Castorice had long known that the Monarchs would eventually bring their legions to Earth.
Compared to the magic beasts imprisoned by the Rulers within the Gates, enslaved and used as mere experience fodder for Earth, the legions of the Monarchs were undeniably far more terrifying.
Not only had these creatures not had their reason stripped away by the Rulers, they possessed strength far surpassing those defeated foes. They were the true main force of war.
Just look at them—any one randomly pulled from their ranks had S-rank strength. That made it clear.
Though there were only thirty of them, these thirty elite soldiers, plus their legion commander, were more than enough to easily flatten a country without a National Level Hunter standing guard.
Compared to these gigantic titans, even Pollux's form seemed somewhat small. Yet, the tiers of power on both sides were completely different.
Despite being only half the size of the titans, the overwhelming magical pressure and the razor-sharp claws that could effortlessly shred the titans' flesh and bone turned the current scene into a thorough, one-sided slaughter.
However, Castorice wasn't the type to handle everything personally, denying those around her a chance to grow.
After reducing the number of titans to match their own side's headcount, Pollux, as an extension of Castorice's will, ceased further action.
"The rest is up to all of you."
Castorice turned to look at the group, taking in their stunned expressions before assigning their next tasks.
Goto Ryuji was the fastest to react. His gaze naturally fell upon the opposing titan legion commander. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew his sword and charged forward.
The others, though momentarily dazed by the sight of a 'nation-destroying crisis being resolved so effortlessly,' understood Castorice's considerate intent.
Quickly regaining their composure, they followed behind Goto.
"So amazing, Castorice-chan!"
As a healer, Shimizu Akari naturally didn't join the charge.
While she could grant herself buffs to gain some combat ability, that was more of a leisurely pastime for dealing with small fry, just to keep herself occupied.
She wouldn't waste mana like that in a real battle.
'Could it be that Castorice-chan is actually the world's strongest?'
The thought popped into Shimizu Akari's mind, and she openly voiced it.
"Perhaps."
Castorice didn't deny it. At least, within the confines of this world as she currently knew it, there truly was no existence stronger than herself.
Shimizu Akari knew neither of them had met other countries' National Level Hunters, making a real comparison difficult. But she took it as truth.
Honestly, she had never seen a Hunter who made combat look so effortless.
Well, an S-rank fighting a B-rank might indeed produce such a relaxed scene, but... the opponents here were S-rank, no weaker than their own side.
Even S-ranks were being casually slaughtered like common soldiers. A few weeks ago, Shimizu Akari couldn't have imagined such a scene.
Gazing at Castorice's figure, and thinking of the gradually calming public opinion in Korea recently, the orange-haired girl couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"Castorice-chan... there's something I don't know if I should ask. It's about... what the enemy said back on Jeju Island..."
The topic seemed a bit sensitive in Shimizu Akari's view.
Before, Castorice might have evaded the question. But now, there was nothing she couldn't say.
Except... even if she were to tell, she hoped Cha Hae-in and Han Song-Yi would be the first to know her identity. It wasn't that she disliked Shimizu Akari, but she wished the two closest to her would know first.
"Let's talk about that after we get out."
Castorice said.
"Okay!"
Shimizu Akari, who hadn't really expected an answer, immediately brightened up.
Could it be that she was about to become the first person to learn Castorice-chan's secret!?
"Shimizu! What are you doing!!"
A pained shout came from ahead. The previously excited Shimizu Akari snapped back to reality, sighed, and tossed a heal in the direction of the voice.
The titans' strength had completely exceeded the Hunters' expectations. In their original assumption, such large-sized creatures inevitably came with clumsiness as a trait, especially since magic beasts generally lacked intelligence and reason. Dealing with them would be troublesome, but not impossible.
But the actual encounter proved that completely wrong.
These titans were not only incredibly agile, but their weapons were also wielded with fierce skill, filled with the marks of trained movements. They even understood leverage and how to feign openings.
They weren't facing magical beasts; it was more like facing Hunters with outrageously high stats.
Fortunately, the human side had Shimizu Akari, a healer-type Hunter. As an S-rank healer, as long as someone was still clinging to life, she could restore them to normal in an instant.
Relying on the advantage of their healer, even though the process was grueling, the group barely managed to secure victory.
"If it were a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't have lasted long..."
A tank-type Hunter murmured weakly.
Goto Ryuji was also panting heavily.
The opposing titan leader possessed strength beyond imagination. Thankfully, he was no slouch either, and had Shimizu Akari's support.
Even so, it had cost him tremendous effort.
"We owe thanks to Lady Castorice this time."
After regulating his breathing, Goto Ryuji walked to the center of the group and looked at Castorice. "Thank you for coming to assist us this time, Lady Castorice. Otherwise..."
Considering the thirty S-rank titans, and that giant commander he himself could barely withstand for long—if they had faced that alone, or if it had fallen onto Japan proper...
Just thinking about that scene made him break out in a cold sweat.
He truly wasn't a National Level Hunter. He simply didn't have the capability to handle S-rank Gates.
Whether on Jeju Island or this time, his role was merely that of a high-level enforcer for a National Level Hunter.
Unaware that he had misunderstood the typical strength of S-rank Gates, Goto thought to himself.
In reality, the standard level of an S-rank Gate was that of Jeju Island minus Beru. Yet, Goto had encountered Monarchs in both S-rank Gates he'd experienced.
"Let's proceed and see if there are any magic crystals or loot drops. A Gate of this grade might even drop divine-tier artifacts."
Goto continued making arrangements.
However, listening to Goto Ryuji's summary that sounded as if everything was over, Castorice hesitantly interrupted. "Goto-san... the Gate isn't fully resolved yet. The dungeon's ruler is still deep within."
Goto: "...Huh?"
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.