It seemed that the language adjustment was mostly complete, and the God of War's tone of voice was becoming quite natural.
But before that, the problem was…
God of War was not very good at explaining things.
"It was 360,000 years ago, no, 14,000 years ago. It seems like only yesterday. Half of Yggdrasil disappeared. This is the root of the calamity, and I will give you the important explanation now. 800,000 years ago, I engaged it in battle. It appeared 1,28 million years ago──"
The timeline was a jumbled mess, and the story repeatedly digressed from one point to another. I guess he was talking in whatever order came to his mind, without thinking about the overall structure of the story.
Thanks to this, everyone was in a state of confusion.
Iris and Lily were turning their eyes around, unable to keep up with the conversation, and Leticia was taking notes in her sketchbook until halfway through but eventually stopped and looked up at the God of War with a resigned expression.
When it came to King Octo, he was dozing off while leaning against Surara.
Is that okay? He's the [Descendant of the God of War], right?
As for me, I was listening to the whole thing from the beginning to the end.
When I was working as a company employee in Japan, there were quite a few clients who went on and on about things without coherence. I would extract the important points from the flood of words and reconstruct them into a form that anyone could understand.
I am used to that kind of work.
Now, looking back on what the God of War had said, it was quite spectacular.
It would have taken me a long time to understand it. But fortunately, the knowledge I had acquired from video games and anime when I was in Japan came in handy.
The story of the God of War had many similarities to Norse mythology.
In the beginning, words like "Gram" and "Fenrir" and other Norse mythology-like words appeared here and there, so in a sense, it was as I expected.
First of all, the basic premise is that there is a huge divine tree called Yggdrasil outside of this world and that hundreds or thousands of worlds exist on each of its branches and leaves.
However, the world in which I used to live is not on the Yggdrasil but exists in a completely different dimension, at a unique point.
What is unique about it is that there is no magic or similar power.
To me, a world with magic seems unique, but from the perspective of the gods, the existence of magic is of course natural, and a world without magic would be the exception of the exception, an environment so harsh that humans would not be able to survive.
Frankly, I am surprised.
If a person lives in such a harsh world, they must be very strong… That's why people in ancient civilizations were working on the "Summoning [Transmigrator] Project."
…This is where the basic premise ends.
The two things which should be kept in mind are that there is a huge divine tree called Yggdrasil spreading outside the world and that there are multiple "magical worlds" on the Yggdrasil.
It all sounds rather grandiose, but it is all in the past.
This brings up the main point.
Yggdrasil currently no longer exists. All the other worlds on the branches have been destroyed, except for this one where we live.
As for what happened, the memories described by the God of War were a bit vague, so I couldn't rely on them, but it seemed that about 1,280,000 years ago, a monster called "Zogral" appeared from another dimension.
The Zogral had the property of absorbing and assimilating all things and tried to take in Yggdrasil and the worlds above the branches and leaves.
Of course, the gods who governed each world and the people who lived there desperately resisted. However, Zogral's momentum could not be stopped, and when even the Creator God, the creator of Yggdrasil, was swallowed up, the game was decided.
As a result of the Creator God's power, Zogral was able to create a new underling called Calamity from what it had absorbed.
Countless worlds were destroyed by calamities and absorbed by the Zogral. It seemed that the last one left was this world we are in.
The reason why the God of War called [Creation] a lost power was because the source of it, the Creator God Eda, had been taken over by the Zogral.
The other important point in the God of War's story is why this world is still intact.
Apparently, several gods covered this world with a strong barrier in exchange for their own lives. However, when the barrier was deployed, some calamities had already entered the world, such as the Black Dragon and the White Dragon.
It seems that these calamities were resurrected at regular intervals to bring death and destruction to this world.
Each time, the God of War would wake up and fight the calamities…
"I, too, am nearing my limit. Four thousand years ago, I was defeated in battle and slumbered underground. Thanks to you, my wounds have healed, but I am no longer strong enough to resist the calamity."
Therefore, the God of War continued.
"I will entrust the [God of War's Shrine Maiden] with my remaining strength. It was deemed the best solution."
* * *
Lily seemed puzzled by the sudden turn of the topic.
"Me…?"
"You are the [God of War's Shrine Maiden], after all. There is no one else. Therefore, the power will be transferred to you."
The God of War slowly moved his right hand and extended it toward Lily.
Pieces of armor fell from his body. It must be true that he is nearing his limit.
The tone of voice was gradually returning to an unnatural one, perhaps as a symptom of this.
"By inheriting my power, you will have complete mastery over the Yggdrasil bow. I recommend your consent, as it will dramatically improve your chances of triumphing over calamity."
"Uh…"
Lily looked at me with a lost expression. She was having a hard time deciding on her own.
I patted Lily's head and called out to her.
"If you are worried, you don't have to do anything."
"O [Transmigrator]. That is not the best solution and is not recommended."
"Even if you force her to receive the power, she may not be able to use it. If it's that bad, I'll take over for her. …Am I not the successor to the God of War in the first place?"
"I ask thee to give me a reason, for it is too abrupt."
"Here it is."
I take out the sacred Gjallarhorn from my [Item Box]. Lily once said that I might be the successor of the God of War when she saw this.
I wonder how it actually is.
The God of War's reaction was a gasp.
"Gjallarhorn had been absorbed by Zogral, and my valiant army has been lost. So why is it here?"
"I created it with [Creation]. And by the way, I can summon the army as well."
In order to defeat the pirates in Fort Port, I summoned the "Knights of the Dawn," who were active 4,000 years ago, to strike a separate unit on land.
When I mentioned this, the God of War let out a sigh of amazement.
"[Transmigrator], thy existence is out of the realm of reason. In other words, it's so great."
Very excellent, he said.
…Hmm.
I understand that he's praising me, but the tension I've been feeling up to this point has suddenly been blown away.
I say to the God of War with a slight feeling of weakness.
"Anyway, can we agree that I will inherit the power of the God of War?"
"I accept your suggestion──"
The God of War was about to nod his head.
"Please wait!"
Lily shouted in an unusually loud voice.
"I will take over the power. …Please let me inherit it from."
"You don't have to push yourself too hard."
"It's okay. I can do it. I don't want to burden you all the time, Kou-san."
"I'm an adult, and Lily is a child. So you don't have to mind that."
"Adult or child, we are friends."
Lily looked at me with a determined gaze and said.
"When we stopped the volcano on Mahoros Island, Kou-san, your eyes were bleeding. Even after you defeated the Green Dragon, you hid the fact that you were really dizzy."
"That's…"
I got caught, huh?
I thought I was being careful not to show my weakness to everyone, but they knew.
"Even now, aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"
"…I wonder."
To be honest, I don't know about this myself.
Immediately after the debriefing, I was quite sleepy due to fatigue, but when I went to bed, my nerves were strangely aroused, and I could not sleep; and I have been awake ever since.
This was something I heard when I was working as an office worker in Japan. When people are too tired, their nerves become dull, and they do not recognize that they are tired.
It could be called a kind of runner's high.
Maybe I was in that state.
"Hey, Kou!"
Iris called out to me.
"I also agree with Lily's opinion this time. It would be hard for Kou to be the only one who has to work so hard."
"Lily-oneechan wants to help Master-san, doesn't she?"
Surara said, nodding his head.
"Master-san. I hope you will listen to Lily-oneechan's request this time."
"I understand what you three are saying. …Let me confirm one thing."
I nodded and asked the God of War.
"Is there any danger to Lily because of her inherited power?"
"The [God of War's Shrine Maiden] serves as a vessel to receive the power of the gods. Her safety is extremely strongly guaranteed."
In short, she'll be fine.
"…Got it."
I kneeled down on the spot, looked at Lily, and talked.
"I'll leave it to Lily here. But, don't overdo it."
"When Kou-san says it, it is not very convincing."
Lily huffed and relaxed her mouth, smiling slightly.
"You always push yourself too hard, don't you?"
"…Well, that's true."
I couldn't talk back because I knew what I was doing.
"Hohoho."
King Octo, who had woken up from his doze at some point in time, raised his voice in an interested manner.
"The "Dragon Slayer" hero, Kou-dono, also has an opponent who he cannot defeat. It is often said that a crying child can never be defeated."
"I'm not crying."
"Hahaha, it is just a figure of speech."
King Octo laughed pleasantly.
Even though we just met today, this person blends in like an old friend. Or perhaps that is his virtue as a king.
So, as a result of the discussion, it was decided that Lily would be the one to inherit the power of the God of War.
He was also going to adjust Yggdrasil's bow at the same time, so we will leave it with the God of War for the time being.
"It will take time for the inheritance and adjustment. It takes about two years."
"Isn't that too long?"
"I will make a correction. It will take about two hours."
"That would make sense, but that is a very bold error."
The God of War had lived for tens of thousands of years, so to such a being, two years and two hours may seem the same.
Well, two hours is not long, so let's wait here until it's over.
I'd be worried if something happened to Lily.
That's what I was thinking──
"I'll stay with Lily-chan, don't worry. Leave it to me."
"I'll watch over Lily-oneechan too! Master-san, you should go to your room and take a rest."
"Kou-san. I'll be fine. Please take care of yourself."
The three of them, Iris, Surara, and Lily, were all against it, so I decided to go back to my room quietly, without being stubborn.
King Octo and Leticia were with me.
"Kou-dono is considered important by his friends, isn't he? Well, I have been shown a good thing."
"…it is wonderful."
Hmm?
Aside from King Octo nodding his head in satisfaction, there was something wrong with Leticia.
She seemed to be somewhat listless…
She had obviously been talking less since the God of War story, and I'm a little worried about her.
The return to the surface was instantaneous. The God of War used some kind of transfer magic to send us back to the bench.
Because I had been in the dim underground until a while ago, the blue sky and the sun seemed to be dazzling.
King Octo had left to return to the castle.
The rest was just me and Leticia, who had a somewhat gloomy look on her face.
"…Kou-sama, please return to the guest house first."
"What about Leticia?"
"I have something I want to think about alone. I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone."
Leticia turned her back on me and walked away.
…As I thought it was strange.
She was like a different person from her usual cheerful self.
Wouldn't it be bad if I left her alone?
I had a bad feeling about this, so I decided to follow.
"Leticia, wait!"
"I won't wait. Please leave me alone."
"Is something bothering you?"
"It's just your imagination or an optical illusion."
"No, my eyes have nothing to do with it."
I replied and extended my right hand.
My fingertips touched Leticia's left arm──at that moment.
"Please leave me alone."
Leticia's legs were covered with the radiance of blue meteors, and she took a giant leap and disappeared.
"Hey, hey."
I can't believe she even unleashed her physical abilities as a calamity to escape, but if she went this far, the feelings of rivalry would rise, or at least… I want to chase after her, don't you think?
"Search and track Leticia's location."
A translucent window appeared in front of me, displaying a map of the surrounding area. On the map, blue dots of light were shining brightly.
The location was surprisingly close.
"On the roof of the guest house?"
Let's go there anyway.
Fortunately, the edge of the rooftop was visible from this location. This meant that I could use [Short Distance Warp] to get there.
This was an application of the [Spatial Manipulation] that was taken away from the Gluttonous Dragon, and as long as the location was within view, I could move there in an instant.
The problem was the amount of magic power consumed, but it seemed to be just barely enough, thanks to a level up from before.
"Alright."
I concentrate my consciousness and activate [Short Distance Warp].
I felt my body floating, and then my vision was distorted. I was standing on the edge of the rooftop.
When I landed on the inside, I saw Leticia very close by.
"…Isn't it too quick to catch up to me?"
As expected, this development was probably unexpected for her. She rolled her eyes and had a look of dismay on her face.
I smiled inwardly and said.
"From the way you talk, you must have expected me to come after you."
"I ran away reflexively just now, but if I think about it calmly, it is impossible for me to outrun Kou-sama. Isn't that right?"
"Well, I guess."
If Leticia had fled at full speed, I would have continued the pursuit while confirming her position with [Auto Mapping].
It was quite possible to get ahead of her by using the Fenrir Coat's granted effect of"Divine Speed Blessing EX", and the Bastard Gauntlet's"Black Spider Threads EX"as a means to stop her in her tracks.
There were various other skills and items, and by making full use of them, I would have caught Leticia in the end.
"Good grief, I am really no match for Kou-sama."
Leticia chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as if in contemplation.
A gentle breeze on the rooftop lifted her long blonde hair.
"I was a little rude to you earlier. I apologize."
"It's the same for everyone when they're not in the mood. So it's nothing to worry about."
I stood alongside Leticia as I said this to her.
"Is it the Zogral story that's troubling you?"
"…You've got it all figured out."
"Because you obviously changed your attitude after the story."
"The God of War said… As a result of Zogral's acquisition of the Creator God's power, he is now able to use what he has absorbed as material to create his minions of calamity. In other words, what I was before──"
"I guess you were defeated by Zogral and taken in."
And she was recreated as one of the calamities, the 'Brilliant and Arrogant Dragon.'
Her memory was vague, perhaps due to the effects of that time.
"When I heard about Zogral, I remembered."
Leticia muttered, looking up at the sky with a faraway look in her eyes.
"My brother and I were a pair of sibling dragons, guardians of a certain world. …On that day, the sky suddenly split open in the shape of a crescent moon, and a huge purple bubble crept out of the sky like an ooze."
"Is that bubble the Zogral?"
"…Yes, probably."
Leticia nodded.
Her profile was somewhat pale.
It was not surprising. After all, she remembered the time when she was killed.
"The purple bubble took in everything around it. People, monsters, towns, nature, everything, without distinction. My brother and I tried our best to resist──"
"But it didn't work?"
"Yes. My brother and I were swallowed up by the bubbles. …The sensation of my body being slowly melted away is not something I want to remember."
Leticia shook her head as she cast her eyes down. Her shoulders trembled a little.
Perhaps it was the recollection of those days that brought back the fear.
"I don't know why I was reborn as a human when I was supposed to have been remade as a 'Brilliant and Arrogant Dragon,' nor do I know why I am free from my original role of destroying this world. …Although I do understand how terrifying the Zogral are."
Leticia muttered with a clear look of fright in her eyes.
"It's not just a monster. It's a menace beyond the reach of even the vilest of creatures. It's literally a being of a different dimension. It has no thoughts or feelings, and it is a kind of phenomenon that takes in everything──perhaps we should think of it as the very concept of 'destruction.'"
* * *
For now, let's summarize the information we have so far.
Apparently, this world is under such a threat that the calamity seems like a trivial thing in comparison. The name of this threat is Zogral.
The proper nouns I hear in this world, such as Yggdrasil, are typical, but many of them have something to do with Norse mythology.
What about "Zogral" then? I have never heard of such a name.
Well, it is possible that I just don't know it, but it doesn't sound like Norse mythology from the sense of the word.
They say that a name is an expression of one's body, and this name that doesn't sound like something out of Norse mythology may be the proof that Zogral is a being from another dimension.
According to Leticia, Zogral is a giant purple bubble that absorbs everything without regard.
This world is currently protected against Zogral's invasion by a strong barrier.
For my part, I would like nothing to happen to me in my lifetime, but the world tends to take a turn for the worse, and I should think about what to do in the event of the Zogral invasion.
But what should I do?
In anime and manga, the standard strategy for an enemy with absorptive capacity is to make it destroy itself by absorbing more energy than its limit, but I wonder if that is effective against Zogral.
The opponent has already taken in thousands of worlds, and it is hard to believe that there is a limit to the amount of energy it can absorb.
How can I defeat such a monster?
In Leticia's case, she had already fought Zogral once and lost, so her sense of hopelessness must be even greater. It is only natural for her to be skeptical.
However──
It may be too early to give up hope.
For example, Zogral's power has been broken in some areas.
Take Leticia, for example.
She was supposed to be a calamity that would destroy the world, but she is not fulfilling her role at all.
It is also unnatural for me to have [Creation].
As the God of War said, the power of the Creator God should have belonged to Zogral.
It is said that a [Transmigrator] can only have the power of one of the three: the hero, the sage, or the demon king.
However, I have all three powers and possess various cheat skills, such as [Creation] and [Dexterity].
It may sound strange to say it myself, but I am an extremely irregular existence.
Therefore, is it too unbelievable to say that… I might be a counter to the monster that deviates from the ordinance, Zogral?
My power is still growing.
I haven't reached my maximum level yet, and I recently acquired a new skill called [Break Smash].
If I continue to improve my skills steadily, I will eventually be strong enough to stand up to Zogral, right?
Although it was vague, I had such a hunch.
"…It's certainly possible, isn't it?"
Hearing my guess, Leticia nodded deeply.
"In the first place, it can be said that we have no other choice but to bet on the growth of Kou-sama."
"It is quite uncertain, though."
"But it is much better than having no hope."
Leticia smiled softly. Compared to earlier, her expression was also brighter.
If it makes her feel a little better, then it's worth my while to talk to her.
"If only, if Kou-sama's presence could be a counter to Zogral…"
Leticia put her right hand over her mouth and muttered thoughtfully.
"There is one thing that worries me."
"What is it?"
"The possibility that the opponent will make a preemptive move. To eliminate future threats, we should consider the possibility that they will try to crush Kou-sama while they still can."
"That could happen."
If I were Zogral, I would certainly do that.
For example…
"They might try to attack us with multiple calamities at once."
"They very well might strike us with more than one calamity at once."
Leticia and I were voicing almost the same concern at almost the same time.
It was right after that.
The blue sky suddenly turned a murky dark red. The color was so ominous that it seemed like the world was bleeding.
It was an obvious anomaly, but in a case like this, only one cause came to mind.
"A calamity?"
"I'll look into it. Please wait a moment."
Leticia closed her eyes and folded her hands in front of her chest.
It was as if she was praying.
Her whole body is enveloped in a faint bluish-white light. The glow was as clear and beautiful as the stars in the night sky.
"…It's a tough situation, isn't it?"
Leticia furrowed her well-shaped brow and muttered.
"Excluding the west, one in the east, one in the south, and one in the north. That makes a total of three."
"Calamity?"
"Yes. …No, only one is considered a calamity."
Just one calamity?
That's a strange description.
"So you're saying the other two aren't mere calamities?"
Leticia answered my question in a grave tone.
"The other two are the Rage Dragon and the Lust Dragon.
──They are calamities, but they are classified as great calamities."