Chapter 59
Three knights of Rondan.
At least 60 cult members.
"Kill them!"
With an ear-splitting roar, the heretics began pouring towards us like a flood.
How cowardly to try to overwhelm us with numbers.
Just looking at the sheer number of troops made me feel overwhelmed.
"...Phew."
I took a deep breath and calmly reviewed the situation.
The patrol team that quickly noticed traces of intrusion, the initial response team that rushed in instantly in response.
From the quality of the armor issued to each individual to their organized posture.
They were on a different level from simple vagrant groups.
They must have received some kind of professional training.
This also revealed how long the heretics had been preparing.
The situation seemed unfavorable, both in terms of numbers and armament.
Perhaps there's a high chance we'll be crushed here and that'll be the end.
But even in such a desperate situation.
My blood is boiling.
I feel a completely different exhilaration from when I faced Candle in the blizzard.
I feel emotions, whether they're 'Laydan Tanton's' or my own, flowing through my veins.
Although I couldn't clearly describe what this emotion was...
'I guess it's time to do what needs to be done.'
I'm not particularly fond of murder or violence either.
I'd rather avoid it if possible.
But I had no intention of retracting the mistake from 'that time'.
And now I have the physical and mental capacity.
I have it.
"Uwaaaaah!"
Surprisingly, Muyeon was the one who initiated our start.
As soon as one enemy tried to run forward, Muyeon jumped high with her huge toy axe, leaping over the two generals (for convenience's sake) to where the soldiers were.
A heavy sound echoed, and due to the troops rushing towards Muyeon belatedly, I couldn't see her.
But soon the toy axe was raised high in the air.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
"Q-Quickly, distance yourselves from that axe bitch!"
She started sweeping away the massive force in an instant, spinning on the spot at an unbelievable speed.
No troops could properly respond to Muyeon, they were just helplessly being defeated.
Upon closer observation, I could see why.
If she had just spun like a top, she would have been hit and that would have been the end, but I could see that even while spinning at such high speed, she was making minute controls to prevent the enemy from approaching.
I had felt it when breaking through the entrance with the Gardener, and when briefly cooperating with the Dragon Slayer, but Muyeon's combat ability was by no means that of an average knight.
If she could just realize the Meditatio that White Mask mentioned before, she might become overwhelmingly stronger than the current White Mask.
"What are you standing there blankly for? We should do our part too."
White Mask said unilaterally, then leaped and swung her sword at one of the generals.
Boing!
A sound like a spring bouncing filled the underground space, and the general who blocked White Mask's attack showed signs of struggle before repelling her.
With the momentum from that, White Mask did a somersault in the air, landed gracefully on the ground, and pointed her sword at the general.
The general glared at White Mask, showing slight bewilderment.
"That one and you too. How can you wenches have such strength?"
"Who knows."
White Mask snorted at the general's words and spoke in a mocking voice.
"Maybe you're just weak if you're being pushed back even by 'wenches'."
"...Hahaha! Pushed back? Me, Homen of the Mustache Brothers?"
The general, Homen, who laughed heartily as if amused by White Mask's provocation, was clearly laughing but glared at White Mask with eyes that naturally exuded killing intent.
"It's always been my hobby to make tears flow from the eyes of arrogant wenches like you."
"I look forward to it. Those who say such things often end up with tears in their own eyes."
"You don't back down, do you? On the battlefield, only skill proves itself!"
With those final words, Homen's neck veins began to bulge as if he was squeezing out his strength to the extreme.
"...He's addicted to fragments of Outer Gods."
White Mask muttered quietly after seeing this, then charged in.
Addicted to fragments of Outer Gods, she says.
I guess that means he's been injected with steroids under the name of 'God's gift', as befitting a cult.
I was reminded of the physical enhancement candy that Muyeon had shared before.
They probably consumed a lot of something like that.
But me, Laydan Tanton?
A man who even ate the unmodified original that wasn't even processed for consumption.
I hadn't been able to easily gauge how much stronger I've become because I've only been dealing with Greater Outer Gods until now.
This is a good opportunity to measure my combat power.
"...You're the only one left."
The other of the Mustache Brothers approached me.
I thought he might cowardly stick with Homen for a 2 vs 1, but...
"A man should fight fair and square. That's why you didn't help that woman and were waiting for me, right?"
Well, I appreciate the high evaluation, but...
I was just spacing out because Muyeon and White Mask went ahead first.
Seeing that I wasn't saying anything, the general clicked his tongue and raised his greatsword.
"Not the talkative type, eh? Fine. There's a saying that the truly skilled are silent."
Like Homen, this one's muscles also started to twitch unnaturally, probably from consuming fragments of Outer Gods.
"I, Caliban, shall be your opponent!"
Perhaps because they're believers of Outer Gods, both Homen and this one were revealing their real names without hesitation.
They're going to get in big trouble later.
Of course, all the Outer Gods I've encountered were pure, but I don't know about those covered in sewage.
Among the content I saw while devouring the community, there seemed to be Outer Gods who use their followers' names as anchors to transform humans into monstrous forms.
I got goosebumps when they vividly described visuals you'd only see in deep-sea documentaries.
But that's not important right now.
I lowered my posture and prepared to respond.
Seeing what Muyeon did, it seems right to try to capture them alive if possible.
Asking me to capture someone wielding a sword with my bare hands, I wondered if this was overestimating me too much.
Well, as I said before.
If your superior tells you to do it, you do it.
"Face me, young man!"
With those words, Caliban kicked off the ground and instantly approached where I was.
He raised the greatsword, slightly taller than himself, above his head and mercilessly swung it down towards me.
Clang!
The greatsword must be a regular weapon, as a sharp metallic sound rang out when I struck the blade with my fist.
I initially thought it might be some kind of toy weapon because of its unrealistic appearance.
If so, it means he's just swinging this insanely heavy greatsword.
"...You're a monster."
"That's rich coming from someone who blocked it with their fist. Anyway, I'll take that as a compliment."
Caliban replied to my exclamation and raised his greatsword again.
I thought his movements would be slow due to the weight, but...
Whoosh!
The motion of lifting it and slashing at my side was lighter and faster than most rapiers.
Because of that, I almost got cut by the sword, but thanks to my reaction speed, I was able to avoid it by jumping high in place.
"You move well!"
Seeing the man with an expression full of joy as if fighting itself was entertainment to him made me feel excited too.
Is this what a true battle maniac is like?
If so, it would be polite to respond in kind.
Suddenly, I remembered a villain from a fighting game I used to play like crazy when I was hospitalized for being weak.
'Show me your full power! I want to seriously fight you, the only being who can surpass me!'
"Hehe."
That line certainly did clear away my gloomy feelings back then.
You're making me reminisce unnecessarily.
My heart is pounding.
Bang! Clang!
The first blow was when I leaped towards Caliban, countering the greatsword swung at me.
The next blow was when I dodged the sword coming to cut me after I landed, then instantly approached Caliban and threw a punch, which he blocked with his greatsword.
Screech.
The sound of friction as my fist collided with the greatsword.
I felt the pain of my finger skin being scraped away by the strong friction, but due to the excessive adrenaline secretion, I didn't mind at all.
No, it rather served as a stimulant.
"Hahaha! It's been a while since I met someone who knows proper etiquette!"
After repelling me with his greatsword, he stepped back to avoid the follow-up attack.
"Caliban, I pay my respects to you in my name. You are stronger than any human I've ever met!"
...It stings a little, but what can I do?
I'll have to let him believe that.
I felt that this would probably be the final blow.
Caliban was breathing roughly, showing slight signs of fatigue, and I could feel the strength in my lower body running out too.
I should do some strength training when I get back.
My muscular endurance is too weak like this.
"Hyaaah!"
I also ran towards Caliban, who was charging at me with a battle cry.
Whoosh! Thwack!
The two of us crossed paths and stood motionless.
In that fleeting moment of passing...
"Y-You."
"..."
"It's not a reproach since the match is already decided... but to think someone like you would also crave strong power."
Caliban spoke in a strained voice.
At first, I didn't understand what he meant, but I could nod in agreement when I saw something growing on the surface of my fist.
Something like tree branches had grown sharply.
"Ugh..."
Caliban seemed to have stiffened up and fell, unable to move.
The only being capable of doing this...
"Why are you dragging it out? It's a paralysis poison, so he probably won't die. Isn't it better to end it quickly?"
The Gardener said that and immediately withdrew the thorns she had laid on my hand.
After using the Party Flute a few times, has it become possible for the Outer Gods to directly transfer just a part of their power to me?
But I sent a dissatisfied aura to the Gardener.
"...? No, why? You had essentially already won. I just did it in case of any unexpected situations, to prevent you from getting hurt..."
Such an Outer God who doesn't understand romance.
As you said, I probably would have won, but how could you interfere in a man's fight!
Hmph!
"W-What? Wait..."
I could no longer hear the Gardener's voice.
Because I decided to ignore it on purpose.
"Phew..."
It was a heart-pounding, cool fight after a long time.
Why are tears flowing a little?
"...It was a good fight, Caliban. I apologize for my rudeness."
As I quietly murmured that, was it just my imagination that a smile seemed to appear on Caliban's stiffened face?
"Subordinate."
"Master."
After paying my respects to Caliban, I saw the fallen troops and Homen around us.
"You've worked hard, Master."
"It was nothing. I just made him cry his eyes out as he wanted."
As expected.
I had two powerful allies remaining.
And now, they're strong enough to match even Greater Outer Gods.
"Mr. Tanton, are you alright?"
"Yeah, somehow."
Muyeon also came running after hitting the head of one of the remaining troops with the flat side of her toy axe.
...Oh, it seems like that soldier's eyes rolled back a bit.
He's not dead, right?
Y-Yeah.
It was surely meant to be a capture alive situation.
Hmm.
...I've lost count of how many times I've thought I shouldn't mess with Muyeon.
"Now let's go in. With this many people here, something grand must have been happening inside."
"Yes, Master."
"Okay."
After achieving such an overwhelming victory, Muyeon, myself, and White Mask moved towards the mysterious room.