Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

As it turned out, they were wrong.

The enemy... The enemy commander (Hedin) did not participate in the attack only to consume the "Krozo Demon Sword".

The main battlefield area, now transformed into a "battlefield," has been within the firing range of first-tier adventurers from the very beginning!

"It's over—[White Thunder (Caurus hildr)]."

Magic launched.

Countless lightning bolts illuminated the adventurers standing in place, tracing parabolic arcs through the air before raining down on the battlefield.

"Wa ...

A barrage of lightning bolts rained down from above, relentlessly bombarding the adventurers within range.

The lightning bolts that plunged the battlefield into chaos were like a brutal and ruthless legion, mercilessly piercing through the humans who couldn't escape in time, blowing the orcs away along with the earth, and even turning the Amazons who tried to cover their comrades into charred remains.

Unfortunately, this was a "super-precise shot" that completely unaffected the Freya Familia.

The Elf Archer's Eye has a precise grasp of every detail on the battlefield, and its attacks not only hit the enemy but also destroy any remaining "magic swords".

"Ugh! -- Protect Cassandra!!"

"Ughh ...

Even amidst the thunder and lightning, Daphne still raised her voice and gave orders.

Abandoning the order to maintain the front line and prioritizing the survival of the squad, Sakura, Perth, and the residents of the inn town, wielding large shields, risked their lives to carry it out. Cassandra, who had been tackled to the ground by Chigusa, vaguely saw countless lightning bolts striking the shields surrounding her, raging fiercely.

The stone pillars and rubble were all blown to pieces, sending up a sky full of broken stones, thus shockingly dividing the battlefield in two.

"Those troublesome 'demon swords' have been largely destroyed; it's about time."

As a massive cloud of dust carrying magical currents enveloped the battlefield, the white elf, the instigator, coldly declared this.

The "real crushing" has now entered its countdown phase.

"Beasts, it's your turn to enter the arena. Go forth."

*

"Spells with that kind of power, how can their range be so far? He's still the same as before, isn't that just too ridiculous...!"

Looking at the battle reflected in the "mirror," the elder of the twins, Thione, uttered these words indignantly.

Its range easily exceeds 500 meters, and its power is so great that it can take down more than 200 enemies at once.

The dust storms stirred up by the massive number of lightning bolts, enough to blot out the sky, sent chills down the spines of even the largest faction (Loki's Familia).

"【White Elf Wand】Herdin Thranduil... In terms of range alone, his magic is arguably the best in Orario."

"Huh!? But still, Rivera is stronger, isn't she!? After all, you're hailed as the 'strongest mage in the city'!"

"When you discuss this issue from different angles, your perception changes. To put it extremely, if the two sides were attacking each other from a very long distance, or engaging in hand-to-hand combat, I would probably lose to Hedin."

Tiona retorted to Riveria's calm analysis, but the high elf with flowing emerald hair simply stated the facts.

【Nine Hell】Rivilia Rios Alfre's strength lies in magical power, and she excels in a variety of magic attributes, including attack, defense, and support. For a typical "backline mage," her abilities are outstanding, far surpassing those of other mages.

However, Hedin is also a "magic swordsman" who is proficient in melee combat.

The two are fundamentally too different to be compared.

Hedin, who excels in melee combat and extremely short chanting, and whose firing speed is maximized, can be considered the most ideal high-level center-forward adventurer.

In addition, as he is currently demonstrating in the war game, both his range and power are astonishing.

"A million-strong army can be annihilated with magic alone" --

While it's impossible to confirm whether this rumor is true, such rumors have indeed surfaced in the desert region.

Perhaps the term "magical swordsman" is the most fitting description for him.

"The key point is the total amount of mental energy... Hedin is indeed superior to me in terms of magical endurance."

Regarding the mental strength required to cast magic, even the city's strongest mage (Rivilia) admitted that she had lost.

The magic's range covered every corner of the large force, and Hedin hadn't shed a single drop of sweat yet, looking completely relaxed—all of which proved that what Riveria said was true.

When the Amazon twins showed their dissatisfaction on their faces, Riveria narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Plus another elf, they were given the nickname 'Black and White Knights'..."

Here it comes!

Emerald eyes coldly stared at the scene in the "divine mirror." The sandstorm was about to dissipate.

*

"Drink it all!"

“Ugh!?”

A sharp slash flashed by, and the Freya Familia fell to the ground.

When the adventurers of the faction alliance were at a disadvantage, Chun Corbrand boldly wiped the blood and dust off her face and fought bravely and fiercely on the battlefield.

"Don't be afraid!! If the three of us together can't win, then the five of us will gang up on them! If the five of us together still can't win, then all ten of us will come at once! As long as you help hold off the enemy, I'll take care of the rest!"

Hearing the encouragement from the Lv.5 blacksmith master, the nearby adventurers cheered, "Whoa, whoa whoa whoa!"

The scene shifts to the central army. Chun isn't good at leading troops, but instead, she personally goes to the front lines to cut down invading enemies. Even powerful and fierce warriors can only submit obediently when they encounter her, who possesses the strength of a first-level adventurer.

Chun had already defeated countless enemies, and many fully armed warriors could be seen lying on the ground all around.

(However, the situation is still very bad! The enemy's offensive has not slowed down at all! Even though they have seen their comrades being cut down by me, they still charge forward recklessly!)

A bead of cold sweat slid down Chun's cheek.

A bunch of belligerent lunatics. She cursed the words angrily.

(And with a healer around, enemies who were already down will get back up...! Damn it, this place is even more dangerous than the deeper levels (dungeons)!)

That's why the Freya Familia is said to be extremely troublesome. Tsubaki muttered to herself with a bitter expression.

With the help of the skilled blacksmiths (Hephaestus's Familia) using their "magic swords" for cover, Tsubaki has barely managed to fight her way to this point, but many of her companions have been knocked down by Hedin's earlier artillery barrage. In addition, due to the sand and smoke obscuring their vision, the enemy is unlikely to continue their magical attacks under these circumstances, but if they were to repeat their previous tactics, the faction alliance would suffer a crushing defeat, and Tsubaki might have no way out.

Since that's the case, we can only launch a surprise attack before the sandstorm dissipates, prepared to suffer heavy losses, and at least capture the Grayfaced Soothing Ones to be buried with them, right?

Just as Chun was caught in a dilemma—

"Ughhhhhhh!?"

Suddenly a "sound" was heard.

It wasn't the scream of someone being attacked, but rather a chilling "slashing sound."

"────"

Chun was certain she hadn't misheard.

This is a sound that only a "top master" can produce when wielding a weapon.

"—Hegney!!"

Chun suddenly turned her head and looked to the west.

As the smoke gradually dissipated, a dark elf stood on the opposite side.

"H-Hegni Ragnar!?"

"A Level 1 adventurer!!"

"Wow, it was him...!"

It began with Tsubaki's scream, followed by screams from the adventurers.

The newcomer had silver hair that looked like a pale purple, and the brown skin typical of dark elves.

His long, black sword was stained with blood, and his sharp eyes scanned his surroundings as if searching for prey. Did the cold smile on his face indicate a craving for a bloodthirsty feast?

As adventurers, the shared understanding that facing a first-class adventurer evokes utter despair is unsettling for all members of the faction alliance.

Among them, Hegney himself was—

(Aaaaaaah... A bunch of strangers are staring at me!!!!)

He panicked.

And it was an overwhelming panic.

Hegni's fierce, furtive glances around were simply a result of his inability to make eye contact. As for the cold smile on his face, it was merely a facial twitch causing his lips to curve upwards. This extremely shy and utterly incompetent elf, a complete loser, had transformed into a suspicious-looking monster due to his racing heartbeat.

(No, no, I have to pull myself together...! After all, I'm a member of the goddess Freya's familiar, and I'm considered a pretty strong Rank 1 adventurer in Orario...! If I'm looked down upon, it will cause the [Familia] and the goddess Freya to lose face as well...!)

Hegny forced a smile, managing to pull his cheeks up.

He managed to force a stiff, wicked smile onto his face.

"...Hmph, hmph hmph hmph, you all encounter me, the embodiment of the abyss, here by fate... The ancient ruins are silent, the scattered crimson sings... The sword in my hand thirsts for a living sacrifice. In other words... All of you, come and die!"

Surrounded by numerous gazes and filled with tension and fear, Hegny's words conveyed the message: "I am responsible for dealing with this force, therefore I will expel you all. I have stormed in, the preliminary battle is over, please prepare yourselves."

The faction alliance's response to this was appalling.

"Whoa~ What's wrong with this guy!?"

"I was wondering what he was suddenly saying, but it turns out he's a lunatic!"

"Hey! What he's saying is so hard to understand! What is this guy trying to do!?"

"He's clearly an elf, yet he grins like an ogre!"

"Apologize to me now! Apologize to all the elves in the world!!"

"How can someone like that become a Level 1 adventurer?!"

(Ah, no, I want to die.)

A drop of water welled up in the corner of the dark elf's eye.

(Stop looking at me like that! No, no, no, I can't take it anymore. Seriously, why did I become a Level 1 Adventurer? I don't want to be the center of attention, I just want to dive into the darkness and fight. If I could, I'd want to become darkness itself, or the embodiment of darkness. No, no, this is too torturous! I want to hide back in the forest. Ugh, I've had enough! I want the goddess Freya to lie on my lap—no, I want to lie on the goddess Freya's lap.)

Hegny tried very hard.

He struggled desperately to withstand the stares of others and the various delusions of persecution.

But when he remembered that his foolishness had been broadcast throughout Orario by the "Mirror of God," his barely maintained rationality immediately collapsed. He was tormented by feelings of shame, which made him cowardly choose to escape.

(I can't hold on any longer... I'll just have to use that move.)

That is, to use "magic".

"【Unsheathed and in full bloom, the Demon Sword King's glory】."

Hegny, like a knight or perhaps trying to cover his face, gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and raised it high to the sky.

At the same time, a black magic circle appeared beneath his feet like a blooming flower.

"Ugh—!? Interrupt his chanting!!"

Upon seeing this, Chun shouted out loud without regard for anything else.

Although she was momentarily stunned when she saw Hegni's ridiculous appearance, alarm bells immediately went off in her mind when she heard the incantation.

Chun knew Hegni's "title" all too well, so while feeling anxious, she immediately drew the short sword-shaped "demon sword" from her waist.

"【At the cost of reason and the blood of offerings, until the feast ends—slaughter to your heart's content】."

Hegni is using a short chant, and it's too late to rush forward now.

After witnessing Chun's judgment and subsequent actions, the other adventurers and blacksmiths changed their expressions and followed suit.

Several "magic swords" and countless arrows and throwing knives attacked Hegni, who had his eyes closed.

"【Dainsleif】"

The sound of announcing the name of the magic overlapped with the sound of the explosion.

Tsubaki initially thought it was light from a magic circle, but she was quickly engulfed by a series of explosions.

The dark elf's figure was completely engulfed, leaving only the flash of light from the explosion.

Seeing the overwhelming firepower that even a first-level adventurer would not be able to escape unscathed, Tsubaki and the others shielded their faces from the strong winds and observed the situation with bated breath for a while—the thick smoke suddenly underwent a subtle change.

Next—

"Wa ...