I swing my sword and take distance from the blazing column of fire.

  I raised my face and saw the stunned Brunhilde who’s watching the burning Hastur behind me.

  「You must be tired. Good job S rank.」


  I joked around and said that as I tap Brunhilde’s shoulder but the petrified state of Brunhilde did not change.

  She’s probably so surprised that I singlehandedly overwhelmed an enemy that the ten of them are fighting but in fact, I’m pretty much surprised too.

  Frankly speaking, I only asked them to buy time and if possible, confine the enemy.

  I never thought that Brunhilde will be able to blow away the upper half of Hastur.

  This situation is worthy of admiration.

  I have seen Brunhilde blowing away Hastur’s body but her level was too low to fight against strong enemies.

  To show my appreciation to everyone, I treated their injuries and went back to the city to eat together.

  This is a lunch break since we defeated two Hastur this morning.

  Delicious meals were served at the tavern and there’s also a small amount of alcoholic beverages. Everyone’s face is bright and everyone is conversing too.

  「As expected of Ren-sama. Subjugating the evil god just like that.」


  I’m telling Brunhilde how I defeated the first Hastur. They don’t understand my fighting capability so I had to explain every single bit of the fight.

  Rihanna is amazed and nods with a smile.

  「Truly amazing. It’s exactly the battle of gods.」


  When Rihanna says so, some people make agreeable responses.

  Meanwhile, Oguma, who took off his skull helmet, groaned with a difficult face.

  「…After this, there are two more Hastur. We must discover them as soon as possible and subjugate them….the imperial army, including the saint army, is approaching.」


  「Yes but, to fight with such an opponent twice this day, terrible. Why don’t we do it tomorrow?」


  「That’s not good. If we can defeat it today, let’s do it today……」


  Ataratte and Marina said such things as response from Oguma’s words.

  I nodded and drank the fruit wine. The sweet, sour, with a little bit of bitterness make a good taste.

  While I’m drinking the fruit wine, everyone awaited my order.

  I put the glass on the table and I opened my mouth.

  「Now, two more Hastur. Let’s assume and beat it.」


  When I said that, everyone replied.

  Unexpectedly, Hastur was quickly found.

  An hour after the search resumed.

  The mercenaries found them near a forest on the opposite side of the city where we found the first two this morning.

  It seems like the mercenaries are searching for us a while ago.

  We rushed to the site as soon as we received the report. On that place, Hastur is already casting magic.

  The magic is directed to the mercenaries.

  Looking at it, the mercenaries already partially collapsed. They are already screaming and scattering like spiders.

  Hastur casted magic there. A pillar of black light sprang from the ground and went up.

  Four mercenaries are swallowed by that light.

  「Hiihh ahh…」


  The mercenaries physically dissolve. They died without even being able to scream.

  Sherry held her breath to that spectacle.

  Apparently, one mercenary group seem to have started the battle.

  We must attract Hastur or else the damage will spread further.

  When I was about to move, Hastur, who’s back is facing the nearby forest and seems to prey on someone nearby, changed the direction it’s looking at and turned to us accidentally.

  「Evade to the side!」


  As I yelled that to the mercenaries who are on the way between me and Hastur. I cast magic.

  「Flare nova」


  When I shouted so, a pillar of fire rose intermittently on the ground and headed to Hastur.

  Hastur did not feel threatened from the pillar of flame and let the conflagration as it is.

  The flame of conflagration shrank and condensed then stroke in a dash.

  Intense sound of shock and detonation roared around successively.

  Though the mercenaries were desperately running to escape, the aftereffect of the spell blown them off. I disregarded them and quickly approached Hastur with my sword.

  I instinctively hit it with a high tier magic.

  Though it was nice to hit it with magic, that magic burnt Hastur’s whole body.

  When Hastur loses its temporary body, it completely goes to battle mode. It becomes a very troublesome existence.

  Therefore, I should let it eat my five attacks before it fights out with all it has.

  「Fuh!」


  I swing the sword to the Hastur whose body is wrapped in black smoke. After the slash, a tremendous amount of heat blows up because of the additional effect of the longsword of flame prison.

  And I swing the sword again while using my barrier to prevent the heat wave.

  From the outside, it seems like a scene of hell where fire pillar sprouts constantly.

  ….three, four, five.

  I hit Hastur five times and quickly took a distance.

  I chantlessly set up a as strong as possible barrier.

  Immediately afterwards, my barrier was destroyed by a vibration.

  I looked at the black light that came from the black smoke that grows wider and set up my sword.

  「It completed its transformation after all.」


  Appearing from the black smoke was countless of tentacles that barely retains its human figure.

  Its appearance is really creepy. It looks like wiggling snakes in a human shape.

  Hastur walks towards me and swings its left and right arms.

  All of Hastur’s tentacles are moving towards me at an unstoppable speed from the left, right, up, and down direction at once.

  Then, Hastur’s tentacles broke from the ground where I was standing.

  It seems like Hastur’s foot digs up the ground.

  「This is the reason why it’s a troublesome enemy.」


  I run diagonally while complaining.

  Hastur’s tentacles are continuously stretching.

  「Shii!」


  I exhaled sharply and faced the tentacles moving towards me and set up a barrier for protection against magic.

  Then, I slashed Hastur twice. I used the additional effect flame to take some distance.

  I repeated that tactic until I defeated Hastur.

  Though I never expected to find three of Hastur’s body earlier than expected, we were not able to find the last Hastur.

  Two days later.

  The situation I wanted to avoid happened.

  Five thousand imperial forces including the saint army arrived.

  The advance party of the imperial forces that came to the east without difficulty and met my large group of mercenaries.

  However, I told the mercenaries to let them pass so the army entered the city undamaged.

  I tried to find the last Hastur while trying not to be found by the imperial army. Apparently, I was informed that the second and third groups of the imperial army are approaching the city successively.

  「…Can I do something about this?」


  I mutter so in a hotel room Brunhilde rented.

  I can leave the imperial troops to the mercenaries but we can’t do anything against the saint army.

  This is the crucial moment.

  ********************