With a tearing sound, the massive spear pierced through Hercules' throat, the immense force causing his muscular body to tilt backward.
"That makes it eleven times."
Kingu's indifferent voice rang out, counting off casually.
"I had some expectations for you, but you've proven to be nothing more than a mindless beast."
"Roar—"
Hercules revived again with a roar and forced himself upright, charging toward Kingu. But before he could reach him...
Puff--
Three spikes erupted from the ground, killing Hercules once more.
Kingu shook his head in boredom, turning to leave.
"Um?"
At that moment, a golden beam of light shot straight into the sky. Even Kingu was taken aback by the immense and sacred energy.
Despite his surprise, Kingu's vigilance remained sharp.
Turning around, he saw Hercules already closing in, ready to strike with a giant axe!
Kingu's expression remained calm and unperturbed.
Just as Hercules was about to bring down the axe, he suddenly stomped the ground and vanished from Kingu's sight.
But it was too late.
Chains shot out like hounds, ensnaring Hercules. He swung his giant axe to break some of the chains, but more wrapped around him. The chains, glowing with a silvery-white light, became incredibly rigid, and even Hercules's strength couldn't break free.
"So, you, with your divine power, cannot defeat me…"
Kingu sneered and waved her hand. A colossal golden spear began to materialize beside her.
Resurrect twelve times and you have thirteen lives at most.
That's all.
Confirming her victory, Kingu slowly lowered her hand.
The golden spear trembled and shot toward Hercules with incredible speed.
Suddenly, a three-colored light descended from the sky, engulfing the golden spear. Then, a flash of sword light shattered the chains binding Hercules.
Kinguu's lips curled into a smirk.
"I was worried I wouldn't find you, but now you've come right to me."
At that moment, Altera landed gracefully in front of Kingu.
"The previous two attempts failed because of Ophis. Since she isn't here this time, we can eliminate this threat completely."
Kingu's eyes, previously dull with boredom, sharpened as she glowed with a golden aura.
From Altera, Kingu sensed a threat to the very concept of 'God' and the aura of the war god who had once defeated her mother.
From any angle, Altera was a significant threat.
In comparison, the girl in the black robe from Chaldea seemed less concerning, though still peculiar.
Kingu tilted her head.
"The first two times...? Sneak attacks are a sign of a bad civilization, aren't they?"
Altera might not be as powerful as Kingu, but the gap wasn't so wide that she could be defeated in a single strike. The critical moments before were due to Kingu exploiting Altera's vulnerabilities for surprise attacks.
"There's nothing I can do. After all, you're a threat to my mother. I must take you seriously."
Kingu smiled softly and vanished.
Altera's eyes narrowed as she spun and swung her sword.
Keng────
The clash of golden and colorful blades was intense, with dozens of exchanges in mere seconds before Kingu vanished again.
Bang!
Almost simultaneously, the giant axe appeared where she had been.
With a flash of golden light, Kingu reappeared, now dozens of meters away from Altera.
But Altera, as if predicting her movement, extended her sword towards the spot where Kingu was.
Kingu made a sound and attempted to retreat but was suddenly stunned and crouched down.
A blue arrow of light passed over Kingu's head and landed behind her.
At the same time, Kingu slapped the ground, causing a spike to erupt beneath Altera, forcing her to retreat and deflecting her attack.
After resolving this threat, Kingu frowned.
Altera was drawing near, and Arjuna's attention was on Kingu.
In other words, Chaldea's team had already...
After a moment's hesitation, Kingu decided to stay.
Altera was too dangerous and had to be dealt with here.
Hercules had only one life left, and Arjuna could only provide limited cover at this distance, making him less of a threat if she was cautious.
There was definitely enough time...
At that moment, three purple beams of light shot up and broke through the clouds, causing Kingu's expression to shift.
The source of the three beams was her three adversaries!
───────────────────────────────
"Hm, didn't expect it to actually work?"
Roman's voice came through the communicator, tinged with annoyance.
"Well... I'm sorry, but it was the only option at the time."
"Well, the results speak for themselves."
Ritsuka, with a generous pat on Lily's back, reassured her.
Both teams had successfully evaded the monsters and were now resting at the forest's edge.
"Report: 29 people remaining in the first team and 57 in the second team. None have lost their combat capability. The total combat strength is now 86."
"Less than half..."
The soldier's report dimmed everyone's mood.
Jeanne d'Arc, forcing herself to stay positive, smiled gently.
"But Miss Lily did remarkably well. She managed to use such a powerful treasure."
The second team's numbers were nearly double those of the first team, largely due to Lily's swift elimination of the giant dragon blocking their path without any casualties.
Thanks to Lily, the second team's losses were minimized.
"Let the horses go free. We'll walk the rest of the way."
Jeanne sighed, looking at the forest path ahead.
Choosing the route with the lowest monster appearance meant they could no longer use horses. The forest was unsuitable for cavalry.
Although it was hard to part with the horses, they had no choice but to let them roam free.
"Then, form up and move out!"
The march toward conquering the goddess must continue.