"Heh-heh-hem~♪"
Step, step—
"Ah~ everyone is working so hard, aren't they?"
Boom—!!!
Thump—!!!!!
The Akumo from the Dungeon, who had left Bete to Haruhime and Aisha, walked through the streets with the sounds of battle echoing in the background.
"Anyway..."
'It's a fake, right~?'
"Gods are truly a piece of work..."
Grin—!
"What is a 'Hero' anyway~? What about this world do they find so displeasing~?"
Akumo already knew that there was no door where Fels and the Xenos were heading.
He knew exactly what Hermes was aiming for, and what Lido and Gros were planning to do.
Tighten—!!!
"This one or that one... Humans, Gods, and Monsters alike... they all move so wretchedly..."
Crack—!
"When one person gets their act together, another starts acting like a fool. It's truly frustrating."
Step, step—
"If that's the case, I don't need to hold back either, do I?"
Contrary to the smile on his face, veins bulged on his hands. His fists were clenched with a lethal pressure, radiating a sharp, combative aura that suggested an imminent execution.
Clang—!!!!!!!
"Haah!!"
"!!"
Kaaang—!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile, Ais and Ryu were locked in a fierce exchange of blows, confronting each other with relentless aggression.
""...""
Screeeech—!!!!!!
The more their blades clashed, the more clearly they understood each other's objectives.
'What this person is aiming for is strictly to buy time...'
Tukang—!!!
"!!"
"[Gale], right?"
Ais perceived Ryu's blatant intention to tie her down. She chose to endure using pure technique until the effects of Ryu's [Level Boost] expired.
'As expected of the [Sword Princess]... She is no easy opponent!'
Kagagagagang—!!!!!!!!!
"Kh-...!?"
Ryu also anticipated Ais's consecutive strikes, knowing that Ais intended to end the fight the moment her buff vanished.
Slash—!!
"!!"
'She blocked her vitals even in that state...?'
Thwack—!!!!!!!!
"It's a pity, but let's end the battle here."
After blocking Ais's barrage to some extent, Ryu immediately kicked her to create distance and attempted to flee the scene.
Boom—!!!!
Crash—!!!!!
"Is this all you've got!? Amazoness!!!"
"Urgh....!! You're way too fired up, aren't you!?"
Meanwhile, Aisha was dealing with Bete while under the influence of [Level Boost].
Baaak—!!!!!
"You're struggling just to swing that oversized blade!"
Clang—!!!!
She was an excellent warrior, but Bete was far superior. He evaded every swing of her massive podao and instead kicked the flat of the blade, shattering her weapon.
"What now? Is that small fry behind you going to step up too?"
".....Who knows?"
'I wonder who will actually step up...'
Aisha, knowing the hidden objective she had heard from Hermes and Asfi, prepared to vanish into the impending chaos.
"I feel bad for Bell, but this is also their choice."
".....Is that so."
"Don't make that face~ Asfi."
"I know. I know that Lord Hermes didn't set this in motion for mere amusement."
Hermes and Asfi looked down at Daedalus Street from atop a building.
"If things could be solved simply by being strong, everything would be fine the moment Akumo and [Silence] stepped in, right?"
Slide—!
"But the world doesn't work like that."
"The aftermath of the incident, reputation, the future... a Hero has many things to consider."
'Hoping for no sacrifices is simply too greedy.'
Hermes adjusted his hat, viewing this situation as yet another trial for the Hero, and simply offered his usual smile.
"...Lord Hermes."
'Why do you go this far...'
"Hm? What is it, Asfi?"
For some reason, that sight felt lonely to Asfi.
The sight of her Patron Deity—obsessed with the birth of a Hero, acting as a schemer for the sake of that Hero, orchestrating events no one asked for—looked incredibly precarious.
—'He will fight as a warrior.'
—'What does that mean...?'
—'It means it doesn't matter if it's a Hero, an adventurer, or a Familia.'
—'.....!!'
The words Alfia had told her the day before the incident flashed through her mind, and she finally understood their meaning.
"Then, what if... it's not a Hero?"
".....What?"
"Why do you think that pillar of light erupted back then?"
"....."
"I believe the Heroes weren't the only ones wishing for a miracle in that place."
Shift—
With those words, Asfi turned her gaze away.
—Gwaaaa!!
Flutter—!!
Whish—!!!!
—Aaaaah!!
The Xenos, having just heard Hermes's intentions, had made their decision.
Led by Gros, they soared into the sky, letting out a howl filled with a determination that accepted death for the sake of their benefactor.
"Asfi, I know what you're trying to say."
Slide—!
"But for the birth of a Hero, sacrifice is—"
CRACK—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
""!!""
Both Hermes, who was putting his hat back on, and Asfi, who was looking at him, saw it.
"What on earth is that....!?"
"...!!"
Ryu, who was about to leave the area, could only stare at the sight in a daze. Ais also immediately moved toward the spectacle she was witnessing.
"What!?"
""!!""
Rumble—!!!!
"Aisha... what is this....?"
"Just follow me!"
Aisha, Haruhime, and Bete, who had been fighting them, also saw something.
Thump—!!
'I have always... dreamed...'
Thump—!!
'A dream of fighting a single human.'
Thump—!!
The warrior who had long desired a battle with a specific opponent also looked at the sky.
"Go to the opponent you desire."
"..."
Slide—!
"I shall do the same."
The warrior known as the [Warlord] also witnessed the sight.
CRACK—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive torrent of power that covered the sky.
Despite the battles occurring throughout the streets, the Loki Familia informed the adventurers that no monsters had actually been captured yet, suggesting the existence of an entity intelligently controlling them.
"Where is that sound coming from!?"
"Everyone, prepare for battle!!!"
"Maintain the formation!"
Accordingly, the adventurers were deployed in teams across buildings, streets, and open areas, preparing for a potential ambush rather than continuing the search.
'For [Valsa] and [Scarlet Harnel] to personally evacuate all civilians... I can't imagine they have some ulterior motive...'
"Captain.... at this rate, we can assume they've already escaped...."
"No, that's unlikely."
Finn, the one who had issued the order, commanded them to maintain the current status despite Raul's question.
'Battle with monsters was reported just moments ago. They couldn't have escaped this quickly.'
"Furthermore, the fact that combat is still ongoing is strange in itself."
'If there was a door we didn't know about during the time Raul's group was away, they would have had plenty of time to escape.'
"There is a hidden move! Tell the troops to stand by until then!"
"Yes! Captain!"
Just then.
Step, step—
"Uh!?"
"That person.... wait a minute....?"
"Heh-heh-hem~♪"
A man in a black robe walked through the crowd of adventurers, humming to himself.
His appearance was very similar to the figure seen during the previous armed monster incident, and some of the adventurers who had been at the scene recognized him.
"Hey, you there!!"
"Me?"
"Wait, I need to check—"
The moment some of the adventurers approached Akumo to verify his identity.
"[O, flame of the aura path, your master calls upon you once more. Even in the great torrent, let your flames track my enemy.]"
Grin—!
"My name is~"
Vwooom—!
The black flames burning in his hand soon rose high into the sky, illuminating the street.
Creep—
"A shadow....?"
"It suddenly got dark!"
"Everyone, stay alert!"
Slide—
"Hey, what are you doing!? Get your weapons—"
"That thing....."
In an instant, the plaza lost its light to a massive shadow. When the adventurers looked up, they saw—
Whish—!!!!
"What... is that...."
"...Huh?"
"A monster... using magic...?"
It was a colossal black meteor falling toward them.
"[Dark Matter]"
'It's Akumo.'
Even a child could predict that the massive lump of power would incinerate everyone there as it descended.
"Run!!!!"
"Prepare magic!!!!"
Dash—!!!!
"Waaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!"
That fact was enough to throw the adventurers into a panic.
"It's no use...."
"How are we supposed to beat that....!!"
But the shock of that massive magic stripped away their hope. Just as the meteor was about to crush them—
"[Sylphid Trident]"
CRACK—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The adventurers weren't the only ones who saw the massive black meteor.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Whew~"
Grin—!
"You're here?"
With a single shot.
A blue arrow succeeded in instantly piercing and shattering the massive meteor.
At that sight, the Akumo from the Dungeon whistled, watching someone walk toward him with the remains of the meteor turning to ash in the background.
Step, step—!
While everyone else was frozen.
'Weapons, honor, grand causes... none of that matters anymore.'
Crack—!
'Because I didn't come here as a Hero.'
A man walked slowly, yet with immense composure, through the crowd.
'I came to save them as a man.'
Slide—
'Well, I also wanted to fight, coincidentally?'
Whish—!!!!!!!!!
Akumo showed neither respect, anger, nor sadness toward the opponent before him.
He simply fought. Because he wanted to clash with the powerhouse before him, the Hero plunged into a battle that, in the truest sense, transcended himself.