I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 15 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Great Demon Beast

「I'm going.」

「Be careful. Don't do anything reckless.」

Rhyn's kindness towards others was showing through in not telling her to do her best. Well, even though she's a spirit.

Fran had to somehow weaken the Great Demon Beast's power here, or Rhyn's wish wouldn't come true. However, what Rhyn was most worried about was Fran's safety. Still, it was more effective for Fran this way.

「Nn. I'll do my best. I won't do anything reckless.」

Fran nodded in response to Rhyn's words, and her expression was so full of determination that it was hard to believe she wouldn't do anything reckless. Juzeka, whom they had just met, chuckled, clearly noticing this.

『Fran, your safety comes first, you know?』

（I know.）

『That doesn't look like the face of someone who understands.』

Nevertheless, she seemed a bit too motivated. Did something boost her motivation?

（It's my first time fighting against the Evil God's fragment.）

『Yeah, that's true.』

（To break the curse on the Black Cat Tribe, I might eventually have to face opponents as strong as S-rank evildoers or even the Evil God's minions. Knowing how strong they are is a good thing.）

Fran's goal was to lift the curse placed on the entire Black Cat Tribe by divine punishment. To achieve this, she would need to defeat a threat-level S evildoer or a minion of the Evil God using only the power of the Black Cat Tribe. In other words, it meant subjugating the Evil God's fragment. Honestly, it seemed like an impossible goal that would require even stronger Black Cat Tribe members than Fran is now, and more than one of them.

That might take decades, if not more. In fact, it might take several generations. However, none of that seemed like a reason for Fran to stop.

『Isn't it completely different?』

（I know.）

『Whether it's stronger or weaker than the original fragment of the Evil God, I can't really tell...』

（It's a chance to feel the power of the Evil God's fragment.）

She was just smiling with hope.

Believing in such positive things was probably what contributed to Fran's inner strength.

『Yeah, you're right. Although there are various factors at play this time, it seems like I can touch a part of its power.』

（Nn!）

「Right, this...」

Rhyn created water that showered down on Fran like a shower. Immediately afterward, it was evident that Fran's stamina had recovered. It wasn't a full recovery, but she must have felt considerably better.

「Healing water. This is about all I can do.」

「Thank you.」

「Don't overexert yourself until Sierra and the others join the battle, okay?」

「Nn. But if the opponent is weak, is it okay to defeat them?」

Hey now! Is this one of the lines that's at the top of the list of "Is it okay to defeat them?" remarks? But depending on the situation, it could be a death flag!

（Master? What's wrong?）

『N-Nothing. I'm just impressed by Fran's enthusiasm.』

（Hmm?）

If it comes to it, I'll have to forcibly get her out of here!

And then, Fran rode on Urushi and leaped toward the Great Demon Beast.

「Woof woof!」

With Urushi running at full speed, they quickly closed the distance of about a kilometer.

『Don't get too close! We're already in its range!』

「Woof!」

「Has it gotten bigger?」

『Yeah, it's clearly bigger.』

Compared to when we first checked, the Great Demon Beast's body had swelled several times. Even now, it was continuing to grow larger while in the process of revival. If that was the case, how big was it originally? The tentacles of three colors—dark red, ash, and purple—squirmed and intertwined, and the massive flesh mass was still expanding.

『How are you feeling, Fran?』

「I'm okay.」

Fran said so, but she had been in intense battles all day today. Moreover, she had even used Sword God Transformation, so her exhaustion must have been tremendous. Ideally, they would want to take a break, but there was no time for that.

『I'll lead with my magic at first. Fran, don't do anything reckless and focus on observing the opponent.』

「...Got it.」

Fran, who understood her own condition, reluctantly nodded. Then she looked at Juzeka, who was flying next to her.

「As we discussed, you don't need to worry about me and move as you like.」

Juzeka seemed confident in adapting to their pace. Well, if she said so, then let's go along with it.

『Urushi will be the main one for dodging. Please, Urushi.』

「Woof!」

「Here it comes!」

『Can I reach it even here?』

From the top of the wriggling massive flesh, a pitch-black magic bullet was fired. The magic bullet, which had been shot high into the air, descended directly toward Fran, drawing an arc. Moreover, it burst and dispersed along the way. It was like a barrage.

『Urushi!』

「Woof woof!」

The power packed into each magic bullet was immense. From the lake surface where the magic bullets hit, water columns of over ten meters were rising. However, the aim itself was rather sloppy. Well, considering its colossal size, perhaps it was quite precise from its perspective? In any case, Urushi should easily be able to dodge this.

『Now it's my turn! Let's start with this one! Kanna Kamui!』

Only one shot was fired, but it was not an ordinary Kanna Kamui. It had been condensed to increase its power, and on top of that, it was a special attack developed for dealing with evil beings, infused with the power of Purification and Righteousness. It had the power to annihilate the defense-specialized threat level C demon beast, Minotaurus General, in a single blow, as demonstrated during the battle on the Holy Wolf Plains.

『Take this!』

A white thunder imbued with holy power pierced through countless extended tentacles and exploded on the main body. Immediately upon impact, a deafening roar accompanied the release of countless lightning bolts, covering the surroundings in an overwhelming flash. The numerous lightning bolts running across the surface of the Great Demon Beast's body might appear like giant plant roots.

It didn't pierce through, but it had left a large crater in the massive flesh. Moreover, the surrounding flesh had been scorched and charred, crumbling away. However, when it came to whether it had dealt significant damage...

『Tsk. Even though I added Purification and Righteousness, it's regenerating normally.』

「Maybe because not everything in it is evil?」

『Probably.』

「Is there no damage at all?」

『There's a tiny bit, but it seems like its released magic power has decreased.』

It was indeed extremely slight. Juzeka was firing magic bullets at the crater left by Kanna Kamui, but it didn't seem to have much effect either.

「Should I join in as well?」

『No, for now, I want to find its weak points. Fran, just stick to simple attacks.』

「Got it.」

『Urushi, can you get a bit closer? This time, I want to use Telekinetic Catapult for a direct attack.』

「Grr!」

『Alright, here we go!』

「Nn! Haaah!」

Utilizing Urushi's high-speed charge, Fran hurled me toward the Great Demon Beast.

『Hyaaah!』

I unleashed Telekinesis at full throttle and charged straight toward the Great Demon Beast. Countless thin tentacles extended to intercept me, but their strength didn't seem to be as formidable as their appearance suggested.

I broke through the encircling network of over a hundred tentacles with my momentum and plunged into the grotesque giant body of the Great Demon Beast.

『Uwooooo!』

「Gyuuuoooaaaoaoooo!」

I could hear the Great Demon Beast's roar. It seemed more like annoyance than pain. It was causing some annoyance to it in some way, but... A crater about the same size as the one from Kanna Kamui had been created, but it didn't seem like it had clearly inflicted damage.

『Even with Purification and Righteousness at full power, this is all I could do!』

There probably weren't many evil gods within the Great Demon Beast's composition, and it was simply too high-level of an opponent.

『Tsk! This is...!』

The gouged flesh began to regenerate rapidly. If this continued, I would end up being swallowed by the Great Demon Beast's insides. Clearly, it was deliberate. In other words, it had the intelligence and reasoning to strategize to this extent.

I used Teleportation to escape, but my durability had been significantly reduced. It seemed that its bodily fluids had corrosion and acid-like effects.

『For something this huge, the hole I opened must be like a scratch to it.』

I circled around the Great Demon Beast once more to confirm its appearance. It was still in the process of growing and its tentacles were intertwining, making it look like nothing more than a massive blob of flesh. It lacked not only a head but also hands, feet, tails, and wings.

Formed from purple, dark red, and gray tentacles, one could liken it to a grotesque skyscraper...

「Gw... Ggooohh...!」

『Hmm?』

I heard some strange noise. A growl? I couldn't even tell where its mouth was, but it definitely sounded like a voice.

「Ggagooohh... Ggyagoooohh...!」

『Whoa, that's gross!』

The anomaly occurred at the top of the flesh mass. I watched from above as the tentacles writhed intensely, and something began to emerge from below.

『A mouth?』

「Ggyogooohh...!」

What appeared, pushing aside the tentacles, was an unmistakable mouth. Was it the mouth of the Great Demon Beast?

『It looks somewhat human.』

Despite its enormous size, it lacked beastly fangs and didn't have an otherworldly appearance. Its reddish-black gums and square white teeth lined up in there. The shape of the mouth was eerily human-like within its otherworldly context.

「Ggooohhh... Shiiitaagaaahhh!」

『Huh?』

「Shiiitaaahh!」

It was speaking. Its voice was massive and earsplitting, as if it were speaking through a malfunctioning megaphone, but it was definitely using words.

「Shiiitaaahgaaaaaeeeee!」

I guess you could call it a voice. There was malevolence in its voice. I could understand why someone who heard this might become dominated.

However, it didn't work on me. Normally, it might require considerable effort to reject or resist its control, but honestly, it had no effect on me whatsoever. I didn't even feel like I was close to being dominated. I just found its voice annoying.

「Shiiitaaah!」

『Shut up!』

「Shiiitaaah!」

『Just keep screaming your head off there forever!』

「Shiiitaaah!」

Is that all you can say?

『Shiiitaa—』

「Take this!」

I fired Kanna Kamui into the Great Demon Beast's mouth, which was repeating the same word like a broken speaker. The white lightning was swallowed up by the open mouth.

「Jiidaagaaahhhhh!」

『It seems to be more effective from the outside...?』

I felt like the Great Demon Beast's magic power had decreased more compared to the initial Kanna Kamui shot...

Anyway, the Great Demon Beast showed some reaction. Let's go back to Fran for now.

『Fran, you're fine with the noise, right?』

「Yeah, it's just annoying.」

「Woof!」

Good, both Fran and Urushi are not affected by the evil god's control at all. Both of them simply flattened their ears and frowned, not experiencing any issues. It was confirmed that the evil god's control was not a problem for them. Well, the voice of the Great Demon Beast, which was echoing at deafening volumes, was extremely annoying, but it wasn't unbearable.

『I've tried attacks at points and from within. Now I want to try an area attack.』

「Area?」

『An attack that covers the entire area with magic. Fran, can you assist me a bit?』

「Got it.」

What we unleashed was a level 9 thunder magic, "Ekato Keraunos."

「Haaah!」

『Here we go!』

Due to the multiple activations of high-level thunder magic, hundreds of lightning bolts rained down upon the Great Demon Beast. The sight of electricity coursing through its massive body, causing sparks to fly, was nothing short of spectacular. Furthermore, lightning traveled through the lake along its body, creating flashes of light that engulfed a wide area.

「Jijidadadadadadadadadaaa!」

『It's not over yet!』

The thunder, enhanced with the power of purification, was effective. With confidence in that, I continued to rain down more lightning. A barrage of ten consecutive strikes. I must have unleashed over a thousand lightning bolts upon the Great Demon Beast.

As we continued to attack the Great Demon Beast with this storm of lightning, it began to writhe noticeably.

Just as I thought its entire form had contracted—

「Shitagaaaaae!」

The previously shrunken mass suddenly expanded, and a storm of magic power raged.

『No way! It broke free through sheer force!』

The Great Demon Beast had released an enormous amount of magic power from its entire body, blowing away the magic.

It was an immense amount of magic power. If I had been caught up in that surging magic power, I might have been pulverized. The Great Demon Beast was truly exceptional.

『Damn. It doesn't seem to have taken much damage.』

「It looks quite scorched, though.」

『Not on the surface.』

Superficial wounds like those would likely regenerate quickly. The contained magic power within the Great Demon Beast hadn't decreased significantly.

『Instead of hitting it with many small attacks, it seems better to hit it with powerful attacks.』

「I see.」

「Woof.」

As I relayed that, Fran raised her hand.

「Yes, I have something I want to try.」

『Something you want to try? I hope it's not something too reckless...』

「It's fine.」

『...Alright.』

「Nn! Thank you, Master.」

Her determined eyes showed no signs of wavering. In that case, let's give it a shot.

『So, what are you planning?』

「Nn. Cutting it!」

It was a straightforward answer, but it was worth a try. While I had used Telekinetic Catapult for a charging attack, I hadn't attempted physical attacks beyond that.

「Master, lend me a hand too.」

『Sure!』

「Urushi, join us.」

「Woof!」

『I see, that's it!』

「Nn!」

During her training on the Magic Wolf Plains, Fran had developed a special technique not only with me but also with Urushi.

It was so over the top that even I was left speechless when I witnessed their training scenes. Well, not that they had mouths! Honestly, I tried to stop them many times, but seeing how much fun Fran and Urushi were having despite getting badly injured over and over again, I couldn't bring myself to stop them.

Thanks to that, they had successfully developed this finishing move, but... for an ordinary person, it would undoubtedly be the result of countless severe injuries that would leave lasting scars.

『I'll leave the timing to you. I'll focus on self-enhancement and defense.』

「Please.」

「Woof!」

Fran and Urushi began to ascend rapidly into the sky. They must have exceeded an altitude of 1000 meters.

「Brilliant Lightning Rush—Let's go, Urushi!」

「Grr!」

Leaving behind Fran, who continued to enhance herself, Urushi soared even higher.

「Grr Lulu Ooooo!」

Immediately after that, Urushi charged toward Fran.

Using a skill, his speed was much faster than simply running through the air. Urushi charged at Fran without any deceleration, as if he intended to crush her with his massive body.

Then, he swung his front paw towards Fran. It wasn't just a casual attack; it was a serious strike that even activated his claw techniques. However, Fran remained unfazed.

「Raaaaaaah!」

「Grr Lulu Ooooo!」

Surprisingly, instead of dodging the attack, Fran turned her back to Urushi. She extended both legs behind her, as if she was preparing to counter Urushi's front paw with her own. If their positions were reversed, it might have looked like Fran, with her knees bent, was crouching on top of Urushi's paw.

But in reality, Urushi's paw swung down from above, and Fran was facing downward.

However, this was the correct move. If it were her usual Heavenly Swordsmanship, she would have used the recoil from the generated threads or kicked the air during a leap to gain initial velocity. This time, she utilized the recoil from Urushi's attack.

Fran converted Urushi's full power, enhanced by his physical strength and instantaneous acceleration, into propulsion. She was launched forward like a meteor. This combined force of Urushi's power and Fran's acceleration created a speed that was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye. Behind Fran's path, black lightning danced, and only then could one barely make out her trajectory.

A sensation of something deflecting against a barrier. Without realizing it, I had deflected the Great Demon Beast's tentacle.

The distance between the Great Demon Beast, which was 1,000 meters away, closed in an instant.

「Heavenly Judgment!」

「Shitaaa—」

There was no sensation of cutting through flesh, perhaps because it was too sharp and too fast. The resistance was no more than cutting through water. I, who had swung the attack, hadn't even recognized what had happened.

By the time I realized it, the Great Demon Beast's body had been split in half from top to bottom, accompanied by a scream.

『Translocate!』

We quickly evacuated to a slightly distant location.

「Guu...」

『Fran! Use regeneration!』

「Ugh...」

Fran hadn't directly taken the Great Demon Beast's attack. However, her body was heavily damaged.

「Gufo...」

Blood she spat out was mixed with the contents of her stomach. It was horrifying to gauge the extent of the internal injuries.

But it was only natural. She had received Urushi's full-power attack. Even though she had surrounded her legs with barriers and used magic and regeneration to mitigate the damage, the impact must have been significant.

Moreover, in the plains, she only used the recoil to her advantage, but this time, Fran had accelerated even further with her own full power.

The strain was unimaginable. Unable to withstand the acceleration, her internal organs, muscles, and bones were all severely damaged. Her legs were in terrible condition as well, swollen from internal bleeding, fractures, and muscle ruptures.

Particularly severe was her right arm, where the bone was visible through the broken elbow. Her eyes were another issue; the capillaries had burst, turning both eyes bright red, and blood flowed incessantly. It was astonishing that she could still cast Heavenly Judgment in this condition and even more remarkable that she was conscious despite the additional strain from the technique.

「I'm still in the middle of the fight...」

Because she was still in combat, she couldn't afford to lose consciousness. I understood that, but whether she could actually follow through was another matter.

Her mental fortitude was astounding. I admired her from the bottom of my heart. If I were in Fran's shoes, I would probably be screaming in pain and suffering. Well, before that, I wouldn't even think about accelerating with the recoil from Urushi's attack.

『You were amazing! But I did tell you not to overdo it!』

「It had to be that way, or it wouldn't have worked.」

『That's true, but...』

「But?」

『I couldn't defeat it.』

She really intended to defeat it! However, as Fran muttered with frustration, they hadn't completely defeated the Great Demon Beast. Its upper half had been split in half from the top of the mouth down to about halfway, dividing it into two.

However, near the base, the tentacles that had sprouted from the cross-section were already intertwining and beginning to repair.

『Even so, its vitality hasn't decreased much.』

「Black Lightning God's Claw... I failed...」

『Considering the situation just now, it can't be helped.』

Rather, it was surprising that the attack just now wasn't a completed version. As Fran mentioned, if the strike had been imbued with the divine attribute of the Black Lightning God's Claw, it might have inflicted truly irreparable damage.

However, it still couldn't be activated instantly, and she was enduring intense pain. Failure was inevitable.

『Its magical power has decreased considerably. You did well.』

「Nn...」

『And it's not over yet!』

If thunder magic wasn't effective, they could follow up with different types of magic. I scattered dozens of Flame Magic's Flare Explodes and Light Magic's Light Explosions onto the still-open wound of the Great Demon Beast. Red and white flashes adorned the creature's wound, accompanied by resounding explosions.

「Incredible swordsmanship and magic! You're an amazing child! I can't afford to lose either!」

Shouted Juzeka, who suddenly appeared. She must have disappeared with space-time magic. Even she, who had displayed such an astonishing amount of magic power, had completely hidden her presence. This woman was definitely not just an ordinary adventurer.

「Vile demon! Feast on this!」

Over a hundred time-space attribute magical energy bullets poured into the Great Demon Beast's wound.

「Jiiidaagaaagaaaee!」

『That didn't do much damage either.』

Juzeka's attack just now utilized magic power equivalent to a grand magic spell, you know? It seemed that not only thunder magic but also other attributes were difficult to use against it. With magic resistance and high regeneration abilities, it was truly troublesome!

「Woof woof!」

「Urushi」

Urushi returned, but his condition was dire. The secret technique employed by Fran and Urushi had tremendous recoil for both of them. Naturally, Fran wasn't the only one to suffer injuries. While she had likely already healed them using regeneration magic, there was still blood splattered on her face and shoulders. This wasn't just from her broken arm.

The right foreleg, which had served as the catapult to launch Fran, apparently couldn't withstand the shock raging through its interior. It seemed to have ruptured from within due to the impact.

「Are you okay?」

「Woof!」

Fran was patting Urushi's nose.

Then, we sensed an approaching presence. However, it wasn't an enemy or Juzeka.

「This... this is quite something. Did they do that...? What a...」

「Hey, isn't this flashy?」

「...Time's running out.」

『Yeah.』

Two figures approached. They weren't enemies, but honestly, I didn't want them to come any closer.

「We'll assist from here.」

「...Anything you command.」

The ones who arrived were Sierra and Zelos Reed, both cloaked in an evil aura greater than even high-ranking wicked individuals.

「Ugh...」

Fran grimaced upon seeing Sierra and Zelos Reed. However, her expression didn't stem from negative emotions. Unconsciously, she probably felt disgust due to the powerful evil aura emitted by the two.

「Still, you couldn't defeat it in that state...」

Observing the Great Demon Beast, which still bore the wounds from Fran's slashes, Sierra muttered with a stern expression.

「...Are both of you okay under the influence of the Evil God?」

「Yeah, no problems.」

「Same here.」

Thanks to the mutual devouring of the magical swords they possessed, Sierra and Zelos Reed could absorb the same type of evil aura and convert it into power. Because of this, it seemed they could neutralize the Evil God's control, which was activated through the medium of evil aura.

Zelos Reed was currently a prime example of this.

However, I still couldn't fully trust it. As long as they could absorb power through devouring, it was fine, but I didn't know what would happen if they exceeded their capacity. Sierra and the others were aware of this risk as well.

「We'll join in right away. Our power tends to increase uncontrollably.」

「Same here.」

We didn't know each other's secrets, and there wasn't a strong mutual trust. Fran and the others exchanged a few words for several seconds, ultimately deciding to launch separate attacks. Sierra and Zelos Reed could cooperate, but it would be impossible for Fran. Besides, we wanted to watch their battle.

『They'll go all out from the start by the looks of it. We'll slow down a bit and search for weak points from a distance.』

「Nn.」

「Woof!」

As expected, Sierra and Zelos Reed charged into the Great Demon Beast with their evil auras at full throttle.

By the way, a fundamental question remained: would attacks using an evil aura be effective? Would they work against someone who had absorbed fragments of an Evil God?

Sierra began her attack by firing evil energy, and the massive explosion resulted in numerous tentacles being blown away. It seemed that they could inflict damage with their evil energy. This was evident from the fact that the Purification and Justice attribute had not been particularly effective, indicating that the nature of the Evil God might not be all that strong.

Specializing in the power to control others might have made their physical attributes not entirely in line with those of normal creatures. However, their attributes as an Evil God were seemingly not that strong.

After observing their attacks for a while, I also decided to cast magic from a distance. I tried various attributes I possessed, such as Purification, Earth, and Water, but I couldn't find any weaknesses. If there were no specific weaknesses based on attributes, what about targeting specific areas, like the core or vital points? I entrusted the attacks to Sierra and the others and continued observing the Great Demon Beast. Was there a pattern in the flow and concentration of magical power? What about when it regenerated?

『Hmm?』

「Something off?」

『Yeah, something's not right...』

There was a subtle feeling of unease. However, neither Fran nor I could discern its true nature.

『So, in the end, we'll have to chip away at it through brute force?』

「That seems to be the case.」

I didn't overlook the fact that Fran's movements were deteriorating. Physically and mentally, she must have accumulated exhaustion that she wasn't even aware of.

『Fran, try to recover a bit. We'll need to deliver one final blow.』

「Understood.」

While considering where to strike with her attacks, Fran and Urushi suddenly reacted strongly.

With a somewhat surprised expression, I looked up diagonally. Currently, Sierra and Zelos Reed were located about a hundred meters diagonally above us, from our position near the water's surface. Fran and the others were surprised because the evil auras they emitted were rapidly increasing. It seemed they were preparing for a significant attack.

『Let's move a bit farther away.』

「Nn.」

「Woof!」

They lined up, with Zelos Reed in front and Sierra in the back. Both were concentrating their evil auras above their heads. We didn't know if it would provide support, but we decided to use flashy magic to divert the Great Demon Beast's attention toward us. As we watched, it seemed Sierra and the others had completed their preparations.

『Is that... an Evil Energy Spear?』

「And Zelos Reed's? Rings?」

Sierra had created a cone-shaped Evil Energy Spear. It was a condensed mass of evil energy. She seemed to be planning to fire it as an attack. However, what was the thing above Zelos Reed's head? As Fran had mentioned, it was a ring. Three black rings, each slightly larger in diameter than the Evil Energy Spear Sierra had created, were arranged in equal intervals. Would he use them like chakrams?

『Anyway, raise your barriers!』

「Nn!」

No matter what attack they were planning to unleash, it involved that evil aura. It was bound to have an immense power. We increased our distance further and opened our barriers wide. Right after that, Sierra moved.

「Take this!」

Sierra swung down her right hand, and at the same time, an Evil Energy Spear was thrust forward as if thrown by an invisible hand. From our perspective, its speed was only somewhat impressive. Well, it seemed that the crucial factor was delivering the evil energy, so speed might not have been that important?

However, that wasn't the case. Along the trajectory of the Evil Energy Spear, three rings created by Zelos Reed were lined up. Remarkably, with each passage through those rings, the Evil Energy Spear accelerated.

By controlling the flow of evil energy, Sierra had rapidly accelerated the Evil Energy Spear she had released. I see, it was an attack that could interfere with evil energy using evil energy, something only Sierra and Zelos Reed's combination could achieve.

Furthermore, it absorbed the rings when accelerating, causing the spear itself to grow larger.

「It's fast!」

The Evil Energy Spear, now as fast as my Telekinetic Catapult, pierced the Great Demon Beast's tentacles, finally impaling its head.

DOGOOOOOOOOO!

『Whoa?』

Shockwaves and powerful evil energy reached us. A tsunami-like high wave was generated, causing the lake's surface to shake violently. It was a tremendous explosion. The compressed evil energy had been released all at once.

The Great Demon Beast, struck directly by Sierra and Zelos Reed's combined technique, had a massive hole torn into it. It was a much larger scar than the one my Kanna Kamui with Purification and Justice had caused.

However—

『...Is that still not enough?』

The scar immediately began to regenerate. We were getting tired of it constantly regenerating no matter how much we attacked. However, even within that frustration, there was a glimmer of hope for us.

『The regeneration has begun, but... Is it a bit slower?』

「Nn!」

The regeneration speed was slightly slower than our attacks, either due to our continuous efforts or because of the recent attack. Regardless, if we could understand the reason, we might be able to find a way to break through this situation.

I maximized my skills and continued observing the Great Demon Beast.

『That hole is regenerating more slowly after all.』

So, was it the evil energy that dealt more significant damage than Kanna Kamui with Purification and Justice? Or was it because the accumulated damage was finally manifesting? There was also the possibility of the Evil God's Holy Eucharist effect. Even now, a considerable amount of evil energy was flowing out of the Great Demon Beast and into Sierra and Zelos Reed. With that much power being absorbed, it wouldn't be surprising if it had an impact.

Just as I was about to ask Sierra and the others about it...

「You seem to be struggling.」

「Rhyn?」

Suddenly, the spirit Rhyn appeared.

『Did you come to help?』

「Yes, I thought I could be of some assistance.」

『Hey, do you know if there's any weakness in that thing?』

「If there were, it wouldn't be impossible.」

『Really?』

「Is it true?」

Rhyn nodded easily. Fran and I couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

『Is it related to the magic stone? If we can destroy the magic stone, we should be able to defeat it easily.』

「Of course, the magic stone is one aspect, but for now, it's still sealed.」

According to Rhyn, the current Great Demon Beast represents only a fraction of its full form. To put it in human terms, it's as if only one arm has just emerged. Naturally, things like the magic stone are still sealed.

Just one arm... If the whole thing were to emerge, it would likely spell the end of this entire continent.

「What's its weakness?」

「I said something like a possible weakness. It's not a clear-cut vulnerability.」

Saying this, Rhyn pointed to a spot slightly away from the opening Sierra and the others had created.

「Look over there.」

「Where?」

『...Ah, there's a wound!』

「Even though it's such a small wound, it's slow to heal, isn't it? And those tentacles, too.」

Rhyn pointed to new tentacles on the Great Demon Beast. Indeed, some of the tentacles were not regenerating and remained severed. Because there were so many, we hadn't noticed until now.

「There's a kind of magic left in those tentacles that's similar to life magic. The same goes for that wound.」

「Life magic...」

Fran muttered and patted Urushi on the back. That's right, although it was hard to distinguish the tentacles themselves, those small wounds pierced by Urushi were unmistakably the result of his biting.

『I see! It's a skill that inhibits regeneration!』

We hadn't really felt it until now, but Urushi had a skill that could inhibit the opponent's regeneration. Apparently, it worked excellently against the Great Demon Beast as well.

「It's not exactly a weakness, but even that incredible regenerative power is ultimately due to skills. If you use magic or abilities to inhibit that, it will be effective.」

The slower regeneration of the wound meant that more magic or evil energy had to be consumed to heal that part. With Urushi joining in on the attacks, we could likely deal damage more efficiently than before.

Furthermore, the regeneration inhibition was not limited to Urushi alone.

『Fran, in life magic, there should be a technique that inhibits the opponent's healing.』

Urushi had once temporarily lost an eye due to using this technique. He had likely gained the regeneration inhibition skill through that experience, but...

（Should I use points?）

『Yes!』

We had the ability to evolve ourselves. Moreover, we already possessed life magic.

『However, we don't know at what level we can learn that technique. Well... let's try raising it one level at a time for now.』

〈The relevant magic can be learned at Life Magic Level 5.〉

『Oh! Really!』

〈Yes. When using weapons or other means to injure living beings, it is possible to temporarily inhibit their healing and regenerative abilities.〉

『Bingo!』

I raised my life magic skill to level 5 as advised by Announcer-san.

『Alright! I've learned it!』

Life Magic - Heal Disturb. Just as Announcer-san explained. This technique allows you to temporarily inhibit the healing and regeneration of an opponent's wounds when applied to weapons or the body.

In the case of the Great Demon Beast, its body was too massive for the effect to work on the entire entity. Additionally, for Sierra and the others, evil energy inherently had properties that inhibited regeneration. Truly the enemies of all living things.

『Moreover, I've learned some other good techniques.』

Rather, I was even happier about this. Life magic was not just a type of magic that interfered with healing abilities; it encompassed a variety of techniques that affected the physical bodies of living beings. It ranged from spells that enhanced healing abilities and accelerated the recovery of physical abnormalities to techniques that strengthened muscles and nerves. There were also techniques that toughened the body and increased physical strength.

At first, I didn't quite understand the significance of it, so I asked Announcer-san, but it turned out that the technique to enhance physical strength was precisely what Fran needed right now.

（What kind of techniques did you learn?）

『This technique is amazing. By enhancing physical strength, it has the effect of reducing the recoil from techniques and the like.』

In other words, this magic was designed for individuals like Fran who would self-destruct every time they used a technique. With this, not only the recoil from Brilliant Lightning Rush but also the self-destruct damage caused by Heavenly Judgment and Skyward Swordsmanship could be significantly reduced.

Well, we wouldn't know for sure until we tried it. Anyway, Fran wouldn't stop even if I told her not to. It's regrettable, but the time to use it will come soon. I just hope she doesn't push herself too hard...

『Let's try the Heal Disturb technique right away.』

「Nn!」

Fran nodded lightly and called Urushi.

「Urushi.」

「Woof!」

『Wait a minute! Are you planning to do that again?』

That—Fran and Urushi's cooperative attack. It didn't have a name, so we just called it "that."

「Nn. This time, I also have life magic. Let's use it!」

『No, it's a bit scary to combine it with 'that' right off the bat.』

We still didn't know how effective either technique was. Fran was too fearless!

「Nn...」

『How about trying it a little after 'that'?』

「Got it. Also, Master, not 'that.' I've come up with a name.」

『Oh? What is it?』

That's unusual. Fran is usually quite lax about this kind of thing, so it's the first time she's come up with something herself. It must be a technique she's confident in.

「I have three candidate names.」

『Oh, really?』

That's quite a few. I'd like to hear them.

『First one?』

「Hyperspecial Excellent Miracle Slash.」

『Rejected.』

「Huh? Why?」

『Well, it's just that... I'd prefer something different if possible.』

What could it be? I realized once again that Fran was still a child. She's cute, but... I don't want Fran to be made fun of because of her technique name in the future, so preferably something other than "Hyperspecial Excellent Miracle..."

〈It's Hyperspecial Excellent Miracle Slash.〉

『Announcer-san! You can forget about it!』

Anyway, that one is rejected.

「Understood. Then, the second one.」

『Sure.』

「Super Urushi Attack.」

『...I see...』

Is it better than before? No, it probably just seems better because the previous one was so bad. Uh-oh, it's getting difficult to judge.

『Alright, let's hear the last one.』

「Nn! Wolf-Style Swordsmanship.」

『Oh! That one's good, isn't it?』

Or rather, there are no other options! Well, that settles it.

『Wolf-Style Swordsmanship. I think it's a good choice, don't you?』

「Is that so? 'Super Urushi Attack' sounds cooler.」

「Woof!」

Both Fran and Urushi are looking at me with sparkling eyes! It's hard to deny them when they're like that!

『So, it's not like that! Let's call Fran and Urushi's combined move 'Wolf-Style Swordsmanship,' alright?』

After my desperate persuasion, we decided to call Fran and Urushi's combined move 'Wolf-Style Swordsmanship.'

『Well then, leave it to me for now.』

「Nn!」

Fran, holding me in an unconventional way, raised her hand high. Instead of going all out with a full-power attack, we should try it from a distance first. In that regard, Telekinetic Catapult was quite fearsome. Normally, you'd need to apply Heal Disturb to a weapon or something and get close for a direct attack. But with me, even from a distance, I could launch a direct attack, which was a significant advantage.

「Here we go!」

『Hyahhhaaa!』

Telekinetic Catapult once again. This time, it included Purification of Evil and Life Magic. However, there was a miscalculation.

『Hmm... I'm not a living being, after all.』

Spells that accelerate healing and enhance physical abilities had no effect on me. I'm a sword, so it can't be helped... I was a little disappointed because I had hoped that the effects of Life Magic would reduce the recoil of Telekinetic Catapult. However, Heal Disturb, which was crucial, was still working fine, so it didn't matter.

『Well, Heal Disturb is working without any problems, and that's what matters.』

I utilized mana release and other methods to steadily increase my speed. Then, while slashing through a large number of tentacles, I pierced the body of the Great Demon Beast. Just like before, a large crater was created. It seemed that the durability wasn't that high after all. With its regeneration abilities, though, it probably didn't matter much...

『Let's dig in even deeper!』

While still impaled at the center of the crater, I activated my shape transformation.

This time, I wasn't changing into steel threads. Even though the physical durability of the Great Demon Beast was low, it wasn't low enough to allow thin threads to rampage inside its body. Instead, I transformed into something resembling a needle. My blade branched into nearly a hundred parts, becoming needles with lengths of over ten meters, ruthlessly trampling the inside of the Great Demon Beast.

Even though this wouldn't be considered a significant wound for the Great Demon Beast, I had to cut away as much as possible.

『Now... how's that?』

After returning to Fran's side through teleportation, I observed the Great Demon Beast.

The hole I had created visibly slowed down its regeneration speed. It was probably less than one-hundredth of the speed of its other wounds.

『All right, it's effective!』

「Nn! It's not regenerating at all!」

Seeing us jubilant, Rhyn wore a surprised expression.

「You learned Life Magic, huh? Despite that, it seems like you haven't been using it at all...」

Then, she suddenly nodded in understanding.

「Ah, it's the ability of your sword. The power to enhance your own skills.」

『Huh? Well, I don't know...』

「I'm sorry. I can't help but know since I can see the past.」

『...』

「It's okay. I won't tell anyone.」

Being able to see the past means not only seeing past events but also things that happened just moments ago.

『Well, anyway, let's go all out this time!』

「Nn!」

『Doing it little by little will only wear us out. Let's settle it with this, putting all our strength into it.』

「Understood.」

As we were discussing our next attack, the Great Demon Beast suddenly emitted an exceptionally powerful surge of magic.

「It's chaaaaaanging!」

『Its movements and magic...!』

「It seems even more wriggly than before.」

There was a clear change in the Great Demon Beast's movements. Previously, its tentacles had been entwined and continuously swelling, but for a moment, that movement came to a halt, and then it started wriggling violently. But that wasn't the only change.

「Is it looking at us?」

『Yes, undoubtedly.』

We didn't know where its eyes were. It didn't have visible eyeballs, so it might have been sensing us through magic detection or life detection, but its consciousness was clearly directed towards us.

Until now, it was questionable whether it had recognized us. We might have been like annoying flies to it, mere nuisances. However, it had now unmistakably acknowledged us as a significant threat.

「It's absorbing magic from the water.」

『Water? From the lake?』

「Unfortunately, my power as a spirit is mixed in with that Great Demon Beast. That's an easy feat for it.」

Rhyn was a time and water spirit. And Vivian Lake's water contained spatial magic.

The nature of Rhyn's power was likely favorable for the Great Demon Beast, which incorporated her power. It seemed capable of absorbing the water and converting it into its own power.

『No, wait a moment. The fact that this lake's water contains spatial magic...』

「It's because of me and the Great Demon Beast.」

『Right, it's because of the high affinity between us!』

The undulating motion of the Great Demon Beast's tentacles intensified, and changes began to appear throughout its entire body. Large, lump-like masses, resembling tumors, started appearing all over its colossal body. They swelled up like bubbles and increased in number rapidly. Each one was filled with a significant amount of magic and malevolence.

Was it preparing for some kind of attack? If so, it could be extremely dangerous! In response to the increasing pressure, I erected multiple barriers to protect Fran. However, my expectations were off. While the Great Demon Beast had indeed recognized us as enemies, it hadn't yet initiated a direct attack.

「It's comiiiiing!」

『Kuh...!』

「!」

The Great Demon Beast's magic, which had been gradually increasing, suddenly multiplied several times in an instant. I involuntarily teleported to a position farther away from it to put some distance between us. It was an explosive release of magic and malevolence. Intense malice and hostility were directed at us.

It was terrifying.

It wasn't just to protect Fran. I, too, was afraid of being so close to the Great Demon Beast in that state.

『Urushi, retreat too!』

「Woof!」

「...There are too many mouths.」

『Yeah...』

As Fran pointed out, the appearance of the Great Demon Beast had changed significantly.

Mouths had sprouted all over its body. Those numerous grotesque lumps had transformed into mouth-like structures.

The shapes were almost humanoid. They resembled the gigantic mouth it had initially grown on its head. Compared to that, they were about one-tenth the size but bore a striking resemblance. Easily over a hundred in number.

「「「「「Faiarou!」」」」」

「Master!」

『Yes!』

A chorus of overlapping incantations that sounded like howling reverberated, and a massive number of fire arrows filled the space around the Great Demon Beast.

Over a thousand fire arrows, clearly aimed at us and Sierra's group, with their tips pointed directly at us.

Immediately afterward, our field of vision was dyed crimson. The continuous explosions resounded without pause. If it weren't for the multi-layered Flame Barrier, both Fran and I would have been charred to a crisp.

The Great Demon Beast unleashed a barrage of Fire Arrows through its multiple mouths, all aimed at Fran and the others.

No, it wasn't as simple as multiple mouths. It was an overwhelming quantity, as if hundreds of magicians had simultaneously cast spells. It seemed that each mouth created on the Great Demon Beast's body could chant magic independently.

『I wonder if it can control them...?』

Our opponent was an extraordinary Great Demon Beast. It likely possessed control far beyond our imagination. In terms of magical power, it was practically boundless. At least, as long as there was water from the lake nearby, its magic should hold out even after repeating the same attack a thousand times.

「Ugh!」

『Both tentacles and magic projectiles...! Damn it!』

「Here they come again!」

『I know!』

Another storm of fire arrows, and just like before, the tentacles and magic projectiles were targeting us.

Until moments ago, the Great Demon Beast had prioritized its revival, paying no attention to us. Its tentacles and magic projectiles weren't directed attacks against us but seemed to be unconscious defensive actions. It was akin to a bull swatting away flies with its tail. This meant that, in addition to attacks like magic, it could easily unleash tentacles and such.

『We have to attack quickly, or we'll be overwhelmed by sheer numbers!』

My shout might not have been heard, but it was clear that the Great Demon Beast was preparing to gather magic again.

After a brief charge-up, a new spell was released.

「「「「「Water magic this time...!」」」」」

Unlike the fire arrows, which came with a small explosion, this attack probably had a smaller range. However, it excelled in penetration power, making its physical impact greater than that of the water arrows. Moreover, the number of water arrows created far exceeded the number of fire arrows generated in the previous attack.

It was likely exceeding two thousand arrows. This was probably due to their compatibility. The Great Demon Beast, which had absorbed the spirit Rhyn, had a high affinity for water and time. It was only natural that it excelled in water magic.

Then why did it start with Fire Arrows? That was a mystery... Perhaps it simply fired without thinking, prioritizing crowd control through explosions. If it was the latter, it could be quite troublesome. It meant that it possessed the intelligence to use different attributes depending on the situation. I had thought it wasn't foolish, but its cognitive abilities might be even higher than I anticipated.

（Master, what should we do?）

『Join up with Sierra's group and switch to an all-out offensive. We have no other choice.』

（Hmm.）

While avoiding the water magic with Dimension Shift and Short Jump, we discussed our next moves. Now that the opponent was actively launching attacks, we couldn't afford to wait and see. The longer it took, the more the numerical disadvantage would weigh against us.

Nevertheless, its high intelligence was becoming evident. The water arrows were fired at precise intervals to ensure they didn't collide with each other. It was an impossible feat for a monster driven by instinct alone.

The torrent of water arrows continued to rain down, unabated.

*Sound of rushing water*

It was a scene as if an endless barrage of countless shells were continuously landing. The vast surface of the lake was violently churning, with high waves and splashes continuously rising. Tentacles and magical projectiles were still being fired, and there was no safe place within a radius of 500 meters from the Great Demon Beast.

『Even with this, only one arm is out.』

And that's despite being weakened by the Evil God's Holy Sacrament.

『Are Sierra and the others... okay?』

After the attacks ceased, I checked on Sierra and her group. They were positioned much farther behind us. They had likely retreated beyond the range of the attacks. It seemed they had managed to get through the recent assault.

However, they weren't unscathed. Zelos Reed, in particular, had suffered severely. His lower body had completely disappeared, and there was a large hole in his head. If not for his status as a heretic, he would likely be dead. His regeneration had finally begun.

Sierra had also taken significant damage, but it was relatively minor compared to Zelos Reed's injuries.

「Uncle! You don't have to protect me...」

「No... I care about you.」

「Why?」

Zelos Reed seemed to have protected Sierra. Even when he had grown larger, was Romeo still Romeo to Zelos Reed? Well, I could understand the sentiment. If a grown-up Fran from the future suddenly appeared in front of me, I'd probably worry about her too.

Juzeka wasn't visible. Had she been defeated? No, with her time-space magic, she should be fine.

『Let's fall back for now!』

（Yeah!）

Fran understood the danger of staying in this location. She immediately started moving in response to my suggestion.

Once we retreated beyond the Great Demon Beast's range, we began treating Zelos Reed. By combining healing magic with life magic, we could perform incredibly rapid healing. Zelos Reed's severe injuries were healing at an astonishing rate.

「I'm sorry.」

「It's not for your sake. It's for Sierra's. And because you'll need to continue protecting us.」

Fran suddenly became tsundere!

「I'll be a reliable shield.」

「Hmph. Sierra, are you okay?」

「Yeah, you two okay? It looks like you're quite drained.」

「We're fine.」

Compared to Sierra and her group, we were in much better shape.

「I understand... I think you get it, but we can't keep chipping away bit by bit.」

「Got it.」

「Still, while we still have the power to launch a full-scale attack, we should deliver our strongest blow.」

Sierra and her group seemed to have made the same decision as us. In other words, it was going to be a short-term battle.

「During the preparations, I'll be the decoy.」

With his high recovery capability, Zelos Reed was suitable for the role of the decoy. This meant that Sierra and Fran would focus on attacking.

「So during that time—」

Zelos Reed cut off his words and turned around with a surprised expression. Fran and the others were also looking in the same direction.

〈Magic reaction detected within the target's interior. It is rapidly increasing. Recommend evasion.〉

『No way!』

Upon hearing Announcer-san's warning, I immediately performed a teleportation. Right after, a massive beam passed by us, just about ten meters away.

Although it shouldn't have been a direct hit, the shockwave alone was eroding our barrier. The tremendous impact was shaking us, caused by the Great Demon Beast's magical beam.

『You won't give up even if it's out of the range of your magic!』

As I followed the trajectory of the beam with my eyes, I could see it had landed far away on the lake's surface. A tremendous roar accompanied the rising of a colossal water pillar that exceeded 50 meters in height.

『Hey... can it reach that far?』

Fortunately, there were no boats in the vicinity. They were likely evacuated. But based on the current feeling, that beam could have attacked even farther. Depending on the angle at which the beam was fired, there could have been significant collateral damage.

〈Second shot, incoming.〉

『Damn!』

「I'll—」

「Uwaah!」

Before Fran could move, Zelos Reed charged at the Great Demon Beast. He raised a massive shield made of malevolence and threw himself into the path of the beam.

The released beam from the Great Demon Beast clashed with the malevolent shield, creating a shockwave accompanied by a violent storm.

「Ugh... gaaah!」

Despite blocking the direct hit with the malevolent shield, an enormous amount of heat was scorching Zelos Reed's entire body. The tips of his recently healed body were glowing red-hot, charring and regenerating, only to ignite again.

While emitting smoke from his burned body, Zelos Reed continued to intercept the beam.

「I'll take it! You guys! Do it!」

Zelos Reed turned his head towards us and shouted loudly before collapsing. His gaze was so earnest that it was hard to believe he was a heretic.

The catalyst for a person's transformation is often something trivial. It's not a dramatic event but a small trigger that suddenly occurs one day. That little push that changes a person without them realizing it.

It all started with a request from an acquaintance, Murelia. A pitiful woman whose mind was corroded by an evil god. A woman whose sole interest was in Romeo. And she was a beautiful woman.

I remember the shock when I first saw her. It was the first time I thought a woman was beautiful. It wasn't about physical features. It was her intensity, her distortion, her coldness. Her vulnerability to the illusion called love, her arrogance towards others – all these qualities in one person fascinated me.

I was born on a battlefield, abandoned there, and raised in it.

When people think of a battlefield, they often imagine endless fighting from morning to night. But that's not the case. We spent days traveling, and both sides often withdrew their troops during the night when the enemy was no longer visible.

And when we pulled back from the front lines, the soldiers drank, gambled, and passed the time. Some merchants came to sell their goods, and even prostitutes offering their services for spring arrived. These prostitutes came all the way to the battlefield. They were nothing like the high-class courtesans who served nobles. In fact, they were women with their own reasons who couldn't even stay at a town brothel.

My mother seems to have been one of those prostitutes. Well, I've never met her, so it's only an assumption based on the circumstances.

I don't know the exact circumstances of how it happened. I was simply born on a battlefield and then sold off. The buyers were apparently a mercenary unit that employed beast tamers. The reason they bought me was straightforward: to use me as bait for the magical beasts they controlled, in order to boost their morale on the battlefield.

However, before I could end up as a meal for the magical beasts, that mercenary unit was annihilated, and I survived. By that time, I must have been around two or three years old.

I can't say for sure if I was raised to a certain extent before being sold or if the mercenary group that captured me took care of me for a while.

However, thanks to having a body that could move around on my own, I didn't end up with the worst possible fate of being abandoned and left to die from malnutrition.

I stripped clothes from corpses, drank muddy water, consumed the flesh of humans and heretics, and made the battlefield my home. Because I was so young, my memories are vague, and there's not much to tell.

I lived like a beast until I was picked up by a certain mercenary group. To be more accurate, they captured me. In any case, this mercenary group that took me in had a survivor from the mercenary group that originally bought me, and that person taught me various things.

This mercenary group apparently intended to replenish their ranks with children to some extent. It was cheaper to pick up strays than to buy slaves. But for that reason, I was given the name "Zelos Reed" and raised as a mercenary.

I must have been taught everything necessary for a mercenary. Information about my origins and the previous mercenary group came from that person as well. In the end, that group was defeated in battle a few years later, and everyone, including my caregiver, perished.

After that, I continued to live as a mercenary, traveling to various places and surviving on the battlefield. I did live in towns and such at times, but it was suffocating. Guards would come flying at the slightest disturbance, and everything required money, money, money. It was a place where everything was lukewarm and irksome.

In that regard, the battlefield was the best. People could be killed without restraint, and one could continuously grow stronger. More importantly, there was a sense of being alive. Besides, it was straightforward. The one who lived was righteous. The one who died was the loser. The winner took and the loser was taken from. There was no place simpler than that.

I accepted Lord Linford's invitation because I heard it would grant me power. Whether it was an evil god or being wanted by someone, I didn't care. As long as there was a fight, it was fine by me.

I've seen mercenaries who were addicted to gambling and games, but for me, that was just another form of battle. Even if I tasted the finest wine or dabbled with women, it never quenched my thirst as much as the blood spilled by my enemies did. I had fought with more fervor than I had in those games.

The first time I felt moved by something other than battle was when I encountered Murelia. I have no intentions of saying anything sentimental about falling in love. However, rather than having a desire to fight against strong opponents, at that moment, I felt more of a desire to have a conversation, and that was a feeling that only arose at that time.

When I actually engaged in a conversation with her, her craziness was beyond measure. Even I must be insane to find such a woman beautiful. It was her dying wish to have someone like me, so it might be okay to grant it. With that in mind, I took Romeo with me, but...

「Uncle, who's that?」

「Uncle, what's that?」

「Uncle, run faster!」

「Uncle, are you okay?」

I've never taken care of kids before. They're troublesome and exhausting. They get tired and sit down right away, and they complain about little things like minor pains. I'm relieved they didn't cry in front of me, but I'm puzzled by how attached they've become to me.

What's going on? It's true that I behaved rather politely for my standards. After all, it's Murelia's legacy, and safely delivering the kid is part of the job.

But what element in me could make them so attached to me? Maybe this kid is crazy too?

Still, I managed to continue our journey and brought them to Bulbora's orphanage... I never expected that they wouldn't want to be separated from me, and I don't understand why. It doesn't make any sense.

However, what's even more incomprehensible is the fact that I ended up taking Romeo with me. What am I doing? Am I an idiot? But no matter what, I couldn't leave Romeo behind. I find myself forcing a wry smile when I see the kid's smiling face.

At times like this, I recall for some reason Murelia. And just before that, the old woman from the Black Cat Clan we fought to the death.

Their eyes. They shouldn't be similar at all, but the eyes of the old woman who came after me and the eyes of Murelia, who asked me to take care of Romeo, occasionally appear and disappear in my mind. Those eyes, so desperate yet as clear as the surface of still water, make me feel like they're gazing at me.

「Uncle, what's wrong?」

「It's nothing. Just go to sleep.」

「Okay...」

Seeing Romeo lying in bed with a fever, why do I have to be so concerned? A monster like that High Elf is after me. If I leave Romeo behind as a burden, I might be able to escape on my own. However, I couldn't do that, no matter what. Why? I've really lost my mind.

Why am I being so controlled by a single kid?

「Ugh... Uguuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh?」

For a moment, it seems like my consciousness drifted away. I felt like I was remembering something from the past, but I don't remember it very well. Was it like a fleeting memory?

Now, Sierra—Romeo, who has grown significantly according to reports, appeared. It's an unbelievable story, but the presence felt exactly like Romeo's. Protecting Sierra—Romeo, for now, is all that matters. There's no need to explain any other reasons. Right now, it's just about protecting Sierra.

「Oooh! You big monster! I'm not dead yet! Come at me more! Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!」

「Shiiiiiiiiitaaaaagaaaaaaah!」

It became clear that Zelos Reed's malevolence, which was absorbing the torrent of reddish-purple light, was rapidly decreasing. It seemed that the consumption was more intense than what Romeo supplied through the evil god's sacrament.

The malevolence shield and the light beam clashed, scattering fragments of dark malevolence in the air. The swirling black light gradually increased in intensity and density.

「Fran! Can you make it in 30 seconds?」

「Understood!」

When Sierra shouted that, they closed their eyes and began to concentrate as if meditating. It was an unbelievably vulnerable position to be in. They must believe that Zelos Reed will protect them.

（We'll do it too.）

『...Fine.』

We've already passed the point where we can say not to be reckless. In fact, this is a situation where we have to be reckless.

（Let it all out.）

『All of it...?』

（Yes, all of it. Urushi.）

（On!）

Fran and Urushi shot up at full speed. The attack will come in 30 seconds, so there's no time to hesitate. It might seem short, but that's Zelos Reed's limit of endurance. Sierra must have made that judgment.

「Urushi, we're doing it again.」

「Woof!」

Fran intended to use the Wolf Style. How much self-inflicted damage could be reduced with Life Magic...

Urushi responded with excitement to Fran's words. There was no sign of reluctance at all. Being able to help Fran clearly made Urushi genuinely happy.

（Master too. Can you do it?）

『Of course.』

What I'm about to unleash is the ultimate technique I acquired through my training. Well, it might not be advanced enough to call it an ultimate technique.

By sacrificing various things, I can temporarily increase my attack power significantly. Simply put, I pour all my magical power into the blade. That's all there is to it.

My current magical power exceeds 10,000, and my magical power conductivity rate is S(│)S. The efficiency is 340%. In the current situation, if I were to conduct all my magical power while leaving the minimum required, the calculation shows...

〈〈The basic attack power will exceed 35,000.〉〉

That's right. To put it bluntly, it's an attack power beyond imagination. Well, the risk is also beyond imagination.

The burden it places on me exceeds my strength completely. I tried it on the Magic Wolf Plain, and it seems that when conducting more than 2,000 magical power, recoil appears.

At first, my durability decreased every time I swung it, and when I increased the conducted magical power, my durability started decreasing even without doing anything.

When conducting magical power exceeding 10,000, the deterioration rate of the blade accelerated abnormally. More than 100 in a second. Furthermore, simply swinging it would result in a loss of 1,000 or 2,000 durability points.

With the addition of Heavenly Judgment and Sword God Transformation's burdens, it might not last even a minute. No, even a few seconds might be dangerous. However, if Fran is going to do it, I can't just stand by.

Wolf-Style Draw Sword Technique + My excessively conducted magical power + Sword God Transformation. This is probably the maximum power attack we can unleash right now. But to release it, deep concentration and refining of magical power are required.

It was quite difficult to avoid the attacks released by the Great Demon Beast while trying to maintain concentration. While dodging magical energy bullets, Fran showed a hint of impatience. We might not make it in time within the next 30 seconds.

In the midst of that, there was a figure that rushed toward the Great Demon Beast before we could attack. A tall woman with long blue hair soaring through the air. It was Juzeka.

「Vermilion Eye, activate! Reveal its weakness!」

Juzeka's eyes shone mysteriously. An incredible amount of magic power was unleashed. But that wasn't all. Juzeka instantly gathered immense magic power. To be honest, the amount of magic power Juzeka had just released, and the magic power Fran was preparing for the Wolf Style, could be considered equivalent.

Frankly, Juzeka was better at manipulating magic power than Fran.

「Pierce, Crimson Spear! Vermilion Spiaaaar!」

From Juzeka's extended hand, an overwhelming amount of magic power was released.

A deep crimson flash, as thick as blood, illuminated the lake's surface, and a thin line of light tore through space as it advanced. The compressed magic power ball, true to its name as the Crimson Spear, looked like a red lance.

Emphasizing penetration, the strike pierced through the Great Demon Beast. It pierced through that massive creature. The red light pierced through the lake's surface, disappearing, leaving a hole in the Great Demon Beast's flesh on the other side.

（Amazing!）

『Yeah.』

It's frustrating, but we probably can't do the same thing as that attack. And this wasn't the end of it.

「Shiiitaaaaagaaaaaaah!」

「Be quiet, you monster!」

Surprisingly, the red spear came back. Then, it pierced through the Great Demon Beast again and sharply changed direction, coming back once more. Juzeka must be using space-time magic to twist the Crimson Spear's trajectory.

With each piercing through the Great Demon Beast, its power decreased, and it naturally dissipated after about six times. However, it was clear that it had inflicted significant damage on the Great Demon Beast. Its magic power, which it emitted, was definitely decreasing. Juzeka might have attacked its weak points with her vermilion eyes.

「Look here! Try to catch me, you big brute!」

「Jiiiiitaaagaa!」

「Over here, Usumoro!」

The Great Demon Beast's attention was completely focused on Juzeka. It recognized her as a dangerous opponent. That was probably her intention.

While showing clear signs of exhaustion in her expressions and her voice, she was taunting the Great Demon Beast. Thanks to her, we were able to make proper preparations.

「Huff, huff...」

「Grooowl.」

Fran and Urushi silently gathered magic power. They were ready. Of course, I was too.

『Announcer-san, we're counting on your support.』

〈I understand.〉

『By the way, did you suddenly start speaking?』

〈My individual name, Master's rank, has risen slightly, allowing me to secure a small area of activity.〉

In other words, my level-up allowed Announcer-san's abilities to slightly recover.

Looking down from the sky, a powerful magic power shot created a crater of about 20 meters in diameter in the Great Demon Beast's massive body. It must have been Juzeka's space-time magic.

She continued to teleport around, drawing the Great Demon Beast's attacks. To unleash such attacks in that state... Honestly, if she were an enemy, I wouldn't have had confidence in winning. Her proficiency in space-time magic likely surpassed mine. I was curious about her identity, but for now, I was glad she was an ally.

Thanks to her attacks, the barrage weakened even further. This was the chance.

〈I'll synchronize Sierra's attack timing. Countdown: 17, 16, 15—〉

Announcer-san began the countdown. Now the timing for the attack was perfect.

However, at this critical moment, I found myself in doubt. Should I use Potential Release? To be honest, I had never combined Magic Power Overload and Potential Release before. It was too risky to attempt it on the fly.

But...

〈〈11, 10—〉〉

Having witnessed the immense power of the Great Demon Beast, I had no intention of holding back. I was planning to attack with all my might. However, I had no intention of sacrificing myself in the process.

『Fran would be sad.』

〈〈Without using Potential Release, there is an 81% chance of dealing damage exceeding the set threshold to the Great Demon Beast.〉〉

『What if I use Potential Release?』

〈〈If you use Potential Release, there is a 99% chance of dealing damage exceeding the set threshold to the Great Demon Beast. However, there is a high likelihood that the individual named Master will suffer severe damage and experience a significant decrease in abilities for over 100 days.〉〉

『I see...』

〈〈Additionally, there is a 15% chance that the individual named Master will be destroyed.〉〉

So the worst-case scenario is also possible...

〈〈7, 6—〉〉

『It might be better not to use Potential Release...』

〈〈Agreed. I recommend refraining from using it.〉〉

『Right.』

I had just decided not to use Potential Release when something unexpected happened.

「Rhyn, it's connecting.」

『Rhyn!』

Suddenly, Rhyn appeared. I still couldn't sense spirits.

〈〈4, 3—〉〉

Although it was only a small amount, magic power flowed into my sword from Rhyn as she touched it briefly. Even this small contribution was much appreciated. However, right after that, an unexpected situation arose.

〈〈Suggestion: I recommend using Potential Release.〉〉

『What?!』

Did this have something to do with Rhyn? Had something been done to her?

『〈I believe it is the best choice for the individuals named Master and Fran.〉』

〈Wait, what...?〉

『〈2, 1—〉』

Time was running out! But for me, it might be okay, but for Fran, it was the best choice? If it was said like that, there was no way I could refrain from using it!

『Ugh! Fine! Potential Release!』

〈GaLulululululululu!〉

「Haaaah!」

「Dammit!」

And then, Fran became a meteor once more. Almost simultaneously with Fran being launched by Urushi's front paws, I conducted all my magic power into the sword, leaving only the minimum necessary.

While changing its shape into a sword, I used telekinesis and magic to boost Fran's acceleration. I didn't forget to provide support with the recently learned Life Magic either. Thanks to the accelerated thinking caused by Potential Release, these actions were very smooth. However, the cost was high...

『Guuuuh...!』

My durability was already reduced by half.

（Master!）

『Don't worry! Go!』

Even within the time stretched to the limit by accelerated thinking, Fran's charging speed was incredible. The surrounding scenery flowed by like the view from a car window on a highway.

Fran held me high above. With this momentum, I could use Sword God Transformation...

〈〈Confirmed fluctuations in spacetime.〉〉

『Huh?』

（!）

Just as I heard Announcer-san's voice, everything around us, which had been rapidly passing by, suddenly froze.

Has time stopped? No, it's different. Our perception has accelerated even further. Because of that, there's such a time difference that everything around us appears to be frozen.

But why? Originally, I was already accelerating to the absolute limit using spacetime magic. It's inconceivable for us to suddenly accelerate even further without any warning.

Moreover, it's not just a slight increase in speed. It's more like hundreds of times the acceleration of our perception.

（Our bodies won't move.）

『I'm the same.』

Trying to grasp the situation, I attempted to sense the surroundings. However, I was overwhelmed by an overwhelming flood of information that I couldn't process, and I was hit by symptoms resembling dizziness.

『Ugh...』

（Is there something here?）

『Fran, are you okay?』

（?）

I felt like I was in a similar condition myself. I thought Fran was in an even worse state... but from Fran's telepathy, I could sense her looking puzzled. Was she okay? With such an incredible burden on her brain, far beyond the multi-casting of magic, it wouldn't be surprising if she were struggling.

「I lent a hand.」

『Rhyn! Did you do something?!』

「Yes, I did. Sword-san too—」

When Rhyn said that, my field of vision suddenly turned completely white. In exchange, the torrent of information came to a halt. I see. Fran was remaining calm in this state.

（Master, look at that.）

『Yeah, I see it...』

In the white space, there was something in the distance. You could tell it was moving.

『Is that... Fran?』

（Master is there too.）

Right in front of us, we were there. Our figures were projected as if in a three-dimensional hologram, just slightly ahead. However, Fran's appearance was slightly different. It resembled the Black Sky Tiger equipment, but she wore pants instead of a skirt, and there were many other differences. The most noticeable was the earring on her left ear. It wasn't an earring like the Fran on this side; it was an earring with a blue gem.

Moreover, both the Fran and I here had a presence. It wasn't an illusion. It was similar but subtly different, a strange presence. If you could feel that presence, you would undoubtedly identify it as Fran. However, comparing the Fran here, who was confronting me, with the Fran that appeared in front of me, there was a slight difference.

It was only because I could compare them directly that I could tell, but it was an incredibly subtle difference... She was Fran, but not the Fran I knew. It was such a strange feeling.

And what about that tremendous malevolence? Was it emanating from the other me? However, Fran was calmly exposing herself to that malevolence. Moreover, she seemed to be manipulating that malevolence.

But right now, that doesn't matter.

『Fran! Are you okay? Hey!』

Earring-wearing Fran was in terrible shape. It seemed like she had excessively enhanced her body. Just standing there, she seemed to be continuously taking damage from the recoil. I could hear the sound of bones creaking. Due to the pressure of the magic flowing through her body, she must have been experiencing excruciating pain. With tears of blood streaming down her face, she gritted her teeth. Her appearance could be described as heroic. Despite being in such a state, Earring-wearing Fran was facing the other me with determination.

Why isn't the other me healing Fran?! Why is Fran in such a condition? Moreover, it seems like she intends to use some technique from that state. She's facing me head-on.

In my eyes, I could see the image of Earring-wearing Fran and the others floating in a completely white space. I couldn't make out what was happening around them.

The other Fran and I don't seem to be visible to them. They're not responding.

『Fran! Damn it! Why isn't the healing magic activating?! What's going on?!』

As I gritted my teeth, there was some movement from Earring-wearing Fran. She murmured softly with a sad and somewhat resigned expression.

「Master, let's go.」

『Understood.』

Fran's voice and expression were so gloomy that it felt like a close friend had died. Behind that, there was undoubtedly an unexpressed SOS from a girl that words couldn't convey.

「Fran, thank you for letting Romeo and the others escape.」

「Rhyn...」

『You're a kind child. Even when you were angry, you unconsciously saved your strength so you wouldn't involve Romeo.』

「It's not like... that kid was desperate.」

「Thanks to that, we were able to let Romeo, Zelos Reed, and Zelyse escape. And, thanks to your permission, we were able to use Kensan's power. Without that, the crossing wouldn't have succeeded.」

「Where did they escape to?」

「Very far away.」

「I see... was it necessary to let Zelyse escape as well?」

「Yes, for your sake too.」

「?」

As usual, the words of the spirit Rhyn didn't make much sense, but I understood that Rhyn wasn't an enemy. So, as Rhyn had requested, I refrained from finishing off Zelos Reed.

It seemed like Romeo and the others had teleported somewhere, but where could they have gone?

「Fran, now that there's no one around who could be affected, is it okay for us to go all out?」

「All out... is it alright?」

「Yes... Weena Rhyn is also far away. So, it's okay.」

「Nn... understood.」

We had become stronger since the day we lost to Murelia and lost Urushi.

「Master, let's do our best.」

『Understood.』

When did Master's behavior change? Was it when we defeated many of the golems controlled by the magic stone manipulated by Zelyse in Bulbora? Or was it when we won the martial arts tournament?

I don't think Master was like this when we first arrived in the Beastman Country.

But I realized that Master's greetings had become less frequent. And gradually, what used to be occasional became nonexistent, and Master wouldn't speak to me unless I initiated the conversation.

That's not all. No matter what I asked, the responses were curt.

『I'm a sword.』

『Fran, think for yourself.』

『If that's Fran's choice, I'll follow.』

It was no longer the gentle voice that used to make me feel safe just by hearing it. It was like a voice that didn't belong to a human.

I wanted to hear Master's voice more. But I became afraid to initiate conversations myself. After all, I would just hear that unpleasant voice saying, "I'm Fran's sword, so I'll follow Fran."

No matter how hard I tried, Master never praised me. Even if Master did, it was just a simple "Well done" in that unpleasant tone. When I got a bit carried away and caused a commotion after being teased by some drunks in town, I even involved a nearby store. But Master's words to admonish me were, "You went too far, Fran."

It was just a little, but it felt like the voice from before, the old Master's voice. I wondered if Master would return to that voice if I became an even worse child. But that was just at the beginning. It quickly stopped.

It was at that time that I finally met him again. Zelos Reed. One of Kiara's enemies.

I hadn't forgotten, but I had no intention of pursuing him. Kiara had told me not to seek revenge. But he appeared before me. Moreover, with a child.

Zelos Reed and Romeo both seemed surprisingly calm. Despite experiencing many hardships and being captured even now. They seemed happy. They were smiling, looking happy.

Am I the one who's wearing such a smile? Somehow, it's really irritating.

「Hey, Master. Why am I feeling like this?」

『I can't understand it. Was there something causing you stress?』

「I don't know...」

『Do you have no idea of what could be causing this stress?』

「I don't know! I don't know why!」

『In that case, I don't understand either.』

I no longer cared about it. For now, I wanted to kill Zelos Reed. That's what I thought until Rhyn stopped me.

Furthermore, Rhyn asked for my help because they needed Master's dimensional magic to assist Romeo and the others. I had been saved by Rhyn once before, so I couldn't refuse that request.

Why are we helping Zelos Reed?

My thoughts were in disarray, making me increasingly frustrated. I couldn't contain my irritation. I wanted to vent all this frustration on the Great Beast.

We were told we could go all out, after all. When I unleashed my full power in the Magic Wolf Plains before, I broke a barrier said to be created by a goddess, and the goddess scolded me. But this place was a lake much larger than the Magic Wolf Plains.

Even if we unleashed our full power, it would be fine. Let's do it.

「Release the power... of the fragments of the evil god.」

『Destroy everything! Everything—』

「Shut up. Just give me your power.」

In accordance with my words, a massive amount of malevolent energy overflowed from the fragments of the evil god sealed within Master. I used to have trouble controlling this malevolence, but now I could master it perfectly.

I didn't want to admit it, but it was a power similar to Murelia's. When I first acquired this power, I felt nauseated, but now I intended to make use of it.

「The soul of the Night Sky, activate.」

This was the unique skill of the Dark Knight Wolf. It was the power passed on to us by Urushi, who died protecting us from Murelia's attack and left us with a magic stone. This skill allowed us to enhance our stats only during the night.

「Master, activate all the other enhancement skills as well.」

『Understood.』

Before, a kind-voiced announcer-san used to provide various advice, but she disappeared a little while ago, saying something about the domain of controlling malevolence.

I could tell that my body was screaming due to overuse of enhancements.

Every time, I thought the same thing. I might die. Before Master became like this, I had never thought that once, but now it scared me a little. But if I died, it wouldn't matter. So, I would just try as usual.

「Master, for recovery, just do the minimum and allocate everything to enhancements.」

『Understood.』

I endured the pain throughout my entire body and spoke again.

「Should I release Master?」

『I'm a sword. I don't have the right to decide. It's up to Fran.』

「I want to know how Master feels about it.」

『If used, you will surely be able to defeat him. However, due to exhaustion, it may affect future battles. There may even be a risk to your life. If not used, it's uncertain whether you can defeat him. However, you will be able to maintain your combat capabilities.』

「No, it's not that. It's not about that. I want to know what Master thinks is best.」

『I don't have the authority to answer that question.』

At that moment, I felt a slight disappointment at Master's usual response.

『Hey, you idiot over there! You! Don't make Fran cry! Even I won't forgive you!』

I thought I heard Master's kind voice.

『Fran! Are you okay?』

Again, a gentle but stern voice. Was I mistaken? But where did it come from?

I couldn't sense their presence. As I was turning my head, Rhyn appeared once again.

We had just parted ways, so why was Rhyn here again?

「Fran, you will face arduous battles in the future. This is not fate; it is an inevitable course of action for you as you are now. But in your current state, you will likely lose your life.」

「Rhyn?」

「That's why this is a gift from me—from us. It may be small, but please accept it.」

As Rhyn said this and spread both hands, the surrounding space turned pure white.

「Is that you over there, Rhyn?」

There was another Rhyn. I thought it was another Rhyn at first, and next to that other Rhyn, there was another figure.

It was undoubtedly me and Master. But there were some differences. Like equipment, expressions.

I intuitively understood, but I couldn't comprehend it fully. Whether it was a different world or a different version of me, I didn't know, but that me was somewhere. And the one who spoke with that Master was this way.

『Fran!』

「Master.」

『Oh! Did you hear me?』

It seemed like my muttering had reached. I'm envious. That other Master was still the same as Master...

『I'll heal you now!』

That other Master tried to do something, but it seemed to fail.

『Why can't I use magic?』

「I'm sorry. I couldn't connect perfectly. We only managed to reach each other's voices by utilizing the increase in our powers and the three bonds transcending time—Romeo, Zelos Reed, and Zelyse. But even just a little... please wait.」

Both this Rhyn and that Rhyn spoke one after the other, bowing their heads apologetically. I didn't quite understand, but the fact that I could converse with the other me and Master on the other side was a miracle.

I addressed the other me.

「Hey... me.」

「What? Me?」

「...Are you happy?」

「Nn. With Master and Urushi, I'm happy every day. Aren't you happy?」

「Nn...」

Ah, I see. The other me is happy. That's only natural. After all, Master and Urushi are there.

「Because... Master...」

「What's wrong?」

「Master is... not kind at all. Doesn't say anything to me! Doesn't praise me anymore, doesn't scold me either!」

What came out of my mouth were my true feelings, something I had never told anyone before.

Because I felt that if I said it, it would become true...

「I hate this kind of Master! This isn't what Master should be like! I want a Master like the one over there!」

Words poured out one after another.

「Hey! What do I have to do to make Master go back to the way you used to be? How can I make you smile like before? Hey!」

I expressed all of my feelings.

Every overflowing word.

「Master, what should I do...?」

『Incomprehensible. I don't have any abnormalities. Moreover, Fran herself seems agitated.』

But what came back from Master wasn't the words I had hoped for. I had expected something after hearing that voice from the other Master, but it was just as I thought...

『Engaging in combat in this state is dangerous. You need to suppress your agitation.』

「I don't want to hear that!」

『Fran, calm down.』

「Shut up! Be quiet! Don't talk to me in that voice! You're not even Master!」

Right after I yelled that, a bewildered voice spoke.

『Oh, um... F-Fran is acting out!』

For some reason, it sounded a bit hurt.

「Acting out?」

「What's 'acting out'?」

Both of us tilted our heads simultaneously. It was a word I had never heard before.

『Uh, well... it's, you know, a very rough expression, like being a bad child? Saying rude things to parents or teachers?』

「I see! Then that me is 'acting out.'」

「You're not acting out. You're not a bad child.」

「But I am acting out.」

「You're not acting out!」

I wonder why. Even though I should have been made fun of, it was a lot of fun.

But a voice that dampened my mood suddenly came.

『In the current situation, Fran's aggressiveness is significantly higher than before. The term 'acting out' applies.』

My enjoyable mood instantly vanished. For some reason, I felt really sad. I couldn't help but lower my head. Why was this so painful?

In my ears, I heard shouting.

『Hey, you! What the hell are you saying! Even if that's the case, am I not still here!』

『...What are you talking about?』

『If Fran is 'acting out,' then it's our responsibility! We should have watched over her to make sure she didn't turn out that way!』

『I am a sword. I don't have that authority.』

『I don't give a damn about authority! Who are we? Aren't we Fran's Masters!』

『The term 'Master' is merely a name. It is nothing more than a symbol used to identify individual entities. My essence is that of a sword.』

『No, you're wrong! 'Master' is a name Fran gave us! It's our goal and Fran's hope! Don't forget that! 'A sword'? Isn't it more important for us to be Fran's Masters!』

『I am...』

『Look! Fran is crying! Seeing that, don't you feel anything!』

Upon hearing the words from the other Master, I realized. I had been crying without even realizing it. Why couldn't I stop the tears?

『...Crying?』

『Yeah! That's right! Fran is crying, and you're not even offering words of comfort! Have you turned into nothing but a sword, body and soul?』

「Master...」

『I...』

『I'll ask again. When you see Fran crying, don't you say anything?』

『I...』

『Are you saying that when you see Fran's tears, you really feel nothing? You idiot!』

『I...!』

For the first time in a while, this Master's voice sounded somewhat human. At the same time, it sounded familiar.

〈Announcer-san reports fluctuations in the temporary Master〉

「Eh? Announcer-san?」

〈Affirmative. To borrow the way individual Fran refers to it, temporary Announcer-san over there transferred power to secure the operational domain.〉

「So it wasn't gone...」

〈As long as the temporary Master is not destroyed, temporary Announcer-san will not disappear.〉

「Right...」

〈Fluctuations detected in the temporary Master's transformation state. It observes differences between the same entity and itself and appears to be shocked by the extent of those differences.〉

『Announcer-san... I...』

〈Proposal to individual Fran. Currently, it is possible to introduce further fluctuations.〉

「Fluctuations... What should I do?」

〈In your voice. Without fear.〉

「Eh...」

〈This may be the last chance.〉

Announcer-san's voice must be reaching over there too. The other Fran nodded slightly.

「Give it your best. The me that's acting out.」

「I'm not acting out.」

I reflexively replied, and the other me smiled a little. It was not an unpleasant smile.

「Nn. See you, me.」

『Fran! I'm on your side, no matter what happens, forever!』

Encouraged by Announcer-san and the other me, I timidly spoke up.

「Nn... Hey, Master. Can you hear me?」

『Fran...? I...』

From this Master too, I heard a slightly kinder voice.

「Fran, Sword-san. The connection is about to be severed!」

Rhyn's voice reached us. It seemed that this mysterious state was coming to an end.

I have to say something to them before it's over!

「Nn. See you, me.」

I shouted to the other me, who had smiled faintly at our Fran, who wore earrings.

『Fran! I'm on your side, no matter what happens, forever!』

It was right after that. The Fran with earrings, the idiot me, and the other Rhyn disappeared.

『Is this the end?』

「Yeah. The connection has been severed.」

As Rhyn said, we could no longer feel their presence.

『Hey Rhyn, what were those Frans and Masters? What on earth were they?』

「That was the previous Fran and Master. It should have been right after Sierra and Zelyse and the others disappeared into this time axis.」

『That me... is that the result of my transformation progressing?』

「That's right.」

「Is that Master?」

Fran murmured sadly. It seemed that she had imagined what would happen when I became like that.

『What will happen to that Fran?』

「I'm sorry. I can't say for sure anymore. But you see, the future should have changed significantly. That's why the connection has been severed.」

「What was the future like before it changed? Wasn't it very good?」

「Fran, in the depths of despair, goes berserk and ends up in a showdown with the fragment of an evil god sealed within Master, using all her power. It involves many people.」

That's terrible... But it's true that the other Fran had the potential for such danger. And I, who should have stopped it, am in such a state.

『But the future has changed, right?』

「Thanks to you all. The words that Fran and Sword-san said to the other two changed the future...」

『So, the other Fran won't meet the kind of end Rhyn mentioned, right?』

「Yes. At least Sword-san should have regained his heart. If the future didn't change that much, the connection wouldn't have been severed so abruptly.」

『I see...』

「Now, all we can do is hope that things have changed for the better.」

「Nn...」

How did it turn out for the other us? Did our words heal Fran's wounded heart even a little? Did I, who had become a sword, improve even slightly?

「Master, I'm sure everything will be okay.」

『Is that so?』

「Nn. Because our words reached them. So, it'll be okay.」

『Yeah, you're right. It's because it's me and Fran! If there's a chance, things will surely change for the better, right?』

「Nn.」

When Fran said that, I truly believed it.

『Announcer-san on the other side seems to have been revived as well.』

〈Affirmative. Temporary Announcer-san on the other side and I have shared information. We will make effective use of it.〉

『Information sharing?』

〈It includes analysis of the behavioral patterns of the individual named Master, as well as considerations for preventing and undoing swordification derived from that information.〉

『I see...』

It's data that analyzed my personality, right? Using that, Announcer-san on the other side will come up with various strategies to prevent me from becoming a sword. That's reassuring. Announcer-san is competent! It's a bit embarrassing to think that my inner self was analyzed in that way.

〈We have also succeeded in exchanging some skill information.〉

『Does that mean I got new skills?』

〈Affirmative. From our side, we provided information on 'Banish Evil and Reveal the Righteous' and 'Mana Supply,' while temporary Announcer-san on the other side provided information on 'Spirit Sensing' and 'Taint Domination.' Based on this information, we have obtained the unique skills 'Spirit Perception,' and 'Unique Skill: Taint Domination.' Additionally—〉

Geez, that's long! It seems that the two Announcer-sans had an incredible exchange of information in that short time.

〈Based on the information from 'Banish Evil and Reveal the Righteous' and 'Taint Domination,' we have acquired the unique skill 'Divine Aura Manipulation.' 'Divine Aura Manipulation,' based on the information from 'Spirit Sensing,' allowed us to obtain the unique skill 'Spirit of the Hand.'〉

Uh, I've acquired quite a few things. To put it simply, 'Spirit Sensing' is just what it sounds like—you can sense spirits. With this, maybe I'll be able to sense spirits with a skill?

Finally, the most inexplicable skill, "Spirit of the Hand." This skill had the ability to influence spirits. It seems you can touch them or even attack them with it. Well, mastering it seems quite challenging, but it's something to work on in the future.

Although I wanted to try various things, we didn't have any more time for further testing.

「I'm sorry. It's time for the flow of time to return to normal. Be careful...」

『Hey! Isn't that incredibly dangerous...?』

Going from this state of super-acceleration to normal time suddenly, we had no idea what might happen. The worst-case scenario would be throwing off the balance. After all, we were still being rapidly descended from the sky towards a great demon beast. I thought maybe we could gradually return to normal, but...

「Rhyn, are you okay? You look like you're in pain.」

「Just pushed myself a little too hard... But I can't go any further...」

I could see the surroundings gradually starting to flow. We would return to our original time soon!

〈Three seconds remaining until time acceleration is lifted.〉

『Fran! Don't mess up the balance!』

「Nn! Leave it to me!」

Fran nodded with a determined expression. It seemed that she was inspired by the other Fran and me.

「I can't afford to lose.」

『Yeah! I feel the same way!』

「Sword God Transformation!」

As soon as Fran shouted, Rhyn's mental super-acceleration was released, and the surroundings flowed rapidly like a muddy river.

『Ugh.』

I knew it, but the sensory distortion was immense! From a state of apparent stillness to incredible super-acceleration. Immediately afterward, the ugly flesh of the great demon beast, covered in countless mouths, loomed large in front of us.

Impact—none. Fran had done it. She instantly corrected the sensory distortion and unleashed a magnificent strike, combining Sword God Transformation, latent ability release, "Banish Evil and Reveal the Righteous," and more. It may have slightly missed the mark, but there was no helping that.

「Haah!」

『Raa!』

The surging torrent of immense power that coursed through my sword body was unleashed upon the great demon beast.

I deactivated the enhanced skills, including latent ability release, almost simultaneously with the strike and activated teleportation. If I didn't do this, we wouldn't make it in time to escape through teleportation.

A slight sensation of cutting through something remained. That sensation indicated the success of our attack.

『How's that?』

「...Nn.」

Just before the collision with the great demon beast, we teleported into the sky and witnessed an astonishing sight.

『Did we succeed...? Sierra, too.』

「Nn.」

The great demon beast had two massive wounds. Two parallel slashes ran vertically on its body.

We could sense a significant reduction in the presence emanating from the great demon beast. Our attacks had undoubtedly inflicted considerable damage. One of the wounds was clearly caused by our slashing attack. And the other one...

「Sierra.」

Down below, Sierra stood frozen, still in the posture of wielding the cursed sword Zelos Reed. Or perhaps it was lingering effects? She slowly lowered Zelos Reed and let out a soft breath.

In any case, the other wound was undoubtedly caused by Sierra's upward slash.

『Sierra's attack... It seems to have a power that's almost on par with our all-out strike.』

「Nn.」

Seriously? It's easy to understand when the wounds are lined up like this. The width and depth of the wounds were almost identical.

『No, our attacks are of the divine attribute. The wounds should heal slowly!』

I thought that...

「Regeneeeeerate...」

「No regeneration.」

『Is that wound too?』

It seemed that the corruption of the wounds by malevolent energy was inhibiting their regeneration.

I never expected to be hit by an attack of almost equal power, even though I was somewhat off balance. Looking at Sierra with a complicated expression, I saw her collapse on the spot. Her entire body was covered in black malevolent energy. Sierra's condition looked quite serious. The current Zelos Reed was hastily cradling her, and she seemed completely unconscious.

Zelos Reed itself was in bad shape too, likely due to continuously intercepting the great demon beast's beam, but the recoil Sierra had taken seemed even worse.

Well, we couldn't afford to be concerned about others at the moment.

「Mmm...」

『How are you, Fran?』

「Just... a little tough...」

『Nn...』

If we didn't have levitation skills, we would have already fallen into the lake long ago. That's how severe the recoil was. Even with life magic and divine energy manipulation, it was this bad. Thinking about what would have happened without it made me break out in a cold sweat.

「Master, still not healing?」

『Between the divine energy's influence and using latent ability release, my durability isn't recovering at all.』

My durability had dropped to less than 100. I'd be in pretty bad shape for a while.

This time, I consumed around 5,000 magic stone value by using latent ability release. Well, thanks to that, I managed to establish a connection with the other side, so I had no regrets.

「Woof!」

「Urushi.」

Urushi came running toward us, dragging his front legs behind him. Among us, Urushi, with only his front legs broken, was in the best condition.

「I'll heal you now.」

「Arf.」

『Urushi, you're our only hope for a while.』

Both Fran and I had wounds that were healing extremely slowly. In our current condition, we couldn't engage in combat properly.

「Woof!」

「Please.」

『For now, let's regroup with Sierra and the others.』

「No, please, leave from here immediately...」

『Rhyn?』

Where was he? I could only hear his voice... Even if I used the newly acquired spirit detection, I couldn't tell.

「Just a moment, I can't maintain a physical form. Somehow, my voice is reaching you...」

「Is it because you linked here and there?」

「That and various other reasons... I overextended my vision into the future, and this is the consequence... More importantly, get away from here...」

I didn't want to push Rhyn, who seemed to be in pain, to speak further. Even in his current state, he made it a point to convey this, so the situation must be quite dire.

「Urushi.」

「Woof!」

We quickly confirmed the situation and began to flee. Immediately afterward, an immense surge of magic power was released from the great demon beast's body.

「「「Ugggghhhhh!」」」

All of its mouths emitted deep, agonized screams, and it twisted its massive body as if in pain.

「Cyan!」

『Kuuu!』

Exposed to the immense surge of magic power emanating from the great demon beast's entire body, Urushi screamed while maxing out his magical barrier. Fran and I, exhausted of our strength, could do nothing but rely on Urushi.

「Urushi, hang in there...」

『You can do it!』

「Grrrrowl!」

Urushi further thickened the barrier and stood his ground.

「Gruuuugh...」

During that time, tens of thousands of tentacles sprouted from the great demon beast's entire body, twisting and thrashing around. Rather than going berserk, it seemed like it was writhing in pain. Occasionally, the barrier was struck by the tentacles, but Urushi endured with gritted teeth.

「「「Aaaargh!」」」

「It got bigger.」

『...Did Rhyn split off?』

We realized that the rampaging great demon beast's volume had suddenly increased. Although Rhyn's figure was not visible, if she had split off, the great demon beast's power must have surged as a result. She had been sealing the great demon beast's power and weakening it from within.

「「「Ugooooh!」」」

『Wha-what's happening?』

The wave of magic power subsided, and now the great demon beast's body was rapidly expanding at an accelerating rate. However, something seemed off about the situation. We heard sounds like flesh tearing and breaking apart, and with it, the great demon beast's flesh began to rip apart all over.

The massive amount of dark red-black liquid that spilled from these fissures was scattered around the area. But, the fissures quickly regenerated, and new ones formed. In the meantime, the great demon beast's body continued to swell.

Perhaps it was trying to forcibly break free from its confinement? Until now, it had been gradually pushing out the weakened seal, attempting to escape without overexertion. However, the situation had suddenly changed. The appearance of a self-inflicting presence and the disappearance of Rhyn's weakening. As a result, did the great demon beast prioritize breaking free from the seal? Considering it as a means to regain its power, it made sense given its actions.

『What do you think?』

〈I agree.〉

『Isn't that dangerous?』

Even an arm alone was beyond our abilities. We, along with Sierra and the others, couldn't defeat it, even with our all-out efforts. If it fully revived, even though it was somewhat weakened...

This was a situation where Weena Rhyn's secret technique or whatever it was would need to intervene sooner rather than later. Well, she should already be preparing for it.

『If it's Weena Rhyn, she might attack us all!』

「Woof!」

I didn't know what Fran thought of Weena Rhyn, but my opinion of that woman had taken a significant hit. On the other hand, my favorability towards Rhyn, who I had been somewhat suspicious of, had skyrocketed. I thought it was a bit ironic, even to myself.

However, there was a shadow blocking Urushi, who was attempting to flee. It was clear that this shadow had the intention of obstructing us. In this dire situation, the shadow casually approached us and spoke.

「Hey there, Fran-san. Can you lend me that sword for a moment?」