Chapter 310: Bare-handed

Name：To Deprive a Deprived Person Author：Mino
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The time goes back to a few months before Arzerotte and Dorum visited the All Plains. At the beginning of the war, the Black Sheep Knights of the Mandogoa Kingdom underestimated the Immortal Mercenaries led by Merit. Thinking that although they had made a name for themselves in the Realm, they were just mercenaries hired for money. However, it was not unreasonable. After all, although the Mandogoa Kingdom was not a large country, its national power was far greater than that of a small country. If all the troops were mobilized, the number of soldiers would reach about 100,000. The Black Sheep Knights sent out by the Mandogoa Kingdom in this war were about 20,000 soldiers, while the Immortal Mercenaries were about 1,000. Although there are differences between the two in terms of race and type of troops, there is still a difference of about 20 times in terms of numbers alone. Even if it is led by a general, it is harder to lose with such strength.

So――――everyone in the Black Sheep Knights thought so. However, the people of the Mandogoa Kingdom will know for themselves that the idea was wrong.

"Here they come! The Immortal Mercenaries!!"

"Shields up!!"

"Wait. What the hell is that......"

A cloud of dust rolls in front of the Black Sheep Knights. Dust rolls in front of the Knights of the Black Sheep. Thousands of troops are approaching. It's a natural phenomenon, not an unnatural one. However, what you can see in front of the Black Sheep Knights is not an army, but――――a single knight. He's not riding a horse. On the contrary, he doesn't even wear anything called armor. However, the true character of the human figure is not a human race――――the tail that grows between the waist and buttocks is covered with scales and the black-purple hair reminiscent of a deep amethyst appears to pop out from the dark purple proof of a dragon man. The appearance of the dragon horn, which is not different from the rumor, was Merit, the leader of Immortal Mercenaries. It's hard to believe that Merit, the leader of the Immortal Mercenaries, is the only one who came. If you're a warrior, you've probably heard the stories of those who ride single-handedly, or those who jump out to claim the honor of the first spear. However, this is only possible if there is an army behind you to assist you or to follow. The Black Sheep Knights' observers reported that they couldn't see anyone behind Merit and that they could see dust far behind him, about two kilometers away.

"It's only a demi-human. This is not a single-horse race. Isn't this suicide?"

"Has he overestimated his strength?"

"A short battle is what we want"

"If we can defeat Merit, the rest is a group of subordinates who are out of control and our victory is like a decision"

The generals smiled as if they were convinced of victory.

"Fools! He came at us head-on and all by himself! You know what I'm talking about! Even though it's just one person, it's still Merit! Don't let your guard down!!"

"""Yes!!"""

The knights of the First Heavy Armor Corps of the Black Sheep Knights respond to the voice of the captain and activate the shield technique 『Stone Wall』 all at once. The solidarity of the individual moves makes them harder, bigger and stronger. It is a tactic devised by a race that is inferior in individual power to overwhelm other races. Its majestic stance reminded the viewer of a huge wall.

Don't let me down.

It was a woman's voice. It was at the same time that the voice of Merit was thought by the members of the First Heavy Armor of the Black Sheep Knights. Merit that was in front disappeared.

"What!? Merit――――"

"It's impossible――――"

The roaring sound of an oversized thunder drowned out the words of the knights and the hundreds of knights in front of Merit disappeared in an instant. Suddenly, one survived because he couldn't hide his turmoil from his disappeared friends and subordinates......the knight's bodies were hit by a foreign object that came flying from somewhere.

"What happened!? And what is this? An Immortal Mercenaries attack"

The armor was made heavier than normal troops, so those who were hit by the foreign object did not die. However, one of the knights wipes the helmet with his hand because of the unpleasant feeling that can be transmitted through his armor.

"What......this is? Hii!?"

The back of his hand was dyed bright red. The identity of the foreign body that came flying was――――the flesh and viscera of his comrades scattered by Merit´s rush and the fragments of the armor they wore. The Black Sheep Knights had a quadruple defense line in the center, from the first to the fourth. Each line was manned by about a thousand soldiers, for a total of four thousand soldiers. That 4,000-strong line was blasted in half, as if by a super-dreadnought ballista.

"What are you doing! Quickly form up and close the hole!!"

One of the commanders quickly regained his composure and gave instructions to his soldiers.

"B, But the fourth heavy armor corps has also been overtaken. If we continue like this, we will lose the main camp"

"Have you forgotten our role and strategy?"

The man in charge of the command blackmailed the unsettled soldiers, but the man in charge felt the same way inside. The Black Sheep Knights' tactic was to use the 4,000 heavy armor troops in the center to hold off the advancing army of the Immortal Mercenaries, while 3,000 soldiers on the right flank and 3,000 on the left flank attacked in between. The central unit, the key to this tactic, was split in half by Merit alone.

"If we don't hurry up and repair our ranks, the Immortal――――he?"

The commander's head flew into the air in front of the soldiers, who looked up at him with only their eyes, still not understanding what had happened to them. Before they knew it, there was a beastman standing there. He had no weapon in his hand. The beast man was a user of the Beastman Fist. He was no ordinary user. The commander, whose head had been chopped off with a hand knife, had a wound that looked as if it had been cut in two with a sharp blade.

"Oooh～!! If you don't hurry up, I'm going to take everything!!"

The soldiers stared at the male beastman in dismay.

"Wh, Wh, What you're doing!! The enemy is the enemy!! Kill him quickly!!"

"Ch......charge!!"

The soldiers hurriedly pointed their spears at the beastman and began to charge.

"Ossee!!"

Like the commander, ten heads fly in the air.

"Kuhahaa. The strongest of the Immortal Mercenaries~!"

"Demi-human style is getting better!!"

Soldiers surround the male beastman in a disciplined movement.

"This guy is a captain of the Immortal Mercenaries! If we can defeat him, the reward will be as good as we want it to be!"

"Well, you mustn't be so impatient, gentlemen. I'm sure there's a captain here"

Next to the male beastman, a female elf descended from the sky.

"Hey, it's my prey"

"First come, first served"

As soon as she said that, she blew on the palm of her right hand as if she were blowing off some fluff. Then the wind ran through as if stroking between the soldiers.

"What......action――――"

The soldiers of the heavy armor corps fall apart with their armor and fall to the ground. The full plate armor and shields were cut as if a knife had torn through paper.

"This, This is not how............things are supposed to go. The first heavy armor corps of the Black Sheep Knights is helpless against two demi-humans!?"

The surviving soldiers knew more despair. The immortal mercenaries rushed into the ranks of the heavy armor troops that were split in half. Both the right and left wing units were unable to rescue the center in time for the immortal mercenary corps' too fast march.

"Steadily killing! Come on, come on, steadily killing~!!"

"The captains are going farther in! Hurry, hurry, hurry!!"

"Hyaahyaa~! Not this one! I can kill as many as I want~!"

The soldiers of the Black Sheep Knights 1st Heavy Armor Corps are being slaughtered one after another by the Immortal Mercenaries. The way they fight is like a starving beast――――no, even more so. Randomly attack the visible soldiers. There were no tactics or formations. Despite this, the soldiers were killed one after another. The reason is simple. The immortal mercenaries are overwhelmingly strong.

"If we continue like this, we will lose to the......demi-humans"

"What are you standing there for! Hurry up and gather the surviving soldiers!"

"Y, Yes! We can't afford to lose to demi-humans!!"

The Immortal Mercenaries were marching in a straight line, so there were more than a few survivors. The commanders gathered the surviving soldiers and formed them into ranks. However, the bodies of the soldiers were shaking. It was not from trembling. Although they were outnumbered, their hearts were not yet broken and they had the energy to fight. It was not the soldiers that were shaking, but the ground. The earth was shaking with a steady rhythm.

"Wait~. Ode, I'm not good at running~"

"Gi, Giant!"

The cause of the earth tremor was a giant man who was probably three meters tall.

"Kill!!"

"""Die!!"""

Five soldiers simultaneously slashed at him with their swords.

"Ah~, enemy~"

It was a sluggish voice――――and a slow movement. The giant man wields a giant battle axe at his soldiers, which is very difficult for humans to handle or even hold. It was a sharp blow that made the previous movements seem like a lie.

(Fast!? But this can be prevented!)

If you look at the movement of the giant man, you can see that he has no strength in his waist. It was clear from his movements that he was swinging with his arms only. If this was the case, they could catch it with their shield and attack him afterwards. The soldiers decided that it would be safer and more reliable.

"Hagaa!?"

The five soldiers who were holding their shields and preparing to attack were split up from the waist up. It was a blow that was unreasonable, no matter how much the physical strength of the giants exceeded that of humans.

"Everyone~, I want you to wait~!"

No one could chase after the giant man who ran away making a loud noise.

The Black Sheep Knights suffered a heavy blow as soon as the war started. The troops on the right and left flanks judged that it was impossible to rescue them from the damage in the center, so they joined the main camp and retreated together. In the main camp of the Black Sheep Knights, the commander and the generals were sending a pigeon to the Mandogoa Kingdom, their home country. The message was that the Black Sheep Knights were going to engage in an endurance battle and that they needed to request reinforcements from other countries as soon as possible. It was a very quick response based on an accurate understanding of the strength of their army and the Immortal Mercenaries. However, the bureaucrats in the main camp knew that it was highly unlikely that the Immortal Mercenaries would agree to an enduring war. It made no sense to fight an enduring battle in the territory of the enemy, especially when the Immortal Mercenaries were outnumbered. It would be better to take advantage of this momentum and settle the matter in a short battle, which would be the right thing to do later. But――――

"What? The Immortal Mercenaries have stopped moving!?"

The staff members in the main camp were buzzing with the report from the scouts. It was unthinkable that the Immortal Mercenaries would stop their march under these circumstances. It could only mean that something unforeseen had happened within the Immortal Mercenaries. What caused the Immortal Mercenaries to stop their march? The Black Sheep Knights succeeded in bringing the battle to an end without knowing. As a result, the Central Black Sheep Knights Heavy Armor Corps, which was abandoned, was destroyed individually, but the others were only skirmishes and succeeded in gaining time until the arrival of reinforcements from other countries.

"Report, sir! 10,000 reinforcements from Hameln will be arriving soon. The general leading them is Simon, one of 『Hameln Eight Fighter』!!"

"What!? They've sent us the 『Dark Green Reaper』!"

"I, I have something to report!! From the Kanmunate Kingdom with 7,000 soldiers――――"

"From the Kanmunate Kingdom, 『Kanmunate Hero』 and 『Storm Hero』!"

"From the Baharaguto Kingdom, 2,000 soldiers, along with the 『Great Witch of Barakiom』 and the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』――――"

"Huha, Huhahaa! We can win! We can win!! We´re not going to fall behind the Immortal Mercenaries in this!!"

One by one, news of the arrival of reinforcements reached the main camp. The total number of the allied forces was 70,000. Each country may have its own agenda. The religious organisation Immortality has been tormenting them for many years. Among them, Merit of continuing the mercenary family business without running away or hiding was particularly obtrusive. One of the reasons why such a large coalition army was formed was to take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate the Immortal Mercenaries and Merit. Initially, the Black Sheep Knights of the Mandogoa Kingdom claimed to be in command of the coalition forces, but after discussions among the generals and generals of the various countries, the general known as the 『Kanmunate Hero』 was chosen to take over due to his well known war record and popularity in other countries. In order to make sure that the immortal mercenaries were destroyed, a siege network of 70,000 allied forces was laid out. From here, a battle that would last for several months was to begin.

"Damn it. They killed six of us"

"I've got four"

"I hate that great archer"

Gathered around the fire, the Immortal Mercenaries were reporting to each other the damage they had sustained today. They are also the so-called captains who are within the 10th seating order. More than ten hours have already passed since the sun went down. In less than an hour, the sun would begin to rise, turning the sky the purple color of dawn.

"Well, he's called Hameln's 『Dark Green Reaper』"

"Tsk. Simon Hay, one of 『Hameln Eight Fighters』. He's a sneaky little bastard"

"I don't know what you're talking about. What's wrong with an archer hiding from the enemy"

"Shut up!"

As the name suggests, the All Plains is a beautiful plain that looks like gold when the sunlight hits it, but that beautiful plain has been turned into a cruel mess by the war between the Immortal Mercenaries and the Allied Forces. The 『Earth Wall』 and 『Stone Wall』, which had been created to prevent long-distance attacks, were falling to pieces as if they had done their job well. After the sun went down, there were no large-scale engagements between the two sides, but the allied forces were repeating their long-range attacks irregularly to keep the immortal mercenaries from resting. However, the Immortal Mercenaries who were resting around the campfire in such a situation were out of their element.

"Hey, leave it at that. We both know that this is not the time to be arguing about stupid things, right?"

"I´m hungry"

The giant man stares at the empty wooden bowl as if he's not satisfied.

"You're always hungry, aren't you?"

"I just told you to stop. And it's not just the 『Dark Green Reaper』 you should be wary of. The firepower idiots of 『Great Witch of Barakiom』and『Sage of Flame and Thunder』aren't bothersome. Because of people, I can't move forward as I expected"

"There's also 『Storm Hero』. Tell your people not to engage in one-on-one combat with them"

"How many have died so far?"

The female elf looks out over the captains surrounding the bonfire, pointing her finger at her chin. The captains listed the survivors of their squads.

"That's it? So, including the wounded, we've got six hundred at best"

With an army of only a thousand men, it was astonishing that there were still six hundred survivors after being besieged for several months by an army of seventy thousand men. The fact that there are still six hundred survivors is astonishing. It shows how the people who belong to the Immortal Mercenaries boast an uncommon fighting strength.

"H, Hey"

The male beastman whispered to the female elf next to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Idiot! You're too loud"

"You're louder than me"

"All right, just speak in a small voice. So what's wrong with the young lady?"

Yes. In addition to the captains, Merit, the leader of the Immortal Mercenaries, was also present. But the expression on her face was clearly unhappy.

"Well? If you're curious, why don't you just ask her?"

"I can't do that, that's why I'm asking you!"

"Can you please stop shouting in my ear!"

"Your voice!!"

The people around them were just dumbfounded by the usual exchange and didn't seem to stop.

"Hey!"

The voice made everyone tense up and the area around them quieted down. The owner of the voice was Merit.

"I, I´m sorry......young lady"

"I´m sorry"

The male beastman and female elf, feared by numerous mercenaries as evil spirits, bow their heads with a mysterious look.

"You guys can go ahead and kill each other all you want. I'll go over there, but they'll just run around and won't even try to fight"

The captains hurriedly gathered to form a circle.

"Un, Unlucky. Young lady is sulking"

"You've got to do something."

"Don't be absurd. Then you do it!"

"I don't like it at all. She'll kill me"

"These things are for gentlemen to do"

"Don't use women just when it suits you"

"I'm gonna go find some food"

"Do you want me to do that!"

"That's right. It's cowardly to run away alone"

This is the reason why the Immortal Mercenaries, who had the upper hand in the battle against the Black Sheep Knights, stopped their march. Unbelievably, Merit waited for a winnable battle to seek more enemies and good rivals. And just as Merit had hoped, the Black Sheep Knights requested reinforcements from other countries............ Unfortunately, the allied forces were not coming for Merit and they focused on reducing the number of immortal mercenaries first. As a result, instead of fighting satisfactorily, Merit's frustration at being left alone continued to grow and she was about to reach the end of her patience.

"Gaaa! I can't drink alcohol on the battlefield!!"

"It's good, though. But if we don't, we'll all be wiped out at this rate"

"Hey, I don't want to die before I've spent all my money"

A group of people warming up in a different part of the room from Merit and the others were complaining about the tragic consequences that would almost certainly befall them if the war continued.

"But we're sure to die if this continues"

"I wonder what the top brass is thinking about that?"

"They might not be thinking about it. After all, they're all even more stupid than we are"

"Uhee"

"You don't want to die?"

"Ah? What are you talking about――――ah, young lady! That's not what I'm talking about! What? You don't like it either, do you?"

The men hurriedly deny the statement, but Merit seems not to be interested in that.

"A......Aah. That's right. It's not like we were complaining"

"I don't care about that. I'm asking if you don't want to die"

The men looked at each other and laughed.

"That's right. You don't want to die either, do you?"

"It's easy. If you keep killing the enemy in front of you, you won't die"

"Uhehee. It's easy to say, but if you can't do that, you'll die"

The men smiled fondly.

"Shall I show you?"

"He?

"I said, I'll show you an example"

As soon as she said that, Merit strode off. The men watched her walk away, dumbfounded.

"Hey. Did you guys angered the young lady?"

"Ah, captain"

They told the male beastman who was their captain about the exchange they had just had with Merit.

"And where did she go?"

"Well? She walked around to show us an example. What?"

「Isn't that right?」 The people around him nodded their heads in agreement.

"An example? Hey......hey hey hey. ! No way she......seriously!?"

The beastman's whole body broke out in sweat.

"You guys! Immediately wake up the other captains――――no, all the sleeping guys!!"

"All of them?"

"When I say all, I mean all! She's headed for the enemy army by herself! We have to go after her......aah! She´s so reckless!!"

In the meantime, while the Immortal Mercenaries were in an uproar over Merit's solo move, the main Allied generals camped on the opposite side of the room were staying awake and discussing the details of the upcoming operation.

"But I was surprised. As the hero says, if you ignore the benefits without dealing with them, you can immediately lose motivation and reduce the damage"

"And they don't even show any signs of breaking the siege"

"Huhahaa. I'm sure the stupid demi-humans understand that they can't break our ironclad encirclement"

So far, the generals of the Black Sheep Knights smile at the fact that they are proceeding according to the expectations of 『Kanmunate Hero』 who command the Allied Forces.

"What are you laughing at! We have already lost more than 10,000 soldiers to the immortal mercenaries, which have only a thousand hands!"

The leader of the Black Sheep Knights reprimands the generals for their shame. Although the war situation was dominated by the reinforcements of other countries, it was not a very laughable damage.

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sure you've all seen the power of Merit and with that kind of strength, breaking the siege is no small feat. You can't understand why they don't dare to stay behind!! The Immortal Mercenaries have no intention of losing!! On the contrary, they intend to defeat us!!"

"Huhyahya. I don't think you need to scold them so much"

An old woman in a red robe appeased him. This old woman is the old witch that the neighboring countries call the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 with awe.

"Witch, but――――"

It was the leader of the Black Sheep Knights, who seemed to be still lacking in scolding, but a messenger rushed into the tent of the staff members in a hurry.

"Emergency, please forgive me"

"Good. Apart from that, report"

"Haa! The Immortal Mercenaries are on the move!!"

"They're getting impatient!"

"Th, That's......"

"What's wrong? If there's more, I want it now"

"If I'm not mistaken, Merit――――the leader of the Immortal Mercenaries, is heading this way alone"

The temperature in the tent rises with those words. It was not because they suspected the words of the messenger were false.

"Unbelievable......."

The generals――no, all of them looked with fright in their eyes at the general in command of the allied forces――――『Kanmunate Hero』.

"Up to this point......the war situation will move according to the hero's intention"

Frighteningly, the commanding general was moving his army in anticipation of this.

"It took some time, but the rest went according to plan"

The blonde, gray-haired man stood up from his chair, took one look at everyone and gave his orders. There should be no one to argue against it and the 『Storm Hero』 and 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』 who were silently listening to the meeting also nodded once and headed for placement.

"Merit! Merit is here!!"

"I can see it by looking at it! Okay? Don't make any moves"

"Captain, are you sure you want to let her pass?"

"That's the order from the main camp. However, after Merit passes through, you are to immediately seal the area.

"Will we be able to hold off the Immortal Mercenaries by ourselves?"

Despite the fact that there were five thousand soldiers here, the soldiers still could not hide their uneasiness. This was because they had witnessed the combat power of the Immortal Mercenaries at the start of the war.

"Don't worry, we have backup from the 『Dark Green Reaper』. But more importantly, you guys, okay? We don't need to win. We just need to buy enough time for the main camp to defeat Merit!!"

Despite being on the battlefield, Merit walked on as if she were taking a stroll along the same path as usual. Despite the distance, if Merit wanted to, this place would immediately become the most fierce battleground. Merit only looks down on the soldiers who do nothing but keep a distance and pass by the soldiers. After that, there was no one to block Merit's path and she finally made her way to the main camp of the allied forces.

"They're pathetic"

Merit muttered with a disappointed expression and looked up at the sky. Before she knew it, the night sky had changed to a mixture of black and purple. Soon the early morning――――sun will begin to rise.

"That's enough"

She was at the end of her patience. Despite her desire for a battlefield, the enemy ignored her. Merit decided that she would end this war today.

"Ah?"

As Merit stepped forward, she heard a heavy bass sound from behind her. When she looked back, she saw a huge stone wall rising out of the earth. No, it wasn't just behind her. One after another, stone walls appeared in front of her, on both sides. Each side of the wall was about 300 meters long and they were built in such a way that they regularly surrounded Merit. The simple, unadorned square enclosure was reminiscent of an ancient coliseum. On top of the stone wall, she could see the magic troops of the allied forces. Although they were not visible, Merit also noticed that they were on the other side of the wall as well, due to the increased magic power. It's different now. Merit's exasperation from earlier was nowhere to be seen. She smiles belligerently and moves forward with a light step.

"Good to see you, demi-human general!"

In the center, a man in a blue cloak and young green armor――――『Storm Hero』and 『Great Witch of Barakiom』were waiting.

"I hope your bravery in not running and hiding when you know it is a trap is not barbaric"

『Storm Hero』 pulls his sword out of his waist scabbard.

"Witch, please go down"

"I'm sorry, Wind Boy. It seems to be tough to kill Merit head-on with this old body"

When she saw Merit up close, the old woman immediately realized that she was no match for her and asked to be reassigned to an assistant attacker.

"Wind boy, I would like you to stop her, but I wonder if that decision is correct"

"Sorry"

After apologizing again, the old woman soars into the sky on the rank 7 white magic 『Flying』.

"Are you sure?"

Despite being able to set up as much as she could, Merit was silently watching the interaction between the two.

"I appreciate your concern"

"Okay, that's right. So, are you a famous guy? I don't know if you're a little wind boy――――oh"

The first one to set up was the 『Storm Hero』. Throw towards the benefits. The distance to Merit is about 10 meters, which is not the distance that the thrust can reach. A raging wind is emitted from the tip of the sword. It was created by the rank 7 spirit magic 『Violent Winding Wind - Tornado』. Even using high-level magic requires enormous magic power and concentration, but 『Storm Hero』 seems to be careful to bend the orbit to the sky on the way so as not to damage the stone wall behind Merit. The storm created by a large number of wind spirits blows everything away――――

"Ahahaa. I remembered! You're 『Soft Wind Hero』"

Far from being blown away, Merit stood calmly in the storm.

"This is just a small check. Don't get carried away"

Incredibly, Merit began to walk slowly through the storm.

"Let's begin!!"

With that voice as a signal, the magic unit on the square stone wall should not be able to move satisfactorily with the 『Violent Winding Wind - Tornado』, although it has not been damaged, by casting buff magic to the 『Storm Hero』. Unleashing negative enchant magic to Merit.

"Good, good! Please devise more and entertain me"

"I'm not sure how long you can keep up with that crap"

『Storm Hero』 kicks the ground and rushes. This time it's not magic. It is a thrusting with the holy sword Fuurin he holds.

"Don't die"

Those who cannot move satisfactorily due to the storm will be defeated――――『Storm Hero』 manipulates the wind to create further acceleration. Merit reflected in the field of vision holds her right fist.

(Pointless――――)

『Storm Hero』dodges to the side. At that moment, a shock wave blows off the storm and scoops the earth. Its power did not diminish and it seemed that it would crush the stone wall as it was, but the 『Great Witch of Barakiom』 floating in the sky magically prevented it.

"It's not a joke. It's just fist pressure, this power!?"

The power of the fist released by Merit causes a sweat to flow down the forehead of 『Storm Hero』.

"I'll praise you for dodging"

Thunder falls on Merit who is praising happily from above. It is the work of 『Great Witch of Barakiom』. The dazzling light emitted by high-level thunder magic illuminates the surroundings.

"Hyahyaa. You're forgetting that this is not a one-on-one battle"

"If you have time to talk, go ahead and attack"

"Hyaa!? How about eating the current one properly?"

Even though black smoke is raised from the whole body, it squeaks as if its not working for Merit.

"That pride is your weakness!!"

『Storm Hero』 sneaks into the bosom of Merit who is showing a margin in an unprotected standing figure. The blade of the holy sword Fuurin in his hand shines in jade. Dozens of deadly swords are unleashed during the moment. The sword that combines the power of the wind spirit with the sword technique is a sword that is slow and fast and it is difficult to grasp the actual situation like a haze. Merit doesnt dodge and takes all the slashes with her arms and legs.

"Oh, it was pretty fast right now"

"Hero Sword 『Fuurin Haze Beheading』......is decent"

"Look, I'll wait, so do more"

"All right"

『Storm Hero』didn't underestimate Merit from the beginning. Still ashamed of being disturbed by this disappointing result, he tightens his mind again. When he stops his sword at the height of his eyes, he activates the battle technique 『Unpocket』, 『Stagnant Water』 and 『Scary Unpsycho』.

"I will show you the power of an hero"

"Yes. Show me more power!"

Merit一about 90% of the Allied forces were devoted to this place to kill her. 『Storm Hero』 cannot be defeated――――no, it's not just the hero. This is the Allied consensus. You must win. Because the immortal mercenaries are a thousand troops, but this only decides that the benefits will not increase by more than a thousand and if you feel like it, you can increase it by 10,000 or 100,000. That Merit is loved by races other than humans. It's close to worshipping. For those who show off their power, the existence of Merit is similar to God. She, after all, wears no armor and roams the Raem continent without running away or hiding. From a human country, nothing is more abominable. On the other hand, from the point of view of other races, it is a painful experience. Although Merit has no intention of doing so at the moment, there is no guarantee that she will change her mind anytime soon. If that happens, she will have a military state with hundreds of thousands of demi-humans in the blink of an eye. As a human nation, they couldn't leave her alone forever.

"I am a hero! I will not be defeated!!"

High-level magic is constantly used, positive and negative enchant magic supports the 『Storm Hero』 and the wounds received are immediately healed. How much time has passed? It feels like they've fought for dozens of hours or about a dozen minutes.

"Ahaa. This is going to be interesting!"

It was Merit who smiled in a friendly manner. Her body is not intact, dripping blood from places and creating a number of bright red spots on the ground.

"Co......Cough. Something like this......I cant wait......"

The blade of the Holy Sword Fuurin is damaged by a fierce battle with Merit and the armor he wears is severely damaged. Still, the 『Storm Hero』 stood against Merit.

"You're pretty good. I like you. But it looks like you've reached your limit"

It was Merit gazing unfortunately, but she held her fist to finish him off.

"I can't let you do that"

The voice of an old woman echoes from the sky. And Merit and 『Storm Hero』, a columnar magic power gathers between them. It was summoning magic that was activated.

"Hyuuu. Hyuu......"

With each breath, drool dripped from her mouth. The one who crawls out of the ground is a giant with a total length of 26 meters, which is tied up with multiple restraints――――the one descending from the sky is a being with wings. ――――It was a beautiful heavenly demon.

"Witch"

"I will not let you kill the wind boy"

In the past, the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 summoned the giant Ama-no-Kiyu, which wielded fierce power in the Baharagut Kingdom and the heavenly demon Vaad Zuzuu. Merit wondered if summoning two powerful beings at the same time would put a lot of strain on one's body. The thin, wrinkled arms that could be seen through the sleeves of the red robe were even more emaciated, as if they had dried up.

"Oh! What is that? It's just...a giant? If you're going to summon one, make it an ancient giant, okay? The heavenly demon on your side is more like a Sorone-class Za Angel"

"Merit, don't be so disappointed"

"Even if you say so. Isn't that giant sealed by your human race?"

Merit sighs as she sees the giant rampaging to tear its restraints. 『Great Witch of Barakiom』 didn't say anything more. She just smiled thinly and raised her arms. With that as a signal, the magic units deployed on the stone walls on all sides release positive magic to the giant all at once. As the giant's tough muscles swell like explosions, the restraints can't stand the pressure and tear apart. The freed giant first try to attack the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 who sealed it, but when the old woman chants something it's never heard before, it turns towards Merit.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

The giant roars. Even though they knew it was directed at Merritt, it was enough to make thousands of soldiers cower from the fear of giants that was imprinted in the roots of the human race.

"Shut up!"

"Gyagagagauuu! Agauugagagayaga!!"

The giants' hammer fell on Merit's head, who wasn't scared of the absolute existence of the giant, but had a cocky attitude. It's repeated over and over again. There was neither skill nor slack. Slam his strength against his opponent. It's just such a simple and primitive attack, but the siege soldiers forcibly suppress the trembling body, wondering if the giant would use it to pose such a threat. Everyone thought this in their hearts.

(Please hurry up and end this!)

The old woman's face was contorted in pain and it was clear that she was nearing her limit, even though the giant was being used by the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』. It was easy to imagine what would happen if the giant were to target them.

"As expected......she is dead, right?

"Yeah, if she's not dead with this"

The crater carved by the giant's hammer was deep and large enough to hide not only the merit but also the giant's body. Still, the giant, who keeps swinging his arms down, thinks that Merit is not dead, the soldiers scream in hope.

"Not yet......"

Merit murmured so as to disappoint that expectation.

"Dragon Human Fist, First Method――――『Dragon Fist』"

What happened? No one could understand. However, it seemed clear that the tip was blown off from the base of the right shoulder of the giant flying in the air.

"After all, it's impossible......"

The 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 muttered as she watched the giant attack Merit even after losing its right arm.

"I will join the fight, Lady Witch. Please update your recovery magic and enchanting magic"

With a battered body, the 『Storm Hero』wished the old woman. As if in response to his words, the old woman pointed her wand at――――

"I can't do that"

"What......?"

The old woman's wind magic blows away the 『Storm Hero』. Didn't you think that you would be attacked by an old woman who was your friend? Far from being able to prevent it, the 『Storm Hero』 disappears far beyond the stone walls that surround Merit.

"Flame Thunder old man!"

"I can understand even a loud voice like that!!"

Until now, the magic power has been kneaded. Another great mage, 『The Sage of Flame and Thunder』, who is the pride of the Baharagut Kingdom and preserved MP, appears.

"I'm sorry"

"What, but it's a small price to pay to defeat the『Bare-handed』 with the lives of an old woman and an old man"

Kaakaakaa! The old woman felt as if she had been cheered up by the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』 who laughed so cheerfully. And――――decide the resolution.

"Merit! I'm going to defeat you now! Prepare yourself!!"

In front of the old people's eyes, a twenty-six meter giant was being turned into minced meat by Merit's hands. Even so, the giant's flesh and organs were wriggling in an attempt to regenerate.

"Hou! That's great!"

The two old men, the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 and the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』, clasped their hands together, and the square stone wall transformed into a cube.

"Do it"

Seeing this, the man who goes by the nickname 『Kanomunate Hero』 gives the order.

"Activate the wide-area barrier!!"

At the command of the commander, the magic unit stretches a barrier so as to cover the stone wall. The mage troops that were already on the stone wall are separated and distanced, so only Merit and the others are inside the stone wall.

"I'm sorry"

The hero muttered. He is against sacrificing the lives of old people, albeit his own strategy.

"Should we wait a little longer?"

It seemed to be pitch black inside the stone cube, but this was not the case. This is because the surroundings were illuminated by the magic power of the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』.

"That's your weakness"

"Umm. It is the conceit of the strong. I'll go to the trouble of matching you"

The 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 and the body of Heavenly Demon Vard Zuzuu were connected by a pipe created by a number of magic powers. This was to use the heavenly demon Vard Zuzuu, which is completely out of control and at the same time to forcibly share magic power and MP.

"Otherwise I'll have fun――――"

"You don't have to worry about that anymore"

In front of Merit, a huge eight-necked dragon made of flame appears. It is based on the rank 9 black magic 『Eight Dragon Flash Cannon Roar - Gigagora』of the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』.

"I've never seen this kind of magic before"

"That's good. And this is the last magic you'll ever see!!"

From the neck of each flame dragon, the rank 8 black magic 『Flash Cannon Roar de Gora』 is released. How unconventional this magic is to release eight 『Flash Cannon Roar de Gora』 at the same time, which few high-ranking mages can use due to its high level of difficulty. And you could see if the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』 was away from the ordinary.

"Look, don't hesitate to eat this too!!"

Next, it was the turn of the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』. Using the magic power and MP of heavenly demon Vard Zuzuu, magic that cannot be used by oneself――――activates the rank 9 ancient magic 『Nova』. A large explosion occurs inside the cube of stone walls with no escape.

"S, Stone is evaporating......"

"What kind of magic would......make this happen"

An area of about ninety thousand square meters, three hundred meters in length and width, has disappeared.

"This is the only way a Death can be defeated!!"

The soldiers of the Baharagut Kingdom wept for the two great mages, the 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 and the 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』, who risked their lives to take Merit with them.

"Wait............. What the heck is that............ha?"

There was someone standing in the center of the explosion, where everything should have been turned to dust.

"Retreat"

"Hero-sama?"

One of the generals asked, finding the words hard to believe.

"All troops, retreat!!"

On this day, the 70,000-strong allied army was defeated against the Immortal Mercenaries, an army of only 1,000. The retreat was nothing short of disastrous, as 30,000 soldiers, about half of them, were killed by the Immortal Mercenaries attacking from behind.

---------------------------------------------------

"Thunderclap. A little faster. Can you go down a little slower?"

"Eh. Is it possible that grandpa is not good at heights?"

"Th, This. Stop it!"

Dorum, who floats in the sky by the power of the wind spirit, places an order with Azerotte. On the unexpected side of Dourm, who is always strong, Arzerotte deliberately descends to the ground while shaking. On the ground, the Immortal Mercenaries were rushing around. They were retrieving armor from the corpses. There was no mourning for their fallen comrades. For mercenaries, the best way to mourn is to die in battle.

"Meri-chan, are you alive~?"

"Ah? What is it, Arzerotte?"

"Boo! How dare you talk like that~. You're all scratched up. Do you want me to heal you?"

The life-threatening attacks of 『Great Witch of Balakiom』 and 『Sage of Flame and Thunder』didn't kill Merit, but deep wounds were carved all over her body and her clothes were bloody. Azerotte points her cane at Merit.

"Don't do extra things"

"What? I was going to heal you"

"That's what war is all about, Thunderclap. There is nothing more lovely than a wound inflicted by a battle with a worthy adversary"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Grandpa. Aze has no idea what you are talking about. And Meri-chan seems to be in a bad mood"

"Wasn't that a satisfactory match for bare-handed? And what about the corpse?"

There was one fresh head and two intact corpses beside Merit, who was sitting down.

"That one is a coward who tried to get away quickly, a hero of some kind. This one is an old lady and an old man who blew themselves up. Some kind of hero and some kind of reaper got away"

"It's just some kind. I don't understand"

Azerotte sticks out her tongue a bit as if to mock Merit.

"Silent. What do you want from me?"

"Mouu! I was worried about you and came to check on you~"

"Umm. I'm sure Bare-handed knows that Shinten was killed, right? It seems that the Deaths are being targeted. I've come to warn Bare-handed to be careful"

"Frogman died because he was weak"

Merit stood up and approached Arzerotte and the others.

"Oh no! Are you angry, Meri-chan?"

Merit, who is looking at the face of Arzerotte who pretends to be scared, releases a sword. A spear-hand passes through between her hair, not Azerotte's face. At that time, some beautiful golden hairs are scattered in the air.

"What are you doing?"

The appearance of Arzerotte, who bends her hands behind her and looks at Merit, gives off vicious pressure and magic power from her whole body, contrary to her appearance.

"Hahh"

It was Merit to laugh at Arzerotte with a snort, but a small bug was caught between her index finger and middle finger at the tip of her piercing. Then Merit shot a tremor between Arzerotte and Dorum. A crack ran through the earth and the sound caused the Immortal Mercenaries at work to turn their gaze to see what was going on.

"Bare-handed?"

Merit´s right foot released the tremor――something like smoke floated up from underneath it. The smoke was actually two wraiths. The rising wraith disappears as if it melts into the atmosphere while suffering as it is.

"Did you guys go see the frogman?"

"Umm. We met him before he died"

"Ahahaa. Maybe it's your fault that the frogman's whereabouts were discovered? What do you mean you were worried and came to check on him? It's your fault that the frogman is dead"

The wraiths were created by Yuu and the bugs were created by one of the twelve demon slaughterer, Jacob, in 『Rotten World Enrio』.

"I've said it before. Don't let the weak become a Death"

She was referring not only to the slain Tenth Death, but also to Azerotte and Dorum.

"What's that? Did you say that Grandpa and I were taken advantage of?"

"You're weak and dumb. I'm the only one who's truly a Death"

"Even though Meri-chan escaped"

"This, Thunderclap! Stop it"

"I'm telling the truth"

Killing intent leaks from the whole body of Merit, but Arzerotte keeps talking unintentionally.

"Do you know Meri-chan?"

"What?"

"Jardalk tried to defeat Yuu Satou with 50,000 soldiers and was defeated"

"What about fifty thousand? I have 70,000"

"Which is stronger, 70,000 huddled troops or 50,000 elite troops from the great nation of Jardalk? Besides, I heard that Jardalk has not a single survivor. Huh? That's strange. It seems that there was a god of death or a hero who escaped a while ago.......Grandpa, do you remember?"

"You......"

"Both of you stop!"

Dorum stops when the killing intent of the third and fourth Death is not a joke.

"We are ready, young lady. We can leave at any time"

The beastman and female elf come to report that they have finished collecting the armor and other items.

"All right, let's go"

"Where are you going next?"

"A city called Comer in the Udon Kingdom"

"Understood"

"Well. Then let's stop at a city called Ryubeffuo on the way. I want to have a good meal and do some shopping"

"All right, all right. We can stop there"

When the conversation was over, Merit left Arzerotte and others behind.

"Don't you want to wait, Bare-handed? I'm not done talking. And what are you going to do when you see Satou? That person told us not to mess with him――――"

The male beastman blocked Dorum's path as he tried to chase after Merit.

"Don't you dare"

"I don't know if it's a Death or not. Don't offend the young lady"

Youngster, Dorum shoots his back fist. It's not hard to imagine what would happen if a fist that makes a strange noise hits while entraining the air. However, the male beastman lightly avoids the back fist.

"Oh~scary. If it hits me, it won't be enough to hurt me"

It's interesting. Dorum puts a lot of effort into his left hand. The clenched scarlet dragon's mallet roars as if in response. But his left hand doesn't move. A big hand clasped Dorum's left wrist.

"Fighting is not good"

It was the man from the giant tribe. With a flirting smile, he firmly grasps Dorum's left wrist and holds it.

"Will you not let go?"

Even if the pressure of Dorum is received head-on, the giant man just smiles and does not loosen his power at all. Surprisingly, even with Dorum's physical strength, he was unable to shake him off.

"What are you doing? Let's go"

The female elf called out and the giant man finally released Dorum's wrist.

"Wait~"

"Mou, you're so pathetic. How can you be the captain of the Giant tribe's mercenary corps?"

"Shhh! I don't know where or who's listening. If the demon tribe hears it, I'm afraid"

"Yes, Yes. Let's go"

The giant man chases after the female elf, making a loud noise.

"What do you mean by that, Thunderclap?"

"Because it's Meri-chan's fault"

"It was a strict order not to meddle with Yuu Satou. We can't stop Bare-handed by ourselves. Thunderclap, you must report to the Lord immediately"

"No"

"This is not the time to be sulking. We must ask the nearby Deaths to help us"

Dorum racks his brains as he looks at Anzerotte who inflates her cheeks as a sign of remorse.