The Absolute Magic Barrier covering the Empire’s homeland.
And the Unknown of the Elysion Octa, said to protect the homeland.
Both were impregnable defenses that couldn’t be easily overcome—
Without breaching them, conquering the Empire was impossible.
However, the priority was to first save the remaining Six Great Nations currently under the Empire’s invasion.
It would be a complete loss if the Empire, while occupied with its attack, managed to conquer Aisha’s homeland or other Six Great Nations when they were weakened.
The strategy Aisha devised was to first lay siege to the outer defenses before launching the final assault on the Empire.
—A week later, following Almedia, we were dispatched this time to the Holy Kingdom of Recklom.
As its name suggested, the nation had a devout populace, particularly famous for its Grand Temple dedicated to the Supreme God Le Vi.
It was a nation truly dedicated to God, with numerous important religious facilities from various faiths.
But when we arrived, the magnificent cityscape of this Holy Kingdom was, for the most part, brutally destroyed.
By a horde of monsters.
We faced one of the Elysion Octa who orchestrated this devastation—Gouras, the “Heaven’s Tamer,” possessing the ability to summon SSS-class monsters by the dozen, right in front of the Royal Palace.
“Hmm. I hear you easily defeated an SS-class monster in Rashka City once. Truly remarkable. What do you say? Stop serving Aisha and join my Magatsu, won’t you?”
Gouras invited me with a gentle smile.
In contrast to Agnor from last time, he gave off a plain and benign impression, like an old man.
But he was also one of the Elysion Octa.
He couldn’t just be a kindly old grandfather.
“I refuse.”
I responded, keeping my staff ready without letting my guard down.
“We will offer you the highest treatment, so what do you say? Name your desire. The Great Emperor will surely provide anything.”
Gouras’s recruitment offer was surprisingly persistent.
“Money? Women? Territory? Honor? Or perhaps bloodshed and debauchery?”
“Abel would never fall for such a temptation!”
Claire retorted.
“He has no interest in such things. Right, Abel?”
“Hmm, you’re not interested in money or women either? If you prefer men, I can arrange that for you too.”
No, I’m not.
“Eh? Abel, you have that kind of hobby…?”
Claire’s face stiffened.
“No, no, no, no, no.”
“Hmm, so you have no intention of leaving your precious companions. However, it seems difficult to lure all of your companions into the Empire… Indeed, a shame.”
Gouras chuckled as he watched our exchange.
“Then we have no choice but to eliminate you. Let me tell you, the monsters I summon are on a different level than SSS-class.”
His expression shifted slightly.
From the smile of a benevolent grandfather to that of a ferocious carnivore stalking its prey.
“Come forth now—Lucifer’s Roar.”
With the summoning incantation, a massive rift tore through the void.
The jagged crimson-black tear, running straight vertically, was oddly vulgar, reminiscent of a female organ.
ROOOOARGRRRROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAH!
With a roar that resonated deep in my gut, countless colossal figures burst forth from beyond the gaping rift.
—A behemoth over a hundred meters long, clad in lightning, the Lightning Behemoth.
—A demonic knight wielding chaotic magic, the Chaos Ogre.
—A monstrous bird that flies at supersonic speeds, simultaneously unleashing intense shockwaves and flames reaching tens of thousands of degrees, the Giga Phoenix.
Though I wasn’t an expert in magic or monsters, I recognized these creatures.
They were incredibly powerful monsters synonymous with ultimate strength.
“They are Lucifer-class—SSS-class monsters, the highest tier among monsters. Of course, their power far surpasses the Steel Dragon you fought previously.”
“Visually, they look strong, for starters.”
I replied nonchalantly.
Even faced with these top-tier monsters, I remained unfazed.
There was no need to be.
“Now, let me see your power. I must warn you, each monster has different characteristics. Some are strong against fire, some absorb lightning to amplify their own power, some weaken all spells—you can’t win without varying your spells.”
Thanks for the kind advice.
In that case, I’ll follow your guidance—
“Wyvern Spear!”
The Behemoth, strong against lightning, was incinerated with fire spells.
“Titan’s Bolt!”
Conversely, the Phoenix, strong against fire and possessing incredible speed, was trapped and entangled by wide-area lightning spells, denying any escape.
“Edge Shot!”
And the Ogre, which weakened spells themselves, I tore to shreds with thousands of magic blades.
Even if the power of each individual strike was weakened, when combined, they unleashed great power.
A simple logic.
“…Hmm. As expected. But my summons are not over yet—Lucifer’s Roar.”
Gouras summoned additional SSS-class monsters.
Damn it, if it comes to this, I’ll just annihilate them one by one.
“Hydra Frost!”
The relentless barrage of enemy attacks was frozen and neutralized one by one, preventing any harm from reaching me or my allies.
“You’re on a roll. But how long will it last? I’ve heard your magic power has issues with endurance. How long can you fight against the endless horde of monsters I summon—Lucifer’s Roar.”
Gouras summoned more monsters.
But ultimately, they were beasts with low intelligence.
I wouldn’t be outmaneuvered by their predictable attacks, and my spells possessed the power to reliably damage the monsters.
There wasn’t the slightest chance of defeat.
It felt less like fighting monsters and more like pest control; I quickly cleared the horde of demon beasts.
“…That’s all of them.”
I glared at Gouras, my breathing slightly heavy.
I was tired, certainly.
But not to the point of exhaustion or depletion of my magic power.
Monsters that previously required full power or high-level spells to defeat could now be dispatched with relatively minor techniques, thanks to my staff’s ability to amplify magic.
“My, my cute monsters all instantly killed… To this extent…”
Gouras, left alone, had lost all his trusted monsters and his face was grim.
It seemed he was losing magic power faster through his continuous summoning than I was through my attacks.
“A battle of endurance—it seems I’ve won.”
He no longer had the strength to fight.
A frail old man.
“But…”
I gritted my teeth.
If I let him escape, many more people would be attacked by monsters.
“H-help—”
With a scream, Gouras fled into the sky using Flight Magic.
I watched him go with cold eyes.
Do not pity him.
Do not feel sorry for him.
Maintain composure.
—I told myself, and took to the sky in pursuit.
Catching up in an instant,
“Photon Bullet!”
I shot Gouras down with a magic-amplified light bullet.
“…D-don’t get cocky… We are not your only enemies…”
At the brink of death, Gouras groaned.
What? What did he mean…?
“Within your ranks… kuku… ku…”
With his fading mutter, the old mage fell.
—After the battle in Recklom, our Third Squad was dispatched to various countries.
To Rushbaron, an enigmatic Dragon Kingdom inhabited by many dragons.
And Gimu, which had been destroyed.
While these two nations had no Elysion Octa, high-ranking mages of comparable caliber descended upon them with massive armies.
I defeated them one after another.
The enemy numbers were great, but to me now, they were nothing.
After all, their attacking spells had no effect on me whatsoever, and my spells could easily shatter their defenses.
Instant kill after instant kill.
Victory after victory.
It was no longer a battle, but a one-sided annihilation.
I drove the Empire’s forces from Rushbaron and reclaimed Gimu, which had been dominated by the Empire.
I accumulated victories and merits with an almost anticlimactic nonchalance.
Before long, the Empire completely withdrew from the Six Great Nations.
As for the central force that accomplished this—that is to say, me—my fame grew with each passing day, with each repeat battle.
And then—the time for the final battle with the Empire approached.
