Crunch.
[GGGGIIIIIAAaaa…]
“Huff…”
Splch.
Hermilla’s fist, which had pierced through the beast’s skull, withdrew, dripping with brain matter.
“I’m at one hundred seventy-six. What about you all?”
Mia, holding a longbow nearly her own height, spoke as she released her fully drawn bowstring.
“One hundred sixty… nine… seventy.”
At that mont, an arrow shot forth, swallowing all surrounding sound as it pierced a beast’s forehead.
“One hundred sixty-eight, and with this, sixty-nine!”
Boom! Unlike the steel spikes from earlier, a massive hamr-shaped construct of steel crashed down, pulverizing the beasts’ heads and driving them into the ground.
“…I’m at ninety-three.”
“As expected, just a delicate flower.”
“Pathetic.”
“Yuria was never ant to be a combat specialist—she’s support. No need to feel discouraged.”
While searching through the rubble for civilians and Liberation Army soldiers, Hermilla exhaled in relief upon finding the ground empty.
“Speaking of which, where is Delia in the midst of all this chaos?”
“Probably with Heinzel. She rushed off earlier saying they needed to talk.”
“…Delia, finally making a confession?”
“Who knows? Even if she tries, can you imagine her managing a proper confession?”
With a wry smile, Hermilla gazed at the hastily constructed spire—the tallest structure among the ruins—where her eyes t Juur’s.
–A large number of Liberation Army mbers and civilians are engaged with beasts in the northeast. Their numbers… approximately seventy percent of the total enemy force.
–Is the west secure?
–Delia and Heinzel are holding their ground. Fewer beasts have moved in that direction, so you needn’t worry. If any issues arise, I’ll report imdiately.
–Good. Thank you.
Heinzel’s unique ability was perfectly suited for chaotic battlefields like this. With Delia’s support, evacuating civilians wouldn’t be a problem.
Confident the western front was secure, Hermilla shifted her gaze northeast—opposite the civilian evacuation route—where the massive northern gate stood, the entry point for most of the invading beasts.
“From now on, we’re cutting straight through the center to reach the north. Seventy percent of the beasts that invaded Cartia are concentrated there, so prepare yourselves.”
Their bodies were tattered from the battle that had raged from predawn until sunrise, yet the challengers’ fighting spirit—including Hermilla’s—had grown even sharper than before.
The faint glimpse of an end to this hell had planted hope within them.
They believed happiness awaited once everything was over.
“If we’re done here, let’s move.”
Their steps held no hesitation.
They were light.
They were hopeful.
They were resolute.
Unaware of the calamity that awaited them,
they pressed forward.
***
***
***
Kwa-ja-ja-jak.
Golden lightning streaked across the battlefield, ensnaring the beasts and halting their movents.
“Haaaaaaaa!!”
Crash!
A massive gravitational force crushed the beasts entirely, slamming them into the ground. The ensuing surge of electricity incinerated the remaining creatures that had been devouring civilians.
“I’ll evacuate the people first, so be careful!”
“Mm!”
Fizz. The mont she finished speaking, Delia vanished like a streak of light, beginning to rescue civilians trapped within her web of electricity.
Watching her disappear, leaving only faint electrical currents behind, Heinzel scratched his head.
“…Delia’s acting strange today.”
Ever since she’d found him conversing with a mysterious woman in an alley, sothing about Delia had been off.
Suddenly getting angry, shouting, screaming incomprehensible things like, “I ca all this way because of you, so why won’t you look at
even once?” before breaking into tears.
If that mysterious woman hadn’t comforted her, Heinzel was certain Delia would have cried for an entire month.
Yet the Delia who had earlier been sobbing uncontrollably…
Since the beast invasion began—no, specifically when they started fighting together—
She had transford completely.
At first glance, she seed the sa as always, but carried a calr, sharper aura.
She was twice as strong as before.
It was commonly known that mages struggled to unleash their full power alone, and Delia’s case had always been more severe than most.
Yet now, that weakness was nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps the endless battles had helped her overco her limitations.
Or perhaps…
“Maybe I’m just too damn talented. Khahahahaha!”
Perhaps his combat instincts were perfectly complenting Delia’s weaknesses.
Whatever the reason, it was fortunate that he and Delia—who had never fought side by side before—were now moving in perfect synchronization.
Dismissing these thoughts with his usual nonchalance, Heinzel gripped his halberd and strode toward the cluster of beasts.
“You monkey bastards! Co at !!”
He roared to draw the beasts’ attention—
And to catch Delia’s eye, wherever she was rescuing civilians.
With a mighty bellow, he unleashed crushing gravity upon the beasts’ heads.
Crash! Craaash!
[GGGGGGGWWWWAAAAAAA-!]
But as if reading Heinzel’s intentions, the beasts used their own kind as shields, resisting the gravitational force. A dozen or so surged toward him.
“Haaaaa!”
Without hesitation, he swung. Crunch. His indiscriminate strike tore through both beast and ally alike.
But the beasts didn’t stop.
Even with only its head remaining, one beast’s gaping maw stretched impossibly wide, lunging for Heinzel’s shoulder.
At that mont—
Kwa-ja-ja-jak.
A bolt of lightning crashed down, piercing through the heads of the charging beasts in succession.
“You crazy bastard!”
“Oh! Delia! I was waiting for you! Khahahaha!”
“W-What?! You were waiting for— Ugh!”
Sensing a sickening malice seeping from beneath her feet, Delia instinctively grabbed Heinzel and lifted them both skyward.
Then—
Thump-thump.
[KAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW-!]
A beast unlike any they had encountered erupted from where they had stood, tearing apart the earth.
If the beasts crawling across the land resembled monkeys, this one that erged from underground had the form of a larva.
A long, cylindrical body covered in dozens of writhing tentacles.
A gaping maw at the crown of its head, lined with countless needle-like teeth.
Just the sight of it drained the color from Delia’s face.
“Ugh, fuck… What the hell is that disgusting thing?”
“Hmm. Truly grotesque…”
Even Heinzel, rarely one to show disgust, grimaced as he raised his halberd.
Still held aloft by Delia, he twisted his body midair, taking aim at the beast that had erged from below.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing?! You’re heavy!”
“Attacking.”
“What? You crazy—”
And then—
“BASTARD!”
Fizz! BOOM!
A sharp burst of electricity wrapped around the beast’s body.
Imdiately after, the halberd shot forth, obliterating the creature’s torso completely, leaving only a massive crater soaked in black blood.
The powerful recoil made it impossible for Delia to maintain her grip, and she lost hold of Heinzel.
“You son of a—!!”
“Kahahahaha!!”
But Heinzel only laughed heartily, savoring the rush of wind as he fell.
Just before impact, he reduced his weight with gravity, landing softly on the ground.
“You crazy bastard!! At least warn ! I almost died with you!!”
“Aaah, that was refreshing— Urgh…”
Before he could finish, Delia—already back on the ground with faint sparks dancing around her—smacked his smooth, bald head with a resounding slap.
“Are you trying to kill
or the beasts?! Why do you keep—”
“Hmm. I had complete confidence you could handle it. If it was too much, I apologize.”
“W-What…? You trusted ? ? Why?”
“I’ve been feeling it for a while now—our coordination is strangely in sync. I suppose I relied on you instinctively. If that bothers you, next ti I won’t—”
“No! Do it! Do whatever you want! I’ll handle everything! Do you think I, the great mage, can’t keep up with your brute force tactics?!”
Leaping forward, Delia clamped her hand over Heinzel’s mouth, the tips of her ears burning crimson as she shouted.
“Hm? If that’s the case, understood. I’ll continue as before.”
“H-Hmph! Go ahead and try… Heh-heh.”
Delia clenched the palm that had touched Heinzel’s lips, a confident smirk playing on her face as she shrugged.
Then she repeated his words in her mind over and over.
Our coordination is strangely in sync.
How much effort had she invested just to hear those words?
Ever since Heinzel had saved her life as a child, she had studied his fighting style, analyzed his techniques, and reshaped her own abilities to complent his.
She had learned magic specifically to support him.
She had trained relentlessly until she could wield it effortlessly, until it aligned perfectly with his needs.
Even when she attained her unique ability in the Temple of mory, even when she reached the level of a challenger and could perform the Heaven-Reversing technique—
Delia had only ever wished for abilities that would serve Heinzel.
Powers that could save him when the final mont ca.
Delia loved Heinzel.
She loved him even though his heart still belonged to the family he had lost long ago.
So even if his words were rely casual observations with no deeper aning, even if he didn’t truly understand her feelings—
Delia could still smile with happiness.
“Ahem. Hey, baldy. If you’re done resting, let’s go. There are still people we haven’t rescued.”
A hand that had spent a lifeti casting magic took hold of an artificial limb that could never know warmth, which pulled her forward.
At that mont—
“…Hm?”
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!]
Beneath the earth…
The Primordial Beast that had slain a god.
‘Leviathan’ opened its eyes.
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