Side: Mako
We safely defeated the Divine Emperor, Yamato.
Even though it was from a distance, his skillful high-speed three-dimensional combat, combined with a rare technique called Grand Mirage, gave him an advantage from the start.
I understood that it contained a grudge from last time, but that can’t be helped.
It’s only natural to feel something after being subjected to such treatment.
“I’ve defeated the Divine Emperor!”
Yamato’s voice echoed loudly across the battlefield.
The Philia Allied Forces erupted in cheers, while the Abaricia side, on the other hand, stopped moving, their faces etched with disbelief.
Given that the Divine Emperor had been the dictator ruling the Gradia Continent for 200 years, it was only to be expected.
Ah, and some are still attacking, unable to believe it.
It doesn’t matter if they continue. Since they’ve turned into demons, we can’t afford to let them go. These demons on the battlefield will have to follow the Divine Emperor.
“The Divine Emperor is defeated, but demons still remain! This is our crucial moment! I expect everyone to fight valiantly!”
Yamato understands.
In his next words, he rallied the Ritters and Hunters.
“Did you hear? As His Highness Yamato Tenshaku said! The greatest threat, the Divine Emperor, has been defeated by His Highness! Then it is our duty to vanquish the remaining demons! This is our crucial moment! Everyone, rouse yourselves!”
Rex-san understood this too, praising Yamato while spurring us on.
In response, the Allied Forces’ morale surged, and they attacked the demons, many of whom were dejected.
They weren’t entirely defenseless, but the demons, whose morale had plummeted, were defeated one after another.
Conversely, some demons rallied, but they too were easily defeated by the Hunters’ superb coordination.
I was most afraid of them becoming desperate soldiers, but thankfully, there were none, and they would likely be wiped out soon.
Indeed, within 30 minutes, the demons were annihilated.
“Everyone, well done! The Divine Emperor is defeated, and the demons here have been vanquished! We have won!”
When Rex-san declared this, a roar that shook the earth echoed.
Putting aside the matter of the demons, we had achieved our primary objective of defeating the Divine Emperor, who had become a Demon King.
However, the real problem started from here.
As the roar subsided, an incredibly immense magical power erupted from the castle, ascending as a pillar of light.
It felt like a dampener on our victory, but the Allied Forces were so overwhelmed by the sheer power that, combined with the relief of the battle ending, many lost their will to fight.
“Wh-what is that!?”
“What incredible magic… It’s far stronger than a Demise Species…”
As Mana-sama said, the magical power rising from the castle was immense, surpassing even Nidh, who was called the strongest Demise Species.
Even we, who had defeated several Demise Species, had never encountered a Demise Species with stronger magic than Nidh, so this alone was an unprecedented situation.
The next moment, the castle exploded, and a colossal monster emerged from within.
“Th-the castle…”
“Is that a Dragon? B-but its heads…!”
“There are five in total? I think there was a Chimera called a Hydra that had that many…”
“It’s nothing compared to a Hydra! What is that monstrosity!”
Prim and the others who descended were also confused, and understandably so.
We thought it would be over after defeating the Divine Emperor. The need to investigate the castle was added, but the battle itself should have concluded.
However, the monster that appeared turned our assumptions completely upside down.
“Huh? That monster, I’ve seen it somewhere… Ah!”
And then I remembered.
I remembered.
The mythical, legendary being that we had not fought in a long time, the one we never wanted to fight again.
“M-Mako-san?”
“So… So that’s why he was the Divine Emperor… I never imagined he had something like that hidden away!”
It appearing from the castle meant it was definitely left behind in the castle.
In any case, there was no change in the plan of investigating the castle after defeating the Divine Emperor.
But if I had known it was sealed with an Engraving Divine Artifact, I would have gone into the castle alone to investigate!
“W-what do you mean?”
“It’s an ancient monster from Japan, sealed within an Engraving Divine Artifact. I’ve fought similar beings before.”
“That thing!?”
“Yes. It’s probably a five-headed dragon. It’s of the same species as Yamata no Orochi, which Asuka-kun and Maoh defeated.”
The moment I said that, Yamato’s face turned pale.
I could understand his reaction.
“A five-headed dragon… Yamata no Orochi, and that thing, aren’t they just stories of monsters linked to natural disasters that plagued regions with many rivers?”
“That’s partly true, but it seems they also caused actual damage.”
The lake where the five-headed dragon was said to reside. It is said to have been in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Coincidentally, it’s both Yamato’s and my hometown, and I can’t help but wonder about the connection.
I vaguely recall that the villagers of Koshigoe, plagued by the whims of the five-headed dragon residing in that lake, who caused natural disasters, offered over ten children as sacrifices, but it was to no avail.
Although it’s called Koshigoe now, it was once called Kodoshikoshi, meaning “child-killing crossing,” due to the sacrifices of children.
Afterward, the five-headed dragon, which fell in love with Benzaiten who began living on the uplifted Enoshima, repented and became a protector of humans. I don’t remember all the details, but that was the gist of it.
“So… that five-headed dragon is real, and it can even cause natural disasters!?”
“It seems so.”
To add to that, while the five-headed dragon has five heads, it is considered to be of the same species as Yamata no Orochi and the nine-headed dragon, due to the similar water disasters they caused.
We defeated Yamata no Orochi, but I’ve heard that the Engraving Divine Artifact for the nine-headed dragon is still kept under strict guard somewhere in Japan.
“Seriously…”
“Fortunately, whether it’s fortunate or not, it seems the number of heads in Japanese mythology’s multi-headed dragons directly correlates with their combat power. So, I don’t think the five-headed dragon has as much power as Yamata no Orochi.”
“That’s cold comfort. But it’s better than nothing.”
I agree.
“B-but why are monsters from Yamato’s and Mako’s world appearing here?”
“That’s also speculation, but there’s a reason I’m almost certain of.”
Athena’s question is natural, and I’m confident I have the answer.
Though it brings me no joy.
I don’t know where the Engraving Divine Artifact for the five-headed dragon was kept, but the Divine Emperor was likely involved with the group that stole it.
Perhaps Asuka-kun and the others found out and pursued them, resulting in their execution.
No, if that were the case, Asuka-kun would have told us, so perhaps we encountered them by chance.
However, at that time, it’s likely that because the Divine Emperor possessed the Engraving Divine Artifact, he alone was transferred to the Gradia Continent.
It’s also possible that Abaricia, the evil god, was involved.
This would lead to a situation where the power of an Engraving Divine Artifact, a mythical monster surpassing even a Demise Species, is augmented by the power of an evil god.
“So, the Divine Emperor’s transfer to the Gradia Continent was purely coincidental?”
“I think so. I don’t know if Abaricia was truly involved, so this is the limit of my conjecture.”
Even if Abaricia was truly involved, their motives are unknown, and their target is truly unfathomable.
While the five-headed dragon is overwhelmingly superior as a fighting force, it’s not something that can be controlled in that manner.
After all, in myths, it is passed down as one of the gods.
“To think that after coming this far, something like this would appear.”
“Yes, we completely didn’t anticipate this. However…”
“Yes, we are not permitted a retreat.”
Rudia, Mana-sama, and Meena haven’t lost their morale even after seeing that monstrosity.
To me, they look truly reliable.
However, many Ritters, still recovering from the recent battle, are struggling to maintain their morale.
Some are preparing to fight, and the Hunters feel the same way, but this is not something that can be defeated by sheer numbers. If we are to fight, it should be limited to Element Classes only.
“Rex-san, order a retreat.”
“Yamato?”
“If that is truly the being Mako is referring to, I doubt even Ancient Classes could contend with it. Furthermore, I believe this is the true reason we came here.”
I concur with his opinion.
I believed the Divine Emperor was the source of all evil, and that wasn’t entirely wrong. However, the Engraving Divine Artifact of the five-headed dragon was the reason the Divine Emperor transferred to the Gradia Continent. Until we defeat it, we can consider the Helios Orb doomed.
There was also a prophecy that it couldn’t be resolved without going to the Gradia Continent, and this must be what it referred to.
If that’s the case, we have only one thing to do.
“B-but!”
“We will surely defeat it. However, since we don’t want to lose our home, I would like to ask Rex-san and the others to defend the Wing of Order.”
“…I understand.”
Rex-san feels regretful, but this time the opponent is too formidable.
If it were a Demise Species, I would consider fighting alongside them, but against a monster that surpasses even Nidh, sheer numbers would be meaningless and only lead to further casualties.
“Your Highness, wait.”
“Lord Victoria? What is it? Aria?”
At this moment, Lamia Victoria Rezar, the Secondary Feysar, arrived from the airship with Aria. Why Aria?
“I just received a divine oracle. It was stated to be urgent and of the highest priority, so I asked Lord Victoria and descended.”
“A divine oracle?”
At this timing?
The gods couldn’t intervene in the Gradia Continent, and weren’t they already struggling just to protect the World Tree?
“By defeating the Divine Emperor and vanquishing many demons, they seem to have gained a little breathing room. I’ll explain the details later. According to the divine oracle, that monster is the target of the evil god. The evil god intends to merge with that monster and destroy the Helios Orb.”
So, the five-headed dragon is Abaricia’s target, and the Divine Emperor was merely a secondary consideration.
Yet, he left it unattended for 200 years. Is it just a negligible difference from a god’s perspective?
No, that’s irrelevant.
“I see, so defeating that thing will truly mean mission complete.”
“One more thing, after we defeat that monster, we are to depart from the Gradia Continent immediately.”
“From the Gradia Continent?”
“Yes. It seems the gods could only convey this much, and what lies beyond is unknown.”
Departing from the Gradia Continent.
That’s the extent of their communication, but we can make educated guesses.
I suspect the Gradia Continent is a continent that transferred from another world. Perhaps the Engraving Divine Artifact was acting as a wedge, merely attaching it to the Helios Orb.
If that’s the case, without the wedge, there’s a possibility that the Gradia Continent will return to its original world.
If we remain on the Gradia Continent during that time, we will be caught up in the transfer.
I want to avoid that at all costs, so after defeating it, immediate departure from the Gradia Continent at maximum speed – that’s the only option.
“Understood, thank you. Lord Victoria, thank you for bringing Aria.”
“No, the Feysers’ morale has also declined, and we can no longer engage in further combat. While I regret it, we must entrust this to Your Highness, and I apologize.”
“No, this is why we are here. Well then, we’re off.”
“I pray for your good fortune.”
“Ah, we’re going! Lord Victoria, I apologize, but please look after Aria!”
After hearing the important information from Aria, we entrusted Aria to Lord Victoria and used Flying to ascend into the sky.
Then, clad in Wing Burst, White Flame Wings, and Feather Ring, we took flight towards the center of Avarancia.
This is the true final battle.
We cannot afford to lose.
But we have no intention of losing.
Whether it’s a god or a monster, we will never yield!
