A cross-dressing anime, starting with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.

Beneath his feet lay broken stone slabs and scalding embers.

Around him were collapsed houses and mutilated corpses.

He witnessed a mother holding her dead child, letting out a desperate wail.

He witnessed firsthand how an elderly man with white hair had his skull crushed by a member of the dark faction.

These hellish scenes constantly assaulted his already fragile nerves.

"Ugh..."

He leaned against a broken wall and began to vomit violently.

He felt too weak and powerless.

Faced with a war of this scale, he, a level 1 adventurer, could do nothing but run errands and deliver messages.

"Raul, cheer up!"

228. Become a hero who surpasses me!

His companion, Annakidi, patted him on the back.

Annakidi's face was also full of fatigue, but her eyes were still bright.

"We still have a mission to complete."

Their next task was to go to "Hero's Bridge" to check on the situation there.

The Bridge of Heroes, built to commemorate Albert, the ancient hero who vanquished three great monsters, is one of the most important spiritual symbols of Yulari.

When Raul and Anachiti arrived there, they witnessed an unexpected scene.

There was no battle on Hero's Bridge.

Only one god is silently repairing the hero's statue, damaged in the flames of war, all by himself.

It is Gubernau.

This god of forging came here after working with Hephaestus to forge a sufficient number of weapons.

"Lord Guberneau?"

Annaquite asked, puzzled.

"Why... are you doing this here? The city needs fighting power everywhere right now."

Gubernius didn't stop what he was doing; without turning his head, he said:

"War takes many forms. Weapons can kill the enemy, but they cannot save the heart."

He carefully wiped the dust off the hero's statue with a clean cloth.

"This bridge, this statue, is the soul of Yulali. As long as it stands here, the hope in people's hearts will never be extinguished. The legend of the hero will continue to be passed down."

His words stunned both Raul and Anachitti.

As they gazed at the hero's statue, which appeared even more solemn and dignified in the firelight, something seemed to stir within them.

Yes.

They fight to protect these things, don't they?

Protect this city, protect the hope in people's hearts.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps approached.

A dozen or so members of the dark faction discovered this place.

"Haha! Look what we found! A lone god!"

"Kill him! That would be a huge achievement!"

They grinned menacingly, raised their weapons, and charged toward Gubernius.

Gubernau didn't even glance at them, remaining focused on his work.

Raul and Anachitti exchanged a glance, both seeing determination in each other's eyes.

They drew their weapons and stood in front of Gubernius.

"You are not allowed to... desecrate heroes!"

Raul roared and, for the first time, charged voluntarily towards the enemy.

Annaquite followed closely behind.

A battle with vastly unequal strength broke out on Hero's Bridge.

Raul and Anachitti were beaten black and blue, but they did not back down an inch.

They used their bodies to protect the gods behind them and the statue of the hero.

In the end, they both fell in pools of blood, but they also fought desperately to kill all the enemies who tried to charge at them.

Gubernau slowly stood up and looked at the two young men lying on the ground.

A soft light, the kind that only appears when someone levels up, shone from their bodies.

In this battle to protect the "hero," they both leveled up to LV.2.

A relieved smile appeared on Gubernau's face.

"The seeds of heroism have already begun to sprout."

……

Meanwhile, at another open-air camp.

Astraea is providing emergency treatment to the injured.

Before her lay three adventurers, severely wounded by poisoned weapons.

Their arms and legs were completely necrotic, and black toxins were spreading into their bodies.

"Lady Astraea, there's no time! If they don't have their limbs amputated soon, they're beyond saving!"

"A guild member said anxiously."

A hint of reluctance flashed across Astraea's face.

But she knew that she had to be decisive now.

0...Requesting flowers...0

"Give me the scalpel."

She personally performed the amputations on the three injured patients.

Blood splattered all over her pure white clothes.

Those blue eyes, which were always full of love, were now filled with calm and focus.

"Why... Your Majesty, you possess divine power, why don't you just heal them directly?"

A young employee couldn't help but ask.

As Astraea tended to her wounds, she explained softly:

"Because we gods cannot use our divine power arbitrarily in the mortal realm."

"Our power is for guiding, not for interfering."

0 ........

She finished bandaging the last bandage, looked up, and gazed at the young employee.

"Everyone has their own 'justice'. Your justice lies here: do your best to save more lives."

"Go, find your own justice."

The employee nodded as if he understood, but his eyes became more determined than before.

Just then, a violent tremor that made the earth groan came from the north of the city, interrupting the busy work at the camp.

This tremor was stronger than any before.

Astraea abruptly stood up, looking towards the area illuminated by the endless sword light.

She could sense that Lynn's aura was rising at an unbelievable speed to an incredible peak.

On his opposite side, another force, filled with savagery and violence, also erupted to its extreme.

That was Chardo, who burned his last breath, gathering all his strength into a single punch.

He wanted to use this strike to dedicate his final "great achievement" to the heroes of the new era!

"Lynn! Take this final blow!"

Chardo's roar seemed to pierce through the barriers of space, resounding throughout the entire Yulari.

"Then, become a hero who surpasses me!"

229. Can't Die

Lynn used all his skills within the bounded field.

It was only under Frilian's control that Chardo was able to be injured.

This also aroused Chardo's competitive spirit.

Prepare to deliver the final blow to Lynn.

The desolate wasteland of swords echoes with mournful cries.

The countless famous swords stuck in the ground did not tremble out of fear.

Rather, it was the resonance generated by the purest and most intense "power" emanating from Chardo.

That's neither magic nor skill.

That is the most brilliant and violent light that burns out when life comes to an end.

Chardo's body was disintegrating at a visible rate; his skin was cracking and his muscles were atrophying.

But the right fist he threw with "705U.COM" embodied his lifelong martial arts skills, glory, and all his expectations for a new era of heroes.

Before the fist even landed, its power already seemed to swallow the sky.

The swords surrounding Lynn shattered into pieces, turning into specks of light and dissipating into the world he had created.

The Infinite Blade Works is being shattered by the "concept" of this punch.

Lynn's face was more solemn than ever before.

He could feel that this punch had transcended the realm of physical attack; it carried the weight of an era.

Any blocking or dodging is meaningless.

The projected Noble Phantasms were as fragile as paper toys in the face of this power.

Come on!

Chardo's voice was no longer a roar, but a liberating hymn.

Lynn closed her eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, golden flames ignited in his black pupils.

He gave up wielding ten thousand swords and all his fancy techniques.

He sheathed the black and white swords in his hands and let them dissipate.

Instead, fine, crimson dragon scales began to appear on his right arm.

But that's not enough.

Dragon-like scales spread from his arms to his neck, his canines protruded slightly, and his pupils became upright like those of a reptile.

Fire Dragon Extermination Magic, Dragon Power!

The temperature in the entire Sword Wasteland suddenly rose, and the air itself became distorted by the intense heat.

Instead of retreating, Lynn advanced and threw out his own right fist in response to the devastating punch.

His fists lacked the destructive power of Chardo's.

There was only a single, constantly compressing and condensing crimson flame, as if it were about to burn through the space.