Chapter 577: Where I Woke Up, You Ask?<ol> <li><strong><b> Where I Woke Up, You Ask?</b></strong></li> </ol>


    * * *


    “…Hmm.”


    I opened my eyes—<em><i>snap</i></em>—and sat up.


    This ce… ispletely different from the damp, dark Old Imperial City sewer.


    The biggest difference is the air.


    First, it’s incredibly hot.


    It’s as hot as a sauna.


    But it’s also very dry.


    My hair should have been quite wet after being in the sewer…


    I don’t know how long I was asleep, but… it’spletely dry now, while I was unconscious after being forcibly transferred.


    Or rather, to lose consciousness from a transfer…


    That’s a first.


    <That means that Transfer Orb was defective. It’s just a party item, after all. More importantly, where are we…?>


    “…………”


    I silently nodded in agreement to Extra-sama’s bewildered voice.


    And then I looked around.


    The ce I’m currently in seems to be a small, square room.


    Three of the four walls are made of hard-looking stone.


    One of the walls has a narrow opening near the ceiling, perhaps a venttion duct… too small for a person to pass through, and red light is shining through it, into the dusty room.


    And the floor and ceiling are also made of stone.


    There’s almost nothing on the floor… except for arge pot of unknown purpose, sitting in the corner of the room.


    “…………”


    Well.


    I’ve tried to describe the room, but—


    The most distinctive feature of this room is the remaining wall.


    No… it’s not a wall.


    This is…


    “Bars…?”


    Yes.


    Three of the four sides are stone walls, but the remaining one is made of old iron bars.


    This is… Extra-sama.


    <Yes?>


    Perhaps… Extra-sama.


    <Yes?>


    “…A prison cell?”


    <Exactly, Emi. Munodes… that human, he did it. Certainly, as he said, this isn’t a ce where you’ll be in immediate danger. But… !>


    It’s a ce I can’t normally escape from.


    Well, he didn’t lie.


    <It’s not just ‘he didn’t lie’, Emi! AAAAAH, to send Emi to a ce like this! Emi! If we ever meet that human again, let’s definitely tear him to pieces and kill him!>


    Calm down.


    Calm down, Extra-sama.


    He probably won’t leave Akashiterika’s side.


    I’d like to avoid killing people in front of her…N?v(el)B\\jnn


    <Why are <em><i>you</i></em> so calm!?>


    Hahaha.


    Well.


    I’m a little drained from the sense of loss right now.


    But more importantly—


    “As if iron bars can contain me.”


    This ce… is definitely a prison cell.


    But if I want to get out, I just have to break it.


    My freedom hasn’t beenpromised at all.


    Then there’s no need to get so angry.


    I grabbed two of the iron bars casually, intending to bend and break them with my brute strength…


    …But!


    “!?”


    —<em><i>BACHI!</i></em>—


    The moment I grabbed the iron bars… a pain and shock, like an electric current, ran through my body, from my hands!


    “…………!”


    I involuntarily let go of the bars and looked at my palms.


    Although they’re already starting to heal, sizzling… my palms arepletely scorched from that single attack.


    Or rather, that pain just now wasn’t normal.


    Wouldn’t an ordinary person die from shock!?


    “…………”


    I waited for my recovery, slightly anxious, and after confirming that my scorched palms were back to normal, I turned to the stone wall, clenching my fists.


    I lowered my hips, and focused mana into my fists.


    “RAH!”


    And then, I mmed my fists into the stone wall with all my might!


    It’s 【Magic Strike】!


    But…!


    “!?”


    My fists definitely reached the stone wall, and I felt like I hit something.


    There was a strange sound—<em><i>GAHIIN</i></em>—and…


    The damage from my 【Magic Strike】 didn’t affect the stone wall at all.


    The prison’s stone wall, which I expected to crumble and create arge hole, remained unchanged.


    <This is… a 【Barrier】… !? And a very advanced one at that!>


    Extra-sama panicked in surprise, and then—


    <Emi! This… might be really bad! Can you see what’s outside from the venttion duct near the ceiling!?>


    She gave me that instruction.


    I used 【Silverfish】 to crawl up the stone wall like a gecko, and peeked outside through the narrow opening.


    The first thing that came into my view is a sunset sky… or perhaps a sunrise sky, without a single cloud.


    It should be night in the Old Imperial City right now.


    That means I was transferred to a ce with a significant time difference.


    And the next thing that caught my eye is…


    Or rather, besides the sky, there’s only this.


    …Sand.


    Under the cloudless sky, a vast expanse of sand, without a single nt, stretches to the horizon.


    Ah, the sun… is setting.


    That means it’s sunset.


    The setting sun dyes the sandy ground, stretching to the round horizon, crimson.


    The horizon is round.


    That means that the prison cell I’m in is at a fairly high altitude.


    I wonder if it’s a tower-like building.


    Ah, damn it.


    I’m a little distracted.


    It seems that I’m also quite shaken.


    Anyway!


    Where is this ce!?


    To put it simply!


    It’s a prison cell in a desert!


    <Oh my god! This is bad!>


    Here, Extra-sama let out a cry of despair.


    It seems that she’s urately understood… where this ce is, from the scenery.


    And she’smenting.


    Eh, what?


    Is this ce that bad?


    <Yes, Emi… I saw it in a Isekai Reincarnation broadcast.>


    Extra-sama’s words… are usually said cheerfully, but not this time.


    Her tone is quite heavy.


    <Listen carefully. This is a prison, created by the gods, where the most heinous criminals from all over the world… and those who obstruct the world’s management by defying the gods, are sent and imprisoned until they die.>


    Extra-sama spoke slowly.


    I sat down on the floor and listened.


    The sun is setting further and further, and the red light shining through the venttion duct is bing faint.


    The prison cell is gradually sinking into darkness.


    And then.


    Extra-sama, finally—


    Revealed where I am.


    <Its name is…>


    Clearly.


    <The Great Prison of Delenezo!!>


    The stage for a new story… is the ‘Great Prison of Delenezo’!


    It’s surely a terrifying prison, impossible to escape from!


    What a straightforward name!


    Well, although I think it’s a stupid name, as always.


    Actually, the name of this prison has already appeared in Arc 18.


    So I have no intention of changing it now.


    Now, thank you for reading the very long Arc 24.


    There are still some epilogues, and a side story unrted to the main story of Arc 24, before this arc ends.


    This was a very difficult arc for me, as I tried something new.


    I’m sure there are more ws than usual, but I hope you enjoyed it.


    Thank you for your continued support from Arc 25 onwards.