“Sogou Ayaka and the Takao Sisters are allowed to act independently without unconditionally sticking to meeting up with the others, moving towards achieving our goals based on your own judgment.”

Recalling Touka’s instructions, my mind went into overdrive.

Currently, I haven’t met up with anyone yet.

Should I prioritize meeting up with the others and retreat here for now?

No, if I were to attempt to retreat here……

Would Vysis just let me go?

(Or perhaps, should I————-)

——just defeat Vysis here?

Me?

Can I really…… defeat Vysis?

In the first place———

Why is Vysis here?

That’s strange.

She shouldn’t have———–

[……Eh?]

Vysis suddenly plunged into the nearby corridor.

(She’s escaping?)

That reaction when we encountered earlier……

It was as if encountering me was something she didn’t expect.

No……

Maybe that surprised reaction was also a trap?

Is she trying to lure me somewhere?

What——– should I do now?

Well……

[<Silver———

I chose to pursue.

[———–World>!]

Manifesting my Silver Horse, I rode on it and rushed forward.

At the same time———- I released my limiter.

Holding my spear, I lowered my head and leaped into the corridor where Vysis had fled.

(She’s fast! However……!)

I closed my eyes.

Focusing my nerves on my hearing, I sharpened my ears……

Discerning the sound of the wind———-, ………….

(Even if these walls absorb sound…… The footsteps…… Their presence…… It may be faint, but I can still follow her……!)

The sound in the nearby area hasn’t completely disappeared.

Turning the curve like I’m drifting, I pursued Vysis.

I can only grasp bits and pieces from the surroundings, but this might be a back alley off the main street.

(I must also consider the possibility of this being a trap to lure me in……!)

[ ! ]

There, I saw it.

Vysis’ back.

The place I arrived at had a rather wide space.

This place…… was this originally a plaza for people to relax in?

I could see a fountain corroded in the labyrinth’s white.

The part where water should come out was blocked, and the water had stopped.

Those aside, with Vysis in sight———– I threw my spear.

While turning around, Vysis transformed her right arm into a whip-like shape and deflected my spear.

Vysis half-rotated to face forward, stopping while dragging her fingertips on the ground.

Then, facing my way, she took a stance.

[Fufu, my oh my…… If it isn’t the traitor Sogou-san. You seem livelier than I thought———–, …………., ————–, ————–!?]

As soon as Vysis took her stance though, I had already moved behind her back.

At the same time, my Unique Swords had already transitioned into an attacking state.

Sensing my movements, flustered, Vysis tried to turn around.

[Wait———]

But at the spot where I had originally should have been———

In front of Vysis, I had positioned my generated floating weapons.

In other words———– now behind her was me, and in front of her were my floating weapons.

(I won’t let you escape————)

————-DOGAAAAAAAAANNN————-

At that moment, a thunderous crash, reminiscent of a lightning strike, violently assaulted my eardrums.

[————–!?]

Between me and Vysis, something of immense mass collided with the ground.

The ground shook like thunder, shattering rocks.

At a staggering speed, “he” descended.

The shock of the impact exploded the cobblestones.

Fragments of the scattered cobblestones dance through the air.

And “he”———–

In a posture seemingly brandishing his arm like he’s going to unleash a hook punch, he appeared.

A thick white arm streaked with black cracks resembling fissures.

Subtle “pressure” swirling around his sinister arm, making the air around ominously tremble.

The trembling was akin to distant landscapes shimmering in a heat haze.

Almost simultaneously with the landing———– No.

Even before landing, the hook punch was already unleashed.

However, I somehow managed to evade it with a split-second footwork.

(……This colossal figure, this appearance———-)

Loqierra and Nyantan had seen “him” before.

From the characteristics I heard of, I could already speculate on who this “falling being” is.

His massive body, like a solid wax sculpture, stood there imposingly.

[Ahh, it’s you…… That S-Rank that apparently should have been broken.]

Wormungandr.

Vysis clasped her hands together, and with tears in her eyes, she expressed her gratitude.

[Ahh~~ You saved me~~ Worm-san! Uuuuu…… I truly believed you’d come for me! Thank you very much!]

With that, Vysis headed for another corridor……

[And so, I’ll leave the rest to you! I find dealing with this traitorous scum distasteful, you see♪ Ohohohohoho! You better remember this———- You shameless b*tch!]

Leaving behind what seemed to be a parting threat, she dashed away.

Even though I shot my floating weapons at her, all of them were deflected by Vysis.

The floating weapons lacked both attacking power and speed.

I did reflexively tried to chase after Vysis myself.

However, most of my gaze and consciousness———-

[……………….]

——couldn’t be taken away from this Divine Servant standing in my way.

(This enemy…… is different from the ones I’ve faced before…… Too different……! I can’t move…… If I were to show a single opening———– I’ll be done for……!)

Vysis had already vanished from the area.

(As expected, this really was a trap set to pull me towards the Divine Servant……?)

But as such a thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t help harboring some doubts.

(In that case, why won’t Vysis…… just cooperate with the Divine Servant here……?)

If they fought together, wouldn’t their chances of winning increase?

And yet, Vysis———– chose to flee.

Why?

[Gyehahaha…… For Vysis, who got her hands full at the moment, dealing with you is too much to handle.]

As if sensing my doubts, the Divine Servant guffawed.

(……No. Right now, I have to deal with this Divine Servant first. If I remember correctly, Wormungandr…… from what Loqierra mentioned, he’s a former Deity that’s troublesome as an opponent…… If that’s the case, what I should do here———-)

Vysis, as a Divine, was originally not someone suited for combat.

On the other hand, Wormungandr was apparently renowned for his overwhelming combat prowess.

“That was why Vysis must have been overjoyed to be able to retrieve Wormungandr, who was on the verge of vanishing.”

“He compensates Vysis’ weakness after all”, Loqierra said.

In other words, this opponent wasn’t someone I can take lightly at all in battle.

The Great Demon Emperor who I faced back then still seemed to be in the midst of growing.

One could say he was like an unpolished gem brimming with potential.

However, that isn’t the case with Wormungandr.

He was already a fully refined, perfected entity.

Someone who is already “complete”.

[……………….]

Among the enemies I had fought so far, this one was probably the strongest.

Taking a deep breath……

I used our unique breathing technique to bring myself into a deep “battle-ready” state.

The Divine Servant was looking off far into the distance———- yet leaving no openings———– He scratched his forehead with his index finger.

[Even so…… Gyehahaha…… This——– Is this for real? This thing is a Human, a Hero from Another World? This———-]

The golden eyes floating in Wormungandr’s dark eye sockets looked down towards me.

With the slight sneer plastered on his face, the white Divine Servant spoke.

————- [——–monster…….] ————-WHOOOSH!

My Unique Sword silently swung at godspeed in a horizontal slash aimed at Wormungandr.

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