Step, step—
"These things are supposed to be spirits?"
As Akumo watched the pillars of light from the souls being sent back to the heavens, he walked through the streets of the Pleasure Quarter, moving slowly toward his destination.
"Somehow, this is quite tedious..."
'Monsters are confined within the Dungeon, and meaningful adventures seem restricted to those depths alone?'
Step, step—
Spitting out words that tasted of indifference and a touch of bitterness, Akumo held the key to Knossos in his hand as he leisurely began to exit the district.
"It's the [Pioneer]!"
"I knew it! The one who brought down that monster earlier was the [Pioneer]!"
The prostitutes and adventurers spotted him, but they felt a strange sense of dissonance. It was an anomaly that the newly arrived Astraea Familia and Ganesha Familia surely felt as well.
"...Akumo-san?"
"What's the matter, Ryu?"
"No, it's just... your atmosphere seems somewhat different..."
'Was Akumo-san's expression always that cold...?'
That sense of strangeness was fleeting; Ryu and Alise could see that his face was deeply etched with an unmaskable indifference.
"It's just the effect of one of my skills. Didn't you see it back during the Great Feud?"
"I suppose....."
'Certainly... there were witnesses back then who claimed to see Akumo-san looking just like this...'
"More importantly, let's stabilize the Pleasure Quarter first. Between the Demi-Spirit and the fighting, everything is a mess."
"Ah, you're right. Let's go, Alise!"
"Yeah! Ryu."
Hearing Akumo's composed words and recalling memories of the Great Feud, Ryu and Alise dropped their suspicions and rushed into the district to manage the aftermath.
However, despite Akumo's dismissive tone, Ardee remained behind, watching him intently, hesitating to walk past.
"Hmm? What is it, Ardee?"
".....You are Akumo, right?"
".....?"
While Akumo appeared momentarily confused by Ardee's strange question, a specific gaze was fixed upon her.
A sudden chill—!
"N-no... I must have been mistaken....."
'The person before my eyes is definitely Akumo.... So then, what in the world was that gaze I felt...?'
Dash—!!!
Akumo quietly watched Ardee's retreating back as she left with a sense of unease, and then he slowly turned toward a prepared entrance.
"Why did you direct your gaze at her so suddenly?"
".....I believe I told you not to engage in unnecessary actions?"
"Is that so? In the first place, the reason I'm out here is because you couldn't keep a proper hold on your leash, wasn't it?"
"..."
"Are you going to keep wearing that mask? We're comrades now, after all."
"Be silent."
The chaos that had briefly stirred during the turmoil of the Pleasure Quarter retreated once more into the underground, biding its time.
Alongside their Hero.
A few days after the incident in the Pleasure Quarter, Akumo stood upon a battlefield not far from Orario.
—Waaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!
"They show up every time, never getting tired of it, eh?"
"Aye, ye're right. That Ares lad really ought to learn his lesson by now."
Countless soldiers were charging toward them.
They were the soldiers of the Kingdom of Rakia, a nation outside Orario. Skilled troops raised under the Falna of Ares, the God of War.
BOOOOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
—Retreat!! Fall back!!!!
However, they were naturally no match for the first and second-tier adventurers of the Loki Familia.
"Haah!!!!"
CRASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With a single strike from Gareth, the ground shattered, and dozens of soldiers were swept away.
"[Fusillade Fallarica]!!!!!!!!!"
KABOOOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A single spell from Lefiya left over a hundred soldiers wounded and forced into an immediate retreat.
"Doesn't Ares realize this is just a training exercise for the kids? It's become an annual event at this point."
"Like that muscle-brained idiot would ever catch on!"
"Ahaha!! I suppose you're right."
"Enough talk, ye'd best get movin' too!"
"I hear you~"
Following Loki's command, Akumo descended from the ramparts. Watching the soldiers charging toward them, he began to recite a chant.
"[O my experiences, O my adventures, bloom forth according to my will]"
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!
"[O lush trees, O sacred nature. I seek your grace in this place; grant me the flash that pierces the foe]"
Creak—!!
'Things get complicated if there are actual fatalities, so I'll truncate the chant here.'
As Akumo transformed into the form of an Elf, a wooden bow brimming with intense power manifested in his hand, signaling the activation of his magic.
"[Sylphid Strike]!!"
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'The knockback is immense, but it shouldn't kill them.'
Akumo's arrow left his hand, and the massive storm it summoned sent hundreds of soldiers flying, instantly carving a path through the swarming tide of the enemy army.
"Was that magic always like that?"
"According to him, it has changed quite a bit since the Knossos incident..."
"Must be the Excelia he's been pilin' up."
"There is no other logical conclusion, though his very appearance has changed compared to before."
Rustle—
"Hehe. Not bad at all."
"I wonder what the other Elves would think if they saw that lad's elven form?"
Loki and Riveria watched Akumo in his Elf form intently, both wearing slight smiles at this unexpected revelation.
Just as they thought, Hogni and Hedin, who witnessed Akumo's appearance that day, were left in deep contemplation. The majesty and aura he exuded bore a striking resemblance to the World Tree they held sacred.
"Akumo... sama....?"
'A hidden royal? A half-elf? Or perhaps something akin to a spirit?'
"...No, something isn't right."
'A guy like Akumo probably wouldn't appreciate being treated with stiff formalities anyway...'
Hogni and Hedin were confused by the scene and curious about his identity. However, they realized that treating him as royalty might only confuse Akumo himself, so they decided to simply treat him as a fellow clansman for the time being.
"Whoa....."
'So that is Akumo-sama's magic...!'
"I knew he had to be an Elf!"
"No, I don't think that's quite it, Lefiya..."
"What do you mean by that!"
Lefiya's eyes sparkled as she looked at Akumo, her respect for him growing even stronger.
Akumo's unmistakable elven form and, above all, the arrow he fired triggered a definite reaction from Lefiya's skill.
"[I desire it in the name of Wishe. O ancestors of the forest. O proud brethren.]!"
"L-Lefiya!?"
"[Answer my call and come to the meadow.]!"
As Lefiya's magic manifested, Tiona was shocked to see the same azure aura she had just seen from Akumo swirling within Lefiya's magic circle.
"[Linked bonds, the oath of paradise, dance in a circle. Join together, Fairy Ring—— grant me your strength]!!"
SNAP—!!!!!!!
'I knew it...! I can use it!'
A bow identical to Akumo's materialized in her hand as she loaded an arrow of verdant light.
"W-Wait, that's!?"
"Isn't that Akumo's magic!"
"I knew she was my successor!! Well done, Lefiya!"
"I'm happy for her, but... is that even possible....?"
Riveria was overjoyed to see Lefiya's growth as she utilized Akumo's magic. Loki, while considering it a good thing, was gripped by the question of whether Akumo was actually an Elf since his magic could be copied by [Elf Ring], and watched Lefiya's spell carefully.
"[Sylphid Strike]!!!"
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
—Uwaaaah!!??
".....She adjusted her power correctly, right....?"
"I have no idea...."
Akumo and Finn broke into a cold sweat as they watched the Rakia Kingdom army get swept away by the repeated barrages of magic, wondering if Lefiya's "battlefield debut" was perhaps a bit too flamboyant.
In the brief lull on the battlefield, a recurring event was taking place.
"This has basically turned into another Monster Philia at this point."
"Them lot come out here claimin' it's a war, but they can't even cause a casualty. They're just lining the pockets of the merchant Familias."
Loki and Akumo looked down from the ramparts, pondering if this state of affairs was truly right.
"Come on, get up already!"
"You came all this way just for this?"
"An incredible weapon made in Orario—and look! It's 20% off right now!"
"If your wounds sting, try applying some medicine from Orario!"
The prostitutes of Orario were wandering among the defeated, injured Rakia soldiers to see if there were any worthwhile men, while Orario's merchants were busy selling equipment and potions.
To Akumo, this strange lull felt more like a fragile peace that could be shattered by the slightest incident, which weighed on his mind.
"How did this happen...."
"How did what happen, Lord Ares?"
"Why is my glorious army being pushed back like this!?"
"It's quite simple~ It's because the adventurers of Orario are monsters in terms of strength."
"What!?"
"Wasn't this a battle with no chance of victory from the start?"
Ares, the Patron Deity of the Rakia Kingdom and the Ares Familia, could not accept the loss. Marius, the kingdom's prince and the de facto captain of the Ares Familia, looked at him with pity as he calmly explained the reason for their defeat.
"First off, that werewolf warrior was so ferocious that my men lost their will to fight immediately. And a single swing of that dwarf warrior's axe caused an earthquake, you know?"
"On top of that, several units were wiped out by the magic of a pink fairy....."
"And even that Akumo person? Even though he was clearly holding back, he held the entire front line by himself with a single arrow. I'm certain this will be told as a fairy tale once we get back."
Marius began packing to head home, but Ares stood up in a fit of rage, and his sword accidentally tripped Marius, sending him tumbling.
Ignoring Marius, Ares began to shout indignantly.
"Don't talk nonsense!! Marius!! You're being insolent!"
"Gahhh...!!"
"Your father, Marius, swore many times that he would follow me!"
Snap—!
"It's strange that anyone would take what you say at face value! My father is precisely why people are calling him a foolish king!?"
"Calling a God 'muscle' is—!"
"But it's true!!"
"The person calling 'muscle' a 'muscle' is the real muscle-brain here!"
"Are you a child!!"
They bickered for quite some time before a sudden, brilliant idea seemed to strike Ares. He stormed out of the tent and began heading somewhere.
"I've decided, Marius! If this is how it's going to be, I'll invade Orario myself!"
"Huh? What, are you going there for sightseeing?"
"Don't be ridiculous! I shall kidnap a God living in Orario to turn the tide!"
"Eh....?"
"Take a God as a hostage... no, a 'God-tage,' and demand surrender from those Orario folks!"
"There is no way that could possibly work!!"
'Do you have any idea how many Gods and Familias are in Orario...!'
"And how are you even going to infiltrate the city!?"
As if he had no intention of answering Marius's question, Ares simply bolted away.
"Now, Marius! Gather the elite guards and follow me!"
Dash, dash—!
"To kidnap one of the Gods!!!!"
"...You haven't even thought about who you're going to kidnap....."
Snap—!
"Just how much of a muscle-brain are you!!!!!!!!!!"
Just as Akumo and Loki had feared, as the war reached an anticlimactic conclusion, another storm was preparing to blow.
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