TL: And I have finally caught up to the chapters I haven’t read yet. Let’s all tread in this unknown territory together!

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“Hey, isn’t this bad?” (Celestis)

Witnessing that big mass swung around at high speed, the voice of Celestis-chan trembles.

Mirack-chan and I remained silent because there was not even the need of agreeing with what she said.

Because of the scientific knowledge that had grown with the ethereal era, we know that liquid is denser than gas, and that solid is denser than liquid.

And the simplest of them all is that, being hit by such a heavy solid object at such high speed will hurt.

The heaviest and sturdiest things in this world are solid. And the one that can freely control those solids is the earth element.

In that sense, from within the earth, water, fire, wind, and light elements; the earth element is the one that possesses the most dreadful of powers.

And we are witnessing that danger right in front of our eyes.

“At any rate, move around! Don’t let it hit you at any cost! If you do, there’s no doubt you will die!!” (Mirack)

With the words of Mirack-chan, we all jumped away as if we were arrows shot from a bow, and dispersed.

Rather than calling it an action out of logic, it was more like a decision out of fear.

“Pointless-dasu! Pointless-dasu! Pointless pointless-dasu!! <Muda Muda Muda!> Now that we are in this formation, we are invincible-dasu!!” (Sasae)

*Bun Bun Bun BunBun BunBun BunBun!*

The wind that was being created by the chain swung around was like a storm.

That gale and thunderous sound were intensifying the fear inside of us.

“Damn it!! Now that it has come to this, I will hit it with [Flame Burst] to—!!” (Mirack)

“Don’t! Mirack-chan!!” (Karen)

I stop Mirack-chan who was about to concentrate in using a finishing move.

“‘Flame Burst’ is a destructive technique that burns in a high area of effect! If you use something like that, even Sasae-chan will be burn to crisp!” (Karen)

Sasae-chan is currently at the right arm of the ‘Golem Father’ and was holding the earth scythe together with it.

As if it were an accessory of the Golem.

She has probably become the core of that combination. By pouring earth divine power to the three Golems, she had them transform, and is providing them super strengthened power.

That’s why Sasae-chan can’t take her hands off the scythe when they are in that formation. She herself has become a part of the Golems.

“We have to stop the Golems, but you can’t hurt Sasae-chan no matter what! We have to find a way to destroy the Golems only!” (Karen)

“Is there one?! A convenient method like that!” (Celestis)

We three were yelling around, but no decision was made.

And there’s no way the other side would wait for us to finish our discussion.

“I will be crushing ye-dasu! Go~!” (Sasae)

The counterweight that is turning at fast speed with the chain. The chain was the ‘Golem Mother’ and the counterweight is actually the ‘Golem Boy’.

Calling it a counterweight is cute. With that size, it would be double the size of an adult curled up. If something like that were to hit you, it could easily destroy the body of a human.

With speed that’s plenty enough to consider it a falling rock, it is swung overhead at us.

*Gashin!!*

A sound that could be mistaken for an earthquake occurred when it crashed with the ground surface.

That vibration made the Aurora Knights that were looking at it from afar to lose their balance and fall on their rears.

The state of the ground it landed on was dreadful. Earth and stones flew about, and left out remains as if an explosion had occurred.

“I did it-dasu! Smashed-dasu! Did I get them-dasu ka?” (Sasae)

Sasae-chan confirms her victory from the top of the Golem.

From her point of view, it certainly did seem as if we had been hit by the Golem counterweight.

“[Mirage]”

“Eh?! Eeh?! What is going on-dasu ka?! There’s a lot of ye-dasu?!” (Sasae)

That spectacle threw Sasae-chan into confusion.

Well, that’s a given. Mirack-chan, Celestis-chan, and I; all 3 of us had become 6, then 12, then 24, and so on, to the point that it surrounded the Golem.

This illusion is exactly the combined element of Celestis-chan and I.

Combining my light element with her water element, this ‘illusion’ element utilizes the water and light’s refraction to create fake images of ourselves.

What’s surrounding Sasae-chan right now are all illusions with no substance, except for one group.

“What’s with this power?! This be the power of the heroes from the outside-dasu ka?! Ei! I will just crush ‘em all-dasu!” (Sasae)

Obeying the order of Sasae-chan, the Golem swung the chain like crazy, it tried to crush us beginning from the closest image of us, but they all showed no resistance and it all misses.

All hits were onto illusions.

Sasae-chan had completely fallen to our pace now.

“This be unfair-dasu yo! Come out-dasu! Fight fair and square-dasu!” (Sasae)

“Understood, Sasae-chan.” (Karen)

“Ue?!”

By the time she noticed, it was already too late.

The real me had drawn close to her without making any sound, and had already reached the legs of the Golem.

“[Holy Light Edge]!!” (Karen)

With the blade that had been strengthened with the light divine power, I slash it towards the leg of the Golem. With this, I will sever the legs of the Golem and will make it unable to move—!

“Too naive-dasu!” (Sasae)

But my light sword was blocked by the giant scythe.

It is a big scythe that’s hard to control by a human, but for the big body of a Golem, it was a normal-sized scythe. It should be as easy to use as a knife.

I have heard that a sickle and chain is a weapon that uses the centrifugal force to increase the power of the counterweight to throw it far away, and after it is evaded, you enter the range of your opponent and cut it down with the sickle.

This is faithfully serving that purpose.

“Out of options-dasu na. I’ll be smashing ya with the Golem’s big body just like this-dasu!!” (Sasae)

It is true that with my sword being held down, I am in a state where I can’t escape.

But, this is my win.

“Mirack-chan! Celestis-chan!” (Karen)

While she was being distracted by me, the two who had jumped high-up were attacking her from overhead.

“Let’s do it, Celestis! One hit K.O.!” (Mirack)

“You got it! I don’t really like matching my heart with yours though. Combined element, fire and water!” (Celestis)

“”[Steam Explosion]!”” (Celestis+Mirack)

Water evaporated instantly with the heat of fire will expand at an alarming speed.

Becoming the very definition of an explosion.

The Golem that was directly hit by the tip of its nose by it, was luckily unable to endure the explosion and was blown away.

“What-dasuuuu~~?!” (Sasae)

Sasae-chan was also blown away by the shockwave.

In the end, the ‘Golem Father’ had completely lost its head and everything all the way to the shoulders. What was left were both arms, and everything below the stomach.

“All right! How do you like that!” (Celestis)

“With my ability, this was a piece of cake!” (Mirack)

Celestis-chan and Mirack-chan were able to deal a satisfying attack and landed beautifully.

“Uh?! What’s this-dasu? I don’t understand at all-dasu yo!” (Sasae)

And Sasae-chan who was holding onto the right arm of the Golem, was outside the range of the explosion, so she had no injuries, and simply had her eyes going round and round.

What a relief.

“Looks like it is over now. That formation they had was pretty dangerous, but the biggest Golem was the one who served as the main body. Once it is destroyed, it would be like a folding fan that has lost its rivet.” (Mirack)

“It is true that the fighting style of utilizing Golems is strong. But it also told me that you yourself don’t have that much ability. Give up. I will giving you a fitting spanking for all you have made us go through.” (Celestis)

• 112: Earth Puppet

“Uuh~~”

Being surrounded by three heroes, Sasae-chan was trembling like a small animal.

“Kukukuku! What shall I do with you~. You have made such a grand spectacle in the house of someone else after all. In order to turn you into a splendid member of society, we will have to teach you that you have to receive a fitting punishment for everything bad you have done~~.” (Celestis)

“Oi, Celestis. You are making a smile that’s not fitting of an idol.” (Mirack)

Also, what’s that about the house of someone else? This is not your house either though.

“Wait! Celestis-chan, stop it.” (Karen)

“Eeh?”

“No matter the result, I was the one that worsened the situation because of my thoughtless remarks, so everything is my responsibility. That’s why, please don’t blame Sasae-chan!” (Karen)

“Nuu! As expected of Karen. She is the owner of a just and upright heart comparable to that of a Goddess!” (Mirack)

The peanut gallery -Mirack-chan- was being noisy, but for now, I just ignore it.

Anyways, let’s wrap up the situation, shelter Sasae-chan, and ask her about the oracle in detail.

That’s what I thought, but nothing goes as smoothly as one wants.

We thought that Sasae-chan already had no will to resist, but she began to crawl about, and slipped away from between the space of us three.

“Ah?!”

“That girl!” (Mirack)

“Wait a moment there!” (Celestis)

It was a moment of carelessness. She ran towards the legs of the destroyed ‘Golem Father’.

“Still going to struggle pointlessly?! No matter what you do, there’s already no way to win against us!” (Mirack)

“As I thought, you really do want some spanking? Then, I will be keeping you company. I will even throw in an encore as a service!” (Celestis)

The thrill of battle had rekindled inside Mirack-chan and Celestis.

No good. Just when it had begun to wrap up!

“…Don’t go assuming ye won-dasu.” (Sasae)

“Eh?”

“It is not over yet-dasu yo. Not me, and not ‘Golem Father’!” (Sasae)

Sasae-chan touched the giant golem that only had its legs and abdomen left. And then, we could tell with our senses that an incredible amount of earth divine power was poured all at once.

Then…

“What?!” (Mirack)

“What’s that?!” (Celestis)

Along with the voices of surprise of Mirack-chan and Celestis-chan, something surprising occurred.

The earth and stones in the surroundings began to swell on their own, and surge towards the Golem on its own.

And then, after the earth and stones mixed together, it took form, and in the end, it hardened like a rock.

To the shape of the Golem’s upper-half.

“Could it be—?!”

“It has been restored?!”

The ‘Golem Father’ was already no different from the time before it was destroyed by us. It might be fitting to say that it has come back from death.

“Golems can return as many times as they want as long as the Life Block in the middle of ‘em is not destroyed-dasu! They can use the earth and minerals in the surroundings to restore their bodies-dasu! Just because ye have destroyed it once, don’t think ye have won-dasu yo! It is true that I peed a bit because of that big explosion, but only a little bit-dasu!” (Sasae)

The Father that had been restored, picked up the earth scythe Seeta, and swings the chain and counterweight.

We are totally back to where we started.

“Oi, this is…!” (Mirack)

“Yeah, this is bad!” (Celestis)

Mirack-chan and Celestis-chan could tell.

With a development like this, it is practically impossible to win without hurting Sasae-chan.

Until now, we thought that we could calm down the situation by destroying the Golems.

Without hurting Sasae-chan.

That’s why we tried to confuse her with illusions the best as we could, and then, utilized the ‘Steam Explosion’ of Mirack-chan and Celestis-chan while holding back its area of effect as much as possible in order to make it so it doesn’t affect Sasae-chan and just destroys the Golem.

But just as Sasae-chan said, if it is a Golem that can be restored as long as the Life Block is okay, as long as we don’t know where this Life Block is hidden in the Golem’s body, we don’t have any way of defeating it unless we blow its whole body.

If it comes to that, it is close to impossible to capture Sasae-chan without injuring her.

“…Karen.” (Mirack)

The voice of Mirack-chan, that was as if it had been wringed out, must have been a way of saying ‘I will be injuring her slightly’.

If I nod to this, Mirack-chan will most likely aim solely on the Golem’s highest weak point that is Sasae-chan to silence the Golem.

I also understand that this is the best method of action.

I am the light hero. Protect the people that are devoted to the Light Church, protect the people that live in Apollon City; I have to make those my priorities.

I have to resolve myself.

Just when I thought this…

“…What is going on?”

In the training ground that had fallen into confusion, a bell-like voice resounded in it.

This voice is…

“Yorishiro-sama?!” (Karen)

The Light Church’s Founder, Yorishiro-sama.

If I remember correctly, she was supposed to be in a meeting inside the Grand Church, but it seems the disturbance reached even her.

“Hero Karen, what is the meaning of this? In this dignified Light Grand Church, to allow such a disturbance to occur.” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro-sama is not talking in the soft tone that she has lately been using to talk to me with, she is using the ‘work mode’ tone she uses when there’s the eye of the public.

I can’t disturb the order, so I also follow lead.

“I am truly sorry, Founder-sama! But it is dangerous here, so please move back for now! I will be reporting the details of the event once the situation has been resolved!” (Karen)

My real reason is that I don’t want to escalate the situation too much, and if Yorishiro-sama gets involved in it, it would definitely escalate the situation. It was an assumption that was practically a certainty.

“That is…” (Yorishiro)

My worries reached deaf ears, Yorishiro-sama ended up noticing.

“…Mantle’s Golems? Why are they here?” (Yorishiro)

As expected of Yorishiro-sama. It looks like she knows of those monsters.

And the peculiar aura emanating from Yorishiro-sama seems to have made Sasae-chan notice her as well.

“Who are ya?! Are ya an ally of the evil God-dasu ka?!” (Sasae)

“Evil God?” (Yorishiro)

“I be the earth hero, Sasae! Under the orders of Mother Earth God-sama, I be here to subjugate the personification of the evil Dark God Entropy, Kuromiya Haine!!” (Sasae)

“……………….What did you say?” (Yorishiro)

A chill attacked my spine.

Moreover, it seems everyone in the place also felt that chill. Mirack-chan, Celestis-chan, the Light knights, and even Sasae-chan had their face turn ghastly pale.

“…Looks like the Earth Founder and the Mother Earth God are not disciplining their hero properly-desu wa ne.” (Yorishiro)

“Yorishiro-sama.”

At the side of Yorishiro-sama, there’s a girl that nestled close to her like a shadow.

“Please leave it to me.”

“Okay. But don’t overexert yourself. Your body was recently liberated from the shadow, so it still hasn’t regained stability yet.” (Yorishiro)

That person is Doraha, the shadow hero that had returned from the Underworld Country after several centuries.

• 113: The power of the first

A girl with dark skin walks leisurely towards the earth giant.

“Hey, wait a moment! What is that girl doing?!” (Mirack)

“She is not even a hero, so why is she walking forward?! She will get crushed, is that okay?!” (Celestis)

Mirack-chan and Celestis-chan hurriedly tried to stop her, but the two don’t know.

From where she came, for what reasons she is here; I as well don’t know as much compared to Haine-san and Yorishiro-sama though.

The people that know her a little bit call her in this way -the dark hero of the lost Underworld Country, Doraha.

“Let me tell you this in advance.” (Doraha)

Doraha-san, who had approached the Golem to a distance where she could confront it, spoke as if giving her introductory remarks.

“I don’t have any memories. For some reason, I don’t remember anything about the time I was born and what I have done in the past. I was simply taken into custody by Yorishiro-sama when I was wandering about.” (Doraha)

“I-Is that so-dasu ka? Are ya a pitiful person-dasu ka?” (Sasae)

Sasae-chan, who was clinging onto the Golem again, was also confused by this.

“But, even with that, there’s a variety of things I still remember. I haven’t forgotten letters and words, so I am able to have a conversation like this. Also, even if my head has forgotten, my body still remembers. And, most importantly…” (Doraha)

*Dorori*, I felt like I heard that kind of sound.

For some reason, the surroundings became dark. Even though it is still broad daylight. It was clearly one or two times darker than just a few moments ago.

“I wonder, is there something in this lost memories of mine? When you insulted Entropy-sama just a few moments ago, clear emotions were born inside of me… That divine power you are clad in…that’s the one from the Mother Earth God, Mantle, right? I can tell.” (Doraha)

“What’s with ya-suka? What’s with ya-suka?!” (Sasae)

The peculiar pressure of Doraha-san was shaving away the courage of Sasae-chan.

“Mantle, Coacervate, Nova, Quasar; all of them are lower class Gods. And you who are just a devotee of that religion, what kind of arrogance brought you to think it was okay to insult Entropy-sama?” (Doraha)

“Huh?”

“Huuh?”

Mirack-chan, Celestis-chan, please calm down.

“A fool that doesn’t know her place needs to be disciplined. Have it edged in your body…that Mantle is just a subordinate God under Entropy-sama.” (Doraha)

“No really, what’s with this girl-dasu ka?!” (Sasae)

Of course, Sasae-chan was super angry.

“Suddenly appearing, saying as much as ya want of another’s God! If that be the case, I also have mah own thoughts about it-dasu yo! I’ll be showing ya the greatness of Mother Earth Mantle-sama’s power-dasu!” (Sasae)

*BunBun BunBun BunBun BunBun~~!*

Once again, the Golem counterweight is swung violently. With that force, it makes me wonder if it could even create a tornado.

The chain and its end were creating many afterimages, and it was already impossible to see which one is the real one.

And that counterweight that was rotating at such high-speed…

*Ga Shan!*, hit something and was blown back.

“Uhyaaa?!”

That impact reached the Golem as well, it lost its balance and staggers. Sasae-chan was also doing her best in clinging onto the Golem.

“Eh? What?!” “What occurred?!” “I couldn’t tell well what happened there!”

I couldn’t understand either.

Something flew towards the counterweight while it was rotating, hit the counterweight, and was send flying back. But I couldn’t tell at all what flew, when it hit the counterweight, and how it was send flying back.

In the first place, is that counterweight something that can be send flying back?

Even if it was the smallest Golem of the group, it was still a giant rock. Moreover, it was rotating at high-speeds that were enough to leave afterimages.

“…”

The only one who could have done it is that person.

Doraha-san. Is the person called the shadow hero going to be display her power here?

I didn’t even have the time to think about this, the next surprising thing occurred.

*Gangan gan gagagagagan!*, the body of the Golem began to break here and there.

“Hiiih?! ‘Golem Father’ is beginning to break in an incredible pace-dasu?!” (Sasae)

What’s being thrown?

Many small things were flying about and hitting the Golem, and were breaking its body.

But just what is it? Is Doraha-san the one throwing them?

“—! Unbelievable!” (Mirack)

Looks like Mirack-chan has noticed something.

“Look! At the legs of that dark skin girl!” (Mirack)

‘The dark skin girl? So it really is Doraha-san doing something?’, is what I thought as I looked at the place Mirack-chan pointed out and strained my eyes to see…

“Eh? Eeeeh?!”

Both of Doraha-san’s legs were moving minutely, moreover, at incredible speed.

It was as if she were tap dancing. It looked as if she were stomping in place, but that wasn’t it.

It is the shadow.

She is kicking her own shadow that’s at the floor.

The shadow that was kicked broke finely like water in a lake surface, and the pieces of shadow that were broken flew like knifes and were hitting the Golem, breaking it.

“No way… I didn’t notice at all.” (Karen)

I somewhat knew that Doraha-san could fight by controlling shadows, but to think I wouldn’t notice she was moving her legs so finely and intensely until it was pointed out to me…

“It can’t be helped. That girl, her lower half is doing so much, and yet, her shoulders and head are not shaking at all.” (Celestis)

It is just as Celestis-chan said.

Compared to the lower half that is kicking several tens of shadow pieces by the time you can even count to ten, the upper half of Doraha-san was not quivering at all, just like a sturdy rock.

“…I have heard this of master before. The people that have truly mastered martial arts don’t shake their head up and down even when they walk or run. And from the posture that has been perfected to its ultimate state, they can bring out killer techniques that surpass their actual strength.” (Mirack)

“I dance when I work as an idol, so I can tell. When I have a big performance where I have to dance, I have to create at least one axis somewhere or it won’t become beautiful movements. The movements of that girl, have properly created that axis to the point that it can be called metal reinforced.” (Celestis)

The explanation of Mirack-chan and Celestis-chan surprises me in a different meaning.

The two of them have a lot of confidence, and it is rare for them to even praise someone else.

‘I am the strongest’, these two that believe in this had considered the power of Doraha-san as overwhelming, to the point that they have to acknowledge it.

“Hiiih?! At this rate, I’ll just be a pig to the slaughter-dasu! Find victory in a fatal situation-dasu yo!” (Sasae)

And Sasae-chan, who was unable to endure it anymore, tried to counterattack.

It was broken here and there, but even with that, the giant Golem was still able to move plenty well.

With that body, it swings down the super heavy counterweight.

“Be smashed-dasu!” (Sasae)

But that didn’t happen.

Doraha-san releases a high-kick that was so high that it felt as if it could reach the skies. A long piece of shadow that was kicked at that moment accurately flew straight to the center of the counterweight like a spear.

“Hiieee?!”

It must have been a pretty good location to hit.

From the hole that was pierced, cracks ran through, and the counterweight itself was broken to pieces.

“Incredible! In just one hit!” (Karen)

“She must have hit the Life Block.” (Yorishiro)

At some point in time, Yorishiro-sama was standing at my side and explained this.

“The Life Block is also called the Golem Core; it is the real body of the earth monster. It is infinitely born from ‘Great Pillar-sama’, and I have heard that they are being utilized in an effective way by the residents of the Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze.” (Yorishiro)

“Eh?”

What did she say just now?

“Pulling the earth and minerals in its surroundings, it uses those as materials to form its body. That’s why, even if its body is destroyed, as long as there’s the materials, it can reconstruct itself as many times as it wants, but once its real body -the Life Block- is destroyed, it will just return to being earth.” (Yorishiro)

It is true that the counterweight was one of the three Golems that Sasae-chan had, the ‘Golem Boy’.

“Then, could it be that Doraha-san aimed at that place?” (Karen)

“Must have been.” (Yorishiro)

No way.

It was buried in such a big body, and you can’t tell where it even is. Moreover, the body itself was rotating at high-speed, and yet, she was still able to accurately aim at it and pierce it?

I don’t even understand how she was able to do it.

Underworld Country.

In history, this is the oldest nation founded, and Doraha-san surpassed time and is now here.

In other words, she who has the title of ‘shadow hero’ can be considered the oldest of all heroes in the world.

So this is the power of the first.

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