Chapter 8 part 3

P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them

oculus embedded in my left gauntlet stops me.

The same moment that the Crozzo's magic swords erupted, signaling the start of the battle, I circled around the northwest of the island, completely circumventing the main battlefield.

That was Lilly's order. Use the army-scale clash as a decoy to approach the enemy's base.

"Hildsleif and Warlord are still at the base!"

"Gh...!"

"There is no winning unless we take down the strongest adventurer in Orario!"

She's right. Anything less won't be possible against that man.

I'm painfully aware of that after he took me down in a single attack during the Goddess Festival. So long as he stands before the throne and protects his master, the coalition doesn't stand a chance.

There is no future for us unless we do something about the Level 7 city's strongest!

"And your skill is the only card we have that can take him down!"

I glance down at the oculus and then at my right hand. The chime is ringing, and the telltale glow of the charging has already started, too.

Master and the rest of Freya Familia have only seen my status during the time I spent with their familia when their goddess's charm warped the entire city. If I wait until I can see the enemy before activating my skill, I won't make

it in time. The einherjar would never allow that. That means the time is now. To unleash a full power attack, I have to start charging before I encounter the enemy.

The task I've been given is to mount a sneak attack. Stay hidden and keep moving until I can land a blow on the enemy's strongest fighter-Mr. Ottar- with a fully charged attack.

After the onslaught of the Crozzo magic swords failed, Lilly concluded that this is our only chance of defeating Warlord.

"We have to sacrifice everyone so you can reach Lady Freya! If you don't, we can't win this battle!"

I grit my teeth as Lilly explains that in a commanding voice.

Even if our allies get cut down by Mr. Hegni, run down by Mr. Allen, destroyed by Mr. Alfrik and his brothers, shot down by Master-even if it means ignoring Ms. Heith and the healers, I have to defeat Mr. Ottar and reach out to Lady Fre-no, I have to reach out to her.

Even the echoing sound of the chime understood it had to be that way. Shaking off the thoughts tearing at my heart, I continue to approach the enemy's base.

Carefully, but quickly! I can't let them notice me!

Even in the northwest, far from the main battle, a great field of ruins stretch in every direction.

There are crumbling buildings, a marble street, and massive colonnades that no longer hold up ceilings. Taking advantage of these city ruins, I hide myself, making sure there's no signs of watchful enemy before sprinting to the next point.

I'm currently invisible. I'm using one of Fels's reverse veils and basically invisible.

But still I'm avoiding any bold approaches. The enemy this time is Master and Freya Familia. If they notice anything is even slightly off, that's the end. I used an item to erase my scent to beast people's noses, but I still can't be too safe.

And more than anything...

The sound of the charging...! It won't reach their base yet, but when I get close, they will definitely notice!

I can feel a wave of cold sweat break out as I listen to the chime repeating while white light gathers.

No matter how perfectly a scout erases their presence, if they make a sound that alerts the enemy to their location, they are just a fool. And I had to do just that sort of foolish stealth to launch my attack. Even though it is to gather enough strength to actually take down the enemy, I have to do it stealthily, too. The contradiction of it all makes my heart race.

The limiter...I can't let the grand bell ring...!

If the giant bell's chime rings out, I'll be immediately detected no matter how far away I am.

And if I'm attacked by einherjar before reaching their base, I'll lose our only chance.

I have no choice but to do a normal charge all the way to the limit while getting close.

But...can I really evade Master's eyes?

I keep imagining Master's face watching like a hawk from the base still far away.

He's strong. And shrewder than anyone.

He's seen through what we're trying to do, hasn't he?

I struggle against that suspicion as I keep my trembling breath down and push forward as fast as I can.

"...This is..."

I've found a structure larger than the others.

This must've been an amphitheater once.

Part of the outer wall is broken, and inside I can see the spectator seats and the arena. The arena is around 150 meders in diameter, and the outer wall and spectator seats are about 30 meders tall. It wasn't hard to imagine lots of people walking out here to see a show in ancient times when there were fewer options for entertainment.

The faded columns lying on the ground are almost melancholic, but I quickly look away.

I don't have time to get lost in emotion. I start to circle around the outside of the amphitheater.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"?!"

A shadow flits across the ground, and I can sense an attack coming from above.

Just as the battle cry and blade are about to hit me, I immediately raise my knife.

"Gh?!"

The attacker's blades and the Hestia Knife clash.

I can't completely block it.

I avoided direct damage, but my reverse veil gets torn, dispelling my invisibility. As I stumble from the attack, my attacker follows up with a kick. Partly because I can't use my right hand freely due to the charge, I'm knocked aside.

I jump at the same time to lessen the impact, which brings me into the amphitheater's center.

Rolling through the broken-down wall, I get pushed into an arena where I can't escape.

"Did you really think you could avoid being noticed while making that noise!

Bell!"

"...! Mr. Van!"

The half-prum einherjar, Mr. Van, followed me into the big arena, scolding me just like before.

I did get noticed...!

The sneak attack failed. The plan won't work anymore. This is the end of the line.

Is it just him? No others? Can I pivot? What should I do?!

While my mind starts racing, Mr. Van seems to guess what I'm thinking and shouts.

"I'm alone! This has nothing to do with Mr. Hedin's orders! I fought you in Folkvangr enough to figure out that you would come here!"

"Wh...?!"

"And I decided I would be the one to perform your last rites!"

He read my movements?! No, he hid himself here in the northwest, waiting for me?!

I struggle to process what Mr. Van is saying as he glares at me like I betrayed his trust.

"Traitor who rejected Lady Freya's divine will despite receiving her blessing! It's an unmistakable rage, tenacity, and a clearly drawn line. "This is my duty as the one who was charged with watching over you!"

No matter what Mr. Ottar or the rest might say, you alone will fall by my hand!"

Even though it occurred in a twisted world, we lived in the same home and ate at the same table. We'd fought each other dozens of times during the baptism, sometimes sharing advice, and I do feel a certain odd bond with him.

It might just have been a trick, but for those twenty days, I was a fellow member of Freya Familia.

The half-prum's eyes are warped as he watches me. And my eyes are, too. But just as quickly, Mr. Van slashes at me, casting aside all trivial emotions.

"Gh...?!"

"Fight, Bell! Fight!"

Silver twinblades threaten me over and over. I can sense his resolve in his blades if you won't take my hand, then I'll kill you.

deflect the two blades arcing toward my chest with the Goddess Knife.

I I can't reject him. In the middle of the amphitheater, we lock blades, just like we once did during the baptism.

Knife meets sword, and sparks fly.

A shrill clang rings out like a painful cry.

We crash.

My doubt led me to make several misjudgments.

My feelings toward Mr. Van and Freya Familia are stronger than I thought.

"Using just one hand?! When did you get so big for your britches that you started thinking you could look down on me?!"

"Gh...!"

"Use your charge! On me! Your enemy right now is me!"

His bloodred rage echoes in my ears. The fact that I'm still holding on to my charge even now, Mr. Van is genuinely trying to kill me.

As I weather his assault, what I feel isn't fear or anxiousness-it's a shocking sense of emptiness, and a maddening sadness.

A level-up is truly cruel.

The Level 4 Mr. Van who I fought so many times during the baptism, who I sometimes defeated and sometimes lost to...now seems so painfully slow.

I can see his attacks so clearly.

Even though I am filled with doubt, I can handle his attacks with ease.

I sparred with first-tier adventurers to acclimate after leveling up. There's no way I can lose here.

"Ghhhh!"

Gritting my teeth, I close the distance.

This is the end.

His eyes widen as I rush forward, sheathe the knife in my left hand, and punch him right in the stomach.

"Gah?!"

I shout like yelling will help me burn away the pity and sentimentality lingering in my heart.

"Firebolt!"

My fist unleashes a blast of heat. The lightning flame crackles, burning Mr. Van's body and sending him flying up into the spectator seats.

"...BellIIIII...!"

Mr. Van slips off the stone step he hit and falls forward. His mouth is bloody as he stretches his trembling hand toward me before passing out.

"Ngh..."

I'm not even breathing hard.

The battle didn't last a minute. Level 5 and Level 4. The difference in those two numbers is everything. And this bitter experience has shown me the heights I've managed to climb.

"So this is where you were."

But...

"———"

That short fight was more than enough to draw the strongest to me.

"Acting on your own, Van? You did save me some time."

I hear something touching down in the arena and a solemn voice. Holding my breath, I slowly turned around.

Rust-colored hair and eyes, and an imposing, massive body. A greatsword in each hand, and an even larger black mass of a sword on his back.

In front of the boaz who reigns as the peak of all adventurers, a hoarse voice falls from my lips. "...Mr. Ottar..."

The city's strongest who hasn't joined the main battle...Has he been searching for me from the start?

I'm still far from a full charge. And sneak attacks aren't possible when he already knows I am here. My body runs so cold it feels as if I've been encased in ice. I can sense Lilly's heavy breaths through the oculus.

This time for sure, our plan has failed. It's been completely shattered, and our one chance at victory is-

The End. Those two words fill both of our minds.

As I stand frozen in the center of the amphitheater, Mr. Ottar's eyes silently move. Seemingly noticing the light converging at my right hand, he narrows his eyes slightly. Then he throws the greatsword in his hand.

"Gh...?"

It lands in front of me with a thud. Close enough for me to reach out and take it. Reflexively, I stare right at it.

The blade is made of mithril. The edge and sturdiness are the real deal- undeniably a first-tier weapon.

This isn't an attack. Not even a threat. It's almost as if he was giving me the weapon. After he notices that I'm not moving in my confusion, he speaks.

"Take it."

"...Huh?"

"I said take it."

The greatsword.

My eyes goes wide.

"Full power," Warlord says. "Come at me with everything."

His words carry the gravitas of a true warlord.

"I will give you one attack."

He's testing me. Or trying to measure my ability.

"Stake your everything and come at me. Attack me with all of Bell Cranell's

strength."

"Gh...?!"

I'm speechless.

He's serious. He means every word.

The boaz in front of me knows exactly what we're trying to do and is still telling me to go ahead and try!

A trap...no, it can't be! He doesn't have to do anything like that!

He is the strongest. He can easily beat me with a simple frontal attack.

There's absolutely no reason for him to resort to tricks against an inferior adventurer he can crush in the blink of an eye.

This is just Warlord's way.

As his goddess's strongest follower, he wants to test me.

-Warrior.

That word dominated my mind.

"M-Mr. Bell..."

A trembling voice comes from the oculus. Lilly is agitated, too. But she is also pleading. There'll never be a better chance than this. I can't let this opportunity go. Even if it was presented to us on a platter by the enemy, I have to take it.

And if I do nothing, all that'll happen is he'll mercilessly crush me.

But if I somehow manage to topple Mr. Ottar here, a path to victory will open.

"...Gh!"

I take it with my right hand the silver greatsword.

"Firebolt!"

I channel the lightning flame from my left hand into the mithril. Immediately, the charging light in my right hand spreads to the blade.

The flame that should have faded clings to the metal, growing in strength.

Dual charge.

By extending the effect to cover the sword, I cause the drain on my stamina and Mind to instantly shoot up, but it's a small sacrifice.

I can't change the soft chime into a grand bell. Switching gears isn't possible anymore.

Not unless I cancel the charge and start from scratch. But doing that would mean losing all the stamina and Mind I've already spent. Considering the fight waiting for me, even if I manage to take down Mr. Ottar, I can't afford to waste any Mind.

Holding the sword in both hands, I push forward until full charge is less than a minute away.

...Can I really do it? An enemy I could never normally beat...A fully charged Argonaut...!

I know the full destructive power of Argonaut better than anyone. A short charge might not be enough, but pushed to the absolute limit, it can erase every enemy without a trace. I've overcome a difference in levels using this skill several times before.

It's what Goddess called the strike of a hero, the strength to overturn any hopeless situation.

Can I really hit a flesh-and-blood adventurer with such an extreme attack...?

I stare at the boaz standing in front of me. He's only wearing light armaments. The right side of his chest and the back of his hands, his forehead and the like there are only a few places where he's wearing anything that provides any real coverage. With that sort of protection, he can't possibly withstand a full charge. Will it kill him?

My opponent is the city's strongest adventurer.

He's not someone I can afford to hold back against. I can't let my guard

down.

But still...

The hesitation in my heart's making me wary about using a full-power attack.

Evidently wanting to dispel my concerns, Mr. Ottar starts to chant.

"Silver moon's mercy and the golden plains. I offer this body to the lord of battle."

My eyes shoot open.

"Charge bearing the goddess's will."

It's a short cast.

But despite the quickly completed cast, a tremendous magic power is unleashed.

"Hildis Vini."

A golden light sears my eyes. A gleam like twilight gathers in the warlord's sword.

"What...?!"

I study the gleam, and then I catch my breath. His weapon is clad in light, turning into a golden sword. The furious magic light covered the greatsword's surface, almost like a flame of the end. It's a massive light that made the sword look like it was growing, as if the weapon had donned the fur of a golden boar.

That impossible swell of magic...is it like Argonaut?

No-it's just a straightforward and extreme form of enhancement?!

"That is Mr. Ottar's magic...? The golden gleam Mr. Finn said defeated another Level 7 adventurer...!"

Through the oculus, Lilly trembles at the sight of the blinding golden gleam.

His increase in strength doesn't require any charge time. I can't be sure, but based on what I'm seeing and the information Lilly gathered, that's my best guess.

It's a simple strength buff.

And because it's simple, it becomes an unimaginably powerful trump card when combined with Mr. Ottar's absurd amount of strength.

Feeling the cold sweat on my skin, I cast aside all hesitation. That's just how much power wer was hidden in that golden sword.

As my charging continues, like a ballista being readied to fire, I slowly assume my stance. Gripping the greatsword with both hands, I lower my hips.

And Mr. Ottar takes the same stance, almost like he's purposely mirroring me.

I've been given an identical copy of his sword.

Our weapons are equal. There's no difference in equipment.

Victory will be decided by the combination of strength, magic, and raw destructive power.

A white light and a golden light.

A roaring flame and a furious gleam.

The billowing waves of power spilling from our weapons fill the amphitheater.

Lilly watches with bated breath.

Ms. Aiz and everyone else in town is surely watching through the mirrors, too.

Feeling everyone's gaze on me, I grip the thick hilt of the sword.

And the time finally comes.

Five minutes.

After waiting the full time I can charge after reaching Level 5, the ringing bell reaches a feverish pitch.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

I start running.

With all of my might.

Swinging the sword imbued with sacred flame over my right shoulder, I advance on the strongest warrior standing in my way.

Mr. Ottar doesn't move. He is scarily still.

He watches me charge straight on, immobile as a massive boulder.

Unease, fear, worry-throwing all that away, I unleash a sacred flame.

"Argo Vesta!"

Full strength and full spirit.

Having climbed all the way to Level 5, I unleash Bell Cranell's strongest attack.

Recognizing that, the boaz holds his greatsword at the ready and roars.

"UUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

As if trying to push me back with his voice alone, he unleashes his impossibly superhuman strength.

His golden slash crashes into my sacred fire.

And—-

"———————————gh?!"

There's a tremendous impact, a flash of light, and then a thunderous boom.

The contest lasts for only an instant.

The blazing sacred flame looks like it's being pushed back by the golden light, but at almost the exact same time, both swords reach their limit and completely shatter, blowing Mr. Ottar and me away from each other.

"Gah?!"

I'm launched through the massive arena and slam directly into the marble wall like I was carried there by a river bursting its dam. The impact shatters the wall and steals all the air from my lungs as the giant amphitheater shudders.

Cracks run through the remaining walls and the spectator seating, kicking up a cloud of dust.

I'm sure I'm imagining things, but I could swear the entire island just went silent.

It's like our attacks clashing made the adventurers and einherjar stop their fights and catch their breath.

"Geha, gaha...aaaaaa...?!

What little remains of the greatsword's hilt slips from my hand as I writhe from the aftermath. As my hands spasm, I look up, breathing raggedly, half praying.

Through the clearing smoke...I see a shadow appear.

"...So it's a draw..."

That's all he says in a curt, low voice.

He's standing.

His thick legs carved two deep gouges in the stone-paved stage when he was pushed up against the wall. Peeling his massive body from the broken wall, Mr. Ottar slowly looks at me.

"No...considering the difference in level, your attack surpassed mine."

Pure commendation.

His rust-colored eyes narrow as he praises the Argo Vesta that matched his Hildis Vini.

Despite that praise, though, my face grows deathly pale.

A draw? Canceled out? Argonaut?

The same Argo Vesta that defeated Juggernaut's claw?!

"It was a splendid attack... However."

Even though I poured in everything I had, my full strength wasn't enough to defeat Warlord.

Smoke rises from places where the sacred flame scorched his body, but the boaz warrior walks forward calmly, as if he took no damage at all.

"The promise was one attack."

Throwing away the hilt of the greatsword that became a hunk of deformed metal, he draws the black greatsword on his back.

A shout rises from the oculus in my gauntlet. I'm sure it's to tell me I have to run away.

But even as tremors take over my body-I know.

If I turn my back to him, I'll be killed.

I'm not allowed to run. I have to fight him until I fall.

"Now it is simply a battle."

The amphitheater has transformed into a merciless boar's hunting ground.

Swords flashed.

Silver and black traded furiously.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Tsubaki howled like a beast.

Her clothes had been shredded, and only a single piece of cloth binding covered her upper body, but still the half-dwarf roared. Deftly manipulating the longsword in her hands, she parried multiple powerful slashes and hit back.

The one-eyed smith-turned-asura was faced by Hegni.

The dark elf's cloak was in pieces, but there was no fear or contempt in his eyes. He acknowledged that the woman clad in the light of level boost trying to cut him down was a formidable enemy and faced her in a head-on clash of blades with the dignity of a tyrant of war.

Silver and black. Gold and purple. Their blades and the aftereffects of their magics clashed, intertwined, tracing a path. Their duel was on a completely different level leaving the other einherjar and adventurers stunned as it intensified. And-

"Sei...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah"

"Haaah!"

The decisive blow was struck.

One threw their sheath and unleashed a full-bodied slash diagonally downward.

The other a high-speed upward slash as if intersecting the first's path.

Tsubaki and Hegni passed each other and lingered for a few moments.

"Ghhh!"

Blood erupted from Hegni's shoulder.

He winced at the wound to his left shoulder, the breeze on the battlefield rustling his cloak.

"———Gu..."

At the same time, Tsubaki knew she had been defeated.

Blood erupted from the diagonal cut that ran up her torso, splitting even her sarashi as she slumped to the side.

Even her long black hair broke its bond and spread like a fan as the light of level boost scattered.

"...You may be proud, Cyclops. Your attack threatened my life."

Hegni turned around, still holding his sword up in his right hand.

Moving just her right eye, Tsubaki looked back at him from where she lay.

"But my Victim Abyss is a vanguard slayer... Your fate is the same as all other warriors of the sword-prey for this demonic blade."

Hegni's beloved first-tier weapon: Victim Abyss.

It was a curse weapon created with the help of a certain hexer, and in exchange for a certain cost, it could extend the range of its slash.

In a one-on-one fight, the better the sword master, the more it disrupted their distance, and in battle against massed enemies, it was a murderous ability allowing it to fell multiple opponents in a single slash. When wielded by Hegni, who possessed top-class melee strength among first-tier adventurers, it allowed him to become a demonic sword king capable of dominating single combat and group battles with equal skill.

"You..."

Tsubaki had experience with countless different weapons, yet she still hadn't been able to see through Victim Abyss's blade. Her dark skin had been cut dozens of times. Even with her status enhanced by level boost, she hadn't been able to surpass Hegni's blade.

"This is...why...I didn't want to fight you..."

Sorry, Goddess...Welfy.

Just before her eyes closed, she apologized to her master and to the teen who had already fallen.

The coalition's strongest fighter, the Level 5 master smith, had been downed, and the situation quickly began to shift.

"Cyclops...!"

Daphne grew pale as she watched Tsubaki fall.

The coalition was already in a terrible place, but now morale plummeted.

That was the consequence of losing Tsubaki in the center to lose a first-tier adventurer's strength.

"Hey, what do we do?!"

"We don't have any more magic swords!"

"The blacksmiths... Vana Freya got them...!"

Bors, Ouka, and Chigusa hardened their defense as a party.

Allen had rushed through freely, hunting down anyone wielding a Crozzo magic sword. Regardless of where they were standing. Right wing, center, left wing: none of that mattered to him. His legs allowed him to ignore distance as he picked off the remaining Hephaistos Familia blacksmiths and adventurers from Rivira.

And even the second-in-command Daphne couldn't come up with a plan of action, let alone a stratagem to turn things around.

Her mind was on the verge of grinding to a halt when the tyrant of war mercilessly appeared before them.

"So you are to be the next offerings?"

"Gh?! Dáinsleif!"

Hegni's next target after Tsubaki was them.

Because they had just barely managed to maintain a party-level organization, Hegni judged they were the largest threat at present even if it was only an ant's level of uncertainty and so he earnestly and diligently brought himself to the right wing of the battlefield.

"D-Daph...?!"

Standing in the center of the party, Cassandra turned pale like a patient recognizing that death had come for her.

Daphne reflexively covered their healer with her back, only to remember that it no longer made a difference anymore.

A thick and sticky mixture of blood and sweat dripped down her cheek.

"Oy, oy! What are you doing, Laurus Fuga?! What should we do! Hurry up and say something!"

Bors, who knew better than any of them there how hopeless it was to face a first-tier adventurer on the battlefield, was on the verge of falling into a panic as she shouted. The only reason he hadn't immediately run away is because he knew as well as Daphne that it was meaningless.

"Daphne...!"

"Laurus Fuga!"

Chigusa raised her bow, and Ouka stepped out in front of the party with his ax Kougou, seeking a decision from their commander.

Stop it. I'm not that great...

The sound of her heart racing drowned out her thoughts.

I'm not Braver...I can't figure out some perfect move to turn everything around...!

The urge to abandon all responsibility filled her mind.

...But Lilliluka...

But at the very last moment, she remembered that girl's face and held on.

No matter how bad the situation was, she didn't run away...

Scenes from the expedition flashed through her head. The moss huge, amphisbaena, all of the many dilemmas they had faced.

Even though Lilly's small body trembled in those hopeless situations, she had still kept fighting.

The girl who Daphne had acted like a master for, who she had helped raise,

would never run away.

...Then I guess I have to...

Actually, I don't wanna.

With that last complaint in her heart, the strength returned to her eyes.

To her it felt like an eternity, but to the outside world, it was a few brief moments of inner conflict.

But Hegni's eyes narrowed sharply at those few moments, at Daphne, who had regained the scent of a threat that he had perceived earlier.

"So you intend to resist? Very well. Then I shall acknowledge you as enemies. I shall carefully, precisely, and without fail hunt all of you down."

The tyrant wouldn't let his guard down.

No matter how inferior they might be, his black, demonic blade would exterminate all.

Daphne glared back at the dark elf, who refused even to show them an opening.

His black blade, his dark cloak rustling in the breeze, his fully activated magic...

Observing everything about their enemy, Daphne absorbed all the information she could, and the final place she looked...was at the edge of the sword pointed at them.

Closing her eyes, she quietly gripped the blue crystal at her waist, entrusting everything to it.

"Everyone, please."

Finally, she opened her eyes and delivered the worst order with tyrannical resolve.

"Get cut down."

The southeast of the main battle in the western ruins.

"Kh...?!"

"Lady Aisha!"

Following a fearful exchange of blows, the Amazon groaned, and the human's shout rang out.

""This is the end.""

A battle hammer and battle ax closed in, filling Aisha's field of view.

A sure defeat brought about by the cooperation of the second and third Gulliver brothers, Dvalinn and Berling.

Her retreat was sealed, and she had no chance to defend or evade. They unleashed their attacks in perfect sync to mercilessly crush Aisha.

""-Only to be stopped again?""

But just before they could, the eldest Alfrik and youngest Grer spat in annoyance.

As if the four brothers' vision was synchronized, Dvalinn and Grer, who should have finished Aisha, leaped back. The next instant, a tremendous lightning blast struck where the four of them had been.

"Lady Nahza...! I'm grateful!"

"Tch, she's saved my ass more times than I can count now!"

A saber-style Crozzo magic sword was sticking out of the center of a crater- having been fired.

Mikoto immediately leaped to the saber and swung it at the four prums.

"We missed the kill again."

"How many times is it now?"

"Eleven."

"The other adventurers are falling in droves, but Antianeira and Eternal Shadow are hanging on."

The four brothers were almost grumbling as they easily evaded the one blast that could possibly take them down the enormous firepower of that magic sword.

The coalition's left wing had thus far avoided complete collapse. With what even the deities watching back in the city would call a truly brave effort, they were enduring the Bringar-led einherjar's furious attack.

The reason was the cautious, cowardly archer supporting them.

"They're too fast...! I can't hit them with my arm!"

Behind Aisha and the others, Nahza had set up atop a ten meder-tall column, groaning as she pulled another arrow-or rather magic sword-from her quiver and nocked it into her longbow.

A long-range attack using Crozzo magic swords.

Her sniping that checked even first-tier adventurers had extended the life of the left wing.

"Targeting the enemy while also resupplying us with magic swords...! To think a tactic like this was possible!"

"Sometimes coincidence goes our way, too! But those prums should be getting used to it soon! Be careful not to let them get the magic swords from us!"

Nahza was firing saber-style magic swords that resembled arrows.

If they didn't hit their target, they would stick into the ground with an explosion; meanwhile, Mikoto or Aisha could rush to grab them while the enemy had backed off to avoid the explosion.

It was both covering fire and resupply.

Thanks to that, the left wing was barely-just barely-holding the line. Aisha recognized she would have been finished easily without that support. With Nahza's magic swords in hand, Mikoto and the others were bravely firing off blasts at the Gullivers.

"Chienthrope! Protect Aisha, whatever it takes!"

"We'll stop these guys! Oraaaaaah!"

Nahza was focused on supporting Aisha and Mikoto. She was their counter to the Gulliver brothers.

The Berbera who looked up to Aisha were fighting off the rest of the enemies -the einherjar trying to erase the troublesome archer-with a steadfast resolve.

Though it was a tenuous balancing act, thanks to them, Nahza could focus on support.

She also continued to move between pillars, aggressively changing position.

"They've got a nice sharpshooter."

"And cautious, too."

"A part of Hedin's plan is getting messed up. Serves him right."

"We're the ones getting held back, so don't get too happy."

Still entirely unruffled, the Gulliver brothers commended Nahza.

Freya Familia's strategy was to simply force a deathmatch once enough of the Crozzo magic swords had been exhausted. But thanks to Nahza's quick wit, a slight bump in the road had occurred.

While every division other than the reserves had been firing off their magic swords in a stupendous display-just like Hedin had guided them to do-Nahza alone hadn't given out her magic swords. Using her own judgement, she ignored Lilly's order for a concentrated barrage to save her own skin.

"These magic swords are our lifeline, right...? I'm not going to let go that easily...! I've acted rashly before and lost my arm for it...!"

Retiring as an adventurer six years ago, Nahza Ersuisu had always fought while maintaining some insurance. The trauma of having an arm ripped off by a monster when she made a mistake while exploring the Dungeon had robbed her of the courage to fight monsters.

But it had also made her wiser and more determined.

It's okay. I know my limits. I'm just helping Mikoto and Aisha. So stay clam...!

Nahza was sweating as she continuously counted how many shots of magic swords she had left, not allowing her eyes to get too big for her stomach, sticking only to support.

She didn't think for a moment that she could take down a first-tier adventurer herself. She had no dreams of becoming a hero. But because she was like that, she was able to extend the left wing's life as long as she had. Her past failures and experience were saving her comrades from danger now.

"But there isn't any light at the end of the tunnel...the end will still come!"

But she also understood that this was all just a vain struggle. Once she had used up all of the magic swords, the Gulliver brothers would easily go on the counterattack; Aisha and Mikoto, and Nahza, too, would all be taken down as easily as snapping a baby's neck. She just waited for the balance to eventually break, not trying to do the impossible.

There was a bitter resignation in her eyes.

80/20.

That was the current balance of the war game.

And that was only after giving the coalition every possible benefit of the doubt.

While the deities in the city watched in silence, the residents were blanching at the never-ending carnage. The one-sidedness of it broke any urge to cheer for

the coalition. Even though there were some instances of resistance that could be

called putting up a good fight, most of the city's residents started averting their

eyes at the impossible difference in strength.

The adventurers actually fighting experienced a despair incomparably worse than what the viewers in the city felt, but still they fought. It was just stubbornness at this point. The enemy was just too absurd, too far out of their league. They were desperate to at least land one real punch in retaliation. Even if it was just a scratch, they wanted to annoy their enemies, to piss them off. All things considered, Freya Familia was so large that it got on their nerves, and as much as they had been scared of fighting beforehand, that stopped mattering, and even they became stout and brave warriors, einherjar in the truest sense.

More than anything, they wanted to make their horrible enemies howl a bit.

Because the coalition's trump card wasn't dead yet.

The wiser adventurers recognized that they were decoys. That Lilly was using them as cover to send the white rabbit right up to Freya. So as slender as the thread might be, they still had some hope of victory. They convinced themselves that there had to be some chance still.

And so the adventurers fought. And fought. And kept fighting.

Those who knew the Little Rookie crowed.

Aisha, Mikoto, Nahza, Daphne, and Cassandra were still holding out, and Haruhime ignored the massive amount of sweat on her brow as she continued singing.

They fought. And fought. And kept fighting.

And at the end of it all-

There was a thundercrack that shattered their hope.

"""——————————————————"""

Silence reigned over the battlefield.

A rumbling destruction that gripped every heart, silenced every battle cry.

Everyone fighting on the island paused their battles. Enemies and allies both. Everyone looked in that direction.

The einherjar gulped. The adventurers grew pale. The first-tier adventurers' expressions were unchanged, but their eyes narrowed.

It came from the northwest, where the sound of battle had been resounding, the sounds that the coalition's forces had been pretending not to hear.

"Just stop already!"

The first to cry was Eina.

"Please...just stop...already...!"

"E-Eina..."

She leaped up, sending her chair toppling as she stood before a mirror reflecting the scene.

After her hoarse shout, droplets fell from her eyes and she covered her face, not hearing Misha's voice.

"Ghhhh...!"

Aiz clenched her fists so hard her nails cut her skin, and blood started to flow.

Her face was plastered with despair as she cursed and berated herself for not standing on that battlefield.

The other first-tier adventurers watched in silence. Tiona grew pale, too, the only one who could understand her.

"Mr. Bell?!"

The last to shout came from Lilly.

She lost all composure, and the mask of the commander cracked as she watched the conclusion.

Her trembling hazel eyes stared into the depths of the oculus, at the massive shadow standing in the amphitheater.

The lone warrior held the boy by the head.

"...Gah...ugh.

Barely able to make a sound, his skull was audibly creaking. His body was battered, and his armor was long ago lost or shattered. His legs hung off the ground, dangling like the hands of a broken clock. Bell Cranell had experienced complete defeat

The boaz warrior said not a word. Holding his black greatsword in his left hand and gripping the boy's head in his right, he didn't change his expression. His rust-colored eyes remained focused on the battered and broken boy.

"Don't break him, Ottar."

In the distance.

Hearing the crash from the house of the gods's ruins, the goddess of beauty discerned the course of events. Her eyes closed, and still propping her head up, she spoke. There was no smile on her face, no joy. Just an acceptance of the natural result of things.

"Stand."

"Ghhh?!"

Ottar lightly swung his right arm. That one simple movement sent Bell's body flying into a pile of rubble. As testament to the furious fighting, the amphitheater had been transformed. Doused in lightning flame, hit by the aftershock of attacks, the walls and spectator seats had collapsed, the stones on the ground were carved out in multiple places. It was proof that the incomplete hero had struggled with all his might.

But standing amid all that evidence of a furious battle, Ottar was eerily unscratched. The warrior was the manifestation of despair for the boy.

"Ahgrgh...?! Guhhhhhhhhhhh...!"

Bell managed to draw a terrible groan from his lungs as he rose. As the blood dripped from his wounds and formed a pool, he wrung out every bit of his remaining strength and stood back up. His red eyes were bloodshot, growing redder, as he held his trembling right hand out in front of him.

"-Fire...bolt!!!"

Electric flames burst forth. A quick strike magic. As the crimson lightning spear approached him, Ottar didn't evade it.

SLAP.

He didn't even use his sword. He just swatted it with his right hand, as if batting away an insect. That was all. Just that was enough to scatter the boy's magic.

"————"

He leaped.

Without waiting for the bloodied boy to gasp, his giant body soared overhead. The boy kicked off the ground. He was terribly injured, but he still performed the optimal evasion that only a first-tier adventurer could pull off.

Right after the pile of rubble transformed into an empty space with the landing of Ottar's thick, heavy kick, he reached out with one hand and caught Bell's leg, swinging him in an arc over his head and then down into the stone pavement.

"Gaah?!"

Landing on his back, Bell's body was transformed into a hammer that shattered the ground.

It was an outrageous blow. The pain was just a meaningless spark running up his spine. The blue sky in his eyes faded as he couldn't even speak from the damage and pain. Just as his consciousness threatened to actually go out this time, a merciless stomp slammed into his stomach.

"———-gh!"

He reawakened.

He switch on again.

Hell.

He yearned for Heith's healing compared to Ottar's resurrection through pain and attacks.

"Stand."

It didn't end.

There was nothing left for Bell except despair, but the warrior's baptism wouldn't end. Looking emotionlessly down at the boy's face that was a mess of blood and tears, he spoke.

Tears of blood flowing, confronted with a never-ending baptism, the boy sensed his end approaching.

P/N I will post chapter 9 in a few hours I got a headache and it is beating my ass bad