Chapter 44: Visage of the Beast

Running across the various vantage points of the royal castle, Bell held the goddess Freya in his arms as numerous shadow-like figures began to approach them with frenzied intent.

『Trace on』

Bell shouted out the invocation of his magic as he began to project numerous swords to act as projectiles. Various weapons manifested into reality for the sole purpose of ripping apart whatever lay at the end of their edge.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

The laughs of the shadows chilled Bell and Freya down to their cores as they continued to chase them with abandon.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

Bell breathed heavily as he began to train his projections on the numerous figures that ran toward him and Freya as people possessed.

What he once thought was the evil god he had met in Altena, was now nothing more than brainwashed masses of his familia’s children. The horrifying truth mixed with the disturbing image of reality deeply embedded itself into Bell.

“Haa... haa... haa... haaa”

Bell’s panting remained unabated as he juggled between his projections and deftly maneuvered through the numerous surfaces of the castle. But he soon was able to lock his projections onto the most concerning figures that would soon be upon both himself and Freya.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

Bell stared deep into the eyes of the nearest figure who laughed with reckless abandon. No light was found no matter how hard he peered. Like the person’s mind was broken beyond repair.

The vigilante felt immense disgust at how far the evil god pushed such a large amount of people into this state. But bereft of ways to salvage who they once were... Bell knew that death was the best mercy he could afford these unfortunate souls.

“...”

Freya stared into the eyes of the broken mortals alongside Bell. She was no stranger to the darker realities of the world, but such a display was enough to disturb even her.

Wishing to do what little right to them that the divine had failed to give, Freya began channeling her arcanum in order to suggest their minds into a state of control. Wishing to still the unfortunate souls and numb their senses, so that the release of death may be as gentle as possible.

『Cease and lay yourself to rest』

The goddess’ voice resounded towards the shadows as Bell continued to evade their attempts at reaching them both. The vigilante recognized the intent of Freya and waited for her actions to take hold... but what followed only brought more shock to his mind.

“... ha?... haha... hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

The shadows had been briefly affected by Freya’s suggestion, but they soon reverted back to their original states. As if they had been devolved to the lowest possible functions of their mind.

‘Their minds are so broken that not even Freya can affect it...’

Bell’s face scrunched up in further disgust beneath his mask.

Freya fell into confusion and questioning. The shadows had emanated a divine aura so similar that she mistook it for a god’s demeanor, and now she has encountered individuals so broken that not even her charm could reach what little of their minds remained.

“Bell...”

Freya called out to her beloved. Bell could see the emotions of disbelief and pity swirl within her eyes, and he answered her gaze with one of his own.

“I understand Freya... leave it to me...”

Bell understood there was nothing he could do. Bereft of the chance to save them, and unable to give the tiniest amount of comfort, Bell readied the menagerie of swords he had projected around the area with his mind.

The swords were filled with energy as momentum began to build up. With a single word from his mouth, Bell granted the shadows release from their torment.

『Launch』

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

Bell’s projections began showering down upon his enemies with swift lethality. The blades target vital points of attack with immense force.

An endless number of swords manifested into reality before promptly being launched with immense force toward the crowd. One volley after another. Bell’s attacks kept raining down on the shadows that kept persistently chasing him and Freya.

‘Just how many people did Angra Mainyu break?!... and their strengths... most of them are level one, but there’s a concerning amount of them of a higher level...’

Bell thought to himself as the bloodshed continued to spill unabated.

Many of the figures fell after one strike. Some brushed the first off before falling to the next few. A small few were able to brush off even countless projectiles, but for those individuals who managed to get close to Bell.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

『Reinforce』

????

He would simply deal with them with his own two hands. Reinforcing his body and weapon was enough to deal with the more resilient foes. Cutting them down with precise and lethal movements.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

Bell tried to catch his breath as his magic was running full-time to make sure he and Freya weren’t drowning in enemies.

But he kept going without any complaint. Manifesting his sword barrel at all times to keep producing weapons to deal with the enemies as he carried the goddess away from danger.

“Hold tight Freya!”

Bell shouted to Freya as he prepared to leap off from the vantage point they were currently on in order to enter the halls of the Shalzard royal castle. He was aiming to reconvene with Arry and her forces before retreating with them all.

The goddess turned her head away from the gruesome sight and began facing Bell’s face. Acknowledging his words, Freya replied to his declaration.

“Don't worry about me Bell! Just keep going!”

Freya reassured Bell to simply focus on fighting. Hearing her words, Bell began to project his chained swords in order to maneuver through the air.

『Trace on』

Bell began swinging from tower to tower with his chained swords before eventually leaping through an open-air window in the royal hall, deftly landing on the ground before facing Arry and her followers.

The group of Shalzardians was currently struggling to process what exactly happened to Sorshana in a single moment. They were celebrating the reclamation of their homeland, then darkness and shaking were what met their senses in an instant.

“Freya? Gray Ghost? What's happening?”

Moving to the pair who had just landed, Arry called out to them in confusion.

She had been coordinating with her followers to gain information, but all that came back to her were reports of a black storm that was approaching Sorshana and endless rumbling.

The king asked her servant to see if this was another thing he knew about, but she was only met with an air of desperation that surrounded Bell, and a look of disbelief on Freya’s face.

Seeing the two so uncomposed when they would usually be the calmest people in every battle... the sight clued Arry into the severity of the situation and an immense sense of uneasiness began to build up within herself.

“... Bell?”

Seeing that the pair were still silent despite her first attempt to call out to them, Arry quietly called out to Bell once more but used his real name. Speaking in a tone that escaped the notice of her panicking subordinates, but one that she knew Bell could hear.

“Haa... haa... haa... ”

The vigilante took a moment to compose his breath before he responded to her call with a clear order that threw the king’s mind into a loop.

“Arry, Sorshana is lost. Evacuate the entire resistance away from the capital. There is no time”

Arry was silent as she saw the once brilliant glowing eyes of her servant begin to falter.

“...”

The king had so many questions to ask. Why should she abandon the home she was raised in and grew to love when they had just reclaimed it? Why did everything suddenly fall into disarray?... Why did Bell look so angry?... at himself?

“...”

Arry tightened her fist as she wanted to understand what exactly was going through the head of the person she trusted with her life... but she knew now was not the time for words. Now was the time for action. For the safety of her people. For the continued existence of Shalzard.

“... all units. Reconvene towards the resistance fleet. Sorshana is lost”

“-?!”

The king’s subordinates questioned why their leader had chosen to give up their capital city. Their fight for the past month had been leading up to this moment. They simply couldn’t understand why they had to let it go so suddenly when they knew nothing.

“Your majesty-”

But before they could protest the monarch’s decision, Arry spoke out first. Her eyes glowed as she commanded her subordinates to obey.

“I will have no questions! Every moment we waste is a moment that could endanger the lives of our people! Send out the smoke signals or I’ll do it myself!”

Arry’s loud and firm voice instilled obedience into her subordinates who promptly began preparing to let out the smoke signals to communicate with their detached forces.

????

Arry’s subordinates went to a nearby opening before shooting out a primitive flare. The projectile shot out red smoke that burned brightly amidst the black backdrop of the coming storm.

The signal was recognized by every detached force of the resistance in the capital city. Though they knew not why it had been fired, every leading officer of each group dared not to question their king who had performed such miracles for their people.

There was a heaviness in the hearts of the Shalzard people as they faced the reality of abandoning their home... but the order still rang true.

“ALL FORCES! RETREAT BACK TO THE RESISTANCE FLEET!”

All around Sorshana, resistance forces began to gather en masse toward the numerous desert ships in their possession.

The magic engines roared as they began being powered. The shouts of leading resistance officers rang through the air as they began to coordinate their fearful comrades.

The Shalzard resistance now began to prepare to escape the capital.

“...”

Arry looked towards the black sky as the red smoke signal dropped into the ground. But she quickly turned her attention back to her people and followers.

“Gray Ghost, will you be leading the way?”

The king asked her servant if he would be leading their group’s retreat back to the resistance fleet. Bell was about to confirm her question... but his eyes soon widened as a figure began to enter his vision. An ominous silhouette began tiredly entering the hall’s entrance.

“... ha... haha... hahaha-”

Bell’s magic circuits began to burn as the laughter he thought he had escaped from began to resound once more in an eerie chorus. Arry and her followers began forming a perimeter as their position began to be surrounded on all sides by shadows that laughed.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

Arry looked in horror as the children of Angra Mainyu peered into her eyes. The king merely thought of her acute observation as a natural talent... but it soon began attacking her senses as he observed the lightless eyes of the figures.

Her mind was assaulted by immense pain. As if her eyes were trying to understand something that could never be comprehended.

“Gh-”

Arry moaned quietly in pain as she tried to recompose herself. But before she could do anything, Bell began speaking to her directly.

“Your majesty... I will hold them off. Lead Freya and the rest back to the fleet... ”

Arry looked towards Bell in surprise at what he was suggesting. The king wasn’t one to abandon those who swore loyalty to her cause. Especially not for someone as important to her as Bell Cranel.

“I can’t abandon you! We just need to pierce through a weak link in the formation! I know of some secret passages! We-”

But before Arry could convince Bell otherwise, he cut her off from any notion of the possibility.

“Your majesty, the enemy forces are too plentiful for an encirclement breakout to be effective. I will be enough. Take Freya and the others-”

However, Arry refused to accept the choice of abandoning Bell.

“You trained me for this exact moment, didn't you?! To be able to fight against those who loomed over me with their strength! We can fight together! Please...  don't make me...”

Arry’s voice began to falter as the shadows stood still. Laughing constantly at the royal’s despair of having to choose between her duty and her heart.

“...”

Bell was silent. Thankful that the shadows were too busy in their laughter to begin their assault. The vigilante turned to Arry who looked at him with eyes that threatened to spill tears.

“Arry, we both chose to follow our dreams above all that night, did we not?... I am simply following mine, so follow yours and don't look back”

“-!!!”

Arry was struck with an immense weight in her heart as Bell reminded her of her choice. But before it could affect her, Freya whispered into her ear to ease her heart that threatened to break at that moment.

『Still your heart, Arry』

At the utterance of the goddess’ words, Arry’s mind which was clouded with emotion became still and clear. Her eyes widened for a moment as the sudden shift in her mental state affected the king greatly.

“...”

Arry looked towards Freya who could only smile wryly at her. The divine beauty understood the concerns of Arry as a fellow admirer of Bell, so she simply pushed her along.

“Trust in Bell, Arry”

The king simply remained silent before swallowing the cruel life she chose for herself. Gazing at Bell, Arry commanded her servant once more.

“Come back to me alive... ”

Bell turned his head away as the king ordered him. Only replying with an indirect answer to her wishes.

“I pray you will be safe, your majesty”

Arry’s heart began to break as Bell uttered what he had said. But she simply remained quiet as her frustration boiled within her heart.

“...”

All around him, Bell could see the shadows' laughter begin to die down as they no longer found his interactions with Arry amusing. All of them began to slowly prepare themselves for an assault.

“...”

Bell began to feel his mind reserves going low as a result of all the times he had invoked his projection and reinforcement throughout the day. Bell needed an immense amount of energy for what he was planning to do... so he accepted that he would have to turn to drastic measures.

‘I guess I have to tear into my body once more for materials... ’

Bell breathed calmly as his resolve firmed. He then began to speak to Freya, Arry, and the accompanying resistance fighters about what to do.

“On my signal, run like hell towards the left wall”

The group was confused by what he had meant, but they didn’t question it as they began to prepare themselves to break into a sprint. Eyeing up the wall Bell had mentioned as they did.

“HAHAHAHA-”

The shadows’ laughter began to grow once more as they recognized the will to fight within Bell’s eyes. But the vigilante felt neither anger nor sadness at the sight. Only seeing his inner world begin to manufacture what he wished to project onto reality from his imagination.

『I am the bone of my sword』

? ? ? ?

In an instant, a loud explosion erupted within the halls of the castle.

The group immediately broke off into a sprint toward the left wall. Once piercing through the immense dust cloud that had been formed from the explosion, the group was met with the sight of an enormous sword that had pierced straight into the castle.

“... ”

Arry was in awe that Bell could perform such a feat, but Freya saw it differently from her. The projection was nothing more than a random sword Bell had seen from a battlefield which he then scaled up immensely.

‘This sword doesn't have the same air as the one in Altena... ’

Bell projected this sword not for the same purpose as he did with 『Sul-sagana』

This sword served no other purpose than to simply break the wall of the royal castle to allow the group’s escape...

????... ????... ????... ????...

... and to serve as a bridge for the escape route to be simplified.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa... ”

Bated breaths began to erupt as they all desperately ran down the length of the enormous sword. Arry had to carry Freya as the goddess was too frail to keep up with the speed of trained Shalzard soldiers.

“I apologize Arry...”

The goddess spoke in regret that she wasn't very physically capable outside of certain tasks, but Arry dissuaded her fears.

“It’s alright, Freya... it’s alright...”

The king spoke with difficulty as she tried her best to avert her eyes away from Bell. Freya could only sympathize with her as she worried greatly for her beloved as well.

‘Stay safe, Bell’

The goddess spoke in her heart in hopes that her prayers would reach Bell.

But beyond her awareness, Bell’s mind began to close itself off from reality.

...

..

.

Within the cloud of dust, the shadows began to sense the movement of the escaping group.

They all began to move on instinct to catch up to them, but deep within the dust, a pair of glowing eyes caught their every movement.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

A menagerie of black swords attached to chains immediately pierced through the first batch of shadows that were about to give chase to the escaping group.

As the blood of the evil god’s children began to pour along the length of the blade, the weapon began to taste in extensive detail the essence of the foe it had slain.

Drawing blood, the red hound began to formulate a clearer image of its prey.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The swords began to shift from its dark black blade to a vibrant red as the weapon began automatically seeking out more of the prey it had drawn blood from. Directing itself to the nearest shadow immediately

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

The swords began chasing fiercely each entity whose presence entered its range. The menagerie of chained swords began flying across the halls of the castle with immense speed and lethality.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

Blood flew across the storied construction of the castle. An eerie laughter played throughout as lives were taken with little remorse or hesitation.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

The red blades began glowing redder and redder as the weapons continued to draw blood with little obstruction. The hilt of the sword began shifting alongside the blade into a brilliant red until the entire projection was akin to a bloody fang.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????

Numerous projections of Hrunting continued to slay all the shadows in the halls while Bell slowly made his way out of the dust cloud. The obscuring of his sight from the plume was diminishing as a result of the winds produced by the fierce blades moving with little obstruction.

The vigilante finally escaped the dissipating cloud of dust and his figure was finally revealed. In a moment, his body had been stained immensely with crimson. His breathing was composed as his weapons continued their slaughter.

“...”

But as Bell’s vision began taking in the clear sights of the city, his face soured as he watched everything unfold.

“The resistance forces are still preparing for their escape... Arry’s group is slowly making their way to the evacuation point... ”

Bell analyzed the current state of his allies. He determined they needed more time before they could properly escape with all personnel. With that in mind, Bell soon began analyzing the harmful forces that were approaching quickly.

“That black storm of ash is steadily approaching. Given this is the Kaios desert, I can assume this has to do with the Behemoths of the black desert... and by the sheer force of the ground shaking, there are probably a fair number of them...”

Bell tightened his grip on his weapons. He was not sure how strong the Behemoths were exactly.

He knew they were of the same species as the great monster that Zald had slain, and that not all monsters of the same species possessed the same level of strength between each other.

‘Had the Leviathan I fought in Altena been anywhere close to the great monster, I would’ve been dead from the first attack it had made... so the question is, will I be enough to handle an entire horde of them?’

Though Bell had thought of it as a question, deep down he knew he was hopelessly outmatched. His bout with the Leviathan was decided upon by a miracle Limit-Off. He couldn't just bet on another miracle happening once more.

‘The Behemoths already made this situation hopeless... add on top of that Angra Mainyu’s mind-broken children, and the defense of Sorshana is impossible’

Bell thought as he began to notice the appearance of more shadowy figures atop the numerous rooftops near the royal castle.

He could make out the outline of Arry, Freya, and the resistance fighters desperately running through the streets. He needed to draw all of their attention to him if he wanted their escape to be successful.

『Reinforce』

Bell’s body began to fill with mind as he tensed every fiber of his being to take on the numerous enemies in front of him. His Hrunting projects began to train themselves on the targets from behind his back.

But just as he was about to leap off into combat, a few blades erupted from his back. Causing him to flinch slightly from the pain.

“Gh-”

Bell reeled from the stinging sensation as his body desperately tried to heal him as he pushed himself to his limits. Digging into his own body for materials on top of pushing his stamina after a whole day of fighting, Bell was deteriorating himself once again.

“Hahaha... Artemis will not be happy with this, and Athena and Freya probably won't be that far behind in terms of anger... ”

Bell chuckled as he continued to push despite his body and reality marble screaming at him to not do so. There was too much at stake for him to lose to just simply stop at where he was.

“Thousands of Shalzardian lives in the resistance... the goddess dear to my heart... my precious friend... ”

Bell would break himself down if it meant that their safety would be guaranteed. For the people he had grown to love amidst the brutality of war, and the bonds he had forged during those times. Bell would do it without hesitation.

So, as his body continued to tear itself apart. Bell calmly walked into a hell of his own creation.

『Reinforce』

Bell pumped more energy into his body. 『Avalon』erupting swords from within himself as a result of the healing factor being overburdened all at once. Gritting through the pain once more, Bell leaped toward the crowd of shadows as his Hrunting projections traveled alongside him.

“Bring it on!”

...

..

.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa... ”

Arry breathed out heavily as she continued to lead her group toward the evacuation point of the resistance.

Their path was encumbered by the presence of numerous debris that forced them to reroute through numerous alternative paths, but their goal was now in sight.

The Prydwen and the various other desert ships were now beginning to enter Arry’s field of vision.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa... we’re almost there. Just a bit more everyone”

Arry spoke tiredly towards her exhausted followers who had been fighting all day just like Bell. But unlike the vigilante, they possessed neither falna nor magecraft. So they were all running on pure mortal stamina.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

As the group desperately continued to trudge along the war-torn path back to safety, Freya watched in worry at both her being as a deadweight and the current battle erupting from all around them.

The goddess built up her divine authority before speaking out with encouragement to the tired soldiers. Doing her best to contribute what little she could.

『Let a second wind flow through you all』

Freya’s gentle voice began to ring in the ears of the soldiers who immediately began to feel less exhaustion after their minds had been affected by the goddess of beauty’s charm.

The men thanked the goddess who simply smiled slightly at their thanks.

“...”

While Freya was dealing with the soldiers, Arry, who continued to carry Freya with the assistance of Bell’s reinforcement magecraft that continued to flow through her body, noticed the strain hidden beneath the goddess’ face.

Freya held up a smile for appearances, but Arry could feel the tension she desperately tried to hide. It was something she too was currently going through for the sake of not demoralizing her subjects.

The reason was that a person they both cared deeply for was in an intense battle that allowed for their escape to go on uninterrupted.

『REINFORCE』

????... ????... ????... ????... ????...

Bell’s shout that rang throughout Sorshana was accompanied by a series of numerous explosions that tore away at numerous buildings.

Arry and Freya watched with difficulty as their eyes struggled to keep up with the ongoing bout.

Numerous plumes of dust erupted from within the city as flashes of red whipped through the air. Swords of eerie glow ripped apart the bodies of countless shadows with ease.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????... ??????...

Constant laughter could be heard as the shadows kept drowning Bell with their immense number. To a point that even Arry began to doubt just how such a plentiful force was able to enter the city without being detected whatsoever.

“Just what are these people?...”

Arry spoke in exasperation upon knowing such a horrifying group roamed the world and was currently operating within the Kaios region. Freya, upon hearing the king’s question, decided to share some information as to who this group was.

“This detestable group is Evilus, Arry. A splintered group of gods who wish to sow chaos throughout Gekai. A group that the major familias of Orario are determined to wipe from existence... even my own”

Freya spoke with coldness in her voice. Memories of the dungeon city’s dark age began to replay in her mind. The age where Evilus felt emboldened in their operations after the fall of Zeus and Hera’s familias. A time of strife and suffering for all people... even for Freya, as she lost many of her beloved children to the accursed machinations of the evil gods.

“...”

Arry was silent as she processed the sheer amount of emotion going through Freya at that moment. Her eye had become even more fine-tuned at analyzing another person’s well-being after having peered into the lifeless eyes of Angra Mainyu’s children.

After taking a moment to think about the goddess’ words, Arry spoke out to Freya about the distinctions of Evilus.

“Evilus... a group of gods who wished to inflict horrors upon the Gekai... does that mean Resheph was a part of Evilus?”

Arry, as a member of the desert people, was not up to date with every affair outside of the region. So she was not quite aware of the workings and machinations of the infamous group.

Seeing the misunderstanding arising within the king, Freya spoke to correct the connection she had assumed between the buffoon of a sadist god and Evilus.

“While Resheph and Evilus are gods who want nothing more than to see Gekai burn. You should choose to fear Evilus more than that buffoon of a war god”

“Because where Resheph loudly declares when and where he will inflict evil... Evilus is much more controlled with their bloodlust... a threat you can't see or predict is much more alarming than an idiot who can't control himself”

“You’re seeing it for yourself, are you not? How such an organization was able to orchestrate all of this chaos beyond even all of our awareness...”

Freya spoke as she eyed the endless forces of the evil god’s children and the walking disaster that was the horde of Behemoths closing in on their position.

『TRACE ON』

????... ????... ????... ????... ????...

Freya and Arry’s talk was disturbed by another round of explosions from Bell’s fierce fight of holding back the endless shadows that assaulted him.

Seeing her servant fight so desperately, Arry’s heart began to break Freya’s charm and began to tighten with guilt as she kept being reminded... that she was leaving her treasured person in immense danger. Becoming nothing more than a bystander as she watches him go through hell.

“...”

Arry and Freya were silent with each other as they were reminded of Bell’s sacrifices for their escape.

Their group continued to travel through the broken streets of Sorshana before arriving at the evacuation point.

The men who had followed Arry had thankful expressions as they immediately began to gather breath. Some collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, while Arry gently let down Freya. The king only took a few moments to recompose herself.

“YOU HAVE ALL ARRIVED!!!”

Shouts of cheer erupted from the Prydwen as Arry’s closest advisors began to approach her alongside a team of medics who immediately began escorting her men onto the ship.

The resistance generals began to urge Arry and Freya to board the ship with haste as the storm of black ash neared ever closer to the capital.

“Your majesty, Maiden Freya, please board the Prydwen immediately. All personnel has been accounted for and we are ready to depart at any moment!”

As the generals waited for their king's order to retreat, they were only met with silence by the royal who hesitantly turned back to face Sorshana. The constant eruptions and muffled shouts continued to ring through the air.

“...”

Freya looked at Arry and the sight before her with immense difficulty. The goddess clutched at her dress. For being unable to assist her beloved once more.

“...”

The generals soon realized what was wrong with their king and their maiden of victory.

“Your majesty... maiden Freya... Gray Ghost... is he?”

But before the general could speak out his assumption, Freya turned to them all and confirmed their suspicions. Speaking on Arry’s behalf as the king found it immensely difficult to even utter a single word.

“It is as you suspect. There is currently another hostile force beyond the Warusa army that currently seeks to harm the resistance... Gray Ghost is currently fending them all off as we attempt an escape from the incoming black storm of ash and the new hostile forces...”

The words of the goddess sent the generals into a loop. Looking into the horizon, their hearts could only be weighed down heavily just as much as their king.

The Gray Ghost was a warrior who served their ruler and the Shalzard people with kindness and conviction.

Countless lives were averted from being lost in the war due to his efforts. Their dream of reclaiming their home was attainable due to his immense strength being put into the service of their king.

Many of the men in the top echelons of the resistance respected and admired the mysterious warrior... so to learn that they would need to abandon their hero for their safety... the choice was obvious and needed given their positions as leaders for their people, but it was not one they weren’t sure they had the strength to commit to.

“...”

But as Arry and the resistance generals remained quiet as they were unable to utter the words that needed to be said, Freya spoke it for them. Her face remained firm despite her wanting to have Bell safe just as much as the others did.

“Your majesty, gentlemen, order the signal for the retreat to begin”

The generals were surprised that Freya had been the one to speak up first, given her presumed relationship with Gray Ghost... but the old men knew such a decision was necessary.

“Freya...”

But where the generals slowly began to accept and act upon the truth of the matter, Arry still found it hard to come to terms with it.

Seeing the anguish in the king, Freya began to explain what had spurred her on to do such a thing. In spite of the endless love, she held for Bell.

“I know it might be hard to accept, Arry... but this is simply who Bell is. Acting first to protect the people he believes can bring good...”

Freya spoke with gentleness as Arry listened to every word the goddess had spoken. Arry had yet to learn what drove Bell to do what he did with such conviction, so she thought that Freya would perhaps enlighten her.

“Bell is driven to act whenever he believes his intervention can lead to a better world... I am still unsure of what inspired him to walk on the path he now journeys upon, but I can feel the immense love that comes from his heart, Arry”

“A love for the world all around him. It was as if this world and the lives who inhabit it did him an immense favor that he can't help but desire to pay back”

Freya laughed as she couldn't understand her beloved’s mentality. All the while Arry was confused at Freya’s words.

How could someone be grateful to the world?

How can someone feel indebted to a world that was rich in strife and suffering?

How could someone willingly aspire to be a hero for people they had never met before?

“...”

Freya watched as Arry failed to understand Bell’s motives, but the goddess simply smiled at the young girl’s confusion.

“There’s no need to try and sympathize with what drives Bell, Arry. It’s pointless to try and understand the anomaly that is a hero”

The goddess laughed as the king grew frustrated that she failed to understand her most treasured person, despite her ability to understand every other person that stood before her.

“Arry, just as you would cease to be who you are if you gave up your desire to rule your nation. So too would Bell cease to be himself if he gave up his desire to save the world he came to love so dearly... he would cease to be the person you and I have come to adore”

Freya spoke as she looked into the distance.

“That's why I won't stop Bell from pursuing what he wishes to pursue. I will choose to help him as best as I can at every step of his journey... and right now, the best way we can help him is if he can no longer worry about us”

As the goddess finished her words, Arry’s mind soon began to slowly accept her words. The king tightened her grip on Merodach as she still found it hard to abandon Bell... but she went against the pain in her heart as she resounded her orders.

“ALL SHIPS! BEGIN EVACUATION FROM SORSHANA!”

The king’s orders were given to her people, and her subjects promptly heeded her commands.

The sails of the ships began to unfurl as mind began to course through the ships’ engines.

The roaring of the Shalzard resistance fleet began to counteract the roaring of the approaching storm of black ash.

Freya smiled as she saw Arry’s soul begin to flicker alive from its dulled hue from when she grew conflicted with her choice regarding Bell.

The goddess took the king’s hand and reassured her once more.

“Simply believe in Bell, Arry. After all, he’s your contracted miracle worker, isn't he?”

Hearing Freya’s descriptor for Bell, a small smile erupted from Arry’s face as she began to board the Prydwen alongside her.

“Yeah... my personal sword of victory”

The king spoke with fondness the alias she had personally referred to Bell after having led her and her people to an endless shower of glorious successes.

Arry hoped he would be able to pull through one more time... with all her heart... with all her love... she prayed Bell would come back safe.

‘Make sure you return by my side...’

But as Arry prayed silently for Bell’s safety, Freya chose to rely on more concrete means of ensuring her beloved’s survival on top of her prayers. Guilty that she was doing so after all her talk about believing that Bell would come through no matter what.

‘Although I told Arry to simply have faith in Bell, I cannot bring myself to rely on such methods after Altena... forgive me, Arry’

The goddess apologized to the king in her thoughts as she discreetly took out a crystal orb from within her robes and began to speak softly towards it.

The crystal Freya had was no ordinary crystal, but a magic item only a person of her status could obtain for her personal use.

A magic item crafted by the enigmatic child of Ouranos’ familia. A man who transcended death. A magic item maker that far exceeded the famed Perseus.

The instant communication crystal magic item crafted by the mysterious Fels.

『Occulus』

“Save my beloved no matter what, Ottar”

...

..

.

“You guys just have to be so damn persistent!”

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????... ??????...

Bell said as he held two projections of Hrunting and began to quickly sever each one of his foes with a single strike.

Embedding some of his Hrunting projections into the nearby structures of the city, Bell began to propel himself with immense speed and tear through the crowds of shadows with his weapons.

‘Sorshana will have to rebuild everything regardless... so it doesn't matter if I cause some property damage’

????... ????... ????... ????... ????...

Bell thought as he swung his projection through the vital points of stability of a nearby clock tower. Tearing the structure in half and letting the falling debris crash onto a nearby group of shadows.

? ? ? ? ?

Numerous clouds of dust erupted from the impact, but Bell didn't stop at just that. His Hrunting projections continued to seek out more victims unless he had ordered them to perform other tasks.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????... ??????...

Swinging and propelling himself through each street and sector of Sorshana, Bell began to massacre the forces of what he believed to be the Angra Mainyu familia. If it could even be described as a familia in the first place.

Bell generated immense momentum by swinging deftly through each building, but as his speed continued unabated, the tolls the resulting forces were exerting on his body began to affect him.

“Gh-”

Bell would usually reinforce his body to counteract such forces, but with his body exerting itself beyond his tolerable limits, Bell found it hard to keep supplying himself with the necessary energy to keep fighting.

“Fuu”

But after gritting through the pain once more, Bell invoked his magic to allow himself to continue fighting.

『REINFORCE』

Bell’s body began to strengthen once more, and the pain from the forces acting upon his forces began to ease up... but his senses were struck by another source of pain in an instant.

“ACK-”

A single blade erupted from within Bell’s back. Another one to add to the numerous others that scattered themselves along his figure. All of them were in the process of retracting themselves back into Bell’s body as his『Avalon』struggled to treat all of his accrued injuries.

‘Avalon really is coming clutch... otherwise, this would’ve been a repeat of Antares...’

Bell thanked Artemis and Athena who contributed to his healing factor which he relied heavily on currently.

“I can keep on fighting. So...”

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????... ??????...

“Continue to keep me company, won’t you?”

Bell spoke towards the shadows that were now being impaled by his Hrunting projections.

“...”

Bell took a moment to observe their dangling bodies for a moment before returning back to moving through the streets of Sorshana and continuing to wreak havoc on the enemy forces.

‘For a god like Angra Mainyu, I expected his children to be on the more high-end of power... but these people mostly range from level one to three. Not like I am complaining, but it’s weird...’

Bell thought as he referenced the few Evilus familias he could remember from his past life.

The Apate and Alecto familias were on the high end of the group of evil gods during their height of power during Orario’s dark age. Possessing numerous level five and four adventurers that brought Loki and Freya’s familias immense trouble in the past.

Bell’s mind pondered on many things he needed to consider whilst his body continued to fight on instinct alongside his semi-independent Hrunting projections.

??????... ??????... ??????... ??????... ??????...

Bell continued to fight and fight despite the numerous questions he had about his current situation. But though he was diving head first into an unknown situation, he still did so with no hesitation  Bearing all of the burdens out of his love for the world that had saved him from his past life.

...

..

.

Moments began to pass by Bell like a blur. As if his mind began to slow its processing of the moment he was currently in. His senses grew numb as his body continued acting upon information he couldn't seem to understand anymore.

His sight began morphing into an unrecognizable mess. His hearing began to fade out into a garble of indistinguishable noises. But surrounded with uncertainty, Bell understood one thing... he was fighting. He continued to fight even when he no longer realized he was fighting.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

Bell’s mind continued to grow blurry as he was now running low on both stamina and Mind. His breath was ragged, and though his senses grew numb to the point he hadn’t realized it, his body was littered with numerous swords.

His『Avalon』was pushed to its absolute limits as Bell continued to fight when his body simply couldn’t.

Bell stood atop a mountain of swords and corpses as he tried desperately to gather what breath he could. His chest ached as the only thing he could feel definitely was his heart beating desperately.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

????

Bell fell to his knees as he held on to his last Hrunting projection for support. Over the course of an unknown amount of time to him, his projection magecraft began to fail as his mind stopped supplying them with energy to resist their disappearance.

An ominous wind brushed past his skin as even his armor began to fade from existence. Leaving him only with his regular clothes. His mask faded as his true identity began to unravel before the empty and bloody streets.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa...”

Bell’s body began to reveal the extent of its injuries as he continued to breathe desperately. His back was inundated with swords, alongside a few smaller patches around all of his limbs.

As the swords pierced through his regular clothes, his skin became visible. Surrounding the areas where the blades protruded from within, a darker coloration began to appear that contrasted with Bell’s normal pale tone.

Bell had dug a dip into his body in order to keep up with his battle, and he now irreversibly altered his appearance as a result of the overuse of his projection.

But though Bell had eradicated all of the children of the evil god, and as the only sound that resounded through the city streets were the eerie howls of the black ash storm, there was one more soul that Bell had yet to dispatch.

????... ????... ????... ????...

Bell could recognize the distinct aura of the person who was approaching him, but he was unable to act upon the intrusion of a new entity in his range. His body refused to move and all he could do was continue breathing in desperation.

“...”

Looking upon the tired and injured vigilante, bereft of his armor and secrecy, the god could only watch in disdain at the truth he had long come to learn during his long years of observing mortal kind.

He had always been so ecstatic to tear down an aspiring hero whenever he witnessed one’s birth. But time and time again, after successfully bringing them low... Angra Mainyu was filled with a sense of despair that wrung out all the happiness he derived from suffering.

“I hoped that you would be different Gray Ghost... but it would seem I was only reminded of the cold truth once more”

The god spoke in a cold tone as he approached the recovering Bell... before kicking him in his abdomen, making the vigilante tumble down the bloody hills he had forged. His body rag-dolled weakly through each obstacle that came through his path.

“GUH-”

Bell spoke in exasperation as air left his body after crashing down to the streets.

Seeing the mighty hero that had conquered the criminals of Orario, the great monster Antares, and the Leviathan fall so low... Angra Mainyu’s anger grew with each passing second.

????... ????... ????... ????...

“Tell me Gray Ghost... do you know the curse that comes with divinity? The bane that all gods carry through their timeless existence?”

Angra Mainyu spoke as he began to slowly approach Bell.

Knowing that the incoming storm of Behemoths would spell both their ends, the god decided to have a heart-to-heart with the last hero would ever lay witness to in the mortal world.

Bell could barely distinguish the words of the evil god through everything he was currently experiencing. Angra Mainyu felt that the vigilante would fail to understand his words... but the god continued regardless.

“Though near transcendental, all gods are bound to a single law that many have collectively failed to rid themselves of over the millions of years of existence... our binding to the authorities we hold. The fact our personalities are driven by the concept we were born from”

“Divinities of justice seek righteousness... divinities of war seek conquest and strength... divinities of beauty seek pleasure and vanity... divinities of wealth are opulent and greedy”

Angra Mainyu spoke and spoke as the light of the burning sun began to slowly be encumbered by the flowing black ash. The blazing sands were slowly morphing into a dark eclipse.

“Though gods and goddesses’ personalities are bound to their authorities, they are able to slightly shift their beliefs and values if given enough stimuli”

The evil god began to enlighten the mortal with the truths regarding the psychology of the divine. A subject he had been researching fervently for millions of years. Struggling endlessly in futility. Only being met with a cold answer despite all his efforts.

“A relentless pursuer of pleasure growing docile under the influence of true love. A solitary warrior finding comfort under shelter of an admirable soul. A silent scholar glowing brightly upon the arrival of a kindred mind... gods and goddesses are capable of growth if such paths are similar to their original disposition... ”

“But what of divinities too far skewed to an extreme?”

????... ????... ????... ????...

Angra Mainyu’s face began to distort as he was faced to confront the truth of his existence he had tried so hard to remove. A fact he reviled with all his being.

As a god of evil, he had been disposed to a natural affinity towards the vile and cruel. Deriving joy and contentment at the expense of others.

His existence was one of an outcast. Avoided for factors beyond his control. But kept around due to the fact... that someone had to carry the unwanted burden of being the God of all evils.

“What do you think happens to a god who wasn't afforded the right to be like the other? An existence who could only inflict and derive emotion from the suffering of the unfortunate?”

“Should such an existence accept their lot in life? Hated for something outside of their control? To carry the burdens no one else wants to take as they enjoy their lives in blissful ignorance?”

????

Angra Mainyu stepped loudly upon the cold ground as he finally arrived next to Bell. Gazing into the suffering vigilante’s eyes, the god could see his brilliant blue glow begin to fade more and more. Speaking once more as he narrowed his sight at the dissipating light of the aspiring hero.

“I refused to simply accept that such a cruel fate was all that lay for me. Surely reality wasn’t so cruel that I was bereft of any salvation, right?”

Angra Mainyu spoke sarcastically as he widened his arms in front of Bell to express the sheer humor he felt at his naivety thousands of years ago. Continuing where he left out to paint the despair he had arrived at to Bell.

“... So I began searching for an answer. Scouring every source of knowledge in the heavens and below whilst carrying the disdain of all existence around me... ”

“... and I soon came upon the answer I so desperately searched for. An idea so filled with romance and intrigue, that it was touted so heavily by another god incessantly. Leading to the mass descent of my people into the lower world”

??????

“Figures of immense fate and destiny. People who could change the outcomes of any despair into an endless hope. The paragons of virtue and determination that  thwarted numerous disasters in the lower world time after time... ”

“I was ecstatic Gray Ghost. To learn that such people were capable of altering fate and destiny to such a degree... seeing them, even I was filled with hope upon witnessing their shining visages”

??? ?? ??? ??? ? ???

“The hope I placed in those heroes, they were nothing more than betting on a child’s aspirations coming true... time and time again... just like how I desperately wished to be normal... all those heroes were met with the coldness of reality. Falling from grace. Becoming despised. I witnessed every single instance of my hopes being crushed again and again by the world I so desperately wished to understand”

Angra Mainyu spoke as the sensations of the storm of ash grew closer and closer to Sorshana.

Bell was slowly recovering some of his senses, but was still unable to fully comprehend what the evil god was saying to him... but he did understand one thing... he was filled with sadness and hatred.

“Brave and daring Epimetheus. Rising in a time before heroes and gods. Blessed with the primordial flame gifted to him by a sympathetic goddess, he inspired hope among the despairing people. Rallying them to his cause to thwart the three great disasters and bring about lasting happiness out of the kindness in his heart... ”

“... but with each accruing failure of his to become the hero the world desired, he soon became hated and despised as a villain who manipulated the hopes of a joyless people. He had bled out in numerous battles for the salvation of thousands... but was only remembered for his failures”

??? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ????????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????.

“Noble and beautiful Fianna. Rising from the ashes of her burnt hometown. Bereft of all her family except her beloved younger brother, the lowly Pallum swore that such a disaster may never touch her homeland again. Training incessantly and throwing herself into the fray for the innocent, she grew into a shining spear that protected the people from the horrors of the monster... ”

“... but she was betrayed by the king she had served, out of fear of her immense power. A power she put into his service to protect his nation and its people, but he ignored all her achievements and sacrifices. Choosing to believe the unlikely outcome over her genuine wish born from a desire to never see a crying child again... ”

“The king threw her to the wolves and let her die an excruciating death for his own selfish paranoia”

??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??????. ????? ??? ????.

“The fool who entertained the gods... poor and foolish Argonaut... ”

“Prince of a nation who fell under the attack of a monstrous horde. Surviving desperately to care for a poor half-elf girl he had discovered in the ruins of his destroyed nation. Making it his life’s purpose that all people would be filled with laughter... so that they may not scream in sorrow as he once did”

“Raising the poor child into a beautiful woman who knew only laughter and smiles. Painting hopes within the heart of a poet who knew only nihilism. Tracing a grin on the face of the stoic princess who wished to sacrifice herself to the monstrous minotaur. He enacted miracle after miracle. All while causing jovial laughter everywhere he went”

“Setting forth an age of heroes who would inspire great change in the world. Even directly inspiring the sword champion Albert to take up arms and wound the tyrant of the skies...”

“Truly... if one were to define a hero by his character... Argonaut would have been the greatest hero this world had produced... but even he... even he...”

Angra Mainyu began to tremble as tears began to fall from his face.

"??? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ?????!!! ???? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????!!!"

The evil god wept at the suffering his greatest hope faced at the end of his life. Blessing many with his mere existence. Never once asking for anything in return. The smiles that blessed his eyes... the laughter that reached his ears... those alone were enough for the foolish Argonaut to keep moving.

“Even when he died... people laughed... his enemies painted him as a true fool who got too cocky... the divine... they mocked the mortal who wished nothing but happiness for people he didn’t even know... people he would never come to know... they laughed and laughed”

Angra Mainyu tensed his fists as the visages of the ruined heroes began to replay in his mind... as the visage of the ruined Gray Ghost lay before him... Angra Mainyu couldn’t bear to keep looking at the cruelty of the world he existed in.

“Seeing such endless tragedies, and knowing no hope laid for me to change... I decided to embrace my nature. In acceptance of the futility of my dream, and as one last prayer for the world I was ready to give up on... ”

“I would become a great evil. To become a villain to any new hero that would rise from the ashes of those before them. There laid two endings at the path I now walk on... endings that depended on the hero who I would meet... ”

Angra Mainyu said as he looked once more into Bell’s hazy eyes. Pitying the dreamer who now lay at his feet. Weakly breathing as his body bled.

“One. The hero would rise above my trials. To become a figure who could definitely achieve something I never thought possible... to become a true breaker of fate and destiny... the fulfilling of my dream...”

“And the second... the ending that now plays out before you... the hero fails to overcome me. Bereft of any last hope in my heart and soul...”

? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???????????? ?????. ? ????? ????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????.

Angra Mainyu began to call out to Bell. To ascertain his position with his beliefs.

“You should be aware of it, Gray Ghost. People who choose to drown in despair and sadness. Choosing to close off all possibilities of happiness under the label of naivety”

“So... if they are so intent on removing all semblance of hope for those who wish so desperately for its manifestation... wouldn’t it be better to grant them what they want?”

Angra Mainyu began to smile sadistically.

“If a world bereft of dreams is what they want... THEN THAT’S WHAT THEY’LL GET!!!”

The evil god’s tears began to hit on the body of Bell. Tears accrued from his endless suffering. From the answer that lay at the end of his hopes and dreams. From the sadness of seeing all the heroes he admired die so cruelly.

Angra Mainyu would gift unto them a day where no light reached. For destroying all semblance of light that tried to reach out to him...

"? ???? ???? ???? ???"

Angra Mainyu began to detail with laughter at how he would bring about the collapse of the world he now hated.

Sorshana will become the first victim of the storm of black ash. With the special Behemoth he had created with the remaining resources of his Evilus faction and of his familia, a horde will begin spreading out from Sorshana towards every direction in the continent of Gekai.

The Behemoths will trample upon all mortals and gods who stood in their way, and should there be remaining stragglers, the black ash of the Behemoths would simply turn all the ground they walked on into a barren wasteland. Unable to produce any form of life for sustenance.

“The world will either die from the cruelty of the beast or from starvation... and even should my Behemoth horde be foiled, a divide between the ruined and untainted lands will form. Civil and political unrest will do the remainder of my job should I fail... in other words, I have won”

Angra Mainyu declared over the weak Bell. The evil god simply took in the pitiable sight of the last hero he would witness and began to prepare for his demise with his own hands.

The evil god drew a small dagger and began to hover it above Bell’s chest. Taking a small moment before committing the act, Angra Mainyu spoke a few words before killing the vigilante.

“Sleep well and rest reincarnation of Argonaut. This world is undeserving of heroes such as you... ”

The dagger began to drop quickly towards Bell’s chest, but just as the tip of the blade was about to draw blood from Bell’s skin, a necklace he wore around his neck began to glow fiercely.

Different from the blue necklace given to him by his grandfather, the one which glowed at present was one that held a brilliant green jewel at the center of a silver frame.

The gift the young girl, Mardoll gifted to Bell upon his leaving the nation of Altena.

The jewel cracked after glowing immensely. The magic stored within it began to flow through Bell’s body in an instant, blocking the dagger from further digging into its bearer’s skin.

“-?!”

Angra Mainyu was taken aback by the sudden phenomenon, but the evil god was given no time to process what had happened as a blurry outline began to fill his vision. Glowing blue eyes and the silver necklace were all he could see.

Bell had awoken and began to move on instinct upon noticing the hostile intent being emitted. As he moved, the necklace began to glow as the pieces of the broken jewel began to reflect what little light pierced through the black ash that was now threatening the sun.

The image of a war maiden wearing a helmet with feathers was inscribed into the inner construction of the necklace. A symbol Angra Mainyu recognized far too well.

Freya’s protection continued to stand by Bell, even at his weakest.

? ? ? ?

Angra Mainyu was blown away by the kick of the newly awakened Bell. The vigilante, after seeing his opponent had been knocked away, began to distance himself as well. Slowly breathing to regain his composure, Bell began to process just what was happening.

“Haa... haa... haa... haa... you... you are...”

Bell took a moment to ascertain all of his senses as he struggled to readjust to the sudden surge of power. But after noticing his necklace from Freya was broken and the familiar divine aura leaking from the figure in front of him. Bell could piece together what was happening from his fragmented memories and his intuition.

“Angra Mainyu...”

Bell called out to the evil god who simply stared at him with disbelief. He had made sure that his foe was pushed to his limit. Exploiting his disposition to sacrifice himself for the protection of his allies. Flooding him with all of what remained of his familia to wear him down. Bog down his mentality with the despair of the Behemoths. All those things... but Bell simply got back up.

“ha... haha... hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

Angra Mainyu laughed hysterically as his dream began to reform once more. Laughing at the living absurdity that was a hero’s existence.

“Why can’t you just stay dead?... why do you keep standing up?...”

The evil god spoke in absolute confusion about what drove Bell to continue chasing his goal of becoming a hero. What kind of good did this world act upon him to make such a mortal chase such a naive dream with such fervor?

His body stood littered with injuries. Swords protruded from every limb in multiple angles and areas. His breathing still remained erratic. There was no doubt there was constant pain due to the tired state of his body, something that would take more than a simple protection magic item to recover.

“Why... why can't you just accept that this world can never change?! Both mortals and the divine can strive to better themselves through immense struggle, but the potential for evil is a sweet temptation that knows no limit!!!”

Bell was quiet as the god began to question him incessantly. The vigilante was confused as he didn’t remember his entire dialogue with him about the futility of being a hero and the failed heroes of the past... but Bell recognized there was an air of desperation within him.

He had assumed the god was just an insane sadist but Bell could feel there was something that lay beneath his veneer as an evil god. His instincts after talking with Artemis, Athena, and Freya were telling him so.

“...”

But though he felt something, Bell still held an immense grudge against the figure in front of him. So choosing a road between both paths, Bell simply decided to answer his question with a short reply.

“I want to be a hero because I want to. Why the fuck should I explain myself to you?”

Angra Mainyu, upon hearing Bell’s answer, remained quiet for a moment as he tried to process the sheer absurdity of his situation. He had pushed the hero to his absolute limits. Threatened to destroy the world. Almost killed him. Then he got back up only to curse at him for trying to understand what drove him so far.

“... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

The evil god truly gave up at that moment.

He had spent years trying to understand the minds of the mortals and the divine. Watched in joy and sadness the legendary lives of numerous heroes throughout the ages. Fought against and accepted his nature as an evil god in order to find the truth he wanted to find... only for it to be boiled down to a simple ‘because I said so’ argument.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

Bell watched with slight worry at the sheer insanity put forth by Angra Mainyu. He tried to check if he could reinforce his body in order to swiftly deal with the evil god but was frustrated as he realized that he was currently unable to do so.

‘I have about enough energy for a single second of reinforcement... I will have to fight him with my natural body and save my energy for the killing blow”

Bell’s eyes began to narrow toward Angra Mainyu as he began to enter the basic stance of Pankration. It had been a while since Bell had fought solely through his weaponless martial arts, but as he tensed every muscle in his body, the vigilante felt this wouldn’t be a repeat of his childhood fight against the abnormal goblin.

“...”

Seeing Bell enter a fighting stance, Angra Mainyu’s laughter began to dissipate as he began to focus on Bell alone.

He was filled with both a desire to praise and bring low the hero that stood before him. The god was now unable to regulate his broken mind as his two sides began to fight for dominance... but they soon began to meld into one under the same belief of what had to be done.

“...”

The evil god entered his own fighting stance, gripping the dagger in his hands tightly. Regardless of which side of him held power, his decision remained the same. Angra Mainyu desired to fight the mortal hero.

To tear down his dream and bathe in the suffering of the dreamer.

To ascertain whether the child in front of him could succeed where so many others failed.

Angra Mainyu desired to fight Bell.

Though he was a god with a body that didn’t differ much from any regular mortals, he still held the experience of millions of years of existence in his mind. Allowing him to be somewhat familiar with what it meant to fight. Alongside the fact that his foe was still recovering... The matchup between them both was unclear.

“...”

“...”

The two stood quietly as the storm of black ash loomed over them both ominously. An eerie wind howled through the empty streets as the two stared each other down... and in an instant, the fight began.

Angra Mainyu leaped toward Bell and began to ready his dagger to strike him. But unexpectedly, Bell began to enter the range of the god’s knife willingly, confusing Angray Mainyu greatly.

“-?!”

As Angra Mainyu questioned the vigilante’s sanity, Bell betted on the possibility that his injuries may have buffed a certain aspect of his body based on his memories of his past life.

He was unable to reinforce the defense and endurance of his body beyond the level of a normal human, but with his body having numerous swords erupt atop his skin from within himself.

? ? ? ? ?

Bell’s body had become a sword through his overloaded healing through swords morphing his body from its usual state.

With the god’s knife attack stopping with great resistance as it failed to pierce Bell’s chest, the vigilante immediately began landing blow after blow against the god. Using every single technique he had learned from his grandfather, and refined through his time in combat.

“-?!”

But with each successive blow, Bell soon realized something about the evil god. As the wind began to blow Angra Mainyu’s cloak away, Bell soon realized the divine being was wearing armor that lessened the impacts of his strikes.

The two stared at each other in silence upon the realization that they were now locked in a stalemate. Both desperately began to search for the turnabout moment as they re-engaged into combat.

The vigilante and the evil god began exchanging blow after blow. The experience of Bell in combat was barely handled by Angra Mainyu throughout his immense years of existence.

But though Bell was keeping up the pressure through his more adept nature as a fighter, there was a deciding factor that was his bane. The fact that rejuvenation provided by Freya’s necklace was temporary.

Angra Mainyu needed to hold out until Bell ran out of energy.

Bell needed to deal a decisive blow to the evil god before then.

? ? ? ? ?

The dead and eerie streets of the war-torn capital now only housed the exchanging of blows between the hero and the villain.

Bell’s breath began to grow more haggard as the boost of energy from Freya’s necklace began to wane. Angra Mainyu began to both rejoice and despair at the vigilante hanging at the end of his rope… but the turnabout soon came.

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The pair had been left unaware, but the horde of Behemoths now stood at the walls of Sorshana, and the storm of black ash coming alongside it.

The city streets began to be painted in absolute black. As if shadows were beginning to consume the city itself.

Upon seeing this moment, Bell began to ready himself to utilize this opportunity to the fullest.

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

In a mere couple of seconds, both he and Angra Mainyu were swallowed by the fierce winds as the black ash began to obscure their sight. Upon being cloaked in the dark veil of ash, Bell immediately leaped toward where Angray Mainyu was.

“-?!”

The evil god began to feel his center of gravity shift. Bell had begun to utilize the strongest point of his martial art. Bell had now begun to grapple with the evil god.

“DAMN-”

Angra Mainyu was about to curse, but he was soon brought to silence by a flurry of blows. Bell had begun to mount the evil god after successfully dragging him to the ground. Landing blow after blow against him in order to weaken his armor enough for his finishing blow.

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????...

After pummeling the evil god in a series of multiple hammer punches, Bell soon figured out the structural weak point in his armor.

Bell was unable to fully utilize structural grasp with the remaining energy he had, so he shot two birds with one stone by combatting the evil god and analyzing the structure of every part of his armor through the brief contact he had made with his strikes.

Eyeing a weak link he discovered in the neck area of the armor. Bell soon pulled his right arm before he began to invoke his magic.

‘A reinforced punch won't be enough to end Angra Mainyu. I need something that can pierce…I am not able to project a sword or dagger, but with the way my body is healing, there is an alternative’

『REINFORCE』

Bell shouted out his incantation as he began to fill his right fist with all the energy he had within him. Directing the energy to not simply enhance his strike…but to tear his fist apart.

“GH-”

Bell gritted through the pain, but soon his healing began to take place. Overburdened, 『Avalon』began to stitch his injuries with a multitude of enormous blades.

With a single long edge protruding from his knuckles, Bell quickly ended the reign of the evil god in the world of mortals.

? ? ? ?

“-!!”

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

“... haa… haa… haa… haa…”

Veiled in black ash, Bell committed to the gravest taboo known to the world of Danmachi. He had killed a god with his own two hands. His fist remained in the evil god’s neck as divine ichor began to slowly leak.

“Haa… haa… haa… haa…”

Angra Mainyu began to slowly be covered in divine light. His arcanum began to sense his fatal injuries and started to heal him at an incredible rate. With the activation of his arcanum, the seal Ouranos implanted on every divine being in Gekai began to awaken inside Angra Mainyu.

He would soon be returned to Tenkai as a consequence of his divine power activating. The light surrounding the evil god’s body grew brighter and brighter with each passing second.

“...”

Angra Mainyu watched as Bell began to breathe heavily and as his body began to weaken. The energy of Freya’s necklace soon began to wear off. The vigilante had slain the evil god just in the nick of time… something Angra Mainyu found quite amusing.

“Ha… haha… hahaha…”

Angra Mainyu stared into the fading eyes of Bell as his consciousness soon began to slip. Noticing how his brilliant blue eyes began to slowly shift into a pale light gray. Something the divine being thought was related to his powers… he felt somewhat proud he had pushed a hero to such an extent.

“Ha… ha… ha…”

Angra Mainyu felt both frustrated and at peace. He was unable to derive the reviled pleasure of destroying the greatest figure of hope in the current age… but he was happy… happy that despite succumbing to his true nature, heroism still prevailed.

The evil god soon began to feel his time in the mortal world was about to come to an end. His body began to radiate immense light, but before he closed his eyes to accept whatever fate the divinities of justice would inflict upon his return to the divine realm of the gods… Bell began to utter to him a few closing words.

“I don't know your story… and I don't care one bit about it… I don't think I can ever bring myself to forgive you…”

Hearing the words come from the hero Gray Ghost, the reincarnation of his beloved figure, Argonaut.

Angra Mainyu accepted the hatred that existed for him in the hero’s heart. He had knowingly chosen the path he took, and he would bear the consequences of his actions… but hate wasn’t what drove Bell to speak.

“But I want to say that you're wrong about one thing… you haven't won. This fight is far from over Angra Mainyu…”

“I won't forgive you, nor will I condemn you… watch me rewrite the future you cursed upon this world”

Angra Mainyu lay stunned at the conviction he could feel from Bell’s soul. Seeing the sight that the lonely evil god fell in love with all those years of existence ago, the divinity could only smile as he left the hero with a few parting words of his own.

“Win… win… and win… more and more… because the more you win… the greater the despair when you fall…”

Angra Mainyu spoke with the widest smile he had ever formed. At this moment, he was given respite out of the overflowing happiness in his heart.

“... and the greater the despair… the brighter you shine when you rise and overcome it”

? ? ? ?

A great boom resounded through the chaotic storm of black ash as a great pillar of light erupted from within the veil of darkness. Piercing the ever-black and the heavens themselves.

Bell began to bathe in the divine light of the return of a god to Tenkai. His gray eyes could barely distinguish what had happened, but the gentle colors and the kind warmth the light wrapped around his body began to draw him to slumber.

With the exhaustion of his fighting returning to his body, Bell soon began to close his eyes.

????...

Bell fell weakly onto the ground. Unable to fight against the draw to unconsciousness that had invaded his body with such strength. But unluckily for him, though he badly needed rest, such a luxury could not be afforded to him at that moment.

Bell was fortunate that his fight with Angra Mainyu didn’t draw a lot of attention due to its scale, but with the blindingly bright pillar of light that erupted within the storm of black ash… Bell now drew the attention and ire of the Behemoths that had until then failed to notice his presence.

??????… ??????… ??????… ??????...

The ground began to shake fiercely as nearby Behemoths began to stray from their path to gather around the source of the disturbance. Bell continued to remain unconscious as the giant beasts began to gather around him en masse.

??????…

A large Behemoth soon approached Bell, and its towering legs soon began to hover over his slumbering body. The giant beast was about to crush the sleeping vigilante, but before he could be smashed into an unrecognizable mess, a blue blur began to fly swiftly through the horde of giants to reach Bell.

Wings that illuminated a shifting menagerie of colors began to glow amidst the black backdrop. A gentle and soothing voice shouted out the activation of her magic item amidst the chaos of the giants rumbling. To reach the soul she wanted to save.

『SISYPHUS CHAIN』

From within the robes of the flying blur, numerous metallic chains begin to fly out at great speed. The magic construction began to wrap itself around the slumbering Bell before immediately pulling him away.

? ? ? ? ?

Numerous debris began to shoot up into the sky from the sheer weight of the Behemoth’s press, but the chains soon gave Bell’s body to a flying blur who immediately began to maneuver deftly through the fast obstacles.

As the danger soon began to pass, the flying blur began to slow down as she removed her hood to get a better look at her friend whom she had not seen for half a year.

“Honestly… I thought you would be more aware and careful with your safety, Ghost… now I’ll have to add another person to my list to worry about alongside Lord Hermes”

Asfi spoke in exasperation at the sheer injured state her vigilante companion was now in. The Hermes familia captain took a cursory glance at what had happened to Bell.

‘Swords erupting from his skin… bated breathing from sheer exhaustion… and though it's less of a concern, there are still some minor fractures here and there…’

Asfi’s expression grew grimmer and grimmer as she saw how badly injured Bell was, and to top it all off, she had now been given the chance to see who her friend truly was beneath his mask.

‘I knew Ghost was young… but to sacrifice so much at such a young age… I wished to be able to see your face, but I didn’t want it to be like this…’

Asfi thought in sadness, but she pushed her thoughts aside for their current situation. She had to first ensure both the safety of herself and of Bell before she could begin formulating the lecture she would give her friend.

Asfi’s winged sandals 『Talaria』began to receive more mind from the familia captain to hasten her flight as she began searching for the desert ship she had been traveling on alongside her god and another passenger they had taken along the way.

“ASFIIIIII–!!! WE’RE HERE!!! PLEASE COME BACK!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STEER A SHIP!!!!-”

Asfi’s attention was drawn to the shout of a pathetic voice she had long come to recognize in an instant. She locked eyes with a desperate Hermes as he struggled to keep the small desert ship they had bought afloat. The messenger god was having trouble steering the ship through a storm produced by Behemoths.

“That idiot Hermes!!!-”

Asfi cursed the decision of her god to shout. With their current position, Asfi would’ve been able to find them in a couple more seconds, but now that Hermes had shouted… the Behemoths’ attention soon began to gather on them all.

Asfi soon began to quickly descend upon the desert ship. Landing on the helm of the craft before pushing the god away and putting Bell in his arms.

“Leave the ship to me! Go to the lower deck and brace yourself and Gray Ghost alongside the little guy!”

Asfi’s death glare sent chills down the god’s spine as he promptly complied. Rushing down to their ship’s lower deck before huddling next to a hooded child as he began to situate the slumbering Bell next to himself.

But as Asfi began to direct the ship, Hermes’ expression shifted from one of fear for his child to a more calculating expression as he observed Bell.

‘To think you were pushed to the extent that you killed a god… you have changed quite a lot, Gray Ghost…’

Hermes’ eyes narrowed but his mouth grinned in excitement at what he had seen after not seeing the hero he decided to support for so long. He was not concerned with the taboo he had broken. Hermes believed only a true hero would have the guts to have their dreams even reach the gods.

‘What a fascinating child, but then again, I could only expect such absurdity from his beloved grandson… what a fearsome child you have raised, Lord Zeus’

But before Hermes could get lost in his admiration of the growing hero in front of him, the desert ship began to rock violently. Asfi on the helm tried desperately to avoid the mass of Behemoths that wished to crush their ship whole.

The evasive maneuvers continued for a few moments before Asfi and Hermes’ eyes widen at an approaching Behemoth leg that was about to crash right into them. Asfi began to shout for impact while Hermes gathered the sleeping Bell and the hooded passenger to himself. But another miracle began to manifest to save the slumbering vigilante.

『Burn Drain』

『Varian Hildr』

『Gralineze Fromel』

『?????? ????』

? ? ? ?

The Behemoth that threatened to smash the Hermes familia’s desert ship was reduced to mere ash under an immense barrage of powerful attacks.

Five figures immediately landed on the deck of the desert ship as their black cloaks fluttered in the wind. Engraved upon the fabric was the symbol of a maiden wearing a feathered helm. The symbol of the goddess Freya.

“Fucking Gulliver brothers… why the hell are they allowed to guard Lady Freya while we have to pick up this vigilante bastard?!”

Allen spoke in annoyance that he had to clean up after a warrior weaker than himself, alongside the frustration that he wasn’t allowed to keep guard of his goddess who sailed alongside the Shalzard resistance.

“Quiet down Allen. The Gulliver brothers simply lack the firepower needed to effectively fight against the Behemoths. Take a moment to think before you let your anger issues cloud your vision”

Hedin spoke to pacify the constantly angry cat person. Dusting his cloak and drawing it closer to himself. The elf disliked having his clothes hit by the soot of the black ash. Not wanting to spend a long time thoroughly cleaning it.

“Hehehe…eternal twilight has come for the wanderers of black ash… ?????????? ???? ?????”

Distancing himself away from the stern elf tactician and the cat person with a constant chip on his shoulder, Hogni began to act out his chuunibyou desires after taking down a Behemoth.

“Excuse me? Would you mind showing me where Gray Ghost is? Lady Freya told me he would probably be severely injured, so she sent me to help him”

Ignoring the previous three and speaking out clearly to the passengers of the desert ship, Heith Velvet began to state her desire to find the Gray Ghost. As the designated main healer of the Freya familia, the goddess ordered the child to immediately begin treating her beloved as soon as possible.

????… ????… ????...

But above the attention-grabbing appearances of the other high-level adventurers, a single warrior began to capture the attention of Asfi, Hermes, and the hooded passenger with the mere sound of his footsteps.

As he sheathed one of his many 『Durandal』weapons upon his back, Ottar began to announce his presence alongside those of his comrades to the god and captain of the Hermes familia.

“Greetings, Lord Hermes and Asfi Al Andromeda. We of the Freya familia have arrived to ensure your escape through the storm of the Behemoths”

“We will carve a path and ensure your safety, all you need do is follow the trail we forge”

Ottar declared with his deep and confident voice. The gaze of the Boaz beast man shook Asfi and even brought a slight smile out of Hermes. The two were reminded once again of the prowess of the world’s current strongest adventurer.

“...”

But as Ottar declared the intent of his familia in the matter, his eyes began to wander and soon met the figure of the unconscious Bell. Ottar was surprised a fair bit at his peculiar injuries.

The Boaz beast-man wasn't the most intellectual of folks in most areas, but he was a foremost expert when it came to combat, and as far as he was aware, there existed no attack that would cause a person to have swords erupt from within their body.

‘How peculiar… but such a veneer of mystery and intrigue should be expected of Lady Freya’s beloved…’

Ottar concluded his thoughts towards Bell with a simple comment of acknowledgment, though he began to feel tired as he soon began to sense the hostile gaze of his companions towards the vigilante.

Save for himself who viewed the divine beauty as his mother, and Heith who had grown tired of the goddess’ charm after being overworked as their familia’s healer, all the other members of the Freya familia grew to disdain Bell for being the closest to claim their goddess’ heart.

But though he could understand where his comrade's anger and frustration stemmed from… should they ever come close to harming the ray of hope that brought a genuine smile to his mother…

‘I will wipe them out’

But before Ottar could smack some sense into his love-blind comrades, his attention was caught due to the intrusion of a powerful presence. One that made even the strongest adventurer quake in uncertainty.

All the passengers of the desert ship began to turn toward the source of the domineering presence. Their eyes widened as a colossal silhouette began to head straight for them.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎

A low growl shook their bodies as the Behemoth of incomparable size to the rest began to walk slowly toward them. The Freya familia immediately readied their weapons, magics, and skills…but even then…they were all unsure of their capability to dispatch such a tyrant of a foe.

“... is this what you had to deal with, Zald?”

Ottar spoke quietly as memories of his personal hero began to flash once more through his mind. He clearly remembered the tales the child of Zeus would tell him about his greatest achievement. Speaking of his mortal combat against the king of the land whose figure pierced the skies, as if it were a living mountain range.

Ottar now began to fully realize the sheer scale of his hero’s words at that moment. The sight perplexed the Boaz beast man about how Zald was able to strike down such a foe in a single blow.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎

The grand Behemoth began to roar once more as it continued to head towards the desert ship that paled in comparison to its stature.

Just as Ottar began to contemplate whether to abandon the ship, Hermes soon began to speak out.

“So that’s the monstrosity Evilus concocted this time… now is your time little miss… will you be able to do it?”

Hermes spoke in a gentle tone towards the hooded child that sat next to him, knowing full well just how much tragedy must be filling the mysterious passenger’s heart at the sight of the monster. But his concern was for naught, as the hooded figure began to rise from the floor of the desert ship.

“Your concern is appreciated, Lord Hermes, but I am well aware of what must be done”

Glowing orange hair began to show from beneath the figure’s hood as a strained smile showed.

????… ????… ????…

As the hooded figure began to make her way to the bow of the ship, Ottar and the other Freya familia members began to notice the aura that radiated from the small figure. It was similar to the divine aura of the gods but different in a way that could not be described in mortal tongue.

The figure released her hood as fiery and glowing orange hair fluttered in the wind. A child that exuded both innocence and awareness of tragedy. Stretching out her youthful hand towards the grand Behemoth.

‘I can never forgive Evilus… for the atrocities they went through for their own selfish goals… how can I ever find it in myself to forgive such cruel acts?’

Hermes  tightened his fist in utter contempt and pity at the faith that lay in store for the innocent divine child that currently stood in front of all of the passengers of the ship,

‘Vile gods of Evilus, how could you find it in yourself to defile our beloved children, the spirits? To part such close sisters? To have them face each other in this tragic battle?’

The spirit of dawn began to speak. Calling out to her suffering sister that lay in the heart of the wanderer of ash. Entrapped in the crystal womb that sustained the monstrous existence.

“Hello, sister…I know you must be suffering, but I promise I will soon reach you. The kind god and his child promised we will be able to meet soon…so please allow us passage through your storm”

The divine spirit began to speak as a brilliant and warm light began to radiate from her body. A light that pierced through the cold darkness of the ash storm. A light that reached the distant eyes of the colossal Behemoth.

∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎

The beast growled once more before turning away from the desert ship’s path. Fading into the darkness of the black ash storm. As if it were never there, despite its immense size and presence.

“...”

The divine spirit held silent as she soon felt her sister’s presence dissipate back into the raging storm.

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The storm of black ash soon began to howl even fiercer and fiercer…until it was no more. The desert ship soon began to sail upon the calm winds of the desert as the shining sunlight began to warm their cold bodies.

Under the request of her sister, the grand Behemoth spared the group of their brutal demise. Opening up a way through the storm and letting them escape from the cold embrace of death black ash.

The group remained silent as they struggled to process what had just happened, but the divine spirit turned back to the perplexed expressions on the faces of the adventurers. The divine spirit smiled as she began to introduce herself.

“I'm sorry for the inconvenience my sister has caused you all. Though she may appear like… that… I assure you that she is a gentle soul that wishes you all no harm”

“As for introductions, I am the divine spirit of the dawn under Lord Helios. I go by many names in the tongue of the gods but for you all…you may simply call me Eos”

The divine spirit spoke with an innocent smile.

…

..

.

?????.. .?????… ?????… ?????… ?????...

Beyond the awareness of the Freya and Hermes familia, deep within the mind of the slumbering Bell, the vigilante remained active despite his unconsciousness.

Retreating to the confines of his inner world, his reality marble, Bell began to work on his plan to avert the disaster known as the horde of Behmoths.

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????… ?????…

Bell cared little for what was currently happening to his body in the outside world. As soon as he had felt the sifting sands of his reality marble, Bell immediately began getting to work to realize the path to victory he had envisioned.

He could no longer rely on himself to deal the finishing blow to the great monster. He simply lacked the time and resources to develop himself to the point where he could make a difference by himself…but he needn’t think to carry the burdens on his lonesome,

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????… ?????…

He didn’t have the power of Zald that blew away the Behemoth in a single strike.

He didn't possess the firepower of Alfia that tore the Leviathan asunder.

He didn't possess the dominance of Maxim or Empress.

He didn't have the level-breaking capabilities of the original Bell Cranel

Bell only had one thing that distinguished him from the rest. One thing that could allow him to create the opportunity for victory. It wouldn’t be by his own hand by itself, but Bell wasn’t so blinded by pride as to desire to be in the main spotlight all the time.

“I only desire victory and peace, so why the hell should I let my ego talk when lives are at stake?”

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????… ?????…

Bell hammered endlessly upon an anvil in his reality marble. Utilizing all of the skills of the hero of wrought iron, Bell now sought to imitate the path forged by one of the many interactions of the nameless hero.

Utilizing the world of infinite sword creation to not simply imitate another weapon, but utilize all of its capabilities to forge and realize a weapon of originless creation.

Bell now sought to forge a weapon…nay, to forge weapons that can bring about the promised victory he wished to manifest upon the world.

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????… ?????…

Bell remembered a memory of his past life as he watched the sight of numerous giant beasts looming over the horizon. Wishing to trample the kingdom under their immensely heavy heels.

The sight reminded Bell of the story of a king who traveled time and space in pursuit of a journey given to him by his court magus. A king of knights who sought to fall low the beast of revelation. A servant who, outside of his charms, gained notoriety for a single niche he filled in a game Bell had played in his past life.

King Arthur Pendragon, or as he was referred to by fans to remove any confusion with the other King Arthur…Proto-Arthur.

“A shield to protect. A sword to strike. An arrow to shoot. A chariot to ride. A staff to cast. Weapons are all designed with a specific purpose in mind… so I would simply need to make one that can solve this predicament of mine”

Bell smiled as he began to solidify his vision of the weapons he wished to create.

Proto-Arthur possessed a skill that encapsulated his legends of defending Britain from numerous hordes of gigantic phantasmals.

The legend manifested itself as a natural buff against any enemies beyond a certain size. Its power increases with each increase in size between himself and his opponent.

『Gigantic Beast Hunt』

?????… ?????… ?????… ?????… ?????…

If Bell was unable to fall the giant Behemoths, then he would simply raise an army that could fall the horde. A group of giant slayers who would become the monstrosities’ bane.

“A war between mortal nations has now become a struggle between mortals and giants… heh… I already have an idea for what to call these weapons”

Bell said to himself as numerous prototype weapons began to manifest onto the white sands that burned with blue fire.

Weapons that were piled upon with similar iterations. Each successive generation grew closer to Bell’s goal of a giant-slaying weapon.

Bell was the nightmare of the blessed criminals of Orario, the nightmare of the mortal tyrants of Warusa, and now he was determined to become the nightmare of the Behemoths.

The war against the towering giants.

????????????

…

..

.

Editor:

Editor-kun#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

I will keep this brief since this chapter will cause some of you guys to comment on some stuff.

I will end this arc in a couple more chapters. I will do so probably with another mass release. I understand some of you want to return to Orario, all I ask is that you please be patient. You can simply wait for more chapters to pile up until I'm done with this arc.

I will probably need some more time until I can finish enough chapters for a mass release. I am currently juggling my exams and the completion of my requirements. Please be patient with me.

I would also like to apologize for the late uploading of this chapter, even though I promised an earlier release during the last chapter.

I would like to thank you all for continuing to support this fanfic. I intend to continue writing this story for a while, so rest assured that this fic won't be dropped for the foreseeable future.

As for my other fanfic “DxD: Reborn as Genshirou Saji” I do plan to continue writing for it, but I'm still progressing through the source material. I haven't been given a lot of time to read light novels, so the update rate won't be as fast as this fanfic. But rest assured that it isn’t dropped.

I hope you continue to look forward to the next chapter of this story, and may you all have a nice day!