Preparing for battle, Almodeus went to the camp previously used by Hardshell, which had meanwhile been transformed into a two-story mini-fortress in honor of the Absolute Lord's visit. Once inside the main hall, Sergio appeared from one of the adjacent rooms and bowed briefly to his master.

  "Welcome back, Lord Almodeus! I apologize for the precarious conditions of this place!"

  "It's not a problem, I like the style..."

  The demon replied, sitting on a throne specially assembled for him. It wasn't as comfortable as his office chair, but he'd make do. After all, his servants had taken the trouble to set it up especially for him.

  "Do we know anything about Shaco?"

  He asked Sergio, who had sat at the table in front of the throne.

  "Nothing new. There's no sign of the orcs!"

  The subordinate replied, shaking his head.

  "Curious..."

  "If I may offer my opinion, I believe they were all taken to the troll base, in the mountains north of the forest. There is no other place capable of holding so many individuals."

  "I agree, Sergio. Don't we have any additional information?"

  "Unfortunately, no. We have gained nothing from the minds of the orcs and trolls you killed. Furthermore, Ryu seems to know no more than he told Mistress Almodea, however—"

  Sergio stopped suddenly, as if he'd remembered something on the spot. He snapped open his jacket and pulled out some notes, reviewing them carefully.

  "Anything interesting?"

  Almodeus was growing curious. He was still tired from the previous days' workload, but the impending battle against the trolls and lizardmen was amusing him greatly. It was a nice change from his normal routine.

  "Yes! It seems that Shen, the Oni leader that Mistress Almodea saved, mistook your daughter for one of them. Same thing happened with Shaco."

  That statement made the Absolute Lord raise a confused eyebrow.

  "One of them? What are you getting at?"

  "It seems that the Troll King is aided by a demon named Gerud, something Ryu also confirms. However, this mysterious Gerud is not necessarily the only demon involved!"

  Almodeus nodded at those words. In their world, it was not uncommon for demons to collaborate with each other to gain power. The place they were in had different rules, but some things remained the same.

  "That would explain everything. I admit that meeting the demons of this world could be dangerous, but also instructive."

  "I agree, Lord Almodeus!"

  Sergio replied, carefully checking his notes.

  He really made a mark on a lot of things. I too would risk forgetting my own skills if I didn't have an enhanced memory.

  How he envied his tireless subordinate. Perhaps he could have offloaded some of the work while he relaxed, but that would have seemed rather disrespectful, given that Sergio was putting in so much effort—not to mention that he was already working on several future projects.

  “Anyway, according to Ryu and Shen, Mistress Almodea is more powerful than Gerud. It's just a guess with no empirical basis, but this should give us a modicum of confidence, knowing we're stronger.”

  Almodeus nodded and remained silent. His subordinate's words reminded him of Gurd's comparison earlier. It was clear that they were far more powerful than the beings of that world, but that didn't mean they could let their guard down. Perhaps there were some individuals capable of posing a danger even to them.

  "You're right, Sergio. Anyway...I think we should leave this discussion for another time. The fight will begin soon, and I want to enjoy it! But keep your guard up; I want total surveillance!"

  Sergio nodded and stood up, giving a short bow.

  "As you wish, Lord Almodeus!"

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  In one of the camp's rooms, Hardshell was kneeling on all fours, with Frederica sitting on his back, cleaning her claws. It was the result of losing the bet against her.

  "Hey, Frederica! How long do I have to be your chair?"

  "You didn't specify, but I'd say until you have to go into battle."

  The robot sighed and tried to think of ways to pass the time. Now that he was in that situation of near-equality, he might as well try to get to know his servant better. Maybe he could understand why she was so aggressive towards him.

  "How are things going lately, Frederica? Is the organic baby okay?"

  "Yes, Lila is doing great! She spends a lot of time with Yuko and works with her. I don't get to see her much, given my duties."

  "Hey, want to make another bet?"

  The she-wolf stopped cleaning her claws and turned to the drone, visibly confused by the sudden change of subject. She wasn't surprised, though—the other had repeatedly demonstrated his inability to keep an attention span.

  "Let's hear..."

  "If I win the fight with the lizardmen, I'll use you as a chair!"

  Frederica blushed suddenly at those words and slapped Hardshell's mechanical back head.

  "Fuck you! Have you lost your mind, you idiot?! I couldn't survive under your weight!"

  "Okay, okay! So let's say this: if I win the fight you treat me nicely for a day; If I lose... I'll do whatever you want for a month, deal?"

  Frederica thought about it and finally nodded.

  "Okay, fine. You must be really confident to offer me such a risky deal."

  “Of course! I may not be able to do much, but I can fight well!”

  “It's not something to be very proud of...”

  It was at that moment that Morello entered the room without knocking. It was a habit of his, after all- aside from C, Almodea, and Hirashi- there were usually no women at Fear Tower, and he wasn't exactly the type to wait for permission to enter a room.

  "Hardshell, Lord Almodeus wants to see you and-"

  The robot fell silent when he saw the two in that awkward pose. He gave a confused look, then rubbed his visual sensors, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Having determined that it wasn't an illusion caused by a malfunction in his cerebral cortex, Morello shrugged.

  "Um...am I interrupting something? Should I tell Lord Almodeus you're busy? I mean...I-"

  Frederica blushed suddenly with embarrassment and hid her face with the skirt of her maid's dress, while Hardshell burst out laughing. He found it all funny, for some reason.

  "Nahhh! I got it! This is just a losing bet."

  "Okay. I won't tell anyone what I saw, also because no one would believe me..."

  With that, Morello closed the door and left, leaving an embarrassed Frederica and an amused Hardshell alone in the room.

  "Can I get up?"

  "Shut up, you idiot!!!!!"

  Hardshell felt another blow to the back of his head, but he didn't complain- after all, he had lost a bet.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  22nd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 8:30 PM

  Sunset came in a flash.

  The swamp water had returned to its natural color, as if it had never been tainted by that mysterious black liquid unknown to the lizardmen, and the giant hand had returned to the deep abysses of despair from which it had arisen. All their soldiers were arrayed there, before the village gates. After the battle a few days earlier, little more than ten thousand of the original eighteen thousand soldiers remained, and about a thousand had still not recovered from the clash with the undead army.

  There were seven thousand two hundred and thirty-six warriors capable of fighting, but only two thousand thirty-two were actually deployed to the front.

  "The enemy is outnumbered! If there are too many of us, we'll just get in each other's way!"

  These were Tiberio's words, and no one contradicted him; the explanation was logical, after all. But the truth wasn't all there. Tiberio, despite his image as a perfect warrior and an unwavering commander, had already understood that their chances of victory were slim—if not entirely nonexistent—which is why he had decided to bring as few warriors as possible. Only adults were recruited, leaving the young men safe behind the walls...hoping they truly were.

  Druso stood at the forefront, observing the army of skeletons, which still stood there, static and motionless, as if they were merely puppets placed in that pose for show, which was probably not far from the truth. There was still no sign of the monster called Hardshell.

  He wondered what he might look like. He couldn't be an undead; that would have been too obvious. He trembled at the thought of how powerful he was. If his master had sent him to fight alone against an entire army, then he must possess terrifying power. He imagined a warrior similar to Hirashi in height and musculature, armed to the teeth and with a murderous gaze, whose strength would be apparent at first glance, like that of the gigantic messenger.

  A loud splash was heard behind the pensive Druso.

  "Hey, Druso!"

  Kan greeted the vagabond with his usual confident air. How he envied him for his ability to be himself even when he was headed for certain death.

  "Hello, Kan! Ready to fight?"

  "Always! And what about you?"

  "Me too...I can't back out anymore."

  Druso's words held a hidden meaning. Lulu had exhausted herself casting buffing spells on him and was now unconscious in her hut, guarded by two soldiers at Tiberio's request. Druso couldn't disappoint her—he didn't want to.

  "Now I understand what my brother is going through, you know?"

  He muttered, earning a confused look from Kan.

  "Huh? What does Tiberio have to do with it?"

  "He's here at the front, with a wife and unborn child waiting for him at home. Now he's no longer the only one with loved ones to fight for."

  "What do you mean?"

  Druso snorted. He wanted to avoid saying that out loud, it was something that already weighing on his heart, especially at a time like this. However, Kan's naiveté in these matters was starting to irritate him, not to mention that he had to tell someone; it would be a weight off his chest before the end.

  "Lulu is pregnant...and the baby is mine."

  "Whaaaaaaat?! Congratulations, buddy!"

  The monk gave him a firm pat on the back and smiled. It was clear he didn't understand the vagabond's pain, but he couldn't be blamed. Kan had a different outlook on life, and Druso couldn't expect him to suddenly put himself in his shoes.

  "Thank you. Sorry if I don't celebrate, but knowing I'll never see my son is devastating."

  "I can understand you! I'm just trying to cheer you up! You know...friends do that."

  Druso smiled at him. He'd been wrong about Kan: he understood him—he just had a different way of showing it and approaching the situation accordingly. He was truly happy to have met such a man and to have become his friend, as well as his faithful comrade in battle.

  "Thanks again. I really appreciate it!"

  His gaze shifted to his brother, who was busy talking to Sakka and Shark; how much he admired him. Druso had never understood why Tiberio had always considered himself inferior to him; it was obvious which of the two was superior. However, he could understand the feeling of being inadequate in the face of expectations. A heavy burden had been placed on the eldest Senshi's shoulders by that foolish Prince.

  "My brother is really great."

  He commented, slapping his tail on the ground.

  "Hmm? Tiberio? Yes! He's truly a living legend!"

  Kan retorted, crossing his arms and nodding.

  "He's a true leader! He's worried about his family, he knows he'll die and won't see his son born, but he's still capable of fighting and managing such a large number of soldiers. I'll never be his match..."

  Druso looked toward Lulu's hut and felt a pang in his heart. He wasn't ready to say her goodbye.

  "Warriors! With me!"

  Tiberio's shout drew attention to him and, with another battle cry, he began leading the soldiers out of the gates, where two Mud Elements, summoned by the druids present, awaited them. They wished they could summon more, but unfortunately, the shamans' magical energies had not yet recovered from the previous battle. Druso took one last look at Lulu's hut, then followed his brother and the other heroes to the front, leading the army toward the undead formation.

  The skeleton soldiers drew their swords as they approached, suggesting they were ready to attack them unexpectedly, but that was not the case. The undead began to bang their swords on their shields, not aggressively, but almost as if they were preparing to welcome someone. It was at that moment that several trees behind the army began to fall. Suddenly, the sound of very heavy footsteps became audible in the distance; something large was approaching.

  Anxiety slowly began to creep into the hearts of the lizardmen. How strong could someone be if it was capable of knocking down so many trees within a short distance of each other just by walking? Even Kan, who had been ready to die in battle since birth, was trembling—despite his efforts to hide it. At that moment, a huge boulder was hurled into the sky and landed just before the undead army, splitting in half on impact. The lizardmen took an involuntary step back. This was undoubtedly a show of strength from their adversary.

  Finally, the creature that had forced its way through the forest appeared. At the same time, the pounding on the shields suddenly ceased, without anyone having to give an order.

  Is he Hardshell?

  Druso's heart pounded at the sight of the colossus. Unconsciously, his breathing had quickened, and his tail had begun to twitch, as if it wanted to detach itself and run away without him. None of the lizardmen spoke. Everyone's attention was riveted on the creature that had appeared. They were so frightened they couldn't take their eyes off it.

  The colossus was about three meters tall and covered in dark metal. It had so much of it that it seemed to be made of that. Its armor was covered in numerous faded patches, resembling scars. If that was the case, then the monster had more of them than Tiberio, Druso, and Kan combined—symbols of past battles. The rock from before had most likely been hurled by its two sturdy arms, with clawed hands at the ends. Its head seemed to be encased in some sort of helmet, which revealed the characteristic face of a beast, complete with sharp teeth and blood-red eyes.

  There was something about those eyes that made him even more unsettling; they looked more like shards of glass, glowing endlessly red, than actual eyeballs—and the scar down the middle of his face didn't help make him any friendlier. The soldiers had begun to slowly retreat without realizing it. Whether they were warriors who had come with hope of victory still in their hearts or—like Druso and the other heroes—prepared to die, everyone had been profoundly shocked by the appearance of this monster of unimaginable power.

  I had sensed that Almodeus hadn't used his full power, but I never expected the warrior he sent to be so fearsome. He looks like a beast!

  Despite the courage boosted by Lulu's spells, Druso's heart was pounding. He tried to imagine how the others felt in that moment, without the magical enhancements he had received. He moved his gaze and tried to imprint the faces of those brave men in his memory: they were worthy, since they hadn't fled from fear itself.

  Hardshell advanced confidently and slowly passed the army of skeletons, his metal legs wading into the swampy waters, reaching for the boulder he had thrown earlier. It was then that he stopped and roared. The roar was so loud that the soldiers in the front line had to plant their feet to keep from flying away like leaves in the wind.

  Druso felt the colossus' gaze on him for some reason, and his anxiety increased further—especially when Hardshell began drooling, as if he were looking at the lizardmen as prey to be eaten.

  "Since Lord Almodeus is watching us, I say we give him a proper show! But first..."

  The colossus grabbed the pieces of the boulder and hurled them a little further forward, about twenty meters from the lizardmen formation.

  "...I hope you don't take offense, but after that point there is death! Anyone who crosses that threshold will face a no-holds-barred battle!"

  Hardshell roared, raising his right arm, as if to tell them:“The choice is yours .”

  "Nice guy! He'd make a great drinking buddy!"

  Kan commented, advancing toward the death line. He was the first to move, leading many others to follow.

  "Chief! We want to fight!"

  A voice caught everyone's attention, even Hardshell's, who was standing about thirty meters away. One of the young men who had been left at the walls had emerged, followed by a large crowd of conscripts.

  "What are you doing here?"

  Tiberio asked, approaching the boy with a couple of adults in tow.

  "We want to fight! Let us do it!"

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "No! Go back to the village! If you come, you will die with us!"

  "What are you saying? We can-"

  The young man was instantly silenced by a flick of the hero's tail, which stirred the water nearby.

  "Listen! Retreating isn't for cowards; I would do it too, but I can't! I'm the captain, and His Majesty has entrusted this army to me! If it were up to me, I'd fight alone, but I can't stop anyone who wants to fight for their King from doing so! Especially if they've traveled so far to be here."

  "But-"

  "However!"

  Tiberio interrupted the man again with yet another swipe of his tail. He stood tall and powerful in the face of the young men's stubbornness.

  "I cannot allow someone who has his whole life ahead to die here! It would be like sending His Majesty's people to the slaughter! So, you young people...please come back inside!"

  "That's right! We adults will take care of this!"

  One of the men beside the hero joined him, exchanging a nod of support and respect with the tribal chief. The young men, faced with such pressure, reluctantly nodded and retreated, allowing the rest of the soldiers to advance toward Hardshell, who had been watching the scene in silence. He could have attacked them in that moment of internal diatribe, but he didn't: this allowed him to earn a modicum of respect from the lizardmen.

  "Here we are, Hardshell! Sorry for the wait!"

  Hardshell simply shrugged, then extended his right hand, signaling his opponents to attack him.

  "CHARGE!"

  Tiberio roared, letting his soldiers outpace him. Normally, he too would have rushed into battle, but the plan Druso had devised required analyzing the enemy's capabilities before sending the Six Heroes into battle. If Tiberio were to die in the first moments of the battle, the army's morale would crumble beyond repair, as would each of the other heroes dead do as well.

  "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

  Ready to die for their homeland, the lizardmen let out a cry from the depths of their souls. It was a roar that seemed to rend the sky as they charged toward Hardshell.

  "Finally! Battle!"

  Excited beyond belief, the colossus dropped to all fours and charged toward the enemy's front line. When the two sides clashed, the fight began...or, more accurately, the massacre.

  "Ahhhh!"

  "Gwaaa!"

  The sight was horrifying. It looked as if the lizardmen soldiers were crashing into an indestructible wall. The colossus was merely waving its arms like an uncontrolled beast, but with each move it was killing about a dozen lizardmen.

  How do you beat a monster like that?!

  Druso swallowed a lump of saliva at the sight of the bloodbath. He hadn't expected the fight to be so one-sided. Hardshell was literally tearing his comrades apart and was completely unharmed: no matter how many attacked him, he seemed completely immune to pain. Their swords shattered against his metal armor, and the lizardmen's thick hide felt like papier-maché for Hardshell's claws.

  We can't win...

  It was a common thought for many. Indeed, after a few minutes of pure carnage, the soldiers stopped throwing themselves at the colossus and began to retreat, as if waiting for an opening or a sign that Hardshell was even slightly tired or damaged.

  "What's the matter? Is that all your fighting spirit is?"

  The metal colossus roared, lifting a corpse above his head and splitting it in two, roaring like a ravenous beast as the dead man's blood trickled down his throat. The message was clear to everyone: he wasn't the least bit tired, even after all that moving.

  The soldiers retreated further, terrified by this display of strength and cruelty. At that moment, it became clear that Hardshell hadn't been joking before: beyond the drawn line, there was only death. Some archers attempted to fire arrows, but those shattered upon contact with the colossus's bloody armor.

  How can we win against such a being?

  Druso asked himself, doing everything he could not to lose hope...if he hadn't already lost it.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "If you don't want to fight, then there's no point wasting time with you!"

  Hardshell raised his arms toward the lizardmen army. Two small mounted cannons protruded from his. Personally, he didn't like using the ranged weapons he had. However, he didn't want to annoy his master, who had most likely been watching them from the start.

  I respect their acceptance of death, but hesitating like this is unacceptable!

  "I hope you can forgive me, warriors..."

  He began firing his cannons. The soldiers in front of him were struck by spheres of blue energy, which had devastating effects on the poor infantrymen—losing limbs or causing instant death. Some tried to avoid them, others raised shields, but it was all in vain; the blanket bombardment made it virtually impossible for anyone to survive that kind of attack, especially in a swampy area without natural cover. Soon, the antiphon became clear: one hit, one dead.

  After a few minutes, the battlefield became a wasteland of battered corpses. Only five warriors remained standing—the strongest—but also the last ones brave enough to face Hardshell.

  "And you? What will you do? Will you fight or die?!"

  The colossus roared, taking a few steps forward.

  Come on! Choose the first one!

  In response to the taunt, Sakka took one of his arrows and fired it, aided by his enchanted bow, called Decisive Strike. It guaranteed a critical hit every third attack and increased damage if aimed at the head.

  "Great answer..."

  Hardshell smiled, seeing the arrow coming at him, and not only that- Shark also began to advance- brandishing his double-bladed sword. The armor he was wearing was one of the relics of the lizardmen, the White Shark, so named because it was obtained from the bones of a powerful shark that lived in the great lake of Nasus, in the southern area of the forest.

  Shark's advance was followed by two additional arrows: it was a respectable attack. However, it was futile, because...

  My Endoskeleton is totally immune to bullets like this one!

  ...Despite the bow's enhancements, the three arrows shattered against Hardshell's armor, leaving him completely unharmed. Sakka was both surprised and frightened. He had only now realized how highly resistant his enemy was- both physically and magically.

  "Guooooo!"

  With a desperate cry, Shark lunged at Hardshell, aiming for his head. The artillery had failed, but he was too exposed to retreat. The hero gripped his sword in his right hand and leaped forward. He intended to finish the fight with a single blow, knowing he wouldn't survive to have the luxury for a second one.

  "Yes! Come at me!"

  Despite being up against the most powerful armor the lizardmen had to offer, Hardshell simply raised his mighty arm and opened his clawed hand, sending it toward the hero. A simple movement, but with terrifying force behind it.

  A smooth sound cut through the air. If it hadn't been for the situation, it would have been delightful to the ears. With that noise, Shark's body and armor split in two, from head to tail, and fell to the ground like sheets of paper in the wind. Hardshell's claws were bloody, but not chipped at all—despite having just ripped through the lizard warriors' toughest armor with ease.

  The other Heroes seemed unfazed by their comrade's death; this kind of power was what they were expecting from the enemy. Two of them raised their weapons and executed a pincer attack. On the right, Kan advanced decisively, preparing a fist enhanced with Stone Skin— as well as his medallion—a relic given to him by his father. It was called Stone Will and increased physical strength and stamina.

  "Power Punch!"

  And on the left came Druso with the Lich Bane, ready to strike Hardshell on the side.

  "Yahhhh!"

  The attack had been planned with the expectation that the enemy would concentrate on only one of them at a time, not having time to strike both. But this was not the case.

  “W-What?!”

  "You're strong, lizardman..."

  Hardshell blocked the monk's punch with ease, his strong clawed hand stopped the other's fist. Kan's eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time anyone had surpassed him in physical strength by such a large margin. The difference between the two was abysmal.

  “...but not enough!”

  With a kick to the chest, Hardshell pushed Kan away, ripping his right arm off without hesitation.

  "Gwaaaaah!"

  As Kan's severed limb spurted blood everywhere, the mechanical behemoth moved with unimaginable speed, grabbing Druso's sword in its claws and locking it in its grip before the wanderer could even swing.

  "Nice sword! My brother Smaug collects them, you know? Maybe I'll give it to him as a gift..."

  "Shit!"

  Druso gave up on retriving the immobile Lich Bane and immediately launched a kick at Hardshell's knee. The colossus didn't dodge; he simply took the blow. Finally, when Druso's foot struck the colossus's leg, he was the only one to feel pain. The hero had to retreat, summoning every fiber of his being to remain standing on one leg. The one he'd attacked with was completely gone—shattered.

  -It was as if he had hit reinforced steel.

  "Overheal!"

  Tiberio's voice caught Hardshell's attention. Using a great deal of mana and energy, the tribal leader regenerated everyone's wounds: from Kan's amputated limb—which immediately grew back—to Druso's fractured knee.

  "A level 5 spell? Not bad! But your timing was terrible!"

  From Hardshell's left side, a sort of extra limb emerged: it was thin and metallic, with an extremely sharp crescent-shaped tip. It had an insectoid appearance, much like the warrior himself.

  “Take this!”

  With a swift and precise movement, Hardshell struck Druso in the side with his insectile arm, causing a deep wound and sending him falling into the cold waters of the swamp. The poor lizardman hero bounced a few meters like a ball. The most embarrassing thing was that his sword remained in the colossus's clutches.

  "I think you'll need this...if you still want to fight!"

  Hardshell commented, casting the Lich Bane at Druso’s feet as if he were garbage. The gesture wasn't meant to appear disrespectful, but given Hardshell's attitude, it was misinterpreted as mockery. The vagabond was ashamed of himself: he was considered the strongest of his race, yet there he was- on the ground, wounded and bleeding after a single blow from the enemy. What a disappointment...

  Hardshell watched Druso slowly get up for a few minutes, then ignored him and turned to the others. It was then that another arrow landed in his face. Needless to say, the attack was ineffective this time too.

  "You're as annoying as a stone in the drainpipe!"

  With a swift movement, Hardshell bent down and plucked rocks from the water. He palmed them, then threw them at Sakka with such force that they punctured his body in several places. The hero fell backward like a sack of potatoes, dead.

  "In the end, only the three of you remained. Even though you were the one who saw Lord Almodeus himself, you still decided to stay and face me..."

  Hardshell took another step forward. He hadn't moved much during the entire battle; he was trying to give his opponents a chance to fight, to prove to Almodeus that these beings were brave and deserved to be spared. If he had truly fought with all his strength, it would all be over by now. Now he could have been sitting quietly in his personal quarters with Frederica, yet here he was.

  “...I respect that, you know?”

  Only a few brave men remained to face him: Druso, who had recovered enough to barely stand, holding himself up with his sword; Tiberio, who had drawn his BF Sword; and last but not least, Kan, the one who had endured the blows of the colossus the most.

  "Brother, how are you? Is the wound serious?"

  "A lot. I don't know how long I can last, but I should still be able to attack one last time."

  "That'll be enough! To be honest, I'm exhausted too. If I’m not careful, I risk passing out!"

  A tiny laugh escaped from Druso's clenched teeth. Talking to his brother always made him feel good, no matter the situation.

  "Really? Have you really reached your limit too?"

  Tiberio nodded and turned to Kan. Despite his arm having grown back, he too was visibly exhausted. The battle had only just begun, yet here they were- already with two dead and exhausted, while their opponent hadn't even broken a sweat.

  "And you? How are you?"

  "I want a drink!"

  The monk replied, laughing heartily.

  "What you want to do, guys? If you want to flee, I will cover for you."

  "I don't know about you Kan, but I..."

  Druso stood up straight, fighting the searing pain in his chest. Defeat was inevitable, but he wouldn't accept it with his head down. No, he would fight until his blood flowed.

  "...I will continue to brandish my sword until the end!"

  “That's how you talk, brother!”

  Druso's cry echoed through the surrounding area, accompanied by applause from Hardshell.

  "What a battle cry! It's been a long time since I've faced warriors of your caliber. I admit, having you as enemies has taught me a lot. It was an honor to fight against you!"

  At these compliments, the Heroes felt their hearts beat, reinvigorated with a new fighting spirit. Tiberio was the first to ride this wave of renewed hope.

  "We will never give up! Not even in the face of death or fear!"

  He drew his sword and turned toward Hardshell, his gaze different from the one he had at the start of the battle. Tiberio remained aware of his fate, but now he would face it with drawn sword and head held high, without submitting to it.

  "Sorry for the wait, Sir Hardshell!"

  The colossus shook his head, intrigued by having just been addressed with an honorific.

  "It's no problem! I'm a beast, but I'm not so rude as to interrupt warriors as they say goodbye! It was an honor to face you! Just let me ask your names one last time..."

  "I'm Kan Monk!"

  "Tiberio Senshi!"

  "Druso Senshi!"

  "I will always remember warriors such yourselves! Also, I owe you an apology!"

  Hardshell put a hand to his chest and lowered his head, genuinely sorry for something.

  “I said at the beginning that it would be a no-holds-barred fight, yet I admit I held back."

  "Really?"

  "What a pity!"

  Kan and Tiberio commented ironically, making Druso let out a laugh.

  "Yes! What a shame!"

  The vagabond gripped the hilt of his sword and suddenly became serious.

  “But never mind! Here I come!”

  The three advanced through the murky waters toward Hardshell, followed by the two Mud Elementals. They had been holding back until then, but now they were launching themselves at the colossus, managing to obscure its vision.

  "Get out of my way, you slimy people!"

  He roared, grabbing the elementals by the necks and lifting them up, then slamming them together, pounding them into a pulp. The splash of mud gave Druso time to attack with a slash from the right, but it was easily blocked by Hardshell's palm, just as it had the first time before.

  He was slower. I didn't imagine the wound I inflicted on him would be so serious...

  "You fell for it!"

  "Mh?"

  With a swift movement, Kan grabbed the colossus's right arm and tried to immobilize it. With both limbs engaged, Tiberio had the opportunity to attack Hardshell head-on. Now their tactics were clear, and why Druso had attacked in exactly the same way as before, despite knowing how futile it was. They had done everything for that single opportunity.

  "Great Smash!"

  "Excellent strategy! But if you want to keep the enemy's limbs busy..."

  From Hardshell's left side, another insect-like limb emerged, identical to the one on his right side.

  "...You have to make sure you occupy them all!"

  Druso and Kan's movements had all been a diversion to allow the eldest Senshi brother to strike him. A move Hardshell deemed commendable, but entirely useless. The insectoid limb swung upward, cutting both Tiberio and his sword in half, knocking them to the ground.

  "Tiberio! You damned monster! Power Punch!"

  With a final, desperate cry, Kan released his grip on Hardshell's arm and attempted to punch him in the face, but the colossus decapitated him with a single swing of his hand; his razor-sharp claws had no mercy on the poor monk, whose headless carcass collapsed to the ground, causing a resounding splat.

  What a magnificent attack...

  Now only Druso remained to face him, but he had Lich Bane trapped between his fingers; he was helpless. Hardshell wiped Kan's blood from his claws and turned toward the wanderer, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Despite the one-sided clash, the colossus's eyes held only respect for those lizard warriors.

  He's an honorable warrior, I'll be quick...

  ????-And it was then that his grip on the Lich Bane loosened.

  “Huh?”

  Surprised by that fact, Hardshell looked at his claws to understand what had happened: Druso had made the mana blade of his sword disappear, effectively freeing it from the colossus's grip.

  Incredible.

  At that moment, it all became clear to him: the elementals' attack wasn't intended to distract him from Tiberio, but from Druso. The real purpose of the previous attack was to draw his attention away from the wanderer.

  When he'd blocked Druso's attack, Hardshell had first done so with his fingers. The hero remembered it and gambled on the slightest chance it would happen again. He'd gone this far to prepare the battlefield and succeed. Just then, a flash flashed through Hardshell's mind.

  That's why he attacked the same way! He wanted me to block his sword!

  It was at that moment that he noticed how the hilt of the sword was covered in blood at the end, so that Hardshell would not be able to block it anyway, even if he changed his grip point.

  All this sacrifice for a single blow? Magnificent!

  Druso began to push, moving in front of Hardshell and completely freeing his sword from his grasp. Reaching the colossus, he rekindled it and prepared a powerful Mana Slash, hoping to deliver the final blow. The sword was fully charged. Druso had Kan's monk skills and Tiberio's magic, which had been absorbed into the sword, along with Lulu's spells and some artillery strikes from Hardshell himself.

  Truly magnificent!

  And so the energy-charged blade struck the colossus's body...only to inflict no harm. It hadn't even scratched him, much less chipped him. Druso could only stand there and watch as the Lich Bane exhausted its energy, slowly fading.

  "Forgive me, but my exoskeleton is resistant to low-level magic."

  Hardshell commented, almost feeling guilty.

  "Don't take this as an insult, Druso...but you never stood a chance against me! Lord Almodeus told me to entertain him, and so I did. I respect you greatly, you know? You were a great opponent."

  The colossus took a step back. That single movement was a sign of respect, as if to tell those brave warriors they had managed to push him back at least a little. Their efforts hadn't been entirely in vain, after all. Hardshell gritted his teeth and raised his right arm, slightly opening his clawed hand—which was as large as the vagabond's entire torso.

  "However...!"

  Druso sighed and smiled slightly, the way someone who already knew what he was getting into did. In his case, he couldn't lie and say he hadn't had the slightest hope of winning, right there—at the very end. It was a real shame, but at least he'd tried; he'd done everything in his power, used every imaginable tactic and every single resource at his disposal.

  Druso raised his head and locked eyes with his opponent, showing no signs of submission or fear. As he did so, Hardshell vibrated his arm downwards.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "Excellent fight!"

  Almodeus commented, watching the lizardmen's defeat from the comfort of his throne. The battle had just ended, and Frederica had been sent to retrieve Hardshell from the battlefield. Only he, Morello, Sergio, and some undead soldiers remained in the camp.

  "Tell Hardshell to bring me a representative of the surviving lizardmen so I can discuss their role in the new Dark Jade!"

  He declared aloud, as one of his underlings sent the message via a spell.

  "Do you intend to have them transferred to the city of Almy?"

  Sergio asked.

  "No, it would be risky."

  Almodeus replied, shaking his head and sitting upright on his throne, adjusting his black jacket.

  “They would destroy the morale of the city, being the survivors of a war we started!”

  "I understand your decision sensibly, my lord."

  "Rather, now we have to think about the trolls and orcs. Attacking their base blindly wouldn't be a stupid idea, since we could use the undead. However, I'd rather not have to move the army from this spot."

  The village of Combust sat at the edge of the central Lizardmen Swamp. By taking possession of that vast area, they would make it impossible for any other forest power to advance, effectively rendering the town of Almy and the remaining goblin villages untouchable.

  Almodeus could also summon a second army—it wasn't expensive for him to summon troops en masse. However, it still took time, and he wanted to avoid wasting too much of it. Moreover, the summonable undead, while more powerful than the normal ones, were still unintelligible. He didn't expect the troll base to be defended by any kind of trap, but there would certainly be losses. The most sensible idea would have been to go there personally and try to subdue the Troll King. According to the information, it had all started with him and the demons who had empowered him.

  The red eyes of the trolls that attacked the village earlier could mean that-

  “Um, Lord Almodeus?”

  Morello's words distracted the Absolute Lord from his thoughts.

  “Yes? What is it?”

  He asked, trying to hide his annoyed tone.

  “Sorry to bother you, but we've received information from Shaco. He said he'll be back shortly.”

  “Tell him we're busy right now. I want to see him tomorrow morning at noon, right here, in this very field. Do you understand?”

  “Certainly, boss!”

  Almodeus sighed wearily. Shaco was one of his most skilled subordinates, but just as the joker was the most unpredictable card in the deck, so was that damned demonic clown obsessed with pranks and jokes about penguins.

  “While you’re here, make sure you call Sein here too. Send her to Shaco so we can be sure he’ll come back.”

  “As you wish.”

  He hated to disturb Sein, who was still busy sorting out her superior's paperwork, but she was the only one capable of tracking down and finding the clown when he refused to be found. Almodeus had no idea how she did it—she just did it. He should have given her more credit, rather than just considering her the second-in-command of the Pale Moon circus.

  “My lord.”

  Sergio's words made Almodeus look at him.

  "Yes?"

  “Hardshell and Frederica are back with the representative. Shall I show her in?”

  “Yes. Let’s get this thing sorted out quickly.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Lulu was ushered into the camp, still visibly tired from the spells she'd cast a few hours earlier. Hardshell followed her, acting as both guard and jailer.

  "Tell me your name, lizard woman."

  Almodeus ordered, sounding authoritative and intimidating, especially for a Lulu in that state—alone against the enemy.

  "Yes. I introduce myself to you, Absolute Lord, Almodeus. I am Lulu Horatia, and I am the leader of the lizardmen army stationed here at the front."

  “Welcome. You look very tired, I wonder why…”

  Lulu ignored that comment and continued with her speech, still keeping her head bowed.

  “As agreed, we submit to you and are ready to swear fealty to you in exchange for our lives.”

  Almodeus's face remained stoic despite the woman's words, which made her gasp slightly. Was the sovereign no longer willing to keep his word?

  "You said your name was Lulu, right? Your word only applies to the army here at the front, or am I mistaken?"

  “S-Unfortunately, yes, Lord Almodeus.”

  The female answered hesitantly. The Absolute Lord could clearly see her heartbeat quickening. She was visibly scared to death.

  “I have no authority to subdue the King, I ask your forgiveness.”

  Almodeus stood up, and that gesture alone was enough to make poor Lulu feel sick to her stomach, and she would probably collapse shortly thereafter. She wasn't in any condition to carry on a conversation like that, yet the person in front of her didn't seem the least bit interested.

  She's an albino. A rather rare collector's item. It's fortunate she didn't die during the battle.

  These were Almodeus' only thoughts as he reached the exhausted female.

  "I assume you're not happy about this change in government, am I right?"

  "If I may be honest, no...we are not."

  "Based on this, do you suppose there could be attempts of treason or insurrection?"

  "What? No! Impossible!"

  Lulu roared indignantly, before lowering her head again in submission.

  “H-How could we rebel?! Everyone witnessed the massacre that just took place!”

  "Yet discontent breeds rebellion, you can't be so blind as to deny it to my face."

  Almodeus's steps became heavier, and Lulu miraculously managed to raise her head without vomiting. She was at the end of her tether.

  "I dare not deny it, but this kind of thinking is not at all ours! If ever there are disturbances, I beg you to regard them as the desires of the few and to have mercy on the many!"

  “Thought of the few, you say?”

  “Exactly! You seem to be a wise creature! Please show mercy to those who tried to show you loyalty, sacrificing their honor.”

  At that response full of hatred and fury, Almodeus brought a hand to his chin, then nodded.

  "All right! I'll do as you asked, but on one condition."

  He leaned down towards the poor druid, who could do nothing but watch as the mass of dark energy towered over her.

  “You will have to report to Sergio– one of my subordinates– everything you know about your King, as well as continue to act as a spy among your people..."

  "Do you want me to betray my own race? I'm sorry, but I can't do that!"

  The negative response surprised the subordinates present, who seemed to increase their aggression toward the lizard. Hardshell was the first to step toward Lulu, ready to rip her head off with a single swipe. Sergio and Morello seemed to agree. All three stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the Absolute Lord's right hand rise. He was gesturing for them to stay put.

  "What if I gave you something in return? Like... I don't know... letting you hug your beloved Druso again?"

  Almodeus's words made Lulu's blood run cold. How did the other know about her connection to the vagabond? Had they been spied on? How much did he really know?

  "Y-You..."

  "You're not pregnant with his baby, or am I mistaken? You wouldn't want the little one to live without a father, would you?"

  "H-How do you k-know that?"

  Lulu was in a complete panic. She hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy; only she and Druso knew. How was that possible? That her late lover had told someone who'd let it slip. She had no idea, and her exhaustion prevented her from thinking clearly in the face of that situation.

  "My dear Lulu, I am fear itself! I see everything that passes through your feeble minds, in a way."

  It was a half-truth. Almodeus could only know the details of a person's terror, not the thoughts unrelated to it. In Lulu's case, it was easy to see her concern for the unborn child and the rest of the survivors. Unwittingly, the druid had given him all the information he needed to put her in an unfavorable position.

  "Fear? I understand..."

  Lulu didn't really believe the being before her was fear, but she wouldn't have argued that right then; not in such a precarious situation.

  "So? What do you say? Druso in exchange for your services...that seems like a great deal to me!"

  Almodeus raised his arms and bent them slightly in front of him for emphasis, assuming an authoritative yet intimidating pose.

  "Just remember one thing, Lulu! I'm not crazy! If I think you're betraying me, I'll take away what I've given you and then I'll take everything else too! So tell me..."

  Almodeus's crimson right eye fixed itself squarely on the druid's belly, making his final words clear. Then he stepped away and turned his back on her, demonstrating once again who was in charge.

  "What's your answer, Lulu Horatia?"