◆ In Front of the Avangarde Royal Capital ◆
“You all think I’m ugly, don’t you? You, and you, and you over there! Biyufyu!”
【The Ugly Angel Busiel’s attack, defense, and speed have increased!】
This guy is even uglier than I expected. No, I mean tougher. Even if I wanted to crush his heart with Imagination Magic, the position seems slightly off, and more than that, his insides are terrifyingly sturdy and intricately tangled. The structure of his body is completely different, and above all, he’s just plain ugly.
And this simple thought of “ugly” gives him power. It seems that when we harbor negative feelings towards him, he grows stronger. Those huge nostrils, the oil on his nose, the nose hairs, the eye gunk, the sunken eyes. Countless moles and freckles, sagging jaw flesh. Overall, he’s so shiny that any girl in her prime would avoid looking at him. It’s seriously awful.
“You filthy humans!”
“I’m an elf, you know.”
【Elmera cast Heart Crush! The Celestial Soldier fell!】
The weaklings who must have coughed up blood and experienced tremendous pain for just a moment fell one after another. Elmera-chan’s job is to clear the way with spells like Air Zarock, which removes a certain volume of air, and Cell Death, which can wipe out all cells in the body with just a low-level spell.
I spread Fire Shot and used Cell Death and Air Zarock to hold them back. I can’t spam these spells too much, or the humans will die. Now, I think the numbers have decreased significantly, but I can’t cover everything alone, and I’m worried about reinforcements.
“Biyufyu! I was ugly even in the human world! How ugly I am!”
【Nemea unleashed Triple Blaster! Dealt 3244 damage to the Ugly Angel Busiel! HP 19856/23100】
“Byaaaaaaah!”
From the sky, Rua-chan’s pet Chimera attacked. The breath combining three attributes is a troublesome one that hits hard if any of the resistances are low. No, more importantly, I see now. That’s a good idea.
“Exactly, beasts wouldn’t think someone is ugly! So let’s strategize starting from Nemea-chan!”
“Why is a monster teaming up with humans?! Is it because I’m ugly?!”
It was a bit troublesome, but it seems like we’re nearing the end here. Even though I’ve strengthened everyone, including Ritta-chan, I’m surprised at how well we’re holding our own against that angel. I mean, the Celestials seem to know surprisingly little about our world.
【Tiferia’s Armor Break! Dealt 2691 damage to the Steel Angel Tekiel! HP 4214/32500】
“Guh…! This Tekiel’s body possesses a hardness greater than the finest minerals in the human world! How can mere humans—”
“Humans are actually very strong. Some can obliterate you in one hit. Humans are scary…”
The Steel Angel’s body is already riddled with cracks from Tiferia-chan’s attack. The armor has completely shattered from the left shoulder to the chest, exposing the body inside. They claimed to be wise angels, but with this class, one S-rank could handle them easily.
“How can humans wield such techniques? It’s incomprehensible! Humans are all clad in fine armor! What is the meaning of this?!”
“Of course, we wear armor. You’re the one who’s incomprehensible.”
“This is what humans are?! Clad in rags, wielding low-quality stone weapons, chasing after beasts! It’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Yes, one reason is that they underestimate humans far too much. And they know far too little. This is just my speculation, but these guys probably haven’t known about the human world for a long time. How long ago was that? Though Madias has reset civilization multiple times, right?
From what he said, it seems that these Celestials are from a time long before Vandalsia ruled. A time when there were no skills or weapons. I wasn’t even born then. Wait, so they’ve never known about humans until now? That Zeyel guy seems to have descended in a much later era, though.
“You filthy humans…”
“If this continues, we will incur the wrath of that being.”
“Our children left behind could be erased as well.”
“How terrifying…”
Excluding Zeyel, most of them don’t know about humans. Moreover, from their demeanor, it seems they don’t genuinely pledge loyalty to Madias either. For most of them, this is their first encounter with the human world. The Celestial Realm is heavily influenced by Madias’s rule, and it might be just as tragic over there. If that’s the case, there might be room for reconciliation, but I can’t imagine these guys backing down peacefully. In the end, we’ll just have to hold out.
While I was pondering this, something particularly striking descended from the sky. With wings larger than those of the so-called wise angels, a tall figure with a beautiful face like a woman. I have a bad feeling about this.
【Friendship Angel Diel has appeared! HP ?????】
“Humans, conflict yields nothing. Here, let us all join hands and become friends.”
“Oh! Lord Diel!”
“With the Guardian Celestial here, we are safe!”
“Guardian Celestial…!”
Ritta-chan, who is biting her lip, seems to have already felt the strength of that Guardian Celestial. The Celestial Soldiers swarm around her, clinging to her like beggars. That ugly angel is still cuter. I dislike those who seem normal at first glance but are actually broken inside.
“To my dear friends. This is a humble gift from me.”
【Friendship Angel Diel’s Power Gift! The status of the Steel Angel Tekiel, the Ugly Angel Busiel, and the Celestial Soldiers has tripled!】
“Uwooo… Oooooooh!”
“Lord Diel! I adore you!”
“Our friendship will never waver!”
“Even to an ugly one like me, such generosity… Lord Diel is the most beautiful in the world! Pupyapyaaaan!”
This is bad. I don’t know how much I can support with my power. I might experience running out of magic for the first time in my life. It’s truly beyond my imagination.
“Hah… Elmera-chan is getting scared over this?”
My Imagination Magic is invincible. Anything I imagine can become reality. My sister always praises me, saying I have far more talent. But thinking back, I haven’t had any good moments lately. Where did that confidence from back then go? My Imagination Magic that made beasts and demons bow down—where is it now?
Hold out until Rua-chan returns? Are you kidding? Rather, when she comes back, I’ll be waving at them from atop their corpses, saying “You’re late!” So hurry back safely.
◆ The Celestial Realm ◆
“What are you all doing?”
Looking down at us, overlapping, is an elderly woman with slightly tattered white wings. Aside from her wings, she looks like an ordinary human grandmother. Her long white hair is tied back, and her wrinkled face is frowning.
“We’re not doing anything.”
The first to overcome gravity and stand up quickly was Kurinka. She must have been quite flustered to unexpectedly meet a person. She faced the grandmother with a serious expression, as if to say nothing happened. I stood up alongside Kurinka and observed the grandmother again. Hmm, there’s something about her that feels off, not just because she’s from the Celestial Realm, but there’s an aura about her.
“Um, we—”
“You all are humans, aren’t you?”
“Eh…”
“I can tell just by looking.”
“Grandma, who are you? You seem pretty strong.”
“Oh…”
It’s better to inform them that we can’t assume she’s an ally and that we can gauge her strength. If she’s an enemy, it’s clear she’s not an easy opponent to deal with. But I might not need to worry too much. The grandmother seems to smile with satisfaction at the corners of her mouth.
“I can’t believe that you managed to fend off even the Armored Beast. No matter where it is, that creature can sense otherworlders like you and will attack. It’s truly rare for an otherworlder to meet us without being discovered by them.”
“Grandma, I’ll be blunt. Our world is currently under threat from the Celestial beings and Madias. We’ve come to do something about it.”
“That much is clear.”
“Uh, um…”
“First, come to our village. You can’t settle down in a place like this.”
Despite the heavy gravity, Grandma walked effortlessly. As I followed her, I felt my body gradually becoming lighter. The strange rocks disappeared, and we arrived at a desolate area that resembled a wasteland, with little vegetation.
◆ Celestial Realm: Village of Celestial Beings ◆
Huts made of straw and wood lined the area, looking as if they might collapse at any moment. Some had holes in the roofs, and others had walls that were half-destroyed. The village appeared to be on the brink of death, as if it had been attacked by something.
“Humans…?”
“No way.”
“But they don’t have wings?”
“They can’t fly, wow…”
It seemed we were quite the spectacle, as not just the adults but even the children gathered around us. Their clothes were tattered rags, barely wrapped around their bodies. Zeyel, the Guardian Celestial, had worn something similar. It was hard to see anything but poverty. Most of the villagers looked emaciated and unwell.
“I can’t believe it. Setting aside the Armored Beast, if you came from that direction, you must have crossed the Zooram Grassland Sea. This time of year, it’s treacherous, and the Darkflow is lurking there. There’s no way mere humans could have made it through.”
“That’s right. To tell such a lie is tantamount to insulting Grandma Kaura. Right, Grandma? You once faced that Darkflow—”
“Let’s save that discussion for later. Everyone, calm down for now.”
With Grandma Kaura’s words, the villagers quieted down, though they still looked unconvinced. Unlike Zeyel, these people seemed more open to conversation.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaura, the leader of this village.”
“I’m Kurinka, and this is Lua-chan. This place… well, it seems quite devastated…”
“That’s how it is. We do what we must to survive.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Celestial Realm is much the same everywhere. By doing this, we—”
“Grandma Kaura! Is it really wise to speak so freely to these humans? We should send them back just like we did hundreds of years ago! That woman back then spoke nothing but nonsense!”
The younger villagers interrupted with harsh words, halting our progress. I understood their distrust, but we were pressed for time, and it was frustrating. However, losing my temper here would be a mistake. I needed to reach Madias without getting lost in this unfamiliar place.
“Hundreds of years ago… I may have done something wrong. But now that humans have come from the human realm again, I suppose her wish has been granted. Although that girl is likely no longer alive…”
“Um, was that person named Meria?”
“…! You know her?!”
“Yes, thanks to her, we were able to come to the Celestial Realm. I won’t go into details, but Meria is alive. She is still fighting to protect the human realm.”
“…I see. She lives.”
After a brief pause, Grandma Kaura covered her eyes with one hand, as if holding back tears. It seemed she was trying to contain her emotions. How old could this woman be? She spoke of hundreds of years, indicating she had lived far longer than most.
“That girl pleaded with me to save the human realm… From my perspective, Meria possessed considerable magical power. If even she couldn’t succeed, the situation must be dire. But I…”
“There’s no need for you to burden yourself, Grandma Kaura. We don’t expect you to save the human realm by rebelling against Lord Madias…”
“She was barely clinging to life when she collapsed near our village. I took care of her, but I refused her request and sent her back to the human realm. I still can’t forget that tear-streaked face…”
Meria had come all this way, risking everything to plead for help. She must have truly wanted to save the human realm, and when that failed, she was captured by Vandalsia and sealed away. I couldn’t imagine the frustration she must have felt.
“Meria entrusted us with her wishes. We don’t ask for your cooperation, but we would like to know where Madias is.”
“Wait, human. What do you intend to do with that knowledge?”
“Since Madias and the forces of the Celestial Realm threaten the human realm, we will defeat them.”
“Y-You intend to defeat them?!”
Everyone tensed up. But somehow, I sensed that they weren’t genuinely preparing to attack us. The entire village felt drained of energy, and it seemed that the villagers themselves were lacking in spirit. There was no hostility, and if anything, they appeared to be hopeful.
“Grandma Kaura, humans are truly worthless! To claim they crossed the Grassland Sea in front of you, how brazen of them!”
“The Grassland Sea is the area where the land resembles a sea of earth, right? And Grandma Kaura, does it have any connection to you?”
“She lost her comrades to the Darkflow that resides there! The only survivor, she felt responsible and withdrew from the battlefield… Isn’t that right?”
“That old story is irrelevant… And they are not connected to it.”
“To boast of having crossed such a dangerous place at this time is utterly reckless! How can such humans—!”
“Look. Despite having passed through such a perilous area, we are here without a scratch.”
An older man, slightly younger than Grandma, stared at us in disbelief. He seemed to realize that we were unscathed and not out of breath. Still, he furrowed his brow, clearly not ready to trust us.
“You weren’t attacked by the Darkflow, were you?”
“Probably defeated it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That creature is so massive it could swallow this village whole. You must have mistaken it for something else.”
“The Darkflow is a calamity that even the Guardian Celestials couldn’t defeat! Apologize and say it was a joke while you still can!”
“If it’s such a dangerous monster, then why hasn’t Madias defeated it?”
“…! Th-That is…”
I suddenly fell silent. Had I said something too difficult to answer? If Madias was a Celestial Being, it would be natural for him to protect us, just like Lord Daigami. So why was it a question worth pondering?
“That is because…”
“Stop it, Grandma! It’s about time you stop trusting these humans…”
“Wait! He’s coming! Lord Madias is here!”
The moment Grandma Kaura shouted that name, everyone froze. In the next instant, they all dropped to their knees with terrifying speed. Children, adults, the elderly—all of them moved in such unison that I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“Lord Madias is coming…?”
“There’s a Basement in that house! Hide there! If you care about us, do as I say!”
If she said to do it for their sake, then I had no choice but to comply. There was indeed a staircase leading down to the Basement in the dilapidated house Grandma pointed to.
Was it just my imagination, or was the area strangely bright? It wasn’t sunlight; it was as if the very colors of the scenery had faded.
“Let’s hide for now, Lua-chan.”
“Okay… but if Madias is coming…”
“Grandma Kaura said Lord Madias is coming. If she respects him, she would use phrases like ‘will arrive’ or ‘is coming’…”
“You notice the details well…”
“Something’s off about this.”
As we whispered to each other, we peeked from the edge of the staircase, waiting for the moment. The villagers all knelt with their hands and knees on the ground, their heads bowed. The light grew slightly stronger, and from the distant sky, he descended as if coming down a staircase in the air.
“Lord Madias…!”
“Lord Madias!”
“We are grateful for your descent!”
He was enormous, nearly three times the size of an adult, with a bald head and a long white beard that reached his feet. He wore nothing but a thin white robe. From just his face, he appeared to have gentle eyes, resembling a large old man.
“That is…!”
“Lord Madias…”
The villagers still did not raise their heads. They maintained their posture, silent. After a moment of silence, Madias slightly opened his mouth.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I was lucky to meet someone, how fortunate.
No matter where I go, I speak without fear.
If the villagers were to charge at me in anger,
I wouldn’t gain anything.
Why not feign ignorance and ask about Madias?
And if I pretended to be fond of Madias, perhaps he’d be kind enough to share his location.
It was fortunate that she was a good old lady, but well, that old lady seemed to see through everything, so my deception was in vain.
The Divine Being has descended, and I should throw in a Sonic Ripper there,
and then flourish my finale.
This long report must come to a close.
“Busy, busy!”