320 - - Those who take risks, the six.

"Riccar, he's gone!"

"Whoa!"

At Sisang's warning, the red-haired boy quickly jumps up.

A fireball flies out and hits the boy's feet, sending sparks of fire flying wildly.

Riccar rolls on the ground to douse the small fireballs that had caught on his armor.

The trouble was that if left unchecked, the fire would continue to burn for a long time.

But perhaps because of his flashy movements, three more flaming lumps come flying at him.

The boy gets up instantly, sits down and draws his twin swords.

He ducks down and passes the first one, and cuts down the other two with a brilliant slash.

Then he rolls on the ground again to clear away the sparks of fire.

"d*mn you, you ape!"

"Good job, Riccar."

Laughing as he says this, Hinck drags along a limp and motionless adventurer.　

Alethea rushes over to him as soon as he is out of range of the fireball.

"Can you hear me?　Are you in pain anywhere?"

"...... ah,ah,yi,my breath is ......"

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of it now. Ekklia, take care of my leg.

"Yes!"

The Red Tail girl who was called immediately uses a knife to cut open the blood-stained laces of her leather shoes, removes them, and sprays the gaping wounds with a blood-preventive restorative.

Looking at her sideways, Alethea held out her staff and recited a prayer.

O Lord of the tree of life! Give me a drop of water for my children who are in agony.

The adventurer breathed a deep sigh of relief as his poisoned lungs were restored by a magical technique that purified the inside of his body.

"Are you all right?　Are there any other areas of pain or immobility?"

"No, I'm fine. "No, I'm fine.

Alethea runs her eyes over the extent of the wound and quickly wraps a blue cloth around the adventurer's arms.

The poison that inhibited his breathing had been removed, but the wound was only a stopgap measure, a sign that it was not urgent.

"That was just first aid, you will receive proper treatment in the back. She will accompany you.

"Okay. Thank you."

The adventurer nodded and stood up, leaving the front line with a limp, with Eckria lending him a shoulder.

A new wounded man arrives, protected by Sissan, who holds up his shield.

Wiping away her sweat, the Soukei girl began examining the next patient without even a moment to catch her breath.

The sun is already in the middle of the sky.

The expeditionary force, which had defeated a swarm of land sharks and a legendary giant tortoise, was continuing the battle against the third wave of demon trees.

As its name suggests, a demon tree is a monster that looks just like a tree.

Unlike ordinary trees, however, they can walk freely on the ground by moving their tentacle-like roots.

This is the reason why the forest seemed to be approaching from the other side of the river.

The roots of these tentacles are troublesome, and they can pierce with their sharp points those who approach them after they are hidden in the ground.

In addition, in the center of its trunk is a humanoid face, and it also sprays poisonous breath that can damage the respiratory system.

On top of that, a four-armed monkey lurks in the leafy branches and throws red-hot berries at you.

The fireballs that have been flying in the air since a few minutes ago were the work of those annoying monkeys.

The tree seems to be a kind of demon tribe, and its resistance to heat and combustion makes it ineffective against fire magic, which is its main weapon.

Therefore, the only way to deal with them is to use effective ice magic techniques and cut them down one by one.

To support this war of attrition, Sisang and his team were working hard to rescue the wounded.

"So, what's going on now?　Hinck."

"I don't know. But I guess the numbers are decreasing a little.

"Really?　Hey, aren't we making any progress at all?　When are we going to get to the big hole?

Riccar's words were right: we were half a day away from the mountain range of the earth dragons.

The expeditionary force of adventurers had made little progress from the foot of the mountain.

"It's true, at this rate we're walking through a muddy bog..."

"Ugh. I've had enough of this mud!"

The ever-darkening valley where the younger group, now ranked C, hunted had to be passed by small boat through a swampy area at the end of a blood pool lake.

It was also quite a difficult place where the oars were repeatedly caught in the mud.

However, every time we complained about it, Riccar and Hink took the initiative to push us through the marsh when the boat stopped.

Even now they are having a casual conversation, but their gazes never leave the senior adventurers who are fighting with the demon tree.

They seem to be watching him closely so as not to miss even the slightest movement of the adventurers.

Sisan joins the conversation, picturing in his mind the person who has brought about the change in his companions that he could not have predicted six months ago.

"But we are definitely moving forward, step by step. Right?"

Sisang scratched the bottom of his chin in satisfaction, but the reaction of the two trusted men was also unexpected.

The boys glanced at each other and exhaled deeply, as if they were dumbfounded.

Their attitude told us to our utmost that they were not expecting us again.　

"You're talking like you think Mr. Toll would say something like this, aren't you?

"You really are an old maniac, aren't you?

"Yeah, yeah, I'm telling you it doesn't suit you because your words don't have enough weight to them."

"Wow, I like it. Thor's impersonation. I think it's a good likeness.

Sisang's face shows no sign of discouragement after even Alethea and the others have spoken harshly to him.

The shieldmen are strong.

However, the war is not as bright as the young men's words.

Of the 2,000 men in the expeditionary force, nearly 300 have either exhausted their strength or are so badly wounded that they have already left the front and are being cared for in a hastily built encampment in the valley.

More than 50 people have been killed in action.

The former heroes are still alive and well, but they are now in the rear to conserve their strength during the lull.

Therefore, the current frontline battle is supported by less than 500 men, mainly ice users.

Moreover, their number is gradually decreasing. It was as if they were treading on thin ice.

Hearing the positive voices of Sisan and the others behind their backs, the two ash-eared women were equally concerned about the war situation.

It is true that we will never get anywhere if things continue as they are. Let's cut it out--."

Raising his staff to send cold air into the demon trees is Meera Lirila, the head of the Temple of Quest in the border town of Dadan.

He must be many times the age of Sisan and the others, but he looks much the same.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure they are thinking the same thing.

Aurindor, the potions master, answered next to him, running a quill over his notebook.

Although he could not use magic, he was accompanying us this time to keep a record of the event.

His tone of voice is somewhat bouncy, unlike that of his inorganic boss, as he looks around with interest.

"I wonder if the demon tribe thinks like us. ....... I have read your research report in detail. It seems that the Council of Wise Men has decided to change its perception of the intelligence of the demons.

"Yes, if you observe them individually, it is obvious that they have too much biological needs and look like failures. Even though they have been turned inside out, God's creations are still not to be underestimated.

"It seems to be a different type of collective intelligence than ours."

They are very different. The other one seems to be possible only when a prominent individual emerges.

So, what do you think they would do in this situation?

"Well, I would use this tree as a decoy to surprise them. So I've asked them to keep an eye on it, but I haven't seen anything that looks like it.

The temple head looked around at Odle's words, but when he casually turned his head to the sky, his mouth tightened just a little.

"This is not good. Get out of here."

The next moment, Oder was pushed violently and flew lightly through the air.

After falling to the ground, he rolls several times and finally stops in a cloud of dust.

"No matter how much you can't adjust your body, you're still a bit too stupid ......."

Odle looks up, but closes his mouth to complain.

The person with whom he had just exchanged words had been covered in something mucous-like.

In no time at all, the body is enveloped in a semi-transparent liquid that melts away the clothes and flesh, exposing the bones.

The jaw of the exposed skull rose and fell several times, but even this disappeared within a few seconds.

All that remained was a sludgy puddle of water.

Odle, who had been watching Meerahlilah's final moments closely, turned his eyes this way and that in search of the source of the liquid.

He looks up at the sky that his friend last saw and immediately realizes what is wrong.

Far above.

The shimmering refraction of air had somehow spread over a tremendous area.

"That's ......, maybe it's slime. If so, is it a bodily fluid containing digestive enzymes? I see, no wonder it won't be caught by the electric probe at that height.

His rapid-fire soliloquies are filled with curiosity, but not a trace of mourning for his friend's death.

Perhaps noticing this, Odle stops moving his quill for a moment and mutters, "I'm sorry for your loss.

"Oops, I forgot. I'll pray for your safe return to the golden tree. May the ice god guide you. But still, this is getting a bit bad..."

The first strike of the slime from the sky took them completely by surprise.

The protruding demon tree was caught up in it and melted away, but the damage to our allies was even worse, especially as most of our ash-eared brethren who had taken on the task of slowing them down were nowhere to be found.

And as he turned around with his white robe fluttering, he saw a new drop of bodily fluid dripping from the slime above him, about to land on the heads of his allies in the rear.

"O Lord of the Tree of Life! Protect us--

Just when it seemed that this time it would be the end, a roaring prayer echoed through the air.

At the same time, a huge, semicircular membrane spread instantly over the heads of the adventurers.

The fluid, which dissolves everything in its path, sloshes violently against the hard membrane, but it flows down its surface, sticking to the surface.

The adventurers, protected by the dome, which had a diameter of several hundred paces, looked at the scene from the inside with a look of dismay on their faces.

"Oh, it looks like it could hold an entire village! That's what I'd expect from the High Priestess.

"You will get nothing more out of praising me."

The one who releases unbelievable magical power and even maintains it without a care in the world is the High Priestess of the Temple of Healing, known as the High Priestess of the Water Crown.

He was escorted by Dadan, who carried a large two-handed axe on his shoulder.

"And if you continue like this, everything will be over in five minutes.

The defensive membrane created by the high priestess's magic can completely block interference from the outside.

However, there was a problem that could not be solved from the inside either.

Of course, it is possible to forcefully break it from the inside, but in that case, an avalanche of horrifying bodily fluids would surely flow into the slime before the attack could reach it.

And if nothing is done and time passes, the membrane will disappear anyway.

Although there was no way out of this situation, Dadan let out a hearty laugh that suited his rejuvenated appearance.

Don't worry, High Priest. I have been patiently waiting for a moment like this. Let's do it, Uncle!"

"Yes, I've been waiting for you. Dadaan!"

Arms folded, the young temple master in his golden armor advanced.

The two men, nephew and uncle, look exactly alike, but when they stand side by side, they are a wonderfully intimidating sight.

"Well, here we go! I'm counting on you, Coco!

At Zazam's powerful shout, his sister-in-law, Cocolara, nodded quietly.

Behind the young woman with shining purple eyes, a line of priestesses, all highly skilled in the blessing of the Thunder Spirit Tree, lined up in front of her.

The extraordinary magical power they have developed seems to be waiting for the moment of their release.

"Then, so are we!

At Dadaan's sharp call, the warriors surrounding him shouted back a wild yell.

The fighting spirit that had been building up in these warriors was already swelling, creating purple lightning on the weapons they held in their hands.

"I'm coming! Let's unite our hearts for victory now--."

At the same time as his dignified voice. Purple spines extend from Kokorara's body at once.

They clung to the bodies of the lightning users and warriors around them, sucking up their magical power and fighting spirit in no time.

Cocolara then poured the two enormous amounts of power into her beloved brother-in-law and husband.

"Thunder God, now is the time to bring down the hammer of judgment!

"Let those who have erred be guided by the righteous thunderbolt!"

The atmosphere swelled violently, and the sky, which had been clear until just before, was suddenly covered with gathering black clouds.

Tiny lightning bolts, signaling the advance, crawl like veins through the cloud base.

The magical power and fighting spirit of the Thunder God's apostles rose to an unbelievable level, and the nearly 500 adventurers fell silent and forgot how to move.

Then, just as a purple lightning bolt shot out of the ground toward the heavens, Zazam raised his arms and let out a cry of rage.

As if in unison, Dadaan's entire body glows with a dazzling light as he raises both hatchets in the air.

"Shun all!"

"Knock it all down!"

Fists and axes swung down.

"--

"--!!!!"

Countless lights danced across the field of vision.

The lightning, summoned by the fighting techniques, was split into countless purple lightning bolts by magic.

It became the fury of the raging heavens, pouring down mercilessly on the monsters directly beneath the black clouds.

The high heat, exceeding tens of thousands of degrees, vaporized everything, and the expanding air created a shockwave that exceeded the speed of sound.

Flashes, flashes, flashes of purple raged across the canopy.

A deafening roar rumbled overhead.

If it had not been for the protective coating that sheltered those within, the eyes of the open-mouthed adventurers looking up would have been burned out and their eardrums would have been pierced.

Within the view of the spectators, the giant slime is burning away, every last piece of it billowing white smoke.

No one uttered a sound.

They simply gazed at the scene beyond the canopy as if mesmerized.

After a few seconds, the time of judgment abruptly comes to an end.

A drop of water suddenly bounces on the defensive membrane, which has regained its silence.

As if they were falling one after the other, the number of them increased at once.

It seems that the dark clouds that we have called in have caused a shower.

The drops hitting the canopy in a lively motion wash away the remaining mucus of the slime.

The woman of the Soukei tribe, the leader of the temple, exhaled deeply as she overcame the crisis just in time.

"............, you did a great job."

"Well, it looks like we're out of the jam. But it's still a long way from here.

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be out of the water column, so be prepared!"

The canopy had disappeared, and waiting for them was a swarm of demon trees, more than half of which were still alive and well.

The monsters, freed from the spell of the ice, loomed ahead with their countless tentacles of roots.

And that was not all that awaited them.

The sky above the swarm of magical trees.

Floating there before I knew it were transparent skulls that looked twice as tall as a man.

Bat-like wings sprouted from their crystal-clear temporal bones, flapping in the air.

The huge skulls with clattering teeth swooped down on the youngest members of the group, who had become the front line of the battle.

"Get back!"

Sisan quickly raises his round shield and steps forward.

But the difference in mass is overwhelming.

Still, the boy does not retreat. Because he is determined to protect it.

And he is not reckless. He's taken dozens of similar troll blows.

A tremendous impact shakes the shield.

But just before the collision, Sisan stepped forward and raised his shield at the same time.

The boy's body was thrown backward by the recoil, but the force of the collision was skillfully deflected into the sky.

The huge bone, struck on the jaw, was turned upside down.

Without a moment's pause, a ray of light shoots through the air and pierces through the monster's body.

The huge skull, pierced by the conical spear, falls to the ground in a plume of black smoke, with purple currents coursing through its body.

Before he can exhale in relief, Riccar shouts out, "I'm going to kill him!

"Oh no, here comes the next one!

After killing one of the crystal skeleton monsters, there was no way they would stop attacking.

The next attackers were the burning fruits of the magical tree, which had been thrown by the four hands of the great monkeys.

Hinck jumps toward Sisang, who is out of position, and Riccar, who has drawn his twin swords, steps in front of them in front of the parabolic fireballs falling down.

Alethea raises her staff to gather magic, and Ecclesia reaches into her pouch at her waist for a burn healing potion.

But there was a figure moving even faster than the boys and girls.

The figure stood there as if protecting Sisan and the others, who were unable to move, and lifted his long shield to unleash a powerful kiai.

"Teyaa!"

--

The next moment, the ground in front of them rose up and overtook their backs in a single bound.

The hastily prepared barrier blocked the path of every fireball that rained down on us.

Amidst the flurry of fire sparks and dust, the boys involuntarily looked at each other when they saw the familiar figure of a shieldman standing in front of them.

Then, this time, a familiar voice echoes.

"Hey, boys, it's been a while. How have you been?

A long-haired, purple-eyed young man approached and spoke to us in a friendly manner.

Judging from the throwing spears in his hands, it seemed to be this man who had just killed a flying skull.

Recalling his friendly smile, Riccar shouts out his guess.

"Oh, the old man who was guarding the gate!

"Hey, hey, who's the old man? He's your brother. I'm still young."

The person who answered happily was someone who had greeted me many times before at the outer gate of the Dadaan border town.

Surprised by this unexpected encounter, Sisang hurried to express his gratitude.

"Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Carles.

"I owe old Thor a big debt. If he asks me to protect him, I can't refuse. And if you want to thank him, you can thank that old man who found you. It's good to see you in such a good light, Likan."

"Yes!　Thank you very much, Ricansa...... eh?"

"Likan, the gatekeeper?　Seriously?

"Yeah, no kidding!　That old man is ......."

The shieldman turns his head to the side, perhaps embarrassed, but his face still shows a trace of his former life as a gate guard.

However, his face and body were remarkably tight, and his armor and shield were covered with countless scratches as if he had fought many battles over the years.

It is no exaggeration to say that he is a different person with an appearance reminiscent of an old and powerful man.

It can be said, however, that it is because of his habit of memorizing people's characteristics through his long service as a gatekeeper that he was able to find Sisan and the others' location so quickly in the midst of this fierce battle.

"What the hell happened to you, old man?

"It's been a lot of things, a lot of things. ......"

Nodding silently at his distant-eyed partner's words, the shieldman turned forward, readied his long shield, and slumped to his feet.

He then took the demon tree's lunge head-on, and met it with a powerful blow.

Immediately, Carles' arms flexed, and two spears flew out and pierced the face on the trunk of the tree.

Sisang and the others finally remembered that the battle was still going on.

They hurriedly looked around, but while they were talking leisurely, the battle had changed drastically.

They noticed that many unfamiliar adventurers were confronting the monsters.

Oraaaaaaah!

"Excuse me, sir."

With a polite and vigorous shout, a pair of large men with shields at the ready rush forward, cutting the wind with the horns on their foreheads.

The bodies of the demon trees that had attacked them leaned heavily against the giant bodies.

"Mr. Garudo and Mr. Godan!

At Sisan's call, the two shieldmen, lined up close together, turn around and smile wryly.

"Well, I guess we made it in time for the show."

I'm sorry I'm late, but I'm here. I'm glad to see that everyone is all right.

"...... Two on the right branch. One behind the trunk."

"...... so you think you're hiding. Shallow."

"Wow, Tapa and Tali, how long have you been in here?

Riccar's panicked voice is raised at the mutterings of men who look exactly like him, standing behind him without his knowledge.

Without showing any sign of concern for his surroundings, the twin brother pulls his bowstring lightly.

The sound of shaking air echoes in succession, and the curved arrow disappears among the branches of the evil tree.

After a pause, the monkeys that had been shot in the vital points fell to the ground in a heap.

"Hmmm... I guess things get pretty strange deep in the miasma..."

"Bettina!"

Alethea shouted happily at the last red-haired maiden in leather armor.

It's been a long time, hasn't it? From the torch of my body, a spark of fire has been unleashed. Come closer and pierce the boundless darkness!

A swirl of red flame erupts straight from the tip of the thin sword that Bettina has lifted.

It pierces one wing of the crystal skeleton as it plummets down, burning it to the ground in an instant.

The monster loses its balance and plunges to the ground in a heap.

Hinck lets out a bewildered cry as he watches the monster brilliantly dispatch the creature.

"Even Bettina! ....... I thought you were in the middle of attacking the fire-breathing mountain.

I've taken care of everything. I've just been qualified as a hero, Thor-sama, and just when I wanted to show him off, he's not here. I'm so disappointed.

The active vigorous classes, which are the mainstay of each border town, are not participating in this expeditionary force.

This is because of the possibility that the demons might launch some sort of counterattack.

However, only the border town of Bossalia seems to have forcefully changed the conditions.　

"It was really hard for two shields to kill a fire dragon. I really wanted Sola to hear me complain about this!

"Hey, hey, don't treat me like I'm in the way!"

"You were very welcome to make my life easier, Mr. Garudo."

Then Ecclesia turns her head, perhaps noticing something strange.

"Oh, that Saralisa isn't here, is she?

She's getting big, you know. So, the person who caused the trouble is taking responsibility for it.

"Oh, really?

"Congratulations, Saralisa!"

It seemed to be a topic of considerable interest to the younger girls.

Garudo proudly boasts to them as their eyes light up with surprise.

I've decided that I'm not going to fall until I see the face of my second daughter," said Garudo, proudly. ......, why are you leaving, guys?"

"...... In our country, it is a saying that is said to call the wind on a funeral banner."

"...... very ominous. We have to keep our distance."

Sisang's shoulders relax a little and her cheeks loosen in the usual pace of the exchange.

Then he returned to his serious face and spoke a few words of advice.

"I'm really glad that the seniors are here. However, if you are too careless, you may ......"

"Don't worry. Now that your fathers have stepped forward, you don't have to be so tense. You've been working too hard. Get some rest."

Saying this, Bettina shrugs her shoulders deliberately and points to a point on the battlefield.

The five younger members of the group looked at the indicated figure, and this time they were truly speechless.

A red whirlwind.

That is exactly what it was called.

The not-so-large frame manipulated two beautifully curved swords.

The flaming blades swirl through the air, creating a crimson afterimage.

Immediately, the bodies of the monsters around him are cut down, and numerous fragments are scattered through the air.

Considering the difference in size, this is a sight too startling to be true.

A feminine figure moves through the crowd of monsters as if dancing in a circle.

And everything in her path is torn to pieces and falls to the ground.

.

The sword dances freely as if there is no one beside it.

With every step the dancer takes, a bloody path opens up before her eyes.

The out-of-the-ordinary aspect of this scene can only be described as the descent of the god of fire, who loves to fight.

And there was one more.

There was another swordsman who was just as active as Red Whirlwind.

This one was a black storm.

A black sword with a great blade that seemed to reach from his ankles to his chest.

The man wielded it with seeming impunity.

Immediately, half the bodies of the severed demon trees float in the air.　

This is the result of the combination of his tremendous physical strength and unbelievable sharpness.

And although at first glance it seems to be a random sword swing, his footsteps, weight shift, and eye contact are all the best and fastest reasonable movements.

Aniella, who was in front of me, spoke to me without any sign of shortness of breath.

Your arm doesn't seem to have lost any weight. I am impressed, Sacco.

I'm not sure I'm worthy of your praise, though.

"Hmmm, you're just a little nervous in front of your daughter, aren't you?"

"You have to show your good side once in a while. Even though you have become young again, you should take care not to be so reckless.

Sacco knew that this was unnecessary advice.

Aniella's root characteristic, called , is that her fighting spirit is heightened when she causes the target to bleed or when she herself bleeds.

And the advanced fighting technique of the twin swords which the Sword Princess unleashes does not cause any repercussions since it is already in a state of full branching.

The sword princess can perform it from the edge where her fighting spirit builds up, and the fighting spirit builds up again.

Maihime slaughters the demon trees in the blink of an eye, but her gaze suddenly narrows.

Her sharp, piercing gaze fell on a large, black hole in the distance.

"You finally pulled them out, didn't you?

"Yes, this is where the real work begins."

While the two continue their conversation in a calm manner, a change comes to the rim of the big hole.

The first thing that appears is a pitch-black head.

Next are the shoulders and two arms extending from them. Then the torso and legs.

All of them have lost their colors, and only the shadows seem to move.

The humanoid slowly lowers its feet to the ground.

The tip of the longest hand was a tentacle that branched out into multiple branches.

The lower half of what was barely recognizable as a face was covered by a shadow of writhing tentacles.

The monster crawls out from the abyss of the cavern and paces, shaking the earth.

A new one emerges from behind it. Then another.　

And the vision of the two adventurers, or rather of all the breathless adventurers, is filled with the black shadowy giants that blacken the horizon.

A few moments later.

"d*mn, you haven't fallen yet!

A man from the Midoriwa tribe shouted angrily into the sky.

A huge, human-shaped mass of darkness looms out of his field of vision.

The abdomen is pierced with a gaping hole, and the right arm is ripped wide open at the shoulder and looks as if it is about to fall to the ground.

Nevertheless, the giant nonchalantly lifted up its other arm and slammed it into the ground.

The shieldmen immediately raise the ground, but as soon as darkness falls, the rock pile disappears.

"Get back!"

The man with the shield shouted sharply as he confronted the overflowing tentacles.

The next moment, however, his figure is swallowed up by the shadows and vanishes.

"Look, he's eating my friends!

One of the swordsmen pointed out loudly as he retreated backward.

There, the monster was crouching over the carcass of a fellow Titan lying on the ground, its tentacles flailing about in its mouth.

The shadowy mass, motionless and prone, vanishes in the blink of an eye, trailing its countless tentacles.

At the same time, the wounds on the giant's abdomen and shoulders in front of me are instantly closed.

The giant, still on all fours, looks up, its head leaning back in an eerie manner.

The tentacles around its mouth lift up, revealing a pitch-black cavity hidden behind them.　

Jumping on the new carcass, the giant plunges its face in and begins to devour it.

The giant's body swells as it feeds on the darkness, turning one turn and then the next.

Suddenly, something bursts out of the giant's back.

"What the hell is ...... that thing?"

They were eight wings.

Then, as if twisting together instantly, they transformed into a flower with eight petals.

A pitch-black flower blooming on the giant's back.

The adventurers, rendered speechless by the strange sight, notice something even more unusual.

Right above the flowers.

There, a mass of black darkness swells up, shimmering and burning like a flame.

Oh no!　Can anyone go?"

"Oh!"

"We can still do it!"

In response, a man from the Suiba clan holds his bow high in the air.

He nocked a long, thick, vermilion arrow and shouted so that everyone around him could hear.

"Release!

At the same time as the signal, the bowstring is plucked at once, and a large number of arrows fly into the air.

However, even though they were numerous, they were too weak a counterattack against the huge mass of darkness.

The man takes a deep breath and pulls his thick right arm with all his might.

He then unleashed his rage-filled fighting spirit against the monster that had devoured his friends.

--

The man's arrow aims for the zenith with the wind in its wake.

Immediately, other arrows change their trajectory and begin to gather around the man's arrow, as if attracted by it.

Countless arrows gather.

They rose as if they were breaking through the sky, and changed direction when they were far enough from the ground.

As if in a single volley, the arrows gathered together and aimed at a single point.

A great number of arrows broke wind and rained down on the giant's back.

The flower of darkness is easily crushed and scattered in the face of the overwhelming force that pierces a single point.

The giant, his chest pierced with a huge hole, falls to the ground in a heap.

The men cheer.

But the next moment, the body of the Black Shadow Giant suddenly swells up and pops.

A pitch-black darkness overflowed from within.

The crowd of people was helplessly swallowed up by the waves that surged up like mud.

The man of the Midoriha tribe, lying helplessly in the black sea, found himself looking up at the sky.

His right arm, his pride and joy, was buried in the mud, and he could not feel it at all.

The bow held in his left hand was broken halfway through and the string was shredded.

The shouts and screams were still going on.

A glare is reflected in the man's one remaining retina.

It seems as if someone had performed a death-defying feat of combat or magic.

The green wings of his motionless head suddenly shook, as if sensing something.

At the same time, the edge of the man's lips twitched slightly.

It was a vibration that had been received over and over again by the feathers.

It was the sound of the wind beating against the wings of the flying dragon that his sister was riding.

Her figure seems to be perfectly hidden, but this pleasant sound is never missed.

The man who had lost his birth name muttered his last words as he looked up at the empty sky and lost consciousness.

"......Chita's words were not wrong ...... after all. I'm counting on you,......, mud-breaking hero,...... Mister ......."