Chapter 79: Dark Sanctuary: Prayer of the Mother

No way... So that's the Chapel of the Goddess of Time?

It's certainly looking rather ominous.

Mom must be in there...

We don't know what it'll be like inside. We'd better stay alert.

So you found me? Impressive.

Himika!

Himika, please! Return my mom!

Lady Himika, please come back with me!

Come back? What an absurd thing to say. There's something I must do here. The reason why I was called here!

Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

Madoka's plan was for the chapel restored in the future to drift through the flow of time as before. But something willed us to fall to this underworld.

So your spirit and your body lost in the dimensional darkness called to each other? Or was this the will of the god in the tomb?

But the Underworld is no place for people! Humans shouldn't be here!

I'm sure I've already told you. I am searching for my body that was consumed by the dimensional darkness. It is close... After such a long, long time, I can finally get my body back!

Do you really think I'll give up and go home after coming this far?

Don't be ridiculous! I won't allow anyone to get in my way, not even Madoka's children! You're the ones who should be returning to your world. And if you don't...

Ngh!

Lady Himika!

Himika? Please stop this!

It's no use! She's been overwhelmed by the chaos of the Underworld! She's lost her senses!

I can't allow anyone to hold me back. I'll make you regret getting in my way! Let's do this, you fools! I'll drive you to the very depths of darkness!

Lady Himika!

Himika, that's enough! Just give up. There's no point fighting anymore.

Ack...

Whether summoned by the god in the tomb, or by her lost body, either way, this is where the chapel ended up. If Himika's body fell into the dimensional darkness, it must be around here. I will give it to you, Himika.

Ogre Rancorem?! What are you talking about?!

The darkness and chaos of the Underworld is making my power stronger. And in return for giving you your body, I will gain a new power! So that I may be free, no longer reliant on the hands of man!

What are you doing?!

No way! That's...

Heavens! That's Lady Himika!

Stop! Ogre Rancorem, you can't! I inherited you! You're my sword!

Wait, Ogre Rancorem! You're a cursed sword that consumed the souls of the ogres!

Don't you d...

So quieten down! And stop this! Respond to the titan blood, the blood of your ancestors, that flows through my veins!

Tsk! How impudent! You think someone like you could ever have the power to counter the rage of the ogre clan?

Now there are two Ogre Rancorems?!

How interesting! No longer will I be bound to serve you, Aldo! We souls who have been carried and owned by you, and we who have been freed from such oppression... Which of us is the real ogre sword? Why don't we find out!

What is that?

Ugh...

Mom!

That's Himika's ritual site from Antiquity. It was the foundation for the Chapel of the Goddess of Time.

Himika, please stop! You mustn't do this!

There is still something I must do here. Chaos...the followers of darkness, they are calling to me! To return their sleeping god!

So because this god has been trapped in the dimensional darkness, Himika, too, is being corroded by it?

You must not go down this path, Lady Himika!

Come, Madoka! I have need of you! We can create a new future of chaos in the Ark of the Underworld!

Then we will activate the final stage of our plan... Project Another Eden!

Ngh!

Mom?!

Himika, stop!

Aldo!

Guh!

Ogre Rancorem?

It's no use... I can't hear the sword anymore. The sword's soul is no longer here. Which means that Himika must have the real Ogre Rancorem...

Aldo...

Aldo, we must stop Lady Himika.

She showed immense power. We can't leave her unchecked.

Yeah, we've gotta get to this Ark of the Underworld thing and save Madoka.

But how do we do that?

Ark of the Underworld search initiated! Margin of error with our dimension: 61%! Though visible, I can't prove it exists in our dimension!

You can't prove it exists? What's that supposed to mean?

Even if we can see it, it doesn't exist as a physical object. If we tried to infiltrate it from the sky, we would simply pass right through.

There must be something we can do. We can hardly leave things be...

I know. Let's return to Nazrik for now and try to work out what we should do!