The murmurs of the liberation army, which had been sighing in relief, were no longer heard.
The sobs of lovers embracing one another in tears were no longer heard.
The voices of a couple whispering love as they reminisced about the days gone by were no longer heard.
The laughter of children, who had been brightly smiling at Heinzel’s head, was no longer heard.
In the ruins where everything had vanished, the only sound left was the thud of thick red droplets falling to the ground.
A massive man, having witnessed such a dreadful hell, rose to his feet.
“There’s no need to calculate anymore.”
He showed no expression.
He revealed no emotion.
He simply stood up and grasped his halberd.
Crack- Crunch-
As if responding to Heinzel’s will, the prosthetic arm made of Mistilteinn let out a wild scream.
Meanwhile, Leviathan’s reaction was dry.
As if saying to do everything possible, it watched on calmly with a sneer in its eyes.
“Delia.”
“I refuse.”
“While I buy time, you need to break through the barrier surrounding this place and request support.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Crackle- Crackle- A fierce current flowed from Delia’s body as she stared vacantly at Heinzel.
“I’m going too—”
“I cannot, but you can. It’s something only you can do. You can surely break the barrier surrounding this place.”
It wasn’t the same empty tone as usual. There was no boisterous laughter. There was no confident voice.
Feeling Heinzel’s emotions, Delia’s lips grew heavy.
It was only natural for them to feel heavy.
Heinzel’s words were the truth; she couldn’t refute them.
Heinzel and Delia.
With just the two of them, they could never defeat the massive monster in front of them, let alone survive against the many monsters surrounding this place.
At such a moment, the connection with Jur had also been severed.
They were trapped in an unknown barrier.
They could no longer be found by outsiders.
Therefore, one of them had to escape and request support.
Yet Delia herself could not stay behind.
A wizard could not fully exert their power without the vanguard existing.
Furthermore, because Delia’s weakness was even more pronounced, Heinzel, who could fully exert his strength alone, needed to remain.
“But…”
If it came to that, Heinzel might die.
No, he would definitely die.
Hadn’t he said it from the beginning? That he would buy time, not simply endure.
Heinzel, who exuded endless confidence no matter how powerful the monster he faced was.
Even when he confronted the master, he moved forward without hesitation and ultimately seized victory.
Heinzel, who always burst out laughing and shouted victory.
Now, he spoke of buying time.
He did not assure victory.
He did not laugh.
Delia couldn’t respond.
After a moment, a heavy shadow loomed over Delia’s lowered head as she sat down.
“Kid.”
Delia heard a voice identical to that of the hero who saved her from the monster invasion in her childhood.
“Don’t be scared. This uncle is the strongest.”
She recalled the words that had reassured her back then.
“Trust me. And trust yourself. You, who have survived and endured until now, can do anything.”
She remembered the hope that had brought her to this place, despite being endlessly weak.
That hope. That faith.
It lifted Delia to her feet.
It brought focus to her eyes, cleared her mind, and ignited a new spark within her heart.
“…I’ll be back as soon as possible. Don’t die.”
Heinzel, nodding with satisfaction, patted Delia’s head.
“Go and come back.”
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he turned his back.
The halberd that had harbored no hostility was now shrouded in deep malice.
The back that had been bent to meet her gaze stood tall and firm.
The legs that had been bowed to meet her gaze straightened resolutely.
Power surged into the numb arms, which had lost their warmth.
“…Okay.”
Feeling the kindness directed at her head, Delia left the battlefield, leaving behind a single ray of light.
Then, thud-
She took a step heavier than ever.
*
Countless monsters scattered around pressed toward Heinzel, ignoring Delia.
As a result, Delia faced no obstructions in her movements.
That fact made Delia’s insides churn, but she bit her lip and thought of what she had to do. She pressed onward, recalling Heinzel, who was holding the fort alone.
“Phew…”
Finally, reaching the edge of the barrier surrounded by Leviathan, Delia exhaled hurriedly.
What she had to do from now on was simple.
To grasp the spell of the barrier, find its source, and break it.
And then, to go outside the barrier and request support from other challengers.
Delia thought that even taking time to calm her mind was a luxury, and immediately reached out to grasp the spell of the barrier.
At the same time.
Boom—!
From not far away, a rough surge of magical power was felt.
“Please, please… Please, please, please.”
She closed her eyes, plugged her ears, and shut her heart.
With her hand out, she sent magical power along the path drawn in her mind.
It was her first time encountering a barrier.
An incomprehensible spell.
An untraceable source.
In the vast expanse of an endless sea, the vague task of finding a single strand of human hair consumed Delia.
The unknown barrier, beyond cognition, squeezed Delia’s breath. Information that couldn’t be understood by a human brain dug into her.
Delia did not possess overwhelming talent like Ser.
She lacked the delicacy of Yuria.
She couldn’t maintain the composure of Mia.
She wasn’t as bold as Alex.
And she didn’t have the knowledge of Hermila.
But Delia did not compare herself to others.
She didn’t look up.
She didn’t look down.
She focused solely on herself, on what she felt.
With poison in her heart, she clawed and climbed up desperately.
Because of that, she did not give up.
She could strive harder than anyone else.
Even now, just the same.
No matter who the opponent was. No matter what situation she found herself in.
She began to tackle the task right in front of her.
As the sounds from behind grew louder.
Drip- Hot blood flowed from her nose.
As if that wasn’t enough, blood began to leak from her eyes, mouth, and ears. Every hole in her face started bleeding.
And then.
Crackle—
She grasped the spell.
She discovered the hidden source within it.
Carefully, to not lose what she had painfully found.
Slowly. More delicately than any task before.
She sent her magical power toward the source.
Delia’s magic touched the edge of the source, which was forming the barrier, spreading slowly.
Like unraveling tangled threads, Delia’s magic grasped the edge of the source.
Layer by layer, she peeled back the source’s shell, digging into its flesh, searching for the seed that served as the center of all.
Liquid, whether sweat or blood, flowed down her chest.
The mind that was worked to its limits screamed.
Exhausted magic was filled with brilliant vital energy.
Delia’s desperate wish loaded into the vital energy, cleaved the belly of the seed that encompassed the center of the barrier.
She freed the unknown magical force contained within it out into the world.
Crack— The barrier began to crack.
The endless sea split apart.
Her suffocating breaths, magic, and body all felt lighter.
Delia’s hand jammed into the split.
She pried and tore it open.
Finally, through the rift in the barrier, torn wide enough for her to slip through, Delia’s body emerged.
After confirming she was completely outside, Delia turned her gaze toward the distant spire while leaving the crumbling barrier behind, releasing a sharp jolt of electricity.
She caught sight of Jur, who looked surprised.
―――!
The overwhelming presence erupting from behind signaled Heinzel’s survival.
She barely held onto the corners of her mouth that were rising endlessly, and connected with the magical power tied to Jur, preparing to send a telepathic message—
– Jur! Send reinforcements this way—
But she couldn’t deliver it.
The message was cut off.
A different type of interference from the barrier that had imprisoned her severed the connection with Jur.
“…Huh?”
Boom—
A colossal roar that seemed to announce the end.
Boom—
The ground trembled beneath her.
Boom—
The sky screamed.
Boom—
All magical power in the area scattered.
Boom—
As if possessing a soul.
As if feeling fear.
It trembled and sought to escape this place.
Boom—
Soon, at the center of the empty ruins.
Boom—
A massive monster, comparable to the huge monster seen within the barrier, rose.
A horn that soared as if it would pierce through everything, unbreakable by any means.
The armor made of iron that writhed incessantly.
Visible sinewy muscles through the gaps.
A solid waist, and thick limbs that looked ready to burst from tensile strength.
An immense tail that split into eight and sliced through the earth.
A gigantic maw that devoured all magical power in the vicinity.
Born as the envoy of outsiders, it had swallowed even its own master, the primordial beast.
The ‘Behemoth’ revealed itself upon the earth.
