Chapter 182: Ultimate Single Strike

Chapter 182: Ultimate Single Strike

— Reus ※Left-Wing Unit —

I asked everyone to earn time and when I let out the mana that I concentrated so much that I thought I might explode, my body was getting hot as if it burned. The mana was raging in my body, and I held it down since it seemed to go outside my body at any moment. I noticed that the enemy, Hilgan, was approaching in front of my eyes. However, I wasn't in a rush. To be honest, it was hard to walk, so I was grateful that he came.

As I thought so, for some reason, Hilgan began to defend by lining up his swords like a wall, but regardless I swung it down while focusing my mana and intention into the sword. I was imagining a sword that reached the limit. And... the figure of Strongest Sword Lior swinging down his sword.

"Nurryaaa!" (Reus)

The sword that was swung down with the shout that came out naturally, was cutting deeply to the ground. Even though Hilgan's swords, which weren't damaged even after we attacked it many times, I couldn't feel any resistance when I cut them down to the ground. I could only think that I was cutting the air. It was a feeling that I wasn't swinging anything, but that wasn't it. Since this was the mystery of the 'Single Strike Ultimate Destruction Sword Style'... no, this technique that was released was what I called the true mystery.

"Heh... hehe... what is that... was it a fluke-... aah?" (Hilgan)

At the moment when Hilgan, who laughed like a fool, tried to relax his defensive posture, not just his swords were sliced, but his body was also sliced into two. He had a startle expression when his body collapsed to the left and right, but I immediately took a step forward while swinging the sword.

"Reus!? What are you doing-..." (Albert)

"Phew..." (Reus)

I knew it. This guy wasn't dead yet. If this guy was Lambda's companion, it wouldn't be strange for him to have multiple nuclei similar to the heart, like the fake Lambda that Julia fought at the frontline base. The unpleasant feeling I felt from the center of his body was cut with my current technique. After that, the body on the left side, fell to the left and right... It was the chest. Aiming at one point, I swung my fist with the remaining mana.

"Silverion... Fang!" (Reus)

This way of fighting was the same as when I fought Aniki at the Fighting Festival in the past. Aniki at that time flew backwards at the same time as the fist hit, had halved the power of [Silver Fang], the decisive move of Garve-jiichan, but this time was different. This was because instead of Jii-chan's method of hitting his fist and shooting through with an impact, I improvised it to the technique of [Silverion Fang] that extended the mana unleashed from my fist like a spear and penetrated one point. This was a technique that I created for the monster that destroyed Nee-chan and my hometown. It was for a monster that was difficult to be hit effectively by a sword, similar to Hilgan.

The magical spear that Aniki said was similar to [Laser] pierced a big hole in Hilgan's left chest, and then, the two bodies... Hilgan collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, ooh... I did it... I did it!" (Reus)

"Reus-dono had defeated Hilgan!" (??)

"Report to all units! Send a messenger to the center unit!" (Albert)

Everyone around me was happy with cheers, but since someone was rushing to Julia and Keith, I supposed it should be safe for the time being. Keith seemed to be faint, but I met Julia, who was still conscious, so I smiled to express my gratitude. Thanks to the two, I was able to kill him.

"Reus, you did it!" (Albert)

"Yeah. Thanks to everyone." (Reus)

Al, who had lost his horse, walked closer. Then, we fist bumped each other. I didn't know what was happening around me while I was concentrating, but Al was strangely muddy and his sword had changed, so he probably did a lot of work. I wanted to thank him later. When I tried to ask him what happened, Al asked me a question before I could.

"That last move was really great. It was completely like Strongest Sword. Is that also the 'Single Strike Ultimate Destruction Sword Style' technique?" (Albert)

"Yes, but I wonder if I can say it's not." (Reus)

The day before this battle began, I talked with Lior-jiichan.

[Say, Jii-chan. The [Break Thrust] that you showed before, I can use it too.] (Reus)

[What a youngster. Don't be arrogant when you can use such a child's play technique. Do you get it!?] (Lior)

[If you say that, are you telling me it's not a secret technique?] (Reus)

[Hmpph, it's certainly convenient when slashing a big one, but that isn't the sword I'm aiming for. So, I've made another secret technique.] (Lior)

[Another secret technique!? What is...] (Reus)

[Well. I can't explain it by mouth, so I would like to show it, but Emilia told me not to get tired anymore today. So, wait for the next opportunity.] (Lior)

In the end, he hadn't shown the new secret technique, but I somehow could predict it from Jii-chan's swords. To begin with, Jii-chan's sword wasn't for slashing big size opponents, but for fighting strong opponents. And the person Jii-chan wanted to slice the most... I meant the opponent he wanted to win was Aniki, so he probably thought that it was useless to use his mana to extend his blade. Therefore, putting the mana and spirit that was wasted into the body as well as the sword, and using the sword that swung with the body that exceeded the limit.

Anyhow, I thought that was the new technique that Jii-chan said, so I tried it in my own way.

"Hmm, it's a more profound style than what I've heard. By the way, you were shining a while ago. It seems to disappear now..." (Albert)

"What is that? I was shining?" (Reus)

"Yes. It was shortly before you swung your sword down. There was a silver light spilling out of your whole body. Is that your mana?" (Albert)

"What? I just exploded the mana I had accumulated, you know?" (Reus)

The mana accumulated to the limit over time ran wild all over the body and it was painful, but during that time, I felt that the power was stronger than when I was transforming. Yeah, I didn't know what to think, so should I ask Aniki later? When I tried to finish the story with that in mind... my tail suddenly turned upside down. At the same time, the loud voice of the soldiers who were dealing with surrounding monsters echoed to those of us who were resting.

"R-report! Hil-Hilgan has begun to move! He is still alive!" (??)

"What!? Hasn't he been cut into two?" (Reus)

"Calm down! Julia-sama, leave it to us here! We will finish him all at once!" (??)

It seemed that the nucleus was still left in the right side of the body. He was moving with only one arm and one leg, moving it to the left side of the body, and starting to regenerate. However, the soldiers started shooting magic arrows and flames at once. I was wondering if they were attacking without hesitation because we weren't there. They were preparing to shoot at the same time as the explosion cleared. This preparation was done at the level of facing large monsters such as Gigatient. However, Hilgan moved earlier than them.

When I thought that he had leaped out of the explosion on all fours like a monster, he began to eat not only the fallen soldiers there, but also the monster corpses. During that time, attacks with spears and magic continued, but Hilgan's meal couldn't be stopped. When Al and the unit leaders gave instructions to take distance so as not to be attacked. Hilgan finally stood up and turned to me.

"Huh... haah, that was dangerous." (Hilgan)

"Even though you were saying something about us reluctantly, you were no less than that." (Reus)

"I'm fine. You bastard... It looks like you're doing something that we aren't aware of. Don't you think I'm not angry?" (Hilgan)

The right side of the body where he was laughing and spouting nonsense was a spot where I didn't feel anything before I cut him, but now, it felt strange. Al, who analyzed various things, muttering something like was it a mechanism that activated when he died? Anyhow, since he had recovered, I had to fight again. As I got up, I held my partner that I pulled out of the ground. Al, who was holding his sword next to me, looked at me in a surprised manner.

"Reus!? That sword... no what happened to your arm?" (Albert)

"Aah, I overdid it. But I can still fight." (Reus)

The greatsword, which was my partner who had kept fighting with me, was broken from the middle of the blade. I didn't miss taking care of it, but it had been a long relationship. I thought I would use it for my whole life, but if it was this feeling, the sword might not have been able to withstand the technique that I just released.

Furthermore, it was probably because the mana used to strengthen the body that turned into [Silverion Fang], it had put a considerable burden on the left arm that unleashed the technique. I couldn't hold the sword well because the trembling didn't stop. With the left arm that didn't move satisfactorily with the broken sword, the situation would only get worse, but it didn't mean that I couldn't fight.

"Hehehe, with that sword, you can't use that technique again. Are you still going to do it?" (Hilgan)

"Same goes for you. All of your weapons, which are said to be harder than us, have been cut." (Reus)

"It doesn't matter this much. These weapons aren't related to why I'm called Heavenly Sword." (Hilgan)

After finishing his meals, Hilgan held six swords with half the blades like me. In other words, it seemed that swords had changed to short hammers. If that happened, this guy was completely a...

"I thought this from the beginning. You're not a swordsman or anything. That's why you shouldn't call yourself Heavenly Sword." (Reus)

"Shut up! I'm Heavenly Sword! You're just a small fry that is useful with a broken sword!" (Hilgan)

"Even if the sword breaks, if you haven't broken my spirit, I won't lose!" (Reus)

I didn't think that my spirit would lose easily. After all, I had been losing to Aniki and Jii-chan. Plus, I wasn't the only one whose spirit wavered.

"Phew... Reus is right. I also... can still fight." (Julia)

"Sorry, I fell asleep for a while. The weapon is ruined but I still have something given by Father." (Keith)

"While I'm weak, I can still fight too. It's only a little bit, but I'm just starting to read his movement." (Albert)

"""We will help you too!""" (??)

Julia and Keith, who managed to get up after receiving recovery magic, were also standing next to me with full motivation. In addition, not only Al, but also every one of the imperial guards were the same. They were staring at Hilgan from behind us. To be exact, we were so tattered that we didn't look strong. However, as I declared to him, I hadn't lost yet. I only had to give up after I died.

I also knew the location of the nucleus, which was the weakness of that bastard, so we could all work together to fight!

"Annoying! If you're doing this together with the small fries, get on with it!" (Hilgan)

"You're probably in the same condition as us." (Reus)

"Shut up. This is the guy's command! But yeah, I won't hesitate if you've gone this far. After all, no matter what you do, the fight is won by the last person standing!" (Hilgan)

"Then, I won't hesitate to swing my sword." (??)

"Haa!?" (Hilgan)

Suddenly, I heard the voice of someone who shouldn't be here. At the same time, several monsters in the direction of the right-wing unit were blown away, and one shadow leaped high and approached Hilgan from the sky. While surprised by the intruder, Hilgan tried to knock down the opponent with his weapon, but all attacks with his six weapons were brilliantly avoided. Even if he counterattacked, one of his arms was cut with double swords.

"...Eh? I was going to cut it down." (??)

"This cheeky bastard!" (Hilgan)

It was Beowulf, who should have been fighting with Nee-chan and Jii-chan on the right-wing unit side. He landed in front of us after avoiding the angry Hilgan, who attacked again. He was amazing now. Thanks to Jii-chan training, he avoided the attack so beautifully even though he was in the air... no, it was different.

"Why are you here? What happened to Nee-chan on the right wing?" (Reus)

"It's going to take a long time to explain, so I'll do that later. By the way, is that Hilgan?" (Beowulf)

"Hmm? Aah, yes, that's him." (Reus)

"I see..." (Beowulf)

It was true that I was worried about Nee-chan, but I didn't think it was a terrible situation from the appearance of Beowulf. Therefore, I should concentrate on Hilgan now. However, even though it was the first time he met that bastard, why did he bother checking the enemy's name?

"Oi. What are you up to? I hate when a small bug comes in! If you think you can get away after doing that, you got it wrong." (Hilgan)

"Sorry to make you angry, but I can't fight you anymore, so just give up." (Beowulf)

"Do you think you can really run away after saying something I don't care about? Do you think I will let you go easily!?" (Hilgan)

"No, no. There is someone who really wants to fight you..." (Beowulf)

"Oraaa-!" (Lior)

When Beowulf talked until now, a terrible roar and the sound of destruction echoed from the same direction as him. More than a hundred monsters were blown away as they became shredded, and Beowulf confirmed the existence that appeared from beyond the dust and rubble. Then, he looked at Hilgan with a pitiful look.

"My mistake. He's not someone who wants to fight you. He actually wants to slice you really bad..." (Beowulf)

"Youngster! Is that the fool!?" (Lior)

"Yes, this person here is Hilgan." (Beowulf)

It wasn't necessary to guess who was coming here. With hundreds of adventurers and mercenaries in tow, Lior-Jiichan appeared majestically with a strange, scary smile directed at Hilgan.

—

"Listen, you youngsters! Don't touch my prey!" (Lior)

"""Yes!""" (??)

Were those adventurers and mercenaries more obedient than before the battle began? Moreover, they showed the momentum and assault that didn't lose to Julia's imperial guards, and they cooperated with the left-wing soldiers to defeat monsters one after another. The formation and morale of the soldiers disturbed by Hilgan was returning.

"So, we ran into Luca, but she was a bit weird..." (Beowulf)

Thanks to them, we were able to cope with the situation. I listened to the situation of the ring-wing unit from Beowulf while having the imperial guards healed with recovery magic. It seemed there was a fierce battle over there, but Julia and Al were quite upset when they heard the matter of leaving Nee-chan for the war situation.

"What!? Emilia-dono is... the sister-in-law is alone!?" (Julia)

"Kuh... Reus, are we heading there right away? Perhaps, if Strongest Sword is here, something should be done there." (Albert)

"...If they say Nee-chan is fine, you don't have to worry." (Reus)

We were talking about Nee-chan borrowing power from Reese-ane and Fia-ane, so I didn't think that Nee-chan would fight in a way that she couldn't win. That was because we had been hammered into the fact that we were going to survive by Aniki. Or rather, if Nee-chan was defeated by Luca, wouldn't we be in a very pathetic situation? Although it took us four people to fight Hilgan, we were relying on Jii-chan eventually. So, when I told everyone that I didn't worry much about Nee-chan and that she was spoiled by Jii-chan, Julia and Keith opened their eyes as if they were awake.

"That is... surely true. Didn't we just say we haven't been defeated yet?" (Julia)

"Yeah. I haven't returned the debt because I was beaten severely by that guy." (Keith)

"I can understand that feeling. But the question is whether that person can be stopped or not." (Julia)

"As for me, everyone's injuries wouldn't increase anymore..." (Albert)

By the way, the reason why we could have a relaxing conversation in this way was because Hilgan had hardened all the time as he saw Jii-chan. Instead of being afraid, Hilgan began to love as if he had finally found a loved one. He began to smile when they were a few steps away from each other.

"Hu, huhehe... I heard about you from Lambda, you know? You are that Strongest Sword, right?" (Hilgan)

"Hmmph..." (Lior)

"Are you not going to talk? Well, it's fine. Then, let's just kill each other!" (Hilgan)

Hilgan swung his six swords while approaching Jii-chan who didn't reply. Jii-chan merely swung his sword to intercept him. After that, a roar that was much louder than our time echoed. Its impact was enough to generate a shock wave and damage both enemies and allies. Comparing the power of those two who were like monsters, the one who got pushed and blown away was...

"Oraa!" (Hilgan)

"Ugh!?" (Lior)

To my surprise, it was Jii-chan. In the battle, the body of Jii-chan, who almost didn't take his foot off the ground, floated slightly, and he was thrown toward us, but he stepped on while breaking the ground with both feet and stopped in front of us.

"Hah, uhahaha! As expected! I am... stronger than Strongest Sword!" (Hilgan)

"Strongest Sword-dono!? I will also help you!" (Julia)

"Jii-san, I'm going to help too!" (Keith)

Everyone was astonished at the situation where Strongest Sword got pushed, and as Julia and Keith began to make a fuss, I felt something strange. I was really surprised that Jii-chan was blown away, but wasn't there something strange? I think he was quieter than usual. He didn't seriously swing his sword as if he was concerned about something else.

While thinking about such a thing and looking at his big back, Jii-chan turned back only with his face and opened his mouth. He was looking at the broken sword I held.

"That sword... it couldn't hold up?" (Lior)

"Y-yeah. It's a sword that has helped me all the time. I feel really bad about it." (Reus)

"Hmm. What an inexperienced guy." (Lior)

"Please stop saying that! Surely, he is still a long way off compared to you, but his sword is a wonderful sword that has saved many people!" (Julia)

"Well. What I mean about the inexperienced guy is the old man who hit that sword! He couldn't expect the growth of the youngster and hit a good-for-nothing sword." (Lior)

No... eh? Why was he looking at me with such calm eyes? I thought it was unavoidable to be scolded since I was inexperienced. Besides, the sword couldn't stand my technique...

"Did you see the technique?" (Reus)

"I didn't. But I can understand without seeing it. You have unleashed a blow that shook my soul." (Lior)

Although he shouldn't be able to see through the monsters that surrounded him like a wall, Jii-chan seemed to notice that technique. Al and Keith were taken aback, but only Julia and Beowulf nodded, probably because they were convinced. As I was confused by an unthinkable attitude, Jii-chan, who turned his face back to the front, continued to talk over his back while holding his sword.

"This time, I'll show mine. You stay there quietly." (Lior)

"H-how can I stay quiet in this situation! Don't pretend to be tough when you lose just now." (Reus)

"You're noisy. I told you I'll show you if I get the chance. So, watch mine and get stronger... Reus." (Lior)

"It can't be..." (Reus)

Eh... just now... my name? Jii-chan only called up the person's name when he admitted it... could it be? What? Even though Jii-chan was a stepping stone to get closer to Aniki... even though he was an opponent I wanted to defeat... what...

"Sh-shut up! If I look at you, it should be fine to be next to it." (Reus)

"Hey. It's a hassle when you're in the way. Don't you get it? Or I'll kill you first, alright!" (Lior)

It was frustrating, but after all, it was the usual Jii-chan. I felt that I couldn't stop him anymore, so I decided to watch over Jii-chan's battle quietly. Everyone seemed to have given up as they understood the situation in our exchange, so we quietly saw him off. At that time, it was Hilgan, who was happy to win by force and was laughing for a long time, but finally, he stopped laughing when Jii-chan came closer to him again.

"I can win... I can win now! I will kill Strongest Sword and I will be the strongest swordsman in the world!" (Hilgan)

I wasn't very interested in it, but he might have longed for the title of the strongest. When I was in Elysion's school, I knew a man who felt the limit of his strength and was desperate. He became a mercenary and became able to do bad things in a straightforward manner.

Hilgan had a similar feeling to that mercenary. He probably met Lambda when he gave up and gained strength. If Aniki was there, he would have declared the end of a man who abandoned himself when he sought strength. Somehow, I could hear a pitiful man scream, but Jii-chan just held his sword as usual.

"What a tedious talk. Why don't you come immediately?" (Lior)

"Hehe... I'm the one who will win!" (Hilgan.

And again, their swords collided with each other, and they were pushed by force. However, Jii-chan was also serious this time. Their power was equal, and the swords were clashing and sparks were scattered.

"Ooooo—!" (Lior)

"Oaah!" (Hilgan)

At the same time when he returned his swords, Hilgan attacked Jii-chan while freely moving his six swords in an attempt to attack him. However, as the blow became lighter, Jii-chan also became able to move his sword fast. He took all six swords from the front.

The frontal striking between the sword master and the one who abandoned humanity for strength continued for a while, but it was too intense to take his eyes off and it was too late to notice it. A slender snake-like monster crawling on the ground moved and was entangled with one of Jii-chan's arms. Perhaps, it was secretly approaching from behind Hilgan.

"Hmm!?" (Lior)

"Uhahaha!" (Hilgan)

The snake monster seemed to have come off with the momentum of Jii-chan moving his arm, but the slight discomfort became a fatal gap between masters, and Hilgan's weapon hit Jii-chan's shoulder directly. That way of laughing... he definitely did it! Soon after we shouted in anger, Jii-chan, who had lost his posture to the side with a blow on his shoulder, managed to stop, but Hilgan was swinging down the five remaining swords without missing that gap.

"I just need to win-..." (Hilgan)

"Hnghh!" (Lior)

However, even in such a state, the sword that Jii-chan swung forcibly didn't only repel the five swords but also Hilgan. How stupid was he to gain victory with such an underhanded scheme?

Hilgan seemed to be surprised as well as us, who leaked even a dry laughter, but he was smiling as if he remembered that he had a blow to the shoulder immediately. Because of the sturdy body, from a distance, Jii-chan didn't seem to have broken bones just by bruising. However, the effect on the sword would be big. Unlike that bastard, the injury didn't heal immediately, so Jii-chan was in a state of gradually being cornered, but suddenly Jii-chan muttered.

"I'll stop." (Lior)

"Haa?" (Hilgan)

""""What?"""" (Reus/Julia/Keith/Albert)

Not only Hilgan, we also let out a surprised voice, but Jii-chan sighed in a boring way.

"It's been a long time since I've been able to meet someone who can fight me, so I went out a bit, but... I'm tired of you already." (Lior)

"Wh... what!?" (Hilgan)

"Listen. I want to fight a strong swordsman or a warrior. I've met countless monsters like you, so I'll get tired of it soon." (Lior)

"Monsters!? If my Heavenly Sword can be used like a monster, I-..." (Hilgan)

"Are you talking about your level? From my point of view, it feels like a hungry monster brandishing a toy with the power of a borrowed object. To begin with, you aren't worth to be called a swordsman with that level of skill!" (Lior)

"Ugh..." (Hilgan)

Hilgan seemed to be so angry that he couldn't say a decent reply to the words that were too straightforward by a person who was clearly capable and famous. Could Jii-chan provoke him to create an opening... that wasn't true, wasn't it? He wasn't the kind of old man who hid what he wanted to say. Also, I thought that stopping means ending this battle. As I was considering what to do, Beowulf, who was next to me, noticed something and raised his voice.

"Aah, he's going to finish him. That's because he's going to use that." (Beowulf)

"Are you talking about the secret technique that I have heard before?" (Reus)

"Yes. The name of the technique is [Flash]. I think he only used it once or twice." (Beowulf)

When I was excited about what that secret technique was, Jii-chan took the same stance as usual... He took the upper stance with his sword raised high in the sky. It was as usual up to that point, but the atmosphere suddenly changed. I felt that Jii-chan was much larger than Hilgan.

"Is that... the same as Reus'?" (Julia)

"What a spirit. There's no way I can stop this trembling." (Keith)

Unlike me at that time, it seemed that light and mana weren't coming out from Jii-chan's body, but the surrounding monsters were starting to retreat due to fear.

"This... old man!" (Hilgan)

On the other hand, Hilgan even twisted his instinct and approached Jii-chan, perhaps because he had completely lost his composure due to anger, or because he had become used to it. At the moment he entered the reach of Jii-chan's sword... one of Hilgan's left arms flew in the air.

"It's a failure." (Lior)

So fast!? To us, it only looked like Jii-chan's hand was shaken. However, why didn't he cut his body in half like I did? Moreover, he was muttering something that seemed to be a failure. Did he lose his mind when the enemy was that close?

"Ooh... how much will he exceed my expectations? That's amazing!" (Julia)

"That Jii-san... didn't his shoulder get hit with that weapon? What kind of body does he have?" (Keith)

However, the most surprising one was that Jii-chan, who finished waving his sword, had returned to his original position when I noticed.

I think that such a thing was natural, but if he tried to unleash that technique that could be said to be the ultimate technique, not only the sword, but also the body would be burdened greatly. That was why I also strengthened my body to the extent that it was about to burst with mana, and it was exhausting that I could only swing it down once. Even so, the fact that Jii-chan was holding the sword meant he could still release this technique. It seemed that I was right. After the arm, he was slashing the fingers of another hand.

Hilgan didn't stop his charge at the time he lost one arm, but he probably calmed down at the speed of attack that was far beyond expectations. He stopped immediately and was trying to gain some distance, but...

"Aargh!?" (Hilgan)

"Where are you going?" (Lior)

He slashed Hilgan's ankle as he tried to kick the ground and sealed his movement. Even if Hilgan was a bit away with the momentum of falling down, Jii-chan could slide on the ground if it was that much. His legs weren't floating at all, but he was fast, so it didn't look to be an awkward movement by looking from the side. And after waiting for Hilgan to raise his face, Jii-chan slashed him further. While deliberately avoiding the nucleus of his flank, which Jii-chan would have already noticed.

"R-Reus. It's about time... isn't it?" (Julia)

"I wonder whether he will stop." (Reus)

To be honest... we were retreating a bit. When I saw Jii-chan who gradually cut off Hilgan's body from finger to arm, from foot to thigh, as if torture, I didn't know which side was the enemy anymore.

"Stop it. It's absolutely impossible this time. Didn't he say it?" (Reus)

"Aah..." (Julia)

[I see... I see. Let's cut that fool, not only from the arms and legs, but also from the fingers.] (Lior)

Jii-chan said it... When he heard that Hilgan was aiming for Nee-chan, he really did say so. Uh-uhm, was he really going to do that? Didn't he mutter that 'mistake' because he slashed Hilgan's arm instead of his finger?

"I don't think we can do anything anymore." (Reus)

"Yes. It's important to give up." (Julia)

In fact, Hilgan didn't really touch Nee-san, but for Jii-chan, it seemed that he couldn't forgive that guy for looking at her with dirty eyes. I wasn't sure if Jii-chan's rampage would stop either on a small or big scale. We could only watch.

After that, Jii-chan's one-sided attack continued, but of course, Hilgan was also trying to resist. He was trying to pick up his slashed arm and stick it to him, or forcibly attached it to Jii-chan with the determination to be cut, but the resistance was all in vain in front of Jii-chan's sword. In the end, his legs and six arms were all cut, and Hilgan said in resignation.

"Stop it-..." (HIlgan)

"Oraaa-!" (Lior)

The nucleus of the flank was cut, and he couldn't say the word until the end, so he was silent. Although there was still another nucleus and he tried to regenerate, Jii-chan, who didn't stop the momentum, was cutting Hilgan's body more finely, so he wouldn't be able to regenerate anymore.

"Someone, incinerate that piece of flesh. Try not to approach as much as possible." (Julia)

"Yes!" (??)

Julia gave instructions just in case, and Hilgan, which became a lump of flesh, was completely burned by fire magic. It was a painful battle, but this time... it was over. For some reason, I thought Jii-chan took all the delicious deals, but I thought it was fine since we were able to defeat Hilgan, which was a priority goal. By the disappearance of Hilgan, the surrounding monsters' movement had changed. The soldiers could hold them down, so we could rest a little calmly.

"We've... won." (Julia)

"Yeah. Sorry for being inexperienced, but now, let's say that I'm happy that Hilgan is defeated. This fight isn't a personal fight." (Reus)

"As expected, but I think it's overkill in the end." (Julia)

"Don't worry about it. I don't know well, but that guy had done something pretty terrible, right? He just received his punishment." (Keith)

Keith was right, there was no need to feel sorry for him. Although he became that way because of Lambda's modification, there would be more victims if he was alive as he rampaged. I rearranged my feelings, and while we were resting, we checked our armor and weapons. However, the wear and tear were more than expected.

"My sword is broken, but it looks like it can still be used. How about you?" (Reus)

"My sword is fine, but I don't think my body listens to what I say. But I think I can still fight on horseback." (Julia)

"My weapon is useless already. It's too light to be suitable. I have to fix it for a while." (Keith)

"I've confirmed. The damage to the entire unit is great due to the turbulent battle, but the morale remains high, I think we can still fight thanks to the fact that we have joined with the unit brought by Strongest Sword." (Albert)

Weapons and stamina weren't suitable, but no one said that they would retreat and receive replenishment. The reason was that even after Jii-chan defeated Hilgan, his excitement didn't cool down. He continued to slash the monsters around him with the same momentum. Beowulf had joined him, and to be honest, they were annihilating monsters so quickly that we didn't get the turn. If so, it might be fine for the injured and us to retreat, but as long as we calmly overlook the battlefield, we didn't seem to have time to rest.

I didn't notice this because I was concentrating on Hilgan until now, but something that wasn't there before the battle began was born deep inside the center of the enemy camp.

"There was Lambda's interference on the way, but it also stopped halfway." (Reus)

"In other words, is that the reason?" (Keith)

There was a tree bigger than a mountain sized Gigatient that could be seen from anywhere on the battlefield. It wasn't only the size that was strange, but countless tentacles were growing from the tree. And the tentacles were moving around as if they were fighting something. There was no doubt that it was the creation of Lambda as it was a plant. Since Jii-chan was here, there was only one person who could fight against such a big opponent.

"Aniki is fighting it!" (Reus)

We might not be able to do anything since we were exhausted, but that was why we weren't able to just look at it from a distance. Everyone seemed to feel the same. We took a break and rode on a horse brought by the soldiers, but Al, who noticed a certain problem, stopped us from walking.

"Wait a minute. What about Strongest Sword?" (Albert)

"Isn't it fine to leave him alone? Jii-chan isn't about to stop at any time soon." (Beowulf)

"That can't be right. The power of Strongest Sword is absolutely necessary. I wish you could somehow guide him toward that direction, but..." (Keith)

According to Beowulf, who had the longest relationship with him, he was happy with my growth, and he couldn't calm down. I was a bit embarrassed, but I was happy if it was really so. However, Julia seemed to be in trouble because there was a possibility that Jii-chan would be left behind, but it seemed that issue would be resolved soon.

"Reus! Everyone! Are you alright?" (Emilia)

It was because there was a figure of smiling Nee-chan in the unit that suddenly appeared while squeezing through the monsters. She seemed to have been in a fierce battle over there and looked quite tired, but she had successfully defeated Luca.

"Ooh!? Are you alright? If Emilia-dono came, Strongest Sword would settle down also." (Albert)

"Moreover, you came with the right-wing unit. If we have all this, it should be good enough!" (??)

Now Luca and Hilgan had been defeated, Lambda was the only priority enemy. It seemed that the central unit with Fia-san was also advancing smoothly, so we had only one destination.

"Alright! Everyone, we're going toward Aniki!" (Reus)

"""""Ooh!"""" (??)

I inadvertently gave a command, but everyone responded as if it was neutral. When many screams overlapped and morale rose to the highest level, I grabbed the rein and rode a horse.

—

Extra/Bonus - Secret Technique of Single Strike (This is basically author's note)

[Flash] / (剛破一閃)

It's a secret technique devised by Strongest Sword Lior to beat Sirius, who has a high evasion ability. He swings down his sword as usual, but he is doing it at the speed of light that negates all the defense of the target and the resistance when slashing.

Lior raised his body to the limit with mana, so it can be used many times by swinging the sword until the mana is exhausted. However, he rarely uses it because it makes him tired, and the battle becomes uninteresting. Actually, this technique is more like a buff than a technique. In a game-like expression, when activated, the player will take a few turns... It's similar to [Triple All Abilities], [Ignore Defense] and [Quadruple Attack Power].

Some people may not be able to understand it, but if a comparison is made... it is a feeling of a person can swing down with an upper posture that lets a dragon flies in the sky, which is used by a wandering swordsman character in a weekly magazine. (Note: Is it Zoro from One Piece? I stop reading Shonen Jump for years.)

Is it difficult to understand?

Well, if the story is crazier, it would be a technique that cuts dimension and space.

—

[Silver Fang Strike] (銀牙一刀)

This is the technique used by Reus. The name hasn't been used in the main story yet, but it will be used in the later story. Spoiler? Well... Not sure if I'll write it again. I may forget it, so I'll publish it for the time being. It's almost the same as [Flash] technique, but since it's a technique developed by Reus with his own prowess and he was inspired by Lior's way of life, the name will be different. Although Reus hasn't been taught about [Flash] until the end, he has somehow reached the same skill as the sword master.

When using this technique, he will be in a state of being exposed and unprotected for a while in order to concentrate his mana. However, it is also exhausting so the limit is one swing at his current level. At first glance, it seems to be backward compatible with [Flash], but Reus is still growing and since he is specially trained by Reus, the technique still has room for growth. There is also an aspect that he can't adjust where he puts too much effort in one swing, so this technique is better in terms of one-shot attack. Both techniques are at the extreme level in terms of slashing... In other words, they are overkill techniques, so it doesn't make sense.

Reus' body is shining in a silvery light because the mana in his body couldn't be completely stopped, and it leaked. Lior doesn't glow because he retains the mana inside his body completely. By the way, Reus is stronger in this state compared to when he transforms.

I think some people may not understand the description, but it's similar to Super Saiyan 4. It's a feeling of... the power of transformation is concentrated in the human body. (Note: I only read the original Dragon Ball, so I'm not sure about the GT arc.)

—

※Short Story

Strongest Sword is finally admitting Reus. Although the usual way of dealing with him is overwhelmingly different, he is an old man admired by both Emilia and Reus.

However, this time, Lior shows a side of cutting enemies like bullying a weakling. Anyhow, he is not a man of justice, so it's fine. Well, Hilgan is someone unrelated. Thus, it won't be strange to punish him reasonably. But I think I should write more about Hilgan.

And Hilgan, who has a hard time with Lior, is defeated easily when fighting the old man. Since Lior is the main focus, it gives a bonus feeling. Lior still stands out, but somehow, he is such a character... yeah.