A black flash and a silver meteor. Two shadows clashed repeatedly at speeds the naked eye could barely track. The only sounds echoing through the air were the whistle of displaced wind, the tearing of space, and the incessant clatter of steel.
Force met force. Al's strikes began to match Ein's speed. Of course, even with his full recovery, his strength, endurance, mana, and even agility had not yet reached Ein's level. Consequently, the tide of battle remained tilted against him.
With every clash, blood splattered, bones groaned, and muscles screamed in agony. Every swing of Ein's sword carried a lethal weight; a direct hit meant instant death, and even a minor graze was impossible to survive without a severe injury.
──── Were it not for the Saint's miracle.
A cheek was torn ── "Fully healed."
Fingers were broken ── "Fully healed."
An ear was severed ── "Fully healed."
An eyeball was crushed ── "Fully healed."
Entrails burst ── "Fully healed."
Healed, mended, restored, repaired, cured, perfected—he returned exactly to how he was.
Whenever Airmid's chant echoed, Al's wounds closed. Even lost limbs were instantly restored, allowing him to rise again no matter how many times he fell. Because of this, Al continued to fight, pushing far beyond his absolute limits.
He shifted from his previous purely defensive stance to an all-out offensive that ignored his own safety. Spitting blood from his mouth, Al continued to parry Ein's attacks, biding his time for a counterstrike.
Al launched his assault, not necessarily to neutralize the enemy, but to buy enough time for the Familia members to withdraw from Knossos and recover their strength. He did not stop his attack even as his flesh tore and blood sprayed with every blow. He stepped forward, unyielding before Ein's onslaught.
The melody of the deadly combat knew no rest. The roar and rumble of thunder continued to echo like a never-ending refrain. Al unleashed slashing strikes like flashes of lightning, which the black blade met with ferocity. Sparks flew, steel ground against steel, and the sound of rending metal filled the air.
"──── Damn it!!"
"······ Damn it."
The winds of combat surged, and the gales from their blades intensified. Al and Ein leaped into the air, their gazes locking.
Boundaries vanished and they surpassed the peak, entering a domain beyond. As two individuals who had crossed the line of death countless times, each could perceive the other's essence; both had long ago transcended the limits of the physical body.
The wind of battle turned bloody, then into a raging storm. Ein's slender sword lunged to slit Al's throat, while Al's greatsword swung to crush her blade.
One flash, two flashes, three. Four, then five.
Blinding speed, explosive speed, transcendent speed.
A sword exchange that defied description. A decisive confrontation between the fastest hero of the human world and the monster that slays monsters. Attack and defense occurred at speeds a normal human could not even perceive.
The pinnacle of heroism against the strongest of monsters.
Sword strikes that neared the ultimate horizon flew through the air. Merceless lines of death intersected, and the duel continued without either side backing down. Both had long since exceeded the limits of their physical capacity, magic, mind, and focus. Their continued swinging was driven solely by the fervor of their souls.
This duel, which seemed as though it would never end, was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a cracked bell.
"Ah, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
"Die, please die with me, Al Cranel!!"
The echo of a cracked "Bell Toll" resonated through the hall──but it did not come from Al. Instead, the "Monster's Strike" skill had activated.
The Great Cavity shook under a black wave released with a heart-freezing scream. Shockwaves and a dead silence rushed forward like crashing waves. For Ein, this was the first time she had used this "skill" since her emergence. The catalyst was the hero she "longed for"—the true hero who was stronger than everyone else and whom she desired more than anyone.
For just one year, she had stood beside that hero, making her forget she was a monster and bringing back memories of past happiness. She had burned the emotion that nearly split her soul, turning it into power within the cauldron of her heart.
It was a melody of destruction that bore no resemblance to the "Grand Bell Tower," but it was the embodiment of Ein's desire. The authority of destruction began to gather before Al could find a chance to intervene.
"Sweep everything away, Holy Staff of Evil-Crushing."
And here, the "Dual Accumulation" began.
By coincidence, this was a simultaneous activation of a skill with parallel chanting, exactly as Al had done moments before. The black magic energy reached a critical point, contracting into an ominous vortex. It began to devour the surrounding space with a ferocity resembling a mindless beast.
The lightning bolts Al released were swallowed in the blink of an eye. The dark magic energy generated by Ein devoured the Saint's light. The magic energy, having reached its zenith, surged in an attempt to crush the entire Artificial Labyrinth. The ground shook, the air trembled, and space itself groaned.
What would be unleashed now was neither "magic" nor a "sword strike." It was a "World-Destroying Strike" that allowed no defense or interference, returning everything to nothingness.
── Everyone will die here.
Al's "intuition" screamed inside his head—a feeling he hadn't felt in two years. He was hit by the same sensation he felt when he pointed the goddess's god-killing Scorpion Bow toward the sky.
Evasion was impossible, defense was not an option, and the range was vast.
No one in this place would survive.
In that moment, Al's consciousness shifted.
"O undiscovered worlds, O forbidden sky. On this day, my body shatters the laws of heaven. I am the false hero who carries the arrow of the Moon Goddess and the famine of the covenant."
This was the hero's "Third Chant." It was not quick-attack magic or reinforcement magic, but a super-long chant. Magic energy overflowed from Al's body, raging like a storm to submerge his surroundings.
He had decided to use "God-Slaying" magic, capable of killing a god in the truest sense—a thing forbidden to the beings of the Lower World because it violates celestial laws. Without it, he would not be able to stop the strike, equivalent to a full floor collapse, that Ein was about to release.
"Requiem of the Dusk, the flame of desire that burns my body, the tolling of the bell tower. The note of the dirge, the melody of thunder; what I play is the hymn of the dawn."
The world shook in response to the rising magic energy. Purple lightning raced around Al, and the radiance of thunder gathered. At the same time, Ein's "Bell Toll" reached its climax.
Light and darkness stained everything, as if commanding the world to play a melody of silence and pierce all existence.
Nine magic circles appeared, floating around Al. Each circle glowed gold and emitted a different tone.
Ein and Al. They were the ones who pushed the possibilities of the Lower World to their furthest limits in opposite directions. But their clash was suddenly cut short by the explosion of a wall of super-hard metal.
Without warning, the stone wall made of hard metal "exploded," and white debris flew into the air. A moment later, the blast wind raged inside the Great Cavity like a hurricane. As stone shards fell and the cries of the Familia members—who had not yet recovered from the toxic wind curse—rose, the echo of "footsteps" from something massive resounded.
What appeared through the shattered wall was a bizarre monster, matching the size of floor bosses in the Dungeon. Its body was covered in coarse hair, and twisted "branches" resembling goat horns grew from its waist. Its limbs were as thick as tree trunks, and it possessed the aura of a deformed, evil bull.
On the upper part of this four-legged beast emerged the upper torso of a beautiful woman, though it was clear she was not human. Her face overflowed with a mysterious beauty, with a smile both seductive and pure. The upper part of the monster was a nude, beautiful woman, while the lower part represented a beastly form reminiscent of hell's executioners.
"········ A Spirit Clone."
A member of the Loki Familia muttered in horror. It was a monster with a body that glowed green, mimicking a celestial form. This was the entity the Loki Familia had encountered repeatedly on the 24th and 59th floors and fought lethal battles against. Its power certainly equaled or surpassed that of a deep-floor boss.
"Aria··········· Aria!!"
The Spirit Clone lunged forward, letting out a cry of joy. It ignored Al and Ein, who were facing off, fixing its eyes on Ais, in whose veins the blood of spirits flowed.
Al clicked his tongue as he saw the monster rushing past, ignoring Ein. He was exerting everything he had to balance the strike Ein was about to release and was unable to deal with this newcomer. Ais's magic energy was nearly depleted from the previous fight, the rest of the members could not move due to the Behemoth poison, and Al himself was in the middle of activating his magic at full power.
But the Spirit Clone did not care. It lunged with its massive body.
Ais was directly in the path of the Spirit Clone. She could not respond in time due to her lack of magic energy.
In the moment everyone believed Ais would be crushed ── the ceiling of the hall, destroyed during the previous fights, collapsed.
●○●○●
"Tch······"
Ein muttered in annoyance deep within the corridor, which was now separated and sealed by the collapsed debris. Before her eyes lay piles of hard metal wreckage and special stone materials, with remnants of the lightning magic still sparking.
Of course, such an obstacle could be cleared with a single "projectile." But if she fired it now, the lethal lightning strike would hit the "Spirit Clone" as well. Her body, cursed by the polluted spirit, still refused to disobey, and the magic stone settled in her body continued to gnaw at her.
Rage and hatred burned in Ein's chest. Had that filthy spirit not appeared, this wouldn't have happened. She could have simply died with Al.
Yet, a feeling of relief washed over her more than anger. A reason not to have to fight Al had suddenly appeared. Ein, who had not yet become a complete "monster," clung to that salvation.
"················ ───────. ───────. ────────. ───── Einsel."
The fairy and the mask separated. The mask looked back longingly toward the rubble where Al was presumed to be before leaving the place, and the fairy also began to walk, head bowed.
"········· Next time, kill me."
She wished in her heart for the "Hero" to witness her end. With that thought, she turned her back on the debris.
●○●○●
"Hah~. Even though we know the enemy's headquarters, we can't attack them·······"
In a building the color of reddish copper resembling a burning flame—the headquarters of the Loki Familia known as the Twilight Manor. In the room of the Goddess Loki, the head of the Familia on the top floor, Loki lay down, sighing.
The chaotic room was filled with wine bottles and snacks scattered here and there. She pulled a new parchment from the randomly piled papers, looked at it, and sighed again.
The members of the Loki Familia had returned safely from the Artificial Labyrinth without losing a single member. However, the information they obtained in that labyrinth was all extremely dangerous.
The existence of the complex and malicious Artificial Labyrinth, the numerous massive jars discovered by Ais which presumably contained Spirit Clones, and the masked monster Ein.
"This is bad······"
Especially the masked monster Ein. Her strength, which allowed her to crush the leaders of the Loki Familia single-handedly, was immeasurable. A massive power that could not be confined within the range of Level 5 or 6; her power might be Level 8 or 9, or perhaps······.
"First, we can't even start talking before getting the key to the Artificial Labyrinth······ Searching Ishtar is inevitable even if we have to start a conflict."
The Ishtar Familia was one of the major families with massive military and financial power in Orario. Because they possessed first-class adventurers and controlled the Entertainment District, they held immense wealth and influence. Despite the desire to avoid fighting them, some things could not be compromised.
Ishtar had long been suspected of having ties to the dark sects. If that were true, Loki was ready even to ignite a war to wrest the key from Ishtar. If that happened, it might escalate into a major war involving all of Orario. Nevertheless, it was necessary to storm that cursed labyrinth.
After reaching this conclusion, Loki stood up lazily and headed toward the window. As she looked out over the city streets stained in the color of dusk, she muttered.
"At the very least, I wished to get information on that person called Ein."
That mysterious individual who might even surpass Al, who was undoubtedly the strongest. An extremely dangerous opponent to fight without taking measures. In the worst-case scenario, the existence of that masked person alone could destroy the battle lines against the dark sects, and perhaps even destroy Orario itself. For this reason, she craved information at any cost.
"········· What is this?"
While she was thinking of this and looking out the window, she heard a sound like a commotion. When she looked closely, the sound seemed to be coming from the direction of the Entertainment District in the southeast of the city. She wondered what was happening, and as she leaned out of the window to see, she noticed a red glow igniting in the Entertainment District, which was beginning to sink into darkness as the sun set.
"No way, is the Entertainment District burning!?"
It wasn't an accident. It was clearly arson. Loki realized from the charged atmosphere that there was a "conflict" where someone was attacking Ishtar, who used the Entertainment District as her headquarters.
The Berbera (warrior prostitutes) of the Ishtar Familia were elites even among exploration families. The number of members present in the Entertainment District, including affiliated families, should be very large. An attack on the headquarters of such a family could only be carried out by major families like the Loki Familia or the Ganesha Familia, or a crazy fool who didn't care about the consequences.
And the party that fit both descriptions was ──
●○●○●
"Has Freya moved·····!!"
Ishtar was in a state of extreme confusion. The Entertainment District was suddenly covered in flames. And those who took advantage of this confusion launched an attack. The cries and angry shouts of the Berbera rose, and the intensity of the fire increased in response. Ishtar bit her lip, realizing things had reached a point of no return.
The Ishtar Familia was one of the largest in Orario. Its membership was large, and it had influence with the Guild's guards responsible for Orario's security, but this influence had turned against her this time. To hide their links with the dark sects, there were currently no defensive forces in the Entertainment District other than the Ishtar Familia and associated adventurers.
If the attack were in the city center, the powerhouses of the Ganesha Familia would have rushed there immediately. But in the Entertainment District, where Ishtar refused the intervention of other forces, their arrival would take time. And this "enemy" was not the kind that would wait that long.
"FREYAAAAAAAA ──!!"
The Freya Familia, the strongest in the city. The Familia of the Goddess of Beauty whom Ishtar had long planned to overthrow. The goal of attacking the Entertainment District without warning was certainly her head, without a doubt.
Impossible. She couldn't win; there was no chance of victory.
Ishtar was quick to anger and intensely jealous, yet she had been patient and made precise plans because she knew she could not defeat Freya's followers in a direct confrontation under any circumstances.
"Send reinforcements from Kali's followers still in the city·········!! Damn it, those are under Loki's command now!!"
"Then, we go to Knossos now······ A, aah, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?! How can we reach it now, you idi-o-o-o-t!!!"
All assumptions had collapsed. Because she knew she was inferior in power and influence, she had planned a surprise attack. But all of that was meaningless when she became the one under attack. The same words spun in Ishtar's head.
Predicament, defeat, destruction.
Freya would certainly come to kill her. She would burn this Entertainment District and turn everything Ishtar had built into ash, and then seize everything Ishtar owned. A lightning operation by the city's strongest military force; there was no way to stop or prevent it. Ishtar could only tremble with the terror of her impending end.
"To hell with everyone!!!"
Calmly, the silver Goddess smiled. Despite the immense rage dwelling in her eyes, she never showed it. Instead, Freya walked smiling toward Ishtar's fortress.
Amidst the scene of destruction, screams, and flames, her beauty was so breathtaking it captivated and entranced everyone who saw her. That beauty represented the authority of the Goddess herself.
She didn't care about Ishtar's jealousy, nor her links to the dark sects or her schemes; none of that meant anything to her.
However─────
"Ishtar, you have reached for what is mine."
That cold, sharp look told everything: I forgave you in the past with a smile, but this time, I will never forgive you.
The followers of the Freya Familia, the city's strongest, silently followed their Goddess's orders and began sweeping through the Entertainment District. The resistance of the Berbera was futile. The Entertainment District, which was supposed to be teeming with powerhouses, was already in a state of total ruin.
At the forefront of Freya's followers stood eight greats—the first-class adventurers who sat on the throne of Orario, the city of adventurers.
The warrior cat with the silver spear and divine speed, "Vana Freya" Allen Fromel.
The cold advisor and sword-casting mage, "Hildis Vini" Hedin Selland.
The user of the strange and wicked cursed sword, "Dáinsleif" Hogni Ragnar.
The four brothers who boasted the best coordination in the city, the "Bringar" Gulliver Brothers.
──── And finally, the strongest adventurer in the city, the "King" Ottar.
"Scatter anyone who stands in our way."
In response to the Goddess's words, Freya's followers moved. It was not a struggle or an extermination; it was an imminent takeover. Under the absolute divine will, Freya's followers unleashed their power.
That was when Ishtar realized.
She had stepped on the tail of a tiger she should never have stepped on.
"I apologize to you, Goddess Ishtar, and to your followers as well."
One god muttered while looking at the burning Entertainment District and the red glow illuminating the city night. Naturally, the city guard had realized the disturbances in the Entertainment District, and units would move soon to suppress them.
But they wouldn't make it. No one could save the Goddess Ishtar and her followers. Yet, the god who was watching the burning Entertainment District from afar showed no signs of disturbance. He merely muttered words of apology with regret.
There was no trace of his usual lightheartedness and pretension. Instead, the serious bow of his head made him look human in some way.
"······ Lord Hermes, how much of this was within your plan?"
The blue-haired beauty, Asfi, who was standing beside the god Hermes, asked calmly. In response to his suspicious follower's question, Hermes scratched his head with a bitter smile and looked embarrassed.
The Hermes Familia is not in conflict with the Ishtar Familia. Rather, one could say they had built a friendly relationship. There was no reason for Hermes, who pretends to be neutral and a mediator, to enter into a conflict with the Ishtar Familia····· or so it was supposed.
"Haha, don't say things that damage my reputation, Asfi. Even I didn't expect this situation. I didn't think Lady Freya would get this angry."
"·········"
"Believe me, I only told Ishtar that Lady Freya had her eye on Bell-kun."
The information Hermes had given under pressure when Ishtar cornered and interrogated him. That was the spark and the main reason for this incident. For Hermes, it was just a small piece of information. Yes, he knew Ishtar's jealousy was great, but he didn't expect things to reach this point.
"Also, I didn't expect Lady Freya to be this obsessed with Bell-kun."
But a goddess's jealousy and a beauty goddess's obsession are mere specks of dust compared to the brilliance that boy showed.
"More importantly, Bell-kun was more kind-hearted and upright than I imagined."
The fledgling hero who faced a major family with steady, unwavering resolve, sacrificing everything to save just one prostitute. The brave jump of the little rabbit that shattered the schemes of gods, the malice of goddesses, and everything else.
After seeing that, no one can help but be drawn to him and enchanted. Gods are no exception; even Hermes's own heart has been stolen.
"The brilliance that gods and humans and everything have been searching for for a long time······"
"────── The world needs a hero."
The opening of the "Great Chasm," which is the cause of all tragedies on this land since before the Age of Gods. And also, the defeat of the black end that will come one day ── the "One-Eyed Black Dragon."
The wish that even the followers of Zeus and Hera failed to achieve. The time of the end approaches moment by moment. For this reason, people feel alarm. For this reason, the gods long for the birth of a true hero who brings "salvation." The clearing of tragedies that have accumulated over three thousand years. What the world and its people await is the descent of the Hero.
There is much wailing and tragedy in this world. What we live in now is just a false peace, no more than a sandcastle that will collapse one day.
"For the world's tomorrow, and for the fulfillment of the wish, I will choose these two brothers."
The descendant of the Great God, who reached the peak of contemporary power and is a return of that gifted disaster who might reach the strongest in history, and his younger brother who proved he possesses the vessel of a hero. The "Hero Candidates" left by the Great God.
And they are not alone. The current Orario, the Promised Land, has begun to gather rare hero vessels even in Orario's thousand-year history: the "King," the "Braver," the "Sword Princess," the "Nine Hell"·····.
They rival the ancient times when the "Argonauts" appeared and "hoofprints" were left on this land. With these, perhaps────── Hermes stared at the distant horizon.
"O Zeus, the salvation that you and Hera could not achieve, this land will achieve it."
"We will surely lead them to make them the final heroes."
"·········· Zeus, I will bet everything on these two brothers."
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Ais: "·········· Eh, what about me?"
Haruhime: "You were saved off-screen."
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
[100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[Read 100+ chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Raven737]