The Heart of the Evil God
Time rewinded a little. After rejoining with Silvia and the others, Setsuna was heading towards the sanctuary. Even the ferocious monsters they were struggling with could be defeated with ease by three people. However, the Great Cavern was vast. Silvia and Emma, unable to find the entrance, were wandering when they discovered Setsuna. Their only hope was Nito, who originally belonged to the enemy —
“…I’m sorry! Old man, I only know the east side entrance! It’s the exact opposite side from here!”
His knowledge was quite incomplete. The place Nito knew was very far from their current location, a journey that would take a considerable amount of time. However, if they remained lost, they would get nowhere. Even if it took time, they should choose the sure path. As the three were thinking this, a voice was heard.
“Woooooon!”
A wolf’s howl. Its giant body and well-groomed fur were unforgettable, and Setsuna instantly recognized it as Alex. She moved to where Alex was and tried to understand the situation.
“…Ah, Nana was that way.”
Unexpectedly, there was no interpreter, which made Alex look troubled. Just then, something leaped from Setsuna’s shoulder. It was tiny, so small it was difficult to recognize unless one looked closely.
“Hm, Kuroto.”
“Huh?”
As Silvia, who had guessed correctly, said, it was Kuroto, a doppelganger Kelvin had secretly infiltrated. The extremely small Kuroto landed before Alex and instantly expanded its volume, changing its form. Setsuna, who had been told nothing, was even more surprised by this turn of events. Kuroto, having expanded to a considerable size, bowed deeply to Setsuna, its actions seemingly apologizing for its rudeness.
“Ah, no, it’s alright.”
Setsuna, a pure Japanese person, reflexively returned the bow.
“You are Kelvin’s slime, aren’t you? Why are you here, now?”
In response to Emma’s question, Kuroto transformed part of its body to reply.
“This is— text?”
“Hm, Kuroto is smart.”
“Um… Alex will guide you to the sanctuary. Follow me. It says here.”
“Woon.”
Alex nodded as if to say, “That’s right.” Kuroto, quite literally, was putting its body on the line to act as an interpreter. Alex led them to a cave formed in such a way that it couldn’t be seen from above. It seemed to be one of the entrances to the sanctuary. The sanctuary’s barrier had already been removed, and it was ready to be entered at any time.
“Beyond this point is the Apostle’s domain. Who knows what will happen if we take one step forward…”
“Let’s steel ourselves.”
“Right. Mother is beyond this point…!”
They began to advance into the sanctuary. They had no way of knowing that waiting for them on the other side would be the strongest guardian and their delightful (former) companions.
***
The Heart of the Evil God – Holy Grail Divine Realm
“Now this… Hmm, hmm. A high-level faction has gathered.”
Serge seemed a little surprised by the sudden arrival of guests, but her expression quickly changed. Setsuna, Silvia, Emma. As Serge looked them over carefully, her expression was strangely joyful.
“Be careful, Setsuna-chan. The Guardian, despite looking so cute, has tastes for the inside that aren’t much different from mine, you know.”
“…Um, what do you mean?”
“I’m sorry, could you be quiet for a moment? They seem to be more pressed for time than I expected.”
“Hm, have to classify them as strong enemies. Very bad.”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
It couldn’t be helped that they couldn’t grasp the true meaning of Nito’s advice. Setsuna and the others were doing their best just to keep their eyes fixed on the overwhelmingly powerful beings before them.
“Huh? That sword you’re holding, is it perhaps a survivor?”
“Crap, I’ve been noticed… I guess I have no choice. Hello, hello. It’s been a while. How are you?”
“I was gloomy until just now, but I’ve fully recovered. So, why are you on that side, survivor? You’re no longer an Apostle, but you have no obligation to help them, do you?”
“Nah, my objective turned out to be surprisingly close. From beastman to human, and now I’m enjoying my remaining life as a sword. You must be envious, but I won’t give it up.”
“Hahaha. Then, shall I just take it by force?”
“Hahaha, stealing is a bad thing, you know.”
Serge and Nito were conversing amicably, but somehow their words carried a powerful sincerity, and those present couldn’t stop sweating nervously.
Meanwhile, by their side, Rion and Alex, who had entered the shadow, were confirming the current situation through telepathy. These three, along with Alex, were reinforcements from Kelvin, with instructions to defeat Serge Floa together. That was Kelvin’s message.
『Kel-nii thinks it was good that you defeated them?』
『Gurururu (They’ll just revive anyway, and when they do, I’ll be responsible for dealing with them).』
『I-I see. Either way, it doesn’t change how difficult it is… Still, the state of battle is completely different. Setsu-chan’s strength has also become something else, if it’s like this—』
—Crackles!
Rion, wielding the Demonic Sword and the Black Sword, moved before the three, lightning crackling around her. Let’s unite. With that determination in their eyes, Rion was followed by Setsuna, Silvia, and the others, who seemed to understand her meaning and also drew their swords.
Rion’s Black Sword Akrama, the Demonic Sword Caladbolg, Setsuna’s sword, Nirvanajyaku, Silvia’s ice rapier, Noble Orbit, and Emma’s greatsword, Sun’s Scrap Iron. Not only were the users formidable, but the weapons they wielded were all S-class, super-class items. They were the perfect faction capable of countering Serge’s Sacred Sword Will.
“I never thought so many heroes would gather here. The previous hero, the modern hero, and even heroes of anomaly who were not originally intended. Hehe, how interesting. Well then, shall we— go?”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
As Serge was about to draw her sword, Silvia called out to her, telling her to wait. Perhaps this was unexpected, breaking the serious atmosphere, and Serge almost fell forward. However, she managed to regain her balance.
“W-what is it?”
“Hasn’t a woman with silver hair and a sister’s outfit of this length come here?”
“There is a silver-haired woman. Look, over there.”
Serge pointed to Colette. However, she was currently on all fours and didn’t seem to be in a condition to respond. Silvia also shook her head from side to side, indicating that it wasn’t her.
“…It’s not a sister’s outfit, and I don’t know if it’s the person you’re looking for, but there might be another silver-haired woman further in. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you pass.”
“…So. Then, I’ll force my way through.”
With cracking sounds, the white floor was instantly covered by a land of ice. Silvia’s Extreme Cold Land, cast without incantation, formed a freezing territory of absolute ice. Its range extended to where Setsuna and the others were.
“Whoa!?”
“Calm down. This ice only harms enemies. Setsuna-san, please handle the support attacks. Here we go!”
As if they had pre-arranged it, Silvia and Emma lunged forward simultaneously. Their target was, of course, Serge. Her feet were now fixed in the land of ice.
『One wolf, three sword styles— The perfected form, Shadow Wolf Mode. Let’s go, Alex!』
『Woon (Yes)!』
Rion, cloaking herself in quivering shadows, followed suit. Setsuna, left behind, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and took aim at Serge, whose eyes were curving with amusement.
