About 1,900 years ago...
a huge pit was discovered on a remote island in the southern sea of Beoluska.
The great pit had a captivating power to it.
Valuable and dangerous primeval creatures...
Mysterious relics that are beyond comprehension...
Those mystery-laden sights drew in all manner of adventurers.
People built a city and began to live alongside the pit...
But, to this day, no one has ever seen the bottom.
With a spirit of adventure for the unknown and numerous legends luring them in,
the great pit has swallowed up countless lives.
It is known as the Abyss.
In a world where nearly everything has been uncovered and explored,
it is the sole remaining unconquered chasm.
Did that belong to those people from yesterday?
Yeah, they're a foreign cave raider squad.
There were even some ruffians who don't have whistles...
It's quite exciting.
Yeah, in moderation.
A-ah, certainly...
Unmovable Sovereign!
Please take a look at this!
I wonder if it wasn't to her liking...
No...
I'd say the look on her face meant she wanted another helping.
You can tell?
Sure can.
Your cooking is simply the best.
Our destination is beyond the Garden of the Flowers of Fortitude, right?
Yeah, I love that scenery.
I've really wanted to show it to you, Torka.
And also...
to you, too.
Well... perhaps you'll be eager to see it with your own eyes...
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?!
'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 anything rare left.
That's why it's gonna come down to quantity!
You okay with that?
How about fudging the numbers... with that thing you swiped the other day?
The Star Compass?
I can't do that!
It guides its user toward the truth of the Abyss, after all.
Besides... if they find out I'm hiding it...
I'll get a worse punishment this time than being strung up naked.
Talk about traumatizing a maiden!
Well, be careful.
I'm gonna go all-out excavating today!
I'll get so much stuff, Leader will be at a loss for words!
Alright, let's do this! I'm gonna get the number one assessment!
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 600-meter group.
Heavy...
Hey, Nat! Help me out!
This is seriously heavy. Where'd he run off to...?
Damn it, Nat.
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 be eaten!
Oh cra-!
M-my arm... is it broken?
It's not?!
Nat!
Help!
Amazing... The petrified trees are melted.
I think... maybe somebody saved me.
Wow, how pretty...
H-hello there...?
No way! He's not breathing!
He needs artificial respiration!
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...
Must've been moving until a moment 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.
Once again next week,
I'll have you base yourselves at the same site 100 meters down 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.
Realize that your possession of a whistle is based on being a student of the guild's orphanage
and strive to earn as much as you can...
so as not to shame your parents who fell so nobly.
Ah, one more thing.
That makes two things...
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.
She knows it was me?!
Next time, the culprit will suffer more than just being strung up naked.
Keep that in mind. That is all.
You're dismissed.
She doesn't know... I'm safe.
Well? 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?
Children's voices...? Maybe we should try turning up the power a little bit?
Children's voices...? Good call... Riko, set the dial to 2.
On it!
Whatever...
I think I'll sleep... a bit longer...
Done! I think I'll sleep... a bit longer...
So, Shiggy, can I press it now?
Riko, isn't it actually set on 20?
Huh?
H-he woke up!
Seriously?!
See! I told you that electricity would do the trick!
And who was the one who fed him hot coals earlier?
Hey, hey, Robot Boy, do you recognize me?
You saved me!
How did you attack that snake from so far away?
Ah, but first, tell me your name!
Hey, don't get carried away! He looks overwhelmed...
Ah, 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'd like to ask you.
What? What? Ask whatever you want!
Where... is this place?
Here?
This is my room! In Belchero Orphanage.
Do you guys work as torturers?
Huh?
Riko's room is actually an old torture chamber.
She was always making mischief, so she got moved here.
Anyway, we all work as cave raiders.
Well, strictly speaking, we're apprentices called Red Whistles.
Hey, hey, Robot Boy, what's your name?
What kind of stuff can you do? Who made you?
It's been on my mind for a bit now, but...
Yeah?
Am I... really a robot?
You're a robot alright!
Electricity made you move!
You totally withstood fire!
And you didn't get a single scratch on you!
Wait a minute...
You don't even remember that you're a robot?
Maybe that jolt of electricity messed with his memory.
Guys, this is bad!
The lights are out throughout the whole orphanage!
What?!
I think we overdid it by going full throttle earlier.
Hide him, quick! Leader's heading straight over here!
Huh?! How does he know it was us?!
Probably 'cause it's always us.
Can you stand?
Guess we've gotta get that stuff off you first, huh?
Riko!
Huh?
Riko! Do your best to fool him somehow!
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!
Coming no-!
Ow...!
What'd you do this time?
Huh? Nothing... much really...
Ah, a-and anyway... I just banged my foot.
Caught it at a bad angle, too.
I-it hurts really bad...
I hit it in the worst possible way...
Wai-!
Huh?!
This is Shiggy's handiwork, isn't it?
I never know what that kid's thinking.
Hey, do you have anything to say for yourself?
S-sorry. We won't do it again.
Look, I get that you're frustrated 'cause your cave raiding didn't go very well...
That said, there's simply no sense in causing a blackout at the orphanage.
Riko...?
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.
If he was to find me here, there'd be hell to pay...
Even so, to think my arm can extend like that...
I've got extendable metal arms...
and this helmet...
Talk about suspicious...
What 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!
C-crap! Riko! Where'd you go?!
What are we gonna do?! We need to get outta here!
Grab on to me!
Quick!
Amazing! What a handy hand!
How cool!
Riko, where'd you go?!
Doesn't look like things are gonna calm down anytime soon.
Oh, right!
Reg, there's something I've been wanting 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 don't mind it, but... how'd you come up with it, anyway?
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 of the great pit. It's called Orth!
Welcome to Orth, Reg!
So this pit...?
Huh?
Reg, you've even forgotten about the Abyss?!
"Abyss"?
This great pit is called the Abyss.
And I found you down in the Edge of the Abyss!
I...
I thought that...
maybe you came up from the bottom of the Abyss, Reg!
Huh?
I mean, I've never seen any kind of robot like you before!
That's gotta be right!
You must've come from the bottom of the Abyss, which no one has ever seen...
The Abyss...
When cave raiding in the Abyss, the return journey presents a problem...
The deeper you go, the greater and more severe the physical toll of heading home becomes...
Returning from the depths' 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 your humanity or even 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 must've come from the bottom of the Abyss, after all!
Assuming that's true, then 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!
Classified as a special-grade relic, it's a "bell that stops time"!
Look, 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 anything like Reg.
Riko, care to fill us in on what you've found out about Reg's features?
Sure thing!
Let's see...
He puzzlingly can run on either food or electricity,
and on top of possessing a strange power that can melt petrified trees in an instant,
he has skin that's smooth despite being able to stop a blade.
And even fire was unable to burn his hair!
A flame?!
Seems his vision and hearing are better than mine, too.
Besides all that, his arms can extend about 40 meters.
His metallic-looking parts are made of some mysterious flexible material,
which I couldn't pierce even with a drill.
A drill?!
He also has a belly button, but I couldn't really see inside his butthole.
I tried to probe him with a measuring stick, but it broke while 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...
Leaving aside the second half of the report, none of those features are listed within the relic record...
and even if they were, they'd be classified above grade-1.
What do you mean?
Reg's body is a bundle of special-grade relics.
In the whole history of the Abyss, he is perhaps one of the most valuable relics...
a so-called Aubade: a supreme treasure of the netherworld!
Huh...?
That's super awesome!
Not even my mother found one of those!
If I'm right, then...
Reg will be immediately taken away from us, his existence will be concealed...
and he may even be dismantled.
Furthermore, our usual classes and jobs start up again tomorrow!
I guess we won't be able to stay with him all the time anymore, huh?
But...!
Well then, I'll keep him hidden in my room!
Yeah, right. Even your dog was found out...
In that case... I have an idea!
I call it the "Bring Together Leader and Reg Strategy."
So you want to be a cave raider?
What happened to your family?
I have no family. My big sister died, so I came here.
I heard that if I work here, I can become a cave raider...
You don't look like you were born in Orth...
My sister found me a year ago.
I was in an accident, so I don't have any memories from before then.
After that, I began rag-picking with her in the wharf quarter in Orth's south district.
You think that backstory's okay?
Seems like it is, right? I doubt that Leader's ever been to the slums.
What happened to your hand?
He asked!
It's, uh...
been like this for the full year I've had my memory.
An old man in the wharf quarter 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!
Alright!
He pulled it off... Alright!
He really is an Aubade!
By the way, Reg...
do you know anything about the incident in the Edge of the Abyss the other day?
What are you talking about?
Oh, never mind...
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
Before I knew it, two months had passed.
It was surprising how easily I became accustomed to it all.
It's three more days until I go on my first cave raid...
which also means saying goodbye to this bell.
Lucky you.
Don't worry.
I probably won't be getting any bigger, but you'll keep on growing and growing, Kiyui.
I see...
Ah, there you are, Reg!
Welcome back.
Word is Habo's squad is returning home!
Let's go welcome 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!
Ah, it's Habo!
Habo!
Hm? What is he doing?
Is that a relic?
It's a whistle...
A white whistle.
Huh?! A white whistle?!
Hey, I figured out whose whistle that is!
It's Lyza's! "Lyza the Annihilator"!
For real?!
He says it's Lyza's.
Lyza the Annihilator's?!
"Annihilator"... What an unsettling name...
I don't believe it! "Annihilator"... What an unsettling name...
But, why just her whistle...?
What's with that?
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 ten 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.
Besides that, Lyza had also been carrying a sealed document.
We received both it and that white whistle from the sentry at the monitoring base called the Seeker Camp.
However, it's being examined right now.
So it might take some time to get to you, Riko.
So you're saying it's a letter... from my mother?
Habo?
Yeah... I suppose it is!
Riko, it's surely 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 in a way this is her final one.
Um... Leader...
my mother was your instructor, 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...
Well, you were still just two years old when Lyza went in for her last dive.
As a cave raider, she was every bit the legendary White Whistle people say she was...
That said... I only really know Lyza as she was 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 total mess...
How are your eyes doing?
Huh?!
Uh, they're fine!
I don't get headaches as long as I'm wearing my glasses...
You know...
the issue with your eyes is different from common "bad eyesight."
Huh?
Your vision itself is fine, not a thing wrong with it...
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.
Huh...?
My bad eyesight isn't from always staying up late?
That was nonsense we made up to keep you in line.
It's been 12 years already...
No, it was a bit before that actually...
Lyza had just become pregnant with you when she had to go down to the fourth layer with a survey team.
Huh...? But why...?
It was a special mission ordered by the country's powers that be.
She was to retrieve the Unheard Bell, a special-grade relic that had been discovered in the depths.
Her team's cave raiding proved arduous and stretched on for 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.
And in the midst of it all, you were born.
Huh?
That's right...
You were born... in the depths of the Abyss.
Well...
Um... does that mean... the Curse of the Abyss doesn't affect me as much as other people?
Of course not!
Did you forget about how much you were throwing up your first time cave raiding?
The strain of ascending from the fourth layer is something even an adult can't readily withstand.
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 now-decimated team no longer had the strength to carry it home.
Well then, it sounds like I'm not actually alive, after all...
Lyza gave up on the Unheard Bell...
Leaving behind the corpses of their comrades,
she carried you together with a still-standing 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 could still not be fully warded off...
Lyza lamented that she was unable to protect your eyes.
You grew up extremely healthy...
and in the face of the pressure of having a mother of such stature, 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 very much!
Shortly thereafter...
Lyza settled the score with the foreign country that caused her trouble and then 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 an observer.
Please refrain from touching anything.
What is all this...?
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 wrong, Riko? Is it the 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.
Hmm, let's see here...
"At the netherworld's...
bottom...
I'll be waiting..."
"At the netherworld's bottom, I'll be waiting."
What made you decide to swipe this...?
Well, it's a letter that my mom wrote to me, you see!
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 beyond 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!
What's this all of a sudden?!
I've always wanted to be a White Whistle. Of course I'm prepared for that.
No! Riko, you don't get it!
You'll never be able to see any of us up here ever again, you know!
That's right!
You won't be able to hang out at Auntie's, have Leader teach you stuff,
or play with any of us here again!
That's right!
Like I said... I know that, okay...?!
Wh-why are you crying?!
Hey, you're crying, too!
O-ouch! I'm not crying a bit!
Anyway, let's call it a night and get some sleep. Nat, you dummy!
Anyway, let's call it a night and get some sleep. I'm no dummy! That's you, Riko!
Tomorrow is Reg's first cave raid and all... I'm no dummy! That's you, Riko!
Tomorrow is Reg's first cave raid and all... Jeez, shut up already!
Alright! Jeez, shut up already!
O-o-o-ow!
"At the netherworld's bottom, 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.
If you're set on digging, try that flat spot next to you.
This one here?
Oh? Oh my...
Nat, what is this thing? It's round and squishy...
Ah, uh...
That thing's also a relic of the Abyss.
Dunno what exactly, though...
It's got some amazing force holding it together...
Is it perhaps a special-grade relic?
No way. You won't find anything but junk around here.
Calling this junk is simply irredeemable...
Wait a minute, if it's junk, does that mean it's okay if I 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?
Hmm...
Look, there's something else back there.
Nat, this is amazing!
There's no end to these squishy things in here!
Right? You just leave it to me!
There's still more!
What?! What... is that thing?!
Huh?
Ah, it's a "praying skeleton"...
They say they're remains from 2,000 years ago. They're all in that same pose, you know.
Oh...
Anyway, you're sure freaked out for 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 that day arrives.
The causes for their deaths vary... but all of them invariably perish on their birthdays.
Rumor is, if you look into a mirror on the morning of your birthday,
your reflection will have a twisted neck.
And once you see it...!
I don't believe in that kinda stuff!
Look at this robot who's so scared he's sweating!
But... there is one thing I want to believe.
Huh?
That "answers lie waiting 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 all those answers are waiting for me if I can just reach the bottom of the Abyss.
That's the feeling I get, anyway.
Wh-what's with you?
You and Riko both...
The both of you are crazy!
Like I said yesterday, I'm against going, okay?!
I mean, you're both Red Whistles, and she's still only 12 years old!
Nat, you...
Anyway, I'm against it!
So...
have you decided what day you're gonna set off?
I'll head out tomorrow just before daybreak.
Huh?!
I've already packed my things.
You sure aren't wasting any time.
But, how exactly do you plan on sneaking into the Abyss?
There are always lookouts posted there...
Well...
I'll use my extendable arms to lower you down.
Huh?!
Riko, I'm going all the way to the bottom of the netherworld along with you.
Huh?!
Reg...
I was sure that you'd be on the side of trying to stop her...
I bet Riko talked you into going with her, 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 exactly what I am.
Reg...
thank you!
I couldn't bring myself to ask you...
I thought it'd be wrong to hog you all to myself on my way to meet my mother.
Weren't you the one who found me in the first place?
I've ascended the Abyss once already, haven't I?
Even if my memories don't come back, I've still got this sturdy body.
I'll protect you all the way to the bottom of the netherworld.
I guess there's no stopping you...
Sorry, I'll be sad to leave you guys, but my curiosity got the better of me.
It's fine.
Even if we tried to stop her, Riko would probably have gone on her own, anyway.
By the way, Reg, do you have any idea what lies in your path on the way to the netherworld's bottom?
I know there are a bunch of random dangerous creatures.
Don't tell me...
you think you can reach the bottom by using your extending arms to descend little by little...
Is that more or less your plan?
I suppose there'll be some obstacles, but to be honest, that's my plan.
How naive! I've gotta say, you're far too optimistic!
The Abyss is far more dangerous than you could ever imagine!
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 taking on the Abyss.
Sneaking into the director's office is nothing compared to that.
This is the current state of the Abyss.
Down to 1,350 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.
Starting here 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, no help will be sent after them...
That's because both heading there and returning home become very difficult.
It's treated as a suicide.
The forest eventually takes the shape of a rat guard, and at that point you enter the Inverted Forest.
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 4,000 meters standing in your way.
The fourth layer: only Black Whistles and above can go here.
The depth is about 7,000 meters.
They call it the Goblets of Giants.
Look, Riko, sorry to burst your bubble, but...
I'm going no matter what anyone says!
My mother's waiting for me!
Hey, have you even been paying attention?!
Think anyone could live somewhere like that for ten years?!
Wh-what are...?
Think about it!
Why did her whistle make its way up here?!
Your mom died a long time ago!
No, I...
Enough!
Riko!
Oh... there, there now...
I lowered our bags and spare clothes down.
Okay, thanks!
You think they'll be able to tell who I am with this on?
Probably not.
By the way, where's Nat?
Yeah... Right now, Nat is probably-
I don't care what that guy's doing!
Nat was so worried about you that he ended up crossing the line.
Hmph!
Riko... you might never get the chance to see him again, right?
Do you really want to just leave things unresolved like this?
I... sure don'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?
Riko, if Nat apologizes, will you forgive him?
Y-yeah...
But, he can be quite stubborn...
Don't worry. Nat regrets what he did.
Really?!
Really.
Alright, both of you!
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 every ten minutes.
Got it?
Kiyui... Kiyui...
What...?
I came to say goodbye.
Are you not feeling well?
Come to think of it, you've been looking 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, don't look into any mirrors the morning of your birthday, okay?
Why?
Just don't.
Got it.
See you.
Farewell.
That took longer than I thought. I've gotta hurry.
Where you going?
T-to the bathroom...
There aren't any toilets in that room, you know.
I-I was still half-asleep...
Leader, what are you doing up in the middle of the night?
I'm on patrol, you fool.
Any idea where Riko is?
She doesn't seem to be in her room...
Riko... went to take a dump!
In the middle of the night?
She has the runs...
She scavenging for food again? Jeez, that girl...
You're on your way to the bathroom too, right?
Stay with her and make sure she's okay.
Roger!
Ah, here he comes!
Sorry I took so long.
Shiggy, we're gonna head for the wharf quarter now, right?
Yeah, the usual Gate to the Netherworld is always closely guarded, after all.
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 asked someone to help us.
We're in your hands.
This smell is...
Nat! What are you doing here?
Well...
Sorry.
That was wrong... what I said yesterday.
I forgive you!
Huh?!
S-so, even though I said such terrible things, you still...?
It's fine!
I want us to make up.
Today... is the day we say goodbye, after all!
Y-you don't know the way to 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!
What? You still oppose it?
Is this still part of Orth?
The wharf quarter, you see, was founded by people who were cave raiding illegally.
Buildings kept being added on as the quarter grew, and now half of it is encroaching into the Abyss.
Nat, have you been here before?
Well, this is where I was born.
You were?
I was rag-picking ever since I can remember.
My big sis died 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, you of all people can do it!
You're just about as good at cave raiding as I am, and you're full of energy, too!
Can't you come up with some better compliments?
Oh, man...
We're already here.
So 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 chance.
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 make sure to include a souvenir with each of them.
I'm counting on it.
I'll keep on waiting as long as I need to, okay?
Riko... I'll keep on waiting as long as I need to, okay?
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!
So much...
Listen...
Even though I thought about it so much...
It's alright!
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...
we are... connected by the Abyss!
I'll never forget about the time I spent up here, okay?
So, it'll be alright!
What now?
There you go again...
That's right! I'm at it again!
Shut up!
Oh, crap! Some of the residents are awake now!
Who are those brats?! Oh, crap! Some of the residents are awake now!
Reg, hurry!
You better send some letters!
I'll make sure to find them, okay?
Be careful, alright?
And it's fine if you decide to head right on back here, you know!
I'm counting on you to take care of Riko!
Understood. You guys take care of yourselves, too.
Thanks, you two!
Keep an eye out for the good news I'll be sending!
Well then, here we go!
To those who offer up their bodies and challenge the chasm for which even darkness is no match...
it is said that the Abyss shall grant all.
Life and death. Curses and blessings. All of it...
At the end of their journey, what will they come to choose?
Will that be determined by the will of the netherworld?
Or will it be determined solely by those who challenge it?
Uh, 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 quarter, but I couldn't really say what area we're in...
The depth gauge is indicating 820 meters.
Riko, what's wrong?
The Depths' First Layer
Edge of the Abyss
Amazing...
It's way brighter here than up on the surface, huh?
Ah, over there!
The Rock Ark, located at a depth of 600 meters...
It's so far above us!
Not long ago, I was aiming for a depth of 400 meters...
and now we can't even see it anymore!
How terrific, Reg!
At this pace, we can make it to the bottom of the netherworld!
Of course, we can't let our guard down, you know.
W-well, that's good to hear.
By the way, Riko...
Let's have some breakfast...
Take out the demonfish innards making sure not to damage them,
and smoke them to keep as preserved food.
As for the meat, put a hearty helping in a pot and add a bit of Eternal Fortune seeds.
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 tastes better than Riko Bombs!
Riko, what are you fiddling with?
My Star Compass.
Oh, that thing that helps you tell 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 around, the direction of the needle doesn't budge a bit.
Really?! Give it here!
Another relic of the Abyss, huh?
I get the feeling there's some incomprehensible principle at work...
It's fine. It's fine, really...
There's an old saying:
"All that which is taken from the Abyss will someday be returned to it."
I-I see...
The teachings of cave raiders are quite humble...
Yeah, Leader taught that 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 steal this?!
Nope, 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.
Huh?!
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...
One page is 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...
make sure we're not leaving anything behind!
But why would Leader do something so out of character?
He must be testing us.
This is our final lesson.
The point is that if we get caught now,
then we're not cut out to make it to the bottom of the netherworld.
Seems our pursuers still haven't caught up with us yet.
We've strayed from the usual route...
so even if they come after us, they won't find us that easily.
Besides, the search parties move in groups of at least three people,
so we should see them com-
What is it, Riko?
Look at that, Reg!
Forest of Temptation
The Depths' Second Layer
In between the clouds...
It's the second layer: the Forest of Temptation!
So this is the second layer.
If a Red Whistle goes down there, it's treated as a suicide.
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 the delusion you had about the meaning of the letter.
About it being our final lesson?
That's no delusion!
Yeah... I think you might be right.
Leader said it's necessary for him 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...
On top of that, if he took the trouble to place that envelope in my pocket,
then 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 somehow slip away?
I'd expect nothing less from Lyza's daughter.
I see you're quite fast, Riko.
Habo?! But why?
How about that?
I'm not so shabby myself, now am I?
What should I do?!
I could let Riko escape alone first...
That being said...
well, I never suspected it!
That you were a supreme treasure of the netherworld, I mean!
Is even your skin a relic?
Can't tell by just looking, now can you?
Huh?!
Oh, nothing mechanical about those balls of yours, I see!
Stop it!
Let me go!
Hey now, stop kicking!
Taking into account the weight of your backpack, you're pretty darn light...
Reg
Look for an opening
and run for it
I guess he still hasn't learned the hand signals...
Sorry, my bad.
I still haven't told you what I'm here about.
You see... I didn't actually come to capture you two.
Huh?
Please!
We're not asking you to take them all the way 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.
They'll still be a while, eh?
Well then...
I've had a look at the supreme treasure of the netherworld...
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?
Habo... uh... um...
I'm sorry! I can't allow that!
Huh?!
This right here... is our final lesson!
Oh, I see!
Pretty clever 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, Habo.
I mean, you came all this way and everything...
Don't worry about it!
I actually have some other business down here, anyway.
Here.
What's this?
It's a vaccine for the second layer that Blue Whistles and up take.
This way you won't get tachikiri fever.
Lastly, and also most importantly...
Since I won't be accompanying you any further, I should tell you this now.
It's about that Seeker Camp you're headed for...
the guardian there is a bit of a strange one.
You mean the person who found my mom's sealed envelope?
Yes...
The Unmovable Sovereign, "Ozen the Immovable"...
a White Whistle who's still active.
A White Whistle?! And the very one who saved my life?!
Wow!
But, Habolg, that doesn't seem like anything to be too worried about...
Please be wary of the White Whistle, Ozen.
I can't go into the details personally, but you might encounter some distressing things there, Riko.
Please be prepared.
I'll be fine! Plus, I'd like to meet a White Whistle!
Besides, I want to ask her about stuff like the time when she found my mom's envelope!
And, and...
You're right. You'll be fine.
You've got a reassuring partner with you, after all.
Reg, Riko is in your hands now.
Roger. Just leave it to me.
Reg, over there!
It's a wind-riding windmill!
A long time ago, they used them to capture updrafts.
I hear they've been around for more than 4,000 years.
And the fact that we've passed by them means...
Forest of Temptation
The Depths' Second Layer
So this is... the second layer...
We did it, Reg!
We've survived our final lesson!
Leader, we pulled it off!
It hasn't really hit me yet...
Did we really get away from them?
That's right!
We don't have to worry about anyone coming after us, now!
If we descend this far, no help will be sent after us...
because both getting here and returning home is very difficult...
I'm quite sure that's what Shiggy said.
In other words, down here, even a search party would find itself being pursued.
Let's hurry on, Reg.
It might be calling all of its buddies over here.
Yeah...
It's not that we've successfully escaped...
Rather, it seems now we're being pursued by all kinds of things that exist outside the territory of man.
Let's see...
We're supposed to descend from around here, right?
We've gotta head to the Seeker Camp...
Help!
Somebody's voice...?
What's wrong?
Shh! There's somebody here!
Help...
Over there!
Someone's crying for help!
Really?!
Help...
Help me...
Down on the ground there... It's a cave raider!
I'll drive that thing away.
Help me... Help...
Reg, wait! It might be a trap!
A trap?
That thing is a corpse-weeper...
They mimic their captured prey's cries for help to lure more prey to their colonies.
Which means... that person's already...
Reg, get down!
Riko!
Another one?! How careless of me!
It's okay.
I... I can still reach her!
Calm down...
I can't miss this!
Reg!
This is bad!
Ascending within the Abyss means...!
Riko!
Too far!
She's being fed to the chicks?!
No!
Don't do it!
No!
Riko!
What...?
What can I possibly do?!
Where...?
Where am I...?
Go!
Yet again.
But still, this feeling...
My body remembers.
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 got really worried!
Ah, but... you should stay lying down for now...
Uh...
You were taking so long to wake up, so I thought you might be hurt...
And, uh...
And your clothes were all covered with vomit and stuff.
Oh, come on, Reg, you don't have to get so embarrassed.
Besides, you're the one who saved me, right?
Reg, did...
Reg, did you...
Reg, did you do this?
I kind of lost myself in the moment...
But to think I ended up doing 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 very nearly completely blew you away.
If I had, I...
Reg! It's alright!
Let's see, it was around...
this big or so.
What exactly was?
When you saved me that first time, this's about how big the blast from your Incinerator was!
And that was from about 200 meters away!
It'll be fine!
Reg, you used to be able to control that power quite well!
Let's train you in it together!
This power of yours...
is something you can master!
Riko...
Reg...?
Huh? What's going on?
Are you alright? Reg?
Reg!
Help...
Help me...
Gone... Gone...
It's gone...
It's gone!
Riko?
Reg, you're awake!
Hey, so are you alright?
You suddenly fell asleep and wouldn't wake up no matter what!
Did firing your Incinerator tire you out?
Ah... I'm, uh... fine.
I see! Good to hear!
Anyway, what were you shouting about?
Oh, that's right!
My cave raiding notebook is gone!
That notebook you were always making memos in?
Yeah.
It's possible I dropped it when that corpse-weeper snatched me...
If that's the case, then...
Well, there's nothing we can do about it.
You 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.
That won't do much for my legend, now will it?
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 of the Depths' Second Layer
Inverted Forest
It's the real thing...
Look!
The waterfalls are flowing upward!
Oh my...
Seems it won't shoot straight, huh?
The wind here is blowing like crazy.
Guess we can't keep taking shortcuts like we have been.
What's the matter, Riko?
Uh, I feel like it somehow got colder...
You okay? Want me to get out the cold-weather gear?
Uh, nah, we can't spread out our supplies here, so later's okay.
Riko, hold this for a minute.
It's warm!
Try to make do with that until things settle down.
Reg, you're not cold?
I can feel the wind, but no, not really.
I figured as much!
Well then, I'll be borrowing this for a bit.
Master! Master!
Something's approaching.
It's two people.
One's a Red Whistle... and the other one...
doesn't even seem to be a cave raider...
Shall I ready the gondola?
Master...?
It seems like the wind's died down a bit, huh?
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?
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 more bearable.
So, this is the Seeker Camp, huh?
It's really quite high up there...
Huh? Speaking of that...
What's wrong?
Um, well...
I heard the Seeker Camp always has a lookout on duty.
So, when someone approaches, I was told they lower the gondola for them...
Reg, can your arms reach up there?
Maybe if I use both hands...
Let's give it a try.
Seems I managed to re-
Reg, what's wrong?
Something has...
grabbed...
my arms.
Huh?!
So that brat's... still alive.
Riko, are you okay?
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 know! You're Lyza's kid, right?
How filthy...
Oh, I see the boy is doing fine.
Now that I see her up close... she's towering...
I bet she's over two meters tall...
Her hair...
How did she manage to style it like that?
On top of that...
there's that white whistle.
This woman must be the White Whistle...
Ozen the Immovable!
This whistle... to think that I'd actually see it 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, together with my mother, you carried me to the surface!
Oh. That, huh?
That thing was heavy,
and along the way, I often thought about just abandoning you.
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.
Such a pity I did what I did.
Master...
You're a Red Whistle, right?
You should know you're not allowed to come to a place like this.
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.
Yeah...
And you think that makes 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 all the way here.
Marulk.
Yes, Master.
Listen to what these kids have to say.
You want ME to do that?
Should be easier for kids to talk to another kid, right?
Uh, ah...
I still have some things to attend to, you see.
I'll hear you out tomorrow.
Well, both of you, here you are...
Ah, blue whistles!
Just while you're here.
It'd be a pain to explain to the other cave raiders why two Red Whistles are here, you see.
I'll just keep this as insurance.
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.
First of all, I'll show you around a bit.
Please use this room.
The bath is over there.
It's actually 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, aren't they?
Reg, I know you're a robot, but there's something strange about you...
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 really even think of myself as a robot...
What the heck am I in the first place...?
Is something the matter?
"Marulk"... Is it okay if I call you that?
Yes!
To tell you the truth, there's something I find strange, too...
What might that be?
Ask away, and I'll answer if I can!
Um...
Are you a girl?
Huh?!
Right after I had an accident and collapsed, Master found me and took me in.
I've been here ever since.
Oh? You have no plans to return to the surface?
I'm sensitive to sunlight, so I can't live up there, anyway.
Oh? Is that so?
Well now, let's eat!
Thanks for the food!
Ever since Master found me, she's proactively taken on the role of guardian of the Seeker Camp.
"This way I don't have to return to the surface all the time" is the reason she gives...
Of course, there must be some truth to it, but Master truly does take good care of me...
She seems kind of scary, but she's a good master, huh?
Yes, truly.
I need to pee...
Ozen?
Is anyone in there?
There, there, Riko.
I used to do that too until a couple years ago.
But, Riko, why was it MY bed that you wet?
I-I did my best to find the bathroom!
But...
when I woke up in the middle of the night and looked for it...
I saw something.
It didn't seem of this world...
I got incredibly scared...
So I dove into Reg's bed and that's when...
Oh, come on, Riko.
We've never had any reports of ghosts at the Seeker Camp.
B-but...
Master!
Sounds like you're having an interesting conversation.
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.
Marulk told me all about you two this morning.
Just to confirm, you're trying to follow Lyza's trail, correct?
Yes!
Didn't this thing reach the surface?
Lyza is dead.
Your quest to find your mother ends here.
Ozen, where exactly did you find that whistle and the envelope?
At a grave.
Huh?!
How many days ago was it, now...?
The fourth layer...
In the far reaches of the Goblets of Giants, there's this cluster of Eternal Fortunes, you see...
and 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?!
Lyza wouldn't write something like that even as a joke.
Oh?
What was your reason for aiming for 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?
B-besides...
What about the connection between Reg and the mysterious figure mentioned in the letter...?
I see.
What is this place?
My chamber.
You've followed me here because you want to know, right?
Come inside.
What's this cube here?
This pattern is incredibly complex...
Seems to be at least a grade-2 relic.
But, in the guide to recorded relics...
Right, it's not listed.
Lyza bought it herself before it could be auctioned off.
Could this be... the Curse-Repelling Vessel?
You're half-right.
The "Curse-Repelling Vessel."
From the depths up toward 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.
However, it starts moving around.
It was thanks to you that I came to understand that.
Huh?
You were stillborn, you know.
When Lyza delivered you, you were already dead.
Basically, you were a real annoyance, so I shoved you inside this thing, but you somehow started to move.
Yesterday, I got nostalgic, and I tried putting some of the meat I cook for dinner in there...
The thing got loose and ran around.
After a while, it stopped moving.
But actually, one half of it continued to move, you see.
Hey...
How long are you going to last, I wonder...
Besides that, 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.
So, why is that?
You of all people might have an idea...
Aren't you essentially the same as that piece of meat?
Master... stop this.
Why...?
The things you're saying...
It's about time you get the picture.
I despise you.
What is it, you 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 really immature, Ozen!
I used to hear that a lot.
Hey, boy, do you have a conception of what God is?
What are you talking about all of a sudden?
The people around here, you see, don't really believe in God.
Instead, do you know what it is they believe in?
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 was easy to head down and return back home,
the value of relics and faith in the Abyss would quite possibly be shaken to the core.
The reason Aubades aren't cataloged...
isn't because they haven't been discovered.
It's because they shouldn't exist, you see.
What's with this strength of hers?
My arm's... creaking?!
Hey, did I hear that you lost your memory?
Well, I'm truly glad.
I need to dispose of you before you remember anything.
I-I'm going to check on the telescope...
Marulk!
Stay right there.
Y-you can't be serious!
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's with her?!
This doesn't break or get any thinner.
I wonder if it's a bunch of strands all packed into the same section...
Well, whatever.
You can have it back.
Oh? You're lighter than I thought.
So your sturdiness is your appeal, right?
Let's test it out.
Oops. I busted the floor.
O-o-ouch...
You've really... done it now...
You're a lot tougher than the floor, huh?
I wonder how much more you can take...
Stop!
Reg... Reg will break!
You're in the way.
Riko! Riko!
There's so much blood...
Sorry, Marulk...
I can't pull punches with her.
If I don't get serious, I'm done for!
And just what are you 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...!
So, I see that you breathe and blink even though you're just a mechanical doll.
That means you, too, are likely to be hunted by 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...?
Oh, these?
They're called Thousand-Men Wedges.
I inserted them at 120 points or so all around my body...
They're the secret to my vigor.
As much as you criticize me, you're quite superhuman yourself, Ozen!
Well, I'm attentive to such things.
I'm getting on in years, after all.
R-Reg!
You're so noisy.
If you think he's so precious, you should've kept him locked away.
For some reason he went limp all of a sudden. It's fine though, right?
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, together with Reg...
If it's not together with Reg... I can't bear it!
Please, Reg! Don't lose to her!
That won't do.
You two aren't cut out for it.
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 faint and leave Riko all alone here...?!
Reg!
Riko is...!
Riko is in your hands now.
Damn it...
Ah, that one's crying too now!
Oh my, Ozen has 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 little girl who can't do anything but fuss and cry,
and a mechanical doll who fires his weapon without thinking, despite the fact it made him faint before...
While those two didn't even make a single correct decision,
you took the best course of action to save your friends.
That's my apprentice for you.
Though as punishment for disobeying my orders, I'll string you up naked later.
Ozen told us to stay hidden while the two kiddies are here.
But everything kept on shaking...
And this child 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 kid, 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 serious.
If I didn't go all-out, I wouldn't get my point across, would I?
I hate silly tricks, you know.
Th-then...
that part about disposing of the Aubade was...?
I wouldn't do that, of course.
You just turned out to be too sturdy, you know?
No matter how much I pounded on 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 work, too.
O-okay!
If you continue to push on at your current skill level, you'll just end up as poor meals or little seedbeds.
Or you'll just be a stain on the ground or some wall.
Though, there's no guarantee you won't end up like that as I'm trying to beat you into shape...
Oh, that's right. There is one thing I was deceiving you about.
That grave I spoke of...
didn't have anyone 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 shot.
Riko?
How are you feeling?
I'm alright now.
The next large group of cave raiders arrives in three weeks.
Whether or not it proves successful, that's all the time I have to beat you into shape.
Where are we headed?
Somewhere beyond the Seeker Camp.
Perhaps because the force field's light doesn't reach here,
most of the creatures in the area are quiet and passive.
Even so, they can see in the dark, so keep your guard up.
Spend ten days here with only the equipment you've got. Show me you're able to survive.
Be sure not to go beyond that Pillar Tree.
I'll consider that as trying to escape.
Well then, I'm heading back now.
Huh?!
Do your best to protect this girl so that she doesn't return 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 killed, though.
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 if I punched you, slapped you against the floor,
or dunked you in water, you still didn't come to.
Go ahead and try leaving a helpless child on her own in the depths 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.
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 3
How's it looking?
Riko is certainly plucky,
but her body can't keep up with what she wants to do...
And that boy Reg...
He can really take a beating, but he's constantly losing his nerve... Riko, where are you?
He can really take a beating, but he's constantly losing his nerve...
...and is slow to make decisions.
Stop it!
This despite the fact 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 5
Reg, you're strong, but your body is light...
So we'll have to devise a plan if we're going to catch that hippo thing...
Maybe I could extend my arm to bind it to a tree or something...
Uh-huh, uh-huh...
Well, then let's lead it to us!
How?
Ta-da!
We'll use this!
What the heck is that? 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 once it gets close to you, Reg, I'll blind it with our glowstones.
How's that sound?!
H-hmm...
You think it will work?
It'll be fine! Let's just try our best!
Do it now! Reg!
Neither an immature body nor weak psyche will be quick to improve...
But it's like you said... 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 like this to cover up my scars, you see.
As your mind comes under attack 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 as well as 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 show you kept challenging the netherworld even as it tried to break your mind.
They're proof of your fortitude.
Ozen the Immovable. An actual White Whistle.
Hey, will you be my mentor?
Who did this to you?!
Just you wait! I'll destroy those punks!
What's wrong, Ozen?
Giving up already?
It's amazing, Ozen!
There are Flowers of Fortitude as far as the eye can see!
It doesn't even feel like we're in the middle of the netherworld!
This is Torka from my squad.
I married him!
Sorry, Ozen...
Do you mind giving me a bit of time alone?
How incredibly maddening.
To think that no sooner than Torka quickly passed away...
...even the baby was stillborn.
That's some nerve to leave the delivery to me...
You and Dumb Face came along and made Lyza go soft...
and now you do this to her?
How maddening...
I didn't want to see Lyza in such a state.
I don't have much strength left.
Perhaps I'll just leave this thing behind and carry the Bell up with Lyza...
Good grief, I've taken on another burden now...
Just relax...
I have a strong sense of duty.
After 10 Days
Are you alright, Riko?
Yeah...
Somehow... it feels like ages since we were last here.
It's really only been ten days, though.
Good work out there.
Both of you are quite amazing.
Personally, I started crying right away...
Any further out than the Seeker Camp and it's almost totally dark...
and Master left and went home by herself somewhere along the way...
Marulk, you know, even I...
Near the end when I got separated from Riko, I was feeling so hopeless...
Really?!
Absolutely.
Reg, so that happens to even 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.
Alright!
My rehabilitation is 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 is saying that now that you're back, we should all have a meal.
Food!
So how was it?
Spending ten days there, I mean.
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 unless you want to kill those who are waiting for you"...
There's an old saying like that, you see.
What does it mean?
One's sense of time goes mad.
One might intend to stay down there a few weeks,
but when they return to the surface, a few 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.
You probably think this doesn't have anything to do with you since you don't plan on returning...
But the point is that we can't even estimate the extent to which
this "madness" manifests in the sixth and seventh layers.
You know, Lyza might not have spent as much time down there as everyone thinks.
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, even so, you should do your best not to stay in the fifth layer for long.
And why is that?
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 some of them are there...
Bondrewd in particular is an out-and-out scoundrel.
He's not kind like I am, so you better be careful...
Is that... a joke?
Reg, you okay?
Ah, that reminds me.
Speaking of Lyza...
The slip in the sealed letter that said, "At the netherworld's bottom, I'll be waiting"...
I wonder who wrote that...
Huh?
It uses old nether glyphs without any of the simplified forms.
On top of that, the paper it's on isn't even actual paper.
It's an unknown relic.
It looks all worn out, but it really surprised me...
That thing can't be ripped even with my strength.
So, I wonder what's waiting at the netherworld's bottom together with Lyza...
Well then...
you two, follow me.
Here.
This is...?
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 spoke of.
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 bet she's already found a new weapon.
I'll show you how to use it.
It should be able to act as an alternative to that Incinerator of yours.
You really mean that?!
Thank you!
Heading out already, huh?
It'll feel lonely 'round here.
Don't you think it's cold of Ozen not to come see you off?
No, it's alright.
Huh?
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?
Despite all appearances, you're quite humble.
Hey, cut that out.
Marulk!
Well, you take care now.
I find it hard to say this, but...
If you come back and say, "It's impossible, after all," it'd be oh so nice...
Marulk...
I've seen off all kinds of people setting off on journeys they won't ever return from.
But... today is the saddest I've ever felt.
Reg and that child...
As expected, they were quick to pick up on cave raiding techniques.
Although, I didn't want to let them go until more memories came back...
Well, nothing I can do about it.
Right, Lyza?
That baby...
Wasn't it so creepy how she crawled toward the Abyss the moment she was let out of the Vessel?
Thanks to you, she's monstrously energetic now.
My apprentice is already getting sick of her.
Well, that's just splendid...
You have an apprentice?
His name's Jiruo. You've met him before, right?
Ah, that utterly impudent kid who turned down my offer...
The fact that she hasn't dropped dead or been killed means you're 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.
And, if you're lucky, she'd be held hostage, but if you're unlucky...
It's fine. My apprentice is top grade.
However, be that as it may...
Riko is incredibly precious to me.
No relic or possession of mine even comes close to how much she means to me.
That girl is alive right now thanks to a whole bunch of priceless things all coming together.
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 myself will likely become separated from the Abyss.
Before that happens, I'm heading out...
so that she is free to choose whatever path she desires...
What are you keeping up appearances for?
You simply got an urge to see the bottom, right?
Hey, Ozen...
If Riko once again sets out to reach the bottom and ends up crossing paths with you,
I'd like you to tell her.
About how she might be a living corpse?
That's right.
About how much of a miracle it took to make it so she can move at all...
and how to tackle the magnificent adventures that are waiting for her!
What a pain. Do it 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.
The start of new journeys and farewells, joy and tragedy,
hope and despair,
The Depths' Third Layer
Great Fault
and also life and death...
All is found within the great pit.
However, to see all, one must first cast all aside.
To know all, one must first relinquish all.
At the bottom of the pit...
At the end of their journey, what is it that one grasps?
What is waiting down there?
That is something that no one yet knows...
Wandering Twilight
Part 2