Chapter 49: Gigantomachy

The main subjugation force walked through the desolate and dusty streets of Sorshana. All their eyes trained on the monstrous beast slumbering atop the ruined Shalzard castle at the torn capital's center.

The Grand Behemoth. The artificial demi-spirit born not through the souls of the fallen spirits of the dungeon… but through the desecration of the divine children by an evil god… a being that represented the precipice of blasphemy.

Lying deathly still despite the noises of the alliance desert ships. Slumbering in a wakeless dream. Awaiting a promised time.

'It looks like the demi-spirit is still being incubated…'

Bell's eyes narrowed as he recognized the behavior the Grand Behemoth was undergoing. Demi-spirits are born through the fusion of a monster and a nurtured jewel fetus.

To obtain a nurtured jewel fetus, it must absorb an incredible amount of mind through the magic stones of countless monsters. Assuming that the demi-spirit in front of him was out of the norm, Bell was able to conclude that its jewel fetus hadn't yet been nurtured.

'So this was why the Grand Behemoth led a horde of its kind to Sorshana… not only would it be an ideal starting point to attack the entirety of the continent of Gekai…'

'But it was also to serve as its nest… feeding upon the magic stones of lesser Behemoths as it bided it's time until it truly awakened…'

Bell thought so as he looked all around him. In every direction, numerous corpses of Behemoths could be seen. All of them were slowly withering away into ash, their magic stones partially consumed. Like a wild beast had ravenously devoured them without the intelligence to finish its meal whole.

'Is decreased intelligence a drawback of an artificial demi-spirit? No matter, it doesn't change what we have to do at the end of the day…'

Locking his eyes onto the beast, Bell could feel the faint presence of divinity deep within its body. The spirit Hesperides wasn't dead yet.

"Fuu…"

With a breath, he slowly began to prepare himself for the upcoming battle… taking in the gentle breeze one last time, Bell began to take command of the main subjugation force.

The Freya familia's top adventurers along with Arry will take the lead in the attack against the Grand Behemoth. All of them would be led and managed by Hedin as he possessed the best strategic mind in their group.

While they fought, the strongest healers of Freya and Hermes' familias would focus on supporting them from a fair distance away. All of them would be led by Heith Velvet, one of the two great healer saints of Orario. Equaled only in capability by Airmid Teasanare.

Meanwhile, the rest of the adventurers of the Freya familia and the Hermes familia would be stationed at numerous points in the city.

Their forces would be divided into numerous smaller squads that consisted of a few frontline and backline adventurers. Each squad was equally potent in combat ability from one another.

The entirety of this force would not be led by any single person during battle. Being made to be flexible and capable of responding to any situation.

This decision by Bell drew some confusion from them, but they simply accepted it without hesitation after noticing his strange insistence.

As the force all went into position, Bell went to Freya's side in order to lead her away from the battlefield.

"What a peculiar plan you have, Bell. Not only are you spreading out your force widely when there's only one opponent, but you're even putting yourself away from the battle… Why is that?"

Freya was naturally confused as to why Bell wasn't concentrating his forces around the Behemoth, to which he only responded with a wry smile. An expression he formed as he recalled all his previous experiences in large-group decisive battles.

"Just trust me on this, Freya… the world just loves to fuck with me whenever things are going too well in my life…"

Bell only gave a short response to the goddess' questions as his eyes narrowed around the countless decaying Behemoth corpses around Sorshana.

He could sense it through the developed acuity he trained his eyes with after his numerous adventurers in the world of Danmachi.

What he was observing was incredibly faint, to the point that no one but himself had noticed it. A faint glimmer of magic energy reflected in his eyes throughout Sorshana.

'You really are a bastard for creating a demi-spirit with this type of ability, Angra Mainyu…'

Bell was aggrieved as he sensed the numerous monster corpses around him were somehow connected to the slumbering Grand Behemoth.

Unfolding before his eyes was the eerie image of a web of ashen black magical energy.

Weaving itself through the desolate walkways and streets of the ruined city, the magical energy was like a nightmarish trap that sought to consume all unfortunate souls caught in its embrace.

The eaten monsters weren't slowly decaying into dust… they were still alive.

Trapped in the world of the waking as sleeping guards for their incubating king. Waiting to rouse themselves from limbo for the protection of their ruler and consumer.

'There always just has to be ADDS in a boss fight… if I hadn't grown paranoid after everything I went through, I might've missed this entirely…'

(E/D: ADDS = Additional mobs.)

After having the tables turned on him against Antares, Leviathan, and Angra Mainyu, Bell realized that something will always go wrong in any major battle he partook in… so he simply became extremely cautious and paranoid to detect any unforeseen developments.

And much to his luck, his newfound paranoia had allowed him to discover the last trap the evil god had set for him.

"Hold on tight, Freya"

『Transient』

Taking Freya by the waist, he slowly began to activate the magic item of his grandfather to teleport to a vantage point and observe the battle as it played out.

Bell would keep his eyes focused so that the board he now played in wouldn't be turned against him once more.

"..."

Watching the battlefield slowly take form in front of his eyes, Bell slowly began to smile in silence as he awaited the moment of turnabout. A reversal of despair that he would forge not through miracles… but with his own hands.

…

..

.

The battle slowly began.

The vanguard force of the subjugation force slowly began to approach the range of the Grand Behemoth, but before they were able to attack, an enormous amount of magical energy fell upon the area as the beast slowly awoke from its slumber.

As Bell had predicted, the Grand Behemoth had laid a trap around the city of Sorshana as it slumbered. The monster's malevolent purple eyes stared down upon the alliance forces with indifference as it bellowed out into the air an oppressing roar of anger.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The bodies of the alliance forces shook greatly as the Behemoth's roar reverberated throughout every inch of their being.

The ground shook as the air grew dense, slowly the Grand Behemoth's roar turned into a chorus of beasts as a horrifying sight began to take place throughout the city.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

"W-What is this?..."

The numerous adventurers stationed across the city were left aghast as they watched what they believed to be decaying monsters, slowly but surely be brought back to life.

Their bodies were decaying, but their eyes still contained the violent hatred that all monsters possessed.

Roaring out into the air, the rising Behemoths slowly began to overwhelm the adventurers with their songs of despair and destruction.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

Aboard the Prydwen, Asfi's eyes widened in shock as she observed the instruments installed into the desert ship.

To navigate the black storm and locate any incoming Behemoths during their travels, she had developed a magic item that emitted a low magical pulse that would reflect off of nearby surfaces and return back to the magic item to show their approximate location. A magic radar she developed after one of her many talks with Bell.

Slowly but surely, the surface of the magic item began to show numerous entities approaching their location. Behemoths. Numbering in the hundreds.

"..."

Hermes' eyes narrowed as he watched the magic radar alongside Asfi. The god realized instantly that the roar wasn't only an intimidation tactic by the Grand Behemoth, but a signal for all remaining Behemoths to converge around Sorshana.

"Heh… I didn't think the perimeter formed by the fleet would actually need to deal with straggling Behemoths approaching the city… just how far paranoid did Bell grow during his journey to be able to predict this?"

But though Hermes joked, he knew that the situation was extremely grave. Sharing a look of confirmation with his familia captain, the god left in a rush to begin coordinating with the other dessert ships of the alliance fleet.

Grabbing a communication magic item, Asfi began to relay her instructions to the alliance fleet while her god would micromanage the operation.

Faced with such odds, she knew that she couldn't show any sign of faltering. Her morale is the morale of all those who follow her… so she would exude such confidence that one might think victory was already in her grasp.

"This is a command to the alliance fleet. Hostiles are quickly approaching us from all sides. Ready and train all available cannons towards the border of Sorshana"

"So long as the Grand Behemoth still stands, we will serve as the wall that repels any Behemoth that tries to hinder the ongoing fight… we have come this far… so no matter what…"

𝘿𝙊𝙉'𝙏 𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙄𝙉 𝘼 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙇𝙀 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙃

The alliance fleet began to prepare their defenses under the rousing leadership of Asfi.

But inside the walls of Sorshana, the adventurers who were bearing the brunt of the physical and emotional damages of the Behemoth's ongoing roar remained stunned in place.

The sound of the beasts formed an invisible chain that locked them all in place. Unable to take any step forward or backward, they were now all at the mercy of the Behemoths.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙙… 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙙… 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙙… 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙙...

A few adventurers were already beginning to fall on their knees from the immense pressure produced by the noise. The constant vibrations rocked their bodies as they slowly coughed up blood from the internal damage of the attack.

"KH-"

Ottar struggled in place as he tried his best to combat the effects of the Grand Behemoth's roar. He was sure that he had enough strength to escape its hold, but the noise seemed to disorient him greatly in addition to its oppressive hold.

But though his body ached from the constant tremoring of the beast, the beastman smiled wildly… he had found it… after years of waiting in boredom… he had finally found it.

'A WORTHY CHALLENGE!!!-'

Ottar's body began to exude red magical energy as he desperately wanted to begin battling the monster in front of him, but before he lost himself in battle lust he remembered that he was accompanied by other adventurers.

With great difficulty, Ottar turned his head to observe what had become of his allies, expecting that he alone would be capable of breaking free from the monster's grasp. But to his surprise, another soul was slowly breaking free.

"AGH-"

Arry's light began to be covered in the light of Eos' divinity. The golden glow not only began to strengthen her, but it had also begun to lessen the effects of the demi-spirit's attack, lowering the hold the Grand Behemoth had on her body.

'Just remember your training, Arry… just remember your training… your spars against Bell with Eos by my side…'

Through her training with her contracted spirit, Arry came to learn about Eos' primary function as a spirit. Whatever her light enveloped would have their capabilities enhanced. A sword would grow sharper; a shield would grow sturdier; and other such things.

Thus, at that moment, she was enveloping her body in a great golden light to break free from the roar's hold. Remembering the sensation of how Bell reinforced her body, she mimicked the sensation as she enhanced her muscles.

"..."

Seeing the king's desperation to no longer be deadweight, Ottar's evaluation of Arry rose. To the point that he included her in his plans.

"King of Shalzard… we don't need to break free entirely… we simply need to disturb the Grand Behemoth from roaring… coordinate with my attack"

Hearing Ottar's words, Arry was surprised for a moment but quickly ignored it to focus more on what he said. Glaring at the face of the Grand Behemoth, both she and Ottar began to fill their swords with mind.

『Silver moon's mercy… the golden wilderness…』

『This body is destined to encapsulate… the wild boar of war…』

『Run through all… and carry out thy goddess' will…』

Ottar struggled to chant his magic. Gathering the necessary mind was hard enough as is, but he was also trying desperately to not trigger an ignis fatuus under all the distractions the continuous roaring was giving him.

『Gather… converge… condense…』

As Ottar struggled to perform his chant, Arry was having difficulty drawing more power from her contract with Eos.

She hadn't yet grown strong enough to draw much power from the great spirit, so she didn't have much energy to use at that moment.

If she reduced the energy she was using to enhance her body, she would immediately be crushed by the Grand Behemoth's roar. But if she didn't do so, she wouldn't have enough energy to form her attack.

The two were merely one step away from their goal… all they needed was a moment… and a moment they would soon receive.

『𝙁 𝙄 𝙂 𝙃 𝙏』

The voice of the goddess Freya swept through their minds, giving them clarity and focus. With the temporary unbinding of their minds from the monster's roar, Arry and Ottar were able to take that last step to form their attacks.

𝙁 𝙒 𝙊 𝙊 𝙊 𝙊 -

A gust of wind formed as two pillars of golden light manifested. The golden glow of Ottar's magic, and the golden light of Eos' divinity.

"GH-"

Not wasting this moment, the two kings tightened their grasp around their weapons. Pressing onto the ground greatly, and twisting their bodies with all their strength, the two swords of gold swung true.

『HILDIS VINI!!!』

『CALIBURN!!!』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A great plume of smoke erupted from the Grand Behemoth's face as the two attacks of magic landed without trouble.

The chorus of the beasts faltered and soon grew softer and softer until it was no more. Bereft of the roar's chains, the alliance forces began to heave as they were freed from their captivity.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa…"

Allen and the other Freya familia executives breathed in and out deeply before turning their gazes forward.

"..."

Standing confidently were Ottar and Arry, the sole two that had been able to escape the hold of the resounding roar. One was the gatekeeper of the goddess who ruled over them all… and the other was an upstart king who managed to secure her place among the strong.

"... tch"

Allen was the only one to verbalize his discontent, but in the hearts and minds of all the people in the main subjugation force… they were angry.

Angry that they had been upstaged once again by their captain. Angry that they had allowed some newcomer to outperform them.

"It would seem that we have been too complacent in the last fifteen years…"

Hedin said as he slowly regained his bearings. Speaking of the arrogance he and his comrades had unknowingly fallen into.

It had just been as their goddess told them. They had grown too complacent during the time of peace after the fall of Evilus. Unconsciously lessening their pursuit of strength in the belief that they already were the strongest.

"T'would seem mine arrogance hath caused mine folly…"

Hogni whispered softly as he slowly prepared his mind to chant his magic. A magic spell that would turn him into a fighting warrior that rivaled Ottar in battle lust. 『Dainsleif』

"Hah?! I don't need you to remind me about that. Shitty elf!-"

Allen cursed loudly as he gripped his spear tightly. Firmly planting his feet into the ground, he would carve onto this battlefield why he was known as Orario's fastest adventurer.

"It pisses me off…"

"I'm greatly annoyed…"

"This angers me…"

"Shit…"

The Gulliver brothers all spoke, not in unison, but in disarray. They no longer cared about their coordination. They simply wanted to wipe away the monster that disgraced them so much in front of their beloved goddess.

This burning hatred was not only sparked within the main subjugation force but the entirety of the alliance.

"Haa… usually I would run away after nearly dying… but oddly enough, after seeing the way those Behemoths looked down on me… 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨"

Lulune of the Hermes familia spoke out slowly as she slowly regained her breath, speaking out words that resonated with her fellow familia members.

Most of the time, the adventurers of the Hermes familia would prioritize their survival over honor… but knowing that the world is doomed if they failed this mission, and seeing the apathetic gazes of the Behemoths, all they now sought was the eradication of the beasts.

"Adventurers of the Hermes and Freya familias… ready your arms… we are about to clear the resurrected Behemoths in their entirety"

Leading the nearby squads to his vicinity, the vice-captain of the Hermes familia, Falgar Batros, slowly began to coordinate his comrades for their shared mission.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

Outside the walls of Sorshana, the alliance fleet was laying witness to the arrival of the Behemoths who responded to the bellowing roar.

Their silhouettes broke through the black winds of the storm, appearing as if they were being birthed from darkness itself. It was a sight that would instill fear in many… but to the men and women aboard the ships of the alliance fleet, all they could see was redemption.

Behind their backs was the capital of their nation. The convergence of their pride and history as a people. In front of them was a horde of Behemoths. The manifestation of dread that wished to lay waste to their lands.

They had failed to defend their homeland from the Warusa invaders. They had failed to reclaim it after being chased away by the Behemoths.

This would be their last chance to reclaim their pride… with nothing left to lose, the Shalzard people would now fight with a ferocity never seen before.

"READY ALL CANNONS!!!"

The mechanical shouts of the numerous cannons echoed into the air as the roar of the magic engines resounded in chorus.

"READY YOUR WEAPONS!!!"

The shouts of the squad leaders harmonized with the low shirring of magic spells and the harsh clashing of steel against the land.

The Behemoths had sung their song of despair… and now, the mortals would sing a song of their own… a song of determination… a song of hope… a song of dream… a song for the coming dawn.

"..."

Standing atop a broken tower with a goddess by his side, Bell smiled widely as he watched the stage unfold before his eyes. Spreading his hands to the air, he would recite words he had spoken in a past life… a declaration to the heavens as the gods watched the world below.

♩♪ 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜? ♩♪

Numerous cries of war were sung into the misty air, the broken streets, the blazing sands, and the covered sky. All around Sorshana, the counterattacks of the alliance… of the mortals… began in earnest

♩♪ 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙣? ♩♪

Battles erupted all around. Spirits burning and their eyes alive, the fight for the world began. To slay the monsters who wished to sully the lands which they live upon. To end the oppression of the tyrant monster king.

♩♪ 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣! ♩♪

The spirits of long-gone souls resounded among the living. The suffering of the people in an age long forgotten. The realization of a long-held dream that mortals no longer need to fear the fang and claw of the beast.

♩♪ 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩… ♩♪

The ground shook as the adventurers marched atop the ground. Giving their souls to the cause as they charged forward into a perilous battle.

♩♪ 𝙀𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙨… ♩♪

The sky thundered as the deafening cry of cannon fire resounded all throughout. The spirits of determined people resonated with the recoil of the steel weapons.

♩♪ 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨! ♩♪

The encapsulation of valor and bravery amidst dread and despair.

Heroic Myth.

(E/D: Wars are fought for victory and victory is achieved for history. History… always wins… and in those pages of history, only the brave, victorious, and powerful live.)

…

..

.

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!-"

The battle raged on.

The land beyond the walls was reduced to no more than a wasteland of burning sand. Numerous dunes were destroyed as the alliance fleet constantly bombarded the incoming Behemoths with countless shells of artillery fire.

The cannons fumed with smoke as the Shalzardians aboard each ship worked constantly to ensure the craft could continue functioning.

"Give me a status report on 『Stormbreakers』one through five, and 『Windbreakers』two and six!"

"Maintain formation on the western walls, and send some reinforcements to the northwestern entrance!"

"Inform『Stormbreakers』six to switch with 『Stormbreakers』seven!"

Asfi constantly analyzed the battlefield and micromanaged each moving part of the defense of Sorshana. Yelling out orders without rest whilst straining her mind to find the optimum position with each wave of Behemoths.

"Asfi! I'll be heading out to assist the maintenance crew on the deck of 『Windbreakers』three! Keep yourself hydrated! We can't afford to lose you right now!"

Hermes shouted to his familia captain as he prepared to board an escape craft to help the crew of another ship in the alliance fleet.

The usually nonchalant and lazy god was no more. He knew just how much was at stake, and couldn't afford to simply rest on his laurels.

Though he moved and worked under the pressure, he kept a wide smile on his face. Unfolding before his eyes was the beautiful potential that captured his heart long ago. The bravery of the weak, and the radiance of heroes.

'I've been waiting all these years for this moment… I would even use my arcanum if it meant this light could continue shining-'

All that remained within the god was the competent divine messenger. One who proved his worth to the sole great god of Olympus.

Meanwhile, within the walls of the ruined capital city, the battlefield was one of ashen dust and black mist.

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…

"Push forward!!! Don't give in!!!"

In every street, corner, and walkway, a fierce battle between mortals and monsters could be found. Countless adventurers pierced into the hides of the black beasts with their weapons and magic, as their bones were crushed and crumbled under the heel of the giants.

『HEAL!!!』

But with the aid of potions and the magic of the healers, they continued to fight fiercely despite running a daunting gauntlet of pain and suffering.

Not a single life had yet been lost, but it was showing that the alliance would soon run out of steam. The fleet was slowly running out of ammunition, the subjugation force was running out of mind and stamina, and battle supplies were running low.

"Haa… haa… haa… Pock? You got any mind potions left?"

A female pallum of the Hermes familia spoke with weighted breath to her brother as she removed her spear from the decaying carcass of another Behemoth they had been slain.

"Haa… haa… haa… got one left, Pot… but don't drink too much of it… you might get potion poisoning"

A male pallum of the Hermes familia responded to his sister's request, warning her of the commonly known side effects of consuming too many potions. But alas, his words fell on deaf ears as his sister downed the potion in one chug.

"Phew! Alright! Let's keep killing these Behemoth guys!"

Pot shouted out in exuberance after being refreshed by the potion, wanting to rally up her comrades in her assigned squad.

"..."

Her cheers were only met with silence by the Freya familia adventurers that accompanied the two pallum siblings.

Not out of a grudge between their familias or any personal dispute. It was simply that they were all deathly tired from the constant fighting.

Engaging with countless gigantic monsters whilst donning heavy metallic armor was quite the stamina-draining task, especially since any slip of concentration might spell death for them on the fierce battlefield they currently stood upon.

"..."

The pallum siblings fell into silence as well, but the entire squad was soon broken out of their slump with the sudden arrival of a loud shout coming from the city's center.

『BY THE POWER OF THE DEMON BLADE!!! BRING ETERNAL DESTRUCTION!!!』

The silhouette of Hogni Ragnar flew through the sky as he leaped off a tall building and headed directly toward a towering monstrosity. His expression was crazed as his eyes focused on his target with an insane amount of bloodlust.

『BURN DRAIN!!!』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A great plume of fire erupted from Hogni's blade as he activated his magic. Burning the Grand Behemoth's skin greatly, causing the giant beast to roar out in pain.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The assault didn't end in a single attack. The other members of the main subjugation force descended upon the Grand Behemoth as well, all with tenacity and bloodlust that rivaled even the crazed Hogni.

『Fight eternally, indestructible soldiers of lightning』

『Caelus Hildr』

Hedin chanted his magic whilst moving from one building to another, dodging the attacks of the giant black beast without any misstep in the forming of his magic.

The elf manifested several powerful orbs of lightning from the sky, all of which descended upon his target, electrocuting the beast immensely. Alighting a bright yellow radiance across the beast's body.

𝙏 𝙎 𝙎 𝙃 𝙃

"JUST DIE YOU WALKING MOUNTAIN!!!"

Allen shouted as he faded into a blur whilst holding his spear. The cat person's loud cursing prompted a response from the Gulliver brothers who were coordinating with him for a melee assault.

"How uncouth"

"Show some decorum as our vice-captain"

"You bring shame to our goddess and familia"

"Alley cat"

Hearing the synchronized insults of the pallum brothers, Allen cursed at them as well and they all neared the beast.

"SHUT UP YOU MIDGET QUADRUPLETS!!!"

𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙃...

With their custom-crafted weapons forged by Bell, Allen and the Gulliver brother left deep scars upon the black hide of the beast.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

As the beast tried to roar in pain, it was soon quieted by the arrival of two more people who were waiting to continue the assault.

『Eos Light』

Arry fell from a high tower and began to trace her glowing sword down upon the hind leg of the beast. Her eyes and body moved without thought as she dragged her sword down a path that optimized the most damage for her attack.

But just as she was about to continue attacking, a foreign feeling invaded her mind, one that told her to dodge quickly. Shifting her body rapidly, Arry deftly moved away as the Grand Behemoth attempted to wildly move the leg she had been attacking.

"Phew… so this is the uncanny abilities of my eyes…『Instinct』"

Arry called out the name of the special ability that had been engraved upon her soul. An uncanny sense of intuition that can determine one's best course of action in any situation.

『Eos Light』

Bathing her body in her spirit's light once more, Arry landed on the ground with little damage. Before she began to move in preparation for her next assault, her eyes focused on the black silhouette that was rapidly approaching the face of the Grand Behemoth.

Ottar.

"..."

The beast-man was silent as he tightened his grip on the handle of his sword 『Brutus』. Training his eyes on the beast, he soon unleashed an immensely powerful strike upon its head.

"MMPH!!!"

𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The beast roared loudly as it received the most pain from Ottar's single blow. Tumbling down on its side from the immense force of the attack.

𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃

A great cloud of dust formed from another leveled area of land caused by the battle of the main subjugation force against the Grand Behemoth.

Their battle was one that only the truly strong may dare to participate in. A stage where only the most talented and hard-working warriors will ever truly shine atop.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

Despite their coordinated assault, the Grand Behemoth simply stood up once more. Their attacks only being another addition to the countless scars they had already left on the beast's hide.

They had already been fighting for close to half an hour, and yet it seemed as if all their efforts were going nowhere… most people would simply choose to give up at the lack of progression… but these warriors did not.

"FUCK!!! This time is going to be the one! I'll aim for that bastard's eyes next time!"

"Perhaps my magic needs to be more fine-tuned… for my electricity to pierce the body even deeper it would have to…"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Let's continue fighting!!! Fun!!! Fun!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Faster…"

"Stronger…"

"Smarter…"

"More precise…"

"Let's go for one more round, Eos…"

『You got it, Arry!』

"..."

Their dignified and powerful backs were clear for the rest of the alliance to see. Seeing them continue to fight fiercely after all the time that had passed, the observing adventurers simply couldn't bring it in themselves to give up before them.

Just one more… just one more… just one more… just one more… one more…

Pushing forward one step at a time, the alliance continued to fight the ashen black monstrosities without fear or despair.

"ONE MORE TIME!!!"

…

..

.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The Grand Behemoth roared into the dark sky as it was assaulted on all sides.

The alliance force inside the walls was eventually able to clear all the undead Behemoths, thus freeing up their forces to aid in the assault against the Grand Behemoth.

"Bring the injured to the healers! The remaining adventurers are to continue supplying the main force with supplies!"

As for the fleet that lay outside the walls, after evacuating and losing some desert ships during the relentless attack of the Behemoths, they were able to successfully defend the city from the invading monsters.

However, due to their low supply of ammunition, the fleet was only able to provide artillery support in moments where it would prove to be the most effective.

"FIRE!!!"

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…

Countless trails of white smoke were traced across the air as a volley of Anti-Behemoth shells made an impact against the beast.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

"JUST DIE ALREADY!!!"

The main subjugation force continued their relentless assault. Attacking then immediately preparing for the next attack. Their bodies were pushed to the absolute limit as their muscles screamed in pain with each action they performed.

"Haa…haa…haa…haa…"

Even Ottar was now breathing heavily.

Activating his magic 『Stortus Ottar』had allowed him access to the 『Healing Power』and 『Spirit Healing』, which recovered his health and mind respectively, but not even that was enough to combat the fatigue he was currently experiencing.

"We are lacking a decisive blow… like Zald's or Miss Alfia's magic…"

Ottar knew they were lacking a powerful strike to end the gigantic monster. He was capable of performing such a strike, but doing so would leave him useless if the monster survived his blow… and he couldn't rely on Bell either, he lacked the strength to do so.

But before the beastman could lose himself in strategizing, an electrifying noise resounded through the air, one that Ottar recognized clearly.

"The Prydwen…"

𝙑𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈-

A bright red aura began to illuminate the Prdywen as the False Barrel began to initialize. The weapon required a large amount of time between each use, due to the number of magic items and enchantments needed for its safe usage.

But now that enough time had passed, and with no more invading Behemoths for Asfi to worry about, the familia captain immediately ordered the activation of the railgun immediately.

『False Barrel-to-Prydwen connection: COMPLETE… Entering of bombardment stance: COMPLETE…』

『Activating of Giant Slayer Enchantment… Accomplish measure, start…Measuring difference of scale』

The cannon began to undergo its activation procedure, but as more and more energy began to be exuded by the desert ship, the Grand Behemoth's attention turned away from the subjugation force to the activating cannon.

Ottar immediately recognized what the monster was intending to do and immediately shouted loudly to the alliance forces about what to do.

"-!!! ALL ADVENTURERS!!! ALL ALLIANCE SHIPS!!! DON'T LET THE GRAND BEHEMOTH DESTROY THE PRYDWEN!!!"

"-!!!"

Roused by Ottar's shout and the fact that victory was near, the exhausted alliance force sprung back into action to halt the Grand Behemoth's approach to the Prdywen.

"ALL SHIPS! CONCENTRATE FIRE ON THE GRAND BEHEMOTH'S LEGS! KEEP FIRING UNTIL WE'RE EMPTY!"

The numerous captains in the alliance fleet ordered the immediate bombardment of the gigantic monster. Deafening blasts erupted in all directions as a volley of pure destruction descended upon the beast.

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈… 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…

The beast was bathed in explosions and smoke, but it remained unperturbed by the attack, walking with strength as it neared closer and closer to the capital ship of the fleet.

"Damn it!-"

Hedin cursed as he and Hogni raced around the beast's body with a tired breath. The two elves were extremely exhausted by the battle, but seeing that the efforts would soon turn to naught if they didn't move, they began to act with what little strength they had.

"Hogni! Even though 『Dainsleif』has already ended for you, are you still willing to fight?"

Hedin spoke out to his companion as to his willingness to fight. Hogni relied on his magic to switch his introverted personality in order to fight to the best of his capability, otherwise, he would be too scared to enter a fierce battlefield.

Knowing that the only thing they could do to hinder the Grand Behemoth was extremely risky, Hedin needed to know that Hogni was willing to do whatever it took to achieve victory for the alliance and for their goddess.

"..."

The dark elf was quiet for a moment… he was… scared… extremely scared… but upon remembering the brightness the city of Merkabah was filled with, the smiles of the people, the happiness of his goddess… and the determination of the single person who made it possible…

"I'll do it, Hedin!"

Seeing the determined look on the dark elf's face which usually only showed shyness and fear, Hedin couldn't help but smile at how idiotic the both of them were for what they were about to do.

"Good! Now chant your strongest spell! Keep strengthening it until you enter Mind Zero!"

An all-or-nothing attack, such was the only strategy that appeared in the mind of the celebrated strategist of the Freya familia.

『Sing eternally, o' immortal saint』

『Laurus Hildr』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A great lightning bolt rained upon Hogni as Hedin cast his strongest magic. An enchantment-type magic that would allow a person to gain speed and strength equivalent to Ais' full-power『Ariel』in addition to imbuing all their attacks with lightning that further enhances one's strength and can cause temporary paralysis.

"..."

As Hedin's consciousness faded as a result of using all of his remaining mind, he took in the sight of the shy and fearful dark elf he knew for so long. Devoid of hesitation, he now looked like the king he wanted to be in their numerous talks together.

'Looks like… you finally grew up… Hogni…'

『By the power of the demon blade… bring eternal destruction』

Hogni raised his arm as he aimed it towards one of the hind legs of the Grand Behemoth, powering up his magic until his vision began to fade into black, he called out the name of his magic with a loud cry.

『BURN DRAIN!!!』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A storm of fire and lightning manifested forth from Hogni's hands and crashed into the body of the Behemoth.

Clouds of black smoke rose from its hide as it burnt the monster greatly, burning away the skin and muscle until the bone was exposed.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

Despite the injuries it had accrued, the beast continued to move forward, despite the two elves' best efforts. But the assault didn't end with them alone, more adventurers rose up to halt its advance.

𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃

Large chunks of the ground broke immensely as a powerful force trodden upon its surface with great power and speed.

'Faster… faster… faster…'

Moving like a blur as he ran around the entire perimeter of the city of Sorshan again and again, Allen was preparing to strike at the monster with his strongest attack.

It was a simple yet deadly technique, he would simply run faster and faster until the force of his attack would become one of immense strength.

𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃… 𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃…

A swirling cloud of dust began to encircle the walls of Sorhsana until it eventually changed directions. In an instant, Allen directed his accrued momentum and directed it straight at the Grand Behemoth's other hind leg.

"I hate to admit this… but that bastard's weapon is the only thing that can handle this amount of momentum… AAAAAAAAAAA-"

Fueled by rage, annoyance, and determination, Allen halted his sprint as he pressed firmly onto the ground and threw the spear with all the strength he had left in his body.

『GRALINEZE FROMMEL!!!』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A sonic boom erupted around Allen as his thrown spear immediately broke through the sound barrier. Tearing through the wind like a fierce predator before closing in on the leg of the beast.

𝙋 𝙄 𝙀 𝙍 𝘾 𝙀

The spear tore through the tough hide of the beast and opened a large wound across the length of its leg. But though his attack has pierced through the beast, it wasn't enough to stagger it effectively.

"Damn… it…"

Allen cursed as he began to lose consciousness from the sheer exhaustion his body was now experiencing, but just before he drifted into a world of black, he could see the visages of four brothers who approached the site of his spear to capitalize on the spot he had opened up.

"Damn alley cat…"

"If you're gonna show off, at least do it correctly…"

"Poor alley cat, to save your face, we will graciously pick up on your slack…"

"So thank us profusely when this is all over…"

The Gulliver brothers clasped their weapons tightly as they began to unleash a flurry of attacks against the exposed muscle. Tearing away at vital tendons and muscle fibers until the brothers fell into unconsciousness as well, crashing onto the ground weakly.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The beast roared as it began to stagger. Its momentum had been affected. Seeing that the attack was effective, the alliance forces continued to hammer it down with attack after attack.

The fleet ships continued to rain down immense artillery fire. The ground forces began to assault the beast with magic and magic swords until they too fell into unconsciousness like the Freya familia's executives.

But despite their spirited efforts, their combined forces couldn't equal the all-out strength of the strongest adventurers of the strongest familia.

"..."

Watching all this unfold was Arry who was currently lying down on pieces of rubble, extremely tired and unable to move much after all the exertion she went through.

"It's almost there… Bell's promised victory… Eos' reunion with her sister… move… move…"

Arry's vision began to fade as she struggled to stay awake. Fighting off the growing embrace of sleep that wished to take her mind away from the world of the waking.

『Arry…』

Eos spoke with a sad voice as she watched Arry struggle to catch up with the strongest adventurers who were currently making a difference in the desperate struggle.

Try as she might, the king couldn't achieve such levels of strength in a few months. Even as she was driven by the hopes of people, the support of her allies… and the love she had for her friend… Arry simply couldn't catch up with such little time.

"..."

The king was silent for a moment. Taking in the humiliating frustration she was feeling at that moment, she realized that it was the same feeling she experienced as she watched her kingdom burn to the ground.

Unable to make a difference as invaders pillaged and destroyed her homeland into rubble. Only being able to run away in the shadows, nervously holding her breath as she wandered in desperation for any semblance of hope…

… and hope she had found at the end of her wandering in the dark… a callused hand that reached out to her in a dark and stench-ridden alleyway of the black market…

"... Eos, is there any way for me to temporarily gain more power?"

Arry asked her spirit as she resolved to do what Bell was so willing to perform for even a complete stranger like herself and her people… to sacrifice whatever was necessary.

『Temporary power?』

Eos immediately grew hesitant to answer her contractor's question, as it was a method that led to the deaths of many great heroes who called upon the spirits for aid. One that ended the glorious and inspiring tales of the heroic Argonaut and the champion Albert in tragedy.

But though the spirit hesitated, she could see the answer to her hesitation in the soul of Arry. The king was willing and determined to do whatever it took to win.

『There is a way, Arry… I can overload your body with my divinity in order to grant you a boost in strength』

『But I must warn you… taking in an amount of power beyond what your body can handle would inevitably destroy it permanently… in the worst case, you could simply burn up and disappear』

Spirits contracted with mortals, and through their contract, they are able to funnel a portion of their patron god's divinity into their contractor. But the system the spirits conducted contracts with, held no safety checks and limitations like falna.

It was the responsibility of the contracted spirit to make sure that their contractor only accessed an amount of power they believed they were capable of handling. So, in emergency situations, a spirit could allow divine power to overflow. Giving immense strength at an irreversible cost.

"..."

Arry was quiet for a few moments before eventually accepting Eos' proposal. She resolved to do whatever it took to succeed, even if it came at her own expense.

𝙑𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈-

A dense aura of gold wrapped itself around Arry's body. In an instant, she felt immense strength flowing through her, but just as quickly as it aided with her exhaustion, it just as quickly began to inflict her with another form of suffering.

"AAAAGGGHHHH-"

Arry began to scream as she felt the divinity begin to tear her body apart from the inside. Eos could only watch in worry as the king struggled to control the vast amount of power now at her disposal.

But though she suffered, Arry's mind was clearly set on what she must do.

"GHH!!!-"

Clasping down on Caliburn, and raising her arm towards the moving Behemoth, Arry began to form her attack with all the energy she now possessed.

The golden sword began to glimmer with a brilliant radiance as the divine essence of Helios wrapped around the blade. Growing more and more condensed, until it was finally ready to be unleashed.

"-?!!!"

But just as she was about to do so, Arry noticed one-half of her vision begin to fade into nothing… her left eye had gone blind.

"Heh… so I lost one of my eyes as the cost… but it doesn't matter, I can still see clearly with the other!-"

Though the loss of vision would normally impair most people's ability to aim, Arry was not like most people… 𝙨𝙝𝙚 was 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.

『𝙄 𝙉 𝙎 𝙏 𝙄 𝙉 𝘾 𝙏』

Her eyes began to glow a brilliant violet as her body began to direct her toward the most optimum trajectory without even a single thought. An intuition that bordered on future sight, such was the ability engraved upon the soul of a destined ruler.

𝙑𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈-

The golden aura around Caliburn had reached its brightest possible radiance, and with a ruling voice, Arry commanded her power to shoot forth and achieve what she desired.

『CALIBURN!!!』

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

A golden beam shot forth from Arry's blade and pierced through the front leg of the beast. In addition to that, her trajectory which had been formed through her 『Instinct』allowed the beam to graze the vital tendons of the other remaining leg, effectively completely hindering all of the beast's limbs.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The Grand Behemoth roared out in immense pain. It struggled to move as each action flooded its mind with intense suffering. It was straining its muscles and body beyond its current capabilities… but a monster was not sentient, it was simply a tool through which the dungeon's hatred of the mortal and divine could be expressed… and thus…

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

It kept moving forward.

The roar of the beast was the only noise that resounded as it trudged along the ruined city that carried the exhausted and slumbering alliance forces.

The roar of the cannons was no more. The shouts of the adventurers had grown cold. There was nothing left to inhibit the beast from laying waste to the Prydwen… except for him.

"..."

Ottar leaped into the air and slowly began to descend upon the beast's head. He had neither the strength nor the capability to subjugate the beast in a single blow… but he had one thing that he was confident in… his endurance.

𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃

Descending upon the beast with an immense fury, Ottar blew the beast's head onto the ground with his sword, causing the ground to shake immensely as large clouds of dust formed.

"..."

Landing in front of the beast that struggled to raise itself, Ottar planted his sword onto the ground as he slowly began to approach the monstrosity.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…"

Ottar spoke in disbelief at the best answer he arrived at after consulting all his years of fighting… and that answer was…

𝘾 𝙇 𝘼 𝙎 𝙋

… hold the beast from advancing further with his own two hands and body.

"GHH-"

Ottar immediately began to flood his body with all his remaining strength to hold back the Grand Behemoth from advancing further. Planting its head onto the ground and pushing back against the giant's approach.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎…

The Grand Behemoth could only release a low growl as it was at the brink of its strength after fighting and enduring for so long… and yet, its strength was still leagues above Ottar.

"HMMPPPHHH-"

The beastman struggled to keep the beast still as he dragged his feet across the ground. His momentum backward grew faster and faster as the beast drew in the last of its power.

'This is it… it's all or nothing… I'm betting it all on this last chance!!!-'

Ottar's body began to radiate a deep crimson aura as his body began to morph drastically. His muscles increased in size. His eyes grew wilder. His anatomy grew less human-like… and his rationality was disappearing bit by bit.

𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

A unique trait among the beast people that allowed their kind to grow stronger at the cost of their rationality and intelligence, and among the already strong beast people, the Boaz beast people were considered to be the strongest alongside the Tiger beast people.

But what Ottar was currently undergoing was no simple beastification. Fueled by his dedication and loyalty to his goddess, Ottar had developed a magic that would not only further increase the capabilities of his beastification, but it would also allow him to continue serving his goddess while bereft of his sense of self.

Magic that allowed him to fight above his level. One that he had developed through his constant pursuit of strength. The pursuit of strength that would be able to create a world where his mother need not fear being sullied by the mortal and divine.

『Descent of the Warring Boar』

『𝙑 𝘼 𝙉 𝘼 𝘼 𝙍 𝙂 𝘼 𝙉 𝙏 𝙐 𝙍 𝙀』

"𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙈𝙊𝙑𝙀."

Ottar's bestial scream tore through the air as he began to push back against the Grand Behemoth with peerless strength.

The beastman began to tread upon the ground with a crazed desire. Causing quakes to form with each step he took.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎!!!

The beast screamed back in response to Ottar's protest, but the giant struggled to make ground against this crimson foe.

Ottar's power grew more and more intense the further he used his beastified state. His stats had now entered the realm of a level eight adventurer and continued to rise.

As he locked himself in a contest of strength between himself and the king of the land, his senses grew duller and duller as time passed around him.

He no longer felt the aching of his body. He no longer heard the screams of the monster nor the roaring of the False Barrel. He no longer smelled the burnt air of Soshana. He no longer tasted the salt of his own over pouring sweat.

All he felt… was frustration…

Frustration that he wasn't strong enough to rid the monster by himself.

Frustration that he had grown complacent despite the terror that still existed in the world.

Frustration that he had yet to surpass his idolized Zald from the Zeus familia even after all this time.

Recalling the outstretched hand that reached out to him in a trash-ridden corner of Orario. Recalling the smile the goddess showed when everyone else only looked upon him with disgust as a filthy orphan. Recalling the assuredness her embrace felt after living alone for so long.

Recalling it all… the love she gave for a child no other mortal or god dared to love… could he truly call himself her protector for failing to do such things?

…

..

.

"𝙏𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩"

…

..

.

"Behind me is the last chance of victory for the alliance…"

𝙎 𝙏 𝙀 𝙋

"Behind me is the world where my mother and I live…"

𝙎 𝙏 𝙀 𝙋

"Behind me are the smiles that my mother enjoys observing in secret…"

𝙎 𝙏 𝙀 𝙋

"Behind me are the treasures that bring her happiness amidst all the sadness she accrued…"

𝙎 𝙏 𝙀 𝙋

"Behind me… is my family…"

𝙎 𝙏 𝙀 𝙋

No questions. No hesitation. The only thing he needed to do… was fight.

"𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼!!!-"

𝘽 𝙊 𝙊 𝙈

An immense boom formed as Ottar finally equalized in strength with the Grand Behemoth, much to the surprise of the observing Asfi and the monster itself.

Going beyond mere equalizing, albeit very small, Ottar had even begun to push back against the giant.

"Damn it!- Cut off the activation of the remaining recoil absorption magic items, and just proceed with the activation! Ottar can't hold on for much longer!"

Seeing the sacrifices the beastman was giving to hold off the threat, Asfi decided to expedite the activation process and immediately start the firing of the False Barrel.

『1000… 3000… 5000… 7000… 9000… The scale has stopped and measures at 10000… Beginning imbuing of necessary mind…』

𝙏𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃… 𝙏𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃…

『Observation of Bombardment Target: COMPLETE… Securing of Bunket Bolts and Recoil Absorbing Apparatuses: COMPLETE…』

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙂… 𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙂...

『Orichalcum Anti-Behemoth Round has been Loaded… Bullet Frame, Armor-Piercing Mode… Mind Chamber has reached Critical… Entering Full Trance』

𝙑𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈-

…

..

.

『𝙁𝘼𝙇𝙎𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙀𝙇』

…

..

.

『𝘿 𝙄 𝙎 𝘾 𝙃 𝘼 𝙍 𝙂 𝙀』

…

..

.

Ringing.

Ottar didn't know what had happened. In one moment he was devoid of any feeling beyond his loyalty to Freya… then came light and ringing in his ears.

"..."

Ottar's vision was blurry. His senses were numb. His command of his body was almost non-existent. Nothing.

"..."

The beastman truly felt nothing at that moment… but then came a sense of dread that overtook his mind, an intuition that came with his beastification… the battle wasn't over yet.

"..."

He knew not the reason why he felt such oppressing and imminent danger, but he did. Yet he was unable to do anything about it. Weak and powerless against the threat that remained.

"..."

The feeling brought him back to a time long ago. A time when he hadn't yet been crowned as『King』by the gods and goddesses of Orario.

It was during the age of Zeus and Hera. An age filled with valor and determination as the two greatest familias challenged the three great quests given by the world.

They had just returned victorious from their battle with the Leviathan at the port city of Melen, and Orario was swept up in a festive mood of cheer and celebration… and it was in that joyous time that he came to learn frustration.

𝙁𝙪𝙘𝙠… 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙚...

Ottar had been picking up food from a small pub that was the progenitor of the current Hostess of Fertility. Eating meals using leftover ingredients through the pity of a dwarf who didn't look like a dwarf to him.

𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙...

It was supposed to be yet another trip to get a meal… but as it was a time of festivity, the dwarf's establishment was filled to the brim with drinking patrons… one of which had struck his nerves.

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩, 𝙝𝙪𝙝?... 𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚? 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙪𝙩

A young Ottar had overheard some patrons talking pervertedly about his goddess, Freya. Labeling her with endless insults and degrading titles. Slut. Whore. Public Use. Hearing such words… and knowing the suffering she went through… knowing who she was beneath her public image… how could he stand still.

'Take that back… my mother...isn't a whore…'

Dragging himself across the ground. Slowly readying himself to fight once more despite his broken body, Ottar desired to right the name of the kind woman that had saved her and numerous other children like himself.

𝙊𝙧 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩?

Approaching him, Ottar began to receive the beating of his life. He was broken to an inch of his life. His breathing was weak as he slowly bled out on the cold stone ground of the alleyway.

He was about to be beaten once more… but a figure soon stood between himself and his assailants.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮? 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧? 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙪𝙮𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬?

He was tall, but his garments gave off a sense of normalcy… and yet his back was reassuring. He was looked down upon. Cursed and insulted with every possible word one could think of… and yet… all he did was smile.

𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚...𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝… 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖… 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙈𝙖𝙭𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.... 𝙝𝙖𝙖… 𝙬𝙤𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚

The man simply listed off his complaints as he slowly began to be surrounded on all sides. The men around him were readying themselves to beat down what they believed to be another fool… but the tall man simply removed his coat… revealing a tunic with a striking symbol embroidered across its back.

A crown of lightning bolts.

"Hey kid, are you still there?"

Ottar's hearing grew clearer as the image of the man slowly began to reform itself in his mind. With a head of red hair that appeared like blood, and a face riddled with scars, he was the definition of an intimidating man… and yet… his smile was the kindest he had ever seen.

"Don't you worry a thing… just leave it all-

…

..

.

"-to me, Ottar"

"..."

Ottar's vision had finally returned to him. Greeting the return of his sight was a night sky, bereft of the dark clouds of the Behemoth's storm… but more importantly… there was a figure who looked down on him with a smile.

"I gotta say, you exceeded my expectations. I did feel bad for not fighting until now… but seeing the current development, I suppose it was only best for me to reserve my strength"

"...?"

The beastman was confused. He had driven himself back to consciousness due to the sense of danger he had felt… and yet… in his presence, he felt like it was ok to go back to sleep. To leave it all to him.

『Reinforce』

Ottar could see little with the few bits of strength that remained in his body, but he did see one thing. Blue lightning bolts… like the symbol that was etched onto the back of Zald he had seen long ago.

It was as if the long-dead warrior's spirit had lived on through the person who now stood in front of him in the present. As if he were watching over the situation the entire time.

It was something Ottar would never rely upon as an adventurer who sought to be the pillar of support for his mother and goddess… but there was a single moment where the infallible beast-man did rely upon… the help of a hero.

'Zald…'

"Bell…"

As the young adventurer faced a titan of loving demise, Ottar couldn't help but be reminded of the assuredness the legendary adventurer had given him as a child.

With a crown of lightning descending upon his body, Bell held out his hands as blades began to manifest all around him. Carrying upon his back the hope of the past, present, and future.

A heroic myth manifested.

…

..

.

『𝙏 𝙍 𝘼 𝘾 𝙀 𝙊 𝙉』

(E/D: I love cliffs.)

…

..

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Editor:

The Darkest Knight#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

… sorry not sorry for the multiple cliffhangers. HAHAHAHAHA.

I hope I was able to convey a sense of desperation and the feeling of a true battle in this chapter. I felt like I failed to do so during the Antares and Leviathan fights, so I really hope I was able to do it this time. Third time's the charm and all that.

I think there will be maybe 2 more chapters until this arc ends… but then again, I said the same thing a few chapters ago, so don't hold onto that promise much.

Thank you again for reading this chapter, I hope you look forward to the next one, and may you all have a nice day!