When I returned, the meeting was in full swing.
"The enemy is closing in on us as we speak. We need to prepare for it."
"That's exactly why I keep saying we should go look for Rudeus first!"
The one shouting at the top of her lungs was Eris. She was arguing with Sandor.
Roxy was there too.
"Doga is with him. He'll come back eventually. In the meantime, we should organize our fighting forces, set up traps—"
"What good is that lanky oaf?!"
"He's actually quite skilled."
"And if he's so skilled, then why weren't you with him?!"
"Gu… That's…!"
The topic was about what to do next, wasn't it?
Whether to go rescue me, or to assume I'd come back on my own and face the enemy here.
Something like that.
Eris was apparently arguing in favor of going to rescue me.
How kind of her.
"Fine! I'm going down there myself!"
Eris couldn't hold back any longer. She shot to her feet and whirled around.
And then she locked eyes with me.
"If you're heading down, you'll make better progress if you take the stairs in the mushroom's shadow down to the altar and grab the blue water."
"Rudeus!"
When I gave her the strategy, Eris threw her arms around me.
Tightly.
So tightly I thought my spine might snap.
"I was worried about you!"
"Sorry."
Looking around, I could see the others — Roxy included — were visibly relieved as well.
Just knowing I was alive was enough to get this reaction.
How grateful I was for that.
"…By the way, what is that arm, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Oh, this…? Well, let me explain everything at once. But first…"
As I spoke, I scanned the room.
My gaze settled on a single man sitting there.
"Who are you?"
I asked, looking directly at Sandor.
---
Karlmann, the North God II.
Alex Ryback.
The man who defeated the Dragon King, slew a colossal Behemoth, and achieved countless feats of valor across the land—so much so that he became one of the Seven Great Powers. The very protagonist of those legendary tales of the North God.
Until about a hundred years ago, he was said to be the strongest swordsman in the world — the pinnacle of the North God Style.
Honestly, I wasn't that surprised.
I did wonder why someone like this was here, sure. But most of me already understood.
Why Orsted had kept tagging along silently.
Why Ariel had sent Gilleen and Isolte ahead.
Why Doga turned out to be the North Emperor.
Karlmann, the North God II.
It all made sense.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Just in case. The Hitogami can read people's hearts, but if he doesn't know I'm Karlmann, I can hide my existence. It also makes it easier to act freely."
I see.
When we fell into the valley, I'm sure the Hitogami managed to extract most of our information. But the fact that Karlmann was on our side — that information never reached him.
…….
"…Really?"
"No, honestly, I also thought it might be more dramatic to reveal myself once things got a little desperate."
"Very well."
Trying to look cool and failing.
Happens to the best of us, really.
"But Doga's identity as the North Emperor was eventually exposed, so wasn't it all for nothing?"
"Well… Doga was a relatively obscure North Emperor, you see."
And yet, it had its downsides. If I had known there were two powerhouses among us, I would have moved more carefully to avoid drawing attention from their presence.
Actually, no — if that had happened, the Sword God and North God might have behaved differently too.
"Regardless, I'll be relying on you from here on out, Alex."
"Of course. Ah, but please continue to call me Sandor. That's the name I'm going by now."
After confirming Sandor's identity, we moved on to consolidating our information.
First: about ten days ago, he had brought the Sword God and North God to this village, and then they were thrown into the valley.
He hadn't realized it at the bottom of the valley, but he had apparently been unconscious for quite a while.
The next day, or perhaps two days later — the exact timing was unclear — the teleportation magic circle and the communication stone tablet lost their light.
That was when Eris and Roxy sensed something was wrong, and they headed for the Supard Race village to rendezvous with me.
At the Supard Race village as well, they had noticed the magic circle's light going out.
However, they believed I was still moving, so they decided to wait and see for the time being.
It was from Sandor, who had returned first, that they learned I was confirmed missing.
"I was waiting for you in the Second City, Lord Rudeus, but there was no sign of you returning.
Furthermore, the soldiers you had taken with you never came back.
Despite this, rumors began spreading through the town that the Supard Race were actually demons in disguise.
I tried to verify the information through the communication stone tablet, but it was already too late — the Second City's teleportation magic circle had been destroyed.
At that point, I concluded that I myself was being targeted, so I concealed my presence and returned to this village."
It was Sandor's return that confirmed my disappearance.
The Second City, or perhaps the Earth Dragon Valley village.
They surmised that something must have happened in that vicinity, and with the recently recovered Ruijerd as leader, a search was launched.
Through his investigation, they determined that the tracks of Doga and me continued all the way to the area around the valley.
The probability that we had fallen into the valley was high.
Once they knew that, Ruijerd wanted to descend into the valley immediately, but Sandor held him back.
If you fell to the bottom of the valley, there was no way to climb back up.
Even if this group could make it down, the risk of a secondary disaster was too high.
Since Doga was with me, he should have been safe — so they decided to wait for me to climb out on my own.
Well, they weren't wrong about that. That swarm of Earth Dragons would make climbing back up difficult for sure, and having Doga there had kept me protected.
"Oh, that reminds me — were you able to meet the information broker?"
That was how Sandor and the others returned to the village.
Information had been obtained.
About the destroyed magic circle.
"The information broker provided us with intelligence on Geese. The monkey-faced demon race man had been heading from the Second City Irel to the capital Viherril, where he then vanished."
"So we know nothing, basically?"
"Not exactly. However, just recently, it was confirmed that Kishrika Kishirisu had appeared in the Second City Irel. If you consider that this was confirmed after the date you all describe as 'when the magic circle's light went out,' then it's likely that the Kishrika used the magic circle in the Second City to teleport to Sharia and destroyed the office."
"I see."
Supporting that information was what Eris and Roxy reported.
Eris and Roxy had arrived just yesterday.
It should have been a trip of about four days, but it had taken them roughly ten days.
This was because, when they passed through the capital, a ceremony happened to be taking place.
That ceremony was the send-off for the extermination squad.
In the capital, the prospect of exterminating the Supard Race had turned into something of a festival, and an early send-off ceremony for the squad had been held.
Under normal circumstances, it would have taken place a bit later.
Presumably, Geese had accelerated the timeline after receiving the report that I had been thrown into the valley.
Once Orsted's bracelet had been removed, the Hitogami knew I was alive.
So perhaps Geese had wanted to strike at Orsted before I could climb back out of the valley.
Roxy and Eris conducted reconnaissance on the early departure of the extermination squad.
Through their scouting, they confirmed that the Sword God and the North God were participating.
However, even as they scouted, the two of them kept wrestling with a question.
Rudeus was supposed to be negotiating — so why had things turned out like this?
Why was there no sign of Rudeus?
While they were turning this over in their minds, the extermination squad departed the capital in the blink of an eye.
In any case, the two of them tracked the squad while maintaining caution.
They already knew where it was headed, but they hoped to gather at least some intelligence along the way.
But when they entered the Second City, Roxy suggested that continuing to tail them any further would be dangerous.
They made a wide detour around the city, passed through the forest, and headed for the Supard Race village.
After that, they naturally got lost and wasted several days, but they ultimately arrived safely at the Supard Race village.
And that was the story.
Incidentally, when they arrived at the Supard Race village, there was a touching reunion between Eris and Ruijerd.
The moment she saw Ruijerd, Eris was overcome with the urge to throw herself into his arms.
She had grown stronger — she wanted him to see.
That feeling must have surged through every fiber of her being.
But she held it in.
She was no longer a child.
Ever since Ruijerd had recognized her as a warrior, Eris Greyrat was a warrior.
As a warrior, she had to conduct herself in a way that wouldn't shame her master, Ruijerd.
She told herself this, struck her usual pose, and said:
"It's been a while. You haven't changed a bit, Ruijerd."
"Yeah. Eris. You've grown."
"Obviously."
That was the extent of the conversation they exchanged.
And yet, that alone was enough for Eris to feel a rush of nostalgia and pride.
The Ruijerd she once had to look up to — she was now nearly his height.
And she could fight alongside him, shoulder to shoulder.
Eris had recounted this with a smug grin on her face.
"We don't have much time left. The extermination squad is likely already heading this way. And the appearance of the Kishrika warriors as reinforcements won't be far off either."
"Understood. Then allow me to give my report as well."
I gave my own report.
About the two soldiers being the Sword God and the North God.
About the disguise ring they had used — the same one I had.
And about how Geese was probably using one too, which was why he was hard to find.
About being thrown into the valley, but being saved at the last moment by the Atöfehand and Doga.
About how Orsted's bracelet came off in the process, and the Hitogami—
Saw me.
And finally, about my escape from the valley and my return here.
"Rudeus."
After I had finished telling everything, Eris spoke in a low voice.
"I'll deal with Gal Farion myself."
She said this while looking at the stump of my arm.
"…Well, we can talk about all of that. I appreciate the offer to get revenge, but don't go charging off on your own. You'll end up like me."
Now then, let me organize everything.
First, Geese. He had clearly been in a position to exert considerable influence over the extermination squad. The most likely explanation was that he had been disguised as the king.
I didn't know who the Apostle was, but the ones on Geese's side were the Sword God, the North God, and the Kishrika — three of them.
The Sword God and North God had used the power of the disguise ring to scout the Supard Race village.
The Kishrika had joined Geese in the raid on our office, cutting off our escape.
And now, together with roughly a hundred members of the extermination squad, they were heading for this Supard Race village.
"…"
The Kishrika. A creature like that had been dispatched to Sharia.
When I thought about that again, a sense of despair spread through me.
"What happened to my home…?"
At my words, Roxy lowered her eyes, Eris crossed her arms, and Sandor rubbed his chin with a troubled expression.
"Whether the Kishrika destroyed only the office and left, or whether it attacked Sharia as well before departing, we don't know."
I tried to think it through.
What would I do, if I were in their shoes?
Right now, Sharia was empty.
Neither Rudeus nor Orsted was there.
There wasn't a single person capable of standing up to a Kishrika.
Leave it alone?
No way.
Even with no forces to speak of, they'd attack on the off chance it worked.
"…"
Silence dominated the room.
I had a feeling Orsted looked grim too.
Hard to tell with the helmet on.
"Oh my, it seems everyone is gathered here!"
A voice came from near the entrance.
I turned around, and there he was.
"Zanoba!"
Come to think of it, he was here too.
It's not like I had forgotten about him!
Of course not!
I had just been worried about my family back home, that's all.
"Master, I'm sorry for the delay. I've just arrived."
"No, it's fine — I only just got here myself."
Behind Zanoba stood Julie and Ginger.
Both of them were in rough shape.
Scrapes and bruises everywhere, dark circles under their eyes from exhaustion.
They looked like they were on the verge of mana depletion.
"We encountered some invisible monsters on the road. If the Supard Race hadn't helped us, it would have been dangerous."
"Got it. You two should rest — actually, no, you should listen to what's being discussed. Sit in the corner and take it easy."
When I said that, Julie and Ginger silently staggered into the hall and slumped down near a pillar.
Roxy immediately went over and began casting Healing Magic on them.
"So, Zanoba — how much of the situation do you understand?"
"Roughly. But if you could explain from the beginning, I would appreciate it."
So I explained everything from the start.
Repeating the same information was tedious, but it couldn't be helped.
Sharing information was what mattered most.
"In short, we're worried about the extermination squad heading this way, and about what's happening in Sharia."
"Hmm."
At that point, Zanoba let out a soft laugh.
Was there something funny?
Don't tell me he was about to say "my family is all here safely, ha ha ha" or something.
"Regarding that matter — on my way here, I discovered a monument to the Seven Great Powers in the forest, and I had Almanfi the Radiant, a subordinate of Lord Pergius, verify the situation."
"Oh!"
The one who sprang to his feet with delight was not me.
When he caught everyone's eyes, he quickly sat back down.
It was Sandor.
"My apologies. And?"
"Master's family is safe."
A wave of relief swept through the room.
Good — they were safe.
Had Leo been doing his job?
Or had someone else protected them?
Had they deemed it too risky to attack Sharia, given that it housed a magic university?
"However, if Lord Pergius were to join the fight, the situation would reverse in an instant."
Sandor looked around the room with a somewhat excited expression.
But Zanoba's face was a bit gloomy.
"No — Lord Pergius said he would remain a spectator in this battle. We can't count on his help."
"What?! This is exactly the time when his power would be invaluable!"
Sandor reacted dramatically, leaning back in disbelief.
Did this man like Pergius that much?
Wait — could Sandor be into men?
No, Sandor was the North God II.
The North God I and Pergius had been acquainted as two of the "Three Heroes Who Slew the Demon God." It was possible they had met Pergius personally.
But Sandor had a point.
The combined strength of Pergius and his twelve subordinates was especially valuable when intelligence was hard to come by.
Almanfi the Radiant, the greatest scout in the world, and Cliannight the Thunderclap — just combining those two alone would make the enemy's intelligence transparent, with information relayed instantly to all allies.
Of course, it wasn't limited to just those two.
The abilities of his other subordinates were perfectly suited for this kind of situation.
But if he said he couldn't help, there was nothing to be done.
Even Orsted's policy was not to borrow Pergius's strength.
"The Kishrika is violent, but he's a gentle man at heart. He wouldn't attack non-combatants."
Orsted murmured this quietly.
"If it had been the Sword God or the North God who went, Sharia would have been attacked as well."
Orsted's words were calm but carried weight.
Maybe it was because of the helmet.
"But Geese is a coward.
He used the Sword God and the North God to confirm that my presence was here.
But even so, with a teleportation magic circle here, he couldn't rule out the possibility that I had already returned to the office.
That's why he used the Kishrika.
Even I would need a bit of time to defeat a Kishrika.
He planned to use that window for himself — or someone else — to destroy the magic circle."
That was Orsted's analysis.
I see.
Bringing the Kishrika along was merely a safety measure.
And through that safety measure, my family had been protected.
Or rather, perhaps he had never intended to attack Sharia in the first place.
I was the priority — my family was secondary.
At that point, Sandor raised a question.
"Then why didn't all three of them go?"
"Because the Sword God's and North God's objectives are different from Geese's."
The Sword God and North God's objectives.
At this, everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
Everyone except one — Eris.
"…Gal Farion wants to fight you, doesn't he."
"And so does Alexander Ryback."
Orsted was in the Supard Race village.
They knew that, which was why the two of them had stayed here instead of going to Sharia.
Seeing this, you could start to get a sense that Geese didn't have full control over those two.
If they had wanted to, they could have descended to the bottom of the Earth Dragon Valley and killed me.
After all, Doga had managed to go down there.
Alexander should have been capable of it too.
Those two weren't acting entirely according to the Hitogami's or Geese's wishes.
"In any case, I'm relieved to know my family is safe.
That said, with the Sword God, the North God, and the Kishrika about to attack this place, I can't exactly relax."
Three god-tier opponents.
On top of that, a hundred-man extermination squad.
The Supard Race's fighting strength consisted of roughly a dozen warriors who could fight.
Plus the people here.
Orsted, Zanoba, Ginger, Julie, Norn, Cliff, Elinalise.
Ruijerd, Roxy, Eris, Sandor, Doga.
In the village, the women and children of the Supard Race along with the medical corps were sheltering.
Setting aside the medical corps, the extermination squad was targeting the Supard Race specifically.
If they broke through, it could be a massacre.
"…"
Ginger, Julie, and Norn were out of the question as combatants.
Cliff… probably wouldn't be much use in a fight either.
As for Orsted, he was out as well.
Orsted's mana had almost no recovery rate.
The more he used, the more it dwindled.
I had essentially become his subordinate to make up for that deficit.
Even if a battle was coming, I wouldn't ask him to fight unless absolutely necessary.
If there was truly no other option, I would have to request his intervention.
But against one or two god-tier opponents, it might be manageable. Against three, he would have to expend a considerable amount of mana.
And even without that, we still hadn't confirmed Geese's whereabouts.
He might still have reserves.
Besides, if I were Geese, I wouldn't just send the Sword God — who would likely lose in a straightforward fight — in alone.
I would have given him some kind of backup plan, for certain.
Orsted was the ace up our sleeve — not to be played lightly.
Unless there was absolutely no choice, it would be better to have him focus on defending the village.
Three god-tier opponents.
Without factoring in Orsted, this was by no means an easy fight.
Not an easy fight, but…
Not unwinnable either.
We had three strong fighters on our side: Sword King Eris, North God Sandor, and North Emperor Doga.
If the three of us — myself, Zanoba, and Ruijerd — moved in support of them…
It wouldn't be easy, but whether we fought or fled, I didn't think total defeat was inevitable.
This all-out battle… for Geese, it seemed a bit half-hearted, honestly.
Right now, all of our fighting strength was concentrated at the Supard Race village.
If he thought I was absent, that would be one thing, but when I fell, the Hitogami had confirmed I was alive.
Both I and Orsted were here.
Would Geese really commit to an all-out assault under these conditions?
…No, come to think of it, there had been Vida the Nether King.
Normally, Geese would have intended to use Vida the Nether King to turn Ruijerd against me.
Thinking about it that way, there was another scenario: lure me — who had foolishly waltzed into Viherril Kingdom — into a trap, then arrive at the Supard Race village alongside the disguised Sword God, North God, and Kishrika.
Three to five god-tier fighters plus Vida and Ruijerd for a guaranteed kill.
That would have been the expected flow.
Hmm.
When you thought about it that way, the fact that the enemy had so few pieces on the board might be because I had managed to maneuver things skillfully.
Or you could just say I was lucky.
I didn't know which of them were Apostles and which weren't, but the sense that Geese didn't have the Sword God and North God fully under control came through in the intelligence.
So how had Geese gotten them to move?
For instance, what if Geese had offered certain conditions, and they had agreed to them in exchange for cooperating?
The fact that they had pressed the attack this time, even if it meant forcing their way in, was probably because of that verbal agreement.
And those conditions had already come up earlier.
The Sword God and the North God's goal was to fight Orsted.
They had already laid eyes on Orsted and were raring to go.
What Geese had prepared was the stage for that.
Yes.
Moreover, it seemed like Geese had acted immediately after learning I had fallen into the valley.
The plan had been to move up the departure ceremony of the extermination squad, which was supposed to leave alongside the Kishrika warriors.
This could be because he knew how difficult it was to climb out of the valley, and wanted to settle things while I was absent.
Having learned that I was alive, Geese had immediately mobilized the extermination squad, hoping to deal a devastating blow to Orsted.
Before I could escape the valley.
But I made it back in time.
I returned before the battle began, and things had settled into their current state.
Sandor's true identity might not have been discovered yet, either.
And on top of all that, the Hitogami's lack of composure…
"…This might be an opening."
The moment those words left my lips, a young man entered the room.
A warrior of the Supard Race, carrying a white lance.
"The extermination squad is here. Half a day's distance away."
We made it in time.
But it was close.
---
The Earth Dragon Valley.
This place — the site of the decisive battle — was extremely deep.
The valley averaged about four hundred meters across.
At its widest it exceeded five hundred, while the narrowest sections were about one to two hundred.
The Supard Race had built a bridge at the narrowest point to travel back and forth to the other side of the forest.
The bridge had been smeared with crushed herbs that repelled the Transparent Wolves.
The enemy's numbers were large, and this was the only path.
Unlike a river, it wasn't something you could simply cross — it was a spot where the enemy would definitely be forced to slow down.
If we dropped the bridge, it would buy us even more time.
Furthermore, unlike inside the forest, there were no obstacles here, so clairvoyance would work — this was within my range.
"Let's keep the bridge intact."
Based on this proposal, the bridge was left standing.
If the enemy tried to cross, we could drop it.
Once they fell, getting back up would be nearly impossible — proven from experience.
We had the terrain advantage.
We hadn't had time to set up traps, though…
We decided to hold this position and await the enemy.
The lineup for the front line was six.
Me, Eris, Ruijerd, Zanoba, Sandor, and Doga.
These six would face three god-tier opponents.
The Supard Race warriors would primarily be tasked with dealing with the extermination squad.
Roxy had one specific job, so she was positioned in the rear.
Elinalise and several Supard Race warriors would serve as Roxy's bodyguards.
Cliff and the remaining members would handle the village's defense.
A classic formation — warriors in the front, mages in the back.
If needed, we could also evacuate the wounded to the village, treat them, and send them back to the front.
Speaking of treatment — we decided to leave the Atöfehand as it was for now.
Time was limited, and the scrolls that Roxy and Zanoba possessed were finite.
This arm seemed to have better performance than my original arm, so as long as I could move, there was no reason to change it. Once the battle was over, I could heal it with a Healing Magic scroll.
Well, it was a gift from a Demon King, after all.
Might as well make full use of it.
---
Half a day later, we found ourselves facing off against the extermination squad of over a hundred men, with the bridge between us.
On the far side of the bridge, leading the Viherril Kingdom's forces, were three men.
A middle-aged man with a single sword at his hip.
The Sword God, Gal Farion.
He was getting on in years, but that his swordsmanship had not diminished was something I could personally attest to.
A young boy with a greatsword strapped to his back.
Karlmann, the North God III.
Alexander Ryback.
He was one of the Seven Great Powers, but the true extent of his abilities remained unclear.
And finally — nearly three meters tall, with a body like a great tree, a bell-like collar around his neck, and a tiger-patterned loincloth, a red-skinned member of the Kishrika.
The Kishrika.
Why he hadn't attacked my family — Orsted had his guesses, but the truth remained unknown.
Maybe I should have at least thanked him for that.
But I had no intention of thanking him.
He had destroyed our office.
The long-eared receptionist who had been working there — her situation must have been dire.
In the end, I never even learned her name, but I wanted to avenge her at the very least.
"I don't see Geese anywhere."
Unfortunately, there was no sign of the monkey-faced man nearby.
Was he close by, hidden from sight?
Or was he waiting in the Second City Irel?
At the very least, he wasn't within the range of my clairvoyance.
If Geese truly didn't have full control over his pawns, this time around he might have cut his losses and fled.
The members of the extermination squad looked terrified upon seeing the Supard Race warriors.
Green hair and white lances — they looked exactly like the demons from a fairy tale.
If we won this battle, I'd make sure to sell Ruijerd books all across the Viherril Kingdom.
"There is nothing to fear!"
The extermination squad might have been shaken by the sight of the Supard Race warriors, but the three god-tier fighters were unfazed.
"We have overwhelming numerical superiority!"
Karlmann, the North God III, was particularly fired up.
He pumped his fist in the air, his voice carrying all the way to us as he rallied his troops, boosting their morale.
Numerically, the extermination squad did have the advantage.
But this was the forest, and we were Supard Race.
In fact, we had the advantage here.
Everyone drew their swords, fixing the roughly twenty opponents at the far end of the valley with eyes full of clear hostility.
And Alexander, too, drew the greatsword from his back.
"I am Karlmann, the North God III — Alexander Ryback!
Follow me, and together we shall seize glory!"
"…!"
And then, with a battle cry, Alexander began running across the suspension bridge.
When Sandor saw this, he instinctively shouted:
"Now!"
In the next instant, my arm moved.
Rock Cannonballs fired from both hands.
They flew straight and destroyed the suspension bridge at its base.
Ruijerd moved as well.
They were on the near side. With his white lance, he severed the vines that held the bridge in a single clean cut.
"Whaaat?!"
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
The bridge falling.
And the North God III — Karlmann — plummeting into the abyss along with it.
There was nothing to do but watch in disbelief.
Even Sandor, who had shouted the signal, was frozen in shock.
No way.
No way, surely not.
That's… impossible…
No.
But from this height, survival was out of the question.
Well, Alexander might be fine.
…Even so, he wouldn't be able to climb back up for a while.
"…Well, that's one down, I suppose?"
At those words, no one cheered.
No one shot me accusatory looks either.
Everyone was still processing the scene that had just unfolded before their eyes.
…Now was the chance.
I poured mana into both hands.
Not many people here could launch an attack right now.
Let's do this.
I raised my left hand to the sky.
I offered up enormous mana to the heavens and formed thunderclouds.
With my right hand, I crushed and compressed the raging mana.
And dropped it.
"'Lightning Strike'!"
A deafening roar erupted as a bolt of lightning crashed down.
My vision turned white, followed by the thunder that rolled across the valley.
A cloud of dust rose on the far side of the cliff.
Trees burst into flames, crackling and groaning as they toppled over.
I had no idea how much damage I had inflicted.
But there was feedback.
Enough to make my hand tremble.
The sensation of killing.
I swallowed that feeling down hard and channeled mana into both hands once more.
"One more shot…"
The moment I thought that—
Something burst from the dust cloud.
A crimson mass.
From a distance, its leap appeared almost silent — it seemed to float through the air.
But its speed and mass were overwhelming.
In the blink of an eye, the crimson mass closed the distance—
And then it landed.
The sound of a cannonball hitting the ground, and dust erupting everywhere.
The impact landed slightly to our right.
Two men emerged from the dust.
"…"
The red-skinned Kishrika and a man in his forties.
The Kishrika and the Sword God, Gal Farion.
They had leaped across the valley.
A hundred-meter jump.
Truly worthy of being called Great Powers.
"So then… who's going to be my opponent?"
The wolf grinned savagely.
Not the same listless demeanor as when he had faced me before.
Right now, he stood here with clear killing intent and resolve.
At his hip was a single sword with an ornate guard.
A demon sword, no doubt.
Completely different from the armor-mounted blade on my back.
Unconsciously, a chill ran down my spine.
"That would be me."
I stepped forward as a matter of course.
The red mad dog.
Twin swords at her hip.
Arms crossed, standing tall and regal, she blocked the Sword God's path.
"I figured. Anyone else?"
"Me."
When I identified myself, the Sword God gave a brief laugh.
"Well, well — you really do look well."
"I owe it all to you. Still going strong."
"Tch. That's exactly why I said we should've taken your head first."
Who was he directing that complaint at?
Probably Geese.
And beside me, a veteran hero stood with green hair and a white lance.
Three of us again.
Eris, Ruijerd, and me.
The three of us, fighting together.
A repeat of Dead End.
Three against one — no one could complain.
Ideally, Sandor and I would have handled Alexander, but after pulling that idiotic stunt and falling into the valley, he had only himself to blame.
"…"
The Kishrika would be handled by Sandor, Zanoba, and Doga.
The Kishrika was known for fighting primarily through hand-to-hand combat, and Zanoba and Doga were overwhelmingly strong in power-type fights.
Sandor, as the North God II, was reportedly experienced in fighting large opponents as well.
The matchup was perfect.
We could win.
Some of us might be sacrificed.
But even so, those three could take him down.
"——HAAA!"
That was the moment it happened.
From behind us, a battle cry rang out.
I spun around instinctively, just in time to see something launching up from the cliff.
Not something — someone.
The black-haired youth who had just fallen moments ago.
"Hah… hah…"
He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and thrust his sword triumphantly toward the sky.
In a theatrical tone, he declared:
"I am Karlmann, the North God III! I shall defeat the cursed Demon God Orsted and become a hero!
Those who would stand in my way — come at me!"
No way.
He had… climbed back up?
From the bottom of that valley…?
Well, it was a cliff, but it wasn't perfectly vertical.
Even I could have stopped partway down and climbed back out using magic.
He must have driven his sword into the wall and sprinted up from the bottom…
This was, once again, something only a Great Power could do.
"…I suppose there's no helping it. Lord Rudeus, you and I shall deal with this fool together."
"Agreed."
I nodded at Sandor's words.
It was a shame that the three of us couldn't fight together, but it couldn't be helped. We'd stick to the plan.
"Please be careful of that sword. It is the strongest blade in the world."
There was only one sword associated with the North God.
The legendary greatsword said to have been forged when the Dragon King was defeated.
The 'Dragon King Sword' — Kajaktu.
"…Why…"
But its owner was staring at us with a dumbfounded expression, sword still raised high.
"Why are you here?"
Karlmann, the North God III.
Alexander Ryback looked at me with a trembling voice.
Fufu — you fell to the bottom of the valley and not only survived, but actually made it back? That hard to believe?
Geese had told him I was alive, apparently, but he hadn't believed it.
Still, falling into a valley was basically a survival flag, you know…
Huh?
Was he not looking at me?
Alexander's gaze was directed behind me.
At Sandor.
Well, that made sense.
"Dad!"
Was that scream the signal for battle to begin?
Or was it simply a matter of time?
"GRAAAAH!!!"
In the next instant, the Kishrika let out a roar, raised both arms, and slammed them into the ground.
The earth heaved, the cliff crumbled, and trees were swept away.
As if carried along by that shockwave, the battle began.