《This Hero is invincible but too cautious》 Volume 1 - CH 0 Introduction: The Goddess¡¯ Distress ¡¸This time, the Goddess named Listarte* will became responsible for saving the world named ¡°Geabrande*¡±, a world with S-rank salvation difficulty!! ¡¹ From the God¡¯s realm, a round of applause thundered across the sanctuary. This applause was in honor of a brave and beautiful Goddess ¨C it was for me. ¡¸This job is a great opportunity! Do your best, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it great, Lista! If you succeed, you will become a full-fledged Goddess!¡¹ I was encouraged by my fellow comrades, so I was trying to show a smile on my face. ¡­ S-rank difficulty¡­you are kidding, right¡­? I, Lista short from Listarte, was born as a goddess in the God¡¯s realm around hundred years ago. So far, I have saved five different worlds from evil threats by summoning a hero from another dimension to rescue worlds in need. Well, having saved five worlds is not much compared to the numbers saved by the other veteran gods. They would summon brave heroes, with a capability of ten times more than an average person, to save the earthly world. However, even a world with an S-rank difficulty can overwhelm the veteran gods. I heard they say that the pure evil that dwells on these worlds has the capability to match the power of the gods in the heavenly realm. I returned to my room in the vicinity of the sanctuary in order to search in my list of candidates for a young Japanese hero from Planet Earth. I decided to summon a Japanese person because they are brave (Editor note: I guess the rest of us are cowards >.<). The first time I summoned a hero, I incidentally summoned a Martian, and the second time I summoned an indigenous person from South Africa.It took about one full month for him understand how this system works. In this respect, the Japanese tend to quickly adapt to the circumstances. I understood what kind of place Japan is thanks to the many foreign books I have explaining the world transitions and migration. Even though the foreign enthusiasm is fading towards Japan, this place is still viewed as an outstanding place, since the market is still vigorous¡­I wonder why I talk about such things. I must be tired. I am exhausted, but it cannot be helped. I have been looking for a hero in this huge list of high-ranked candidates repeatedly since I entered the room. My face is greasy and I have dark circles under my eyes, and on top of that, I am so tired I cannot stop shaking. After combing my blonde hair so carefully, it is now a mess. After sacrificing my godly beauty to this huge pile of documents on my desk, I managed to find two interesting files. Firstly, the number one file. Sasaki Atsushi Level ¨C 1 HP ¨C 101 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 55 Defense ¨C 37 Agility ¨C 28 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C 6 Resistance ¨C none Special skills ¨C none Personality ¨C ordinary ¡­as I can see, he is a soldier type. He doesn¡¯t have magic skills, but his attack power is high. Besides that, most of the candidates show only two digits of HP, while his are three digits. Now the second one. Suzuki Yuuko Level ¨C 1 HP ¨C 65 MP ¨C 47 Attack ¨C 18 Defense ¨C 29 Agility ¨C 20 Magic ¨C 72 Potential ¨C 7 Resistance ¨C Water Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 1) Personality ¨C ordinary ¡­this is a typical wizard type. Having flame magic can be very useful and her resistance to water is impressive too. Well now, Sasaki or Suzuki. Suzuki or Sasaki. If I could, I would take both of them with me, but I can only summon one person per world. Ah, Suzuki, Sasaki, Sasaki, Suzuki, Suzuki, Sasaki¡­even both have similar names. Each of them is useful on its own¡­ Both files are on the top of the desk, I¡¯m looking at both of them, but¡­sigh. To be honest, if the world in danger was of difficulty ranks D and C, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Sasaki or Suzuki. However, Geabrande is a world with an S-rank difficulty. I need to choose one of them carefully. ¡­ The more I think about it, the more I see that Suzuki and Sasaki might not be suitable for this.I need to review the list of candidates one more time. I might have overlooked something¡­ But, just looking at this amount of files on my desk, I suddenly feel dizzy. I abruptly fell down, and all of the papers of that pile collapsed right into my head. ¡¸Ahhhhhhh!? ¡¹ After being ¡®buried¡¯ will all of the documents, I screamed with a voice not worthy of a goddess. I immediately shake all of the documents covering the top of my head. But there is one paper that I cannot shake off because it is stuck to my hair. ¡¸What on earth is this! ¡¹ I got frustrated and took the paper off my hair furiously¡­and I could not believe what I saw. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 1 HP ¨C 385 MP ¨C 197 Attack ¨C 124 Defense ¨C 111 Agility ¨C 105 Magic ¨C 86 Potential ¨C 188 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Electricity, Earth Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 5), Experience gain increase (Lv 2) Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡¸Ah? ¡¹ What, what. What is this. How can he be level 1 with these ridiculous status. Is this an hallucination caused by overwork? Maybe a delusion due to stress? I rubbed my eyes and looked closely at the sheet of paper, and it seems like it is legitimate because the numerical value of his status remains the same. ¡­I¡­I have never seen a human with these kind of status! What an outstanding talent! This person is in one in a million people¡­No;he is in one in a hundred million people! I ran out of the room with the document, and headed for the God¡¯s realm summoning chamber¡­ With magical chanting, I started to summon the hero and I was extremely nervous that my heart beat so fast. At first, I thought that I was extremely unlucky to be in charge of saving Geabrande, a world with an S-rank salvation difficulty. But¡­ But¡­ I will be able to have a hero with an outstanding spec! He can save Geabrande immediately! This will become a great opportunity to become a great Goddess! Oh my, how lucky I am! I will be able to walk with pride on the God¡¯s marble passage. At that time, I was too focused with the status of this man with a strange name called ¡°Ryuguuin Seiya¡±. I overlooked an important item because of that. Or should I say that I saw it, but I didn¡¯t care much about it. ¡¸Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡¹ I will soon regret my decision for summoning this hero. *Translator note: The Katakana translation to Romaji would be Geaburande as well as the name Rista. But since they are foreign words it felt more right to take a tl liberty and name them according to what would sound in real life. Therefore moving forward I will call the goddess Lista and the world in need of saving Geabrande. Volume 1 - CH 1 Chapter 1: But I Refuse When the doors of the summoning chamber opened, the floor became white,the ceiling was bright, and as far as one could see, the whole space was beaming with a white light. When a summoning happens, an altered vast plane expanding kilometers appears, even though it is taking place inside the chamber. I was ten steps away from the doors and I was holding a golden choker that belonged to my dress. With that magical choker, I was able to draw on the floor an enchanted chart. Finally, I pronounced aloud the name of the hero I wanted to summon. This occurrence was my sixth time, so I was already used to it. Light was overflowing from the enchanted chart right away, and then one man came from the earthly world. Looking at the man that appeared right in front of me¡­ I immediately fixed my hair and took a deep breath. ¡­Oh, oh my¡­! He is so handsome¡­! It looks like his height exceeds the 180 cm (5¡¯11 feet for you us readers) high. His dashing black hair covered a fine-looking face. T-shirts and jeans are the average appearance of people from that world, but those clothes don¡¯t look ordinary on him. The aura emanating from his body is the same as the auras from the Gods from God¡¯s realm. ¡­Ah, even if for a brief moment, I would like to have a burning love affair with such a man¡­eh, what exactly am I thinking! It¡¯s strictly forbidden for a Goddess to have a love affair with a human! I need to shake this delirious idea from my head. Even so, it¡¯s admirable that such a man could make me forget my Goddess duties even for a moment. I just noticed it now. He has been staring at my face for a while now.But that¡¯s to be expected. Those who get summoned suddenly from their everyday lives to this magical chamber feel confused at first. I spoke proudly to this man with a true Goddess¡¯ dignity. ¡¸Nice to meet you. I am Listarte. I am a Goddess living on the God¡¯s realm. I¡¯m the one who summoned you from your earthly world to this realm. Listen carefully, Ryuguuin Seiya. You will be the brave hero that will save the world ¡°Geabrande¡±from the evil threats. ¡¹ After I said it, I laughed a bit ¡°huh huh¡±. Seiya is fixedly staring at me. He seems more interested in my appearance than surprised about the story I told. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, since I¡¯m a Goddess. I¡¯m an attractive woman. I got a beautiful and glossy blond hair, with a voluptuous bust area in a pure white dress, tiny waist and slender legs. This man Seiya has lost his words at the sight of a perfect woman that he probably never saw on his life until now¡­He slowly opened his mouth and spoke with a low voice. ¡¸I feel a bit suspicious to be told all that stuff by such a strange and weird person. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you saying I¡¯m a ¡°strange and weird person¡±!? ¡¹ I was almost screaming at him. But I absolutely cannot! Dignity! I need to keep my dignified posture of a Goddess! Just take a deep breath and speak serenely. ¡¸It seems you misinterpreted me. I shall repeat it again, I¡¯m a Goddess of the God¡¯s realm who summoned you to be a hero. ¡¹ ¡¸You said you were a Goddess. Then, if you are a god why don¡¯t you go save that world yourself? ¡¹ ¡¸There are rules. God created countless earthly worlds so that human beings can prosper and thrive on their own. Therefore, it is their own duty to protect the world they were given to. ¡¹ Seiya sighs and makes it sound like this is a burden. ¡¸What if I say ¡°no¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t say ¡°no¡±. ¡¹ Seiya looked at me on the eyes with disgust. ¡¸This is a nice story for bugs. ¡¹ At first, I thought Seiya would be a very cool man, but slowly my good impression of him was fading away. He is an unusual person. Normally, people will get enthusiast for being chosen as heroes¡­But, oh well. Maybe he is a bit impatient because he got summoned quite suddenly? There could be times like that! I shall approach him and convince him first. ¡¸Listen! How about you try saying ¡°Status¡±! ¡¹ Huhuh! This will be it! Most of the Japanese people get excited with things similar like games! ¡¸Why? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, what? You don¡¯t know? Maybe Seiya doesn¡¯t play enough games? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. If you say out loud ¡°Status¡±, it will show your ability in categories and numbers! Seeing is believing! Just try saying it! ¡¹ However, after thinking for a while, Seiya said¡­ ¡¸¡­Properties. ¡¹ ¡¸Properties!? ¡¹ But I told you to say ¡°Status¡± didn¡¯t I!? Why did you say ¡°Properties!? What do you mean by ¡°Properties¡±!? I don¡¯t know the meaning of it!! Suddenly, a magical ¡°window¡± popped in from of them and Seiya nodded his head as if he understood it all. ¡¸I see. I had doubt shearing a stupid story from someone like you, but after seeing this, all this stuff seems more credible. ¡¹ ¡­just now, did he spoke rudely to a Goddess like me? ¡¸So now that you said ¡°Properties¡±, try saying ¡°Status¡± as well! Ok? Ok? Just do it please! ¡¹ After begging, Seiya finally but reluctantly said ¡°Status¡±. Then, the three-dimensional¡°window¡± was expanded. This time around, Seiya¡¯s abilities were also shown from behind the ¡°window¡±. ¡¸What do you think? Do you comprehend it? You have an outstanding status! You have special abilities that normal heroes don¡¯t have! Got it? You are one person in hundred million people! If it¡¯s you, Ryuguuin Seiya, you will be able to defeat the demon threats menacing Geabrande! Only you can do it! ¡¹ I¡¯m doing my best, but Seiya doesn¡¯t look that happy about this all. I feel like I¡¯m being ignored, but he asked me quite a dark question. ¡¸By the way, what will happen to me if I die in that world? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a bit dark and negative question¡­but¡­but, don¡¯t worry! If you die there, you¡¯ll be immediately transferred to your world! But after that, you won¡¯t be able to return to theGod¡¯s realm¡­¡¹ Just said ¡°huh¡± and picked his nose. It seems no matter what I say, everything will be boring for him I suppose. He came all the way here, but he is only starting to understand how this works. He seems like the type of person that will only come to his senses if he faces reality. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ ¡¸Seiya! I will explain everything later! Let¡¯s go together to Geabrande right now!¡¹ I immediately casted a spell that opened a portal right in front us which automatically will lead us to Geabrande. With the gate fully opened, I told Seiya. ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya! Come with me! The fate of Geabrande is on your hands! ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m excited to know what kind of world Geabrande is! ¡­eh, wait, right now what did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸I just said I refused. I won¡¯t go to such unknown and dangerous world without being fully prepared. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­but, your status shows that you have more capabilities than regular people, right? Besides, I will change my appearance to that of a human¡¯s to be in Geabrande, so I will always stay right beside you. So, don¡¯t worry¡­¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say that you can¡¯t involve yourself in a world that it¡¯s supposed to be saved by human beings? Even if you come with me, you can¡¯t give any help, can you? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­you¡¯re so rude!I¡¯m a Goddess you know! I will never die, and besides, I can cure your injuries with my healing magic! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s exactly it. Youcan¡¯t even be on the front line of a battle, how can you help me save a world. ¡¹ Ugh!? What kind of attitude is that against a Goddess!! I seriously want to hit him!! However, Seiya was staring at me with deadly fish eyes. ¡¸Well, if I can¡¯t refuse this task, I need to at least make some preparations. ¡¹ ¡¸Pre¡­preparations? What preparations¡­?¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 2 Chapter 2: Ready. Perfectly. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe he actually meant it!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­so, what happened? ¡¹ I was complaining in Ariadoa¡¯s room, who is a senior Goddess, about what happened in the God¡¯s summoning chamber. Aria is a beautiful mature Goddess, taller than I am and displaying an attractive red-hair; she is a veteran who summoned heroes that saved more than three hundred worlds so far. ¡¸He told me that he had to prepare himself, so he locked himself on that chamber to do his own training! Unbelievable, right? Wouldn¡¯t someone want to leave that boring white room straight away? Besides, anyone would be willing to go to the other world immediately,right? But even so! ¡¹ Aria giggled for a moment. ¡¸Lista. Your quest is to save Geabrande, a world with S-rank salvation difficulty. Isn¡¯t it great to have a hero that is cautious instead? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why this is a waste of time. I want to go there immediately and fight that evil monsters lurking around, and with that, I will be able to rise my position faster. ¡¹ ¡¸But it¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t need to be in panic. You know that the time flows slower on the God¡¯s realm as opposed to Earth. I don¡¯t find any problem to let him train here until he¡¯s fully prepared, don¡¯t you agree. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. ¡¹ Aria is so serene talking with me while holding her cup of tea. As expected of an adult senior like Aria, who is older than me and more mature. Still smiling gracefully,she said the following. ¡¸Anyways, Lista. You still have to support him. Right now, he is training since you summoned him, so you need to take better care of him. ¡¹ ¡¸Support, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Have you provided him with a room, a bed and a bathroom with toilet and shower? He is probably hungry by now, don¡¯t you think? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­! Now that you remind me¡­! ¡¹ Aria tried to say a few words to me before I ran out of the room. ¡¸Hang on, Lista. He might not comfortable with your superior attitude just because you are a Goddess. Maybe it would be wiser to approach him with a friendlier manner, what do you think? ¡¹ As expected of a veteran like Aria. I said ¡°Thank you¡±, shut the doors and ran straight away through the marble passage. ¡¸Seiya! I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you alone¡­what¡­ ¡¹ When I opened the doors of the magical chamber, I saw a shirtless Seiya doing countless sit-ups. His body was dripping with sweat from all this training. He was looking so sensual that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes of him. Seiya glared at me. ¡¸Hey. How about knocking before stepping into my room? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ Wait, this is the summoning chamber! This is hardly your own room! That¡¯s what I wanted to say to him, but I had to endure it. I brought with me a plate of onigiri for Seiya. ¡¸Well¡­ you must be hungry, right? I made some food for you. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­and this is? ¡¹ I tried to put a smile on my face. ¡¸Seiya, you are Japanese, right!? I¡¯m pretty familiar with Japan customs you know! Look, I made onigiri! This one here has dried plum inside, and this one here has salmon. ¡¹ While I was explaining the onigiri filling, Seiya looked very distrustful and interrupted me. ¡¸A weird and suspicious person made something weird and suspicious. ¡¹ ¡¸There is no need to be rude! ¡¹ ¡¸You eat it first. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a possibility that the food is poisoned. ¡¹ ¡­Aria told me to be more gentle and kind, and I wanted to try my best. Therefore, I made him some onigiri. However, I¡¯m feeling so frustrated and angry right now. ¡¸There is no such thing as poison!! I¡¯m not a fool!! Why would I want to poison you anyways!? ¡¹ I was so irritated that I grabbed the salmon onigiri and gave a bite. ¡¸Look!! It¡¯s absolutely okay!! I made a huge effort, I really can¡¯t believe it!! ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. So this poison might be one of those that shows a slow effect¡­¡¹ ¡¸There is no such poison on the food!! ¡¹ I was shouting at Seiya with an unworthy voice that¡¯s not supposed to belong to a Goddess. ¡¸And for the record!! How will you improve on this room with only push-ups and sit-ups, unbelievable!! ¡¹ After shouting, I instantly used my godly power to make him a proper room with a bed,and simple toilet and shower. After that, I gave Seiya a special buzzer. ¡¸Call me through this buzzer when you are ready! I will make you three meals a day and I will leave at the other side of the door! I will not enter this room ever again until you call from that buzzer! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, do that. ¡¹ I left and closed the door straightaway. I walked angrily through the corridors and went to my room. ¡­what¡¯s up with him! He can do whatever he wants! There is no way human beings can live on a filthy room with such few amenities! I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t endure under that circumstances and will be calling me in two or three days! ¡­however,Seiya didn¡¯t push the buzzer¡¯s button at all. Four days have passed without any response from him, I thought ¡°Is he dead?¡±, but when I went to get the onigiri plate by the door, it was always empty. I know I said not to come to that room until he called me through the buzzer, but I was anxious and worried about Seiya that I would sometimes eavesdrop at the door. ¡­one week has passed since then. Finally, Seiya pressed the buzzer¡¯s button and started ringing. I instantaneously went to the summoning room and opened the door. Still, Seiya had just taken a shower and there was a wonderful smell of soap coming from his body. ¡¸So, how did you manage? What are the training results? ¡¹ I heard Seiya whispering ¡°Status¡± and suddenly the three-dimensional window showed up. When I saw his current status, I could not believe my eyes. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 15 HP ¨C 2485 MP ¨C 2114 Attack ¨C 533 Defense ¨C 507 Agility ¨C 623 Magic ¨C 499 Potential ¨C 341 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Electricity, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep Special skills¨C Fire magic (Lv 9), Experience gain increase (Lv 3), Ability perception (Lv 5) Skills ¨C Atomic, Split slash, Hell¡¯s fire Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡¸What, with only that mere training you leveled up so much!! ¡¹ It seems that the ¡° Experience gain increase¡± didn¡¯t leveled that much considering he was stuck inside this room only, but even so his achievements exceeded my imagination. To be honest, with a status this great, we could easily defeat a demon king from a world with a D-rank salvation difficulty. I¡¯m so astonished by this feat, but Seiya doesn¡¯t seem that amazed. ¡¸I wanted to raise my level to the maximum. ¡¹ ¡¸No, do you plan on living on this room forever!? I can¡¯t believe you were thinking on continuing with your training!! That¡¯s enough!! Let¡¯s go to Geabrande!! ¡¹ When I yelled, I saw that Seiya quietly agreed by nodding his head. ¡¸I guess so¡­¡¹ Seiya looks at the vast white space in the magical chamber, and declares. ¡¸Ready. Perfectly. ¡¹(TL note: Literal translation from Katana, he says this in English) What, where did you get that line!? I wonder if he¡¯s trying to act cool!! I don¡¯t care about his levelheaded attitude!! ¡¸Anyways, let¡¯s go finally!! ¡¹ Using a spell,the portal was open again, allowing passage to Geabrande. I took Seiya¡¯s hand and we headed for the portal together. A week later behind schedule, we finally managed to go to Geabrande. Volume 1 - CH 3 Chapter 3: The town of Edna After crossing the portal we arrived at a grassland area. I can see a town only a hundred meters away. The Great Goddess Isister helped me prepare for this trip; the beginning of this journey started from a strategically good position. Right after we arrived, Seiya saw the portal disappear. I was in a rush, so I touched him on the back. ¡¸Okay! So, let¡¯s go to that town over there and buy some equipment! ¡¹ I grabbed Seiya¡¯s hand as he was trying to say something and we went to that town. As we approached the area, I spotted a wood signboard that said ¡°Welcome to Edna¡¯s town¡±. After passing the signboard, the unpaved road leading to Edna had farmers crossing it over. This place had an idyllic atmosphere, resembling village rather than a town. ¡¸Ah, hello¡­are you travelers? ¡¹ A passing farmer greeted me and I bowed my head with a smile; though Seiya looked quite suspicious. As the man passed by, Seiya whispered on my ear. ¡¸Hey, is that a monster? ¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon, you can see that farmer is a town person. ¡¹ ¡¸That is what it looks like now, but the monster could change in a moment.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re worrying to much¡­¡¹ As we arrived on the town, a little girl around 5~6 years old approached me. As soon as she saw me, this little girl with pigtails showed a big smile. ¡¸Whoa! You are so beautiful! You look like a Goddess! ¡¹ ¡¸Huhu, this pure child is able to see through it. ¡¹ This child came close to me and I stroke her head. This girl also spotted Seiya. ¡¸This mister is a bit strange but he is so cool! ¡¹ She ran to Seiya and grabbed his pants. Seiya seems to be in trouble; I got quite amused. ¡¸Oh my, you don¡¯t hate children, do you? ¡¹ Feeling quite irritated, Seiya could only take a deep breath. The little girl looked at Seiya and asked. ¡¸Mister, what¡¯s your name? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Please, please, what¡¯s your name? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Nina! Nice to meet you! ¡¹ I wanted to see more of this new relationship between Seiya and Nina, but unfortunately, this is not a time to relax. ¡¸Listen Nina, is there a weaponry shop in this town? ¡¹ ¡¸Weaponry shop you say; we have one straight ahead! ¡¹ ¡¸I see! Thank you! ¡¹ We said goodbye to Nina and went straight ahead. Suddenly we arrived on a street with many thriving shops. Seiya and I stopped in front of a particular store with a signboard with a sword. I gave Seiya a small sack before entering the shop. ¡¸Listen. This is my gift for you. You need to buy the best equipment in town. ¡¹ In fact, you gave me the currency of this world was Great Goddess Isister. Seiya received my sack and went inside the shop; once there he gave gold coins inside the sack to the middle-aged shopkeeper. ¡¸Please give me three of these steel armors. ¡¹ ¡¸Right away! ¡¹ The shopkeeper was preparing the three armors. ¡¸Wait a moment! ¡¹ I tried to stop him, and I shouted. ¡¸Armors! You don¡¯t need that many!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I need them. I have one armor to wear and an extra one; when the extra is gone, I will have another extra to use. ¡¹ This is becoming more of a disease than excessively cautiousness. Where in the world would a hero buy the same armor three times using gold coins. ¡¸There is no way I will allow you to do that!! ¡¹ ¡¸You are a very selfish woman. ¡¹ We ended up buying a steel armor and sword. Of course, one of each. We ended up assembling all the pieces on the spot; it looked great on Seiya because he is tall and has a good physique. He looks already a warrior. After leaving the weaponry shop, Seiya proceeded to the shop next door. He asked the owner for a list of items. ¡¸I need ten smoke bombs, twenty medicinal herbs and the same number for poisonous scavenging herbs. ¡¹ Seiya bought these items with the extra coins left. It was rather cheap compared to the weaponry shop, so I didn¡¯t complain; but something was bothering me and I needed to ask him. ¡¸Excuse me¡­but you don¡¯t need to prepare that much, do you? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I need to be prepared. I don¡¯t know what kind of monsters are lurking around. ¡¹ ¡¸No, no. We are safe here. I¡¯m an experienced navigator, you know? This town is suitable for beginners like you. I¡¯m sure there are only weak monsters around here. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that. ¡¹ Then we heard. ¡¸That¡¯s right! It¡¯s okay! It is safe even for me!! ¡¹ The voice we heard came from below. When I lowered my head I saw pigtailed Nina, the little girl with a big smile from before. ¡¸I usually walk by myself from this town to next neighboring town! I¡¯ve only seen slimes around here! ¡¹ As I rub Nina¡¯s hair, I realize that she heard what we said and I look at Seiya in the eyes. ¡¸See! Even a child is okay here. Don¡¯t you feel a little relieved to hear that? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, so mister is scared of going out of the town¡¯s boundaries? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. This mister here is so frightened. ¡¹ I thought I could make him seem a little idiotic here, but Nina is more pure than I imagined. She took something from her flowery pouch, and handed it over to Seiya. ¡¸Okay, here! This is an amulet! I will give it to you mister! ¡¹ When Seiya received the flower amulet, he looked quite serious at it. ¡¸It¡¯s not a cursed item, is it? ¡¹(EN: XD, there goes my coffee into the kb) ¡¸Eh? What? ¡¹ I immediately closed Seiya¡¯s mouth with my hands. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it! This mister is a bit sick! He has a heart sickness! ¡¹ I glared at Seiya with an angry expression. Suddenly a man spoke behind Nina. ¡¸Nina! What are you doing! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Daddy! Have you finished shopping? ¡¹ Nina¡¯s father looked like a kind person and greeted us by lowering his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. But did Nina say anything rude to you? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh no, she didn¡¯t. Right? ¡¹ I sent my gaze to Seiya and after he looked back at me, he said¡­ ¡¸Yes, nothing wrong. ¡¹He spoke without hesitation. I see. So, you are not that bad after all¡­or so I thought at that moment. Volume 1 - CH 4 Chapter 4: The First Monster We got good equipment such as weapons and armors, as well as great quality items; we ventured out of town and started exploring the surrounding areas, and of course, for Seiya to start fighting monsters. ¡¸Nothing wrong¡­¡¹ Even though he seemed annoyed and reluctant, he let go of his pride to help Nina. After that, he didn¡¯t complain at all and just followed me. Finally, we spotted something. Right in front of us there was this little light-blue creature, trembling repeatedly in the middle of the grass area. ¡¸Seiya, look! That¡¯s a monster! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s a strange creature. I wonder if it got genetically manipulated?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a monster called Slime! Have you not seen this monster on games? ¡¹ I was a bit surprised to see Seiya shook his head as if he never seen one before. He doesn¡¯t know what a Slime is¡­even though he is Japanese. ¡¸That¡¯s okay, Seiya. Slime is a monster that will immediately attack if he sees a human. If he touches a human skin, it will be troublesome because he contains a toxic mucus that melts the skin, but if you shake it off right away, there should be no problem. Besides, he is not very strong so even an inexperience human can defeat this¡­monster, what¡­? ¡¹ My eyes became wide open. Seiya pulled his sword out of the scabbard and slowly breathed out the following ¡°Kohhh¡±. The sword responded to Seiya voice and started gleaming furiously with power. The surrounding area was vibrating, even the air felt heavy. ¡¸Come¡­! Atomic Split Slash¡­! ¡¹ As he said those words, Seiya aimed at the Slime and slashed. A huge shock wave and roar came from that explosion. The Slime standing on that spot was immediately torn to pieces. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ My hair became a mess after that massive wind blowing; and I shouted at Seiya. ¡¸What are you doing! You are overdoing it; it¡¯s just a Slime. ¡¹ However, Seiya observed the spot where he stroke the Slime and started looking seriously at his left hand, the one without the sword. ¡¸Not enough¡­! He might be still alive¡­! ¡¹ On his left hand, he summoned the crimson flames. ¡¸Hell¡¯s Fire¡­! ¡¹ He fired the magical flame to the area where Slime was standing still, but the slime was long gone, there weren¡¯t even traces of it. The grass area became a scorched wasteland without traces of life. ¡¸That Slime was gone already!! ¡¹ Nonetheless, Seiya didn¡¯t hear anything I shouted. ¡¸No¡­not yet¡­! I¡¯m not sure yet¡­ ¡¹ He held his sword once again. What? He certainly used two special skills right now!! Just what is he trying to do next!? He slowly breathed the ¡°Kohhh¡± sound again. The sword started to glow and the air to vibrate. ¡¸Atomic Split Slash!! ¡¹ ¡¸That is a huge Atomic Split Slash!? ¡¹ Again, a rumbling roar spread the surrounding areas. Emitted a gigantic explosion and the earth trembled. There was soil cracks everywhere. My blonde hair was blown away yet again by the strong wind. ¡­after a while, I was looking at a big crater on the ground; it looked like a meteorite fell down there. I shouted at this silly hero, who seemed like nothing happened at all. ¡¸Just one simple attack would finish the Slime, you know!? The first atomic spell was enough to make that Slime to dust, did you not see it!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t let my guard down. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! There is a limit to everything!! Did you know you have the ability to see your opponent¡¯s skills!? Have you seen that Slime¡¯s status!? ¡¹ ¡¸I saw it for a brief moment. Both his attack and defense skills were single digits. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, you don¡¯t have to go that far just to defeat a weak monster like that!¡¹ ¡¸I think there is more information that we can¡¯t see. ¡¹ ¡¸No, you have to be more confident of yourself!! ¡¹ I took a deep breath as I fixed my hair. ¡¸Anyways¡­now, you can be a little more confident, okay? See? You are very strong. Now, let¡¯s head to the next town. From what the Great Goddess said, there is someone waiting us there.¡¹ I gave a pat on Seiya¡¯s shoulder, and shrugged my shoulders. Suddenly, my body started to shiver from head to toe by an evil aura that appeared so suddenly. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s this? ¡¹ Far away, we saw a woman slowly walking towards us. A black-haired woman approached us, resembling features of a raven, wearing a revealing two-piece black outfit and carrying a large heavy sword on one hand. She looked like a female warrior at first glance. But, the evil aura surrounding her proved that she was not a human being. The woman showed a bewitching smile at Seiya. ¡¸That was a tremendous sword power. It¡¯s a very strong power you have there. ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡­are you? ¡¹ I answered instead of Seiya and this woman looked both at us and said. ¡¸You could say I¡¯m a ¡°Goddess¡± from another kind of dimension. Nice to meet you. I belong to the Great Demon Kingdom, my name is Makina (TL NOTE: In the novel it actually says Chaos = Makina, we are going to use just Makina moving forward).¡¹ My body was trembling by what this woman declared. No way! It¡¯s impossible! No one told me that this town had a demon from the devil army!! The Great Goddess Isister said to me that this was a good safe place to start with; just what happened!? However, what this devil woman said was true; no denying it after sensing that evil aura. I felt frustration and apprehension to meet this Makina, a dark being from the Great Demon Kingdom, who was smiling continuously. ¡¸Are you surprised? Our Demon Lord was sensing the arrival of a hero to this specific place. But I couldn¡¯t foresee your exact location. I had to think about it¡­if you first summoned a hero here, you¡¯ll start fighting with weak monsters, right? Therefore, I was visiting the surrounding villages and towns, and thus ended up on this particular town. ¡¹ This Makina was looking quite amused. Instead, I shivered in fear. So, this is what they meant as Geabrande S-rank salvation difficulty! I had no idea this kind of difficulty was lurking around this world. ¡¸My Lord has been quite wary of this kind of hero. Even so, I thought I did not have to worry that much. But¡­but, I sensed this strong force. You are a very skillful Hero with many hidden abilities. Sorry about this, but you must finish your opponents promptly. ¡¹ When Makina showed her red tongue as if having a great amusement, she drew her sword right at us. This is bad!! It looks like there will be a battle here!! I beckoned the ¡°skill clairvoyance¡± with Seiya, so that we could be able to see the opponent ability status¡­and¡­I felt despair. Chaos = Makina Level ¨C 66 HP ¨C 3877 MP ¨C 108 Attack ¨C 887 Defense ¨C 845 Agility ¨C 951 Magic ¨C 444 Potential ¨C 653 Resistance ¨C Water, Wind Special skills ¨C Devil Sword (Lv 15) Skills ¨C Demonic Curse Personality ¨C Cruelty Wha¡­what is this!! You¡¯re not supposed to meet a strong opponent status so early on!! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! ¡¹ At the sight of this frightening enemy, I sought for Seiya¡¯s help. However¡­Seiya was suddenly missing. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ I said that with a shaking voice. I looked around and I saw Seiya running like a rabbit way further ahead. ¡¸Wa¡­wait!? Don¡¯t run away and leave me behind, ah!! ¡¹ I screamed as I started to run after Seiya. I heard Makina¡¯s sinister laugh behind my back. ¡¸Oh my, oh my! You are a brave hero, but instead you run away and leave your Goddess behind? But, that was quite a wise decision! Ordinary humans would have not been able to handle this well. Interesting, very interesting this Hero! ¡¹ It seems that Makina is not following us yet. I need to run will all my power; I shouted at Seiya. ¡¸Wait, wait for me!! ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya stopped running and looked back at me¡­something came furiously behind me to strike my back. *Sound of a furiously wind* ¡¸What!? ¡¹ Smoke suddenly bursts below my feet and the smoke is scattered all over the area. ¡¸Just what happened!! ¡¹ In a rushing moment, I heard the sound of wielding sword behind me. I thought she was not following us yet. Before I knew it, Makina was right behind me and aimed at my head with that large sword. ¡¸Ah! What a disappointment! Nevertheless, it was a nice call from you! ¡¹ Makina was standing right in the middle of the smoking area. Someone took my arm. When I noticed, it was Seiya who pulled my arm. Even though I have mixed feelings about his continuously changing behavior, I thought it was rather cool. ¡¸Listen let us retreat for now. Go get the portal open to connect with the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸You are right! I understand! ¡¹ I hastily ran with my full strength and casted the spell. The portal appeared just a few meters ahead. The distance from where we are to the portal is just a few steps ahead. However, the demonic voice roars from behind our backs. ¡¸I will not let you escape!! ¡¹ I looked back and I saw Makina jumping out of the white smoke to strike us with that sword. ¡¸Ah! ¡¹I screamed as I stood behind Seiya. Then, Seiya got face to face with Makina and fought back with the crimson flames. The power emitted from the Hell¡¯s Fire was to create a large amount of flames, which was used to distract the opponents¡¯ attack rather than fight back. We disappeared among the flames. ¡¸Damn. ¡¹ Said Makina biting her tongue. In the meantime, we managed to open the portal and escape from that place. Volume 1 - CH 5 Chapter 5: The Worst Hero ¡¸Tha¡­that was so close. ¡¹ The portal disappeared instantaneously after we crossed through it. I was in a hurry, so I didn¡¯t have time to specify which place to go. After taking a deep breath, I noticed that we were at the summoning white chamber. Meanwhile, Seiya says not to interrupt him for a long while. ¡¸I will start training immediately. So, I need you to get out of here. ¡¹ Hence, he pushed my back and threw me out of the chamber. ¡¸Wait¡­wait a moment! ¡¹ ¡¸You will distract my training. Get out. ¡¹ ¡¸More of that training? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. If I don¡¯t train now I won¡¯t beat that thing. As you saw, it was much stronger than that slime. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes but it would be obviously stronger because that was one of four Generals of the Demon Lord¡¯s army ¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I will not get out of here until I get a satisfactory result. I¡¯ll let you know when I press the buzzer. Until then, don¡¯t come here. ¡¹ He was full of determination, so I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. Seiya kicked me out and closed himself inside the chamber. ¡­two nights passed. When I arrived at the chamber¡¯s door, I wanted to take a little peak at Seiya from the bottom of the door. Suddenly, I had a very ominous feeling. I could feel it because of my goddess intuition. I borrowed Aria¡¯s crystal ball to see the earthly world and casted a spell in my room. ¡¸The crystal who sees everything, please show me the imminent danger that is happening right now on the three-dimensional world Geabrande¡­ ¡¹ Then, the town of Edna suddenly appeared on the crystal ball. The scene shown was from the center of the town where the shops were. All of a sudden someone spoke. ¡¸Hey? Are you watching? ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ My heart almost stopped at the sight of the vicious Chaos Makina. Chaos Makina was laughing aloud with such wicked smile on her face. ¡¸I wonder if they are watching¡­ Are you goddess and hero observing me? If you don¡¯t show up, I will destroy this town. ¡¹ Suddenly, Chaos Makina grabbed the head of a town¡¯s man and looked above as if she knew I was watching her with a crystal ball; I was terrified. ¡¸Starting with this one here, I will cut the inhabitants¡¯ heads one by one. ¡¹ Without hesitation, she pulled his head and chopped it with her large sword. Blood spilled everywhere; horrified, I had to turn my eyes away from the crystal ball. ¡¸This human¡¯s red fluids look like a fountain, so beautiful, extremely beautiful. ¡¹ After I heard this woman¡¯s pleasurable laugh from the crystal ball¡­ ¡¸Bang!! ¡¹I opened the chamber¡¯s door abruptly. I came to visit Seiya during his training. ¡¸Did I not tell you to come here only when I pressed the buzzer? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an emergency! Let¡¯s return to the town of Edna immediately! ¡¹ ¡¸Why? ¡¹ ¡¸Chaos Makina is executing the people from the town! She¡¯ll keep killing them until we show up! So get ready! ¡¹ I was desperately asking for his help, but Seiya didn¡¯t stop his training. ¡¸No, I am not ready yet. ¡¹ ¡¸But! Chaos Makina is killing people on the town at this precisely moment!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. Didn¡¯t you say that the time flows slowly in here? ¡¹ ¡¸Even if the time is slower, that doesn¡¯t mean it completely stops! ¡¹ ¡¸Then, what is the difference between the time flow here and over there?¡¹ ¡¸¡­about 1 to 100. Ten minutes over there is about sixteen hours in here. ¡¹ (Note: 10 min * 100 = 10 000 min; 10 000min / 60min = 16.67 Hours ¨C> 1 day in the Gods Realm is 14.4min in Geabrande) ¡¸If that¡¯s so, then there¡¯s no problem. We still have plenty of time before the next person gets killed. ¡¹ Well, it might be true but let¡¯s get serious!! Normally, a Hero would want to help other people immediately!! What¡¯s wrong with him!! I was so angry that I returned to my room. After a while, I looked at the crystal ball to see what is currently happening in Edna. ¡­I wonder how many hours have passed. Eventually, Chaos Makina started her evil scheming again. When I looked closely, she was grabbing another hostage¡¯s neck. ¡¸Now I¡¯m going to kill this man. ¡¹ That man resembled someone I knew. A familiar voice screamed through the crystal ball. ¡¸Daddy! No!! Stop it!! ¡¹ A little girl with pigtails was crying. The moment I saw that child, I grabbed the crystal ball and ran to the summoning chamber. When I opened the door, Seiya looked at me with an annoyed face. ¡¸¡­How many times do I have to tell you not to come inside? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not important right now! Look at this! Do you recognize her? It¡¯s Nina, the girl we met back in the town! Nina¡¯s dad is going to get killed by Chaos Makina at this precisely moment! ¡¹ However, Seiya did not seem to care and started doing push-ups with one hand. ¡¸Wait, are you listening? ¡¹ ¡¸No yet. I¡¯m not ready to go. ¡¹ At that time, I realized that Seiya was training with all his heart. I spoke seriously to Seiya. ¡¸Seiya¡­I know how scary this is. You must be worried about your current status, but don¡¯t be, because your chance of beating her is not entirely zero. I will be your back up. I will do my best with my healing ability anytime you need it. See? It is not that bad. ¡¹ Instead, Seiya looked at me as if I was an idiot. ¡¸What are you saying? I am not afraid of anything. ¡¹ ¡¸Even though you ran away from Chaos Makina. ¡¹ ¡¸That was a strategically retreat. ¡¹ My anger exploded at Seiya. ¡¸Let¡¯s go right now!! Okay!? If you die you will return immediately to your own world!! But that won¡¯t happen to those people over there!! If they die, we can¡¯t bring them back!! ¡¹ It was pointless; Seiya just ignored what I said. On that moment, we heard Nina¡¯s heartbreaking crying through the crystal ball. ¡¸Daddy!! Don¡¯t do this!! Please!! Please, don¡¯t kill my daddy!! ¡¹ Chaos Makina looked at Nina with a devilish smile. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry too much. You won¡¯t be lonely. Yes, not lonely. Once I cut his head, I will cut yours afterwards. ¡¹ ¡­I showed the crystal ball in front of Seiya¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Look!! How can we see this all happening and do absolutely nothing!? That girl gave you a flower charm!! She was worried about you and gave you the amulet to protect you!! ¡¹ Then, Seiya took out from his pocket the flower amulet and stared at it. ¡¸Hmm, I wonder if this was a cursed amulet to fool my eyes. I wonder if this girl is really the one that talked with us over there. ¡¹ I was shocked by his words. ¡¸It was my fault¡­my fault!! ¡¹ Seiya responded to what I just said. ¡¸About what? ¡¹ ¡¸My fault to summon you here!! Yes, your status is powerful!! But it doesn¡¯t matter when you are the coldest and worst hero around!! ¡¹ My eyes were filled with tears. I was hurt and frustrated, but Seiya suddenly spoke to me before I left the summoning chamber. ¡¸Then, what are you going to do? Is there anyone else besides me who can fight Chaos Makina? ¡¹ ¡¸I will find it! I am going to find a substitute hero at this precisely moment!¡¹ ¡¸When you saw my status you said I was one in a hundred million people. I don¡¯t think you will find my replacement that soon. ¡¹ ¡¸I will find one hero fit enough!! There are many heroes out there that are not cowards like you!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not a coward. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you are!! You¡¯re afraid of dying!! That¡¯s why you keep doing over excessively training!! Am I wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not afraid of death. But I can¡¯t afford to die. Because if I die, that town will be destroyed. Eventually the world itself will be destroyed as well. ¡¹ ¡­I was relieved by what he said. He has been thinking that seriously¡­? No! That can¡¯t be! Don¡¯t be fooled by his words! Deceitful! He is just a coward trying to self-defend himself again! I looked at Seiya with distrust. However, Seiya was not in the place where he was standing until just now. He took of his training clothes, and put on his steel armor. ¡¸What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸I made up my mind of course. ¡¹ ¡¸It, it can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ I activated the clairvoyance ability. I got a glimpse of Seiya¡¯s status. And so¡­I couldn¡¯t even breathe. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 21 HP ¨C 4412 MP ¨C 3677 Attack ¨C 932 Defense ¨C 990 Agility ¨C 993 Magic ¨C 666 Potential ¨C 475 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Electricity, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 18), Experience Gain Increase (Lv 6), Ability Perception (Lv 8) Skills ¨C Atomic Split Slash, Hell¡¯s Fire Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡­He, he leveled up so much in a short period of time¡­! His power is so great now that he even surpass the demon warrior Chaos Makina¡­! One in a hundred million prodigy, Ryuguuin Seiya was wearing his steel armor, looked directly at me and shouted. ¡¸Let¡¯s go. Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 6 Chapter 6: Trump Card ¡¸Okay, I will open the portal directly to the town¡¯s center! ¡¹ As I was trying to cast the spell, Seiya suddenly hit my head *knock* ¡¸It hurts! What are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸Are you stupid? What are you going to do when we appear on that area? We need to be far from that thing. ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­but¡­how can we save those people¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We have to be on a safe zone in order to help them. Her personality says ¡°Cruelty¡±, right? It is highly probable that she will kill that man on the moment she spots us. Because the moment we arrive, having a hostage will be meaningless. ¡¹ I, I see. It makes totally sense what he just said. But¡­ ¡¸Even so, was it really necessary to hit a goddess¡¯ head? ¡¹ Seiya got this dejected expression when I got angry at him. ¡¸I understand. Next time I will be more careful. ¡¹ What? What¡¯s up with this sudden obedience? ¡¸Well, if you understand¡­that¡¯s okay¡­ ¡¹ I looked at Seiya¡¯s face and he was making this weird expression. Seiya looked closely at the hand that hit my head. ¡¸I might have caught some strange bacteria. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any!! ¡¹ I wanted to hit him badly, but this was not the appropriate moment for it, so I changed my mind; and then I casted the spell. Seiya and I crossed the portal and we arrived at a location twenty meters away from the town¡¯s center. We saw Chaos Makina from the alley beside the Weaponry Shop. We could clearly see the square area where Nina¡¯s dad had the large sword closely to his neck. Many of the town¡¯s people were not in sight, perhaps because they don¡¯t want to get caught. We could only see Nina crying in front of her father. And then suddenly, Chaos Makina murmurs. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s taking a long time. ¡¹ She shows her red tongue again. ¡¸I can¡¯t wait, I can¡¯t wait. I¡¯ll give them just five minutes, if they don¡¯t show up on time, I¡¯ll kill this man. ¡¹ Nina screams louder. I was worried and touched Seiya¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸This¡­this is bad!! We need to save them now!! ¡¹ I wanted to save Nina, so I stepped out of the dark alley. ¡¸Wait. ¡¹ Seiya stopped me. When I turned back, I noticed that he took his sword out and was in a fighting position. ¡¸What are you going to do? ¡¹ ¡¸Step back. ¡¹ What is he trying to do from this distance? I walked two steps backwards from Seiya. The space surrounding his sword rapidly became distorted. ¡¸Wind Blade¡­!¡¹ In a quick moment, Seiya dashed towards Chaos Makina. She was standing about twenty meters away from us, he shortened the distance in an instance and swung his sword. The space distortion power was unleashed from the sword and went directly to Chaos Makina. ¡­is this a sword technique that emits a vacuum wave that absorbs and blows the air!? But, Seiya had this special skill before!? The high-speed vacuum wave was aimed right at Chaos Makina, but because it was sent through the ground, it was raising a trail of smoke. Chaos Makina noticed this attack and dodged it immediately. The attack exploded right at the place where Chaos Makina was standing. Chaos Makina laughed when she spotted us through the direction of the smoking trail. ¡¸*smiles teasingly* I knew you¡¯d come. What was that just now? You ran away crying, and now you try to be a little chivalrous? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to hear anything you say! ¡¹ I hate cowardly opponents who take hostages for their advantage. Then, an amused Chaos Makina laughs again. ¡¸But it was a pity that surprise attack didn¡¯t hit me. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­you are not going to do as you please anymore. ¡¹ Seiya and I walk towards Chaos Makina. Nina and her father took refuge behind us as they hugged each other. ¡¸Daddy!! *crying* I¡¯m relieved, I¡¯m so relieved!! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you so much for saving us!! ¡¹ Without celebrating too much, Seiya made a warning sign with his hand. Nina¡¯s dad realized his sign, lowered his head and while holding Nina, they fled far away. ¡¸Ah, so that was the meaning. I see, I see. Now I know what you were thinking through your mimicking. ¡¹ The wicked Chaos Makina was grinning, as she knew that our first priority was to save the hostages¡­however, the moment she saw Seiya¡¯s presence in front of her, she changed her complexion. ¡¸Oh my¡­I wonder what really happened. He is not the same person as before. ¡¹ Her red eyes were staring closely at Seiya. ¡¸Impossible. His power suddenly surpassed mine. What is going on¡­ ¡¹ I raised my voice at a troubled Chaos Makina. ¡¸Ah! So you have the ability of clairvoyance? Just now, you saw Seiya¡¯s status, didn¡¯t you? *Sounds full of pride* It¡¯s amazing, right! Admit your defeat at once! ¡¹ At that moment I wanted to say ¡°serves you right!¡±. However, my prideful mood was broken in an instant. Chaos Makina suddenly changed her complexion and was smiling just as before. ¡¸Well, it seems I have to face you seriously. ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡°Unleash¡­!¡± As soon as Chaos Makina muttered, a black aura started overflowing from her body. At the same time, a red asmodian emblem appeared on her forehead. ¡¸*laughs* For a moment you thought you could actually win against me? But regrettably, I¡¯ll tell you the opposite. My real status was hidden, behold my true power. ¡¹ I, I don¡¯t like the feeling of this! Fearful, I activated my clairvoyance¡­ Chaos Makina Level ¨C 66 HP ¨C 5511 MP ¨C 227 Attack ¨C 1128 Defense ¨C 1199 Agility ¨C 1060 Magic ¨C 517 Potential rate ¨C 653 Resistance ¨C Water, Wind Special skills ¨C Devil Sword (Lv 18) Skills ¨C Demonic Curse Personality ¨C Cruelty It, it can¡¯t be¡­! The attack, defense and agility power exceeds 1000!! Her HP also increased!? I thought we could finally beat her, but this is¡­ ¡¸Then hero, how about we have some fun together? ¡¹ With that said, Chaos Makina pulled of her sword and immediately charged at Seiya. ¡¸Se, Seiya!! ¡¹ I screamed at Seiya when her sword was aimed right at his head. However, Seiya reacted instantaneously. His upper body diverted backwards, as the large sword was swinging around. I was relieved for a moment. ¡¸Not over yet! Here I go! ¡¹ Chaos Makina spun around and tried to slash Seiya with her large sword once again. She was swigging her sword up, down, sideways¡­I was watching their fight in agony. Yet, the enemy¡¯s sword never touched an inch of Seiya¡¯s body. ¡¸What? So, you can clearly follow my movements? I wonder if your intuition is that sharp?¡¹ Chaos Makina stopped attacking and distanced herself. Suddenly, my heart ¡°stopped¡± for a moment as I realized something important. That¡¯s right! This is not a game! Higher numbers of status does not necessarily mean victory! There are various factors, such as ¡°sixth sense¡± or ¡°tactics¡±, which are used on battles. ¡¸Yes. This is troublesome, really troublesome. But¡­¡¹ Chaos Makina started spinning her sword in a way that resembles an umbrella; she looked directly at me and said. ¡¸Hey goddess, you really saw my status, didn¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I saw it! What about it? ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, then I will use my special skill ¡°Demonic Curse¡± at this precise moment, so take a good look at it. ¡¹ Now that she mentions it, her status truly revealed that special skill! I shouted at Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! Watch out! A deathblow is coming! ¡¹ Chaos Makina unexpectedly reversed the position of her sword. ¡¸What? ¡¹ I was speechless. Chaos Makina was pointing the tip of her large sword towards her abdomen. ¡¸It has been a while; it has been a really long time. I can¡¯t believe I will show this ability to a human¡­But I¡¯ll explain it to you. Your real opponent of this battle is the ¡°one hiding through this fa?ade¡±. ¡¹ How could she! She cut her abdomen open with her sword! There was black blood dripping from her ripped stomach! ¡¸What!? Why are you doing that!? ¡¹ ¡¸This is¡­my ¡°Demonic Curse¡±¡­! *laughs sinisterly* With this overwhelming power¡­I will bring death to this hero¡­! ¡¹ *splashing sound* her stomach was violently hemorrhaging; the light in her eyes quickly faded away as if she had ceased to exist, and her head hung down. ¡¸¡­what¡¯s the meaning of this!? ¡¹ Chaos Makina didn¡¯t move an inch. However, there seemed to be movement inside her abdomen. Abruptly, a huge hand that does not seem to be human appeared from the stomach of Chaos Makina. Both hands tried to rip apart her stomach and tried to exit her guts. ¡¸Oh, my God¡­! ¡¹ I freaked out. What a bizarre and horrible scene. A creature about three meters long crawled out of Chaos Makina¡¯s abdomen, even though she has the same height as I am. ¡­The creature had two horns that were quickly growing on its head; it had big fangs coming out of its mouth, and a tall and robust body. It appeared to have grown black wings on its back and a long black tail. It was a huge demon. Volume 1 - CH 7 Chapter 7: Complete Sickness ¡¸That thing¡­came out of Chaos Makina body¡­!!¡¹ I feel like I am about to be ¡°swallowed¡± by the overflowing evil aura surrounding that thing. I need to calm down! Who knows, it might be surprisingly easy to defeat! I activated the clairvoyance ability. My eyes became wide open the moment I saw that demon¡¯s status¡­ Great Demon Level ¨C 66 HP ¨C 15100 MP ¨C 424 Attack ¨C 3577 Defense ¨C 3229 Agility ¨C 3847 Magic ¨C 548 Potential ¨C 653 Resistance ¨C Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Full Magic Attack Power Conversion (Lv 15), Flight (Lv 10) Skills ¨C Demonic Delete Personality ¨C Cruelty ¡­both of my legs were trembling in fear. That can¡¯t be true, right!? Tha, that status is¡­beyond the D-rank difficulty from the Demon Lord¡¯s world. I could only feel despair. I thought that we had a small chance of winning, but right now, that tinny percentage is gone. I thought this earlier. ¡°Higher numbers of status does not necessarily mean victory¡±. However, I wasn¡¯t referring to a big discrepancy between Seiya and our opponent¡¯s status. At this precise moment, Seiya¡¯s attack, defense and agility are all less than 1000. That thing that came from Chaos Makina exceeds 3000. Doesn¡¯t matter if he has a sharp intuition, or excellent tactics in battle, if his power is only one-third of his enemy, there is no way he can avoid big damage. This will mean death for Seiya. I became quite pale looking at Chaos Makina¡¯s¡­no, at the Great Demon¡¯s frightening golden eyes. ¡¸Do you understand now!? Our power is clearly dissimilar from one another!! Hero!! You no longer have a chance against me!! ¡¹ That thing was roaring and emitting a woman¡¯s low voice; at the same time, he was wielding a sharp nail which resembled a knife. ¡¸One blow!! I¡¯m going to cut your neck off your torso with a single blow!!¡¹ It looked determined as he made a fierce sound and kicked the ground with both feet. On that moment, the Great Demon rose his arms, ready to strike Seiya! ¡­in a second, I closed my eyes reluctantly. Is there a goddess who wants to see the hero she summoned be killed in front of her eyes? I¡¯m really sorry, Seiya. You were truly outstanding. However, I never knew that Geabrande with an S-rank difficulty would have a fearsome power comparable to that of the Demon Lord¡¯s. I never thought I would come face to face with such a frightful world. Yes¡­it is impossible. We can¡¯t save this world¡­ I was feeling despair, regret, denial¡­As soon as I opened my eyes¡­I was astonished. Seiya was standing still. That sharp nail did not cut off his neck, and his body did not have any scratch. As usual, his face looked annoyed. ¡¸How¡­how did you dodged that attack!? It¡¯s impossible!! ¡¹ I was without words, and so was Chaos Makina¡¯s Great Demon. I can¡¯t recognize this person at all; he moved without any hesitation for the next attack. I started pondering. Why!? How is this even possible!? How can he avoid a monster that exceeds his level by three times with just his sixth sense!? ¡­I suddenly realized it. I remembered that when Seiya saved Nina¡¯s father, he used a special skill called ¡°Wind Blade¡±. I thought that I had overlooked that skill when I saw his status a while ago. But what if I didn¡¯t overlook it? What if Seiya used a special skill that wasn¡¯t on his status before? I came to one big conclusion! Previously, Seiya and I could not see Chaos Makina¡¯s real status ability by using clairvoyance! In other words¡­ ¡­He must have activated a ¡°camouflage¡± ability!! I looked at Seiya and focused. Then, after concentrating all of my goddess¡¯ power in both eyes, I applied the clairvoyance ability. Instead of his status appearing, I saw this small sentence. ¡°You can¡¯t see.¡± Eh¡­what is this¡­? Ah, I see! Seiya used a ¡°perception ability¡± to show his opponents his lower status, while his real abilities were protected by his ¡°camouflage¡± skill! So, this confirms that Seiya is indeed hiding his true status! I concentrated again and gave it another try. A new sentence appeared. ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t see it. Especially Lista. Peeping is a crime, you perverted goddess.¡± What!? He even wrote my name!? You were expecting me to come take a peek at your status!? How dare you call me a pervert!! I can see wherever I want!! I will use much more power!! I transferred all of my power into both eyes. ¡°Mega-Goddess Power¡± release!! Oh, oh my, what!? My eyes, my eyes hurt!? I feel like my eyes will pop out!! But, but I need to resist, resist more, c¡¯mon Listarte!! You can do this!! As I used all of my Mega-Goddess power, I heard a cracking sound of glass inside my head. Finally, I could dissolve Seiya¡¯s ¡°camouflage¡±. I was tired and took a deep breath as I look at Seiya¡¯s real status. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 37 HP ¨C 51886 MP ¨C 8987 Attack ¨C 11005 Defense ¨C 10369 Agility ¨C 9874 Magic ¨C 4787 Potential ¨C 863 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Electricity, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Status Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv MAX), Burst Magic (Lv 5), Magic Sword (Lv 7), Experience Gain Increase (Lv 11), Ability Perception (Lv 15), Camouflage (Lv 20), Flight (Lv 8) Skills ¨C Atomic Split Slash, Hell¡¯s Fire, Maximum Inferno, Wind Blade, Phoenix Drive Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡­Wha, wha, what!? What is this!? This is five times more than seen in the God¡¯s realm¡­actually, ten times more!? He was raising his status all this time!? He has more skills and special skills¡­wait, it can¡¯t be!! It¡¯s impossible to raise this much in a short period of time!! What is the meaning of this!? Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya activated the ¡°camouflage¡± skill after finishing his first training!? In other words, when we first met Chaos Makina he was already way above her, and yet he ran away!? And yet, he went to train again on the summoning chamber¡­!? I remember when the Great Demon appeared right in front of us, I saw his status and I trembled in fear. ¡­Sickness!! This is a complete sickness!! As I was perplexed, it seemed that the Great Demon was preparing himself for battle. The demon spread his black wings and soared high into the sky. It stopped mid-air and shouted loudly. ¡¸Okay then!! I will show you a technique that you won¡¯t be able to dodge!! I¡¯ll put all the magic power into my fist and summon the ¡°Demonic Delete¡±; all of this town will turn into dust¡­ ¡¹ However, the Great Demon stopped talking on that moment. It looked repeatedly from the sky, but Seiya was not on the ground. The Great Demon¡¯s eyes became wide open when he realized that Seiya stopped midair right next to him. ¡¸How¡­how is that possible!! He has a ¡°flight¡± ability!? ¡¹ I was astonished as Seiya was challenging the frustrated Great Demon on the sky. The Demon Lord¡¯s underling Chaos Makina is strong. Tremendously strong. She is a master of battles with insane trump cards. If it was a regular hero, I¡¯m sure she would defeat him at once. But¡­this time your opponent is tough. Because¡­right now¡­ At this precisely moment, there is a hero soaring on the high sky, holding a sword in front of the Great Demon. The blade of his sword became incorporated with a burning red fire. His new special skill ¡°Magic Sword¡± was activated. The Great Demon was startled when he saw the Magic Sword. At the same time, Seiya opened his mouth. ¡¸Prepare to be crushed by¡­my burning sword skill¡­¡±Phoenix Drive¡±¡­! ¡¹ Seiya swung his sword full of flames with such an incredible speed that left a smoke trail in the air. Suddenly, all I could see was that the Great Demon suffered severe damage as he was engraved with several red cuts all over his body. The Great Demon didn¡¯t even move an inch. Seiya sheathed his sword back and he stood far away from the demon. The red cuts engraved on the Great Demon¡¯s body started to glow, increasing radiance, and ultimately blowing off; The Great Demon made a last roaring sound as he exploded in the air into tiny pieces. I suddenly got exposed to the hot blast that was falling into the ground. This hero¡­how¡­how can he be so unbelievably cautious!! Volume 1 - CH 8 Chapter 8: The Mysterious Burst The Great Demon exploded in the sky and turned into small pieces of charcoal; the pieces were scattered around the air and started falling in the ground. The burning body of the woman became a shell and crumbled into the wind. I ran over to Seiya who came flying from the sky. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I hugged Seiya with all my strength as he was making this dull expression. ¡¸What are you trying to do? Do you plan to strangle me? ¡¹ ¡¸I wasn¡¯t going to do that!! I¡¯m just happy!! Because I thought we didn¡¯t had a chance at all!! ¡¹ I was so excited that I didn¡¯t even notice that I touched Seiya¡¯s body. The steel armor is on the way, but even so, I could feel Seiya¡¯s warmth. *smiles happily* Oh, he has such a nice smell! Oh my! I mustn¡¯t! *smells profusely* ¡¸Stop that. Get away from me. I might catch a weird disease. ¡¹ ¡¸No! I don¡¯t want to! ¡¹ Even if I were killed, I would want to revert to this moment any time. I wouldn¡¯t mind ¡°transferring my sickness¡± to Seiya. I¡¯m so embarrassed to have these feelings¡­even though I¡¯m not sick at all. After enjoying a full embrace, Seiya took my arms away from him and I looked quite annoyed. ¡¸Nevertheless, Seiya! I am a little angry with you! Why didn¡¯t you tell me your first skills were fake? How long have you been hiding them? ¡¹ Then, Seiya started sighing endlessly. ¡¸It was evident that if I showed you my real status, the enemy would probably find out. When I first met you during the summoning, I thought ¡°first of all, I must do something about this weakness.¡± Shortly afterwards, I got the ¡°camouflage¡± skill, so it has been a while. ¡¹ That means that you already had used the camouflage skill on your first training¡­ I deliberately made a sad expression and looked at Seiya. ¡¸How are you sure that I would expose you to the enemy? But, couldn¡¯t you tell me even a little? At least you could tell me directly ¡°you can¡¯t see¡±, but you came that far just to protect it? I felt lonely. You are my partner and yet¡­ ¡¹ Seiya looked apologetic yet heartless. ¡¸Even if you did not speak, it could be meaningless, because if by any chance there was a monster that reads memories by infiltrating the brain, my status would be exposed. I had to make sure that wouldn¡¯t happen. ¡¹ ¡¸There is no such monster¡­I really don¡¯t think so¡­ ¡¹ Once again, I embraced Seiya will all my strength. ¡¸It was so scary!! Thanks for protecting me back then!! ¡¹ ¡¸You won¡¯t die because you are a goddess. You don¡¯t need protection. ¡¹ ¡¸No! Protect me! ¡¹ ¡¸Give me a break. Or I¡¯ll cut you. ¡¹ Still, I didn¡¯t leave him. The sword skill that Seiya used to instantly kill the Great Demon was blowing my mind. Seiya looked super cool during that time; he really was like a brave hero. I get so excited every time I remember it. I looked right at Seiya¡¯s face¡­ he was showing such a blank face, that it got me wondering. *laughs mischievously* It can¡¯t be! Is he embarrassed? He pretends to be a cool guy all the time, but in reality he¡¯s just a young boy! I suddenly noticed that Seiya was looking upset as he ¡°looked behind¡±. ¡¸What¡­? ¡¹ When I turned around, I was surprised to see dozens of people from the town of Edna coming to us and surrounding both Seiya and I. ¡¸Oh my!? ¡¹ I was surprised and immediately step away from Seiya. The people from the town spoke right before I had the chance to open my mouth. ¡¸Mister hero!! Thank you so much for saving our town!! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for getting rid of that terrible demon!! ¡¹ The old people and even the young were cheering for us. Moreover, I could hear the whispering of the women¡¯s talk. ¡¸Besides, he sure has a very nice noble look¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸He is so tall; he is such a magnificent man¡­! ¡¹ It seems that Seiya¡¯s looks caught the eyes of the women of this town. In addition, some of the shop owners gave us some of their products as gifts. ¡¸These are the fruits of Jamie¡¯s shop!! These are our own fruits!! If you want, please have a bite!! ¡¹ I received with a smile the orange fruit that the gentle young man gave us. Suddenly, someone pushed through the crowds; I could see a small-sized man with a wide smile approaching us. ¡¸I¡¯m Graham, the Mayor of this town! I would be overjoyed to hold you a welcome party, so please come to my house! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you! Seiya, what do you plan to do? Do you want to go? ¡¹ I smiled, but Seiya shook his head negatively. ¡¸I can¡¯t. I still have lots of things to do. ¡¹ I see! Seiya, you are such an apathetic hero! But in order to save this world, you are ready to go to the next town! No wonder people adore you, including myself! Contrary to my expectations, Seiya redrew his sword and began using it as a broom to collect the charcoal remains of the Great Demon that were scattered from the sky. ¡¸What¡­what are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Just to make sure. ¡¹ Seiya elevated his left arm aimed at the charcoal remains and¡­started murmuring. ¡¸Hell¡¯s Fire¡­! ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s hand started overflowing with a blazing red flame and he aimed at the pile of charcoal. Suddenly, a burst of fire appeared; I was not the only one astonished by it but also were the people of the town. ¡¸Oh, oh my God!! ¡¹someone shouted. We could feel a strong heat wave coming from that burst. Everyone got away from Seiya. Then, Seiya dramatically increased that power. ¡¸Hell¡¯s Fire¡­Hell¡¯s Fire¡­Hell¡¯s Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire *continues repeatedly ¡¹ A huge fire pillar erupted in the center of the town after the continuous spell casting. I don¡¯t know if I should stand still or shout at him. ¡¸What¡¯s that, a festival¡¯s fireworks!? Stop it already!! ¡¹ However, no one could stop Seiya. He continued murmuring and scorching the charcoal remains. ¡¸ He is one of the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates¡­ If you leave even one cell behind, it can regenerate again¡­! I have to turn it to nothing¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸ Seiya, that¡¯s enough! Besides that¡­can you look around for a second? Did you forget the people of this town surrounded you? No matter how strong the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates are, it won¡¯t regenerate again after that insanely fire attack! ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡­Good. ¡¹ Lastly, Seiya stopped the magic. It seems that it¡¯s finally over¡­however, we felt relief only for a brief moment. Because in that instant, Seiya opened his arms towards the shattered charcoal. ¡¸ Have a taste of my ultimate power¡­¡±Maximum Inferno¡±¡­! ¡¹ A burning flame stronger than the Hell¡¯s Fire was coming from the hands of Seiya and immediately attacked the charcoal just as a snake attacks its prey. The moment that flame touched the few remains of the charcoal, it exploded instantaneously. The blast from the explosion spread over a radius of ten meters around the place where the charcoal was. ¡¸ What are you still doing!? ¡¹ For a brief second, I forgot I was a goddess as I shouted extremely loud at him. How could he use a ultimate power to erase that useless charcoal!? Is he crazy!? Is his brain alright!? ¡­I thought he was cool a moment ago. I hugged him with excitement. I felt I was starting to adore him. But¡­that was before this madness. This man has a disease. The town of Edna turned into a place of living hell by the burst of that massive explosion. ¡¸ Please, please stop! The fire is getting close to my shop! ¡¹ ¡¸ Hot! It¡¯s hot! Somebody help me! ¡¹ ¡¸ Hey! Look over there! Jamie¡¯s fruit shop is on fire! ¡¹ I saw the young man who gave me the fruit earlier on wrapped in flames; I turned around at Seiya and grabbed his shoulder aggressively. ¡¸ Stop all of this right now!! Jamie¡¯s on fire!! ¡¹ However, he didn¡¯t stop. I let go of him and went running to Jamie¡¯s. I slapped myself to get a grip, and so I tried to erase the fire on Jamie¡¯s clothes. Afterwards, I chanted my recovery magic and healed the burns from Jamie¡¯s back. ¡­A few minutes later. After trying to get hold of things, I looked back and Seiya was still working hard to eliminate the charcoal. ¡¸ Damn you!! How long will you keep on doing that!! ¡¹ Even though I was extremely angry, Seiya ignored me, then his sharp hawk eyes detected a small charcoal on the ground. ¡¸ Not yet¡­! I won¡¯t rest until I have destroyed every last piece of it¡­! ¡¹ A crying Mayor approached us and begged. ¡¸ Please¡­I beg of you¡­Please leave this town and never come back again!!¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 9 Chapter 9: Before the Trip ¡¸¡­Why did it happened like this!! ¡¹ We were outside of Edna¡¯s town, and I was so angry at Seiya. After the charcoal completely evaporated from this world, the people in town looked at us with gruesome eyes. I was so embarrassed that I smiled awkwardly, pushed Seiya¡¯s back and immediately escaped from that place. ¡¸Even though I was so relieved for us and for the people, all of it doesn¡¯t matter anymore!! Instead of being a hero, you behaved like devil!! Did you notice that a kid was about to throw stones at me!? ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t pay attention to any of what I just said. Instead, he spoke coldly to me with a bossy attitude. ¡¸You¡¯re like this even after I saved you from that demon. It seems there aren¡¯t any compassionate people in this world. ¡¹ ¡¸You are the one who¡¯s not compassionate!! Did you know that it was you who burnt Jamie!? Even the fruits he gave us all are burnt! We cannot eat them anymore! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know anything about it. ¡¹ Seiya continued to walk ahead as if nothing ever happened. I can¡¯t believe it! How can he show that attitude after all that happened! I thought he was a bit cool, but I was so foolish to believe that! Even if he has a good appearance, he¡¯s such a jerk! While leaving the boundaries of the town frustrated, I heard footsteps of someone running towards us. I turned back and it was Nina and her father. Nina¡¯s father lowered his head while taking deep breaths. ¡¸We are so sorry. Even though you saved our town, we made you leave like that¡­I think everyone was startled by the sudden amount of fire¡­ ¡¹ I shook my head as in ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡±. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Everything got worse than it was before. The fire burnt some of the shops and even hurt people. ¡¹ It makes me so frustrated to apologize for all this mess. It¡¯s hard to imagine that a hero would do such a thing. This is not sane at all. ¡¸Anyway, I wasn¡¯t able to thank you properly for helping us back then! I¡¯m glad I found you before you left! ¡¹ Afterwards, Nina¡¯s father offered a bag to Seiya. ¡¸I know this is insignificant, but I am giving it to you with the best intentions! Please, accept this gift! ¡¹ Seiya, who was uninterested all this time, looked at the gift and changed his expression. ¡¸Oh, is it gold? There¡¯s no better thing in the world than money; that way I can buy more weapons and armors. I¡¯ll take it. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second, Seiya. You are a hero; you shouldn¡¯t be saying those kind of things. ¡¹ However, Seiya took out a silver coin from the bag and wrinkled his forehead. ¡¸What¡¯s this. This is much less than I thought. Don¡¯t you have more? If you do, then give it to me.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not acting like a hero anymore!! That¡¯s robbery!! ¡¹ I was feeling devastated, but Nina¡¯s father laughed; he took some coins from his pocket and gave them to Seiya. I have no words left to say as I look at Nina¡¯s innocent smile. ¡¸*laughs* I know why! Mister has a heart sickness, but I know he is a good person! ¡¹ I put my hand on Nina¡¯s shoulder and somehow I could show her a smile. ¡¸Nina. He is ¡°half-dead¡± on the inside. He truly has a sickness, but he is not a good person¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Just be silent and stop saying nonsense. I don¡¯t have any sickness. ¡¹ ¡¸Normal people won¡¯t go around burning other people¡¯s houses, and after all that you even try to rob them!! I can¡¯t take this anymore!! I¡¯m so ashamed!! Let¡¯s go to the next town quickly!! ¡¹ I lowered my head to them in respect, and pulled Seiya¡¯s hand and went away. Nina screamed loudly from afar. ¡¸Thank you Miss! Thank you sick Mister! Thank you very much! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey Nina! Don¡¯t say such things! ¡¹ Even if I she was being scolded by her father, Nina was waving goodbye at us and I also showed her a goodbye smile; and thus I left the town of Edna feeling embarrassed to the max. As he walked silently, I spotted Seiya storing the money he just received into his pocket. As he was walking, something fell from Seiya¡¯s pocket; I looked at what fell in the ground. ¡­it was the flowery amulet that Nina gave him. ¡¸Oh my, Seiya. You actually kept that flower amulet with you? Did you not say that this item was a curse from the enemy? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I thought about it and it seemed more convenient to keep it. That way I would know if an enemy would attack me or not. ¡¹ Then, Seiya put the amulet together with his coins. ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. ¡¹ I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, he doesn¡¯t make sense at all. I really don¡¯t understand this man. But¡­who cares. A little bit of my anger faded away, and I started talking to Seiya in a cheerful tone. ¡¸Anyways, let¡¯s hurry to the next town! From the information that the Great Goddess Isister gave me, we need to head north to a town called Semul; There we will be meeting with someone who will accompany us on this quest! I¡¯m looking forward to it! ¡¹ However¡­Seiya stopped abruptly and professed the following words. ¡¸I can¡¯t go any further. It¡¯s too sudden. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Did you just say ¡°sudden¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s return to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re joking, right!? Why!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, to do more training. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Do you plan to do more training in the summoning chamber!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. If you think carefully about it, after defeating Chaos Makina, I¡¯m sure the enemy will send more powerful demons to come after us. I need to focus on my training before heading to the next town. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes, you might be right about that, but I thought your status was already great enough? ¡¹ ¡¸Do not determine the results based on speculation. There is no guarantee that I can win next time. Since there is no guarantee, I need to be at my best condition every time we face an enemy. ¡¹ ¡¸But, if you don¡¯t go to the next town right now, we might lose our allies, and you won¡¯t be able to buy weapons or armors, right? Won¡¯t we get in trouble because of that? ¡¹ Then, Seiya put his hand on his mouth and he thought carefully. ¡¸Having allies could wait, but having weapons and armors it¡¯s a must. Can¡¯t you create it? You made my bed appear in the summoning chamber, right? ¡¹ ¡¸The power of creation that a goddess¡¯ possess can only be used in the God¡¯s realm. Besides, it is forbidden to bring items from the heavens to the earthly world. Excessive assistance to humans go against the law of the Almighty. ¡¹ Upon hearing my explanation, Seiya showed a bored face. ¡¸¡­Useless woman. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? What was that!! If you let me help you, I can support you!! You saw my healing powers, didn¡¯t you!? I completely cured Jamie¡¯s burns after you injured him!! ¡¹ ¡¸The medicinal herbs I have with me are enough. In other words, the value of your existence is the same as an herb. ¡¹ ¡¸Whose identity is the same as a medicinal herb!! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyways. First, let¡¯s return to the heavenly world because I have to train; unless you want to go to the next town by yourself. ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t go alone to the next town because it will be meaningless¡­if that is what you are suggesting¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s so, then open the portal to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡­just wait a moment!! Just now, did you just order me!? ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 10 Chapter 10: The Sword¡¯s Deity ¡¸¡­and then, you came back again. ¡¹ ¡¸That man is too cautious. He¡¯s always excessively careful, way too worried, it seems like he has a serious disease. ¡¹ I was complaining in Aria¡¯s room. There are many goddesses in the God¡¯s realm, and some of them are difficult to talk to. But, Aria is always nice to me. I¡¯ve been able to relieve some stress talking with her. Yes, the Great Goddess Isister is a like a mother to me, and Aria is like an eldest sister. Veteran goddess Ariadoa was dressed in a very revealing but attractive outfit, and as usual, she drank her cup of tea gracefully. She¡¯s wearing a cleavage and I can see that she¡¯s a G-cup; the male gods must find her very attractive, I¡¯m so frustrated. However, I am an F-cup myself. I need to be more confident. Aria has a great appearance, she has experience and she doesn¡¯t even have one enemy¡­ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Aria is a veteran goddess who was born in the God¡¯s realm thousands of years ago; so far she has summoned many heroes and saved countless of different worlds. ¡¸*sighs continuously* I want to save Geabrande as soon as possible, so that I can become a veteran goddess like you Aria. ¡¹ ¡¸You must not try to mimic me. ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I wanted to say! I want to be like you Ariadoa, a successful veteran goddess who summoned heroes that saved three hundred worlds. ¡¹ The moment I said that, Aria¡¯s smile became a little sad. ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t save them all. There was a world that I could not save. ¡¹ Now that she mentioned it, I think I heard her story before. Even for Aria, there was nothing she could do to save that world. But, that was¡­ ¡¸It was just one world of the three hundred you saved, right? Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¹ While I laughed, Aria looked quite serious at me and she spoke the following. ¡¸You¡¯re wrong, Lista. I failed the people who lived in that world. In the end, I didn¡¯t save them. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes, I know that. I do understand but¡­you¡¯re still amazing. From all of the three hundred worlds, only one wasn¡¯t saved. ¡¹ However, Aria shook her head. ¡¸It was a world of B-rank difficulty. It was not a very difficult one to accomplish. Even so¡­I underestimated it and that was my mistake. It is a stain that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. ¡¹ ¡¸I, I see. ¡¹ The conversation got quite dark, so I changed the topic immediately. ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­that overly cautious hero! Since we came back here, he got himself locked up inside the summoning chamber! This is so upsetting! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­another physical training? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s correct! It seems that he doesn¡¯t have anything else on his life except physical training! ¡¹ I was showing an outrageous expression, and I noticed that Aria was smiling like she usual do. *sigh of relief* I am glad the mood is brighter again¡­ Aria stood up with her empty teacup. ¡¸I will make another tea for myself. Lista, do you want tea as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if you don¡¯t mind. ¡¹ ¡­on that precisely moment we hear ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the room was opened so violently. I was startled and when I looked over at the door, I was even more surprised. Because, Seiya was standing at the front door! Aria was also startled. As soon as she saw Seiya, she dropped her teacup on the floor and it cracked into pieces. However, Seiya didn¡¯t even notice her, he was staring at me and shouted. ¡¸So, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ve been looking for you. ¡¹ Seiya approached me without hesitation and I screamed at him. ¡¸Wait a second, Seiya!? Do you realize this is a goddess¡¯ private room!? How can you come here so abruptly!? You even shocked Aria and she broke her teacup!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine¡­that¡¯s fine¡­Lista. ¡¹ Then, Aria walked up towards Seiya. Aria¡¯s eyes became absent-minded the moment she gazed at Seiya. What!? Don¡¯t tell me that Aria is infatuated by Seiya¡¯s looks as well!? This man only has good looks and nothing else!! But it seems that Aria is getting smitten by him!! This womanizer!! No, not her too!! I¡¯m feeling heartbroken and angry. But Aria continues to gaze at Seiya with feverish eyes. ¡¸So you are¡­the hero that was summoned by Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Who the hell are you? ¡¹ She must have been taken aback by his rude remarks. For a moment, Aria hardened her facial expression, but *coughs coughs*, she clears her voice and showed him her usual benevolent smile. ¡¸My name is Aria. I¡¯m the sealing goddess Ariadoa. Just what happened? ¡¹ Seiya seemed a little hesitant to speak in front of a goddess he just met; but he slowly began speaking. ¡¸No matter how many sit-ups and push-ups I do now, my level isn¡¯t increasing that much anymore¡­ ¡¹ Although Seiya was feeling in trouble, I was overjoyed and screamed ¡°Finally!¡± on my mind. Yes! He finally reached his own limit after all of that crazy training! *laughs mischievously* From now on, he will only be able to level up as long as he continues to fight monsters! At last, I can do a proper adventure quest! Contrary to my excitement, I pretended to portray a serious expression and spoke to Seiya. ¡¸Seiya. That can¡¯t be helped, can it? You reached the limit of your level by training by yourself. However, you can level up if you fight against monsters in Geabrande, then, shall we go? ¡¹ ¡¸*thinking seriously* A real battle against monsters. That¡¯s way too risky. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­I think that¡¯s the normal course to take¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe it would be a better idea to create training equipment, don¡¯t you think so? ¡¹ ¡¸No! No! Absolutely not! Even if I were to create that, they would be temporary! There is a limit, you know! ¡¹ ¡¸Then, what should I do¡­ ¡¹ Seiya looked unusually worried. He wanted to avoid the option ¡°fight against monsters¡±. Aria gently suggested an idea. ¡¸Seiya. For example¡­why don¡¯t you practice with the gods and goddesses from this place? ¡¹ I was perplexed at Aria¡¯s proposal. ¡¸Wait a moment, Aria!? What are you talking about!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s because the gods of the God¡¯s realm don¡¯t get killed unlike common enemies. So it is safe, right? That way, he can get more experience fighting in the God¡¯s realm than just with mortal monsters, don¡¯t you agree? ¡¹ Seiya nods his head positively, but not full convinced about it. ¡¸I see. That might be a good idea. ¡¹ ¡¸*exasperated sound* Aria!! Come here for a second, please!! ¡¹ I asked Aria to come near the window of the room, and whispered to her ear. ¡¸How can you propose an idea like that!? Besides, is it really possible to engage in a ¡°practice match with the gods¡± in the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ ¡¸I will make it happen. I¡¯m going to talk with Isister, so I think it will be alright. ¡¹ ¡¸But, who¡¯s going to face him? I am a Goddess of Healing. Aria, you are a Goddess of Sealing. Both of us are not battle types. ¡¹ At that moment, Aria smiled and pointed to the window. ¡¸That place always has gods doing their best with their skills. ¡¹ From Aria¡¯s window, I could see the splendid large garden of the God¡¯s realm. Then, I spotted a male deity who was swinging a sword near a fountain decorated with elegant sculptures. This male deity is a stubborn god, swordsman Celseus, who usually stops the other gods from practicing there, just because ¡°the practice could destroy the beauty of the fountain¡±. Aria walked to the front door and I said to her. ¡¸I¡¯ll go with you. Let¡¯s ask Celseus. ¡¹ I shrugged my shoulders and sighed in disappointment. Ah, the adventure quest is delayed one more time¡­ We headed to Celseus. Spotting us coming on his direction, swordsman Celseus stopped swinging his sword and made an awkward smile. He has a ridiculous muscular body, shorthair and a long mustache; this god¡¯s appearance is one of a kind. ¡¸Look at who is here. Both senior Ariadoa and Listarte, and¡­oh my, who¡¯s this¡­ is he perhaps a human being? ¡¹ His complexion changed and wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡¸A summoned hero¡­however, you should be careful on letting a human wander around the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ Aria took a step forward, before allowing Seiya to say anything. ¡¸Celseus, I have a favor to ask. I¡¯d like to ask if you could train this hero. ¡¹ Celseus stood silent. Nevertheless¡­ ¡¸If it¡¯s senior goddess Aria request, then I have no choice but to accept, but¡­ ¡¹ Celseus slowly approached Seiya and stared closely at him. ¡¸Listen, human¡­Are you sure you¡¯re ready for this training? My practice routine is tough and rigorous. I am not sure if weak humans like you will be able to endure this kind of thing? ¡¹ Celseus grinned arrogantly. However, Seiya¡¯s facial complexion did not change at all, and replied with his usual tone. ¡¸I see. Sounds good, then. I wonder if you never had a chance to cry? Okay, if you don¡¯t mind, then I¡¯ll practice with you. ¡¹ After hearing him, Celseus trembled his body for a moment. ¡¸Hey, you. How dare you say something that? That¡¯s what I should be saying to you, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be frustrated so easily. Anyways, once you¡¯ve settle down come see me in the summoning chamber. Come when you feel you¡¯re ready. Got it? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand¡­*feeling irritated* What¡¯s wrong with this human¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya turned away and started walking. Shortly afterwards, Celseus rashly started to chase after him. I immediately felt a shivering cold going down my spine as I witnessed such scene. Before I knew it, this situation took a different approach!! Ryuguuin Seiya is¡­a frightening man!! However, Celseus¡¯ sword ability is the real deal!! Seiya¡¯s nose might get broken by that sword¡¯s deity!! This is unheard of, but it might just make him a decent hero!! ¡­There was a moment when I thought like that. Volume 1 - CH 11 Chapter 11: Harsh Training Seiya and Celseus came face to face inside the summoning chamber. As usual, I was told ¡°not to enter until the buzzer makes a sound¡±, but yes, it would be bad to disturb those two, so I dutifully kept my promise. In the afternoon, I found Celseus eating on the table at the dining hall of the God¡¯s realm. I sat next to him and asked the following. ¡¸Master Celseus, what happened to Seiya? ¡¹ Then, he opened his mouth and answered laughing. ¡¸Well! I never thought he would be such a tough man, of course, with a foul mouth as well! But for the first day, it is a bit difficult to go against my swordsman skills! ¡¹ ¡¸Is, is that so! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, he still has long ways to go before I start seeing him as a real opponent!¡¹ I was relieved when I saw Celseus; he looks like he is having fun. Apparently, they seem to be getting along well during practice. ¡¸Then, I leave him in your care, thank you very much! ¡¹ I bowed to Celseus and left the dining hall. *feeling reassured* After all, you seem to be doing quite well! That¡¯s amazing Seiya, I am impressed! Then, the second day came. I went to the dining hall at noontime, and I saw Celseus sitting at a table, but today, he had serious face and started stabbing the fish with a fork. I sat right next to him, and said hello. ¡¸Hello. How¡¯s the training going? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes, it is doing gre¡­great. ¡¹ ¡­What? Did I just feel that he said that while gritting his teeth? Celseus took a deep breath and sighed. ¡¸That bastard. In just two days, he gained a terrifying strength¡­ ¡¹ The last time I saw Seiya¡¯s status, his ¡°experience gain increase¡± exceeded level 10. Maybe this is the reason why he is learning at an astonishing speed. Although I think this situation is quite positive, Celseus is muttering with hatred. ¡¸I wish I could show him my true strength. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand but¡­it¡¯s forbidden to fight human adversaries using 100% of a god¡¯s power¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re correct. However, the divinity rules states that there are special cases, such as when a god¡¯s power is being surpassed by the opponent. Indeed. I might be able to defeat him easily if I use my full strength¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry!? What did you just say!? ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing! ¡¹ Did I just heard him say ¡°might be able to defeat him¡±? What? Don¡¯t tell me that in just two days he has beaten Celseus? ¡­No, it can¡¯t be! There¡¯s no way that happened! I¡¯m sure I heard him wrong! ¡¸*laughs eccentrically* Even so, that¡¯s a tough and competitive opponent to defeat! *laughs madly non-stop* ¡¹ He is laughing way too much. His state of mind is clearly different from yesterdays; I feel a little uneasy. The third day. I found Celseus in the dining hall drinking small portions of water from a cup. I feel that his complexion does not have a good vibe. My heart feels a bit wary to approach him. ¡¸Master Celseus. Have you lost a bit of weight? ¡¹ He opened his mouth little by little. ¡¸No¡­not really¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Then, how is it going with Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Well. It¡¯s going¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Has he improved with training? ¡¹ ¡¸So-so, I guess¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸So-so? What does it mean ¡°so-so¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°So-so¡± is so-so¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I mean¡­if you could be more specific? After all, I¡¯m the goddess responsible for Seiya. ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Celseus struck the table with his fist and spoke aggressively. ¡¸Hey you!! Stop chatting right now!! Do you know this is my lunch break!? Then, don¡¯t talk about ¡°training¡±!! ¡¹ ¡¸*sounds shocked* I¡¯m, I¡¯m, I¡¯m so sorry!! ¡¹ The other gods in the dining hall were startled and looked at us wondering what was going on. Looking at his surroundings, Celseus regained his composure. ¡¸¡­Sorry. I apologize for yelling at you. ¡¹ After he apologized, I left the dining hall straightaway. The fourth day. Although it was lunch break, Celseus was not in the dining hall. Lately, he has been mentally tired, maybe he is resting in his room¡­? Then, I thought it would be nice to check on Seiya; he is been inside the summoning chamber for last few days, so I decided to go to the kitchen in the dining hall. I went to the corner of the kitchen to get some seaweed to make onigiri¡­ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ I screamed all of sudden. I saw Celseus crouched next to the dried seaweed. ¡¸Master Celseus!? What on earth are you doing here!? ¡¹ ¡¸Suhh! Be quiet! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? It seems like you are hiding away from something¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t seem like. I¡¯m really hiding. ¡¹ Then, Celseus made signs to me to get closer to him, and he whispered on my ear. ¡¸Listarte. Listen, carefully. All right? That hero is¡­sick¡­! ¡¹ Yes, I know that¡­but I can¡¯t say that, so I kept silent. Celseus¡¯s face became quite pale and he spoke with a trembling voice. ¡¸I said to him that our training was enough already, but he kept saying ¡°not yet, not yet, it¡¯s not enough yet¡± and didn¡¯t hear anything to what I said. I have been forced to keep training with him even with insomnia, for him, it is never enough and just wants more and more training. ¡¹ ¡¸So, that¡¯s what happened¡­no wonder you¡¯re like this¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I already said to him that he is three times stronger than I am now, but he was not satisfied and said, ¡°I can¡¯t be reassured until I am hundred times stronger¡±. He has already gone crazy. He¡¯s got a Super Berserker spirit that he makes a normal Berserker sound petty. ¡¹ In the middle of talking¡­ ¡¸¡­Hey. ¡¹ Celseus and I slowly raised our faces in the direction of the low voice that we suddenly heard. There was a Super Berserker standing in front of us with his arms crossed. I was surprised¡­ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ Celseus starts sobbing. ¡¸Why!? ¡¹ He started speaking without even noticing that Celseus was sobbing. ¡¸Celseus. Lunch break is over. What are you doing there right next to the dry seaweed? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, no, I¡­well¡­ ¡¹ After some thinking, Celseus came up with an excuse. ¡¸That¡¯s it! I am here because¡­I was imitating the dry seaweed! ¡¹ I was perplexed with his explanation. What on earth is a ¡°seaweed imitation¡±? How can he come up with such a puzzled excuse!? However, Seiya didn¡¯t seem to be particularly interested on that excuse. He sent a cold look at Celseus. ¡¸I understand. Then, have you finished it? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, no, I need to keep working on it a bit longer. I have to do my best to be more like the dry seaweed. ¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t. Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya grabbed Celseus by his neck with his hand and spoke like he was declaring a verdict. ¡¸Considering that we lost a good amount of time, today we are going to practice continuously without a break. ¡¹ ¡¸No break¡­? Continuously¡­? ¡¹ Celseus began trembling and then started pleading. ¡¸I, I don¡¯t want to¡­!! *screams repeatedly* ¡¹ He started crying loudly. This whole scenario astonished me. ¡¸Master Celseus!? Your body is collapsing!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want swords anymore!! I don¡¯t even want to see them!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? But you are a swordsman god, what do you mean you don¡¯t want to see a sword anymore!? ¡¹ ¡¸I hate it!! I don¡¯t even want to think about that ¡°long and sharp pointed thing¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸*shocked* He doesn¡¯t even say ¡°sword¡± anymore!! ¡¹ Celseus was throwing tantrums like a child. Still, Seiya grabbed his neck and dragged him out of the kitchen. ¡¸Please help me!! ¡¹ Celseus eyes were tearing up as he was being dragged away in front of me. ¡¸Wait, Seiya!! Stop that!! He said he don¡¯t want to go!! ¡¹ In that exact moment, the kitchen doors opened abruptly and Aria rushed in. ¡¸So, you are here Lista! Isister has been searching for you!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ From Aria¡¯s serious look, it seems that it must be a very important matter. ¡¸Master Celseus! Please endure it just a little bit longer! ¡¹ Yet, he¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t abandon me¡­!! *screams incessantly* ¡¹ I left Celseus crying in the kitchen and I left urgently to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. Volume 1 - CH 12 Chapter 12: Ready ¡¸Excuse me. ¡¹ When I entered the room, I saw Great Goddess Isister standing in a wooden chair, gently knitting and smiling gracefully. She looked like a ¡°kind grandmother¡±, but I didn¡¯t dare to say that rude thing to her. Isister spoke with her usual serene voice. ¡¸Listarte. How is the training going between the swordsman god and your hero? ¡¹ First of all, I apologized to Isister for granting our request. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. I stayed in the God¡¯s realm and made my hero train with a god¡­¡¹ ¡¸There is no problem. However, is it certainly unprecedented to have a hero who won¡¯t fight against monsters and keeps training with a swordsman god. Besides, we have a rule that allows us give our support to heroes. Meaning that we can assist human beings without going against the Almighty¡¯s rules. The thing is that we never had a hero like this before. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ ¡¸So, is Ryuguuin Seiya¡¯s training hard? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, about that, I think Master Celseus couldn¡¯t overthrow him. Instead, he keeps saying that he ¡°doesn¡¯t want to see a sword anymore¡±, or something similar. ¡¹ Isister laughs at that. ¡¸That¡¯s because Celseus was an original weakling human being. ¡¹ ¡¸I beg your pardon!? Are you saying that Celseus was reincarnated from a human? ¡¹ There are two types of gods. The first type receives life as an original god in the God¡¯s realm. And, the second type is a being who made good deeds and gets to be reincarnated as a god. Somehow, I always thought that Celseus was the first type¡­ ¡¸Celseus was once a human swordsman. Of course, the memory of his time as a human being was lost when he was reincarnated into a god. However, certain characteristics stay so deeply engraved into the soul, that they don¡¯t disappear that easily. Since he was forced to practice harshly against Ryuguuin Seiya, his deepest weaknesses must have overflowed from his soul. Well, it was good training for Celseus as well. ¡¹ The situation was reversed somehow¡­It was supposed to be Seiya training in the first place. There was an occasion a long while ago, that I asked Isister about my type. Yet, she said that ¡°you will know when the time comes¡±. Well, I thought about it carefully and came to a conclusion that it doesn¡¯t matter that much, since even if a god was a human previously, there will be no memory of those days anyways. Since then, I stopped worrying too much. Isister placed her knitting cloth on the table and looked at me with gentle eyes. ¡¸Listen, Lista. I called you here today because I wanted to speak with you. I¡¯m sorry but you have to interrupt the training, because I want you to go to the next town right away. ¡¹ I wanted to go on with the adventure quest as soon as possible, so¡­ ¡¸Yes! I understand! ¡¹ Nevertheless, I asked the following. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­that something is happening in Geabrande? ¡¹ I was curious. Before I knew it, Isister had a serious expression. ¡¸Originally, the area I chose as your starting point was relatively safe. However, the devil was sensing our movements. It seems that the next town is in great danger. ¡¹ Isister has the ability to predict the future a little ahead in time. If my goddesses¡¯ intuition is somewhat relevant, even more is the precision of her ability; therefore, there is no mistake in that information. ¡¸Although the time flow is slower in the God¡¯s realm, I still want you two to hurry and continue the journey as soon as possible. Lista, can I depend on you?¡¹ ¡¸Of course!! We¡¯ll be leaving immediately!! ¡¹ As soon as I left Isister¡¯s room, I walked through the temple grounds with a firm determination. ¡­No matter what he¡¯ll do, I¡¯ll have to take him with me! I opened the summoning chamber¡¯s doors straight away and shouted. ¡¸Seiya!! We are going to Geabrande right now!!¡­wha¡­what!? ¡¹ I was petrified. I came face to face with a terrible sight. Seiya was sitting on top of Celseus back riding him like he was a horse, and was hitting him with both fists. (EN: Check the note at the end) *weird sounds resembling animal noises* Celseus was groaning while protecting his head with one hand. ¡¸Wait right there!? What are you doing!? Stop it immediately!! ¡¹ When I ran over to them, Seiya finally stopped hitting him. ¡¸Seiya!! Why are you doing such a terrible thing!! ¡¹ Even though I was so angry, Seiya¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. ¡¸What are you planning on doing with him? Is this a part of your training as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­well, I guess¡­ ¡¹ I was so shocked to find that he turned into a ¡°bully¡± himself¡­I was shocked, but¡­oh well, come to think of it, I feel that nothing about him surprises me anymore¡­ I smiled to Celseus who was standing still. ¡¸I am sure you were overwhelmed about this kind training! ¡¹ However, Celseus covered his face with his hands, and did not say a word. ¡¸Master Celseus, you must not be silent! Was this really ¡°training¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸What are you up to? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Before I forget! ¡¹ I spoke directly at Seiya. ¡¸Geabrande is going to be in danger very soon! We have to go right now! I know you are in the middle of your training, but I will have to take you with me immediately! ¡¹ At the same time, Seiya wiped his sweat with a towel. ¡¸Okay. I think I¡¯ve finished here as well, because there¡¯s nothing more to gain from that guy over there. ¡¹ As opposed to Celseus, who sits on his knees in a suspicious triangular form without professing a single word, Seiya looks dashing on his steel armor and shakes his glossy black hair. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. Okay, let¡¯s go to the next town. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­but before that¡­first, you need to apologize properly!! ¡¹ I casted the spell to open the portal directly to a place where the town of Semul is visible from afar. That means that we can go straight to the place the Great Goddess Isister told us to go in Geabrande. In fact, I wanted to land in a place a little far away so that he would fight a monster and increase the experience value. Yet, I can¡¯t bring myself to tell him that. When Seiya and I arrived through the entrance of the town, I noticed many people carrying household goods and running around in a panic. I caught one man on its way and asked him what was going on. ¡¸The army of the undead attacked the Klein Castle in the northwest plain; in the end, it fell down! Those monsters may come to this town anytime now! You should get out of here as soon as possible! ¡¹ The man left quickly and Seiya asked the following. ¡¸Hey. What are the undead? ¡¹ ¡¸They are monsters who keep moving even after losing their lives. To make things easier to understand, they are called zombies. In fact, it is difficult to stop them with only strikes and sword attacks. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, which attack is effective on them? ¡¹ ¡¸Fire spells are effective. However, the holy water is the most effective tool. ¡¹ ¡¸Holy water you say. Then, firstly, we need to find an items shop. ¡¹ According to Isister¡¯s information, it seems that someone who is supposed to become an ally for Seiya and I awaits at the town¡¯s church. Although I want to go there right now, it is certainly wiser to buy the holy water first for countermeasure against the undead. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ As we ran through the town, we managed to find an items shop and we went rushing inside. At the counter of that small shop, there was a shopkeeper standing still. ¡¸I¡¯m glad. There is still someone here. ¡¹ ¡¸Ha! Naturally! Business is my life! ¡¹ The shopkeeper laughed and said. ¡¸Holy water you ask? That¡¯s for the undead. You need to prepare as soon as possible. We have a lot of them here in the shop. So, please, buy a lot. ¡¹ As he nodded, Seiya took out the bag with money from his pocket. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll do that. Therefore, give me a thousand of holy water. ¡¹ Then, the shopkeeper¡¯s face looked stunned. ¡¸¡­Well, I certainly said I had a lot in the shop. However, everything we have here has a limit. To get you a thousand items of holy water is a bit troublesome. In the first place, no matter how much holy water there is inside a bottle, you won¡¯t be able to carry all of them yourselves, and even if you could hold much as possible, you would be restrained by the heavy weight of all of the holy waters together. Besides, if you buy everything, I won¡¯t have a single holy water in the shop anymore. ¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re so sorry!! Ten!! Ten is fine!! ¡¹ I ended up ordering the holy water instead of Seiya. ¡¸¡­that¡¯s just a few. ¡¹ When we left the shop, Seiya looked quite dissatisfied, but I ignored him and I went rushing to the church. The church was right ahead of the shop; I opened the two large doors at the front and I heard a bell sound. We were standing at the beginning of a long red carpet. There was four people standing at the altar of the church. I spotted a priest and a nun. Beside them was a lively boy with a silver armor and a spunky hair. In addition, there was a curly red-haired girl wearing a robe. Recognizing my true nature, the priest stared at me and said with tears. ¡¸Oh, oh my God! Even if you appear in a human form, I can discern very well who you are! You¡¯re a goddess, aren¡¯t you? We have received divine revelation and we have been waiting for you to come here! ¡¹ Then, he points to the boy and the girl. ¡¸These two over here are the descendants of the Dragon Tribe, whose blood carries the blood of dragons! They will be your comrades and fight alongside your hero to defeat the evil! ¡¹ The little girl with red-hair greeted me for bowing her head, while the brown-haired boy was holding his hands on his waist. ¡­descendants of the Dragon Tribe¡­! So these two will be Seiya¡¯s fighting allies¡­! I want to talk to the two of them right now. But¡­on this precisely moment I felt something ominous. My goddess¡¯ intuition was violently beating like the sound of an alarm. They probably won¡¯t understand because humans only have five senses. However, there is a rather sinister aura lurking right in front of me. I can¡¯t identify which one of these four people has this evil characteristic. Still¡­ I whisper in Seiya¡¯s ear. ¡¸Be careful, Seiya. I have a bad feeling about this. I think someone here is an undead. ¡¹ ¡¸Heh. There¡¯s no problem. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, wait? ¡¹ Scratching his nose, Seiya walked forward in the direction of those four people. Volume 1 - CH 13 Chapter 13: The Wonders of Immortality As Seiya slowly approached them, the priest graciously bowed his head. ¡¸So you are the hero! I apologize for my late introduction! I am Father Marus! ¡¹ Right after telling his name, Seiya didn¡¯t even say a word and sprinkled the holy water on the head of the priest Marus. *sounds of water splashing* ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ The priest was startled by the splash of the holy water. ¡¸Se, Seiya!? What are you doing!? ¡¹ I was not the only one who was in shock. ¡¸Whoa!! What is wrong with you!? ¡¹ Then, the ¡°dragon boy¡± yelled too. ¡¸Oh my god!! Why are you suddenly throwing holy water!? ¡¹ The ¡°dragon girl¡± opened her eyes wide and said. ¡¸Holy Father!? ¡¹ The nun raised her hands to her mouth and was about to faint. It¡¯s a natural reaction. Poor priest, he met ¡°a Hero for the first time and got sprinkled with holy water¡±; of course, people were quite shocked by this barbarity. Among them, there was a person who spoke in a loud voice. It was Father Marus himself, who was soaked from the holy water. *screams repeatedly* As he screams, we could no longer hear a voice that belongs to a human being. Suddenly, there was smoking rising from the priest¡¯s head. Eh, wait¡­that is¡­it cannot be¡­! ¡¸That¡¯s, that¡¯s¡­! ¡¹ It seems that the ¡°dragon boy¡± also noticed what was happening. ¡­That¡¯s right! So when the undead touch the holy water they have this kind of reaction!! ¡¸Se, seriously!? Then, this means that the hero knew from the beginning that he was an undead!! ¡¹ ¡¸Amazing!! As expected of a hero, indeed!! ¡¹ As they were admiring the hero, the undead with the form of the priest started scratching his head painfully. His face was burned thanks to the holy water, and soon, his wicked real face was revealed as he made an eccentrically laugh inside the church. ¡¸*laughs hysterically* So it was really you! You¡¯re the hero who exterminated Chaos Makina! I thought I was going to caught you off guard and get rid of you, one by one, but it seems I was exposed! ¡¹ At that point, he lowered his center of gravity and took a jumping stance. ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped! Eventually, all of you will become part of the undead! One of the Demon Lord¡¯s army subordinates, Death Magra, possesses the power of immortality and he is assembling an army of the undead! Feel free to join us anytime! ¡¹ ¡¸As if, you asshole! ¡¹ The ¡°dragon boy¡± pulled his sword out of his sheath. ¡¸*sounds self-confident* I am going to do it! ¡¹ The girl held a wizard¡¯s wand. However, Seiya, who was supposed to be the most cautious, was not interested in joining the fight, and spoke to the nun. ¡¸How long was that thing the priest of this church? ¡¹ ¡¸He came here from Klein Castle as a missionary, I think it was two days ago¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I see. So you¡¯re saying that he wasn¡¯t originally from this town? ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second, Seiya! It¡¯s not the time to talk about that! You should help them now! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no need. The enemy already lost control of its movements. ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ Soon afterwards. The priest¡¯s head, arms and legs fell apart from his body; one by one they hit the floor of the church. The priest¡¯s head rolled on the floor and it looks like that thing was confused about what just happened to its body. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with him!? ¡¹ I shouted intensely. Seiya remained calm and observed the priest¡¯s body condition. ¡¸Even if the body does break apart and even if there is no blood at all, he¡¯s still fine. I get it now. So this is the so called ¡°undead¡±. ¡¹ The other two from the Dragon Tribe rounded their eyes in shock. ¡¸Whe¡­when did you cut him¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t even see you pulling the sword out of the sheath, how did you do it? ¡¹ He cut the undead so fast that the human eye couldn¡¯t even grasp a thing. It seems that Seiya got stronger after training with the god swordsman. I would like to see his current status, but I¡¯ll leave that for later. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. Just tell me one thing. How did you know Father Marus was an undead? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a simple reasoning. ¡¹ ¡¸Can you tell me about that reasoning? ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. First, that priest was the oldest among the four of them. In other words, he would be dead sooner or later. That¡¯s the reason why a poured the holy water on him. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand now¡­wait, that was the reason!? He would ¡°be dead sooner or later¡±!? That¡¯s not a credible reasoning!! ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s remarks were awkward as always, how could he look down on the elderly people, just assuming that they are undead just because they are old; even so, he did manage to find the undead among them, so I stopped asking questions. The head of the undead was lying on the floor and screaming with remorse. ¡¸Damn it! Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won just because you defeated me! The undead army that attacked the Klein Castle is led by Death Magra, and will be arriving on this town soon enough! *laughs sarcastically* You¡¯ll be amazed when you hear this! They are an army of ten thousand warriors! They will arrive in the morning and will turn this town into ruins in a blink of an eye! You better enjoy your life while it lasts. ¡¹ There are ten thousand undead coming tomorrow morning¡­really¡­!? I was trembling with fear, but Seiya remained expressionless after hearing the priest¡¯s words. ¡¸Okay. This guy gave us enough information. Let¡¯s clean this mess and go. We are talking about immortality here, so we have more reasons to be cautious about this situation¡­ ¡¹ The moment Seiya stopped talking, I had a realization on my mind. ¡¸Everyone, run! ¡¹ I screamed as I pushed the ¡°two dragons¡± with the nun. ¡¸Eh? What do you mean, ¡°run¡±? Don¡¯t you see that the enemy can¡¯t move anymore? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that! Something terrible is about to happen here! ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, goddess? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you get it? That hero is focused on ¡°cleaning¡± that man, so he is charging up one of his skill¡¯s power! So, stop talking and run, because¡­here it comes!! ¡¹ A horrible sound pierced through my ears! Seiya¡¯s magic powers burst so intensively that it created a huge explosion inside the church. The moment I opened the doors to the outside, we all came ¡°flying¡± out of the church with the blast caused by that irrational magic force. The explosions and vibrations continued intermittently. Flames were overflowing from the broken stained glass. A few minutes later, the church in the town of Semul made a huge cracking noise and fully collapsed. ¡¸The church is¡­the historical church of Semul is¡­!! ¡¹ The nun was speechless looking at the church¡¯s ruins, and she fainted on the spot. We saw an ¡°Ifrit¡± emerging from the burning flames and it said. ¡¸It¡¯s safe now. The monster is completely gone. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it seems the monster is not the only thing that was gone, but the church as well!! The Sister lost consciousness!! ¡¹ I screamed at him, but Seiya did not care¡­as usual. The ¡°dragon boy¡± dressed in a silver armor slowly approached Seiya. ¡¸Well¡­it was a huge destruction indeed¡­but¡­you really are strong. I admit it. ¡¹ He held Seiya¡¯s hand as if he was handshaking him. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Mister Hero! I¡¯m Mash! I am a warrior with the blood of dragons! ¡¹ Then, the curly-haired girl came too and greeted us. ¡¸Hi! I¡¯m Elle! Mash is a childhood friend from the same village! I am a wizard with the blood of dragons! Let¡¯s work together from now on! ¡¹ A timid Elle approached Seiya and asked him a question. ¡¸Excuse me! Can you tell us your name? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Seiya. My name is Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ While introducing himself, Seiya poured the holy water on Elle¡¯s head. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ Elle got startled, but Seiya just said ¡°you seem to be human¡± and in the next instant, he started pouring the holy water on Mash¡¯s head as well. ¡¸Hey you, what are you doing all of a sudden!! ¡¹ ¡¸So, this one is also human. ¡¹ Afterwards, he went to the fainted nun and spilled the holy water on her too. ¡¸Okay. Human too. ¡¹ ¡¸Just stop doing that¡­she is unconscious¡­ ¡¹ For some unknown reason, Seiya poured the holy water on top of my head as well. ¡¸Hey!? Why on me too!? ¡¹ ¡¸Who knows, you could have been replaced by an undead without me noticing. ¡¹ ¡¸There was no time for that!! ¡¹ The new allies were observing him. ¡¸Just how cautious and suspicious are you¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­it seems to be pathological¡­¡¹ Mash and Elle were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Then, Seiya began gazing at them silently. ¡¸Hey you, what are you looking at? Do you need something? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at us with suspicious eyes? ¡¹ I probably know what he is doing. Is Seiya activating his clairvoyance ability right now? Okay! Then, I want to see the status of both of them too! Like Seiya, my eyes were glittering as I stared meticulously at both of them. ¡¸Wait is this!? Somehow, both the hero and his goddess are looking at us in a frightening way, right!? ¡¹ Elle started to cry as my eyes fully opened. Soon, these two people¡¯s status appeared in my field of view. Mash Level ¨C 8 HP ¨C 476 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 206 Defense ¨C 184 Agility ¨C 101 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C 28 Resistance ¨C Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Attack Power Increase (Lv 3) Skills ¨C Dragon Thrust Personality ¨C Brave Elle Level ¨C 7 HP ¨C 355 MP ¨C 195 Attack ¨C 98 Defense ¨C 160 Agility ¨C 76 Magic ¨C 189 Potential ¨C 36 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Lightening Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 4) Skills ¨C Fire Arrow Personality ¨C Bright ¡­they are more ordinary than I thought. They are not even close to Seiya¡¯s level. I thought their ability would be far superior because both of them have the blood of dragons from the Dragon Tribe. But, maybe they will improve from now on? I was thinking positively about them, however, the moment I looked at Seiya, I got shivers all across my body. It was because Seiya was staring at them with dark eyes that resembled dead fish¡¯s eyes. Volume 1 - CH 14 Chapter 14: Breakdown ¡¸Hey! How long will you keep looking at us like that? It¡¯s disgusting! ¡¹ Mash was shouting at Seiya in front of the church¡¯s ruins. Seiya finally diverted his eyes from them and muttered with a repulsive voice. ¡¸No use. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What? Hey you, what did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸I said ¡°no use¡±. Your status are too low to even talk about. I don¡¯t have a use for comrades like you. ¡¹ ¡¸Say what again!? You bastard!! ¡¹ Mash was looking quite furious at Seiya, but Elle managed to keep a smile. ¡¸*laugh awkwardly* Well, we are still gaining experience! So I hope you¡¯ll look at us with different eyes, is that alright? ¡¹ However, Seiya looked at the red-haired girl with cold eyes. ¡¸By the way, it seems you have fire magic but that¡¯s also one of my attributes. I don¡¯t need you. ¡¹ ¡¸Did you just say that you ¡°don¡¯t need me¡±? That¡¯s cruel!! ¡¹ ¡¸Besides, even though you say you¡¯re still gaining experience, I don¡¯t see any development, ¡®cause you were standing there doing nothing; you didn¡¯t even recognize that the priest was an undead; so how can you be useful to me from now on? ¡¹ Both of them couldn¡¯t speak back and they just stayed silent while clenching their teeth. I was the same as both them before. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, Seiya. The priest was hiding every trace of being an undead, so it was hard for humans to notice anything strange. I also didn¡¯t know it was him¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it. Their ability to detect danger is extremely low. I will be exposed to danger if I¡¯m stuck with these two. Let me be clear here, this is bothersome. ¡¹ Mash was at the limit of his patience and was spiting continuously on the ground. ¡¸Hey, Mister Hero. Just because you are strong, it doesn¡¯t give you the right to look down on other people, got it? ¡¹ He stood face to face with Seiya and glared intensely at him. ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare measure people by their status alone! Do you want me to show you my real strength here? I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a hero who received a God¡¯s revelation, but in my Nakashi Village, I am called the ¡°Hero Mash¡±!¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Let me show you the differences between our abilities in a second.¡¹ I stepped in between both them to stop their intense rivalry. ¡¸Calm down you two! Also, Seiya! You said very harsh things to them! Apologize to Mash! ¡¹ ¡¸Why? I don¡¯t need to apologize. ¡¹ Seiya looked at Mash and shooed him away. ¡¸I¡¯ll say one more time. I don¡¯t need you. Go back to your Nakayoshi Village. ¡¹ ¡¸Nakayoshi¡­? My Village is called Nakashi, you bastard!! I won¡¯t forgive you!!¡¹ Mash was going to hit Seiya, but Elle stopped him. ¡¸Stop Mash! You mustn¡¯t fight with him! ¡¹ ¡¸Shup up! Let me go! ¡¹ I let Elle handle Mash for now, and I went to speak with Seiya. ¡¸Seiya, listen to me. According to the information of the Great Goddess Isister, there seems to be a hidden place with a special seal that can only be opened with the dragon crest on the hands of both of them. In other words, we can¡¯t save Geabrande without it. ¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean we have to take them not as allies but as ¡°keys¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s okay to interpret it like that¡­ ¡¹ I had no choice but to use this strategy to take them with us. However, I didn¡¯t notice at all that Mash pushed Elle away and was listening to the story I just told Seiya. ¡¸We¡¯re ¡°keys¡±!? Don¡¯t you dare treat us like items!! ¡¹ ¡¸No!! That¡¯s not what I meant!! ¡¹ *feeling regretful* I poured oil in the fire!! How can I fix this mess!? Now what to do¡­ *crying sound* I could hear an agonizing voice. Then, I saw that Elle was crying endlessly. Suddenly, it became rivers of tears. ¡¸*cries continuously* First it was ¡°no use¡±, after that was ¡°keys¡±, I can¡¯t take it anymore!! I trained so hard ever since I was born, this is unfair!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! I completely understand! So, please don¡¯t cry Elle! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s this? Kindergarten now? This is ridiculous. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, be quiet!! ¡¹ A hero who is insensible. A crying ¡°dragon girl¡±. An angry ¡°dragon boy¡±. Ah!? The atmosphere unexpectedly turned into a horrible mood!? I mustn¡¯t allow this!! As a goddess, I need to put some order into this situation!! I somehow managed to find a solution and pointed towards a group of armored Knights that were passing by. ¡¸What!? Everyone, look at that!! Something is coming on our direction!! I wonder what¡¯s going on!? ¡¹ Good! In some way or another, I succeed in changing the mood¡­Yet, the five Knights that were walking stopped right in front of us and looked serious as they shouted repeatedly. ¡¸Some people alerted us about a huge uproar coming from the area around the church¡­What the hell happened here!? The church was burned down!! ¡¹ ¡¸Look over there!! The Sister is lying unconsciously on the floor!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you people!! Explain what happened over here!! If you don¡¯t give a credible answer, I¡¯ll keep interrogating you all!! ¡¹ What is this!! The atmosphere became worse than it was before!! ¡¸Well, about this, you know¡­ ¡¹ When I tried to justify the occurrence, the nun woke up. *panicking* This is getting worse!! She will tell the Knights that it was Seiya who destroyed the church!! Still, contrary to my thoughts, the nun protected us. ¡¸Gentlemen. The truth is that the priest of this church was an undead in disguise. These people here helped me. ¡¹ ¡¸The church collapsed because of that? ¡¹ ¡¸I guess¡­I can¡¯t recall that event too well because my head still hurts. But¡­well¡­I¡¯m sure the undead ignited the fire and destroyed the church in the end¡­¡¹ The nun looked serious and she continued talking with confidence; she didn¡¯t seem to be lying to them. I am sure the nun didn¡¯t want to believe that a ¡°hero destroyed a church¡±, so she went ahead with the undead story. ¡¸However, there is one thing that I clearly remember. The undead told us that ten thousand undead warriors would arrive in the following morning.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ten thousand¡­!? It can¡¯t be true¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸I heard that the undead army that destroyed Klein Castle was moving southward¡­but who would have imagined they would be that many¡­!! ¡¹ The Knights became scared after hearing the nun¡¯s words. Yet, she smiled. ¡¸Please, rest assured. God did not abandon us, because He sent these people to our town to protect us. The goddess was descended from the heavens to save Geabrande. In addition, we have a hero who received the revelation of God. Besides, we also have here today two people from the Dragon Tribe who saved Geabrande since the ancient times. ¡¹ The Knights changed the gaze of their eyes when they heard the nun¡¯s words. Meanwhile, a veteran Knight with a beard was saluted. ¡¸Please forgive us for our rudeness! We are the Knights of the Rosgard Empire! We were dispatched to save the town of Semul from the undead army! Forgives us for any inconvenience that we¡¯ve caused! ¡¹ The five of them bowed to us in unison. ¡¸Hero! Please, defeat the army of the undead!! ¡¹ Unusually, Seiya looked up to the veteran Knight and spoke to him. ¡¸I want to ask you a question; if I defeat the army of the undead how much will I receive? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­? What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸I am talking about money, of course. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, Seiya!! Why are you talking about money at a time like this!? You are a hero, not a mercenary!! ¡¹ ¡¸Recently, I thought about a new skill. Therefore, I need money to practice my new skill. ¡¹ What¡­skill? What kind of skill is that that requires¡­money? ¡¸Of course, we can give you a nice incentive from the Empire. At least thousands of gold coins¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. In that case, you need to write that down. I want to have a guarantee that you¡¯ll pay that money in the end. ¡¹ After writing the memorandum, the veteran Knight gave it to Seiya with a smile. ¡¸There will be arriving more Knights! Two hundred Imperial Knights will cooperate with you on the battlefield! ¡¹ However¡­ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You don¡¯t need their cooperation!? ¡¹ The Knights were astonished by Seiya¡¯s sudden response. ¡¸Even so¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I said I don¡¯t need them. There are a few people remaining in this town, right? Then, stay here and protect the town. ¡¹ The Knights were caught in surprise. Next, Seiya sent a gaze at Mash. ¡¸Hey, you mushroom from Nakayoshi Village. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Hero Mash from Nakashi Village!! You bastard, I¡¯ve told you that many times already!! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy. More importantly, do you think you can manage this situation by yourself? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸What I am asking is if you can handle a ten thousand army of undead by yourself. ¡¹ ¡¸About that¡­ ¡¹ The ¡°dragon boy¡± and ¡°dragon girl¡± look at each other speechless. Seiya spoke in a fed up tone. ¡¸See? You guys can¡¯t do anything about this situation. But, I can handle it. If you understand, then go back to your Nakayoshi Village. ¡¹ ¡¸I told you it¡¯s not Nakayoshi Village!! I won¡¯t return!! ¡¹ ¡¸If you don¡¯t want to go back, you could protect this town with the Knights. You can do that much, right? ¡¹ Elle wondered about that and looked at Mash. ¡¸What should we do, Mash? Should we do it? ¡¹ ¡¸Shup up! I won¡¯t be told what do go by a guy like him! ¡¹ Mash turned back precipitously. ¡¸Enough! Let¡¯s go to a different place! ¡¹ ¡¸Wait for me, Mash! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Mash!? Elle!? ¡¹ I screamed at them, but Mash continued to walk without looking back. Elle followed after Mash after bowing to me apologetically. We left the Knights behind and ventured out of town. ¡¸Seiya, you know¡­about Mash and Elle¡­you think that both of them are going to face the undead army by themselves? ¡¹ ¡¸They are not that stupid. Even if they plan on fighting them, I will destroy them first. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. ¡¹ I stared closely at Seiya. ¡¸Listen. ¡°Defeat¡± and ¡°Do alone¡±¡­yes, that¡¯s something you can do well because you are strong. You fought against the god swordsman Celseus and you managed to improve your sword skills, right? Even so, this time you will be outnumbered. It¡¯s ten thousand. Are you sure about this? Look, it¡¯s not too late. We can go back and ask the Knights, Mash and Elle to come with us, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸No. ¡¹ ¡¸Come on!! You¡¯ve always been way to cautious about fighting, so what¡¯s wrong with you now!? At times like this, isn¡¯t it safer to have allies at our side!?¡¹ ¡¸It would be a hundred or even two hundred against ten thousand undead, we would never surpass the enemy in number even if all of them came with me. Neither the kids from Nakayoshi Village and neither the Knights are a goddess like you who won¡¯t die. This way, there won¡¯t be deaths in vain. ¡¹ I¡¯m sorry? He said something unusual just now, am I right? Perhaps, he is worried about those kids and the people in the town? I was observing Seiya and¡­I was amazed. Seiya rapidly soared into the sky flying! Is this his flying skill!? ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ Seiya looked at me from above and said. ¡¸By the way, I don¡¯t need you. ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!? ¡¹ ¡¸I heard the undead were going south. Instead, I went north with you. So, you must stay at that inn until I return. ¡¹ Seiya took off and I was left alone in this inn out of town. ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right¡­? Are you saying that you don¡¯t need a goddess¡­? Wait a second¡­is this a dream¡­? ¡¹ After being perplexed, my anger exploded. That selfish and individualist hero!! Unforgivable!! I will never forgive you!! I shouted loudly towards the sky. ¡¸Order!! ¡¹ I prayed to Isister from Geabrande all the way to the God¡¯s realm. And so ¡°The permission is granted to Goddess Listarte to use the original ability to fly¡±!! The power of gods and goddesses get particularly limited when we get human bodies and descend to an earthly world. This circumstance happens because of the Almighty rule about ¡°saving a world but not excessively assisting human beings¡±. However, there are exceptions. In an emergency, the Special Measures Act of the God¡¯s realm specifies that if a hero needs support, the goddess can gain access to some of her original abilities. Of course, I had to ask permission to Isister to be granted some power. Still, I asked for the flying skills only to follow Seiya. It should appear soon¡­ As expected, I felt my back burning hot and a couple of white wings appeared along with the glittering light. *laughs confidently* It has been a while since I¡¯ve had my beautiful wings! Seiya you smartass, you thought I couldn¡¯t fly? You just wait! I will catch up with you soon¡­no one can beat the speed of my wings! ¡¸Lista, Wings!! ¡¹ I spread my wings wide open like a beautiful swan and I flew towards the bright sky, where I disappeared slowly into the horizon. ¡¸Don¡¯t mess up with a goddess!! ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 15 Chapter 15: 1 against 10 000 I was flying at a full speed and in an instant, I could see Seiya¡¯s silhouette from the distance. It seems that my flying skill is not that rusty. In fact, when I saw Seiya¡¯s status the last time, his ¡°Flight¡± ability level was not that high. Currently, my flying ability is at level 14. If I convert to hours, I can fly at 60 to 80 kilometers p/hour. I caught up with Seiya immediately. ¡¸I got you!! ¡¹ ¡­I tried to catch him from behind but he managed to avoid me. Darn it! His reaction was so perfect that it seemed that he had an eye attached on his back. ¡¸So, you followed me. I said I didn¡¯t need you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Huh! What¡¯s up with the ¡°didn¡¯t need you¡±! Watch your own mouth, okay? I am much better than you in the sky! If you try to get smart on me, I will make you fall to the ground! ¡¹ I¡¯m sure he might be astonished by my feat, yet Seiya murmurs indifferently. ¡¸We are flying at normal speed. I¡¯ll fly seriously now. ¡¹ In that instant, Seiya¡¯s body suddenly disappeared. ¡¸What¡­ ¡¹ When I noticed, he was further ahead of me, maybe around ten meters in the distance. That¡¯s quick!! When did he¡­!? Curse you!! I made my wings get bigger to chase after Seiya. I won¡¯t lose against him in flying. I have beautiful wings while Seiya has no wings and only floats in the air. I can¡¯t be defeated that easily. However¡­he truly is fast! I am already at my MAX speed, but it looks like I am getting further and further away from him! I won¡¯t lose to someone like him!! Here I go!! Full ¡°Megamic Power¡± initiated!! I¡¯m using all of my power on my wings¡­ *excruciating pain* My back hurts!! I feel like my wings are breaking apart!! Listen to yourself Listarte, endure, endure a bit more!! I¡¯m a fine goddess!! My back and my wings are aching so much; still Seiya¡¯s appearance totally disappeared from my sight. I was so exhausted that I stopped in mid-air because I was out of breath. ¡­I even asked permission to the Special Measures Act¡­ and yet, the power I was granted with couldn¡¯t win against him¡­ I was feeling depressed and when I looked up; there was Seiya right in front of me. ¡¸That¡¯s why I told you that ¡°I don¡¯t want you¡±. You¡¯re so annoying. Okay then, let¡¯s go. ¡¹ Seiya grabbed my wrist, he took off and we flew together. ¡­I was so angry when we left. His serious sickness has been irritating me for quite a while now. It may be sudden, but I was somehow relieved to finally see some kindness because in the end he waited for me; I could feel the warmth that surrounded my wrist and the enthralling sight in front of me that kept flying ahead. After all, when we see this guy from a close distance, he certainly looks cool!! *laughs timidly* And he keeps holding my hand tight, wait, this seems¡­like a date!! Then, Seiya looked back at me. ¡¸Hey, Lista. ¡¹ What is this!? Seiya called me by my name!? All this time he has been calling me ¡°you¡± or ¡°hey¡±!! ¡¸Ye¡­Yes? ¡¹ My heart was pounding. The air is so dense now!! I mean, we can¡¯t even see the ground anymore!! Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya will try to do naughty things to me up here!? No, we can¡¯t, no!! A love between a goddess and a human being is a forbidden matter!! But¡­I wonder if only a little bit can be allowed? Well, if it¡¯s only a little kiss, there should be no problem, right? That should be plenty enough? So, he is going to kiss me? Or maybe I should be the one doing it first? After Seiya spoke to me and I realized my delusion. ¡¸Let¡¯s speed up ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Sorry? ¡¹ Soon, I felt power running through my hand! Seiya flew at a tremendous speed and I felt that power go throughout my body as well! *screams* There¡¯s a lot of air coming inside my mouth. I cannot even breathe properly. I can¡¯t look at myself at the moment, but I have a guess. I¡¯m sure my face looks outrageous. Yet, I could sense that Seiya was fine while flying at this horrendous speed, while I am the one being dragged behind. To make it easier to understand, for example, Seiya looks like he is sitting comfortably inside a jet¡¯s cockpit, and I feel like I am the one tied with a rope outside the same jet. I was being attacked by the massive gravitational acceleration, and not before long¡­I realized my ridiculous appearance. The top of my favorite white dress abruptly opened, and one of my breasts were in plain sight for the whole world to see. ¡¸*shouts panicking* Stop it right now!! I have my breasts out of my clothes!! ¡¹ However, he didn¡¯t stop. I was trying to cover my breasts with my arms as he kept flying ahead. ¡­ten minutes later, Seiya finally slowed down his speed. I finally managed to cover myself up and I spoke exhaustingly. ¡¸I¡­I thought I was going to die¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸What? But goddesses don¡¯t die, right? ¡¹ Having said that, Seiya started observing my horrible appearance, my unkempt hair, runny nose, my ugly face and my messy clothes. ¡¸You¡­had this visual before? ¡¹ ¡¸Whose fault do you think it is; you made me became like this! Just look at me!! Even my Lista Wings are tattered!? Did you not see that I was getting undressed while flying at that ridiculous speed!? ¡¹ ¡¸You can cure yourself with your recovery magic. More importantly, you need to speak quieter. What if they happen to hear us here? ¡¹ I was so angry that I wanted to shout ¡¸Ah!? ¡¹, but on that moment I saw something from the distance and I immediately closed my mouth. It was because I saw the large army of the undead marching through the vast plains of Geabrande. We were about 200 meters above the ground, so the army looked like small ants marching. But my eyesight is better than ordinary humans, so I could clearly see the whole scenario. The army of the undead consisted mostly of zombies and skeleton knights. They walked slowly, heading south without ever stopping. ¡¸What are you planning to do? Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re thinking in going there right now¡­? ¡¹ Seiya did not answer and pulled my arm again. ¡¸I am going higher. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You¡¯re flying again!? ¡¹ We started to fly higher and higher into the sky. When I looked down, the large army of the undead became smaller and smaller, and at the same time I started to feel a bit suffocated. We came to an altitude of hundreds of meters away from the ground. When Seiya finally stopped flying, the large army of the undead was only seen from above as a black mass moving in an inverted triangle. ¡¸I wonder if they are marching that way because of their devil lord. It looks spectacular and stupid at the same time. To avoid taking risks, I will disperse that mass. Even if I started bombing from here, there won¡¯t be any problem since there are one else in the surroundings. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. However, about the bombing you mention, that¡¯s from your world, right Seiya? There are no fighters who specialize in bombs in this world, right? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I need to have a similar power to replace it. ¡¹ Then, Seiya held his hands towards the heavens and slowly closed his eyes. ¡¸¡­be quiet for a while. ¡¹ It only took one minute. Suddenly, my eyesight became surrounded by a large shadow. What? A shadow in the sky? I was so astonished about what I was seeing that I forgot to fly and was about to fall. A huge object was floating above my head and it started emitting a bright light. ¡¸What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Meteor Strike¡±¡­! ¡¹ On that moment I was almost speechless¡­that huge object was turning in the direction of the mass in the ground¡­we are still hundred meters above the sky, but it might be possible to strike. ¡¸That¡¯s a small meteorite with a radius of only ten meters, but the energy that overflows that thing is enormous and if it falls at a high speed it will be catastrophic. Maybe we can annihilate them all at once. ¡¹ Before I knew, the meteorite emitting large amounts of energy collided with the large army of the undead marching in an inverted triangle. In a second, a loud roar came from the ground!! A massive explosion erupted in huge flames!! It felt more like a bomb than the collision of a meteorite. That attack had a tremendous amount of firepower, because when it hit the ground, the surrounding green plains transformed in a fiery hell. ¡¸I adjusted the collision of the meteorite in the area where the undead were standing. However, the falling speed increased, making the meteorite disintegrate from the explosion caused by the collision with the earth¡¯s surface. At least a radius of one-kilometer from the collision point became a burning field. ¡¹ ¡¸Amazing¡­!! ¡¹ I was only able to say one word, because the ¡°ocean¡± of fire that spread in front of my eyes was overwhelming. I can¡¯t believe that only one man annihilated an army of ten thousands! Only a High Wizard would have been able to change the orbit of a meteorite and aim at the ideal location; this accomplishment could only be achieved by powerful sky magic! ¡¸Well, this is a powerful but limited magic. It can only be used when no one else is present, and besides that, it requires time to fully activate it and I need to have enough concentration while I do it. In fact, it¡¯s useless because I can¡¯t use this power that often. ¡¹ ¡¸But where did you learn this remarkable magic? ¡¹ ¡¸When I was beating Celseus¡¯s mouth with an octopus, a vision came into my mind. And that was the Meteor Strike. ¡¹ It was during that time¡­! He trained with a swordsman god and instead he learnt a power that doesn¡¯t involve swords at all¡­!? Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter much¡­!! Even so¡­ I looked at the scorched grasslands once again and my mind started drifting. I was sad for Mash and Elle, but it is true that their levels are too different from Seiya¡¯s. To be honest, Geabrande can be saved with just this man alone. ¡¸I think more than ninety percent were annihilated, but I¡¯m still worried¡­maybe I¡¯ll strike them one more time just to be sure. ¡¹ Without hesitation, I saw Seiya holding his hands together to create another Meteor Strike and I became speechless. *laughs* Amazing! That¡¯s too great to be true! If the one of the Demon Lord¡¯s generals Death Magra was nearby, I am sure he would be caught in the explosion in no time! His personality is a problem, but his talent is one in a hundred million people! If he could use this Meteor Strike power on the Devil¡¯s Castle, then Geabrande would be saved immediately, right!? Ah! It became an easy victory!! At that moment, I was so overwhelmed by Seiya¡¯s power that I temporarily forgot about the true situation of this place. That¡¯s right, Geabrande is a world with an S-rank salvation difficulty. Soon after, I was reminded of this dire situation¡­ ¡­through a sad sacrifice Volume 1 - CH 16 Chapter 16: Unreachable Blade After creating another small meteorite, Seiya¡¯s figure wavered in the sky. ¡¸Are you okay, Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸I consumed a large amount of MP. I need to rest a little to recover it. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand. For now, let¡¯s return to Semul and rest at an inn. ¡¹ He looked fatigued since he was wrinkling his eyebrows. It might be the first time that this happened to Seiya. It was a bit unreasonable. He ended up using that amazing magic for two consecutive times. In the end, it was not only the MP that decreased, he might have been mentally exhausted as well. Seiya muttered bitterly. ¡¸My MP was around 15 000¡­now is¡­only 13 500. ¡¹ ¡¸But, you have a lot of MP left, don¡¯t you!? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a fool. It might get very hard if the enemy targets me while my MP is this low. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that¡­will it be that hard¡­? Well, for now let¡¯s go to the inn. ¡¹ With 13 500 MP remaining there shouldn¡¯t be any problem, but his everlasting cautiousness still amazes me; even so, we made our way back to Semul¡¯s town¡­ When we arrived in Semul¡¯s town I noticed that many other Knights have arrived as well and they were all assembled together. The veteran Knight from before spotted us arriving and he came running in our direction. ¡¸I¡¯m glad to see you unharmed! Then¡­who came victorious? ¡¹ I told him the truth. ¡¸They were annihilated¡­? All of the ten thousand undead¡­? Is that really true? Well, it¡¯s not that I doubt you or anything like that, but¡­ ¡¹ The other Knights looked at each other and started laughing. Even if the hero was indeed strong enough to defeat the large army of the undead, he having done so in just a couple of hours seemed somewhat unbelievable. Seiya took out the memorandum and requested the reward; they said in response ¡¸We need to go get it first! ¡¹, several Knights got on their horses and ran out of the town. The veteran Knight told us ¡¸you must be tired ¡¹, and took Seiya and I to nearby inn. ¡­it was our third morning since we stayed at the inn. I was staying in the room next to Seiya¡¯s; while I was combing my hair I heard someone knocking on my door. ¡¸Geez! So you¡¯re finally ready to go? ¡­what? ¡¹ I opened the door but the person standing there was not Seiya. I looked below and there was a curly-haired girl wearing a robe waiting for me; it was Elle. ¡¸Elle? ¡¹ Elle looked a bit gloomy as she nodded at me. ¡¸Goddess, I am sorry for what happened the other day. Please listen to what I have to say. ¡¹ ¡¸ You make it sound like it¡¯s very bad. What is that you want to say? ¡¹ ¡¸ Mash disappeared two days ago. I looked for him and I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. ¡¹ ¡¸ Maybe he returned to your village, no? ¡¹ ¡¸ If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll have to return to see if he really went back¡­ ¡¹ Elle was about to cry but I touched her shoulder to reassure her. ¡¸ Elle, I¡¯m sure he is okay. The army of the undead was defeated. I think the possibility of Mash being in trouble is quite low. ¡¹ Elle¡¯s disposition became a lot better. ¡¸ Yes, I heard it. People in the town are talking about what happened. That hero sure is amazing. ¡¹ ¡¸ Well, I guess you could call him amazing. ¡¹ ¡¸ Where is he? Is he staying in the next room? ¡¹ I respond while taking a deep breath. ¡¸ He has been obsessed with training a new skill called ¡°Synthesis¡± ever since then¡­ ¡¹ Yes, that¡¯s right. After receiving that large reward, Seiya went to the weaponry shop and bought lots of equipment; afterwards he closed himself within his room. He wanted to train his newly acquired ability named ¡°Synthesis¡±. That¡¯s why Seiya wanted so much money. ¡¸ First, l need to talk with Seiya to tell him that I¡¯ll go out with you. I can¡¯t let you go on your own. ¡¹ ¡¸ Go¡­out with me¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸ I will go with you. Let¡¯s go find Mash together? ¡¹ ¡¸ Is that okay? Because we are not comrades anymore¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ That¡¯s what Seiya decided without my permission. Besides, as a goddess I can¡¯t let anyone get in trouble. ¡¹ ¡¸ Goddess, thank you very much! ¡¹ Elle had a wide smile on her face. Elle and I came to Seiya¡¯s room and we knocked on his door; however, we didn¡¯t get any reply from him. ¡¸ Seiya? Are you there? Can we open the door? ¡¹ The moment I opened the door, Elle and I were astonished. Dozens of swords and armors were scattered around the whole room. Seiya, who seemed focused with his sword, finally realized our existence. ¡¸ Lista, look at this sword. ¡¹ Seiya, who rarely showed his emotions, was flustered as he showed me his sword. I looked at it and I saw an elegant sword emitting a silver luminosity; then I spoke. ¡¸ Don¡¯t tell me that this is a Platinum Sword!? That¡¯s incredible!! How did you make a sword like this in the first place!? ¡¹ ¡¸ I had to change my experimentation. At first, I combined the sword with another sword, but only the strength was increased. To synthesize a strong sword, I had to prepare another method, so I used a catalyst. ¡¹ ¡¸ Catalyst? What was that? ¡¹ ¡¸ A goddess¡¯ hair. I found some of your hair in your room while you weren¡¯t there. I used it to combine with the steel sword, and I managed to synthesize a Platinum Sword. ¡¹ My own hair¡­? He even entered my room without my permission¡­? I was speechless; instead, it got a bit more complicated. ¡¸ The Platinum Sword might need maintenance, so I need to have more hair in reserve. Give me more of your hair. A thousand strings will be enough. ¡¹ ¡¸ I¡¯ll get bald!! ¡¹ As I refused his request, I noticed that Elle was shining her eyes towards me like if she was looking at me with utmost respect. ¡¸ It¡¯s awesome to have power on your hair! As expected of a goddess! ¡¹ ¡¸ Well, I guess so! ¡¹ Meanwhile, Seiya went further inside the room and picked a totally different sword. It was a strange sword with a twisted and curved blade. ¡¸ However, this one was a failure. ¡¹ Seiya said that he used one of my golden hair strings on the sword. Yet, the sword became twisted and had a weird format. Elle blushed before me. ¡¸ It can¡¯t be¡­that is¡­perhaps¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Yes. Maybe it became this frizzy because of the other string hair? In other words, with curly hair this strange sword was created. I want more of your straight hair. ¡¹ ¡¸ *screams* What!? ¡¹ I picked my hair strings ¡°scattered around¡±, I got the twisted sword and I shouted angrily. ¡¸ How dare you!! ¡¹ I was so angry with Seiya that I tried to hit him with that ¡°hair brush sword¡±, but at the same time, I heard knock sound. It was familiar voice from the other side of the door. ¡¸ Excuse me. I have a delivery for Mister Hero. ¡¹ That person was the Landlady of the inn. When I opened the door, the Landlady was holding a large object wrapped in cloth, and gave it to me. When I received it, it was surprisingly light despite its size, and I could grab it alone. ¡¸ What is this? Who brought it? ¡¹ ¡¸ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside. It just says ¡°an offering to the hero who defeated the undead¡±. The one who gave it to me was a mysterious man wearing a hood. ¡¹ After the Landlady closed the door, Seiya looked at the object with a suspicious look. ¡¸ This is suspicious. It might have something explosive inside. You open it. ¡¹ So, a goddess can be useful on times like this because I won¡¯t die. Still, I unwrapped the object as I was told to. From the inside, there was this large full-length mirror. The mirror was wider than a normal full-length mirror and it could reflect two people side by side at the same time. ¡¸ Oh my, it looks like a nice present¡­huh? ¡¹ I noticed that this mirror looked more like a transparent plate similar to a glass. I erected the plate next to the wall, but it only reflected transparency. ¡¸ What is this thing? ¡¹ However, I heard a sound coming from this supposed mirror, and the transparency became colored. *squeal sound* Elle and I were both startled. ¡¸ What is going on with this thing? ¡¹ ¡­on that moment, an eerie image was unfolding on the full-length mirror. Someone appeared inside the mirror, that person was tied up on a chair with a rope in a shadowy room. That person¡¯s eyes were covered with a cloth band and his mouth was closed with a gag. The red stains on the clothes were probably from blood. Elle was the first one who noticed who it was. She pressed her mouth with her hand and said with a trembling voice. ¡¸ Mash¡­! That¡¯s¡­Mash¡­! ¡¹ In a second, I could hear stepping sounds coming closer and closer to where Mash was tied up. Suddenly, a man appeared from the edge of the full-length mirror and stood next to Mash; this man started speaking to us. ¡¸ I wonder if you can see and hear us from there. Yes, from here, I can clearly see a man who is probably the hero, a beautiful goddess and a cute red-haired girl. ¡¹ The one talking looked like a petite man dressed in black robes just like a grim reaper. This person was bald and on his face there were three eyes. This man was obviously not a human being. He continued speaking with a low-pitched voice. ¡¸ These mirrors are quite strange, right? They have the Demon Lord¡¯s power engraved inside of them. They can project images of every place no matter how close or far they are from one another. ¡¹ Unexpectedly, the man grinned sinisterly. ¡¸ Oh my, I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m one of the four generals of the Demon Lord¡¯s army, my name is Death Magra. Thanks to the Demon Lord I got a special ability to ¡°remodel¡±, in other words, to create an undead from the corpses of fallen human beings. ¡¹ I was caught in this horrible situation. This man was Death Magra¡­! He wasn¡¯t within the undead march¡­! ¡¸ My, my, that was a splendid attack. You destroyed a large army of the undead and reduced them to nothing. You used sky magic? That was a very fearsome power. I¡¯m glad I was only remotely controlling the undead from afar. By the way¡­ ¡¹ Death Magra came near the full-length mirror to show us some possessions. ¡¸ Do you know what this is? ¡¹ I was horrified when I realized that Death Magra was holding a human finger on his hand. ¡¸ I wonder if there is any left? Soon, this poor boy won¡¯t be able to hold things with his hands anymore. ¡¹ Elle was trembling next to me. ¡¸¡­no, no, this can¡¯t be happening. ¡¹ Death Magra laughs pleasantly as he hears a terrified Elle. ¡¸Yes, I had fun. I am so amused right now. Fooling around with living human beings is very entertaining after all. Playing with corpses is boring because they don¡¯t feel anything and they won¡¯t scream as well. ¡¹ Then, Death Magra grabbed Mash¡¯s head and put a knife on his neck. ¡¸But, I¡¯m getting bored and tired. I going to kill him now. ¡¹ Elle¡¯s screaming voice resonated everywhere. On that precisely moment, Death Magra turned his vicious eyes towards us. ¡¸Hero, this is your entire fault. You destroyed my army using your cowardly tactics. ¡¹ Then, Mash began to stir on the chair as he noticed Death Magra¡¯s ruthless intentions. ¡¸Oh my. He wants to beg for his life? ¡¹ He took of Mash¡¯s gag from his mouth. Mash took deep breaths and then he spoke with a shaky voice. ¡¸He¡­Hero. So, you ended up bringing down that army of ten thousand undead¡­ ¡¹ Mash raised his voice against the unimaginable pain and fear. ¡¸You damn hero!! But, I must admit that you¡¯re the real deal!! It¡¯s true that I am nothing like you!! But please¡­ ¡¹ Tears of blood went through the blindfold band. ¡¸Please¡­save the world in my place¡­!! ¡¹ I instantly turned my eyes away from the full-length mirror, as I could no longer bear to keep listening to Mash¡¯s cry. I can¡¯t bear to watch. I can¡¯t bear to listen. Mash probably knows that he can no longer be saved. That¡¯s why he entrusted his wish to Seiya, the one he hated so much not too long ago. Death Magra spoke with a boring face. ¡¸Oh my? You didn¡¯t beg for your life? However, during your torture you shed so much tears that I was so overjoyed. Well, I guess I won¡¯t be able to have fun with you anymore. ¡¹ Elle strongly grabbed my arm. ¡¸Goddess! Please, save Mash! I won¡¯t ask for anything else, just Mash, just him! So, please¡­! Please¡­! ¡¹ I tried my hardest to think of something. But I couldn¡¯t think of any way to help Mash in this situation. When I took my hand away silently, Elle fell on the floor and sobbed so much. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to believe this¡­somebody¡­somebody please help Mash¡­ ¡¹ Death Magra was laughing happily, as he saw how desperate the both of us were. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I understand it too well. Even if you defeated ten thousand undead troops, in the end you won¡¯t be able to save one important person. ¡¹ However, as Death Magra stared at us, Seiya¡¯s face stiffened. ¡¸Oh dear! What¡¯s wrong, hero. This is not a time to get upset about trivial things such as these. According to the story I heard, you seem to be overly cautious; I wonder if that cautiousness made you detect this place and infiltrate some of your friends in here? ¡¹ After he finished talking, this man revealed his true nature and laughed with a devilish face. ¡¸*laughs loudly* It¡¯s too bad, because that would be impossible!! You¡¯re called a hero!? You are so helpless!! Just watch silently as I cut this boy¡¯s throat!! ¡¹ Even with this horrifying scenario, Seiya didn¡¯t change his complexion that much, instead he whispered on my ear. ¡¸Lista. Open the heavenly portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But¡­ ¡¹ No matter how much time we can delay in the God¡¯s realm, it is not possible to save Mash for being cut off right now. ¡¸Just open it. Because¡­ ¡¹ Seiya kept ignoring Death Magra until now and remained calm as usual as he spoke. ¡¸Are you sure you want to kill the dragon boy Mash? I must say you have guts. You will need to prepare yourself and start ¡°collecting¡± your stuff. ¡¹ Death Magra changed his attitude when he heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸Hey you there. What did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I always use a simulation for similar situations. ¡¹ ¡¸So, what are you even trying to say? ¡¹ Death Magra became extremely frustrated right now. I also didn¡¯t understand what Seiya tried to say. ¡¸It was the same with Chaos Makina. I saw from a crystal ball that Nina¡¯s father was about to be killed. I thought, ¡°what should I do¡±. On situations like these when I can¡¯t afford to waste time, it was important to find a solution, so I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. ¡¹ In that instant, Seiya dropped his scabbard and took a grip at his sword. Noticing an offensive attitude, Death Magra opened his three eyes wide and greatly distorted his mouth. ¡¸This idiot! Is he in the position to attack? I¡¯m only reflected through that mirror, I¡¯m not actually there! Your sword can¡¯t reach me! ¡¹ He put his knife back on Mash¡¯s throat again. ¡¸*laughs wickedly* This is your punishment for having destroyed my army!! ¡¹ ¡¸Please, stop it!! ¡¹ Elle screamed. Yet, I observed Seiya instead of watching Mash on the verge of his death. A part of the sword came out of Seiya¡¯s sheath and shined brightly. On that moment, he pulled out his entire sword; it was emitting such a strong light that even my eyes could not look directly at it; and he stroke back in the direction of the mirror! At the same time, Death Magra¡¯s arm that was holding the knife went flying and there was dark blood spilled everywhere! Death Magra shouted when he noticed that his arm was cut off and gone. ¡¸*screams aggressively* This is¡­!! What happened¡­!? ¡¹ After that strike with a swinging sword, Seiya looked at Death Magra again but with hawk eyes. ¡¸This is a sword made of photons that splits the entire space¡­ it¡¯s a ¡°Dimension Blade¡±¡­! ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 17 Chapter 17: The Great Goddess My heart was beating and my body was trembling the moment I saw a miracle happen in front of my eyes. An over powered ¡°Dimension Blade¡± that cuts through space and able to reach a place that is untouchable¡­just what is this kind skill? It¡¯s super cool!! How did he achieve something this powerful!? This hero¡¯s abilities are becoming far superior than what a regular hero can do; and they are becoming more comparable to the abilities of a god!? But in the middle of my admiration, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me. ¡­When I noticed, Seiya and I went through the portal to the summoning chamber of the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸What? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand why we came back here and suddenly Seiya hit my head. ¡¸It hurts!! Wait, what are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down. The real thing starts now. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What do you mean with ¡°real thing¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸My Dimension Blade only cut the arm of Death Magra. Right now, he is in a state of confusion, but soon he will regain his senses and he¡¯ll try to kill Mash.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right! What should we do! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I came to this heavenly place because the time in Geabrande flows 1/100 of the time here. After he recovers his senses, it will take him ten seconds to grab his weapon and kill Mash. In other words¡­ ¡¹ Seiya walked ahead and opened the doors of the summoning chamber. ¡¸In other words, we have 15 minutes to find a way to reach that place through the God¡¯s realm and rescue Mash. If you understand what I said, follow me. ¡¹ I was a little confused at first, but I fully understood the situation¡­ ¡¸ Yes!! I understand!! ¡¹ I responded to Seiya with a loud and submissive voice as if I was answering to my fellow veteran gods. ¡­After that, I guided the way inside of the temple as Seiya told me to do, and we reached the front door of the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room; Seiya was rushing to open it but I hesitated for a moment. ¡¸ What¡¯s wrong? This is the place where we can find the greatest goddess of the heavenly place, right? Open the door now. ¡¹ It¡¯s true that the Great Goddess Isister might be able to locate Mash¡¯s whereabouts, even so¡­ I spoke carefully to Seiya before opening the door. ¡¸ Can you listen to me for a second? She is the greatest goddess around, do you understand? Would you try not to behave hastily as you normally do? ¡¹ ¡¸ Okay. ¡¹ ¡¸ Are you sure? So, let me do the explanations, and can you remain silent instead? ¡¹ ¡¸ Okay, okay. ¡¹ After I cleared my throat, I gently opened the lavishly decorated door. As usual, Isister was sitting on a chair as she kept knitting. ¡¸ Excuse us. It¡¯s me Listarte, the Goddess of Healing. I would like to speak directly with you today. ¡¹ While I was talking, Seiya jumped right in front of me. ¡¸Hey, old hag. ¡¹ ¡¸*looking upset* Stop right there!! I told you to stay silent!! ¡¹ ¡¸You will take it too long to explain. I¡¯ll make it simple. Listen. We need to find the place where the ¡°mushroom¡± is staying in Geabrande. If we find the place, we can go directly to ¡°mushroom¡±. Make it quick, old hag. ¡¹ ¡¸*screams* Stop saying ¡°old hag¡±!! And the boy is not ¡°mushroom¡±, he is ¡°Mash¡±!! You make it sound like we are going to catch real mushrooms!! ¡¹ I can¡¯t believe he keeps calling her ¡°old hag¡±!! Besides, it was not long ago that he called the boy ¡°Mash¡±, but now he insists on calling him ¡°mushroom¡± again!! ¡­I was so frustrated and angry, however, the Great Goddess Isister didn¡¯t change her complexion at all and she gently smiled. ¡¸*laughs softly* In short, you want me to find your comrade. However, it is forbidden by the Law of God to help human beings excessively¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸This woman usually opens the portal to go to Geabrande; what I want is for you to change the destination we arrive in that world. That should be no problem, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, indeed. If you say it that way, there should be no problem at all. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. If you understand, then hurry up old hag. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. ¡¹ Although I am feeling quite irritated about Seiya, Isister didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by his attitude; she stood up and took a big crystal ball from the shelf; and started examining. ¡¸¡­I clearly understood. The boy seems to be in the underground of the forest near Klein Castle. It looks like he is trapped in a large basement. ¡¹ ¡¸As expected of the Great Goddess Isister!! ¡­so, what do you plan to do, Seiya? Do you want to open the portal to a location near that place, like the same way we did before? ¡¹ ¡¸No, the situation is quite different from the previous one. We need to appear right in front of the ¡°mushroom¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸In front of him¡­Okay, I understand. ¡¹ Isister casted a spell that made the portal to Geabrande appear. We stayed briefly in the God¡¯s realm this time around. Therefore, I am sure we still have enough time to rescue Mash. I deeply lowered my head to Isister. ¡¸Thank you very much for everything, Great Goddess Isister!! I will repay the kindness you showed us, for sure!! C¡¯mon Seiya, you need to thank her too!! ¡¹ ¡¸Good job, old hag. ¡¹ ¡¸*looking irritated* Who the hell do you think you are!! ¡­and by the way, Seiya!! Are we going to be okay against the undead? I say this because I¡¯m sure Death Magra is well protected by his monsters; so the moment we show up in there, won¡¯t the skeletons and zombies attack us immediately? ¡¹ Seiya looks at me. ¡¸To whom are you talking to? I am Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ I looked at Seiya¡¯s hand as he approached the portal, and I became astonished. ¡­That¡¯s right. His preparation are always in a perfect state. I could see his left hand wrapped in fire as he continued to walk forward. ¡¸As soon as we cross the portal, I will strike him with Hell¡¯s Fire. On that moment, make sure you rescue the ¡°mushroom¡±. Got that? ¡¹ ¡¸Understood! ¡¹ Okay! I have to do my best as well! However, the moment Seiya tried to enter the portal¡­ ¡¸¡­Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ Isister suddenly called Seiya¡¯s name. ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸You have grown so much. ¡¹ ¡¸You talk as if you knew me before. Didn¡¯t we meet for the first time today? ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t seem quite convinced about her approach, so he nodded his head as if he understood what was going on. ¡¸Ah, I see. You have dementia. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t tolerate this behavior any more. ¡¸*screams angrily* Stop talking like that you jerk!! Of course she doesn¡¯t have dementia!! Great Goddess Isister is able to see everything! ¡°You are morbidly cautious, you have a bad attitude and your words are ruthless, but you showed some sincerity in saving a comrade¡±, that¡¯s why she meant you grew up a lot!! ¡¹ After yelling angrily, I relaxed and softened my expression. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that right, Great Goddess Isister? ¡¹ I asked that question, but Isister did not respond me and just smiled. Seiya moaned as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡¸Why are you making ¡°this rescue a comrade¡± thing into a big deal. We are just hunting a ¡°mushroom¡±, that¡¯s all. Okay then, let¡¯s go. ¡¹ As we were entering the portal to Geabrande, I heard from behind¡­ ¡¸Please, be safe¡­ ¡¹ I heard Isister¡¯s gentle voice. Volume 1 - CH 18 Chapter 18: Intelligence The moment we crossed the portal, Seiya was already using his Hell¡¯s Fire ability; when we arrived at the large and darkish torture room, we could hear Death Magra¡¯s screams ¡¸Hand!! My Hand!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ Death Magra noticed our arrival and his third eye gazed at Seiya. ¡¸Burn. Hell¡¯s Fire¡­! ¡¹ A flame was projected from Seiya¡¯s hand and wrapped Death Magra on fire. Okay! It was an easy arrival! I was vigilant but there seems to be no undead around! Therefore, I did what we planned and I left Seiya to deal with Death Magra while I ran over to Mash, who was tied on a chair with a rope. ¡¸Are you okay, Mash? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes¡­ ¡¹ I immediately removed the blindfold. The moment I looked at Mash¡¯s face¡­I instinctively turned my face away. One his eyes was crushed and all of his fingers from both hands were cut off. In addition, there was burnt marks on his arms and legs. Mash looked at me, trying to show me a smile somehow, but some of his teeth fell to the ground and he was in so much pain. I could feel my anger bursting inside my body. That sadist three-eyed monster! How dare he torture this young boy, who is just in his teens. ¡¸I will cure you immediately! ¡¹ I activated my healing magic. However, the reproduction of all of his fingers and eye would take a lot of time. So, for the time being, I devoted my strength in healing his exhaustion from the pain he suffered on his whole body and heal the burns on his arms and legs as well. While I was healing, I thought, ¡°it¡¯s about time he finished that devil¡±, but when I turned my eyes back at Seiya¡­I could not believe what I was seeing. Seiya wrinkled his eyebrows and looked bitter as he watched Death Magra engulfed on fire. I was astonished to see Seiya¡¯s unusual face because he normally won¡¯t show any emotions. Why is he like that? Isn¡¯t it a good thing that Death Magra is being burnt by Hell¡¯s Fire? But, I finally noticed what was happening. It is true that Death Magra was engulfed on fire. But it was not the red flames from Hell¡¯s Fire. Black flames were surrounding Death Magra¡¯s body. Moreover, it seems that he was protecting himself from Seiya¡¯s Hell¡¯s Fire. After the Hell¡¯s Fire disappeared, the black flames left Death Magra¡¯s body and stood next to him, shaping up a form that resembled a man with two meters tall (6¡ä 6¡å). ¡¸What¡­what is happening now¡­!? ¡¹ When I said that, Mash looked up to see what was going on and he saw the black flame monster without eyes and nose. As soon as he noticed that monster, Mash¡¯s body started trembling violently. ¡¸Ah, that thing¡­!! That thing¡­that thing is¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Mash? Calm down! ¡¹ Mash had a very pale complexion on his face while he gritted his teeth. On the other hand, Death Magra aided himself with a cloth on his injured arm to stop the blood. Meanwhile, he stared bitterly at Seiya. ¡¸Just now, that flame magic was the same magic you used to defeat Chaos Makina? Too bad, but it¡¯s ineffective against us. I am one of the four generals of the Demon Lord¡¯s army, Death Magra, therefore¡­ ¡¹ Without letting Death Magra finish his sentence, Seiya redrew his sword and attacked the black flames monster in one strike. Seiya used his sword at a crazy speed that instantly cut the monster¡¯s torso right up to the shoulder; however, there was absolutely no physical effect from that attack. I definitely saw the monster be cut by Seiya¡¯s sword, but there was no change in his appearance. Perhaps, this monster is a ghost-type creature? If that¡¯s so, then¡­!! ¡¸Seiya!! Holy water!! Use holy water on your sword and try to attack that thing!! ¡¹ However, Seiya shakes his head. ¡¸The sword was already soaked with holy water. But it¡¯s not working. ¡¹ He¡­he was already using it? Since when¡­? He is extremely fast as usual¡­but¡­ ¡¸Why is it not working then!? That thing is a ghost, right!? ¡¹ Death Magra was laughing at my words. ¡¸This monster is called ¡°Dark Fires¡±. My ¡°right hand¡± was reborn, as a result of repeated experiments with hundreds of monsters. This is the strongest Fire Monster. ¡¹ ¡¸Fire Monster!? But don¡¯t you create only the undead!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t create only the undead! My special skill is ¡°whole monsters remodeling¡±! Don¡¯t you dare try to misunderstand my powers, you idiot! ¡¹ Who is the idiot here!! I can interpret whatever I want!! It¡¯s true that I misunderstood his powers, so what!? If you only created the undead so far, it¡¯s obvious we would believe that you could only create that type!! I activated my clairvoyance ability to see if that Dark Fires monster had some sort of weaknesses, however¡­ ¡¸Do you plan to see its status? I don¡¯t really mind if you do. Dark Fires don¡¯t use the ¡°camouflage¡± skill like someone else in here. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­if you know about that, it means that you saw Seiya¡¯s status? ¡¹ ¡¸I couldn¡¯t see his original ability value because his camouflage skill was strongly protecting it from the start; but it doesn¡¯t matter that much. Dark Fires is invincible. ¡¹ Ah! If you could have a glimpse at Seiya¡¯s status, I¡¯m sure you would be speechless! I used my goddess¡¯ power to see Seiya¡¯s status before and it was outstanding; however, I haven¡¯t been able to see it recently because my eyes would hurt so much, but I¡¯m sure he has improved since the battle with Chaos Makina! Okay, I¡¯ll use my ability to see the opponent¡¯s status. Just as Death Magra said, the status of Dark Fires don¡¯t seem to have any camouflage skills because it popped immediately in front of my eyes¡­ Dark Fires Level ¨C 74 HP ¨C 80187 MP ¨C 9215 Attack ¨C 21559 Defense ¨C 135875 Agility ¨C 10741 Resistance ¨C Fire, Wind, Water, Thunder, Earth, Holy, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Ineffective Weapon Attacks (Lv MAX), Ineffective Fire Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Wind Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Water Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Earth Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Thunder Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Light Magic (Lv MAX), Ineffective Dark Magic (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Deadly Flame Personality ¨C Obedience to Death Magra only This monster¡¯s attack power exceeds Chaos Makina, not only that, agility too¡­the defense status is outrageous and the special skills that this monster possess are unbelievable. ¡¸The defense ability is more than a hundred thousand¡­In addition to the ineffective weapon attacks, almost every magic power available can be disabled by that monster¡­!? ¡¹ Wha, what¡¯s this!? Seiya won¡¯t have a chance of winning this fight!! Fire magic won¡¯t work on this monster, besides that, Seiya¡¯s Wind Blade is a sword technique with wind attributes. Atomic Split Slash has earth attributes. But this monster can disable fire, wind and earth magic powers, and sword attacks will be ineffective as well¡­Then, the only thing that can damage this monster is¡­ ¡¸Ice magic perhaps¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. However, I need to plan the attack carefully. If I suddenly attack Dark Fires with ice magic, there will be no effect whatsoever. ¡¹ Death Magra continues to laugh pleasantly as Seiya spoke. ¡¸Because I am kind, I will tell you how this will work. Listen. First, I¡¯ll use my ¡°vibration wave¡± skill to cause molecular disturbance inside the body of Dark Fires. After that, I¡¯ll use the ice magic to freeze Dark Fires¡¯ attributes and materialize them. Hopefully, his ineffective weapon attacks will become deactivated. Physical attacks will become effective then. On this moment, I¡¯ll be able to defeat it if my attack power exceeds the defense power of Dark Fires. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. You really are kind. ¡¹ I said that looking quite impressed at Seiya. I was pretty lucky to hear his plans to attack, however¡­ First of all, the special skill ¡°vibration wave¡± is a skill that can be acquired once one reaches level 7, but this ability is a minor skill somewhat meaningless in the sword and magical world of Geabrande. Besides, it is impossible for a swordsman to use ¡°vibration wave¡± with a sword because it is used with fists in the first place. In addition, theoretically it is impossible for an alchemist who is good at fire magic to use a totally polarity magic such as ice magic. Furthermore, even if he managed to miraculously join the two abilities together, he still has to go through that outrageous defense power¡­ Death Magra noticed my face becoming quite pale and grinned wickedly. ¡¸That¡¯s right!! You came to realize that this fight is futile!! You are starting to despair!! There is no swordsman who¡¯ll bother to use the ¡°vibration wave¡±!! Besides, is it absolutely impossible for mere humans to master fire magic and polarize ice magic at the same time!! Additionally, even if you succeeded in deactivating the ineffective weapon attacks, there is no way your power would overthrow a defense power of a hundred thousand!! The odds of you winning against Dark Fires are 0%!! ¡¹ Death Magra laughed as if he had triumphed already. ¡¸*laughs eccentrically* You are one of a kind, hero!! Right after you cut my left hand, it took you an instant to teleport to this place!! However, I, Death Magra, already took measures against the worst possible scenario!! ¡¹ He points confidently to the black flames monster. ¡¸My undead creations were weak against the fire attributes, so I had to create a strong monster who would be immune to that magic powers!! I have a cunning mind for every possible situation!! Got it!? The winner of this battle will be me, the only one with intelligence!! ¡¹ Wha¡­what¡¯s up with this enemy¡¯s challenging level of difficulty!? And this isn¡¯t even the final battle with the ¡°final boss¡±!! With an enemy like this, it will be impossible to defeat!! ¡­no, no, but!! But, Seiya is an excessively cautious hero who is always preparing something ahead, maybe he has some miraculous reversal plan to play¡­ I entrusted all of my remaining hope onto Seiya. I looked at him and¡­ ¡¸¡­what are you doing? ¡¹ Seiya was murmuring with his head down. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸This was surprising. I am so perplexed. ¡¹ I can¡¯t believe I heard Seiya professing those kind of words¡­!? It is impossible to win after all¡­!? I felt heartbroken. However, Seiya looked directly at Death Magra with his usual unchanging expression. ¡¸In other words, ¡°the ones with intelligence are those who take measures against the worst possible scenario¡±. I am so surprised. Why did you bother to say such ¡°trivial things¡±? ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 19 Chapter 19: Something More Frightening Death Magra was shaking all over his body when he heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸¡±Trivial things¡±¡­you say? Then, you were expecting this predicament? ¡¹ ¡¸I assumed that there are more enemies out there than just the undead. Furthermore, it was obvious that an enemy who could use fire magic would appear sooner or later. So, I got prepared in advance. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­I see¡­so you prepared yourself in advance¡­¡¹ Soon, Death Magra¡¯s three eyes became wide open. ¡¸You¡¯re an idiot!! You didn¡¯t listen to anything I said!! There¡¯s nothing you can do because you won¡¯t be able to defeat Dark Fires!! ¡¹ Death Magra confidence didn¡¯t shock Seiya while Mash was without any hope. ¡¸Tha¡­that¡¯s right¡­we can¡¯t win¡­! Our attacks will be pointless¡­! That thing is¡­Dark Fires is unbeatable¡­! ¡¹ When Mash was about to be beheaded by Death Magra, he didn¡¯t beg for his life, instead he showed a remarkable attitude as he spoke to Seiya. But as soon as Dark Fires appeared, Mash¡¯s vanity disappeared. He probably knows the horrors of Dark Fires. I frustratingly bit my lips. Even if it takes time, I will make sure to restore Mash¡¯s fingers and eye using my healing magic. However, the wounds on his soul will not disappear for the rest of his life. ¡­This boy¡­ won¡¯t be able to be a warrior anymore¡­ As I held Mash¡¯s shoulder, I felt his constant shivering. Death Magra laughed wickedly when he heard Mash¡¯s frightened voice. ¡¸That¡¯s right!! It¡¯s impossible to defeat Dark Fires!! Even if you prepared in advance, you won¡¯t be able to win this fight!! ¡¹ The enemy¡¯s devilish loud voice echoed throughout the dim room. Nevertheless, Seiya¡¯s unchanging voice interrupted that crazy laugh. ¡¸I¡¯m not somewhat prepared. ¡¹ He gazed at Death Magra to provoke him. ¡¸I¡¯m Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ When I heard Seiya¡¯s usual confident voice¡­I thought of a solution. ¡­One¡­Just one¡­I hope there is at least one-way to heal Mash¡¯s soul wounds¡­! I strongly embraced Mash. He was shivering continuously as I whispered on his ear. ¡¸Listen carefully Mash. There are more frightening things in the world than just Death Magra and Dark Fires¡­ ¡¹ ¡­I felt worried. Because, when we thought about the reality of this situation, we could only feel despair. If we have any common sense, then it¡¯s pretty obvious that we cannot defeat such monster. However, Seiya is¡­ this overly cautious hero is looking like his usual bored self. He said ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±! If so then¡­I will believe in him! This is the hero I chose after all! ¡¸Eh!! I will make you bleed from that irritable cheeky face now!! ¡¹ Death Magra was screaming fearlessly. Meanwhile, Dark Fires had a change in his appearance. Dark Fires had a human silhouette without eyes and nose, but the lower half of its face ¨C the place where it¡¯s supposed to have a mouth ¨C suddenly became wide open. His ¡°mouth¡± was filled with the same black flames. Death Magra smiled as he looked past Seiya at Mash and I. ¡¸Once the ¡°Deadly Flame¡± is ignited from his mouth, it won¡¯t disappear until the opponent is burnt to death!! Listen well, hero!! If you avoid the blasting flame, those behind you will get caught by the fire!! Even if your goddess won¡¯t die, that brat will become completely scorched!! ¡¹ ¡­This is bad!! How dare he!! He put Seiya in a tough spot!! Even so, Seiya didn¡¯t seem to be angry at me for staying behind his back and he didn¡¯t show any signs of panicking. ¡¸Ignite you say. However, that technique will never see the daylight, because I will attack you before that happens. ¡¹ Seiya lowered his waist as he put his sword in the sheath. ¡¸*looking unimpressed* You¡¯re attacking, huh? Then, Dark Fires¡­ ¡¹ Before Death Magra ordered Dark Fires to throw the Deadly Flame, Seiya quickly pulled his right hand. ¡¸So, so fast!? What is that speed!? ¡¹ Death Magra started to groan. Seiya moved at an insane speed and before I knew it, he was standing right next to the Dark Fires with his right hand on its abdomen! It was a hand-palm attack¡­! But it was not just a regular attack! The moment he hit his palm on Dark Fires¡¯ abdomen, all of its body and the surrounding environment started to vibrate! ¡­that was¡­¡±vibration wave¡±¡­!! A technique like ¡°vibration wave¡± is used to temporarily halt the enemy¡¯s movements. However, there seems to be no change in the movements of Dark Fires. Yet, there was another effect. The molecular structure of Dark Fires was disturbed, therefore, the black flames surrounding that monster gradually became like regular red flames. Death Magra started yelling. ¡¸You used ¡°vibration wave¡± just now!? That¡¯s impossible!! You¡¯re a swordsman, right!? How can you use a skill that¡¯s impossible for you to use!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­if my sword was sealed, then what I have left are my own fists. Well, it should be no problem for me to use that skill since I¡¯ve mastered it before.¡¹ ¡¸Swordsmen usually don¡¯t go lengths to achieve that skill!! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t see myself as a swordsman. Therefore, don¡¯t judge me by looking only to my sword. It would be meaningless just to use a sword, since there are enemies like you that swords won¡¯t be effective, besides that, a sword is a tool that can break during battles. Moreover, if you think carefully about it, there were cases where the enemy stole the swords and other cases where the swords melted, oxidized or had insects eat them. ¡¹ Death Magra and I were both speechless at Seiya¡¯s words. His reasoning is a bit irrational as always!! I don¡¯t think that insects could eat swords¡­whatever, he is doing nice so far!! Even so, Death Magra looked astonished when he saw that Seiya could use ¡°vibration wave¡±. At that, I thought that ¡°maybe¡±¡­ Maybe it was because Seiya hit horse-Celseus continually during his training in the God¡¯s realm! That means he was not bullying him, instead he was training his fists! I¡¯m glad! I¡¯m truly relieved! So, that training was useful in many ways! ¡¸You must be excessively cautious, I see!! But now is the moment to fight back!! You won¡¯t have another chance!! There is no way that fire magic users could activate ice magic as well!! ¡­Let¡¯s go!! Let¡¯s destroy them!! Dark Fires!! ¡¹ *looking surprised* I was startled. I thought that Dark Fires would attack using flames with his mouth; instead, he attacked Seiya with both fists! ¡¸I¡¯ve just been wary of ¡°Deadly Flame¡±!! Who knew that Dark Fires¡¯ fists were a strong weapon with a very high-temperature!! If it touches me, I will get burnt!!¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ Seiya nearly dodged the fists attacks from Dark Fires! But on that moment, Seiya turned his left fist against that monster! ¡¸You idiot!! You want to prevent Dark Fires¡¯ fists with your own human fists!? *laughs* Your arms will evaporate immediately!! ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s left fist collided with Dark Fires¡¯ temporarily materialized fist. On that moment, a huge collision sound echoed in the whole area and I closed my eyes for a moment due to the massive aftermath shock wave. ¡­after that¡­I slowly opened my eyes and¡­I saw both fists still clashing. Seiya¡¯s fist did not change. On the other hand, Dark Fires¡¯ fist and arm¡­made a weird loud sound and gradually became blue and transparent! Dark Fires is¡­being frozen!? That physical change went from the arm to the chest, abdomen and eventually, it spread throughout the whole body. Dark Fires body color went from red to blue in an instant. ¡¸Ice magic!? That¡¯s impossible, literally impossible!! It can¡¯t be!! Fire magic and ice magic are polar opposites!! There is no way you can handle these two types of magic at the same time!! ¡¹ I don¡¯t even know how to explain this. What Death Magra was saying is correct. Different magic power attributes cannot be used at the same time. The magical theory proved before that this practice can¡¯t be overturned. ¡­then, why!? I looked at Seiya¡¯s arm and I noticed something. Seiya was using a bracelet that I never seen before on his arm! Death Magra seemed to notice the bracelet too and started shouting. ¡¸It can¡¯t be, that is¡­that is a tool who specializes in ice attributes!? ¡¹ A bracelet with ice attributes!! I understand it now!! It can reproduce the same effects used in magic enchantment!! Still, that¡¯s a very rare item, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s not found in regular weaponry and item shops!! Where did he found it¡­!? Ah¡­ ¡¸Synthesis!! You made it by using synthesis, right Seiya!? ¡¹ When he heard my voice, Seiya nodded positively. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing!! But that¡¯s a very rare item, what kind of synthetization did you use!?¡¹ ¡¸I joined ¡°ice¡± on a ¡°regular bracelet¡±¡­after that, I used a ¡°goddess¡¯ curly hair¡± to finish the process. And so, I made it. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What. ¡¹ I was so shocked that my face became petrified. How dare he!! This is so embarrassing!! But it¡¯s okay for now!! If my curly hair can be useful on times like this, then I¡¯ll just have to ignore his rude actions!! ¡¸By the way, there are more. ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­? ¡¹ Like a magician, Seiya took from his pocket a large number of bracelets. ¡¸I made bracelets with thunder attributes, light attributes and with dark magic attributes¡­Of course, I made some extras as well. I used all of your curly hair in these and it worked. ¡¹ When will he stop talking!? Besides, just how much of my hair was laying down in my room!? I feel so embarrassed right now that makes me want to die!? Nonetheless, let¡¯s leave this unfortunate talk for later. We need to concentrate on Dark Fires. It looks like it is frozen due to the bracelet¡¯s effect, but it should not take long to get rid of the ice. The whole body solidified and materialized. In other words¡­ ¡¸You can do it Seiya!! You can use your physical attacks now!! ¡¹ I rejoiced at the second miracle, and Death Magra, on the contrary, was looking horrified. ¡¸No way, it¡¯s impossible!! Don¡¯t tell me that you also have an attack power that exceeds the defense power of Dark Fires!? ¡¹ However, unexpected words came out of Seiya¡¯s mouth. ¡¸Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have that attack power. Average attacks wouldn¡¯t even hurt Dark Fires. ¡¹ ¡¸*looking shocked* What!? ¡¹ I felt like I¡¯ve been plunged from heaven to hell while Death Magra showed signs of relief. Yet, Seiya spoke indifferently as if nothing happened. ¡¸But that¡¯s no problem. Usually, it would be customary to use fire attacks on enemies who were materialized with ice. However, even with Phoenix Drive, it would be hard to break that thing¡¯s defense power. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡¹ Seiya stepped back and took some distance from the Dark Fires. Death Magra sensed the predicament and started yelling. ¡¸This is bad!! He is trying to do something!! Dark Fires!! Start moving now!! We need to stop the upcoming attack!! ¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya had already taken out his sword from the sheath. When I looked closely at it, I saw crimson flames engulfed in the platinum sword, becoming a platinum blade with high offensive power. Dark Fires was trying to move away from Seiya just as Death Magra instructed¡­ ¡¸¡­It¡¯s too late. ¡¹ In a second, Seiya drew his fire sword and rushed to attack Dark Fires. As soon as both collided, a tremendous aftershock shook the entire room. Dark Fires tried to grab Seiya¡­But both arms stopped moving before it even touched Seiya. That¡¯s because Seiya¡¯s sword pierced through the chest of Dark Fires. ¡¸A burning straightforward strike¡­¡±Phoenix Thrust¡±¡­! ¡¹ On that moment, we heard a cracking sound! As the sword pierced through the chest of Dark Fires it made a sound similar to ice smashing! That cracking sound soon spread throughout Dark Fires¡¯ entire body! When Seiya placed his sword in the sheath, the body of Dark Fires exploded with fire and was shattered into pieces. ¡¸He did it¡­!! He won¡­!! ¡¹ While I was overjoyed, I noticed that Mash was holding my arms tight. ¡¸What was that¡­! What¡¯s going on here¡­! I thought it was 0% chances of winning¡­! How¡­how¡­how could he beat a monster like that¡­! ¡¹ Mash was still trembling. Yet, it was different from the constant shivers he had when he was frightened before. His face was reddish and one eye was firmly opened so that he could see the hero who killed the monster who made him so terrified. I was extremely excited that I showed to an incredulous Death Magra my middle finger. (EN: Nice) ¡¸See that!? That hero¡¯s talent is one in a hundred million people!! Serves you right!! ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ Death Magra was shaking incessantly. ¡¸You said that I was an idiot!? But the idiot is you!! You didn¡¯t manage to foresee this strategy beforehand!! ¡¹ Seiya mumbled while I fixed my hair. ¡¸Well, I immediately arrived at the correct answer without any help. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!! That¡¯s right!! Seiya is the perfect and strongest hero!! ¡¹ I was in a good mood that I kept smiling happily. Yet, Seiya was looking at Death Magra with an emotionless expression. ¡¸Okay¡­I¡¯ll eradicate the remaining fragments. I need to make sure I¡¯ll clean this room properly enough so that Dark Fires won¡¯t be revived again¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Alright, alright! But wait a bit please! ¡¹ ¡­Mash and I ran out of the torture room while Death Magra¡¯s screams of despair echoed in my ears. Volume 1 - CH 20 Chapter 20: Luggage Carrier When I returned to the room with a wet towel, I noticed that Mash had woken from his sleep as he was trying to get up by himself. He looked at my face and said. ¡¸¡­Where is this place? ¡¹ ¡¸This is an inn in Semul. ¡¹ A few hours ago, when the ¡°cleaning¡± was done, Seiya got out of the torture room and on that moment, Mash lost consciousness most probably from exhaustion. I asked Seiya to take care of Mash while I opened the heavenly portal. The constant use of the portal for earthly causes might violate the laws of the God¡¯s realm. But I was worried about Mash¡¯s poor health, so we ended up using the portal and we arrived later in Semul¡¯s inn where Elle was waiting for us. The moment I tried to explain the story above¡­ ¡¸Mash!! ¡¹ Elle has been sleeping near Mash¡¯s bed all this time, but when she woke up and saw that Mash was awake, she jumped on him. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad!! I¡¯m truly glad!! I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t wake up anymore!! I¡¯m so relieved to see you well!! ¡¹ ¡¸Elle, be careful!! Mash is not in perfect health yet!! ¡¹ Elle started grumbling as she stepped away from Mash. ¡¸Sorry, Mash. Did I hurt you? ¡¹ ¡¸No, you didn¡¯t. I¡¯m okay. ¡¹ Mash showed her a tiny smile, but soon he got a serious expression on his face. ¡¸It¡¯s strange¡­really¡­I don¡¯t feel pain anywhere¡­ ¡¹ Mash touched his face with his hands. ¡¸My eye¡­my fingers are healed as well? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­? ¡¹ I smiled at Mash. ¡¸It was hard to cure your eye and all of your fingers. I think it took me more than one hour to heal you properly. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Sorry. Thanks. ¡¹ Mash thanked me with a bit of embarrassment. On that moment, the door of the room was opened abruptly without knocking, and the overly cautious hero stood at the entrance. ¡¸So the ¡°mushroom¡± finally woke up. ¡¹ Mash didn¡¯t get angry at Seiya for calling him a mushroom. Instead, he spoke with an awkwardly voice. ¡¸Thanks for helping me. ¡¹ He thanked Seiya without looking directly into his eyes. Mash had a stubborn personality, so it might¡¯ve been difficult to gather some courage to thank Seiya. However, Seiya didn¡¯t seem to care as usual. ¡¸More importantly. If you¡¯re ready, then let¡¯s leave now. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya? Can¡¯t you give them a little more rest? Mash just woke up, you know?¡¹ However, Elle and Mash looked at each other after hearing Seiya¡¯s words. Elle asked Seiya. ¡¸Excuse me¡­What do you mean by ¡°leave¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸I decided to take you two with me as luggage carriers. So, get ready now.¡¹ Oh no, he said ¡°as luggage¡±! Why didn¡¯t he say, ¡°as comrades¡±! I was getting worried about their reactions, but Elle showed a pure smile just like a blossoming flower. ¡¸Whoa!! It sounds great!! I¡¯ll be a luggage carrier, yes, a luggage carrier!! I¡¯m happy!! ¡¹ ¡¸Go¡­good for you, Elle. ¡¹ I wonder if this child understands the real meaning of being a luggage carrier¡­? On the other hand, Mash looked thoughtful. He spoke with a gloomy expression. ¡¸I¡­I finally understood the reality of things. It¡¯s true that your level is too different from ours. It¡¯s just as you told us before. If we go with you, we¡¯ll be just hindrances. That¡¯s why¡­¡¹ My heart hurt a little. I knew right away, what Mash was trying so hard to say. The torture and Dark Fires were traumas that will be kept deep-rooted inside of him. Even if he survived that ordeal, Mash¡¯s crushed feelings was refusing him from accompany us on this adventure. Therefore, I could not say anything at all. ¡­Yet¡­Mash jumped so suddenly out of his bed and placed his head on the floor right in front of Seiya. ¡¸Please¡­make me your apprentice!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ That took me by surprise. ¡¸I¡¯m highly motivated to become better!! Of course, I¡¯ll carry your luggage as well!! But, please let me learn more from you!! I want to be strong like you!! I beg you!! Please, make me your apprentice!! ¡¹ What¡¯s this¡­ this child is more emotionally stronger than I thought he would be¡­But¡­I¡¯m relieved¡­! Seiya casually spoke to Mash, who kept begging. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind it, only if you carry my luggage. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so!! Then¡­I¡¯ll be in your guidance!! ¡¹ Elle smiled innocently at Seiya. ¡¸Yes! Please take care of us, Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸Elle, you idiot!! You need to call him Master, okay, Master!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t care what you decide to call me from now on. Just do whatever you want. ¡¹ Seiya looked really annoyed at them. While I looked at the three of them, I thought¡­ Yes, indeed. This group feels a bit different from a normal heroes¡¯ party, but as originally planned, we¡¯ve got with us the two kids from the Dragon Tribe, so I could say it was a success, right? Elle kept smiling innocently as she fixed my dress¡¯ hem. ¡¸¡°Lisutan¡±, please care take of us too!! ¡¹ ¡¸Did you say ¡°Lisutan¡±? Were you talking about me? ¡¹ ¡¸Am I wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s okay though¡­ ¡¹ Ah¡­she got a goddess¡¯ name wrong¡­well, whatever. ¡¸By the way, Master!! There is a place I would like to show you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Mash!! Are you talking about the ¡°Dragon Cave¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right!! ¡¹ Dragon Cave? Elle seemed to know about that, but I never heard about that cave before. ¡¸Listen, Mash. What is the Dragon Cave? What do you have in there? ¡¹ ¡­The chief of Nakashi Village was the one who told Mash about the Dragon Cave. To summarize it up, Mash told the following story. Sixteen years ago, a dragon brought two babies from heaven to Nakashi Village, those babies were Mash and Elle. The dragon spoke with the chief of Nakashi village. ¡¸The babies who have inherited the blood of dragons descended into the earthly world to become companions of the hero who received the revelation from the Almighty. Together, they will save Geabrande from evil threats. When the hero arrives from the heavens to this world, the hero and the children will head together to the Dragon Cave and will release the seal. From there, I will give them the strongest weapon to defeat the evil forces. ¡¹ I grabbed Seiya¡¯s shoulder with excitement. ¡¸Seiya!! The strongest weapon!! You must have it!! ¡¹ However, Seiya was looking down with a puzzled face. ¡¸After all the trouble I got into making the ¡°platinum sword¡± with synthesis and, also, in making three spares as well¡­ ¡¹ Is that so? Poor Seiya! But, that¡¯s the true meaning of going on an adventure! Even if you made a strong weapon, sooner or later, an even stronger one was bound to appear! ¡¸Let¡¯s put the gloomy feelings aside and let¡¯s head together to the Dragon Cave! Mash, Elle, please lead us the way! ¡¹ The two of them were eager to go, but¡­ ¡¸No. ¡¹ When I heard Seiya¡¯s word it felt like time stopped for a brief moment. ¡¸I have some business to do in another place first. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya¡­don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The heavenly world. I need to practice. ¡¹ I was drowsy and surprised at the same time. Here he goes again¡­we always do short adventures and return immediately after being done with them¡­The God¡¯s realm is slowly becoming his own property¡­ ¡¸The next destination is that cave with the dragon, right? Then, I need to prepare myself for my battle with the dragon. ¡¹ Mash and the rest of us looked at Seiya with pale faces. ¡¸Don¡¯t do that, Master!! Why are you willing to destroy the dragon!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! Dragons are not evil beings, did you know that!? ¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t know about that until I come face to face with that thing. Anyways, I¡¯ll go to the heavenly world right now. Come along with me. Lista, there is no problem if these two come with us, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­I guess it¡¯s okay for now¡­ ¡¹ In my heart, the situation was a bit more complicated, but even so, I agreed to it. Training in the God¡¯s realm proved to be successful, so I decided not to say anything else. ¡°Levels go up when a hero fights against a monster¡±. I told this common theory to Seiya once before, and if Seiya had followed my advice, he probably would have died long ago. My theory doesn¡¯t apply to Geabrande, a S-rank salvation difficulty. In that case, I¡¯ll leave everything in Seiya¡¯s hands. I casted the spell and the portal appeared. Seiya went to the portal while Mash and Elle followed behind him like two happy children going on a school excursion¡­ ¡ª Once we arrived in the God¡¯s realm, Seiya asked where Celseus was. (EN: Oh no, Celseus hide!) Celseus often eats in the dining hall during lunch break. Since it was around noon when we arrived here, we immediately went to find Celseus. While we walked through the temple corridors, Elle started walking side by side along with me and asked. ¡¸Excuse me, Lisutan!! This is the world where the gods live!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡¹ Mash was looking everywhere with a stunned expression. ¡¸This huge temple is truly impressive huh. It¡¯s not only wide and big, but there is art everywhere. There¡¯s sculptures, there¡¯s paintings too¡­There are other artistic objects that I can¡¯t recognize the shape. ¡¹ ¡¸Whoa! Look at that gorgeous flower vase!! It has beautiful flowers that I have never seen before!! Listen, Lisutan!! Is it okay for me to stay here for a bit longer!? ¡¹ ¡¸By the way Elle!! Did you see that fella over there with a ring on his head!? Don¡¯t tell that was an angel!! ¡¹ Elle and Mash were a too overexcited, but somehow, I felt happy to see them act like this. Well, it can¡¯t be helped, because God¡¯s realm can overwhelm first time visitors. So, their reaction was normal. I wished Seiya would also appreciate this place, but he insists on staying inside that white summoning chamber to do his training¡­ Nevertheless, Seiya is not ¡°normal¡± unfortunately. He grabbed a running Elle by the neck of her robe. ¡¸You can¡¯t. It¡¯s useless. I have to start practicing soon. ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I want to see more of this place!! ¡¹ ¡¸But, Seiya. You want to see Celseus first. You can do your training later. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s a different matter. ¡¹ I wonder why I felt uneasiness..? I didn¡¯t understand the reason why I felt this way. Well, we arrived in the dining hall at last. I looked at every table in the dining hall, but Celseus wasn¡¯t there. When we tried to leave, I saw a familiar face looking at us from the corner of the kitchen walls. The man noticed that he was seen, and shouted ¡°Ah!¡±, and tried to hide immediately in the kitchen. (EN: I was at that moment that Celseus Knew he had fucked up) ¡¸Master Celseus!? ¡¹ I ran into the kitchen¡­and I was perplexed. The swordsman god Celseus was wearing a floral apron on his muscular body while holding a silver bowl with meringue. ¡¸¡­What the hell are you doing? ¡¹ When Celseus noticed Seiya was here there too, he suddenly stretched his spine straight. ¡¸Seiya!! You¡¯re here!! ¡¹ Oh my¡­There¡¯s no masculine traits on him anymore¡­His childish attitude resembles that of my junior gods¡­Even so, the floral apron on a mustache man¡­what is with this weird combination? It does not suit him at all¡­ Celseus spoke as if he was on verge of tears. ¡¸Well, you see¡­I told you before that I won¡¯t hold a sword anymore. Because, ¡°that thing¡± is a bit dangerous, don¡¯t you agree? You¡¯re going to bleed if you get cut, right? ¡¹ What!? He was serious when he told me about forsaking his sword!? Even though, he is a swordsman god, he truly quit it!? How much trauma he got from training with Seiya!? Celseus was shivering while holding his bowl with merengue. ¡¸You know¡­I¡¯ve been learning how to cook lately. So, I¡¯m cooking recipes like these right now. Ah¡­Before I forget! I baked a cake moments ago, so would you like to have a slice of cake? ¡¹ Celseus presented a shortcake in front of Seiya. It had a strawberry layer and looked delicious. I can hardly believe that a manly god baked this delicate cake. However, as soon as Seiya saw the cake, he said¡­ ¡¸Inedible. I reject it. ¡¹ ¡¸How can you say it¡¯s bad when you haven¡¯t even tasted it yet!? ¡¹ Celseus started to cry. If he says that it¡¯s inedible before trying it, then everyone else will be wary to even take a small bite. ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­! I made it confidently, and yet¡­! ¡¹ A devastated Celseus noticed a sweet-looking girl with red hair who was near us and he asked with a teary smile. ¡¸How about you? Do you want to taste it? ¡¹ He offered a plate with a fork, but Elle shook her head. ¡¸Sorry, I don¡¯t want to. It might have a weird muscle inside¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸There are no muscles inside!! Or rather, how someone bakes a cake with muscles!? ¡¹ Seiya was staring at a miserable Celseus who baked a cake that no one wanted to eat. ¡¸Listen, Celseus. I don¡¯t care about your hobbies. But you have a main role to play. So finish that and start the real deal. ¡¹ ¡¸Main role? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This¡­ ¡¹ Seiya pulled the platinum sword out of the sheath and showed Celseus his shining blade. As soon as that happened¡­ ¡¸*screams continuously* I don¡¯t want to!! I don¡¯t want to practice with swords anymore!! ¡¹ Celseus started panicking. I thought that Mash was going to say something like ¡°what¡¯s wrong with this dude¡±. However, before he could say anything, Seiya grabbed Mash and put him in front of Celseus. ¡¸Calm down. Your opponent isn¡¯t me, but this guy over here. ¡¹ Celseus was surprised, and so was Mash. ¡¸What? Master, you¡¯re not the one teaching me? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re too green for me yet. This is will the perfect match for you. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Seiya, so you were thinking about Mash all this time? ¡¹ ¡¸If you think carefully about it, if he is too weak to carry my luggage, then it will be easier for monsters to rob him and steal my swords and weapons. He needs to be stronger. ¡¹ Celseus looked closely at Mash. ¡¸So you are Seiya¡¯s apprentice. Okay¡­is it all right for me to see your abilities for a brief moment? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I don¡¯t mind really. ¡¹ Celseus used his clairvoyance ability to see Mash¡¯s status, but he got a bit suspicious. ¡¸What? You didn¡¯t use any camouflage skill, did you? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I didn¡¯t. ¡¹ As soon as he got his answer, Celseus threw off his floral apron immediately. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s great!! Let¡¯s do it!! My training is harsh, so prepare yourself!! *screams happily like a mad man* ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with this dude!? His reaction is disgusting!! ¡¹ Mash looked a bit apprehensive. Master Celseus¡­well no¡­I won¡¯t continue to call him ¡°Master¡±¡­Celseus didn¡¯t get any better¡­! As soon as he realized that his opponent had a lower status than himself, his attitude changed dramatically! He is the type that I would absolutely reject to go on a date! Celseus took Mash with him and left the kitchen in high spirits. Meanwhile, Seiya was staring meticulously at Elle. ¡¸Okay, next it¡¯s her turn. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Me too!? ¡¹ Elle¡¯s startled voice echoed through the kitchen. Volume 1 - CH 21 Chapter 21: The Goddess of War ¡¸If I remember well, this kid can perform fire magic like me. ¡¹ Seiya talked to me as if he had a plan in mind for Elle. ¡¸Lista, is there a god in the heavenly world that specializes in fire? ¡¹ ¡¸A god who can evoke fire. I do have one in mind, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nice. Guide us the way. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Okay. ¡¹ When I tried to walk out, Elle grasped the hem of my dress and looked quite anxious. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Elle? ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Lisutan. But¡­Is that god of fire kind like you? ¡¹ She must have imagined a tough and rude god when she heard the name ¡°God of Fire¡±. I smiled at Elle. ¡¸It will be okay! Unlike the mad Celseus, Hestica is a lovely and gentle goddess who can beautifully perform fire! So rest assured! ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so! I¡¯m glad! ¡¹ Elle showed a bright smile as usual. ¡ª I took them with me and we headed for the water-mirror pond, which was located near the courtyard. Despite being located within the temple grounds, the pond of the divinity resembled a small lake with beautiful crystal-clear water on its surface. Hestica usually practices her fire abilities near that place¡­ As we got close to the pond, I thought to myself ¡°I hope she¡¯s there¡±. Then, I saw birds made out of fire magic dancing in the sky. There was no mistake. It¡¯s Hestica. Near the shoreline of the water-mirror pond, Hestica was standing with a huge firebird on her arm. Because she was a Goddess of Fire, her favorite color seemed to be only red and, besides that, she was wearing a crimson dress. Her hair was a long wavy red hair, so when I first saw her, it looked like she was immersed in bright red. Hestica recognized me when she heard my voice. ¡¸Listarte. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you. ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Hestica. Yes, it¡¯s been a very long time. ¡¹ Hestica noticed my companions and gazed at both Seiya and Elle. ¡¸Look at what we have here. Are you the heroes that are under Lista¡¯s care? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! In fact, we came here because I had a favor to ask you, Lady Hestica¡­ ¡¹ When I asked if she could teach Elle to improve her fire skills, she answered like this. ¡¸It is the duty of all the gods in the God¡¯s realm to support the people who try to save a world. I will gladly help you. ¡¹ Hestica gave me two compassionate replies. Elle bowed her head to Hestica. ¡¸My¡­my name is Elle!! I¡¯ll be in your guidance!! ¡¹ Hestica gently stroked Elle¡¯s head who seemed to be too tense and stiff. ¡¸You have a beautiful red hair. *laughs lightly* Am I that frightening? Don¡¯t be nervous, I won¡¯t be strict. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, then, let¡¯s get started. Show me your fire magic skills¡­ ¡¹ ¡ª As Elle kept shooting fire arrows into the sky, Seiya and I left the water-mirror pond area. I was relieved to entrust Elle to Hestica. However, I was worried at Celseus state of mind, so I needed to check on Mash later on¡­ As I walked down the corridor, Seiya spoke with conviction. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s find someone I can practice with. ¡¹ I looked at Seiya and his eyes were sparkling. ¡­I felt like I¡¯m the only one mature enough in this group full of children that are under my care¡­ Even so, I wondered if there is a god stronger than Celseus out there. The God¡¯s realm is a very large place; even if we searched, we would take a very long time to find someone suitable. Maybe I should go back to the temple and ask Aria for help¡­ I was walking emerged in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice a goddess ahead of me. *knocking sound* Suddenly, our shoulders collided. ¡¸What? Ah, I¡¯m so sorry! ¡¹ I kept apologizing with my head down, but when I looked up at the goddess that I collided with¡­ ¡¸Ah!? Hey you, can you even walk properly!? ¡¹ She spoke aggressively to me while urgently I stepped away from her. *nervously sound* My heart was beating fast when I realized whom I came to face with. A boyish but beautiful goddess with a short silver hair was approaching me. She was only wearing chains wrapped around her chest and lower body areas. This person was the Goddess of Destruction, Valkyrie. She looked rudely at me. ¡¸Listarte!! A third-rate goddess!! I thought they no longer existed huh!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m, I¡¯m so sorry!! Please forgive me, Lady Valkyrie!! ¡¹ I kept apologizing nervously. Then, after scratching her nose, Valkyrie grinned sarcastically. ¡¸By the way, Listarte. I heard that you got a world with an S-rank salvation difficulty, isn¡¯t that right? How¡¯s it going? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, about that, I guess it¡¯s going okay. I¡¯m doing my best though¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸*sounds mockingly* It¡¯s impossible for you! You¡¯re just a lowly third-rate thing! ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs hesitantly* That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s probable. ¡¹ I was apparently laughing, however, I felt very uncomfortable about this situation. ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, Valkyrie touched my breast with both her hands. ¡¸Wait¡­what are you doing, Lady Valkyrie!? ¡¹ ¡¸*smirks wickedly* I wonder if these are good to grab some milk!! You look better than me, so it should be possible!! ¡¹ ¡¸Please¡­Please, stop it!! ¡¹ Yet, she didn¡¯t stop harassing me. She kept rubbing me. Please, if she kept touching me like this, I¡¯ll¡­! ¡¸Don¡¯t do it! Stop it¡­No¡­Please, stop it¡­! ¡¹ After I begged tearfully, Valkyrie finally stopped pestering me. ¡¸Okay! I¡¯ll leave you alone for now! Listarte, listen carefully; you better be watchful of your surroundings the next time we meet! ¡¹ She walked away looking amused. Whoa, it was sexual harassment!! That perverted goddess!! What¡¯s wrong with her!! Even though, we are in a celestial world, there are still bad goddesses around here!? I noticed that my dress¡¯ upper part was messy and I started to shed some tears. Meanwhile, Seiya stared at me with pity. ¡¸Are you¡­being bullied? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course not!! Lady Valkyrie acts like that in front everyone else!! ¡¹ Actually, since I am a fairly new goddess, I have a low rank. Therefore, I¡¯m always being ridiculed by the others! But, I¡¯m not being bullied¡­No¡­I don¡¯t want to accept that! ¡¸Anyways, I felt some power coming from that overly exposed woman, am I wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸Overly exposed woman you say¡­Seiya, do you really understand? Listen. She is called as Goddess of Destruction and she is probably the strongest goddess in the God¡¯s realm. In the godly rank, she is right next to the powerful Great Goddess Isister. Well, I can¡¯t do anything to someone like her. Ah¡­Seiya, training with her is useless, got it? She¡¯s unbelievably strong, but she¡¯s a stubborn goddess who won¡¯t train anyone but herself. Lady Valkyrie is very fearless. Even gods and goddesses could be erased from this world if they disobey her. One day, there was a god who licked his mouth in front of her, and he was immediately erased. ¡¹ While I fixed my unkempt dress, I looked around and I didn¡¯t see Seiya anywhere. What¡­? ¡­All of a sudden, I saw that Seiya was talking to Valkyrie a couple of meters ahead of me. ¡¸Hey, you overly exposed woman. Practice with me. ¡¹ *screams* Oh no!! What is he doing over there!? ¡¸Who¡¯s the overly exposed woman, you bastard. ¡¹ Valkyrie¡¯s eyes looked at Seiya as if she was looking at an enemy. ¡¸You bastard, don¡¯t you dare think that you, summoned heroes, are allies with every god in this place, got that? I¡¯m going to blow your brains, you brat. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh. I want to see you try. ¡¹ I jumped in the middle of their furiously clash. ¡¸Stop, stop it please!! Se¡­Seiya!! Apologize!! Apologize to her now!! ¡¹ No matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t have her as your enemy! Valkyrie is the strongest goddess in the God¡¯s realm!! But she is clearly different from Isister!! You¡¯ll get killed if she¡¯s in a bad mood!! Valkyrie felt a tremendous anger throughout her body while she stared at Seiya. ¡¸It¡¯s useless, Listarte. I won¡¯t forgive him even if he apologized to me at this precise moment! I¡¯m going to crush this human to pieces! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my god!! ¡¹ *starts panicking* I can¡¯t believe I going to retire before saving Geabrande!! Please, someone, help us!! On that moment. ¡¸Stop it right there. ¡¹ I heard a familiar voice and I saw Aria hurriedly coming at us without catching a breath. ¡¸Lady¡­Lady Valkyrie!! Please refrain yourself!! ¡¹ ¡¸No. This human has an arrogant attitude. He deserves to die. ¡¹ ¡¸But this human is the special hero who was summoned to save the world with an S-rank salvation difficulty! Please, calm down your anger!! I¡¯m asking you as your fellow senior goddess Ariadoa, so please, stop!! ¡¹ Valkyrie was thinking for a while after hearing Aria¡¯s plead. ¡¸Well, if Aria says so, then I¡¯ll forgive him. ¡¹ I stood closer to Aria. ¡¸Instead, I should get a reward and rub the bigger breasts next time, don¡¯t you all agree? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­yes¡­ ¡¹ A teasingly Valkyrie walked away with a cunning smile, leaving Aria and I totally embarrassed by her senseless remarks. ¡ª Has I gave a big sigh of relief, Aria stood up to Seiya. ¡¸Your actions were unreasonable, Seiya! You can¡¯t talk to Valkyrie like that! What do you think it would have happened if I wasn¡¯t passing through this corridor? You really are one of a kind! ¡¹ What? Somehow Aria¡­Aria was mad at Seiya just now? She usually only talks freely with me, so this felt a bit strange¡­ However, Seiya didn¡¯t change his expression and spoke coolly. ¡¸You and Lista are too dramatic. That goddess was just enjoying herself, she wanted to see what kind of reaction I¡¯ll make. I didn¡¯t feel any murderous intent from her. ¡¹ Aria and I looked stunned at each other. ¡¸Are you sure? If that¡¯s the case then¡­well, if Seiya says so, it might be true¡­ ¡¹ I felt some strangeness coming from Aria¡¯s words before. I think Seiya noticed that too. ¡¸Hey you, did you spoke with me with a too intimate tone before? ¡¹ Aria felt self-conscious as she put her hand on her mouth. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ Aria coughed to clear her throat and she spoke the following. ¡¸More importantly, you¡¯re looking for someone else to train with except Celseus, right? I¡¯ll introduce you to someone, so follow me¡­ ¡¹ Aria took us to the crypt of the temple. After going down the long stoned stairs, we arrived to a narrow passageway illuminated by flaming torches. I didn¡¯t know¡­there was such a place below the temple grounds. I felt overwhelmed by the vastness of the temple. On that moment, Aria stopped by the door at the end of the passageway. Apparently, it seemed that we arrived at the intended place. The rusty door opened while making a cracking sound. Inside, the stoned room looked like a prison and I spotted a woman in the background sharpening a sword. In the darkness of the room, Aria introduced us to this woman. ¡¸This person is the Goddess of War, Adenela. With respect to swordsmanship, she is a goddess with a much higher power than Celseus.¡¹ Like the wide temple, the God¡¯s realm is also a vast place. Gods and goddesses alike live in this vast place; all of them combined, I would roughly say that more than ten thousand live here. Therefore, there are gods that I didn¡¯t meet yet, and Adenela, the Goddess of War, was one of them. ¡¸Adenela. Will you practice with this hero? ¡¹ The moment Aria spoke to Adenela, she turned her gloomy gaze to both Seiya and I. She had two big dark circles under her eyes. ¡¸Pra¡­Practice? To practice with a human being. *sounds weirdly flabbergasted* ¡¹ She spoke with a very low and unpleasant voice through the teeth. She has an unkempt long black hair and her clothes are a bit messy and tattered, they look like prisoner¡¯s clothes. Honestly, she doesn¡¯t look like a goddess at all. I mean, I just have a bad vibe coming from her. As soon as I had those thoughts, Seiya, who was next to me, suddenly spoke. ¡¸That¡¯s repulsive. She is a disgusting goddess. Ah, I feel sick. ¡¹ *looks amazed* That was what he had on his mind!? Well, I also had the same thoughts, right!? But normally, that¡¯s something one keeps inside and not spill it outside, am I correct!? I¡¯m a bit worried that she might get upset at Seiya just like Valkyrie was before. ¡¸*sounds weirdly okay* It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s okay, Aria. I¡­I like to¡­to teach. Well then, shall¡­shall we start? ¡¹ In an instant, Adenela disappeared from our sight. In the next moment, I shuddered. Adenela was standing behind Seiya before I even realized it! I was dumbfounded, while Adenela laughed weirdly as she stared closely at Seiya. ¡¸You¡­you managed to follow me with your¡­eyes, correct? Since Aria recommended you to me, you¡­you are probably talented. I¡­I hope you will¡­will remember my words. Listen, no one in the past managed to learn my ¡°gunshot sword¡± technique. It¡­It is a technique that exceeds the range of human senses, because¡­because it possesses godly speed and surpasses¡­surpasses common reality. It¡­It is a technique that pushes the body to its limits. *laughs weirdly* ¡¹ Whoa¡­This person doesn¡¯t look that dangerous compared to Valkyrie, does she? Seiya, what will you do? Even if it was Aria who introduced that person to us, maybe he¡¯ll need to think carefully before deciding. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s do it. ¡¹ ¡¸An instantaneous decision!? ¡¹ This hero¡­Why aren¡¯t you careful about situations like these!? A while ago, he also went face to face against Valkyrie, without thinking about the consequences at all. He is overly cautious and sometimes he is reckless, I can¡¯t figure what he has on his mind!! ¡¸Your ¡°broken sword¡± technique that pushes the body to its limits. Tell me more about it. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re¡­You¡¯re wrong. *sounds weirdly* It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s ¡°gunshot sword¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Who cares. Anyway, follow me. I¡¯m going to the summoning chamber. ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs weirdly* He¡­He has audacity. I¡­I understand¡­ ¡¹ Then, Seiya took Adenela and they left the room. I was left behind with Aria and I asked her¡­ ¡¸I wonder if it will be okay with those two¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Adenela¡¯s power is strong you know. If it¡¯s Seiya, then I¡¯m sure he will acquire a lot from Adenela¡¯s skills. ¡¹ When Aria professed those words, my mind became lighter. I lowered my head to Aria. ¡¸Aria. Thank you for always helping me. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t do that much. I want to help whenever it¡¯s possible. That¡¯s the least I could do¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Aria? ¡¹ Aria spoke with a very serious expression and she bit her lips before answering. ¡¸No. It¡¯s nothing. ¡¹ And she replied me with a gentle smile like always. Volume 1 - CH 22 Chapter 22: Merciful A day later. I ventured to the Temple¡¯s courtyard and I saw Mash practicing with Celseus using wooden swords. Mash was training hard and sweating a lot, while Celseus keep pushing him forward. Celseus plucked Mash¡¯s wooden sword. I could see that Mash was struggling to fight back. ¡­Who knew that Celseus could be a reliable mentor! He¡¯s not an idiot after all! Celseus noticed my arrival. He talked to Mash as he redrew back his sword. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s take a break. ¡¹ ¡¸No, I can go on for a bit longer. If you want to take a break, then do it yourself.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But don¡¯t overdo it. ¡¹ Celseus left Mash swinging his sword alone, and came on my direction. ¡¸Lista. Mash is a very strong fella. He has willpower; therefore, I believe he¡¯ll get much stronger from now on. ¡¹ Celseus was smiling while he kept wiping his sweat with a hand towel. It¡¯s been a while since he spoke with a very confident expression. ¡¸And¡­I¡¯m still strong. Because of that mad hero, I was convinced that I was a weakling. But when I went face to face with Mash, I realized that I was not useless after all. I found out that I am stronger than the standard strength levels. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s good for you. ¡¹ There he goes again. Well, but I guess it doesn¡¯t matter that much¡­At least, these two seem to be doing much better than I thought they would. I also wanted to talk with Mash, but he was so focused with his training that I didn¡¯t want to bother him. Afterwards I ended up leaving the courtyard. Elle was practicing with Hestica, but I was not worried at all. In reality, the one I was the most concerned about, was Seiya. However, Seiya never liked when people go inside the summoning chamber while he practices. I wanted to take a peek to see how it¡¯s going, but I don¡¯t think I can. Yet, in the end I made a bento lunch meal for Seiya. As I walked to the summoning chamber, I saw Adenela sitting in a dark place between the walls of the chamber¡¯s doors. She was sharpening her sword carefully. ¡¸Huh? Lady Adenela? What about practice? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m taking a break right now. Seiya is still practicing¡­practicing alone. ¡¹ ¡­Well, with her as a master, maybe Seiya will become a pupil for once. As for practicing, Seiya never liked to take breaks in the first place, so that was not surprising. ¡¸So, how¡¯s it going with Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸He is¡­he is very strange. He is totally different from all the heroes I met before. I was¡­I was a little bit surprised. Moreover¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Moreover? ¡¹ ¡¸Moreover¡­*laughs weirdly and crazily without stopping* ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, that freaked me out!! What happened!? Why did you start laughing like crazy so suddenly!? ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s nothing. When¡­when I remembered my practice with Seiya, I¡­I became extremely excited¡­ ¡¹ She remembered something and laughed crazily!? So abruptly like that!? Is this goddess really okay!? I was worried about Seiya and on that moment, the summoning chamber¡¯s doors unexpectedly opened. Seiya looked like his usual self as he got out of that place. ¡¸Hey, Adenela. Stop your break. I want to continue practice as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m coming¡­ ¡¹ Adenela seemed to be having fun; she jumped over and went straight away to the room. As soon as Adenela entered the summoning chamber, the doors closed. ¡¸¡­Ah. ¡¹ I realized that I didn¡¯t give the bento lunch meal to Seiya. As usual, I ended up putting the bento through the gap at the bottom of the door. ¡­Just now, Seiya didn¡¯t seem unusual. I wonder if I worried for nothing¡­ ¡ª The second day. At noon. I was feeling hungry, so I went to the dining hall. When I arrived, I was perplexed to find two familiar faces sitting side by side. I saw Mash and Seiya sitting on the same table in the dining hall. Mash was eating a slice of bread and Seiya was drinking water from a cup. ¡¸What!? That¡¯s rare!! Seiya, who would have thought you would be in a place like this!! ¡¹ Seiya looked at me and spoke as if it was troublesome. ¡¸Earlier, this brat came to the summoning chamber to speak with me. He said ¡°I want to meet you during lunchtime¡±. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have another choice but to come here. ¡¹ ¡¸Mash, Is that so? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wanted to spend some time with my Master¡­ ¡¹ Mash, you really are obsessed with Seiya. Well, he ended up being saved by Seiya, so I sort of understand his gratitude feeling. ¡¸Master has been teaching me how to have the proper attitude during a battle.¡¹ ¡¸Eh! And what kind of attitude is that? ¡¹ The moment I sat down, Seiya stood up. ¡¸It¡¯s time for me to go. Adenela is waiting. ¡¹ What¡¯s wrong with him. That¡¯s unfair. I just wanted to chat with him for a little bit¡­ Mash thanked Seiya while I tried to speak with him before he went away. ¡¸Listen, Seiya! How about we return to Geabrande tomorrow! ¡¹ If we include tomorrow as well, it has been only three days since we¡¯ve returned here. I don¡¯t think he can learn Adenela¡¯s skills in such short period of time. However, if we stay too long in the God¡¯s realm, Isister will summon me again to discuss this issue. I keep getting worried about my decision to let everyone stay here and practice. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m worried about Geabrande. We could go to the Dragon¡¯s Cave, get the strongest weapon and return here for you to practice with it.¡¹ However, Seiya replied to me without turning back. ¡¸Well, if I have tomorrow¡¯s day, then it might be enough. ¡¹ ¡¸Enough you say? ¡¹ Seiya continued to walk and left the dining hall. If he completes his training tomorrow, then that means that it will be possible to go to Geabrande immediately. Mash and I were the ones left behind. I sat right next to Mash and asked him. ¡¸Hey, about the story we were talking before. What kind of attitude for battle did Seiya taught you? ¡¹ Then, Mash¡¯s eyes started shining brightly. ¡¸Master¡¯s ideas are really something else! Pay attention, Lista! For example, how to walk in the field he said, ¡°Always be careful while walking in a field because there might be monsters around. Look at your right, then look at your left, look up and look down, then watch your back, and start to look at your right again. Keep walking while looking at all sides endlessly.¡±¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me¡­but walking like that without stopping¡­? If you turn your eyes and head constantly, won¡¯t you feel nauseous¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It might take time, but it would mean that I¡¯m safe, right? But I was most impressed by Master¡¯s second advice, ¡°Doubt everything you see. Even your parents and siblings might be enemies as well¡±¡­Ah, I feel so enlighten! ¡¹ Eh. What? These were only paranoid advices. Still, Mash was laughing satisfied. ¡¸But, Lista! The best part about all of this came afterwards!! Master said to me the following words, ¡°Keep it in mind Mash. I also doubt you too¡±!! It was so cool, right? ¡¹ ¡¸No, why didn¡¯t you get angry with him!? ¡¹ ¡¸Angry? Why? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­Mash, if you¡¯re okay with that, then it¡¯s fine¡­ ¡¹ I took a small sigh as I saw Mash eating his bread so enjoyably. ¡­Ah¡­one follower of the delusional hero has increased¡­ ¡ª During the night. While I was bringing dinner to Seiya, I saw Adenela stepping out of the summoning chamber. I thought it was the perfect timing. ¡¸Ah! Lady¡­Adenela¡­? ¡¹ I was going to ask about the practice, but I stopped midways. It was because I became astonished by Adenela¡¯s new appearance. Her tattered clothes changed to a pure white dress, while her unkempt hair was beautifully styled. ¡¸What happened! Why are you looking so fashionable? ¡¹ Adenela¡¯s cheeks became red. ¡¸Because¡­Because it was embarrassing to be badly dressed in¡­in front of Seiya¡­ ¡¹ Oh no!! Don¡¯t tell me that she fell in love with Seiya!? When Aria speaks with Seiya, her way of talking is strange as well¡­that man is a goddess¡¯ womanizer!! Does he have a special skill called ¡°Goddess Charm¡±? Nevertheless, as soon as I was reminded of Seiya¡¯s true personality, I touched a timid Adenela¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Lady Adenela!? Please, get a grip of yourself!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­yes¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, don¡¯t forget to teach your ¡°gunshot sword¡± properly to Seiya. Anyways, I¡¯ll return here tomorrow, so see you until then. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Gunshot sword¡±? To Seiya¡­Seiya, I finally remembered. ¡¹ ¡¸*looks extremely stunned* What!? No way!! I just said that as a reminder, but you truly forgot about that important task!? Seiya has to learn the technique that exceeds the range of human senses, right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But, Seiya¡­Seiya already learnt that technique. Ah, he is a genius. He ¡°listens to one and learns more than ten¡±. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m the only one who¡­who got the privilege to witness that. Besides that¡­ ¡¹ Adenela turned her eyes up to the ceiling as if she was admiring something. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and she was drooling with excitement. ¡¸*laughs weirdly* Really¡­really¡­it was really the¡­the best¡­! *continues to laugh weirdly*¡¹ This is bad!! I have a horrible feeling about this!! When I saw Adenela crazily state of mind, I was determined to return to Geabrande tomorrow. ¡ª The third day. It was morning in the God¡¯s realm but I had decided to leave early in the afternoon to Geabrande. I informed the three of them about my decision in advance. When I arrived in the courtyard, I saw Mash thanking Celseus. ¡¸Thanks, Mister! Thanks to you, I feel like I¡¯ve become much more stronger! ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s me who needs to thank! Because thanks to you, I was able to escape from that nightmarish mad hero ! ¡¹ Both of them exchanged a heartfelt handshake. What¡¯s going on with this scene in front of my eyes. It seemed as if they had lots of fun practicing with each other. I looked at Mash and I activated my clairvoyance skill to see his renewed ability status¡­ Mash Level ¨C 16 HP ¨C 1381 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 921 Defense ¨C 877 Agility ¨C 790 Magic ¨C 0 Potential rate ¨C 47 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Attack power increase (Lv 5) Skills ¨C Dragon Thrust, Dragon Slash Personality ¨C Brave ¡­What!? He greatly leveled up!! His HP also exceeds 1000!? His current level will allow him to defeat monsters with ease!! Is Mash a good pupil? Or is Celseus who¡¯s great at teaching? After lowering my head to Celseus, I took Mash with me and we headed to the water-mirror pond, where Elle was with Hestica. When we arrived at the pond, we saw Elle standing alone at one side of the pond. This was the first day I saw Elle since she started practicing with Hestica. I also informed Elle that we would be returning to Geabrande today. Mash cheerfully called her name. ¡¸Hey! Elle! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Mash. ¡¹ ¡¸Good morning, Elle! Are you ready? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ She looked at Mash and I, and smiled. However, I felt that her smile was a bit awkward. I secretly used clairvoyance to see Elle¡¯s status¡­ Elle Level ¨C 8 HP ¨C 384 MP ¨C 220 Attack ¨C 101 Defense ¨C 172 Agility ¨C 88 Magic ¨C 196 Potential rate ¨C 38 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Lightening Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 4) Skills ¨C Fire Arrow Personality ¨C Bright ¡­What¡¯s going on? Her status didn¡¯t change that much, am I wrong? On that moment, someone touched my shoulder while I was using clairvoyance. I looked back and it was Hestica. She whispered on my ear. ¡¸Lista. Can I talk to you for a second? ¡¹ ¡¸Su¡­Sure. ¡¹ We left the two behind and we went slightly further away from the pond. Hestica was sighing continually. ¡¸About Elle, you know¡­I will say it openly. That girl doesn¡¯t have a clear sense how to use fire magic. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! Is that true!? ¡¹ ¡¸When you used clairvoyance, you understood, right? Her level is not going up at all. ¡¹ Hestica told me the hard truth with a troubled look. ¡¸At first, I thought my teaching method was bad. But three days later, I was convinced otherwise. That girl is not suitable for fire magic. There¡¯s no doubt about it. ¡¹ The painful truth made my heart ache. Hestica was also struggling to speak the harsh reality. ¡¸Elle is a very good child. She has been practicing really hard since then. But Lista, as you know, magic has a lot to do with innate talents. One has to be born with it. It¡¯s hard for me to say, but that girl doesn¡¯t have it. She needs to give up on fire magic as soon as possible. I just want her well being¡­ ¡¹ When I headed to the pond alone, Elle came to me with an apologetic face. ¡¸Lisutan¡­I¡¯m so sorry. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What¡¯s wrong, Elle? ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t improve my abilities that much. I know that. So, were you and Lady Hestica talking about me, right? ¡¹ Elle was about to cry, so I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell her the truth. On the contrary¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s not true! It is certain that your speed growth is slow, but it¡¯s going to be okay! You will get better eventually! That¡¯s what Lady Hestica told me just now!¡¹ I had to encourage her with white lies. Elle was able to smile like she usually does. ¡¸Is that so! Then, I¡¯ll do my best! I tried various magic powers, but I could only perform fire magic properly! So I will work harder from now on! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! You¡¯re right! That¡¯s the spirit, Elle! ¡¹ ¡­Ah¡­I failed to tell her the truth¡­I am a useless goddess¡­ I really hated myself after saying those words. But at the same time, I couldn¡¯t tell her the cruel truth. I wanted to tell her about it in the right timing. However, it was not a good time as well¡­ Even so, I always thought that Hestica and Elle were a good combination based on their red looks and the fire magic. Who would have thought that the result was ominous¡­Things went wrong¡­ Nevertheless, I took Mash and Elle with me and we headed together for the summoning chamber. When we arrived, Seiya was leaning against the wall near the chamber¡¯s doors. ¡¸Seiya. Are you ready to leave? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But it seems that Adenela has something she wants to give me. ¡¹ Something to give? I wonder what that is? ¡¸I have an obligation to her because of what she taught me, that¡¯s why I¡¯m waiting for her here, but she is taking a long time. I¡¯ll wait one more minute, if she doesn¡¯t show up, we¡¯ll leave. ¡¹ However, as soon as Seiya finished talking, Adenela was coming in our direction. She looked beautiful today as well, I also noticed that she was wearing make-up too. Suddenly, Adenela started running and jumped into Seiya¡¯s arms. ¡¸What!? Lady Adenela!? What are you going!? ¡¹ I was so astonished when Adenela hugged Seiya. She looked up at him and made an overly sweet voice. ¡¸Seiya¡­Take me¡­Take me with you on¡­on your adventure¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Lady Adenela!? I am the goddess in charge of Seiya, you know!? ¡¹ ¡¸In¡­In that case, I¡­I want to be the hero¡¯s companion¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Adenela, did you forget you¡¯re a goddess!? You know you aren¡¯t allowed to do that!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I want to stop being¡­being a goddess¡­! I want to be¡­to be with Seiya¡­Seiya forever¡­!¡¹ I felt uncomfortable by her sudden confession of love. Somehow, I managed to keep a sane mind and then I gazed immediately at Seiya. However, Seiya remained silent and had his usual bored face. Then, Adenela presented a pastry box to Seiya. ¡¸I¡­I want to give you my feelings! I made you a cake¡­cake! It¡­It took me five¡­five hours to bake! Please¡­receive it, Seiya¡­! ¡¹ A homemade cake!! Receive¡­does she mean to receive her love for him!? You mustn¡¯t accept Seiya¡­Ah, wait a minute!! Speaking of cakes¡­!! I remembered an occasion about, let¡¯s say, three days ago, when Celseus made a cake and presented it to Seiya, but he cruelly rejected it. It can¡¯t be!! Don¡¯t tell me he has the courage to say those awful words to a girl in love!? He isn¡¯t obliged to accept the cake but¡­he just needs to be careful with his words; please Seiya, be a gentleman!! However, Seiya answered immediately. ¡¸Inedible. I reject it. ¡¹ He¡­he said it!! He doesn¡¯t want the cake, I get it, but saying ¡°inedible¡± is extremely rude!! As expected, Adenela looked like she was ¡°burning white¡± like ashes. Seiya spoke coldly to Adenela without hesitation. ¡¸I am grateful for the overall training. But that¡¯s the only thing we have in common. I don¡¯t know what it means to stay together forever. Besides, I don¡¯t want to eat any cake. That¡¯s all. Farewell. ¡¹ Seiya turned around and walked through the marble corridor without even looking back at Adenela. Mash and Elle chased after Seiya in a hurry. ¡¸*sobs weirdly* So¡­so that¡¯s what he means¡­After all the trouble I took into making that cake, he¡­he doesn¡¯t want it¡­*continues to sob even more weirdly*¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Lady Adenela, please¡­Whoa!? ¡¹ The moment I saw Adenela¡¯s painful expression, I cried involuntarily as well. It was because I saw tears of blood overflowing from Adenela¡¯s unhappy face¡­ ¡ª I came running over and I caught up with Seiya. I scolded him profusely. ¡¸Wait! Don¡¯t you feel sad for Lady Adenela!? ¡¹ ¡¸Sad? I borrowed the help of Adenela¡¯s power to save Geabrande. What¡¯s wrong with that? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not talking about that! Why did you say terrible things to her!? You need to think of a woman¡¯s heart for a moment! Lady Adenela was crying, you know! She was shedding tears of blood! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. It has nothing to do with me. More importantly, Lista. Open the portal. And you guys be ready to carry my luggage. ¡¹ Seiya gave Mash and Elle backpacks full of tools. Ah¡­He is so cold-hearted¡­I could not say anything anymore since I¡¯m at fault too¡­Because, if Elle finds out that she doesn¡¯t have any magical talent then¡­Ah, just thinking about that gives me horrifying goosebumps¡­ When we were crossing the portal for the earthly world, I heard the screams of gods from outside the temple. ¡¸*horrified voice* Lady Adenela is striking furiously the sculpture of the courtyard with her sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸Please, Lady Adenela, stop it!! ¡¹ ¡¸She is disturbed! Lady Adenela totally lost her mind! Please, somebody stop her!! ¡¹ ¡¸Even if we tried to stop her, with that insanely strength, we would be¡­we can¡¯t, it¡¯s impossible!! ¡¹ There was a big hassle outside. However, Seiya touched his glossy black hair as if nothing serious had happened and spoke with his usual tone. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ No, that¡¯s not what you should be saying!! How old are you to be saying childish remarks!? Ah¡­I don¡¯t care anymore!! It was not my fault!! ¡­Seiya entered the portal dashingly while I quickly followed him , so that I could escape from the confusion in the God¡¯s realm. Volume 1 - CH 23 Chapter 23: Izale Village Mash said that the Dragon¡¯s Cave was located further east from Klein Castle. He knew about it because of the chief of Nakashi Village, however, he never been to the Dragon¡¯s Cave before. The chief said, ¡°Once those with dragon blood get near the cave they sought to find, they will feel within themselves where the Dragon Cave exact location is¡±. Anyways, I arrived in the Klein Forest from the portal. As soon as everybody got out of the portal, Seiya started complaining. ¡¸You could¡¯ve asked Isister to put the portal in front of the Dragon¡¯s Cave¡­¡¹ ¡¸No! We can¡¯t abuse the power of using shortcuts all the time! Therefore, I decided that our starting point would be one of our last endeavors! ¡¹ Under normal circumstances, we would¡¯ve reached the location by now, because normal heroes usually won¡¯t return to the God¡¯s realm repeatedly like Seiya does! ¡¸It makes no sense to do roundabouts if we need to save this world urgently.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I told you many times that it¡¯s forbidden by the Law of God to help humans excessively. Besides, it is fun to walk in the field once in a while. Don¡¯t you agree, Mash? ¡¹ Mash nodded positively when I looked at him. ¡¸Yeah!! I want to fight monsters as soon as possible!! I want to see how strong I became by training with Celseus!! ¡¹ ¡¸See? Even he agrees! ¡¹ When we mutually agreed, Seiya spewed a small sigh. ¡¸More importantly, I want to find a place to buy some tools. ¡¹ Then, Elle gazed at Seiya with a strange look. ¡¸Tools? Why? ¡¹ ¡¸We are going to a cave, right? I want to be prepared, so I need to buy food and water, and some torches as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, Mister Seiya. I don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll find monsters inside the cave. I heard that the cave is a sacred place containing the strongest weapon. ¡¹ ¡¸I reject it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there. I need proper preparation. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, okay¡­I¡¯m sure there might be a town or a village on our way to the cave. Once we find it, just drop by and buy what you want. So, let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ As we soothed the cautious hero, we made our way to the cave. We¡¯ve been following Seiya through the grasslands for about twenty minutes. I could hear Elle¡¯s fatigued breath from behind me. I looked at her and she had trouble walking with Seiya¡¯s luggage. On that precisely moment, I noticed that Elle tried to make a small flame with both her hands. ¡¸Eh? What are you going, Elle? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well, that¡¯s what Lady Hestica taught me to do. She said to practice magic while walking. But it¡¯s quite tough to do it right. ¡¹ ¡¸You are out of breath. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But, if a monster suddenly comes out, I want to help Mister Seiya and Mash! I want to be a little useful! ¡¹ Seiya heard Elle¡¯s cheerful voice and turned back at us. ¡¸You don¡¯t need to do that. You have luggage. You only need to bring my tools.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. Okay¡­ ¡¹ Elle had a smile on her face but at the same time, she looked a bit lonely. ¡¸How dare you, Seiya!! ¡¹ As usual, I tried to scold Seiya but he interrupted me. ¡¸Besides, there seems to be no monsters around here. ¡¹ Seiya muttered so blatantly. Now that he mentioned it, I¡¯ve been walking for quite a while now, and I didn¡¯t see any kind of monster. This area shouldn¡¯t be this safe. Then, why is it so peaceful? However, it didn¡¯t take long. In the horizon, I could see some strange movements. My eyes have better sight than regular human beings, so I could clearly see a strange ¡°pig monster¡± walking in bipedal form. ¡¸Mash! Can you see that monster over there? Isn¡¯t that an orc? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, that¡¯s an orc! That¡¯ll be perfect to try my skills! I¡¯m going for it!¡¹ On that moment, Mash drew his sword and ran in the orc¡¯s direction. Suddenly, a huge fire bird appeared in the sky and flew towards the orc! The fire bird looked like the one Lady Hestica had on her arm in the water-mirror pond, but this bird was much larger. Instantly, the fire bird descended from the sky and hit the orc directly! In a second, the orc was wrapped in flames and was scorched on the spot! Elle gripped my arm. ¡¸What happened to that monster just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸It looked like the orc had some sort of ¡°suicide bombs¡±!? ¡¹ Or could it be an attack between monsters!? It can¡¯t be, it was only one monster walking in that area, am I right!? If that¡¯s not the case, then¡­ ¡¸Everyone, watch out!! A chemist might be nearby!! ¡¹ When I shouted, Mash and Elle took a defensive position. In that tense mood, a senseless Seiya spoke to us to calm down. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to be alert. I did that attack myself. ¡¹ ¡¸*everyone yelled* What? ¡¹ All the three of us were shocked. ¡¸The skill is called, ¡°Automatic Phoenix¡±. This ability senses an evil spirit of the approaching monster within a radius of 50 meters and automatically attacks using fire. ¡¹ So, that was Seiya¡¯s magic¡­!? A remote fire magic attack¡­That¡¯s amazing, yes, it was amazing, nevertheless¡­Mash spoke. ¡¸As expected of my remarkable Master! But next time, if the enemy comes out, let me do it myself! ¡¹ On that occasion, Elle screamed. ¡¸Ah! Mash, there¡¯s more enemies! Look, over there! A strange tree is walking!¡¹ That strange looking tree had a human face craved in the wood. They are usually known as ¡°Human Faced Tree¡±. Moreover, it had two separate bodies and it was coming in our direction. ¡¸Okay!! Get ready Man Tree!! ¡¹ Mash drew his sword from the sheath and ran with his full power, but the flying phoenix in the sky was much faster. Before even Mash got closer to it, the phoenix clashed right into the human faced tree. The two bodies were simultaneously burnt. Mash stopped immediately and was astounded by that scene. Soon after, I shouted at Elle. ¡¸Look! There¡¯s another monster behind us! ¡¹ Groups of giant ants with the size of human children, known as the ¡°Killer Ants,¡± were coming to the place where we were standing still. ¡¸Elle! If you use your fire arrow, you can defeat enemies from the distance! The phoenix has been detonated just now, so there are no more at this moment! You can do it! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ Elle immediately used her fire magic and released her fire arrow. ¡¸Go!! ¡¹ At the time, I thought that Elle¡¯s magical arrow would hit the killer ants; however, a new phoenix replaced the arrow¡¯s trajectory. The phoenix absorbed the fire from the magical arrow, and burnt the killer ants with double flames. Elle was stunned. Next to her, Seiya had his arms crossed as looked quite confident. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. Automatic Phoenix is level 30, so it means that it will kill the monster instantly. It¡¯s always released from the sky to the ground. There is no chance for you guys. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, that means I don¡¯t have a chance to fight with monsters¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya gazed at Mash, who had a bitter face. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Mash. I told you that the best plan was to ¡°win without fighting¡±; don¡¯t you remember that I taught you that? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!! I do remember!! ¡¹ ¡¸Rather than fighting, you and Elle need to make sure that the luggage won¡¯t fall apart. Do you understand? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sir!! ¡¹ Soon after, Seiya started to move forward. I observed Seiya¡¯s back as he walked and I thought. ¡­So that was the reason why I didn¡¯t see monster for a while. The phoenix was getting rid of any possible menace. He should¡¯ve let Mash and Elle fight the monsters for a moment¡­Even so, how could he have mastered such high-level remote distance magic? I wonder how much Seiya have grown with his abilities? I am curious about his current status, but he won¡¯t tell me even if I asked him anyways¡­ All right!! It¡¯s been a while since the last time I saw his status!! I decided to use my special clayvorance ability to take a small peek¡­ Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 1 HP ¨C 111 MP ¨C 111 Attack ¨C 1 Defense ¨C 1 Agility ¨C 1 Magic ¨C 1 Potential rate ¨C 1 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Lightening, Earth Special skills ¨C Fire Magic (Lv 1), Magic Sword (Lv 1) Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡­Everything is ¡°1¡±!? What an obvious camouflage!! I¡¯ll use my Megamic Power until I break the camouflage barrier!! Just wait and see what I can do!! I¡¯ll do it even if I hurt my eyes!! Okay, here I go!! My Megamic Power¡­ah¡­What? I noticed that the ¡°numbers 1¡± jumped ¡°out¡± of Seiya¡¯s status and were lined up in a row in front of my eyes. The ¡°numbers 1¡± were the size of an index finger and it looked like they were alive. *high-pitched sound* What is going on¡­but¡­it¡¯s kinda cute! Suddenly, the ¡°numbers 1¡± jumped to my eyes! The tip of one of the numbers pierced my eyes savagely! ¡¸*painful screams* My eyes hurt so much!! ¡¹ When I screamed with so much pain, Mash, who was standing right next to me, became increasingly worried. ¡¸Lista, what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden!? That really startled me!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the ¡°numbers 1¡±!! The moment I thought the numbers were singing so cutesy, they flew right into my face and pierced my eyes!! ¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about, perhaps a fairytale!? Maybe this trip is too much for you to handle it, no!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that bad of a trip!! It got nothing to do with it!! ¡¹ As I spoke loudly, Seiya stared coldly at me. ¡¸¡­I see that you made peeping your hobby. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m a criminal!! ¡¹ ¡¸It is a crime to steal other people¡¯s information without their permission. If there¡¯s police force in this world, then I¡¯d like to report you to them. ¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t you show me your status then!! ¡¹ ¡¸I reject it. You don¡¯t need to know. By the way, the numbers trap was just a warning. The next time you try to peep, it will destroy both your eyes and head. Don¡¯t peep ever again. ¡¹ Destroy not only my eyes but my head as well¡­!? Oh my goodness¡­!! It¡¯s better for me not to try peeping his status for a while¡­!! I was shivering, so I gave up from using my clairvoyance ability on Seiya. Before long, I could see a different scenery in the horizon. A couple of wooden huts were scattered in the landscape. It seems that we reached a small village. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s try to find a tool shop in there. If they have at least one shop actually. ¡¹ An old man approached us and stood in front of Seiya. The old man spoke with a smile. ¡¸Hello, people on a journey. Welcome. You have arrived at Izale Village. ¡¹ Seiya took from his pocket holy water and sprinkled it in the old man¡¯s face. ¡¸*looking shocked* What the hell you did to me!? ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Looks like he is a human. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, why!? Holy water is not necessary anymore!! You killed Death Magra, right!? So it¡¯s safe to say that the undead won¡¯t come to attack anymore, got it!?¡¹ ¡¸He might be an undead, who knows. That enemy was resilient. ¡¹ On that occasion, Seiya looked back at the Mash. ¡¸Pay attention, Mash. This is a new advice. Remember it well, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the undead¡±.¡¹ ¡¸¡°Don¡¯t forget the undead¡±, you say¡­!! Gosh!! My heart can¡¯t handle such wise words!!¡¹ Why do you let silly words affect your heart¡­I can¡¯t understand it at all¡­ Just like me, the old man who was wet because of the holy water, was watching with an annoyed look. ¡¸I¡¯m all wet¡­What¡¯s wrong with you, c¡¯mon¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you. I want to find a tool shop in that village. Tell me where it is, quickly.¡¹ ¡¸You really seem like a fella who only cares ¡®bout himself¡­If you want to find a tool shop just go straight for a while, and is right at the end¡­ ¡¹ We walked straight just as the old man instructed. Soon, we could see the wooden signboard of the tool shop. Elle looked puzzled. ¡¸What? Is this a tool shop too? Aren¡¯t we supposed to find the shop right at the end? ¡¹ ¡¸This shop must be the real deal since it has written ¡°tool shop¡± in the signboard, right? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that old man told us a lie because he got soaked in holy water because of Seiya¡­ ¡¹ Then, we entered that tool shop. However, as soon as I put my foot inside the shop, I was struck by a strange feeling. It seemed that Seiya noticed it too as he held his sword in the sheath. ¡¸Welcome. ¡¹ We heard the voice from behind the counter with other tools in display. When we got closer, I could see the tiny shop owner looking at us. The moment I saw him, I knew right away. That¡¯s¡­ I tried to stop Seiya who, in the meantime, was trying to take out his sword. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Seiya! It is a dwarf! They are classified as monsters, but most of them do not attack people. They usually live in peace among humans! ¡¹ Because I spoke loudly, a small elderly woman and a boy came running from the back of the shop. They looked at Seiya with his sword on his hand and they panicked as if their blood circulation stopped for a moment. ¡¸Please stop! What did my husband do to you! ¡¹ ¡¸Stop! Don¡¯t hurt my dad! ¡¹ The dwarf boy, who loudly complained to Seiya, was only about the height below my knees. Soon after, Seiya put his sword down. He mustn¡¯t have felt any kind of hostility. He told the frightened dwarf. ¡¸Hey. Do you have torches on your shop? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes, we have. If you allow me to ask¡­but are you possibly going to a cave?¡¹ ¡¸Do you know any cave? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. There is a cave in the eastern rock-strewn area. But as soon as you get inside the cave, it¡¯s a dead end¡­ ¡¹ Mash hit his knees with excitement. ¡¸That must be it! If Elle and I break the seal, we¡¯ll be able to go beyond the dead end! ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Anyways, let me have some torches first. ¡¹ ¡¸Listen, Seiya. I¡¯ve been thinking, but why don¡¯t you use your fire magic instead? If you do, then you won¡¯t need torches, right? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to waste my MP. ¡¹ Then, Elle raised her hand cheerfully. ¡¸In that case, Mister Seiya! Please, let me use my fire magic! If it¡¯s with my MP, then it will be fine, am I right? ¡¹ Seiya rejected her proposal promptly. ¡¸I don¡¯t need you. I trust the capability of torches way more than your magic abilities. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! How dare you!! ¡¹ I yelled at Seiya, but Elle showed an awkward smile. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Lisutan. He¡¯s right, my fire magic is unstable. ¡¹ ¡¸Elle¡­ ¡¹ Elle was feeling a bit down and I felt sad for her. What¡¯s the matter with Seiya!! He could at least let Elle do that little job!! However, Seiya was no longer willing to buy torches himself. He turned his attention to Mash as he was taking gold coins out of the sachets. ¡¸Hey, Mash. We¡¯re going to a cave for the first time. And that¡¯s a problem. How many torches do you think we should buy? ¡¹ ¡¸Fifty!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mash!? ¡¹ I was speechless when I heard Mash say that ridiculous amount of torches. This child was totally ¡°poisoned¡± by Seiya¡¯s ideals!! His knowledge of tool usage is completely abnormal!! Yet, Seiya shook his head negatively. ¡¸You need to think differently. The cave formation might be complicated like a labyrinth. In other words, once you enter, it might take a few days to come out from there. We might get attacked by water monsters inside the cave, meaning that torches might get in contact with moisture. If that happens its light will become thinner and thinner until it becomes useless to use. In addition, after acquiring the strongest weapon, we will need torches to return back¡­we need, at least, five hundred torches. ¡¹ ¡¸Please, give me five torches!! ¡¹ I immediately requested my amount to the shop owner before he could fully grasp the nonsense from Seiya¡¯s unrealistic words. After we bought the torches, we left the shop with a clearly dissatisfied Seiya. The shop owner dwarf, his wife and son sent us off with a smile. ¡¸Thank you for your purchase. May you, the adventurers, be blessed by Cross Tanathus¡­ ¡¹ Cross¡­? I¡¯ve never heard of it before. It is some sort of spirit being worshiped around this particular area, maybe? I didn¡¯t particularly care. After that, we purchased some food and water from another shop and we finally went to the Dragon¡¯s Cave. Volume 1 - CH 24 Chapter 24: The Dragon¡¯s Cave Just like the dwarf shop owner told us, we left the village and headed further east. The landscape gradually changed. We had walked through grasslands earlier today, but right now, we were stepping into a rocky terrain full of small and large rocks beneath our feet. Even so, this place was a fairly wide rocky area. I should have listened properly about the exact location of the cave from the shop owner. Suddenly, Elle grabbed my hand. ¡¸Lisutan, look at this. ¡¹ The dragon crest in Elle¡¯s hand started to shine brightly. The similar emblem also sparkled on Mash¡¯s hand. ¡¸We are here for the first time. But, I understand what I¡¯m feeling right now. I¡¯m sure the cave is nearby¡­ ¡¹ Mash and Elle went through the rocky terrain guided by the dragon crest. Seiya and I followed them closely behind. Soon, both of them stopped walking, and when I looked up, there was a huge rock wall in front of us. At the bottom, there seemed to be a large cavity leading to the inside of the cave. ¡¸It looks like we finally arrived. ¡¹ Seiya took out a torch and ignited the fire. We entered the cave, headed by Seiya. Seiya was walking slowly and carefully through the cave; however, after going fifty steps further inside, we reached a dead end. ¡¸Ah, look! It¡¯s already the dead end! I knew it! We didn¡¯t need a torch after all!¡¹ Seiya was not paying attention to me. ¡¸More importantly, look at this. ¡¹ Seiya pointed to the rock wall in front of me. He kept reminding me of my surroundings as if I was dumb¡­!! He surely has an annoying personality but enviable traits¡­!! Nonetheless, just as Seiya said, the crest of the Dragon Tribe was painted like a mural on the rock wall. Under the emblem, I saw two insignia, and it was clear that the seal could be dissolved if Mash and Elle¡¯s hands were placed in there. ¡¸Okay, Elle! It¡¯s our turn! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ When both of them were trying to break the seal, I heard some noise. A metallic sound came from Seiya¡¯s direction. When I looked at him, I saw that he grabbed his platinum sword and he was aiming directly at the rock wall. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ Using the Phoenix Drive skill, Seiya began to strike the robust rock wall continuously with his sword at an astonishing speed! The aggressive sounds from his sword attacks echoed so loudly that I had to put my hands on my ears! ¡¸Stop!! What are you doing¡­ ¡¹ I tried to stop him. However¡­Seiya was extremely focused. Seiya¡¯s sword-wielding arm had a strong grip, striking the rock¡¯s surface with a circle motion and a strong flurry. I never seen he use his sword like that before. Seiya kept slashing brilliantly and powerfully, without even taking a breath. ¡¸¡­he is making use of both his arms and wrists flexibility, just by performing a sword technique based on consecutive slashing. It looks like it¡¯s mainly a single attack, but repeated countless times. Still, it seems that nothing happened yet. ¡¹ The moment I said that, cracks formed on the rock wall! The barrier that was standing in front of us collapsed to the ground! ¡¸This was¡­¡°Eternal Sword¡±¡­ ¡¹ The two from the Dragon Tribe were more stunned than I was when we saw Seiya using Adenela¡¯s abilities. ¡¸The seal was forcibly broken¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸He didn¡¯t need us, after all¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya ignored the two of them and proceeded beyond the collapsed wall. Both Mash and Elle were petrified by the shocking event, but I urged them to go after Seiya to the other side of the rock wall. I thought that the special sword was inside a big treasure box; however, once I came inside, there was nothing but a small and dime space. ¡¸What? The strongest weapon is not inside here? ¡¹ I looked around but saw nothing. I could only spot a magic enchantment chart drawn on the floor. In an instant, I had a shivering feeling on my shoulders and, suddenly, a light started to shine from that magical chart. At the same time, a solemn voice echoed around. ¡¸Our compatriots who inherited the blood of the Dragon¡­You finally came here¡­¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s going on!? ¡¹ I thought that it was a man speaking at first, but the voice seemed to come from the magical chart below us. ¡¸Hero and everyone else¡­Please get on the top on the magical chart. Let¡¯s open the ¡°door¡± to the Dragon Village where our Dragon Tribe lives. In there, let¡¯s us bestow you the strongest weapon Egzation. ¡¹ Egzation¡­!! That¡¯s the name of the strongest weapon that can defeat the Demon King¡­!! ¡¸Listen, everyone! I think that this magical chart must be a portal! If we cross this over, we¡¯ll be able to arrive in the Dragon Village! ¡¹ ¡¸The Dragon Village! That¡¯s the real hometown of Elle and I? ¡¹ ¡¸I hope so! I¡¯m so thrilled right now! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Let¡¯s go immediately! ¡¹ We were excited and walked right into the top of the magical chart; however, Seiya stretched out one arm and stopped us from going further. ¡¸Wait. It¡¯s too dangerous. It might be a trap. ¡¹ ¡¸Huh¡­What do you mean by ¡°trap¡±¡­Seiya? ¡¹ Seiya captured a lizard crawling on a rock wall and he put it on the magical chart. ¡¸Okay. We are all on the magical chart. ¡¹ He just lied to the solemn voice. What!? We¡¯re not the ones on the magical chart!! It¡¯s the lizard that¡¯s on it!! ¡¸I will transfer you to the Dragon Village. ¡¹ Just as the solemn voice professed, the lizard was wrapped in light and it disappeared into the magical chart. Not before long, the solemn voice was heard from below and it seemed upset. ¡¸Excuse me¡­Why did you sent a lizard instead¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Now send that lizard back to us. ¡¹ ¡¸Why on earth do you want that¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Just do it. Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand¡­ ¡¹ After a while, the lizard was sent back. Seiya observed the lizard closely as if he was going to devour it. ¡¸I see. The lizard doesn¡¯t have any external abnormality. Maybe it will be a trap to send us all into different dimensions. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I won¡¯t do that¡­kind of thing to you¡­ ¡¹ Before I knew it, the solemn voice stopped coming from the magical chart. ¡­After discussing the situation with Seiya for while, we finally managed to be on the top of the chart. We were wrapped in light and we were transferred from that place. ¡¸Welcome to the Dragon Village. ¡¹ That voice was the same as the one we heard back in the cave. As soon as I turned around to see who it was¡­ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ I raised my voice unexpectedly. I saw a being standing on two feet like a human and it was wearing hemp clothes. Nevertheless, that being resembled a big lizard. It had short fangs coming out from its mouth and it spoke the human language. ¡¸There is no reason to be surprised. We, the ¡°Dragon Man¡±, have a very different appearance compared to human beings. ¡¹ The dragon man distorted his eyes and mouth while squinting like a reptile. Apparently, he seemed to be smiling at us. ¡¸However, I was really startled a moment ago. I thought you were coming from the magical chart and I said ¡°Welcome to the Dragon Village¡±, but what came through was only a small lizard. ¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re sorry for doing that¡­ ¡¹ When I apologized, the dragon man giggled. ¡¸Well, it is safer to entrust the fate of the world to someone who is cautious of its surroundings¡­Anyways, I¡¯m sorry for my late introduction. My name is Lagos and I am the keeper of the Dragon¡¯s Cave. ¡¹ Lagos walked ahead and he opened a door for us. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go. The Dragon Mother is waiting at the temple. I will take you there¡­ ¡¹ When I crossed the door, I saw a place that resembled a town. However, everything looked different from the towns and villages in Geabrande. I imagined that the ¡°Dragon Village¡± would have an idyllic atmosphere, but in reality, it looked so much like the God¡¯s realm. The houses and buildings had a similar vibe and artistically they seemed to have the baroque style. Lagos talked to us as I kept looking closely at my surroundings. ¡¸The Dragon Village is located in the far-west continent of Eurea. This continent is separated from the place you were before by a vast sea. Eurea is an unexplored continent by humanity, shrouded in deep fog. There is no other way for a human to enter this place than to be transferred from that magic enchantment chart. ¡¹ ¡­I see. To the worlds I¡¯ve been before, a dragon is treated like a god. So, they have been living closely to humans but in secrecy; except when something important happens in the world and they need to come forward. As we walked with Lagos across the town, the dragon people who passed by us, saw Mash and Elle and started speaking loudly. ¡¸They are Lord Mash and Lady Elle! ¡¹ ¡¸Lord Mash! How handsome you became! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Lady Elle is a beauty! ¡¹ Mash spoke closely to Lagos to hide his embarrassment and envy from the dragon people. ¡¸Hey. Why are Elle and I completely different from these guys? ¡¹ ¡¸Originally, we, the ¡°Dragon Man¡±, are an existence between dragon and human. However, most of them have more intensity of dragon blood overflowing on their body, so their appearance becomes more prominent. In the end, they will look more like a dragon. ¡¹ After listening to it, Seiya opened his mouth. ¡¸In other words, if they have less blood of the dragon, it means that they are defective. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that right¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­!? ¡¹ Mash and Elle looked gloomy after hearing those harsh words. When I tried to scold Seiya, Lagos laughed cheerfully. ¡¸Oh no! On the contrary, hero! Mash and Elle are the chosen ones! The Dragon Tribe carries the fate to accomplish great feats, and we, normal dragons, cannot achieve those feats! ¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean? ¡¹ Mash asked that question but Lagos shook his head. ¡¸It is better for you to listen directly to what the Dragon Mother has to say. ¡¹ After Lagos spoke, Elle asked the following. ¡¸Excuse me, Mister Lagos. Could it be that Mash and I still have family in here? For example, my father or mother¡­ ¡¹ Lagos was quiet for a while before answering. ¡¸It¡¯s a hard story to tell, in fact¡­Lord Mash and Lady Elle¡¯s parents passed away around ten years ago because of a serious plague that spread throughout our village. I heard that all of your relatives and friends also caught up with the disease during that time¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. ¡¹ ¡¸Elle¡­Are you okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Sure! It¡¯s sad to hear about what happened to them. But I have Mash with me, so I¡¯m fine¡¹ Lagos smiled at a confident Elle. ¡¸All of the dragon people think of you as family. Besides, the Dragon Mother is like a mother to all of us. We were all looking forward to see you again. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so!! I also wanted to meet all of you!! ¡¹ Elle smiled innocently. The Dragon Mother¡­The mother of the Dragon Tribe. Maybe she is noble and gentle just like Great Goddess Isister is to me? Guided by Lagos, we arrived at a magnificent temple no less grand than the God¡¯s realm own large temple. We walked through a long red carpet. At the end, the Dragon Mother was sitting on a throne surrounded by followers of the Dragon Tribe. I was curious to see the appearance of the mother of all dragons. Therefore, I slowly raised my head to have a look at her. ¡¸You finally came, Mash and Elle. Also, welcome hero and goddess as well. I am the Dragon Mother who governs over the Dragon Village. ¡¹ When I heard her voice, I felt that this dragon was certainly a noble. She was wearing an expensive-looking necklace on her neck, and a colored dress that she grabbed on its hem. However, when I looked closely, beneath that dress was a reptile with orangey skin, with emotionless cold eyes and protuberant nose and mouth. The Dragon Mother was also a big lizard just like the rest of the dragon people. Whoa¡­She is totally different from the Great Goddess Isister. She¡¯s not pretty and she¡¯s far from being pleasant¡­ Suddenly, I had a very bad feeling and I turned my eyes away from the Dragon Mother and looked immediately at Seiya. I was right about my ominous feeling because Seiya looked at the Dragon Mother as if he was looking at something dirty. ¡¸It¡¯s grotesque. ¡¹ *screams loudly* I screamed aloud, and it seemed that the Dragon Mother did not hear Seiya¡¯s rude words. ¡¸Hmm? What did you say? ¡¹ ¡¸About that, you see¡­What the hero said just know was¡­Yes! He said that you had an atmosphere reminiscent of a ¡°Basilisk¡±! ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs* Basilisk you say. I am far from being a snake. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right! *laughs nervously* ¡¹ After somehow saving the situation, I angrily glared at Seiya. I hope that he won¡¯t say more unnecessary things. The Dragon Mother rolled her reptile eyes and had a serious look on her face. ¡¸To important matters now¡­The threatening situation is imminent. The late Dragon Emperor predicted a hundred years ago that the evil forces would swallow this world. The Demon King keeps invading the Alfreis continent and he has started to conquer the north of that region. ¡¹ I spoke without hesitation after hearing the Dragon Mother¡¯s concerned words. ¡¸Alfreis continent¡­! The castle of the Demon King is in that region¡­! ¡¹ I was thinking about a plan to destroy the castle for a while now. ¡¸Once we know the exact location of the Demon King¡¯s castle, it will be annihilated if Seiya¡¯s Meteor Strike clashes on that particularly area, am I right!?¡¹ However, the Dragon Mother shook her head negatively. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. A protection barrier surrounds that huge castle. Any attacks coming from outside will be reflected on the opposite direction. It means that if you strike the castle with that meteorite magic, it will be reflected back to its operator. ¡¹ Is that so¡­Then, it means that it won¡¯t be easy to defeat the evil after all¡­ ¡¸But I feel relieved. That¡¯s why Mash and Elle are here in the first place. ¡¹ After rolling her eyes at both of them, the Dragon Mother summoned Mash. ¡¸Mash. Come closer. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Me? ¡¹ Mash approached the throne slowly and the Dragon Mother put her hand on his head. ¡¸I¡¯ll show you how a dragon man can change. ¡¹ On that moment, the Dragon Mother¡¯s hand started to shine. At that point¡­ ¡¸Ma¡­Mash!? ¡¹ I shouted. Mash¡¯s face and skin was changing into an orangey color! At the same time, the outline of his body and expression changed as well¡­ ¡¸Wha¡­what!! Hey, what¡¯s going on with me!? ¡¹ When Mash shouted uneasily about the unexpected transformation, he had already became a fine lizard man¡­ah no, well, a dragon man to be precise. ¡¸Oh my¡­Oh my. Who has a mirror? ¡¹ A follower of the Dragon Mother brought a mirror for Mash and he looked closely at it. ¡¸Whoa¡­ ¡¹ He lamented at his own appearance. Meanwhile, the Dragon Mother laughed. ¡¸*giggles happily* You¡¯re not used at being a dragon man with a true dragon figure. But listen to me, Mash. Your ability has improved considerably now, do you understand? ¡¹ ¡¸Is that true? ¡­Lista! Can you look at my status? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I got it! ¡¹ I took a deep breath and used my clairvoyance ability. Mash Level ¨C 16 HP ¨C 13810 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 9210 Defense ¨C 8770 Agility ¨C 7900 Magic ¨C 0 Potential rate ¨C 57 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Attack power increase (Lv 5), Dragoning (Lv 3) Skills ¨C Dragon Thrust, Dragon Slash Personality ¨C Brave ¡­His top level has not changed at all. However¡­ ¡¸Mash, it¡¯s amazing!! You¡¯re ten times more powerful than before!! ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so!! But now that you mention it¡­I really feel an overflowing power throughout my whole body!! I feel like I can do anything now!! ¡¹ Mash was dissatisfied with his own visual at first, but now he professed proudly at Seiya. ¡¸Look at me, Master!! I got so strong!! ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. But don¡¯t get too close to me. You look like a monster now, so I might strike and kill you without hesitating. ¡¹ ¡¸Master, that¡¯s cruel!! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that sure was a surprise. But you did it well, Mash. ¡¹ It was unusual for Seiya to praise Mash. Even so, Mash looked really pleased. ¡¸It¡¯s about one-thirty of my abilities. ¡¹ I was greatly shocked by Seiya¡¯s sudden words that gave obvious clues about his status. ¡¸What¡­I¡¯m one-thirty away from Master¡¯s abilities¡­? Even though I transformed into a dragon man¡­? It can¡¯t be. Seriously¡­? ¡¹ Eventually, Mash returned to his human form. Seiya was indifferent to Mash as he touched his shoulder. ¡¸That¡¯s good. Now you can carry more of my luggage. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sir. ¡¹ He was so pleased to be ten times stronger but Seiya kept downgrading him¡­!! Poor thing¡­!! That horrible hero, to say to Mash that he was thirty times stronger than him¡­just how strong did he became exactly!? Nonetheless, the Dragon Mother smiled at a dejected Mash. ¡¸Listen, Mash. If you continue to train hard, you¡¯ll be able to transform from ¡°human form¡± to ¡°dragon man¡± at ease. If you keep training, your ability value will rise even further. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. You are the powerful chosen one from the Dragon Tribe. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay!! I¡¯ll do my best!! ¡¹ As Mash was full of hope and confidence, Elle shouted out unbearably. ¡¸Dra¡­Dragon Mother!! Please¡­do it for me as well!! ¡¹ ¡¸No. Elle, you don¡¯t need that. ¡¹ ¡¸What? But¡­But¡­!! ¡¹ The Dragon Mother rejected Elle just as Seiya did before. Elle was about to burst into tears. Still, the Dragon Mother spoke gently to Elle. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. You have a much more important role to fulfill than Mash. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that true!? What is my role!? ¡¹ Elle was excited to find out about her real role as her eyes shined brightly. The Dragon Mother opened her mouth wide, making her torn red and long tongue visibly to all of us, and she said the following words. ¡¸Listen carefully, Elle. You will give up your life to become the strongest holy sword, the Egzation. ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 25 Chapter 25: The Holy Sword Ceremony ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ Elle was petrified. At the same time, Mash and I were both speechless. At first I thought I heard the wrong words, so I asked the Dragon Mother again. ¡¸Excuse me¡­What did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? I just said that this child Elle is destined to become the Egzation. ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that!! Egzation is a weapon, am I right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Egzation is a holy sword that has the strongest power to defeat the Demon King. Yet, it was ¡°born¡± with a human appearance. By forsaking her life, the sword will manifest itself before the whole world. ¡¹ The Dragon Mother spoke indifferently about this horror story as if she was having a normal conversation with us. ¡¸After spending more than ten years in the human world, Elle was more enriched. She was the right vessel to become the Egzation. My dear Elle. I am truly envious of you, my darling. You have the power to save this world. You will become the holy sword Egzation and you will continue to live forever. You are the greatest pride of our Dragon Tribe. ¡¹ The Dragon Mother and all of her followers opened their mouths, displaying their fangs as if they were smiling. ¡¸Well then. My subordinates will prepare for the holy sword ceremony. The upcoming ceremony is going to be hold tonight after the last supper. Listen to me, Elle. Until then, you can relax and spend time with your friends¡­ ¡¹ Afterwards. We came out of the dragon temple in silence as if our souls were pulled out from our bodies. No one talked for a while. We were perplexed and we just walked around the Dragon Village as if we were wandering around. Before long, Mash stopped and he opened his mouth. ¡¸Elle¡­you¡­what are you going to do? ¡¹ ¡¸Going to do what¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Idiot!! Your fate was decided moments ago!! You¡¯re gonna die and become Egzation!! Are you really okay with that!? ¡¹ Elle looked a little troubled. ¡¸Well¡­If that¡¯s my true calling, then I guess I have no choice. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°I have no choice¡± you say¡­What¡¯s wrong with you!! ¡¹ Elle smiled awkwardly. ¡¸You know that I always wanted to be useful to everybody!! Now that my wish came true, I feel a little happy!! It seems that I can live forever if I become a sword, and that means that I will be able to save the world as well!! The Dragon Mother said that it was great honor after all!! ¡¹ ¡¸Elle¡­ ¡¹ Mash looked devastated while Elle sent me a glance. ¡¸I am right, yes!? It¡¯s really okay, Lisutan!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ I answered her as I gritted my teeth. ¡­I came here as a goddess whose purpose was to save the world Geabrande. But to be suddenly told to sacrifice a comrade¡¯s life in order to save this world¡­Is it really okay? Should I not worry? However, Elle herself told us that she was willing to give up her life for the greater good. If that¡¯s so, then¡­ No¡­This seems off¡­I wonder¡­.Is this really fine? No matter how much I thought about it, I could not come up with a clear conclusion. My head was spinning around like crazy. I could no longer think properly, so I sought some advice from a man in spite of being a goddess myself. ¡¸Seiya¡­do you have anything to say on this¡­matter? ¡¹ As I tried to ask for Seiya¡¯s advice, he was not nowhere to be found. When I looked around, I saw that he was talking with a dragon man of a tool shop in a shadowy area. ¡¸Dear customer! This is the ¡°seed of agility¡±! If you eat this seed, your agility will increase by ten times more! The human towns don¡¯t sell this rarity! ¡¹ ¡¸Is it really okay for me to eat that? ¡¹ ¡¸No matter how much seeds you eat, you¡¯ll be just fine! ¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re lying to me, I won¡¯t forgive you. Be forewarned, I will sue you. ¡¹ ¡¸You are a very suspicious customer! I said that it is really okay! I swear on the dragon god of my village that it is harmless! ¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then give me a little. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, wait a second!! What are you doing over there!! It¡¯s not the best time to go shopping now!! ¡¹ I was shouting angrily at him, but he did not listen to me. After he took some gold coins from the sachet and bought some items, Seiya turned around at last and asked me. ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t go ¡°what¡± on me!! You need to say something to Elle as well!! ¡¹ Then, Seiya gazed at Elle with piercing eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s already been decided what will happen her. I don¡¯t have anything else to say on that matter during the day. ¡¹ Whoa¡­! He spoke emotionless just like the Dragon Mother, however, his second phrasing showed his true cold-hearted characteristics. Elle¡¯s smile showed loneliness. ¡¸He¡¯s¡­right! There¡¯s nothing else to add to this matter! *laughs nervously* It¡¯s just as Mister Seiya said! ¡¹ ¡­I know. It¡¯s true that her fate was already decided. It¡¯s all about saving this world, and nothing else. More than anything, she¡¯s prepared to face the ordeals of her destiny¡­ Before I knew it, the sun began to fade away. In an instant, I noticed that dragons wearing armors stood in front of us and kneeled. ¡¸The last supper is ready now. We will guide you to the Dragon Valley, so please come this way¡­ ¡¹ After the sunset, we climbed a steep highland and we arrived at an area on top of a hill that was lit by the lights of several torches. I noticed numerous wooden tables and chairs lined up. On the tables, there was steaming food and expensive wine placed on the top, and dozens of dragon men were chatting with each other. There was a particular luxurious table at the center. The Dragon Mother sat on that table as she drank some alcohol from a glass. She noticed us and requested. ¡¸Hello. Goddess, hero and Mash too, please come this way. ¡¹ When Elle tried to come with us, the dragon soldiers stopped her. ¡¸Lady Elle, please change into these clothes¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­Elle¡­! ¡¹ Mash tried to grab Elle¡¯s hand, but he couldn¡¯t reach her. The dragon soldiers took Elle away as she kept looking back at an uneasy Mash. Suddenly, the Dragon Mother made a big clap with her hands. ¡¸Now everyone. Until Elle changes her clothes, let us enjoy this banquet. ¡¹ A dragon soldier pushed both Mash and I and we were forced to take a seat. ¡¸The villagers prepared all of the food on this banquet. Come on, feel free to taste it and eat as many as you like. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ I had no appetite at all. Still, I was told to eat some food, so I got my hands on salads and soups. Mash was also eating some soup but he looked unenthusiastic. However, Seiya did not eat anything from the banquet, and, instead, he drank a preserved water that he had prepared beforehand. Young dragons came running to Seiya and the rest of us with a plate on their hands. ¡¸Listen! We made some cookies! Please, try them! ¡¹ Those three dragon children had prettier faces than the adult dragons. I felt my heart heal for a brief moment, so I accepted a cookie with a smile. ¡¸I want the Mister to try it too! We did our best to bake them! ¡¹ I was staring closely at Seiya to make sure he would behave properly. Seiya noticed my furiously gaze and he tried not to say terrible things to the innocent children. Seiya reluctantly picked up a cookie and he chew it in silence. While I ate the cookie, I tried to speak to the Dragon Mother who was drinking right next to me. ¡¸Excuse me¡­Is it really impossible to prevent Elle from becoming a sword? ¡¹ ¡¸It is impossible. If we don¡¯t let Elle become the holy sword, the Demon King will destroy this world. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s true¡­.that¡¯s true¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, goddess. Please enjoy this banquet to your heart¡¯s content. More than anything, this is all for Elle¡¯s well-being. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­ ¡¹ In front of our table, the dragon men performed dances to the rhythm of drums and flutes. When the dance was over, the torches that illuminated the area were extinguished all at once. Suddenly, the surroundings were engulfed in deep darkness. Immediately after that, the path to the deepest part in the Valley was lit in unison. Accompanied by the dragon soldiers, Elle slowly walked towards us through the illuminated torches. She was wearing a lovely light crimson dress. Her red hair was beautifully tied. She was also using makeup, and I noticed an expensive necklace around her neck, just like the one that the Dragon Mother has been using. Elle was really stunning and dignified as if she was a noble. The Dragon Mother stood up. ¡¸All right¡­Let¡¯s finally start the Holy Sword Ceremony. ¡¹ The Dragon Mother pointed towards Elle¡¯s destined walking path, the deepest hole in the Valley. ¡¸At the bottom of this valley, there is an ancient magic enchantment chart written by the Dragon Emperor. If she jumps in there, Elle¡¯s destined blood will be absorbed, and soon, her blood will be transformed into the dazzling holy sword Egzation.¡¹ All of the dragon men surrounding us applauded at the Dragon Mother¡¯s words. During the strong applause, Elle walked into the abyss. Mash and I raised our voices to Elle, who kept walking further into the Valley. ¡¸Elle!! ¡¹ ¡¸E¡­Elle!! Wait!! ¡¹ Elle looked back at us with a sad smile on her face. ¡¸Goodbye, Mash, Lisutan, and¡­Mister Seiya! Please, use me carefully once I become the sword! *laughs timidly* Don¡¯t forget to polish the sword occasionally so it will not rust! ¡¹ The Dragon Mother started to shout vociferously. ¡¸Okay, Elle!! Now is the time to throw your body into the dragon abyss!! ¡¹ The cheers of the dragon men became louder and louder. However, Mash was trembling next to me. ¡¸This is wrong¡­! This is absolutely wrong¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Ma¡­Mash? ¡¹ ¡¸This is all wrong after all!! ¡¹ On that instant, Mash tried to run in Elle¡¯s direction. Yet, it was useless since the entire dragon soldiers regiment stopped him from going any further, as if they were anticipating his moves. ¡¸Lord Mash! Please calm down! ¡¹ ¡¸Please, don¡¯t try to ruin the long-awaited ceremonial ritual because of your feelings! ¡¹ Mash was prevented from going further. ¡¸Damn it!! ¡¹ Suddenly, Mash yelled desperately at me. ¡¸Lista!! Is this really acceptable!? Is it!? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­! ¡¹ I had no words. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to see Elle die!! But this world cannot be saved without Egzation!! What¡­What should I do!? I did not know what to do to prevent this horrible situation. Then, I turned my teary eyes to Elle and¡­ ¡¸Mash¡­!! Lisutan¡­!! I¡­!! I¡­!! ¡¹ Elle looked distraught too. Her eyes were tearful, and her determination seemed to be wavering. The Dragon Mother gazed at us with an upset expression. ¡¸Oh my dear. You should not get on her way. Look at what you did to her resolution. I can¡¯t allow this. I really can¡¯t. You¡¯re not helping Elle with your unreasonable actions. Instead, I will call someone who will help her with her fate. ¡¹ A large dragon man, much bigger than the other dragon men, approached Elle. The Dragon Mother distorted her reptile eyes and spoke as if she did not have any affection for Elle whatsoever. ¡¸Now then, just push Elle into the abyss right now. ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! Please, stop!! What you¡¯re trying to do is murder!! ¡¹ Yet, my panicking words overwhelmed the dragon men and their enthusiasm just got higher than expected. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m so happy, yes happy!! ¡¹ ¡¸Come on, just quickly fall into the abyss!! ¡¹ ¡¸Die and become the Egzation!! ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Elle, that¡¯s your destiny!! ¡¹ ¡¸Your sacrifice will save the world!! ¡¹ They were so full of unspeakable excitement. During this crazy turmoil, I realized that it was impossible to save Elle. The dragon men blocked both mash and I. In front of my eyes, I could see that the large dragon man strongly grabbed Elle¡¯s hand. He was trying to push a frightened Elle into the abyss. But on that moment¡­ ¡¸Whoa!! ¡¹ A body of a dragon man suddenly went flying a few meters away and it destroyed the table in front of the Dragon Mother. ¡¸What happened just now!? ¡¹ The Dragon Mother was surprised. The wild cheery noise quickly faded away. In front of everyone, the silhouette of a hero slowly appeared after that strong kick. Mash and I, as well as Elle, were all stunned by Seiya¡¯s abrupt actions. Elle opened her quivering mouth. ¡¸Mi¡­Mister Seiya? Why? ¡¹ ¡¸I said that I didn¡¯t had anything to say about this matter during the day ¡­Well¡­it¡¯s night right now, so that doesn¡¯t count anymore. ¡¹ After a deep sigh, Seiya spoke without fear. ¡¸You have to take my luggage. If you become a sword, you¡¯ll no longer be able to carry my stuff anymore. ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 26 Chapter 26: The Killing Curse The Dragon Mother and the dragon men were both perplexed by Seiya¡¯s words. Besides them, Mash and Elle were speechless as well. All of them seemed petrified. Yet, I had become immune to Seiya¡¯s hasty remarks after my long arduous experience with him. I spoke calmly with him afterwards. ¡¸Seiya¡­What you said earlier¡­Do you really mean that¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I said that those two dragons would be the ones to carry my luggage. I do not intend to change my decision. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I see¡­but¡­ the world won¡¯t be saved if Elle doesn¡¯t turn into Egzation, right?¡¹ Seiya sighed slightly. ¡¸I wonder if this sword named Egzation can really defeat the Demon King in the first place.¡¹ The Dragon Mother couldn¡¯t keep her angriness and screamed loudly. ¡¸How dare you doubt us!! With the fresh blood from that girl, the strongest and invincible holy sword Egzation will emerge from the dragon abyss and will thereupon defeat the Demon King!! ¡¹ ¡¸How can you be so sure? ¡¹ ¡¸The Dragon Emperor prophesied this event a hundred years ago!! His words are absolute!!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not logical. ¡¹ After a deep sigh, Seiya looked at the Dragon Mother with disgusting eyes. ¡¸¡­This lizard is absurd. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Who are you to profess those words!! Even if you¡¯re a hero, such rudeness will not be tolerated!!¡¹ Did he say the ¡°lizard is absurd¡±¡­? I was feeling troubled, Elle was in despair and Mash was so angry at this horrifying event¡­ But, was Seiya feeling the same way as we did? I looked amazed at Seiya¡¯s strong presence. ¡­Really¡­This hero never changed even on times like these¡­ During that time, I felt an unexpected shiver run through my body. The Dragon Mother opened her mouth then. ¡¸Ah¡­Ahah!! ¡¹ I heard a loud laugh. ¡¸What!? Why are you laughing like that!? ¡¹ The Dragon Mother moved her eyes away from Seiya and she stared closely at me. ¡¸Oh my! Don¡¯t look at me like that! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t believe it¡­Don¡¯t tell me that the goddess has the same ideals as the hero? To defeat the Demon King and save the world¡­isn¡¯t that what you told us before? ¡¹ I spoke to the Dragon Mother who threatened me just now. ¡¸Certainly. It is my wish to defeat the Demon King and save this world from his menace. However¡­ ¡¹ I gathered my courage to go against the power of the Dragon Mother and I declared to her. ¡¸However, I won¡¯t sacrifice a comrade¡¯s life because of that!! We will look for other options to substitute the Egzation and kill the Demon King!! ¡¹ Everyone around us were silent. Eventually, the Dragon Mother gazed fiercely at me once again and said the following words. ¡¸¡­That¡¯s the goddess¡¯ final decision. I see, so the goddess ended up having the same thoughts as that hero. ¡¹ Then, she sighed as she pointed on Elle¡¯s direction. ¡¸You are just like that child¡¯s parents. They could only think about their baby just like you think about your comrade. What mattered to them was their ¡°little world¡±. Their self-righteous ideas cost them their lives. ¡¹ Elle was perplexed by the story that she was not supposed to hear. However, Mash reacted faster than Elle. ¡¸What do you mean!! Didn¡¯t our parents die of a disease!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ten years ago, I sent Elle to the bottom of the abyss to be born as Egzation¡¯s vessel. During that time, Elle¡¯s relatives opposed greatly against us. Your parents were very close to Elle¡¯s, so they opposed as well. In conclusion¡­ ¡¹ The Dragon Mother showed her long red tongue and licked around her mouth. ¡¸In conclusion, I killed them. ¡¹ Elle looked disturbed by those facts as she covered her mouth with her hands. ¡¸Te¡­Terrible¡­!! That¡¯s terrible¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸How could you¡­! ¡¹ I was also looking at the Dragon Mother with blaming eyes, but she didn¡¯t feel any kind of remorse towards her murderous actions. ¡¸It was unavoidable in order to save the world. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Whoa!! ¡¹ Mash screamed in agony as he dragonized his form. His tremendous force defeated two of the dragon soldiers easily. In a second, he switched his anger towards the Dragon Mother. ¡¸Screw you, you damn witch!! How dare you call yourself a mother!! You murderer!! ¡¹ Mash ran and tried to strike the Dragon Mother with his fist, however, his legs went numb and he fainted on the ground, apparently intoxicated. ¡¸What¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Mash!? ¡¹ The moment I tried to approach the fallen Mash, my legs went numb as well and I fell to the ground just like him. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­is going on? ¡¹ The Dragon Mother stared Mash and I laid on the ground as she laughed wickedly. ¡¸*laughs continuously* I got cautious with age. When I saw your fearful faces when I said that Elle was going to be the Egzation, I predicted that something like this would happen eventually. I ordered my subordinates to put some numbness medicine on the banquet¡¯s food. It is a powerful medicine that cannot be undone by spells or other remedies. Even if you¡¯re a goddess, you won¡¯t be able to move for a while. ¡¹ *looks irritated* Numbness medicine she said¡­!! This lizard woman became a complete villain¡­!! But we have Seiya with us!! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do something about this situation!! Suddenly, the dragon children surrounded both Mash and I and started to laugh mischievously. ¡¸*children giggles* Actually, those cookies were made with that medicine too!¡¹ How could they do that to us!! Seiya ate one of those cookies too!! That means that none of us can¡¯t move right now!! ¡¸¡­Okay then. Since they won¡¯t be moving anytime soon, let¡¯s continue with the Holy Sword Ceremony. Guards, quickly push Elle into the abyss. ¡¹ Three of the dragon men approached a frightened Elle per the Dragon Mother instructions. Mash, Seiya and I, won¡¯t have any choice but to see Elle be pushed into the bottom of the valley. I gritted my teeth with frustration¡­It was inevitable. And yet¡­My mouth became wide open because of the spectacle that was unfolding right in front of my eyes. A usual-looking Seiya was throwing away with one hand the dragon men that approached Elle! The Dragon Mother¡¯s blood pressure went high and she screamed loudly. ¡¸How¡­How can he move!? Why didn¡¯t the medicine work on him!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s obvious it won¡¯t work on me because I didn¡¯t eat anything in the first place.¡¹ The dragon children started shouting right after he spoke. ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s a lie!! You were eating the cookies we made a while ago!! ¡¹ ¡¸Even though you¡¯re children, there¡¯s no way I would eat something made by lizards. That¡¯s too disgusting. I ended up throwing up afterwards. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s too cruel!! ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the cruel one here. You are very bad kids. All of your food contained poison. Besides that¡­¡¹ Seiya pointed to me all of a sudden. ¡¸I only eat the things that this woman makes. ¡¹ ¡­ My heart became flustered even though this was not the right moment. Wait a second, Seiya!! If you speak it like that, I¡¯ll get happy, you know!? Ah¡­I feel happiness as if I were a wife!! Well, but I¡¯m no one¡¯s wife though!! But, Seiya¡­I¡¯ll make you steak tonight!! The Dragon Mother was surprised by not only for the failed medicine, but also by Seiya¡¯s impetuously behavior. On that moment, she regained her posture and exhaled a big breath. ¡¸This is getting troublesome. A conflict would be unavoidable if this keeps going on. There won¡¯t be mercy for you Hero, even if you are the person who will be the bearer of the holy sword. The sacred ceremony must be completed without fail. Step aside if you don¡¯t want to get hurt. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh. Bring it on. ¡¹ ¡¸You sure are annoying. I did warn you, so don¡¯t come crying to me afterwards¡­¡¹ As soon as the Dragon Mother finished talking, her dress tore apart and she greatly expanded! ¡¸Let me show you!! Only I, the one who governs the Dragon Tribe, can change into the ¡°Almighty Dragon¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my god!? ¡¹ Even though I took the numbness medicine, I managed to move my body slightly. I tried to move away from the Dragon Mother as soon as possible. I thought that I would be crushed if I did not move away from her. Her dramatic change stopped. The Dragon Mother transformed from the ridiculed lizard from before to a huge dragon with ochre-colored scales. If I were to measure her, she would be around ten meters high counting from her long and thick tail. She spread her large wings on her back and showed a ferocious face. She opened her mouth with visible fangs as if they were lined-up knives and roared fiercely. While I was laying on the ground, I somehow activated my clairvoyance ability. I wanted to know the opponent¡¯s status. The Dragon Mother Level ¨C 66 HP ¨C 563290 MP ¨C 5533 Attack ¨C 43898 Defense ¨C 3881 Agility ¨C 5679 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Lightening, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Condition Abnormality Special skills ¨C Almighty Dragon (Lv MAX) *Disable attacks other than anti-dragon weapons Skills ¨C Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Ultimate Wall Personality ¨C Self-confident ¡­The HP is unusually high! However, compared to Dark Fires capabilities, the other stats are not a big deal! Still, there was one ability to be worried about. ¡¸Disable attacks other than anti-dragon weapons¡­!? ¡¹ I became startled when the Dragon Mother started laughing increasingly high. ¡¸Do you really think you can fight against real dragons here? Dragon¡¯s scales are much stronger than any metal! Regular swords won¡¯t be able to even do tiny scratches! In other words, hero! You can¡¯t defeat me! ¡¹ ¡­She said that Seiya can¡¯t defeat dragons¡­Didn¡¯t she? I did not feel much fear after I heard the Dragon Mother self-victory words. Besides that, I had great expectations from the hero standing right in front of me. Seiya called Mash while looking directly at the Dragon Mother. ¡¸Hey, Mash. Can you move? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­a little¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Then, take the sword of the black sheath from inside your baggage. ¡¹ Mash used his only strength left and took the sword of his baggage. Somehow, he managed to successfully throw the sword to Seiya. Seiya received the sword with one hand without looking back. He pulled the sword out of the black sheath and pointed towards the Dragon Mother. ¡­The blade that appeared was not the usual platinum sword. The sword, which shined red like vivid blood, was mysterious. Seiya swung the blade as if he was cutting the wind. That reminded me of a sword dance. He made a perfect stance and stopped middle ways. The Dragon Mother, who was much larger and taller than human beings, was shivering throughout her body. ¡¸It can¡¯t be. Don¡¯t tell me that sword is¡­the ¡°Dragon Killer¡±!? How can you have such weapon!? You¡¯ve got to be kidding!! ¡¹ As usual, Seiya spoke with a bored expression. ¡¸Since the time we decided to go to a dubious place such as the Dragon¡¯s Cave, I thought that the possibility of fighting a Dragon was extremely high. ¡¹ I raised my arms as I screamed to the Dragon Mother. ¡¸Hey!! Seiya is always Perfectly Ready anytime and anywhere!! You won¡¯t find a flawlessly cautious hero like him!! ¡¹ Mash¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he looked at Seiya with admiration. ¡¸As expected of my great Master!! But, where on earth did you get that weapon!?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I synthesized it. I used the material compound from the platinum sword and used Mash and Elle¡¯s hair because I needed a dragon element. Finally, Lista¡¯s curly hair was added as well and the sword was completed. ¡¹ I was astonished at the synthesized material of the Dragon Killer. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you used only hair again!! And why are you still using my curly hair!? It sounded as if my hair was the ¡°hidden element used in cooking¡±!! Just like the yogurt in the curry!? But, well¡­I suppose Seiya used my hair without bad intentions¡­am I right!? I guess I¡¯ll call it an emergency resource. However, as a woman, I had to ask Seiya about something peculiar. ¡¸Listen to me, Seiya!! Where did you get my curly hair this time!? ¡¹ The reason I asked was because since the last time he used my hair, I¡¯ve been carefully combing my hair and made sure that none of my curly hair fell on the floor. ¡¸Well. Recently, I didn¡¯t see any of your hair strings fallen over. That¡¯s why I had no choice but to get some of your hair directly when you were sleeping. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ What? Excuse me? What? Directly? What? When I was asleep? What? ¡¸¡­Ryuguuin Seiya¡­Whatever¡­I will talk to you about this matter later on¡­!!¡¹ Yet, he was not listening to me as usual. He was paying careful attention to any instant movements that the Dragon Mother could make. Yes, that¡¯s true. The battle was more important right now. Okay, I understood. For now, he needs to focus for this battle. But¡­But¡­I will definitely put an inquisition afterwards!! (EN: No one is ready for the Spanish Inquisition!) That was sexual harassment!! That depraved hero!! ¡­Meanwhile, I stared at Seiya and the Dragon Mother. Both of them were confronting each other until the Dragon Mother moved first. A tremendous roaring sound echoed as the Dragon Mother advanced quickly with her big paws. On that moment, she tried to attack Seiya with her black claws. However, Seiya was closely watching her movements as he dodged the dangerous strike without problems. He turned instantly and pointed the Dragon Killer Sword directly at the Dragon Mother. ¡¸¡­Atomic Split Slash. ¡¹ He aimed with the Dragon Killer at her foremost paw. An iron sound roared intensively as it echoed extensively throughout the surrounding area. The Dragon Mother groaned. ¡¸*looking startled* That was a terrifying power! You are well equipped with the Dragon Killer and if you use it properly again, I could receive a great deal of damage in one blow! Nevertheless¡­ ¡¹ The Dragon Mother used both her forepaws on Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸Dragon Claw¡­ ¡¹ The claws from her paws extended in length. The Dragon Mother suddenly attacked Seiya with her extended claws like if they were swords. We could feel the wind pressure every time she swung. That was a tremendous force, but none of her offensive strikes could touch the hero. She was only cutting through the air. Yes! I could see that her movements were not that fast! She is not a fearsome enemy for Seiya! Although I was feeling relieved¡­ *looks baffled* Suddenly, Seiya went in Elle¡¯s direction to avoid the claw attacks. He grabbed Elle¡¯s hand as he kept running. He raised a smoke trail from his running speed and finally stopped at a distant position. ¡¸Wh¡­What!? ¡¹ Elle was confused by what had just happened. I didn¡¯t know what went wrong, but soon, I understood the meaning of Seiya¡¯s rushed actions. The Dragon Mother¡¯s claw attacks were aimed deliberately at the area where Elle was standing previously. The Dragon Mother was looking impressed. ¡¸Oh my. I was pretending to attack you during all this time. In reality, I tried to attack Elle with my claws¡­It seems that you quickly understood my true intentions. I¡¯ll get serious now. ¡¹ Seiya sensed the impending attack from the Dragon Mother aimed towards Elle!! ¡­Still, her lethal stance looked a bit odd to me¡­ ¡¸Why are you planning on attacking her with your claws!? Are you really trying to kill Elle!? Didn¡¯t you want to turn Elle into Egzation before!? ¡¹ The Dragon Mother answered. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter if she dies from the fall of the abyss or if she dies right here. What matters is the blood of the chosen child of the Dragon Tribe. Her blood is necessary to enlighten the magic enchantment chart. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re cruel!! ¡¹ However, Seiya held Elle firmly. The Dragon Mother won¡¯t be able to strike her that easily. Even so¡­ ¡¸I told you before. I got cautious with age¡­ ¡¹ After her calculating words¡­ *agonizing screams* Elle grasped a painful voice while she pressed her chest intensely. ¡¸Eh¡­Elle!? ¡¹ On that moment, I saw that a part of Elle¡¯s necklace was emitting a black light. ¡¸What did you do to Elle!? ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs naughtily* I gave a ¡°Death Countdown Necklace¡± for Elle to use. I just activated that necklace with a spell. Elle¡¯s life will expire once the black light consumes the entire necklace. This will end in just three minutes. ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 27 Chapter 27: Something Important ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s a cursed item!! Do you have to go that far just to kill Elle!? ¡¹ ¡¸*grins sinisterly* Of course! Elle was destined to die in order to become the holy sword! Her fate was decided a hundred years ago! ¡¹ Elle was desperately trying to remove the necklace, but it seemed like the necklace was firmly attached to her neck. Elle pressed her chest and crouched. She was breathing badly. ¡¸Damn you Dragon Mother!! ¡¹ Mash tried his hardest to move his numb body. However, he couldn¡¯t even move an inch from his position on the ground. The medicine was still affecting us, as I was still unable to move as well. The black light covered a part of Elle¡¯s cursed necklace. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!! You have to do something quickly¡­!! ¡¹ I was enormously impatient. Time was crucial on this moment. ¡¸Hey, Dragon Mother. You don¡¯t belong to the devil¡¯s army. Therefore, I will warn you only once. ¡¹ This was a desperate situation and, yet, Seiya spoke coolly like he usual does. ¡¸Break that necklace¡¯s curse. And release us from the Dragon Village. That¡¯s it.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a very interesting hero. That¡¯s what you wanted to warn me about? I wonder if you noticed that it¡¯s me who has the advantage now¡­ ¡¹ She started to laugh noisily. ¡¸I refuse!! The Holy Sword Ceremony is absolute!! I am the owner of that spell!! You have to kill me first if you want to break that countdown curse!! ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Then, I won¡¯t hold back anymore¡­Here I go. ¡¹ The Dragon Killer started to shine a brighter red. I knew it when I saw the blade covered on flames. This was the magic sword activation¡­ ¡¸¡­Phoenix Drive! ¡¹ This was Seiya¡¯s specialty that brought Chaos Makina to dust. Still, I tried to shout at Seiya who was going to attack the Dragon Mother with Phoenix Drive. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait!! The Dragon Mother is unaffected by¡­fire¡­ ¡¹ The hero jumped and flew on her direction. He wielded the sword engulfed in flames and he slashed her huge body. The Dragon Mother was supposed to be resistant to fire. Yet, there was signs of smoke everywhere because her scales started to burn. ¡¸How¡­How can be possible¡­! ¡¹ His attack was effective because the place where he slashed was swollen red. Maybe it will be possible to defeat her before the countdown is over. Meanwhile, the Dragon Mother groaned painfully. After the attack from Phoenix Drive, I activated my clairvoyance ability once again. I wanted to confirm if the strength of the Dragon Mother increased or decreased. HP 341577 / 563290 Great!! Her Health Points* was cut in a half on a blink of an eye!! We still have some time left!! We can save Elle!! Seiya¡¯s overwhelming offensive power motivated me. But for some reason, the Dragon Mother was showing an admiration expression just like mine. ¡¸Amazing!! That was amazing, hero!! It¡¯s great to have a serious-looking bearer!! It will be possible for this hero to successfully defeat the Demon King once he gains the Egzation!!¡¹ She is still saying that!! She¡¯s persistent!! But what happened!? Her Health Points* were dramatically reduced and, yet, she¡¯s looking amused!? ¡¸¡­You are strong. Even so¡­you won¡¯t be able to save that child. ¡¹ Unexpectedly, the body of the Dragon Mother changed colors. The ocher-colored scales that covered her body became more transparent and golden. All of her scales became just like sharp objects. ¡¸¡°Ultimate Wall¡± activated!! From now on, your attacks will be useless against me!! Ultimate Wall is the ultimate hardening technique!! This defense power is absolutely invincible!!¡¹ ¡¸Ul¡­Ultimate hardening technique¡­!? ¡¹ In the meantime, the black light on Elle¡¯s necklace kept spreading. Elle was in distress. Seiya pointed the Dragon Killer on the Dragon Mother¡¯s direction. ¡¸That wall¡­I¡¯ll show you that I can break through that wall. ¡¹ That¡¯s right!! She¡¯s not invincible!! Seiya broke through Dark Fires impenetrable defense mechanism not long ago!! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to do it again!! Following that heat confrontation, the reliable cautious hero took a sachet from his pocket. ¡¸Seiya? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸I bought this ¡°seed of agility¡± from the tool shop a while ago. ¡¹ ¡¸I see!! That will speed up your attacks!! ¡¹ Seiya took the seeds from the sachet and threw them on his mouth all at once. ¡¸Eh¡­All of them¡­? ¡¹ Seiya was chewing all of the seeds. His mouth was fully bloated. Oh god!! I thought he looked so cool after saying great words like ¡°I¡¯ll show you that I can break through that wall¡±, but now, why was he starting to resemble an hamster instead!? ¡¸¡­What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ Seiya no longer looked like a hamster when he turned at me. Apparently, he chew the seeds extremely fast and he swallowed them in one gulp. ¡¸Let¡¯s see if I increased my agility¡­ ¡¹ Seiya disappeared on the moment he professed those words. After searching for him with my eyes, I finally noticed where he was. Before I knew it, Seiya was standing beside Mash a little far away from me. It looked like he used teleportation!! So, this was the result of eating countless of seeds at the same time like a hamster¡­!! Seiya took a black sheath from one of Mash¡¯s bags and removed its contents. He took from inside the sheath a sword with a red blade just like the one he was grabbing on one of his hands. ¡¸Dragon Killer!? You had another one!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a spare. It would be a problem if the only sword I had were to break apart. However, spares can be functional on times like these as well. ¡¹ Seiya held his two Dragon Killers on both his hands. At that point, he lowered his waist and looked directly at the gigantic golden dragon. ¡¸Double-mode ¡°Eternal Sword¡±¡­! ¡¹ Whoa!! Besides the insanely increase in agility, he is trying to combine Adenela¡¯s ¡°gunshot sword¡± on his dual-wielding Dragon Killer!? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make it on time¡­!! ¡¸*grins* Are you ready? Then, come on. ¡¹ ¡¸Here I go. ¡¹ Seiya jumped instantly towards the Dragon Mother and immediately started to strike continually without stopping! He hit the Dragon Mother at an astonishing speed! I could only grasp the shadow of his silhouette as he was appearing and disappearing instantaneously! The sword sounds that combined with his incredible speed sounded extraordinary on my ears! The Dragon Mother hardened body was shaken by the impact of the attacks on her abdomen. ¡¸A¡­Amazing!! You can do it¡­Yes, you can do it!! ¡¹ It seemed like the effect from the numbness medicine was wearing off. I could stand up in excitement and joy. I approached a suffering Elle and embraced her on my shoulders. ¡¸It will be fine, Elle!! Because Seiya will kill her soon enough!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ I wondered if Seiya¡¯s strong sword technique managed to cause damage on the Dragon Mother. I used my clairvoyance ability to see the change on the Dragon Mother¡¯s physical strength. However, as soon as I saw her stats, I doubted my eyes¡­ HP 340881 / 563290 ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be!! Her HP looks almost unchanged¡­!? How is this possible¡­!! ¡¹ If my memory was correct, her Health Points* have decreased less than 1000! ¡¸*prideful voice* I told you! Ultimate Wall is the ultimate hardening technique! This skill doesn¡¯t have any weakness! Its strong attributes makes it the perfect defense skill to neutralize any magic or physical attacks! ¡¹ The Dragon Mother grinned and distorted her mouth. ¡¸By the way, the hero¡¯s single attacks were categorized only by the numerical range of 1 or 3 of the total damage he caused. ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! His single attacks only decreased your HP by 1 or 3 points!? ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, you should be proud. Normally, after the Ultimate Wall is activated, the damage should be zero no matter how much you attack. That hero, with both Dragon Killers on his hands, was able to give me some damage, even if it was insignificant in the end. ¡¹ The black light on Elle¡¯s necklace consumed more than a half by now. The Dragon Mother opened her wide mouth and spoke with a very loud voice. ¡¸One more minute to go before Elle dies! You cannot defeat me unless you attack me faster! That¡¯s right¡­you¡¯ll need to strike me with two thousand attacks per second! *victorious laugh* Give up! That girl can¡¯t be saved! Hero, let¡¯s stop this useless battle! ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t listen at all. He kept striking the Dragon Mother with both his swords. The hardening skin neutralized his attacks. No real damage was inflicted whatsoever. We could describe his efforts as ¡°useless resistance¡±. ¡¸¡­Mister Seiya¡­It¡¯s okay¡­to¡­stop. ¡¹ ¡¸Elle!? ¡¹ Elle was suffering from the power of the curse. Yet, she gathered her last strength to speak at Seiya who continued to attack helplessly. ¡¸Thank you¡­for trying to help me¡­I¡¯m truly happy¡­but¡­it¡¯s okay to stop¡­that¡¯s enough¡­¡¹ The Dragon Mother distorted her face and grinned at sad-looking but courageous Elle. ¡¸It seems that Elle finally gave up. ¡¹ The black light was approaching the remaining piece of the necklace. I was feeling frustrated with myself while I firmly embraced Elle on my arms. ¡­We really can¡¯t save her? Was it impossible for Seiya? Is her destiny to become Egzation really unavoidable? Do we need that sword in order to save the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande? ¡¸Come on, Elle!! Die and become the Egzation!! ¡¹ The Dragon Mother¡¯s voice was full of pride and pleasure. However, in a second her voice changed dramatically. ¡¸What¡­ ¡¹ I noticed a certain anomaly on the Dragon Mother¡¯s body. At the same time¡­ ¡¸It was your idea. ¡¹ Seiya spoke directly to the Dragon Mother. ¡¸¡­Ah? What are you talking about? ¡¹ ¡¸Look behind you. ¡¹ The Dragon Mother moved her neck with difficulty because of her hardening condition. When she looked behind her back¡­ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ She screamed grotesquely. ¡­I didn¡¯t notice any significant change at first. Nonetheless, I finally realized her dangerously position. Even though the Ultimate Wall neutralized any offensive strikes, the continuous attacks from both Dragon Killers made an impact on her body. It meant that the Dragon Mother was pushed by the continuous attacks and she was approaching the edge of the abyss. ¡¸You are about three to four meters from falling. Really¡­How can you call yourself ¡°cautious¡±? You didn¡¯t notice your position until you reached the edge of the hole. ¡¹ After speaking, Seiya stroke the Dragon Mother violently. ¡¸St¡­Stop!! Don¡¯t attack!! ¡¹ Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t lose his grip on his swords. I shouted at the Dragon Mother. ¡¸Break the curse that¡¯s killing Elle; quickly!! If you fall into the magic chart your body will be subject to a powerful force strong enough to turn a person into a sword; no matter how much struggle, you won¡¯t be able to avoid the consequences for being the wrong vessel!! ¡¹ *Dragon Mother looks furious* The Dragon Mother was approaching the abyss without a way out. On that moment, she glanced at Elle with terrifying eyes. ¡¸Why are you doing this!? I don¡¯t understand!! Why are you going this far just to protect that child!? She doesn¡¯t have any fighting nor magical abilities!! She¡¯s just a vessel to become the Egzation!! She¡¯s a waste unless she turns into the sword!! If you bring her along with you, she¡¯ll be only hindrance to all of you because she¡¯s useless!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­She¡¯s not a waste. ¡¹ In his usual voice, Seiya declared the following. ¡¸She carries my important luggage. ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­!! ¡¹ Soon, Elle¡¯s eyes were overflowing with tears. Elle touched her small face and cried. No, he should have said ¡°my important comrade¡± instead¡­But, Seiya! I can¡¯t believe you said ¡°luggage¡±! I am a little angry with you! ¡¸Dragon Mother!! Break that curse right now!! Or you¡¯ll fall into the abyss!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ok..Okay, I understand!! I fixed it!! I already fixed it!! Then stop the attacks!!¡¹ Seiya stopped attacking the Dragon Mother with his swords just before she fell on the abyss. But, on that moment¡­The Dragon Mother laughed wickedly! ¡¸You idiots!! What I fixed was my Ultimate Wall!! I can move freely now!! We can¡¯t allow a sinner to kill the Mother of all dragons, even if the aggressor is a hero!! You will feel the pain for cornering me before!! Take this!! Dragon Breath!! ¡¹ She widely opened her mouth and flames were about to erupt. Yet, Seiya was holding his sword with an offensive stance. ¡¸¡­Double Wind Blade! ¡¹ Seiya created a vacuum wave between his two swords. Before the Dragon Mother could spit the flames from her mouth, Seiya attacked at an overwhelming speed, engraving an x-cross laceration on her abdomen! On that moment, the Dragon Mother collapsed and finally fell into the abyss! Even so, the Dragon Mother laughed triumphantly. ¡¸I have wings!! I can fix my Ultimate Wall while I fly!! I won¡¯t fall into the bottom!! ¡¹ In an instant, she was on the verge of falling. One of the Dragon Mother wings was painfully tattered. I noticed there was a hole big enough that you could see the scenery from the other side of her wing. ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! What happened to my wings!? ¡¹ The Dragon Mother opened her excruciating eyes and shouted agonizingly as she noticed that her wings could no longer make her fly. ¡¸Why!? *screams repeatedly* ¡¹ The Dragon Mother last roaring words echoed through the Dragon Valley, her death roars were heard everywhere in the Dragon Village. Eventually, her screaming voice faded away. However, I didn¡¯t hear any loud falling sound even after her huge body fell into the bottom of the abyss. ¡¸It¡¯s impossible¡­! Don¡¯t tell me that the Dragon Mother is still alive¡­? ¡¹ Does that mean that the curse was not broken!? Then, Elle will¡­!! The black light was covering Elle¡¯s entire necklace. ¡¸E¡­Elle!! ¡¹ The effects from the numbness medicine finally went away. Mash rushed on Elle¡¯s direction. However¡­ I heard a snapping sound and the cursed necklace broke apart from Elle¡¯s neck, falling to the ground. ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ I looked at Elle with a sigh of relief. ¡¸Thank goodness¡­! The Dragon Mother really fell to the bottom¡­! The curse was broken¡­¡¹ Mash held Elle on his arms as he spoke the same way as I did. ¡¸Thank goodness!! Thank goodness, Elle!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mash, wait! Stop it! It¡¯s embarrassing! ¡¹ This situation reminded me of the Dark Fires battle. Elle jumped into Mash¡¯s arms when he woke up and she cried endlessly. But their roles were switched this time. I looked closely at them¡­ *feels reassured* I finally felt relieved. I gazed at Seiya who put his swords back in the sheaths. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. Can I ask you one thing? How did you torn the Dragon Mother¡¯s wings?¡¹ Seiya spoke with a troublesome expression. ¡¸Before she activated the Ultimate Wall. While her whole body was hit by Phoenix Drive, I managed to heavily damage her wings. ¡¹ ¡¸Before the Ultimate Wall¡­? But, Isn¡¯t that strange? Because during that time, you didn¡¯t know that she had that kind of skill, am I right? Why did you attack her wings in advance?¡¹ ¡¸It was easy to guess that the enemy would escape or use a defense mechanism after giving a three-minute countdown to Elle. Besides that, I saw her stats through my ability and she had a skill named ¡°Ultimate Wall¡±. I immediately thought that she would use that skill to make sure the three minutes were finished. To tell you the truth, it would¡¯ve been wiser to defeat her before activating such skill. But the HP was so high that it was impossible to beat her in a short amount of time¡­I thought that if she was in a worrying situation without being able to use the Ultimate Wall, she¡¯ll probably try to escape. That¡¯s why I first aimed at her wings. ¡¹ ¡¸Were you thinking on pushing the Dragon Mother into the abyss right from the beginning? Just how careful are you? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, there was a miscalculation on my part though. When the Ultimate Wall was activated, it didn¡¯t look like the wall that I imagined. I had imagined that the wall would be like a ¡°Nurikabe**¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t know what a Slime was. But you do know what a Nurikabe** is huh¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I know what a Nurikabe** is though. More importantly¡­ ¡¹ Seiya turned his cold eyes to the abyss. ¡¸That Dragon Mother. She wasn¡¯t careful enough like me. If she activated the Ultimate Wall early on, her wings would be safe and she would be able to escape. If I were she, I would activate the Ultimate Wall in the middle of the banquet party. ¡¹ ¡¸ But if she started to harden during the banquet party it would be too obvious¡­¡¹ At that time, I was reluctant to let my guard down because of the dragon men. ¡¸ Our Dragon Mother fell into the abyss¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸ How could do¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸ You damn people¡­!! You won¡¯t get away from this¡­!! ¡¹ The dragon people surrounded us with murderous eyes. Most of them had weapons on their hands ready to attack us. The situation didn¡¯t change that much after the Dragon Mother was gone. The dragon people changed their eye color as they approached us. Elle ran behind Mash¡¯s back and he drew his sword at them. I also hid behind Seiya¡¯s back. Suddenly, a shining sword came out from the abyss and went towards the sky. ¡¸ Wha¡­What¡¯s that¡­? ¡¹ The dragons were speechless as they witnessed a red and black mottled sword passing through a tunnel of light that stretched from the bottom of the valley right up to the sky. That was¡­!! The Dragon Mother became a sword with the power of the magical enchantment chart in the bottom of the abyss¡­!! As expected, Seiya pulled his hand and grabbed the sword floating in the sky. ¡¸Alright. I got the Egzation. ¡¹ After a moment of silence¡­All of the dragon people gathered in the valley started to cry aloud. ¡¸No! That¡¯s not the Egzation!! ¡¹ Of course that¡¯s not the holy sword!! What the hell was Seiya thinking about!? While I was perplexed at Seiya¡¯s actions, the dragon people were getting angrier at all of us. ¡¸That sword is a regular sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t shine godly like the legendary sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true!! We need to kill Elle!! ¡¹ ¡¸Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill!! ¡¹ Their madness was getting uncontrollable. Nevertheless¡­ ¡¸Shut up¡­Human Lizards. ¡¹ The huge turmoil suddenly became quieter after they heard the voice from the hero who slaughtered the Dragon Mother. ¡¸You said that the Egzation needed the life, blood and flesh of a woman who had the Dragon Tribe¡¯s blood. The Dragon Mother¡¯s life became part of this sword. Then, that means¡­ ¡¹ Seiya approached Elle and grabbed her right arm. ¡¸It hurts¡­ ¡¹ Elle yelled for a brief moment. A small amount of blood was flowing from Elle¡¯s arm. ¡¸Master? What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Ask Lista to fix you up later. ¡¹ Seiya picked a piece of meat from Elle¡¯s arm with his finger and placed it on the blade of the colored sword. ¡¸I¡¯ll combine Elle¡¯s flesh and blood on this sword. ¡¹ Seiya activated his synthesis skill. Unexpectedly, the sword started to emit a dazzling light and shined brightly. The dragon people started to rejoice. ¡¸That godly light¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no mistake¡­!! That is¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Egzation¡­!! That¡¯s Egzation¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya nodded his head proudly as he put the holy sword Egzation on his sheath. The dragon people surrounded Seiya on that moment as he spoke to them. ¡¸It ended up great. You fulfilled your mission as dragons and I got the sword to defeat the Demon King. This is a win-win situation. ¡¹ One of the dragon men said in remorse. ¡¸But the Dragon Mother passed away¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Her life will be used for a greater good in order to save the world. She said that countless of times before she died. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, she said. Then, what¡¯s your problem? ¡¹ ¡¸No, the problem is¡­Well, there is no problem. ¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems at all. It¡¯s a win-win for both of us. ¡¹ ¡¸Win-win you say¡­I guess you¡¯re right¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a completely win-win. With this, the Holy Sword Ceremony is over. ¡¹ I hoped all of this commotion would finally end. Suddenly, the dragons surrounding us stopped moving abruptly as if something were about to happen. *tremendous sound* A big sound shook throughout the Dragon Valley! All of the dragon people, including myself, were trembling in fear! After beating his hand heavily and drawing attention to himself, Seiya spoke loudly to everyone in the surroundings. ¡¸Okay, dismissed!!!! ¡¹ The dragon people started to walk away and left the Dragon Valley as if they were small children scolded by their teacher. Volume 1 - CH 28 Chapter 28: Gonna be Okay I saw a dim flame from a torch approaching us as we went down the Valley. When I looked closely, the one I saw was the dragon man Lagos, the one who had brought us initially to the Dragon Village. ¡¸Please hurry up to the summoning zone. I will return you back into the Dragon Cave. ¡¹ Lagos seemed impatient. He explained himself as we kept walking. ¡¸Even though you have Egzation, I heard many say that ¡°Elle survived without becoming a sword¡±¡­I saw many dragon men who were not satisfied with this outcome. So, before a riot starts, it would be better for you to return to the other continent as soon as possible. ¡¹ ¡¸Ri¡­Riot!? ¡¹ I was startled. However, Seiya looked at me as if everything was normal. ¡¸That¡¯s not surprising. Of course, there¡¯s a high possibility for that to happen. After all, the head of this village has just been killed. ¡¹ ¡¸How can you say that!? You said to them that it was a win-win situation!! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way that her death would convince them. So, I just professed some words that hypnotized them for the time being. ¡¹ ¡¸You went that far just to hypnotize those people¡­? ¡¹ While I was wary of Seiya¡¯s abilities, Lagos had an apologetic face as he looked at both Mash and Elle. ¡¸Please forgive me for deceiving you. The Dragon Mother told me to tell you that your parents died of an illness. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, we¡¯re okay about that now. ¡¹ Lagos bowed his head after Mash spoke. ¡¸I know it¡¯s a bit contradictory, but I¡¯m glad that Lady Elle didn¡¯t become a sword. That¡¯s what I really feel from the bottom of my heart¡­ ¡¹ There were almost no dragons around as we kept walking further away from the Dragon Village. I could see a small white house in the distance. It was definitely through that house with the magical chart inside it that had transported us from the Dragon Cave into this place. Lagos closed the door when we entered inside. He finally smiled as he guided us to the magical chart in the center of the house. ¡¸Lord Mash and Lady Elle. I will probably never see you again, but I¡¯ll pray that you find peace and glory in the path ahead of you. ¡¹ Both of them returned a smile to Lagos. ¡¸Yeah, thanks! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Mister Lagos! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­One last thing. Hero and goddess, please save the world with the Egzation. I beg of you.¡¹ I thanked Lagos on behalf of a silent Seiya. ¡­I met several dragons in this village and all of them gave me an impression that they lacked emotions. However, the village seemed to have a decent dragon like Lagos. Maybe, Elle and Mash¡¯s parents were kind-hearted like him. Afterwards Lagos tried to cast the transportation spell. ¡¸¡­Wait. ¡¹ Seiya opened his mouth. For some odd reason, he had on his hand a very tiny dragon man¡­well no¡­he had a lizard on his hand. ¡¸I picked this thing along the way. Transfer this one first. ¡¹ Lagos distorted his face. ¡¸That¡­again¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Just because the first time was safe, it doesn¡¯t mean that the second time will be necessarily safe. Besides, you might be a guy who is resentful that Elle survived in the end. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? That¡¯s rude!! You need to start believing in people!! ¡¹ Lagos shook his head with a serious look while I was furious at Seiya. ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay. Surely, that cautiousness will be an advantageous trait for the hero. Just as it saved Elle, it may eventually save this world too. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡±cautiousness will save this world¡±¡­you say¡­? ¡¹ Even so, Lagos had his right to be angry with Seiya, and yet he was not offended by Seiya¡¯s continued rude behavior. He looked mature but I couldn¡¯t guess his age based on his appearance alone. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. Well, let¡¯s start with this lizard¡­ ¡¹ Once the lizard was sent and returned back¡­and doing this meaningless process twice¡­We finally got transferred to the Dragon Cave¡­ When we arrived in center of the magical chart, I noticed that the area was quite dark. It was a narrow space surrounded by rock walls. ¡¸*looking relieved* We¡¯re finally came back. ¡¹ When I looked at the rest of them¡­ ¡¸Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ Suddenly, Elle embraced Seiya and began to cry. ¡¸Thank you! Thank you! *continually repeats* I was scared!! I was really scared back then!!¡¹ It seemed as if she was enduring her feelings all this time in the Dragon Village. Once we arrived here, her emotions exploded right away. ¡¸I didn¡¯t want to be a sword! I didn¡¯t want to die!! Because, if I died back then, I would no longer be able talk with everyone!! ¡¹ Elle cried helplessly on Seiya¡¯s abdomen. I was so moved by this scene that I was about to cry. ¡¸*cries* Sorry, I¡¯m truly sorry, Elle!! I should have stopped it right away!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay!! Lisutan, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong!! It¡¯s natural for a goddess to think about saving her designated world first!! ¡¹ Seiya looked with cold eyes as we cried with each other. ¡¸Stop. Shup up. It¡¯s annoying. ¡¹ He grabbed my head and Elle¡¯s head and moved us apart. A crying-faced Elle embraced Mash¡¯s chest afterwards. Unlike Seiya, Mash gently hugged Elle silently. Eventually, Elle murmured shyly. ¡¸You know¡­ If I became a sword, the most painful thing for me would be to never speak with Mash again¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I thought that I could never see you again¡­My heart was breaking apart¡­¡¹ The boy and the girl from the Dragon Tribe had rosy cheeks and looked at each other with lavish and moistened eyes. Eh!! Wait!! What¡¯s going on with these two!? Don¡¯t tell me that their relationship has gone up to another level!? Love is a natural emotion that could happen in an adventure between fellow comrades. I usually have forbidden romantic affairs on my imagination; however, I don¡¯t see much of problem if it¡¯s with these two. Rather than a jealously adult woman, as a goddess I do care about them. ¡¸Mash. Elle. Can you go ahead and wait for us at the entrance of the cave? ¡¹ ¡¸What? Why? ¡¹ ¡¸You want to talk for a bit longer, right? Besides, I need to have a small talk with Seiya¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I see. I understand. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, we¡¯ll be waiting at the cave¡¯s entrance! See you later, Lisutan! ¡¹ Mash and Elle held their hands together and went further ahead. As I watched them go, I smiled at Seiya. ¡¸Oh my! There¡¯s something going on between them! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the reason why you told them to go alone? That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you hear me say that I wanted to talk with you? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have anything particular to talk with you about. ¡¹ I changed my smile 180 degrees inside the cave. I altered my posture as I spoke seriously with Seiya. ¡¸About your Dragon Killers synthesis¡­You said that you picked up my hair, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸I did pick it up. Then, what about it? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare say ¡°what about it¡± to me!! You haven¡¯t realized what you did to me back then!? Did you know that your actions could be considered as a sexual crime!? ¡¹ ¡¸I would not be able to synthesize the Dragon Killers if I didn¡¯t had your curly hair. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡¹ As usual, his theory was correct. But that¡¯s not what I wanted to discuss in the first place. ¡¸¡­Did you see? ¡¹ ¡¸See what? ¡¹ ¡¸About ¡°that¡± you know¡­If you saw ¡°my¡±¡­while you took my curly hair!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just what are you trying to say? If you don¡¯t say it clearly, I won¡¯t know what it is.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not saying it clearly because I thought you would ¡°know what it is¡±!! I¡¯m talking about¡­what¡¯s ¡°under¡± my curly hair!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hair roots? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not the hair roots!! The hair roots are certainly the lower part of the hair, but I was not talking about the hair roots!! ¡¹ ¡¸I just took some of your curly hair. I didn¡¯t do anything else. ¡¹ Is¡­he really telling the truth¡­!? This Japanese is strange!! Who would say ¡°I just took some of your curly hair¡± in the first place¡­!? His actions would be enough for his arrest¡­!! Seiya started to walk as if nothing had happened¡­ ¡¸Wait right there, Seiya!! I have something else to talk with you about!! ¡¹ ¡¸What a bother. I wonder what¡¯s next. ¡¹ I pointed to Seiya¡¯s sheath with a serious face. ¡¸That sword is not Egzation, am I right? ¡¹ In a second¡­ ¡¸¡­What did you say? ¡¹ Seiya looked at me with scary piercing eyes. His fearful force took my breath away. ¡¸I¡­I am a goddess you know! That sword is certainly a powerful weapon! But I don¡¯t feel any godly power from the sword who is supposed to defeat the Demon King!¡¹ After staring at me with a scary face, Seiya returned to his normal bored expression. ¡¸Apparently, I underestimated you. It seems that you¡¯re not just a medicinal herb woman.¡¹ ¡¸It was not hard to guess when I looked directly at it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re correct. That sword is not the Egzation. It¡¯s just a ¡°platinum sword¡± I made with synthesis.¡¹ ¡¸I knew it. In order to save Elle, you used a fake to trick the dragon people, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸I told you before. She has to carry my luggage. I don¡¯t like when people suddenly overturn my decisions¡­that¡¯s all. ¡¹ Seiya kept speaking as he walked away. ¡¸Listen. It will be pointless to share with them the truth. That girl won¡¯t stop crying if she finds out about this.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. You¡¯re right. I understand. ¡¹ I talked with Seiya while he walked ahead of me. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. The Dragon Mother told us that the Egzation was the only weapon capable of defeating the Demon King¡­What are you going to do? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll have to find a different option. Didn¡¯t you say the same thing to the Dragon Mother?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I said that on the spur of the moment¡­I wonder if we really have an alternative way¡­¡¹ After being silent for a while, Seiya muttered confidently like a superior. ¡¸Gonna be Okay. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ I felt a strong sense of absurdity in Seiya¡¯s words. He said those words out of the blue. It sounded very non-Seiya and seemed very unholy. ¡¸¡­What¡¯s wrong, Lista? ¡¹ I noticed that Seiya was looking at me on a very suspicious way. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing wrong with me! My head became a little bit distracted after you said that strange words! ¡¹ ¡¸If you get distracted this often, then soon enough you will reach a hospitalization level. You¡¯re losing your mind. ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s losing its mind!! I¡¯m gonna hit you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go faster. They¡¯re waiting for us. ¡¹ Seiya looked at the exit of the cave and narrowed his eyes. There was a dazzling light coming from the exit of the cave. We walked towards the light. ¡­The inability to obtain the Egzation might pose as a disadvantage to overcome the S-rank difficulty of Geabrande. Nonetheless¡­If it¡¯s Seiya¡­then, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be able to do something about this. I believe he will. As I moved forward towards the exit, I suddenly felt extremely tired. Many things happened in the Dragon Village almost instantaneously. Mash, Elle and Seiya didn¡¯t say anything so far, but I¡¯m sure they are very tired as well. When we get out of the cave, maybe we should go to Izale Village and rest for a whole day at a nearby inn? ¡­Yes! Let¡¯s do that! We need to forget about saving the world once in a while! Okay, everyone! We need to relax! I won¡¯t forgive Seiya for cutting my curly hair while I was asleep, still, I do remember some happy lines he said to me a while ago! He said ¡°I only eat the things that this woman makes¡±! I¡¯ll go shopping some ingredients to cook when we arrive in the village! Of course, I¡¯ll make something for Mash and Elle as well¡­ However, a disappointing situation was waiting for me as I passed through the cave in good spirits. Mash and Elle were surrounded by a dozen of soldiers in armor in the rocky terrain near the exit. ¡¸Ma¡­Master! ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan! ¡¹ Two of the soldiers ran over to Seiya and I, and kneeled on the ground. I noticed that everyone was full of bruises and wounds. Their armors were visibly damaged and murky. It looked as if they were in a battlefield not too long ago. One of the soldiers had a hard time speaking to us. He was clearly exhausted. ¡¸We are the Knights from Rosgard Empire! We heard a report that the brave hero came to a cave in this particular area! Therefore, we hurried here from the Olga Fortress!¡¹ ¡¸I see. So, what does the Knights from the Empire want from us? ¡¹ I could grasp a little bit of the situation based on their torn appearance alone. But when I asked what they really wanted from us, the soldier showed me a very painful expression. ¡¸At present, the Imperial Knights under the command of Lady Rosalie are battling with the Devil Army in the Olga Fortress located northeast from here! The situation is not good! Hero, please come and help us! ¡¹ I wanted to say, ¡°we will take a break for a while¡±¡­But I couldn¡¯t say considering their hardships. ¡¸Then¡­For the time being¡­we¡¯ll accompany you¡­ ¡¹ I answered the soldier in a very loose manner. Volume 1 - CH 29 Chapter 29: Reverse Fireworks ¡¸We¡¯ll take you to the Olga Fortress! ¡¹ The soldiers cheered as they moved towards their horses that were waiting in the vicinity. ¡¸I don¡¯t need that. ¡¹ Seiya stopped as he looked at me. ¡¸It¡¯s an emergency. Open the portal. Let¡¯s use a shortcut to arrive at the Fortress. ¡¹ ¡¸I told you that we can¡¯t! I don¡¯t know the exact location of the Olga Fortress! Besides, without the permission of the Great Goddess Isister, I can¡¯t cross a portal to a place I¡¯ve never been!¡¹ Seiya stared at me as if he was using a Japanese Noh Mask. What¡¯s up with him! He is probably thinking that I¡¯m ¡°useless¡± again, isn¡¯t he? That¡¯s written all over his face! Yet, the words that came from Seiya¡¯s mouth were far beyond my imagination. ¡¸A broken light bulb¡­an empty plastic bottle¡­dust under the desk¡­Lista, that¡¯s what I feel when I have to describe you. ¡¹ ¡¸Huh!? Don¡¯t treat me like trash!! ¡¹ Anyways, it seemed that Seiya gave up on the portal idea and asked the soldiers. ¡¸You said that the Fortress was located in the northeast. How distant is it? ¡¹ ¡¸If we ride with our horses in a hurry, then, we might arrive in half an hour.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not far from here. Let¡¯s fly. ¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s body started to float in the air. The soldiers cheered aloud when they witnessed Seiya¡¯s ¡°Flight¡± ability. ¡¸Unbelievable! The brave hero can fly in the sky! ¡¹ ¡¸Its outstanding how a human being can float in mid-air! As expected of this brave hero! ¡¹ ¡¸He will be able to defeat Bell Bubu! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Bell Bubu? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ The soldiers gritted their teeth with a uniformly frustrating face when Mash asked that question. ¡¸It¡¯s a demon in the form of a fly! A swarm of flies led by Bell Bubu attacked the Olga Fortress! There were many casualties on our side! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­It means that it will be an air battle. ¡¹ Seiya was thinking carefully about it as he floated in mid-air. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s inspect the enemy for now. Mash, you will come with me. Lista, take Elle with you. ¡¹ ¡¸Understood. ¡¹ I received permission from the Great Goddess Isister to reveal my white wings and, afterwards, I grabbed Elle¡¯s hands. Seiya also held Mash¡¯s hands. ¡¸Master!! Is this okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t let go of my hands. ¡¹ ¡¸Whoa!! I¡¯ll fly with my Master on the sky!! Somehow, I¡¯m getting so excited!!¡¹ Seiya took a blissful Mash and I took Elle with me. We headed to the Olga Fortress ahead of the soldiers. ¡­ ¡­It¡¯s been fifteen minutes since we¡¯ve flown from the Dragon Cave. I was trying to catch up with Seiya and Mash, whom flew at a tremendous speed. Suddenly, Elle raised her voice. ¡¸Listen, Lisutan! What¡¯s over there? ¡¹ When I looked closely at the distance, I¡¯ll could see a black mass in the sky. ¡¸Rain clouds, perhaps? ¡¹ That¡¯s what I thought at first. However, as we approached that black mass, the whole picture gradually became clearer to me. That mass was composed of many black objects gathered together on one spot. ¡¸It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s not rain clouds¡­! That¡¯s¡­the enemy¡­! It¡¯s a huge swarm of flies¡­! ¡¹ There were hundreds of black flies the size of human beings hovering in the air as they vibrated their transparent wings. I got an unpleasant feeling, as more and more of their horde arrived to their position, increasing the size of the black cloud. ¡¸*looks flabbergasted* That¡¯s disgusting! I have a very bad feeling about this¡­!¡¹ Elle¡¯s hand was trembling with fear. Seiya looked at us. ¡¸Lista. Let¡¯s get down here. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ Seiya descended to the forest below us. I followed him too. After arriving in the forest, Seiya tried to hide himself within the branches of the trees. He looked at the black mass in the sky from afar. His eyes changed colors as he looked at the swarm of flies. It seemed that he activated his clairvoyance ability. ¡¸¡­Each fly is over Level 30. There are at least three¡­no, four hundred flies. I think they will be more troublesome than the army of ten thousand undead.¡¹ Seiya¡¯s analysis was correct. Hundreds of high-level enemies who can fly freely in the sky can be more difficult to defeat than defeating the slow-moving army of the undead. ¡¸For the time being, let¡¯s watch the situation from this place. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. ¡¹ As Seiya and I looked meticulously at the sky, something happened right next to us. *excruciating sound* Mash leaned at the trees while he vomited continually as if he had ate something rotten. Elle touched Mash¡¯s back. ¡¸Mash, are you okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­! I felt disgusted¡­! *keeps vomiting* ¡¹ Apparently, it looked like he became like that after flying aggressively with Seiya. I also got in a horrible state when I flew with Seiya in the sky. I painfully understood Mash¡¯s feelings. However, he refuted my reasoning. ¡¸Yeah. That flies are truly repulsive. ¡¹ I mistakenly misunderstood Mash¡¯s words. ¡¸It was because of their grotesque appearance that you became sick! It can¡¯t be helped though¡­ ¡¹ Everyone thought the same thing about the hideous flies. Yet, Seiya kept looking at that big horde with a serious face as if he was unaffected. Suddenly, we heard a loud voice roar in the sky. ¡¸Kneel, humans! You can¡¯t beat the overwhelming force of our ¡°Fly Assault¡±!¡¹ I traced the sound with my eyes and saw the Lord of Flies hovering in the sky. He looked different from the other flies. I saw that he was like a humanoid monster floating in the sky. His face looked like an insect, but he stood upright with two legs. His hands were sharp like a pair of scissors while his anthropoid red corneas were large compound eyes. It was clear that this strange monster was leading that army of flies. I tried to measure the enemy¡¯s status with my clairvoyance ability just like Seiya. Bell Bubu Level ¨C 76 HP ¨C 18963 MP ¨C 8751 Attack ¨C 7877 Defense ¨C 5969 Agility ¨C 487562 Magic ¨C 883 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Ice, Lightening, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Condition Abnormality Special skills ¨C Attack Avoidance (Lv MAX), Flight (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Acid Spit, Rolling Dodge Personality ¨C Ruthless His status are not that high. At first I thought that this opponent was not one of the four generals of the Demon King¡­However; I had to see Bell Bubu¡¯s agility stats twice as I doubted my eyes. My eyesight was not mistaken. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s up with that agility!? That magnitude is ridiculous!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a tough fella¡­ ¡¹ Seiya was breathing unusually. ¡¸How the hell can he speak a word with a face like that? What kind of speech organs does that insect have? ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not the problem right now!! Look at his agility stats!! His agility!!¡¹ ¡¸Listen! Lisutan! Mister Seiya! Look over there! It looks like the people from Rosgard are going to attack on this precise moment! ¡¹ Elle pointed at the ground in the distance and not towards the sky. The soldiers were standing on a distant plain with bows and arrows ready to attack the enemy in the sky. It seemed that Bell Bubu also noticed the upcoming attack. Rather than running away, he ordered the hordes of flies to lower their altitude. ¡¸Look! Look! Did you notice that we came to a position that¡¯s feasible for you to aim your bows and arrows? Make sure you aim well, ¡®kay? ¡¹ Bell Bubu looked sarcastically amused as he licked his anthropoid-ish mouth. Loads of arrows were shot at the swarm of flies as if it was raining storm. It was a spectacular scene. However, there was no disturbance in the enemy¡¯s formation line. From the distance, it seemed that the attacks from the soldiers didn¡¯t weaken the enemy¡¯s strength. Seiya muttered. ¡¸Besides Bell Bubu, the other flies also possess the ability to avoid attacks instantaneously. Those arrows won¡¯t be able to hit any of them. ¡¹ After the volley of arrow ended, the hordes of flies came down flying from the sky, attacking the foot soldiers. They grabbed dozens of soldiers with their six legs like preys and flew with them in the sky, gaining altitude once again. They flew approximately fifty meters above the ground. The flies who caught the soldiers stopped in mid-air. Abruptly, Bell Bubu screamed aloud. ¡¸Okay! Let¡¯s do the Reverse Fireworks today!! ¡¹ Re¡­Reverse¡­!? It can¡¯t be¡­!! I felt an ominous anticipation. At the command of Bell Bubu, the giant flies released the bodies of the soldiers they had caught simultaneously. Per the law of gravity, the soldiers were smashed in the ground with a tremendous force. Elle turned her eyes away while Mash angrily gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, Bell Bubu spoke with a joyful voice. ¡¸Whoa! Such a magnificent view one can see from being above in the sky¡­Oh my, I can no longer see any of fallen humans! The ground is filled with blood, guts and brains everywhere! This marvelous outcome is the result of my beautiful fireworks! ¡¹ Bell Bubu screamed louder after that atrocious show. ¡¸The hero who appeared on this continent has not come here yet!! Hurry up and bring that hero to me!! Until he shows up, the slaughter won¡¯t stop!! ¡¹ Seiya whispered with tranquilly next to me. ¡¸I was thinking about why that fly didn¡¯t destroy the Fortress completely even though he is powerful enough to do so¡­So, that was the reason after all.¡¹ ¡¸Everything was a setup to lure us in¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Master!! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!! I¡¯ll fight that thing!! ¡¹ Seiya grabbed the shoulder of a defying Mash as he held his sword. ¡¸Don¡¯t be impatient, Mash. You better don¡¯t underestimate the flies. Those insects can move faster than humans in a blink of an eye. Moreover, when it comes to defeating monsters on this world, it is highly possible that most of them will be able to move at an unimaginable speed. There are three groups of Automatic Phoenixes scouting and getting close to them as we speak. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That powerful fire bird!? ¡¹ ¡¸Precisely. That fly knows that I defeated two of the four demonic generals and, yet, he is inviting me to fight with him. In other words, he has absolute confidence in fighting in the air. It won¡¯t be easy to approach him in the sky if he finds out about our location. You have to understand that surveying is the best option for now. ¡¹ Bell Bubu was immensely satisfied by his human fireworks. Bell Bubu flew away from the northern sky accompanied by his army of flies as he laughed exuberantly¡­ We left the forest after the enemy was gone. We walked slowly towards a fortification that we could see in the distance. It was the Olga Fortress. The exterior was robust and built of heavy bricks. However, some parts of the fortification were visibly damaged by the enemy¡¯s attacks. There was a horrifying scene when I looked at the plains surrounding the Fortress. ¡¸Elle. Come behind my back. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­ ¡¹ I was concerned about Elle. It would be too cruel for a young girl to see the amount of decaying corpses scattered around this place. The corpses were the bodies of soldiers, who had smashed severely on the ground from a few tens of meters above the sky. There was blood everywhere and their remains no longer resembled those of human beings. There was other bodies who melted by the toxic acid produced by the flies. I had to turn my eyes away from this unspeakable scenario even though I¡¯m a goddess¡­There was one soldier kneeling down and praying for fallen. The soldier noticed our presence as we approached him. The soldier in a golden armor widely opened his eyes when he saw the white wings on my back. ¡¸You¡­finally came¡­! ¡¹ I saw a uniquely long blue hair as the soldier took the helmet off. Beneath all of that hair, there was a very beautiful woman with a reassuring expression. Volume 1 - CH 30 Chapter 30: Olga Fortress ¡¸Everyone!! The saviors of this world the hero and the goddess have finally arrived!! ¡¹ The woman warrior shook her sword and yelled at the soldiers who were exhausted from the fierce battle. ¡¸Stand up now!! We¡¯re going to invade their hive!! ¡¹ However, she was the only one who was bloodthirsty. A senior soldier with a white beard spoke as he approached her slowly. ¡¸Lady Rosalie! Please calm down! They¡¯ve just arrived in the Fortress! They need time to prepare themselves! ¡¹ ¡¸How dare you! Time is crucial! Now is the moment to avenge the soldiers who lost their lives on the battle! ¡¹ ¡¸Look around you! All the remaining soldiers are exhausted! They are not in a good condition to put up a fight! ¡¹ She looked at the wounded soldiers around her. The woman warrior called Rosalie groaned low and became silent for a while. ¡¸I am well aware of the soldier¡¯s condition. But I feel distressed about losing all of the other soldier¡¯s lives, Carlo. However, since the hero had finally arrived, I thought it would be disrespectful to those lost souls if I didn¡¯t bring the hero to avenge them immediately¡­ ¡¹ Rosalie gazed at Seiya and I. She had very distinct and powerful eyes as opposed to Seiya¡¯s. Eventually, Rosalie calmed down and nodded subtly. ¡¸You¡¯re right, Carlo. Let¡¯s return to the Fortress for now. Let¡¯s think of a flying strategy along with the hero. ¡¹ The senior soldier had a relieved expression on his face. Still, soon after, Rosalie declared boldly. ¡¸After the strategical meeting, we¡¯ll head into the enemy¡¯s territory!! Today!! Do you understand!? ¡¹ Rosalie turned away and walked alone back into the Fortress. I spoke with the senior soldier Carlo who stayed behind. ¡¸Excuse me. That person¡­Rosalie¡­What kind of person is she? ¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s the defensive leader of Olga Fortress. ¡¹ Elle smiled brightly. ¡¸A defensive leader! Even though she¡¯s a woman! She¡¯s amazing! Her blue hair is stunning and she¡¯s quite tall herself! She¡¯s a beauty! ¡¹ Just as Elle said, Rosalie had a very appealing charm. ¡¸She¡¯s truly beautiful indeed. Her appearance is one thing but there is a strange aura surrounding her¡­ ¡¹ As we were talking to Carlo, behind us the soldiers were starting to walk slowly; we heard a screaming voice ahead. ¡¸What are you doing!! Time is being wasted!! Hurry up!! ¡¹ Rosalie was at the Fortress¡¯ gate. She was yelling as if she was threatening us. Everyone stopped talking and immediately fastened the pace and hurried to the Fortress. Mash spoke with a huge admiration tone as we entered inside the fort from the gate in the outer wall. ¡¸This is a very huge stronghold¡­! ¡¹ Olga Fortress was like a big castle. I spotted a large watchtower and a storage shed for food. Everything appeared well prepared for a long-term battle. Carlo showed us a smile. ¡¸Originally, the Olga Fortress was a key point of the Empire¡¯s northern border. In addition to the strong outer wall, the bow and arrow soldier units are placed in the upper part of the fortification. We also have several huts where the rest of the soldiers can wait for their turn.¡¹ The senior soldier spoke confidently with us. Even so, Seiya sighed as if he was not impressed. ¡¸I saw that the enemy easily defeated you on your previous offensive raid. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. That¡¯s certainly true. There¡¯s no way for us to attack the enemy forces in the sky led by Bell Bubu. ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Carlo. Wouldn¡¯t the Empire be in danger if the flies were to cross the border? ¡¹ ¡¸No. Their aim is to lure the hero out. So, they won¡¯t go beyond this Fortress. But if they were to make their way beyond here, they would face a strong thunder wizard called Flasika whose task is to protect the Rosgard Empire. He uses powerful lightening spells that could be effective to enemies flying in the sky. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. So, you do have a powerful wizard protecting the Empire. Then, why don¡¯t you call him here? ¡¹ ¡¸Flasika is the only one in the Empire Capital able of performing lightening magic. If Flasika were to come to the Fortress, the Capital would be defenseless against attacks from the sky. That¡¯s why Flasika can¡¯t leave the Capital at this moment. ¡¹ Seiya asked the following after hearing Carlo¡¯s words. ¡¸No matter how good your wizard is. If the demonic forces become serious enough, won¡¯t your empire likely fall? ¡¹ Whoa¡­That was a bold way to ask such a question¡­ Well, I can¡¯t deny that his words were true in a way. This was certainly a very worrying situation when I recalled the enormous strength that two of the four generals of the Demon King had. However, Carlo responded with a tranquil voice. ¡¸The Empire will never fall. ¡¹ ¡¸Why? ¡¹ ¡¸Because Rosgard has a ¡°warlord¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Warlord? ¡¹ Suddenly, Mash intervened. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about it! The warlord is the Emperor of Rosgard! He is the strongest warrior in Geabrande! People say that his sword is able to tear the heavens apart and break the earth!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s absurd. If that¡¯s true, why doesn¡¯t he save this world instead of me? His strong fa?ade is probably a rumor. No, actually they might have started this rumor to deceive its people into believing that their world will be always safe. ¡¹ Carlo lightly shook his head as he heard Seiya¡¯s analysis. ¡¸You¡¯re wrong. The Emperor is definitely the strongest person on this earth except for the hero. The Rosgard Empire will never waver as long as it has the Emperor. ¡¹ He has a great confidence¡­! This warlord Emperor might be indeed strong enough¡­! ¡¸However, there is a good reason why the Emperor can¡¯t leave the Imperial Capital just like Flasika. ¡¹ I wanted to ask him the reason why, but Carlo entered the central structure in the Fortress. ¡¸This is the meeting place for strategizing. Lady Rosalie is waiting for you inside. ¡¹ I could hear loud voices of men and women¡¯s intense quarrel when the senior soldier opened the front door. ¡¸Lady Rosalie!! I told you to stop going to the front lines!! You are the next successor to the throne!! ¡¹ ¡¸That doesn¡¯t mean I have to wait and watch just because I¡¯m the heiress! A true warrior is not a coward! I¡¯ll go to fight alongside my men as many times as possible! I need to inspire morale as their leader! ¡¹ ¡¸If so, then the next time you go out, you¡¯ll need to take Bato with you!! If something bad happens to you, how can we report that to our Emperor!? ¡¹ Everything made sense to me when I heard that fierce quarrel between some of the more experienced soldiers and Rosalie. That quarreling would explain Rosalie¡¯s rough and dominant behavior. Rosalie was the daughter of the warlord, the Emperor of Rosgard. After the Emperor dies, she¡¯ll be the chosen one to be the Empress of the Empire. That would explain her unreasonable aura. I wonder if she looked up greatly to her father, because she grew up to become a beautiful but tomboy princess. When Carlo coughed near the door, Rosalie and all of the other people sitting around the round table turned their eyes back to him. ¡¸Everyone. The hero and his group has arrived. ¡¹ Carlo deeply lowered his head. ¡¸I will leave you in her care. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Mister Carlo! ¡¹ Carlo smiled and closed the door as Elle and I thanked him. When I turned around¡­ ¡¸Whoa¡­! This is the hero¡¯s party that it will save this world¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the hero¡­! Oh my goodness¡­! ¡¹ All the people in the room were staring at us as if they were deeply impressed. Seiya¡¯s strong aura was not defeated by Rosalie¡¯s aura. Everyone could see the hero¡¯s powerful features and overwhelming height. I was guided to a vacant seat in the round table. I sat on a chair side by side with Seiya, Elle and Mash. I looked at the faces that were awaiting us. There was only high-ranking members of the strategic committee meeting. I could see a muscular warrior named Bato who was arguing with Rosalie a moment ago. Next to him, sat a mage wearing a robe with the emblem of the Empire. There was also an elderly person with a cane. Rosalie sat at the middle of the round table. Since she was the heiress to the Imperial Throne, everyone who was highly important had gathered in Olga Fortress. The mage next to Rosalie was a slender woman covered in a robe. She spoke with a loud voice. ¡¸Since the hero has joined us now; we¡¯ll start the strategical meeting in order to find a solution to defeat the flying enemy! ¡¹ However, on that precisely moment, the hero professed the following words. ¡¸Wait. Before that, I¡¯d like to secure my safety first. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What did you say? ¡¹ ¡¸This place is dangerous. ¡¹ In a second¡­! Everybody was speechless by Seiya¡¯s remarks, including Rosalie. That¡¯s because all of the soldiers were sent inside the fortification and it seemed to be safe for the moment. The elderly man with a beard asked Seiya. ¡¸Mister hero¡­what does that mean? ¡¹ ¡¸There is a possibility that the subordinates of the Demon King have disguised themselves and mixed between your people. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? ¡¹ Everyone sitting around the table started to fuss when they heard Seiya¡¯s words. Still¡­ ¡¸Well¡­I said it was just a ¡°possibility¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh lord¡­So, it was just a ¡°possibility¡± and not a real fact¡­ ¡¹ Every one of them was relieved when Seiya said that. I touched Seiya¡¯s arm. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. I don¡¯t feel the monster¡¯s presence in here. It¡¯s okay. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, none of them is from the devil army. But¡­ ¡¹ Seiya spoke with a troubled face. ¡¸There might be explosives in this room. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? ¡¹ They were relieved only for a brief moment only. Everyone was startled again and the room became noisily high. However¡­ ¡¸Well¡­I said it ¡°might be¡±. ¡¹ Everyone was reassured by Seiya¡¯s words. Yet, Seiya looked up at the corner of the room with sharps eyes. ¡¸Those two were just my speculations. The truth is¡­Up there. Someone is probably listening to this strategical meeting at this moment. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? ¡¹ Rosalie¡¯s expression changed dramatically for the third time. ¡¸Hurry! I need somebody to check the ceiling! ¡¹ Dozens of soldiers headed to the ceiling per Rosalie¡¯s orders. ¡­a moment later. ¡¸Report!! Our twenty-three soldiers kept looking all over the ceiling and the surroundings; however, they¡¯ve found nothing. There was absolutely nothing, not even dust!!¡¹ The soldiers went out of the room. Rosalie, including her subordinates, were holding their breath, as they looked distrustful at Seiya. ¡¸Well¡­I said it was just ¡°probably¡±. ¡¹ *knocking sound* Rosalie severely hit the round table. ¡¸No, that¡¯s enough!! ¡°Possibility¡±, ¡°Probably¡±, I was worried for nothing!! If I were to take your words seriously, none of us will be able to even sleep at night!!¡¹ Instead of me, Rosalie was making a ferocious red face at Seiya. ¡­Yes. She looked like a little girl. This child tried her hardest to keep a low voice. But she was about to burst from her uncontrollable emotions. I was not actually sure, but she might be around twenty years old. I was looking at Rosalie with a small smile on my face as she started giving orders. ¡¸I knew that this strategical meeting would be unnecessary! The hero and I will lead the way to the enemy¡¯s hive! That¡¯s all! ¡¹ ¡¸Please don¡¯t, Lady Rosalie! That¡¯s too risky¡­ ¡¹ Everyone was opposed to that strategy. In the end, there was a domineering opinion against the invasion of the enemy¡¯s hive. However, Seiya nodded in agreement with her. ¡¸I agree. ¡¹ Rosalie was surprised as she looked attentively at Seiya. ¡¸The hero agrees with me! Okay! Let¡¯s attack them immediately! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t misunderstand. I agreed with the part that this ¡°strategical meeting would be unnecessary¡±. The actions I should take were already decided long ago.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­What do you mean? ¡¹ The meeting was quiet. They took a deep breath as they awaited for the hero¡¯s decisive words. Afterwards, Seiya clearly told Rosalie. ¡¸I¡¯m leaving. ¡¹ *loud voices* ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸I will return to the heavenly world. I need to practice a special skill that will be able to compete against the enemy. That¡¯s it. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s behavior no longer shocked me, Mash and Elle. We were getting familiar with his pattern. *everybody screamed aggressively* Rosalie and her subordinates yelled with such intensely that their eyes became bloodthirsty. Volume 1 - CH 31 Chapter 31: Slap The warrior named Bato smiled bitterly at Seiya. ¡¸He¡¯s¡­He¡¯s joking!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a joke. When I say, ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡±, I¡¯ll really leave. ¡¹ The woman mage wearing a robe shouted. ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! Are you going to forsake us!? ¡¹ ¡¸Anyways, I¡¯m leaving. That¡¯s decided. ¡¹ No one will be able to change Seiya¡¯s mind. He¡¯s a very stubborn person. Everyone had a mixed expression of surprise and sorrow. ¡­We can¡¯t leave on this confusion! But, I¡¯m sure that Seiya¡¯s training will take days! I raised my voice in order to clear the misunderstanding. ¡¸Everyone, please calm down! His practice will only take a few days at most!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Just three days. ¡¹ The high-ranked officials shouted after hearing Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸You¡¯re going to be away for three days!? ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t three days too long!? ¡¹ ¡¸The Fortress will be destroyed if you take that long!! ¡¹ Everybody thought that three days would be irrational. They kept making a succession of comments against Seiya¡¯s decision. Many were angry, while others were in despair. I spoke with them. ¡¸You know what; three days in the God¡¯s realm are less than an hour in the earthly world¡­¡¹ ¡¸One hour¡­? Re¡­Really¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸ I see. If it¡¯s only one hour, then¡­ ¡¹ I managed to convince them for now. Rosalie was silent during this conversation. She abruptly opened her mouth afterwards. ¡¸ Is it really necessary to practice in the first place? I saw that the goddess possess white wings on her back! The goddess can fly! It means that we have a way to fight against the flies.¡¹ Eh!! M¡­Me!? Just what is this child trying to imply!? I was extremely startled by the sudden demand. However, Seiya refuted it immediately. ¡¸ I refuse. The goddess has a secondary role. She can¡¯t fight. ¡¹ Se¡­Seiya! Thank you for supporting me! ¡¸ In other words, she¡¯s useless. The fight would be pointless. She just floats in mid-air. It¡¯s the same as a floating balloon¡­or even less usable. ¡¹ ¡¸ What the hell are you talking about!? Aren¡¯t you going too far to criticize me!? ¡¹ I was so angry to be called ¡°less usable than a balloon¡±. Yet, Seiya ignored me as he always does. ¡¸ I can fly because I have the ¡°Flight¡± skill. ¡¹ Everybody raised their voices at Seiya saying, ¡¸Whoa! Then, that means¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Nevertheless, there is no chance of winning this. I would be a fool to start an air fight with an enemy that specializes on flight abilities. That¡¯s what the enemy wants.¡¹ ¡¸Mister hero. Isn¡¯t your method too cowardly? Why can you say such a thing when you never faced the enemy before? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because I carefully observed the opponent not too long ago. Their agility is erratically strong.¡¹ Rosalie lifted her eyebrows when she heard Seiya¡¯s casual speech. ¡¸Hey¡­wait a moment. What did you just say? You observed the opponent? Don¡¯t tell me that you were watching Bell Bubu slaughter my soldiers from a distance? Yet, you did not move?¡¹ Rosalie was staring fiercely at Seiya with a devilish face. I stood immediately between Seiya and Rosalie when I sensed a very bad atmosphere. ¡¸No, you¡¯re mistaken! Even if we wanted to help them, it was already too late¡­!¡¹ *cracking sound* I was shocked when Rosalie aggressively beat on the round table. ¡¸It¡¯s never too late to save other people! That hero witnessed that horrible scene and, yet, he didn¡¯t do anything to help those soldiers! ¡¹ Seiya remained calm even when Rosalie was tremendously irritated. ¡¸You keep saying unreasonable things. Then, what did you want us to do? None of them could be saved anyways.¡¹ ¡¸People died! That demon slaughtered them! Didn¡¯t your heart moved a little when you saw that horrifying scene unfold in front of your eyes? ¡¹ ¡¸What would happen if my heart moved a little? One needs to be calm and act cautiously during crucial times. We can¡¯t let the surroundings cloud our judgements. It is necessary to remain calm and act accordingly to the situation.¡¹ It was like fire and ice. I was standing between two people with opposite characters who would never compromise their ideals. Before long, Rosalie turned her disdainful eyes away from Seiya and declared as if she was condemning him. ¡¸This man is of no use! He uses a hero¡¯s name to fool other people! ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Rosalie! The hero might have his own reasons! ¡¹ ¡¸No! Heroes are known for their braveness! That means that this man is not a hero! He¡¯s just a coward!¡¹ I understood why Rosalie was furious. However, I was also a bit upset about her continuous rude behavior towards us. She gets easily angry when someone goes against her opinions! Even if Seiya is annoying sometimes, he usually thinks carefully about overcoming impeding challenges. Honestly, I thought like Rosalie in the past and I got angry quite often. However, I do know now that Seiya¡¯s cautiousness can be characterized as a different trait rather than cowardice. ¡¸Listen, Lady Rosalie! I know that Seiya is not the ordinary hero! But I was able to get away from tough situations countless of times thanks to his cautiousness!¡¹ I gathered my courage as I spoke directly to the people standing in the strategical meeting room. ¡¸I give you my word as a goddess! When this hero finishes his training and all of his preparations are complete, he¡¯ll be able to destroy the flies and Bell Bubu¡¯s ¡°Fly Assault¡±!¡¹ The room got silent. I asked Rosalie. ¡¸Therefore¡­Can you wait for one hour until he finishes his practice? Please, Lady Rosalie¡­¡¹ I thought that she¡¯ll say ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I understand. ¡¹However, I was wrong. ¡¸¡­As if I¡¯ll believe you. ¡¹ Rosalie¡¯s stubbornness was beyond my imagination. ¡¸Bell Bubu killed more than one hundred men so far. Do you know how that feels? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I do understand! Of course, it will be painful and sad. ¡¹ ¡¸No. There is no way you can truly understand the preciousness of a human life when yours transcends our existence. I heard that gods live an eternal time. Am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right¡­Even so¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸In other words. Infinity will not understand limitation. ¡¹ *feeling frustrated* I gritted my teeth while Seiya muttered like a superior. ¡¸¡­You are not qualified to judge other people¡¯s lives. ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say? ¡¹ Rosalie asked with a low voice as if she despised him. Yet, Seiya returned his ferocious hawk eyes back at Rosalie. ¡¸The enemy did not kill your soldiers. You killed them yourself. ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks to your bad planning, you build a mountain of dead bodies. ¡¹ ¡¸You bastard¡­!! Revoke what you just said!! ¡¹ Rosalie walked in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸La¡­Lady Rosalie!? ¡¹ The high-end officials, including myself, grew impatient. ¡¸Revoke! Revoke your words immediately¡­! ¡¹ Rosalie was getting aggressive as she lifted her right hand without stopping. Whoa!! Seiya is going to get beaten by a girl!? I thought that Rosalie¡¯s right hand was going to slap Seiya¡¯s cheek. On that moment, Seiya grabbed Rosalie¡¯s arm without blinking his eyes. Nonetheless¡­I couldn¡¯t believe what was about to happen next. After Seiya stopped Rosalie¡¯s hit, he stood up from his seat and slapped Rosalie¡¯s cheek with his left hand. *slapping sound* The high sound echoed throughout the strategical meeting room. ¡¸Whoa¡­Wha¡­What!? ¡¹ Rosalie yelled with a very strange voice that didn¡¯t resemble hers. ¡¸How dare you!! *screams continually* ¡¹ I moved between them as I tried to excuse Seiya¡¯s actions. ¡¸Lady Rosalie, you¡¯re misinterpreting!! He was about to be beaten, so he hit back!! It¡¯s like a conditioned reflex as a warrior!! Seiya doesn¡¯t mean you any harm!! ¡¹ I immediately turned back to scold Seiya. ¡¸You can¡¯t use violence against girls no matter what happens!! ¡¹ ¡¸I was going to be beaten. It was a legitimate defense. ¡¹ I tried to stop this tension. However, Rosalie was so furious that I couldn¡¯t do anything anymore. ¡¸How dare you! Bastard! ¡¹ She pushed me aggressively to the side and tried to slap Seiya with her right hand. Yet, everything was repeated once again. *slapping sound* ¡¸It hurts!! ¡¹ Rosalie spoke as if she felt an excruciating pain. After that¡­ ¡¸Imbecile! ¡¹ *slapping sound* ¡¸Damn you!! ¡¹ I heard her lowered voice. ¡¸I¡­I won¡¯t forgive you! ¡¹ *slapping sound* ¡¸Ah!! ¡¹ Her exhausted voice was heard in the room. ¡­I tried to explain Seiya¡¯s behavior by saying ¡°conditioned reflex as a warrior¡±. However, it was no longer a conditioned reflex if I thought carefully about it. This situation became uncontrollable. Seiya kept slapping Rosalie¡¯s cheek with his bare hands. When Rosalie tried to slap Seiya¡¯s right cheek, Seiya slapped Rosalie¡¯s right cheek before she had a chance to hit him. Then, Rosalie tried to slap Seiya¡¯s left cheek, but Seiya slapped Rosalie¡¯s left cheek before she even had a chance. Rosalie became fanatical as a result. Her cheeks were swollen red like apples. Everyone in the meeting was quiet. I swallowed hard. ¡­Oh my, that girl was beaten too many times!! How¡­How can he call himself a man!! Does he belong to the early Showa era!? Don¡¯t tell me that he really came from the early Showa era!? After Rosalie fought with a brutal hero who had no compassion for the female sex, Rosalie stepped back with overflowing tears and a runny nose. ¡¸Sla¡­Slash!! I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m going to slash you¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Lady¡­Lady Rosalie!! Calm down!! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare try to stop me¡­I won¡¯t¡­lose¡­against¡­that¡­damn hero¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Apologize!! Look at her!! That child is crying!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not crying¡­*cries* I¡¯m not!! *continues to cry* ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! Please, apologize!! ¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t apologize. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡¹ ¡¸Apologize even if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong!! She¡¯ll keep crying like that!! ¡¹ ¡¸I said¡­that I¡¯m not¡­crying¡­!! Not even one tear¡­nothing¡­I¡¯m not crying!! ¡¹ ¡¸I will never apologize. I absolutely didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you two small children!? Either way, just apologize!! ¡¹ Neither of them will apologize to each other. Eventually, Rosalie spoke with tears. ¡¸I¡¯ve¡­had enough!! I don¡¯t¡­need¡­the hero and his group!! I only need myself¡­I¡¯m going to¡­attack their hive¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya glared attentively at a crying Rosalie. No¡­He was not merely looking at her. He activated his clairvoyance ability. I also activated mine to have a look at Rosalie¡¯s stats just for reference. Rosalie Level ¨C 23 HP ¨C 6780 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 4120 Defense ¨C 3655 Agility ¨C 3987 Magic ¨C 0 Potential rate ¨C 48 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Light Protection (Lv 3) Skills ¨C Knocking Sword Personality ¨C Passionate She has an amazing status when compared to regular human beings. Nevertheless, if she plans to fight against enemies who will fly in mid-air¡­it would be complicated. Seiya spoke with a superior voice. ¡¸I thought that her abilities would be far better than they are because she is the daughter of the warlord Emperor¡­Oh my, her stats are fragile like a flower. Her death is certain. ¡¹ On that moment¡­ *agonizing sounds* Rosalie groaned fiercely as her face turned bright red. Her blue hair became disturbed and a big amount of tears fell to the floor. She grasped her hands as she trembled incessantly. ¡¸¡­Oh my lord!! Just how angry can she become!? ¡¹ Elle screamed right beside me. ¡¸This¡­This is creepy! Why is Lady Rosalie groaning like a dog!? ¡¹ ¡¸Elle. Don¡¯t approach her. If you get any closer, you¡¯ll be bitten. ¡¹ *screams heavily* Rosalie kept roaring like a mad woman. Mash grabbed Seiya¡¯s arms. ¡¸Ma¡­Master¡­! Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you apologized to her¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I will never apologize even if I die. Anyway, I¡¯m leaving. Lista, get the portal out.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Okay¡­ ¡¹ This situation was unlikely to settle down anytime soon. Therefore, I opened the portal exactly as I was told to. I felt Rosalie behind me¡­ *screams heavily, repeatedly and furiously* She kept groaning¡­!! She really resembled a dog¡­!! I held Rosalie¡¯s hands and I tried to calm her down by saying ¡°okay, okay¡±. ¡¸Anyways, we will come back after an hour!! Everyone, please wait until then!! Okay!? Please, Lady Rosalie, you too!! Don¡¯t venture outside this Fortress!!¡¹ We left an increasingly anxious Rosalie behind as we went to the God¡¯s realm¡­ Volume 1 - CH 32 Chapter 32: The Goddess that Dwells in the Forest ¡¸You know. You didn¡¯t have to beat her like that. That¡¯s not how a hero¡­no, that¡¯s not how a person should behave in the first place. I know that she was wrong, but even so¡­ ¡¹ I spoke to Seiya when we arrived in the God¡¯s realm. Although we were in a sacred place, I still brought up a sensitive subject¡­ ¡¸I was scared when Mister Seiya beat her like that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­They were big slaps¡­ ¡¹ Mash and Elle were both overwhelmed by what happened. Meanwhile, Seiya looked quietly at his hands. He clenched his teeth with a bitter face. ¡¸I realized when I slapped her. I got irritable just by looking at her. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Seiya? ¡¹ I was a little surprised. Seiya¡¯s mouth was insensitive as always, but he usually won¡¯t show any kind of emotions on public. Yet, he felt upset. ¡¸I was angry with her way of thinking. Even though she had no chance of winning against me, she still moved forward without hesitating. She didn¡¯t even ponder about the consequences.¡¹ He¡¯s right. Rosalie¡¯s reckless personality was the opposite of Seiya¡¯s cautious personality. That¡¯s why he was visibly upset. ¡¸Anyways, let¡¯s take a break for the time being. ¡¹ I thought it would be a bad idea to start training with this kind of tension. I was concerned about Seiya¡¯s mental health, however¡­ ¡¸No. I don¡¯t need a break. I want to practice immediately. ¡¹ Seiya was having a troubled face a minute ago. Suddenly, his face turned calm as always. It was as if nothing happened at all. Whoa, he switched his feelings extremely fast!! ¡¸But Mister Seiya sure has a kind soul after all! ¡¹ Seiya asked Elle who was smiling strangely. ¡¸Why you say that? ¡¹ ¡¸You are kind because you¡¯re going to practice in order to help Lady Rosalie! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to practice because of that woman. I¡¯ve been called to save your world, so it¡¯s natural for me to have more training. ¡¹ Yes. We have been facing terrible challenges throughout our journey in that world. However, I couldn¡¯t tell if he avoided talking about his personal feelings or if his sense of responsibility was that strong. Seiya touched his glossy black hair. ¡¸We¡¯re talking about exterminating a flying enemy¡­ Therefore, I have already decided which kind of god I want to train with. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, is that so? I could introduce you to that god if it¡¯s a deity I know! Who is it? ¡¹ ¡¸Give me the Patriot God. ¡¹ ¡¸Patriot¡­no, we don¡¯t have that kind of god!! ¡¹ ¡¸Then, God of Guns would be fine. ¡¹ ¡¸God of Guns¡­There might be one¡­But, it¡¯s impossible because Geabrande is a world without the usage of guns¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care about the world¡¯s rules as long as I defeat the enemy. ¡¹ ¡¸I said it¡¯s impossible! It will be useless even if you end up having a gun skill! Geabrande is a world where guns don¡¯t exist! Even if you get guns in the God¡¯s realm, you won¡¯t be allowed to take them to Geabrande! ¡¹ Seiya spitted a bored sigh. It can¡¯t be helped! That¡¯s one of the rules of the Almighty! ¡¸Hey Master. How about a god who specializes in thunder magic? Didn¡¯t the old man in the fortress say that it was effective against enemies in the sky? How about asking a thunder or lightening god for practice¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I saw that Bell Bubu¡¯s status mentioned a resistance against lightening. It may work on the horde of flies but lightening magic won¡¯t be effective against the main opponent. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I see¡­ ¡¹ Seiya looked in mid-air as he talked with Mash. ¡¸Patriot, guns and thunder are useless¡­What¡¯s left is bow and arrow. Lista, is there someone who specializes on that? ¡¹ ¡¸I know the Goddess of Bow. I¡¯ve seen her in the ¡°heavenly green forest¡± located a little bit away from the temple. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s meet that goddess for now. Take me to her. ¡¹ We walked for about ten minutes away from the temple. The scenery surrounding us began to change. We were now walking down a narrow path between dense trees. The clear air tickled my nose. Little animals like squirrels sniffed us when they noticed our presence. This forest was preserved and untouched by external factors. This was the ¡°heavenly green forest¡± of the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸Have you come to this place regularly? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I occasionally come with Aria for a picnic. We would sit here and eat sandwiches. ¡¹ ¡¸Picnic you say. Don¡¯t you have some work to do? That means you¡¯re a NEET* goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡­Who¡¯s a NEET goddess!! I am working properly now!! Besides, it¡¯s okay to have picnics once in a while!!¡¹ The trail was gone, and only trees stood in front of me. ¡¸Mithis, the Goddess of Bow, is quietly practicing her bow at the opened area of the forest. It¡¯s better not to disturb her, so let¡¯s head the other way. ¡¹ Aria used to say that to me. This was the place where I came with Aria before. However, I never set foot beyond this point in the forest. The only time I¡¯ve ever seen Mithis was when I was passing by the pathway. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ We headed to the bushes without any sort of trail in sight. After a while, the dense trees became sparse. In the middle of the ¡°heavenly green forest¡±, there seemed to be a vastly opened space. There were very few trees on this particularly area. However, those few trees were very large and tall trees. I saw Mithis in the center of the opened space. She drew her bow with an arrow towards the sky in a very picturesque beauty. She had a silky and pure white hair to the length of her waist. Her narrowly eyes gave an impression of an intellectual character. ¡°Goddess with a neat beauty¡±, that was the impression I received when I saw Mithis. When Mithis let go of her hand, the sound of the wind was heard as the arrow disappeared into the forest. I waited for the right timing to speak to her. ¡¸Lady Mithis, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your practice. ¡¹ ¡¸Good heavens. It is Miss Listarte. I am utterly delighted to see you here. ¡¹ She sounded polite, or rather; this goddess had a very strange way of talking. Firstly, I wanted to start a conversation by praising the skill of her bow, ¡¸Great shot! You¡¯re very good ¡¹, however, the only place where Mithis shot her arrow was at a line of trees. I was lost in words. Yet, Mithis smiled graciously at me. ¡¸The target is located far away from those trees. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ I looked at the direction she was pointing at, but there were only rows of unobstructed trees. I usually have a good eyesight, and still, I couldn¡¯t see the target at all. ¡¸Ah yes, Lady Mithis! I would like you to teach your bow and arrow skills to this hero¡­ ¡¹ While I was talking, Seiya stretched out one hand and interrupted my words. ¡¸Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Before that, show me your ability first. Look up. ¡¹ I looked up in the sky and there were three huge firebirds flying in the air. Seiya created the Automatic Phoenix with magic. ¡¸I can shoot moving objects in the sky. However, I want to know if you can shoot high-speed moving objects from this distance. If you can¡¯t do that, then I won¡¯t need you. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Your way of saying is rude! ¡¹ Mithis smiled gently. ¡¸I just need to shoot those flying firebirds, am I right? I understand¡­ ¡¹ Mithis lowered down her bow and arrow. ¡¸This is a bow and arrow for practice. I will use a magic bow for the actual fighting. ¡¹ After she spoke, she stretched her left arm straight as it started to shine. ¡¸Shining Arrow¡­ ¡¹ In a second, Mithis¡¯ left hand was holding a light bow. At the same time, she held on her right hand an arrow that looked like a ray of light. She connected the arrow on a string of thin light. She aimed her light arrow towards the sky; however, the firebirds were circling at tremendous speed. At that time, I thought that Mithis was looking troubled as her eyes were widely open. She fired her arrow like a shining ray to the sky. In a second, my earlobes quivered repeatedly because a big explosion erupted in the sky! ¡­I didn¡¯t know what happened. Nevertheless, when sky was cleared from the smoke, I didn¡¯t see any of the Phoenixes flying around. What!? I¡¯m sure that Mithis only fired one arrow!! Then, why did the three Phoenixes disappear all at once!? I heard Seiya¡¯s explanation right next to me. ¡¸She aimed the arrow when the Phoenixes¡¯ circling in the sky overlapped with each other. That¡¯s why the three of them were killed simultaneously. ¡¹ Un¡­Unbelievable!! She was able to determine the moment when the Phoenixes overlapped!? Even though, they were flying at a furiously speed!? That was god level!! Ah, well, she¡¯s a goddess after all!! Seiya nodded as if he was satisfied with the result. ¡¸Okay. With this, it will be possible to kill Bell Bubu as well. Acceptable. I¡¯ll let you train me.¡¹ Mithis showed her distrust as if she didn¡¯t approve Seiya immediately. ¡¸There is only one condition for me. Hero, what type is your main magic? ¡¹ ¡¸Fire magic. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, an arrow engulfed in flames will be suitable¡­No, more specifically¡­Have you mastered the Fire Arrow? ¡¹ ¡¸Well. I don¡¯t remember. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Okay then, before starting your training, you need to remember the Fire Arrow. It won¡¯t be possible to teach you my skills if you don¡¯t master that ability yourself. ¡¹ What Mithis said was obvious. If he can¡¯t make a magic bow out of his main magical type, the Goddess of Bow won¡¯t be able to train him significantly. Mithis narrowed her eyes as she laughed. ¡¸If you are not able to perform the Fire Arrow, then, are you willing to practice with me in a different way? ¡¹ Different practice? Was that Mithis¡¯ sarcasm? However, Seiya shook his head sideways. ¡¸No, there¡¯s no point in being taught with other methods unless it¡¯s bow and arrow. ¡¹ Seiya spoke to Elle who was behind his back. ¡¸If I remember correctly, you can perform Fire Arrow, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Tell me now how to do it. ¡¹ ¡¸Now!? No matter how powerful Mister Seiya is, it will be impossible to learn it in one go!! It took me about a year to learn this skill!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just tell me. Time is being wasted. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. First, you have to stretch your left hand out¡­Then, you have to imagine the bow in your head and, afterwards, invoke your fire magic using that picture in mind¡­ ¡¹ Elle laughed confidently while she was teaching Seiya how to perform that skill. ¡¸It will be natural if you can¡¯t evoke the arrow in your first try. But if you practice hundreds or thousands of times without giving up, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll master it eventually. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡¹ However, I could see that Seiya¡¯s left hand had already evoked the fire bow. ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ Elle¡¯s eyes became wide open. ¡¸Bu¡­But! The next step will be extremely difficult! Next, you need to imagine an arrow on your right hand¡­ What? You already evoked the arrow!? ¡¹ In Seiya¡¯s right hand, there was an arrow of fire, and it looked like it was attached to the string of fire in the bow. ¡¸Ho¡­Ho¡­However, the real challenge starts now!! At first, you won¡¯t be able to throw the arrow more than one meter, but if you practice patiently, you¡¯ll¡­ ¡¹ Seiya released his fire arrow to the sky and disappeared in the heavenly horizon. ¡¸It¡­It¡­It¡­It really¡­really is extremely hard to aim at a target accurately, even now, I haven¡¯t mastered that part of the skill completely¡­ ¡¹ The next arrow shot by Seiya hit a thin tree standing in a few tens of meters ahead and it burned the tree entirely. ¡¸Okay. It¡¯s simple to use this skill after all. ¡¹ Seiya looked back at Mithis. ¡¸Is this fine? ¡¹ ¡¸Hero, I see that you¡¯re surprisingly quick to absorb information. ¡¹ Although Mithis had an astonishing expression at first, she eventually opened her mouth as if she was utterly amused. ¡¸That¡¯s why you¡¯re called the chosen one. Why not? Let¡¯s practice immediately¡­ ¡¹ ¡­ We left Seiya in the forest while I came back to the temple with Mash and Elle. Of course, I thought of encouraging Elle because she was looking depressed as we walked by. ¡¸Whoa¡­! Somehow, I feel so frustrated with myself because he surpassed my ability that quickly¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Elle, don¡¯t let it bother you! That hero is too abnormal! ¡¹ Mash touched my shoulder. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What are Elle and I going to do in the meantime? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. What did Seiya tell you? ¡¹ ¡¸Before we left the forest, Master told me ¡°Let¡¯s see. You should go to the cafeteria and eat some sweets¡±¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s awful¡­Too convenient for him I guess¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. No matter what my Master says, I won¡¯t eat sweet for three whole days. We want to be stronger. Lista. Could you introduce a god who is willing to train us? ¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Let¡¯s see¡­Mash, you were taught by Celseus last time, why don¡¯t you try training with Lady Adenela? What do you think about following Seiya¡¯s footsteps? ¡¹ ¡¸Following Master¡¯s footsteps! That would be great! I¡¯ll do it! ¡¹ ¡¸Elle, what do you have in mind? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not motivated today¡­So, I¡¯ll eat some sweets instead¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I see! Let¡¯s go then! I¡¯ll eat some macarons together with you! ¡¹ For the time being, I searched for Adenela in order to train Mash. I¡¯ll think about Elle¡¯s training tomorrow. However, the room of Adenela in the basement of the temple was locked. There was no signs of her inside the room after I knocked on the door. I wandered around the temple searching for her when I saw Celseus, the Daruma** of muscles. ¡¸Hey, Mister Celseus! ¡¹ ¡¸Hello, Celseus. Listen, have you seen Lady Adenela? ¡¹ While Mash and I greeted Celseus with a smile, his face changed to a troubled expression. ¡¸If you two are here, then that means that the hero also came back!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But, he is training in the ¡°heavenly green forest¡± right now¡­Why you ask for Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t give me a ¡°why you ask¡±! That Lady Adenela is serious trouble! There was a time I was sick because of Seiya, and now, I¡¯m sick almost every single day! ¡¹ ¡­I had completely forgotten. The last time we were in the God¡¯s realm, Adenela was shedding tears of blood because Seiya coldly rejected her. I remember that there was rampage in the temple¡¯s courtyard. ¡¸So¡­So, how is Lady Adenela feeling right now? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Se¡­Sei¡­Seiy¡­Seiya¡­I¡­won¡¯t¡­for¡­forgive¡­you¡­I¡¯ll¡­Ki¡­Kill you.¡± When I first heard her words, I thought that she was rapping. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is the situation that bad¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Be careful. She¡¯s not joking around. She might suddenly appear behind us¡­If she does, I won¡¯t know what to do. ¡¹ Celseus was shivering in fear as he advised me with a serious face. This was not the right time to be worried about Mash¡¯s training! I have to make sure that we won¡¯t come face to face with Adenela! I was reminded of her madness. On that moment, I pictured Adenela sharpening her sword as she sounded weirdly like a mad woman¡­Soon I trembled in fear just like Celseus. Volume 1 - CH 33 Chapter 33: The Darkness is Deep ¡¸I heard about what happened. I tried to comfort her, but she didn¡¯t even listen to me¡­¡¹ Aria spoke with a bitter smile. I went to Aria¡¯s room with both Mash and Elle to consult about Adenela¡¯s current situation. ¡¸Listen, Aria. What should we do? Should we ask the opinion of the Great Goddess Isister?¡¹ ¡¸Well. That¡¯s a bit¡­You know, Adenela is in a bad state already. If we involve Lady Isister too, wouldn¡¯t we make things worse for her?¡¹ ¡¸You might be right about that¡­But, if Seiya gets stabbed¡­¡¹ ¡¸Both Celseus and Lista are exaggerating. Adenela won¡¯t do such a thing. And even if that were to happen, I¡¯m sure that hero will be fine in the end.¡¹ Aria drank from a cup of tea after saying those words. Eh! Wait a second! Isn¡¯t Aria a bit too relaxed? Many things happened in a very short amount of time! It would be horrible if that goddess were too kill that genius hero even though he¡¯s not an enemy. I wanted to avoid that terrible outcome. Maybe, I¡¯ll visit Adenela myself to sort things out. Besides that, I¡¯ll visit Seiya too and tell him not to run into Adenela¡­ The doors of Aria¡¯s room opened widely while I thought seriously of that strategy. ¡¸Master!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ Seiya was standing at the door. Mash and Elle were surprised, and so, was I. ¡¸Seiya!? Why are you here!? What about your practice!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m taking a break. I was curious about the goddess over here. ¡¹ Seiya walked in Aria¡¯s direction. ¡¸You said you were the ¡°Goddess of Sealing¡±. Then, do you have any trick to seal a monster and prevent it from coming out forever? ¡¹ Aria lowered her head when she heard Seiya¡¯s question. ¡¸I am truly sorry. But I don¡¯t have that kind of skill. I am good at breaking seals that someone put on others¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I see. It can¡¯t be helped then. ¡¹ Eh. Sealing abilities? Why did Seiya ask Aria for that particular skill¡­? I noticed something as I watched both of them talk with each other. I¡­I got it! Seiya might be looking for a replacement for the Egzation! He wanted to find a solution to defeat the Demon King because, in the end, we couldn¡¯t obtain the strongest weapon! This cautious hero was not only training to defeat the current enemy. He was also preparing himself for the future. I was so proud of my hero. Therefore, I spoke to him with great esteem. ¡¸Seiya, you¡¯re amazing! You were thinking of a way to defeat the Demon King even though you¡¯re on your break! ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya looked at me with sharp eyes. I noticed that I spoke without thinking that much. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. ¡¸Hmm? A way to defeat the Demon King? But we have the Egzation, right?¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan, that¡¯s true, am I right? Then, why? ¡¹ Mash and Elle were staring at me. Ahhh!! I¡¯m an idiot!! What should I say!? Nonetheless, Seiya saved me from this dire situation. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what will happen in the final battle. Besides having the Egzation, it would be safer to find an additional method, for example, an effective attack to make sure I¡¯ll defeat the Demon King for real. I will not use the Egzation until it¡¯s really necessary. It would be troublesome if the sword were to break apart. ¡¹ Elle was deep in her thoughts. ¡¸I wonder if the blade will really break apart. We are talking about the strongest weapon after all¡­ ¡¹ The two of them were suspicious at first. However, they had a smile on their faces afterwards. ¡¸Well¡­Master is careful all the time! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Mister Seiya is always like that! ¡¹ I also showed them an awkward smile. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m relieved! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll keep being suspicious if it were a regular person! But, since it¡¯s Seiya we¡¯re talking about, I guess it was okay! Mash and Elle were both convinced! Seiya took out the platinum sword from his stash and looked at me abruptly. ¡¸By the way, Lista. You should keep this yourself. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand¡­It¡­It hurts. It hurts!! ¡¹ Seiya pushed the sheath ferociously onto my chest. I felt that it was a punishment for ¡°saying unnecessary things¡±. ¡¸Don¡¯t do that!! They will get crushed!! My breasts are going to get crushed!! ¡¹ Aria giggled happily. ¡¸You two have a very close relationship. ¡¹ No, that¡¯s not it!! Don¡¯t misunderstand this vulgar scene for a friendly relationship!! This hero was trying to crush my breasts!! ¡¸¡­Okay. I¡¯m going back to training. ¡¹ It looked as if milk was about to burst from my breasts. Finally, Seiya stopped crushing me and walked away. ¡¸C¡¯mon¡­That really hurt¡­! ¡¹ I called Seiya before he left the room while I rubbed my breasts gently. ¡¸Seiya! You need to be cautious of Lady Adenela! ¡¹ ¡¸Why? ¡¹ ¡¸She is extremely angry because you hurt her feelings! ¡¹ ¡¸Did I do something to Adenela? I don¡¯t remember. ¡¹ Seiya looked at me with his usual indifferent face as he closed the door and left. Mash spited a depressed sigh after Seiya was gone. ¡¸Ah. Based on what I heard, it seems that Adenela is not going to train me¡­What should I do from now on¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Mash, let¡¯s eat sweets with me! ¡¹ ¡¸Damn it! I guess I won¡¯t have a choice but to eat sweets for three whole days¡­!¡¹ Aria approached Mash. ¡¸Oh dear. You seem to have a secret power, don¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean the dragon blood? Yeah, I think I¡¯ll turn into a dragon form if I do my very best. That¡¯s why I want to practice more to raise my level¡­¡¹ ¡¸Actually, it sounds similar to a ¡°seal¡±. Would you like me to unleash it? ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously!? Can you do that!? ¡¹ I was surprised by Aria¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸Wait a second, Aria!! Are you allowed to do things like that!? Won¡¯t you break the rules of the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ ¡¸I will only release the power that this child originally possesses. There¡¯s no problem. Besides, I will just teach him how to do it. Listen well boy, you won¡¯t be able to do it overnight, therefore, think of this as part of your training.¡¹ Aria was a senior goddess. So, if she was sure about this, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. That meant that I¡¯ll leave Mash with Aria for time being. As for Elle¡­ Elle laughed awkwardly when I looked at her. ¡¸I¡¯m okay, Lisutan! I don¡¯t mind if you leave me alone! I¡¯ve been eating sweets in the cafeteria! I like sweets very much! ¡¹ Due to many factors that happened before, Elle seemed to have lost a lot of confidence. Aria put her hands on Elle¡¯s shoulders. ¡¸You also have a talent hidden within yourself. I can unleash it if you want. What do you think? Why don¡¯t you leave it to me? ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really!? There¡¯s something useful that I can do!? Plea¡­Please, unleash it!! I beg you!!¡¹ Aria was incredible to see Elle¡¯s supposedly hidden talent. I entrusted them to Aria with my mind at ease. I was feeling optimistic when I left Aria¡¯s room. As Aria said, maybe Celseus exaggerated about Adenela. Perhaps, she was not that angry as I thought she would be. That was what I felt. Still, I went again through the downstairs of the temple to see if Adenela had returned to her room. In the dark, I knocked on the wooden door at the end of the passage. However, there was no reply again. Before I left, I tried to put my hand on the handle of the door. Apparently, the door seemed to be open. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me¡­ ¡¹ I entered the dimly shaded room. I looked around, but Adenela was not there. I gave up and tried to leave the room. But before I left, I noticed a weird pattern on the left side of the wall. It looked as if characters were painted on the wall. I approached that wall in the dark. When I stared closely at the painted characters¡­my body froze. ¡°KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL¡± I saw small characters written repeatedly! If she wrote this not too long ago, then that meant that she still had a grudge against Seiya! This¡­This was extremely bad!! I have to let Aria know about this as soon as possible!! The moment I turned around in a hurry¡­ *sounds of a mad person* Adenela was standing right in front of me. *sounds of a surprised and weirdly person* My knees crumbled. Adenela slowly approached me with lifeless dark eyes. ¡¸Li¡­Listarte. If¡­If you came back, then¡­that means¡­that¡­that hero *sounds weirdly* has come¡­come here¡­too? ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I am the only one this time!! Seiya didn¡¯t come with me!! ¡¹ I lied in the spur of the moment. ¡¸Is¡­Is that so? Re¡­Really? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s really true!! ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, if you¡­came alone¡­Then¡­what do you¡­want¡­from me? ¡¹ ¡¸Nothing in particular! I don¡¯t have anything to say! ¡¹ I was just saying rubbish because I was increasingly nervous. ¡¸If¡­you don¡¯t have anything to say¡­why¡­why did you come to my¡­my room?¡¹ Adenela stared fixedly at me. I was getting more and more anxious. ¡¸Well, about that. You know¡­I wanted to see the interior of Lady Adenela¡¯s room! I have a decoration hobby, so I want to have a look at other people¡¯s rooms! Ah, well, it seems that you have such a nice decoration on your room!¡¹ ¡¸¡­You think? ¡¹ Adenela and I watched silently for a long while at the wall written repeatedly with ¡°KILL¡±¡­ ¡¸Aria!! Aria!! Aria!! It¡¯s serious!! It¡¯s extremely serious!! ¡¹ I returned urgently to Aria¡¯s room in a frenzy. I had to report what I saw to the senior goddess. ¡¸Calm down, Lista. What do you mean by ¡°serious¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Adenela!! I went to her room in the basement of the temple!! She wrote ¡°KILL¡± countless of times on a wall!! I was so startled!! She appeared behind me and I had to say that she had a ¡°nice decoration¡± on that wall!! ¡¹ Still, Aria smiled gently. ¡¸Ah, she did not write that because of Seiya. That child drew that on her wall a long time ago. That was her wall art. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Wall art¡± you say!? You¡¯re kidding, right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, that wall is a bit away from the front door. Since her room is dark, you didn¡¯t notice it when you went there before. ¡¹ Then, that meant that it was really a decoration!? No, can I really call that a decoration in the first place!? I can¡¯t believe it!! ¡¸You¡¯re too worried, Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, Aria!! ¡¹ Aria showed her index finger to me as she made a ¡°shu¡± sound. Mash and Elle sat on the floor as if they were Zen* meditating like the Japanese people do. ¡¸They are mentally focused at this moment. Can you be a bit quieter right now?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. ¡¹ I thought that I should not interfere with their training, so I reluctantly left Aria¡¯s room. ¡­Aria was always this kind. I¡¯m sure she thinks of me and Adenela as her younger sisters. Even so¡­ ¡­Even so, I felt that Adenela was absolutely dangerous!! I have no choice but to protect Seiya for the time being!! ¡ª The next day. Mithis and Seiya were working hard practicing in the ¡°heavenly green forest¡±. Both of them had serious faces. ¡¸Seiya. In fact, the most important thing for bow and arrow are your ¡°eyes¡±. You have to focus on our eyes first. It is important to see far away and grasp the enemy¡¯s position.¡¹ Seiya nodded positively when he heard Mithis¡¯ advice. He released an arrow of light towards the distant trees. It seemed that Seiya had already mastered the magical bow of light. Next, Seiya asked Mithis. ¡¸Is it possible to throw a few arrows at the same time? ¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t because it¡¯s a magical bow. In other words, when you use a magical bow and, afterwards shoot an arrow, you¡¯ll need extreme mental unity. That¡¯s why this magic is powerful in the first place. With a magical bow and arrow, it will be possible to shoot an arrow that goes far beyond the normal arrow. To preserve you¡¯re mental unity through a battle, I would advise you to repeat the shooting process instead of simultaneous shoots. If you do it fast enough, it will be similar to simultaneous arrows. For ordinary humans, I would say that three consecutive shoots are the limit.¡¹ Mithis invoked a light bow and arrow and aimed towards the sky. The moment she released the single arrow, she immediately created a new magical arrow with her hand. She released it straight away. She repeated the process of creating light arrows and releasing them consecutively. Mithis was extremely focused and her eyes were wide open. Per my calculation, she invoked seven arrows that disappeared in the sky. ¡¸Even if I shoot it like this, seven is the limit that allows you to continually shoot. If you release your utmost power, then you¡¯ll be able to shoot it for ten consecutive times. However¡­¡¹ ¡¸Seven shoots you say. Is there a possibility that my arrows will be dodged by a demon?¡¹ ¡¸Seven continuous shoots expands the range of the Shining Arrow. It means that the attributes of the magical bow will increase in accuracy and range¡­It will be almost impossible to dodge the arrows without taking some damage. Besides, I believe that such demon is impossible to exist.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? ¡¹ ¡¸I swear it in the name of the Goddess of Bow. It¡¯s absolutely impossible. ¡¹ Mithis laughed amusingly. ¡¸Either way, seven consecutive shoots are almost impossible to accomplish by humans.¡¹ ¡¸Hypothetically speaking I hope. ¡¹ I was waiting in the shade for a while. Then, Mithis bowed gently to Seiya and disappeared to the other side of the forest. Apparently, it was break time. I approached Seiya and handed him the bento lunch box that I had made for him. ¡¸How is it going, Seiya? Your practice is going well? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s going well. I will be able to master the magical bow and arrow tomorrow. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s great. In addition, I will ask you not to go to the temple until you finish your training. I don¡¯t know what will happen if Lady Adenela sees you.¡¹ ¡¸If Adenela sees me? What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸I told you yesterday. Lady Adenela is furious with you. ¡¹ ¡¸If you don¡¯t want me to meet her, then I won¡¯t. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, Seiya, you have your own freedom. However, it will be wiser if you didn¡¯t meet with her¡­Okay? I will bring Mash and Elle to this forest around noon tomorrow. I¡¯ll open the portal right here. In other words, let¡¯s return to Geabrande directly from this forest.¡¹ ¡¸Lista, what the hell are you saying? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? About¡­what? I¡¯m trying to find a solution so that you won¡¯t meet with Lady Adenela.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t understand the reason why. ¡¹ Seiya pointed with his index finger to behind my back. ¡¸If you¡¯re talking about Adenela, then she¡¯s right behind you. ¡¹ ¡­Eh. I slowly looked behind¡­ *sounds of weirdly mad person* My breath stopped when I looked at the distance. The crazy goddess was smiling creepily. *screams* I shouted aloud! Just like yesterday, my body stood anxiously frozen! ¡¸*sounds weirdly* Li¡­Lista, you said¡­you didn¡¯t¡­didn¡¯t come¡­come alone, did you? I¡­I thought carefully about it and¡­and¡­today, I left the temple¡­to¡­follow you¡­¡¹ Adenela drew out her sword on her waist after saying those creepily amused words. ¡¸Lady Adenela, wait!! Please calm down!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s useless. I won¡¯t¡­abso¡­absolutely¡­forgive that hu¡­human. ¡¹ Adenela¡¯s long hair stood up like a devil. The goddess who was crazy about revenge confronted Seiya head on. On that moment, she lowered her waist. That stance¡­I¡¯ve seen it before! That was the stance of her ¡°gunshot sword¡± technique! She was seriously willing to fight against Seiya¡­! ¡¸Come¡­Come on Seiya. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m going to show my gun¡­gunshot sword with¡­consecutive strikes¡­!¡¹ The overflowing air seemed like it was going to explode. However, Seiya was peacefully boring as usual. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Adenela. How are you? ¡¹ Adenela and I were both taken aback for a moment after we heard his unexpected greeting. ¡¸What¡­what are you saying? Ha¡­Have you forgotten the¡­the terrible thing you¡­did to¡­to me? I¡­I¡­absolutely¡­won¡¯t forgive¡­you. ¡¹ ¡¸Your hair is damaged. ¡¹ A defenseless Seiya approached Adenela who had a sword pointed back at him and he caressed her standing hair. ¡¸What¡­are¡­you¡­doing¡­to¡­me? ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? You¡¯re in danger!! You¡¯re going to get stabbed!! ¡¹ However, Seiya caressed Adenela¡¯s hair as if he was touching a cat. ¡¸St¡­Sto¡­Stop. I¡­I won¡¯t for¡­forgive you. ¡¹ He was still caressing her. The irritable hair that was crazily untidy soon returned to Adenela¡¯s usual hairstyle. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s it. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! What are you thinking¡­ ¡¹ I pulled Seiya out of her way to stop an impeding attack. On that instant, I saw Adenela trembling with small spasms. ¡¸Wo¡­Won¡¯t¡­For¡­Forg¡­Forgive¡­ ¡¹ Whoa¡­!! She¡¯s getting angrier!! How can I stop her!? Yet, Adenela murmured with her head down. ¡¸For¡­Forgi¡­Forgive¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ What I heard was not a mistake. Suddenly, Adenela rose her face after she professed those words that took a 180-degree change. Her full murderous eyes changed into heart-shaped loving eyes. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you just say that you won¡¯t absolutely forgive him!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I can forgive him¡­after all. Because¡­I like him¡­! ¡¹ Adenela dropped her sword to the ground while she embraced Seiya. As soon as Mithis came back, Seiya turned his cold eye on Adenela. ¡¸Adenela. I have to practice now. You¡¯ll be annoying if you stay here. Get out of my way.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. I understand. Lo¡­Love you¡­! ¡¹ Didn¡¯t she listen the horrible words that he said to her!? Did her emotional state turn around just by being caressed by Seiya!? Adenela watched Seiya¡¯s practice hidden in a shade from a faraway tree. Suddenly, Aria¡¯s words were revived in my mind. ¡¸I¡¯m sure that hero will be fine in the end. ¡¹ She was absolutely correct. What¡¯s this¡­Aria seemed to know Seiya a lot better than myself. It seemed as if I was the only one worried for nothing. I looked like an idiot during all this time. I lost my strength because of my nervously actions during the last days. I ended up sitting down beside Adenela. ¡­True fear doesn¡¯t make a sound, so I didn¡¯t notice that it was lurking around so creepily. Volume 1 - CH 34 Chapter 34: Lecherous ¡¸So, you didn¡¯t have a problem, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I was worried for nothing. ¡¹ The next morning I went to Aria¡¯s room. I stood outside her room. The senior goddess smiled at me when she heard that nothing serious had happened. ¡¸No matter what you said, I knew that Adenela was a gentle goddess. She would never do anything reckless such as killing others. Besides that, Seiya is a capable hero who can defend himself. ¡¹ ¡­Ah. I took a deep breath. After all, I can¡¯t oppose anything that Aria says to me. But, even so¡­ ¡¸Aside from Lady Adenela, I should¡¯ve known how things are with Seiya and yet I knew nothing again. It¡¯s frustrating. I wonder why. ¡¹ I was just complaining. However, Aria spoke encouraging words to me. ¡¸Lista, listen to me. You often talk to me about that brave hero! You told me so many things, like for example, that he is cautious and strong! That¡¯s why I thought he would be okay! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. I see. That¡¯s right. ¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, Lista! I want you to look at those two! I will show you the fruits of my training! ¡¹ Aria put her hand on the door¡¯s handle and slowly opened the door to her room. Then, she spoke to Mash and Elle who were both training quietly. ¡¸Listen, Mash! Show ¡°that¡± to Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh! ¡¹ Mash was a little startled when he heard someone calling his name because he was so focused on his spiritual training. Suddenly, he stood up and approached me. He showed me his hand. ¡¸? ¡¹Soon, Mash¡¯s right hand began to change gradually! This change was slightly different from when he dragonized into a lizard dragon man. Right on this moment, Mash kept his human form and only his right hand transformed into a huge dragon hand full of scales. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s this!? Aria!? ¡¹ ¡¸The Seal of Dragon God. Part of it was released due to spiritual unity. By releasing the dragon¡¯s hand, Mash¡¯s attack power has increased significantly. ¡¹ ¡¸What do you think, Lista! It¡¯s amazing, right? ¡¹ I was delighted to see a self-confident Mash as one hand was dragonized. ¡¸Yes! It¡¯s amazing! Mash, you worked hard! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! ¡¹ ¡¸Still, it¡¯s a bit creepy, because only the hand got huge and your body balance looks bad¡­But, you really did your best! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s with that disgusting remarks!? ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan! That¡¯s not true! It¡¯s cool to see only the dragonized hand! At least is not the overall look¡­well, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s only the hand! ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean you¡¯re glad because it¡¯s ¡°only¡± the hand!? What¡¯s up with you two!? ¡¹ ¡¸Both of you, don¡¯t make fun of Mash. After working hard, Mash was able to acquire the special skill ¡°Big and Funny Hand¡± in a very short period of time. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t make fun of me as well!! ¡¹ Elle put her hand on the shoulder of a resentful Mash. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, Mash. ¡¹ But during that time, Elle was talking in a meanly manner. Soon, Mash opened his mouth angrily. ¡¸What¡­The¡­Hell¡­Are¡­You¡­Doing! ¡¹ Eh¡­? Mash started to talk in an extremely weird tone, right? ¡¸E¡­Elle! Damn¡­You! Wa¡­Wait! You¡­Idiot! ¡¹ He tried to grab Elle, but his movements were dull like an old man. Don¡¯t tell me that this was¡­! Aria smiled. ¡¸That¡¯s right. That¡¯s an auxiliary magic called ¡°Delay¡± that slows down the opponent¡¯s movements. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, you mean that Elle¡¯s hidden talent was this auxiliary magic!? ¡¹ ¡¸Correct. ¡¹ Finally, Mash grabbed Elle while she apologized. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry! Forgive me, Mash! ¡¹ She touched Mash¡¯s shoulder again. Then, Mash started to move non-stop without hesitation. ¡¸You idiot! Now it¡¯s too fast! Put me back to normal right now! Elle, if you don¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t talk with you, I won¡¯t share a meal with you, I won¡¯t even listen to you! You damn idiot! ¡¹ Mash was walking hastily as he spoke without taking a breath. This time she used ¡°Haste¡±. So, this magic was the pair of the Delay magic. Aria deeply caressed Elle¡¯s head. ¡¸You were blessed with this hindsight talent because of your inner thoughts. I¡¯m sure that your wish ¡°I want to be useful to everybody¡± gave you a special power. It¡¯s a very wonderful occurrence. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Elle was so happy. Okay! Both Delay and Haste will definitely become a powerful support to Seiya! I¡¯m glad, Elle! After she took Haste off and Mash went back to normal, Elle kept apologizing to him for being defiantly. Aria spoke with a serious face. ¡¸Both of you. Feel free to come back here again. Next time, Mash will become a complete dragon, and Elle will learn a new auxiliary magic. ¡¹ ¡¸Understood! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you so much for getting us another chance! ¡¹ I stared at Aria with praiseworthy eyes. ¡¸Hmm! I should have left them with you from the very start! ¡¹ When I regretted for making a detour with them before bringing them here¡­ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing unusable. Due to their various experiences, the Seal of Dragon God that allows Mash to dragonize was unraveling. While, Elle¡¯s talent also blossomed. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Oh my, Seiya¡¯s training with a bow and arrow is going well too. Mash and Elle also powered up. This time everything went perfectly! ¡¹ Aria became flabbergasted when she heard my casual words. ¡¸Bow you say¡­!? Don¡¯t tell me Lista¡­Seiya is not being taught by Mithis, am I wrong!? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right! Lady Mithis is the only Goddess of Bow, correct!? ¡¹ Suddenly, Aria grabbed my shoulders with both hands while she spoke with a very loud voice. ¡¸You did a very stupid thing!! She¡¯s a terrible goddess you know!! ¡¹ Aria¡¯s face was calm even when I spoke about Adenela before. However, right now her face was pale blue as if something horrible happened. ¡¸Eh!? A terrible goddess¡­even worse than Lady Adenela!? ¡¹ ¡¸Adenela doesn¡¯t even compare to her! Do you know why Mithis is always in the ¡°heavenly green forest¡±? That goddess is a horny goddess who sexually ate a hero she summoned! That¡¯s why she was exiled into the forest after making Great Goddess Isister mad! It¡¯s a taboo for a man to approach the forest!¡¹ ¡¸What!? You¡¯re kidding, right!? Then, why did you take me to the forest for a picnic!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because we are goddesses! Oh no, what should I do¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸But, I didn¡¯t see anything in particular during the last few days!! Both of them were practicing normally!! I¡¯m sure that Lady Mithis learned her lesson by now¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Mithis knows that today is Seiya¡¯s last training day, correct!? I¡¯m sure that she was preparing for the X day!! In any case, Mithis won¡¯t hold on anymore and she is going to explode today!!¡¹ ¡¸Oh no!! ¡¹ ¡¸You know the reality! It¡¯s absolutely forbidden for a goddess and a human sexual intercourse! Geabrande¡¯s safety will be jeopardized! Just one shot to ruin it all! ¡¹ ¡¸One shot¡­! Sexual activity¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista!? Don¡¯t say stupid things and go to Seiya!! Hurry!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes!! Understood!! ¡¹ I jumped out of Aria¡¯s room. ¡¸Wait, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan! We¡¯re going too! ¡¹ Mash and Elle followed me. While I ran, I realized the seriousness of the situation. ¡­The special talented hero, one in a hundred million people met his downfall by ¡°having sex with a goddess¡±¡­!? No, I won¡¯t let that happen!! Because with me¡­No, No!! That¡¯s not it!! I won¡¯t absolutely let that happen!! Mash and I rushed together to the practice place in the middle of the ¡°heavenly green forest¡±. However, Elle saw something outrageous on our way there. On a thick branch growing out from a large tree, Mithis was hung with a rope. The rope was wrapped around Mithis¡¯ whole body. Under that terrifying scene, Seiya stood there quietly. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? What the hell happened here!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know either. She told me ¡¸Come when the preparation is ready ¡¹and when I arrived here, she was already like this. ¡¹ *wicked laugh* On that moment, we heard a voice coming from above. The hanged Mithis started to talk. ¡¸Seiya. This is the final test of the rapid continuous shoots. This special rope that is hanging me won¡¯t cut unless you hit the same spot with the arrow of light with three consecutive times. You¡¯ll need to strike the rope with an arrow right above my head. ¡¹ I¡­I see! So, this was part of their practice! But why is Mithis hanging herself with a rope? ¡¸If the rope upperpart is cut beautifully, then the whole rope will fall, and at the same time, I¡¯ll be naked. If Seiya accepts me naked, then we¡¯ll love each other intensely. This is the reward for completing the final test. ¡¹ ¡¸What is that person talking about!? ¡¹ I was startled when that goddess declared an unreasonable reward with a serious face. Aria was telling the truth!! This goddess was a pervert!! What are you going to do, Seiya!? You won¡¯t need that kind of lecherous reward!! Then, leave it as it is, okay!? But I felt like it¡¯s going to get worse if he rejects her!! ¡¸Three consecutive days¡­It was a continuation of self-perseverance and patience. My desire escalated to a maximum after being exposed by Seiya¡¯s handsomeness.¡¹ Mithis showed an ecstatic expression while her body was deprived of freedom by the rope she tied herself with. ¡¸Come on, Seiya! Just shoot the three consecutive arrows to cut the rope and drop me naked! After that, Seiya will shoot his ¡°arrow¡± from his body¡¯s lower part to the center of my body¡¯s lower part! ¡¹ My head was spinning like crazy!! She was really a terrible goddess!! ¡¸Seiya!! What are you going to do!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, my answer is obvious. ¡¹ Seiya invoked the magical bow of light without hesitation! He aimed at Mithis! ¡¸Are you going to shoot!? But a naked Mithis will attack you if you succeed, right!? Will you be okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸No worries. ¡¹ As soon as we finished talking, Seiya shoot the arrow of the light at a terrific speed, and the rope above Mithis head was¡­Rather, the arrow pierced right in the middle of Mithis¡¯ eyebrows! Eh¡­? What!? *screams* Did he shoot the arrow into a goddess¡¯ head!? *weird sounds* Mithis¡¯ voice sounded strange! On this precisely moment, one of the lighting arrows pierced through the middle of Mithis¡¯s forehead but she talked! I shuddered when I saw that grotesque sight. Or rather¡­She didn¡¯t die while her head was perforated right through to the other side!? Both this goddess and that hero were absolutely unrealistic!! However, Mithis opened one of her eyes slowly and stared fixedly at Seiya. ¡¸Seiya¡­Childish pranks are not allowed¡­uh! ¡¹ Suddenly, the rope cut off and she regained her freedom. The horny goddess became fully naked without a single piece of cloth as she fell to the ground. ¡¸*giggles* Actually, this rope is removable. I can take it off and on anytime I want. ¡¹ She got up from the place where she fell and her full sexy body was bare for everyone to see. On that instant, Mash¡¯s face blushed. ¡¸Wh¡­Whoa¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Mash! Don¡¯t look! ¡¹ Elle covered Mash¡¯s eyes with her hands. Meanwhile, Mithis grabbed the arrow of light that pierced her head. ¡¸The rapid continuous shoots didn¡¯t go according to plan. You failed the final test. ¡¹ Then, she pulled out the arrow that stuck on her forehead. She had an open wound between her eyebrows, but it was healed immediately. ¡¸It¡¯s time for the re-test now. ¡¹ ¡¸Re-test you say? ¡¹ Soon, Mithis lowered her body and took a crouching position on the ground. ¡¸Seiya! I will attack you right now! If you don¡¯t like it, then you can stop my attacks by shooting the bow and arrow that I taught you! This is also part of your training! ¡¹ No, I¡¯ve never heard of that training before!! Even though there were lots of brothels in the earthly world, why did she want to have a perverted relationship in the God¡¯s realm!? Mithis used both her legs and hands like a beast as she dashed at Seiya! The horny goddess attacked naked with her disturbed hair; however, Seiya was looking like his usual bored self! He calmly invoked a bow and arrow of light and aimed towards Mithis! He looked like a dignified figure of a male god statue! Light emitted from Seiya¡¯s hand as he dispelled the arrow! Before I knew it, the arrow of the light pierced through Mithis¡¯ mouth! *screams* Mithis, who was pierced with an arrow from her mouth right through her throat, stopped moving and groaned repeatedly. Seiya muttered next to me. ¡¸¡­Three Shots Shining Arrow! ¡¹ Oh! This was the result of his practice! He shoot the magical arrow of light for three consecutive shoots! But, it was two¡­ Before I noticed it, Mithis not only had an arrow on her mouth, but she also had an arrow pierced on her eyes! *yells repeatedly* Ho¡­Horror!! Grotesque!! It¡¯s too gross!! But¡­But Mithis won¡¯t be able to see anymore with the last arrow punctured on her eyes!! I was relieved for a brief moment. Unexpectedly, Mithis bit the arrow stuck on her mouth and shallowed it in one gulp. She still had an arrow on her eyes. Yet, she re-positioned into a wild beast once again! She laughed in a very lecherous way at Seiya! ¡¸*laughs insanely* I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m a goddess!! I¡­Won¡¯t¡­Won¡¯t¡­Won¡¯t¡­Die!! You won¡¯t stop me by using the same tricks!! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my goodness!! She spoke normally even with an arrow pierced on her eyes!? ¡¹ Mithis didn¡¯t lose her speed, and dashed forward towards Seiya. Elle shouted in a trembling voice to the naked monster that crawled with a bizarre voice. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m scared!! Is that thing really a goddess¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸She looks like she belongs to the devil¡¯s army¡­!! ¡¹ Mithis changed her direction when Mash spoke! She headed towards Mash! It¡­It can¡¯t be!! Was she aiming at Mash now!? ¡¸I¡¯ll eat the main dish later! So, I¡¯ll take an appetizer first! I don¡¯t mind obsessing over young boys too!! *screams like a devouring mad woman* ¡¹ That rashly goddess!! How dare she profess those profane words!! She can¡¯t say things like ¡°obsessing over young boys¡± in the heavens!! ¡¸I¡¯ll strip your clothes in one second! We¡¯ll be in unison in two seconds! And I will eat you up in three seconds! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Ma¡­Master!! Help me!! ¡¹ This was getting so unpredictable!! What should we do!? Next to me, Seiya pointed an arrow directly at Mithis who is about to attack Mash. ¡¸Because of your excessive sexual desire, you did a grave mistake by going after Mash before going after me.¡¹ He took action immediately! Seiya released several magical arrows in a row like rays of light! The arrows hit Mithis¡­ *screams loudly* She screamed so loud and strongly when she was projected to the big chunks of trees on the background! I was startled when I looked at Mithis who stopped moving altogether! Both of her hands, both of her ankles and her heart! The splendorous arrows of light went into different directions towards her body and pierced on five distinct places! Seiya, who was convinced of his victory made his magical bow disappear, and declared the following words. ¡¸¡­Five Shots Shining Arrow! ¡¹ Mithis was still stuck on a big tree and, suddenly, she started to grin like a lascivious sinner. ¡¸How is that possible¡­I can¡¯t move anymore¡­! Even so¡­he managed to aim exactly at my crucial spots¡­humans can¡¯t shoot five consecutive times¡­! Wonderful¡­! It¡­was¡­brilliant¡­!¡¹ The horny goddess lost consciousness. Mithis was still stuck on the big tree after being defeated. Meanwhile, Seiya looked back at the red shining sunset and he spoke in a refreshingly way. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­!? ¡¹ When I took a deep breath after the ridiculous spectacle, the horny goddess regained consciousness and began to gasp. ¡¸*breaths heavily* It looks like my body was penetrated with a thick and long item¡­*laughs eccentrically*¡¹ Elle touched my arm. ¡¸Listen, Lisutan¡­Is something leaking from Lady Mithis¡¯ legs¡­? ¡¹ Mash also nodded in agreement. ¡¸You¡¯re right. Hey, what¡¯s that? Pee? ¡¹ ¡¸No!! Don¡¯t look!! Mash!! Elle!! You can¡¯t be in a place like this!! Let¡¯s go quickly to Geabrande right now!!¡¹ I won¡¯t allow a pure boy and a pure girl to see such filthy things. I opened the portal leading directly to the Olga Fortress. I grabbed their hands like a guardian and I jumped in with Seiya. Volume 1 - CH 35 Chapter 35: Flight Suppression ¡¸Oh dear. That was a very terrible and filthy goddess. Eh¡­? ¡¹ I escaped from that erotic situation. When I finally took a deep breath of relief, chaos awaited us outside the portal. When we arrived in Olga Fortress, senior soldier Carlo came running to us along with other soldiers while yelling desperately. ¡¸Ah! Hero! Goddess! It¡¯s serious! Lady Rosalie went to the flies¡¯ nest by herself!¡¹ Eh!! That girl really went by herself!? I told her to wait!! Besides, how could she go alone!? That was unreasonable!! ¡¸We have to chase her!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Lord Bato and his man went with the horses to find Lady Rosalie! We are also in a hurry! We are going to follow them! ¡¹ Carlo and I were both worried. However¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t rush. It¡¯s just a hypothesis. ¡¹ In contrast, Seiya wanted us to calm down. ¡¸Based on Rosalie¡¯s nature, it would be easy to imagine a situation like this. There¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s been almost an hour since then. We¡¯d know by now if she crossed paths with Bell Bubu. But she didn¡¯t yet. ¡¹ ¡¸But there are scouting flies guarding their nest around the big tree! There is a possibility that those flies attacked her! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be able to catch up with her in a instant. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s foot stopped touching the ground. He was flying in mid-air. He glanced at me afterwards. ¡¸Let¡¯s fly, Lista. ¡¹ After Carlo told us the nest¡¯s location, Seiya flew with Mash and I took Elle with me. I tried my best to cope with Seiya¡¯s tremendous speed and, before long; I saw a huge tree ten meters wide. Their nest was on that tree, however, the tree was surrounded by a black mass, due to the countless flies surrounding it. Carlo said it was difficult to approach their nest because of the scouting flies. In fact, there were several scouting flies flying around in circles a bit far from the big tree. Before the scouting flies noticed our presence, Seiya turned around and sent a silent signal to me. I nodded in agreement, and I followed Seiya who descended to a grove of trees. While watching the sky, Seiya walked a few meters between the trees without making a sound. He stopped walking after a while. ¡¸Okay. This place is good. It¡¯s hard to see from above. Besides, from here we will be able to see their nest. ¡¹ Certainly. When I looked at the line of Seiya¡¯s sight, I could see the big tree and the flies¡¯ nest. At the same time, I doubted the eyes. ¡¸Eh! ¡¹ I saw a human walking into the big tree surrounded by a large number of flies who roared in the sky. The human had blue hair and a golden armor. It was Rosalie, the daughter of the Warlord Emperor. ¡­Whoa¡­Reckless¡­! But in a way, she had a lot of courage¡­! The scouting flies would attack immediately if intruders got close to their nest. However, they couldn¡¯t approach Rosalie. When I looked closely, I could see a shining aura emanating from Rosalie¡¯s body. I remember that when I saw her status, she had a special skill named ¡°Light Protection¡±. This ability prevented the enemies to approach her. Soon, a group of flies surrounding Rosalie split into two groups to make way for their boss, the ¡°Fly Assault¡± charger Bell Bubu. My heart beat extremely fast because of this tension. Yet, Seiya whispered in a calm manner. ¡¸She became a good decoy in the end. I can snipe Bell Bubu from here. ¡¹ When I turned around, Seiya already invoked the Shining Arrow. ¡¸Snipe¡­It can¡¯t be¡­Did you expect this to happen? Did you anticipate that Rosalie would head to the nest and be caught in the process? ¡¹ ¡¸This will make it easy to hit the flies as they are within my range sight. ¡¹ Mash and Elle narrowed their eyes behind Seiya when he muttered with confidence. ¡¸But¡­I can¡¯t see much¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Me¡­Me too¡­ ¡¹ Their normal human eyesight impeded them to see Rosalie and Bell Bubu close to the flies¡¯ nest. Seiya seemed to have considerably improved his vision after he trained with Mithis. ¡¸I don¡¯t have much time now. Look at that. ¡¹ When Seiya pointed to the sky, I saw a horde of scouting flies nearby. ¡¸Eh! How? ¡¹ Elle and I bent down. ¡¸Flies have an excellent sense of smell. Maybe they were able to sense the goddess¡¯ odor that Lista produced. ¡¹ ¡¸A goddess¡¯ odor!? I¡­I smell!? ¡¹ I sniffed my body. But I didn¡¯t stink¡­or so I thought¡­I asked for their opinion. ¡¸Mash! Elle! Be honest with me¡­I¡¯m not smelling, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! You don¡¯t smell that bad! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! It¡¯s not a smell that bothers me a lot! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, doesn¡¯t that mean that I smell a little bit!? Tell me!! What kind of smell is that!? Huh? Huh? Huh?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re loud. Be quiet. They will notice us. ¡¹ Seiya pointed the magical bow of light towards Bell Bubu¡¯s direction. ¡¸It¡¯s a one-shot game. I¡¯ll aim for his head. ¡¹ ¡¸Can you do that? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll definitely hit it. ¡¹ Such confidence! If Seiya says it like that, then he will probably hit it for real! If he hits the head, Bell Bubu will die instantly! It would be a stupid death, but I guess this was how a sniper worked! However, an unexpected ambush appeared from behind our backs. It was the warrior named Bato, who was Rosalie¡¯s right hand man, and a dozen of his subordinates. They made a loud sound with their horses as they came through the forest. ¡¸Oh!! It¡¯s the hero!! You were here already!? ¡¹ Because of that noisy sound, flies in the sky stopped moving all at once. ¡¸Hey, Mister, your voice is too loud!! The flies will notice our presence!! ¡¹ Elle was angry but her voice was also equally loud. ¡¸What!? You don¡¯t need to speak at me like that!! I got it, I¡¯m sorry ¡®kay!! ¡¹ In addition, Bato¡¯s seemingly apologetic voice was also high. Mash spoke to Seiya with urgency. ¡¸Ma¡­Master! The flies are coming all at once! ¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. I still have a chance to shoot. ¡¹ Seiya was calm after the allies disturbed him. He remained calm even after the flies approached us from the sky. His magical bow was still aimed at Bell Bubu¡¯s head. ¡¸¡­With this, my hypothesis will come true. ¡¹ ¡¸Really!? ¡¹ I had my doubts. But it will come true if it¡¯s Seiya we¡¯re talking about. However, it all changed in a second. Close to the flies¡¯ nest, Rosalie yelled so loud that her voice reached the place where we were standing still the forest. ¡¸I am the daughter of the Warlord Emperor, Rosalie Rosgard!! Bell Bubu!! Come out!! Let¡¯s fight!!¡¹ Wh¡­Whoa!! That child revealed her identity!! What on earth was she thinking!? I noticed that Seiya¡¯s nose shook a little. ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­No problem. It was super-predictable. ¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s super-predictable, then why didn¡¯t you foresee this situation before!? You don¡¯t have to force yourself, you know!? ¡¹ Seiya sighed as he lowered the magical bow down to his waist. I¡­I knew that it was unexpected after all¡­It was not predictable as he thought it would be¡­He was a little stubborn. Close to the flies¡¯ nest, Bell Bubu abruptly grabbed Rosalie and flew away with her. ¡¸You¡­You bastard!! What are you doing!? Re¡­Release me!! ¡¹ How did that happen! The Warlord¡¯s daughter was taken as a hostage now! However, it was impossible for us to help her on this moment. Right now, dozens of scouting flies surrounded us. I was getting desperate by this awful situation. On that moment, Seiya looked closely at me. He silently pushed his sheath onto my chest. ¡¸*screams* That hurts!! Milk!! Milk is going to burst out!! Don¡¯t push me that hard!!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it. Go, Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m saying to ¡°fly¡±. You should go and stop him from taking that idiotic woman further away. Just keep her on check. ¡¹ ¡­Me¡­Going alone? Really? ¡¸I¡¯ll be able to help once I swept these annoying flies. Until then, you need to buy me time.¡¹ ¡¸How can you suggest that option so suddenly! How will I keep Bell Bubu under control until you arrive? ¡¹ ¡¸About that, well. Try to say, ¡°It¡¯s a lovely weather¡± for example. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°It¡¯s a lovely weather¡±!? Will it work!? ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, you need to keep an eye on Rosalie. Just remember that. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay, I get it! ¡¹ I spread my wings and started to fly. When I was in the mid-air, a group of grotesque flies went in my direction! *screams* However, when the flies tried to grab me, Seiya¡¯s magical arrows had already hit the flies¡¯ heads! ¡¸I will open the way. Fly with confidence, balloon woman. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay! I¡¯m counting on you! Wait¡­Who are you calling balloon woman!!¡¹ While I yelled at Seiya, I flew away to follow Bell Bubu as he took Rosalie with him. Bell Bubu flew up north while holding a resentful Rosalie with his humanoid arms. He noticed that I was following him from behind. He distorted his face as he laughed amusingly. ¡¸Oh my, my, my! I can see white wings on the sky! A goddess it seems! If a goddess is here, then it means that the hero has arrived as well! ¡¹ ¡¸I have a message from the hero! Let go of that child immediately! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind really! Originally, my plan was to lure the hero in! It seems that I don¡¯t need her anymore!¡¹ I smiled deeply inside. Seiya won¡¯t be able to shoot an arrow while he held Rosalie! So¡­The enemy had to let Rosalie go first! I¡¯ll do my best to catch Rosalie! If he does that, then Seiya will shoot him! ¡¸*laughs wickedly* I¡¯ll become one of the four demon generals if I kill that hero!¡¹ Yet, in contrast to Bell Bubu¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t let go of Rosalie and went higher instead. ¡¸Wh¡­What!? He¡­Hey¡­Wait!? ¡¹ I was surprised but I chased Bell Bubu anyways. ¡¸I told you to let her go!! ¡¹ ¡¸I will release her! But I¡¯ll fly much higher! I want to show my grand reverse fireworks to that hero! ¡¹ What¡­What did he say!? ¡¸Wait right there!! ¡¹ Bell Bubu kept increasing altitude. Bell Bub was rising rapidly that I hardly caught up with him. Eventually, Bell Bubu stopped in the air while quivering his insect wings. ¡¸Hey, woman! What do you think? It¡¯s a great view! If you fall from here, your body will break apart into several pieces! You will make some beautiful reverse fireworks! ¡¹ Rosalie yelled in an aggressive manner. ¡¸You scum!! Apologize to my fallen men that you killed with that scheme of yours!¡¹ ¡¸What? Hey, do you really understand your current situation? You will face the same destiny as your subordinates faced before! ¡¹ ¡¸Damn you! ¡¹ Unable to move, Rosalie stared at me furiously. ¡¸You!! What happened to the hero!? What is he doing now!? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to arrive after finishing his training!? ¡¹ ¡¸Id¡­Idiot!! ¡¹ Bell Bubu distorted his face as he became suspicious. ¡¸Ah? Did you say ¡°training¡±? Don¡¯t tell me that he trained with arrows? Is he trying to aim at him from the ground? ¡¹ This¡­was the worst!! He figured it out!! Why is that woman acting recklessly like that!? It will only get disadvantageous for her!! ¡¸Okay then. I won¡¯t let go of this woman until I fly a bit higher! ¡¹ Bell Bubu started to rise again with Rosalie. I followed him. Nonetheless, Bell Bubu didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping. ¡­Just how far he plans to go up in altitude!? I looked down while I chased him and my face got pale. A sea of clouds spread under my eyes. All I could see from the earthly world was tiny cracks between the clouds that resembled poppy seeds. He must be kidding me!! How can a magical bow reach this ridiculous height!? Actually, how will Seiya know our position if we¡¯re hidden above the clouds!? Finally, Bell Bubu hovered in the sky as the air became stuffy. He spoke with a joyful voice. ¡¸*laughs wickedly* The magical bow won¡¯t be able to reach me from this distance! Okay, let¡¯s start with this scattering business! ¡¹ On that moment, Bell Bubu tried to let go of Rosalie¡¯s hands. But when he looked at me, he grinned sinisterly. ¡¸Oops! I¡¯m going to throw her down using my force! You won¡¯t be able to catch her, goddess! ¡¹ This was bad!! This was bad!! Extremely bad!! He saw through everything!! If he throws her with full force, then I won¡¯t be able to grab her!! ¡¸This¡­This devil!! You coward!! Get down to the ground and fight fair and square with me!!¡¹ ¡¸*laughs wickedly* Don¡¯t worry!! You¡¯ll be competing with the ground soon enough!!¡¹ Bell Bubu was carrying Rosalie by her hands but he was on the verge of dropping her. Ah!! What should I do!? That¡­That¡¯s right!! Seiya¡¯s words revived on my mind. I will try using his words. ¡¸What¡­What a lovely weather¡­! ¡¹ There was only silence for a while. Soon, Bell Bubu spoke with an astonished voice. ¡¸¡­Hey you, what the hell are you talking about? ¡¹ No, seriously, what the heck was I talking about!? No¡­No more of this!! I won¡¯t be able to stop him from dropping that child!! Seiya, please!! Do something!! ¡­Suddenly. There was something glowing from the corner of my sight. One ray of light emitted from below and spread through the sea of clouds. It passed right under my eyes and ears without making a sound. ¡¸Wh¡­What¡­! ¡¹ Bell Bubu groaned softly¡­At the same time, part of his body greatly disintegrated. Bell Bubu, who was holding Rosalie with the intention of pushing her to the ground, forgot about that purpose as he freed Rosalie from his grasp. Rosalie fell to earthly ground under the laws of gravity. ¡¸Oh no!! ¡¹ I quickly reached out to grab Rosalie. The moment Rosalie¡¯s hand touched my hand, I pulled it so hard that I managed to catch her and hug her tight. Ugh! She was wearing armor, so she was extremely heavy! But I managed to grab her tight! I managed to keep my eyes fixedly on Rosalie just as Seiya told me to do! ¡¸¡­I¡­I apologize. ¡¹ Rosalie whispered on my ear. But more than just being apologetic to me, she realized how reckless she was with her actions. ¡­Perhaps it was the Shining Arrow just now! Seiya¡¯s magical arrow was able to reach here! Bell Bubu was so astonished that he even let go of Rosalie without noticing! Even so, his sniper skill must be equipped with perfect optical sight in order to reach such high altitude¡­No, it was way more accurate than just optical sight! I was so impressed by Seiya¡¯s talent that I drooled in excitement. ¡¸Hey, Hey¡­Seriously? The magical bow of light¡­? How can it reach this high? Impossible!¡¹ Bell Bubu started to tremble incessantly after the arrow surpassed what he had perceived to be impossible¡­ Volume 1 - CH 36 Chapter 36: Sniper Bell Bubu was astonished when he saw that an arrow of light was released that high in the sky. He slowly opened his mouth because he became watchful. ¡¸I studied magical bows a long time ago. I realized that it was the only way for humans to compete against me¡­But, even so, it was a bit strange. ¡¹ ¡¸Just what are you implying? ¡¹ I shouted at Bell Bubu while I held Rosalie. ¡¸I didn¡¯t fly this high just for nothing. I flew to this particular position in the sky because I prepared myself for the magical bow operative range. Although it is a magical bow of light with attributes strong enough to reach a long distance, it was not supposed to reach this high from the ground. Even if it¡¯s a magical arrow, it will get some air resistance, right? ¡¹ ¡¸*looks proud* Shall I tell you how the arrow reached this high? Because Seiya is a genius hero, the one in a hundred million people! ¡¹ For a moment, Bell Bubu was silent. Soon, he muttered. ¡¸¡­Lucifer Crow. ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡­Who¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸A legendary demon who once existed in Geabrande. The arrow that Crow shot from his magical bow is said to have reached the top of Mount Grastra in the Eines region. Our current position is much higher than Mount Grastra, which means that the magical arrow that appeared before has a longer operative range than Crow¡¯s magical bow. ¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­Then that means that Seiya is much more talented than that demon. ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no. That¡¯s impossible. Lucifer Crow is a legend, you know? Even if that hero is one in a hundred million people, there is no way that a human being would be able to surpass the legend¡¯s skills. And yet¡­His arrow came this high with commendable power. ¡¹ ¡¸What is your point then!! ¡¹ Suddenly, Bell Bubu started to laugh insanely high. ¡¸There is only one conclusion to explain this riddle! Summing up! He flew and approached us without being noticed, and shot an arrow! ¡¹ ¡¸Just¡­what are you saying¡­! ¡¹ The fly monster pointed his finger to the sea of clouds that spread below our feet. ¡¸Like a hunter awaiting in the bushes! He¡¯s hiding somewhere in this vast sea of clouds! No, rather than just trying to attack me, he thought of using the clouds for camouflage! ¡¹ ¡­This guy! How could a fly make an analysis so meticulously like that! I was surprised by Bell Bubu¡¯s intelligence. I glanced to the clouds below me¡­I gritted my teeth in annoyance. His analysis was¡­probably correct! If I thought carefully about it, I couldn¡¯t explain how the magical arrow had sufficient power to hit Bell Bubu this high in the sky! After Seiya swept the flies on the ground, he probably noticed that we were moving away from the magical bow¡¯s operative range! Maybe he flew afterwards! Just as Bell Bubu said, he was probably hiding somewhere on this sea of clouds¡­! ¡¸Hey, goddess! Do you know what? I am the fastest within the Devil Army! No one can defeat me if they battle me in the sky! That¡¯s absolute! It will be pointless even if he knew where I was in the sky! When I discover that defenseless hero, he will die! ¡¹ I pretended to be calm. However, I was feeling awfully upset on the inside. What is Seiya going to do!? This will get troublesome if he doesn¡¯t attack Bell Bubu soon!! Bell Bubu looked down and spoke with a provocative loud voice. ¡¸Hey, hero! Show me your bow skills! I won¡¯t run away nor hide! ¡¹ Bell Bubu was paying close attention to the sea of clouds because arrows could suddenly appear from below. I secretly activated my goddess¡¯ power. I improved my visual dynamics to be able to see with accuracy the disturbances within the clouds. Rosalie looked up at me. ¡¸Hey, goddess!! Is that hero okay!? Can he really win!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s going to be fine! Seiya said to me that he was Perfectly Ready! He¡¯ll win! I¡¯m absolutely certain that he¡¯ll win this fight! ¡¹ ¡­But nothing happened for a long while. All we could hear was silence while the clouds moved along with the wind current. Tension was about to break at any time soon! There was something glowing continuously in the distant clouds! On that instant, the lighting ray burned my eye¡¯s retina. ¡­Se¡­Seven!? Don¡¯t tell me that it was¡­Seven arrows!? That was¡­No way¡­!! ¡°Seven Shot Shining Arrow¡±!! O¡­Outstanding talent!! Even though he was a human, he managed to reach the limit of Mithis, the Goddess of Bow! It was exactly what Mithis said! ¡°Seven continuous shoots expands the range of the Shining Arrow. It means that the attributes of the magical bow will increase in accuracy and range¡­It will be almost impossible to dodge the arrows without taking some damage. Besides, I believe that such demon is impossible to exist.¡± There was a hole between the clouds where the ray of light was emitted! It looked like it was firmly calculated to aim at the head, limbs and anthropoid wings of Bell Bubu! That was too accurate! It was like ¡°avoiding a shotgun shot¡± from a close range! There was no way that Bell Bubu will dodge it! I was convinced of a victory¡­ ¡¸*laughs wickedly* ¡°Rolling Dodge¡±¡­! ¡¹ I improved my visual dynamics again by activating the goddess¡¯ power. I was able to see the seven arrows exceeding the speed of sound. However, Bell Bubu twisted and rotated his body in an acrobatic motion to avoid the attacks. Rosalie groaned. ¡¸That demon is¡­avoiding all the attacks, isn¡¯t he? ¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­! How could he¡­? ¡¹ No way, no way, no way!! It was impossible!! He was dodging the god-level seven continuous shoots!! I couldn¡¯t believe that a demon like this existed in the world¡­! ¡­This was Geabrande, a world with an S-rank salvation difficulty!! This world was the ultimate degree of difficulty beyond the common sense of god!! I started to feel despair. The area below us was getting sparse of clouds. The power of the magical arrows made the clouds disappear momentarily. On that clear space in the fly, I could see Seiya¡¯s silhouette. Just as Bell Bubu said, Seiya was flying with a bow of light. ¡¸Hero!! There you are!! ¡¹ This was bad! Bell Bubu had very strong dodge abilities in the sky! This opponent will be too strong for Seiya! He will be killed! Bell Bubu headed towards Seiya in the sky. Suddenly, a purple liquid was spilled from the enemy¡¯s mouth. ¡¸Oh¡­my¡­god¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? That is¡­!? ¡¹ I had no clue for what was happening. Apparently, Bell Bubu had no idea as well. But, I immediately understood the situation. Not only from the mouth. Bell Bubu¡¯s abdomen was full of tiny holes. A large amount of purple liquid started to overflow from there as well. In addition, six birds surrounded Bell Bubu. They were similar to the Automatic Phoenix that Seiya created with fire magic. But this time, they were slightly different. Those were pale-colored birds that shined brightly. Bell Bubu kept vomiting purple blood from his mouth. ¡¸The¡­The magical bird of light¡­How? When did you invoke them¡­? ¡¹ Yes, I was sure that Seiya created those birds! The magical birds pierced through Bell Bubu¡¯s stomach! But when did he create the six birds of light with magic? ¡­Wait a second! Six! The birds of light should have the same number as the shining arrows! Yet, only six attacked Bell Bubu! I¡­I got it! After Bell Bubu dodged the ¡°Seventh Shot Shining Arrow¡±, it transformed into a big Garuda* of light! It came back and attacked Bell Bubu once again! In other words¡­ ¡¸¡°Transform Automatic Garuda¡±¡­!! ¡¹ Bell Bubu probably noticed Seiya¡¯s strategy. ¡¸That¡­damn hero¡­! ¡¹ He muttered with hatred. But that became Bell Bubu¡¯s last words. Instantly, the birds of light approached Bell Bubu from all the directions to imprison him in the air. Soon, the temperature became ultra-high while the birds emitted a dazzling light. That area exploded furiously in the sky. After the strong light faded away, I opened my eyes and I saw an unrecognizable black figure that seemed to belong to Bell Bubu. That burnt corpse fell to the ground. ¡­I was perplexed. What on earth was up with this hero!? The god-like Seven Shot Shining Arrow was said to be impossible for human beings to invoke¡­Moreover, I felt without hope when all of the shining arrows were shot!! Besides, the Goddess of Bow said that no demon would be able to dodge that attacks!! How could I doubt her!? But this hero¡­once again, made this all seem easy to accomplish, and made me feel like an idiot as usual!! Seiya, who was floating in the distance, saw that Bell Bubu fell to the ground. Then, he disappeared under the returning clouds without showing much pleasure or joy. ¡­But it was fine!! Great!! As expected of Ryuguuin Seiya!! This man has defied the words and powers of the gods!! With his cautious attitude, I believe that he will be the one to truly save the S-rank World, Geabrande!! I chased after Seiya. I took Rosalie in silence and came back to the forest where Mash and Elle awaited. I spoke to Seiya the moment I landed. ¡¸I saw it! Transform Automatic Garuda was amazing! ¡¹ Seiya twisted his head. ¡¸Trans¡­? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­sorry! I gave that name when I saw that technique! I¡¯m talking about what you did early, don¡¯t you remember? Your arrow of light transformed into a big magical bird! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That ¡°converted bird that reverted trajectories¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what you named it!? What¡¯s wrong with your naming sense!? ¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t thought about it that seriously. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, how about the name I came up with? You can use it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. The transform one¡­? It¡¯s too long. That¡¯s not a very good name. ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe ¡°Come Back BON**¡± is a better choice!! ¡¹ I was pushed aside as Mash and Elle rushed to Seiya¡¯s side. ¡¸You¡¯re really incredible, Master! ¡¹ ¡¸True! Mister Seiya is invincible! ¡¹ These two praised Seiya. On the other side, Bato and the other soldiers surrounded Rosalie. ¡¸Oh my! Lady Rosalie, we¡¯re glad you¡¯re safe! ¡¹ Rosalie approached us after talking to her soldiers. I thought she was going to say ¡°thank you for helping me¡±, but Rosalie turned her cold eyes back to Seiya. ¡¸You are not a brave hero. That way of winning, a surprise attack, is contrary to chivalry principles. A true hero will not spare his own life. A true hero will risk everything to fight against the enemy head on. A true hero will behave honorably just like my father always does.¡¹ It looked like Rosalie said everything she wanted to say. On that moment, my serenity as a goddess blew away. ¡¸Hey, excuse me!! You were saved because of Seiya!! How about expressing some gratitude instead!? ¡¹ I was feeling indignant. But on that instant Seiya put a hand in front of me. ¡¸Seiya!? Why don¡¯t you say a word too!? ¡¹ Nevertheless, the hero spoke with tranquility. ¡¸Leave her alone, Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸B¡­But¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a dog barking anyways. ¡¹ Rosalie changed expressions instantaneously. ¡¸Who the hell is a dog!! I never barked!! ¡¹ Whoa¡­! This hero was amazing after all¡­! His single words inflicted more damaged even if I shouted a hundred times¡­! *groaning angrily* Rosalie started to foam. ¡¸Ah! Miss Rosalie is becoming like a dog again! ¡¹ She noticed Elle¡¯s worrying expression. Somehow, she managed to stay calm. After inhaling deeply, she left without saying a word. Bato and his soldiers chased after Rosalie. Seiya took a deep breath. ¡¸¡­Well then. I guess we¡¯ll have to eliminate the remaining flies. ¡¹ He was right. Even if Bell Bubu was defeated, the swarm of flies that flew around the nest were more than a hundred. We could not afford to leave it like that. I was impressed with the stoic hero who, after defeating the fly boss, wanted to defeat the remaining enemies in the sky. Yet, Seiya put his hands on Mash and Elle¡¯s shoulders. ¡¸Mash. Elle. It¡¯s your turn. ¡¹ We were astonished with his unexpected words. ¡¸My eyes don¡¯t deceive me. I can tell that you¡¯ve trained hard and gained new powers.¡¹ ¡¸Ma¡­Master¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister¡­Mister Seiya¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Go. Show me your power. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! I¡¯ll do my best! ¡¹ ¡¸Me too! I¡¯ll do my best too! ¡¹ Those two were happily approaching the nest after being encouraged by Seiya. However, Seiya invoked the Seven Shot Shining Arrow and released it rapidly. It killed all the other flies in the blink of an eye. ¡¸Wh¡­What¡­? Master? ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­? ¡¹ Those two were looking stunned has more than a hundred flies¡¯ corpses fell dramatically into the ground. Seiya gazed at Elle. ¡¸Okay, Elle. Use Haste to make Mash move faster. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­O¡­Okay¡­ ¡¹ Seiya told Mash, who was moving quickly with Haste, to reveal his Dragon Hand. ¡¸Mash is next. Gather the flies¡¯ carcasses on one spot with that big hand. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Yeah. ¡¹ Seiya drew a large circle close to a branch of a tree. Mash began to collect the flies¡¯ corpses while moving incredibly fast. ¡¸Okay. That Haste skill is doing a great job. It¡¯s nice to watch. ¡¹ In the end, Seiya burned the pile of the flies¡¯ remains just as he did with Hell¡¯s Fire. It reduced to absolutely nothing. He spoke with a satisfying voice. ¡¸Both of you were very useful. ¡¹ Even if Seiya praised them from the bottom of his heart, the two of them looked down as if their moral got crushed in that moment. Especially Mash, who was looking deeply at his hands thinking that ¡°my hands are brooms¡­¡±. I felt sorry for those two. Before I told them reassuring words, I heard the sound of horses¡¯ hooves. When I turned around, I saw Rosalie sitting on her white horse. She looked down at us. ¡¸*looks angry* So, you eliminated the remnants. The Rosgard Knights would be capable of dealing with those even without you. ¡¹ When I glared madly at Rosalie, Bato came in between us. ¡¸Lady¡­Lady Rosalie! You were not supposed to say that to the hero and his people!¡¹ ¡¸I know that! They irritate me, but I¡¯ll give them that rewarding information!¡¹ Rosalie took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡¸¡­Listen. There is a ¡°Legendary Armor¡± in a small shrine near Izale Village. It¡¯ll be necessary to defeat the Demon King. ¡¹ ¡¸Legendary armor, you say? ¡¹ Bato nodded positively. ¡¸Yes. There is a saying that the Great Sage Mustaf prepared a special item for Geabrande¡¯s future crisis. Originally, I was going to tell the hero about it, but the flies were an impending menace, so I missed the opportunity. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the sacred ¡°Legendary Armor¡± that Rosgard has been carefully guarding all this time. We will give it to you, so be grateful to have it. ¡¹ Seiya became suspicious after Rosalie declared with a bossy voice. ¡¸I wonder if that¡¯s true. It¡¯s not a cursed armor, is it? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­Were you even listening to what we said? The Great Sage prepared the sacred ¡°Legendary Armor¡± and Rosgard has been protecting it ever since then! There is no curse! ¡¹ ¡¸Well. It might be the ¡°Cursed Armor of the Sacred Legend¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸That armor doesn¡¯t even exist!! ¡¹ After shouting, Rosalie shook her head heavily. ¡¸Why is an abnormally nervous guy the chosen hero¡­? This is extremely absurd! A true strong person like my father should be the one to wear that armor¡­!¡¹ While muttering in disagreement, Rosalie pulled her horse¡¯s reins and changed directions. She went further away without even glancing at us. Only Bato and his soldiers gave us their thanks. Soon, all of the Rosgard Knights disappeared from our sight. ¡¸¡­Well then. ¡¹ I looked back at Seiya. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. I know that we need to go back to Izale Village to pick up that armor¡­But why don¡¯t we take a break right now? ¡¹ Actually, I wanted us to take a break after we left the Dragon Cave. But right after that, we were summoned to defeat the flies. ¡¸Listen, sometimes you need to take a break! Let¡¯s take it slowly today! ¡¹ After I said that, both Mash and Elle agreed with me. Unusually, Seiya said the following words. ¡¸That¡¯s right. My MP was consumed after I used the magical bow. Let¡¯s stop by an inn to rest for a little while.¡¹ He obediently agreed with me. To tell the truth, I was feeling tired and I was a little cold. So, I was relieved when I heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the village then! ¡¹ I casted a spell for the portal to appear. I made it in order to connect into that village. Izale Village was a small but heartwarming place. It would be perfect to give us some peace and a well-deserving rest. But when I opened the portal and reached the village, I felt a shivering through my spine. The chill that I felt earlier was not due to my fatigue. It was the goddess¡¯ intuition that gave me the chills because it warned me of something bad. ¡­A ruined field. ¡­The houses were brutally crushed. Izale Village was destroyed. Volume 1 - CH 37 Chapter 37: To Kill the Hero Izale Village changed so much that I thought, I had summoned the portal to the wrong place. The village turned into ruins. It was as if a strong natural disaster had wiped out this place. ¡¸What happened here¡­! ¡¹ Mash was fully surprised and Elle became speechless as she put her hands on her mouth. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me this was the Devil Army¡¯s doing!? But why would they attack a small village!? Seiya pointed his finger to the horizon. When I stared closely at the pointed direction, I was able to see a line of smoke that extended to the sky. ¡¸Someone¡¯s here. But it may be a trap. Be careful. ¡¹ Just like Seiya said, there was a possibility that those who destroyed this village were still lurking around. We quietly proceeded to the smoke¡¯s direction. As we approached, the smoke slowly extinguished. If I recalled correctly, this area resembled the place of the dwarf tool shop that we came to buy torches before. ¡¸Hey¡­! Look at that¡­! ¡¹ Elle made a quivering voice. Rather than the burnt houses, our gaze turned to the monster that was standing beside the ruins. That was a huge turtle monster. The carapace was like a roof. Beneath it, the monster appeared to have earthly-colored skin. The turtle, reminded me of the Dragon Mother when she transformed, and it was about to attack the dwarf shop owner with its sharp fangs. ¡¸This¡­This is bad! That dwarf old man is going to be killed! ¡¹ ¡¸We have to save him! ¡¹ Mash and I instinctively jumped out. We came between the dwarf owner and the giant turtle. ¡¸Sir, are you okay? ¡¹ When Mash looked back, the dwarf owner smiled in a weird way. ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t worry. This monster won¡¯t attack me. Because it was me who called it over here. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? ¡¹ ¡¸Adamantaim. I summoned this monster from a different world. ¡¹ Before I knew it, Seiya pulled out the platinum sword from his sheath. The tip of the blade was directed not to the nearby turtle monster, but to the dwarf himself. ¡¸¡­Who are you? ¡¹ The dwarf was smiling weirdly as he told us his name. ¡¸I am one of the Four General Kings of the Devil¡¯s Army¡­I present myself as Kill Capul. ¡¹ ¡¸Four¡­Four General Kings¡­! ¡¹ I muttered¡­ ¡¸Oh god¡­! ¡¹ Elle took a step back. Kill Capul caressed the throat of Adamantaim. ¡¸Mister Hero. Since you left this village, I¡¯ve been following you from a thousand miles away through a crystal ball. My, my. You possess a tremendous power too incredible for a mere human being. You are also smart and meticulous. However, for us, you are nothing but a small threat.¡¹ ¡¸And that¡¯s the reason why you summoned that turtle monster!? Just to defeat Seiya!?¡¹ ¡¸No, no. I had a different purpose. That¡¯s why I called this creature Adamantaim.¡¹ When Kill Capul pushed Adamantaim¡¯s throat, the monster opened his big mouth revealing his piercing fangs. Inside that thing¡¯s mouth there was something that fell to the ground. It looked like a piece of debris that was stuck on Adamantaim¡¯s oral cavity. It shined brighter than gold. ¡¸The ¡°Legendary Armor¡± hidden in Mustaf¡¯s shrine is also known as ¡°Adamantite¡¯s Armor¡± because it was made using Geabrande¡¯s hardest substance, known as ¡°Adamantite¡±*. It is impossible to crush the armor even with the Demon Lord¡¯s attacks. Except for the summoned Adamantaim though because it has the same body properties¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­! ¡¹ I was shocked when I saw a piece of metal that Adamantaim vomited. ¡¸It¡¯s a fragment of the legendary armor that he just ate. Before you people arrived, I broke the shrine¡¯s seal to destroy the armor. ¡¹ It can¡¯t be!! We couldn¡¯t have the strongest weapon Egzation and, now, even the legendary armor was broken!! With this¡­How could we win¡­!! ¡¸The Demon Lord must remain the strongest. However, if there is a threat that has the smallest possibility of defeating the Demon Lord, then it must perish at once.¡¹ Adamantaim immediately started to roar. We were prepared for the attack, but Kill Capul laughed weirdly as he shook his head. He put his hands on Adamantaim¡¯s thick feet. ¡¸I¡¯m done using you. Disappear. ¡¹ Soon, the giant turtle gradually faded and disappeared completely as if it melted away from this world. ¡¸What happened? Weren¡¯t you going to fight against Seiya? ¡¹ I stared confused at the little dwarf. Kill Capul showed me a tiny smile. ¡¸Yeah, of course. But he is not the kind of opponent that I can fight with and win. And of course, neither is Adamantaim. I told you. I followed the hero¡¯s moves and I studied it carefully.¡¹ Kill Capul continued to talk with a smiling face. ¡¸Besides me, the last one remaining from the Four General Kings is Eliza Kaiser. Eliza is the incarnation of more than 200,000 demons. It exceeds the limits of both the attack and defense power. But Eliza won¡¯t be your opponent.¡¹ ¡­Eh? What on earth was this dwarf talking about? ¡¸I can feel a very strong power coming from the hero that goes beyond theory and reason. His power resembles the power of the Demon Lord. I can¡¯t describe that accurately. But let¡¯s say that it¡¯s a ¡°power that holds the fate of the world¡±. What they have is very different from what the rest of us possess. Here¡­¡¹ While speaking, Kill Capul had two packages beside him and placed them in front of us. ¡¸Please look at this.¡¹ We looked at the contents of the opened package and¡­ *horrifying screams* Elle screamed extremely loud. My body also trembled incessantly. I saw the heads of the elderly woman dwarf and the little boy who we saw in the tool shop before. ¡¸It¡¯s my wife and son¡¯s heads. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re¡­You¡¯re lying!! These heads must be fakes!! ¡¹ I shouted. But Kill Capul stroked the neck of the little boy with love. ¡¸Don¡¯t he resemble me a lot? My wife and son¡¯s heads are real. ¡¹ ¡¸Why!? How could you do such a thing!? ¡¹ ¡¸I must defeat the hero. The heads of my loved ones and the villagers of Izale are a catalyst. Their lives are an important sacrifice that will summon an evil magic¡­!¡¹ I felt a glimpse of Kill Capul madness lurking behind his smile. I got goose bumps. ¡¸You¡¯re crazy¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I cannot win if I¡¯m not crazy. However, I realized that this hero is a prodigy. Even demons have feelings you know. I was sad. It was really painful. But, the Demon Lord said to me, ¡°Kill Capul, you must defeat that hero¡±. It was an honor. Of course, my wife and son understood the situation and died for me. Look carefully. They have a very peaceful dead face. It¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹ ¡¸Just¡­Just how far are you willing to go only for that honor!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°To kill the hero¡±, for that purpose alone. Knowledge, talent, and power will be meaningless. Even the Egzation that you got in the Dragon Village won¡¯t have any effect.¡¹ He even knew about the Egzation!! But I didn¡¯t think he found out that we have a fake instead¡­!! ¡¸Ma¡­Master! It will be better if you killed this guy now! ¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s probably too late. Even if I killed him, the summoning he speaks off will be activated anyways. That¡¯s why he¡¯s showing up right in front of us. He is not even upset or in fear.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just as you say. It¡¯s too late now¡­The lives of the Izale villagers, the lives of my loved ones, and finally, my own life, Kill Capul¡¯s life, will be exchanged with the dark summoning! It will manifest from another dimension! The ultra-god of death, Cross Tanathus! ¡¹ Ultra¡­god of death¡­Cross¡­Tanathus¡­!? Kill Capul pierced his throat with a short sword taken from his sheath. ¡¸Wh¡­What¡¯s going on!? ¡¹ Black blood kept overflowing from his sliced throat. It spilled so much blood that it formed a pool of blood on the ground. Kill Capul kneeled on the ground after being mortally wounded. Yet, Kill Capul looked to the sky with satisfaction. ¡¸My dear Demon Lord¡­! Please change this world into a demonic world that we¡¯ve been¡­longing¡­for¡­ ¡¹ Kill Capul fell down and stopped moving. ¡¸Is¡­Is he dead? ¡¹ Seiya whispered to me before I confirmed his death. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Now!? At this timing!? But nothing happened yet, right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Just hurry up. His confidence is not to be underestimated. You have to open the portal just in case we need it. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand. ¡¹ I heard some noise the moment I tried to open the portal. Suddenly, there was something creeping out from the black blood pool of Kill Capul that spread on the ground. That thing had the same color as Kill Capul¡¯s black blood. A black shadow appeared and instantly formed a humanoid figure. ¡¸Is that¡­Cross Tanathus!? The ultra-god of death that Kill Capul sacrificed his life for!?¡¹ It was weird. That shadowy figure was small bodied. It was covered in a black robe, a hood covered its head, in place of its face there was only darkness and hollowness. Even though it was called god of death, it held a large iron cross on one of its hands. That appearance was contradictory to what we believed it was a god of death. I thought it was supposed to be a symbol of an ominous event. And yet, it carried a holy cross. What kind of power did this god of death have? I activated my clairvoyance ability to see the enemy¡¯s status¡­ [email protected] Tanatz8z Level ¨C umu?g HP ¨C rkuak MP ¨C pN.B Attack ¨C %9rr6%87% Defense ¨C C6> Agility ¨C c8o6.>¡¯¡¯ M9C Resistance ¨C arU`)#@ Special skills ¨C 7s&<§¢DSOKt Skills ¨C 8T2e1J- Personality ¨C L1dreL ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ I doubted your eyes at first. But when I tried it again, the abilities on Cross Tanathus¡¯ status were indecipherable. ¡¸What¡­What¡¯s that!? I can¡¯t read the numbers!! Seiya, what¡¯s going on!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. There are twisted numbers in my eyes as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that this is the camouflage skill that you use too!? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t sense any kind of barrier. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s his real status. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? The twisted numbers are his original status!? What does that mean!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­It means that he omitted the real value in order to cheat us. ¡¹ While we were talking, we heard a roaring sound when Tanathus put the big cross on the ground. As soon as that happened, the ground tore apart! ¡¸Ma¡­Magic of the Earthly Attribute!! ¡¹ At the same as I shouted, the crack approached Seiya at a tremendous speed. It tried to swallow him into the fracture! But¡­Seiya was already floating in the air! A¡­Amazing! Even though we didn¡¯t know the opponent¡¯s abilities, he started to float as if he predicted the opponent¡¯s attacks! He was always so careful! I admired Seiya¡¯s careful moves it was as if he really had an ability to look into the future. Suddenly, a strong lightening occurred from the fractured ground! It was unleashed towards a floating Seiya! The lightening strike reverberated from the cracks on the ground towards Seiya¡­ ¡¸Double Wind Blade! ¡¹ Seiya drew his sword from his sheath as he activated that technique in the sky. He created with the platinum sword a wind pressure extremely strong that it changed the trajectory of the lightning strike. He was able to successfully dodge the attack. In addition, Seiya counterattacked from the sky and slashed aggressively towards Tanathus. That god of death got hit from the attack because his body was cut in half. Mash and Elle ran in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸Master! Are you okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. No problem. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But what was that just now!? Lightening Magic came from the ground!? Isn¡¯t that really strange!? ¡¹ It was a combined magic with earthly and thunder attributes. It generated from the earth after it was activated¡­Certainly, as Elle said, it was very strange since it was an attack that transcended the providence of magic. However¡­ ¡¸It seems that you defeated it. ¡¹ I felt a little bit relieved. But Seiya was staring at the two-bodied Tanathus with sharp eyes. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What are you doing? Get the portal out. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hurry. Summon the portal and leave it open. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay. ¡¹ I finally made the portal appear and I opened the door. Unexpectedly, the upper body of Tanathus lifted up and floated even though it was cut off in half from the torso. The lower body immediately revived as well. Even more surprisingly, that lower body created a new upper body. ¡¸Gosh! It split in two! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that thing! ¡¹ One of the Tanathus turned his cross directly at Seiya. In an instant, arrows of light were fired from the cross! They resembled the Shining Arrow! Seiya curved his body in time and avoided a critical hit! Abruptly, the other Tanathus raised the cross as he quickly approached Seiya! That thing made the cross enlarge in size and it tried to hit Seiya with it like a weapon! Seiya stepped back and managed to gain sufficient distance. However! The cross was extended even further while Seiya kept on dodging it! The long cross was going to hit Seiya¡¯s chest but it stopped extending in size. I thought that thing had a limitation but I was wrong. The tip of the cross transformed into an ice pillar-like and attacked Seiya continuously! Seiya sounded as if he was struggling. There were a lot of light arrows attacking him. It was hard to get rid of them. An ice magic was invoked from the holy cross and hit Seiya¡¯s abdomen. Seiya was repelled and thrown to the ground. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ This was the first time that I saw Seiya struggling on a fight against the enemy. However, Seiya stood up right away and straightened his body. The two Tanathus, who were coming towards us, put their bodies on the top of each other as they walked. It transformed into one body once again. Seiya put his sword on the sheath. He turned his hands directly at Tanathus. ¡¸Maximum Inferno¡­ ¡¹ A terrible explosion absorbed Tanathus. It was an intense and extreme fire. Even if it burnt everything in the surroundings, I was sure that, by now, it won¡¯t be able to defeat that thing as long as it activates. Seiya approached Mash in a hurry. ¡¸Eh? Master? ¡¹ He carried a confused Mash and he threw him into the opened portal! ¡¸Uah!! ¡¹ Mash disappeared inside the portal. Next, he grabbed Elle¡­ ¡¸Ah!? ¡¹ He threw her away as quickly as possible. And then, Seiya rushed to me. Is he¡­he going to throw me as well!? I got it!! But be gentle!! I wouldn¡¯t mind if he carried me like a princess!! Please treat me well!! However, Seiya raised his right foot high! Before I knew it, Seiya directed his kick right into my abdomen! *loud scream* After the impact from the kick, I screamed in agony as I was blown away to the other side of the portal! Seiya followed behind almost at the same time as I crossed over! I immediately closed the portal¡¯s door when I arrived in the God¡¯s realm! I rolled over into the God¡¯s realm¡¯s courtyard. Then, I shouted. ¡¸*yells* Why did you kick me!? I was the only one to be treated with cruelty by you!!¡¹ I yelled at Seiya but I noticed that he was different this time. Seiya fell down silently while he held the abdomen with his hand. He was hit by Tanathus¡¯ attack. ¡¸Hey, Seiya!? Are you all right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, somehow. But¡­I got a severe injury. ¡¹ I was an idiot!! Even though Seiya was deeply hurt by Tanathus¡¯ attack, he did his best for us to escape to the God¡¯s realm!! Not only Mash and Elle!! He didn¡¯t abandon me and brought me here safely!! ¡¸It¡¯s the first time I suffered damage from the enemy. I have to recover. ¡¹ ¡¸Show me your wound! I¡¯ll heal you now! ¡¹ ¡¸Please do it quickly. ¡¹ Seiya took off his armor and showed me his wound. ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ I was astonished. Seiya¡¯s abdomen had just a small red scratching. ¡¸Sorry¡­But how much damage did your status suffer? Numerically speaking!¡¹ And then, Seiya spoke as if something really bad happened to him. ¡¸I had about 300 000 HP¡­But, now I only have 299 900¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say that you had a severe injury!? ¡¹ I was perplexed. Yet, Seiya looked serious. ¡¸It will get troublesome if the HP is not at its maximum. Just fix it up. ¡¹ I was amazed by his everlasting cautiousness. But I was also surprised to find out that his HP reached 300 000. I activated my healing magic to heal his tiny scratch. ¡¸Even if it is a little wound, Master got hurt. What the hell was that thing¡­?¡¹ Elle agreed with Mash. ¡¸It was chaos. The rules of magic and the rules of the living were both ignored¡­¡¹ I could feel the fear coming from their words. I spoke to encourage them. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s think carefully about a plan! We are safe in the God¡¯s realm because it¡¯s a totally different dimension!¡¹ I thought so. However, on that moment I heard some noise coming from gods and goddesses in the courtyard. ¡¸What is this ominous feeling? ¡¹ ¡¸Is it, perhaps¡­a malicious feeling? What on earth is going on? ¡¹ There were several gods and goddesses staring at each other with a tense expression. ¡¸What¡­What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ A god pointed to a particular area in the courtyard. I saw a black whirlwind appearing from the courtyard¡¯s fountain. ¡¸¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ My bad premonition was right. The first thing that appeared from the black whirlwind was a huge iron cross! After that, the god of death crawled out of there! ¡¸How!? That thing transported itself from Geabrande to the God¡¯s realm!!¡¹ I tried to encourage Mash and Elle not too long ago. However, right now, my face was terrified and my feet kept shivering repeatedly. Im¡­Impossible!! It broke through the dimension!! That¡­That thing must be a demon from a mythological class!! This time, Mash and Elle raised their voices to encourage themselves. ¡¸But¡­But! Every fearful enemy has a weakness, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah! Elle¡¯s correct! There is no way that that thing is an invincible monster!¡¹ They were right! As a goddess, I mustn¡¯t let fear cloud my mind! We had Seiya! I was sure that Seiya will find a way to defeat that demon! No, maybe he already found a solution¡­ ¡¸Seiya! Do you know Tanathus¡¯ weakness? Maybe you¡¯re already aware of it!¡¹ Nevertheless. The hero had fiery eyes as he mumbled with a low voice. ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t know. ¡¹ ¡¸*everybody screams* What!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I have no idea how to win. ¡¹ ¡¸Mi¡­Mister Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸Master!? ¡¹ Whaaat!? Please tell me it was a lie!! Why was Seiya speaking with a weak voice!? The end!! Don¡¯t tell me that this will be our end!! ¡­The God¡¯s realm was in an uproar after the sudden appearance of a demon. ¡­The ultra-god of death slowly crawled out from the fountain. That thing walked towards us with a cross on its hand. The angels screamed aloud and ran away. Just like them, our faces became pale white. Volume 1 - CH 38 Chapter 38: The Celestial Prison-Gate Cross Tanathus broke the dimension and approached Seiya. There was no way to escape. However, a ray of light appeared under this helpless situation. ¡¸¡­Wait right there, demon. ¡¹ I heard a dignified voice of a god that stood in front of Tanathus. Gods and goddesses of the God¡¯s realm surrounded that evil monster in the courtyard. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how you managed to come to the God¡¯s realm¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Demons aren¡¯t allowed to come to a place like this. ¡¹ ¡¸Evil, disappear! ¡¹ Whoa! It was Frala the Goddess of Wind, Orlando the God of Thunder and Kieron the Goddess of Ice! They were famous gods that went against that demon! We were so lucky! Maybe they¡¯ll help us! Just as I expected, they fought the demon with confidence! Frala casted wind magic, Orlando invoked a thunder and Kieron hit with an ice stake¡­But Tanathus walked towards us as if nothing happened. ¡¸The¡­The attacks didn¡¯t work on him¡­! ¡¹ Nor fire, nor wind, nor thunder, nor ice was having any effect on this thing!? ¡¸Hey¡­Lisutan¡­ ¡¹ Elle spoke to me with an uneasy voice. I wanted to say ¡°it¡¯s going to be okay¡±. But right now, I didn¡¯t have the confident to even smile. I was hesitant to reply to her¡­ ¡¸Lista! Hey, Lista! ¡¹ Mash forcibly shook me. ¡¸Look over there! Master is¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­? ¡¹ Mash and Elle were pointed their fingers at Seiya. Then, I noticed that Seiya was running away extremely fast. ¡¸¡­Ah!? That¡­That bastard!! Stop right there!! ¡¹ We chased after Seiya. Apparently, he was running towards the temple. This reminded me of the other times when he ran away as well! ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare run by yourself!! Damn you!! ¡¹ Even so, Seiya continued to run without stopping. When he reached the temple and opened the doors, he jumped inside. I was out of breath when I reached temple¡¯s entrance. When I looked back, I noticed that Tanathus repelled the gods¡¯ magic powers and was approaching us from behind. ¡¸Ah!! Lisutan!! He¡¯s almost here!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hu¡­Hurry! Let¡¯s get inside now! ¡¹ We rushed inside and closed the door. I heard a strong stepping sound on the stairs as soon as I came in. I looked up and I saw that Seiya was running up the stairs that led to the second floor. The second I tried to follow him; I heard a huge ¡°bang¡± noise coming from the doors. The doors opened widely and the god of death stepped inside. ¡¸Oh god!! That thing even entered the temple!! ¡¹ Thankfully, the Gatekeeper Gods stood near the door and blocked the path of the demon. ¡¸Demon, how dare you! Demons are absolutely forbidden in the sacred temple! I am the Fist God Arx! My unbeatable fist will crush you into pieces¡­Gyaaaa!!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t underestimate Arx and the rest of us, demon! I, the God of Sumo, will be your opponent as well! I¡¯ll show you my divine battle skills through my hands¡­Gyaaaa!!¡¹ The gods in the temple challenged Tanathus to a fight. Of course, they won¡¯t be able to succeed in defeating that thing, but at least, they managed to buy us some time. I ran up the stairs rapidly¡­ ¡¸Seiya! Please wait! ¡¹ Somehow, I managed to reduce my distance from Seiya. ¡¸He is only targeting me. You guys should hide somewhere. ¡¹ ¡¸But, we can¡¯t just leave you alone. ¡¹ Even after arriving to the second floor, Seiya did not stop running through the hallway. A muscled man with a beard appeared right in front of us. The Swordsman God Celseus was carrying a big cake on a plate. ¡¸Hey! So, you came back again! Look! I baked a new cake! I made it with a lot of effort! The cake looks so yummy delicious. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it. Move away. ¡¹ Seiya was moving so rapidly that he pushed the cake on Celseus¡¯ face. Celseus screamed, as he was ¡°defeated¡± on the spot. Mash, Elle and I ran after Seiya. We passed by cream-faced Celseus as the remains of his cake fell on the ground. (Editor: Noooo such disrespect of Celseus, damn you Seiya) It¡­It was too pitiful!! Next time he bakes a cake, we¡¯ll definitely eat it¡­!! Just when I was immersed on my thoughts, a well-known goddess appeared on our pathway. It was the Goddess of War Adenela. She spotted us on the way and she started to smile with crazy eyes. Her face looked unhealthy because her expression was a bit disturbing. ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya¡­! You¡­You came back¡­! ¡¹ Seiya stopped right in front of Adenela and talked. ¡¸Adenela. Stop the thing that is coming after me. If you do it, I¡¯ll play with you next time. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­Re¡­Re¡­Really¡­!? ¡¹ Adenela drew her sword from her sheath. On that moment, I looked behind and I saw that the evil was coming towards us. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­I¡­I¡­will protect you! ¡¹ She took a unique stance as if she was drawing a circle. ¡¸I¡­I will show you¡­! I¡¯ll¡­show¡­my true¡­consecutive gunshot sword¡­!?¡¹ She jumped right at the approaching Tanathus!! The consecutive shots were so fast that it created an illusory image of several swinging swords!! It was so fast that it exceeded the technique that Seiya showed before! She cut Tanathus¡¯ body in an instant!! ¡­Oh!? As expected of that technique¡¯s creator!! It had an amazing speed and power!! However, Tanathus was divided every time she cut with the continuous gunshot sword! Two bodies became four, four bodies became eight, eight bodies became sixteen, sixteen bodies became¡­ I shouted loudly to Adenela. ¡¸No, it¡¯s splitting too much!! Stop it!! ¡¹ But Adenela continued to slay the opponent. Amidst that chaos, she gazed at me with a troubled face. ¡¸This¡­thing¡­can¡¯t¡­be stopped¡­ ¡¹ Seiya touched my shoulder. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. As expected, she won¡¯t be able to defeat it. Let¡¯s escape. ¡¹ So he expected her to fail! Anyways, we tried to run away from Adenela¡¯s fight with Tanathus. When I looked back, I could see that the temple corridors were filled with Tanathus¡¯ remains from Adenela¡¯s slashes. After a while, the remains were sucked into the center of one part of the body. The god of death merged into the main body once again. Tanathus resumed his pursuit. ¡­Even Adenela, who is the Goddess of War, failed to inflict damage on that thing!! What¡­What should we do!? After running through the long corridor, Seiya ran up the stairs leading to the third floor. ¡¸Seiya!! You can¡¯t run forever like this!! ¡¹ I was being chased by an invincible demon. My head was panicking excessively. ¡¸Ah!! C¡¯mon!! What are we going to do!! ¡¹ Seiya looked back at me when I yelled deplorably. ¡¸Calm down a little. Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible!! You said it yourself, don¡¯t you remember!? You said ¡°I have no idea how to win¡±!! How can I calm down in a perilous situation like this!? ¡¹ Even if Tanathus was chasing us, Seiya spoke with his usual bored tone that never changed. ¡¸I certainly said ¡°I have no idea how to win¡±. But I already knew how to ¡°deal with an enemy that we don¡¯t know how to win¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸Her hobby must be drawing. Regardless of her appearance, it seems. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? What are you talking about? Drawing what? ¡¹ ¡¸That person must be drawing a scene on the temple¡¯s roof because that¡¯s where the entire heavenly world can be seen.¡¹ ¡¸But who? ¡¹ Before I knew it, we ran through the whole long stairs. Seiya reached the door at the very end. ¡¸Li¡­Lisutan! Mister Seiya! I can¡¯t run anymore! But I¡¯m almost catching up with you all!¡¹ It was almost simultaneously when Elle spoke loudly from behind and when Seiya opened the door. As soon as he opened the door, a strong wind blew in and shook my hair. We were at the top of the temple and I saw a stunning view of the God¡¯s realm. I noticed that a goddess was sitting on the gently inclined stone roof. ¡¸That person is¡­! ¡¹ Just as Seiya said, her hobby was indeed drawing but it was a hobby that didn¡¯t suit that person. The goddess Valkyrie, who was wearing just a chain to cover her cheat and lower body, had a paintbrush on her hand that seemed to belong to an oil painting. Valkyrie was so concentrated on her drawing that she didn¡¯t notice our presence. ¡¸In other words, Seiya!! You wanted the strongest goddess in the God¡¯s realm to fight against Tanathus!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. But given her hastily personality, she wouldn¡¯t fight against that demon even if I asked her properly. So¡­ ¡¹ The door opened and Tanathus jumped to the roof. Seiya didn¡¯t run anymore and challenged the demon. Tanathus released his extended cross. Seiya looked back and shifted his location. Seiya awaited for the attack until the last minute. He barely managed to dodge the offensive strike, but the long extended cross hit the oil painted drawing that Valkyrie had on her hands and was immediately destroyed! ¡¸Great. It went as intended. ¡¹ Seiya spoke with a low voice. Oh my god!! He purposely let Tanathus destroy the drawing!? ¡¸¡­This is¡­a joke¡­right? It was¡­almost completed¡­ ¡¹ The cross that broke her drawing shrank in size and returned to its owner, the god of death. She gazed at demon-shaped offender who broke her unfinished drawing. A great silver aura started emitting from Valkyrie¡¯s body when she stood up. ¡¸You bastard!! What the hell do you think you are doing! I will destroy every inch of you! You bastard!!¡¹ The goddess¡¯ speech was so aggressive that I forgot for a moment that she was, in fact, a goddess from the heavens. ¡¸¡­Here. Stay away from them. ¡¹ Seiya invited Mash, Elle and I to the edge of the roof. After we walked to where Seiya was standing still, I looked back to know what happened and I was startled. Valkyrie was already by Tanathus side with zero distance between them! She grabbed the head of Tanathus without hesitation! ¡­That was¡­fast!! When did she¡­!? ¡¸You damn underling¡­! I¡¯ll break you into pieces¡­! ¡¹ The fearsome aura that surrounded Valkyrie¡¯s body immediately increased in quantity. Soon, that incredible force concentrated on her right hand that grabbed Tanathus¡¯ head! ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the First¡­¡°Shattered Break¡±¡­! ¡¹ Oh!! A destruction technique!? Somehow, that sounded pretty amazing!! ¡­Nonetheless. Nothing happened. Eventually, Tanathus altered his body like a fog and literally vanished away. After the release of Valkyrie destructive attack, that demon appeared and materialized once again. ¡¸What¡¯s up with this bastard¡­a ghost huh? ¡®Kay, bring it on! Then, I¡¯ll¡­ ¡¹ Valkyrie put her hands on the chain that wrapped around her chest. ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the Fourth¡­¡°Astral Break¡±¡­! ¡¹ Valkyrie¡¯s chain transformed like a terrifying snake that entangled Tanathus in the process! It¡­It made sense! That was a destruction technique to destroy ghosts! Formidable! She could deal with any enemy based on that skill alone! I bet this will bring us victory¡­! However! The black aura that came from the body of Tanathus shattered the wrapped chain in an instant! Valkyrie collapsed because the broken chain was connected to her chest! *screams* Eh!? It didn¡¯t work!! Why was the Goddess of Destruction¡¯s skills meaningless against that thing!? With this, I could only feel despair. The strongest goddess in the God¡¯s realm couldn¡¯t defeat that demon¡­! That thing was a perfect life form without weaknesses that transcended everything¡­! There was nothing in the three thousand worlds that would be able to defeat this unbelievable enemy¡­! *bizarre laugh* Suddenly, Valkyrie began to laugh. And then, after laughing for a while, she turned her face around. She was tremendously enraged. She spoke with an awfully red face¡­ ¡¸I have an order!! Isister!! ¡¹ She shouted with an enormously loud voice that pierced through the heavens. Order! She intended to release her suppressed divine power! Soon Valkyrie¡¯s aura changed from a normal silver to a dazzling silvery. It seemed that the Great Goddess Isister granted Valkyrie¡¯s request. ¡­Just how much power did she receive with that order¡­!? I saw Valkyrie¡¯s skills using my clairvoyance ability¡­and I was speechless. The Goddess of Destruction Valkyrie Level ¨C 999 HP ¨C 999999999 MP ¨C 999999999 Attack ¨C 999999999 Defense ¨C 999999999 Agility ¨C 999999999 Magic ¨C 999999999 Potential ¨C 999999999 Resistance ¨C Fire, Wind, Water, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Holy, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Status Limit Breakthrough Skills ¨C Destruction Operation Method Personality ¨C Fearless What¡¯s up with this status! So, this was the strongest power of the God¡¯s realm!! Seiya also saw her ability value. He nodded right next to me. ¡¸Yes. She doesn¡¯t compare to the other gods. Well, a god should originally be something that is far beyond the human knowledge. ¡¹ I¡¯ve never seen a status that broke through the limits! Still, the opponent was a legendary monster that didn¡¯t get damaged by any attacks! On the other hand, what kind of power will the Goddess of Destruction use on that unbeatable demon!? We were holding our breaths as we were watching the fight closely! Valkyrie took a deep breath. Then, she put her left hand lightly on her right wrist as she faced Tanathus straight on. Soon, an overwhelming aura that swallowed the entire God¡¯s realm started to diverge! ¡¸Take this bastard¡­! Destruction Operation Method the Final¡­¡°Valhala Gate¡±¡­!¡¹ I thought that something would be coming out from her hand. But I was wrong. A huge gate appeared above Valkyrie¡¯s head as if it came out of nowhere. At the top of the old-looking gate was the face of a goddess made of plaster. ¡­Was that¡­a summoning magic!? I bet she was trying to summon something from that gate!! A black door, that was not a lattice-like door, appeared on the gate. I couldn¡¯t see the inside because of that door. However, eventually that door started to open slowly. I was shocked when I saw what was inside. Inside there was a figure wrapped in a dark robe that held an iron holy cross. It was the god of death Cross Tanathus. Mash and Elle raised their voices in astonishment. ¡¸*screams* Eh!? How!? Why is Tanathus in there!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that he split up in half from the main body!? ¡¹ However, there was no other Tanathus around. There was only one Tanathus and it was inside that gate. That demon must be the one that fought against Valkyrie until now! ¡¸What¡­What on earth is that technique¡­!? ¡¹ As soon as I murmured, the goddess of plaster on the top of the gate opened the eyes. The face of that goddess, that resembled a supernatural creature, dripped bright red blood from the opened mouth. *eccentric laugh* A creepy laugh was heard. It sounded like it crawled right from the bottom of hell. That disturbing-looking goddess, who laughed like crazy, was bleeding excessively from the mouth. Soon, it started to bleed from the eyes as well. ¡¸That thing is so scary!! ¡¹ I almost wetted myself. Tanathus tried to crawl out of the gate, but the black door gradually closed with a creepy laughter. Countless of needles were installed outside the door as they pierced Tanathus without mercy. Although Tanathus was always unresponsive to any magic or attack, when those needles pierced through the door, we heard a crackling sound as if bones were being broken. *screams* Suddenly, we heard Tanathus¡¯ voice screaming in distress through the open cavities on the door that the needles pierced through¡­ *agonizing screams* I thought the god of death was just a lifeless form with no emotions. And yet, it screamed painfully. Tanathus continued to scream loudly¡­ *excruciating pain* An amusing smile appeared on the bloody mouth of the plaster goddess. *smashing sound* Then, a heavy sound echoed as the gate closed completely. Soon, the borders of the gate became transparent as if they were disappearing. Before long, the whole gate disappeared as if it melted away. Everyone was at a loss of words. Yet, Valkyrie spoke with confidence. ¡¸The moment the gate is invoked, it will swallow the target automatically. It will trap the enemy inside, and then it will attack it directly and painfully. Last but not least, it will destroy it completely. It¡¯s the absolute destruction technique¡­The Valhalla Gate. ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 39 Chapter 39: The Goddess of Destruction ¡¸The needles of destruction from the gate are both tangible and intangible. It breaks everything until it returns to nothing. This rule allows no exception.¡¹ ¡­Valhala Gate¡­! What a crazy and shameful technique¡­!! Valkyrie put her hand on her shoulder as she stood on one knee after the gate of destruction swallowed the so-called invincible god of death. ¡¸Ah¡­Lady Valkyrie? ¡¹ I approach her because I was worried. Valkyrie looked as if she was hurt because she had a hard time breathing. ¡¸Stay away, Listarte. It¡¯s been thirty seconds. It¡¯s about to come out. ¡¹ ¡¸Thirty seconds? Come out? What do you mean? ¡¹ The next moment. A red liquid spilled out from Valkyrie¡¯s shoulder and splashed on my face. ¡¸Is¡­this¡­bl¡­blood!? ¡¹ When I wiped my face with my hand, I screamed when I found out that it was blood. In addition to Valkyrie¡¯s right shoulder, there was also some abnormality on her arms, legs and abdomen¡­All those places were lacerated as if they were cut with a knife. Blood was spurting everywhere from her body. ¡¸Whoa¡­! ¡¹ My body froze in shock and Elle was trembling in horror. A bloody Valkyrie opened her mouth. ¡¸The Valhala Gate¡­uses the user¡¯s life force as a catalyst. If the user were a human, then the catalyst would be his¡­life. ¡¹ While talking diligently, she started to vomit blood from her mouth. Valkyrie stopped moving as if she was a broken doll. ¡¸Lady Valkyrie!! Are¡­Are you all right!? ¡¹ Soon, Valkyrie displayed an ecstatic expression. ¡¸Oh no¡­This has become a habit¡­! Ah, it feels so good¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Are you a masochist!? ¡¹ Don¡¯t tell me that she was a pervert as well!? What was wrong with the divinities of the God¡¯s realm!? Her words made me worried about her sanity. Next to me, Seiya nodded in agreement. ¡¸The previous order was not to give her permission to use that technique. It was an order to give her permission to be resistant to the aftermath of that technique. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s colored-eyes looked very different when he stared at Valkyrie. It seemed that he activated his clairvoyance ability. I also wanted to check Valkyrie¡¯s physical strength and know how much it decreased. The Goddess of Destruction Valkyrie HP 319851 / 999999999 ¡­Her HP had a dramatic decline! Seiya was correct! ¡­But¡­this¡­what¡­was this feeling? I felt an uncomfortable pressing on my chest as I saw Valkyrie¡¯s status. When I looked at the place where Valkyrie collapsed, the place was empty. She was nowhere to be found in the vicinity. Suddenly! Valkyrie appeared behind my back and rubbed my breasts ferociously! ¡¸Ahhhh!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Listarte! You brought that bastard here! Am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­about that¡­you know¡­there¡¯s some truth to it¡­but¡­please¡­stop touching me!¡¹ Mash and Elle were watching me like this¡­Ahhhh! ¡¸My painting was destroyed! You are indeed the worst! Just look at that! ¡¹ Valkyrie was rubbing my breasts with one hand, while the other hand showed me the drawing torn into pieces. What looked on the remaining pieces was a drawing that looked like it was made by a kindergarten child. But my mind went blank for a moment because my breast were being rubbed intensely. ¡¸You will take responsibility for my unfinished masterpiece! I will rub you until you spill milk from your breasts! Be prepared! ¡¹ Valkyrie was trying to put her hands beneath my undergarments! ¡¸What¡­What are you doing!? You¡¯re¡­kidding, right!? Wait!! Don¡¯t do that!!¡¹ However, Valkyrie¡¯s hands didn¡¯t go inside my undergarments no matter how much she wanted to. I noticed that Seiya firmly grabbed Valkyrie¡¯s hands. ¡­Se¡­Seiya!? Don¡¯t tell me that you protected me!? What¡¯s up with him! His actions were too obvious¡­so, he really liked me in a romantic way, didn¡¯t he? Was I right? He liked me for real? Okay, I understood! He wanted me for himself! It couldn¡¯t be helped¡­right¡­? Was I that special? If it was Seiya that stood next to me, then¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind¡­I¡¯ll let him touch me too¡­ However¡­ ¡¸Ugh!! ¡¹ Seiya kicked my bottom violently. The power of his kick was so strong that raw milk exploded from my chest as I rolled on the ground with bare underwear. ¡¸Why did you do that to me all of sudden!? ¡¹ I shouted at him, but he did not even look at my face. Instead, his eyes were sharply pointed at Valkyrie. He did not help me. I was just standing on his way. ¡¸Valkyrie. You are the one after all. You are the best out there to train me.¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Train¡­you say? You watched that, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ll only be able to accomplish that ultimate technique for a price. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. ¡¹ After cleaning myself from the raw milk, I arranged my dress, stood up and yelled. ¡¸Wait a second, Seiya!! Are you planning on practicing again in the God¡¯s realm!? It¡¯s not been that long since Lady Mithis taught you the skill of the bow, right? Isn¡¯t the pace too fast this time!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I came here in the first place. Besides, I can¡¯t go on like this. The enemy is getting stronger and stronger. I need more training. ¡¹ Certainly, if it wasn¡¯t for Valkyrie, Seiya would be in deep trouble to defeat Tanathus. And, perhaps, the next battle will be equally difficult or even more arduous than that. Seiya did not obtain the strongest sword Egzation and neither the legendary armor. In order to save Geabrande, maybe he¡¯ll have to learn the skills of the strongest goddess. ¡¸But Lady Valkyrie said that a human being will have certain death if he used the Valhala Gate technique!¡¹ Abruptly. I felt severe pain on my bottom once again. ¡¸Ahhhh!! ¡¹ Someone was rubbing my bottom aggressively. It was too painful, so I cried even if I was a goddess. When I turned around, I saw Valkyrie who wrinkled her eyebrows. ¡¸How dare you talk without my permission? I don¡¯t intend to teach the destructive technique to anyone. It¡¯s not something that I can teach in the first place. ¡¹ Seiya was staring at Valkyrie. ¡¸That¡¯s what you decided. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no reason for humans to learn a technique like that. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ll only know if it¡¯s impossible if you give it a try. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­You¡¯re a very persistent guy. ¡¹ Valkyrie touched her silver hair as she grinned at Seiya. ¡¸Hey, by the way. The training was going on for a while now¡­Didn¡¯t you notice it? ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that? ¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s expression changed. ¡¸I mean. I¡¯m talking about you, that is. Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Then, I will tell you properly this time. Pay attention¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Suddenly, I heard a dashing sound. Instantly, Seiya put his sword on Valkyrie¡¯s throat. ¡¸What are you implying, you witch? ¡¹ Valkyrie was looking ghastliness. I rushed immediately to their side. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? What on earth are you doing!? ¡¹ Nonetheless, Seiya was staring at Valkyrie with hawk eyes. ¡¸There is no need to say it right now. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. So, did you realize it? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I said that I wanted to practice with you. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Just for that purpose huh¡­I get it now. ¡¹ The two of them glared at each other in silent for a while. Eh¡­? Just what¡­what were they talking about? Maybe Valkyrie sensed with her goddess intuition that Seiya won¡¯t be able to defeat the evil because the special sword and armor weren¡¯t obtained? I held my breath while I watched them both. Eventually, Valkyrie opened her mouth and showed us an amusingly grin. ¡¸Indeed. This person is certainly different from the other heroes. He might has a slight possibility of acquiring that destructive technique. ¡¹ Seiya lowered his sword after he heard her words. Valkyrie was laughing terribly high. ¡¸But, is it okay? I¡¯ll only teach you the Valhala Gate, get it? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need other techniques. ¡¹ Valkyrie started to walk away. She spoke without turning around. ¡¸¡­Come to my room afterwards. ¡¹ ¡ª After Valkyrie left¡­ ¡¸Ah, so you will be training again. In the end, it turned out like this again. I just wanted us to rest today¡­ ¡¹ I murmured through my sleeves, but at the same time, Mash and Elle spoke eagerly to me. ¡¸Listen, Lista! Now that it turned out like this, can we go to Aria¡¯s place? I want to continue with the practice from the other day! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! I want to go as well! I want to learn a new magic as soon as possible!¡¹ Last time, they had to clean the flies¡¯ corpses with their newly acquired magic skills. They lost enthusiasm in the process¡­But they looked so motivated right now. How pure they were. Well¡­I guess it was a good thing then. ¡¸Yes. I don¡¯t mind. Aria will be pleased as well. You can go now. ¡¹ When I acknowledged them, both Mash and Elle waved goodbye to Seiya and I, and ran away. I became alone with Seiya on the rooftop. I took a deep breath. ¡¸*sighs* So next, you will acquire the destruction technique. But it can¡¯t be helped. You couldn¡¯t get the special sword and armor. Ah. I wonder why we have to go through this repeatedly. Why is so difficult to save an S-rank world? Why do I feel that Seiya is comparing this to those impossible-to-finish games that your world possess? ¡¹ I was complaining to Seiya because no one was around us. However, Seiya didn¡¯t sympathize with me and just told me to let go. ¡¸Complaining won¡¯t help us solve this problem. The status quo doesn¡¯t matter that much. We just need to find the best way out. ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya approached me to show me something. There was a thing on his open palm. ¡¸This is a fragment of the legendary armor. I picked this up when we were in Izale Village.¡¹ ¡¸Is that the Adamantite that the big turtle chewed up? What are you going to do with it?¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t make an armor with this insignificant size. But¡­ ¡¹ Seiya pulled out the platinum sword from his waist and put the Adamantite pieces in the blade. He took my curly hair from his pocket and added to the blade. Soon, the platinum sword increased in radiance. ¡¸I used synthesis to combine the remains with the sword. The amount of effect won¡¯t be that great, but it¡¯s better than nothing. ¡¹ It looked like a divine sword. Even if it was held by Seiya¡¯s hand, the sword seemed to shine brightly by itself as if it gained a personality of its own. ¡¸It will be called ¡°Adamantiter¡±. I don¡¯t know how frightening the Demon King is, but in the meantime, I managed to make a better and stronger sword.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­You truly are one of a kind¡­! ¡¹ My heart beat fast when I looked at the shining sword that gleamed more than gold. I felt that this hero was extraordinary as he took away any negative feeling that I had inside. I entangled my arm within Seiya¡¯s arm on impulse. ¡¸You never give in to pressure!! Seiya is amazing after all!! I¡¯m counting on you!!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Stay away from me, Lista. ¡¹ Seiya hated kinship. But I didn¡¯t let go. ¡¸*grins amusingly* You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed! We are not in a romantic relationship, you know!¡¹ ¡¸¡­I said to stay away. ¡¹ ¡¸No! Because Seiya¡­You had my curly hair hidden on your pocket¡­! C¡¯mon! If you weren¡¯t Seiya I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive you!¡¹ This looked like a love comedy with sweet bickering. I looked angrily cute at Seiya. Well, actually I was not that angry! I¡¯d rather hug him tight! ¡¸Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What? ¡¹ I was expecting some lovey-dovey development between us somewhere deep in my heart. Nevertheless, my heart froze when I heard Seiya¡¯s words. Seiya said to me with a serious face. ¡¸You¡­stink. So, stay away from me. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? Do I smell that badly!? What kind of smell do I have!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Sour. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, that means my body odor is getting strong!! I¡­I¡¯m going to take a bath quickly!!¡¹ ¡¸Do as you please. I am going to Valkyrie¡¯s room. ¡¹ When he said that my body odor was ¡°sour¡±, this was no longer a love comedy. Seiya and I went into different directions. When I was walking to the public bath in the temple, I came across Celseus in the hallway. Steam was rising from his body. It looked like he just left the bath. ¡¸Ah, Celseus. Did you took a bath? ¡¹ I thought that he would feel refreshing after taking a bath. Yet, he was in very bad mood. ¡¸*sounds frustrated* I went to wash my face on the public bath because of the cake¡­.I made that cake with so much confidence¡­and yet¡­it was my face who ate it¡­I¡¯m a laughing stock.¡¹ Celseus laughed masochistically. I also laughed awkwardly. ¡¸Well¡­was it delicious? ¡¹ ¡¸No, of course it wasn¡¯t delicious!! I made the cake with a lot of effort, and in the end, it was smashed onto my face!! I even got tears in my eyes!! ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ After a deep sigh, Celseus suddenly recalled something. ¡¸By the way, did you know that Lady Isister has been looking for you? ¡¹ ¡¸What? The Great Goddess Isister? Why? ¡¹ ¡¸She is probably angry because a demon appeared in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. Se¡­Seriously? ¡¹ ¡¸You should go. ¡¹ ¡­I really wanted to take a bath. But I changed directions. I went to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. ¡ª After knocking, I said ¡¸Excuse me ¡¹ when I opened the door. The Great Goddess Isister was sitting on a chair and I noticed that she was knitting as usual. ¡¸Listarte. You came. ¡¹ I was a little relieved to see the unfussy expression of the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸Ah, excuse me. I heard that you were looking for me. Is it because of that demon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But that was not your fault. That other one came along without permission, am I right? And it seems that Valkyrie cleared it up. There is no problem.¡¹ ¡¸Then, Lady Isister. Why did you want to see me? ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister stopped knitting. ¡¸It seems that the last of the Four General Kings from the Devil¡¯s Army will be making a move in Geabrande soon. That demon will be leading a great army to attack the Imperial Capital. ¡¹ ¡¸What!! ¡¹ I was going to say ¡¸Are you sure! ¡¹ , but I didn¡¯t. The Great Goddess Isister could foresee the near future. So, there was no mistake on what she said. ¡¸Lista. This is a crucial point. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll do my best! ¡¹ ¡¸By the way¡­Is Valkyrie teaching Ryuguuin Seiya at this moment? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­Was it a bad idea? ¡¹ ¡¸Valkyrie¡¯s destruction technique¡­He didn¡¯t obtain the Egzation and the Legendary Armor in the end. So, this option was probably an act of desperation.¡¹ It seemed that the Great Goddess Isister knew about everything as expected. ¡¸I don¡¯t think that humans can learn Valkyrie¡¯s godly techniques. However, we¡¯re talking about that hero. Perhaps, there is a high possibility that he will be able to learn. ¡¹ Oh! The Great Goddess Isister recognized Seiya¡¯s abilities! I really felt proud as the goddess in charge of him! ¡¸Even so, there isn¡¯t much time left before the last of the Four General Kings attacks the Imperial Capital. You need to head back to Geabrande when the time is right. Because this time, I will allow you to arrive in the vicinity of Rosgard¡¯s Imperial Capital. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand! Thank you very much! ¡¹ I said my respects to the Great Goddess Isister when I was leaving her room. Yet. ¡¸Lista. Is that child¡­Is Ryuguuin Seiya that strong? ¡¹ She suddenly asked me a question. I answered with a smile. ¡¸Yes! He is the strongest hero I¡¯ve ever met! When he finishes his practice, he will say ¡°Perfectly Ready!¡± He displays so much confidence that I feel a sense of security! Geabrande is a tough world to save, but I am sure that he will be able to save it in the end! ¡¹ After I reassured her, the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s eyes became stern when she looked at me. ¡¸Listarte. Soon, you will know the real strength of Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. What¡­? ¡¹ What on earth was that supposed to mean? ¡°Real strength¡±? Wasn¡¯t Seiya already too strong¡­? It was a strange remark. I thought for a while because I was confused. When I looked at the Great Goddess Isister, her face returned to the usual unfussy expression. ¡¸Sorry for asking you to come here when you should have been taking a bath. You should go now. You smell like vinegar most probably due to the long trip.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 40 Chapter 40: Don¡¯t say the Words The next morning my whole body was tingling when I got up from my bed. I didn¡¯t know why for a moment, but ah, I remembered. Yesterday, I soaked my body repeatedly and scrubbed it like crazy in the public bath. I wore a clean white dress and I sprinkled perfume on myself. Okay, perfect! I won¡¯t let anyone say that my smell is sour! I opened the door of my room and walked through the aisle of the temple. I encountered Valkyrie on my way. I noticed that she was holding a white canvas and a paintbrush. It seemed that she was taking a break from practice. She will probably use this free time for her hobby. Maybe she will try to paint the same poor drawing again. ¡¸Hello, Lady Valkyrie. By the way, how is Seiya doing? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Why are you giggling so much? ¡¹ Eh¡­Was I giggling that much? But I thought that he would be probably alright. Even if she said that it would be ¡°impossible for humans¡± to achieve that fearsome technique, I was sure that Seiya had almost mastered her skills! Valkyrie spit a short sigh. ¡¸It¡¯s just as you imagined. That guy is outrageous. He already learnt a few steps of the destruction technique.¡¹ ¡¸See, I was right!! *laughs* I thought that would be the case!! ¡¹ I showed her a big smile on my face. ¡¸Why¡­You are actually laughing, you blockhead! ¡¹ *knocking sound* Valkyrie hit on my head. ¡¸It¡­It hurts! But¡­don¡¯t you agree! That hero is a genius after all! ¡¹ ¡¸You keep being ridiculous even after I hit you. ¡¹ After snorting, Valkyrie quickly said. ¡¸Surely, there is a pinch of natural talent. But that¡¯s all. There¡¯s no way he will be able to surpass me with my own skills. Listen, Listarte¡­ ¡¹ Valkyrie muttered with a serious-looking face. ¡¸What matters is the resolution. ¡¹ ¡¸Resolution? ¡¹ I heard an unexpected word. Resolution¡­? Seiya¡¯s resolution¡­What was that? ¡¸You should learn from him. ¡¹ *screams* Suddenly, I felt excruciating pain on my bottom! Valkyrie kicked my bum and went straightaway to the rooftop. Don¡¯t kick my bum! Well, anyway, this time it seemed to be going well! After that, I went to Aria¡¯s room. When I quietly opened the door, I noticed that Mash and Elle were sitting side by side. They were mentally focused. Aria saw that I came in. She prepared some bread and put on their hands. She smiled at them and said; ¡¸Let¡¯s take a break ¡¹. Aria prepared some tea for the both of us. I asked her about their training progress. ¡¸Well. It¡¯s a bit early to tell. But, I think I¡¯ll be able to release their spiritual power a little bit more¡­That¡¯s what I believe. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I can feel a very good presence coming from them! ¡¹ Both of them were bright people. And I understood their unwavering determination. ¡¸I want to be useful to Mister Seiya as fast as possible! ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Elle showed me an innocent smile. Mash also nodded in agreement. ¡¸Yeah! I must be ready to help my Master on crucial moments! ¡¹ We drank a cup of tea made by Aria as everyone chatted for a moment. Soon, I felt a bit uncomfortable because I would be disturbing the next session of their training. Therefore, I left the room. ¡­Mash and Elle were working really hard on their training. ¡­Seiya was trying to learn a new technique that will be able to defeat the Demon King because he didn¡¯t obtain the holy sword and the legendary armor. Somehow, I was feeling a bit frustrated. I returned to my room and thought for a while¡­I finally made a decision. ¡­Okay, it¡¯s decided!! Yes, I completely decided!! Everyone was trying their hardest!! I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m embarrassed! I¡¯ll do it myself!! ¡ª Three days have passed since we came to the God¡¯s realm. In Aria¡¯s room, Mash and Elle were smiling joyfully. ¡¸What? Did something good happen? ¡¹ Aria also told me happily. ¡¸Lista. Their training is complete. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! And what are the results!? ¡¹ ¡¸In fact, Mash can transform into a full dragon god with ease. Elle got a new auxiliary magic called ¡°Quick¡±.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s incredible you two!! ¡¹ I praised them but they looked a bit shy. Then, Aria turned her eyes at them and changed her expression to a serious-looking face. ¡¸Elle. You haven¡¯t reached a good level yet where you can perform both ¡°Haste¡± and ¡°Quick¡± at the same time. You can only use both of them once a day. You¡¯ll need to think wisely, when it¡¯s the best time to use those magic skills together.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you, Lady Aria! ¡¹ ¡¸Mash. It¡¯s the same for you. Originally, to open the seal of your power would take you several years. Once you turn into a dragon and then revert, you won¡¯t be able to use that skill for a few hours.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Understood! ¡¹ Even so, I was surprised to see that Mash and Elle grew much faster than I anticipated! Now, only Seiya was left, but surely, Seiya will¡­! Suddenly, Aria was facing me with a worried face. ¡¸Listen, Lista. Adenela told me that Lady Valkyrie and Seiya¡­have been locked in her room for a long time. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? But isn¡¯t that always the case? ¡¹ ¡¸At first, I thought so as well¡­But I never know what goes inside Lady Valkyrie¡¯s head. I can never predict her actions. You should better go and check on them as fast as you can. It would be bad if a similar incident like the one with Mithis repeated again, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Do you mean that Lady Valkyrie could attack Seiya!? That would be disastrous¡­¡¹ Impossible¡­That couldn¡¯t be¡­right? I became extremely anxious and I jumped out of Aria¡¯s room. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan! ¡¹ Both of them came right behind me. I ran to Valkyrie¡¯s room¡­ ¡¸Excuse me!! Sorry for intruding!! ¡¹ I opened the door without knocking. ¡¸!! ¡¹ I saw something terrible inside. There was something frugal in the center of the spacious room. There were two naked bodies entangled with one another on top of the double sized bed. ¡¸What¡­what¡­what!? What the hell are two doing over there!? ¡¹ I screamed. But they were staring at each other¡¯s breaths and not onto their eyes. A red-faced Valkyrie whispered in Seiya¡¯s ear. ¡¸This is¡­my first time. ¡¹ Seiya also turned his hot gaze to Valkyrie. ¡¸Yeah¡­Me, too. ¡¹ I rushed to the two of them who were having an intimate talk. I forcibly hugged Seiya and pulled him off from Valkyrie. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I should be saying!! I thought that you were training seriously¡­but you were¡­doing this¡­this stuff!! Where is your underwear!? Just wear your damn underwear!!¡¹ ¡¸Why are you misunderstanding the situation? This is part of my training.¡¹ ¡¸What part are you talking about!? I don¡¯t remember telling you to do sexual training!!¡¹ I got closer to Seiya to ask him without Valkyrie listening. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, don¡¯t you remember that Lady Mithis forced you to do those filthy acts!? Did you forgot!?¡¹ ¡¸No. This is not like that time. We¡¯ve both agreed. ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­Agreed!? Are you saying that you and Lady Valkyrie agreed on this!?¡¹ I bit my lips as I looked angrily at Valkyrie. Valkyrie looked way too relaxed for having her breasts exposed like that. ¡¸Ah. What you just did with me¡­You truly did it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸So, you two really did it!? ¡¹ This¡­This was a completely serious situation!! They crossed the line!! A sexual intercourse between a goddess and a human was a totally forbidden act!! Bad things will surely happen if the Great Goddess Isister knew about this!! ¡¸Well, don¡¯t worry. I will explain this to Isister. She won¡¯t complain that much if I apologize.¡¹ If she were the one to apologize, maybe the worst thing that would happen to Seiya was to retire from his hero job. But that was not the problem. I stroke my heart and, then, I raised my voice against Valkyrie. ¡¸What on earth were you thinking!? ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s true that this guy is definitely a good man. That¡¯s why I had to do that too.¡¹ I felt dizzy after I heard an obvious confession of love. ¡¸Why did you do that?¡­Did you forget that a sexual intercourse between a goddess and a human is absolutely prohibited!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah? What are you talking about?¡­Geez. That¡¯s why a blockhead like you is a third-rate goddess.¡¹ ¡¸Third-rate¡­.you say¡­? ¡¹ Finally, I exploded. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to be told that by a filthy goddess that is embracing a naked human being!!¡¹ ¡¸Listarte!! You bitch!! ¡¹ I grabbed my chest because I was nervous. But I wouldn¡¯t lose against her. ¡¸Wh¡­What!! I am right!! I am also doing my best you know!! Just look at this!! I did my best to prepare this for Seiya today, and yet, ¡°this¡± is what I get from you!!¡¹ I wanted to give Seiya the box I held on my hands. However, Valkyrie took the box herself and took the contents out to the palm of her hand. ¡¸What¡¯s this thing¡­? Hair strings¡­? ¡¹ The strange complexion Valkyrie had on her face gradually changed. ¡¸He¡­Hey, Listarte¡­! Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that these hair strings are¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! It¡¯s my private hair!! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say ¡°it¡¯s my private hair¡± that easily!! How can you give this to him as if it was nothing special!! Are you serious!? You must be insane, you blockhead!!¡¹ Valkyrie closed her hands with my private hair and¡­she threw it directly to me like a ¡°hairball¡±. ¡¸I am serious you know!! I thought earnestly about what I could do to help Seiya!! I came up with this idea and I carefully collected my curly hair by pulling them out!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You are¡­! You are a creepy and frightening goddess¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t do that for any ulterior motives!! I did it because it is very useful!!¡¹ Valkyrie¡¯s eyes altered her complexion as if she changed her opinion about me. ¡¸I didn¡¯t know that Listarte was such a bad person. I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll stop massaging you to get milk¡­¡¹ She looked at me as if I was a pervert. Behind me¡­ ¡¸Li¡­Lista. Don¡¯t tell me that you are serious¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan¡­That was a bit¡­How could you¡­ ¡¹ I heard Mash and Elle¡¯s surprising voices. Wh..Why!? Why did it turn out like this!? I just brought it for the sake of synthesis, that¡¯s all¡­!! I looked at the gift on my hands. In order to defeat the Demon King, Seiya was trying to master the destruction technique¡­ Mash and Elle were training hard because they wanted to be useful¡­ That¡¯s why I wanted to do something meaningful as well¡­ On that moment, my brain switched back to normal after I went through exasperation. ¡­Eh!! What¡¯s this!? ¡°Private hair¡±!? What the hell!? Why did I try to even give this to Seiya personally!? Am I that crazy!? As soon as I became sane, I felt that, shame, sorrow and despair, fell hard on my head. *screams* I screamed while I cried because I was ashamed, depressed and hurt. And¡­ ¡¸*yells* Seiya!! ¡¹ I ran while I cried and I embraced Seiya with my runny nose in search of salvation. Yet, Seiya pushed my forehead with one hand. ¡¸Stop it. Dirty. Don¡¯t come near me. You¡¯re dirty. ¡¹ He said I was dirty twice. I cried even more. ¡¸Please don¡¯t!! *sobs* Don¡¯t hate me!! *yells desperately* ¡¹ ¡¸Then stop crying. You¡¯re worse than Rosalie now. ¡¹ He said that I was worse than the warlord princess. Somehow, I stopped crying aloud. However, tears were still overflowing from my eyes. I just couldn¡¯t stop my tears because of my overwhelming feelings. ¡¸But¡­But Seiya is bad too!! You laid in bed with Lady Valkyrie!! ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t do such a thing. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why were you hugging each other naked!? ¡¹ ¡¸I said it was part of my training. ¡¹ Seiya had a serious expression. But I thought it was a lame excuse. ¡¸Lista. You are being delusional. Why do you complain and cry all the time?¡¹ I¡­I just didn¡¯t know why! Why was I sad in times like these? Was I that frustrated? Even if I liked Seiya so much, he was a human being and I was goddess. Then, why? But¡­ ¡­I couldn¡¯t explain it that well. But it felt that my favorite person was being taken away from me!! I asked Seiya persistently. ¡¸Did you not laid down with her? Are you really expecting me to believe that?¡¹ Seiya spoke after a deep sigh. ¡¸I¡¯ve been saying that it was part of my training for a while now. ¡¹ ¡¸Really? Are you really sure? Do you swear to god? ¡¹ ¡¸The god is you. Are you that stupid? ¡¹ After a moment of silence¡­ ¡¸¡­I understand. I can¡¯t believe it that much¡­But for the time being, I¡¯ll believe you.¡¹ After I spoke, I wiped my tears with my dress¡¯ sleeves. Seiya scratched his head after all that tantrum. Then, he took the hairball from my hand and¡­ ¡¸Put it in that bag, with my other belongings. ¡¹ He threw it to Mash. ¡¸Whoa!! What the hell!! ¡¹ Mash was startled and threw it away immediately as if he was touching something burning. ¡¸E¡­Elle! You take it! ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way! That was given to you Mash! I don¡¯t want it! Never! ¡¹ ¡­I was about to cry after I saw their hurtful interaction. However, Seiya spoke to Mash seriously. ¡¸Mash. You keep it. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­! Un¡­Understood¡­! ¡¹ Mash took my private hair reluctantly and he put it inside the luggage. ¡¸Okay¡­Then, have you guys finished your training? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah! And what about you Master, have you finished as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ Seiya nodded in agreement. He looked at Valkyrie afterwards. ¡¸I was in your care, Valkyrie. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya. Will you¡­come again? ¡¹ ¡¸Probably. ¡¹ The two of them were staring deeply at each other. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Let¡¯s go now! The last of the Four General Kings is about to attack the Imperial Capital!¡¹ I pressed hard on Seiya¡¯s back. I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. ¡¸I got permission from the Great Goddess Isister! She will let us take a shortcut to arrive directly at the Imperial Capital! So let¡¯s hurry! Geabrande is on a state of emergency now! ¡¹ I forcibly took him out of the room. I casted the spell right away and the portal to Geabrande appeared instantly. After Seiya left Valkyrie¡¯s room, he looked at the surroundings for a while. It looked as if he was a bit reluctant. However, soon, he made up his mind as he touched his glossy black hair right in front of the magical portal. ¡¸Okay¡­Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ He opened the portal doors and went inside. At that time. I felt a sight discomfort when I looked at Seiya¡¯s back. But I didn¡¯t care much because I was extremely upset about Valkyrie. I thought lightly that ¡°something might¡¯ve happened¡±, but I felt it wasn¡¯t that significant. ¡­Seiya did not say the usual words ¡°Perfectly Ready¡± after finishing his training. Volume 1 - CH 41 Chapter 41: The Last of the Four General Kings I wanted to get away from Valkyrie. Therefore, I pushed Seiya in a hurry as if it was a ¡°life-and-death¡± situation. We managed to arrive in Geabrande extremely fast. When we arrived, I heard a thundering sound on my ears. ¡¸Rosgard is on a brink of a critical situation!! ¡¹ I heard a loud voice nearby. We arrived right in front of the Imperial Capital from the portal. A soldier, wearing an armor with the coat of arms of the Rosgard Empire, was shouting really high¡­I saw other soldiers¡­Actually, a lot of soldiers¡­What was going on!? Wasn¡¯t it a bit too early for this!? There were more than a thousand soldiers lined up in several rows. They all had weapons and they had dreadful looks on their faces. I became startled when I saw the opposite side of the line. I was dumbfounded. I saw familiar black wings. It resembled those of the Great Demon. Actually, the demons resembled Chaos Makina, one of the Four Generals from the Devil¡¯s Army. They were assembling a formation line ten meters away from us. There was a horde of demonic monsters getting ready to confront the thousands of soldiers from the Imperial Army in battle. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that this is¡­the battlefield location¡­! ¡¹ I got an ominous feeling that this imminent situation would ¡°explode¡± at any minute. Mash pulled out the sword from his sheath and took an offensive stance. Elle hid behind me. We were aware of the demonic forces, but before I knew it, the allied Imperial soldiers surrounded us. ¡¸Who are you people? Where did you come from? ¡¹ ¡¸They are suspicious! ¡¹ ¡¸No way! Are they underlings of the Devil¡¯s Army? ¡¹ ¡¸No. We are¡­ ¡¹ When I tried to get rid of this misunderstanding¡­ ¡¸These people are not our enemies! It¡¯s the goddess and the hero¡¯s group!¡¹ I heard a robust voice. When I looked back, I saw an elderly soldier with a beard. When he noticed that we were staring at him, he changed his strict attitude and kindly bowed his head. ¡¸It¡¯s been a long while! I give you my gratitude for saving the Semul town back then! ¡¹ ¡­Eh¡­This person¡­Who was he again? Ah, that¡¯s right! The senior soldier who arrived in Semul¡¯s church looking for the undead! Seiya asked bluntly. ¡¸More importantly. What is the current situation? ¡¹ ¡¸Eliza Kaiser from the Four General Kings led an army of demons with swords and attacked the Imperial Capital! Although we had the advantage in numbers, our army had to retreat because of their terrible offensive power! This is the crucial point in Urges highway that leads to Orphe, the Imperial Capital¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸In¡­In other words, you got cornered in your city¡¯s water edge!? ¡¹ The soldiers nodded with distressing faces. ¡¸But¡­They cornered us here to slow down the attacks. We¡¯re in a state where we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡¹ It was true that the demons didn¡¯t try to move forward. They just looked at their opponents. It was as if they were waiting for something. Eventually, there was movement on the enemy side. A demon, with a body that was remarkably larger than the other demons, appeared by breaking their formation lines. The demon¡¯s head was like a goat with a curved horn. The muscles of the demon¡¯s whole body shined in black as if the muscles were armor themselves. The first thing I noticed was the arms. The demon had three arms on its right side, and the same number of arms on its left side. All six of the demon¡¯s arms were equipped with swords and battle-axes. Seiya¡¯s sharp eyes were pointed towards the enemy. ¡¸The aura is different from the other demons. He is the last of the Four General Kings. ¡¹ ¡¸That is the Eliza Kaiser of the Four General Kings¡­! ¡¹ That demon stood a little ahead of the formation line. The six-arm demon started talking with a low voice in the human language. ¡¸Humans!! Bring your strongest man!! ¡¹ Seiya snorted a bored sigh. ¡¸It seems that he is trying to show off his power. His plans to defeat the strongest soldier of the Imperial Army to crush his enemy¡¯s morale. After doing so, he would plunge in and destroy the Imperial Capital.¡¹ I¡­I see! I mean, for an enemy to show off his power proudly like that¡­It means this enemy was a very strong opponent himself, was that right¡­? I invoked my clairvoyance ability to see the status of General King Eliza. Eliza Kaiser Level ¨C 88 HP ¨C 245842 MP ¨C 98564 Attack ¨C 218333 Defense ¨C 207465 Agility ¨C 140251 Magic ¨C 87654 Resistance ¨C Fire, Wind, Water, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Instant Death Special skills ¨C Full Magic Attack Power Conversion (Lv MAX), Flight (Lv MAX), Evil Eye (Lv 15) Skills ¨C Mode Demonic Six Personality ¨C Ferocity Ugh! The attack and defense power exceeds 200,000 just as Kill Capul predicted! Also, the other numbers were high as well! This demon had a very balanced status! Except for Tanathus whose status was omitted, this demon might be the strongest enemy we¡¯ve met! Eliza glared at the Imperial Army with evil blood-red eyes. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong!! Why aren¡¯t any of you coming out!? Is the Imperial Army just made of human cowards!?¡¹ Before I knew it, there were countless of soldiers from the Imperial Army around Seiya. ¡¸Sir hero! Please! ¡¹ ¡¸Defeat him! Please, defeat that demon! ¡¹ The soldiers around Seiya knew that he was the famous brave hero. Therefore, they begged for his help. ¡­But, he will be forced to fight immediately with the last of the Four General Kings!? Just as we got out of the portal? Was Seiya going to be alright!? Was he prepared to fight that soon!? But as usual, Seiya drew the sword out from his sheath without changing his facial expression. The soldiers voiced a small cheer ¡¸Oh! ¡¹. Seiya tried to step forward¡­But his leg stopped. I saw that a soldier was already walking towards Eliza Kaiser from afar. Although the distance was very far, I could see clearly that it was a soldier. A white-haired soldier, dressed in a golden armor like the one that Rosalie wore before, approached Eliza without fear. ¡¸Is that¡­the Warlord¡­Emperor¡­? ¡¹ Someone confused murmured near us. Soon, all of the thousand Imperial soldiers¡¯ voices screamed aloud simultaneously. ¡¸The Warlord Emperor!! It¡¯s the Warlord Emperor!! ¡¹ ¡¸His Majesty came out from the Imperial Castle in order to save us!! ¡¹ Mash was narrowing his eyes. ¡¸Is that person the Warlord¡­? Rosgard¡¯s strongest warrior¡­Is that really him? ¡¹ ¡°Warlord¡±. His sword was said to be able to tear the heavens apart and break the earth. However, his head was full of white hair. Deep wrinkles carved on his face. The Emperor was much older than I imagined. ¡¸So¡­He¡­looks like a grandpa¡­ ¡¹ It seemed that Elle was also surprised. When I thought of Rosalie¡¯s father, I imagined a man on his late forties, early fifties. But the Emperor was an old soldier who was over seventy years old. The distance between them was only a few meters away from each other. Suddenly, Eliza mocked the approaching Emperor. ¡¸Hey. Who is that old man? ¡¹ The demons behind him started to laugh as well. ¡¸*laughs amusingly* I don¡¯t remember asking you to give me a sacrifice!!¡¹ I pulled Seiya¡¯s arm when I heard the demons laugh. ¡¸He is going to be a true sacrifice if this keeps going on!! Seiya, let¡¯s go!! We have to help!!¡¹ Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡¸Don¡¯t be deceived by his appearance. Just look at that gramps¡¯ status. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think there is a human like him¡­ ¡¹ Seiya murmured quickly. I caught a glimpse of the Emperor¡¯s status using my clairvoyance ability. Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard Level ¨C 90 HP ¨C 259985 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 189633 Defense ¨C 176358 Agility ¨C 148796 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C 777 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Thunder, Ice, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Light Protection (Lv MAX), Attack Power Evolution (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Style Saint Light, Crash Saint Light, Massive Saint Light Personality ¨C Exceptionally Courageous ¡¸¡­What¡¯s with that status!! ¡¹ I was astonished when I saw the Emperor¡¯s capability value. ¡¸Death will fall upon all of you! Go to hell¡­! ¡¹ Three of Eliza¡¯s hands attacked the Emperor using three great swords. However, the Warlord Emperor stopped the swords attack with a golden shield. A heavy and dull uproar echoed everywhere. ¡¸Oh¡­I never thought that I would see a proper shield that didn¡¯t break with my single strike. So, you didn¡¯t come here just to be killed after all. I changed my opinion about you, old man.¡¹ And then, Eliza grinned devilishly. ¡¸I¡¯ll show you¡­¡°Mode Demonic Six¡±! ¡¹ All of Eliza¡¯s arms were equipped with weapons that were faced towards the Emperor. Soon, a black aura was emitted from Eliza¡¯s body. That fearsome demon took an offensive position. I couldn¡¯t stand to watch it because it was too nerve-wracking. So, I pulled Seiya¡¯s arm. ¡¸Seiya! Certainly, the status of the Emperor is far above from a human capability! But both the attack and defense powers are inferior to Eliza¡¯s! He needs reinforcements! ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. ¡¹ Seiya tried to move forward, yet¡­ ¡¸He doesn¡¯t need your help. ¡¹ A cold voice echoed from behind. Before I knew it, a handsome young man of unknown age stood behind us. He was wearing a white robe with a gold embroidery. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Lady goddess and Sir hero. My name is Flasika, the thunder wizard. ¡¹ He kneeled gracefully as he introduced himself. ¡¸Wait a second, Mister Flasika!! What do you mean he doesn¡¯t need our help!? It doesn¡¯t matter how strong the Warlord Emperor is!! Can¡¯t you see that his opponent is one of the Four General Kings!?¡¹ I perfectly knew firsthand how terrifying the Four General Kings were in Geabrande. Each of them had a demonic force of no less than B-rank difficulty. At this precise moment, Eliza was striking the Emperor with the six-arm weapons. The Emperor kept on using his gigantic shield against those strikes. It looked like he had a defensive strategy. ¡­I couldn¡¯t watch! The difference in abilities was obvious! If we don¡¯t hurry, he¡¯ll be chopped to pieces! During that time, my worst fears came in unexpectedly early. The shield of the Warlord Emperor received a strong blow from the six arms and was cast away. ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ That demon laughed while he tried to stab the Emperor with the swords! The Emperor failed to dodge the attacks and started to bleed on his cheek! The continuous strikes did not stop! The Emperor¡¯s arms, legs, were¡­Those body parts were not covered with armor, so they were vulnerable against the enemy¡¯s attacks! He will be cut repeatedly! ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t watch this! He is going to die! ¡¹ Still, contrary to my impatience, Flasika was calm. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s how His Majesty fights. ¡¹ Flasika was staring at Eliza as if he was watching a fool. ¡¸After this, there won¡¯t be any more demons to invade Orphe, the Imperial Capital.¡¹ I was perplexed. It was the Emperor who was cornered! What was wrong with this Flasika guy? It was not only him. The other Imperial soldiers were silently watching the battle between their Emperor and the enemy. If he lost his shield and only defended himself with a single sword, there would be no way that he would be able to prevent the Demonic Six attacks. I could only wait until he was gradually chopped up. However. The Warlord Emperor finally opened his robust mouth. ¡¸Those are fierce sword attacks¡­As expected of the Four General Kings. But¡­ ¡¹ He spoke as if he was having fun. ¡¸I¡¯m accustomed¡­ ¡¹ Instantly. We could hear consecutive metal sounds from wielding swords. Then¡­ ¡¸What just¡­happened? ¡¹ Eliza¡¯s face, which was looking down on the emperor with overwhelming confidence not too long ago, changed to a troubled-looking expression. I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on! Eliza¡¯s eyes could not see the Emperor¡¯s single sword attacks! That confused demon stroke repeatedly with his six-arms, and still, the human with only a single sword prevailed! And then¡­ ¡¸Style Saint Light¡­! ¡¹ The sword of the Emperor started to emit a strong light. The beam of light was released towards Eliza! *Bang* One out of six¡­Eliza¡¯s arm with a battle-axe fell to the ground. Black blood was scattered around! ¡¸Ba¡­Bastard¡­! ¡¹ Then, the trajectory of the light ray was drawn into the space and it created a geometric pattern. In a second, pieces fell to the ground! The remaining arms rolled in the floor! ¡¸Ho¡­How¡­! It¡¯s impossible¡­! This man is a human, not a hero¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I apologize for not being the hero. ¡¹ The Emperor raised his mighty sword above his head¡­ ¡¸Crash Saint Light! ¡¹ It hit Eliza¡¯s head! However, the sword¡¯s light pierced through Eliza¡¯s body in a straight line! The sword swing was extremely fast! The sword¡¯s light came from outside Eliza¡¯s crotch and hit the ground, creating a crater from the impact! Soon, an earthquake occurred! I lost my position and I almost fell to the ground! ¡¸You¡¯re¡­kidding, right!? Did he really defeat the¡­last of the Four General Kings¡­!?¡¹ The soldiers¡¯ cheers roared on my ears while I dazed away. Somehow, I managed to hold Seiya¡¯s feet in the meantime. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Why? How the Emperor won against Eliza? I thought that the Emperor was losing against Eliza¡¯s attacking power not that long ago, am I right? How could he attack faster and stronger than those fearsome six-arms?¡¹ ¡¸You need to see the Warlord Emperor¡¯s status once again. ¡¹ After I was told to use my clairvoyance ability, I looked at the Emperor who was putting his sword back on his sheath. Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard Attack 227512 ¡¸¡­Eh!? The status of his attack changed!? ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that it got higher during the battle. And it exceeded Eliza¡¯s status.¡¹ ¡¸How¡­How is that even possible! ¡¹ I was speechless. The enemy soldiers were not that thrilled by the turn of events. Soon, there was movement in the enemy side after they lost their leader. ¡¸How¡­How dare you kill Lord Eliza!! ¡¹ ¡¸The enemy is just a mere human!! ¡¹ The horde of angry demons started to advance forward in order to attack the Emperor. However, the Emperor drew his sword again and raised it to the top. ¡¸Massive Saint Light¡­! ¡¹ The sword of the Emperor was engulfed in a bright light. Suddenly, the sword extended in length! He slowly moved that great sword of light that stretched through the skyline¡­It scythed down! The dozens of demons that jumped to attack the Emperor were torn apart from their torso! *screams* The complexion of the surviving demons dramatically changed. The demons trembled with fear. *frightened screams* The Warlord Emperor counter attacked!! Every time he wielded his huge sword of light, the demons became lifeless corpses cut in pieces! In addition, after watching the offensive strikes from their Emperor, the Imperial Army raised their swords in unison and headed towards the Demon Army! At the same time, thunder fell from the heavens! The demons became scorched by the powerful lightening magic! ¡¸De¡­Defeat! Defeat¡­!! ¡¹ That was the result of the demons strategy. They were supposed to kill the human enemy, but they were killed instead. The result was that the demons¡¯ attack failed and they were defeated. In the midst of this, the Warlord Emperor changed directions and walked slowly towards us. He loosened his face and laughed. ¡¸My, my. I wonder if an old man like myself took the victory credit from our Sir Hero. ¡¹ Without even asking, the Emperor seemed to know that I was a goddess and that Seiya was the hero. I lowered my head to the Warlord Emperor. ¡¸No, no! There is no problem! On the contrary, your Majesty defeated a formidable enemy, so I would like to thank you! ¡¹ Mash and Elle were excited. ¡¸Warlord Emperor, you were really amazing! ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it yet! The last of the Four General Kings was finally defeated!¡¹ The Emperor crushed the feelings of admiration right in front of the boy and girl. ¡¸I¡¯m getting too old. If I confronted an enemy like this in the past, I would not take this much time just to defeat it.¡¹ What!? When he was young he was a lot stronger than now!? What kind of human was he!? Surprisingly, the Warlord Emperor bowed his head in reverence. ¡¸Lady goddess. I am honored to meet you. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­Ah¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ I was a little embarrassed by his gentle attitude. Ah, no, there was no need for me to be embarrassed! That¡¯s right! Originally, this was supposed to be the regular attitude when a person meets a goddess for the first time! Seiya treated me so unkindly that I forgot what was supposed to be like! ¡¸Please come to the Imperial Castle later on. There is something I would like to show you.¡¹ ¡¸Something to show me? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸Please, look forward to it. ¡¹ The Emperor invited me to his castle with a gentle expression. Of course, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem to go. But, I couldn¡¯t suppress the question that arose on my mind. ¡¸Ah, excuse me, your Majesty. But why won¡¯t you participate in destroying the devil forces, even though you¡¯re so strong?¡¹ Then, the Warlord Emperor gave me a slightly painful expression. ¡¸That¡¯s because¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because? ¡¹ At that very moment, I heard his excruciating voice¡­ ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ The Emperor crouched while he grabbed his chest. Flasika noticed what was happening and came rushing to us. ¡¸This¡­This is bad! Warlord Emperor! Clear everyone from here! Hurry! Hurry up! ¡¹ *agonizing sound* The Emperor screamed in pain. And Flasika yelled to everyone around us. Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that the Emperor had an incurable disease!? Was this the reason why the Emperor could not leave the Imperial Capital!? ¡¸Warlord Emperor is¡­Warlord Emperor will¡­ ¡¹ The usually calm wizard Flasika became nervous as he yelled extremely loud. ¡¸The Warlord Emperor will become an idiot!! ¡¹ ¡­Eh¡­!? *dripping sound* I heard a weird sound. When I looked closely, I noticed that liquid dripped off from the crotch of the Emperor without stopping. Where was his majestic face? The powerful Warlord Emperor had small tears on the corner of his eyes. He spoke while biting his thumb like a young child. ¡¸*sobs*¡­Feels wet. It¡¯s leaking out¡­*sobs* ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 42 Chapter 42: Orphe, the Imperial Capital ¡¸Somebody¡­Somebody¡­Please, give me a towel!! ¡¹ After Flasika received a towel prepared by the soldiers¡­ ¡¸Excuse me! ¡¹ He placed it between the Emperor¡¯s legs. ¡¸Whoa¡­It¡¯s wet and disgusting¡­Hey, my underwear¡­Is it okay to take it off here?¡¹ ¡¸N¡­No! Please, be patient! ¡¹ *sobs* The half-naked Warlord Emperor started to cry as he displayed a runny nose. Elle, Mash and I were hardened like stones. We were more shocked by this unbelievable situation than when we were with the demons with swords. Seiya was looking at the Emperor with his usual normal demeanor as if it was nothing special. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Look at the Emperor¡¯s abilities using your clairvoyance power.¡¹ ¡¸But, we already looked at his status, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Look at it again. ¡¹ I focused on my special skill to look at the Emperor¡¯s status¡­ Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard Special skills: Aging (Lv MAX), Peeing (Lv 8), Infant Regression (Lv 9) ¡¸What ridiculous special skills!! Since when Aging became Level Max!? ¡¹ ¡¸Now we know why the Emperor can¡¯t leave the Imperial Capital. ¡¹ Soon, the Warlord Emperor stopped crying as if he forgot his crotch was wet moments ago. ¡¸Butterfly! Butterfly! ¡¹ He started to run around with his hands stretched to the sky. By the way, I didn¡¯t any fly that resembled a butterfly flying around here. ¡­This¡­This was terrible¡­! Don¡¯t tell me that this was a ¡°primary nursing level¡±¡­! During this time. The sound of horses¡¯ hooves was heard from behind our backs. When I turned around, I saw a female knight with a familiar blue hair that approached us with a white horse. ¡¸Father!! ¡¹ The Emperor¡¯s daughter Rosalie jumped immediately from her horse. Noticing her arrival, the Emperor stopped chasing butterflies and ran in Rosalie¡¯s direction. ¡¸Sweet Rosalie!! ¡¹ He screamed joyfully as he embraced his daughter. ¡¸I felt so lonely! My sweet Rosalie was gone! So, I was very, very, lonely! ¡¹ ¡¸Father, please calm down! ¡¹ It felt more when a stray child found his mother than the embrace of a father and daughter. Not only us, but the soldiers of the Imperial Army were also staring speechless at Rosalie and the Emperor. Rosalie noticed everyone¡¯s gaze and she became furious. ¡¸What are you looking at!! ¡¹ The soldiers trembled in fear. ¡¸People got wounded because of the battle against the demons!! There are lots of things to do!!¡¹ The soldiers rushed like scattering spiders. We were the only ones left behind. ¡¸You¡­You people were here¡­! ¡¹ Of course, it was a scene that Rosalie didn¡¯t want us to see. She had a very complex expression on her face, but she couldn¡¯t say more as the Emperor hugged her again. ¡¸Lovey! My sweetie Rosalie, I lovey you! ¡¹ ¡¸Father! Please, stop it! A ghost will appear if you do that! A ghost will definitely come out!¡¹ ¡¸Ghost!? Gh¡­Ghosts are¡­very scary!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s scary, right? Then, please be quiet! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­I¡¯ll be very quiet¡­I¡¯m scared of ghosts¡­*sobs* ¡¹ Rosalie, who noticed that Seiya was staring at the Emperor with cold eyes, yelled at him with a red face. ¡¸Hey, you, what¡¯s up with your eyes!? If you have something to say, just say it!!¡¹ However, Seiya remained silent with a disgusted face. I opened my mouth instead. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Rosalie. Don¡¯t tell me that his condition really is a ¡°cognitive¡­¡¹ As soon as I started to speak, she looked at me with a scary face that resembled an ogre. ¡¸Don¡¯t say it¡­! Don¡¯t you dare say anything anymore¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸But, you told us to speak if we had something to say!! ¡¹ In the meantime, the Emperor ran in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸Brother, let¡¯s play! Play! ¡¹ He crushed the innocent old man¡¯s request. ¡¸Stay away from me. ¡¹ Seiya kicked the Emperor¡¯s abdomen without hesitation. The Emperor rolled on the ground¡­ *cries loudly* He burst out crying without stopping. ¡¸You bastard¡­!! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, damn you!! ¡¹ Rosalie ran to her father. A crying father embraced his daughter. ¡¸*sobs* That was so scary¡­I got myself wet again¡­*sobs* ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, okay, okay! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give that guy a lesson! ¡¹ Rosalie was comforting her crying father. I approached them and I touched her shoulder slightly. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me. But I was told by the Emperor to come to the castle. He said he had something to show me¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah!? That¡¯s for later!! ¡¹ ¡¸Later¡­How long afterwards? ¡¹ Then, the Warlord Emperor began to chase the invisible butterflies again. ¡¸Butterfly! Butterfly! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. Do something about this idiotic gramps. ¡¹ ¡¸How¡­How dare you call him idiotic gramps!! Watch out your words!! ¡¹ ¡¸Listen, Rosalie. How long will he stay like this? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re really noisy!! Well, it will take approximately one hour¡­no, two hours!! Come to the Imperial Castle two hours later!! You guys will have to wait in Orphe until then!!¡¹ After being told, Seiya started to walk away. ¡¸Let¡¯s do that. There¡¯s nothing left for us here. Besides that¡­If we stay too long, we might get infected with stupidity.¡¹ ¡¸You bastard!! *yells furiously* ¡¹ ¡¸Le¡­Let¡¯s go now!! ¡¹ Elle hurried ahead and we followed her from behind. We went quickly to the Imperial Capital to escape from Rosalie¡¯s wrath. ¡ª When we entered in Orphe, the Imperial Capital, I noticed that this city was more prosperous than any other town we¡¯ve seen. The cobblestone streets were overflowing with old and young men and women dressed in stylish clothes. I could hear lively voices from the merchants in the shops lining the narrowed streets. It seemed that the city was in a celebratory mood. It was an undeniable fact that the Emperor defeated the last of the Four General Kings. The people regarded their Emperor as an idol. Everyone greatly praised his accomplishment in the battle even though they didn¡¯t know the real abomination. That¡¯s right. Thanks to the Emperor¡¯s efforts in defeating Eliza, the only enemy left was the Demon King himself. ¡­Hmm. Somehow, I felt that something was off. Maybe that was because a human from this world actually managed to overthrow the last of the Four General Kings. Well¡­I thought deeply about it¡­but maybe it was just luck¡­? I noticed a sign after we walked in the city for a while. It said ¡°BAR¡±. I touched Seiya¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Look, look, Seiya! Can we drop by for a minute here? It looks like a nice bar.¡¹ However, Seiya looked at me with a bored face. ¡¸What would you do if an enemy suddenly attacked you while you drank alcohol?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I just want to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere! ¡¹ ¡¸The bars are full of drunkards. Usually, they make mistakes. That escalates to disputes between other drunkards. Then, it becomes a fight and, eventually, someone is stabbed. For that reason I won¡¯t go.¡¹ ¡­Ah. He was cautious with these ordinary things as well. I didn¡¯t go to the bar. Suddenly, Mash grabbed my hand. ¡¸Lista! There¡¯s a casino over there! ¡¹ When I looked at the casino, I saw a Bunny Girl holding a signboard and receiving guests. Geabrande wasn¡¯t well-developed in science and it didn¡¯t have the glittering of neon lights. Nevertheless, the casino was a colorful-decorated building. I felt it had a gorgeous atmosphere. Elle¡¯s eyes were shining brightly. ¡¸So, this is the casino! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one! ¡¹ In the fantasy world, the casino was one of those fun places for adventurers! Mash and Elle seemed to be interested as well¡­ I smiled at them. ¡¸Shall we go inside for a little bit? ¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸We all need a distraction once in while! Look, maybe we could exchange this medal for some money.¡¹ However. Seiya left us in front of the casino and walked away. ¡¸He¡­Hey, Seiya!? Wait a second!! Don¡¯t you want to go with us!? ¡¹ When I shouted, Seiya looked back at me with troublesome expression and said emphatically. ¡¸Even if the possibility of losing was just 1%, gambling itself is a bad habit.¡¹ Ah, c¡¯mon. How could he be this serious!! Mash really wanted to go. So, I persistently invited Seiya go to with us. ¡¸I wonder if we could exchange this medal for a great weapon or armor?¡¹ What do you think! With this, Seiya will get a bit interested, won¡¯t he? I thought so. Still, Seiya stared at me with icy eyes. ¡¸Lista. If you really think you can get a strong weapon that will defeat the Demon King with a mere casino prize¡­then, your brain is about the same size of the white ball around the roulette wheel.¡¹ ¡¸Are you implying that my brain is that tiny!? ¡¹ Seiya started to walk away without stopping. I could hear Elle¡¯s voice saying ¡¸Ah. I really wanted to go there¡­ ¡¹ behind my back. I spoke with Seiya with an angry tone. ¡¸Seiya. You won¡¯t be punished if you relax for a little bit, you know? Both Mash and Elle really wanted to go there. So, why not?¡¹ ¡¸If I have leisure time, then I would rather go to a weapon shop or a tool shop. Since it¡¯s the Imperial Capital, they might sell something useful for battles.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We were supposed to do that later! But, right now¡­ ¡¹ Then, Seiya glared at me with icy eyes. ¡¸You are a goddess. Why don¡¯t you just think about this world more seriously?¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course, I think. But I also think that we need to relax for once in a while!¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely. That¡¯s why Valkyrie calls you a third-rate goddess. ¡¹ ¡­Ah? Why did he brought Valkyrie¡¯s name into this conversation? ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that!! I can¡¯t win against Valkyrie anyways!! ¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lisutan!? Calm down!! ¡¹ Elle tried to calm me down because I was extremely angry with Seiya. He continued to walk where the wind was blowing as if nothing happened and stopped in front of a tool shop. ¡¸What do you think, costumer! We have a limited product called ¡°Top Herbal Medicine¡±!¡¹ ¡¸I see. How is it different from ordinary medicinal herbs? ¡¹ ¡¸The resilience is completely different! With this, you can heal any wound instantly!¡¹ ¡¸Really? I will burn your shop if you¡¯re lying. So, is this herb that good? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­but why are you blackmailing me!? You are a very scary customer!! But, I¡¯m not lying!! The resilience of this special medicinal herb amounts to three ordinary herbs, so the quality is far superior than any other medicinal herb you¡¯d find!!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Then, get me some of it. ¡¹ As usual, I yelled at Seiya, who was trying to buy a ridiculous amount of herbs with tons of money. ¡¸Listen, Seiya!! You can heal using my magic abilities!! You don¡¯t need those random medicinal herbs!!¡¹ Then, the shopkeeper got an upsetting complexion far superior than Seiya. ¡¸What do you mean by ¡°random medicinal herbs¡±? It was extremely difficult for me to purchase this Top Herbal Medicine! These herbs won¡¯t lose against the High Priestess¡¯ meaningless healing spells!¡¹ I would apologize under normal circumstances. However, I was in a very bad mood. ¡¸What! My magical abilities are more powerful than those herbs! ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s have a competition! I¡¯ll find the perfect subject¡­¡¯kay! ¡¹ The shopkeeper found a soldier walking in the city and called him out. ¡¸What happened to me, you ask? When the demons with swords attacked us earlier, my arms were hurt. But I don¡¯t have money with me, so I can¡¯t cure them¡­¡¹ The shopkeeper looked at the soldier¡¯s arms and grinned victoriously. ¡¸This soldier has a similar injury on both arms. What do you think? Shall we compete to see who can heal this man¡¯s arms faster? If I can get you to buy my special goods, then I will sell them for half the price!¡¹ ¡¸Bring it on!! ¡¹ The shopkeeper put his medicinal herbs in the soldier¡¯s right arm! And I concentrated my healing abilities on the soldier¡¯s left arm! The Will of Creation that brought this universe to life!! Please give me strength!! Go!! My goddess¡¯ power!! Burn it up!! Go!! ¡­After a minute. ¡¸The Top Herbal Medicine was the quickest to heal, after all!! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!! The other arm where this Lady tried to cure still has some wounds left.¡¹ ¡­Yes, I lost. I tried my best, but it was useless. I could not win against medicinal herbs. The soldier was still hurt. So, Seiya looked down on me. ¡¸¡­This dumb medicinal herb woman. ¡¹ ¡¸You perfectly know that I am far better than those mere medicinal herbs, right!? You know it too well!! Because if I released my true goddess¡¯ healing power, I wouldn¡¯t lose against those medicinal herbs!!¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s true, then show it right now. ¡¹ ¡¸But if I do it right now, I will be demoted immediately from working as a goddess!!¡¹ ¡¸You are delusional as always. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But I said it to you countless of times before!! A goddess cannot help human beings excessively.¡¹ ¡¸Hey. Give me those special medicinal herbs. You said it was a limited product. So, give me everything you got up to the limit. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!! Thank you very much!! ¡¹ ¡ª After we left the tool shop¡­ ¡¸Why¡­! Why again¡­! Why that happens all the time¡­! ¡¹ I was walking as I murmured angrily to myself. Mash noticed my anguish and spoke with me. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Calm down. Look, Lista. We still got your special private hair!¡¹ ¡¸This mushroom is getting on my nerves!! I am going to tear you apart, you mushroom!!¡¹ ¡¸What dreadful words!! And you call yourself a goddess!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ma¡­Mash usually says weird things sometimes! Please, forgive him, Lisutan!¡¹ I ignored Elle¡¯s words and continued walking ahead. ¡¸Lisutan¡­? ¡¹ After that, Seiya went into various weapon shops. After spending a lot of time in the shops, we finally left. Before long, I could see the Imperial Castle¡¯s structures in the distance¡­ ¡¸We should go now. ¡¹ Seiya changed direction towards the castle¡­My heated tension was the worst in history due to repetitive frustrations. Volume 1 - CH 43 Chapter 43: Reasons Not to Die The Imperial Capital had a huge castle on a hill top that proudly conveyed the prosperity of the Empire and the dignity of the Warlord Emperor. A strong-looking gate that served as the entrance of the castle was widely opened by the guards as we approached. ¡¸You came. ¡¹ As soon as we entered the castle, Rosalie, who was wearing an indigo-colored dress, greeted us. We followed Rosalie as we walked on a red carpet. After opening the doors, we arrived in a designated room. However, the Emperor was not inside. I spotted a large rectangular table with chairs arranged around it. ¡¸There¡¯s something I want to tell you. But before that¡­ ¡¹ Rosalie was staring at Seiya with alarming eyes. ¡¸You are wearing the same platinum vests from before. What happened to the legendary armor?¡¹ ¡¸A big turtle ate it. ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. You have to be kidding me. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not kidding. I would be wearing it if I got it. But when we went to get the armor, we found out that it was already destroyed by the demons. ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say¡­! ¡¹ Rosalie shook her head from side to side after she was at a loss of words. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing we can do about that armor now. So, what do you want to tell us?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes¡­First, sit down. ¡¹ Rosalie invited us to sit down. She sat down on the chair that enabled her to face everyone sitting in the table. She started to talk slowly with a very serious expression. ¡¸The Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard pacified the Cyclops rebellion that occurred three decades ago. And fifteen years ago, he destroyed the Lion King Dorfreah that ruled over the devilish Hades country. He turned eighty years old this year, and yet, he didn¡¯t listen to the words of his advisors and went to Alfreis continent alone. He went to defeat the Demon King that was living in the colder northern part of that continent. Well¡­It seems that he became stupid on his way and our army rescued him on the border of Alfreis continent.¡¹ ¡¸What on earth are you trying to say? ¡¹ Eventually, Rosalie opened her mouth with a heartbreaking look. ¡¸My father¡­won¡¯t live much longer. The royal physician of the castle says that the recent eccentricities and his old age may be the main factors for his health decline.¡¹ During that time, Rosalie¡¯s usual dangerous face changed to a tenderly face of a daughter that cared deeply about her father. ¡¸My father was not only strong. He was also kind. He always stroke my head gently when he returned from his battles. For me the Emperor is¡­No. He is the pride of Rosgard¡¯s citizens. That¡¯s why I wanted him to live the rest of his remaining life in peace.¡¹ Rosalie looked at Seiya with unusual and unappealing eyes. ¡¸If my father tells us that he wants to fight the Demon King with you; I would like you to protest against it.¡¹ Seiya spoke without much care. ¡¸Even if you didn¡¯t tell me this, I would refuse if he brought up that proposition anyways. I don¡¯t want to be bothered by an idiotic grandpa. ¡¹ Rosalie nodded quietly. ¡¸Thank you, I¡¯ll entrust it to you. Also¡­Don¡¯t you dare say ¡°idiotic grandpa¡±¡­!¡¹ ¡ª After the audience with Rosalie, we met the Emperor, who sat on his throne with dignity. When we approached him, I noticed that he looked a little bit ashamed. ¡¸I do not remember much after I defeated the last of the Four General Kings¡­I must¡¯ve been rude. I heard it from Rosalie¡­It seems that sometimes I lose my consciousness.¡¹ ¡¸Did you lose it now too? ¡¹ The Emperor distorted his face when he heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸I am okay now as you can see. It will be a long while until it happens again because I lost my senses not too long ago. More importantly, hero. With the Four General Kings gone, are you going to attack the main stronghold of the Demon King?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, I don¡¯t need your power. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ The Emperor was taken aback by Seiya¡¯s abrupt words. He stood silent for a moment. Yet, after that, he started to laugh cheerfully. ¡¸*laughs* Of course! Even if you don¡¯t borrow the power of this old man, the world will be saved if you people are there!¡¹ Rosalie agreed immediately with the Emperor. ¡¸Yes! My father bravely beat down the last of the Four General Kings! He already exercised too much active energy! All we have to do is leave it to the hero!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Originally, all I wanted to do was to talk with the Lady goddess!¡¹ The Warlord Emperor smiled at me after laughing extremely high. ¡¸I am planning to show the proud Cathedral of this city to the Lady goddess!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s wonderful, father! I¡¯m sure the goddess will rejoice after she sees the stunning sacred Cathedral!¡¹ On that precise instant. The doors of the audience room opened and a soldier with a strange complexion came running inside. Rosalie yelled furiously. ¡¸Hey!! We are in the midst of a private audience now!! ¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me for my rude behavior! But we¡¯ve got a report! A report to deliver! The remnants of demons with swords are attacking a town near the Imperial Capital! ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!! ¡¹ Whether the sense of justice was high, or whether the blood was boiling with hatred. But the Emperor stood up from the throne straightaway. ¡¸I will not stand by!! ¡¹ On the other hand, Rosalie looked at Seiya with eyes that signaled something. Seiya puffed out a small sigh after he noticed her signs. ¡¸I¡¯ll be the one to go there. You are the king. You should remain here and protect the Imperial Capital.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of it immediately. As you mentioned earlier, you should show the proud Cathedral to the goddess.¡¹ I was actually prepared to follow Seiya to the battlefield. However, I looked at Seiya with surprise after what he said to the Emperor. I felt really angry before, but those frustrating feelings were no longer inside my heart. Seiya turned his gaze to Mash and Elle. ¡¸You both have my luggage. Follow me. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ Both of them looked at me before they left the audience room. Even Rosalie glanced back while walking away¡­Seiya was the only one who did not look behind as if he didn¡¯t care much about me. ¡ª The Cathedral was located in the premises of the Imperial Castle. When we arrived, I noticed that the doors were solemn but with detailed structures not inferior to the castle¡¯s decoration. The Emperor, who was wearing a golden armor, slowly opened the doors. The Emperor told me ¡¸I have to be dressed respectfully to enter this place ¡¹, so he changed cloths before coming here. When the heavy doors closed, I was surprised to see that the interior was much wider than I expected it to be. A stone statue of a winged goddess was placed far in the distance, and behind it was a beautiful glass that transmitted a seven-colored light from the outside. The space was quite large because there weren¡¯t any chairs available for worship. The Emperor and I were the only ones walking inside the Cathedral. ¡¸A few decades ago¡­I heard a legend about a goddess who would appear in front of the person who was fated to save the world. I longed for it, so I built this Cathedral. Well, I wasn¡¯t the one to bear such a big responsibility in the end.¡¹ The Emperor stopped in front of the statue and his laugh sounded lonely. ¡¸But if I kept living, I was sure that the day would come when I could invite the real goddess to this place. I, Wolks Rosgard, feel deeply honored to have you here today.¡¹ I was feeling down because of Seiya. But, when the Emperor bowed deeply his head as if I were a Buddha, I felt even worse. Somehow, I managed to respond with a bright voice. ¡¸Ah well, it¡¯s really a wonderful Cathedral! It is not only beautiful, but also well-built¡­It¡¯s completely different from ordinary cathedrals!¡¹ The Emperor smiled when I expressed my thoughts. ¡¸As expected of Lady goddess. You noticed the difference. Actually, it was not by chance that this Cathedral was built with stronger structures. I wanted it to be used as a temporarily shelter in case the city got attacked by demons.¡¹ ¡¸I see! So, His Majesty thought of your people when this place was built! Really, I wanted that cold-hearted hero to be more considerate like you! ¡¹ ¡¸Lady goddess. I noticed earlier that something happened between you two¡­I was wondering if you are not getting along well with Sir hero? ¡¹ I finally let lose my accumulated frustration when I was asked about it. ¡¸Nothing goes well! Seiya completely ignores me! No, actually it¡¯s been like this since I first met him! He always says to me that I¡¯m ¡°useless¡±! Sometimes he rejects me by saying ¡°I don¡¯t want it¡±! He always makes me feel like a fool, always¡­At the end of the day, he will always say to me that I¡¯m a filthy goddess¡­Ah! I got angrier now because I remembered it!¡¹ In contrast to my resentment, the Warlord Emperor fully smiled at me. ¡¸*laughs* The more talented he is, the more distorted his character will be.¡¹ However, the old man in front of me was not only talented, but his character was wonderful as well. Maybe he got wiser and kind with age¡­Ah, I wished my hero was a responsible person with a similar character like the Emperor¡¯s! ¡¸Either way, the Lady goddess is a high-ranking deity that lives an eternal life. So, this kind of frustration will only stay for a moment. Humans, who are busy living this short life, won¡¯t even have the time to contemplate over these sort of feelings. So, don¡¯t worry too much. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. That¡¯s probably right if you say so. ¡¹ The Emperor murmured as he looked closely at the statue in the Cathedral. ¡¸By the way, Lady goddess. Why gods can live an eternal time without dying¡­? Do you know the reason why?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t think I do. ¡¹ ¡¸I heard many stories and theories about that for these long years I¡¯ve lived on this world. Well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but if you don¡¯t mind, I would like you to hear a version of the story.¡¹ The Emperor began to speak as his voice echoed throughout the vast space of the Cathedral. ¡¸You are able to descend to this world Geabrande in the form of a human being. Right now, the soul that you have in your human body is a ¡°temporarily soul¡± called Astral Soul. Your ¡°original soul¡±¡­is called Divine Soul and is stored in a stationary room in the heavenly world. So even if you die in this world, your Astral Soul, that is the temporarily soul, will be the only one to perish. As long as your Divine Soul is kept in the stationary room, you will be able to live forever without dying¡­That¡¯s the reason why.¡¹ E¡­Eh!! I didn¡¯t know any of this!! So, that was the real reason for not dying!? ¡¸Besides, the summoned hero¡¯s soul has the same principle. If the hero is killed in this world, he will return to where he came from. The hero¡¯s real soul is currently on his original world. Therefore, if he dies here, he will return to that world.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, as I said earlier, it¡¯s just a story I heard before. So, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­I think that this story is probably true. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that. ¡¹ The Emperor spoke with a gentle laugh. However, I heard from Aria before that the God¡¯s realm had a ¡°room that stopped time¡±, and that the Great Goddess Isister was responsible for that special room. I was wondering why the Great Goddess Isister kept going to that room back then. But now that I heard the Emperor¡¯s story, I became convinced about it. ¡¸Even so, you know the details of that story really well! ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs* I hope you enjoyed it. Okay, then let¡¯s talk about a magical device on this story.¡¹ ¡¸Magical device¡­you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. In fact, there is a magical device called ¡°Chain Destruction¡± somewhere in the three-dimensional world. In other words, it¡¯s a horrifying magical device that will destroy the Astral Soul, and it will also destroy the Divine Soul in the process, because that original soul is connected to the temporarily soul through that destructive chain. ¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case¡­then that means that Seiya and I will die!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. There is a rumor that the Demon King staying in Geabrande already got his hands on this magical device¡­¡¹ The Emperor looked at me with a face that came from a ghost story. My spine froze in terror. ¡¸Ple¡­Please, stop it! That¡¯s a very scary story! ¡¹ ¡¸I apologize if I scared you. However, the Demon King remains in his castle without getting out because he is awaiting earnestly for the hero to arrive. The Chain Destruction has been already activated in the Devil Castle. If you die in there, neither the hero nor the goddess will be revived¡­This is just a rumor though.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s just a rumor, right? First, the Chain Destruction story is a bit unrealistic! There is no way that such magical device exists in an earthly world! ¡¹ I raised my voice to dispel the anxiety that spread rapidly on my heart. ¡¸I wonder if that story is true¡­ ¡¹ The Emperor slowly went behind the goddess¡¯ statue. When he reappeared, the Emperor held a scabbard on his hand. ¡¸The Demon King has already completed the Chain Destruction by torturing thousands of clergy people. He used the negative aura that generated from the cruel murders. That device rests in the Devil Castle. Furthermore, the demonic power of the Demon King does not stop here. He has created weapons with terrible magical powers that can be connected with the Chain Destruction¡­¡¹ Soon, the expression of a good kind-hearted man disappeared from the Emperor¡¯s face. The Warlord Emperor drew his black sword and directed it at me. ¡¸This blade is associated with the Chain Destruction. It will be able to destroy the hero¡¯s soul and kill the goddess. This is the ¡°God Eater¡±.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 44 Chapter 44: List of Possibilities I instinctively took my gaze away from the Warlord Emperor¡¯s eyes. And I looked alarmed at the sword¡¯s sharping point. ¡¸Too bad, goddess. But, you will die here. I will destroy your brain and your heart with this sword.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re joking, right? ¡¹ ¡¸I heard that, as long as there is a goddess, the hero would be able to escape to the heavenly world at any time. Therefore, I will kill the goddess first in order to destroy an escaping route. I have to take the proper measures before a battle.¡¹ In other words, he was aiming at Seiya all this time!? But¡­But, why!? The Emperor pointed his wrinkled hand directly at me. ¡¸Old age is a horrible thing. This body is like steel, but my brain is still clear, even at this moment. I didn¡¯t go to Alfreis, the current home of the Demon King, just for an act of chivalry. I intended to put an end to this old body of mine. But, I met the Demon King there.¡¹ Rosalie said that the Imperial Army stopped the Emperor before he reached Alfreis!! But the Emperor had already met the Demon King by then!? ¡¸The Demon King saw everything. He knew what I desired, so he gave me the God Eater. Okay¡­Let¡¯s stop this idle talk. I¡¯ll fall into unconsciousness again if I don¡¯t do this quickly.¡¹ Then, the Emperor drew his black sword backwards. He took an offensive stance. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I worshipped and honored the almighty god once before. So, I will show you my empathy. I¡¯ll try to kill you with one blow.¡¹ ¡¸*shouts* Stop!! Wait a moment!! ¡¹ My dignified attitude as a goddess disappeared the moment I cried desperately for my life. However, the Emperor did not hesitate and tried to kill me with that big sword. *screams* I twisted my body when he tried to slash me. The Emperor had a surprising expression on his face. Somehow, I managed to survive his attack. ¡¸You avoided my attack just now. You have unexpectedly good eyes. It will be difficult for me to kill you with just a single blow.¡¹ ¡¸It hurts!! ¡¹ I felt an abrupt pain on my feet. At the same time, my body started to trembled incessantly. I fell in the floor. ¡¸¡­Just accept your fate. ¡¹ It was as if I fell from riding a horse. I felt awful. The Emperor pointed his God Eater onto my heart. ¡­Eh¡­Eh¡­Eh!! Wait, why was this happening!? Seriously, I was really going to be killed now!? My soul will be destroyed and lost forever!? It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t¡­ ¡¹ A thin and trembling voice came out from my mouth. The Emperor looked at me with disgusting eyes. ¡¸Are you that afraid of dying? Now that I¡¯m looking carefully at you, you¡¯re just a young woman even though you¡¯re a goddess. You¡¯re pathetic.¡¹ Then, he drew his sword. ¡¸Still, I won¡¯t spare you. ¡¹ I was so scared. My eyes were full of tears. He ¡°will kill¡± me even though I was immortal¡­This was the first time my entire life that I had a taste of real fear¡­Even so, I knew the feelings of despair. I felt a sense of hopelessness because I didn¡¯t have enough power to protect my life from being taken away¡­ ¡¸Seiya¡­Save me¡­ ¡¹ I muttered in the brink of death. The Emperor shook his head. ¡¸Reality is not a fairytale. There¡¯s no such thing as a well-timed hero for these moments of crisis. Listen well. That hero won¡¯t come here. There is no way that he will think I would attack you in the first place. Besides, everyone thinks that a ¡°goddess can¡¯t die¡±¡­That hero perfectly knows that trait about you. He should be fighting the remnants of the demons with a peace of mind.¡¹ It was exactly as the Emperor predicted. There was no reason for Seiya to come here out of nowhere and help me in this crucial time. That was logical. My soul, was cornered, even so I asked for the hero¡¯s help. ¡¸Save me, Seiya!! *yells aloud* ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s useless to resist, goddess. You should return to nothing. ¡¹ The Emperor swung the God Eater. I instinctively covered my chest with my arms. But, that would be a meaningless effort. Because that sword would be able to slash my arms and pierce my heart. Once that happens, I will surely die. ¡­At least¡­I wanted to die after reconciling with Seiya¡­ The moment of death was dreadfully near. But, my eyes became distracted. The doors of the Cathedral opened a little bit and the light from outside reflected on my teary eyes. Soon¡­A tremendous cracking sound was heard when the doors opened fully wide! At the same time, an arrow of light came flying through the shining light from the outside and went straightaway to the Emperor¡¯s direction! ¡¸What? ¡¹ The Emperor retreated the sword pointed towards my heart to deflect the attacks. Then, three arrows of light came flying but he defended himself with the God Eater. ¡­That was¡­the Shining Arrow!! Was it Seiya!? However, there was no hero in sight. In front of the opened doors, stood a pale-faced Rosalie instead of Seiya. ¡¸This¡­This can¡¯t be true¡­! My father attacked the goddess¡­! ¡¹ Mash and Elle appeared next to her. ¡¸Lisutan!! Are you okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸This was exactly as the Master predicted! ¡¹ Mash rushed away from the doors after he shouted. Suddenly, I heard fierce sounds from battling swords from the place where I fell down! When I looked ahead, I noticed that the Adamantiter and the God Eater were engaged in a fierce fight! Before I knew it, Seiya was right in front of me! He exchanged sword blows with the Emperor! ¡¸Gramps. Get away from this woman. ¡¹ The Emperor was more astonished than I was. ¡¸So, you concealed your appearance through the bright light of those arrows. That¡¯s why you managed to enter this Cathedral unnoticeable. Even so, I never thought you would actually appear in here.¡¹ ¡¸Just get away. If Lista is not here, I will¡­I will¡­ ¡¹ I never saw Seiya with a truly serious face. My tears stopped overflowing from the eyes as my chest became gradually hot. Seiya spoke without changing his overly serious expression. ¡¸I will¡­never return home¡­ ¡¹ Ah¡­Okay. Well, that was certainly right. Yes. On that precise moment, Seiya kicked me as if I was a soccer ball. *screams* He kicked me away from the Emperor, and I came rolling over in Mash¡¯s direction. Mash ran towards me. ¡¸Oh my!! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You look bad, Lista! Are you all right!! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m not all right¡­More importantly, Mash, Elle!! Why is everyone here!?¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya was actually worried about you, Lisutan!! That¡¯s why we came back here!!¡¹ I looked at Seiya, and he was still confronting the Emperor. They pulled their clashing swords and stepped back. Now, they were far away from each other. ¡¸Hero. I want to ask you one thing¡­ Do you have any prediction abilities?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have such abilities. I just thought of a list of possibilities. In one of those possibilities, you would actually try to attack Lista.¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me. What do you mean by that? ¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to know? Then, I¡¯ll tell you. ¡¹ And Seiya began to talk compassionately. ¡¸In fact, there was a possibility that the General King Eliza was still alive by pretending to be killed by the Warlord Emperor. If that was the case, then Eliza would attack the Imperial Capital once I was gone to defeat the remnant of demons. Even if Eliza was actually dead, he could resurrect and transform into a ghost. If Eliza didn¡¯t attack, then, the Demon King himself would be the one to attack the Imperial Capital. Furthermore¡­¡¹ He spilled countless of ridiculous words without stopping as if they were a maze of paranoia. ¡¸What¡¯s that? What the hell is he talking about? ¡¹ The Emperor stared at Seiya with a confused expression. It was as if he didn¡¯t understand the meaning of Seiya¡¯s words. However, Seiya continued to talk nonsense that kept approaching the truth. ¡¸¡­It is a well-known fact that the goddess can¡¯t die. But this world has an S-rank difficulty, which means that the demons that lurks around here might have enough power to create a strong weapon that would kill a god. Also, there was a possibility that the Emperor got to meet the Demon King when he went to the north region. At that time, the Emperor might¡¯ve been jealously of the Demon King¡¯s power, making him an alley of the evil in the process. Because of that conciliatory relationship, there was a possibility that the Demon King gave the Emperor a weapon that would kill a god, meaning that he would use it to aim at Lista. In other words¡­¡¹ The hero clarified everything that happened. His eyes were pointed sharply towards the Emperor. ¡¸The Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard might be my enemy. ¡¹ An ¡°electricity current¡± ran throughout my body. What was that just now¡­!? Where did he get this ¡°transform into a ghost¡± idea in the first place!? He was sick as usual!! He had a serious heart disease!! But, he was still the best!! That was amazing!! I didn¡¯t know the reason why, but I couldn¡¯t stop tearing up!! Seiya was staring at me for some reason. ¡¸And¡­this goddess might be a fake one as well. ¡¹ ¡¸No, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m the real one!? Why don¡¯t you stop making those absurd assumptions against me!?¡¹ When I shouted, the Emperor started to laugh so high that it echoed in the whole Cathedral. ¡¸That totally surprised me. I don¡¯t think you thought of those possibilities just because you have a sharp mind or sharp intuitions. That talent of yours is quite special. Your cautiousness is one that surpasses theory, the common sense, the skills, the logics of the world, and above all, the incomprehensibility of all things¡­¡¹ His face stiffened as he stared continually at Seiya. ¡¸But, my previous order has changed now! I will finish the goddess after I kill the hero! ¡¹ ¡¸Fa¡­Father! Please stop! Why¡­Why you¡¯re doing this¡­! ¡¹ The father pointed the black sword at the daughter that tried to approach him. ¡¸Don¡¯t get in my way, Rosalie! I¡¯ll cut you if you get too close! ¡¹ ¡¸This¡­This can¡¯t be¡­! Why¡­! ¡¹ Rosalie trembled and became unsteady as she kneeled on the floor. She felt devastated, not because of the Emperor¡¯s fearsome power, but because she was shocked for being betrayed by a loved one. The Emperor didn¡¯t care for his daughter as he looked only at Seiya. ¡¸When I was young, I dreamed of becoming the ¡°hero who saves the world¡±. But, in the end, that dream did not come true. I was not satisfied by the results. Therefore, fighting you will be a great pleasure for me.¡¹ Then, he pointed the God Eater towards Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! Be careful! That sword won¡¯t kill just your earthly body! It can destroy your real soul as well!¡¹ ¡¸The goddess is right. If I destroy your brain or heart with this sword, then your life will be gone forever. You will no longer be able to return to your original world. What do you think? How do you feel now that you¡¯ll fight an enemy worthy of being your equal? ¡¹ Yet, Seiya squeezed his nose after he heard the Emperor¡¯s threatening words. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that. I don¡¯t see a problem in any of this. ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t hold the Adamantiter on his right hand anymore. He took from his sheath the Platinum sword instead and switched places. ¡¸Mode Double Eternal Sword¡­! ¡¹ Seiya took one sword on the left hand and the other sword on the right hand. The Emperor laughed when he noticed Seiya¡¯s offensive stance. But¡­ ¡¸Ah¡­ugh!! ¡¹ Suddenly, the Emperor felt an excruciating pain. He put the God Eater on the floor like a cane. Were¡­Were those seizures!? I got it!! He was going to become an idiot!! If that happened, the formidable Warlord Emperor would become harmless like a baby!! However, the Warlord Emperor became like a masochist. He was smiling even though he was suffering. ¡¸*laughs wickedly* My body is on the verge of decaying. But, today it seems that it¡¯s the day of goodbye. If I could regain the glory of my younger days, then I would gladly give this soul to the devil¡­¡¹ The Emperor took something out of his pocket and put it on his mouth. At that moment, a black aura overflowed from the body of the Emperor. ¡¸Along with the God Eater, the Demon King gave me this ¡°Devil¡¯s Spirited Ball¡±¡­ This spirited ball is able to rejuvenate the body. The human body will transform into a demon as a side effect¡­¡¹ There was a change in the Emperor¡¯s body after he spoke. His white hair converted into a blue colored hair just like Rosalie¡¯s hair. The wrinkles on his face gradually disappeared. His arms and legs became robust with toned muscles¡­The eighty-year-old Emperor turned into a young man in his twenties. ¡¸*laughs extremely loud* I can feel my body overflowing with strength! This reminds me of my prime days¡­No, I feel that I got more power than before! ¡¹ I could see the Emperor¡¯s newly transformed fangs as he laughed crazily like a mad youthful man! The color of his eyes became red! I looked at the status of the Emperor who just turned into a demon. Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard Level ¨C 90 HP ¨C 359985 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 302225 Defense ¨C 293664 Agility ¨C 257511 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C ? Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Darkness Protection (Lv MAX), Attack Power Evolution (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Style Evil Light, Crash Evil Light, Massive Evil Light Personality ¨C Exceptionally Courageous ¡­His attack power exceeded 300,000!? It greatly surpassed the status of the last of the Four General Kings Eliza!! The black aura emanating from the Emperor¡¯s body covered the God Eater! Soon, the sword became fully pitch black! The Emperor, who swallowed the spirited ball and got the power of darkness, held the sword in the upper direction! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­That¡¯s¡­Eh!? ¡¹ Contrary to my scary demeanor, Seiya rushed to the Emperor without hesitation! ¡¸¡­Now it¡¯s the right time. ¡¹ He used his two swords for continuously strikes! The Emperor managed to block Seiya¡¯s attacks with the God Eater¡­ ¡¸Hmm¡­! That¡¯s strange movements. What¡¯s that sword¡¯s technique? ¡¹ That technique exceeded the movements of the human arms, the so called ¡°gunshot sword¡±¡­Moreover, it was a dual sword style. Even with the current status of the Emperor, it would be impossible for him to clearly see the speed of the movements from the gunshot swords. It created an illusionary image too difficult to grasp the true reality of its movements. ¡¸Don¡¯t get too confident, brat! ¡¹ He swung his big sword with strong power to deflect the gunshot swords¡¯ continuous attacks. However, after that furious strength, the Emperor stepped back as if he was being dragged down by his own power. I noticed that the Emperor was struggling because of his immense power. I could understand now the meaning of Seiya¡¯s words when he said, ¡°it¡¯s the right time¡±. That¡¯s¡­That¡¯s right! He hasn¡¯t adjusted to the rapidly rejuvenated body yet! Seiya restarted his offensive sword slashing against the Emperor. The Emperor gradually retreated thanks to Adenela¡¯s skill of direct transmission power. Seiya seemed to be in a advantageous position. He clearly had the upper hand on this fight. With one more strike the Emperor will collapse¡­I thought so. And yet, the Emperor opened his mouth. ¡¸A dual sword with continuous strikes, huh. That¡¯s a great sword technique you¡¯ve got there. It exceeds Eliza¡¯s six-arm attacks. But¡­ ¡¹ The eyes of the Emperor became darker than blood. His crimson¡¯ eyes shined deeply. ¡¸I¡¯m accustomed. ¡¹ In that instant, I saw trajectories of black lights coming above our heads. At that moment, the Platinum sword that Seiya held on his right arm was repelled and thrown to the ground. ¡¸Take this¡­! Style Evil Light! ¡¹ A black geometric pattern was drawn in the air! Soon, that attack was released towards Seiya¡¯s one-handed sword! That technique was the one that the Emperor used to immobilize Eliza¡¯s six-arms! ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I screamed on that moment. The sound of bone¡¯s cracking was heard violently from Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸¡­Eternal Sword EX. ¡¹ The Adamantiter on Seiya¡¯s left hand moved rapidly to repel the dangerous trajectory of the black light evoked by the Emperor! The strong sounds of the Adamantiter versus the God Eater made my earlobe hear a sturdy high continuous sound as if it was ringing inside my head! The¡­The true consecutive gunshot sword!? I remember seeing that technique when Adenela fought against Tanathus!! When did he master that crazy skill!? Like me, the Emperor was showing an expression of admiration. ¡¸You are preventing my attacks with just one sword. I see, I see. I never encountered an enemy so formidable like you. I think you¡¯ve probably won consecutive battles without losing even once.¡¹ That¡¯s right! Seiya is the world¡¯s strongest! He was without a doubt a genius hero! Seiya will definitely defeat a man like you! Right, Seiya? That was what I truly believed. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t breathe when I saw Seiya¡¯s profile. There was a deep cut on one of Seiya¡¯s cheeks. Blood was dripping from his face. ¡­Blo¡­Blood¡­!? He didn¡¯t overthrow the Style Evil Light attacks completely!? In the midst of the dripping blood, I could see that Seiya¡¯s face was sweating. ¡¸The Demon King explained to me once. The world of the human being summoned as the hero is a world without war, like a lukewarm water.¡¹ Then, the Emperor stared piercingly at Seiya with terrifying crimson eyes. ¡¸I know you have a great talent. However, you don¡¯t know anything about pain because you came from a peaceful world. The flesh rips away and blood splashes everywhere. I¡¯ll show you the action of a real battle.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 45.1 Chapter 45: The Pros and Cons of Cautiousness (1) The Emperor placed the God Eater on his shoulder. It was as if he awaited for Seiya¡¯s next attack. Fortunately, during this interlude, Seiya took the medicinal herb from his pocket to heal the cut on his cheek. He took it to recover his HP. The Emperor didn¡¯t suffer from the previous exchange of offensive strikes. I felt an unprecedented struggle from our side¡­I wasn¡¯t the only one that felt that way. Perhaps, Seiya felt it too. ¡¸Seiya! The Destruction Operation Method! You obtained Lady Valkyrie¡¯s technique during your practice! If you use it, then you¡¯ll surely win!¡¹ ¡¸No. The Destruction technique is not very efficient in fast-moving combat between swordsmen.¡¹ ¡¸Then, how¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Besides, the status of the Emperor will improve every time he fights. I have to settle this as soon as possible.¡¹ Seiya took a deep breath afterwards. ¡¸I wanted to save that technique for the fight against the Demon King¡­ ¡¹ He stored the Adamantiter sword. Afterwards, Seiya removed the platinum bodice armory from his arms. ¡¸Eh¡­Seiya? What are you doing? ¡¹ Several bracelets were attached in one of Seiya¡¯s hands. He took one of them and dropped it on the floor. A tremendous sound was heard brusquely when it fell over. The floor of the Cathedral became fractured because of that bracelet. ¡­That was a very heavy bracelet!! He has been fighting all this time with those weights!? Seiya removed the bracelets from his hand one by one. I think I heard about this training method somewhere else!! So, he thought of adding heavy weight on his body in order to increase his original attack power and agility!? After removing more than ten bracelets on his right hand, Seiya began to take off the remaining bracelets attached to his left hand. Subsequently, he started to remove more than ten shackles on his right ankle. When that was done, he removed the shackles on his left ankle. Just when I thought he stopped removing bracelets and shackles from his body, he began to unfasten the shackles that were attached on his upper arms. He took the shackles attached on his calves¡­ I finally shouted after witnessing the endless loop of removing shackles that never ended. ¡¸Hey, how many more!? Didn¡¯t you put too many of those shackles on yourself!?¡¹ There was a huge pile of bracelets and ankle shackles standing on the marble floor after he removed every one of them. ¡¸Look, isn¡¯t that a bit strange!? There¡¯s no way you would be able to carry that many shackles and bracelets with you!! They just don¡¯t appear by an act of magic!!¡¹ However, Seiya ignored me as always. He pointed his hand towards Mash. ¡¸Give me the spare Platinum sword from that luggage. ¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Understood! ¡¹ He received the spare Platinum sword after the Emperor broke the first apart. Seiya equipped the spare on his right hand. His left hand held the Adamantiter, and thus, aligning with the sharp point of the spare sword. ¡¸I took the heavy weight on my arms¡­It couldn¡¯t be helped. This will decide the outcome.¡¹ A bright aura of light started to emanate on the swords and from Seiya¡¯s body! ¡¸Mode Double Eternal Sword EX¡­! ¡¹ Oh!! He removed that absurd heavy weight to increase the attack power and agility for sure!! Now, he will attack with two strong swords!! With¡­With this, he will surely beat the Evil Light!! ¡¸Are you ready? ¡¹ Seiya shook his head positively while the Emperor grinned happily. ¡¸I¡¯ve waited long enough. Let¡¯s not drag this any longer. ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya¡¯s two intimidating swords were wrapped in crimson flames! ¡¸The ¡°Fearsome Dual Gunshot Swords¡± transformed into the ¡°Phoenixes Dance of Flames¡±. In other words¡­¡¹ He wielded his double swords wrapped in flames as a demonstration. After that, he pointed the tip of the burning swords at the Emperor! It¡­It can¡¯t be!! He even incorporated the ¡°Phoenixes Dance of Flames¡± into his strong swords!? Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me this was the strongest sword technique that Seiya mastered with arduous training!! I took a deep breath as I watched this fight attentively. Soon, Seiya finished his talk. ¡¸Mode Double Eternal Sword EX Phoenix¡­Here I go¡­! ¡¹ Wasn¡¯t that name a bit too long to profess on a perilous situation like this!? Well¡­I guess it¡¯s okay then!! Anyway, just go, Seiya!! Do your best!! Seiya increased his agility tremendously because he stood next by the Emperor in a blink of an eye! Still, the Emperor¡¯s reflexes were great as well as he prevented one of Seiya¡¯s swords attack with the God Eater! However! The other sword in flames went in the direction of the Emperor¡¯s throat! ¡¸¡­Style Evil Light! ¡¹ The Emperor¡¯s sword emitted a black light! He deflected the sword that the God Eater prevented earlier, and used it as a shield to protect his throat from the other impeding sword! He took an offensive stance and drew a geometric pattern made of a black light in the air! Amidst all that, Seiya¡¯s double flaming swords drew a similar effect! The red from the fire attributes clashed with the black from the dark attributes. I could hear astonishing clashing sounds in the air. Each of them used their sword techniques for a fearsome fight. The speed was so great that I could no longer capture their movements with my eyesight. Their swordplay was so perfect that surpassed the abilities of human beings¡­Before long, Seiya¡¯s red light spread further ahead and began to swallow the black light of the Emperor. The demonic Emperor retreated immediately. O¡­Okay! Seiya was greatly pushing further! Seiya¡¯s ¡°Mode Double Eternal Sword¡± was slightly more powerful than the Emperor¡¯s ¡°Style Evil Light¡±! Even so, when I looked closely at Seiya¡¯s face, I noticed that he was sweating so much that it looked like a flowing waterfall. ¡­So¡­So much sweat¡­! It was hard to believe that Seiya became this serious¡­! It was clear that this battle was no longer a battle that he could easily win. Seiya said some relevant words a while ago. I thought he said, ¡°This will decide the outcome¡±. In other words, if any of them could break through the opponent¡¯s techniques at least once, then that meant¡­ My fears and anxieties were all over the place! Soon, the armor in the shoulders of the Emperor went flying after a surprise attack! Moreover, Seiya¡¯s left-handed sword burnt with an insane firepower from the ¡°Phoenixes Dance of Flames¡±! ¡­He¡­He can do this! Win! He can win! Just when my heart was finally having a light of hope¡­ ¡¸Remarkable. You¡¯re stronger than any other warrior or demon I¡¯ve fought before. However, you know what¡­¡¹ An overflowing jet of black light engraved a more complex geometric pattern in the air! It swallowed Seiya¡¯s dance of flames in a fraction of a second! ¡¸I¡¯m accustomed. ¡¹ Seiya began to retreat because of the pressure emitted by the Emperor¡¯s abysmal sword attacks! ¡¸Oh dear. The agility of your sword movements have slowed down considerably. What happened? Have you reached your limit?¡¹ The Emperor raised both corners of his mouth in a devilish way. ¡¸You have a formidable talent. I would say one in a million people, no; actually, it¡¯s one in a hundred million people. Even so, you fall short compared to my power as a demon. If you¡¯re not strong enough to beat me, then you won¡¯t defeat the Demon King either.¡¹ Seiya could not say anything in return. He just exhaled a rough breath from his mouth. It was the first time I saw Seiya¡¯s distressed expression. I could no longer stand still without doing anything. I approached Elle and touched her shoulders. ¡¸Elle! You could use ¡°Quick¡±! You can support Seiya by using your auxiliary magic skills!¡¹ However, Elle shook her head. ¡¸No¡­! I can¡¯t¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Wh¡­Why!? Now is the perfect time to use the auxiliary magic you learnt, right!?¡¹ ¡¸I am using Quick already!! Because Mister Seiya is cautious, he told me to use this magic on him before he entered this Cathedral!!¡¹ ¡¸Then, are you telling me that Seiya has been using Quick all this time!? ¡¹ Elle looked at me with a teary face that was about to cry at any moment. ¡¸Lisutan!! Everything is going to be okay, right!? Mister Seiya will be fine, right!?¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course, don¡¯t worry!! Because, Seiya¡­ ¡¹ Because he always said ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±. I gasped at the thought of Seiya¡¯s usual quote. I¡­I was wrong! He didn¡¯t say it! Seiya didn¡¯t say his standard words this time! As soon as I noticed it, I felt as if a pillar of ice pierced through my back. Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that he actually alleged ¡°I won¡¯t know if I¡¯ll win or lose next time¡±¡­Seiya, did you really thought about that because you had doubts!? The Emperor was cornering Seiya in an unfavorable position. On that moment, I had a horrifying premonition that was about to become reality. Volume 1 - CH 45.2 Chapter 45: The Pros and Cons of Cautiousness (2) ¡¸Li¡­Lista! I¡¯m going! I have to help my Master!! ¡¹ Mash shouted vigorously. In a second, I noticed that a wave of hot air was coming out of Mash¡¯s body. Soon, Mash¡¯s hands and feet were gradually covered with scales. They transformed into dragon-like limbs, however, the change did not stop. His body expanded and grew an incredible height that came close to the ceiling of the Cathedral. Although he was smaller than the Dragon Mother was, Mash transformed into a dragon of 5 meters tall. I activated my clairvoyance ability to see his dragoning status. Mash Level ¨C 21 HP ¨C 139544 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 91578 Defense ¨C 83333 Agility ¨C 61496 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C 67 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Thunder, Ice, Poison, Sleep, Paralysis, Instant Death Special skills ¨C Attack power increase (Lv 8), Dragoning (Lv 9), Godification (Lv 1) Skills ¨C Dragon Claw Personality ¨C Brave A¡­Amazing¡­! He will be able to fight alongside Seiya as a worthy comrade with this status! After I looked at Mash who wanted to join the battle, I became motivated as well¡­ ¡¸I will go too. ¡¹ Rosalie pulled her sword. ¡¸It¡¯s my duty to stop that demon! ¡¹ When Mash and Rosalie went ahead to the battle¡­ ¡¸¡­Stop. Stay away from this. ¡¹ Seiya spoke quickly as he rushed in the Emperor¡¯s direction. Mash became hesitant after he heard his Master¡¯s words. Rosalie, on the other hand, kept going forward. On that instant. ¡¸Don¡¯t come! You¡¯ll die! ¡¹ Rosalie became petrified after she heard Seiya¡¯s roaring voice. Mash and I trembled our bodies in panic. As soon as Seiya distracted himself with us¡­ ¡¸Crash Evil Light! ¡¹ The Emperor slammed the God Eater from above his head! Seiya quickly flipped his body and, somehow, he managed to avoid a direct hit! Because Seiya avoided that hit, the Emperor¡¯s attack destroyed the marble floor instead! The shockwave from hitting the floor was so great that everyone was blown away! Seiya, who was lying on the floor, tried to get up immediately, but he had difficulty standing up because of his dented legs. The Emperor approached Seiya, who was in an unfavorable position. My heartbeats were beating extremely fast and loud. Seiya!! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, right!? Perhaps, he prepared a hidden measure for times like these, was I correct!? I was not wrong, or was I!? However, the situation seemed to quite serious since Seiya was breathing heavily and his face showed discouragement. The Emperor turned his cold gaze towards Seiya. ¡¸It seems that your discretion and cautiousness made you reach this far without major problems. You thought that the pros of your cautiousness would grant you safety. But, I will finish you here for once and for all.¡¹ With the last bit of power, Seiya gripped the flaming Platinum sword with his right hand. ¡¸Phoenix Thrust¡­! ¡¹ Seiya tried to use the powerful skill that defeated the invincible Dark Fires! Even so, the Emperor laughed wickedly! ¡¸Too slow!! ¡¹ The black-lighted sword was swung with wrath and slashed Seiya¡¯s right arm before he could even attack the Emperor with the Phoenix Thrust! At that moment¡­I could hardly believe my own eyes! Seiya¡¯s right arm that held the Platinum sword came flying in the air and fresh blood was splashing everywhere. *screams extremely loud* Elle screamed continuously! The Emperor laughed triumphantly! ¡¸Painful, isn¡¯t it! It must be horrifying to feel fear because your death is near! So, what do you think of this, brat! This is the real battle!¡¹ This¡­This can¡¯t be happening¡­! Just as the Emperor said, Seiya only fought battles that he won without major injuries! There was no way that Seiya would endure severe pain after losing his arm! The Emperor put the God Eater on top of Seiya¡¯s head. I closed my eyes to avoid seeing the desperate and hopeless situation that was unfolding right in front of me. Everyone, including me, were convinced of the Emperor¡¯s victory and the result of Seiya¡¯s defeat. ¡­But in a flash. The tip of the powerful Adamantiter sword tried to sweep the Emperor¡¯s nose. ¡¸¡­What did you do? ¡¹ The Emperor was startled and took a step back. I could not believe what I was seeing as well. One of his arms was cut off and fresh blood was dripping to the floor¡­Still, Seiya looked at the Emperor with the same bored expression. ¡¸What were you saying again? ¡¹ The Emperor bit his lips with frustration after he saw Seiya¡¯s indifferent reaction. Although he felt anger at first, he eventually started to laugh as if he had the upper hand on this fight. ¡¸You only have one arm! You won¡¯t have a chance against me! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m not the only one with just one arm. ¡¹ Seiya muttered with piercing eyes. ¡¸The destructive technique is about to be activated. ¡¹ Suddenly! He lowered his body and put his hand on the marble floor as if he was casting some spell! Soon, the lower part of the Emperor¡¯s right arm fell from his elbow! ¡¸My¡­My arm is¡­! I don¡¯t recall ever being slashed¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The Destruction Operation Method the Ninth is called ¡°Counter Break¡±. This method will use any of my body part as a catalyst. It means that the damage I received will bounce back to the opponent¡­¡¹ ¡¸My right arm was¡­it was cut, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t cut by anything¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸The only drawback of this method is the time lag until the damage is triggered. ¡¹ ¡¸*frustrating sounds* It seems that I was wrong about you. ¡¹ It was a strange sight. The two of them lost their right arm and, yet, they did not worry about the large amount of blood that was overflowing from that injury. They talked calmly as if they didn¡¯t felt any pain. I see. Those two had only one arm right now. But, there was a crucial difference. The Emperor¡¯s right arm rolled to the floor while holding the God Eater. Seiya¡¯s right arm was also cut away with the Platinum sword. However, Seiya was wielding two swords in the first place. Seiya was holding the Adamantiter on his left arm and pointed his sword towards an unarmed Emperor. ¡­He¡¯ll need the God Eater to kill Seiya. The Emperor stretched out his left arm and tried to take the fallen sword. Seiya grabbed this opportunity to strike the Emperor down¡­ ¡¸You fool!! I still have my fist even without a sword!! ¡¹ The Emperor counterattacked with his bare fist. There was an obvious difference in the combat style between the Emperor and Seiya¡­it too evident. How can they be fighting like that after losing one arm? Seiya was clearly able to see through the Emperor¡¯s fist attacks! He managed to easily avoid the hits! On that moment, the flames of the Phoenix Thrust engulfed the Adamantiter! It broke through the Emperor¡¯s golden armor and reached his chest! ¡¸How¡­Ah¡­! ¡¹ The Emperor still managed to speak some words after being pierced through his chest by the Phoenix Thrust. ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t believe this¡­Who the hell are you? You bastard¡­I am a warrior who was on a verge of death countless of times before, but I always survived¡­Even so, how could this happen to me now¡­¡¹ The Emperor fell to the floor with both his knees. After taking a deep breath, Seiya turned around and walked a few steps ahead on our direction before he fell on the marble floor. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸Master!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ I ran immediately to his side. Seiya looked at me with an exhausted face. ¡¸Lista. Cure my arm. The herbal medicine won¡¯t heal my arm because it was completely cut off.¡¹ ¡¸Okay! I will cure you right away! Mash! Go get Seiya¡¯s arm! ¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Understood! ¡¹ I activated my healing magic in a hurry. First, I concentrated myself to stop the bleeding. I did my very best to multiply my magic properties. I stared at Seiya while doing the treatment of his arm. He was looking exhausted but, at the same time, he had a serene expression on his face. ¡¸So¡­Sorry, but Seiya? Does it not hurt? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, it hurts. But, no human would be conscious if the pain was too unbearable. The fact that I¡¯m conscious right now means that I¡¯m not feeling agonizing pain.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­I see. But, you can be a normal person on times like these, am I wrong? When Tanathus attacked and injured you, you wanted me to heal your wound immediately, and said, ¡°Please do it quickly¡±. I thought that your mentality was fragile like a tofu¡­¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s ¡°mentality was fragile like a tofu¡±. There is a lesser probability of being injured by the enemy if I can recover the HP and MP immediately. ¡¹ ¡¸ Is¡­Is that so! Anyways, I¡¯m relieved! I really thought we didn¡¯t have a chance of winning the battle this time!¡¹ I really felt reassured. ¡¸Whoa!! It hurts!! It hurts!! ¡¹ I could hear a roaring crying sound. The Emperor returned to his white-haired old man and regressed to being a young child. He was crying extremely loud while holding his chest. He stopped bleeding, though the arm was not attached to his body. Before long, Seiya stood up and approached Rosalie. ¡¸Hey. Can¡¯t you hear your father cry? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s not my father anymore. ¡¹ After sighing briefly, Seiya returned to me. ¡¸Lista. Heal that gramps¡¯ wounds. ¡¹ ¡¸Are¡­Are you sure? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s extremely noisy. He¡¯s no longer a demon. He won¡¯t be my enemy once he recovers. ¡¹ ¡¸If you say so¡­ ¡¹ I used my healing magic to give first aid to the Emperor¡¯s chest and, afterwards, to his arm injury. ¡¸*cries* Thank you, sis¡­*cries* ¡¹ After the pain was gone, the Emperor wiped his tears and smiled. I whispered to Seiya. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. His wounds were cured. But, his life is¡­ ¡¹ The Emperor¡¯s remaining light of life was about to disappear. His body was having a bad reaction as a result for being rejuvenated from ¡°Devil¡¯s Spirited Ball¡±. Seiya approached Rosalie once again. ¡¸The gramps is on the verge of death. Take proper care of him. ¡¹ ¡¸I just told you! That man is not my father! That man became a demon after he sold his soul to the devil!¡¹ At that time¡­ *hitting sound* Everyone could hear a smacking sound throughout the Cathedral after Seiya beat Rosalie on her cheek! Rosalie yelled at Seiya while holding her cheek. ¡¸That¡­That man tried to kill the goddess! He tried to kill you too! In other words, he tried to destroy this world! He is a shame to this Empire! ¡¹ *hitting sound* ¡¸No¡­No matter how much you hit me, I won¡¯t take care of that man!! Never!!¡¹ Seiya beat a stubborn Rosalie continuously without stopping! *excessive hitting sounds* This situation reminded me of the slapping scene that happened back in Olga Fortress. ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ Seiya spoke to Rosalie as she finally begun to look like a fiery ¡°dog¡±. ¡¸You won¡¯t be able to hear a death person¡¯s voice. Speak to him while he is alive.¡¹ I never thought I would hear Seiya¡¯s compassionate words ever. At least, that was what I thought. Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother¡­I didn¡¯t know the details, but perhaps, Seiya lost someone important in the past. ¡¸Ugh¡­! Ah¡­! ¡¹ Rosalie glanced at Seiya. She cried while her cheeks became swollen red. Soon, Rosalie went to the Emperor¡¯s side reluctantly. Rosalie stared at her father with cold eyes¡­ ¡¸My sweet Rosalie¡­ I lovey you¡­ ¡¹ She kneeled down, because she no longer endured to see her dying father smile so innocently at her. She held her father¡¯s wrinkled hand. ¡¸Father¡­You really are an idiot¡­A big idiot¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­I¡¯m sorry, my sweet Rosalie¡­I¡¯m truly sorry. ¡¹ Rosalie¡¯s eyes burst into tears. ¡¸It¡¯s okay¡­! That¡¯s enough¡­! ¡¹ While crying, Rosalie took the Emperor¡¯s hand in her head¡¯s direction. ¡¸Please¡­Will you stroke my head gently one last time¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­Sweetie Rosalie, lovey you¡­I lovey you so much¡­ ¡¹ However, the Emperor¡¯s stretching hand could not reach his daughter¡¯s head because he lost all of his remaining strength. The Emperor passed away without touching Rosalie¡¯s head. ¡¸Fa¡­Father¡­ ¡¹ A heartbroken Rosalie cried incessantly as her sad voice resonated throughout the Cathedral. Volume 1 - CH 46 Chapter 46: The Main Subject After the battle with Seiya. It was announced the death of Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard due to old age. The state funeral was held in the castle. Only a few people were allowed to attend the memorial. Meanwhile, we were staying in a room inside the castle assigned by Rosalie. The citizens of the Imperial Capital mourned for three whole days. When the mourning was over, we didn¡¯t leave the castle¡­It was because Seiya could not move. When we got inside the room, Seiya told us that he would ¡°rest a little¡±. He has been sleeping for a long time since then. I sat by the bedside while I observed him. Seiya was sleeping with a very peaceful expression. Seiya was on the verge of being killed by the Emperor. He was just a hero, but to me, he was a dashing hero. However, just as he said before, he tried to protect me because if I were to die, he would no longer be able to return to his original world. He wanted to protect me just because of that reason. However, I thought to myself ¡°it couldn¡¯t be helped¡±. Even so¡­ ¡¸Thank you, Seiya. ¡¹ Elle and Mash came in just when I replaced a cold towel from Seiya¡¯s forehead. ¡¸Listen, Lisutan. How is Mister Seiya¡¯s condition? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. He¡¯s still sleeping. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder if Master is all right. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s fine. His arm was completely cured with my healing magic. Besides, there is no problem with his physical strength. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why doesn¡¯t he wake up? ¡¹ ¡¸I think he got tired mentally. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. It was certainly an excessive battle¡­ ¡¹ I heard a knocking sound on the door while we were having a conversation about Seiya¡¯s health. The door opened and Rosalie came in. ¡¸I see that the hero didn¡¯t wake up yet. ¡¹ She spoke after she saw Seiya in bed. I didn¡¯t see Rosalie for two days. She had to prepare the funeral events of her father. Even more, she had to take care of the major clean-up because of the mess made by Eliza¡¯s demonic remnants. Besides that, she also had to take several meetings to discuss the matter of the Empire¡¯s next successor. Rosalie had been extremely busy. Even so, I thought that Rosalie was having mixed feelings about this situation. Her heart was probably conflicted with a mixture of emotions. After all, it was Seiya who killed her father. I thought that she would scold Seiya severely when he got up. Yet, Rosalie spoke some unexpected words. ¡¸To tell the truth¡­I liked my father for his kindness, and not much for his strength.¡¹ Rosalie was looking at a sleeping Seiya with genuine eyes. ¡¸I would regret for the rest of my life if I didn¡¯t take my father¡¯s hand on that moment. I am truly grateful that the hero told me to take care of my father on the last moments of his life.¡¹ She looked at us and smiled. ¡¸You can stay in the castle for as long as you like. ¡¹ Rosalie left the room after saying those generous words. ¡¸You know, Lisutan. Lady Rosalie has changed a little, hasn¡¯t she? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Many things happened. She probably became more mature herself.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, Rosalie will be the next monarch¡­Will she be called Empress? That would be pretty amazing.¡¹ ¡¸I think she will be a great monarch if she remains the way she is now. ¡¹ I smiled to the both of them. ¡¸Rosalie told us that we could stay here for as long as we like¡­Hey, Mash, Elle. Why don¡¯t you use your free time to explore the Imperial Capital? ¡¹ They were surprised by my sudden suggestion. ¡¸Eh!? Even with Mister Seiya on this condition!? ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs reservedly* This is the right time to go! We¡¯ll be busy with training and fighting once Seiya wakes up! If you want some leisure time, then you should go now! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I guess you have a point¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸The Casino¡­You wanted to go there, right? ¡¹ Both of them nodded reluctantly. They were shy but excited to go because their cheeks gradually became rosy. ¡¸Have a nice day! Just enjoy yourselves before this geek wakes up! ¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Mash! Leave him to me! Even if this serious and cautious hero gets angry when he wakes up, I¡¯ll try to convince him otherwise!¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lisutan¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Elle! Why do you have a gloomy face? I understand that you¡¯re worried that Seiya will get angry with you! But, it will be just fine! Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a goddess and Seiya is a human! If you think of a Master-Servant relationship, then I¡¯m the one in charge! Yes, he won¡¯t have much to complain because he¡¯s just a ¡°servant¡±! ¡¹ It felt good to feel superior while he slept so peacefully. Nonetheless, their faces were having a strange complexion. ¡¸A¡­Actually, Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan¡­Be¡­Behind you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? ¡¹ I became afraid to look back¡­ ¡¸¡­Who¡¯s the ¡°servant¡±. ¡¹ Seiya stood up and stared at me with his crossed arms. ¡¸Oh no!! ¡¹ This was BAD!! I¡¯m going to be scolded!! He¡¯s probably going to reprimand me!! I was about to be beaten, kicked and milked!! But surprisingly, Seiya didn¡¯t do anything to me and just sat down on the bed. ¡­What? He¡¯s not scolding me? This was unbelievable! No, he¡¯ll probably beat me later on! ¡¸It¡¯s convenient to have all of you here. I¡¯m about to tell you my plans for the battle against the Demon King, so listen carefully¡­¡¹ I clapped my hands strongly after Seiya spoke to us. ¡¸Okay!! Everyone pay attention!! Lord Seiya has an important matter to discuss!!¡¹ Mash was looking at me with a dubious expression after I addressed Seiya in an unrealistic respectful manner. ¡¸Hey, Lista¡­What about the Casino? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah!? How can you mention the Casino during an important meeting like this!! Mash, is your brain made of mushrooms!?¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, Lisutan¡­You told us to go a moment ago¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You idiot!! I didn¡¯t say that!! Not even one word!! ¡¹ The two of them stared at me with cold eyes. But, I was desperate. I didn¡¯t want to be smashed to the point of spilling milk ever again. ¡¸¡­That is a trivial talk. Let¡¯s talk about the main subject of this conversation. Honestly, I won the battle against the Emperor by a small advantage. Everything that happened on that battle, made me reflect seriously about what¡¯s to come. I have to practice repeatedly in order to defeat the Demon King in the next battle.¡¹ Just as expected of Seiya. Actually, I was feeling quite relieved, and I was probably not the only one. Mash and Elle were having slightly relieved expressions as well. Yes. If it¡¯s Seiya we¡¯re talking about, then there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll decide to go abruptly to the castle of the Demon King¡­ I nodded favorably as I spoke loudly. ¡¸Yeah! Seiya, you should train as much as you need! The Demon King has the fearsome magical device ¡°Chain Destruction¡±! I¡¯m sure that the Great Goddess Isister will allow you to stay in the God¡¯s realm for a long time!¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Then¡­ ¡¹ Seiya tried to get up on his feet. Mash and Elle picked up Seiya¡¯s tool luggage. And I prepared to open the portal to the God¡¯s realm. Although we were getting ready¡­Seiya sat down on the bed once again. ¡¸Well¡­We could leave that for later. Let¡¯s take a break for once in a while.¡¹ ¡¸*everybody screams* Eh!! ¡¹ We opened our mouths at the same time. After that, I looked mysteriously at Seiya who professed implausible words. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya? What did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸I said that we should take a break. If you think about it, I¡¯ve been training and fighting all this time. Honestly, I¡¯m a little tired.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. So, you want to rest for¡­let¡¯s say, two hours? ¡¹ ¡¸No. It won¡¯t hurt if we rest for two or three days. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That much¡­! ¡¹ Mash opened his mouth wider. ¡¸So¡­So, can we enjoy some leisure time until then? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s up to you. ¡¹ Elle was listening while her eyes glittered with hope. ¡¸Then¡­maybe, are we allowed to go to the Casino? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. If you want to go, then, just go. ¡¹ ¡¸Whoa!! That¡¯s great!! ¡¹ Elle and Mash jumped happily. An overly excited Elle grabbed Seiya¡¯s arm. ¡¸Listen¡­Listen!! Mister Seiya, don¡¯t you want to come with us to explore the city!?¡¹ Yet, Seiya was cold hearted as always. ¡¸I want to have some time to examine my synthesis¡¯ tools. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! So, that¡¯s what you want to do! ¡¹ Elle was a bit sad. After a minute of silence, Seiya looked down as he spoke. ¡¸No¡­You¡¯re right. Sometimes¡­I need to have fun as well. ¡¹ ¡¸*everybody screams incessantly* Eh!! ¡¹ Mash and I screamed at the same time. ¡°Fun¡±!? Did he say ¡°fun¡±!? It was the first time I heard this hero say that word out of his own volition, or was I hearing illusionary sounds!? Seiya stood up and talked to us. ¡¸We should meet here in the evening. Then, I¡¯ll go with you to have some fun in the city. ¡¹ ¡ª After parting ways with Seiya, our group of three left the castle and walked through the streets of Orphe, the Imperial Capital. ¡¸Oh gosh! I never thought Master would say something like that! ¡¹ ¡¸Right! It was really surprising! ¡¹ Those two were quite cheerful. But, I¡¯ve been silent since we left the castle. Actually, something was bothering me¡­ *laughs* I laughed aloud that my belly started to hurt. I finally realized it. *laughs insanely high* I laughed like a maniac as I held my hands in the sky in a crouching position. Mash and Elle were startled and they shook my body to know if I was all right. ¡¸What¡­What¡¯s¡­wrong with you, Lista!? ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan, you¡¯re looking a bit scary!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because!! That¡¯s because¡­!! Isn¡¯t this too good to be true!? That crazy hero told us to go ahead and have fun!! This means that an interlude before finishing the story is finally starting!!¡¹ ¡¸Interlude¡­What the hell is that? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, don¡¯t you know about it, Mash? Usually, there is always an ¡°interlude¡± of some sort in adventures! There is always a pause between the main events in quests, for example, venturing in the sea, mountains, hot springs, or wearing swimsuits for fun and even a little bit of eroticism scenarios¡­It¡¯s a way to ¡°relax one¡¯s mind¡±!¡¹ ¡¸To ¡°relax one¡¯s mind¡±¡­I never thought about something like that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! All we have been doing so far was practicing and more practicing¡­then fighting, and way more fighting! I was so annoyed! Therefore, you two!! Listen well!! Today, we are going to relax and have lots of fun!!¡¹ ¡¸So, let¡¯s go to the Casino right now! ¡¹ Mash raised his voice in excitement. However, I showed him my finger to stop him. ¡¸Casino is a night affair. Besides, we¡¯ll leave that ¡°main dish¡± of entertainment when Seiya join us in the evening. Until then, we should relax and explore the city at a leisure pace!¡¹ Suddenly, I noticed Elle¡¯s clothes. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­What¡¯s wrong, Lisutan? ¡¹ ¡¸Elle. You can¡¯t wear a little girl¡¯s robe if you want to have real fun. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­But, I only have this outfit to wear¡­ ¡¹ I touched Elle¡¯s shoulders with confidence. ¡¸I can afford that much!! Let¡¯s go buy you some pretty clothes right now!!¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­!! Is that okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course!! Mash, you come too!! I can buy you some cool clothes if you want!!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously!! That¡¯s awesome!! ¡¹ I yelled while raising my hands to the sky. ¡¸Our minds!! Let¡¯s relax our minds to the max!! ¡¹ ¡¸*simultaneous screams * Yeah!! ¡¹ ¡ª There was a clothing store in the corner of the main street. At the entrance, a female owner in her thirties greeted us with ¡°Welcome¡±. ¡¸Whoa! This is so cute! ¡¹ ¡¸This leather clothing is also cool! ¡¹ Both of them were very curious about the clothes on display. That was to be expected, though. Most of the other towns¡¯ clothing shops we saw only had casual clothes and folk costumes. But, here is the Imperial Capital. There were many fashionable clothes in modern-like shops. Suddenly, a displaying cloth in the corner of the shop intrigued me. At first glance, it looked like underwear, but when I looked closely, it seemed to use a special fabric that can¡¯t be seen through water. ¡¸Oh my, this piece¡­is this perhaps a swimsuit? ¡¹ The ocean was quite far from here. Why were they selling swimsuits? When I asked the female owner, she replied with a smile. ¡¸That¡¯s a bathing suit to use in Orphe¡¯s hot springs. ¡¹ ¡¸What!! There are hot springs nearby!? ¡¹ ¡¸Orphe¡¯s hot springs are famous. There are many visitors that came to the Empire just to try our mixed hot springs!!¡¹ Mixed hot springs¡­ In other words, men and women bathing together!! That means that¡­Seiya and I could bath together¡­!? *laughs in her mind* My breathing became quite rough just by imagining that scenario. (EN: Ok Lista calm down that hormones, you lewd goddess) ¡­This was bad¡­! My mind¡­My mind was ¡°melting¡±¡­! I began to look for swimwear instead of regular clothes. I wanted to find something that suited me. ¡¸Hey, Lisutan. What are you doing? ¡¹ Elle and Mash approached me to see what I was doing. ¡¸Swimsuit! There are hot springs here! You can choose whatever you like!¡¹ The three of us started to search for suitable swimwear. I knew that Seiya¡¯s original world had swimwear types such as one-piece bath suit, separate pieces called bikini, among many others. But, I didn¡¯t want an ordinary design. The clothing stores in the God¡¯s realm were more advanced fashion-wise than the ones on the earthy worlds. They had superb lines of clothes. Most pieces were wonderful. In contrast, this world called Geabrande was an old-fashioned place that only focused on swords and magic. It was a shame actually. Because from my point of view, everything here was subpar with what the God¡¯s realm had. ¡¸This shop doesn¡¯t have any gorgeous swimsuits¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll choose one that¡¯s decent enough.¡¹ On that precise moment, I realized that the female owner was very close to me. ¡­U¡­Ugh! Did she hear me? Still, she stared at me with a smile. Thank goodness. It seemed that she didn¡¯t hear me. The female owner gently approached Elle and showed her a pink swimsuit. ¡¸This swimsuit is a ¡°two-piece¡± type. As you can see, the top and the bottom were separated in two individual pieces. This type will surely suit you.¡¹ She tried to put the swimsuit in front of Elle¡¯s clothes. ¡¸Hmm, yes! It¡¯s cute! This looks nice! ¡¹ It was certainly not bad. Well, I guess the female owner has been working hard because her trending shop seemed to be thriving. The female owner approached me before I knew it. ¡¸Dear customer, how about this one? ¡¹ The female owner only gave me the bottom of a two-piece swimsuit. ¡¸Eh? Well, excuse me¡­but, where is the bra? ¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t have a bra. This is a ¡°topless type¡± swimwear. Therefore, the top part doesn¡¯t exist on this one.¡¹ Her mouth was distorted while she grinned at me. ¡¸Dear customer, I¡¯m sure this piece will suit you. ¡¹ This¡­This woman¡­! She was taking me as a fool! So, she heard what I said earlier on after all! I was outraged by the blatant harassment. ¡¸No, actually, if it¡¯s just the underwear, then it won¡¯t be exactly a swimsuit, right!? Isn¡¯t it too embarrassing to go around topless!?¡¹ ¡¸So, this piece is not to your liking. It can¡¯t be helped. Then, how about this one¡­¡¹ She took a bra of a swimsuit, but it had only one fabric at one side, while a small string only covered the other side. ¡¸This is a ¡°one-breast type¡± swimwear. It will look great on you. ¡¹ I was startled to have been presented with an unrealistic swimwear. ¡¸There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll look great with that!! Am I a filthy woman!? Ah!? ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? But, it¡¯s fashionable, don¡¯t you agree? ¡¹ ¡¸Where is the fashion on this!! ¡¹ ¡¸Look, there are people who suffer from one eye, so they patch it up to avoid hurting the other eye, am I right? So, this has basically the same thing.¡¹(EN: *Crying* Brilliant reasoning) ¡¸This is not a conversation about an eye patch cosplay!! I¡¯ve seen people with one eye hiding beneath a patch, but I never seen anyone wearing a bra that just hid one breast!!¡¹ ¡¸Calm¡­Calm down, Lista! You¡¯re talking with an aggressive tone that doesn¡¯t suit a goddess like yourself!¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, that¡¯s because this woman recommended some outrageous swimwear!!¡¹ ¡¸We also have a ¡°bottomless type¡± swimwear. What do you think? ¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯ll be totally naked if I combine that piece with that one-breast swimsuit!? ¡­I¡¯ve had enough of this!! I¡¯ll look for a swimsuit myself!! Mash!! You should pick a swimwear for Seiya as well!!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, that Sir Seiya you spoke now¡­Is he perhaps your boyfriend? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct! It¡¯s my boyfriend! ¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lisutan¡­! You¡¯re getting delusional¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh dear, then I have the perfect swimsuit that will please your lovely boyfriend. I present you the ¡°open-front type¡± swimwear¡­¡¹ The female owner showed me a men¡¯s swimwear where the front part was obviously ripped off. That woman grinned at me as if I was a laughingstock. ¡¸Wh¡­Whoa¡­! ¡¹ Elle blushed¡­ ¡¸Now this was a bit too cruel! ¡¹ Mash seemed angry as well. And yet, I took a small bag with coins from my pocket. ¡¸¡­How much is it? ¡¹ ¡¸*everyone screamed* Are you really buying that!? ¡¹ Mash, Elle and even the female owner were shocked. The motivation that led me to buy this swimsuit was quite simple. Because, the moment Seiya wears this, his ¡°sanctuary¡± will be fully open¡­*laughs manically in her mind* (EN: oh ma gawd) In addition, I grabbed that one-breast swimsuit that I threw away from the female owner. ¡¸I¡¯ll buy this one as well. If I think carefully about it, this swimwear can be useful at night. ¡¹ ¡¸Use¡­Useful at night? Lista! What the hell does that mean? ¡¹ ¡¸You children don¡¯t need to think too deeply about this kind of stuff. ¡¹ The female owner shrugged her shoulders and breathed heavily. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­that there are people who are willing to buy the swimsuits I made while I was drunk¡­¡¹ She held my hands tenderly. ¡¸It¡¯s my defeat. If you combine the ¡°topless type¡± with the ¡°one-breast type¡±, it will create the ¡°ludicrous swimsuit set¡±¡­I¡¯ll make it a lot cheaper if you buy this set.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. ¡¹ We gave each other a strong handshake. We left the clothing shop after purchasing Elle and Mash¡¯s swimwear, as well as mine and Seiya¡¯s sets. We brought regular clothes from other cozy-looking shops. ¡ª After a while. We finished doing the ¡°window shopping¡± in the Imperial Capital. We passed through the tool shop where Seiya brought some items before, but he was not there. Maybe he already arrived at the castle to experiment with his synthesis skill. There was a bustling market as we walked by. After we had some fun shopping in the city, I decided to buy some food and drinks to eat in the room. In the meantime, the sun was setting. ¡¸Well, then. Shall we go now! ¡¹ We headed to the castle with the shopping bags. I thought of a night plan as I walked ahead. ¡­First of all, after we have some fun on the Casino in the evening, we¡¯ll go to a bar to have some drinks. Afterwards, we should go to the hot springs to end the evening in good spirits! After¡­After that, we¡¯re going to put those two children in bed¡­and Seiya and I will¡­*laughs shyly in her mind*. Why¡­Why not! Today, I had to relax my mind to the max! Besides, even Valkyrie was allowed to that ¡°thing¡± with Seiya! I won¡¯t regret this! We arrived at the castle gate. The guards greeted us¡­ ¡¸Welcome! Thank you for your service to our country! ¡¹ We heard many cheers as we walked inside the castle grounds. As soon as we arrived in Seiya¡¯s room¡­ ¡¸Hello! Seiya! Thank you for waiting for us!! Come on, let¡¯s party!! ¡¹ I shouted but Seiya was not inside the room. ¡¸What? Is Seiya perhaps in the toilet? ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe he is still shopping for his synthesis? ¡¹ ¡¸Then, let¡¯s wait for him in here. ¡¹ Subsequently. We had been waiting for one hour now. The view from the window gradually became dark. ¡¸He said to have same fun together in the evening, am I correct? Somehow, I always had this image of Seiya being punctual¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I wonder if he got addicted to shopping? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be back soon!¡¹ ¡¸I see! You¡¯re right! ¡¹ But, an extra thirty minutes later¡­ Another hour has passed again¡­ The hero did not come back no matter how long we waited for him. Volume 1 - CH 47 Chapter 47: A Vanished Hero It was getting too late. I was worried that something might have happened. Therefore, we went to the tool shop that Seiya visited regularly. The night was deep, but the main streets of Orphe were bright and lively. When we arrived at the tool shop, I asked the owner about Seiya¡¯s whereabouts. ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re the lady who lost against my medicinal herbs¡­Eh? If the man from the other day came today? No, he didn¡¯t come. I haven¡¯t seen him today.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­He didn¡¯t come here? But, Seiya said he wanted to buy some items for his synthesis¡­¡¹ ¡¸You know, Lista. Maybe he went to a different tool shop? ¡¹ ¡¸You have a point. Excuse me sir, but are there other tool shops in Orphe?¡¹ ¡¸There is one just out of the city. But, my shop has more selection of items.¡¹ Going to the tool shop was a waste of time. There was no trace of Seiya coming to this part of the city. We went to the weaponry shop afterwards, but the result was the same. ¡¸Let¡¯s go back to the castle. Who knows maybe Master came back in the meantime?¡¹ Following Mash suggestion, we went back to the castle again. A moment ago, we were joyful on our way to the castle. However, right now, we all went to the castle with a heavy atmosphere. Our mood was miserable. ¡¸Where did he go so suddenly¡­ ¡¹ My relaxed mind returned back to normal. At the same time, I felt an ominous feeling deep down on my chest. What I felt was so unpleasant that I couldn¡¯t even describe it. We arrived in the castle straightaway. As expected, Seiya was not there. I asked a few people in the castle, but no one saw him. It had been three hours since the supposed meeting time. While we waited in the room for Seiya, Elle spoke with a nervous voice. ¡¸Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that Mister Seiya¡­went to fight against the Demon King by himself?¡¹ I took a moment of silence before answering¡­ ¡¸No, absolutely not! There¡¯s no way that a cautious hero like Seiya would act recklessly! He was reflecting seriously after defeating the Warlord Emperor in a tough battle! I¡¯m sure of it! It¡¯s absolutely impossible for Seiya to fight against the Demon King without taking proper preparations!¡¹ Mash agreed with my reasoning. ¡¸That makes sense. ¡¹ ¡¸Besides, the Demon King has the Chain Destruction! Seiya will certainly die if he loses! I¡¯m sure he decided to spend extra time to get provisions and, of course, to get more training!¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­You¡¯re right¡­But, where exactly did Mister Seiya go? ¡¹ Yes. That was the big question. And it made me quite uneasy to be honest. I got up and went straight to the door. ¡¸Lista! Where are you going? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, I can¡¯t stay still. ¡¹ Just as I opened the door, the Imperial Wizard Flasika came in unexpectedly. ¡¸Ah, Flasika! Have you seen Seiya? ¡¹ He didn¡¯t know about his whereabouts. ¡¸I see. So, you¡¯re saying that the hero has disappeared before the ultimate battle?¡¹ Flasika put his hand on his jaw as he thought seriously about it. Soon, his expression transformed into a troubled-looking face. ¡¸The hero is a human after all. I wonder¡­if he ran away from this place?¡¹ Mash yelled at a thoughtful Flasika. ¡¸What¡­What the hell are you talking about!! My Master would never run away!¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me for my rude behavior. But in fact, that could be the case. Lady Rosalie told me that the Demon King had a weapon strong enough to destroy the hero¡¯s soul, is that correct? I noticed that the hero was someone very young. Maybe he was afraid to die in the battle with the Demon King¡­¡¹ ¡¸You have to be joking! There¡¯s no way that Seiya would be afraid of such things!¡¹ I yelled at Flasika just like Mash did. I felt as if I was made a fool with this type of conversation. That made me really angry. We left Flasika behind and we walked away furiously through the castle grounds. However, soon, the words professed by Flasika resonated inside my head. ¡­He said Seiya ran because he was afraid? No, no, that can¡¯t be true¡­! Seiya managed to defeat the Emperor even after his arm was severed from his body. I thought that Seiya was actually mentally strong. But¡­Wasn¡¯t that just an act of stubbornness? Maybe his heart sank when he could no longer tolerate that excruciating pain? He slept for three whole days in the castle. Maybe that was the reason why¡­? I only had negative thoughts when I thought carefully about it. Suddenly, a thought popped in my mind. I spoke immediately. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya¡­committed suicide to prevent being killed by the Demon King¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ah!? Suicide you say!? ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, Lisutan!? ¡¹ ¡¸His soul will disappear forever if the enemy kills him! But if he dies without the Chain of Destruction activating, then his soul won¡¯t disappear and he¡¯ll be able to return to his original world! That¡¯s why Seiya probably took his own life¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!! Because if he really did that¡­then, it would mean that our world was abandoned!?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know!! I don¡¯t know anything anymore!! ¡¹ This was no longer just a ¡°searching game¡±. Everyone was in chaos because of the hero¡¯s sudden disappearance. I started to cast the spell to invoke the portal to the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸This is our last resort!! I have no choice but to ask the Great Goddess Isister about Seiya¡¯s whereabouts!!¡¹ I took Mash and Elle with me and we went to the God¡¯s realm in a hurry¡­ ¡ª I entered the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room without knocking¡­ ¡¸Excuse me!! ¡¹ I quickly jumped inside the room. However, I didn¡¯t see the Great Goddess Isister. Instead of her, I saw a familiar goddess standing by the window of the room. It was Ariadoa, the senior goddess, who stood in the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. She was looking at something from the window. ¡¸Aria!? What are you doing here!?¡­Where is the Great Goddess Isister!? It¡¯s serious!! Seiya vanished and we can¡¯t find him!! We are in a hurry!! We need to know where he is!!¡¹ Aria slowly turned around after I spoke too fast. I became alarmed when I saw her face. Tears were overflowing from Aria¡¯s cheeks. ¡¸A¡­Aria? ¡¹ Aria spoke with a serious expression without wiping her tears away. ¡¸Lista. Come with me. Lady Isister has been waiting for you in the ¡°room that stops time¡±¡­¡¹ ¡ª Aria usually talked a lot with me. And yet, she walked through the temple in silence. We were quiet as well while we followed her from behind. I felt as if something heavy was pressuring my chest. Aria stopped at a door in the hallway of the third floor. ¡¸This is the ¡°room that stops time¡±. ¡¹ I followed Aria and entered the room. When I came inside, I felt like I stepped into a weightless space. There was a desk a little further away from us, and the Great Goddess Isister was sitting on a chair. ¡¸Lista. You finally came here. I see that you brought with you the two dragon children. Most beings can¡¯t enter this place. But it should be okay if it¡¯s Mash and Elle. I¡¯ll give you permission to step inside if you two have a clear soul.¡¹ I noticed how vast this space was behind the Great Goddess Isister. The room was an endless space that went into infinity. It resembled the vastness of the summoning chamber. However, this room was like a huge library. There were many rows of shelves containing ¡°lamps¡±. I didn¡¯t ask anything, but I knew that those ¡°lamps¡± were the soul of gods, the ¡°Divine Soul¡±. The moment I tried to open my mouth to ask about Seiya¡­ ¡¸Lista. I know what you want to ask me. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister could see through the near future. She continued to talk with a solemn expression. ¡¸Let¡¯s start from the conclusion. Ryuguuin Seiya went by himself to the Devil Castle after leaving you behind in the Imperial Capital.¡¹ ¡¸Wh¡­What!? ¡¹ Mash, Elle and I were lost of words because we were too shocked. After that, I managed to be calm as I complained to the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸I¡­I refuse to believe that!! There¡¯s no way that cautious hero would fight against the Demon King without proper training!! Besides, there is the Chain Destruction!! There is a possibility that Seiya¡¯s soul will be destroyed if he fought with the enemy, right!? That¡¯s why¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Listarte. Besides, your soul could be destroyed as well. Ryuguuin Seiya knew that the Chain Destruction could kill you too¡­That¡¯s why he went to defeat the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ I was confused with the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s words. I tried to clear my mind. ¡¸Are¡­Are you saying that Seiya went to defeat the Demon King by himself in order to save me¡­Is that right? Ah¡­AH! That¡­That¡¯s absolutely impossible! Seiya never recognized me as a goddess! He usually told me that I was an idiot and kicked me several times even though we were always together on this quest!¡¹ ¡¸He has a foul mouth. And he has an arrogant personality. However, Ryuguuin Seiya is much kinder than you think he is. After he was summoned as a hero, Ryuguuin Seiya always cared for his companions and prioritized on saving them first.¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ Mash and Elle had surprising eyes after they heard the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸Master¡­cared for us? ¡¹ ¡¸Mash, Elle. Ryuguuin Seiya initially refused your help to accompany him because he had a good reason. He didn¡¯t want to lose any more friends. That¡¯s why he talks with a cold tone and never lets you participate in battles. In some cases, Ryuguuin Seiya would rather protect his friends than complete the quest in saving Geabrande.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister continued to talk as she looked at the vast ceiling of the room. ¡¸That¡¯s why he saved Mash from being killed by Death Magra¡¯s torture. In the Dragon Village, he didn¡¯t accept Elle¡¯s fate to become the holy sword. And he protected Lista from the Warlord Emperor, even though he risked the destruction of his own soul.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister spoke as if she had been traveling with us all this time. She was the almighty goddess with the highest rank in the God¡¯s realm. Even so, I raised my voice because I couldn¡¯t accept that reasoning. ¡¸I can¡¯t understand this!! If that¡¯s really true¡­If he was so worried about our safety, then why didn¡¯t he take us to the God¡¯s realm in the first place!! He should be spending his time with his training like he usually did!!¡¹ ¡¸It would be meaningless to keep on training. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that because we don¡¯t have a god stronger than Lady Valkyrie!? Even so, if he took proper time to raise his level, then his probability of winning the battle against the Demon King would become far higher.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister put her hand on a large crystal ball placed in the desk. ¡¸Lista. You couldn¡¯t see the real status of Ryuguuin Seiya because of his powerful camouflage skill¡­I¡¯ll show you his ability value right now.¡¹ After she cast a spell, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s status gradually emerged in the crystal ball. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 321960 MP ¨C 88155 Attack ¨C 293412 Defense ¨C 287644 Agility ¨C 268875 Magic ¨C 58751 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡­I never got the chance to see the real status of Seiya after he fought with Chaos Makina. I was sure that his ability value grew significantly since then. ¡¸A¡­Amazing¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Mister Seiya¡­! That¡¯s a great status¡­! ¡¹ Both of them admired Seiya¡¯s status. It was certainly amazing. But¡­But, even so¡­!! ¡¸His numerical value exceeds the value of an ordinary hero. He is outstanding, that¡¯s true. But, his status was still inferior if compared to the demonic Warlord Emperor Wolks Rosgard. Seiya was only able to win the battle against the Emperor because of Lady Valkyrie¡¯s destruction technique.¡¹ Suddenly, Mash noticed something on the crystal ball as he pointed with his trembling hand. ¡¸Wait a moment¡­! Level¡­¡°MAX¡±? Why does he has this¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. This child¡¯s level has already reached the limit. Besides, Seiya already had this status when he practiced with Adenela and when he fought with the Dragon Mother at the Dragon Village. Since then, this child¡¯s numerical value has not increased at all. ¡¹ An astonished Elle covered her mouth with her hands. ¡¸He¡­He had this status that early on¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why he wanted to learn the ¡°Arrow of Light¡± and the ¡°Destruction Operation Method¡±¡­He was serious when he said he would master those special skills. He was trying to compensate his stagnant status with the gods¡¯ skills. That child was troubled by his own capabilities.¡¹ ¡¸But, Mister Seiya¡­never told us about that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Nothing would change the current situation if he told you about that. He didn¡¯t want to give you unnecessary information that would only make you worry.¡¹ Everyone was silent for a second. I squeezed my fists. ¡¸No¡­This won¡¯t be enough¡­! He won¡¯t be able to dispel the evil that came to the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande with his current status¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸B¡­But, Lista! Master has the Egzation! If he combines the power of the holy sword with that destruction technique, then he will be able to defeat¡­¡¹ ¡¸He won¡¯t¡­! That holy sword¡­Egzation is¡­! ¡¹ Elle was listening to what I was saying as well. However, I couldn¡¯t suppress my feelings any longer. ¡¸That sword is¡­a fake!! ¡¹ The faces of Mash and Elle became pale when they heard my words. ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re kidding, right!? Didn¡¯t he synthesize the sword of the Dragon Mother with Elle¡¯s blood!?¡¹ ¡¸The sword he made was not the Egzation!! He was just pretending to have obtained the Egzation in order to prevent the riots of the Dragon people and to encourage you two!!¡¹ ¡¸Are you serious¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­! ¡¹ Elle was speechless. The Great Goddess Isister opened her mouth after everyone became silent. ¡¸It¡¯s already too late to change the course of his fate. He didn¡¯t obtain the holy sword to defeat the Demon King. Besides, the legendary armor to protect himself from that demon¡¯s attacks was also destroyed. That¡¯s why I asked Valkyrie to teach him her destruction technique. He¡¯ll probably have to use the ¡°Valhala Gate¡± in order to win this battle. But, he can only use this fearsome skill if he exchanges that power for this life. ¡¹ My whole body was pulsating. ¡¸Valhala Gate¡­!? It can¡¯t be!! Lady Valkyrie told me that she wouldn¡¯t teach him that!! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. You saw the ritual of diffusing the destructive aura, am I right? ¡¹ On this moment, the scene where Valkyrie and Seiya were hugging each other naked flashed back in my mind. ¡­That was¡­the ritual to bestow the power of the Valhala Gate to Seiya¡­!? ¡¸Even Valkyrie was moved by Ryuguuin Seiya¡¯s determination to save this world even if he had to give up his life in order to do so. That¡¯s why I gave permission to let him learn the Destruction Operation Method to destroy the enemy¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Why¡­? Why did you allow that¡­? He¡¯ll definitely die if he uses the Valhala Gate, am I wrong¡­? He won¡¯t be able to return to his original world. And yet, you gave him your permission¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya went to the Devil Castle without our supervision. I couldn¡¯t protect him during that time¡­Unfortunately, the past cannot be restored again¡­That¡¯s why I wanted to protect the present-day this time¡­¡¹ I screamed to the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸I don¡¯t understand!! I really don¡¯t understand this!! I don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on!! Just why!? Why is he trying to protect us so desperately!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Before I answer, I also have something to ask you. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister was looking at me with icy sharp eyes even though she was always warm and kind-hearted when talking to me. ¡¸Goddess Listarte. Do you have the courage to know the truth? ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 48.1 Chapter 48: Reasons of Cautiousness (1) The Great Goddess Isister¡¯s icy eyes looked harshly at me. Her dignified and, yet, striking expression gave me goosebumps. Even so, I¡­ ¡¸Please, tell me!! ¡¹ I gathered my courage because I wanted to know what was going on. ¡¸Okay then. Take a look. This will show you the truth you sought to know.¡¹ The crystal ball reacted to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s words and began to emit a bright light. Soon, it began to reflect a clear picture as if it was a receiver. ¡­It reflected the appearance of three figures sitting on chairs around a table. There was a girl with reddish brown hair dressed like a priestess. There was also a man wearing a wizard¡¯s robe. And the next figure¡­I recognized the beautiful woman wearing a pure white dress. Her hair was longer, but I had no doubts. I inadvertently took my eyes away from the crystal ball to look behind. ¡¸This¡­This person¡­Is that you¡­Aria? ¡¹ Aria, who had been silent until now, walked slowly towards me. ¡¸It¡¯s me from a hundred years ago. The place you see from the crystal ball is the B-rank difficulty world Exfolia¡­¡¹ ¡¸Exfolia? ¡¹ I heard that name somewhere else before. When I tried to remember¡­ ¡ºOkay everyone. It¡¯s almost time to go. ¡» I heard a familiar voice coming from the crystal ball, and my eyes looked immediately at it. The three figures in the crystal ball looked directly at that person. The owner of that voice approached those three, and the silhouette was revealed. A fourth person appeared in the crystal ball. It was a tall man wearing steel armor. He had glossy hair and neat features. Just like Aria, I had no doubts who this man was. ¡¸Seiya¡­! ¡¹ That was my hero¡­Ryuguuin Seiya. Aria spoke with a low voice. ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya was originally the hero I summoned to save Exfolia. ¡¹ She¡¯s got to be kidding me¡­!! I mean, I never heard anything about that before¡­!! Lots of questions swirled on my head. However, Seiya continued to talk from the crystal ball. ¡ºWe¡¯re going to overthrow the Chimera right now. ¡» The woman dressed as a priestess tried to stop Seiya as he ventured dashingly to the door. ¡ºListen, Seiya! It¡¯s too early! According to our information, the Chimera¡¯s level is far superior than ours! If we could train a little more, then¡­ ¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s a waste of time. Let¡¯s fight anyways. The quicker we finish this the better. Besides, I¡¯ve prepared a strategy for this.¡» ¡ºThen¡­Then, tell us! What is your strategy! ¡» ¡ºWell. The strategy is¡­I¡¯ll do my best. That¡¯s all. ¡» ¡ºAre you a child!? That¡¯s not a strategy!! As I thought, we have to prepare properly before we go crazily like this!! ¡» The priestess took her reddish brown hair off her shoulders. The atmosphere was tense in the ¡°room that stops time¡±. Eventually, our moods softened a little bit after we were witnessing the unfolding story. Aria pointed to the crystal ball. ¡¸This girl is Princess Tiana. She¡¯s a princess of the powerful country Tarmine in Exfolia. She was a member of the rescue party. Along the way, she became Seiya¡¯s companion in the quest to defeat the evil forces.¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t listen to Princess Tiana¡¯s suggestion. Instead, he touched his glossy black hair. ¡ºGonna be Okay. ¡» ¡ºWhat¡­I didn¡¯t understand what you just said!! Wait¡­Wait right there!! Seiya!!¡» Seiya left the room without paying attention. Princess Tiana chased after him without hesitating. Still, the man wearing a wizard¡¯s robe smiled. ¡º*laughs* That¡¯s just like Seiya. ¡» ¡ºPardon, Colt!? This is not a laughable matter!! ¡» The wizard was a man named Colt. Aria from the past also had the same sort of expression. ¡ºAnyways, I think he¡¯ll figure a way out. He has been doing okay in some way or another¡­¡» ¡ºYou¡¯re always like this, Lady Aria!! It¡¯s not good to spoil a reckless hero!!¡» ¡­Suddenly, the scene changed. The crystal ball reflected the next scene chronologically. Now, the crystal ball showed Seiya¡¯s party against a huge lion. But, actually, it was not really a lion when I looked closely. That animal had wings on its back and the tail was, in fact, a serpent. It was a Chimera monster. Meanwhile, Seiya¡¯s party¡­ ¡ºColt! Use the magic you¡¯re good at! The one with wind attributes! C¡¯mon, fast!¡» ¡ºI¡­I was bitten!! Tiana!! Cure my wound with your healing magic!! ¡» ¡ºCalm down, Colt! I¡¯m going to cure you now, so don¡¯t freak out! ¡» ¡ºWait, Tiana!! You must cure Seiya before Colt!! Because, right now, he only has two points left on his HP!!¡» ¡ºYou¡¯re kidding, right!? ¡­Wh¡­Whoa!! He has a hole on his chest!! It¡¯s open!!¡» ¡ºNo, I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feel any pain. On the contrary, I feel strangely good. My mind is getting numb. This feels like a dream. ¡» ¡ºHey, that means that you¡¯re dying!! ¡» ¡­I don¡¯t know if it was just me or not. But, I felt like the ongoing battle was far from being able to even afford a small victory. Even so, they still managed to defeat the Chimera. Seiya took an excessive confident pose with a trembling hand. ¡ºHey, see. Didn¡¯t we win? ¡» ¡ºYou should look carefully around you!! Can¡¯t you see that everyone got hurt!?¡» ¡ºBut, we still won. Isn¡¯t that great. ¡» ¡ºNothing is great!! Colt¡¯s legs are badly injured!! ¡» ¡ºAh¡­Tiana¡­Please, heal me quickly¡­! ¡» ¡ºGood. Okay, let¡¯s hurry up. We need to defeat the Golem.* ¡» ¡ºI just told you that Colt¡¯s legs are badly injured!! ¡» ¡­Inside the ¡°room that stops time¡±, all of us were watching the reflected spectacle from the crystal ball with a nervous breathing. ¡¸Hey¡­Is that person really my Master¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Somehow¡­he resembles Lady Rosalie¡­! ¡¹ I strongly agreed with both of them. Seiya¡¯s behavior was exactly like Rosalie¡¯s¡­No, actually, his behavior had a lot more recklessness than just noble idiocy. We were quite perplexed. Aria opened her mouth as she started to reminisce about the past. ¡¸About Seiya, you know. He originally had this kind of personality. He was the type that didn¡¯t care about raising his level up, and kept going forward regardless of what laid ahead. Yet, Seiya had a natural talent for battles. Even if his status were lower than the opponent¡¯s, he, somehow, would defeat the enemy without taking proper measures. There was a big crisis during the Chimera battle, but Seiya moved forward without any preparations nor strategies. He managed to succeed in this particular fight and we were, somewhat, relieved. That was something I greatly admired about him.¡¹ After that, the crystal ball showed us a short summary of Seiya¡¯s battle scenes. Golem, Dragon, Cyclops¡­Seiya¡¯s party went up against several different formidable enemies on their quest and kept moving forward without stopping. The battles were always won in a precarious state. But for some reason, they seemed to enjoy it. This was very different from the battles that Seiya had by himself on my selected world. He used the power of his companions even if they struggled to win. He shared the joy of victory with his people. I was sure that everyone believed in Seiya, and he believed on his companions as well. ¡¸This success lasted until the battle against the Demon King. ¡¹ Just when Aria spoke¡­ the scenery reflected on the crystal ball changed completely at the same time. Apparently, the next scene was during the night. The scene showed only Seiya and Princess Tiana. They sat by each other as they talked near the bonfire. ¡ºSeiya. The Demon King is the only one left to defeat. ¡» ¡ºYeah. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning. You should get some sleep. ¡» ¡ºI can¡¯t sleep right now because I¡¯m feeling a little anxious. Listen¡­Are you sure you don¡¯t have to go to the Sage¡¯s Village? ¡» ¡ºYeah. I already got a weapon to defeat the Demon King. It¡¯s unnecessary to waste our time just to go to that distant village. ¡» ¡ºBut, Lady Aria told us that we would get more information about how to defeat the Demon King on that village¡­ ¡» ¡ºTiana. I want to defeat the Demon King as soon as possible. ¡» Princess Tiana took a big sigh because she knew how difficult it was to stop Seiya¡¯s strong determination. Thereafter, she laughed a little bit as if she gave up entirely. ¡ºSeiya, you¡¯ve been like this since the first time I met you. You never prepare and train for battles.¡» She looked a bit serious then. ¡ºWill you tell me how you feel right now? Seiya, you¡¯re always in a hurry, if we could use this moment to talk properly¡­¡» ¡ºI always told you how I felt. I don¡¯t have anything more to say. ¡» ¡ºC¡¯mon! I just asked you how you feel and that¡¯s the only thing you have to say! Tomorrow will be the last day of our quest together, you know? So, please! ¡­Okay? ¡» After a moment of silence, Seiya spoke with a lower voice. ¡ºThe longer we keep taking our time on useless things, the longer it will take to finish this¡­ If we don¡¯t defeat the Demon King immediately, then this perilous situation will keep repeating¡­The suffering of the people from this world will continue. That¡¯s why I¡¯m moving forward without hesitating.¡» After saying that, Seiya scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡ºI see¡­That¡¯s why you always acted like that¡­ ¡» Princess Tiana touched Seiya¡¯s hand gently. In addition, Seiya tangled his fingers on her hand as he held it tightly. ¡ºTiana. I was able to come this far because you were by my side. You helped me countless of times with your healing magic. I am sorry that I forced you to aid me every time I needed. ¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s¡­It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to manage things out next time. That¡¯s why¡­Say it. Those words, you know. I always feel relieved when I hear your words.¡» Seiya opened his mouth while looking up at the starry sky. ¡ºGonna be Okay. ¡» Then, Princess Tiana smiled gently. ¡­The scene changed again. The Great Goddess Isister spoke with a serious voice while she looked at the crystal ball. ¡¸These upcoming scenes will show you the battle against the Demon King of Exfolia.¡¹ The crystal ball reflected Seiya¡¯s party. Everyone seemed to be in absolute chaos. Seiya was breathing heavily while an ugly and gigantic monster with eight arms surrounded him. That green-skinned monster had sharp pointed fangs on its mouth. It was probably the Demon King on its final form. A form specialized only in defeating the opponent mercilessly. Just like Seiya and his companions, the Demon King was also injured from the battle. Purple fluid, most probably his blood, was dripping from its body. Seiya held the sword in an upper position to strike one last powerful attack. The holy sword shined brightly in response to Seiya¡¯s strong willpower. Soon, Seiya¡¯s fighting spirit transmitted to his actions as he cut through at an insanely speed and with a powerful strike It divided the gigantic devil¡¯s body in half. The screams of death echoed dramatically throughout the Devil Castle grounds. And then, we could hear the happy cheers from Seiya¡¯s companions. Aria rushed in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡ºYou did it! Seiya! ¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s¡­It¡¯s really okay now? Are you sure he¡¯s dead? ¡» Princess Tiana looked uneasy¡­ ¡ºI checked it with my clairvoyance ability! The Demon King¡¯s HP was zero! I beat him!¡» Aria touched her chest tightly after she heard Seiya¡¯s words. She lost her strength because of the stress of the battle and fell to the ground. Seiya spoke to everyone. ¡ºI told you. I said it was Gonna be Okay. ¡» ¡ºGeez! Why are you saying that now! We only managed to overcome this battle until the very last moment!¡» Everyone looked very tired and hurt. But, somehow, they all laughed innocently at Princess Tiana¡¯s reprimanding words. However¡­their joyful laughs didn¡¯t last long. Volume 1 - CH 48.2 Chapter 48: Reasons of Cautiousness (2) Everyone laughed innocently. Even the wizard Colt laughed happily. But, on that moment¡­Colt spilled a red fluid from his mouth unexpectedly. ¡ºEh¡­ ¡» A huge amount of blood came out from Colt¡¯s mouth. Colt himself didn¡¯t even understand what just happened to him. A sharp tongue-like weapon pierced through Colt¡¯s chest. It was like an extended sword that came from the devil¡¯s mouth. Somehow, the Demon King managed to survive through the upper body. Princess Tiana screamed at the sight of the sudden tragedy. ¡ºColt!? ¡» That monstrous demon swallowed Colt alive with its huge mouth, just like when reptiles entangle their preys with their long tongues. After absorbing a living nutrient, the Demon King was able to regenerate a new lower body in a instant. A pale-faced Aria was shivering in fear. ¡ºIt¡¯s¡­It¡¯s impossible! His health points were certainly zero! The Demon King was supposed to be dead!¡» The Demon King, who regained his physical strength rapidly, jumped right in front of Aria. Then, he grabbed Aria with his four arms while he laughed victoriously. ¡ºI have two lives. One was lost, but the other one is alive. ¡» ¡ºWhat¡­What did¡­you just say¡­! Run¡­Run away, Seiya, Tiana¡­We can¡¯t win anymore.¡» However, Aria¡¯s advice ended prematurely. The Demon King swallowed Aria in one gulp. ¡º*laughs wickedly* I¡¯ve completely regenerated with these two living nutrients!¡» Seiya was trying to get up straight. Still, he only managed to stand using his sword as a cane. His feet were shaking tremendously, most probably due to extreme fatigue. ¡ºTiana¡­Can you still use your healing magic¡­? ¡» ¡ºSo¡­Sorry, Seiya¡­I don¡¯t have any more magical powers¡­ ¡» Princess Tiana, who was always strong willed, was feeling apologetic as her eyes became filled with tears. Seiya put his hand on Princess Tiana¡¯s head. ¡ºYou have nothing to apologize for. This was my fault for not preparing in advance.¡» And then, Seiya pushed Princess Tiana behind his back. ¡ºRun away, Tiana. ¡» Seiya took a step forward to cover and protect Princess Tiana. However, the Demon King passed through Seiya with an astonishing speed and went directly to Princess Tiana. ¡ºI won¡¯t let any of you escape! I¡¯ll kill that woman first! ¡» ¡ºStop¡­ ¡» Seiya rushed immediately to Princess Tiana. Unfortunately, his excessive exhaustion inhibited his body from going further. Seiya fell to the ground. He could only stare at the Demon King from afar without being able to do anything. The Demon King was staring mysteriously at the abdomen of a frightened Princess Tiana. ¡ºWhat¡¯s this¡­? I can feel a faint life response coming from this woman¡¯s belly¡­¡» The Seiya¡¯s hopeless complexion, who was not able to do anything, had changed. The Demon King turned around and spoke while Seiya looked at him with a hateful face. ¡ºI got it! So, this is your child! ¡» Seeing how angry Seiya was, the Demon King smiled greatly. He started to ridicule him devilishly. ¡ºI¡¯ll rip her apart and pull it out from her belly! So, just watch this! The blood of both mother and child will become the tributes of the beginning of my new world!¡» ¡ºStop¡­Please, stop it¡­ ¡» That moment. The ongoing scene from the crystal ball disappeared. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s stop watching here. ¡¹ I felt lots of anxiety as the scene was suddenly cut off. I knew the reason why the Great Goddess Isister did no show us the continuation. It was because Aria was crying helplessly next to me. ¡¸It was not Seiya¡¯s fault¡­! It was my responsibility¡­! We should¡¯ve gone the Sage¡¯s Village to know the secret about the Demon King¡¯s power¡­! That was my responsibility as the goddess in charge of saving that world, but, in the end, I failed¡­!¡¹ At the same time, I recalled when Aria mentioned this world. This was the only world that Aria failed to protect among the three hundred worlds she saved¡­And it was Exfolia¡­!! It all¡­made sense now!! His companions were killed, his loved one was killed and even the whole world perished¡­!! That was a very cruel past¡­!! That¡¯s why Seiya became so cautious¡­!! I was trying to analyze all the new information on my mind. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Hey¡­Hey, Lista? ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh. ¡¹ Those two were calling for me. Before I knew it¡­ I felt that hot fluid fell throughout my cheeks. Tears were overflowing dramatically from my eyes. *cries excessively* I couldn¡¯t stop my tears! It was hard to breath! My heart was bursting painfully! ¡­Why? But, why I was feeling like this¡­!? ¡¸¡­Some of the past memories probably remained in your soul. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister spoke with a serious tone. ¡¸Listarte¡­Ryuguuin Seiya did not save Princess Tiana. She was you before reincarnating as a goddess.¡¹ Ah¡­That Princess was me¡­? I¡­was originally a human being¡­? But¡­But, why¡­! I couldn¡¯t believe what I just heard right now. The Great Goddess Isister continued to talk. ¡¸Do you remember when you misunderstood the scene where Valkyrie and Seiya embraced each other? Why did you get angry? Because a faint memory that you and Seiya were in love remains in your soul.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­! ¡¹ That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t bear to see them like that. At that time, I felt sadness, anger and regret from the depths of my heart. That confirmed the truth that Seiya and I were lovers in the past life. ¡¸Aria¡¯s strong desires combined with Princess Tiana good deeds, made it possible for you to reincarnate as a goddess after she died.¡¹ I was amazed at these revelations. The Great Goddess Isister continued to explain. ¡¸It¡¯s been a hundred years for you in the God¡¯s realm where the time flow is slow. And for Ryuguuin Seiya has been one year¡­It was no coincidence that you chose Ryuguuin Seiya to save Geabrande. Fate brought you two together. Of course, just like you, Ryuguuin Seiya doesn¡¯t remember the past. That was evident when that child forgot about Aria. Still, the feeling of remorse for not being able to save his companions was imprinted on his soul. He expressed that feeling through certain words. And that was evident when you summoned him as a hero.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Certain words? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you remember? After meeting you, that child said ¡°Properties¡±. ¡¹ I do remember. In order to add some interest for being a hero, I tried to invite him to say ¡°Status¡±¡­However, Seiya ironically called it ¡°Properties¡± instead. ¡¸These were the last words that child wrote in his past life. ¡¹ Something appeared on the crystal ball. When I saw the words engraved in the Properties¡¯ two-dimensional window, I became speechless. ¡¸This¡­This is¡­! So, that¡¯s the reason why¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s a smart child. He was able to understand accurately the situation he was brought into just by looking at his past written text. That child probably knew that he was previously summoned as a hero. But, failed in completing the quest.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand still anymore. Therefore, I tried to open the portal to Geabrande immediately. Aria shouted at me. ¡¸Lista!? What on earth are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s obvious!! I¡¯m going to Seiya at this moment!! ¡¹ ¡¸Stop! Don¡¯t go! I don¡¯t want to lose you too! ¡¹ Aria tried to stop me by pulling my arm. Nevertheless, I held Aria¡¯s hands instead. ¡¸Aria. I¡¯m grateful for everything you¡¯ve done to me. But, I have to go. Because Seiya is a very important person to me. I can¡¯t leave him alone.¡¹ ¡¸Lista¡­ ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister looked at me with solemn expression. ¡¸The Demon King obtained the Chain Destruction that allows him to kill a god definitely. Nobody will blame you if you decide to retire from this quest. No, actually, it would be the best option for you to retire straightaway. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what Ryuguuin Seiya wants for you. So, despite all that, do you still want to go?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going! I decided that a long time ago! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­It seems there¡¯s no use in stopping you anymore. ¡¹ I nodded silently. On that moment, I cast a spell to open the portal to Geabrande. Seiya was¡­ Seiya was probably in the Devil Castle by now! However, we won¡¯t make it on time even if the portal appeared next to the castle! The Great Goddess Isister saw the prospects of my idea, but she quietly told me to give up. ¡¸You¡¯d like to open the portal right in the depths of the Devil Castle where the decisive final battle is taking place¡­That goes beyond the rules given to a goddess with a supportive role.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind!! I will receive any punishment later!! ¡¹ After I declared those words, somebody grabbed my arm before I went through the portal. When I looked back, I saw that both Mash and Elle stared at me with a sincere expression. ¡¸Mash. Elle. I will not let you two die. The Great Goddess Isister will send you to a safe place even if you want to return to Geabrande.¡¹ Mash shook his head repeatedly. ¡¸Lista, I¡¯ll say to you the same words you said to Isister! We have to go with you!¡¹ Elle nodded in agreement with tears on her eyes. ¡¸Mister Seiya saved Mash¡¯s life! He protected me from the Dragon Mother as well! So, if Mister Seiya¡¯s life is in eminent danger¡­Then, we have to go as well!¡¹ I could not say anything when they stared at me with determined pure eyes. Right now, their feelings were the same as mine¡­ I quietly nodded my head. I let them accompany me. The Great Goddess Isister spoke to me from behind when I tried to put my hand on the portal¡¯s doors. ¡¸The Demon King developed the ¡°Area Chain Destruction¡±. That evil magic spread over the boundaries of my foreknowledge power. I won¡¯t be able to predict what will happen once you get in there.¡¹ I looked back because it felt that her last words were shaking. The Great Goddess Isister was crying. ¡¸Listarte. Be careful. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. ¡¹ I lowered deeply my head in respect. After that, we went through the portal. ¡­We are going to you, Seiya. I might not do anything worthy even if I go. But, even so, we are companions. You are trying to die alone for our sake, but we¡¯re together on this. While we were heading to Geabrande, I reminded of something. I recalled what the Great Goddess Isister showed me on the crystal ball¡­Seiya¡¯s writing text on his Properties¡­ ¡ºBe careful, extremely careful and overly cautious. Whether everyone will like me or hate me, I¡¯ll go through this by myself. This time, I will surely save the world, my comrades and my dearest people.¡» Volume 1 - CH 49 Chapter 49: Because I Am After walking through the portal I noticed that we had arrived at a dark space. From its looks alone it didn¡¯t seem like this place belonged to the heavens or the earth. At the same time, I felt that this area became like this probably because of the ¡°Area Chain Destruction¡± activation. ¡¸Wha¡­What is this place!? ¡¹ ¡¸Weren¡¯t we supposed to arrive at the Devil Castle!? ¡¹ Elle and Mash were perplexed. I summoned the portal and made sure that our arrival would be close to the final battle inside the Devil¡¯s Castle. There was no doubt about it. This area was engulfed by the Demon King¡¯s magic powers. He probably engulfed this place in darkness so that the battle odds would be in his favor. I perceived something on this devilish space. Beyond all of this darkness, I could see a small aura of light the embodied the hope of humanity. ¡¸Seiya¡­! ¡¹ The hero was facing the Demon King directly a few ten meters away from where we had arrived. The armored clothed Demon King of the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande was gazing at the hero with an expressionless face. There was no sign of exhaustion. It seemed that the battle had not begun yet. We made it in time¡­I felt a brief moment of relief. Seiya held his left hand with his right hand as he confronted the Demon King straight on. My spine froze when I saw his offensive stance. ¡­Ah¡­That was Valkyrie¡¯s final destruction technique!! He¡¯ll have to pay a price if he uses that technique!! Seiya¡¯s soul will be destroyed after thirty seconds!! ¡¸Wait!! Stop, Seiya!! ¡¹ I came running to him while I screamed aloud. But, Seiya was not hearing my voice at all. His gaze was fixed on the enemy that stood right in front of him. On that moment¡­ ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the Final¡­¡°Valhala Gate¡±¡­! ¡¹ His roaring voice echoed through the dark empty space. Soon, a huge gate appeared above Seiya¡¯s head along with white barriers. At the same time, the figure of the Demon King who wanted to kill Seiya disappeared from where he was standing. When the black door with barriers opened, I noticed that the Demon King was already transferred into the deadly heavenly gate. The goddess made of plaster from the top of the gate spilled blood from her eyes and mouth, and then she smiled. *laughs* With the power of the Goddess of Destruction in motion, the Demon King showed an astonished expression when he realized the inevitable trap of the ultimate technique. ¡¸Why¡­! I invoked an Anti-Magic Field on this space¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The destruction technique is not made of magic. Therefore, it can be activated under every circumstance.¡¹ ¡¸Destruction¡­technique¡­? ¡¹ The Demon King tried to get out of the gate. However, the countless needles that were installed outside of the black door pierced through the devil¡¯s body. The Demon King changed his complexion after he saw black blood dripping from his own arm. ¡¸How can you hurt me without the Egzation? This kind of attack¡­No. I never thought that a fearsome skill like this one, ever existed¡­!¡¹ In a second, the humanoid figure of the Demon King changed dramatically. His two eyes became bright red, his mouth was torn when his big fangs busted out from inside, and his overall appearance started to resembled a real demon. Shortly, he tried to get out of the gate by using his brute reddish black arms to open the door. And yet, the power of the deadly heavenly gate was stronger than the power of the Demon King. I remembered that a similar situation had happened before. The god of death Tanathus could not resist the strength of the gradually closing door of the supreme gate. Still, the body of the Demon King changed even further. He broke the armor he was wearing to create new arms on both sides of his body. The Demon King became a sixth arm demon just like Eliza. He tried desperately to open the door of the gate while his arms were dripping big amounts of blood. Soon, I was looking at a scene that I wished it were part of a dream! I couldn¡¯t believe my own eyes! The door of the deadly heavenly gate was slowly being opened by the overwhelming strength of the Demon King! Elle and Mash spoke with a trembling voice. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­That¡¯s impossible¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s going to get out from there! ¡¹ My body shivered continuously at the sight of that unbelievable scene. ¡­It couldn¡¯t be¡­!! That demon was overthrowing the ultimate destruction technique that Seiya gave his life for¡­!! Half of the Demon King¡¯s body managed to step out from the gate. He was laughing devilishly with his greatly torn mouth. ¡¸Don¡¯t take me lightly¡­you mere humans¡­! ¡¹ Upon those words, the face of the Demon King became even more terrifying and resolute! Even so, the hero floated right in front of the Demon King¡¯s fearsome gaze! Seiya used his ¡°Flight¡± skill to approach the Demon King trapped in the mortal heavenly gate! He was ready to strike that demon with his sword! ¡¸I didn¡¯t take you lightly. You are the ultimate enemy of this S-rank difficulty world Geabrande. It was obvious that you wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat with just that. ¡¹ And then, the Adamantiter became engulfed with burning flames¡­ ¡¸Phoenix Thrust¡­! ¡¹ Just like when he pierced through the armor chest of the Warlord Emperor, Seiya pierced the chest of the Demon King with his sword! But, the strike sounded as if metal clashed with metal! It would be impossible to inflict some damage on the Demon King¡¯s body without the Egzation! Still, Seiya tried his hardest to push the Demon King inside the gate! ¡¸Your sword won¡¯t work on me!! Don¡¯t you dare think that you¡¯ve sealed me successfully with this strange technique!¡¹ The Demon King became insanely furious! Seiya tried to push the demon in, but instead, he was knocked by one of the six arms of the Demon King, who was crawling half-away from the gate! Seiya couldn¡¯t defend himself properly and he was thrown away at an overwhelming power and speed! ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Seiya managed to keep his body straight up; however, he vomited blood violently from his mouth. ¡¸Master!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ Both of them screamed worryingly. But, Seiya wiped the blood from his mouth with his forearm, and went flying immediately. Instead of treating his injuries, Seiya prioritized the repression of the Demon King to inside the gate. Seiya¡¯s voice echoed tremendously through the dark space while he held his sword in an offensive stance¡­ ¡¸Eternal Sword EX¡­! ¡¹ The hero tried to use Adenela¡¯s swordsmanship skills to win this ordeal. Nonetheless, the Demon King grinned sinisterly as if he was mocking Seiya¡¯s sword attack. ¡¸Fool man!! I told you that your sword attacks won¡¯t work on me!! ¡¹ Seiya started to attack with his sword, given the incredible amount of strikes it looked like it was raining swords. But, the Demon King ignored those attacks and didn¡¯t defend himself. Instead, he poured all of this powerful strength to get out of the gate¡­However! Something happened as soon as Seiya¡¯s sword attacks touched the body of the Demon King! Countless of lacerations were engraved on the upper body of the enemy! It sounded as if the meat was ripping apart! ¡¸My body¡­Is tearing apart from the countless cuts¡­! But, your sword is not the Egzation¡­!¡¹ The demon distorted his face frustratingly at the sight of the inexplicable phenomenon! I didn¡¯t understand what was going on as well! ¡­But¡­But, why!? The Phoenix Thrust didn¡¯t inflict any damage on the Demon King!! Then, why does the other sword skill managed to accomplish that!? While he held the continuously attacking sword on one of his hand, Seiya managed to hit the Demon King with something that he held on his other hand. We could hear a lightening sound. Then, it fell and dissipated through the void of the black space. ¡¸What was that just now¡­? ¡¹ The Demon King was dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Seiya touched his nose. ¡¸It¡¯s a gift from a stupid woman. ¡¹ The falling object was familiar to me. I mean, it was something that I looked at almost every day. I gave that ¡°necessary gift¡± to Seiya for him to use with his synthesis skill. ¡­What!? Was that my ¡°private hair¡± just now!? He¡­He used that for this ultimate battle!? How could I feel tense after witnessing such thing!! But¡­But, I got it!! He didn¡¯t use Phoenix Thrust to push the Demon King back inside the gate!! He tried to insert the Adamantiter inside of the gate and synthesize it with the ¡°needles of destruction¡± that broke both the tangible and intangible! In other words¡­! The hero¡¯s sword became part of the whimsical punishment that the deadly heavenly gate invoked upon the Demon King. Seiya took a deep breath right in front of the Demon King. ¡¸The sword of the underworld¡­the ¡°Valhala Blade¡±. ¡¹ Seiya redrew the Valhala Blade with an intimidating pose! An aura of light emitted on the sword and on Seiya¡¯s body while it diffused within the void of the dark space! ¡¸Return to where you belong¡­! ¡°Valhala Thrust¡±¡­! ¡¹ The shining light went flying straight ahead! In a second, the strong light clashed on the Demon King! As soon as the light touched his body, the sword pierced through the eyebrows of the enemy! We could hear a cracking sound as if the skull was breaking apart! The Demon King screamed painfully after he received that powerful impact! At that moment, he lost the strength on his arms that held open the door of the gate! Seiya released his hand from the Valhala Blade that stuck on that demon¡¯s eyebrows! He twisted his body in the air and kicked the handle of the sword! With that strong kick, the Demon King removed his arms completely from the door! ¡¸Damn¡­Damn you¡­! ¡¹ After saying that, the Demon King¡¯s grudging voice was heard exorbitantly high¡­ *screams painfully* As soon as he got fully inside, an amusing smile appeared on the bloody mouth of the plaster goddess. And then¡­The door of the gate was closed completely. It made a heavy sound as the barriers finally locked the door. ¡¸He¡­He did it¡­! The gate was finally closed¡­! ¡¹ Mash yelled victoriously. ¡¸Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ Elle screamed on that moment. Seiya, who was floating in the air, began to fall to the ground. It looked as if his body was a broken puppet without strings. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ We ran in Seiya¡¯s direction. When we arrived by his side, Seiya was bleeding excessively from all over his body, just like the lacerations done on the Demon King previously. Thirty seconds already passed since he triggered the Valhala Gate. His body began to collapse as the price for invoking that deadly technique. Seiya stared at us with a surprising look as if he forgot for a second that his body was bleeding constantly. When I held his body, Seiya spoke with a tiny voice. ¡¸Lista. You came to the Devil Castle by using a short cut. What happened to the rules of the God¡¯s realm that you always told me about?¡¹ ¡¸Idiot!! That¡¯s not important right now!! You won¡¯t be able to return to your world if you die here, you know!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But, the Demon King was defeated at last. ¡¹ I yelled angrily at the hero who spoke with satisfaction even as he approached his death. ¡¸If you were really cautious, you would think not only in defeating the Demon King, but you would think of a way to not get yourself killed!!¡¹ Usually, he would beat or kick me for being feisty. However, he was so hurt and exhausted that he didn¡¯t do that to me anymore. He became so quiet all of a sudden, and then¡­he slowly closed his eyes. The blood that came out of Seiya¡¯s body was gathering into a blood pool. That insane amount of lost blood would be lethal for a human being. ¡¸Mister Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸Master!! ¡¹ The two of them shook Seiya¡¯s body while crying. But, there wasn¡¯t a reaction anymore. Within a few seconds, the Valhala Gate will swallow Seiya¡¯s life completely. His death will be the price to pay for using that destructive technique. Mash and Elle screamed extremely loud as they cried helplessly. ¡¸I won¡¯t let¡­you die¡­! ¡¹ I swore aggressively. Mash and Elle looked at me with crying eyes. ¡¸I didn¡¯t give you permission to die!! ¡¹ I raised my voice towards Seiya. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with you!! You told us that you¡¯ll join us in the evening, and yet, you lied!! There were a lot of things I wanted to do¡­the Casino, have some drinks in a bar, go to the hot springs and show you a funny swimsuit that I bought!!¡¹ I could no longer complain after I shouted every word I wanted to say. I spoke to Seiya with deep feelings engraved in my heart. Then, I cried out a loud shout that shook the dark space of the Devil Castle. ¡¸Order!! ¡¹ I prayed to the Great Goddess Isister that stayed in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸I beg you to release the full divine power of healing that belongs to me, the Goddess of Healing Listarte!¡¹ Suddenly, I felt something on my heart. I could hear the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s voice. ¡º¡­Listarte. The usage of the portal by invoking a short cut to the place where the final battle was taking place already violated the rules of the Almighty. I can¡¯t protect you any longer than this. You may get stripped of your goddess¡¯ title by the judgment of the innermost lawful gods of the heavens.¡» However, I spoke to the Great Goddess Isister with determination. ¡º¡­I don¡¯t mind. I am fully prepared. I shall receive any punishment. In addition¡­ ¡» I told the Great Goddess Isister my real feelings. ¡º¡­I truly think I became a goddess for the sole purpose of this day. ¡» After a little silence¡­ ¡º¡­I understand. I will release your full power of a goddess¡­All of it¡­ ¡» The voice of the Great Goddess Isister echoed on my heart and mind. Then¡­ ¡¸Li¡­Lista? ¡¹ ¡¸Lisutan? ¡¹ Mash and Elle were astonished to see the changes that happened on my body so abruptly. My whole body was wrapped in a dazzling light. It was as if the sun appeared right in the middle of the void of the dark space. ¡­Surely, I felt that I got this power because of my human self. She had regretted not being able to save Seiya in her previous life. But, I¡¯ll show you. Seiya, I¡¯ll show you how the power of the Goddess of Healing will surpass the deadly consequences of the Valhala Gate¡­ I stroke Seiya¡¯s bloodied face gently. Yes¡­I finally realized now¡­Because I am¡­ ¡¸Perfectly Ready! ¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 50 Chapter 50: The Happy End Seiya was bleeding violently from the cuts made by the usage of the Valhala Gate. I placed my hands on his body. My palms were emitting a soft light. Seiya¡¯s wounds were restored to normal the moment I touched him. However¡­ ¡¸This is bad, Lista! His wounds are increasing even with your healing magic!¡¹ It was just as Mash described. I was healing Seiya with my utmost strength. And yet, his body continued to suffer from new cuts. Even so, we still had a chance. The price for using the Valhala Gate won¡¯t last forever. I remember that Valkyrie increased her physical strength in order to prevent her death from the consequences of her technique. Seiya can be saved if I compensate a certain amount of physical damage with my healing abilities. I bent on my knees as I continued to heal Seiya without stopping. I tried to be extremely focused on both my heart and mind. Elle looked at me with worried eyes. I was pouring every strength I had in order to save Seiya. I looked exhausted for aggressively using my healing powers. ¡¸Lisutan¡­Are you okay? Lisutan? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I am all right. ¡¹ I showed Elle a tiny smile. This power was not some regular power. It¡¯s a force that springs out from the body at infinity. This ¡°divine power¡± was very different from a magical power. It meant that this power couldn¡¯t be measured through an MP value. That¡¯s because it was ¡°eternal¡±. ¡­I¡¯ll save. I¡¯ll save him no matter what. Let¡¯s end this with a happy ending. Surely. Right¡­Seiya? I wondered about how much time as passed since then. It must¡¯ve have been short. But, it seemed very long to me. The wounds on Seiya¡¯s body began to decrease. A light of hope shined on Mash and Elle¡¯s faces. However, this was not the right time to be distracted. I had to devote myself completely on the healing process. And finally¡­I didn¡¯t see more wounds to heal. ¡¸Is¡­Is it over, Lista? ¡¹ I nodded when Mash asked me that question. The mortal price of Valhala Gate had finally ended. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t wake up. Mash and Elle looked at Seiya anxiously. Because I had my full power of a goddess activated, I could sense a reaction of the vital energy coming out of Seiya¡¯s body. Soon, Seiya¡¯s eyes opened slowly. ¡¸¡­Am I¡­still alive? ¡¹ Mash and Elle jumped and rejoiced when they heard the hero speak as if he woke up from a long sleep. ¡¸Master!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya!! I¡¯m glad!! I¡¯m truly glad!! ¡¹ After saying those words, they looked at me with respectful eyes. ¡¸Amazing!! That was really amazing, Lisutan!! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista, that was too awesome!! You looked like a god!! ¡¹ ¡¸But, I¡¯m already a goddess, you know!? ¡¹ Seiya looked at me while he laid his head on my knees. ¡¸Did you save me? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­ ¡¹ My eyes were burning. At my knees stood the man that I loved so dearly when I was a human being. ¡¸Seiya¡­ ¡¹ I lift Seiya¡¯s head. My lips became closer to his lips. On that moment, something stopped me from going further. Seiya put his hand on my forehead and refused to kiss me. ¡¸Eh!? What¡­Hey, wait, eh¡­eh, why!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to say. What are you trying to do? ¡¹ He stood up quickly and turned his back on me. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed!! I¡¯m your beloved companion!! I¡¯m Lista, your most favorite person!! You can kiss me without any problems!!¡¹ I tried to hug him after I shouted. Instead, Seiya pushed me away with his arms. ¡¸Annoying. Get away from me. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. ¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t go away! I refuse to leave you! Let me kiss you! It¡¯s an order from your goddess!¡¹ ¡¸Stop with this nonsense. Do you want me to hit you? ¡¹ ¡¸I know!! I know everything now!! I love you so much that I want to protect you with my own life!! Isn¡¯t that what a tsundere is supposed to do!?¡¹ In a second, I felt a fierce pain on my brain. It was intense and unbearable. *screams* I pressed the beaten part of my head with my hand. My head received a beat from the strong fist of the hero. When I looked at my hands, I noticed that I was bleeding. ¡¸Blo¡­Blood¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸I said I was going to hit you. ¡¹ The hero looked at me with cold eyes. I trembled and swallowed dry with one gulp. ¡¸Why did you hit me like that!? I won¡¯t be able revive if I die in here, you know!?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d rather choose you not to be revived. ¡¹ ¡¸Da¡­Damn you¡­!! ¡¹ Was it really true, Great Goddess Isister!? Was I really a former lover of Seiya!? He treated me coldly as if I was below ordinary livestock, didn¡¯t he!? Seiya scratched his cheek as if nothing happened. I started to have regrets for breaking the rules by saving his life. ¡¸Well, but¡­it seems that I was cured completely from that perilous situation.¡¹ He looked at me and declared. ¡¸Okay. I will upgrade you from a meaningless medicinal herb to a superior medicinal herb.¡¹ ¡¸That doesn¡¯t make me feel that happy!! ¡¹ I imagined a hot hug and kiss. But, this outcome surprised me in a very bad way. I was feeling quite unhappy. Elle grabbed my arm when she noticed that I looked dissatisfied with this Happy End. ¡¸Lisutan¡­Why¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder if everything was true! If he truly cared about me¡­No. If he truly cared about us¡­How could he¡­¡¹ Well¡­this was pointless. I should switch my mixed feelings for now! Anyway, the Demon King was defeated and Seiya was saved! Let¡¯s not ruin the good mood with my mixed feelings! Nonetheless, Elle continued to shake my arm. ¡¸No. That¡¯s not it. Lisutan¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What¡¯s wrong, Elle? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡­Why¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, Elle started to scream while talking. ¡¸Why hasn¡¯t the Valhala Gate disappeared yet!? ¡¹ With that statement, I turned around and looked on the direction of Elle¡¯s trembling fingers. Just as she said to me, the Valhala Gate was still floating in the air. But, the door was fully locked. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong going on¡­Just when I thought about that. *weird sounds* The face of the plaster goddess in the top of the gate distorted painfully. Abruptly. A roaring sound was heard and the door of the Valhala Gate opened widely! The Valhala Blade destroyed the head! The needles of destruction eroded the body, removing the skin and meat from the bones! The Demon King turned into a skeleton monster! A black light emitted from his gauntly hands! ¡¸I won¡¯t let you succeed! The world will be smashed into pieces! ¡°Judgement Zero¡±¡­! ¡¹ ¡­His words were triggered in a blink of an eye. Even with the original power of a goddess, I could feel the devilish force that the Demon King invoked upon everyone instantly. The black light that emitted in the Demon King¡¯s hands had a hidden power that could destroy the world three times over. Every living being in Geabrande would turn into dust without even feeling any pain. Yes¡­That applied for us too. Once the greatest skill of the Demon King is fully activated, everything will end. I thought deeply about that. This time¡­We actually came so close this time around. My feelings were calm for some reason. ¡­Ah. I tried my best. But, it seemed that we were defeated in the end. It was far from the Happy End that I imagined. At least, I wondered if I¡¯ll feel some sort of happiness to die alongside a loved one¡­ I wanted to have one last look at Seiya¡¯s face before this ended, therefore, I turned around to see him. But, instead¡­I became terrified to see that the skeleton Demon King managed to crawl out from the deadly heavenly gate. ¡¸It¡¯s useless, Demon King. ¡¹ ¡­It was wrong of me to let off my guard and give up! Of course, there would always be a way out! This battle didn¡¯t end yet! But, Seiya¡¯s countermeasures were not the most viable! In a second, the cautious hero put his left hand on his right wrist and aimed directly at the Demon King! I screamed ¡¸Stop ¡¹ much faster than the real activation of the enemy¡¯s technique! He was throwing his life to the garbage can! The life that I managed to save! Seiya reactivated the final destruction technique! ¡¸¡°Valhala Gate Another¡±¡­! ¡¹ On that moment, a brand-new Valhala Gate appeared in the top of Seiya¡¯s head with different barriers! There was a face of plaster male god at the top of the gate! Suddenly, the door opened and inside the gate was¡­ ¡¸Damn¡­Damn you. Damn. Damn. Damn you. ¡¹ The Demon King was caught inside the mortal heavenly gate! He tried to activate the ultimate deadly technique by invoking the black light! However, the first Valhala Gate resurrected as well! It swallowed every single arm of the Demon King! And then¡­ *excruciating pain* *lethal screams* The face of the new Valhala Gate male god was greatly distorted! It started bleed insanely and laughed crazily at the same time! With the power of both Valhala Gates, the Demon King was absorbed deeply inside! The door of the deadly heavenly gate closed violently! The super explosion of the Judgement Zero occurred inside of each gate simultaneously! The door shook tremendously by the blast! The other mortal heavenly gate distorted as well! Even so, the door didn¡¯t open! ¡­Time passed and the area was shrouded in silence. Yet, we were staring at the new gate with fixedly eyes. ¡¸Is¡­Is it really over? Did¡­we win¡­this time? ¡¹ When Mash asked that, a wild voice echoed in the air in response to his words. ¡¸*laughs crazily* Please, rest assured!! He was swallowed with the rest of the other heavenly gate!!¡¹ ¡¸The¡­The gate is speaking!? ¡¹ Elle trembled her body so much that she almost fell over. ¡¸*laughs crazily* He was definitely destroyed and returned to the void!! ¡¹ Soon, the bloodied eyes of the plaster male god turned to the side and looked directly at Seiya. ¡¸Well then, invoker!! You have to pay the price!! I¡¯ll shall have your life!! ¡¹ ¡¸Please, wait!! ¡¹ I yelled at the male god from the gate and I headed hurryingly in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸It will be all right, Seiya!! I¡¯ll save you one more time!! ¡¹ I was able to do it earlier! I was sure it will work again one next time! Just when I started to prepare to use my healing power to reverse the price he had to pay with his life¡­ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ There were no cuts in Seiya¡¯s body like what happened before. Instead, Seiya¡¯s cheeks began to crack. ¡¸What¡­What is this¡­! Are the consequences different this time¡­? ¡¹ I put my hands on Seiya¡¯s cracked cheeks and they healed instantly. But, Seiya¡¯s arms, legs and other body parts suddenly started to crack. Even if I healed them quickly, new fissures appeared and spread throughout his body. ¡­I was healing on time!? His body was collapsing way faster than my healing procedure!! The deadly heavenly gate grinned amusingly at me. ¡¸*laughs crazily* It won¡¯t be possible to escape twice from the heavenly gate¡¯s price of death from a man who is not a god!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re noisy!! Shut up!! Just shup up now!! ¡¹ ¡­More¡­More¡­! The speed of regeneration must surpass the speed of destruction! I gave my full concentration onto my healing abilities. Nonetheless, countless of new cracks continued to spread on Seiya¡¯s body. I screamed desperately to the plaster god of the heavenly gate. ¡¸Why!! Why are you doing this!! Seiya saved this world!! You should help him instead!!¡¹ However, the male god laughed out of bashfulness. ¡¸*laughs crazily* I am the heavenly gate myself!! I¡¯m not a god nor a demon!! I¡¯m just the envoy of Hades!! The price must be payed equally for every being!! This can¡¯t be undone because it¡¯s strictly enforced as a rule!!¡¹ Then, the white barriers became gradually transparent¡­The mortal heavenly gate disappeared from the dark space. Elle touched my shoulders. ¡¸Lisutan!! You must summon the portal to get us out of here!! We need to go to a place where the Chain Destruction is not activated¡­!!¡¹ Mash also agreed with Elle. ¡¸Th¡­That¡¯s right!! If we do that, Master will be able to return to his world even if he dies!!¡¹ Even so, I couldn¡¯t step away from Seiya. A horrific aura of destruction covered his entire body. ¡¸I can¡¯t¡­!! If I stop healing him even for a brief moment, Seiya won¡¯t be able to survive!! He¡¯ll fall apart completely!!¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way¡­!! ¡¹ All of us were fretting over this helpless situation. Suddenly, Seiya stared attentively at Elle, who had the usual unchanging expression on his face. He opened his mouth and started to speak seriously at her. ¡¸Elle. You saved me from the Warlord Emperor back then. ¡¹ ¡¸Mi¡­Mister Seiya¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I would be dead if you didn¡¯t help me with your auxiliary magic. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s not true¡­! It was Mister Seiya who helped me¡­You prevented me from becoming the holy sword¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯m currently alive¡­!¡¹ Seiya looked at Mash then. ¡¸Mash. The Four General Kings and the Demon King are gone. There won¡¯t be anyone who can beat you now. Therefore, you must cooperate with Rosalie to protect the world.¡¹ ¡¸Master¡­Stop saying that¡­! I wouldn¡¯t be anything if it weren¡¯t for you, my Master¡­!¡¹ The two dragon children started to cry endlessly. Their voices were loud and sad as if they were grief-stricken. I yelled to everyone. ¡¸Stop it!! Stop having this type of conversation!! You got it!? I¡¯ll save Seiya!! I¡¯ll absolutely save him no matter what!!¡¹ I held Seiya with both of my hands in order to pour out all of my healing power. However, Seiya¡¯s skin continued to crack. A group of small cracks joined and created a large crack that spread right into Seiya¡¯s right foot. At that point, his right foot shattered into tiny pieces as if someone dropped a glass on the floor, and only Seiya¡¯s knee remained from the cracking. ¡¸Why!? Just why I can¡¯t heal him!? Why!? ¡¹ My voice screamed and trembled at the same time as if I was about to cry. Then, Seiya whispered on my ear. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s enough, Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course it¡¯s not enough!! This is not the end for you!! I couldn¡¯t help you that time!! I became a goddess to overcome situations like this!! If I can¡¯t help you as a goddess, then¡­¡¹ Suddenly, something warm touched my back. It was Seiya¡¯s both hands. Seiya hugged me gently. ¡¸Lista. You did well. ¡¹ At that instant, my eyes became overflowed with tears. I embraced him too with all my might. ¡¸In the end¡­I couldn¡¯t do nothing at all. I am useless even after becoming a goddess. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡¯m sorry for being a hopeless goddess¡­¡¹ Seiya stared closely at my crying face and¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s strange. I feel like this situation happened before. ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya¡¯s colored eyes changed pigmentation. He wiped the tears that fell on my cheeks with his fingers. ¡¸I see. You are¡­And, I am¡­ ¡¹ Seiya smiled while touching my cheeks with his hands. It was the first time I saw Seiya¡¯s smile. ¡¸I¡¯m glad. I was able to save everyone this time. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s hands stopped touching my face and his face dropped on my chest as if he lost all of his remaining strength. And¡­ My beloved one from when I was a human, and my summoned cautious hero from when I became a goddess¡­shattered into pieces along with my own heart. Volume 1 - CH 51 Chapter 51: A Sin, a Punishment and Something After A large number of soldiers with a resolute expression stood alongside the sovereign in the Imperial Castle. Empress Rosalie got up from the throne and slowly approached me with a solemn look. ¡¸¡­He really is gone now. ¡¹ Rosalie spoke to me without formalities. Her words showed a slight feeling of real sorrow. ¡¸Geabrande was saved because you people helped defeat the Demon King. I shall thank you deeply on behalf of everyone in my country.¡¹ I shook my head slightly. ¡¸That¡¯s okay, really. Besides¡­we should not take credit for saving the world because the greatest person who defeated the Demon King is no longer with us¡­ ¡¹ Rosalie spoke after she heard my sad words¡­ ¡¸I see. You¡¯re right. ¡¹ I nodded a few times. But, I couldn¡¯t continue to speak. After that, she looked directly in my eyes with a sincere and apologetic look. ¡¸Allow me to say a few words. Ryuguuin Seiya was a man that believed on his own efforts. He always adhered to justice no matter what others thought of him. I truly believe him now. He was a real hero for all of us.¡¹ I also looked straight into Rosalie¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Yes. All of his actions consisted of a series of miracles that ordinary heroes wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish.¡¹ Behind Rosalie stood Mash and Elle. I slowly approached them. Mash wore the armor of an Imperial Knight and Elle was dressed in a beautiful aristocratic outfit. Rosalie invited the two dragon children to join the Imperial Knights. They were given special positions because they were the companions of the hero who saved the world. Mash joined forces with Rosalie per Seiya¡¯s will. Elle decided to remain by Mash¡¯s side in the Imperial Capital. I gave Mash a handshake. ¡¸Mash. I wish you good fortune. ¡¹ ¡¸Lista¡­ ¡¹ Mash held my hands while he spoke with a serious expression. ¡¸I will protect the world that my Master gave his life to save¡­ ¡¹ This boy looked so mature right now, as opposed to how he looked a few days ago. I held Mash¡¯s hands strongly. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you can do it. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course because my determination is absolute! ¡¹ Elle laughed gently right next to me. Rosalie and I raised the corner of our mouths after we saw Mash¡¯s incredibly serious face. ¡¸Elle. Help Mash whenever he needs. ¡¹ Elle replied ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ with a cheerful voice. However, she turned around to face me and showed a sad expression then. ¡¸Lisutan¡­You¡¯re really leaving us¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. I can¡¯t stay here anymore. ¡¹ On this moment, Elle embraced me softly. ¡¸Elle? ¡¹ ¡¸Will you¡­come again to play with us? ¡¹ Elle spoke while looking tearfully at me. ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the hot springs when you come, okay? ¡¹ Mash also showed me a smile. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right! We have to go to the Casino! ¡¹ I smiled to both of them. ¡¸You¡¯re right. We need to go there. ¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely? Do you promise? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. One day, I¡¯m sure. ¡¹ I embraced Elle tightly. And¡­ ¡¸Well then. I must go now. ¡¹ I stepped away from Elle. I casted a spell to an empty space inside the Imperial Castle. The portal to the God¡¯s realm appeared. When I tried to leave¡­ ¡¸¡­Goddess Listarte. ¡¹ Rosalie called my name unexpectedly. ¡¸You are strong. I am still grieving over my father¡¯s death. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true. But¡­I have to become a proper goddess for Seiya¡¯s sake. That¡¯s what I decided to do.¡¹ ¡¸I also have to follow your steps. As the ruler of an Empire, I must become a suitable leader for my people.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ll do fine as you are now. I¡¯ll leave Mash and Elle in your care. Don¡¯t give them unreasonable orders, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. ¡¹ Rosalie smiled at Mash and Elle. The two of them also returned a smile to Rosalie. I felt reassured with the situation. I put my hand on the portal then. ¡¸Salute our Goddess of Salvation! ¡¹ Rosalie¡¯s voice echoed behind me. And the soldier¡¯s whistles rang all at once. I left Geabrande while listening to the roaring sound on my back¡­ ¡ª I exited the portal in my room in the God¡¯s realm. After closing the door, I looked at the portal for a while. I thought about everything that happened on the other side of the portal. I bowed in respect, and I finally made the portal disappear. I sat down on my bed as I thought deeply of Mash and Elle¡¯s faces while they sent me off. Both of them had gracious faces. I wonder how long it has been since they felt peace. Suddenly, the self-confident figure of Seiya passed in front of me. As usual, he squeezed his nose while making a bored sigh. ¡ºIt was just a ¡°possibility¡±. ¡» ¡¸Seiya¡­ ¡¹ The moment I tried to reach his hand, his silhouette disappeared. It was just an illusion. There was nothing here except a lonely-empty space. ¡ºListarte. You are strong. ¡» I shook my head negatively when I remembered Rosalie¡¯s words. I got up and locked the door of my room. No one will be able to come inside here. Nobody will look at me. So, there was nothing to hold me back anymore. ¡­I fell on my bed while I cried aloud endlessly as if I were a small child. ¡ª I ignored the sound of someone knocking on my door. Two days have passed since then. Someone brought me meals and put them under my door. On that instant, I heard a metallic sound. Someone was trying to open my door after I ignored to open it. It was Aria. She opened my door with a key made from her sealing abilities. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Lista. But, Lady Isister wants to see you. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see. I understand. I¡¯ll go now. ¡¹ I got up from my bed. Aria laughed a little when she saw my face. ¡¸Oh my. What a horrible face you have now. Your hair is unkempt. ¡¹ She grabbed my hand silently¡­ ¡¸Lista. Come over here. ¡¹ Aria took me to the mirror in the corner of my room. She didn¡¯t ask me anything about what happened. She just combed my hair gently. ¡¸¡­Okay. You look beautiful. ¡¹ She said that while I stood in front of the mirror. The hair looked nice again. But, my skin was dry and all I could see was the reflected face of a tired woman. Aria put her hands on my shoulders. Her expression hardened a little. ¡¸Lista. I¡¯m sure that Lady Isister will talk about the responsibility that involves your power as a goddess.¡¹ Aria looked quite serious. But, I spoke to her without complaining. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I will accept my punishment. After all, I was the one who broke the rules. ¡¹ The words I just spoke and my true feelings didn¡¯t feel compatible with my personality. Still, I lost someone important to me. So, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I might get scolded or punished severely. In the worst-case scenario, I will be stripped of the title of goddess. None of that mattered anymore. On the contrary, I would be grateful for any punishment as long as it makes me change my mood a little bit. Yet, Aria spoke to me with a determined expression. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. You saved the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande. I won¡¯t let them give you with a heavy punishment.¡¹ ¡ª As I walked behind Aria, I encountered Adenela, the Goddess of War, in the hallway of the temple. She approached me with a weird way of bent-back walking. ¡¸Li¡­Lista. Are¡­Are¡­you all right? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, somehow I am. ¡¹ I tried to smile at her, but I was not sure if I could ever smile or laugh again. ¡¸How about you, Lady Adenela? I know that Lady Adenela liked Seiya as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­Well¡­No, I¡¯m more worried about you¡­you than myself. I¡­I heard about what happened. You¡­You must be much¡­much sadder, right? ¡¹ I was having trouble in answering her question. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice coming from the other side. ¡¸Hey, Lista! I don¡¯t know much about the details! But, I can see that you¡¯re not feeling well! Eat this and cheer up!¡¹ The Swordsman God Celseus gave me a plate with a cake. ¡¸It¡¯s a different recipe! It¡¯s a frozen cake! It¡¯s cold and delicious! ¡¹ Adenela looked at Celseus with hateful eyes. ¡¸You¡­You had the nerve¡­nerve to give her¡­something cold¡­cold¡­during a time¡­time like this. You are¡­are an idiot¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­What!? ¡¹ Celseus became upset. I felt sorry towards him; therefore, I took a fork and ate a bit of that cake. And yet, it had no taste. In fact, it may have been a delicious cake, but my tongue lost the sense of taste. Even so, I forced a smile because Celseus was waiting for my reaction impatiently. ¡¸Yes. This ¡°Protein Cake¡± is delicious. ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s ¡°Frozen Cake¡±, didn¡¯t you listen!? This cake doesn¡¯t have any protein, okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. So, it was a ¡°Frozen Protein¡± after all. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a frozen cake without any protein ingredient!! I already explained that to you!! ¡¹ Adenela put a fork close to the neck of an angry Celseus. *sounds as if he was about to be stabbed* ¡¸Shut¡­Shut up¡­! What¡­What do you have in there? Pro¡­Protein¡­! I¡­I shall not repeat myself¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­Yes, there¡¯s lot of protein in there!! This cake is rich in protein!! ¡¹ It was true that I didn¡¯t taste anything. But¡­ ¡¸You¡¯ll get a lot better if you bake with less protein. ¡¹ I gave Celseus an advice about cooking that I didn¡¯t quite understand. I left those two behind. ¡ª I entered the room with Aria. As always, the Great Goddess Isister was sitting on her chair. However, her face was a bit more severe than usual. ¡¸Lista. I am grateful that you saved Geabrande. Thank you very much. And I¡¯m also very pleased to know that you came back safely. However, no matter how I feel about this, you broke the Almighty¡¯s rules of the God¡¯s realm. You must receive your punishment.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister¡¯s words were firm. However, that didn¡¯t make me feel worried. Actually, I didn¡¯t feel anything at all. I listened to her words as if I was listening the story of a stranger. On the other hand, Aria¡¯s blood started to ¡°boil¡±. ¡¸Lady Isister! Whatever you decide, you mustn¡¯t forget that Lista saved the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande! You need to consider it carefully without forgetting that crucial point! ¡¹ After a brief moment of silent, the Great Goddess Isister finally spoke. ¡¸The punishment for Lista. To save the SS-rank difficulty world Exfolia. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What!? ¡¹ Aria was speechless. ¡¸Ex¡­Exfolia is a world that was successfully conquered by the devil! After defeating the hero, Exfolia¡¯s Demon King gained a tremendous power and the whole world became tainted by that evil force! To save that world would be pointless now ¡­!¡¹ Aria was uncomfortable and confused. The Great Goddess Isister continued to speak. ¡¸Additionally, Lista. Your healing abilities as a goddess will be sealed when you arrive in Exfolia. That¡¯s one of the consequences of your actions. The other is. If you cannot save Exfolia, your title of goddess will be forfeited forever.¡¹ ¡¸Even without those consequences¡­that world would be too painful for Lista¡­ ¡¹ Aria hit the table because she couldn¡¯t stand that anymore. ¡¸That¡¯s too cruel!! She won¡¯t be able to help her hero if her healing powers are sealed!! It¡¯s absolutely impossible to save that horrible world!!¡¹ It was the first time I saw Aria with ¡°explosive emotions¡±. However, the Great Goddess Isister spoke as if it was a light discussion. ¡¸I wonder about that. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an impossible task to accomplish. ¡¹ ¡¸On what basis!? That place transformed into a demonic world!! What kind of hero will be able to save a world like that!?¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister stood up and looked at window to see the garden of the God¡¯s realm. Like looking at the window, she explained the real situation to us. ¡¸When the deadly heavenly gate swallowed the Demon King¡­The effects of the Chain Destruction were swallowed along with him.¡¹ Aria became astonished. Therefore, I asked the following. ¡¸What¡­What did you just say? ¡¹ ¡¸Normally, no one can ever go back to a world that a deity failed to protect, but this is a special case.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister turned back. She picked up a piece of paper on the table and walked towards me. ¡¸Listarte. Summon the hero that appears on this list and go with him to the SS-rank difficulty world Exfolia.¡¹ I hardly believed the moment I saw the heroes¡¯ list. I was depressed all this time, however, my eyes became widely open when I saw the name on that list. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 1 HP ¨C 385 MP ¨C 197 Attack ¨C 124 Defense ¨C 111 Agility ¨C 105 Magic ¨C 86 Potential ¨C 188 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Lightening, Earth Special skills ¨C Fire magic (Lv 5), Experience Gain Increase (Lv 2) ¡­ His status decreased dramatically. It was as if it was reset completely. It became less than a thousand points in each category. But, I noticed that some information didn¡¯t change. As soon as I saw it, tears fell from my face without stopping. ¡­The power given by past regrets. ¡­The power that defeated the Demon King and saved the world. ¡­The power that protected me, and his comrades. At the end of his status, it was written: ¡ª Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious. Volume 2 - CH 52.1 Chapter 52: Reunion and Change (1) Inside the temple of the God¡¯s realm. I stood on the summoning chamber, the one with a vast white space as far as the eye could see¡­I drew the magical chart on the floor of the summoning chamber. My breath was heavy. Shortly after I received the heroes list from the Great Goddess Isister, I ran immediately to this place. That was the reason why I became out of breath. While I casted the spell for the summoning ritual, I looked again at the status of my hero on the paper list. I was deeply moved. My eyes became burning hot again as I was about to cry. Seiya¡¯s status had been reset. That probably meant that he lost all of his memories from the adventure he had with me¡­But, that was okay. I will have the chance to meet him again. That was enough for me¡­ On that moment, I read the name of my summoned hero. Soon, a light burst from the magical chart, and the chosen hero was summoned from the earthly world. He was handsomely tall, with glossy black hair and a dignified appearance. An aura emanated from his body as if he was a male god. I wondered if he was relaxing on his own room back on his original world. Ryuguuin Seiya had on casual and comfortable black clothes that he probably wore at his home. I thought that I would never meet the hero again. I¡¯d never have imagined that we¡¯d be reunited through this way once more. ¡­Seiya¡­! I desperately suppressed my unconscious stretching hands. No! You can¡¯t, Listarte! I must be firm! Seiya no longer remembers about me! While speaking to myself, I stretched my spine and I made a big smile on my face. I managed to retain my dignified goddess-like appearance while I looked at Seiya once again. Let¡¯s start from the beginning all over again. We have to take our time slowly. Right¡­Seiya. And then. I spoke exactly the same words as when I first summoned Seiya. ¡¸Nice to meet you. I am Listarte. I am a goddess living on the God¡¯s realm. I summoned you from your earthly world to this dimension. Listen carefully, Ryuguuin Seiya. You will be the brave hero that will save the world ¡°Exfolia¡± from the evil threats. ¡¹ There was an obvious silent after I spoke. Suddenly, Seiya, who was summoned from the earthly world, looked at me with suspicious eyes. For me, this nostalgic scene felt like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Seiya finally opened his mouth. ¡¸Lista. What are you talking about? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ Wha¡­What? Wait a second! Eh? Did he call me Lista? Ah? Why? ¡¸I¡¯ve heard exactly the same words before. Is that supposed to be a standard quote whenever you summon a hero?¡¹ Wha¡­Wha, wha, wha¡­What¡­!! ¡¸Do you¡­remember me¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I don¡¯t suffer from amnesia as far as I can tell. ¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Unbelievable¡­!! That¡¯s¡­impossible¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling the truth. I don¡¯t have amnesia. ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not talking about amnesia!! How¡­How do you remember!? I mean, when a god summons a hero, the memory of the previous world should disappear¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I just remember. ¡¹ Suddenly, I recalled the conversation I had with the Great Goddess Isister. I remembered the words she mentioned earlier. The Great Goddess Isister certainly said this. ¡ºThis is a special case. ¡» In¡­In other words¡­the Great Goddess Isister left Seiya¡¯s memories intact¡­!? That¡­That was the only plausible reason to explain this!! What a great reversal!! I was so touched because I trembled all over my body with excitement¡­ ¡¸By the way, my status was reboot onto my original one. After all the trouble I had in order to increase it and, then, this happens. This is stupid. Your system is not good at all. ¡¹ Seiya looked dissatisfied as he continued to complain¡­This was so like Seiya¡­Seeing how my hero behaved as usual, the urge I had suppressed deeply inside me exploded as if something broke apart from pressure. ¡¸*shouts and cries* Seiya!! *screams* I missed you so much!! ¡¹ I threw away my goddess-like attitude and I jumped right into Seiya. I hugged him, and cried on his chest. ¡¸I thought that your soul was destroyed during that time!! I thought I¡¯d never see you again!! I tried to be strong in front of everyone else!! But, it was so hard and painful!!¡¹ After a lot of crying, I took my face away from his chest. And then¡­ ¡¸Ah¡­! ¡¹ There were lots of watery marks on Seiya¡¯s clothes because of my tears. No, not only tears. My runny nose also stained Seiya¡¯s clothes. And my mouth¡­my drooling too. Oh no!! This was bad!! I forgot for a second that I was supposed to behave properly!! He will beat me for sure!! I tried to cover my head with my hands straightaway, but Seiya didn¡¯t beat me. ¡¸What? Are¡­you not angry with me? But, I stained your clothes, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care about that. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? You don¡ät? Wh¡­Why? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Lista. ¡¹ Seiya stared at me with a serious face. ¡¸I remember that you tried to help me desperately. Right before I died because of the price I had to pay for using the heavenly gate, I remembered that you were someone important to me from a different past.¡¹ ¡¸Im¡­Important? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡¹ ¡¸Important¡­Are you referring¡­to me¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Someone important. ¡¹ ¡¸Am I¡­an important existence¡­to you, Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Don¡¯t let me repeat it again. This time I came for you. I heard the voice of Isister on my head, saying that you were in charge of a more difficult world than Geabrande as the punishment for saving me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see¡­You know, well. Excuse me. Could you wait for a moment¡­ ¡¹ I turned my face away because I didn¡¯t want Seiya to stare at me directly. Whoa!! Wha¡­What was this!? What¡¯s up with this sudden development!? The hell on heaven! Despair on a summit! An unspeakable sense of blissfulness attacked my heart! But¡­I still shook my head in denial. No, wait a minute!! I would be an idiot if I were to fall for his words!! That¡¯s right!! It was Seiya we¡¯re talking about!! He will kick me all of a sudden if I let my guard down!! As if I¡¯ll fall for this!! I approached Seiya while my heart was pounding rapidly¡­ ¡¸I¡­I apologize¡­! ¡¹ I tried to wrap my arms around Seiya¡¯s arms casually. There was no change on Seiya¡¯s stoic expression, he was silent, but he didn¡¯t attack me. This couldn¡¯t be!! Why wasn¡¯t he upset with me!? This¡­This was definitely a sign of¡­wait, no, not yet!! I should verify this further!! With our arms entangled, I looked up at Seiya with keen eyes. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. When we have free time, let¡¯s go see Mash and Elle, all right? You know, both of them wanted to try the hot springs, is it okay with you? ¡¹ I was expecting him to say ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± or ¡°I refuse¡±, but Seiya answered me immediately. ¡¸You¡¯re right. ¡¹ Instead, I received the phrase ¡°you¡¯re right¡±!! ¡¸I also caused lots of trouble for those two. If it¡¯s possible, I would like to meet them as soon as possible.¡¹ There¡­There was no doubt about it!! Fi¡­Finally¡­Finally¡­ Inside my heart, I could feel a fireworks display that bloomed into beautiful flowers. Finally, a tsundere conquered it all!! Wait for me, Mash, Elle!! I¡¯ll teach you about the real power of love!! ¡¸But, we have to leave that for later after completing this quest. This world is more difficult than Geabrande, right? I need to be better preparation for this.¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s eyes became sharp looking. ¡¸I need to start my practice immediately. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? So soon!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ll start with basic training as I did here once before. ¡¹ Seiya stared at me with determination. I knew where this was going without being told. He wanted me to leave the summoning chamber. ¡¸O¡­Okay. I understand. ¡¹ He didn¡¯t change his preferences about practicing in unattractive places. Even so, I wanted to be more lovey-dovey with him¡­ Just as I did before, I made a simple bed and toilet with the power of a goddess¡¯ creative abilities. I handed a buzzer to Seiya like I always did. ¡¸All right let me know when you¡¯re ready. ¡¹ When I tried to go out with a slightly lonely face. ¡¸Lista. ¡¹ Seiya called me. ¡¸I leave my meals up to you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes!! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸Hey, hey, listen, listen, Aria!! You know what!? Seiya has become a very gentle man!! He didn¡¯t hit or kick me anymore!! He also didn¡¯t crush my milky breasts!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I feel glad for you. I¡¯m pleased that everything worked out in the end¡­¡¹ I was in the room of senior goddess Ariadoa. I told her everything that happened. I was so excited and happy. Aria smiled when she heard my story. ¡¸It was thanks to Lady Isister that Seiya retained his memories. I¡¯m sure she spoke with the innermost lawful gods of the heavens about your efforts, Lista. I also apologized to her for my rude behavior early on. Lista, you should properly thank her later. ¡¹ After saying that, Aria wrinkled between her eyebrows abruptly. ¡¸Hey¡­Lista? Are you listening? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah! I¡¯m listening, I¡¯m listening! You said I should thank the Great Goddess Isister, am I correct? I know that!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You know, Lista. You can¡¯t be serious. Do you understand me? The past is the past. You mustn¡¯t forget that Seiya is a human being. And you are a goddess now.¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Not that again! I didn¡¯t forget about that! I understand it very well! ¡¹ ¡¸Really? Do you really understand it? ¡¹ Aria took a deep breath. ¡¸I¡¯m worried. Actually, I wanted to accompany you on this quest. Exfolia is a world that will bring you many painful memories. Even if you forgot about your human memories, I¡¯m sure your soul will react the moment you arrive in there¡­¡¹ Aria was seriously worried about me. I tried to lift up her mood. ¡¸I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine! That¡¯s because I have a lovey-dovey darling by my side now! ¡­Oh, no! It¡¯s already time to go! I have to cook a meal for Seiya! See you, Aria! ¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lista!? How about thanking Lady Isister!? ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry! I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow! ¡¹ I left Aria¡¯s room in a hurry. I ran straightaway to the kitchen of the God¡¯s realm. My relationship with Seiya was going so well. It was as if everything was too good to be true. Volume 2 - CH 52.2 Chapter 52: Reunion and Change (2) The next day. I made onigiri rice balls for Seiya¡¯s breakfast. While I headed back to the summoning chamber, I saw Celseus and Adenela standing in the hallway. ¡¸Good morning, Celseus! Today, you have a nice muscular physique! Lady Adenela, the dark circles under your eyes are so lovely!¡¹ I greeted them cheerfully. But, Adenela looked a bit surprised at me. ¡¸I¡­I see a big change on you. Well¡­Well, they told me that Seiya is alive¡­I¡­I understand why you are this happy though¡­¡¹ In fact, I¡¯ve been feeling a bit of tension lately. To tell the truth, yesterday, I wanted to verify if Seiya did really change his personality. Therefore, I made a stew for his dinner and I took it with me. I got so nervous because it felt like I were feeding a beast. But, I gathered some courage and I gave a spoon from the stew onto Seiya¡¯s mouth. ¡ºSe¡­Seiya! Say ¡°ah¡±! Just try saying, ¡°ah¡±! Okay? Here, ¡°ah¡±! ¡» ¡­It felt a great tension within me as I said that. Seiya could beat me with his fist at any moment. Such negative thoughts made my head spin. However¡­Seiya put the spoon on his mouth. He quietly chew the food from the stew slowly and slowly. ¡ºIs¡­Is it delicious? ¡» ¡ºYeah. It¡¯s good. ¡» ¡­That¡¯s what really happened yesterday. So, I made some onigiri today and I was going to take the food to Seiya. Maybe I¡¯ll try the ¡¸say ¡°ah¡± ¡¹ from now on. That¡¯s why I was feeling a bit of tension lately. I got anxious every time I met Seiya. But, I also grinned at myself every time I experienced a different change with Seiya. While I was feeling happy, Celseus shrug his shoulders with opposite feelings. ¡¸Ah¡­So, that hero returned. Maybe there will be a possibility that I¡¯ll be forced to practice with him¡­ah¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, Celseus! Seiya is much gentler than before! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Is¡­Is that true!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! We went through many ordeals in saving Geabrande! Maybe that¡¯s the reason why Seiya matured so much!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see¡­! Hmm? Wait a second¡­! If I think carefully about it, he¡¯s probably weaker than me now because his status got reset! That¡¯s right! There¡¯s no need to be frightened anymore! *laughs crazily*¡¹ Behind an eccentrically idiotic Celseus¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re in a good mood, Celseus. ¡¹ Seiya stood right behind him with his crossed arms. *screams* ¡¸Hey, Celseus. Just because I¡¯m weaker than you now doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t improve. I¡¯ll catch up with you soon. I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t ever need to bake cakes again with our practice.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­What are you talking about? Oh please, don¡¯t! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let you ride on my back again! Anyways, welcome back, Seiya! Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done to save that world!¡¹ I wondered where his idiotic eccentric mood went to. Celseus gave Seiya a handshake. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Celseus. I¡¯ll give you short breaks. You can use that free time to bake your favorite cakes.¡¹ ¡¸E¡­!! Re¡­Really!? You¡¯ll give me some spare time to bake my own cakes!?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. From now on, I shall respect your freedom more than our practice together.¡¹ I whispered on Celseus¡¯ ear. ¡¸See! Seiya is so gentle now! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah! Is that so! I see! ¡¹ However, Seiya spoke to Celseus in a bluntly way. ¡¸It will be one-minute break per five hours. Sleeping time will be three hours once every three days. Okay?¡¹ ¡¸Of course it¡¯s not okay!! Isn¡¯t that a deadly schedule!? The conditions are extremely bad!! How can a bake a cake during that time break!? I don¡¯t think I can even beat the eggs in a bowl on one minute!!¡¹ A lamenting Celseus shook my shoulder as if he was weeping. ¡¸He¡­He didn¡¯t become gentler at all!! He became tyrannical instead!! ¡¹ Wha¡­What? It was strange. I really thought he became gentler with people¡­ Adenela pushed Celseus out of her way and spoke with Seiya. ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya. For¡­Forget about Celseus¡­Would¡­you like to¡­practice with me?¡¹ I became jealous when I looked at Adenela. Her cheeks were rosy. Worse than that! She had the eyes of a girl deeply in love! Eh!! How could she! She knew of my past life relationship with Seiya, didn¡¯t she!? Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that her love obsession with Seiya was reborn after she met Seiya once again!? My heart felt annoyed with her while I looked attentively at Seiya¡¯s upcoming reaction. But, Seiya was looking at Adenela with bored eyes. ¡¸Hmm. Adenela, you¡¯re still creepy as ever. The more I look at you, the worse it feels.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah¡­! Lo¡­Love you¡­! ¡¹ He told her a terrible thing!! But, Adenela made a face that looked like she didn¡¯t deny what was said about herself!! What¡­What on earth just happened right now!? Seiya behaved so harshly with Adenela¡­!! Then, Seiya looked at me and loosened his cold face a little bit. ¡¸By the way, Lista. I thought of something great. I¡¯ll train with both Celseus and Adenela at the same time. This will save us a lot of time.¡¹ Celseus was startled with that suggestion. Even so, I nodded with a smile. ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re probably right! That¡¯s a good idea! ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya began to walk away. Before leaving, he looked one more time at me. ¡¸Lista. Call me when you finish preparing my meal. I¡¯ll eat in your room today. Is that all right with you?¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course!! No problem at all!! ¡¹ Seiya dragged an unpleasant Celseus with him and Adenela followed them closely behind. I became alone while they went to the summoning chamber to practice. I see. Seiya¡­was only gentle with me¡­!! *laughs timidly* I could feel a tiny sense of superiority now¡­!! Well, but¡­that was obvious, I think!! Because Seiya and I were tied with a red thread from our previous life!! Moreover, we joined forces together to defeat the Demon King from Geabrande¡­It was natural for us to be this lovey-dovey together!! That¡¯s right!! ¡ª A few hours later. Seiya really came to my room. I gave him the food I made with so much affection. ¡¸Is the onigiri delicious? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s good. ¡¹ ¡¸How about the salad? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s good. ¡¹ This was bad¡­!! I felt extremely happy¡­!! No matter what he ate, Seiya only said ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s good. ¡¹¡­But, I felt so happy anyways¡­!! I looked carefully at Seiya¡¯s profile while he ate my homemade food. My heart was beating so much faster than usual. It¡­It would be too pushy if I tried to kiss him now, right? Sh¡­Should I try it!? I couldn¡¯t kiss him during that time, maybe I could do it now!? It shouldn¡¯t be a problem with a gentler Seiya, right!? *grins happily* However, the door opened suddenly. Adenela entered my room without knocking. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Ce¡­Celseus ran¡­ran away once¡­again! ¡¹ ¡¸I see. I¡¯m coming. We have to find him and punish him. A lot. ¡¹ Just as I contemplated about a romantic scene with Seiya, he got up and went out with Adenela. Ah, I couldn¡¯t kiss him again. But¡­well, it¡¯s all right! There¡¯s no need to rush things now! Once his training is complete¡­we¡¯ll be alone in Exfolia! There will be plenty of opportunities! Okay! I really wanted to go to Exfolia right now! Be it SS-rank or SSS-rank, I didn¡¯t care! Because I got to be with my favorite Seiya! We shall dive together in love! ¡­That¡¯s right. I felt that I was on the peak of my happiness when I grasped the reality of my current situation. However, my situation didn¡¯t last that long. On the contrary, my thoughts would be severely torn apart and completely destroyed later on. Volume 2 - CH 53 Chapter 53: Invasion The day after Seiya started his training with Adenela. Suddenly, I remembered that I didn¡¯t thank the Great Goddess Isister yet, so I went to her room in a hurry. I knocked and slowly opened the door. I lowered my head as I entered inside. ¡¸I apologize, Great Goddess Isister! I came too late to thank you properly¡­¡¹ ¡¸Not at all. It¡¯s all right. ¡¹ As expected, the Great Goddess Isister didn¡¯t scold me for being this late. She was sitting in a wooden chair. As usual, she knitted with a gentle smile on her face. ¡¸I left your summoned hero the memory intact¡­This is the least I can do to support you. Lista, the rest will be in your hands. I entrust that world to you and Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!! ¡¹ When I expressed my gratitude from the bottom of my heart, the Great Goddess Isister stopped knitting and stared at my face. ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯d do anything I could to help you two, but¡­I can feel a veil of mist inside my mind every time I try to think about Exfolia. I won¡¯t be able to see the near future of that world. Geabrande¡¯s Demon King also had the magical power to prevent the usage of my foreknowledge ability. However, that type of power is much greater now. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister hardened her face a little. ¡¸The Demon King, who defeated the hero and destroyed the world, benefited from the devilish dimension. It means that not only the Demon King, but all the other demons living in Exfolia increased their powers dramatically. They are so indomitable now that they can¡¯t be compared with demons from other worlds. In addition, you won¡¯t be able to use your healing abilities on Exfolia. It¡¯s easy to imagine that it will be a very tough fight to win. Still¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It will be okay because I have Seiya!! ¡¹ I interrupted the middle of the conversation with that proud declaration. The Great Goddess Isister laughed at my blunt enthusiasm, by saying¡¸ I see, I see ¡¹. ¡¸You¡¯re right. Because of the regrets from his past, Ryuguuin Seiya became a rare hero that combines his physical strength with his mental strength. Even so, that child also has a weakness. The speed of his growth increases dramatically every time he trains. That can represent both an advantage and a disadvantage. Just like what happened in Geabrande, he will experience a limitation on his ability. Even so, that child can save Exfolia if he overcomes that hurdle¡­I believe in him just like you.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister showed me a loving smile. ¡¸Lista. This time it¡¯s a SS-rank difficulty world. Ryuguuin Seiya is allowed to train in the God¡¯s realm until he is fully prepared to go.¡¹ I deeply lowered my head to show some respect for the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s kindness. After that, I left her room. ¡ª I got deeply engrossed with my thoughts after I spoke with the Great Goddess Isister. Just because Seiya became gentler, that didn¡¯t mean he got stronger. I won¡¯t be able to use my healing abilities this time. That¡¯s why I thought about learning something else to replace it. But what? I really wanted to help my beloved Seiya. Therefore, I began to think about finding a solution. In the meantime, I asked Aria about Exfolia. I began to research about that world while Seiya was practicing. For me, it was a world of lost memories. But, for Aria, it was a world that left a bad printing mark on her heart. It was hard to hear about a world that wasn¡¯t saved. But, it was an inevitable path for me. Learning new information could help me save that world. At first, Aria was reluctant to talk about it. However, she got some courage and, soon, she began to explain. ¡¸Lista. You know, I¡­to tell you the truth, sometimes I get worried about Exfolia, so I look at the crystal ball to see the world¡­¡¹ Aria told to me that the crystal ball showed that Exfolia became disastrous. Exfolia was completely under the rule of the Demon King. Currently, almost the entire world is governed by the powers of the devil forces. In addition, the remaining humans became slaves and livestock¡­She said that they were used even as toys and food. ¡¸Lady Isister managed to break through the power of the Demon King for a brief moment. She was able to find a way for you to arrive on that world. The place chosen as your starting point will be on a town named ¡°Galvano¡±. The town is in charge of trading obedient slaves. So, the people of that town live relatively well. I suppose I could say they live well because they aren¡¯t used as toys or food for demons though¡­¡¹ ¡¸So, that town will be the starting point. ¡¹ I nodded as I took some notes. I noticed that Aria was looking at me with firm eyes. ¡¸You¡¯re very enthusiastic. At first, I wondered what to do about all of this¡­But, I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re trying your best.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I also want to be useful to Seiya. ¡¹ Aria put her hand on her chin. She tried to think about something that would be important for me. She hit her hand lightly on the table as if she had a flash. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Lista! I¡¯ll teach you the ¡°Appraisal¡± skill! It is the power to grasp the state of tools and equipment!¡¹ ¡¸Appraisal? I wonder if that skill is somehow useful¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Exfolia is a world ruled by the Demon King, but just like an ordinary world, you will be able to find weaponry and tool shops managed by human beings. They have no choice but to make weapons and tools themselves if they want to survive. The Appraisal skill will be extremely useful.¡¹ At first, I was worried about learning a new skill. But, once I got the hang of it, it was no longer difficult to understand the usage of that skill. I could look at a specific target and use the skill to see the status of that object. Two days later, I fully mastered the Appraisal skill. I tried to verify the status of a vase that was in Aria¡¯s room as a final trial. ¡ºVase¡­Container for inserting flowers. This particular vase is made of rare ceramics found in the God¡¯s realm. It is an expensive relic. It will sell for a good amount.¡» Such words floated on my mind. Okay! This skill was like a game the people from Seiya¡¯s world seemed to play! This was a bit interesting! ¡¸You can adjust the details of this ability according to your style. In other words, it means that you can customize the Appraisal skill to your liking¡­¡¹ ¡ª ¡­Oh my!! I wonder if Seiya will praise me!? After leaving Aria¡¯s room, I went to the summoning chamber to meet Seiya. When I arrived, I noticed that the doors were open. I saw a fallen Celseus on the floor. Next to him, Seiya was swinging a wooden sword against Adenela. Seiya was sweating like a waterfall. ¡¸It¡¯s you, Lista. ¡¹ Seiya stopped his training when he spotted me. ¡¸Ah, so¡­sorry! I distracted you while you were training, right? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I don¡¯t mind. ¡¹ Ah¡­He was gentle with me as usual¡­! ¡¸You know what! Aria taught me the Appraisal skill! I can identity the properties of weapons and tools now!¡¹ ¡¸That will help us. You worked hard. ¡¹ He praised me. My mind was put at ease. It felt really good to know that I did my best! And suddenly, I came up with an idea. ¡­I¡­I wondered if this skill would work if I directed it at Seiya? I secretly activated the Appraisal skill on Seiya. I thought the following words¡­¡ºPlease reflect Seiya¡¯s appraisal information, the one I would want to know the most. ¡» Then, the following information appeared on mind. ¡ïLista¡¯s Heart-Throbbing Love Appraisal¡ï ¡òWhat is the degree of affection between you and him? ¡º90 points ¡» ¡òWhat do you represent for him? ¡ºPrecious existence ¡» ¡òWord of Advice! ¡ºYou¡¯ll be reaching your goal if you keep going like this!! Do your best!!¡» Whoa!! This Appraisal skill was amazing!! 90 points!! That was already a stage of love!! Moreover, I¡¯ll reach my goal if I keep going like this!? My own subconscious gave an advice for myself!? I¡­I didn¡¯t understand how, but¡­Anyways. This Appraisal skill was way too awesome!! Seiya noticed my gaze and twisted his head. ¡¸Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s nothing! *grins* ¡¹ ¡¸You probably want to see my status, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. I want to see your current value, but¡­ ¡¹ I remember the last time I tried to see his status but I failed completely. Seiya was extremely reluctant to show me his status because he feared the information could leak. He probably hid his status with his camouflage skill once again¡­ ¡¸I won¡¯t mind showing my status if it¡¯s for you, Lista. ¡¹ YES!! I will be reaching my goal very soon!! Nothing mattered to me anymore!! I activated my clairvoyance ability to have a glimpse of Seiya¡¯s status without the protection of his camouflage skill¡­ Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 51 HP ¨C 145683 MP ¨C 25622 Attack ¨C 72888 Defense ¨C 67693 Agility ¨C 65007 Magic ¨C 28765 Potential ¨C 669 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Lightening, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Fire magic (Lv MAX), Burst Magic (Lv 8), Magic Sword (Lv 9), Experience Gain Increased (Lv 15), Ability perception (Lv 18), Camouflage (Lv 20), Synthesis (Lv 7) Skills ¨C Hell¡¯s Fire, Maximum Inferno, Phoenix Drive, Phoenix Thrust, Eternal Sword Personality ¨C Unbelievably Cautious ¡¸Al¡­Already that much¡­!! ¡¹ His attack power was over 70,000 and the HP was nearly 150,000. With this status, he would be able to save a world with a C-rank difficulty quite easily. But, he won¡¯t be able to do the same for the upcoming SS-rank difficulty world. Yet, I thought his value was good enough for a starting point in Exfolia. Still, Seiya shook his head negatively. ¡¸Not enough. I want to increase my ability value to a level that I can, at least, surpass the power of the once Dragon Mother.¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That means you have to increase your level to MAX! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, the problem is afterwards. If can¡¯t break through the limit of my status, I won¡¯t be able to save Exfolia just like the time I failed to protect it.¡¹ It seemed that Seiya had the same worries as the Great Goddess Isister. In order to exceed the limit, he must increase his level to the maximum power of his own ability. It was natural that Seiya was aiming to reach his MAX level. ¡¸By the way, where is your special skill of Flight? Also, I didn¡¯t see your other skills such as the Atomic Split Slash and Wind Blade on your status previously. Why don¡¯t you have them? But, I remember that those skills appeared even when your status was lower than now. ¡¹ ¡¸The skills and techniques change according to the standards of each world. It seems that Exfolia is a world where I can¡¯t learn the Flight skill. Besides, the magic system looks a lot more fragmented than in Geabrande. I will only be able to use Fire Magic this time.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s troublesome. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s why Exfolia was named a SS-rank difficulty world. But, on the contrary, this is not Geabrande we¡¯re talking about, meaning there will be specific skills and techniques that I can obtain in Exfolia.¡¹ After we finished talking, Seiya resumed his training with Adenela. Unlike Celseus, Adenela was quite tough. She showed no signs of exhaustion. She kept swinging her sword repeatedly with Seiya. I began to worry again after I saw such sight. I would like to do something more meaningful for Seiya than just the Appraisal skill. ¡­That¡¯s it! Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. I thought that it would be better to adjust the portal in order to start from an ideal position. We¡¯ll go to this world for the first time on our current lives. As a lower goddess in experience and power, I won¡¯t be able to position our location correctly once I summon the portal without time to prepare. That¡¯s why it would be a good idea to do it beforehand. I casted a spell far away from Seiya and the portal to Exfolia appeared right in front of my eyes. On that moment, Seiya turned to me abruptly. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What are you doing? I told you I was not ready yet, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, do you mean the portal? I¡¯m adjusting it! I want to put the portal into a safer position! If I have enough time to adjust the portal, then we will be able to arrive in a secure area of the town we¡¯re supposed to go!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re preparing this much, but¡­are you sure that monsters won¡¯t be able to use the portal to come here?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry! I invoked a strong barrier! It¡¯s absolutely fine! ¡¹ However¡­ *weird sound* The portal opened and a strange sound was heard from the inside. ¡­What. I was completely dumbfounded. I watched petrified, as the doors of the portal were opened automatically. At the portal, stood a beast man with a face of a wolf. The monster had a muscular body covered with silver hair. His sudden appearance on the God¡¯s realm was so natural that it was as if a roommate entered his own room without hesitating. ¡¸Nice to meet you, goddess of another dimension. And, goodbye. ¡¹ His voice was one of a human, but his appearance was of a beast. Soon, I felt my life in danger as the sharp fangs of the werewolf were about to slice my own neck. Volume 2 - CH 54 Chapter 54: Discomfort In the summoning chamber there was the Swordsman God and the Goddess of War, by the doors of the chamber stood two of the Martial Arts Gods that guarded the temple. But, just like me, their minds froze at the sight of such an unexpected situation¡­ Everything had happened so suddenly, that I was perplexed. I closed my eyes instinctively when the werewolf monster tried to attack me. I heard a dull sound while my field of vision was pitch dark. At the same time, I felt a violent shock and I fell on the floor. But, it was strange. I felt the impact on my shoulders instead of my neck. When I opened my eyes, I noticed that Seiya covered me like a shield. That¡¯s right¡­Seiya was always the one who reacted the quickest according to each situation. He protected me so fast that the evil fangs didn¡¯t get close to my neck. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t move an inch while he leaned against me. It was as if he passed out. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya received the fangs attack in my place!? I didn¡¯t see any bleeding at first glance. I tried to confirm if he was truly safe from external injuries, however, a cold voice echoed above my head. ¡¸Is that the summoned hero for Exfolia? ¡¹ The werewolf¡¯s eyes looked at us suspiciously. Soon, the werewolf emanated a strong black aura from his sharp claws as he lifted his arms. At first, I was his aim, but at this precise moment, a new target replaced me. My instinct told me something alarming about this menacing power. I had the same exact feeling as when the Warlord Emperor aimed at me with his God Eater. This was also identical to the aura created inside the Devil¡¯s Castle in Geabrande. I couldn¡¯t forget this awful feeling¡­ ¡­The Chain Destruction¡­!! ¡¸¡­Die. ¡¹ With that cold voice, the werewolf charged directly at Seiya with his deadly claws! ¡­Do¡­Don¡¯t¡­!! This time, however, I made a resolution as I put myself in front of Seiya to protect him. Celseus, who saw us being attacked by the werewolf, got frightened¡­ *screams* I could hear his voice engulfed in fear. I was prepared to die eternally because my soul was about to be destroyed completely¡­And yet, on that moment, a piercing sound from a metal clash reverberated on my earlobes. The claws of the werewolf didn¡¯t reach me nor Seiya. When I looked up, I saw that Adenela stood in front of us earnestly. She protected us from the claws of the werewolf by using her sword as a shield. ¡¸E¡­Enemy¡­! ¡¹ The werewolf distanced himself when he noticed her defensive pose. He licked his own claws with his tongue then. ¡¸So, you are a goddess too. That means you¡¯re my enemy as well. ¡¹ On that moment, the claws of the werewolf extended in size. His claws became the size of big daggers. He aimed those pointy weapons to Adenela, who stood in front of Seiya and I. ¡¸¡­Slash Disorder. ¡¹ On the other hand, Adenela focused on defeating that monster.¡¸Disappear. Disappear ¡¹, she said. I could hear a sound coming from her blade. ¡¸The¡­The true consecutive gunshot sword¡­! ¡¹ Adenela pointed the tip of her sword on the werewolf¡¯s direction. I shouted to Adenela. ¡¸Lady Adenela! Watch out! That monster¡¯s claws were activated with the Chain Destruction! A mortal wound would destroy your soul forever! ¡¹ Celseus responded instead of Adenela. ¡¸Eh!? In other words, we¡¯ll die for real if we get a mortal injury!? That¡­That can¡¯t be true, right!? Because, gods can¡¯t die permanently, you know!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I tried to explain! Gods will really die if they are killed by that power!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You¡¯re joking, right!? I don¡¯t want to die yet!! ¡¹ In contrast to the seemingly overwhelmed Swordsman God, Adenela, the Goddess of War, laughed insanely. ¡¸*laughs weirdly* A¡­A fight that puts my life on the line¡­I¡­I won¡¯t find anything more interesting than¡­this¡­!¡¹ She acted without hesitating, just like a carnivore ready to attack its prey. She jumped like a predator towards her enemy immediately, while holding the consecutive gunshot sword in motion! She held her sword in one hand, and attacked repeatedly at a tremendous speed that created an illusionary image of several swords! Her fierce attack reminded me of the one that Seiya used with his own consecutive gunshot sword! However¡­I couldn¡¯t believe it! The werewolf was defending himself from her sword attacks by using his claws! Soon, his claws became deformed on both hands! This intense battle reminded me of attacks between Seiya and the Warlord Emperor back in Geabrande! Likewise, their battle also scattered sparks everywhere! And then¡­A dull sound was heard as if the meat was ripped apart! Before I realized it, Adenela fell behind and held her stomach with her hand! Fresh blood was dripping from between her fingers! ¡¸Lady Adenela!? ¡¹ ¡¸Im¡­Impossible!! My¡­My consecutive gunshot sword, as the Goddess of War, was defeated!? What¡­What the hell is that monster!? ¡¹ Adenela was looking at the werewolf with an astonishing expression. She told us then. ¡¸Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t worry¡­It¡¯s¡­It¡¯s¡­just a scratch¡­ ¡¹ On the other hand, it looked like Adenela injured the werewolf as well. There was a little black blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. However, it was obvious that Adenela was the one who got injured the most. It was unbearable for me to watch this hopeless situation. Therefore, I ran in Celseus¡¯ direction. ¡¸Ce¡­Celseus! Lady Valkyrie! Go get Lady Valkyrie! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah! Understood! ¡¹ When Celseus tried to leave hurryingly¡­ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s not necessary. ¡¹ Adenela mumbled with a fierce voice. ¡¸This¡­This is different from when I battled the god of death. Phy¡­Physical attacks are¡­are effective against this¡­monster. There¡­There¡¯s no¡­nothing to worry about. ¡¹ Abruptly. Adenela opened her mouth widely and raised her voice. ¡¸O¡­O¡­Order¡­! ¡¹ I heard a strange sound! Adenela¡¯s right arm made a weird sound and, at the same time, it twisted dramatically! Her arm was mutilated! ¡¸Whoa!! Her¡­Her arm!! What happened!? That¡¯s scary and creepy!! It¡¯s way too creepy!! ¡¹ Celseus hid behind me in fear. I distracted myself with Celseus. When I looked at Adenela again, I noticed that her arm was no longer an arm. Adenela¡¯s arm transformed into a shining silver blade. Adenela raised both corners of her mouth in an amusing way. ¡¸*laughs weirdly* Divine sword¡­¡°Gliding Eagle¡±¡­! ¡¹ I swallowed up my own saliva. ¡¸She¡­She changed her arm into a sword¡­? ¡¹ Adenela positioned in a cat stance. While swinging the arm that became a sword, she jumped to attack the defenseless werewolf. Then¡­she screamed. ¡¸Ex¡­Extreme consecutive gunshot sword¡­! ¡¹ A huge illusionary storm ran towards the werewolf in maximum speed! The slashing was done at an insane precipitation. ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹ The werewolf¡¯s expression was greatly distorted! Usually, the consecutive gunshot sword was a high-speed technique that was made by countless slashes from down below, above, backwards, forward, with a mix of raveling, stabbing, and so on. However, the speed increased dramatically with the newly consecutive gunshot sword. Yet, this sword technique specialized only in stabbing. But, her right arm, the divine sword ¡°Gliding Eagle¡±, was narrow with a sharp edge. The silver blade seemed suitable for the countless stabbing movements of the consecutive gunshot sword. It was impossible for the werewolf to prevent the massive stabbing strikes. He used his claws as a shield but the power of that blade was too strong. He couldn¡¯t dodge the attacks. Lots of scars and deep wounds were inflicted severely on his body from the continued stabbing. The werewolf moved sideways in a hurry to avoid being hit. But, just as he fled away, the ¡°Gliding Eagle¡± became a whip-like object! On that precise moment, the right arm of the werewolf was disconnected from his body! ¡¸Ahhh! ¡¹ The werewolf screamed in pain. Black blood was dripping like crazy from his severed arm. ¡¸The¡­The infinite stabbing has¡­has enough power to¡­kill my enemies easily. That¡¯s the¡­Divine sword¡­¡°Gliding Eagle¡±.¡¹ ¡­Amazing¡­! This was Adenela¡¯s true power¡­! The situation had reversed in our favor. The werewolf, who just lost his right arm, managed to sneak behind Adenela and got away. ¡¸Wha¡­! ¡¹ With a sticking tongue, the werewolf ran extremely fast as he went straightway to the portal. He wanted to get away by returning from where he came from. ¡¸That¡­That monster is running away!! ¡¹ When Celseus yelled, the werewolf turned around and grinned. ¡¸Well, fine anyways. I already left a mark¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Ma¡­Mark, he said? What does that mean? ¡¸He¡­He is trying to escape¡­ ¡¹ Adenela rushed towards the werewolf. She charged at a tremendous speed and changed her left arm simultaneously! With a harsh sound, her left arm transformed into an extensive Japanese sword longer than the Gliding Eagle! ¡¸Di¡­Divine sword¡­¡°Recurrence Swallow¡±¡­! ¡¹ Adenela looked like a demon! ¡¸*laughs weirdly* Do¡­Double consecutive gunshot sword¡­! ¡¹ She transformed both of her arms into swords and jumped behind the escaping werewolf! The face of the werewolf got caught by the arms of the Goddess of War who came in flying in the air! ¡¸Di¡­Di¡­Di¡­Di¡­Di¡­Die¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Lady Adenela!! Maybe we can extract some information about Exfolia from that monster¡­¡¹ But, my words were not heard at all! She made consecutive slashes with her left arm and several fast punctures with her right arm! *laughs insanely high* The werewolf was chopped and aggressively pierced! Tons of black blood covered the entire space of the summoning chamber! ¡­The ¡°Double consecutive gunshot sword¡±¡­! Adenela¡¯s strength was not be underestimated! Her fierce combat style was truly terrifying when she ¡°Order¡± her arms to transform into two devilish Divine Swords¡­! The blood from the demon was scattered everywhere. A tiny fraction of that black blood fell on Celseus¡¯ cheek, who stood quite far in the distance. ¡¸Whoa!? I¡­I can¡¯t take this anymore!! I want to go back to my room and have a cup of warm chamomile tea!!¡¹ While Celseus screamed desperately, the brutal murder did not stop. It was too ruthless that I didn¡¯t think I would ever see such scenario inside the God¡¯s realm. In just a few seconds, the werewolf turned into a limbless mass of flesh. *laughs cruelly* Adenela was fully bathed in blood. Then, she looked around and stared at me. I was completely frightened. Moreover, she stared at Celseus too, who was in a state of absolute despair¡­ ¡¸¡­Ah. ¡¹ She showed me a face that looked like she finally returned to normality. I looked behind her and I noticed that the body of werewolf demon had been violently slaughtered¡­ ¡¸You¡­You really killed it¡­ ¡¹ I spoke with a disappointing tone. Both of her deformed swords returned to her original arms. She pointed with her fingers at my knees where Seiya was laying unconsciously. ¡¸Is¡­Is¡­Se¡­Seiya¡­safe? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­I don¡¯t see any injury on his body, but¡­ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t any cuts on Seiya¡¯s body by the werewolf¡¯s claws. But, then why? ¡ºI already left a mark. ¡» Don¡¯t tell me that the werewolf declared those words just as an act of anguish? It can¡¯t be¡­! I shook a fainted Seiya desperately. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Seiya, wake up!! ¡¹ But, my anxiety was groundless. ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹ With a hand on his head, Seiya raised his upper body slowly. ¡¸I¡¯m glad!! Are you okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m fine. But, I feel a little discomfort inside my head¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! Then, don¡¯t overdo it! You can lay down for a while, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸No. More importantly. What happened to that werewolf? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­About that, you know¡­Lady Adenela took care of it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What did you say? ¡¹ Seiya turned his gaze to the werewolf who became an unspeakable limbless mass of flesh and wrinkled his forehead. On the other hand, Adenela, whose insanity had just gone like the wind, was standing beside Seiya like a little girl who had broken a vase. Adenela knew Seiya¡¯s personality. The enemy was slaughtered mercilessly without obtaining crucial information about the upcoming world. She felt that Seiya would reprimand her. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¹ He approached Adenela, who had just apologized to him. Then, he spoke to her with unexpected kind words. ¡¸No, you did well. That had to be done in order to defeat it. Thanks. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! Lo¡­Love you¡­! I like you too much¡­! ¡¹ Soon, Adenela¡¯s dark circled eyes disappeared completely and transformed into the shining eyes of a girl deeply in love. Just when Adenela switched to her passionate maiden mode, I interrupted them because I found it too troublesome¡­ ¡¸Anyways, let¡¯s report this to the Great Goddess Isister!! It¡¯s unbelievable to know that the first enemy we encountered had the power of the Chain Destruction!!¡¹ I raised my voice. Next to me, Celseus nodded in silence. Seiya stared at Celseus and asked the following¡­ ¡¸Can I ask you to do that on my behalf? I have something else to do. ¡¹ ¡­Ah¡­I was sure that he would like to burn the remains of the werewolf with Hell¡¯s Fire¡­ I thought that the ritual of cleaning up was beginning once again. However, Seiya grabbed my arm and pulled it. Eh!? Wha¡­What!? Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t tell me that he was angry with me!? Yes, that must be it!! The werewolf came out because I was the one who opened the portal!! It was my fault that that happened!! This¡­This was bad!! There will be a crack on the love I cherished and nurtured with so much effort!! But, that was a needless worry. Seiya was not angry with me. However, he pulled my arms strongly and walked as if he was in a hurry. ¡¸C¡¯mon, this way. Let¡¯s go to Exfolia. ¡¹ I was surprised by his sudden words. ¡¸Eh!? What about cleaning up!? Besides, didn¡¯t you say you still had lots of training to do!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s enough. ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Seiya!? ¡¹ Seiya dragged me down while he headed to the portal that led to Exfolia. Both Celseus and Adenela looked attentively at the hasty action of Seiya. ¡­But, if it was the cautious Seiya we¡¯re talking about¡­Maybe, his level is above 50¡­ So, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­right? When we arrived at the portal, Seiya put his hands on the door and said. ¡¸Let¡¯s go now, Lady Goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸La¡­Lady Goddess!? Are you talking about me!? ¡¹ ¡¸We have to save the world soon. Precious lives will be lost if we wait too long.¡¹ I felt a sense of strangeness when I heard the words that were incompatible with Seiya¡¯s cautious personality. I stared attentively at the hero that went through the portal hurryingly. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Are you sure it¡¯s really okay to go now!? You are Perfectly Ready, right!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Of course¡­ ¡¹ The hero didn¡¯t look at me. Instead, he uttered the following words as he looked ahead without hesitating. ¡¸Gonna be Okay. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 55.1 Chapter 55: Recklessness (1) When I arrived from the portal, I noticed that I was in a dark room, the walls were made of old wood, and there were cracks everywhere and there was a small window without glass. This could¡¯ve been a spacious place for four or five people to live in. But, everything was worn-out. The floor had cracks and holes, and the furniture, such as a table and chairs, were smashed. It looked like an abandoned house. I¡¯d like to observe it more closely, but before that, there was something I was worried about. I asked the hero who stood my side in this dark room. ¡¸Hey, Seiya! You called me ¡°Lady Goddess¡± a moment ago, am I right? And, instead of ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±, you said ¡°Gonna be Okay¡±? Why? ¡¹ That was Seiya¡¯s favorite phrase before he met me. It was something from his past. I remember hearing about it several times on the crystal ball of the Great Goddess Isister. I felt some anxiety swirling up on my heart. ¡¸Well, maybe it¡¯s just me imagining things, but¡­you remember me, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸You are the Lady Goddess in charge of me. I was summoned as a hero to save this world named Exfolia, correct?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I suppose so, yes. But¡­my name! What¡¯s my name? Can you tell me? ¡¹ ¡¸I think it was¡­¡°Misotarte¡±, am I wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Listarte!! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m called a miso tart!! Well, then¡­Do you remember anything about Geabrande!?¡¹ ¡¸Geabrande!? I¡¯ve never heard of it. ¡¹ The purpose of a hero¡¯s quest was not forgotten! He recognized me as a goddess as well! Bu¡­But, what¡­what about the rest¡­! He won¡¯t be able to answer my questions if he remains like this. Therefore, I activated my clairvoyance ability to see Seiya¡¯s current status. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 51 HP ¨C 90854 / 145683 ¡­ ¡­His health points decreased a lot! That means that the werewolf¡¯s attack was successful! However, I was even more amazed at an unfamiliar sentence that appeared under his health points. ?State: Big Confusion? What¡­¡°Big Confusion¡±!? I see!! His consciousness was clouded!! That¡¯s why he had amnesia about his recent life events!! But, the crucial part was the last information on his status: ¡°Personality¡±. So far, his personality stated as ¡°Unbelievably Cautious¡±, and now was¡­ Personality ¨C Unbelievably Reckless ¡­it¡­ it changed dramatically¡­ I was completely puzzled with all this. Of course, the only plausible way that came to my mind was the werewolf¡¯s last message. He said, ¡°I already left a mark¡±. In other words, the mark was responsible for this bewildering state. He gave an abnormal condition to the hero to and managed to severely reduce his health points¡­Was this the first time that I saw an abnormal condition such as this one!? Even if I had my healing abilities, I didn¡¯t know if it could be cured!! Ah, what should I do about this!? The Great Goddess Isister left his memory intact and we were so lovey-dovey with each other!! Why did this have to happen now¡­!! Suddenly, I became quite concerned about the degree of affection that Seiya had for me. I activated my Appraisal skill of love. ¡ïLista¡¯s Heart-Throbbing Love Appraisal¡ï ¡òWhat is the degree of affection between you and him? ¡º40 points ¡» ¡òWhat do you represent for him? ¡ºNeither good nor bad existence ¡» ¡òWord of Advice! ¡ºHmm. It seems that he doesn¡¯t think much about you. I wish he could get his memories back¡­¡» ¡¸The degree of affection dropped considerably!! My existence is neither good nor bad!!¡¹ Seiya became startled when he heard me scream aloud. ¡¸Hey. What are you talking about? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Nothing¡­I was talking to myself. You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s all right¡­¡¹ That¡­That¡¯s okay! All right! It will be all right! He¡¯ll be back if this confusion state is resolved! But, I didn¡¯t know how! Anyways, there should be a way to undo this, so we should retreat for now! We should go back to the God¡¯s realm and ask the Great Goddess Isister for help! I held Seiya¡¯s hand. ¡¸Seiya!! First, we need to return to the God¡¯s realm!! ¡¹ ¡¸Why? We just got here. ¡¹ ¡¸Just come with me. C¡¯mon. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you mean. ¡¹ Contrary to everything that happened so far, I became the one who wanted to return to the God¡¯s realm. I pulled Seiya¡¯s hand. I opened the portal once again, and when we stepped inside¡­ *colliding sound* I hit my forehead against something solid!! ¡¸It¡­It hurts!! ¡¹ I shook my head. When I looked up, I saw a white wall made of concrete standing right in front of me. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s this!? Why is there a wall in the portal!? ¡¹ I thought something was not right. Therefore, I made it disappear. A few seconds later, I invoked the portal once again, but the wall was still there. ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t return because of this wall!! Why can¡¯t I go back from where I came from!? This is absolutely ridiculous!!¡¹ What was the meaning of this! Ho¡­However, it was for moments like this that the Appraisal skill could be very useful! I stared at the white wall while using my skill. Soon, words appeared slowly inside my mind. ¡ºThe Wall that blocks different dimensions¡­The magic powers of the Demon King were activated. The Wall won¡¯t disappear unless you defeat the invoker who¡¯s responsible for the magic device that¡¯s causing this phenomenon.¡» I had customized the Appraisal skill to relay information by speaking to me. After hearing such the facts, I froze. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! I won¡¯t be able to return to the God¡¯s realm!? This means that I have no choice but to save Exfolia in this hopeless and confusing state!?¡¹ I was petrified by these horrifying events as if my soul left my own body. On the other hand, Seiya went to the broken window to have a glimpse of the outside. ¡¸Hey, Lady Goddess. Come here. Just look at that. ¡¹ I was a bit out of my mind. Even so, I walked towards his direction just as he told me to. I looked at the outside from the broken window. The sky was purple. There were many collapsed buildings in the vicinity. The air was so dense that it hurt my nasal cavity. Galvano was supposed to be the perfect location for the start of our quest. But, all that I saw was destruction. It was unthinkable that this location was a safe starting zone. And then¡­I opened my eyes widely, a little ahead in the distance, I noticed two demon beasts walking around through this town! One had a dog¡¯s face, while the other had a cat¡¯s face! They held a couple of chains on their hands! They were taking naked humans that walked on four limbs like animals! ¡¸Wh¡­Why on earth¡­That is¡­! ¡¹ That was the opposite scenario of an ordinary world! The demon beasts seized the humans with chains and took them like pets! Anyway, these were the first monsters I¡¯ve seen in Exfolia since we¡¯ve arrived here. I tried to activate my clairvoyance ability in a silent way. I had to be extremely careful or those two beastly men could find me. Beast Man (dog type) Level ¨C 35 HP ¨C 56274 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 28754 Defense ¨C 27895 ¡­ Beast Man (cat type) Level ¨C 37 HP ¨C 58887 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 30008 Defense ¨C 29574 ¡­ ¡¸¡­Eh! ¡¹ My heart jumped greatly when I saw their status. It was beyond my imagination. I¡­I see!! Perhaps, those two belong to the executive class!? Don¡¯t tell me that I have such bad luck, that I managed to find two sub-bosses so early on!! However¡­ ¡¸Hey. I¡¯m taking a sloppy little pet today as well. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy. Just keep it in your house. At least, it¡¯s better than a dirty pet, meow.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been feed properly¡­ This is not good. They¡¯re going to die at this rate.¡¹ Soon, other demon beasts appeared! One had a bird face and the other looked like a boar! The beasts who understood the human language greeted one another on the street! In addition, I saw another group of beasts talking further away from the previous group! All of them were high-level! Their HP was over 50,000 and the attack power was at least 30,000! ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! All the enemies in this world have a strong status¡­!! ¡¹ Not only that! Their numbers! I didn¡¯t notice before, but there were dozens of beasts just wandering around! There must be hundreds of beasts living in this town! ¡¸Wha¡­What a horrible world¡­!! ¡¹ My body trembled incessantly. Just when I tried to lean on Seiya¡­there was no hero next to me. ¡¸¡­Ah!? ¡¹ Seiya held his hand on the door of the abandoned house. I was astonished and terrified just by realizing what he was about to do; and on that moment, I screamed to him. ¡¸Hey, wait!! What are you doing!? ¡¹ Seiya responded in a calm manner. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m going to fight. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll stand still after I saw chained human beings being treated like pets. They have miserable lives because of those beasts. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second, don¡¯t tell me that you are planning to fight them with your bare hands!?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with my bare hands? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s bad!! This is not a bedtime story, you know!? This place was classified as a SS-rank difficulty world, got it!? Without proper equipment, you won¡¯t be able to fight against hundreds of high-leveled beasts!!¡¹ I pulled Seiya out of the door and pushed him to the center of the room. ¡¸Just calm down!! You are seriously injured too!! Stay still until your confusion subsides!!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not confused. ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t even remember my name!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already memorized it. Your name is ¡°Osutarte¡±,* right? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Listarte!! You don¡¯t remember it at all!! ¡¹ I had a severe headache when I screamed. I swung my neck while holding my head to one side. ¡¸¡­Listen, Seiya. You¡¯re not in your perfect condition right now because of that werewolf¡¯s attack. In addition to memory loss, your HP decreased to ninety thousand from your previous one hundred and forty thousand points. I want to cure you, but I won¡¯t be able to use my healing abilities this time. So, do you understand? Let¡¯s rest here for a while, okay?¡¹ ¡¸I think my HP is quite enough for this¡­Oh boy, you are a very cautious goddess.¡¹ Ugh!? It felt weird and revolting to hear such words from Seiya himself!! However, it seemed that he gave up on leaving from the time being. After that, Seiya looked at the window in a seriously and busy manner. ¡¸He¡­Hey. It¡¯s okay if you want to know more about what¡¯s happening outside. But, they will find us out if you lean too much on the window¡­ ¡¹ I had to be extremely careful around this type of hero. Eventually, Seiya changed his complexion. It seemed that he noticed something unusual. ¡¸Hmm. A new beast man has appeared. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ I got closer to the window to have a look at the situation. Just as Seiya described, there was a new demon beast. This beast was quite large and his big arms were crossed in bossy style. He stood in front of a group of beasts who took the naked humans as pets. He had a robust body. Twice the size of the other beasts. And he had a very ugly pig face. Unlike the other group of beasts, this newly pig beast was equipped with steel armor. When he moved to the side, I could see that he carried an axe weapon on his back. This beast was clearly different from all the other beasts in the vicinity. He was staring attentively at both the beast man with a dog face and the beast man with a cat face. ¡¸What the hell are you guys doing. I told you we have to cherish our slaves. Just look at them, the poor things. They are so skinny. Are you feeding them properly?¡¹ The dog and cat beasts heard without saying a word to what the large pig beast had to say. Then, they lowered their heads in respect. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry, Lord Bunogeos. ¡¹ ¡¸How often do you feed them? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I only give them one meal a day¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I also only give them one meal at night¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You are idiots. You need to feed them three times a day. You need to bath them occasionally too. It¡¯s our duty to create good slaves for our great Demon King.¡¹ Regardless of his grotesque appearance, he seemed to care more about humans than the other demon beasts. The other beasts showed him a respectful attitude. So, that meant that this large monster pig was higher in rank. At least, among the beast men. I was sure that his status was somewhat larger than the other beast men I have seen¡­However, I was speechless the moment I activated my clairvoyance ability. Evil Beast Bunogeos Level ¨C 67 HP ¨C 338547 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 300019 Defense ¨C 258344 Agility ¨C 77777 Magic ¨C 794 Potential rate ¨C 674 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Lightening, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX), All Magical Attributes Reduction (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C God Chopper, Vacuum Shredder Personality ¨C Short-tempered ¡­How¡­How was that possible!! This beast had a similar status to that of the demon Warlord Emperor that Seiya won through a difficult battle!? In addition, ¡°All Magical Attributes Reduction¡±!? It means that magical attacks won¡¯t inflict any damage on this demon!! It¡­It¡¯s impossible!! Geabrande was no match for this type of world!! ¡­Everything¡¯s crazy!! We¡¯re doomed!! Volume 2 - CH 55.2 Chapter 55: Recklessness (2) The naked humans taken by the dog faced and cat faced beasts were men and women in their adult years. They looked filthy as if they were beggars. It seemed that they were treated with very cruelty. A human woman shed tears when the ¡°gentle¡± beast appeared in front of her. Next to her, a human man clung to the beast. ¡¸Ah, Lord Bunogeos! Thank you very much! Thank you very much! ¡¹ The naked human man touched the foot of the pig-faced beast Bunogeos to say thank you. On that instant, the face of Bunogeos became stiff. ¡¸¡­Touched me. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­You¡­touched me. ¡¹ Soon after, Bunogeos exposed his fangs and shouted extremely high! ¡¸Dirty human being!! How dare you touch me, the noble Bunogeos, with those dirty hands that reek of feces!!¡¹ He screamed even louder! Bunogeos raised his hand to his back and grabbed the large axe weapon! I could feel an ominous aura from that axe because it emitted dark magic! ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s the Chain Destruction!! He also has a weapon capable of destroying my soul and Seiya¡¯s!?¡¹ I began to shiver in fear! Then, I could hear the slave beg for his mercy from outside the window! ¡¸Forgive me! Forgive me! ¡¹ Nonetheless, a red-faced Bunogeos was so full of rage that he didn¡¯t even hear the human speak! He mercilessly swung his axe and slashed the human man! Fresh blood was spilled everywhere as his body was separated in two! The slave woman opened her mouth¡­ *excruciating screams* The woman was so terrified that she hid under the feet of her master, the cat-faced beast. Bunogeos returned to sanity after he heard the woman cry. He had a puzzled expression. ¡¸Ah. I killed again. Well, I guess its fine. It was just a mere slave that was rotten.¡¹ ¡ª ¡­At this precise moment, there was someone next to me shaking his body in anger after witnessing the horrible scene happen just outside of the window. ¡¸What a bastard. I won¡¯t absolutely forgive him. ¡¹ It was the hero. An angry face replaced his usual bored face. Seiya was trying to open the door in a hurry and with fury. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Calm down!! You¡¯re not behaving like you normally do!! ¡¹ ¡¸A person was killed right in front of our eyes. How can you stay still as if nothing ever happened?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I stand still!! You¡¯ll get yourself killed if you go now!! That monster¡¯s status is slightly above than yours, you know that!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I can do it. ¡¹ ¡¸On what basis!? Just look at his status!! It will be pointless even with the fire magic that you¡¯re good at!!¡¹ ¡¸I saw his status. That¡¯s why I have to go. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh. ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Goddess. Have you noticed anything else about his status? ¡¹ ¡¸Notice, you say? ¡¹ Seiya squeezed his nose as usual. ¡¸Listen. It is interesting that his agility is quite different compared to his other elements. ¡¹ ¡¸In¡­Indeed, compared to his attack power and defense power, his agility is low. It¡¯s not bad to notice the enemy¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. But, even so, your agility is still 65,000. Your value still falls short compared to his, you know?¡¹ ¡¸No. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s eyes were sharp looking. I breathed quietly as I listened to him. That¡­That¡¯s right! Seiya had always defeated the formidable enemies by using strategies that were considered above the comprehension of ordinary minds! Just because I didn¡¯t see a way to win, that didn¡¯t mean that there wasn¡¯t a way out of this! ¡¸Tell me, Seiya!! What kind of strategy do you have!? ¡¹ Then, Seiya opened his mouth with confidence. ¡¸The agility of that monster is 77,777. In other words, seven is the dominant number. And, seven is the number representing good fortune. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ ¡¸After knowing this¡­I was sure that I could do it! ¡¹ ¡¸No, wait. Where did you get that stupid reasoning from!? If every person thought that reasoning was real, then nobody would have to die like this!!¡¹ ¡°I can win because it is a lucky number!¡±¡­That was a reasoning of a child in elementary grade. I was so amazed in a bad way that I almost cried. Still, the hero looked confident as he headed towards the door. ¡¸Anyways. What that pig monster did was unforgiving. I should go and defeat him.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible!! You¡¯re going to die!! Listen to me!! He has a weapon that can destroy my soul and yours!! Normally, once a hero dies, he¡¯ll return to his original world!! But, if he kills you with that weapon you won¡¯t be able to return anymore, got it!? After knowing all of this, do you still want to go!?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong about that. Are you that afraid to die? People are born and, eventually, they die. Then, I would rather face my destiny and die honorably. Okay, I¡¯ve decided. This is the place I¡¯ve chosen to die.¡¹ ¡­This¡­This was surreal!! Strong courage combined with recklessness!! How¡­How should I stop him!? However, Seiya was too focused and angry to fight against the Bunogeos that killed a human slave. He won¡¯t listen to me anymore. Therefore, I tried to stop him from opening that door. ¡¸Stop right there!! ¡¹ Somehow, I managed to grab his waist. Yet, he didn¡¯t stop walking ahead. Ah!? Why was this happening!! This was absolutely the worst!! I miss my unbelievably cautious hero so much!! ¡¸Please, stop, don¡¯t go!! I beg you!! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t handle this anymore. My crying voice started to shiver while tears fell down from my eyes. Seiya looked at me and became worried. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Lady Goddess? Why are you crying? ¡¸Be¡­Because¡­Seiya, you don¡¯t care about me¡­and you didn¡¯t¡­listen to anything I said¡­¡¹ And then, Seiya scratched his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I gave you trouble. I think I got too disoriented. ¡¹ Eh¡­? Se¡­Seiya¡­apologized to me? Seiya sat down on the floor and his calm demeanor returned once again. I¡­I see. There was something different about this new Seiya. He was gentle but reckless. While the Seiya I knew was cold but cautious¡­ While I was wiping my tears with my hands, Seiya bowed to me. ¡¸I behaved careless. I¡¯ll do what you said to do. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s good that you finally understand. Thank you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Forgive me, Totokarucho.* ¡¹ ¡¸I told you that my name is Listarte just moments ago!! Are you saying that on purpose!? Are you really!?¡¹ I was very emotional because I was upset and cried because of his stupid behavior. Suddenly, I heard a *knock knock* sound. I felt the shock wave coming from the floor¡­ *screams* I shivered heavily! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What was that!? ¡¹ The sound came from the other side of the room! When I looked over, I noticed that the corner of the room was pushed up! Someone with tattered clothes came crawling from the floor! ¡¸En¡­Enemy!? ¡¹ Seiya stood against the figure that came out. I hid behind his back in fear. Nevertheless, it was someone that wore a tattered cape. He looked at us and took the hood from his head. It was the face of a grey-haired old man. ¡¸Hurry up. This way. ¡¹ The old man pointed to the floor from where he came out. ¡¸There are no horrible beasts inside. C¡¯mon¡­hurry up. ¡¹ The old man rushed inside. But, I hesitated. There was no way I could easily trust the person who, suddenly, crawled out from floor. Yet, Seiya went to the corner of the room without wavering. ¡¸What a good man. Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Seiya!? ¡¹ I whispered on Seiya¡¯s ear. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think this is a bit suspicious!? That person came out from under the floor, isn¡¯t it weird!? Isn¡¯t it right to doubt this a little!?¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter if he crawled out from under the floor, or if he jumped out from above the ceiling. How can I not trust a person when I¡¯m a person myself!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but this is a SS-rank difficulty world¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Did you see that old man properly? He had very clear eyes. ¡¹ It was certain that I didn¡¯t feel any evil aura coming out from that old man. But, even so¡­ I hesitated to go, but on that moment, the old man put a holy cross pendant over his tattered upper cloth. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry. I am Luke. I am a priest of Galvano. No, actually, it would be appropriate to say I was a priest. As you see, not much is left on this town.¡¹ The priest loosened his mouth a little. ¡¸A few days ago, I felt faint revelation. I heard a voice say that people will come and save this ravaged world¡­The fact is that you two appeared right in the abandoned house that leads to our subterranean hideout¡­¡¹ The¡­There was a secret place in the basement of this abandoned house!? But, that was a very convenient coincidence¡­I¡­I got it! The Great Goddess Isister must¡¯ve adjusted the portal before I did in order to arrive at this particular place! And she was probably the one who gave this priest a revelation! Father Luke smiled at us. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go now. Our underground settlement has escaped from the hands of the beasts¡­let¡¯s head to the ¡°Light of Hope¡±.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 56 Chapter 56: Light of Hope We followed Father Luke and went below the ground. Inside, there was a staircase built of soil. We went further down to the basement. After going a few steps in, I heard a sound above my head, as I looked up, I noticed that the open floor door closed automatically. Furthermore, the stairs we walked a few seconds ago had disappeared completely. ¡¸Is this, perhaps¡­the work of magic? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This is Lady Eich¡¯s earth magic. There are a few other entrances to the underground settlement besides the one in the abandoned house. But, even if someone finds one entrance, the beasts won¡¯t be able to come in because of magical mechanisms.¡¹ The witch Eich applied her earth magic to create a secret settlement underground for humans to live in. Earth magic was a magic that could create a vast underground space if the invoker was highly skilled. However, that required one to have the talent of one in a million people. I wondered if Father Luke guessed what I was thinking just by looking at my face. Father Luke smiled at me. ¡¸Lady Eich is the younger sister of the legendary wizard Colt. ¡¹ Colt¡­If I remember correctly, he was the wizard who accompanied Seiya to defeat the demon forces in the previous attempt to save Exfolia. I was sure of it. Just like the others with him at that time, he became a prey of the Demon King¡­ The wall next to the stairs was lit with lights at regular intervals. Unlike lamps or torches, the stones embedded in the soil seemed to emit light. I thought it was a ¡°magical stone¡±. It had enough power to emit light on every passage we came through. Seiya asked Father Luke while we were going down the staircase. ¡¸But, why do you have to stay underground? If you people can use magical earth attributes this well, won¡¯t you be able to get out of this town?¡¹ ¡¸No. We can¡¯t leave Galvano because of the ¡°Cursed Sphere¡±¡­ As long as Bunogeos has his magic tool, people will become ashes if they venture out of town. However, even if we got out from here, there wouldn¡¯t be a safe place to live in Exfolia¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah!! I wonder if we can¡¯t go back to the God¡¯s realm because of that magic tool!! ¡¹ I was speaking of the white wall that appeared inside the portal to the God¡¯s realm. I heard Father Luke say ¡¸Probably ¡¹. ¡¸The evil beast Bunogeos, with the Cursed Sphere, was a newly created monster when the Demon King made this world his own after benefiting from the powers of the ¡°evil god of the mottled hair¡±. Bunogeos and this town are under the control of the Beast Emperor Grand Leon. The Emperor reigns over the Radral continent where we live in.¡¹ I became astonished after I heard Father Luke¡¯s words. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a minute! Are you saying that Bunogeos is not the boss of this continent? ¡¹ ¡¸Bunogeos only rules this town. The Beast Emperor Grand Leon is the one who controls the continent. They say that it¡¯s a monster that can easily defeat Bunogeos.¡¹ Bunogeos¡¯ status surpassed the strength of the Four General Kings in Geabrande!! He truly had ridiculous status!! Even so, there were demons more powerful than him!? Without knowing what was on my mind, Seiya knocked his chest with his fist. ¡¸Okay. There are no shortage of enemies. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh! Our chosen hero is so brave! How reliable! ¡¹ The priest looked happy¡­Well, but, I was truly sorry. This hero was only brave with his mouth. As it is now, Seiya will lose against Bunogeos by a good margin. Yes, without a doubt¡­ ¡ª ¡¸¡­Okay, we¡¯ve arrived. ¡¹ Finally, the long underground stairs were over. I could see a large door in front of us. I wondered if they had a secret signal. When the priest shook the hinge five times in an irregular rhythm, the door was opened with a cracking sound. ¡¸Whoa¡­! ¡¹ I was surprised when I saw what was beyond that door. There was a vast area that didn¡¯t look like an underground. There were several houses lined up. Numerous magical stones installed in the high ceiling lighted every one of them. In the distance, vegetables crops grew in a field. Seiya was also impressed and nodded in amazement. ¡¸Oh. Incredible. There seems to be another town underground. ¡¹ ¡¸This is a very humble place. The fields are not extraordinary as well. But, it is self-sufficient and allows us to keep on living. Because the light we have is made of magical powers, the crops don¡¯t grow very healthy though¡­¡¹ The people of this place probably knew that we were coming here in advance. In front of me, there were dozens of men and women of all ages standing in a row. I tried to wave my hand to the residents with a smile, but there was no response. ¡¸Wha¡­What? ¡¹ In Geabrande, the people had great respect for the hero and the goddess. However, all those in here were looking at us with apprehensive eyes. When I felt uncomfortable, a young man dressed in steel armor walked towards us from the crowd. It was a shorthaired man with sharp-eyes. ¡¸This person is the leader of our settlement ¡°Light of Hope¡±. His name is Lord Brut¡­ ¡¹ Even though the priest was introducing him, Brut did not stop walking. He headed on Seiya¡¯s direction without slowing down and grabbed his chest violently. He spoke with a heated voice. ¡¸This face¡­I wasn¡¯t wrong after all!! You bastard!! You¡¯re still alive!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What! Who are you!? Why are you acting so brusque!? ¡¹ Not only me, but Father Luke was so startled that he spoke with panic. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Lord Burt!? ¡¹ Brut raised his voice against the priest while staring at Seiya. ¡¸Father!! You don¡¯t know this person!? This man is the hero who failed to defeat the Demon King one year ago!!¡¹ ¡¸What¡­!? ¡¹ Father Luke was speechless. Burt continued to speak loudly. ¡¸I heard that the Demon King killed both Lord Colt and Princess Tiana from the Tarmine Kingdom!! But, only this guy managed to run away and hid somewhere else!! And now, after all this time, he appears like this as if nothing ever happened before!!¡¹ I see¡­I was Princess Tiana once. But, I was reborn as a goddess and I spent a hundred years in the God¡¯s realm because of the difference in the flow of time. My appearance was totally different from Princess Tiana based on what I saw on the crystal ball. But, for Seiya, everything happened just a year ago. His face and appearance hardly changed that much. In other words, people who met Seiya before will recognize him for sure. Brut pushed Seiya aggressively. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ I ran to the fallen Seiya. The people, who were watching the situation from behind, began to raise their voices. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s true! I¡¯ve seen him one year ago! He is the former hero! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! He said, ¡°Leave it to me¡±, shouting confidently with his big mouth! But, in the end he was defeated by the Demon King and Exfolia was destroyed!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s your fault! All of my family died because of you! ¡¹ Almost everyone in the settlement started to speak in a hateful way against Seiya. Suddenly, before I knew it, the people grabbed sticks and farming tools, and surrounded us. ¡­No¡­No way!! Not only the demons with unusual status, but the humans living in Exfolia are also hostile to us!? So¡­This¡­This was the true degree of a SS-rank difficulty world!! What were we going to do, Seiya!? Nonetheless, Seiya looked back at me in a calm state. ¡¸Hey, Lady Goddess. What the people are saying is true? Have I been to this world before?¡¹ I won¡¯t be able to hide this any longer. I told him the truth then. ¡¸Yes¡­This is the second time you came to Exfolia. And you failed to save this world the last time you¡¯ve been here¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹ The fallen Seiya remained in the ground, and then made a Dogeza*. ¡­Ehhhh!? That was an unexpected sigh for me! This was unbelievable! Seiya was prostrating himself in front of the people! In addition, he spoke with an agonizing voice! ¡¸I¡¯m so sorry. Please, forgive me. ¡¹ Do¡­Don¡¯t! What was this! I truly disliked this! Seiya was kneeling down!! I knew that what he was doing was a good action¡­but¡­but¡­I didn¡¯t want to see Seiya on that state!! After Seiya apologized to the people, there was a brief moment of silent. Before long, one man began to shiver with anger. ¡¸Sto¡­Stop messing with us!! Don¡¯t you think that everything will be fixed just by lowering you head to us!!¡¹ ¡¸Lord Colt and Princess Tiana were killed because of you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right!! ¡¹ Someone threw a stone at Seiya. That stone hit Seiya¡¯s head because he didn¡¯t want to move away from it. And with that action, the people of the Light of Hope started to harass Seiya. ¡¸Hey, wait!! Stop!! Stop this already!! ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!! ¡¹ I tried to stop the outrage, but someone pushed me and I fell to the ground. ¡¸I said to stop it!! Don¡¯t be that cruel to Seiya!! ¡¹ I yelled but the violence didn¡¯t stop. The older women were looking at me with cold eyes. ¡¸Hmm. What a useless goddess. They aren¡¯t that different from human beings. ¡¹ ¡¸The red-haired goddess we had last time was also hopeless. The Demon King ate her that easily. She wasn¡¯t great to being with.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare say anything bad about Aria!! ¡¹ Before I noticed, the situation got much uglier. ¡¸This world was destroyed because you guys were careless¡­! ¡¹ Then, they approached me. ¡­Wh¡­Whoa!! Were they going to hit me too!? The hero stood up in front of me when he noticed I was in fear. ¡¸Please, stop it. I am the bad one. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Broadcast didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡¹ What¡­Who¡¯s that!? How could he call me a name that became so different from Listarte!? When will he remember my name for real!? However, it seemed that the people became angrier when Seiya protected me. He began to get beaten again. Seiya¡¯s level was over 50. He didn¡¯t get much damage because his defense points were high¡­Even so, I couldn¡¯t stand to watch this anymore. ¡­Why!? We came to save this world, and this is what we get in return!? At that time, I was about to burst into tears. ¡¸Please, stop it now. ¡¹ A high and dignified voice echoed. The hands of the common people stopped immediately. A girl was standing at the end of everyone¡¯s line of sight. She was dressed poorly like the other people in the settlement. But, her thin arms were adorned with ornaments. ¡¸Lady Eich¡­! ¡¹ Someone muttered loudly. ¡¸Everyone. Please, stop. I¡¯m sure my bother Colt wouldn¡¯t want you to behave like this. ¡¹ The witch Eich. She was the one who created this settlement with the usage of earth magic. She was far younger than I imagined her to be. She looked like she had, perhaps, six or seven years old. The voice of this girl was more imposing than Elle¡¯s. The riot that was happening in the village quickly settled down. ¡¸Tha¡­Thank you¡­ ¡¹ I thanked Eich. But, her eyes were also cold-looking like everyone else. ¡¸Goddess and hero. Thank you for coming. However, coming here is useless. There isn¡¯t anyone who can defeat the Demon King Artemaeus.¡¹ ¡­.The Demon King¡­Artemaeus¡­! An unpleasant feeling ran through my body when I heard the name of the ultimate demon of Exfolia. I thought this reaction happened because my soul was killed by that demon before. ¡¸It¡¯s no longer possible to save this world. ¡¹ When the riot was over, Eich turned back and left us. The people also left with her as they spit on the ground while looking back at us. Who remained behind was Seiya, Father Luke, Brut and I. Brut was staring at me. ¡¸Hey, goddess. You¡¯re called ¡°Broadcast¡±, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸No. My name is Listarte¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Whatever. Are you really planning to defeat the Demon King and save this world? ¡¹ ¡¸I intended to do that¡­but¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Then what can you do? ¡¹ I wanted to say ¡°Healing¡±. However, my powers were sealed. ¡¸¡­I have the Appraisal skill. ¡¹ Brut showed me a bored face. ¡¸I can do that too. What else can you do? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I have wings. I can fly in the sky. ¡¹ I thought that the Great Goddess Isister would be able to give me permission to activate my Lista Wing¡­! ¡¸Order!! ¡¹ I raised my voice. But, nothing happened. ¡­Yes. It was useless after all. I couldn¡¯t communicate with the Great Goddess Isister. If I couldn¡¯t go home then it was obvious that my connection was lost too. ¡¸So you can¡¯t even use that. ¡¹ Brut looked at me with piercing eyes. I strengthened my tone. ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t die! Goddesses never die! ¡¹ ¡¸Immortal? Really? ¡¹ Brut did not ask me that. He looked at Father Luke instead. The priest nodded in agreement. ¡¸Tradition says that gods and goddesses don¡¯t die. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­ ¡¹ Eh! Now what? Did he finally change his mind about me? Ah¡­But¡­But if I think carefully about it, the enemy could kill me if he has the Chain Destruction¡­And, in Exfolia I¡¯ve seen that fearsome power in the hands of the werewolf and Bunogeos¡­ I decided to be honest. ¡¸To tell you the truth, I can die occasionally. ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean you can die occasionally!? Then, you¡¯re not immortal!? ¡¹ Brut was stunned. But, after a bored sigh, he scratched his head. ¡¸A goddess that can die occasionally and a hero who failed once before. This is an absurd joke. It seems that the heavens do not intend to save Exfolia after all.¡¹ Then, Brut gave us a cold look. ¡¸Still, you must have something useful if you came all the way here. Defeating the Demon King will be a very difficult task. But, can you defeat Bunogeos at least, no?¡¹ ¡¸A¡­About that¡­ ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s level was MAX when he defeated the demonic Warlord Emperor back in Geabrande. Even though Bunogeos had a similar ability value as the Emperor, Seiya¡¯s current status was only at level 50. But¡­ ¡¸Okay. We¡¯ll take him down. ¡¹ Seiya has been silent until now. He spoke without speaking to me beforehand. Brut explained. ¡¸Bunogeos created a market where monsters can buy and sell out of town. That¡¯s the place where he raises slaves. You must defeat Bunogeos and free the humans.¡¹ I didn¡¯t know if would be able to defeat Bunogeos. Still, we had no choice but to try or we¡¯re not going to get out of here. However, though, above the ground was a den full of enemies with high ability statuses. ¡¸Let¡­Let us prepare at least! ¡¹ I requested that preference to Brut. We had to wear some weapons and armors even if everything was of humble origins in the Light of Hope. Brut snarled and touched Father Luke¡¯s shoulder as he walked away. Father Luke was left behind with us. He smiled at us while he pointed to man sitting in front of a house a little further away. ¡¸That¡¯s the tool shop. ¡¹ Just like what happened in Geabrande, the Great Goddess Isister gave me the currency of Exfolia in advance. I took a sachet of money out of my pocket and we headed to the tool shop¡­However, the only tools available were the magical stones and agricultural tools that emitted light. Only the things necessary for daily life were displayed in the shop. I was hoping to find an item that could cure Seiya¡¯s confusion, but they didn¡¯t even have medicinal herbs or poison-scented herbs. ¡¸Father Luke. Besides the tool shop, don¡¯t you have weaponry and armory shops too?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any of those shops. We don¡¯t have enough supplies here.¡¹ It was exactly as Aria said to me. Exfolia was unlikely to have any decent equipment. I sighed as I dropped my shoulders. Then, I heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡¸Hey, you. Do you want to change jobs? I¡¯ll change it for you if you want me to.¡¹ It was an old man with few front teeth. Father Luke introduced him to us. ¡¸This person is Enzo. He is the ¡°Baptist¡± of the Light of Hope. You can change your current job if you ask the Baptist.¡¹ Seiya had a very confusing expression on his face. ¡¸Job? Isn¡¯t being a hero my profession? ¡¹ Enzo shook his head. ¡¸In this world, there is no profession as a hero¡­Let¡¯s see. Well¡­Your current job is a ¡°Magic Warrior¡±. More precisely, a ¡°Fire Magic Warrior¡±.¡¹ When Seiya was in Geabrande, he learnt a variety of different spells and magical attributes. But, Fire Magic was always his main attribute to being with. Just as before, Seiya already acquired powerful fire magical sword attacks, such as the Phoenix Drive and Phoenix Thrust. Enzo smiled. ¡¸A wizard and a warrior¡­It¡¯s a great position combined with two different professions¡­the ¡°Magic Warrior¡±. Only those who can accomplish this feat are heroes. But, if you want to quit being a Magic Warrior, I could give you two different jobs in exchange¡­So, what will you do?¡¹ I wanted to ask him what kind of other jobs were available for Seiya¡­ ¡¸No. I don¡¯t mind the job I have now. ¡¹ Seiya answered immediately. If this Seiya was the cautious Seiya, he would have asked for the job options and would¡¯ve examined them carefully¡­But, I agreed with him not change the current job. Magic Warrior was a great ¡°job¡±. It¡¯s surely not possible for any greater job than this one to exist. And even if he changed jobs, he probably had to take some time to get used to it. We couldn¡¯t afford that now. ¡¸Okay. We shall go now. ¡¹ Seiya walked to the exit of the Light of Hope. When we got closer to the exit, Father Luke remembered something and said ¡¸Wait for a little moment ¡¹, and went away in a hurry. Then, he came back holding a scabbard on his hands. ¡¸Please take this sword. It¡¯s a bit rusty, but it¡¯s better than nothing. ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­Thank you very much! ¡¹ ¡¸Good luck¡­ ¡¹ I said thanks and waved goodbye at the priest. When I looked at my side, I noticed that Seiya was looking attentively at the sword. ¡¸Hmm. There¡¯s a 120% chance that I can win with this. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Don¡¯t be too self-confident! You sound as if you have the ¡°Excalibur¡±! That sword is a bit rusty, you know¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Gonna be Okay. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t keep saying that. You should be saying Perfectly Ready instead¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ I left the Light of Hope with an indescribable anxiety that told me that we were about to get crushed for real¡­ Volume 2 - CH 57 Chapter 57: Difference in Power After going up the long stairs, I saw a wooden board in the distance. I pushed it with my hand. Both Seiya and I crawled out from the basement. Dirty walls, shabby furniture and an extensive old-looking floor¡­It was an abandoned house. However, the feeling was different from the one that Father Luke appeared to guide us to the Light of Hope. We got close to the window to have a glimpse of the outside world. The scenery was also different from last time. We went exactly through the same stairs, but it seemed that Eich¡¯s earth magic led us to a different abandoned house. I could hear a loud noise coming from the outside. The beast men were gathered in the same spot. When I looked further ahead, I could see several humans with collars and handcuffs arranged in a row. Apparently, this location was near the slave market place that Brut told us about. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. We don¡¯t have to do exactly as Brut told us to do. You can¡¯t beat Bunogeos at your current level. So, the best thing to do right now is to free the slaves in the market. If we do that, the people of the Light of Hope will see us with other eyes. That¡¯s why for now¡­ ¡¹ I was talking to Seiya while I looked at the outside from the window¡­and I discovered something terrible. ¡­The hero, holding the rusty sword, was walking quietly outside! *screams* I shouted aloud. I immediately left the house and chased after Seiya! ¡¸Hey!? What on earth are you thinking!? ¡¹ I had a hard time running towards him and speaking at the same time. Even so, Seiya looked at me with a cool expression. ¡¸I¡¯m going to defeat Bunogeos, isn¡¯t that obvious? Nothing will be resolved if I remain in that house, correct?¡¹ ¡¸I told you not to fight. We should free the sla¡­slaves¡­eh¡­ ¡¹ More than a dozen beasts were staring at Seiya and I in the main street. ¡¸Hey¡­these humans don¡¯t have a collar, do they? ¡¹ ¡¸Are they, perhaps, stray humans? ¡¹ Whoa!! It¡¯s too late!! My heartbeat made a heavy buzz. Yet, Seiya was not disturbed at all. ¡¸I¡¯m going to fight them anyways. I¡¯m glad you made me save my energy for a brief time. ¡¹ Seiya put the rusty sword on his shoulder and walked towards the beast men. ¡¸Uh¡­? Wha¡­What¡¯s up with this human¡­! ¡¹ The beast men didn¡¯t attack Seiya because they felt something was weird about Seiya¡¯s eerie attitude. The beast men opened the path for Seiya to cross as if god split the sea in two. I hurryingly followed after Seiya. ¡­Wha¡­What? Don¡¯t tell me that there was a slight chance that we could free the humans from slavery if everything went like this¡­? However, a fox-faced beast, who was a few meters away from us, noticed our presence and yelled extremely high. ¡¸Hey, Hey!! What the hell are you guys doing!! Stop them right now!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ro¡­Roger!! ¡¹ Some beast men surrounded us after they heard the warning of the fox beast. ¡­That¡­That¡¯s right¡­This was not going to work out the way I wanted¡­ A rhino beast man with a ragged skin looked at us while twisting his tongue. ¡¸These ones are not controlled by anyone¡­ ¡¹ The fox beast agreed. ¡¸You¡¯re right. Nobody will blame us if they are killed or eaten¡­ ¡¹ While we were listening to this hectic conversation, I knew that we had no choice but to prepare to go against them. That¡­That meant we had no choice but to fight¡­! I activated my clairvoyance ability! I wanted to see the status of the five beasts surrounding us, including the rhino and fox beasts! The individual attack power of each of them was over 30,000! We¡¯ve got strong enemies here! However, the beast men still watched us while they spoke with one another. I took this chance to grab my hair and I pulled some strings. It hurt, but I had no time to complain. I gave my blonde hair to Seiya. ¡¸Here! I¡¯ll give you this! You remember how to use it, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. ¡¹ When he nodded, he put my blonde hair on his bangs. The gold was shining on Seiya¡¯s glossy black hair. It became a mesh between gold and black as if he went to the hairdresser. I shouted. ¡¸That¡¯s wrong!! Why did you use that for hair extensions!? That was for your synthesis!! ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Synthesis? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s one of your special skills!! The sword is rusty, but it was a steel sword originally!! You can make a platinum sword if you combine my hair with a steel sword!!¡¹ Seiya was looking at me with an oblivious expression. I forcibly took his hand and, I put the sword and my hair together¡­Then, a dazzling light was generated, and the rusty sword became a splendid shining platinum sword in an instant. Seiya¡¯s face brightened when he saw the newly platinum sword. ¡¸What a great sword¡­! I¡¯ll be able to win against the Demon King as long I have this¡­! ¡¹ I didn¡¯t think he could win though. Or rather, I didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯ll able to overcome the current ordeal. Finally, on that moment, the fox beast yelled loudly. ¡¸I¡¯ll go!! I¡¯ll be the first one!! ¡¹ Suddenly, the fox beast jumped on us¡­ *screams* I crouched down, but Seiya jumped in front of me. I heard something on that instant¡­The platinum sword that Seiya held on his hands made a strong sound! ¡¸Eternal Sword¡­! ¡¹ The attack using the platinum sword created an illusionary image that drew in the air and intercepted the fox beast man! After the illusionary image disappeared, the body of the fox beast separated into pieces! Blood was splashed everywhere and dozens of meat pieces fell to the ground! ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­You bastard!! ¡¹ The four beasts, who just witnessed the death of their comrade, jumped all at once! He won¡¯t be able to defeat them all using his last sword technique! Still¡­ ¡¸Maximum Inferno¡­! ¡¹ The arm without the sword became engulfed in flames! Before the beasts reached Seiya, he created a chain of fire with his hands! The beasts were wrapped in flames! *screams* *excruciating pain* All I could hear were the screams of the beast men. They were burnt rapidly by the super-hot temperature of the Maximum Inferno. All of them were destroyed on the spot. Seiya lifted his burning hands forward. ¡¸¡­Open the way if you don¡¯t want to transform into charcoal. ¡¹ Several beasts watched the situation from afar. When Seiya professed those threatening words, every beast trembled in fear. Seiya walked straightforward with confidence. ¡­He defeated four beasts in an instant!? When I was in Geabrande, I only witnessed the usage of that skill to get rid of the enemies¡¯ remains, so I didn¡¯t notice it¡­but, Maximum Inferno was an amazing top grade fire magic!! But, I noticed something bad while I admired him! The rhino beast managed to endure the fire somehow! The skin was firm, that¡¯s why he survived the burning flames! He tried to attack Seiya from behind! ¡¸Seiya, behind you!! One of them is still alive!! ¡¹ I shouted, but Seiya didn¡¯t turn around! Yet, Seiya used the flames of the platinum sword from his sideline and pierced through the rhino beast! ¡¸Phoenix Thrust¡­! ¡¹ At the same time, the beasts in the vicinity began to mutter after they saw the deadly collapse of the rhino beast¡­ ¡¸Who¡­Who is this human!? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s very strong!! ¡¹ The beasts in the vicinity seemed to have lost their will to fight. I gripped my teeth in excitement. ¡­Seiya¡¯s personality became reckless¡­but, his rare battle sense was alive and well! Whether careful or reckless, Ryuguuin Seiya always had an outstanding talent! In front of my eyes, I could see many slaves connected with chains in an open field! ¡¸Seiya! Let¡¯s free all of the slaves! After doing that, we should return with them to the Light of Hope!¡¹ I ran with Seiya to free the slaves¡­ ¡¸Everything is okay now! ¡¹ While Seiya looked at our surroundings, I started to release the chains stuck on the slaves. I finally managed to release the last chain on a captive human being. Suddenly, the area became noisy and loudly. ¡¸Hey. What the hell is happening here? ¡¹ My spine froze when I heard a terrifying familiar voice. A large beast with armor arrived with a crowd of other beast men. ¡¸This¡­This can¡¯t be, right¡­? What¡¯s up with this timing¡­! ¡¹ The pig-looking beast that resembled an orc and the ruler of this town arrived¡­The Evil Beast Bunogeos was coming closer to where we were standing still! When he looked at Seiya and I, he scratched his neck and spoke. ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re the goddess and the hero. The evil god of mottled hair told me about you. He said, ¡ºSoon, the messenger of god will come to release the slaves. ¡» It seems he was right.¡¹ ¡­¡±Evil god of mottled hair¡±? Does that mean that the enemy was sensing our movements? Maybe he led the werewolf that invaded the God¡¯s realm¡­? Bunogeos and his beast men gathered around Seiya and I! All of the other fearful beast men became confident when Bunogeos appeared! There were about dozens of demons! However, Bunogeos shook his large hand to the beast men. ¡¸All of you step aside. It¡¯s all right. Leave this to me. ¡¹ A distraction! I secretly whispered on Seiya¡¯s ear! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! It¡¯s our chance! Let¡¯s distract Bunogeos with Maximum Inferno and escape with the slaves!¡¹ ¡¸Why escape when I could defeat their boss for once and for all? ¡¹ ¡¸I already told you that it¡¯s impossible to defeat him!! The lives of the slaves are our top priority right now!! You got it!?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­I guess you¡¯re right. ¡¹ I had somehow convinced Seiya. However, Bunogeos anticipated our course of action and laughed with a mischievous voice. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you run away. If you escape, I¡¯ll tear apart the neck of this slave. ¡¹ Before I knew it, Bunogeos held a captive woman on his arm. The woman groaned painfully as he pressured on her neck without mercy. The sharp-pointed eyes of the hero were fiercely fixated on Bunogeos. ¡¸Lady Goddess. I can¡¯t abandon that hostage. I will only leave this place after defeating Bunogeos and freeing all of the slaves.¡¹ Whoa! What he had just said was the correct attitude to have for a brave hero! Yet, he won¡¯t be able to beat Bunogeos¡­! Bunogeos noticed Seiya¡¯s fighting spirit. On that moment, he pushed the slave woman behind him and tried to grab the axe on his back. ¡¸Chain Destruction¡­I wonder what it meant. Ah, I remember now. If I kill you using this power, neither the hero nor the goddess will be able to revive.¡¹ ¡¸Why¡­Why do you own that thing!! Did you get it from that ¡°evil god of mottled hair¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need to tell you that. ¡¹ ¡­While I diverted the attention of Bunogeos, Seiya¡¯s sword became engulfed in flames! Before Bunogeos grabbed his axe¡­ ¡¸Take this¡­! Phoenix Drive¡­! ¡¹ With a fearsome spirit, Seiya charged forward to cut down Bunogeos using his powerful attack! Nonetheless, Bunogeos had a very relaxed expression on his face and he took a deep breath! Soon, his insane breathing force disturbed my hair and dress! He was sucking everything around him! He blew out the air that he sucked to his mouth and charged against Seiya! ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s offensive movement stopped amidst the terrible gusts of wind! At the same time, the flames that covered Seiya¡¯s sword vanquished as if a candle light was blown away! ¡¸*grins* I had to extinguish it first because fire burns. ¡¹ It seemed that Bunogeos sealed the magical fire sword with his breathing power. Even so, Seiya jumped in Bunogeos¡¯ direction to attack him. ¡¸If so, then¡­Eternal Sword¡­! ¡¹ Even though the Phoenix Drive was sealed, Seiya used the power of Adenela¡¯s technique combined with his own skill and hit Bunogeos, who was off-guard! I cheered up inside my heart when that strike was successful¡­or so I thought¡­ ¡¸Hmm? Did you do something to me right now? ¡¹ He received all the blows of Seiya¡¯s powerful attack, and even so, I didn¡¯t see any damage inflicted on Bunogeos. Seiya repeated the consecutive gunshot sword attack without giving up. Suddenly, the movement of his arms stopped. When I looked closely, I saw that Bunogeos was holding the platinum sword with his hand! ¡¸I told you it didn¡¯t hurt that much¡­but you¡­are a very depressing fella!! ¡¹ And then, with his other arm, he attacked Seiya¡¯s stomach with his fist! Seiya¡¯s feet got out of the ground and he came flying with a dull sound! ¡¸Ah¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ Seiya was thrown to the ground with a single blow. Bunogeos showed a bored expression. ¡¸What? Is it already over? I didn¡¯t even use my ax. I wonder why this hero is so weak. No¡­Am I too strong?¡¹ He¡­He spoke as if he was fighting against a baby! He knew that he was too strong for the hero! I knew that too. Seiya¡¯s attack power didn¡¯t make any scratches on Bunogeos. Their statuses were too different in power. ¡­We¡­We won¡¯t be able to save the slaves anymore! But¡­we had to escape from this place as soon as possible! I rushed instinctively towards Seiya, but the dog-faced beast appeared right in front of me! At the same time, I felt a violent impact on my neck! ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ The beast man attacked me. I fell on the ground just like Seiya. In the midst of my fading consciousness, I could see that Bunogeos took his ax. ¡­Ah¡­With that ax, our souls will be destroyed forever¡­so, our adventure ended here¡­ ¡ª ¡¸Uh, hmm¡­ ¡¹ How long as it been since then. I got up while holding my injured neck. The area was dim. I could see a thick iron grid in front of me. It looked like I was in an iron cage. Next to me was a similar jail container. And, inside was¡­ ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ His sword was taken but Seiya looked unharmed. He was laying on the floor with his body turned upside down. ¡¸Hey, are you okay!? Hang on!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah¡­ ¡¹ Somehow, Seiya raised his upper body after he heard my call. He held his beaten stomach with his hands. It looked quite painful. But, at least, his life was not at risk. ¡¸I¡¯m glad! You¡¯re safe! ¡¹ When I said those words¡­ ¡¸¡­I really wonder if he¡¯s safe. ¡¹ There was a voice behind me. ¡¸Who¡­Who is it!? ¡¹ I felt relieved when I saw a woman on the corner of this dim place. The woman was that hostage taken by Bunogeos a while ago. ¡¸You¡¯re safe too! How about the other slaves? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know for sure. But, the fact that they¡¯re not in this dungeon might indicate that Bunogeos lift the Cursed Sphere temporarily to sell them. They must be out of this town. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh dear. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re happy. They¡¯re still alive. The problem is that we¡­ ¡¹ The woman told me the harsh truth. ¡¸You and me will become a feast for the belly of Bunogeos. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ah!? Are you saying that we¡¯ll be eaten!? Isn¡¯t this town a place to make slaves!? That was what Bunogeos said too¡­¡¹ ¡¸Officially, yes. The fact is that he enjoys eating young women secretly. Well¡­that¡¯s just a rumor. But, soon it will be the time to pay the yearly contribution.¡¹ The infamous large orc appeared. He looked at the cell where Seiya was stuck, and laughed. ¡¸This hero must be kept alive to be presented to His Majesty the Grand Lion. *grins* His Majesty the Grand Lion will praise me for sure.¡¹ He looked satisfied while he rubbed his own stomach. Then, he came to the front of the cells where I was locked up with the woman. He stared at us as if he was examining us from the other side of the thick iron grid. ¡¸I¡¯ll get some credit because I caught the hero. But, I need a reward right now. These two will serve me right.¡¹ His ugly face got closer to the iron grid and then he grabbed me. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s start with the goddess. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 58 Chapter 58: The World is Over Even if the goddesses are invulnerable, their body can be destroyed, when that happens their soul gets transferred to the God¡¯s realm! Swallowed, for example, eaten, was also a possibility of a tragic end to the body! ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re kidding me, right¡­? ¡¹ However, Bunogeos unlocked my cell with a key and entered inside! ¡¸St¡­Stop it, Bunogeos¡­! ¡¹ Seiya screamed on the cell next door. Yet, Bunogeos took my arm forcibly without much care. He made me stand close to his chest. I felt an excited rough breath on my breasts. ¡¸No¡­No¡­! Stop¡­! ¡¹ Bunogeos looked closely at me¡­ I was trembling in fear. He had a stoic expression on his face. However, soon his expression became puzzled. ¡¸Wha¡­What is this? This goddess¡­Why do you smell so sour? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t. It¡¯s rotten. I won¡¯t eat this. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait¡­Wait a second!! You¡¯re joking, right!? ¡¹ Bunogeos released my hand and threw me to the floor. I could hear the cheerful voice of Seiya locked in the cell next to me. ¡¸Lady Goddess! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re rotten! ¡¹ Bunogeos responded to Seiya as if they were having a regular conversation. ¡¸I¡¯m a fan of gourmet food. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to eat rotten and strange things. ¡¹ I was so terrified a minute ago. But, right now, I was shaking for another reason. ¡¸Who¡¯s the ¡°rotten and strange¡± thing, you bastard!! I am a goddess, you know!! Correct yours words right now, you damn monster!!¡¹ ¡¸No matter what you say, the truth is that your smell stinks. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t stink!! Eat me!! Try eating me and you¡¯ll know for real, you bastard!!¡¹ I would rather choose to be eaten than being humiliated like this. Still, Bunogeos ignored me and walked up to the woman on the cell behind me. ¡¸I knew this human was the one I wanted to eat. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll start with me first!? ¡¹ I tried to grab him, but he pushed me away aggressively. Bunogeos locked the door of my cage and took the woman with him. He grabbed the woman¡¯s chin with his thick fingers to infuriate Seiya and I. ¡¸You have a white and delicious skin, don¡¯t you? It was a shame to enslave you.¡¹ Bunogeos stopped touching her chin and, with his black fingernail, pierced the woman¡¯s cheek. ¡¸¡­Ah! ¡¹ The woman cried as a little red blood dripped from her cheek. He wiped the blood with his finger and licked it. Bunogeos distorted his own mouth. ¡¸Delicious. It¡¯s really delicious after all. This is topnotch¡­I really want to eat her slowly, but if the other beasts find me, then I won¡¯t have an enjoyable time. It can¡¯t be helped. I will eat her right here.¡¹ I felt angry for the humiliation, but soon, my eyes became wide open when I realized that a human was about to be eaten in front of me. The same happened with Seiya on the Iron cage next door. ¡¸Step aside, Bunogeos¡­! Don¡¯t you dare touch that woman¡­! ¡¹ Bunogeos laughed happily when he saw that Seiya shaking the iron grid violently. ¡¸You can¡¯t prevent me. I¡¯m going to eat her now. You guys should just watch while I eat the delicious meat of this woman.¡¹ ¡¸Stop it immediately, Bunogeos! ¡¹ I also shook the iron grid. But, there was no way I would break it because Seiya wasn¡¯t even able to do it himself. Bunogeos was looking delightful to see our frustration. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. That iron grid is hard to break. It¡¯s even difficult for me. It was designed to prevent people like you from escaping.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ I hit my fist on the grid. Bunogeos looked amusingly at me, he even said ¡¸What¡¯s up with her? ¡¹, when he saw my desperation. ¡¸Why¡­Why is this happening to me¡­!! If it was the usual Seiya¡­If it was the cautious Seiya¡­nothing like this would ever happen¡­!!¡¹ Bitter words came out from my mouth. ¡¸¡­Lady Goddess. ¡¹ When I looked over, I noticed that Seiya was looking at me. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re not a bad person. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s bad. You lost your memory because of me. That¡¯s why we ended up being on this hopeless situation¡­¡¹ ¡¸Lady Goddess. It seems that I really lost my memory¡­Can I save this woman if my memory returns?¡¹ To be honest, I didn¡¯t think we could get over this predicament just by changing his character. In spite of this, I could feel a sense of hope if that were to happen. Because if the hero was calm and cautious, that would bring a different way of seeing things. He would probably try to think of every possible scenario to get us out of here¡­! I nodded quietly. ¡¸Yes. That¡¯s a possibility. The mental resilience of your cautious self would be extremely strong because of the regret he had from failing to save Exfolia last time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see. ¡¹ On the cell next to me, a tremendous sound was heard when someone hit the iron grid fiercely. ¡¸Eh¡­!? ¡¹ Before I knew it, Seiya was hitting his head against the Iron bars! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ Bunogeos was also stunned to see the weirdness of Seiya¡¯s actions. ¡¸Ah? What are you doing? ¡¹ He was bleeding violently from his forehead after hitting so many times on the iron bars! Still, Seiya did not stop hurting himself! ¡¸I don¡¯t care what happens to me if¡­that woman can be saved. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I just said it was a possibility! Don¡¯t do unreasonable things! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. When I was in my original world, I managed to fix a TV that was no longer operational using this method.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! You¡¯re not a TV!! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stop him¡­However, this Seiya was desperately trying to remember the other Seiya. His persistence hurt my heart. ¡­How many times did he hit his head? Bunogeos was looking amusingly at Seiya¡¯s action, but eventually, he became bored and slapped his face. ¡¸Okay well, I should start now. ¡¹ He showed his twisted tongue when he looked at the woman. In the midst of despair, Seiya hit his head harder. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­I don¡¯t care anymore. ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard a voice. It was the voice of the woman captured by Bunogeos. ¡¸I¡¯m afraid to be eaten. But, if I endure this pain, I will be able to get out of this hell¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What are you saying? ¡¹ The woman smiled kindly at me, even though she was about to be eaten and killed. ¡¸Because¡­this world is already over¡­ ¡¹ She spoke with a firm voice. It seemed that she gave up in an honorable way. *Bang Bang* It sounded as if something cracked from the cell next door. ¡¸Wha¡­What? ¡¹ Like Bunogeos, I looked at the cell where Seiya was locked and¡­I was astonished! That strong iron bars were falling down! From there, Seiya crawled out with his bloodied head! ¡¸How¡­How many times should I repeat myself¡­? I realized something bad would happen when that werewolf appeared during that time. This world can¡¯t be saved¡­¡¹ He spoke with a lower tone and a seemingly cold voice! My heart throbbed! ¡­No¡­No way¡­!! But, there was no doubt about this!! I recognized the air surrounding the person I knew before¡­!! Just in case, I activated my clairvoyance ability to check Seiya¡¯s status! ?State: Normal? O¡­Okay!! I knew it!! The confusion was finally gone!! The cautious hero has returned!! Seiya took his bloodied hair away from his forehead. He exhaled a small breath and walked up in front of Bunogeos¡¯ sight. ¡¸Who the hell are you? How did you break that cage? ¡¹ I got agitated when Seiya went face-to-face with Bunogeos at a close distance. I was so happy that he was back!! But, just because his personality has changed, that didn¡¯t mean that his status changed as well!! Even if Seiya returned to normal, it will be impossible for him to defeat Bunogeos with his lower status, or can he!? Seiya was looking at Bunogeos legs mysteriously. On that moment, he touched the enemy with his bloody hands. Soon after, Bunogeos changed his expression along with the look of his eyes dramatically. ¡¸You¡­You bastard!! How dare you touch me, the noble Bunogeos, with your dirty hands!?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t just touch you. I destroyed you. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard a smashing sound! The sound resembled the smashing of fruits that fell on the ground! Bunogeos¡¯ leg ripped completely apart and black blood overflew from it without stopping! *screams intensely* At first, the face of Bunogeos, who could not recognize what happened, distorted with pain! Seiya¡¯s cold voice echoed above the head of a crying Bunogeos, who crouched with one knee! ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the First¡­¡°Shattered Break¡±¡­! ¡¹ ¡­Valkyrie¡¯s destruction technique¡­!! So, he remembered it!? I see¡­I see!! The destruction technique would be perfect for someone who let their guard down!! That¡¯s why it worked on the high-leveled Bunogeos because of his ignorance!! Even the strong iron cage was destroyed!! While Bunogeos was crouching in pain, Seiya destroyed the iron bars on my cell. When I got out and tried to get closer to Seiya¡­ ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t come. Stay back. ¡¹ Seiya stopped me with his signaling hand. He finally called my name properly. However, the tension slowly rose¡­ ¡¸Ho¡­How¡­How dare you¡­!! ¡¹ Bunogeos got up while holding his injured leg. ¡¸You¡¯re just an insignificant human!! ¡¹ Bunogeos revealed his true nature. His eyes were wide open, his fangs were fully exposed, and his ferocious face stared at Seiya with a murderous intent. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t move at all. ¡¸Just an insignificant human, you say? I¡¯m not the same one as before. ¡¹ When he said those words, a flame immerged from Seiya¡¯s body and swirled to protect the slave woman and me! ¡¸I¡¯ll show you my powerful skill. Be prepared to face the ultimate technique that the Goddess of Destruction taught me in the heavens.¡¹ ¡¸Interesting¡­Just bring it on, you piece of shit!! C¡¯mon on!! I¡¯ll show you how to feel real pain!!¡¹ ¡ª ¡­Right now, Seiya and I, ran through the stairs of the dungeon while we carried the slave woman with us. ¡¸Once the stairs are over¡­if I remember correctly, yes, turn right. If we go that way, we¡¯ll be able to escape from this dungeon¡­¡¹ The slave woman was guiding us through this dim place. She asked Seiya the following. ¡¸Are¡­Are we running away¡­? But, didn¡¯t you just rip him off¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. In fact, I just remembered one of the destructive techniques, even so we had to get away because that was a very dangerous place to be in.¡¹ ¡¸So, that¡¯s what happened¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸There was no way I would be able to run away from a monster like that. Even if we tried to run away, he would catch up with us really fast. That¡¯s why I had to damage his leg first. If we can avoid the other beasts, then we should be able to escape without any problems.¡¹ ¡¸Ah! But, Seiya! We can¡¯t go back to the God¡¯s realm even if we escape from this place! We can¡¯t cross over the portal to the God¡¯s realm because of the enemy¡¯s magic powers!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t forget the memories of when my mind was clouded. So, I figured it out what was going on. If I can¡¯t go to the heavenly world, then I should return to the underground settlement ¡°Light of Hope¡± and prepare in there.¡¹ ¡¸Pre¡­Prepare what? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I need to prepare in order to defeat him. ¡¹ ¡­Did he plan to defeat Bunogeos without practicing in the God¡¯s realm!? Bu¡­But¡­!! When I saw his dignified and sharpened profile, I thought¡­ Wha¡­What was this sense of security!! That¡¯s right!! So, this was the way that my Ryuguuin Seiya was supposed to act!! This person was my beloved darling!! I was so excited that I tried to put my arm around Seiya¡¯s arm. However, Seiya shook off my hand away from him. ¡¸Hey. Don¡¯t be too familiar with me. So, don¡¯t touch me. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­? ¡¹ Wha¡­What¡­? I thought his memory was back, right¡­? Is¡­Is he embarrassed to display affection in public? That must be it, surely¡­? Volume 2 - CH 59.1 Chapter 59: Fist and Promise (1) We encountered several mean beasts on the way. However, we managed to get away from them by using Seiya¡¯s fire magic. We reached the abandoned house and we slip under the floor to reach the staircase that led to the Light of Hope settlement. I felt relieved that we escaped from Bunogeos. But, my feelings were short-lived when I recalled the riots that happened in the Light of Hope. We didn¡¯t free the slaves, and we didn¡¯t defeat Bunogeos, but we managed to bring a slave woman with us¡­I guess it was better than arriving empty-handed, but again, I expected to hear Brut and everyone else¡¯s complains. When we reached the end of the staircase, I rang the hinge of the door that appeared right in front of us. When the door opened, the people of the Light of Hope glanced at us under the vast space illuminated by the magical stones. Brut and his fellow men approached us rapidly. Brut came hurryingly and stared fixedly at Seiya. ¡¸So¡­did you beat Bunogeos? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I didn¡¯t defeat him. ¡¹ I could hear the sound of gritted teeth after he heard Seiya¡¯s answer. After that, Brut glanced at the slave woman that came with us. ¡¸What about the other slaves? ¡¹ ¡¸The rest was sold out of this town. This woman was the only one we were able to rescue.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­I see¡­ ¡¹ On that precise moment, Brut grabbed Seiya¡¯s chest and got close to his face. He looked furious as he threatened Seiya. ¡¸How dare you call yourself a brave hero¡­! ¡¹ Before I could say anything, the woman we helped came forward immediately. ¡¸Stop that! Don¡¯t you see that this man saved me? ¡¹ Then, Brut released his hands from Seiya¡¯s chest and pushed him away. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. He didn¡¯t overthrow Bunogeos and came back with only one slave. This wonderful person must be the promised hero that we can rely on.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wait! Don¡¯t say it like that! Seiya did his best you know! ¡¹ Even though we shouted to defend Seiya, Brut¡¯s fellow men had bitter expressions on their faces. It was as if they looked down on Seiya. ¡¸Hey, look at him. He has a scar on his head. ¡¹ ¡¸He probably ran away to protect his miserable life after being beaten by Bunogeos. ¡¹ When I noticed it, all of the people from the Light of Hope gathered around us. The men and women from all ages agreed with Brut and his fellow men. ¡¸He is a truly pathetic hero! ¡¹ ¡¸He is so useless! ¡¹ Everyone started to abuse Seiya verbally once again. This was a tense atmosphere, but Seiya stood still and stared silently at them. In the meantime, I spoke urgently to Brut in order to change this desperate situation. ¡¸Hey, listen. We¡¯ll go to the slave market once again. And this time, we¡¯re going to defeat Bunogeos for sure.¡¹ However, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸No. I¡¯m not ready. ¡¹ ¡¸Just go¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ In a second, Brut¡¯s eyes became sharp and were pointed intensively at Seiya. I pulled my arms widely open to avoid a clash between them¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s your fault that this world became like this! You have no right to decline! ¡¹ When I tried to calm everyone down, something happened abruptly. *beating sound* I heard a very loud sound that even shook my earlobe. And then¡­ ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Brut, who had been speaking with an angry voice towards Seiya, made a pitiful voice come out from his own mouth! I knew that this would happen! When I looked closely, I saw that Seiya¡¯s fist beat Brut¡¯s head as if he pierced through his brain! ¡¸Shup up. ¡¹ Just when Seiya professed those icy words, Brut foamed from his mouth he was defeated in one second! ¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡­! I became dizzy at the sight that happened right in front of me. I shook my nose and my voice trembled enormously. ¡¸*screams* Whaaaaaat!? ¡¹ Everyone around Brut screamed all at once! It was as if they were reading my own mind! ¡¸You¡­You¡­You bastard!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t save this world and you can¡¯t even defeat Bunogeos, but you can use violence against Burt!?¡¹ Yet, Seiya spoke as if he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡¸You¡¯re extremely noisy. I¡¯ll beat you with my fist. ¡¹ And then, Seiya stood in front of Brut¡¯s fellow men. ¡¸You people are noisy too. ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya rose his fist above his head¡­ *beating sound* ¡¸Ugh!! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You bastard, what did you do¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸My fist for you too. ¡¹ *beating sound* ¡¸Sto¡­p!! ¡¹ *repetitive beating sound* With the hero¡¯s extraordinary physical strength, Brut¡¯s fellow men fell to the ground one after another while foaming from their mouths! I couldn¡¯t watch this fight anymore. Soon, the older women of the settlement stood in front of Seiya. They were the ones that spoke badly of me previously, and they mocked Aria as well. ¡¸Ho¡­How dare you! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! You didn¡¯t save our world last time! How dare you come here and act this way against us!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re not going to open the Light of Hope to you ever again! ¡¹ ¡­What can Seiya do about these women!! There was no way that he would beat older women with his fist¡­!! At least that¡¯s what I thought¡­ *beating sound* Another terrible sound! At the same time, I doubted my eyes! The hero¡¯s fist beat the brain of an elderly woman! ¡¸Wha¡­Ugh¡­!? ¡¹ The elderly woman vomited foam from her mouth violently! She spoke with a pitiful voice while she fell down! ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya!! Even if they were rude, there¡¯s no need to overreact like this!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s right!! We¡¯re women, you know!? ¡¹ ¡¸So what. ¡¹ *beating sound* ¡¸Hihii¡­.Ugh¡­!? ¡¹ Another elderly woman fell down! The foaming coming out from her mouth spilled on my face! ¡­He¡­He¡­He became such an outrageous man! At first, I thought that this madness finally stopped! However¡­this drew attention! He was getting everyone¡¯s attention! During this crazy assault, I could hear a new voice. ¡¸Stop it! What did you do to my mother! ¡¹ It was the voice of a young boy. It seemed that the mother of this child was among the fallen women. The boy saw Seiya ¡°naturally¡± beat up his mother with his fist. ¡¸You¡¯re a stupid hero! Very stupid hero! ¡¹ The child was insulting Seiya with bitter words! ¡­Please, don¡¯t do it, Seiya!? There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll do such a thing, right!? Because¡­I know who you are!! You¡¯re still very kind, aren¡¯t you!? Nonetheless¡­ *beating sound* ¡¸Ah¡­Ugh¡­!? ¡¹ The hero¡¯s fist also hit the brain of the child! The hero spoke mercilessly when the child fell to ground with rolled white eyes. ¡¸Bad boys deserve my fist too. ¡¹ Oh god, he really did hit the young boy!? And he did it without mercy!? A namahage*!? The hero has transformed into a real namahage!? Was this really okay, to be honest!? This will backfire in many ways!! I shuddered in fear! The people of the Light of Hope roared! And then, Seiya raised his fist again! ¡¸This is bothersome. Put all of them in a row. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson with my fist. ¡¹ A man on his forties approached an upset Seiya and made an excuse. ¡¸I¡­I didn¡¯t say anything about you! Yes! It was the other guys who spoke badly of you¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. ¡¹ *beating sound* ¡¸To¡­To be honest¡­I¡¯ve always thought you were cool¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Shup up. ¡¹ *beating sound* ¡¸Ple¡­Please! Spare me¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No. You deserve my fist. ¡¹ *beating sound* The people tried to make excuses! But, Seiya used his fist on them! I couldn¡¯t stand to watch this anymore. ¡¸Seiya!! STOP!! STOP this ¡°fist¡± thing!! ¡¹ However¡­ *beating sound* ¡¸!!¡­Whoa¡­!? ¡¹ A strong fist ¡°pierced my brain¡±! My eyes became blurry as they started to turn white! I was about to lose consciousness! But, somehow, I managed to stay awake! ¡¸He¡­Hey¡­!? Why did you hit me too!? ¡¹ Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t show me his apologetic expression, and instead, he stared at me with eyes that looked like he was staring at an enemy. ¡¸¡­Lista. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Wha¡­What!? ¡¹ Although Seiya never showed much emotion, I could see that his face was blushing red. ¡¸Right now, I am¡­deeply remorseful. In the first place, it was the heavenly world¡¯s mistake to choose you to be in charge of summoning the next hero. Besides, you decided to save the SS-rank difficulty world without proper preparation¡­¡¹ Wha¡­!? Wasn¡¯t he too angry just now!? Don¡¯t tell me that I was the cause that made him do the ¡°Fist Rush¡± on other people!? Was it all because he was extremely angry with me!? ¡¸The original plan was to raise the level up to MAX in the heavenly world, and then, go with Aria to show me the god that would train me. I planned to learn a new special skill before starting the quest to save this world¡­¡¹ The atmosphere was heavy and stinging! Anyway, I decided to apologize! ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry, Seiya¡­! ¡¹ I sincerely bowed my head deeply in apology. Seiya spoke then. ¡¸No, Lista. You didn¡¯t do anything bad. This is my fault. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!! ¡¹ I was relieved! He was gentle after all! Somehow, he forgave me! Yes, that¡¯s right! Because, we were connected by the red thread of fate¡­Right? Huh!? However, on that moment, I felt an ominous feeling coming directly from Seiya. He looked at me with a demonic expression on his face! Volume 2 - CH 59.2 Chapter 59: Fist and Promise (2) At first I thought I was relieved to know that Seiya remained a kind person! But, I was wrong! Seiya gazed at me while he gritted his teeth as if he was a demon himself! ¡¸Yes¡­It was all because of my sweetness¡­! It was my entire fault because I gave my heart to an ¡°outsider¡± like you¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Are you calling me an ¡°outsider¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Who else am I referring to besides you¡­? ¡¹ His gaze was directed straight at me, and it was extremely cold. His eyes had absolute zero expression. They reminded me of his eyes during the Geabrande saving quest. ¡¸No, no, it, it can¡¯t be!! Wait!! Wait a moment!! Seiya, don¡¯t you remember!? We have a deep bond that unites us from our previous lives¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. Summing up, why do you think it¡¯s necessary for us to have a romantic relationship? There is no need for us to be tied with something that happened in our previous lives. Besides, you are a goddess and I am a human. We no longer have that kind of relationship.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re kidding, right!? Tell me you¡¯re lying!! ¡¹ ¡¸For the time being, I will continue the quest to save this world because of the rotten past I have with you. But, don¡¯t get me wrong. This is not love. It¡¯s duty.¡¹ ¡¸Ro¡­Rotten¡­! Du¡­Duty¡­! ¡¹ No, this couldn¡¯t be happening! Even if he said those cruel words, I was sure that he still cared about me from the depths of his soul! I knew that for sure! I activated my Appraisal skill to examine Seiya¡¯s true feelings. ¡ïLista¡¯s Heart-Throbbing Love Appraisal¡ï ¡òWhat is the degree of affection between you and him? ¡º2 points ¡» ¡òWhat do you represent for him? ¡ºLess than a weed ¡» ¡òWord of Advice! ¡ºIt¡¯s completely cold. Repair is almost impossible. He desires a farewell as soon as possible!¡» Whoaaaa!! He was completely cold about his feelings for me!? And he viewed me as less important than a weed!? I was utterly in shock. I slowly approached Seiya while shaking. ¡¸No, no¡­! I don¡¯t like this¡­! We had great feelings for each other not too long ago¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t come near me. ¡¹ ¡¸Please, remember!! We had some great glory days of our relationship!! ¡¹ ¡¸That was the darkest history of my life. And, I told you not to come near me. I¡¯ll use my fist if you come closer to me.¡¹ ¡¸Please, don¡¯t!! Seiya, you¡¯re mine!! ¡¹ The moment I jumped to embrace him¡­ ¡¸¡­Ah¡­Ugh!? ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s right hand pinched on my cheek straight away! He pulled my hair and my stomach received the blast of his knee! ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ Furthermore, his elbow pierced through my right breast! ¡¸Wha¡­!? ¡¹ I was beaten, kicked and smashed by his elbow¡­I fell to the ground after the triple combo. ¡¸Uhuhh¡­Ugh¡­Ahhh¡­! ¡¹ I fainted in agony. Next to me, stood Brut, who had somehow recovered from Seiya¡¯s fist impact. ¡¸How¡­How could you do such a terrible thing¡­! You even used violence against your own comrade¡­! Hey, goddess! Are you okay?¡¹ Brut seemed to be sympathetic towards me, after he saw that I received consecutive amounts of physical attacks. However¡­ ¡­This¡­This chest pain¡­!! Hmm¡­It was nostalgic¡­!! And¡­the aftermath of my condition!! Okay¡­I got it!! Who thought that I would feel that exact same feeling all over again¡­!! The actions of the chosen one in a hundred million people!! It was the overly cautious and outrageously hero who saved S-rank difficulty world Geabrande, Ryuguuin Seiya!! *starts to laugh* Then¡­ *laughs hysterically like a mad woman* ¡¸Hey, why are you laughing so much after getting beaten like that!? Don¡¯t tell me that this goddess is crazy too!?¡¹ Brut¡¯s left my side abruptly. Then, Seiya carefully observed the inhabitants of the Light of Hope. ¡¸Well then¡­Let¡¯s continue with my fist. ¡¹ *screams* The populace was in despair. However, on that moment. ¡¸¡­Hero. Please, stop it now. ¡¹ A young, but firm voice echoed around. At the end of everyone¡¯s line of sight, including myself, stood Eich, the witch that had used earth magic to create the underground settlement. Eich spoke after seeing what happened. ¡¸Please, understand how everyone feels. They know that the real evil is not you, but the demonic monsters. Still, everyone here lost their comrades¡­they lost their families¡­their hearts are so sorrowful and painful that they have no choice but to direct their anger towards you.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Lady Eich¡­! ¡¹ Someone muttered with a trembling voice. When I looked closely, I noticed that some of the people were shedding tears. ¡¸Additionally, hero. You certainly swore before. You might not remember this anymore, but I know that you made a promise¡­¡¹ Eich spoke while looking at the magical stones that made the ceiling sparkling with light. ¡¸You said ¡°I will defeat the Demon King and save this world¡±. But¡­even so, you were the one defeated by the Demon King, and my brother met the same fate along with you¡­and he was killed trying to save the world¡­¡¹ Tears overflew from her eyes and fell to the ground. Eich, who behaved like a grown-up until now, started to cry like the child she really was. ¡¸*cries* Brother¡­! My brother¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Eich¡­! ¡¹ The people of the Light of Hope, including myself, were listening to Eich¡¯s crying voice without being able to help her. Then, the icy voice of the hero immerged under this circumstances. ¡¸A promise to defeat the Demon King, huh. I was a totally fool back then. And, this is what happens when someone makes a stupid oath based on momentum with temporary and rashly feelings. An oath requires a perfect and sure chance of winning based on a carefully planned strategy.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­But, you¡­you really swore that oath before¡­! ¡¹ Brut was perplexed, and then, the answer was¡­ ¡¸Dunno. That ¡°me¡± was not the ¡°present me¡±. Besides, I don¡¯t even know the real power of the Demon King. I can¡¯t promise to any of you that I¡¯ll be able to save this world.¡¹ The atmosphere around them was dark and everyone was confronted with the reality that they faced deeply inside their hearts. Under the heavy mood, Seiya approached a crying Eich. ¡¸However¡­there is one thing that I can promise. ¡¹ And then, Seiya raised his hand against Eich. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Don¡¯t do it!! That girl didn¡¯t do anything wrong!! ¡¹ Like me, the people started to shout in unison. ¡¸Stop!! Don¡¯t touch Lady Eich!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! If you want to hit someone, then hit me!! ¡¹ The hero¡¯s great hand waved down. Eich took a small breath and closed her eyes. Yet. Seiya just put his hand on Eich¡¯s head. He sent a sharp gaze directed at Eich and uttered the following words. ¡¸Eich. Let me make you a real promise for the first time with the ¡°present me¡±.¡¹ ¡¸A real¡­promise¡­? ¡¹ Eich asked with a curious expression. Soon, an aura rose from the hero¡¯s body. All the populace of the Light of Hope forgot about their anger before, and just stared attentively at the hero. ¡¸This town will be free from the rule of Bunogeos. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 60 Chapter 60: New Profession After the declaration of liberation, Seiya went to see Enzo the Baptist in order to change his profession. I followed the hero timidly. ¡¸Oh. Hi, young man. Do you want to change your profession? ¡¹ The old man Enzo smiled widely with almost no teeth on his mouth. ¡¸Yeah. But, I have some questions first. Can I return to my original profession after I changed it for a new one?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I can do that for you. It¡¯s all right. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll tear you apart, okay? ¡¹ Enzo¡¯s smile slowly disappeared. ¡¸That¡¯s scary, young man. What you said just now and the way you said it was extremely scary. But, I¡¯m telling the truth. If you come to me, I¡¯ll always be able to return you to your original profession.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, the next question. If I come to you, will I keep the new profession I learnt while getting my original profession back?¡¹ ¡¸No, you can¡¯t. You¡¯ll forget the new profession entirely when I return your original profession. Well, but I will remember which profession you got, so it¡¯s possible to get it again¡­¡¹ Even after that, Seiya asked Enzo about changing professions in detail. Seiya continued to ask about different professions. But, for me it felt too complicated. I wondered what kind of profession would be able to top the amazingness of a Magic Warrior. In Seiya¡¯s case, if he were to quit being a Magic Warrior, he could choose two different professions in exchange. But, if he did that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use powerful skills such as Phoenix Drive and Phoenix Thrust¡­ ¡¸¡­So, these are the professions available. You can choose now. ¡¹ After saying that, Enzo showed Seiya the options¡­ They were¡­ ¡ºMartial Artist; Spear Wielder; Wizard (Wind, Thunder, Light, Earth); Merchant; Fortune Teller; Pleasant Flute Player.¡» He showed Seiya various kinds of aptitudes¡­ Hmm, oh my, professions like Fortune Teller or Pleasant Flute Player were totally ¡°discard jobs¡±! Ah¡­please, don¡¯t choose them! He needed to think seriously about this matter changing profession! In order to beat Bunogeos¡­maybe ¡°Spear Wielder¡±? I thought that this profession could allow for a range of possible techniques, such as powerful piercing skills like Phoenix Thrust. But, if he had to choose a different profession, then, the next one could be ¡°Wizard¡±. I thought it was relatively fine to keep ¡°Fire¡± as the status quo. But, otherwise, I thought that ¡°Wind¡± and ¡°Thunder¡± were great attributes as well. Nonetheless, Seiya told Enzo the following. ¡¸First, I choose the Wizard. And, the magical attribute will be¡­¡±Earth¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Earth magic? Isn¡¯t that the same as Eich? ¡¹ That was unexpected. I was so surprised. On that moment, Seiya stared at me. ¡¸What, it¡¯s you. You¡¯re here. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m here!! Are you still angry!? You hit me, kicked me and crushed my chest!! Don¡¯t you think I deserve your forgiveness now!?¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, don¡¯t interfere with the profession I choose. ¡¹ ¡¸But, why did you chose Earth magic? Is that magic even suitable for offensive attacks? Well, I guess there can some be beneficial techniques, if you find yourself in a location where there¡¯s an abundance of earth on the floor. But, even so, it¡¯s not a good idea to throw away your powerful Fire magic.¡¹ ¡¸Shup up. Earth magic is my sub profession. The main one is different. ¡¹ I see! Earth magic was intended to be used as aid! So, the main profession will be the one who will specialize in offensive powers! Yes, if that was the case, then¡­ Just when I felt relieved, Seiya spoke to Enzo. ¡¸My main profession will be ¡°Pleasant Flute Player¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re lying, right!? Flute Player!? You must be kidding, correct!? ¡¹ I was astonished to hear that. The conversation continued regardless of what I felt. ¡¸Okay, young man. Your main profession will be ¡°Pleasant Flute Player¡± and your sub profession will be ¡°Earth Wizard¡±, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s good. ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, wait a second!! Having Pleasant Flute Player as your profession won¡¯t do you any good!! It¡¯s impractical!! If you choose that as your main profession, your status will drop significantly, do you know that!?¡¹ Normally, Magic Warriors had formidable ability values, such as attack or defense powers. Because Seiya was a talented hero, his status was even higher than usual. If he chose to forsake his profession as a Magic Warrior, he¡¯ll lose the overall numerical value of his status. That meant that his powers would decline inevitably. Even so¡­ ¡¸Okay, here I go, young man¡­¡°Profession Change¡±¡­! ¡¹ Enzo¡¯s hands emitted a radiance. A bright light was generated and wrapped Seiya¡¯s body. ¡¸All right. Your profession has changed. From now on, this young man will be a ¡°Pleasant Flute Player¡± and an ¡°Earth Wizard¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Wh¡­Whoa¡­! You really changed your profession¡­! Li¡­Listen, after all, isn¡¯t it better to restore your original profession back? Seiya, perhaps, do you still have a little ¡°confusion¡± left on your brain?¡¹ I was feeling a bit impatient about this. Then, Seiya turned his eyes to me. ¡¸You¡¯ve been noisy since a while ago. I wished you were sleeping. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to sleep! I¡¯m worried, you know! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need your worries. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? It¡¯s natural to worry about fellow comrades!! ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the comrade. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to bring you with me. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah!? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re useless. You can only use your own legs to walk. You¡¯ll stay here quietly.¡¹ ¡¸I admit that it was my fault that you can¡¯t train in the God¡¯s realm anymore!! But, it¡¯s because that unfortunate event happened, that I want to be an extra help for you, Seiya!! ¡¹ I was feeling frenetic about all of this. Yet, Seiya looked at me with cold eyes. ¡¸Bunogeos has a Chain Destruction. In other words, that means that all the demons we¡¯ll meet in Exfolia will be able to kill us for real. I¡¯m no longer as confident of protecting you as I was in Geabrande.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine!! I will protect myself!! ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you can die? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m prepared for that!! ¡¹ After a long silence¡­ ¡¸Do as you please. ¡¹ Seiya murmured through his teeth. I nodded with a stern look, but I smiled in my heart. *grins discretely* What did he think of me now? I showed him that I had a strong spirit! I was risking my life for this! Maybe he got in a good mood after he heard me, right? After all, we were sharing this risky life with one another! Okay! Let¡¯s save Exfolia with the love of our relationship! I activated my Appraisal skill because I expected a great change of Seiya¡¯s feelings for me. ¡ïLista¡¯s Heart-Throbbing Love Appraisal¡ï ¡òWhat is the degree of affection between you and him? ¡º1 point ¡» ¡òWhat do you represent for him? ¡ºLess than a weed. Refuses to listen to anything a lesser weed has to say.¡» ¡òWord of Advice! ¡ºConsiders your mere existence as annoying. He feels like wanting to grab you and throw you away forever!¡» What!? He wanted to grab me and throw me away!! This didn¡¯t get any better, hey!! While I was extremely sad and disappointed by this turn of events, Seiya started walking somewhere. I noticed that and I followed him quickly. Then, Seiya stopped in front of the tool shop. I whispered on his ear so that the shop owner wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡¸Hey, listen, Seiya. Most of the tools on this shop are agricultural tools. They¡¯re not selling anything useful that will help on our quest, right?¡¹ ¡¸Not really. ¡¹ Seiya picked an ¡°Iron Cylinder¡± that was displayed on the tool shop. He took away the small sachet that I received from the Great Goddess Isister. He took the coins from the sachet and bought it. ¡¸This will become a flute if processed correctly. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re really serious about the Pleasant Flute Player¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because I need a flute. But, not just a flute. I still have some more shopping to do¡­Hey, owner. I¡¯ll take thousand magical stones.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thousand magical stones. Thank you¡­A thousand!? Why do you want so many!?¡¹ Seiya¡¯s unreasonable requests were a familiar sight to me, but the shop owner was extremely surprised. However, even if I was not that shocked, we didn¡¯t have enough money to buy what he wanted. Besides, there was no way we could carry that many magical stones with us. And just like the shop owner said, I didn¡¯t understand why buying a thousand magical stones would be that necessary. Somehow, I managed to calm Seiya and convinced him to only buying fifty pieces of magical stones. Seiya bought a large luggage bag and filled it with the magical stones. But, now, he pointed to something that looked like a bottle of pickles from one of the shelves of the tool shop. ¡¸Let¡¯s get emergency food and bottles with drinkable water. This is a priority.¡¹ ¡¸About that¡­if you buy too many, everybody here will lose their share. ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We¡¯re sorry! We¡¯ll take what you sell for us! ¡¹ Seiya put the emergency food and bottles with water on a newly luggage bag that he just bought. He gave it to me then. It was an elaborate preparation as if we were going to stay in a dungeon for a very long time. After shopping, Seiya muttered. ¡¸Next is equipment. First, I need an armor. And¡­just in case, but it would be better to carry a sword with me even if I have Pleasant Flute Player as profession now. However, Bunogeos took the Platinum Sword away from me.¡¹ ¡¸I understand what you mean, but did you know that this place doesn¡¯t have any weapon nor armor shops?¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying. There are weapons and armors here. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Where? ¡¹ ¡¸There. ¡¹ Seiya was pointing with his fingers on Brut¡¯s direction. When he found out that Seiya was approaching him¡­ ¡¸Ah? What the hell do you want from me! ¡¹ Brut wrinkled his eyebrows¡­ *beating sound* Suddenly, Seiya hit him with his fist! ¡¸Ah¡­Ugh? ¡¹ Brut spilled foam from his mouth and fell down! ¡¸Ehhhhh!? What did you use your fist on him!? ¡¹ Seiya took off the armor from an unconscious Brut, and put it on himself. Moreover, he grabbed the scabbard with a sword and equipped around his waist. ¡¸I got a steel sword and a steel armor now. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re terrible¡­!! ¡¹ In addition, Seiya¡¯s eyes were looking fixedly at Brut¡¯s fellow men, who stared at him from the distance. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll take a spare as well. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Somebody, help me!! ¡¹ He chased them, punched them, let them faint, and then he took their belongings¡­He was far from being a decent human being at this point. However, I couldn¡¯t say anything because we needed supplies in order to save this world. ¡­It¡­It couldn¡¯t be helped. There was no other way than doing this atrocious thing¡­ Somehow, I was trying really hard to convince myself of this! On this moment, I felt a severe pain on my scalp! *screams* I felt that something tore apart! Seiya was pulling out my hair without warning me in advance! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What are you trying to do!? ¡¹ ¡¸I need it for the synthesis of a Platinum sword. Don¡¯t move. ¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, tell me first and then do it!! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸¡­So, we¡¯ve got some tools and some equipment. What are we going to do now?¡¹ I was rubbing my head as I listened to what Seiya had to say. ¡¸We depart in the morning. You should try to find some inn to restore our strengths. As for me, right now, I want to examine my magic and remember some of the characteristics of my new professions.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! We¡¯re leaving tomorrow!? Is it okay to be that fast!? ¡¹ We were talking about the cautious Seiya. So, I thought that he would want to do some self-training here for a long while! ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? If Seiya says so¡­But, where are we going to spent the whole night? It looks like there is no inn on this underground settlement.¡¹ ¡¸Just find somebody¡¯s house for us to stay. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder if there¡¯s a house we¡¯re allowed to stay? The people who live here don¡¯t like us.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, there is. I¡¯ll find one. ¡¹ Seiya started to look around. He found a weak-looking young man passing by and approached him. ¡¸Hey. What¡¯s your name? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? My name is Caron. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay then, Caron. Provide us with accommodation. One night it¡¯s fine. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh!! No way, are you talking about my house!? You¡­You can¡¯t!! It¡¯s narrow and dirty!!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. Where is your house? ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­you¡­you know, it¡¯s really dirty. It¡¯s a truly bad house¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Caron. If you are that dissatisfied with the house you own now¡­then, you can get out.¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸From now on, I¡¯ll live there. ¡¹ I held the shoulder of Caron who burst into tears. ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s not it, Caron! One night! We just need one night! ¡¹ ¡¸*sobs* Then¡­Then, I¡­I won¡¯t have¡­to leave my own house¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course! You don¡¯t need to leave! It¡¯s your own house after all! ¡¹ ¡¸I am glad¡­! Actually, I am too fond of that house¡­! I am truly¡­relieved¡­!¡¹ And so, we stayed at a house of someone we just met, and we restored our physical strength. ¡ª In the morning of the next day, we left Caron¡¯s house with large luggage bags on our backs. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ We caused many troubles to the inhabitants and we left the Light of Hope. ¡­Ah. Of course, no one came to see us off. Volume 2 - CH 61 Chapter 61: Pleasant Flute Player We went up the long staircase illuminated by the magical stones, soon I saw a wooden board right above my head. If I opened the board, it would probably lead to the floor of an abandoned house. However, just before exiting, Seiya put his hand on the wall in the middle of the stairs. ¡¸Eh? What are you doing? ¡¹ Suddenly, without a sound, a large cavity appeared in the soil-based wall! While I was astonished, Seiya stepped inside. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Wait!! ¡¹ I also went inside the cavity. Seiya took some magical stones out of the tool bag and illuminated the cavity. It was a strange sight. The cavity itself was a very narrow space. It felt tight with just the two of us. But, when Seiya walked towards the front wall of the cavity, the wall transformed and created a new cavity. After I walked a while inside the continuous forming cavity, the place where I was until a while ago, closed and was gone. It was unlike digging a hole, because the soil moved along as we walked further inside. ¡¸Amazing¡­! Is this Earth Magic? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s ¡°Cave Along¡±. It¡¯s possible to move freely inside the soil of the underground. ¡¹ Seiya advanced through the underground while speaking with a lower voice. But, eventually, he slowed down. ¡¸Currently, we are located around the abandoned house. We are about one meter below the ground.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, I see¡­ ¡¹ Why was he suddenly doing this?¡­When I tried to ask him, he stopped and shook his head silently. He pointed overhead with his index finger. When I looked overhead at the clay wall lit by the magical stones, I heard a muffed voice. ¡¸¡­Do you think that the hero and the others came to this abandoned house?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yeah. I heard reports of people disappearing near the abandoned house.¡¹ I had no doubts. The muffed voices were from beast men. We hid the sound of our breaths and listened closely to their conversation. ¡¸But. We didn¡¯t find any humans the other time we investigated the abandoned house, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, there won¡¯t be any humans inside. Lord Bunogeos says that some humans are capable of using magic of earth attributes. Even if they hid underground, there won¡¯t be a way to find them. It seems that the entrance can be open only if a human uses that magic.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that the hero is hiding with them? ¡¹ ¡¸We didn¡¯t search the ground properly yet. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s here. ¡¹ And then, the beast men laughed in a crazily manner. ¡¸I will kill him once I find it! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, its hero hunting! ¡¹ When the conversation was over, Seiya proceeded walking silently through the soil. He looked at me and nodded in silence. It seemed that it was okay to speak. ¡¸Hey, listen! We¡¯re being targeted! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not surprising. We fled in the middle of the fight. Bunogeos must feel insulted right now. It¡¯s only natural for him to be looking for us with bloody intentions.¡¹ ¡¸I was speaking about the beast men¡­They knew that someone like Eich was using Earth Magic as a mechanism to create an escape route under the floor of the abandoned house. They seemed to figure that magic only appears when a human uses it, just what happened with the staircase that led to the settlement of the Light of Hope¡­¡¹ ¡¸What about it? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s obvious! It means that the enemy will surveillance the abandoned houses! How can we go back?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I expected that to happen. That¡¯s why we prepared good amount of food and magical stones in advance.¡¹ ¡¸EH!? Does that mean we¡¯re going to spend time in a man-made cave!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what it means, basically. I would like to warn you that, even though we¡¯re underground, we¡¯re going to be surrounded by beast men from above the ground. Some of them have better hearing than others. You should avoid making noise unnecessarily. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand. ¡¹ I felt nervous about this situation, but I tried my best to answer with a lower tone. Nevertheless, at the same time, I was nervous in a completely different way. What was this!? Were we alone in such a narrow place under the faint light¡­!? This was a great chance to regain his affection for me!! But, who knew that an adult development was coming this fast!? AHHH!! In the midst of my excitement, Seiya put his hand on the soil of the wall. ¡¸¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m checking to see if there are any signs of beast men around here. ¡¹ Then, Seiya stared at me face. ¡¸Lista. You said you wanted to help me, didn¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! That¡¯s right¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya bent down and grabbed my ankles! Seiya¡¯s face slowly approached my lower body part! Oh¡­Oh gosh!! What¡¯s this!? What was he trying to do!? Don¡¯t tell me that¡­no, he can¡¯t¡­he isn¡¯t allowed to do naughty things to a goddess!! But¡­It¡¯s not like it was a bad thing to be honest!! Rather, I didn¡¯t mind that at all!! Yes, please take the whole thing off!! I¡¯ll gladly give you my everything!! Yet, the next moment, I noticed that my body floated in the air! ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ Seiya grabbed my ankles with a firm grip, and with his strength, he lifted me ¡°very high¡±! Inevitably, my face approached the top wall made of clay in an instant! ¡­What!???? However¡­There was no shock of impact, as I feared. Surprisingly, it was a soft sensation as if my face thrust into water. And then¡­ I could see a purple sky right in front of my eyes! I was able to see the open space with a 360¡ã rotation view! There was a sight of a desolate town! In addition, I could see the dog-faced and cat-faced beast men from the other side! How¡­My head was stuck on the ground! Whoa!? Wha¡­What the hell was this!???? I was on the verge of panic, because my head was dragged into the top of the ground! *yells with anxiety* My body trembled unceasingly with fear inside the narrow cave, yet Seiya spoke as if he didn¡¯t heard my excruciating screams. ¡¸Hey, how is it? Are there any beast men around here? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes¡­I¡¯m not sure if I saw them correctly, but I could see two of them around here¡­eh, wait a minute!! I¡¯m not a ¡°periscope¡±*!! What are you planning to do with this!! ¡¹ ¡¸You said you wanted to help, right? I wanted to secure our safety in advance. If it¡¯s not safe, then I would have to pull you out of there immediately ¡­Okay. Well then, pay careful attention now because as I¡¯ll push us higher than this.¡¹ When Seiya released the Cave Along, out bodies rose up and slowly surfaced to the top of the ground. As soon as we emerged, Seiya looked at our surroundings. He found a shadowy spot and quickly ran towards that direction. From there, he listened the conversation between the two beast men. I could hear a beast man¡¯s voice on my ears. ¡¸This hero hunting it¡¯s tedious and frustrating as hell, meow. When I get home, I¡¯ll eat my house slave to relieve my frustration, meow.¡¹ The dog-faced beast man frowned upon hearing the words of the cat-faced beast man. ¡¸Hey, hey. Did you forget that it¡¯s forbidden to eat humans in this town? ¡¹ ¡¸But, it¡¯s rumored that Lord Bunogeos is eating humans in secret, meow. There¡¯s nothing to worry about, meow. Besides, we¡¯re in the middle of a hero hunting. Nobody will care if one or two slaves are gone during this time, meow.¡¹ ¡¸I guess you¡¯re right. Then, how about you share half of that human with me?¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, meow. I shall go now to prepare our feast, meow. ¡¹ I whispered on Seiya¡¯s ears. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! The slaves are going to be killed! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t panic. ¡¹ Seiya took a shining elongated silver object from his chest. ¡¸I¡¯ll blow this flute now. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­This is not the right time to blow some flute, don¡¯t you think!? People are going to be killed, you know!?¡¹ However, I realized something. The flute that Seiya had on his hands was not of an ordinary design. There was only a hole at the tip and at the end. There were no holes on the side like ordinary flutes. Seiya crouched down and tried to pick a bit of soil below his feet. He rolled the soil with his fingers to knead the clay. ¡¸Wha¡­What are you doing¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fixing this soil with magic. In addition, I¡¯m getting this streamlined to eliminate air resistance.¡¹ Then, I noticed an elongated and pointy object on Seiya¡¯s hands. ¡­It¡­It looked like a bullet of a gun that existed on Seiya¡¯s original world¡­It was so similar that it resembled a riffle¡¯s bullet¡­! Seiya put it on the tip of the flute. And, he looked at the beast men standing a dozen meters ahead from us with a sharp eye. ¡¸I lost many skills and magical techniques when I gave up on being the Magic Warrior. But, I learnt new skills to replace them. I have the ¡°Tough Lung¡± skill, the ¡°Continuous Whistling¡± skill; among others¡­I consolidated all of those skills as a Pleasant Flute Player into this blowing attack¡­¡¹ Then, he placed the silver flute onto his mouth. ¡¸Take this¡­¡°Burst Air¡±¡­! ¡¹ In a second¡­ *bang* I heard a dry sound. ¡­I didn¡¯t know what happened. However, when I saw the front of the flute, on which Seiya put his mouth in, I got speechless. The head of the cat-faced beast man, who was talking happily about his upcoming feast, disappeared without a trace! ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ The dog-faced beast man, who noticed that the above of the neck of his fellow companion, his head was missing, said an idiotic remark. ¡¸Ah, what? What happened to your head? ¡¹ Nonetheless, before realizing the seriousness of the situation¡­ *bang* Again, a dry sound was heard, and the head disappeared from the neck of the dog-faced beast man! Black blood overflowed continuously from the necks, and the two headless corpses fell to the ground at the same time! I was terrified by the dreadful spectacle that happened just now. No. This wasn¡¯t how a ¡°Pleasant Flute Player¡± was supposed to act!! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! What¡¯s that!? Isn¡¯t that a flute!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s more like a blowgun than a flute. I used your hair to synthesize it last night, just like the way I did with the Platinum Sword before. It¡¯s called a ¡°Platinum Blowgun¡±, which increases the durability and also creates a deafening sound at the time of firing.¡¹ ¡¸Platinum Blowgun¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t give me enough time to make a fuss. He went immediately to the beast men he defeated without paying much attention to the surroundings. ¡¸What are you doing? What if they see us? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s certainly better not be here. But, I still have to clean-up this properly.¡¹ ¡¸H¡­Here he goes again with his cleaning¡­! Even so, I think they¡¯re already dead by now¡­!¡¹ ¡¸No. The beast men might resurrect from powers that are unimaginable to the human mind. I can¡¯t be reassured just by destroying the head. I have to completely destroy them.¡¹ ¡¸But, you can¡¯t use Hell¡¯s Fire anymore, right? ¡¹ ¡¸I know that. I will annihilate them safely and quickly with my new magic. ¡¹ ¡¸What are you going to do this time? ¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to know? Okay, let me tell you. ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya put his hand on my head. On this precisely moment¡­ *slurping sound* *screams* My body sank to the ground! When I tried to grasp the reality of my situation, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s ankles were right in front of me! After all, only my head was stuck outside of the ground! ¡¸What on earth are you trying to do!! ¡¹ I was angry and yelled at my current situation because I couldn¡¯t move an inch. However, Seiya remained calm as usual. ¡¸I have activated my Earth Magic with the intention to completely bury you alive. But, as you can see, only your head remained above the ground. I don¡¯t know why. Maybe I¡¯m not very skilled at using Earth Magic yet. So, unfortunately I can only sink you down to this level right now.¡¹ ¡¸How dare you say something dreadful like that!? Does sinking me have any sort of a different meaning!?¡¹ ¡¸Listen to me. You don¡¯t have any particular ¡°Earth Magic resistance¡±. However, you have some magical tolerance because of your existence as a living organism. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t completely sink into the ground.¡¹ After that, Seiya touched the headless bodies of the two beast men. ¡¸¡°Endless Fall¡±¡­! ¡¹ Soon, the two beast men swallowed into the ground and disappeared completely! Un¡­Unlike me, their bodies were sunk entirely!? Ah¡­I see!! Their magic resistance was zero because they were dead!! There¡¯s where Earth Magic shows its full potential!! ¡¸How deep did they sink to? Ten meters? ¡¹ ¡¸No, way more. I don¡¯t know if there are thousands of kilometers to the core of this planet, but I sunk them further down anyways. If this goes well, they should be completely annihilated by the ultra-high temperature and ultra-high pressure generated by approaching the central nucleus of this planet.¡¹ ¡¸Did you sunk dead bodies for thousands of kilometers in depth!? Isn¡¯t that too much!?¡¹ ¡¸I would feel more secure if I could see their annihilation before my eyes. But, unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that. Or I¡¯ll get annihilated in the process as well.¡¹ Of¡­Of course you would get annihilated¡­! How could this person talk things like this with a bored expression¡­! In a way, he substituted the burning of Hell¡¯s Fire with something equally frightening¡­ ¡¸Hey! I heard something! ¡¹ ¡¸This way! ¡¹ It were the voices of new beast men! ¡¸It¡¯s bad, Seiya! We have to run away¡­eh, wait!! I¡¯m still buried from my neck down, don¡¯t you see!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to dive in. ¡¹ Seiya immediately activated the Cave Along! My face, which was at the top of the ground, was abruptly swallowed inside the dirt and I dived below the ground! ¡¸¡­Ugh!? ¡¹ I fell into a narrow cave. Suddenly, I felt that I was going to be splashed with water, but Seiya took out the magical stones straightaway and lit the inside of the cavity. ¡¸Okay. We moved to a safe place. I¡¯ll shoot the beast men again from here.¡¹ As I followed Seiya around, I asked him fearfully. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Seiya. What is your overall plan for this? ¡¹ ¡¸I already told you that I would free this town from Bunogeos¡¯ rule. After capturing targets with Cave Along, I¡¯ll perform a mid-range fire using Burst Air from a safe position to reduce the enemy¡¯s strength. In other words¡­¡¹ The hero¡¯s eyes were crazy sharp even in the dark. ¡¸It¡¯s beast hunting. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 62 Chapter 62: Harsh Mole Life After defeating two more beast men with Burst Air, Seiya returned to the underground cave. Seiya placed the magical stones on a narrow space about 1.5 meters in radius. He sat down on the ground. It looked like it he was going to take a short break. ¡¸Our goal is to kill 300 of them. We still have 296 to go. Lista. You¡¯ll be in charge of counting.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. I understand. ¡¹ We didn¡¯t know how many beast men occupied the town of Galvano. But, 300 was a number that Seiya stipulated himself. He was convinced that he could free this town if he defeated that amount of beast men. ¡¸I¡¯ll aim for 50 bodies a day. We have to consider our current supplies, such as food or water. Therefore, I would like to get rid of the enemy within a week¡­Okay, let¡¯s continue. Are you ready?¡¹ When I nodded, Seiya put his hand on the muddy wall. After he made sure there was no one around, he held my ankles and stood up. After being elevated, he put my face on the top of the ground. I started to look for the beast men. After discovering the enemy¡¯s position, Seiya hid at a distance and shot them with the blowgun. He killed the beast men without getting us in danger. At first I was angry because I was being treated as a periscope. However, when I thought carefully about this, I realized that this job was my first collaboration with Seiya. ¡°I¡¯m useful as his companion¡±¡­ I tried my hardest to find and report the enemy¡¯s location because I felt a great sense of fulfillment. ¡ª When the evening of the day came, Seiya placed his blowgun on the ground of the narrow cave. ¡¸All right. I still have a lot of MP left, but we mustn¡¯t forget that our enemies are the beast men. Some of them are nocturnal, and when the sun goes down, the Burst Air hit rate declines considerably. We need to take this into account seriously. So, let¡¯s end the hunt for today.¡¹ The hunting of the first day was over because of Seiya¡¯s cautious attitude. Still, today we killed 51 beast men. We surpassed the target we set for today. It was productive work. We stood still in the underground cavity made by Cave Along. Seiya spoke after eating the preserved food he bought at the tool shop. ¡¸Let¡¯s prepare for tomorrow and try to rest. ¡¹ ¡­Finally! We were going to spend the night alone¡­! Moreover, sleeping together on this narrow space¡­! Just when my heart started beat much faster, Seiya stood up and placed his hand on the muddy wall. ¡¸I can¡¯t heal the fatigue of my body in this narrow cave. I¡¯ll make the inside of this cave a bit wider in space.¡¹ The narrow cave expanded without making a noise. It became a circular space with a radius of about 3 meters. He set a few magical stones on the ceiling. The artificial light brightened the entire cave. On that moment, Seiya drew a line on the ground with his scabbard. ¡¸This is the boundary line between us. You¡¯re not allowed to enter beyond this line without my permission.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s that line!! That¡¯s rude!! Are you saying that I will attack you, Seiya!?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a possibility. After all, you suddenly hugged me before. ¡¹ Damn! He found out! ¡¸Listen carefully. If you enter beyond this line, I¡¯ll release the Cave Along and leave you inside of it.¡¹ ¡¸That means I¡¯ll be buried alive¡­! Okay, I got it¡­! ¡¹ Seiya laid down. But, I still had something to ask him about. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. You know, about the¡­how about the toilet? ¡¹ He said not to cross his line. Yet, he stood up and went to my territory as if it was something natural. And then, Seiya made a deep hole in the ground near the muddy wall with Earth Magic. ¡¸Just use this spot. Once you finish, use the soil to cover it up. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you serious¡­! I¡­I am a goddess, you know¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s for the sake of saving this world. Endure it. ¡¹ ¡­The sweet life I imagined with Seiya was now far from reality. And so, my harsh mole life began. ¡ª Mole life, the second day. I remained in the cave with the same artificial light, that brightened the space. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know that morning came up. Seiya shook my body violently and I woke up in distress. ¡¸How long are you going to sleep. Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ It was the same as yesterday. I became a periscope to find an enemy. Every time I spotted an enemy I warned Seiya about it, then would use Cave Along and shot the enemy from a distance. ¡¸I discovered an enemy in the three o¡¯clock direction! ¡¹ After returning my head to the underground cave, I sent the new instructions to Seiya. This was done repeatedly until I became accustomed to this routine. By the end of the day, the number of beast men had killed approached 100. Soon, I became proud of my role as a periscope. There was no shower, there was no toilet, and it was a miserable situation. Still, I felt a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Maybe Seiya accepted me a little bit, because I worked very hard on this. Besides, I was entrusted with the management of the tool bag when I was underground. Nonetheless¡­After a day of work, I heard shocking words coming from the hero¡¯s mouth. ¡¸My skill in Earth Magic has increased. The periscope is no longer needed. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh!? ¡¹ ¡¸Look at this. The new Earth Magic, ¡°Clear Ceiling¡±¡­! ¡¹ When Seiya held his hand on the ceiling of the cave, the ceiling became transparent like a glass table. ¡¸It¡¯s like a magical mirror. I can see the other side, but the beast men won¡¯t be able to see me on this side. I¡¯ll be able to see what¡¯s happening on the ground. I also learned the technique ¡°Ground Through¡±. This technique will make it possible to shoot the bullet of ¡°Burst Air¡± through the muddy wall of the ceiling. In other words, I¡¯ll be able to see the enemy from the underground, while using the blowgun at the same time.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. That¡­That¡¯s great. ¡¹ With Seiya¡¯s mastery of Earth Magic, the demand for a periscope diminished, and slowly but surely I lost my job¡­ In Seiya¡¯s world I wonder if I would be the milk delivery employee or the elevator girl? ¡ª Mole life, the third day. Seiya kept destroying the enemy by combining the Clear Ceiling skill with Ground Through skill beneath the ground. It was safer and more time-efficient than using me as a periscope. The beast hunting went extremely fast. And me on the other hand, I was having a tedious time. I was feeling a sense of emptiness because I had lost my job and, therefore, I lost my motivation. Seiya didn¡¯t speak to me at all, except when necessary. If I tried to talk about something that was not important to him, he wouldn¡¯t even pay attention to me. In addition, Seiya didn¡¯t create a bath area because it could bring some unwanted noise¡­ My stress had reached its limit. ¡ª ¡­That night, Seiya suddenly crossed the line and went to my territory. After looking through the tool bag, Seiya glared at me with a harsh face. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Why are our food supplies this low? There was supposed to be more in here. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Sorry. I ate it¡­ ¡¹ That¡¯s right. I kept eating the food we had because I felt so much stress. ¡¸Why? Goddesses don¡¯t die, right? Then, why are you eating more than I do? ¡¹ ¡¸What! That¡¯s obvious! I get hungry even if I don¡¯t die! ¡¹ I laughed a bit after I answered him. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t even show a tiny smile. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s all right! We still have lot of food in here! We should be fine for the next four days based on my tiny estimate!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be silly. One week was just a prediction. The war situation is constantly changing. There might be a time when we have to go underground for a longer period of time. I¡¯m worried about the reduced food supplies.¡¹ Then, Seiya muttered quietly. ¡¸We have no choice but to find new ingredients. ¡¹ He approached the muddy wall and stared fixedly at it. And then, after putting his hands inside the soil¡­ *squeezing sound* In Seiya¡¯s hands was a big earthworm. It was about 10 centimeters in length and displayed sharp fangs. He placed it out right in front of my face. ¡¸Hey. Eat this to see if it¡¯s edible. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t eat something like that!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just try it right now. ¡¹ I activated my Appraisal skill afterwards. ¡ºDeath Earthworm¡­A living creature that resides in the underground of Exfolia. It is harmless if you don¡¯t disturb it. Also, this creature is edible¡­ You can actually eat it. ¡» Who¡­Whoa¡­It said I could eat this thing¡­! But, I don¡¯t want to eat a gross creature like this one¡­.Definitely not¡­! I shrugged my shoulders in a ¡°fake¡± disappointment. ¡¸I can¡¯t. It¡¯s completely impossible to eat. It¡¯s not edible at all. ¡¹ Then, Seiya stared at me with icy eyes. ¡¸You liar goddess¡­The results of the Appraisal skill says that ¡°you can eat it¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? How¡­How do you know that!? Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve got the Appraisal skill as well!?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing you can do that I can¡¯t. ¡¹ ¡¸You lied to me!! Cruel!! That¡¯s extremely cruel!! ¡¹ ¡¸The cruel one is you. You don¡¯t deserve my forgiveness¡­Eat. ¡¹ Seiya approached me with the horrible Death Earthworm! ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t want to!! I am a goddess!! I won¡¯t die if I don¡¯t eat the Death Earthworm!! So, there¡¯s no need for me to eat it at all!!¡¹ However, Seiya forced the living Death Earthworm into my mouth! *distressing sounds* He moved my jaw up and down with his hands! And, I slowly chew the Death Earthworm! I felt an indescribable bitterness that spread all over my mouth! ¡¸Ahhh¡­!! Ugh¡­!! ¡¹ My eyes overflew with tears. Still, Seiya spoke to me in a cold manner. ¡¸From today on, your staple food will be Death Earthworms. ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­At bedtime. Even if I closed my eyes, I could feel many Death Earthworms wriggling under my eyelids. ¡¸Ugh¡­! One Death Earthworm, two Death Earthworms, three Death Earthworms¡­ ¡¹ My behavior became quite weird living under this harsh environment. Volume 2 - CH 63 Chapter 63: Impatience and Irritability Mole life, the fourth day. Despite the miserable life underground, the beast hunting has progressed better than expected. If my counting was correct, the total number of beast men killed reached the 250 mark, it was a slaughter. It seemed that his skills with Earth Magic improved greatly. Not only that. His profession as a Pleasant Flute Player leveled up as well. Besides that, Seiya acquired a new skill named ¡°Delicate Flute Blowing¡±. That allowed him to eject the Burst Air without any sound. His range was also extended. The blowgun was no longer a simple rifle. It was a sniper with a silencer. He was like a first-class assassin. He killed hundreds of beast men without leaving traces of his presence. During this time, Seiya set out a new plan. ¡¸I think it¡¯s time to reach the final destination of this hunting. Bunogeos. ¡¹ ¡­Although this hunting had been great so far, we haven¡¯t reached the 300 kills yet. At this point, I felt that something was off with his urgency in defeating Bunogeos. After all, we¡¯re talking about the cautious Seiya. However¡­ ¡¸Seiya. Are you, perhaps, thinking about the Cursed Sphere? Go to Bunogeos¡¯ residence and find the sphere¡­Is that your intention?¡¹ If we destroyed the Cursed Sphere that Bunogeos had on his possession, then we could return to the God¡¯s realm and Seiya could restart with this training. I never thought that Seiya would risk his own safety in order to hunt Bunogeos this early. However, Seiya only snorted his nose as he started to walk ahead with the underground cave expanding accordingly to his movements. ¡¸Hey. Wa¡­Wait a moment!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going anyways. Just follow me. ¡¹ Seiya rushed ahead without talking too much. After seeing his back, something popped up inside my heart. Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya¡­was tired of this harsh underground life just like me? Was that the reason why he became this desperate to defeat Bunogeos¡­? Impatience and irritability. These kinds of feelings didn¡¯t bring good results that often. Still, I shook my head and appeased my heart. No¡­Let¡¯s believe in Seiya! He was not confused anymore! I was sure that he had some kind of strategy! This could be a great solution for me. Right now, all I ever wanted was to be released from this harsh mole life as soon as possible. There was no reason for me to oppose the Bunogeos hunting idea. We left the abandoned house that we used for our hunting ground, and we headed towards the slave market. As the result of listening to the conversations between the killed beast men, our research concluded that the residence of Bunogeos was located near the slave market. They said that Bunogeos was using the previous human aristocrat¡¯s mansion as his living place. After arriving at the slave market, we looked for a mansion through the Clear Ceiling from the underground. Before long, we found a large mansion on this part of the town, though it was in apparent deterioration. From its outer appearance, there was no doubt that this mansion was the one that the beast men spoke about. Seiya didn¡¯t hesitate and advanced through the underground of the mansion. ¡¸Is¡­Is this okay? There¡¯s no way that he¡¯ll find us underground, right? ¡¹ I thought that our place was safe giving how cautious Seiya really were. However, if by any chance Bunogeos manages to find us that could become extremely troublesome. There won¡¯t be a guarantee that we¡¯ll get out of this alive. Bunogeos¡¯ statuses were far above from the other fallen beast men we¡¯ve encountered so far. Yet, Seiya was confident. ¡¸No worries. Cave Along keeps evolving. In addition to soundproofing, we¡¯re now moving by a depth of 3 meters underground.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s why the scenery from the Clear Ceiling looked more distant than usual. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. If we have an urgent situation, it will be possible to dive into 10 meters underground. A normal attack won¡¯t reach us if we dive that much in the ground.¡¹ After getting convinced by his words, I followed Seiya and we entered the underground of the mansion¡¯s floor. Although the Clear Ceiling was transparent, all we could see was a dark floor from above us. However, I could listen to something. It was the sound of someone walking in the floor. And then¡­ ¡¸Damn it!! That coward hero has been seizing my subordinates in the dark without showing himself!!¡¹ I heard Bunogeos¡¯ angry voice. Seiya sat down on the muddy floor of the cave. It seemed that he listened carefully to what Bunogeos had to say. Bunogeos was a formidable enemy with a status comparable to that of the Warlord Emperor in Geabrande. There was no chance of winning against this type of enemy with Seiya¡¯s present status. Therefore, he was researching to find solutions for this problem even if he had to put himself at risk for standing below on the mansion of Bunogeos. I listened to what he had to say as well. On that instant, there was an unsettling movement from Bunogeos¡¯ part. ¡¸This¡­This is our Lord Grand Lion! ¡¹ ¡­Did he say Grand Lion just now!? I heard the name of the demon that ruled the entirety of Radral continent. People said that his status was far higher than Bunogeos¡¯. Apparently, there was only Bunogeos on this room. I could hear him say ¡¸Yes. Understood. Yes. ¡¹, as if he was talking alone to himself. Nonetheless, he was using a crystal ball, and seemed to have a conversation at a distance. I thought the other voice from the other side of the crystal ball belonged to the Grand Lion, but I couldn¡¯t hear very well from this distance. ¡¸Well, thanks to that damn hero, my fellow beast men have been decreasing a lot¡­Eh, how many of them were taken down? Let¡¯s see, I would say it was far too many¡­Ah¡­yes, next time I¡¯ll inform you correctly about the number of our losses¡­¡¹ It seemed that Bunogeos was a bit puzzled to inform the correct number of defeated beast men. Suddenly, Bunogeos¡¯ voice resonated aloud. ¡¸¡­Yeah! So, you¡¯re planning to send him! I see! Okay! That¡¯s why we don¡¯t fear heroes like this one! Yes, yes, by the way¡­! Ahhh! That would be great, indeed!¡¹ I whispered to Seiya. ¡¸Is¡­Is he talking about something serious¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. Don¡¯t talk to me now. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ I closed my mouth and tried to collect the information that I heard from Bunogeos¡¯ mouth. ¡¸¡­Oink. ¡¹ I heard a pig barking next to me. Of course, there wasn¡¯t any pig nearby. Only Seiya stood by my side. When I thought, I misheard it¡­ ¡¸Oink. Oink. ¡¹ It was Seiya after all. Seiya spoke like a pig with his usual bored face. ¡¸Oink. Oink. Oink. Oink. ¡¹ ¡­Hey, wait a moment. What the hell was this thing!? What has happened to this person this suddenly!? I thought that his ¡°state¡± became confusing again¡­So, I tried to activate my clairvoyance ability, but I couldn¡¯t see Seiya¡¯s status because he had activated the camouflage skill. ¡­When I finally thought that he moved from being ¡°reckless¡± to ¡°cautious¡±, now he transformed into a ¡°pig¡±¡­!? It was true that the harsh environment underground could affect one¡¯s mind¡­!! I had gain a lot of depression from this harsh mole life that I no longer cared about myself. But, more than that, I was deeply concerned about Seiya¡¯s spirit, which seemed to be undermined¡­ ¡ª Mole life, the fifth day. When we finished the hunt for today, we came to Bunogeos¡¯ residence once again to hear what he had to say. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. How is it going for you? Did you find out about Bunogeos¡¯ weaknesses? ¡¹ I whispered on his ear, but Seiya remained silent. It might be frustrating to find a way to defeat Bunogeos without putting us at risk. I cut a Death Earthworm in half and gave it to Seiya. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you getting too fatigued over this? Would you like to try the Death Earthworm? It¡¯s actually delicious once you get used to it, do you know that?¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹ I felt lonely, as I chewed the Death Earthworm all by myself. Unexpectedly¡­ ¡¸Oink¡­ ¡¹ Seiya laughed in a vulgar voice that resembled the sound of a pig! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with you!? Why did you laugh suddenly with that strange and weird voice!?¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s nothing. ¡¹ This¡­This couldn¡¯t be happening!! This was not funny anymore!! There was no way that I was becoming this paranoid!! I said, ¡¸Once we get rid of the beast men, why don¡¯t we return to the Light of Hope through that abandoned house? ¡¹I proposed that path, but Seiya rejected my idea immediately. In this state of mind, I didn¡¯t know what else to do. Yet, I continued trying my hardest to find a solution to this bizarre situation¡­ ¡ª Mole life, the sixth day. Today, we stayed beneath Bunogeos¡¯ mansion to listen to what else he had to say. Besides Bunogeos, I could hear new footsteps. It seemed that another beast man came to the mansion. Bunogeos¡¯ voice was high. ¡¸Oh! So, you finally came! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Our Lord Grand Lion told me to come here with urgency! That¡¯s why I tried to fly here the fastest I could!¡¹ ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s use your power to find that hero immediately! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and unexpectedly, I have a hunch that he might be near here! ¡¹ On that moment¡­ *high-pitch sound* I could hear a faint high-pitch sound that resonated on my earlobes. I could feel it because my audible range was higher than humans. Apparently, Seiya heard that sound as well. ¡¸That beast man said he flew here. He¡¯s probably a bat-demon type¡­I don¡¯t know exactly what he did, but it seemed like an ultrasonic wave. He might have found the location of this Cave.¡¹ ¡¸EH!? Even though we¡¯re underground!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ultrasonic echolocation is effective under water and through the soil. ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We¡¯re in trouble!! Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to dive deeper!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. With Bunogeos power, there is a high risk that his attack will reach close to the 10 meters limit of Cave Along. We could be buried alive if it collapses.¡¹ ¡¸The other day, you said ¡°No worries¡±, didn¡¯t you!? ¡¹ ¡¸I said based on ¡°if it¡¯s a regular beast man attack¡±. More importantly, let¡¯s go now. If you fall behind, you¡¯ll be taken first by his attack.¡¹ Seiya released the magic of Cave Along straightaway. Our bodies rose from the underground. We reached a narrowly space between the floor of the mansion and the underground. When I tried to get out from there by crouching, the floor above me made a cracking noise and shattered in pieces! ¡¸*yells* There you are!! ¡¹ It was the bat-faced beast man! He distorted his mouth when he discovered the hole in the floor! I said desperately, ¡¸They found us! ¡¹, but Seiya was already carrying the blowgun! The Burst Air exploded at a close range when the bat-faced beast man peeped under the floor carelessly! The head of the batman was destroyed and his body collapsed! Seiya stepped out from the hole on the floor, moved the headless body away from his path, and fired the Burst Air on Bunogeos¡¯ direction! He probably knew where Bunogeos was standing through the magic properties of the underground hideout. Bunogeos was astonished by Seiya¡¯s sudden strike. He didn¡¯t dodge the attack because his reflexes were slow on that surprising moment. The bullet of Burst Air hit Bunogeos¡¯ head! Nevertheless¡­ ¡¸That hurt, you bastard¡­!! ¡¹ Bunogeos cursed at Seiya while he held his head with his hands. When I looked closely at him, I saw that the bullet only made a slight injury. He wasn¡¯t bleeding too much. ¡¸Damn it!! You were hiding in the basement of my house!! ¡¹ ¡­Bad. This was¡­This was extremely bad!! Burst Air was the only offensive technique that Seiya learned as a ¡°Pleasant Flute Player¡±! And that technique was useless against Bunogeos!! In a desolate, large room, Bunogeos grabbed the axe on his back. His fearsome weapon was aimed towards us. This weapon was the one with the Chain Destruction power. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you escape this time¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya couldn¡¯t use his powerful fire magic anymore! If we escaped using Cave Along, Bunogeos would surely destroy it and the ground would collapse, burying us alive! ¡¸Wha¡­What should we do, Seiya! ¡¹ When I looked closely at Seiya, I noticed that he put his Platinum Blowgun away! Ah. Don¡¯t tell me that he gave up on this battle!? It can¡¯t be!! We¡¯re finished!! Still, soon afterwards. Seiya held his hand in front of his face and muttered. ¡¸Job Change¡­! From ¡°Pleasant Flute Player & Earth Wizard¡± to ¡°Earth Magic Warrior¡±¡­! ¡¹ I was astonished when I saw Seiya surrounded by a dazzling light. ¡¸Im¡­Impossible¡­You¡¯re kidding, right!? You can change your profession on your own without asking Enzo in the Light of Hope!?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing that prevents me from using that gramps¡¯ cheap skill. I¡¯ve seen it once, and I¡¯ve mastered it.¡¹ What he said was tremendously rude. But, this hero¡¯s skills had a precedent of being acquired in a short span of time. For example, Elle¡¯s Fire Arrow or my Appraisal skill. Did¡­Did he really changed his profession?¡­That¡¯s right!! I¡¯ll check it out by using my clairvoyance ability!! If he changed his profession just now, he probably didn¡¯t use his camouflage skill just yet!! I tried to activate my clairvoyance ability to find out about his ¡°newly¡± acquired profession¡­ Ryuguuin Seiya Profession ¨C Magic Warrior (Earth Attribute) Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 321960 MP ¨C 88155 Attack ¨C 293412 Defense ¨C 287644 Agility ¨C 268875 Magic ¨C 58751 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡­ I¡­I saw it!! So, he really changed his profession to Earth Magic Warrior!! And¡­Ehhhh!? ¡¸No. Don¡¯t look. ¡¹ Seiya noticed that I was using the clairvoyance ability on him, and activated his camouflage skill immediately. His status became like a sandstorm and disappeared from my sight. Anyway, what Seiya said to me was true. Seiya changed his profession on his own. Even so¡­there was something more surprising than that. ¡­Le¡­Level MAX!? Since when!? No, no¡­wait a second!! It made sense!! He killed lots of beast men within these last few days!! His level had this tremendous jump because of his ¡°real training¡±!! Besides that, this ¡°training¡± was combined with his ¡°experience gain increase¡± by default!! That¡¯s why his level raised so much!! It was natural that his level went up by going up against that many enemies. However, this hero probably didn¡¯t notice this because he never raised his level and ability value by increasing it in an ordinary way: defeating the enemy. Without knowing what I thought, Seiya touched his glossy black hair. ¡¸I achieved my goal of killing 300 beast men by defeating the batman. At the same time, the information extracted from Bunogeos is complete. There¡¯s no point in being here anymore.¡¹ Bunogeos distorted his face when he heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸What are you talking about!? Aren¡¯t you ready to fight me here and now!?¡¹ ¡¸Ready, you say. Yeah, I guess so¡­ ¡¹ The cautious hero grabbed the Platinum Sword out of his sheath. It had been a while since he held this sword. He swung the sword back and forth brilliantly so that his arm adapted to its touch. After he became familiarized with it, Seiya pointed the tip of the sword directly towards Bunogeos. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 64 Chapter 64: Speech Suppression ¡­It¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve heard those words¡­!! Seiya had defeated many fearsome enemies with his overwhelming powers after professing that particular line. But, I mustn¡¯t rest assured. Bunogeos was a terrible and formidable enemy. Bunogeos¡¯ agility value was weaker than Seiya¡¯s. However, the enemy¡¯s other abilities were somewhat equal to Seiya even at his level MAX. In addition, Bunogeos had skills such as ¡°Evil God Protection¡± and ¡°All Magical Attributes Reduction¡±. He even had a weapon that could destroy our souls. I was sure that this would become a close fight just like the one against the Warlord Emperor. This was not an enemy to be underestimated. ¡­Seiya was the one to start the terrifying battle. He swung his sword at a transcendent speed by displaying the power of his level MAX, and aimed directly at Bunogeos¡­Instead of attacking the enemy, Seiya destroyed the table next to Bunogeos, who stood surprisingly still. ¡¸Ehhh!? ¡¹ I was so shocked by that occurrence. Everything that stood on the table shattered into millions of sparkling glass-like debris. Bunogeos laughed. ¡¸*grins* That¡¯s a pity. What you broke wasn¡¯t the ¡°Cursed Sphere¡±. It was just an average crystal ball on top of that table. The Cursed Sphere is hidden in a place where you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡¹ ¡°Attack Bunogeos with a sword to distract him and aim directly at the Cursed Sphere¡±¡­I thought it was Seiya¡¯s plan. However, even after knowing that that crystal ball wasn¡¯t the Cursed Sphere, Seiya didn¡¯t change his usual bored expression. ¡¸I just destroyed your means of communication with the Grand Lion. I assumed you¡¯d try to seek his help after getting in trouble at the end of this fight.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What did you say¡­!? ¡¹ Bunogeos¡¯ eyes became full of rage and his nose convulsed because he was made a fool. Seiya swung his sword back and put it away on his sheath. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Why!? ¡¹ ¡¸The sword will be used for the finishing blow. Until then, Earth Magic will be enough. By the way, I reached level MAX for the sole purpose of this fight. In fact, even if I was at a lower level, I¡¯m sure that I can win this fight with certainty.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh!? Then, why did you spent three whole days tracking Bunogeos!? ¡¹ I was amazed. On the other hand, Bunogeos¡¯ face turned bright red! ¡¸Do¡­Do¡­Don¡¯t mess with me!! You bastard!! ¡¹ He swung his axe and rushed directly on Seiya¡¯s direction! However, soon after, Bunogeos made a loud noise and fell down unexpectedly! ¡¸Ahhh!? What!? ¡¹ When I looked closer, I noticed that something was entangled on Bunogeos¡¯ ankles! It seemed like a thick rope at first glance¡­But, it moved! It looked like a strange brown snake! Before I knew it, the living rope extended from under the floor where we came out and tied itself to Bunogeos¡¯ legs without him noticing! Wa¡­Was that¡­Earth Magic!? Yes, this type resembled the Automatic Phoenix!! It was a remote-controlled magical snake that only powerful wizards could create!! The Earth Snake, entangled on Bunogeos¡¯ legs, lifted its head, opened the mouth and tried to eat the enemy¡¯s waist¡­ ¡¸This thing!! What the hell is it doing to me!! ¡¹ When Bunogeos used his axe to destroy the eating snake, the earth-made animal transmuted its body into sand and scattered on the floor. ¡¸*laughs* This wasn¡¯t a big deal! ¡¹ Bunogeos showed a victoriously expression, but on that moment, the floor around him made a cracking sound and was torn apart! Dozens of Earth Snakes appeared from those cracks! Furthermore, more of those Earth Snakes came from the wall and windows! Seiya spoke with a dull voice. ¡¸Hundreds of Earth Snakes are surrounding the mansion. You cannot escape. Besides that, your fellow beast men won¡¯t be able to come here to save you. This place became a nest of Earth Snakes.¡¹ Since¡­Since when did he make this incredible amount of Earth Snakes!?¡­I¡­I see! Seiya didn¡¯t waste those three whole days just to track Bunogeos with Cave Along! He took that time to create this amount of snakes using Earth Magic! And, he made sure that this power surrounded this mansion as well! These Earth Snakes were crawling from the holes with astonishing numbers! There were holes in the wall, ceiling and on the floor! They appeared from everywhere! All of them approached Bunogeos with killing intent! My spine froze at sight of this creepy scenario! This looked like a devil¡¯s attack! It no longer looked like a brave hero¡¯s skill that was meant to save the world! The hundreds of snakes jumped all at once to Bunogeos. On that moment¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t take me lightly!! ¡°God Chopper¡±!! ¡¹ Bunogeos started wielding his axe fiercely! The Earth Snakes, which were about to eat Bunogeos, turned to dust and scattered on the floor by the wind pressure of his weapon! ¡¸Wha¡­What a fearsome power¡­!! ¡¹ I was astonished. The force from his attack destroyed dozens of Earth Snakes in a blink of an eye. Bunogeos saw how successful he was and smiled wickedly. ¡¸Those are snakes made of magic. Once they return to the soil, they won¡¯t be able to regenerate anymore¡­¡¹ Bunogeos¡¯ other hand, the one without the axe, touched his chest and removed all of his upper steel equipment. ¡¸Eh!! ¡¹ I was surprised when Bunogeos removed his breast armory! A huge mouth stood between his chest and his stomach! It had teeth and it was widely opened! ¡¸I¡¯ll swallow all of your Earth Snakes!! ¡¹ Swa¡­Swallow!? He must be joking, right!? No¡­No way¡­!! I turned my eyes on Seiya¡¯s direction to seek his help. ¡¸What should we do, Seiya!! He wants to swallow us into that mouth, right!? ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. This technique is one of his skills. Okay, Lista. It¡¯s your turn. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! Me¡­Me, you say!? What on earth are you suggesting!? ¡¹ ¡¸Sink. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya shook up his arms¡­ *beating sound* His fist pierced through my brain abruptly! ¡¸Ahhh¡­Ugh!? ¡¹ *slurping sound* After receiving the powerful fist of the mighty hero, my body fell to the damaged floor and was buried into the soil! ¡¸You¡­You¡­You¡­Why did you do this to me!! ¡¹ I screamed at Seiya after I saw that the lower half of my body was buried. At that point. ¡¸Die!! ¡°Vacuum Shredder¡±!! ¡¹ After Bunogeos command, the large mouth between his chest and stomach made a weird noise! Soon, everything in the room, including the Earth Snakes started being sucked into that mouth at a tremendous speed! It was so noisy that it shook my ears! The swallowing force was so strong that my prideful blonde hair was about to be sucked as well!! ¡¸Whoaaaa!! ¡¹ Bunogeos didn¡¯t want to just swallow us! He wanted to destroy our souls by using his axe with the power of the Chain Destruction the moment we approached him! ¡­Bad!! This was extremely bad!! We¡¯re going to be killed!! I was impatient, but I managed to endure Bunogeos¡¯ vacuum power because my lower half was buried in the ground! And¡­Seiya was the usual Seiya as always! He grabbed my shoulders, since I couldn¡¯t move, preventing him from being swallowed by Bunogeos! ¡¸Hey¡­Wait a second!! What are you doing!? I¡¯m not a ¡°supporting stick¡±¡­ ¡¹ Although I tried to scream at him, I realized that my situation was similar to a romantic setting. It looked like Seiya hugged me from behind my back. Wha¡­What¡­? Wait, this was¡­actually, great. Somehow, it felt nice¡­Yes, I¡¯ll let it be. Yes, I¡¯ll be a supporting stick. I shall support him firmly so that he won¡¯t fall down. Because, I was a stick. My head turned into a field of flowers for a brief moment. But, soon, I was quickly brought back into reality. ¡­The numerous Earth Snakes that filled the room disappeared in an instant! I didn¡¯t see even one of them anymore! Bunogeos stopped his vacuum power. After closing the large mouth on his stomach, Bunogeos laughed with satisfaction. ¡¸*grins* I turned everything into pieces! ¡¹ He¡­He was a terrible monster after all! Seiya won¡¯t have a choice but to use his sword to fight seriously against him! But, this monster had the Vacuum Shredder! We won¡¯t be able do anything when he activates that power! How could we fight against this formidable opponent? Contrary to my dismay, Seiya released his hands from my shoulders and faced Bunogeos without any sort of defense mechanism. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? You can¡¯t let go of me!! You¡¯ll be sucked in if he activates the Vacuum Shredder again, you know!?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no need to worry about that. The outcome of this match is evident. ¡¹ Then, Seiya spoke in a lighter tone. ¡¸Bunogeos. You seem to think that you crushed and destroyed all of the Earth Snakes. But, you¡¯re wrong. It looked like you destroyed them, but the Earth Snakes that you swallowed were mixed up with the sand that you sucked in as well.¡¹ ¡¸Ah? What did you say? ¡¹ ¡¸And, that¡¯s happening right now. All the soil and sand that you swallowed into your stomach have transformed back into Earth Snakes.¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­!! It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Your ¡°outside¡± is protected by the skill of All Magical Attributes Reduction. But, I wonder if your ¡°inside¡± is protected as well or if it¡¯s unexpectedly fragile?¡¹ Bunogeos looked at Seiya with an angry face! On that moment, Seiya shouted with an unsympathetic gaze! ¡¸Eat this¡­¡°Transform Automatic Naga*¡±. ¡¹ Soon, Bunogeos¡¯ stomach swelled up! It looked like several long and thin sticks were trying to pierce out from his skin! I wanted to close my ears because the sound of ripping meat was too unbearable for me to take¡­ *agonizing screams* The Earth Snakes broke from the inside of Bunogeos¡¯ body! *scary screams* I screamed when I saw that horrifying scene! The Automatic Naga came out from everywhere except his limbs! They crawled out, tore his flesh and he bleed incessantly! When the last animal crawled out from the body, Bunogeos vomited black blood from both of his mouths in the head and stomach! His huge body fell dramatically to the floor! ¡­Bunogeos didn¡¯t move an inch after a long while. ¡¸Is¡­Is it over? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ Seiya grabbed my head with one hand and pulled me out from the ground without mercy! ¡¸*yells* How dare you pull me off abruptly like that!? Am I a radish in a crop!? ¡¹ I got angry at the bad treatment I received, but Seiya ignored me as always. I tried to calm down. And I changed my bad mood in order to admire him for defeating Bunogeos. ¡¸Anyways. It was amazing, really. You defeated Bunogeos without using your sword. Moreover, it was a complete victory without much danger. Your Earth Magic is incredible¡­¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. I think this magic is better at the deceiving the enemy than any other magic. If one uses this magic well, then it will be possible to defeat an enemy with great status.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! With this type of magic, you¡¯ll be able to defeat the Grand Lion without much problem!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s too early to say that for certain. It won¡¯t do any good to use only Earth Magic from now on. I have to learn other abilities. For that purpose, I need to go to the heavenly world. I have to destroy that Cursed Sphe¡­re¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah! About that! Where is it? Bunogeos said that he hid that on a place that we won¡¯t be able to find it¡­¡¹ I became worried. Therefore, I tried to look for it on his room immediately. Before I knew it, the large body of Bunogeos was standing up! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! He¡¯s alive!! He¡¯s still alive!! ¡¹ A cautious Seiya told me that ¡°the outcome of this match is evident¡±! That¡¯s why I believed on his words without any doubts! Bunogeos was alive even after his body was ripped from the inside! He was bleeding black blood endlessly! His life force was unbelievable! Yes, that¡¯s why Exfolia was named a SS-rank difficulty world! Both Seiya and I forgot about it! How conceited we were! ¡¸Not yet¡­It¡¯s not over yet¡­! ¡¹ As he spoke, Bunogeos thrust his right finger into his left eye! ¡¸Whoa! ¡¹ That was a terrifying scene! Bunogeos pulled his left eyeball with his finger! ¡¸*laughs crazily* This is¡­the ¡°Cursed Sphere¡±¡­! His Lord the Demon King inserted it on my body¡­! This sphere possesses enough magical power to enclose the whole town with a spell barrier¡­If I swallow this power, my ability will improve dramatically¡­! ¡¹ And then, Bunogeos placed his eyeball¡­no, the Cursed Sphere into his mouth! ¡¸This will be your defeat because of your irrational actions and recklessness!! Just look at this amazingness!! This is my second form!! It¡¯s called ¡°Beast Hazard¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ I was getting to anxious. However, unlike me, Seiya was not that disturbed by this occurrence. ¡¸A second form. I thought this could be interesting. But, is there¡¯s anything special about it? I¡¯m not that surprised but I¡¯m a bit confused. If you intended to beat me, why didn¡¯t you eat your eyeball from the beginning to power up? If you did that, then your chance of victory would¡¯ve increased a little. Well, anyways, I just need to prevent you from going any further than this.¡¹ Just when Bunogeos put his eyeball inside his mouth¡­ *cough* Bunogeos¡¯ throat got swollen! Something came out from Bunogeos¡¯ throat and ate the Cursed Sphere that went inside his mouth! While holding the sphere, this thing arrived on Seiya¡¯s foot! ¡¸I told you before. The outcome of this match is evident. ¡¹ Like Bunogeos, I was at a loss of words at the sight that happened right in front of my eyes! What held the Cursed Sphere was¡­an Earth Snake! The snake appeared from Bunogeos¡¯ mouth, stole the Cursed Sphere, and gave it to Seiya! ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! There was one left inside the body¡­!? How¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Bunogeos¡¯ HP is high. There was a possibility that he wouldn¡¯t die even if the Automatic Naga inflicted a fatal injury on his body. Therefore, it was necessary to keep one snake behind just in case a half-dead Bunogeos decided to counterattack. Well, it was just a precaution.¡¹ The snake made a sound and crushed the Cursed Sphere when Seiya gave a sign with his finger. Bunogeos showed an expression of fear and he stepped back. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s this¡­! Who¡­Who the hell are you¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I destroyed the Cursed Sphere. And now, just as I promised, I will kill you with my sword.¡¹ Seiya drew the sword from his sheath and took a small breath. The Platinum Sword reacted to Seiya¡¯s breathing sound and shined brightly. The air vibrated in the room. It didn¡¯t inflict any damage. But, it felt like death itself. I had no idea how to describe this feeling. On the other hand, Bunogeos yelled loudly. ¡¸You¡¯re na?ve if you think you¡¯ve won just by defeating me!! His Majesty the Grand Lion will visit Galvano in the evening!! You won¡¯t stand a chance!! This kind of small tricks won¡¯t work against the overwhelming power of the ferocious beast emperor!!¡¹ Seiya held the Platinum Sword with both hands and pointed the top of his sword against the enemy. Before long¡­ ¡¸Atomic Split Slash¡­! ¡¹ The magical sword slash that I often saw in Geabrande was resurrected in Exfolia! The moment the sword stroke on the top of Bunogeos¡¯ body, a roar was heard and a shockwave was felt! It was just like a big explosion! The floor of the mansion was greatly destroyed and a huge crater was created on the ground¡­ In the middle of the crater stood a lifeless Bunogeos¡­ ¡¸It looks like he¡¯s dead¡­But, let¡¯s strike him two or three times more, just to be sure. ¡¹ Again, an unforgiving and unstoppable attack was done just like before¡­ ¡ª Seiya used the power of his Atomic Split Slash at his level MAX. But, Bunogeos was still intact. I activated my clairvoyance ability without hesitation. It confirmed Bunogeos¡¯ death. Even though he was dead, Seiya continued to use his Earth Magic powers against the corpse of the enemy. Seiya decided to send the corpse into the abyss of the Endless Fall alongside the axe with the power of the Chain Destruction. ¡¸Hey, listen, Seiya! The Grand Lion is coming here! Isn¡¯t it better for us to run away now? ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t show any panicking emotions. Instead, he put the finger on his chin. It looked like he was thinking deeply about something. ¡¸He decided to inspect Galvano after his conversation with Bunogeos just the day before. It looks like this enemy is a very skeptical one. Well¡­It¡¯s just an assumption.¡¹ Finally, Seiya instructed me to open the portal to the God¡¯s realm. I tried to open the portal carefully. ¡¸Ah! The white barrier inside the portal is finally gone! We will be able to return! ¡¹ ¡¸Bunogeos said that the Grand Lion would arrive in the evening. That¡¯s about one hour from now. Assuming that he might come earlier than expected, I should train for about 30 min in the God¡¯s realm. I have to learn new abilities in other to defeat the Grand Lion.¡¹ 30 min¡­In other words, two days accordingly to the different flow of time in the God¡¯s realm. I wondered if it would be okay with just that amount of time. No¡­Let¡¯s enjoy the current momentum! Finally, I will be able to return to my home, the God¡¯s realm! I won¡¯t have to eat Death Earthworms anymore! I will have a toilet to sit on and I will be able to take a bath! I went through the portal while I smiled vigorously at Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯m glad! I¡¯m finally free from the underground life! Seiya! You must be happy too! You started to get crazy as well!¡¹ ¡¸Whom are you talking about. Don¡¯t compare me with you. ¡¹ ¡¸There you go again! You were laughing like this ¡°oink oink¡±! I¡¯m sure that I heard you correctly! It looked like you lost your mind!¡¹ ¡¸That was for the future. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Ah? What does that mean? ¡¹ It was only after we returned to the God¡¯s realm that I understood the meaning of Seiya¡¯s words¡­ Volume 2 - CH 65 Chapter 65: The Goddess of Change After crossing the portal, we arrived in the courtyard of the God¡¯s realm. From the intense evil energy of Exfolia to the pure aura of the God¡¯s realm. The gap was tremendous. ¡¸Ah! We finally came back! ¡¹ After inhaling and exhaling big amounts of fresh air into my lungs¡­ ¡¸Lista!? ¡¹ I heard a familiar voice and I turned around. In the middle of the courtyard¡­Aria stood under a garden table with a parasol. She looked at us with surprising eyes. She stood up from her chair and came running on my direction. ¡¸I was worried about you all this time! ¡¹ I remained in Exfolia for nearly a week before coming home. That means that it has been two years in the God¡¯s realm because of the different time flow. The gods living in the God¡¯s realm, including myself, had eternal lives. Their sense of time was different from human beings. For gods, it didn¡¯t matter much how many hours or years it takes. However, Aria had tears in her eyes and looked extremely delighted to see me again. ¡¸The crystal ball didn¡¯t show anything about Exfolia and I heard that the enemy had weapons with the power of the Chain Destruction¡­I was so worried about you two!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Aria! But, somehow, everything went okay! ¡¹ Aria smiled at me. Nonetheless, after seeing our outer appearances, her smile faded away and she looked quite sad. ¡¸Really? Even though you look so worn-out? ¡¹ I lowered my eyes and looked at my body. I was covered in mud and my skin was dirty because of the long underground life. Then¡­ ¡¸She¡¯s right. You don¡¯t look like a goddess¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸And¡­the smell is terrible too, Li¡­Lista¡­ ¡¹ I heard familiar voices. When I looked up, I saw both Celseus and Adenela. They pinched their noses as they approached me. ¡¸No¡­No, I¡¯m like this because I lived under the soil for a long time! ¡¹ The three of them looked closely at Seiya without paying attention to my excuse. Likewise, Seiya looked dirty¡­ ¡¸Seiya looks¡­somewhat wild! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. So¡­So cool. ¡¹ ¡¸His vibe is totally different from Lista¡¯s. I feel like her bitterness has increased. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­!? Why!! ¡¹ I shouted at them. Seiya lived in the same harsh environment as I did, but even so, I was the only one dirty and stinky!? I didn¡¯t understand the reasoning behind all of their remarks!! When I got upset, Celseus gave me a cup of steaming coffee. ¡¸Just drink this. It¡¯s an Expresso. ¡¹ Suddenly, I noticed a difference in Celseus¡¯ attire. He wore a vest and had a bow tie on his lapel. ¡¸Why¡­Why are you wearing those clothes? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, this! Actually, some things happened while you two were gone! I finally started the cafe shop that I desired so much! It¡¯s called ¡°Cafe de Celseus¡±! It¡¯s a wonderful place where everyone can relax for a moment! ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ If I looked closely at my surroundings, I could see that several garden tables scattered around in the courtyard. It looked like an open cafe. That¡¯s why both Aria and Adenela were gathered in the courtyard¡­But, wasn¡¯t Celseus the Swordsman God? Why did he become a cafe¡¯s master? Well, if everyone was okay with that, then I guess it was acceptable¡­ After serving me a hot coffee, Celseus offered me something that looked like several ¡°branches of a tree¡±. ¡¸It¡¯s my new churros! They¡¯re delicious! ¡¹ He even grabbed my hand by force!! He put the plate on my hand immediately!! I usually didn¡¯t eat his food. But, I was extremely hungry. I ate the churros that he presented to me on a plate. ¡¸How¡­How is it? Are they good? ¡¹ ¡¸Delicious! They¡¯re delicious! ¡¹ ¡¸Really!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! They¡¯re far better than Death Earthworms! ¡¹ ¡¸I see. I¡¯m glad¡­Wait, did you say Death Earthworms!? I don¡¯t know anything about that, but I¡¯m not that thrilled to have that sort of comparison with my food!!¡¹ Celseus looked at me with distrustful eyes. I coughed when the mood changed between us. Therefore, I moved sideways and presented some of the churros on a plate to Seiya. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you hungry? Would you like to try this out? ¡¹ However, Seiya looked at the plate with scornful eyes. ¡¸I don¡¯t want death churros. ¡¹ ¡¸Why did you call them ¡°death churros¡±!? They¡¯re normal and delicious churros, you know that!?¡¹ Seiya looked directly at Aria after ignoring a screaming Celseus. ¡¸Aria. I want to practice with the god I asked you before. Is it possible to go now? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. We¡¯ve talked about that a long time ago, but¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go then. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait¡­Wait a second, Seiya!! Don¡¯t you have to change your clothes!? Don¡¯t you want to take a bath first!?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave that stuff for later. ¡¹ Seiya walked out with Aria, leaving behind a very upset Celseus, who held his ¡°death¡± churros on a plate, and a sad Adenela, who wanted to talk with Seiya for a bit longer. ¡ª ¡¸I think it¡¯s okay to take a little break once in a while¡­ ¡¹ I tried to complain with a proper reasoning. And yet, I was completely ignored. At this precise moment. Seiya followed Aria, who climbed a soft slope of a mountain. We were heading for the ¡°Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡± from the God¡¯s realm. I¡¯ve seen the majestic sight of this mountain from the temple, but I never climbed it before. I¡¯ve heard that gods skilled with the art of senjutsu* inhabited the ¡°Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡±. After walking for a while by stepping pebbles, we arrived at a hut on the foot of the mountain. It resembled a log house. Aria knocked on the hut¡¯s doors. ¡¸Rusti. It¡¯s Aria. Are you inside? ¡¹ I followed both Aria and Seiya, who entered the hut instantaneously¡­When I stepped inside; I was so surprised that I fell back immediately. There was a cyclops inside the hut! ¡¸Ehhh!? Why is there a monster in the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ Yet, soon as he grabbed a book on the bookshelf, the cyclops glittered with light. Then, the large body of that monster shrank in an instant. When the light faded away, I saw that a girl stood there with a book on one hand. It was a young girl like Eich of the Light of Hope. Still, she wore a silk garment and behaved like an adult woman. The girl explained after she saw my astonishing expression. ¡¸The bookshelf is too tall for my height. That¡¯s why I changed into a cyclops. ¡¹ Aria smiled and introduced her. ¡¸This is Rusti, the Goddess of Change. ¡¹ ¡¸Goddess of Change¡­? ¡¹ When I gazed at Seiya in a confusing way, he began to explain as if it were bothersome. ¡¸Exfolia is a world full of monsters. So, originally, I wanted to master the art of change before starting the quest. I thought it would be safer if I transformed into a monster myself. Well¡­that was the original plan until someone screwed it up.¡¹ I was embarrassed and I kept silent. Yet, Seiya continued to stare at me. ¡¸That ¡°someone¡± is¡­you Lista. It was your fault. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I perfectly know that!! You don¡¯t have to constantly remind me of that!! ¡¹ I wanted to change the topic, so I approached the young girl. I bent my knees and showed her a smile. ¡¸Well, nice to meet you, Rusti! I am Listarte! You can call me Lista! ¡¹ Soon after, Rusti wrinkled between her eyebrows. ¡¸Hey you, how dare you treat me like an idiot? I am a superior goddess unlike you. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh. ¡¹ ¡¸Lista! Rusti is a goddess who has lived for ten thousands of years! ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so!? I¡­I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry!! ¡¹ But, I¡­I didn¡¯t know about that! Both her appearance and voice resembled those of kindergarten children! Rusti looked at me with repulsive eyes. ¡¸You¡¯re full of dirt and you stink. Are you, perhaps, the ¡°Goddess of Filth¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m not!! I¡¯m a Goddess of Healing!! ¡¹ I tried to deny it desperately. Then, behind my back¡­ ¡¸Get out of my way. Goddess of Filth. ¡¹ At the same time, I screamed after the shock I received on my buttocks! ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ Seiya kicked my butt and I rolled to the other side of the hut! ¡¸Eh!? You two aren¡¯t getting along well!? ¡¹ ¡¸About that¡­many things happened since then¡­it seems that I¡¯m less than a weed now. ¡¹ Aria looked astonished because Seiya kicked me in the butt. I tried to explain in a reasonable way. And then, Seiya spoke to Rusti as if nothing happened. ¡¸A question. Can I become transparent by using the art of change? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve only transformed into a person or monster so far. And, of course, the abilities and status won¡¯t change just because you transformed into something else. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. That¡¯s fine. Well then, I¡¯d like to learn the art of change as soon as possible. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. If you have the proper qualities of a hero, I think you¡¯ll be able to master the art of change in one week.¡¹ ¡¸No way. I want to learn it within 10 hours. ¡¹ Soon, Rusti¡¯s face became clouded. ¡¸Don¡¯t underestimate the art of change. Disguise and change are different. Voice, smell, physique, presence¡­This divine skill has the power to transform into anything, even into our enemies. You can¡¯t learn it overnight.¡¹ Rusti rose her tinny arm on our direction. ¡¸Just observe. You must remember the monsters that lay within your subconscious¡­And then, you invoke a spell of this skill¡­¡¹ After the spell was cast, Rusti¡¯s arms glittered and they transformed instantly into a mighty cyclops¡¯ arm! ¡¸It takes at least three days to do this. It seems easy, but, in fact, it requires a considerable effort to make it happen.¡¹ Nevertheless¡­ ¡¸Is that so? ¡¹ Seiya transformed his arm into a cyclops¡¯ arm exactly the same way like Rusti¡¯s spell. ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­Have you learnt the art of change? ¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m using it. ¡¹ ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s harder to change your voice! You need to cast this spell while recalling your opponent¡¯s voice¡­Then, your voice will change into a thick voice like, for example, a cyclops¡¯ voice¡­¡¹ Rusti began to speak in a lower tone that resembled a cyclops¡¯ voice¡­ ¡¸Oh. Do you mean it like this? ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s voice transformed immediately into a cyclops¡¯ voice. ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡­!? ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­Aria and I left the hut with a peace of mind. We smiled at each other while walking down. ¡¸He¡¯ll be able to master that skill quite quickly! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Maybe he won¡¯t even need the 10 hours! ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s formidable learning abilities were no longer surprising to Aria. But, Rusti was so astonished that her eyeballs almost popped out from her face¡­ ¡¸Ah. That¡¯s right, Lista. You must go to Lady Isister¡¯s room. She wants to talk with you. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What is it? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything bad. It¡¯s okay for you to take a bath first and get dressed up before going to see her.¡¹ After descending the mountain, I returned to the temple and took a hot shower in the bathroom. I changed into a clean dress, arranged my hair and I headed to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. ¡ª ¡¸Listarte. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. ¡¹ As usual, the Great Goddess Isister sat on a chair while she knit pleasantly. She gave me a warm smile upon my arrival. ¡¸I apologize for making you worry. ¡¹ ¡¸I heard from Adenela. She told me that the enemies in Exfolia had weapons with the power of the Chain Destruction¡­¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister hardened her expression after saying those words. ¡¸There¡¯s one thing that bothers me. The mist that covered Exfolia disappeared for a brief moment when you destroyed the Cursed Sphere. I could see some of that world through my crystal ball. However, I couldn¡¯t feel the presence of the Demon King Artemaeus.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What does that mean? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. Even now, I can¡¯t feel anything from there. Yet, I have a premonition that horrible things are about to occur¡­¡¹ Afterwards, she slowly stood up from her chair. ¡¸I think saving Exfolia is beyond the rules of your punishment. Let¡¯s head to the almighty world of the innermost gods. I¡¯ll ask them to reduce your punishment.¡¹ ¡¸Thank¡­Thank you very much! ¡¹ I was deeply grateful to the Great Goddess Isister for her kindness. The Great Goddess Isister was gentle like a mother. However¡­will it work? The almighty world of the innermost gods¡­I never been there myself even though I knew it existed. I also didn¡¯t know where it was. ¡ª The Great Goddess Isister went to the ¡°room that stops time¡±. That place stored all of the god¡¯s souls that lived an eternal life. No one was permitted to access without proper authorization, except for the Great Goddess Isister. The Great Goddess Isister cast a spell to unseal the door. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt a soft and mysterious feeling. ¡¸This way. ¡¹ I walked quietly behind the Great Goddess Isister. I saw countless of shelves in a row containing the souls shining ¡°lamps¡±. After walking for a while, the shelves ended. At the end of the corridor stood a large decorative painting displayed on the wall. The mysterious painting showed a winding road that connected a temple to a cliff. ¡¸This place is the almighty world of the innermost gods. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister held my hand and walked towards the painting! ¡¸Whoa!? ¡¹ I went inside the canvas¡­ I realized that I was on a winding road. On the other side, I saw that a temple that stood on a cliff. We went inside the painting for real. We walked on a path that led to the stone steps in front of the temple. Then, the Great Goddess Isister stopped and knelt down. I imitated her and knelt down as well. ¡¸Our innermost gods, the three pillars of our world¡­Brahma, the God of Creation. Nemesil, the God of Reason. Chronoa, the Goddess of Time¡­I am Isister, the high-ranking deity in charge of the God¡¯s realm. I, thereby, stand by your presence to request an audience with you¡­¡¹ I could hear a majestic voice of a male god that came from the depths of the temple. Yet, I didn¡¯t see any physical form. ¡¸What do you want¡­Isister. ¡¹ ¡¸Lord Nemesil, the God of Reason. I have a sole wish to make. It regards the punishment given to goddess Listarte. She was sentenced to save the SS-rank difficulty world Exfolia without any of her powers. However, this punishment restrains the possibility of a triumph.¡¹ ¡­The Great Goddess Isister explained that the enemy of Exfolia had weapons that could destroy the souls of gods by activating the Chain Destruction. Continuing with the quest meant that the real soul would be in permanent danger. It could be destroyed forever. However¡­ ¡¸Isister. The judgement is absolute. It won¡¯t change. Listarte and Ryuguuin Seiya will have to save Exfolia on those circumstances.¡¹ After we heard that harsh voice, the Great Goddess Isister responded with a calm tone. ¡¸Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better for goddess Listarte to retain her powers at least? ¡¹ ¡¸No. That¡¯s a punishment. She won¡¯t be forgiven. ¡¹ Her request was denied immediately. On that moment¡­ ¡¸Nemesil. Aren¡¯t you too harsh on them? ¡¹ I could hear a goddess¡¯ voice that emerged from the depths of the temple. ¡¸We, as parents of all gods, have a duty to protect our children. Although saving Exfolia is an unchangeable punishment, some exemptions are necessary as long as the enemy has a weapon capable of killing gods.¡¹ ¡¸Goddess of Time, Chronoa. Are you against the punishment order that I have appointed as the God of Reason?¡¹ ¡¸Well then, Nemesil. Are you okay with this even if our children are killed? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I was saying. ¡¹ ¡¸Yet, you didn¡¯t deny what I was saying to you. ¡¹ The ethereal atmosphere turned into a divine quarrel between the innermost gods. Soon, a neutral voice echoed unexpectedly. ¡¸Both gods. Calm down. ¡¹ Then, both Nemesil and Chronoa became silent like water. The Great Goddess Isister whispered on my ear. ¡¸The foremost authority of the three pillars of our world. It is Lord Brahma, the God of Creation¡­¡¹ This new voice belonged to our Supreme God¡­Brahma, the God of Creation!! The tension increased after I heard Brahma¡¯s voice, the father of all gods!! ¡­Wha¡­What was Brahma¡¯s opinion on this matter!? Would he take my side!? Or, would he take Nemesil¡¯s side after all¡­!? Brahma¡¯s voice echoed majestically through the almighty world of the innermost gods. ¡¸Nemesil. Chronoa. Listen carefully. In fact, without the Order, Listarte¡¯s healing powers are the same as that of medicinal herbs.¡¹ !! Lord Brahmaaaaa!???? I almost cried when I heard the harsh words of the Supreme God. Chronoa and Nemesil were both indignant. ¡¸Medicinal herbs¡­you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Even though, she¡¯s a goddess¡­? ¡¹ Nemesil asked Brahma the following. ¡¸Are you saying that her healing powers are not strong enough? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. They¡¯re excessively useless. ¡¹ The Supreme God just said that my powers were ¡°excessively useless¡±!! After a moment of silence, Nemesil, the God of Reason, professed the following command. ¡¸All right. In that case, I¡¯ll release the divinity order of restraint held upon the useless goddess Listarte¡­The healing powers shall be available for now on¡­.¡¹ ¡ª When we came back from the almighty world of the innermost gods, the Great Goddess Isister put her hand on my shoulder and nodded silently. I wanted to ask her about many things. But, I finally managed to get my healing powers back. I was grateful. Therefore, I suppressed my feelings for now. Volume 2 - CH 66 Chapter 66: A Mermaid¡¯s Sorrow I thanked the Great Goddess Isister. When I tried to leave the ¡°room that stops time¡±¡­ ¡¸Listarte. Take this with you. ¡¹ A voice echoed inside my head. ¡¸It¡¯s an historical data. But, it could be useful for you. ¡¹ This voice was familiar to me. That¡¯s right. It was the voice of Chronoa, the Goddess of Time. After she professed those words, a piece of paper came flying overhead. ¡¸Her Eminence Lady Chronoa¡­? ¡¹ After I got the piece of paper, I looked above my head and asked what that was. I got no reply. I looked closely at the paper¡­and I was shocked to see what was written in there. The Demon King Artemaeus Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 1092174 MP ¨C 354788 Attack ¨C 817772 Defense ¨C 806584 Agility ¨C 789834 Magic ¨C 665473 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡¸The¡­The status of the Demon King Artemaeus!! ¡¹ Next to me, the Great Goddess Isister nodded when I shouted aloud. ¡¸Her Ladyship Chronoa has prepared that for you. ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, is it all right!? Can I really get access to the data about the Last Boss!?¡¹ ¡¸This data was registered when Artemaeus defeated the hero¡¯s party and received the blessing from the evil god. Therefore, there isn¡¯t any problem to give you the old data.¡¹ I had a look at the data again. No special skills nor resistances were written on the paper. Even so, it was an amazing status altogether. I was speechless to see a dreadful ability value that I¡¯ve never seen before. The Great Goddess Isister was staring at me with a serious expression. ¡¸Although the battle just started, I don¡¯t think any human hero has defeated an enemy with a status as great as this one. It seems that saving Exfolia will be more difficult than I ever imagined it would be.¡¹ When she noticed my nervous look, the Great Goddess Isister changed her tone. ¡¸You are in the middle of an imminent crisis, am I correct? After finishing what you have pending, please tell Ryuguuin Seiya to come to the God¡¯s realm again. In order to make your journey a little easier, I shall make another proposal to the innermost gods of the almighty world¡­¡¹ ¡ª I parted ways with the Great Goddess Isister. Afterwards, I made a rice ball and a simple side dish and put them inside a bento lunch box. Then, I headed to the hut in the ¡°Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡±. I was about to drop the meal box when I opened the hut¡¯s door. It was Bunogeos! He was right in front of my eyes! In my head, I was probably aware that it was due to the art of change. Still, the atmosphere was quite intense and I felt a sense of intimidation just by looking at that devilish large body. ¡¸Ah, sorry¡­but, is it you¡­Seiya¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ Even his voice resembled Bunogeos¡¯ voice! I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell them apart! Then, I finally realized it. That¡¯s right! Seiya was planning to use the art of change to transform into Bunogeos! He decided that a long time ago! That¡¯s why he waited three days to examine Bunogeos even though he could win that fight immediately! That explained the ¡°oink¡± sound! He was practicing during that time! He didn¡¯t lose his mind! After emitting a bright light, Bunogeos returned back to Seiya. ¡¸It seems that you¡¯ve already mastered the art of change! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I was able to learn this quicker than originally planned. ¡¹ ¡¸What? Speaking of which, where is Lady Rusti? ¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s sitting over there. ¡¹ A young-looking Rusti was sitting on a triangle chair in the corner of the room. ¡¸La¡­Lady Rusti!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Leave me alone. ¡¹ She was feeling quite upset. I think I knew why she was behaving like that. She must¡¯ve lost her confidence after watching Seiya¡¯s incredible learning speed. I left her be alone for the time being. ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right! Seiya! I can use my healing powers again! The Great Goddess Isister asked the innermost gods for permission to give my powers back!¡¹ Seiya just shook his nose and only said ¡¸Yeah ¡¹. ¡­Wha¡­What was that! Why such a bored face! I bet he was secretly happy, was I wrong? I activated my Appraisal skill after a long time. ¡ïLista¡¯s Heart-Throbbing Love Appraisal¡ï ¡òWhat is the degree of affection between you and him? ¡º5 points ¡» ¡òWhat do you represent for him? ¡ºMedicinal Herb Woman ¡» ¡òWord of Advice! ¡ºRecognized as a ¡°Walking Medicinal Herb¡±! It is better to have this herb than not having anything!¡» ¡­YES! I was no longer less than a weed! I became a medicinal herb woman! It was better than before! And, the affection points got higher by 4 points! Great¡­ When I slightly jumped in delight, I heard Rusti¡¯s voice from the corner of the room. ¡¸Hey¡­What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Somehow, I¡­became sad all of a sudden¡­ ¡¹ I was far from feeling depressing emotions, but I had to hide my excitement. I heard Seiya¡¯s voice then. ¡¸Hey, Lista. You said something about the innermost gods. What kind of gods are they?¡¹ Seiya put his finger on his chin while I explained. ¡¸They are the God of Creation, the God of Reason. And, the Goddess of Time¡­ ¡¹ He closed his eyes and started mumbling. ¡¸Time¡­Saturday¡­Paradox¡­Past¡­Doll¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ Soon after, Seiya opened his eyes and nodded as if he was convinced about something. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a soliloquy. Don¡¯t worry about it. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­? Ah, look at this! Her Eminence Lady Chronoa gave this to me! It¡¯s the data of the Demon King Artemaeus from one year ago!¡¹ He took the paper sheet from my hands and looked carefully at the contents. He was silent for a brief moment, but he didn¡¯t change his expression. ¡¸Both the attack and defense powers are beyond the powers of Geabrande¡¯s Demon King.¡¹ ¡­Oh¡­! This Demon King was stronger than Geabrande¡¯s Demon King was, and Seiya had to use the Destruction Operation Method the Final twice, namely the ¡°Valhala Gate¡±, in order to defeat it! Yet, Seiya lost his life to accomplish that victory¡­! Although I knew the seriousness of our situation, I felt a greater sense of despair. Was there any technique capable of defeating such an overpowering enemy? Rusti, who has been depressed until now, stood up and approached us. She looked at the paper sheet and she changed her complexion. ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s ridiculous. This enemy is stronger than our gods are. Are you people going to be all right?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­! ¡¹ In such a tense atmosphere, Seiya stroke further despair. ¡¸You said that this was past data. If that¡¯s correct, then that means that the Demon King might have achieved a further power-up since then.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, Seiya! The Demon King already reached level MAX, right? If this is true, then¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I reached my level MAX as well. Besides, I¡¯m trying to find a way to somehow overcome this. In order words, the enemy could be thinking about the same thing just like me.¡¹ ¡¸Co¡­Come to think of it, the Great Goddess Isister told me that she didn¡¯t feel any sign of the Demon King Artemaeus in Exfolia! That could be¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It would be reasonable for us to think that he already has the power to break through all his limits.¡¹ Our despair grew when we thought carefully about it and we all felt weak and hopeless. After a long silence inside the hut, Seiya raised his voice to change the gloomy atmosphere. ¡¸Anyways. Now we have to focus on surpassing the upcoming inspection by the Grand Lion. If I could, I would rather choose to go by myself. However, saving Exfolia is your punishment, Lista. Therefore, I must take you with me. So¡­¡¹ Seiya looked at me with sharp eyes. ¡¸You will change into a monster as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Me¡­Me, you say!? I can¡¯t!! I didn¡¯t learn the art of change, you know!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. She taught me the mysterious ¡°art of object change¡± and I¡¯ve mastered it. One can use it to change others according to the invoker¡¯s wishes.¡¹ As soon as he professed those words, Seiya stretched his right hand on my direction. ¡¸You will become a mermaid. ¡¹ ¡­Eh? Me¡­Mermaid? Did he meant the mythological mermaids? Oh my! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve admired those mystic but beautiful creatures! Bu¡­But, mermaids had no legs¡­Would it be all right? Soon, the light wrapping around my body gradually disappeared. I was shocked when I saw my appearance through the full-length mirror that Rusti brought me. ¡­A head of a tuna fish. ¡­A lumpy body covered with mossy scales. ¡­A fishy smell overflowing from the whole body. I transformed into a fish-man standing upright on two legs. ¡¸No, this is not a mermaid!! It¡¯s a fish-man!! ¡¹ ¡¸I saw a fish-shaped beast man in Exfolia. I remembered his visual and used it for you.¡¹ ¡¸Why did you choose a fish-man in the first place!? ¡¹ ¡¸According to my research, fish-men are less intelligent than other beast men are. They can only talk the short fish language ¡°glu, glu¡±. Summing up, you won¡¯t have the need to talk about unnecessary things. Besides, there¡¯s a little possibility that you¡¯ll annoy me with a useless talk. This monster transformation is perfect for you.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke with me!! Bring my original appearance back!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. This is not a joke. Take this seriously. ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I don¡¯t want to!! I am a goddess!! I refuse to look like this even if I have to die¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Lista. ¡¹ Seiya exhaled a deep breath after he heard my fish-man tantrum. ¡¸Then, show me what useful things you can do for my sake. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ That serious tone was unusual given Seiya¡¯s character. I felt utterly frustrated with this. Nonetheless, avoiding this predicament was impossible for me. ¡¸I¡­I understand¡­I¡¯ll endure it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Good. Let¡¯s start the special training from now on. ¡¹ Afterwards, Seiya began to lecture me how to behave like a fish-man. He said, ¡¸No matter how much you perfect your fish-man¡¯s figure. They¡¯ll get suspicious if you behave strangely.¡¹. He spoke without stopping. ¡ª ¡¸Listen carefully. Don¡¯t speak the human language in Exfolia without my permission. If you want to say something, just say ¡°glu, glu¡±. ¡¹¡­ ¡¸I decided on some signs for us. If you move your mouth two times, it would mean a yes. Three times will be a no. Also, let¡¯s decide on a sign in case the enemy sees it. For that case, move your glands on the same number of times. ¡¹¡­ ¡¸Wrong. You should walk more like a fish-man. ¡¹¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t get close to aquatic beast men of the same type. In case one of them speaks with you, just remain silent.¡¹¡­ ¡¸You still have long ways until you¡¯ve become a full-fledged fish-man. Throw your human side away. Remember, you are a fish-man. ¡¹¡­ ¡ª I was taught by Seiya how to be a fish-man. I did my best to meet his expectations. Rusti grinned after seeing my fish-man looks walking around helplessly inside her hut. I even embraced my smelly odor for my practice. I could hear Rusti say that my ¡°fishy smell stinks¡±. Meanwhile, Seiya worked hard to improve his Earth Magic by handling the soil outside of the hut. When I asked him about that¡­ ¡¸I would like to be fully prepared just in case the Grand Lion finds out about us. It¡¯s just a precaution. If I could, I¡¯d like to find the God of Earth and learn more about the properties of this magic. But, I don¡¯t have time for that now. I shall leave the full mastery of Earth Magic over to the next time.¡¹ I went back to the hut to resume my fish-man walking training. I made sure to speak ¡°glu, glu¡± while walking. ¡ª ¡­One hour has passed already. Rusti watched me with a serious expression and spoke with a voice of admiration. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing, Lista! You¡¯ve become the perfect fish-man! The remnants of a goddess¡¯ character are fully gone!¡¹ ¡¸Glu. Glu, glu. Glu. ¡¹ ¡¸Lista!! What¡¯s wrong with you!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­I forgot the human words¡­ ¡¹ Seiya came to the hut as well. ¡¸Okay. It looks like you¡¯ve become a real fish-man. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ When Seiya approved my fish-man impersonation, I opened the portal to Exfolia. Seiya transformed into Bunogeos once again. ¡¸The purpose of our next trip to Exfolia is to pass the Grand Lion¡¯s inspection with the body of Bunogeos and convince him that he killed the hero. But¡­¡¹ Seiya¡¯s eyes transformed into Bunogeos¡¯ eyes, looked extremely sharp. ¡¸¡­If I have a chance, I¡¯ll kill the Grand Lion and then I¡¯ll change myself to become just like him. That¡¯s what I have in mind.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! Understood! ¡¹ I asked Seiya before going to the portal. ¡¸Seiya¡­What about ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s up to you. ¡¹ ¡­I guess so. Volume 2 - CH 67.1 Chapter 67: The Hero¡¯s Miscalculation (1) Per Seiya¡¯s request, I opened the portal in the hut and directed it onto an abandoned house near Bunogeos¡¯ mansion. Seiya, transformed into Bunogeos, opened the door of the portal. I thought he was going inside the door, but instead, he took a slender thing from his chest. That thing left Seiya¡¯s hand, crawled in the ground and went beyond the portal. ¡¸Was that an Earth Snake? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s an Automatic Naga specialized in reconnaissance. The Earth Snake¡¯s eyes are connected with my eyes.¡¹ Seiya closed his eyes and kept silent for a while¡­ ¡¸Okay. I confirmed that there weren¡¯t any beast men in the vicinity. Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ After securing our safety, we finally went through the portal. ¡ª After the portal disappeared, Seiya looked out through the window of a dimly lit room. He kept reminding me of the rules. ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t speak the human language from now on. Do you understand? ¡¹ I nodded as I said ¡¸glu. ¡¹. Seiya has been extra cautious lately. Seiya opened the door immediately and began to roam freely on the town of Galvano. He walked quietly just like Bunogeos. I also did my best to walk like a fish-man and followed Seiya closely behind. Eventually, two dog-faced beast men noticed Seiya and I, and came running on our direction. ¡¸Lo¡­Lord Bunogeos! Where have you been all this time! ¡¹ ¡­It was going to be okay, right? I hoped they never find out about us¡­! My heartbeat was going maddeningly fast. Yet, I didn¡¯t see any signs of nervousness on Seiya. ¡¸Yeah. I killed the hero, but I was injured. I¡¯ve been taking care of it up until now. ¡¹ He spoke with a deep and extended voice. It sounded quite rough. When I looked closely at him, I noticed that Seiya-Bunogeos had bruises all over his body. Blood was overflowing from his left eye, the place where the Cursed Sphere was hiding. It was strange. It really looked like he fought with the hero for real. But, in reality, it was just Seiya. The beast men continued to talk with Seiya without any suspicions. ¡¸So, His Majesty the Grand Lion hasn¡¯t arrived in town yet? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. He¡¯s not here yet. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, I shall make the proper preparations for the arrival of His Majesty the Grand Lion. Hey, you two. Tell him to come to my mansion once you see him.¡¹ The beast men lowered their heads and said, ¡¸Understood. ¡¹ in unison. Seiya started walking away. I pretended to be Bunogeos¡¯ attendee, and followed him quickly. ¡­Oh. They didn¡¯t find out about our true nature. The art of change was really an amazing skill! ¡ª We met some beast men along the way. Still, none of them was aware of our disguise. Before long, we arrived at Bunogeos¡¯ mansion. After examining the entire mansion, Seiya closed his eyes in the center of the main room. Perhaps, he was using one of his Earth Snakes to explore the area. Soon, Seiya approached me and whispered on my ear. ¡¸Okay. It¡¯s all right to speak only if we whisper. ¡¹ I shrugged my shoulders. The situation was great, we were alone and whispering to each other. Nevertheless, it was a conversation exchange between a pig-faced orc and a fish head monster. There wasn¡¯t anything romantic about this¡­ ¡¸It seems that we have time until the Grand Lion comes to town. I will place the Earth Snakes around the mansion. They will attack at any time¡­Lista. You should clean up this room to some extent. But, don¡¯t clean excessively. There should be signs of previous fighting.¡¹ I rearranged the room while Seiya went outside. Shortly afterwards, Seiya brought a young man and a young woman held in chains. Seiya-Bunogeos tied the frightened man and woman to the edge of the room as if they were pets. He¡­He even brought human slaves! It wasn¡¯t necessary to prepare this much¡­! ¡¸Lista. These slaves are¡­No, wait a moment¡­ ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s movements stopped unexpectedly. He glanced at me and nodded in silence. ¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! He¡­He finally arrived¡­! The Grand Lion¡­! It has been proven that the beast men didn¡¯t notice our true identities. But, for some reason, my fast heartbeat didn¡¯t slow down. My instinct as a goddess was ringing like a warning bell. Soon, I heard a high sound. The vibration shook my earlobes. It seemed like a strong galloping horse. Beyond the broken window, I saw a large beast riding a carriage pushed by two dragons. The goat-shaped beast man steered the cart. The grand enemy was sitting in a place with a proper back seat to rest his shoulders. The beast had a lion¡¯s head with a long golden mane that swung in the wind. The body looked thick and rough, and was covered by a black armor. I didn¡¯t see a sword, but he was well-equipped with black claws on his hands. They looked like sharp knives. It looked like he had a burnt human arm on one of his hands. He carried it to his mouth. ¡­Who¡­Whoa¡­he was chewing a human arm¡­! That¡¯s the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion¡­! Even if he was far away, I could feel a full sense of intimidation. He was emitting a powerful black aura much stronger than any other enemy I¡¯ve seen in Exfolia so far. Seiya-Bunogeos, who watched the same scene next to me, became¡­ ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard a quivering voice. ¡¸What¡­is that ability value¡­! ¡¹ Apparently, Seiya was looking at the status of the Grand Lion. Even so, was Grand Lion¡¯s status so amazing that even Seiya got that surprised? I also activated my clairvoyance ability. When I saw the Grand Lion¡¯s ability value¡­ Beast Emperor the Grand Lion Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 1200044 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 856121 Defense ¨C 819637 Agility ¨C 807711 Magic ¨C 58754 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Wind, Lightening, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Jet Black Nail Personality ¨C Villainous The Attack power¡­was above 850,000¡­!? What on earth was this thing¡­!! I shook Seiya-Bunogeos¡¯ shoulder with my trembling hands. ¡¸This can¡¯t be true!! It¡¯s impossible!! Camouflage!! It¡¯s a fake, isn¡¯t it!? He¡¯s showing a fake status by using the camouflage skill, right!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t speak with a loud voice. What you saw was, without a doubt, the enemy¡¯s true status.¡¹ ¡¸But!! Why are the attack and defense powers higher than the powers of the Demon King Artemaeus!?¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. As originally planned, we¡¯ll try to succeed in passing the Grand Lion¡¯s inspection. Just that and nothing else.¡¹ Then, he turned at me with icy eyes. ¡¸I have no time to explain all the details. Anyway, just keep silent no matter what happens from now on. Did you hear me? No matter what happens. We¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t stay silent.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡­I understand¡­ ¡¹ I knew that, but my mind was in a panicking state!! A subordinate that exceeded the ability value of the Demon King¡­Wasn¡¯t this an unusual occurrence!? I couldn¡¯t stop shaking. I heard footsteps approaching from outside the door. I wasn¡¯t able to control my terrified demeanor and, then, the door slowly opened¡­the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion revealed its majesty. ¡¸¡­Your place is a bit tattered. Hey you, was it because the hero showed up at your house?¡¹ He muttered after looking at the room. It was a low and impassioned voice that echoed through my internal organs. After looking at Seiya-Bunogeos, the Grand Lion threw a glance at me. He stared at my eyes for a short moment, but his eyes turned back to Seiya-Bunogeos once again. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for Bunogeos, the ruler of this town, to have his own underling beast. ¡¸Bunogeos. It looks like you¡¯re wounded. Are you okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Some¡­Somehow, I beat that annoying he¡­hero¡­but, that bastard was tough¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You defeated him huh. Well, you¡¯re not supposed to lose against a mere human, are you?¡¹ On that moment, Seiya-Bunogeos touched the wall abruptly. He made a painful sound. ¡¸Hey, hey. Are you all right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh. Oink. Yeah, somehow. ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that the fight was rough. I know that your injuries are not light, but I need to continue with the inspection. Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do it quickly.¡¹ ¡­I was impressed by Seiya¡¯s acting ability. Great! It will be harder to notice some differences if he acted as if he was seriously injured! If the enemy noticed some behavioral irregularity, it could still be fooled because he was hurt! ¡¸So, the purpose of this inspection is¡­ ¡¹ The Grand Lion decided to visit Galvano two days ago. It was during that time that Seiya was killing the beast men with the Burst Air. In other words, it was decided that, based on their conversation, that the Grand Lion would come here to help Bunogeos. The plan was to defeat the hero together. However, Bunogeos apparently defeated the hero. So, what was the purpose of this inspection¡­? My spine froze when I heard the Grand Lion¡¯s following words. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this clearly. The focus of this inspection is you, Bunogeos. I¡¯m here to confirm that you are yourself.¡¹ ¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What did he just say¡­!? ¡¸The evil god with mottled hair told me this, ¡°there is a possibility that the hero defeated him and transformed into him¡±.¡¹ The¡­The ¡°evil god with mottled hair¡± again!! And¡­this was bad!! This was tremendously bad!! Our actions were foreseen by the enemy!! We¡¯re going to die¡­!! Volume 2 - CH 67.2 Chapter 67: The Hero¡¯s Miscalculation (2) The enemy had foreseen our plans!! Everything will be ruined for sure!! The Grand Lion continued to speak about his inspection¡­ ¡¸Sorry about this, but I¡¯ll just examine you with two or three questions. If I determine that you¡¯re the real Bunogeos, I¡¯ll wrap everything up.¡¹ The Grand Lion approached Seiya slowly and looked fixedly at him. They stood very close to one another that even their breaths collided¡­They were both silent. Ten seconds of silence felt extremely long to me. ¡¸The smell, aura, ability value¡­There is no mistake that you are Bunogeos. ¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course, I am. ¡¹ The Grand Lion asked a question after Seiya-Bunogeos laughed amiably. ¡¸What happened to the corpse of the hero you¡¯ve defeated? ¡¹ ¡¸I wanted to capture him alive. But, in the end, his body shattered into small pieces. ¡¹ ¡¸He was formidable enemy, huh. It can¡¯t be helped, then. But¡­Are you really telling me the truth? You didn¡¯t eat him, did you?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way. O¡­Oink¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Next question. There was a certain conversation we¡¯ve had on the crystal ball not too long ago¡­Do you remember that? I want to hear the answer to my question.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, what? An answer, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸I asked you before. The ¡°exact number¡±, you know. You were supposed to answer me with the exact number, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ The Grand Lion stared fiercely at Seiya with haunting eyes! Still, I felt slightly relieved! The number that the Grand Lion was asking for¡­Was the ¡°total number of beast men killed by the hero¡±! I heard it when we were below Bunogeos¡¯ mansion! We listened to his conversation for research purposes back then! So, that harsh mole life was useful after all! It was just for the sake of this moment! He has been thinking about becoming Bunogeos even before he defeated him¡­Just as expected of Seiya! He never misses anything! ¡¸Hey. What¡¯s wrong? You said that you¡¯ll look into that later, didn¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Tell me, Bunogeos. ¡¹ The Grand Lion was looking at him with suspicious eyes. I became upset and impatience with the delay of his answer. What¡­What¡¯s wrong with you, Seiya!? Did you forget about the number because of this stressful situation!? You¡¯ve exterminated 300 beast men!! The enemy¡¯s suspicion will subdue if you said that exact number!! ¡¸Why can¡¯t you tell me? Hey! ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­About that¡­Well¡­ ¡¹ Sweat dropped from Seiya-Bunogeos¡¯ face! Under such circumstances, a violent aura started to overflow from the Grand Lion¡¯s body! ¡¸Just tell me¡­you bastard¡­if you can¡¯t¡­I¡¯ll kill you¡­! ¡¹ Eh, eh, eh!? Wh¡­Why!? Why didn¡¯t he answer him!? My breathing rate became disturbed under the pressure of this panicking situation! However¡­ ¡¸¡­Okay. I dislike that forgetting habit of yours. ¡¹ Just when he was about to jump with a murderous intent, the Grand Lion loosened his fierce face and became calmer again. Eh¡­! Wha¡­What happened just now¡­? ¡¸It seems it¡¯s you, Bunogeos. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I apologize¡­ ¡¹ I¡­I got it!! He knew Bunogeos¡¯ true character!! Therefore, he didn¡¯t answer that question and pretended not to know the exact number of kills!! Pe¡­Perfect!! This was too perfect!! ¡¸Well¡­It seems there is no mistake that you¡¯re the real you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Su¡­Surely. I¡¯ve been myself since the beginning. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, that was what the mottled hair implied to me. The crystal ball showed some noisy disturbance a couple of days ago. That could¡¯ve been the hero¡¯s doing.¡¹ A couple of days ago¡­That was when Seiya became cautious once again! In other words, Seiya expected that the enemy would see him and, by using the camouflage skill, he disturbed the enemy¡¯s crystal ball with noise? Even¡­Even so¡­! ¡¸The noise hasn¡¯t cleared away completely. Based on the mottled hair¡¯s words, the hero is alive and continues to interfere with our lives¡­It seems there¡¯s a possibility he¡¯s deceiving us. So, there¡¯s a valid reason why the evil god with mottled hair said that ¡°the hero tracked and examined the enemy and successfully disguised as Bunogeos¡±.¡¹ Then, the Grand Lion slammed his fist on the table. The table was destroyed without a trace in an instant due to his fearsome strength. ¡¸That damned mottled hair! Making things harder for me! I¡¯m mad now! I shall finish this immediately! There¡¯s an easier way to know the truth! Yes! A simple way to distinguish between humans and demons!¡¹ The Grand Lion pointed to the slave women that trembled in the corner of the room. ¡¸Bunogeos. This is the last ordeal of this inspection. That woman¡­kill her! ¡¹ The woman started to cry when she heard those terrifying words. Seiya-Bunogeos also made a shaky voice upon hearing that command. ¡¸Is¡­Is it all right? Murder is forbidden on this town. ¡¹ ¡¸Today¡¯s an exception. Kill her. ¡¹ I was sweating excessively from my body. No¡­No¡­No way!!There was no way that he¡¯ll kill a human being!! Seiya-Bunogeos brought those slaves for the sake of his disguise!! But, things escalated this quickly!! Those slaves looked absolutely frightened as they shook their heads continuously!! ¡¸You can kill her. You¡¯ll be able to do it without any problems because you¡¯re not the hero.¡¹ The Grand Lion put his hand on Seiya-Bunogeos¡¯ shoulder. And then¡­ ¡¸Oh¡­Oh well. I¡­I have no choice then¡­ ¡¹ Seiya-Bunogeos pulled the axe from his back. ¡­That axe was not really an axe! It was the Platinum Sword affected by the art of change! There¡¯s no way to avoid this now! He¡¯ll probably make it look as if he were about to kill that slave, and then, attack the Grand Lion by surprise! And, afterwards, try to find a way to escape from this place somehow¡­ However! My speculation was totally different from reality! Seiya-Bunogeos came close to the slave woman, swung his axe and slammed it on the woman without saying a word! The attack was so strong that the floor broke alongside with the woman! It created a large crater on the ground! I was completely petrified by the unbelievable scene that unfolded right in front of my eyes. ¡­Im¡­Impossible¡­!! Seiya¡­killed a slave¡­a human being¡­!? Seiya-Bunogeos spoke tranquilly. ¡¸I really wanted to eat that human. Oh my! Ah, sorry, don¡¯t take my words seriously! I was, oink, only joking!¡¹ ¡¸Okay. You¡¯re finally in tune with yourself, Bunogeos. ¡¹ The two of them spoke happily with each other. But, I couldn¡¯t stop shaking. The¡­There¡¯s no way that Seiya became a murderer!! He probably didn¡¯t kill that human!! It was probably a facade!! He probably prepared something for this ordeal in advance!! But¡­But¡­!! The moment he attacked the slave woman, her flesh spilled on my eyes. I saw that woman¡¯s limbs. They were destroyed in pieces and were on the verge of being swallowed by the moving sand of the crater¡­ Regardless of my duty, I slowly approached Seiya from behind. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­ ¡¹ As soon as I called his name, Seiya-Bunogeos looked back and held my arms tight. His eyes were widely open. Seiya whispered to me with a scary face, ¡¸Shup up! Be quiet! ¡¹. The Grand Lion looked at me with a suspicious expression. ¡¸Hey. Who the hell is that fish? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­yeah. He¡¯s an assistance of mine to look after my personal belongings. ¡¹ ¡¸Did he say something to you just now? ¡¹ The Grand Lion tried to approach me, but on the way, he frowned and shook his head. ¡¸Gosh. What a horrible fishy smell. ¡¹ I scratched my head and responded with fish-man words. ¡¸Glu¡­glu, glu¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What a bother. I don¡¯t know why we have tribes of beast fish-men. I never understand what they say.¡¹ The Grand Lion turned his gaze to Seiya-Bunogeos. ¡¸Sorry to keep you like this when you¡¯re badly injured. This is the end of my inspection. I¡¯m going back to Tarmine.¡¹ ¡­After talking to Seiya-Bunogeos about two or three questions of his inspection, the Grand Lion returned back to his carriage. Seiya-Bunogeos bowed his head to give a respectful farewell. I also bowed to replicate his gesture. Eventually, the door closed with a cracking sound. When I raised my head, the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion was no longer in the room. ¡ª I tried to speak with Seiya. But, he shook his head and closed his eyes. I became quiet when I noticed that it was not the right moment to talk yet. Seiya finally nodded. He probably used his Automatic Naga to see if the Grand Lion really left this place. ¡¸Hey, listen, Seiya!! You¡­You really¡­killed that slave¡­? ¡¹ I finally uttered the courage to ask him that question. On this moment, Seiya-Bunogeos grabbed my chest violently. ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ At the same, a shining light emitted from our bodies. Seiya and mine¡¯s appearance changed and we returned to our original bodies. And, right now¡­the hero was staring at me with crazily sharp eyes just like a fearsome hawk. ¡¸I told you to keep your mouth shut no matter what happened. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The Grand Lion didn¡¯t suspect you because you were lucky. We could¡¯ve suffered irreversible consequences if he decided to inspect you.¡¹ And then, Seiya beat me wildly. I fell on the floor with my buttocks. ¡¸Bu¡­But! Se¡­Seiya, you¡­and that slave¡­! ¡¹ Seiya approached the slave man, who trembled in the corner of the room, and held his hand. ¡¸Eh¡­! ¡¹ After the light disappeared, the man turned into a doll made of soil. ¡¸The slaves were a combination of Earth Magic and the art of change. I thought that the Grand Lion would suspect me. There was a possibility that he¡¯ll ask me to kill human slaves. Therefore, I placed two dolls made of soil in the room as a precaution.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I never thought you could do things like that as well¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸In addition to simple movements, I made those fake people speak a few words. Furthermore, I made sure to use the camouflage skill in order to reflect the general human status. Besides that, I activated the camouflage skill on both of us as well.¡¹ ¡¸You thought about everything¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Yet, no matter how well prepared I am, you always have the nerve to ruin everything.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¹ After I apologized, Seiya continued to speak. ¡¸I expected that an enemy, whose ability value could be closer in power to that of the Demon King, existed. It was just an assumption. But, to be honest, I never expected that an enemy with a status that exceeded the Demon King¡¯s would appear in the early stage of saving this world. We have to make major changes to our plans for the future¡­¡¹ It was unusual for Seiya to say that he only had an ¡°assumption¡±, and that he was mistaken in the end. His voice was also rough and serious. But, Seiya¡¯s frustration was undeniably accurate. In addition to the appearance of an enemy with an unexpected ability value, I was about to jeopardy everything that Seiya prepared so carefully. The Grand Lion could have killed us both if he discovered who I really was¡­ I felt an unbearable heavy atmosphere that surrounded our presence. Volume 2 - CH 68 Chapter 68: The Goddess¡¯ Declaration In any case, we escaped the predicament. I made the portal to the God¡¯s realm appear straightaway because I knew that the Great Goddess Isister wanted to meet with Seiya as soon as we got back. However, Seiya silently used his Earth Magic with the power of the art of change to create a Bunogeos doll. He placed the doll on a bed inside the room and covered it with a blanket. Apparently, he used that disguise to buy us time while we went to the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸Listen. Before we go, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to tell everyone of the Light of Hope that you defeated Bunogeos?¡¹ Yet, Seiya ignored me and went straight to the portal. ¡¸Wait¡­Wait a moment, Seiya!! Did you hear what I just said!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­The Grand Lion will exterminate everyone if he finds out about the Light of Hope. It¡¯s safer if they don¡¯t know about it for now. So, it¡¯s better if they continue to live underground.¡¹ He spit out those words without even looking at my face. We returned to the God¡¯s realm with the worst possible atmosphere. ¡ª The portal was connected with the corridor in front of the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. Seiya opened the door widely without even knocking. ¡¸Hey, old hag. Was that data really given to us by the gods of the innermost world?¡¹ He didn¡¯t even greet the Great Goddess. It was so abrupt and rude. Instead, he just asked her a question about only his interests¡­ ¡¸Yes. That was definitely the data given by Her Ladyship Chronoa, the Goddess of Time.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister confirmed that fact for Seiya. After that, she nodded while listening to what Seiya had to say. Both the explanations and complains. When she realized that the ability value of the Grand Lion surpassed the status of the Demon King Artemaeus, the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s face became afflicted. ¡¸If that¡¯s correct, then¡­ you should avoid a direct battle against the Grand Lion. His attack power exceeds the 850,000 points¡­That ability value is similar to the strength of Adenela, the Goddess of War once her divine power is completely unleashed after receiving the Order. I¡¯ll say it clearly. It is impossible for humans to defeat the Grand Lion. ¡¹ I was stunned and speechless. I became frightened by the fact that the highest-ranking deity in the God¡¯s realm, Isister, claimed that it was ¡°impossible¡± to defeat that enemy. ¡¸Then¡­Then, what should we do¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸There is a way. The outstanding strength of the Grand Lion must¡¯ve come from the immense protection of the evil god. If you overthrow the source of the Grand Lion¡¯s power, then his ability value will weaken.¡¹ Then, the Great Goddess Isister turned her eyes at Seiya. ¡¸Originally, I intended to tell you this for the ultimate battle¡­But, I can¡¯t delay it any longer. Ryuguuin Seiya. From this moment, I¡¯ll tell you about the ¡°Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram¡±. I already obtained the permission from the innermost gods.¡¹ I was so perplexed that I shouted aloud. ¡¸The Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram¡­!! ¡¹ On that instant, both Seiya and the Great Goddess Isister looked fixedly at my face. ¡¸Oh my. Listarte. Did you know about this? ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I don¡¯t know anything about it!! What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡­An awkward silence dominated the surrounded area. A few seconds later, Seiya finally spoke but with a serious expression. ¡¸Lista. You¡¯re a nuisance. Get out from here within five seconds. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay¡­I understand. ¡¹ I got out immediately. After closing the door, I silently pressed my teeth. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with him!! C¡¯mon!! It wasn¡¯t my fault for not knowing anything about it!! ¡ª ¡¸¡­The Secret of the Evil Six-Hexagram. I don¡¯t know much about the details, but I heard that it¡¯s the secret on how the gods used to defeat the mighty enemies of the evil god class.¡¹ I was in the room of the senior goddess Aria. After listening to the story, I exhaled a big and depressive sigh. Aria looked at me anxiously. ¡¸Are you okay? Lista? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­It¡¯s been so hard lately¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I know it¡¯s been tough. Many things have happened to you. But, drink this and cheer up. ¡¹ I tried to drink the warm tea with gentleness. However, I couldn¡¯t contain the frustration swelling inside my heart and I started to complain without stopping. ¡¸I have been doing my best, you know!? Even though I¡¯m a goddess, I ate Death Earthworms!! I even became a fish-man and had to speak ¡°glu glu¡±!! And yet, trampling was the only treatment I¡¯ve received so far!!¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, your life could¡¯ve been in danger if the Grand Lion found out about your identity, am I right? That¡¯s why Seiya is more angry than usual¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Is that really so!? I¡­I don¡¯t understand any of this anymore!! Was I really that important to him in our previous lives!?¡¹ Contrary to my frustration, Aria took a sip from her cup of tea with tranquilly. Then, she looked at me with a somber expression. ¡¸Listen, Lista. A reborn human won¡¯t be able to remember the past. The same happens to a human that was reincarnated as a deity. Do you know the reason why?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­That is¡­ ¡¹ When I couldn¡¯t give a proper answer, Aria responded with a firm tone. ¡¸¡±To forget everything and live the next life¡±. Forgetting is the best way to keep living earnestly without getting too lost within the memories of the past.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. ¡¹ ¡­I thought that Aria¡¯s statement was correct. Yet, my heart said, ¡°no matter what happened, Seiya was still someone very special to me¡±¡­I couldn¡¯t deny those feelings completely. ¡ª After leaving Aria¡¯s room, I headed in direction of the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. Of course, I just went in order to check on Seiya. ¡¸Excuse me¡­ ¡¹ After I said that and opened the door¡­Seiya was no longer inside the room. ¡¸Wha¡­What!? Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya already learnt about everything!? ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister smiled. ¡¸He is originally a fast-learner child. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to remember everything about the secret. Even so, he learnt about the difficulty of the Evil Six-Hexagram.¡¹ ¡¸So, where is Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸He is a very prudent child. He felt uneasy about only learning the secret. He said, ¡°I want to acquire new skills¡±, and went to meet with Valkyrie on the rooftop.¡¹ I had a very bad feeling about it for some reason. I gave my thanks to the Great Goddess Isister and rushed immediately to the rooftop. ¡ª When I opened the door of the top floor of the temple, I noticed a crescent moon and a full moon on the sky¡­The two moons shined brightly close to each other as if they embraced warmly. And¡­ Under the shining light of the moonlights from the God¡¯s realm, stood Seiya and Valkyrie! They were hugging each other passionately! ¡¸Heyyyy!? Why the hell are you both doing that again!? ¡¹ My ominous premonition was spot on! I screamed when I saw that d¨¦j¨¤ vu-scenario! But, they didn¡¯t notice my presence because they were fully absorbed on their own world of a fervently enamored hug! ¡¸Seiya. I knew that you¡¯d come back here one more time. ¡¹ ¡¸Valkyrie. Geabrande was saved thanks to your destruction technique. ¡¹ Moreover, their faces were so close that their breaths touched one another! ¡­Wh¡­Why!? Previously, Seiya and Valkyrie embraced each other naked for the sake of transferring the destruction technique¡¯s aura!! So, I thought that they didn¡¯t have a deep and romantic relationship at all!! ¡¸By the way, I forgot about the skills I¡¯ve learnt from the other gods. But, somehow, I remembered one of your skills, the Shattered Break. Why did that happen?¡¹ ¡¸Remembering the Destruction Operation Method is a sign of your commitment to me. You¡¯re not supposed to completely forget about it. You¡¯ll remember all of my skills in due time.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­Also, Valkyrie. I¡¯m looking for a way to go beyond the limits of my status. When I looked at your status before, I saw a special skill called ¡°Status Limit Breakthrough¡±. Therefore, I wanted to ask you if you know something that could help me?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a shame, but I was already born with that skill because I¡¯m a Goddess of Destruction. I don¡¯t know how to teach others about it.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­ ¡¹ After Valkyrie saw how dim-looking Seiya became after hearing her answer, she spoke hesitantly about a possible method of a limit breakthrough. ¡¸There is a way to go beyond the limits of your status within the depths of the God¡¯s realm. Isister mustn¡¯t know about this. I can¡¯t even bring myself to say it clearly from my mouth.¡¹ She¡­She wasn¡¯t able to tell clearly about the existence of that option!? In other words, didn¡¯t that means that it was a pretty dangerous way!? ¡¸Listen carefully, Seiya. It¡¯s in the Heavenly Green Forest. You¡¯ll find a hint in there. ¡¹ ¡­I was almost out of breath for standing quietly at the door. I rushed immediately on their direction to interrupt their conversation. I shouted aloud to show them my presence. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! The Great Goddess Isister taught you the secret, didn¡¯t she? That means you have a countermeasure to go up against the Grand Lion!! Why do you need to do such dangerous training now!?¡¹ Seiya looked at me with hateful eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s too late now for me to say ¡°I should¡¯ve done this before¡±. I can¡¯t be on my best shape if I remain like this. Therefore, practice is the only way to get serious about the next fight.¡¹ Valkyrie folded her arms and nodded in response. ¡¸Exactly. I know that very well. ¡¹ And then, she touched Seiya¡¯s cheek with her thin finger. ¡¸Things would be different if I were your goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. You¡¯re right. It would be easier to save Exfolia with Valkyrie instead. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡­!? ¡¹ I was trembling furiously from the ongoing humiliation. On that moment, Valkyrie approached Seiya and bounced her body next to his. ¡¸Seiya. Don¡¯t use the Celestial Prison-Gate again. I will miss you greatly if you¡¯re gone¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll try to avoid it as much as possible. ¡¹ The two of them had their faces extremely close to each other. It was as if they were about to kiss¡­ ¡¸Whoaaaa!! Stop it!! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t bear to witness that anymore. I stood in between those two and pulled them apart with my force. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with you!! Listarte!! ¡¹ At the same time, tears fell from my face. ¡¸Ahhhh!! If this was supposed to happen, then I wished he remained shattered into pieces after the battle against Geabrande¡¯s Demon King!!¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t you dare say those outrageous words! You¡¯re the goddess in charge! ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! Because¡­Because¡­ugh! *sobs* ¡¹ ¡¸Listarte¡­ ¡¹ For a brief moment, Valkyrie looked at me with a serious expression¡­However, soon after¡­ ¡¸*laughs aloud* that¡¯s quite a dirty way of crying!! Even though you¡¯re a goddess!! ¡¹ I got extremely angry when I heard her laugh. ¡¸What did you say!!!!!!! ¡¹ I was crying and shouting extremely high. I even struck Valkyrie, but as the Goddess of Destruction, meaning that she was the strongest deity in the God¡¯s realm, she thought it wasn¡¯t necessary to avoid my pathetic punch. She showed a disgusted expression then. ¡¸Seriously. C¡¯mon, Listarte. Pull yourself together. You¡¯re not human anymore¡­ ¡¹ ¡ª I followed Seiya to the Heavenly Green Forest as I continued to cry endlessly. There was a considerable distance to the forest from the rooftop of the temple. The sadness turned into pain after I started to walk the long distance. And then¡­ ¡­Ah. What did I do up there? I made a fool of myself¡­ My sadness and pain transformed into frustration and anger over time. That¡¯s right¡­! Valkyrie was absolutely correct! Aria also said the same think about Seiya and me! I was no longer Princess Tiana, who was in love with Seiya! I am a goddess now and Seiya is a human! From now on, we shall only engage in a strict professional relationship¡­! The entrance of the Heavenly Green Forest was illuminated by the moonlights. I wiped my tears on the sleeves of my dress and I shouted towards the hero¡¯s back. ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya!! ¡¹ The hero looked back at me with a bored expression. ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸I am a goddess!! And you are the hero I¡¯ve summoned here!! There isn¡¯t more nor less than that!!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s up with you. That¡¯s obvious. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right!! But, I had to say this in order to remember what I am once again!! ¡¹ I declared the following with a pressing heart. ¡¸Save Exfolia, Ryuguuin Seiya!! You¡¯re the talented one in a hundred million people!! Please, lend me your power!!¡¹ After staring at me as if he was looking at an idiot, Seiya snorted a small sigh, shook his nose and began to walk again. I followed him like always. But, I felt better with myself and the mood was clearer than before. ¡ª ¡¸¡­By the way, Mithis. Do you know a way to break the limit of my ability value? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. There is certainly a way. ¡¹ The bewitching Mithis, the Goddess of Bow, promptly answered Seiya¡¯s question. ¡¸Then, tell me. ¡¹ ¡¸*grins* I can tell you, but before that, I must ask you about the only thing that I¡¯m worried about.¡¹ After saying that, Mithis took a deep breath. ¡¸¡­Why am I suddenly tied up to this large tree? ¡¹ As soon as we found Mithis, Seiya approached her from behind and seized her with his sword. (EN: This is not a pun, he didn¡¯t use his ¡°sword¡±, he used his real sword) After that, he wrapped her around a large tree by using a rope. ¡¸You are a pervert who suddenly becomes naked and attacks. So, I took care of that first.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡¹ There were no objections. Mithis seemed to be convinced. She spoke with a serious voice while being tied up to the tree. ¡¸In the depths of this forest¡­there is an abyss where the power of the Great Goddess Isister can¡¯t reach¡­Seiya, you¡¯ll probably find a way of breaking through the limit of your power in there.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. The depths of this forest, you say. ¡¹ After listening to that story, Seiya turned around and walked away, leaving Mithis behind. I was surprised that he didn¡¯t untie her up. ¡¸Eh¡­Aren¡¯t you going to take the rope off? Even though you learned how to do it before¡­?¡¹ When I looked back at Mithis, I saw that her face was boiling red and she trembled incessantly. ¡¸AH!! To leave me tied up like this then!! I¡¯m getting extremely thrilled by this outcome!! ¡¹ ¡­Yeah. It was better to leave her like that. It¡¯s not as if she¡¯ll die anyways. We left Mithis behind our backs, and we proceeded to enter the deepest part of the Heavenly Green Forest. ¡ª As I walked silently, I noticed that the trees around me turned into a weird shape. The dense woods blocked the moonlights and made the visibility gradually worse. It felt as if I walked through the forest of the devil instead of the divine forest of the God¡¯s realm. I became scared and tried to grab Seiya¡¯s arm. But, I kept telling myself over and over again that ¡°I was a goddess! Seiya was a human!¡±. Therefore, I just walked silently with my fists tight. Seiya stopped walking unexpectedly. ¡¸Hmm. That is¡­ ¡¹ After passing through the creepy trees, we saw an old well in the middle of the grassland. ¡¸Why is there a well in a place like this¡­wait a second!! Don¡¯t tell me that this was ¡°that thing¡± that I¡¯ve heard before!!¡¹ ¡­It happened when I reincarnated as a goddess. Aria told me the following words when I was young and mischievous. ¡ºLista. You¡¯ll be in the well of no return if you don¡¯t listen to what I say. ¡» Then, I became scared and started to cry. ¡ºIf you don¡¯t want that to happen to you, then you should listen to what I have to say from now on.¡» And, Aria gently stroked my head. ¡­The ¡°well of no return¡±¡­! I thought it was a horror story that Aria created in order to discipline me¡­So, it really existed¡­! I touched Seiya¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! This isn¡¯t a good place! We have to leave! Aria told me before that my head would go crazy if I approached this well!¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s true, then you don¡¯t have a reason to be worried. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­? Wa¡­Wait¡­What does that mean, you bastard!! ¡¹ Seiya went to the well without hesitating. He didn¡¯t have any sense of cautiousness when it came to practice. ¡¸I would like to save Exfolia. But, in order to do that, I have to make some reckless decisions if I really want to break through my limits.¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but not with this!! ¡¹ The well had a rope ladder. When Seiya touched it to confirm his safety, he started to descend the ladder. I was apprehensive. Nevertheless, I followed Seiya. After we went down the ladder, we arrived in a dark, opened-space. ¡¸Is this the inside of this well? It¡¯s wider than I thought it would be¡­ ¡¹ I could see a cave that spread ahead of us. It looked like a modern tunnel made of concrete. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait for me, Seiya¡­ ¡¹ Seiya walked further inside the tunnel. I chased immediately after him. ¡¸Lay your body to the ground!! ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard a loud sound! Something that jumped out of the tunnel had hit me! *yells* I fell to the ground because of the shock! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What happened!? ¡¹ When I looked at my back, I noticed that someone with dirty camouflage clothes clashed into my body! I felt two soft objects on my back¡­Was that a woman¡­? But¡­But, living inside a well like this¡­? *weird screams* A woman with a messy hair screamed madly behind my back. She shook herself away from me and rolled down on ground by herself. Somehow, she reminded me of Adenela. ¡¸The magic blast of the enemy has exploded! In order to avoid damage, it has to expand to the left and to the right!¡¹ She looked ahead while screaming crazily. But, there wasn¡¯t anything beyond the line of sight. ¡¸The Armagezedah is still going on! ¡¹ ¡¸Armage¡­What on earth is this person talking about!? ¡¹ The moment I spoke, the weird woman in camouflage clothes opened her eyes and jumped at me! ¡¸Ehhhh!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you know the Armagezedah!? Are you a new goddess!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t know anything about it!! Sorry!! I apologize for being a new goddess!! ¡¹ Then, the woman with camouflage clothes slammed her fist on the ground. ¡¸In the Armagezedah First. Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, was with Isister when the squad of violence led by the god Merseys, cornered them to the edge!! Merseys defeated Valkyrie¡¯s destruction technique!! And, on that moment, stood Adenela, the Goddess of War, with the continuous gunshot sword¡­Oh gosh!¡¹ She unleashed her anger for a brief moment. Soon after, she let it loose suddenly. ¡¸However! I shall say it again ¡°However¡±! If we bring the ¡°State Berserk Phase 3rd¡±, which has been improved through repeated takes, no enemy will oppose us, even Adenela, the Goddess of War!¡¹ Somehow, I opened my mouth inadvertently after witnessing the mad scenario that this creepy woman created in front of us. She looked crazily at us with a grin and started to laugh insanely high. ¡¸What¡­What the heck¡­are you!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­I didn¡¯t introduce myself. How rude of me¡­ ¡¹ And then, the woman turned to me with frenzy and far-distant eyes. ¡¸I am the Goddess of War, Zeth. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 69 Chapter 69: Another Goddess of War The goddess wearing camouflage clothes scratched her messy hair. Her hair became messier than before. ¡­The¡­The Goddess of War, Zeth¡­! It seemed that this goddess knew how to break through the limit of Seiya¡¯s status¡­ Ah¡­What? She disappeared? Suddenly, I noticed that Zeth was moving like an animal on the ground. ¡¸*shouts crazily* For the Armagezedah Second! Exercises are essential¡­!!!!¡¹ Who¡­Whoa¡­! She was the same as Adenela¡­No, actually, I felt that this goddess was more abnormal! We have to be careful around her! However, Seiya spoke normally while looking down on Zeth, who crawled in hysteria. ¡¸Hey. She is an ¡°insane person¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸How can you say it so bluntly!? ¡¹ Even if it were true, how could he say it out loud on their first meeting!? There was something abnormal about him too!! ¡¸My level is MAX and I can¡¯t go further up. Do you know a way to overcome the limits of my ability value?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I know a way. ¡¹ Zeth stood up quickly and placed her face next to Seiya¡¯s eyes. ¡¸If you want to go beyond the limits of a human, then you must stop being a human yourself! Your physical power, except your magic, will double up if you become the non-human ¡°Berserker¡±!¡¹ Do¡­Double his status!? Was there a dream-like way to achieve double status, was this even possible!? If¡­If this was true, then there¡¯s no way that it will be easy to accomplish!! However, Zeth smiled at Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯ll teach you because I have free time! ¡¹ ¡¸Really!? You¡¯re kidding!! Is that simple!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been trapped in a well for too long now. I¡¯m getting bored. You can go out and return freely from this place. But, I won¡¯t be able to do that because of Isister¡¯s powerful barrier.¡¹ ¡¸I have a question before we start. Who has mastered it before? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Well¡­There was only one person who did it so far. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that skill dangerous to learn? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Well¡­At least you¡¯re not going to die. ¡¹ This¡­This was suspicious¡­!! Actually, it was too good to be true!! Doubling his status would be impossibly great¡­!! I called Seiya and whispered on his ear. ¡¸Li¡­Listen. It seems that this practice won¡¯t have any guarantee of your safety, am I right? Isn¡¯t it better to stop it now and go back?¡¹ ¡¸According to Isister, the Six-Hexagram can only be used once for a certain target. If that ends up a failure, then I¡¯ll need to have a second option in order to defeat the Grand Lion.¡¹ ¡¸But! You don¡¯t know anything about the risks of this practice! You might not even be able to master it on time!¡¹ ¡¸Valkyrie recommended this to me. She perfectly knew what I was getting into. In other words, I decided that it was safe to learn. It¡¯s worth a try.¡¹ He mentioned Valkyrie once again¡­ huh!? The overly cautious Seiya was really¡­trusting her completely¡­ Seiya told Zeth clearly. ¡¸Tell me how to accomplish the power that could defeat Adenela, the ¡°State Berserk Phase 3rd¡±.¡¹ Zeth shook her nose after hearing Adenela¡¯s name. There was no doubt that there was a feud between the two by the flow Zeth¡¯s the story so far. ¡¸Phase 3rd can quadruple up one¡¯s ability value. That¡¯s impossible for human beings to accomplish. It¡¯s even impossible to learn the Phase 2nd where it would triple up the ability value. Therefore, I will teach you how to master the first stage of State Berserk.¡¹ Zeth ventured into the dark tunnel and beckoned Seiya to follow her. Seiya entered the tunnel to chase after Zeth. But, before going further inside, he looked back at me only once. ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m training here. ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­I went back to the temple as I passed through the forest at night. State Berserk¡­Was it really that necessary to learn such a dangerous skill? I wondered if it wouldn¡¯t be possible to defeat the enemies with just the Six-Hexagram that the Great Goddess Isister taught him. Still, it was what Seiya decided to do. Besides, his training probably had already begun by now. So, there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to avoid it anymore. At that time. Unexpectedly¡­ ¡ºThis way¡­¡» I heard someone calling me in the forest during the darkness of the night. ¡ºThis¡­This way¡­¡» *screams* I got scared, closed my ears and ran away. After returning to the temple, I started to think carefully about the voice I heard in the forest. Perhaps, it was Mithis¡¯ voice. Seiya tied her up to a tree with a rope. ¡­I¡¯ll have to break her rope tomorrow. ¡ª The next day. ¡ª I made a lunch pack and headed to the well of no return. As I descended through the rope ladder, I saw that Zeth was walking in front of the tunnel. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me¡­Where is Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, are you asking where Ryuguuin is? He is inside the ¡°remodeling experiment chamber¡±¡­He is working hard in order to sustain his ¡°mental concentration¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say something outrageous just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t say anything at all. ¡¹ Zeth spread her arms wide when I tried to go inside the tunnel. ¡¸You¡¯ll be a hindrance to his training if you step inside. ¡¹ I had no choice but to give the lunch pack to Zeth. ¡ª Two days later. ¡ª I made another lunch pack for Seiya. I decided to pass in front of the cafe when I headed back to the forest. I heard Aria¡¯s voice. There was also Adenela and Celseus in the cafe. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What kind of god is Seiya training with this time? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Well¡­about that¡­you know¡­it¡¯s a great god indeed¡­it¡¯s teaching Seiya about a powerful skill!¡¹ Then, Adenela¡¯s eyes shined terrifyingly. ¡¸Wh¡­Why¡­are¡­your words¡­a bit¡­too vague? Whe¡­Where is¡­Seiya now? ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right! Sorry to bother you! Do you have a private room? ¡¹ Celseus looked at me with a stunned face. ¡¸What¡¯s that? If you¡¯re talking about a toilet, I don¡¯t have one in my cafe. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right, a toilet! I¡¯m busy now! I¡¯ll see you around! ¡¹ I was sweating so much because of my nervousness. I had to run away from there immediately. ¡­Ah, that was dangerous! From now on, I¡¯ll do my best to avoid taking the path in front of the cafe! ¡ª ¡­I went to the well of no return. But, I didn¡¯t see Seiya on this day too. Zeth was in front of the tunnel with a bamboo spear. ¡¸Come on, it¡¯s a revolution! The dawn is near!!!! ¡¹ I became anxious when I saw Zeth acting paranoid again. But, I noticed on the corner of the tunnel that the lunch pack I¡¯ve brought yesterday was empty. It seemed that Seiya ate the meal. I became a little relieved. ¡ª Then, the following day. I came back, but I didn¡¯t see Seiya again. I waited for a while in front of the tunnel. Nonetheless, it looked as if he wasn¡¯t likely to come out soon, so I decided to return reluctantly. However, after leaving the well of no return, I realized that I brought the chopsticks with me. Therefore, I returned back to put the chopsticks on the lunch pack. I went inside the well in a hurry¡­And, I saw something unbelievable. ¡¸Yummy! Yummy! This food ration is quite good! ¡¹ Zeth was eating the lunch pack that I brought for Seiya! ¡¸Hey, wait right there!! What on earth are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸Oops!! I know this is rude!! But, Ryuguuin is training! I didn¡¯t want the food to get rotten, so I was flattering myself with it!¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a second!! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve been eating his lunch packs all this time!? Seiya has not come out of that tunnel for three whole days!?¡¹ I became angry, so I ran into the tunnel. At the end of the dark tunnel, there was a glass-covered door. It had a plate that said the following words ¡°remodeling experiment chamber¡±. When I approached that door¡­ *roaring sound* ¡¸What!? ¡¹ That was a very huge scream! It sounded as if a fierce animal was standing behind that door! On the other side of the glass-covered door stood a demon with fangs and a vivid red hair. No¡­It wasn¡¯t a demon. Based on the clothes he was wearing, he was definitely¡­ ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Oh my, oh my. It¡¯s about time. He worked hard to transform in such a fine Berserker.¡¹ I heard Zeth¡¯s voice from behind my back. I turned around and I glared hatefully at Zeth. ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell is this!! What did you do to Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, this is exactly what he wanted. A crazy warrior. It¡¯s time to take a look at Ryuguuin¡¯s ability value¡­¡¹ Ryuguuin Seiya Profession ¨C Magic Warrior (Earth Attribute) / State ¨C Crazy Warrior Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 643920 MP ¨C 88155 Attack ¨C 586824 Defense ¨C 575288 Agility ¨C 537750 Magic ¨C 58751 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡­ ¡¸See! His status has doubled, am I not right? ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, even so!! Is Seiya even conscious!? ¡¹ ¡¸Naturally. Well, but I guess he isn¡¯t neither conscious nor rational. Right now, Ryuguuin is my own obedient puppet.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell did you say!? ¡¹ Zeth smirked while holding the key of the glass-covered door. ¡¸You are a foolish goddess. You didn¡¯t wonder why Isister hasn¡¯t mentioned this method even though the ability value could double this easily? No one is immune to the gruesome mental contamination after transforming into the crazy warrior. Even those who endured this training have become completely insane. Well, I didn¡¯t tell any lies. No one dies from this after all.¡¹ I was at a loss of words. Then, the door opened. *roars* Seiya, who turned into a crazy warrior, slowly appeared from the opened-door! The aura coming from his body was slightly different from an evil aura¡­It was ¡°Madness¡±! ¡¸Now, Ryuguuin has become a fighting machine that is only interested in battles!! Okay, let¡¯s destroy Isister¡¯s barrier and get out from this well for good!! And with this, I will officially start the Armagezedah Second!!!!!¡¹ Oh¡­Oh¡­Oh dear lord!! The Goddess of War, Zeth¡­she was really imprisoned on this well because of her disobedience and, now, she wants to be free!! This became a catastrophe after we asked for her help!! My head hurt! Zeth laughed maniacally! However, the crazy warrior was¡­ *roars* He groaned furiously, but didn¡¯t move at all. ¡¸Ah, oh my? You have to destroy the barrier! C¡¯mon! Hurry! ¡¹ ¡¸*roars* ¡­I refuse. ¡¹ After a moment of silence. Zeth yelled aloud. ¡¸You turned it down while groaning!? Do you still have a rational consciousness!? ¡¹ ¡¸*roars* ¡­Crazy warrior release. ¡¹ He spoke while groaning. Before long, Seiya¡¯s hair color returned to normal. His fangs were gone and his maddening state disappeared as well. I was amazed. On the other hand, Zeth pointed to Seiya with her trembling finger. ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s weird!! How is this possible!? He can¡¯t go back to being a human after he transformed into a ¡°crazy warrior that is only interested in battles¡±!! ¡¹ After hearing Zeth¡¯s words, I scratched my cheek awkwardly. ¡¸Ah, well¡­Seiya was already interested in battles before meeting you¡­ ¡¹ Ever since we met, it¡¯s been only practice, practice, practice and more practice. I remembered that, even though Seiya was human, Celseus called him ¡°Super Berserker¡± once. ¡¸You were interested in battles as a human too? There is no such person! The opposite sex, play, food, sleep¡­There are many things that humans like! Don¡¯t you have any fun hobbies?¡¹ ¡¸¡­What is she talking about? ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhh!? ¡¹ Seiya ignored Zeth¡¯s complains and turned to me. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Lista. There¡¯s no use in being here anymore. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡ª We left the tunnel and tried to climb up the rope ladder of the well. Zeth chased after us. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with you!! What do you still want from us!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s not it! I came to give an advice for Ryuguuin, as a comrade of that only exists for battles.¡¹ Zeth spoke with a serious expression. ¡¸Comrade Ryuguuin. Please, remember this. You won¡¯t be able to use magic or special skills during your Berserk mode. And, you should avoid increasing the phases. Especially the Phase 3rd, because your brain will surely collapse if you do. Only the Goddesses of War can achieve that fearsome phase.¡¹ When Seiya snorted his nose, Zeth changed her mood. ¡¸You¡¯re thinking, ¡°I can do it¡±, right? There are ¡°boundaries that cannot be crossed¡± by a human being. If a human reaches the Phase 3rd, he will cease to be a human being forever! The Berserk mode scars will be engraved in the soul, and even if you return to your original world, the aftereffects will certainly remain within you! I am telling you everything about this because I recognized you as my fellow comrade!¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll remember it. ¡¹ ¡¸You mustn¡¯t do it, you really mustn¡¯t do it, got it? ¡¹ Then, Zeth raised the corners of her mouth. ¡¸Well then, comrade Ryuguuin! With the State Berserk, I shall hope that you¡¯ll crush that world completely!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I intend to do that. I¡¯ll crush it. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­You mustn¡¯t crush it¡­You have to save it¡­ ¡¹ We got out from the well and went through the forest. Yet, we could hear Zeth¡¯s strange loud words from behind our backs. ¡¸Alas! I¡¯m looking forward to meet you again! When we meet, we¡¯ll celebrate our own battles in a ¡°twisted time-space¡±! Be fine until then¡­¡¹ ¡ª In the temple¡¯s dining hall, I smiled at Seiya when he took a third piece of bread. ¡¸It would¡¯ve been nice if you met Zeth when we tried to save Geabrande, right? Things could¡¯ve been much easier back then!¡¹ ¡¸No. Madness swirled in that tunnel, and I almost lost consciousness several times. I was able to endure the mental contamination because I had the destructive aura. Moreover, I¡¯ve experienced the consequences of the Celestial Prison-Gate twice. Valkyrie knew that. So, I think she suggested me to meet the Goddess of War, Zeth, based on my experience.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. It was a tough training after all¡­ ¡¹ Seiya drank a cup of water. Then, he spoke with determination¡­ ¡¸I want to practice a little more and be able to fully master the Berserker State. ¡¹ After saying that, Seiya got up and headed to the cafe. Adenela was sitting on a chair while she drank her coffee tranquilly. On that instant, Seiya grabbed her as if he was grabbing a cat by its neck. ¡¸Adenela. Let¡¯s practice. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! Let¡­Let¡¯s go! Let¡­Let¡¯s practice! ¡¹ It seemed that they were headed to the summoning chamber. I wanted to follow the two of them, but Aria touched my shoulder. ¡¸Lista. Lady Isister wants to see you. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ Did¡­Did she find out that Seiya acquired Zeth¡¯s fearsome technique? Is¡­Is it going to be all right? Because the depths of the forest were said to be a place where the powers of the Great Goddess Isister couldn¡¯t reach. ¡ª ¡¸¡­So, Zeth ended up teaching him. ¡¹ My heart stopped when I heard the words of the Great Goddess¡­ ¡¸Regardless of the success or failure of the Six-Hexagram, he wanted to acquire a sustainable power to go against the Grand Lion¡­He is cautious as ever.¡¹ It seemed that she wasn¡¯t that angry. ¡¸Even so, Listarte. Please, remember this. Even with Zeth¡¯s forbidden technique, his power will still fall short when compared to the power of the Grand Lion. I will say it again. Please avoid direct combat with the Grand Lion.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸But if he utilizes Zeth¡¯s technique on a weakened Grand Lion after the usage of the Six-Hexagram, then things could change. The probability of success would be much higher than before.¡¹ After smiling, the Great Goddess Isister tightened her expression a little. ¡¸What happened in Galvano with the Cursed Sphere will happen again once you go to Tarmine. That place has become the home of the Grand Lion. That means you won¡¯t be able to return to the God¡¯s realm as long as you remain in Tarmine. Actually, you can use the portal to come and go to Tarmine as you please. However, the enemy will detect your presence once you do that. So, try not to use the portal as much as possible.¡¹ ¡¸I understand! ¡¹ ¡¸Finally. The Tarmine Kingdom is your home from when you were a human. There will be painful memories. But, I hope you¡¯ll have a disciplined behavior as a goddess¡­¡¹ I gave my respects to the Great Goddess Isister and left her room. ¡­Painful memories. Aria was also worried about me. Still, I didn¡¯t have any memories of when I was Princess Tiana. Therefore, I didn¡¯t worry that much¡­ ¡ª I arrived at the summoning chamber. I noticed that the door was open. When I ventured inside, I saw Seiya sweating a lot. ¡¸What? Seiya, have you finished your practice already? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I tried to fight against a serious Adenela. And, I got a useful feedback from that practice. I¡¯ve had enough for now.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! Don¡¯t tell me that you showed to Lady Adenela your State Berserk!? Even though you told me not to tell everyone else!?¡¹ ¡¸I just didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb my training back then. There¡¯s no problem if they find out about it now.¡¹ Then, Adenela peeped from the door with her creepy face. ¡¸He¡­Hey, Lista. Co¡­Come here.¡¹ After the door was tightly closed and the two of us were alone, she turned her dreadful eyes to me. ¡¸Did¡­Did Zeth taught¡­Se¡­Seiya about¡­the crazy warrior skill? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I am truly sorry!! ¡¹ I bowed my head, but Adenela only exhaled a large sigh. ¡¸Sorry, but¡­How was it? Did Seiya become stronger? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. He¡­He became¡­ridiculously¡­strong. I¡­I won¡¯t come¡­across such a human¡­ever again.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that he surpassed the power of your ¡°double consecutive gunshot sword¡±!? Whoa!! Seiya is amazing after all!!¡¹ I was shouting in admiration. But, Adenela had a face that didn¡¯t seem that pleased. ¡¸No¡­No. Seiya was doing his best to protect himself from my Divine sword ¡°Gliding Eagle¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Lista. Se¡­Seiya is strong. Still, he is a hu¡­human. If¡­If there really¡­is¡­an enemy called Grand Lion that its ability value¡­equals¡­my power in full mode, then¡­Seiya will need¡­to¡­increase a phase of his crazy warrior state¡­but, that will be impossible to¡­accomplish¡­because he is a¡­human being.¡¹ And then, Adenela told me a cruel truth. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya won¡¯t be able to win. ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸¡­Have you finished talking? ¡¹ Seiya went outside of the door and asked me if I was done. ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s leave now. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya. Are you really ready? ¡¹ After a moment of silence, Seiya spoke with confidence. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ ¡­After hearing Adenela¡¯ words, I felt that our situation went from a positive hope to a dark disheartened scenario. I wondered if Seiya knew that he was in a disadvantageous position on the fight against Adenela. No¡­It¡¯s Seiya we¡¯re talking. Maybe he knew exactly what was going on then. When he said ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±, he probably meant that the ¡°Six-Hexagram will definitely succeed¡±. ¡­However¡­If by any chance, the Six-Hexagram fails¡­what will happen to us¡­? No¡­No!! What was wrong with my thoughts!? I¡¯m sure he decided we¡¯ll definitely succeed!! Before negative thoughts spread any further inside my mind, I made the portal to Exfolia appear. Volume 2 - CH 70 Chapter 70: The Former Tarmine Kingdom Before we arrived in Exfolia through the portal, Seiya gave me a brief explanation for the upcoming strategy. ¡¸First, I will do an investigation of the Tarmine Kingdom. Cave Along is safe, but there is a downside of doing that¡­ If we stay hidden in the underground we won¡¯t be able to gather a good amount of information. It will be a bit dangerous, but we¡¯ll have to turn into beast men and walk on the surface.¡¹ Seiya transformed into a dog beast man because the ratio of this type was quite high. Summing up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand out because of the numerous dog beast men that lurked around. He made me into a fish-man like always. Seiya became a powerful and elegant-looking Doberman. Compared to him, I was an ugly full-fledged red fish-man that resembled a goldfish. Well, at least it was a little better than the old tuna-head¡­It didn¡¯t bother me as much as before, I guess. ¡¸By the way, I incorporated a special feature on that Bunogeos doll that I left sleeping in the town of Galvano. It will say ¡°I will kill you¡± if someone tries to wake him up. It¡¯ll be fine for a while. But, I¡¯d like to defeat the Grand Lion before they realize it is a fake. We have three or four days at most.¡¹ After that, I made the portal appear and Seiya inserted an earth snake as usual. We finally went down the portal after securing the safety of our upcoming destination. ¡ª With the permission of the Great Goddess Isister, we arrived in a wasteland around the Tarmine Kingdom. We walked towards a Castle that we saw in the distance. As we got closer, the whole landscape became visible. The walls of a huge Castle surrounded a town that was built within the perimeter of this military architecture. Still, those walls were collapsing, and none of that external protection made sense, not anymore. As soon as I entered the town, I felt a very bad feeling. Perhaps this was related to the power of the evil god. From this moment on, we won¡¯t be able to return to the God¡¯s realm as long as we remain in the Tarmine Kingdom. When I looked at my side, I noticed that Seiya, who turned into a dog beast man, was looking at me with sharp eyes. It meant that I ¡°shouldn¡¯t speak the human language from now on.¡± I nodded silently. Seiya and I walked through a destroyed and dirty street. The scenery around us was in ruins, but the beast people were living in it. It seemed that these beasts were doing all sorts of businesses and trade inside of the old buildings that were previously made by humans. It was just like Galvano. I smelled a strange and nauseating odor. When I looked over¡­ ¡­Ugh¡­! I almost made a sound. A charred human corpse without a head was chained from the eaves of a building. It was hung for everyone to see. ¡¸Grilled Human. A Grilled Human please¡­ ¡¹ A lizard beast man was at the counter shop where the corpse was hanged at the eaves. After he ordered his food, I noticed that some dry human arms, legs and organs were arranged for him. This was a scene from hell. The town of Galvano, which traded high-quality slaves, was a much better place than this. In Tarmine, humans were treated as complete food. When I looked away, Seiya approached that nutrition shop. ¡¸How much is it? ¡¹ He must be joking, right!? Was he really going to buy a grilled human!? I was astonished at first. But, in fact, he didn¡¯t want to buy it. Actually, it seemed like he was gathering information about this town. While listening to the price, Seiya realized that the beast people were using the currency that was previously used by the humans in Tarmine. The conversation continued. ¡¸Oh. Then, you guys came all the way here from Galvano. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I heard that you are allowed to eat humans on this town. But, it looks like it¡¯s worth more than I thought it would be.¡¹ ¡¸Humans are expensive. But, some of us can eat all they want as long as they become part of the Beast Emperor¡¯s party.¡¹ ¡¸The Beast Emperor¡¯s party? ¡¹ ¡¸It is a gathering of the special forces of His Majesty the Grand Lion. Only the strongest beast men will be able to enter. Some of us say that you¡¯ll be promised a rich life if you join the party. You¡¯ll be able to enter the royal palace as well. It¡¯s rumored that you¡¯ll get the protection of the evil god if you worship him on the temple of the royal palace.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. So, how can I enlist to enter the Beast Emperor¡¯s party? ¡¹ ¡¸They do an enlistment test in the town¡¯s square every day. You have to defeat your opponent and display your utmost strength.¡¹ I thought that Seiya would want to go to the square immediately. Yet, he visited the shops in the street one by one. Inside one of the shops, a bear-faced owner arranged some bizarre items such as skulls. It looked like a tool shop run by a beast man. The owner looked directly at Seiya, and raised the corners of his mouth because a new customer entered his shop. ¡¸Hi. Do you want to buy something special? We recommend the ¡°Amulet of the Evil God¡±. You¡¯ll be able to receive a little protection if you take this with you.¡¹ Seiya was looking with interest at the black tablet with some strange characters written on it. Eventually, he took out a sachet with money from his pocket. ¡¸I¡¯ll have some of that. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh! I appreciate it! How many do you want? ¡¹ I was stunned and speechless. Se¡­Seiya! You mustn¡¯t forget! These are our enemies! He¡¯ll be suspicious if you try to buy a ridiculous amount like you always did before! Seiya nodded when he felt my nervous look. I was relieved! It seemed that he understood it! ¡¸Owner. I¡¯m sorry to ask this, but¡­ ¡¹ And then, Seiya spoke in an apologetic manner. ¡¸Give me only thirty pieces. ¡¹ No!! That was more than enough!! He probably tried his very best to reduce the amount he truly wanted to buy from this shop¡­But, that amount was still too much to ask for!! ¡­Now what!? The sense of a beast man is vastly different from a human¡¯s!! I wondered if this could turn unexpectedly fine!? However. The bear beast man changed his expression abruptly. ¡¸You aren¡¯t just asking for a few pieces!! You¡¯re asking for an absurd number!! Moreover, it¡¯s extremely strange to say that you want ¡°only thirty pieces¡±!!¡¹ This was bad!!!!!! Even the beast man thought it was a weird request!!!!!! The owner screamed so loud that his voice was heard outside of the shop. The beast people, who passed through on that street, stopped by the shop to see what was going on. Ah, c¡¯mon!! We were getting a lot of unnecessary attention!! ¡¸If that¡¯s the case. Then, I¡¯ll have five pieces. ¡¹ Although that misunderstanding generated an unwanted ruckus, Seiya bought five ¡°Amulets of the Evil God¡±. We headed to a weapon shop afterwards. As soon as we came in, a frog-headed beast man recommended us an eerie sword with a red-black blade. ¡¸Hi, customer. This sword is special because it sucks the human life, ribbit. It is very useful to make a human become dry like a dried fish, ribbit.¡¹ Wha¡­What the hell was that abnormal sword!? It won¡¯t be of any use for us at all!! There was no need to buy such a thing¡­ Yet, Seiya took out the sachet with money. ¡¸I¡¯ll take it. ¡¹ No!! Don¡¯t tell me that he plans to buy it as well!! Why would he want that sort of sword!? ¡¸Owner. I want a few, it¡¯s really just a few and it pains me to say it like this¡­But, give me only five.¡¹ ¡¸Ribbit¡­!? Whe¡­Where can I get that huge amount for you, ribbit!? Besides, I don¡¯t think there are five identical swords out there, you know, ribbit!?¡¹ *chatter chatter*¡­Once again, all the beast people that was inside of the shop and that passed through on the street looked at us to see what was happening¡­ ¡ª I pulled Seiya¡¯s arm and took him to a place that wasn¡¯t crowded. I pointed to the ground silently. Seiya seemed to understand my intention. Therefore, he created earth snakes just to make sure that the surroundings were safe without the presence of beast men. After confirming that it was indeed safe for us, we went to the underground by the power of Cave Along. In the dim light of the magical stones, I screamed directly at Seiya after the resentment accumulated inside of my body exploded. ¡¸You¡¯ll be suspicious if you continue to behave strangely like that!! They will find out who you really are!!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. There is no problem. ¡¹ Seiya activated the art of change. Then, he transformed from a Doberman to a different breed, the Siberian husky. And, he also transformed me from a red-colored goldfish into a dull-colored goldfish. ¡¸Just¡­Just how much can you change your appearance by using the art of change¡­Is it really that necessary to change it all the time!?¡¹ I yelled when I saw that the amulet and the sword were put right at my side. They were emitting a very evil aura that was starting to make made me sick. ¡¸I want to buy a greater variety of tools and weapons that are sold in this town. I have to do it as soon as possible. They might be useful someday.¡¹ ¡¸That would make sense if this was a normal adventure, you know!? This is a town of beast men!! You can¡¯t use weapons like these!! They¡¯re creepy tools!! Besides, why don¡¯t you bring back my original form!? We¡¯re the underground now!! I hate the look of my disguise!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that nobody can see us now. Still, you women are such a pain in the ass. ¡¹ After I kept complaining, Seiya finally used the art of change on me. Then, my body was wrapped in a dazzling light, and I returned to my beautiful goddess¡¯ visual. I grabbed a mirror that was hidden in the upper part of my dress and I tried to see my reflected image. Phew! Ah¡­What a beautiful appearance I had compared to that ugly fish! ¡­Yes, I was too dignified to be compared with a fish in the first place! ¡¸By the way, Seiya. I¡¯m sure you have a plan for the future, don¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I¡¯ll have to use the secret of the Six-Hexagram if I want to defeat the Grand Lion. I¡¯ve already prepared a simulation for that.¡¹ Seiya began to talk indifferently, but with a serious expression on his face. ¡¸First, I have to pass on the enlistment test to become part of the Beast Emperor¡¯s party. After that, I will be able to invade the royal palace. Then, I will set up the Six-Hexagram that I¡¯ve learnt from Isister around the temple, where the origin of the power from the evil god resides. And then, we have to get a part of the Grand Lion¡¯s body to proceed with the preparation. Well, his hair might be the easiest to get. After that preparation, a ¡°Sword Dance of Crushing the Evil¡± has to be performed for three hours within a radius of 500 meters away from the Grand Lion. This part has restrictions. No one can see anything of this preparation during the sword dance. Once the sword dance is over, the secret of the Six-Hexagram will be completed. And then, the Grand Lion will be weakened.¡¹ Seiya spoke without stopping. There were so many steps to do for that huge preparation. Somehow, it all sounded a bit troublesome. Especially, the last part¡­ ¡¸So, the ¡°Sword Dance of Crushing the Evil¡±, right? Won¡¯t that be hard to accomplish? It would be almost impossible to prevent others from getting near the Grand Lion during that time¡­¡¹ ¡¸Isister also said that that was the most difficult part of the preparation. The ritual won¡¯t be efficient once someone sees it. And if that happens, I won¡¯t be able to use that against the Grand Lion again. But, I have Cave Along. So, there won¡¯t be any problem if I perform the secret of the sword dance while I hide in the underground of the royal palace.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! That¡¯s right! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­The problem is you. ¡¹ Then, Seiya stared at me with cold eyes. ¡¸If I could, I would rather choose to put you in a frozen sleep and let you be dormant for a very long time¡­But, Aria and Isister told me that saving Exfolia was a punishment that you shouldn¡¯t avoid. Therefore, I hate it. I absolutely hate it how things turned out. Still, I have no choice but to take you with me.¡¹ ¡¸I apologize for forcing you to take me along with you!! ¡¹ When I shouted, Seiya approached me with his hand instantly. *screams* I screamed when I thought that Seiya was about to scold me. But, nothing happened. Seiya didn¡¯t beat me at all. Instead, something originated from the muddy wall of the dark cave and crawled over to the ground at an unstoppable speed! It passed through my legs rapidly and went inside of my own dress! *screams even louder* I yelled so high after I felt a horrible sensation of being touched all over the body. ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What did you do!? ¡¹ ¡¸I hid several of powerful earth snakes in your body. You¡¯ll just have to stand still during the enlistment test. If you do that, the earth snakes will defeat the opponent without hesitating.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ When I looked down at the upper part of my dress, I noticed that the earth snakes were moving in circles around my chest and abdomen. It was definitely creepy. Therefore, I tried to avoid seeing this repugnant scene. ¡¸There is a possibility that you and I will be separated after the enlistment test. But, even if that happens, the earth snakes will protect you. ¡¹ Ah, what¡­Did he think about my well-being just now? Seiya did care about me after all¡­ Just when I thought about that, my eyes hardened with frustration to the words I heard next. ¡¸By the way, the earth snakes also serve as an extra surveillance. They have a specific command to eat your throat if you try to speak the human language after transforming into a fish-man.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a very awful command!! You don¡¯t have to be that extreme just to stop me from speaking!!¡¹ Seiya proclaimed peacefully regardless of my tantrum. ¡¸You will be secondary or even be in third place for the purpose of this plan. The Six-Hexagram is the only safe and reliable way to defeat the Grand Lion. I will give it absolute priority over everything else.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm!! Fine!! I should be the one to say the exact same thing!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Whom are you referring to. ¡¹ Seiya, whose arms were folded gallantly, was overflowing with exceptional confidence. I felt slightly relieved to see Seiya¡¯s self-assurance even though I was treated coldly as always. ¡­It looked like every preparation was ready. That was to be expected of Seiya. A secret action for infiltration. This man was really an outstanding hero. No other hero would have the guts to save a world like this one other than Seiya himself. It was useless to be worried about him after all¡­ The anxiety, which I felt in the God¡¯s realm vanished before I knew it. Volume 2 - CH 71 Chapter 71: Enlistment Test We transformed back into a dog and fish-man beasts respectively. We emerged from a secluded location and went directly towards the town¡¯s square. When we approached the square, I saw a big crowd of beast men. Everyone was waving their fists in a very exciting way. Their voices were loud and rough. I slipped through the beast people and headed to the center of the square. Soon, I could see the whole picture. They were standing in a circle that surrounded an open space with four piles stuck in the soil. Ropes separated these piles. Apparently, this was the place where they made the enlistment test. It looked like a one-on-one fighting sport on a ring that resembled a wrestling ring. Many of the beast people around me were enthusiastic spectators. On one of the piles, a crow-headed beast man began to yell aloud. ¡¸Caw! Caw! Attention! Attention! Who are the challengers for today¡¯s fight? ¡¹ Seiya approached the crow beast man and raised his hand. ¡¸Let us join. The challengers are this fish-man and me. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, understood! All right, let¡¯s start the enlistment test now! ¡¹ Then, a large tiger beast man appeared from the other side of the diagonal of the pile. He walked with a fearsome attitude towards Seiya and I. I wondered if he was our opponent. However, the situation was a bit strange. The tiger beast man brought someone with chains, whose head was covered by a linen bag. We couldn¡¯t see his face because of that bag, but his foot was chained with an iron ball. The tiger beast man pushed that prisoner to the ring. Because of that aggressive push, the prisoner stripped and his linen bag fell from his head. ¡­Eh!? It¡­It can¡¯t be!! I was dumbfounded. It was a ¡°human¡±. He was tall and had a short hair. He probably was between his late thirties or early forties. His arms and legs were robust and muscular. He looked like a warrior, but his eyes were lifeless and his skin-color was brownish like soil. His legs were quite damaged and his body was full of patches. Moreover, I noticed something weird that overflew from the body of that human being¡­ ¡­The smell of death! ¡¸¡­An undead, I see. ¡¹ When Seiya muttered that next to me, the crow-headed beast man screamed ¡°Caw! Caw!¡± extremely high as if it were laughing. ¡¸This thing was once the famous general of the Tarmine Kingdom. Well, right now this thing is a ¡°toy that doesn¡¯t die¡±.¡¹ ¡­Te¡­Terrible! They transformed the Tarmine general into a zombie¡­! ¡¸Humans are food or toys. ¡¹ After laughing wickedly, the crow beast man pushed Seiya¡¯s back into the ring. ¡¸C¡¯mon now, just go and beat him! If you do that, then you¡¯ll pass the test! I¡¯ll put you in the Beast Emperor¡¯s party!¡¹ The beast people started to scream and cheered extremely high when they heard the crow beast man¡¯s words. Everyone was waiting for the Seiya-Dog beast man to start the fight in the ring. Nevertheless. Seiya shook his head. ¡¸Don¡¯t get me wrong. I said that ¡°I wanted to join¡±, but I didn¡¯t say that ¡°I want to take the test at this precise moment¡±. I¡¯d like to watch first.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. Well then, shall the fish-man over there take your place instead? ¡¹ ¡¸No. This guy is watching with me. We¡¯ll do it later. ¡¹ ¡­There was a slight booing from the crowd, but Seiya did not seem to bother. He sat down near a pile and watched the match attentively. I sat next to Seiya. Meanwhile, a new challenger was determined. Unlike Seiya, a gray-brown rat beast man dived below the rope and rushed to the ring without hesitation. I tried to see the status of the rat beast man. The attack and defense powers were both more than fifty thousand points. He had a fairly high status when compared to the thirty thousand points from the beast men that we¡¯ve encountered in Galvano. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with the enlistment test! ¡¹ The crow beast man declared the start of the fight. At the same time¡­ ¡¸Gigigi! ¡¹ The rat beast man stripped his fangs with a killing expression, and attacked the undead. And then, the beast ripped the bottom of the opponent¡¯s throat. The neck was cut more than half and black blood spilled from the body of the undead. I thought it was a wresting game, but this was¡­ ¡¸¡­I caught you. ¡¹ The undead muttered in a low voice even though he received a brutal and mortal wound on his neck. The undead¡¯s right hand grabbed the face of the rat beast man. On that instant, we heard a¡­¡°smashing¡± sound. It sounded as if a juicy fruit was squeezed by someone¡¯s hand. The rat beast man¡¯s face was crushed on the spot and he was defeated immediately. ¡­Stro¡­Strong! That undead¡­was extremely strong! The former general turned-undead looked up at the sky and roared. ¡¸For the Tarmine Kingdom¡­and for that person¡¯s sake¡­I will kill as many beasts as I can¡­!¡¹ His eyes were full of determination even though he was dead. I activated my clairvoyance ability to see the status of the undead that stood victoriously inside of the ring. General John Dae State ¨C Undead Level ¨C 59 HP ¨C 172234 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 119874 Defense ¨C 98111 Agility ¨C 82 Magic ¨C 0 Potential ¨C 698 Resistance ¨C Poison, Darkness Special skills ¨C Decay Regeneration (Lv 3) Skills ¨C Death Squeeze Personality ¨C Honest ¡­What a formidable ability value! How can someone win against that! The crow beast man spoke at my side after we witnessed the fearsome fight. ¡¸Even if he is a toy, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate him. The Beast Emperor¡¯s party is made of powerful elite beasts. With that said, the enlistment test won¡¯t be an easy feat to pass obviously. The failure of this test will be¡­death for the loser.¡¹ When I looked at the ring again, I noticed that the ripped neck of the undead general was restored back to its original place. Besides his strong ability value, he also possessed a very terrifying special skill called ¡°Decay Regeneration¡±. The power of that skill didn¡¯t activate immediately during the battle, but over time, his dead body gradually healed. The crow beast man looked directly at Seiya¡¯s face. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? ¡¹ ¡¸No. My decision to take this test remains unchanged. ¡¹ ¡¸Caw! Caw! What a great spirit! C¡¯mon, go fight now! ¡¹ And then, the crow beast man moved the rope for Seiya to get inside of the ring, yet he didn¡¯t move one inch. ¡¸¡­Hey. What are you doing? You are fighting now, aren¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯d like to observe a little more. ¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Do you want to watch again! I thought you wanted to participate in the enlistment test right now by the flow of your conversation¡­!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what you decided yourself. I¡¯m not going yet. ¡¹ I¡­I thought that he was going to fight now as well¡­! But¡­it was actually fine! It was a good idea to observe a little more of the upcoming fights! Seiya and I started to watch the next enlistment test. The second challenger was a snake beast man. His neck extended and wrapped around the body of the undead general. The beast man tried to strangle the opponent. However, the undead grabbed the snake¡¯s head and smashed it as he did with the rat beast man. The crow beast man spoke then. ¡¸Originally, the undead are beings that move slowly. But, in that thing¡¯s case, he doesn¡¯t possess much agility because of the iron ball chained on his foot. Even so, you¡¯ll be smashed if you get caught. The key of this test is to defeat him without getting near to him.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I guess you¡¯re right. ¡¹ Then, the crow beast man moved the rope and tried to call Seiya to step inside the ring. But, Seiya shook his head again. ¡¸I want to observe a little longer. ¡¹ ¡¸How long do you plan on watching!? You sure lack a lot of motivation, don¡¯t you!? ¡¹ The crow beast man screamed violently, but still, Seiya did not move. Even if the opponent was strong, Seiya could win without problems based on his powerful status¡­! Still, this hero was cautious as ever¡­! ¡­After the third challenger, a sheep beast man, was destroyed by the undead general, Seiya finally moved forward after standing by for a long time. ¡¸All right. I should go now. ¡¹ ¡¸Really? Are you finally going to fight? I was beginning to think that you were teasing me¡­¡¹ Seiya, disguised as a dog beast man, walked to the ring where the undead general awaited. ¡¸Great! Let¡¯s start the new enlistment test! ¡¹ After the crow¡¯s declaration, Seiya shook his right arm and aimed directly at the undead. The chest of the undead became torn the moment Seiya punched it. In fact, the attack was probably efficient due to the altered Platinum Sword disguised by the art of change. The undead, who couldn¡¯t move because of the chains, didn¡¯t avoid the attack. Instead of continuing with the offensive stance, Seiya stepped back after hitting him only once. The undead almost fell when he tried to grab Seiya. After that, Seiya approached him again and hit the undead. As soon as he made that offensive strike, he stepped back immediately¡­This procedure was repeated a few more times. The undead¡¯s body became gradually chopped up. This ordeal took him to exhaustion¡­ ¡¸This¡­This damn dog¡­! ¡¹ The undead general muttered words of hatred. Meanwhile, Seiya shook his nose. ¡¸For an enemy like you, I only have to attack once and retreat immediately¡­¡°Hit and Run¡± is the most effective strategy against you.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! Don¡¯t take me as a fool¡­! ¡¹ The undead general tried to grab Seiya desperately. Somehow, it looked like a play between an adult and a baby. I didn¡¯t want be Seiya¡¯s opponent at all. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. Your movements are no longer efficient. ¡¹ Seiya spoke confidently. I was not that surprised though. ¡­All I had to do was wait until this match was over for good¡­ After a while, the undead got on his knees as he lost all of his physical strength. Seiya slowly approached him after he confirmed his ineligibility state. ¡¸Did you say ¡°for the Tarmine Kingdom¡± moments ago? Nothing will change if an undead like you defeats just a few beast men.¡¹ On that moment¡­ *spitting sound* Seiya spit on the undead general! ¡¸Scre¡­Screw you!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ He was enraged, but the little freedom his body possessed was long lost by now. He still had his regenerate skill, but it would take some time until he healed completely. After beating and spitting on the undead general, Seiya looked down on him with icy eyes and said the following harsh words. ¡¸Such a trash undead. ¡¹ The winner was quite obvious in everyone¡¯s eyes. Soon, I could hear buzzing cheers! The undead general was looking at Seiya with hateful eyes as if he was looking at his fearsome enemy! Meanwhile¡­I trembled inside! Absolutely no¡­no mercy!! I guess he had to be a ruthless enemy in order to pretend to be an authentic beast man¡­Even so, he was too harsh!! When the crow beast man saw Seiya¡¯s battle strategy, he became excited and touched Seiya¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re amazing! In addition to your overwhelming victory, your evil personality is also impeccable! All right! I¡¯ll recommend you to His Majesty the Grand Lion!¡¹ Oh! He could easily get the hair for the Six-Hexagram if he approached the Grand Lion! This was exactly how Seiya planned it to be! My heart beat in excitement. Suddenly, the crow beast man stared at me. Well then, the next challenger will be this fish-man. ¡¸Ugh¡­Glu¡­ ¡¹ I switched with Seiya and stood in the ring. Just a few meters away from me was the undead general. He was emitting some weird smoke out of his body and his injuries were gradually healed by the power of his disturbing skill. ¡¸Beast man¡­! Beast man!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ He became so angry because of what Seiya did to him!! I was so scared, but¡­ ¡¸Caw! Caw! Okay then, let¡¯s start the next enlistment test! ¡¹ The undead general¡¯s regeneration was complete! Oh no! The enlistment test had begun! ¡¸You bastard fish-man¡­! ¡¹ The undead general was staring at me with a demonic face! This should be fine, right!? The earth snakes will do something for me, correct!? I just had to stand up still, right!? The recovered undead general rushed towards my direction in a fury! ¡¸I¡¯ll turn you into a baked fish!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ *screams inside of her mind* What the hell was he talking about!? Seiya told me to stand still, but I¡¯ll be killed if I remain immobilized in this spot!! The undead general was about to reach me. *boing* I heard a weird sound coming from my feet. ¡­Eh? When I looked below, I saw that a big fish fell from my body. Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that this thing was once the earth snakes that Seiya wrapped around my body!? It became a figure of a big fish with the power of the art of change!? *boing boing* In addition, another fishes dropped from my crotch without notice! The beast people, that watched this fight as spectators, screamed at the sight of this spine-chilling occurrence! ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s up with that guy!? He gave birth to babies that fell from his crotch!! ¡¹ ¡¸But, fishes give birth to eggs, isn¡¯t that right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Either way, why did it give birth during the enlistment test!? ¡¹ ¡¸That creepy fish-man!! That is disgusting!! ¡¹ What¡¯s this!! I was feeling very embarrassed by all of this!! But, apart from my feelings, the situation had to be resolved. On that moment, a couple of other fishes fell from my crotch and began to crawl in the ground with an astonishing speed! They went crawling in the undead general¡¯s direction! They grabbed the undead general¡¯s legs and began to bite furiously without mercy! *excruciating screams* I thought he wouldn¡¯t feel any pain because he was an undead. Nonetheless, it was too painful to see what was happening to him. It looked like he was in a pond full of carnivore piranhas. His legs were being scraped off at a tremendous speed. The surrounding area was full of meat pieces that were ripped from his body. The undead general shouted in vain. ¡¸Ba¡­Bastard¡­You filthy bastard!!!!!!!!!!! You damn fish!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ Before long, the undead general¡¯s legs were completely devoured and he fell to the ground. ¡¸The undead is unable to fight! He is finished! ¡¹ ¡¸That fish-man was incredible! He didn¡¯t even get his hands dirty! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! The fish that gave birth ended up winning the fight! ¡¹ The spectators were looking at me with eager eyes as if they were expecting something. ¡­Eh¡­Well. I looked at Seiya and he nodded slightly in silence. Therefore¡­ ¡¸Glu!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ I waved my hands to the sky and roared with a sound of victory. After hearing my high fish voice, the spectators gave a grand round of applause and cheered massively. ¡­It was brief, but I felt a good little feeling inside of me. Volume 2 - CH 72 Chapter 72: The Fool Tower Seiya and I followed the crow beast man. He was heading to the royal palace. When I approached the restricted area, I noticed that the Tarmine¡¯s royal palace was in ruins. It probably became this damaged because of the previous war between humans and the Demon King¡¯s army. We walked past the gates guarded by armored beast men, and then we arrived at the royal garden in front of the ruined palace. ¡­Did I live here when I was a¡­human being? I looked closely at the unkempt garden that was no longer beautiful. Everything was devastated and wild weeds grew everywhere. But, I didn¡¯t remember anything about this place. I stood in front of a huge royal palace that was probably my previous home. Yet, I didn¡¯t feel any emotion or attachment for this place. The Great Goddess Isister and Aria were extremely worried about me. They feared that my soul would react incessantly when I arrived to this place. They believed that unwanted emotions would cloud my judgment. Nonetheless, I felt relieved that none of that happened to me so far. It would be troublesome if my memory returned and I became overly emotional. If that happened, I would be a hindrance to Seiya¡¯s strategical plans. While I was engrossed by those thoughts, Seiya followed the crow beast man and entered the royal palace. When I tried to follow them hurryingly¡­ ¡¸Hey. You come this way. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Glu? ¡¹ Before I knew it, a horse beast man pulled my arm. ¡­Eh!? I wasn¡¯t supposed to enter the royal palace as well!? ¡¸Glu! Glu, glu, glu! ¡¹ As fish-men cannot talk, I tried to gesture with my fishy hands while pointing to the royal palace and to myself alternatively. The horse beast man noticed that I tried to speak with him. When he saw my intentions, he explained the following. ¡¸You certainly passed the enlistment test. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ I thought ¡°Yes!¡±, so I nodded in agreement. ¡¸You are now a member of the Beast Emperor¡¯s party. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ ¡¸You are strong. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ ¡¸But, you are¡­a stinky fish. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu!? ¡¹ ¡¸His Majesty the Grand Lion hates fish-men. It¡¯s unfortunate, but I can¡¯t let you enter the royal palace.¡¹ Wait!! What the hell was that supposed to mean!! ¡¸Even so, you are a strong beast man that passed the enlistment test. So, I will give you an important task.¡¹ And then, the horse beast man pointed to the tower that stood far away from the royal palace. ¡¸That¡¯s the ¡°Fool Tower¡±. I¡¯ll be taking you to the top of that high place. ¡¹ ¡ª When we entered the ground floor of the high tower, I noticed that a long spiral staircase continued until the top. It was a very tall tower by the looks of it. I wondered if it was originally a watchtower to protect the Tarmine¡¯s royal palace from external enemies. ¡¸You can make this place your new home. ¡¹ He introduced me to a small room at the end of the first floor. When he opened the door for me, I saw that this room had enough space for one person to relax. There were also desks, chairs, and a bed inside of this room. After that, the horse beast man began to climb up the long spiral staircase. I followed the horse beast man silently through the stairs. As expected of a strong beast man like himself. He walked up without stopping. He sure did have a strong physical strength. When my legs started to become dumb after climbing that insane amount of stairs, the spiral staircase came to an end at the top of the tower. There was nothing at the top of the tower, except for a wooden door at the center. I wondered if this place was my supposed task. It looked as if they were guarding something inside. Maybe I would have to keep watch and make turns with other watch beast men. The horse beast man pulled a key from his pocket and asked me while he tried to open the door. ¡¸Do you know why we call this tower the ¡°Fool Tower¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu? ¡¹ ¡¸Because there is a fool living in here. A fool without pain. ¡¹ When the door opened, I saw an old woman sitting in a dimly lit, narrow room. She had handcuffs on her wrists and iron balls were chained on her feet. She was dressed like a sinner because of her rag cloth. Yet, she had a slight dignified expression on her tired-looking face. ¡¸This is Carmilla, the Queen of the old Tarmine Kingdom. ¡¹ My eyes became widely open when I heard the words of the horse beast man. The Queen!? She¡­She was alive!! I thought that everyone from the royal family was murdered!! ¡­I thought that she would be much younger. Still, she was very thin, her face was full of wrinkles, and she had a lot of grey hair. Queen Carmilla looked like an old woman in her sixties. ¡¸This Queen is the only human of the royal palace that it¡¯s currently alive. His Majesty the Grand Lion spared her life temporarily. But, this is bothersome. I¡¯ll be thankful if she decided to jump from the tower to commit suicide.¡¹ The Queen, who heard the whispering of the horse beast man, told him arrogantly. ¡¸I will not commit suicide. I am a priestess who values life. ¡¹ Her voice trembled, but I could feel a strong spirit in her words. The horse beast man showed me a table on the corner of the room. There were various strange tools such as needles and grilles lined up on that table. ¡¸I¡¯ve been doing all sorts of torture. But, this woman doesn¡¯t feel any pain. ¡¹ Then, he put his hands on my shoulders. ¡¸Listen. Your job is to hurt this woman. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Glu? ¡¹ ¡¸Call me if she shows a little pain. His Majesty the Grand Lion will surely be delighted.¡¹ What¡­Was I instructed to be a torture instigator!? What a horrible job this turned out to be¡­ The horse beast man spoke happily without knowing that my heart was conflicted. ¡¸Well, you can do many things to her if you want. But, don¡¯t kill her. And remember, she has to eat once a day.¡¹ After a brief explanation, the horse beast man opened the door and left the room. Now what? In this narrow space, only the fish-man and the Queen of the Tarmine Kingdom were left behind. ¡­This¡­This person was the mother of my previous human self¡­!? I was staring fixedly at her, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything at all. The memory of a soul was quite different from the memory of a brain. Nothing came to my mind no matter how much I tried to remember. ¡¸¡­What are you looking at, you filthy fish. ¡¹ Suddenly, I noticed that the Queen was looking at me with wrinkles between her eyes. The iron balls chained her legs. Nonetheless, she approached me by crawling on the floor. ¡¸Do you have something to say? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­Glu, glu! ¡¹ I shook my head continuously. The Queen frowned. ¡¸Ah, this fish stinks. Really, this fish stinks so badly. I see, so this is a new type of torture.¡¹ No!! It wasn¡¯t supposed to turn out like this!! ¡¸You can¡¯t speak any words other than ¡°glu glu¡±. You¡¯re a very creepy and smelly beast.¡¹ The Queen pinched her nose and continued to talk. ¡¸C¡¯mon. Don¡¯t keep staring at me like that and bring me some food. I¡¯m hungry. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu? ¡¹ Fo¡­Food? Where could I get that? Let¡¯s see¡­ Then, she yelled at me by using an unfriendly tone. ¡¸My food was placed in your room on the first floor! Quickly! I¡¯m going to eat you if you don¡¯t hurry up!¡¹ ¡¸Gluuuu!? ¡¹ I tried to run away and jumped out of the Queen¡¯s room. ¡­What a strong-willed person¡­! She had been tortured, and still, she had the courage to show that kind of attitude¡­! My mother was totally different than what I imagined her to be¡­! ¡ª When I returned to my assigned room on the first floor, I saw that they placed a loaf of bread on the top of my newly desk. So, she only ate one piece of this a day. No wonder that she looked frail and was starving badly. By the way, I was starting to feel a bit hungry as well¡­ Then, I noticed a basket covered with a dust cloth right next to the bread. Ah! This was probably my food! But, after I took the cloth, I became speechless. ¡­It was two grilled arms of a human being. *screams on her mind* How could I eat such a gruesome thing!! ¡­Does that mean that¡­Ehhh¡­I won¡¯t be able to eat any food for a while!? Oh no¡­ I sat down in the bed feeling quite discouraged. I took a big sigh. Ah¡­I even got separated from Seiya. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better for me if I waited quietly inside of the Cave Along? ¡­No¡­No! I mustn¡¯t have these sorts of thoughts! I am a goddess! This was the right time to show that I¡¯m worthy! I must become a reliable comrade in a tough adventure like this one! That¡¯s right! I could do many things as well! For example, try to learn about a secret path without putting our lives at risk, or try to look for rare items that could be useful for Seiya¡­! While I thought deeply about my role, suddenly¡­ *boing* A fish fell to the floor from my crotch. ¡¸Glu!? ¡¹ Astonishingly, the fish transformed into sand and began to draw some letters on the floor. ¡ºI¡¯ll say this just in case. Don¡¯t think too much. You don¡¯t have to do anything. ¡» ¡­I was looking at Seiya¡¯s ¡°Earth Magic Message¡± on the floor. He was cold-hearted as always. This¡­This message was a warning! He was trying to prevent me from bringing any unnecessary trouble¡­Okay! Okay! I got it! Ah, that¡¯s right! I see! So, this was another preparation from his meticulous plan! Eventually, the letters disappeared, and a new message was written on the floor. ¡ºCome to the royal garden in the evening. That¡¯s all. ¡» All of the scattering sand became one again and transformed back into a fish. That thing jumped to my legs abruptly and crawled vigorously to my crotch! *screams* I shouted without thinking after feeling that weird sensation. Da¡­Dangerous! Thank goodness that no one was nearby! But¡­But, where on earth did that fish go? It wouldn¡¯t have entered a strange place, would it¡­? I tried to look for it under my crouch, thinking ¡°where is it?¡±. Suddenly¡­ *boing* A new fish fell down. Ahhhh!? Another one came out from my crouch!? What¡­What did he want this time!? Then, the fish looked at me and opened his mouth extremely wide. ¡¸Gee. ¡¹ That fish vomited an apple-like fruit from his mouth! ¡­Ah? What¡¯s this¡­Eh, I see! Seiya prepared food in advance! He anticipated that we wouldn¡¯t be able to eat properly while we were disguised as beast men! I felt a little bit grateful for the thoughtfulness of my cautious hero¡­ ¡¸Gee. ¡¹ Then, the weird fish vomited an orange-like fruit and stared at me with his creepy white eyes. ¡­This¡­This fish¡­I wondered why he looked at me like that¡­Did he want something¡­? ¡­On this moment, that fish formed a human arm and made me eat that fruit forcibly. ¡ª I grabbed the bread and went to the spiral staircase. When I arrived at the top of the tower, I opened the door of the Queen¡¯s room. ¡¸It took you a long time. ¡¹ The Queen spoke to me with an irritating tone. ¡¸¡­Glu¡­ ¡¹ I immediately offered the bread to the Queen. She received it gladly and took a bite immediately. After a brief contentment, she spoke in a strict manner once again. ¡¸Hmm. So, what are you planning to do? Are you going to torture me now? Are you going to stick a needle on my fingers? Or are you going to press a burning mark on my belly? ¡­Well, I should tell you that everything you¡¯ll do will be useless against me. You heard it, right? I don¡¯t feel any pain.¡¹ The Queen had a sarcastic smile on her face. After she said those words, I looked closely at her arms. Burn marks. Cuts. She was full of bruises. My heart hurt after imagining the countless wounds that she might have under her clothes due to the repeated series of torture. She looked strong spirited. But, I wondered how much she had to endure until now. The Grand Lion was a vicious and evil being. If it were a normal person, I¡¯m sure that they would beg for their own death¡­ Choosing death would seem to be a better choice than enduring this endless horrible torture. ¡­I had no memory of my life as a human being. However, I felt pathetic after seeing how cruelly this old woman was treated. My divinity as a goddess was reacting badly. Before I noticed it, I began to stroke the Queen¡¯s hand. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with this fish. ¡¹ ¡¸Glu¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No way, are you feeling sorry for me? You filthy beast. ¡¹ When the Queen pushed my arm away from her, she looked awkwardly at me. ¡¸¡­What a strange beast you are. ¡¹ I had I weird sensation on my body afterwards. I hit the lower half of my stomach when the rummage increased. On that occasion, a fish fell from my crouch, and the Queen stepped back hurryingly with an alarmed look. ¡¸Hey, you!! What are you doing!? You gave birth to a fish all of a sudden!! ¡¹ But, the fish that fell on the floor¡­ ¡¸Gee. ¡¹ It vomited an orange. I gave it to the Queen. ¡¸Glu, glu! ¡¹ ¡¸Are you giving that to me? ¡­But, is that thing¡­edible¡­ ¡¹ I peeled the orange straightaway. Then, I ate a little piece to show her that it wasn¡¯t poisonous. After showing that it was safe, I gave it to the Queen. ¡¸Glu! Glu, glu! ¡¹ After she ate that orange, she said¡­ ¡¸¡­You really are a strange beast. ¡¹ The Queen laughed a little bit. Her smiling face was truly gracious. How noble and kind she must have been from her tenure as Queen of this former Kingdom. But, right on this moment. The Queen lost her smile and hardened her face when we heard a crying scream. That ominous sound reached the top of the tower, and my body trembled without stopping. ¡­What was that just now? It sounded like a human scream¡­! The Queen slowly approached the window covered with an iron grid. ¡¸Another human execution. ¡¹ She spoke with a calm voice without showing much emotion. ¡¸The Grand Lion locked me on this tower because the execution ground was visible from this room. Seeing others die before my eyes, and hurting me. That monster is trying to do anything he can to make me cry.¡¹ Queen Carmilla laughed with a dry and impassive voice. ¡¸It¡¯s useless. My tears dried up a long time ago. ¡¹ ¡ª It was evening. Therefore, I went to the royal garden just as the Earth Magic Message instructed me to do. I didn¡¯t see anybody in the royal garden. No one was there, neither a dog beast man nor Seiya. I wondered if I came little early. But, when I walked on a grassy corner of the garden¡­ *slurping sound* My feet suddenly collapsed and I fell abruptly! ¡¸Glu¡­!? ¡¹ I fell with my bottom. When I looked up, I realized that I was inside of the Cave Along. Seiya, having returned to his original human form, was looking down on me. ¡¸Hmm. You screamed ¡°glu¡± when you fell over. It seems that your startling voice remained as a fish-man. I praise you for that.¡¹ ¡¸Hey you!! Why can¡¯t you be a little gentler when you push me inside!! ¡¹ I asked Seiya after he returned my goddess¡¯ form. ¡¸¡­So, how has it been going for you? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve only done a few inspections inside and outside of the royal palace so far. Between those inspections, I practiced with other beast men. Tomorrow, I will proceed with the preparations. More importantly¡­¡¹ Then, Seiya stared at me with sharp eyes. ¡¸It seems that that tower you¡¯re staying now houses an important prisoner, am I correct? ¡¹ Gosh! He already knew about that! Information sure did spread quickly! When I tried to say that, ¡°she was my mother when I was a human being¡±¡­ ¡¸I don¡¯t know who she is, and I¡¯m not interested to find out. Lista, listen. You mustn¡¯t get involved with that person more than necessary. There is a risk of things getting out of control if this keeps going on. Therefore, you shouldn¡¯t do any unnecessary actions.¡¹ ¡¸I saw your Earth Magic Message, you know. Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t do anything at all.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you one important thing. ¡°A motionless Lista is a good Lista¡±¡­Remember that.¡¹ ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t you say, ¡°no news are good news¡±! Why do you always have to say rude things instead! What an insolent human you are!¡¹ ¡¸I worry that you¡¯ll do unnecessary things. Therefore, I have to constantly keep reminding you of that.¡¹ Then, Seiya¡¯s sharp eyes became icy. ¡¸Don¡¯t forget this is the home of the Grand Lion. In order to minimize the risk of suspicion, we shall meet again at the end of the preparations. Come to this place at the same time, three days from now. Until then, I will definitely formulate correctly the Six-Hexagram for the final stage. That¡¯s all.¡¹ ¡ª After a brief conversation about the impeding ¡°business¡±, we transformed to our beast men disguises with the art of change. An earth snake explored the surroundings and, after confirming our safety, we emerged from the underground on different locations and went separate ways. After parting ways with Seiya, I went back to my room on the first floor of the Fool Tower and I laid my body on the bed. ¡­Ah¡­It seemed that Seiya wasn¡¯t particularly worried about my well-being after all. He cared about me when we were in Geabrande¡­No¡­No! I shouldn¡¯t let my mind get engrossed by those feelings anymore! Both Seiya and I were just ¡°the goddess and the summoned hero¡±! Our relationship wasn¡¯t deeper than that! I went to sleep after clearing my mind. I only tried to think about the success of the upcoming Six-Hexagram strategy. Volume 2 - CH 73 Chapter 73: Rebellious Monster The Next day. The horse beast man came to my room on the first floor of the Fool Tower. ¡¸Have you tried to torture her? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu. ¡¹ ¡¸So, how was it? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu¡­¡¹ I moved my shoulders up and down. The horse beast man just sighed. After all, he wasn¡¯t that surprised by my answer. ¡¸No one has succeed in making her feel pain. There¡¯s no rush. ¡¹ And then, he left the room. ¡ª At the top of the Fool Tower, in the prisoner¡¯s room. When I offered Queen Carmilla an apple she twisted her head in confusion. ¡¸¡­Aren¡¯t you going to torture me today? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ I tried to give her a smile¡­But, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was able to smile properly as a fish-man. ¡¸I wonder what are you planning to do with me, you filthy fish. ¡¹ After she said that, the Queen didn¡¯t eat the apple immediately. She probably thought the fruit might have been poisoned with some weird substance. She was a little bit more cautious about me than she were yesterday. Seiya warned me ¡°don¡¯t do any unnecessary actions¡±. He was worried that I would be a hindrance to his Six-Hexagram preparation. Therefore, it would be a wise choice to remain with the Queen until he defeats the Grand Lion. I will have to continue doing this pretend torture act until then. ¡¸¡­Do you have more? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu? ¡¹ ¡¸I mean¡­that¡­fruit. ¡¹ The Queen was a little embarrassed to ask for more fruits. Therefore, the earth snake-turned-fish vomited an orange and a freshly apple from its mouth. And, I tried to give them to the Queen¡­ ¡¸Glu!? ¡¹ My legs stumbled on a chair and I fell over. When I tried to get up quickly, my head hit against the desk. ¡¸What are you doing? You¡¯re such a clumsy fish. ¡¹ I tried to clean the dust from the fruits that fell on the floor. On that moment, the Queen raised her voice and started to laugh aloud. ¡¸*laughs* Somehow, I suddenly remembered my daughter when I saw you like that! ¡¹ Ehhh!? She remembered her daughter by seeing a clumsy fish-man!? Well¡­Well, that reasoning might be a little distorted, but in a sense, she was not far from the truth!! ¡¸She was clumsy like you. She was a child who couldn¡¯t do anything else other than healing magic. Ah, but she was pretty good at it. She was a fine mage and, the veterans and the townspeople called her the ¡°Funny Razor Princess¡±.¡¹ ¡­The people didn¡¯t think I was stupid, but funny!? However, the Queen spoke in a slightly somber tone. ¡¸But, that ¡°Funny Razor¡± didn¡¯t come back after she went with the chosen hero to fight against the Demon King. Afterwards, I heard that the Demon King killed everyone¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­Glu. ¡¹ I glanced at the Queen¡¯s face. She was probably crying¡­But, I was wrong. The Queen raised the corners of her mouth and smiled at me. ¡¸You know, I don¡¯t believe on that story at all! That girl is pretty strong against bad luck! She probably escaped her death just like me! I bet she is living somewhere out there!¡¹ Then, she burst a cheerful laugh. ¡­Hmm¡­Well¡­She was right about half of that story though¡­ Anyway, I was glad to see the Queen more energetic than yesterday. After eating the fruit, I massaged the Queen¡¯s shoulders. At first, she was reluctant, but eventually, she accepted it. After I massaged her whole body as well, she felt asleep on her tattered bed. I put a blanket on the Queen. Then, I returned to my room. I was worried about only one thing when I was alone in my newly beastly room. Seiya. ¡­Seiya¡­Was he okay? He was probably fine given how cautious he usually is¡­ surely he was okay¡­ ¡ª And then, the next day. I felt uneasy when I thought about Seiya. I was worried about him and I couldn¡¯t just ignore those feelings. But, there wasn¡¯t anything I could do. Therefore, I did what I was supposed to do in the Fool Tower. I took the bread with me and went up to the spiral staircase. After unlocking the door, I entered the Queen¡¯s room and offered her the bread and a fruit. After eating her meal, the Queen asked me the following. ¡¸¡­What about torture? ¡¹ I shook my hand and head at the same time. ¡¸Glu, glu. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. ¡¹ The Queen began to talk a bit more openly with me. She probably unlocked her heart, even if just a little. ¡¸I didn¡¯t live without pain my whole life. However, my body became painless after the Demon King conquered this world. No matter how much they torture me, I won¡¯t feel any pain. I think what happened to me is a gift that God gave me.¡¹ ¡­Exfolia fell to the hands of the Demon King Artemaeus only a year ago. Even so, Tarmine became such a horrid place that quickly. The enemy killed all members of the royal family except the Queen. Moreover, the vassals became morbid toys and the townspeople became food. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the living hell made into reality. She said it was a gift from God, but I wondered if her situation was due a mental symptom. I wondered if the Queen¡¯s sense of pain dulled after the wounds she received on her heart. Still, the Queen uttered an energetic voice from her seemingly frail-looking body. ¡¸I am sure that God is telling me ¡°not to succumb to torture¡±. ¡¹ Then, exactly at the same time¡­ ¡¸¡­You have such an extreme disheartened god. ¡¹ I heard an unexpectedly thick voice! When the Queen and I looked behind to see who talked, I became petrified immediately! ¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! The Grand Lion was standing by the door! ¡¸So, your god gave you the power to endure torture instead of giving you the power to defeat the Demon King, huh. What a useless god you have there. Well¡­ I wonder if such god exists in the first place¡­¡¹ ¡¸Grand Lion¡­! ¡¹ The Queen changed her complexion and glared at the Grand Lion with hatred. For¡­For how long as he been standing there!? I didn¡¯t feel his presence at all!! However, he started to emit an overwhelming evil aura as soon as he spoke. It seemed that he could control both his aura and presence by his own free will. The Grand Lion tried to approach me. But, on that instant, he frowned slightly and stopped walking. The horse beast man told me that he despised the smell of fish-men. ¡¸Hey, fish-man. I¡¯m sure that you heard the instructions before. I won¡¯t eat this old hag until I give those orders.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Glu. ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously¡­It means that I won¡¯t kill this old hag until I see her miserable crying face. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Would you kill me immediately after you see me cry? ¡¹ The Grand Lion looked at the arrogant Queen and became irritated. Then, he approached her furiously and grabbed her chest. The Queen¡¯s body slightly floated in the air. ¡¸Shut up, you vixen. I hate your attitude. You¡¯re just skin and bones. I don¡¯t even know if you can beg for a life that doesn¡¯t even exist.¡¹ The Queen fell to the floor when he opened his hand abruptly. ¡¸Fish-man. You must find a way for me to see this old hag¡¯s miserable face. If you do so, I¡¯ll gladly give you and your species extra opportunities. Let¡¯s see¡­I¡¯ll give you a position in the royal palace and select you as a leader of a fighting unit. I¡¯ll make you as my aide.¡¹ ¡¸Glu¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll come see you again next time. ¡¹ And then, the Grand Lion went out of the room. ¡­I¡­I wondered if he left for real¡­ I tried to check beyond the door for a few times carefully, just like Seiya would. But, I didn¡¯t see him anywhere. I felt relieved that he was finally gone. When I looked back, I noticed that the Queen was giving me a needle. ¡¸Glu? ¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon. Do as your boss says you to do. You should start torturing me quickly and seriously. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get hurt if you don¡¯t comply.¡¹ ¡¸Glu, glu! ¡¹ Still, I shook my head negatively. The Queen was surprised with my answer. ¡¸The Grand Lion gave you that order, but you¡¯re still willing to refuse him! ¡¹ After making an astonishing face, the Queen approached me promptly. ¡¸I will tell you this because you seem like a beast with free will. Listen carefully. The Grand Lion promised you a place in the royal palace. But, you mustn¡¯t allow yourself to become the leader of a fighting unit. It will only accelerate your death time.¡¹ ¡¸Glu? ¡¹ ¡¸Do you know why the Grand Lion is creating fighting units of elite beasts in a world that was fully conquered by the Demon King? Because he is ambitious. He plans to kill the Demon King Artemaeus and become the true ruler of this world.¡¹ ¡­What!? Oh gosh, that¡¯s crazy!! ¡¸I know that it¡¯s possible. The Grand Lion certainly has that power. I heard some beasts say that he is the ¡°vessel to rule the world¡±. Artemaeus tried to create an excellent subordinate. Yet, he created a terrible monster instead.¡¹ I started to feel increasingly anxious. The Grand Lion¡¯s was assembling groups of fighting units which were deployed in the royal palace, just where Seiya was. ¡­Are you all right¡­Seiya¡­! The Grand Lion¡¯s status wasn¡¯t the only thing that was outrageously fearsome. He also had a vicious and abysmal goal. Queen Carmilla confirmed that the ¡°power of the vessel¡± was equally strong when compared to the Demon King Artemaeus. ¡ª The final day came. Today was the appointed day I had with Seiya. Seiya was supposed to reach the final stage of his Six-Hexagram plan by this evening. It was a little earlier than what I agreed with Seiya. Nevertheless, I headed to the courtyard of the royal palace. I went to the grassy corner of the devastated garden as I did once before¡­ *slurping sound* I fell into the hole of Cave Along. ¡¸¡­Lista. You¡¯re quite early today. ¡¹ I felt glad that Seiya was safe. His usual bored demeanor remained unchanged. ¡¸Seiya! I¡¯m relieved! I thought that something bad happened to you! ¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? I prepared the set up the Six-Hexagram stones around the temple within the royal palace. I also got some of the Grand Lion¡¯s hair without him noticing. The preparation has been done smoothly and the final stage is completely underway. After everything is ready, I will hide in the underground of the royal palace to perform the ¡°Sword Dance of Crushing the Evil¡±. After three hours, the Six-Hexagram will be completed, and the weakening of the Grand Lion will be successful.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see¡­But, even so! The Grand Lion can hide his aura and presence as he wishes! I know that everything will get easier if the sword dance is successful, but until then, you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need you to warn me about that. I already knew it. There¡¯s no problem. ¡¹ And then, Seiya looked at me as if he were looking at an idiot. ¡¸The only problem remains the same, Lista. You. ¡¹ ¡¸M¡­Me!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. From now on, I¡¯ll be performing the ¡°Sword Dance of Crushing the Evil¡± from about 10 meters above the ground inside of Cave Along. Normally, there would be no problem. Except for your existence¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What do you mean by that? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just as Isister said before. You cannot open the portal to go to the God¡¯s realm while the power of the evil god is still activated. Still, it is possible to use the portal to move within Tarmine. In other words, you can break into my Cave Along area if you use the portal.¡¹ Seiya stared fixedly at me with hawk eyes. ¡¸The reason I asked you to come here at this imminent timing was to warn you about this. I must warn you until the very last minute that I don¡¯t want to be disturbed by all of your stupid actions.¡¹ ¡¸Why say it like that!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just to be sure, I will tell you this one more time. The secret of the Six-Hexagram is the only chance I have to defeat the Grand Lion. However, the sacred energy will be scattered the moment a third party sees the sword dance. If that happens, I won¡¯t be able to use it for the same enemy ever again. Failure is not acceptable.¡¹ ¡¸I already know all of that!! ¡¹ ¡¸Finally, one last word. ¡¹ ¡¸There is still more!? You¡¯re so noisy!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll give absolute priority to the Six-Hexagram plan over anything else. That¡¯s all. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so!! Speaking of which, I also have something to say to you!! The fish you inserted within my body doesn¡¯t have eyes to see what¡¯s happening in the surroundings, or am I wrong!? It¡¯s frustrating to think that you can see all of my actions!!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t create it with that kind of specification. I¡¯m not interested in your private life. However¡­¡¹ When Seiya snapped his finger, I felt that something fell from my crotch. *boing boing boing* Fifteen fishes fell abruptly from my crotch. ¡¸How many fishes did you put inside of my body!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can put them inside of you again if you¡¯re that worried. You should be fine for only three hours. Well, I¡¯ll leave just one fish inside of you just for precaution.¡¹ ¡¸You should just take them all out of me!! ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. I¡¯ll leave that one in you. It¡¯s not for your well-being. But, yes, for my own sake. ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­I got out of the Cave Along in a fury. I didn¡¯t even look back at Seiya and walked away from the garden of the royal palace. While I climbed through the spiral staircase of the Fool Tower, I felt that my mind was going crazy. ¡­Ah, how frustrating! What¡¯s wrong with him! He treated me as an idiot once again! I didn¡¯t have any reasons to get on his way! Absolutely none! That¡¯s right. Only three hours left. I just had to wait that long without doing absolutely anything, so that the Six-Hexagram could be completed without any problem. Volume 2 - CH 74 Chapter 74: Mother I went up through the spiral staircase and headed to the Queen¡¯s room. The Queen had only one piece of bread a day. I felt sorry for her because of how poorly they treated her. Therefore, I tried to give a fruit for her dinner. I gently opened the door while holding an apple in one hand. The Queen was lying in bed. ¡¸Glu, glu? ¡¹ I called her. But, she was on a deep sleep. I placed the fruit on top of her table, and then, I took the hand of the Queen. ¡­Soon¡­Pretty soon now. The hero was always a bit cold-hearted, but I was sure that he would succeed with the Six-Hexagram plan. Tarmine will be saved of sure. And finally, the Queen will be able to get out from this tower¡­ On that moment. Suddenly. ¡­Ah¡­What was this? I noticed that the Queen was holding something in her right hand. I became anxious, so I slowly opened the Queen¡¯s fingers one by one without interrupting her deep sleep. I took out the thing that she was holding tightly on her hand. It was a small doll. It looked like a handmade girls¡¯ mascot. It was probably made a long time ago. It was old, worn-out and the color was washed out. Well, even if it wasn¡¯t dirty, this old doll was not made with very good workmanship. This handmade doll had weird proportions on her face and the hair was unkempt and out of place. This wasn¡¯t certainly a good work. However, when I looked at its back and turned it upside down¡­I was surprised. ¡ºFrom Tiana. To mother. ¡» These letters were sewed on the backside of the doll with a black thread. ¡­Was¡­Was this perhaps a doll that I¡­I made when I was human¡­!? On that instant. The old doll disappeared from my hand. ¡¸¡­Such a weird old hag. How can she sleep on a place surrounded by beast men with a peace of mind. I never seen this happen before.¡¹ ¡¸Glu!? ¡¹ That rough voice froze my spine! When I turned around, I saw the large stature of the Beast Emperor¡­the Grand Lion was standing behind me with the doll he took away from my hands! ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯m not going to threaten you. I was just a little bit curious. Yesterday, I noticed that that old hag¡¯s eyes were looking at you¡­in a different way. It was as if she wasn¡¯t looking at you with hatred. In fact, she can sleep this deeply even with a beast like you standing by her side.¡¹ The Queen finally woke up because of our fuss. She saw the Grand Lion. Then, she hardened her face and took her defensive stance against him. However¡­ ¡¸Ah¡­! ¡¹ She suddenly made a desperate voice when she looked at his right hand. The thing that seemed precious to her was in the hands of the Grand Lion. ¡¸What¡¯s up, old hag. Is this your private little thing? Where have you been hiding this thing? Under the bed?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that doesn¡¯t concern you! Give it back! ¡¹ The Queen, who was always calm and easygoing, was nervously exalted as if her blood was boiling hot. It seemed that the Grand Lion also sensed her unusual behavior. He stared at the doll even more. ¡¸What is so important about this doll? ¡¹ And then, the Grand Lion looked at the doll¡¯s back. ¡¸¡°Tiana¡±¡­That was your daughter, wasn¡¯t she? I see, so it makes sense. Was this thing a gift from your daughter?¡¹ ¡¸Gi¡­Give it back¡­! ¡¹ The Queen walked from her bed and approached the chest of the Grand Lion. She tried to get the doll back by reaching the massive stature of the Grand Lion. ¡¸Give it back! Give it back now! ¡¹ ¡¸You damn vixen. You are annoying me. ¡¹ With a roar of anger, he pushed the Queen away from him with the hand that didn¡¯t possess the doll. The Queen was blown away and fell on the floor. ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ I rushed to the Queen immediately. I tried to hold her up, but the Queen wasn¡¯t even looking at me. She was staring at the Grand Lion with distressed eyes. ¡¸I beg you¡­Please, give it back¡­ ¡¹ The Grand Lion spit on the floor after he heard her pitiful voice. ¡¸Is your dead daughter¡¯s thing that important? ¡¹ ¡¸Tiana¡­Tiana isn¡¯t dead! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? What the hell are you talking about, you vixen old hag. I thought you knew that long ago. Your daughter died a miserable death at the hands of Artemaeus. Look, this is how she died.¡¹ Then, the Grand Lion put some power on his hand and tried to smash the doll. The Queen¡¯s body trembled convulsively. ¡¸Stop it¡­Give it back¡­! ¡¹ But, on the next moment, the sound of torn fiber echoed in the air! The Grand Lion ripped the doll in half with the upper part separated from the bottom part! Then, he threw the doll to the floor! ¡¸Tiana¡­! ¡¹ The Queen uttered a quivering voice at the sight of the damaged doll. ¡­I was watching the Grand Lion¡¯s heartless actions while gritting my teeth. Of course, I wanted to stop it, but I didn¡¯t have enough power nor the strength to do it. But, it was hard for me to see the Queen suffering like that. So, at least, I hugged her from behind to give her my support. ¡¸Ugh¡­! Tiana¡­Tiana¡­! ¡¹ On that occasion¡­ *dripping sound* Something fell on my arms after I gave my shoulder to the Queen to lean as support. ¡­Ehhh¡­! It can¡¯t be¡­! The Queen was¡­! Tears were overflowing constantly from the Queen¡¯s eyes even though she never cried when she was tortured before. ¡¸Hey, c¡¯mon, c¡¯mon¡­! You¡¯re crying¡­You¡¯re crying for real¡­! You¡¯re the old hag that didn¡¯t cry even once for a whole year! Is this dirty doll so important for you?¡¹ I was also confused like the Grand Lion. Was the doll that I made when I was a human so important that even moved the Queen¡¯s heart? But¡­But, why did she go this far just for an old handmade doll¡­? I looked attentively at the doll that was torn to pieces at my feet. I thought instinctively, ¡°I want to know the reason why¡±, and then, I activated my Appraisal skill without realizing it. ¡ºA doll made for the Queen by a young princess Tiana¡­¡¾Warning!¡¿Do you really want to know more details?¡» ¡­War¡­¡°Warning¡±!? What¡¯s that!? I hesitated for a moment. Even so, I decided that I wanted to know the reason why the Queen behaved like that. I spoke that I wanted to ¡°know¡± inside of my head. Suddenly. On that moment, my head swirled and I felt dizzy. ¡ª ¡­I was still on the top floor of the Fool Tower, and yet, my surroundings were black and white as if I were seeing a movie. The bedroom had a different feeling and the furniture was of high quality ¡­ ¡¸Mother! Mother! ¡¹ A five-year-old girl in a white dress jumped around and ran energetically inside the room. In the corner of the room stood Queen Carmilla, who wore a similar colored dress. She tightened her expression. ¡¸Tiana! Don¡¯t run! Its bad manners! ¡¹ After my young-self was reprimanded, she lowered her head and looked sad. ¡¸But, you know¡­I just wanted to show this to you mother¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What is that? ¡¹ ¡¸A doll¡­Tiana made it for you. ¡¹ When the Queen was about to receive the doll, she noticed that Princess Tiana¡¯s hands were full of bruises. ¡¸You injured yourself too much. You¡¯re clumsy, so don¡¯t push yourself too hard. ¡¹ ¡¸Because, mother, you¡¯re so busy with work that we can¡¯t see each other that often. ¡¹ And then, Princess Tiana showed her a big smile. ¡¸So, think of this doll as me and have it to yourself! ¡¹ The little Princess Tiana moved the limbs of the handmade doll and showed it to her mother. ¡¸See! Now we can be together all the time! Even if you¡¯re away, Tiana will always be with mother!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. The ideas that my little girl comes up with¡­ ¡¹ After receiving the doll, the Queen stroked my young-self¡¯s head and smiled dearly. ¡¸Thank you. I will treasure it. ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­Then, the black and white scene disappeared from my eyesight and a huge body like a mountain stood in from of me. It was the Grand Lion. That monster stared wickedly at the Queen, whom I held with my arms. ¡¸Are you so sad that I destroyed your dead daughter¡¯s personal belongings? Jeez, I can¡¯t really understand the meaning of human feelings.¡¹ The Grand Lion approached the Queen, grabbed her hair and brought his fierce lion face next to hers. ¡¸But¡­this was perfect! I wanted to see your miserable face! Everyone died! They died for real! Your daughter, the King, your vassals and the townspeople! Everyone that was important to you has died! Listen, old hag! There is no hope for this world!¡¹ When he released his hand from her hair, the Queen fell abruptly. ¡¸I feel like I¡¯ve waited too long for this moment. With this, Tarmine will be completely domineered by the beast men¡­¡¹ The Grand Lion spoke happily. ¡¸I¡¯m going to cut your head at the execution ground. ¡¹ ¡­He¡­He¡¯s kidding, right!? ¡¸Glu¡­Glu, glu, glu! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand anymore. I stood in front of the Grand Lion and tried to stop him from going to the execution ground. Nevertheless, the Grand Lion approached me and put his hand on my shoulder. ¡¸Yeah. I didn¡¯t forget the words I told ya¡¯. You did it. First, you devoted yourself on opening this old hag¡¯s heart. Second. Because of that, we were able to get this old hag¡¯s weakness. I praise you for that. I¡¯ll put you in the royal palace as I promised you.¡¹ ¡­Wro¡­Wrong! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­! The Grand Lion took his hand of me and moved his hand aggressively. I thought he was going to attack me. The fish, whose earth snake changed inside of my body, appeared from below my legs and stripped its fangs. Nonetheless, the Grand Lion just laughed aloud. ¡¸I¡¯ll give your reward later. Now the execution of this old hag comes first. ¡¹ As soon as he declared those words, he forcibly grabbed the Queen¡¯s arms and dragged her towards the door. The fish that Seiya left with me would only attack others automatically if my life were in danger. When it sensed that the Grand Lion did not intend to harm me, it returned to my body. ¡­This¡­This can¡¯t be happening! The Queen will definitely be killed by this rate! I had to stop the Grand Lion! I rushed to the door and tried to chase him. I looked down on the long spiral staircase, but I couldn¡¯t see the stature of the Grand Lion anymore. ¡­No way!! How did he get down so fast from this long staircase!? I became so nervous that I rushed down the spiral staircase without hesitating. I was too impatient. So, while I went down, my legs got entangled with one another that I even rolled down through the stairs. Ugh! What was wrong with me! Why was this happening at such a time! It has been only one hour since I¡¯ve met with Seiya! His sword dance was not even half-away through! ¡ª I left the tower in a hurry. And yet, I couldn¡¯t see the Grand Lion and the Queen anywhere. ¡­The execution ground! She was looking at that place from the window¡­So, the direction would be that way! My intuition was right. Many of the beast people were talking aloud and moving quickly towards the direction I was headed to. ¡¸I heard that they¡¯re about to start the Queen¡¯s execution. ¡¹ ¡¸What? I didn¡¯t know that old woman was still alive. ¡¹ Although I wanted to hurry, I couldn¡¯t move fast because there were many beast men walking in front of me. ¡¸Glu, glu, glu! ¡¹ The irritated beast men looked back when they heard my loud fish-man voice. ¡¸Ah, what¡¯s up with this annoying fish-man? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll eat you, bastard. ¡¹ No matter how much they argued, or threatened me, I tried to pass through them and moved ahead without stopping. I continued to walk recklessly among the crowd, until finally I could see the back of the Grand Lion. He had a henchman carry the Queen, while he walked calmly ahead. ¡­I¡­I felt relieved! I finally caught up with them! Nonetheless, on that moment. My feet stopped. What¡­What on earth was I doing!? I ran and caught up with them¡­Then, what was I supposed to do now!? Was I this stupid!? I won¡¯t be able to go against the power of the Grand Lion!! Suddenly, I noticed a gravel floor under my feet. Crucifixion pillars were placed horizontally on the center of this wasteland. And a guillotine was placed on a different position. The Grand Lion had already arrived at the execution ground. ¡­I won¡¯t be able to do anything under these circumstances!! Seiya!! At this point, I heard Seiya¡¯s spirited voice inside of my head. ¡ºI¡¯ll give absolute priority to the Six-Hexagram plan over anything else. ¡» I¡­I mustn¡¯t!! Was I going to be a hindrance to Seiya once again!? Absolutely not!! It would be completely useless to call for Seiya right now!! Besides, the Great Goddess Isister also warned us about this!! She said to avoid a direct confrontation with the Grand Lion!! The feeling of remorse gradually transformed into anger. All¡­All of this was my fault! The Grand Lion wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if I hadn¡¯t taken the doll from the sleeping Queen¡¯s hand! It was just like Seiya cautioned me! I shouldn¡¯t have involved myself personally with the Queen more than necessary! And now, it had become like this¡­! Even if I regretted my actions so deeply, it was too late now. But, I couldn¡¯t stop regretting it. The end of my constant repentance lied on my reliable hero. That¡­That¡¯s right¡­Maybe, if it were Seiya, he would be able to do something about this situation? Yes! I knew that fighting directly with the Grand Lion was dangerous! But, Seiya was extremely cautious! Perhaps, he would know how to save the Queen with a good but cautiousness plan¡­!? ¡ºSe¡­Seiya won¡¯t be able to win. ¡» Yet, this time it were Adenela¡¯s words that resonated on my mind. The Goddess of War, Zeth, taught Seiya the ¡°crazy warrior¡± state¡­Even if Seiya transformed into that state, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the ¡°Phase 2nd¡± because it was something impossible for humans to achieve. He wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the Grand Lion in a direct fight. There was no point in asking Seiya for help this time. The success of the Six-Hexagram plan was absolutely necessary to defeat the Grand Lion and save Tarmine. In¡­In other words¡­ ¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Queen Carmilla¡­! Forgive me¡­! I won¡¯t be able to save you¡­! The beast man dragged the Queen forcibly as if she were a mere luggage. And then, I saw the blade of the guillotine rising up. Blood was dripping from that terrible spot. The Queen had a tiring expression of her face. She looked as if she gave up on everything. As if she lost the will to live. Such a contrast from her happy expression when she received that doll from my younger-self. ¡­Mother¡­!! ¡ª ¡­I broke into the Cave Along immediately. When I came inside, an intense sound squeezed my ears violently. My eyes became blank for a brief moment. It was probably due to the difference in space and lightening as opposed to the surface. Seiya, who was dancing with a sword, stopped moving instantaneously and struck the Platinum Sword on the ground. ¡¸¡­Lista. Do you realize what you have done? ¡¹ He snapped his finger and I transformed back to normal with the power of the art of change. ¡¸All of the hard work I did in order to defeat the Grand Lion¡­all of that vanished on this precise moment.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you know¡­Right now¡­the Grand Lion is about to¡­.execute the Queen¡­ ¡¹ Seiya remained silent. I didn¡¯t know what expression I should make, nor did I know what to say. I just began to smile pathetically and pitifully. ¡¸Ah¡­Ahahah¡­I am a nuisance, right? How long do I need until I become a levelheaded person? ¡°I am a goddess, and Seiya is a human¡±¡­I was determined to follow that rule, you know? Even so¡­I don¡¯t even know what to think or what to do anymore¡­¡¹ I approached Seiya to seek salvation. I pressed my head against his chest. ¡¸Just hate me. You can hit me and kick me whenever you want. But, please¡­I beg you¡­please, save the Queen.¡¹ I wondered what nonsense I was mumbling about. Seiya won¡¯t be able to defeat the Grand Lion without the success of the Six-Hexagram plan. And yet, I wanted him to save the Queen. Even if I were a mere insect, I just wanted to save her. That¡¯s all I asked for. However¡­However¡­ ¡¸Even if I don¡¯t remember anything¡­Even if I became a goddess¡­Even so, she was the only mother I ever had¡­!¡¹ Tears fell from my eyes. I pled to the human hero for help as if I prayed to the gods. ¡¸My mother¡­Please, save my mother¡­! Please¡­I beg you¡­! ¡¹ After a minute of silence, Seiya opened his mouth. ¡¸You are a goddess and I am the hero that you¡¯ve summoned. We are no more and no less than this¡­You certainly said something similar back then in the heavenly world, am I right?¡¹ My body trembled after hearing the sarcasm that echoed on the top of my head. ¡¸I am sorry¡­! I am sorry¡­! ¡¹ As soon as I apologized, Seiya grabbed my shoulder and threw me away. *crying sound* That was the ¡°denial answer¡±. Just as I separated away from Seiya¡¯s body, at the same time, I felt as if my soul also separated from my body. I was so sad that I couldn¡¯t stop crying. However¡­I was wrong. I heard a metallic sound. When I slowly raised my wet face full of tears, I noticed that he had the Platinum Sword on his waist. ¡¸You are correct. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing to neither like nor dislike. ¡°Save the Queen¡±¡­ If that¡¯s the will of the goddess who summoned me, then I will follow that will.¡¹ The hero took a deep breath and pressed his fists. ¡¸After all. If I can¡¯t beat this enemy with my ability alone, then I won¡¯t be able to save this world from bigger threats.¡¹ On that occasion, he looked at me with eyes full of determination. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Lista. Let¡¯s save the Queen and defeat the Grand Lion. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 75.1 Chapter 75: Beast Hazard (1) After I stopped crying, Seiya asked me the following question. ¡¸Is the situation imminent? ¡¹ I wiped my tears on the sleeves of my dress. Then, I tried to speak even with a trembling voice. ¡¸Mother¡­Queen Carmilla is at the guillotine platform¡­she is with the Grand Lion in the execution grounds¡­there are many beast men watching her execution¡­¡¹ Seiya nodded quietly. Before long, he made me open a portal to lead directly to the execution grounds. He turned me into a fish-man once again. ¡¸I will draw their attention. You¡¯ll have to rescue the Queen during that moment. ¡¹ After checking the safety of our exit point, Seiya put his hand on the portal¡¯s door, and¡­ ¡¸State Berserk¡­! ¡¹ On that instant, Seiya¡¯s body emitted a maddening red-black aura! His glossy black hair became red immediately! Moreover, demonic fangs came out from his mouth! ¡­He transformed into the Crazy Warrior so suddenly! I thought that he would transform into a dog beast man to blend in on the crowd at the execution ground! Seiya went through the portal and disappeared instantly. I chased after him in a hurry. After passing through the portal, I looked at my surroundings. The execution ground was about ten meters away from where I stood. In the distance, I could see a mountain of beast people and the figure of the Queen near the guillotine. The hero, who should¡¯ve been extremely cautious, put his sword on his shoulder and marched towards the large crowd. Soon, most of the beast people on the execution ground noticed that Seiya was approaching them. ¡¸¡­Ah? Who¡¯s that? ¡¹ The beast men took their eyes from the Queen, who was about to be beheaded on the guillotine, and looked attentively at Seiya. ¡¸Is that¡­a human? ¡¹ ¡¸Where did he come from? ¡¹ On that moment! A red ¡°lightening¡± passed between the beast men at an astonishing speed! It was as if the trajectory was ¡°sewing¡± each individual! The beast men looked confused after witnessing what had just happened! However! After Seiya passed through, the beast men¡¯s upper bodies were separated from their lower bodies! The beast men were cut in half! After moment of silence¡­ *agonizing screams* The beast men screamed incessantly! Those same beast men, who screamed madly, died shortly afterwards and fell to the ground! Exactly, he was literally a Crazy Warrior! He took all of the beast men in front of him with just one sword swing and attacked them without mercy! The Queen¡¯s execution was no longer the focus of their attention. The crowd of beast people went in a pandemonium after a sudden enemy appeared. The execution ground went into chaos. The beast men in charge of killing the Queen with the guillotine quickly fled from that place. Now it was my chance. I behaved exactly like a fish-man and I approached the Queen. When the Queen looked at me, she murmured as if she regained her sanity. ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­? Did you come to help me¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Glu! ¡¹ I evacuated the Queen to a safe place away from the guillotine. Even if the other beast men saw me like this, it could be interpreted as a guard preventing the Queen from running away. We came to a place where there were no beast people around us. On that moment, the Queen finally turned her eyes at Seiya, who sliced the beast people like a mad demon. She opened her eyes wide and her body started to quiver. ¡¸Is that¡­the hero? Yes¡­That¡¯s right! So, he was alive¡­! ¡¹ I nodded positively with an expression full of hope. ¡­I was able to rescue the Queen thanks to Seiya! The best thing to do now would be to take the Queen with us and leave this place immediately! However¡­ At this point. I heard the sound of a giant stepping the pebbles furiously. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s a bit rude to create a rampage in my own garden. ¡¹ Seiya was surrounded by a large amount of beasts man corpses¡­Behind him stood the Grand Lion, who was staring at him with devilish eyes. ¡¸I see that dozens of beasts, including elite beasts from my fighting units, were killed in an instant¡­What a considerable deal you created here, human.¡¹ His henchmen were slaughtered mercilessly. Yet, he was not upset. He remained calm. That was really the ruthless and vicious demeanor of the true Beast Emperor. I reaffirmed the status of the Grand Lion by activating my clairvoyance ability. Beast Emperor the Grand Lion Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 1200044 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 856121 Defense ¨C 819637 Agility ¨C 807711 Magic ¨C 58754 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Wind, Lightening, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lvl MAX) Skills ¨C Jet Black Nail Personality ¨C Villainous I shuddered again when I saw the Grand Lion¡¯s ability value. His status was comparable to that of the high-ranking gods from the God¡¯s realm. The State Berserk could double Seiya¡¯s status. In other words, Seiya¡¯s agility must be at 500,000 points. The Grand Lion¡¯s agility value even exceeded the points of Bell Bubu¡¯s flight skill, the demon we defeated in Geabrande capable of moving at a super-high speed. Even so, the Grand Lion¡¯s agility was still higher than Seiya¡¯s doubled agility value. The difference was about¡­300,000 points! ¡­It was likely that the Grand Lion¡¯s max speed would easily intersect Seiya¡¯s actions! There¡¯s no way that we could easily escape from this place! What should we do!? Anyways, I secretly activated my goddess¡¯ power. I improved my dynamic vision so that I could follow Seiya and the Grand Lion¡¯s movements with accuracy. ¡¸A human with such power was still hiding in the Radral continent¡­No, that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Are you, perhaps, the summoned hero?¡¹ The Grand Lion uttered an unsatisfyingly voice when Seiya, who didn¡¯t lose his offensive battle stance, didn¡¯t respond to his question. ¡¸Hey, hey. Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m just talking to you. Are you the hero who was summoned to save this word? Am I correct?¡¹ Seiya slowly opened his mouth. ¡¸¡­That¡¯s right. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that you defeated Bunogeos? So, it was you whom I talked to back in the town of Galvano¡­Jeez. It was just as the god with mottled hair warned me about.¡¹ After looking slightly frustrated, the Grand Lion laughed happily for no special reason. ¡¸Even so, it was rather brilliant of you. Your plan was successful. In my perspective, you¡¯ve accomplished a big deal.¡¹ ¡¸It was thanks to the power of the art of change that I¡¯ve learnt in the heavenly world. No one can see my real appearance neither my presence nor my aura.¡¹ ¡¸I see, is that so. It was simple as that. ¡¹ The Grand Lion laughed aloud. Afterwards, he crossed his arms as if he had no intention of fighting. ¡¸I really like strong guys. Do you want to cooperate with me to kill the Demon King Artemaeus? You and I have a common interest, am I right? What do you think?¡¹ Wha¡­What¡¯s that!! Was he serious!? No¡­No, there¡¯s no such thing!! Still, maybe we could escape if Seiya pretended to accept his invitation¡­!? I was distracted by the enemy¡¯s words of a seemingly peaceful invitation. But, on the next moment, I realized that the Grand Lion was no longer on his spot! The Grand Lion moved at an astonishing speed and rapidly approached Seiya! He raised his right arm with a killing intent! ¡¸¡­Jet Black Nail! ¡¹ He groaned with a lower-pitched voice and aimed at the Seiya simultaneously! The Chain Destruction was embedded on the Jet Black Nail too! A tremendous roar and subsequent vibration shook all the area of the execution ground! ¡­Seiya!! The ground was torn apart by the impact of the Grand Lion¡¯s fearsome attack. Nonetheless¡­ I didn¡¯t see Seiya on the area where the big and large-shaped claw had striked. On that very moment, a metallic sound resonated intensely! Seiya stood behind the Grand Lion! I noticed that the Grand Lion managed to shield himself from Seiya¡¯s sword attack with one of his long nails! ¡¸Oh¡­You managed to avoid my attack and even tried to strike me from behind my back.¡¹ He¡­He dodged it!? And even tried to counterattack!? How!? His status was clearly lower than the status of the Grand Lion¡­ I was amazed to see how quickly Seiya reacted to that attack. The amount of madness from the red-black aura that covered his body began to increase! Not only his hair transformed into a fury of red hair! His eyes became red as well! ¡­That¡­That change was¡­!! Yes, there¡¯s no doubt!! He raised his State Berserk into Phase 2nd!! The normal cycle of the Berserk mode transformed the ability value x2! Then, the Phase 2nd would transform the ability value x3! Summing up, right now, Seiya¡¯s offensive power was slightly above than the Grand Lion¡¯s power! I trembled with excitement. That¡¯s right! Until now, this hero had repeatedly acquired special techniques, which were said to be impossible to achieve by mere humans! He even managed to learn the arrow skills, the consecutive gunshot sword, and even the destruction technique! No wonder that he was able to fully activate the Phase 2nd! Nevertheless. I noticed a further change in Seiya¡¯s appearance. The color of Seiya¡¯s eyes returned back to its normal state. Besides, the amount of aura that started to increase not too long ago, suddenly stopped surging, and its growth fell back to normal. ¡­Eh!? What happened¡­!? ¡¸What a fluke. Maybe next time. Here I go. ¡¹ The Grand Lion approached Seiya and tried to strike him with his right arm. On that moment, the color of Seiya¡¯s eyes changed again. And, he dodged that frightening strike. However, this time, the Grand Lion chased after Seiya immediately when he dodged the attack. The enemy twisted his body and tried to kill Seiya with his left-handed claws. Nevertheless, Seiya reacted quickly. He bent his upper body instantaneously and dodged the second strike. The Jet Black Nail cut a small string of Seiya¡¯s hair that fell to the ground. But, that proved to be a very dangerous situation, therefore, Seiya took some distance away from him and stood at a seemingly bling spot. ¡¸¡­You changed again. So, it wasn¡¯t a fluke after all. ¡¹ The Grand Lion was surprised. However, I noticed a certain fact when I was stared closely at the Seiya. ¡­The¡­The color of his eyes returned back to normal¡­! Whoa! Seiya¡­Seiya¡­hasn¡¯t mastered the Phase 2nd! I was sure that it only could be activated momentarily! He could only raise his mode to Phase 2nd when the Grand Lion attacked him! He had to return back to normal straightaway after dodging his attacks! He probably didn¡¯t have much time to withstand the Phase 2nd! My breathing became disturbed after knowing the truth. Even so, we still had a chance of winning this fight if the Grand Lion didn¡¯t notice this. However, the monster, who tried to defy reason in other to defeat the Demon King Artemaeus, greatly distorted his mouth. He grinned wickedly at Seiya. ¡¸I can¡¯t see your status because of the camouflage skill, you bastard. But, I can see the increase and decrease of your aura. Did you rapidly increase your ability value the moment I attacked you? After that, your aura decreased considerably. In other words, you bastard can only surpass my status for only a short moment¡­¡¹ Then, the Grand Lion swayed his hands in a circle as if he were preparing for a different type of offensive strike. ¡¸From now on, I¡¯ll attack you with sequences of Jet Black Nail! Prepare yourself, bastard! ¡¹ This¡­was bad!! This was extremely bad!! He figured it out!! Seiya, what are you going to do!? He won¡¯t be able to use special skills nor the magical attributes of fire and earth while his Berserk mode was activated!! Could we escape from this place if he released his Berserk mode to get his magical powers back!? But¡­But, he would be killed instantly if his ability value returned back to normal!! How can we win this fight¡­!! Volume 2 - CH 75.2 Chapter 75: Beast Hazard (2) The Grand Lion approached Seiya with astonishing speed! I didn¡¯t even had the time to settle down my own thoughts! He confronted Seiya with a series of Jet Black Nail attacks! Seiya managed to deflect the attacks with the activation of Phase 2nd! He defended himself with his sword¡­However, the color of Seiya¡¯s eyes and his aura disappeared before long! The Beast Emperor grinned wickedly. ¡¸¡­Die. ¡¹ Yet, the body of the Grand Lion bounced abruptly. The Grand Lion¡¯s claws only cut through the air. At that moment, Seiya managed to step back and stood at a safe distance away from the Grand Lion. ¡¸What? ¡¹ An earth snake was entangled on one of the Grand Lion¡¯s legs. He tried to get it away ¡¸Chi. ¡¹. After noticing the earth snake, he easily cut it off with a nail as if he wiped some dust effortlessly. The remains of the earth snake fell to the ground and transformed back into sand. ¡¸What a cheap trick. ¡¹ The Grand Lion stared at Seiya with revulsion. But, on that instant, Seiya¡¯s foot hit the ground. Soon, more than ten earth snakes appeared from the ground. ¡­Earth Magic!! How!? He couldn¡¯t use any magical properties while on Berserk mode!! However, I realized it when numerous earth snakes gathered around Seiya to protect him. I see! Those were the fishes that were on my body and returned back to Seiya when he ordered them to! They dissolved their forms and transformed into earth snakes again! ¡¸It will be futile no matter how much of them you have to protect yourself. It will be a matter of just scratching them off.¡¹ The Grand Lion jumped towards Seiya¡¯s direction! His speed was so great that the earth snakes around Seiya¡¯s feet didn¡¯t have time to react! Seiya manifested his Phase 2nd on that moment and dodged the attack! After that, he tried to use his Platinum Sword to fight back¡­ ¡¸Oops. That¡¯s dangerous. ¡¹ The enemy defended himself with the Jet Black Nail¡­However, Seiya¡¯s eye color returned back to normal! The Grand Lion tried to grab that opportunity to kill Seiya, but the earth snakes jumped all at once to the Grand Lion to save their master¡¯s life! ¡¸How annoying, you bastard! ¡¹ The Jet Black Nail cut more than ten earth snakes into pieces! Their remains fell to the ground and they became sand again! Then, the Grand Lion went straight to Seiya! ¡­All of the earth snakes were killed!! Seiya!! Nevertheless, the Grand Lion couldn¡¯t move any further and roared furiously. ¡¸There are still some left¡­! ¡¹ When I looked closely at Seiya¡¯s feet, I noticed that earth snakes were raising from the ground once again! Their number was¡­ Thirty¡­Fifty¡­No¡­they were more than a hundred snakes!! But, how!? A horde of earth snakes attacked the Grand Lion from all directions. Seiya spoke in a simple and plain tone. ¡¸I was planning to fight you anyways. Therefore, I created several earth snakes beforehand and scattered them around Tarmine. Now, I¡¯ve called them here.¡¹ I¡­I see¡­!! But, even so, when did he manage to create this many!? Seiya had been preparing and looking forward to the success of the Six-Hexagram plan until now!! And yet, he still had time to create this insane amount of earth snakes!? He was awfully cautious after all!! However, the situation was complicated. Even if they were that many, they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the Grand Lion. The Jet Black Nail attacks destroyed the snakes one after another, changing them back to sand. Seiya activated the Phase 2nd. He tried to strike the Grand Lion, but the enemy didn¡¯t back down. Seiya took his distance once again. At the same time, the Grand Lion chased after Seiya while dealing with the earth snakes. Twenty, thirty¡­the enemy kept destroying masses of earth snakes. Each time my heart beat faster. ¡¸¡­What¡¯s up? Is it over? ¡¹ After the Grand Lion professed those words, I noticed that the earth snakes stopped ascending from the area under Seiya¡¯s feet. The eyes of the Grand Lion looked sharp as if he were sure of his own victory¡­Suddenly, he made a bold move against Seiya! Seiya activated the Phase 2nd immediately! He dodged the blow and, next, he dodged the Nail attack! Afterwards, Seiya aimed towards the Grand Lion¡¯s heart but the enemy avoided his offensive strike! And then¡­the Grand Lion made a third attempt to attack Seiya! ¡­Phase 2nd was about to be deactivated soon!! He was going¡­to die!! Nonetheless, it was unbelievable! The color of Seiya¡¯s eyes while confronting the Grand Lion were still red! Seiya defended himself from the fearsome nails by using his sword as a shield! He successfully deflected the attack and the enemy¡¯s body bounced back! Then, he moved the Platinum Sword at an overwhelming speed that almost got the Grand Lion¡¯s nose! This time, on the contrary, the Grand Lion moved away from Seiya and took a safe distance. ¡­He still had the power to keep the Phase 2nd activated!? How!? Like me, the Grand Lion looked as if he didn¡¯t understand it either. He showed a confusing expression then. ¡¸Hey, hey. What kind of logic is that? Did you make it on purpose to look as if you could only do it for a short time to fool me? No¡­My judgement was correct. Until a moment ago, I saw clearly that you tried your hardest to keep your powers up.¡¹ Seiya twisted his neck and spoke aloud. ¡¸The continuous activation of the Phase 2nd puts a heavy burden on my mind and body. There was a percentage of danger, which indicated that my mind and body could collapse. Therefore, I was adjusting the power little by little while I drove myself into a battle with you¡­Okay.¡¹ Seiya emitted a huge aura out of his body and turned his red eyes towards the Grand Lion. ¡¸¡­Accustom Mode. ¡¹ I was perplexed when I heard the hero speak the similar quote that the Geabrande¡¯s Emperor used to declare. ¡­A¡­A genius! Seiya stabilized the powers of the State Berserk Phase 2nd in the midst of the actual battle against the Grand Lion! ¡¸Okay then. Let¡¯s go with all my might. ¡¹ Seiya pulled from his sheath a second Platinum Sword. He took a double sword offensive stance; one pointed above, while the other facing below. ¡¸You don¡¯t give up¡­! You bastard¡­! ¡¹ The moment the enemy finished talking¡­! Bang! Both of them roared extremely high and clashed with each other! Seiya¡¯s attack was not the usual Double Consecutive Gunshot Sword. It was no special skill. The attack was just a normal double-handed sword that he aimed directly towards the Grand Lion. But, its power and speed were tremendous! It felt as if the earth and heaven were tearing apart with just the power of one strike! The shock from the clash between the swords and the nails made my hair shake away! With Seiya¡¯s outstanding strength, the Grand Lion couldn¡¯t defend himself in time! His cheeks were cut and black blood dripped from his face! His blackish armor cracked up as well! The Grand Lion was slightly underpowered! ¡­A¡­Amazing!! Seiya was really one in a hundred million people!! A special and talented human being!! He could win this!! Yes, even without the secret of the Six-Hexagram!! However, a dark shadow crossed through my mind and swallowed up my tiny hope. ¡­Wait a second! Why did Adenela say that Seiya wouldn¡¯t be able to win against the Grand Lion? Not only her. Why did the Great Goddess Isister say to avoid a direct combat with the enemy? And then¡­My anxiety became a reality. Before I noticed, a strange scene developed right in front of my eyes. Seiya¡¯s expression, who was supposed to have an upper hand, seemed distressful, while the Grand Lion, who was underpowered, had a relaxed expression. ¡¸What¡¯s this? Blood? So, you managed to cut me, huh. You are a vicious bastard. You really thought you could win this fight? And here I was, trying to kill you without getting serious¡­¡¹ ¡­What!? The¡­The Grand Lion¡¯s true power was hidden¡­!! The Grand Lion spoke with a relaxed tone against a rough-breathing and exhausted Seiya. ¡¸My intuition was right. You can inflict damage if I¡¯m not careful enough. That¡¯s why I have no choice but to get serious. Unlike Bunogeos, I activate my powers automatically. I just needed to fight against a certain enemy to resort to this. No matter how cautious you are, this will be your demise.¡¹ For moments, Seiya tried to attack him. However, the Grand Lion mocked Seiya¡¯s movements. ¡¸It¡¯s too late, hero. ¡¹ Then, the body of the Grand Lion was wrapped in black light. ¡¸¡°Beast Hazard¡±¡­! ¡¹ Seiya was almost thrown away by the overwhelming power of the black aura that spread on the enemy¡¯s body! When the insane aura stopped glittering, the body of the Grand Lion became deformed! He had huge wings on his back that resembled bat wings! Below his waist, a tail of a large snake moved creepily as if it had freewill! He transformed into a Chimera! The deformed body radiated a pale light as if it were charging up! That thing was ready to charge at Seiya! I felt a shivering throughout my body as if my life was in eminent danger. And I wasn¡¯t even close to the battle ground¡­ ¡¸¡­Vault! ¡¹ A pale flash like a lightning bolt instantly passed through Seiya! In the blink of an eye, Seiya and the Grand Lion seemed to have switched positions. ¡­Seiya got on his knees. Seiya remained strong even when the Warlord Emperor cut off his arm. And yet, right now, my hero fell on his knees, while he held his stomach with a distorted and painful expression on his face. Volume 2 - CH 76 Chapter 76: The Forbidden Exceeded Limit The Beast Emperor was looking down at Seiya, who was suffering tremendously on the ground. ¡¸My attacking power has exceeded the 1,000,000 point mark. I have greatly surpassed the power of the Demon King Artemaeus.¡¹ I activated the clairvoyance ability. Before long, the new status of the Grand Lion reflected on my eyes. Beast Emperor the Grand Lion State ¨C Thunder Beast Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 955989 / 1200044 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 1023987 Defense ¨C 998596 Agility ¨C 938855 Magic ¨C 58754 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Wind, Lightening, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX), Flight (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Jet Black Nail, Volt, Volt Sky Axel Personality ¨C Villainous ¡­¡°Despair¡± was a meaningless word to describe my feelings. I felt something much worse than just despair. This world was no longer comparable to Geabrande. There was no human being capable of defeating such an absurd monster. On this moment. ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­? ¡¹ Right by my side, Queen Carmilla pointed at me with her trembling hand. And then¡­I noticed. I had no longer a fish-man¡¯s appearance! ¡¸What are you¡­! ¡¹ I tried to suppress my anguish. Therefore, I only told the Queen what was important to hear. ¡¸I¡­I am Listarte. I am the goddess who came to save this world. I¡¯ve been disguised as a fish-man until now.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That explains everything¡­ ¡¹ The Queen looked at me with a stunned expression on her face. ¡¸Are you¡­the Goddess of Fishes¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I¡¯m not a Goddess of Fishes!! A¡­Anyways!! I¡¯ll tell you more about it later!! ¡¹ At that point, my gaze turned away towards the place of battle. I noticed that something went definitely wrong. ¡­Ho¡­How¡­Why did the art of change deactivate right now!? Earth Magic used the power of nature as well¡­For example, Earth Magic had the capability of using, not only the magical energy from the caster, but also from the soil itself. That was the reason why the earth snakes could move without relying too much on Seiya¡¯s power. However, the power of the art of change could only be deactivated by 100% of Seiya¡¯s power. But the fact, was that the art of change had been completely disengaged¡­ ¡­It meant that Seiya received real damage!! Seiya was holding his stomach with his hands and he was breathing extremely hard. That fearsome attack did hurt Seiya badly. Red blood was falling constantly from his torn abdomen. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I wanted to cure him¡­ ¡¸¡­Don¡¯t come here. ¡¹ Seiya sensed my movements and uttered a painful voice. At the same time, the Grand Lion turned his eyes on my direction. ¡¸Who the hell is that woman¡­? Ah¡­Is that the goddess of a different dimension that brought the hero to this world?¡¹ Then, the Grand Lion spoke about me as if he wasn¡¯t that interested. ¡¸I¡¯ll kill her alongside that old hag. But, before I do that, I¡¯ll kill you first, bastard. ¡¹ The Grand Lion used Volt to go up against Seiya. Somehow, Seiya raised his body, held his sword and defended the attack. ¡¸I absolutely hate the repulsive humans. The Demon King made me like this when he transformed this world into his own home. I wonder if you detestable humans killed me brutally on my previous life.¡¹ After he finished talking¡­! In an Instant a lightning bolt passed through Seiya! At the same time, I heard the sound of flesh being torn apart! The speed of the Grand Lion even created a dirt smoke of his trajectory. He stopped at a distant place. Seiya couldn¡¯t defend himself from the Volt attack. His left cheek was sliced as if it had been cut with a knife. The Grand Lion licked Seiya¡¯s red blood that fell from his nails! And then, he took the Volt offensive stance once again! Before long¡­a pale lightning bolt sprinted all over again! This time, I heard a violent metallic sound. Somehow, Seiya managed to defend himself. However, the Platinum Sword he had on his left hand went flying in the air. Seiya rushed in a hurry to the area where the Platinum Sword fell on the ground. But, the Grand Lion was already standing in front of the Platinum Sword. Yet, Seiya still tried to grab the fallen Platinum Sword, but his arms were unprotected. Therefore, the Grand Lion tried to get this opportunity by dissecting Seiya¡¯s arms with his nails¡­But, on that instant, the enemy stopped the attack against the hero. ¡¸¡­Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice it? ¡¹ The leg of the Grand Lion slammed into Seiya¡¯s abdomen violently. Seiya¡¯s body floated in the air with a dull sound. Seiya collapsed on the ground and bled brutally from the wound inflicted on his stomach. ¡¸I¡¯ve been aware of it since I met you bastard. Your left arm is wrapped by a strange aura. ¡¹ I took a deep breath when I heard the Grand Lion¡¯s words. Pe¡­Perhaps it was the aura of the destruction technique that Seiya used once before on the fight against the Warlord Emperor!? Was it ¡°Counter Break¡±!? Did he manage to trigger that skill on time before activating his Berserk mode!? Did he really anticipate the difficulty of this situation!? He wanted to sever the Grand Lion¡¯s arms in exchange for his own arms to bet on a turnaround¡­ ¡¸Is that your last trump card? What a shame. ¡¹ Unfortunately, the monster discovered the strategy of the cautious hero. The Grand Lion continued to kick cruelly Seiya¡¯s abdomen while laughing maniacally. ¡¸You must regret for wanting to face me directly! I¡¯ll kill you bastard! And, I¡¯ll kill Artemaeus! Then, I¡¯ll put every human and monster under my rule, the true Beast Emperor!¡¹ He was kicked. He was stepped on aggressively¡­Tears overflew from my eyes when I saw my hero being beaten so cruelly as if he were a sandbag. ¡­This outstanding talent¡­This genius¡­was getting beaten up so miserably¡­! He could¡¯ve won this battle with the success of the Six-Hexagram plan¡­! But, this¡­! This was my entirely fault¡­! (EN: No shit sherlock) The Grand Lion pulled his leg backwards and, with a strong swing, he kicked Seiya so severely that he was blown away by a few meters from where he was standing. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand to watch this anymore. I didn¡¯t care if the enemy tried to kill me. I just ran quickly on Seiya¡¯s direction. I put my hands on Seiya¡¯s abdomen and tried to invoke my healing magic¡­ ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t need to be cured. ¡¹ Seiya spoke to me in a painful tone. Maybe he realized that he won¡¯t be able to win even if I cured him? No¡­He might not even want to borrow my healing powers. After all, it was my fault that he had to suffer this much. ¡¸I am sorry¡­! I am¡­truly sorry¡­! ¡¹ I could only regret and apologize. Seiya stared at me with his usual boring and expressionless face. ¡¸Lista¡­Your judgement was correct. Lives of precious people would¡¯ve been lost if I got too obsessed with the success of the Six-Hexagram strategy¡­¡¹ Even deeply hurt, my hero spoke gentle words to console the disheartened me. It seemed that those words were the last words of my hero. However. Seiya used the Platinum Sword as a cane and stood up. ¡¸This severe pain¡­helps me from submerging into madness¡­Maybe¡­it¡¯s possible to express it now.¡¹ ¡­Possible¡­Express¡­? Was he holding back his real power? I realized it when I heard Seiya¡¯s determination voice! ¡­He intended to activate his State Berserk Phase 3rd!! His status would increase 4x with the activation of Phase 3rd!! He would definitely overcome the strength of the Grand Lion!! That was probably the only way to win against the frightening power of the Grand Lion! But¡­Even so¡­!! ¡ºThere are ¡°boundaries that cannot be crossed¡± by a human being. If a human reaches the Phase 3rd, he will cease to be a human being forever! The Berserk mode scars will be engraved in the soul, and even if you return to your original world, the after effects will certainly remain within you!¡» The warning of the Goddess of War, Zeth, crossed through my mind! I had a very bad feeling about this! Not even the talent nor strong spirit would be able to suppress the insane madness of that crazy power¡­I felt an ominous feeling! The Grand Lion was watching Seiya and me at a remotely position¡­ ¡¸Have you finished saying goodbye? Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll kill you too after I¡¯ve finished with that bastard.¡¹ The Grand Lion laughed with a devilish smile. ¡¸No¡­Actually, I¡¯ll kill you first. ¡¹ And then, he looked viciously at me¡­ ¡¸Volt! ¡¹ A pale lightning bolt went straight to me! I instinctively closed my eyes when I knew that my death was near! Nonetheless, I heard a strong sound as if something hit violently! I opened my eyes slowly¡­and I saw something unbelievable. The Grand Lion ducked down in one knee! Black blood dripped from his mouth, passed through his jaw and fell to the ground! ¡¸Bastard¡­! ¡¹ The hero stood in front of the Grand Lion. Likewise, the Grand Lion looked at the hero with rage. I also stared at Seiya with an astonishing look on my face. The amount of aura was incomparable to his previous aura! In addition, his skin color increased in redness, and his fingernails changed to a color between red and black! The hero spoke with a rough breath. ¡¸Somehow¡­I managed to express it successfully¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­Is that the Phase 3rd!? ¡¹ However, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸Hypothetically speaking¡­even if I defeat the Grand Lion¡­there is still the Demon King ahead of this¡­now it¡¯s not the right time to bet on something dangerous¡­¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, what is that change!? ¡¹ ¡¸It is a limit that cannot be exceeded by any means¡­so, I have no need to exceed it now. I just¡­had to get close to that limit instead¡­¡¹ Seiya uttered the following words. ¡¸State Berserk¡­Phase 2.5¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Phase 2.5!! Normally, the ability value would increase by 3x with Phase 2nd!! If he activated Phase 2.5, then¡­it increased by 3.5x!! By adjusting the Phase 2nd with Phase 3rd, did his strength aligned with the power of the Grand Lion!? ¡¸No¡­well¡­to be precise¡­it is Phase 2.491¡­ ¡¹ This¡­This was extremely surreal!! No¡­It was amazing!! He even adjusted his activation by three decimal places!! The Grand Lion spit the blood from his mouth to the ground. ¡¸Is that your real trump card, bastard? That¡¯s irrelevant. I¡¯ll just need to crush it entirely. ¡¹ After saying those words, the Grand Lion charged against Seiya by using Volt! Nevertheless, Seiya, who was wrapped in red-black madness aura, also rushed in the Grand Lion¡¯s direction! The two of them collided with one another! After a terrible roar, I noticed that the Grand Lion went against Seiya¡¯s double-handed swords with the Jet Black Nail. What a fearsome scene! The Grand Lion managed to block Seiya¡¯s attack, and started to laugh maniacally! However! The body of the Grand Lion was gradually pushed down by the overwhelming power of Seiya¡¯s newly awakening state! ¡¸What the hell is this power¡­! But, you¡¯re just a mere human being¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve stopped being a human for now. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t screw with me¡­! Who do you think I am! ¡¹ The Grand Lion was outraged! He shook his arms fiercely! With the strength of the Jet Black Nail, the Grand Lion crushed the bottom of the Platinum Sword on Seiya¡¯s right hand! ¡¸It seems that your power doesn¡¯t match with the durability of your weapons. ¡¹ Just as the Grand Lion professed, the Platinum Swords were powerful weapons. However, these weapons were not on par with the fearsome strength of enemies from the Demon King class. In addition, the swords were gradually cracking from the fierce confrontation of the previous fight. ¡­Oh no!! Why did this happen right after Seiya finally reached the enemy¡¯s power!! I was deeply discouraged¡­Nonetheless! Seiya¡¯s feet uplifted immediately! Moreover! A new earth snake appeared from the ground and took one of Seiya¡¯s sheath! ¡¸An earth snake!? You still had one!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. This is a spare earth snake. And that¡¯s a spare Platinum Sword. ¡¹ When he received the sheath from the earth snake, he redrew that sword¡­ ¡¸The left sword is also damaged. I have to replace it just in case. ¡¹ He slightly uplifted his foot from the ground! And then! A new earth snake appeared with a different sheath! ¡¸This is the spare of the spare earth snake. And that¡¯s a spare of the spare Platinum Sword.¡¹ ¡­He¡­He had lots of spares¡­!! I was completely appalled by the extremely well-prepared hero. On that moment, Seiya equipped himself with his newly double-handed swords. The Grand Lion gritted his teeth in fury. ¡¸Don¡¯t screw with me, bastard¡­Are you a magician¡­ ¡¹ The Grand Lion slowly drew an arc with his arms. ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive you¡­! I¡¯m gonna shatter the shit out of you with the Jet Black Nail powered by Volt¡¯s energy¡­!¡¹ On the other hand, Seiya exhaled a long and deep sigh ¡¸huh ¡¹. And then, he muttered the following. ¡¸State Berserk¡­Phase 2.6¡­! ¡¹ ¡­He was getting close to Phase 3rd again!! Was he going to be okay!? How long could he endure the continuing pressure of madness¡­!! However, I noticed something irregular from the enemy¡¯s side. The Grand Lion continued to grit his teeth and his breath was rough as if he were exhausted or in pain. I see!! Not even the Grand Lion could keep with his Beast Hazard state for too long!! In¡­In other words¡­Whichever wins or loses¡­This battle will be settled soon!! ¡­Before my eyes. A red-black aura of madness and a devilish pale aura were facing each other for the ultimate combat. The hero slowly moved the tip of the double-handed swords against the Grand Lion. ¡¸I¡¯ll free the Radral continent from the control of the beast men. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get cocky¡­you measly human¡­! ¡¹ Then, the Grand Lion roared furiously. ¡¸Humans are toys!! Humans are food!! This land!! Radral belongs to the beast men!! ¡¹ ¡¸That will end today. ¡¹ ¡¸How dare you¡­!! ¡¹ The enemy used the power of Volt to increase the strength of Jet Black Nail attack! And then! The enemy tried to rip Seiya apart! Seiya¡¯s swords blocked the first attack! But, the enemy didn¡¯t give up! He continued to strike without stopping! Even so, Seiya¡¯s double-handed swords deflected all those attacks! However¡­I heard a sudden cracking sound! Before I knew it, Seiya¡¯s right-handed Platinum Sword shattered into pieces as if it were made of glass! The Grand Lion grinned wickedly. Yet, black blood spilled from his cheek! Even though the right-handed sword was broken, Seiya managed to cut the Grand Lion¡¯s cheek by stabbing with his left-handed sword! The Beast Emperor groaned with hatred. The Grand Lion continued his fierce attack in order to kill Seiya. The situation was unfavorable for Seiya because he only had one sword left. However, Seiya raised his feet again, and an earth snake gave him a new sheath. Seiya¡¯s upper body managed to avoid the attack coming from the Grand Lion. On this very moment, Seiya touched the sheath with his foot and kicked it to the sky. The sheath rotated in the air, and the sword came out from that sheath because of the centrifugal force¡­then, Seiya grabbed the sword with his free hand. ¡¸¡­Another spare of the spare of the spare. ¡¹ This time, Seiya took an offensive stance! He won¡¯t be able to use skills while the Berserk mode was active. But, he was a very unique and talented human¡­He used normal sword attacks, however! He attacked, he cut, he slashed, he pierced and he stabbed! He used all of different sword techniques on the enemy! Unable to avoid Seiya¡¯s sword attacks, the body of the Grand Lion became incised by deep lacerations! ¡¸Damn¡­You¡­! ¡¹ One of the swords broke again during the middle of Seiya¡¯s attacks. Still, an earth snake immediately offered a spare from the soil to Seiya. He didn¡¯t even look at it with his eyes. He kicked the sword to lift it up on the air and grabbed it immediately. A relentlessly long-lasting battle. But then, suddenly, the Grand Lion used a different attack from his three-continuous strikes to kill Seiya at above his head¡­¡°The Snake¡¯s Tail¡±! The attack was coming from a blind spot that was difficult for a normal human being to notice! However, Seiya saw through that hidden attack and used his sword to counterattack it! ¡­In¡­Incredible¡­!! Seiya was completely overpowering the Grand Lion¡­!! And then, I heard a fierce metallic sound on my ears. But, this time, it wasn¡¯t the Platinum Sword that broke. When I looked closely at that scene, I realized that it were the nails of the Grand Lion that broke! ¡¸My¡­My nails¡­! ¡¹ In the end, the Grand Lion¡¯s nails were getting more and more tattered. As opposed to Seiya¡¯s Platinum Swords, because he kept exchanging the damaged ones with newer ones. The Grand Lion took a distance away from Seiya. The Grand Lion, who was stripped of his nails, wouldn¡¯t be able to perform the Jet Black Nail attack efficiently from now on. He stared at Seiya with anger. ¡¸I am the one who¡¯ll exceed Artemaeus¡¯ power¡­! There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll be undermined by this fight¡­! You bastard shouldn¡¯t be on this world in the first place¡­!¡¹ Grand Lion spread its black wings and flew away into the sky. I rushed in Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡¸Is¡­Is he running away!? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­He isn¡¯t. ¡¹ The Grand Lion, who had stopped far away in the sky, roared so high that his voice reached the surface. The air around us vibrated because of his insane scream. Before long, his whole body increased in volume. ¡¸What on earth is he doing? ¡¹ ¡¸He is going to do something to kill me¡­As I can see, he is going to concentrate on all of the power he has now, and he¡¯ll try to give his ultimate blast.¡¹ Seiya put his swords back in the sheaths as if he gave up. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t use magic nor special skills during State Berserk. I already prepared for that shortcoming. It takes a long time to concentrate, but this is the right moment to use it since I¡¯m up against a great opponent.¡¹ ¡¸But, how can you attack if you put your swords back into the sheaths!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m gradually remembering the destruction techniques. The Destruction Operation Method the Seventh¡­¡°Break Permission¡±¡­This technique, which allows the destruction energy to influence only on the natural objects, can turn the soil of earth magic into explosives.¡¹ Seiya stepped his foot three times on the ground. The earth snake came out with a sheath wrapped in a strange cloth. ¡¸This is a specially crafted sword. If I pull out this special Platinum Sword from its sheath, it will ignite the power of the soil destruction because of a frictional force. It will be able to create a greater power when combined with flames. And then, I can use it after it gets that enormous amount of energy.¡¹ When Seiya finished talking, something happened in the sky. The Grand Lion, who was watching us silently from above, emanated a huge energy discharge. Soon after, that same energy returned back to the Grand Lion¡¯s body. Suddenly, the enemy¡¯s body became wrapped in a dazzling light. ¡¸Die¡­! ¡°Volt Sky Axel¡±¡­! ¡¹ The whole body created a terrifying aura so big that it covered the sky! He threw that insane aura towards the ground! It went flying down at an astonishing speed! It resembled a huge comet engulfed in a pale flashing light! There would be impossible for us to defend ourselves from that huge aura! ¡¸Seiya!! Hurry up and use your sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. I¡¯ll use it until the very last minute. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, we¡¯ll die at this rate!! ¡¹ ¡¸This is my last trump card. I won¡¯t have another chance if I don¡¯t do this correctly.¡¹ The ultimate attack from the Grand Lion approached the ground at a tremendous rapidity. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t take the sword out of his sheath. ¡­It¡­It¡¯s too late!! We¡¯re going to die!! All I could see from my eyes was the big comet that the Grand Lion created with his remaining nails. That comet was created with the Chain Destruction, and our future seemed dim. On this precise moment, Seiya touched the grip of his sword and moved it in a prickly motion. ¡¸Explosion of Destruction¡­¡°Crimson Boom¡±¡­! ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 77.1 Chapter 77: In This Painful World (1) Seiya pulled his sword extremely fast and swung it at an astonishing speed! The sound swept through the air and, on that moment, a large explosion emitted a thunderous roar that almost burst my earlobes! The hero used his newly detonating sword to strike against the 1,000,000 attack points of the Grand Lion¡¯s power that transformed into a comet! When the two supernatural powers collided with one another, a dazzling light was created and a tremendous shock was generated. That strong light blinded my eyes and I was blown away instantaneously! ¡¸Uh¡­Ugh¡­ ¡¹ ¡­When I raised my body after falling down dramatically, I noticed that the Grand Lion stood at a place that was far away from Seiya. Speaking of which, Seiya held the sword that prevented the comet attack. None of them turned their backs on each other. They didn¡¯t even move an inch. But, on that instant, a sound of cracking echoed profusely! Seiya¡¯s Platinum Sword shattered into pieces! And then, Seiya collapsed on the spot! On the other hand, the Grand Lion, who looked attentively at Seiya, only had a small cut on his chest! ¡­Such¡­disparity!! The Crimson Boom was Seiya¡¯s ultimate attack and, even so, it was subpar against the Grand Lion¡¯s Volt Sky Axel¡­!! However, something occurred when the Grand Lion tried to approach Seiya in order to kill him. The Grand Lion¡¯s chest became swollen and exploded! At the same time a glowing liquid fluid erupted from the cut on his chest! The upper body of the Grand Lion flared up! The Grand Lion screamed out loud when fire burst from the inside of his body! The Grand Lion screamed desperately because of the repeated explosions on his body. The scene was so intense that my body trembled in fear. ¡­The destructive flames of sand magic¡­have entered the body of the Grand Lion¡­!! When the flames finally subsided, the Grand Lion remained upright. Yet, all of his body turned black as if he had transformed into a charcoal. ¡ª ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I ran towards Seiya¡¯s direction and held his fallen body. I wondered if he had deactivated his State Berserk. His hair had returned to its normal black hair. It looked like he was conscious given that his face was showing a painful expression. When he noticed my presence, he immediately stood up in an alarming way. ¡¸¡­What about the Grand Lion? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s all right! The Crimson Boom burned him! ¡¹ I tried to calm him down. When I pointed in the enemy¡¯s direction to show him that he defeated him for real¡­There was no Grand Lion in sight. ¡¸Human¡­you won. ¡¹ I looked immediately on the voice¡¯s direction. A body that resembled a blackish charcoal sneaked behind the Queen. It was the Grand Lion! ¡¸I got a fatal wound¡­Soon, I¡¯ll die. But, before that¡­I must at least get my reward. ¡¹ Then, he grabbed the Queen¡¯s hair violently. ¡¸What would make this human suffer the most¡­I thought about it for so long¡­Things would¡¯ve been different if I had figured it out before.¡¹ It¡­It can¡¯t be!! No!! Not the Queen!! ¡¸And that¡­important thing for you was¡­something that I could break apart!! ¡¹ I ran to the Queen in a hurry. However, when he saw that I was coming near, the Grand Lion let go of the Queen¡¯s hair. ¡¸¡­You. This is your entire fault. ¡¹ And then, he rushed on my direction with the last portion of his energy! ¡­Ehh!? Me!? But, why!? It was clear that the Grand Lion was no longer powerful. Still, his remaining strength would be enough to kill me. Just before the nails of the Grand Lion slashed me up¡­something strange moved out of my chest. It was an earth snake¡­It was a self-defense earth snake that Seiya left behind ¡°for precaution¡±. The Grand Lion tried to pierce my heart with his nails. Nonetheless, the earth snake¡­ ¡¸Ugh¡­Ah¡­! ¡¹ I heard painful growls. When I looked closely at what happened, I saw that the earth snake caught the Grand Lion¡¯s neck and started to choke him up! The Grand Lion tried to grab the earth snake with both hands to tear it apart, but the earth snake wasn¡¯t crushed and didn¡¯t release from his neck! Seiya murmured from behind my back. ¡¸The earth snake that was protecting you¡­is the strongest earth snake that I¡¯ve created so far. He won¡¯t be able to destroy it in his weakened state¡­¡¹ The Grand Lion opened his eyes wide and stared at Seiya in the form of an enraged demon. He no longer tried to take away the earth snake from his neck. The enemy directed his feet towards Seiya and went towards his direction. Nevertheless, his movement eventually stopped. The arm that held the earth snake lost its power and dropped down¡­The Grand Lion fell to the ground on his knees as if all of his remaining strength disappeared on the spot. Seiya approached the Grand Lion¡­ ¡¸¡­Endless Fall. ¡¹ Seiya returned to his Earth Magic Warrior state. Then, he triggered his Endless Fall skill to finish off the Grand Lion without even touching him. In a short moment, the earth snake and the Grand Lion were pushed into the underground with a tremendous power. When the Grand Lion and the earth snake disappeared from my field of vision, the beast people, who were far away, looked at us and began to make a fuss. ¡¸His Majesty the Grand Lion was defeated¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The power of the evil god disappeared as well! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s over for us¡­! ¡¹ The beast people, who lost their mighty boss, fled immediately as if they were dispersing like some spider¡¯s babies [EN: A really creepy analogy]. I felt relieved to see the outcome of Seiya¡¯s victory. However, Seiya fell on one knee on this very moment. I rushed to Seiya¡¯s side. He was badly hurt. I put my hands on his abdomen to heal his severe wounds. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡­! It¡¯s my fault that you became like this¡­! ¡¹ Seiya stared directly at me. ¡¸Don¡¯t cry. And don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s annoying. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I won. The result is good. Besides¡­ ¡¹ After exhaling deeply, Seiya professed the following words. ¡¸I already told you this when we were in the heavenly world. Before we left, I said that I was ¡°Perfectly Ready¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, yes! ¡¹ Seiya stood up immediately after I applied a kind of first aid to his wound. ¡¸Anyways, let¡¯s move the Queen to a safe place for now¡­ ¡¹ As soon as he said that, the hero fell unconsciously as if he had lost all of his strength. Volume 2 - CH 77.2 Chapter 77: In This Painful World (2) The next day. I was staying at Queen Carmilla¡¯s old house in the town of Tarmine. The walls and the floor were damaged because of the beast men, but most of the furniture was still intact. Seiya slept on a bed in one of the bedrooms. Yesterday I cured all of his wounds with the power of my healing magic. After I put a cold towel on Seiya¡¯s forehead, I left the room quietly. Thankfully, he was sleeping soundly. In the next room, the Queen talked to a man that I¡¯ve met before. ¡¸John Dae. You¡¯ve suffered a lot. ¡¹ ¡¸No. My hardships were nothing special compared to yours, my Queen. ¡¹ This man¡¯s skin was dirty and brownish as if he were decaying from the outside. I didn¡¯t forget who this man was. He was the General John Dae of Tarmine. The beast men made him into an undead. Moreover, Seiya and I fought against him during the enlistment test. The Queen noticed me and introduced me to the general. ¡¸This is John Dae. He was the right hand man of the late King. ¡¹ John Dae struggled to put on a smile. He bowed to me in respect. ¡¸Some circumstances made me into a state of a half-undead person. Please forgive me.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! No¡­I mean¡­don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s okay! *laughs awkwardly* ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t look directly at John Dae¡¯s face because I did something terrible to him during the enlistment test. He would beat me for sure if he found out that I was that fish-man. ¡¸It seems that all the beast men escaped from Tarmine. The power of the evil god vanished when the Grand Lion was defeated. The abilities from all the other beast men reduced to about a tenth of their power. They were afraid of the hero¡¯s counterattack.¡¹ These beast men must¡¯ve been very arrogant because they gained big amounts of power thanks to the protection of the evil god. Therefore, I was sure that it was pretty shocking to encounter a human being capable of surpassing the strength of their boss. Besides that, this same human managed to destroy the power of protection from the evil god in the process. Revolting against their new enemy wouldn¡¯t be ideal. They would probably die immediately. That¡¯s why they fled from this town one after another in a hurry. The Queen smiled at John Dae. ¡¸You were called the ¡°Immortal General¡± when humans ruled this kingdom¡­Ironically, you¡¯re now dead but you still didn¡¯t die.¡¹ Even though the Queen was joking, her face was full of compassion towards John Dae. He was probably a true warrior of his kingdom. His eyes overflew with tears. However, he turned his face away from the Queen because he probably didn¡¯t want to show her his vulnerable state. ¡¸The¡­There are a few humans imprisoned in the basement cells that were probably going to be used as food or toys! I will instruct the free soldiers to release the prisoners!¡¹ John Dae payed his respects and he went out the room after closing the door. I heard him instruct the remaining living soldiers by the end of the door to safeguard the Queen. Even though he was an undead, he was still a respected general. ¡¸¡­Is it okay for you to be here and not by your hero¡¯s side? ¡¹ The Queen asked that particular question when we were left alone. My real feelings came out from my mouth involuntarily. ¡¸Well¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t know what kind of attitude I should have when dealing with my hero.¡¹ I laughed miserably at the worried Queen. ¡¸I¡­I am a useless goddess, you know! I¡¯m such an idiot! I¡¯m always interfering with his plans! Even though he is a human being, he is much more levelheaded than me! He is wise and strong! I¡¯m just a hindrance, and to tell you the truth¡­it would be better for him to go on without me¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­Miss Goddess. ¡¹ The Queen interrupted my words as I spoke unhappily. ¡¸The beasts thought that I was an iron-like woman who felt no pain. But, the truth is, I am a weak person that can¡¯t even admit that my daughter is dead.¡¹ The Queen looked at the door of the bedroom where Seiya was sleeping. ¡¸Even that child is human. Being strong doesn¡¯t mean that he doesn¡¯t feel any pain. I¡¯m sure that this quest must¡¯ve been too hard and too painful for him so far.¡¹ ¡¸Pain¡­Painful? Seiya, you say? But¡­But, Seiya had lost all of his past memories! Besides, he said that his present self was different from his past self, and¡­¡¹ ¡¸No matter how much he changed since then, he won¡¯t be able to erase the fact that the outcome of this present world has happened because of his past self. ¡°Regret¡±¡­¡°Guilt¡±¡­His heart is probably bursting with these frustrating emotions. Nonetheless, he knows that such emotions are meaningless to save the world; therefore, he is probably burying them in the bottom of his heart.¡¹ The Queen had a very sad expression on her face. ¡¸Tha¡­That must be very painful to endure. ¡¹ After loosening her expression, the Queen smiled at me. ¡¸It¡¯s okay to stay next to him. This world is too harsh for a lone wolf. He needs someone by his side. You¡¯re a fool and a clumsy person, but that¡¯s all right. That is your own way of saving that child.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But¡­Seiya hates me¡­ ¡¹ Then, the Queen made a serious face. ¡¸Even the Grand Lion was aware of something that wasn¡¯t supposed to be known¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ I stared fixedly at the Queen¡¯s face. I didn¡¯t know the meaning of her confusing words. As soon as the Queen reached the door, she put her hand on her mouth. ¡¸Oh my. I¡­I¡¯ve been speaking impolitely against you for a while now! I apologize for my rudeness, Miss Goddess!¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­no. That¡¯s not true. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder why I am being like this. I feel at ease when I am around you. Maybe it¡¯s because Miss Goddess took care of me when you were a fish-man.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­That¡¯s probably right. ¡¹ I stood up after laughing with the Queen. ¡¸I¡­I will go see how Seiya¡¯s condition is. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Great. ¡¹ Before I left the room¡­ ¡¸¡­Thank you, Mother. ¡¹ The Queen didn¡¯t hear my last word because I spoke with a lower voice. ¡ª I was startled when I opened the bedroom¡¯s door. Seiya had already got up from his bed. ¡¸Seiya!! You¡¯re awake!? You should be resting¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. How long have I been asleep? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you slept all night long¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve made a mistake¡­ ¡¹ The hero gritted his teeth with a stern face. ¡¸If everyone knows that I¡¯ve defeated the Grand Lion, the Demon King¡¯s subordinates may attack Tarmine in full force.¡¹ Seiya grabbed his armor and sheath, and ventured out of the room in a rush. ¡¸Wait¡­Wait a moment! ¡¹ When he left the old house, Seiya put his hand on the soil of the garden. ¡¸I¡¯m going to put the earth snakes all over this town. ¡¹ The soil on which Seiya put his hand on was increasing and moving violently. I was sure that Seiya created dozens of earth snakes. No, he probably created hundreds and hundreds of them. ¡¸¡­I can see that you woke up. ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard John Dae¡¯s voice. He stood beside Seiya. Moreover, next to me was Queen Carmilla as well. John Dae spoke to Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯m thankful that you defeated the Grand Lion and saved Tarmine. Even so. If you had saved Exfolia one year ago, nothing like this would ever had happened in the first place¡­¡¹ While Seiya held his hand on the ground, John Dae approached him and grabbed his neck. The Queen changed her complexion then. ¡¸John Dae! Calm down! ¡¹ ¡¸No! I have a few words to say to this man! ¡¹ John Dae stared at Seiya with a very demonic expression on his face. ¡¸Why¡­Why¡­Why couldn¡¯t you protect Princess Tiana!! ¡¹ ¡¸John Dae¡­!! ¡¹ Both the Queen and I were taken aback by his words. ¡­A heavy air surrounded us. Still, Seiya put his hand on John Dae¡¯s shoulder. On that precise moment¡­ *slurping sound* John Dae¡¯s feet were buried in the ground up to his knees! *screams* And then, Seiya turned his back on John Dae, and continued to create more earth snakes. ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell did you do!! ¡¹ John Dae was deprived of his freedom by getting stuck in the ground because of Seiya¡¯s earth magic. ¡¸What the hell is this!! ¡¹ John Dae used all of his strength to get out from the ground. Before long, one of his feet got out of the soil. ¡¸Oh. ¡¹ Seiya looked impressed, but he immediately touched John Dae again. *slurping sound* ¡¸Whaaaat!? ¡¹ This time, John Dae was buried up to his waist. ¡¸You¡­You bastard¡­!! ¡¹ I thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of there any more¡­ ¡¸Damn you!! I never give up!! ¡¹ John Dae managed to pull his body out of the ground. ¡¸Oh. Oh. ¡¹ Seiya put his hand on John Dae¡¯s head, who was rushing against Seiya with vigor. *loud slurping sound* After a strong sound, I noticed that the whole body of John Dae was swallowed by the ground with a tremendous speed! No¡­No! Actually, when I looked carefully, I saw that only his forehead remained above the ground! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! We can only see General John Dae¡¯s forehead!! He will suffocate!! ¡¹ ¡¸He is an undead. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine. Just let him be. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, don¡¯t you feel sorry for him!? Poor general!! Just pull him out!! ¡¹ After a while, Seiya grabbed the general¡¯s hair and pulled him out of the ground. John Dae, the immortal general, was sobbing miserably. ¡¸Ugh¡­! It¡­It was agonizing¡­! It was so dark and muddy that I couldn¡¯t breathe properly¡­!¡¹ Seiya stared at John Dae with a distrustful expression. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you an undead? ¡¹ ¡¸It was really agonizing even if I¡¯m an undead!! ¡¹ ¡¸I put your forehead above the ground for your own safety. Then why are you like this?¡¹ ¡¸Are you an idiot!? I can¡¯t breathe with my forehead!! ¡¹ The Queen¡¯s eyes were white while she gazed fixedly at Seiya, who continued to make earth snakes despite John Dae¡¯s complaints. ¡¸Miss Goddess¡­What I said earlier was probably wrong. It seems that this child¡¯s heart does not beat the same way as the heart of a normal human being¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhh¡­ ¡¹ John Dae yelled at Seiya who kept creating earth snakes continuously. ¡¸I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re making all of those snakes! But, your efforts will be futile if you think that those things can protect this place! If everyone hears that the Grand Lion has been defeated, then the Imperial Machine Corps led by the Machine Emperor Oxelio will attack Tarmine immediately!¡¹ ¡¸Machine¡­? Oxelio? Imperial Machine Corps¡­What¡¯s that? ¡¹ The Queen explained the following after she heard my question. ¡¸The Machine Emperor Oxelio is a demon that rules the north of this earth, the Baracuda continent. The Imperial Machine Corps consists of an army of powerful magical weapons called ¡°Killing Machine¡± created by the Demon King. Rumors say that each Killing Machine is stronger than a beast man¡¯s ability. Moreover, their number exceeds over tens of thousands.¡¹ Mo¡­More than tens of thousands of magical weapons!? In contrast to my shocking expression, Seiya was not distressed. ¡¸I already knew about that information from the beast men in Tarmine when I was hiding my appearance. Since then, I¡¯ve been thinking of ways to fight against that enemy.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I told you that creating those things would be useless. Muddy snakes won¡¯t stand a chance against the Imperial Machine Corps¡­¡¹ ¡¸Who said that I¡¯ll use these earth snakes to fight with the enemy? I¡¯m only creating them for surveillance¡­¡¹ Seiya took his hand away from the ground. He must have completed the creation of the surveillance earth snakes. Then, he turned his gaze away from John Dae and stared closely at me. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal. I have to return to the heavenly world in order to get ready to compete against the Imperial Machine Corps.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 78 Chapter 78: The Goddess of Earth John Dae started to shout after he heard that Seiya wanted to return to the God¡¯s realm. I tried to explain to John Dae that the heavenly world was different from the earthly world. The flow of time was different in both worlds. Even though it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve arrived in Exfolia, only one hour has passed in Exfolia in the perspective of the gods in the God¡¯s realm. In other words, for the gods, time was slow in the earthly world, while for the people, time was fast in the God¡¯s realm. Somehow, I managed to convince John Dae. Suddenly, John Dae¡¯s expression changed and he looked at me with a serious face. ¡¸Goddess, if that¡¯s true, then there¡¯s something I want you to do before you return to the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What do you want me to do? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I want you to let me die. ¡¹ ¡¸John Dae! What are you talking about? ¡¹ The Queen raised her voice, but John Dae smiled tenderly at her. ¡¸Queen Carmilla. Humans who have become undead won¡¯t be able to return to being humans. It¡¯s impossible no matter what kind of techniques or tools they use. On the contrary, our mind will slowly disappear and, once we lose our reason, we¡¯ll attack the people around us.¡¹ Both the Queen and I were at a loss of words. ¡­Even so! I won¡¯t be able to let such a great general die in vain like this¡­! ¡¸Goddess of the heavenly world. Please use the power of the heavens to grant my wish.¡¹ John Dae smiled at me. I didn¡¯t know what to do, and so, I looked at Seiya. Then, the cold-hearted hero nodded his head and spoke as if it weren¡¯t anything special. ¡¸Yeah. You may lose your mind at any moment. You should perish as soon as possible. ¡¹ ¡­!! So terrible!! General John Dae wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸It¡¯s absolutely annoying to hear you say that¡­But, well¡­I guess you¡¯re correct. Goddess. Just do me this favor.¡¹ ¡¸Is it really¡­okay? ¡¹ John Dae nodded positively. It seemed that the Queen had accepted his decision. Then, he looked at me with his sincere expression and bowed respectfully. He said, ¡¸I beg you ¡¹. The Queen said the following words to John Dae before his ending. ¡¸John Dae¡­I thank you sincerely for everything you¡¯ve done for Tarmine. ¡¹ ¡¸Queen Carmilla. I will be watching over Tarmine from the heavens. ¡¹ My eyes ached painfully from watching this sad farewell. However, I mustn¡¯t cry! I was a goddess after all! In order to grant John Dae¡¯s wish, I had to do my best so that he could ascend to heaven smoothly and without pain! I put my hand on John Dae¡¯s forehead. ¡¸Then, from now on, the soul of General John Dae shall return to heaven! ¡¹ I activated my healing powers. The holy healing spells caused a reaction on the body of the undead. A white smoke came out of John Dae¡¯s face where I put my hand on. *simmer sound* John Dae¡¯s face was full of anguish. ¡ª ¡­Three minutes later. John Dae opened his mouth impatiently. ¡¸Go¡­Goddess¡­! If you can¡­please, do it quickly ¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I know! ¡¹ What the hell was I doing! I had to do it with much more power! The longer it takes, the harder it will be for General John Dae! I took a deep breath and opened my eyes wide. Ohhhh!! Let¡¯s burn the microcosms!! My full ultra-goddess force!! Open up!! *strong simmer sound* However, the holy light didn¡¯t spread more than three centimeters in diameter and burned only the forehead of John Dae. Finally, John Dae grabbed his hair because of the ongoing pain. ¡¸I can¡¯t do this anymoreeee!! This is too painfulllll!! This feels as if the sun is burning my skin with a magnifying glass!!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry!! ¡¹ With my current limited divine power, it could take a few hours to ascend John Dae to the heavens. Seiya said, ¡¸Stop it ¡¹, while approaching John Dae. ¡¸It¡¯s no use. Let me push you to the nucleus of this earth by the power of the Endless Fall. ¡¹ ¡¸That will ascend me to hell instead!! I absolutely refuse to be killed by someone like you!!¡¹ Then, Seiya exhaled a big sigh. ¡¸This is a big waste of time. Let¡¯s leave him like this for now. However, I activated some earth snakes to exterminate him if he ends up losing his mind.¡¹ And then, John Dae got several snakes wrapped on both of his hands, feet and neck like jewelry accessories. The Queen put her hand on John Dae¡¯s shoulder, while displaying a very unpleasant expression. ¡¸Okay then. John Dae. You shall be under my guidance for the time being. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ The result ended up unfinished because of my failure. Nevertheless, I felt a bit happy to see the relaxed expressions of both the Queen and her general. Then, Seiya and I went through the portal and we returned to the God¡¯s realm¡­ ¡ª After arriving in the God¡¯s realm, I asked Seiya immediately. ¡¸Seiya. How are you going to prepare for your fight against the Imperial Machine Corps? ¡¹ ¡¸I want to improve my existing abilities this time rather than acquiring new skills. In other words, I want to perfect the mastery of earth magic.¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean¡­to practice with the God of Earth? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If you know who it is, great. Because I want to start practicing straightaway. ¡¹ The gods of nature, such as fire, water, and earth, were also major entities in the God¡¯s realm. The God of Earth. No, it¡¯s actually the Goddess of Earth. I¡¯ve met with the Mariya, the Goddess of Earth, several times before. I remember that she had a very gentle demeanor. When we walked up a little further inside the square garden, we ended up finding the beautiful Flower Garden of the God¡¯s realm. Under a clear sky, I saw a woman with a straw hat on top of a beautiful hair. Mariya, the Goddess of Earth, was watering some colorful flowers with a water pot. ¡¸Lady Mariya. Hello. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, Listarte. Hello. We have such a nice weather today. ¡¹ A refreshing smile. Yes. As I thought, Mariya was a wonderful goddess! When I told her that Seiya wanted learn earth magic, Mariya shook her head. ¡¸But, as I can see, your hero is already familiar with earth magic, am I right? ¡¹ Certainly, Seiya¡¯s earth magic was already at a high-level by now. He probably reached the ¡°perfect mastery of earth magic¡±. What did he want to learn then? Seiya spoke to Mariya. ¡¸To put it bluntly; I want to create monsters that are stronger than the earth snakes. I tried various things. But, it was too difficult to accomplish by my own. You, as the Goddess of Earth, are able to do it?¡¹ Mariya nodded slightly. ¡¸If you learn the ¡°soil¡± first, then, you should be able to learn the ¡°rock¡± element thereafter. If you learn how to master it, then you¡¯ll be able to create Rock-based monsters. If you¡¯re strong enough to cast them bigger than just mere rock monsters, you will be able transform those monsters as golems. They will be much stronger than earth snakes.¡¹ ¡¸Golems!! I see!! So, you¡¯re trying to create a horde of monsters to fight against the Imperial Machine Corps!!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s right. ¡¹ Both of us stared fixedly at Mariya. Before long, the Goddess of Earth smiled sympathetically. ¡¸Based on the present status of the hero¡­I think it will be possible to achieve that much. However, I must warn you that rock-formation monsters are the highest degree of difficulty in earth magic. As a human hero, you won¡¯t be able to learn it overnight. I¡¯ll teach you everything you should know starting tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯d like to learn it as soon as possible. ¡¹ This was getting into the usual course of action; therefore, I tried to explain to Mariya what Seiya was capable of. ¡¸Huh, sorry Lady Mariya! But, this hero is amazing, you know! He learns the gods¡¯ skills extremely fast even though he is supposed to learn them in days! That¡¯s why¡­¡¹ Mariya interrupted my words on that point. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about this hero. A rare talent that the higher gods entrusted with the salvation of the SS-rank difficulty world. Certainly, he might be able to learn these earth skills quickly¡­ Where one needs a full month to learn, he can probably learn it today or even tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s why¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸This is different. I have one personal problem. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ And then, Mariya had a slightly troubled face. ¡¸Actually, I have a time limit. From noon to dusk is the only timeframe I can work with.¡¹ Mariya put her hand on the straw hat and looked up at the sun in the sky. ¡¸The sun will set soon. I can only act freely for two more hours today. ¡¹ ¡¸Why? Why do you have a time limit? ¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, I can¡¯t tell you the reason why. ¡¹ ¡¸We have to save the world. The gods from the heavenly world usually cooperate with humans on times like this, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸I am truly¡­sorry about this. ¡¹ Mariya bowed her head to us in apology. I tried to defend Mariya¡¯s limitation excuse. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! It¡¯s too bad, I know!! But, I¡¯m sure that Lady Mariya must have deeper reasons for this!!¡¹ Seiya was silent for a while¡­ ¡¸Well¡­it¡¯s all right. We can still practice on the remaining two hours. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I understand. So, let¡¯s get started now. ¡¹ In this way, Seiya began his short training session. ¡ª Afterwards, I decided to leave the Flower Garden because I didn¡¯t want to interfere with Seiya¡¯s training. ¡­However, it was rather strange that a goddess had a time limit. Did she had, perhaps, an ¡°illness¡±? But¡­But, did the God¡¯s realm have such weird things as earthly viruses? After I returned back to the square, I saw a few familiar faces. I saw that Aria and Adenela were sitting on a chair at the garden table of ¡°Cafe de Celseus¡±. Speaking of which, Celseus was carrying some coffee cups. I finally felt that I came back to the God¡¯s realm after I witnessed my family and friends. I smiled spontaneously. ¡¸Aria! I¡¯m home! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista! ¡¹ Aria rushed from her chair and hugged me tightly. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay! It seems that you¡¯ve successfully activated the secret of the Six-Hexagram to defeat the enemy and freed the Tarmine Kingdom! I¡¯m so happy that you finally returned to the God¡¯s realm!¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. Well¡­you know. We managed to survive somehow¡­ ¡¹ In fact, the Six-Hexagram failed because of me. Then, Adenela recommended me some coffee to drink. ¡¸O¡­Okay. Just drink¡­drink this for¡­now. It¡­It¡¯s not delicious¡­it¡¯s rather a mess¡­a boring¡­and useless coffee.¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! Why are you talking like that!? I did my best to brew it carefully!! ¡¹ I put the cup to my mouth to drink a little. Actually, it wasn¡¯t an awful coffee at all. ¡¸Celseus! This coffee is not bad! I get a nice feeling as if it were a ¡°delicious instant coffee¡±!¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­Oh, I see¡­What!! I used luxury beans to create this high-grade coffee!! And why are you comparing it to a common instant coffee instead!?¡¹ Celseus¡¯ wrath felt upon me. Then, Aria asked me the following. ¡¸Listen, Lista. Where is Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. He is practicing right now with Lady Mariya, the Goddess of Earth. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Mariya, you say. ¡¹ I felt a little anxious because of Aria¡¯s silence. ¡¸Eh!? It¡­It isn¡¯t all right!? Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s another strange goddess!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well. I didn¡¯t hear any strange rumors about Mariya. However, she does have something odd going on¡­because, Mariya never shows herself in the evenings¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. So, she does have that time limit. ¡¹ ¡¸That might be a rule that only applies to her. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem if Seiya practices with her during the day. Just respect her decision.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I understand! ¡¹ Afterwards, I stood up. I went to the dining hall in order to prepare a meal for Seiya. ¡­Although the short training had a time limit, it seemed that Mariya, the Goddess of Earth, was a normal goddess according to Aria! There should be no problem when compared with the lewd Mithis, the Goddess of Bow, or the crazy Zeth, the other Goddess of War! ¡­That was what I believed at that time. Volume 2 - CH 79 Chapter 79: Cinderella Breakdown I made a sandwich for Seiya. Before I knew it, it was almost dusk. I rushed immediately to the Flower Garden of the God¡¯s realm. As I approached the area, I noticed that Seiya and Mariya were talking about something a few steps away from the Flower Garden. ¡¸Hero. We¡¯re done for today. ¡¹ ¡¸I want to keep practicing. ¡¹ ¡¸I told you that I¡¯m only available until dusk. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t see any bad physical condition on you. Let¡¯s continue. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s do it. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s practice for one more hour. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s practice for 30 minutes then. ¡¹ ¡¸Please give me a break¡­ ¡¹ So¡­So persistent!! He sounded like a salaryman trying to convince a hostess!! Seiya didn¡¯t stop trying in stipe of Mariya¡¯s refusal. Suddenly¡­ ¡¸U¡­Ugh! ¡¹ Mariya put her hand on her mouth as if she was suffering from a kind of illness. I couldn¡¯t watch it silently anymore. I ran to Mariya¡¯s side and I opened my hands to cover her. ¡¸Seiya!! You can¡¯t go further than this!! Don¡¯t you see that Lady Mariya is in pain!! ¡¹ Then, I looked back at Mariya. ¡¸Are¡­Are you all right, Lady Mariya? ¡¹ On that moment. ¡¸Stay away from me!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ I was surprised when Mariya shouted aggressively at me. She was not her usual kind-hearted self. When Mariya noticed that she lost her composure for a second, she immediately bowed to me in apology. ¡¸I¡­I apologize. Excuse me, but it is enough for today. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡­ ¡¹ While holding her hand on her mouth, she walked away instantly. I was angry with Seiya after Mariya was gone. ¡¸Hey, Seiya! You treated her terribly! Didn¡¯t you promise that you would only practice with her until dusk?¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t show any remorse for his actions. Instead, he was quite frustrated with the outcome. ¡¸Oh. It just looked like indigestion. I wanted to continue practicing all day long¡­ ¡¹ And then, he sent a cold gaze on my direction. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Lista. You should go first. I¡¯ll do the practice independently from now on. I just need to focus on what I¡¯ve learned of earth magic from the last two hours.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I got it¡­ ¡¹ He was a one of a kind hero. Still, it was necessary for him to learn that new earth magic skills in order to save Exfolia. I didn¡¯t say any more unnecessary words and walked away from the Flower Garden. ¡ª The next day¡¯s late morning. As usual, I brought a lunch box for Seiya, who slept for a short moment at the summoning chamber. I reminded him of what happened yesterday. ¡¸Listen. You won¡¯t force Lady Mariya today, like you did yesterday right? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I just want to practice straightaway. I have a lot to catch up today because of the time I lost yesterday. If everything goes smoothly, I¡¯ll learn it by the end of the day.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know! If you start now, you¡¯ll only have a few hours until dusk! Are you sure about this, Seiya¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. I have a plan. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What is your plan? Se¡­Seiya? ¡¹ I felt a huge anxiety in my heart when I heard the words of a confident hero that walked straight into the temple without talking too much. ¡ª ¡¸Go¡­Good morning¡­ ¡¹ Mariya was looking at Seiya with a skeptical look. She probably became like this because of Seiya. Yesterday, he forced her to stay longer against her will. I thought that Seiya would say ¡¸Let¡¯s start the practice immediately ¡¹. However, Seiya bowed his head in apology much to my surprise. ¡¸I apologize for yesterday. Even though saving the world is extremely urgent, it seems that I was a bit too impatient. Let¡¯s do it at your own pace today. I¡¯ll respect the timing of your limit until dusk.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ Mariya and I were both surprised. It was rare to see a well-behaved Seiya. Well, it would be natural to call someone well-behaved¡­but, in Seiya¡¯s case¡­ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so! I¡¯m relieved to hear you say that! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ll be in your guidance until dusk. But, before that¡­ ¡¹ Seiya looked the surrounding area. ¡¸I want to learn how to create rock monsters today. However, I don¡¯t want to create destructive Golems to ruin this beautiful Flower Garden that has been carefully groomed.¡¹ Then, Seiya approached Mariya and touched her shoulder slightly. ¡¸¡­Cave Along. ¡¹ Mariya and Seiya¡¯s bodies gradually sank into the ground. ¡¸Hey¡­Wait a minute, Seiya! ¡¹ I rushed on Seiya¡¯s direction and entered the Cave Along as well. ¡ª ¡­I was shocked when I came inside of the Cave Along. The interior was not the usual narrowed-space. After the battle with the Grand Lion plus the training of yesterday, it was likely that Seiya¡¯s earth magic got powered up. It was a huge space with a radius of about ten meters wide. While walking at the side, Seiya filled the muddy walls with magical stones. Thanks to those magical devices, the whole space became brighter. ¡¸It will be okay to create rock monsters in here. ¡¹ Nonetheless, Mariya had an uncomfortable expression on her face. ¡¸I appreciate your care about the Flower Garden. However, hero¡­I must say that there¡¯s no sun in here. Therefore, I won¡¯t know how much time has passed on the surface¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No worries. We have a clock on that wall¡­ ¡¹ Seiya moved the tip of his finger. Inside of the large cave, a round clock appeared on a wall. ¡­This¡­This seemed suspicious¡­ I doubted the effectiveness of that weird-looking clock based on Seiya¡¯s personality. Nevertheless, Mariya was a pure goddess. ¡¸All right. I don¡¯t have anything to worry about! ¡¹ She was showing an innocent smile. ¡ª The training began. Mariya created a golem that was more than 3 meters tall. It was a powerful monster with a full body made of rocks. Seiya tried to imitate her. Yet, he could only create a golem¡¯s arm from the soil. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t possible for him to create a whole body yet. ¡¸It is a difficult process, but you made a great accomplishment. You managed to create a portion of the golem¡¯s body so quickly.¡¹ Mariya praised Seiya¡¯s results. After that, he tried his best again and again, until he made a decent-looking golem¡­As soon as I thought that he finally made it, the golem collapsed on the ground. As Mariya said, rock-based monsters were the most difficult skill to master within the power of earth magic. It looked like Seiya won¡¯t be able to master this skill immediately. ¡­How many times did he try to create golems without mistakes? Mariya started to feel restless about the passing time. ¡¸Excuse me, hero. Is that the correct time? ¡¹ Nonetheless, Seiya pointed to the muddy clock with an unreadable expression. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s still two o¡¯clock. ¡¹ The clock hands were past two o¡¯clock. Mariya showed a relieved expression then. ¡¸I see! Great! ¡¹ ¡­More time passed since then. Somehow, Seiya managed to create a reasonable golem. This time, however, he tried to create two golem bodies and three golem bodies. Even so, it seemed that mass production was quite difficult to achieve. He couldn¡¯t increase his golems by more than two or three extra bodies. Suddenly, Mariya asked Seiya the following. ¡¸Hero. What time is it? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s still two o¡¯clock. ¡¹ ¡¸Great! ¡¹ It was true. When I looked closely at the clock hands, I saw that it wasn¡¯t even half past two yet¡­It didn¡¯t change that much since a while ago¡­ ¡­No. Wasn¡¯t this clock a little strange!? I was sure that more than one hour has passed since we¡¯ve arrived here! Yet, that clock was barely moving! ¡­I¡­I see!! A clock that moved slowly¡­That was Seiya¡¯s strategy!! But, this was obvious!! Mariya will definitely notice this irregularity!! Nevertheless. ¡¸Hero. Are we okay with time? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s still two o¡¯clock. ¡¹ ¡¸Great! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸Hero. Can you tell me what time is it? ¡¹ ¡¸Two o¡¯clock. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, great! ¡¹ ¡ª Even though Seiya¡¯s response was the same, Mariya didn¡¯t notice that it¡¯s been two o¡¯clock for a very long time now. ¡¸It is quite fun to teach the hero about earth magic! ¡¹ Mariya looked a bit excited about practicing with Seiya. Well, in fact, Seiya absorbed everything that she taught him immediately. He had great memory as well since he always remembered what she said. He was a student worthy of teaching earth magic. She was so enthusiastic that she didn¡¯t notice the passage of time. ¡­My ¡°body clock¡± warned me that it was almost dusk in the surface. I secretly approached Seiya and whispered on his ear. ¡¸Hey, listen. Is it okay to continue with practice? ¡¹ ¡¸No problem. Right now, my top priority is to master earth magic. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I need it if I want to save Exfolia. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay¡­ ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­The training continued endlessly with the clock that didn¡¯t move past two. Eventually, Seiya nodded positively when he saw that his golem managed to assemble fifty bodies. He looked pleased at this spectacular scene. ¡¸All right. That was successful. This practice was very effective. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Let¡¯s go up to the surface now! ¡¹ And then, Seiya deactivated Cave Along. Seiya, Mariya and I raised up to the surface, and¡­I was dumbfounded. Two beautiful moons stood above my head! The sky was full of shining stars! My knees shuddered relentlessly as my face turned slowly on Mariya¡¯s direction! ¡¸Thi¡­Thi¡­This is!! It¡¯s already night here!! ¡¹ Seiya spoke to Mariya in a heartless way. ¡¸Why did you have a time limit? I don¡¯t see anything wrong with you. ¡¹ Mariya¡¯s face was pale like a ghost¡¯s face¡­ ¡­What!? I felt a sense of crankiness. I couldn¡¯t see everything well in the dark space of Cave Along. Except now. The brightness of the two moons of the God¡¯s realm illuminated the night. Likewise, Mariya¡¯s face became quite visible as well. That said, I could see something thick on Mariya¡¯s face. That was¡­ ¡¸Mu¡­Mustache!? Lady Mariya has a mustache!? ¡¹ I was so shocked that I shouted aloud. Mariya noticed my reaction and realized that her secret was exposed. Then¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t look¡­!! ¡¹ She screamed with very thick voice coming from her bearded mouth. ¡¸Wa¡­Wa¡­Wa¡­Wait a minute!! Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that Lady Mariya is a god! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­A god? ¡¹ She no longer tried to hide her bearded face. Mariya screamed at us with a robust voice of a strong man. ¡¸You know what, I am a god and a goddess. I¡¯m actually a new type of deity that doesn¡¯t have a specific category¡­You could call me a ¡°ONEE* deity¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸ONEE deity!? ¡¹ I lost my words after I heard the title of a deity that I¡¯ve never heard existed in the God¡¯s realm. Mariya muttered in manly voice while looking up at the night sky. ¡¸Lady Isister is the only one that knows that I¡¯m an ONEE deity. I¡¯ve¡­been hiding it until now. I am hairy; therefore, I have to shave my face regularly. However, even if I shave my beard, it will turn blue after a few hours. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been hiding it from everybody after dusk.¡¹ Then¡­Then, why didn¡¯t she shave her face one more time at dusk?¡­No¡­No! I didn¡¯t have time to care about something meaningless like this! I had to leave this place quickly before it became too troublesome! ¡¸Un¡­Understood! I appreciate that you taught Seiya about the next steps of earth magic! Well then, excuse us!¡¹ I tried to leave hurryingly by pushing Seiya¡¯s back, while showing her a smile. ¡¸Wait right there, you damn two¡­!! ¡¹ Mariya stood in front of us rapidly in such an aggressive manner. ¡¸What are you doing? Are you trying to go home? You can¡¯t leave now just by showing your ¡°appreciation¡± with me!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry!! I won¡¯t tell anyone about your secret!! ¡¹ ¡¸Not you. Seiya cutie** will be the one to take responsibility for exposing my secret. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya cutie!? ¡¹ Mariya was pointing her finger towards Seiya. ¡¸Seiya cutie is a human that knows the secret of a deity. If he knows everything about me, then he won¡¯t be able to get out of this Flower Garden for the rest of his life! Since this is what happened¡­then, I shall say¡­let¡¯s live together from now on!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You must be kidding me! Seiya has a mission to save Exfolia! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know and don¡¯t care about such a thing. ¡¹ I trembled in fear after I saw the horrifying look of this ONEE deity¡¯s eyes. ¡­This¡­This god was not that wonderful in the first place!! It¡­It was another strange god!! What the heck was going on with the God¡¯s realm!? However, Seiya didn¡¯t move an inch and just looked directly at Mariya. ¡¸Hey, ¡°Blue Mustache¡±¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the blue mustache, you weasel!! ¡¹ ¡¸You are. Thank you for teaching me earth magic. But, Lista is correct. I have to save Exfolia. I have no time to play with you in the Flower Garden.¡¹ Still, Mariya grinned sinisterly. ¡¸Nope. I won¡¯t let you get away from here. ¡¹ As soon as she professed that ultimatum, the ground around us raised up! Suddenly, a huge rock wall emerged from the soil and surrounded us like a cage! ¡¸This huge rock wall trapped us! What should we do, Seiya? ¡¹ However! Seiya already rushed towards Mariya! ¡¸Eh. So, you¡¯re coming for me, the invoker of earth magic, instead of destroying the rock wall¡­.I see. As expected of you, Seiya cutie. You have a good sense of things.¡¹ Seiya approached Mariya! He tried to touch her shoulder! ¡­This¡­This was¡­! He was going to bury Mariya in the ground as he did with John Dae! Even so, Mariya didn¡¯t make a sight movement! ¡¸Ah? Were you going to use earth magic against me, the Goddess of Earth? Too bad! I¡¯m sorry to say this, but that¡¯s a stupid move! I have MAX resistance to earth magic! Seiya cutie¡¯s earth magic won¡¯t work against me!¡¹ ¡¸Oh. Okay, I¡¯ll get a little serious with you then. ¡¹ As soon as he touched Mariya¡¯s shoulder¡­ *slurping sound* ¡¸Whaaaaat!? ¡¹ While shouting aloud, Mariya¡¯s ankles were buried in the ground! ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell is this power!! You managed to fill part of my legs with soil even though I¡¯m resistant to earth magic!!¡¹ ¡¸Just release the rock wall that surround us. ¡¹ Mariya grinned wickedly. ¡¸I have to warn you that this Flower Garden is my territory!! My power has already been activated on the soil in all of this area!! You have no chance of winning, Seiya cutie!!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ *slurping sound* Mariya didn¡¯t even touch Seiya¡¯s shoulders! And yet, Seiya¡¯s ankles buried in the ground! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ In the meantime, Mariya managed to pull her legs out of the ground. *laughs maniacally* ¡¸Our positions have reversed! ¡¹ While the ONEE deity laughed triumphantly, she approached Seiya¡¯s face, whose legs were still stuck in the soil. ¡¸Eh, he! Seiya cutie¡¯s earth ¡°snake¡±¡­I wonder if I¡¯ll lick it! ¡¹ The¡­The worst!! Too vulgar!! She was worse than Mithis! This devilish and cruel ONEE deity slowly approached Seiya¡¯s lower body! However, on this moment. *slurping sound* ¡¸¡­What? ¡¹ Mariya¡¯s legs sank into the ground once again! In a second, Seiya used his fist against her head! Mariya¡¯s eyes became white for a brief moment¡­ ¡¸I¡­I won¡¯t lose to you!! ¡¹ She immediately took her feet out of the ground and went behind Seiya¡¯s back, who couldn¡¯t move yet! *laughs deviously* ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive you anymore!! I¡¯ll ¡°dig¡± you from behind!! Not with earth magic, but with my special ONEE divine sense!!¡¹ ¡­¡°Dig from behind¡±!? Wha¡­What the heck did she mean by that!? I didn¡¯t want to know, because it sounded like something extremely obscene!! Mariya lifted up her dress as she approached Seiya¡¯s back. However, her movements stopped abruptly. ¡¸¡­Ugh? ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s legs were still buried in the soil because of the power of Mariya¡¯s earth magic. Nonetheless, Seiya managed to grab his sheath with his Platinum Sword. On that very moment, Seiya stretched his arms to his back and he used the sheath to hit Mariya¡¯s brain! He hit her head several times like a hammer! *hammering sound* Mariya¡¯s tights dip into the ground! *continuously hammering sound* Mariya¡¯s waist dip into the ground! Then, Seiya took a deep breath. ¡¸¡­Here I go. Take my greatest magic force. ¡¹ As soon as he muttered, he beat Mariya with his sheath by using the whole power from his body! *huge hammering sound* ¡­Soon, Mariya disappeared from our sight completely! No¡­Actually, I noticed that only her forehead was at the surface! I rushed to Seiya. He pulled his feet from the ground and removed the sand dust from his body. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Is Lady Mariya going to be all right!? Only her forehead is at the surface!! ¡¹ ¡¸Like the undead, gods don¡¯t die. It¡¯s okay. ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But! ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t care one bit about Mariya. Instead, he looked at the palm of his hands. ¡¸Hmm. I succeeded in the productions of mass rock rock monsters. Furthermore, my earth magic became proficient enough to bury an ¡°enemy with strong resistance to earth magic¡±¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, not an ¡°enemy¡± per se!! ¡¹ Then, Seiya stepped on top of Mariya¡¯s head, who was slightly above the ground, when he walked a little further ahead. He stared at the beautiful moons of the God¡¯s realm while he touched his glossy hair. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re stepping on her!! Seiya!! You¡¯re really stepping on her head!! ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 80 Chapter 80: The Construction of a New Kingdom Seiya ordered me to open the portal to Exfolia. However, the destination was not for Tarmine this time. It was for Galvano. I did as he told me to do, and I opened the portal that led to Galvano. After opening the portal, we looked carefully at our surroundings, but we didn¡¯t see any beast men. ¡¸Seiya. Do you want to go tell the people from the Light of Hope that you¡¯ve defeated Bunogeos and the Grand Lion?¡¹ ¡¸I do, but I wanted to see Galvano¡¯s current situation as well. This place could be an important base for the future along with Tarmine.¡¹ ¡¸Base? ¡¹ Seiya bent down and touched the soil at his feet. Soon, the ground rose up and a giant golem crawled from there as if it had awakened directly from the soil. Then, Seiya produced ten more golems in a blink of an eye. ¡¸¡­If you find any remaining beasts, wipe them out. ¡¹ The golems nodded silently. Then, they started to walk slowly but steady. ¡ª After going through the long stairs for a while, we arrived at the Light of Hope. The inhabitants gathered around me and Seiya. Among them was the settlement leader, Brut. Brut looked stunned when I smiled at him while showing him thumbs up. ¡¸He¡­Hey. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve defeated Bunogeos for real? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we defeated him! Even the Grand Lion, the ruler of this Kingdom, has been killed!¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­! Even the Grand Lion¡­! ¡¹ After a brief silence, the inhabitants cheered enthusiastically. I noticed that the girl named Eich, the one who created this settlement with earth magic, had tears in her eyes. ¡¸Hero¡­Thank you so much¡­! ¡¹ Still, Seiya spoke in a cold-hearted manner like always. ¡¸Don¡¯t try to go to the surface just because the ruler of this continent was defeated. I heard that a strong enemy lives in the continent at the south of Radral continent, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Emperor Ceremonic¡­It¡¯s a monster that is said to rule the southern continent, called Cress, across the sea. I heard from a rumor that this Emperor uses very powerful magic.¡¹ I was shocked when I heard the topic of their conversation. ¡­Eh! I didn¡¯t know any of that! I see! I thought that I knew many things about Exfolia. But, it seemed that Seiya got a better research on that aspect than me¡­I secretly felt frustrated. ¡¸Until now, the Grand Lion ruled the Radral continent. However, now that the Grand Lion has fallen, there¡¯s a high possibility that the other enemies will learn of this and try to invade this continent by crossing the sea. So, you have two choices now. You can move your settlement to Tarmine or continue living underground for a bit longer.¡¹ Eich looked silently at the people from the Light of Hope. After noticing that Eich was conflicted by deciding what the next course to take, Brut spoke the following words. ¡¸I¡¯ll stay here. Galvano is my hometown after all. ¡¹ All the women and men agreed with Brut¡¯s decision to stay behind. ¡¸I prefer to live in the land that I¡¯m accustomed with. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been living underground as far as I can remember, so it won¡¯t do any hurt to remain here for a bit longer.¡¹ Then, Brut approached Seiya. ¡¸Besides¡­you¡¯re going to defeat the Emperor Ceremonic soon, isn¡¯t that right? ¡¹ Brut touched Seiya¡¯s chest with his fist. That action showed Brut¡¯s gratitude. ¡ª We gave our farewell to the people of the Light of Hope. Then, I opened the portal and we went to the Queen¡¯s old house in Tarmine. Soon, the General John Dae came rushing to us. ¡¸So, you¡¯ve come back. It was faster than I thought it would be. ¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya hit the head of the General John Dae with his fist. ¡¸Why the hell did you do that!? ¡¹ ¡¸I had to confirm if you still had a lucid mind. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I have!! Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m speaking with you!! ¡¹ After the huge ruckus, Queen Carmilla and her remaining soldiers came to be old house immediately. After looking at the surroundings, Seiya made the following statement. ¡¸Now we need to get ready to fight against the Imperial Machine Corps. ¡¹ First. Seiya collected all of the earth snakes that he left in Tarmine for surveillance. Hundreds of earth snakes gathered around his feet. Those snakes were completely silent, and yet, Seiya seemed to understand what they told him. He nodded positively at them and responded with the words, ¡¸Yeah, yeah ¡¹. It was actually a surreal sight. Before long, the earth snakes disappeared into the ground. ¡¸Okay. There seems to be no beast men left in Tarmine. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Did you check it out just to be in case? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. We mustn¡¯t underestimate them. Besides, now that we¡¯re the only ones left behind, I shall harden the inside.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by ¡°harden the inside¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸From now on, Tarmine will be surrounded by a¡­ ¡¹ Seiya stretched his hand to the horizon. Moreover, his eyes were looking at the landscape beyond the town. ¡¸¡­ ¡°Great Iron Wall¡±. ¡¹ On that moment, a huge rumbling sound rang on our earlobes! At the same time, both the Queen and I fell behind, and we keeled over at John Dae, who fell as well! ¡¸Wha¡­What? ¡¹ The first who noticed what was going on was John Dae. ¡¸Look at that!! ¡¹ John Dae pointed to something in the distance with the tip of his finger¡­There was a huge rock wall in the distance that emerged at the boundary of this town. It was several of ten meters high. After the rumbling stopped, I looked around. As far as I could see, that huge rock wall surrounded us by 360 degrees. ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡­! ¡¹ John Dae and I were speechless. ¡¸The Great Iron Wall is fifty meters high and one meter in thickness. Soil hardness is no different from steel. It won¡¯t be easy to make a hole on it even if our enemies have over 300,000 attacking points.¡¹ ¡­The hardness was amazing. Even so¡­it was unbelievable how he could surround the entire vast area of Tarmine with earth magic alone. Earth magic user Eich was also a rare witch who transformed a settlement on the underground. But, it looked like Seiya had surpassed Eich¡¯s magical skills by far when he finished his training with the God of Earth. ¡¸The sloped rock walls won¡¯t be climbed easily because of an outward inclination. The problem is an attack from the sky¡­¡¹ Then, Seiya switched his current profession to Fire Magic Warrior and released countless of Automatic Phoenixes in the sky. ¡¸If all of you go underground like the Light of Hope, you¡¯ll be able to perfectly cope with sky attacks. However, there are many problems associated with that; one of them is the lack of sunlight. So, let¡¯s do this way for the time being¡­¡¹ John Dae, who lost his voice for a long moment, finally opened his mouth. ¡¸By the way¡­I heard that the Imperial Machine Corps don¡¯t have any flying form in their army.¡¹ ¡¸True. Tarmine would¡¯ve been attacked by now if this world had enemies that could fly in the sky. That¡¯s certain. However, in war, tactics changes constantly. There is a possibility that the enemy could manufacture a flying type. Perhaps, they have already succeeded in creating new forms of attack.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You always think too much¡­ ¡¹ Seiya changed his profession to Earth Magic Warrior again. Then, he stretched his hands forward. A huge rumbling happened immediately. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya? What did you do this time? ¡¹ ¡¸I made a new rock wall beyond the first rock wall that I¡¯ve created before. ¡¹ ¡¸An outer wall!? Is this place surrounded by double walls now!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡¹ The Queen, I, and John Dae as well, were amazed by Seiya¡¯s precautions against external threats. We laughed awkwardly at first, but before long, we no longer laughed anymore. ¡­Because, Seiya created another wall beyond the double walls. ¡¸Hey, hey, hey! Didn¡¯t you say that the hardness of the Great Iron Wall was comparable to steel?¡¹ ¡¸I have to make as many as I can. It will be safer that way. ¡¹ ¡¸But, if you surround this area with too many walls, won¡¯t it be difficult for us to watch the outside from the lookout towers?¡¹ ¡¸We have the earth snakes. I put them outside of the walls and between each wall as well. The earth snakes¡¯ eyes are connected with my own eyes. So, we have no problem with that.¡¹ ¡­After making five-layered walls, Seiya took a deep breath. ¡¸Okay. Next, I¡¯m going to create golems. ¡¹ On this moment. Many of the survivors, who were watching Seiya from afar, ran on his direction immediately upon seeing how strong he were. A woman wearing a robe and a man wearing an armor stood in front of us. ¡¸Excuse me! I¡¯m Charoy! Hero, please let me help you with my magic! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Presco! I can help you too! My strength is formidable you know! ¡¹ There were many Tarmine survivors behind us. Many of them were injured because of the beast men¡¯s mistreatment. Yet, their eyes shined brightly. ¡­A¡­Amazing!! We were getting lots of support from the people!! Our new comrades!! A few of them still blamed Seiya for the fact that the beast men ruled Tarmine. However, many others said that past was the past. Therefore, they were grateful to the person that defeated the Grand Lion. They truly wanted to lend their power to Seiya. I was deeply moved by these people¡¯s earnest feelings. And then¡­Seiya looked at everybody that gathered around him and said the following. ¡¸I don¡¯t need you. ¡¹ ¡¸What!! ¡¹ I shouted aloud. ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be saying that!! These people are finally on our side!! ¡¹ ¡¸The enemy are machines that move with magic. It will attack endlessly even without sleeping nor eating. Humans are at a disadvantage against such opponents.¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That might be true. But, there must be something useful they can do! ¡¹ Then, Seiya nodded slightly. ¡¸Yeah, farming. No one will be able to get out of Tarmine for a while. Therefore, it¡¯s crucial to set up a self-sufficient system like the one in the Light of Hope. Everyone here should work hard on agriculture from now on.¡¹ However, the man in an armor called Presco disagreed with Seiya¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸No! I want to use my strength to fight against the Imperial Machine Corps! ¡¹ ¡¸Can you fight well without eating, drinking nor sleeping during a full week? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! It¡­It¡¯s impossible to fight energetically on those conditions¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Then, just do farm work. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, with my fire magic¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it. Use it for farming. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I could fight against the enemy using my bow and arrow¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it. Focus on agriculture instead. ¡¹ Seiya stubbornly recommended agriculture to everyone no matter what they said. He sounded like a ¡°stubborn farmer uncle¡±. The survivor residents, who were trying to cooperate with us, eventually returned back after Seiya destroyed their enthusiasm. Soon, they disappeared from our sight completely. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!! You¡­You chased away everybody¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸No problem. Now, I can focus on creating golems. ¡¹ I sighed deeply after I saw how the hero created golems from the ground continuously¡­ ¡¸We¡­Well, are you doing this to avoid unnecessary human deaths? Hero. It looks like you¡¯re trying to take this entire burden by yourself.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder¡­ ¡¹ I heard the Queen¡¯s voice. Still, Seiya was staring at the golems with fixed eyes. ¡¸These golems are better choices. As long as the core of their heart is not destroyed, they will run semi-permanently. Even if all of the living organisms in Exfolia end up dead, they will continue to move regardless of that outcome.¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t say such a horrible thing¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Besides, golems don¡¯t act selfishly like humans do. And, since I¡¯ve made them myself, they will never betray me. Golems are better.¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon!! I¡¯m sure those people wouldn¡¯t betray you!! ¡¹ ¡¸That might be true. But, golems won¡¯t betray me no matter what. Golems are better. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t say anything anymore after I saw how Seiya declared his absolute confidence in golems. ¡ª Afterwards, Seiya continued to make golems without taking a break. After a long while, the whole area became jam-packed with golems. Twenty golems created a single line. Next to this line, more were assembled. I could count thirty lines of twenty golems each. As expected, John Dae was stunned at such sight. He asked the following after Seiya created six-hundred golems himself. ¡¸He¡­Hey. How much more are you going to make? ¡¹ ¡¸If the enemy attacks in large numbers, then, we have to counterattack it with large numbers as well. If the Imperial Machine Corps are tens of thousands, then I¡¯ll have to create tens of thousands of golems.¡¹ ¡¸To create tens of thousands!? Tarmine will become the Golem Kingdom by this rate!! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? In my world, there are more sheep than humans. So, I don¡¯t see any problem if there are more golems than humans.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No¡­But¡­Even so¡­! ¡¹ The Queen smiled at John Dae, who had a puzzling expression on his face. ¡¸John Dae. Tens of thousands of golems won¡¯t stay in Tarmine indefinitely. The hero is creating this large Legion of golems to invade the northern region.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah¡­Is that so. I see. ¡¹ Nonetheless, Seiya spoke differently to Queen. ¡¸Not quite. I¡¯m not going to leave Tarmine for a while. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Are you not going to attack the northern region!? Then, why are you planning to create tens of thousands of golems!?¡¹ ¡¸All golems will be used intercept the invading enemies. Besides the threat of the Imperial Machine Corps from the north, we have to deal with the Emperor Ceremonic from the south. We might have to deal with these two simultaneously. The worst-case scenario will be if they have already contacted each other at this point.¡¹ ¡¸But, both of them are conceited Emperors. I don¡¯t think they will get in touch with each other. Besides, they are on opposite directions, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸No. There is a precedent. Bunogeos contacted with the Grand Lion by using a crystal ball even though he was far away. As long as there¡¯s a possibility of a joint attack, I won¡¯t be moving away from here immediately. Once the preparations for Tarmine become complete, I¡¯ll head for Galvano. I¡¯ll build a fortress near Galvano with earth magic to deal with the threat from the Emperor of the south. I have to make sure that I prepare everything in advance.¡¹ The Queen was astonished. After a short moment, the Queen finally muttered the following. ¡¸That¡­That really took me by surprise¡­! ¡¹ John Dae also took a deep gulp. ¡¸You¡­You are creating golems all by yourself, without having any ally nor comrades¡­Is¡­Is this really the work of a hero?¡¹ John Dae and the Queen couldn¡¯t hide their dumbfounded faces at the cautious hero that equipped himself with tremendous preparations in other to be ready for the enemy invasion. Volume 2 - CH 81 Chapter 81: The Enemy Invasion Three days later. Seiya continued to create golems day and night. ¡¸¡­According to reports from soldiers, the total number of golems has finally exceeded the 20,000 mark.¡¹ John Dae spoke with a forced smile. When I looked at the ridiculous amount of golems that spread in the horizon, I smiled in a similar way. At this precise moment, John Dae and I looked down upon Tarmine from a lookout tower. This was the tower where the Grand Lion had the Queen prisoner. But, right now, this place was used as a facility for the surviving soldiers. They used it for monitoring. From the top of the tower, I could see the five-layered rock wall that Seiya created to surround this area. Seiya placed 2,000 golems on the border of the first rock wall to strengthen the protection of Tarmine. John Dae murmured while looking at the outer wall. ¡¸At first, I thought it was too much¡­But, if I think carefully about it now, his actions were probably due to his hidden feelings.¡¹ ¡¸Feelings? ¡¹ ¡¸He couldn¡¯t save the world¡­and Tarmine was destroyed¡­So this time, he is trying to save the world by carefully preparing excessively like this¡­¡¹ I was surprised to hear John Dae¡¯s remarks about Seiya. He said cruel words to Seiya not too long ago. And yet, he reconsidered those thoughts while he tried to analyze Seiya¡¯s true intentions. ¡¸Ah, well. That was just what I thought to myself. But, if this wasn¡¯t the case, then why would he go this far just to protect this place.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahah. Certainly¡­ ¡¹ I laughed awkwardly. Then, John Dae tightened his expression. ¡¸However, goddess. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I won¡¯t be able to forgive him from the bottom of my heart. That day won¡¯t certainly come. He was the one that couldn¡¯t save Princess Tiana¡­¡¹ John Dae was a loyal general. Actually, it was natural for a soldier to feel devoted for a princess. Still, I felt that he had a special fondness for Princess Tiana. ¡¸Sorry, General John Dae. But, what was the relationship between Princess Tiana and you?¡¹ ¡¸I taught swordsmanship to the princess from a very young age. She didn¡¯t have the qualities of a great swordswoman. Still, Princess Tiana practiced hard because she really loved it.¡¹ ¡­Hmm. It seemed that I was indebted to this person in my previous life¡­But, I didn¡¯t remember it at all. ¡¸I¡¯ve always gave her a ride on my shoulders when she was young. The princess was always cheerful and pretty like a flower¡­¡¹ John Dae spoke happily about Princess Tiana while recalling the good old days. Suddenly, I noticed something in particular when I stared at his blissful face. ¡¸John Dae¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­feel ¡°that way¡± about Princess Tiana? ¡¹ John Dae had a conflicted expression on his face when he heard my words. He looked around us to make sure that no one was nearby¡­ ¡¸It seems that I can¡¯t hide it from a goddess. ¡¹ His brownish rotten cheeks were slightly red. He looked somewhat shy. ¡¸Yes. I loved her dearly. More than anyone else in this world. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­John Dae. ¡¹ I put my hand on John Dae¡¯s shoulder and said the following words. ¡¸Excuse me¡­But, I¡¯m feeling slightly disgusted. I mean, you and Princess Tiana are many years apart from each other, am I right? And¡­Sorry. But, you¡¯re not my type. Yeah. However, I do feel a little happy to know how deeply you feel¡­¡¹ ¡¸What!! Why are you feeling disgusted about my feelings!? By the way, weren¡¯t you the one that asked me about my feelings in the first place!?¡¹ At that time, a soldier came rushing to us. ¡¸Report! I have a report! ¡¹ ¡¸So noisy!! What the hell is going on!! ¡¹ Although John Dae replied harshly¡­ ¡¸We have sighted enemy¡¯s movements coming from the north!¡¹ ¡¸¡­What did you say? ¡¹ Both John Dae and I changed our complexions abruptly. All of us stared at north from the lookout tower. My eyes, which had better vision than humans did, caught the glimpse of a group of humanoid weapons that created formation lines. They marched towards here to invade us. The sturdy metal bodies reflected the sunlight. I noticed that a red light glowed on their heads. They walked like human beings and they had saber-like swords on their hands. They came to us in full force. ¡¸The Imperial Machine Corps¡­! They finally came¡­! ¡¹ When John Dae raised his arm, the soldier rang the bell in the tower. ¡¸Tell the people of the town to go to their homes! They mustn¡¯t come out in any way! ¡¹ John Dae instructed the soldier urgently. I also spoke to John Dae in a hurry. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m going to where Seiya is now! I have to tell him about this immediately! ¡¹ When I tried to go down the tower, I saw that Seiya was already climbing up the stairs. ¡¸Ah, Seiya! Just in time! The Imperial Machine Corps have arrived! ¡¹ ¡¸My earth snakes already informed me about that. That¡¯s why I came here. It¡¯s easier to see the situation from the top of the tower.¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t panic at all. When he came to the top of the tower, he narrowed his eyes and saw that the Imperial Machine Crops were approaching the outer wall. The number of the Imperial Machine Corps were less than expected. It seemed that they were no thousands after all. In addition, they were not surrounding Tarmine to attack. Actually, they were just marching to the northern area. I became confused. Maybe they didn¡¯t know that the Grand Lion was defeated. And if they knew about it, why did they come in a full force? This was not what we¡¯ve expected it to be. John Dae proposed the following idea to Seiya. ¡¸Why don¡¯t you bring all of the golems guarding the outer wall to march north and eliminate those Killing Machines?¡¹ ¡¸No. This might be an ambush. The golems won¡¯t move from their positions. We have to wait. The golems were made to deal with the Imperial Machine Corps if they approached the wall to invade us.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ John Dae didn¡¯t say anything anymore because he couldn¡¯t argue with Seiya¡¯s reasoning. The Imperial Machine Corps approached the wall in a military formation line. The golems made by Seiya were standing still in front the outer wall. The golems didn¡¯t hesitate because they weren¡¯t humans. Sensing the golems¡¯ offensive posture of attack, the Killing Machines acted immediately. Both of the sides clashed unexpectedly. The fight began with such a tremendous power. The battle between Seiya¡¯s golems and the magical weapons ¡°Killing Machines¡± had begun for real. ¡­I¡­I wondered if it will be all right!! Let¡¯s hope that the golems will finish them in one go!! A golem was trying to hit a Killing Machine by striking it with its big arm. On the other hand, the Killing Machine pulled a saber-like sword and jumped to the golem. And then¡­ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ I saw an unexpected sight right in front of my eyes! The Killing Machine, that jumped to attack the golem, was joined by a horde of other Killing Machines. They attacked the golem like hyenas trying to prey on a slow-moving herbivore! Although the golem had an outstanding physical strength and resistance, it was apparent that the golem couldn¡¯t survive unscathed from the attacks coming at the front, back, left and right sides. Then, the saber-like swords slashed the golem¡¯s legs and arms, and the golem fell to the ground. Eventually, the core of its heart was destroyed. The golem lost it vitality and became mere fallen rocks. ¡¸He¡­Hey! They are being destroyed! ¡¹ Both John Dae and I were stunned. Such sight was being repeated everywhere. Of course, some the golems¡¯ attacks hit and killed some of the Killing Machines as well. However, the Killing Machines¡¯ attack strategy was much more powerful than the golem¡¯s attack strategy. This harsh reality made me want to close my eyes. A vibration and roar echoed far away from a different lookout tower! A soldier from that tower reported to us in a loud screaming voice! ¡¸Part of the northern wall got damaged! The Killing Machines have managed to get through the wall!¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be!! They breeched the wall that quickly!? ¡¹ ¡¸The golems are being overpowered as well! ¡¹ ¡­The Great Iron Wall was being easily destroyed!! John Dae gritted his teeth. ¡¸What a killing force¡­! This is the true power of the Imperial Machine Corps¡­! ¡¹ By¡­By this rate, the second and third walls will be destroyed as well! If that happens, the Imperial Machine Corps will be invading Tarmine for real! The people will be slaughtered! I was in panic. Nevertheless¡­The moment when the Killing Machines tried to get through the hole of the damaged second wall¡­ *roaring sound* We heard a tremendous sound that even shook the earth! When I looked closer at the breeched wall, I saw that a dirt haze spread from the breeched area! ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ Neither John Dae nor I knew what happened. The guard tower soldiers were also confused as well. Meanwhile, the hero murmured with an unsurprising voice. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s a pitfall. I created it between the first and second walls. ¡¹ When I looked at Seiya, I noticed that he already stretched one of his arms towards the northern area of the walls. ¡¸Repair Iron Wall¡­ ¡¹ As soon as he professed those words, the breeched walls that were damaged by the Killing Machines were repaired in an instant! ¡¸The¡­The Imperial Machine Corps became divided when the walls got repaired! ¡¹ Just as the soldier said, hundreds of Killing Machines that fell on the pitfall were separated from the other units after the walls were restored. Suddenly, that huge pitfall closed and became flat ground once again. Seiya¡¯s trap made it possible to bury a third of the Killing Machines alive. Yet, John Dae¡¯s face was still serious-looking. ¡¸Even if you restore the walls, they can only stand unscathed temporarily! They will break the restored walls as well and breech in again!¡¹ Just as John Dae pointed out, the Killing Machines behind the outer wall continued to attack relentlessly. They tried to break the wall again. However¡­This time the wall wasn¡¯t destroyed! ¡¸But¡­But¡­Why? The wall was easy to break through moments ago, am I right? ¡¹ I was perplexed and asked Seiya what was happening. ¡¸The walls they¡¯ve broke through were made of brittle material. Now they¡¯re back to its original hardness.¡¹ ¡¸AH!? Why on earth did you do that!? ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, he started to walk and went to the spiral stairs to get down from the lookout tower. ¡¸Seiya!? Wait!! Where are you going!? ¡¹ ¡¸This is finished for today. ¡¹ ¡¸Finished for today!? There are still Killing Machines beyond the wall!! ¡¹ ¡¸No problem. ¡¹ The Killing Machines, who sensed that it was impossible to make a hole in the restored wall, piled up like a mountain and tried to reach the top of the wall¡­However, they couldn¡¯t climb it because the wall was leaned over towards the outside. And then, the golems chased the obsessed Killing Machines that tried to find a way to climb the wall. ¡¸Eh¡­!! ¡¹ I was surprised once again. The golems, that were inferior against the Killing Machines, were overpowering them this time! They tried to destroy the golems by acting like carnivore hyenas! Nonetheless, the golems shook their arms to get the Killing Machines out of their bodies, and immediately smashed them on the ground with their fearsome strength! ¡¸This is the true power of the golems. They will soon ¡°clean¡± everything up. ¡¹ Both John Dae and I were puzzled by all these occurrences. John Dae rushed on Seiya¡¯s direction and grabbed his shoulder, as Seiya tried to leave the tower. ¡¸He¡­Hey! Explain it! I don¡¯t know what the hell is happening at all! ¡¹ ¡­Seiya hid the golem¡¯s true power, and made the walls fragile at first. Then, he let the Killing Machines break the first walls, but created a pitfall to eliminate them. And then, he regenerated the walls once again¡­It was certainly confusing and I didn¡¯t know about anything anymore! ¡¸Just explain all of what happened just now! What the hell did you do? ¡¹ John Dae asked persistently about what happened. Then, Seiya responded to him in an annoying manner as if it was troublesome to answer. ¡¸I made it all happen because I wanted to secure our victory by any means. Therefore, I will analyze and study the Killing Machines I¡¯ve captured in the pitfall. That¡¯s all.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 82 Chapter 82: Analysis and Discovery John Dae followed Seiya, who rushed out of town. John Dae complained after walking to him midway. ¡¸Usually, analysis and studies are for formidable enemies. But, the golems were overpowering the Killing Machines at the end. Why bother to study them now¡­?¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he just touched his nose. ¡¸Get away from me. You stink like a rotten zombie. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh!! ¡¹ Ah, he spoke harshly as always. Well, of course John Dae smelled like a rotten zombie because he was an actual zombie. But, it couldn¡¯t be helped though. Then, Seiya stared at me with a disgusted face. ¡¸You go away too. You smell like a zombie. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not a zombie, you know!? ¡¹ ¡­Both John Dae and I stared at Seiya with very dissatisfied faces. We walked a little bit away from Seiya. Soon, we reached the huge wall that surrounded Tarmine. This was the innermost wall of the five-layered wall. In front of the rock wall¡­ ¡¸¡­Cave Along. ¡¹ Seiya dived into the underground. Since John Dae and I were in close proximity with him, we ended up diving in as well. ¡¸¡­Wha¡­What is this place? ¡¹ John Dae raised his voice in surprised when he saw the inside cave made by Cave Along. Seiya brightened the place, which looked around 5 meters radius, with magical stones. Then, he proceeded to walk further ahead. ¡­But, why did he used Cave Along in a place like this? I wondered confusingly about it. Then, Seiya stopped walking and approached the mud wall in front of him. On that moment, he touched the wall with his hand. ¡¸Clear Wall. ¡¹ Before long, the muddy wall became transparent like glass. And, when I saw the scenario that unfolded right in front of my eyes¡­ *screams* I was so startled that I shouted aloud. It was because the Killing Machines appeared in front of me abruptly! Beyond the transparent wall was a huge cave, bigger than the cave we were at. There were hundreds of Killing Machines in there. ¡¸Are these the Killing Machines that fell on that pitfall!? Is this all right!? Won¡¯t they attack us!?¡¹ ¡¸This wall has the same properties of Clear Ceiling that I used before to see above the ground. We can see them like a transparent glass, but they won¡¯t see us because on the other side they can only see sand. Besides, this wall is two meters thick. It won¡¯t be easy to breech it.¡¹ While explaining, Seiya began to insert a few earth snakes in the four corners of the cave where we were standing. ¡¸Wha¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸I installed special earth snakes on this cave. Now we will be able to hear the sound of the other cave. Moreover, it will be able to cover both low and high frequencies. That means it will produce a realistic three-dimensional sound. ¡¹ I¡­I wondered if such functions really existed before¡­! He always did strange things on situations like these¡­! Then, Seiya took an earth snake from this chest and put it on his mouth¡­ ¡¸Ah. Ah. Ah. ¡¹ He practiced as if he were holding a microphone. Then, the Killing Machines on the cave next door began to move in distress. Apparently, Seiya¡¯s voice transmitted to the other side. *robotic sound* *bigger robotic sound* The Killing Machines started to roar! It was a very unpleasant sound! ¡¸Ah, silence. Silence. ¡¹ *continuously robotic sound* After that, the Killing Machines just roared furiously no matter what Seiya said to them. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Can¡¯t you hear them only roaring!?s ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Apparently, they don¡¯t understand the human language. It seems that creating a sound transmitter makes no sense. ¡¹ After finding out that he couldn¡¯t communicate with them, Seiya began to stare fixedly at the Killing Machines. Perhaps, he was seeing their ability value. I tried to activate my clairvoyance ability as well. Killing Machine Level ¨C 20 HP ¨C 138954 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 85121 Defense ¨C 98654 Agility ¨C 85742 Resistance ¨C Lightening, Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Evil Laser I wondered if the status of the beast men serving the Grand Lion were somewhat lower in comparison. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a great enemy for Seiya. They didn¡¯t pose that much of a treat. The only problem was their numbers. There were hundreds of them. ¡¸I caught many Killing Machines as test subjects¡­It seems that their stats are the same.¡¹ Just as Seiya said, the Killing Machines in front of us were completely the same as if they were copy pasted. They had the same physical strength, attack power and defense power. ¡¸By the way, Seiya. What are the golems¡¯ stats? I tried to use my clairvoyance ability on them, but I couldn¡¯t see anything at all. Why is that?¡¹ ¡¸The golems have their stats camouflaged. Well, let¡¯s just say that they¡¯re capable of outperforming the Killing Machines in all aspects.¡¹ ¡¸So, why do you need to analyze them if your golems are far superior? ¡¹ John Dae looked mystified, then¡­ ¡¸¡­It¡¯s for the future. ¡¹ After the short answer, Seiya began to analyze the Killing Machines meticulously. ¡¸They have water and lightening resistance even though they¡¯re machines. Interesting. Maybe I should add attributes to my golems that are their weak points¡­Hmm.¡¹ Seiya took out a paper and a pen. He took notes on it with a focused expression on his face. John Dae looked at this situation with amazement. ¡¸A¡­A hero taking notes. Are you really a hero? Aren¡¯t you a scholar instead¡­? ¡¹ Actually, Seiya did look like a research professor¡­ ¡¸Let¡¯s put one of them in a ¡°private room¡± to analyze it. I need more details. ¡¹ Seiya put his hand on the next muddy wall. The walls moved inside and, before we knew it, Seiya managed to isolate a single Killing Machine in a different but smaller cave. Then, Seiya snapped his finger and many earth snakes fell from the top of the cave. *robotic sound* The Killing Machine reacted immediately. It slashed some of the earth snakes with the saber-like sword. On that instant, the Killing Machine emitted a ray from its face and burnt the remaining earth snakes. ¡¸I see. Now it used the skill named ¡°Evil Laser¡±. It looks like it absorbs the magical power into its eye and attacks others using it with a light ray. So, it was this skill that created the first breech on the wall.¡¹ Seiya snapped his finger again. Then, the feet of the Killing Machine raised up. A golem emerged from the soil. This time it wasn¡¯t like the earth snake. The golem held down the violent Killing Machine and slammed it with his fist by using a tremendous power¡­ ¡¸So, a head destruction is the only way to stop their vitality. It seems that there¡¯s no sign of regeneration even after some time has passed.¡¹ The Killing Machine deactivated permanently. Nevertheless, John Dae looked at Seiya with infuriating eyes. After all, Seiya kept staring at the broken Killing Machine endlessly. ¡¸Hey, how long will you keep staring at it! It¡¯s not going to activate anymore! ¡¹ ¡¸No. It might resurrect and attack the moment I let my guard down. ¡¹ ¡¸But, Seiya! There wasn¡¯t any ¡°regenerate¡± skills on their stats, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸The status is only for reference. I can¡¯t rest assured until I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes.¡¹ ¡­He was finally convinced after staring at it for thirty minutes. Seiya finally stopped taking notes¡­Then, he snapped his finger again. On this moment, a burning flame fell over at the head of the deactivated Killing Machine. ¡¸It seems to have a strong resistance to fire¡­Will it burn if I try a bit harder? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t understand what the hell are you trying to do!! Why do you want to burn a broken machine!?¡¹ Seiya ignored John Dae¡¯s remarks. This hero looked like a mad scientist who continued to analyze and experiment on the useless robotic junk. Then, he said ¡¸Let¡¯s add water after this. ¡¹. We just stopped talking to Seiya, because it was pointless. ¡ª ¡­After about thirty minutes had passed. Seiya stopped taking notes. ¡¸Okay. I don¡¯t need to analyze it anymore. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s finally over! So, what are you going to do with the remaining Killing Machines? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need them. I will destroy them now. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, are you going there to fight them yourself? Or, are you going to create multiple golems inside of that cave?¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯ll clean it up faster than that. ¡¹ Seiya snapped his finger once again. On that instant, a huge rock with a diameter of one meter fell from the top of the cave where the Killing Machines were gathered. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ Goggling eyes! A ripped mouth! There was a face on that huge rock! ¡¸I didn¡¯t create just golems. In fact, I successfully created other rock-based monsters as well. The ¡°Bakudan Rock¡±* was created from the combination between the destruction technique and earth magic. The reason why I trapped a large number of Killing Machines on the pitfall wasn¡¯t only for the sake of analysis. I wanted to test the power of this monster as well.¡¹ *an uproar of robotic sound* Suddenly, the Killing Machines charged all at once to the rock monster that descended from the top of the cave. But, on this occasion¡­ *bang* A dazzling flash and a large roar occurred! A large thick wall separated that cave from the one we were staying at! Even so, I still felt the huge impact! When my eyes stared again at the large cave in front of us, I realized that some of the Killing Machines became dismembered because of that rock monster attack. ¡¸Did¡­Did it self-destruct!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It will explode if it senses a certain number of attacks. And¡­the power is just what I expected it to be. Dozens of bodies were shattered in an instant.¡¹ A new Bakudan Rock fell from the top of the cave. The surviving Killing Machines attacked the rock all at once. As soon as the huge rock received some damage, a new explosion burst immediately! The Killing Machines didn¡¯t have high intelligent. They didn¡¯t seem to understand the properties of that rock, ¡°I¡¯ll self-destruct if you attack¡±. Even though their fellow comrades were blown away, they continued to attack the newer rock that exploded as well. ¡¸If I succeed in creating a larger rock in diameter, then it will be possible to achieve a wider range of explosions. However, if I make the rock too big, it will explode along with Tarmine.¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! You can¡¯t be serious!! ¡¹ John Dae was enraged at the hero¡¯s words. Yes¡­Well, no wonder he was angry with Seiya. Eventually, only half of the Killing Machines remained in the end. Seiya suspended the dropping of the explosive rocks in the meantime. He took a paper and wrote a few more notes on it. ¡¸You¡­You are analyzing them again¡­! ¡¹ Finally, John Dae laid down on the muddy floor of the cave. ¡¸I don¡¯t care anymore!! I¡¯m going to sleep!! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­I wondered how much time has passed since then. I could only hear the sound of John Dae¡¯s deep sleep and the sound of Seiya¡¯s pen. I had nothing to do. Therefore, I just stared at the cave where the Killing Machines were trapped. ¡­Huh. What was that? I noticed some irregularity by coincidence. One of the Killing Machines vibrated its body at the corner of the large cave. It looked as if it were trembling with fear. I shook the shoulders of a sleeping John Dae. ¡¸¡­Hmm? Ah¡­Is it finally over? ¡¹ ¡¸No, not yet. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? He¡¯s still going at it!? That man is seriously sick!! ¡¹ ¡¸Mo¡­More importantly. Just look over there! That Killing Machine is a bit weird, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹ John Dae glanced at the Killing Machine that I was pointing to. ¡¸Indeed. That behavior is somewhat strange, but¡­Well, perhaps it broke when it fell from the pitfall? That might be the aftershock.¡¹ John Dae didn¡¯t show much interest in it. But, I was curious. So, I activated my clairvoyance ability to check the condition of that Killing Machine. Killing Machine Level ¨C 20 HP ¨C 138954 / 138954 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 85121 Defense ¨C 98654 ¡­ ¡­Wrong. It didn¡¯t lose its vitality. It¡¯s not broken either. Then, just why? At that time. Unexpectedly, I noticed some abnormality on its ability value. The following words were written at the end of the status. ¡ºPersonality ¨C Friendly ¡» Ehhhh!! That¡­That Killing Machine has¡­a ¡°personality¡±!? Volume 2 - CH 83 Chapter 83: Weird Machine ¡¸Hey, Seiya! That Killing Machine is different from the others! It has a personality! It says it is ¡°Friendly¡±!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ Seiya, who had been taking notes while looking at the remnants of the broken Killing Machines, started to gaze silently at the ¡°Friendly¡± Killing Machine. ¡¸It seems that that Killing Machine is the only one with personality. ¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean? ¡¹ ¡¸If the same machine was produced in large quantities at a factory, then there¡¯s a high chance that one of them could be fabricated with defects. Perhaps, that¡¯s what happened with that one over there.¡¹ Then, Seiya changed his gaze towards the broken Killing Machines and began to take a few more notes. ¡­What!? That¡¯s all!? I thought that it was unusual for Seiya to ignore it. But, if I thought carefully about it, it made sense. Seiya was collecting useful information for battle. He probably saw that Killing Machine as a ¡°Good-for-Nothing¡±. That¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t that interested on it. Before long, Seiya put the pen away. ¡¸Okay. I¡¯ve concluded my analysis. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s finally over!! ¡¹ John Dae showed an expression that seemed as if he were extremely happy from the bottom of his heart. ¡¸Yeah. Let¡¯s finish this by cleaning everything up. ¡¹ At Seiya¡¯s signal, a large number of Bakudan Rocks fell from the top of the cave where the remaining Killing Machines were standing still. The Killing Machines attacked the Bakudan Rocks immediately. There were countless of big explosions inside of that large cave. Meanwhile. My gaze was directed towards the Killing Machine that trembled incessantly on the corner of the cave. ¡¸Seiya¡­That Killing Machine is still trembling¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸So what? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I mean¡­Don¡¯t you feel sorry for it? ¡¹ ¡¸Feel sorry for a magical weapon? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Well. ¡¹ Both Seiya and John Dae stared at me with a half-amazed face. Even so, the Killing Machine, which took refugee on the corner of the cave, seemed like a small child frightened by war. Although Seiya looked uninterested and bored at first, he stared again at that Killing Machine and¡­ ¡¸I see. A ¡°magical weapon with a personality¡±. Well, it might turn out to be a valuable sample. I¡¯ll isolate it just in case, so it doesn¡¯t get destroyed¡­¡¹ The trembling Killing Machine disappeared from the spot after a hole appeared in the ground. Then, the Killing Machine was ejected into a small cave next door. At the same time, the Bakudan Rocks blasted the remaining Killing Machines all at once. It was a very narrow escape. In a small, isolated cave, the trembling Killing Machine looked confused without knowing what to do. However, one of the Bakudan Rocks fell from above and the Killing Machine became so startled that jumped to ground out of fear. I was surprised. ¡¸A Bakudan Rock!? Why!? Didn¡¯t you say it was a valuable sample!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an experiment. It won¡¯t attack the rock if it has advanced intelligence. ¡¹ We stared at the two ¡°monsters¡± for a short moment. But, the Killing Machine just trembled and didn¡¯t attack. ¡¸Seiya. That Killing Machine won¡¯t attack because it¡¯s ¡°friendly¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that really so? ¡¹ Seiya snapped his finger. Then, surprisingly, the Bakudan Rock began to laugh with a distorted mouth. ¡¸Hey, you¡­! Why don¡¯t you attack me? ¡¹ I was astonished by the rock who spoke in a loud voice. ¡¸It spoke!? That Bakudan Rock really spoke just now!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a kind of rock that I¡¯ve created to taunt opponents into attacking who hesitate to attack.¡¹ I immediately understood what Seiya meant by those words. The Bakudan Rock continued to speak with a freaky smile. ¡¸Hey! Just do it, you piece of junk! You won¡¯t do anything useful just by standing still, you freaking idiot! C¡¯mon! I told you to do it! It¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t do anything at all! Geez, you blockhead!¡¹ John Dae pressed his fists next to me. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with that rock guy¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s definitely annoying! Too annoying! It makes us want to punch it hard¡­! ¡¹ After that, the Bakudan Rock continued to speak annoyingly by repeating swear words and dancing irritatingly around the Killing Machine. Just when John Dae and I were furious and gritting our teeth towards that rock¡­ ¡¸I¡­can¡¯t¡­ ¡¹ I heard something else. It was not the voice of the Bakudan Rock. The next moment¡­ ¡¸I can¡¯t do it!! ¡¹ I high-pitched voice that resembled a girl¡¯s voice echoed in the small cave! ¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! No, I wasn¡¯t imagining things! No doubt about it! This voice was coming from the Killing Machine¡­! ¡¸Oh. So, there was a type that could speak. ¡¹ The Bakudan Rock disappeared into the ground when Seiya snapped his finger. The Killing Machine was left alone in the small cave. Seiya put an earth snake on his mouth instead of a real microphone. ¡¸Hey, you. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s voice echoed on the small cave. The Killing Machine spoke the human language while looking at its surroundings with confusion. ¡¸He¡­Hello. ¡¹ This magical weapon had a girly voice that didn¡¯t match its appearance. ¡¸Why didn¡¯t you attack that Bakudan Rock? ¡¹ ¡¸Because¡­it will explode if I attacked it¡­Besides¡­I don¡¯t want to attack anybody¡­ ¡¹ The Killing Machine began to speak more openly with us. ¡¸Today, I¡­I was told to ¡°kill human beings¡±. But, to be honest, I can¡¯t do that terrible act against living creatures¡­¡¹ ¡­It¡­It really was a ¡°friendly¡± type¡­! What a weird magical weapon¡­! This machine looked the same as the other Killing Machines. But, when I heard an innocent voice, I thought it was rather cute. Nonetheless, Seiya didn¡¯t seem interested on such a thing. He asked what he wanted to hear. ¡¸Are there other Killing Machines that can speak like you? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No. Actually, none except Father¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Father? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, our Father is the Machine Emperor Oxelio. Nobody can¡¯t speak except him¡­Do you want to ask me why am I the only one who speaks among the other machines?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Sorry. ¡¹ The Killing Machine looked down as if it were sad. Then, it immediately lifted its head and spoke in a bold manner. ¡¸But, I¡¯m so happy that I got to talk with you now! No matter how much I spoke before, all of the other Killing Machines just made robotic sounds in response! That¡¯s why I am extremely happy that I¡¯m finally talking with someone!¡¹ ¡¸Shup up. Talk about your Machine Emperor Oxelio if you want to speak that much. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. Sorry. I¡¯m truly sorry¡­ ¡¹ ¡­So¡­So, cold-hearted!! I didn¡¯t know which of them was the machine anymore¡­!! ¡¸Father looks like, well, let¡¯s see, he has four arms and four legs, and¡­ ¡¹ After that, Seiya continued to ask many things to the Killing Machine. But, he didn¡¯t manage to extract much useful information. After a while, Seiya spoke with a bored expression. ¡¸That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t have any more questions. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help you more. ¡¹ Seiya took the earth snake microphone away from his mouth. I was watching the Killing Machine that was left alone in that small cave. Then, when I saw that some Death Earthworms were suddenly peeking out from the ground¡­ *screams* It yelled and panicked at the same time. Somehow, it was a funny scene that resembled that of little girls getting chased by bugs. However, Seiya was staring at the Killing Machine with unfavorable eyes. ¡¸That machine is suspicious. Perhaps, that machine is an assassin ordered by the Machine Emperor Oxelio?¡¹ ¡¸A¡­Assassin? That friendly type? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Maybe that machine is trying to fool us by pretending its stupid. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, how? You know, the Bakudan Rock would¡¯ve destroyed it by now if I didn¡¯t notice it by chance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ Seiya thought for a brief moment¡­ ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s better to avoid any hassle. I don¡¯t want to feel worried, so I¡¯m going to dismantle it now.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? You can¡¯t be serious!! ¡¹ I shook John Dae¡¯s shoulders. ¡¸Hey, John Dae! Please, say something! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you see. I don¡¯t have any objection to dismantle it. After all, the Demon King was the one that created that monster.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that some monsters are good no matter how devilish the Demon King is. ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that. I¡¯ve seen many beast men in Tarmine, but none of them were decent.¡¹ ¡¸What!! John Dae, but you¡¯re not a ¡°bad monster¡± yourself, aren¡¯t you!? ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I¡¯m not a monster in the first place!! ¡¹ I shouted at an indignant John Dae. ¡¸Seiya! Don¡¯t break it apart! If you¡¯re worried about it, why don¡¯t you wrap earth snakes around its body just as you did with John Dae!¡¹ ¡¸Why are you referring my name!! ¡¹ ¡¸John Dae is an undead monster that might lose its mind entirely! If you had to choose between them, then that machine would be safer for us! Just look at him! John Dae is about to lose his reason at any moment now!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to lose it!! Damn it!! This goddess is insanely annoying!!¡¹ We were arguing too much¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy. I understand. So, just be quiet. ¡¹ Seiya took a deep breath. ¡¸¡­Okay. I¡¯ll wrap that machine with earth snakes for the time being. ¡¹ I felt relieved when I heard those words, and slightly touched my chest. Yet, Seiya had a very harsh expression on his face. ¡¸I¡¯ll just keep it as a rare sample. But, I¡¯ll dismantle it straightway if I sense any strange movements.¡¹ ¡¸¡­O¡­Okay. ¡¹ Upon Seiya¡¯s signal, a large number of earth snakes appeared in the cave where the Killing Machine was isolated. As soon as the machine saw them¡­ *screams incessantly* The Killing Machine screamed aloud. Still, the earth snakes didn¡¯t stop moving, and wrapped around the neck and limbs of the Killing Machine. ¡¸Sna¡­Snakes are crawling on my body!? Ple¡­Ple¡­Please!! Somebody, help me!! ¡¹ The Killing Machine panicked and started to run in circles. It looked pitiful and sad. Still, Seiya gave further instructions. ¡¸For safety measures, I commanded an earth snake to cover the eye of the Evil Laser. ¡¹ The Killing Machine cried and fainted in agony when an earth snake wrapped around its face. ¡¸Po¡­Poor thing¡­! ¡¹ I took the earth snake microphone from Seiya¡¯s hand. ¡¸Hey, can you listen!? It¡¯s all right!! If you keep quiet, those snakes won¡¯t harm you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Re¡­Really¡­? Are¡­Are you sure¡­? ¡¹ Seiya stared at us with icy eyes. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no need to waste our time on something useless like this. We, humans in Tarmine, defended the town successfully by destroying the first unit of the Imperial Machine Corps. This information must¡¯ve been leaked by now. Therefore, a second unit might arrive here much sooner than later to show their real fighting strength. We have to prepare and be ready when they come.¡¹ ¡¸Ho¡­How contradictory of you to say that¡­! You spend so much time analyzing these Killing Machines¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Analysis is important and extremely necessary for a strategical point of view. Yours is just a child¡¯s play, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t consider this as a play ¡­ ¡¹ Then, John Dae interrupted our conversation. ¡¸We have to prepared, you say? What are you planning to do? ¡¹ ¡¸I have to focus on our defense against attacks from the sky. ¡¹ ¡­Seiya seemed to be wary of the magical weapons from the flying-type, but I wondered if such thing really existed in this world. I asked the Killing Machine. ¡¸Listen. Is there a Killing Machine that flies in the sky? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯ve never seen one before¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. It¡¯s useless to listen. That machine doesn¡¯t have much information. Besides, the words that come out of its mouth aren¡¯t always the truth.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, then why did you ask it some questions a while ago!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, listening to it won¡¯t hurt. Anyways, the enemy might attack us from the sky. So, we should take it as countermeasure. If we succeed with a perfect plan, then we won¡¯t have a blind spot on the five-layered Iron Wall.¡¹ ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard the Killing Machine¡¯s voice. Seiya spoke on the earth snake microphone with a slightly interested face. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Did you remember something useful? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­That¡¯s not it¡­Ugh¡­! The¡­These earth snakes are frightening¡­I¡¯m so scared¡­Ah¡­! ¡¹ Seiya wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸Okay. Let me give you one piece of advice. ¡°Just shut the hell up¡±. That¡¯s all. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­! *cries* ¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! Weren¡¯t you too harsh!? ¡¹ I spoke with the crying Killing Machine from the earth snake microphone. ¡¸Calm down! It¡¯s all right! So, don¡¯t cry! ¡¹ While I comforted it, I noticed that Seiya made muddy stairs with earth magic on the cave. He began to climb those stairs to the surface. ¡¸There¡¯s no point in being here anymore. ¡¹ John Dae followed Seiya as well. I tried to follow him too. However, I stopped midway because of the constant sobbing of the Killing Machine. ¡¸Seiya¡­Sorry, but can I stay here a little longer? I want to talk with this child until it calms down¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ridiculous. Do whatever you want. ¡¹ Seiya, who went ahead with a disgusted face, looked back with a stern face. ¡¸Don¡¯t use the portal to enter that thing¡¯s cave. Do you get it? ¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course, I get it! I won¡¯t do anything like that! Absolutely! ¡¹ ¡¸This time, no matter what happens, I¡¯m 120% sure that I won¡¯t be able to save you and you¡¯ll die in vain.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to specify it like that!! ¡¹ And then¡­Seiya and John Dae left to the surface. Only the friendly Killing Machine and I were left behind in the underground. Volume 2 - CH 84 Chapter 84: Dialogue The cave was filled with the high-pitched voice of the crying Killing Machine. I spoke to the Killing Machine using the earth snake microphone. ¡¸Hey. Can you hear me? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, Agh¡­Ah, Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸I am Listarte. You can call me Lista. Do you have a name? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s see¡­You sound like a girl. Then, what about ¡°Kiriko¡±? I could call you ¡°Kiri¡±!* It¡¯s a good name!¡¹ On this instant¡­ *cries aloud* The crying was getting louder and louder by the minute. ¡¸So¡­Sorry!! You dislike that name, right!? I just said ¡°Kiriko¡± because it¡¯s an easy way to remember since it¡¯s an abbreviated form of Killing Machine!!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­That¡¯s not it¡­! I¡­I am so happy¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸Because I never thought I¡¯d have a name for myself¡­! It feels like a dream¡­! ¡¹ Tha¡­Thank goodness! ¡°She¡± seemed to be pleased with the name! I told Kiriko to rest assured because those earth snakes around her body were harmless. ¡¸¡­Okay. I have to go now. ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Lista. You¡¯re leaving already? I¡¯m so lonely¡­Ugh¡­ ¡¹ She was going to cry again!! Hmm¡­What should I do¡­ ¡¸Kiri! Wait a second! ¡¹ When I left the cave, I opened the portal that led to the Flower Garden of the God¡¯s realm. ¡ª The Goddess of Earth was wearing a straw hat under the beautiful sky without clouds¡­Mariya, the ONEE deity, was watering some flowers with a water pot. ¡¸Ah, excuse me, Lady Mariya. Hello¡­ ¡¹ This was the first time I¡¯ve met with Mariya since the incident where Seiya buried her in the muddy ground and stepped on her head. ¡¸Oh my. Hello there. ¡¹ Mariya greeted me with a robust male voice. It seemed that she didn¡¯t care to hide her secret from me anymore. But, when I saw Mariya¡¯s face, I became even more surprised. There was a blue beard growing on her face. It looked as if she didn¡¯t take care of her skin lately. Mariya laughed slightly when she saw how stunned my eyes were. ¡¸Rumors about me have spread since then. The other gods found out that I was an ONEE deity. I didn¡¯t tell them myself, but somehow, it feels kinda strange and refreshing that all of them know about me now. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t resent Seiya cutie anymore.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so! I¡¯m glad for you! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if I have the chance, I¡¯d like to dig him from behind. ¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you just say that you don¡¯t resent him anymore!?¡­By¡­By the way, Lady Mariya! I have a request to make¡­¡¹ I pointed to the cute pink flowers that I spotted early on. ¡¸Can I have those flowers? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. That¡¯s totally fine. I¡¯ll put them on a beautiful and grand flowerpot so that it would be easy to carry them with pride.¡¹ ¡¸No, please¡­Just give them to me on a normal flowerpot¡­! ¡¹ ¡ª After I received the flowers from Mariya, I went back to the cave where Kiriko was isolated. ¡¸¡­Ugh. Ugh. ¡¹ I could hear her sobs from all over the cave. ¡¸Kiri? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Miss Lista! ¡¹ I invoked the portal on the muddy wall to make a connection between my place and the cave where Kiriko was standing still. I just opened the portal¡¯s door a little bit and¡­ ¡¸Here! ¡¹ I closed the portal immediately after throwing the flowers I¡¯ve got from the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸Ah. Excuse me. Miss Lista? But, did the flowers just fly here with a great speed¡­? ¡¹ That¡¯s right. This was the only way to give the flowers to Kiriko without going through the portal. I spoke through the earth snake microphone. ¡¸Kiri! Those flowers are for you! ¡¹ ¡¸For¡­For me? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! They¡¯re beautiful, aren¡¯t they? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! Extremely beautiful! And¡­I felt relieved to speak to you again! ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. So, you won¡¯t cry anymore? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll do my best! ¡¹ I heard Kiriko¡¯s voice from afar when I tried to leave the cave with the earth snake microphone. ¡¸Miss Lista¡­Will you come to see me again? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Of course! ¡¹ I responded to Kiriko with a smile. ¡ª The next day. After I saw the whole area of Tarmine full of golems, I asked Seiya the following. ¡¸It seems that the scenery didn¡¯t change that much from yesterdays. How many golems did you create so far?¡¹ I waited for a while, but there was no reply. ¡¸¡­Seiya? ¡¹ This hero was always quiet and secretive. But, today, Seiya was quieter than usual. I stared closely at him and I noticed that he was staring at a single point in the distance. He looked like a firm statue as if he didn¡¯t have a beating heart. It was obviously strange. ¡¸Hey, Seiya! ¡¹ I shook his shoulders. Still, he didn¡¯t answer me. ¡¸Hey!? Are you okay!? ¡¹ I became increasingly worried. Therefore, I shook his shoulders violently. *cracking sound* ¡­I heard a dry sound as if something broke. On this moment, Seiya¡¯s lower arm came off from his shoulder! ¡¸*screams* I¡­I got your arm!? I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry!!!!!! ¡¹ I heard Seiya¡¯s voice from afar while I was apologizing non-stop for breaking his arm. ¡¸¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Seiya!! You know, Seiya, I just touched Seiya¡¯s arm and it suddenly fell from your shoulder¡­What¡­Ehhhhhh!?¡¹ I became utterly confused to see two Seiyas, one that looked at me with piercing eyes, and the other one that I broke the arm. ¡¸That¡¯s my Shadow Warrior**. I created a muddy doll with earth magic. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Is that so. I see. But, a Shadow Warrior!? Why do you need such a thing!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t have a peaceful mind just because I¡¯m in Tarmine. There might be people lurking around waiting for an opportunity to slice my neck.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, do you mean that the citizens of Tarmine might want to attack you!? The¡­There¡¯s no way that¡­¡¹ ¡­¡°they¡¯ll attack you.¡± That¡¯s what I wanted to say. But, I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen many times how people here had a grudge against Seiya for not saving this world before. ¡¸My biggest enemy may not be the Demon King, but rather a human being. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a big overstatement you know¡­! ¡¹ At that time, a merchant-looking man came from behind Seiya¡¯s back with a smile. This man carried a huge luggage with him and held medicinal herbs on one of his hands. Seiya, who noticed the shadowy presence, looked back at a tremendous speed, and grabbed that man¡¯s chest. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you. Are you a thug? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m not! I¡¯m just a merchant! ¡¹ ¡¸Who hired you? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No one hired me! I just wondered if you¡¯ll take these medicinal herbs¡­ ¡¹ It seemed that Seiya didn¡¯t believe that man¡¯s words at all. I tried to stand between them, and Seiya finally took his hand away from that man. ¡¸Listen. Don¡¯t sneak behind my back ever again. Next time¡­I¡¯ll kill you. ¡¹ ¡¸What kind of hero are you!! ¡¹ I yelled at the hero who looked like a hitman. The merchant was just a mere merchant. Poor man, he immediately ran away while crying aloud. After the outrage, Seiya walked away as if nothing happened at all. ¡¸Hey, wait a moment! Where are you going? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to a lookout tower. I originally wanted to go straightaway, but my time was delayed considerably because I¡¯ve met you on the way there.¡¹ ¡¸Tower? Why¡­Ah¡­C¡¯mon! Wait for me! ¡¹ I followed Seiya, who headed for the lookout tower. The Queen and John Dae were at the top of tower. ¡¸Why did you call us to come to this place? ¡¹ John Dae asked that question with a suspicious look. Apparently, Seiya called them in advance. However, without answering, Seiya held his hands to the sky in silence. Then, he muttered the following words. ¡¸¡­Iron Dome. ¡¹ Then, a huge roar coming from the earth was heard everywhere. The Great Iron Wall, that surrounded Tarmine, began to extend towards the sky! After stretching for a while, the wall bent inward and changed its shape! It covered Tarmine like an umbrella! ¡¸*everybody shouts* Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What!! ¡¹ John Dae and I were taken aback with amazement. The walls extended from all directions in the sky. Soon, the sunlight was completely blocked by this dome. Seiya spoke amidst the dark space. ¡¸The walls will transform into a dome during air raids. It consumes my MP, but this method can completely prevent attacks from the sky.¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t do this without explaining to us first! It¡¯s suddenly dark and the people are screaming!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I called you here. I want you to inform the people of Tarmine about this. They don¡¯t need to panic when they see the dome during air raids. They can rest assured.¡¹ Eventually, a rumbling sound was heard from above. It seemed that the dome was reverting and we gradually saw the blue sky once again. The stretched wall gradually shrunk back and returned to its original position. ¡¸I will revert it back like this once the danger is gone. ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We don¡¯t even know if the enemy really has a flying type. Why prepare this much for an air raid that won¡¯t happen¡­right?¡¹ John Dae whispered in indignation. But, the Queen just smiled. ¡¸Well, better something than nothing. At least, everyone in Tarmine will be safe, right?¡¹ After the Queen professed those words, Seiya walked away and opened the door of the room in the lookout tower. This was the room where the Queen was held prisoner before. I noticed that several buckets of water were lined up inside. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya. What now? ¡¹ When Seiya snapped his finger, the water reflected different sceneries from the landscape. ¡¸The images that my earth snakes see are usually projected to my eyes. However, I thought of a way of allowing everybody to see what¡¯s going on through the various places of Tarmine.¡¹ Camera¡­The people on this world wouldn¡¯t know about this. But, in fact, this was like a ¡°surveillance camera¡±. With this, we were going to see the movement of the Imperial Machine Corps just like Seiya did once before. ¡­An iron wall that transformed into a dome during an air raid. ¡­Multiple surveillance cameras installed around the perimeter of Tarmine. Tarmine became a high-tech fortress. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal. I¡¯m heading to Galvano right now. ¡¹ ¡¸What are you going to do in Galvano? ¡¹ ¡¸I expected that the second enemy would come here immediately. But, it seems that we still have some time. Therefore, I want to take advantage of the remaining free time to create in Galvano a similar degree of protection that I made in Tarmine¡­¡¹ ¡ª The following day. Seiya went back and forth vigorously between Galvano and Tarmine to strengthen the defense mechanisms. At first, John Dae went to see the situation, but he got bored. So, he stopped accompanying Seiya on this quest. He remained by the Queen¡¯s side in Tarmine afterwards. I had free time to spend in Tarmine after I invoked the portal for Seiya to go to Galvano. I thought that he wouldn¡¯t want me to tag along with him based on his mood. So, I didn¡¯t go. In my spare time, I spoke with the Queen. And then, I went to see how Kiriko was faring in the cave. ¡¸*laughs*¡­The story of Mister Seiya is very interesting! ¡¹ ¡¸You can laugh by hearing this story. But, you would get tired immediately if you were near him, you know?¡¹ I spoke with Kiriko through the earth snake microphone. Even though she didn¡¯t know who Seiya was, Kiriko laughed happily when she heard that Seiya made a dome to prepare against an attack from the sky. Suddenly, I realized something and asked Kiriko the following. ¡¸But, this talk sounds complicated for the both of us, right? After all, Kiri¡¯s dad is the Machine Emperor Oxelio¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. It would be ideal if my Father and Mister Hero were to become friends through some discussion.¡¹ It was obvious that a peaceful relationship between a hero and a monster would be impossible to achieve. I changed the topic because my feelings became messy somehow. ¡¸So, how about the flowers? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­you see, they¡¯re not feeling very well. ¡¹ Kiriko took the flowers from a small pot and showed them to me from the wall between our caves. The flowers were wilting and the soil was dry. ¡¸Ah!! Water!! I forgot to give you some water!! ¡¹ ¡¸Water¡­? Does that mean that they don¡¯t have enough nutrition? Then, how about I give them some of my machine oil?¡¹ ¡¸No! They will wither 100% with oil! Wait a second! I¡¯ll bring you some water now! ¡¹ I hurriedly went back to the surface and I pumped water out of a well in Tarmine. I put the water on a bucket and rushed to the cave. I invoked the portal and entered Kiriko¡¯s cave. Then, I immediately poured some water on the flowerpot. The soil was thirsty for some water that it absorbed it in a blink of an eye. ¡¸Whoa¡­! I feel relieved now! ¡¹ Then, I heard Kiriko¡¯s voice behind me. ¡¸Miss¡­Lista¡­ ¡¹ And, I noticed what happened just now! I entered Kiriko¡¯s cave even though Seiya forbid me to enter! ¡­I¡­I did it!! Oh my god!! Seiya told me not to enter!! But, I entered the cave by impulse!! I didn¡¯t even realized it! ¡¸I finally¡­meet you face to face¡­Miss¡­Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ki¡­Kiri? It can¡¯t be¡­! You¡¯re kidding, right¡­? ¡¹ However, it was not Kiriko¡¯s usual voice. Kiriko approached me and stretched her robotic arm on my direction. ¡¸Ple¡­Please¡­Don¡¯t!! ¡¹ I felt eminent danger, so I screamed extremely high. Nonetheless¡­Kiriko took my hand and waved up and down in a very exciting manner. She spoke with a vigorous voice. ¡¸I meet Miss Lista for the first time! I am impressed! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re wonderful! Your hair and face are so beautiful! I wished I could be like you! ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so? ¡¹ Tha¡­Thank goodness! I knew that this child was not a bad monster! ¡¸¡­But, it seems that the flowers aren¡¯t energetic yet. ¡¹ The flowers were still wilting even though I poured some water on them. I wondered if I were too late. ¡¸Wait. I¡¯ll try to save them myself. ¡¹ I activated my healing powers to save the flowers. I tried to heal them by placing my hand on them as if I were curing an injured person. Eventually¡­the dying flowers rose up and gained vitality. ¡¸They¡¯re fine now! ¡¹ ¡­But, actually, I did my best to cure mere wilted flowers. Seiya would call me a fool if he knew about this¡­ Although my heart was conflicted, Kiriko was excited that she even waved her arms repeatedly. ¡¸It¡¯s amazing! Miss Lista, it¡¯s a miracle! ¡¹ ¡¸No, well. You know, I¡¯m a goddess after all. ¡¹ ¡¸Goddesses are amazing! How delightful! It¡¯s too great! ¡¹ It¡¯s has been a long time since I was praised this much. I felt like I was going to ascend to heaven myself. ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s right! I¡¯m greater than Seiya, you know! ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Lista! I respect you! ¡¹ Ah¡­What a great feeling! Yes, that¡¯s correct! I was a goddess that could perform miracles! When I regained my dignity as a goddess¡­ *ringing phone* The earth snake microphone that I put on my chest began to ring. ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista!? What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, this is an earth snake microphone. Kiri, be quiet for a moment. ¡¹ I put the snakes¡¯ tail to my ears and the head onto my mouth. ¡¸Hello, Seiya? Are you in Galvano? Or did you return to Tarmine by now? ¡¹ I heard a low voice from the earth snake microphone-turned phone. ¡º¡­Did you use the portal to enter the cave with the Killing Machine? ¡» ¡¸Ehhhhh!? Ho¡­How do you know about that!? ¡¹ ¡ºAll of your actions are so predictable. ¡» Seiya began to reprimand me without stopping. I kept bowing my head in apology. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry¡­But, I wasn¡¯t attacked¡­Ah¡­Yes¡­I know that¡¯s not the problem here¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­It¡¯s just as you say¡­Yes¡­I¡¯ll keep it in mind from now on¡­No, this time I really mean it¡­Eh¡­Yes¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­You told me that before¡­Yes¡­I¡¯m truly sorry¡­Yes¡­Okay¡­Excuse me¡­Yes¡­Bye¡­¡¹ After the earth snake phone call was over¡­ ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista¡­Are you okay? ¡¹ Somehow, I managed to show her thumbs up. However, my fingers were shaking, my face was pale white, and my magnificence of a goddess had completely disappeared. Volume 2 - CH 85 Chapter 85: Crisis ¡¸¡­Your hero is a bit scary, isn¡ät he? ¡¹ Kiriko whispered to me, who looked extremely overwhelmed by what happened between the hero and me. ¡¸Ah, well. Actually, most human beings have a little bit of benevolence towards other people. But, this hero is special. I would dare to say that he is a bit abnormal¡­¡¹ On this precise moment, the earth snake microphone rang again. ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista! He is calling you again! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Did he hear what I just said about him!? This is bad! My breasts are going to get crushed and milked out!¡¹ ¡¸Are heroes supposed to do that!? ¡¹ *ringing phone* The earth snake microphone turned into a mobile phone, and kept ringing without stopping. I answered the phone against my will. ¡¸You see, I didn¡¯t mean to describe you in that way¡­Well, it¡¯s true that you do have a sense of abnormality, but¡­¡¹ ¡ºWhat are you talking about? More importantly, the surveillance earth snakes scattered around Tarmine have found the location of Imperial Machine Crops.¡» ¡¸Ehh!! The¡­The second regiment!? ¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s right. I want you to come immediately to the lookout tower. Bring that Killing Machine with you.¡» ¡¸To take Kiri with me, you say!? ¡­but why, Seiya!? Hello!? ¡¹ Kiriko stared at me astonished, as Seiya turned off the phone abruptly. ¡¸Excuse me¡­But, it¡¯s really okay for me to go outside? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. It seems so. But, there will be a commotion once the people of Tarmine notice your presence. I want you to be close to me. So, don¡¯t leave my side, okay?¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand Seiya¡¯s intention for bringing Kiriko along with me. But, I did as he told me to do, so I took Kiriko and went to the lookout tower. ¡ª ¡¸¡­Ki¡­Killing Machine!? ¡¹ I opened the portal and arrived at the top of the lookout tower. Once the soldiers saw that I brought Kiriko with me, they took an offensive stance against her. Then, Seiya spoke to the soldiers. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. This thing is like John Dae. It has several deadly earth snakes wrapped around its body. So, that means that its actions are limited in the same way like John Dae. It won¡¯t harm us because his functions incapacitated.¡¹ All of the soldiers expressed a relieved look on their faces upon hearing Seiya¡¯s reassuring words¡­All except John Dae. ¡¸Just like me! The same way as me! Why do you keep mentioning my name, hey!! ¡¹ After shouting aloud, John Dae stared fixedly at Kiriko. ¡¸So, why did you bring that Killing Machine over here? ¡¹ ¡¸That thing is a ¡°functional robot¡±. It might be useful for future negotiations. ¡¹ I was perplexed by Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸¡°Functional Robot¡±!? Like a hostage!? Seiya!! Don¡¯t tell me that this was the reason why you didn¡¯t break Kiri apart!?¡¹ ¡¸Well, the opponent is a magical weapon. They won¡¯t accept nor understand the process of a negotiation. Still, I don¡¯t plan to carry any sort of negotiations with the enemy either.¡¹ Hmm!? He didn¡¯t intend to negotiate with the enemy, and yet, he took Kiriko as a hostage!? I¡­I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this at all¡­!! I thought deeply about it, but I still didn¡¯t understand Seiya¡¯s intentions. Therefore, I decided not to think too much about it. Seiya went to the surveillance room in the lookout tower and used the earth snakes cameras to look at the current position of the Imperial Machine Corps. ¡¸All right. It¡¯s time to activate the Iron Dome. ¡¹ The new regiment of Killing Machines reflected on the earth snakes cameras seemed to be far away from Tarmine. Even so, Seiya decided to transform the wall into a dome. Then, he looked up at the multiple cameras as if he were preparing against airstrikes. ¡¸There¡¯s roughly ten thousands of magical weapons marching in the northern area. ¡¹ I noticed the movement of the Killing Machines, which were reflected in the surveillance cameras while Seiya watched them silently. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. They¡¯re¡­not flying in the sky. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. They¡¯re not flying, just marching. ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no flying type after all!! That dome is meaningless!! ¡¹ John Dae yelled at Seiya. Yet, Seiya just responded in a calm manner. ¡¸It has a meaning. It gives me a ¡°peace of mind¡±. Anyways, the battle between the Killing Machines and the golems are about to start in the northern area.¡¹ When I looked closely at the images projected through the earth snakes cameras, I noticed that a huge horde of Killing Machines marched against the golems. On the other hand, the golems were considerable fewer than the Killing Machines. However, they weren¡¯t there to lose. ¡¸How many golems did you use for this battle? ¡¹ ¡¸There are about 8000 golems heading north. They¡¯re a little inferior in number. But, that doesn¡¯t pose as a problem.¡¹ There was no lie on his words. A couple of Killing Machines were swept away after the golems stretched their arms slightly. I felt that one golem was the equivalent of three Killing Machines. The golems¡¯ power was overwhelming, and the Killing Machines couldn¡¯t even get close to the wall, so they stood far beyond the Fifth Wall. We watched the northern battle video feed for a while. Nonetheless, before long, Seiya took his eyes away from the earth snakes cameras. ¡¸The second regiment shall be annihilated in one hour. ¡¹ ¡­At that time, John Dae and I were extremely happy at Seiya¡¯s confident words, who seemed convinced of our victory. *buzzing sound* I could hear a strong vibrating sound coming from Seiya¡¯s chest. This earth snake had a different rhythm from the other earth snake turned mobile phone. ¡¸What¡­! ¡¹ Seiya, who had a relaxed expression on his face, changed his complexion dramatically. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? What was that just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an alarm earth snake. It would alert me if the enemy approached the first wall¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸EH!! Isn¡¯t the first wall the inner wall that protects Tarmine directly!? Are you sure it¡¯s not mistaken!?¡¹ John Dae showed an anxious expression on his face, and quickly looked at the earth snakes video surveillance coming from the water bucket cameras. In the same way, I also checked the cameras of the western and eastern sides. Then, I checked the area around the northern wall as well. From what I¡¯ve seen so far, the walls remained intact because they were being protected by the defensive golems. ¡¸¡­The Southern area. ¡¹ Seiya spoke in a lower voice. Then, I looked at the surveillance cameras from the south. But, like the other cameras, I didn¡¯t see any alarming state. ¡¸The golems guarding the southern walls were not defeated yet!! There are no Killing Machines over there!! Why did your alarm rang in the first place!?¡¹ Then, Seiya spoke as he crushed all of our reasoning. ¡¸Perhaps they dug an underground tunnel and passed through the vast area between the fifth wall and the second wall¡­¡¹ ¡¸Not an attack from the sky, but from the underground!? In other words, did we underestimate them!?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I also considered the possibility that the enemy could invade our stronghold if they drilled from the ground. Therefore, the Great Iron Wall stretched to the underground as well. In fact, the wall is 50 meters high that is visible to the naked eye, and 50 meters below the ground that are not visible to us. The total length of the wall is actually 100 meters long.¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Does that mean that they dived more than 50 meters underground to invade us!?¡¹ I heard the sound of Seiya gritting his teeth. ¡¸Just as a precaution, I actually extended the underground of the last inner wall by twice the size of the normal length, but¡­¡¹ Seiya was staring at the southern cameras that projected the area between the first wall and the second wall. Soon after, John Dae and I gasped when we saw that Killing Machines appear from the ground as if they were mole rats. The killing machines metallic body shined blue. Both arms were drills. It was a new type of Killing Machine. ¡¸¡­Bad. This is bad. ¡¹ Seiya began to walk around in order to think about what to do now. John Dae muttered to Seiya to reassure him. ¡¸Bu¡­But, that¡¯s the farthest that they can get to! There should be no problem, since the enemy won¡¯t be able to cross the 100 meter wall under the ground!¡¹ ¡¸That¡­That¡¯s right! It will be okay! ¡¹ I agreed with John Dae¡¯s reasoning. Yet, Seiya said the following bitter words. ¡¸This is no good. If they continue to break the hard underground around Tarmine by a depth of 50 meters below the ground, it will mean that¡­¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya stared fixedly at the area around the first wall. More than a hundred new type of Killing Machines appeared on the ground and charged towards the first wall with their arm drills! The wall got damaged because of their continuous strikes! The exterior of the wall began to scrape off gradually! ¡¸In addition to these new units that are planning to break the wall on the surface, there might be other units underground that are still excavating to reach the bottom of the 100-meter inner wall.¡¹ ¡¸So, that means that they¡¯re trying to invade us from the surface and from below the ground at the same time¡­!¡¹ John Dae couldn¡¯t take this anymore and walked over to Seiya with rage. ¡¸This is different from what you told us!! ¡°This method can completely prevent attacks from the sky¡±¡­That¡¯s what you said!!¡¹ Seiya gazed at John Dae with fiery eyes. ¡¸¡­Shut the hell up! ¡¹ It was a rare occasion for Seiya to show off his feelings of anger. He seemed to be clearly irritated by this situation. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! ¡¹ When he noticed my gaze, Seiya took a deep breath and spoke with calmness. ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped now. ¡¹ And then, Seiya snapped his finger. A violent rumbling shook our bodies, and the dome that covered the sky of Tarmine shrank back and disappeared before long. ¡¸What did you do? ¡¹ ¡¸I removed the walls from the fifth to the second wall. Only the first wall remains intact now. However, I put all of my magical powers on this last wall¡­ The thickness was reinforced by five times. I also increased the depth of the wall by five times as well. I wanted to make it thicker and deeper, but unlike stretching the wall towards the sky, the ground is limited because of the hard soil.¡¹ Like this, only one of the five-layered walls remained intact to protect Tarmine. It may have been a frustrating choice for Seiya. But, the thickness and length of the wall, which increased by five times more, prevented the enemy from making a frontal breakthrough with the arm drills. It also prevented a breakthrough from the underground. Somehow, the invasion of the Killing Machines quieted down and went into a suspension. As soon as I became slightly relieved¡­ ¡¸Hey, wait! You can¡¯t enter here! The hero is busy now! ¡¹ I heard a lot of noise near the stairs of the lookout tower. ¡¸Wha¡­What on earth is happening over there!? ¡¹ When I went to see who was making a ruckus at the stairs¡­ ¡¸There¡¯s something I need to tell the hero!! ¡¹ I noticed that a strong warrior was shouting aloud while surrounded by the guards of the lookout tower. When I looked closely, I recognized that screaming warrior as the one who tried to help Seiya in the battle, but instead, he was instructed to do ¡°farming work¡±. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong!? ¡¹ The warrior softened his tone when he saw me. ¡¸I noticed something peculiar when I was doing the farming work as I was told to do. ¡¹ John Dae, Kiriko, and Seiya, who were in close proximity, listened to the warrior¡¯s story. ¡¸Yesterday, it rained for a very short time. At that time, the golems in Tarmine stopped moving by crouching weirdly. This occurrence has been witnessed, not only by myself, but also by a large number of people in Tarmine.¡¹ Seiya wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸In other words, are you implying that the ¡°golems are vulnerable to water¡±? That¡¯s ridiculous. I already confirmed that the golems are water resistant.¡¹ Still, the warrior reaffirmed. ¡¸No, there¡¯s no mistake about it! The golems slowed down when the rainwater touched their bodies!¡¹ ¡¸Rainwater¡­you say? ¡¹ On that moment, Seiya looked seriously at me. ¡¸¡°Not resistant to the rainwater that falls directly from the sky¡±¡­Lista. Does this monster characteristic exist?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­I guess that¡¯s not impossible to exist! Unlike well water or filtered water, rainwater that has just fallen from the sky contains many natural forces! It might be a different property altogether! So, it means that, even though those golems are water-resistant, they could be inflicted by rainwater¡­!¡¹ The bad things seemed to overlap. Because, when I looked up, I saw that the sky was dark and cloudy. It looked like it was going to rain. ¡­If¡­If¡­It rains now¡­!! Unexpectedly, a violent sound was heard and both Kiriko and I quivered our bodies incessantly. This noise was the sound coming from the table that Seiya kicked aggressively. After showing his rage, Seiya returned to the room with the surveillance cameras, and began to look at them in a state of impatience. He moved his gaze furiously and bit his nails nervously. This was the first time I saw Seiya like this. John Dae was silent for a while. But, eventually, he sighed and left the room. He began to give new instructions to the soldiers. ¡¸Prepare yourselves for battle! And secure the protection of the royal palace!¡¹ ¡¸Jo¡­John Dae!? ¡¹ At this time, John Dae returned to his original face of a respected but fierce general. ¡¸I overestimated him. I thought that his cautiousness was ¡°carefulness backed by strength¡±. However, in reality, it was quite the opposite. Actually, his strength is the ¡°strength for being cautious¡±. In other words, if his reliance on his over-prepared plan created by his overly cautious behavior breaks down, his spirit will also break down. And that¡¯s what happened here¡­¡¹ After John Dae walked away from the surveillance room, I looked at Seiya¡¯s back. ¡­Seiya¡­! ¡­The painful and difficult battle continued in Exfolia. First, it was the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion that had an ability value higher than the Demon King. In addition, this time was the Machine Emperor Oxelio that was behind the scenes and commanded a large army of Killing Machines to invade the Tarmine Kingdom. Seiya was extraordinarily cautious. We prepared so much in advance so that we could deal with every possible scenario. But, even so, he didn¡¯t possess the ability to predict the future. Human beings had limitations to foresee every possibility. Many things were impossible to predict, such as Mother Nature and unexpected events. No matter how ¡°unbelievably cautious¡± he was. This could be the limit of Ryuguuin Seiya. Volume 2 - CH 86 Chapter 86: Driven into a Corner ¡¸Is Mr. Seiya¡­going to be all right? ¡¹ Outside of the surveillance room. Kiriko spoke to me with a worrying tone. ¡¸Yes, he¡¯ll be okay! He seemed to be a little bit upset about this situation, but I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll find a way out! Seiya has a strong mentality after all!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so! Then we don¡¯t have anything to worry about!¡¹ I tried to reassure Kiriko with those words. But, in fact, the depths of my heart were in turmoil. Seiya was extremely annoyed. I¡¯d never seen him like this before. Of course, I could understand why his feelings were painful. The Killing Machines were trying to crush the southern wall from the surface and, at the same time, they tried to dig the underground area¡­ ¡¸Kiri. Are you fine with this? Isn¡¯t it painful for you to see the Killing Machines getting destroyed by golems?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. It is certainly painful. But, I also don¡¯t want humans to be attacked¡­ ¡¹ The friendly Killing Machine said those kind-hearted words to me. I didn¡¯t know what to say to Kiriko, therefore, I remained silent. ¡ª Later. Seiya instructed half of the golems from northern wall to head towards the southern wall. But, that didn¡¯t seem to be a good idea. Once the golems gave their backs to the enemy to march south, the Killing Machines got this opportunity to strike back. These golems were attacked, forcing them to retreat. In addition, the new Killing Machines also drove the golems that were guarding the southern wall into a corner. These new opponents appeared from the underground with drills on both hands. The new type had a higher performance than the usual Killing Machines. That meant that their ability value were on par with that of the golems. ¡­Maybe it would be wiser to leave Seiya alone for a while. But, I couldn¡¯t hide my anxious feelings. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that the enemy was overpowering us. Anyway, I entered the surveillance room where Seiya was with Kiriko. ¡¸How is it? Did you find a way to subdue the enemy? ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t look at me at all. He just stared fixedly at the water buckets with the earth snakes surveillance cameras. Then, he just sighed. ¡¸I¡¯m going to move all of the golems closer to the wall, considering the fact that there¡¯s a high possibility that the enemy could break the wall or go through below the stronghold.¡¹ ¡¸All of them. Even the golems that are protecting the town and the royal palace? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Its defense will be weaker, but this is the only way to protect the people of Tarmine.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­If the new Killing Machines are digging the underground, won¡¯t they cross the borders of the wall in order to invade the inside area? If they manage to crawl from the other side of the wall, they will probably go up to the royal palace¡­¡¹ Seiya stared at me with a surprised face. After thinking for a while, Seiya nodded his head for several times and spoke with a whispering voice. ¡¸I see. Yes, you¡¯re right. Completely right. It¡¯s just as you say. I have to think about a different plan.¡¹ Then, he changed his gaze and began to look at the cameras once again. He bit his nails while he shook his hands tremendously. ¡­Seiya agreed with my reasoning at last¡­! It seemed that he was mentally driven into a corner. Somehow, this situation made me sad and I left the room quietly. I wondered if Seiya would have a plan for when the Imperial Machine Corps cross the wall to the other side. No¡­I must believe in him. He will have a plan for sure. In the meantime, I only prayed for Seiya¡¯s calm demeanor to return back. The situation was looking bad from all sides, even the weather was against us. However, Kiriko, who was looking up at the sky from the top of the lookout tower, spoke in a bright voice. ¡¸Miss Lista! It looks like it¡¯s going to be a sunny day after all! ¡¹ When I looked above, I noticed that the cloudy sky that covered Tarmine was starting to clear up. For the time being, it seemed that the golems¡¯ state wouldn¡¯t weaken due to the rainwater side effects. ¡ª A few hours later. Nothing much happened since then. I didn¡¯t know how was the state of the southern underground wall, but from what I was seeing from the earth snakes cameras it seemed difficult for the new Killing Machines to break through the thick wall at the surface. In the northern area, the golems were underpowered because of their decrease in number. But, soon, they recovered ground because their ability value was still higher than the status of the average Killing Machines. The situation seemed to improve a little bit¡­ ¡¸¡­The enemy¡¯s movements are strange. ¡¹ John Dae said that the current situation was somewhat suspicious. After giving some instructions to the soldiers in Tarmine, John Dae returned to the lookout tower and watched the enemy from the top. ¡¸What do you mean by ¡°strange¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸It looks strange, because the Killing Machines from the northern area and the new type of the southern area didn¡¯t push forward with their offensive stances. It looks like they¡¯re standing by as if they are waiting for something¡­¡¹ John Dae¡¯s anxiety soon became a reality. I could see a huge cloud of smoke far away from the farthest tower. A large rumbling sound soon reached our ears. ¡¸Wha¡­What was that!? ¡¹ John Dae and I stared closely at the distant field of smoke that spread in the horizon. ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­! That is¡­! ¡¹ My eyes, which had better vision than human beings, could see a large army of Killing Machines rushing over to Tarmine like a big tsunami. Moreover¡­ ¡¸The¡­They¡¯re coming from all directions! ¡¹ I looked around upon hearing the soldier¡¯s words. It was exactly 360 degrees¡­ The smoke that was coming at us surrounded Tarmine from all the directions. It was as if one giant creature was trying to swallow Tarmine. As they approached us, the rumbling sound gradually became a regular mechanical sound, and the figure of the Killing Machines as a completely giant horde became visible on everybody¡¯s eyes. Most of them were the average Killing Machines. But, some consisted of the new type. Their insane number startled me. John Dae wiped the cold sweat from his hands. ¡¸Ten thousand¡­No. They¡¯re much more than that¡­! They¡¯ve been waiting for this reinforcement!¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t be able to handle such a large number of Killing Machines! ¡¹ ¡¸No! Collect all of the golems in Tarmine and use them for the battle to equal their numbers! It¡¯s dangerous, but we have no choice but to do it! We have to settle this down while we still have a sunny weather!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re right¡­ ¡¹ John Dae had the same thoughts as Seiya. It seemed that he no longer opposed to that idea. The situation was so urgent after all. The Killing Machines, that joined their new great army, began to confront the golems that guarded the wall. This could be a critical showdown between both parties. Even so, the Killing Machines didn¡¯t move forward. ¡¸This¡­This time, what are they waiting for¡­? ¡¹ Soon, a thundering roar pierced through my earlobes! I shuddered when I looked up at the sky. There were several geometrical patterns drawn in the sky over Tarmine! ¡¸Magical circles¡­!? No way¡­!! ¡¹ My ominous feeling was correct. After the magical circles shined, the clouds began to spread through the sunny sky. At the same time, heavy rain that resembled a tropical storm fell in Tarmine! The golems¡¯ movements changed dramatically once the heavy rain hit their bodies. The golems slowed down and were swallowed by the large horde of Killing Machines just outside of the wall. The few golems inside the wall stopped moving and stood on one knee. ¡­But¡­Why!? How did the enemy find out about the golems¡¯ weakness!? The enemy knew that the golems were vulnerable to rainwater!! Why did that piece of information leaked to the outside of the wall that surrounded Tarmine!? I didn¡¯t understand that. However, this was not a time to be worried about such a thing. The Killing Machines attacked the weakened golems all at once. The slow-motion golems were defeated one after another. As they were destroyed, the golems¡¯ bodies scattered around in dust and returned to the soil of earth. When the golems¡¯ defense system collapsed, the Killing Machines rushed to the wall. The new type hit against the wall and began to drill it immediately. John Dae moved sideways and walked in a hurry. He was going to the surveillance room where Seiya was staying. ¡¸John Dae!? What are you going to do!? ¡¹ ¡¸The situation hasn¡¯t improved even when all of golems went to guard the wall! Those golems are not going to protect Tarmine! Then, I¡¯ll go to the battlefield with the hero! We have no choice but to fight for ourselves!¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, Seiya is not on a good mental state right now! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care! I¡¯ll bring him with me even if I have to drag him down! ¡¹ ¡¸Ju¡­Just calm down for a second! ¡¹ While arguing, John Dae, Kiriko and I went into the surveillance room like an avalanche. ¡­And, on this very moment. I doubted my own eyes. I saw that Seiya sat on a chair with his legs crossed while driking a cup of tea gracefully. John Dae trembled his body with rage upon seeing this sight. ¡¸Yo¡­Yo¡­You¡­Why are you drinking tea at this crucial moment¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute, John Dae!! Seiya is trying to calm down his nerves¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s not the moment for a tea break!! We have a far more important job to do now!! C¡¯mon!! Get ready!! Let¡¯s fight!!¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya was looking peacefully at the cup of tea. ¡¸Tarmine¡¯s tea has a nice fragrance. I think it is quite similar to the Darjeeling tea from my world. Anyway, it tastes good.¡¹ Seiya spoke in a relaxing tone. Then, he drank a bit of tea. On this instant, John Dae grabbed Seiya by force. ¡¸Are you drunk because of a cup of tea!? The golems have weakened considerably because of the enemy¡¯s strategy!! There¡¯s no time to waste here!!¡¹ ¡¸¡­You¡¯re a noisy guy. ¡¹ *splash* After Seiya got annoyed, and he spilled the tea on John Dae¡¯s face. ¡¸You¡­You damn bastard!! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!! ¡¹ ¡¸You stink like a rotten zombie. But, now, thanks to me, you¡¯ll be a ¡°Darjeeling Zombie¡± with a nicer fragrance.¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the Darjeeling Zombieeeee!! I¡¯ll kill you, you damned hero!! ¡¹ John Dae was extremely angry with Seiya. However, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to John Dae but to the arrogant hero that was cold-hearted like always. Se¡­Seiya was finally back to normal!! Well, actually, I felt that his condition was normal again, but at the same time, I felt that something was off¡­Anyway, he was his usual self again!! What happened to him in order to calm down this much!? Seiya completely ignored John Dae, and stared fixedly at one of the earth snakes cameras. There was a strange Killing Machine reflected on that water bucket. The physique was about three times more than that of an average Killing Machine. It had four arms and four legs. I saw a spider-like monster made of a robotic body¡­ ¡¸Father¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko spoke in a loud voice. ¡­That¡­That was the Machine Emperor Oxelio¡­! The fact that the Emperor came here meant that this horde of Killing Machines were the last regiment of the Imperial Machine Corps! He came here personally to see his own victory! We¡¯ve reached the climax! ¡¸An earth snake that I¡¯ve installed on the southern wall projected what you see on this camera. Your voice will be transmitted to the other side. Give it a try.¡¹ After saying those words, Seiya gave an earth snake to Kiriko. Then, Kiriko held the earth snake mobile phone and slowly spoke to Oxelio. ¡¸Fa¡­Father, can you hear me? ¡¹ After a brief silence¡­ ¡¸¡­So, those humans captured a Killing Machine, huh. ¡¹ Unlike Kiriko, Oxelio¡¯s harsh voice echoed in the surveillance room as the Machine Emperor was forced to speak the human language. ¡¸I won¡¯t accept any negotiations involving you. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re destroyed, ¡®cause I¡¯ll have plenty of others to substitute you.¡¹ The Machine Emperor spoke in an extremely cold manner. Kiriko trembled her body slightly, but she gathered some courage to respond to her unsympathetic father. ¡¸Co¡­Could you stop attacking these humans? ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? I have no reason to stop this operation. At present, our army is overwhelmingly superior. I managed to invoke the magical circle for rain by using the magical tool given by the evil god with mottled-hair. I succeeded in weakening the golems. In addition, it won¡¯t take too long now to destroy the wall. The underground troops have reached the 250 meters in depth. They¡¯re about to pass through this long wall of five times deeper than it was before. The victory of our army is absolute.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m asking you, Father! I want you to stop these attacks! I don¡¯t want the Killing Machines to be destroyed nor do I want human beings to be attacked!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s our mission to kill humans. ¡¹ ¡¸Father¡­! ¡¹ Oxelio didn¡¯t even listen to Kiriko¡¯s wishes. John Dae pointed to one of the images from the water buckets. ¡¸Hey!! Look at that!! What he said was true!! The southern wall is about to collapse!! ¡¹ Certainly, there was a crack on the wall made by one of those drills. Actually, this occurrence happened throughout the wall that surrounded Tarmine. Still, Seiya spoke in a relaxed tone. ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯m going to reinforce the wall now. ¡¹ Apparently, Oxelio heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸If it were a partial damage, it would be possible to repair it. But, I bet that your magical powers have limitations. You won¡¯t be able to deal with several damages at the same time.¡¹ Ugh!! The enemy had foreseen our actions!! What were you doing to do now, Seiya!? However, Seiya snapped his finger and said it bluntly¡­ ¡¸Repair Iron Wall¡­ ¡¹ On that precise moment, my feet vibrated while an intense sound came from the ground! ¡¸Seiya!! Did you fix the broken parts of the southern wall!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I repaired the whole wall besides the southern area. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really!? So, that means that you have enough magical powers left!! ¡¹ ¡¸I doubled the thickness of the wall and I increased its depth by multiplying twenty times more at the same time I repaired all of it. The depth is now at 2000 meters below the ground.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Sorry? ¡¹ I¡­I wondered if I heard him wrong. ¡¸Excuse me¡­What did you just say? Can you tell me again? ¡¹ ¡¸The reinforced wall is now 20 times thicker, and 2000 meters deeper. There won¡¯t even one ant at that depth.¡¹ ¡­Kiriko, John Dae and I looked at each other. After a short moment of silence¡­ ¡¸Ahhhhh!? ¡¹ All of us screamed in unison. ¡¸You¡­You said that the limit of the wall was around five times more than that of the usual thickness and depth!!¡¹ ¡¸Besides!! If you had the powers to make it stronger, why didn¡¯t you do it sooner!? ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment, please!! Everyone, look at that!! ¡¹ Kiriko sounded alarmed as she pointed to several earth snakes cameras that showed the ground rising up and down. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the enemy¡¯s new reinforcements!! ¡¹ John Dae distorted his face. Yet, it wasn¡¯t the new Killing Machines that came out of the ground. It were Seiya¡¯s golems, whose bodies were twice the size of that of the Killing Machines, which raised up from the soil. John Dae was surprised at Seiya¡¯s actions. ¡¸You had golems under the ground!? When did you do that!? ¡¹ ¡¸I hid them originally at the underground around Tarmine in case of an emergency. ¡¹ Countless of golems appeared from the ground as if they were zombies crawling out of a graveyard. ¡¸So many¡­!! How much did you create!? ¡¹ ¡¸Around 30,000 golems. ¡¹ ¡¸30,000 golems!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, actually there might be more out there. But, I made so much that I can¡¯t even sort out their real number.¡¹ There was no lie in Seiya¡¯s words. All we could see from the cameras was an incredible number of golems raising up from the ground. ¡¸The Machine Emperor thought that he surrounded Tarmine. But, right now, he is the one surrounded by these golems.¡¹ Just when Seiya muttered about the outcome of his strategy, the magical circles were deployed in the sky above Tarmine once again. ¡¸Oh¡­Oh, no!! Your golems will be neutralized by the rain no matter how much they are!! ¡¹ A fierce rain poured down on the golems, soaking them with rainwater! Then, the golems that had rainwater all over their bodies¡­ ¡¸What¡­!? ¡¹ They kept confronting the Killing Machines without slowing down! Rather, it looked like they released the power that they had saved up until now. Because, as far as I could see from the images reflected on the cameras, the golems began to act in full force! They were overpowering the new type of Killing Machines with ease! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What¡¯s going on!? Rainwater was not their weakness!? ¡¹ Seiya turned his eyes to John Dae who screamed aloud. ¡¸My golems don¡¯t have any weaknesses. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 87.1 Chapter 87: Secret Weapon (1) Seiya took a sip from a cup of tea in the surveillance room and gazed at the image of the earth snakes cameras as if he was watching a painting. ¡¸You¡­You only hardened the wall when the enemy drove you into a corner¡­You hid a golem army in the underground and used the rainwater as a pretense for weakness¡­What is the meaning of this?¡¹ This hero was a super M* that enjoyed the feels of a life-and-death situation¡­While I was immersed on my thoughts; I realized that John Dae had a very serious expression on his face. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that¡­! You did all of this on purpose to lure the enemy forces to Tarmine¡­?¡¹ Seiya nodded positively to that question. ¡¸That¡¯s right. In particular, the golems¡¯ supposed weakness. That was a great strategy because it proved to be a trigger to lure the enemy. That¡¯s why Oxelio appeared himself at last.¡¹ Ehh!? Wait a second!! But, wasn¡¯t that a bit strange!? ¡¸How did the enemy got his hands on that information!? Tarmine was surrounded by a huge wall!! Then, why!?¡¹ At that moment. I realized a horrifying truth when I thought deeply to myself. ¡¸It¡¯s just a hypothesis¡­But, does Tarmine have an intruder!? ¡¹ I felt wary as I looked at my surroundings. But¡­But if that was the case, who in the world was the one who leaked information to the enemy!? Suddenly, John Dae¡¯s eyes became sharp. He had a self-confident expression and his hand was touching his chin as if he knew the answer. ¡¸If that¡¯s true, then the criminal can only be that thing over there. ¡¹ John Dae pointed directly to Kiriko, who began to tremble upon hearing this accusation. ¡¸Me¡­Me? I wouldn¡¯t¡­! ¡¹ I got between John Dae and Kiriko to protect her. ¡¸What are you talking about! Kiri wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! Don¡¯t you dare say words with prejudice and speculation, you zombie!¡­Am I right, Seiya?¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸No. That Killing Machine¡¯s sensory organs are connected with Oxelio, just as my earth snakes are connected with me. In other words, Kiriko is his eyes and ears.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way¡­!! ¡¹ John Dae just nodded to Seiya¡¯s words, as he said ¡¸I knew it! ¡¹. Then¡­ ¡¸So, when did you notice it? ¡¹ ¡¸I already considered this possibility when I discovered this magical weapon. ¡¹ I raised my voice and shouted extremely high. ¡¸I was the one who found Kiri, you know!? Seiya!! You would¡¯ve destroyed Kiri if I haven¡¯t noticed her behavior!!¡¹ ¡¸I was the first one to discover that Killing Machine. But, I left it behind and waited until you noticed it. Actually, if I were the one to recognize it first, the enemy wouldn¡¯t be deceived anymore. Well, considering the fact that the enemy really had shared sensory organs with that Killing Machine. Therefore, I pretended it to be an accidental discovery.¡¹ ¡¸Ho¡­How could you¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The fact that Kiriko was an intruder was only a guess at that time. But, at some point later, it turned into a certainty.¡¹ ¡¸¡­When did that happen? ¡¹ ¡¸When the dome covered Tarmine. Actually, when I analyzed the Killing Machines, I said aloud that they could be making new prototypes for the creation of a flying type. In other words, I thought that it was possible for them to manufacture a flying type in the future, or better, that they already completed creating them successfully. However, as soon as Tarmine was turned into a dome to cope with that type of attack, the enemy tried to invade us in the opposite direction by digging underground. At this time, I was convinced of the possibility that Kiriko was used as a secret device to learn about our strategies.¡¹ I didn¡¯t want to believe that Kiriko was an inside intruder. Still, Seiya¡¯s story was pretty persuasive. I stared at Kiriko. ¡¸Kiri¡­Is that true¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re wrong! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko shook both hands as she denied it. But, next to me, John Dae drew his sword and took an offensive stance. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll destroy you here and now! ¡¹ *screams* Kiriko screamed with fear and hid behind me. She was trembling like a coward. I knew it. Kiriko wasn¡¯t a bad monster after all. ¡¸Ple¡­Please stop it, John Dae! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! Why the hell are you protecting the enemy!? ¡¹ During this heated dispute¡­ *splash* Tea splashed onto John Dae¡¯s face once again! John Dae stared at Seiya with a demonic face! ¡¸You¡­Why did you throw that tea at me again!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because some time has passed since then and you¡¯ve started to reek like a zombie. Even so, no matter how much tea you have on your body, it¡¯s still not enough. From now on, will you put the tea in a pot and carry it with you, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Why do I have to carry the tea myself that it will be thrown on my head!! ¡¹ Seiya sighed as he took a small breath. ¡¸Anyways. Calm down a little. Kiriko mustn¡¯t be the only one to have sensory organs. If both Lista and I didn¡¯t notice Kiriko¡¯s presence, then Oxelio wouldn¡¯t be able to use her eyes and ears because I would¡¯ve destroyed it entirely. It would be pointless to have only one Killing Machine with this ability. In other words, it¡¯s better to think that Oxelio can share sensory organs not only with Kiriko, but with all of the other Killing Machines.¡¹ I looked at Kiriko¡¯s face with a serious expression. ¡¸Kiri. You didn¡¯t know about this, did you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on all of you! Please believe me! ¡¹ Yet, John Dae still pointed his sword at Kiriko. ¡¸Even so, there¡¯s no better option than to destroy it now! ¡¹ ¡¸What!! She just said that she didn¡¯t mean to!! Why can¡¯t you monsters get along with each other!?¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t you dare put me on that monster¡¯s sideeeee¡­eh, ah!? ¡¹ John Dae, upon realizing that Seiya was holding a new cup of tea, reluctantly put the sword back on his sheath. ¡­Phew. I was glad that Kiriko wasn¡¯t destroyed in the end¡­Ah, what? Could it be that Seiya protected Kiri? As a matter of fact, I didn¡¯t understand why Seiya would do such a thing. But, after this scene calmed down, Seiya spoke with a somber tone. ¡¸Still, it was extremely difficult to pretend that I was depressed with myself because my strategy wasn¡¯t working that well. I¡¯ve never experienced melancholic thoughts during my entire life.¡¹ I¡­I¡¯m depressed all the time¡­! So, he was upset because he had to do a little act in order to deceive Oxelio through Kiri! What an odd hero I¡¯ve got here¡­! However, now that I¡¯ve realized that everything was Seiya¡¯s doing, my heart became bright again. In fact, the thick and deep wall created by Seiya made it impossible for the new type of Killing Machines to enter the Kingdom of Tarmine. Moreover, the Killing Machines that surrounded the walls, including those in the south with Oxelio, were surrounded by golems. Our situation changed from despair into our own advantage. Nonetheless, on this instant. The earth snake camera where captured Oxelio¡¯s movements emitted a sound. ¡¸I command the completion of our ¡°Irregular¡± countermeasures¡­ ¡¹ I could hear Oxelio¡¯s military voice. Before long, a strong sound vibrated violently on my earlobes. ¡¸Wha¡­What is this sound? ¡¹ ¡¸I can hear it coming from the outside! ¡¹ The sound became even louder once we got out of the surveillance room. When I looked at the sound¡¯s direction¡­I noticed that the northern sky was red. It looked like a red cloud floating in the air. But¡­I was wrong. That red mist gradually approached us, and then, I saw that it were a flock of Killing Machines. Unlike the new types that dig the underground with a blue hue, these new Killing Machines had a red metallic body. Hundreds of units flew in the sky towards our stronghold! ¡¸A flying type!? It really did exist!! ¡¹ John Dae screamed extremely high at the sight of the new Killing Machines that jet rockets on their feet and gradually approached Tarmine for invasion. And yes¡­Seiya was right all along¡­as always. Volume 2 - CH 87.2 Chapter 87: Secret Weapon (2) The new type of flying Killing Machines moved towards Tarmine to invade us. ¡­Ugh! This enemy was also overly cautious! It had a flying army waiting for its command at a far-away distance! Seiya prepared himself for a time like this! That¡¯s why he created a dome protection for Tarmine in the first place! However! After reinforcing the wall so much, Seiya didn¡¯t seem to have enough magical powers to create the dome now! Even so, Seiya spoke the following words that betrayed my anxiety. ¡¸Iron Dome. ¡¹ The thick wall along the ground began to rumble and extended towards the heavens to form a dome! Actually, this transformation was so fast that it finished closing before the flying type arrived in Tarmine! I shouted to Seiya after the whole place became pitch dark like a pan with a closed lid. ¡¸Did¡­Did you still have some magical powers left!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I did have some left. By the way, when I reinforced the wall my MP only decreased by 10 points. And now, my MP decreased by 5 points when I created the dome.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that too economical!? ¡¹ Even though Seiya was using a super-advanced earth magic, only a tiny amount decreased from his MP as if a beginner was transforming a little bit of soil into a rock. While I admired his amazing qualities of an Earth Warrior, Seiya silently moved to the surveillance room. Everyone followed him in a hurry. After entering the surveillance room, Seiya snapped his finger. Then, I could see from the earth snakes cameras that the ground around Tarmine deformed and rose up. I¡¯ve seen those monsters before. ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s the Bakudan Rock!! ¡¹ The golems grabbed the Bakudan Rocks from the ground and threw them all the way up to the sky as if they were throwing balls! Naturally, their target were the flying type Killing Machines! I was sure that it had a certain amount of power, but when some of the Bakudan Rocks thrown away by the golems landed against the rockets of the flying Killing Machines, a huge explosion burst in the air! Meanwhile, other Bakudan Rocks thrown by the golems managed to avoid the assault by the bombardment of the flying troops and went straight against them. The effect was better this time around. The Bakudan Rocks¡¯ explosive power was so tremendous, that hitting just one Rock destroyed several of the Killing Machines in one go. In just a few minutes, the flying Killing Machines were wiped out. In addition, the ground Killing Machines, including the new type for the underground, were surrounded by more than 30,000 golems. They were being destroyed rapidly. ¡ª Afterwards. Seiya stared attentively at one of the earth snakes cameras that projected the sky¡­ ¡¸Good. The flying type seems to have been annihilated completely. Let¡¯s deactivate the dome for now.¡¹ The dome shrunk back, and returned to its original form and height. Then, we got out of the surveillance room and we looked at the horizon by 360 degrees from the top of the lookout tower. As Seiya professed before, there were no more flying Killing Machines on the sky and, on the ground, the 30,000 golems had destroyed the remaining Killing Machines. ¡¸I feel great when things go according to plan. ¡¹ Seiya stared at the sky while drinking a cup of tea. John Dae shuddered all over his body upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸You¡­You won against the Imperial Machine Corps while holding a cup of tea!? Is this how a hero fights against the enemy!?¡¹ ¡¸Who cares!! Our victory is what matters!! ¡¹ I spoke to John Dae with a bright voice. Then, John Dae changed his complexion and had a cheerful expression on his face. That was natural. After all, our great victory was unbeatable. Still, Seiya murmured in a way that destroyed our happiness. ¡¸Well, none of this has ended yet even if my plan was successful. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What does that mean? ¡¹ Then, the soldiers in the lookout tower yelled extremely high. ¡¸A¡­A giant Killing Machine appeared in the southern area!! ¡¹ My whole body froze the moment I turned back! ¡¸What on earth is that thing¡­!! ¡¹ My eyes saw a huge Killing Machine that was about the height of the hardened wall! ¡¸Since when did this monster got here!? ¡¹ Upon seeing a super-giant monster that appeared so suddenly without making a sound, Kiriko spoke aloud. ¡¸Fa¡­Father¡­!! ¡¹ After Kiriko said ¡°Father¡±, we realized that it was certainly the Machine Emperor Oxelio because of the similar visual! However, his body total length was about 50 meters high! ¡¸Kiri!! How did Oxelio become that huge!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I didn¡¯t know he could do such a thing!! ¡¹ ¡¸This is bad!! He is going to destroy the southern wall!! ¡¹ The wall was indeed thicker and deeper. But, when the gigantic Oxelio hit the wall with his fist, an earthquake-like vibration shook Tarmine violently! John Dae shouted to Seiya while trying to endure the severe earthquake. ¡¸What are you going to do now!! This scenario was really unexpected!! ¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s normal for robots to enlarge their bodies. Of course, I was expecting this outcome.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I already prepared a secret weapon to go up against huge robotic enemies. ¡¹ Then, Seiya stared fixedly at me. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal. Let¡¯s go near Oxelio. I have to prepare one last thing before activating my secret weapon.¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay! I understand! ¡¹ ¡¸I nodded upon hearing his request. ¡¹ ¡­Seiya, who had been ¡°locked¡± inside the wall, wanted to jump straight away into the battlefield by himself¡­!! Maybe he was utterly confident about his secret weapon¡­!? ¡ª Just as the hero told me to do, I opened the portal and connected the outside of the portal¡¯s door with the southern area of Tarmine. Soon after, Kiriko, John Dae, Seiya and I came out of the portal. The area was full of wreckage from the destroyed Killing Machines. And then, just a few meters away from us, the gigantic Oxelio was hitting the wall with his fists. The golems were trying to attack the enemy at his feet, but they were crushed immediately like ants. I tried to activate my clairvoyance ability while looking at the back of the gigantic Oxelio. Gigantic Oxelio Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 3487570 MP ¨C 42475 Attack ¨C 794525 Defense ¨C 788965 Agility ¨C 587544 Magic ¨C 85754 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX), Remote Sensory Organ (Lv MAX), Deformation (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C CH Laser, All Destruction Personality ¨C Heartless ¡­Wha¡­What an incredible physical strength!! His health points were over 3,000,000!! This was another fearsome enemy that was more powerful than the data of the Demon King Artemaeus that Her Excellency Chronoa showed me before!! In addition to the crazy status, I felt overwhelmed just by looking at the enemy¡¯s huge size. It was as if a giant building was moving on its own. ¡¸So big¡­! Normal attacks won¡¯t inflict any damage on that thing! Are you sure that we can win against this crazy opponent!?¡¹ ¡¸No need to worry. I¡¯ll put my secret weapon on motion now. ¡¹ Then, Seiya stepped his foot on the ground as if he were calling something over. As soon as we heard the sound from Seiya¡¯s foot on the ground, a giant hand appeared from the area behind Oxelio, right up a few of meters away from us! ¡¸Is¡­Is that the secret weapon¡­!? ¡¹ After I was astonished for a moment, I spoke to Seiya with a smile afterwards. ¡¸I got it, Seiya!! You created a huge golem to fight against the gigantic Oxelio¡­So, that¡¯s your real secret weapon, I see!!¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s a little different than that. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ Soon, I understood the meaning of Seiya¡¯s words when the huge giant rose completely from the ground. ¡­A white dress that was dirty because of the soil. Yet, it was familiar. ¡­A face that was also covered with dirt. Yet, the blonde hair was familiar. An appearance that I saw every morning at the mirror. It was a ¡°super-giant me¡± that even surpassed the gigantic Oxelio in height. I was speechless at the sight that unfold in front of my eyes. Next to me, Seiya spoke with a serious expression his face. ¡¸That¡¯s the secret weapon¡­It¡¯s called ¡°Great Tarte¡±. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 88 Chapter 88: Irregular We were a few meters away from the southern wall that protected Tarmine. As I looked up, my eyes saw that a gigantic Oxelio and a huge ¡°Me¡± were facing each other for battle. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­!! Gre¡­Great Tarte¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸This large Tarte is a super-giant clay doll created by the full power of earth magic. ¡¹ ¡¸No!! I mean, why did you create a clay doll that resembles me!? A golem would¡¯ve been a better choice!!¡¹ ¡¸It was impossible to create clay dolls with more than 50 meters tall with my magic alone. So, this time I used¡­¡¹ I was astonished when I saw the object that Seiya took out of his pocket. It was a small golden doll made of hair. It got an unforgettable name¡­ ¡¸¡°Listahair Doll¡±!? ¡¹ Seiya created this doll for his synthesis by using my hair. I was utterly embarrassed by this whole scenario. ¡¸I succeeded in creating this huge doll made of clay by using it as a catalyst. But, because of your hair, that huge doll got your appearance.¡¹ I was very amazed in a bad way after I witnessed the creation of the huge clay doll ¡°Great Tarte¡±. It made me look ridiculous. However, this time, I was astonished at something completely different. ¡¸So¡­Sorry¡­Seiya. But, I don¡¯t remember giving you my hair to create this Listahair Doll¡­!!¡¹ During Geabrande¡¯s saving quest, Seiya had created several ¡°balls¡± with my hair to keep it for his synthesis experiments. However, his actions got me into several weird and embarrassing moments. I still remember how Valkyrie, Mash and Elle were horrified by this way of creating new weapons, with remarks such as ¡°creepy¡±, disgusting¡± and ¡°seriously¡±. I didn¡¯t want to experience that ever again. Therefore, Seiya didn¡¯t intend to use that method again and, since then, he never did it again. Or so I thought. Seiya explained as if it were something completely normal. ¡¸Yeah. I made it by peeling off your hair while you were sleeping. ¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You¡­!! You did it again¡­!! ¡¹ Rather than anger, I was blown away by extreme anxiety. The Listahair Doll was made entirely of my hair. I wondered nervously how much hair was needed to create it. So, I stroked my head slowly. ¡¸Ahhhh!? The whirl of hair on the back of my head is considerably less!! ¡¹ I yelled aloud. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t change his usual bored face. ¡¸You mustn¡¯t complain about it. After all, this is all for the sake of saving this world. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­!! ¡¹ I groaned furiously while gritting my teeth. I would like to shout and curse him ¡°You stalker, give my hair back¡±. But, as Seiya said, he wouldn¡¯t be able to complete the creation of a huge muddy doll to compete against Oxelio without my hair. I took a deep breath to calm down my nerves. Then, I just stared at the ¡°Great Tarte¡± while enduring my bitterness. I believed that¡­my hair wouldn¡¯t go to waste if in the end that huge ¡°Me¡± could defeat the gigantic Oxelio¡­ ¡ª The gigantic Oxelio got alarmed by the presence of the huge ¡°Me¡± that appeared behind his back. However, he didn¡¯t move neither took an immediate offensive stance towards ¡°Me¡±. On the other hand, the Great Tarte put her arms in front of her chest in a fighting pose. Then¡­Oxelio finally moved. He pulled one of his four arms and charged against the Great Tarte with his fist! I became astonished by his fast and nimble movements I never thought that a huge monster like him could move that fast! *bang* Oxelio¡¯s strong fist punched the face of the Great Tarte! On that precise moment, I heard something coming from the Great Tarte¡¯s mouth¡­ ¡ºWhew!! ¡» An idiotic voice echoed throughout the whole land of Tarmine! ¡¸Seiya!! Did the Great Tarte say ¡°Whew¡± just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸It can speak a few words just like the other dolls I¡¯ve created before. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­But, my huge ¡°Me¡± got beaten up, you know!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. The durability is greater than a golem. It¡¯s perfectly fine even if it gets beaten up like that.¡¹ However, Oxelio continued with his raid! He made use of his four arms to the fullest by hitting the Great Tarte repeatedly! He managed to invade the Great Tarte¡¯s defense and, with his fists, he hit her all over her body! ¡ºWhew. ¡» ¡ºWhoa. ¡» ¡ºUgh. ¡» The Great Tarte kept screaming with a similar voice every time she was hit. ¡¸Seiya!! This is getting quite messy, will she be all right!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. ¡¹ Re¡­Really¡­!? Even so, my head hurt badly as if I were the one getting hit by the enemy¡­!! It seemed that the Great Tarte was underpowered against the gigantic Oxelio. Nonetheless, before long, the huge ¡°Me¡± counter attacked at the end of Oxelio¡¯s rushing hits! She used this timing to seize Oxelio by hugging him! ¡¸Ohhh!? She fought back!! ¡¹ Oxelio tried to escape from the squeezing arms of the Great Tarte. Despite that, the Great Tarte didn¡¯t release him and tightened up even more! ¡¸A¡­Amazing¡­! She¡¯s winning against the gigantic Oxelio in power! ¡¹ And so, the situation turned around¡­But, the moment I thought that we¡¯ve got the advantage, I realized the horrifying scene that was about to unfold right in front of our eyes. While the Great Tarte tried to grip Oxelio¡¯s body by using four different positions with her wings and limbs, the skirt of her dress rolled up and revealed her white pure panties! ¡¸Ahhhh!! Her panties became visible for everyone to see!! ¡¹ Seiya spoke as if he found me irritable. ¡¸That doll isn¡¯t exactly you. So, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say it like that, it doesn¡¯t erase the fact that that doll looks the same as me, even the damn panties¡­!!¡¹ Yes, even the underwear! Those white panties were the same as the ones I wore every day! Why was this Great Tarte so realistically made after my image! Suddenly, I noticed that John Dae put his hand on his chin and looked up attentively at the Great Tarte. ¡¸Hmm¡­Oh, oh¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Where the hell are you looking at, you erotic zombie!! ¡¹ ¡¸Why¡­Why are you getting mad at me!? I¡¯m just watching the battle!! ¡¹ ¡¸Liar!! You were staring at my panties, weren¡¯t you!! ¡¹ John Dae and I bickered with each other for a short moment. Meanwhile, Oxelio gained some power and managed to escape from the Great Tarte¡¯s wings and limbs. He managed to gain some distance from the Great Tarte. Then, a robotic sound was heard as if a metallic door unlocked. Oxelio¡¯s abdomen ¡°opened¡± up. I could see several booster holes from the inside of his body. ¡¸Wha¡­What is that¡­? ¡¹ Just when I questioned those holes, a high number of laser beams were released from a reactor towards the Great Tarte! ¡­I closed my eyes temporarily because of the strong dazzling light. Then, when I opened my eyelids, I almost collapse because of the shocking reveal. The Great Tarte was still standing up even after the strong laser beams attacked her. Seiya was correct. The durability wasn¡¯t that ordinary to begin with. But¡­Due to the laser beams, the Great Tarte¡¯s hair became extremely messy! Some parts of her clothes were burnt and ripped apart! ¡¸Seiyaaaaaa!! My hair is messy and I almost got no clothes on!! ¡¹ However, what I was thinking was fundamentally different from what Seiya was thinking. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. The Great Tarte still has plenty of power. ¡¹ ¡¸No!! That¡¯s not what I was talking about!! My¡­My breasts are¡­!! ¡¹ My huge ¡°Me¡¯s¡± breasts were popping out from the torn dress! The dress only hang on by a little piece! It was almost fully opened for the whole world to see! ¡¸¡­Don¡¯t worry about it. ¡¹ ¡¸How can I not worry about it!! My breasts are almost jumping out of the dress!! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re stubborn. I already told you before that that thing is not you. ¡¹ ¡°I am trying to say that my breasts have the same shape and visual as those of that huge Me¡±¡­That¡¯s what I wanted to say but I was too embarrassed to profess it out loud. My body was overheated because of my inner shame. Then, I noticed that John Dae was scratching his nose next to me. ¡¸Ah, ah, ah¡­! Almost, almost¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸You bastard!! You¡¯re really looking at ¡°Me¡± after all!! I¡¯ll smash your eyes, you scumbag!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What a foul mouth you have there!! Are you really a goddess!? ¡¹ Again, while I was arguing with John Dae, Seiya became somewhat upset at the Great Tarte that battled against the enemy. ¡¸I thought that doll could power up just like the golems even with that figure¡­Yet, I feel that her specs are lower than expected. Is it affected by the appearance, or has it deteriorated?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that!! ¡¹ In addition to being humiliated, I was extremely infuriated by his rude remarks about myself. However, once Seiya spoke poorly about the battle progress, the Great Tarte made a puffy face. On that instant, the Great Tarte got an angry expression on her muddy face and roared so loud that even shook the floor. ¡ºGeez¡­I¡¯m angry now¡­!! ¡» When I heard that noise, I was so startled that I shouted. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Did the Great Tarte just say that she was ¡°angry¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, she did. ¡¹ Soon after, the Great Tarte looked at Oxelio with a serious expression while pointing her fists at him. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­that¡¯s a special move!? On that moment¡­ *bang* Oxelio¡¯s fist smashed again on the cheek of the Great Tarte! ¡ºWhew!! ¡» The Great Tarte screamed like before! At the same time, I screamed at Seiya as well! ¡¸Wasn¡¯t she going to attack with a special move!? What happened!? I thought that she said she was ¡°angry¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸She just spoke. That¡¯s all. The Great Tarte doesn¡¯t have any special moves. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that her line was meaningless!? ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t create this doll with specific abilities. Except her behavior. However, that specification was created on her own will without my permission.¡¹ Seiya was apparently dissatisfied with that aspect. He just sighed at the sight of it. ¡¸It¡¯s hard to create the monsters you want. Sometimes anomalies happen, such as this irregular occurrence. And the same happened with that Killing Machine called Kiriko that speaks the human language.¡¹ Seiya was pointing his fingertip to the battle zone. When I changed my gaze towards the place he was pointing at, I became extremely startled. Unexpectedly, Kiriko ran to the area where Oxelio and the Great Tarte were fighting against each other. ¡¸Ki¡­Kiri!? ¡¹ I chased after her. Kiriko stopped at the foot of the Great Tarte, and from there, looked up at Oxelio and raised her high-pitched voice like a young girl. ¡¸Father! Please, stop fighting! ¡¹ Oxelio noticed Kiriko¡¯s presence from below and turned his eyes at her. ¡¸The Killing Machine that understands the human language, huh. The Demon King said that I was the only type of my kind that could speak¡­¡¹ Kiriko stood at the line of sight of Oxelio. Then, he began to direct a red light at her as if he wanted to eliminate her completely. There was no emotion nor attachment towards one of his ¡°children¡±. ¡¸An irregular occurrence happened during the manufacturing progress. I don¡¯t need you because I have tens of thousands of others that can be my eyes and ears.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way¡­!! Father¡­!! ¡¹ It must¡¯ve been very painful for Kiriko to hear those words. But, honestly, I was relieved to hear what he said. ¡­Because, after all, it was as Seiya guessed. Oxelio was able to share his sensory organs with all of the other Killing Machines besides Kiri! Kiriko¡¯s espionage charges were completely cleared up. Nevertheless, Oxelio told Kiriko a very surprising but terrible fact afterwards. ¡¸Who the hell are you calling ¡°Father¡±. Your true parents are dead. The real purpose of Killing Machines is deeper than you think. The Demon King didn¡¯t create them from scratch. The core of your powered robotic body moves because of your murdered human soul.¡¹ Kiriko trembled her body greatly. ¡¸Do¡­Do you mean that I was originally a human being¡­!? My real mother and father were human beings¡­And I¡­I already died once¡­!?¡¹ I was in disbelief just like Kiriko. ¡­What on earth!! So, all the Killing Machines that Seiya defeated until now were¡­!! Before I knew it, John Dae and Seiya were by my side. Oxelio¡¯s huge red eye moved directions from Kiriko towards Seiya. ¡¸That¡¯s right, hero. More than 10,000 Killing Machines that you¡¯ve destroyed like trash were indeed people who lived in this world.¡¹ That fact took me by surprise, and both John Dae and I froze upon realizing the truth. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! ¡¹ I looked at my side to see how Seiya was reacting to this news because I worried about his mental health. However, this hero didn¡¯t change his complexion at all. ¡¸Some sacrifices are necessary in order to save the world. I don¡¯t feel responsible for it.¡¹ Oxelio emitted a voice that sounded just like a robot. ¡¸I tried to shake your emotions¡­But, it seems that you resemble a machine just like us.¡¹ On the contrary, Kiriko, who was supposed to be a machine, could not bear it anymore. She crouched on the ground because she couldn¡¯t endure her suffering. ¡¸Kiri!! Are you all right!? ¡¹ I ran over to Kiriko and held her back. Kiriko¡¯s iron back was cold, but in a way, it seemed more human than Seiya¡¯s. Oxelio looked down on Seiya, who was holding the Platinum Sword without showing any feelings of hesitation. ¡¸Even so, I never thought that you¡¯d be capable of doing this much. Our army has been destroyed. But if I defeat you, there won¡¯t be any problem. My Demon King will be very pleased.¡¹ Seiya snorted at the enemy. ¡¸If I¡¯m here, then that means that a victory won¡¯t be at 120% anymore. ¡¹ ¡¸My calculations says otherwise. ¡¹ The abdomen of Oxelio opened up and a piston peeped out of his reactor. ¡¸CH Laser. ¡¹ A black laser beam of a different color was launched towards Seiya. It was clear that the ominous light had the Chain Destruction that could extinguish the souls of both Seiya and I. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I shouted aloud. Yet, Seiya nodded calmly. ¡¸Be my shield. Great Tarte. ¡¹ ¡ºYe¡­Yes! ¡» As soon as I heard an idiotic voice, the Great Tarte stood in front of Seiya and us, with both of her hands widely open. The Great Tarte became like a huge wall that protected us. ¡¸Is¡­Is she all right? Great Tarte¡­? ¡¹ I was worried, so I spoke aloud naturally without even noticing it. Then, the Great Tarte reacted to my words and responded to me. ¡ºIt¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay! I¡¯m totally fine¡­! ¡» I almost fainted when the Great Tarte looked at me with her thumbs up. Because of the previous attack, the small piece of her dress that barely covered the chest was completely gone! The upper body was topless and the breasts were bare for everyone to see! She was half-naked! ¡¸How could you be totally fine¡­!! ¡¹ I approached John Dae in a hurry, grabbed his head with both hands and twisted his neck. ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What the hell are you doing!? You¡¯re almost breaking my neck!! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t look!!!!!!!!! I¡¯ll kill you if you do!! ¡¹ John Dae screamed painfully while I continued to twist his undead neck. ¡¸I¡­I didn¡¯t see anything!! I won¡¯t even try to look at it, so just stop it!! Mo¡­More importantly than that!! The hero¡­the hero has disappeared!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh!? ¡¹ My sanity returned when I heard that words. There was certainly no Seiya when I looked around. ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? He was right here next to us just moments ago!! Where is he!?¡¹ I noticed what Oxelio tried to do behind the Great Tarte. The exit from the abdomen lightened up to shoot the next laser beam. ¡­Seiya, don¡¯t tell me that¡­Did we get away from the Great Tarte¡¯s guard!? Oh¡­Oh no!! This was extremely dangerous!! If that dark light touches us, both Seiya and I will die forever!! Nonetheless. I heard a familiar voice on my ears before the dark light came out of Oxelio¡¯s abdomen. ¡¸¡­State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ The person who spoke was far, overhead. When I looked up to the sky, I saw that something moved at the top of the head from the Great Tarte¡¯s newly afro hair. It was the mad hero engulfed in a red aura. ¡¸Hey, you!! When did you get there!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°A perfect platform to deliver my attack against huge enemies¡±¡­ This is the true usage of the Great Tarte.¡¹ After declaring those words, Seiya launched his Platinum Sword at the head of Oxelio. Volume 2 - CH 89 Chapter 89: Great Hope I realized that my hair was only meant to be used as a ¡°platform¡±. I felt increasingly salty upon knowing this reason that I wanted to attack the person who robbed the hair from the back of my head. However, the culprit who did it was not near me now. ¡­On the top of our heads. A sword wrapped in a crimson aura smashed against the head of Oxelio and broke the metallic armor that was probably harder than steel. In Exfolia, the hero couldn¡¯t use his flight skill. Yet, he used a ¡°platform¡± to inflict damage on the enemy. His attack was so fast and accurate that it looked like he was floating in the air. My anger faded away after I witnessed the hero¡¯s brilliant attack. Seiya, who finished the offensive strike, descended down and landed right next to me. At the same time, a violent crushing sound echoed around. Oxelio¡¯s head was destroyed and it looked like he stopped moving. ¡¸A¡­Awesome! You did it! It¡¯s a fatal wound! ¡¹ I also rejoiced upon hearing John Dae¡¯s optimistic voice. Oxelio¡¯s metallic head was destroyed at the front and the inside was exposed. The wires were damaged because they were on short-circuit, sparks burst everywhere. It seemed that the battle was ending. Still, Oxelio was not a living creature. He was a machine. He shouldn¡¯t have any problem with operational movements even though he lost half of his head. On the next instant, Oxelio¡¯s abdominal area began to emit a strong light. ¡¸Seiya!! A laser beam is coming!! ¡¹ I screamed loudly because a laser was about to be launch. It could kill me and Seiya right then and now. But, as soon as the sound reached a climax, Oxelio¡¯s abdomen exploded. The gigantic machine collapsed to the ground and created a violent tremor. ¡¸EH!? ¡¹ I was extremely surprised by this outcome. Yet, Seiya spoke as if nothing much had happened. ¡¸Earlier, before I smashed his head, I managed to insert an earth snake into the abdomen¡¯s reactor.¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean that the explosion now was the work of an earth snake!? Did Oxelio fire his laser against himself accidently!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Even if he wanted to use that attack once more, it was a bad move from his part to leave the abdominal reactor open. So, I used that chance to go inside with my earth snake. But, I had to close the door of the reactor so that my plan would be successful. I mean, I went there and locked the door. Then, I pulled the door about thirty times to make sure it was really closed. And then, I went away.¡¹ ¡¸Why did you certified it was closed for thirty times!? Are you sure you didn¡¯t break the door in the end!?¡¹ I thought that one or two times would¡¯ve been enough. But, it didn¡¯t matter now. Half-broken head. Abdominal injury. This time, I thought that he had defeated Oxelio for real, but the cautious hero shook his head instead. ¡¸It¡¯s not over yet. Go hide behind the Great Tarte. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­But, if the enemy took that much damage, then¡­ ¡¹ In the midst of my words, a broken Oxelio woke up. Seiya was right. Oxelio was still able to move. He spoke aloud as if he were chanting words repeatedly. ¡¸Theoretical value¡­Speed¡­Foresightedness¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What is he doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe he is analyzing me. ¡¹ And then, Oxelio¡¯s eye shined brightly. ¡¸Analysis¡­Complete¡­ ¡¹ Soon after, Oxelio¡¯s body suffered a dramatic change. Once I heard a robotic sound, his limbs disappeared as if they were sucked inside of the main upper body. ¡¸Eh!? What the hell!? ¡¹ Oxelio became like a turtle. I couldn¡¯t figure what his intention was. However, soon I noticed something peculiar. On the back of Oxelio, there was something similar like the reactor of the abdomen. It looked like a new place for the launch of his laser beams! ¡­No¡­.No way¡­!! ¡¸¡­CH Laser All Range. ¡¹ His whole body was fixed on the ground! He deformed his body to become like a turret*! The gigantic Oxelio was ready to shoot a laser from his back! Along with a dazzling light, countless of lasers were launched like guided missiles! Those lasers tried to hit Seiya in twists and turns! ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.6¡­! ¡¹ Seiya increased his Crazy Warrior state just like the same way when he won against the Grand Lion. On this very moment, Seiya¡¯s movements became like a red orbit. The laser beams couldn¡¯t catch Seiya amidst his supersonic movements, then fell upon the ground and burst as if they were like a pouring rain. Even so, Oxelio didn¡¯t give up and kept launching his missile lasers without interruption. The whole scene became like a relentless series of attacks that only focused on the laser energy that he had to spare. ¡¸You¡¯re continuing to dodge my lasers¡­But, it will be impossible for you to dodge them if they come from all over the place.¡¹ Oxelio¡¯s ominous words echoed on our earlobes. Before long, the red orbit, that was clearly avoiding the lasers with zigzagging moves, finally stopped moving. When the figure of Seiya was visible to my eyes, I noticed that he became surrounded by countless of lasers coming from all directions. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ It seemed that the enemy calculated the perfect place for Seiya to land. It was as if he drove Seiya to that spot on purpose. Right now, the lasers were coming for Seiya from all directions. From his head, his sides and back. He was basically trapped now. However, Seiya dashed forward. Seiya slashed his sword towards the lasers that approached him recklessly. ¡­Still, the lasers were not supposed to be cut with a sword. It looked like a disastrous attack was about to happen. Nevertheless! The moment that Seiya¡¯s sword hit the lasers, they changed trajectory immediately! The lasers went to Oxelio himself, and after it hit the enemy, a huge explosion burst aloud! Like me, Oxelio wasn¡¯t able to fully grasp what really happened here. ¡¸You bounced them back¡­How could you repel the destruction force of the CH Laser All Range after you¡¯ve seen it for the first time¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Although I¡¯m seeing it for the first time, yours is just a modified version of the average Killing Machines¡¯ Evil Laser. I figured out that the Evil Laser could bounce back with the reflection of the Platinum Sword¡¯s blade upon analyzing it previously.¡¹ ¡­Re¡­Reflection¡­!! Did he find out about it after that long analysis on the Killing Machines!? Once again, Seiya¡¯s movements became like a red orbit. Seiya moved around so fast that my eyes couldn¡¯t even see him. I wasn¡¯t sure because I didn¡¯t see much, but was he counterattacking the missile lasers? His counterattack proved to be accurate. Almost every laser reflected by Seiya returned to Oxelio. Then, Oxelio continued to bathe on his own lasers of destruction. Flames burst and a black smoke engulfed the enemy¡¯s body. ¡¸Analysis inefficient¡­Analysis inefficient¡­Analysis¡­Ine¡­fficient¡­ ¡¹ And then, the light of Oxelio¡¯s eye slowly faded out. Oxelio completely stopped operating. I activated my clairvoyance ability to focus on his physical strength only. Gigantic Oxelio Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 28671 / 3487570 ¡¸Great! Seiya! Just a little bit more to finish him off! ¡¹ I shouted at Seiya with a cheerful voice. Yet, Seiya¡¯s expression was still severe. Seiya stared fixedly at Oxelio with piercing eyes. ¡¸No. I have to be extremely cautious from now on. There is a high risk that he¡¯ll try to involve me on his own explosion.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Oxelio is going to blow himself up!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I saw it on TV back then on my original world. When robots are detained, they might switch a button of self-destruction.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ah, but that¡­Are you basing your knowledge on a TV program¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I have evidence. I saw that he had a skill on his status called ¡°All Destruction¡±¡­It¡¯s very likely that it¡¯s a self-destruction technique.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Actually, that may be true¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Before he activates the self-destruction device, I¡¯m going to clean it up with the Crimson Boom.¡¹ When Seiya touched the ground with his toes, an earth snake appeared with two sheaths. Seiya wore both of them on his waist. ¡¸Oxelio¡¯s body is supposed to have a self-destruction device. But, that worries me as well. I don¡¯t know if it will be ignited by the Crimson Boom¡¯s flames. Besides, there is an eminent danger that that might fire back to the one who ignited it, me. Therefore, I considered that the self-destruction device could only be activated by Oxelio¡¯s will. And if it does, it could counterbalance the flames of the Crimson Boom¡¯s explosion¡­¡¹ After explaining his thoughts, Seiya approached Oxelio while trying to figure out if there was really a self-destruction device in the first place. In the distance, Oxelio, who had survived his own self-attack, was almost non-operational. However, the moment he noticed that Seiya was approaching him, his dead eye lit up red again. ¡¸¡­Preparation for launch¡­Complete. ¡¹ ¡­!! Seiya was right!! He tried to do something to Seiya right now!! Wa¡­Was he going to self-destruct!? However¡­ ¡¸I won¡¯t let you. ¡¹ The hero, whose state transformed into the Crazy Warrior, was already close to Oxelio! Seiya held both of his sheaths with confidence! Then, he pulled out the swords from both of his sheath and directed the pointy blades towards the fallen gigantic Oxelio! ¡¸Double Crimson Boom¡­! ¡¹ The great technique that defeated the Grand Lion generated a bigger power and shock wave because of the dual sword style! The moment the strike was inflicted on Oxelio, his body began to squeeze dramatically! Oxelio body created a massive explosion as if the core of the earth convulsed. Thankfully, the blast wave didn¡¯t reach us. Actually, immediately after releasing the Crimson Boom, Seiya deactivated his Crazy Warrior state and returned to being the Earth Magic Warrior once again¡­Or did he reverted at the same time of the Crimson Boom attack? Either way, Seiya managed to invoke a high rock wall in order to protect us from the insane blast. After a while, Seiya released the rock wall. ¡¸After the attack, I created the rock wall just as a precaution¡­But, it looks like there was no big explosion after all.¡¹ We didn¡¯t really know if there was a self-destruction device inside of Oxelio¡¯s body. Just one thing was clear; the Double Crimson Boom made Oxelio into a complete wreckage. The cautious Seiya began to scatter the junk as if he doubted his own victory. Then, Seiya approached the dismantled Oxelio and began to drop each debris to the underground by the power of the Endless Fall. John Dae, who was silently watching the situation from nearby, opened his trembling lips and spoke to Seiya. ¡¸You¡­You won against the Machine Emperor Oxelio without a single scratch on your body¡­!? Hey you¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re that strong!! But, if you¡¯re strong, why didn¡¯t you fight in the battlefield since the beginning!? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll win without any problems¡­!!¡¹ ¡¸Of course. But, if I could win this fight without fighting the enemy myself, then that¡¯s better. Speaking of which, I thought it would be better for us to leave Oxelio to my golems and the Great Tarte. Well, actually, apart from the golems, the Great Tarte was only meant to be used as a platform.¡¹ Somehow, I felt like I was being mocked. However, when I looked up, I saw that the Great Tarte had a big smile on her face. Yeah¡­Still with her chest fully exposed to us¡­ ¡¸Hey¡­Hey, Great Tarte!! Just hide your breasts with your hands, okay!? ¡¹ ¡ºI don¡¯t mind it! It¡¯s no big deal! ¡» ¡¸I¡¯m not okay with it!! ¡¹ After I yelled aloud, I stared fixedly at John Dae. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong!! I told you I wasn¡¯t looking at her!! ¡¹ After a while, the undead¡¯s expression transformed into the dignified face of a great general. He laughed a little then. ¡¸Either way, this giant doll made of clay did its best to protect Tarmine. ¡¹ I also agreed with John Dae, who was deeply moved. ¡¸¡­You¡¯re right. ¡¹ As a matter of fact, the Great Tarte didn¡¯t serve as a mere platform only. Who would¡¯ve imagined that the hero would appear at the top of the Great Tarte¡¯s hair to strike against the Machine Emperor Oxelio? It was clear that the Great Tarte was the key to defeat Oxelio. When I stared at the innocent Great Tarte that smiled earnestly while hiding her breasts with her hands, I laughed happily at her. ¡­You really did your best, Great Tarte! While I was looking at the Great Tarte with warm feelings on my heart, Seiya pulled out his swords and pointed them towards the Great Tarte. ¡¸All right. It¡¯s big and it¡¯s a hindrance. I¡¯m going to destroy it now. ¡¹ ¡¸No!! Wait a second, hey!! ¡¹ I screamed back. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t even look as if he cared much about her. ¡¸Why? We¡¯re done here. I don¡¯t need the Great Tarte anymore. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling you that you don¡¯t have to break her!! Don¡¯t you have any compassion for your creation!?¡¹ ¡¸Compassion, you say? That thing is a clay doll with no will. ¡¹ Seiya asked a question to the Great Tarte with an extremely cold gaze. ¡¸You don¡¯t mind if I were to destroy you now, do you? ¡¹ ¡ºYe¡­Yes! ¡» ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be saying ¡°Ye¡­Yes¡±!! Anyways!! Seiya, just stop it!! I don¡¯t want you to break a clay doll that looks exactly like me!!¡¹ ¡­Somehow, I managed to persuade Seiya to stop his intents of destroying his clay doll. Therefore, the Great Tarte was placed as a guard outside of Tarmine¡¯s wall. She was treated like a guard dog, but it was much better than being destroyed. Then, I started to annoy Seiya to convince him to fix the Great Tarte¡¯s hair and clothes. ¡¸This is too troublesome. You¡¯re making me do lots of unnecessary stuff. I have other things to focus on.¡¹ ¡¸What other things? ¡¹ ¡¸First, I have to collect the wreckage of the Killing Machines destroyed by the golems and drop that junk deep underground with the Endless Fall.¡¹ The cleaning up as usual. But, this time he had a lot more cleaning to do as the consequence of the largescale war. Still, I had a different worry than his long cleaning plan. ¡¸So¡­Sorry¡­But¡­Is everything okay? Seiya. ¡¹ I asked that question nervously while staring at Seiya¡¯s complexion. After all, we were told by Oxelio that the Killing Machines were originally humans. At that time, Seiya pretended to be calm, but in reality, he was probably suffering on the inside. Even so. Seiya had a bored expression on his face as usual. ¡¸That junk exceeds ten thousand remains. It¡¯s a lot of hard work. But, I still have to do it. If I leave behind a Killing Machine that can move, it will attack humans again. Well, if I mobilize all the golems to help me, it shouldn¡¯t take too long to finish.¡¹ He was only thinking about cleaning up. I was relieved to see that he was ¡°okay¡±, but at the same time, my heart felt convoluted because I wanted to say, ¡°Where are your feelings as a human being¡± instead. ¡­Anyways. The hero went to clean up the remnants of the Killing Machines. Meanwhile, I approached John Dae. ¡¸This will take some time. So, we should return to Tarmine in the meantime. ¡¹ I summoned the portal to take us from outside the wall back into the lookout tower. However, John Dae was wary and stared suspiciously at Kiriko from afar. ¡¸¡­Hey. What are you going to do about that thing? ¡¹ ¡¸Are you talking about Kiri? Of course, I will take her with us. ¡¹ After I said that, I turned my icy eyes on John Dae. ¡¸John Dae! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re still thinking about destroying Kiri! ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No. That thing¡¯s soul belongs to a human being, right? Then, that means that it¡¯s wrong to destroy it.¡¹ ¡¸Then why are you staring at her with suspicion? ¡¹ ¡¸I was thinking about that thing¡¯s future. Kiriko will have problems living among humans when she returns to Tarmine¡­¡¹ I stared at Kiriko upon hearing John Dae¡¯s worrying words. She was a friendly Killing Machine that liked flowers. She was also a scaredy-cat. She might¡¯ve been a young girl when she was a human being. And then, one day, the Demon King took her life away¡­ ¡¸Kiri¡­ ¡¹ I made a decision when I visualized Kiriko¡¯s life when she was a human being. I moved towards Kiriko from afar and shouted aloud. ¡¸Kiri. Shall we go back to Tarmine together? ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, I¡­ ¡¹ I put my hands on Kiriko¡¯s back and spoke with a bright voice. ¡¸Listen, Kiri! Why don¡¯t you go on this adventure with us? ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! An adventure with Mr. Seiya and Miss Lista, you say!? ¡¹ Kiriko was extremely surprised. And so was John Dae, who screamed upon hearing my words. ¡¸Hey, hey, are you serious¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m serious! I¡¯m sure that Kiriko will not get hurt if she goes with us! ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, are you sure that overly cautious hero will agree with this? ¡¹ ¡¸I will convince him somehow! It will be fine! I will even ¡°beg with a dogeza¡± if I have to! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you have any pride as a goddess!? ¡¹ John Dae screamed aloud, but I kept talking to Kiriko. ¡¸You know. To tell you the truth, I was a human being before I reincarnated as a goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista was¡­a human before? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I think we have something in common, haven¡¯t we. ¡¹ Then, I held Kiriko¡¯s hand. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kiri! ¡¹ After she hesitated for a second¡­ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Kiriko finally gave me a cheerful reply. ¡ª We went through the portal and we arrived at one of Tarmine¡¯s lookout tower. When I reported our victory to the soldiers of the lookout tower, everyone rejoiced with their hands. The Queen, who had secured herself in the royal palace until now, came to the lookout tower to celebrate with us. And then¡­Seiya came back after two hours. I took a deep breath to suppress the insane speed of my heartbeat. This hero was a cold-hearted hero after all. He didn¡¯t care that the Killing Machines were originally made by the souls of human beings. Moreover, he tried to get rid of the Great Tarte as soon as we were done with the enemy¡­ ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Seiya¡­You know¡­Can¡¯t we take Kiri with us on this saving quest?¡¹ I was afraid. Yet, I let it slip anyways. Volume 2 - CH 90 Chapter 90: New Comrades Instead of saying ¡°No¡± or ¡°Okay¡±, Seiya just stared silently at my face. I felt uncomfortable because he was staring at me with an apathetic expression. I couldn¡¯t read his emotions, therefore, I felt increasingly anxious¡­ I felt an unpleasant sweat spread throughout my back. ¡­Please, c¡¯mon!! Just say something!! Why was he making me feel so uncomfortable!? On this moment, Kiriko, who was hiding behind me, took a step forward. ¡¸Is it not possible!? I will try my best not to get in your way!! I¡­I want to go on an adventure with you two, and¡­you know¡­I want to become a lovely woman just like Miss Lista!!¡¹ ¡¸Kiri¡­!! ¡¹ Kiriko was shaking severely. She was extremely scared of Seiya. I perfectly knew how she felt. However, she shouted aloud to tell her inner feelings even though she was a scared little girl¡¯s soul on a Killing Machine body. Her courage became the focus of my determination. Yes. But, I wondered if I had enough courage to show him my true feelings¡­All right! Okay, I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯m going to activate my special attack now, the ¡°Listarte Super Dogeza¡±! ¡¸My lord Seiya!! I¡¯d like to make a request, so please give me your approval¡­ ¡¹ However, the moment I got on all fours¡­ ¡¸¡­Fine. ¡¹ My time stopped upon hearing Seiya¡¯s response. After a while, I finally swallowed the reality of this situation. ¡¸Ehhhhh!! That easy!? But, you once refused to take Elle and Mash with us during Geabrande¡¯s quest, am I not right!?¡¹ ¡¸That machine might have been a human once before, but, right now, it¡¯s a monster. Therefore, I can rest assured because I won¡¯t need to worry about saving a monster. That¡¯s why I¡¯m allowing that thing to tag along with us.¡¹ I was appalled to see that Seiya didn¡¯t fret nor did he oppose to the idea of bringing Kiriko with us. Yet, Kiriko was beaming with joy as she moved her body happily. ¡¸I¡¯m so happy!! I will do my best!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just carry my luggage for the time being. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! With pleasure! ¡¹ Kiriko carried Seiya¡¯s luggage with such a delight. When I stared at the hero¡¯s bored face, I realized that he had this ulterior motive hiding from the beginning. ¡­Somehow, I felt that Seiya sympathized with Kiriko¡¯s situation. We wouldn¡¯t know what would happen to Kiriko if we let her be alone in Exfolia. Maybe that was the reason why Seiya decided to take Kiriko with us¡­Well, I wasn¡¯t really sure about his intentions. But, I wanted to believe he truly felt that way. Soon, John Dae, who was watching the scene from afar, approached us. ¡¸So, what are you going to do from now on? Are you going to defeat the Southern Emperor Ceremonic?¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸No. There¡¯s something I have to do before that. ¡¹ ¡¸Something you have to do, you say? ¡¹ I was the one to respond instead of Seiya. ¡¸You know. Seiya is planning to practice in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! Practice in the God¡¯s realm!? At this timing!? Because, normally one would¡­ ¡¹ I pat John Dae¡¯s shoulder after he freaked out. ¡¸Well, we¡¯re just going to dive in now. Honestly, I feel a bit tired. ¡¹ ¡¸Why are you tired!? And what the hell do you mean by ¡°dive in¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, dive in. Anyways. Just wait a little bit. ¡¹ John Dae stood in front of us silently, while I summoned the portal to the God¡¯s realm to dive in with Seiya and Kiriko. ¡¸See? There¡¯s no reason to freak out. It won¡¯t take much time. We¡¯ll come back here within one hour.¡¹ ¡¸¡­That¡¯s not my point. ¡¹ Then, John Dae spoke with a serious complexion. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to the God¡¯s realm¡­ Then there must be a god down there that can ascend me quickly and painlessly to heaven. Can you take me along with you?¡¹ ¡¸No. You should stop thinking about that. John Dae, listen. You¡¯re fairly okay now. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I¡¯m not okay! I don¡¯t want to be a half-dead person who might lose its consciousness at any moment!¡¹ To be honest, I couldn¡¯t ascend him to heaven because of my lack of power. ¡¸¡­I understand. ¡¹ I was a bit reluctant but nodded positively in response. ¡ª We arrived at the God¡¯s realm square from the portal. I could finally breathe the fresh and positive atmosphere of the God¡¯s realm after spending a long time engulfed with the dark air of Exfolia. ¡¸Kiri! John Dae! What do you think? This is such a nice place! ¡¹ However, unlike my expectations, Kiriko held her head down, while John Dae had a painful expression on his face. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with you two!? ¡¹ ¡¸I suddenly feel sick¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Me¡­Me too¡­! ¡¹ ¡­Did they feel sick because of the godliness that filled the God¡¯s realm!? Even if they weren¡¯t evil, the fact that both of them were monsters remained unchanged. Maybe my guess was correct. If so, then¡­there was only one solution. ¡¸Come with me!! ¡¹ I grabbed Kiriko¡¯s hand and began to run forward. ¡ª As we sat on a table at Cafe De Celseus, John Dae and Kiriko felt pleased when they stared at the face of the shopkeeper Celseus. ¡¸I feel much better now! I don¡¯t feel any godliness from this person! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s certainly nothing going on with him! It feels as if I¡¯m standing next to a human instead!¡¹ ¡¸What on earth do you mean by that!? ¡¹ Celseus scolded them angrily, but as I expected, there was little godliness around here. I grinned to Celseus, who was a god but had no godliness. ¡¸Well, well, isn¡¯t it great! They like your place because it¡¯s a nice ¡°place to relax¡±! At least they feel at ease with you around them!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t feel happy about that!! The true meaning is completely different from what a ¡°place to relax¡± is supposed to mean!! By the way, Lista!! If I¡¯m not godly, then you¡¯re not godly as well!!¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ Kiriko nodded in agreement. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t feel any pain when I¡¯m close to Miss Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re kidding, right!? Kiri!! ¡¹ I shouted aloud. Kiriko and John were having fun while looking at the sun as they covered their faces slightly from the beautiful rays of light. ¡¸¡­Well, in fact, both Lista and Celseus were originally humans to begin with. Not much time as passed since they¡¯ve reincarnated as deities. It can¡¯t be helped though.¡¹ I heard a familiar voice from behind us. When I looked back, I saw Aria, a senior goddess from the God¡¯s realm. Kiriko and John were unable to look directly at Aria because she radiated a dazzling holy light. I¡­I see. So, we were less divine because we were once human beings. But, I disliked the idea of being put in the same category with the likes of Celseus¡­ Kiriko noticed that I felt depressed. Therefore, she tried to encourage me. ¡¸But, I have so much fun and happiness when I¡¯m with Miss Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­! Kiri¡­! ¡¹ John Dae spoke to Aria while she looked affectionately at Kiriko for speaking lovely words to me. He must have realized that Aria was a high-ranking goddess because of her overflowing heavenliness. ¡¸As you can see, I¡¯m an undead. I came here because I wanted to find a god that could ascend me to heaven¡­Is it possible for you to do it?¡¹ Regrettably, Aria shook her head. ¡¸Only a god with the power of healing can ascend an undead to the heavens peacefully¡­Or the power of light. Unfortunately, Lista can¡¯t release her natural healing power. Moreover, the God of Light isn¡¯t currently in the God¡¯s realm at this moment.¡¹ Of course, Seiya and I weren¡¯t the only ones requested to save other worlds. There were some gods in the God¡¯s realm that summoned other heroes in order to save earthly worlds from external menaces. The God of Light was in the midst of a saving quest. Aria smiled gently to a silent John Dae, who looked extremely dejected. ¡¸Why do you want to ascend so badly? There¡¯s no need to rush it. ¡¹ ¡¸But, I could lose my human consciousness at any moment now¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸As far as I can see, your brain has not been eroded by the undead phenomena. I think you¡¯ll be okay for a few more years. I guarantee that.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that true! ¡¹ John Dae got a relieved expression on his face upon hearing Aria¡¯s optimistic words. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it great, John Dae! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, it is! If I still have a few years left, then I¡¯ll use all my remaining strength for the recovery of the Tarmine Kingdom!¡¹ I was sure that Queen Carmilla would be very pleased to have John Dae by her side. If the Queen is happy, then I will be happy too. ¡¸Okay, it¡¯s been decided then! Both Kiri and John Dae will wait here at Cafe De Celseus until Seiya¡¯s training is over!¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko nodded positively. Yet, Celseus complained about it. ¡¸Hey, hey. Don¡¯t decide that on your own. Why do I have to be the one to take care of these two monsters? Don¡¯t you have anybody else to look after them? What a hassle¡­¡¹ Indeed. This placed seemed quieter than normal. I didn¡¯t see Adenela around here. I didn¡¯t ask him where she was, so I proposed another deal to Celseus. ¡¸Then, why don¡¯t you let Kiri and John Dae help you with your coffee shop? ¡¹ ¡¸To help me? But, these two are monsters. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, you didn¡¯t know? I heard that cute monsters are in fashion on one of the earthly words, am I right? There are heroes that have ¡°fluffy¡± monsters as companions for their innumerous adventures!¡¹ ¡¸Certainly. Having a ¡°cute¡± and ¡°fluffy¡± monster could be very good for my business. So, having a mascot character is not a bad idea at all. But¡­¡¹ Celseus pointed directly at Kiriko and John Dae with a trembling finger. ¡¸Just look at them! One has a metallic body that resembles a weapon, and the other has decaying skin with a robust and muscular body! They are far from being called ¡°fluffy¡± and cute¡±!!¡¹ Seiya looked at a screaming Celseus with a harsh expression on his face. ¡¸Celseus. I¡¯m busy. Just get over with it and keep these two with you. They¡¯ll be in your custody until I¡¯m done.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No. Even if it¡¯s Seiya¡¯s request, that¡¯s a bit unreasonable for me to¡­ ¡¹ He was really opposed to this idea. Actually, it was the first time I saw Celseus arguing against Seiya¡¯s request. It was rather unusual. Then, an annoyed Seiya touched the ground with his toe. On this instant, the soil under our feet began to rise. ¡¸You¡¯re a very irritating fella. If you don¡¯t agree, then you¡¯ll have to come face to face with the ¡°Bakudan Rock¡±.¡¹ After the rock appeared from the ground, Celseus began to scream as the rock looked at him with a devilish grin on its rocky face. ¡¸Another ugly monster has appeared!? What the hell is wrong with that rock!? That¡¯s not ¡°fluffy at all!! Besides, will it really explode as the name suggests!?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, Celseus. Now, you¡¯ll have to choose between an explosion or those two.¡¹ ¡¸Why am I being threatened so suddenly!? This hero is too cruel!! ¡¹ Seiya threatened Celseus. Then, he had no choice but to take care of those two unwillingly. After that, Seiya finally spoke with Aria about his requirements. ¡¸Okay, Aria. I want to start my training as soon as possible in order to prepare myself against the next enemy.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I will introduce you to any god I know. However¡­ ¡¹ Aria stopped talking abruptly. She was silent for a short moment, and then she looked at me and smiled. ¡¸Before that. Lista. I have a message from Lady Isister. She¡¯s waiting for you at the temple.¡¹ ¡ª ¡­I left Seiya with Aria. Then, I walked on the temple¡¯s corridors on my own. I arrived at the room of the Great Goddess Isister and knocked the door gently. I saw that the clairvoyance goddess of the highest ranking in the God¡¯s realm was sitting on a chair. When she noticed my presence, she smiled at me with a soft expression on her face. ¡¸It seems that Ryuguuin Seiya has defeated both the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion and the Machine Emperor Oxelio.¡¹ I spoke with determination after I heard the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s words. ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right! At first, I felt a little anxious, but it was all thanks to Seiya¡¯s plan that we managed to defeat them¡­After all, he won the battle against Oxelio without problems!¡¹ I was talking with great excitement. The Great Goddess Isister laughed upon seeing my blissful reaction ¡¸Oh, oh, oh ¡¹. ¡¸He defeated the Grand Lion in a direct battle that exceeded the status of the Demon King from one year ago, am I right? If so, then it won¡¯t be a problem for that hero to fight against other enemies in Exfolia from now on.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister pointed out that particular information to me. When I thought deeply about it, I realized that I didn¡¯t notice that until now. That¡¯s correct! I didn¡¯t need to feel anxious at all when Seiya went up to fight with the Machine Emperor Oxelio! Seiya defeated the Grand Lion, who was supposed to be the strongest enemy around! So, if he defeated the strongest enemy, then that meant that Seiya could win against the Demon King without much hassle! ¡¸Most probably, Ryuguuin Seiya¡¯s abilities have reached a level far beyond those of human beings.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister was smiling tenderly. I felt happy to hear her praises. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Really, he is one of the many great heroes that excels in strength. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh. ¡¹ I felt puzzled by the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s words and asked her the following. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me¡­But, was there a hero stronger than Seiya before? ¡¹ ¡¸The history of the God¡¯s realm is long and deep. I know other heroes who have vastly surpassed the strength of Ryuguuin Seiya. Well, it doesn¡¯t undermine the power of your hero, but we do have a history of very powerful heroes¡­¡¹ Aria and Adenela, who were much more experienced than me as goddesses, said that heroes like Seiya were one of a kind. That someone as strong as Seiya won¡¯t ever appear again. ¡­And yet, a few other heroes were stronger than Seiya!? I was very interested in this topic. Even so¡­ ¡¸Let¡¯s leave that story for another day. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister changed the topic smoothly. ¡¸The Beast Emperor the Grand Lion and the Machine Emperor Oxelio. By defeating these two enemies with great magical power, the mist of dark energy covering Exfolia has faded a little and the world became clearer and sunnier. But, there¡¯s something I have to tell you. I am aware that an evil existence is giving protection to our enemies just as a god of the God¡¯s realm gives protection to a hero.¡¹ ¡¸Are you¡­talking about the evil god? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. There are rules for the gods of the God¡¯s realm, but there are also rules for the evil gods as well. The evil gods can¡¯t harm heroes directly. Likewise, our gods can¡¯t defeat the Demon Kings that reign over other worlds.¡¹ ¡­We, as gods, summon the heroes and give our support indirectly in order to defeat the Demon Kings. On the other side of the coin, the evil gods give power to the Demon Kings to defeat the heroes. So, that¡¯s the reason why the evil god in Exfolia didn¡¯t harm Seiya directly¡­ ¡¸But, please be careful. The evil god that resides in Exfolia has a tremendous power. His power is so fearsome that it obstructs my prediction and clairvoyance abilities. Besides, I often wonder what changes the Demon King Artemaeus received with the protection of the evil god from this past year. Honestly, I can¡¯t even imagine it¡­¡¹ It seemed quite serious since the Great Goddess Isister, who was capable of predicting the future, wasn¡¯t even able to imagine the powers of our enemies. ¡¸Lista. If you find out about the name and characteristics of that evil god, I¡¯d want you to tell me about it immediately. We can take proper measures if we know more about that evil god. Well, it might be difficult to find details because it¡¯s rare for evil gods to show themselves to others¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I will contact you straightaway if I find something! ¡¹ ¡¸I entrust it to you. ¡¹ After that part of the conversation was over, the Great Goddess Isister changed topics. ¡¸By the way¡­At the same time you came back to the God¡¯s realm, I sensed the presence of two monsters arriving as well. It looks like we¡¯ve got here an undead soldier and a magical machine with a human soul.¡¹ ¡¸Ah! I¡­I apologize! Please forgive me for letting two monsters come to the God¡¯s realm!¡¹ I bowed my head in apology. I really thought that she would get angry with me. Yet, the Great Goddess Isister shook her head quietly. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t feel any hatred nor evil intent in them.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Kiri is a very good girl and John Dae is a relatively decent undead¡­Ah, well, but, he is a little bit lewd though!¡¹ ¡¸We have to spread the ¡°sleeves¡± of our hearts to every ¡°blub of light¡±. So, I think it is necessary for human beings alike and us, the almighty gods, to have a pleasant and harmonious relationship.¡¹ ¡­Yes. In fact, I felt somewhat indebted to John Dae because of my past human self. It felt strange that I had some sort of relationship with that person before¡­ After finishing talking, the Great Goddess Isister picked up a wool ball that was placed on top of her table. It looked like she kept doing her knitting hobby on her spare time. ¡¸This story is over for now. I wish you a safe journey. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much! Excuse me! ¡¹ When I tried to leave her room¡­ ¡¸¡­Listarte. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister called my name all of a sudden. I became surprised when I looked back. The Great Goddess Isister had an unusual expression on her face. She looked rather sad. ¡¸Could you tell Ryuguuin Seiya to come here later on by himself? ¡¹ ¡¸Tell Seiya to come here alone? Yes¡­I understand. I will let him know. ¡¹ I replied positively even thought I felt a bit worried about it. The Great Goddess Isister¡¯s returned a soft smile as she resumed her knitting. Volume 2 - CH 91 Chapter 91: The Goddess of Gold I left the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room and went to the Cafe De Celseus. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that Seiya and Aria were still speaking with each other. What!? I thought that Seiya had already started his training sessions!! There was something odd going on between them. Seiya had an unsatisfactory expression on his face while he spoke with Aria. ¡¸Is it really not possible? Can¡¯t I practice for a hundred hours a day? ¡¹ ¡¸I will say it again. That won¡¯t be possible, Seiya¡­ ¡¹ I laughed a little. Then, I approached Seiya who remained silent after hearing Aria¡¯s denial. ¡¸Hey, Seiya! A day has only 24 hours! ¡¹ Seiya looked at me and sighed deeply. I was clueless, but Aria explained to me what was going on between them. ¡¸Lista. Seiya wants to practice with a god who has the power to prevent curses. But, it¡¯s tough for me because I can¡¯t grant him his request.¡¹ ¡¸A god that prevents curses? ¡¹ Then, John Dae explained the following from the other side of the table. ¡¸The Emperor Ceremonic from the Southern Continent of Cress is known as the ¡°Walking Disaster¡±. He is rumored to cast powerful curses. But, nobody knows what kind of curses this enemy is capable of using¡­¡¹ Ah, I see. That¡¯s why Seiya wanted to acquire a new skill for the battle with Ceremonic Emperor. ¡¸But, Aria. Why isn¡¯t Seiya able to learn that skill? ¡¹ ¡¸Some boundaries can¡¯t be crossed no matter how hard one tries. For example, no matter how hard Seiya trains himself, he won¡¯t be able to use Lista¡¯s ¡°healing magic¡± powers. The problem is quite simple. Effort and talent aren¡¯t always enough. On this particular issue, the problem is the ¡°characteristics¡±, on which Seiya can¡¯t learn the skill he wants. After all, the power to prevent curses belongs to the same power as Lista¡¯s healing magic.¡¹ ¡¸ Is that so? I see. That¡¯s a shame¡­ ¡¹ Then, I realized something important right after I spoke. ¡¸Wait!! If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t I learn that skill myself!? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes. I recommended that option to Seiya. But, he hated the idea. ¡¹ Seiya was staring at me with a disgusting face. ¡¸I refuse. I won¡¯t get good results with this option. ¡¹ ¡¸But, you won¡¯t know about that until we try!! ¡¹ ¡¸I know it too well. You never did something useful on my behalf. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is¡­it may be so, but¡­! ¡¹ Seiya completely ignored me, and changed topics. ¡¸If this is the result, then I don¡¯t have the choice but to change my plan. ¡¹ After saying that, I shouted aloud after Seiya began to walk away. ¡¸Ah, Seiya! The Great Goddess Isister wants to see you! Go to her room later on! ¡¹ He raised one hand slightly upon hearing my words. He looked extremely annoyed. Even if it was a bother for him, Seiya had a cautious personality. That¡¯s why I knew that he would go visit the Great Goddess Isister later today. Aria smiled afterwards. ¡¸Well¡­We¡¯re talking about Seiya after all. He¡¯ll find an alternative way to prevent curses. ¡¹ Still, my sense didn¡¯t fade. Everything would be solved if I acquired that skill! ¡¸Aria! I want to do it for real! I want to learn that skill! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! But, Seiya¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What if Seiya doesn¡¯t find an alternative way to learn how to prevent curses! Nothing would go to waste if I end up mastering that skill! I might be useful somehow even if learns an alternative way! Am I right?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­I guess you¡¯re right. ¡¹ ¡¸Please, Aria! Introduce me to the god that prevents curses! ¡¹ Aria finally nodded positively after I convinced her with my sincere appeal. On this moment, my heart began to burn fervently. So far, I only made lunch boxes for Seiya while he trained extremely hard! Instead of being useful only for cooking, I could do much more in order to support my hero on this saving quest! I finally got a chance to prove my worth as a goddess! I began to see the ¡°sun in the horizon¡±! A new hope for me! Okay! I¡¯ll do it! I could finally be useful for Seiya if I learnt the skill to prevent curses! I was extremely excited. However, Aria was looking seriously at me. ¡¸If you¡¯re willing to learn, Lista. Then, bring as much money as you can from your room. ¡¹ ¡¸Much money, you say!? Okay, I understand¡­But, for what!? ¡¹ ¡ª ¡ºListen, Lista. The God of Light would be the appropriate god to teach you about preventing curses. But, right now, the God of Light is saving another world. In addition, the second candidate Dazuma, the Glittering God, is also away. That¡¯s why I will introduce you to the third candidate, the Goddess of Gold, Bardul. Actually, I¡¯m not too familiar with this goddess, but¡­¡» At this precise moment, I was walking through the paths of the Heavenly Green Forest. Aria told me to go on the opposite direction from the place from where Mithis was, the Goddess of Bow, and the Well of No Return, where Zeth, the other Goddess of War, was trapped within. After walking for a while, the dense forest dissipated a little and a new scenario unfolded right in front of my eyes. There was a large mansion with a tiled roof. Most of the buildings and structures of the God¡¯s realm resembled the medieval western architecture of Seiya¡¯s world. Yet, this large mansion looked like a temple in Japan. It looked a bit out of place to be honest. I crossed the pond to arrive at the entrance. Then, I slowly opened the door made of wood. ¡¸Excuse me¡­ ¡¹ There was a large tatami* in front of me. I wondered how many tatami were used on the floor. On the backside of the room was a rehearsal hall. Someone was sitting next to an oriental altar as if it were used for meditation. ¡¸Sorry. Excuse me, please. But, are you the Goddess of Gold, Bardul? ¡¹ When I called over, that person opened her eyes slowly. ¡¸¡­Quite so. I am Bardul. ¡¹ She stood up and walked slowly towards me. Bardul was a little bit overweight and resembled a middle-aged auntie. She wore a gorgeous golden kimono and wore many ornaments around her neck and hands. Because of that, she made a noise every time she took a step forward. ¡¸Well then, my child. What are your worries? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m a bit in trouble on my quest to save a world. That¡¯s why I came here to ask for your help, Lady Bardul. I want you to teach me the technique to prevent curses.¡¹ Then, Bardul smiled tenderly at me. ¡¸If I teach you about the secret of my power, you will be able to seal your opponent¡¯s curse, meaning that your opponent¡¯s curse won¡¯t be triggered. Also, if someone gets cursed, you¡¯ll be able to extinguish that curse immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so! Amazing! Please, tell me your secret! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, my child! I shall accept you as my pupil and you will gain the power of the universe!¡¹ Ah, thank goodness! Unexpectedly, everything went smoothly! I was going to be trained properly this time! ¡¸So, Lady Bardul. How long does it take to learn that curse-sealing technique? ¡¹ ¡¸That will depend on your heart. Please, show me your feelings child. ¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t lose to anyone with my determination and motivation! ¡¹ This time, I¡¯ll help Seiya no matter what! With this determination in mind, I grasped both of my fists in front of my chest¡­ Nonetheless, Bardul¡¯s face became cloudy. ¡¸Ah no, that wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­Please, express to me your ¡°feelings¡±. First, you should express your gratitude for introducing myself as Bardul. I shall accept 1000 godon.¡¹ I shouted immediately at Bardul, who made a money gesture to me with her thumb and index fingers. ¡¸Ehhh!? Those were the ¡°feelings¡± you were talking about!? ¡¹ Bardul hardened her expression even further. ¡¸Don¡¯t you want to save that world!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes, but¡­! But, introductory money is a bit¡­! ¡¹ By the way, godon was the holy currency used in the God¡¯s realm. Due to our influence as deities, all of us could create many necessary things for our life with the power bestowed by the Supreme God of Creation, Brahma. However, if we wanted to have extras, like for example, fashionable clothes made by the God of Art, or luxurious furniture made by the God of Architecture, it¡¯d be necessary to pay for it. That¡¯s why we used a special currency, named godon, for those extra necessities in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸I won¡¯t tell you my secret if you don¡¯t pay the introductory money. ¡¹ And then, Bardul turned her head away. ¡­I looked into my wallet. In addition to the money I received from the Great Goddess Isister every month as an allowance, I also received a large sum of money as my reward for saving Geabrande. Therefore, my total savings amounted to 30,000 godon. I took a 1000 godon banknote from my wallet. ¡¸I¡­I understand. So, here it is¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Oh! I shall receive your feelings with delight! ¡¹ Bardul received the banknote straightaway as she grabbed it quickly from my hand. We¡­Well, 1000 godon was not too much to being with! I¡¯ll gratefully pay it in order to start my training soon enough! ¡¸Well then, Lady Bardul! Thank you for receiving me! I¡¯ll be in your care! ¡¹ However, Bardul brought a large pot with her and placed it in front of me. ¡¸This pot must increase in weight if you want to learn about the secret of curse-sealing! I shall receive 4000 godon now!¡¹ ¡­A¡­A pot¡­!? I was speechless. Then, she took a small box and showed me plenty of jewels and accessories in it. ¡¸Moreover, you need to have a sacred item to help you invoke the curse-sealing technique. I have a large selection of tokens, such as rosary beads, rings and other glittering ornaments! Everything at a reasonable price!¡¹ ¡­This¡­This¡­This goddess is¡­!! ¡¸Ah, my child! Don¡¯t you know other gods with curses troubles? If you invite your god friend to learn this secret too, I¡¯ll give you a special discount fee! This way, the formula of your divine power will increase significantly!¡¹ She gave me a stamp card by force. ¡­Oh no!! This auntie goddess was too shady!! This scenario was completely different from the training I¡¯ve envisioned. I gave the stamp card back to her. ¡¸No!! First, introductory money, then sacred items and now you want to get profits by using my friends!? This is too much!! And in the first place, isn¡¯t there a rule that things obtained in the God¡¯s realm shouldn¡¯t be taken to the human world!?¡¹ ¡¸After purchasing the item, you just need to put it near the pot and a rosary in order to adapt the power of the newly acquired skill! Even if you stop this ritual, and go to the earthly world, the effect will last for three whole days!¡¹ Re¡­Really¡­? Still, I couldn¡¯t trust anything she professed¡­! This auntie goddess got a sharp tongue. Then, she fiercely increased her tone. ¡¸Anyways! The ritual is absolutely necessary for the curse-sealing technique! I won¡¯t be able to teach you this without purchasing the necessary tools for the ritual!¡¹ Under normal circumstances, I would go home immediately without buying anything. But, I felt a great deal of annoyance when I recalled the battle between Seiya and the Grand Lion. ¡­I really wanted to help Seiya no matter what¡­!! In the end, I ended up purchasing the scared items necessary for the ritual. I paid 29,000 godon for everything she demanded. My pocket money had almost entirely disappeared. Among the items, I bought a ring with a rosary that was supposed to be very special for the ritual. After holding the pot in one hand, I told Bardul the following words. ¡¸All right! Now, you¡¯ll train me, right? I¡¯ll be under you care! ¡¹ However, Bardul was looking fixedly at my godon, and not exactly at me. ¡¸No, my child. The training is complete. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­! It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! How¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Your training was completed once you purchased the items. You should go home now. I shall you give my thanks.¡¹ After staring at the plump goddess counting my godon banknotes with a humming song¡­My anger finally reached its peak. ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare joke with me, you old hag!! How the hell is my ¡°training complete¡±!! I just bought some items, a rosary and a pot!!¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ The auntie goddess began to scream when I held her chest with anger. ¡¸Wha¡­What a foul mouth you have¡­! Oh lord¡­You are a very dangerous goddess¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the dangerous one here!! Anyways!! Just return my godon back, you cheating goddess!!¡¹ ¡¸Just wait a second! I¡¯m not a cheating goddess! I¡¯ll prove it to you! ¡¹ And then, Bardul rushed to the altar and brought a wooden box with her. Then, she took a doll in a kimono out of the wooden box. The doll resembled the Japanese dolls of Seiya¡¯s world. However, the hair was fairly longer and she was somewhat creepy. ¡¸This doll is a cursed doll whose hair grows little by little every night. ¡¹ ¡¸In¡­Indeed. I can really feel an ominous feeling coming from that thing¡­But, why is that thing in the God¡¯s realm in the first place?¡¹ ¡¸I ordered this doll purposely because I wanted to practice with curse-sealing. After you gain some power with the sacred items, it will be possible to dissipate this curse with a spell¡­¡¹ Then, Bardul sprinkled the rosary over the doll. ¡¸Curse! Disappear! Go, go away! Ei, ei, ei, ei! ¡¹ My breath was heavy as I watched this scene. Yet, nothing happened at all. It looked like this auntie goddess cheated again. After a while, I grabbed Bardul¡¯s chest again. ¡¸What the crap is this ¡°ei ei¡± thing!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ple¡­Please calm down! Just look! ¡¹ I heard a strange sound and the cursed doll¡¯s black hair fell off. ¡¸The¡­The doll¡¯s¡­hair¡­!? ¡¹ Bardul spoke satisfactorily, while pointing at the doll that became bald. ¡¸See! The curse dissipated away! This is the real technique! I showed you the secret of the curse-sealing!¡¹ ¡¸But, isn¡¯t this thing just a bald doll!? ¡¹ The more I looked at it, the more I saw just a regular Japanese doll whose head became bald. ¡¸I have other dolls! So, let¡¯s practice a bit more! ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhh¡­ ¡¹ A similar longhaired doll was placed right in front of me. I tried to do the same thing as Bardul did to lift up the curse. ¡¸Cu¡­Curse, please disappear¡­Now¡­Ei, ei¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You have to strongly believe in it!! You have to say it with more power and passion!! Like an artist that wields the towel to a cheering and lively audience!! Or like an angry audience who scream angrily at their artist who just disappointed them on stage!!¡¹ Was she trying to tell me to be a bad customer with rude manners!? I tried to scream with all my might while shaking the rosary on the doll. ¡¸Ei, ei!! Ei, ei, ei, ei!! Eiiiiiii!! ¡¹ And then, I heard the strange sound! The hair fell and the doll became bald! ¡¸Bald! I did it! It¡¯s bald now! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is bald! Congratulations, my child! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no!! Wait a moment!! Didn¡¯t I just make a doll turn bald!? ¡¹ ¡¸This result is superb! You could only do it because the power of light was activated! You¡¯ve learnt this expertise and got a license! So, this is the ending of your training! Congratulations! The exit is over there!¡¹ ¡¸The training is already over!? Is this really okay!? ¡¹ In addition to the short period of training, I felt that the quality was too low when compared to Seiya¡¯s training. I didn¡¯t know what a license was, or if it was really necessary to have one in the first place. I wasn¡¯t convinced about this training. It felt too abrupt and fake. Then, I noticed that Bardul returned to the hall room and went to the altar. She bent over and had a serious expression on her face. ¡¸Ah, godon. I need more, much more godon. No matter what I do, and no matter where I go, I¡¯ll make sure to have more godon¡­¡¹ I felt uncomfortable after witnessing such a scene. Bardul was a powerful goddess that lived a privileged life in the God¡¯s realm. Why would she be crazily obsessed with godon? I noticed that Bardul was looking attentively at some photo at the altar. It was the picture of a youthful male god. ¡­Wa¡­Wait! Don¡¯t tell me that that god was¡­Bardul¡¯s¡­? I was curious, so I asked Bardul the following question. ¡¸Excuse me, Bardul. Why do you go to such lengths just to get godon? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because¡­ ¡¹ Then, Bardul began to grin weirdly. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll go to such lengths in other to accumulate more godon!! I¡¯m saving enough money to further expand this magnificent Bardul Palace!! And someday, I¡¯ll live here with the handsome god of this photograph, my dear ¡°Lord Apollon¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸Was that the reason why you¡¯re so fanatical with godon!? What an insane greed you have, you old auntie!!¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 92 Chapter 92: Another Case I wore the ring with a rosary on one hand, and the pot on the other hand. I went to the Caf¨¦ De Celseus with conflicted emotions. I complained to Aria when I arrived. ¡¸I wonder if I can seal the curses with this sort of sloppy training. Actually, it feels as if I went shopping instead of training.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. So, it seems that the rumors about Bardul are actually true. We¡­Well, at least, did you ¡°learn something useful¡± about the curse-sealing technique?¡¹ ¡¸That was my intention. But, you know, this is frustrating because most of my money is gone now, and I don¡¯t actually see any visible changes¡­¡¹ Aria stared fixedly at me and narrowed her eyes. ¡¸But, Lista. I can see that your body is full of godliness, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, no way!! Really!? ¡¹ At the same time, I heard a cheerful voice from behind. ¡¸You¡¯re amazing, Miss Lista! You¡¯re more dazzling and divine than you were before! ¡¹ I looked back and noticed that Kiriko was extremely excited for me while holding a tray with a coffee cup. I was surprised. Then, I stared at the rosary and pot with a stunned look. ¡­These sacred items were really effective¡­! I was a little relieved to know that the money I spent was not completely wasted. I received the coffee cup from Kiriko with a smile on my face. ¡¸Thank you, Kiri! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Kiriko replied with a vigorous and bright tone. She was in a waitress¡¯ apron. It seemed that Celseus was guiding them earnestly. ¡¸So, how about Celseus? Is he a good mentor? ¡¹ Just when I asked Kiriko that question¡­ ¡¸What the hell is this!! ¡¹ I heard John Dae¡¯s loud scream from afar. Both Celseus and John Dae were facing each other with heated expressions on their faces. These two¡­I¡­I knew it. I had a hunch that they wouldn¡¯t be amicable with each other! I got up and rushed on their direction. ¡¸Hey! Stop fighting! ¡¹ However, the scene was strange. John Dae was staring at Celseus with burning eyes while he held a dish with a cake that he had eaten. ¡¸I¡¯ve never eaten such a delicious cake before!! ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? Is my cake that delicious? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not only good, it¡¯s divine! You¡¯re a genius! ¡¹ John Dae gave a strong and heartfelt handshake with Celseus¡¯ hand. ¡¸I mustn¡¯t doze around after eating such a wonderful piece of cake! Let me help you! Should I wash the dishes first?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll leave them to you¡­ ¡¹ This time, however, was Kiriko, who run to Celseus after John Dae began to wash the dishes diligently. ¡¸Mr. Celseus. Is this tableware all right? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. I don¡¯t see any problem with it¡­ ¡¹ After John Dae and Kiriko left to do other chores, Celseus stood still as if his soul vanished. I approached Celseus and touched his shoulder. ¡¸I¡¯m glad for you, Celseus! You found great part-timers! ¡¹ I was shocked when Celseus turned his face. Tears! Celseus was crying dramatically! ¡¸Hey, you!! Why are you crying that much!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! I did a huge mistake! I misjudged those monsters! Those two are extremely wonderful beings! Ugh!¡¹ ¡¸But, you don¡¯t have to cry just because of that¡­ ¡¹ It felt weird to see this robust man cry. After a while, Celseus finally wiped his tears with his hands. ¡¸¡°You can stay here forever¡±¡­Let them know how I feel. ¡¹ I smiled at Celseus. Then, I went back to the table where Aria was sitting. ¡¸Aria! Those three seem to be getting along well! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. They get along surprisingly well. I¡¯m glad. ¡¹ After laughing together for a while, Aria suddenly remembered something important. ¡¸By the way, Lista. About Seiya, you know. He came here straightaway after he met with Lady Isister in her room. Then, he asked me some questions about souls.¡¹ ¡¸Souls? ¡¹ Apparently, Seiya asked Aria about reincarnation and the formation of the human soul. Aria spoke with a puzzling expression on her face. ¡¸I¡¯ve never been interested in that topic before. So, I didn¡¯t had enough knowledge on that matter¡­It looked like he wasn¡¯t very satisfied with my answer. He said ¡°whatever. I¡¯m going to start my training in order to defeat Ceremonic¡±, then he went away.¡¹ So, Seiya really wanted to know about souls? But, for what? Did it had something to do with the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s talk? ¡¸So¡­So, what kind of training is Seiya going to do now? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. Did he say ¡°State Berserk¡±? Yes, he said something about going higher¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is he going to increase his State Berserk!? ¡¹ ¡­It can¡¯t be!! Was he trying to achieve the Phase 3rd!? But, I heard it was impossible!! ¡¸I¡¯m going to see him now!! Aria, just take this pot!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Lista!? Listen to the rest of the story¡­Ah, heavy!! This pot is extremely heavy!! ¡¹ I left the pot with Aria, and rushed to the Heavenly Green Forest again. If Seiya was aiming to increase the points of his Crazy Warrior state, then he must¡¯ve gone to the Well of No Return where Zeth was locked inside. ¡ª It was dusk at the Heavenly Green Forest¡­ I proceeded to that deep place. The trees were lit red like blood, creating a magical and eerie atmosphere in the forest. It was still scary as hell. I wanted to go home before the sun went down. Therefore, I rushed to the well without stopping or even looking back. On my way, I heard a familiar voice. ¡¸Oh my, look who¡¯s here. Lista. I¡¯m delighted to see you here. Where are you going?¡¹ I noticed a presence from someone who put a bow and arrow down. The lewd goddess who once tried to attack Seiya with her nakedness called me. Actually, Mithis, the Goddess of Bow, had a different exterior demeanor now as opposed to her perverted side. She looked clean and pretty as if she came out of a dream. ¡¸Ah, you see, I¡¯m going to the Well of No Return¡­ ¡¹ Mithis put her hand on her chin and said, ¡¸Is that so ¡¹. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you too alone in this forest? If you¡¯d like, I could accompany you. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that all right? If so, then I will gladly accept your kindness. ¡¹ The closer we approached the well, the more the forest became horrifying. Soon, the sun will go down, and the visibility will get worse. It was reassuring to have a companion to walk on this dreadfulness part of the forest. Mithis was a lewd goddess who attacked men upon seeing them. But she was harmless to women, so that least, for me was safe. I was happy to accept Mithis¡¯ offer. I walked in the forest with Mithis while talking about the adventures in Exfolia. If I were alone, the path would seem too long to cross over. But, since I had company and had a lively chat, the path felt shorter than usual. Eventually, the eerie old well became visible. ¡¸Ah, the Well of No Return! ¡¹ I rushed immediately to the well. I began to descend the rope ladder that led to the bottom of the well. ¡¸I¡¯m going down with you. ¡¹ Mithis came down with me¡­ ¡¸What!? Thi¡­This is!! Why!? ¡¹ I was astonished when I arrived at the bottom of the well. When we came here last time, the well was a vast space where Seiya could practice without any problems. But, when Mithis and I arrived at the bottom, I realized that we were stuck on a very narrow space. I couldn¡¯t see Zeth anywhere on this withered well. It felt as if this well was just a regular well in the first place. ¡­Ze¡­Zeth disappeared!? ¡­What on earth happened around here? Did she move away? Or maybe¡­? A mountain of confusing thoughts swirled on my head¡­ ¡¸¡­Lista. ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard Mithis calling my name and I looked back. At that moment, my confusing thoughts stopped coming at my brain. ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­!! ¡¹ Mithis took off her dress and became naked. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait!! Why are you suddenly taking off your clothes!? ¡¹ I screamed like a mad woman without knowing the reason why she took off her clothes. Then, Mithis slowly approached me amidst the darkness of the well. ¡¸Every single day, I practice the bow by myself in the forest¡­I have no contact with other male gods on my daily life¡­So, I came to realize something significant¡­¡¹ And then, she stared at me with thirsty eyes. ¡¸I thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea if I were to be with a goddess instead¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? ¡¹ At the same time¡­Mithis embraced me tightly. ¡¸Okay, Lista!! Let¡¯s profess our love from one another here and now!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡­I don¡¯t have that kind of hobby!! ¡¹ I complained, but she didn¡¯t even listen! She was trying to strip off my dress while having an erotic rough breath! I tried to get away, but I couldn¡¯t! Wha¡­What a strength! And, what a strong sexual desire! ¡¸Oh my, oh my! Welcome to the world of ¡°Gachi Yuri¡±*!! ¡¹ What!? She was laughing like a maniac!! This was too scary!! Besides, what the hell was ¡°Gachi Yuri¡±!? This was no good!! This goddess was too perverted that even words couldn¡¯t describe her lunatic behavior!! Her mental level was so insane that looked like she was cursed!!¡­Ah!! I tried to push my arms down; suddenly, something useful came to my mind¡­I took the rosary from my wrist and aimed it at Mithis. ¡¸E¡­Ei, ei!! Ei, ei, ei, ei!! ¡¹ I prayed aloud, ¡¸Cursed sexual desire, disappear! ¡¹. I left the pot with Aria. But, I still had lots of beads and rings that I¡¯ve bought from Bardul! There had to be some kind of effect! However, Mithis looked at me while I screamed. Somehow, this excited her even more and her cheeks became fully red. Then, she bit her thumb. ¡¸Ah¡­I¡¯m so excited¡­! I never thought I¡¯d feel this way¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Ei, ei¡­Stop acting like this!! ¡¹ Still, nothing much happened no matter how much I screamed. Then, an ecstatic Mithis came closer to my face. At this point, I was about to cry. *strange sound* Many white little things fell right in front of my face. Mithis changed her complexion when she realized what happened to her hair. ¡¸This is¡­my hair¡­what happened to my hair!? ¡¹ Mithis was shocked. Then, I sent a harsh gaze on her direction. ¡¸Ri¡­Right now, you are almost bald! But, if you try something strange with me again, I will make sure you¡¯ll be completely bald!¡¹ Mithis was also a goddess. Therefore, appearance was also important for her. She immediately jumped away from me. ¡¸Gi¡­give me a break!! I¡¯d hate to have bare skin on the top of my head!! ¡¹ ¡­We walked away after going up the rope ladder of the well. ¡¸I hate this look, Lista. I was only joking with you back then¡­ ¡¹ Lies! She would¡¯ve attacked me seriously if I didn¡¯t make half of her hair fall! ¡¸Even so, Lista. I was so shocked about what happened. You became a ¡°goddess of hair loss¡± so abruptly.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re unbelievable!! Lady Mithis!! Please, remain silent!! ¡¹ ¡ª After returning from the Heavenly Green Forest, I headed towards the summoning chamber of heroes in the temple. Actually, I went to the Cafe first. Aria told me that Seiya was practicing in the summoning chamber with Adenela. I felt extremely exhausted. ¡­I was the one responsible for feeling this way. When I heard that Seiya was trying to raise his Berserk mode, I thought that he¡¯d go to Zeth¡¯s place. But, instead, Seiya was trying to improve his sword skills with the Crazy Warrior state with Adenela. ¡­Ah, what a waste of time¡­ I moved my shoulders up and down with frustration, while I opened the summoning chamber¡¯s doors. ¡¸Hmm¡­Lista. Don¡¯t come in without my permission. I¡¯m training now. ¡¹ Seiya, who was in a Crazy Warrior state with his hair and eyes dyed red, stopped wielding his sword with Adenela. ¡¸So, you were really training in here¡­ ¡¹ Seiya sighed and shook his nose. ¡¸With this overwhelming power, I will defeat the enemy before a curse is activated. ¡¹ After saying that, Seiya wielded his sword once again. Without even saying anything, Adenela sensed Seiya¡¯s movements and took her offensive stance straightaway. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.7¡­! ¡¹ The fatigue I¡¯ve felt on my body blew away when I heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡­Phase 2.7!? Wasn¡¯t 2.6 his maximum stage when he confronted the Grand Lion and Oxelio!? But, this stage was a little higher than that!! Nevertheless, that wasn¡¯t the only aspect that surprised me. In his Berserk mode, Seiya wielded his Platinum Sword against Adenela¡¯s god swords. ¡¸Atomic Split Slash! ¡¹ The floor shook terribly because of the huge explosion that burst from their attack! The roaring sound was so big that my earlobes quivered! I was blown away by the shock wave that occurred at the same time! After that, when I got up, I noticed that a huge crater was created on the floor! Furthermore, many cracks were scattered across the floor in all directions! ¡¸What a power¡­!! But, Seiya!! What about Lady Adenela!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m moderate. I wasn¡¯t really going to hit her. ¡¹ Seiya pointed with the tip of his sword. On that direction, I saw that Adenela, who jumped high in the mid-air to avoid the strike of the Atomic Split Slash, came down. Ah, what a relief¡­Adenela was safe! Even so, what an amazing power! Well, the usual Atomic Split Slash was amazing alone! But, since it was released with the increased power of the Berserk mode, its force was overwhelmingly higher¡­ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment!! I thought that you couldn¡¯t use your skills while you were in a Berserk mode!! Zeth told us that it was impossible to do it at the same time!!¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s not impossible if I know the trick to overcome it. ¡¹ I¡­I couldn¡¯t believe this!! Who the hell was this hero!? He always reversed what was said to be ¡°impossible¡±!! I was amazed. But, it was nothing for Seiya. ¡¸It¡¯s the same thing as reading a book while eating your meal. Its bad manners, but it¡¯s not impossible to do it.¡¹ That¡¯s it!? It felt so easy that even I could do it¡­No¡­No, these were the words of a genius!! I bet that stage would be extremely difficult to achieve¡­!! ¡¸*laughs crazily* It¡­is pe¡­perfect. Seiya be¡­became stronger again. ¡¹ I wasn¡¯t the only one to be amazed at this genius hero. Adenela was laughing creepily with a great satisfaction. ¡¸The¡­The stronger the curse, the¡­the longer it will take to activate, and¡­and more troublesome the conditions will be. The¡­There is no meaning, if¡­if there¡¯s no hype¡­for Seiya and I¡­the curse won¡¯t be amusing if¡­if it¡¯s a haste-type curse.¡¹ When I nodded upon hearing Adenela¡¯s explanation, Seiya put his sword on his sheath. ¡¸Yeah. The ¡°State Berserk Phase 2.7¡± and the ¡°Berserk Simultaneous Activation of Techniques¡±. These two should be enough for me to go up against the Emperor Ceremonic.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! So, you¡¯re already Perfectly Ready! ¡¹ However, Seiya turned his eyes to me. ¡¸Lista. I heard that you learnt the curse-sealing technique, am I correct? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. I was able to learn it, but¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Let me tell you this. There won¡¯t be an opportunity for you to meddle in this.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, you know! I may be useful somehow! Seiya! Don¡¯t you remember? You told me before to be prepared just in case something bad happens!¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? ¡°Just in case¡± is my training with Adenela. A strong fortress has already been built on the southern coast of the Radral Continent. The Emperor Ceremonic won¡¯t be able to cross over. And, if he appears to be a true menace, I¡¯ll just activate both of my strong points with the Berserk Simultaneous Activation of Techniques and the State Berserk Phase 2.7.¡¹ His overly confident persona made me feel so small. I swallowed dry upon hearing his unsympathetic talk. He¡­He really thought that something bad wouldn¡¯t happen at all! I did my best to prepare for this that I even spent my entire fortune¡­! After I lost my determination, I asked Seiya the following question. ¡¸¡­So, are we going to Exfolia now? ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Seiya¡¯s reply took me by surprise. ¡¸No. I want to stay in the heavenly world for another two days or so. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Aren¡¯t you Perfectly Ready? ¡¹ ¡¸The preparations for the battle against the Emperor Ceremonic are ready. But¡­ ¡¹ Seiya stared fixedly at my face. I felt that he were about to tell me something. Yet, he simply turned his face away. ¡¸There¡¯s still another case to take care off. ¡¹ ¡¸Another case? ¡¹ Without telling me much, Seiya got out of the summoning chamber. ¡­What was going on? I wondered if the Great Goddess Isister summoned him again¡­Or was it related to the story about souls that Aria told me about¡­? ¡°Be in the God¡¯s realm for a longer period even though he was ready to face the enemy¡±¡­ I felt that something was different than usual. We were supposed to stay for just a few days, but we decided to spend a little more time in the God¡¯s realm than originally planned. Volume 2 - CH 93 Chapter 93: Lifeless Land The morning of my third day in the God¡¯s realm. I went to the Cafe De Celseus to meet up with Kiriko. Behind the table with a parasol that I usually chatted with Aria, was a small building with a kitchen. John Dae and Kiriko were staying there. ¡¸Kiri. Are you done? ¡¹ I entered the room assigned to Kiriko. It was a small and cozy room. When I went inside, I noticed that Kiriko was covered in sheets at the corner of the room. ¡¸So¡­Sorry! Were you sleeping? But, Kiri, can you really sleep? ¡¹ A very shy Kiriko scratched her head slightly. ¡¸No, I never sleep. But, Mr. Celseus said, ¡°you have to sleep after working hard¡±¡­¡¹ Eh¡­Why was he trying to put a robot to sleep? Celseus was a true idiot after all¡­! ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that, Kiri. I¡¯ll explain to that idiot how you operate. ¡¹ Still, Kiriko shook her head. ¡¸It¡¯s fine! I am grateful to Mr. Celseus! Besides, I am truly happy to be here and be treated like a human being!¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so? ¡¹ Well, if she didn¡¯t have a problem with that, then it was okay I guess¡­ ¡¸Okay, Kiri. Can you come here for a second? ¡¹ I sat Kiriko in front of the room¡¯s mirror stand. ¡¸You are a girl. So, you need to be a little bit more fashionable. ¡¹ And then, I took a flower pendant that I had prepared beforehand and attached it onto Kiriko¡¯s chest. ¡¸Wha¡­What is this? ¡¹ ¡¸This flower is the one that Kiri took proper care back in Tarmine! Before the flowers withered, I took one of them and put it on a pouch to preserve the flower! It¡¯s a present!¡¹ Kiriko, who was surprised at first, grabbed my hand vigorously, and waved it up and down. ¡¸Thank you so much, Miss Lista!! I will cherish it!! ¡¹ I knew that Kiriko would be delighted. The pink flower accessory attached on her chest softened the image of the Killing Machine as a magical weapon. I was looking happily at Kiriko from the reflection on the mirror. Yet, Kiriko wasn¡¯t looking at herself but to my reflection instead. ¡¸Miss Lista is really beautiful!! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. That¡¯s not true. ¡¹ I was humble. But, I felt my tension rising up secretly. I became very sensitive to compliments after Seiya treated me so poorly. I stared at my face again. ¡­Was she right? Was it true? I was beautiful, correct? Because, I was a goddess after all! Am I right? I wondered why Seiya didn¡¯t notice my charm! Pretty, yes pretty, uhuh, I was really pretty¡­I became a bit of a narcissist. Nevertheless, I noticed something strange on the corner of my mouth that was reflected in the mirror. ¡¸Eh¡­? ¡¹ I thought that my eyes were tricking me, but what I saw was clear. ¡¸Ah¡­? ¡¹ Countless of wrinkles appeared on my forehead and, at the corners of my eyes and mouth! My beautiful blonde hair became fully white! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What is this!? ¡¹ ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista!? You¡­You transformed into a grandmother so suddenly!! ¡¹ Both of us were in shock. Then, we heard a soft voice speaking right next to us. ¡¸Okay. The growth rate was extremely fast. What a great power. ¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhhhhhh!? ¡¹ When I looked sideways, I noticed that Seiya was pointing a red sword on my direction! A red-black aura from that blade engulfed my entire body! ¡¸This was your doing!??????? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the power of this sword. I bought a sword from the beast people before. Apparently, the sword absorbs life energy. So, I synthesized that sword with the amulet of the evil god¡¯s protection and created this brand-new sword.¡¹ When Seiya moved the sword away from me, the wrinkles on my face disappeared immediately. But, when I approached him, I became a wrinkled grandmother once again. ¡¸I¡¯m getting old and young continuously!? Just stop this already!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a mysterious sword. Do you want to use your appraisal skill? ¡¹ While my nose got twitchy, I activated my Appraisal skill just as Seiya did. ¡º¡°Holy Power Drain Sword¡±¡­A sword that absorbs the holy spirit of a god! Just by getting close to the blade, the god will grow old and become weak! ¡» I shouted aloud while I quivered my chin. ¡¸What the hell is wrong with that useless sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Holy Power Drain Sword¡±, huh. It¡¯s a very long name. From now on, I¡¯ll call it ¡°Lista Granny Sword¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you, don¡¯t be ridiculous!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not joking. I was developing a sword to replace the Platinum Sword. Either way, I think that Exfolia won¡¯t have any powerful weapons to defeat the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t beat the Demon King with that failure!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a failure. It may be useful for the future. Besides, I want to create a spare as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸We don¡¯t need two or three of that sword!! ¡¹ I yelled at Seiya, who didn¡¯t seem to be bothered much as he put that eerie sword on the tool luggage. ¡¸By the way, did you wanted to stay behind in order to create that thing!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. That¡¯s ¡°another case¡±. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that!! How many things were he focused on!? ¡¸The original ¡°case¡± has not advanced much. That¡¯s why I had no choice but to stay in the heavenly world for a longer period of time. We shall stay here until the end of today. So, get ready.¡¹ After professing those words, Seiya left the room in a rush. ¡¸What¡¯s going on, c¡¯mon!! ¡¹ He came here out of nowhere, transformed into a wrinkled grandmother and told me to get ready immediately. I felt frustrated by this situation, but Kiriko talked cheerfully. ¡¸Mr. Seiya really loves Miss Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, what!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad to see that you two have a close relationship! ¡¹ We had a ¡°close relationship¡±; she said¡­What does that mean? Hmm. Kiri was a robot after all. She didn¡¯t know much about men and women¡­ ¡ª After regaining composure, I got ready and went to inform John Dae that our party had to go back to Exfolia. When Celseus heard about the story, he looked regretful. ¡¸Please stop by whenever you come to the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Thank you for mentoring me. ¡¹ After a strong handshake with John Dae, Celseus looked back at Kiriko. ¡¸Kiriko as well. You have my gratitude. Our shop flourished thanks to you. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No! I didn¡¯t do much! ¡¹ ¡°There is a Cafe where monsters serve coffee¡±¡­This rumor spread throughout the God¡¯s realm. Since then, the Cafe De Celseus became a hit. It was busier than ever for the last two days. Celseus was staring at the two of them with a serious look. ¡¸I always saw everything with prejudice. Until now. But, John Dae and Kiriko. I was able to change my views when I met you both. As a Swordsman God, I was¡­Ughhh!?¡¹ Suddenly, Celseus, who was talking seriously, blew away from us! He landed a few meters away from us! His condition was severe because he was foaming bubbles from his mouth! ¡¸Ce¡­Celseus!? ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Celseus!? ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko panicked and shouted extremely high. The place where Celseus was talking stood Seiya, who held his leg high. It seemed that Seiya hit Celseus with a powerful kick. John Dae screamed at Seiya upon seeing a fainted Celseus. ¡¸Hey, why did you kick him all of a sudden!? ¡¹ ¡¸It was a crappy story and it was going to take a long time to finish. So, I shortened the sentences.¡¹ ¡¸Is that the reason why you kicked him like that!? You¡¯re awful!! ¡¹ Seiya ignored John Dae¡¯s rants and talked to me. ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re ready. Okay, let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand. ¡¹ I hated it when Seiya kicked others and me. But, I didn¡¯t say much and just agreed. Aria and Adenela came to see us off. ¡¸Seiya. Lista. Good luck. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you, Aria! ¡¹ I gave Aria a ring and other jewelry as gifts. Yes, some of the items I¡¯ve bought from Bardul. ¡¸We¡­Well, don¡¯t worry. Se¡­Seiya became mu¡­much stronger. The¡­There is no longer an¡­an enemy in¡­in any world that he¡­he won¡¯t be able to¡­to defeat¡­¡¹ After I smiled back to Adenela, I stared at Seiya. ¡¸Well then, Seiya. Are we going to Tarmine now? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I want to reinforce the fortress that I built on the southern coast of Radral. ¡¹ ¡¸Near Galvano, I see. Understood. ¡¹ However, on this moment. John Dae asked Seiya the following question with a rare and apologetic expression on his face. ¡¸I apologize, but I have one request. Can¡¯t we visit the northern territory of the Baracuda continent, on which was ruled by the Machine Emperor?¡¹ ¡¸Why? ¡¹ ¡¸Although the Killing Machines controlled that continent; perhaps, a few humans survived just like what happened with Tarmine.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ Seiya was silent while he thought deeply about it¡­ ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­! If I could, I¡¯d like to know what happened in the Baracuda continent¡­!¡¹ After Kiriko spoke, Seiya nodded quietly. Although he was mostly cold and indifferent, Seiya was still a hero. He¡¯d probably want to save others if there was a still life to be saved. I also felt the same way. However, it was necessary to have the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s permission to open the portal to a place that we had never been before. ¡¸Lista. I¡¯ll talk with Lady Isister. ¡¹ Aria, who was listening to our conversation, closed her eyes as if she were meditating in order to speak with the Great Goddess Isister through her mind. After a while, Aria opened her eyes. ¡¸Right now, Lady Isister gave you the permission to open the portal to the Baracuda continent. However¡­¡¹ Aria spoke with a troubled complexion. ¡¸Lady Isister told me that you probably won¡¯t find any surviving humans in the Baracuda continent¡­¡¹ We sighed depressively upon hearing Aria¡¯s words. Even so, Seiya thought differently. ¡¸Isister¡¯s prophetic eyes got weakened because of the evil god, right? She isn¡¯t 100% sure then. Therefore, we can¡¯t guarantee that there aren¡¯t any survivors. In fact, I will confirm that until I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right! Seiya is correct! Let¡¯s go! ¡¹ Both John Dae and Kiriko nodded positively. After that, Seiya made an earth snake enter the portal to check out the surroundings. After confirming the safety of the area, we finally dived in through the portal. ¡ª John Dae, Kiriko and I lost our words upon seeing the scene that spread right in front of us when we got out of the portal. It was a vast area with absolutely nothing. It was a long burnt field. Moreover, we could see not only a few human bones, but also hundreds of them scattered everywhere. ¡­Ho¡­How terrible¡­! Perhaps, no human was alive after all¡­! Meanwhile, Seiya spoke indifferently as usual. ¡¸Well, it seems there isn¡¯t much hope. But, let¡¯s explore for now to see if we can find survivors. Maybe this place is the only badly affected area.¡¹ And then, Seiya bent on his knees and put his hands on the ground. It seemed that he created earth snakes to explore the surroundings. John Dae asked Seiya. ¡¸Although it is not as large as Radral, the Baracuda continent is a vast place. Won¡¯t it take a long time to investigate all areas?¡¹ Nevertheless, on this precise moment, the ground rose in a circle around Seiya. Then, the mounds moved away from Seiya at a tremendous speed as if a large wave moved rapidly through the surface of the water. ¡¸Because of my training with the Goddess of Earth, I succeeded in creating earth snakes that greatly improved on their movement. Their speed increased substantially. It won¡¯t take much time to know the current situation of this continent.¡¹ Seiya closed his eyes. Apparently, he was watching everything by linking his eyes with the eyes of the countless earth snakes. Occasionally, Seiya reported the situation as if he were a machine. ¡¸¡­West. The area is full of corpses within the radius of 30 kilometers (EN: 18,64 miles).¡¹ ¡¸¡­The same scenario for the northern region. No survivors detected. ¡¹ After doing this for a while, Seiya looked as if he saw a terrible sight. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. Are you all right? Isn¡¯t it too painful for you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m sharing my vision with many earth snakes. It takes a tool on my nerve system. But, there¡¯s no big problem.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Is that so¡­ ¡¹ Seeing a large number of human skeletons didn¡¯t seem to bother Seiya. In addition, he was worried about something totally different from my worries. Then, I noticed that Kiriko held her head low behind the focused Seiya. Before I could talk to her, John Dae put his hand on Kiriko¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Are you okay, Kiriko? ¡¹ ¡¸Father¡­No. The Machine Emperor Oxelio said that my real parents were dead. In other words, does that mean that my parents died on this land?¡¹ John Dae was taken aback by her words. ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s not necessarily true! I¡¯m sure that some people survived this chaos! Among those people might be your parents!¡¹ ¡¸I really hope so¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko felt depressed. I slowly approached her then. I squatted a little to look straight into Kiriko¡¯s face. ¡¸Listen, Kiri. You are a very good-natured girl. And, a good girl will always have a wonderful future ahead of her.¡¹ ¡¸A wonderful future, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡¹ John Dae agreed with me. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s correct! Perhaps we might find a way to transform Kiriko into a human being once again!¡¹ ¡¸To¡­To become human again? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s hope! ¡¹ ¡¸Are¡­Are you sure? If¡­If there is that possibility¡­I would be extremely happy¡­! ¡¹ Then, Kiriko spoke with a bright tone. ¡¸Thank you very much! I feel much better now! ¡¹ However. This time. Seiya didn¡¯t turn around and spilled icy words. ¡¸If you continue to do good things, you¡¯ll die without being rewarded. Besides, some villains do as they please and nobody judges them. Nothing is certain. Therefore, nobody knows what will happen in the future.¡¹ John Dae began to yell after he heard those piercing words. ¡¸Hey, you!! What the hell are you saying!! ¡¹ I fully agreed! We tried our hardest to lift up Kiriko¡¯s mood, and yet, he ruined everything! Seiya moved his neck slightly and stared at Kiriko with cold eyes. ¡¸Kiriko. You are a machine. You must stop having high expectations that you may become a human one day.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand this anymore. ¡¸That¡¯s cruel, Seiya!! Why do you enjoy saying hurtful words!? ¡¹ ¡¸The disappointment will be considerable if she finds out that it would be impossible for her to be human again. Will you take responsibility if that happens?¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t make promises that you can¡¯t keep. ¡¹ And then, Seiya turned his back on me. ¡¸Lista. Summon the portal. There¡¯s no use in being here. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­! Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I fully grasped the situation throughout the Baracuda continent. Isister was right. There are no survivors on this land. There¡¯s nothing here except bones and the Killing Machines¡¯ remnants scattered around the vast area.¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait! You did your exploration in a very short time! Maybe you overlooked something significant!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t overlook. My investigation is sure and perfect. There are no survivors.¡¹ John Dae knew by his experience that Seiya¡¯s words were true. Both John Dae and I remained silent afterwards. However, Kiriko opened her mouth and uttered the following words. ¡¸My father and mother are really dead after all¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I knew it from the beginning. This search for survivors is just a formality. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t recognize your parent¡¯s faces even if they were alive, am I correct?¡¹ ¡¸Ri¡­Right¡­You¡¯re correct¡­ ¡¹ Then, Seiya changed his gaze from Kiriko to me. ¡¸This is a waste of time. Okay, Lista. We¡¯re going to the fortress as originally planned. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Just think a little about Kiri¡¯s feelings! ¡¹ ¡¸My job is to save this world. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s fine, Miss Lista! Let¡¯s go to next place now! A¡­Actually¡­I don¡¯t want to be here anymore¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kiri¡­ ¡¹ A frustrated John Dae kicked the soil with his feet. He didn¡¯t say much, but he probably thought to himself that, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked to explore the Baracuda continent in the first place¡±. With a feeling of closure, we headed to the southern coastline of the Radral continent. Volume 2 - CH 94 Chapter 94: Walking Disaster Queen Carmilla was gentle towards Kiriko as she put a light brown cloak over Kiriko¡¯s shoulder as if it were a blanket. ¡¸I wanted to give you something more pretty, but it would stand out too much if it were too bright.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no! This cloak is lovely! Thank you very much! ¡¹ At this precise moment, Kiriko, John Dae and I were at the Queen¡¯s residence, the Tarmine Palace. Kiriko had regained her energy two days after we returned from the Baracuda continent. Queen Carmilla also helped on this regard. The Queen treated Kiriko with care and showed the surrounding soldiers that they didn¡¯t need to feel worried about her. Because of this event, a rumor spread throughout the Tarmine Kingdom that Kiriko wasn¡¯t a terrible monster. John Dae spoke to Kiriko after she waved her new cloak in front of a full-length mirror. ¡¸Kiriko! It¡¯s a great honor to receive a gift from the Queen! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I am so happy that many people want me to feel better with myself! ¡¹ The Queen spoke to me after we watched the two of them chatting happily. ¡¸She¡¯s a very good and honest child. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, very! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s like¡­how do I put it¡­ ¡¹ The Queen gently shook her head with a smile. I think she remembered Princess Tiana when she was a young girl. ¡­Would the Queen believe me if I told her that I was Princess Tiana¡¯s reincarnation? I felt that, if the Queen accepted Kiriko, she would surely believe me. But¡­ ¡¸So, is the hero in Galvano again? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! Tha¡­That¡¯s right! ¡¹ I spoke to the Queen with a bright and loud voice. The Queen responded to me with the following words. ¡¸No days off. I wonder if he is all right. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s fine! We¡¯re talking about Seiya after all! ¡¹ The Queen was worried about Seiya. But, I wasn¡¯t. It was because I knew perfectly well that it was normal for that hero to prepare in advance without a break. *ring ring ring ring* ¡¸Ah. Speaking of the devil, it¡¯s the snake mobile phone. ¡¹ I took the earth snake from my chest and placed it on my ear. ¡¸Lista. I got to return to Tarmine now. Summon the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Roger that. ¡¹ I summoned the portal as I was told to. The door opened immediately and Seiya came out. ¡¸So? How about the fortress? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I finally completed it today. ¡¹ The other day, John Dae and I became speechless when we saw the fortress being built in the south of Galvano. Countless of golems were put on a watch position, while the rock wall was built through a vast area. In the center of the wall was a magnificent fort. I never imagined that Seiya could build something with such architectural design. We left Seiya behind, who continued to reinforce the surrounding rock wall. But, before we returned to Tarmine, I noticed that the fortress was already complete. Perhaps the ¡°completion¡± that Seiya referred to was probably around 120%. Seiya walked up to the Queen when he saw her. ¡¸Can I borrow this undead for the Ceremonic attack? ¡¹ I was so surprised and shocked that I almost jumped when I saw that Seiya was pointing towards John Dae. ¡¸Ehhh!? Seiya!! I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re willing to take others with you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. So, you do need my help after all. Well, as long as you have the Queen¡¯s permission, there is no problem.¡¹ Seiya ignored John Dae¡¯s response, and spoke to the Queen and me. ¡¸He¡¯s an undead. Since he is somewhat cursed, there¡¯s less worry about him being cursed once again. And even if he gets cursed, or become disabled, he¡¯s just a zombie after all. What happens to him doesn¡¯t matter that much.¡¹ When we heard the harsh truth, John Dae raised his voice. ¡¸How dare you say something like that right in front of me!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! At least you should say his name, it¡¯s John Dae!! ¡¹ ¡¸No!! That was not the point!! You guys are the worst!!¡­My Queen, please say something on my behalf!!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know much about the undead. You can take whatever it pleases you. ¡¹ ¡¸Even the Queen!? That¡¯s harsh!! ¡¹ Seiya may be serious, but the Queen¡¯s amusing face said that it was a joke. After knowing that, Kiriko and I laughed happily. ¡­By the way, about the so-called ¡°Emperor Ceremonic¡±. I wondered if he¡¯ll bring a cursed monster army¡­ I hoped that it wasn¡¯t something too dreadful and frightening¡­ In contrast to me, John Dae, who was chosen to accompany the hero as a fellow comrade, called one of his men guarding the front door. ¡¸I have to be ready. Get the armor from my room. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Seiya stopped the guard, who saluted cheerfully, once he tried to go to John Dae¡¯s room. ¡¸Hey, bring some tea as well. I¡¯ll need it if this guy begins to stink like a rotten zombie.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s not ¡°Yes!¡±!! Did you forget who your superior is!? Amory is more important than tea!!¡¹ While John Dae was screaming at his subordinate, I noticed that Seiya was staring silently at Kiriko. ¡¸Hey. What¡­is that thing? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! That¡¯s Kiri, you know? ¡¹ Thanks to the Queen¡¯s cloak, Kiriko¡¯s metallic body was invisible to the human eye. I was kinda happy that Seiya didn¡¯t realize that it was Kiriko, since it meant that the cloak was a success. Still, Seiya was referring to something else. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to wear something useless. I can change her into a human being with the power of my art of change.¡¹ I see! So, she could transform into a young girl with Seiya¡¯s power? Why didn¡¯t I realize it before! However, Kiriko felt that my flower pendant and the Queen¡¯s cloak would be meaningless if she changed completely. Therefore, Kiriko rejected Seiya¡¯s proposal. ¡¸Sorry, but I¡­I want to stay in this form as much as possible. Because, this is my true appearance now after all¡­¡¹ After a brief silence, Seiya muttered the following words. ¡¸Okay, do as you please. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry. I didn¡¯t want to speak haughty words. ¡¹ ¡¸That was what you decided for yourself. So, that¡¯s fine. ¡¹ On this moment, the air became a little heavier. I felt that Seiya¡¯s body bounced sideways. ¡¸Eh? Mister Seiya? ¡¹ Not only me, but Kiriko noticed something strange as well. ¡¸Are¡­Are you all right, Seiya!? Didn¡¯t you sway just now!? ¡¹ Then¡­ *alarm sound* Suddenly, an alarm sound quite different from the earth snake mobile phone rang on Seiya¡¯s chest! This sound was the same alarm sound that alerted us when the Imperial Machine Corps attacked Tarmine! The earth snake, which Seiya took out of his upper armor, was trembling and making a weird noise. Apparently, it had a vibration function. So, this was the earth snake that made Seiya¡¯s body oscillate slightly. ¡¸Seiya! Did something happened to Tarmine? ¡¹ ¡¸No. The alarm of this earth snake came from the southern coast of the Radral continent.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that the Ceremonic¡¯s attacking forces crossed the sea!? ¡¹ ¡¸Most probably. Wait a moment. ¡¹ Seiya closed his eyes. It seemed that he connected his eyes with the earth snakes. After a while, he finally opened his mouth. ¡¸It seems that a small boat is approaching the coast. Apparently, there is only a single person on that boat.¡¹ ¡¸And¡­is that person Ceremonic? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. ¡¹ The Queen twisted her neck when she heard what was happening. ¡¸Does a mighty monster that rules an entire continent come here by rowing a small boat? If he was planning to attack us, wouldn¡¯t he bring a whole army of monsters with him?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I thought the same. That¡¯s why I built a strong fortress. But, I can¡¯t say for sure if that single person is Ceremonic or not.¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me, hero. What does that person look like? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. ¡¹ ¡¸Why is your information too sparse since a while ago? Is the boat too far in the distance? ¡¹ Then, Seiya wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to see it clearly. I might get cursed just by looking directly at it. I don¡¯t want to be turned into a stone.¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment, Seiya. How can you get cursed if you can¡¯t even see if that person is Ceremonic or not?¡¹ I spoke with a small grin on my face, but Seiya was serious. ¡¸There was a video, which came out of a rental store of my world, that cursed the person who saw it. I should consider the possibility of the curse being activated when you see it.¡¹ No, that was just a cheap imitation to scare other people. There was no way that you¡¯d find a cursed video in a rental store¡­But, I couldn¡¯t argue with him, and I just nodded silently. ¡¸Anyway. I¡¯m going to the fortress to analyze it closer. Lista. Open the portal. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t think it was Ceremonic. Yet, the whole scene was quite suspicious. After I invoked the portal, I stared at Kiriko. ¡¸Listen, Kiri. What do you want do to? Do you want to stay here? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I am also a comrade! I will go with you! ¡¹ Kiriko put her hands on her chest vigorously. I nodded and the Queen smiled. ¡¸Miss Goddess, you don¡¯t have to worry about Tarmine. There¡¯s a lot a golems here. Besides, we also have the huge goddess protecting us from outside the walls.¡¹ ¡¸All right! Okay, we¡¯ll go now! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, even though that thing is just a big junk. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a ¡°junk¡±!! ¡¹ ¡ª As instructed, I opened the portal that was connected to the inside of the fortress, Seiya opened the door and went in, John Dae, Kiriko and I followed him. We kept following Seiya, as he walked through a dungeon-like passage made inside of the rock wall¡­ ¡¸Hey. It¡¯s a dead end. ¡¹ John Dae spoke after we arrived at rock wall that blocked our way. On this precise instant, my feet began to shake slowly. ¡¸Wha¡­What!? ¡¹ I felt a floating sensation so abruptly! My field of vision swayed up and down! It continued for a while and then it stopped immediately. ¡¸It was like an elevator. We are now in the basement of the fortress. ¡¹ ¡¸Basement, you say!? ¡¹ The fortress built by Seiya was so strong that it seemed like it had a tremendous defensive power. But, I wondered if he was actually arranging a shelter in the basement of the fortress. I thought that I was used to Seiya¡¯s cautious attitude, and yet, I was surprised once again. Seiya walked through the underground passage much to our surprise. Eventually, a door made of wood appeared right in front of me. When I entered inside, I was astonished even further. It was a large room illuminated with the magical stones. There were countless of water buckets inside the room. The buckets reflected several different zones, such as the sea, the flatlands and the surroundings of the fortress. In addition, I noticed that Seiya created a stone-like deck at a distance, and a large number of earth snakes were pierced on the deck like microphones. This surveillance room, which was created for the battle against the next Emperor, looked like a military command room. ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ Seiya stared at one of the water buckets and frowned. I also looked at the video of the earth snake camera and I was shaken. ¡¸The¡­The boat is empty¡­? ¡¹ The earth snake camera showed that the small-unmanned boat reached the shore. ¡­The person who was on the boat¡­already arrived in the Radral continent! ¡¸It¡¯s strange. Although I didn¡¯t see that person clearly, my earth snakes would¡¯ve alerted me about a possible arrival.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Where did that person go? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. I have countless of earth snakes out there. I will find him immediately. ¡¹ Then, Seiya gave a quick glance at John Dae. ¡¸John Dae. It¡¯s your turn. ¡¹ ¡¸Gre¡­Great! ¡¹ Seiya stopped John Dae who stood up with his sword. ¡¸What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Weren¡¯t you saying to get rid of it!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. Your job is to find that person on the earth snake monitors. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just it!? ¡¹ ¡¸In addition to a video curse, there may be an audio curse as well. There¡¯s a danger of being cursed just by listening to it. First, you have to see it and listen to it. Then, you can tell me about it afterwards. So, try it.¡¹ ¡¸Am I a ¡°taster for poison¡±¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Never mind about that. Just look at the buckets. Bring yourself closer and watch carefully from the earth snakes monitors.¡¹ John Dae looked at the water buckets with hesitation. And then, he slowly spoke the following words. ¡¸¡­The person is walking towards the fortress. The person standing in front of the wall looks like a human woman¡­but¡­with two faces¡­¡¹ At first, John Dae¡¯s voice was intrigued, but soon, his tone became serious. ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen a monster like that before. Maybe that woman is Ceremonic. ¡¹ ¡¸How do you know that? You can¡¯t use clairvoyance, am I right? I¡¯ve done a bit of research, but I didn¡¯t find much information about Ceremonic. You can¡¯t make a judgment based on its appearance alone.¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯m certain that that monster is Ceremonic. It¡¯s the most ominous monster that I¡¯ve encountered on the battlefield so far. The grass is dying while she walks on it.¡¹ Although he was bullied and abashed by Seiya, John Dae was still a war veteran general. His words sounded real and true. ¡¸¡­So, what about your symptoms? ¡¹ ¡¸Stop reminding me of that. If you¡¯re talking about the curse, I don¡¯t see any particular changes in me.¡¹ Seiya nodded positively after a while. ¡¸Okay. It seems that the curse won¡¯t activate if you see it or hear the voice. John Dae, you can go home now.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going home now!! Don¡¯t joke with me!! ¡¹ After he pushed an angry John Dae aside, Seiya began to look carefully at the water bucket. Kiriko and I also looked behind his back. A woman walking with a dirty long dress entered my field of vision. On the next bucket, I could see the full close-up image of this person. It was a woman with a long and dark hair. It looked quite disturbed to me¡­and¡­the other woman¡¯s head had a dark hair as well but was beautifully arranged! As John Dae described, it was a woman with two faces in one body! The disturbed dark-haired woman began to shout aloud. ¡¸Big sis Monica! You did it again! ¡¹ The woman with the beautiful hair responded with a calm voice. ¡¸It wasn¡¯t me. Serena. You were the one who did it. I just crushed Shanak¡¯s eyes. ¡¹ ¡¸But, I just broke Shanak¡¯s nose, you know! ¡¹ Wha¡­What! They were arguing about some weird story¡­! So creepy¡­! ¡¸Serena. More importantly. Now our duty is to finish off the hero, and not the dead Shanak. I heard that both the Beast Emperor the Grand Lion and the Machine Emperor Oxelio were defeated. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ ¡¸Who cares. By the way, I wonder if that bastard hero will be surprised by us? After all, we came here by ourselves.¡¹ ¡¸Well, the real strong being is the one that acts in a small numbers. But, Serena. He won¡¯t be that surprised¡­¡¹ On this moment, one of the heads moved its eyes towards the monitor! My eyes quivered when our gaze met with one another! ¡¸The hero is already listening to our conversation. ¡¹ I shook Seiya¡¯s body while my hands trembled incessantly. ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya!! They¡¯re aware of us!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Let¡¯s move the earth snake further away from that spot. I shall put it with a distance of 30 meters apart between the monitor and that thing.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s really far away! That¡¯s such a high-performance camera! ¡¹ Nonetheless. Seiya stopped his movement when he tried to give the new instructions to the earth snake camera. ¡¸¡­Hmm. Fast. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ When I heard those words, I saw a huge and stagnant big one eye that was projected through the earth snake camera! ¡¸Gyaaa!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hiiiiii!! ¡¹ Kiriko and I were so startled that we screamed extremely high! This must¡¯ve happened when we moved our eyes away from the camera for a very brief moment. At this precise moment, the two heads were reflected on the camera of the water bucket. The woman with the arranged hair and the woman with the disturbed hair spoke alternately. ¡¸Nice to meet you, hero. I am the Empress Ceremonic. ¡¹ ¡¸Noooo! Big sis Monica! You¡¯re too polite! I am the fearsome one! I am the Empress Ceremonic!¡¹ Then, the two heads laughed wickedly at us. ¡¸From now on, I will defeat you in order to avenge the death of my younger sister Shanak.¡¹ ¡¸I will kill you with the curse. You¡¯ll suffer, suffer, and suffer a lot¡­ Until you die!¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 95.1 Chapter 95: Even Falling (1) Suddenly, the clear image of the water bucket turned into a sandstorm. Perhaps, Ceremonic destroyed the earth snake camera. Still, there was many more earth snakes intact. From a different angle, we could see that Ceremonic began walking further ahead. Kiriko grabbed the hem of my dress and asked the following question. ¡¸She¡­She said she was going to avenge the death of her younger sister, right? What does that mean?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe Ceremonic had a monster sister that Seiya and I defeated when we first arrived in Exfolia¡­¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya defeated only the beast men and the Killing Machines since we¡¯ve arrived. No¡­Was there a possibility that Seiya killed Ceremonic¡¯s sister during the last time he tried to save Exfolia¡­!? Kiriko and I were thinking deeply about Ceremonic¡¯s behavior and words. However, it seemed that Seiya was thinking about something completely different. He had an expression that looked as if he had bored eyes. ¡¸That¡¯s not the biggest problem now. By the way, Lista. Can you see that thing¡¯s status?¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Status? ¡¹ After being told to see the enemy¡¯s status, I activated my clairvoyance ability to see the abilities of Ceremonic through one of the earth snakes cameras. However, I couldn¡¯t see any numbers. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s no use! I can¡¯t see anything! ¡¹ ¡¸I knew it. I tried to see it as well. But, I couldn¡¯t see any of that thing¡¯s abilities. There must be a reason for this. There are several possibilities. It might be because of the distance, since we¡¯re extremely far. It might be because we¡¯re watching through an earth snake monitor instead of seeing it for real. It might be due to the activation of a camouflage skill. Or, it might be because of the cursing aura that comes out of that thing¡¯s body.¡¹ Either way, it was creepy and frightening that we couldn¡¯t know anything about our enemy. In addition, Ceremonic herself looked extremely terrifying. She incited fear upon us. Seeing a womanly monster with two heads walking straight ahead made me feel so scared that I held Kiriko¡¯s hand, who in turn also grabbed my dress tight. I spoke aloud to encourage Kiriko and myself. ¡¸Bu¡­But, Ceremonic is just a single enemy! Besides! Seiya! You have a lot of golems around the fortress, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. There are roughly 2,000 bodies in position. ¡¹ Seiya pointed to one of the earth snakes cameras, which showed the front of the fortress. We could see a huge amount of golems on that reflected image. That number got confirmed. After seeing it, both Kiriko and I were slightly relieved. Nevertheless, our enemy Ceremonic walked alone without a care in the world through the fortress¡¯ grounds regardless of the golems¡¯ presence. Of the two-heads monster, the one with disturbed hair had a disgusted expression on her face. ¡¸That¡¯s a great number of golems. When did he prepare this much? Just how cautious and coward is this hero?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s actually an honor for us if you put it in a different perspective. He must think that the Empress Ceremonic is a real threat. However¡­It¡¯s a pity, but this won¡¯t be much of a fight for us.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Thousands of obstacles are nothing. ¡¹ Then, the two heads spoke at the same time. ¡¸Stealth Step. ¡¹ Just when I blank my eyes on for moment¡­Ceremonic had disappeared from the monitor! I tried to look for her in several water buckets! I tried over and over, but I could only see the fortress and the golems! ¡¸¡­Over there. ¡¹ Seiya was standing at a corner a little bit further away from us. The image of the earth snake camera, taken from the ¡°bird¡¯s-eye view¡± at the top of the fortress, showed that Ceremonic was standing right at the entrance. John Dae and I were astonished upon seeing this sight. ¡¸Im¡­Impossible¡­!! When did she get there¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! How did that monster passed through the golems¡¯ defense unit!?¡¹ The woman with the disturbed hair noticed the location of the earth snake camera at the top of the fortress¡¯ entrance. She spoke directly to the camera. ¡¸*laughs maniacally* Can you see us now? I will cut off your throat and neck with our instant movement!¡¹ ¡¸You know, Serena. Why do you have to mention the secret of our ability? ¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh, my bad! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really mind it. I can¡¯t prevent you from talking after all. ¡¹ I freaked out when I heard the conversation between the Ceremonic sisters. ¡¸Instant movement¡­Then, does that mean that she could teleport herself from that faraway area to this place all of a sudden!?¡¹ At first, I was quite relieved that we had a strong fortress and a powerful backup army in defense. But, suddenly, this situation felt as if a blade pierced my back. John Dae pulled the sword out of his sheath. Kiriko and I looked at our surroundings because we were too frightened. Ceremonic could appear right at our side in a blink of an eye. However, Seiya was the only one that remained calm. ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. It may be teleportation, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she can go whenever she wants. If that was possible, why didn¡¯t she appear right next to Lista and me when we were in Tarmine? In the first place, she wouldn¡¯t cross the sea with a boat to reach this continent if she really had a teleportation skill. There¡¯s gotta be some limit to her mobility.¡¹ ¡¸Limit? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just my assumption. Either she can only move on a continuous direction¡­or she can move to a location that where she must see it first¡­Well, the countermeasures differ depending on whether you are jumping over the space or moving at a speed close to the speed of light.¡¹ Seiya moved his nose with his arms folded. ¡¸Either way, it¡¯s a feasible hypothesis. So, I don¡¯t see any problem at all. ¡¹ John Dae, Kiriko and I looked at each other. After a while, John Dae relaxed his mouth, laughed a little bit ¡¸Ah, ah. ¡¹, and put the sword back on its sheath. The heavy air loosened a bit. ¡­Ceremonic had a creepy and perturbing appearance and behavior. She could use a teleportation skill as well. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be too abnormal to feel panic. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t look upset. We heard that we shouldn¡¯t underestimate the cursed Empress Ceremonic. Even so, this hero wasn¡¯t that concerned nor did he lose his sense. ¡¸That thing just flew right into the middle of ¡°fire¡±. I will let her taste the power of my strong fortress to her heart¡¯s content.¡¹ I was so relieved to witness Seiya¡¯s confident posture as if he were a true boss. ¡­Tha¡­That¡¯s right! Any enemy wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Seiya! And, if by any chance the enemy was too powerful, Seiya would defeat it with his State Berserk Phase 2.7! There was absolutely nothing to fear! On this moment. *bangggggg* Abruptly I heard a violent sound. When I looked at that sound¡¯s direction, I realized that Seiya plunged his face in the bucket of an earth snake camera. ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ I was speechless. Seiya kept his face completely in the water bucket and didn¡¯t make even a slight movement. It was like a goofy scene of a comedic act. ¡¸He¡­Hey¡­What the hell is wrong with him? Is he joking around? ¡¹ ¡¸Uh¡­What are you doing, Seiya? ¡¹ Neither John Dae nor I were able to understand the situation. Kiriko rushed to Seiya¡¯s direction and shook his body. ¡¸Mister Seiya! Mister Seiya! Please, hang in there! ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no. Kiri, you have the wrong idea. There¡¯s no way that Seiya would fall unconscious like this.¡¹ Kiriko pushed Seiya¡¯s body to her side, and we saw that Seiya¡¯s eyes were closed. It was as if he collapsed after losing all of his strength. Kiriko put Seiya on the ground with both of her hands, and with her face, she touched Seiya¡¯s chest. ¡¸He is breathing! There is also a heartbeat! But, he¡¯s not conscious! ¡¹ I laughed at Kiriko, who was feeling quite desperate. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay! He¡¯s acting again! Just like the same way as he did with Oxelio! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. But, we don¡¯t know anything about the hero¡¯s intention for doing this¡­.How about we wake him up?¡¹ But, Seiya kept his eyes closed. Kiriko pulled the hem of my dress hurryingly. ¡¸Miss Lista! Miss Lista! Hurry up and check Mister Seiya¡¯s status! ¡¹ I activated my clairvoyance ability because Kiriko told me urgently to do it¡­ Ryuguuin Seiya Profession ¨C Magic Warrior (Earth Attribute) Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 321960 MP ¨C 88155 Attack ¨C 293412 Defense ¨C 287644 Agility ¨C 268875 Magic ¨C 58751 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡­ ¡¸See? There¡¯s no reason to fret. His HP is full¡­ ¡¹ I realized something odd as soon as I spoke those words. No¡­No. Wait a second!! How could I see through Seiya¡¯s status when he always hid it with his camouflage skills!? In¡­In other words, this meant that¡­!! ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! Seiya!? ¡¹ I finally realized the seriousness of this situation. I rapidly approached Seiya and embraced him. ¡¸Why!? Just why!? This has never happened before!! ¡¹ Next to me, I noticed that John Dae¡¯s face became ¡°blue¡±. ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that this was Ceremonic¡¯s curse!? The hero said that a curse could activate if one looked directly at Ceremonic¡¯s appearance, right!?¡¹ ¡¸Curse!? But, if that¡¯s true, why are we okay!? ¡¹ Both John Dae and I were confused and started panicking¡­ ¡¸¡­Maybe it wasn¡¯t a curse. ¡¹ Kiriko¡¯s calm voice echoed around. After I took a deep breath, I asked Kiriko the following question. ¡¸The¡­Then, Kiri. What do you think that made Seiya this way? ¡¹ ¡¸His heart was suffering. That¡¯s why he fell down. ¡¹ ¡¸Su¡­Suffering? Seiya, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­That¡¯s correct¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko gently stroked Seiya¡¯s glossy black hair. ¡¸I think he has been enduring everything on his own. Mister Seiya¡­I had that feeling since we came back from the heavenly world and saw the human bones in the Baracuda continent¡­No. Actually, I felt Seiya¡¯s hardships and loneliness since the very moment I¡¯ve met him¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kiri. You¡­!? ¡¹ How did a machine like Kiriko managed to feel something as deep as that¡­While I was immersed on my own thoughts, I heard a combination of two loud voices. ¡¸Grudge Hand! ¡¹ These voices came simultaneously out of the earth snake camera! When I looked at it, I saw that Ceremonic touched a golem with her right palm! Once she touched it, the golem turned into sand immediately! On that instant, three golems tried to attack Ceremonic! But, it was in vain because all of them turned into sand upon touching the hands of Ceremonic! When the golems, which were protecting the entrance of the fortress, were wiped out, Ceremonic began to laugh as a mad woman! ¡¸This fight was too boring. It would be far more interesting if it were a human instead. I would love to see some limbs fall apart and lose lots of blood spilled everywhere.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Serena. You¡¯ll see it soon. You¡¯ll enjoy the moment where the hero and his fellow comrades will beg pitifully for their lives as they die slowly and painfully¡­¡¹ Ugh! What a horrible and creepy enemy we¡¯ve got here! There was no way that we could overcome this perilous situation without Seiya! ¡¸I¡¯m going to summon the portal! We should take Seiya with us and retreat to the God¡¯s realm! John Dae! Please, hold Seiya for now!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! ¡¹ I invoked the portal to the God¡¯s realm. When I hurryingly opened the door¡­I was utterly shocked. A white wall blocked the portal¡¯s door. ¡¸Thi¡­This is¡­the power of the Cursed Sphere¡­!! ¡¹ My brain freaked out without knowing what to do¡­ Volume 2 - CH 95.2 Chapter 95: Even Falling (2) The power of the Cursed Sphere. No way!! Don¡¯t tell me that Ceremonic put a Cursed Sphere in her body like Bunogeos did to himself!? Summing up¡­We won¡¯t be able to return to the God¡¯s realm as long as we¡¯re near Ceremonic!? ¡¸Goddess! If we can¡¯t go back to the God¡¯s realm, why don¡¯t we go to Tarmine instead? The hero might recover if we take him there for a short moment! It¡¯s regrettable, but we can¡¯t do anything without his help!¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ Then, I opened the portal to lead us back to Tarmine. During the quest to defeat the Grand Lion, I managed to move between places in this earthly world even if I couldn¡¯t go back to the God¡¯s realm. But¡­I trembled incessantly once I opened the door! The white wall stood right in front of me! It didn¡¯t disappear! ¡¸Ugh¡­! Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s impossible to escape from this place¡­! ¡¹ John Dae groaned bitterly right next to me. Then, he approached Seiya who was still unconscious and shook his shoulders. ¡¸Hey! Wake up! Get up now! ¡¹ ¡¸Ple¡­Please, stop it! Mister John Dae! Mister Seiya must rest now! ¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t let him take a rest! Just look over there! ¡¹ John Dae pointed out to an earth snake camera that showed the current position of the Empress Ceremonic. She stood in a new place as opposed to where she was at previously. ¡¸Big sis Monica. It looks like a dead end. ¡¹ She was standing in the area where we came down to this military basement!? I¡­I couldn¡¯t believe that she got there so fast!! She must¡¯ve used her instant movement ability with teleportation skills. I stared silently at the ceiling of the rock wall. Perhaps, Ceremonic was only a few meters above from us! We were staring at the top of the ceiling and at the earth snake camera alternately, without stopping. Soon, Ceremonic left the place where she was standing still. As soon as I took a deep breath as sign of relief, I heard the voice of the other Ceremonic sister from the water bucket. ¡¸Serena. There¡¯s a staircase leading to a basement. ¡¹ And then, Ceremonic went to the stairs. I wondered if she noticed the earth snake camera that was installed in the passage along the way. The sister with the disturbed hair put out her tongue. ¡¸I¡¯m coming to get you! I can¡¯t wait to cut your neck! *laughs maniacally* What kind of curse should I use?¡¹ ¡¸How about a curse that drains every drop of blood from his body while he¡¯s alive?¡¹ ¡¸A curse that will rot his flesh in a gruesome way is a good alternative too! He has to feel a dreadful and excruciating pain!¡¹ John Dae raised his voice as soon as Ceremonic disappeared from the angle of the earth snake camera. ¡¸This is bad! She found the staircase that leads to this basement! She¡¯ll be here soon! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What should we do now¡­! ¡¹ My body was full of sweat and my breathing became rough! We¡¯re boomed if she finds us here! Seiya and all of us would be annihilated instantly! ¡­We couldn¡¯t even run away from here¡­Ahhhhh!! What should I dooooo!? I started to panic, then¡­ *slurping sound* Suddenly, something small came out of the ground! ¡¸Gyaaaa!! Is it Ceremonic!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ple¡­Please calm down, Miss Lista! It¡¯s Mister Seiya¡¯s earth snake! ¡¹ ¡¸Huh¡­? Ah¡­You¡¯re right¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It has something on its mouth. ¡¹ After John Dae noticed that detail, the earth snake offered me a piece of paper that came from its mouth. ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ The following sentences were written on the paper. ¡ª ¡ºLista. If you¡¯re reading this, then something happened to my body during the quest to defeat Ceremonic. I hate to think about it this way, but I can¡¯t deny a possible scenario where I die.¡» ¡ª John Dae and Kiriko were both reading the sentences from behind my back. John Dae spoke with a startling voice after he read the word ¡°die¡±. ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell is this? Is this paper a¡­proof of his will? ¡¹ ¡¸No! Seiya is still alive¡­! ¡¹ I heard that some people wrote their own wills before they died. But, I never got bothered with it, because I never had a reason to care about my ¡°possible death¡± since I¡¯d never die¡­No! This wasn¡¯t the right time to think deeply about it! I had to get focused in order to read more of it! ¡ª ¡ºI usually pay careful attention to my health since the first day I began this journey¡­. Even so, there are some circumstances where I can¡¯t prevent, such as sudden illnesses, natural disasters, or accidents. So, that¡¯s why I wrote this piece of paper in case I got plagued by any of those reasons.¡» ¡ª John Dae yelled on my ears. ¡¸We don¡¯t have the time to read such a melancholic letter now!! Ceremonic is heading down through the staircase at this precise moment!!¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a minute, John Dae! Look at this part! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡ºWell, the fortress might be under attack, and our enemy Ceremonic might be in the midst of heading towards the basement room where you are standing still. Regardless of that scenario, you should keep reading this letter.¡» ¡ª ¡¸How could he be exactly on point!? Some¡­Somehow, it¡¯s frightening me!! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyways, Miss Lista! Let¡¯s keep reading the letter! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡ºCeremonic thinks that she has cornered you. But, she doesn¡¯t realize that it was me who cornered her. Listen carefully. The fortress itself is a huge trap. Actually, she defeated the thousands of golems outside of the fortress and reached the stairs that lead to the basement floor¡­This was almost impossible to accomplish if she weren¡¯t a powerful monster. That¡¯s why I created this place to be a huge set-up ground. In other words, I created a completely different area for the staircase passage. Even a powerful monster won¡¯t be able to avoid it. Ceremonic is descending the staircase to hell. The entrance up to the staircase is a labyrinth made of thirty underground layers that I¡¯ve created with earth magic.¡» ¡ª ¡¸Eh¡­? Thirty¡­underground layers¡­? ¡¹ John Dae, Kiriko and I looked attentively at the ceiling of the basement room. I thought that Ceremonic was reaching this place extremely soon!! But, this basement room where we were now was the lowest layer of a long and deep underground labyrinth!? ¡ª ¡ºActually, I think that the probability that I¡¯m dead is relatively low. But, for whatever reason, I¡¯m incapable of moving or talking. So, let me tell you this. If you act steadily according to the instructions I give you, then it will be possible for you to defeat Ceremonic on your own.¡» ¡ª There was a written sign at the end of the paper sheet. ¡ª ¡ºPerfectly Ready. ¡» Volume 2 - CH 96 Chapter 96: Cautious Instructions After reading the sheet of paper, I stared closely at an unconscious Seiya. ¡­No, you know¡­How was he ¡°Perfectly Ready¡± with that state¡­? Wasn¡¯t this occurrence quite bizarre¡­? While I was engrossed with my own thoughts¡­ ¡¸Miss Lista!! Look at that!! ¡¹ Kiriko was pointing towards a different place. I was fully astonished when I saw it. All of the images that we saw on the water buckets changed dramatically! It seemed that the earth snake cameras outside of the fortress retreated immediately! All of the images transformed into videos that showed an underground labyrinth! Furthermore, there was a button-like projection that I¡¯ve never seen before on a rock desk! ¡¸The military basement room just changed into a dungeon room that connects to a huge underground labyrinth¡­!¡¹ John Dae spoke with a stunned expression on his face. ¡¸We are at the bottom of the labyrinth. It seems that we¡¯re at the 30th basement level. That means that we aren¡¯t in immediate danger. However, it was written on that paper that if we follow the instructions, we¡¯ll able to defeat Ceremonic even though the hero has fallen. But, how can we follow his instructions?¡¹ Then, the earth snake, who brought the letter buried in the ground, dived into the floor as if it understood John Dae¡¯s words. After a few seconds, the earth snake appeared again but with a scroll attached to its body. ¡¸Is¡­Is this the instructions? ¡¹ The moment I tried to pick it up, dozens of earth snakes with scrolls came out of the ground! *screams* I was so shocked that I yelled aloud. Then, the earth snakes went to a specific area and gathered all of those scrolls together on that spot. Before long, those scrolls transformed into a mountain of endless scrolls. ¡¸He must be kidding me! Are all of these scrolls his instructions!? ¡¹ John Dae shouted in astonishment. And, I agreed with his surprise. I mean, when he had the time to write that large amount of instructions in the first place!? Actually, wasn¡¯t it natural that he fell down with fatigue and overwork by doing all of this!? After I gazed fixedly at Seiya with stunned eyes, an earth snake gave me a scroll. There was a sentence written inside. ¡ª ¡ºIf I¡¯m dead, advance to Page 108. If I¡¯m not dead, advance to Page 266.¡» ¡ª ¡¸Wha¡­What is this!? This thing looks like a Game Book!! ¡¹ ¡¸Game Book!? Goddess!! What is that!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a type of book that was extremely popular a long time ago in Seiya¡¯s world! Choices usually appear in the middle of the text, and you¡¯ll advance to the page that matched with your choice! Since the creation of interactive games that could be played on TV, the Game Book became completely out of use!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!! ¡¹ ¡¸You were the one who asked me about it!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You both! Please, calm down! Anyway, let¡¯s proceed to the page as instructed by Mister Seiya!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Page 266 because Seiya is alive¡­Shall we search for it? ¡¹ I was taken aback when I stared at the huge pile of scrolls. But then, I heard a noise and saw that an earth snake was bringing a specific scroll on its mouth. I picked up the scroll. It had the number ¡°266¡± written at the bottom of the page. Ah. The earth snakes would bring me the specific scroll if I spoke the number of the page aloud. How convenient. I read the following text. ¡ª ¡ºI want you to abandon your idea of ¡°let¡¯s wait until he regains his consciousness¡±, just because I¡¯m not dead, there¡¯s a possibility that I¡¯m bedridden. But, you have the will to defeat the Emperor Ceremonic on your own. Well, I¡¯ll tell you what do to from now on. Don¡¯t worry, my instructions are so easy to understand that even monkeys would understand it perfectly.¡» ¡ª It was rude of him to compare us with monkeys¡­! ¡ª ¡ºI¡¯ll start with a brief explanation about the underground labyrinth. There aren¡¯t any traps from the top floor to the 5th floor. It has a maze-like configuration. This is time-consuming, but I want you to be familiar with the labyrinth system for the time being. I want you to read the scrolls that the earth snakes will bring to you from now on. I hope that I can answer your questions with my instructions.¡» ¡ª Kiriko and I obediently received the scroll manual that the earth snake gave us. Yet, John Dae headed for a monitor set up in a water bucket. ¡¸John Dae? ¡¹ ¡¸No matter how much he is a visionary hero, there¡¯s no way that he¡¯ll predict every possible scenario. Besides, didn¡¯t he write those scrolls before he even met Ceremonic? There¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll succeed. So, I¡¯ll keep an eye on Ceremonic¡¯s movements.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, Mister John Dae! Just look at this! This part says, ¡°Proceed to Page 68 if Ceremonic has an instant movement skill¡±!¡¹ ¡¸Im¡­Impossible!! How could he foresee that!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that he thought about several possibilities before he met Ceremonic. It seems that Mister Seiya has an incredible foresight. Ah, it says other things! If Ceremonic is a beast type proceed to Page 2687, if it is a vampire type proceed to Page 4743, and then¡­Here! In the case it is a two-faced type proceed to Page 7878!¡¹ ¡¸What the hell is that!! That¡¯s no longer a matter of foresight!!¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon! Just shup up! All right! John Dae, you should keep a watch on Ceremonic from now on!¡¹ After that, Kiriko and I continued to read the scroll manual and we proceeded to make choices according to Seiya¡¯s options¡­After a while, John Dae shouted to us. ¡¸Hey! Ceremonic is going down the stairs to the 6th floor! She cleared the maze so quickly!¡¹ She moved a lot faster than what I expected. Of course, she must¡¯ve used her instant movement skill to teleport rapidly. However, Kiriko and I had already finished reading the scroll manual by then. I approached John Dae and I peeked at the water bucket. From what I saw from the video, the 6th level was a simple passage with only two corners next to a staircase. It was quite simple when compared to the previous level, which was complex like a labyrinth. Of the two heads, the disturbed-haired Serena spoke with an annoyingly tone. ¡¸It was a long maze. ¡¹ The other head, big sis Monica, replied to her. ¡¸But, we moved instantaneously through it¡­Ah? What is this sound? ¡¹ My eyes moved to the side corner of the video upon seeing something odd. A huge round rock was rolling towards Ceremonic! But, she wasn¡¯t that surprised or upset! ¡¸Eh, did he set up rolling rock traps? What should we do? I can¡¯t see the other side because it¡¯s blocked by that rolling rock, and I can¡¯t teleport because I don¡¯t have any visibility.¡¹ I realized it when I heard Serena¡¯s words. Seiya guessed it right! So, that meant that Ceremonic could only ¡°move to a location where she must see it first¡±! In the meantime, Ceremonic turned around to avoid getting hit by the rolling rock! But then, she noticed that another huge rock was rapidly approaching her from the other side! ¡¸Okay! She¡¯s gonna get crushed by those rocks! ¡¹ John Dae spoke with a joyful tone¡­ ¡¸Up there, Serena. We¡¯ll make it through if we consider the diameter of the rock. ¡¹ She disappeared for a brief moment¡­When I thought that she was gone for real, I noticed that Ceremonic was clinging up to the ceiling of the passage. ¡¸Ugh! She dodged the rocks! ¡¹ ¡¸She¡­She looks like a spider¡­! ¡¹ The two rolling rocks didn¡¯t crush Ceremonic. They just collided with one another and stopped moving because of the direct impact. John Dae was trembling with frustration, while Ceremonic laughed triumphantly. But, on this moment, I pushed the button on the deck. *roaring sound* John Dae wavered his body upon hearing a tremendous roar. The video in the water bucket became pure white as if it were covered with smoke. ¡¸Wha¡­What was that just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸It is Seiya¡¯s instructions. It was written, ¡°press the button if the enemy avoids the rolling rocks¡±. Those rocks are a remotely controlled Bakudan Rock.¡¹ ¡¸That means that he assumed that this enemy could avoid those rocks¡­! So, that¡¯s why he created remotely controlled Bakudan Rocks¡­! Just how paranoid is he¡­!?¡¹ We stared at different angles from the videos shown by the earth snake cameras. Before long, we could see that Ceremonic¡¯s dress was torn apart because of the explosion. Serena screamed aloud. ¡¸It hurts¡­My back hurts a lottttt!! ¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, Serena. It¡¯s just a little burn. ¡¹ ¡¸Da¡­Damn it¡­!! I won¡¯t forgive him for this¡­!! I will kill the hero, the hero¡¯s comrades, and every single human left on this continent!! I¡¯ll kill them all!!¡¹ Serena was cursing and swearing at us. I was scared, but I tried not to listen to her rants. Therefore, I asked Kiriko the following question. ¡¸Kiri. What¡¯s next? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, let¡¯s see. ¡°If a physical attack works on the enemy, go to Page 8193¡±¡­¡¹ I read the new instructions brought by a new earth snake. ¡ª ¡ºAfter crossing level 7th, a myriad of arrows are set as traps to inflict damage on Ceremonic. It¡¯s time to move the enemy to a corner. There should be a time lag until the teleportation skill is activated again. Aim at it and press the button to summon the beehive.¡» ¡ª Ceremonic went down the stairs from the 7th to the 8th level on the underground labyrinth. The burns on her back weren¡¯t that serious. ¡­At the 8th level. In front of Ceremonic¡¯s eyes, the ground raised up violently. It was clearly a trap. Ceremonic used her instant movement to make a shortcut. She reappeared at the corner of the screen. After she turned around and proceeded ahead by walking a few steps, Ceremonic¡¯s complexion changed dramatically. Suddenly, small holes appeared on the wall. I pressed the button as instructed by Seiya. As soon as I pushed it, countless of arrows were released from the small holes and directed towards Ceremonic! It was useless to run away! The absurd amount of arrows attacked Ceremonic from the front, back, left and right sides! As Seiya predicted, she took a longer time to activate her skill. Ceremonic was protecting both of her heads with her arms crossed. ¡­It was really like a beehive. Even so, Ceremonic stood still after the rain of arrows finished attacking her. Under her feet was a huge pile of broken arrows. ¡­Ugh! Her defense power was high! None of those arrows managed to pierce her body! Serena spoke after spitting to the floor. ¡¸Hmm. That was just a scratch. ¡¹ ¡¸No, it wasn¡¯t, Serena. The arrows were poisoned. We have to burn the wounds right now in order to prevent it from spreading any further¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! That bastard hero¡­! ¡¹ After a while, Ceremonic, on which she appeared on the 9th level, proceeded slowly to see if there were no traps. She didn¡¯t use her instant movement skill of teleportation. I looked at Seiya¡¯s instructions. ¡ª ¡ºFrom now on, Ceremonic will continue to dive in the underground labyrinth with cautiousness because of subsequent traps. However, there aren¡¯t any traps on this level.¡» ¡ª Monica¡¯s face, which was tense at the beginning, suddenly brightened up. ¡¸Serena! I see the next staircase! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! There was nothing on this area! Damn it, how does he dare to play with us like this¡­ ¡¹ However, the moment she touched the first step of the stairs¡­ ¡¸Gyahhhhhh!! ¡¹ Ceremonic screamed extremely high! Countless of needle-like swords stuck out from the floor of the stairs imperceptibly! John Dae was shuddering upon watching this sight. ¡¸So, there was a trap on the stairs that connected the 8th level with the 9th level¡­!¡¹ ¡¸This¡­This really took me by surprise! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, let¡¯s see. According to the supplement of his instructions, that trap is made of ¡°powerful needles using the material of the Platinum Sword¡±¡­¡¹ Ceremonic shouted aloud in a form of extreme rage. I noticed that a large amount of black blood dripped from her feet. ¡¸Damn you heroooooo!! ¡¹ Afterwards, a variety of traps was set up on the next underground level, the 10th level. Pitfalls¡­Spears coming out of the walls¡­And the place where Ceremonic finally managed to arrive after dodging some of the traps was, however, a dead end. The mud wall had a forehead drawn on it with some kind of ornaments. A sentence was written there. ¡ª ¡ºFour legs in the morning¡­two legs at noon¡­three legs at night. Please write the answer of this creature¡¯s name.¡» ¡ª A pen was placed under the forehead. Ceremonic¡¯s younger sister Serena twisted her neck in confusion. ¡¸What a bothersome game. The next staircase won¡¯t appear if we don¡¯t solve this damn mystery¡­But, what¡¯s the answer? I have no clue.¡¹ Still, Monica raised the corner of her mouth. ¡¸I know what the answer is. ¡¹ ¡¸Really, big sis Monica! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The answer is¡­ ¡¹ *bang* Suddenly, there was a roaring sound coming from that weird forehead! The video of the earth snake camera was also disturbed! Just when I thought out loud, ¡¸What was that!? ¡¹, an earth snake came to me with a different scroll. ¡ª ¡ºAt the end of the 10th level is a ¡°trap that explodes while the enemy is thinking about solving the problem¡±. By the way, the answer is ¡°Human¡±. That¡¯s all.¡» ¡ª I felt something cold that spread throughout my spine. ¡¸Wha¡­What a completely outrageous trap! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! This type of trap showed the bad character of a human being!¡¹ Even though that trap wasn¡¯t exactly created with fair play in mind, the effect was successful. Ceremonic¡¯s left wrist disappeared because of the explosion! ¡¸My¡­My hand isssssss¡­!¡¹ When I looked closely at her, I noticed that, besides losing her left hand, the burn on her back spread further on her skin, and her legs were also injured! She became a mess! ¡¸Great! If it keeps going like this, we¡¯ll be able to get rid of her without much difficulty before she reaches the 30th level!¡¹ I nodded in agreement to John Dae¡¯s words. As I slipped through the scroll manual, I saw that the upcoming traps were going to become more intense and more treacherous after the 10th level. ¡­As expected of Seiya! He was Perfectly Ready even after falling unconscious! It really seemed that we could defeat this enemy on our own! ¡­After she lost her left hand, the wall that exploded collapsed into fragments and the passage to the next 11th level appeared. After seeing it¡­ *laughs maniacally* One of the Ceremonic sisters laughed mischievously. ¡¸Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s going on, big sis Monica? ¡¹ ¡¸Ridiculous. This is extremely ridiculous. We don¡¯t have the need to keep playing with the hero¡¯s stupid game, not anymore¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, we won¡¯t reach them if we don¡¯t go through the stairs, am I right? Aren¡¯t they at the bottom floor?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, Serena. We don¡¯t need those stairs. Just¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. We only need a new power that will allow us to go to the lowest floor where the hero is hiding. Yes, just like the same time when we gained the new power by killing our young sister Shanak.¡¹ Ceremonic¡¯s right hand grabbed Serena¡¯s face. ¡¸No¡­No way!! You¡¯re kidding, right!? Big sis Monica!? ¡¹ ¡¸Serena. This time, I shall sacrifice you for our sake. ¡¹ ¡¸St¡­Stop¡­Ah¡­Uahhhhhhhhhhh!! ¡¹ *creak sound* I heard a dull sound from the video. When I looked closely at it, I saw that Serena¡¯s face got crushed! Her nose was disfigured in a horrifying way and her eyeballs popped out of her face. ¡¸Wh¡­Whoa¡­! Weren¡¯t they companions¡­? ¡¹ Monica began to laugh like a mad woman next to her sister¡¯s crushed face. ¡¸Ahhhhhhhhhh! I¡¯m sorry my dear younger sister Serena! But, with this, I will take the Empress Ceremonic to a higher level! I know that you¡¯re seeing me through your earth snakes monitors! Now, you and I are finally connected by your mechanisms! This means that I¡¯ll be able to reach you on the lowest floor through this connection!¡¹ Then, the hand of Ceremonic stretched towards the video where we were seeing from an earth snake camera. ¡¸¡­Wha¡­What she said is really that possible? ¡¹ The moment when John Dae looked right at me¡­ ¡¸Oh¡­Oh no¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko shouted in a panicking way. Beyond Kiriko¡¯s sight was the hand of Ceremonic that stuck out of the water bucket! Ceremonic forcibly tried to crawl out of that distorted space with a devilish expression on her face! It was a very terrible and horrifying scene as if the devil was coming to get us! ¡¸Teleportation that moves through the space¡­¡°Dimension Step¡±¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko and John Dae were petrified upon seeing this disturbing sight. ¡¸It is a shame. But, the traps that you¡¯ve set up for me won¡¯t work anymore. ¡¹ Then, Ceremonic¡¯s hand grabbed my face before I could react. ¡¸Now, you¡¯re going to die with a suffering of 100 times more, no, of 1000 times more than the suffering you¡¯ve inflicted on me¡­!¡¹ It was a desperate situation. However¡­On that precise moment, my face became sand and disappeared completely! Not only my face! All of my body transformed into sand and scattered on the floor! ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­!? ¡¹ Ceremonic was astonished. John Dae and Kiriko, who were supposed to be beside me, already turned into sand. ¡­In the meantime. John Dae, Kiriko and I were watching this scene from a video installed on the wall. John Dae finally uttered some words beside me. ¡¸He¡­Hey!! What the hell is that room!? ¡¹ ¡¸It was a fake military room prepared by Seiya. He created some clay dolls exactly like us.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I fully understood that¡­But, Ceremonic killed her sister and gained the power to move between the earth snakes cameras on which we were watching!? How on earth was that earth snake camera connected to the fake room and not with this room!?¡¹ ¡¸Look at this. ¡¹ I showed John Dae one of the pages of the scroll manual. ¡ª ¡ºCeremonic may crawl out of the monitor like a ghost through the eyes of an earth snake. In preparation for that time, I blocked the connection by sandwiching another video point between the earth snake camera and the water bucket. By the way, the place where you are now isn¡¯t the lowest level of the underground labyrinth. The military room is located on an isolated place over a few meters away from the location of the underground labyrinth. All of the images that you saw from the water buckets belonged to the connection between the fake room and the underground labyrinth. Once the video has been corrupted, the image line disconnected from that sandwiching linkage.¡» ¡ª I spoke to John Dae, who was in a loss of words. ¡¸This is the biggest trap of the underground labyrinth, the ¡°Proxy Room¡±!¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 97.1 Chapter 97: The Useless Goddess¡¯ Great Efforts (1) ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Ceremonic knew that it was a trap. Therefore, she tried to get away from the monitor extremely fast. However, before she could retreat, the room itself enveloped in a dazzling flash. ¡­The previous explosions were little when compared to the huge firepower of the current explosion. The earth snake that was showing the scene was destroyed in the process. The video turned into a sandstorm. A new earth snake appeared in the Proxy Room from the ground, and the video was projected once again¡­ ¡¸Gyahhh¡­Ahhhh¡­ ¡¹ Ceremonic was laying in the ground with continuous convulsions. In addition to having lost her left hand at the 10th level, she lost her right leg due to the current explosion. Ceremonic¡¯s high-pitched breath resembled the sound of flying insects. But, then! The walls projected scorching flames directly towards Ceremonic! At the same time, the ceiling of the room made a loud noise and began to move in order to squeeze Ceremonic inside! ¡¸Ju¡­Just how far did he go with his traps¡­!! ¡¹ John Dae took a deep breath upon seeing the newly cruel traps. ¡ª ¡ºThe Proxy Room is ¡°the Last Fortress, one step before reaching you¡±. So, we must stop Ceremonic¡¯s invasion here and now.¡» ¡ª As I read Seiya¡¯s instructions, those unforgiving traps attacked Ceremonic immediately. ¡­When the ceiling that crushed Ceremonic returned to its original position, Ceremonic didn¡¯t move anymore. ¡¸Did¡­Did it kill her? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll check it out! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t see her status before. But, now that Ceremonic looked fairly weakened, it may work¡­ I activated my clairvoyance ability to see her abilities. Empress Ceremonic Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 1 / 666666 MP ¨C 1 / 66666 Attack ¨C 666666 Defense ¨C 666666 Agility ¨C 666666 Magic ¨C 6666 Potential ¨C 999 (MAX) Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Curse, Instant Death, Sleep, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Evil God Protection (Lv MAX), Curse Wave (Lv MAX), Instant Movement Visibility (Lv MAX), Dark Physical Strength (Lv MAX) *can only be killed with Light Attributes attacks* Skills ¨C Grudge Hand, Stealth Step, Dimension Step, Bloody Sisteria Personality ¨C Relentless ¡¸I¡­I can see it! Her HP has only 1 point! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, that means that she still has some life force left¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Her status says that she can be defeated with ¡°Light Attributes attacks¡±! That means that we can finish her off with a power of light!¡¹ I asked Kiriko a question. ¡¸Listen, Kiri. Is there a way to reach Ceremonic from here? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­Ah, yes! Here is the item on the lower page of this scroll that says, ¡°How to reach the Proxy Room by using the underground elevator¡±!¡¹ After I took a long deep breath, I declared the following words after I made my own resolution. ¡¸I will¡­finish her off! ¡¹ Then, Kiriko showed me the scroll. ¡¸Bu¡­But, look at his instructions! Mister Seiya says, ¡°don¡¯t get close to the Proxy Room, except in a case of emergency¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Both her HP and MP are at 1 point! Ceremonic is almost dying! Besides, I¡¯ve been watching her for a while now, and it seems that she doesn¡¯t have any weapon with the Chain Destruction! That means that she can¡¯t kill me permanently!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You have a point. She might use her instant movement skill again to teleport between the spaces in order to escape. So, it would be better to finish her off immediately¡­¡¹ I gave the earth snake from my chest to Kiriko, who was worried about me. ¡¸Here. I give you this earth snake mobile phone. I can talk with Kiri at all times. So, you don¡¯t have to worry too much, okay?¡¹ ¡¸But¡­I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m anxious about that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It will be fine! I practiced with the Goddess of Gold for times like this! ¡¹ John Dae put his hand on Kiriko¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Have faith, Kiriko. Let¡¯s believe in the goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m going now. ¡¹ After reading the page ¡°How to reach the Proxy Room by using the underground elevator¡±, I went to the corner of our room. After I showed the page to the earth snake that appeared in front of me, it nodded positively as a response. It looked like I could go to the room where Ceremonic was staying. After I waved goodbye to both John Dae and Kiriko, my body disappeared into the ground as if it were absorbed by moving sands. I moved through the ground to the Proxy Room as if I were climbing the Cave Along. I noticed the presence of Ceremonic a bit further away from me. She was laying in the ground. ¡ºHey, goddess. Can you hear me? ¡» Suddenly, I heard John Dae¡¯s voice from the earth snake mobile phone. ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ve arrived here. ¡¹ ¡ºMiss Lista. Please, be careful. ¡» ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll do it immediately. ¡¹ After I took a deep breath¡­I stretched my hand towards Ceremonic and raised my voice simultaneously. ¡¸Ei, ei!! Ei, ei, eiiii!! ¡¹ I heard noisy voices from the other side of the phone. ¡ºHuh!! What the hell is that goddess doing!! She¡¯s just saying ¡°Ei, ei¡±, isn¡¯t that right!? ¡» ¡ºMi¡­Miss Lista!? ¡» Regardless of that, I kept chanting aloud¡­However, I didn¡¯t see any changes on Ceremonic¡¯s appearance. ¡ºHey, goddess!! Don¡¯t be silly!! You¡¯re not in a Summer Festival!! ¡» I¡­I knew that!! Damned undead!! The power of light won¡¯t be activated if I didn¡¯t scream these ridiculous chants!! It couldn¡¯t be helped though!! ¡¸Ei, ei, ei!! Ei, ei, eiiii, ei, ei, eiiii!! ¡¹ I kept screaming as a maniac even though I felt utterly embarrassed about this. Eventually, John Dae¡¯s anger subsided and he just sighed deeply. ¡ºTha¡­That¡¯s a ¡°Summer Festival Goddess¡±¡­! I¡¯m such a fool to have believed in her¡­!¡» Who¡¯s the Summer Festival Goddess!! By the way, what¡¯s happening!? It doesn¡¯t work even though I¡¯m doing my best!!¡­Bardul!! That greedy goddess!! I¡¯ll teach her a lesson!! I tried to put out my hand closer to Ceremonic in order to produce more effect. All of a sudden, Ceremonic¡¯s arm, which didn¡¯t have meat and was just bones, grabbed my wrist! ¡¸Gyaaaaa!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ohh¡­Ohhhhh¡­! ¡¹ A groaning voice came out of a horrid mouth without teeth! ¡ºThis¡­This is bad! Kiriko, we must go there now! ¡» ¡ºYe¡­Yes! ¡» I was about to cry when my arm was grabbed by Ceremonic¡¯s arm. Ahhhhh, why did this happen now of all places!? Why did I have to mess everything up!? I regretted my decision. Nonetheless, I noticed some irregularity soon after. ¡¸Ugh¡­Ah¡­! Ughhhhh¡­! ¡¹ Ceremonic was groaning painfully! ¡¸Wha¡­What? ¡¹ Before long, I noticed that a faint light came out of my hand and spread throughout Ceremonic¡¯s body! No¡­No way!! My power was really working on her!? Gre¡­Great!! If this was really true, then I¡¯ll scream with all my might!! Get out!! My goddess power!! C¡¯mon¡­Plus Ultraaaaaaaa!! (EN: OHHHHH!) ¡¸Ei, ei, ei, eiiiii!! Eiiiii, ei, ei, ei!! Eiiii, ei, ei, eiiiii!! Ei, ei, ei, ei, ei, ei, ei, ei, ei, ei¡­ ¡¹ I¡¯ve never screamed so much in my life. I kept screaming ¡°ei, ei¡± without stopping. ¡¸Are you okay, Summer Festival Goddess!! ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Lista!! ¡¹ The two of them emerged from the ground extremely worried about me. However, they became so shocked upon seeing Ceremonic. Ceremonic was completely wrapped in light as if she were a mummy. The arm that was holding my wrist fell to the ground without force. ¡¸Did¡­Did you finish her off¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe¡­I¡¯ll check it out¡­ ¡¹ I focused on her physical strength when I activated my clairvoyance ability to see her status. Empress Ceremonic Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 0 / 666666 ¡¸Her HP is 0! She is finally dead! ¡¹ I screamed with happiness. Then, I looked at John Dae and Kiriko, and noticed that both of them were silent. Ugh! Were they amazed in a negative way? Well¡­It couldn¡¯t be helped though. Actually, my way of finishing her off was pretty lame¡­Ah, I wondered why I never got the chance to feel great and victorious. I wished I were cool, but I wasn¡¯t¡­ Nevertheless. Contrary to my own expectations, John Dae and Kiriko expressed utmost admiration. ¡¸Your power of light was superb!! I take my words back, goddess!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re amazing, Miss Lista!! You won without Mister Seiya!! As expected of a great goddess like you!!¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You think so? It was nothing special¡­ ¡¹ I responded with a humble face, but¡­ ¡­Yahoooooooo!! I screamed with my heart full of joy upon hearing those expressions of approval. Volume 2 - CH 97.2 Chapter 97: The Useless Goddess¡¯ Great Efforts (2) After Ceremonic was successfully defeated, I summoned the portal to the God¡¯s realm. When I arrived after John Dae, who was carrying Seiya with him, I noticed that two beautiful shining moons were on the sky. Apparently, it was night at the God¡¯s realm. John Dae couldn¡¯t enter the holy temple because of the strong godliness aura. Therefore, we asked for Celseus to help us carry Seiya to my room and lay him down on my bed. I gently touched Seiya¡¯s cheeks. I was worried about his health, but Celseus spoke in a happy tone as if it were amusing to him. ¡¸Who knew that this hero would fall unconscious? *machiavelic laugh* This is what I call his divine punishment.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯d be in a big trouble if Seiya heard what you just said, Celseus. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­My bad. I won¡¯t say anything anymore. Absolutely nothing. I promise. So, please, don¡¯t tell him what I said. I beg you. I apologize.¡¹ Then, Aria entered the room. ¡¸Lista. Lady Isister wants to see you. I¡¯ll take care of Seiya, so don¡¯t worry and just go¡­¡¹ ¡ª I started wondering while I went to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. Why did she¡­Ahhh!? Don¡¯t tell me that she wanted to see me because I finished off Ceremonic!? That was beyond the scope of support as a goddess!? I entered her room nervously. I really thought that I¡¯d receive the punishment from the innermost gods of the God¡¯s realm once again. My eyes overflew with tears. ¡¸There¡¯s no punishment, Listarte. Even though Ryuguuin Seiya fell down, wasn¡¯t it due to his earth magic that made it possible to overthrow Ceremonic in the end? You followed his instructions and managed to defeat the enemy. You did enough to support him.¡¹ Ah, I¡¯m glad! ¡­Hmm? Then, what did she want to talk about? Suddenly, the Great Goddess Isister bowed to me. ¡¸Ehhh!? Great Goddess Isister!? ¡¹ ¡¸It has been extremely difficult for me to predict the future because of the evil god¡¯s presence in Exfolia¡­¡¹ Then, she showed a bitter expression on her face. ¡¸I apologize. I was the one who gave Ryuguuin Seiya a mental exhaustion. No matter how strong he is, Ryuguuin Seiya is a human being after all¡­ and¡­ It seems that he didn¡¯t tell you about that.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, sorry, but what do you mean with ¡°about that¡±¡­? ¡¹ After a moment of silence, the Great Goddess Isister spoke the following words. ¡¸I¡äll tell you when the right time comes. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ Then, she changed topics and smiled at me. ¡¸Listarte. In the absence of your hero, you worked extremely hard as a goddess to provide great support for the salvation cause. There¡¯s no problem about Ryuguuin Seiya¡¯s health. He is safe and shall awake soon enough.¡¹ ¡ª After the conversation with the Great Goddess Isister, I returned to my room where Seiya was sleeping with a cold towel on his forehead. I opened the door, but I didn¡¯t see Aria or Celseus. ¡­What! Don¡¯t tell me that, maybe¡­! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! You finally woke up¡­! ¡¹ Seiya already got up from my bed. He was looking outside from the window. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you tired? You can sleep a bit more if you want¡­ ¡¹ However, he remained silent. I mean, Seiya. I bet that he regretted falling down during a crucial battle. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s all right! We managed to defeat Ceremonic! That¡¯s all that matters! Eh¡­You don¡¯t believe it? It¡¯s true because we returned to the God¡¯s realm without any problems! That¡¯s my proof! Besides, Kiri and John Dae are safe as well! So, there¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡¹ Still, Seiya had a stern look on his face and just looked at the window. ¡¸Listen, Seiya¡­What did you hear from the Great Goddess Isister? You didn¡¯t tell me anything about it¡­¡¹ Further silence. I finally raised my voice. ¡¸Yo¡­You know what!! Yo¡­You don¡¯t have to do everything on your own, got it!? We¡­no!! Why don¡¯t you rely more on me!? I¡­I¡¯m here to give you the support you need!!¡¹ My feelings were unbearable, and I couldn¡¯t suppress myself any longer. I approached Seiya and embraced him from behind. I put my head on his back and held him tightly, even though I didn¡¯t feel much body temperature. ¡¸You must think that many people died because of you¡­It¡¯s hard, right? Does it hurt badly? You can¡¯t think properly because of that, right? But, you know¡­Seiya, you¡¯re not alone. Because, I am by your side¡­!¡¹ I wanted to melt Seiya¡¯s icy heart¡­While I thought so; I hugged Seiya with a stronger embrace. On this very moment¡­ *cracking sound* Seiya¡¯s body collapsed entirely on my arms! It transformed into sand and scattered on the floor! I screamed crazily! ¡¸Gyaaaaa!! I wanted to melt his heart, but I melted all of his body instead!?¡¹ No¡­No!! There was no way that that happened for real!! This was¡­a clay doll!! But, wait a second!! Wasn¡¯t I having a great private time with Seiya!? And yet, I was talking emotively with a clay doll!? Then, I turned around abruptly. The real Seiya was staring at me with white boring eyes. Somehow, I managed to say a few words thereafter. ¡¸Wha¡­wha¡­what is a clay doll doing in my room¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t want you to attack me when I was in my weak state. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I wouldn¡¯t do that to you¡­More importantly, you know¡­did you see everything that happened just now?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve been watching the whole thing. ¡¹ Oh nooooooo!! How embarrassingggggg!! I wanted to die because I was too embarrassed about it. I held my face with both of my hands and I fell on my bed. Seiya spoke the following words. ¡¸When I look at you, I feel that everything about this world is damn lame and ridiculous.¡¹ ¡¸What the hell do you mean!! ¡¹ I shouted extremely high. Yet, Seiya went to the door as if he didn¡¯t hear me. ¡¸Where are you going now? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to the summoning chamber. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you going on your own? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve recovered. But, just to make sure that I¡¯m feeling relatively well, I¡¯ll be taking a good night¡¯s rest today before heading to Exfolia.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. ¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya stopped before opening the door and said¡­ ¡¸Lista. You were helpful this time. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ And then, he went away and closed the door. ¡ª After Seiya left, I was rolling in bed with great excitement. ¡°Lista. You were helpful this time.¡±; ¡°Lista. You were helpful this time.¡±¡­I grinned happily while I recalled Seiya¡¯s words for countless of times. Suddenly, I remembered Queen Carmilla¡¯s words after we defeated the Grand Lion. ¡ºIt¡¯s okay to stay next to him. This world is too harsh for a lone wolf. He needs someone by his side. You¡¯re a fool and a clumsy person, but that¡¯s all right. That is your own way of unknowingly saving that child.¡» ¡­I was a little confused and wasn¡¯t entirely convinced about that¡­But, I was glad of how things turned out in the end!! I felt that my existence as a goddess was somehow recognized. Therefore, I was extremely happy about it that I wanted to rejoice aloud. ¡ª ¡­This night. I had a dream about Seiya. Maybe it was because I felt the warmth in my bed after Seiya slept in it. In that dream, I was Princess Tiana before I reincarnated as a goddess. Next to me stood Seiya. In addition, I had a very cute baby in my arms. The unfriendly Seiya looked at the baby and me affectionately and smiled gently. I wondered if it were a lucid dream. It was odd, because I perfectly knew that I was dreaming in my own dream. ¡­About this very dream. After Seiya defeated the Demon King from his previous saving quest, he didn¡¯t return to his original world and remained in Exfolia. The baby was born and, Seiya and I lived happily together in Tarmine¡­ If fate could be changed, I wondered if such future would have been possible. My chest hurt painfully when I thought deeply about it. I tried to appease my chest pain. Therefore, I gently touched the baby¡¯s face that I was carrying in my arms. However¡­I froze from the moment I saw this baby¡¯s face. Long hair! Crushed nose and no eyes! Before I knew it, the baby¡¯s face transformed into a bloodied face of a horrid woman! I tried to escape, but the baby stuck firmly to my chest and didn¡¯t leave! This thing slowly opened its mouth with missing teeth! ¡¸I am¡­Shanak. I am Ceremonic¡¯s younger sister, Shanak. ¡¹ Then, the bloodied face approached my eyes! ¡¸The curse will continue until your soul goes to heaven. The last curse of the Empress Ceremonic ends with the life of a god¡­¡°Bloody Sisteria¡±.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 98 Chapter 98: The Hateful Bloodied Sister ¡¸Whoaaaaaaa!! ¡¹ I jumped out of my bed as soon as I opened my eyes. My body was extremely sweaty. ¡­Ho¡­Horrifying!! I had a truly horrible dream!! From my window I watched the gentle sunshine of the morning sun of the God¡¯s realm, and somehow, I managed to adjust my breathing. Ah¡­I changed my mood. I wanted to go to the Cafe De Celseus to have a nice cup of coffee¡­ While I changed to my usual dress, I heard ¡¸Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡¹. Someone knocked on my door violently. ¡¸So noisy, who is it¡­uh, ehhhhh!? ¡¹ I was surprised when I opened the door. I saw Aria, Adenela, Celseus, and also, the Goddess of Fire, Hestica, and the God of Thunder, Orlando. There were many gods gathered at my door. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s the matter!? ¡¹ When I shouted, Orlando spoke in a bewildering way. ¡¸That¡¯s what I should be saying! Listarte! I felt a tremendous evil coming from your room just now!¡¹ ¡¸Evil¡­? ¡¹ Aria put her hand on her mouth. Then, she pointed her finger towards me as if she saw something terrible. ¡¸Li¡­Lista¡­! A strong evil aura is overflowing from your body¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸What an ominous aura! ¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this. Contrary to the gods that were far from me, Adenela was the only one who approached me. She held my hand and stared fixedly at me. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s a cu¡­curse. Did¡­did the caster tou¡­touched your hand? ¡¹ Adenela pushed my hand up and showed me my wrist. There was a mark attached to my skin that clearly showed that someone grabbed my wrist before. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ Then, what I saw earlier wasn¡¯t a dream!? ¡¸Eh, the last curse of Empress Ceremonic is ¡°Bloody Sisteria¡±¡­! ¡¹ I repeated aloud the lines that I¡¯ve heard on my dream. Somehow, Aria softened her expression and smiled at me. ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t worry. This is the God¡¯s realm. There must be a way to solve this. ¡¹ Celseus also nodded positively even though he stepped further away from me. ¡¸Be¡­Besides, a goddess like you won¡¯t die just because you were cursed! So, you don¡¯t have anything worry about, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­You¡¯re right! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s talk with Lady Isister. ¡¹ After I left my room with Aria, I noticed that Seiya was leaning against the wall of the temple¡¯s corridor. ¡¸Ah, Seiya! Wait for me here! It won¡¯t take that long! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­There¡¯s no way that getting rid of a curse will be that quick. ¡¹ Seiya spitted a small sigh and gradually approached me. ¡¸I¡¯m going with you. ¡¹ Seiya, Aria and I headed towards the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. ¡ª ¡¸Excuse us¡­ ¡¹ Followed by Aria; Seiya and I entered the room immediately. The Great Goddess Isister was sitting on a chair with a trouble expression on her face. She spoke before I could open my own mouth. ¡¸Listarte¡¯s body is covered with a black mist. It¡¯s been a long while since I¡¯ve seen such a strong curse as yours. Most probably, the caster exchanged her life in order to activate that curse.¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister continued to explain. ¡¸In the bodies of gods and heroes are the temporary souls, the ¡°Astral Soul¡±. The Chain Destruction is a magical device that destroys the original soul, the ¡°Divine Soul¡±, by destroying the chain that links the lifecycle core.¡¹ Out of nowhere, the Great Goddess Isister began to talk about the Chain Destruction. I felt anxious about this particular change of topic. ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that¡­Great Goddess Isister¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. That curse has the same effect as the Chain Destruction. Your Divine Soul will be completely destroyed once that curse gets activated.¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Do you mean that I¡¯m about to die!? ¡¹ I felt dizzy upon realizing the harsh truth. Seiya asked the following question after Aria and I remained silent. ¡¸Is there a way to stop the curse? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t read Listarte¡¯s future because of the evil god. So, what you hear from now on is not my foreknowledge, but my guess. In order to stop the curse, you have to release it with an overwhelming power of light that surpasses this terrible curse. Or let the curse itself sense that the Divine Soul perished and went to heaven.¡¹ Ugh! But, the phrase ¡°the Divine Soul perished and went to heaven¡± meant that I had to die! ¡¸Old hag. Isn¡¯t this curse due to the power of the evil god? If we manage to defeat the evil god that protected Ceremonic, the curse would weaken, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸The curse doesn¡¯t come from the protection of the evil god, but from Ceremonic herself. And now, Ceremonic has perished but her curse remains. The curse won¡¯t disappear even if the power of the evil god gets subsided.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So, how much time does she have before her soul gets destroyed?¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister gazed at my face, and then, she said the following words. ¡¸From the amount of evil energy that covers Listarte¡­I¡¯d say that the curse will be activated overnight, or probably a bit sooner than that.¡¹ In¡­In one night!? Seiya looked back at me. ¡¸Lista. Summon the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸First, let¡¯s go back to Exfolia to check Ceremonic¡¯s corpse. There may be a clue that¡¯ll show us how to break the curse.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah¡­ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t want to see Ceremonic¡¯s body, but of course, I didn¡¯t dare to say something like that during this perilous situation. ¡¸Seiya. Lista. Be careful¡­ ¡¹ After I waved goodbye to both Aria and the Great Goddess Isister, I opened the portal that led us to the underground Proxy Room. ¡ª ¡­After the last traps were triggered, the Proxy Room became a huge mess. The walls were partially destroyed and everything was in a terrible condition. And then, I noticed that Ceremonic was lying in the ground with the same state as we left her. ¡¸Huh? Seiya? ¡¹ Suddenly, I noticed that Seiya disappeared from my side. Seiya was peeking at the room with one eye from the portal¡¯s door. ¡¸¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Is Ceremonic really dead? Isn¡¯t the effect of the curse continuing even after she died? I won¡¯t be able to help you if I get cursed as well.¡¹ ¡¸She¡­She¡¯s already dead. I was cursed because Ceremonic grabbed my wrist. Seiya, you¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Correct. Specific conditions were necessary for the activation of a powerful curse. She held my wrist for a long time before I finished her off. Therefore, I met those conditions. Finally, Seiya slowly came out of the portal. He narrowed his eyes while he stared at Ceremonic. ¡¸She¡¯s dry like a mummy. Lista. Was that your power? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. She became like this when she got exposed to my power of light. ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you were cursed because you entered the Proxy Room and you tried to kill Ceremonic afterwards.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t look at me with icy eyes, even though I broke the rules of his instructions. ¡¸Well, this is also my fault. ¡¹ After he professed those words, Seiya began to slice Ceremonic with the sheath of his sword. ¡¸Wha¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m doing an autopsy. ¡¹ ¡­After that. Seiya sliced Ceremonic¡¯s corpse without stopping. Before long, he rolled every piece with the sheath of his sword, and then, he stared at me. ¡¸I confirm her absolute death. Now the possibility that Ceremonic remained alive and could invoke another curse has finally been eliminated.¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, that was your real purpose¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s meet the god that taught you that light attribute skill. ¡¹ We gained nothing special in the Proxy Room except for merely confirming Ceremonic¡¯s death. As usual, after sinking Ceremonic¡¯s corpse to the core of this planet with the power of Seiya¡¯s earth magic, we finally returned to the God¡¯s realm. ¡ª I directed the portal right in front of the mansion with tiled roof hidden in the Heavenly Green Forest. I opened the front door made of wood, and entered the mansion of Bardul, the Goddess of Gold. Bardul was in the tatami room. She spotted my presence and smiled at me. ¡¸Oh my, oh my. I can see that your practice with me was a success¡­Whatttttttttt!!¡¹ However, Bardul screamed when I approached her. ¡¸Wha¡­What a frightening evil aura!! That¡¯s a terrible curse!! Please go home as soon as possible!!¡¹ Bardul brought a pot from the altar and tossed some salt at us! ¡¸*cough cough* Wa¡­Wait a moment, Bardul!! I just want to talk with you¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No matter how much money you offer me, it will be impossible for me to get rid of that powerful curse!! Just go back now!!¡¹ Seeing how Baldur threw salt at us with great vigor, Seiya wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡¸Hey. Who¡¯s that? Is she the ¡°Old Hag Goddess of Golden Sand¡±?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No, we don¡¯t have a goddess here with that title! She should be a goddess with a light attribute, but¡­¡¹ Seiya approached Bardul and grabbed the pot from her hands. Then, he moved the pot upward and put it on Bardul¡¯s head! ¡¸Ah!? It¡­It¡¯s dark!? And¡­There¡¯s salt on my eyes!! ¡¹ Seiya began to walk away as if nothing had happened at all. ¡¸This is a waste of time. Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ ¡ª This time, Seiya told me to open the portal to the temple¡¯s rooftop of the God¡¯s realm. It seemed that his solution no.2 was to ask Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, for help. Valkyrie was the one that told Seiya about the existence of Zeth, the other Goddess of War. Perhaps she knew a solution that even the Great Goddess Isister didn¡¯t know of. The half-naked goddess, who had chains around her body, drew an ugly picture on the rooftop today. As soon as she saw Seiya coming on her direction, she immediately put her paintbrush down. ¡¸I understand Listarte condition. It can¡¯t be helped though. I will take it off using my own skin. ¡¹ Then, she put her hand on my face. ¡¸Eh? Lady Valkyrie? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s quite simple. The objective is to trick the curse into believing that ¡°you¡¯re dead¡± for real.¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a second, Lady Valkyrie!! Do¡­Do you really mean that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the First¡­¡°Shattered Break¡±! ¡¹ ¡¸Aghhh!! ¡¹ I felt an overwhelming pain before my eyes blacked out. ¡ª ¡­I regained my consciousness after a while. But, I didn¡¯t know for sure if my consciousness was actually lucid. I saw myself falling down further away. Next to me, stood Seiya and Valkyrie. Then, my head was destroyed. It got crushed so grotesquely that it looked like a scene from a horror movie that children were forbidden to watch. ¡­Gyaaaaa!! I was killed by Valkyrie!? Did that mean that I was a ghost now!? Don¡¯t joke with me, c¡¯mon!! This was ridiculous!! But, well, if this was the only option to help me get rid of the curse, then it couldn¡¯t be helped¡­ As I stared at my own fallen body, the evil aura got out from it and gradually transformed into a person¡¯s shape! It shaped into a double-headed monster with female heads! ¡­Hiiiii!? Ceremonic!! Because of the evil aura, Ceremonic¡¯s lost leg and arm regained their original shape. However, Serena and Monica¡¯s faces were full of blood. On this precise moment! Black blood spilled from between those two heads! The skin ripped apart and a third head appeared! The new face was full of blood as well, but was hollow! I didn¡¯t see any eyeballs on that creepy face! For some reason, neither Seiya nor Valkyrie were aware of my ghostly existence nor the shaped form of Ceremonic. Perhaps, Ceremonic and I were different beings like ghosts or spirited bodies, or even beings that only appeared on the unconscious mind. Ceremonic approached my fallen body; she bent her knee and muttered the following chanting words. ¡¸Dead? Dead? Dead? Dead? Dead? Dead? ¡¹ However, she stood up unexpectedly. She twisted her neck abruptly and walked towards the ghostly me, who was watching the whole scene from afar! She was supposed to be blind! Then, why! ¡­Ahhhhh! I tried to escape, but my body didn¡¯t move! She grabbed my body and pushed it close to her bloody face! Then, she spoke with an eerie voice that sounded as if it came directly from the bottom of hell! ¡¸You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead.¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸Gyaaaaaaa!! ¡¹ I woke up screaming like a crazy woman. ¡¸Are¡­Are you okay, Lista!? ¡¹ Aria looked at me with a worried face. ¡¸Ah, what? Me? ¡¹ I looked around and saw that I were in my own room. Not to mention that, beside Aria, were Seiya, Celseus, Adenela and even Valkyrie was here. There were also other gods too. I tried to touch my face that was fully destroyed by Valkyrie, but it seemed that everything was intact. ¡¸Listen, Aria. For how long have I been sleeping? ¡¹ ¡¸For about two hours. Actually, while you were sleeping, we tried everything we could think of a solution to your problem. But¡­¡¹ Then, I noticed that the Great Goddess Isister was in my room as well. It was very rare to see her out of her room. When I saw the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s sad complexion¡­ ¡°Ah, I see. I am beyond the point of saving¡±¡­I thought deeply about it. I held Aria¡¯s hand. ¡¸Aria. I entrust you with my saving quest after I die. Please save Exfolia with Seiya and everybody else.¡¹ ¡¸Uhhhh, Lista¡­! That¡­That¡¯s¡­! ¡¹ Aria began to cry. I stroked Aria¡¯s head gently, and then, I spoke to Celseus. ¡¸Listen, Celseus. Where are Kiri and John Dae? ¡¹ ¡¸They are at my cafe. The both of them are worried about you. ¡¹ ¡¸Please, tell them ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand¡­Ugh¡­Oh no¡­This gloomy atmosphere¡­I can¡¯t stand this anymore.¡¹ Celseus covered his face with his hand and jumped out of my room. I looked at Seiya who stood beside me. ¡¸Seiya. I was happy when you told me that I was ¡°helpful this time¡±. I did many inexcusable things since we began the Exfolia saving quest. But I truly wanted to help you even if it was just a little. That¡¯s why I have no regrets. I¡¯m happy. But, you know¡­¡¹ I took my last bit of courage to tell the silent Seiya the one and only desire of my heart. ¡¸Finally, I have only one request left¡­ ¡¹ Everyone was watching me. Because these were my ¡°last¡± moments, I didn¡¯t feel that embarrassed or ashamed. ¡¸You know¡­a Kiss¡­Could you grant me this request? I¡¯m fine with a kiss on my cheek¡­¡¹ I was shy, so I laughed timidly. ¡¸Well, this isn¡¯t about like or dislike, nor humans nor goddesses. But, just a simple kiss. You see¡­Haven¡¯t you been on an adventure with me all this time? Therefore, I think I deserve a farewell kiss.¡¹ ¡¸Lista¡­ ¡¹ Seiya approached me with a serious complexion. ¡­Ah, how sad. I won¡¯t be able to remember this precious moment after I die. And then¡­ *bang* Seiya hit my head with his fist! ¡¸¡­Papi!! ¡¹ A strange voice burst out of my mouth because of the strong shock! The surrounding gods began to murmur about me. ¡¸Ah, is that what they call a human kiss!? ¡¹ ¡¸It looked like a fist from hell to me, wasn¡¯t it!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I wonder if the human kiss is actually a smack with a fist!? ¡¹ I yelled at the gods who began to say rubbish things. ¡¸There¡¯s no way that this was a kiss!! It was definitely a fist!! ¡¹ Somehow, I managed to convince the gods as they said, ¡¸Ah, I knew it wasn¡¯t a kiss! ¡¹. Then, I stared furiously at Seiya and began to shout out loud. ¡¸Hey!! What the hell did you do, damn you!! ¡¹ Then, Seiya sighed at me. ¡¸You¡¯re energetic as always. ¡¹ ¡¸How can you be like that with me until the very end!! ¡¹ ¡¸Nobody said that this would be the end for you. Are you giving up now? Don¡¯t you have any regrets?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ And then, Seiya stared fixedly at me with serious-looking eyes. ¡¸Don¡¯t give up that easily. Keep fighting until the very last moment. I decided that I won¡¯t have any more regrets. I did it for me, so, do it for you as well.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s still some time left until the curse is fully activated. The possibility of your survival hasn¡¯t disappeared completely. Follow me.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, EHHHHH!? ¡¹ He took me out of my bed by force. And so¡­ ¡¸Old hag. You too. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes, yes. ¡¹ Seiya grabbed my arm and the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s arm and ventured out of the room after pushing the gods aside. Volume 2 - CH 99.1 Chapter 99: The Gods and the People (1) ¡¸Hey, Seiya! Where are you going? ¡¹ Seiya kept walking silently, as he pulled the Great Goddess Isister and me without stopping. The Great Goddess Isister finally opened her mouth when we arrived at the third floor of the heavenly temple. ¡¸¡­Ryuguuin Seiya. Are you planning to involve the innermost gods? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I want you to show me the power of the Goddess of Time. This may involve some danger, but it¡¯s the only way.¡¹ Ah¡­!! By any chance, Seiya¡­Was he trying to save me from the curse by using the power of Chronoa, the Goddess of Time!? Bu¡­But! ¡¸Modifications of time and space are a taboo in the discipline of gods. That solution might be impossible to accomplish¡­¡¹ Seiya continued to walk regardless of what the Great Goddess Isister explained to him. ¡¸Old hag. It¡¯d be enough for me if you let me just meet the Goddess of Time. ¡¹ ¡ª Seiya stopped in front of a door in the corridor of the third floor from the heavenly temple. This place was the ¡°room that stops time¡± that led to the almighty world of the innermost gods. Even if he heard it from Aria before, this was the first time that Seiya entered this room. Seiya convinced the Great Goddess Isister to cast a spell to open the door. Then, we ventured inside. After we passed through the shelves displaying the souls of gods, a large painting appeared at the end. The mysterious painting showed a winding road that connected a temple to a cliff. This painting was the holy entrance to the almighty world of the innermost gods. We stood in front of the picture. At this point, the Great Goddess Isister looked back at Seiya with a serious expression on her face. ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya. Please be careful. Once upon a time, a god asked for a wish to the innermost gods. Nevertheless, he betrayed the rules that bound that wish. Consequently, those events triggered the Unification War of the God¡¯s Realm.¡¹ ¡­The Unification War of the God¡¯s Realm¡­ I recalled that Zeth, the other Goddess of War, talked about that. I was born a hundred years ago in the God¡¯s realm as a goddess. Most probably, those events happened before I was even born. But, ¡°war¡±¡­I couldn¡¯t believe that such a violent thing happened in the peaceful God¡¯s realm. The Great Goddess Isister continued to speak with Seiya. ¡¸Anyway. Please, don¡¯t spoil the mood of the innermost gods of the almighty world. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. ¡¹ After entering the painting, we walked on the winding road. When we arrived at the stone steps in front of the temple, the Great Goddess Isister stopped walking and knelt down. I imitated her gesture and knelt down as well. ¡¸Our Ladyship Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, reigning through the ages of the almighty world of the innermost gods¡­I am Isister, the high-ranking deity in charge of the God¡¯s realm. I, thereby, stand by your presence to request an audience with you¡­¡¹ Then, the door of the temple slowly opened. ¡­I only heard a voice when I came here to reduce the consequences of my punishment. However, this time, Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, appeared from the door engulfed with a striking dazzling light. ¡¸Oh¡­Oh gosh¡­So beautiful¡­! ¡¹ I forgot my frightening situation the moment I saw her appearance. Usually, the gods from the God¡¯s realm had their wings sealed. But, she, the Goddess of Time, appeared with her large and beautiful wings on her back. It was inspiring to look at such a huge divine aura. The high goddess Chronoa was dressed in a stunning glittering dress. Her long hair was tied up beautifully behind her back. She was more noble and beautiful than any other goddesses I¡¯ve seen so far. ¡¸I shall present myself to all of you after Isister requested an audience with me. ¡¹ Her Eminence Lady Chronoa approached us with a smile. Then, she looked at me and showed me a compassionate complexion. ¡¸Listarte¡­How sad. You have a terrible curse casted upon you. I¡¯d like to turn back time with my power to your original state before the caster could curse you¡­¡¹ When she spoke those words¡­ ¡¸¡­I forbid you. ¡¹ I heard a low voice that surrounded us. Chronoa shrugged her shoulders. ¡¸You sure are noisy. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­It is against my rules, as the God of Reason, to let you turn back time.¡¹ This dignified voice sounded familiar. It was Nemesil, the God of Reason. He was the one who was reluctant to restore my healing powers back. For me, he had the image of a ¡°strict and stubborn high god¡±. Yet, I knew that Chronoa wouldn¡¯t be able to use her powers without first getting the permission of this god. While everyone remained silent, Seiya spoke directly to Chronoa. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Just ignore him. ¡¹ Oh no, Seiya really spoke in a bluntly way here!! It seemed that Nemesil heard Seiya¡¯s voice. He spoke with anger then. ¡¸Human! Watch your tongue! I am Nemesil, the God of Reason! ¡¹ The door of the temple opened violently! And, when this god came out of there¡­ ¡¸Bi¡­Big¡­! ¡¹ He looked like a giant god, because he were at least five meters tall. He had a dignified face, a long mustache and a sculpted body. He was a thousand times more divine and intimidating than Celseus. Nemesil, the God of Reason, walked right in front of Seiya with strong and fearsome steps! ¡¸Who¡­Whoa!! Seiya!! Shouldn¡¯t you apologize!? ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t apologize. Then, a strong voice roared from above Seiya¡¯ head, who just stared at Nemesil with bored eyes. ¡¸I make the rational decisions of the almighty world! The alteration of time and space is absolutely forbidden! I won¡¯t allow you to turn back time for Listarte!¡¹ I trembled my body so much because of this tremendous force. Even the Great Goddess Isister was stiff in his presence. Still, Seiya didn¡¯t change his expression. ¡¸I didn¡¯t say we should turn back time before the curse was casted on her. The battle against the Demon King Artemaeus from one year ago¡­Lista and I just need to watch it unfold right in front of our eyes.¡¹ Ehh!! Go back one year ago and watch the battle with the Demon King!? What did it have to do with breaking my curse!? I couldn¡¯t understand Seiya¡¯s intentions with this suggestion. But, the Great Goddess Isister seemed to understand him by bedding the knee. ¡¸I see. Ryuguuin Seiya. You may be able to save Listarte from the curse without causing an alteration of time and space.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What do you mean? ¡¹ I asked the Great Goddess Isister what she meant by that, but¡­ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to know the details. ¡¹ This wasn¡¯t the first time that they spoke about something that I mustn¡¯t know. But, why! This was about me after all! Nemesil said the following words to Seiya. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then just ask Isister to have a look at the past by using her crystal ball.¡¹ ¡¸No. That¡¯s useless. We need to go back to the past and see those events for ourselves from a close range.¡¹ ¡¸If you return to the past and the Demon King, a monster, or a third party recognizes your appearance, there is a large possibility that a Time Paradox could occur. If that happens, Exfolia will definitely collapse.¡¹ ¡¸To avoid that outcome, I could transform us into monsters with the power of the art of change. As a last resort, I could make us dive underground by using Cave Along.¡¹ ¡¸¡­There¡¯s no need to go that far. ¡¹ After Chronoa heard the conversation between the two of them, she offered Seiya and me a piece of cloth that resembled a cloak. ¡¸Invisible Cape. This sacred tool prevents the conception of Time Paradox when traveling through the space of time. If one wears this cloak, it will make invisible the people who should not exist on that era. The smell, the movements, and even the sounds will disappear completely once you wear this sacred tool.¡¹ Our existence could be concealed with this tool! Chronoa was extremely kind after all! ¡¸There won¡¯t be any problem if you only watch the battle with the Demon King. Okay then, I shall send Listarte and Ryuguuin Seiya a year ago to Exfolia.¡¹ Chronoa reached out to Seiya and me. However, on this instant. ¡¸Wait. I haven¡¯t given you my permission yet. ¡¹ Nemesil¡¯s giant body stood in front of us. Seiya spoke as if he despised Nemesil. ¡¸The Goddess of Time said it won¡¯t be a problem. Move away. Lista doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡¹ ¡¸I told you to watch your tongue, boy!! ¡¹ That angry voice was so loud that it even shook the foundation of the almighty world of the innermost gods! ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare mess with me¡­!! I can crush you at any moment!! ¡¹ When I saw Seiya¡¯s stance towards Nemesil¡¯s threats, my spine froze completely! ¡­Because, Seiya pulled the sword out of his sheath! ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya!! You mustn¡¯t!! ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister yelled aloud before I even opened my mouth. However¡­Seiya didn¡¯t move even though he held his sword in an offensive stance. ¡¸¡­What¡¯s this? ¡¹ Nemesil screamed. And then, I noticed what was going on. A reddish black aura got out of Seiya¡¯s sword and covered Nemesil¡¯s body! Nemesil noticed an abrupt change on his arm because wrinkles spread on his skin! He freaked out! ¡¸My¡­My body is¡­? What is that sword¡­? ¡¹ ¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be! Don¡¯t tell me that sword is¡­! That sword was the Holy Power Drain Sword that absorbed the holy spirit of a god by growing old and becoming weak¡­! Seiya spoke to Nemesil. ¡¸It¡¯s the Lista Granny Sword. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell them that name!! ¡¹ Seiya continued to speak to Nemesil regardless of my screams. ¡¸Nemesil, the God of Reason. Accept this request if you don¡¯t want to be an old gramps.¡¹ ¡¸¡­You!! ¡¹ Nemesil stared at Seiya with demonic eyes¡­But, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s presence in front of Nemesil had disappeared completely! Seiya took a considerable distance from Nemesil while holding the sword that emitted the dark ominous aura! ¡¸Don¡¯t joke with me, mere human!! That ¡°Lista Granny Sword¡±¡­I¡¯ll destroy it!! ¡¹ Sorry, but¡­I knew that it was a tough situation, but please Lord Nemesil, don¡¯t say that sword¡¯s name! It was too embarrassing for me! Nemesil bent against Seiya and took an offensive posture! While Seiya kept aiming at Nemesil with his sword! Nemesil didn¡¯t care about that sword¡¯s effect and rushed towards Seiya! And on the next moment! I doubted my own eyes upon watching the sight that happened right in front of me! *shrinking sound* As he approached Seiya, Nemesil¡¯s body became smaller and smaller as if, the biological evolution of monkey to human was caught in a reversal momentum! ¡¸Eh¡­EHHHHHH!? ¡¹ When he arrived right in front of Seiya¡­Nemesil transformed into a small but old man. Of course, I was speechless. Actually, both the Great Goddess Isister and Her Eminence Lady Chronoa were with a loss of words as well. Meanwhile, Seiya asked Nemesil, who became small and old like an old grandpa. ¡¸Lista and I are going to the past now¡­You don¡¯t mind, do you? ¡¹ Then, Nemesil smiled with a quivering mouth. ¡¸Yeah. I don¡¯t mind it. ¡¹ ¡¸His personality got soft because he became a grandpa!? Milord Nemesil!! What about the Time Paradox thing!? Is it all right!?¡¹ ¡¸Time¡­ Huh? What was it? I don¡¯t remember it. My lower back hurts. ¡¹ Nemesil sat down on the ground. We were shocked. Next to him stood Seiya, who just gazed attentively at his darkish sword. ¡¸Yeah. This is a great sword. It was useful after all. ¡¹ After a moment of silence¡­ ¡¸Ahah¡­! ¡¹ Her Eminence Lady Chronoa began to laugh, as she couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. Furthermore¡­ ¡¸Ahahahahah!! ¡¹ Synchronizing with Chronoa¡¯s laugh was a neutral voice that came out of the temple¡¯s door! ¡­Thi¡­This voice was¡­The Supreme God Brahma!! The no.1 god of the almighty world of the innermost gods, the God of Creation, didn¡¯t show his appearance as expected. But, I could hear his joyful voice coming from the corner of the temple¡¯s door. ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a good laugh. Nemesil, the God of Reason, as given you his permission. Both of you can go back to the past to see the battle against the Demon King.¡¹ Gre¡­Great! The Supreme God gave us his OK! ¡¸However, Ryuguuin Seiya. Let me tell you one thing. If the curse were reversed between you and Listarte, meaning that if it were you who were cursed instead, things would be different. We would never had agreed with this. But, Listarte is a goddess. Every god that lives in the God¡¯s realm is my child.¡¹ In other words, these almighty gods would¡¯ve ¡°abandoned a human being even if he or she were the ones getting this predicament instead¡±. I thought deeply about it, and I thought that his words were cold. Yet, Seiya responded to His Lordship Brahma¡¯s words with ¡°yeah¡±. He didn¡¯t say anything more. Then, Seiya approached Chronoa and whispered on her ear. ¡¸¡­Understood. So, that timing, I see. Well then, I¡¯ll send you to the Demon King¡¯s Castle in Exfolia from one year ago.¡¹ I wore the Invisible Cape with Seiya. ¡¸Listen, Listarte. It won¡¯t take too long. After enough time, both of you will be forced to return to the almighty world of the innermost gods.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand! ¡¹ ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya. Please, take care of Listarte. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister spoke directly to Seiya. He nodded positively in response. Her Eminence Lady Chronoa approached us and stretched one hand towards Seiya and me. ¡¸Are you ready? Here I go¡­ ¡¹ The space around us became gradually distorted. Chronoa and the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s appearances slowly faded away from my field of vision¡­ Volume 2 - CH 99.2 Chapter 99: The Gods and the People (2) Before I knew it, Seiya and I were in a dark space. The whole area had an evil atmosphere and reeked of blood. ¡­Wa¡­Was this place the Demon King¡¯s Castle¡­? Ugh¡­What a nauseating feeling¡­! Suddenly, Seiya pulled my arm. He hid us behind the stone pillars that stood beside us. Although our voices, appearances, and movements were concealed and couldn¡¯t be felt by a third party, Seiya was still a cautious hero. Therefore, he hid us behind the stone pillars as a precaution. I took a small peek at the scene from behind the stone pillars. At a considerable distance from us, I saw that the Demon King Artemaeus of Exfolia had already transformed into his final form. He had a horrendous and monstrous figure with four arms raised to the sky. ¡¸This power¡­What a fearsome devilish power! So, this is the power of the evil god! With this, I can finally change Exfolia into a demon world!¡¹ He must¡¯ve killed the hero and received the blessing of the evil god. The Demon King Artemaeus laughed wickedly, and then, he left this chamber. After observing the surroundings for a while, Seiya approached the place where the Demon King laughed victoriously. I followed Seiya closely behind without making a noise. Unexpectedly, Seiya signaled me to stop my movement. It seemed that something fell a bit further away from us. ¡­Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­that was¡­!! Seiya approached it alone. Then, he came back after a while. ¡¸It seems the reckless idiot just died over there. ¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Do you mean that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. My old self. My head was crushed and my heart was gouged out. ¡¹ Even after seeing his own corpse, Seiya spoke calmly as if he were talking about someone else. ¡¸More importantly, Lista. How do you feel? Is there any change in your body? ¡¹ ¡¸Cha¡­Change, you say¡­Hmm¡­I feel like throwing up¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I was referring to, but. Hmm¡­It¡¯s strange. According to what I¡¯ve heard from Aria¡¯s story, the Demon King killed Princess Tiana and then he killed me immediately after eating the child from her belly¡­¡¹ Seiya nodded positively as if he figured out what was going on. ¡¸Which means¡­I see. So, she¡¯s still alive. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ On this moment. My heart almost froze when I heard a painful thin voice coming from the other side of the dark chamber. ¡¸Ri¡­Right now, whose voice is that!? Is someone else in here!? ¡¹ ¡¸Over there. ¡¹ I followed Seiya¡¯s slowly steps. I took a long and deep breath. ¡¸Seiya¡­Where¡­ Where are you? ¡¹ A bloody Princess Tiana stood right in front of me! A large amount of blood was coming from her abdomen and she bled from her eyes and mouth! ¡­Im¡­Impossible¡­!! Her abdomen was ripped apart and the baby was eaten¡­And yet I¡­Princess Tiana was still alive¡­!? ¡¸It¡¯s dark¡­It hurts¡­I¡¯m scared¡­ ¡¹ How sad. Her eyes were no longer clear. She was losing consciousness. Even so, she battled against the fear of death, and crawled in the cold floor of this dark space. ¡¸Seiya¡­It hurts¡­This is so painful¡­Seiya¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Ugh! I couldn¡¯t watch it anymore, so I turned my eyes away from Princess Tiana. And, when I turned around for a slight moment, I became utterly surprised. It was because Seiya took off the cloak that Chronoa offered us. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Princess Tiana will see you!! There¡¯s going to be a Time Paradox¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸This woman¡¯s death is certain. She won¡¯t tell anyone that she saw me because she is about to die. The paradox won¡¯t happen.¡¹ And then, Seiya approached Princess Tiana. ¡¸¡­Tiana. I¡¯m here. ¡¹ Princess Tiana, who heard Seiya¡¯s voice, relaxed her painful expression a little. ¡¸Seiya¡­? Seiya, is that you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I am. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya¡­I¡¯m relieved¡­ ¡¹ Seiya silently took Princess Tiana¡¯s hand. ¡¸Listen, I¡­I am going to die, right? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. But, death is only a mere state where all of us will have to return to. A state that existed before we were born, and that it shall continue to exist after we perish. Don¡¯t be scared.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to die eventually as well. Let¡¯s meet again then. ¡¹ And then, Princess Tiana stopped moving. ¡­Before I knew it, tears fell from my eyes without stopping. The cautious Seiya. He wanted to avoid actions that could cause a Time Paradox by any costs. ¡­But¡­Even so¡­He couldn¡¯t leave Princess Tiana to die alone with that much suffering¡­! I was watching Seiya and Princess Tiana with tears in my eyes! At this point! An evil spirit spread away from my body! Eh!! Thi¡­This is!? The devilish aura that left my body gained a humanoid form! Then, the creepy Ceremonic with crushed eyes and nose approached Princess Tiana, who died on the cold floor of the Demon King¡¯s Castle! ¡¸Ohhhhhh¡­The soul of the goddess went to the heavens! Dead! Dead! The goddess is dead! The curse was fulfilled, fulfilled, fulfilled¡­¡¹ After Ceremonic murmured with satisfaction, she suddenly disappeared as if she melted into the darkness of the surrounding area. ¡­Seiya stood up and silently stared at me. ¡¸The evil aura has disappeared. Apparently, this worked. ¡¹ ¡¸Ceremonic¡¯s curse has been released¡­? But, how? ¡¹ ¡¸Princess Tiana, who has the same soul as you Lista, was killed. Therefore, Ceremonic sensed this was the place when your soul went to heaven. As intended, Ceremonic fell for this illusionary trap and the curse lifted away.¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, that¡¯s what really happened, I see¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸There was a possibility that the curse itself could have the power to hear our conversation in the almighty world of the innermost gods. The risk was high. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t tell you the details.¡¹ A few minutes later, I felt that Chronoa¡¯s magical powers were ending. It was almost time we returned back to the almighty world of the innermost gods. In the meantime, I spoke with Seiya. ¡¸Seiya¡­Thank you. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need your thanks. I told you that it was my fault that you were cursed this time.¡¹ ¡¸Wrong. That wasn¡¯t what I meant. Thank you¡­for taking care of Princess Tiana¡¯s last moments.¡¹ ¡¸I just wanted to make sure that Ceremonic really thought that you were dead. Besides¡­ ¡¹ Seiya said the following words after looking at the corpse of Princess Tiana. ¡¸On that state. Well, I don¡¯t know if my words reached her. Most probably not. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­That¡¯s not true. ¡¹ ¡¸How do you know that? ¡¹ ¡¸Because¡­Because I¡­She¡­looked very happy in her last moments¡­! ¡¹ I answered him while I cried my eyes out. After a brief silence, Seiya finally said the words. ¡¸I see. You¡¯re right. ¡¹ Eventually, the space around us became distorted. The time had probably come for us to leave this time space. We returned from the Demon King¡¯s Castle from one year ago to the almighty world of the innermost gods. Volume 2 - CH 100 Chapter 100: A Determined Future I was extremely grateful for Her Eminence Lady Chronoa and the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s help to lift my curse. After showing them my utmost gratitude, Seiya and I left the almighty world of the innermost gods. We opened the door of the ¡°room that stops time¡± and walked through the corridor of the third floor. I noticed that the starts shined brightly from the windows. ¡¸It¡¯s already late. So, let¡¯s go to Exfolia tomorrow. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. ¡¹ I had so many things to say. But, no words came of my mouth. Seiya went to the summoning chamber afterwards. ¡­I wanted to stay with Seiya for a bit longer¡­ I became alone again. I went to Aria¡¯s room to explain what happened and told her that I was finally safe. Then, I left the temple and headed to the Cafe De Celseus. Celseus and everyone else were sitting on a table. John Dae and Kiriko saw me and rushed on my direction. ¡¸Ohhh! Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Goddess! You¡¯re safe! ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Lista! I¡¯m glad! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I made you worry. I¡¯m okay now. ¡¹ Kiriko embraced me tightly. Then, John Dae asked the following question. ¡¸By the way, where is that hero? ¡¹ ¡¸He went back to the summoning chamber. We¡¯re heading to Exfolia tomorrow. ¡¹ ¡¸But, it¡¯s better for Mister Seiya and Miss Lista to rest for longer period of time¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, it¡¯s fine. Actually, we were supposed to leave the gods realm a long while ago. Yet, our departure got delayed because of me.¡¹ Celseus brought me a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. After a short chat with them, I finally returned to my room in the heavenly temple. I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. My body was so heavy and my mind was so exhausted because of all the events that happened lately. ¡­Seiya was probably tired as well. He helped me even though he had a psychological relapse. Seiya was an unreadable person. I never had a clue about his inner thoughts before. However, today I saw a different side of Seiya. He looked vulnerable like the rest of us. Actually, he didn¡¯t look that concerned or anxious, like always, and yet, I felt that his inner feelings were hurt. That¡¯s why¡­he fell down. I didn¡¯t notice Seiya¡¯s mental fatigue until Kiriko told me about it. I felt such great embarrassment and was ashamed of myself, because I as Seiya¡¯s supportive goddess didn¡¯t understand my hero unlike Kiriko, the machine, who knew him better than me. ¡­I vowed to myself that, from now on, I¡¯d be more concerned about Seiya¡¯s feelings and health¡­Spe¡­Speaking of which was it okay to leave Lord Nemesil as a grandpa? Well, who cares? Eventually, he¡¯ll return to his original appearance¡­ I fell asleep after I had those thoughts. ¡ª Before I knew it, I was alone in a dark space. Ah, what? I was in my room not too long ago¡­Was this another dream? When I looked around, I noticed that someone was standing still a little further away from me. It frightened me. ¡­No way, is that person Ceremonic!? But, the curse has been solved completely!! When I looked closely at that person¡¯s silhouette, I saw that he was dressed with an eerie black robe that had the same hue as the darkness of this place. I felt that this mysterious person had a different appearance and aura as opposed to Ceremonic. ¡¸Nice to meet you. Goddess Listarte. ¡¹ That person talked to me. Actually, it was a woman with a husky voice. I couldn¡¯t see her face, because a big hood covered her entire head. However¡­ ¡¸You managed to accomplish something great. You managed to escape from the consequences of Bloody Sisteria. I thought that no one wouldn¡¯t be able to save you. But, here you are. Well, it can¡¯t be helped if you saved yourself by travelling through time and space.¡¹ My spine froze when I heard this woman¡¯s words. She knew about everything that happened to me. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­? Who¡­Who are you¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no need to worry. I can¡¯t kill a god neither the hero. I¡¯m just a powerless existence whose ability can distort the ways of the world. But, I believe that someday this power will shape the universe to its rightful form.¡¹ After she laughed with a dry voice, this mysterious woman turned her head away. ¡¸Wait! ¡¹ I tried to follow the woman. Nonetheless, a strong wind blew on my path abruptly, and I couldn¡¯t move forward anymore. The woman knew that I was approaching her. I felt that she narrowed her eyes, and then, she took off the robe that covered her entire body. Black, white, red, blue, gold¡­Her hair had a mixture of the most variety of colors. She had black wings that created that huge amount of wind. On this moment, the name of the enemy, which I¡¯ve heard for several times in Exfolia, passed through my mind. ¡­The Evil God with Mottled Hair¡­!! That devil creature stopped before leaving. She spoke to me without turning around. ¡¸The hero you summoned is a great hero. He has a tremendous force and his far-sight cannot be underestimated. But, regardless of that¡­Ryuguuin Seiya will lose a precious person once again. This is not a prophecy. This is his determined future.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What are you implying¡­ ¡¹ The moment I tried to grasp the meaning of this talk, the devil creature disappeared from my sight and assimilated with the darkness. ¡ª ¡­When I opened my eyes, I saw a faint brightness that lit my room because of the illumination that spread from the dim light of the lamp. When I looked at my window, I noticed that it was dark outside. It was still late at night. Was that a dream just now? No¡­Wrong! The evil god with mottled hair entered my spiritual world just as Ceremonic did once before! Bu¡­But, how could that happen¡­? I was still in the God¡¯s realm, and yet¡­ I tried to organize my thoughts about this occurrence. Suddenly, I noticed that my body felt heavier than normal. I felt that my stomach swelled a little bit below the blanket of my bed. ¡­Wha¡­What¡¯s this¡­? I moved the blanket away from my body. And there was¡­ *screams extremely high* It was the face of a bloody woman with crushed eyes and nose! Ceremonic was hanging on top of my body! ¡¸Gyaaaaaaa!! ¡¹ ¡¸You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead.¡¹ Ceremonic¡¯s body, which spitted words of curse, was transparent! I could see everything through her body even though she stood right next to me! Wa¡­Wa¡­Was she a Ghost!? Ceremonic, who was supposed to have died, revived as a ghostly form!? Ho¡­How is that even possible¡­!! This was an impossible scenario! However, at the same time, something crossed through my mind, and I became convinced of this bizarre situation! ¡­It made sense¡­! This was surely the power of that devil creature¡­! So, that thing¡­was really the Evil God with Mottled Hair that lived currently in Exfolia¡­! Right in front of me, Ceremonic¡¯s ghostly form opened her mouth without teeth. ¡¸If I invade your body¡­Bloody Sisteria can be revived once again¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ Ceremonic¡¯s arm transformed as a black haze! It were about to enter my body through my mouth! I tried to block it with my hands, but it passed through my skin and headed towards my lips! ¡­Oh¡­Oh no¡­! I didn¡¯t know what do to against this ghost opponent. When I felt that, my hope was lost¡­ ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the Fourth¡­¡°Astral Break¡±. ¡¹ A familiar voice echoed through the space of my room! At the same time, I saw a magical chain wrapped around the body of Ceremonic! ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­In fact, even though we returned to the past to get rid of your curse with the help of the Goddess of Time, I had a hunch that Ceremonic could reappear.¡¹ A¡­Amazing!! As expected of Seiya!! Bu¡­But, where is his voice coming from!? I didn¡¯t see him anywhere in my room!! I followed the source of the chain, and then, I saw that it came from under the bed. Before long, Seiya crawled out of the gap from my bed! ¡¸Ehhhhh!? Why are you coming out of that place!? ¡¹ ¡¸I concealed my breath, while waiting under your bed to see if something happened to you after you fell asleep.¡¹ ¡¸Is this an urban legend!?* ¡¹ Wha¡­What was this mix of feelings between creepiness, joyfulness, dependable and complicated emotions that I¡¯ve felt!? Seiya spoke while looking directly at Ceremonic wrapped in chains. ¡¸Hmm. That thing looks like Cross Tanathus, the god of death, which we encountered back in Geabrande¡­No, actually, it was with the power of the evil god that Ceremonic transformed into a ghost. That¡¯s why I used the destructive skill ¡°Astral Break¡± because it is a method used against ghostly beings¡­¡¹ While Seiya analyzed the situation, Ceremonic, who was tied up in a chain, began to move. ¡¸Ohhhhhhhh¡­! ¡¹ The Ceremonic¡¯s groaning voice echoed tremendously on my earlobes! Then, dozens of rotten arms appeared in my room¡­Actually, it was hundreds of them! ¡¸Ehhhhh!? What on earth is happening!? ¡¹ Those arms, along with some others that stretched from the ground, began to grab the chain that Seiya invoked to seal Ceremonic! They tried to pull it out and broke the chain into pieces! ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be! Those arms broke the Astral Break! ¡¹ Before long, the room was infested with crawling arms that looked like snakes! Moreover, Ceremonic was released from the chain and began to chase me! ¡¸Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. ¡¹ ¡­It looked like this ghostly form amplified its grudging power!! This room transformed into the territory of Ceremonic¡¯s curse!! Wha¡­What could we do in a place like this¡­!? I stared immediately at Seiya to seek salvation in the midst of this nightmarish space. But, as usual, Seiya spoke with a calm demeanor. ¡¸Until a while ago, Ceremonic¡¯s existence disappeared completely, and only the curse remained intact. However, after we solved the curse, the evil god used his power to transform Ceremonic¡¯s grudge into a ghostly form. Therefore, we have no problem to dealing with this thing because it only exists thanks to the power of the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We have no problem to dealing with this thing, you say¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Before I hid under your bed, I set up six obstruction stones around this room. I also managed to get Ceremonic¡¯s hair not too long ago. Besides that, I performed the sword dance for three hours within a radius of 500 meters away from Lista, where Ceremonic was supposed to be lurking around.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­No way¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya grabbed the Platinum Sword from his sheath. The Platinum Sword glowed several times brighter than usual, as if the sword itself were emitting a natural light! ¡¸Sacred Hexagram¡­Activate. ¡¹ As soon as the room covered up in light, the countless of creepy arms that were crawling in the ground disappeared instantaneously as if they were swept away by a wave of light! ¡­The secret that the Great Goddess Isister gave to Seiya in order to defeat the Grand Lion¡­I couldn¡¯t believe that Seiya used it for a moment like this¡­!! Ceremonic¡¯s ghostly body also decayed due to the wave of light! Even so, Ceremonic, whose exterior body became undead-like since the meat fell of the skin, still chased me but slowly! ¡¸Ki¡­Ki¡­Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh no¡­! ¡¹ Wha¡­What a huge obsession with me!! Such a horrible sight! My whole body shivered in fear! However¡­new chains wrapped around Ceremonic¡¯s ghostly form once again! First, the legs, then its torso and finally, the neck! I noticed that the chain of destruction extended, not only from Seiya¡¯s hands, but also from the walls and from the floor of the room! Seiya shot an icy gaze towards Ceremonic. ¡¸Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break. Astral Break.¡¹ Oh gosh!! He began to speak repeatedly like the ghost enemy!! All of those chains that got out of my room covered Ceremonic¡¯s head, including the mouth, which recited recurrently the grudging words ¡°Kill. Kill¡±! No, in fact, those chains didn¡¯t just wrap up Ceremonic¡¯s head¡­It spread all over its body as if it were a spider¡¯s web! Ceremonic became completely wrapped in chains! Then, Seiya pulled a chain that came out of his arm! And ¡°squeeze¡±! The swollen web cocoon contracted! Upon hearing a squeezing sound, I saw that a black evil mist scattered from between the chains to the floor! ¡­After Seiya¡¯s chain of destruction disappeared, Ceremonic¡¯s ghostly form was no longer present in my room. ¡¸Did¡­Did you defeat it? This time for real? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Most probably. ¡¹ I felt some weakness on my waist, so I sat abruptly on the floor of my room. After adjusting my breathing, I finally spoke to Seiya. ¡¸Bu¡­But, even so. That really surprised me, you know¡­The Secret of the Six Hexagram Star. I had completely forgot that you had that skill¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even though I couldn¡¯t use it against the Grand Lion, I could always use it again on a different enemy. Actually, it¡¯s an effective way to cut off the protection from the evil god. I never discarded this skill.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­Ah, but you used Ceremonic¡¯s hair as a catalyst to performing that skill! Where on earth did you get that?¡¹ ¡¸I got it when I went with you to confirm Ceremonic¡¯s corpse. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! So, does that mean that, during that time, you were already thinking about activating the Six Hexagram!?¡¹ ¡¸It was just a precaution. ¡¹ Seiya looked at the space where Ceremonic stood previously while talking to me. After staring fixedly for a while, Seiya declared the following words. ¡¸I think it¡¯s completely gone. Still, I think it¡¯s better if I continue to watch your movement for the time being.¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya¡¯s words weighted on my mind. ¡¸Listen. Does that mean that you¡¯ll stay by my side from now on? Are you going to sleep with me at night?¡¹ Then, Seiya spoke with piercing eyes. ¡¸¡­I knew it. You¡¯re fully okay now. So, that means that Ceremonic is finally gone. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? That wasn¡¯t the talk that you made with me just now!! C¡¯mon, I want you to be a little more cautious just like you were moments ago¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. You¡¯re noisy. Go to bed. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh!! ¡¹ He hit my face with a pillow. When I took the pillow out of my face, I screamed, ¡¸Why the hell did you do that to me!! ¡¹, but then, I noticed that Seiya had already opened the door and ventured out of my room. ¡¸Ah! Wait! ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t turn around and walked through the corridor without stopping¡­I was left alone in my room. Ah, c¡¯mon! I wanted to thank him properly! But, the mood got weird because he ended up hitting me with a pillow! ¡­After Seiya left my room, I sat down on my bed and reminisced about the battle against Ceremonic. The curse that Ceremonic casted upon me was such a powerful and fearsome curse that even the Great Goddess Isister didn¡¯t know what do to do in order to save me. Seiya went back in time and overturned the curse by tricking Ceremonic with my illusionary death. However, Ceremonic¡¯s obsession to kill me with her curse didn¡¯t disappear entirely and she resurrected as a ghost after gaining the power of the evil god. She attacked me again. Nevertheless, Seiya anticipated this, and this time, with the power of the Six Hexagram skill, he managed to defeat the enemy for good. ¡­What a great hero he was¡­ I felt a real sense of amazement at the succession of miracles that Seiya achieved so far, then¡­ ¡ºBut, regardless of that¡­Ryuguuin Seiya will lose a precious person once again. This is not a prophecy. This is his determined future.¡» Suddenly, the words of the evil god passed through my mind. No doubt about it. Those words were directed towards me. In other words, the evil god tried to explain that my life would extinguish before we could even save Exfolia. I see. My fate will be the same as Princess Tiana¡¯s fate. A dreadful destiny because the Demon King killed her in the end¡­ I clenched my fists then. Wha¡­What the hell was with this determined future! Seiya will definitely save me! Besides¡­Don¡¯t she dare take me as fool! I¡¯m a goddess after all! I won¡¯t have any regrets even if I die trying to save Exfolia from its enemies! Seiya has helped me for countless of times. My mood reinvigorated and my optimistic feelings solidified. At this time, I certainly thought so. At his time I still had no idea that a terrifying event that far exceeded my imagination was lying right ahead¡­ Volume 2 - CH 101 Chapter 101: Prospect The next morning I got up early and headed to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room on my own. I wanted to report about the appearance of the ¡°evil god with mottled hair¡±. ¡¸¡­There¡¯s a high possibility that that being is an evil god. ¡¹ After listening to my story, the Great Goddess Isister spoke with a difficult expression on her face. In fact, I thought that I knew what kind of being it was, based on the characteristic hair. I hoped this information would be useful. However, it seems that many evil gods exist, one could say that they are as many as the gods from the God¡¯s realm. I didn¡¯t know the name of that evil god, nor did I know the name of the evil god residing in Exfolia. Therefore, the Great Goddess Isister wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they were the same being. ¡¸In addition to interfering with my foresight, that dark being also intervened with your spirit Listarte, even though you are currently in the God¡¯s realm. That evil god has a tremendous power. Even if that evil god can¡¯t harm you or Ryuguuin Seiya directly, you mustn¡¯t lose your vigilance.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand. ¡¹ After I bowed deeply in respect, I left the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. ¡ª When I arrived at the Cafe De Celseus, I saw that Seiya, Kiriko and John Dae were already there with their belongings. I wanted to tell Seiya about my encounter with the evil god. ¡¸Listen, Seiya. You know, I went to talk with the Great Goddess Isister about¡­ ¡¹ But, on this moment, I heard a bustling sound! An earth snake jumped out of my dress from my chest! ¡¸Whoa!? What on earth!? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no need to tell me about it. All of your conversations with Isister were wiretapped by that earth snake.¡¹ ¡¸Wiretapped, you say!? Did you know that¡¯s a crime!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not always eavesdropping. But, I wiretapped you because there was a small possibility that Ceremonic¡¯s curse could still be lingering in you. That¡¯s why I ended up hearing about the conversation you had with Isister.¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? A¡­Anyway, if you were listening to everything we said, then you must know what we talked about, right¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that the ¡°evil god with mottled hair¡± in Exfolia could be the evil god that appeared in your sub consciousness. I didn¡¯t hear anything new or special to be honest.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Then, Seiya, what¡¯s your opinion about it!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, there¡¯s a high chance that your assumption is correct. That evil god can sense our movements and besides that, he managed to empower the Grand Lion, Oxelio and even Ceremonic¡­No normal monster is capable of doing that. That evil god is like a supervisor who doesn¡¯t go to the frontlines but gives his instructions. The only problem is that we can¡¯t create any countermeasures because that evil god resides in an altogether different dimension.¡¹ Then, Seiya grabbed his luggage and carried it to his shoulders. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s head to Exfolia for now. First, summon the portal and direct the exit towards the Light of Hope.¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Understood¡­ ¡¹ I called John Dae and Kiriko afterwards. Now that the Cursed Sphere was gone, the portal opened directly to the square of the ¡°Light of Hope¡± underground settlement without any problems. Seiya and I, along with Kiriko and John Dae, dived into the portal. ¡ª ¡¸Hmm. I can¡¯t believe this. Is this place below the ground? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s such a big town in the underground¡­! ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko screamed in excitement when they saw the houses lit up by the light of the magical stones and the people who farmed in the fields. The people who lived in this underground settlement were originally the inhabitants of Galvano. However, when the beast men ruled their town, these people hid themselves in this secret settlement with the power of Eich, a powerful earth magic user. Seiya defeated the Grand Lion, who also ruled this land. Yet, they had to keep living in the underground under the instructions of this cautious hero. The inhabitants of the Light of Hope noticed our arrival. When they looked slightly at the Killing Machine, I put the hood over Kiriko¡¯s head immediately, so that they won¡¯t make a fuss about her. Before long, a large crowd of people surrounded us. Among them was the young Eich, the settlement leader, and Brut. ¡¸Hero. Long time no see. ¡¹ Seiya began to speak only about the main points of what happened so far, without exchanging greetings with Eich. ¡¸In addition to the northern Machine Emperor Oxelio, the Emperor Ceremonic, who ruled the southern land, was also destroyed. You can finally go to the surface now.¡¹ The people who were listening to the conversation between Seiya and Eich were astonished. I could only hear them say ¡°Whoa!¡± from their mouths. I noticed that some people were even crying. Naturally. After they got attacked by the beast men, these poor people had to live a long life in the underground without real light. Now, they could finally return to the surface. ¡¸The above town is protected by the golems I¡¯ve created. So, you don¡¯t need to worry about any external threats. The golems will protect you from the monsters. Moreover, Eich. This underground settlement mustn¡¯t be destroyed. You must left it intact as a shelter for the case of an emergency.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I appreciate your consideration for us. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go the surface now¡­Lista. ¡¹ I summoned the portal in the Light of Hope. When Seiya went through the portal, all of the inhabitants followed after him. ¡ª Half-destroyed houses came into our view. Galvano was left devastated by the beast people. Even so¡­ ¡¸Light¡­! The sunlight¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re finally liberated from the domination of the beast men¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸We can live in the surface once again¡­! ¡¹ The people from the Light of Hope were cheering with happiness after they went to the surface. Next to me, I noticed that Brut was rubbing his eyes. ¡¸Oh my. Are you crying? ¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course not! The sun is too dazzling! ¡¹ Uhhh, he put up a brave front! I thought that he was a cheeky guy, but I guess he had a cute side as well! Nonetheless, Brut wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone, both young and old, were shedding tears of great emotion. Such sight impressed both John Dae and Kiriko. ¡¸I don¡¯t think my heart can take this anymore¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad that they were able to come to the surface at last! ¡¹ After a while, the inhabitants surrounded Seiya and me. ¡¸Hero! Goddess! Thank you! Thank you so much! ¡¹ ¡¸I should give you my utmost gratitude! ¡¹ Thinking deeply about it, I still remember the first time we met with the inhabitants of the Light of Hope. Seiya and I were violently abused by them during that time. But now, they had tears of happiness and appreciation towards us. ¡­I¡¯m truly glad it ended up this way¡­! The liberation of the people from the Light of Hope was also the pivotal aspect where Seiya¡¯s hard work was fully rewarded. I was so impressed by all of this that I almost cried alongside them. However, Seiya snapped his finger with a serious face. ¡¸¡­Iron Dome. ¡¹ Soon, I heard a huge rumbling sound! A large rock wall with 360¡ã in diameter raised to the sky from the town¡¯s border, and fully covered Galvano in a second! ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ I was taken aback after I saw the formation of the large dome! The sunlight was completely blocked, and Galvano had turned into a dark world! ¡¸What!? It¡¯s dark again!? ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What happened just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­!! ¡¹ The inhabitants shouted aloud because of the sudden darkness! I also shouted at Seiya! ¡¸Seiya!? Why did you create the Iron Dome!? Can¡¯t you see that it got even darker than it was in the underground!?¡¹ ¡¸The sudden sunlight after a long underground life is not good for their eyes. So, I blocked the day¡¯s light.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it!! If you do this, the purpose of coming to the surface is meaningless!!¡¹ ¡¸Everyone was crying. Can¡¯t you see that their eyes were burnt by the sunlight?¡¹ ¡¸They didn¡¯t cry because their eyes were hurt!! They cried because they were blissful!!¡¹ Then, Seiya shook his head slightly. ¡¸I don¡¯t understand them. What a troublesome people. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re the one who¡¯s troublesome because you don¡¯t understand anybody!!¡¹ The inhabitants were heartbroken because of the sudden darkness. But, before long, all of them regained their spirits once Seiya¡¯s Iron Dome shrank back. ¡¸All right. Everything is okay here. Lista. Let¡¯s go to Tarmine next. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ As Seiya instructed, I opened the portal that led to Tarmine. We left the town of Galvano with a smile after we said our goodbyes to the delighted inhabitants of the Light of Hope, including Eich and Brut. ¡ª After arriving in Tarmine, Seiya gave John Dae some instructions. ¡¸John Dae. Go call Queen Carmilla. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m okay with it, but for what reason? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to have a meeting with the Queen now. ¡¹ After giving an order to John Dae, Seiya headed to the conference room in the royal palace. Kiriko and I followed Seiya. There was a large rectangular table in the conference room used to organize the military strategy of the kingdom. Seiya sat on the upper seat. While Kiriko and I sat on chairs placed at the corner of the table. ¡¸Miss Lista. What is the purpose of this meeting? ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Actually, I don¡¯t have any clue about the purpose of this meeting. ¡¹ Eventually, the Queen appeared with John Dae and sat in front of us. After looking at everyone seated around the table, Seiya finally opened his mouth. ¡¸By defeating the northern Machine Emperor Oxelio and the southern Emperor Ceremonic, one can finally say that the Radral continent is free from the danger of invasion. It has become reasonably safe now. Therefore, I¡¯m going to talk about the future¡­¡¹ Seiya stood up from his chair and walked towards the world map of Exfolia exposed in the wall. He stood right beside the map while looking at us. He was like a teacher at school. ¡¸We¡¯re going to fight against the last emperor in Exfolia. ¡¹ I spoke directly to John Dae, who sat in front of me. ¡¸Is that so, John Dae? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Now that the Beast Emperor, the Machine Emperor, and Curse Emperor are gone, the Death Emperor Silshete is the last right-handed man of the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸The Death Emperor Silshete, you say. It means that if we defeat him, only the Demon King will remain!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you there. You¡¯re noisy. Shup up and listen to me. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful from now on¡­ ¡¹ He really looked like a cautious teacher who reprimanded me severely for speaking aloud in the classroom¡­Wait a minute!! What the hell was this student thing!! I was a goddess, correct!? Without knowing my frustrating feelings, Seiya pointed to the map with his sheath as if he were using a pointing stick like a teacher. ¡¸The Death Emperor resides in the Aerith continent, which lies across the sea from the western side of the Radral continent. Further north from the Aerith continent, is the remote Gastreid continent, where is located the Demon King¡¯s castle. Originally, after I got the permission from Isister, I planned to use the portal to Aerith continent to defeat the Death Emperor. After succeeding that mission, I¡¯d head north to the Gastreid continent.¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s eyes transformed like sharp knives. ¡¸But, per my information, it seems that Artemaeus is hibernating to accumulate more power. If that¡¯s true, then I¡¯d like to use this chance to defeat him for good.¡¹ The Queen looked surprised. ¡¸In other words, are you going to defeat Artemaeus before the Death Emperor!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. In fact, when I knew that Artemaeus was accumulating power, I considered this strategy immediately. But, Tarmine was in the imminent danger of invasion. So, I couldn¡¯t advance with my plans until the defense of Radral continent was acomplished.¡¹ I swallowed a lot of fresh saliva into my throat. Se¡­Seiya had been thinking about such a bold strategy! And¡­This may be a pretty good strategy! Even the evil god might think, that based on Seiya¡¯s cautious personality that we¡¯ll go after the Death Emperor first, and then leave the Demon King for the last battle! After a moment of silence, John Dae began to giggle a little. ¡¸Interesting! That¡¯s a drastic strategy coming from a person like you! ¡¹ The blood from the former general was bursting with excitement. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then do you plan to invade the Gastreid continent now!? ¡¹ However, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸Just listen to rest of the story¡­Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on with this part of the map?¡¹ Seiya drew a circle with his sheath on the Gastreid continent where the Demon King was located, and the Aerith continent where the Death Emperor resided. I stared fixedly at the map, but I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of Seiya¡¯s question. Everyone kept silent, except Kiriko, who murmured after looking at that part of the world map. ¡¸Two continents¡­They¡¯re not too far from one another. That geographic area looks similar with the sea between Radral continent and the southern continent¡­¡¹ Then, Seiya nodded positively. ¡¸That¡¯s correct, Kiriko. The Gastreid and Aerith continents are only separated by a small sea. If you have a ship, you can go back and forth in a few days. I have the desire to aim at the hibernating Demon King, but if I leave the Death Emperor alive and go to the Gastreid continent, then there¡¯s a high probability that he might attack us coming from the south to the north unexpectedly. Summing up¡­¡¹ Seiya spoke the final verdict words. ¡¸After I defeat the Death Emperor, I will defeat the Demon King. ¡¹ John Dae and I were astounded by Seiya¡¯s final decision. ¡¸Well¡­you see¡­So, you¡¯re going to stick to your original plan after all¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right¡­!! What kind of meeting is this¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s called ¡°the meeting that announces the prospect of being invaded and not being invaded¡­¡±¡¹ ¡¸I doubt that a meeting like that even exists in the first place!! ¡¹ I screamed at Seiya, but the Queen just said ¡°easy, easy¡± to us. ¡¸Somehow, after I heard him say, ¡°after I defeat the Death Emperor, I will defeat the Demon King¡±¡­I thought that his decision was the right one. It¡¯s definitely better to fight through an exact order than to use one or two tactics that would make us regret.¡¹ John Dae asked Seiya after a deep sigh. ¡¸¡­Ah. Then, are you going to the Aerith continent where the Death Emperor is now? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯m going back to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhh!? Are you going to the God¡¯s realm once again!? What was the meaning for us to come to Exfolia now!?¡¹ ¡¸The purpose of coming to Exfolia was to liberate the inhabitants of the Light of Hope from the underground settlement, and tell the Queen about my plans for the future. After this, I¡¯m going to train in the heavenly world to prepare for the battle against the Death Emperor. Do you have any complaints?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any¡­but, wha¡­what a bothersome man you are¡­!! ¡¹ John Dae was frustrated. Yeah, I understood him well. I knew exactly what it felt like. Still, I did as Seiya asked me to do and I opened the portal to the God¡¯s realm. Then, John Dae, with his pissed rotting face, began to follow us. ¡¸Oh my. John Dae, are you coming with us as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? ¡°Are you coming¡± you say¡­I¡¯m not your comrade anymore!? But, we¡¯ve been together all this time¡­My¡­My Queen!! You don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m part of the hero¡¯s party, correct!?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine with it. But, does the hero and the goddess really need you now? ¡¹ Then, John Dae gave me a strong look. ¡¸Go¡­Goddess!! Now that I¡¯ve come this far, I want to devote myself to save the world!! The Death Emperor probably has the same attributes as the Curse Emperor!! I¡¯m not entirely dead but I¡¯m strong against curses, so I¡¯m pretty convenient, no!?¡¹ ¡¸Eh. What should I do? ¡¹ I felt that Kiriko pulled the hem of my sleeve. ¡¸I¡­I think that we should bring Mister John Dae with us! ¡¹ ¡¸Kiriko¡­! You¡¯re right! We¡¯ve been working together as part-timers in the God¡¯s realm!¡¹ ¡¸I know that about you two. But, John Dae has a really bad smell. ¡¹ John Dae shouted aloud after he heard my reluctant words. ¡¸The¡­Then, I should carry a scented tea with me from now on!! ¡¹ ¡­Hmm! John Dae was willing to spill some tea onto his head for the sake of coming with us! John Dae was so desperate that I burst out laughing! ¡¸Ahahaha! It can¡¯t be helped though! What do you think, Seiya? Are you willing to take John Dae for one more trip?¡¹ John Dae didn¡¯t like my attitude towards him. So, he spilled some harsh words against me. ¡¸You know what! I may have a bad smell coming from my rotten flesh¡­But, you smell bad as well because you have a nauseating body odor!!¡¹ ¡¸What!? Wha¡­What the hell are you saying to a lady, you hypocritical undead!!¡­Kiri!! I never stink, do I!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯m a machine, so Miss Lista¡¯s bad odor is almost unimportant to me!¡¹ Ugh¡­So, I did have bad body odor! The same thing happened in Geabrande! Kiriko was a pure young girl that couldn¡¯t lie, so it must be true¡­But, anyways, why did I have a bad body odor even though I was goddess myself¡­? Kiriko encouraged me after she saw how depressed I was. ¡¸But, when I¡¯m with Mister John Dae, I don¡¯t care about Miss Lista¡¯s smell! ¡¹ John Dae¡¯s rotten smell seemed to be stronger. I smiled at John Dae with a devilish grin and placed my hand on his shoulder. ¡¸John Dae. Let¡¯s go together. ¡¹ ¡¸No, what the hell is wrong with you!? I¡¯m not your deodorant, you know!? ¡¹ Seiya sighed after he witnessed our arguing. ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯d rather leave you two behind because you both stink so bad. But, I must take Lista with me because she is a goddess, and I also want to use the decayed body of John Dae for something I have to do in the heavenly world¡­¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, Mister Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It can¡¯t be helped. Kiriko. I¡¯ll take them with me. ¡¹ Kiriko spoke with a cheerful voice. ¡¸I¡¯m glad! Miss Lista! Mister John Dae! We can go together! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. Great¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right. Well¡­It is great¡­I guess. ¡¹ Before I knew it, Seiya placed John Dae and me in a lower rank than Kiriko herself. Volume 2 - CH 102 Chapter 102: The Goddess of Seclusion As soon as we returned to the God¡¯s realm, Seiya headed towards Celseus¡¯ cafe. John Dae, Kiriko and I followed him. Seiya approached Aria and Adenela, who enjoyed a cup of tea at the garden table. Adenela¡¯s eyes glittered when she noticed Seiya¡¯s presence. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! It¡­It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Go over there. ¡¹ Seiya pushed Adenela away from him with his sheath in order to speak with Aria¡­Eh, he treated her coldly as usual!! How cruel!! The worst was that Adenela didn¡¯t even mind his bad manners towards her!! ¡¸Aria. Do you know a god with an effective technique against an enemy with no flesh nor bones?¡¹ ¡¸In other words, a ghost-type enemy you ask¡­ ¡¹ Aria put her hand on her chin to think about it. Meanwhile, I asked John Dae the following question. ¡¸Hey, John Dae. Is the Death Emperor a ghost-type enemy? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know much about it. But, as the name suggests, the Death Emperor is a monster that probably has the power to control death. Even if the Death Emperor itself is not a ghost, there is a high possibility that he¡¯ll release many ghost monsters to battle us. The hero is right; we have to be prepared for that possible scenario.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Ah, but Seiya! Isn¡¯t your special flame magic effective against ghost-types? Besides, you¡¯ve already mastered Lady Valkyrie¡¯s Astral Break, isn¡¯t that so?¡¹ However, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸What will happen if my flame magic doesn¡¯t work? Astral Break is effective, but on the other hand, that¡¯s the only skill I know where I can go up against a ghost monster. And that¡¯s no good. I want to learn a variety of techniques.¡¹ Aria nodded slightly upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸You can definitely inflict great damage on all sorts of ghostly enemies if you learn the skills of the Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet.¡¹ The Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet¡­I¡¯ve never heard of her before. But, it sounded as if that goddess could teach Seiya about an effective technique against ghost monsters! ¡¸Aria. Where is Lady Nephitet? ¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s in the Graveyard of Gods. ¡¹ ¡¸I see, Graveyard of Gods¡­Huh, graveyard, you say!? There is a graveyard in the God¡¯s realm!? But gods don¡¯t die!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s very rare, but some gods were killed while rescuing other worlds because of powerful weapons such as the Chain Destruction. Besides¡­¡¹ ¡¸Besides? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­There¡¯s a lot of things going on in the God¡¯s realm¡­ ¡¹ Aria was going to say something to me, but stopped midway. I felt a little bit bad with myself because of my curiosity; therefore, I only listened to the address of the Graveyard of Gods located in the God¡¯s realm. ¡ª The Goddess of Chance, Rusti, lived in the ¡°Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡±. At the foot of her hut, stood the Graveyard of Gods. ¡¸Uhhh¡­Miss Lista. Somehow, I¡¯m a bit scared about this place¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s fine, Kiri! This is the God¡¯s realm after all! ¡¹ I tried to comfort Kiriko, who was extremely afraid. Actually, we were walking through crosses and stone monuments lined up in a deserted foothill. It was an eerie scene. Even the sky was cloudier than usual. I looked at a nearby stone monument. ¡­It was written, ¡°Age of death: 35422442¡±. That stone monument was the grave of a god who lived a great number of years. Why did he die? While I was wondering about that¡­ ¡¸¡­The eternal life of us gods can expire instantly without us even noticing about it. ¡¹ *screams* Suddenly, I heard a voice of a strange woman from behind my back. I screamed because it frightened me. I immediately turned around to see who had spoken. There was a woman with a deep blue long hair. A beautiful but tired face, with a triangular white cloth on her forehead. But, what surprised me the most was¡­ ¡­She¡­She had no legs!? There was no under part coming from that woman¡¯s torso! She was floating gently in the air! Then I freaked out for real¡­ ¡¸Oh my. You must be surprised. But, don¡¯t worry. I am the goddess who manages this graveyard.¡¹ Go¡­Goddess!? If that¡¯s true, then that meant that this ghostly person was¡­The Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet!! For some weird reason, Nephitet was signaling at me. ¡¸It¡¯s all right. Come over here. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ ¡¸You can see from my face. I won¡¯t harm you. Don¡¯t be shy, because we are fellow gods.¡¹ Nephitet put her hand on my shoulder and whispered with an imperfect speech. ¡¸You came here to become an ¡°Eta God¡±*, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Eta God¡±!? What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Eta God is a deity who is tired of living through the eternal time of gods and chooses to die by coming here.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­But, you¡¯re wrong!! I didn¡¯t come here to become an Eta God!! ¡¹ ¡¸What? I¡¯m wrong? I thought that you came here to end of your life because of your thin-skinned face.¡¹ How rude! I could still live for a longer period of time! I wasn¡¯t tired at all! ¡¸Then, why did you come here? ¡¹ I tried to explain why we came to the Graveyard of Gods, but¡­ ¡¸Get out of my way, you Eta God. ¡¹ Seiya pushed me away. ¡¸I just said that I¡¯m not an Eta God!! ¡¹ I yelled at Seiya like always. But, it seemed that Seiya could only see Nephitet and nobody else. ¡¸I want to learn a technique that is effective against ghosts. ¡¹ ¡¸Ghosts, you say. There are many types. There are ghosts that don¡¯t work well with fire magic, while there are ghosts that are strong against ice, and other ghosts that are strong against light. Even so¡­¡¹ Nephitet pulled out a slender sword from her waist. At first glance, it was a weird-shaped sword with nothing special about it¡­ ¡¸¡­Ghostbuster. ¡¹ At the same time Nephitet professed those words, the slender sword became covered with a white membrane. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s that¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I gave my sword a spiritual power. Now this sword became the focus of ¡°spiritual substance¡±. This sword is capable of inflicting damage on many kinds of ghosts.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. So, a sword that commands spiritual energy can perform successful spiritual attacks. I¡¯m sure it will work against all types of ghosts. Good. Tell me more about the ¡°Ghostbuster¡±.¡¹ Seiya was the great cautious hero as usual. Yet, Nephitet didn¡¯t seem to be that impressed about him. She just waved her head gently. ¡¸First, you have to acquire the spiritual power in order to transmit it to your sword. ¡¹ Upon saying those words, Nephitet brought an object made of wood. ¡¸You will become a wandering spirit if you hit your head on this mallet.** You can train your spiritual strength after you become a spirit yourself.¡¹ Ehhhh!? First of all, Seiya had to become a wandering spirit himself!? I thought it was a dubious practice¡­ ¡¸Okay. I understand. ¡¹ Surprisingly, Seiya accepted it without any problems. When he received the wooden mallet from Nephitet¡­ *bang* Seiya slammed my head against the mallet without hesitation! ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ Why¡­Why the hell did he make me do it!? Just try it yourself!! I tried to get angry with him. But, strangely enough, my body felt weirdly light and fluffy. ¡­On this precise moment. I was looking down at the fallen me from up in the air. Whoaaaaa!? I noticed the presence of a white thread that came from my fallen head, which connected to my spiritual head. I felt that this occurrence was somewhat similar from when I left my body when Seiya and Valkyrie tried to cease Ceremonic¡¯s curse. However, there was a difference this time¡­ ¡¸Uhhh¡­! The goddess has separated in two! So, the second body is the spiritual body!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I can see another Miss Lista from the body of Miss Lista who fell unconscious! ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko were able to see me this time. ¡¸Kiri! Can you hear my voice? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I can hear you! ¡¹ I could have a normal conversation with the ones who were still alive even though I became a wandering spirit. But, when I tried to touch Kiriko, my hand slipped through. After seeing the result, Seiya murmured. ¡¸So, Nephitet. How can she return to her original body? ¡¹ ¡¸She just needs to overlap her spiritual body with the body that has fallen on the ground. If she does that, she will return to her original body.¡¹ ¡¸All right. Lista. Try it. ¡¹ Why¡­Why was I obliged to be transformed into this state and still be ordered as a slave¡­! While I felt dissatisfaction and irritation, I tried to lie down to fit with my fallen body. ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ Then, my spiritual consciousness returned to my original body. Ah, great! I was finally back! Just when I woke up¡­ *bang* I felt a violent shock on my head. Then, I fell down and became a spirited body once again! *screams like a mad woman* ¡¸I wanted to try it twice, just to be in case¡­Yeah. I¡¯m convinced now. I¡¯ll do it too.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t give me the ¡°I¡¯ll do it too¡±!! Don¡¯t use me twice as a guinea pig experiment, you cruel idiot!!¡¹ However, my words were useless, because Seiya ignored me like always and had already turned into a spirited body. The original body of Seiya was lying on the ground side by side with my original body, who also remained in the ground. Nephitet spoke to our spirited bodies. ¡¸Well then, the spiritual training will start now. ¡¹ ¡¸Spi¡­Spiritual¡­training, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s make a deeper progress in the Nikola Tesla¡¯s research# in order to ascend the astral body from the properties of scandium## after a proper psychic study.¡¹ I didn¡¯t really understand the meaning of her words, but¡­somehow, they sounded occult and sinister!! I wondered what kind of training it was!? Then, Nephitet looked fixedly at Seiya. ¡¸For now, you should do 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second!! That¡¯s a hard-physical training!! ¡¹ I really thought that it was a spiritual training¡­ ¡¸Yeah. Okay. ¡¹ Seiya accepted it without hesitation and immediately began the push-ups on the ground. We¡­Well, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem since Seiya always liked the hard-physical training. Even so, I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this type of practice considering the purpose of gaining spiritual power¡­ After staring at Seiya for a while, Nephitet brought a white liquid in a cup and gave it to Seiya. ¡¸This is called ¡°Pro Spirit¡±, drink it. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Pro Spirit¡±!? What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡¸This drink is a rich liquid containing essential amino-spirit acids that are necessary for the formation of a healthy spirited body. Your spiritual training will improve if you drink it.¡¹ ¡¸Spi¡­Spiritual training, or should you say muscular training¡­!! ¡¹ Seiya received the cup and looked at it with serious eyes. But, suddenly, he turned around, picked my nose aggressively and I opened my mouth impulsively! ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ The ¡°Pro Spirit¡± drink was poured into my opened mouth! ¡¸Wha¡­ugh¡­you¡­doin¡¯¡­ugh!? ¡¹ The liquid went through my throat. ¡¸How is it? Is there any change in your physical condition or your spiritual essence? ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­Agh¡­Hmm, hey you¡­how dare you try to use me as an experiment every time you need, damn youuuuuu!!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. You seem fine. ¡¹ ¡¸It is a safe drink. The Pro Spirit is a secure liquid that acts as a spiritual supplement.¡¹ ¡¸All right. Then, I¡¯ll drink it too. ¡¹ ¡¸Do your best to reach the status of a spiritual macho. ¡¹ And then, Nephitet slapped my shoulder and Seiya¡¯s shoulder with such a great enthusiasm¡­No, why the hell was I being forced to drink a spiritual liquid!? I shouldn¡¯t be drinking that Pro Spirit because I didn¡¯t really want to become a spiritual macho!! I was extremely enraged. So, I floated rapidly and returned to my original body. After that, Seiya continued with his spiritual training. John Dae looked at Seiya with big admiration, who kept working hard on his spiritual-body training. ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s quite amazing, isn¡¯t it? He keeps pushing harder and harder¡­ ¡¹ I saw many bubbles of sweat floating in the air. I didn¡¯t know why a spirited body was sweating, but anyways, after seeing the figure of Seiya that kept working hard beyond the limits of human beings¡­ ¡¸So¡­So cool¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko murmured with amazement. For sure, Seiya was looking masculine and, extremely bulky and attractive on this physical training. After a long set of push-ups, Kiriko approached Seiya, who was drinking his Pro Spirit liquid. ¡¸I want to be strong like Mister Seiya one day! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh. Do you want to drink the Pro Spirit as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no¡­That wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­ ¡¹ Kiri didn¡¯t say she wanted to drink that damned liquid. What¡¯s wrong with that person¡­ ¡¸It will be counterproductive if you push yourself too much. Let¡¯s take a break now. ¡¹ Then, Seiya finally returned to his original body. ¡¸There¡¯s something I want to ask before the break is over. Nephitet. There¡¯s this white thread that connects the original body to the head of my spiritual body¡­I¡¯ll die if it¡¯s cut?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a spirited thread. Certainly, if someone cuts your spirited thread, you¡¯ll die if you let it go for a long period of time. But, it won¡¯t be a problem if it¡¯s for a short time. By the way, you can also connect your spirited body to another user and fix it in the meantime.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. So, for example, is it possible to separate the spirited body from its original body and put it in an altogether different body?¡¹ Then, Seiya approached John Dae and hit his head with the wooden mallet. ¡¸Agh!? ¡¹ A spiritual body appeared from the fallen John Dae¡¯s body. ¡¸Hey you, what the hell did you do that to me so suddenly!! ¡¹ John Dae, who became a wandering spirit, was extremely angry with Seiya. However, I noticed that Nephitet tried to give some weird scissors to Seiya. ¡¸You¡¯re going to cut the spirited thread, aren¡¯t you? If so, then you should use these spirited scissors to detach the soul from its body without inflicting pain.¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya grabbed the thread that connected John Dae¡¯s original body to his spirited body with both of his hands, and shredded it in half with his brute strength! ¡¸It hurtsssssssss!! Why¡­Why did you do that, you bastarddddddd!!¡¹ ¡¸Because it¡¯s a bother. So, I just pulled it out with my hands. ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s a bother!? Just use that damned spirited scissors!! ¡¹ Seiya completely ignored John Dae¡¯s screaming and took out the golden doll from his pocket. That creepy doll was quite familiar¡­Actually, that doll was the doll that Seiya created to resemble myself. ¡¸This is the Lista Hair Doll that I¡¯ve made with Lista¡¯s hair. I made this in order to create the Great Tarte, but it¡¯s a waste to throw it away, so I¡¯ll use it for further experiments.¡¹ Seiya wrapped the free white thread of John Dae¡¯s spirited body around the Lista Hair Doll! John Dae¡¯s spirited body was sucked into the small doll! ¡¸Ah!? Thi¡­This is¡­truly¡­myself now!? ¡¹ Oh gosh! I heard John Dae¡¯s voice coming from the Lista Hair Doll! Before long, the creepy doll began to shake its limbs as if it gained life! Kiriko and I screamed incessantly after we witnessed that horrific and creepy scene! ¡¸Gyaaaa!! The Lista Hair Doll is moving on its own!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What a scary thing!! ¡¹ However, Seiya spoke with his arms folded. ¡¸Okay. It worked fine. ¡¹ ¡¸What worked fine!? ¡¹ Both the dolled John Dae and I shouted in unison! I really didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this childish act! Nephitet approached us and said the following words. ¡¸If you leave it for too long, the spirited body will assimilate into the doll and it won¡¯t be able to return to its original state.¡¹ John Dae, who became the haired doll, freaked out. ¡¸Ju¡­Just hurry up and make me normal again!! ¡¹ ¡¸Thi¡­This doll gives me such an awful feeling!! Seiya, get him back!! ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. ¡¹ Seiya hit the Lista Hair Doll with the wooden mallet afterwards. After removing the white thread wrapped around the doll from the head of John Dae¡¯s spirit, Seiya tied the white thread onto John Dae¡¯s head from his real body. After John Dae got up from his original state, he asked the following question with great anxiety. ¡¸Did¡­Did you attach the white thread properly onto my body!? Won¡¯t it break again!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t fret¡­I mean, probably. ¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t you act more empathetic towards other people!? If you¡¯re cautious, then be careful on how you deal with other people as well!!¡¹ John Dae was angry. Yet, Seiya nodded satisfactorily, although with an expressionless face. ¡¸Today was quite fruitful. I managed to witness some signs of resolution towards the other case.¡¹ ¡ª After a short break, Seiya became a wandering spirit once again. He resumed his hard-physical training that seemed to repeat endlessly. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s go back. ¡¹ We left Seiya quietly without disturbing his supposed-spiritual training, and we headed to Celseus¡¯ cafe. When I met Celseus at his coffee shop, I asked him if John Dae and Kiriko could stay with him while we were in the God¡¯s realm. Celseus accepted my request promptly. It seemed that Celseus was fond of them. After all, they all worked together at the caf¨¦ not too long ago. He was going to lend them a room to stay for the meantime. It was too early to rest, so the three of us were at the table in the cafe. Kiriko spoke happily. ¡¸I¡¯m glad that Mister Seiya resolved his own troubles! ¡¹ Thinking about it, he did say, ¡°I managed to witness some signs of resolution towards the other case¡±. I didn¡¯t really know what kind of other case he was referring to, but¡­Well, it was nice that he managed to solve it. Suddenly, I noticed that John Dae was silent and with a difficult expression on his face. No wonder. He wasn¡¯t the only victim in Seiya¡¯s hands. Seiya also messed up with me today. I was a little sympathetic with John Dae and asked him to have a cup of coffee. ¡¸I understand why you¡¯re angry. So, why don¡¯t you have a cup of coffee to cheer up? ¡¹ After receiving the warm cup of coffee, John Dae mumbled with a different tone. ¡¸I¡¯m not angry. Well, I was angry during that time¡­But you see, now that I¡¯ve thought deeply about it, maybe he was trying to¡­¡¹ However, John Dae shook his head greatly. ¡¸No¡­No! There¡¯s no way that he¡¯d do that in the first place! Oh my, I¡¯m really tired today! I¡¯m going to rest!¡¹ ¡¸¡­John Dae?¡¹ John Dae headed to his room abruptly, after leaving me and Kiriko absolutely confused. Volume 2 - CH 103 Chapter 103: A Present Next morning. I went to the Graveyard of Gods of the God¡¯s realm to see how everything was going. Seiya was still working hard on his spiritual training. Seiya¡¯s spirited body seemed to be bulkier than yesterday. Next to me, Nephitet nodded with satisfaction. ¡¸Yes, yes. He has become quite a spiritual macho. ¡¹ That¡¯s right. He would be able to invoke the divine Ghostbuster if he strengthened his spiritual strength by training the spirited body. This skill dwelled in the real spiritual power in order to transmit it to the actual sword. ¡¸Lady Nephitet! If Seiya is that good now, maybe he¡¯s ready to start the Ghostbuster training soon!¡¹ ¡¸He can do it now if he wants to. But, if he keeps working hard and keeps squeezing the spirited body to the max, then he can also aim for the top prize in the Spiritual Celebration called ¡°Best Spirit Contest¡±. It¡¯s a festival where the great spirited machos gather together.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­No¡­I¡¯m sure that he isn¡¯t interested in a contest like that¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a shame. All right, after lunch break, I¡¯ll start his training so that he can give his sword the spiritual power it needs.¡¹ I finally got Nephitet¡¯s permission to advance with Seiya¡¯s training. I spoke with the spirited Seiya, who kept practicing without stopping. ¡¸Seiya! You can take a break! It seems like you have enough spiritual power to master the Ghostbuster now!¡¹ ¡¸Not enough. I¡¯ll train for a bit longer. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to participate in the Best Spirit Contest!? ¡¹ ¡¸Are you an idiot? I don¡¯t have time for things like that. I just want to increase my spiritual strength. That way, the power of the Ghostbuster will go up as well.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. I¡¯m relieved¡­But, don¡¯t overdo it too much. Take a break, okay? ¡¹ Seiya kept doing his spiritual training without saying much. I decided to visit John Dae and Kiriko in the meantime. ¡ª Since it was early in the morning, the Cafe De Celseus wasn¡¯t opened yet. However, I noticed that near the garden table, John Dae and Kiriko were discussing something with Celseus, who was like a form of master to them. ¡¸Celseus is the Swordsman God, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Celseus, please, I beg you! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ Celseus had his arms crossed with a tough-looking face. Hmm? What¡¯s going on over there? ¡¸Good morning, Kiri. What¡¯s going on here? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Miss Lista! Good morning! Well, you see, I was asking Mister Celseus to do sword training during the breaks of helping in the cafe!¡¹ John Dae looked at me with eyes full of determination. ¡¸I¡¯m officially a member of the hero¡¯s party. So, I want to use my sword to help save the world. That¡¯s why I want to improve my sword skills.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I see. So, Kiri, do you also feel the same way? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I also want to become strong and help Mister Seiya! ¡¹ Well. Seiya will probably defeat the enemy on his own even if these two became capable enough after their respective trainings. But, since they were so eager to help¡­ ¡¸Hey, Celseus. Why don¡¯t you teach them your swordsman skills? ¡¹ I asked him to train them, but Celseus had an apprehensive expression on his face. ¡¸I¡¯ve already retired from swordsmanship. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, but¡­even if you retire, you¡¯re still the Swordsman God. ¡¹ I knew the real reason why Celseus was reluctant. The Spartan Training* with Seiya became a huge trauma for him. That¡¯s why he began to hate swords. Nonetheless, John Dae grabbed Celseus¡¯ hands. ¡¸I aspired to follow the path of a swordsman when I was young! So, it¡¯s a huge honor to meet the Swordsman God of the heavenly world!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ ¡¸Please! Celseus! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I implore you! Mister Celseus! ¡¹ Celseus exhaled a big sigh after the two of them lowered their heads. Then, he took out his chef¡¯s white robe and put his armor. He threw two wooden swords under their feet. ¡¸So? What are you waiting for? Just grab those wooden swords. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is it all right for you, Celseus!? ¡¹ ¡¸The morning preparations for the cafe are completed. It¡¯ll be fine if I teach them for a little while.¡¹ ¡¸Mister Celseus!! Thank you very much!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. My training regimen is tough. Both of you show me what you¡¯ve got. ¡¹ ¡­Celseus looked somewhat cool on his Swordsman God persona. John Dae grabbed his wooden sword and launched it towards Celseus¡¯ head. ¡¸Ugh, what!? ¡¹ In addition, Kiriko used her wooden sword to strike Celseus¡¯ stomach. ¡¸Agh!?¡­Ju¡­Just wait!! A moment!! Please, wait one moment!! ¡¹ After getting hit hard by the two of them, Celseus activated his clairvoyance ability to see their status. His face got extremely red when he started to fret. ¡¸Ki¡­Kiriko¡¯s attack power exceeds 80,000 points¡­!? And John Dae¡¯s attack power is over 100,000 points!? You¡¯re already strong enough!!¡¹ Well, both John Dae and Kiriko were residents of Exfolia, a world with a SS-rank difficulty of salvation. It was rather obvious that they wouldn¡¯t be average beings. However, both John Dae and Kiriko shook their heads. ¡¸I still have long ways to go! I want to become stronger! ¡¹ ¡¸Me too! I want to be as strong as Mister Celseus! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no¡­In fact, my attack power is over 30,000 points¡­ ¡¹ It seemed that the two of them didn¡¯t hear Celseus¡¯ voice, who probably sounded like a mosquito¡¯s lower buzz. ¡¸Mister Celseus! Don¡¯t worry about it! Let¡¯s do it seriously! ¡¹ ¡¸Kiriko! He¡¯s a Swordsman God! Words won¡¯t work on him! We should use our swords against his sword! Let¡¯s turn Celseus into a serious mode with our own power!¡¹ ¡¸I understand! I will do my best! ¡¹ And then, John Dae and Kiriko began to beat Celseus with their wooden swords! ¡¸Sto¡­Stop it, John Dae, Kiri!! Can¡¯t you see that Celseus is foaming from his mouth!? ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸¡­I did something very bad to Mister Celseus. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, you know, he¡¯s the Swordsman God. That¡¯s why we never guessed that he was that weak in the first place¡­¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko sat down on the caf¨¦¡¯s table chairs with unfathomable expressions, after they carried Celseus to his room at the back of the cafe when he fainted and foamed from his mouth. Then, Seiya arrived at the cafe. He brought a long package wrapped in a white cloth. ¡¸Ah, Seiya? Has your spiritual training finished? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve had enough for the meantime. ¡¹ ¡¸So, you can rest a little bit until the afternoon. ¡¹ I gave him an empty chair, but Seiya didn¡¯t sit and showed us his long package. ¡¸Eh? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸I used my spare time to make an experiment with synthesis¡­I¡¯ve finally completed it.¡¹ ¡¸Synthesis¡­Does that mean that you didn¡¯t take any break all this time!? Are you okay!? Won¡¯t you pass out again!?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve already got a big load of worry out of my shoulders. ¡¹ A big load of worry out of his shoulders? Did that mean that his ¡°other case¡± was cleared up? ¡¸Anyways, look at this. ¡°Killer Sword¡±¡­This is my new sword that is going to replace the Platinum Sword.¡¹ When Seiya took off the white cloth, I saw that three sheaths were placed inside the long package. Then, Seiya pulled out the sheaths, and I saw three shining silvery blades with jagged edges. ¡¸Oh! Killer Sword! Looks like a wonderful sword! ¡¹ John Dae stared fixedly at the swords. He looked amazed to see the Killer Sword that Seiya created himself. I used my Appraisal Skills, but I saw that it was an S-rank sword. It meant that it was just a little bit more aggressive and durable than the Platinum Sword itself. I was very pleased to see that Seiya was able to synthesize a strong sword because the weaponry shops in Exfolia were scarce. Yet, I felt a bit worried about it. So, I asked him about my worries. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me, Seiya¡­But, how did you make that sword? ¡¹ ¡¸I used the Grand Lion¡¯s hair, a part of Oxelio¡¯s metallic body, and finally Ceremonic¡¯s hair combined with the Plus A. I put everything together alongside the properties of the Platinum Sword.¡¹ He had been collecting some body parts of the executive class enemies for the purpose of his synthesis experiments!? What a huge obsession¡­!! Bu¡­But, even so, what concerned me the most was¡­ ¡¸Sorry, but¡­I¡¯m a bit curious about the ¡°Plus A¡± part of your synthesis¡­What is it! ¡¹ I was convinced that my hair was taken in large quantities. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I only used one string of Lista¡¯s hair this time around. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Just one!? Not a hundred!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Still, instead, the creation of the Killer Sword required a large amount of undead hair. That¡¯s why I took a hundred of John Dae¡¯s hair.¡¹ I was relieved. Still, John Dae looked infuriated upon realizing the whole truth. ¡¸Yo¡­You used that ridiculous amount of my hair!? When!? ¡¹ ¡¸You are a corpse. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about baldness since your hair fell from getting putrid.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Hey, wait a second!! That¡¯s not a good excuse!! ¡­Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m not bald!? Don¡¯t you have a mirror!?¡¹ Seiya ignored John Dae, who screamed aloud, and offered one of three swords to Kiriko. ¡¸Kiriko. You want to be strong, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­Ah, yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Then, take one sword with you. ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­Thank you very much! ¡¹ How odd and rare for Seiya to give one of his swords to a fellow comrade! Suddenly, I noticed that something was written on the bottom of Kiriko¡¯s Killer Sword handle. When I looked closely at it¡­ ¡­The name ¡°Kiriko¡± was engraved on the sword. ¡¸Eh! Kiri, your name is carved on the sword! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m happy!! I will cherish this sword!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­If we mix up the swords we¡¯ll lose track of whom it belongs to, that¡¯s why they need names.¡¹ Hmm. What kind of scene was this? I never saw Seiya give a present to somebody before. This was the first time I witnessed such occurrence. Seiya also gave a Killer Sword to John Dae, who carefully touched his hair. ¡¸I have one for you too. Grab it. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. I have complicated feelings now¡­But, regardless of that, I¡¯ll take your sword appreciatively. Thanks.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey. Did you carve John Dae¡¯s name on it too? ¡¹ Kiriko and I gazed at the handle of the sword that John Dae received from Seiya. And there was¡­ ¡­It was written ¡°Dead¡±. ¡¸What the hell is wrong with my name!! ¡¹ John Dae shouted at Seiya, but¡­ ¡¸I think that name is easier to understand whom that sword belongs to. ¡¹ Seiya spoke as if it were nothing special. I laughed a little bit because it was the usual Seiya¡­ ¡¸I made one for you too. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I have one for myself as well!? ¡¹ I said the following words to Seiya after I received a Killer Sword. ¡¸We¡­Well, I bet that you wrote ¡°Idiot¡± or ¡°Dummy Goddess¡± on the sword!! ¡¹ And then, I moved the handle of the sword slowly because I was a bit wary to find out what Seiya wrote about myself. And there was¡­ ¡­Nothing was carved in the handle of the sword. ¡¸Just write something at least!! ¡¹ Inexistent treatment¡­! This one was the hardest¡­! Even the one that said ¡°Dead¡± about John Dae was better than mine, which was blank, nothing at all, just air. However, I noticed that John Dae was staring at Seiya with wrinkles between his eyebrows. ¡¸We have three swords. Then, together with the hero¡¯s own sword¡­yo¡­you probably took four hundred strings of my hair¡­¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯ve pulled out more than six hundred strings of hair. ¡¹ ¡¸AH!? Why did you take so much of my hair!? ¡¹ ¡¸I needed a spare for my sword, and another spare. ¡¹ ¡¸Do you really need that many!? ¡¹ ¡¸I do. I actually used a lot of swords during the battle against the Grand Lion. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ John Dae gritted his teeth in rage because of Seiya¡¯s annoying remarks. Regardless of that, Seiya looked at the horizon and proclaimed the following sentence. ¡¸I¡¯m going to Nephitet¡¯s place after lunch. This time, I¡¯ll learn everything about the Ghostbuster and finish this training for once and for all.¡¹ ¡ª After lunch, everyone went to the Graveyard of Gods. Nephitet spoke with Seiya after he held his Killer Sword. ¡¸It¡¯s like giving your sword a part of your own spirit. You must feel as if your sword has become an extension of your arm.¡¹ While holding the sword, Seiya closed his eyes, inhaled, and exhaled repeatedly. Although Seiya didn¡¯t move for a while, something relevant happened afterwards. When Seiya opened his eyes, his Killer Sword blade was covered with a thin layer of a white membrane. ¡¸Ohh! ¡¹, John Dae and I shouted at the same time with amazement. ¡¸I can see that you are a fast learner. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the Ghostbuster. If you use it well, you¡¯ll be able to inflict damage on any kind of ghost.¡¹ ¡¸You did it, Seiya! ¡¹ In addition to his natural talent, these results happened much faster than usual because of his diligence during the hard-spiritual training. Amazingly, he learnt the Ghostbuster immediately. Seiya, who put the sword on his sheath, walked towards me. Eh!! Wha¡­What!? Don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯ll get a celebratory hug!? I was a bit nervous when I thought briefly about it¡­ *bang* Seiya hit my head with his fist! I tried to scream, ¡¸Why did you do that!! ¡¹, but I noticed that my body fell on the ground. What!! He made me into a spirited body against my will once again! But!! Wha¡­Wha¡­What was going on!? I became a spirited body just by being beaten up!? ¡¸Hmm, I see. So, you also learnt the technique of turning your opponent into a spirited being without a mallet. You are really an excellent student.¡¹ Nephitet was extremely impressed by Seiya¡¯s talents¡­Ehhhhh!? Did he train that hard for the purpose of learning this skill as well!? Yet, he used me once again as an experiment to test his skills!? What the hell was wrong with him!! Anyways, I overlapped myself with my fallen body and I returned back to normality. ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t turn me into a wandering spirit without my permission!! ¡¹ I screamed at Seiya, but he stared closely at his hand. ¡¸Yeah. Now the real problem is cleared as long as I find a suitable replacement. ¡¹ ¡¸A suitable replacement? ¡¹ John Dae asked Seiya about the meaning of his words. ¡¸Uhhhhhhh!! *sobs* ¡¹ Suddenly, John Dae began to shed some tears. ¡¸Ehhhh!? What¡¯s wrong, John Dae!? ¡¹ ¡¸Uhhh! I¡¯m convinced now! This hero is a terrible man capable of beating others or plucking someone else¡¯s hair! Even so¡­¡¹ John Dae continued to speak tearfully. ¡¸You¡­You have been trying to change my undead body by returning my soul to an original human form, am I right!?¡¹ ¡¸What!? Is¡­Is that true, Seiya!? ¡¹ Kiriko hit her knees and spoke on behalf of Seiya after realizing something significant. ¡¸Ah!! So, in other words, his ¡°other case¡± was because of this reason!! ¡¹ Was that the reason why he put John Dae¡¯s spirited body onto the Lista creepy doll yesterday!? Summing up, while he practiced, he was thinking of curing John Dae from his undead state!! Seiya was a gentle person after all!! We looked at Seiya with eyes full of admiration. Yet, Seiya stared at us as if he were seeing fools. ¡¸What are you people talking about? ¡¹ John Dae, who wiped his tears, touched Seiya¡¯s back with a happy grin on his face. ¡¸Ahaha! I know, I know! You are that type of guy who¡¯s a ¡°tsundere¡±! You can be tough and aggressive, but you can be amicable and lovable when you want to!¡¹ John Dae tried to put his arm around Seiya¡¯s shoulder. Nevertheless, Seiya dispelled his arm instantly. ¡¸Stop it. You have rotten dead smell. Stay away from me. ¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon, don¡¯t say it like that! Let¡¯s get along well from now on! Partner! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I said, don¡¯t get close to me. ¡¹ Seiya hit John Dae with his powerful fist full of anger! *bang bang BANG* Seiya¡¯s earth magic burst violently! I heard a terrible sound, and the body of John Dae disappeared into the ground! He was buried to an extent that his figure could not be seen anymore! ¡¸Mi¡­Mi¡­Mister Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!? You overdid it!! I can¡¯t even see John Dae¡¯s forehead!! He is completely buried in the ground!!¡¹ Kiriko and I were extremely shocked. Yet, Nephitet laughed as she approached us. She picked up John Dae¡¯s Killer Sword named ¡°Dead¡± and gave it to Seiya. ¡¸You can pierce it in the ground. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. You¡¯re right. ¡¹ Seiya pierced the sword in the location where John Dae was buried. Somehow, it looked like John Dae¡¯s grave. Seiya spoke with great fulfillment. ¡¸In addition to mastering the Ghostbuster skill, I also succeeded in synthesizing the Killer Sword. Besides, I even managed to build the grave of a noisy person¡­¡¹ And finally, Seiya touched his glossy hair like always. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ Nephitet raised her thumb at Seiya, while Kiriko remained speechless, and John Dae was buried in the ground. When I saw everything that unfolded right in front of my eyes, I began to doubt that Seiya¡¯s ¡°other case¡± was not really for John Dae¡¯s sake. Volume 2 - CH 104 Chapter 104: Sand Town After digging John Dae out of the ground, I spoke with the Great Goddess Isister and got permission to open the portal to Aerith Continent, the land of the Death Emperor. However, Seiya didn¡¯t let me open the portal straightaway. ¡¸I don¡¯t know where is the Death Emperor is in the Aerith Continent. Anyways, let¡¯s avoid the northern area near the Gastreid Continent where the Demon King lives. First, let¡¯s check the southern region to see its state.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya. There seems to be a town called ¡°Fulwaana¡± in the south. Would you like to open the portal directly to that town, so that we can gather some information first?¡¹ ¡¸A town in a continent ruled by the Death Emperor? There¡¯s a high chance that that town is already full of undead and ghosts. It¡¯s dangerous to open the portal directly to that town so suddenly. Open the portal with a distance of 5000 meters south from there.¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay. I understand. ¡¹ Seiya was cautious as ever. But, I respected his decision since it could be dangerous for us all. Therefore, I opened the portal to an area far away from that town. Still, Seiya didn¡¯t dive through the portal and waited. He took something like a jar out of his bag. ¡¸Hey, hero. What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a jar owned by Bardul, the Goddess of Gold. ¡¹ Ah. Speaking of which, didn¡¯t Bardul throw salt at me from that particular jar when I was cursed by Ceremonic¡­!? Seiya took some salt out of that jar and placed it at the bottom of the portal¡¯s entrance. When he finished doing that, he sprinkled salt on my head, and then, on John Dae and Kiriko¡¯s heads as well. John Dae frowned upon receiving a bath of salt, and a confused Kiriko asked Seiya the following question. ¡¸Mi¡­Mister Seiya. Why did you do that to us? ¡¹ ¡¸Salt has the effect of shooing away evil spirits. It¡¯s a ghost countermeasure, so I used it as a prevention measure. Salt also works well for slugs.¡¹ Why slugs had anything to do with this¡­Anyways, I thought that this bizarre talk was just another one of Seiya¡¯s weird talks, so I ignored it completely. Seiya finally reached the portal¡¯s door. After slowly opening the door, Seiya dived in and we followed him. ¡ª ¡¸Whoa¡­This land is full of sand¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko spoke aloud when we arrived at the land from the portal. Just as Kiriko said, all I could see was a 360-degree area full of sand. In addition, the hot sun shined brightly above our heads. It looked as if we arrived in the middle of the desert. John Dae narrowed his eyes and gazed at the horizon. ¡¸Is that the Fulwaana town? ¡¹ The horizon was swaying like a mirage because of the heat, but I could see something that looked like a town in front of John Dae. ¡¸I think so. Well, let¡¯s walk over there for the time being. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Wait. Lista. ¡¹ Seiya stopped me from trying to go to the Fulwaana town. Then, Seiya crouched down and put his hands on the hot sand. ¡¸What are you doing, Seiya¡­Eh, ahhhh!? ¡¹ On this precise moment, a golem appeared from the sand! After one golem, I saw that two more, no, three more emerged from the sand¡­Seiya spoke after creating four golems. ¡¸We are going to ride on the back of these golems. ¡¹ The big hand of the golem grabbed my body and put me on its back. Similarly, John Dae and Kiriko were placed on the back of their respective golems by force. ¡¸Seiya!? But, why!? ¡¹ ¡¸This land is a desert area. There may be monsters that try to drag you into the hot sand like small ants. It will be safer if we ride on the huge golems¡¯ backs. Besides¡­¡¹ ¡¸Besides what? ¡¹ When John Dae asked what he wanted to say, Seiya looked somewhat confident. ¡¸¡­Isn¡¯t it fun? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Absolutely not! This isn¡¯t fun at all¡­! ¡¹ John Dae was right!! What was fun about this!? I didn¡¯t know how the sensitivity of this hero worked at all¡­!! Still, Kiriko spoke with a bright voice. ¡¸I think that this is extremely fun! ¡¹ Is¡­Is that so!? I wondered if it felt like riding on the back of an elephant!? ¡¸All right. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ And then, we¡­no, actually, the golems with us on their backs began to move forward. However, when we walked a few steps closer to the town, the sand in front of us rose up, and a few human-like bones appeared from the ground! ¡¸Wha¡­What on earth!? ¡¹ A skeleton with a sword emerged from the sand! Before long, there were nearly ten skeleton swordsmen in front of us! ¡¸He¡­Hey, hero! That¡¯s a horde of skeletons!! Should we get down from the golems to fight them!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not necessary. Let¡¯s leave this to the golems. ¡¹ The skeletons swung their swords and ran towards us with cracking noises as if their bones were breaking apart. However, they flew away and broke into pieces when the golems¡¯ intense fists smashed into their heads. As¡­As expected of Seiya¡¯s powerful golems since they were created after Seiya mastered the properties of earth magic! They had a tremendous offensive power! While riding the golem, Seiya began to seize the immobilized skeletons and cleaned that wreckage with the power of the ¡°Endless Fall¡±. Nonetheless, Seiya stopped removing the wreckage from the sand, and stared fixedly at one of the immobilized skeletons. Compared to the other severely damaged skeletons, this one only had a broken head while the body remained intact. ¡¸John Dae. Do you want to try to make this skeleton your new body? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No, I don¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t make sense to change from an undead to a headless skeleton. I refuse it¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, the smell of death will disappear, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸I just told you that I don¡¯t want to be a ¡°skeleton of an unknown person¡±! My current body is better even if it rots!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. You¡¯re very picky. What a luxurious guy you are. ¡¹ ¡¸How am I a luxurious guy!? ¡¹ John Dae refused to become a headless skeleton¡­We¡­Well, obviously. I mean, well, if one thought deeply about it, transferring John Dae¡¯s soul to a different body was complicated. After all, he won¡¯t be able to borrow a living human body, and the other choices were scarce. I wondered if there was no other option but to transfer his soul to a monster¡¯s body? Either way, after we wiped out the skeleton swordsmen, we started heading towards Fulwaana once again. Still, our peaceful journey only lasted for a brief moment. This time, a large haze comprised of red mysterious beings appeared in front of us! Those things didn¡¯t have any physical substance, so that meant that those monsters were¡­ ¡¸Seiya! Those are ghosts! They¡¯re so many! ¡¹ I noticed that shadows of people¡¯s faces were floating in that haze. It seemed as if those people were full of resentment. Apparently, the grudge of dead humans had become monsters with the power of the Demon King. ¡¸Oh, so those things are ghosts? Now is the time to show the results of my training. ¡¹ Then, Seiya held his Killer Sword and activated the Ghostbuster taught by Nephitet. Seiya held his sword with a white membrane while he rode the golem and charged against the ghostly haze! ¡¸You too get out the Killer Swords from your waist. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ We pulled the Killer Swords from the sheath that Seiya gave it to us. When I took my sword, I noticed that my blade had the same white membrane like Seiya¡¯s sword. ¡¸Eh!? My sword already activated the Ghostbuster!? ¡¹ ¡¸I gave my spiritual power to those swords when we were in the heavenly world. I¡¯m going to let you guys help me this time.¡¹ Unusually, Seiya was asking us to cooperate with him! I¡¯ve always wanted to help Seiya, but this was a battle and my hands began to tremble persistently! I¡­I was going to fight as well! I wondered if I could do it¡­No, what was I thinking about! The goddess had to support her hero! I had to do my best as well! I imitated John Dae¡¯s movements and held my sword upwards. Then, Seiya stared at us with cold eyes. ¡¸What are you going? Just give your swords to the golems. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Give our swords to the golems!? ¡¹ Both John Dae and I were surprised. Nevertheless, we gave our swords to the golems as instructed. The golems, who received the swords with the hidden spiritual power, assaulted the ghosts! They swung their arms as if they were large branches of trees falling and they slashed the large amount of dark haze! Once the ghosts took the hit from the Ghostbuster¡­ ¡¸Ohhhhhhhh¡­ ¡¹ The red cloud disappeared like a morning fog with excruciating voices of mourning. ¡­After that, the golems played an active part by manipulating the Ghostbuster against the enemy, even with us on their backs. Thanks to the golems, the number of ghosts were steadily decreasing, but John Dae had a difficult expression on his face. ¡¸You¡¯re leaving everything to the golems¡­I wonder how you do it. Don¡¯t you have any sense of ¡°feeling defeated¡± by relying on extra powers and not on your own directly¡­?¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean ¡°feeling defeated¡±? I don¡¯t need to feel such a useless thing. Safety is my number one priority.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re right about that part, but¡­ ¡¹ Ah¡­Mash was like that too. Most men just wanted to fight against monsters on direct battles. However, I noticed that Seiya wrinkled between his eyebrows when he stared at one particular direction. ¡¸¡­Hey, Kiriko. What are you doing? ¡¹ I was surprised when I looked at Kiriko. It seemed that Kiriko didn¡¯t give her Killer Sword to the golem. Instead, she dwelled the Killer Sword with her trembling hands. ¡¸I¡­I¡­I want to fight these ghosts with my own power! ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri!? ¡¹ She¡­She shouldn¡¯t be saying something like that to Seiya!! There was a reason why Seiya successfully overcame these obstacles without much difficulty!! So, it would be better if all of us followed his strict instructions¡­!! Seiya spoke while staring fixedly at Kiriko. ¡¸Do you want to test your own power that much? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I want to become stronger! ¡¹ Then, a brief silence. I was worried that Seiya would hit Kiriko with his fist, however¡­ ¡¸All right. If you want that much, then try it. But, don¡¯t get down from the golem until I say it¡¯s safe, do you understand?¡¹ ¡¸I understand! ¡¹ Wha¡­What!? Kiriko got Seiya¡¯s approval!? Somehow, this was a little bit odd since Seiya never acted this way towards anybody!! Surprisingly, Seiya seemed to accept Kiriko¡¯s opinion¡­ ¡¸¡­Astral Break. ¡¹ Seiya invoked Valkyrie¡¯s destructive technique that was effective against ghostly beings. He wrapped a ghost with a chain that came out of his hand. Seiya said the following words after seizing the ghost¡­ ¡¸Okay, Kiriko. Try attacking this ghost. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ So¡­So overprotective!! We¡­Well, I was fine with that though!! Kiriko descended from the golem, and approached the ghost bounded by chains. Yet, Kiriko didn¡¯t move and just trembled in front of the ghost. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Kiri? All you have to do is slash it with your sword. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You know¡­what if this ghost was originally a human being as well¡­ ¡¹ The friendly Killing Machine was hesitant to attack the seized ghost. As Seiya exhaled a small sigh, he slayed the ghost himself that was captured by the Astral Break. ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If you can¡¯t fight them, then you should¡¯ve given your sword to the golem from the very beginning.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri! Don¡¯t force yourself! You just need to get used to battles! ¡¹ John Dae tried to comfort a depressed Kiriko. ¡¸New ghosts have appeared again!! They¡¯re more than before!! ¡¹ Before long, dozens of ghosts charged against us from both the left and right sides! The¡­They were certainly too many!! Were we going to be okay!? Then, Seiya held his hand in front of his face. ¡¸Job Change. From Earth Magic Warrior to Fire Magic Warrior. ¡¹ Seiya moved his hands towards the horde of ghosts that approached us rapidly. ¡¸Maximum Inferno. ¡¹ In a moment, Seiya¡¯s hands projected scorching flames that divided in different directions and attacked the relentless ghosts! Those ghosts were wrapped in crimson flames¡­ ¡¸Ahhhhhhhh¡­! ¡¹ After the ghosts cried aloud, they disappeared entirely. ¡¸¡­So, your flame magic does work after all!! The Ghostbuster wasn¡¯t even needed! ¡¹ ¡¸There may arise some opportunities to use it in the future. And if I can defeat them without using the Ghostbuster, then that¡¯s a good thing, don¡¯t you agree?¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You¡¯re right, but¡­I feel that you¡¯ve trained so hard for nothing, at least for now. ¡¹ ¡¸Ghosts don¡¯t have a physical body, so I can¡¯t finish them off with Endless Fall. So, I have to burn them down.¡¹ There was a huge horde of ghosts not too long. But, after Seiya finished them off and they disappeared, he began to use his flames in an random space with nothing except sand. ¡¸What the hell is he doing¡­! ¡¹ John Dae and I stared at Seiya with perplexed eyes, after he poured salt on the scorched land from Bardul¡¯s jar. After a while, we finally resumed our path towards the sand town. After walking on the golems for a while, the whole scenery of the Fulwaana town finally came into view. ¡¸Seiya! We¡¯re almost arriving at Fulwaana! ¡¹ On this moment, something happened on our way to the town. ¡¸Ahhh!? ¡¹ There was a sudden gust of wind. The sand got into my eyes, and I closed my eyelids instantly. I heard John Dae¡¯s voice next to me, ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹. ¡¸Hm¡­Hmmm¡­ ¡¹ I opened my eyelids while rubbing my eyes. ¡­What¡­? Suddenly, I felt extremely uncomfortable. It seemed that the appearance of Fulwaana town, which I had been observing from far away, had changed slightly. I thought that it were my mind that played tricks on me. However, Seiya thought otherwise and spited with his tongue. ¡¸Be careful, Lista. There was a strange feeling with that gust of wind. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Seiya, did you feel that too? ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe we¡¯ve entered the Death Emperor¡¯s territory. Don¡¯t lose your vigilance. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ Both John Dae and Kiriko hardened their faces. We felt nervous as we headed towards the entrance of Fulwaana town. At the entrance stood a woman in a traditional costume who hid her head in order to avoid the wind and sand. She uncovered her face when she noticed our presence. It was a beautiful woman with a suntanned skin. The woman had a suspicious look, maybe because we rode on top the golems. But, as soon as she noticed Seiya, she received us with a bright smile on her face. ¡¸Lord Seiya!! ¡¹ She shouted aloud and rushed towards Seiya¡¯s golem. Seiya pulled out his sword. ¡¸Who the hell are you? Don¡¯t get close to me. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Have you forgotten? I¡¯m Millie, Gerstein¡¯s wife. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know any Millie or Gerstein. ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ The woman named Millie was confused. Perhaps, was this person acquainted with Seiya from one year ago!? ¡¸Excuse me! Seiya has memory loss! ¡¹ Then, that woman softened her expression and laughed a little bit. ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. But, when I met you the other day, you seemed to be fine¡­ ¡¹ Hmm? I thought it were one year ago, but it was ¡°the other day¡± instead? I was confused about it, but John Dae and Kiriko were smiling when they looked at the houses of Fulwaana that were smeared with dirt of the desert. ¡¸This town is still safe! ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that the Death Emperor has not arrived here yet! ¡¹ Then, Millie showed a puzzling complexion when she heard our talk. ¡¸¡°Death Emperor¡±? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Don¡¯t you know anything about it!? ¡¹ ¡­She didn¡¯t know the name of the Emperor that reigned over this continent!? We looked somewhat confused, but Millie said with a smile. ¡¸Lord Seiya defeated the Demon King Artemaeus, and for the past year, this land has been peaceful.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 105 ¡¸Seiya defeated the Demon King!? ¡¹ I was stunned by Millie¡¯s words. Wa¡­Wait a moment!! What was this person talking about!? If Seiya defeated the Demon King from one year ago, then Exfolia wouldn¡¯t have been destroyed and we wouldn¡¯t have come here in order to save it!! ¡¸I thought that Lord Seiya had brought the pottery materials that Cleo had requested. ¡¹ ¡¸Cleo? Pottery, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Cleo is my and Gerstein¡¯s son. My husband, Gerstein, runs an inn in this town, and when Lord Seiya came from Tarmine about half a month ago, Cleo asked for the soil of a different continent. If one mixes Radral¡¯s soil with this continent¡¯s soil, one will get a nicely produced clay.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah¡­ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand what Millie was saying. How did she ask Seiya for pottery materials half a month ago? Seiya had been traveling with me ever since we came to Exfolia. It was impossible to believe in such a thing. I wondered if this strange woman was in her right mind¡­When I thought about it, Seiya pulled my neck aggressively and I got away from Millie involuntarily! ¡¸Ugh!? Why did you do that so suddenly!? ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. Try to see if you can open the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Right now!? ¡¹ ¡¸Just try it now. ¡¹ I reluctantly cast a spell and summoned the portal. But, when I opened the door, there was a white wall in the inside! ¡­Thi¡­This was¡­the effect of the Cursed Sphere!! Seiya nodded positively after realizing our current situation. ¡¸Okay. That proves that this town is already under the influence of the Death Emperor.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s true, then maybe¡­the people of this town are¡­! ¡¹ I stared at Millie and the town¡¯s people that walked freely on the streets. Si¡­Since it was the Death Emperor we were talking about¡­This was probably the ¡°Town of the Dead¡±!? I freaked out. I also noticed that Seiya wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡¸How easy it was for us to jump into the enemy¡¯s trap. I already used earth snakes to check the current situation of Fulwaana. But, they haven¡¯t found any monsters. They¡¯ll keep doing surveillance to see if they can detect any abnormalities. If they feel something is strange, they will report to me immediately.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­Well, I don¡¯t think we would¡¯ve guessed that this town was like this¡­! ¡¹ Seiya regretted for entering Fulwaana¡¯s town. Meanwhile, John Dae and Kiriko stared at the surroundings with great suspicion and confusion. ¡¸This scenario is quite strange. It¡¯s hard to believe there is such a peaceful town in Exfolia.¡¹ ¡¸If you think about it, there were a lot of skeletons and ghosts outside of this town. And yet, this town is strangely safe¡­¡¹ Seiya nodded silently. ¡¸It¡¯s obvious that the people of this town are strange and suspicious. The real problem is the truth behind this oddness. For example, ¡°the gathering of the dead¡±; ¡°effects of illusion¡±; ¡°demon transformations¡±; ¡°clay dolls¡±¡­There are too many possibilities. We¡¯ll have to crush them one by one.¡¹ ¡¸Crush, you say? ¡¹ Seiya approached Millie. While walking, Seiya took something like gloves out of his pocket and wore them on his hands. Then, he put his hands on Millie¡¯s neck and slowly went down to her chest¡­Seiya opened up her upper garment! Millie¡¯s chest became exposed for everybody to see! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ I was shocked by the sudden sexual harassment! Seiya looked around Millie¡¯s whole body, including her breasts, waist, arms and legs! Millie¡¯s face was fully red! ¡¸Ah, Lord Seiya!? No, that place is¡­Ah, ah! ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! What are you doing¡­ ¡¹ Next, Seiya sprinkled holy water on the face of the suntanned Millie! ¡¸Agh!? ¡¹ ¡¸Stop it right there, you damned perverted hero!! ¡¹ I screamed like a mad woman and jumped between Seiya and Millie. I bowed my head to her in apology. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry about this, Miss Millie!! ¡¹ Millie¡¯s body was shaking without stopping. He touched her whole body and, on top of that, he even poured holy water on her face¡­This was the ultimate sexual harassment! He overdid it just to find out if this person was dead or not! However, Millie was showing a satisfactory expression on her face. ¡¸Ah no. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s really¡­okay. My husband doesn¡¯t do anything like this to me¡­¡¹ ¡¸Miss Millie!? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re having sexual excitement!? ¡¹ The married woman wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, she felt sexual excitement towards Seiya. Wha¡­What the hell was this!! So, sexual harassment was allowed because Seiya was a handsome man!? If it were John Dae, I bet that it would be quite scandalous!! While I complaint about the absurdity of this situation, Seiya stepped away from Millie and declared the following words. ¡¸I also checked her status. This woman is not a corpse, a monster or a doll, but a real human being.¡¹ John Dae stared fixedly at the town¡¯s people with his narrowed eyes. ¡¸The other people don¡¯t seem to be undead. I can¡¯t explain it how, but I can feel it that they¡¯re not like me.¡¹ John Dae understood the signs that represented the undead. Speaking of which, my goddess¡¯ intuition didn¡¯t alert me about these people. I didn¡¯t feel any evil aura coming from Millie nor the town¡¯s people. It didn¡¯t feel as if they were a hidden menace. ¡¸If so, then what is this town¡­eh¡­? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t even finish my sentence after I saw Seiya¡¯s behavior. I was astonished at what I witnessed. Without hesitation, Seiya pierced the back of his hand with his Killer Sword! The sword cut his flesh and red blood fell to the ground! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸I tried to inflict severe pain on my body. But, there is no change. I don¡¯t think we are inside of an illusion.¡¹ So, he tried to feel pain in order to wake up in case he was inside of an enemy¡¯s illusion!? ¡¸Well, it¡¯s hard to think that I fell inside of an illusion before realizing it. But, I did it just to be certain¡­Hey, Lista. Cure my wound right now.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I understand!! ¡¹ Even though he was overly cautious, this kind of unreasonableness was extremely out of this world! What was wrong this person¡¯s brain! Seiya muttered when I began to cure his wound with my healing magic. ¡¸In other words, the most credible situation right now is that the ¡°people of this town are currently alive but are being manipulated by the enemy through a process of hypnosis.¡±¡¹ After I managed to close Seiya¡¯s open wound, Seiya pressed the medicinal herbs on the back of his hand. ¡¸Anyway, this town is suspicious. I want to get out of here as soon as possible¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸But, hero! If that is true, then it means that we¡¯ve managed to find a town with living breathing human beings, am I wrong?¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, that means that these people will be in danger once we leave! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! You must protect them or the Death Emperor will kill them! ¡¹ When we all gazed together at Seiya, he took a deep breath. ¡¸It can¡¯t helped. We¡¯ll stay here for a while and see how it goes. Besides, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to get of this town straightaway.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ Seiya looked up at the sky of Fulwaana. The sky above the town was clear, but a poisonous black cloud floated outside of the town. Rather, I felt as if the town was immune to the darkish haze that crawled in the outside. ¡¸We¡¯re going to explore this town with utmost vigilance. Don¡¯t leave my side. ¡¹ Seiya began to walk. When we tried to follow him to the streets of Fulwaana, Millie called us. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me, our inn is just across the street. As always, we won¡¯t charge you for a room, so please stop by later if you¡¯d like to¡­¡¹ ¡ª Fulwaana was a town in the desert. Therefore, the ground beneath our feet was not paved. The streets were lined with tents, and the goods were placed on the ground like bazaars. ¡¸Lord Hero! Greetings! ¡¹ ¡¸Good morning, Lord Seiya! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for visiting us all the way here from Tarmine! ¡¹ The people of Fulwaana spoke to Seiya as we passed through the streets. Everybody seemed to know him. Unlike the hatred gaze and the bad treatment that Seiya received from the people in Exfolia so far, in this particular town, Seiya was received with respect and admiration. That¡¯s right¡­Everybody here believed that Seiya defeated the Demon King a year ago¡­ ¡¸Oh! How rare! There¡¯s a weapon¡¯s shop here! ¡¹ John Dae pointed to a tent. Saber-like swords were lined up in the ground. As John Dae described, weaponry shops in Exfolia were certainly rare. The Demon King conquered Exfolia. So, it was never possible for us to find a weaponry shop and buy a proper weapon. Seiya also seemed suspicious about it and approached the weaponry shop slowly. However, after looking at the swords for a while, he whispered as if he were looking at something boring. ¡¸They are weak weapons. ¡¹ I activated my Appraisal skill. I saw that the attack power didn¡¯t surpass the power of the Killer Sword, and of course, it was also subpar with the power of the Platinum Sword. I heard that the difficulty rank of Exfolia before the Demon King received protection from the evil god was classified as ¡°B¡±. If that¡¯s true, then the weapons of this world were not strong to being with. ¡¸In the first place, they¡¯re weapons sold by humans manipulated by a monster. There¡¯s no reason they should be strong. To be honest, I don¡¯t even know if these swords are really swords.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But, they look like average swords, don¡¯t they? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve read a picture book in the past where a tanuki* transformed as a traveler. Even if the people of this town are not illusions, what they sell may be illusions. There is a high chance that one of those swords may transform into a dumpling after we buy it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right. ¡¹ Seiya was always paranoid and suspected everything. But, this time, I agreed with him. There wasn¡¯t anything particularly great to buy at this weapon shop. However, as soon as Seiya tried to walk out, he stopped abruptly as if he saw an incredible sight. Seiya took out a bag of money from his pocket. Then, he talked to the shop owner who wore a turban. ¡¸I want that sword. Give me 100 units. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re going to buy them in the end!? Didn¡¯t you say that they could be illusionary traps!?¡¹ ¡¸I thought that the scenario where a sword transforms into a dumpling was of a very low probability. So, I decided to purchase it for the time being.¡¹ ¡¸Besides, you don¡¯t need to buy 100 units of that sword!! What are you going to do if they all end up as dumplings!?¡¹ ¡¸Even if they all end up as dumplings, they may be useful later on. ¡¹ The shop owner, who had been silently staring at us, spoke aloud with a perplexed reaction. ¡¸I don¡¯t sell or make any dumplings!! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­Anyways, 100 swords were too much. So, Seiya ended up buying 10 swords that could transform into dumplings¡­After buying those ten swords, Seiya stopped by at the tool tent shop. There were medicinal herbs, poisonous herbs, and other kinds of herbs that were effective against paralysis. ¡¸Hey. Tanuki old man. ¡¹ ¡¸Are¡­Are you referring to me? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. These herbs have no effect at all, aren¡¯t they just leaves? ¡¹ ¡¸These herbs are extremely effective!! That¡¯s rude, really!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I doubt it. Still, I¡¯ll buy your ¡°mere leaves¡±¡­Give me all you¡¯ve got. ¡¹ Seiya spoke messed up lines once again. Seiya ended up buying all of the herbs available in that tool tent shop. ¡¸You¡­You ended up buying everything you said was useless¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I don¡¯t want to regret it later, so I bought what I wanted. ¡¹ The sun began to set after we finished shopping. After walking with a lot of luggage in the streets, I saw a large house at the end of the road. It was the largest house I¡¯ve seen in this town. That was probably the inn managed by Millie¡¯s husband. A boy, who I hadn¡¯t seen before, was standing at the side of the house. ¡¸Ah, Lord Seiya!! ¡¹ The boy came running to us when he saw our presence. He showed such a happy face when he approached Seiya. ¡¸Did you bring me the pottery materials? ¡¹ ¡¸Who the hell are you? I haven¡¯t brought you anything. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? Then, what you have on your big bag aren¡¯t my pottery materials!? ¡¹ ¡¸This is just a bag with a ¡°bunch of leaves¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Why do you have so many!? ¡¹ Millie and a man came out of that large house when they heard the noise. A man on his forties bowed his head when he approached Seiya. This man was probably Millie¡¯s husband, Gerstein. ¡¸I¡­I apologize, Lord Seiya! C¡¯mon Cleo, behave yourself! ¡¹ ¡¸But, Lord Seiya didn¡¯t bring me the pottery materials as he promised! ¡¹ ¡¸Lord Seiya seemed to have lost his memory! ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­!? What!? ¡¹ Cleo sighed with disappointment. Apparently, Gerstein heard the situation from Millie. With gentle faces, this man and Millie pointed to their inn with both hands. ¡¸Everyone must be tired. The sun is setting, so please come inside. We will prepare you the best room as usual.¡¹ Gerstein tried to guide us to his inn. Yet, Seiya shook his head. ¡¸I refuse. Who on his right mind would go to your devil¡¯s den? ¡¹ ¡¸De¡­Devil¡¯s den!? No way¡­!! ¡¹ The inn that Gerstein managed himself was described as a ¡°Devil¡¯s den¡± by Seiya. After leaving Gerstein speechless, Seiya proceeded to a vacant space in a remote area. ¡¸All right. Let¡¯s stay here. ¡¹ Then, Seiya touched the ground. Suddenly, the ground rose in no time, and a large cave that was as big as the previous inn appeared! ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­! ¡¹ The Gerstein couple was in shock when Seiya created several golems and earth snakes with earth magic. Seiya placed his creations around the cave. Then, he stared at Gerstein with sharp eyes. ¡¸You¡¯re called Gerstein, correct? If you¡¯re going to attack us in our sleep, then be prepared. Because these monsters will attack you with all their might.¡¹ ¡¸My¡­My dad would never do something like that!! ¡¹ Cleo screamed at Seiya. And then, the young boy said with an angry and sad face. ¡¸Ahhh. I don¡¯t have the materials for my pottery, and Lord Seiya is out of his mind. This is the worst¡­¡¹ This time, Millie was the one who scolded Cleo. ¡¸Cleo! Watch your tongue! He is the hero who saved our world! ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, this person¡­Is he really Lord Seiya!? His eyes are unfriendly and his attitude is bad!! Maybe he¡¯s a fake!!¡¹ Cleo stared at Seiya with distrust. Likewise, Seiya stared at Cleo with suspicion. Sto¡­Stop it, Seiya!! How could he ¡°fight¡± with children!? ¡¸This person is different. The Lord Seiya I know doesn¡¯t behave like this¡­ ¡¹ Cleo looked fixedly at Seiya with an irritated red-face. Then, suddenly, Cleo moved his gaze away from Seiya and stared at the end of the street. ¡­Ahead of young Cleo¡¯s eyes. There was a man walking towards us with the sunset on his back. My heartbeat increased when I looked at that man. This man didn¡¯t wear any armor. Instead, he wore a nobleman¡¯s outfit with the emblem of the Tarmine Kingdom. However, there was no doubt about the identity of this man that had a glossy black hair. ¡­Im¡­Impossible!! What on earth¡­!! Cleo exclaimed happily. ¡¸See!! I knew it!! The real Lord Seiya has finally come!! ¡¹ Another Seiya came in our direction with a full smile on his face. Volume 2 - CH 106 Chapter 106: A Parallel World Important Translator Note: For this chapter, we decided to use the name ¡°our Seiya¡± to distinguish from the ¡°fake Seiya¡± in order to make it easier for the readers to distinguish which Seiya is which. Cleo spoke with great excitement. While, John Dae, Kiriko and I were all astonished. ¡¸I knew it! This Lord Seiya is a fake! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What are you talking about! This person isn¡¯t a fake! ¡¹ I shouted at Cleo. However, he approached us with an angry face. Then, before we noticed, he grabbed Kiriko¡¯s hood and removed it from her face. ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko was taken by surprise. Before she knew it, her head was already exposed. Cleo pointed to Kiriko and John Dae with a trembling hand. ¡¸Ju¡­Just look! It¡¯s a machine and a zombie! This is a proof that they¡¯re bad people since Lord Seiya would never have monster friends!¡¹ Cleo tried to convince his parents, Gerstein and Millie. This fact was indeed, suspicious. They could suspect that our Seiya was a fake. Still, I pretended to be calm and spoke with Cleo. ¡¸¡­Cleo. Calm down and look closely at me. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What do you want? ¡¹ I slowly touched my golden hair and made an exquisite pose. ¡¸Don¡¯t you feel an aura of divine light? That¡¯s right, I am a goddess. My name is Listarte. And this person is named Seiya, the hero who will save this world.¡¹ Yet, Cleo stared fixedly at me with a disgusting look on his face. ¡¸Along with the monsters, that fake man even brought a demented woman with him!!¡¹ ¡¸You fucking brat!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh!? Not only her head, but her tongue is also vulgar!! ¡¹ Cleo hid behind the actual fake smiling Seiya. I spoke impatiently then. ¡¸A¡­Anyway! It¡¯s dangerous, you know! Get away from him! I¡¯m 100% certain that that person is a monster! Isn¡¯t that right, Seiya?¡¹ I tried to confirm it with our Seiya. Yet, our Seiya just stared at the fake smiling Seiya. ¡¸Lista. Look at his stats. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ After being told, I activated my clairvoyance ability to see the status of Seiya¡¯s impersonator. Ryuguuin Seiya Level ¨C 36 HP ¨C 70024 MP ¨C 12077 Attack ¨C 48651 Defense ¨C 47999 Agility ¨C 42187 Magic ¨C 9685 Potential ¨C 475 Resistance ¨C Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Lightening, Earth, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Special skills ¨C Fire magic (Lv 10), Burst Magic (Lv 4), Magic Sword (Lv 4), Acquired experience value increase (Lv 8), Ability perception (Lv 7), Synthesis (Lv 3) Skills ¨C Hell¡¯s Fire, Maximum Inferno, Phoenix Drive, Phoenix Thrust, Drain Charge Move Personality ¨C Unbelievably Reckless He really had similar stats of our Seiya¡­Wait, his personality! It says, ¡°Unbelievably Reckless¡±! Weren¡¯t this Seiya¡¯s stats before he became unbelievably cautious? ¡¸How far-fetched! He has fake stats as well! ¡¹ The perfect Seiya¡¯s impersonator impressed me. Still, the fake smiling Seiya, but with strange deep eyes, gave a bag to Cleo. ¡¸Cleo. It¡¯s the promised materials for your pottery. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you! Lord Seiya! ¡¹ His voice was just like Seiya¡¯s voice. Millie and Gerstein were as surprised as I was when all of us stared the two Seiyas alternately. ¡¸There are two Lord Seiyas!! Wha¡­What¡¯s going on!? ¡¹ Cleo pointed to our Seiya while hiding behind the back of the fake Seiya. ¡¸I told you that one is a fake! Lord Seiya! Defeat him! ¡¹ Then, the impersonator finally stared at our Seiya. ¡¸Yeah. He certainly looks like me. ¡¹ And then¡­He slowly approached our Seiya! ¡¸Whoa! ¡¹ I hid behind our Seiya immediately. The impersonator asked the following question. ¡¸What is your name? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh. We¡¯re not just similar, we also have the same names. ¡¹ When I watched him closely to see what kind of reaction he was going to make, the fake Seiya began to laugh. ¡¸Ahah. What a great coincidence. Ahahah. ¡¹ No, wait a moment, how could he believe that this was just a mere coincidence!? What was wrong with that fella!? ¡¸I don¡¯t identify you as a stranger. Let¡¯s get along well. ¡¹ While the fake Seiya laughed happily, he reached out his hand to shake hands with our Seiya. Yet, Cleo broke between them. ¡¸Lord Seiya!! These are absolutely bad guys!! Defeat them!! ¡¹ That should be our line in the first place. Even so, the fake Seiya shook his head quietly. ¡¸No, Cleo. I don¡¯t think these people are bad guys. For example, this young woman is¡­probably a goddess like Aria, the goddess that supported me one year ago.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, yo¡­you!! Do you even know who Aria is!? ¡¹ ¡¸But, Lord Seiya!! Even if that woman is a goddess, the other two are real monsters!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. One is a zombie while the other is a Killing Machine. ¡¹ Cleo wrinkled between his eyebrows and pointed furiously at Kiriko. ¡¸Just look at that machine¡¯s body! I have a very disgusting feeling just by looking at that monster!¡¹ ¡¸Uhhh¡­! ¡¹ A sad Kiriko lowered her head. Then, the fake Seiya turned his harsh eyes on Cleo. ¡¸Don¡¯t judge everything by appearance. I can indeed see that both of them are monsters, but I don¡¯t feel any evil aura coming from them.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, it¡¯s weird to have a zombie and a machine as friends. ¡¹ ¡¸Cleo. Apologize to that Killing Machine. ¡¹ The fake Seiya demanded Cleo to apologize. Then, after he hesitated for a moment, Cleo finally bowed to Kiriko in apology. ¡¸I am¡­sorry¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t! I wasn¡¯t bothered by it, so don¡¯t worry! ¡¹ The fake Seiya was smiling with satisfaction after looking at both Cleo and Kiriko. Wha¡­What was this weird atmosphere¡­ When we first came to Exfolia, Seiya temporarily lost his memory because of the werewolf beast man. Somehow, this fake smiling Seiya reminded me of Seiya during that time¡­Uh, no! I mustn¡¯t be fooled! This must be the Death Emperor¡¯s trap in order to trick us! Then, suddenly, the fake Seiya changed his gaze and stared fixedly at me. He approached me then. ¡¸Wha¡­What do you want! ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Goddess. Why did you come to this town? ¡¹ ¡¸To save Exfolia from getting destroyed by the Demon King! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s strange. Exfolia has already been saved. I defeated the Demon King Artemaeus one year ago.¡¹ ¡¸You defeated him!? That¡¯s not true!! Artemaeus had two lives!! Your party defeated the first life of the Demon King, however, he resurrected with this second life without you knowing and counterattacked you!! You ended up dy¡­dying in the end¡­¡¹ The fake Seiya had a very surprised expression on his face upon hearing my words. ¡¸As expected of an almighty goddess. You know the information that only I know off. That¡¯s right. Certainly, in the final battle, the Demon King, who I thought had died, was resurrected by using his second life. However¡­I knew that information beforehand when I went to the Sage Village.¡¹ ¡¸Did¡­Did you really go to the Sage Village!? ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister showed me through the crystal ball that Seiya didn¡¯t go to the Sage Village because he wanted to save the people of Exfolia the fastest way possible. That¡¯s why he ended up going to the battle against the Demon King without learning the secret of the enemy¡¯s two lives on the Sage Village. ¡¸The day before, I saw Tiana crying, so I had a ¡°bad feeling¡± about the upcoming battle with the Demon King. Therefore, I changed my schedule and ended up going to the Sage Village instead. I did well by listening to Tiana¡¯s advice. If I didn¡¯t go, my party would¡¯ve been completely defeated. After the Demon King revived, I managed to prevent his attack on Colt and I defeated him by using the technique I learnt from the Sage Village.¡¹ ¡¸Lies!! It¡¯s all lies!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not lies. ¡¹ I froze when the fake Seiya looked at me with serious eyes. I felt as if a ghost told me a ghost story. Before long, the sun went down and our surroundings got dark. Then, the fake Seiya suggested the following idea. ¡¸Lady Goddess. The sun has gone down. Would you like to continue this talk after we go to the inn?¡¹ After saying that, the fake smiling Seiya pointed to Gerstein¡¯s inn. Nonetheless, the real Seiya shook his head with a tough face. ¡¸No. Let¡¯s continue tomorrow morning. We¡¯re going to rest in the cave. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ Our Seiya proceeded to walk away and went inside the cave that he created earlier on. ¡ª We parted ways with Gerstein and the others, and we dived into the cave protected by a horde of golems. We entered a large space illuminated with magical stones. I spoke aloud the feelings I had with our Seiya, John Dae and Kiriko. ¡¸What a crazy thing that just happened!! How was that even possible!?¡¹ However, our Seiya remained silent, as he leaned against the mud wall with his arms crossed. Instead, John Dae was the one who opened his mouth. ¡¸Simply put, I think that hero is very suspicious. Isn¡¯t the Death Emperor capable of creating different haunting forms?¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re right! That¡¯s the only answer I could think of! ¡¹ Yet, Kiriko murmured as if she thought otherwise. ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t feel that the other Mister Seiya is lying. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh? Kiri! Why do you think that? ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­Somehow, I can feel it¡­I can¡¯t explain it¡­ ¡¹ Our Seiya, who was silent until now, spoke with a lower tone. ¡¸Certainly, that guy isn¡¯t lying. I saw that he was ¡°not impersonating me¡± with my perspective and Appraisal skills.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, you won¡¯t be able to know that for sure if that person is able to use the skill of the art of change!¡¹ ¡¸Of course, there¡¯s also that possibility. However, I mastered the art of change from Rusti in the heavenly world. If he changed his appearance in a way that even I can¡¯t detect, then he reached a much higher level than Rusti¡¯s powers.¡¹ An art of change much more powerful than the powers of the Goddess of Change!? Tha¡­That was impossible, or was it not¡­!? ¡¸I always consider every scenario. And I¡¯ve been thinking of a possible hypothesis.¡¹ Our Seiya continued to speak after a brief silence. ¡¸If what he said is true, and this town believes that I saved the world by defeating the Demon King Artemaeus one year ago, then¡­In other words, this town ¡°embodies the parallel world after I defeated the Demon King successfully¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Unbelievable¡­! ¡¹ John Dae couldn¡¯t even believe it, but¡­I also didn¡¯t want to believe on that absurdity as well! A part of the world that was separated from the world that we lived in¡­Was that even possible in the first place!? That was a whole different level than the powers of our supreme god, the God of Creation!! Did this happen because of the combination between the powers of the Death Emperor and the powers of the evil god!? ¡¸It¡¯s just a hypothesis. There¡¯s still a high chance that the Death Emperor deceived us and skillfully disguised himself among those people.¡¹ Kiriko asked our Seiya while John Dae and I remained silent. ¡¸Assuming that this is a different world from ours, why would the Death Emperor invite us to such a place? Besides, why would he create this town in the first place?¡¹ ¡¸We don¡¯t know anything at the moment. I used the earth snakes to investigate the people of this town. But, there was no sign of the Death Emperor nor any kind of monsters lurking around. I also thought that maybe something changed elsewhere, so I checked the earth snake cameras installed in Tarmine and Galvano. However, there was no abnormality so far. ¡¸I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on!! What is the Death Emperor even planning!?¡¹ John Dae was perplexed by this occurrence. It was creepy that we didn¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s appearance nor did we know what was going on. Our speculations were just hypothesis. Everything was unknown. Still, our Seiya didn¡¯t lose his calm attitude as usual. ¡¸I already created many golems and earth snakes for this town. Even so, keep your alert level to the maximum, and keep your eyes open to every possible enemy.¡¹ Then, our Seiya laid his body on the ground. ¡¸This may be a long battle. I have prepared a room to each of you on this cave. So, rest your body for now.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t even understand what our Seiya was planning to do in this mysterious situation. Regardless of my innumerous questions, I headed obediently to my assigned room. And so, I spent the night in our Seiya¡¯s cave. ¡ª Early morning of the next day. I couldn¡¯t sleep well. So, I went out of the room and looked at the outside from the cave entrance. Under the dark sky, the streets of Fulwaana were comprised of houses and tents made of soil. ¡­Was this town that different from the world that we lived in? Hmm. I couldn¡¯t believe it yet¡­ Before long, I noticed that Seiya stood next to me. ¡¸Go¡­Good morning, Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ Then, he offered me a basket with bread. ¡¸It¡¯s bread for breakfast. Share it with everyone. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. ¡¹ Oh my, somehow he was in a good mood today. I received the basket with bread. Seiya narrowed his eyes and stared at the horizon. The sky above the outskirts of the town was rather cloudy. ¡¸Look. That¡¯s a sandstorm. ¡¹ ¡¸A sandstorm¡­I see. So, that¡¯s why the sky looks so cloudy. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That means that no one can¡¯t get out of Fulwaana for two or three days.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it seems so. ¡¹ Then, my eyes looked at Seiya. Suddenly, I realized that the Seiya next to me wasn¡¯t wearing any armor! ¡¸Ah, are you¡­perhaps¡­the fake Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not a fake. Well, actually, I¡¯m not the one that accompanies you, Lady Goddess.¡¹ ¡¸What!! ¡¹ I was so startled that I jumped backwards! Da¡­Dangerous!! What if he attacked me now!? However, the fake Seiya noticed that I was frightened by his appearance and said the following words. ¡¸Don¡¯t be afraid. Although everyone¡¯s opinions are different, I know that you¡¯re not evil people, so there isn¡¯t any problem, right?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No, actually, there are many problems going on right now¡­! ¡¹ Wait a second!! This fake Seiya¡­Did he completely believe in our story!? This person really resembled the reckless Seiya that I met when we first came to Exfolia!! Either way, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t going to harm me. At the same time I felt relieved, I noticed a crack in the soil under my feet and something raised from the ground! ¡¸Ehh!? What¡¯s this!? ¡¹ Our Seiya, who wore a familiar armor, emerged from the ground! ¡¸Ho¡­How could you appear from the most bizarre places!? ¡¹ ¡¸I was hiding in the ground. I thought that I had to be ready to strike my fake persona if he ended up attacking you¡­¡¹ ¡¸I would never do something like that. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. ¡¹ Our Seiya approached the fake Seiya while taking off the dust from his body. ¡¸Let me ask you one thing. You have a technique that I don¡¯t possess. ¡°Drain Charge Move¡±¡­Is that a technique that you learnt at the Sage Village?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. It absorbs the opponent¡¯s power when defending against the opponent¡¯s attacks. Actually, you can¡¯t perform an offensive strike with this power straightaway. You have to fill up the force, so that you can perform a powerful counterattack combined with the force of the opponent¡¯s attack power.¡¹ ¡¸So that was the reason why you defeated the resurrected Demon King.¡¹ The fake Seiya stared fixedly our Seiya. ¡¸Are you interested? I can teach you this technique if you¡¯d like to. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Okay, I¡¯ll learn it just in case. ¡¹ Ehh!? Seriously!? I spoke immediately to our Seiya. ¡¸Seiya, do you think it¡¯s okay to learn a new technique from an impersonator!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fret. I am always vigilant. And besides that, I¡¯m accepting this with the purpose of exploring the unknown while having a dialogue with him.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­! All right, but be careful¡­! ¡¹ Both of them held their respective swords. The fake Seiya instructed our Seiya to hold his sword in a particular posture. At first, it seemed like a normal practice¡­ ¡¸Work hard and concentrate as if you were trying your best in life.¡¹ ¡¸Okay. ¡¹ ¡­Ah? ¡¸Just try to imagine when you were at the bottom of the gymnastics¡¯ pyramid in elementary school.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ ¡¸Relax and chew your enemy¡¯s attack as if you were chewing a gum.¡¹ ¡¸I got it. ¡¹ ¡­ No, this practice didn¡¯t make any sense at all!! I thought that the fake Seiya didn¡¯t know how to teach. But, if I looked at that particular guidance, it felt as if it were the real Seiya instead. After a while, both John Dae and Kiriko emerged from the cave and gazed at the two Seiyas. ¡¸Are¡­Are they practicing with swords? ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­what a strange sight. ¡¹ It was indeed a strange sight just as John Dae described. Seiya was teaching a sword skill to a fellow Seiya. The practice of two Seiyas continued endlessly. ¡ª ¡­One hour later. I spoke with our Seiya and said, ¡¸you have to take a break soon. ¡¹, nonetheless¡­ ¡¸*both voices* What? ¡¹ The two of them turned around at the same time. ¡¸Ah no, actually I was speaking to the Seiya standing over there. ¡¹ ¡¸*both voices* Which one of us? ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, c¡¯mon!! How annoying is this!! ¡¹ I pointed to the Seiya wearing an armor. ¡¸I spoke with the one that came here with me, the ¡°cautious Seiya¡±! ¡¹ Then, the fake Seiya began to laugh out loud. ¡¸The cautious Seiya, you say. *keeps laughing* ¡¹ ¡¸You are the ¡°reckless Seiya¡±!! Got it!? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Why am I reckless?¡­Ah well, I don¡¯t care much about it though. Anyway, let¡¯s keep practicing.¡¹ ¡¸I was trying to speak about that matter for a while now!! ¡¹ I screamed at him. Yet, the fake Seiya just smiled innocently at me. When I saw the cheerful smile on the reckless Seiya that lacked on the cautious Seiya, my vigilance diminished a little. Volume 2 - CH 107 Chapter 107: A Form of Love Two hours had passed since then. The practice became serious and turned into a sort of a freak battle. The reckless Seiya kept screaming at the cautious Seiya to put more heart into the fighting poses. In the midst of this intense practice, I noticed that Kiriko didn¡¯t stand next to John Dae. ¡¸Hey, John Dae. Where¡¯s Kiri? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Kiriko, you ask. Earlier, Cleo grabbed her hand and took her to his inn.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second! What did you say? You should¡¯ve been looking after her, you know! Kiri is still a child!¡¹ ¡¸You weren¡¯t even watching her as well! ¡¹ I left the two Seiyas and headed towards the inn. I didn¡¯t feel that Cleo was dangerous, but I was worried that he could bully her for being a machine. After all, he implied that she was disgusting in yesterday¡¯s exchange. I found Gerstein at the main counter of his inn. He told me that Cleo was at a tent behind his house. I went to the backyard and opened the large entrance of the said tent. ¡¸¡­Kiri, are you there? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes! I¡¯m here! ¡¹ When I entered the tent, I saw that Cleo and Kiriko were sitting side by side. Cleo was kneading some clay and his hands were full of mud. His mother, Millie, was also nearby, and the shelves behind them were lined up with various types of soil pottery. ¡¸Eh? What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s making pottery! ¡¹ Kiriko spoke happily. Millie approached me and whispered in secret. ¡¸Cleo was depressed by the events that happened yesterday. So, I told him to teach Miss Kiri how to make pottery.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so! ¡¹ Instead of bullying, Cleo was getting along well with Kiriko. I see. I thought that he was a cheeky boy at first¡­But, he was an innocent child after all. ¡¸Even so, why pottery? Is it a hobby for children around here? ¡¹ Then, Millie smirked at my questions. ¡¸The people of Fulwaana are grateful to the nature. We cherish everything that this earth gives to us¡­Therefore pottery making is a flourishing practice around here.¡¹ Without using a potter¡¯s wheel, Cleo kneaded the clay with his hands and tried to make small pots. He showed his confidence to Kiriko when he finished. ¡¸Just like this. Got it? Now you try it. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Kiriko received the clay from Cleo and tried to knead it. However, it seemed that her experience didn¡¯t go well. Cleo was somehow shocked. ¡¸You¡¯re clumsy even though you are a machine¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m sorry. ¡¹ ¡¸Look. Just do it this way. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see! ¡¹ ¡­Hmm! Somehow, he looked like an older brother! I felt like smiling when I saw Cleo holding Kiriko¡¯s hand to knead the clay. All right. Millie was also with them. I didn¡¯t see any problem nor threat. Suddenly, I noticed a large plate of decorated pottery in the tent. On that large plate, there was a picture of warriors fighting against a scorpion-like monster. ¡¸Excuse me, Millie. Are these people, perhaps¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s Lord Seiya¡¯s party. Seiya visited Fulwaana one year ago and defeated the monster ¡°King Scorpion¡± that was devouring our land. That picture depicts what happened during that time. We engraved it on the pottery plate in order to remember it.¡¹ Millie spoke with serious eyes. ¡¸At that time, I was watching the battle of Lord Seiya up close. It was a fierce and intense battle between Lord Seiya¡¯s party and the King Scorpion. Lord Seiya managed to win the battle, even though his abdomen was stabbed by the King Scorpion¡¯s tail.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! He was stabbed in the abdomen!? ¡¹ ¡¸The other members of his party were also poisoned, paralyzed and sleep-deprived.¡¹ ¡¸He¡­He really tried to challenge a strong opponent even though his level was lower!! This really sounded like something that a reckless Seiya would do!!¡¹ I was amazed at the large gap between the reckless Seiya and the cautious Seiya. Yet, Millie laughed gently. ¡¸Actually, looking at it now, that battle was probably too much for Lord Seiya¡¯s party. Even so, for us, the people of Fulwaana, Lord Seiya is a person we respect dearly. He is a hero that works hard in order to overcome obstacles that are stronger than his own power.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Both of them are extreme on their very respective personalities. I think if we could add those two together and divide them in half, we¡¯d probably get the reasonable Seiya¡­¡¹ After talking to Millie, I decided to head back to our Seiya. I left Kiriko in the tent, because she looked passionate about making pottery. ¡ª In front of the inn, and much to my surprise, the two Seiyas were still exchanging swords. ¡¸The¡­They¡¯re still practicing¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. They continued to practice without any breaks. Actually, the cautious one is all right, but the reckless one seems to have reached his limit. He¡¯s going to collapse.¡¹ As John Dae described, the reckless Seiya was clearly fatigued. He was beyond his limit now. Before long, the reckless Seiya spoke after he realized that he reached the maximum of his physical strength. ¡¸It¡­It seems that you can use that special technique now. Isn¡¯t that enough? ¡¹ ¡¸Not yet. I want to master it. ¡®Cause I have to save the world. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­Your world hasn¡¯t been saved yet¡­! ¡¹ Then, the reckless Seiya gritted his teeth. ¡¸Okay. I understand. Let¡¯s go for it until the very end. ¡¹ However, the reckless Seiya pushed himself too hard. Not too long after that, he fell to the ground from exhaustion as if he were a cartoon character! ¡¸He¡­Hey, are you okay!? ¡¹ I rushed in Seiyas¡¯ direction. While I held the reckless Seiya that fainted to the ground, I scolded the cautious Seiya that didn¡¯t seem to care about his impersonator¡¯s condition. ¡¸Seiya!! You have to adjust yourself!! This Seiya has a much lower status than yours!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. ¡¹ The cautious Seiya approached the reckless Seiya, touched his heart, and then, he opened the closed eyelids of his impersonator with his fingers. I thought that he was checking his health state, but¡­ ¡¸After I observed him for a while, I realized that he is truly like the old me¡­As for our current situation.¡¹ He didn¡¯t worry about the reckless Seiya¡¯s health state. The cautious Seiya was just analyzing his behavior and external appearance. Then, he looked at the cloudy sky outside of this town. ¡¸He said that the sandstorm would go away in two or three days¡¯ time. Until then, our situation remains unchanged. I will continue to observe this town.¡¹ After saying those words, our Seiya walked away by himself. ¡¸Hey, wait a minute!! What should I do to the fallen Seiya!?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t leave the reckless Seiya unconscious on the ground. Therefore, I asked John Dae to help me take him to the inn. ¡ª We spoke with Gerstein to rent a room. Afterwards, we put the reckless Seiya on the bed. Then, John Dae left us, leaving only the reckless Seiya and me alone in the room. As a precaution, I activated my clairvoyance ability to check the status of the reckless Seiya. It startled me when I saw the stats. HP 3 / 70024 Hey!! He only had 3 HP points!! Was this person dying from excessive practice!? He probably went over his limit in order to teach our Seiya that special technique. Since he almost died, this reckless Seiya slept the whole day. ¡ª Next day at noon. The reckless Seiya finally woke up. ¡¸¡­Oh my. The Lady Goddess. ¡¹ He saw me sitting on a chair next to his bed. His reaction irritated me. ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be saying, ¡°Oh my. The Lady Goddess¡±. You should be thinking about your health. Have you noticed that you pushed yourself too hard?¡¹ Then, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth. ¡¸But, that was amazing, you know. He didn¡¯t want to stop despite mastering the new technique. Actually, I¡¯d be happy to just listen about the details. I feel like we¡¯re the same person, but at the same time, we¡¯re completely different.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes, somewhat. I know you both very well. You two have many things in common, but on the other hand, you don¡¯t as well.¡¹ ¡¸I heard from your hero that the demons forces have destroyed the heavenly world where your gods live. I wonder if that bad experience has been so painful that even changed the personality of your hero¡­¡¹ It seemed that the reckless Seiya was thinking deeply about the cautious Seiya¡¯s current circumstances. Well, circumstances that were entirely different from those that he spoke about now. Speaking of which. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me! You said that you¡¯ve defeated the Demon King! So, does that mean that the Tarmine Kingdom of your world is safe now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s peaceful now. I¡¯m currently based in Tarmine, and I¡¯ve been watching over the safety of the world. I just visited Fulwaana to inspect their safety. I will return to Tarmine once the sandstorm goes away.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that¡­Princess Tiana is alive!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Tiana and our child are waiting for me to go home. ¡¹ My heart beat violently. ¡¸The¡­The unborn baby¡­was really born!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It hasn¡¯t been long, so my child is still a baby. ¡¹ ¡¸A boy? Or a girl? ¡¹ ¡¸A girl. ¡¹ ¡¸Is she healthy? ¡¹ ¡¸She is a very healthy baby¡­Lady Goddess. Why are you crying?¡¹ The reckless Seiya asked me why I was crying. I didn¡¯t realize that tears had started overflowing from my eyes. ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. Don¡¯t mind it¡­But, Seiya. Aren¡¯t you going back to Japan? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I protected this world with my own life. So, I decided to stay. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stop from crying because of this sensitive conversation. The world of the reckless Seiya. This must¡¯ve been the world that I desired when I was Princess Tiana. No¡­Even the current me desired the same fate¡­ ¡­Ahh¡­How happy would have been if this world was the real world? The moment I thought so. ¡¸Lista. The flowers next door are red, and the lawn looks blue. ¡¹ I heard a cold voice in the room where the reckless Seiya and I were staying alone! Ehhhhh!? Whe¡­Where did that voice come from!? My heart was throbbing nervously! Then, I noticed that our Seiya was crawling from under the bed of the reckless Seiya! Why was he under the bed again!? Was this his new place for hiding!? The moment I screamed when I saw him beneath the bed! *bang* He grabbed my head and hit it against the structure of the bed! ¡¸It hurtsssss!! Why the hell did you do that to me!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t fall asleep. Come back to reality. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah!? ¡¹ After that, the cautious Seiya left the room. I was perplexed for a while. When I finally settled down my feelings, I became extremely angry with him. ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t believe it!! That damn stalker!! He¡¯s always lurking underneath the bed of other people!!¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay, Lady Goddess? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Somehow¡­ ¡¹ The reckless Seiya was worried about my wounded head. ¡°I knew it, the reckless Seiya was far more decent than the cautious Seiya¡±¡­That was what I really thought to myself. ¡ª The next day. When I woke up in the cave, I noticed that our Seiya was no longer inside. I saw that he was busy doing muscular training, creating new golems, and investigating the town with his earth snakes. C¡¯mon, take a break already! Today, Kiriko went to the tent to play with Cleo. And, at the counter of the inn, I noticed that John Dae and Gerstein were talking and smiling. ¡­Oh my. It seemed that John Dae got along well with Gerstein. He was laughing so happily. I decided just to watch from the sidelines. ¡¸About the two Lord Seiyas, you see. I told the people of this town that they were twins. ¡¹ ¡¸That helps. It can be confusing, mainly if we watch them at the same time. ¡¹ Having said that, John Dae moved away from the counter and stared at the outside of the inn. He looked at the people coming and going on the streets like they were having a regular day. He spoke deeply then. ¡¸This is a great town. Tarmine also used to be vibrant in the past. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Have you not heard that the foreign Tarmine kingdom is still prosperous? People say that a beautiful princess and the hero who saved this world, alongside the wisdom of an excellent queen and her general, are managing the kingdom¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so! So, I¡¯m doing well on this parallel world! I¡¯m not undead, and Princess Tiana is still¡­¡¹ A beautiful woman approached John Dae, who was impressed from the sights that happened on the outside of the inn. She brought a tea set on a tray. ¡¸Actually, this is a crude tea, but please, have some. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah! I appreciate your gesture! ¡¹ The woman happily grabbed the teacup and tried to give it to John Dae. However! Before she gave the cup, this woman spilled the tea on John Dae¡¯s face! ¡¸Ughhhhh!? ¡¹ It was a terrible and outrageous act! However, I noticed that this woman didn¡¯t have any kind of reflection on her eyes and her expression didn¡¯t change at all! ¡¸Wha¡­What!! Gerstein!? Who the hell is this woman!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t know! This woman is not from our inn! ¡¹ And then, the woman¡¯s body glimmered with light! Suddenly, the beautiful woman transformed into the cautious Seiya with an armor cloth! Our Seiya spoke to John Dae with a cold tone. ¡¸Don¡¯t get swayed. You¡¯re still a general. Always be vigilant of your surroundings.¡¹ Ehhhh!? He turned into a woman with the art of change just to observe John Dae!? Afterwards, the cautious Seiya left our side as if nothing much had happened¡­ ¡¸Hey isn¡¯t he the one who¡¯s impersonating some else!? ¡¹ John Dae¡¯s painful feelings. I understood them very well. ¡ª I went to see Kiriko and Cleo after John Dae bathed with tea. I saw that our Seiya walked in the opposite direction. Perhaps, he won¡¯t be observing the children creepily. Even so, I felt anxious about it, because we were talking about that cautious Seiya after all! Yeah! Let¡¯s hope he won¡¯t be there! Today, Cleo and Kiriko kneaded some clay again as Millie watched over them. Kiriko¡¯s pottery making skills had improved. I saw that the desks were lined up with various types of clay materials, such as plates and jars. They were probably drying out. I asked the two of them who had their hands busy. ¡¸Listen. What are you making now? ¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re going to do decorative pots. I¡¯m doing the ¡°Sun¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸I am doing the ¡°Moon¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Ahah. Hey, let¡¯s switch them later. ¡¹ Cleo spoke with a wide smile on his face. However, Millie looked at Cleo with a sad complexion. ¡¸The sandstorm surrounding our town is going to dissipate tomorrow. Cleo, keep working on those molds with her until then.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Then, Kiriko, that means that you¡¯re leaving us! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. I am on the journey to defeat the Demon King. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. But, you¡¯re leaving even though we¡¯re finally friends now. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¹ Millie looked at me. ¡¸It takes a full month to complete the materials made of pottery. Miss Goddess. Would you like to come to this town again once your journey is finished?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I understand. We¡¯ll come again. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s start baking them now. ¡¹ Millie approached a large furnace outside of the tent. Cleo followed his mother Millie. ¡¸Mom! Hurry up and bake Kiriko¡¯s pottery as well! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. ¡¹ I stared warmly at them. Then, Kiriko nodded her head slightly. ¡¸Miss Lista. If the Demon King didn¡¯t rule the world, then would I be granted the wish to have a peaceful life?¡¹ ¡¸Kiri¡­ ¡¹ I wished that time could slow down for her to enjoy herself more. However, the moment that Millie opened the lid of the furnace with tools, everybody freaked out. I saw Seiya¡¯s face inside of the furnace! From there, came out the cautious Seiya wrapped up in flames! ¡¸Gyahhhhhhhh!! ¡¹ ¡¸Whoahhhhhhh!! It¡¯s a monsterrrrrrr!! ¡¹ Millie and Cleo screamed aloud. Both Kiriko and I were speechless from this bizarre occurrence. Our Seiya¡¯s body was all covered in fire. Our Seiya had a serious-looking expression on his face. I slowly opened my mouth. ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya!! Isn¡¯t it hot!? ¡¹ ¡¸My body is protected with fire magic. So, it¡¯s just a little hot. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, it¡¯s hot!! ¡¹ While burning, Seiya approached Kiriko. ¡¸Kiriko. We have our world. Don¡¯t wish for something else. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand this anymore and I yelled at our Seiya. ¡¸Seiya!! Stop observing your comrades one by one so creepily!! ¡¹ ¡¸I do it because everyone is being careless. Don¡¯t forget that this town is already under the rule of the Death Emperor.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That was not what I was speaking about!! ¡¹ ¡¸The sandstorm will leave tomorrow. We will leave this town at once if we don¡¯t find any abnormality. So, get ready.¡¹ He just said what he wanted to say and walked away immediately. ¡­It¡­It felt as if he smashed John Dae, Kiriko and I¡¯s good mood to the ground ¡­! Cleo nodded angrily. ¡¸I knew it; I really dislike that Lord Seiya¡­! He ¡°smells¡± like a true criminal¡­! ¡¹ I agreed with Cleo¡¯s words. Then, I noticed that Millie was carefully checking out the furnace where Seiya came from. I apologized to Millie on behalf of our cautious Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. Please don¡¯t mind our criminal¡­no, our Seiya¡¯s actions. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It seems that the furnace isn¡¯t broken. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what is the real deal of that stalker¡­ ¡¹ I frowned heatedly because of this ridiculousness. Yet, Millie laughed gently. ¡¸For example, some people use their favorite pottery in their daily lives, while others keep them in a cupboard so that they won¡¯t break.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ ¡¸When you come to like something, there are people who express their love honestly, while others will watch silently from a distance. When I saw the behavior of that Lord Seiya, I thought that his observance of you was a form of his love.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No, Millie. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a form of love. Actually, he¡¯s been observing us so that we won¡¯t give him any trouble.¡¹ Still, Millie kept smiling gently at me. ¡ª Then, the morning of our departure day. While I woke up, and moved my right foot forward¡­ ¡¸It hurtsssssssss!! ¡¹ I felt extreme pain! When I looked down, I saw that an earth snake bit my leg! ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell!? ¡¹ Then, the earth snake opened its mouth and uttered Seiya¡¯s voice. ¡¸It¡¯s morning. Get up, Lista. ¡¹ Apparently, it was an earth snake mobile phone, however¡­ ¡¸This is an absurd wake-up call!! ¡¹ ¡¸Just get ready. I found an enemy¡¯s shadow outside of this town. ¡¹ ¡¸An¡­An enemy¡¯s shadow!? Huh!? Hello!? Are you there!? Hello!?¡­That bastard!!¡¹ Anyway, I immediately changed my clothes and jumped out of the room. Volume 2 - CH 108 Chapter 108: The Cautious Hero When I tried to yell at Seiya for waking me up so violently, but as soon as I got out of his cave I became startled. Dozens of wooden buckets were placed on the ground. They projected Fulwaana¡¯s surrounding areas. Seiya, Kiriko and John Dae were around those wooden buckets that reflected the images from the earth snakes. And then¡­ ¡¸Hey, hey. What is really going on? ¡¹ ¡¸You know, this morning¡­ ¡¹ The golems led the people of Fulwaana to one particular area. ¡¸Seiya!! Why are you doing that!? ¡¹ ¡¸I already told you. There are enemies outside of this town. To minimize the damage, I gathered these people into one spot.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­But, enemies, you said!? ¡¹ Seiya pointed to one of those wooden buckets. It projected the image of a huge brown dragon fighting against a group of golems. ¡¸Dra¡­Dragon!! Is it really true that a dragon is out there!? ¡¹ ¡¸This is a footage from Fulwaana¡¯s northwest area. ¡¹ I freaked out when I saw the other wooden buckets that Seiya showed to me. A cyclops and a chimera! Other unusual monsters were fighting against Seiya¡¯s golem army! One person of the townspeople screamed when it stared at the wooden buckets. ¡¸Lo¡­Look at this!! It¡¯s the King Scorpion!! ¡¹ The other wooden bucket showed a giant scorpion with a golden hue. ¡¸¡­No way¡­It¡¯s impossible! ¡¹ I heard a familiar voice. When I looked back, I saw that the reckless Seiya was extremely shocked. ¡¸I exterminated the King Scorpion! Moreover, the cyclops, the dragon, and the chimera¡­Those were the opponents that my party fought and won one year ago!¡¹ Ehh!! Then, did that mean that the corpses of those monsters resurrected and came back to attack this town!? The townspeople saw how shocked their Seiya was looking at the buckets. One of them asked him with a worried face. ¡¸Lo¡­Lord Seiya! Is our town going to be okay? ¡¹ Then, the reckless Seiya pulled the sword out of his sheath without looking back. ¡¸I¡¯ll go and get rid of them. I will protect the people of Fulwaana. ¡¹ The crowd shouted ¡¸Ohh! ¡¹. I¡­I knew it! This Seiya behaved like a true hero! However¡­ ¡¸I don¡¯t want you to get involved in this. So, don¡¯t move. ¡¹ The cautious Seiya pushed him away. ¡¸¡­What did you say? ¡¹ The reckless Seiya stared at our Seiya with serious eyes. But, our Seiya was the cautious Seiya, so he didn¡¯t respond immediately nor even looked at the reckless Seiya. ¡¸The golems placed outside of this town are already fighting against the enemies. In addition, the earth snakes are monitoring the town. You have no role in this fight.¡¹ The cautious Seiya finally looked at us after saying that the reckless Seiya was niggling. John Dae spoke with a difficult face. ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s strange that these enemies decided to attack this town so suddenly.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Maybe the Death Emperor¡¯s plans have changed. ¡¹ ¡¸Plans? What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Wait a minute. ¡¹ The cautious Seiya interrupted his conversation with John Dae. I was surprised when I looked at the other direction. The reckless Seiya didn¡¯t listen to our Seiya and was walking away from us! The cautious Seiya chased after the reckless Seiya, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to our side once again. ¡¸Hey. What are you trying to do? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m leaving this town in order to defeat the enemies. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you stupid? Didn¡¯t I say to you not to get involved in this? ¡¹ ¡¸This town is being attacked! How can I watch it from the sidelines! ¡¹ ¡¸You are useless. You are weaker than Kiriko and John Dae. ¡¹ After saying that, the reckless Seiya spoke with a relaxed expression on his face. ¡¸Gonna be okay. ¡¹ On that very moment, I saw that our Seiya jerked his nose slightly. Thi¡­This was bad!! Our Seiya was absolutely angry!! I felt a dangerous air around them and I jumped between the two. I tried to persuade the reckless Seiya to stay here for the moment. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s going to be all right! Let¡¯s leave these fights to the golems! Besides, if it gets unsafe for the townspeople, we can always build an outer wall with the power of earth magic. Isn¡¯t that right, Seiya?¡¹ I tried to make the cautious Seiya to agree with my way of calming down the reckless Seiya. Still, the reckless Seiya didn¡¯t go along with my flow. He wrinkled between his eyebrows and spoke harshly to the cautious Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯m going. I¡¯m a hero. And I¡¯m the one who defeated the Demon King. ¡¹ ¡¸You must have defeated a weak Demon King from a weak world. At your current level, you won¡¯t be able to defeat the monsters that are trying to attack this town. How many times do I have to repeat it until you understand?¡¹ ¡¸No. The heart of justice makes me stronger. ¡¹ This time, our Seiya¡¯s nose trembled hard. ¡¸Stop saying bullshit. Your justice is false. ¡¹ ¡¸Take back what you just said! How can you only say bad things! ¡¹ ¡¸I just told you the truth. ¡¹ The two Seiyas glared at each other with hate! Then, Kiriko shouted at them to stop the imminent danger of a battle scene. ¡¸Ple¡­Please you two! Calm down! More importantly! ¡¹ I was astonished when Kiriko pointed to one of the wooden buckets. The enemies, including the dragon, the cyclops, the chimera, and the King Scorpion, collapsed on the ground! ¡¸Ehh!! They beat them that quickly!? ¡¹ Apparently, while the two Seiyas argued with each other, the golems defeated all of the enemies. I felt relieved. Yet, our Seiya¡¯s expression was severe. ¡¸Don¡¯t be happy. This battle isn¡¯t probably over. No¡­It¡¯s going to start now.¡¹ He really had sharp eyes. Before long, dark smokes got out of the enemies¡¯ bodies and ascended to the sky. I took my eyes away from the wooden bucket and stared at the sky above our heads. The black smoke raised up and covered the entire area of Fulwaana¡¯s town! It slowly formed a black cloud! ¡¸My name is Silshete, the Death Emperor¡­I control death and destruction.¡¹ Unexpectedly, a loud voice roared throughout the whole town! The voice that spoke to us felt like an eerie voice that echoed from the depths of hell. ¡¸Hero. First, I must say that you were quite superb. If you had acknowledged this fictional world created by the secret power of souls from the evil god, your existence would¡¯ve been swallowed and disappeared entirely¡­¡¹ If¡­If he had acknowledged this, his soul would¡¯ve been swallowed and disappear¡­Seriously!? Once, I thought in Fulwaana that, ¡°How happy would have been if this world was the real world?¡±. Actually, I wasn¡¯t the only one. John Dae and Kiriko were probably the same as me. But, the truth is¡­That was the aim of the evil god! At those times, if our Seiya didn¡¯t disturb us, then we may have disappeared by now! John Dae was surprised by this. He stared at the cautious Seiya and asked him a question. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that you already knew about this!? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I considered this possibility. ¡¹ Perhaps, our cautious Seiya thought about dozens of¡­Actually, maybe hundreds of different possibilities¡­Either way, the evil god¡¯s attempt to kill us all failed. ¡¸This world doesn¡¯t need to exist anymore¡­ ¡¹ I got shivers when I heard the sinister words of the Death Emperor. ¡¸Ma¡­Maybe, the Death Emperor is going to erase the people of this town!? Se¡­Seiya!! What should we do!?¡¹ ¡¸As a precaution, I put earth snakes hidden on each person of this town. The moment the earth snake bites each person, it will make him or her into wandering spirits. It¡¯s an extra form of the technique taught by the Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet.¡¹ ¡¸I see! So, their spirit will remain even if their body ceases to exist! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s kind of a bitter plan. But, if it really happens, I can always transfer their wandering spirits into earth snakes or golems in order to save them.¡¹ Cleo had a worried complexion next to Kiriko. ¡¸He¡­Hey, Kiriko. Are we going to be fine? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! You¡¯re going to be fine! Mister Seiya prepared himself to save all of you! ¡¹ Kiriko replied with a bright voice. Then, our Seiya whispered as he snapped his finger. ¡¸¡­Ghost Bites. ¡¹ The earth snakes opened their mouths and bit most of the people. The people of Fulwaana fell to the ground, and then, their spirits separated from their bodies. ¡­Our Seiya really thought of a great plan like this! He has been preparing all along! This way, we were going to save these people¡­Uh¡­Eh¡­? I doubted my own eyes! The bodies of the fallen people of Fulwaana disappeared like sand, together with their spirited bodies! ¡¸So¡­It doesn¡¯t work. ¡¹ The cautious Seiya spoke with a low tone. ¡¸It¡­It doesn¡¯t work, you say? ¡¹ The voice of the Death Emperor echoed while our Seiya remained silent. ¡¸Whatever you do won¡¯t work. Fictional humans that don¡¯t exist in this world have no means of survival. Those people can¡¯t escape from their fate. When the power of the evil god gets released, everything that was created with it shall disappear forever.¡¹ The people of Fulwaana that stood around me became sand one after another! I shook the shoulder of the cautious Seiya impatiently! ¡¸Seiya!! Don¡¯t you have another method to save them!? ¡¹ However, our Seiya silently removed the Ghost Bites. All of Fulwaana¡¯s wandering spirits returned to their original bodies. ¡¸It¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ From my experience, I believed that our Seiya would¡¯ve been able to overcome this situation. Still, our Seiya didn¡¯t move at all. I could only hear the Death Emperor¡¯s voice instead. ¡¸Are you trying to find a way to save the people of this fictional world? Okay, now let the spectacle begin. When the fictional world begins to disappear, the memory of the ones from the real world who witnessed it will turn¡­into despair.¡¹ Gerstein and Millie were startled as they watched their bodies turn into sand. ¡¸I remember it now¡­I was¡­We were¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­We were¡­killed by the Demon King¡¯s army one year ago. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Cleo¡­My Cleo¡­ ¡¹ The bodies of Gerstein and Millie were splattered as sand as they tried to get closer to Cleo. ¡¸Gerstein! Millie! ¡¹ John Dae shouted aloud. Kiriko screamed towards the other direction. ¡¸Mister Seiya! Cleo is¡­! ¡¹ Cleo¡¯s feet gradually turned into sand. ¡­Wha¡­What¡­There was no way we could help them!? But, our Seiya didn¡¯t move. I had no other choice but to stand still. Cleo spoke while looking at Kiriko. ¡¸So¡­I was already dead¡­ ¡¹ Cleo, who was crying with tears falling from his face, suddenly smiled at Kiriko. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Kiriko! You have to defeat the Demon King! I¡¯m sure that, as long as the Demon King lives, there¡¯ll be people like me around this world! You must stop him!¡¹ ¡¸Cleo¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I was happy¡­to be friends with Kiriko. ¡¹ Kiriko reached for Cleo. But, before she could reach him, Cleo¡¯s smiling face disappeared in sand. ¡¸Ugh¡­This is¡­This is too cruel¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko lowered her head. Then, the Death Emperor¡¯s voice echoed throughout the deserted town of Fulwaana. ¡¸Return to sand. Everything that doesn¡¯t exist. ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t just the people. The town of Fulwaana, everything including the houses and tents, became mere sand. Still, only the reckless Seiya remained intact. He didn¡¯t look away, and gritted his teeth to resist this dark fate so desperately. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I ran towards the reckless Seiya. He was shaking his body so much. ¡¸Ah¡­I see. So, everything was fictional. I didn¡¯t go to the Sage Village. I¡­I couldn¡¯t protect my loved ones¡­I couldn¡¯t even save my unborn child¡­¡¹ Before disappearing, the reckless Seiya approached the cautious Seiya. On his way, the reckless Seiya¡¯s feet became sand and he collapsed right in front of the cautious Seiya. ¡¸You were correct¡­My justice was false. ¡¹ I noticed that tears were overflowing from the reckless Seiya¡¯s eyes. It was the first time I saw Seiya cry. ¡¸I should¡¯ve thought more deeply about it¡­I should¡¯ve prepared for this but I didn¡¯t¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya¡­! ¡¹ Soon, the reckless Seiya¡¯s regret and sorrow transmitted to me so painfully that my chest started to hurt. I began to cry as well. ¡¸Tiana. Please forgive me¡­ ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t speak nor could I look directly at him. It was a very sad and painful scene. So, all I could do was hug the reckless Seiya, who was about to disappear. ¡¸I¡¯m fine!! I¡¯m absolutely fine!! ¡¹ The reckless Seiya had no reason to know that I was the reincarnation of Princess Tiana. Still¡­ ¡¸Thank you. Lady Goddess¡­ ¡¹ He replied to me with his last strength. Nonetheless, the cautious Seiya looked down on the reckless Seiya with disgusting eyes. ¡¸Miserable. What an idiot. You really are an idiot. ¡¹ ¡¸I apologize¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸But, I¡¯m here now because of the idiot you. ¡¹ ¡¸I have one wish. You must defeat¡­the Death Emperor and the Demon King¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need you to tell me that. ¡¹ I saw a little smile of the face of the reckless Seiya. ¡¸I leave everything in your hands¡­Cautious Hero. ¡¹ The reckless Seiya¡¯s body became sand and scattered around the cautious Seiya¡¯s feet. This scene was a cruel sight that made me want to turn away¡­Still, at that time; it looked as if the two Seiyas merged together in one body. ¡¸Eve¡­Everything became sand¡­! ¡¹ John Dae spoke with a sad tone. I noticed that we were standing on only ruins. It was a desert as far as the eye could see. Only human bones spread on the sand. Before I knew it, the huge black clouds that covered the town fused together and formed a giant skull. ¡¸Their fate remained the same even though they regained a fictional life. They tasted two deaths, and their despair was filled with further despair. These raw emotions will make my power stronger.¡¹ Under the joyous voice of the Death Emperor¡­ ¡¸Cleo, Cleo¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko was crying while she held Cleo¡¯s sand in her chest. ¡¸What an absolute ghastly monster!! ¡¹ John Dae clenched his fists with anger. Of course, I was outraged as well. The people of Fulwaana were killed, not once but twice, at the hands of the Demon King. It was painful, sad and scary when everyone turned into sand. ¡­Death Emperor Silshete! I won¡¯t forgive him! Never! Suddenly, next to me, I heard a few footsteps that went forward. When I saw that Seiya held his sword, I felt something cold running through my back. ¡­I felt that his anger and sadness were left somewhere else. He walked through the sand that once belonged to the reckless Seiya without even looking down. There was only the figure of a complete hero who disposed all of unnecessary emotions for battle, and focused his senses only for the purpose of defeating the enemy. ¡¸You told me that my fate remained the same. Then¡­ ¡¹ Our Seiya looked at the giant skull in the sky. ¡¸Your fate of being defeated by me remains unchanged as well. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 109.1 Chapter 109: Replenish (1) A reddish-black aura of madness started overflowing from Seiya¡¯s body. His hair was dyed red, and fangs spread out of his mouth. Seiya, who had become a Crazy Warrior, elevated his sword towards the large skull in the sky. His blade was covered with a white membrane. Apparently, he activated the Ghostbuster as well. He threw his sword towards the Death Emperor in a reminiscent action of javelin throw. Seiya¡¯s sword, with the applied the power of the Crazy Warrior, flew in a straight line at tremendous speed and pierced the large skull that stood above our heads¡­Or so it seemed. The skull made of dark clouds dissipated in the sky when the sword tried to hit it. After it dissipated to avoid Seiya¡¯s attack, the dark clouds returned to its original form thereafter. It¡­It didn¡¯t work!? ¡¸¡­So, you managed to damage a part of my spirited body. ¡¹ The voice of the Death Emperor sounded as if he was impressed. When I stared closely at the sky, I noticed that the large skull wasn¡¯t completely restored. A part of its head was slightly missing. The Ghostbuster did really damage Silshete after all! Bu¡­But, even so, Seiya¡¯s blow didn¡¯t inflict a fatal injury in our enemy¡­Eh¡­? When Seiya stomped the ground with one foot, several sheaths appeared from the ground. I was astonished when I saw over 20 sheaths of swords. ¡¸Seiya¡­Are these swords, perhaps¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. These swords have spiritual powers and every single one of them is a Ghostbuster.¡¹ When Seiya took two swords with both hands, he moved them upwards and threw them at Silshete. When he finished throwing those swords, Seiya threw another two swords again. Silshete repeatedly dissipated and merged during Seiya¡¯s continuous attack. Eventually, a voice echoed from the sky. ¡¸Just what kind of weapons do you have? As the evil god said to me, you sure are a smart fella. What an amusing opponent I¡¯ve encountered here.¡¹ The black clouds that spread in the air, gathered at one crucial point. It began to wind up a jet-black vortex. Something creeped out of that vortex. First, I saw an arm covered with a bloodstained cloth. Eventually, a body came out from there covered with that same cloth. A monster, that resembled a mummified man came out of the vortex in the air. ¡­The Death Emperor Silshete changed his form!? He materialized his spirited body in order to fight directly against Seiya!! ¡¸He¡¯s descending to the ground! ¡¹ John Dae shouted aloud. The materialized Death Emperor slowly came down from the air to where we were standing in the ground, while emanating a strong and nauseating black aura. When I glanced at Seiya, I noticed that he was staring at Silshete with sharp eyes. Apparently, he was using his ability to see the enemy¡¯s stats. I also activated my clairvoyance ability, but no matter how hard I tried, I could only see a turbulent image as if I were seeing a sandstorm. Most of the monsters I met in Exfolia didn¡¯t hide their status. Yet, it seemed that the Death Emperor Silshete activated his own camouflage skill just like Seiya. The Ghostbuster attack certainly inflicted some damage on the enemy! Still, it was quite creepy that none of us could see his real stats! Nonetheless, I felt a different vibe from this new enemy unlike the others we¡¯ve encountered so far. I wondered if Seiya felt the same way as me. I just stared silently at Silshete as he descended to the ground¡­While I was immersed on my own thoughts, the moment that Silshete landed on the ground, a tremendous blast and roaring sound shook my entire body! ¡¸¡­Crawling Mine. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand what happened just now. I noticed that Seiya nodded positively next to me. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya, that blast was your own doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an ¡°earth snake that explodes when it touches an enemy.¡± This blast was created by the combination of a destruction technique, fire magic, and earth magic.¡¹ So, that meant that an earth snake touched Silshete¡¯s feet when he landed on the ground! Seiya set up the entire town with traps in order to prepare for the upcoming battle against the Death Emperor! Still, the ability to foreshadow the place where Silshete was supposed to land was too amazing even for Seiya! ¡¸Don¡¯t move around carelessly. The Crawling Mine is a contact ignition type. There are many buried around here. If you accidentally step on it, it will explode at your feet.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s dangerous!! ¡¹ Of course! Actually, this preparation was different from the ability of foreshadowing! This hero just thought endlessly about various kinds of possible scenarios that could happen and prepared for every single one of them in advance! ¡¸Ki¡­Kiri! This is a dangerous zone! Come over here! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ I took Kiriko out of the dangerous zone since she was still shocked and depressed about Cleo¡¯s disappearance. Nearby, John Dae narrowed his eyes as he stared at the distance. ¡¸How much damage did this blast inflict on the Death Emperor? ¡¹ ¡­The black smoke cleared up. I expected to see Silshete lying on the ground. Nevertheless, the mummified man stood still as if nothing happened to him. John Dae and I clenched our teeth. Then, Silshete opened his mouth. ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare think that you¡¯ll finish me off with such a small trick. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course not. ¡¹ We were discouraged to see that the Death Emperor didn¡¯t receive any damage. In the meantime, Seiya already got his Killer Sword and rushed towards Silshete. The moment I saw Seiya¡¯s blade, my eyes became wide open. His¡­His sword was wrapped in flames¡­He was a Fire Magic Warrior now!! Surely, fire magic was way more effective on undead beings like mummies instead of earth magic!! ¡¸¡­Phoenix Drive. ¡¹ Before Silshete¡¯s eyes, Seiya showed a ¡°combination of special skills¡± that was said to be impossible during the Crazy Warrior state. Seiya¡¯s magic sword was wrapped in flames, and danced in the air drawing a geometric pattern that resembled a magical circle. Soon after, I noticed that Silshete¡¯s body had red cuts on its bandages. A zombie-like rotten meat was faintly visible from the bandages torn by fire. I braced myself for the explosion that usually occurred with the Phoenix Drive. Yet, the bandages immediately covered the exposed skin of his body, and the red cuts carved on the bandages disappeared. ¡­Undead automatic repair!? Suddenly, a black aura overflew from Silshete¡¯s body. The moment I saw it, I screamed to Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! Be careful! I can feel a reaction from the Chain Destruction!¡¹ From the gap between the middle parts of his face covered with bandages, Silshete¡¯s dazzling eyes shined darkly. ¡¸If you touch me, I will twist your soul¡­¡°Deadly Bandage¡±. ¡¹ A number of bandages came off from Silshete¡¯s arm and released towards Seiya! The bandages slipped through the air like snakes, but they got burned before reaching Seiya¡¯s body! In fact, Seiya¡¯s body was in flames and his skin was red! ¡¸Self-Burning. By the way, I came up with this idea the other day while I was hiding in the burning furnace.¡¹ Is¡­Is that so!? So, he learnt that new technique by stalking on others!! ¡¸While preventing the attacks from the Death Emperor, I¡¯ll be able to burn out everything with firepower that is capable of exceeding his regeneration speed.¡¹ While saying that, Seiya grabbed two swords with both of his hands that were given by the earth snakes. ¡¸Here I go. Double Mode, Phoenix Drive. ¡¹ Seiya charged against Silshete with the transcendent speed of the Crazy Warrior! The trajectory of his double swords in flames, soared in the air and began creating a few geometric patterns! At the same time, red cuts were carved endlessly into Silshete¡¯s body! I thought that the outcome would be decided this time. However, Silshete didn¡¯t explode in pieces. The countless of red cuts inflicted in his body faded away and disappeared. ¡¸Ugh! The regeneration ability of the Dead Emperor exceeds the attack power of the hero!¡¹ John Dae was shocked. This time, Silshete shot the Deadly Bandage attack from all over his body towards Seiya, but everything burnt out as soon as it approached Seiya¡¯s body. Seiya¡¯s attacking power was stopped by Silshete¡¯s regeneration skill; on the other hand, the Death Emperor¡¯s attack skill never reached Seiya¡¯s body. It seemed that the impasse would continue. But, suddenly, Silshete spoke. ¡¸Amazing attack power¡­However, that¡¯s powerless in front of the overwhelming darkness.¡¹ When Silshete moved his hands as a drawing circle, a black vortex appeared in the sky. ¡¸Ma¡­Magic!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­ ¡¹ The black vortex size resembled the size of my portal. Seiya was also wary of this occurrence, so he kept a sufficient distance from Silshete. Then, Silshete opened his mouth. ¡¸Because the Demon King got the protection of the evil god; He wanted to create a being capable of storing the power of the devil. Therefore, the Demon King made my body specialized with darkness and evil power. The Grand Lion seemed to have turned against the Demon King, but he never really knew the true evil providence of this world. He was foolish. The Demon King is the one in charge of our lives.¡¹ I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of Silshete¡¯s words. But, I felt an unpleasant premonition that spread in my heart at an accelerated rate. Silshete put his hand over the black vortex. ¡¸Rotting corpses scattered in Exfolia. Resurrect¡­¡°Cemetery Night Again¡±. ¡¹ A monster crawled out of the black vortex just as Silshete himself commanded to get out. And then, I recognized that monster. ¡¸A¡­A beast man!? ¡¹ It was a beast man with a dogface. After that beast came out of the black vortex, the cat-faced beast, followed by the fox and rhinoceros beast men also came out from there. Those hordes of monsters closely resembled the beasts that ruled the Radral Continent. However, there was no life in their empty eyes. When I looked closely at them, I saw that their bones were visible from different parts of their bodies. John Dae wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸They are¡­undead¡­! ¡¹ The four undead beast men that appeared so suddenly frightened me¡­ ¡¸¡­Maximum Inferno. ¡¹ Seiya already turned his arm towards the beasts. The fire from his hand wrapped the beasts instantaneously. In the midst of the blazing flames, the beast men still tried to get close to Seiya. Even so, they were all extinguished to charcoal because of Seiya¡¯s overwhelming firepower. I was relieved when I saw the outcome and I shouted to Silshete. ¡¸Ah! Don¡¯t you think you won just by resurrecting the undead, weak beasts are not formidable enemies for Seiya!¡¹ ¡¸This is just the beginning of the end¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What are you talking about!? ¡¹ ¡¸As long as the Demon King is alive; the decayed bodies can be revived if I give them a portion of my power as the Death Emperor. Everything can be revived to a certain extent if there is a little piece of flesh left on the body. Even if it was just a little flesh left on the tip of the little finger. Ever since the hero came to Exfolia until this very moment, all of the monsters that he defeated shall be resurrected now.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What did you say!? ¡¹ He must be kidding, right!? The monsters that Seiya defeated since we came to Exfolia until this very moment¡­Did that mean that thousands, no, tens of thousands of beast men and killing machines were going to get revived!? ¡¸It won¡¯t be just the subordinates. The Beast Emperor the Grand Lion, the Machine Emperor Oxelio, and the Curse Emperor Ceremonic, all of them will be revived as well. In addition to the ability to regenerate as undead beings, their ability values other than agility will be greatly improved¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What!? That¡¯s impossible!! Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it¡­ ¡¹ Even Seiya was astonished by this fact and opened his eyes extensively!! This world was doomed, and so were we!! Volume 2 - CH 109.2 Chapter 109: Replenish (2) Seiya was greatly surprised when he heard Silshete¡¯s words!! Naturally!! In addition to thousands of undead armies, the Grand Lion, Oxelio and even Ceremonic were going to be resurrected as well!? This¡­This was the most dangerous scenario of all!! ¡¸Seiya!! You have to defeat Silshete before he resurrects the undead¡­ ¡¹ As I spoke, everything was already set in motion. Numerous black vortices, several times bigger than the one the enemy created moments ago, appeared around Silshete. ¡¸Now is the time for every corner of hell to open its doors. Just look at this magnificent scene. This is my greatest spiritual power! The Cemetery Night Again.¡¹ ¡¸Ba¡­Bad! This is extremely bad! ¡¹ John Dae stood before Kiriko while he pulled out his sword. Silshete¡¯s voice resonated in the air. ¡¸Get out¡­the immortal army that won¡¯t die after death¡­ ¡¹ My breath was rough while I stared nervously at those black vortices in the sky. Countless of monsters, including the fearsome devilish Emperors that once ruled Exfolia, were going to get out from there! ¡¸Now¡­Resurrect¡­ ¡¹ However. No matter how long we waited, nothing came out of the black vortices. ¡¸¡­It can¡¯t be¡­Why doesn¡¯t it work¡­? ¡¹ At the same time, that Silshete spoke in a confusing way¡­ ¡¸Ah, I see. ¡¹ Seiya clapped his hands. ¡¸¡°Just a little flesh left on the tip of the little finger¡±¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe that I left such a ¡°large piece of the corpse¡± go unnoticed¡­The first four beasts that came out from there were the beasts that I¡¯ve defeated when I first became a Pleasant Flute Player. That¡¯s why I missed the opportunity to clean them up entirely.¡¹ ¡¸¡°Clean them up¡±, you say? Are you saying that you got rid of your enemies¡¯ corpses without a trace ever since you came to Exfolia?¡¹ ¡¸ That¡¯s correct. ¡¹ Silshete became speechless. And then¡­Hurray!!!!!!!!!!! After Seiya defeated each enemy, he burnt the bodies as if he had a weird obsession with it; moreover, after burning the lifeless corpses he even dropped them to the core of this earth to make sure that they were really dead¡­Honestly, I thought ¡°What was this person doing? Did he really have a heart disease?¡±¡­But, in the end, his obsession with cautiousness was really helpful!! ¡¸That Cemetery Night Again skill of yours. It won¡¯t work on me. ¡¹ Silshete quivered his body with rage. It seemed that he was quite upset. ¡¸You bastard¡­! ¡¹ Silshete released the Deadly Bandage towards Seiya. It burnt before reaching Seiya and disappeared completely, but this time, Silshete himself was approaching Seiya as well! He moved his bandaged hands onwards in order to touch Seiya! ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya slashed Silshete¡¯s hands with his sword! And¡­ ¡¸Phoenix Thrust. ¡¹ Seiya pierced Silshete¡¯s abdomen with the burning sword. After that, he released his sword and kicked the tip of his sword¡¯s handle. When Silshete fell to the ground, Seiya released the upper fire magic power of Maximum Inferno. While Silshete¡¯s body was wrapped up in a hellfire, it looked like he¡¯d succumb for good, however¡­ ¡¸¡­¡°Ferment After Roton¡±*. ¡¹ After the flames disappeared, I noticed that Silshete¡¯s body didn¡¯t suffer any change. He slowly stood up while a new bandage covered the burnt bandage. ¡¸It¡¯s indeed amazing that my Cemetery Night Again didn¡¯t work on you. But, no attack can surpass my regeneration speed.¡¹ Once again, Silshete launched an attack at Seiya. I noticed that Seiya, who avoided the Deadly Bandage attack and prevented Silshete¡¯s touch with his sword as a shield, seemed to have suddenly relaxed the intensity of the burning flames that covered his whole body. ¡­Eh? Did Seiya¡¯s firepower weaken? I saw that he managed to avoid the approaching bandage with only a sword. Although Seiya continued to be in the Crazy Warrior state, it seemed that he avoided Silshete¡¯s attacks with greater difficulty. Seiya wasn¡¯t fighting against Silshete with his usual full strength. The sides of the battle were overturned!! Maybe he was exhausted!? Oh no, if that bandage touched Seiya, his soul will¡­!! I grew increasingly worried about this situation. Still, Seiya whispered while he prevented Silshete¡¯s continuous attacks. ¡¸¡­40% Replenish. ¡¹ Eh? What? What did he say just now? ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­that he¡¯s going to perform that technique? ¡¹ John Dae murmured next to me. ¡¸That technique? Which one are you talking about¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­60% Replenish. ¡¹ I became convinced when I heard Seiya¡¯s voice. That¡¯s right! No doubt about it! This technique was the special technique that the reckless Seiya taught to our Seiya! Right now, Seiya tried to absorb and store the power of the Death Emperor while devoting himself to self-defense! John Dae spoke seriously while staring fixedly at the ongoing battle. ¡¸I don¡¯t know the reason why he resorted to that technique. But, I have confidence on his abilities as a fellow warrior. That said, if there is a technique that exceeds the regeneration speed of the Death Emperor, then that¡¯s going to be his trump card to win this fight!¡¹ I nodded silently upon hearing John Dae¡¯s words. This place was actually a trap of the evil god and the Death Emperor, whom they created as a parallel world to invite us here. Nonetheless, their plan had a mole. Or should I say, it had a huge flaw, since the reckless Seiya gave our cautious Seiya a technique that was supposed to have never been taught in the first place. I felt strange, what kind of fate was this? The cautious Seiya was trying to win this battle against a frightening opponent by using the skills of the reckless Seiya. I clenched my fists while I watched our Seiya devoted to self-defense. The Death Emperor Silshete! I hoped he¡¯d know this! Past and Present¡­The technique of the two Seiyas combined together were going to surpass the speed of his regeneration abilities! Finally, Seiya opened his mouth. ¡¸¡­100% Replenish. ¡¹ Great!! Just go now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My tension went up. However, Seiya didn¡¯t let go of his self-defense posture. ¡¸¡­120% Replenish. ¡¹ Ehh!? 100% wasn¡¯t the end!? He was still accumulating power and counting!? As¡­As expected of the overly cautious hero!! And so. ¡¸¡­150% Replenish. ¡¹ No matter how much he got, it was never enough for Seiya!! Just go!! I thought that this time would be the crucial moment for our Seiya to show off the reckless Seiya¡¯s technique¡­but¡­ Seiya was still on his self-defense mode. John Dae stepped his foot on the ground with frustration. ¡¸Hey!! When is he going to use it!? ¡¹ ¡¸Mo¡­Most probably, at 200%!! Kiri thinks that 200% is a great number to launch it!! ¡¹ He continued to defend himself from the Death Emperor¡¯s attack. And then, he finally reached the climax. ¡¸¡­200% Replenish. ¡¹ This time¡­We¡¯re finally going to avenge the people of Fulwaana that died two horrible deaths¡­!! ¡¸Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ I shouted along with John Dae¡­ ¡¸¡­210% Replenish. ¡¹ ¡¸No, he isn¡¯t satisfied yet!? How long will he keep on accumulating power!? It¡¯s enough already!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s too much now!! Just defeat the enemy!! ¡¹ Despite our rants, which grew more and more frustratingly as the time passed¡­ ¡¸¡­230% Replenish. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s replenish rate continued to increase steadily regardless of what we said. Volume 2 - CH 110 hapter 110: The Runaway Spiritual Power Silshete¡¯s Deadly Bandage was divided in several pieces, and it tried to attack Seiya from all sides. Seiya dodged the attack with the transcendental speed of the Crazy Warrior; and with his magical sword of fire acting as his shield, he devoted himself to defense while burning the menacing bandages. However, this was dangerous. After all, Silshete¡¯s attack had the power of the Chain Destruction. Even so¡­ ¡¸¡­240% Replenish. ¡¹ Seiya was accumulating power endlessly for the sake of that technique. ¡¸Hero!! That¡¯s enough!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! It¡¯s plentiful now!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­260% Replenish. ¡¹ No¡­No way!! Did he really want to reach 500%, or even 1000% in power!? Give me a break already!! Both John Dae and I were extremely frustrated as we yelled ¡¸Just hurry up! ¡¹. However, as time went by, we felt like praying. ¡¸Ple¡­Please, hero!! I beg you to unleash that power!! ¡¹ ¡¸I implore you, Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­280% Replenish. ¡¹ He didn¡¯t even listen to our prayers. It seemed that even Silshete became irritated by this situation. After he took a step back, a large amount of Deadly Bandages got out of his body and spread like a horde of snakes! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ The Death Emperor tried to attack Seiya endlessly from every possible direction, be it from the top, bottom, right or left. Somehow, Seiya always managed to block his attacks and burn the bandages with the Killer Sword. I felt relieved but¡­it seemed that his defensive stance would last forever. When will he be ready to change to an offensive mode? In the meantime, it looked like Silshete increased the power of his lethal techniques in order to exterminate Seiya¡¯s soul. ¡¸¡­320% Replenish. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­He finally reached the 300%!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah!! Maybe he¡¯s ready!! ¡¹ John Dae and I clenched our fists as we screamed at Seiya. ¡¸Do it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ I wondered if Seiya heard our scream. Then, Seiya opened his mouth. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go¡­Drain Charge Move. ¡¹ Hurray!! We¡¯ve been waiting for the explosive power of this newly technique!! Seiya¡¯s body shined brightly! My body shuddered with the shock waves that occurred at the same time! Silshete, who was attacking Seiya within close proximity, was blown away several meters! Even so, he mumbled arrogantly while he stared fixedly at Seiya with his sparkling yellow eyes. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do. But, I guarantee you that it¡¯s impossible to exceed the speed of my ¡°Ferment After Roton¡±.¡¹ Silshete seemed overconfident. On the other hand, both John Dae and I thought otherwise. We believed that Seiya¡¯s new ability of power accumulation could beat the Death Emperor! ¡¸Look! What an intense dazzling aura that the hero got on himself! I¡¯ve never seen that aura before! I can see that it was replenished with tremendous power!¡¹ ¡¸Yes! You¡¯re right! ¡¹ I nodded with a smile upon hearing John Dae¡¯s remarks about Seiya. In anticipation, we waited for Seiya¡¯s special strike. However, the next moment, I doubted my own ears. Seiya lowered his head as he said the following unrealistic words. ¡¸Hold on. ¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s dazzling aura disappeared from his body. ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ After a moment of silence¡­ ¡¸AHHHHH!???????? ¡¹ John Dae and I shouted aloud. ¡¸A ¡°pause¡±!? Why a ¡°pause¡± in a hazardous moment like this!?¡¹ ¡¸In¡­In other words¡­He just accumulated power, but did not intend to use it!?¡¹ ¡¸You must kidding, right!? Why!? Is there a plausible reason for that!?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t understand the meaning of his actions!! That guy¡­What the hell is that guy even thinking about!?¡¹ We screamed while talking because of Seiya¡¯s actions that were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Nevertheless, Seiya completely ignored us. He greatly exhaled while holding the two brand-new swords that the earth snakes brought from the ground. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.7 &¡­Mode Double Eternal Sword EX Phoenix Drive. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s mad aura, as the Crazy Warrior, emanated from his body tremendously, while hot air mixed with his fire magic engulfed the surroundings! John Dae and I returned to our senses to concentrate on the ongoing battle! ¡¸Oh! This time is a mad aura of flames!? And¡­What on earth!? Did he have a technique with such a long name before!?¡¹ ¡¸Every single skill of his stats are invoked with tremendous power!! And he combined all of them with his crazy warrior state!!¡¹ Seiya murmured while staring at Silshete with hawk eyes. ¡¸I¡¯ll start now¡­Maximum firepower!! ¡¹ As soon as Seiya professed those words, he headed towards Silshete with a crimson trajectory that didn¡¯t make any noise! I couldn¡¯t even see his swords, but a number of crimson geometric patterns appeared in front of Silshete! When one of the patterns suppressed and disappeared, Silshete¡¯s body was torn at the same time, and it wrapped in a hellfire! While Silshete burnt, he created a new bandage and tried to regenerate the wound, however, soon a new geometric pattern drawn by Seiya exploded simultaneously! ¡¸Impossible¡­ ¡¹ Silshete uttered a small voice. More than ten reddish geometric patterns appeared in the air to surround Silshete¡¯s body. Then, every single one of them disappeared at the same time. Amidst hot blazing air of the blasts, all of the bandages that covered Silshete¡¯s body were burnt, and I finally saw the glowing eyes of the Death Emperor. ¡¸This hero was just playing around with me since the beginning¡­! Even so¡­who thought that these skills could belong to a human being¡­?¡¹ The Death Emperor groaned astonishingly at the overwhelming firepower that burnt every single bandage that covered his rotten body¡­ ¡¸A¡­Amazing¡­!! ¡¹ John Dae unintentionally spoke aloud because he was amazed. Seiya used the double sword attack to draw a large geometric pattern in front of the Death Emperor. After a fierce explosion that shook our earlobes, only Silshete¡¯s rotten torso floated in the air after losing both arms and legs. Then, Seiya released the Maximum Inferno towards Silshete¡¯s rotten torso. The floating torso exploded and disappeared. ¡­Did¡­Did he won¡­!? What a fierce firepower!! No¡­No¡­Was that strike that powerful because of the long period of power replenishment!? However, Seiya stared at the empty space with sharp eyes. Silshete seemed to disappear because of Seiya¡¯s overwhelming firepower. Nevertheless¡­We were wrong. There was one floating object in the air. It was an orb about the size of a fist. Even with that amount of firepower inflicted to destroy the enemy, that orb stood there intact. It had an ominous aura that seemed to protect it from external threats. ¡¸The Cursed Sphere!? ¡¹ The orb changed its shaped when I screamed! It opened like a small mouth and I saw that it had the shape of an ugly skull! ¡¸*menacing laugh* Cemetery Night Againnnnnn! ¡¹ After raising a mocking high voice, the skull cracked and a venomous mist erupted from it! That mist instantly gained a humanoid shape! John Dae opened his eyes wide! ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that the Death Emperor is reviving himself!? ¡¹ ¡­Did¡­Did that mean that the Death Emperor hid some part of his body!? In the unlikely event of decay, did he set his body to rejuvenate with the power of the Cursed Sphere!? ¡­John Dae and I breathed heavily as we witnessed the enemy gaining a new form. The mist transformed into a black-and-white skeleton with beetle horns that represented the symbol of evil. The mouth of the bare skull slowly opened. ¡¸I, as the Dead Emperor, shall revive after death¡­This is my final form¡­A fusion of spirit and rotten meat¡­An undefeated body consisting of half-spirit and half-material¡­¡¹ Silshete¡¯s body looked blurry, while a weird noise came out of him. Ha¡­Half-spirit and half-material!? An undefeated body!? Wha¡­What the hell was going on now!! Maybe that meant that neither physical attacks nor spiritual attacks will work on him!? Silshete¡¯s second form. The first thing that came to my mind was, ¡°Is there a way to overcome such a terrifying monster!?¡±. The premonition of a bad ending was crawling in my mind. So¡­While I was immersed on my own thoughts, something happened at the same time as Silshete changed his form. No, I wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t see it happen. Silshete probably didn¡¯t even notice the impeding attack from his fearsome but cautious opponent. Seiya was already flying in the air with a sword above Silshete¡¯s head. ¡¸Rhythm Drain Charge Move¡­ ¡¹ I noticed that the dazzling light that disappeared from Seiya¡¯s body, concentrated on his right arm! ¡¸The Runaway Spiritual Power¡­Ghostbuster Overdrive! ¡¹ As soon as he lowered his sword to hit Silshete¡¯s head, a strong dazzling light emitted and a roaring sound shook the earth and the heavens at the same time! The sound was so high and intense that I even lost my hearing. It made me hear only silence for a brief moment. Somehow, I managed to see the scene of battle that made me blow away because of the brutal shock waves. It seemed that the aggressive strike, which combined the physical attack power of the Drain Charge Move and the spiritual power of the Ghostbuster, turned Silshete, not only into dust, but also the earth from the surrounding area. And at this precise instant¡­a wide range of desert grime spread in front of Seiya¡¯s eyes. I couldn¡¯t see any part of Silshete¡¯s remains anywhere in the desert of dust. I approached Seiya with perplexity. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! What about Silshete? ¡¹ ¡¸I cleaned up. Most probably. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Cleaned up¡± you say¡­You already moved on to that part!?¡¹ ¡¸Well, maybe, he¡¯s still lurking somewhere around here.¡¹ Seiya continued to stare at the place where Silshete stood previously. Then, John Dae opened his mouth slowly. ¡¸Did¡­Did you use that accumulation power technique for the sole purpose of defeating the Death Emperor¡¯s second form!? No!! Did you actually know that he had a second form in the first place!?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t see his status. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stay silent, so I broke into their conversation. ¡¸Then, why did you pause when you stopped accumulating power!? ¡¹ ¡¸SS-rank difficulty world Exfolia¡¯s last Emperor, the Death Emperor¡­I thought that it would be a tough battle that could take a long time. That¡¯s why I preserved that technique and used it when he reached his second form. Well, regardless of that, it would¡¯ve been fine if he had no second form at all.¡¹ ¡¸If¡­If he had no second form, does that mean that your accumulative power would¡¯ve been wasted?¡¹ ¡¸I feel relieved. It wasn¡¯t useless after all. ¡¹ ¡¸You feel relieved¡­!? ¡¹ We were appalled by Seiya¡¯s words of relief since his words resembled the attitude of an insurance salesman. ¡¸I wanted to save up to 1000%. However, my body was about to burst with the power I was accumulating. Therefore, it was unavoidable to halt at 320%.¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey, that¡¯s already enough! Don¡¯t try to accumulate power until you break your own body!¡¹ While I tried to give sense to Seiya, instead, he just stared at the empty space where Silshete vanished, and then, he touched the ground. ¡¸¡­Apparently, there is no third form. ¡¹ It seemed that Seiya was still concerned about Silshete¡¯s resurrection. He checked the surroundings for a long while, then¡­ ¡¸Okay. It seems that he vanished for good. ¡¹ After saying that, Seiya finally put the sword on his sheath. Next to me, John Dae was looking at Seiya as if he was looking at something terrifying. ¡¸I understood in my head what the hero just said. That¡¯s also a strategy to preserve special techniques. Still¡­To accomplish this kind of strategy in an actual combat is a bit¡­¡¹ After a small sigh, John Dae whispered as if he were speaking to himself. ¡¸He truly is an amazing guy. ¡¹ Seiya stood a little further away from us. I stared at his back. I saw no scratches nor injuries. If I looked at the result alone, then he won without taking any damage. ¡­But, what if he used the accumulating power technique before Silshete¡¯s second form? If Silshete ended up dying as a mummy, we wouldn¡¯t even know about his second form. Yet, if he survived, he would have a chance of winning with his half-spirit and half-material form. No¡­Those were just hypothesis after the failure of his actual fearsome skill. That was, the first Cemetery Night Again. If the powered-up Grand Lion, Oxelio, and Ceremonic were revived along with the army of the dead, Seiya would have faced a very difficult and unprecedented battle. Yet, he was cautious enough to prevent that scenario from happening. If the battle against the Death Emperor Silshete was a normal battle, it would have been a tough fight for Seiya. If Seiya was a regular hero that is. But, if he really was a regular hero, by now, he would¡¯ve¡­No, everything that happened so far, yes every miraculous victory, all happened because Seiya was overly cautious¡­ I was so impressed that I stared earnestly at Seiya, who wasn¡¯t that pleased with his victory. Besides that, I noticed that Seiya was looking at Kiriko. She crouched on the ground while looking attentively at the sand on the palm of her hand. Seiya approached Kiriko. Kiriko noticed Seiya¡¯s presence and showed him the sand on her hand. ¡¸I made this pendant with Cleo. But, it has disappeared now. The town, Cleo, the memories¡­There¡¯s nothing left.¡¹ Cleo was Kiriko¡¯s first friend. The pain I felt on my heart was immeasurable. ¡¸¡­Kiriko. ¡¹ Seiya opened his mouth. I thought that he was going to say something unusual or harsh¡­ ¡¸We¡¯re leaving soon. So, get ready. ¡¹ I was surprised because his response was completely normal. ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko replied without cheerfulness and slowly stood up. It hurt me to see Kiriko looking so sad and absent. Her lost friend won¡¯t return. Seiya defeated Exfolia¡¯s last Emperor, the Death Emperor Silshete¡­However, it wasn¡¯t a joyous occasion. ¡¸Hey, listen, Seiya. Please, tell Kiri a reassuring word¡­ ¡¹ But, I noticed something odd when I approached Seiya. I saw that Seiya¡¯s face was hard looking. ¡¸I¡¯m back at square one. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Square one? What do you mean? ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of his words. However, Seiya didn¡¯t explain it and just said the following sentence. ¡¸Lista. We can return to the heavenly world now that we¡¯ve defeated the Death Emperor. Open the portal.¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay. ¡¹ As I was told to, I summoned the portal. When I opened the door, I saw that the white wall was no longer there to prevent us from leaving. ¡¸We¡¯re going back to the heavenly world now. ¡¹ For Seiya, it was just for the sake of his preparation for battles. But, for Kiriko who was depressed ¡­No, for myself as well, we had to reset our mood. And no better place for that therapy than the God¡¯s realm. I was certain that John Dae had the same exact feelings. The disappearance of Fulwaana¡¯s people had casted a dark shadow in everyone¡¯s hearts. We silently followed Seiya, and we dived into the portal in direction to the God¡¯s realm. Volume 2 - CH 111 Chapter 111: All at Once When we dived through the portal and arrived at the God¡¯s realm, I felt the warm sunlight and the great atmosphere of the God¡¯s realm. My mood felt a little brighter just by feeling this harmonious atmosphere. From the portal we arrived at the main plaza of the God¡¯s realm. I noticed that Celseus was cleaning up the garbage around the perimeter of his cafe. ¡¸Ohh! ¡¹ When he noticed our presence, Celseus threw his broom and shovel to the ground, and hid in the shadows. John Dae approached Celseus then. ¡¸Celseus. I apologize for the other day. I won¡¯t ask you to practice swords with me ever again. So, don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What! I see, thank goodness! By the way¡­Ahhhhhh! It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve felt that bad, you know! On that day, I felt that I could die from a cold, diarrhea and lack of sleep¡­¡¹ Celseus tried to give an absurd excuse for John Dae and Kiriko for what happened to him during the sword practice¡­That was not cool! There was no shame to admit that his original power lacked in comparison to John Dae and Kiriko! If it were Seiya, he would say, ¡°Let me show you all the power I¡¯ve got now.¡± John Dae was more mature than Seiya and respected Celseus. ¡¸Hmm. More importantly, could you lend us a room right now? I want Kiriko to rest in the meantime.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Well, I see no problem with that but¡­ ¡¹ Celseus seemed to have noticed the depressed Kiriko. He bent down as he talked to her. ¡¸I can see that any things happened over there, Kiriko. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s hard to save a world¡­All right. Just wait a little. ¡¹ Celseus brought a pot and a teacup on his tray. ¡¸Here. Warm tea. ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s delicious. ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸This tea was made with 100% genuine leaves of the God¡¯s realm. You¡¯ll be absolutely fine if you drink it. C¡¯mon now, drink.¡¹ ¡¸No, I can¡¯t, you see¡­I can¡¯t drink your tea because I¡¯m a machine¡­! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand to watch this anymore and spoke harshly to Celseus. ¡¸Stop it already!! Are you an idiot!? If you oblige Kiriko to drink tea, she¡¯ll corrode!! ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡­Who¡¯s the idiot!! I just thought of Kiriko with care¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What the hell do you mean with ¡°100% genuine leaves of the God¡¯s realm¡±!! You are the one who¡¯s a ¡°100% genuine idiot¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare call me a 100% genuine idiot!! ¡¹ As we argued, I noticed that Kiriko giggled a little. Then, she grabbed the teacup brought by Celseus and put it closer to her face. ¡¸I can¡¯t drink it, but¡­I can smell that it has a very nice scent!! ¡¹ I was glad to hear a cheerful response from Kiriko. What a relief! Kiri¡¯s gloomy mood got brighter! Celseus¡¯ ridiculousness was sometimes useful. However, I noticed that Seiya wasn¡¯t next to us when I looked around. ¡¸Ah, what? Kiri! Where is Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya walked in that direction¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I thought that he was oddly silent, but now I see the reason why¡­! I¡¯m going to look for him!¡¹ I left John Dae and Kiriko in Celseus¡¯ cafe and ran away. When I was about to leave the plaza, I found Aria on my way out. ¡¸Ah! Welcome home, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m home! Did you see Seiya around here? ¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re looking for Seiya, he is in the temple. He said that he wanted to speak with Lady Isister.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you! ¡¹ I thanked Aria and went to the temple. ¡ª ¡¸¡­Ex¡­Excuse me. ¡¹ I knocked on the door of the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. When I opened the door slowly, I saw that the Great Goddess Isister and Seiya were sitting at a table while facing each other. There was a large crystal ball between them, and Seiya was looking attentively at it. ¡¸Don¡¯t leave without saying anything to us first! ¡­Hmm? What are you doing?¡¹ On behalf of a silent Seiya, the Great Goddess Isister spoke to me with a tough-looking face. ¡¸I am looking at the state of Exfolia from one year ago at the request of Ryuguuin Seiya.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. ¡¹ I sat next to Seiya and watched the images of the crystal ball. Seiya looked with serious eyes at the crystal ball. I noticed that it reflected the state of a peaceful village. There were watermills on the stream, and white-haired old people lightening up some cigarettes along the water. ¡¸This village¡­ ¡¹ When I murmured, suddenly I saw that the water of the stream that flowed in front of the water wheel got red! ¡ºGyahhhhh! Die, die, die, die! ¡» The voice of a vengeful monster echoed from the crystal ball! A two-headed monster wearing a dirty dress had an old man¡¯s head in its hand! ¡¸Ce¡­Ceremonic!! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t forget this monster. This enemy cursed me not too long ago, and I almost died because of that. Therefore, I didn¡¯t want to stare too much at the crystal ball because Ceremonic was a trauma for me¡­However, I did stare anyways. If I looked closely at the monster, I noticed that another female head stood behind Monica and Serena¡¯s heads. ¡­Shanak! Her sisters didn¡¯t kill her yet! The crystal ball showed a village that had become the scene of horrifying screams when Ceremonic appeared. Seiya spoke with an impassive tone. ¡¸This village is the Sage Village that I was supposed to visit one year ago. ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, this is the Sage Village¡­! ¡¹ Many villagers of the Sage Village were wise old people who seemed to be enlightened. However, the old people were slaughtered one after another by Ceremonic. ¡¸After the Demon King killed the reckless me and gained power of the evil god, he sent Ceremonic to the Sage Village. He wanted to eradicate the wise men because they knew the secrets of his constitution.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­So terrible¡­! ¡¹ Seiya spoke calmly even after looking at the corpses that were ripen from their necks and bled as they rolled in the ground. ¡¸I wanted to know what kind of village it was¡­So, old hag. Can you show me the current state of this village?¡¹ ¡¸As you defeated all of the Demon King¡¯s Emperors, the black mist covering Exfolia has also cleared away. The near future is still unpredictable, but it is possible to look at the current situation of Exfolia.¡¹ A new landscape was projected on the crystal ball when the Great Goddess Isister recited a few words. The crystal ball was like Seiya¡¯s earth snake cameras, and reflected the state of a desolate village. ¡¸Hmm. What¡¯s that? ¡¹ Seiya pointed to the corner of the village shown in the crystal ball. The Great Goddess Isister brought the image closer to that point. There were people wearing odd-looking masks and cloaks surrounding a red magical circle in the ground. The Great Goddess Isister also stared at that particular scene. ¡¸Those people are not human beings. Are those demon priests? Though I don¡¯t know what kind of ritual they are engaging themselves now¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ Said Seiya, who had both his arms folded for a while¡­ ¡¸Perhaps, it¡¯s better to check it directly on the site. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well, there¡¯s nothing on this village, except for the presence of these demon priests, even so¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll go there just to be in case. ¡¹ Apparently, Seiya felt dissatisfied to stare only at the crystal ball. I asked the Great Goddess Isister the following question. ¡¸Great Goddess Isister. Is it safe to open the portal directly to the Sage Village? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I will allow it. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much! ¡­Seiya. What do you want to do? Do you want to go now? ¡¹ ¡¸No. There are enemies in the village. I have to prepare first. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister said with a smile. ¡¸There are several demon priests at the village, but they aren¡¯t exactly a threat at your current state, am I correct?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re not necessarily enemies per se. At first glance, the village seems to have been wiped out. But, if some of the wise men survived, they might attack because of their grudges against me.¡¹ ¡¸The¡­They are wise men, I doubt that they would attack anybody at all¡­¡¹ ¡¸Either way, the fight against Artemaeus is near. I want to prepare for that too. ¡¹ Then, the Great Goddess Isister nodded positively. ¡¸I understand. You can stay in the God¡¯s realm until you are ready. In order to save the SS-rank difficult world Exfolia¡­I¡¯ll support you as much as I can.¡¹ ¡¸Well then, old hag. I have a request. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. What is it? ¡¹ ¡¸First, I want to find gods with these attributes¡­ ¡¹ Seiya thought it was faster to ask the Great Goddess Isister than search a god for his training with me. Seiya spoke about the god who he wanted to practice in detail. Somehow, I felt like an outsider mosquito, and I asked him. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Seiya! Is there anything I can do? ¡¹ Then, Seiya looked at me with sharp eyes. ¡¸Let¡¯s see. First, go to your room in the temple. ¡¹ ¡¸Go to my room, you say? And then? ¡¹ ¡¸You will find your bed there. So, lay your body on your bed. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, okay. And then? ¡¹ ¡¸After that, close your eyes quietly. If possible, forever. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I understand¡­Wait!! You want me to be in my room and do nothing at all!! ¡¹ ¡¸So noisy. Then, play with Kiriko. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah no, that wasn¡¯t what I meant!! C¡¯mon!! Great Goddess Isister, please say something!!¡¹ However, the Great Goddess Isister laughed softly. ¡¸Is that so. Lista, it¡¯s okay for you to play. ¡¹ ¡¸No way!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s also important to spend some time with your friends. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhh¡­ ¡¹ I¡­I knew it. Maybe the Great Goddess Isister thought that I was a useless goddess too. Certainly. Not too long ago, I was cursed and bothered everyone with it. Ahhh¡­ ¡ª In the end, I went back to Celseus¡¯ cafe on my own. I saw Aria and Adenela in the cafe, and Kiriko talked with John Dae happily. John Dae noticed me then. ¡¸Goddess. What about the hero? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s going to train again. He said he¡¯s going to the Sage Village once it¡¯s over.¡¹ Not too long after, John Dae looked serious as he put his hand on his chin. ¡¸I see. Maybe this is his last training. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸A great degree of danger as disappeared when he defeated the Death Emperor, right? Originally, he planned to strike the Demon King first while he was accumulating power.¡¹ ¡¸Cer¡­Certainly¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Now, it¡¯s probably the final adjustment of his preparations for the battle against the Demon King Artemaeus. After training and stopping by the Sage Village, won¡¯t he go straight away into war with the Demon King?¡¹ My heart bounced a lot as I heard John Dae¡¯s remarks about Seiya¡¯s upcoming endeavors. Tha¡­That¡¯s right! Next, was the battle against the Demon King! Suddenly, I felt nervous¡­! There were various hardships along the way, but I got more nervous each time I remembered the SS-rank difficulty world Exfolia. My heart beat faster. ¡­In the S-rank difficulty world Geabrande, Seiya defeated the Demon King in the last battle in exchange for his own life! The upcoming battle with the Demon King Artemaeus will surely be more difficult than the previous battle! Adenela, who was listening to us, whispered while looking at the temple. ¡¸Spe¡­Speaking of which, Se¡­Seiya has¡­come. ¡¹ I was surprised when I saw him coming in our direction. Not only me, but also Aria seemed surprised that she even raised her voice. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya is bringing many gods with him! ¡¹ That¡¯s right. Behind Seiya, stood Frala the Goddess of Wind, and Orlando the God of Thunder¡­There were other gods I had never seen before. I rushed over to Seiya. ¡¸Seiya!! What is the meaning of this!? ¡¹ ¡¸I asked Isister if I could gather gods with various types of attributes. Exfolia is a world where skills such as magic are fragmented, unlike Geabrande. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to focus on my profession.¡¹ Seiya showed me a memorandum. ¡ª ¡ºMartial Artist. ¡» ¡ºSpear Wielder. ¡» ¡ºWizard (Wind, Thunder, Light, Earth). ¡» ¡ºMerchant. ¡» ¡ºFortune Teller. ¡» ¡ºPleasant Flute Player. ¡» ¡ª It was the list of new professions from Enzo of the Light of Hope. Enzo gave this list to Seiya to choose a different profession while in Exfolia. ¡¸In¡­In other words, do you plan to master each profession for the sake of the final battle against the Demon King!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. However, it seems that I won¡¯t be able to learn ¡°fighting with bare hands¡± because the Fist God Arx isn¡¯t available right now. Besides that, in addition to fire and earth magic, I already learnt the Pleasant Flute Player. Therefore, I¡¯ll discard it for this practice¡­¡¹ After explaining it, Seiya unraveled the long packet that he brought with him. Then, he took an old spear from that packet. Seiya wielded that spear. Ohh? I¡¯ve never seen a spear like that before. Actually, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Seiya wielding a spear¡­Seiya was quite versatile! Then, a male god, dressed with warrior clothes, came out of the crowd of gods that came along with Seiya. ¡¸Oh. So first, you¡¯re going to train with me, the Spear God. ¡¹ The other gods took a step back. ¡¸We¡¯ll be waiting here. Call us when it¡¯s our turn to practice with you. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­What are you talking about? ¡¹ Seiya stared at the gods with scornful eyes. ¡¸That¡¯s a waste of time. All of you should come together. ¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸Exactly as you heard it. While I¡¯m practicing with the Spear God, you should attack me with your magic.¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Do you mean you want to do magical training at the same time you do the physical training!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s more efficient. All the skills I need will be acquired in an actual battle.¡¹ Frala, the Goddess of Wind, showed a bitter smile upon hearing Seiya¡¯s remarks. On the other hand, Orlando, the God of Thunder, made a fluttering face. ¡¸What an arrogance. Don¡¯t regret what you just said, human¡­! ¡¹ My heart was pounding with extreme velocity, but at the same time, a timid voice came out of the crowd of gods. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me. What should we do? ¡¹ A gorgeous god wearing a kimono, held an abacus* in one hand. Next to him, stood a mysterious looking goddess with a mask and a grey hood. From their appearances, they should be the ¡°God of Trade¡± and the ¡°Goddess of Fortune-Telling¡± respectively. Seiya spoke as if he were annoyed. ¡¸I already told you. Everyone should engage in this practice session. You too. One of you will discuss this together with me and the other will stick to fortune telling.¡¹ ¡¸What does that even mean!? ¡¹ The gods around Seiya shouted aloud. No, wait¡­Se¡­Seriously!? Seiya was willing to practice with the magical gods of nature, the Spear God, the God of Trade and even the Goddess of Fortune-Telling!? Everyone at the same time!? The Spear God drew his formidable spear in a glorious position! Frala, the Goddess of Wind, and Orlando, the God of Thunder, held their magical canes against Seiya! The others gods also surrounded Seiya! ¡¸Deities are the pillars of the world¡­Prepare yourself! We¡¯re starting now! ¡¹ The Spear God took the lead and headed towards Seiya in an offensive mode! However¡­ ¡¸¡­State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ Seiya, who became the Crazy Warrior, held his spear furiously as if madness burst, and wielded it against the spear of the Spear God! Then, Seiya dodged the thunderbolt of Orlando, the God of Thunder, which went on his left side; and the cutting winds from Frala, the Goddess of Wind, which charged from the front! At the same time, Seiya managed to counterattack the tremendous shock waves of the magical spear from the Spear God! Meanwhile, the God of Trade and the Goddess of Fortune-Telling approached Seiya watchfully and gave him the abacus and a hexagonal fortune box! Seiya played the abacus and waved the fortune box! ¡¸Today¡¯s heavenly average stock price declined by 3.22% compared to the previous day.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ Today¡¯s lucky color is blue.¡¹ The gods that engaged on a continuous practice with Seiya spoke with a frustrating tone! ¡¸Ugh! Thi¡­This fella¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸While he¡¯s counterattacking our offensive strikes¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸He even manages to play the abacus¡­! ¡¹ The gods were extremely irritated¡­ ¡¸No, what the heck is happening in this practice session!? ¡¹ I also agreed with them. ¡°Playing the abacus while attacking and defending¡±¡­What on earth!? The meaning was unknown and ridiculous to me!! Both John Dae and Kiriko were surprised as their eyes rounded with amazement. ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t know the meaning of this weird practice but¡­somehow, it looks incredible!!¡¹ ¡¸Yes!! I can¡¯t even describe it with words!! ¡¹ The gods became gradually afraid of attacking because they felt in awe of Seiya. Then, Seiya, who held an abacus and the spear, slowly approached them. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Why don¡¯t you come over here? ¡¹ On this precise moment, a person showed up from behind my back. *laughs weirdly and crazily* ¡¸La¡­Lady Adenela!? ¡¹ ¡¸Blo¡­Blo¡­Blood¡­made a¡­no¡­noise¡­! ¡¹ When Adenela, the Goddess of War, laughed happily with her thirsty bloody eyes, she pulled out her sword and rushed forward! In addition to the magical flash that passed through the ground, a metallic sound of swords colliding shook the ¡°earth¡± and a large smoke generated from the place where everyone was practicing! At that juncture¡­ ¡¸Oh. What¡¯s the fuss? Is it a festival? ¡¹ I heard a husky voice and looked back to find the half-naked goddess beside me! The God¡¯s realm no. 2, the fearsome Valkyrie, was also by my side! ¡¸This looks interesting. Let me join as well. ¡¹ While wielding the chains, the Goddess of Destruction rushed towards the practicing group! A magical explosion and a weapon¡¯s metallic sound reverberated through the air as if rage engulfed the God¡¯s realm! Unexpectedly, the lightning explosion, which was shot away from the fierce practice, directly hit the garden table of Cafe De Celseus! ¡¸What!????? My coffee shop is going to be destroyed at this rate!! Guys, just go over that side!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹ ¡­Eve¡­Everything became a huge mess!! Aria and I somehow managed to take Kiriko and John Dae with us, and we evacuated to a safe place. Thus, the unprecedented multiparty practice session began. Volume 2 - CH 112 Chapter 112: The Toy Box The plaza of the God¡¯s realm was like a military training ground, with explosions and roaring sounds bursting from everywhere. From time to time, magical strikes, spears, and swords flew away from the group that practiced frighteningly. At the same time, tables, chairs and coffee cups of Cafe De Celseus were destroyed and pieces scattered on the floor. ¡¸Just give me a break already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ Celseus screamed and begged for mercy to a deplorable extent that even I felt sorry for him. No matter how much he cried or yelled, Seiya didn¡¯t stop practicing¡­The moment I thought about that¡­ ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s stop here for today. ¡¹ It¡¯s been two hours since the start of his practice session. Seiya said to stop it when the God¡¯s realm was lit by the redness of the sunset. ¡­Wha¡­What? Was he really going to stop now? I thought it was unusual. Actually, Seiya never stopped his training until the opponent god fell down or if even if he begged to stop. Personally, I thought that his practice rounded up early. However, I noticed that my fellow gods were exhausted. The Spear God pierced his spear on the ground while breathing in agony. I even saw that Frala the Goddess of Wind had tears on her eyes. ¡¸*sobs* What can my wind magic even do? It¡¯s impossible for me to get rid of that bloody fortune telling¡­!¡¹ ¡¸La¡­Lady Frala! It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry! You don¡¯t have the original divine power because you didn¡¯t request the Order!¡¹ I tried to comfort her, but¡­ ¡¸Even if you say that¡­*continues to sob* ¡¹ The coolest goddess Frala was crying like a little girl. Meanwhile¡­ ¡¸Ah, it was fun! Okay then, I¡¯m going home now! ¡¹ Valkyrie looked pretty satisfied as she went away. Except Valkyrie, each of the gods left with sad and exhausting faces¡­Eventually, all of the gods were gone. While I was stunned looking at the collapsed plaza of the God¡¯s realm, I noticed that Seiya was walking to the temple. ¡­Oh gosh, this was bad! If I didn¡¯t rush to him soon, I won¡¯t be able to speak with him until tomorrow! Lately, Seiya disappears at night! I chased after Seiya immediately. ¡¸Wait, Seiya! Why are you going with such a hurry? ¡¹ ¡¸The multiparty practice session is only meant to last during the day. While at night¡­¡¹ ¡¸At night? ¡¹ ¡¸I have other things to do. ¡¹ ¡¸Things to do? What are those? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey. What are you doing at night? Hmm? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy. I told you to play, didn¡¯t I? ¡¹ Seiya stopped walking and stepped on the ground. With the power of earth magic, an object that was sinking in the ground surfaced. ¡¸Ehh!? ¡¹ It was a big wooden box. When I looked inside, I saw a Japanese bilboquet*, bricks, frames, beanbag juggling games, and soap bubbles. ¡¸I made a toy box for you. Play with this. ¡¹ ¡¸Am I a little child!? ¡¹ Moreover, what was this choice of old toys! I wasn¡¯t a kid from the early Showa era of Japan! ¡¸What the hell is this!! Don¡¯t make fun of me!! ¡¹ Seiya murmured while staring at me. ¡¸¡­State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ No¡­No way!! Was he going to hit me during the Crazy Warrior state!? It didn¡¯t matter, gods don¡¯t die. But what if I had several powerful hits on my head? Maybe my brain would not be the same anymore. I would be the one to get really crazy. I was scared and protected my head with my hands¡­There was no impact. After a while, when I finally opened my eyes, I saw that Seiya had disappeared from my sight. ¡¸He disappeared again!? What on earth is wrong with that guy!? ¡¹ I was so frustrated that I kicked the toy box. The bricks and the other toys jumped out of the box. I couldn¡¯t leave it in the plaza of the God¡¯s realm, since Celseus was angry with me. ¡¸That¡¯s a hindrance! This is not your playground for you to place your bricks on the floor! ¡¹ ¡¸I wasn¡¯t playing!! ¡¹ Celseus was clearly mad while he cleaned the broken scattered pieces of his cafe¡¯s equipment. Celseus was pissed, but I was frustrated as well. We were staring at each other with hate¡­ ¡¸Ple¡­Please calm down! Let¡¯s clean up together for the time being! Okay! ¡¹ Kiriko picked the scattered brick and gave it to me. After that, she used a broom and started to gather the scattered equipment from the cafe to one place. Celseus teared up. ¡¸Kiriko¡­! You really are a good person! ¡¹ Aria came nearby and nodded in agreement. ¡¸Such an angelic Killing Machine! ¡¹ Then, Celseus gazed at me with piercing eyes. ¡¸Lista! You could learn a little from her! ¡¹ ¡¸Just shut up, will you! ¡¹ I was annoyed at Celseus. So, I made a tantrum, stopped helping him with the scattered equipment and started to play with the Japanese bilboquet on my own. At first, it was just a play to kill some time¡­ ¡¸Oh! Ah, oh, oh! ¡¹ ¡­Impossible! What¡¯s this! This was actually fun¡­! I became enthusiastic about playing the Japanese bilboquet. ¡ª The day was long gone while I was immersed on playing with the toy box. When I looked around, I saw that the tables were back in place, and that the Cafe De Celseus was finally recomposed. Kiriko walked up and stood beside me. ¡¸Miss Lista¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Kiri. Do you want to play the Japanese bilboquet? It¡¯s really fun! ¡¹ I smiled at her. On the other hand, Kiriko spoke to me with a serious tone. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me. But, may I sleep together with you in my room today? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I don¡¯t mind it¡­Ah? Kiri, are you really going to sleep? ¡¹ Kiriko didn¡¯t eat nor sleep because she was a machine. That puzzled me and I began to worry about her request. ¡¸You see¡­Actually. Mister Seiya spoke with me and said, ¡°sleep with Lista for as long as possible while we¡¯re on this quest together¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Why? ¡¹ ¡¸I also asked him the reason why. Mister Seiya responded that, ¡°the Ceremonic¡¯s curse still might be there¡±.¡¹ ¡¸That person is still worried about the curse!? ¡¹ But, it¡¯s been a long time since the curse had been lifted, right? I didn¡¯t think too much about it since I got free from that nightmare¡­! ¡¸I¡¯m sure that he cares deeply about Miss Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸I doubt that. I think he pushed Kiri to watch me because he thought I was troublesome¡­¡¹ ¡¸Whatever the reason, I am glad that I can sleep with Miss Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Really? Okay, shall we go now! ¡¹ Kiriko and I went to the room rented by Celseus, but it was still early to sleep. Therefore, I took some toys out of the toy box and we played with them by building houses with bricks and beanbags. I was angry when Seiya gave me the toy box. But somehow, it became fun when I saw that Kiriko rejoiced innocently at the toys. Kiriko also seemed distracted from the painful experience that happened in the town of Fulwaana by playing with toys. ¡¸So, Mister Seiya was the original owner of these toys. ¡¹ Kiriko nodded positively while staring closely at the bricks. ¡¸Eh? These toys belonged to Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Please, look at this. ¡¹ ¡°Ryuguuin Seiya¡± was carved with very small letters on the lower part of a large brick. ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s true¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸The other toys also have his name carved. ¡¹ The Japanese bilboquet, the beanbags¡­ If one looked closely, all of the toys had the name of Seiya carved on them. ¡¸Whoa¡­Every one of them has his name written on¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that he wrote his name to make sure that he didn¡¯t lose any of his toys! Mister Seiya is very meticulous!¡¹ ¡¸We¡­Well, this looks kinda weird, you know. He¡¯s no longer a kid in elementary school¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, this seems like something that Mister Seiya would do! ¡¹ Kiriko laughed a little at this occurrence¡­Hmm. Did he had time to spare to write his name on his toys? He usually said that everything else except training was a ¡°waste of time¡±. Didn¡¯t he? This didn¡¯t make any sense at all. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s sleep now. ¡¹ All of this was quite bizarre to me. While I thought deeply about it, I went to bed with Kiriko and slowly closed my eyes. ¡ª Second day. Noon. At the plaza today, the multiparty practice session between Seiya and the other gods continued endlessly. I took the soap bubbles out of the toy box and stared at Seiya¡¯s fierce practice while blowing the bubbles. Like yesterday, Seiya continued to overwhelm the gods. From time to time, I saw that a hurricane mixed with lightening rays burst out of Seiya¡¯s arm. It seemed that the mastery of the other magic properties were progressing well. I took my eyes away from the practice session and asked Aria a question while she sip some tea at the cafe¡¯s table. ¡¸Listen, Aria. Did you see Seiya last night? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I didn¡¯t see him. ¡¹ ¡¸Geez. Where and what is he doing during the night¡­ ¡¹ I blew the soap bubbles. A number of rainbow-colored bubbles flew high in the sky. ¡¸Li¡­Lista¡­What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s soap bubbles. Aria, do you want to try it as well? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine¡­And, why don¡¯t you stop thinking too much about Seiya? I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s doing something necessary for the upcoming battle against the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸So, that I won¡¯t disturb him, you mean? I don¡¯t want to. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I feel that something is going on secretly¡­¡¹ The war against the Demon King was approaching, and Seiya¡¯s actions were more suspicious than ever. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I knew that perfectly well. Meanwhile, I was just forced to blow some bubbles into the sky. Suddenly, I noticed that the undead next to me looked quite impatient. ¡¸Hmm. I also want to train with various gods like the hero. ¡¹ It seemed that Seiya¡¯s practice session inspired John Dae. I spoke with him afterwards. ¡¸John Dae. Even if you want to practice, won¡¯t you feel bad to train with other gods? You know, the other gods aren¡¯t ungodly like Celseus.¡¹ ¡¸Recently, I have become somewhat accustomed to the holy aura of the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. ¡¹ I pushed Aria¡¯s back lightly and tried to get her closer to John Dae. ¡¸Ugh!? Too dazzling!! My eyes hurt!! ¡¹ ¡¸I knew it. So, you¡¯re not that accustomed. Just give up on that idea, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No! ¡¹ Then, John Dae saw a god sitting at an isolated table. ¡¸Like Celseus, that goddess over there is almost ungodly! When I saw that goddess in the cafe from time to time, I thought that it was a kind of devilish god from its eerie appearance. That¡¯s why I avoided her for the time being¡­¡¹ John Dae decided to approach that distant table. Sitting there was Adenela, the Goddess of War, who looked at Seiya¡¯s training with a confident look. John Dae spoke to her with a serious tone. ¡¸I saw your skills yesterday. Could you teach me your incredible sword technique?¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Do you want me¡­me to teach you¡­you the gunshot sword¡­technique¡­I see¡­ ¡¹ Adenela looked at John Dae from down to the top. Eventually, she nodded positively. ¡¸We¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. If¡­If you¡¯re training for¡­for Seiya¡¯s sake, then I¡­I¡¯ll gladly teach you my sword¡­technique.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! Great! I¡¯ll be under your guidance! ¡¹ Apparently, John Dae was eager to learn Adenela¡¯s sword technique. ¡¸¡­How nice. ¡¹ Kiriko, who watched the situation from afar, stared at them with envious eyes. ¡¸Kiri, do you want to play with me? ¡¹ I took out the beanbags from the toy box, but Kiriko shook her head. ¡¸If¡­If possible, I¡¯d like to train as well! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. You know that Seiya is a one-man army. It might be pointless even if you train. Seiya won¡¯t let you take an active part on this, you know?¡¹ ¡¸But, I can still train my heart in order to have a better resolution! I want to be stronger in spirit and mind!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­ ¡¹ I wanted to respect the will of a motivated Kiriko. Therefore, I took Kiriko with me and headed towards Adenela. ¡¸Listen, Lady Adenela. Could you teach Kiri a skill of yours? ¡¹ ¡¸Fir¡­First, a zombie¡­next¡­next a Ki¡­Killing Machine, huh. I¡­I don¡¯t actually¡­mind¡­mind it¡­you know.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much! Please, treat Kiri with care! She¡¯s a little girl on the inside!¡¹ ¡­I knew that Adenela was a bit weird and scary. But, Aria was nearby, so I didn¡¯t worry that much. With that in mind, I left John Dae and Kiriko to Adenela before I went to see Seiya again. Apparently, all of the gods who practiced together with Seiya fell to the ground around him. Seiya put the sword on his sheath. It looked like today¡¯s practice session was over. However, the next moment¡­ ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ Seiya became the Crazy Warrior! Then, he disappeared from my sight! Aria opened her mouth. ¡¸He¡­He vanished without leaving any traces behind. ¡¹ Nonetheless, I showed my thumb to Aria. ¡¸I was watching his movements! I noticed that the red track headed towards the temple! I¡¯m going there to check him out!¡¹ ¡¸Lista! Isn¡¯t it better not to follow him so forcibly? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s all right! I just want to know what he¡¯s doing at night! ¡¹ Then, I ran to the temple. ¡ª I was almost certain that Seiya went to the temple. Still, the temple of the God¡¯s realm was wide. It could take me a lot of time to search for every corner. I found Hestica, the Goddess of Fire, in the hallway and asked her. ¡¸Excuse me. Did you see Seiya around here? ¡¹ ¡¸I saw your hero moments ago. He was walking that way with Lady Valkyrie. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very¡­ah, Ehh!! ¡¹ I froze upon hearing those last words. No¡­No way¡­No way¡­Don¡¯t tell me that he was doing strange things with Valkyrie again!? I just rushed to Valkyrie¡¯s room after I gave my respects to Hestica. ¡ª ¡¸Lady Valkyrie! I¡¯m coming in! ¡¹ I entered her room immediately as I knocked on the door. Valkyrie, who until now showed a high-degree of body exposure by having just chains wrapped around her intimate parts, was completely naked! ¡¸Whoaaaaa!! I knew it!! Seiya!! Get out of here right now!! ¡¹ However, Valkyrie stared at me with confusing eyes. ¡¸What are you talking about, Listarte? I¡¯m the only one here. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? But, Lady Hestica told me that you were with Seiya moments ago¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We were just talking along the hallway. After that, we went separate ways. ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, why are you naked!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m usually like this when I¡¯m in my own room. ¡¹ ¡­Ah, what the hell. So, this was her lifestyle. I felt so relieved. On this moment, Valkyrie spoke with me with a harsh tone. ¡¸Hey you. Are you chasing after Seiya¡¯s butt again? A goddess has a supportive role for the hero. That doesn¡¯t make you his parent. So, calm yourself down.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s doing what he¡¯s supposed to do. You just have to do what Seiya tells you to do.¡¹ I felt a little angry. After all, I was being told how to behave properly by the one person that knew Seiya better than me. ¡¸Lady Valkyrie doesn¡¯t know what Seiya told me to do in spite of everything that happened so far! Seiya told me to ¡°play with toys¡±, you know!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. If he says so, then that¡¯s the best choice for you right now. ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way that the best choice is to play with toys!! ¡¹ When I raised my voice, the naked Valkyrie slowly approached me. ¡¸By the way, Listarte. Do you know what it means to come to my room at such a time?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ She stood behind me before I even noticed it! She held me from the top of my dress and grabbed my chest brusquely! ¡¸Hiiiiiiiiiii!? Wa¡­Wait!! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh! You¡¯ve gotten a little bigger again! ¡¹ ¡¸Sto¡­Stop it¡­! ¡¹ While playing with my chest, the naked Goddess of Destruction whispered on my ear. ¡¸Shall I play with you? Don¡¯t you want a different toy? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No¡­No¡­No, thanks. ¡¹ I got away from her, lowered my head to Valkyrie in respect and ventured out of her room. ¡ª ¡­AH¡­.Ah¡­ah! Sca¡­Scary! I was in an imminent danger of getting defiled! I tried to repair my dress while I walked through the corridor. My chest area became quite messy. Soon, I noticed that Seiya was talking to a goddess who radiated cold from her body. Fo¡­Found him! He actually was in a common place like this! The goddess speaking with Seiya was Kieron the Goddess of Ice, who was dressed in a stunning robe that sparkled with crystals. ¡¸I¡¯d like to ask you one question. Is there a technique that freezes a subject forever?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. You can freeze it temporarily, but it¡¯s impossible to freeze it permanently even with the magnified power of icing magic¡­¡¹ Ehh? What were they talking about? I approached them. Seiya sighed deeply when he noticed my presence. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s you again. ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Seiya. You are a fire magic type user. It¡¯s impossible to learn icing magic, didn¡¯t you know that?¡¹ Even a genius hero like Seiya had specific characteristics. He couldn¡¯t learn healing magic or icing magic because the properties were the opposite of his fire magic. ¡¸I¡¯m just consulting with other gods. ¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to know icing magic because of the upcoming battle with the Demon King? Do you want to freeze the Demon King forever? But, isn¡¯t it meaningless if the Demon King isn¡¯t defeated in the end?¡¹ I was a goddess. Therefore, I spoke proudly to him. ¡¸Can you listen? As long as the Demon King lives, Exfolia will continue to be devastated with the continuous birth of monsters. The blessing of the evil god won¡¯t stop and the world will collapse. The only way to save Exfolia is to destroy the Demon King¡¯s life for good.¡¹ Seiya suddenly hit my head. ¡¸That hurts!! Why did you do that!? ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to explain it because I know it all. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why are you having this sort of talk with Lady Kieron! ¡¹ Seiya ignored me and touched Kieron¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸For now, you could freeze this useless goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸What the hell!! ¡¹ He left an indignant Kieron and a frustrated me behind, while he walked away from us. Wha¡­What was that just now!? Was he serious!? Did he really want Kieron to freeze me completely!? No¡­No!! He must be joking, right!? I couldn¡¯t understand Seiya¡¯s behavior at all. Or rather¡­When I thought calmly about it, I realized that I never really understood his behavior since I¡¯ve first met him¡­ I was exhausted. So, I decided to go back to the room where I was staying with Kiriko. Volume 2 - CH 113 Chapter 113: Sage Village Third day in the God¡¯s realm. Noon. While Seiya¡¯s multiparty practice session continued, John Dae and Kiriko were being taught by Adenela in the vicinity of Cafe De Celseus. ¡¸¡­Okay¡­Okay, then¡­Let¡­Let¡¯s take a break. ¡¹ Adenela said those words after staring fixedly at Kiriko. Adenela, like Seiya, was the kind of person that couldn¡¯t see their surroundings when practicing with swords, but she noticed how strong-willed Kiriko was with her practice. Therefore, she recommended a break. Adenela sat on a distant garden table and began to watch Seiya¡¯s practice with attentive eyes. Next to me, John Dae sat on the ground and stared at his sword with a bitter face. ¡¸¡°Continuous gunshot sword¡±¡­I heard that the hero mastered it immediately. But, it¡¯s a such ridiculous and difficult skill to learn.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! It¡¯s indeed difficult to grasp the essence of the true knack! ¡¹ Kiriko nodded in agreement. Both of them had extremely high ability values. Still, I realized it again that Seiya was amazing when I saw them struggling to learn Adenela¡¯s skills. Celseus approached John Dae and Kiriko and talked to them with a smile. ¡¸Are you learning the continuous gunshot sword technique? It seems that you¡¯re having a hard time.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s you Celseus. C¡¯mon, don¡¯t make me feel even more miserable¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, just take it moderately. The continuous gunshot sword is not something that can be easily learned.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell that maybe¡­Miss Adenela taught that technique to Mister Celseus before? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Kinda. ¡¹ Kiriko was surprised by his response. While John Dae spoke aloud. ¡¸Seriously!? Celseus is able to dwell the continuous gunshot sword!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, hmm. You see, about that¡­Eh, Ohh!? ¡¹ Suddenly, everybody noticed that Adenela stood behind Celseus. She turned her angry eyes at Celseus. ¡¸I¡­I taught him, but¡­but this guy gave¡­gave up in just a few minutes. Compared to Celseus, Ki¡­Kiriko and John Dae have greater¡­greater prospects at learning my¡­my skill.¡¹ ¡¸Celseus!! So, you couldn¡¯t master the continuous gunshot sword technique!! Even so, you pretended to know it!! Stop doing that!!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I just told you that Adenela taught me that technique!! I didn¡¯t say I mastered it!! I didn¡¯t lie to any of you!!¡¹ ¡¸Are you a child!? ¡¹ All of this stunned me. I couldn¡¯t even believe that Celseus was the Swordsman God. ¡¸Bu¡­But, it¡¯s really difficult isn¡¯t it? The continuous gunshot sword! I couldn¡¯t even do it no matter how hard I tried!¡¹ ¡¸Right! That¡¯s true! It¡¯s extremely tough to learn! Impossible, absolutely impossible! ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard a cracking sound as if bones were crumbling. ¡¸¡­Just because it¡¯s a powerful sword skill, that doesn¡¯t mean that putting more power into it will do it justice. You mustn¡¯t do more than necessary. The focus is to make the joints of your arms more flexible to expand the range of motion.¡¹ Then, I noticed that Seiya was holding the sword on his sheath towards Celseus. ¡¸Eat this¡­¡°Continuous Gunshot Sword¡±. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s sheath left an afterimage as if it were a mirage as he passed through Celseus! ¡¸Gyahhhhhhhh!! ¡¹ Celseus was blown away while screaming! Without paying much attention to Celseus, which became like a battered rag, Seiya looked attentively at Kiriko. ¡¸Kiriko. According to my analysis, the range of motion of the Killing Machines¡¯ arms is wider than that of human beings. Your progress will be faster if you don¡¯t use unnecessary power.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! I understand! Thank you very much! ¡¹ Kiriko lowered her head to Seiya. And Adenela¡¯s eyes were full of hearts. ¡¸He¡­He is a great¡­great role model just¡­just like a beautiful sword¡­! Lo¡­Love him¡­!¡¹ ¡¸By the way, Seiya¡­Were you listening to our conversation? ¡­Hmm? Hey, what about your multiparty practice session?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s already over. ¡¹ ¡¸Already over, you say¡­ ¡¹ Unexpectedly, I became surprised when I gazed at the plaza. All the gods that were practicing with Seiya were lying on the ground. ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that, perhaps¡­Have you mastered the skills of every god you¡¯ve practiced with!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ I became speechless. Aria walked from behind Seiya¡¯s back with a smile. ¡¸The secret is the Crazy Warrior state. By practicing in a Berserker mode, the speed of learning has greatly improved.¡¹ I see! Naturally! If it was Seiya, who was already a fast learner, practiced after becoming the Crazy Warrior to improve his abilities, of course he would learn faster than usual! Seiya was not that particularly happy as he spoke with everyone. ¡¸Right now, I¡¯m going to relax for this night because tomorrow morning we¡¯ll go to the Sage Village.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­We¡¯re finally going! ¡¹ John Dae had a bitter smile on this face¡­ ¡¸Eh, I see¡­Already? ¡¹ Kiriko also seemed to have the same feelings as John Dae. She looked attentively at her sword. John Dae shared his thoughts. ¡¸It¡¯s a bit disappointing that we¡¯ve just started our practice to learn the continuous gunshot sword technique.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is. I wanted to practice a little more¡­ ¡¹ Adenela saw how dejected they felt and said the following words. ¡¸I¡­I already taught you the basics. After¡­After that, you should practice on your own. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll improve soon.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you very much! ¡¹ Kiriko bowed deeply to Adenela. ¡ª That night. I was playing with Kiriko in the room with Seiya¡¯s toys. Then, I thought deeply about tomorrow and decided to sleep early tonight. ¡­Many hours had passed since I closed my eyes. I was sleeping next to Kiriko when I woke up after feeling strong vibrations. ¡­Was it an earthquake? However, I was wrong. I noticed that Kiriko was trembling so much next to me. ¡¸Kiri! What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ Kiriko woke up brusquely. Then, she hugged me. ¡¸Listen, are you all right? ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­A dream¡­I feel awful now. Suddenly, when I closed my eyes, I saw that a huge black shadow covered the world¡­That was what happened in my dream.¡¹ ¡¸A huge black shadow? ¡¹ ¡¸I think that was¡­probably the Demon King Artemaeus. ¡¹ Kiriko continued to speak with a trembling voice. ¡¸I felt it. Artemaeus is increasing his power in a frightening way¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri¡­! ¡¹ Even the Great Goddess Isister couldn¡¯t know the current state of Artemaeus. However, Kiriko used to share a sensory organ with Emperor Oxelio. I wondered if she perceived the power of the Demon King because of that previous link. I smiled at Kiriko. ¡¸It¡¯s okay to feel worried right now. But, you know, when this battle is over, Exfolia will be at peace once again! Kiri, Queen Carmilla, and the people of Exfolia, will be in a world where everyone can live happily!¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­You¡¯re right. ¡¹ When she thought deeply after I comforted her¡­ ¡¸I can¡¯t behave like this! I just had a dream! There¡¯s no reason to feel this depressed! I have to be strong like Mister Seiya!¡¹ I gently stroke Kiriko¡¯s head. ¡¸Seiya will defeat Artemaeus for sure. So, don¡¯t worry. ¡¹ With the lights on, I slept while hugging Kiriko. ¡ª Next morning. When I headed to the plaza while holding Kiriko¡¯s hand, I saw that Seiya and John Dae were already holding their luggage. According to the Great Goddess Isister, the Sage Village appeared to be in a remote island located south of Aerith Continent, the previous land ruled by the Death Emperor. I cast the spell to summon the portal. ¡¸There will be demon priests, right? Therefore, I placed the portal in a place about thirty meters away from the Sage Village in advance!¡¹ I should have known Seiya¡¯s character¡­ ¡¸Hmm. Just thirty meters? You should¡¯ve put a hundred meters away from that village¡­Well, it¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡¹ Of course, he would complain about it. And, as usual, Seiya opened the doors of the portal, waited for the proper surveillance first, and then, dived in. We also followed him. Nevertheless, the moment we dived through the portal, Seiya rolled in the ground quite hurryingly. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, hero!! It¡¯s the enemy!? ¡¹ John Dae and I were astonished and hesitant. However, we stared at the surrounding area and there was nothing at all. It was quiet and calm. Seiya stood up as if nothing had happened. ¡¸Why¡­Why did you roll on the ground!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I was rolling around in preparation for the enemy attack. ¡¹ John Dae became frustrated while moving his nose. ¡¸Just roll down when a real enemy appears!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!! We were startled because you were rolling on the ground as if an enemy was already here!!¡¹ ¡¸Well, well, everyone. It¡¯s nice that we¡¯re safe¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko tried to appease us. Seiya touched the soil with his hand. ¡¸We¡¯re going to the village now, so be vigilant¡­Cave Along. ¡¹ We went underground and we walked through the cave. ¡­After ensuring our safety below the ground, Seiya released the Cave Along. After surfacing, he looked at the surroundings from behind the trees. In the distance, we could see the demon priests wore masks and walked around a magical circle, it was the same picture as we saw in the crystal ball. Seiya looked at them with sharp eyes. ¡¸If they are doing some kind of summoning ritual, I have to clean it up before they call something weird.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re certainly right! ¡¹ ¡¸Fortunately, one of them went away. I have to gather some information from that thing. If I disguise myself like one of them, they won¡¯t flee when I start attacking them.¡¹ Seiya held his hand in front of his eyes and professed the following words. ¡¸Job Change. To ¡°Pleasant Flute Player and Earth Magic Warrior¡±¡­ ¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s visual changed! He resembled a clown! And ohh! His offensive stance of the Pleasant Flute Player was somewhat nostalgic! The memory of when we dived underground for days to defeat the beast men swirled back to my mind. I was depressed during that time, but now, I recalled those memories with care. However, the thing that Seiya took out from his chest was not the nostalgic Platinum Blowgun. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s that thing!? ¡¹ I was surprised when I saw a long tube that could be one meter long¡­But, eh. Where did he hide that long tube! ¡¸It¡¯s called ¡°Platinum Blowgun ver. Cannon¡±. From now on, I¡¯m going to wipe out the demon priests with Burst Air.¡¹ Seiya lowered the Platinum Blowgun on the ground. Then, the soil was sucked into the injection opening like a vacuum cleaner. Seiya held his massive flute upwards and looked enthusiastic about it. I immediately heard a blast that roared high! At the same time, that roaring sound reverberated at the tip of the blowgun! Huge flames and black smoke engulfed the area where the demon priests were having their ritual! After the smoke cleared up, I became astonished when I saw that the demon priests were all annihilated because their mutilated bodies were scattered miserably on the ground. ¡¸Hey, how much power did you put on that attack!? ¡¹ I was astonished at the blasting radius¡­ It resembled the site of a rocket launch. I mean, he was no longer a Pleasant Flute Player! ¡¸It seems that I successfully wiped them out¡­Let¡¯s check if they¡¯re really dead.¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, Seiya! Didn¡¯t one of them get away before that crazy explosion!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. The earth snakes already captured it. ¡¹ When Seiya snapped his finger, a large earth snake brought the missing demon priest near the area of the magical circle. Actually, when I looked closely, I noticed that it wasn¡¯t a large earth snake. Several earth snakes were wrapped around the body of the demon priest. First, Seiya changed his profession to Fire Magic Warrior, then he burnt the remains of the demon priests¡¯ corpses with Maximum Inferno, and finally dropped them to the core of this earth. After that, he began to interrogate the surviving demon priest from the distance. ¡¸What were you doing over there? ¡¹ Yet, there was no reply. Obviously. Seiya was ten meters away from the demon priest. Most probably, his voice wasn¡¯t even heard in the first place. ¡¸He¡­Hey, hero! Why are you so far apart? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a possibility that the seized priest will do something. It¡¯s dangerous if you get too close.¡¹ ¡¸But, you won¡¯t be able to hear each other¡¯s voices! ¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll use an earth snake mobile phone. ¡¹ Seiya asked the same question to the demon priest through the earth snake mobile phone. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t concern you¡­! ¡¹ We heard a voice from the earth snake mobile phone. It seemed that this earth snake managed to transmit the voice of the distant demon priest. ¡¸Be honest with us. Otherwise, the earth snake will strangle you and kill you.¡¹ Seiya threatened the demon priest, but he giggled in return. ¡¸I don¡¯t care if you kill me! All of you are going to die! Lord Artemaeus will be invincible! He¡¯ll be unstoppable! *laughs devilishly*¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ Seiya suddenly stepped on the ground with his feet! Suddenly, a rock wall appeared around us! At the same time, an uproar and large vibrations shook my entire body! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What happened just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸He blew himself up. Suicide apparently. As expected. ¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Mister Seiya! You distanced yourself because you had foreseen this incident!¡¹ Kiriko admired Seiya as always, while John Dae groaned frustratingly. Seiya first gazed at John Dae with confident eyes, and then he looked at Kiriko. ¡¸Kiriko. There is such a saying. ¡°A cornered rat will suicide¡±¡­Remember that.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ Wasn¡¯t it ¡°a cornered rat will bite a cat¡±*? Ah well, it didn¡¯t matter that much, anyways¡­In fact, he saved us all by being overly cautious again¡­ ¡¸In the end, we didn¡¯t find out about the purpose of that ritual. ¡¹ I felt somewhat disappointed. On this precise instant. ¡ºThey were¡­offering a prayer to the evil god¡­ ¡» I heard a hoarse voice. ¡¸Hmm? John Dae, did you say something now? ¡¹ ¡¸No! It wasn¡¯t me! ¡¹ ¡¸I heard a voice that resembled that of an elder man. Seiya, you don¡¯t have that type of voice, do you?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have a voice that resembles a grandpas¡¯ voice! Bu¡­But¡­that voice resonated in my head too!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I heard it too! ¡¹ Then, we heard that voice once again. ¡ºI am a person named Immel who once lived in this village. No, actually it is better to say, ¡°I was once a person named Immel¡±. Only my consciousness exists now¡­¡» Ehh! Was it the ghost of a wise man!? Even though he died, he was waiting for the hero to come to the village!? After the Demon King killed the hero and gained the power of the evil god, this village was attacked and the wise men were killed. If Seiya stopped by this village a year ago, none of those sad events would had happened. ¡­I¡­I was probably sure that this person had a grudge against Seiya, didn¡¯t he? I was worried. Nonetheless, Seiya spoke to the faceless voice without much problem¡­He asked Immel the following question. ¡¸Did you not perceive the presence of the enemy approaching this village? You¡¯re a wise man, but you don¡¯t seem to be that smart.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!? ¡¹ Immel¡¯s soul laughed dryly. ¡ºI do not know the future. Especially when it comes to my destiny. ¡» ¡¸What¡¯s the purpose of talking to me now if you really became the wandering spirit of a wise man?¡¹ ¡ºI am trying to tell you what I could not tell you during that time¡­ ¡» After a brief silence, Immel¡¯s solemn voice resonated in our heads. ¡ºThe Demon King Artemaeus has two lives. ¡» ¡¸We already know that. ¡¹ The voice became speechless after hearing Seiya¡¯s response. That was a well-known fact to us. The Great Goddess Isister showed us the past battle with the Demon King from her crystal ball. Seiya continued to speak. ¡¸It¡¯s assumed that the Demon King, who gained the blessing from the evil god and continued to accumulate more power, has gained another life that goes beyond that fact.¡¹ ¡ºYe¡­Yes. That is probably true. ¡» ¡¸Is that the only thing that you wanted to tell me? ¡¹ ¡ºNo¡­Originally, I wanted to grant you the power of the ¡°Drain Charge Move¡± that has been passed from generations to generations here on the Sage Village. Unfortunately, the wise men who knew how to teach it already perished¡­¡» ¡¸No problem. I already learnt that skill. ¡¹ ¡ºWhat¡­! ¡» The voice of the wise man named Immel was stunned. ¡ºIf¡­If that is true¡­my hero! You are transcending time and space! You might be fully capable of defeating the Demon King Artemaeus even with the protection of the evil god¡­!¡» ¡¸Of course! We will definitely defeat the Demon King this time! Right, Seiya! ¡¹ I thought he would say, ¡°Naturally¡±. However, Seiya asked Immel with a difficult complexion. ¡¸Let me ask you one thing. Do you think there is a way to save this world other than defeating Artemaeus?¡¹ What¡­? Seiya¡­? ¡ºTo save Exfolia, there is no other way but to defeat the Demon King. ¡» ¡¸I see. ¡¹ Why¡­Why did he ask that question? Perhaps, Seiya¡­Wasn¡¯t confident enough to win the upcoming battle against the Demon King? ¡ºIf¡­If you defeat Artemaeus, you will become the true hero. When that happens, I want you to come here again¡­¡» Immel¡¯s soul was still speaking to Seiya. However¡­Footsteps. Seiya turned around and began to walk away silently from where we were standing. ¡¸He¡­Hey!? Wait, Seiya!! ¡¹ John Dae and I were both confused¡­ ¡¸¡­I have nothing to do here anymore. ¡¹ He continued to walk after professing those words. I chased after Seiya after swallowing my fresh saliva. ¡­Wha¡­What happened so suddenly!? Why did I felt such a suffocating atmosphere from Seiya!? Don¡¯t tell me¡­that he was going straightaway to the Demon King¡¯s castle from here!? My heart was beating violently in the anticipation of the final decisive battle. Volume 2 - CH 114 Chapter 114: Sinister Premonition ¡¸Let¡¯s go. ¡¹ I nodded when Seiya said those words. ¡¸We¡¯re¡­finally going, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ After a short pause, John Dae, Kiriko and I breathed heavily. Seiya looked back at me. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal. We¡¯re going to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not going to the Demon King¡¯s Castle!? ¡¹ I lost the strength on my shoulders when John Dae shouted aloud. No, well¡­actually¡­We were talking about Seiya after all. He wouldn¡¯t go straight to the final battle just like this. ¡¸Hey, you used to talk about battling against the Demon King with such confidence!! You even said that ¡°I want to attack the Demon King right now¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸The battle situations change regularly. The demon priest said that the Demon King ¡°will be unstoppable¡±. If this is true, then I want to be able fight against the Demon King in perfect conditions. In other words, I have to do more practice to do in the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸You said that you mastered all the professions and abilities from the multiparty practice session with several gods!! What are you planning to do now¡­¡¹ ¡¸Lista. Hurry up and open the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Just listen to me!! ¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon, John Dae! You¡¯ve seen that the training in the God¡¯s realm is useful, right? Let¡¯s leave this to Seiya!¡¹ ¡¸Besides, Mister John Dae! We can continue our practice of the continuous gunshot sword technique if we return to the heavenly world!¡¹ John Dae looked at my face and Kiriko¡¯s face alternately. After a brief silence¡­ ¡¸¡­I understand. ¡¹ He whispered reluctantly. Thus, we returned to the God¡¯s realm once again. ¡ª Aria rushed to us when we arrived at Celseus¡¯ cafe. She looked extremely worried when she faced Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! Hide! It¡¯s bad! You can¡¯t be here now! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s going on, Aria!? ¡¹ ¡¸The Fist God Arx has returned to the temple after such a long time! It seems that he has some kind of grudge against Seiya!¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Why does Lord Arx feel that way about Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸I will tell you later! Anyway, just hurry up and hide¡­ ¡¹ However. ¡¸¡­So, you were lurking in a place like this. ¡¹ I heard a low voice behind Aria and me. I saw the figure of an old-fashioned strong god from the distance. This god was the one who always walked around in the God¡¯s realm without clothes on his upper body. Meaning that he was always walking with a bare chest. ¡­No doubt about it! It was the Fist God Arx! Or so I thought. I stared closely at this god when he approached us. Then¡­I noticed that Arx was wearing a black leather jacket and held a cigarette on his mouth. ¡¸Hey, who¡¯s that!? ¡¹ I shouted aloud when I saw a god that resembled a thug from Seiya¡¯s world. Arx spitted the cigarette to the ground and stepped hard on the floor with his feet. ¡¸I remember that day whenever I see your ¡°faces¡±¡­! The day I went into ¡°battle¡± with that ¡°calamity¡±¡­!¡¹ ¡­Eh¡­I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about¡­! Since when did Arx talk like that!? And since when did he start to dress like that!? I was appalled by this occurrence, yet Aria helped me to remember it. ¡¸Lista. Didn¡¯t you and Seiya bring a god of death to the God¡¯s realm before? ¡¹ ¡¸A god of death? Perhaps, is he referring to Geabrande¡¯s Cross Tanathus? ¡¹ Cross Tanathus. The monster of death that Kill Capul summoned by exchanging his life. Physical and magical attacks didn¡¯t work on that frightening monster. In the end, Seiya managed to lure him to Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, and she managed to defeat Cross Tanathus by invoking the terrifying destructive technique of ¡°Valhala Gate¡±¡­ As I recalled those events, Arx bought some time for us to escape during that time. ¡¸On that day, the god of death defeated my strong asset called ¡°Invisible Fist¡±, and since then, I couldn¡¯t forgive ¡°myself¡±¡­! That¡¯s why ¡°I¡¯ve¡± been training hard since that day!¡¹ It was a bit hard to understand what he was saying¡­I see! At that time, both the Fist God Arx and the God of Sumo were the ones guarding the temple when Tanathus invaded the God¡¯s realm! Seiya just stared at him with boring eyes. ¡¸In other words, you lost against Tanathus and now you¡¯re lamenting your failure. What a small and insignificant god you are.¡¹ ¡¸Sto¡­Stop talking, you bastard¡­!! No one is ¡°better¡± than me!! Do you want me to ¡°crush¡± your ¡°head¡± like a watermelon!?¡¹ He really sounded like a bad guy!! He wasn¡¯t worthy of the title ¡°Fist God¡±!! However, Arx, who was screaming furiously, suddenly laughed with arrogant eyes. ¡¸But, now I can laugh triumphantly. So, you think that my ¡°Invincible Fist¡± is still useless, huh. Hey, Listarte. You think so too?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I think so, well if your skill still has the same name! Ah¡­¡°Invincible Fist¡± that is!¡¹ ¡¸Of course it¡¯s not useless damn you!! I¡¯m going to ¡°beat you¡± up!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? But, you were the one who asked for my opinion!! ¡¹ I hid behind Seiya¡¯s back. Arx approached Seiya¡¯s face, and stared at him intensely. Yet, Seiya spoke as if this violent mood were nothing special. ¡¸Either way, this is convenient. I wanted to practice with the Fist God to improve all of my profession skills.¡¹ ¡¸How courageous of you, huh. You¡¯re gonna swallow up your ¡°entire saliva¡±¡­ ¡¹ Then, Arx showed his big fist! ¡¸You¡¯ll have ¡°many¡± ¡°holes¡± after I ¡°roll up my sleeve¡± to give you the ¡°blow¡± you deserve, just wait for it!!!!!!!!¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean with those weird words!? ¡¹ I shouted aloud. He was like a delinquent from the Showa era¡­Before I realized, the Fist God Arx threw his fist at Seiya! However, Seiya expressed his state Berserk at the same time! Seiya dodged his fist and, instead of performing continuous strikes, Seiya hit Arx¡¯s cheeks! Arx spit his tongue out after Seiya¡¯s light strike. Yet, before he could regain his posture, Seiya hit him again. He lightly touched the tip of his nose. Arx was dumbfounded by these attacks. ¡¸What the hell was that ¡°sponge fist¡± attacks! It won¡¯t work on me no matter how much you hit me!¡¹ Yet, right after that! With a dull sound, Seiya¡¯s intense fist hit straight on the Fist God¡¯s face! ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ Arx suffered from that direct hit. ¡¸¡­Tha¡­That Arx. He¡­He¡¯s an idiot. ¡¹ Next to me, stood Adenela who watched this sight while drinking her coffee. ¡¸Those first¡­fists¡­were just used for analysis. Se¡­Seiya was measuring his distance.¡¹ Just as Adenela described, after grasping the distance, Seiya started throwing intense blows on the Fist God as if rain poured on his face! Arx seemed to be guarding himself with his arms! ¡¸You¡­You actually did it! However, you can ¡°hit¡± me as ¡°many¡± times you want, I¡¯ll just have to crush you to the ground as if you were meat¡­Eh, ugh!?¡¹ Arx screamed in agony with a gurgling body. I laughed when I saw such spectacle. Ahah¡­In fact, Seiya was stronger than the Fist God ever since the beginning. Actually, I wondered if Seiya practiced some boxing in his original world? Either way, this wasn¡¯t any kind of training exercise. ¡­After that, Seiya continued to hit Arx with his fists. Seiya¡¯s fists stroke Arx¡¯s face and flanks. Arx was in a rather humiliating posture¡­ ¡¸C¡¯mo¡­C¡¯mon¡­Stop it already¡­! ¡¹ He showed his hand to halt this crazy practice session. Still¡­ ¡¸Gods won¡¯t die. ¡¹ Seiya didn¡¯t stop his attacks. No, in fact, he began to shower the Fist God with more intense attacks. ¡­After a few minutes. John Dae and Kiriko, who watched the battle scene between Seiya and Arx, were astonished by the outcome. ¡¸He¡­Hey. Why does the hero continue with this fight? ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right. The other god has already broken down¡­ ¡¹ Seiya grabbed Arx¡¯s hair and pulled back his head. Arx was obviously done for. Then, Seiya punched on the face with his fist. Next to me, Celseus dropped a coffee cup and broke it. ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s so scary¡­! It was not so bad when he was training with me¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Help¡­Please¡­Help me¡­ ¡¹ Arx was begging with tears. When I saw Arx, who was beaten too much that his face got swollen up, I thought that he resembled the ¡°Anpanman¡±*¡­No, no, I mustn¡¯t laugh right now! ¡¸Seiya!! You¡¯re overdoing it!! Look at how bad he looks!! ¡¹ I shouted from behind. Yet, Seiya did not stop hitting him! ¡­Ehh? He didn¡¯t hear me? ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I jumped on Seiya¡¯s back and yelled to his ears! ¡¸Stop, stop, stop!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ Seiya finally stopped as if he woke up from a long dream. It was unusual to see him out of breath. ¡¸Wha¡­What happened, Seiya!? You¡¯re not usually like this!! What¡¯s wrong!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Nothing. ¡¹ An exhausted Seiya glanced at Arx, who stood on the ground with a very ugly face from the constant beating. Seiya took out the medicinal herbs from his pocket chest and threw them out. No¡­No, those herbs won¡¯t heal the Anpanman¡¯s face that easily¡­! ¡¸I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to rest a little. ¡¹ In other words, Seiya walked towards the temple. ¡ª After Seiya disappeared, I cured Arx¡¯s ugly face with my healing magic. Then, I rented a room at the back of Celseus¡¯ cafe and carried Arx to his room. When I returned to the open cafe, Kiriko murmured anxiously. ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­What happened to him? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I heard him say that he was ¡°tired¡±¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Somehow, he looked angry. That god probably annoyed him. ¡¹ After hearing John Dae¡¯s words, Aria spoke with a difficult expression on her face. ¡¸I¡¯m sure that he was thinking about the upcoming battle against the Demon King. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t see anyone around him as if he was immersed in those thoughts.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. As¡­As expected of Seiya. He¡­He has a great concentration level¡­ ¡¹ Adenela was impressed by Seiya¡¯s odd attitude¡­Was it really just a great concentration level? Certainly, he was immersed in his thoughts. There was no doubt about it because he couldn¡¯t even see Arx in front of him. He just kept punching regardless of whom it were. ¡­But¡­It was not about Artemaeus¡­ For some reason, I had that vague feeling. ¡ª ¡¸¡­I told you that I didn¡¯t want you to follow me. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse! Seiya, I¡¯m in charge of you as your goddess! ¡¹ Next day. Seiya was heading to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. I was worried about what happened yesterday. Therefore, I waited for him in front of the summoning chamber. I caught him when he got out in the morning. He kept saying to me ¡¸Don¡¯t follow me ¡¹when he ate in the dining hall, but I insisted to tag along. Afterwards, he walked away and went to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. He opened the door and entered the room¡­ ¡¸I want to speak with Chronoa, the Goddess of Time. ¡¹ Seiya told those words to the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Perhaps¡­Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re planning to practice with the Goddess of Time!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. ¡¹ Se¡­Seriously!? I never thought that he¡¯d ask to practice with the almighty gods of the innermost world of gods!! But¡­If he learnt the techniques of the Goddess of Time to stop the enemy time whenever he wanted, Seiya could defeat Artemaeus no matter how strong he were!! However, the Great Goddess Isister looked at little troubled upon hearing Seiya¡¯s request. ¡­Oh no. Maybe this method was fraudulent!? In the first place, could an almighty god from the innermost world of gods be allowed to practice with a human being!? ¡¸Her Ladyship Chronoa is a kind person. It¡¯s possible to meet and talk with her. Still, I don¡¯t think you should expect good results.¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. Old hag, just guide me there. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister nodded in silence upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. Seiya and I went to the ¡°room that stops time¡± along with the Great Goddess Isister. We entered the almighty world of the innermost gods through the large painting. After being called by the Great Goddess Isister, the door of the innermost temple opened. Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, appeared gracefully with a smile on her face. ¡¸Chronoa. I have something to consult with you¡­ ¡¹ At that time, when Seiya spoke to Chronoa, the innermost temple¡¯s door opened again and a giant god appeared from there! ¡­Nemesil, the God of Reason!! With Lista Granny Sword¡­No!! With the Holy Power Drain Sword, he transformed into an old grandpa!! He¡­He must be absolutely angry, right!? Still, Nemesil stared down at Seiya and said, ¡¸Is that you again¡­ ¡¹, much to my surprise. ¡¸I remember that last time you visited the innermost world to save Listarte from a curse. However, my memory after those events is blurry. I asked Chronoa, and she said to me that she helped you going back in time¡­¡¹ Nemesil had no memory of the time when he was a grandpa!? Seiya spoke after listening to what he had to say. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯m grateful for the kind cooperation I¡¯ve received during that time. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I see. So, I allowed it in the end¡­ ¡¹ Whoa! I showed an awkward smile after we told him a white lie¡­! Chronoa, who knew about the circumstances at that time, talked joyfully to Seiya. ¡¸*giggles* And then, Ryuguuin Seiya. What do you want to consult with me? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Is it possible for me to learn the skills to stop time or advance time? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I apologize but humans can¡¯t control the power of time. That applies to everything that concerns the concept of time, be it either to stop it, to return to the past or to move forward to the future.¡¹ I¡­I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be possible. ¡°Time Manipulation¡±. In the first place, there were some specific powers controlled by gods, such as Chronoa, that no other beings would be able to learn. Including human beings like Seiya. I was discouraged. Yet, I noticed that Seiya wasn¡¯t disappointment. ¡¸Have you taught your skills to human beings before? ¡¹ ¡¸No. Still, it¡¯s obvious that almighty powers are far beyond the reach of people like you.¡¹ ¡¸I have a principle. I¡¯ll only convince myself of the impossible if I see it with my own eyes. I want to train together with you and see if it¡¯s really impossible to achieve.¡¹ ¡¸It makes sense¡­ ¡¹ Chronoa laughed after thinking about it for a while. ¡¸All right. Let¡¯s train together then. ¡¹ However, on this precise moment¡­ ¡¸I forbid it!! Absolutely forbid it!! I can¡¯t allow an almighty god of the innermost world of gods to cooperate with a mere human being!! In the first place, it is against my reason as the God of Reason to manipulate time in order to save an earthly world!!¡¹ Nemesil, as the God of Reason, spoke aloud with an angry tone! Then, Seiya gazed at him with sharp eyes. ¡¸Oh my. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d cooperate this time? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I only agreed the last time you were here¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t say anything if you didn¡¯t allow it the last time. But, you did accept it. So, last time was okay, but this time isn¡¯t okay. What¡¯s the reason behind this as the God of Reason?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ There was silence after he groaned. Eventually, Nemesil spoke with a bitter face. ¡¸O¡­Okay, I¡¯ll accept it. Yet, I believe the results won¡¯t change even if you train. Even if the heavens and the earths were to overturn, there was no way that humans could have the power to manipulate time.¡¹ ¡­Hu¡­Hurray!! Nemesil gave Seiya the green light!! I rejoiced in my heart. It seemed that the powers of both Chronoa and Nemesil were impossible to learn, but Seiya was a genius hero, the one in an every hundred million people¡­! Seiya told me the following words after he noticed the excitement of my expectations. ¡¸From now on, I¡¯ll be training here with Chronoa. It might take a while. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand! Give your best! ¡¹ ¡¸For the time being let¡¯s set a deadline of three days. During this time, I want you to tell John Dae and Kiriko to continue their practice of the continuous gunshot sword technique.¡¹ ¡¸And, you know¡­ What about me? ¡¹ ¡¸You can play. ¡¹ ¡¸Not that again!! ¡¹ I threw a fit. Yet, Seiya didn¡¯t ignore me nor made me feel stupid as usual. ¡¸Lista. It¡¯s a good idea to relax for once in a while. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. ¡¹ I noticed that his words were sort of kind, and I felt an intense sense of incongruity. While I was stunned by his words, Seiya walked towards Chronoa. ¡¸Well then, Listarte. Let¡¯s return to the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ I bowed down in respect to Chronoa, and left the innermost world of gods with the Great Goddess Isister. ¡ª I recalled the words that Seiya spoke to me while walking along the path of the temple in the God¡¯s realm with the Great Goddess Isister. ¡­Hmm. I felt this wasn¡¯t the first time that Seiya spoke to me like that. I could feel that I heard his kind words once before¡­But, when was it? ¡¸¡­Listarte. ¡¹ While I was immersed in my own thoughts, the Great Goddess Isister spoke to me. ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Aside from the training with Her Ladyship Chronoa, there¡¯s also the planning for the battle against the Demon King Artemaeus in Exfolia, who received the blessing of the evil god. I hope that your hero won¡¯t overdo it. There¡¯s still time left for the Demon King to awaken. I sincerely hope that Ryuguuin Seiya will do his best during that time.¡¹ It seemed that the Great Goddess Isister also cared deeply about Seiya. Something had been bothering me for a while now and I asked the following question. ¡¸Great Goddess Isister. Why did the evil god give its protection to Demon King?¡¹ ¡¸The evil god also wants power. It¡¯s trying to get the negative energy that generates from the Demon King after defeating the hero.¡¹ I see. That made sense¡­That¡¯s why it was taking charge of the Demon King¡­ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to think about it, but if Ryuguuin Seiya loses to Artemaeus once again, the power of the evil god will be tremendous. The quest to save Exfolia will be almost impossible to accomplish.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya won¡¯t lose! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Of course. I believe it as well. ¡¹ After a brief silence, the Great Goddess Isister declared the words. ¡¸Listarte. Be careful. If Demon King defeats you, the evil god will gain the same power as if the Demon King had defeated the hero¡­¡¹ We arrived in front of the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. I bowed my head after I thanked the Great Goddess Isister for guiding us to Her Eminence Lady Chronoa. ¡­I see. Even if I were the one to die, the evil god would gain the same power as if it were the hero to perish. ¡­Hmm? Me? ¡°Even if I were the one to die¡±¡­? My heart was throbbing as I walked through the temple alone. Volume 2 - CH 115 Chapter 115: Death Flag I returned to the cafe and told them that Seiya began his training with Chronoa. Aria was extremely surprised by this news. ¡¸If he can master the skills of the Goddess of Time, he¡¯ll be invincible!¡¹ Kiriko, who was training with Adenela, spoke with a bright voice. ¡¸A training that specializes in Time Manipulation! Mister Seiya is indeed incredible!¡¹ ¡¸However¡­Is it really possible for him to learn those skills?¡¹ I smiled at John Dae who twisted his neck with doubts. ¡¸Well, normally, it would be impossible. But, it¡¯s Seiya we¡¯re talking about! So, we don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll learn it or not! I think there is a high chance that he¡¯ll master those skills!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­By the way, goddess. Should Kiriko and I keep going with our practice? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Seiya told me that you should continue with your practice. ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. What are you going to do? ¡¹ When Aria asked me that question, I blurted out my frustration. ¡¸About that! Just listen to this! Seiya told me to keep playing with his toys!¡¹ Then, Kiriko shook her arms happily at me. ¡¸I knew it! What do you want to play today! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Kiri¡­What do mean by ¡°I knew it¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Mister Seiya spoke with me! He said, ¡°While I¡¯m in the heavenly world, try to play with Lista as much as possible¡±!¡¹ ¡¸What on earth!? ¡¹ ¡¸Please wait until my practice is complete! I¡¯m looking forward to play with you! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko seemed to be innocently rejoicing at playing together with me, but I didn¡¯t exactly feel the same way. I engrossed on my own thoughts while staring at John Dae and Kiriko, who resumed their sword practice. ¡ºIt¡¯s a good idea to relax for once in a while. ¡» Let¡¯s see. The words that Seiya spoke to me. When did I hear them before¡­? I couldn¡¯t remember when. As I watched John Dae and Kiriko¡¯s practice session, Mash and Elle came to my mind. ¡­During the time of Geabrande¡¯s saving quest, Mash and Elle practiced in the God¡¯s realm as well. When I felt nostalgic, I remembered it unexpectedly. Tha¡­That¡¯s right! It was during that time! Yes, it was during the time when Seiya went alone to confront the Demon King without Mash, Elle and I! Seiya, who had been devoted only to training and fighting, had gently recommended to relax during that time. We were delighted. Yet, that was Seiya¡¯s way to trick us. He left us and headed for the Demon King¡¯s Castle by himself. Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that he planned to fight by himself once again¡­!? Yes, but we were in the God¡¯s realm right now!! Seiya won¡¯t be able to leave the God¡¯s realm as long as I don¡¯t open the portal to Exfolia!! Then, what was it¡­!? ¡ºRyuguuin Seiya will lose a precious person once again. This is not a prophecy. This is his determined future.¡» The next thing that came to my mind was the evil god¡¯s words. I realized something when I put all of those thoughts together. ¡­In¡­In other words, I¡¯d die during the battle against the Demon King¡­!? Seiya was aware of this, and that¡¯s why he told me to ¡°play¡± and ¡°relax¡±!? Was¡­Was this a way to enjoy my remaining time before I died¡­!? When I was sentenced to death by the evil god during the fight with Ceremonic, I actually thought that I wasn¡¯t that afraid of dying. However, I shivered when I felt that that fate could become true. ¡­I¡­I didn¡¯t want to die!! I wanted to eat more delicious foods, I wanted to go on a trip, I wanted to be more fashionable!! I shook my mind. I¡­I had to calm down! That¡¯s right! The Demon King could be defeated without much hassle if Seiya mastered the skill to manipulate time! ¡­The ongoing training with Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, seemed like the last rope for my survival. ¡ª For the next three days, I behaved cheerfully so that I could dispel my anxiety. I felt depressed when I was alone, so I talked to everyone in the cafe during the day, and stayed with Kiriko at night. I felt at ease when I was playing with Kiriko with the toys that Seiya gave to me. And¡­Finally, the day had come when Seiya¡¯s training was over. I waited in front of the ¡°room that stops time¡± and waited for Seiya to come out. Eventually, the door opened and the hero came out. ¡¸Seiya!! So, your training is over!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ I wondered what happened during his training. I couldn¡¯t know even if I stared fixedly at Seiya¡¯s expression. As usual, Seiya didn¡¯t show much emotion on his face. ¡¸So¡­So, did you master the skill of Time Manipulation!? ¡¹ ¡¸I practiced for almost three days without sleep. I tried everything I could.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes! And then? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­It was impossible. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that humans can¡¯t control the power of time. ¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ I felt intensely discouraged. So¡­So, that¡¯s what happened in the end. No matter how special Seiya was¡­In other words, no humans nor other gods were able to control time unless it was Chronoa herself. I mean¡­Ugh, my Death Flag got confirmed¡­! I struggled upon realizing my reality, and my knees began to shiver tremendously. Nonetheless, Seiya left me behind and walked ahead. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Seiya! ¡¹ I managed to follow his pace. Seiya headed towards the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room. ¡¸Oh my. Ryuguuin Seiya and Listarte. ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister sat on a chair while she smiled at us. When I thought that Seiya would thank the Great Goddess Isister for his training with Chronoa, he said, ¡¸I want to see the previous battle against Artemaeus with your crystal ball.¡¹. ¡¸It¡¯s a simulation of the future battle with the Demon King. Old hag, don¡¯t cut the gore scenes, okay.¡¹ ¡¸Understood¡­ ¡¹ When the Great Goddess Isister held her hands on top of the large crystal ball, the image of the Demon King in his final form was shown as he slaughtered Seiya and Princess Tiana. It was a horrifying scene to watch, but Seiya continued to watch it. After finishing, he pointed his finger to the crystal ball, so that the Great Goddess Isister could rewind those scenes. After rewinding it, Seiya wanted to see it a couple of times more. ¡¸Ho¡­How many times do you have to look at it? ¡¹ ¡¸Until I¡¯m convinced. Well, I don¡¯t know if this simulation is useful. His undergoing evolution is probably headed towards a different vector.¡¹ ¡­He continued to watch those scenes for over 10 times in a row. The room became dark when the sun went down. ¡¸Hey, Seiya¡­Don¡¯t your eyes hurt? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll continue to watch it either way. ¡¹ Afterwards, the Great Goddess Isister spoke to Seiya. ¡¸Would you like me to lend you this crystal ball? ¡¹ ¡¸That would be great. Can I rent it for a week? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­A¡­A week you say¡­Ye¡­Yes. I understand. ¡¹ No! This wasn¡¯t a DVD rental! How could he rent a crystal ball in the first place! The Great Goddess Isister was surprised! Nevertheless, Seiya asked a question to the Great Goddess Isister while holding her crystal ball. ¡¸By the way, old hag. I want to hear your opinion about this matter. Do you think there is a high chance that the Demon King will exceed the two million points in attack power if he accumulates all his power?¡¹ ¡¸Even though he is a fearsome Demon King, he is still a life form. I think it¡¯s unlikely that he will greatly exceed the ability value of the Crazy Warrior state brought to the limit.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ ¡¸However, I can feel some anxiety over this. Regardless of those assumptions, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll have a different type of ability value¡­I feel that something beyond the normal will happen¡­¡¹ ¡¸For that reason, I¡¯m taking all the possible measures necessary for the upcoming battle.¡¹ Then, Seiya proceeded to walk away. I left the room after I gave my thanks to the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸Pa¡­Pardon me, Seiya. But, how long will it take for you to complete the analysis of the Demon King?¡¹ ¡¸It will take a while. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m ready. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­Yes, okay. ¡¹ My life was at stake, so I had no reason to rush things up. Thus, Seiya and I went separate ways. ¡ª A few more days had passed since then. In the plaza of the God¡¯s realm. Today, John Dae and Kiriko were slashing swords with Adenela. Suddenly, Adenela stopped moving and laughed aloud. ¡¸*laughs weirdly* Well¡­Well done. This¡­This is the end of the continuous gun¡­gunshot sword practice session.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much! ¡¹ ¡¸Ki¡­Kiriko. You¡­You are already my¡­my apprentice. ¡¹ Kiriko was delighted when Adenela stroke her head. I rushed over to John Dae and Kiriko. ¡¸Great! Both of you completed the training of the continuous gunshot sword technique!¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re amazing, Kiri! You did it as well, John Dae! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yeah. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Your face isn¡¯t thrilled. Aren¡¯t you happy? ¡¹ ¡¸Goddess¡­What is the hero doing right now? ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya is analyzing the previous battle with the Demon King through a crystal ball.¡¹ ¡¸Analyzing, you say. But, ten days have passed since we¡¯ve came to the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­I didn¡¯t notice it. It¡¯s been 10 days since then, huh¡­¡¹ Speaking of which, I felt that this was the first time that we¡¯ve stayed so long in the God¡¯s realm. Until now, Seiya had been practicing at regular intervals. It normally took three or four days of training in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸We¡­Well, the time flows differently in the God¡¯s realm! It won¡¯t be a problem since time goes extremely slow in here!¡¹ ¡¸Even so, there are limits. You know, some people are still suffering because the Demon King still lives in Exfolia.¡¹ John Dae was an inhabitant of Exfolia. I perfectly understood why he felt worried. ¡¸But, you see. Seiya is doing his best to find the greatest odds possible for the fight with the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ While I spoke with John Dae, I noticed that Seiya was walking in the distance. ¡­Was that person Seiya!? Did he finish his analysis with the usage of the crystal ball!? John Dae would be angry if he saw Seiya over there. Therefore, I secretly left the cafe and followed Seiya. Seiya walked extremely fast as usual. It was hard for me to follow him. On the other hand, I had to be careful so that he didn¡¯t notice me. He could disappear again. So, I took a long and safe distance away from Seiya. I wondered if I became a little bit cautious. ¡ª ¡­Seiya headed towards the ¡°Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡±. I followed him secretly and quietly. There were crosses and stone monuments lined up in a deserted foothill on the path I followed through. I see. Seiya went to the eerie Graveyard of Gods. And right now, I saw that he talked with Nephitet, the Goddess of Seclusion, who wore a triangular white cloth on her head. ¡­What did he spoke with Nephitet? He already mastered the Ghostbuster technique¡­ I hid behind a tree from a safe distance so that I could hear Seiya¡¯s conversation with Nephitet. ¡¸Nephitet. I want to have a small talk with you. ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸Did you say that some gods choose to die because they had a hard time with infinite life?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. They are the ¡°Eta God¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸What happens to the soul that dwells in that body when the god dies?¡¹ ¡¸Everything will flow away. People, gods and even demon souls. You can be free if you release the soul that was ¡°wrapped in chains¡±.¡¹ ¡¸So, do you mean that those souls could be reborn? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know much about it. There are souls who will, and there are souls who will not. But, if you don¡¯t die, you won¡¯t know. It¡¯s far better than being stuck in chains.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ Seiya began to walk away and left Nephitet behind. I swallowed my raw saliva when I watched the whole scene. ¡­No¡­.No doubt about it!! He had been thinking about what to do if I died for real!! My whole body trembled because of the outburst of emotions that the Death Flag inflicted on me. On this moment, someone touched my head and I screamed very high. ¡¸Ahhhhhh!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry. It seems that I startled you. ¡¹ In front of me, stood a goddess I¡¯ve never seen before. It seemed that she was mourning because she had a very sad expression on her face. In fact, she was a very beautiful goddess with a clear white skin, but she had a very slender figure and seemed somewhat bald. ¡¸I am Napoon. Nice to meet you. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ye¡­yes, likewise! I am Listarte! ¡¹ ¡¸Listarte¡­You have a very nice name. ¡¹ The goddess named Napoon spoke to me with a lonely smile. ¡¸Listarte, did you also come here as an Eta God? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re wrong!! I¡¯m not an Eta!! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. It seemed that you were lost since you didn¡¯t descend through the old steps.¡¹ ¡¸Please don¡¯t say such a creepy thing to me¡­Wait a second!! Did you say ¡°Listarte, did you also¡­¡±!? Tha¡­That is¡­In other words¡­¡¹ Napoon smiled at me with a lonely expression. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I came here as an Eta. ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wa¡­Wa¡­Wait a moment!! If you came here as an Eta, does that mean that you came here to die!? Are you really sure about that!?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time. And I came to this conclusion. Lady Isister gave me her permission as well.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, that¡¯s¡­!! You see, actually, you know¡­there will be many gods who¡¯ll grieve if you die, Lady Napoon!!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, probably. It¡¯s hard when I think about it. But beyond that, infinite life is harder.¡¹ Napoon looked at the sun of the God¡¯s realm with far-distance eyes. I didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. ¡¸Moments ago, I saw a human being talking with Lady Nephitet. Was that human, perhaps your hero?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸He seemed like a very wonderful hero. I used to summon heroes as well. But, that was a long time ago¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­Then, just continue to summon heroes to save earthly worlds! I¡¯ll gladly cooperate with you if you need some help!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. But, my decision remains unchanged. ¡¹ Napoon took a step away from me. ¡¸Listarte. Which one do you think it¡¯s the worst? Those who leave or those who are left behind?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸You will understand it soon. ¡¹ Then, Napoon shook hands with me. ¡¸I was happy to talk with you. Take care¡­ ¡¹ ¡ª I went back to the temple with miserable feelings. I went to Aria¡¯s room to talk about it. ¡¸I see. So, Napoon is¡­ ¡¹ Aria exhaled deeply. ¡¸She told me about her decision before¡­ So, it was today. I¡¯ll miss her dearly.¡¹ ¡¸Aria, did you personally know that goddess? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. She was a serious and gentle goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸If so, then why¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸There are many gods in the God¡¯s realm. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that many of them will have different ways of thinking.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, she decided to die! ¡¹ Then, Aria smiled softly at me. ¡¸That¡¯s because gods have free will. ¡¹ There were many gods in the God¡¯s realm, and every single god had its own way of thinking. So, the god¡¯s free will combined with personality could ultimately lead to the conclusion that dying could be an option. Even so¡­ I became curious about something before I left Aria¡¯s room. ¡¸By the way. What kind of goddess was Lady Napoon? ¡¹ ¡¸Napoon was the ¡°Goddess of Ballpoint* Handwriting¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so!? ¡¹ ¡ª I walked alone in the temple after parting ways with Aria. Why did a god want to die after becoming a deity that could live forever? Napoon¡­Sorry, but I don¡¯t understand it after all. I was born in the God¡¯s realm, and I couldn¡¯t even imagine how a god could wish for death because he or she was disgusted with eternal life. I wanted to live a long life no matter what. ¡­Moreover¡­Napoon was a goddess with Ballpoint Handwriting skills¡­How did she support her heroes? I went to Kiriko¡¯s room to play. I needed some distraction, as my head was hurting so badly because of things I couldn¡¯t even understand. Volume 2 - CH 116 Chapter 116: Awakening and Resolve A few days have passed since Napoon decided to be an Eta in order to die. Today, the God¡¯s realm was peaceful and sunny, even though I felt the heavy weight on my back because of my Death Flag. At a distance, I saw that John Dae and Kiriko swung their wooden swords, while Celseus brought tea at his cafe¡¯s garden table where Aria and Adenela chatted together. Such a peaceful daily life. However, I felt that Aria stiffened immediately upon seeing my presence. The surrounding air was dense. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Aria? ¡¹ When I approached her and asked what happened, Aria looked at me with serious eyes. ¡¸Lista. I have a message for you from Lady Isister. She wants to see you in her room with some urgency.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! I understand! ¡¹ I rushed straightaway to the temple where the room of the Great Goddess Isister was located. My heart was beating violently. When I opened the door, she changed her usual calm expression and spoke to me without hesitating. ¡¸Artemaeus, the Demon King of Exfolia, has awakened. ¡¹ ¡­Ugh! At¡­At last¡­! ¡°An urgent call from the Great Goddess Isister given the current circumstances¡±¡­Of course, I felt an ominous premonition about it. Still, my heart wanted to deny it. My tension was at level MAX. ¡¸The Demon King, who had covered himself with a dark haze, temporarily revealed its existence. Somehow, I felt that he let me sense the signal of his awakening¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡­I have to tell Seiya about this! ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that Ryuguuin Seiya is at the plaza right now. ¡¹ I thanked the Great Goddess Isister and jumped out of her room. ¡ª Just as the Great Goddess Isister told me, I saw that Seiya was in the plaza talking with a strange-looking god. ¡¸¡­No, you see. I am the God of Sake. So, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¹ It seemed that Seiya was seeking information from the chubby God of Sake. Still, this was an emergency, so I had to interrupt his conversation. ¡¸Seiya!! I have an urgent message from the Great Goddess Isister!! It seems that the Demon King has finally awakened!!¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ The God of Sake touched his cheeks with his fingers. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but it sounds very serious. I shall take my leave now¡­¡¹ After the God of Sake left us, I immediately suggested to Seiya that I could open the portal to Exfolia at this precise moment. Yet, Seiya shook his head quietly. ¡¸Wait a little longer. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You¡¯re not going now!? ¡¹ That surprised me. I thought that he wanted to leave immediately if he heard that the Demon King had finally awakened. ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. Okay, so just a little longer¡­ ¡¹ It looked like Seiya wasn¡¯t ready yet. Therefore, I decided it would be a good idea to wait until he felt ready to go¡­ ¡¸Hero. You said ¡°a little longer¡±, how long is that? ¡¹ I heard a somber voice. Looking back, I saw that John Dae and Kiriko were standing next to us. Apparently, they were listening to our conversation. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong, John Dae? Why do you have such a scary look on your face?¡¹ John Dae spoke to Seiya without paying attention to me. ¡¸When I look at everything that has happened so far, I realize that you carry a huge burden on your shoulders. I understand why you want to keep training between battles. I heard that your previous failure was the result of your impatience, because you wanted to save Exfolia as soon as possible. Still, let me tell you something. You seem to be wasting your time in the heavenly world these days. There¡¯s no meaning in being here.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya didn¡¯t come to the God¡¯s realm without a purpose!! ¡¹ I thought that Seiya would say,¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡¹. Nonetheless, Seiya remained silent. ¡¸It¡¯s meaningless. Just moments ago, he was having a weird talk about souls with the God of Sake as if he were having an unpreoccupied chat. I don¡¯t think that was a significant conversation that it will help him defeat the Demon King.¡¹ Given Seiya¡¯s personality, I expected him to say,¡¸Noisy, shup up. ¡¹, or that he¡¯d splash some tea onto John Dae¡¯s face. Nevertheless, Seiya avoided John Dae¡¯s gaze and turned away. ¡¸¡­I will call you here when I¡¯m ready. ¡¹ Surprisingly, he left without saying much. John Dae sighed frustratingly. While Kiriko murmured next to me. ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­I feel like he¡¯s waiting for something. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°For something¡±? Kiri, what do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, I can feel it. ¡¹ Kiriko¡¯s intuitions were always sharp at such times. Still, like Kiriko, I had no idea what he was waiting for. ¡ª Next day. When I went to Celseus¡¯ cafe, Aria opened her eyes wide when she looked at me. ¡¸Lista¡­!! Are¡­Are you still in the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Seiya isn¡¯t ready yet. ¡¹ I giggled a little given the awkward situation, yet Aria came to me with a distressed attitude. ¡¸No¡­No way!! I thought that you had already left!! ¡¹ ¡¸Aria¡­? ¡¹ I saw that Aria¡¯s face was extremely red. I felt wary when I saw how angry she was. Aria noticed her strange behavior and immediately put a smile on her face. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry. It seems that this time you¡¯re taking much longer than usual¡­No¡­Actually, it makes sense. It¡¯s the final battle against the Demon King after all.¡¹ She reluctantly left to some place after panicking so much. I¡¯ve never seen Aria behaving like that before. When I became a little worried about it, Kiriko touched my back from behind. ¡¸Miss Lista. Excuse me¡­You see, about Miss Aria¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­Well, it¡¯s expected! I understand why she got angry because we¡¯re still in the God¡¯s realm even though the Demon King has awakened!¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s about yesterday. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What happened? ¡¹ ¡¸Yesterday, when Miss Lista was sitting in the chair at the cafe, I saw that Miss Aria had a very scary face as she approached Miss Lista from behind your back. I noticed that she tried to grab something out of her chest¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I got scared and dropped the tea cup I was carrying! When Miss Lista heard the sound and you looked back, Miss Aria looked impatient and walked away!¡¹ ¡­You¡­You¡¯re kidding, right¡­!! What on earth was this story!? What was Aria trying to do behind my back!? ¡¸I was wondering whether to say this or not. Actually, I don¡¯t think that Miss Aria was going to do anything strange to Miss Lista, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course! Aria is like a big sister to me! She¡¯s been taking care of me since I was little!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right! Maybe it was just my imagination! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes! You probably mistook her actions! ¡¹ ¡­Even though I said that, the ¡°suspicious Aria behavior¡± and my ¡°Death Flag¡± really made my heart extremely unsettled. I was anxious about all of this; therefore, I wanted to ask for Adenela¡¯s opinion. Celseus was carrying a coffee cup to Adenela, who was alone at a garden table. They both frowned for some reason when I approached them. ¡¸Li¡­Lista. It¡­It¡¯s not that easy for me¡­me to say this, but¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, what is it? ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­Well¡­Ah, nothing. Yes, nothing at all. I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What on earth is going on!? ¡¹ I yelled, but Adenela moved her gaze away from mine. And then, Celseus, who was nearby¡­ *cough cough* He suddenly started to cough. ¡¸Celseus!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s nothing! I¡¯m going because I have to cook! ¡­ *cough* ¡¹ He put his hand on his mouth and tried to run away. ¡­What was wrong with the attitude of these two¡­Ehhhhhhh!? When I looked around, I saw that the gods in the plaza stared at me with strange faces! When our eyes met, they looked down awkwardly! My spine froze because of this odd atmosphere. Wha¡­What was happening!? Was something wrong with me!? In the meantime, the strongest deity, the Goddess of Destruction, passed by the plaza wrapped in chains. I felt desperate, so I ran to Valkyrie in order to seek an answer. ¡¸Lady Valkyrie!! Please, help me!! This is weird!! All of the gods look at me and make strange faces!!¡¹ Then, Valkyrie wrinkled between her eyebrows. ¡¸You¡¯re the strange one, Listarte¡­Today, I¡¯m losing my motivation because of you.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What do you mean!? Please tell me!! ¡¹ ¡¸I will say it clearly since no other god has the guts to do it. Listen well, Listarte¡­ ¡¹ Then, Valkyrie pointed at me. ¡¸You stink so badly!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhhhhh!? ¡¹ ¡°Stink¡±, she said¡­Did she mean my body odor!? I mean, everyone was avoiding me because I smelled so bad!?¡­That¡¯s cruel, hey!! ¡¸You used to smell a little, but today your stench is really intense!! Go take a bath!!¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s rude!! I take a bath every single day!! ¡¹ I never took proper baths while in Exfolia, therefore, I tried to wash myself carefully when I came to the God¡¯s realm¡­Speaking of which, wait, wait a minute!! I just woke up and took a shower today!! Even so, I smelled already!?¡­Was my body odor that strong!? No, no!! No matter how much I thought about it, this didn¡¯t make any sense!! At that time, I heard a loud voice from behind. ¡¸Kiriko! Ple¡­Please let go! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I refuse, Miss Aria! I won¡¯t allow you to hurt Miss Lista! ¡¹ I turned around¡­and it surprised me! Kiriko held Aria¡¯s arm while putting some distance away from her because of Aria¡¯s godliness! ¡¸Ahh! ¡¹ It shocked me when I saw the thing that fell to the ground from Aria¡¯s hand! It was a small bottle with a skull mark! Valkyrie picked up the small bottle and looked fixedly at it. ¡¸Aria. This is¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­ ¡¹ Aria spoke with a disconsolate tone. ¡¸It seems¡­that you finally found out¡­ ¡¹ It¡­It was a lie, right!? Was that thing, perhaps, a bottle of poison!? ¡¸Aria. Wha¡­What¡¯s inside of this little bottle!? ¡¹ I got an unexpected response when I asked about it reluctantly. ¡¸This is ¡°Yagate Kusakunaru¡±*¡­It¡¯s a perfume made by Ochshale, the God of Smell. ¡¹ ¡¸Yagate Kusaku¡­What the hell is that!? ¡¹ ¡¸It contains a strong ingredient that will increase your body odor for hundreds of times more. Lista. I¡¯ve been sprinkling this perfume on you until now.¡¹ ¡¸Aria. Why did you do such a terrible thing to me!? ¡¹ That meant that my ¡°disgusting smell¡± and ¡°sour odor like vinegar¡± that I often heard during Geabrande and now Exfolia, was Aria¡¯s fault this entire time!? ¡¸This perfume is great, you know. It won¡¯t be effective immediately even if I sprinkled it on you. In addition, you can adjust the time when the strong odor occurs by the number of times one has to sprinkle the perfume.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not the point. Why did you sprinkle that perfume on me¡­ ¡¹ I asked her a direct question. Yet, Aria began to cry. ¡¸¡­Aria? ¡¹ ¡¸You saw what happened in the crystal ball, right? One year ago, the Demon King Artemaeus swallowed me when we tried to save Exfolia for the first time. It¡¯s so pathetic that I¡¯m in tears right now.¡¹ Next to me, Kiriko spoke when she realized what happened. ¡¸Miss Aria¡­Are you doing this so that no monster will eat Miss Lista?¡¹ Aria showed a smile while in tears. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t want Lista to have the same fate as mine¡­¡¹ Ce¡­Certainly, the pig beast man, Bunogeos, screamed at me when he felt my sour smell and said, ¡¸What a rotten thing. ¡¹. Therefore, he didn¡¯t eat me! I could have lost my life during that time¡­but¡­I see¡­I was saved thanks to the Yagate Kusakunaru! ¡¸If¡­If that¡¯s true, then why didn¡¯t you tell me this before! ¡¹ ¡¸Because Lista¡­If you knew that I was sprinkling on you some ¡°before long stinky smell¡±, you wouldn¡¯t have allowed it, am I correct?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Well, thinking about it, I¡¯d probably hate that idea¡­¡¹ I put my hand on the shoulder of a crying Aria. ¡¸But, I¡¯m happy you know! Aria has been taking care of me! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Yagate Kusakunaru¡­From now on, I will sprinkle that perfume on myself. ¡¹ Then, Aria embraced me while crying. ¡¸Lista! I beg you! Please, save Exfolia! ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me! I¡¯ll do my best! ¡¹ After watching us hugging each other, Valkyrie laughed extremely loud. And then, she hit my back with a strong grip. ¡¸Great!! Good luck, Goddess of Body Odor!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m the Goddess of Healing, you know!? ¡¹ Kiriko laughed happily when she saw how energetic I were. ¡ª That night. As usual, I slept in bed with Kiriko in a room I rented from Celseus. ¡¸Miss Lista¡­ ¡¹ Kiriko spoke next to me in the dark room. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong, Kiri? Do I smell? It¡¯s weird! I¡¯ve adjusted the sprinkles so that the stench would smell later on!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it. ¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, it¡¯s my natural body odor!? Do I really smell for real!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯m not talking about your smell. ¡¹ Kiriko giggled and laughed. ¡¸You know, I¡­I have so much fun every day whenever I am with Miss Lista!!¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so? ¡¹ ¡¸John Dae wants to save Exfolia as soon as possible. I feel the same way, of course. But¡­on the other hand, I hoped that these fun days could last forever.¡¹ After saying those words, Kiriko scratched her head as if she were embarrassed. ¡¸I¡¯m a little greedy¡­Don¡¯t you agree¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I think I¡¯m like that too. I want to live happily forever. ¡¹ It was the unmistakable truth. ¡¸Miss Lista. When I was depressed after we went to the Baracuda continent, you said, ¡°A good girl will always have a wonderful future ahead of her¡±, right?¡¹ Then, Kiriko held my hands. Despite being a machine, Kiriko¡¯s hands always seemed warm. ¡¸I¡¯m the happiest when Miss Lista is cheerful and have fun! ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri¡­! ¡¹ My chest got hot. At the same time, I felt ashamed. Kiri always cared more about others than herself. I always worried about myself even though I was a goddess¡­ Hmm. Some thoughts came to my mind. Whenever I was with Kiriko, I felt that I wanted to avoid the battle against the Demon King no matter what happened. I really felt those feelings somewhere in my heart. It felt as if ¡°I feared that I might be killed¡±, that kind of feeling. But¡­What if Seiya saw my feelings? If so, maybe that was the reason why Seiya wanted to ¡°wait a little longer¡±. I firmly believed on that¡­Surely! ¡ª Next day. I went to the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room on my own. ¡¸Great Goddess Isister. I have a favor to ask. ¡¹ I spoke with the great goddess in front of me. ¡¸In the upcoming battle with the Demon King Artemaeus, Seiya will probably use Valkyrie¡¯s final destruction technique ¡°Valhala Gate¡±. On that moment, I¡¯m going to Order, so that I can save Seiya. I¡¯m going to do that regardless of what could happen to me, yes, even if I were to receive further punishment from the almighty gods of innermost world of gods¡­¡¹ After being silent for a while, the Great Goddess Isister nodded with a serious look. ¡¸Your resolve has been conveyed. If that time comes, I will allow you to Order.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. ¡¹ I extended my back with full confidence to declare the following words. ¡¸We will defeat Artemaeus and save Exfolia, even if I have to bet my life on this!¡¹ ¡¸Bet your life¡­you say¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯m a goddess! Saving the world is more important than my life! ¡¹ ¡¸Listarte¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I don¡¯t intend to die! But, Seiya told me this when I was cursed by Ceremonic! ¡°Don¡¯t give up that easily. Keep fighting until the very last moment¡±!¡¹ Throughout the night, I was able to express my resolve. Every trouble and fear that I felt disappeared immediately. And finally, my mind was clear and sunny again. I smiled to the Great Goddess Isister, and left her room after bowing deeply. ¡ª At the Cafe De Celseus, Seiya sat on a garden table chair with his arms crossed. He also had his eyes closed. He created an atmosphere that was difficult to approach, but I continued to walk without hesitation. ¡¸Seiya. Are you ready? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I said that I¡¯d call you here when I felt ready to go. ¡¹ After taking a deep breath, I raised my voice against Seiya. ¡¸I¡¯m ready to go now! I will accept any fate! ¡¹ Then, Seiya started at me. After a while, I noticed that his gaze also went behind me. Looking back, there were John Dae and Kiriko behind me. Both of them had serious looks on their faces while they stared fixedly at Seiya. ¡¸Hero! I¡¯m ready if you¡¯re ready! ¡¹ ¡¸Me¡­Me too! ¡¹ After a moment of silence, Seiya moved his gaze towards me. Still, I didn¡¯t lose to the strong eyes of my hero. I tried my hardest to move my resolve will into words to convince Seiya to go. ¡¸Seiya! Let¡¯s defeat the Demon King! We will save Exfolia this time! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya! ¡¹ ¡¸Hero! ¡¹ ¡­Defeat Artemaeus and bring back the peaceful days of Exfolia, so that Queen Carmilla and Kiri could live in peace forever! That¡¯s right! I wouldn¡¯t mind giving my body in order to let them hope for a better future¡­! ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Ryuguuin Seiya! For the sake of 100 years later, or 200 years later! For the sake of Exfolia¡¯s future!¡¹ ¡­Soon after, Seiya stood up. After seeing how Kiriko, John Dae and I were full of resolve, Seiya threw his sharp glance towards the sky of the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ ¡­He finally proclaimed those words. Last time, Seiya didn¡¯t say those words for the final battle in Geabrande. Yet, this time. Seiya said his infamous lines. The lines where he firmly believed that he could surely defeat the enemy. Volume 2 - CH 117.1 Chapter 117: Absolute Being (1) My resolve was nearly perfect when I heard Seiya¡¯s words. In other words, I had almost accepted my death. Yes, almost. But, I no longer felt any fear. Right now, I didn¡¯t care much if I lived or if I died. I only had a strong desire to save Exfolia and its inhabitants. ¡¸Seiya! The Great Goddess Isister has given her permission! The closest I can open the portal to one kilometer away from the Demon King¡¯s Castle!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. ¡¹ I cast a spell to summon the portal. John Dae and Kiriko seemed to be a little nervous and excited at the same time. ¡¸Okay! Let¡¯s go, hero! Let¡¯s save Exfolia! ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, we¡¯re finally going to the last battle! ¡¹ However, Seiya hit the ground with his feet before going to the portal. Suddenly, the ground from the plaza of the God¡¯s realm was raised, and a large number of golems crawled out from the ground as if they were zombies! ¡¸Before the decisive battle with the Demon King, a large number of small monsters and executive demons may appear to block our path. In such case, I¡¯ll use these golems for as long as possible so that I can preserve my physical strength. I plan to increase the golem production once we get there.¡¹ Seiya gave instructions to his hundreds of golems. Then, the golems opened the portal¡¯s doors and ventured inside. Like me, John Dae and Kiriko, the gods in the plaza were greatly surprised to see the emergence of golems. Among them were Orlando, the God of Thunder, and Frala, the Goddess of Wind, who participated in the multiparty practice session with Seiya. ¡¸Really. It¡¯s the last decisive battle and yet, he made an army full of golems to assist him. I wonder if the time spent in that training didn¡¯t go to waste.¡¹ ¡¸Well, he¡¯s a hero, so he does what heroes do. ¡¹ It seemed that everyone was cheering on us with bitter smiles. There was also Aria and Adenela nearby. Aria held my hands then. ¡¸Lista¡­Good luck¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ki¡­Kiriko, John Dae. Do¡­Don¡¯t overdo it. Use¡­Use the continuous gunshot sword technique to¡­to protect yourselves. The¡­There won¡¯t be any problem if¡­if you rely on Seiya.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for you guidance, Goddess of War! ¡¹ Celseus also came to us and shook hands with Kiriko and John Dae. ¡¸I¡¯ll pray for you safety! You are the most important part-timers of the Cafe De Celseus!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Mister Celseus! We¡¯re going now! ¡¹ At last, the remaining golems in the plaza dived through the portal. ¡¸¡­All right. It¡¯s our time to go. ¡¹ In contrast to Seiya who went to the portal without looking back, we shook hands with the gods that came to see us off. We went to the battleground with a smile on our faces. ¡ª I felt hot air the moment I went through the portal. When I looked up, I saw a purple and muddy sky as if an evil mist was spreading above our heads. A huge castle soared through the sky at the distance. The Demon King¡¯s Castle radiated a black miasma as if the castle itself was a living creature. ¡¸That¡¯s the dwelling of the Demon King, huh¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸So, Artemaeus is inside of that castle at this precise moment! ¡¹ We knew where we needed to go. However, I spoke to Seiya with hesitation. ¡¸So¡­Sorry, Seiya¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with our surroundings right now¡­¡¹ We were surrounded by the numerous golems that went through the portal. I couldn¡¯t really see what was going on around us because of the giant golems. Seiya said that he¡¯d increase the golems¡¯ production once we arrived here, but he jumped on the golem¡¯s back and looked around. I was worried, therefore, I moved my head between the golems, and somehow, I managed to see the surroundings. ¡¸Wha¡­What on earth is that¡­! ¡¹ A large number of monsters were laying on the ground in the wilderness near the Demon King¡¯s Castle. Among those monsters, were the demon priests like the ones we saw in the Sage Village, and a few deformed monsters that were not human beings. ¡¸Are they¡­dead? ¡¹ A surprised John Dae spoke from the sideline. Certainly, there was a dead smell lurking around. ¡¸We¡¯ll see if they¡¯re really dead. ¡¹ Then, Seiya gave some instructions to the golems. Seiya closed his eyes while the golems stabbed and rolled the fallen monsters. Apparently, his eyes were linked to the golem¡¯s eyes. ¡¸¡­I tried several autopsies on the bodies, and it seems that they¡¯re definitely dead. I don¡¯t see any traps in the bodies either.¡¹ John Dae touched his chin with his hand. ¡¸It looks like someone attacked Demon King¡¯s Castle first. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Do you mean that we have other allies!? ¡¹ Did that mean that the survivors of Exfolia came to join us on this final battle!? I felt somewhat happy about it, but¡­ ¡¸Eve¡­Even so, look at these corpses! It¡¯s so terrible¡­! ¡¹ Kiriko told us to look at the monsters that were laying on the ground. Some corpses had no limbs or necks. Others had their insides gouged out. My short happiness disappeared when I noticed how horribly they were killed. ¡¸Anyway, I will bury these corpses with Endless Fall. It will be troublesome if they were to be resurrected as undead.¡¹ Seiya dropped the fallen corpses to the core of this earth. After that, he marched with the golems towards the Demon King¡¯s Castle. The golems surrounded us and protected us from enemies that could come from every side. Yet, no monsters attacked us. Along the way to the Demon King¡¯s Castle, Seiya kept dropping the corpses of monsters we saw with Endless Fall. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s stop here. ¡¹ When we approached the Demon King¡¯s Castle, the gate opened suddenly as if it tried to swallow us inside. At a distance, Seiya stopped and touched the ground. Seiya created hundreds of new golems immediately. He left behind a dozen of Guardians Golems and placed them around the castle. In addition, he changed his profession from a Magic Warrior with earth attributes to fire attributes temporarily. Then, he produced a dozen of Automatic Phoenixes, the fire magical birds. The Phoenixes, holding a large number of Bakudan Rocks created by Seiya, flew off to the Demon King¡¯s Castle. ¡¸Wha¡­What are you planning to do? ¡¹ ¡¸Bombing. ¡¹ ¡¸Bombing!? ¡¹ When I looked carefully at my surroundings, I noticed that the golems around the Demon King¡¯s Castle were also holding Bakudan Rocks in their hands. And then¡­ ¡¸¡­Fire. ¡¹ The golems threw the Bakudan Rocks at the castle upon receiving Seiya¡¯s command! Moreover, the Automatic Phoenixes, who flew in the sky, dropped the Bakudan Rocks as well! After an intense bombing from the Bakudan Rocks, I noticed that the Demon King¡¯s Castle was shrouded in fire. However, a deafening sound was heard upon the impact and a pale wall appeared to cover the entire castle! When the smoke cleared away, the Demon King¡¯s Castle remained intact without any signs of destruction. ¡¸It looks like the castle is protected by a barrier!! The bombing didn¡¯t work!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. No surprise. I expected it. It seems that I won¡¯t have a choice but to invade the castle myself in order to defeat the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­Well, of course. It would be weird and too easy if a ¡°bombing¡± attack actually managed to defeat a Demon King¡­¡¹ John Dae was astounded. Still, I knew that Seiya tried to do everything he could before engaging in a direct physical fight with the Demon King. Seiya, on top of a golem, headed towards the entrance of the Demon King¡¯s Castle. At that time, Seiya suddenly muttered. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s body was wrapped in a reddish-black aura! I was surprised; therefore, I looked nervously at my surroundings! ¡¸An¡­An enemy!? ¡¹ Kiriko and John Dae were ready to fight. Nonetheless, all we saw were fallen dead monsters in the ground. ¡¸No. I just wanted to get ready for battle in advance. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, just inform us about it!! Normally, you won¡¯t bring yourself into a Crazy Warrior state for nothing!!¡¹ ¡¸Shup up, zombie. More importantly, we¡¯re going through that gate. I¡¯m a bit reluctant to go through the front entrance, but let¡¯s proceed with prudence with the golems.¡¹ Finally, we arrived in front of the gate of Demon King¡¯s Castle. Two evil-looking monsters were defeated brutally at the entrance. Kiriko held the hem of my dress. ¡¸Are¡­Aren¡¯t these monsters the gatekeepers of this castle? ¡¹ ¡¸Pro¡­Probably¡­ ¡¹ As usual, Seiya dropped the corpses of the gatekeeper monsters to the core of this earth with the Endless Fall. However¡­After realizing that the gatekeepers were killed before we arrived here, the unpleasant premonition that I felt before gradually increased in my heart. ¡­Was it a conflict between fellow monsters? Wha¡­What the hell happened in the Demon King¡¯s Castle? ¡¸Okay then. We will enter the Demon King¡¯s Castle now. ¡¹ After disposing the gatekeepers¡¯ corpses, Seiya proceeded to the castle gates. We went forward; actually, the golems went forward since we were the ones riding them. It looked like a golem party. However, I was shocked once again as soon as we got inside of the castle. ¡¸Ehhh¡­! ¡¹ The candlelight illuminated the stone pavement of the Demon King¡¯s Castle. Under the thin light, countless of monster corpses were laying on the floor. I saw some strong opponents such as undead in armors, dragon soldiers and other strong-looking monsters. All of them were murdered dreadfully. I didn¡¯t know what this meant. I only knew that a fierce battle occurred inside of the Demon King¡¯s Castle not too long ago. Seiya couldn¡¯t use the power of the Endless Fall inside the castle. Therefore, he changed his profession to Magic Warrior with fire attributes once again, and began to burn the corpses elaborately. Although the progress was slow, this steady work was useful during the battle with the Death Emperor, which was fresh in my memory. We didn¡¯t complain about Seiya¡¯s actions and we let him finish with this clean-up. Albeit late, we walked in the castle with precaution. Inside of the castle, I noticed that long spiral staircases stretched high into the ceiling, and I saw many doors of different rooms as we walked further inside. ¡¸This place is quite a wide and complex castle. ¡¹ ¡¸First, let¡¯s go up through that stairs. ¡¹ Nevertheless, Seiya moved forward without hesitation as if he had a map. ¡¸Next, we¡¯re going to that room. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. ¡¹ ¡¸Now, we walk down that aisle. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey, Seiya. How do you know the way? ¡¹ ¡¸I activated a special skill named ¡°Divination¡±. Somehow, I feel like I know the way through the power of this skill.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so! So, that means that the ¡°Fortune Teller¡± job wasn¡¯t that useless!¡¹ Nonetheless, we were appalled after walking for a while. There was a wall in front of us. ¡¸Mi¡­Mister Seiya! It¡¯s a dead end! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The accuracy rate of the divination skill was at 60%. After all, it¡¯s just fortune-telling. I just played along with the divination cube.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhh¡­ ¡¹ With this method, there were mistakes sometimes, but I felt as if we were advancing steadily when I thought about it with a different perspective. This place was the Demon King¡¯s Castle. There was a high possibility that traps were prepared in advance. Still, we were able to walk safely thanks to the Divination skill. We crossed ways with a demon statue, then we climbed on long stairs, and finally we walked through winding paths. Usually, fierce battles were waged with powerful monsters in the Demon King¡¯s Castle. But, in here, no enemy attacked us so far. ¡­Eventually, Seiya stopped in front of a huge and terrifying door that appeared in front of us. ¡­This¡­This room was¡­!! My goddess¡¯ intuition sensed that the room was full of a horrible evil aura. Kiriko spoke with a trembling voice. ¡¸I¡­I can feel it! I¡¯m sure that the Demon King is inside of this room¡­! ¡¹ I stared at Seiya after I nodded to Kiriko. ¡­Since it was Seiya we¡¯re talking about, he¡¯d probably say ¡¸You guys should wait here. ¡¹without a doubt. Bu¡­But, I came here fully prepared to give up my life for the sake of saving this world! I¡¯ll follow him no matter what he says! However. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Lista. Come with me. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸You have an obligation to watch this battle. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡­What¡­? Perhaps, he recognized my potential as a goddess? The joy that I felt during this moment disappeared as soon as the golems opened the heavy door. Volume 2 - CH 117.2 Chapter 117: Absolute Being (2) The carpet-lined space was wider than the King¡¯s room in Tarmine. It created a gloomy and decadent atmosphere. However, something odd happened the moment we entered the Devil¡¯s room. What caught my eyes was¡­ ¡¸A¡­A corpse!? There¡¯s one here too!! ¡¹ There were countless of monster corpses inside the vast space just as we saw outside of the castle. Moreover, beyond the dead bodies¡­I noticed that someone stood at the distance. It looked like that person was looking at the outside from the window. Seiya raised his hand to stop us from going forward, and gave the following instructions. ¡¸Everyone, stop walking. Go hide behind the golems. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay. I won¡¯t get in your way for this fight. But, you can call me whenever you need me, all right?¡¹ I stared fixedly at the person who was near the window. It had a slender body wrapped in a black cloak. It held a cane in one hand. It began to speak without looking at us. ¡¸It seems that many of your golems surround this castle now. I, Artemaeus, have given myself a long time to prepare. At first, I built a strong Demon King¡¯s Castle, and then, I created powerful subordinates such as the Beast Emperor, the Machine Emperor, the Curse Emperor, and the Death Emperor¡­¡¹ It was a cold voice with a mixture of intellectual input. Eventually, this being slowly turned to Seiya as he continued to speak. ¡¸It¡¯s such a strange feeling. I never thought that I¡¯d meet you again, the opponent which I killed before. That said, you seem to have no memory of that time.¡¹ ¡­Tha¡­That being was¡­the Demon King Artemaeus¡­? Artemaeus was an ugly eight-limbed monster with green skin and a torn mouth. I clearly remember his appearance from the video shown in the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s crystal ball. However, his current appearance was totally different from before. Although the skin color was pale green, he had a similar figure of a person. He actually looked like a slim man. ¡¸I knew that if I had absolute strength, I wouldn¡¯t need any of my subordinates. Therefore, I submitted myself as an experiment to gain personal power. I did that not only to myself, but to test it on different types of sources. I don¡¯t know if they were happy to die or not.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so you were the one who killed the monsters in the Demon King¡¯s Castle!?¡¹ When I screamed, the Demon King Artemaeus snarled ¡¸Yes. ¡¹, in a very dry voice. ¡¸I praise you for reaching this far. Unfortunately, this won¡¯t be a decent fight for you.¡¹ And then, Demon King Artemaeus began to walk towards us. ¡­He¡­He was coming!! ¡¸I know that self-praise can lead to defeat. Nevertheless, this is not self-praise. It¡¯s impossible for an adult to lose to a baby¡­¡¹ The Demon King approached while talking. Seiya, who was next to me, also took a step towards the Demon King. ¡­Seiya!! Finally, the last battle had started¡­The moment I was nervous, an impossible sight was reflected in my eyes! A red orbit ran towards Artemaeus¡¯ left side! Somehow, and at the same time, I felt the aura of Seiya¡¯s Crazy Warrior state at the right edge of my vision! Two¡­Two Seiyas!? No!! The red orbit headed for the Demon King had no aura unlike the one that passed through the edge of my vision!! The Demon King outsmarted us when he substituted a doll with his figure when he was looking from the window. Yet, Seiya noticed it! Seiya attacked him with a surprise strike so that he could hit the enemy from a blind spot! However, I heard a high-pitched sound and an invisible barrier deflecting Seiya¡¯s sword! ¡¸*wicked grin* I¡¯ve already dedicated my life to the evil god. ¡¹ The Demon King turned his cloak while laughing wickedly with a muffled voice. ¡¸Stage One¡­¡°Formed Wizard¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Formed¡­Wha¡­What the hell is that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Only magic can pass through my body now. ¡¹ ¡¸Only magic works, you say!? ¡¹ I activated my clairvoyance ability to see if it was true. Nonetheless, only a sandstorm appeared in my sight. I couldn¡¯t confirm Artemaeus¡¯ status. ¡¸Okay then. Let¡¯s call this a magic showdown. Hero. Show me your magic.¡¹ After speaking happily, the enemy raised his cane and the space around us got distorted. ¡¸¡­Dark Wind. ¡¹ Soon, something that resembled a black obstacle came out of that diffused cane and charged against Seiya! I felt extreme fear running throughout my whole body! I was sure that it had the Chain Destruction power attached to it! However, Seiya didn¡¯t feel intimidated as always. ¡¸Job Change. To Wind Magic Warrior. ¡¹ When Seiya changed his profession, he held his right hand in front of himself¡­ ¡¸Wind Shield. ¡¹ He activated a technique that he obtained from the training with Frala, the Goddess of Wind! A wind barrier covered Seiya and all of us behind him! The menacing Black Wind spread backwards, avoiding us! My spine froze when I saw the Demon King¡¯s magic turning the golems into dust in an instant! ¡¸Oh. I remember that you only used fire magic when we fought previously. Did you learn wind magic? So, how about this?¡¹ Artemaeus rotated his cane. ¡¸Dark Lightning. ¡¹ A jet-black thunder was immediately released from the cane! It charged against Seiya like a black orbit in the air! ¡­The¡­The enemy used two types of magic, wind and thunder, at the same time!? Exfolia was a world where the magic system was almost inexistent!! Even so, he could manipulate a variety of magic types!? Seiya couldn¡¯t use another type of magic unless he changed his profession. It looked like an overwhelming disadvantage for Seiya¡­ ¡¸Job Change. To Thunder Magic Warrior. ¡¹ Seiya immediately changed his profession to Magic Warrior with thunder attributes! The thundering magic Seiya fired against the impeding attack managed to cancel the effects of the jet-thunder strike! It seemed that Seiya learnt this skill from the extensive training with Orlando, the God of Thunder! Still, the Demon King charged again and released a wind magic attack towards Seiya! ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ I yelled with tension¡­ ¡¸¡­Job Change. Wind Shield. ¡¹ Once again, Seiya changed his profession and defended himself from the Demon King¡¯s magic with a shield. ¡¸How¡­How can you change your professions so fast!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I learnt the ¡°Quick Job Change¡± skill from the training with the God of Business Negotiations.¡¹ ¡¸So, that futile training wasn¡¯t a waste after all!! ¡¹ Artemaeus sounded impressed despite his magic attacks failures against Seiya. ¡¸You¡¯re a tough opponent. Well then, can you survive the icy magic that is the opposite pole of your favorite fire magic? ¡­Dark Icicle.¡¹ Instantly, dozens of black icicles were formed in the high ceiling of the Demon King¡¯s room! ¡¸So¡­So many of them! They¡¯re going to skewer you! ¡¹ ¡¸Mister Seiya! ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko shouted aloud, but¡­ ¡¸Job Change. Fire Magic Warrior. ¡¹ Seiya hit the floor with his feet without hesitation. Then, fire pillars raised from every corner of the floor! The fire pillars, which were dozens of them just like the icicles on the ceiling, transformed into sharp weapons! ¡­They¡­They looked like spears¡­! This was a combination of fire magic with spear training! Artemaeus waved his cane! Instantly, countless of icicles dropped from the ceiling! However¡­ ¡¸Phoenix Spear. ¡¹ At the same time that Seiya muttered, the spears of flame were fired like missiles and intercepted the Black Icicles in the air! Many icicles were wiped out before reaching Seiya! ¡¸Oh. Still, the numbers are scarce, aren¡¯t they? ¡¹ Artemaeus laughed. Before long, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s Phoenix Spear had fired all shots. On the other hand, there were still many icicles in the air! ¡¸Take this¡­Dark Icicle. ¡¹ Several black icicles flew towards Seiya after increasing their speed! Those icicles pierced Seiya¡¯s body! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ I screamed! Nevertheless, Seiya¡¯s body pierced by the icicles became sand! ¡¸It¡¯s all right, Miss Lista! That was a clay doll! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see. I¡¯m relieved¡­eh, EHHHHHHHH!? ¡¹ I screamed once again! Before I realized it, there were many Seiyas around us! One, two, three¡­there were more than 10 Seiyas! ¡¸Are all of them clay dolls!? But, how did he make clay dolls without changing his profession to Earth Magic Warrior!?¡¹ ¡¸Probably, these dolls are the golems that came with us here! It seems that he disguised the dolls with the power of the art of change!¡¹ That made sense! As one could tell, the golems that were around us certainly decreased in number! ¡¸Have you made replicas of yourself with the power of earth magic? Then, I¡¯ll just have to destroy everything that stands in my way.¡¹ The remaining icicles of darkness fell down towards Seiya¡¯s clay dolls! The clay dolls were destroyed one after another! ¡¸Ugh¡­! ¡¹ Under Artemaeus¡¯ foot, there was a dead monster with no legs nor internal organs. Despite that awful appearance, the corpse grabbed Artemaeus¡¯ ankle with a firm grip. The corpse opened its mouth faster than Artemaeus moved its cane. ¡¸¡­Thunder Strike. ¡¹ Immediately, Artemaeus¡¯ body made a shock sound as if he were struck by a lightning. In the meantime, the decayed monster raised up and became Seiya. ¡¸Did¡­Did you turn into a corpse!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I wanted to paralyze him temporarily with the power of lightning. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity and disguised myself as a fallen monster.¡¹ Next, Seiya, as a Fire Magic Warrior, released the Maximum Inferno as the ¡°Bombing Crimson Prison¡± on Artemaeus! After swamping the Demon King in a hell fire that never ended, Seiya raised both hands to the heavens! ¡¸Phoenix Spear. ¡¹ Just like the Demon King¡¯s icicles, this time Seiya¡¯s fire spears appeared on the ceiling! Countless of fire spears fell on the Demon King! The spears pierced through his body and ignited at the same time! The area around Artemaeus was a sea of fire burning with heat! ¡¸Did¡­Did you defeat him!? ¡¹ John Dae whispered while he covered his face with his arms because of the overwhelming heat. Even so¡­Artemaeus laughed while engulfed in burning flames! ¡¸*giggles* Your attack inflicted fatal wounds on this body. What a great magic power.¡¹ Amidst fierce burning flames, Artemaeus¡¯ body gradually decayed to charcoal. He laughed happily although he said ¡°fatal wounds¡±. ¡¸Well then. Now, I shall devote my two lives to the evil god. ¡¹ As soon as he declared those words, the decayed body, which almost transformed into charcoal, grew and expanded tremendously! ¡¸Impossible¡­! Is he immortal? ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­Again¡­His form has changed! ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko spoke with trembling voices. When the flames disappeared, Artemaeus had transformed into a muscular and giant cyclops in armor. ¡¸Stage Two¡­¡°Formed Fighter¡±. No magical attacks will work this time. Show me your physical strength and tactics.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 118.1 Chapter 118: Transcendental Being (1) Now, in front of Seiya, stood the Demon King Artemaeus who had a form change specialized in physical fight. ¡¸Dark Assault. ¡¹ Artemaeus pulled his robust arm wrapped in a black haze. It was clear that his arm had the power of the Chain Destruction. I thought that he would move slowly given its giant body. But, I was mistaken. In a quick moment, Artemaeus stood right in front of Seiya to punch him with his fist. ¡­Wha¡­What a frightening speed!! Seiya!! However, Artemaeus¡¯ fist, which waved down with a tremendous roar, only punched through the air. Seiya¡¯s appearance had suddenly disappeared from my sight. ¡¸¡­You managed to avoid it, huh. ¡¹ Artemaeus muttered. At a distance away from his gaze, Seiya exhaled as if he was taking a deep breath. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.7¡­ ¡¹ He elevated the Crazy Warrior state to his limit! The reddish black aura overflowed from Seiya¡¯s body! ¡¸Oh. Your aura has increased. Okay, show me the power that defeated the Grand Lion.¡¹ Both of them were facing each other on a direct line, looking for an opportunity to attack. Kiriko asked me anxiously. ¡¸Mister Seiya¡­Is he going to be all right? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­He¡¯ll be fine! Seiya gained a great fighting sense after that encounter with Arx, the Fist God!¡¹ As soon as I tried to reassure her, I heard a strong blow. It was so strong that it shook my and Kiriko¡¯s bodies. The battle between those two had already begun. Seiya avoided Artemaeus¡¯ fist, then Artemaeus blocked an attack from Seiya¡¯s fist with his arms. This physical battle continued intermittently right in front of my eyes. However, as time passed, the two of them increased their speed, and not too long after, I could only see a reddish aura colliding with a blackish aura. After a tremendous clash, I could see that both of them took a safe distance from one another. I was relieved to see that Seiya was unharmed. On the other hand, Artemaeus¡¯ arm seemed to be reddish black but a little bit discolored. ¡¸You managed to inflict some damage on my arm even though it has the power of an iron wall. What trick did you use?¡¹ ¡¸I embedded a skill on my fist that I learnt from the Goddess of Destruction. The destruction techniques are skills that activate regardless of the opponent¡¯s defense mechanisms.¡¹ ¡¸How splendid. Well then, let¡¯s take this seriously. ¡¹ Then, Artemaeus modified his body again! From under the arms, which were originally meant to attack, the flesh ripped apart and new arms appeared with the color of his body¡¯s fluids! We were horrified to witness the change in Artemaeus¡¯ body because he had four arms now. ¡¸Ugh! The hero was serious! And still, the Demon King wasn¡¯t even being serious yet?¡¹ The four-fisted Demon King attacked Seiya ferociously! I felt a very bad feeling! ¡­Oh no! Seiya! ¡­As the reddish and blackish auras intersected in a fierce fight, I heard an eerie sound that was different from the battling sounds that I heard before. My heart was beating violently. I tried to see where Seiya was. After a moment, I finally managed to see where he stood before my eyes. ¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m glad, he¡¯s safe¡­Eh¡­What¡¯s that!? I was appalled when I saw what Seiya held in his arm. A shining silver blade that looked like a saw was on Seiya¡¯s hand¡­It was Seiya¡¯s Killer Sword! ¡¸He¡­He did it¡­!! ¡¹ John Dae shouted with excitement as he stared at the enemy at the same time. There was no head above Artemaeus¡¯ neck! His head rolled on the ground and stopped at our feet! Purple blood spilled from the severed neck! No doubt about it!! Seiya cut off his head with the Killer Sword!! ¡­I mean, how did his sword work!? Artemaeus said that this fight would be a physical battle!! We¡­Well, it didn¡¯t matter much if swords were doable for this type of fight!! There was no need to play along with the devil¡¯s game!! ¡¸*laughs wickedly* You¡¯re a terrible guy. ¡¹ I got chicken skin all over my body when I heard the laugh of the Demon King! The Demon King¡¯s head laid on the floor and was talking to Seiya while laughing creepily. The torso, which had lost its neck, began to move, picked up the fallen head and placed it on the original spot. The head was integrated with the neck instantly. ¡¸It can¡¯t be!! The attack didn¡¯t work!? ¡¹ Seiya replied plainly, after I screamed. ¡¸Actually, I¡¯ve been killing the Demon King. I did kill him before and now. But, he has multiple lives.¡¹ ¡­Previously, Artemaeus had only two lives!! But now he had multiple lives because he powered-up!? Contrary to me, Seiya spoke as if it didn¡¯t bother him. ¡¸I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll crush each life no matter how many there are.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. How powerful you are. Okay then¡­Let¡¯s dedicate my three lives to the evil god.¡¹ His form will change again!? ¡¸Stage Three. ¡°Formed Ghost¡±. ¡¹ Artemaeus¡¯ flesh and skin, which was robust and muscular before, began to melt as if it were mud! A jet-black skeleton with horns appeared from that melting! I remembered that figure. It closely resembled the final form of the Death Emperor Silshete. ¡¸This is a body that can only be damaged by a spiritual attack¡­But, I¡¯ll expand the territory one more time so that I won¡¯t have to use this process repeatedly.¡¹ ¡­Eh!? Wha¡­What did he just say!? The Demon King moved his bone-looking hand and raised it high. ¡¸I¡¯ll dedicate four more lives to the evil god¡­ ¡¹ The skeleton¡¯s sternum opened with a creaking sound. There was another skull with horns inside of that thing! It was the appearance of the deceased Emperor combined with the Demon King! The skull on the sternum began to laugh. ¡¸*giggles creepily* Stage Four¡­¡°Formed Curse¡±! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ Seiya groaned slightly as he watched the Killer Sword. The blade rust and decayed as if thousands of years had passed in an instant! The corrosion was immediately transmitted to the handle of the sword, and then, the Killer Sword dissolved as if it was mere sand! ¡¸Destroy, destroy, destroy! Eheheheh! All of your weapons will be destroyed!¡¹ The skull in the skeleton¡¯s sternum kept laughing. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡¯s sword was¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸No, goddess!! Don¡¯t worry!! The hero has lots of spares for these situations!!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right!! You¡¯re correct!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll give him a new weapon now!! ¡¹ John Dae rushed immediately. However, behind him stood Kiriko. She already turned the luggage upside down. She shook her head then. ¡¸Oh¡­Oh no, Mister John Dae!! All of the weapons in the bag¡­The spares of the spares of the spare swords are gone!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? ¡¹ ¡¸Eheheheh! I told you! All of the weapons in your possession were destroyed! This is the power of the Formed Curse!¡¹ ¡¸All¡­All of the weapons are gone!! What a sneaky and cowardly skill!! ¡¹ When I shouted loudly, the skull of the original body opened its mouth and began to talk when the skull in sternum stopped talking. ¡¸*grins* It¡¯s my turn now. ¡¹ Then, the skeleton moved the bone-looking arms towards Seiya. I heard a dull sound on my earlobes, and both of the enemy¡¯s arms transformed into sharp edged blades! ¡¸I have my own weapons as well. These swords will destroy the hero¡­This power is called the Bone Grave.¡¹ Artemaeus, just like Adenela, changed its arms into swords. He took a fighting pose against Seiya. The sweat on my face fell to the floor. ¡­Last time, Seiya defeated the final form of the Death Emperor with the power of the Ghostbuster Overdrive combined with the power of the Drain Charge Move! But, without a sword, Seiya won¡¯t be able to perform those techniques! To begin with, could he honestly fight in such a state!? When Artemaeus tried to approach a barehanded Seiya, he directed his right hand over his head. ¡¸Destruction Operation Method the Fourth¡­¡°Astral Break¡±¡­!¡¹ Spiritual chains appeared in the palm of Seiya¡¯s hand! The chains stretched and drew multiple arcs that protected Seiya from external attacks! ¡¸A defense mechanism with the power of a spiritual substance? However¡­¡¹ Artemaeus, who had reduced his distance from Seiya, swung down his arm swords and charged against Seiya! That attack didn¡¯t harm Seiya because the chains protected him! Even so, the chains that were caught in the attack were easily destroyed! ¡¸You won¡¯t be able to stop the attacks from Bone Grave, a powerful technique originated from a semi-spiritual substance. Well, regardless of that, this body can be destroyed.¡¹ Artemaeus, who spoke with fair tone, noticed that the chains he thought he had broken were still floating in the air. The chain traveled down through the arm of the Bone Grave as a snake, and entangled on Artemaeus¡¯ arm. ¡¸¡­A trick, huh. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not a trick. ¡¹ When Seiya snapped his finger, the chains of destruction appeared from under the Demon King¡¯s feet and quickly wrapped around his ankles! ¡¸I¡¯ve been working on this slowly since the beginning of this battle with you. This took me a large amount of preparation.¡¹ In addition, other chains appeared from all over the floor and pillars, and headed towards the Demon King! The chains of destruction wrapped around the limbs, torso and neck of Artemaeus! The further chains covered Artemaeus so much that he couldn¡¯t move anymore! Seiya stared at Artemaeus, which was covered in a cocoon-shaped form, just like the time when he defeated the ghostly Emperor Ceremonic. ¡¸From now on, my chains of destruction will gain the spiritual power that I acquired from my training with Nephitet¡­¡¹ I was startled when I saw the white membrane spreading away from several tens of meters out of Seiya¡¯s body! ¡¸Wha¡­What a great spiritual power!! It¡¯s more powerful than the one you used during the battle with the Death Emperor!!¡¹ ¡¸The spiritual training taught by Nephitet has been expanding since that day. Moreover, during the time I was in the heavenly world, I won the ¡°Best Spirit Contest¡±, a spiritual festival where the great spirited machos gather together.¡¹ ¡¸So, you really did go to that contest!! ¡¹ During that time, I¡¯m sure that he said to me, ¡¸I don¡¯t have time for things like that. ¡¹ ¡­! I was stunned, but the spirited state of Seiya who won the contest was truly amazing. ¡¸Astral Break Beta. ¡¹ The spiritual power that diverged from Seiya¡¯s body was transmitted to the chains of destruction like fuses with fire! The cocoon of chains shined bright white, and something smoky that resembled a steam was produced from that point! ¡¸The attack is working!! Will the enemy disappear just like Ceremonic did!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. This time is different. A being that is half-spirit and half-material won¡¯t be defeated just by a spiritual power. Therefore¡­¡¹ Seiya approached the immobile Demon King while talking. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll beat him. ¡¹ ¡¸Beat him, you say!? ¡¹ Then, Seiya pulled his arm and began to beat at the top of the chains! In contrast to Seiya¡¯s cool expression, the cocoon made of chains shook tremendously with the continuous strikes of brutal fists! Seiya rarely used physical attacks with the power of the Crazy Warrior state! The¡­The cocoon looked like a sandbag! Finally, when the upper stage kick landed on the cocoon, the Demon King wrapped in chains slammed into a distant pillar. Artemaeus was nowhere to be found when Seiya lifted the Astral Break to remove the entire cocoon of chains. ¡¸The enemy is gone!! ¡¹ ¡¸Did you win!? ¡¹ John Dae and I raised our voices with optimism. Yet, Kiriko pointed to a particular location. ¡¸Lo¡­Look over there!! That¡¯s Artemaeus!! ¡¹ ¡­.I heard the sound of a dry applause. Unexpectedly, Artemaeus was sitting on a throne in the depths of the Demon King¡¯s room. I felt as if a fox pinched me when I saw him. Artemaeus was dressed exactly as when we first met him here. He made it seem as if the previous battle was just a part of a dream. ¡¸Magical power, physical power, spiritual power¡­Everything you¡¯ve showed has surpassed the realm of imagination.¡¹ While sitting down, Artemaeus smiled at Seiya to praise his accomplishments. ¡¸Rejoice, hero. You¡¯ve defeated the Demon King Artemaeus. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Defeated¡±, you say!? But, you¡¯re looking pretty much alive, aren¡¯t you!!¡¹ ¡¸*grins* Actually, the hero ¡°defeated Artemaeus during the primary stages of awakening¡±. And from here onwards, we will finally enter in an unprecedented territory¡­¡¹ Artemaeus stood up from the throne. ¡¸Now, I shall dedicate my five lives to the evil god. ¡¹ Ugh!! How many times could he change his form!! Seiya didn¡¯t have any weapons now!! ¡¸Stage Five. ¡°Formed Infinity¡±. ¡¹ Soon, Artemaeus¡¯ body began to glow like the sun. It was so dazzling that I couldn¡¯t see Artemaeus¡¯ figure. No¡­It wasn¡¯t just dazzling. ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s too hot¡­! Ugh¡­! ¡¹ John Dae and Kiriko spoke painfully. Ah, this change was clearly different from the previous changes made on Artemaeus¡¯ body!! What on earth was this type of change¡­!? I struggled amidst the intense light and heat. Somehow, I tried my hardest to see what was happening. And then, on my field of vision stood an astonishing sight! In the dazzling light, I saw stunning swan-like wings that appeared on the back of the devilish Artemaeus! This¡­This aura was¡­!! It was as if he were a¡­!! Impossible¡­!! Volume 2 - CH 118.2 Chapter 118: Transcendental Being (2) Unbelievable. I was familiar with the aura emanating from Artemaeus¡¯ body. It was the same aura that I¡¯ve seen and felt many times in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸A divine aura!? It can¡¯t be¡­!! This¡­This is impossible¡­!!¡¹ Artemaeus spoke in a superior tone as he emanated a mysterious aura. This aura was just like the auras of high-ranking gods living in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸My name is¡­Divine King Artemaeus. The power of the evil god distorted my existence as a demon king¡­¡¹ John Dae closed his eyes with his hands because of the bright light. ¡¸Gosh!! That damned Demon King!! He¡¯s trying to imitate a god!! ¡¹ ¡¸No. You¡¯re wrong, John Dae¡­ ¡¹ I spoke with a trembling voice. ¡¸That¡¯s a real divine aura¡­! Artemaeus has really become a god¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What did you say!? That¡¯s ridiculous!! ¡¹ Artemaeus was smiling victoriously at us. ¡¸Only dark magic and dark weapons have the power to damage myself as a god. None of you possesses dark powers; moreover, the hero has lost all of his weapons.¡¹ Artemaeus probably knew that we had no way of defeating him now. He was even speaking in a calm manner. He was right. Seiya¡¯s weapons were destroyed during the Formed Curse battle. ¡­Artemaeus, who had become a god, slowly walked towards our direction. Was there a chance to win such a strong enemy in our perilous situation!? ¡¸Se¡­Seiya¡­! ¡¹ I turned to the place where Seiya was standing still. Yet, I noticed that Seiya disappeared from my sight. ¡­Disappeared!? Whe¡­Where was he!? The hero vanished so suddenly. Before I noticed it, Artemaeus stood in front of me. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡¸Your hero¡­hid somewhere. No, maybe he is scheming on something. Useless. He¡¯s just wasting his time.¡¹ I tried to escape, but for some reason, my body couldn¡¯t move. ¡¸Well then, dear compatriot. You shall become part of my power. ¡¹ I tried to scream, ¡¸Who the hell is your compatriot! ¡¹, but my voice didn¡¯t come out. Soon, I realized that my faint divine power was leaking out of my body and assimilating with Artemaeus¡¯ divine power. I was losing my power and strength. My head became completely white, and I lost my willingness to resist. I fell to the floor. ¡¸Mi¡­Miss Lista!! ¡¹ ¡¸Goddess!! ¡¹ Kiriko and John Dae were shouting my name. However, both of them seemed unable to get close to me due to the divine aura of Artemaeus. In the meantime, my consciousness slowly faded away. ¡­I see. So, this was my last moments. Seiya had foreseen my fate in the Demon King battle. That¡¯s why he waited for me in the God¡¯s realm. He wanted me to come here with a strong resolve¡­ I wasn¡¯t afraid to die. Yet, I felt extreme anxiety. Could Seiya defeat a godly Artemaeus? But, I remember that Seiya declared ¡°Perfectly Ready¡± in the God¡¯s realm. Maybe he had some solutions hidden in his sleeves. Maybe not everything was lost yet. ¡­Seiya, I will leave everything in your hands¡­ I prayed for Seiya¡¯s victory when I closed my own eyes¡­ ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ I heard a low roar. At the same time, my power returned to my body. Wha¡­What¡­happened!? I opened my eyes and I saw that Artemaeus greatly distorted his face! Seiya stood in front of me to protect me! I noticed that he slashed the Demon King with a sword! ¡¸¡­You managed to inflict damage? ¡¹ Artemaeus was holding his chest with a firm grip. It was the first time that I saw Artemaeus with a startling expression on his face. He always remained calm since we first met him, and now, he completely changed his mood. That surprised me. ¡¸A weapon with dark attributes¡­? No, the weapon itself was not supposed to exist in the first place! I transformed every weapon into dust!¡¹ Still, Seiya held a reddish black sword on his hand! Artemaeus couldn¡¯t understand how that happened, neither did I! Seiya slowly opened his mouth. ¡¸I thought of a possibility that my weapons could be lost or destroyed before or during the battle with the Demon King. So, I hid this particular weapon.¡¹ He hid it!? Bu¡­But, when did he do that!? ¡­Ah, that¡¯s right!! ¡¸Seiya! You hid that sword when you wrapped the Demon King with the Astral Break chains, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸No. There was no time for that. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­Then¡­When did you hide it? ¡¹ ¡¸One year ago. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ ¡¸Specifically, when you were cursed by Ceremonic and we returned back in time because of Chronoa¡¯s magic power.¡¹ ¡¸So, you hid that sword when we went back in time!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. There was a high possibility that the Demon King¡¯s room would be the place for the final decisive battle on our present days. That¡¯s why I took advantage of that chance to hide the sword between the Demon King who was oblivious of my presence and the Demon King who am I fighting right now.¡¹ He¡­He was already thinking about the battle against the Demon King when I was dying from Ceremonic¡¯s curse¡­? During the time when I cried as I watched Princess Tiana die¡­Was he hiding the weapon without the past Demon King noticing!? ¡¸By the way, I hid it behind the pillar. I tried to think of a way to have weapons of each attributes without losing them, so I created a Synthesis Kit with raw materials in case all of my weapons in my possession were invalidated.¡¹ ¡¸Synthesis Kit!? ¡¹ ¡¸I disassembled the ¡°evil god¡¯s charm¡± and the ¡°life-sucking sword¡± from the final product and placed them on the Synthesis Kit. This process ended up being very helpful.¡¹ ¡¸Those materials!! That¡¯s why you have that sword now!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. By adding the Lista Hair Doll, I have succeeded in powering up the sword. This is¡­¡¹ Seiya pointed the reddish black sword to Artemaeus. ¡¸The ¡°Powered-up Holy Power Drain Sword¡±¡­aka the ¡°Lista Super Granny Sword¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s with that name!! If other people heard those words, they would believe that I¡¯m truly a ¡°powerful granny¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, Lista. Stay away from me. The Lista Super Granny Sword has a terrible power that absorbs every divine aura in the vicinity. Instead of becoming an old hag, you¡¯ll die if you approach me.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s scary!! ¡¹ After retreating like a fly, I took a glimpse of Artemaeus¡¯ face. ¡­This weapon could be used for Artemaeus since he became a god!! In a perilous situation where every weapon disappeared, Seiya played a reversal card that was beyond the comprehension of time and space!! How about his, Artemaeus!! This was the real Ryuguuin Seiya!! The enemies who had faced Seiya until now were surprised by Seiya¡¯s improbable cautiousness, and were greatly upset. So, I thought that Artemaeus was impatient and taken aback by this reversal¡­ ¡¸¡­You prepared an evil sword in advance and defeated the Formed Infinity. The evil god should be worried. Even though you¡¯re the hero that I defeated one year ago, you look like an entirely different person now.¡¹ Artemaeus began to laugh weirdly. ¡¸Still, you won¡¯t win in the end. ¡¹ Wha¡­What could Artemaeus do right now!? His form transformation into an almighty god had failed tremendously!! ¡¸Let me tell you this. I, Artemaeus, can activate a technique called the Ultimate God Mystery by giving up my remaining lifespan after my ascending to a god level. In other words¡­I¡¯m able to stop time for a brief moment.¡¹ ¡¸Sto¡­Stop¡­time¡­you said!? ¡¹ Impossible!! Artemaeus had a technique that only Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, could invoke!? No other beings were capable of that¡­No!! That smirk and tone!! He wouldn¡¯t bluff in a situation like this!! ¡¸I shall dedicate my six lives to the evil god. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way!! ¡¹ John Dae screamed aloud! No matter how strong Seiya was or how cautious he was, he won¡¯t be able to win if the enemy could stop time! However, Artemaeus was already holding his arm high! ¡¸It¡¯s too late now! Stage Six! ¡°Formed Time Reaper¡±! ¡¹ ¡­Oh no¡­! How could he stop time¡­! This was our end¡­! ¡°Became a god and could manipulate space and time¡±¡­That¡¯s why the Demon King hibernated for a long time. He did everything in other to annihilate the hero¡­ I was shaken by Artemaeus¡¯ obsession to win this battle. We won¡¯t be able to avoid our deaths. Neither Seiya nor I. Even John Dae and Kiriko. Once the Demon King stopped time, he¡¯d surely kill us. A desperate moment was approaching. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Why¡­ ¡¹ Artemaeus¡¯ stunned voice resonated in the surroundings! I stared closely at him, and I noticed that Artemaeus¡¯ arm held high had a serious injury! Artemaeus¡¯ face was severely distorted! ¡¸Why doesn¡¯t it work!? Why can¡¯t I activate my Formed Time Reaper!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­You said it was ¡°too late¡±. But, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s late. ¡¹ As usual, I heard Seiya¡¯s voice. A tone that never showed any emotions nor sorrows. ¡¸I had already developed an anti-clock field since I entered the Demon King¡¯s room.¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡­You bastard¡­You can manipulate time and space just like me!? ¡¹ John Dae and I looked away, and screamed at Seiya. ¡¸Wait a second!! Seiya!! Lady Chronoa said it was impossible for humans to learn those powers!! You even said it was impossible for you!!¡¹ ¡¸Actually, I was able to acquire a skill that ¡°prevents the activation of an enemy¡¯s space-time skill¡±. That was the result of my training with Chronoa. In the space where I initiated the anti-clock field, Artemaeus won¡¯t be able to go back in time, neither stopping nor advancing in time.¡¹ ¡¸Summing up, hero! Did you foresee that the Demon King could stop time during the final battle?¡¹ ¡¸Artemaeus was trying to be invincible. And invincibility is actually less of an option. There are limited options such as ¡°Eternal Life¡±, ¡°Incapacitation of Physical and Magical Attacks¡±, and ¡°Spatial-Temporal Manipulation¡±. Therefore, I took proper measures against them and I just had to crush them one by one.¡¹ Seiya approached Artemaeus. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be!! It¡¯s impossible!! ¡¹ ¡­Artemaeus¡¯ attitude changed completely. His complexion changed dramatically. He was apparently upset and moved backwards from the approaching Seiya. I swallowed my saliva while staring at Seiya. ¡­Artemaeus was a fearsome demon king that became a god and wanted to stop time¡­Even so, Seiya¡¯s category of possibilities was beyond of our imagination¡­! Insane. My mouth loosened a little bit and my smile spilled out naturally. Seiya was better than the opponent¡¯s speculation of him! That¡¯s right¡­Seiya overcame his past failures, considered all possibilities, and made every possible preparation in advance! He did everything for the sake of today¡¯s last decisive battle¡­! Artemaeus looked as if he was trying to escape. But, before that, Seiya already prevented his escapee. ¡¸Atomic Split Slash. ¡¹ A powerful unmatched blow, that combined the power of the strong absorbing sword with the special strength of the Earth Magic Warrior in Crazy Warrior state, struck between Artemaeus¡¯ eyebrows! A big explosion erupted at the same time! The floor around the Demon King was violently crushed! ¡¸Gyaaaaaa!! ¡¹ Artemaeus screamed painfully as he held his head when Seiya attacked him. The cracks on his head spread throughout his body in a blink of an eye. Afterwards, a monster with a torn mouth and multiple arms appeared as it expanded the inside body with a shattering noise. The giant monster was breathing heavily. That was not a new form change. That form was Artemaeus¡¯ original form, which Seiya attacked previously. Seiya looked boringly at Artemaeus, who transformed back into the ugly monster that he confronted one year ago, as seen in the crystal ball. ¡¸I don¡¯t think I have to use the Valhala Gate this time. ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 119 Chapter 119: Beyond the Unobtainable I was surprised when I saw Seiya pulling another sword from his sheath. It was a Killer Sword, which was supposed to have turned into dust. No, this was definitely a newly synthesized sword. Lista Super Granny¡­That sword must have been made at the same time as the Holy Power Drain Sword. Seiya approached Artemaeus, who changed appearances from a God to an evil being, and pointed that sword whose blade was like a saw. ¡¸You can do it! We can win! ¡¹ John Dae shouted aloud upon seeing Seiya¡¯s offensive stance. I couldn¡¯t control my emotions either. ¡­You won¡¯t beat him! Yes, Artemaeus! You won¡¯t be able to beat Seiya! You won¡¯t win against this incredible hero! ¡¸Eternal Sword EX. ¡¹ Artemaeus¡¯ giant body was ripen apart by Adenela¡¯s fearsome sword technique used by Seiya. The Demon King screamed in a loud voice and fell down to the floor of the Demon King¡¯s hall. He spilled purple blood from the severe laceration inflicted by the hero¡¯s sword. ¡¸Gre¡­Great!! ¡¹ ¡¸He did it!! ¡¹ John Dae and I held hands with excitement¡­ ¡¸¡­Stop pretending to die. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s cool voice resounded through the whole space of the Demon King¡¯s room. ¡¸You still have some life energy left, am I right? It¡¯s no use if you try to deceive me with your lame tactics. I won¡¯t be reckless ever again.¡¹ Then, Artemaeus slowly rose up, despite being completely disabled. As Seiya said, he wasn¡¯t completely dead. But, the looks of his hollow eyes and the state of his damaged body was no longer that of a powerful demon. Seiya shook his head then. ¡¸I¡¯d like to finish this off all up at once. But, I have to restore my physical strength in other to ensure his complete defeat. I¡¯d be exhausted if I keep the Berserker state for a long time.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! Then, do you want me to heal you with my healing magic!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want it. ¡¹ Seiya took something out of his chest. It resembled a shrilled grass. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s that? ¡¹ ¡¸I made this by mixing several of Exfolia¡¯s wildflowers. It restores my stamina and physical strength, as well as my magical powers.¡¹ Ehh¡­!! He had the trouble and time to prepare something like that in advance!? But, I was the Goddess of Healing!! After chewing the special herbs, Seiya proclaimed the next words to Artemaeus. ¡¸With this, I¡¯m great now. I will challenge you not only for a mere hours, but for countless of hours and days. I will keep on confronting you until your life has completely expired.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You bastard¡­! ¡¹ Artemaeus groaned from between his tusks. At first, Artemaeus thought he had outsmarted Seiya with the absolute power he had gained. However, the situation got reversed. Right now, Seiya was the one who outsmarted Artemaeus. There was no doubt that Seiya¡¯s superiority was indisputable. ¡­With¡­With this turn of events, my death flag had been removed for good¡­That¡¯s right!! It was clear now that I won¡¯t die!! There was no doubt. I could have died during the battle with the Demon King. In fact, I was about to be absorbed by the God Artemaeus. That¡¯s why Seiya waited for my absolute resolve during our endless wait in the God¡¯s realm. Still, Seiya saved me. If we defeat the Demon King, Seiya and I will return back safely. John Dae and Kiriko as well¡­Or so I thought. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment¡­! Everything will be irreparable if you obliterate my life! ¡¹ Artemaeus yelled desperately. Nonetheless, Seiya didn¡¯t listen to what he had to say and gradually approached him with his sword in hand. Then, Artemaeus turned around and stared at me. ¡¸You must stop your hero!! You will regret this!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah!? What are you talking about!? I won¡¯t have any regrets!! You¡¯re not going to get away from this, Artemaeus!!¡¹ *laughs devilishly* Suddenly, Artemaeus roared a vile laughter that echoed in the Demon Kings¡¯ room. ¡¸You¡­You know about it¡­! You and your hero¡­Besides you two, another life was taken by me during that time!¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Listen well, Tarmine Princess!! I know that you¡¯re the goddess reincarnated from the Princess Tiana!! The fate of you three still remains in my hands!!¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ I immediately raised my voice. John Dae also responded to Artemaeus¡¯ revealing remarks. He stared at me with a startling face. ¡¸No¡­No way, that can¡¯t be¡­! You¡­You are the reincarnation of Princess Tiana who died long ago¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Well, you see, about that¡­ ¡¹ After my background was revealed, I shouted to Artemaeus with a trembling body. ¡¸Wha¡­What do you mean by saying that my fate along with Seiya and John Dae¡¯s fates are in your hands!?¡¹ Then, Artemaeus distorted his mouth as he vomited dark blood. ¡¸No. You¡¯re wrong. ¡°Another life¡± does not refer to that undead soldier. Whom I¡¯m talking about is that one over there¡­¡¹ Artemaeus pointed his arm to a particular direction. He pointed towards Kiriko. ¡­Ki¡­Kiri?¡­Eh, what!! As soon as I looked at Kiriko, I was utterly shocked. Kiriko had fallen to the floor as if she lost her power. ¡¸Kiri!? What¡¯s wrong!? ¡¹ I ran to her and shook her body. Yet, I didn¡¯t receive any reply from her. The light source from her eye was flickering and fading away. I glared angrily at Artemaeus. ¡¸What did you do to Kiri!! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s not me who did it. That was the hero¡¯s doing. ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way that Seiya would attack Kiri!! ¡¹ When I stared at Seiya, I noticed that he stopped approaching Artemaeus, and stood still with the sword on his hand. Artemaeus was reassured when he saw that Seiya stopped going towards his direction, and then he pointed towards John Dae. ¡¸Unfortunately, the soul of that undead soldier didn¡¯t get affected with my weakened state. But, that Killing Machine is different. I built its body from scratch and used powerful magic in order to bring back the dead human souls for my schemes. Upon using my power, the human souls were defiled, and their spirited energy was transferred to my core¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What do you mean!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s quite simple. Summing up, the Killing Machine will cease to exist once you kill me.¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ Artemaeus laughed aloud when he saw how dismayed I was. ¡¸*laughs wickedly* That¡¯s not all!! That Killing Machine has a special soul!! Indeed, the wisdom of the evil god is beyond imagination!! The soul of the unborn child, unable to think rationally, was adapted to the Killer Machine¡¯s higher magical circuit, and gained a conscious mind of her own!!¡¹ Wha¡­What did he say just now¡­!! Artemaeus grinned at me as if he had plotted the devilish deed of all worlds. ¡¸In other words, the soul that dwells in that Killing Machine is the baby that Princess Tiana was pregnant with!!¡¹ My whole body pulsated violently. I stared at the fallen Kiriko that stood right in front of me. ¡­Kiri¡­was my¡­!? ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s obviously a lie!! ¡¹ ¡¸Is it really a lie? That was the evil god¡¯s original scheme. This was my last trump card¡­Because we knew of your weakness as soft-hearted beings¡­Dare I say that your weakness is your compassion? Yes, I dare say it is. *grins* You met a child whom you weren¡¯t supposed to meet in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸Lie!! That¡¯s a lie¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Listen! I am linked to that child as the main source of her life!! You can¡¯t kill me because you won¡¯t be able to kill your own child conceived with hero! *continues to laugh devilishly*¡¹ Suddenly, Artemaeus¡¯ laughing face became full of anguish. Seiya, who was approaching Artemaeus before, slashed his huge abdomen with the sword. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ Like me, Artemaeus screamed. ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t you believe it!? Everything I said just now is true!! ¡¹ On this precise moment, a suffering voice leaked from Kiriko¡¯s mouth. Kiriko¡¯s eye was blinking more violently than before. ¡¸Look!! My words weren¡¯t false!! That Killing Machine is linked to my last life!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ki¡­Kiri¡­!! ¡¹ In the meantime, I shouted at Seiya, who was willing to kill Artemaeus regardless of what he said to us. ¡¸Wait!! Wait a second, Seiya!! ¡¹ Then, Seiya stopped walking. Artemaeus laughed at him. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s okay you know. Don¡¯t you want to spend a long time with your child? Hero, let¡¯s find a way of co-existence in co-prosperity¡­¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t stop from attacking the enemy. ¡¸Job Change. To Fire Magic Warrior. ¡¹ He rushed to Artemaeus in order to finish him off! He wielded his magic sword wrapped in flames against Artemaeus! He slashed his skin while it burn, and Artemaeus fainted in agony! ¡­I swore in the God¡¯s realm that I would save Exfolia no matter what. And now, victory was imminent against our former enemy, the Demon King Artemaeus. However, seeing the painful Kiriko who fell by my side, my resolve began to shatter! My belief crumbled down! ¡­Kiri!! Die. Kiriko will die. Kiriko, who had been with me until now, and who might be my own child, will die. This scenario was tens or hundreds of times harder than it was for me to disappear. ¡¸Stop, Seiya!! Kiri is going to die!! ¡¹ Still, Seiya didn¡¯t hear me nor did he look back at Kiriko. He continued to attack the enemy. I approached John Dae and shook his body. ¡¸John Dae!! Please, stop Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸Goddess¡­no¡­Princess Tiana¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya doesn¡¯t believe in that story!! But, I know it¡¯s real!! What Artemaeus said is true!! Kiri is my and Seiya¡¯s child!!¡¹ When I said those words, John Dae looked heartbroken as he lowered his head. ¡¸I¡­I finally realized it now. I never understood why he stayed in the heavenly world for a long period of time without a purpose¡­But, I understand it now¡­¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about!! More importantly, Seiya will¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps, the hero knows that the Demon King¡¯s story is true. ¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­Then, why doesn¡¯t he stop attacking!? ¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, there¡¯s no way we can save Kiriko. In the end, that hero didn¡¯t find a way to save her.¡¹ ¡¸Ah!? What the hell are you saying!? Seiya saved my mother¡­Queen Carmilla!! He is the genius and greatest hero!! A talented hero, and one in hundred million people!!¡¹ ¡¸There are times when he couldn¡¯t save everyone. For example, the people of the desert town of Fulwaana, which were assaulted by the Death Emperor¡­The current situation is almost identical to the situation back then.¡¹ While I was talking with John Dae, I heard the sound of slicing meat in the background. With Seiya¡¯s sword, Artemaeus lost one of his arms and blood scattered on the floor. Every time Artemaeus was hurt, Kiriko¡¯s body shook dramatically. ¡¸Please, stop it!! ¡¹ John Dae grabbed my arm to prevent me from trying to run to the battlefield. I was unable to stop him nor stay still. ¡¸Princess! You mustn¡¯t go! ¡¹ ¡¸John Dae, let me go!! There must be something, I don¡¯t know, there must be a way to help!! He has been doing the impossible during his time with me!! Seiya protected me, even Mash and Elle!! There is surely a way to help Kiri this time!!¡¹ ¡¸There is none¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Why!? How do you know it when you don¡¯t even try it!! Don¡¯t screw with me!! ¡¹ John Dae grabbed my arm with a painful force and raised his angry voice. ¡¸That man!! He¡¯s nerve-wracking, he must have a disease!! That man is the embodiment of cautiousness, you know!! He must have thought, thought, and thought about it for countless of times!! Even so, he didn¡¯t find a way to help her!! That¡¯s why¡­¡¹ John Dae gritted his teeth and shut down. ¡­He¡­He thought about it for countless of times? Since when? ¡ª ¡ºAnother case. ¡» ¡ª Suddenly, I remembered Seiya¡¯s words during our time in the God¡¯s realm. At this moment, I realized what case it was. ¡­I see. Seiya knew about this matter. He knew that Kiri was our child. After the battle against Oxelio, he heard the truth from the Great Goddess Isister in the God¡¯s realm. So, he had been suffering alone ever since then¡­ ¡ª ¡ºSo, for example, is it possible to separate the spirited body from its original body and put it in an altogether different body?¡» ¡ª ¡­He wanted to find an alternative body for Kiri. By learning the technique of the Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet, he could transfer the spirited body to another body. Somehow, this was a plausible solution to fix this problem. Even so¡­ ¡ª ¡ºI¡¯m back to square one. ¡» ¡ª ¡­It didn¡¯t work back then. After Seiya saw how Cleo and the townspeople became sand during the battle with the Death Emperor, he realized that it was impossible to save souls even after transferring them to other bodies. Still, Seiya didn¡¯t give up. ¡ª ¡ºIs there a technique that freezes a subject forever? ¡» ¡ºI¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m ready. ¡» ¡ºNot yet. ¡» ¡ºWait a little longer. ¡» ¡ª ¡­Even though we were ready for the decisive battle with the Demon King, Seiya continued to search for any possibility. But¡­No matter what he did¡­no matter how much he struggled¡­ he didn¡¯t find a solution¡­ Before I knew it, tears fell from my eyes. John Dae muttered while watching the battle. ¡¸No matter what happens, he will defeat the Demon King in order to save Exfolia. That¡¯s his resolution. He came to this battle with his mind prepared for this outcome.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­why¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Actually, he is morbidly cautious and outrageous. But, above all, he¡¯s still a hero. ¡¹ In my blurry field of vision submerged by tears, Seiya slashed Artemaeus with his sword wrapped in flames. Artemaeus¡¯ arm, which swung to fight back, decayed because of fire and became a piece of charcoal. Suddenly, something familiar touched my hand. ¡¸Miss¡­Lista¡­ ¡¹ I looked down. The fallen Kiriko was holding back my hand. ¡¸Kiri! You¡¯re conscious! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡­I¡¯m happy to know that Miss Lista is my mommy. And¡­Mister Seiya is my¡­¡¹ Kiriko was looking at Seiya¡¯s back, who kept attacking Artemaeus. Then, Artemaeus shouted high with bloodstained eyes. ¡¸Your sword will kill your own child! You will bear extreme human regret for murdering your own kin! The only way to reverse this outcome is by choosing the same path as mine! I can paint your future in blood!¡¹ Seiya took a deep breath, and stared at Artemaeus with piercing eyes. The aura diverging from his body spread strongly. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.8¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡­.You¡­.Bastarddddddddddddd!! ¡¹ Kiriko mumbled beside me, in a voice that seemed to disappear. ¡¸It¡¯s strange¡­I am scared that I¡¯m going to disappear¡­but, at the same time, I am not scared when I look at my daddy.¡¹ Kiriko was holding my hand tight. ¡¸When Cleo disappeared¡­I thought there was nothing left for my life as well. But, I was wrong. I see my mommy and daddy with me when I close my eyes¡­¡¹ Artemaeus¡¯ body, which had been hurt so much that he couldn¡¯t counterattack Seiya who wrapped in a jet-black aura. The Demon King roared, while exposing his fearsome will of a devilish being engaged in a battle. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯ll kill you!! I¡¯ll kill you even if you defeated all of my previous lives!! This time, I will surely stop the roots of your breath!! I¡¯ll tear your belly, cut out your heart, and crush your soul!! You will crawl in the ground just as you did during that time!!¡¹ At that time, I felt that Kiriko¡¯s body trembled so much because of Artemaeus¡¯ fearsome ambition that engulfed the whole space. ¡¸¡­Kiriko. You said you wanted to be strong. ¡¹ While confronting Artemaeus, Seiya spoke to Kiriko at the same time without turning around. ¡¸You¡¯re fine the way you are. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­! ¡¹ As soon as Kiriko responded to Seiya, Artemaeus attacked Seiya with his four arms. It was an attack that possessed tremendous power and speed; however, it didn¡¯t matter much to Seiya, who wore a fearsome aura like the fiery fire from the limit of the Crazy Warrior state. Seiya got behind Artemaeus with his instantaneous movement and incredible agility. By the time, Artemaeus turned back¡­ ¡¸Phoenix Drive. ¡¹ Seiya waved his sword of intense fire in all possible directions. Several crimson magical circles were drawn in front of Artemaeus. The next moment, all of Artemaeus¡¯ arms were cut off and they burned completely before falling to the floor. After losing his arms, he knelt down. Artemaeus looked around as if he had noticed something relevant. ¡¸The wave of my last life¡­is flowing towards the evil god¡­I see¡­Ugh¡­So, this is how everything ends¡­¡¹ As he turned into a miserable figure, Artemaeus laughed loudly. ¡¸*laughs eccentrically* Regardless of whether I kill you or you kill me doesn¡¯t matter!! Either way is fine!! I was a sacrifice after all!! Everything is happening according to the evil god¡¯s scheme!! Even if you defeat me here and now¡­Yes, regardless of the outcome of this fight, you will never rest in peace¡­¡¹ The Demon King¡¯s loud voice vanished in the way, because Seiya¡¯s Phoenix Thrust penetrated through Artemaeus¡¯ head. ¡¸¡­Kiri!! ¡¹ I shouted at Kiriko immediately. Kiriko was holding the flower pendant close to her chest with her other hand. She spoke the last words with her remaining life force. ¡¸Daddy¡­Mommy¡­Thank you. ¡¹ The lifeless giant body of the Demon King fell down to the floor, and shook the whole room with an uproar. At the same time, Kiriko¡¯s hand lost her remaining power. And the light of her eyes, which always glowed so gently, lost its color completely. Volume 2 - CH 120 Chapter 120: Farewell The sky of Tarmine was clear when we returned from the Demon King¡¯s Castle. The evil that covered Exfolia disappeared after Seiya defeated Artemaeus. There were many soldiers in the royal palace, seemingly waiting for us to speak. ¡¸¡­Ryuguuin Seiya has defeated the Demon King Artemaeus. ¡¹ John Dae declared those words with an austere complexion. The soldiers remained silent for a moment, and then, they shouted with joyfulness. ¡¸The hero has defeated the Demon King! ¡¹ ¡¸Exfolia has been saved! ¡¹ My heart was filled with loud cheers and endless praise. The soldiers, who were making a fuss, became quiet abruptly. I noticed that Queen Carmilla walked with an escort soldier. She bowed deeply to Seiya, and said thank you. Then, she held my hand. ¡¸All of you did really well. ¡¹ The smiling Queen looked around when she noticed a missing person. ¡¸Where is Kiriko? ¡¹ ¡¸Kiri is¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Artemaeus¡¯ corpse, whose magic power had been lost, became dust and Kiriko disappeared, leaving only the flower pendant that I gave her once. I wept and cried for a long time without stopping in the Demon King¡¯s Castle. I thought that I had no more tears, but my eyes became teary once again when the Queen asked me about her. The Queen hugged me then. ¡¸So, that¡¯s what happened. It must¡¯ve been painful. ¡¹ I forgot that I was a goddess, and I wept on the chest of my mother from my previous life. ¡ª Afterwards, a feast was held in the gardens of the royal palace. The people of Tarmine put aside their ranks, and enjoyed each other¡¯s company in the feast. A palace maid recommended me to drink some wine. I accepted it even though I never drank alcohol. ¡¸Hey. Give me more, please¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, excuse me goddess. That¡¯s your sixth cup, isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s better to slow down from now on¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!! Don¡¯t you dare tell me to stop!! Bring me the whole barrel!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You sound like an old man!! ¡¹ I felt bad for remembering Kiriko, so that¡¯s why this wine felt like a cure. My legs were wobbling. It seemed that Seiya and John Dae were talking nearby. I listened to their conversation with a dazzling head. ¡¸So, in the end, you did it all by yourself, huh. I learnt the special sword skill from the Goddess of War, but it was for nothing. It feels like I wasted my time back then.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. There will be many opportunities for you to use it in the future. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯ve got a point. We have the impending reconstruction plan under way. We need to check various places of the kingdom in order to handle the remnants of the Demon King¡¯s Army. There¡¯s a lot of work to be done starting tomorrow.¡¹ John Dae spoke while looking at the soldiers frolicking in the distance. ¡¸Despite the hard work, over time, Exfolia will eventually recover. ¡¹ ¡¸And, over time, you¡¯re gonna get worse and worse. ¡¹ ¡¸Damn you!! You¡¯re so unfriendly!! ¡¹ Shortly after yelling to Seiya, John Dae looked down. ¡¸I wonder how an undead like me is allowed to survive this way. I think this outcome should¡¯ve been different, you know. ¡°I wish I had died instead of Kiriko¡±, these thoughts have been in my mind since then¡­¡¹ ¡°John Dae. You mustn¡¯t say those words.¡±¡­I thought so, while listening to their conversation. ¡¸Yeah. You¡¯re correct. That scenario would definitely be better.¡¹ Seiya completely ignored it. No¡­No! It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡­! Seiya continued his conversation with John Dae, who held his head down. ¡¸More importantly, what are you going to do? While I¡¯m here, do you want me to transfer your soul to a skeleton body?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no. I have an attachment to this body. It is fine like this. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Okay, then I shall give you this. ¡¹ Seiya gave John Dae a small wooden box. I noticed that a button was in the middle of that box. ¡¸What¡¯s this? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an explosive detonator loaded into the earth snakes that are wrapped around your body. If your brain gets eroded by the undead phenomena, and you think that you aren¡¯t going to have your rational consciousness back, then press this button to die.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ah, I see. So, that¡¯s your type of twisted kindness. Well, I thank you for that.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need your thanks. By the way, I gave the Queen a spare detonator, in case you lose your mind before pressing the button.¡¹ Seiya pointed to the Queen drinking wine in the distance. When Seiya showed John Dae¡¯s detonator, the Queen took out her detonator from somewhere under her clothes, and lifted it up while laughing. ¡¸I have it! ¡¹ Then, the soldiers and the palace maids around us took out their detonators one after another. ¡¸We have one too!! ¡¹ ¡¸Me too!! ¡¹ ¡¸I got one as well!! ¡¹ Seiya told a speechless John Dae the following words. ¡¸As a precaution, I gave a couple of detonators to some trusted soldiers and palace maids.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, why did you give those detonators to such people!? What if they press the button by accident!?¡¹ When I saw that John Dae freaked out¡­ *laughs* A laugh leaked from my mouth. John Dae, who noticed my presence, came to me alone. ¡¸C¡¯mon, that hero is really¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s just the way Seiya behaves. So, it¡¯s all right for us to ignore some of his ridiculous remarks, don¡¯t you agree?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe, yes but¡­I¡¯ll be really okay? I¡¯m not going to suddenly die, am I? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s going to be okay. We¡¯re talking about Seiya after all. I think there¡¯s a lengthy procedure to go until those boxes get detonated. Don¡¯t you think so?¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Yes! Now that you mention it, that¡¯s probably correct!¡¹ After we laughed slightly, John Dae stared attentively at my face and whispered. ¡¸¡­Aren¡¯t you going to tell the Queen about that story? ¡¹ Of course, I was Princess Tiana in my previous life. I saw the Queen talking happily with the soldiers at the distance. ¡¸Aria spoke to me about this before. The reason why reborn people have no memories of their previous lives is simple. We forget everything of our past so that we can start anew and live our new lives. I believe that¡¯s the right thing to do.¡¹ ¡¸Princess¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah. But, I won¡¯t forget, okay? I won¡¯t forget the Queen and you John Dae¡­And, of course, Kiri as well. Still, I don¡¯t think I should tell the Queen that I was Princess Tiana.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­that so. ¡¹ I glared at John Dae, who had a sunken face. ¡¸By the way, John Dae! Can you stop talking to me with such formal speech? Somehow, it feels weird and strange!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well. But, it¡¯s hard for me to switch it now upon learning the truth! ¡¹ I smiled wickedly at John Dae, who kept waving his hands at me. ¡¸You see. I never told you this info before¡­John Dae. A fish-man bashed you during the Enlistment Test of the Beast Emperor¡¯s corps, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! How do you know that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Actually, I was that fish-man. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ After being silent for a while¡­ ¡¸You¡­You shitty goddesssssssssss!! ¡¹ John Dae looked furious at me. I ran away from John Dae while laughing aloud. ¡ª ¡¸¡­Lista. We¡¯re going now if you¡¯re ready. ¡¹ Seiya spoke to me when the sun started to set. ¡¸Are you going already? I wished that you stayed here a little bit longer¡­ ¡¹ The Queen showed me a sad face. The feast was going to continue overnight, and I thought that it was okay to spend the whole night in Tarmine. Nonetheless, Seiya wanted to return early. Now that he had defeated the Demon King, Seiya probably thought that it didn¡¯t make any sense to remain in Exfolia. Actually, to tell the truth, I felt that Seiya stayed in the feast for a few hours because he might had taken into account my feelings. After all, I felt utterly depressed and sad that Kiriko was gone forever. The Queen smiled when I told her that we would return one day. ¡¸Well¡­In fact, I don¡¯t feel that lonely anymore. ¡¹ She pointed to the borders of the Tarmine Kingdom. On the far side, near the city walls, I could see the drunk Great Tarte. ¡¸Because now, Tarmine has a guardian goddess. ¡¹ ¡¸Ahah¡­But Seiya said that she wasn¡¯t that useful to being with. ¡¹ Nevertheless, after watching the Great Tarte for a short moment, Queen Carmilla spoke as if she felt nostalgic. ¡¸Somehow, I feel a connection with her. Someone always leaves a doll behind.¡¹ In my previous life, I gave the Queen a handmade doll when I was young. Unfortunately, the Grand Lion destroyed that doll¡­ ¡¸So, you gave me a bigger doll this time. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ The Queen laughed. Maybe the Queen knew about everything¡­Somehow, I felt that way. She came close to me and hugged me tightly. ¡¸Please, come back to Tarmine¡­Anytime is fine¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­ ¡¹ I left the Queen and opened the portal. Seiya and I dived through the portal towards the God¡¯s realm. I looked back on my way to the portal, and I saw the smiling Queen, alongside with John Dae, the soldiers, and far beyond, the Great Tarte, who waved at us innocently. ¡ª As soon as Seiya and I arrived at the plaza of the God¡¯s realm¡­ ¡¸Lista!! ¡¹ Aria rushed on my direction. Adenela and Celseus were in the surroundings as well. In addition, I saw the faces of other goddesses who never came down to the plaza of the God¡¯s realm. I saw Rusti, the Goddess of Change, and Nephitet, the Goddess of Seclusion. When I raised my thumb in silence, the feedback was similar to the one we received in Tarmine. Just like the soldiers who celebrated our victory, the gods praised Seiya and me. Meanwhile, Adenela touched my shoulder. ¡¸Li¡­Lista. You¡­You are now part of¡­of the top goddess¡¯ league.¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Top goddess? Me, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, Lista! You saved a SS-rank difficulty world after all! ¡¹ It didn¡¯t feel real to me even though Aria reaffirmed it. To be honest, Exfolia¡¯s rescue quest was completed 100% by Seiya¡¯s power. I was just by his side. Celseus showed me a smile since I looked rather awkward for not being able to rejoice openly. ¡¸Even so, I¡¯m glad the world was saved! Kiriko and John Dae must be thrilled, right? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Celseus. You see¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? ¡¹ I remained silent for a brief moment. Then, I changed my mind, and smiled with a happy expression on my face. ¡¸You¡¯re right! Both of them are very happy! ¡¹ ¡¸I see! I hope they¡¯ll come to work with me one day! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. One day, surely¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I must wash Kiriko¡¯s apron first before they come here! ¡¹ I looked at Celseus with tears when he took Kiriko¡¯s apron to the kitchen. That apron won¡¯t be worn again. Yes, never again. ¡ª After that, I headed towards the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room on my own. I went to report about the successful rescue of the world Exfolia. When I walked into the room, the Great Goddess Isister stared at me with a strange look on her face. ¡¸Listarte. Thank you for saving Exfolia, the SS-rank difficulty world. Moreover¡­¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister bowed deeply to me. ¡¸Please forgive me. I¡¯ve been hiding the truth from you for a very long time.¡¹ I shook my head with a smile on my lips. ¡¸Even Seiya fell down unconscious during the battle with Ceremonic because he knew the truth. Between saving the world and saving Kiriko¡­I think I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it if I knew the truth beforehand. And the results remained unchanged. Therefore¡­it¡¯s fine now.¡¹ I tried to leave the room when I bowed in respect. However, the Great Goddess Isister spoke to me before I left. ¡¸Are you leaving already? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ ¡¸Listarte. You know¡­ ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister, who was capable of predicting the near future, was able to read my future actions. Still, I spoke with confidence. ¡¸Because I am the goddess in charge of Ryuguuin Seiya. ¡¹ ¡ª When I left the Great Goddess Isister¡¯s room, I noticed that Seiya was leaning against the wall of the aisle. ¡¸Lista. Open the portal. We have to return to Exfolia. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I understand. But, why do you want to return? ¡¹ ¡¸I forgot about something irrelevant. I remembered that the old gramps told me to come to the Sage Village once I defeated the Demon King.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Now that you mention about it, that¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no big deal. I can go alone. No problem. I¡¯ll be right back. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ I summoned the portal as usual. I chose the place of arrival a little away from the Sage Village. Seiya tried to go under the portal. Yet, when he realized that I was going to follow him, he closed the portal¡¯s door. ¡¸Hey. What are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I was following you Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸I just said that I was going alone. ¡¹ I stared at Seiya¡¯s face. ¡¸I definitely believe that you didn¡¯t ¡°forget¡± about it. I bet that you forgot about it on purpose, am I correct? You wanted to leave me in the God¡¯s realm by myself while you went to the Sage Village on your own, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ I guess I hit the bull¡¯s-eye. Seiya clearly wrinkled between his eyebrows. I laughed proudly. ¡¸Ehhh! I won¡¯t be deceived anymore after what you did to me in Geabrande! ¡¹ ¡¸What a troublesome woman. ¡¹ Seiya sighed then. ¡¸Exfolia is safe. For now. There¡¯s a chance that some evil is lurking around. ¡¹ ¡¸What kind of evil are you referring to? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­The old gramps at the Sage Village. There¡¯s a high possibility that his identity is actually the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸Eh. How do you know that? ¡¹ ¡¸The wise man named Immel never existed in the Sage Village. I¡¯ve never heard of him before. In fact, I know all of the deceased villagers after I watched the past repeatedly from Isister¡¯s crystal ball.¡¹ ¡¸As expected of you Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸I have my own suspicions. When the Demon King said that his life was ¡°flowing towards the evil god¡±, he stared at the direction where the Sage Village is located.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That makes sense. ¡¹ ¡¸The evil god may be acting only as a conscious body in Exfolia. I presume that the evil god intervened through a crystal ball, or maybe into the subject¡¯s spiritual world. These two are the highest possibilities where the evil god could send instructions to the Demon King and the Emperors in Exfolia.¡¹ ¡¸And Artemaeus¡¯ death gave the evil god a mighty power¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. In other words, it¡¯s no longer just a conscious body as before. The evil god could probably kill me or even kill you. The evil god¡¯s abilities are unknown. It¡¯s likely that I¡¯ll die if I engage in a battle with the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸So, why are you going? ¡¹ ¡¸I have to see it with my own eyes. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you ready? ¡¹ After thinking for a while, Seiya finally muttered. ¡¸Not at all. ¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t like you Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸But, I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t the face the evil god directly. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. You¡¯re right. I feel the same way¡­ ¡¹ Seiya had a boring expression as usual. I never knew what Seiya was thinking about nor did I knew what to do, but this time, I knew that I had to be by his side. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to come. ¡¹ Even so, I stick behind Seiya. Then, Seiya stared at me. ¡¸Don¡¯t come. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t come. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸Do you want me to beat you? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind it. ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t come. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ Seiya raised his fist. Still, I didn¡¯t protect my head nor did I close my eyes. Eventually, Seiya gently lowered his raised fist. I smiled at him. ¡¸You helped me, and yet you called me an idiot for countless of times. You liked me and you hated me as well. Sometimes, it was confusing, while other times was clearer¡­But after all, we shared a lot with one another.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a rotten relationship. ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe, yes. ¡¹ I showed Kiriko¡¯s flower pendant to Seiya. ¡¸Listen. Do you want me to give this to you? ¡¹ ¡¸You did it for Kiriko. It¡¯s yours. ¡¹ ¡¸You know what? Kiri was pleased with the toys that you gave me in the God¡¯s realm.¡¹ I spoke with Seiya after he looked shyly away. ¡¸Seiya. Thank you for letting me spend an irreplaceable precious time with Kiriko in the God¡¯s realm.¡¹ After a moment of silence. Seiya finally muttered. ¡¸¡­Shall we go? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ I summoned the portal once again. The extraordinarily cautious Seiya didn¡¯t create golems this time. Perhaps, he realized that was it useless to bring golems with him this time. After diving through the portal, we walked together towards the Sage Village that was visible in the distance. I felt that Seiya¡¯s hand slightly touched my hand unintentionally. As a natural occurrence, I began to hold hands with him as we walked side by side. Seiya tried to shake my hand off his¡¯, but I grabbed his hand tight, and we continued to hold hands. I felt that we got along very well. We went to a place where we didn¡¯t know what to expect. Seiya didn¡¯t prepare for this upcoming hurdle, and I thought that I might never return alive¡­ Still, it wasn¡¯t possible for me to forgive the evil god that played with Kiriko¡¯s fate. Volume 2 - CH 121.1 Chapter 121: The Goddess of Violence (1) Seiya, who should be extremely cautious, pulled my hand and rushed towards the Sage Village without hesitation. After passing through the village¡¯s entrance, the magical circle that Seiya had erased before came into our sight. Suddenly, the magical circle emitted a strong red light like blood. The landscape around me, including the magical circle, became greatly distorted. ¡­Before long, we were surrounded by a dark space that had nothing around. It was as if we were thrown into a void space. Yet, I felt some familiarity with this space. This was the same place where the evil god had appeared before me for the first time. ¡­Did that mean¡­that we were in a spiritual world? I didn¡¯t know if this space was a reality or an illusion. The surroundings were swamped by a jet-black darkness that seemed to melt and disappear. I felt that my body was mixed with the darkness that swirled in this place. Still, I felt the warmth of Seiya¡¯s hand. I had no fear because I held hands with Seiya. No, actually, such feelings may had been paralyzed since I went to the battle with the Demon King. Then, Seiya¡¯s hand moved away. He let go of my hand to pull out the sword from his sheath. He took a step forward in order to cover me. ¡­I stood quietly while Seiya gazed attentively at the being that came in our direction. That being wore an eerie black robe just like the one it wore before. But, this time, the being removed its hood, and the mottled hair fell on the black wings at its back. ¡¸You managed to defeat Artemaeus even after he underwent extreme physical changes.¡¹ She emitted a pale purple aura from her body. I noticed her long eyes. Her lips were slim and she had a high nose. The evil god, or rather the evil goddess, was a surprisingly beautiful woman. ¡¸But, it¡¯s not that surprising to be honest. ¡°Achieve the impossible in order to save the world¡±¡­That¡¯s the resolve of a true hero. I know that better than anyone does.¡¹ ¡¸So, today aren¡¯t you going to impersonate that old gramps? ¡¹ The evil goddess laughed amusingly when Seiya asked her that question. ¡¸I couldn¡¯t control my overflowing power. But, finally, I was able to embody this body all the way from the consciousness¡¯ world. Artemaeus¡¯ soul, who once became a god, made my power rise tremendously. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡¹ Seiya snorted ¡°hmm¡±. The evil goddess was happily touching her long hair. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for this day after I destroyed several worlds. My hair gets a new colorful layer every time I destroy a world. But to you my hair might look ¡°impure¡±.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Who are you? ¡¹ When I asked her, the evil goddess stared at me with a surprisingly warm look. ¡¸My name is Merseys. I used to live in the same God¡¯s realm as you. ¡¹ ¡¸Go¡­God¡¯s realm¡­!? ¡¹ That was a shocking fact if the evil goddess¡¯ words were actually true. Nevertheless, Seiya nodded positively in response. ¡¸So, you are ¡°Merseys, the Goddess of Violence.¡± ¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­ ¡¹ The evil goddess stared at Seiya with an impressed expression¡­Eh, eh! Wait a minute! ¡¸Seiya!! How do you know she is the ¡°Goddess of Violence¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸Zeth, the other Goddess of War, spoke about her before. ¡¹ ¡¸Did she really talk about her before!? ¡¹ ¡¸She did. It felt like an important story. So, I wrote it down on a paper during that time. ¡¹ Seiya took a piece of straw paper out of his chest. I peeked at the opening page. The paper was written with Seiya¡¯s Japanese characters. ¡ª ¡º¡ïImportant¡ï Merseys, the Goddess of Violence (how to read: go.dde.ss / of / vi.o.len.ce / mer.se.ys). I heard her name for the first time with Zeth, the other Goddess of War. ¡¾Note¡¿Was she the one who caused the war in the heavenly world? Zeth was also in charge of the first confrontation. But, did other gods join them? Assuming that she was expelled from the heavenly world, and was exiled into a different world, she may now be a bad goddess.¡» ¡ª ¡¸What on earth is this!! Incredible!! It looks like a person¡¯s dictionary!! ¡¹ He already took such note when he first met Zeth!? He wrote it so that he wouldn¡¯t forget it¡­Moreover, he wrote his own assumption as well¡­So¡­Somehow, this felt a little bit creepy¡­No!! In fact, it was very useful!! Let¡¯s praise ¡°Ryuguuin Seiya¡±!! Seiya spoke directly to Merseys, after passing through an astonished me. ¡¸You told me to come here if I defeated the Demon King, right? Do you want to kill me and kill Lista in order to gain more power?¡¹ Merseys shook her head softly upon hearing Seiya¡¯s strong remarks. ¡¸I¡¯ve been watching all of your battles up to now. I think you possess a power equal to that of the gods¡­Yet, it seems that you don¡¯t have any predictive ability. Unfortunately, your assumptions are wrong. I called you here because I wanted to invite you.¡¹ ¡¸In¡­Invite? ¡¹ Then, Merseys stared at me with a smile on her face. ¡¸How about this? Would you like to create a rightful world with me? ¡¹ ¡¸Huh!? What are you saying!! Who on earth would like to cooperate with an evil goddess like you!!¡¹ I screamed with bitterness towards her. However, Merseys replied kindly as if she were my close friend. ¡¸Goddess Listarte. Is the God¡¯s realm a cozy and nice place? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course!! That¡¯s obvious!! ¡¹ ¡¸What you think is right is not necessarily right in reality. Listen carefully. The ideals of the God¡¯s realm are entirely wrong.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t know why you are so dissatisfied with the God¡¯s realm!! But, that¡¯s not the point here!! Seiya and I will never cooperate with someone like you!! You were the one who played with Kiri¡¯s life!!¡¹ ¡¸I see. The soul of the fetus in the Killing Machine¡­ ¡¹ Merseys showed me a compassionate face. ¡¸I once had something irreplaceable. Something precious that surpassed the eternal life of gods. But, in the end¡­¡¹ Then, Merseys stared at Seiya as well. ¡¸You two lost it, while I gained it. ¡¹ ¡­Wha¡­What? ¡­Behind Merseys. Something walked slowly out of the darkness. That being wore a mask and resembled a devil priest like the ones with saw in the Sage Village. It brought its body closer to Merseys when it stood right next to her. ¡¸I finally got it back. At that time, I realized what I had lost and how I could get it back.¡¹ While rubbing its mask with her fingers, Merseys glanced fixedly at me. ¡¸Goddess Listarte. If you cooperate with me, I will revive your child as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Revive Kiri¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can do it. ¡¹ ¡°Revive¡­as well¡±. Did that mean that the masked person had been revived!? Was that even possible to being with!? I knew that it was a trap in my head. However, the image of Kiriko talking happily flashed back in my mind. My emotions were shaken. Nonetheless, on this moment. ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t be fooled. She wants to deceive you with those sweet words. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! You¡­You¡¯re right! ¡¹ Seiya pointed his sword at Merseys. The masked person reacted violently. ¡¸¡­Hey, Merseys. Is that my enemy? ¡¹ A muffled voice of an unknown gender was heard inside the mask. That person left Merseys side and stood right in front of Seiya in order to confront him. Then, on this instant¡­ ¡¸State Berserk Phase 4th. ¡¹ As the voice echoed, the aura of the reddish black madness was emitted from the mask! Phase 4th!? Im¡­Impossible!! It¡¯s not been long since Seiya brought his Crazy Warrior state closer to Phase 3rd!! And even the goddess Zeth, who created this insane technique, must have reached the limit of Phase 3rd!! It was probable a fluke. However, the huge aura spread in the air with a force I¡¯ve never seen before. My spine froze when I felt the powerful presence of a demon. Unusually, Seiya took a step back. On the other hand, the masked person stepped towards our way when it moved its feet. Yet, it didn¡¯t approach us in the end. It fell to its knees shortly thereafter. I noticed that Merseys put her hand on its shoulder. ¡¸Don¡¯t overdo it. Your body is not yet familiar with this world. ¡¹ She helped the masked person to stand up. She acted as its support. Somehow, it seemed to me like the gesture of a close friend or a loved one. ¡¸Let¡¯s go. We have other enemies to overthrow. ¡¹ Then, Merseys turned away from Seiya and me, and walked out into the darkness. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait right there!! ¡¹ When I shouted aloud, Merseys looked back and muttered. ¡¸Everything will change from today on. A new, yet true world is going to be shaped.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 121.2 Chapter 121: The Goddess of Violence (2) ¡­Suddenly, I noticed that the black darkness was gone. In front of us stood the ruined Sage Village. Seiya and I were standing on the magical circle. ¡­Those weren¡¯t¡­hallucinations, right? Seiya hit my shoulder while I thought about what had happened. ¡¸Lista. Hurry up and summon the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ ¡¸Open the portal to the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Eh!! Do¡­Do you want to return straightaway to the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. So, hurry up. No, it may be too late. ¡¹ ¡¸May be too late¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­Do you mean that Merseys is in the God¡¯s realm!? ¡¹ ¡¸Most probably. ¡¹ I summoned the portal in a hurry. My heart beat violently while I dived through the portal. ¡­Aria!! Great Goddess Isister!! Please be safe!! Nevertheless. ¡¸¡­What!? ¡¹ As always, the gods were chatting happily and laughing in the plaza of the God¡¯s realm. After looking at the heartwarming realm, I stared at Seiya¡¯ face. ¡¸Nothing happened¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. They seemed to be ready to counterattack. At least, that¡¯s what I felt from that masked thing.¡¹ Wha¡­What the hell¡­I freaked out so much¡­I mean, these scares were extremely bad for my heart!! I lost my strength and fell down. But Seiya grabbed my collar and made me stand up. ¡¸Ugh!? ¡¹ ¡¸But they¡¯re definitely going to take some action soon. Lista. Let¡¯s go to Isister¡¯s room. ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡¸¡­Great Goddess Isister. Excuse us. ¡¹ ¡¸Listarte! You¡¯re safe! ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister came running on our direction and held my hands. She always took care of me. I thanked her for her concern, and I reported to her about everything that happened with a serious complexion. ¡¸I finally know the name of the evil god that was nesting in Exfolia. ¡°Merseys, the Goddess of Violence¡±¡­ That¡¯s the true nature of the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸Merseys¡­! ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister, who was usually quiet, opened her eyes wide and had a rough breath. ¡¸As a war criminal who caused the Unification War of the God¡¯s realm, she was supposed to have received the punishment of the fallen deities from the almighty gods of the innermost world of gods¡­I see¡­So, the evil god is actually her¡­¡¹ ¡¸Old hag. She absorbed the life of the Demon King Artemaeus and gained a mighty power. That¡¯s why I want to talk with the gods of the innermost world. Take me there.¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡­ ¡¹ We walked down the hallway guided by the Great Goddess Isister. Seiya and I entered the innermost world of gods from the ¡°room that stops time¡±. ¡ª I walked along the winding road to reach the innermost temple. At both sides of the entrance, stood Chronoa, the Goddess of Time, and Nemesil, the God of Reason. It was unusual to see them there since they were frequently inside of the grand temple. The Great Goddess Isister kneeled before the two great pillars of the innermost world of gods. ¡¸Lord Nemesil, God of Reason. Her Ladyship Chronoa, Goddess of Time. I request an audience with you to consult about the evil god of Exfolia.¡¹ ¡¸Isister. That¡¯s for later¡­Listarte, Goddess of Healing. The rescue quest of the SS-rank difficult world Exfolia must¡¯ve been challenging.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Ye¡­Yes!! ¡¹ I was shaken and confused. Yet, Chronoa smiled gently at me. ¡¸First, we have to congratulate you for your utmost efforts. Like us, the Supreme God Brahma will appear now.¡¹ ¡¸The Great Lord Brahma¡­! ¡¹ Brahma, the God of Creation. The Supreme God and Father of all gods. I had never seen such a figure before. Eventually, the temple¡¯s doors opened slowly. The figure that appeared with a divine light was actually a petite god. In fact, he was smaller than I was. Brahma was not giant like Nemesil, the God of Reason, nor beautiful like Chronoa, the Goddess of Time. He wore a white robe and had large wings on his back that didn¡¯t fit his petite body. But, what caught my eye more than anything was Brahma¡¯s face. The face of the Supreme God Brahma was split in the middle. The first half looked like a boy, and the other half looked like a girl. One of the hairs was short, while the other was long enough to reach his waist. ¡­Whoa¡­! This figure was Brahma, the God of Creation! Well, he was a little bit different from what I expected him to be! Brahma¡¯s slip face smiled tenderly. ¡¸You did well, Listarte. The punishment that had been imposed on you has been lifted. Moreover, you are going to be recognized as a top goddess from now on. I want you to do your best in the future.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­Thank you very much! ¡¹ I responded with a nervous voice. Nemesil spoke aloud from the other side. ¡¸This is probably the first time that Lord Brahma has appeared to anyone else except us. Be thankful, Listarte.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ Isister and I were both nervous to be on his presence. Even so, Seiya was the one to take a step closer to Brahma without any courtesy. ¡¸Hey, ¡°half-man¡±. There¡¯s something more urgent than that. ¡¹ ¡­After a moment of silence, both Nemesil and Chronoa exclaimed aloud. ¡¸Who¡­who¡­who¡¯s the ¡°half-man¡±, you damned fool¡­!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ryu¡­Ryuguuin Seiya! Lord Brahma is the supreme combination of Yin and Yang! He is the precious figure that created all things, including the creation of the universe!¡¹ I stared attentively at Brahma¡¯s face in fear. Still, the faces of the half-boy and the half-girl remained the same, and he kept smiling. Tha¡­Thank goodness! Apparently, he wasn¡¯t angry! ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya. I would like to thank you too. The salvation of a SS-rank difficulty world. That¡¯s a great accomplishment. I won¡¯t say that it would be right now, but¡­wouldn¡¯t you want to become a male god eventually?¡¹ I was stunned by those remarks. ¡­Se¡­Seiya¡­a male god!? If Seiya became a god, we could live together in the God¡¯s realm for all eternity!! That would be extremely wonderful!! However¡­ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhhhhhhh!? ¡¹ Seiya easily dismissed that proposal. Just like me, Brahma looked surprised as well. ¡¸If you become a god, you will get eternal life. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want it. Since most creatures die, they get to live a meaningful life for a limited amount of time. I won¡¯t have that if I get an eternal life.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So, there are those who have that kind of thinking. However¡­Still, you are quite the contrast of your guardian goddess. I asked that question to Listarte¡¯s soul once, and she answered with ¡°Eternal life, super YAY¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure that my soul really said ¡°super YAY¡±!? ¡¹ Seiya stared at me with white eyes after I yelled high. After a short while, he finally spoke the main subject to Brahma. ¡¸The mastermind behind the previous war of the heavenly world, Merseys, the Goddess of Violence, was the one who corrupted Exfolia. With a high degree of probability, she will attack the heavenly world in the near future.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I see. ¡¹ Despite the fact that Seiya spoke seriously to him, Brahma replied with a light-hearted tone as if they were having a small talk. ¡¸Merseys, you say. Certainly, she was a powerful goddess once. But, from our point of view, the power of violence was a shabby power.¡¹ ¡¸I had a glimpse of her power during the battle with the Death Emperor. I don¡¯t understand it clearly, but she might have the power to shake the foundation of the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸That won¡¯t happen. No one can stop time and become a threat to the innermost world of gods, on which we control the laws of the Three Thousand Worlds. The foundation of the God¡¯s realm won¡¯t shake.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not just Merseys that will attack this place. She will bring demons and evil gods with her. And most probably¡­¡¹ Seiya¡¯s strong gaze turned fixedly at Brahma. ¡¸A hero as well. ¡¹ For a moment, the area was calm as if the river waters had stopped. However, after a while, Brahma giggled and laughed aloud. ¡¸Sure, sure. The possibilities are endless. ¡¹ ¡¸If that probability happens, can the gods of the heavenly world kill the hero?¡¹ ¡¸No. Gods can¡¯t kill humans nor other good living beings. That¡¯s against the rules.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what should one do in that scenario? ¡¹ ¡¸In that scenario¡­That¡¯s right. Listarte will have to summon you again. ¡¹ ¡¸If that happens, I¡¯d like to keep my memories intact. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine¡­What? Did you perhaps change the course of this story to your own advantage?¡¹ Seiya turned his back on Brahma and proceeded to walk away from the grounds of the innermost temple. ¡¸Oh my. Where are you going, Ryuguuin Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸I want to meet Zeth, the other Goddess of War, and hear more about it. ¡¹ ¡¸Exfolia has been saved. Isn¡¯t your job over? ¡¹ ¡¸I just want to be sure. I want to know more about the thing that was with Merseys just moments ago. That thing managed to raise the state Berserker to the fourth stage.¡¹ ¡¸Zeth is isolated in the ¡°well of no return¡±. There was a plot of rebellion. So, that was the safest way to imprison her. No one can see Zeth now.¡¹ Iso¡­Isolated!? I went to the well the other day but she wasn¡¯t there!! ¡¸We take actions against rebels every time we see a disturbance in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then. I want data about the other gods that participated in the Unification War of the heavenly world. Since it was a war, who else joined the rebels¡¯ side besides Zeth?¡¹ ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya. I won¡¯t allow more human involvement in that matter. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I will investigate it without your permission. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh really. I guess I have no choice then¡­ ¡¹ Brahma snapped his finger abruptly. ¡­Eh. On this very moment, Seiya suddenly disappeared from the innermost world of gods. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ I looked around, but I didn¡¯t see him anywhere. ¡¸Supreme Lord Brahma!! Seiya is¡­What happened to Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸I sent him to his original world. ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­!! ¡¹ I shouted at Brahma who remained silent. ¡¸How could you!! Seiya saved Exfolia by risking his life!! He even worried about the God¡¯s realm where we currently live in¡­And yet, you sent him to his world so suddenly!! I didn¡¯t even say goodbye to him!! That¡¯s cruel!! It¡¯s too much!!¡¹ ¡¸Li¡­Listarte¡­! ¡¹ The Great Goddess Isister put her hand on my back in order to calm me down. However, I was furious at Brahma, who sent Seiya back without telling me in advance. ¡¸As I said before, Ryuguuin Seiya is a wonderful hero who was able to save the SS-rank difficulty world. Even Chronoa sympathizes with him. I would gladly welcome him if he were to become a male god.¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t even listen properly to everything that Seiya said to you!! ¡¹ Brahma smiled at me. ¡¸Not now. ¡¹ ¡¸Why!? Why do you say that!? ¡¹ The two mouths of the boy-girl faces were combined with one another, and became greatly distorted. ¡¸Until he becomes a god and chooses to exist as a holy entity, he remains an insignificant, immature and small human being.¡¹ The moment I saw the cold-hearted odd eyes of the Supreme God Brahma, I felt that something crumbled inside of me. ¡­The God¡¯s realm was supposed to be a peaceful place full of splendor and goodness. ¡­I had the company of the Great Goddess Isister, of Aria and Adenela, and even Celseus. This place was my cozy and peaceful home. Yet, with the dangerous emergence of Merseys, the common sense that I had taken for granted was twisted, and my feelings wavered tremendously. I was¡­No, the God¡¯s realm was about to be swallowed up by a whirlpool of a great chaos. Volume 3 - CH 122 Chapter 122: Divine Cup Inside of the temple of the God¡¯s realm where deities lived in¡­I was in the room of the Great Goddess Isister. She smiled at me with a gentle expression carved with wrinkles. ¡¸Listarte. I¡¯m sure that it was challenging to save the Kuorna world so soon after Exfolia.¡¹ ¡¸No, not really! It was a D-rank difficulty world this time! So, I managed to save it without any problems!¡¹ ¡¸Still, it¡¯s a great feat. You have achieved the salvation of another world in a short period of time.¡¹ I asked after giggling in embarrassment. ¡¸By the way, Great Goddess Isister. What about¡­Merseys¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been keeping watch of the God¡¯s realm in case she reappears. But, there¡¯s no movement of her so far. I don¡¯t think we have to worry too much.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re probably right. We mustn¡¯t worry too much¡­ ¡¹ I bowed to the Great Goddess Isister and left her room. However, as I walked through the temple¡¯s corridors, I thought deeply about the events that happened during that time. ¡­After Brahma forcibly sent Seiya to his original world, I spent a couple of days worried about Seiya¡¯s advice to be wary of the evil goddess. Merseys, the Goddess of Violence, was the evil god that controlled the evil forces of the Exfolia world from the shadows. She once lived in the God¡¯s realm. I was worried that she could attack at any moment. It could be today or tomorrow. But, we had no signs of her, and many days had passed since then. After a while, the fear disappeared and the divine world of the God¡¯s realm was peaceful once again. If I calmed down for second to think carefully about it, what Brahma said to us actually made sense. It was impossible for an invasion to happen as long as we had the Great Goddess Isister who could foresee the near future, Valkyrie who was the strongest goddess, and Chronoa who manipulated time. I could hardly imagine how the enemy would break this defense, which was as strong as an iron wall. Over time, my worries eased. At that time, I became a top goddess and was given a new mission to save another world. I was free to decide whether to do it or not, but after a while, I decided to accept the mission. I felt a great distrust of Brahma for what he did. Nevertheless¡­I felt deeply the loss of Kiriko¡­ I also felt helpless and various negative thoughts swirling in my mind. That¡¯s why I wanted to focus on something that could ease my feelings. In addition to it¡­ ¡¸Lady Listarte. The Supreme Lord Brahma wanted you to have this. ¡¹ ¡¸This¡­This is¡­! ¡¹ The Messenger of God from the God¡¯s realm gave me the heroes summoning list where Seiya¡¯s name was written as well. ¡­I could meet Seiya again!! ¡¸I understand! I¡¯ll do my best to save another world! ¡¹ After I received the list, I stared at Seiya¡¯s status quite seriously¡­ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­? ¡¹ I noticed that the remarks¡¯ column at the bottom of the summoning list had a ridiculous phrase. ¡ª ¡ºHis memory will be intact as promised once he is summoned. However, this exception is limited only to saving quests of S-rank difficulty worlds or higher.¡» ¡ª ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What the hell is thissssssssssss!! ¡¹ The saving quest I¡¯ve received was an E-rank difficulty world. I won¡¯t be able to summon Seiya this time. I felt as if Brahma was screwing with me for some reason, but it was already too late. I had no choice but to summon a very ordinary hero in order to save the E-rank world. ¡­After that, I received more saving quests. However, the difficulty ranks were always D or less. I kept asking the Great Goddess Isister if she had news of an ¡°S-rank difficulty world or higher!¡±, but she didn¡¯t know of any transcendental S rank world in need of saving. Including the Kuorna world, I saved three more worlds without Seiya. ¡ª I left the temple and headed towards the cafe run by Celseus, the Swordsman God. I saw familiar members sitting on chairs at a garden table. ¡¸Welcome back! You have been working very hard, Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Ha¡­Have you co¡­come back from¡­saving another world? Tha¡­That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ My sister, Aria, the Sealing Goddess, and Adenela, the Goddess of War with a weird tongue, spoke to me. I laughed while sitting at a nearby chair. ¡¸*laughs timidly* I don¡¯t want to stay still. ¡¹ Then, a loud voice was heard from behind. ¡¸Oh. Now that you¡¯re a top goddess you have become quite different. ¡¹ The Swordsman God Celseus gave me a teacup while saying those words. Celseus was a macho male god, but he was weak. Instead of mastering his sword skills, he was trying to be a master chef with his own coffee shop¡­Yeah. He was doing the opposite of his godly role. I looked at Celseus with a tough complexion. ¡¸More importantly. Celseus, aren¡¯t you going to summon a hero? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I won¡¯t! Making cakes are a hundred times more fun! ¡¹ Seeing the weak Celseus made me wonder about his origins. ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s a little strange. Celseus, you were originally a human being. But, why did you reincarnate as a god?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I reincarnated as a god because I did many good deeds during my human life and pursued the way of martial arts!¡¹ Celseus spoke with confidence. But, neither Aria nor Adenela had the slightest idea about it. ¡¸Now¡­Now that you mention it¡­that¡­that¡¯s really a mystery¡­Indeed. Why¡­this garbage became a god in the first place¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! Don¡¯t you dare call me ¡°garbage¡±!! Don¡¯t forget that you are drinking my tea at my own cafe!!¡¹ ¡¸By the way, Aria. I heard that a human being could become a god if one ¡°accumulated good deeds during life¡± or if one ¡°received a recommendation from a higher god¡±¡­Are these two the only options available?¡¹ Speaking of which, I heard that Aria recommended me to become a goddess. Aria put her cup of tea on the table and stared at me. ¡¸In fact, there is another way for humans to become gods. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! Is that so? What way? ¡¹ ¡¸The ¡°Divine Cup¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Di¡­Divine Cup, yes. It¡­It seems that it¡¯s¡­going to be held¡­pretty soon. ¡¹ After muttering, Adenela turned her gloomy eyes at Celseus. ¡¸We¡­Well, there¡¯s no way¡­that this idiotic man¡­as an hero¡­became the winner of the Di¡­Divine Cup. It¡­It¡¯s a mystery why Celseus be¡­became a god.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ Celseus growled frustratingly. On the other hand, I was with a ¡¸? ¡¹ mark in my head because of this particular subject. ¡¸Listen. What do you mean by ¡°Divine Cup¡±? ¡¹ Celseus gazed at me as if he were looking at the face of a fool. ¡¸Lista. You don¡¯t know anything about it? ¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So what! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible for her to know because Lista was born as a goddess a hundred years ago. The Divine Cup is an event held in the God¡¯s realm once in a thousand years. The hero, who saved a world with a high degree of difficulty, can become the next god or goddess candidate upon winning the Cup. Selected heroes fight each other in tournament format to decide who gets the right to be a deity¡­That¡¯s the Divine Cup.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, I never thought we had such a thing in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ In other words, the champion hero could become a god or a goddess. Celseus spoke to me in a happy manner. ¡¸You could say that it¡¯s like ¡°finding the strongest hero in the millennium¡±. This event is like a festival for the gods!¡¹ ¡­The chosen ¡°strongest hero¡± of a thousand years? I looked at this subject with interest. Aria smiled at me. ¡¸Well, in the God¡¯s realm, the flow of time is so slow that a thousand years is a decade in the human world. By the way, the participants need to have certain qualifications. For example, a hero ¡°had to save a world with a difficulty rank of A or higher¡± and ¡°needs to have the will to accept a godly reincarnation after death¡±. The heroes who participate in the Divine Cup are the ones summoned with exceptional memory and special stats.¡¹ Adenela touched Aria with her elbow. ¡¸A¡­Aria. Are¡­Are you going to summon your hero? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m entering the competition in a week. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, is that so! ¡¹ I noticed something relevant, and shouted aloud. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a second!! Isn¡¯t Seiya allowed to participate as well!? After all, Seiya and I saved an S and SS-rank difficulty worlds in a row!! We have the qualifications to participate!!¡¹ Surely, this time, I¡¯d meet Seiya! I took out the heroes¡¯ summoning list with Seiya¡¯s name while my heart beat extremely fast¡­ ¡¸Eh¡­Ehhhhhhhhhhhh!? ¡¹ As if the summoning list was listening to the current story, an unprecedented phrase appeared under Seiya¡¯s name! ¡ª ¡ºRyuguuin Seiya¡­Divine Cup incompatible.¡¾Reason¡¿He has the qualifications, but has no desire to become a male god.¡» ¡ª ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­!! ¡¹ I was disappointed and a big sigh came out of my mouth. Bu¡­But, certainly, I remember that Seiya refused Brahma¡¯s direct invitation. And if I thought deeply about it, Seiya didn¡¯t seem to want to be involved with the matters of the God¡¯s realm¡­ Even so, I felt so disappointed about this. ¡¸Ah, well. No one would be able to compete with a hero like Seiya in the tournament where the strongest hero is proclaimed¡­¡¹ Then, Adenela nodded positively in response. ¡¸De¡­Definitely. I¡¯m sure that Se¡­Seiya would be¡­be one of the wi¡­winning candidates.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right!! I¡¯m 100% sure that he would win the competition!! ¡¹ I felt something strange the moment I shouted. A weird feeling crawled on my chest. ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ When I looked down, I saw that someone from behind me grabbed my breasts! ¡¸Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! ¡¹ When I turned my face around, I noticed the presence of the half-naked goddess, Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, whose chains were wrapped around her body. She was rubbing my breasts, while raising the corners of her mouth in a mischievous way. ¡¸A 100% win, you say? That¡¯s not necessarily true, Listarte. Indeed, Ryuguuin Seiya is a great hero. And you showed that you had enough to be considered a worthy goddess in charge of that guy. But, listen carefully. The three thousand worlds are comprised of a wide space.¡¹ ¡¸More importantly!! Please, stop rubbing my breasts!! ¡¹ While I freaked out, I somehow managed to shake off the hands of the Goddess of Destruction. In contrast to me, who looked like tramp with a disrupted dress and rough breath, Valkyrie continued to talk as if nothing had happened. ¡¸There are heroes who surpass Seiya in ability value¡­For example, this guy. ¡¹ ¡­Eh¡­? A man dressed as a warrior was standing beside Valkyrie. This man hiccupped when he opened his robust jaw. I noticed that he wore a silver armor, and his short hair was maroon-colored. His eyes were blue, and his face was covered with scars. ¡¸He¡¯s one of the heroes I¡¯ve summoned in the past. His name is Ethan Sifford. His occupation is Battle Master. He is the strongest hero I¡¯ve ever known in the last ten years of the human world, a thousand years of the God¡¯s realm.¡¹ The hero, who was introduced to us, waved and smiled. ¡¸Everyone, hello. ¡¹ Hey, what the hell!? ¡¸Lady Valkyrie! This hero person is not a Japanese¡­! ¡¹ On Planet Earth, a country was booming in the Asian region. It was a common practice among gods to summon a Japanese hero because they were quick witted and sharp enough to understand the reason why they were summoned in the first place. Valkyrie laughed cheerfully. ¡¸Ethan lives in Japan. Therefore, he understood the otherworldly summoning process quite immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I work at a base in the Kanto area. ¡¹ Ehh!! A base!! Did that mean that he was an active duty soldier!? That¡­That sounded like a big deal to me!! He looked rather strong as well!! Valkyrie smiled confidently. ¡¸Listarte. I¡¯ll give you something special. I¡¯ll show you Ethan¡¯s status. Okay then, can you use your clairvoyance ability now?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! ¡¹ I narrowed my eyes, and saw the abilities of Valkyrie¡¯s hero. Ethan Sifford Level ¨C 99 (MAX) HP ¨C 587654 MP ¨C 55237 Attack ¨C 567444 Defense ¨C 405152 Agility ¨C 384545 Magic ¨C 25147 Potential rate ¨C 999 (MAX) ¡­ ¡­Impossible!! Even though he wasn¡¯t in a Berserker mode, his attack power exceeded the 500,000 points!! I was even more surprised when I saw his special skill item. ¡ª ¡ºSpecial skill: Destruction Techniques ¡» ¡ª ¡¸Can¡­Can he really perform the Destruction Techniques!? ¡¹ ¡¸When I taught Seiya about my skills, I thought that perhaps my hero would be able to learn them as well. So, I summoned him here and taught him my skills. He was able to learn them in the end. Well, he learnt every procedure except the Valhala Gate.¡¹ Valkyrie¡¯s fearsome Destruction Techniques!! I thought that Seiya was the only human being capable of learning her frightening skills!! Valkyrie placed her hands on the shoulders of her hero. ¡¸I must give him a title. He¡¯ll be the ¡°Destruction Hero¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Valkyrie. It sounds as if I¡¯m the bad guy. ¡¹ Meanwhile, Aria asked Valkyrie in a calm manner. ¡¸Speaking of which, Lady Valkyrie. Will your hero compete in the Divine Cup? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct¡­Aria. Are you going to bring your hero as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! My hero is going to participate as well! ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, but that¡¯s just a waste of time. I don¡¯t think anyone can beat my hero. ¡¹ Valkyrie entangled Ethan with a tight hug, just as she did with Seiya in the past. ¡¸The champion is Ethan Sifford, the ¡°Destruction Hero¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸No! We will be the ones to win! I won¡¯t let your hero become a male god!¡¹ ¡¸*laughs* Okay, that¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s start training now, and see which of them will take the divine cup!¡¹ Aria shuddered as she saw Valkyrie and her hero Ethan walk somewhere in the God¡¯s realm. ¡¸I¡­I can¡¯t stand still like this! I have to call my hero and practice! ¡¹ ¡¸But, Aria! Can you win against Valkyrie¡¯s hero? He had an incredible status! ¡¹ ¡¸The hero that I¡¯m bringing to this competition specializes in magic! I¡¯ll show you! The battle of heroes isn¡¯t meant to be just about physical power!¡¹ Aria shook her large breasts, and then, ran immediately to the summoning chamber located in the temple. I was stunned to see Aria¡¯s different behavior. ¡¸Ho¡­How unusual! Aria was burning with a competitive spirit! ¡¹ Then, the arm-crossed Celseus professed the following words. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t surprise me. It is a great honor for gods to win the historical and venerable Divine Cup with their own heroes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­You know a lot about it, don¡¯t you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, you know what? Actually, I am a Divine Cup enthusiast who can say all the names of the heroes who have participated so far! I¡¯ve watched the previous Cups many times with the crystal ball!¡¹ ¡¸Enthusiast!? So¡­So, why don¡¯t you summon a hero!? ¡¹ ¡¸I like to watch the matches, but I hate to participate in it. ¡¹ I stared at an awkward Celseus with white eyes. ¡¸Ah, I see. So, that explains a lot. After you watched the matches for many times, you became a ¡°delusional fighting geek¡± that made you feel stronger and better with yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the ¡°delusional fighting geek¡±!? I¡¯m the proud Swordsman God!! ¡¹ ¡¸Even¡­Even so¡­*laughs weirdly* The ¡°Destruction Hero¡±? He¡­He looked somewhat easygoing¡­but¡­in the end¡­he was an unexpected powerful human being. I¡­I¡¯m looking forward to the event that¡¯s going to be held in one week.¡¹ After I saw how Adenela laughed happily, I got immersed with my own thoughts. ¡­¡°A hero greater than Seiya¡±, huh. That certainly bothered me. What kind of battle style could he perform¡­? My first Divine Cup was about to begin. Volume 3 - CH 123 Chapter 123: Sacred Hero As Celseus described before, it was a festive day for the gods. The Supreme God used his creation power to build a huge amphitheater in the plaza of the Gods¡¯ realm. I heard that this building, which could accommodate tens of thousands of gods, was completed in just a few minutes. I was deeply impressed by saying, ¡°This place really is the Gods¡¯ realm after all¡±. Once I came inside, I noticed the presence of numerous gods sitting at the stone benches that surrounded the arena of the amphitheater. It seemed that most of the gods from the Gods¡¯ realm gathered at the amphitheater. The place was so crowded that I could hardly step inside. I walked through the crowd and managed to find the seat that Aria reserved in advance. After I sat down at my seat, I felt a steam of heat coming from the gods at the arena because the sunlight was pouring directly inside since there was no ceiling. Ugh, so hot¡­! At this time, a high-spirited voice was heard from behind my back. ¡¸Iced coffee, iced coffee. Who wants a cold and delicious iced coffee?¡¹ Ah, a sales boy! That saved my day! ¡¸Excuse me! I want one please! ¡¹ Looking back, I noticed that the sales boy was Celseus who carried a heavy coffee server on his back. ¡¸What the hell!! It¡¯s you!! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong with that. I can see my favorite Divine Cup up close, and I can earn heavenly money at the same time. It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone, don¡¯t you agree?¡¹ ¡¸Hey you, each day you¡¯re less and less a Swordsman God¡­ ¡¹ He took some coffee out of his server and gave it to me. I handed over a godon coin, which was the currency of the Gods¡¯ realm. ¡¸By the way, Lista. How did you get such a good seat? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Aria provided this seat for me. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a god¡¯s privilege to participate or watch the Divine Cup. You¡¯re lucky.¡¹ Despite being so crowded, I stood in the front row. It was a great seat where I could see the whole arena. Celseus placed down his coffee server and sat next to me. ¡¸It¡¯s about to start. I need to take a break now. I¡¯ll sit next to you, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­! Why does it have to be next to me! ¡¹ ¡¸Because both of the seats next to you are empty!! So, why isn¡¯t it all right!?¡¹ Those seats were meant for Aria and Adenela as promised. Yet, Celseus sat right next to me. Then, a lively voice echoed throughout the arena. ¡¸Everyone! Welcome to the big day! This is the 10th anniversary of the Divine Cup! I, Musa, the Goddess of Sound, will be the announcer of today¡¯s game!¡¹ A goddess with cat ears was raising her voice from the center of the arena. Even though there was no microphone, the sound of her voice reverberated all over the amphitheater. This was probably due to Musa¡¯s power as the Goddess of Sound. ¡¸Well then! I shall announce the first match! From the west side, I present you Aegis, the Shield God, who¡¯s in charge of the ¡°Iron Wall Hero¡±¡­the contestant Morino Masato!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Lista. Here comes the heroes. ¡¹ Celseus pointed with his finger to the door at the end of the passage, which connected to the center of the amphitheater, opened with a loud noise. From there, a person with armor walked towards the arena. The hero was a delicate man who did not match the large shield that he was equipped with. ¡¸And from the east side! I present you Ariadoa, the Sealing Goddess, who¡¯s in charge of the ¡°Heavenly Charging Hero¡±¡­the contestant Mochizuki Reimi!¡¹ The woman who appeared from the opposite door was lightly equipped. She wore a dress like the stunning goddess¡¯ dresses, and held a wand on her hand. She was probably a magician type as Aria described. Mochizuki Reimi was a woman that seemed to be in her twenties. She had a long reddish-brown hair that went down to her waist. Moreover, she had a high nose and a beautiful face. ¡¸So, that girl is Aria¡¯s hero¡­ ¡¹ In the arena¡¯s east corner, Aria and Mochizuki Reimi were talking seriously, and in the opposite direction, Aegis, the Shield God with white beard, was talking with Morino Masato. This scenario resembled the boxer matches of Seiya¡¯s world, where a corner man, or second, assisted a fighter during a bout. Perhaps, the gods in charge would even send instructions to the heroes during the match. As a large crowd of gods cheered aloud, the two heroes eventually left their gods¡¯ side in order to face each other at the center of the arena. Aria¡¯s hero, Mochizuki Reimi, smiled fearlessly, while Morino Masato seemed quite nervous. ¡¸We shall start the first match now!! ¡¹ The sound of gongs echoed throughout the arena. At the same time, the cheers from the audience increased dramatically. Immediately after the start, Mochizuki Reimi took some distance from Morino Masato with a quick back step. When Reimi swung her wand, a huge magical circle appeared in front of her. ¡­So fast! She deployed a magical circle in an instant! However, her opponent Morino was already holding his shield to prepare himself against an attack from the magical circle. And the next moment, I doubted my own eyes. The shield that he held up, multiplied immediately and spread to the right and left sides! More than ten shields surrounded Morino to protect him! ¡¸Oh lord! Morino used the so-called direct transmission technique of Aegis, the Shield God! On the other hand, Mochizuki is preparing herself to strike against those prevailing shields with her magic powers!¡¹ Reimi¡¯s magical circle began to shine when she waved her wand. ¡¸¡­Tidal Wave. ¡¹ A large amount of water emerged from that huge magical circle! With increasing momentum, it attacked Morino like a fierce tsunami! It seemed that the terrible water current swallowed Morino. Yet, after the tsunami left, Morino was standing in the same position as before while surrounded by his numerous shields. Apparently, he didn¡¯t receive any damage. Still, Reimi had already deployed a new magical circle in the air. ¡¸Lightning Ball. ¡¹ The next thing that emerged from the magical circle resembled a lightning glowing sphere. In the blink of an eye, dozens of spheres were formed and released towards Morino. When they landed, Morino¡¯s shields rattled. However, the Shield God Aegis smiled victoriously while touching his white beard. ¡¸A lightning strike after getting him wet? Too bad, but as you can see, he didn¡¯t receive any electric shock. I taught him one of my special skills ¡°Absorbed Shield¡±. This skill completely protects the user not only from physical attacks but also from magical attacks. Besides¡­¡¹ The goddess announcer exclaimed high as if she noticed something unexpectedly. ¡¸Wha¡­What a reversal! Even after the lightning strike, Morino¡¯s shields are still emitting the opponent¡¯s lightning! It¡¯s as if Mochizuki¡¯s lightning has been absorbed completely!¡¹ I swallowed my saliva. That shield wasn¡¯t just a defensive mechanism! It absorbed the opponent¡¯s power just like the technique that Seiya showed during the Death Emperor¡¯s Battle! ¡¸Don¡¯t keep defending. After all of her magical attacks are over, activate the counterattack strike to defeat the opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that. ¡¹ Morino and the Shield God were talking like master and pupil. ¡­What were you going to do, Aria!? I stared fixedly at Aria¡¯s complexion, but she was so calm. That was the usual Aria¡¯s demeanor. Mochizuki Reimi laughed then. ¡¸A counterattack? I wonder if you can succeed with that. ¡¹ And then, she waved her wand one more time. ¡¸Tidal Wave. ¡¹ She¡­She was using her water magic again!? Magic powers won¡¯t work because they are going to be absorbed by the opponent!! The tsunami hit Morino as before. Yet, the situation was odd. That large amount of water didn¡¯t disappear from the arena and remained around Morino like a large sphere of water. ¡¸¡­Floating Bubble. ¡¹ Reimi pointed her free hand at Morino. The Goddess of Sound announcer shouted high. ¡¸That attack was combined with wind magic! Morino is trapped now! ¡¹ Morino was now inside a huge water ball. Even if he had a great defensive skill, Morino was still a human being after all. ¡¸Are you okay? You¡¯ll suffocate if you remain still. ¡¹ Immediately after Reimi laughed. Morino released his shield when the water accumulated fully, and managed to pull out his sword that cut through the water sphere. A large amount of water flowed out from there along with Morino. ¡¸Ah, ah, ah¡­ ¡¹ Morino uttered words of relief when he took a deep breath. Before he realized it, countless of lightning balls surrounded him from all sides! The lightning balls hit Morino¡¯s body before he had the time to activate his shield! ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹ At the same time, those lightning balls hit his body; Morino was electrocuted and fell to the ground. The Goddess of Sound declared the following words. ¡¸And¡­And with that, the match is officially over!! The winner is Lady Ariadoa¡¯s hero, the contestant Mochizuki Reimi!¡¹ The crowd of gods that surrounded me in the arena stood up, applauded, and cheered tremendously. Tha¡­That was Aria¡¯s hero! To be honest, the match wasn¡¯t that overwhelming! I expected a little bit more, even if the opponents were fellow chosen heroes¡­! ¡¸Hey, Celseus! Are these battles with heroes so quickly settled? ¡¹ ¡¸No! Sometimes battles last more than an hour! But this time the difference in power was rather obvious!¡¹ Celseus spoke with excitement. ¡¸Even so, Lady Aria is amazing! Her ¡°Unsealed¡± ability can release the power that is hidden in a person! Lady Aria¡¯s power made Mochizuki Reimi a super-strong thunder master! She proved herself when she summoned a great hero!¡¹ Celseus wasn¡¯t the only one excited about this match. The other gods in the arena cheered with excitement as well. I could hear several voices from behind. ¡¸As expected of Lady Aria! She showed us the greatness of her hero! ¡¹ ¡¸If Lady Valkyrie wins now, the final match could end up being a showdown between Lady Valkyrie¡¯s hero and Lady Aria¡¯s hero!¡¹ After hearing these words, I stood up immediately. Celseus looked at me with surprise. ¡¸He¡­Hey. Where are you going, Lista? The next match will be with Lady Valkyrie¡¯s hero, did you forget that?¡¹ ¡¸No. They¡¯ll win anyways. I will only watch the finals. If Aria comes here, say hello for me.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, are you serious? You haven¡¯t drank your whole coffee yet! ¡¹ ¡¸Throw it away because it tastes bad. ¡¹ ¡¸Why are you being so rude to me!? ¡¹ I left the amphitheater while waving goodbye at a screaming Celseus. ¡ª I ventured out of the plaza, and then, I stared at the amphitheater from the outside. I could hear the loud cheers of gods even from this distance. It seemed that the arena would be removed as soon as the Divinity Cup was over. Since it was created with the power of the God of Creation, it could be instantly erased. The next event was going to be held a thousand years later. I recalled the previous match. It was a decent match. These transcendental battles by various heroes would continue in the future. As a goddess who saved earthly worlds, it may be necessary for me to study firmly about the regular events that happened in the Gods¡¯ realm. But¡­Even so¡­ ¡­Ah. I wished Seiya had participated as well¡­ A deep sigh came out of my mouth. In other words, I felt extremely frustrated. That¡¯s why I left the amphitheater. Certainly, the ability value of Valkyrie¡¯s hero seen through my clairvoyance ability was frightening. Aria¡¯s hero was also a formidable magician. Still, there was plenty of opportunities for Seiya to win if he activated his Berserker state. To put it in another way, Seiya¡¯s ability values were at a different level than those two. ¡­The other gods would scream in admiration if they saw Seiya¡¯s battle style! My mood became so gloomy afterwards. While thinking about such a thing, I noticed the presence of a special venue a little away from the arena. ¡¸Oh¡­What is this place? ¡¹ The signboard said the following words, ¡°The Memorial Hall of Successful Heroes¡±. Huh. Why did they build such a thing? Since it was a memorial, did that mean that this place comprised of heroes who won the Divine Cup? I was about to go back to the amphitheater but I stopped midday. After I watched a match, I thought that I¡¯d at least check out what kind of heroes won in the past. Therefore, I ended up walking into the memorial hall. ¡ª It was quiet inside the memorial hall because the next match had probably started by now. The amphitheater was built two days before the event, and this memorial hall was probably built at the same time. Perhaps, it was something important one should¡¯ve seen before the event started. ¡¸¡­Welcome. ¡¹ I heard a voice from behind. When I turned around, I saw no figure. But, when I moved my eyes downward, I could see a little girl wearing a kimono. ¡¸La¡­Lady Rusti? ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. It¡¯s been a long time. ¡¹ Rusti, the Goddess of Change, was the one who taught Seiya about the art of change. This goddess was short and innocent enough to be considered a child. Yet, it seemed that she had lived for more than ten thousands of years. She was usually in the Heavenly Mountain of Seclusion¡­ ¡¸Why are you at this place? ¡¹ ¡¸I lost because of rock-paper-scissors. That¡¯s why I was forced to take care of this place.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so. Wait! Rock-paper-scissors, you said¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I was bored that nobody came here. But, since you¡¯re here now, I¡¯ll just explain it to you.¡¹ Then, Rusti beckoned me and started walking. Just like a museum, the passage of the memorial hall was lined up with paintings. ¡¸These are portraits of legendary heroes. They don¡¯t display only the Divine Cup winners, but also the legendary heroes who have saved different worlds for countless of times.¡¹ ¡¸Eh. ¡¹ ¡¸This memorial is usually under the jurisdiction of the innermost world of gods. But, they¡¯ve relocated it here because of the Divine Cup. So, it¡¯s just a temporary exhibition.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, there are so many paintings here¡­! ¡¹ I was surprised to see dozens of portraits of men and women. Rusti continued to talk. ¡¸By the way, the Divine Cup started 10,000 years ago. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s been held for that long!? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, in the human world, it has been only a hundred years since then. In the meantime, many heroes have been summoned. Some of these heroes shown in these portraits have already stopped being humans and became gods and goddesses.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I see. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then. It¡¯s better for you to look around slowly. ¡¹ Afterwards, I walked alone while looking at the portraits. At the bottom of each portrait was a plate. The names and titles of the heroes were written on those plates. ¡ª ¡ºAttacking Hero ¡»Tsukamoto Akihiko ¡ºEnthusiastic Hero ¡»Hitani Gouki ¡ºFurious Hero ¡»Michiaki Hoshi ¡ºSatisfactory Hero ¡»Enoki Mitsue ¡ºAgile Hero ¡»Mitarai Hayato ¡ºLucky Hero ¡»Yotsuba Kyoko ¡ª The¡­There were many titles of heroes! Of course, Seiya would be the ¡°Cautious Hero¡±, right¡­I was walking from portrait to portrait because I thought that these titles were quite interesting. Eventually, I reached the end¡­ ¡¸Hmm? What¡¯s this? ¡¹ My voice leaked out naturally. There was a picture frame at the end, but it didn¡¯t have a portrait. At the bottom of the portrait stood a plate inscribed with the following words. ¡ª ¡ºSacred Hero ¡» ¡ª It was strange. It had a title but the picture frame was empty. It was as if the original portrait had been removed. The plate didn¡¯t even have a name¡­No¡­If one looked closely; there were traces of the hero¡¯s name. Still, it looked as if it had been erased, or was I mistaken? When I looked around, I noticed that Rusti came to me in a hurry. ¡¸Sorry, Lady Rusti. But, this picture frame¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Lista! It¡¯s serious! ¡¹ Rusti showed me a crystal ball with exhilaration. It showed footage of the arena. ¡¸Lady Valkyrie¡¯s hero will be fighting against Aria¡¯s hero now! ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! That fast!? ¡¹ ¡¸It looks like both forces will be in equal standing! Valkyrie has trained more than five legendary heroes so far! But, on the other hand, we have the poised Aria! This match is the ultimate showdown of destiny! It¡¯s the decisive battle!¡¹ Valkyrie was the strongest goddess of the God¡¯s realm. But, Aria was a veteran goddess who had saved over three hundred different worlds. I wasn¡¯t sure how the match would end. ¡¸This memorial hall must be closed now! I want to watch such a great match live!¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait, Lady Rusti!? ¡¹ Rusti threw away her crystal ball and ran like a rabbit. Ehh, didn¡¯t she have to close the doors of the memorial hall!? Bu¡­But, I wanted to watch that match as well!! ¡¸Please, wait! I¡¯m going too! ¡¹ I chased after Rusti and headed back to the arena. ¡ª ¡¸Well then! This match will be a fearsome battle! Already at the center of the arena stands Mochizuki Reimi, the ¡°Heavenly Charging Hero¡±, where she¡¯ll go up against Ethan Sifford, the ¡°Destruction Hero¡±!¡¹ Musa, the Goddess of Sound, spoke with a high voice. I returned to the front row and noticed that Celseus and Adenela sat at the same bench but a little far away from each other. I tried to sit down in a hurry. ¡¸Oh, Lista! You finally came here! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s great, you¡­you are right in time. It¡­It¡¯s about to start. ¡¹ Aria was trying to give some instructions to Mochizuki Reimi. ¡¸Reimi! Calm down! Keep a safe distance as we simulated before! No matter how powerful is the attacks of our opponent, there¡¯s no chance against you unless he touches you!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, leave it to me. I will never let him approach me. Just one more step before this ends.¡¹ I didn¡¯t see Ethan yet. But, Valkyrie was already on the other side. She listened to Aria and Reimi¡¯s conversation and laughed out loud. ¡¸Ah, Ah. You can try various measures. But, no matter how much you try, you won¡¯t win against my hero!¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t know until I try! ¡¹ Aria was showing an angry face. Who¡­Whoa. I¡¯ve never seen Aria like that. The rivalry and competitive spirit were really in full force¡­ ¡¸Now, I present you the entrance of Ethan Sifford, the ¡°Destruction Hero¡±! ¡¹ The door of the passage leading to the arena was opened. At the same time, the whole arena was enveloped in loud cheers. The eyes of all gods, including me, were staring fixedly at the opened door. However¡­No movement, even after a while. The Destruction Hero never came out of the door. ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? He is in trouble? ¡¹ Valkyrie wrinkled between her eyebrows. ¡¸What exactly are you doing, Ethan you bastard? Did you go take a piss?¡¹ When the crowd of gods began to buzz, something was thrown out of the door into the center of the arena. It made a dull noise and rolled around through the cobblestone of the amphitheater. ¡­Eh¡­ I was able to see it clearly, because I was at the front row seat. I stared at it not once, not twice but three times to make sure that I wasn¡¯t seeing an illusion. I stared so much that it clearly stuck in my retina. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t process that situation in my head. The same happened with the gods that surrounded me. They were shocked, stunned and helpless before they could even shout, because something too abrupt and bizarre just happened. Rolling down the arena¡¯s ground was the distorted head of Valkyrie¡¯s hero, Ethan Sifford. Volume 3 - CH 124 Chapter 124: The Collapse of Paradise The gods buzzed around me. ¡¸Is¡­Is that thing a human head? ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be. Isn¡¯t that some kind of performance? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey¡­! Who¡¯s that¡­? ¡¹ Someone from the crowd pointed towards one particular spot. The gaze from the gods, including mine, looked that way. I noticed that a being slowly walked into the arena from the side door. That said being had a slender body and wore a blackish gold armor. But, what caught my eye was the mask it was wearing. ¡¸Im¡­Impossible¡­!! ¡¹ I stood up impulsively, and I tried to head towards the arena. ¡¸He¡­Hey, Lista? Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸Wait! Where are you going? ¡¹ Adenela and Celseus called me, but I still ran in a hurry. That was not some kind of performance! Ethan Sifford was really killed! I knew that for certain because I remembered that being! That masked person emanated an insane reddish black aura of madness from its entire body! ¡­At that time, that person was with Merseys!! ¡ª When I reached the grounds of the arena, I shook Aria¡¯s shoulders violently. ¡¸Aria! You must call Mochizuki Reimi now! That person is dangerous! ¡¹ Mochizuki Reimi was watching the masked person approaching her with suspicion. Aria nodded silently upon hearing my words. It wasn¡¯t necessary for me to say much more. The atmosphere was strange and ominous. ¡¸Reimi! Let the gods handle the outsider! ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Just listen, and retreat now! ¡¹ Reimi seemed surprised by Aria¡¯s unusually strong tone. Then, Reimi retreated reluctantly. A goddess stepped into the arena instead of Reimi. Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction, approached Ethan¡¯s head after it rolled in the ground. She stared at it for a long while. But, eventually, she moved her eyes and glared fixedly at the masked person standing at the center of the arena. ¡¸Were you the one who did this? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ The moment I heard the muffled voice from behind the mask, Valkyrie disappeared from my sight. Then, I heard a dry sound instantaneously, and the position of those two people was reversed. ¡­No way¡­Did she attack!? On this precise instant!? The masked person spoke after regained its posture. ¡¸Oh my. That was dangerous. As expected of a goddess. You have great speed.¡¹ ¡¸And I praise you for avoiding my direct hit. I wanted to break your neck. But, did you say that it was ¡°dangerous¡±? You didn¡¯t see anything yet. So, don¡¯t joke with me.¡¹ Valkyrie clenched one of her fists. At the same time, the mask cracked severely. ¡¸¡­ Destruction Operation Method the First¡­¡°Shattered Break¡±. ¡¹ The cracked mask was destroyed into several pieces and fell to the ground. I imagined that beneath the mask was the face of an eerie, ugly monster. But, the face that appeared beneath it had glossy lips. Eyes with long eyelashes. And then¡­ ¡¸Eh. I thought that you performed it properly. But, what on earth is this? Disappointing.¡¹ I clearly heard the voice of the masked person because the mask itself had come off. It was the voice of a young woman. ¡¸Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, since your essence is different from mine. Gods and goddesses can¡¯t harm human beings, am I right?¡¹ Valkyrie¡¯s complexion changed when she stared attentively at the shorthaired woman who spoke to her so carelessly and confidently. ¡¸You¡­! ¡¹ ¡­Eh! Valkyrie! Did she know that woman¡­? However, the woman spoke with a sarcastic tone. ¡¸But, it doesn¡¯t matter that much if I¡¯m the one allowed to take such an action.¡¹ She pointed at Ethan¡¯s head and smirked. ¡¸By the way, was that man a candidate for the championship? He wasn¡¯t good enough.¡¹ ¡¸Did you just say that my hero wasn¡¯t good enough? ¡¹ ¡¸His stats were high. But, he wasn¡¯t that strong in the first place. If a person who graduated from a top-ranked university is caught later as a molester, do you really think he was a smart person to being with? That¡¯s how I describe him.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know the meaning of those words, but don¡¯t you dare smile at me. ¡¹ ¡¸As a former hero, I¡¯m just sad to see the insignificance of levels nowadays. ¡¹ ¡­Fo¡­Former hero¡­!? I shouted to Aria, who stood right next to me. ¡¸Listen, Aria!! Who is that person!? ¡¹ Then, Aria muttered in response. ¡¸The Sacred Hero¡­! ¡¹ Wa¡­Was that the title that I saw in the memorial hall a while ago¡­? ¡¸But¡­No way, how is this possible¡­! It¡¯s absolutely impossible for a person whose soul has shattered to be able to revive¡­!¡¹ Aria spoke with a trembling voice. Valkyrie and Aria seemed to know this woman. I wanted to ask more about her, but Aria was extremely disturbed upon witnessing such appearance. When I returned my gaze to the center of the arena, I became horrified! That woman was staring attentively at me! ¡¸I¡¯ve met you before. Hey, hey, why aren¡¯t you with that man? You see, I think that he was definitely strong.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya isn¡¯t at the God¡¯s realm right now! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. That¡¯s boring. ¡¹ The moment she showed a disappointing expression¡­ ¡¸¡­Where the hell are you looking at. ¡¹ Valkyrie stood behind that woman. Then, she swung down her arm with the power of destruction. A metallic sound resonated high¡­I witnessed something unbelievable again. A familiar goddess, dressed in a camouflage cloth, stood between Valkyrie and the woman who called herself as a former hero, and blocked Valkyrie¡¯s fist of destruction with her double sword. ¡¸Ze¡­Zeth!? ¡¹ I screamed involuntarily!! No way!! Wasn¡¯t she imprisoned by the Supreme God Brahma!? Zeth, the other Goddess of War, who once taught Seiya about the state Berserk, spoke to the former hero after she broke the chains of Valkyrie¡¯s fist with her double sword. ¡¸Don¡¯t be caught off guard. She is the strongest goddess of the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, Zeth. Can¡¯t I win with Phase 4th? ¡¹ ¡¸Did you reach State Berserk Phase 4th, huh? It¡¯s quite strange for you to learn it even though I didn¡¯t teach you that. Well, that¡¯s probably because of Merseys¡¯ great power.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, can¡¯t I win? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Anyway, we have to move accordingly to our strategy. ¡¹ ¡¸I see, yeah. That¡¯s right. ¡¹ Zeth faced Valkyrie directly while holding her swords. In the meantime, the female former hero took a piece of paper out of her chest. When she threw that paper in the air, the red magical circle drawn on it transformed into a giant hole! ¡¸I connected the gate. Hello, you can enter now. ¡¹ From the ominous bloody circle, a rotten arm from a decayed corpse first appeared. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! ¡¹ I had a very bad feeling about it. And it seemed that my hunch was correct. First, several undead with armors, then others emanating evil from black robes, and finally, horrible insect-like monsters¡­Horrible and frightening beings were crawling out of that bloody circle! ¡¸The¡­The devils!! ¡¹ The gods in the amphitheater were terrified and unsettled. Those evil beings, which resembled the power of Demon Kings from S-rank difficult worlds, bended the knee around the magical circle when they got out. Eventually¡­From the magical circle, the Goddess of Violence with mottled hair appeared dashingly. ¡­Merseys¡­!! She emanated an evil jet-black aura that was the opposite of the pureness aura of the Gods¡¯ realm. However, she had such an overwhelming presence that I felt a certain kind of beauty from her. I actually felt awed upon seeing her. After passing through the devils, Merseys looked around. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Gods¡¯ realm. ¡¹ Valkyrie, who stood on a straight line with Merseys, retorted after witnessing her grand arrival. ¡¸So, you were the one behind this. ¡¹ ¡¸Valkyrie. I see Aria as well. So many nostalgic faces. ¡¹ ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t behave so carelessly. Do you think that you¡¯re safe in here? Don¡¯t forget that you are surrounded by countless of gods in this arena.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem. I chose this place at this particular time for a reason.¡¹ ¡¸I hate this because it seems that we¡¯re the ones following your scheme. How did you get here without Isister knowing? ¡°You released Zeth. You summoned a former hero. You even recruited an army of evil beings¡±¡­There¡¯s no way that we wouldn¡¯t know about your invasion of the Gods¡¯ realm in advance.¡¹ Tru..True. The Great Goddess Isister could foresee the near future. Then, why did this happen so abruptly without us even knowing¡­? ¡¸I learnt from my past mistakes. I knew that Isister couldn¡¯t foresee her own future. The primary goal of this invasion was to kill Isister in other to prevent future predictions.¡¹ ¡¸What the hell did you say¡­ ¡¹ When Merseys signaled, Zeth went out of the arena. She returned shortly thereafter. I noticed that she carried a large straw bag with her, and placed it beside Merseys. ¡¸Here it is. ¡¹ I heard a strange sound when she placed it in the ground. Zeth laughed next to Merseys. ¡¸I don¡¯t need to tell you what¡¯s inside of this. ¡¹ Red blood was flowing out of the bag. My whole body froze upon realizing it. ¡¸It¡­It¡­It can¡¯t be!! Is that the Great Goddess Isister!? How could you!!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, Lista! Gods won¡¯t die even if their bodies get destroyed! I¡­I¡¯m sure that Lady Isister is fine!¡¹ Aria shouted to me, while she tried to appease this horrid situation. Zeth responded after she heard Aria¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s certainly correct, yes. But, as you know, there is an exception. ¡¹ Zeth held her double sword and showed us the jet-black blade. The double sword released a familiar dark miasma. ¡¸Chain Destruction¡­With this method, I¡¯ll make sure that every god will die permanently.¡¹ As soon as she professed those words, Zeth jumped into the audience with her double sword! On that signal, the devils also held their weapons in their hands, and avalanched into the place where the gods were watching! ¡¸Whoaaaaaa!! ¡¹ ¡¸Noooooooo!! ¡¹ Upon hearing that they would be killed forever, the gods, who usually had a dignified appearance, changed their complexion and tried to escape in a panic. Zeth declared the following words amidst the chaos of stepping sounds and screams. ¡¸I shall announce that peace between gods have broken up! Today marks the start of Armagezedah Second!¡­Eh, ugh!?¡¹ On this instant, a vibrating and strong sound came straight from the crowd! The ground of the amphitheater around Zeth was wrecked in a second! In front of Zeth, who managed to evade the direct hit, stood the sword-wielder Adenela, the Goddess of War, with her hair turned upside down. ¡¸A¡­Adenela¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Ze¡­Ze¡­Zeth¡­! ¡¹ Both stared at each other with terrifying eyes. And then¡­ ¡¸Ze¡­Zeth! Di¡­Di¡­Di¡­Die!! ¡¹ ¡¸You are the one who¡¯s going to dieeeeeeeeee!! ¡¹ I knew that there was a long-term feud between Adenela and Zeth. Both of them began to furiously exchange swords with anger and grudge that each of them felt for one another for the last 10,000 years! ¡¸Ahhhhh! I¡¯m getting excited! ¡¹ The female hero was laughing happily next to Merseys. Valkyrie stared directly at the female hero. ¡¸Hey, you bitch. Answer me one question. Did you kill Ethan with the Chain Destruction?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s right. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­That guy had a kid. ¡¹ ¡¸So what? ¡¹ Valkyrie showed a fierce expression. The sky roared while the female hero laughed wickedly. When we looked up, we saw that the magical circle was going backwards at the front side of the heavenly sky. Merseys muttered after staring at the sky. ¡¸The power of time magic¡­Chronoa huh. But, it¡¯s useless. We¡¯ve already deployed an anti-clock field.¡¹ ¡­Chro¡­Chronoa was the one who taught Seiya how to prevent Time Manipulation beforehand!! Merseys knew how to do it as well!? How was that even possible!? ¡¸The world has already started to distort.¡¹ Merseys murmured pleasantly. So many things happened so fast, and I didn¡¯t understand most of them. My head was in the state of half-panic. The¡­Then, what¡¯s going to happen to the Gods¡¯ realm¡­!? However, the strongest goddess, who seemed dependable and fearless, stood in front of Merseys to confront her. ¡¸No need to stop time! I¡¯m going to destroy every one of you! ¡¹ ¡¸Valkyrie, the Goddess of Destruction¡­You are indeed the strongest in the God¡¯s realm in both skill and offensive power. Last time, most of the gods who were with me disappeared because of your power¡­¡¹ ¡¸And those events will repeat again. ¡¹ ¡¸After my soul was exiled, I wandered throughout many different worlds and gained the power of greater violence.¡¹ ¡¸You knew that the odds were stacked against you, and yet, you dared to appear in the Gods¡¯ realm? Don¡¯t get arrogant. But, it doesn¡¯t matter much now. Prepare yourself.¡¹ Valkyrie shouted to the heavens. ¡¸Innermost world of gods! Order!! ¡¹ Immediately, an unexpected amount of aura erupted from Valkyrie¡¯s body. The innermost gods on behalf of the Great Goddess Isister may have granted the Order. My body trembled upon seeing Valkyrie¡¯s original power! Her force was the ultimate status that exceeded the limit! ¡¸You¡¯ll meet your second demise, Merseys. Did you forget what I did to you back then? ¡¹ I was horrified when I realized that the strongest goddess held her left hand with her right hand, and aimed at the opponent with a fierce stance. The battle against Demon King of Geabrande came to my mind. That was Valkyrie¡¯s final destruction technique! A direct target technique that couldn¡¯t be avoided! ¡¸You¡¯re trying to activate the Valhala Gate. ¡¹ ¡¸You must be vexing without knowing what to do now. ¡¹ ¡¸Not really. ¡¹ Before Valkyrie turned her hand at Merseys, dark miasma overflowed from Merseys¡¯ body. The space around Merseys looked distorted like a mirage. ¡­Wha¡­What was that bizarre aura¡­!? I felt a huge menacing feeling when I saw that type of aura for the first time. I shouted to Valkyrie then. ¡¸Lady Valkyrie! You must activate the Valhala Gate soon! ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s¡­! ¡¹ Nevertheless, Valkyrie¡¯s hand pointed towards Merseys began to shake! She couldn¡¯t aim her hand directly towards her opponent! Merseys spoke with a tranquil voice. ¡¸The long history of the God¡¯s realm has ended today. And everything shall be reborn into a new and corrected world¡­¡¹ Shortly before the Valhala Gate was activated, Merseys waved down her arm against the ground of the Gods¡¯ realm. ¡¸Through The Never. ¡¹ The ground was greatly swayed because of Merseys¡¯ fist of command, and it transformed into soft material. The waves were conducted from the ground to the space, and the entire arena got twisted and distorted at the same time. Now¡­Everything that appeared in my view was shaking. I couldn¡¯t even stand up properly, much less walk out of here. I crouched in the spot. I suffered from an intense dizziness. Eventually, my consciousness, and even my thoughts, faded away. Volume 3 - CH 125.1 Chapter 125: In a Twisted World (1) How long has it been since then? It could¡¯ve been just a little, or maybe hours. The killing of the Destruction Hero. An orchestrated raid by the woman who named herself as a former hero, Zeth the other Goddess of War, and finally¡­Merseys, the Goddess of Violence. What happened to the Great Goddess Isister and Aria? What happened to the Gods¡¯ realm? What will happen to me from now on? The more I shuddered, the more I recalled those terrible things that happened. I felt that my own consciousness was seeking salvation in the darkness. I was a goddess, and yet, I always remembered the same name over and over again during hopeless times. It was not the name of gods from the Gods¡¯ realm, but the name of the person whom I loved during my mortal life. ¡­Help me¡­Seiya!! I called his name in my heart. But, there was no answer. Instead, I felt a warm feeling. I felt a thick hand touching my face. It was a nostalgic feeling. Se¡­Seiya!? It¡¯s you Seiya, correct!? That¡¯s right!! He always stood by my side when I was in a tough situation!! I hugged him tightly, and then, I opened my eyes. ¡¸Seiya!! ¡¹ However¡­In front of me was a macho male god with a mustache and blushing cheeks. ¡¸Hey, hey Lista. Don¡¯t hug me too much. It¡¯s embarrassing. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Get away from me NOW!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh!? That hurts!! ¡¹ I pushed Celseus away from me brutally, and crouched down on the ground. ¡¸Geez¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸What the hell is wrong with you!? I¡¯m the one who should feel upset!! You were the one who hugged me without my permission!!¡¹ ¡¸No, wait a minute¡­ I feel like throwing up when I think about what happened just now¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you returning to your real self!? You are so rude!! ¡¹ I shook my head lightly when Celseus screamed at me. I was such an idiot. There was no way that Seiya would be here. I didn¡¯t even summon him in the first place¡­By the way, what on earth was this place¡­? After wiping the sour saliva around my mouth with my hands, I looked around again and I was utterly shocked. All I could see around me was wilderness. It went far in the horizon as far as I could see. On the fine sand were scattered objects such as withered grass and cracked rocks. This place wasn¡¯t exactly a natural desert. Rather, it looked like an area bellowing to a huge battle that occurred a long time ago. I could see scattered human bones in the distance. ¡¸Celseus! Wha¡­What is this creepy place? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, it¡¯s definitely not the God¡¯s realm. ¡¹ When I heard his unexpectedly calm voice, I turned around and saw that Celseus was shaking his legs with his arms folded. He wasn¡¯t that calm apparently. ¡¸This place scares me. It reeks of evil¡­Lista. Can I hold your hands? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course not! Hold your left hand with your right hand! ¡¹ ¡¸I only told you to hold hands and nothing more! You are truly a cold-hearted goddess! ¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, what about Aria and Lady Adenela? Where are the other gods? ¡¹ ¡¸When I woke up, you were the only one nearby. Maybe we¡¯re the only ones who¡¯ve been sent to this strange place.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­! ¡¹ When I looked desperate and frightened, Celseus spoke the following words to lift up my mood. ¡¸We¡­Well, don¡¯t be so depressed! For the time being, we are both safe! ¡¹ ¡¸No. Please don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to die alone with you Celseus¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with you!! You¡¯ve been rude to me since the beginning!! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, we have to go back to the Gods¡¯ realm! ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right. Okay then, Lista. Open the portal to the Gods¡¯ realm. ¡¹ ¡¸What? Celseus, can¡¯t you invoke your own portal? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. You see, I¡¯ve never invoked a portal before, so I don¡¯t know how to put one out in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ The seemingly useless macho god amazed me in a very bad way. Then, I cast the spell to open the portal to the Gods¡¯ realm. Afterwards, I slowly open the portal¡¯s doors. I was extremely nervous. ¡¸Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Is something in there? ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment. ¡¹ During Exfolia¡¯s saving quest, a white wall appeared in the portal¡¯s doors due to the influence of the Cursed Sphere. That influence made it impossible to return to the Gods¡¯ realm. Somehow, I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to return safely, but unexpectedly, the white wall didn¡¯t appear in the portal. ¡¸I¡¯m glad! We can go back! ¡¹ With a peace of mind, Celseus and I dived through the portal. However, Celseus changed his complexion as soon as we passed through the portal. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Isn¡¯t this weird? Are you sure that this place is the Gods¡¯ realm? ¡¹ The portal led us to the plaza of the Gods¡¯ realm as usual. However, there was a deep fog in the area, and I couldn¡¯t see the surroundings very well. ¡¸What is this thick fog? ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe Merseys did something here¡­Let¡¯s find a god and ask about the current situation!¡¹ Celseus and I walked slowly in the dense fog. Everything around us was invisible. After a while, Celseus narrowed his eyes. ¡¸I can see someone over there. ¡¹ A little further away, we could see the back of a god walking in a white robe. I didn¡¯t feel any evil aura, and it looked like it wasn¡¯t Merseys or a devil. Celseus and I approached that god. ¡¸Excuse me!! Merseys has¡­No. Actually, is the Gods¡¯ realm safe!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ Gods¡¯ realm? ¡¹ When I asked, the god turned around slowly, and spoke with a strangely shrill voice. I almost fainted in the spot! His face was hollow! Only big black holes were peeping out of his creepy face! *long screams* I screamed involuntarily along with Celseus. Then, a disturbing laughter echoed from the hollow face. ¡¸Muahahahah, this is the Underworld, the Underworld! ¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­Underworld!? ¡¹ That strange-looking being began to approach us slowly! I shouted while stepping backwards. ¡¸Is¡­Is that so!! Excuse us!! ¡¹ Then, Celseus and I ran all the way through the dense fog. After running for a while in the supposed original path, we stopped and Celseus yelled angrily at me. ¡¸Hey!! This isn¡¯t the Gods¡¯ realm after all!! ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s not true!! I¡¯ve never made a mistake!! ¡¹ ¡¸But, that fella said ¡°Underworld¡±!! How did we come here in the first place!! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know¡­Eh, wait! I hear something¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, the thick fog dispersed in front of us and the hollow face appeared! ¡¸Ugh!! You chased after us!? ¡¹ ¡¸Muahahahah, I feel a divine aura. I can feel it, I can feel it. ¡¹ While repeating the same words, this creepy being approached Celseus! ¡¸Eh! Wait! Wha¡­What! Do¡­Do¡­Do you want something from me? ¡¹ It brought his face closer to a trembling Celseus! Then, a long tongue-like thing emerged from the hollow face! ¡¸Muahahahah, good, what a good god, good, muahahahah. ¡¹ ¡­Licking. While he tried to avoid, Celseus¡¯ face ended up being licked by that disgusting long tongue! *panicked screams* Celseus screamed and tried to run away! I followed him immediately! ¡¸Wa¡­Wait!! ¡¹ ¡¸What are you waiting for!! I will be eaten alive!! Portal!! Invoke the portal, Lista!! ¡¹ ¡¸Whe¡­Where should we go!? ¡¹ ¡¸Anywhere you want! We have to get away from this place now!! ¡¹ I immediately summoned the portal and jumped inside along with Celseus. Volume 3 - CH 125.2 Chapter 125: In a Twisted World (2) When we exited the portal we arrived at a vast wilderness area. We had returned to the devastated world that we had just seen moments ago. ¡¸I¡­I thought I was going to be swallowed by that thing¡­! ¡¹ Celseus began to use the fine sand under his feet to wipe off the sticky liquid from his face and body. ¡¸Hey, Celseus. What is the Underworld? ¡¹ ¡¸I heard about it from Lady Isister a long time ago. The Underworld seems to be a unique world that acts as a bridge between the heavenly world and the devilishly world. But, I don¡¯t know the details.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder why the portal connected to the Underworld¡­ ¡¹ Suddenly, I remembered what Merseys said, ¡°The long history of the Gods¡¯ realm has ended today¡±. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m going to summon the portal for one more time!! ¡¹ I opened the portal to the Gods¡¯ realm again to dispel my unpleasant feelings. However, when I opened the doors, I saw the dense fog spreading in front of us, and then¡­ ¡¸Where, where. ¡¹ ¡¸That monster is still out there!! ¡¹ I heard the voice of the tongue-licking monster and I immediately closed the portal. If that thing tried to lick Celseus¡¯ face, then that thing would try to lick mine as well! The Gods¡¯ realm was no good. Therefore, I tried to open the portal to Exfolia, my hometown from when I was a human. But, I couldn¡¯t. Apparently, I could only invoke the portal to two particular places, the Underworld and this devastated world. Summoning up, I could only use the portal for these two destinations to go back and forth. ¡¸¡­Ah. What should we do. ¡¹ I was worried about what to do next. Celseus spoke from behind. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Where are you going? Why are you walking? ¡¹ That was when I realized what I was doing. I was walking unconsciously while thinking about what to do. I felt a strange feeling. ¡¸What¡­I wonder why. ¡¹ When I first arrived here, I was so upset and distressed that I couldn¡¯t understand it. But, if I thought deeply about it, I felt as if I came to this place before. ¡¸I¡¯m sure there is a town ahead of this way¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸How do you know that? ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t explain it. I just walked with my feet buried in the sand. After a while, Celseus glanced forward. We could see something in the distance that looked like a town. ¡¸Ohh! Lista, you were absolutely right! ¡¹ I was really surprised to see a town. My hunch was correct. However, I was disappointed when we arrived at the supposed town. Actually, the town had tattered shops and houses that were about to collapse. Everything was in ruins. It looked like the infamous ghost towns. Celseus picked up the decayed sign from below his feet and muttered the following. ¡¸A signboard, huh. It says ¡°Edna Town¡±. ¡¹ Hmm? Edna Town¡­I felt like I heard that name before¡­ ¡¸Li¡­Lista! Someone¡¯s coming! ¡¹ When I tried to recall where I heard that name, Celseus shouted aloud. A human figure approached us from the forefront. Still, that figure wasn¡¯t a normal human being. It was a giant lizard dressed in an armor. ¡¸What! Is that a bipedal lizard? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a dragon¡­! ¡¹ I¡¯ve saved over ten earthly worlds. But, the world where I saw dragon people remained just one. Yes, so far I¡¯ve only received an S-rank difficulty world as a goddess. It was the world where I summoned Seiya for the first time. ¡¸A ¡°Dragon¡±! And ¡°Edna Town¡±! I¡¯ve remembered it! This is Geabrande! ¡¹ ¡¸Geabrande? ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya and I saved this world together! ¡¹ The dragon person came closer to us. Yet, I knew that it wasn¡¯t an enemy, so I remained calm. As expected, the dragon person bended his knees in front of me. ¡¸How heavenly you are. Are you perhaps a goddess¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes. That¡¯s right. Ah, excuse me, but this world is Geabrande, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re correct. ¡¹ ¡¸I knew it! ¡¹ I felt a little relieved knowing that I was in a place that I knew. It meant that the Rosgard Empire still had Rosalie, Mash and Elle. However, I noticed that Edna Town was clearly different from the time I visited this place. ¡¸Sorry, but why is this town so devastated? Did a new monster appear? ¡¹ ¡¸This town was the site of a battle that occurred ten years ago. It was a fierce battle waged between the Dragon Tribe and the Demon King¡¯s army. Despite the numerous sacrifices from our side, the Demon King perished, and we won. The world has been saved.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah? ¡¹ This dragon man took credit for the victory even though Seiya and I were the ones who saved this world. Somehow, I got a little angry. ¡¸Wait a second! The hero who defeated the Demon King was Ryuguuin Seiya!¡¹ ¡¸Geabrande has never had a hero before. This is the first time a goddess has come.¡¹ ¡¸Eh. ¡¹ ¡¸Lord Dragonite, the Great God Dragon King, has defeated the Demon King and saved the world.¡¹ ¡¸The Great God Dragon King¡­Dragonite¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸After defeating the Demon King, the God Dragon King began his reign in Bahamtross, the sacred land of the Dragon Tribe. The Dragon Tribe rules Geabrande. Yeah, we succeeded thanks to the blessing of our Holy Angel¡­¡¹ I couldn¡¯t swallow this absurd story. Perhaps, this dragon was a bit crazy. First, Edna was a town of humans. It felt strange to see a dragon person here. When I doubted this situation, I stared attentively at this dragon¡¯s face and¡­I suddenly had a very bad feeling. Although he was smiling at me, I felt that something was off. ¡­This¡­This kind of development¡­It was similar to what happened to me before¡­! Passing through my mind was the time when the Warlord Emperor invited me to the sacred cathedral and tried to kill me with the Chain Destruction. That¡¯s right, something told me that this dragon¡¯s heart¡­had ¡°malice¡± inside. When I stepped back, the dragon man took out a book from his chest. He opened that thick book with a red line inside. ¡¸Chapter 6th of the Holy Angel Scriptures. It says, ¡°In the future, a person who claims to be a hero or a goddess may appear. However, that person is the one who brings destruction upon us all. That person should be annihilated with the Chain Destruction.¡¹ Abruptly, a lengthy sword appeared from the page of those scriptures as if it were a magic trick! The dragon man held that sword and swung it towards us! *screams* Celseus screamed, but I reacted immediately. I dodged the strike by pushing Celseus and myself down. The dragon man spoke pleasantly as if he were impressed. ¡¸Oh. You have a good intuition. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯ve experienced this before! ¡¹ ¡¸Still, those who deceive the hero and the goddess must die. ¡¹ Then, the dragon man stared fixedly at Celseus with his cold reptile eyes. ¡¸Are you the one proclaiming to be the hero? ¡¹ ¡¸Wrong!! I¡¯m the Swordsman God¡­No¡­I¡¯m the owner of a cafe!! ¡¹ I was surprised. Even if Celseus claimed to be a god rather than a hero, he would still be treated as an enemy, therefore, he tried to disguise himself as an outsider!? What a lack of will-power!! Nevertheless, the dragon man showed his slippery torn tongue. ¡¸Then, you shall die. ¡°Cafe¡¯s Hero¡±¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I just told you that I was the ¡°owner of a cafe¡±!! ¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, Celseus! Unlike Exfolia, enemies shouldn¡¯t be that strong in Geabrande! I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll win if you fight!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! He isn¡¯t that strong, huh! Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡¹ Celseus seemed to be watching the status of this dragon man. I activated my clairvoyance ability as well. Dragon Level ¨C 41 HP ¨C 67842 MP ¨C 0 Attack ¨C 35515 Defense ¨C 37489 ¡­ ¡¸No!! This lizard is actually strong!! His stats are almost the same as mine!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! ¡¹ I was also surprised. That status had a terrible ability value reminiscent of a beast in Exfolia. Bu¡­But, this was weird! How was this possible? This world was Geabrande! This dragon was particularly strong. I didn¡¯t understand why. Even if Celseus were a Swordsman God, no matter how strong he were, he wouldn¡¯t know how to fight against a bipedal lizard, since this was the first time he encountered such an enemy. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m unarmed, and he¡¯s got a weapon with the Chain power! Let¡¯s run away! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I won¡¯t let you escape. ¡¹ The dragon man swung his sword high and jumped at Celseus! But, I managed to prepare a sandbag in advance and threw it on the dragon¡¯s face. ¡¸Ugh! ¡¹, the dragon groaned. He crouched in pain because of the sand in his eyes. ¡¸Let¡¯s run now! Celseus! ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yeah! ¡¹ We ran through the deserted Edna Town. We were out of breath. Eventually, we entered the supposed center of this town. Collapsed buildings were densely packed. We hid behind one of those buildings. ¡¸Ah, ah, ah, ah¡­! ¡¹ While I took deep breaths, Celseus spoke to me with a surprised face. ¡¸Lista! When did you prepare that sandbag? ¡¹ ¡¸I prepared it when we walked on the sand before reaching this town. I picked it up and collected it on a bag. It was just a safe measure.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­Somehow, you look kinda cautious. Right now, you resemble that hero.¡¹ It seemed that I was a little cautious because I had been with Seiya for a long time. It ended up being contagious. Anyways, I heard the echoing of the dragon¡¯s angry voice at the distance. ¡¸Bastards! You damned evil spirits! Where are you hiding? We, the Holy Angel Sect, won¡¯t yield to the demons¡¯ greed nor will we accept those who deceive the hero!¡¹ ¡¸Holy Angel Sect? I don¡¯t understand anything anymore! ¡¹ I could see from the shade that the number of dragons had increased to three. ¡­He¡­He had comrades here!? However, they couldn¡¯t find us because of the many tattered buildings in this area. The dragons walked in the opposite direction. ¡¸They went that way. Phew¡­We¡¯re safe for now. ¡¹ ¡¸How are we safe!! What the hell is wrong with this dangerous world!! You lied!! You didn¡¯t save this world!!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t lie! I really saved this word! But, this is¡­ ¡¹ Did we go back in time? To the time before Seiya and I saved Geabrande? Or rather, did we go forward in time? No, it can¡¯t be¡­This was something else¡­! ¡¸He¡­Hey, Lista! There are dragons over there too! ¡¹ Celseus whispered nervously. When I turned around, I saw a walking dragon person wearing hemp clothes, unlike the previous one who was dressed in armor. ¡¸You must be kidding! There are so many types of them here! ¡¹ ¡¸This is bad! Let¡¯s go, Lista! In one way or another, we¡¯ll have to sprint out of this town!¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes¡­No, wait a moment. ¡¹ I wanted to escape from this dangerous place straightaway. However, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about it. What Seiya would do if he were on this situation? ¡¸¡­That dragon informed his comrades that we are hiding in this town. They will find us if we try to jump out of here right now. Let¡¯s hide here for a while and see how it goes.¡¹ ¡¸Are¡­Are you sure that we¡¯re going to be all right? ¡¹ ¡¸That building over there looks like it¡¯s uninhabited. Let¡¯s go inside. ¡¹ We entered a nearby abandoned house. After I closed the door slowly, I crouched under the window. I did this so that I could look at the outside situation. ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹ Celseus rumbled behind me. ¡¸Wha¡­What¡¯s wrong? Did you get hurt? ¡¹ ¡¸No. I have migraines because of repeated tension and stress. I want to go home and eat my Petit Pancakes¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Geez!! I can¡¯t rely on you for anything!! ¡¹ Ah, c¡¯mon! I couldn¡¯t leave this to Celseus! I¡¯d have to fight on my own when the time comes! I made another sandbag from fine sand. When I tried to put the sandbag in my chest as a precaution, a piece of paper fell to the floor. It was the heroes¡¯ summoning list with Seiya¡¯s name on it. The moment I picked up the list in a hurry, I opened my eyes wide. New characters appeared at the bottom of the summoning list. They were glowing in gold. ¡ºS-rank difficulty world or higher confirmed for a salvation quest. You can summon Ryuguuin Seiya now.¡» Volume 3 - CH 126 Chapter 126: The Underworld ¡¸I¡­I can summon him!! I can finally summon Seiya!! ¡¹ I shouted with joy inside the abandoned house, but Celseus frowned instead. ¡¸Still, isn¡¯t that hero back to level 1? I don¡¯t think it will help us that much if you call him in that state¡­¡¹ ¡¸Okay, Celseus!! Then, can you handle this situation!? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, suddenly I feel gastritis, pneumonia and nephritis all at once¡­Sorry, I can¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸Even at level 1, Seiya is a thousand times more reliable than you!! So, just keep watch, and warn me if there are any dragons coming this way!!¡¹ With Celseus watching the outside from the window, I prepared myself in order to summon my hero. I took out a chalk from my chest and drew a magical circle on the dirty floor of the abandoned house. ¡­Certainly, Seiya¡¯s stats were initialized every time I summoned him. He won¡¯t be able to help much. I could even put Seiya in danger. Nevertheless, I was urgently drawing the magical circle on the floor. To be honest, I was desperate to see Seiya. ¡­I felt that I was disqualified as a top goddess. When I said Seiya¡¯s name, the bright light from the magical circle illuminated the dimly abandoned house. And¡­the hero was summoned from the light. ¡¸Seiya¡­!! ¡¹ This was the third time that I summoned Seiya. As usual, Ryuguuin Seiya had a dignified look and had a great style as if he were a model¡­Eh, what!? I noticed that Seiya¡¯s clothes were different this time. Although he always wore T-shirts and loungewear, this time, he looked like a military man with a camouflage attire. ¡¸Sorry, Seiya! But, why do you look like that?¡¹ ¡¸Body Armor. This is the so-called bulletproof vest. By the way, I¡¯m also wearing a blade-proof vest beneath this. From my experience, every time I was summoned I could only bring with me clothes I was wearing originally. Therefore, I wore the Body Armor for 24-hours a day in preparation for the next summoning.¡¹ ¡¸Did¡­Did you wear that stiff attire all the time while living in Japan!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Occasionally, I had a job where I could wear this outfit without problems.¡¹ Eve¡­Everyone must have thought that he were a very suspicious person! Well, regardless of that¡­Yes! I could count on his absurd cautiousness! His level may be 1 now, but I felt relieved! Seiya looked around. And then, he looked at Celseus and wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸Ah, hello Seiya! It¡¯s been a long time! How have you been? ¡¹ Seiya spoke to me, while ignoring the timid Celseus. ¡¸This place isn¡¯t the heavenly world. It looks and feels like a different type of world.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, Seiya!! In fact, we are in a very difficult situation right now¡­ ¡¹ However, Seiya put his hand in front of my face. ¡¸I already know the situation. I can see that you suddenly summoned me to a different world instead of the heavenly world. So, I take this situation as a ¡°crisis moment where no one can return to the heavenly world¡±. And I can easily guess how you ended up here.¡¹ As expected of Seiya! He prepared the Body Armor because he was certain that Merseys would attack the Gods¡¯ realm! I smiled spontaneously! He looked like a real detective! Seiya looked at me as if he were unimpressed. ¡¸Lista. As usual, you got the wrath from the gods of the innermost world, and you were sent to this different world as a punishment¡­I am right?¡¹ ¡¸No!! You¡¯re wrong!! ¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­You ran with Celseus and ended up coming to this different world¡­I am right?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t give me an ¡°I am right¡±!! That¡¯s not true!! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that!!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. No, wait a minute. Is this guy really that Celseus? ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh!? ¡¹ Both Celseus and I were utterly surprised. ¡¸From the fact that I was summoned, I have almost no doubt that Lista is a goddess. But, this Celseus could be a fake.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way! I¡¯m the real one! ¡¹ ¡¸Suspicious. Then, say within fifty words that you are in fact Celseus. ¡¹ ¡¸I am the owner of Cafe De Celseus! I took care of Kiriko and John Dae! Please believe me!¡¹ I was appalled while listening to such a weird conversation. No, he wasn¡¯t like a true detective! That¡¯s right, he was just thinking about every possibility! Suddenly, I became anxious! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya, that¡¯s not the point!! Merseys has finally attacked!! Seiya, you were worried about that, weren¡¯t you!?¡¹ ¡¸I see. In that case, I think it¡¯s strange that both of you are now safe¡­ Hmm. Okay, So, whether this Celseus is real or fake, I¡¯ll leave this matter for another time.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯ve been saying that I¡¯m the real one, but you still don¡¯t believe me¡­!¡¹ Seiya told me the following while ignoring the astonished Celseus. ¡¸Lista. Give me a detailed description of Merseys¡¯ attack, but give me a brief review. You have ten seconds.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s absurd¡­! ¡¹ I spoke rapidly, while Celseus looked at the outside from the broken window. ¡­Merseys, Zeth and a woman who called herself as the former hero, attacked the Gods¡¯ realm. ¡­Then, I noticed that Celseus and I ended up estranged in Geabrande. ¡­We couldn¡¯t return back because the portal only connected to the Underworld. I couldn¡¯t do it within ten seconds, but I told Seiya everything that happened extremely quickly. ¡¸So, now both of you are hiding from dragons carrying Chain Destruction weapons!¡¹ Seiya approached the window with caution and looked outside. Immediately after, he put the rotten furniture of the room in front of the door to make a barricade. After finishing that, he came back to me again. And¡­ *bang* ¡¸That hurts!! ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Seiya hit my head! ¡¸Don¡¯t call me at such a ridiculous timing. Even if I¡¯m wearing the Body Armor, I will die instantly if I¡¯m found by the dragon people.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry! ¡¹ ¡¸See, he¡¯s angry. I told you not to summon him. ¡¹ I also heard a ¡°bang¡± sound coming from Celseus¡¯ head. Seiya¡¯s fist landed on him too. ¡¸It¡¯s painful!! Why did you beat me!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡®Cause I felt like it¡­Anyway, Lista. Let¡¯s get out of here first. Open the portal. ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, right now, the portal can only connect to the Underworld! There was a dangerous guy with a hollow face, and Celseus was about to be eaten alive!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! That was horrifying! ¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t change his complexion. He sat down and paid attention to the outside from the window. ¡¸No problem. I can think about foreseeable measures while Celseus is being eaten.¡¹ ¡¸But I have a problem with that!! I could I let myself get eaten!? ¡¹ ¡¸In any case, the Underworld seems like the best scenario right now. You didn¡¯t feel that that guy had the Chain Destruction, am I right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Now that you mention it, he certainly hadn¡¯t! ¡¹ ¡¸Whether you¡¯re attacked or eaten, there is no danger of dying permanently. The Underworld is more secure now than this place.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is it going to be really okay? I won¡¯t like to return there¡­ ¡¹ Although Celseus looked dissatisfied and frightened, Seiya was right. At that time, Seiya, who kept watching the outside, lowered his tone. ¡¸One dragon person is approaching this place. Lista, hurry up. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I understand! ¡¹ Just before the dragon came in from the front door, we dived through the portal. ¡ª ¡¸¡­Oh. So, this is the Underworld, huh. ¡¹ Seiya muttered calmly. Although we somehow escaped from the pursuit of the dragons, we ended up in the seemingly eerie atmosphere of the Underworld. The thick fog was still spreading around. Furthermore¡­ ¡¸Muahahahah. ¡¹ I heard the creepy sound from the tongue-licking monster. Soon, that eerie guy with a hollow face slowly appeared from the fog! ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s him again! ¡¹ The eerie monster jumped in front of Celseus and pulled out his grotesque long tongue from the black hole! ¡¸*screams* Seiya, help me!! ¡¹ Celseus screamed high and hid behind the level 1 Seiya. Then, Seiya talked to the hollow face without moving. ¡¸What is your purpose? ¡¹ ¡¸I want, I want to lick the god, I want to lick. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then lick him as much as you like. ¡¹ After speaking those words, Seiya kicked off Celseus who hid behind him! Naturally, the obsessed monster stretched his long tongue out of his black hole, and a horrified Celseus froze in the spot¡­ *licking sound* That thing licked Celseus¡¯ face. ¡¸*screams even higher* Help meeeeee!! ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Seiya!? Is Celseus going to be okay!? ¡¹ ¡¸Gods won¡¯t die because of that. He¡¯s fine. ¡¹ ¡¸E¡­Even so¡­Oh gosh¡­di¡­disgusting¡­! ¡¹ *licking licking licking licking licking* That tongue-licking monster kept licking Celseus without stopping. Celseus tried to escape but to no vain. A cool-looking Seiya was looking at Celseus with his arms crossed. ¡­A few minutes later. Rather than just the face, his whole body was covered with saliva, and a new Celseus was created. He was shivering like a newborn fawn. ¡¸Hey, are you all right? Celseus? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ugh! I¡¯m so greasy¡­I feel so repulsive now¡­Ugh! ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya! Celseus is crying but he looks fairly okay! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s safe. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not safe and I¡¯m not all right!! Just look at how awful I look!! ¡¹ Celseus was angry as he cried continuously, but on the other hand¡­ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m satisfied, I¡¯m satisfied, I¡¯m satisfied. ¡¹ The hollow-looking monster returned his long tongue back and raised a joyful voice. ¡¸Huh? He just wanted to lick? Indeed, unlike the dragons, I don¡¯t think he wants to kill us.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. He repeats the same words twice or three times. There¡¯s no need to feel insecure. It¡¯s clear that this thing isn¡¯t a bad guy.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ It was during this time. ¡¸Excuse me. I apologize for Hozo¡¯s behavior. ¡¹ I heard the clear voice of a woman¡¯s. I looked back, and I saw a woman with pink hair. A well-groomed nose and stunning double eyelids. She was a normal beautiful woman, except for the flashy hair and the jewelry standing between her eyebrows. She lifted the hem of her gray dress, and bowed to me and Seiya. ¡¸I see that you¡¯re both Lady Listarte and Lord Ryuguuin Seiya. I appreciate that you¡¯ve been taking care of us.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! How do you know our names!? ¡¹ Be¡­Besides, did she say, ¡°taking care of us¡±? I think I¡¯ve met this woman for the first time, or was I mistaken¡­? She smiled tenderly and took a towel out from the chest of her dress. ¡¸Lord Celseus. Please wipe your body with this. ¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­Thanks. ¡¹ She knew Celseus¡¯ name as well. After offering her towel, the woman stared at the monster with a follow face. ¡¸You were drawn by the dazzling divinity¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Hozo? ¡¹ Then, the one whose face was hollow shook his head shyly in response. I approached the unknown woman. ¡¸Ex¡­Excuse me, but who are you? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for my late introduction. I am Unoporta. The Underworld Ruler, Lord Hades, told me to bring you to the Shrine of the Six-Realms of Existence*.¡¹ ¡¸Underworld Ruler¡­Hades¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸For more details, please ask Lord Hades. Please, follow me. ¡¹ Then, she began to walk. I was a little hesitant; therefore, I looked at Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! What should we do? I don¡¯t see any malice coming from her¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Actually, I would like to train and go to a higher level. It might take a few days until I train. So, we meet with this Hades fella.¡¹ ¡¸And we¡¯re going to follow a stranger! Besides, she couldn¡¯t even talk much to us¡­This situation feels quite suspicious in many ways!¡¹ ¡¸But, it can¡¯t be helped given our current situation. Therefore, we must follow her for now. So, let¡¯s proceed with caution.¡¹ We followed the woman named Unoporta. As I walked, I noticed that my view became clearer. ¡¸What? The fog is disappearing¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸In the Underworld, the fog only comes out during the day. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. ¡¹ However, when the fog cleared away, I noticed that the sky was red like blood. And those who looked at us from the gray cobblestones in the distance, were weird-looking beings. I saw some wandering beings, such as moving plants and giant bipedal rabbits. I even noticed some with only one eye¡­The monstrous-like people were looking at us and began to murmur. ¡¸Aren¡¯t they gods? ¡¹ ¡¸Ohhh! Gods! They¡¯re gods! Whoaaaaa! ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I want to taste them¡­! ¡¹ ¡­We¡­Were they saying something awfully creepy just now!? I got scared and grabbed the hem of Seiya¡¯s clothes. Unoporta looked back at me. ¡¸Please rest assured. They don¡¯t have any hostility towards you. In fact, those living in the Underworld favor the gods.¡¹ ¡¸Re¡­Really? ¡¹ In this strange place, only Unoporta seemed to be decent. Suddenly, Celseus approached Unoporta from behind, who kept walking ahead, and returned her borrowed towel. ¡¸Thank you for your kind gesture! It helped me! ¡¹ She showed her white teeth and smiled refreshingly. ¡¸But, I can¡¯t believe that a lovely lady like you is living in the Underworld! ¡¹ Ahh!? He was a scaredy-cat not too long ago, but now¡­What the hell was wrong with him!! Then, Unoporta stopped walking and gazed at Celseus, who obviously flattered her with sweet-talk. Unoporta blushed as if she were pleased by his compliments. No way!! Such a beautiful woman liked a man like Celseus!? However, the next moment¡­ ¡¸Ugh!! ¡¹ Unoporta made an excruciating sound and vomited a lot of red liquid from her mouth! Celseus¡¯ face became red! ¡¸Gyahhhhhhh!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m so sorry!! ¡¹ A freaked Celseus shouted high! And an embarrassed Unoporta apologized immediately! ¡¸Actually, I have the habit of vomiting blood. ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, did you say ¡°habit¡± just now!? Are you really okay!? ¡¹ I was startled and asked if she was truly fine. Yet, Unoporta smiled gently at me as she wiped the blood around her mouth. ¡¸Yes. My body is fine. ¡¹ She was healthy, and yet, she bleeds from her mouth occasionally!? I didn¡¯t understand the reasoning behind it!! ¡¸Ugh, first it was saliva, and now it¡¯s blood. ¡¹ Once again, Unoporta looked at the crying Celseus and gave him a towel. He began to wipe his face with an upsetting face. ¡¸Uhuhuhuh. Ah¡­The HP is overflowing¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Miss Unoporta, what did you say just now!? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No, I didn¡¯t say anything! C¡¯mon, Lady Listarte! Let¡¯s hurry to Lord Hade¡¯s place! ¡¹ I tried to ask her, but she accelerated her pace. I talked to Seiya secretly. ¡¸Hey, listen. Isn¡¯t this a bit suspicious? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s very suspicious. But, so far, only Celseus has been affected. We¡¯ll keep our safe distance and let Celseus take the consequences instead.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. ¡¹ ¡¸Hey!! I can hear you, you know!? ¡¹ We followed Unoporta, while the screaming Celseus shouted as usual. Eventually, under the blood-ish red sky, a huge structure made of obsidian appeared before our eyes. ¡¸This is the Shrine of the Six-Realms of Existence. This is the place where Lord Hades lives. ¡¹ Somehow, that structure resembled a huge tomb. It creeped me out. Seiya stopped for a moment to observe Unoporta. She passed by the gatekeeper whose body was made of quartz. We did the same then. Inside, gemstone lamps were emitting light. The whole space was illuminated and was very bright. We kept following Unoporta. The walking path was lined with ornaments, sculptures, and stuffed creatures that I had never seen before. It was creepy, but I was glad that no outlandish beings were inside. Unoporta stopped in front of a large double door. There was no doubt that Hades was inside. ¡­Somehow, it felt as if we were about to confront a Demon King. Unoporta opened the door before my heart was ready. Beyond the gray carpet, Hades sat on a throne made of animal bones. It gave me a truly demon-like look from the eerie Underworld. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s get closer. ¡¹ Although I tried to remain firm, my belly gave out a small groan. We followed Unoporta with slow steps. ¡¸I¡¯m Hades, the ruler of the Underworld. I¡¯m also the one in charge of the sidelines who support the foundations of every world.¡¹ As I approached, I noticed that Hades, who wore a crown of thorns, was immaculate as if he were dyed by white paint. Celseus and I looked alternatively at one another, and nodded. ¡¸I¡¯m pleased that you managed to come here unharmed. Listarte, Goddess of Healing, and Celseus, Swordsman God. You survived through the ruination of the Gods¡¯ realm.¡¹ ¡­Ehh!! Ru¡­Ruination¡­Wha¡­What did he just say!? Volume 3 - CH 127 Chapter 127: Fetal Movement Upon hearing the shocking words of Hades, the Underworld Ruler, I asked while shouting. ¡¸Did¡­Did¡­Did you just say the ¡°ruination of the Gods¡¯ realm¡±!? ¡¹ ¡¸The three thousand worlds were all distorted by a power of tremendous violence, that is comparable to the power of the God of Creation. And the Gods¡¯ realm, which became the hypocenter, has disappeared along with all the gods.¡¹ ¡­No¡­No way¡­!! ¡¸Of course, there was some aftermath in the Underworld after those events happened. The space between the Gods¡¯ realm and the Underworld has been twisted, that¡¯s why you were able to step into the Underworld that otherwise would¡¯ve been impenetrable.¡¹ I wondered if the ruler of the Underworld had a predictive ability like the one that the Great Goddess Isister possessed. He talked without hesitation as if he knew about everything. Next to me, a defeated Celseus fell to the ground. ¡¸Damn!! That means that my Cafe De Celseus has been destroyed!!¡¹ ¡¸Idiot!! Our people are more important than that, like Aria, the Great Goddess Isister and Lady Adenela¡­Everyone¡­Everyone is gone!!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see¡­You¡¯re right. Uhhhh¡­What should we do now¡­! ¡¹ Seiya put his hand on Celseus¡¯ shoulder, who crouched on the floor with a lowered head. ¡¸Celseus. Don¡¯t worry about the cafe. ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya? Are you comforting me¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸If you had left it alone, it would have been crushed financially anyways.¡¹ ¡¸Why do you always say things far worse instead!? ¡¹ Celseus was upset and crying endlessly. I couldn¡¯t contain my tears either. The Gods¡¯ realm had been destroyed. My beloved gods and my home had disappeared at the same time. ¡­Aria¡­! Great Goddess Isister¡­! Celseus and I felt hopeless in such a desperate situation. Yet, Seiya remained calm even at times like this. ¡¸Lista. Don¡¯t believe the words of a guy you just met. ¡¹ ¡¸Lo¡­Lord Ryuguuin! How dare you say such thing in front of the Almighty Ruler of the Underworld! Lord Hades watches all over the three thousand worlds!¡¹ Unoporta panicked upon hearing Seiya¡¯s rant. Nevertheless, Seiya pointed to Celseus and me and turned his eyes on Hades. ¡¸I heard about the ¡°vault of souls¡± in the heavenly world. If the heavenly world has been really destroyed, wouldn¡¯t these two disappear as well?¡¹ Ah¡­! That¡¯s right! What he said made sense! I heard from a man who claimed to be the ruler of the Underworld that the Gods¡¯ realm fell into ruination. Celseus and I believed in that story immediately. However, after hearing Seiya¡¯s words, I recovered my calm heart and regained a little composure. The ruler of the Underworld approached Seiya while laughing. ¡¸It seems there is a misunderstanding. It¡¯s true that the Gods¡¯ realm has been distorted by the force of violence and has disappeared in the process. But, to be precise, the Gods¡¯ realm is still ¡°in a different dimension than the one we are currently in.¡± The vault of souls still exists because it is in the other dimension.¡¹ ¡­Existed in a different dimension!? I didn¡¯t understand what that meant¡­ ¡¸Then, if we correct this distortion, will the Gods¡¯ realm return!? ¡¹ When I exclaimed with a slight sense of hope, Hades nodded positively. ¡¸The way to undo all the distorted three thousand worlds, including the Gods¡¯ realm, is simple and clear. It is to defeat Merseys, the Goddess of Violence.¡¹ ¡¸If¡­If that¡¯s true, then where is Merseys now!? ¡¹ Hades quietly closed his eyes, and after a short moment, he opened his mouth. ¡¸A world named Kilsosa¡­No, it should be called ¡°Twisted Kilsosa¡± now. That¡¯s the world where Merseys reigns.¡¹ ¡¸Twisted Kilsosa! We have go to that world to defeat Merseys! ¡¹ I was sure that Aria and the Great Goddess Isister could come back again! ¡¸However, it¡¯s not easy to get to the Twisted Kilsosa. The portals that led to different worlds, where the gods could freely go to, are not working properly now due to the distortion.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­! ¡¹ Certainly, what Hades said was correct. At present, my portal could only go back and forth between Geabrande and the Underworld! We won¡¯t be able to defeat Merseys if we can¡¯t go to the Twisted Kilsosa! ¡¸It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s frustrating. It seems that the Gods¡¯ realm isn¡¯t going to return after all¡­¡¹ When Celseus muttered bitterly, Hades smiled instead. ¡¸It is indeed difficult, but there is a way to get to the Twisted Kilsosa. ¡¹ ¡¸Whi¡­Which way!? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ll have to restore the three twisted worlds with a difficulty degree of S-rank and higher. Then, the distortion of the three thousand worlds will be reversed and the portal to the Twisted Kilsosa will be opened. The higher a world gets in a degree of difficulty for salvation, the greater is the role of that said world in the dimension¡­Because it is the key to the fate of the whole world.¡¹ ¡¸Restore the three twisted worlds with a difficulty degree of S-rank and higher, you say¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸The first one is the S+ difficulty rank Twisted Geabrande. The second is SS+ difficulty rank Twisted Exfolia. And finally, the SSS difficulty rank Twisted Glavaos. If you erase the distortion that fell upon these three worlds, you¡¯ll be able to connect the portals whether they¡¯re twisted or not.¡¹ Ex¡­Exfolia was twisted as well!? But¡­ ¡¸I couldn¡¯t go to Exfolia even though I invoked the portal¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Now, only the least difficulty world Geabrande is connected to your portal. First, you¡¯ll have to save the Twisted Geabrande. If you succeed, the portal to Twisted Exfolia will be opened. And if you save the Twisted Exfolia, you¡¯ll be able to invoke the portal to Twisted Glavaos.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I see! ¡¹ Hmm? But, I never heard about the third world named Glavaos, or did I¡­? Then, I noticed that Hades was staring fixedly at Celseus. He pointed to Celseus with his walking stick. ¡¸Swordsman God Celseus. Glavaos is the world where you have a special connection with.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Me¡­Me!? ¡¹ ¡¸After saving the Twisted Exfolia, you¡¯ll arrive at the world where you inhabited in your previous life¡­So, it will be important to open the portal to Glavaos.¡¹ ¡¸The¡­The world where I lived when I was a human being¡­! ¡¹ I was surprised, but Celseus seemed even more shocked than I did. He looked like a dead soul. Hades continued to talk. ¡¸It is for this reason that the Swordsman God Celseus and the Goddess of Healing Listarte were saved from ruination. To put it simply, you are not that divine in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhh¡­!! ¡¹ I felt that it was an insult, but it seemed that Hades¡¯ words didn¡¯t exactly mean what he said. ¡¸You both are originally human. You were not a pure god born in the Gods¡¯ realm, so you weren¡¯t swallowed by distortion.¡¹ Ah, I see! That made sense! I¡¯m glad that he didn¡¯t make fun of us! After I heard the story of Hades, the Underworld Ruler, my heart became a little brighter. ¡¸It¡¯s a ridiculously long journey, but it¡¯s a journey with a little hope! First, you must save the Twisted Geabrande!¡¹ Nonetheless, a confused Celseus moved his neck. ¡¸Ah but, what is a twisted world in the first place? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­It probably feels like the time when I waged war against the Death Emperor.¡¹ Seiya muttered calmly. During the battle with the Death Emperor in Exfolia, Merseys used her power to reproduce a ¡°world where Seiya successfully defeated the Demon King¡±. ¡¸In short, what happened back then was just a mere preparation. I can see that she¡¯s a well-prepared person.¡¹ It felt a bit weird for the cautious Seiya to recognize the thoughtfulness of another person¡­Still. I see. That was the first sample of a twisted world. Merseys was already preparing to destroy the Gods¡¯ realm ever since she came to Exfolia. Hades nodded upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸A parallel world beyond the number of stars where the time axis is greatly distorted¡­That¡¯s the so-called ¡°Twisted World¡±. Merseys can conveniently twist a distorted world as much as she likes.¡¹ I had another worry. I muttered as if I spoke to myself. ¡¸Maybe that explains why the sacred hero has mastered the State Berserk Phase Forth¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you talking about Merseys¡¯ former hero? ¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes! That¡¯s right! ¡¹ He even knew about that. Perhaps, Hades¡¯ predictive ability was greater than the power of the Great Goddess Isister. ¡¸Originally, that person shouldn¡¯t exist. In the past, the souls of sacred heroes were shattered into pieces and disappeared entirely.¡¹ A¡­Aria said the same thing back in the arena! ¡¸However, Merseys took the force of violence and brought her out of the ¡°twisted world where the sacred hero actually existed¡±.¡¹ In other words, she brought her out from ¡°the world where the sacred hero was alive and, as a result, Zeth taught her about the fourth stage¡±!? Some¡­Somehow, that was a bit confusing!! I felt that my head was spinning like crazy!! I glanced at Seiya and noticed that he wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸Whether there are thousands or tens of thousands of twisted parallel worlds, is it possible for humans to learn the fourth stage of the Crazy Warrior? The other Goddess of War Zeth said that even the third stage was impossible for humans. In fact, I personally know the dangers of the State Berserk.¡¹ ¡¸Ryuguuin Seiya. You are a great talent. However, the sacred heroes are far more rare talents that deviate from everything that is known. You are ¡°one talent in a hundred million people¡±, while the sacred hero is ¡°one masterpiece in a hundred million years¡±.¡¹ ¡¸One¡­One masterpiece in a hundred million years!? So, does that really mean that that hero is actually stronger than Seiya!?¡¹ ¡¸The sacred heroes are the strongest heroes since the creation of the Gods¡¯ realm. It¡¯s a shame, but they aren¡¯t comparable to anyone else.¡¹ Seriously!? Such an overwhelming being truly existed and, moreover, it was by Merseys¡¯ side!? ¡¸However, despite being so talented, the soul of that hero has collapsed after advancing more than third phases of the Berserker stage on it¡¯s the original world.¡¹ Hades had sharp-looking eyes as he looked at the high ceiling. ¡¸I can¡¯t help but understand Merseys¡¯ remorse. In a sense, I know why she had a grudge against the divine world. And that grudge has awakened the true power of the Goddess of Violence. A tremendous anarchy of great multitude¡­And she went to unbelievable lengths to find the twisted world where the ¡°sacred hero was still alive even after the corruption of Crazy Warrior horrific effect¡±. She has such a terrible obsession.¡¹ Then, he moved his eyes back to us and smiled. ¡¸The sacred hero with Merseys might have the form of a person, but her soul is completely devoured by chaotic madness. Therefore, she is no longer human.¡¹ Oh gosh¡­Defeating Merseys sounded ridiculously tough, but did that mean that we had to fight against that crazy hero as well!? I approached Seiya when I felt extremely anxious about this. Still, when I looked up, I saw that Seiya stared at Hades with his usual boring expression. ¡¸Hmm. You¡¯ve been talking a lot for a long time, but your story could be false as it could be true¡­¡¹ This person¡­He doubted everything that Hades explained to us!? I was surprised by seeing the continuous doubtful character of my hero Seiya. Soon after, Seiya asked Hades the following question. ¡¸First of all, what does it exactly means ¡°to undo the twisted world¡±? ¡¹ ¡¸It means to destroy the twist that corrupts the world and make it normal again.¡¹ When I heard about the twist, I remembered what the dragon man said to us. ¡¸By¡­By the way, in the Twisted Geabrande, the dragon man said that the Demon King was not defeated by Seiya, but by their God Dragon King!¡¹ ¡¸In comparison, a twist is like a disaster that fell upon a world. In short, you¡¯ll have to remove the roots of evil that dominates that world. All you have to do is do what you have been doing so far.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, Geabrande will return to normal if we defeat the Dragon King¡­!¡¹ I knew what we had to do. The purpose was clear. Nonetheless, Seiya was still looking at Hades with suspicion. ¡¸And yet, it seems that you¡¯re pretty cooperative with us, why is that? ¡¹ ¡¸Those in the Underworld, including me, need the power of gods from the divine world. Therefore, I want the Gods¡¯ realm to return to its original state.¡¹ If I remember correctly, Unoporta told us that we took care of them, wasn¡¯t that right? What did that mean exactly? ¡¸Excuse me. What is the relationship between the Underworld and the Gods¡¯ realm?¡¹ ¡¸Supply and demand¡­I guess. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡­I see¡­ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know what that meant, so I wanted to ask a bit more about it. Nevertheless, Seiya seemed more interested about the essence of a twisted world. ¡¸By the way, what will happen if I kill humans and monsters in the twisted world? Will there be any side effect when the world returns to normal?¡¹ ¡¸If you return a world corrupted by the evil twist back to normality, everything that existed in the previous world will come back to life regardless of what happened in the twisted world¡­To put it simply, nothing will happen.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so. If that¡¯s true, I won¡¯t have to worry about killing others.¡¹ Wha¡­What the hell! He spoke like a terrorist¡­! But, this was actually a very important piece of information! ¡¸In your journey, you will face a series of difficulties. Still, if you don¡¯t save the Twisted Geabrande, you won¡¯t be able to reach the Twisted Kilsosa to defeat Merseys, and to restore the Gods¡¯ realm, and so on.¡¹ Then, Hades rose from the throne. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve explained everything that you needed to know! You must face the ordeals of this large saving quest! Along with the two surviving gods that luck fell upon them, you shall scrape off the malicious link that corrupts the twisted worlds! I look forward to watch how far you will stand against the power of Merseys¡¯ violence!¡¹ Hades elevated one hand with his sharp claws. It looked like a signal to start our saving quest of the Twisted Geabrande. However¡­ ¡¸I refuse. ¡¹ My hero spoke quickly and clearly. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸How can I go to that twisted world without preparing first?¡¹ Ahh! His words were somewhat nostalgic! ¡¸My level has been initialized when I was summoned. Therefore, my current level remains low. Even if I remember the basics of the destruction techniques and the Crazy Warrior state, all my other skills have disappeared.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, that means that you can switch into a Berserker mode! Isn¡¯t that great!¡¹ I was glad that the destruction techniques were carved in his soul. Moreover, he even remembered how to invoke the Crazy Warrior state. Yet, Seiya had a tough-looking expression on his face. ¡¸What are you saying? There is no point in using that technique to double or triple my attack force if my level remains low. I won¡¯t be able to use those skills if I don¡¯t raise my base level fundamentally.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what are you going to do? ¡¹ After being silent for a while, Seiya declared the following words. ¡¸From now on, the Underworld will be our base for the saving quest of the twisted worlds.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously!? This sort of place is going to be our base!? ¡¹ I shouted upon hearing Seiya¡¯s remarks! Then, Hades moved his eyebrows. ¡¸¡°This sort of place¡±, you say? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ah, no, I apologize! I meant this place as a wonderful place! *laughs nervously* ¡¹ This was bad! I couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t want to stay here! ¡¸Our ultimate goal is to defeat Merseys and restore the heavenly world, isn¡¯t that right? Merseys had enough power to destroy the heavenly world. Besides, I heard that her hero is quite powerful. The only way to overthrow such a strong enemy is with an unusual method. In other words¡­¡¹ Seiya¡¯s eyes were looking extremely sharp. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to search for that unusual method here in the Underworld. No, I will find it.¡¹ Hades began to laugh. ¡¸Are you already looking ahead to the final decisive battle against Merseys rather than saving the Twisted Geabrande first? You are indeed a very thoughtful person. And that characteristic is your strength and advantage.¡¹ Whoa!! He even knew Seiya¡¯s qualities!? ¡¸How is the flow of time in the Underworld compared to the earthly worlds? ¡¹ ¡¸Time is the same as in the Gods¡¯ realm. In other words, the time difference between earthly worlds and the Underworld is about 1 to 100.¡¹ ¡¸That means that I can practice in here slowly. ¡¹ ¡¸*giggles* So, does that mean that a human and gods will be living in the Underworld from now on? It¡¯s unheard of, but it¡¯s quite interesting.¡¹ Hades laughed amusingly, while I felt extremely bothered by it. Wa¡­Wait a second!! We¡¯re really going to live in the Underworld from now on!? This place was not like the Gods¡¯ realm where I felt safe!! My hunch hit the spot soon after. Hades stared attentively at both Celseus and me. ¡¸However, life here is hard for gods. In some cases, you will be humiliated to such a great extent that your own existence will be unbearable.¡¹ ¡¸Hu¡­Humiliated!? ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey!! What the hell does that mean!! ¡¹ Celseus and I felt distressed by those remarks, but¡­ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. That story doesn¡¯t concern me. ¡¹ ¡¸Huh, what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ Both of us screamed at the same time after hearing Seiya¡¯s immediate answer. Unoporta, who had been silent until now, had a reddish face. ¡¸Gods are going to stay in the Underworld from now on¡­! Uhhhhhh¡­! That¡¯s wonderful news¡­Ahh, what a delightful thing¡­!¡¹ She muttered as if she were pleased. I noticed that she licked her lips with her tongue. ¡­Gosh!! What the hell!? ¡­The Underworld. I felt that this eerie world would be a torture chamber for both Celseus and I. When I knew that Seiya named this place as his training base, I felt nothing else except anxiety and fear. Volume 3 - CH 128.1 Chapter 128: New Training (1) After we left the Shrine, we walked on the stone-paved path under the red sky of the Underworld. When I first came here, I was caught by surprise because of the weirdness and strangeness of this place. But, now that my feelings settled down, I could see the surroundings with a clear mind. When I looked around, I didn¡¯t see any bricks or stone buildings, but I could see structures that seemed to be private houses. Some shops had signs, but they were written in hieroglyphic characters. I didn¡¯t know how to read them. ¡¸We¡¯re going to live in this sort of place? I don¡¯t like this place. I¡¯m worried¡­¡¹ Seiya sighed upon hearing Celseus¡¯ words and sent him a cold gaze. ¡¸You can do whatever you like from now on. I really don¡¯t care. ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way!! ¡¹ ¡¸But, Seiya! We can¡¯t go to the world Glavaos without Celseus! ¡¹ ¡¸Please, don¡¯t leave me alone in such a creepy place like this! I beg you! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a pathetic Swordsman God. ¡¹ Just as Seiya professed, Celseus was indeed a pathetic god. However, after we save the Twisted Geabrande and the Twisted Exfolia, we¡¯ll have to start the saving quest of the world Glavaos. The world where Celseus lived when he was a human being. Well, it will be a long time before we reach that world, but¡­ ¡¸I¡¯ve said this before, but how a foolish guy like Celseus became a god in the first place? Just how idiotic were you in your previous life?¡¹ ¡¸Foolish and Idiotic, you say!? Just moments ago, Hades said to us that Glavaos is a world of a ridiculous difficulty rank!!¡¹ ¡¸So, what? ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, I must have survived through a very tough environment! I¡¯m sure of it! I was probably a famous warlord in my previous life!¡¹ ¡¸What is your opinion about it, Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Even if he were a warlord, he must have died with an arrow stuck on his buttocks.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not probably right!! C¡¯mon!! That sounds like a pitiful ending for a warlord!!¡¹ Celseus shouted at us, but Seiya shook his head. ¡¸I don¡¯t have time to talk about this shitty story. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, Seiya! You can start your training now! ¡¹ ¡¸No. First, we must secure beds and food. ¡¹ Certainly, the Underworld was a new place for us all! We didn¡¯t even know if we should go right or left! First and foremost, we had to do something about food, clothing and shelter! ¡¸Excuse me¡­ ¡¹ I heard a voice, and turned around. I wondered if she had been listening to our conversation since the beginning. Unoporta opened her mouth quietly. ¡¸If you¡¯d like, you can use my house. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh, really!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Please follow me. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Uno! ¡¹ ¡­Everything felt a bit bizarre in the Underworld¡­But, this place had a decent person after all! We followed Unoporta through a road of the Underworld. I noticed that a person without a neck approached us, then a giant with ten meters tall, and finally a humanoid slime full of wrinkles¡­The creepy people from the Underworld were walking while murmuring about us. Even though she bled from her mouth excessively, Unoporta was rather normal. In the meantime¡­ ¡¸Heyyyyy look! There are gods over there. They¡¯re really gods¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ohhhhh! I can feel their divinity! ¡¹ Some were trying to touch us abruptly, but they immediately withdrew when Unoporta stopped them with her hand. When we first met Unoporta, she said that we had to come with her to the Shrine at the command of Hades. I thought that Hades trust in her was so strong that made her special unlike everyone else living in here. It took us more than a 10 minute-walk from Hades¡¯ Shrine. We went out of town and headed towards the suburbs. The countryside was spreading before our eyes. And I saw very few people in this area of the Underworld. Under the bloody sky, the growing plants were unfamiliar, but the whole scenery was rather calm. ¡¸As you can see, that is my house. We¡¯re almost there. ¡¹ Unoporta pointed to a large building in the distance. It looked like an old western-style building with ivy¡¯s entangled on its walls. ¡­Some¡­Somehow, that building looked like the house of Dracula¡­ ¡¸What a sinister house. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey, Seiya!? ¡¹ Even if he were thinking about that, he had no need to say it out loud! Unoporta didn¡¯t seem to mind what Seiya said about her house. She showed a smile then. ¡¸I live here with my older brother. ¡¹ ¡¸Do you have an older brother? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Ah, he is over there¡­ ¡¹ After diving through the corroded gate, Unoporta pointed to the garden. A man was there. I noticed that he was watering the flowerbeds. ¡¸Hi, Uno. Welcome back. ¡¹ The man smiled refreshingly when he saw us with Unoporta. Although he had short hair, he also had pink hair just like Unoporta. I saw that he had a jewel-like object between his eyebrows as well. He was a youthful man, perhaps in his late twenties when compared to humans. ¡¸Mister Seiya, Miss Listarte, and Mister Celseus. My name is Dueporta. I¡¯m Unoporta¡¯s older brother. You can call me Due.¡¹ Due spoke to us as if he were our friend of over three years. Seiya didn¡¯t shake hands with him because of his cautiousness, therefore, I was the one to shake hands instead. ¡¸Ni¡­Nice to meet you! Thank you for letting us stay here! ¡¹ ¡¸Miss Listarte¡­ ¡¹ I felt nervous when Due looked fixedly at my face. Eh, eh! What the hell? Due released his hands when he noticed my uneasiness. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was just a little moved. You have been taking good care of us. ¡¹ Taking care? Uno said the same thing a while ago, didn¡¯t she? I wondered about it, so I tried to ask Uno. However, on this precise moment¡­ ¡¸Atchi!! ¡¹ ¡¸Whoa!? This girl has vomited blood again!! ¡¹ Uno spited out fresh blood from her mouth, but she cleaned her mouth with her hands quite immediately! ¡¸I apologize for this rude manner. You can think of it as a sneeze. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I don¡¯t think so¡­! Sneezing and bleeding are not exactly the same thing¡­! ¡¹ Then, Uno began to talk with her brother as if nothing had happened. ¡¸By the way, brother. Lady Listarte and everyone else will stay in the Underworld for a while. That¡¯s why I want to lend them a vacant room in our house.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I see. Normally a deal is necessary¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? A deal? ¡¹ Due closed his eyes and pondered for a while. Shortly after, he glanced at me and his expression became brighter. ¡¸All right. I¡¯ll assign a room to each one of you. So, use them as much as you like.¡¹ Hmm? But, he just spoke about a deal, and yet, he agreed to this without any problems? Maybe¡­I wondered if my charm swayed him! I felt that Due¡¯s eyes were burning while staring at me. Maybe it was just my overthinking, but it didn¡¯t feel gross because he had the appearance of a very good-looking man. Either way, the brother and sister were likely to be the most trusted beings in the Underworld¡­As soon as I thought that¡­ ¡¸Burrrrp!! ¡¹ Fresh blood dripped from Due¡¯s mouth! ¡¸Gosh!! The older brother also vomits blood!? ¡¹ Celseus and I trembled upon seeing that sight. On the other hand, a cool-looking Due wiped his mouth with his sleeves. ¡¸Oops, sorry for my rudeness. Actually, I bleed occasionally when I talk too much. *laughs innocently*¡¹ It¡­It felt as if he burped from the stomach, but¡­he vomited blood instead!? These two were also weird after all!! However, Due, who had wiped his blood, had already returned to being a dignified young-looking man. ¡¸Would you like to have dinner? However, I don¡¯t know if our food suits the palate of gods and humans.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. A meal you say¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go everyone. The kitchen is this way. ¡¹ The brother and sister guided us to a luxurious dining table with candlesticks lit on the long tabletop. In the middle of the table was a large pot of soup, and bread was placed on the plates. ¡¸Please, eat as much as you like. ¡¹ All that my eyes could see on the table was bread. I was skeptical about the food dishes of the Underworld. But, it seemed that this food could be eatable. ¡¸Seiya! We have bread here! It looks delicious! ¡¹ However, Seiya struck Celseus¡¯ shoulder instead. ¡¸Celseus. You eat it first. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­ ¡¹ I secretly spoke to Celseus, who was extremely afraid. ¡¸It¡¯s fine! I used my Appraisal skills! The food is safe and harmless! ¡¹ ¡¸Can¡­Can I really believe you? O¡­Okay, I¡¯ll eat it. ¡¹ Celseus put a piece of bread in the liquid inside the pot and brought it to his mouth¡­ ¡¸Ah, you were right! I can really eat it! By the way, it¡¯s quite delicious!¡¹ After that, he began to eat without hesitation. I tried it too, and the food was really delicious. It tasted like cheese fondue. Seiya, who should be able to use the same Appraisal skills like me, was smelling and crumbling the bread into small pieces to see if it was poisoned. When he destroyed the bread on the plate, he finally started to eat it properly. After eating the bread, Seiya declared the following words. ¡¸Okay. I¡¯m still worried about my safety, but for the time being, I was able to secure a minimum-rated meal and a place to live.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Watch your words!! Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re in front of Due!!¡¹ Seiya was the usual Seiya as he didn¡¯t care much about his tongue. However, Due was smiling. Then, Seiya stood up from his chair quite rapidly. ¡¸I¡¯m going now. I need to train my body. At least, I have to be capable enough in order to twist the neck of one dragon person with just one hand.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!! You¡­You¡¯re going to train at this precise moment!? ¡¹ Celseus had an astonished expression on his face. He probably thought that Seiya would ask him to be his training partner as usual. At that time, Uno, who brought an alternative water for us, suggested the following. ¡¸How about you rest in your room today and start your training tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. I want to raise my level as soon as possible. If I can, I¡¯d like to level up to MAX soon enough.¡¹ Le¡­Level MAX! Well¡­We had no time limit this time; moreover, we were going to face a S+ rank difficulty world. I didn¡¯t want to be in the Underworld for a long period of time. This place creeped me out. But, I wanted Seiya to train properly. With plenty of time, he should be able to prepare slowly and efficiently so that we can save the Twisted Geabrande. However, what training did he have in mind? I was curious about it, since we were no longer in the Gods¡¯ realm where he could train with my fellow gods¡­ Volume 3 - CH 128.2 Chapter 128: New Training (2) I was deeply immersed in my own thoughts. Before long, I noticed that Seiya was staring fixedly at Celseus. I knew that Celseus was useless, but Seiya reaffirmed it by saying out loud. ¡¸It will be inefficient if I train with Celseus. I want to practice with someone else.¡¹ Celseus made a subtle, sad expression. Seiya asked Uno the following question. ¡¸Don¡¯t you have anyone strong in the Underworld? ¡¹ ¡¸We have very few people talented with physical strength. Most of us here deal with mysterious techniques instead.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. ¡¹ Seiya¡¯s eyes glowed brilliantly. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! Come here for a moment! ¡¹ When I called Seiya, I whispered in his ear so that Uno and Due wouldn¡¯t hear my words. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re willing to practice with a person from the Underworld!? This isn¡¯t the Gods¡¯ realm!! There aren¡¯t any gods here, you know!? Won¡¯t it be dangerous!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s more dangerous to go to the twisted world without proper preparation. Besides, didn¡¯t you hear what I told Hades? I have to find something in the Underworld that will help me defeat Merseys and her hero.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That might be right, but even so! ¡¹ Seiya moved his gaze from me, and looked at Uno and Due. ¡¸By the way, you siblings don¡¯t have special skills? ¡¹ Then, they looked at each other and smiled. After Uno lowered her head, she sent a gentle look at Seiya. ¡¸Our skills are unnecessary for Lord Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ Neither Uno nor Due explained what their technique was, but Seiya didn¡¯t question about it either. Perhaps, their technique wasn¡¯t a combat-oriented skill. That¡¯s why she said that Seiya didn¡¯t need it. ¡¸More importantly, Lord Seiya. I have a suggestion¡­At the beginning, would you let Lord Celseus and Lady Listarte learn some of the techniques from the Underworld?¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhh!? ¡¹ I was utterly shocked along with Celseus upon hearing the sudden offer! It was because the story suddenly turned against us! Seiya nodded positively and spoke as if he talked to himself. ¡¸I wonder. But, all right. First, I want to see how these immortal gods fare in here¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are we some kind of experimental subjects!? ¡¹ Celseus and I were extremely upset. But all of them ignored our frustration. Uno and Due continued to talk. ¡¸Brother. What about Serous Rousse on Third Avenue? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure that their godly power will greatly improve if they train with Serous Rousse.¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey. Does that mean that it will have the same effect of placing an Order?¡¹ Celseus asked Due calmly. Orders could no longer be appealed because of the disappearance of the Gods¡¯ realm. I couldn¡¯t release my full healing power nor invoke my back wings in case of an emergency. Of course, it was the same with Celseus. ¡¸What Lord Celseus means is the ¡°release of god¡¯s power which is restricted¡±, am I right? Serous Rousse¡¯s technique is a little different. It may be more correct to say ¡°the potential power¡± of both Lord Celseus and Lady Listarte.¡¹ ¡¸Our potential power¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. If you both learn the Serous Rousse¡¯s skills and be able to draw out your potential, your current stats will be multiplied.¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seriously!? ¡¹ Celseus looked a little happy. I was excited about it, too. ¡¸It sounds like the State Berserk, but applied to gods. Bu¡­But, isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡¹ The dweller¡¯s spirit could collapse if the State Berserk¡¯s power went too far. I was worried about my soul at the cost of improving my abilities¡­ ¡¸The technique is in fact a little different, but there¡¯s no danger to the body and mind. At least here, in the Underworld.¡¹ ¡¸At¡­At least in the Underworld? What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸The special power of Lord Hades controls the whole Underworld. If you use that technique when descending into the different worlds, there is a possibility that your power might go wild, so it¡¯s not highly recommended. But, it¡¯s fine in here.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? So, the point is that we can only get stronger while in the Underworld?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It may be a bit tricky, but if that technique allows an exponential increase on Lord Celseus and Lady Listarte stats, you¡¯ll become competent enough as Lord Seiya¡¯s training partners. As a result, Lord Seiya¡¯s training will proceed faster.¡¹ After thinking for a while, Seiya pointed to Celseus and me. ¡¸I understood what you told us, but you overestimate the power of these two. No matter how many times you multiply 0, it will always remain 0.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way, to call us as low as 0¡­! ¡¹ I felt sad, but Uno smiled gently at Seiya. ¡¸Even if some people feel that they lack abilities, nobody is 0. Excuse me for saying this, but let¡¯s say that Lady Listarte and Lord Celseus only have 1 in ability. Still, if both of them learn Serous Rousse¡¯s technique, they¡¯ll be able to multiply it to 10.¡¹ ¡¸Ten¡­Ten times higher!? ¡¹ Amazing!! Isn¡¯t that a lot more than the State Berserk!? However, Seiya shook his head in response. ¡¸1 is too much. I would say that they are about 0.1. ¡¹ ¡¸Still, they¡¯ll be 1 if they learn Serous Rousse¡¯s technique. ¡¹ ¡¸How about 0.01? ¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯ll be 0.1. ¡¹ ¡¸You know, could you stop talking in decimals!? ¡¹ I screamed at him. Normally, nobody would use such small numbers when talking about abilities!! Yes, no matter how low my and Celseus status were!! ¡¸Let¡¯s go to meet that person then. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll guide you there. ¡¹ After bowing to her brother, Uno began to walk away. I thanked Due for the meal, and then, I followed Uno and Seiya. ¡ª When we left the house, I saw that the red sky was gray. I couldn¡¯t see any stars or the moon, but the sky was faintly bright. Somehow, I could see my surroundings and look ahead. So, this was the night of the Underworld. We walked alongside Uno for a while in the opposite direction from the Shrine of the Six-Realms of Existence where Hades lived in. When we crossed a large bridge made of wood, I saw a settlement that resembled a village. Houses with tiled roofs were illuminated by lanterns hung from place to place. The houses had a red and yellow painting on the doors. The walls and pillars resembled the Chinese architecture from Seiya¡¯s world. We proceeded with caution while admiring the surrounding area. Actually, I was afraid that a weird being would appear at night from this creepy Underworld. I had a faint heart, so I¡¯d scream immediately. But, fortunately there was no one around. ¡¸¡­We¡¯ve arrived. Serous Rousse lives here. ¡¹ Uno stopped in front of a similar house with titled roof. However, the house was tattered when compared to the other houses. It looked like a haunted house where no one lived inside. When she opened the door made of wood, everything inside the house was completely dark. ¡¸Serous Rousse. Are you there? It¡¯s me, Unoporta. ¡¹ Uno called out, but there was no answer. Then, I heard a loud noise when I thought that this person wasn¡¯t at home. ¡­Someone was limping on the floor. As soon as I saw someone emerging from the darkness with that strange sound, my heart almost stopped beating! ¡­Wha¡­What on earth was this being!? A handstand woman with a long hair hanging on the floor looked at us while upside down and smiled with a nightmarish grin! She moved her hands on the floor quite quickly and came closer to us in a macabre way! ¡¸Whoa!? ¡¹ ¡¸Gyah!! ¡¹ Celseus and I screamed involuntarily! Those spine-chilling long eyes were directed towards us! ¡¸She is Serous Rousse. ¡¹ Uno smiled gracefully, but I almost ¡°wet my pants¡±. Ho¡­Ho¡­How the hell was this woman able to walk in such a handstand position!? ¡¸Serous Rousse. I want you to confer your technique to these gods, Lord Celseus and Lady Listarte.¡¹ ¡¸¡­If Unoporta asks me to do it, then I¡¯ll have to accept it, yah. ¡¹ The creepy woman uttered a dull voice while standing upside down. On this moment, I noticed that she carried a bottle, which she hung at her waist, and then, she tilted her neck in order to pour into her mouth. She drank it dexterously. I tried to ask her something. ¡¸Ex¡­ Excuse me, but why are you upside down? ¡¹ Then, Serous Rousse opened her mouth and laughed with a piercing voice. ¡¸*laughs manically* All things might look like one, but in fact, everything has two sides! Always! Handstand is the truth! The two sides of the same coin are the ultimate reality of the Underworld yah!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes! Is that so! I understand! ¡¹ However, I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of her words at all. I just agreed because I was scared. Then, Seiya pushed me away and came forward. ¡¸So, what exactly is your technique? ¡¹ ¡¸My technique can, in a way, reverse a person¡¯s nature for a limited period of time. If a god becomes a devil, his or her status will jump up for sure yah.¡¹ ¡¸A¡­A¡­A devil!? ¡¹ I raised my voice and shouted along with Celseus! Wa¡­Wait a minute!! I haven¡¯t heard of this before!! Serous Rousse laughed after taking a sip from the bottle. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you this instead of making a deal yah. I¡¯m going to bring your HP to a different magnitude for as long as possible yah.¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 129.1 Chapter 129: The Counterattack of the Swordsman God (1) Serous Rousse, an inhabitant of the Underworld who walked upside down, laughed ominously. ¡¸Actually, when you make a request for someone from the Underworld, you need to make a deal with them, yah. That¡¯s the rule of the Underworld yah.¡¹ I was confused upon hearing those words. Then, Uno intervened in this conversation. ¡¸Lady Listarte. What you¡¯ll need to trade¡­ in other words your legal tender is¡­your ¡°HP¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, in other words¡­do you mean the ¡°physical strength¡±? ¡¹(EN: Health Points.) ¡¸No. It has a different meaning in the Underworld. I shall warn you, Lady Listarte. You¡¯ll be greatly humiliated from now on.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhh!? So, this so-called deal was what Hades was referring to!? ¡¹ Uno nodded with a strange-looking face. Then, Serous Rousse raised her voice. ¡¸C¡¯mon, this is a waste of time yah! It¡¯s time to get started!¡¹ She¡­She wasn¡¯t going to humiliate me, was she!? ¡¸Raise your hands high yah! ¡¹ I was scared, so couldn¡¯t do it. Seiya spoke to me in order to convince me. ¡¸Lista. It¡¯s for the sake of saving the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹ I had no other choice but to do this now. We¡­Well, I guess Serous Rousse wouldn¡¯t do anything weird to me. After all, her hands were occupied because she was upside down, correct? I raised my hands high. Serous Rousse shouted immediately. ¡¸Reverse!! ¡¹ The heavens and the earth were swapped around! When I realized what happened, the creepy face of Serous Rousse was laughing right in front of me! The world around me looked upside down¡­Was I doing handstand!? ¡¸He¡­Hey, you!! Why did you do this so suddenly!? ¡¹ I was upset because she forced me to stand upside down¡­By the way¡­Was this the humiliation? It ended up being nothing much¡­ Then, something fell down. The handstand position made the skirt of my dress to fall on my waist. I felt that the area around my crotch was airy. I couldn¡¯t see it myself. But, I had no doubts about it. Right now, everybody could see my panties. ¡¸Don¡¯t lookkkkkkkkkkkkkk!! ¡¹ I felt so embarrassed when I realized that Seiya and Celseus saw my intimate underwear! I tried desperately to return to my original position, but I couldn¡¯t move. Apparently, this was Serous Rousse¡¯s magical power. Surprisingly, I saw that Serous Rousse and Uno looked favorably at me. ¡¸Ah, what a great feeling yah¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸My body is filled with HP¡­what a delight¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell are you talking about!? ¡¹ When I looked at Seiya while standing upside down, I noticed that he nodded as if he understood what happened just now. ¡¸I see. It seems that they¡¯re getting energy after seeing the silliness of a god.¡¹ ¡¸They¡­They¡¯re getting energy just by watching my embarrassing figure!?¡¹ After a while, Uno explained the following. ¡¸That¡¯s right. HP is an abbreviation for ¡°Humiliating Points¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Humiliating Po¡­What on earth are you saying!! ¡¹ Did they receive energy in the Underworld just by humiliating me!? I didn¡¯t understand what they meant!! Suddenly, I noticed that Celseus was grinning wickedly next to me. ¡¸Whe¡­Where are you looking at!! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. No, I didn¡¯t see it. Yeah, anything, anything at all. I didn¡¯t see your white panties.¡¹ ¡¸So, you saw it, you bastard!! ¡¹ Then, Serous Rousse approached Celseus and¡­ ¡¸Reverse! ¡¹ Celseus was also forced to stand upside down. ¡¸Me¡­Me¡­Me too!? ¡¹ ¡¸From now on, you two should do exactly what I tell you to do yah. ¡¹ So¡­So the humiliation was going to continue!? Celseus and I were both doing handstand at the same time¡­ ¡¸In that state, you¡¯ll have to say words with the same beginning and the same ending yah.* You¡¯ll have to scream those words twenty times in a row yah.¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a second!! Why do I have to play with words with my bare panties for everybody to see!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­We can¡¯t make a deal if you don¡¯t do it this way yah.¡¹ Seiya coughed with a dissatisfied sound. He sent me a sharp gaze that looked like he commanded me to ¡°do it¡±. Ugh! I hated this so much that I wanted to die¡­but we had to recover the Gods¡¯ realm! I had to do my best! ¡¸Okay¡­Let¡¯s see¡­¡°Tomato¡±! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s your turn yah. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡°Kyuri¡±. ¡¹ (EN: Cucumber) ¡¸Wrong. You have to start over from the beginning. ¡¹ I was appalled when Celseus said cucumber. ¡¸Hey, what on earth are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸My¡­My bad. I thought that I had to say a vegetable. My head is spinning since I¡¯m standing upside down¡­¡¹ Certainly, I felt that my blood was gradually increasing in my head! It was painful¡­ Moreover, my partner was an idiot! But, I had to be persistent! I kept telling to myself, ¡°Listarte, just endure this¡±! ¡¸Well¡­¡°Mama¡±! ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Then, ¡°Papa¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Ichii¡±! ¡¹ (EN: First place) ¡¸¡­¡°Yamamoto Yama¡±? ¡¹ (EN: Family name + Mountain) ¡¸You should¡¯ve said, ¡°Mayatomomaya¡± yah. Start over. ¡¹ Ah, c¡¯mon!! This guy was truly an idiot!! I spoke to Seiya who watched us nearby. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Seiya. Are you able to do this game? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I can do it¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Gods are far richer in HP than humans, yah. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡­I see. That¡¯s a shame. ¡¹ Ugh! Why were we the only dirty entertainers on this game! Seiya spoke from above me, after I felt regrettable and angry about this shameful event. ¡¸Do your best, Lista. I¡¯m rooting for you. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ ¡¹ Im¡­Impossible!! It must be a joke!! Was Seiya really encouraging me!? ¡¸I¡­I understand!! I¡¯ll do my best!! ¡¹ I was subjugated to a very poor environment where my hands hurt for being upside down, my blood was overflowing to my head, and my panties were exposed. Still, I felt encouragement when I heard Seiya¡¯s support. Therefore, I continued to play the word game with Celseus. ¡¸¡°Yaoya¡±! ¡¹ (EN: Greengrocer) ¡¸¡°Magma¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸¡°Minami¡±! ¡¹ (EN: South) ¡¸¡°Chikuwa¡±¡­Ah, sorry Lista¡­ ¡¹ (EN: Tube-shaped fish-paste cake) ¡¸Hey you!! Pull yourself together!! ¡¹ When Celseus got it wrong again, I felt that my legs wavered a little as if my eagerness slowed down. Uno spoke to me then. ¡¸Lady Listarte. Has your HP reduced significantly? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I wonder about that. You see, I don¡¯t know if my Humiliation Point has increased or decreased.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no. The HP I just mentioned was the HP in terms of physical strength. I thought that you were tired.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s too confusing, really!! And of course that I don¡¯t feel good!! I¡¯m standing upside down you know!!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I knew it. You are indeed tired¡­.Serous Rousse. Shall we take a break?¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped yah. Let¡¯s stop just for 10 minutes yah.¡¹ Oh, thank goodness! Finally, a little rest! When I thought so, Seiya declared the following words. ¡¸No. It¡¯s a waste of time. You must continue with it non-stop.¡¹ ¡¸No way!! ¡¹ Celseus and I shouted in unison. Seiya continued to speak. ¡¸You two. I¡¯m rooting for you both. ¡¹ I¡­I finally understood Seiya¡¯s second intentions!! He was not trying to encourage us!! He was ¡°abusing us in the name of encouragement¡±!! In the end, we proceeded with that game without a break¡­Fifteen minutes later; Celseus and I somehow overturned the words twenty times, and spoke them in a vice-versa mode. I felt depressed because I felt as if I lost something important. As a goddess, I literally lost my sense of accomplishment. Contrary to a depressed me¡­ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve got a lot of HP yah. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been this fulfilled. ¡¹ Both Serous Rousse and Uno seemed happy. Finally, after a long while, my body was freed when our forced handstand position was lifted. I breathed heavily as I crouched on the ground. ¡¸Anyway. Are you going to teach us now about reversing into devils?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What are you talking about yah? I¡¯ve already gave you the secret skill ¡°Type Opposite¡± yah.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? ¡¹ ¡¸What you did just now was a humiliation act, but at the same time, it was also part of your training about auras and skills yah.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that we can turn into devils now!? ¡¹ ¡¸You got to stand upside down again and chant your name in a reverse order yah.¡¹ I stood upside down as I was told to do. My panties were fully exposed once again, but somehow, I wasn¡¯t that concerned this time around! ¡­Let¡¯s see¡­I had to speak my name in a reverse order while I stood upside down¡­ ¡¸Tetarsli!** ¡¹ Suddenly, I heard ¡°bang!¡±. Smoke was wrapped around me. After the smoke cleared away, I was surprised to see the changes in my body. The pure white dress that I wore became a black leather dress. The skin on my arms and legs was somewhat dark as if I got sunburned. ¡¸Wha¡­What happened to my appearance!? ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Listarte. Please, look this way. ¡¹ I was extremely surprised when I saw my whole body in the mirror given by Uno. A black leather dress with a reveling neckline. All of my limbs had dark skin. My lips were glossier than usual. And above all, I had strange wings that resembled bat wings on my back! I had a tail that grew from my buttocks! Somehow, I looked devilish but womanly at the same time! ¡¸So¡­So this is the form of a devil huh¡­! I look kinda sexy¡­!¡¹ I was worried about what would happen, but unexpectedly, I liked it. I was glad that I did my best at the handstand trial! ¡¸Hey, Seiya! I¡¯ve become a devil! What do you want me to do now?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. Well, you don¡¯t have any special use. So, go sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Even though I worked so hard to become a devil!! You¡¯re cold-hearted as usual!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not a fighting type no matter how much you raise your ability.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That may be so, but!¡¹ ¡¸The main one is this guy over here.¡¹ After seeing my changes, Celseus spoke vigorously. ¡¸O¡­Okay! I¡¯ll do it too! ¡­Ussecel!¡¹ I heard the same noise as before and Celseus was wrapped in smoke. Eventually, after the smoke cleared away, Celseus stood there as before. However, he was not the usual Celseus. Not only was his skin darker like mine, but his whole body had more muscle mass. And for some unknown reason, he wore a black leather jacket with silver accessories and a skull pendant around his neck. What surprised me the most was the cow-like horns that grew on his head. ¡¸What is this appearance¡­! Besides, I feel so much power now! I¡¯ve never felt like this before! So this body is my own body¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Oh. It seems that your status became more of a Swordsman God status now. We¡¯re going to start my training after we get back to Unoporta¡¯s house.¡¹ ¡­Wa¡­Was he really going to train today after all this!? I endured a handstand torture today. I wanted to take a well-deserved rest now. But, surprisingly, Celseus had a fearless smile on his face. ¡¸Yeah, great. Okay then, let¡¯s start training straightaway. ¡¹ This man. He didn¡¯t look nor sound like the useless idiotic Celseus that I knew of. I wondered about what was going to happen from now on. Volume 3 - CH 129.2 Chapter 129: The Counterattack of the Swordsman God (2) Shortly after we left Serous Rousse, we returned immediately to the Porta siblings house. Even though it was night, the large garden was slightly bright thanks to the exterior lights of the magical stones. Seiya and Celseus had received wooden swords prepared by the brother Dueporta. ¡¸Seiya. Don¡¯t get caught off guard. Celseus has become a devil, so his ability value got ten times higher, right?¡¹ ¡¸While I was listening to the story from Hades, while I was walking in the Underworld, and while you were playing with the upside-down woman, I kept training secretly on my own. I managed to raise my level quite a bit since then.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­Eh, but I wasn¡¯t playing back then, you know!¡¹ Seiya ignored me completely while I screamed at him, and faced the wild-looking Celseus with a wooden sword. ¡¸Okay, Celseus. Come at me with all your might. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Got it. ¡¹ Celseus muttered and then¡­he disappeared at the same time! The next moment I thought that I heard a dull sound; I noticed that Celseus shook his wooden sword while Seiya crouched down in the ground while he held his belly. ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment, Celseus!! Seiya¡¯s current level is still low, you know!? Why did you attack him so suddenly¡­¡¹ ¡¸Because he said to ¡°come at him with all my might¡±. So, I did what he told me to do.¡¹ Even so, it shocked me!! Seiya was usually the one who hit Celseus!! Not the contrary!! Seiya stood up while holding his belly. ¡¸Great, Celseus. Let¡¯s continue. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I don¡¯t even need the wooden sword. ¡¹ ¡­From that point on, it looked like Celseus was delivering a beatdown on Seiya. The barehanded Celseus swung his strong fist into Seiya¡¯s body so strongly that even his sword was blown away immediately. Seiya¡¯s body bent down after receiving that hit. Afterwards, Seiya¡¯s body swayed back and forth, left and right, while soaking up the rush of Celseus¡¯ strikes. No¡­No way! What the hell was going on! Seiya was being wiped out by the devilish Celseus! I couldn¡¯t watch this anymore, therefore, I broke in between those two. ¡¸Stop it, Celseus!! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Lista? I¡¯m just doing the so-called training, you see? ¡¹ ¡¸This is not training!! You are doing your own revenge game because of your past grudge against Seiya!!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Move away, Lista. ¡¹ However, Seiya stood up and spit blood into the garden¡¯s floor while his face was covered with bruises. ¡¸Celseus. Keep going. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, oh. You have a great courage huh. ¡¹ Nevertheless, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s body was wrapped in a reddish-black aura. ¡¸¡­State Berserk. ¡¹ Ohh! He doubled his stats! Now he¡¯d be able to match the strength of the devilish Celseus! However, after becoming the Crazy Warrior, Seiya tried to hit Celseus with his wooden sword but with no success. Celseus stopped the strike of the wooden sword with his index finger. ¡¸What the hell. It doesn¡¯t hurt nor itches me. ¡¹ Then, he laughed while shaking his arm. ¡¸I get it now! This is the great power of the devil me! ¡¹ Instead, Celseus¡¯ fist hit Seiya¡¯s face directly! A rattling sound was heard and Seiya was thrown a few meters away from where he was standing still. ¡­This¡­This practice was exactly the opposite training between Seiya and Celseus! No matter how low Seiya¡¯s level was¡­The reverse devil transformation skill was indeed remarkable¡­! Celseus spoke with a bloody fist. ¡¸I¡¯m getting sleepy now. Let¡¯s stop this training for today. Let¡¯s continue tomorrow.¡¹ ¡ª After Celseus returned to the Western-style house, Seiya collapsed in the large garden. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that guy, really! Attitudes do change when one gets stronger! He¡¯s the worst!¡¹ I put Seiya on my knees and invoked my healing magic. He had terrible wounds. Seiya looked as if a ferocious demon beast attacked him brutally. My limited healing magic didn¡¯t cure him immediately. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t wish for this to happen. ¡¹ It was a rare sight to see a wounded Seiya. Somehow, I felt that this situation was some kind of a limbo state. After a moment of silence, Seiya said some unrealistic words. ¡¸Training is going well. Besides, this process is necessary for me to increase my stats. So, don¡¯t fret over useless things.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, things are different this time. Instead of rescuing another world, we have the mission to bring back the Gods¡¯ realm along with every god that lived in it¡­¡¹ ¡¸For me, this matter is not irrelevant as well. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not clear why Merseys was banished from the heavenly world. I think that the way of the innermost world of gods is also objectively flawed. Even so¡­¡¹ Seiya¡¯s eyes were sharp, despite being completely injured. ¡¸This is a job that I have been doing for some time now. I¡¯ll definitely defeat Merseys.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. ¡¹ Then, Seiya slowly got up and walked away. I watched Seiya¡¯s back as he left the garden, while holding Kiriko¡¯s pendant onto my chest. ¡ª Next morning. While I slept on the bed at the room assigned by Uno, I heard the sound of swords clashing in the distance. I was surprised and jumped out the bed. I headed immediately into the garden, and as expected, Celseus and Seiya had begun their training session. No¡­It was actually a one-sided match with extensive beating. ¡¸Eat this! Devil Slash! ¡¹ The wooden sword slashed into Seiya¡¯s shoulders without having the chance to block the swordsmanship of the devilish Celseus, who couldn¡¯t stop from hurting Seiya. I could hear Seiya¡¯s bones cracking has he was falling on the group. ¡¸Stop it already!! ¡¹ I spread my hands in front of Seiya in order to protect him. Nevertheless, Seiya pushed me away from behind my back. ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s continue. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, you should know my real power for as many times as possible! I¡¯ll show you the true power of the devil me!¡¹ Seiya, who became the Crazy Warrior, managed to evade Celseus¡¯ sword skill. However, his body and eyes didn¡¯t seem to catch up with his opponent¡¯s power and speed. Celseus¡¯ advantage was overwhelming. Seiya stood up no matter how many times he fell to the ground. But, then, he received a powerful thrust into his sword that it even distorted his own face. I ran to Seiya. ¡¸Seiya! You don¡¯t have to do it like this! Just take some time to prepare slowly in order to get stronger like before!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Saving three different twisted worlds and defeating Merseys along with her sacred hero sounds like a challenge so difficult like no other before. It¡¯s possible that I won¡¯t be able to catch up in power and strength with this type of training.¡¹ ¡¸See! I told you! ¡¹ Celseus sighed upon seeing Seiya get up. ¡¸This is getting tiresome now. I¡¯ll finish you up with a powerful blow. After that, today¡¯s training is over.¡¹ A black aura overflew from Celseus¡¯ body! Then, he pulled a wooden sword and jumped right at Seiya! ¡¸Yahhhhh!! Feel my all-out devil slashing!! ¡¹ ¡­Seiya!! I closed my eyes unintentionally. And after that, when I opened my eyes¡­Surprising! Seiya was holding Celseus¡¯ wooden sword with just one hand! ¡¸Wha¡­What¡­? ¡¹ Celseus spoke with an agitated voice. ¡¸Current level 58. Great, Celseus. My status is growing fast in a short amount of time all thanks to you.¡¹ My stunned eyes turned into dots. Seiya continued to speak back at Celseus. ¡¸Okay then. Let¡¯s raise the stage to State Berserk now. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? Seiya, didn¡¯t you raise it the last time you practiced!? ¡¹ ¡¸Until now, I kept it at stage 1.1. I shall bring the original State Berserk now.¡¹ Soon, Seiya¡¯s appearance changed. His hair became dyed red, actually more than before, and the stripped sharp fangs came out from his mouth. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ The reddish-black aura of madness erupted from Seiya¡¯s body and surpassed the aura of a devilish Celseus! ¡¸And more¡­State Berserk Phase 2.8¡­ ¡¹ He advanced the Crazy Warrior state to the maximum extent possible! My body was paralyzed after witnessing such terrible aura! ¡¸Let¡¯s go now, Celseus. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh. Wait a minute¡­ ¡¹ I heard a dry sound as soon as the red line track passed through Celseus. I didn¡¯t know what happened for a moment¡­ ¡¸It hurtssssssssssss!! ¡¹ The devilish Celseus shouted with an excruciating voice. But, when I stared closely, I noticed that Celseus lost its horns. Seiya picked up the fallen Celseus¡¯ horns and stared fixedly at it. ¡¸Oh my. Something fell to the ground. What are these? Garbage, perhaps?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re not garbage!! Those are my horns!! Give them back!!¡¹ Seiya snorted ¡°hmm¡±, and dumped Celseus¡¯ horns in the grass of the garden. Seiya slapped his fist against his other hand with convincing eyes. ¡¸I was going to stay in the Underworld for a while, but it looks like I¡¯m finishing this training pretty quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is¡­Is that so¡­ ¡¹ It seemed that losing his horns broke Celseus¡¯ heart. He replied with his usual miserable tone. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m glad that I helped you in the end! Okay then, if you excuse me, I¡¯ll go on my way now!¡¹ ¡¸Is that a devil¡¯s joke? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no. It¡¯s not a joke¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸The days here are long. From now on, until I¡¯ve reached level MAX, we will cut down on meals and sleep, and we¡¯ll go on an extensive training program.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No way¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Well then. Show me your ¡°devil¡¯s great power¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Ah no. You might think it¡¯s an overwhelming power. But, in reality, it¡¯s not that great¡­My power is rather small like a dwarf¡­¡¹ In the end, it returned to being the usual relationship that happened frequently in the Gods¡¯ realm¡­Well, to be honest, I didn¡¯t feel compassionate towards Celseus! You deserve this, ¡°lord¡± Celseus! Even so, ¡°in order to enhance the training effect, Seiya set the Crazy Warrior state to a lower degree, and made Celseus, who turned into a devil, hurt him in order to unleash the power of the Crazy Warrior up to the last minute¡±. This was a very different type of training. I never expected something like this before. Maybe it was because of the different setting, the Underworld, and because of different circumstances. Either way, I felt Seiya¡¯s strong determination. ¡­That¡¯s right¡­He did this so that we could save the twisted worlds, and defeat Merseys along with the sacred hero! And then. ¡¸It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!! Please, help meeeeeeee!!¡¹ Seiya, who showed no mercy smashing the shouting Celseus with his wooden sword, seemed much more like a devil himself than the devilish Celseus Volume 3 - CH 130.1 Chapter 130: A Victorious Departure (1) ¡¸So, what has Lord Seiya been up to lately? ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s been training with Celseus non-stop. ¡¹ Five days had passed since then. At this precise moment I was cooking inside the Porta¡¯s kitchen, and talking with Uno at the same time. I sighed while cutting the vegetables with a kitchen knife. ¡¸Ahh. I was able to turn into a devil, but it was all for nothing. ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe he doesn¡¯t want to fight against Lady Lista, don¡¯t you think so?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I wonder about that. I really doubt that he¡¯s that gentle, you know.¡¹ Anyway, I had to concentrate on cooking. Many of the ingredients from the Underworld were unfamiliar to me, but I had no problem knowing them because I used my Appraisal skills. The Underworld dishes prepared by Uno and Due were not bad. However, I wanted to cook something that Seiya would eat in Japan. Therefore, I was trying to create a dish that resembled the cuisine of his homeland. ¡¸I think I¡¯m going to make curry today. Let¡¯s see, where do you have the spices?¡¹ ¡¸The spices are on that shelf over there. ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you! ¡¹ I went to the shelf, which Uno told me about and¡­ ¡¸Gyah!? ¡¹ I was extremely surprised. Celseus was crouching down next to that shelf! ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What the hell are you doing over there!? ¡¹ Although Celseus turned into a devil, his body was full with bruises and his horns were missing from his head. ¡¸It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it!! I¡¯m hiding from that hero!! ¡¹ I stared at Celseus with disdainful eyes. ¡¸You really are stupid, aren¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you know that this would happen in the end?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that the devil me engulfed my heart with darkness! That¡¯s why I became a little bit overconfident!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. That¡¯s strange. As long as you don¡¯t activate it in the earthly worlds, there shouldn¡¯t be any devilish corruption of your soul.¡¹ ¡¸See? Uno says that you¡¯re okay! You¡¯re suffering now because it¡¯s your fault!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹ However, Celseus was shaking with his head too much. I bet that he could no longer hear my words. ¡¸Scary¡­That guy is so scary¡­! Every time I turned into a devil, he¡¯d ask me to do more and more training! So, each time I became a devil, the more he pushed me into a corner¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so? ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Lista. Lord Celseus looks very tired. Let¡¯s leave him alone for a while.¡¹ I left the shivering Celseus and I went back to cooking. But, after a while, Seiya came to the kitchen himself. ¡¸Hey, Lista. Have you seen Celseus? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know what to do. But, I knew that I couldn¡¯t deceive Seiya. Therefore, I pointed silently to the corner of the kitchen. Seiya walked in, and then he grabbed Celseus and dragged him out there as if he was holding a cat by its neck. ¡¸Uahhhhhhh!! Stop, stop, stop, stopppppp!! I don¡¯t want to gooooo!! Please, somebody help meeeeee!!¡¹ The Swordsman God kept crying out loud. He looked like a child being taken away¡­We¡­Well, you reap what you sow! Good luck, Celseus! Have patience until Seiya¡¯s level goes up! ¡ª And then, at noontime I brought the curry to the garden, which was now Seiya¡¯s training grounds. I saw that Celseus fell down on the ground. It seemed that he fainted. After I put my hand on Celseus¡¯ head to check his health, I invited Seiya to the garden table to eat my curry. ¡¸By the way, Seiya. Is your level going up nicely? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It seems that I¡¯ve just reached the limit. ¡¹ ¡¸So fast!! Then, does that mean that you¡¯re ready now!? ¡¹ ¡¸No. There¡¯s one step left. ¡¹ After Seiya finished eating my curry, he stood up and walked away. I followed him immediately. ¡¸Hey, where are you going? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m heading for the town. ¡¹ When the Underworld people saw Celseus and me, they would lick their lips with their tongues and smile at us with creepy grins. I was terrified of them, so I never went far from Uno¡¯s house. However, Seiya wanted to go to that town in his spare time after he finished his training with Celseus. Regardless of my fears, I followed Seiya, but kept close to him. ¡­In the vicinity of the Shrine of the Six-Realms of Existence, where Hades lived, the eerie people of the Underworld wandered freely on the streets. I noticed that many of them rolled on the ground with just their heads. Nonetheless, when they saw Seiya¡­ ¡¸Oh my, Mister Seiya! ¡¹ ¡¸Hello! ¡¹ ¡¸How are you doing today? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know why, but they were saying ¡°hello¡± to Seiya as if they were his friends! ¡­Wha¡­What on earth!! He looked like a celebrity of this town!! A woman from the Underworld, whose body looked like a centipede, smiled gently when she saw Seiya in town. I tried to be like Seiya, and said hello in a natural way. ¡¸Hello, nice to meet you! ¡¹ Then, the centipede woman distorted her face, and began to lick her lips with her tongue. ¡¸Whoaaaaa! Ohhhhhh! A godddddd! Give me your HPPPPPP!¡¹ ¡¸What!? Her attitude changed drastically!? Why did she greet me so differently!?¡¹ I immediately hid behind Seiya¡¯s back. Uno said that the ¡°people of the Underworld respected the gods¡±, but¡­It didn¡¯t look like it. Rather, it looked like I was ¡°food that gave them HP¡±, wasn¡¯t that right!? However, Seiya walked away without worrying too much about me and stopped in front of a store. After we dived into that wooden building, I was extremely surprised to find swords, shields, and armory on display. ¡¸Ehh!! The Underworld had a weapons shop!? ¡¹ An Underworld person with tentacles came from behind the counter with a zigzagging movement. This person, who resembled an octopus from Planet Earth, was probably the owner of this shop. ¡¸Have you received the one that I requested? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it has arrived. However, it was hard to get it in the first place. You, my dear customer, kept saying strange things such as spares of spares.¡¹ Apparently, Seiya was already familiar with this place. The owner, an octopus with many tentacles, shook his head and placed on the counter a slightly dull vermilion armor and a sword of the same color. ¡¸Seiya, did you order weapons? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I asked for more, but he said that it was impossible. So, I had to reluctantly reduce the amount.¡¹ ¡¸Just be more moderate with your requests! What you have now it¡¯s already enough!¡¹ The shop owner looked quite stunned when he saw me scream at Seiya. But, then I noticed some irregularity about this situation. ¡¸Eh, wait a second!! Weapons bought in the Underworld can be taken to earthly worlds!?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. What you buy here, it¡¯s yours. It doesn¡¯t matter where you¡¯ll go. You can use your weapons because you bought them yourself.¡¹ Is¡­Is that so!? That would be absolutely impossible in the Gods¡¯ realm!! The rules of the Underworld were certainly loose!! However, the Twisted Geabrande was unlikely to have weapons and armor. So, it was actually great that Seiya could find good equipment in here. ¡­So, Seiya was already preparing for his equipment while training at the same time! I was secretly impressed. But the owner, who seemed to be gentle at first, changed his complexion quite suddenly. ¡¸Well then, we have to negotiate the price of these weapons now¡­¡¹ No¡­No way!! Don¡¯t tell me that he¡¯d want me to be humiliated again!? I took I step back when I feared by destiny. However, Seiya said the following words. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already prepared the payment in advance. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ Seiya took something out of his bag. ¡¸This is my payment¡­¡°The shameful horns of the Swordsman God¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­Wha¡­What a great HP they have!! ¡¹ Ehhhh!? Were those things a substitute for money!? Just how many Celseus¡¯ horns were taken from his head!? Eventually, they exchanged twenty Celseus¡¯ horns for ten pieces of Underworld swords and armors. Seiya came out of this shop equipped with many weapons. I used my Appraisal skills to know more about the slightly dull vermilion equipment. ¡ºSwords and armors of the Underworld¡­The equipment from the Underworld is made of Flame Steel*. It¡¯s more durable than diamonds and platinum. A super rare equipment that can only be obtained in the Underworld!¡» ¡¸Ehh!! That¡¯s very good equipment, isn¡¯t it!! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s more powerful than a platinum sword or other platinum materials.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s great for you, Seiya!! ¡¹ After that, Seiya, who was a Magic Warrior, thought about buying a shield from the Underworld. He said ¡°just as a precaution¡±. Just as we did several times before in the earthly worlds, Seiya immediately entered the shop next door after leaving the weaponry shop. I noticed many strange objects in this new shop, but I also noticed familiar herbs that resembled the medicinal herbs that we bought on our previous quests. It seemed that this shop was a tool shop of the Underworld. ¡¸That, here, over there. I¡¯m going to buy everything you have there.¡¹ This time, the shop owner was like the Durahan**, a person in an armor but without a head. Actually, Seiya wasn¡¯t mindful about it, but was explosive as always. ¡¸I¡¯m glad that you bought a ridiculous amount of my tools, but can you pay for it?¡¹ Seiya replied to the shop owner without hesitation and showed him a large number of Celseus¡¯ horns. ¡¸It¡¯s the ¡°shameful horns of the Swordsman God¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Ohhh! Sold!! Take whatever you want!! ¡¹ What!! He could buy everything!? Just like that!? Celseus¡¯ horns were quite useful and versatile!! Seiya bought a lot of Underworld tools that he didn¡¯t even know how to use them. When we tried to leave the shop, the owner came after Seiya and said the following words. ¡¸My shop has run out of stock. Now, I can¡¯t sell anything to other customers. If I may ask¡­If you could provide me with more¡­¡¹ ¡¸What a troublesome guy. It can¡¯t be helped though¡­ ¡¹ Then, Seiya grabbed my hair and pulled some strings out of my head! ¡¸That hurtssss!! ¡¹ He threw my hair strings to the shop owner. ¡¸I give you that. ¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! Thank you very much! ¡¹ ¡¸Is my hair a gratuity!? And don¡¯t ¡°give¡± my hair so randomly like that!!¡¹ I screamed extremely high. Yet, Seiya left the tool shop with an expressionless face as if nothing had happened, and walked away. ¡¸Whe¡­Where are you going this time? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to meet Serous Rousse. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh! But, we don¡¯t need her anymore, right? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s something I want to ask her. Her technique was quite interesting. ¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you want to transform into a devil as well!? ¡¹ ¡¸That would be impossible. But, I had some inspiration after you two were humiliated.¡¹ Wha¡­What on earth did that mean¡­? I was worried about his words. But, when I heard the name Serous Rousse, the trauma that I suffered due to the forced handstand came rushing to my head. I felt an unpleasant feeling when I remembered that I was upside down, and that she could make me do that again. Moreover, Seiya kept telling me ¡¸Hey, Lista. Just for how long will you keep following me? ¡¹. Therefore, I gave up and returned to Uno¡¯s house. Volume 3 - CH 130.2 Chapter 130: A Victorious Departure (2) ¡­Three more days passed since then. ¡¸Okay then, Mister Celseus. I just need you to pour water on them.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I understand. ¡¹ Celseus, whose punishment was to increase Seiya¡¯s level to MAX, was helping Due¡¯s garden right now. Finally freed from training, he seemed extremely happy as if he had been possessed. Hmm, yeah. Celseus was incapable of being a great Swordsman God, but he was good at making food and doing chores. Then, Celseus¡¯ face, which looked so happy, was distorted by fear. Looking at it, I saw that Seiya walked in while standing upside down! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! What are you doing!? ¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m doing handstand. ¡¹ ¡¸But, why are you doing handstand in the first place!?¡¹ However, Seiya didn¡¯t answer to my question. Instead, he began to look at one point while standing upside down. No¡­No way, don¡¯t tell that this was, perhaps¡­! Seiya quietly opened his mouth. ¡¸Perfectly Ready. ¡¹ ¡­!? Oh gosh!! He recited those words while doing handstand!! That looked and sounded kinda bad!! Bu¡­But, I was glad that he was finally ready!! ¡¸All right! Let¡¯s go and save the Twisted Geabrande! ¡¹ I shouted aloud. But, on the other hand, Celseus scratched his head timidly. ¡¸Ah, well, you see, I think I¡¯ll stay here, okay? Any¡­Anyways, I won¡¯t be much of a big help if I go with you.¡¹ Seiya and I stared at Celseus with white eyes. However, he was right. He won¡¯t be very useful. As for me, I didn¡¯t care much about it, but¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s not allowed. ¡¹ Uno, who was listening to our conversation, rejected his proposal with a smile. ¡¸Why¡­Why not!? ¡¹ ¡¸Lord Celseus must be part of this quest. Lord Hades instructed me to make sure that you really go with them. This journey will be useful for Lord Celseus¡¯ future.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be, are you serious¡­! No, I don¡¯t wanna go¡­! I don¡¯t want to die¡­!¡¹ Celseus began to cry. I didn¡¯t know the exact reason why Hades wanted Celseus to be on this first quest, but it seemed that he had to accompany us anyway. Seiya sighed deeply. Indeed, I knew that feeling very well! ¡¸Celseus! Don¡¯t be a hindrance for us, you hear me! ¡¹ I yelled at Celseus, and then, I looked at Seiya with a smile and said ¡¸¡°Right, Seiya!¡± ¡¹. ¡¸Good grief. This time, I¡¯ll have two troublesome people with me. ¡¹ ¡¸Correct, correct¡­Eh, wait a minute!? Why did you include me too!? ¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, Lista. Can you specify the location of the portal? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­No. It seems that I can only invoke it to that particular location from last time. I can¡¯t go to places I¡¯ve never been before without the permission of the Great Goddess Isister¡­¡¹ ¡¸So, you became even more unusable. ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t help it!! It¡¯s not my fault!! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, just summon the portal now. ¡¹ Seiya wanted me to hurry up and summoning the portal. But, the town of Edna was full of murderous dragons. I spent a few days in the Underworld, but the flow of time was so slow that it shouldn¡¯t have passed much time in Geabrande. There was a high possibility that those dragons were still looking for us. I felt a little nervous, so I wanted to know if we were really going now, and asked Seiya. ¡¸Is it really okay for you, Seiya? Do you really want me to summon the portal right now?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹ After casting a spell to open the portal to the Twisted Geabrande, Seiya jumped forward with his sword. It was finally the beginning of a new adventure. Uno and Due bowed their heads with a smile. ¡¸Well then, everyone. I wish you a safe journey. ¡¹ ¡¸I hope that you¡¯ll come back here again. I¡¯ll prepare your rooms in case you return.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you for everything, Uno! Due as well! ¡¹ I waved at them. I was going to leave with a smile, but I noticed that Seiya didn¡¯t dive through the portal yet. He was standing still in front of the portal¡¯s doors. ¡¸Wha¡­What? Aren¡¯t we going now? ¡¹ Eventually, Seiya opened the doors and put only one hand in front of the portal. ¡¸¡­Automatic Phoenix. ¡¹ From Seiya¡¯s hand, I saw a scouting firebird take off into the portal. The magical properties and skills of heroes could change according to the saving quest of each earthly world. In the previous world Exfolia, Seiya used earth magic mainly. And thus, he used golems and earth snakes as reconnaissance devices. However, earth magic couldn¡¯t be used in Geabrande. So, instead, he created the Automatic Phoenix for this purpose. Seiya kept his eyes focused while the portal remained open. ¡¸Hmm¡­There are a hundred dragons. There seems to be no human in town. ¡¹ It seemed that he viewed Edna townscape by linking his own eyes with the firebird. Seiya was still the cautious Seiya after all. However, there was one thing that kept bothering me. The portal¡¯s doors were left wide open. ¡­Even if he were scouting the area, it would be a better idea to close the portal¡¯s doors for our own safety¡­ (EN: Its seems that Lista has learned from past mistakes) As I watched Seiya alongside with Due and Uno, my fears finally came true. A silhouette from a dragon man appeared from the other side of the portal! ¡¸What the hell!? There was a portal in this place before!? ¡¹ ¡¸So, this thing is where those fellas are hiding right now!! I can feel their wicked auras behind this portal!!¡¹ Several dragon people gathered in front of the portal! Celseus shouted in response! ¡¸Ohh! They found it! ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! This is bad!! Those dragons are going to cross over!! ¡¹ I¡­I had to close the portal at once¡­ As soon as I thought what I had to do, I was extremely shocked afterwards! Seiya stretched his arms towards the portal! ¡¸Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ve already completed my alignment. ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­Alignment!? ¡¹ Dragons with Chain Destruction weapons were rushing towards the portal! Those dragons were trying to kill Celseus and me just like before! However, Seiya didn¡¯t panic and clenched his fist towards the portal. ¡¸¡­Meteor Strike. ¡¹ As soon as he professed those words, Seiya went to the portal to the Twisted Geabrande in a hurry and gave a kick to close the doors! After a moment of silence, a tremendous roar echoed from the other side! The doors even creaked because of that super explosion that happened inside! ¡¸Whoa!? ¡¹ A violent sound and vibration made Celseus and me to collapse on the floor. After a while, Seiya put his hand on the portal distorted by the impact, and slowly opened the doors. When I looked at the other side of the portal, I noticed that the surrounding area turned into scorched earth! The giant meteorite fell on the ground and several meteorite debris were scattered everywhere! Smoke was spreading in the horizon, and the town in ruins became worse than it was before! The remaining houses collapsed from the explosion! And the ground was full of scorched dragons¡¯ bodies! Their remains were scattered everywhere! ¡¸Clear. ¡¹ My mouth shivered when I heard Seiya talk. The¡­The¡­There was this way of attacking the enemy!? He didn¡¯t even dive into the portal, and yet, he wiped out every single dragon that lived in Edna Town!! And he did all that from the Underworld!! ¡¸Bu¡­But, this means that we¡¯re safe for now! I knew that Seiya would be a reliable ally¡­!¡¹ Celseus spoke with a relieved expression. And¡­ ¡¸*laughs* Everything he does is so unexpected¡­! ¡¹ An excited Unoporta was vomiting a little blood from her mouth. Seiya snapped his neck then. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go now. We¡¯re going to start the saving quest of the Twisted Geabrande from this point on.¡¹ When Seiya stepped on the dirt of the scorched ground, he disappeared into the portal. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? ¡¹ ¡¸Wa¡­Wait for us!! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I¡¯m off now, Uno! It seems that we¡¯re really going now! ¡¹ Celseus and I followed Seiya in a hurry. But, behind me¡­ ¡¸Ah, ah, ah. As expected of Mister Seiya. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. That¡¯s why for us, he is¡­ ¡¹ ¡­Eh? I was worried when I heard Due and Uno¡¯s remarks, and I tried to look back. However, the doors made a quietly noise and closed completely. Volume 3 - CH 131 Chapter 131: The Unusual Conversion The massive explosion caused by the super high-speed meteorite that fell on the surface of Edna Town, turned the whole area into a large burnt field. Smoke and fire were still rising from the ground, and the tattered houses were all collapsed beside me after getting hit by the Meteor Strike. ¡¸Whoa¡­It looks terrible. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhh¡­What the hell¡­! I don¡¯t believe that a human was responsible for this¡­!¡¹ Celseus was shocked. I understood his feelings very well. In the past, Seiya exterminated thousands of undead legions by creating a Meteor Strike from the sky. Afterwards, Seiya, who made full use of earth magic during our Exfolia quest, proved to be fearsome once again. However, I believed that Seiya would demonstrate even more his formidable talent in this Twisted Geabrande. I looked back at Seiya with a feeling of trustworthiness, but for some reason, his arms were raised into the heavens. ¡¸¡­Meteor Strike. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? ¡¹ I spoke simultaneously with Celseus. When I fearfully looked up at the sky, I saw a few giant meteorites coming down with great speed! ¡¸Gyahhhhhhh!! ¡¹ Celseus and I crouched on the ground with our heads down! A tremendous roar erupted on my earlobes! The vibration was so powerful that I couldn¡¯t stand still properly! I couldn¡¯t help but support my body against Celseus¡¯ body. ¡­ After a while, I looked up at Seiya and saw his calm demeanor. He was so calm that seemed as if he were drinking tea at a coffee shop. ¡¸I created a strike in order to dissipate the suburbs. I did it just in case some dragons were lurking around. With this, it feels more secure.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say it so easily as if you were throwing a ball!! What if there are any humans out there!?¡¹ ¡¸My Automatic Phoenix confirmed that there are no humans within a 1 km radius within the city and the outside area.¡¹ Seiya wasn¡¯t mistaken when he said those words. Besides that, even if there was a person out there and somehow ended up involved in that explosion, that wouldn¡¯t be a fatal consequence, since this place was a twisted world after all. If we untwist this word, everything that was missing would come back to normality. Still, the several Meteor Strikes we just saw now were useless and futile since all dragons were annihilated moments ago. Celseus seemed to have the same feelings as me and asked me in a whispering voice. ¡¸He¡­Hey. Has it always been like this? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. He always behaves like this just to be certain. He is extremely cautious after all.¡¹ ¡¸I thought that he would be a very reliable ally but¡­in fact, this makes me a bit worried.¡¹ Then, Celseus grabbed my arm with a strong grip. ¡¸Lista¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong!? Hey, don¡¯t touch my goddess¡¯ skin so easily, got it!?¡¹ ¡¸Over there!! Just look over there!!¡¹ I doubted my own eyes when I looked at the way that Celseus was pointing. There was a dragon completely wrapped in flames. He walked slowly towards us. ¡¸Whoa, a dragon man!? Bu¡­But, his body is on fire!! He survived the Meteor Strike but his body is full of severe wounds!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­You¡¯re right! Don¡¯t we have to worry about it? ¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s Seiya, then I¡¯m sure that he left one alive in order to get some inside information.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so! I see! ¡¹ Celseus seemed relieved upon hearing my words. However, Seiya stood in front of me and pulled the sword out of his sheath. Both his hair and eyes were dyed red. He became the Crazy Warrior. ¡¸Eh! Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Immediately after we started this quest, our safety became the highest priority over collecting information. Therefore, I released one strike in the center of this town, and four strikes in the suburbs. I intended to fully exterminate the enemies around this town with the power of the Meteor Strike. And yet, that one is alive.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­! ¡¹ After I heard Seiya¡¯s words, I stared fixedly at the surviving dragon. I noticed that his body was wrapped in flames, but his course was steady. He continued to walk straight towards us as if nothing happened to him. It seemed that he didn¡¯t care about his wounds nor his red-burning body. Seiya gritted his teeth. While I screamed aloud. ¡¸How is that even possible!? ¡¹ ¡­Wha¡­What the hell! Several Meteor Strikes destroyed the remains of this town and killed every single dragon in it! And yet, this one survived and walked calmly! However, my thoughts weren¡¯t the same as Seiya¡¯s thoughts. ¡¸The number of Meteor Strike was underwhelming. I should¡¯ve created about hundred strikes¡­¡¹ ¡¸No!! If you dropped that many you would eradicate this town along with Geabrande!! That option is completely out of the equation!! Just do whatever you want, but without those strikes!!¡¹ While I screamed, the dragon man stood just a few meters away from us. Seiya gave a signal with his hand. Then, Celseus and I decided to stand behind Seiya so that we wouldn¡¯t stand on his way. The dragon opened his mouth full of tiny fangs. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you people the ones who appeared in Edna? My subordinates said that you were ¡°the goddess and the hero¡±, even though you denied it. But, that power just now was so great that it destroyed this town in an instant¡­You¡¯re definitely the real deal.¡¹ A polite tone. However, I couldn¡¯t feel any emotions as if he was a machine just talking. At the same time, I noticed an irregularity. The amount of fire that covered the scales of his body was higher than before! ¡­That¡­That wasn¡¯t caused by the Meteor Strike explosion! Did he place himself in fire? My imagination wasn¡¯t mistaken. The overflowing flames formed wings behind the dragon. The fire wings fluttered as if he were a winged creature. Then, he flew straight into the air. ¡¸If you¡¯re the real deal, then I¡¯ll have to kill you. This is the teaching of our Holy Angel.¡¹ ¡¸Ho¡­Holy Angel, why do you people keep saying that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Dragonite is our founder, and has a profound and peaceful guidance from the one we worship, the Holy Angel, who descended upon Geabrande.¡¹ And then, the dragon man cut a cross in front of his chest. ¡¸May I have the blessing of the Holy Angel. ¡¹ Celseus shouted aloud. ¡¸So¡­Someone who seems crazy and dangerous appeared so suddenly!! Hey, isn¡¯t the first enemy of a quest supposed to be a slime or a goblin!?¡¹ Just as Celseus said, this kind of development was rather improbable since we¡¯ve just started the quest on this world. Still, it wasn¡¯t that unusual for Seiya and me. ¡¸It¡¯s all right! Seiya has been training all the time in the Underworld in order to confront enemies like this one!¡¹ I spoke confidently as I activated my clairvoyance ability. I checked the status of the seemingly crazy and unrealistic dragon that stood in front of us. Burning Dragon Hydra Level ¨C 85 HP ¨C 245051 MP ¨C 15234 Attack ¨C 152444 Defense ¨C 443512 Agility ¨C 126549 Resistance ¨C Fire, Wind, Water, Thunder, Earth, Light, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Abnormal Condition Skills ¨C Invalidation of all weapon attacks (Lv MAX), Fire magic absorption (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Wind magic (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Water magic (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Earth magic (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Thunder magic (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Light magic (Lv MAX), Invalidation of Dark magic (Lv MAX) Special Skills ¨C Dark Catastrophe, Desperate Sphere Personality ¨C Fanatic The ability value wasn¡¯t that far higher than that of Berserker Seiya¡­But, what on earth were those skills! He could disable all magical properties! Moreover, he could even absorb Fire magic¡­Weapons were useless against him and his defense power was also extremely high! The only thing that could work on him was probably Ice magic¡­Wait a second, this status, I think that I saw it somewhere else before, but where¡­? Seiya probably saw the enemy¡¯s status as well. He murmured as if he discovered something irrelevant. ¡¸It¡¯s similar to that fiery monster that I fought in Geabrande before.¡¹ Fiery monster¡­Tha¡­That¡¯s right! Dark Fires! The monster created by one of the four general kings, Death Magra! That monster also disabled all magical properties! Certainly, at that time, Seiya broke the enemy¡¯s defense by using vibration waves and ice bracelets¡­ Hydra, the dragon of fire, took something out of his chest. It looked like a thick book which he held in his hand. That book was probably the book that the previous dragon described as the ¡°Holy Angel Scriptures¡±. ¡¸Seiya, be careful! A sword with the Chain Destruction came out of that book before!¡¹ Then, Hydra showed his fangs and laughed wickedly. ¡¸No. Mine is custom made. But, it¡¯s not a sword.¡¹ And then, he opened his huge mouth and swallowed the scriptures in a single gulp! Immediately after, the fire covering his body changed from red to jet-black, and the wings on his back were wrapped in a black flame! Hydra discharged black flames menacingly out of his mouth! ¡¸Now my flames have become like hellfire that will burn out your souls.¡¹ A flame with the Chain Destruction!? If that thing fell upon us, neither me nor Seiya would be able to survive!! He was preparing to attack us with his dark flames. However, the Dragon Hydra suddenly disappeared from my sight! He flew too quickly for me to follow up with my eyes, and got close to Seiya! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahah¡­! ¡°Dark Catastrophe¡±! ¡¹ A black flame emanated from his body floating in the air and extended like an undulating snake. It tried to attack Seiya rapidly. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Maximum Inferno. ¡¹ I was caught off guard, but Seiya reacted immediately. Several red flames appeared from Seiya¡¯s hand, and the red and black flames collided with one another. I felt relieved that Seiya¡¯s fire prevented the attack with the Chain Destruction. However, and incredibly, the black flames gradually pushed Seiya¡¯s red flames away! ¡¸Why!? Seiya¡¯s Maximum Inferno is being defeated!? ¡¹ But, Seiya¡¯s stats should be a little higher! Then, Hydra pulled his splitting tongue out of his mouth. ¡¸The Dark Catastrophe was given to me by the Holy Angel, it is a dark flame that swallows everything up.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s right! One of his skills was ¡°Fire magic absorption¡±! That¡¯s why he is absorbing Seiya¡¯s fire!¡¹ In addition to disabling magical powers, and all types of physical attacks, he also absorbed Seiya¡¯s specialty, Fire magic! This¡­This was bad! This dragon may be Seiya¡¯s worst enemy! As I saw Seiya¡¯s fire being absorbed in the air, my anxiety weighed heavily on my heart. However, Seiya¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He sniffed ¡°hmm¡±. ¡¸If fire is no good, then I¡¯ll defeat him with the magical property of the opposite pole.¡¹ ¡¸Opposite pole¡­Seiya!! Does that mean that you have ice bracelets this time!?¡¹ It was impossible for Seiya to handle Ice magic because fire was his main attribute. Therefore, he used items that contained Ice magic during the battle with Dark Fires, but¡­ ¡¸No. I don¡¯t need that anymore. During my training with Serous Rousse, I learnt skills that weren¡¯t possible for me before.¡¹ ¡¸And¡­And what are those? ¡¹ ¡¸I can convert my magical attribute from fire to ice. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? Can you really do that!? ¡¹ It was impossible for someone with Fire attributes to use Ice magic because they were opposites!! Bu¡­But, did he just say that he made it possible by learning Serous Rousse¡¯s skills!? ¡¸As Unoporta described before, very few people in the Underworld have physical-oriented skills. Even so, in some cases, the Underworld is more beneficial than training with gods in the heavenly world.¡¹ And then, Seiya snapped his finger. ¡¸¡­¡°Conversion¡±. ¡¹ At that moment, a silvery aura overflowed from Seiya¡¯s body. A chilling cold air passed through me. No¡­No doubt about it! He truly changed his attribute¡­but, wait a minute¡­ ¡¸Wait right there!! How can you change your magical attribute without standing upside down like we do and without reading your name in a reverse order!?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re very proficient at the attribute transformation method, you won¡¯t have to do those unreasonable things.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to say it like that!! ¡¹ Ugh! Why did Celseus and I become like third-rate entertainers, while Seiya became cool as a top-notch actor!? That was so unfair!! Still, there was something more interesting than that. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Uno said that our sanity would run wild if Celseus and I became devils in the earthly worlds!! Is your magical attribute conversion okay!?¡¹ ¡¸No. Actually, the magical change runs the same way as your devil transformation.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that dangerous!? ¡¹ When I shouted aloud, Seiya was still pointing his arm towards the floating Hydra. The cold air gathered at the end of one of Seiya¡¯s arms, and it quickly became a huge icicle. The icicles were fired at a tremendous speed when Seiya shook his arm¡­ ¡¸Muahahah! Where are you aiming at? ¡¹ Hydra laughed extremely high from the sky. The cold icicles released by Seiya passed three meters away from Hydra. Summing up, Seiya¡¯s attack missed the target. ¡¸¡­My current magical power is running wild. It seems that my aim isn¡¯t accurate after I doubled my magical power.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhh!? Your aim isn¡¯t accurate!? ¡¹ While talking with me, Seiya released the next icicle, but it didn¡¯t reach the dragon Hydra! Instead, it flew completely away from the dragon Hydra! ¡¸*giggles* No matter how powerful it is, there¡¯s no point if you don¡¯t hit me with it.¡¹ Hydra realized that Seiya¡¯s attacks were not a threat, and thus, he began to gather his Fire magic with his arms while floating in the air. Eventually, the black flames became a large spherical object that swelled up high in the sky! ¡¸Okay! Let me dedicate your lives to the Holy Angel! ¡¹ ¡­This¡­This was bad!! He is going to hit us with that thing!! It was like a black sun! I could easily imagine what would happen if that thing hit us directly! We had to avoid that attack in order to survive! I took a step backwards. However, Seiya still pointed his right arm to the black cluster floating in the air. Again, cool air gathered at the tip of his arm. No¡­No way! It was obvious that the enemy would receive damage if he got hit by one of Seiya¡¯s icicles¡­But, based on the previous attacks, it was clear that Seiya couldn¡¯t aim his attacks because of his spontaneous increase in magical power!! I was sure that his next attack would miss the target once again!! However, Seiya was not yet ready to fire his icicles. He continued to concentrate his magical power on his right arm, similar to what Hydra was doing in the sky. ¡­Was he trying to create an icicle with the whole power of his magical energy!? I see!! He was trying to counterattack the black sphere up until the last minute before Hydra released it!! The probability to inflict damage on the enemy would surely increase!! Hitting a powerful enemy with an icicle with a poorly trajectory seemed like a huge bet. But, the moment I took a deep breath when I stared at Seiya, I realized that my guess was wrong. The icicle that Seiya created on his right arm was different from the huge icicle he invoked earlier. The icicle was as small as his index finger¡­Then, he shaped many pieces at an amazing speed in front of his arm! One hundred, two hundred¡­No¡­Much more! In an instant, countless of icicles were formed in front of Seiya¡¯s right arm. Hydra was also looking at Seiya from the sky, but he probably had an overwhelming confidence about his technique. He smiled snakingly from his teeth. ¡¸Such a long but small work you¡¯ve done!! But, it¡¯s useless against my technique!! ¡°Desperate Sphere¡±!!¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­Oh no!! It¡¯s coming!! ¡¹ Celseus screamed frenetically. That Hydra was so over-confident! Maybe that dragon¡¯s technique was as powerful as the Meteor Strike! The moment I turned my eyes away to look at Seiya, something unexpected happened. A sound that cut the wind came from Seiya¡¯s direction. ¡­Wha¡­What!? ¡­When I looked up at the sky, I noticed that Hydra didn¡¯t release the black sphere! In fact, Hydra lost his posture and struggled to float in the sky! ¡¸Ugh! You bastard¡­! ¡¹ What the hell just happened!? Don¡¯t tell me that Seiya¡¯s attack actually hit him without us noticing!? When I stared fixedly at Seiya, I saw that he was in the same position as before. His right arm was still pointed towards Hydra. However, I noticed a certain change. Many of the icicles that were at the end of his right arm were missing. Hydra was roaring painfully and trying to keep himself in position, but this time I was looking attentively at Seiya. I tried to understand what happened earlier. Apparently, when Seiya wielded his right arm, more than a hundred ice icicles spread in a fan-shaped manner and headed towards Hydra at an unstoppable speed! Half of those icicles passed through Hydra without hitting him, but the rest of the icicles hit Hydra¡¯s head, abdomen and limbs! ¡¸Argh! ¡¹ Hydra growled again. When I stared closely at the enemy, I saw that the spot where the icicles hit was somewhat discolored. A pale skin. Most probably, his magical defense mechanism was interrupted by the damage inflicted with Ice magic, his only magical weakness. The sphere of the black flame became smaller, and eventually, it disappeared. ¡¸Ho¡­How dare you¡­! ¡¹ Hydra¡¯s attack was extinguished before releasing the final deathblow. He was staring at Seiya from the sky with ferocious eyes. On the other side, Seiya was also looking sharply at Hydra. ¡¸My aim had an unstable accuracy. So, I just had to expand the range of my attack to full extent and then release it.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! What kind of technique did you use then!? ¡¹ Seiya muttered quietly with his right arm still pointed at Hydra. ¡¸A dispersal shooting with Ice icicles¡­¡°Fenrir* Shot¡±. ¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 132 Chapter 132: Coexistence ¡¸Next shots, fire. ¡¹ Hundreds of icicles floated beyond Seiya¡¯s right arm and headed towards Hydra. Then, Hydra tried to move quickly in the air with his wings of fire, but couldn¡¯t escape the large number of Fenrir Shots. More than half of those icicles missed the target, but the rest hit Hydra quite severely. I could hear Hydra¡¯s painful grunts. ¡­It felt like a shotgun!! He didn¡¯t even have the need to aim it properly!! ¡¸I was careless with the Meteor Strike. But, this time, I won¡¯t repeat the same mistake. I will hit the enemy with as many shots as possible.¡¹ I didn¡¯t think it was a mistake. But, it seemed that Seiya felt remorseful about it. That¡¯s why he was creating countless of small icicles beyond his right arm. The icicles kept coming even though he had fired them over three times. However¡­ ¡¸I won¡¯t receive any fatal wounds because of my hard skin!! ¡¹ Hydra descended viciously from the sky after receiving a shower of icicles! ¡¸No¡­No way!! The Fenrir Shot isn¡¯t working!? ¡¹ ¡¸The damage has dropped dramatically because half of them keep missing the target.¡¹ Seiya explained the current situation while he continued to shoot more Fenrir Shots against Hydra. Hydra stopped his descending movement when more icicles hit him. But, when the Fenrir Shot was over, he moved again and got closer to our location in the ground. ¡¸Your icicles are gone!! I¡¯m going to kill you now!! ¡¹ Hydra approached us without worrying too much about the icicles that were released many times towards him! He floated slowly because he headed against the wind, but he was getting nearer and nearer to us!! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! You have to do something about that fella!! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡­It¡¯s going to be okay, Celseus!! You¡¯re fretting too much!! Even if the damage is small, if he keeps getting hit by Fenrir Shots, I¡¯m sure that¡­Eh, ehhhhhhh!?¡¹ I turned my eyes on Seiya and noticed a terrible situation. The icicles that he created were completely gone! ¡¸Are¡­Are you out of ammo!? ¡¹ I heard a loud laugh coming from the lower part of the sky. ¡¸Ahahahah! It seems that his pride has disappeared along with his attacking method!!¡¹ Nothing prevented the enemy from descending completely! He flew straight to us! ¡¸This is bad!! He¡¯s coming!! ¡¹ Celseus was trying to escape in a hurry. But, on this precise moment, Seiya lowered his right arm and moved his left arm against Hydra instead. ¡¸¡­Loading complete. ¡¹ Countless of small icicles were created in front of Seiya¡¯s left arm immediately! ¡¸Fenrir Shot. ¡¹ When Seiya declared those words, the distance between Hydra and Seiya was less than ten meters away. In a few seconds, Hydra would have reached us. Nonetheless, faster than his movement were Seiya¡¯s icicles. The newly created Fenrir Shot hit Hydra directly. *screams* Hydra, who received the close-up discharge of Fenrir Shot, rolled to the ground painfully. Seiya muttered satisfactorily when he saw the anguished Hydra. ¡¸Yeah. Right now, thanks to the reduced distance between us, the accuracy of my attack has increased to a pleasingly 80% hit rate.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­Thank goodness! I was so nervous because I thought you were out of ammo! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll be out of ammo. I just had to concentrate my magic on the left arm simultaneously with the firing of my right arm using Fenrir Shot. It takes 10 seconds to fire all the icicles of my right arm continuously, and then, 10 seconds to load my left arm with ammunition. When one Fenrir Shot is over, means that the other is fully loaded. Then, I just have to repeat the process.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, does that mean that you can shoot them forever!? ¡¹ ¡¸Shoot forever, huh. Of course, until my magic power runs out. By the way, my magic power is over 60,000 points. And the magic power I¡¯ve spent to load one Fenrir Shot took me 2 points. So, let¡¯s say that my magic power allows for 30,000 Fenrir Shots.¡¹ No, actually, that sounded somewhat ¡°forever¡±!! I was worried for nothing!! I was sure that every enemy would feel hopeless in this situation!! While talking with me, Seiya continued to shoot Fenrir Shot on the fallen Hydra. When he tried to get up, Seiya loaded the other arm and hit him again with the Fenrir Shot. He felt somewhat addicted to this type of attack! Hydra couldn¡¯t do anything to stop Seiya¡¯s continuous attack! We just had to wait for the damage to accumulate! ¡¸¡­Ah¡­Gyahhh¡­! ¡¹ Hydra kept groaning agonizingly! Newly created icicles poured on to Hydra¡¯s body, and his skin changed colors! Then, an odd occurrence happened on Hydra¡¯s body! His skin covered in flames formed a frost layer and froze! ¡¸His¡­His body is freezing¡­? How¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! What¡¯s happening!? ¡¹ ¡¸Originally, I didn¡¯t aim this attack at the enemy in order to inflict damage. In fact, if the number of hits exceeds a certain amount of icicles, my Ice magic is activated and the target freezes completely¡­That¡¯s the true purpose of Fenrir Shot.¡¹ As Hydra tried to stand up by using his last strength, Seiya used his right arm to knock off Hydra with Fenrir Shot. The icicles evaporated the jet-black heat, and the second wave got eliminated when his right arm froze. ¡¸You bastard¡­! ¡¹ The hateful words professed by Hydra became his last words. The frost spread throughout his body towards his face when Seiya hit him with icicles on the chest. With the continuous Fenrir Shot, Hydra¡¯s limbs and torso were completely covered in ice. Eventually, Hydra became an ice sculpture due to the unstoppable fire of Fenrir Shot. ¡¸You did it!! Hydra has frozen completely!! ¡¹ Seeing a frozen Hydra who could no longer move, I stroke my chest with relief. Nevertheless, Seiya didn¡¯t stop his attack. Seiya continued to shoot the Fenrir Shots persistently towards the frozen Hydra! The thickness of the ice covering Hydra¡¯s body increased enormously! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!! Isn¡¯t he frozen enough!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t underestimate the power of his fire. He might melt my ice and strike us again. I have to make it thicker.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is that so¡­? We¡­Well, I guess. It¡¯s better to take some safe measures instead!¡¹ With that said, the endless Fenrir Shot created a white cool air that spread all around us. The temperature dropped sharply. ¡­It¡­It¡¯s cold!? By this rate, it¡¯s going to freeze me too!! My exhaling breath was pure white, I felt goose bumps throughout my body, and my legs began to tremble. At that time, a huge chunk of ice had formed before my eyes. ¡¸The frost layer transformed into an iceberg!? Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re overdoing it!?¡¹ ¡¸I must be sure that he won¡¯t come out of there easily. But, here¡¯s the real thing. Ice magic can¡¯t freeze enemies forever. So, I¡¯m going to finish him off quickly with my blade.¡¹ And then, Seiya drew his sword¡­ ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2.8¡­! ¡¹ After taking a deep breath, Seiya struck the iceberg with the greatest power of his Crazy Warrior state! An intense crushing sound vibrated throughout the whole area! The iceberg became crystals of fine ice and shattered everywhere! In a situation where I didn¡¯t know why he kept fighting an enemy that died, crystals of fine ice were like shaved ice and scattered under my feet. ¡­One minute later. The iceberg Hydra became white powder that seemed like sparkling snow. ¡¸Gre¡­Great! This is a complete victory! ¡¹ So far, Seiya has always managed to subdue his enemies. Speaking of subdue, he always overkilled his opponents! I¡­I didn¡¯t know why he was so absurdly cautious to an incomprehensible point, but I guess that it would be bad if our enemies were to resurrect! I smiled at Seiya with a bitter smile, and then I noticed that Celseus was much quieter than before. Was he stunned by Seiya¡¯s cautiousness? Or was he scared because of a battle from the S-rank difficulty world? I turned around to check on Celseus and¡­I was extremely shocked. Oh my gosh! Celseus¡¯ body was covered with thick ice, just like what happened with Hydra! ¡¸Seiya!? Celseus got frozen in the aftermath of your battle!!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It seems that the ice caught him. What a troublesome guy.¡¹ When Seiya stepped with his feet, the ice covering Celseus¡¯ body shattered with a cracking noise. Celseus, whose lips were purple, seemed like he was reborn. ¡¸So¡­So¡­So cold¡­! I¡¯m freezing to death¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t overreact. Gods don¡¯t die whether it¡¯s cold or hot. ¡¹ ¡¸No, but, you see¡­It¡¯s really hard to endure this cold¡­! ¡¹ Seiya ignored a freezing Celseus and headed towards the sparkling snow where Hydra stood previously. ¡¸I reduced him to powder, but I still feel a little anxious. I¡¯ll burn it down.¡¹ Once again, he changed his attributes and returned to being the Fire Magic Warrior. He used Hell¡¯s Fire to burn the powder with flames. So¡­So persistent he was¡­! And he kept doing it again without a break! This time, instead of dropping the remains to the core of this planet, Seiya cleaned up the enemy with his usual burning skill¡­I mean, there was nothing normal about this! I was fussing over his actions, but another person was rather pleased with this situation. ¡¸Ah, so warm! It feels so good! ¡¹ Celseus was warming his hands with the heat coming from Seiya¡¯s flames. It was a surreal sight, but then, Seiya¡¯s fire suddenly stopped. ¡¸AH, Seiya! It¡¯s getting cold! I need more flames! ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy, shut up. I heard a sound right now. ¡¹ Seiya spoke about a sound he heard. We began to listen quietly. I could hear faint footsteps in my earlobes, who had better hearing than humans did. A man wearing a gray robe appeared from the shadow of a collapsed building. Immediately, Seiya¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing the human. His expression was severer than when he confronted Hydra. ¡¸A human? Impossible. There should be no humans here within the radius of 1 kilometer.¡¹ Seiya looked surprised. I thought that it was unusual to see Seiya behaving like this. But, it seemed that the hooded man was also surprised. ¡¸Unbelievable. A human was able to defeat a fire dragon¡­¡¹ Did he hide and watch Seiya¡¯s battle? He took the hood and looked at Seiya with profound admiration. Seiya drew his sword, but I felt that this man¡¯s face was familiar. ¡¸The dragon people were saying that the hero and the goddess had appeared. It seems that they were telling the truth.¡¹ The man raised his hands to show us that he had no hostility towards us. ¡¸I apologize for my late introduction. My name is Flasika, the former wizard of the Rosgard Empire.¡¹ Rosgard¡­That¡¯s Rosalie¡¯s homeland! I see! Flasika was the one who accompanied Rosalie and the Warlord Emperor! ¡¸Excuse me. If I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯re the one who uses thunder magic, correct?¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! How do you know that I invoke thunder magic! Lady Goddess, is it because of your divine power?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no¡­Well, you see¡­More importantly, Flasika! How about Rosalie? Is Rosalie safe?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! The princess is alive and well! ¡¹ I was glad! I wondered if Mash and Elle were fine too¡­ ¡¸You people know everything about us. But, to ask about the princess¡¯ safety, does that mean that you want to meet her?¡¹ ¡¸Of course! Right, Seiya? ¡¹ We could learn more about this twisted world if we met Rosalie. I immediately acknowledged our intention to meet her, but still, Seiya stared at Flasika with suspicion. ¡¸I want to ask one question before that. Where did you come from? I didn¡¯t feel your presence before.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been using a magical circle to protect our town, Igle. The remaining humans, including the princess, and me, have survived. We¡¯ve been hiding in Igle.¡¹ Flasika began to draw a magical circle on the ground with his wand. ¡¸This moving magical circle was originally used as a secret passageway for dragons. In the past, they used it to move back and forth between the human continent and the home of the dragons on the Eurea continent.¡¹ I still remember the events that happened during the conflict with the Dragon Mother and her minions. In Geabrande, before the current twist, Seiya and I, along with Mash and Elle teleported from the Dragon¡¯s Cave to the Dragon Village through a similar magical enchantment chart. Flasika didn¡¯t tell us a lie. Still, while Flasika was drawing the magical circle, Seiya crouched down in order to search for something. ¡¸Hey, Lista. What is Seiya doing over there? ¡¹ I whispered in Celseus¡¯ ear so that Flasika wouldn¡¯t hear it. ¡¸It¡¯s obvious. C¡¯mon, you know that Seiya is extraordinarily cautious. He must be wondering if Flasika¡¯s magical circle is safe for us. He used to catch lizards to push them into magical circles before.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What? So, he¡¯s searching for lizards¡­! ¡¹ However, after a while, a disappointed Seiya shook his head. ¡¸No good. There are no living creatures here¡­Celseus. You go first.¡¹ ¡¸Am¡­Am I a lizard!? ¡¹ Celseus refused to go first, but Seiya turned his icy eyes to him and said the following words. ¡¸Celseus. A god doesn¡¯t? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What do you mean¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸A god doesn¡¯t? ¡¹ ¡¸A¡­A god¡­a god doesn¡¯t¡­die¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. So, go. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. ¡¹ Whoa, he was ordering Celseus to go despite his refusal! Poor thing! But, if I didn¡¯t have Celseus, I would be the one to receive this bad treatment. With that in mind, I thanked Celseus sincerely from my heart. ¡­Flasika and Celseus dived under the magical circle and came back together¡­ ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ Finally, Seiya dived into the magical circle without posing any problems. ¡ª I felt a chilly wind as soon as I got out of the glittering magical circle. I noticed that snow fell from the sky, and the roofs of wooden houses scattered around were pure white. ¡¸This is Igle, the town we¡¯re currently living. ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­It¡¯s a very cold place. I thought that I was finally free from Ice magic.¡¹ I could understand Celseus¡¯ feelings. But, this time it was not a magical cold, but a natural one. Flasika put the hood on his head. ¡¸I apologize. The temperature here is quite harsh. Actually, I used the magical circle to move this town up north into the cold continent of Alfreis. We are now far from Edna Town.¡¹ ¡¸Alfreis¡­Wa¡­Wait a second!! Wasn¡¯t this place the continent of the Demon King!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. With the powerful menace that fell upon this continent, humanity managed to escape from the dragons when the Demon King died. Some of us survived because we came to this remote place.¡¹ Humanity had survived in the land where Seiya and I defeated the Demon King once¡­Somehow, I felt something strange about this story. ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s nice to be at a town where humans live. We can finally take a well-deserved rest now.¡¹ I nodded upon hearing Celseus¡¯ remarks. Then, I looked around. From the side of snow-covered trees, I saw that men and women of all ages were watching us from a distance. I noticed that they were wearing old rags. It seemed that these people were poor, and only wore tattered clothes in order to protect them from this cold. Come to think about it, the people from the ¡°Light of Hope¡±, who lived in the underground of Exfolia, were wearing better clothes. ¡¸It seems that the townspeople are struggling, Seiya¡­Eh, what!? ¡¹ I spoke to Seiya, but I was utterly surprised! The reddish-black aura overflowed from Seiya¡¯s body, and the color of his hair was dyed in red! ¡¸Why¡­Why are you in State Berserk!? ¡¹ ¡¸Look over there. ¡¹ Looking at Seiya¡¯s line of sight, I saw that demons, whose mouths were torn up to their ears, were walking beside humans! ¡¸You¡¯re kidding, right!? Demons!! There are demons here!!¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What the hell is this town!?¡¹ Celseus and I screamed aloud, but Flasika smiled gently. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. They have no hostility against humans. It¡¯s because they can live safely in here as well. Together, humans and demons form a powerful barrier beyond the reach of the God Dragon King.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does that mean that you¡¯re living with the demons!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. That¡¯s the meaning of Igle, a town where humans and demons coexist.¡¹ Wha¡­What on earth!! How much could a twisted world change in order to turn out like this!? A twisted world controlled by the God Dragon King. It seemed that this world was extremely different from the Geabrande that Seiya and I knew before. At that time, I suddenly felt a cold in my back. This feeling wasn¡¯t due to a drop in temperature. I felt an icy feeling running through my spine because of the evil energy emitted by these powerful monstrous demons. On this precise moment, a demon came closer to us as she stomped on the snow. She spoke with a poignant voice. ¡¸Flasika. They are the hero and the goddess, am I right? ¡¹ This demon was clearly different from the other wandering demons. This demon wore a swimsuit attire even though it was cold. She had black hair that resembled a raven, and had a bewitching complexion. ¡­No¡­No way¡­It can¡¯t be¡­! Seiya put his hands on his sheath. He looked ready for battle. Contrary to our beliefs, the demon in front of us smiled gently and spoke with a familiar dialogue. Yes, a voice that I heard before. ¡¸So, you two are the so-called chosen hero, and the goddess from another dimension that summoned the hero. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m one of the four general kings who took a direct command in the former Devil¡¯s Army. My name is Chaos Makina.¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 133.1 Chapter 133: Savior (1) Under the snow that fell steadily from the wintery sky. The demon in front of us was smiling with a gentle expression without any kind of hostility towards us. ¡­Chaos Makina!! I felt that both Seiya and I were losing our minds here!! This place was the Twisted Geabrande. As the first dragon man described, Seiya and I weren¡¯t the ones who defeated the Demon King. Therefore, that probably meant that Chaos Makina was still alive. Still, it was creepy to greet a demon whom we killed once before. After seeing an unfriendly Seiya pulling out his sword against her, Chaos Makina licked her lips with her red tongue. ¡¸Oh my, that¡¯s scary. Please, let¡¯s get along. ¡¹ Then, Flasika broke in between Seiya and Chaos Makina. ¡¸He¡­Hero! I beg you! Please, withdraw your sword! As I said earlier, the demons and we humans are working and living together!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, yes, right, correct. We are together in order to defeat the hateful dragons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Are you telling me to trust demons. ¡¹ I felt the same way as Seiya, not because of his cautiousness, but because of this unrealistic scenario. Celseus hid behind Seiya and nodded. ¡¸It¡¯s obvious that you wouldn¡¯t believe in demons. In fact, this alliance is rather improbable¡­ Chaos Makina. Do you have it with you?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve got it. ¡¹ Chaos Makina took a piece of old paper from her chest. She turned the flasher on in order to show it to us. A magical circle and bloody red letters were written at the center of the old paper. ¡¸¡°The demons must never harm human beings. I pledge my life to this commitment.¡±¡­ This oath is an ancient script.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, this is an important script. It¡¯s called a Testament. One of the former general kings of the Demon King¡¯s army, Kill Capul, wrote this script.¡¹ ¡¸Ki¡­Kill Capul¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Is that the dwarf monster that transformed into a tool shop owner, huh?¡¹ Seiya frowned. Kill Capul was the one who summoned the god of death, Cross Tanathus! That fearsome enemy was only defeated with Valkyrie¡¯s ultimate destruction technique, Valhala Gate! He was indeed one of the Four General Kings! ¡¸There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll trust such unreliable oath. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re very suspicious about this, hero. Just listen to me, okay? This Testament is a magical dwelling alliance. If a demon renounces the will of this script and kills a human, the said demon dies as the result of his actions.¡¹ I could certainly feel a tremendous magic power overflowing from the old script. I activated my Appraisal skills to be certain about it¡­And then, I got convinced. I found nothing wrong with Chaos Makina¡¯s words. It said, ¡ºIf one defies the oath; a demon¡¯s life will be taken away. ¡». Just like what happened with the summoning list given by the Supreme God Brahma that didn¡¯t allow me to call Seiya, a contract made of enormous magic and divine power was itself a great binding force as well. ¡­But, Seiya didn¡¯t trust any of that. ¡¸You can rewrite that text as much as you like. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. Once written, the Testament cannot be rewritten again.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then you can destroy it by force, am I right? ¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t break nor destroy this script. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh. Okay, then put it here. ¡¹ After looking at the Testament from the ground for a while, Seiya wore leather gloves and grabbed it with both hands. ¡¸¡­Hmm. ¡¹ He sounded as if he was struggling. Apparently, he tried to break the Testament. But, the thin paper didn¡¯t even bend. ¡¸State Berserk Phase 2nd. ¡¹ At the same time as Seiya muttered, a reddish black aura spread from his body! Chaos Makina and Flasika were taken aback. ¡¸Ehh! So, this is the hero¡¯s great power! ¡¹ ¡¸What a terrific force¡­! ¡¹ While they remained extremely surprised, Seiya devoted himself to something else. Seiya did his best to break the paper. However, even after he struggled for a while, the Testament didn¡¯t break nor bend for just a millimeter. Even so¡­ ¡¸¡­Maximum Inferno. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Destruction Operation Method the First¡­¡°Shattered Break¡±. ¡¹ After invoking his powerful Fire magic attack, Seiya launched a destruction technique. Nonetheless, the Testament remained intact. ¡¸Se¡­Seiya! What Chaos Makina said is true! That script is unbreakable!¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha. Right? I told him that it was impossible. ¡¹ Seiya glared fixedly at a cheerful Chaos Makina. ¡¸No, not yet¡­! I¡¯m sure that I can destroy it with the Celestial Prison-Gate¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Seiya!! You¡¯ll get hurt if you invoke that!! Why are you so desperate to break it!?¡¹ I believed that Seiya felt very frustrated for not being able to destroy it. He snorted afterwards, and turned around. Apparently, he gave up. Well, he wasn¡¯t an idiot after all. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to use his life in order to break a piece of paper¡­ After seeing the absurdness of Seiya¡¯s actions, Flasika smiled a little. ¡¸He¡­Hero, you¡¯ve got more proof than theory now! The demons and we humans have lived without conflict for a long time now! When this treaty was done, our sages carefully discussed it, and examined the words one by one! Even someone from the demon-class with a tremendous power can¡¯t break this oath!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t believe it no matter what you say. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya! I understand that you don¡¯t believe this story, but we have another matter to take care of! ¡­Excuse me, Flasika! When are we going to meet Rosalie?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I intend to do that. ¡¹ Then, Seiya rattled. ¡¸If you intend to that, then hurry up. This is a waste of time. ¡¹ ¡¸What!! But, you¡¯ve been trying to break the Testament for a while now¡­!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a very selfish hero, huh. Okay, I¡¯ll guide you to the princess now. Follow me.¡¹ We walked ahead far from Chaos Makina. She accompanied us from a distance. Around the decaying wooden houses, people and demons cooperated to shovel the snow. ¡­They were really living together. In addition, so peacefully. It was a strange sight. Unexpectedly, Chaos Makina turned around and looked attentively at Celseus. ¡¸I didn¡¯t ask this earlier, but it has been bothering me for a while now¡­Who are you? Are you just a human companion?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a god you know!! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Really? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true! Can¡¯t you feel that I¡¯m a god? ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh, I see. So, you are a god. That¡¯s great. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you making fun of me!? Ah!? ¡¹ I whispered to Seiya while seeing Chaos Makina talking with Celseus. ¡¸I don¡¯t feel any murderous intent. She seems kinda foolish like Celseus.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down. Lista. Look at her status. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ I activated my clairvoyance ability when Seiya told me to. Chaos Makina Level ¨C 87 HP ¨C 156749 MP ¨C 8578 Attack ¨C 145871 Defense ¨C 142180 Agility ¨C 135789 Magic ¨C 6666 Potential rate ¨C 845 Resistance ¨C Wind, Water, Fire, Earth Special skills ¨C Devil Magical Sword (Lv MAX) Skills ¨C Demonic Curse Personality ¨C Cruelty ¡¸¡­Did you see it? Her status is much higher in ability than the one I fought previously.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right! But, why? ¡¹ ¡¸This is a twisted world. Just like when the sacred hero pushed the State Berserk beyond its limits, this Chaos Makina might have acquired a force that wasn¡¯t her own.¡¹ ¡¸But, how did she acquire that so easily? ¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? Anyway, whatever happens, you mustn¡¯t be caught off guard by anyone in this world.¡¹ ¡¸Of¡­Of course! ¡¹ Chaos Makina¡¯s personality remained cruel. I decided to be watchful against the demons in this town, but Seiya turned his stern eyes to me. ¡¸Did you really understand what I meant? I said ¡°by anyone in this world¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­We¡¯ve arrived. ¡¹ In the middle of my conversation with Seiya, Flasika pointed to a horrible ruined shack. ¡­Rosalie was staying in that awful place? Rosalie was the princess of Rosgard. I thought that she was living in a castle as before. Just how twisted was this world? The Twisted Geabrande never ceased to surprise me ever since we came here. Somehow, I felt that these surprises weren¡¯t over yet. Volume 3 - CH 133.2 Chapter 133: Savior (2) We were guided into the ruined shack. Once Inside I was surprised that it was wider than what I expected. There were also soldiers with dirty faces hanging around a bonfire. Amongst them was a woman. The woman stared at me with sharp eyes while Flasika tried to explain that we were the goddess and the hero. But, I saw that she stared at me with just one eye. Her left eye was covered with a black eye patch. ¡¸Are¡­Are you, maybe¡­Rosalie? ¡¹ ¡¸I am Rosalie Rosgard. ¡¹ Certainly, I wasn¡¯t mistaken when I heard her voice. She had a firm tone. However, her beautiful blue hair was fully white. In addition, she wore an eye patch now and her face was drowsy. She felt like a very different person. Nevertheless, I felt relieved to talk to a person I knew. ¡¸It looks like you¡¯ve been through a lot, Rosalie. You look so mature now.¡¹ ¡¸How funny. Isn¡¯t this the first time we¡¯ve met each other?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Ye¡­Yes! I apologize!¡¹ ¡¸Besides, I¡¯m thirty years old. Of course I¡¯m mature. I¡¯m an adult after all.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­You are thirty years old?¡¹ What!? Wasn¡¯t Rosalie much younger than that!? Seiya muttered next to me. ¡¸It seems that time has been twisted as well. Therefore, you should call her ¡°Old Rosalie¡± from now on.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Who¡¯s the ¡°Old Rosalie¡±, huh. ¡¹ Rosalie glared fixedly at Seiya. Detecting this unsettling sign, Flasika told Rosalie the following words. ¡¸The¡­These people are the goddess and the hero respectively. They managed to defeat the fire dragon Hydra!¡¹ Rosalie raised her eyebrow a little, but eventually, she sighed ¡°hmm¡± as if she weren¡¯t that impressed. ¡¸I wanted help during the calamity that felt upon humanity long ago. But, not now. I don¡¯t need a hero nor a goddess at this moment.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, we¡¯re here to help! After all, Seiya and I defeated the Demon King in Geabrande!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t understand it. What exactly do you mean by that? ¡¹ ¡¸You see, well¡­This Geabrande is not the real Geabrande¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If this isn¡¯t the real Geabrande, then what is this. ¡¹ I was unable to explain it. Then, Seiya reached out to me with his hand in order to stop me from talking further. ¡¸It¡¯s useless, Lista. This Rosalie is not the woman we know. She¡¯s different from before. Her age changed¡­as well as her personality and ability value.¡¹ I realized that Seiya¡¯s eyes were glittering while he stared at Rosalie. I also activated my clairvoyance ability in a hurry to see what changed about her. Rosalie Rosgard Level ¨C 68 HP ¨C 127542 MP ¨C 9865 Attack ¨C 175415 Defense ¨C 158644 Agility ¨C 165431 Magic ¨C 857 Potential rate ¨C 72 Resistance ¨C Fire, Water, Ice, Darkness, Poison, Paralysis Special skills ¨C Dark Protection (Lv 9) Skills ¨C Darker Thrust Personality ¨C Careful Observer ¡­Stro¡­Strong! Moreover¡­ ¡°Dark Protection¡±? It felt like a completely different status from the one that Rosalie had before! Chaos Makina giggled and then laughed when she realized that Seiya and I were looking at Rosalie¡¯s status through the clairvoyance ability. ¡¸Are you two that surprised? The princess is stronger than I am.¡¹ ¡¸Why is she this powerful¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s because she received the ¡°devil¡¯s favor¡±.¡¹ ¡¸The devil¡¯s favor? ¡¹ Chaos Makina silenced herself when Rosalie turned her eye at her. I wanted to know more about it, but it seemed that Chaos Makina couldn¡¯t say much more because we were in Rosalie¡¯s presence. ¡¸Well, that doesn¡¯t matter now. First, I want to know how much different is the Twisted Geabrande from the real Geabrande.¡¹ Seiya muttered to me, and then, he asked Rosalie a question. ¡¸When did you join hands with the demons?¡¹ ¡¸I joined hands with them three years after the Dragon King defeated the Demon King, and the rule of the dragons began. It¡¯s been ten years since then, but we are working together in order to destroy the dragon tribe.¡¹ ¡¸The world where no hero appeared¡­! And more than 10 years have passed since the ultimate battle against the Demon King¡­!¡¹ Like me, a surprised Celseus murmured behind my back. And then¡­ ¡¸We are not running like cowards. This town has deployed a mobile magical circle where we can kill as many dragons as we want. But, this is a figure of speech¡­The reality is much different. The damage we suffered from our side has been enormous.¡¹ Rosalie recalled the painful past. She gritted her teeth then. ¡¸The power of the Dragon King is unimaginable. The sword of the Dragon King even defeated the super strong god of death named Cross Tanathus, summoned by the former Demon King¡¯s aide, Kill Capul.¡¹ ¡¸Did you say Tanathus just now!? ¡¹ Seiya couldn¡¯t control Tanathus¡¯ power, so this fearsome enemy ended up being defeated by Valkyrie¡¯s greatest technique, the Celestial Prison-Gate!! And did she say that the Dragon King defeated this ridiculous enemy by himself!? ¡¸Even so, we must defeat the Dragon King. We¡¯ve been preparing for a long time now.¡¹ ¡¸Pre¡­Preparing you say? ¡¹ I heard something at the same time I spoke those words. ¡¸Excuse me!! ¡¹ A human soldier jumped into the ruined shack. He was out of breath while he reported to Rosalie. ¡¸The ma¡­ma¡­magical demonic seal has¡­has finally cracked!!¡¹ Immediately, the soldiers around Rosalie showed faces full of excitement. ¡¸It¡­It finally cracked¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸Our wishes are about to be fulfilled! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, our savior is about to be resurrected soon¡­! ¡¹ Rosalie kept silent and nodded positively upon hearing this news. Then, she looked at Seiya and me. ¡¸I thank you for defeating Hydra and his dragon minions. Thanks to you, it seems that the resurrection procedure has finally begun.¡¹ ¡¸Fi¡­Finally begun? ¡¹ Chaos Makina laughed with a joyous voice. ¡¸We¡¯ve been struggling for more than a decade now, so all of us are delighted to hear that our savior will be finally resurrected! The legendary demon that exceeds the power of the former Demon King¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Legendary demon!? Ro¡­Rosalie!! Why are you trying to revive a dangerous demon!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s all for the sake of defeating the Dragon King. ¡¹ ¡¸But, even so!! ¡¹ Then, Rosalie¡¯s cold eye glared at me. ¡¸You don¡¯t know how scary these dragons are! They follow the teachings of that Holy Angel blindly, and they kill humans in a brutal way! My father, Wolks Rosgard, was gouged out alive by their hands and killed in the end!¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­! The Warlord Emperor¡­? ¡¹ Rosalie touched her eye patch to calm herself down. ¡¸The final crusade is about to begin. We, along with the demons, are going to battle against the dragon tribe.¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, Seiya and I will participate with you on that battle! ¡¹ ¡¸The power of Dragonite, the Dragon King, is beyond the level of humans. No human can compete with him. Your hero is no exception.¡¹ ¡¸But, Seiya can transform into the Crazy Warrior, and he even won against Hydra¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough. We have fought this battle for over a dozen years. We don¡¯t need your assistance.¡¹ Suddenly, Seiya pulled my shoulders. ¡¸Leave it, Lista. She wants to do it without us. ¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But¡­! ¡¹ The Dragon King Dragonite was the main cause of the Twisted Geabrande! So, wasn¡¯t this enemy the one that Seiya and I had to defeat in order to revert the world back to normality? But, Seiya whispered in my ear. ¡¸The Demon King versus the Human-Demon alliance¡­We won¡¯t have a problem if they all kill themselves.¡¹ ¡¸So, you were thinking about letting them be scapegoats!? ¡¹ ¡¸I always say that it¡¯s best for us to win without fighting. ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, you¡¯re a hero, right!? But, with that way of thinking, you¡­Hey, Celseus, please say something!!¡¹ ¡¸No, well, you see, he¡¯s right!! It¡¯s better for us if they have all that ¡°fun¡± for themselves!! So, I¡¯m totally on board with Seiya¡¯s reasoning!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡­!! No¡­Actually, both of you¡­!! ¡¹ Rosalie was staring at the ceiling with a serious look while I was angry with the corrupted hero and idiotic god. ¡¸¡°Survive along with the demons¡±¡­More than ten years have passed since that promise was forged. My right-hand man, Carlo, who was like a grandfather to me, died¡­ Many of my friends and comrades died as well¡­ But, this long-enduring struggle is finally ending¡­¡¹ Rosalie spoke quietly, but I swallowed my saliva twice without thinking because of the strong resolve that emanated from her body. Her comrades, friends and father were killed. But, just for how long had she been enduring this hardship? I couldn¡¯t possible imagine her feelings. ¡¸I¡¯ll defeat him! I will surely defeat him! Brutal and ruthless, the greatest calamity of humans and demons alike! Our ultimate nemesis¡­¡¹ Rosalie continued to speak with hatred. ¡¸The God Dragon King, Mash Dragonite¡­!¡¹ Eh¡­Mash¡­? Volume 3 - CH 134 Chapter 134: Leaving it to others ¡¸Sorry, Rosalie¡­But, did you say Mash? ¡¹ ¡¸Mash Dragonite. That¡¯s the name of the God Dragon King.¡¹ Every time I thought about Mash, what came to my mind was a cheerful and bright boy with spiky hair. The eyes of Chaos Makina emitted a ferocious light, as if they finally exposed the true nature of a devil. ¡¸Even his female dragon companion, whom he grew up with, exchanged her life to be his sword! Since then, the dragon people have killed countless of demons and humans¡­!¡¹ ¡­A female dragon companion, whom the Dragon King grew up together!! Was she talking about Elle!? A¡­And, the sword, she probably meant¡­The holy sword Egzation!! My desire for a different fate shattered on this very moment. There was no doubt about this! Mash was the Dragon King! And¡­worse than that! Elle was no longer in this world¡­! Contrary to an upsetting me, Seiya asked Rosalie with a calm voice. ¡¸Okay I get it, but to be certain, is that female dragon¡¯s name ¡°Elle¡±?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. They began to worship her as the Holy Angel after she died.¡¹ For me, this story was horrifying and quite unsettling. Still, Seiya wasn¡¯t that surprised. ¡¸I anticipated this. We managed to defeat the god of death Tanathus and the Demon King by using the Celestial Prison-Gate twice. So, it¡¯s not surprising to see that the holy sword Egzation finally appeared in this twisted world as it was the only thing that never appeared on our previous quest.¡¹ ¡¸Then, that means that Mash really ¡°did that¡± to Elle¡­¡¹ The word ¡°kill¡± sounded too scary for me, so I couldn¡¯t say it out loud. I felt that my head was in a state of panic. Besides, the Egzation was made to defeat the Demon King, but why was Mash the one to wield it in order to kill everybody else? And wasn¡¯t Egzation a sword that only the hero could handle in the first place? Seiya took a small breath. ¡¸In other words, I¡¯ll have to stop Mash in order to restore this twisted world.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­Tha¡­That¡¯s right! ¡¹ I nodded upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. I¡­I see! Seiya was correct! We¡¯ll just have to stop him instead of killing him! We knew the real Mash. He was a good child who was honest and brave. But in this Twisted Geabrande, Seiya and I had never appeared before. So, Mash may had suffered tremendous hardships and gone completely mad. I wanted to stop Mash¡¯s current outrage. However, it would be pointless to say these thoughts to Rosalie now. ¡¸We really want to cooperate with you, Rosalie! Let¡¯s fight together!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Didn¡¯t I refuse it moments ago?¡¹ ¡¸Seiya is strong, you know! He¡¯ll be a great asset to the demon-human alliance!¡¹ ¡¸Well, defeating Hydra is certainly admirable. But, over the past decade, we¡¯ve also succeeded in defeating strong dragons of the executive class. We managed to reduce their numbers in half. If he just managed to beat a dragon like Hydra, then he won¡¯t be able to defeat other superior dragons. This is an extreme example, but he¡¯s no good if he can¡¯t defeat Chaos Makina and myself at the same time.¡¹ ¡¸Defeat you, Rosalie? Ah, you don¡¯t have to go that far just to refuse us¡­¡¹ The Rosalie I knew before was a ¡°na?ve princess¡±, who resembled the reckless Seiya in many ways. However, the aura that emanated from the woman in front of me was so intimidating that it astounded me. ¡­Hmm¡­Yes, this Rosalie had definitely a great force! In fact, she had tremendous status far beyond what was possible for humans¡­! Rosalie put her hand on Chaos Makina¡¯s shoulder after she looked at me. ¡¸More importantly, I¡¯d like to see the magical demonic seal.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­Hey!! What!? Wait a second!! ¡¹ I followed Rosalie in a hurry as she tried to leave us behind. ¡ª ¡¸¡­I apologize. Please, forgive the princess¡¯ rude behavior.¡¹ Rosalie and Chaos Makina walked ahead on the snow. We followed them behind, and then, Flasika bowed down to us in apology. I asked him with a bitter smile. ¡¸Flasika. What kind of demon is Rosalie going to revive?¡¹ ¡¸Lucifer Crow. He is a legendary demon that even the Demon King was afraid of his presence. Because of his constant fear, the Demon King sealed him with a powerful dark seal. He has a special skill which is a magical bow. Lucifer Crow¡¯s arrow is said to have reached the Eines¡¯ Plains from Mount Grastra.¡¹ ¡¸Is¡­Is it really okay to revive such a dangerous demon? You don¡¯t know, but he could end up attacking humans¡­¡¹ ¡¸Certainly. It might be difficult for Lucifer Crow, who has been resurrected, to understand the current situation of our demon-human alliance. But, when that time comes, the Testament will be useful.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ ¡¹ Indeed, they made a Testament so strong that even Seiya¡¯s power couldn¡¯t destroy it. That¡¯s why Flasika was sure that the Testament would help them with the resurrected demon. Suddenly, I noticed that Celseus was murmuring, ¡¸Hmm. ¡¹. I whispered to Celseus. ¡¸You find it strange too, am I right? I feel that something is not quite right. After all, they are trying to revive a demon that was feared by the Demon King himself.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­Actually, I was thinking about Mash. Isn¡¯t he that young boy whom I taught my swordsmanship a long time ago? I can¡¯t imagine that that kind-hearted boy would be the cruel man who rules this world.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that part of the story. Ah well, I think the same as you.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s Mash we¡¯re talking about, can¡¯t we somehow talk with him?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I don¡¯t know if he is being manipulated by a bad guy. But, I think that we¡¯ll have to wake up Mash than actually defeat him¡­Hey, isn¡¯t that right, Seiya!¡¹ I smiled at Seiya, but he kept walking silently. ¡¸Huh? Seiya? ¡¹ In the meantime, Rosalie stopped in front of a large building made of stone. I never imagined that the shabby town of Igle had a rather fine building. At the entrance, the cow-headed demon saluted Rosalie with a spear. I followed Flasika. Then, I was utterly surprised when I came inside. Demons of numerous appearances surrounded a huge black object in order to protect it. That object was probably five meters long. ¡¸Is¡­Is that the magical demonic seal? ¡¹ That object looked like crystal rather than rock. The object had several cracks on the jet-black surface. It looked like an egg. It seemed that something was about to hatch pretty soon. Rosalie saw the cracks and nodded with satisfaction. Soon after, she asked a nearby demon the following question. ¡¸How much more will it take him to be resurrected? ¡¹ ¡¸About a hundred or so. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. A hundred huh. We¡¯ve finally reached this far. ¡¹ Chaos Makina clapped her hands with happiness. ¡¸That¡¯s right, if the expedition of Demon Sword is successful, I¡¯m sure that Lucifer Crow will be resurrected!¡¹ The demons inside the building cheered aloud upon hearing Chaos Makina¡¯s words. A devilish and ominous aura emanated from the cracked demonic seal object¡­I had a very bad feeling about it. ¡¸Excuse me¡­But, I think it¡¯s better for you not to revive that thing¡­¡¹ I spoke with Rosalie quite reluctantly. Then, the air around her changed dramatically, and I saw that Rosalie altered her complexion. ¡¸Lucifer Crow¡¯s resurrection has been a long and common desire for both us humans and demons alike!¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But, you don¡¯t have to do that now, since Seiya will¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No! I already told you that I don¡¯t need your hero! ¡¹ Then, she grabbed my upper garments with a terrifying expression. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve been irritating me since you¡¯ve arrived!! Then, why didn¡¯t you come thirteen years ago when mankind was in the brink of extinction!! Your arrival is too late!!¡¹ I couldn¡¯t say, ¡¸I¡¯m finally here now! ¡¹. It was true that Seiya and I didn¡¯t appear on this Twisted Geabrande before. ¡¸I don¡¯t need a hero or a goddess! In addition¡­¡¹ Rosalie let go of me and pointed to Celseus, who was standing next to me. ¡¸I have absolutely no use of a normal human warrior!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s rude!! I¡¯m a god!! No matter how high is your status, you¡¯re just a normal human!!¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m no longer human. ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh!? What is this woman talking about!! ¡¹ Rosalie muttered the following words while ignoring an angry Celseus. ¡¸Unseal. ¡¹ For a brief moment, Rosalie¡¯s right arm transformed into a monstrous arm! It grew sharp claws, and it turned into a mottled arm where black and red were mixed up together! And from this point¡­ ¡¸Ohhh!? Evil!! She¡¯s scary!! ¡¹ Even though she didn¡¯t do anything, Celseus jumped away as if he were about to be attacked. Then, after a few random turns on the ground, Celseus crawled forward and hid behind me. Oh gosh, how could he be this frightened even though he was the Swordsman God!? Rosalie¡¯s one eye was staring at her ugly, discolored arm. She laughed with a sense of self-mockery. ¡¸I hold the power of demons in my own human body¡­This is an application technique of one of the former Four General Kings of the Demon King¡¯s army, Death Magra. I got this power to compete against the dragons.¡¹ Death Magra, she said¡­Wasn¡¯t he the one who created 10,000 undead, and the incredible monster Dark Fires, whose liability was only ice magic! ¡¸Rosalie!! Is your body fine with such a thing!?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows. ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care about my body. Even if this body falls into darkness, my number one priority is to defeat the God Dragon King. My resolve is different from people like you.¡¹ I was so terrified that I couldn¡¯t even respond to her. The demons around me, like Rosalie, were staring fixedly at Seiya, Celseus and me. Then, Chaos Makina smiled amidst the heavy atmosphere that engulfed the whole space of the abandoned building. ¡¸Oh, c¡¯mon, princess. You shouldn¡¯t be saying that. The hero and the goddess are trying to help us.¡¹ Then, for a few seconds, she stared attentively at Rosalie. Soon, Rosalie bowed to me as if she realized something important. ¡¸Excuse myself. I just wish that you guys had come to Geabrande sooner¡­I guess that you had your own circumstances.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes¡­Well¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Forgive my disrespectful behavior. There¡¯s no doubt that you are a valuable force.¡¹ Ehh¡­Rosalie calmed down after Chaos Makina instructed her to be kinder with us. There really was a trusting relationship between the humans and the demons¡­ ¡¸Goddess and hero. Will you cooperate with the demon-human alliance?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Gladly! ¡¹ I was relieved to hear that. On the other hand, Seiya showed a tough-looking face. And then¡­ ¡¸Automatic Phoenix. ¡¹ In an instant, more than a dozen of firebirds flew out of Seiya¡¯s body and wandered around in the abandoned building! ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Why did you invoke that so suddenly!? ¡¹ Not only I, but also Rosalie and the demons were astounded at this sudden act. However, Seiya spoke quickly as if it were something normal. ¡¸Because this place is cold. It should be warm, don¡¯t you agree?¡¹ Rosalie¡¯s one eye opened widely while staring at the many flying birds of fire. ¡¸We¡­Well, I guess so¡­It certainly has a hot and warm air coming right now¡­¡¹ Rosalie had an expression on her face that looked quite ¡°puzzling¡±¡­I couldn¡¯t even understand that meaning!! He used Automatic Phoenix because it was cold inside!? What the heck did that mean!? But, without saying much, he turned his back on Rosalie and began to walk away. ¡¸First, I¡¯d like to see the tool shops and weapons shops in this town¡­Let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What! Wait a minute, Seiya! ¡¹ Leaving Rosalie with a stunned look, Celseus and I left the abandoned building in a hurry in order to follow Seiya. ¡ª ¡¸¡­He¡­Hey!! What¡¯s that!? ¡¹ ¡¸Are those birds made of fire magic!? ¡¹ ¡¸Why did that person bring out so much of them!? ¡¹ Every time Seiya walked in the streets, the people and demons of the town of Igle looked surprisingly at us. Naturally. Dozens of Automatic Phoenixes were flying around and above us. I could hear the movement of their fiery wings. Celseus and I made several excuses to the townspeople to explain Seiya¡¯s bizarre actions. We often explained ¡¸Ohohoh. These birds will warm this place a little bit. ¡¹, or ¡¸Well, they¡¯re like pets. Ahahah. ¡¹to the stunned townspeople. After the attention faded away, I finally asked Seiya. ¡¸Li¡­Listen, Seiya. If you are that cold, why don¡¯t you take your cloak out of the luggage for items? I thought that you overdone it a moment ago¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it. Actually, I don¡¯t feel that cold. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Then why!? ¡¹ ¡¸Automatic Phoenix is a means of self-defense. ¡¹ ¡¸Self-defense? ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that you didn¡¯t understand what I told you before. I clearly said, ¡°you mustn¡¯t be caught off guard by anyone in this world.¡± Of course, that applied to Rosalie as well.¡¹ ¡¸Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that¡­you thought that Rosalie would attack us!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a possibility. She was angry with you, but after talking to Chaos Makina, her attitude changed radically.¡¹ ¡¸But, I didn¡¯t feel any animosity towards us, did you? ¡¹ ¡¸Rosalie revealed her devil¡¯s arm to us. However, there was no technique called ¡°Unseal¡± in her status.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s true! That thing wasn¡¯t any technique nor special skill¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸So, there is a possibility that she¡¯s hiding her animosity towards us as well. Anyway, don¡¯t be careless.¡¹ It was hard to image that Rosalie, who had a straightforward personality, would deceive us. However, Mash and Rosalie of this world were not the people whom we knew. ¡­Seiya¡¯s reasoning had a point! If Rosalie had become crazy like Mash, then we¡¯d have to ¡°stop¡± her as well! I firmly believed so, but Seiya threw an icy gaze into the sky and declared the following. ¡¸I will have to kill Rosalie, along with Mash of course, if she becomes a hindrance to the saving quest of the Twisted Geabrande.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhhhh!? Weren¡¯t you going to just stop them!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, stop them. I¡¯ll have to make sure that I¡¯ll stop the root of their breath.¡¹ ¡¸What, so the meaning of your ¡°stop¡± is stop the root of their breath!!¡¹ I shouted at him upon hearing the words of the person who didn¡¯t sound like a hero. But, I noticed that Seiya¡¯s face was quite serious-looking. Worse than that actually. He stared back at me with piercing eyes. ¡¸What are you talking about? Although I don¡¯t believe in every word professed by that Hades fella, I still experienced the twisted world during the battle against the Death Emperor. There¡¯s no doubt that this is a phantom world created by Merseys. And if Mash is the cause of the twist that is corrupting this world, then I¡¯ll kill him¡­That¡¯s all.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If you want to meet the real Mash and the real Rosalie, we¡¯ll have to crush this twisted fantasy world as soon as possible.¡¹ After saying those words, Seiya pointed in the direction of the place where Rosalie was staying at with his distant eyes. ¡¸¡­Fine. I¡¯ll leave everything to those guys, the so-called demon-human alliance.¡¹ ¡¸Seiya, aren¡¯t you going to do it yourself!? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave everything in their hands because they want to do it themselves so badly. Wouldn¡¯t it be perfect if the old Rosalie and the resurrected demon defeated Mash?¡¹ ¡¸The¡­Then, what do you plan to do in the meantime, Seiya?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. I will say something appropriate to them, such as ¡°I¡¯ll protect this town¡±, but in the meantime, I¡¯ll study in order to find a way to defeat Merseys.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that we¡¯re going back to the Underworld!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But before that, I want to take a walk around this town. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much in here, but I want to be certain.¡¹ Then, Seiya proceeded to walk towards the center of this town. I sighed heavily while looking at his back. ¡¸Ah. He sounded as if this quest was another person¡¯s affair.¡¹ Celseus stared at me and made a wondering face. ¡¸But, come to think of it, maybe his reasoning isn¡¯t that wrong, you know? No matter what happens in this world, I think it will be okay to leave it alone. Let¡¯s not forget that this is a fake world created by Merseys after all.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re probably right, but¡­ ¡¹ I agreed with Celseus¡¯ response, well some part of it. But, at the same time, I couldn¡¯t understand this way of thinking. ¡­Was it really okay for us to stay in the sidelines like this? ¡­The God Dragon King Mash that used the Holy Sword Egzation to control this world. In order to counter this rule, the demon-human alliance was trying to revive the legendary demon named Lucifer Crow. It won¡¯t take long until both sides clashed with one another. Seiya was in a state of disbelief about what was going on here and didn¡¯t want to take part in any of it. However, the Twisted Geabrande was trying to tell us exactly what was going on. And this conflict was about to be revealed soon enough. Volume 3 - CH 135.1 Chapter 135: Mimicry (1) Celseus and I followed Seiya who kept walking on the snowy road without stopping. Actually, it was easy to walk because the people were shoveling the snow. Eventually, we arrived on a large street with a series of wooden buildings. I felt that some of the tattered buildings were likely to collapse from the weight of the falling snow. However, many humans and demons were on the streets, making this place the most vibrant area I¡¯ve seen in this town. This area was probably the center of the town of Igle. ¡¸Hmm. Is this a tool shop, huh? ¡¹ Seiya eyes were looking at a certain building with an item sign. When I opened the wooden door and entered the shop that resembled a mountain hut, I noticed that small tools were on display on the shelves. Other items included medicinal herbs. I noticed that swords and shields were also leaning against the walls. ¡¸Eh. They have weapons as well. This shop feels like various stores combined in one.¡¹ It looked like there were no shop owners, so I looked at the products lined up without their permission. I saw some terrifying tools that one could use with magic. They probably had these type of odd tools because they coexisted with demons. Seiya probably expected to find something useful for him, but I didn¡¯t think that these type of tools would be beneficial for him. I stared at the items on display inside of the shop for a while. Suddenly, I heard a rattling sound from the back of the shop and a young girl rushed out. ¡¸I¡­I am truly sorry! Please, welcome! Thank you for waiting, dear customers!¡¹ She looked like a girl in her early teens. She was an innocent-looking girl with pigtails and freckles. Was she perhaps helping the owners of this shop? I was impressed when the innocent girl bowed her head to us in respect. On the other hand, Seiya looked at her as if he was looking at an idiot. ¡¸So careless of you. If I we were thieves, all the tools and weapons in this shop would be gone by now.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m so sorry! I was preparing some goods for sale in the back shop¡­Ah, eh¡­Thieves!?¡¹ The girl looked at Seiya and Celseus with a startling expression on her face. ¡¸Wait a moment please! You¡¯re misunderstanding because Seiya said something weird to you! And it¡¯s obviously not true! We¡¯re not thieves! This person here is a hero! I¡¯m a goddess, and this muscular man is also a god¡­eh, what?¡¹ When I looked attentively at the young girl¡¯s face, I suddenly felt as if I¡¯ve seen her before. ¡¸Eh, excuse me. But, have we met before? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I am the goddess Listarte. What is your name? ¡¹ ¡¸I am Nina. ¡¹ ¡¸Nina¡­Nina!? Don¡¯t tell me that you are ¡°that¡± Nina! Did you live in Edna Town?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes! That¡¯s right! Edna is my father¡¯s hometown!¡¹ Her age was different. But, her facial features remained the same. She was the young child whom I met in Geabrande after summoning Seiya for the first time. That child was Nina. ¡¸Whoa! You¡¯ve grown so much! ¡¹ ¡¸Lista. You sound like those tedious grannies from the neighborhood. ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡­Who are you calling a granny from the neighborhood! ¡¹ I stared angrily at Celseus. But in fact, I was delighted to see the little girl whom I knew before. I was even happier to know that she grew up so well. Therefore, I probably sounded like those grandmas. Suddenly, Nina looked at me with shining eyes. ¡¸You really are a goddess! You seem to know everything about me!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no, I just happen to know it, that¡¯s all¡­By the way Nina, do you work in this shop?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Lady Rosalie gave me this job. ¡¹ ¡¸Rosalie did that? ¡¹ ¡¸Lady Rosalie brought the survivors to this town. Until then, my father and I had been traveling from place to place, fleeing from the pursuit of dragons. I came to Igle five years ago. We¡¯ve arrived at a place where we could finally settle down. I¡¯m truly grateful for what Lady Rosalie and Lady Chaos Makina did to us.¡¹ In Geabrande, the world that I knew very well, Nina¡¯s father was almost killed by Chaos Makina. On the other hand, Nina was grateful to Chaos Makina in this twisted world. Well, this swirling fate sounded somewhat strange to me¡­ ¡¸Speaking of which, where is your father? Is he helping you with this shop?¡¹ ¡¸No. My father died a while ago¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹ This town looked safe to me. So, did he have a sickness? Did he have injuries? Well, be a sickness or an injury didn¡¯t matter that much. Death remained painful regardless of the consequence that led to it. The atmosphere was sullen until it was interrupted by the overwhelming sound of metals clashing together. I noticed that Seiya placed a large number of weapons and tools on the counter. ¡¸Weak weapons and useless tools such as these seem like they won¡¯t do a great deal for me. But, when combined, they might be advantageous in some way. I¡¯m going to buy them.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Seiya! We don¡¯t have Geabrande¡¯s currency right now, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already prepared a replacement for money. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ Seiya took something out of his pocket and presented it to Nina. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll give you Celseus¡¯ horns. ¡¹ ¡¸Not that again!! ¡¹ No matter how valuable it was in the Underworld, those horns couldn¡¯t be used universally! They weren¡¯t made of gold or platinum! When I looked at Nina, I saw that her eyes were wide open. ¡¸Are¡­Are those the devil¡¯s horns!? What a rarity¡­!! I¡¯ll take them for a high price!!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, is it really fine to substitute them for money!? Are Celseus¡¯ horns truly that remarkable!?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­! ¡¹ For some reason, Celseus crossed his arms quite proudly. Don¡¯t tell me that he was overjoyed with this!? Didn¡¯t he know that he wasn¡¯t that great to being with!? I felt frustrated and sickened by Celseus¡¯ attitude. Then, Seiya thrusted into Celseus the dozens of swords he had purchased. ¡¸Celseus. Take this with you. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! Thi¡­This is too much for me! ¡¹ ¡¸You are the Swordsman God. Just hold it. ¡¹ ¡¸Just because I¡¯m the Swordsman God, doesn¡¯t mean that I have to carry your own things¡­ I¡­I¡¯ll carry these swords!! Please let me have them!!¡¹ After seeing Seiya touching his sheath, Celseus rushed to pack his swords in the luggage bag. When we tried to leave the shop after Seiya finished his shopping, Nina came running to us. ¡¸Excuse me, since you¡¯ve bought a lot from me, I¡¯d like you to have this¡­it¡¯s actually nothing much, but it¡¯s my pastime passion. So, I¡¯d like you to have it.¡¹ She gave us an amulet with a flower pouch. Ah! Come to think of it, this girl gave a similar flowery pouch to Seiya before! The scene where a young-looking Nina gave a flower pouch to Seiya revived on my mind. Well, at that time, Seiya said that it was a cursed item. I wonder if he felt embarrassed when thinking about it now. But, it felt so nostalgic to me¡­When I remembered the old days; I realized that Seiya looked a little bit unsatisfied. ¡¸Just one, huh. Don¡¯t you have a hundred more? ¡¹ ¡¸Why would she make so many flower pouches!? This isn¡¯t an item, you know!?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­Is that so. I¡¯ve only said it because of my usual habit. One is fine.¡¹ ¡¸C¡¯mon¡­! ¡¹ ¡¸I mean, thinking about it better, I don¡¯t need it¡­Yeah. I refuse it.¡¹ ¡¸How can you say that you ¡°refuse¡± it!! Just get one pouch!! You¡¯re extremely rude!!¡¹ Nina laughed aloud when I tried to give the pouch to Seiya and he tried to push it back. Seiya sighed afterwards. ¡¸Let¡¯s go. It no longer makes sense for me to be here. ¡¹ ¡¸O¡­Okay, I understand¡­ See you later, Nina! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad that I¡¯ve got to meet you, Lady Goddess. I wish you the best of luck in your journey. Goodbye¡­¡¹ Immediately after we left Nina behind, Seiya rushed me to open the portal to the Underworld. I looked back at the town of Igle anxiously after I summoned the portal. Celseus stared at me because I had a serious-looking expression on my face. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Lista? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­It¡¯s nothing. ¡¹ I recalled Nina¡¯s smile moments ago. At first glance, she had a bright expression and acted quite cheerful. However, I felt that her joyfulness held something dark behind it. That has been bothering me since we parted ways with her. Nonetheless¡­ ¡¸Ah! Wait for me, Seiya! ¡¹ I saw that Seiya dived into the portal, so I followed him in a hurry. ¡ª ¡¸¡­The Underworld is still calmer than Geabrande. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right. I think that Uno¡¯s house is quite cozy. ¡¹ While talking to Celseus, we arrived at the entrance of Uno¡¯s large house where she lived along with her brother. Uno and Due noticed us and greeted us with a smile. ¡¸Welcome back! We¡¯re glad that you¡¯re all safe! ¡¹ In the Underworld, the flow of time was very slow just like in the Gods¡¯ realm. The hours we spent in defeating Hydra and strolling through the town of Igle may have been days for Uno. Therefore, Uno was deeply moved when she saw me. Due asked me a question in the wide living room. ¡¸So, how it went? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, we defeated a fire dragon named Hydra. The problem was afterwards. I thought that we were going in with a great resolve to ¡°start the saving quest of the Twisted Geabrande¡±, but it ended up being different from what I expected it to be¡­¡¹ I turned my piercing eyes to Seiya, but he responded as if it was nothing much. ¡¸I left the ¡°saving quest of the Twisted Geabrande in the hands of the Rosalie¡¯s party¡±.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a very weird saving quest¡­! Don¡¯t you two agree with me¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I think its fine, Lady Lista. This saving quest needs to be completed according to Lord Seiya¡¯s own pace¡­So, should I make some tea?¡¹ ¡¸More importantly, there¡¯s something I want to ask you. Is there a Joker on the Seventh Avenue of the Underworld?¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­Yes. ¡¹ Uno nodded positively, and Due struck his knee as he said ¡¸I see. ¡¹. ¡¸Yeah. If you learn Joker¡¯s skills, it could be useful for you in the future.¡¹ ¡­Joker? Who¡­Who¡¯s that? This topic continued, and they left both Celseus and I out of it. Seiya was asking them for the detailed location of Joker, among other things. Apparently, Seiya had investigated the Underworld in advance, and had set his eyes on his next training destination. ¡¸Okay. Let¡¯s go now. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, right now? I¡¯d rather have a cup of tea instead¡­ ¡¹ Seiya grabbed the neck of a reluctant Celseus, left Uno¡¯s house and walked towards the Seventh Avenue. Volume 3 - CH 135.2 Chapter 135: Mimicry (2) ¡¸Ah¡­The fog¡­ ¡¹ On our way to the Seventh Avenue, the typical dense fog of the Underworld appeared. Even so, Seiya continued to walk forward without stopping. ¡¸Hey, Seiya. Do you know the way? I can¡¯t see anything with this thick fog.¡¹ ¡¸I can recognize the geographical area around Uno¡¯s house and within 5 km radius from the Shrine of the Six-Realms of Existence. I won¡¯t have any problem even if the visibility is poor.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? You are fully prepared as always. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to create a map of the Underworld. It will be convenient for my training if I know where most people live in this place.¡¹ ¡¸A map, huh. Even so, the Underworld seems ridiculously widespread just like the Gods¡¯ realm, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, I¡¯ll make sure that I create it. No matter how much effort or time it takes, I¡¯ll make it happen.¡¹ ¡¸You sound as if you¡¯re planning to dedicate your whole life to making that map¡­Seiya, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s your main purpose¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to see Joker now. ¡¹ ¡¸Who is that Joker¡­? ¡¹ Seiya remained silent and pointed ahead. I noticed that the thick fog was fading away. I was astonished to see the landscape that unfolded before my eyes. It was different from any other view I had seen before in the Underworld. Behind the big Iron Gate was a huge Ferris wheel. There were many merry-go-rounds and roller coasters over there. ¡¸Wha¡­What on earth? This is an Amusement Park!¡¹ ¡¸I never thought that the Underworld would have such a place¡­!¡¹ What, wait a minute!! Could this be a date with Seiya at an Amusement Park!? ¡­It sounded surreal, but if I looked closely, there was no one but us. The playground equipment seemed to be very old. It felt like it has been neglected for decades. There was no overreacting mood from kids running around and no pressure at all. I followed Seiya who walked a little closer to the entrance gate¡­ ¡ª ¡ºThe Underworld¡¯s Amusement Park. ¡» ¡ª A clown in a pointy hat, red nose, and a fancy costume was holding a sign that clarified this place. ¡¸¡­Is that thing a doll? ¡¹ When I approached the mysterious clown¡­ ¡¸Welcome!! Have fun and more fun in the Amusement Park of the Underworld!!¡¹ ¡¸Whoa!? ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t a doll. The clown suddenly shouted aloud. But after he quieted down, the area got calm again as if the whole place was made of water. Zero customers except us. The playground equipment was also in a bad condition. The clown laughed lonely, overlooking the abandoned Amusement Park that looked like ruins. ¡¸This place used to be quite crowded. But, it¡¯s been a while now since it¡¯s become like this.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­What happened? ¡¹ ¡¸Who knows. But, one day, everyone from the Underworld stopped coming here to play.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Are you perhaps the Joker? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I am the circus¡¯ grandmaster, I¡¯m the clown named Joker.¡¹ ¡¸The circus? Where are your companions? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m the only one right now. The same happened with the customers. One person left, then two people left, and in the end, everyone left this place¡­¡¹ Celseus whispered on my ear. ¡¸This guy sounds like a bad deal, don¡¯t you think so? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes. He looks a bit creepy. ¡¹ Maybe this clown was mugging people¡­Still, I had the courage to ask him the following question. ¡¸By the way, Joker. What are your special skills? ¡¹ Then, the Joker twisted his red mouth. ¡¸By the way, Joker. What are your special skills? ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? ¡¹ I was so surprised that I shouted extremely high. Joker replicated my words and voice just like a parrot! ¡¸Eh, he spoke exactly like Lista! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. This might be his special skill. ¡¹ ¡¸So, his technique is¡­mimicry!? ¡¹ Seiya nodded positively. And then, Joker impersonated me once again. ¡¸So, his technique is¡­mimicry!? ¡¹ A¡­Amazing! His voice really sounded like my own voice! But¡­ ¡¸I get it now, so can you stop imitating me? ¡¹ ¡¸I get it now, so can you stop imitating me? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s getting on my nerves you know¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s getting on my nerves you know¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. Aren¡¯t you going to stop now? ¡¹ ¡¸Hey. Aren¡¯t you going to stop now? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m seriously not joking. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m seriously not joking. ¡¹ Eventually, my anger peaked and I grabbed the Joker¡¯s collar. ¡¸You¡¯re persistent!! Just stop it now!! That¡¯s why you¡¯ve lost your Amusement Park and why no one dares to come here!!¡¹ Joker noticed what I said and dropped his shoulders in sadness. ¡¸So¡­So, that¡¯s what happened¡­! That¡¯s why everyone disappeared¡­!¡¹ Oh¡­Oh my¡­Did I say too much? Seiya patted Joker¡¯s shoulder lightly, and said to him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Your mimicry skill is important. Can you imitate not only the voice but also the skills of your opponents?¡¹ Joker smiled as if he were in a good mood upon hearing Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸Of course! My mimicry is perfect! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­Imitate an opponent¡¯s skills? Is that what you¡¯re trying to learn?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Mastering this guy¡¯s mimicry skill means that no matter how powerful the enemy may be, I can imitate them in some way.¡¹ That would be definitely incredible if true! But, could he really do that? Seiya put his hand on his chin as he pondered with a serious face. ¡¸If the sacred hero raises the Berserker state to the fourth stage again, then I¡¯ll have a chance of imitating it.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!? Imitate the fourth stage of State Berserk, you say!? But that¡¯s too¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s worth giving it a shot. ¡¹ Seiya took out Celseus¡¯ horns from his pocket and showed them to Joker. ¡¸I have to make a deal whenever I ask for something from someone of the Underworld. So, I¡¯ll give you this. In return, you teach me your technique.¡¹ Nevertheless, Joker shook his head. ¡¸It has a fabulous HP. But, I wonder if that¡¯s enough for me to accept your deal.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. You¡¯re a strong-willed fella. Do you want dozens more?¡¹ ¡¸Se¡­Seiya!? Please, don¡¯t try to give these people so many horns!! It hurts every time you take them from me!!¡¹ ¡¸Shup up. Or I¡¯ll break your skull along with your horns. ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ Celseus immediately shut up, and crouched down in fear. But, Joker had no interest in Celseus. Instead, he stared fixedly at me. ¡¸You goddess over there, what type of goddess are you? ¡¹ ¡¸I am the Goddess of Healing¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll accept that deal if the Goddess of Healing cooperates with me. Follow me now. ¡¹ I¡­I had a very bad feeling about this!! ¡ª The Joker walked into the Amusement Park and stopped in front of a huge circus tent. I entered that tent after Joker, and I raised my voice involuntarily. ¡¸Animals!? ¡¹ The circus tent had a large number of cages containing terrestrial animals such as tigers, bears and lions that lived on earthly worlds. ¡¸Lista! Look at that! There¡¯s even monsters here! ¡¹ After hearing Celseus¡¯ remarks, I noticed that dragons and chimeras were inside of larger cages! Joker was proud of his collection. ¡¸I¡¯m very interested in the various creatures of the numerous worlds! I collect monsters from different worlds as well as animals from earthly worlds!¡¹ ¡¸So¡­So, what do you want from me? ¡¹ The clown laughed timidly. ¡¸I want the goddess to be in underwear inside of a cage!¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhh!? ¡¹ He¡¯s kidding, right!? Why inside of a cage!? And why did he want me to take off my clothes and be in underwear!? No¡­No way¡­ ¡¸You want to humiliate me while I¡¯m getting attacked by those monsters!? ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? You won¡¯t go to that monsters¡¯ cage, you¡¯ll go to that one.¡¹ Joker pointed to a large cage that stood in front of us. I noticed that a big black mountain gorilla was inside of that cage. ¡¸Goddess! Can you enter this cage and imitate a mountain gorilla! ¡¹ ¡¸Why should I do that!! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Lista. I think this guy wants your HP by doing that act.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case then let Celseus do it! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey! Don¡¯t you dare try to make me as your scapegoat! ¡¹ However, Joker shook his finger. ¡¸If a gorilla-like person tries to imitate a gorilla, the HP won¡¯t rise. ¡¹ ¡¸*laughs triumphantly* You heard him! I can¡¯t do it because I¡¯m like a gorilla! ¡­No, wait! That¡¯s rude, you damn clown!¡¹ ¡¸Why do I have to be in my underwear in the first place!? ¡¹ ¡¸I think it will be easier for you to play the gorilla drumming in underwear.¡¹ ¡¸You want me to do the gorilla drumming!? I¡¯m a goddess, you know!? Do you even realize that!?¡¹ I became tremendously upset, but Seiya stood between Joker and me. ¡¸Anyway, just do it. I have to learn Joker¡¯s technique so that I can save the heavenly world.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible and absolutely intolerable for a goddess to imitate a gorilla ¡­Ehhhh, wait, Seiya!?¡¹ Seiya turned his arms on me as if he were about to hug me, and began to strip off my dress! ¡­Wha¡­Wha¡­What the hell was happening now¡­Was Seiya really undressing me¡­? Oh¡­Oh no¡­I was starting to feel a little excited about this¡­! Ahahahah¡­! While my brain was dominated by erotic delusions, I heard a metallic sound as if strong metal doors closed up. ¡¸What!? ¡¹ ¡­I noticed that I was already inside of the cage with a black-haired mountain gorilla. Joker laughed happily. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s start the fun and more fun of the ¡°Goddess Gorilla Show¡±! I shall be the main spectator!¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the Goddess Gorilla!? ¡¹ Thus, I was forced to imitate the mountain gorilla in my underwear. Volume 3 - CH 136 Chapter 136: The Goddess¡¯ Worth The Underworld clown named Joker stared at me with glowing eyes. ¡­Unbelievable!! Like, seriously!? I felt ashamed to be wearing just underwear, and it was absolutely impossible for me to imitate a gorilla¡­!! I felt so embarrassed¡­!! I noticed that the shiny black-haired mountain gorilla scratched his buttocks as if I weren¡¯t even there. It seemed that my presence in his cage didn¡¯t bother him. I¡­I hated this so much! But, Seiya said that this act was necessary for him to save the Gods¡¯ realm! I¡¯ll do it! Yes, I could do it, please give me strength Great Goddess Isister! After garnering my courage, I tried to imitate the sound of a mountain gorilla while scraping my buttocks. ¡¸Oh Oh¡­ ¡¹ Then, I saw that, outside of the cage, Joker¡¯s face was plainly disappointed. ¡¸You see, your ¡°Oh Oh¡± gorilla impersonation isn¡¯t that clear. You have to observe him better. You mustn¡¯t add your own arrangement to this mimicry.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Lista. Do it seriously. ¡¹ I heard Seiya¡¯s cold voice. In fact, even Celseus became vocal about this. ¡¸That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! Why are you doing your own arrangement? If you don¡¯t do it properly, we won¡¯t be able to see the impersonation of your original gorilla!¡¹ ¡¸You fucking bastard!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¹ The chord of my patience cut off when I heard Celseus¡¯ remarks. I glared ferociously at Celseus while I shook the cage violently. I was obliged to do this against my will! ¡¸¡­Oh gosh. She¡¯s scary. ¡¹ ¡¸She¡­She doesn¡¯t look like a goddess. Okay, I understand! I will give you some instructions! Try to imitate its voice afterwards!¡¹ Joker looked at the gorilla and began to give me instructions. ¡¸Look. Walk along the perimeter of the cage just like that gorilla. ¡¹ I followed the gorilla and walked in the wide cage. Suddenly, the gorilla stopped walking, put his hands on his chest and began drumming ¡°bong bong bong¡±. Eh¡­Ehh. That sound was actually striking¡­ ¡¸Okay! Goddess, try that drumming too! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ I also hit my chest with both hands. It didn¡¯t sound very good, and I felt that my tits swayed from side to side. I changed into a fish-man once before. I remember that I copied the form and voice, but this time my appearance remained the same. I was the same old me. Therefore, it felt extra embarrassing. After that, the gorilla began to act freely. Joker¡¯s instructions continued every time the gorilla took an action. ¡¸Okay, eat the bananas over there! ¡¹ ¡¸Chew chew chew¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, take the lice! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any! ¡¹ ¡¸Rubbing. ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, fart now! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way I can do that! ¡¹ ¡¸Eat another banana! ¡¹ ¡¸Chew chew chew¡­ ¡¹ The banana was delicious, so I ate it firmly. However, I noticed that the gorilla swallowed the whole banana peel as well. It was too troublesome for me to eat that. ¡¸Okay, goddess eat that part too! ¡¹ ¡­Hey, seriously¡­!! Why should a goddess like myself eat the peel of a banana¡­Was there even a goddess capable of doing that¡­? No, Listarte, you must remember the old days! Exactly, there was a time when I ate Death worms! Banana peels must feel like nothing when compared to that! Okay, let¡¯s go! Just take a little bite¡­Ugh¡­Hard!? Besides that, the banana peel tasted sour!! I took deep breaths so that I wouldn¡¯t vomit it. It was emotionally painful, and tears began to fall from my eyes. Ugh, why did I have to endure this in my underwear¡­! Seiya and Celseus, I bet that they were laughing at me¡­! I glanced at them, and I saw that the two of them were looking pitifully at me. ¡¸It¡¯s unbearable to watch this. ¡¹ ¡¸It looks like a cheap artist who can¡¯t sell¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare look at me with dejected eyes!! ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, goddess! Do your best to mimic the gorilla! ¡¹ ¡ª ¡­How many minutes have passed since then? I continued to imitate the gorilla for an endless period of time. Soon after I started to think that I was not a goddess but a wild gorilla, Joker exclaimed quite enthusiastically. ¡¸Whoa! Thanks! I¡¯ve got a lot of HP! You were a very nice gorilla! ¡¹ ¡¸Is there even a bad or nice gorilla in the first place!? Anyway, it¡¯s finally over, right!? Can I finally get out of this cage!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s enough preparation. Okay then, come here now. ¡¹ Joker beckoned me to jump out of the cage, and I hurried up to dress myself. Seiya pulled Joker¡¯s shoulder to stop him from leaving. ¡¸Hey, wait. Aren¡¯t you misunderstanding something? She isn¡¯t the one who wants to learn your skills. It¡¯s me.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh! What! Is that so! Then that means that it wasn¡¯t necessary for the goddess to imitate the gorilla so persistently!¡¹ ¡¸Heyyyyyy!!!!!!!! ¡¹ I shouted loudly upon hearing that ridiculous words. Nonetheless, despite my frustration, Joker approached Seiya¡¯s face. ¡¸I don¡¯t know if humans are capable of doing mimicry, but I¡¯ll show you how to do it.¡¹ Ugh! What the hell was wrong with this clown! But, wait a second! Did that mean that Seiya had to imitate a gorilla as well? Somehow, I felt that I didn¡¯t want to witness such a sight¡­! ¡¸Am I supposed to go to that gorilla cage as well? ¡¹ ¡¸Nope. You don¡¯t have to imitate such a dead-looking gorilla. ¡¹ That damn clown!!!!!!!!!!!! After telling Seiya that there was no need for him to do a gorilla mimicry, Joker went into the cage and came out with the mountain gorilla that I tried to impersonate. He pulled the whip from his waist with a smile, and¡­ ¡¸Eh!? ¡¹ He hit the gorilla¡¯s belly with that large whip! I heard a horrible sound that resembled the sound of sliced meat! The gorilla groaned with a low voice! I saw that blood was dripping from the belly! ¡¸Wa¡­Wait a moment!? What the hell are you going!! You are hurting him!! Poor thing!!¡¹ ¡¸Okay, Goddess of Healing. Why don¡¯t you cure him then? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll cure him regardless of what you say!! You¡¯re the worst clown!! ¡¹ I approached the painful crouching gorilla and activated my healing magic. ¡¸You¡¯re going to be okay now¡­ ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Joker, who was standing next to me, touched the gorilla¡¯s wounds with his hands as well. Before long, I noticed that a rainbow-colored aura overflew from Joker¡¯s body. I had never seen this aura before. ¡¸Hmm. Okay. I learned it. ¡¹ ¡¸Learn, you say¡­? ¡¹ At this precise moment, a faint light came out of Joker¡¯s hands. This light resembled mine. ¡­Do¡­Don¡¯t tell me that he¡­!! I stopped using my healing magic on the gorilla¡­And then, I was convinced. The gorilla¡¯s wounds gradually healed, even though I didn¡¯t cast any healing magic on the poor animal! ¡¸No way¡­!! You imitated a god¡¯s technique¡­On what basis did you do that!? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not about a basis, but about a specific technique that I use. ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to transcend the magic theory. It¡¯s similar to Valkyrie¡¯s Celestial Prison-Gate, which is invoked beyond the law of causality.¡¹ Joker showed an expression of exclamation and admiration when he heard Seiya¡¯s words. ¡¸Ehh! You know the Celestial Prison-Gate! ¡¹ ¡¸I learnt it from the Goddess of Destruction of the heavenly world. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s amazing! I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll learn my skill even though you¡¯re human!¡¹ Joker was extremely excited, but I was rather surprised to know that Joker knew about the Celestial Prison-Gate. Valkyrie was the number two of the Gods¡¯ realm. So, I wondered if she was famous in the Underworld as well¡­? ¡¸All right. I want you to imitate Lista¡¯s healing magic promptly. ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh! That¡¯s impossible! Seiya can¡¯t use my healing magic no matter what it takes! Aria explained that before!¡¹ ¡¸The techniques of the Underworld don¡¯t follow the rules of the heavenly world. In fact, with Serous Rousse¡¯s skill, I¡¯ve also learned the polar opposite magic of my fire attributes the ice magic.¡¹ ¡¸Bu¡­But! ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, just shut up. Golista. ¡¹ ¡¸Who the hell is Golista, huh!! I stopped imitating that gorilla you know!!¡¹ Joker spoke with a smile on his face. ¡¸I¡¯ll share a part of my aura with you. First, you must learn how to form this rainbow-colored aura. You have to do it firmly. If you want me to teach you my skill, then you¡¯ll have to start from this point.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ Then, Seiya¡¯s eyes looked sharply at both Celseus and me. ¡¸I want to concentrate on my practice. Lista. Come here again tomorrow. Together with Celseus, okay.¡¹ ¡¸All right¡­¡¹ As usual, I left Seiya with the Joker, and walked away in silence. ¡ª Next day. Celseus and I headed for the Joker¡¯s Circus Tent. When we arrived, I saw that Seiya sat down with Joker and did a Zen meditation. I was surprised to see that Seiya¡¯s hands were doing a mark seal. The seven colors of the rainbow were already overflowing from Seiya¡¯s hands. ¡¸The rainbow-colored aura¡­Have you learned it!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I just had to increase the colors gradually from red to blue to green. It¡¯s not difficult once I got the hang of it.¡¹ ¡¸He learned it dozens of times faster than I expected. He¡¯s amazing even though he is a human being.¡¹ We¡­Well, Seiya had the extraordinary ability to learn everything quite fast. Actually, I always wondered if he had an actual mimicry ability of his own¡­ ¡¸All right! Now that the goddess has come, let¡¯s begin the imitation practice of her healing magic!¡¹ Seiya stopped Joker, who was going to hit the gorilla in the cage with his whip. ¡¸If that¡¯s your intention, then let¡¯s use this gorilla instead. ¡¹ Seiya pulled out the sword from his sheath without hesitation! Then, he slashed Celseus¡¯ back! Celseus screamed in agony! ¡¸Gyahhhhhh!! ¡¹ Seriously!? He didn¡¯t even warn Celseus!! Gods felt pain as well even if we didn¡¯t die!! ¡¸It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!! Lista, hurry up and heal me quicklyyyyyy!!¡¹ His wound would regenerate naturally if I left it alone. Still, Celseus was crying out for mercy. ¡¸It¡­It can¡¯t be helped though. ¡¹ I activated my healing magic on Celseus¡¯ back¡­Hmm? When I looked closely at his wound, I noticed that only a small piece of his skin back was slashed. Celseus was exaggerating too much. When I was healing Celseus¡¯ minor injury, I realized that Seiya stood right next to me. He was so close in proximity to me that I could feel his breath. ¡¸¡­Memorized. ¡¹ Seiya pressed against me lightly. He put his hand on Celseus¡¯ wound simultaneously as mine. I stopped using my healing magic, and Celseus¡¯ wound healed with the touch of Seiya¡¯s hand! ¡¸Se¡­Se¡­Se¡­Seiya, are you really using healing magic¡­!? ¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! The pain is gone! You¡¯re amazing, Seiya! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, I want to improve it. ¡¹ In other words, Seiya slashed Celseus again without any hesitation! ¡¸Gyah!? ¡¹ Seiya put his hand on Celseus¡¯ back. The faint light healed Celseus¡¯ wound. ¡¸What¡­It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¡­ ¡¹ Seiya slashed Celseus once again. ¡¸Gyah!? ¡¹ Seiya put his hand again. ¡¸What¡­It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¡­Yes, it doesn¡¯t hurt, but¡­can you stop slashing me!?¡¹ Celseus shouted at Seiya. However, Seiya was looking at his hand amidst the blowing wind. ¡¸Hmm. I wonder what happened. The rainbow-colored aura has disappeared.¡¹ ¡¸Your mimicry only activates for a few minutes. If your aura disappears, then you¡¯ll have to look at the original technique again and remember it. If you become more adept at forming the iridescent aura, you¡¯ll be able to extend the activation time.¡¹ ¡¸I see. No, wait¡­My MP has dropped considerably. I only have two-thirds of my regular amount.¡¹ ¡¸Actually, my skill will consume a lot of magic power if humans use it.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? Your skill has more restrictions than I thought it would have.¡¹ Seiya muttered with a disgusted face as if he chewed up a bitter bug. In addition to the time limit, this skill consumed massive amounts of magic power. This may be a worrying issue, especially for Seiya who disliked seeing his MP decrease, even by a mere 10 points. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s fine. For a while, Joker and I will concentrate on forming my rainbow-colored aura. I just want to focus on extending the imitation time¡­¡¹ ¡ª A few days later. Seiya stayed at Joker¡¯s Circus Tent and continued with his training. ¡¸I wonder if Seiya is doing all right? ¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? But, it feels so peaceful now. ¡¹ Celseus happily mixed the meringue in the kitchen. As usual, Celseus and I spend the last few days in Uno¡¯s house. ¡¸So what are you doing? ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m making a cake. I feel like I¡¯ve finally returned to my original vocation. I want to open a coffee shop in the Underworld if possible.¡¹ ¡¸Hey. Isn¡¯t your original vocation to be a Swordsman God? Moreover, don¡¯t forget that you are on this quest with me. You don¡¯t have time to do that business of yours in the Underworld.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. You¡¯re annoying. Besides, I¡¯m sure that your hero will handle everything on his own.¡¹ Celseus complained quite openly since Seiya wasn¡¯t around us. However, on this moment, the kitchen door opened with a cracking noise, and Seiya stood at the door. ¡¸Ah, Seiya! Thank you for your hard work! I¡¯ve been waiting for you, I¡¯m baking a cake, you can try it once its done!¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. I don¡¯t want to die. I¡¯ve finally mastered the Joker¡¯s aura. I need to practice now.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, Seiya. Then, does that mean that you increased the mimicry¡¯s activation time? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I succeeded in extending the time up to the maximum of three minutes long. I tried many times after that, but I couldn¡¯t extend it for more than three minutes. I wanted to extend it for about thirty years.¡¹ ¡¸Tha¡­That¡¯s a crazy magnitude¡­!! How long were you planning to push it in order to achieve that length!!¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me. But, I¡¯m trying to bake my cake¡­ ¡¹ Seiya ignored Celseus¡¯ words and wrinkled between his eyebrows. ¡¸But, it¡¯s actually a really tricky skill. Aside from the mass consumption of my MP, it¡¯s impossible for me to imitate the opponent¡¯s skills if I don¡¯t see it at first hand.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so. ¡¹ ¡¸That means that I¡¯ll be put at risk in a combat before succeeding the impersonation. Well, I¡¯m already thinking about countermeasures for this. For example, ¡°I could use Celseus as a wall and let the enemy activate the technique first¡±. It sounds effective. Moreover¡­¡¹ Suddenly, I heard an abrupt cracking sound, and I noticed that the plate broke apart. ¡¸I¡¯m hearing a loud and infuriating conversation while I¡¯m trying to make my cake!! Please stop talking now!! I can¡¯t concentrate!!¡¹ Seiya headed into the kitchen and glared fixedly at Celseus. ¡¸Celseus. You¡¯re going to be part of my training. Right now.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh!! Do you intend to slash my back again!? ¡¹ ¡¸I completely imitated Lista¡¯s healing magic. Today is a different training. First, let¡¯s start with your devil transformation¡­¡¹ ¡ª The following day. Uno talked to me while I drank some tea alone in the balcony. ¡¸Where is Lord Seiya? ¡¹ ¡¸Seiya is focused on his last training session with Celseus. It seems that he wants to imitate the swordsmanship of the Devil Celseus.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Lady Lista. You¡¯re not cheerful today. ¡¹ She knew that I was feeling down. I exhaled a deep sigh. ¡¸Seiya is finally able to use my healing magic. I don¡¯t think that he¡¯ll need me anymore. I know that it only lasts for a short time, but it¡¯s kind of painful to me.¡¹ Originally, I felt impressed about that mimicry skill. But, that changed when Seiya learnt my healing magic. I¡¯ve been very depressed since then. Besides that, I felt that Celseus was much more useful to Seiya than I was. I was really sad and lonely. Then, Uno smiled as if she came up with something to cheer me up. ¡¸Did you know that when Lord Celseus became a devil he learnt a new technique named ¡°Devil Slash¡±? Lady Lista may be able to do something that you couldn¡¯t do before.¡¹ I see! I¡¯ve never tried it before, but¡­perhaps, I powered-up on something relevant that I didn¡¯t even notice! ¡¸Okay! I¡¯ll give it a try! ¡¹ I did a handstand and used Type Opposite taught by Serous Rousse in order to become a devil. I turned into a sexy little devil with a black leather dress. ¡¸Let¡¯s try with your healing magic first. ¡¹ Uno put her finger on her mouth and bit it strongly! Fresh blood ran down from her arm and dripped on the floor. ¡¸U¡­Uno!? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that now. Please activate your healing magic. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t believe that she bit off her finger! Like Joker, the inhabitants of the Underworld were all crazy! Either way, this was a great opportunity. I tried to heal Uno¡¯s wound by using my healing magic. ¡¸How is your healing speed? Is it better than usual? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. It didn¡¯t change that much¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. So let¡¯s try something else. ¡¹ Uno told me to carry heavy objects or to jump high. But, unlike Celseus, it seemed that my physical abilities had not been particularly improved. I usually made fun of Celseus for being a useless god, but I was actually the ¡°useless Swordsman God¡±. I thought that my healing magic would multiply considerably with the devil transformation. But, even though I became the Devil Healer, and my stats multiplied as a result, it didn¡¯t made that much of a difference in the end. ¡¸Ahh. It¡¯s no good after all. ¡¹ I felt depressed and faced my head down. I could see the cleavage from the sexy dress with the black leather. ¡­Ah. My breasts got a little bigger¡­I mean, I only turned into a sexy devil with big breasts and nothing else!! I felt lonely in my heart. While I was sad by the transformation effect since it only gave me a breast¡¯s enlargement supplement, I noticed that something was caught between my tits. ¡¸This is Nina¡¯s¡­ ¡¹ Nina gave a flower pouch to me. As soon as I touched it with my hand in order to take it out, an image flowed in my mind. ¡ª ¡ºUgh¡­! Dad¡­Dad¡­! ¡» ¡ª ¡­Ehhh!! Wha¡­What on earth was this thing!? Instead of the balcony from Uno¡¯s house, in front of me stood Nina, who was crying alone in a dark room.