The Central Sea Region.
Angels continued to be released from the battleship. Since the Elpis appeared in the sky, the angel-type monsters that had been descending upon the continent were confirmed to possess strength comparable to S-Rank. However, these angels, clad in peculiar armor, harbored a power that was incomparable to them. They displayed a strength befitting the names of the three great races: Ancient Dragons among dragons, and High-ranking Demons among demons. The sight of God’s soldiers, wielding such immense power, appearing in swarms from an ark could truly be called a testament to despair. However, not everyone here was so easily inclined to give up.
“Dooliiyaaah!”
Sabato, who had been bestowed the name Gaun at the Beast King Festival, was one of them. He intercepted the approaching angels with his beloved sword, manipulated with ease, and in coordination with his allies, he protected the Suiren he was riding.
“As expected, Lord Sabato!”
“You too, Aggas! These guys might have monstrous raw power, but they have no coordination or formation! They just lock onto prey on their own and charge in without any strategy! We can handle this!”
Sabato and his companions, who were once A-Rank adventurers, had grown even stronger after the Beast King Festival. It was no wonder, as they had since undergone rigorous training at the hands of Leonhart himself, being thrown off cliffs, bombarded with giant rocks, and then subjected to a torrent of boiling oil.
Sabato took pride in having become thick-skinned both physically and mentally, possessing power befitting the name Gaun. His younger sister, Goma, was no different, and her tsukkomi punches with her iron fists could now send Sabato flying much further than before.
“Hey, Goma! Let’s spice things up with that thing— wait, Goma? Gomaaaah!? Seriously, where did that girl go?! Did she fall off the ship!?”
“Lord Sabato, I wish you’d worry about yourself more than others! She hasn’t gotten used to Heavenly Walk yet, and watching her fight makes me so nervous—!”
“And you! Don’t fall yourself, Guin!”
Aggas grabbed Guin by the scruff of his neck as he slipped and was about to fall, retrieving him with a stunned groan. It seemed that as representatives of Gaun, they had learned the skill of Heavenly Walk to conquer this aerial combat.
“Sabato-chan, this is the critical moment. They may be angels, but we have angels on our side too! Fight on!”
“………”
A pink angel with a deep, resonant voice flew past the airborne Suiren. Sabato and the others, for better or worse, were momentarily captivated. And then— they decided to pretend they hadn’t seen anything.
“Alright, that was nothing! Don’t worry about it and hang in there!”
“O-okay!”
“This is bad, I feel like I’m gonna puke in so many ways…”
***
Battleship Elpis.
While Sabato and the others fighting outside the battleship struggled with rather disheartened spirits, the so-called strike force, which aimed to defeat Kuromel and the apostles and disable the giant ark, also began their respective activities. Ange, also known by the alias ‘Headhunting Cat,’ was one of them. Utilizing her innate ability to phase through objects and her speed, she raced through the vast battleship.
“Whoa, whoa! According to her intuition, it should be around here…”
The place Ange arrived at was a space filled with unfamiliar, large mechanical equipment. Intricately intertwined, unknown objects repeatedly performed cyclical movements, emitting mechanical sounds.
“…Is there an analyst here?”
“Oh, you’ve already found me. Well, I suppose I can’t fight the erosion of time.”
From behind one of those machines, the analyst Riod revealed himself. Though he had reached old age and his hair was turning white, it was neatly styled, and he wore his familiar single-lens glasses. He was dressed just as he always was when seen at the Guild, appearing no different than when he was the Guild Master.
“Hello, Ange. I never expected you to come here. Is this fate, perhaps?”
“Ah, so you’re using that address. In that case, I suppose I should too. Is it fate, or is it because this place is important that the Guild Master is protecting it? If so, it’s inevitable that you’d meet me, who would arrive first in terms of speed, right?”
“Would you call it that? …Yes, this interaction is quite nostalgic now. Those were truly enjoyable times. Even though it was a mission, it was a meaningful job, watching the young people of Pars grow and develop.”
“I enjoyed it too. Before I knew it, it turned into a real romance, and I’m happier now, though.”
“Hmph, you always had a bit of a playful streak even when you were a receptionist, Ange. Even with these divine eyes, I never thought you would betray me… Well, let’s wrap up our small talk.”
“Indeed.”
Riod casually lifted his single-lens glasses, and Ange readied her dagger knife. The air crackled with tension. The moment it did, Ange vanished.
*Clang!*
Riod drew a rather unremarkable, sturdy longsword. In the next instant, the clash of blades resounded. Sparks flew, and the sound of weapons striking each other echoed continuously without pause. Yet, Ange’s figure was nowhere to be seen. Then, kunai flew from behind Riod.
“I see, you’ve faithfully mastered what I taught you.”
With his free hand, Riod caught the thrown kunai with his bare fist. His expression, directed at Ange, whose figure he couldn’t see, was like that of a proud father watching his child develop. In response to his words and expression, Ange reappeared in a direction completely opposite to where the kunai had come from.
“Since I was reincarnated as an Apostle, I was trained by the Guild Master for many years. You can be proud of me as your prized disciple, can’t you?”
“I am proud. However, you are still too careless.”
Saying this, Riod pointed a finger towards his own head, making a gesture as if to point out something.
“…You really know how to do it, don’t you?”
One of what had become Ange’s hallmarks – her black hooded cat ears – was now cut in half, falling to the ground at her feet.
“In terms of speed alone, you might rival Kuromel, Ange. However, mere speed cannot deceive my eyes. Your gift makes you defenseless for the moment of attack, so you must be careful with your timing.”
Riod held up his longsword conspicuously, having impaled the fuse of an exploding tag he had mixed into one of the kunai onto its tip. Ange’s attack had been completely seen through.
“…Hmph. According to the numbers on our Status screens, there shouldn’t be such a difference. In fact, I have the advantage in many areas.”
“Aren’t you too focused on what’s visible? Come now, I’ve lived longer than you, after all. Perhaps it’s a difference in that regard?”
“You ended that with a rather careless explanation. Well, I don’t intend to fight blindly either.”
“Oh?”
Ange replied with a smile and produced her next weapon: a restrained weapon created with Kelvin, an exploding tag attached to a chain sword. A flexible chain approached Riod, attempting to sandwich him from both sides. Riod evaded by leaping into the air. However, this was not the only attack approaching him.
“An attack from directly overhead. It’s a blind spot, but not an unobserved one.”
Responding to Riod’s leap was a firing pin. It was a fierce kick from his former comrade, the Judge, Bel Baal. Barely avoiding the surprise attack, Bel instead glared at Riod as if to shoot him.
“Tch, he dodged…”
“Oh, Bel is with you too? This combination is quite interesting—”
“Oh dear. Father, it’s a bit early to be moved, don’t you think?”
From above Bel, a strangely seductive, overly sweet voice could be heard. Estoria Cranvelts, wielding a blood-red great spear, without paying any mind to Bel’s presence in between, launched her extravagant weapon towards Riod.
