Flower Language for You Part 4

The flame and lightning landed just as Lyu backed off.

In addition to the more than five hundred remaining lightning rounds

volleying all at once, Bell poured firepower into the Firebolts he was wildly

shooting off. Sealing the boaz in the center of a vortex of fire and lightning,

not allowing him to escape. The lightning continued to thunder down, and

the boy shouted, still firing his magic.

They fired everything, carving away at the entirety of Ottar, to settle it

then and there.

The black greatsword fell to the ground, sticking out of the ground like a

grave marker as Hedin and Bell refused to let up.

"Strike forever, indestructible lord of lightning—Valiant Hildr!"

The moment he reached the end of his arrows, Hedin immediately

prepared another cast, summoning the great general. A final lightning strike

to end everything. The extra-large cannon blast erupted in the center of the

amphitheater.

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!"

A terrific shock wave and blast wind forced Lyu and Mia back.

Electricity crackled, and a massive number of sparks flew. Bell was

breathing raggedly as he finally lowered his left arm, but he immediately

readied his knife.

It was a storm of artillery capable of obliterating even a first-tier

adventurer. But the enemy was far beyond that. They smothered all trace of

negligence and conceit.

Hedin held his Dizaria at the ready, too, as they all four looked into the

gradually clearing smoke.

"…!"

On the other side, there was a massive shadow standing at the center of

the firing ground.

Ottar was alive. He was standing on two legs, his massive trunk-like

arms crossed like a shield. His steel body was scorched and bleeding. It was

plain to see he had taken heavy damage. Just like them.

He's hurt…

He's barely standing…

We can do this…!

The light of hope shone in Bell's mind.

He was sure of it, that they could defeat Ottar now. But just as he took a

step forward.

His eyes met the bestial, twisted, fang-like pupils that appeared as Ottar

looked up from behind his crossed arms.

" "

His heart, his instincts, were caught in an oppressive grip.

The light of hope transformed into the loudest alarm bell ringing in his

head. Lyu and Mia gulped, too, while Hedin's expression twisted and,

giving up all pretenses, he screamed.

"Finish—!"

But a discordant sound interrupted him.

"UUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOO!!!"

That shout thundered to the heavens.

It was a beast's roar.

The clamor was enough to make Bell and the others recoil instinctively,

and some spectators watching through mirrors fell backward as well.

Stunned adventurers tumbled out of their chairs. Even deities' eyes peeled

back in shock.

The feral boar's challenge might as well have been a monster's howl. It

evoked a primal fear, physically and mentally fixing them in place. And he

had performed it despite having a human body.

That meant one thing.

The warrior had adopted the mind of a beast. That howl robbed even

first-tier adventurers like Bell of their freedom to move for several

moments. And during that opening, the beastly eyes that had been looking

to the heavens now lasered forward, glaring at their prey.

As their hearts and bodies screamed, the true rampage began.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

A headlong rush.

An explosive dash that shattered the cobblestones he stepped on,

followed by a violent closing.

Not allowing evasion, attack, or resistance, he caught an elf with his

massive, weapon-like shoulder.

"—Gaaaaaaa?!"

Hedin was sent flying with an unrefined shout.

Bell and the others stood frozen, unable to react as he charged into the

wall of the amphitheater.

Stone fragments scattered, and his consciousness fluttered, and his

breathing stopped for a moment. It had been a monstrous, unthinking

tackle, completely devoid of strategy or tactics.

Hit by a force that surpassed his magic barrage, Hedin coughed up blood

only to see a palm.

"Nuuuuuraaaaa!"

"Giiii?!"

A palm heel strike slammed straight into his face.

The wild boar's fingers covered his vision and his whole face. The

glasses he had been wearing were of course shattered, the glass and metal

frame pressed into his flesh, shredding his fair face. But that was a trivial,

laughably small thing.

Next, the five fingers gripping his head started to close on his skull,

making Hedin's brain and vision swim. His point of view shifted

dizzyingly. Up and down flipped. As his body twisted, his intelligent mind

came to the pointless conclusion that he had been thrown at an absurd

speed.

And the next instant, the ground exploded like a bomb had gone off.

"Guh, aa…"

"Master?!"

"Kh?!"

As he was thrown from the edge of the amphitheater to the center, a

cloud of dust erupted around Hedin, setting time back in motion again.

Realizing what was happening, the adventurers swiftly began moving.

Standing firm before the monster moving on pure instinct to attack its prey,

Bell, Lyu, and Mia readied themselves to defend their rear.

But their wall was utterly shattered.

""" gh?!"""

A clumsy swing that hit like a sledgehammer pulverized Mia. A single

finger not even straightened into a blade slashed Lyu. And a diagonal

clawing of fingers tore through Bell's battle gear and bit into his flesh.

The dwarf suddenly sharing a hug with the ground vomited blood.

Blood spattered from the elf who had evaded and was only barely touched.

And the human was adorned with a dress of blood from the five hideous

claw marks carved into his chest.

An instinctual rampage, devoid of any techniques or skill or tactics. The

cruel force acknowledged no evasion and no defense.

Absolute offense. The reversal of his ultimate defense, he transformed

his body into claws that existed only to destroy his enemies. This was no

longer a battle between adventurers, but a hunt or be hunted scene, and the

spectators watching through the mirrors blanched at the sudden change.

"That's…"

Amid went pale.

"It can't…"

Asfi's lips quivered.

"Transformation…!"

Finn's eyes went wide.

"Warlord's true ace in the hole!"

"Even if he's stronger now that he's feral, there should be a limit, right?!

This is crazy!"

Watching the same scene in Babel, Hermes and Loki both raised their

voices.

Transformation was a phenomenon confirmed only among a limited

number of races of beast people. It was the embodiment of fighting on

instinct. As Loki said, by unleashing the bestial strength within their bodies,

they could increase their physical abilities. Werewolves were the classic

example. Wolf beast people would transform when exposed to the full

moon, gaining a level of strength that inspired the adage that "no race is a

match for a werewolf during the full moon."

"…Unlike us, that hulk can choose when and where to transform…"

Bete spat in disgust.

The moment beast people received Falna, their transformation became

tied to their skills. Some requirement needed to be met to transform, or else

it would carry some risk.

But most likely, the trigger for Ottar's skill was arbitrary. Unlike

werewolves who could only transform under the full moon, he could

become a beast during the day, or even in the Dungeon.

Knowing Warlord's fighting style, Bete had no doubt of that much.

"And you can't compare the effect here to any old nobody. That boar's

transformation isn't some enhancement…He's a goddamn monster."

As he was acknowledging Ottar's transformation wasn't any weaker

than his own, the tattoo on his left cheek twisted.

The beast in the mirror was clearly distinct from the warrior who had

been fighting before. It almost resembled the scene brought on by

Haruhime's Level Boost. While most of the residents in the city were

falling into a panic, adventurers in the tavern murmured, turning deathly

pale.

"So then right now Warlord is…"

"...Level 8…?"

No one acknowledged it.

Because if they did, there would be no more point in continuing to

watch.

"Ghhhhh, aaaaaaaahhh…!!! Strike forever…indestructible lord! Of

lightning…!"

Ignoring the other three being torn and battered, Hedin raised his

trembling body and held out an arm. All trace of composure disappeared

from his bloody face as he readied his highest output magic.

"Valiant Hil—"

But he was too slow.

Sensing the lightning gathering on instinct alone like a wild beast, the

boaz raised his boulder-like fist up to the sky.

Unable to even stand fully, Bell, Lyu, Mia, and Hedin saw only despair.

The bulging mass of muscles that was his arm became a twisted fang,

and the next instant, he pointed it toward the ground.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOO!!!"

He swung down.

The ultimate fist to blow everything away.

" gaaah!"

Did that sound come from Hedin or Bell?

The center of the amphitheater erupted.

Cracks spiderwebbed out as the foundation shook, and the ground itself

groaned under the weight of the boar's strike. A shock wave raced outward,

swallowing up all of the adventurers, buffeting them and tossing them aside

before burying them in rubble. The stage's outer wall crumbled, completely

losing its form. The cliff connecting to the lake even collapsed, changing

the shape of the island. The biggest quake of the day shook the Orza city

ruins.

There were no more paving stones left as the boar pulled his fist out of

the pile of rock fragments. As the cloud of dust and debris cleared, the only

one still standing was a lone beast. The adventurers lay unmoving on the

ground as the cloudless sky looked down at them in pity.

The fleeting sunlight started to take on the color of twilight.

The sun began to set, and the ground groaned.

The entire city ruins creaked from the tremendous tremor, bouncing

Plutus and Hathor into the air from their hiding spots. But even so, the

remaining followers still had to keep fighting. They had to defeat the

opponents standing before them.

"Cut the crap!"

"Gh…! I…won't! I won't lose to you, brother!"

The golden spear tenaciously matched the sweeping slash of the silver

spear.

Allen lost all ability to hide his irritation with Ahnya, who refused to

waver or give ground, no matter how much she was injured or how much he

berated her.

He had grown tired of her unsightly, stubborn resistance, and a

murderousness welled up as he lashed out, fully intending to send her to the

ground. Then— "Don't ignore me, Allen."

"Ngh! Hegniii!"

That black blade blocked Allen again. Even though he hadn't been

affected by Ahnya's debuff, the dark elf's wounds were not fully healed.

But his attacks were still enough to stir up Allen's emotions even further.

"I told you not to get in my way! Get lost, fly!"

"I will get in your way. I want to defeat you, even. And besides…why

don't you quit just yelling and jump over me like always?"

Due to the effects of his curse weapon, Hegni's endurance couldn't fully

recover, so they both lacked the burst of power necessary for a decisive

blow. But even though he couldn't hide his fatigue, oddly, Hegni smiled.

Not the sort of smile directed at a friend. Not even one directed at

family.

Even though, unlike Hedin, he wasn't skilled at plots, Hegni flashed a

clumsy smirk.

"Are you tired, Allen? No, that's not it." He was trying to throw him off

balance using a certain kernel of information. "For a while now, your spear

has been a little off whenever you point it at your little sister, hasn't it?"

"!"

"…Eh?"

Those words had their biggest effect not on Allen, but on Ahnya. Even

as her brother's eyes widened, she froze midmovement.

"…Quit talking stupid shit!"

Allen's momentary surprise was immediately overwritten by rage, and

he leaped at Hedin, to make sure he never opened his mouth again.

As the spear approached, Hegni's smile remained.

"By the power of the demon blade, bring eternal destruction."

And he finished the super-short cast he had begun whispering to himself.

Astonishment rocked Allen.

The collar of the tattered black cloak had perfectly covered the dark elf's

mouth. And because he was unable to see his lips moving, the cat's reaction

was fatally delayed.

"Burn Dáin!"

"Gah?!"

Just as his spear was about to land, Allen was struck by an explosive

flame at super-close range. The magic's range was extremely short, but in

exchange, it packed enough punch to completely blow away any enemies

that fell within its area of effect.

Allen's light body was sent flying. The chariot immediately threw

himself into the air to escape, avoiding any damage as he coughed up black

smoke.

"See, a hit cat always yowls," Hegni calmly pointed out. "The normal

you would never have fallen for such an obvious taunt."

The current situation, Allen's mistake, was the nudge that made Ahnya

think just maybe…

"Big brother…is that really…?"

"Don't show me that stupid face! Why the hell would it be true?!"

Every time she heard her brother's fiery shout, her body shuddered, and

her tail cowered. Ahnya started to feel overwhelmed by Allen's rage,

unquelled from the fiery anger she remembered, but even so, she squeezed

her hand and put it to her chest.

With significant hesitation, struggling to begin, she finally spoke.

"…Before I came here…Vanargand said something."

"…What are you talking about…?!"

Her brother's eyes were a mixture of wrath and suspicion, but as she met

his gaze, her mind slipped back to a few hours earlier. When Bete had

dragged her out of her room and was carrying her through Folkvangr.

"Let go! I was abandoned by Syr and big brother! They don't care about

meow at all!"

She was emotionally unstable and desperate. Ahnya had been venting

and complaining wildly. And as if he had finally had it up to here with her,

something slipped from the gray-haired werewolf's mouth.

"That piece of shit…is a lot like me. Even if I don't want to admit it."

"Eh?"

"If he didn't need you, he would have just killed you straight up. You're

an eyesore and an earsore, too."

"Uh, ugh…"

She was taken aback by his sudden outburst when—

"But if you're still around…then that says it all."

Ahnya's eyes widened.

The werewolf who had just been running with his eyes pointed forward

quietly muttered, "I'm losin' my edge." And didn't answer Ahnya again.

"Do you hate me, big brother?"

"You're damn straight I do!"

"Did you abandon me…because you hate me?"

"What are you talking about now! Do you not understand anything?!"

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

"!"

Ahnya, who was by no means the smartest cat in the litter, her eyes

quivering, a naive look on her face, managed to put her question into words.

"You always say you'll kill me, or you'll murder me…so why didn't

you?"

"Gh…!"

"Why…?"

Allen's angry shout never reached his mouth because he saw the tears

glistening in her eyes. Hegni had watched in silence as the siblings came to

a standstill, but finally, he broke in.

"…That's right, Allen." Hegni announced the kernel of truth that he had

discovered before. "If you loved her, you couldn't abandon her."

" "

"You had no choice but to hate her."

For an instant, a single cat's heart was stripped bare. The two cats stared

at each other, eyes open wide. Allen's lip trembled. His usual torrent of

abuse wouldn't come. Every sort of emotion crossed his face, and it could

no longer be called just a mask of pure rage as he took a step toward the

dark elf talking nonsense.

"Allen…sorry, but…" Before he could erupt, before he could leap

forward, Hegni averted his eyes and said the truth. "You said you wanted to

grow stronger at Lady Freya's side…but you've gotten weaker."

"!"

Allen was speechless.

The dark elf was a first-tier adventurer just like him. He was a person

who possessed strength comparable to Allen's.

"Hedin said the same thing…Do you remember? When you were made

the new second-in-command? When Hedin stepped aside, yielding that

position to you."

It had happened several years ago.

That was back when Ahnya was still in Folkvangr.

When Hedin had been recommended to become second-in-command, he

had refused, pushing it on Allen.

"Hedin understood that you were stronger than him then…That was why

he yielded it to you. His pride wouldn't allow him to stand at the top if he

was weaker."

"…!"

"But…after your sister left, you got weaker. Without the one person you

needed to protect…you got weaker, Allen."

Not in terms of status. Not in terms of level. In those senses, Allen far

outstripped his past self. What Hegni was talking about was something

much more fundamental—his spirit, his drive, his will.

Compared to before he abandoned his sister, Allen was decisively

different now.

"That is why Hedin called you a coward. That's why he was angry,

saying he shouldn't have yielded the position to you."

Allen was dumbfounded by the truth that even he hadn't known, no, that

he couldn't possibly have noticed. Ahnya was staggered by the dark elf's

confession.

Hegni looked down. He had stayed silent at the goddess's request—she

had asked him not to say anything until Allen realized it himself.

"…Don't screw with me…Don't…don't you…!"

"Don't bother, Allen…You can't deny it anymore."

Hegni was deeply apologetic, struggling with his own guilt, but out of

the little bit of good will he felt for the cat, he dealt the finishing blow.

"We who can only speak through combat cannot allow that to be

denied…!"

This time, Allen froze.

Even if he bellowed angrily or cursed, that was proof that Allen himself

couldn't deny it. Einherjar would never compromise on strength. They

wouldn't resort to deceit when it came to strength. And the brave warrior

who lined up shoulder to shoulder with him had shared his honest

assessment of his strength.

"Brother…"

Even Ahnya understood it. She hadn't barely evaded any fatal blows in

this battle. Allen had let her evade them.

Before Hegni had intervened, the attack he unleashed to knock her out

of the fighting had been aimed at her right shoulder. It was an attack that

was wholly unlike Allen. Aimed at her golden armor, its ability to kill or

wound was significantly lower.

The reason their sibling battle had lasted as long as it had was because

he was holding back.

"I was utter garbage. A terrible king. I never had any family at all,

but…" The dark elf's assessment put himself at the lowest depths, but even

as he deprecated himself, he looked up. Nervously, but with a gaze that was

like the windswept sea, he said it. "Allen, the way you two are now…is

wrong."

The wind blew. The sound of weapons crashing stopped as a humid

wind swept between the three of them. A stillness removed from battle,

rustling their hair, shifting black hair over a cat's eyes.

—There was a single cat.

The love he felt for his family was a piece of the hatred he always

carried.

When he was small and weak. When they were buried in a world of

ruins. His one and only little sister. He didn't know how many times he had

thought of raising his hand against her. How many times he had pushed her

away, had thought of abandoning her.

But he had continued to protect that kitten, that crybaby, that

irredeemable idiot, that hopelessly bad singer, that little sister who had

annoyed him so many times.

Because his sister had always kept singing her awful song, showing

even if they were lost, he wasn't alone.

Because it made him smile, even though he would turn away so she

couldn't see.

"I will fight to make up for her share, too, so please discard that idiot."

In time, the cat was saved, underwent the baptism, and finally faced a

fork in the road.

Seeing the little sister who had almost died with him, the cat cursed his

own weakness. He decided that he needed to become even stronger, and at

the same time, he resolved to cast aside his love.

"Please remove her from my world, from battlefields where the weak

will never survive."

The cat understood. To repay the goddess who had saved them, he

would throw himself into combat, and so long as he did, his stupid,

dimwitted little sister who always followed him would undoubtedly end up

dying someday. He was sure of it. The dark age wouldn't suffer weakness

or naivete. And even if that chaotic time drew to an end, his sister would

not find happiness at his side. Not when he was always fighting.

"I will sever my connection with that idiot, too. I only need you. I swear

it. So—"

Even as he was attracted to the goddess's divinity, the relationship he

desired with her was complicity. He wanted to cast aside his little sister, so

that she could take his sister to the tavern, to give her another family and

another home.

The cat swore his loyalty.

He offered his everything to protect his little sister. He made himself

into a chariot. No matter how much it might hurt his sister, he decided to

remain the goddess's chariot by himself, to distance his little sister from a

brother who brought only death and misfortune.

The one he loved most had never changed. It was the same person now

as it was long ago. Allen Fromel didn't have any way of praying for his

little sister's happiness except to turn his most beloved into his most hated.

"…"

Allen looked up.

The sky was a beautiful blue that almost brought tears to the eye. In the

western sky, there was a darker red gradually spreading.

"Big brother…you always…"

Tears fell from Ahnya's eyes as she finally understood his true intent.

Her heart wouldn't listen to her as she realized the family that she thought

she had lost was still there.

"Big brother…! I want to be a family with you again, meow! Together

with Syr and everyone—"

That was why she leaned forward. And that was why Allen held out his

left arm, pushing his palm at her.

"That's enough."

"!"

"Stop talking."

It wasn't an angry growl. It was a quiet, earnest plea. The voice of a

brother who cared about his sister.

"I can't lose the goddess."

"Gh…! What do you mean, brother?!"

Ahnya tearfully pled as his resolve wavered.

"My serving her makes me strong. My contract with her is to make me

strong. My battle won't end until I kill the dragon who destroyed our

home."

"!!!"

"As long as that dragon exists, your happiness can be obliterated again.

And…when I'm running toward the end of everything, you will definitely

chase after me."

Ahnya and Hegni were both shocked to hear Allen's true goal.

He looked at his sister with eyes now devoid of anger and hatred.

Ahnya's golden right shoulder. His silver left shoulder. Their paired gold

and silver spears. They were like mirror images. The left and right wheels

of the goddess's chariot. Theirs was an unbreakable bond. No matter how

much he wanted to end it, the gold-and-silver curse would drag Ahnya into

battle, too.

"To protect you—I have to kill you."

His wishes for the goddess had increased by one.

Her charm, her absolute authority…The same way Syr had made her

walled garden, Allen wanted her to make his stupid and hopeless little sister

forget him.

He cut away his hopeless self that had avoided considering that option

until this day.

Once everything was over, if he could, he would bury his ego, the selfish

wish that still wanted to hear her awful singing again.

Now that the chariot's wheel knew everything, the chariot would run

down the person he most loved.

He wouldn't allow the goddess to be torn down.

"Golden wheel, silver collar."

And so, Allen began singing the chariot's song.

"Casting?!"

"Magic?! Brother?!"

Hegni was stunned, and Ahnya was shaken. She didn't know that her

brother had any magic. But it wasn't because he only developed it after they

parted. Allen had just been careful never to recite it in front of her.

"Hated love, illusory corpse, thy destiny is here. Be gone, gold wheel,

before the rut kills you."

The disgraceful spell that reflected the depths of his heart, what rage and

hatred couldn't hide. The truth of what he felt toward his sister.

"Kh…! Stopppppppp!"

"Ghh!"

Hegni charged with a shout, and Ahnya cast aside her doubts and

launched herself into the air.

At this rate, she would lose Syr. And Allen. Sensing that as the fearsome

magic power swelled, she overcame the contradiction of hurting her brother

in order not to lose him.

"Whip of honor, lips of favor, thy payment is here. Spin, silver wheel,

until thy head falls."

But Hegni's sword missed, and Ahnya's spear hit nothing.

Casting and moving at the same time. That was all he did. He took a

massive leap backward, and then he did it again and again. That was

enough for Allen to fly tens of meders backward.

He didn't need to attack. He didn't need defense. He could just keep

running away in this ridiculous fashion until his spell was done. Because

once the song was over, there wouldn't be anything left on the battlefield

save the chariot's tracks.

"Run bearing the goddess's will—until death and distant heavens when

you can hear the wheel's song again."

The last lines had come.

All of their attacks hitting nothing but air as the spell finished, Ahnya's

and Hegni's faces froze in a chill.

The next instant, the fastest chariot activated.

"Glarinese Fromel!"

As he started running, his body was swathed in a bluish, silver gleam.

"Khhh, gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!"

The light that couldn't be stopped by magic or blades had been

unleashed. First, it sent Hegni flying into the air.

This spell granted superspeed. And it was getting faster. The more he

ran, the more he accelerated. He was like a spinning wheel…Like a chariot

dashing across the battlefield, the goddess's chariot ran with wild abandon,

going wherever it pleased.

"Big brotherrrrrr?!"

Even Ahnya was knocked aside and wounded. But that wasn't enough to

stop his acceleration.

At the same time that Hegni slammed into the ground, the chariot moved

to another battlefield.

"What?!"

"That's?!"

"Unyaaa?! Run!"

The flash raced through where Aisha and the others were fighting

Alfrik.

Even Allen couldn't control the speed perfectly, leaving a swerving

track like a giant, gleaming dragon as he passed in the blink of an eye. The

chariot's flash didn't allow a chance for evasion or escape as it mercilessly

swallowed up adventurers.

Aisha slammed into the mausoleum, her podao breaking. Mikoto and

Nahza flew up into the air like Hegni had. Runoa and Chloe were thrown to

the sides with the force of a river breaking free of its dam.

"Allen, you—?!"

Even Alfrik was not spared, battered by the track of light along with his

unconscious brothers.

Glarinese Fromel.

Allen's one and only magic massively buffed his agility and granted

improved strength relative to his speed. In other words, the more he

accelerated, the more his destructive power increased. There was no upper

limit. Theoretically, Allen could increase the force of his charge as much as

he could accelerate.

Clad in an armor of light, Allen could run down and trample anything

with that spell.

A chariot's rampage that could even run down a monster rex.

"Ghhhh?!"

"Uwaaaaaaaa?!"

Just the aftermath of the chariot rushing past was enough to destroy

Miach's flower and send Lilly flying, too.

The oculus slipped from her hands and cracked on impact.

His charge crushed all obstacles in its path without even being able to

see them.

All that remained after Allen rushed past was a single track that erased

ruins and rubble in its wake.

The first signs of sunset were starting to appear in the west. It was still blue

overhead, but that would soon give way to twilight. It was a sign of the end.

The shifting color of the sky signaled the end of battle to the warriors who

had fought in Folkvangr.

Ottar picked up the black greatsword at his feet and glanced slowly to

the west, toward the hill where the house of the gods stood.

"..."

"Gh…agh…"

Ottar was the only one still standing in the now destroyed amphitheater.

The dwarf buried in rubble and the elf only barely shuddered.

So then that's the end.

Just as the boaz had that thought.

"…Gah…aa…ghh…!"

There was one who stood up, with a beastly groan.

Long blond hair covered in dirt. A makeup of blood and wounds, a face

devoid of all beauty. But his coral-red eyes alone hadn't yet let go of the

light that he was barely clinging to.

"Hedin…"

Ottar didn't reveal any emotion, just looking at his fellow einherjar.

Just barely managing to stand, the elf wobbled several times, almost

falling before stopping himself and looking up, glaring at the boaz.

"Is this what you wanted to achieve?"

It was almost like a challenge.

Hedin's lips curled, barely forming what was evidently meant to be a

smile.

"Who knows…how does…it...look to you?"

"At the very least, it does not seem like you."

His pupils were still warped. He was still in his transformed state, but

the intelligence remained in his voice, even if it was as curt as ever.

"You who prize efficiency so much could have managed things better.

You should have been able to win this battle."

"Hah…! Victory…!"

Hedin snorted as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"This stupid…game…! It was over the moment I decided to betray

you…! I could just take her flower myself…!"

That was the reality.

At the moment he destroyed the main base, Hedin could have just

rushed into the house of the gods and stolen the flower from Freya. That

would have brought an abrupt end to the battle being called the great

familia war.

"But…that would be…pointless…! Utterly meaningless!"

"…"

"That isn't what I wanted to do!" An intensity started taking root in his

words, his spirit kicking down all physical limits. "I was freed from the

duty of being king by her hand! So then, I…! I had to pull her down from

her royal throne!" Ottar listened to his confession in silence. "I had to free

her from the yoke of the goddess!"

Though he could surmise the goddess's feelings, he couldn't understand

them the way that Hörn could. But even so, he understood what it meant to

be king. In his heart, he noticed the goddess's unhappiness.

Seeing the smile that the girl had, he understood what her true wish was.

His shout couldn't reach the goddess sitting on her throne. But his will

stretched to those who hadn't yet been able to stand.

"Do any of you know?! The goddess's face as she was tormented by

love even as she searched for it!"

In her room. The mask of a goddess tempted by love as she stared at the

hair ornament modeled on a spirit. The dwarf's fingers clawed at the rubble.

"Do any of you understand?! Her regret and anguish, even after she has

cast aside everything other than 'love'!"

The conversation in front of the boy. The girl's sentiment as she was

pulled by bonds of bounty, even though she wanted only the boy's heart.

The elf's hand stretched, grabbing her wooden sword.

"Have you noticed?! That her cheeks are even now wet with tears!!!"

That was the final blast. The boy's fist trembled like a flame.

"If you have, then how can you allow yourself to lose?! If you lose this

battle, those tears will never stop! With a lonely victory, she will have love,

and she will remain forever the goddess!"

His voice thundered, pummeling their hearts.

Pushing their legs to stand again.

"So she must be sullied! To perform the noble goddess's last rites!"

"…Even if Lady Freya will not forgive that deed?"

"What retainer would I be if I failed to do everything in my power for

my master out of mere self-preservation! What follower would I be who

lacked the resolve to be hated when I do what must be done!"

And he said:

"This is my devotion that I offer up to her!!!"

That which made Hedin who he was.

A fool who turned his blade on the goddess, even if it meant bearing the

brand of traitor.

All for her sake.

"So—"

As if inspired by his selfish, conceited, sublime sin, the elf stood up. The

dwarf pulled herself up from the ground. Then the three of them stared at

the wall blocking their way.

"Get lost."

"Be gone."

"Get outta the way."

Hedin's conviction, Lyu's will, and Mia's fighting spirit bore into Ottar.

"…I will defeat you…!" And finally, the boy stood. "And go to Ms.

Syr…!"

Ottar's eyes narrowed.

He took in those who stood against him. These were the ones who still

fought. These were the souls that had so charmed the goddess.

"Despite receiving the goddess's love, you reject it and resist…"

He looked at not just the boy, but all of them who were beloved by the

goddess.

"—Very well. Come."

And reading his greatsword, he glared down at them with his bestial

eyes.

"This is the end."

It was the final clash. There was no hope of victory. No path to success.

But those who still resisted, still sought to grab the light of victory, who

refused to surrender, those were true adventurers.

So it is only natural that those who rose would be blessed with light.

"Uchide no Kozuchi—Dance!"

Fox tails compressed into orbs of light descended from above,

enveloping Hedin, Lyu, and Mia. Their stunned eyes immediately

discovered the intruder.

"Bellllll! Elfffff!"

"Goddess?!"

Hestia was covered in sweat as she ran out from a crevice in the

shattered outer wall. Behind her, standing atop the rubble of the

southwestern side, stood Haruhime, using her magic. Following Lilly's

order, they had struggled and struggled, and finally, they had reached the

amphitheater.

"Bell, show me your back!"

"Eh…?!"

"One last status update! To turn all the excelia you've gotten into

strength!" Hestia hugged onto Bell and shouted as he looked stunned. "I

heard! You're going to beat him, right! That Warlord!"

"!"

"You're going, right?! To Freya—to that girl!"

Bell's eyes widened, and then he nodded forcefully.

Looking back, he saw Lyu and Mia glance at him and smile.

"We'll be waiting, Bell."

"We'll start rampaging first!"

Hedin didn't even glance back.

But—

"Finish up quick and come, stupid rabbit."

"…Yes, sir!"

Trusting them, Bell kneeled down.

He had lost his armor, and his battle clothes were shredded. His back

was covered with open wounds. Seeing that, Hestia blanched for a moment

but quickly set a drop of ichor on his back, moving to update his status.

Leaving him behind, the adventurers and beast turned the broken theater

into Folkvangr yet again.

"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The first attack was Ottar's.

All three of them scattered as the greatsword swung down from high

overhead.

I can react to his attacks, now! But…

This light is a crazy wild horse! Let my guard down, and my status will

take control!

But there is no path to victory if I don't control it!

Lyu at least had experienced it once during the Xenos incident, but Mia

and Hedin were experiencing level boost for the first time. They were

stunned and a little shaken by the tremendous output of suddenly ascending

to Level 7. All that remained was to grab the reins with all of their mental

fortitude.

The three of them attacked Warlord with their own tactics.

"Duty shall be fulfilled, and scales shall be balanced."

What Lyu chose was a midair battle.

Flying out without fear above the wingless boaz, she disrupted his field

of view.

Lyu wanted air superiority. She wanted to try a pincer attack using the

ground. Like a fairy with glittering wings, she drew Ottar's attention

overhead, unleashing her star sword boldly from above.

Ottar disliked the sharp, meteoric slash.

He easily defended and avoided the blow, slashing his own sword back

in annoyance, but Lyu used her Futaba to slide over the enemy's attack.

There was a shower of sparks, and a terrible shock rocked her body, but

with her pseudo–Level 7 status, she completely nullified the attack.

"Where are you looking, idjit!"

And Mia of course took the opposite, ground-based approach. Not

allowing Ottar to press the attack against the elf, she unleashed a furious

attack up close and personal with her shovel.

Ottar defeated that attack as well. He attempted to crush Mia head-on,

but he was stopped by the immediately intervention of the star sword from

overhead.

Drawing the enemy's attention both up and down, they strained his

reaction time, preventing his rampage. Understanding Lyu's intent, Mia

performed the role of the powerful vanguard, trading blows with the beast's

monstrous strength.

While their combination troubled the transformed Level 7, the song of

justice rushed by in the blink of an eye.

"Justice returns! —Rea Vindemia."

What Lyu activated was the area of effect healing that was the specialty

of Astrea Familia's one and only healer, Maryu.

Her own Noa Heal could only target one person, and while it had a

powerful effect, it was slow. So instead, she relied on the power of the girl

who had always healed her friends. The purple starlight stretched even to

Bell, who was getting his status updated, healing everyone a little.

"Mighty kind of ya, Lyu!"

The pain eased, and Mia grew more lively as she hammered home

another heavy attack.

Meanwhile, directly behind her, Hedin was carefully and precisely

observing the board.

"But even if our wounds are healed, our Mind is running low! We can't

afford a protracted battle.

He performed the role of an overwhelming support class.

There was no more meaning in devoting himself to staying in the rear. If

they didn't combine their strength now, then even with their boosted

strength, they would still be overwhelmed by the transformed boar. Striking

with his rhomphaia so skillfully that it put most frontliners to shame, Hedin

joined the assault on Ottar. He also boldly made use of his magic, not being

picky with his range, aggressively filling the openings left by Lyu and Mia.

His original role was a magic swordsman, and he showed his worth as party

support. Having lost his glasses, he no longer had the face of a sage magic

caster, but a wild and savage warrior, cutting into Ottar alongside Mia and

Lyu.

"Nuuurggghh!"

Ottar chose to respond not with absolute defense, but absolute offense—

he desired to trade blows. Entrusting his body to his bestial manifestation,

even as he retained his warrior's intelligence, he put himself in the middle

of a fight to the death.

He didn't allow himself foolish thoughts of enjoying the hunt. Igniting

his battle instincts, he faced down the adventurers who raised the battle cry

of the weak.

The first-tier adventurers used their wisdom and techniques, and a

moment's insight to endure that absolute offense which neither evaded nor

defended. If a single attack would be fatal, then they simply needed to never

allow him to attack. They peppered him with magic, peeling away his

absolute armor. Using attacks from three different angles to disrupt his aim

and range, making his attacks hit nothing but air.

Turning a single defeat into a solid foundation, they were wiser now.

They had adapted. They were stronger.

The broken ability of level boost was a powerful wind in their sails,

allowing the furious battle to become an almost even affair.

"…Amazing…"

Bell murmured as he watched.

The boy who had just reached Level 5 was captivated by the figure of

those adventurers so far above him.

"Don't lose your head! You'll be joining them soon!"

"Goddess…"

"You're going to stand shoulder to shoulder with those amazing

adventurers, too! So—"

Hestia was engraving the hieroglyphs into his back as he kneeled in

front of her.

Sweat beaded on her brow as she hurried, working precisely and without

hesitation. The black figures danced, recording the prologue of the story

that was about to unfold.

Bell Cranell

Level 5

Strength: I41-> G222 Defense: I39-> F340 Dexterity: I49-> G245 Agility: I77-

>F311 Magic: I4-> I98

Luck: F Immunity: G Escape: G Rapid Attacks: I

An increase of over 999 across the board. These were breathtaking

results for just a single battle.

But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Even with that sort of growth,

he couldn't reach that despair-inducing summit, couldn't reach the

strongest.

"Don't lose, Bell!"

But even so, the goddess shouted, making her heart and his tremble.

"Win, Bell!"

"Yes!"

Bell shot to his feet. The Hestia Knife in his clenched fist reacted to his

growth and ignited with a powerful gleam as well.

"Master Bell…may you find victory."

And the blond fox smiled and offered up the final tail that she had

reserved for him. Uchide no Kozuchi provided a dramatic increase in status

by granting a level-up that lasted only twenty minutes.

Even if Haruhime passed out, the golden miracle wouldn't fade. And so,

the girl who had exhausted every bit of her strength let herself slowly drop,

searing the image of his back shrouded in golden light into her memories.

Then, at long last, she slipped into unconsciousness while praying for his

victory.

"I'm going!"

As his goddess held the fox girl close while she watched him go, the boy

dashed off.

Though he couldn't hear it, the cheers of everyone in the city were at his

back as he threw himself into the battle once more.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The curtain rose on the true finale.

With the addition of the final person with the right to fight, Folkvangr

raised its final roar. Across the mountains, those left in Orario turned their

remaining strength into cheers as the adventurer challenged the summit.

A heroic battle had begun.

Erupting flame and lightning, white and black slashes. The star sword

sang the song of justice as blazing petals crackled, and stardust riding a

green wind poured down. At the same time, countless lightning soldiers

charged with every barked command, and the dwarf warrior surged forward

to strike the black greatsword. Under the direction of the lord of lightning,

the four coordinated, meshing together strength and speed to attack from all

directions.

And despite all that, the wild boar facing them didn't waver.

No matter how the rabbit bore its fangs, no matter how the fairies' songs

echoed, no matter how the earth woman exerted her iron strength, Warlord

remained standing at the summit. Swinging his greatsword as if looking

down at the ground below, he turned his steel body into a shield,

hammering home the meaning of the strongest as a pool of blood formed

below.

"One Level 6…! And three Level 7s!!!"

Asfi's voice had none of her usual calm as she watched the mirror rapt.

This level of destructive power and combat strength was overpowered

enough to easily crush anything found in the deep floors of the labyrinth.

Ordinarily, there would be nothing that could stand before such force.

"But even so…!"

"He just won't faaaaaaaalll!!!"

Eina was watching in the Guild headquarters, and Ibly in the courtyard.

The addition of a pseudo–Level 6. The final push of the white rabbit

who was agility made manifest.

And yet, they still couldn't crack Warlord's fortress.

"Arrrrrrrrrrgh! How are we supposed to beat that!"

"How the hell should I know?!"

Tione snapped back, as if telling her grumbling sister to shut up.

"There's an opening!"

"Ottar's beast form isn't invincible!"

As they watched the finale unfold, Gareth and Riveria shouted.

"Hedin should understand! Keep attacking!"

The mask of the leader slipped as Finn sought the answer that lay

beyond their dauntless push.

"Surpass him…"

Aiz clenched her hands to her shivering chest.

"And win!"

That was all she prayed for as she watched the boy covered in wounds

through the mirror.

"Don't lose!"

The elf girl shouted, her short hair fluttering.

The human, the dwarf, the Amazons, all raised their voices in a massive,

swelling battle cry.

They cheered until their voices grew hoarse, raising their clenched fists.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

And the boar king's roar drowned out all of their wishes. The voice of

the supreme warrior who would allow no faint hope. The masses grew

quiet, losing their voices.

There were none who cheered him. Even if there were, their voices were

weak and quiet. But even on that solitary battlefield, for just a brief

moment, Warlord flashed a smile.

"…!"

Hearing that rumbling roar, for the first time Freya stood up from her

throne.

Unable to use a mirror or oculus, she had no way of quickly grasping the

details of the battlefield. But when she heard that beast's roar echoing, she

knew that her follower had maintained his transformation.

"…Stop it, Ottar."

One of Ottar's skills, Vana Arganture.

As Bete guessed, it was an active trigger skill connected to his beast

transformation. It granted a strength almost as great as a level-up, affecting

his base abilities and his skills. However, it had downsides. A massive

amount of stamina and Mind had to be paid every time he activated it. And

to maintain his transformation, his body experienced an exhaustion that ate

away at his strength so much that even his auto-heal skill couldn't fully

make up for it. That was the difference between Ottar and werewolves who

could transform without risk so long as the full moon requirement was met.

"Stop this at once, Ottar!"

If he continued to fight like this, he would run out of strength at some

point. Before that happened, he needed to find an opportunity to reset his

position. Even though she knew her voice couldn't reach, she looked

toward the northwest through the columns and the wall that had collapsed

in ages past.

"Haaah, Haaaaagh…! UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ottar continued to fight while apologizing humbly to the goddess in his

heart. Even though he knew that her divine will was concerned for him, just

this once, he couldn't obey. The warrior couldn't turn his back on these

adventurers who were striving to defeat him, and so he continued to howl

with that bestial look in his eyes.

"Ghhhhh?!"

Bell and everyone shuddered at the menacing presence that somehow

continued to grow even now.

The warrior before their eyes was injured, just like them. The grave

wounds he had suffered before his transformation remained, and he

couldn't continue to fight them without injury now that their levels were

boosted. His steel body was surely reaching its limit.

But even so, he didn't fall.

Like a nightmare, he continued to unleash attacks that swept everything

aside.

The boy was in awe of this display of strength. But even so, he pushed

himself on, declaring that he refused to lose now. He unleashed a fullstrength blow of his own.

That attack could slay even a giant, but the beast easily deflected it, as if

swinging a conductor's baton.

A monster.

The man before him was a true warrior.

A man who survived the age of Zeus and Hera, who had known the

muddy taste of humiliation more than anyone, and who was now trying to

destroy them with the strength he had gained from never giving up.

If his fingers so much as brushed Bell, they could easily tear through his

neck.

He was the loser who had fought his way to victory. Even as his

attackers exhausted every last bit of their strength, they couldn't defeat him.

Even after surpassing their limits, they couldn't win.

When Bell raised a battle cry, it was met by a deafening roar. Staring at

the beast's face that was flecked with foam and bloody spittle, the boy

experienced the most intense terror he had ever felt in his short life.

—But even so!

He had exhausted all of his techniques. It was clear that tricks wouldn't

work from the start. He was inferior in every category. In a situation where

every last requirement for defeat had been arranged, the only weapon Bell

had left was sheer force of will.

Ms. Syr!

The girl who was supposed to be dead. The girl who had always helped

and supported him. The girl who he had hurt. He had decided to save her.

So he transformed that hideous ego into an unquenchable fighting spirit,

into a do-or-die attack. Hakugen flashed, igniting with a lightning flame.

His whole body burned with resolve and determination, like he was

physically expelling all his fear and anxiety.

"I swore I would save her!!!"

The Hestia Knife unleashed an indigo slash, striking Ottar through his

black greatsword.

"…!!!"

Hedin watched on as he struggled to breathe. He was covered in a

horribly unpleasant, unending sheen of sweat. The first Mind Down he had

experienced in decades was about to crash upon him. He had used magic

more than anyone, starting from his annihilation of Heith and the

Andhrímnir all the way until this very moment, and he had finally run dry.

Just as he realized that he wouldn't be of any use very soon, he saw it.

The cloyingly green, unbearably foolish boy who continued fighting

despite the odds.

Hedin didn't have the eyes of a goddess, and so he couldn't understand

the color of a soul, or any so-called gleam. But he understood that the

source of that pure white cry was surely translucent.

"It makes me sick…To corrupt even me…!"

Even though he was weaker than all of them, the boy's will to keep

fighting Warlord was firmer than anyone's. Lyu and Mia followed him.

Seeing his battered back drew the adventurers to him.

The scene was truly heroic, like watching a single ship setting forth into

the vast open seas.

That fool…won't choose to be her companion.

No, he couldn't make that choice.

If he could, things never would have ended up becoming so

complicated.

But because he hadn't chosen it, he was the one and only person who

could make her " " for sure.

It was revolting beyond compare. But even so. That stupid boy, just like

Hedin had anticipated, should be capable of becoming the hero who saved

her.

"Very well…I'll acknowledge it."

Hedin smiled.

It was a small smile that not the masses, the adventurers, and the deities

—not one of them noticed.

"—! Dodge, Hedin!"

He reacted to Mia's shout.

A beast was closing in on him.

Even as Hedin was reaching his limits, Ottar burst through the front

lines to crush Hedin once and for all.

"Hgh—Strike forever, indestructible lord of lightning!"

But that was within expectations.

Hedin had already anticipated that Ottar wouldn't let him escape after he

could no longer put up a fight, and so he slung together a quick, super-short

cast.

"Valiant Hildr!"

A lightning cannon launched from melee range.

He had purposefully dangled himself as bait for the final ploy, forcing

Ottar to eat a full-strength, inescapable lightning shock.

"A direct hit!"

"Yea—ghhh?!"

Bell stared to cheer at Lyu's observation, but then his smile cracked.

" "

Time froze for Hedin, too.

Bathed in the torrent of lightning, the boar carried on and charged

through.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Bursting through the electric blast, Ottar struck with a tremendous

diagonal slash.

With ungodly speed, Hedin held Dizaria horizontally, but both he and

his rhomphaia were cut.

"Gahhaaaaa!"

It was a fatal wound.

A diagonal gash opened up. Mia had managed to endure this blow, but

Hedin didn't.

A hot spurt of blood that didn't feel like his own flew into the air as

Hedin fell to the ground. What his eyes saw was the beast preparing to

finish him off once and for all.

"—Masterrrr!!!"

Bell became a streak of light.

Accelerating at full speed, he reached his hand out in the dumbest sort of

plan to save someone who had already dropped out of the fight.

The first thing to touch Hedin's shoulder wasn't the swinging blade, but

the boy's fingers.

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~gh?!"

The blade that failed to catch the elf split the ground wide open.

An ear-rattling shock wave blew Hedin away and knocked Bell aside as

well.

"Bell?!"

"Hedin!"

"Bell!!!"

Lyu's, Mia's, and Hestia's voice disappeared in the cloud of debris.

Rolling across the destroyed arena's floor, Bell lost track of everything,

not just Hedin. Holding his head as his ears still rang, he stood up.

"Gah…Master! Masterrr!"

Panicking like a lost child, he spun around, whipping in every direction,

but before he found his target, the debris cleared.

Standing in the middle of it, he saw the boaz standing calmly.

Lyu and Mia were to the left and right, and beyond the boaz were Hestia

and Haruhime.

They were saying something, but he couldn't hear them.

He couldn't ignore the beast's eyes watching him, but he still tried to

make sure Hedin was safe, looking around him, when—

"…Look forward…"

" "

He couldn't hear anything, but those words alone, he could clearly make

out.

"…Save…her…!"

His trembling hand touched Bell's back, as if it no longer had even the

strength to smack him.

With a frail voice on the verge of failing, he began to sing a verse.

"Sing forever…indestructible…saint."

And then he spoke the name.

"Laurus Hildr!"

Shock.

Electricity.

Awakening.

"!!!"

He wasn't being roasted by electricity. This was an enchantment—a

blessing of lightning that enveloped Bell's whole body.

Laurus Hildr, the saint's lightning eulogy. Hedin's third and final magic.

A rare magic that, when activated, healed the target's wounds as if touched

by a saint, then applied a blessing of lightning. Its greatest distinguishing

characteristic was that Hedin couldn't use it on himself. He could only cast

on those whom he acknowledged.

At the cost of all his Mind, he entrusted Bell with a power that made the

boy's eyes shoot open.

"Go…stupid pupil…"

" !!"

He was incandescent.

The lightning protected his body as he shook off all the emotions filling

his head and heart. He didn't cry. He didn't look back at his fallen master.

He had been pushed forward by the palm that remained on his back to the

very end.

The boy became a bolt of lightning.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

He charged.

The distance between him and Warlord in the center of his vision

disappeared in an instant as he slashed with his twin lightning blades.

"Gh?!"

"Fuuu!"

Ottar immediately used his black greatsword as a shield against the

storm of lightning slashes. Thunder erupted with a dazzling flash. It had

happened at an abnormal speed. The sparks didn't stop flying as Bell

became an embodiment of lightning, displaying a speed that outstripped

even Lyu with her pseudo–Level 7.

Rabbit Rush—Hildr.

The brilliant white and purple slashes were blotted out by the crackling

arcs of lightning. It was a furious rush of continuous attacks. His hands

blurred as he dealt forty-four consecutive slashes in a single second. And as

Warlord defended against all of them, he suddenly realized he chose

incorrectly in opting for his absolute defense.

"Guooooooo?!"

He was electrified.

Even though Ottar defended perfectly, the electric charge in those

slashes passed through his sword and coursed through his body. No one in

Freya Familia other than Freya herself knew Hedin's final magic. In

addition to that speed, its special traits were an absurd force and penetrating

capability.

In Hedin's own words, the requirement that he expend every bit of his

Mind to activate it was the worst possible condition, but with his having

paid that price, it boasted a power even greater than standard enchantments,

granting its target a massive boon.

The lightning armor optimized for attack and speed didn't pale even in

comparison to Aiz's Airiel.

And more than anything, every time its attacks fell upon a defense,

damage still racked up, making it the best possible counter for Ottar's

absolute defense.

"E-every time Bell attacks, there's a flash…I can't see anything!"

Hestia stared, desperately trying to watch as she covered her face with

her arm, but Mia and Lyu with their first-tier adventurer visual acuity were

able to precisely see through it.

Each and every slash from the lightning-clad knives had the force of a

bolt of Caurus Hildr behind them.

Even if Ottar tried to evade, Bell's natural agility would block any

escape with a scythe of lightning.

My movement speed, my attack speed! They're rising! My reaction

speed, too! I can see his every move so clearly!

Realizing that Laurus Hildr's effect extended not just to ordinary

movement speed but even to speed of perception, Bell experienced a new

sort of omnipotence that wasn't like a level boost.

His body was completely revived.

The lightning welled up as the saint's blessing returned color and sound

to the world. The scene he saw as sparks of lightning flickered all around

him was brilliant and vivid. Bell continued accelerating as his mind

surpassed the edge of the lightning. It even felt like he could feel Hedin's

presence.

He could go anywhere.

Defeat any enemy—and he had to.

Drawn by the rampaging lightning, Bell shouted.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

A torrent of lightning shot out. A heroic slash. His knives' reach

extended to the range of a shortsword with the lightning enchantment.

Seeing what looked like a lightning knight charging out of myth, the

city's voltage shot through the roof.

"Gooooo!"

Aiz shouted to the awakened Bell.

"Gooooo!"

Eina pleaded to the heroic boy running toward victory.

"""Big brotherrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!"""

Rai and the other orphans cheered as they saw the vision of a hero in the

boy's back as he continued to stand, continued to fight.

"UUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

But Ottar—

"Ghhh?!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Even with his whole body being seared by lightning, he pushed back the

charge. Abandoning his absolute defense, paying no heed to damage, he

demanded a bullfight.

Even though he could react to the sword and even though he could

evade it, the pure, brute force of it still posed a danger to Bell's body. Even

pushed all the way to the brink, Ottar used all of his techniques and tricks,

turning the tables on the boy who was far inferior as an adventurer. Now

Bell was the one who found his back up against the wall.

The beast was using his eyes, brute strength, mental fortitude, and skill

as an adventurer. Bell's eyes started swimming as he suddenly started

taking damage. His fully recovered body started being wounded in the blink

of an eye. Even with dual miracles of level boost and Laurus Hildr, Warlord

refused to fall.

Meanwhile, the golden light and flashes of lightning were beginning to

weaken.

This was the decisive moment, and both sides staked everything on this

clash.

"" AAAAA!!!""

The boy clad in his master's lightning let out a roar, hungry for victory.

The guardian who had always protected his goddess swore to maintain an

impenetrable defense. Lightning blades met greatsword. Lightning flame

met massive fist. The storm of destruction.

Bell raged.

Ottar raged even more.

In this precise moment, they were channeling their standing, their fate,

and their very lives into fuel and using it to strike down their enemy.

All their spilled blood was immediately scorched by lightning as they

crashed again and again.

—I know it. I know this feeling!

Minotaur.

And Asterios.

Everything that made Bell Cranell what he was today was currently

inhabiting the warrior before him. That was where everything started. Even

though he couldn't explain it, Bell understood on an instinctive level. And

when he realized that, he drew forth even more energy from the depths of

his soul.

I can't lose. I don't want to lose. Not to him!

He remembered the determination he felt when he made a vow to

become stronger on the city wall that fateful day. That determination meant

that no matter how badly it hurt, no matter how hopeless it seemed, he had

to overcome this warrior.

But—just this once, he couldn't have a repeat of that battle with

Asterios.

"Lyu!"

"I know!"

Mia and Lyu attacked at the same time. Their determination to defeat

Warlord and claim victory was the same as Bell's. This wasn't his personal

duel. He couldn't make that mistake. This was a war to stop her. To save

her. He had to remember his hypocritical vow and throw away all personal

pride.

So. So. So.

Bell clenched his teeth and looked back at those rust-colored eyes.

I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry this isn't a match with just me alone.

I will defeat you with everyone—so I'm sorry. Putting all those apologies

and his unshakeable resolve into his gaze, he met the warrior's gaze.

And then even though it couldn't have been possible, he could've sworn

Ottar snorted "You're fifteen years too early."

"Outta the waaaaaaaaay!"

No matter how injured he was, Ottar wouldn't fall. He wouldn't yield

the way. It was like running into a castle wall or an iron gate that refused to

open for anything other than raw strength. This gate could not be moved by

words or feelings. And beyond that barrier was a princess with blue-gray

hair.

No, she wasn't anyone so innocent as that. What waited beyond those

walls was a witch. A disagreeable, free-spirited, selfish, fickle witch. A girl

who had trapped Bell, trifled with Lyu, twisted the world around her—and a

girl who couldn't understand why she was crying.

So—

"!!!"

Concurrent charging.

Moving at super-high-speed using the power of lightning, Bell

concentrated a pure white light on his right hand.

What rang out wasn't a chime, but a grand bell. The limit was off. As

Bell activated Argonaut, Ottar immediately understood. In their first clash,

he had experienced the full force of the hero's strike. And he realized that it

was a move that was capable of killing him in his badly wounded state.

And so, the boar changed target, reversing course.

"Ghhh?!"

"Dammit!"

Lyu and Mia formed a wall in his path, enduring his heavy blows several

times, but it wasn't long before he crashed through. But they had managed

to buy some time.

"Ms. Mia! Ms. Lyu! I'm going!"

""!""

Bell made up his mind as Ottar charged at him.

Lowering his hips, he readied the Hestia Knife. This would be a twentysecond charge. His eyes locked with Ottar who readied his sword in one

hand, and the next instant, they both rushed forward.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The distance between them melted away.

The light gathered in Bell's right hand; Ottar's veins bulged as he

clenched his sword.

And the instant their attack's collided—

"Gh!"

Lyu's shoulders twitched.

His right arm is drifting…!

She had mentioned it during the march through the lower levels. Bell

had a bad habit that showed when he got impatient. And in a decisive

moment like this, telegraphing his moves would be fatal. Ottar wouldn't

miss it.

A thrust from the right. The trajectory of the attack was plain to see. The

boaz swung with all his strength to defeat Bell's attack and cut him down in

the process.

"Nrraaah!"

"Bell?!"

Ottar's slash and Lyu's cry overlapped. In that moment—

—He bit!

Bell had left his right arm high and switched attacks.

""?!""

Ottar and Lyu's next reaction was the same—total disbelief.

What was clearly supposed to have been the windup for a thrust

seamlessly became a sliding kick. The boaz's horizontal slash caught only

the Hestia Knife, which hadn't quite escaped the blade's path, which

knocked it out of the boy's right hand. But in that brief opening, Bell's left

leg raced toward Ottar's right leg. The sliding kick clad in lightning landed

cleanly on his defenseless knee.

"Fuu!"

"Urgh!"

A clean hit.

The combined power of level boost and Laurus Hildr broke Ottar's

stance.

That's—

When he saw that scene, time stopped for Van, who was watching from

the spectator seats in the south where he had fallen.

"…Bell. You have a habit of letting your right arm drift upward, don't

you?"

"Eh…? Ah, yes. Apparently, I have a tendency to do it when I get

flustered…I-it's still there, I guess?"

"The opposite. You focus too much on fixing it, so when you attack, your

right arm telegraphs your movements. It's not a problem if you're just after

a monster's magic stone, but against a first-tier adventurer, it's a fatal

weakness."

That memory was from weeks ago. It was a piece of advice Van had

given the boy, when they had been comrades, inside the twisted world the

goddess of beauty had created.

"Just leave it be. You can mix it into your attack and defense patterns as

a feint."

"It's useful as a tactic for fighting against other people. You can't use it

too many times, but it's impossible to win against a first-tier adventurer

without using every last tool at your disposal."

He had done it. Bell had used it.

He had purposefully used the habit as a lure, baiting Ottar's attack. He

had turned his fake comrade Van's advice into growth, using it on the

biggest stage possible.

"That bastard!"

Van thumped his right fist on the ground, with an aggravated look on his

face. But at the same time, it almost looked like a smile. The half-prum's

trick had caught a first-tier adventurer off guard, landing a blow, creating a

critical opening.

For the first time, the never unfaltering Warlord staggered, leaving a

huge opening.

"Attaboy!"

Mia had been the only one who noticed Bell's intent and was already

running. Unable to ready his absolute defense, Ottar widened his eyes as

she struck him with all her strength.

"Uuurrryyyaaaaaaaa!!!"

"Gaaaaa?!"

The steel shovel slammed into his right side. The boaz's massive body

left the ground, floating upward. He coughed up blood, his bestial eyes

unfocused. At almost the same moment, the shovel that slammed into his

forged body broke at the base. Mia immediately dropped it. Then she rained

down a furious salvo of punches.

"Not yeeeeeeeet!!!"

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?!"

Her fists pummeled Ottar's face, chest, shoulders, stomach.

The one and only person on the island who could hurt Ottar with bare

fists began a one-sided onslaught.

"Cross the skies and sprint through the wilderness, swifter than

anything. Imbue the light of stardust and strike down my enemy."

Quickly getting over her shock, Lyu readied her own attack.

A deep green magic circle appeared as she poured all of her Mind into

the spell. Knowing that there would never be a better opportunity, she

called upon the greatest magical power she could summon and called forth

the stardust.

"Luminous Wind!"

Timed perfectly with Mia's retreat after sending Ottar flying, the

massive orbs of light wrapped in green wind slammed into Ottar. Gale

Wind didn't miss a single shot as her barrage blasted the boaz into the

spectator seats.

"Gh...ah…?!"

As the storm of magic particles faded, it was obvious what terrible

condition Ottar was in.

And then—

GONG, GONG.

" "

It was Bell's turn.

When the great bell tolled, he unleashed the white light that had

gathered in his empty right hand. This was the power of a full sixty-second

charge.

Ottar froze as the boy closed the distance and sent his right fist flying

forward.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

Vorpal Fang.

Ottar's eyes sprang open as it slammed directly into his chest.

And—

"FIREBOLT!!!"

A massive explosion engulfed them.

" ?!"

Flames and crackling lightning drove into Ottar's chest and blew him

away. The streak of white-hot fire swallowed up everything in its path,

slamming into the western edge of the amphitheater and blasting a giant

hole through the wall and the spectator seats.

The island shuddered. The ruins trembled. The twilight-colored sky

sought a victor.

"Haaah, haaah…haaaaaaah…!"

Bell's right arm hung limply as he heaved with every breath, staring in

the direction where Ottar had disappeared. The agony in his right hand

didn't fade. His vision shook in time with his pulse, and his heart felt like it

wanted to leap out of his chest.

If even that wasn't enough…!

Bell didn't have energy to fight anymore. Lyu was barely standing, too,

and Mia was the most battered and bruised. Bell watched the rising smoke,

hoping this would be the end of it. Hestia gulped and watched on while

holding Haruhime, who was still unconscious.

They both waited with bated breath when they saw it…A shadow

moved.

" "

The smoke parted to the sides as if in terror, revealing a steel-forged

body that looked completely broken.

But even so, Warlord walked on both legs, returning to the center of the

stage.

"...Ahhh..."

Bell's spirit almost broke, but he grit his teeth. It was a miracle he even

had the strength to bite down.

Lyu was drenched in a waterfall of sweat, and Mia's brow was a mass of

wrinkles as they endured this waking nightmare. Hestia went pale as what

little strength she had seemed to slip away.

Witnessing the strongest warrior calmly walking forward silenced all of

Orario.

"...…Grh"

But—

Like a massive tree cut at the base, Ottar's body tilted to one side, and

with an impact that shook the ground, he fell to one knee.

Bell gasped.

Lyu, Mia, and Hestia all looked stunned.

Bleeding profusely and struggling for each breath, the boaz had no more

strength to draw upon.

"Do…DOOOOOWWWWWWWNNNNNNN!!! Warlord has been put out

of action!!!"

Ibly's shout pierced the sky.

Thunderous cheers filled Orario, but in the ruins of the amphitheater,

there was an unnatural silence.

It was Ottar.

Even after all this, he might still be able to fight. The challengers were

on guard, holding their breaths, thinking the same thought as time slowly

crawled forward.

"Ottar, this is our win, right?"

Mia's gruff voice broke the silence.

Bell and Lyu both turned while Hestia watched nervously as Ottar raised

his head.

His right eye was covered with blood, but his left eye was focused on

the boy who stood perfectly still.

"…Can you free her?"

"Eh…?"

Their eyes met.

"Can you save her?"

Bell's eyes widened.

"…I can!"

His answer was a single nod.

Looking at the badly battered boy's face, Ottar slowly closed his eyes.

"Five minutes."

"…?"

"I will wait five minutes."

Everyone other than Mia looked shocked.

"When my body has recovered, I will stop you. In that time—show me

your answer."

But shock quickly gave way to understanding. Ottar wasn't lying. Once

he could move again, he would come for them. No one felt any need to ask

if he needed a full five minutes just to recover.

They had proved their strength to Ottar. The castle protecting the witch

had opened its gate.

"D-did you win?! You did, right?! My heart won't last if I have to watch

another fight like this!"

Not reading the mood at all, Hestia made her way over to the

adventurers with Bell's fallen knife in one hand and dragging Haruhime

with the other. The fox girl groaned in her sleep as she was dragged across

the ground. Lyu had also come over, as did Mia after she collected Hedin.

They smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, that boy will keep his word…More importantly, kiddo.

Can you run?"

"Eh?"

"It's a sorry excuse, but…we cannot really move anymore. Most likely,

we wouldn't reach Syr in time."

Mia and Lyu were struggling just to stand. Bell suddenly realized what

they were saying. Thanks to the healing from Hedin's Laurus Hildr, he was

the only one with any strength left. His right hand, which he'd used for the

charge attack, was useless, but he could still rush to the house of the gods.

"Bell, go! Miach and the supporter have all wiped out."

Checking the state of the battlefield with her oculus, Hestia blanched as

she urged Bell to hurry.

"Gah…!"

"Vana Freya's work…"

Bell looked startled while Lyu sensed a new danger.

Allen had the fastest feet in the city. If he caught up to them, that would

be the end. If Bell fought him now, he would surely lose. He had to reach

the goddess before Allen's spear ran him through.

"Hurry, kiddo. We'll protect this goddess. We won't let her flower get

stolen!"

"Please go, Bell."

Mia and Lyu glanced at Ottar and Van. The former stayed silent while

the latter was desperately trying to stand back up.

"…Understood!"

Nodding, Bell immediately finished his preparations. He removed his

Goliath Scarf and all other armor that would slow him down. Finally, Hestia

handed him his pitch-black knife.

"Sorry, Bell. For putting everything on you…But please!"

"I will!"

He looked at Hestia, Lyu, Mia, Ottar. At Haruhime, who was sleeping.

At Hedin, who was still unconscious.

With the telltale glow of the level boost and crackles of lightning still

emanating from his body, Bell set off at a run.