Journey's Dawn
About , years ago,
a huge pit was discovered on a remote island in the southern sea of Beoluska.
People were drawn to this great unknown.
Rare and dangerous creatures
and relics that defy understanding
lure adventurers with the promise of riches.
Before long, a massive city was established there.
But today still, the depth is unknown.
And after long years, lured by the arcane and innumerable legends,
a vast number of people have been lost to the world's only remaining darkness.
It is known as the Abyss.
It is the last chasm of this world
that still conceals mystery.
It belongs to the people we met yesterday, right?
Yes, the foreign excavators.
There really are rascals without a whistle.
This is quite thrilling.
Be reasonable.
Thank you.
Immovable Lord! Come and see this!
Looks like she didn't like it...
She did.
She looked like she wanted more.
That's what you think?
Of course.
Your meals are the best.
We are going beyond the immovable garden, aren't we?
I like the landscape, over there.
I wanted to show it to you, Touka.
I wanted you to see it too.
But you might want to
discover it yourself.
Journey's Dawn
Journey's Dawn
Journey's Dawn
Come on, Nat!
Why are you following me?
Shut up!
I'm responsible for the area just above yours, Riko!
Oh, that's right...
Well, at least help me carry the relics on the way home then.
Why should I?
'Cause today, my haul needs to receive the highest valuation out of all the Red Whistles!
Doubt that'll happen.
This area's mostly been searched already,
and there's not much of anything rare left.
Then I need to win in numbers!
You okay with that?
How about fudging the numbers with that thing you swiped the other day?
The Cosmic Compass?
I can't do that!
It guides its user toward the truth of the Abyss, after all.
Besides... if they find out I was hiding it...
they won't stop at stringing me up naked!
Talk about traumatizing a lady!
Well, be careful.
I'm gonna go all out excavating today!
I'll get so much stuff, Leader won't even know what to say!
All right, let's do this! I'm gonna get first place!
Hup!
There's one!
Two!
Three!
Four...
I can do it if I just try.
At this rate, it's only a matter of time until I'm bumped up to the -meter group.
Heavy...
Hey, Nat! Help me out!
This is seriously heavy. Where'd he run off to?
I can't believe him...
A crimson splitjaw?
What's it doing this far up?
Nat?
Oh, no! Is that blood?
What should I do?
Nat's...
Nat's gonna get eaten!
Oh, crap!
Is my arm... broken?
It's not?!
Nat!
Help!
Amazing... The petrified trees are melted.
I think... maybe somebody saved me.
Wow, beautiful.
H-Hello there...
No way! He's not breathing!
He needs resuscitation!
What's with this texture?
Huh?!
He's not human!
A machine?
Wow, this is big! Never seen anything like this before!
He's still warm...
He must've been moving until a minute ago.
But where did this boy come from?
Good work out there yesterday.
You didn't manage to excavate all that much, but it was the first time working solo for most of you,
so that's only to be expected.
Next week,
I'll have you base yourselves at the same -meter sites and continue working.
Those of you who lost their equipment, file a request with General Affairs.
That is all.
Now, a word from the director.
There's just one thing I want to say.
You whistle holders are students of the guild's orphanage and have a responsibility to earn money for it.
Strive to work hard so as not to shame your parents who fell so nobly.
Ah, one more thing.
That's two things now...
That's two things now.
Helping yourself to relics is strictly forbidden.
Is she glaring at me?
Relics provide valuable income to the orphanage,
so pocketing them is inexcusable.
No matter the punishment...
I don't want to hear any complaints!
Did she figure me out?!
Next time, it won't stop at just being strung up naked.
Keep that in mind. That is all.
Dismissed.
She doesn't know... I'm safe.
So? How's that?
I think maybe he moved a little.
Really?!
Is someone there?
Maybe we should try turning up the power a little bit?
Yeah, good idea. Riko, set the dial to .
The voices of children?
I'm on it!
Whatever...
I'll sleep...
Done!
a bit longer...
So, Shiggy, can I press it now?
Riko, is it supposed to be at ?
Huh?
Huh?
He's up!
Seriously?!
See? I told you that electricity would do the trick!
And who was the one who fed him hot coals earlier?
Hey, Robot Boy{*Robot-kun}, do you recognize me?
You saved me!
How did you att*ck that snake from so far away?
Oh, but first, tell me your name!
Hey, don't bombard him! He looks overwhelmed.
Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Riko!
I feel bad about replying to a question with a question, but...
He spoke!
How cute!
There's something I want to ask.
What? What? Ask whatever you want!
Where am I?
Where?
This is my room in Belchero Orphanage!
Do you all work as torturers?
Huh?
Riko's room is actually the old punishment room.
She got up to too much mischief and was moved here.
Anyway, we work as cave raiders.
Well, strictly speaking, we're apprentices called Red Whistles.
Hey, Robot Boy{*Robot-kun}, what's your name?
What kind of functions do you have? Who made you?
It's been on my mind for a bit now, but...
Yeah?
I'm... a robot?
You're a robot!
Electricity made you move!
You totally withstood fire!
And I couldn't put a single scratch on you!
So, uh... you don't even remember that you're a robot?
Maybe that shock messed with his memory?
Guys, this is bad!
The lights are out throughout the whole orphanage!
What?!
I think we used too much power putting it on max.
Hide him, quick! Leader is headed straight over here!
Huh?! How does he know it was us?
Probably 'cause you're always pulling stuff.
Can you stand?
Guess we've gotta get that off you first...
Riko!
Huh?
Riko, distract him the best you can!
I've got a bad feeling...
Huh?
Huh?!
Don't come out of there! Got it?
We'll be in a world of trouble if you do!
Hey, Riko! Open up!
O-Okay!
Comi—
Ow...
So, what did you do this time?
Huh? Nothing... much really...
Ah, m-more importantly, I just banged my foot.
Right on the corner too.
I-It hurts really bad...
I bumped it just the wrong way...
Wai...
Huh?
So this here is Shiggy's handiwork?
Still no idea what he's up to.
Hey, do you have anything to say for yourself?
S-Sorry. I won't do it again.
I know you're frustrated from how your cave raiding turned out.
That said, there's no sense in causing a blackout at the orphanage.
Riko?
Are you listening to me, Riko?
Before I hear your explanation for this mess,
I think I'll have you clean the orphanage and write a sincere apology.
Huh?
Ah... I'm sorry!
I get it now.
It would be no laughing matter if he were to find me.{Like Myaamori and I touched on, this kind of line would be a better reflection of how Reg speaks}
I didn't expect my arm to be able to extend.
I've got an extending metal arm...
and this helmet...
Quite suspicious.
What exactly am I?
Does a robot really need a belly button?
Huh?!
D-Do I need this thing, too?
Whoa!
Shh!
I took the chance to sneak away when Shiggy and the others got caught.
Oh, what now? You getting all dressed up in front of the mirror?
Uh, n-no...
Riko!
Riko! Where'd you go?!
C-Crap!
What are we gonna do?! We need to get outta here!
Grab onto me!
Hurry!
Amazing! What a handy hand!
How cool!
Riko, where'd you go?!
It doesn't seem like he's going to give up easily.
Oh, right!
Reg, there's something I want to show you.
"Reg"?
That's your name.
Not having one is pretty inconvenient, right?
So what do you think of the name "Reg"?
I think it's fine, but... how did you come up with it?
It was the name of a dog I used to have.
A dog...
Reg, hurry, come quick!
We're here!
It's almost time now, Reg!
Reg, this is the city all of us live in.
The city on the great pit, Orth!
Welcome to Orth, Reg!
So this hole...
Huh?
Reg, you've even forgotten about the Abyss?
"Abyss"?
This big hole is called the "Abyss."
And I found you in the Edge of the Abyss!
I...
I thought that...
maybe you came from the bottom of the Abyss!
Huh?
I mean, I've never seen a robot like you before!
That must be it!
You must've come from the bottom of the Abyss, which no one's ever seen...
The Abyss...
The difficulty with cave raiding in the Abyss is the return trip.
The deeper you go, the greater and more severe the physical toll of heading home becomes.
Returning from the first layer, you experience mild dizziness.
From the second layer: nausea, headaches, and numbness of the extremities.
From the fourth layer: intense pain throughout the body and bleeding.
From the sixth layer and beyond: the loss of humanity, or death.
This mysterious phenomenon, which is unavoidable for any human cave raider,
is called the Curse of the Abyss.
So that means robots should be unaffected by the curse, right?
Reg, you must've come from the bottom of the Abyss after all!
Assuming that's true, what did I come up here to do?
That's what I want to talk about.
Oh! The Compilation of Recorded Relics
"Recorded Relics"?
It's a field guide to the major relics that have been unearthed.
Ah, the Unheard Bell!
It's classified as a special-grade relic, a "bell that stops time"!
Y'know, Reg, my mother was the one who found it!
She's so close...
I searched everywhere inside this thing,
but there's nothing listed that's like Reg.
Riko, care to fill us in on what you've found out about Reg's functions?
Sure thing!
Let's see...
Curiously, he can run on either food or electricity,
and, on top of having a strange power that can melt through petrified trees,
his skin is smooth, though it can't be cut.
His hair didn't catch fire either!
Fire?!
His vision and hearing are better than mine.
In addition, his arm can extend about meters.
His metal-looking parts are made of some mysterious flexible material that even a drill can't pierce!
A drill?!
He has a belly button, but I couldn't see inside his butthole.
I tried to probe him with a measuring stick, but it broke inside him...
Also, his penis doesn't appear to be mechanical, but more like a real one...
Okay, Riko, that's enough.
Sorry. We couldn't stop her...
Ignoring that last half, none of those features are listed within the relic record.
And, even if they were, they'd be above grade- .
What do you mean?
Reg's body is a bundle of special-grade relics.
In the whole history of the Abyss, he might be one of the most valuable relics...
an "Aubade" — a supreme treasure of the netherworld!
That's super awesome!
Not even my mother found one of those!
If I'm right, then...
Reg will be quickly taken away, and his existence concealed.
He may even be dismantled.
Furthermore, our usual classes and jobs start up tomorrow!
I guess we won't be able to stay with him all the time then, huh?
But...
Th-Then I'll keep him hidden in my room!{She says this explicitly like you would keep a pet, though "keep hidden" is included as well}
Yeah, right. They even found your dog.
In that case, I have an idea!
I call it the "Have Leader and Reg Meet Strategy."
You want to be a cave raider?
What did your family have to say about that?
I have no family. My big sister d*ed, so I came here.
I heard that I can become a cave raider if I work here.
You don't look like you're from Orth...
My sister found me a year ago.
I don't remember anything before that due to an accident.
After that, I began rag-picking with her in a cliffside neighborhood in Orth's south district.
You think that backstory's okay?
Sounds authentic, doesn't it? I doubt Leader's ever been to the slums.
What happened to your hand?
He asked!
It's, uh...
been like this the whole past year.
An old man in the cliffside neighborhood said it's foreign technology...
Clench it for me.
Seems your grip is strong enough.
Very well then. What's your name?
Reg... It's Reg!
All right!
He pulled it off...
He really is an Aubade!
By the way, Reg...
You don't know anything about the incident down in the Edge the other day, do you?
What are you talking about?
Nothing important. Forget it.
Well, come inside.
Come on, let's hurry!
Hey! It went well, right? Right?!
And thus, I became a student at Belchero Orphanage...
and set my sights on becoming a cave raider.
Riko Bombs
Preparation
in Progress
Two months passed before I knew it...
I'm surprised by how well I'm fitting in here.
Three more days until I go on my first cave raid,
which also means saying goodbye to this bell.
Lucky.
Don't worry.
I probably won't be getting any bigger, but you'll keep growing and growing, Kiyui.
Makes sensh...
Ah, there you are, Reg!
Welcome back.
Word is Habo's squad is returning home!
Let's go greet them at the grand pier!
Kiyui, it's dangerous there, so you stay behind, 'kay?
Got it!
They're back!
There they are!
They've come home!
They're coming out now!
There they are!
It's Habo!
Uncle Habo!
Hm? What is he doing?
Is that a relic?
It's a whistle...
A white whistle.
Huh?! A white whistle?!
Hey, I know whose whistle that is!
It's Lyza's! Lyza the Annihilator's!
For real?!
He says it's Lyza's.
Lyza the Annihilator's?!
"Annihilator"... What an unsettling name...
I don't believe it!
But why just her whistle? What does that mean?
Riko?
Lyza is...
my mother's name.
The world's only remaining unexplored chasm, the great devilish pit—the Abyss.
And it is we, the cave raiders, who dare challenge it!
The apprentice Red Whistles!
The proficient Blue Whistles! The assistant instructor Moon Whistles!
The expert Black Whistles!
And, finally... those who stand atop them all, the masters who have surpassed their human limitations to challenge the Abyss!
Our heroes...
the White Whistles!
And now, the soul of the one who stood out as the greatest even among the White Whistles
has at last returned home after more than years!
Is it really okay for me to keep this?
It's fine.
Unlike other whistles, that one can only be used by its original owner.
Lyza was also carrying a sealed document.
We received the white whistle and the document from a sentry at the Seeker Camp.
But it's currently being examined, so it might take some time to get to you, Riko.
Are you saying it's a letter from my mother?
Uncle Habo ?
Yeah... I suppose it is!
I'm sure it's a letter addressed to you.
What are you doing sitting around here?
Leader...
Today's Resurrection Festival is meant to show just how great your mother was.
It's a very important day for you, too. Make sure to really take it in.
After all, Lyza loved festivals, and this is her final one, in a way.
Um... Leader...
My mother was your mentor, right?
What kind of person was she?
Despite being one of the White Whistles I look up to so much, I can't even remember her face.
So I'm not exactly sad,
but I feel like someone I aspired to be just suddenly disappeared...
When Lyza went in for her last dive, you were still just two years old after all.
As a cave raider, she was every bit the legendary White Whistle people say she was.
That said, what I know of her is from her time here on the surface.
She was a heavy drinker, quick to get into fights, and you could never tell how honest she was being.
If she wasn't a White Whistle, she would have been just another weirdo.
She was a real mess...
How are your eyes doing?
Huh?
Oh, they're fine!
As long as I'm wearing my glasses, I don't get headaches...
You know...
the issue with your eyes is different from just bad eyesight.
Huh?
Your vision itself is fine and free from abnormalities,
but you suffer headaches unless you view everything through crystal lenses.
The symptoms may be mysterious, but their cause is quite clear:
the Curse of the Abyss.
My bad eyesight isn't from always staying up late?
That was nonsense we made up to teach you discipline.
It's already been years...
No, I suppose it was a bit before that actually...
Your mother, Lyza , had just become pregnant with you
when she had to go down to the fourth layer with her survey team.
Huh? But why?
It was a special mission ordered by the state.
She was to retrieve the Unheard Bell, a special-grade relic that had been discovered in the depths.
Their cave raiding proved arduous and stretched on for over ten months.
They had repeated run-ins with foreign cave raiders, and the survey team was nearly wiped out.
It was at that time your father, a Black Whistle named Torka, lost his life.{*Your father, Torka-san the Black Whistle, lost his life around that time.}
And, in the midst of it all, you were born.
Huh?
That's right.
It means you were born in the depths of the Abyss.
Well...
Um... So does that mean...
I'm strong against the Curse of the Abyss?!
Of course not!
Did you forget how much you threw up after your first time cave raiding?
Ascending from the fourth layer is hard to bear, even for adults.
Huh? So why am I still alive, then?
You have the Curse-Repelling Vessel that Lyza took along with her to thank for that.
However, it was dreadfully heavy,
and the then-decimated team no longer had the strength to carry it home.
Then that means I'm not actually alive after all...
Lyza abandoned the Unheard Bell.
Leaving behind the corpses of their comrades,
she carried you with the help of the last remaining squad member.
Bringing home just one special-grade relic is enough to enrich the city and ensure a squad's future.
And yet Lyza chose you.
Prestige and riches, her comrades and their trust...
All of it...
She desired to have you so much that she was willing to give that up.
Although she made use of a relic,
the Curse of the Abyss still couldn't be fully warded off.
Lyza lamented that she was unable to protect your eyes.
But you grew up extremely healthy,
and, in the face of having someone so celebrated as your mother, you're trying to choose your own path.
And thus, the one she risked her life to protect is still going strong to this day.
Now, this life the legendary White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator left you with...
How will you use it?
Thank you!
Shortly afterward,
Lyza settled the score with the foreign country that caused her trouble and recovered the Bell.
Well, some things are better left unsaid.
Orth's East District - Cave Raider Guild HQ
It's just up ahead. I'll accompany you as a surveillant.
Please refrain from touching anything.
What are all of these?
Mother went down there ten years ago,
and yet none of these are in the field guide.
I've never seen any of these before.
What's the matter, Riko? Did you find a letter?
That looks like...
Yeah, some parts are different here and there, but this is...
Riko, there's a piece of paper beside it with only writing.
If it's a letter, it's pretty short.
Riko, shine the light on it.
Hm, let's see...
"At the bottom of...
the netherworld...
I'll be waiting..."
"At the bottom of the netherworld, I'll be waiting."
What made you decide to swipe this?
Well, it's a letter that my mom wrote to me!
That makes it mine!
So, you're serious about going then?
Yep!
And that's why I want your help!
My mother is waiting for me.
What's your plan once you pass the Seeker Camp?
I'll head for the bottom of the Abyss, where my mom is waiting!
The route from there is—
What's the matter, Nat?
I'm against it! The bottom of the Abyss...
You talk about it like it's no big deal, but if you go there you'll never be able to return!
Why're you saying this now?!
I've always wanted to be a White Whistle, so I'm already prepared for that.
No, Riko, you don't get it!
You'll never be able to see anyone from up here ever again, you know?!
That's right!
You won't be able to hang out at Auntie's, attend Leader's lessons,
or play with any of us here again!
That's right!
Like I said... I know that, okay?!
Wh-What are you crying about?
You're crying too, aren't you?!
O-Ouch! I'm not crying a bit!
Nat, you dummy!
Anyway, let's call it a night and get some rest.
I'm not the dummy, you are!
Tomorrow is Reg's first cave raid and all.
Jeez, shut up already!
Roger that.
O-O-O-Ow!
"At the bottom of the netherworld, I'll be waiting..."
Cut it out!
Reg...
Reg!
What is it?
If you dig up the grass like that, all you're gonna find are bugs.
Try digging that flat spot next to you.
This here?
Oh? Oh, my...
Nat, what is this thing? It's round and squishy.
Oh, uh...
That's a relic of the Abyss like any other.{translators leaving "mo" vague is the bane of my existence}
Dunno what though...
There's some amazing force holding it together...
Could this possibly be a special-grade relic?
No way. You won't find anything but junk around here.
Calling this "junk" is simply irredeemable...{First time his catchphrase "doshigatai" drops here, however you're doing it.}
Wait a minute. If it's junk, does that mean I can keep it?
Hey, they'll string you up naked for that, you know?
Even junk sells for good money over in foreign countries.
Being an apprentice sure is tough, huh?
Yeah...
Look, there's something else back there.
Nat, this is amazing!
There's tons of these squishy things here!
Right? You just leave it to me!
There's still more!
What?! What... is that thing?!
Huh?
Ah, that's a praying skeleton.
Remains like those are from , years ago apparently. And all of 'em are in that position.
Oh...
But wow, you sure freaked out, considering you're a robot.
Which reminds me...
You ever hear this story before?
Children who've been eagerly awaiting their birthdays...
have been dying one after the other when the day arrives.
The causes of death vary... but all of them always pass on their birthdays.
Rumor is, if you look into a mirror on your birthday morning,
your reflection will have a twisted neck.
And once you see it...
I don't believe in that kind of stuff!
This robot's so spooked, he's soaked in sweat!
But... there is one thing I want to believe.
Huh?
And it's that answers await at the bottom of the netherworld.
The true nature of these relics... the cause of the Curse of the Abyss...
Perhaps even the meaning behind my creation... or the reason I came here.
Maybe I could find answers to all those questions if I reach the bottom of the Abyss.
That's the feeling I get, anyway.
S-Seriously...
You and Riko both...
You're crazy!
Like I said yesterday, I'm against her going, okay?!
I mean, she's still a Red Whistle! She's only !
Nat, you...
I'm against it, and that's all there is to it!{it's just an emphatic closer to the argument}
Well, then...
have you decided what day you're gonna set off?
I'll head out tomorrow just before daybreak.
I've already packed my things.
You sure aren't wasting any time.
But how exactly do you plan on sneaking out into the Abyss?
They keep watch all the time...
Well...
I'll lower you down with my arms.
What?!
Riko, I'm going to the bottom of the netherworld with you.
Huh?!
Reg...
I was sure you'd be with the people who were against her going...
I bet Riko duped you into going, didn't she?
Wha—
Riko didn't say a single thing to try to get me to go with her.
I decided on my own.
I want to go to find out just what I am.
Reg...
Thank you!
I couldn't bring myself to say anything...
I'm going to meet my mom, so hogging you all to myself...
I didn't think that would be right...
Weren't you the one who found me in the first place?
I've already climbed the Abyss once, right?
Even if my memory doesn't return, I have this sturdy body all the same.
I'll protect you on the way down into the netherworld.
Guess there's no stopping you...
Sorry. I'll be sad to leave you all, but my curiosity got the better of me.
It's fine.
Riko very well may have gone alone even if we tried to stop her.
By the way, Reg, do you have any idea what lies on your path on the way to the bottom?
I know there's a bunch of types of dangerous creatures.
Don't tell me...
you think that if you just use your extending arms to descend little by little, you'll eventually reach the bottom?
Is that more or less your plan?
I suppose there'll be some obstacles, but yes, to be honest.
How naive! I've gotta say you're far too optimistic!
The Abyss is teeming with dangers beyond your imagination!
What's that?
It's the latest Rough Map of the Netherworld.
That's amazing, Shiggy! You just went and took it, huh?
Riko, you're serious about challenging the Abyss.
Sneaking into the director's office is nothing compared to that.
This is the current state of the Abyss.
Down to , meters is the depths' first layer: the Edge of the Abyss.
The creatures and environment here don't really change,
but beasts from the second layer sometimes come up to feed, so keep your guard up.
Hereon, it's the second layer: the Forest of Temptation.
The strain of ascending is said to suddenly become more severe.
If a Red Whistle descends that far, they'll give up trying to bring them back.
That's because both heading there and returning become very difficult.
It's treated as su1c1de.
Then the Inverted Forest stretches horizontally, interrupting the path straight down.
The air currents are super unstable and savage predators fill the skies, so be careful.
The third layer: the Great Fault.
Here, you'll find a vertical cliff face of over , meters standing in your way.
The fourth layer: only Black Whistles and better can go here.
It's about , meters down.
They call it the "Goblets of Giants."
Look, Riko, sorry to bring this up when you're so fired up to go—
No matter what you say, I'm still going!
My mom is waiting for me after all!
Have you even been paying attention?!
Could anyone live somewhere like that for years?!
Wh-What are you...
Think about it!
Why did her whistle come back up?!
Your mom is long dead!
No, I...
Riko!
Oh, there, there.
I've lowered the luggage and spare clothes.
Okay, thanks!
With this on, you think they can tell who I am?
Probably not.
By the way, where's Nat?
Well... right now, Nat is probably—
Who cares what he's doing?!
Nat crossed the line because he was worried about you.
Hmph!
Riko... you might never get the chance to see him again, right?
Do you really want to leave on a bad note like this?
I... sure wouldn't.
I don't want to either.
But he's against us going...
and he said some nasty stuff.
Hey, Reg, what do you think I should do?
If Nat apologizes to you, will you forgive him?
Y-Yeah...
But he can be really stubborn...
Don't worry. Nat regretted what he did.
Really?
Really.
All right, you two!
If you don't get going soon, you'll run out of time!
So as not to draw attention, we'll all leave one by one in minutes.
Got it?
Kiyui... Kiyui...
What?
I came to say goodbye.
Are you not feeling well?
Come to think of it, you've looked like you're always sleepy lately.
The day after tomorrow is my birthday.
I see. I hope you get better before your big day.
Grow up nice and strong.
Kiyui, on the morning of your birthday, don't look into a mirror.
Why?
Just don't.
'Kay.
See you.
Farewell.
That took longer than I thought. I've got to hurry.
Where're you going?
T-To the bathroom...
There aren't any toilets in that room.
I-I was still half-asleep...
Leader, what are you doing this late at night?
I'm on patrol, you fool.
Any idea where Riko is?
She's not in her room.
Riko... went to take a dump!
In the middle of the night?
She has the runs...
Eating things she found lying around again? Jeez, that girl...
You're going to the toilet too, right?
Stay with her.{in addition to not being cps, this edit also has the benefit of extending the question of whether Leader knew everything that was going on re: this escape attempt from the beginning}
Roger that!
Oh, here he comes!
Sorry I took so long.
Shiggy, we're headed off to the wharf quarter now, right?
Yeah, 'cause the usual Gate to the Netherworld is always closely guarded.
I hear the wharf quarter in the slums has a good spot to enter from.
You "hear"?
Yep.
We've never actually been to the wharf quarter before... so I called someone to help us.
We're in your hands.
He smells like...
Nat! What are you doing?
Well...
Sorry.
What I did yesterday... was wrong.
I forgive you!
S-So, even though I said such terrible things, you still...
It's fine!
I want us to make up.
Today... we say farewell after all!
Y-You don't know your way around the wharf quarter, do you?
Follow me.
So, Nat, you're helping us out because you're okay with us going now, right?
I'm still against it!
Huh? You are?!
Is this still part of Orth?
So, the wharf district was founded by people who were cave raiding illegally.
Buildings kept being added on as the quarter grew, and now half it is encroaching into the Abyss.
Nat, have you been here before?
This is where I was born.
You were?
I was rag-picking for the longest time.
My big sis d*ed, so I was left without any relatives, and then I was taken in by the orphanage.
That's the story I told Leader when I first entered the orphanage...
If I can become a Moon Whistle like Leader, I'd like to open an orphanage here.
Nat, I know you can do it!
You're just about as good at cave raiding as I am, and you're full of energy.
Can't you come up with some better compliments than that?
Oh, man...
We're already here.
This thing really does fit me to a T.
Now where did I put that whistle?
What's this here?
I think there's a real possibility.
You'll have an Aubade with you, so I'll definitely be a believer if one of your mail balloons makes it here.
Then I'll include a souvenir in every one.
I'm counting on it.
I'll keep on waiting as long as I need to, okay?
Riko...
Riko!
Nat!
You're really amazing, Nat!
I never thought we'd make it out here with so little trouble!
Y-Yeah...
Thanks, Nat!
U-Um, Riko...
Huh...?
I...
Dammit!
Even...
Listen...
Even though I thought about it so much...
It's all right!
Even if...
Even if we never get to see each other again, we'll be connected by the Abyss.
Whether it's on the surface... or in the far reaches of the cursed netherworld...
The two of us... are connected to the Abyss!
I'll never forget about the time I spent up here, okay?
So it's all right!
What now?
There you go again...
Exactly! I'm just getting started!{"I see she's/you're starting(lit.you've started) this again" "That's right! It had started then!"}{see note at beginning of }
Shut up!
Oh, crap! Some of the residents are awake now!
Who are those brats?!
Reg, hurry!
You'd better send some letters!
I'll make sure to find them, okay?
Be careful, all right? You can come right back if you change your mind, you know?
I'm counting on you to take care of Riko!
Roger that. You guys care take of yourselves, too.
Thank you to both of you! Keep an eye out for the good news I'll be sending!
Well, we're heading off now!
Heading into the chasm for which even darkness is no match...
For those who offer up their bodies and challenge it, the Abyss is said to provide all.
Life and death, curses and blessings—all of it.
At the end of their journeys, what fate will they choose to encounter?
Is it determined by the will of the netherworld?
Or is it determined solely by those who challenge it?
Hey, Reg... wake up.
Who's there?!
Reg?
Huh?
I wonder when I drifted off to sleep...
Sorry about that... Your belly was just so warm, Reg.
It's understandable.
We hardly ever stay up that late, after all.
Here.
Thanks.
Reg...
You have any idea where we are?
We dropped directly down from the Wharf District, but I couldn't really say what area we're in...
The depth gauge said we're at meters.
Riko, what is it?
First Layer
Edge of the Abyss
Amazing...
It's brighter here than it is on the surface.
Over there!
It's the Rock Ark, located at a depth of meters...
It's so far above us!
Not long ago, I was aiming for a depth of meters, and now we can't even see that anymore!
This is terrific, Reg!
At this rate, we can make it to the bottom of the netherworld!
Of course, we can't let our guard down,
W-Well, that's good.
By the way, Riko...
Let's have some breakfast.
Take out the demonfish innards, making sure not to damage them,
and smoke them so they'll keep for later.
As for the meat, put a hearty helping in a pot and sprinkle a bit of ground-up Eternal Fortunes on top.
Mix in some stick miso, and then, once you throw in a bunch of diced sainona greens...
Ta-da! My special "Riko Soup" is ready!
Irredeemable...
Oh, it's even better than Riko Bombs!
Riko, what's that you're playing around with?
It's my Cosmic Compass.
Oh, the thing that tells you up from down?
Wrong! It points to the bottom of the netherworld!
Let me take a look.
It's not magnetic or weighted...
How strange.
Even if you shake it or rotate it, the direction of the needle doesn't budge.
Really?! Give it here!
Another relic of the Abyss, huh?
I get the feeling there's some incomprehensible principle at work...
It's fine, really...
There's an old saying:
all that is taken from the Abyss will someday be returned to it.
I-I see...
That seems rather humble for the teachings of cave raiders.
Yeah, Leader taught it to me.
Ah! That's right!
We were rushing around so much I forgot all about this!
What's this?
An envelope?
Well, go ahead and take a look inside.
This is...
my mother's sealed letter!
Reg, did you make off with this?!
No, take a closer look.
The pages we saw last time were tattered.
So this is probably just a copy, right?
You're right.
Before we left the orphanage, I actually bumped into Leader.
What?!
I thought that I really had him fooled, but...
I suddenly realized that thing was in my back pocket, and...
Leader... I wonder if he's cheering us on...
There's a page that's a different size than the others.
"I'll depart at dawn to come capture you"?
Hurry! We've gotta get going quick!
Reg, go hide any traces of the campfire!
I'm on it!
Uh, I'll...
check that we don't leave anything behind!
But why would Leader do something so out of the ordinary?
He must be testing us.
This is our final lesson.
The point is that, if we get caught now,
we never had any chance of making it to the bottom of the netherworld.
It seems our pursuers still haven't caught up with us yet.
We're not descending by the regular route.
So even if they come after us, they won't find us that easily.
Besides, search parties move in groups of at least three people,
so we should see them com—
What is it, Riko?
Look at that, Reg!
Second Layer
Forest of Temptation
The break in the clouds there...
It's the second layer: the Forest of Temptation!
So this is the second layer.
If a Red Whistle goes down there, it's thought of as a su1c1de.
Where?!
What was that?
My own voice?
Oof!
Riko?!
The view's so amazing I just kinda collapsed.
Riko, let's take a little break.
Riko, I was thinking about your delusion about the meaning of the letter...
About it being our final lesson?
That's no delusion!
True... I have a feeling you're not mistaken.
Leader said it's his job to patrol every night.
Perhaps he was able to see through us and uncover our nightly plotting,
and even the fact that I'm a robot...
If he took the trouble to place that envelope in my pocket, we need to make a clean escape and show him we're up to the task.
Yeah!
He's caught up to us.
It's just one person.
Can we get away?
I'd expect nothing less from Lyza's daughter.
You're pretty darn fast, huh, Riko?
Uncle Habo ? But why?
How about that?
I've got some skills of my own, don't you think?
What should I do?
I could let Riko escape alone first...
That being said...
Well, I never would have guessed!
That you were a supreme treasure of the netherworld, I mean!
Is your skin a relic too?
You sure can't tell just by looking at it!
Oh, nothing mechanical about those balls of yours, I see!
Stop it!
Let me go!
Hey, stop kicking.
Taking into account the weight of your backpack, you're pretty darn light...
Reg,
when you get a chance...
run!
I guess he still hasn't learned the hand signals...
Sorry, my bad.
I haven't told you what I'm here for.
You see, I'm not actually here to capture you two.
Please!
I'm not asking you to bring them to the Seeker Camp!
Just help them escape to the second layer!
Besides, this is your last chance to see the true form of a supreme treasure of the netherworld!
So...
you're telling me Reg is truly a treasure of the netherworld, right?
Y-Yes!
I'm going!
So you see, I came to pay my respects to this "supreme treasure of the netherworld."
I wish paying your respects was the only thing you did.
By the way, the search party was looking for you by the Twisting Crag.
I suppose they'll take a while still.
Well, then...
I've had a look at the treasure of the netherworld, so I better fulfill my promise to those boys...
Let's go, you two!
I'm coming along with you to the Seeker Camp!
It will be reassuring to have a Black Whistle with us. Right, Riko?
Uncle Habo ... uh... um...
I'm sorry! I can't allow that!
Huh?!
This is our final lesson!
Oh, I see!
Pretty slick of him, really.
Well, if this is indeed your final lesson, I won't get in your way.
But he should have come himself to see you off one last time...
I'm sorry, Uncle Habo .
You came all the way down here...
It's no problem!
Actually, I have some other business with you anyway.
Here.
What's this?
It's a vaccine for the second layer that Blue Whistles and up take.
It'll generally spare you from picking up the diving illness down there.
Lastly, and also most importantly...
Since I won't be accompanying you any further, I should tell you this now.
At the Seeker Camp—the monitoring base you're headed to—the guardian is a bit of a strange one.
You mean the person who found the sealed letter from my mom?
Yes.
The Unshakeable Sovereign, "Ozen the Immovable"...
A White Whistle who's still active.
A White Whistle?! And the very one who saved my life?!
Wow!
But Hablog, that doesn't seem like anything to be too worried about.
Be very wary of the White Whistle Ozen.
I can't personally go into the details, but Riko might encounter some distressing things there.
Please be prepared.
It's all right! I'd like to meet a White Whistle, whoever they are!
{And stuff about my mom...}And about the time when she found my mom's sealed letter...
I've gotta ask about all that.
And besides, besides...
You're right. You'll be fine.
Your partner lets us all rest easy.
Reg, take care of Riko.
Roger that. Leave it to me.
Reg, over there!
It's a wind-riding windmill!
A long time ago they used those to capture updrafts, apparently.
I hear they've been around for more than , years.
The fact that we've passed by them means...
Second Layer
Forest of Temptation
This is the depths' second layer...
We did it, Reg!
We've passed our final lesson!
Leader, we pulled it off!
It hasn't really hit me yet...
Have we actually gotten away?
That's right!
We don't have to worry about anyone pursuing us anymore!
If we descend this far, they'll stop trying to bring us back...
That's because both heading here and returning home become very difficult.
That's what Shiggy said, without a doubt.
So in other words, down here, even the search party would find that they themselves are being pursued.
Let's hurry on, Reg.
It might be calling its buddies over here.
Yeah...
It's not that we've successfully escaped...
but rather that we might now be pursued by all kinds of things beyond the domain of man.
Let's see...
We're supposed to descend from around here, right?
We really need to head to the Seeker Camp.
Help me!
Somebody's voice?{ This isn't like that other time...}
What's the matter?
Shh! There's somebody here!
Help...
Over there!
Someone's crying for help!
Really?!
Help...
Help...
Down on the ground there... It's a cave raider!
I'll drive that thing away.
Help me... Help...
Reg, hold on! It could be a trap!
A trap?
That thing is a corpse-weeper.
They mimic the pleas of prey they capture to lure others to their colonies.
Which means... That person is already...
Reg, get down!
Riko!
Another one? I was too careless!
It's okay.
It's... It's still in range!
Calm down...
I can't miss this!
Reg!
This is bad!
Ascending within the Abyss means...{it's not a fake keyframe if it looks better this way\i }
Riko!
Too far!
She's being fed to the chicks?
No!
D-Don't do it!
No!
Riko!
What...
What can I possibly do?
Where...
Where are you?
Go!
Yet again.
Yet again.
But still, this feeling...
My body remembered.
I've done something like this before!
If that thing had hit Riko...
What in the...
What in the world...
am I?
She doesn't seem to be injured.
Reg...
Riko!
I'm glad you're awake!
You wouldn't wake up, so I was really worried!
Oh, but... You should keep lying down for now.
Uh...
You were taking a long time to wake up, so I thought you might be hurt.
And, uh...
And your clothes were all covered with vomit, and...
Come on, Reg, you don't need to act so embarrassed.
Besides, you're the one who saved me, right?
You're the one...
Are you the one...
Are you the one who did this?
I kind of lost myself in the moment.
I can't believe I ended up doing all this...
Amazing!
Hey, it must've come out of this spot on your hand here, right?
I wonder what we should name it...
Let's go with "Incinerator"... the cremation cannon!
Uh, Riko...
I'm not in the mood for this...
I was very close to blowing you away, too.
If I had, I...
Reg! It's all right!
Let's see, it was around...
This big or so.
What was, exactly?
The size of the blast from your Incinerator the first time you saved me, Reg!
And that was from about meters away!
It'll be fine!
You used to be able to control that power really well!
Let's train it together!
This power of yours
is something you can master!
Riko...
Reg?
Huh? What's going on?
Are you all right? Reg?
Reg!
Help me...
Help me...
Gone... Gone...
It's gone...
It's gone!
Riko?
Reg, you're awake!
Hey, so are you all right?
You went out like a light and just wouldn't wake up!
Did f*ring your Incinerator tire you out?
Ah...{, is that right?}
I'm, uh... Fine.
I see! Good to hear!
Anyway, what were you yelling about?
Oh yeah, that.
My cave-raiding notebook is gone!
That notebook you were always writing in?
Yeah.
It's possible I dropped it when that corpse-weeper snatched me.
In that case...
Well, there's nothing we can do about it.
You're okay with that?!
Yeah...
But if I had to lose it, I would've liked to have gotten to the bottom of the netherworld first.
I mean, when it's found a long time from now, it'll only contain my writings up till this point,
so my legend won't spread far and wide, you know?
I at least wanted to add something about your Incinerator to my catalog of your features, Reg.
That's my only regret.
I'm quite sure she also wrote something in there about how my penis looks like a real one...
I hope it stays hidden in the netherworld's darkness for all eternity.
Let's make a new one!
Lowest Area - Second Layer
Inverted Forest
It's the real thing.
Look!
The waterfalls are flowing upward!
Oh my...
Seems it won't sh**t straight.
The wind here is blowing like crazy.
I guess we can't keep taking shortcuts like we have been.
What's the matter, Riko?
Uh, I feel like it somehow got colder...
Are you okay? Want me to get out the cold-weather gear?
Nah, we can't spread out our supplies here, so later's okay.
Riko, hold this for a little bit.
It's warm!
Try to make do with that until we get a chance to rest.
Reg, you're not cold?
I can feel the wind, but no, not really.
I figured as much!
Well, I'll go ahead and borrow this for now.
Master! Master!
Something's approaching.
It's two people.
One's a Red Whistle, but the other one...
doesn't even seem to be a cave raider...
Shall I ready the gondola?
Master?
I get the feeling the wind's calmed down.
That might be because we've left the central part of the Abyss.
Come to think of it, the creatures here are more peaceful, too.
So that's how it works?
{See, the force field carries light and nutrients, so }There are more creatures the closer you get to the central shaft.
I also hear that when you get farther away from there, the Curse becomes a bit easier to bear.
So this is the Seeker Camp, huh?
It's really quite high up there...
Wait, that reminds me...
What's wrong?
Um, well...
I heard the Seeker Camp always has a lookout on duty.
So when someone starts approaching, I was told they lower the gondola for them.
Reg, are you able to stretch your arm up there?
Maybe if I use both hands.
Let's give it a try.
Seems I managed to reach—
Reg, what's wrong?
Something has...
grabbed...
my arms...
Huh?!
So she's still alive... That brat.
Riko, are you all right?
Oh, my... Well done enduring the ascent.
Although the strain is somewhat lightened around here, I suspect that was still hard on children such as yourselves.
U-Uh, I'm...
My name's Riko.
Riko!
I'm aware. You're Lyza's kid, right?
What's this? The boy seems to be doing just fine.
Now that I see her up close, she's towering.
She must be over two meters tall.
Her hair...
How does she even keep it like that?
And at her neck,
there's that white whistle.
This woman must be the White Whistle...
Ozen the Immovable!
This whistle... I can't believe it's crossed my path once again.
Um... you must be Ozen , right?
I heard you're the one who found that whistle.
That's right. I'm Ozen.
W-Well...
Thank you for saving me!
I heard about it from Leader.
He said when I was born in the Abyss, I was placed in a Curse-Repelling Vessel,
and then you helped my mother carry me to the surface!
Oh, that .
That thing was heavy, you know.
I often thought about just abandoning you along the way.
This really takes me back...
We even had to leave behind that precious Bell.
If only I had left you there, that kid would've come with me.
It's such a pity I walked the path I did.
Master...
You're a Red Whistle, right?
You should know that this depth is off-limits to the likes of you.
I...
was summoned by my mother!
So that's why Reg and I are going to the bottom of the netherworld!
So, uh, as soon as I ask some things about my mother, we'll be gone before you know it.
So please...
Oh, I see.
So that's it.
Yes...
And you assumed that made it okay for you to come here?
I-I'm sorry.
That said, I'm quite interested in how a Red Whistle even managed to make it this far.
Marulk.
Yes, Master.
Listen to what these children have to say.
You want me to do that?
It should be easier for children to talk to a fellow child, right?
Uh, ah...
I still have some tasks to attend to, you see.
I'll hear you out tomorrow.
Um, I have something for both of you.
Blue whistles!
Just while you're here.
It would be a pain to keep having to explain to other cave raiders why a couple of Red Whistles are here, wouldn't it?
As a bit of insurance, I'll be holding on to this.
I'll exchange it for those blue whistles when you leave.
Please stay the night here.
And make sure to really give your bodies a good scrub.
I can't stand how bad you reek of vomit.
Let me show you around a bit.
Please use this room.
The bath is over there.
It's usually used for washing relics, though.
I'll go first! I'm gonna get nice and clean!
Oh.
Flowers of Fortitude.
Aren't they also called Eternal Fortunes?
They really are everywhere...
Reg , I know you're a robot, but you certainly don't act the part.
Until Riko told me, I thought you were a human.
So I was a bit surprised when I saw your arms extend like that.
I don't even really think of myself as a robot.
I have no idea what I really am.
Is something the matter?
Marulk... Wait, is it okay if I call you that?
Yes!
Actually, there's something I also find strange.
What might that be?
Ask away, and I'll answer if I can!
Um...
Are you a girl?
Right after I had an accident and collapsed, Master found me and took me in.
And I've been here ever since.
Oh? You never go to the surface?
I'm sensitive to sunlight,
so I can't live up on the surface.
Oh? Is that so?
Well now, let's eat!
Thanks for the food!
Ever since Master found me, she's taken the role of guardian of the Seeker Camp upon herself.
She says it's so she doesn't have to trudge back up the surface time after time.
That must be part of it, of course, but Master truly does look out for me.
She seems kind of scary, but she's a good mentor, huh?
Yes, truly.
I need to pee...
Ozen ?{you know, one thing i've learned is that people don't hate no-honorifics that much. But they really do hate translating them with Mr or Ms. So when I see something like this, where Ms. Ozen seems OBVIOUSLY appropriate, I tend to stay my hand even since it's even a little bit debatable.}
Is anyone in there?
There, there, Riko .
I used to do that too until a couple of years ago.
But Riko, why was it my bed that you wet?
I-I tried to go to the toilet!
But...
When I woke up in the middle of the night and looked for it...
I saw something.
It didn't seem like part of this world...
I got incredibly scared...
So I dove into Reg's bed and just...
Oh, come on, Riko .
We've never had any reports of ghosts here at the Seeker Camp.
B-But...
Master!
Sounds like you're having an interesting conversation here.
U-Um... This is, uh... I'm sorry!
Oh, I see.
It's not a matter of you not noticing.
It's more that neither that kid nor Habolg told you anything, huh?
Um, what are you talking about?
Would you like to know?
Huh?
Well, yes.
In that case, follow me.
This morning, Marulk told me all about you two.
Just to confirm, you're trying to find Lyza, correct?
Yes!{ My mother has called for me!}
Didn't this thing find its way to the surface?
Lyza is dead.
Your journey to chase after your mother ends here.{implication of "follow in her footsteps"? "chase your mother's image"}
Ozen , where exactly did you find that whistle and the sealed letter?
At a grave.
What?
How many days ago was it, I wonder...
Down in the fourth layer...
In the far reaches of the Goblets of Giants, there's this cluster of Eternal Fortunes, you see.
A grave had been dug there.
You know, Lyza always liked that place.
No way...
But, my mother is calling for me—
That's not Lyza's handwriting.
Huh?!
{I don't know how it got mixed in there, but }Lyza wouldn't write like that even as a joke.
Oh?
What was your reason for going to the bottom of the netherworld again?
I-I want to go and check for myself...
What a fine idea.
Are you going to dig up her grave?
A-And also...
What does Reg have to do with the mysterious figure in the documents?
I see.
What is this place?
My chamber.
You've followed me here because you want answers, right?
Come inside.
What's this cube?
This pattern is incredibly complex...
Seems to be at least a grade- relic.
But, in the guide to recorded relics...
Right, it's not listed.
It's something that Lyza personally bought before it could be auctioned off.
Hey, is this the Curse-Repelling Vessel?
You're half right.
From the depths to the surface...
When living creatures that couldn't make that trip were placed inside it and carried up,
they weren't affected by the strain of ascending and didn't die, which is why it got the name it did.
But that's not actually right.
In fact, whatever's placed inside still gets affected by the Curse and dies.
But then, it starts moving around again.
It was thanks to you that I came to understand that.
You were stillborn, you know.
When I pulled you out of Lyza, you were already dead.{lit. when we pulled you out of Lyza/when you came out of Lyza}{I'll pick the one that better fits this unsettling scene}
Basically, you were a real annoyance, so I shoved you inside this thing, but you actually started to move.
Yesterday, I got nostalgic, and I tried putting some of the meat I was going to cook for dinner in there,
and the thing got loose and ran around.
After a while, it stopped moving.
I guess the half I didn't cook wasn't quite done moving yet.{I got this line by looking at manga lines that weren't adapted}
Hey...
I wonder how long you'll last.
One more thing. Both you—after you started to move back then—and the meat I put in there yesterday
attempted to head for the center of the Abyss for some reason.
Hey. Why's that?
You of all people might have an idea.
Aren't you essentially the same as that meat?
Master... stop this.
Why?
Why would you say something like...
Why haven't you gotten the picture by now?
I despise you.
What is it, Aubade child?
Your story is quite interesting,
but don't hurt Riko any more than you already have.
Any way you look at it, you're acting really immature, Ozen!
I used to hear that a lot.
Hey, boy, what do you think of God?
Why are you asking that now ?
The people around here, you see, don't really believe in God.
Do you know what they believe in instead?
The answer is this place—the Abyss itself.
Precisely because the bottom of the netherworld is unknown, and because it is feared, it has the power to become their god.
If it were easy to head down and return back home,{these lines are presumably the logical basis for starting the fight, and I don't quite understand them as written}
the value of relics and faith in the Abyss would quite possibly be shaken to the core.
The reason Aubades aren't listed in the guide isn't because they haven't been discovered.
It's because they simply must not exist, you see.
What's with this strength of hers?
The metal in my arm was starting to scream...{I'm just matching the word to the sound effects I'm personally hearing. Or is this like in movies when a old delapidated metal structure collapses and there are sound effects of the metal grinding against itself? That sound?yes\i }
I believe I heard that you lost your memory?
You don't know how happy that makes me.
I need to dispose of you before you remember anything.
I-I'll go check on the telescope...
Marulk.
Stay right there.
G-Give me a break!{Y-You can't be serious!}{right now it sounds like "I don't believe you" which i figure is not the intention}{It's more like "Aw hell naw"}
As if I'd let things end in a place like this!
I'll make you let us go even if I have to use brute force!
I'll let you go...
After you've ceased moving, that is!
This isn't stopping her at all!
What the heck is she?
This doesn't break or get any thinner.
I wonder if a bunch of strands are all packed into the same area...
Well, whatever.
Have it back.
Oh? You're lighter than I thought.
So your sturdiness is what makes you special, right?
Let's test it out.
Oops. I busted the floor.
O-Ouch...
You've really... done it now...
You're a lot tougher than the floor, I see.
I wonder how much more you can take.
Stop!
You're gonna... You're gonna break Reg!
You're in the way.
Riko! Riko!
There's so much blood...
Sorry, Marulk.
This isn't an opponent I can hold back with.
If I don't get serious, I'm done for!
What is it you're going to show me?
If I just let it rip like last time, the whole Seeker Camp could burn down.
Calm down.
Refine it... thinner... sharper!
You breathe and blink even though you're just a mechanical doll.
Why? Wouldn't that just attract beasts?
Hey, what happens when this thing hits something?
Let's test it out.
Oh my, incredible, isn't it?
It blasts straight through.
Irredeemable!
You're irredeemable, Ozen!
What's with your arm?
These?
They're called Thousand-Men Wedges.
I inserted them at points around my body, give or take.
Now you know the secret to my vigor.
As much as you criticize{is this the right word for what she's been doing?} me, you're quite superhuman{more derogatory? "quite the demihuman"} yourself, Ozen!
I'm attentive to such things, you see.{?}
I'm old, after all.
R-Reg!
Stop making a scene.
If you think he's so precious, you should've kept him locked away.
Looks like he went limp all of a sudden. But that's all right, isn't it?
Sooner or later, you'll revert back to being a piece of meat, anyway.
I... didn't descend into the Abyss because I hope to live a long life.
Even just a little longer is okay!
But, if it's not with Reg...
If it's not with Reg... I can't bear it!
Please, Reg! Don't lose to her!
That won't do.
You both fail.
Look, it fit right in there.
He woke up!
He's awake.
R-Riko...
Reg! Reg!
Don't leave me like that!
Did I just collapse and leave Riko all alone?
Reg!
Riko's...
Riko is in your hands now.
Damn it...
Ah, that one's crying too now!
Ozen 's made yet another one cry.
Poor things...
Wh-Who the heck...
a-are you guys?!
You mean us?
We're the Subterranean Bandits, Ozen's cave raider squad.
They're a bunch of good-for-nothings with nowhere to call home on the surface.
They were told to stay out of it, but Marulk called them here, you see.
U-Um...
I...
A brat who can't do anything but cry and make a fuss,
and a mechanical doll who fires his w*apon without a second thought even though it'll make him faint. What a pair.
While those two made not even a single correct decision,
you acted in the most appropriate manner to save your friends.
That's my apprentice for you.
As punishment for disobeying my orders, I'll string you up naked later, though.
Ozen told us to stay hidden while the two kiddies are here.
But the ground wouldn't stop shaking.
And this kid started sobbing and came rushing over to us.
I-Is that right?
Marulk... I'm sorry.
I know you said you wanted to test Lyza's child, but you really overdid it.
Wh-What do you mean by that?!
Just what it sounds like.
Are you saying that was all... j-just some act?!
I was hardly acting.
If I don't go all out, I won't get the point across, will I?
I hate deceiving children, you know.
Th-Then...
That part about disposing of the Aubade was...
I never had any intention of doing that, of course.
It's just that you're too sturdy.
No matter how many times I hit you, you weren't breaking, so I got more and more into it.
The primeval creatures that inhabit the deeper parts of the Abyss are far more cunning and tough than I am.
You won't be able to protect that girl.
Marulk, please tend to the boy.
If he's able to fill his belly with human food, then human medicine should probably work, too.
O-Okay!
If you continue to push on at your current skill level, you'll just end up as nasty meals or little seedbeds.
Or perhaps you'll just be a stain on the ground or some wall.
That said, there's no guarantee you won't end up like that as I'm trying to b*at you into shape.
Oh, that's right. There is one thing I was deceiving you about.
That grave I spoke of...
No one was buried there.
It's true.
Did you really think I wouldn't dig it up and see for myself?
Lyza is waiting for you.
You at least need to give it a sh*t.
Riko?
How are you feeling?
I'm all right now.
The next large group of cave raiders arrives in three weeks.
I'll only be able to try b*ating you into shape until then, whether or not it proves successful.
Where are we headed?
Somewhere even further than the Seeker Camp.
Most of the creatures are quite docile here,
perhaps because the force field's light doesn't make it here.
Even so, the creatures here can see in the dark, so keep your guard up.
Spend ten days here with the equipment you've got. Show me you're able to survive.
Be sure not to go beyond that Pillar Tree.
I'll treat that as an escape attempt.
Well then, I'm heading back now.
Huh?!
Do your best to protect this girl so that she doesn't go back to being a corpse.
In addition, you can't use that thing for these ten days.
My Incinerator?
Go ahead and use it if you want to get Riko k*lled.
What do you mean?
Once you fire it, no matter how you push yourself, you always faint after around ten minutes.
Then it's a full two hours until you wake up.
During that time, even when I punched you, slapped you against the floor,
or dunked you in water, you still didn't come to.
Just try leaving a helpless child on her own in the second layer for two hours.
I wonder just how she'll be torn to shreds and eaten...
Still, when you really do have to use it,
go all out to make sure whatever it is doesn't come after you again in the future.
No matter your opponent or whatever lies in the vicinity,
when the time comes, don't hesitate or show any mercy.
Otherwise, your adventure will be over in the blink of an eye.
Day
How's it looking?
Riko{**-chan} is certainly plucky,
but her body can't keep up with what she wants to do.
And that boy Reg...
Although his body is extraordinarily resilient, he's constantly losing his nerve...
Riko, where are you?
And he's slow to make decisions.
Stop it!
This despite the fact that he's a mechanical doll.
I see.
You're not going out there?
If they die now, it just means they didn't have what it takes to go any further.
Day
Reg, you're strong, but your body is light.
So we'll have to figure out a plan if we're going to catch that hippo thing.
In that case, maybe I could extend my arm to bind it to a tree or something.
Uh-huh, uh-huh...
Well then, let's lead it there!
How?
Ta-da!
We'll use this!
What the heck is it? It stinks...
It's dung from a female and some tree bark. I tore off a piece that's covered in pheromones.
Use this to lure it.
And when it gets close to you, we'll blind it with our glow-stones!
How's that sound?
H-Hmm...
You think it'll work?
It'll be fine! Let's just try our best!
Do it now, Reg!
An immature body and a weak psyche... They won't be showing real changes in those areas anytime soon.
But just as you predicted, they're making enormous progress in the things they're good at.
Well, there are two of them, after all...
So it's best that they learn to depend on one another.
"Depend on one another," huh?
Ozen... Ozen!
Ozen.
What's up with your hair?
Oh, you again...
I've already kicked you twice but you still haven't learned your lesson.
So, what's up with it, anyway?
It's to cover up my scars, you see.
As your mind comes under att*ck in the depths of the Abyss,
gradually the effects show up physically, too.
They don't manifest immediately like the sixth layer's Curse does,
but if you tread the boundaries of sanity, life, and death each time you descend,
the skin on your head is bound to get all twisted.
How cool!
If you don't watch what you say, I'll kick you again.
No, really. That's cool!
Those scars are proof of your fortitude in continuing to challenge the netherworld, even as it tried to break your mind.
Ozen the Immovable. A genuine White Whistle.
Hey, do you want to be my mentor?
Who att*cked you?
Just you wait! I'll annihilate those punks!
What's the matter, Ozen?
You giving up already?
This is amazing, Ozen! A whole field of Flowers of Fortitude!
It doesn't even feel like we're in the middle of the netherworld!
This is Torka from my squad.
We got married!
Sorry, Ozen...
Do you mind giving me a bit of time alone?
How incredibly maddening.
To think that no sooner than Torka kicked the bucket,
the baby came out stillborn, too.
He's got some nerve, leaving the delivery to me...
You and that wimp came and made Lyza go soft, and now you do this to her?
Simply maddening.
I didn't want to see Lyza like this.
I don't have much strength left.
Perhaps I'll just leave this thing behind and carry the Bell up with Lyza.
Good grief, what a burden I took on...
Rest assured, child.
I have a strong sense of duty.
After
Days
Are you all right, Riko ?
Yeah...
I feel like it's been ages since we were here.
Well, it was ten whole days.
Good work out there.
Both of you are amazing.
When I did it, I started crying almost immediately.
Any further out than the Seeker Camp and it's almost completely dark...
And Master suddenly left me and went home.
Marulk, you know, even I...
In the last stage of the trial where they made us separate, I was feeling so hopeless...
Really?
Absolutely.
So that even happens to you, huh?
That makes me feel a bit better.
Are you hungry? I'll bring you something to eat!
So it's already been ten days, huh?
Now that I think about it, the pain from Ozen's thrashing is gone now.
All right!
Rehabilitation complete!
This pattern...
Was it always like that?
What does it mean, anyway?
At any rate...
Seems I never put on any muscle...
Reg ! Riko !
Master says that now that you're back, we should all have a meal.
Food!
So, why don't you tell me about your ten days in the forest?
It was pretty hectic, wasn't it?
That's right...
Looking back at it now, it feels like it was over in the blink of an eye.
"Don't stay in the deep layers if you don't want to k*ll those waiting for you."
There's an old saying like that, you see.
What does it mean?
One's sense of time goes mad.
It feels like you've been down there a few weeks,
but when you return to the surface, months have passed.
Such occurrences are common.
So that rumor...
is true, then!
It's no rumor. I'm telling you flat out.
Well, only those with strange tastes—basically just us White Whistles—would try living in the deep layers.
It might seem like that has nothing to do with you since you're making a journey of no return.
The problem is that we can't even estimate the extent to which this "madness" manifests in the sixth and seventh layers.
I have a feeling that not as much time as we all think has actually passed for Lyza.
It's been ten years on the surface...
But if we assume that only a few years have passed at the bottom of the netherworld,
don't you get the feeling there's a very good chance she's alive and well?
Ozen ...
Ozen !
Well, all that aside, you should do your best not to stay in the fifth layer for long.
And why would that be?
So that you don't bump into any of the other White Whistles.
The depths' fifth layer, the Sea of Corpses, is as deep as humans can go and return alive.
I suppose at least a few of my kind are there.
{All of them, }Especially Bondrewd, are out-and-out scoundrels.
They're not as kindly as I am, so you better be careful.
Is that... a joke?
Reg, are you okay?
Ah, that's right...
Speaking of Lyza...{, I also have something I'm curious about...}
The slip in the sealed letter that said, "At the netherworld's bottom, I'll be waiting"...
I wonder who wrote that.
It's written overly large in crooked penmanship{, using old nether glyphs without any of the simplified forms.}.
On top of that, the paper it's on isn't even paper.
It's an undocumented relic.
For something so ragged, it gave me quite the shock.
That thing can't be ripped even with my strength.
What in the world is waiting down at the netherworld's bottom together with Lyza?
Well then...
Both of you, follow me.
Here.
What's that?
Blaze Reap... The everlasting pickax.
That's right.
It was stuck in the ground like a grave marker in that cluster of Eternal Fortunes I mentioned.
My mother's...
Riko...
The everlasting gunpowder inside it is fine, but the outer casing is in bad shape.
It can only be used a few more times at best.
We're talking about Lyza here, so I imagine she's already found a new w*apon.
I'll teach you how to use it.
It should be an acceptable alternative to that Incinerator of yours.
You really mean that?
Thank you!
So you're already heading out, huh?
It'll be lonely around here.
Dontcha think it's cold of Ozen not to come see you off?
No, it's all right.
She's already given us so much, after all.
She's taught us many things...
It wouldn't be right to ask any more of her.
What's this?
You're more humble than you look.
Hey, cut it out.
Marulk{**-chan}!
Well, you take care now.
I know I shouldn't say this, but...
If you came back and said, "It's impossible, after all," it'd be oh so nice...
Marulk...
I've seen off all kinds of people who leave on journeys they won't return from.
But... today is the saddest I've ever felt.
Reg and that girl...
As expected, they were quick to pick up on cave-raiding techniques.
I didn't want to let them go until more memories came back, but...
Well, nothing I can do about it.
Right, Lyza?
That baby crawled toward the Abyss the moment she was let out of the Vessel. Pretty darn creepy, right?
Thanks to you, she's monstrously energetic now.
My apprentice is already fed up with her.
Well, that's just splendid.
You have an apprentice?
Yeah, Jiruo. You've met him before, right?
Ah, that rash and shameless kid who turned down my offer.{old: invitation. i assume it's her asking him to be an apprentice?}
The fact that he hasn't dropped dead or been k*lled means he must be doing a good job keeping her hidden.
If it ever came to light that she's your daughter,
she'd be kidnapped by ruffians while you're down in the Abyss.
They'd hold her hostage, if you're lucky.
It's all right. My apprentice is as good as they come.
But, you know...
Riko is incredibly precious to me.
No matter the relic or whatever else of mine I offer as payment, it's not enough.
Thanks to a whole heap of priceless things, that girl is alive right now.
If I continue to stay with her, I'm liable to take Riko's right to set off on adventures away from her,
and I'll likely become separated from the Abyss myself.
Before that happens, I'm heading out...
So that my girl is free to choose whatever path she wants.
Who are you trying to fool?
You just decided it's time to see the bottom, right?
Hey, Ozen...
If Riko once again sets out to reach the bottom and comes to stand before you on the way,
I'd like you to tell her.
You mean about how she might be a walking corpse?
That's right.
Tell her how much of a miracle it took to make her able to move at all.
Tell her how to tackle the magnificent adventures that are waiting for her.
What a pain. Do that yourself.
Well, if we're just talking about sending her on to you...
I'll do it.
Good grief... How irredeemable...
How very irredeemable...
The Inverted Forest... It's so far above us...
Reg.
Are you ready?
Of course.
Depatures and farewells, joys and tragedies,
hope and despair,
Third Layer
Great Fault
but also life and death...
Everything exists within the chasm.
But in order to discover it all,
you must give everything up.
In order to know it all,
you must abandon everything.
What do people find
at the bottom of the abyss, at the end of the journey?
What shall they expect?
Nobody knows the answer.
Part
Second Part
Wandering Twilight
Wandering Twilight
Made in Abyss Movie 1: Tabidachi no Yoake (2019)
Moderator: Maskath3