Within the silent forest, a well-equipped squad advanced slowly.
The Captain of the Black Scripture gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes sweeping the surroundings with a grave expression. The other members beside him were just as tense.
At some point, the magical beasts that had been attacking them had vanished without a trace. The chaotic roars were gone, replaced by a deathly stillness.
As they moved forward, a distinct sense of oppression crept over them. Every member of the Black Scripture was on edge, and a quiet fear began to take root in their hearts.
In the shadowed forest, it felt as if some unknown presence was watching them.
"Captain, something's not right."
[Myriad Barriers] walked at the front with his massive shield. A flicker of fear crossed his face.
Heat rose from his body as sweat streamed down. The Eighth Seat of the Black Scripture, a man of formidable build, was now trembling ever so slightly.
The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.
"Don't overthink it. The enemy is trying to make us lose our composure."
"The more they play tricks like this, the more it shows they're afraid of us. They don't dare face us head-on."
The Captain of the Black Scripture replied without turning around. Though a trace of unease lingered in his heart, he forced it down.
He was one of the Theocracy's three awakened God-kin. On top of that, he carried a true Divine-class Item left behind by the Six Great Gods. That alone was enough to steady his mind.
Unless this enemy was stronger than him and also possessed a true Divine-class Item.
The thought made him almost laugh. What were the odds of that?
After offering a few words to steady his team, they continued deeper into the forest.
After an unknown stretch of time, they arrived at a clearing. Beneath the bleak moonlight, several indistinct figures slowly came into view.
Every heart in the Black Scripture tightened.
"They're here."
The Captain of the Black Scripture raised a hand in signal, his red eyes locked onto the figures ahead.
The other side had clearly noticed them as well. One by one, the silhouettes stepped forward into the moonlight.
"Good evening, everyone. The moon tonight is quite beautiful. Won't you take a moment to admire it?"
A fearsome Dragonoid spoke politely. On either side of him stood a skeleton in a mage's robe and a slime covered in viscous fluid, both silent and motionless.
Then there was an insectoid gripping a blade, a vampire dressed in formal attire, a dark elf holding a staff, and a demon clad in armor wielding a massive axe.
The Guardians leisurely sized up the humans before them. Shalltear's eyes were filled with teasing amusement. Aura wore a bright smile. Cocytus and Sebas remained expressionless.
The entire Black Scripture stood frozen.
These enemies far exceeded their expectations, and from the looks of it, not one of them was human.
Just standing there, they exuded an overwhelming pressure that made resistance feel impossible. An instinctive urge to flee welled up in their hearts.
"Attack!"
The Captain of the Black Scripture snapped back to his senses and roared at his stunned comrades.
The terrifying killing intent and the suffocating aura told him everything he needed to know. These beings were unquestionably hostile.
There was no need to test them, no need to observe further. His instincts alone were enough to make the decision to use [Downfall of Castle and Country].
"Who's the target?"
Kaire immediately activated [Downfall of Castle and Country]. The five-clawed flying dragon embroidered on her qipao seemed to come alive, yet she hesitated.
Every single figure before her radiated death. She couldn't decide which one to choose.
"The Dragonoid who was speaking!"
The Captain of the Black Scripture answered without hesitation. Gripping his spear tightly, he charged forward under immense pressure, intending to draw their attention and buy time for [Downfall of Castle and Country] to take effect.
Yet to his confusion, none of the monsters moved to stop him. On the vampire's face, he even caught a faint trace of mockery.
He didn't dwell on it.
To him, this was a rare opportunity.
Several rays of light burst from his body. Empowered by his Martial Arts, the Captain of the Black Scripture drove his spear forward with all his strength toward the Dragonoid before him.
Crack.
The weapon struck, yet there was no clash of metal.
Jet-black dragon claws closed together and effortlessly caught the spear between them.
The Captain of the Black Scripture's eyes widened in shock. His full-powered thrust felt like it had sunk into cotton, without stirring the slightest ripple.
"How is this possible?!"
He had never felt this kind of despair, not even in his battle against Zesshi Zetsumei.
There was no chance of victory.
Unbeatable.
"How rude. I was actually hoping to have a proper conversation with you."
Naohara looked at the young man in front of him and shook his head.
"Since you chose to attack, there's nothing left to talk about."
"Like I said, let's just read their memories."
Herohero spoke calmly. His pitch-black arm, slick with slime, extended toward the spear Naohara was holding and lightly grasped it.
In the next instant, a sharp, acrid smell filled the air along with the hiss of corrosion. Under the horrified gaze of the Captain of the Black Scripture, the weapon passed down from the Six Great Gods began to melt, dissolving little by little until it completely vanished into the air.
The Captain of the Black Scripture hurriedly retreated, stumbling back into the ranks of the Black Scripture.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Divine Chain stared ahead, his throat dry.
Defeat. Utter defeat.
In a single exchange, a full-power strike had been stopped with ease, and even the weapon had been destroyed.
The opponent hadn't even looked serious.
The entire Black Scripture instinctively took a step back.
And this was only one of them. If all of those monsters attacked at once, would they even have time to react before being wiped out?
"Kaire-sama, activate it now!"
The Captain of the Black Scripture shouted urgently. The others turned to look at the figure in the qipao. She was their only remaining hope.
The golden dragon embroidered on the qipao flared with dazzling light. A radiant golden dragon burst forth and shot straight toward Naohara.
Aura and Mare instinctively moved as if to stop it, but then both paused at the same moment, as though recalling something.
"[Downfall of Castle and Country], huh?"
Momonga's eyes flickered. The scene reminded him of the name of that World-Class Item. Naohara had mentioned it before. A control-type World-Class Item.
Its effect was similar to that of the World-Class Item [Millennium Rod]. The difference was that [Downfall of Castle and Country] functioned at range, while [Millennium Rod] required close combat.
However, considering the passive ability of [Millennium Rod], its overall value was slightly higher.
As the golden dragon rushed toward Naohara, Momonga swiftly took out a bead covered in intricate magical runes.
The World-Class Item [Eternal Seal].
This World-Class Item possessed powerful sealing capabilities. Even the activated effects of other World-Class Items could be sealed.
As long as the seal was not lifted, the opponent's World-Class Item would be unable to activate its effect again.
It was an item that forced a one-for-one exchange.
World-Class Items could not directly affect one another. What was sealed was the activated effect, not the World-Class Item itself.
It was like interrupting a skill halfway through its activation and freezing it in place. The World-Class Item would not enter cooldown, leaving both sides locked in a stalemate.
Magical runes materialized in midair, transforming into chains that bound the golden dragon and forcibly dragged it into the bead.
From the outside, a tiny golden dragon could be seen inside the orb, covered in runes and struggling desperately.
"That was close. Though even if it had hit, it probably wouldn't have mattered."
Naohara took the bead from Momonga's hand, casually tossing it up and catching it as he smiled at the Black Scripture in the distance.
"It failed?"
The Captain of the Black Scripture could hardly believe his eyes. That was impossible. Aside from a True Dragon Lord, [Downfall of Castle and Country] had never failed.
"It didn't connect. That bead nullified it… no, it sealed it."
Kaire's voice trembled with fear.
As the wielder of [Downfall of Castle and Country], she understood better than anyone. If that bead could seal a true Divine-class Item left behind by the Six Great Gods, then it too must be a true Divine-class Item.
"Split up and run! Whoever can escape, escape!"
Seeing that [Downfall of Castle and Country] had failed, the Captain of the Black Scripture made a decisive call.
In an instant, the entire Black Scripture scattered, fleeing in different directions.
Running meant a slim chance of survival. Staying meant certain death. He had no illusions that these monsters would spare them out of mercy.
But the surroundings were already sealed off by Mare's [Earth Prison].
Where could they possibly run?
"Guardians, go bring them back."
Noticing the eager look in Shalltear's eyes, Naohara added casually,
"You can play cat and mouse if you like. Just don't kill them."
"As you command."
With permission granted, Shalltear's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile as she leisurely walked into the forest.
Cocytus, Sebas, and the Dark elf siblings each selected their targets and vanished into the woods.
Herohero hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Solution nearby.
He knew her personality well. After all, he had personally written her settings. Thinking she might enjoy stretching her legs, he said,
"Solution, you go too."