"Demeter, you understand now, right? Why I push myself so desperately to become stronger."
Genichi spoke softly, moonlight from outside reflected in his eyes. "Because I don't want to die. I want to keep living."
He said it calmly, but the weight behind those words was immense.
Since coming to this world, he had gone through far too much: life-and-death struggles in the arena, conspiracies and schemes in the world of DxD, and the darkness and danger of the DanMachi world.
Every time, he had been dancing on the edge of a blade. Every time, one wrong step could have doomed him beyond recovery.
A sharp ache struck Demeter's heart, and she pulled Genichi into her arms.
Her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if she wanted to press him into her very body.
This boy who was usually so strong, so calm, even a little cold, seemed strangely fragile in her embrace at that moment.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fixated on that."
A trace of guilt shone in Demeter's eyes.
Earlier, she had demanded to know why Genichi couldn't stop chasing strength. She had even wondered if he simply didn't trust her. Looking back now, those questions felt selfish and ignorant.
What Genichi had to face was himself from countless worlds, the life-and-death slaughter of the arena, and the ever-present threat of death descending at any moment.
And she, a goddess, had only been thinking about making him spend more time with her.
"All right. Let's stop talking about that."
Genichi gently patted Demeter's back and stepped out of her arms.
"Demeter, let's go to the Sword-Forging City of Solingen first. After that, I'll return to Orario and take my revenge. It's time those Evilus bastards were dealt with. They treated me like a punching bag, and I'm settling that score."
His tone was calm, but a cold glint flashed through his eyes.
In the DanMachi world, that version of Genichi had been tricked by Evilus into an artificial labyrinth, beaten like a punching bag day after day, and in the end had his neck snapped by Valletta's kick.
That Genichi was already dead, but since he had inherited everything from him, then this grudge belonged to him as well.
"I've received the magic you gave me, King of Shadows. I shouldn't need to be so careful anymore, right?" Demeter asked.
After receiving the King of Shadows magic from Genichi, she truly had gained a powerful means of protecting herself.
Genichi shook his head.
"You can never be too careful."
His expression turned serious.
"No matter what happens, you absolutely cannot come to harm. The Dungeon can spawn monsters specifically meant to target gods. No one knows whether those monsters might be immune to magic. King of Shadows is powerful, but that doesn't make it absolutely invincible."
Warmth spread through Demeter's heart. She knew he was worried about her.
"All right."
"But the Sword-Forging City of Solingen is very far from Orario. Even with the fastest transportation, it would still take several days."
The Sword-Forging City of Solingen was one of the continent's most famous centers of weapon crafting, as renowned as Orario's Hephaestus Familia.
If the Hephaestus Familia represented the pinnacle of divine smithing, then Solingen was the ultimate expression of mortal craftsmanship.
Countless master artisans gathered there - humans, dwarves, and elves alike. The weapons they forged might not possess the power of divine armaments, but they had their own unique craftsmanship and qualities.
"I have a magic called Portkey."
"It lets me place a magical mark on an object. As soon as someone touches that object, they're instantly transported to a pre-set location."
It was a spell he had recorded through the Index of Magic, one that came from the world of Harry Potter.
And Portkey had one unique advantage: once it was made, anyone could use it.
"So even if Orario and the Sword-Forging City of Solingen are separated by thousands of miles, for me, it's only a matter of an instant."
Demeter looked at Genichi, a complicated emotion flickering in her eyes.
This boy had only been in this world for a short time, yet he already possessed so many methods and abilities.
His growth was so fast that even she, a goddess, found it startling.
But considering the fate pressing down on him, perhaps even this rate of growth was still nowhere near enough.
The enemies in the arena would only grow stronger. The other selves of his scattered across different worlds would continue to mature as well.
If Genichi could not maintain this pace, then sooner or later, in some future slaughter, he would be killed by another version of himself.
At that thought, Demeter seemed to make up her mind.
"I'll do everything I can to help you become stronger."
Her voice was firm and serious, and some unreadable light shimmered in those divine eyes.
Genichi did not think too deeply about it. He simply nodded. "I trust you."
He truly did trust Demeter.
After all, Demeter had drunk the blood wine. Her life and death were already tied to his hands.
And from the very beginning, this goddess who had taken him in had given to him without reservation.
She had given him Falna, given him a grimoire, found guards for him, and even when he had been misunderstood by Ryuu Lion, she had immediately wanted to avenge him.
A goddess like that was worthy of his trust.
"So when do we leave?" Demeter asked.
"Right now."
"Portal."
This time, Genichi used the Portal spell from In Another World With My Smartphone.
By picturing the place he wanted to go in his mind, he could open a portal to it.
Its only drawback was that he had to have been there before, or at least know what the place looked like.
And long ago, Ryuu Lion had already described the scenery of the sword-forging city to him, so Genichi was able to open the portal directly.
"Let's go."
Genichi's voice sounded beside her ear.
Holding Demeter's hand, he led her through the portal.
When Demeter opened her eyes again, she found herself standing outside the gates of a city.
The city's architectural style was completely different from Orario's.
If Orario was a miracle city created jointly by gods and mortals, then Solingen was the crystallization of pure human industrial civilization.
Tall smokestacks released pale streams of smoke. Massive waterwheels turned slowly in the river outside the city. The walls were inlaid with countless metal decorations that gleamed with a cold light under the sun.
The air carried the faint smell of coal smoke and metal, the distinctive scent of forging workshops.
At the city gate hung an enormous signboard. Written across it in several languages were the words:
"Welcome to the Sword-Forging City of Solingen, every warrior in pursuit of the perfect weapon."
"So this is Solingen?"
Demeter looked around curiously.
The moment the two of them entered the city, they were struck by the scene before them.
Countless weapon shops, armor stores, and forging workshops lined both sides of the streets, each storefront displaying an array of different weapons.
Some specialized in longswords, some in battle axes, some in bows, and others in armor.
The ringing of hammer on metal rose and fell without end, like the pulse of the city itself.
The people on the streets came in every variety: humans, dwarves, elves, and even a few beastfolk.
Most of them carried weapons and wore armor. At a glance, they were clearly adventurers who had come here to buy equipment.
(End of Chapter)
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