“Shit… Shiiiiiiit!”
The Hero’s eyes wandered. The sorcerer leaning against her horse, the wounded knight. The unconscious monk.
“Ah… God! Help me! Hurry!”
Sheto’s eyes narrowed and he prepared for something to happen.
“My friends! The poison! Do something!”
He shouted into the sky.
“YOU FOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!”
Zephalis’s face was flushed with embarrassment and anger. The beautiful god roared.
“What cowardice is this! To lose your composure by such a monster! You idiot! You insolent little fool! Shame on you!”
As for his sister, she just watched quietly. At this point, no one could deny that things were going her way.
“Saliashe!”
“What is it, brother?”
“You, look what you have done!”
‘Hey, God! Are you listening to me!? This is a disaster! Stop hitting on the goddesses and help me!’
It was too much, and the other gods burst into boisterous laughter.
“Do-don’t laugh!”
He protested, but it did not die down. Even the dragon god had opened its giant jaw in an unabashed smile.
“Hahaha. How very amusing this all is. Ahahaha!”
“What is so funny?”
“I was wondering what you were doing. It seems to me that you were not raising a Hero, but a jester.”
‘Damn it! Just useless! I get better customer service from those shitty online games!’
“Now, now. That Hero seems to be having a lot of trouble. Now that I think about it, my own maintenance time is about to end.”
The dragon said, and then he began to work on his tablet again.
Everyone thought Zephalis was a fool now.
“Are…are you satisfied, my sister?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you satisfied, now that you made a fool of me! And then we can end this charade!”
“You seem to have misunderstood something.”
She then went from a cheerful smile to a serious expression.
“I have not set this up in order to make a public mockery of you.”
“Then what is your reason! Is this part of the engagement ceremony!?”
“What are we doing right now? Indeed, it is simple entertainment for most of the gods, but…”
Salia turned to him.
“This is a duel. A matter of life and death. Is it not?”
“You don’t…mean…that…”
She really meant to beat him.
“You can’t…”
As Zephalis was stunned, she turned her eyes back to the surface. The roaring Hero had unsheathed his sword and was walking towards the kobold.
“Ye-yes! Cut down the monster! Kill it!”
However, his voice did not reach him.
The bindings of the agreement prevented any interference.
Koji went over the situation once more.
The kobold in front of him was the weakest monster of this world. He now had a bow with poisoned arrows, and some special ability to raise the power of his weapon and armor.
It was quite simple. However, his friends had all been taken down now.
“Co-could I actually lose this one…”
It was unthinkable.
“What’s wrong, Hero. Scared of me?”
“As if I would be!”
That being said, he could not underestimate him. In order to maintain the same strategy, the kobold stayed close to the cliff, and had the back armor at his feet.
“Then hurry and come. Or they die.”
“Tsk…”
If this was an ordinary game, death was fine. As they could respawn.
But the god had said it. He could easily send him other party members.
“My arrow. It goes far. The knight, sorcerer. Dead in one more hit.”
The kobold said, and Koji finally realized it. This monster was threatening him.
“Yo-you wanted me dead alone! Then hit me.”
“No. My arrows not work on you. Instead, I will kill the others.”
“Yo-you…!”
He was filled with rage.
Up until now, killing monsters had been an easy job.
But now, seeing something evil like this that could take human lives. He would never forgive it.
“Perhaps it is late for me to say this. But I finally understand why your kind needs to be wiped out.”
He raised his sword and took a step closer.
Magic could be dodged at this distance. Then he should cut with his sword.
However, the monster watched him carefully.
“Maybe I’ll try that.”
He went into a low stance. He had practiced this once, but it was the first time doing it in actual combat.
The kobold was concentrating on his sword. He must mean to dodge it in the same way he did at the fortress.
If he succeeded, it would end with one attack.
“Alright then!”
The Hero started to run.
For some reason, the kobold was putting the bow away.
This was strange. But though he thought to stop, his legs would not stop.
Just then, something was thrown, and it hit his barrier hard.
The bag exploded against him. White smoke rose, and the Hero coughed violently.
“Gaha! Gehe. What the…buha!”
“That is flour. Not poison.”
“Shi-shit. My eyes!”
Eventually, the flour mist subsided, but by then, Sheto was up on the cliff.
“Hero. You are weak. Should never have been scared of you!”
“What!?”
“You, hurt my friends. But you cannot protect your own. Weak Hero. Not worth killing!”
“Y-you!! ‘Pierce, Zephant!”
The Hero unleashed the magic. With a great tree at his back, Sheto raised the shield.
Again, the sound of metal ringing, and the magic was blocked.
“Th-that’s…”
“Knight shield. Rusted, but can still use.”
That being said, it was cracked and falling apart. Sheto threw it to the side and stuck out his tongue.
“If you are mad, come and get me. Idiot Hero.”
He then turned around and hid in the bushes. Below, the Hero shouted while mad with rage.
“I’ll kill you for this! Wait, you damned monster!”
‘He’s coming up.’
Salia said. Sheto nodded and listened carefully.
The sounds of his climbing up the cliff. It was getting closer. Sheto slowly retreated and prepared to run.
“Where did it go!?”
“I’m right here! Hero fraud!”
He showed himself completely, and then dashed towards the slope. He had already survived the magic. As long as he stayed out of range of the sword, he would not be hit.
“Shit! Come back!”
While zigzagging, he ran slow enough so that the Hero could keep up. The enraged Hero in blue armor followed him in a straight line.
Sheto was relieved.
“Salia. I see it now. He doesn’t know the mountain.”
‘Then things should go according to plan.’
If you know mountains, then you would not climb it in a straight line towards your destination. It used up more energy and was not suited for tracking your prey for a long time.
The nature of the Hero was what he had worried most about. And now he knew. With this confirmation, the kobold rushed through the trees and up the boulders.
The Hero chased him at quite a speed, but he was panting and looked tired.
They were getting farther from the road. And farther from the other party members.
Finally, Sheto stopped.
“Hah, hah… What’s wrong? Tired of playing!”
The Hero said angrily. Though he was covered in sweat, he pulled out his sword and waved it. On the other hand, Sheto looked as he always did.
“Yes. The game is over.”
“Then brace yourself. I am going to slice you into pieces.”
“But first, I have something, to say.”
“Your last prayers before death?”
“In the name of…Goddess Saliashe…I challenge…you…to a duel.”
“You…what are you…”
While he said it awkwardly, the effect was there.
A giant power seemed to envelope the world. The birds flew from the branches, and a beast cried in the distance.
At the same time, a blinding light shone down. A white wall of light rushed through the mountains until it surrounded everything they could see.
Sheto felt it. He and the Hero had been thrown into a different world.
‘Well done. Now the cage is complete.’
Salia said confidently.
The weakest monster nodded and then spoke to the strongest Hero.
“Now, I will hunt you.”