645 – Former Hero Hecatoncheir

The hecatoncheir ignores the attacks from the others and just focuses on keeping up the onslaught against me. It might just be prioritising a divine skill holder as part of its guardian role, but even so this is extreme. It looks like it recognises me as the new generation’s Hero, and seems to have hatred towards me as a result.

But, if anything, this is good for us. It should make it easier for the others to land attacks on it.

『Not yet, I can’t lose, not yet…! I have a mission!』

The hecatoncheir and I enter into a clash of blades. Even though I should be winning in speed, I’m instead just reacting to its attacks. If I attack poorly, I could easily end up being cut up without managing to hurt it.

The swings of my sword and my movement are being read. No, that’s not all. The way it moves its sword allows it to react to a wide range of attacks. With such a difference in ability, my blade is consistently one step behind.

The hecatoncheir sinks into its shadow again. Its huge form disappears, revealing Miia as she cuts through empty air. The shadow moves away from her, and reappears on the other side of me.

“Is it planning on completely avoiding me?!”

Miia immediately dashes towards the hecatoncheir.

I have no idea why it’s determined to kill me, but the hecatoncheir’s movements make it clear that it’s thrown away all thought of winning. Even though it wasn’t in any particular danger, it used [Shadow Dance] just to create distance from Miia. It hasn’t got much MP left, and yet it doesn’t seem to have any plans to conserve it.

At this rate, we should be able to win if I start focusing on defence and stall while Miia covers for me.

I raise the [Oneiros Raizem] like a shield as I slowly step back. It might even be preferable to bring out the actual shield, the [Oneiros Fluegel]. If I stick close to the treant after this, the hecatoncheir won’t be able to properly attack me any more.

『I can’t fall yet…! Not until I complete my final mission!』

The hecatoncheir leaps out at me. I had planned on moving towards the treant, but I stop halfway.

Turning around, I meet the hecatoncheir’s blade with my own, and press in.

『…Miia, please stop!』

Miia, who moved around to the hecatoncheir’s side, stops after hearing me.

“What is it?”

『Miia, Treant, sorry but please fall back for a bit? Aro, too… I know this sounds stupid. But, the hecatoncheir is almost dead anyway. Sorry, but please let me deal the finishing blow to this guy.』

“…Hm, it does look like you have considerable leeway. I’ll trust you have a plan.”

Miia steps back from the battle, and rests her greatsword on her back.

What the hecatoncheir said, its final mission… I have a slight understanding of the true meaning behind that.

『Aro…』

“I understand, dragon-god-sama. However, please don’t push yourself too far.”

Aro kicks off from my shoulder, spreading her black wings and flying away from me.

I exert strength into my greatsword, and push into the hecatoncheir, sending it flying. It lands within attacking distance. We brandish our swords at each other, standing still.

『Come on, hecatoncheir! It’s the one-on-one duel you wanted!』

『I can’t let you pass yet…!』

Our blades crash into each other. The hecatoncheir rapidly jumps to the side while drawing back its sword, then thrusts forward with it. I move to smack the sword down, but it ducks to the side in a swaying motion and slices my abdomen. My scales crack and blood spews.

Use your brain to move, Irushia! I’ve lived through countless battles up till now after all.

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I couldn’t break through Howgrey’s sword, but even then, I knew that brute force wouldn’t work. Lilixira, too, was above me when it came to her fighting methods. However, in the midst of battle, I understood that I wouldn’t be able to land a direct attack if I didn’t make every single movement against her meaningful, and with trial and error, I finally managed to scrape a win, even against her. What I learnt at that time, and all that I’ve learnt up till now; I’ll bring it together and finish it!

I open my eyes wide and glare at the hecatoncheir. No matter what, it’s bad to take my eyes off the enemy. I need to take notice of all the things I haven’t noticed until now. How it moves, and what could possibly become a weak spot; I need to understand that through and through.

I fling [Dimension Claw] as I step back. While maintaining a distance where the hecatoncheir would have to move to attack, I hold my greatsword ready at a vertical, while I send in a claw attack.

In that moment, I focus on predicting the hecatoncheir’s next move.

『It’s here…!』

I make to swing my greatsword with one hand as if to cover the [Dimension Claw] attack.

The hecatoncheir’s greatsword moves quickly and clangs against the flat of my blade. It struck my sword at the start of my swing, before I was able to build up momentum. I’m only wielding it one-handed because of [Dimension Claw], so I’m unable to put pressure into it.

I let the [Oneiros Raizem] go.

『As expect, you cannot pass yet…!』

The hecatoncheir closes in. I fly into the air, flicking the [Oneiros Raizem] with my tail and catching with my hand overhead. With this in mind, I had extended my tail from the start.

My arm has already been swung up. All I need to do now is swing it down. I press mana into the sword, and let the blade turn it into [Flash that Drives Away the Darkness].

『I’ll finish it with this, hecatoncheir!』

I slash through the cross section of its neck with one blow from the greatsword. The hecatoncheir’s giant body collapses on the ground.

Its greatsword slips from its fingers. No, that’s wrong. The hand gripping the sword has cracked off and fallen down to the ground. The hand itself is still gripping tightly onto the handle of the greatsword.

『Go ahead… you’re strong. You will surely be able to destroy that evil one.』

The hecatoncheir directs its thoughts at me. It’s frail, but I clearly perceive it.

The hecatoncheir’s final mission… I’m certain that it’s to ascertain the capability of divine skill holders before letting them into the tower.

The hecatoncheir being set up in front of the tower is probably what God’s Voice wanted. Our aim and God’s Voice’s aim are coinciding. God’s Voice wants to produce a monster stronger than itself that will have the power to revive Foren. Our aim is to get stronger than God’s Voice, and to outwit and defeat it.

The hecatoncheir, too, was turned into an ugly statue and almost completely lost its sense of self, and yet has been waiting here forever for a monster that might be able to take down God’s Voice. Exactly because of that, it doesn’t defeat its enemies. It simply chases away anyone that lacks strength.

The hecatoncheir starting to focus on me, as well, might have been because it couldn’t evaluate my strength with the others in the way.

『Sorry for going against your plans and bringing a group to the fight. I didn’t have much choice. …But, thanks, hecatoncheir. Thanks to you, I feel like I’ve gained something. I’ll definitely defeat that thing.』

Cracks run through the hecatoncheir’s body, and it collapses in itself.

Next to the scattered remains of the sculpture, the figure of a gentle, big man shimmers faintly. He wears a similar armour to the hecatoncheir, and carries a giant sword.

『Thank you… with this, I’ll finally be able to rest. It’s up to you now.』

As I catch a hint of a smile, he’s obscured by the collapsing sculpture, and quickly disappears from sight.

【55300 experience points have been acquired.】
【Due to the title skill [Walking Egg: Lv-], an additional 55300 experience points have been acquired.】
【The level of [Oneiros] has risen from 139 to 145.】

The experience points must have been divided up quite a bit this time but… even with that, an excessive amount of points came in for me.

I turn my eyes away from the hecatoncheir and look up at the tower that pierces the sky. All we have to do now is challenge its interior.

No, challenge might not be the right word. There might not actually be anything inside to be on guard against. The hecatoncheir was probably put in place by God’s Voice to prevent anyone from leaving Ngai Forest before raising their levels. Assuming that, we should have already met our objectives in this forest. So then isn’t the tower probably just a way for us to return to our world?

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