◆ Avangarde Royal Capital – In Front of the Castle Gate ◆
【Ganoas cast Firebird!】
I couldn’t even perceive the moment his magic activated. But the Five Elites were different; they had already taken action. How did I know this? It was because his magic never reached the Five Elites. The flames were extinguished before the Rainbow Barrier, and that result was all that registered in my eyes.
【Yuyu cast Rainbow Barrier!】
【Laurel played the Melody of Valor!】
“My melody has strengthened the Rainbow Barrier. No elemental magic will reach us now.”
With her long hair swaying, one of the Five Elites, Laurel, declared with poise. The notes she played sounded as if soldiers were marching in perfect rhythm. Just listening to it filled me with courage.
No, according to her explanation, it wouldn’t have any effect on me. Yet, the fact that it could elevate my spirits so much meant that there was something within Laurel’s music that could stir the hearts of people. Even without her skills, she possessed that much power.
“I see, so this is the highest class of humans. Even a gathering of crows can become a giant bird, huh? Kwah-hah-hah…”
From his laughter, it was clear that the sealing of one of his attack methods was merely a minor setback. Even I could tell he was still hiding something. It felt as if he had an incredible trump card that could shake the very ground we stood on.
“You won’t be able to open that mouth of yours for long… Muuun!”
【Mugen’s Demon Aura!】
A faint yellow mist, almost indistinguishable, began to emanate from the bald man. Is that what they call an aura? Regardless, just watching it sent chills down my spine. And those beads floating in the air, the ones he had hanging around his neck. Each one swayed as if it possessed a will of its own.
“Whatever you try will be futile; the Demon Guardian cannot be broken.”
“Then allow me to test that!”
【Mugen’s Demon Binding! The Demon Guardian is now paralyzed!】
“Gigi?!”
The once formidable Demon Guardian let out a pathetic cry and suddenly stopped moving. Even Ganoas seemed to sense the anomaly, glancing back and forth between the two.
“This is… bizarre.”
“Even those two demons, likely resistant to paralysis, cannot escape this binding. Sorry, but I’ll finish this.”
【Mugen’s Thousand-Hand Phoenix Fist!】
“Muoooh!”
Ganoas’s pitiful scream was only possible because of Mugen’s overwhelming presence. It could be called a mere rush, but each punch overlapped, making it seem as if Mugen’s arms had a thousand limbs. They were unleashed at high speed toward Ganoas, leaving him no chance to respond.
He appeared to be a monster resembling a wizard, and with this, even Ganoas would have no chance. Mugen’s fists rained down on Ganoas without any intervals.
【Dealt 3221 damage to Ganoas! HP 5279/8500】
“Y-you bastard!”
“You don’t have time to glare back.”
【Shinbu’s Death Strike!】
Before I knew it, the poorly dressed man, Shinbu, had circled behind Ganoas. Blood erupted from Ganoas’s back, and then a horizontal gash appeared across his chest. I couldn’t comprehend what kind of skill this was, but this was the power of the Five Elites.
【Dealt 1296 damage to Ganoas! HP 3983/8500】
“Don’t… you dare get on my head!”
【Ganoas’s Fatal Blow! Dealt 1095 damage to Shinbu! Shinbu has fallen! HP 0/564】
“Zuh!”
Ganoas’s right hand pierced through Shinbu’s chest. With a sense of satisfaction, Ganoas smirked, confident of his victory. The A-Rank third place of the Five Elites, “Fancy Kill” Shinbu, had been slain. It was over. However, Shinbu didn’t give us a moment to wallow in despair.
Another Shinbu appeared behind Ganoas, slicing him vertically as if he were slicing ham.
【Shinbu’s Instant Death Strike! Stopped Ganoas’s breath! HP 0/8500】
“Someone like you, so slow, is the easiest to deal with. You only focused on your instant death resistance, didn’t you?”
“Hehe, Shinbu’s Instant Death Strike even ignores instant death resistance.”
Behind the torn Ganoas, Shinbu held his hands in reverse grip, mocking the defeated Ganoas. Yuyu, who had provided the explanation, was filled with an elegant atmosphere as if she were enjoying a moment after lunch.
In other words, for them, even a high-ranking member of the Demon Lord Army was not a foe. That was the conclusion. Just moments ago, I had performed the miraculous feat of restoring the clear sky, yet the surroundings were already captivated by the vibrant party play of the Five Elites.
No, it was clear that I was the one who was more impressive. I wanted to say that, but upon reflection, it was only natural. Who would be praised—the one who understood what had happened or the one who didn’t? And if one appeared beautiful, that alone would capture people’s hearts. Those here, like Tiferia and the powerful Five Elites, might recognize that I was simply too fast, but for the rest of us ordinary folk, that was quite difficult to grasp.
“I apologize for showing such an inadequate display. It is our duty to protect the country.”
“Not at all, Lord Kirkton and his subordinates have also done a splendid job of protecting the nation. But we shouldn’t relax just yet; we must deal with the remaining monsters.”
“Indeed… oh?”
Kirkton and the others noticed it almost simultaneously. The lifeless body of Ganoas began to convulse violently, and just when it seemed to settle, it twitched again. Just as we felt a sense of relief, the tension in the air returned. But as expected of the Five Elites, they were different from us, who merely felt uneasy. They had already launched an attack in response.
“You still have breath left, huh!”
“It’s the first time I’ve failed to finish someone off with an Instant Death Strike!”
【Mugen’s Attack!】
【Shinbu’s Attack!】
“…End.”
The two attacks did not complete. Ganoas’s anomaly outpaced their reaction speed; something sharp shot out from that corpse, something even Mugen and Shinbu could not have predicted. Wire-like iron threads began to attack indiscriminately, and at that moment, Yuyu cast some form of defensive magic. A physical barrier enveloped the soldiers and adventurers, but the iron threads were not aimed at us. Rather, they were rampaging wildly.
Multiple iron threads shot out from Ganoas’s corpse, and then a massive arm burst forth, tearing through the back. What emerged was a centipede with a large arm, completely ripping apart the corpse. Without delay, a rusted giant cross shot out from the centipede’s back, and there, a naked man was nailed to it with stakes driven into his limbs. Blood poured from his eyes, where stakes had also been driven.
“What the hell… is this?”
I couldn’t keep up with the understanding. No, the undeniable emotion that surged from the depths of my being was unmistakably fear. My legs felt weak, my knees buckled, but I couldn’t even experience that. I was merely standing there, on the verge of fainting. For now, my body showed no signs of stopping its tremors.
“Ah, oh my… what is this?”
Even Tiferia was bewildered. In such a situation, there was no way I could remain composed.
Before I knew it, I was screaming as if my insides were being squeezed out. A chorus of screams erupted, even the strong soldiers and adventurers were shrieking in terror.
“Everyone, please calm down!”
Only Tiferia was plugging her fingers into her ears. This abnormal situation of a cacophony of screams was merely a trivial matter for her. In other words, she was the only one capable of fighting. No, the Five Elites were barely holding on, sweating profusely, but that was all. They weren’t fighting.
“Devil Master, Ganoas… no, what is this creature?!”
“““It’s a demon.”””
The voices of old and young, male and female, answered Mugen’s question. It was a voice that was no longer anything. No, it was a demon. This was undoubtedly a demon. What we feared was a demon, the terror that bore the name of a demon.
“A demon is not an individual.”
Now, another voice spoke.
“When people are threatened by something, they call it a demon. Whether it is a demon or something that resembles one, or perhaps it is a demon, it is the right to play with death. That is why death is evil, and demons are demons, and they are not one, nor are they not.”
“Uaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”
I had reached my limit. It seemed my mind couldn’t handle this. I had heard somewhere that when a person encounters something incomprehensible, their ego collapses as they fail to recognize it. That was exactly how I felt—this was the end for me.
◆ Avangarde Royal Capital, In Front of the Castle Gate ◆
“A-a-aahhhhhhhhhh!”
“Woooooaaaaahhhh!”
“N-noooooo!”
“Don’t come, don’t come, don’t come, waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”
【Ord has fallen into Fear Status!】
【Ritta has fallen into Fear Status!】
【Irene has fallen into Fear Status!】
【Shuri has fallen into Fear Status!】
【Kirkton has fallen into Fear Status!】
“N-nngh…!”
“There’s no way this is real! I’m Shinbu, A-Rank, third place!”
【Mugen is holding on with sheer will!】
【Yuyu is holding on with sheer will!】
【Shinbu is holding on with sheer will!】
【Laurel is holding on with sheer will!】
“This needs to be resolved quickly, doesn’t it? Hey, Ganoas.”
【Tiferia remains calm!】
What on earth is happening? The air was filled with a cacophony of screams that made me want to cover my ears. Kirkton and the soldiers were sitting on the ground like children throwing tantrums, covering their ears and shaking their heads, tears streaming down their faces.
“Lua-chan, what is that…?”
“I-I feel sick… I think it’s because of that.”
“Ah, that… Ganoas has completed the End, hasn’t he?”
Shin peeked out from my shoulder, pointing at that grotesque creature that was hard to even call a monster. There were people foaming at the mouth, collapsed on the ground—clearly, this was not normal.
“I’m warning you, if we defeat that thing, it will only get worse.”
“Why? If you know something, tell me!”
“That… I can’t say.”
“Why not?! Is Shin a bad boy after all?”
“I can’t say! I can’t say…”
I wasn’t sure if it was the influence of that creature, but even Shin was tearing up. I briefly thought about what would happen if he cried again, so it seemed best not to press further.
“Lua-san and Roel-san, we need to do something about that thing. But, you know, it might be a bit dangerous for me alone.”
“I understand. Let’s fight together.”
“Oh my, how quick to agree! But, you see, I left my armor behind again. I can’t go all out without it.”
“Didn’t you forget it during the Combat Tournament and when the Garden of Beasts attacked…?”
I couldn’t believe someone could forget something so essential for battle. Yet, the fact that she had survived until today made that foolishness a testament to her strength, which was quite impressive. From what I could see, Tiferia was the only one who seemed ready to fight. Mugen and the others were completely frozen, and for now, there was nothing we could do about them.
“Hehe, a joint front with the two of you. For now, let’s not think about what that thing is.”
“Wait, it’s Ganoas, right?”
“We must not think about it! There are those over there who have collapsed from not being able to comprehend it!”
“Then, shall we proceed?”
Without questioning Shin’s presence, Tiferia elegantly leveled her Twilight Bringer. I was curious about what Shin had said, but we had to defeat it first.
“Lua and Kurinka, the demon is not a demon but rather a bad understanding of what lies within.”
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has appeared! HP 66666】
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has appeared! HP 66666】
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has appeared! HP 66666】
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has appeared! HP 66666】
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has appeared! HP 66666】
I somehow understood—this wasn’t just one. In fact…
◆ Shin Report ◆
Shin saw it.
That day, Ganoas…
That thing… that thing… that…
Shin can’t say it. If he does, Shin will surely…