important, he was alert for any traps. Kazuto was not going to be able to decipher any of this with his current degree of knowledge.

"Looks like I won't be able to open it normally.Then, how about this."

He tried to pull and push the door to no avail. Immediately, a idea came in his mind which he used without much thought thinking that maybe the door would open.

However, immediately…

Crackle!

A red electric discharge runs through the door and Kazuto narrowly dodged it by pulling his hand because of his high stats and reaction speed. But something else also happened.

Oooooooooh!!

Suddenly, a deep voice cry echoed throughout the room. Kazuto gained some distance from the door by backstepping. He placed his hand on near his katana and gun to prepare to use it at anytime.

The cries continued to echo, and the identity of the voice began to move.

"Well, that was a little cliche."

While Kazuto was muttering and smiling to himself because of his battle lust. The sculptures of the two giants that flanked the door started to crumble. Gray skin that was assimilated with the wall soon turned dark green.

The one-eyed giant looked exactly like a fantasy cyclops. A 4m large sword appeared in its hands, though he didn't know where it came from. It turned its eyes towards Kazuto and was freeing its buried lower body to eliminate the intruder.

At that moment,

Dopan!

A bullet made of Tauru ore, which was accelerated through a railgun, pierced the cyclops only eye. It stirred around its brain for a bit before it bursted out of its head, and pulverized the back wall. The left cyclops blankly stared at what happened to the dead cyclops. After it was shot, the cyclops body was still convulsing, while it lean forward and fell. The shock created from the impact shook the whole room, and thick dust danced around the room.

"I hadn't got the opportunity to use the guns properly because I like fighting in close range but this thing is really useful in times like this, where this a ambush."

Kazuto used the gun in reflex without much thought because he wanted to save time and prepare for the battle. But it looks like it's not necessary. Probably, it was a guardian for the door that is sealing something. Furthermore it was in a place at the bottom of the abyss, there wasn't many visitors. When it finally answered the call of duty. Maybe it was filled with joy. Without even seeing much of the other party, its head was blown apart. If you can't call this pity, what would you call it?

An expression of horror was on the cyclops' (left) face as it gazed at Kazuto. Its eyes seemed like it was conveying "What the heck did this guy do?" Kazuto was glaring at the unmoving cyclops and preparing to attack. The cyclops did not know what guns were so it stayed vigilant and lowered its waist to prepare to move at any time.

Soon, Kazuto started running towards the monster using [quick movement] with a katana in his hand. A roar escaped from monsters lips, as the cyclops lost its temper and began to get ready.

The monster didn't even stepped forward, when kazuto arrived near him and used a skill [divine step] to get to it's only one eye. Kazuto wanted to finish this fight without taking any chances so he directly aimed for its eye. Because kazuto also used lightning with the katana, the monster died immediately without much drama. It lost strength in its leg and fell downward.

"Oh, I found the key. I'll harvest the meat later…"

Kazuto considered while glancing at the door. Using "Air Claws", Kazuto took the magic stone out of the cyclops body. Without minding the blood, he craved both cyclops for their magic stone and approached the door to compare these fist-sized stones to the two recesses. They were a perfect fit.

Instantly, red magic sprouted from the stone and poured into the magic square. The light settled after a moment and an opening sound could be heard. Simultaneously, the magic speared into the surrounding walls and emitted light; like Kazuto had not seen in a long time.

Kazuto's eyes twinkled a little, thinking of some cliche things that can be there like treasures and artifacts. He cautiously and quietly opened the door.

There was not a single source of light behind and door. Darkness spread in the big space the room had. With the help of his "Night Vision" and the new lights, Kazuto was able to make out the room little by little. Two columns of pillars lined up all the way into the depths. The room was made from finely crafted marbles and it looked similar to the Church room they were first summoned into. In the center of the room was a huge cube of stone that reflected the incoming light and lustered.

Kazuto was staring at the cube, when he noticed that something was growing in the front center of the cube.

Trying to confirm what he saw, Kazuto pushed open the door and checked the vicinity. Like a horror film, the door would slam closed when you were in trouble.

However, before Kazuto could fix the open door, something moved.

"…Who?"

A husky voice belonging to a frail girl. Kazuto stared at the center of the room, his eyes full of curiosity and surprise. The early "growing" was now moving. With the light finally piercing the darkness, the identity of it was exposed.

"Its…a human?"

The "growing" was a person. Only the face could be seen, every other part was buried in the cube. Long blond hair hung down around the woman, like a ghost from a certain horror film. Pupils of red was peeping from the gaps of hair, just like a low-altitude moon. From her looks, she looked around 12-13 years old. The dangled hair looked haggard, but it still had a beautiful appearance.

Curiosity got the best of Kazuto. He cautiously looked towards the girl and wondered if she was some sealed criminal.

"Please! h-help m-me... "

The blond haired girl spoke in an haggard voice like as if she hasn't spoken since years.

Hearing the girl, kazuto was surprised and he decided to entertain himself and see what would happen. Because Kazuto has been always fighting for a long time without getting a chance to truly relax. He has been alone without any intelligent beings near him to share his thoughts since the start of his exploration, his personality has became a little different from before.

Even a battle hungry person like him sometimes needed to relax without being on guard for monsters all the time, otherwise he would be mentally tired even if not physically. If he would have had met this girl when he just started his journey after the fall then Kazuto would have left her here thinking that the later was a troublesome fellow or criminal without listening anything she would say. But now that he was bored a little and he was sometimes questioning his own sanity because of his monotone life, he decided to listen to her words for his own interest and curiosity.

"Oh, why should I?"

Kazuto asked to the girl in a curious tone and the girl replied in a desperate voice, and her face was enough to show how desperate she was feeling.

"I-I w-will do a-anything."

The girl replied but kazuto was more interested to know how she got here, so he started to speak in hopes to find more information.

"This is the bottom of the abyss. I cannot possibly release someone that has been sealed in here. It would be absolutely dangerous. With the exception of the seal, nothing else is here…there isn't anything to help you escape. I also don't know what things you did to be in this seal and you could also attack me after I released you."

The girl once again answered kazuto's question as he was the only one who could help her.

"I d-didn't do anything w-wrong. I was just betrayed."

When speaking of betryal her voice raised a little but now hearing her words kazuto once again remembered that he was also betrayed. Although, not much but kazuto still held a little compassion for the girl, hearing both suffered the same.

"I'm an atavistic vampire…I was granted great power…because of it I worked hard for my country. But…one day…all my retainers…told me I was not needed anymore. Uncle…became my king…I was fine with that…However, I was dangerous because of my powers…they couldn't kill me…so they sealed me…in here."

Hearing her words made him stunned and it also looks like her circumstances is full of drama. Now he wanted to know her powers so he could decide if he would save her or not, as he a cannot afford to take some dead weight with him. Even if she doesn't die doesn't mean she will be powerful so he wanted to be sure.

"You, what royal family are you from?"

"…(Hypnotized)"

"What do you mean can't be killed?"

"…Automatic regeneration. Injuries heal immediately. Even if decapitated."

"That's amazing…is that only your great power?"

"Not just that…Magic, direct manipulation…also don't need formation."

Kazuto understood that. Magic manipulation came to him after he ate the demons. Incantations and magical formations were useless to him for strengthening his body. He did not need incantations for his skills. In Kazuto's case, it changed his dependence on huge magical formations to use regular magic, but because his aptitude is only average he is better at swordsmanship than magic. His direct magic manipulation did not help in that regards and this made using regular magic for him impractical because he is more powerful with swords.

But if she had any magical aptitude, she could use some very powerful magic and she would be able of foul play. While other people would be preparing their chants and magical formations, she could just launch a spell at them without them expecting it. Honestly, it wouldn't be a contest. Also, immortality. It probably was not absolute, but it still was a cheat better than a hero so saving her may not be bad.

"…Help me…"

While Kazuto was thinking to himself, the girl once again pleaded to him.

Kazuto motionlessly watched the girl, and she returned it. He decided to take her with him for his journey as he was getting bored anyway and it might be a good change in his monotone life. Maybe he won't go senile if someone is near him. Kazuto smiled a little and put his hand in the cube that sealed the girl.

"Ah."

The girl noticed the meaning and opened her eyes wide. Kazuto ignored her reaction as he concentrated on using the little trick that he developed earlier.

Dark purple colored magic discharged from him. Somehow, his magic had changed after he ate the demons. However, the cube was resisting Kazuto's work. It was exactly like the bedrock at the top and bottom of a level. The cube was not completely immune to it. Little by little, Kazuto's magic started to erode areas around the cube.

What Kazuto was doing was is that he is using his [Enchantment] and

[Magic manipulation] both at the same time which may sound easy but it is only possible because of the concentration power of Kazuto and the way he is using it. This time he is using this to pour his mana inside the cube and is trying to somehow corrode this cube or make the magic inside of it berserk. Not really a bright idea considering even one mistake could end his life because of explosion but this is the only way which has a high chance of success.

After nearly depleting half of his reserves the cube started to crack little by little. At first it started with the edges and slowly it crumbled, the girl was being released from her shackles.

Soon, more and more parts of her got free. Her swollen chest came to bare, then her waist, arms, and thighs. Under those cubes, she was wearing nothing. Even though her body was emaciated, she still had a mystique beauty to her. She dropped into a childish seat after all her body was set free. Her body seemed to lack the energy to stand up.

Kazuto also sat down. His shoulders and breath huffed and puffed. A heavy sense of mental fatigue hit him because of his earlier work so he was trying to stabalize his mental condition a little.

The girl clenched his hand. A hand that lacked any power; small and trembling. When Kazuto glanced at her, she was staring at him. Her face was in an expressionless state, but her eyes told the real story.

With a small and trembling voice, she clearly said.

"…Thank you."

Holding each others hands tightly. How much time passed? From Kazuto's knowledge, vampires died out several hundreds of years ago. He remembered reading about it when he was studying the history of this world.

Even while she talked her expression did not change. In other words, she had long forgotten how to talk and express herself with other people. She had spent a long time in this darkness all by herself. Betrayed by the people she trusted. The girl did well in not going insane. Maybe it was because of her automatic regeneration. However, it could be considered a torture with it. Because it did not allow her to go mad, she had to experience everything and remember it.

Looking at the girl's state he also holded her hand and decided not to say anything so she could calm her emotions down. After some time she spoke again and he remembered that they haven't introduced themselves.

"....What's your name?"

"Kazuto. Kazuto Makise. Yours...?"

She muttered "Kazuto" repeatedly. Like she was etching it into her mind as something important. To the asked question, she answered it with a question.

"…Name, grant me."

"Huh, What do you mean grant you? Don't tell me you forgot your name."

Kazuto asked her if it was because of the long imprisonment, but she just shakes her head.

"I don't need my previous name anymore. The name Kazuto grants me is good."

"...Well, if you say so."

Most likely she was dealing with the same thing as when Kazuto changed. Throw away your previous self; live a new life with new values. Kazuto was changed for his survival, freedom and because of a new world. She wanted to change out of her own free will. The first step was to get a new name.

Her eyes were shining with anticipation. Kazuto wanted to deny it but looking at her eyes he changed his mind and started thinking a new name. He told her the new name.

"How is "Yue"? I don't really have a sense for naming, if you want a different one…"

"Yue?…Yue…Yue"

"Ah, I didn't mean Yue [romanji]. From my hometown the name means "Moon". When I first entered the room, I thought those eyes that shined through your blonde hair looked like the moon floating in the night…how is it?"

The girl was surprised by the response he gave and just blinked her eyes. As expected, her face remained expressionless but her eyes shined with joy.

"Yeah, from now on I'm Yue. Thank you."

"Ok!, but for the time being…"

"!?"

Yue undid their clasped hands and looked at Kazuto. He started to take off his overcoat and gave it to her.

"Wear this. You can't stay naked forever."

"…"

Yue reflexively took the offered overcoat while she looked at her state. She was really stark naked. All of her important parts were exposed. Kazuto's overcoat was quickly wrapped around her, while she turned bright red. Yue looked up at Kazuto and murmured.

"Kazuto's a pervert."

"…"

Kazuto choose to pretend to not hear anything and stay silent, because saying anything would just make it worse. The overcoat was cheerfully put on by Yue. She was only 140 cm tall, so the overcoat was oversized for her. Her hands held the hems of the coat with a pleasant expression on her face.

During that moment, Kazuto was drinking his "potion". His vitality restored and his brain active again. Using "perception"…he froze. There was a sense of a terrible demon in the immediate area.