The Life Blocks that Yoneko-san had scattered around amounted to around 10. All of those had finished shaping themselves up.

  But Yoneko-san cut them all up and made them disappear.

  There were times when she would use the Golems to attack and tried to cut them down together with Sasae-chan, but there were times when she would simply cut them down for no reason at all.

  It was clear that she was putting more importance in cutting down the Golems.

  “Stop it-dasu, Yoneko-neechan! Golems still be important-dasu yo!” (Sasae)

  “I don’t care about that~!” (Yoneko)

  It is as one-sided as always, but Sasae-chan was desperately objecting.

  “I don’t understand at all-dasu! Yoneko-neechan can win against me plenty enough without using such a hand like this-dasu! There be nothing as incomprehensible as petty tricks from the strong ones-dasu!!” (Sasae)

  “Sasae-chan, I be regretting it, ya know? That I shouldn’t have retired from being a hero.” (Yoneko)

  “Eh?”


  “If I had waited for one year before retiring as a hero -just one year more-, I would have been blessed with the chance of fighting Great Pillar-sama myself~. It be truly a shame. That’s why I have no choice but ta cut down the leftover Golems ta relieve myself~!” (Yoneko)

  The violent blade of hers had cut down another Golem.

  This was already Golem bullying in the guise of a match. That’s how much hate I felt from Yoneko-san towards the Golems.

  Why does she hold such hate?

  “.……Yoneko be the child of my fifth son and Sasae was the child of my eight daughter.” (Oba-san)

  “Huh?” (Haine)

  The Oba-san wearing the Earth Founder’s religious clothing speaks.

  “Both of them died.” (Oba-san)

  “Wa?!” (Haine)

  And she goes and says something even more shocking.

  Died? As in, the parents of both Sasae-chan and Yoneko-san?

  “It be in the same accident. That day was the one year birthday of Sasae, ya see. Yoneko’s parents had gone to ask about the celebration. Of course, Yoneko went together with ‘em. At that time, that girl be ten years old. Me and other people from the church were planning to ask them later as well, but the accident occured before that.” (Oba-san)

  At that day, a big earthquake attacked a part of Ishtar Blaze, and a number of buildings collapsed.

  She said that Sasae-chan’s house was one of them. The family of Sasae-chan as well as the family of Yoneko-san, that had coincidentally visited them, were crushed by the falling house.

  “The only ones that survived were the young Sasae and Yoneko. We later learned that the earthquake be caused by the root of Great Pillar-sama that was trying ta obtain nutrition deeper underground.” (Oba-san)

  “That’s……” (Haine)

  “The location that shook be way too specific after all. And then, Yoneko began to hate Great Pillar-sama and the Golems that be related ta it. Since the time the incident occured, the two were raised by mah other children, but because of the hate Yoneko had towards the Golems, her relationship with others didn’t go well, ya see.” (Oba-san)

  The constantly smiling Yoneko-san had such a past.

  “Because of it, Yoneko got attached to the old me. And so, she naturally absorbed mah techniques, and became a scythe user that had no equal in Ishtar Blaze. With that ability, the one who pushed her ta be a hero was me. By becoming a hero and seeing the Golems helping out people from up-close, I thought that her spiteful attitude towards them would heal even if a little bit, ya see.” (Oba-san)

  “But……from what I can see……” (Haine)

  “Yeah. Even in the several years she worked as a hero, the hatred that took root inside her heart had not been pulled out. In the end, the heart of a human probably can’t be changed till death.” (Oba-san)

  While we were conversing, the fight was reaching its climax.

  The Golems had been reduced to the last one remaining and all the others had already had their Life Blocks cut down.

  Sasae-chan was standing in between Yoneko-san and the Golem as if trying to protect it from her.

  “Yoneko-neechan! Please stop it already-dasu! Stop the weird stuff and fight me seriously-dasu!” (Sasae)

  “Speaking big when ya can’t even make me go serious~. But everyone aside from me and Sobo-chan be all the same. Relying on something like Golems, they have forgotten to polish themselves.” (Yoneko)

  The scythe of Yoneko-san is pushed out towards Sasae-chan.

  “The reason why Sobo-chan called me here today be also to teach that to ya~. Sasae-chan, learn this. Golems won’t be born anymore. There be no point in a fighting style that relies on them~. From today on, ya should throw away your feelings for the Golems from the bottom of yer heart, and be reborn to a true earth hero like me and Sobo-chan~.” (Yoneko)

  “I already understand that-dasu!!” (Sasae)

  The whole body of Sasae-chan trembled.

  “But what Yoneko-neechan’s saying be mistaken-dasu!! The people of Ishtar Blaze have gotten this far together with the Golems-dasu. To forget that and throw away the Golems, that’s just ungratefulness-dasu yo!!” (Sasae)

  Sasae-chan’s stance in this won’t change no matter what.

  She believes in the Golems at all times and walks together with them.

  Even if she is betrayed by them or hated by others, that pure faithfulness towards the Golems, at times, overwhelms even me.

  “What a mysterious thing. Sasae and Yoneko have experienced the same accident, and yet, one hates Golems while the other loves them. They have walked completely contrary paths.” (Oba-san)

  The Earth Founder Oba-san speaks once again from beside me.

  “Ya may already know, but the houses in Ishtar Blaze were mostly made of transformed Golems. That be the same for the house that fell on the family of Sasae.” (Oba-san)

  “What are you trying to get at?” (Haine)

  “They be under a crumbling house, and yet, only Yoneko and Sasae were saved. Do ya know why? Because the Golems protected those two.” (Oba-san)

  Wa?

  Golems protected those two? What’s the meaning of that?

  “At that day, the Golem core that had given shape to the house of Sasae was unable to cope with the sudden earthquake. But, even if late, it was able to assimilate the falling rubble and managed to protect what be inside of it. The ones saved by this be those two.” (Oba-san)

  The Yoneko-san that was ten years old at that time was told to look after Sasae-chan who was still one year old.

  Their parents were at the kitchen to do the preparations for the celebration, and that was what sealed their fate.

  When the house fell,Yoneko-san apparently used her own body to protect Sasae-chan. But the rubble didn’t attack those two.

  Before that happened, the life block had assimilated the rubble and had reformed into a shelter that covered the two from above.

  That’s why, in that earthquake that had many deaths, those two didn’t have a single injury.

  What was mysterious is that the Golem, that can only perform the orders that have been written beforehand on the Life Block, had for some reason moved on its own in order to protect those two.

  “Even now, that reason be still unknown. But ya see, the only other way ta make a Golem obey orders aside from writing on the Life Block is to pour divine power on the level of a hero when ordering the Golem. Was it someone who ordered the Golem to do that by pouring divine power? That be also unknown……” (Oba-san)

  But the one thing that can be said is that……

  “Sasae, who was saved by the Golems when young, be truly the child loved by Golems. That talent, that disposition, it be something that won’t lose to anyone. That’s why that girl managed to become a hero at that young age. She wasn’t selected at that age just fer show!!” (Oba-san)

  Sasae-chan stands upright even when completely injured.

  “Yorishiro-sama!” (Sasae)

  And then, for some reason, she suddenly called the name of the Light Founder.

  “I be sorry but, the new technique that Yorishiro-sama taught me, I be displaying it here-dasu! This turned into a fight that I definitely must not lose-dasu! This time, I be truly clashing against ya with mah all-dasu!!” (Sasae)

  A new technique taught by Yorishiro?!

  What is the meaning of this? Now that I think about it, it seems like Sasae-chan and Yorishiro have been hitting it off lately and she has begun to teach her, but……what in the world did Yorishiro teach her?

  It is not forbidden knowledge that is too soon for humans to know, right?!

  “Wa~u!!”


  *Clank!!*

  Sasae-chan suddenly pierced the lower end of the earth scythe Seeta onto the stone floor.

  “We earth heroes might look like we be simply swinging around our scythes, but in reality, it be different-dasu! Mah divine tool Seeta as well as yer earth scythe Magdala already have earth divine power flowing in ‘em-dasu!” (Sasae)

  “Right. Because of this divine power, the earth scythe always maintains the best sharpness. The blade be as thin as hair, and the toughness surpasses steel. On top of that, adding resistance to its core, it will never break. A high level user can turn it light as a feather, and just right at the moment it be going ta cut the objective, turn it several tens of times heavier. Even if it ends up breaking, it automatically restores ta its original state.” (Yoneko)

  All of those feats are possible because it is earth divine power.

  From the five elements, the earth divine power is said to be the one that is the best for close combat.

  “However, the divine tools are obviously not the only things ya can pour earth divine power into. To be blunt, as long as it be solid, anything be okay-dasu! Moreover, if we were to change the composition of a matter with the intent of using it as disposable……!” (Sasae)

  Sasae-chan takes out the handle of the scythe that was stabbed onto the floor.

  “[Transmutation]!” (Sasae)

  But the scythe wasn’t simply pulled out. At the lower end of the handle that was buried in the floor, there was something that wasn’t there before sticking onto it.

  A chain.

  Sasae-chan’s scythe had become a sickle and chain?!

  “By pouring divine power amplified by the earth scythe into the ground and stone, ya created the form of a chain huh. It be true that Golem users be good at that~.” (Yoneko)

  “Just cutting and sticking ain’t the only specialties of us earth heroes-dasu! Guts~~!!” (Sasae)

  The chain end, that was turned around with force and gained momentum, flies straight towards Yoneko-san.

  The counterweight that was sticking onto the end of the chain should be of the same hardness than the ones used normally. If you were to hit someone with that and at that speed, a part of your body would get blown away.

  “A naiveness that makes me want ta puke~.” (Yoneko)

  But Yoneko-san had read the trajectory of the chain’s counterweight completely and cut the chain with her earth scythe Magdala.

  About a human length size was cut off from the chain counterweight and flew into the air.

  “If pouring divine power into a random pebble ya find around can become plenty enough power, there would be no need for a special divine tool to begin with, ya know~. Such a hastily made weapon will only serve to buy time. Ya telling me that be the technique ya learned from the Light Founder-sama?” (Yoneko)

  “I still haven’t shown ya everything-dasu!” (Sasae)

  I could tell that Sasae-chan poured more divine power to her chain via the earth scythe Seeta. By doing this, the part of the chain that was cut off transformed into a weight counterweight again as it attacks Yoneko-san.

  “Wa?!”


  If I were to put an example, it would be like a snake that had its neck cut off and soon grew its head back to attack you.

  Moreover, it was at close range. Even so, Yoneko-san who is the most adept in close combat managed to avoid it at the very last moment.

  “That gave me cold sweat~.” (Yoneko)

  “It still ain’t over yet-dasu! The real objective is……!” (Sasae)

  The end of the chain, that had been cut by Yoneko-san just now and had already regrown thanks to the divine power supply of Sasae-chan, began to dance vigorously in a way that defied imagination and once again attacked Yoneko-san.

  “Hwaa?!”


  Yoneko-san who was continuously evading the continuous attacks had her posture crumble, and this time for sure, she couldn’t evade it.

  The chain that was cut off before coiled around her leg and made her fall grandly.

  “Even when it leaves the hands of the user, ya can still order it for a short period of time if ya have poured divine power into it-dasu!!” (Sasae)

  “Gwu!! So ya were planning on having it cut off from the very beginning~!” (Yoneko)

  Sasae-chan wrapped more chains around Yoneko-san and bound her hands and legs.

  Yoneko-san doesn’t look like she can move a single finger anymore.

  “Splendid……be what I should say? Stopping mah movements like this, ya be thinking of finishing me off?” (Yoneko)

  “I won’t be falling for that-dasu! Even if ya were to have both yer hands and legs bound, Yoneko-neechan be the type ta bite off the windpipe of yer opponent with yer free mouth at the end-dasu!” (Sasae)

  “Tch, as expected of a relative, ya can see right through me~~.” (Yoneko)

  Was she really going for that?

  Then, if you were to think that you had stolen the freedom of movement from all her body and get closer to her…… Scary!!

  “.……Sorry to say but, from the very beginning, I been thinking of stopping the movements of Yoneko-neechan-dasu.” (Sasae)

  Huh?

  “Mah divine power is still slow in output, and it takes times to send the necessary divine power ta the earth and stones. That be why I can’t use it in actual combat, be what Yorishiro-sama told me to stop me from using it-dasu. But counting the time I was swinging the chain around, I had poured plenty enough divine power into the floor-dasu!” (Sasae)

  The feet of Sasae-chan made a *crack* *crack* sound.

  What is going to happen?

  “.……This feels……bad~!!” (Yoneko)

  Yoneko-san must have felt the danger as well. She tried her best to struggle and get out of the chains.

  It took her around 5 seconds to free herself from the chains.

  Yoneko-san desperately ran towards Sasae-chan after that, but……

  She didn’t make it in time.

  A hand had suddenly come out from the floor and obstructed the charge of Yoneko-san.

  “Wa?!”


  Surprised, Yoneko-san made a sudden brake.

  The hand that appeared was truly gigantic. To the point that it would easily be able to grab Yoneko-san whole.

  And that arm seemed to be made up of some sort of mineral.

  Stone and earth that had been transmuted by the earth divine power.

  “Show yerself-dasu! Earth Giant that has taken form with my divine power!” (Sasae)

  An earth giant appeared from the floor.

  It was all transmuted from the divine power of Sasae-chan and taken form.

  That build was gigantic, truly gigantic.

  It is a lot bigger than any of the Golems I have met until now. And from this, I could tell the amount of divine power Sasae-chan has to even be able to create something like this.

  “You had this much divine power capacity, Sasae-chan?!!” (Haine)

  I heard that Karen-san had abnormal amounts divine power, but isn’t Sasae-chan surpassing that by a lot more?

  The Earth Founder was speaking about something regarding that, and the reason why Yorishiro decided to teach her might have been because she saw through that ability of hers.

  “This be a Golem?! Ain’t this a Golem?!” (Yoneko)

  Yoneko-san was shaking in fear.

  “A Golem without a Life Block?! Ya telling me an earth hero has created a Golem out of earth divine power transmutation only?!” (Yoneko)

  No, before that, to even manage an accurate human shape with the earth transmutation method…… The body has one of the most complicated structures in the surface world. And even if it is a super simplified version made for an earth Golem, to create a human image, wouldn’t it require elaborate ability to the point that it could snap a blood vessel in your brain?

  And yet, this thing that Sasae-chan has created……! If I were to describe Golems as simple humanoid shaped, the one right before my eyes is the very definition of a human.

  A human; a goddess statue with the form of a beautiful woman.

  “This be the fruits of Yorishiro-sama’s teachings-dasu!” (Sasae)

  Sasae-chan was riding on the shoulder of the Goddess Golem that she herself had created.

  She then jumped down onto the ground.

  “I be fighting together with the substitute Golem I created. This be the new fighting style of the earth hero Sasae-dasu! Yoneko-neechan! Prepare-dasu!” (Sasae)

  There was still one Golem of Yoneko-san remaining on the stage.

  The humbly made Goddess Golem of Sasae-chan easily crushed it.

  Confirming the safety of the Life Block that remained, Sasae-chan carefully puts it away.

  “Now then, Yoneko-neechan! It be time to fight once again-dasu! I won’t be stepping back one bit-dasu yo!” (Sasae)

  Sasae-chan challenges Yoneko-san straight with the Goddess Golem at her back.

  Not fighting while hiding in the shadow of the Golem, but simply going to fight herself and let it join. That’s why her grandma took her in as her disciple and taught her the use of a giant scythe.

  She is trying to obtain a battle style that is not similar to anyone else’s.

  “Yoneko-neechan! I be beginning an awesome party-dasu! Yoneko-neechan?” (Sasae)

  The Yoneko-san in question was completely spaced out while looking up.

  She is staring intently at the Goddess Golem that Sasae-chan made.

  “Sasae-chan, this appearance……where did ya learn of it?” (Yoneko)

  “Eh? Ya talking about the appearance of this Golem-dasu ka? I don’t know-dasu yo. When I randomly made one, it ended up this way-dasu. Inspiration-dasu.” (Sasae)

  The appearance of the Golem that Sasae-chan created can be called a beauty.

  Different from the one that is born out of a Life Block, this one was the very definition of completion. The figure itself is exactly that of a human.

  It is as if the sculpture of a talented artist had received life just like that……or more like, the motif is that of a beautiful woman of……bountiful chest.

  Why did Sasae-chan unconsciously create an appearance like this?

  “Well, that be of no importance right now-dasu! From now on, we will be hunting each other’s life-dasu! I be showing ya the evolution of the hero Sasae-dasu!” (Sasae)

  Sasae-chan was talking big, but as expected, Yoneko-san was still spaced out.

  And then……

  “I give up~.” (Yoneko)

  She suddenly said this.

  “This match, it be fine with my loss~. I can’t fight anymore~.” (Yoneko)

  “Eeeeeeeeeh?!!!”


  The one who was the most surprised by this declaration was her opponent, Sasae-chan.

  “What be the meaning of this-dasu?! That ain’t something fitting of Yoneko-neechan-dasu yo! Yoneko-neechan be the type that would bite the windpipe of someone even if she were to be left with only her head, ain’t that right?!” (Sasae)

  “That be quite the thing yer saying about me~. But ya see, being shown this figure, my poisonous nature was all taken out~.” (Yoneko)

  Yoneko-san once again says as she looks up at the Goddess Golem.

  “Just what be going on-dasu? What in the world did I create-dasu ka?” (Sasae)

  “Seeing that ya haven’t noticed at all, it truly must have been unconscious huh~. Look properly, Sasae-chan.” (Yoneko)

  Saying that, Yoneko-san held Sasae-chan’s body and made her face the Goddess Golem.

  “That’s yer mother~.” (Yoneko)

  “Mother?! Mah mother was a stone Golem-dasu ka?!” (Sasae)

  “No no no, that ain’t what I mean. I am saying that this Golem be identical to yer mother~.” (Yoneko)

  Eh?

  “Mother? The mother that died when I be a baby-dasu ka?!” (Sasae)

  “From that reaction, I can see that ya really didn’t know~. Furue-neesan ain’t only the mother of Sasae-chan, she was also an earth hero. She retired with marriage in mind and gave birth to ya, Sasae-chan. And then, that accident occurred.” (Yoneko)

  The earthquake caused by the root of Grandma Wood. Because of that, the house collapsed and Sasae-chan’s and Yoneko-san’s parents were crushed beneath the rubble.

  “Ya see, even now, I still think about it~. Why did the Golem that was serving as the house protect Sasae-chan and I? Furue-neesan was a Golem user too in her active days. Right before she was crushed by the rubble, maybe she managed to send divine power to order the Golem.” (Yoneko)

  ‘Protect my daughter’.

  The feelings of the mother that wanted to protect her daughter even when in front of her own death is what made the Golem move.

  “We don’t know what actually happened. No matter how good of a Golem user ya are, sending an order to a distant life block with no divine tool be next to impossible. Maybe Sasae-chan, who was born with talent from the very beginning, unconsciously ordered the Golem ta protect herself. But……” (Yoneko)

  Yoneko-san walks to a different direction. She holds her own baby that was being taken care of by the Earth Founder Oba-san.

  “I be a mother myself now. That’s why, the amount of times I think about what Sasae-chan and mah parents were feeling at that time has increased. In that past, I only be thinking that I hate Great Pillar-sama who took away my important people, and hated the Golems that were in the same league. I could only think about that.” (Yoneko)

  Yoneko-san embraces the baby that she endured pain to give birth to.

  “This hatred won’t ever disappear. The people of Ishtar Blaze be all stubborn after all~. But ya see, today, at this moment, seeing the Furue-neesan that be trying ta protect her own child even as a sculpture, I felt as if I had been scolded~.” (Yoneko)……

  “‘Ya have already become a mother, and yet, ya can only think about yerself?’, be what I feel she telling me. Even if I will be hating Golems for the rest of mah life, I can’t be showing this figure of mine to my children. It be painful to be seen as an ‘unsightly mother’ by yer own kids, ya know?” (Yoneko)

  “Yoneko-neechan……” (Sasae)

  “Sasae-chan, ya went through the same experience as me, and yet, didn’t end up hating the Golems. I thought it be because ya were too small to remember anything……but it might have been a bit different. Yer loved by the Golems, ya know? That, or……by the soul of Furue-neesan that is inside the Golems.” (Yoneko)

  The Goddess Golem that was transmuted with difficulty had ended up not having a moment to shine.

  Sasae-chan once again looks at that figure.

  “This be my mother-dasu ka?” (Sasae)

  In Ishtar Blaze where the ethereal development was slowed because of the Golems, there were no accessible tools to easily leave records like those of photographs.

  It is indeed possible for this to be the first time Sasae-chan has seen her own mother.

  While this was happening, Yoneko-san speaks with her grandma.

  “Hey Sobo-chan, stop crying and look properly~. It be a long time since ya have seen the figure of yer daughter, ya know?” (Yoneko)

  “Shat up! I ain’t crying-sa ne!” (Oba-san)

  Ah, and here I thought she had suddenly fallen silent.

  “But Sobo-chan truly is ill-natured~. Ya weren’t only thinking about ripening Sasae-chan with this fight, ya were thinking of doing that with me as well. Thanks ta that, it might be possible for me ta become a better mother~.” (Yoneko)

  Rather than adhering to hatred, Yoneko-san noticed that she should be teaching her beloved child.

  Sasae-chan has unconsciously fostered a mother.

  The earth heroes match ended with an unexpected mood.

  “Now then, referee Nii-chan, please close it~.” (Yoneko)

  “Hm?”


  “Weren’t ya listening to what I said before? I surrendered, ya know? In that case, there only be one thing ta do~.” (Yoneko)

  Right. I am the referee right now, so there’s one thing I gotta do.

  Bring an end to the match.

  “Third match, due to the surrender of the previous hero side, the current heroes team -Gonbee Sasae- wins!!” (Haine)

  “Wait!”


  A broadcast suddenly rang together with an ear piercing sound.

  This voice is……!

  “A surrender is not allowed. You are ordered to continue the match!”