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“As the Hero said, the evacuation of Bactins has been delayed, but we must prioritize the protection of the citizens. As you can see from the map, the sea lanes to the harbor are narrow, limiting Kraken’s mobility. The gathered monsters would also be unable to swarm our ships en masse. However, this also means we must use fewer ships with our most capable fighters to take full advantage of the terrain.”

The Commander pumped his fist, and his fellow knights and captains nodded in agreement.

“The Hero’s Party will hold the Kraken at the head of the line. We’ll provide fire support behind them and deal with any creatures that come along for the ride.”

The Commander paused, then looked at me.

“It’s the simplest decision, yet not something anyone would take as no one here likes to fight with their life on the line.”

The Commander said, with an extreme emphasis on the word “life.” He paused momentarily to look at the lined-up knights as if to give them time to consider the implications of his words.

“One hour before departure. Prepare everything you need and be on standby.”

People rushed past me to their ships. A hand rested on my shoulder. It was Georg, dressed lightly for a sea battle.

“We’re ready, Elroy. I assume you’re ready to fight the Disaster again?”

I nodded, stiff as a wooden puppet.

“We’d better get on board, too. We don’t know what we will face. We could face a horde of monsters or the Kraken itself. If the lesser creatures enter first, Daphne’s role will be crucial.”

Georg glanced to the side as he spoke. Daphne nodded and looked at me, her expression steadfast. I looked into her determined eyes. ‘No. Don’t look at me like that. You don’t know what will happen next.’

“The other mages will support us, but they’ll be mostly focused on attacking the Kraken itself from behind, and as Georg said, I have an important role.”

I tried to differentiate this Daphne from the one outside the fog. But she was the same, from her words, mannerisms, and smell.

“Leave it to me, Elroy. I think I can handle it. So, don’t worry and just focus on dealing with the Kraken. I have Marianne and Georg to support me anyways.”

Marianne wordlessly stepped to my side, the Holy Spear in her hands.

“Let’s hurry up and go. We need to tell the Commander how we plan to fight.”

Georg took the lead, Marianne and Daphne following close behind. I jogged to keep up with them but was stopped by someone who had been talking to me a lot for the past few days.

“Relationships are a tricky thing, aren’t they, Hero.”

Arjen looked back at the party as they walked away, one corner of his mouth raised.

“I don’t care about other people’s business, but my attitude changes when it becomes mine. It’s like… you’re just like you are now. You think you’re special. How long can you sit around like a Hero with a sword in your hand, spouting off about how you’d rather save people than save the world?”

I glared at Arjen, or rather, the Mist that wore Arjen’s mask. My hand tightened around the Holy Sword.

“You’ve been lucky, for you’ve never suffered a true loss in all your years of adversity.”

The Mist touched my shoulder and turned me to face my companions.

How long will that luck continue to favor you? The fair and cruel side of luck is that it can pretend to be on your side and betray you at any moment.”

“If I beat you here, would you shut your mouth?”

He let out a hysterical laugh. Folding his stomach forward, giggling, and letting out a laugh that could never come from a human. He lifted his head to look at me. Even the current Arjen could make a face as terrifying as the ghastly smile that threatened to tear his mouth apart.

“Try your best. No matter how much you self-hypnotize yourself into thinking you should ignore me, I think you realize it.”

Taking on Arjen’s form, the Mist moved closer and brought its face to my ear.

“You have no idea how you’ll get out of this place, do you?”

I pushed Arjen away and drew my Holy Sword, placing it against his throat. The Mist looked up at me again, smirking.

“Do you think you’ll be able to defeat the Kraken? What if you fail to defeat it? What if you’re crushed to death by its tentacles in this ‘illusion?’ Well, even if you don’t die that way and somehow defeat the Kraken, what then?”

I scrunched up my face, and Arjen walked toward me.

The sword pierced his throat.

Blood spurted out and ran down the blade, yet the Mist continued to walk toward me.

“You’ll have to see for yourself. They say seeing it once is more effective than hearing it a hundred times. Isn’t that right, Elroy? And then I’ll remind you again: What about the contradictions in your mind? Once you reach the crossroads, will you truly walk by your convictions?”

Arjen disappeared. I stared at the shaking tip of my Holy Sword, then lowered it. ‘I know. I know that what the fog is showing me here and now isn’t real. So it’s going to be okay. As long as I can hold on here, let it drain me of my magic, and move on to the next, and the next, and the next. Nothing the Mist can do will stop me.’

“Shipment!!!”

The wind was not strong. The sea is strangely calm. I stepped onto the deck and went to the bridge, the planks creaking in the flowing water. I gritted my teeth, feeling the Kraken’s presence against my skin.

“Georg is over there, seasick.”

Daphne and Marianne came to my side. Daphne giggled as she pointed to the railing on the starboard side. Georg was hanging over it, sagging like a washed rag.

“That guy is supposed to have my back later.”

I tried my best to respond, but the way they looked at me with concern was so much like the real thing that I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Are you okay? You didn’t look so good earlier.”

“Not really.”

I replied dryly and turned to look ahead again. I didn’t want to say more. I tapped my fingers nervously on the hilt of my sword. Things would have been much different if the Holy Sword had spoken to me. I feel like I could awaken the Holy Sword’s first stage but nothing more.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

That’s what I told myself.

“Contradiction.”

I tried to mumble the words quietly so I wouldn’t be heard. A promise to myself to protect people. I could sacrifice myself for that belief, but I can’t let them join me.

“It’s coming.”

Marianne said, her voice strained. I drew my Holy Sword and stood at the bow. Islands the size of tiny houses appeared among the rugged terrain carved out by the glaciers. Our boat slowed to a crawl, and I squinted at the incoming shadows.

“It’s sending monsters in first. A very reasonable choice.”

Georg stepped beside me, pretending to be in peak condition, though I wished he’d said it with open eyes. I smirked and turned my head in his direction.

“…It’s been a while.”

I muttered.

Monsters.

They were pouring in, literally filling the sea. I could hear the Commander’s voice shouting in panic to stop the ships. Daphne immediately gathered up her mana, ready to respond. As the ship came to a halt, cannoneers dragged shells from the tilting vessel.

“Load the guns!”

The Cannoneer Chief shouted, and they chambered cannonballs. The ship behind us began to do the same.

“No need to aim. Just fire as you load, don’t wait for my signal! Shoot anything you can. The mages will do the rest!”

Mana surged across the water. Currents of magic flowed from Daphne’s body. It was the power of a Sixth Circle wizard.

“I’m going to use large-scale magic, everyone. Brace yourselves!”

It was said that the scale of magic itself changes from the Sixth Circle onward, and Daphne was demonstrating it now. Massive power that could be felt by simply calling forth their mana. The magic was finalized and aimed at the incoming horde.

“Whoever it is that’s opening its filthy mouth right now-”

I felt a chill go down my back as mana rushed forward.

“I will enlighten you.”

Hundreds of ice spears rained down from the sky. The power of the strongest archmage in existence.

The roar of the raining spears drowned out the sound of the cannonballs. The waves that rocked the boat became bloody and were dyed bright red.

“…That’s something.”

Georg murmured in small admiration. Following Daphne’s lead, the wizard unit, comprised of no more than Fourth Circle wizards, began its magical bombardment. The monsters could not advance and were slaughtered on the spot as the fleet held its line.

“…We can win this.”

On the deck, color returned to the men’s faces. But I knew. Catastrophe strikes at people’s most reassuring moments, turning hope into despair. I expanded my aura. My senses were disturbed by the emanation and circulation of mana.

“…It’s coming!!!”

I turned to look at the party, who were suddenly scrambling out of the boat as it rose into the air. Daphne clung to Georg’s arm, and Marianne flailed about in panic, clutching her spear with one hand.

Like a kill cam, I watched the ship’s destruction unfold. I felt the keel snap as the ship started to turn to its side before eventually being snapped in half.

“Move!”

I yelled, turning to Marianne. Luckily, she used the tilted deck as a foothold and barely kept her balance. Then, from below, the Kraken’s tentacles shot out. I awakened the first stage of my Holy Sword and slashed at the rising tentacle.

The tentacle was easily sliced off with an eerie sound. I saw Marianne regain her composure and come to my side. I began to release the mana I had condensed.

‘I’ll take you down.’

I looked at the rising Kraken’s body as it crushed an island.

“Follow my lead.”

Marianne nodded, and I ran to one of its tentacles and began hacking at it. After slashing at it many times, the tentacle was severed. The Kraken roared and tried to shake me off, but I had another spell ready to go, and it struck.

Slash and move.

I kept hearing the sound of something breaking. I ignored it, focusing all my attention on taking down the Kraken. Whenever a tentacle moves into my range, I slice them. When a monster leaped onto me, I shook it off. When I heard the voice of that damn Mist in my ears, I emptied my mind and swung my sword.

I kept doing it until I saw nothing and heard nothing.

“Hero….”

And then, at some point, I opened my eyes. I was covered in blood. Was the Kraken still alive?

I heard no sound. The Third Disaster was dead. It was like a giant island blocking the sea lanes, and I stood atop its head. I don’t remember when or how I defeated it. I could only open the first stage of the Holy Sword and beat it.

I turned my head. The fleet carrying the wizards had long since vanished without a trace. None of the ships remained intact. I gave a small laugh and began to walk away from the Kraken’s carcass. There was nothing left. Nothing.

“Hero.”

I heard a voice call out to me. I looked down shakily and saw Marianne staring at me, her right leg severed and her face pale.

『Well, a few people you’d never seen before were saved.』

A mocking sound echoed in my head. I staggered toward Marianne. Her legs weren’t the only thing missing. The left side of Marianne’s back had been sliced as if something had torn it open.

“Hero…”

I held Marianne’s head in my hands. Her golden eyes slowly started to lose their luster.

『Is this a mere fake?』

Fake? Of course. It had to be fake. This is not the real Marianne.

『Then why is she shaking so much?』

No, she’s not. Now that we’ve defeated the Kraken, she’ll be fine. I just have to wait for the next illusion.

『I will do as you wish.』

The landscape began to change. Marianne in my hands disappears. Gone is the dead Kraken, gone is the shattered wreckage of the ship.

『You still mistake this for a trial you must pass, Hero.』

A Disaster that wishes for despair. Letting it take over my mind was the only escape.

『I wonder if you’ll continue your nonsense about defeating a Disaster while saving people.』

“You’re late, Elroy.”

I was standing inside the meeting hall.

“Elroy, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You have come, Hero.”

My knees buckled, and I fell to the floor.

Translator’s Corner

……Yeah.

-Ruminas