For the Black Scripture, today was a day of misfortune.
Deep within the forest, a twelve-member squad struggled to hold the line, surrounded on all sides by watchful, prowling magical beasts.
All kinds of grotesque creatures roared without pause, throwing themselves forward in frenzied, suicidal assaults.
"Damn it! Since when are there this many monsters in the forest? Did the Catastrophe Dragon Lord break free? Are these its familiars?"
After smashing a beast away, a burly man sucked in a breath, fatigue evident on his face.
A massive shield was strapped to his arm as he continuously activated a defensive Martial Art known as [Myriad Barriers]. He was the Eighth Seat of the Black Scripture.
"Not necessarily. Our intelligence never mentioned the Catastrophe Dragon Lord having any familiars."
"And teleportation magic is sealed. Even flight magic isn't working. If this were the Catastrophe Dragon Lord's doing, that would be a stretch."
The man speaking wielded black chains that lashed out as if alive, whipping aside the surrounding monsters. He was Divine Chain, the Ninth Seat of the Black Scripture.
"This is bad. We're completely surrounded. They're trying to wear us down and kill us slowly."
Not far away, a refined-looking blond man spoke with a grim expression. Several summoned magical beasts circled him, barely managing to hold back the tide.
He was the Fifth Seat of the Black Scripture, the One Man Army, capable of summoning magical beasts to fight on his behalf. He was also Clementine's brother, and the resemblance between the two was unmistakable.
"Enough. Whether it's the Catastrophe Dragon Lord or some other enemy, we need to find a way to retreat immediately."
The man standing at the very front spoke up.
He looked young, with long, flowing hair and delicate features that gave him a fragile impression.
Yet, astonishingly, he alone was holding back more than half of the attacking beasts. His spear swept out again and again, and each casual strike cut down swathes of monsters.
He was the Captain of the Black Scripture, one of the three God-kin in the Theocracy who had awakened divine blood. On the surface, he was the Theocracy's strongest combatant.
At least, that was what he believed until he encountered another, even more powerful God-kin who had forcibly made him drink horse urine.
"Kaire-sama, still unable to contact [Thousand Leagues Astrologer]?"
The Captain of the Black Scripture turned to look at the elderly woman protected at the center of their formation.
She was extremely old, her wrinkles layered like rolling hills. Strangely at odds with her age, she wore a revealing qipao embroidered with a five-clawed flying dragon.
An elderly woman dressed so provocatively would normally draw odd looks, but no one here so much as blinked.
That qipao was a sacred relic of the Slane Theocracy, one of the most precious items left behind by the Six Great Gods.
As long as the target had not mastered Wild Magic, they could be completely controlled through the use of [Downfall of Castle and Country].
Their mission this time was to locate the sealed Catastrophe Dragon Lord, a creature whose strength rivaled that of a True Dragon Lord.
Once found, they would use [Downfall of Castle and Country] to subjugate it, adding a powerful asset to the Theocracy.
Kaire was currently the only person in the Theocracy capable of wielding [Downfall of Castle and Country]. That was why she commanded everyone's respect, despite not being particularly strong herself.
"It's no good. Even using this rare magic item, the message still won't go through."
Kaire shook her head. A magic scroll in her hand glowed faintly, but it refused to activate.
"Captain, being able to block the surveillance magic of [Thousand Leagues Astrologer]… this is very similar to what happened with the [Sunlight Scripture]. Do you think there's a connection?"
Quaiesse, also known as the Joker, fell silent for a moment before voicing his bold speculation.
"…It's not impossible. If that's the case, we may be in real danger this time."
The Captain of the Black Scripture paused, his expression gradually turning grave. The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed. If that were true, then someone was deliberately targeting the Theocracy.
Who?
And this operation had been covert. How had the enemy learned of it? Unless someone inside the Theocracy—
He abruptly shook his head, forcibly cutting off the thought. If that were true, the Theocracy would be plunged into another storm of bloodshed.
"We're completely surrounded. If we want even a sliver of hope, we have to find the one pulling the strings."
Divine Chain stared at the seemingly endless swarm of magical beasts and spoke rapidly to the others.
More than half his stamina was already gone. If this dragged on, even with the Captain of the Black Scripture bearing most of the pressure, they wouldn't last much longer.
"There's no other choice. Kaire-sama, please prepare yourself."
The Captain of the Black Scripture unleashed a Martial Art, blasting a large cluster of beasts away. After a brief hesitation, he turned toward Kaire behind him.
Their only hope now was [Downfall of Castle and Country]. Only by seizing control of the mastermind driving these beasts could they survive. Otherwise, even he would eventually be swallowed by this endless tide.
"No problem. I can activate it at any time. I'll explain things to the Six Cardinals afterward."
Kaire nodded. She might be old, but she was far from foolish.
Her words dispelled the last of the Black Scripture's concerns. In unison, they forced back the beasts before them and drew out bottles filled with a vivid crimson liquid.
[Limit Break Potion]
This potion could drastically enhance the user's attributes for a short period, allowing them to unleash power beyond their normal limits. The drawback was that it lasted only one hour. Once it wore off, the user would suffer several days of extreme weakness.
The Captain of the Black Scripture and the others didn't hesitate. They downed the potions in a single gulp.
As the effects took hold, their abilities surged dramatically.
The Captain of the Black Scripture gave a hand signal. Immediately, the entire Black Scripture burst into motion, slaughtering the surrounding beasts with renewed ferocity. Protecting Kaire at the center, they carved a path southward, toward the direction from which the beasts had come.
...
Elsewhere.
"They're actually pushing their way over here? Interesting."
Momonga looked toward the depths of the forest, a hint of surprise in his voice.
He had planned to simply exhaust them to death. He hadn't expected them to counterattack.
"Isn't that even better? Saves us the trouble. The prey's delivering itself."
Naohara sat on the ground, speaking in a lazy tone.
Behind him, Mare wore a gentle smile, his small, delicate hands massaging Naohara's shoulders.
"If they dare advance, they must have something to rely on. Most likely, they're preparing to use a World-Class Item. We can't let our guard down."
Herohero added calmly. Beside him, Solution continuously fed him food, and he looked thoroughly at ease.
"Let them come. Thirteen against one. If they can turn this around, I'll eat this entire forest on the spot."
Naohara chuckled, sweeping his gaze across the area.
Thirteen World-Class Items. With that kind of advantage, how could they possibly lose?