Chapter 50: Titanomachy

(E/D: I have a few words to say, E/D means Editor's note… Do you realize your mistake now? If not then scroll up to the previous chapter and there you will see an E/D with 46 comments. I am now Webnovel’s Angra Mainyu. Fuck all ya’ll.)

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『It hurts… it hurts… it hurts so much…』

Within the deep confines of a ruined and shattered consciousness, a single voice echoed throughout the cold darkness, doing nothing but singing a song that became the only thing it came to know to speak of… pain.

Reciting her pain to a world that refused to listen to her woes, to a world incapable of hearing her any longer. The lonely voice sang to a crowd that heeded not a single word of her melancholy.

『It hurts… it hurts… everything hurts…』

The woeful soul’s continued existence was a defiling of the natural order. She was no longer supposed to live after what had happened to her… and yet… she continued to live, albeit in a manner that threads upon what one might consider “living”.

Bereft of physical form, one might conclude that the pain would cease to exist for the lonely soul, yet she continued to suffer. Without rest and without respite, pain and suffering were all the soul came to know.

Phantom pains ran along imaginary nerves, sending false signals to a mind that no longer held corporeal form.

Even after everything she went through, the woeful soul was even deprived of the release of death itself.

『It hurts… it hurts… why… why must it hurt?』

Existing in a state of limbo inside the crystal of the slowly dying Grand Behemoth, the spirit Hesperides began to contemplate her suffering… on the suffering of others… on the world's suffering.

Perhaps the fading ashes of the monster she was wrongly transplanted into allowed her mind to regain the smallest bit of sentience.

『Why?... Why?... Why must we suffer?... why must we accept pain as natural?』

The spirit pondered upon the motivation of suffering.

She had been living a peaceful secluded life with her sister. Removed herself and her sister from the throes of the lower world, as they enjoyed the presence of each other and the nature around them.

Offending none and performing no offensive acts, Hesperides expected that such a life would draw her no suffering… and yet she drew in ire regardless… not just from mortals who were born into a life of suffering, but from a god as well, a figure she believed to be above such brutalist behavior.

『Mortals… gods… laymen… divine… Why do they accept such a life? To endure suffering or to inflict it… why must those be the only choices?...』

The spirit wailed in sorrow as she faced the cruel reality she lived in. She lived in a world of pain and suffering.

As the mortals waged a war of futility and greed, the gods painted the heavens in blood to avert their boredom.

One must prepare themselves to strike down upon their fellow man or god… because if not… one would surely suffer the consequences of trusting all conscious minds to be reasonable.

『How naive I was… blind to bloody cruelty… deaf to desperate wails… how naive I was…』

The spirit suffered even more as she faced not only her realization but the idiocy of her long-lived life of ignorance.

Only after experiencing the ire of the evil god and his children did the spirit come to realize her folly. To live was to suffer.

『Aaa… aaa… aaa… aaa…』

Memories flashed through her mind. Memories of her torment under the hands of Angra Mainyu.

Her body had been torn to shreds and regenerated with her divinity over and over. Her arms were broken beyond repair. Her extremities were ruined to the point of no longer being recognizable.

Memories of the monster she was fused with began to flood her mind as well.

Consuming the essence of its fellow monsters without a single hint of remorse. Trampling down upon the city that meant so much to so many people. Baring its fangs and horns to people who simply wanted to reclaim their homes and live in peace.

Try as she might… the monster’s actions were now undoubtedly her own as well… Hesperides had become both a dismayed and arbiter of suffering.

『AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!-』

Hesperides’ mind began to grow cloudy as a single desire began to form within what remained of herself. Her insatiable urge to destroy. Her relentless desire for simple peace with her sister. The two sides of herself began to paradoxically meld into a singular purpose.

『????????????????????!!!-』

As the Grand Behemoth slowly began to dissipate, the jewel fetus that continued to cling onto the monster’s magic stone began to slowly stir.

A transparent sphere that housed the bloodied remains of the sullied spirit. The fake jewel fetus that was created by the evil god Angra Mainyu and his now-extinct familia.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The Grand Behemoth was always doomed to fail. It lacked the sheer density and quantity of magic stones to be able to properly awaken the jewel fetus it held in its body. But as the monster slowly began to die, so too did its storm of black ash.

As Ottar, Arry, and the Prydwen subjugated the beast, they had unknowingly allowed the beast to bathe in the light of the solitary moon.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Eos, the spirit of the dawn, is capable of growing in power under the light of the sun. Temporarily granting her power is equivalent to a great spirit… and just like Eos, Hesperides possessed a similar ability.

『????????????????????!!!-』

So long as moonlight reached her, Hesperides would grow immensely powerful. With the storm gone and the moon shining down without hindrance… the jewel fetus now had enough power to truly awaken.

Immense light began to radiate from the dying Grand Behemoth as a song of painful crying echoed across the ruined city of Sorshana.

『To live is to suffer… to accept suffering as natural is insanity… men… gods… if they’re too blind to see the folly of their ways… then I will be the one to liberate them all from their binds… to free them from suffering…』

Even as her mind lay on the brink of shattering completely, Hesperides continued to hold onto the compassion she developed under the care of her sister and patron god.

Melding with the relentless hatred of men and the divine from the Behemoth, Hesperides’ desire for a life without suffering began to be bastardized into a paradoxical form.

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A desire to save the world by destroying it.

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A creature of loving demise.

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『????????????????????!!!-』

The world shook in fear as it welcomed a beast that threatened to reverse all the progress it had accumulated. Possessing a desire and power so great that it was capable of rebuilding the world as it saw fit.

『I will create a perfect world where suffering is no longer allowed to exist… suffering is cruel… pain is without respite… thus… it is unnecessary for an ideal world』

『But suffering is too ingrained into the minds of mortal and divine… but suffering is unnecessary… so… I will rebuild them all… I will rebuild them into creatures incapable of suffering…』

As the beast declared its intent to the heavens and earth with a bellowing roar that could drown out even the Grand Behemoth’s, the demi-spirit began to slowly take form.

Bathed in the moonlight and awash by a blinding radiance, Hesperides began to extend her arm onto the boundless sky. It was a cover that sheltered a world of disgusting principles… so she will destroy it and reform it in her own image.

『Until all suffering is removed… until all pain has been annihilated… until all horizons speak of only peace… I will never stop moving forward!!!-』

?  ?  ?  ?

A loud explosion erupted from the monster’s decaying body as a pillar of smoke rose from the ground. She had finally descended.

Wearing a crown atop her head, and treading upon the ground with love in one hand and malic in the other, the demi-spirit finally manifested.

(i m a g e )

The world welcomed her arrival by magnifying the song of her existence. A song of pain, suffering, and loving demise. Under the radiance of twilight, the beast sang without remorse as she initiated the world’s end.

『????????????????????!!!-』

Beast of Salvation, Hesperides.

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“Wherever there is one beast, the other six will inevitably follow… I guess I should start preparing for the Beast of the End after this…”

As Hesperides slowly began to take form amidst the ruined battlegrounds of Sorshana city, standing alone in the face of the beast was a single person. Bell Cranel.

“The original demi-spirit is probably a beast as well, given that demi-spirits seem to be beasts in this world… then I will probably have to plan carefully about the movements of the Loki familia once canon starts rolling around…”

Bell simply talked to himself calmly as the world began to quake in fear at the true manifestation of Hesperides. One might call his behavior the pinnacle of bravery, others might describe it as the height of foolishness.

“I swear… if I find out that some person is behind this fucked up idea of mixing fate and danmachi…”

But to Bell, what he was doing was neither bravery nor foolishness. There was no overcoming of fear, nor was he acting under the veil of ignorance and idiocy. He was simply acting as such because of one thing alone…

“Well, regardless, let’s just get this over with”

… in his mind, there was no doubt or questioning of his victory. Bell was simply sure that he would always win against a beast.

『「Grand: Station of the Crown」reacts upon meeting antithetical existence』

Just as the world allows the existence of beasts to manifest upon reality, so too does it allow the existence of individuals capable of averting their machinations of loving demise.

『Searching for causality of activation… causality confirmed… antithetical existence identified』

Bulwarks of the world, chosen to deny the realization of the beasts’ dreams. Heroes of heroes that were chosen to maintain order. Possessing capabilities that could rewrite a rewritten world.

『Development of「Beast's Crown: Creature of Loving Demise」confirmed within the antithetical existences』

Just as the beasts bore a crown atop their heads, so too did these warriors bear the weight of a crown of their own. Sitting atop the resplendent throne, they bore a singular title that distinguished them from the rest.

『Designation complete. Identity secured. Target is a bearer of one of the seven beast crowns』

The pinnacle of hope. The zenith of heroism. The holder of a perfected legend. Grand.

『Incarnation of Beast I「Hesperides of Painless Salvation」』

Bell slowly began to approach the towering demi-spirit. His eyes went across the beast’s deformed body of bones and muscles. He neither felt sadness at what had become of the spirit nor anger at the perpetrators of what he was witnessing.

『「Grand: Station of the Crown」requests bearer to avert demise』

What use did Bell have for such emotions when he was sure that he could resolve it all in due time?

With a smile on his face, and his body overflowing with energy, he greeted the beast with another phrase he would unashamedly copy from his past life.

“No need to worry, for everything will be alright… why?”

『Trace on』

“Because I am here”

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『????????????????????!!!-』

As Bell greeted the beast, the monstrosity replied back with a bellowing roar that would threaten to shatter him if he hadn’t been reinforcing his body immensely.

“Who knew a scream could hurt so much? But though I’m fine, there is still what remains of the alliance forces I have to consider…”

Though Bell was able to protect himself from any significant damage with his reinforcement magecraft, the same was not true for the unconscious fighters of the alliance who were now inflicted with minor internal injuries from the beast’s roar.

“There are a couple of thousands of ground forces here. I was able to evacuate Freya and a few others to the ships of the alliance navy… but how can I transport so many people in a reasonable amount of time?”

The fighters who engaged in combat within the city of Sorshana were all unconscious, but the same was not true of the alliance fleet who were operating and dwelling within the desert ships.

Each ship had been equipped with numerous magic items that would reduce the recoil of the canons as well as the vibrations of the Behemoth’s roar, so they were essentially immune from the attack of the beast just then.

“It would be ideal to have all of them taken into the ships for protection and treatment… but I have to also worry about the beast attacking me and the ground forces as I do so…”

Bell was currently weighing his option, but after an immense amount of deliberation in his mind, which only took a single second in reality, he came upon the only choice he had to realize his goal whilst minimizing its drawbacks.

“I really didn’t want to waste such a precious item… but to hell with it, I’m sure I will be able to afford it in the future”

Placing his hand around one of the many vials secured on his waist, Bell readied to consume an item he was reluctant to use for one reason. The insane price of the item.

“The main limit of my powers as of this moment is the rate my body begins to deteriorate due to my projection. So in theory, I can reduce this burden through two methods…”

“The first would be to strengthen my body immensely. This can be achieved greatly through falna… but seeing as that’s not possible for now without messing up my future plans, I’ll go with the second method…”

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

Removing the lid of the gorgeous vial he held in his hands, Bell began to drink the item with a look of determination and regret. Because what he was drinking was an item that garnered the desire of even the world’s strongest gods and adventurers. An elixir.

Brewed by the famed healer Airmid of the Dian Cecht familia, and bought at a price of 500,000 valis per vial, the elixirs Bell currently held around the belt on his waist were undoubtedly one of the greatest displays of wealth in the world of Danmachi.

‘Freya gave me all her familia’s accrued elixirs in preparation for this fight. Though I wanted to preserve them as much as possible, the lives of the alliance forces far outweigh the cost… but it will still hurt-’

Before he could calculate the total amount of valis of all the elixirs he would consume, Bell hurriedly drank an entire vial of the potion.

The arcane red liquid began to seep into his body giving him a mystifying green glow. He began to feel a sense of strength and comfort began to wash over his entire being.

As the elixir began to boost Bell’s capabilities into overdrive and flood his magic circuits with a seemingly endless amount of energy, his gray eyes began to shift back into a dazzling hue of blue as he began to manifest numerous chained swords all around himself.

More and more, Bell continued to manifest countless projections until the whole city was covered by a mass of chained swords. Swaying eerily in the air as they awaited his command.

After a moment of silence, in a single instant, after Bell formulated his command for the swords in his mind, all the projected chained swords began to disperse with immense speed.

Targeting the unconscious fighters of the alliance force within the city, the swords hooked themselves on the armor and clothing of each person before swiftly lifting them off the ground and directing them towards the desert ships of the alliance fleet.

『...』

Seeing what was happening, the beast began to slowly move her enormous body, wanting to turn Bell’s efforts to naught. But just as she was about to strike down on one of the many unconscious adventurers of the alliance, she noticed that the movement of her limbs had been stopped.

『...?』

Turning her hollow eyes around herself, the beast soon realized what had happened. An endless amount of chained swords had been projected from the ground and wrapped around her body.

『REINFORCE』

Before the beast was able to formulate a response, Bell’s voice resounded throughout the battlefield as each of his numerous projected chained swords began to be filled with magical energy. Each chain blade emitted a brilliant blue glow as numerous streaks of circuits erupted across its surface.

『!!!-』

In an instant, the mass-chained swords were able to momentarily win over the beast, dragging the titan down to the ground as more chained swords were projected to restrict her movements even further.

? ? ? ? ?

『Aaaaa…』

The beast let out a low melodic cry as she began to tear the chained blades off of her body. Though she was able to overwhelm and destroy the structures of the chained blades, more would simply appear to take over each destroyed counterpart.

『Aaaaa…』

The beast grew more and more frustrated as she failed to release herself from the hold of Bell’s chained swords.

With the futility of her actions stoking her anger, and seeing the alliance forces were almost done escaping her reach, Hesperides began to gather magic energy within her chest, preparing to damage the escaping unconscious adventurers once more with her roar.

『???-』

But just as she was about to do so, the visage of Bell immediately appeared in front of her eyes. The young adventurer’s eyes were glowing with energy and life as they stared into her hollow sockets.

The beast could recognize in an instant that the human in front of her was no ordinary mortal… and that she could not accept his existence, and he could not accept hers.

『???!!!-』

The beast’s attention was taken away from the escaping adventurers and towards Bell, but even with her target changed, Bell felt no caution at now being the center of her incoming attack… because he had already prepared a response for it.

『Trace Overedge』

Lifting his two chained swords above his head, Bell began to imbue their structures with his mind until they were at the point of collapse. Reinforcing his body to his limit as well, he prepared to strike back at the beast before it could release its immense roar.

But though he currently held two broken phantasm swords, it wouldn't be enough to disturb the beast significantly… so he had already prepared more blades in advance.

???????… ???????… ???????…

All around the beast, countless broken phantasm swords surrounded it. Crackling with sparks of immense energy as brilliant light emitted across each one of the blades.

It was an omnidirectional attack that left its target with no way to escape from its grasp. A technique developed by a hero of wrought iron during his endless journey in pursuit of his aspirations for justice and heroism.

『Triple-Linked Crane Wings』

????… ????… ????...

In an instant, numerous immense explosions erupted all across the beast’s body. Bonded by chains and beaten down by the flurry of broken phantasms, the beast was thoroughly mitigated from taking any action.

Soon, all the members of the alliance force within Sorshana had been evacuated to the alliance fleet’s numerous desert ships.

“...”

Landing deftly on the ground, Bell examined the sight of himself and his opponent as the green light of the elixir he consumed began to fade.

“Elixirs aren't generally meant to be a long-term regeneration potion, they simply apply an immense burst of healing to whoever consumes it…”

“And even if one can think of the idea to use elixirs for their regenerative properties, no one person possesses the wealth and stupidity to try such an experiment… that is until I arrived…”

Bell examined his body and noted that he had no signs of blades erupting out of his body, meaning that the elixir had assisted him from overburdening his 『Avalon』. Seeing that it was really effective for his use case, he couldn't help but feel conflicted about it all.

“Using a 500,000 valis potion as a momentary buff rather than its intended use as a last-resort healing measure… and I have more vials of elixirs beyond this one… I wonder how much money I will have wasted at the end of this fight”

Bell laughed to himself as he imagined that this singular fight had a more-than-likely shot at eclipsing the budget of his four months of preparation with precious materials in the alliance’s base.

“Well, not much to complain about it… both times I used the funds my allies have graciously given me, so what kind of ally would I be to not effectively make use of it all!-”

Grabbing another vial and swallowing another whole elixir in a moment, Bell began to emit another glowing aura of green as he prepared to re-engage the beast in combat.

(E/D: Bell be like: I choose pot of greed to summo- I will stop that.)

?????… ?????… ?????...

Just as Bell was preparing himself to battle once more, so was the beast. Emerging from the plume of smoke produced by Bell’s previous attack, the beast released an immense roar as it acknowledged the opponent in front of her.

『????????????????????!!!-』

Two powers met atop the ruined remains of a once great city of the blazing sands. Under the veil of moonlight, with their lives and aspirations on the line, a great struggle commenced.

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????… ????… ????…

Bell and the beast continued to battle one another with immense force. As he projected numerous chained blades and broken phantasms, the beast would simply break through his projection and endure his attacks.

The already ruined city of Sorshana was reduced to a flatland of debris as the titan beast trampled upon the ground whilst chasing down Bell. Her roar echoed into the night sky whilst her blows shook the very ground itself.

『Reinforce』

Bell chanted his reinforcement magecraft while swinging across the beast’s body, deftly dodging the titan’s movements with ease and avoiding incurring any damage. As the fight went on, he carefully examined the beast/demi-spirit in front of him.

‘It seems to be a physically focused demi-spirit like Power Bull, but I can’t let my guard down… even a demi-spirit like Power Bull had a trump card in a powerful spell, so this demi-spirit must have one as well…’

Bell could sense that the demi-spirit he was currently facing was hiding a trump card that could overturn the battle at any moment. Knowing this, he didn't want to bring out his finishing attack, lest he bet on it and have it fail.

‘I could normally turn this battle into a battle of attrition, but I’m currently only maintaining the stalemate with the help of the elixirs… and I’m running low on their supply now…’

He had continued taking the elixirs as the fight went on because the beast had slowly but surely begun to move faster and more precisely as it kept on fighting. It was as if she was slowly but surely getting used to her new form and fighting more efficiently as time passed on.

‘My strength without the elixirs will make it hard for me to fight since she has empowered herself since the beginning…’

‘Risk it all on a finishing blow whilst not knowing her trump card, or drag the fight on and risk running out of elixirs… what to do…’

Bell was now stuck having to add a variable of uncertainty into his plans. It didn't bring him much confidence after having learned about his E-rank luck the hard way, but though he was in a bind his smile hadn't yet faded even slightly.

“Well, it would be too much to assume I can accurately predict and plan for everything… so though I will still have to rely on uncertainty in my plans, I’ll just take it in stride!”

???????… ???????… ???????…

Bell shouted out at the beast as he reinforced his body with a burst of mind once more. Breezing past the beast’s attempt at crushing him with her hands, he closed in on her in an instant.

Gripping the pair of swords he had projected into his hands, he filled their structures with mind, turning them into broken phantasms before launching them at the beast’s head.

????… ????… ????…

The beast was promptly covered in a veil of black smoke as the broken phantasms made successful contact. But, as if not having been bothered by the attack, the beast emerged from the cloud of smoke with a grotesque form.

『???!!!』

The beast’s body had been torn and blown to smithereens. Its muscle fibers were ripped apart and burned in numerous ways as blood dripped down the length of its skin.

But just as the sight was making Bell a tad bit uncomfortable to look upon, the beast slowly began to regenerate the injuries it had accrued. Soon, it appeared as if nothing had harmed it.

『???!!!』

With a loud roar, the beast attempted to grab Bell once again, unfazed that it had undergone immense pain from his attack earlier.

『Trace on』

Projecting a set of chained blades into his hands, Bell launched them onto the ground before propelling himself away from the trajectory of the beast’s attack.

? ? ? ? ?

The beast’s blow crashed onto the ground below, and a pillar of dust and sand erupted into the air. The exchange just then was how the battle had gone this entire time, the two simply trading blows and attacks without making any real significant progress.

“Haa… haa… it’s like I’m fighting the Goliath all over again, just, this one has boobs…”

Bell joked to himself before growing quiet as he continued to watch the beast. His eyes were scrutinizing every little detail that the beast conveyed. After thinking about it for a moment, he finally decided to force the beast into revealing its hand with an all-out attack.

Consuming yet another elixir, Bell turned into a blur as he once again closed in on the beast, but this time he began to pressure his opponent more than usual.

『Sword Barrel: Full Open』

He began to project numerous Caladbolgs and turned each one into a broken phantasm. Launching each sword with immense force, the beast was being hailed with a flurry of powerful explosions.

????… ????… ????…

『????????????????????!!!-』

The beast screamed in immense pain as it faced the volley of swords hurtled toward itself. Each broken phantasm had torn its body to shreds, but it simply regenerated what it had lost at a frightening rate.

『Trace on』

But Bell’s assault didn’t end at a simple barrage of broken phantasms. Chanting the activation of his magecraft, he had begun to manifest numerous chains from the ground of Sorshana.

Numerous chained blades rose into the sky. Masses of these chained blades began to coalesce into a larger form. As they grew larger and larger, their weight slowly began to halt their velocity and slowly began to pull them down.

『Reinforce』

Strengthening the structure of the enlarged chained blades, Bell let them all land on the beast who had been busying itself fighting his barrage of broken phantasms.

?????… ?????… ?????...

The beast screamed even more in pain as it began to be impaled by a rain of chained blades. Each projection lodged itself deep within its body and the ground, effectively locking it in place for a single moment.

Taking advantage of that single moment, Bell quickly climbed the beast’s large body with the help of his chained blades, propelling himself faster and faster until he was above the titan.

Looking down upon his opponent, Bell knew that this was an ideal chance to unleash a powerful attack. Thus, after quickly gathering his breath, he called upon a weapon that would allow him to down the titan.

『I am the bone of my sword』

『Unknown to fate… nor known to destiny…』

『So as I pray…』

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『The Horizon of Dawn that Purifies the Seas』

『Sul-sagana!』

?????????!!!-

A giant blade of flame manifested itself into Bell’s hands. Reinforcing his body to the utmost limit, he began to swing the enormous weapon down upon the beast.

Emitting brilliant flames that brought day upon the night, Sul-sagana soon pierced deeply into the body of the beast, burning it immensely.

『????????????????????!!!-』

All around the sword’s impact site, the sands of the desert turned into constructs of glass due to the immense heat exuded by the weapon. At the center of the eerie crater of glass in a city of rubble was the sight of a suffering titan.

The beast bellowed into the sky its pain. It cried as it frantically tried to rid itself of the weapons that had nailed it down to the ground.

With the flaming sword stabbing her straight through the abdomen, and the chained blades restricting numerous vital joints of movement all throughout the body, it could do naught but flail in futility.

『????????????????????!!!-』

Seeing the sight unfold before him, Bell felt a sense of unease wash over him. It was for a simple reason only… monsters and demi-spirits don't cry.

‘Only the Xenos are capable of empathy as far as I know. Demi-spirits still retain some memories, but they're mostly suppressed by the desire of the original demi-spirit to find Aria and destroy mortals and gods… could this be Hesperides crying out in pain?’

Thinking of this, Bell felt guilty as he watched the beast writhe in turmoil, but he soon pushed those thoughts away.

‘Forgive me Hesperides, but your torment will soon be over…’

He began to slowly approach the beast. Seeing it continue to struggle made Bell assume that it truly possessed no trump card to overturn the battle, but just as he was about to find the beast’s magic stone… it began to chant.

『????????????????????!!!-』

『??????. ??????. ????????. ????????. ???????.』

『??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??????. ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????.』

The beast began to frantically chant it's magic. Its voice shook and its cadence shifted sporadically. It was a magic that was called upon in desperation, it was by no means elegant like any other chanted spell… It was a sloppy and rough display of magic.

It would almost incite feelings of pity if it weren’t for the sheer mass of magic that began to gather around the beast.

“-!!!”

Bell’s intuition and senses began to sound off greatly as the beast continued to chant its spell. Deducing what was happening in an instant, he reinforced his body and began to target the key weak points of a person who is chanting magic.

‘First will be its mouth!-’

He projected two broken phantasm swords in his hands before launching them at the beast. All he needed to do was disrupt the chant or the flow of mind for the spell, and it would trigger an ignis fatuus, rendering the magic ineffective whilst damaging his opponent…

… but to his shock, his targeting of the mouth had not impeded the beast’s chant a single bit. It’s voice continued to resound through the air. Eerily speaking not through any conventional means, as if she were imposing her words through reality with her thoughts alone.

『??? ???, ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?????』

“Tch-”

Seeing that his first attack wasn’t effective, Bell began to target the other notable weak points. The throat, the chest, followed by a full-body barrage to disrupt the flow of magic, but it was all ineffective. No matter how much pain he inflicted, the beast simply continued to chant her magic.

『?????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?????. ???? ????? ????????? ???, ??????????. ?????????? ??????, ????? ?? ??? ???????』

The beast’s body began to glow an ominous purple aura as its appendages began to morph and inflate beyond recognition.

In an instant, Bell recalled a similar phenomenon in a show he once watched before. The ability of a certain gladiator to turn himself into a walking bomb the more damage he took.

“DAMN IT!!!-”

Bell immediately began to prepare to project Rho Aias to protect himself, but much to his surprise, a white shield had manifested all around his body before. The shield of Athena, Aegis, had acted beyond his understanding to protect its host.

He was confused for a moment, but it all became clear to him. Had the white shield not activated when it had, Bell would've been dead at that moment.

? ? ? ? ?

In an instant, the hand of the bound beast had descended upon Bell. Moving far faster than he had anticipated. The great hand desperately sought to grab him, but Aegis repelled the titan’s grasp as best as it could.

Soon, the beast had finished chanting its magic, and without warning… hell would be unleashed upon the grounds of Sorshana.

?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

A great burst of magic erupted around the area as the beast triggered an immense explosion. Its magic was one that personified its nature of taking in and utilizing pain and suffering. The more damage it accrued, the more powerful it became, until it reached a critical mass of energy resulting in a violent reaction.

“Haa… haa… haa… haa…”

As the smoke from the explosion slowly began to settle and fade, Bell was busy trying to catch his breath from the sheer amount of energy Aegis had taken up to ensure his safety.

Readjusting his eyes from the bright light the beast had caused, he was able to observe what had happened to the surrounding area.

The entirety of Sorshan had now become a deep crater of glass. The heat of the explosion of the beast far exceeded that of his Sul-sagana projection.

?????… ?????… ?????…

Bringing his attention away from the surrounding area, the beast slowly but surely began to make its way towards Bell.

Its body was tattered and broken, it wasn't a sight he wasn't familiar with after the entire fight, but what had caught his attention was one thing… its regeneration had been greatly diminished.

‘It seems weaker and slower to heal… perhaps the violent explosion brings an immense draw back to the beast?’

Bell had finally deduced the trump card the beast had been hiding. The ability that explained its progressive increase in power and its nonchalance at absorbing his attack directly.

But though he had now forced the beast to reveal his hand, he currently had neither the mind nor stamina to capitalize on it.

?????… ?????… ?????…

『???』

Soon, the beast was finally upon him. Looking down at his tired self with its hollow eye sockets. Its breathing was haggard, and killing intent was overflowing. To many it would be a horrifying sight, to a certain freedom loving bird it might be the cause of one’s trauma… but for Bell, it brought him no sense of urgency.

The reason? It was simple. He wasn't a hero foolish enough to fight alone when he had an entire army of allies by his side.

“You got me, Asfi?”

『I got you』

?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

The beast was struck by an immense force and promptly crashed onto the ground before it could crush the tired Bell.

A streak of lightning was all that remained from the strike that brought the titan low. Tracing its path, one could find a singular vessel that fired the power shot.

Emerging from beyond the horizon and moving with certainty was the black capital ship of the alliance fleet, Prydwen.

Seeing that his reinforcements had finally arrived, Bell deactivated his communication magic item and waited for them to arrive by his side.

He had been preparing and building up the alliance forces for over four months, and he didn't plan on simply letting them stand on the sidelines once again as he took on everything himself.

Bell was simply serving as a distraction for the beast as his forces performed a tactical retreat to regather their forces.

“Bell! Are you alright?!”

“Mister Bell! You can’t die!”

“You told me that you didn't plan on being reckless anymore, but that was way too close for comfort!”

“Apologies for the delay, Bell”

Jumping off from the Prydwen and rushing to his side were the Shalzard king Arry, the king’s contracted spirit Eos, the goddess Freya, and the beastman Ottar.

“Seeing Lady Freya be so worried… it would seem that times have truly changed…”

“Don’t be so down, Hedin. I’m sure there’s more fish in the sea for Orario’s number one desired elf bachelor”

Following closely behind the three was the Freya familia’s strategist Hedin, and their chief healer Heith.

Bell ignored the worries of the three by his side to properly assess how much they all were able to recover, and to his delight it would seem that they were all now in fighting condition.

‘It was the correct bet to give Freya four elixirs rather than taking it all for myself…’

Before he could lose himself in the brilliance of his prediction, Bell promptly stood back up before consuming another elixir. He was now on his last vial from his once plentiful stash, but he didn't have to worry, because he could now see the strategy through which victory can be achieved.

“I am grateful for the concern, but let’s save that all for after we deal with the titan, alright?”

Bell spoke to the crowd with eyes that were filled to the brim with magical energy. Radiating the brilliance of a boundless sky, they could all feel the sheer confidence he had in taking down the fearsome opponent who currently struggled to stand back up.

“As you can see, we are no longer dealing with the Grand Behemoth, but rather a mutated form of the monster, a beast you might say. It is neither the Behemoth nor the spirit Hesperides. It is a bastardization of the monstrous and divine…”

“It's mainly a physical fighter with the unique ability to grow stronger with the more damage it receives, eventually culminating in a violent explosion once it gathers enough energy…”

“And, if you observe right now, it grows immensely weak after using its trump card… so the plan is simple. Beat it up until it explodes way more violently, and leave the rest to me”

“Everyone cool with that?”

Bell turned to observe the reactions of the crowd after he had finished explaining everything he needed to articulate. But rather than being met with expressions of confidence and certainty… he was met with a menagerie of concerned looks.

“Arry… is Mister Bell alright in the head?”

“Don’t worry, Eos. Bell is simply too far gone to be judged with any sort of standards… you just have to accept everything and move on…”

The spirit and the king talked amongst themselves about the vigilante’s peculiarities.

“Bell…”

“Lady Freya? Is there something wrong?”

“Don’t speak, Ottar. You’re a fellow bastard that breaks common sense, so don't burden our goddess as she struggles to accept another person who breaks the norm…”

“How troubling… perhaps this is the consequence of our goddess’ peculiar tastes in mortals…”

The Freya familia similarly busied themselves with Bell’s behavioral abnormalities.

『Try and consider what normal people might think upon seeing you, Bell』

『HAHAHAHAHA!!! You really are quite enjoyable to watch, Bell! HAHAHAHAHA!!!』

Speaking through his communication magic item, the Hermes familia were also in the process of trying to understand the sheer absurdity of what Bell had done.

Not only did he consume an entire bag of expensive elixirs as if it were a common health potion, but he also did battle with a fearsome titan, survived an immense explosion whose light was able to reach far away, and after all of that, was extremely eager to battle the titan once more.

“...”

Hearing this, Bell took a moment to contemplate whether what he did was truly that abnormal that even the strongest familia would be shocked by it. But before he could think too deeply on it, the beast had recovered from the Prydwen’s attack and let out a loud roar to announce its anger.

『????????????????????!!!-』

The beast’s declaration had broken the thoughts of all the people present. Seeing their opponent, they all began to ready themselves for battle.

Arry and Ottar gripped down on their swords. Hedin and Heith clasped on their staves. Asfi and Hermes readied the reloading of the False Barrel. Freya stirred her divinity. Bell ignited his magic circuits.

In the field of blazing sand and glass, the culmination of the dream of an evil god now takes center stage.

?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

Bell, Arry, and Ottar immediately closed in on the beast as Hedin prepared his magic and Heith provided her passive healing.

As they all were at the brink of making contact, Freya’s divinity soared, and with a single word the goddess brought the fighters to go beyond their limits. Her divinity allowed their minds to truly rule over their bodies.

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

“!!!-”

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?    ?  ?  ?  ?』

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

????… ????… ????...

The beast lost balance as it faced three powerful attacks from multiple directions, but it quickly regained control as power began to surge through its body. A faint purple glow began to radiate off its skin, and the titan began to fight back.

『????????????????????!!!-』

? ? ? ? ?

Arry traversed through the ground of glass as she struck the beast in its lower body. She still lacked the necessary raw firepower to contend with Bell or Ottar, but she was powerful enough to contribute.

Though she lost an eye on exchange for helping stop the Grand Behemoth, she was able to navigate the battlefield better than before as she utilized her innate talent 『Instinct』more and more.

?????… ?????… ?????...

Utilizing the swordplay and combat knowledge she had learned from Bell, Arry began to strike at the numerous vital tendons and joints to hinder the beast’s movement.

“HMPH!!!-”

????.

Striking at the upper body, Ottar jumped from the numerous glass stalagmite-like protrusions from the ground between each attack to scale the titan’s immense height.

Having been faced with the sense of weakness from failing to overcome the Grand Behemoth, Ottar’s resolve to grow stronger was reignited once more.

Growing back in touch with the beastification he had rarely used since his battle with Zald, Ottar began to move more and more proficiently compared to before.

He was getting back in touch with the ravenous warrior that clawed his way to the very top in pursuit of strength and challenge.

Smiling wildly as he fought, he was no longer the stoic solitary king. Clasping on the black greatsword 『Brutus』with all his might, he had now thrown away his crown in favor of the sensation of blood against steel. Regaining his once lost alias as a young adventurer.

『Warbeast』

????.

In the backlines, Heith constantly chanted her regeneration healing magic 『Earth Gullveig』to allow the frontline fighters to always be at their physical peak.

Her healing resembled flickering red flames, and its potency was second to none. Holding the title of Orario’s Saintly Healer, alongside Airmid, when it came to healing and supporting in the battlefield, she was second to none.

『Fight eternally, indestructible soldiers of lightning』

Beside Heith, Hedin was busying himself with his own chanting of magic.

Seeing the everchanging battlefield unfold before him, the strategist elf was left shocked at the sheer scope of the battlefield.

It was truly a war like never before. The urban combat and secretive battles of Evilus during Orario’s dark age paled in comparison to the Behemoth threat… and yet… it was Bell who was able to perceive it all and plan accordingly.

‘From his acts as the vigilante of Orario, to his escapades across Gekai, and even in the Kaios, he always seems to be looking five steps ahead in every situation…’

As chief strategist, Hedin prided himself in his ability to infer from any situation and formulate a plan that others praised to be on the level of future sight, but in his observing of Bell, he had been met with situations he could've never foretold with his level of ability.

‘You really are impressive, Bell Cranel… and though it hurts me to say it… you have what it takes to be Lady Freya’s Odr…’

The elf praised the vigilante in his mind… not knowing that he had been relying on his knowledge as a reader and not as a strategist most of the time.

As a person who acted with his mind rather than his heart most of the time, the elf could recognize that his pursuit of divine beauty would inevitably end with heartbreak… but though he could foresee the end, it didn't mean that he had simply given up and accepted it. After all…

‘But Lady Freya can only have the very best… and you have more potential to grow… so until the time you can beat our familia and claim her as your own…’

… Elves are known for their stubborn pride.

‘I DON’T PLAN TO LOSE TO YOU JUST YET!!!-’

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?    ?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

In an instant, several orbs of lightning manifested around Hedin before being launched with immense force.

The orbs raced through the terrain at a frightening pace. The stray bolts that had struck the glass ground shattered it into numerous pieces.

???????… ???????… ???????...

Utilizing his mind and magical finesse, Hedin had aimed his orbs of lightning to strike several vital nerve points, causing the titan to suffer from the immense burns and become stunned.

????… ????… ????…

Along with damaging the titan, Hedin had allowed the three frontliners to deal immense blows with the moment he had given them with the stunning of his magic.

…

..

.

“Looks like the titan is nearing critical mass…”

Bell spoke to himself as he observed the concentration of mind that was gathering within the body of the beast.

Sensing this, he had ordered his group to halt their attacks for a moment. It was finally time to close the curtains on Angra Mainyu’s plans.

“Asfi, Hermes, is the False Barrel ready for deployment again?”

『We’re ready… but the False Barrel’s structural integrity will fail with this last shot…』

Asfi reported how the Prdywen and the False Barrel were at the limit its structure could withstand. Even with all the materials and magic items that went into its construction, it was simply still lacking.

“That’s alright. The False Barrel was a faulty design that was never meant for long-term use. Ready the Anti-Behemoth round and secure an escape route once it begins to fire”

『Do you have no heart, Bell?! Someone needs to manually operate the False Barrel, and you’re telling me and my child should operate when it will explode?!』

Hermes shouted down the communication magic item about his grievances. Between the manual confirmation for the False Barrel to activate and the resulting explosion from its destruction, Hermes and Asfi would have less than a minute to escape the Prydwen.

But faced with such a dilemma, Bell had only one thing to say.

“... Asfi, you can drop Hermes. The loss of the extra weight will allow you to escape faster”

『What an excellent idea, Bell!』

Bell and Asfi’s agreement was only met with the incessant sobbing and begging of the messenger god of Olympus. Hearing the god's plea for his life with everything he could, the adventurers of the Freya familia could only stand shocked that the two could force a divine being into such a pathetic state.

“Ignoring Hermes who is finally getting his karma, the plan now will be extremely simple”

“Heith, Hedin, you two prepare your strongest buff magic. Don’t even think about anything else, just focus on gathering the most amount of mind you can”

“Meanwhile, Arry, Ottar, you two… focus on making the strongest attack you can throw at the titan”

“I will stall the titan while you all prepare”

Before they could even reply, Bell had downed his last elixir and promptly began to face the titan by himself again.

Numerous chained blades erupted from the ground and bound the beast, whilst a volley of broken phantasms manifested all around him.

The sight of a single person doing all of those things brought some greatly needed motivation.

“...”

Ottar in particular was greatly moved by how Bell was so readily willing to dive back into the fray with such a foe by his lonesome.

The assured gaze of his, and the certainty of his will that was imbued into each movement he made, all of it radiated the privilege only the strong could possess.

The elite few who could take any problem into their hands, and mold it to their liking. A strength and bravado that imitated the unrivaled capabilities of the gods.

“How shameful… to call myself the strongest when he stands before me…”

Ottar admitted that he was no longer alone in the pursuit of strength. But he currently didn't wear an expression of sadness or joy… but one of a stoic warrior.

“Fuu…”

Entering a sword striking stance, Ottar began to gather his strength and mind to prepare his strongest attack… but though he exuded an immense pressure, he was not confident in being able to perform an attack that he could call as his strongest.

‘My beastification is still not yet ready to be used again, and even if I were to use it… Can I really call it the pinnacle of my ability?’

Ottar had been ashamed to call the innate ability of his race to be the pinnacle of his worth as a warrior. Many wielders of the sword had come before him, and many of the greatest of them did not rely upon their race to leave their mark on history.

The sword champion, Albert, who was able to wound the fearsome black dragon.

The Gluttony, Zald, who was able to fell the great Behemoth in a single strike.

The Sword Princess, Ais, whose sword rivaled none against monsters.

All these people were able to reach where they had their abilities alone… for Ottar to attribute the pinnacle of his strength to being lucky when he was born… it was the greatest shame for him who pursued an unquestionable form of strength.

‘Imagine it… the greatest sword strike you can attain… you’re no longer a beast nor an adventurer… not devoid of rationality or blessed with consciousness… neither mortal nor divine… now… you’re simply…’

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

Ottar began to exude a potent crimson aura from his body. He didn't sway nor flinch, he was deathly still. No longer heeding the sensations of his body, the beastman’s consciousness was neither present nor gone. It was a state of mind that only those who experienced the extreme end of strength could understand.

‘Imagine… imagine… imagine the strongest form of strength…’

He began searching through his memories for what he could perceive as the strongest form of strength. Moving beyond the incredible display of magic of Bell and Ais, going beyond the tales of Zald, and even away from the legends of Albert.

In his search, the beastman chanced upon a single memory. One he hadn't thought of in a long time. A simple bedtime story his mother and goddess regaled him when he was but a boy.

『Hm? You want me to tell you a story about the battles in heaven? That would be quite hard, my child…』

『Though you mortals consider the divine to be perfect, in reality, we’re nothing more than a bunch of bored people…』

『To pass the time, we merely practiced our chosen crafts to perfection, as there was nothing else to do…』

『Some practiced art. Some pursued strength. Some dabbled in ruling. Some partook in carnal pleasures… and some delved into the art of war and battle…』

『To recall a single impressive battle in heaven is the same as trying to recall a single grain of sand in a desert… though… there was a moment in particular I can faintly remember』

『Not out of my admiration of the battle, but because the battle had spread to my home of Vanaheimr and made me unwillingly involved in it. The immense annoyance I felt back then is why I remember it』

『That dog of Loki messed with the work of some sun and moon gods, Baldr had to be transported to the healer gods after some spat, and Thor was off fighting some snake or whatever…』

『Even that know-it-all bastard Odin was involved… if I remember correctly it was named something like this… the twilight of the norse gods…』

…

..

.

?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

…

..

.

【STRENGTH】: S999

…

..

.

【STRENGTH】: Ş̸̫͉̫̞̩̳͙͉͙͛́͋̓̊̽̎͆̽͐̃͆S̶̢̛͇̬̻̹̱͔̽͐̐͐̽̈́͝͝S̵̟̣̥̹̖̠̭̎́̿̄̒͑͂͜͠͝?̷͙̪̘͖͙̠̫̜̎̀?̵͓̮̃͜?̸̧͖̲͈͐

…

..

.

“My strongest attack?”

Arry questioned herself as to what Bell expected of her with his command.

Gripping the handle of Caliburn, the king had no idea what to do. She had only been studying the way of the sword for a short while, and practiced utilizing her spirit for even shorter than that.

Arry was by no means the most impressive warrior in the battlefield.

She was the strongest of her kingdom, and she could contend with the strongest of the Hermes familia in sheer strength, but was dwarfed by the power of the executives and high adventurers of the Freya familia, not to mention Bell himself.

The time she had spent running around the palace, the others had spent it in struggle or in honing their bodies. The moments she wasted in the garden with her mother and father, the others had been engaging in moments of life and death.

Who was she to be so shameless as to stand on the same stage as all of them?

…

..

.

?? ? ??? ?? ???… ???? ??? ?? ?? ???????

…

..

.

??? ???? ???????, ?? ????-????????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??, ?? ?????????? ?????????

…

..

.

? ???? ?? ?????, ???? ???????. ???? ????????? ?? ?? ???

…

..

.

“Bell…”

The name of the person she had known as the strongest in her mind. The one who freed her from the slums of Lioad. The one who brought her first victory at Alamuj. Concern in Halvan. Dreams in Sorshana. Hope in Merkabah… for him… why would she feel shame if it was for him who had given her so much.

As her mind grew clearer, beyond the horizon of the sky, the moon slowly shifted away as the calling of night drew to a close. As if responding to the will of the bearer of dawn’s spirit, daybreak had slowly arrived, filling Arry with immense power.

‘I want to see what the world looks like by your side… What beauty do you see in it that you would willingly choose to be its hero? Even if you stand between eternal glory and endless hate, what motivates you to see the best in a world of gods, mortals, and monsters?’

Some would call it pathetic. Others would call it desperate. But it didn't matter for Arry… so long as she held the dream in her heart and the sword in her hand… the dream to one day walk by his side without any doubt, and the sword to cleave away at all that stood in her path… she would gladly chase it endlessly.

…

..

.

?????? ??? ??? ???? ???????, ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ? ????

…

..

.

“Those two…”

Her eyes widening at the color of the two’s souls, the goddess Freya was presented with a sight that had yet to be shown in the world.

The convergence of fate, dreams, emotions, heart, mind, and soul. The miracle of mortals that dwarfed the brilliance of the divine and primordial. Such a sight was rare but known throughout the long storied halls of history, and yet in the grand scope of antiquity…

… never once had it occur twice at the same time.

A pillar of crimson. He who gave up all else for strength.

A pillar of gold. She who gave up all else for love.

One edge proclaimed the heights of selfishness. One edge proclaimed the throes of passion.

Yet both spoke the same song and tune. The melody that befell both god and man. Desire.

『Shatter the heavens』

The warrior spoke.

『Cleave the wicked』

The king declared.

“Bell! Retreat!”

Freya called for Bell to retreat from the titan’s position. Sensing the converging mass of power from both Ottar and Arry, the goddess wasn't sure if Bell could protect himself from their strikes.

“!!!-”

Dragging on two chained swords, Bell pulled himself away from the fight to allow the two kings to unleash their strikes.

…

..

.

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

…

..

.

『?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?』

…

..

.

The world trembled under the will of the two sword bearers.

Their attacks left great marks on the land, but they both knew that it was far from perfect. If they were to look back upon this time, they would both refuse to explain this moment as they were but newcomers on the new paths of strength that Bell had guided them towards.

Instead, the two would talk of what came after. The titan whose form resembled a mass  of raw muscle rather than a giant; The oppressive purple light whose strength pressed down upon them all; and most important of all, the shield Bell had made to protect them from its danger.

In the infertile land of sand ruined by the flames of war, the ash of monsters, and the glass of the titans wrath… he had bloomed a field of flowers.

『??? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???????』

『?  ?  ?    ?  ?  ?  ?』

There he stood. In the face of an anger that burned the world itself asunder, in the face of danger that would erase every trace of his existence, there he stood… in the frontlines… bearing the brunt of it… all with a smile on his face.

“Hedin! Heith! Cast your strongest magic on me! We only have one shot to end this, and it's now!”

“Eos! Arry is just unconscious! So stop crying over there and enchant my body with your light!”

Bell shouted out to his allies. The explosion was still ongoing, and he had to continue protecting them all from the force and heat of the blast, but his eyes could tell that it was the most opportune moment for them.

“Asfi as well! Fire the false Barrel toward the sky! I need a concentration of mind up there!”

Following his commands, Asfi fired the false barrel into the heavens while Hedin and Heith cast their magic.

『????? ??????. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?』

The Prydwen slowly began to crumble and explode with its final shot as the god and familia captain boarding the craft quickly began to escape.

The Anti-Behemoth round blazed a dark red trail across the dawn sky. Escaping beyond the light of the titan’s explosion, it promptly release an intense brilliance as it scattered the mind it contained within its structure across the atmosphere.

“It’s done, Bell! You better win! Or else Lord Hermes is going to cry non-stop after this!”

“I’m already crying you heartless child of mine!!!”

As the human-god duo bickered in the back, Hedin, Heith, and Eos began to strengthen Bell immensely.

『Sing eternally, o’ immortal saint』

『?????? ?????』

『Be blessed with the radiance of dawn』

『??? ?????』

『My name is gold. The arm of the Goddess who took an oath of immortality』

『Burned thrice, pierced forever. The flaming spear prison, the light that kills death. 』

『Curse, Curse, Curse. My body is gold. Here comes the endless struggle under the reviving light』

『??? ????????』

The yellow lightning of Hedin. The aurous light of Eos. The golden healing of Heith.

The silver of his goddess’ love. The gray of his clothes. The white of his hair.

Awash in resplendent colors, Bell had achieved a level of strength that would take him quite some time to reach once again.

The convergence of fate, dreams, emotions, heart, mind, and soul. The miracle of mortals that dwarfed the brilliance of the divine and primordial… but it was not a blessing given to him arbitrarily by forces beyond his will.

Everything had been as he foresaw it. Everything happened as he planned it. Looking down upon the world like it was a field for him to manipulate as he wanted. The omniscient perspective of a reader.

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

“Looks like I can hold true to my promise of no longer relying on miracles… after all… why rely on them if you can make it yourself!”

『I am the bone of my sword』

『Steel is my body… and fire is my blood...』

『I have created over a thousand blades...』

『Unknown to fate… nor known to destiny...』

『Have withstood pain to create many weapons...』

『Yet, those hands will never hold anything...』

『So as I pray...』

…

..

.

?  ?  ?  ?  ?    ?  ?

…

..

.

A light had descended upon the world. One that dwarfed the wrath of the titan, and even the brilliance of the almighty sun. In the hands of a single man, he rewrote fate itself.

Descending upon the world from the light’s brilliance, a great black blade was birthed from the near-impossible event. A refined edge the hero had tirelessly prepared to rid the threat that stood before him.

『????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????????』

…

..

.

“?  ?  -  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?”

…

..

.

In the dungeon city of Orario…

“Hm? Has morning arrived already, Ais?”

“Lefiya… that…”

“Lady Loki, that seems to be coming from the southeast… Kaios…”

“Finn, contact the guild. Freya has a lot of explaining to do once she gets back…”

In the city of Altena…

“Lady Athena, shall we prepare the maelstrom fleet for a rescue operation?”

“No need Odysseus… if anything, Bell shouldn't be the one being saved right now…”

“How can you tell?”

“Only he could do something as absurd as that~”

In the village of Colchis…

“Hm? Medea, it looks like your brother is up to something rather large this time~”

“That's coming from the southeast… the Kaios… WAIT FOR ME, BROTHER!!!-”

“HUH?! CALM DOWN MEDEA! WE ALREADY HAVE PLANS TO GO TO ORARIO! CALM DOWN AND LISTEN TO YOUR GODDESS FOR ONCE!”

In the ruins of Lakrios…

“Bell?… HA! THAT’S MY BRAT OVER THERE! HAHAHAHA!… now if only you were as filial as my grandson, other stupid child of mine…”

In the fields of Olympus…

“Hephaestion? Is it morning already?...”

“Lady Hestia… you might want to prepare… this… this might concern the great council of Olympus and Asgard…”

“... eh?”

…

..

.

Four months have passed…

Sitting idly by the side of a great lake, a hooded man enjoyed the sounds of the passing crowds of the port as he watched the swaying of the water.

“New shipment of goods! Get those crates out of the ship in the next hour! We lose profit with every second we waste here!”

“Fresh fish for sale! We also have an assortment of spices from Altena!”

“What a paradise for merchants~ The tariffs may be high, but the convenience and security you get here is like no place else in the Kaios~”

“This will be our new home dear… what a great city to settle down in…”

??? ????????

Numerous resplendent buildings were erected all throughout, constructed with the most reliable materials and the cutting edge engineering techniques and knowledge.

A city whose urban development maximized both citizen convenience of living, and merchant ease of trade.

Brought forth by the efforts of the now famous Behemoth-Alliance, the attention of the world was now shared between Orario and this new powerhouse of the desert sands.

Backed by the powerful adventurers of the Isis and Selene familias, along with the support of the famous Freya familia, and underground connections of the Hermes familia. New Sorshana was set up for greatness.

But its success alone couldn't be attributed to these groups alone.

The first was the famed ruler of the Shalzard royal lineage. A hero monarch who became known for their contract with the spirit of the dawn. A ruler whose wisdom was undisputed, and a warrior that could rival the very best of Orario.

However, said monarch refused to claim all the glory for themselves. Along with the powerhouses of the now disbanded Behemoth-Alliance, they were all in agreement on who held the claim to the greatest glory.

The people praised his name. The bards sang of his tales. The gods talked with an immense interest about what he would do next… his name?

“The Gray Ghost!”

“Hm?”

Running up beside the hooded man and crashing against the railing of the port, a starry-eyed child shouted the name of Shalzard’s hero with glee.

“He… he… he’s so cool!!!-”

“Cool? What makes you think that?”

The child quickly turned his head to the hooded man after hearing his question. Having not yet learned about the dangers of strangers, the child immediately began to converse with him.

“What about him isn’t cool, mister?! My family was originally from Orario, so I know how he got his start as a hero!”

“He cleaned up the streets from bad guys! Beat up monsters! And saved the day!”

The child went on and on about the numerous stories he had heard of the Gray Ghost. Seeing the sight of an innocent youth praising him so greatly, the hooded man couldn't be helped but smile widely.

“I heard he even picked up girls in the dungeon!”

“PFFT- HUH?!-”

“Don’t you know mister? Many girls said they were saved by the Gray Ghost in the dungeon. They even have a fan club! My older sister is a part of it!”

“O-Oh… I see…”

“My mom wanted to join it too after Gray Ghost saved her from being mugged, but she didn’t after my dad begged her not to… something about cucks and onore…”

(E/D: The NTR is strong with this one.)

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry? What for?”

As the child grew confused, and the heart of the hooded man grew heavy with guilt, the conversation shifted away from the potential breaking of a family back to the heroics of the Gray Ghost.

“Anyways! My family moved from Orario because my dad said something about investing early in the trade in this city… but for me… it's because of that sword over there!”

The child pointed to the center of the great lake of New Sorshana.

As the ships came and went, and as the tides struck against hull after hull, in the center of this great body of water was a giant black blade.

“Ig-Alima! The sword of the Gray Ghost!”

The starry-eyed child admired the sight of the weapon that stood magnanimously in the lake.

It had been the maker of the great crater that would soon become the Sorshana Lake. It had been the feller of the great monster that threatened to curse the desert with black ash. It had been born from a light that covered the whole world. And it had been forged by the hands of a great hero.

“Hey, mister! How do you think Gray Ghost was able to use it? It’s way too big… WAIT. IS GRAY GHOST A GIANT IN DISGUISE?-”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-”

Hearing the child’s theory on the true identity of the vigilante, the hooded man couldn't help but laugh at the youth’s imagination.

Seeing this, the child grew angry as he took the hooded man’s laughter as an insult to his idol and hero.

“Hey! Don’t laugh at Gray Ghost! He saved my mom!”

The pair went back and forth between laughter and anger before it eventually settled down into quiet.

“Haa… haa… haa… look kid, I wasn't laughing at the Gray Ghost. I was laughing at what the people think the Gray Ghost is…”

“Huh? What the people think?...”

“To me, the Gray Ghost isn't anything special. He was simply someone who acted upon what he wanted… a better world for everybody…”

The child went quiet as he listened to the words of the hooded man. He didn't know why… but he felt that he would regret it forever if he didn’t listen.

“If Gray Ghost could make a sword that could kill a great monster, what use did he have for the members of the alliance? If he had all this strength, he could do everything by himself… but he didn't…”

“It’s all well and good to idolize a hero, kid. But never forget that great people don’t achieve greatness by themselves, they achieve with the help of others, no matter how prideful they might be”

“From the strongest adventurer to even common farmers, all those people helped him to plant that sword into the ground… so… hypothetically… if I were the Gray Ghost, I would want the message that sword would bring to be like this…”

“Even when everything seems lost… a difference can be made. No matter how small it can be…”

?????...

A breeze blew past the two with a gentle force. For a brief second, the hood of the man lifted slightly, revealing the face hidden beneath it. Shining white hair, and a pair of striking sky blue and chilling cold gray eyes.

‘That mister looks really handsome…’

But though the child was drawn in by his looks, his mind soon fell back upon the words he had said.

“... I doubt a farmer was able to do much in the fight though, mister. If I was in the battle of the alliance, I probably wouldn't have helped”

“Hm? I don't see it that way. Those hands have some small calluses forming. You’re training in weapon combat? That’s impressive for someone your age”

“...!!!- It’s nothing! I just have some small talent in it, nothing much…”

“I see… then let’s make a bet… if I win, you’ll have to strive to become a hero like Gray Ghost without question… and if you win… you can have this sword”

From his waist, the hooded man pulled out a sword with a common sheath. It didn't appear to be worth much, but in the eyes of a child who had only known wooden weapons, a genuine metal sword was like a priceless treasure.

“Deal! But… how will I know you’ll stick with the promise? I don't even know you!”

“Took you that long to recognize that I was a stranger huh?”

The child grew angry as he felt he was being made fun of by the hooded man, but was quickly silenced by what he did next.

“You keep the sword for now. I’ll come back for it if you lose, alright?”

“...”

Holding the sword in his hands, the child’s eyes went wide as he saw a faint glimmer of the blade being covered by the common sheath. It was reflecting a radiant light that none of the swords he had seen in the market.

“... Mister… I might just steal it you know…”

Though the child was easy to anger and willing to fight, he still held true to the morals of an upright child taught to him by his parents. Something which brought amusement to the hooded man.

“That’s why I gave it to you. You seem like the type that struggles to lie. You might become devoid of emotions faster than being able to lie with a straight face”

“...”

“Oh! One last thing… it's not good to lie about your gender, little girl”

“!!!- How did you-”

But before the child could speak, the hooded man smiled one last time at the child before walking away. Just as the child began to run towards him… he vanished.

“Huh?”

The sight had gone unnoticed by the bustling crowds of the port. Standing still with the sword in her hands, the child’s heart grew faster and faster with excitement, realizing the truth she had failed to notice prior.

“A gray cloak… the ability to conjure swords from nowhere… a striking blue gaze… GRAY GHOST!!!-”

“Artoria! Why did you run up so far ahead? You could’ve gotten lost…”

As the child grew giddy with excitement, a white-haired woman ran up to the child with concern and anger apparent on her face, but her worries were only met with the incessant talking of the excited youth.

“Gray Ghost! Gray Ghost! Big sis Morgan! I met Gray Ghost!”

“... sure you did…”

“I’m not lying though! I did meet the Gray Ghost!”

“... Artoria, seeing Ig-Alima isn't the same as meeting Gray Ghost”

“It’s Arthur when I’m out in public! And I did see Gray Ghost!”

“... alright, alright, so how was Gray Ghost like?”

“He was so cool!”

Walking down the busy crowd of Port Bell of New Sorshana hand-in-hand, the two sisters began to talk in earnest about the Gray Ghost. Relishing the peace he had brought over the once chaotic and hopeless Kaios.

…

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.

???? ??? ???? ?? ????'? ???????? ?????? ?? ? ?????… ??? ?? ????? ? ??? ????… ? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ????, ??????.

(E/D: Finally, the End. So, I am quite disappointed Bell didn’t quote Buddha. I wish he will in the future in front of the Gods.)

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Editor:

The Darkest Knight#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

I HAVE FINISHED THE JOURNIES ARC. I CAN FINALLY WRITE ABOUT ORARIO. LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!-

Sorry once again for the discrepancy between chapters, I am on my last week of school before graduation. 8 quizzes, 2 presentations, and 1 group project are due this week…in addition to my final exams the week after….so I will be gone for a while-

But before I “bravo six, going dark” I atleast wanted to end this arc.

Next chapter will be an epilogue, followed by a side chapter.

Question for you guys, do you want the R-18 chapter to be included with the epilogue? Or should it be separate? I’ll leave it to a vote.

[yes]

[no]

For my scribblehub readers, just leave a comment with your vote.

With that out of the way! Thank you for continuing to support this fanfic, I hope you look forward to the next chapter, and may you all have a nice day!