Level 188. Hero.
That is the current Otonashi Hibiki's record. The world should know, is what the king thought. The hero that descended on Limia participated in the mid-scaled wars against the demon race that occurred in the kingdom and the countries in its vicinity.
In reality, moving from one country to the other takes a big amount of time.
Using the magic tool for teleportation that has been provided by the kingdom and the teleporting formation that has been permitted to use indefinitely by both the merchant and adventurer guild, they have been able to provide a VIP class transportation method in order to create an impossible schedule.
The girl who thought the demon race were monsters was surprised at first when she saw they had blue skin and an outward appearance extremely close to that of a human. At first she hesitated in fighting against them, but after a number of fights and seeing the deaths of her comrade soldiers as well as the enemy soldiers, she began accepting the constant fight to take one another's life.
Demonic beasts that could understand human speech, demon race, and also hyumans.
In her current sense of value they are all on the same level and that principle has still not changed. That she was able to cope with this brutality that would normally conflict with her ideologies and faith is because she came to a conclusion of her own.
That she went to the various countries and reached that conclusion was also the aim of the kingdom. Because there is no room to indulge yourself sightseeing in a country that is in the frontlines of war.
Above all, the companions that fight at her side are important. Inside all the noise, the importance of their life is clearly heavier than that of a stranger. If these were companions that followed you in your journey, more the case.
If you participate in war and repeat battles over and over…
The thing that gets etched the most in a soldier when they participate in war is not determination, but the thirst of surviving the battle along with your companions that you leave your back to.
And so, now…
Hibiki is in the royal castle. She had just fought through a harsh battle.
It was not against the demon race, but she was unexpectedly injured. She returned to the castle to treat her wound and was now in the middle of recovering.
Her party companions were also thoroughly injured and were receiving treatment in a separate room. It's what you would call, an annihilated state.
For now they managed to teleport back, but this would not just stop at a normal commotion. The hero and her party have returned in a worn-out state and looked like they would fall over at any moment, so there is no surprise.
"Kyun~"
A worried voice came out from the silver belt sacred treasure that is wrapped around her waist.
It's the guardian beast that resides in the silver belt, Silver Wolf. Just like the girl, he was also injured in this fight and had returned inside the belt to recover.
"I am okay. You should also rest at ease and heal your body. Even if you can heal your wounds with magic, it doesn't mean that your stamina will return as well after all"
Is what Hibiki said. It's a rest for the sake of restoring stamina, magic power and also heal the fatigue. Luckily, this time's annihilation didn't have any member who received a fatal injury.
Counting her companion wolf.
However, the girl was thinking about the base.
(In our plans I would be able to fight one of the demon race's shogun in three months' time. I thought that would be my first…)
Her first refers to a defeat, or a narrow victory that is close to a defeat. Hibiki, who is respected as a hero and has ability to coupled with it, has soon received a hard fight.
In more specific terms, she was frustrated. This kind of feeling, she hasn't told even her party members.
(Even Naval's speed couldn't oppose it)
Naval, as type, is similar to Hibiki's. She is a swordswoman that uses her speed as main weapon. Pushed by her hate for the demon race, she only stood at the battlefield because of revenge. But while falling in conflicts with Hibiki, she has now become a party companion that stands at the frontlines with her.
In terms of speed she surpasses Hibiki. She uses attack-and-retreat as well as combo attacks to overwhelm her opponents, a person brimming with wisdom. Her age and stature are close to Hibiki's. Having a, close to white, ash blonde hair coupled with Hibiki's combination makes her stand out a lot in the battlefield.
(Bredda-kun's protection was also destroyed)
Bredda's ability was that of a main field knight. Originally, his ability was not that of someone that could be placed in the party of a hero. But because of a secret privilege the Kingdom provided, he was forcefully made to accompany them. The party doesn't know that he is royalty and that he is the rightful successor of the throne.
But he is not incompetent. After joining this party, he decided his position and devoted himself to improve. As a result, he now shouldered an important role in the party.
His specialty is defense. At times he would cut out the attacks aimed at the rear guard and also goes to the front against speed type attacks the vanguard can't handle as well as the ones that can't be evaded. One could call him a wall that protects the inside while taking care of the outside. In terms of Bredda's parring ability and one point defense as well as the use of throwing weapons and instant buff magic, he is better than Hibiki.
(Wudi's magic didn't work at all)
Wudi is a magician considered a genius, called the battery magician. He specializes in high powered magic and while it is true that he is the type who has limited amounts of maneuvering ability, he made a pact with a wind spirit and using its characteristic agility, he has obtained the nickname "Limia's Mobile Battery". A nickname that one has to wonder if they are praising him or fearing him. By the way, the person himself is not happy about this.
His offensive magic, for Hibiki who hasn't learned that many attack spells and the party that has way too many physical attackers, is an important existence in the hero party. But in this case, those were practically ineffective. He would have originally been an imperial magician, but because of the King's proposition, he was made to accompany Hibiki. He has a short build and a child face, but his age is 25. The oldest in the party.
(We placed an incredible burden on Chiya-chan)
Chiya is the healer. Having a high amount of magic power, she is a magician specialized in healing and support magic. Same as Wudi, she also has friendships with the spirits. Normally, the magicians that don't take spirit magic as their specialty would be hated by spirits, so this was an uncommon case. She is friendly with not a wind one but a water one. Her maximum magic power amount is, unexpectedly, the same as Hibiki. She was almost made a sacrifice but was saved by Hibiki and the others, after that she has accompanied them and later on she officially became a member of their party. In terms of healing magic, she is Hibiki's sensei. Of course, now that the party is in a state of total defeat, she is the one who has used the most magic power in healing and is now in a deep slumber.
Hibiki, Naval, Bredda, Wudi and Chiya.
This is Limia's hero party. It is made up entirely by hyumans. It has only been one month since Hibiki has arrived to this world. Just how many events she has faced? It is to the point that one could call it a storm of ups and downs.
At the time when she registered in the Adventurer Guild, she was level 120. It was the third day of being in this world.
In the continuous battles, she increased her levels.
And yet, she lost this time.
Her lips hung up.
From deep inside, she could feel a strange throb similar to a tremble running through her whole body.
The fighting style Hibiki chose when she arrived in this world was the sword with speed as its main point.
Her physical strength was quite enhanced because of her previous world, so she could have used a great sword, but taking into consideration her surrounding companions and the weapon circulation itself, in the end, she chose a bastard sword.
It's a weapon that doesn't have many users in the kingdom. The katana doesn't exist so she was troubled. And so, she chose this weapon that her history teacher in the previous world literally translated as "illegitimate child sword".
Normally she uses this sword with one hand, but when she wants to do a strong attack she wields it with both. When she tried using it, it was truly comfortable and Hibiki grew attached to it.
The kendo that she was learning concentrated more on the distance between the opponent and forestalling than the use of the sword. As a means to cope, it is working well. The girl was happy that even with her sword ending up as a western one, it didn't mean all of the skills she learned were a waste.
Right now it has been broken in half so she is in the middle of looking for a replacement. Looking at the long handle that had its blade broken, she felt a bit sorry.
In the beginning, Hibiki thought about using her crazy amount of magic power to learn attack spells, but thinking about the concentration she had to put in the aria while in the middle of a battlefield made her abandon the idea.
In the end, she decided to only learn a spell to coat her weapon in magic power, a barrier that has a short aria and is easy to use, and a self-healing spell.
She must have thought about situations where she would be the only one left, her composition had a strong sense of independence. And in fact, Hibiki has not lost a one on one ever before. She thought that in the case she lost, it would be because she was surrounded.
But the reality was different.
She and the others were all defeated by a single being. And it was from the front to top it off.
There was no carefully made out plan, nor tactic that read their next movements. Nothing at all.
It just suddenly appeared, and created the frustration in Hibiki.
Just instinct. Its overwhelming attack strength and crazy defense power.
Naval was certainly faster than it. She did continuous attacks like a gale, and by the time the opponent reacted and did an attack, she would be gone already.
Then, why is it that she was defeated?
Simple.
Because Naval's attacks didn't even make the opponent flinch. Her sword may look weaker compared to Hibiki's bastard sword, but it is endowed by magic power and it is quite the sharp sword. Combine it with her speed and the cutting power increases by a lot. But it just wasn't enough.
While holding back their fatigue, they continued to increase the damage little by little. And finally they were able to take out one of its legs.
Seeing that, even though it was after a long time, they had certainly taken one step forward and a sense of achievement welled up in the party.
But in the next instant, that leg regenerated and it continued its actions as if nothing happened.
At that moment, a crack appeared in the party that was working perfectly.
Naval got caught in a black thread and with her movements sealed, she received a finishing blow attack. Chiya desperately tried to cut off the thread's effect and heal her, but they all understood that she was already out of combat. That is how a swordswoman would end up like if she were to take a direct hit while standing upright.
Because one of the members fell, the number of attacks Hibiki had to evade increased, and it also increased the burden of Bredda. Even if his specialty is parrying, that doesn't mean he goes no damage all the time. Bredda's movements became sluggish and he finally collapsed. After that, it happened…
Because Chiyu was concentrating on healing one person, Wudi ended up unable to cut it up with his attacks that only used magic power. Leaving aside if offensive magic was effective, seeing that it didn't make the enemy movements change created a sense of dread in them.
Even when Hibiki stood as a one man frontline with her self-healing and barrier, if one person does the job of what was originally done by three people, it was clear what would happen sooner or later. Since the moment they understood their attacks didn't have any effect, the Wolf that works as a guardian beast, intercepted as many of the attacks that couldn't be blocked by the barrier. That silver wolf received a number of bombards and after his movements grew sluggish, he received a few more and fell.
Chiya changes her healing to Hibiki. But even with that, it couldn't keep up. The support magic of Wudi gets cut off. And that thing that attacks leisurely, continues to spit out black strings from its rear.
The healing and support stops.
Cold sweat and impatience build up.
Being overwhelmed by only its defensive and offensive power, they are about to be crushed. Her comrades had already fallen. She didn't even know if they were all safe.
One of the legs that she slashed using both hands was about to fall off, and then without missing this, she cut it off with the returning blade.
Then just like before, it dispersed like black particles.
And… Just like before, it regenerated.
"Fufu… fu…"
What was burying her now was despair. She can't win. There's no doubt that she can't win. No, it wasn't even a match. She didn't understand why a laugh came out from her mouth.
The magic power that everyone praised was already completely dried up. A fatigue and heaviness that she hadn't felt before assaulted her body.
Hibiki, with a literal desperate effort, strengthened her body and a red light clad her body.
I can win.
Without losing the light in her eyes.
"I can still fight! Come over here!"
The energy to move had already long left her. She could only counter-attack.
"Shyagya gya gya gya!"
Doing a war cry or whatever with a strange voice, its eight legs sped up as they drew nearer to Hibiki and with one of its forelegs it tried to mow her down.
What she did to counter was…
To do one step forward and make a turn for an overhead attack.
No one knows if she actually aimed for it. That attack went on top of its fangs and directly onto its overly shiny eyes.
Normally, Hibiki would have counted that as a counter. But she didn't even aim for that counter. Right now, she was already sure that the only way would be to make it a mutual strike down, and this is the attack which took this into account.
"Gufu"
An organ had probably punctured, she could feel blood rushing up her throat.
That is of course. Because Hibiki, instead of evading the attack that was aimed at her abdomen, took a step forward and received it.
Am I going to die?
While thinking this hollowly, the last thing Hibiki saw when she lifted her head was…
Not a brutal battlefield, but a tranquil plain.
"How…?"
With her question as the trigger, blood begins dripping from her mouth. She couldn't maintain her consciousness that was taking a turn for the worse.
The hero, Otonashi Hibiki, had experienced for the first time the taste of defeat. A complete defeat that the current her couldn't have won at all.
That enemy was not a demon race nor a demonic beast.
It was a calamity. A hated black spider that moves around the world devouring everything.
At present, she doesn't know that thing's identity. Of course, she also doesn't know that her last attack to the eye had filled the spider's hunger temporarily and had left.
But Hibiki, who was recollecting her battle, woke up in bed and took a deep breath. Her body was being enveloped by excitement as if she had returned to that battlefield. With a number of deep breaths, she was finally able to calm down.
"I will win. Absolutely. Thanks for the defeat…Just you wait"
Her defeat might make her reputation fall, but she didn't care about such a thing. I will investigate about that thing and defeat it. She has obtained one clear objective now.
This world has finally provided that feeling of defeat and frustration that she couldn't obtain before even when she wished for it. That's why she thanked the spider.
A black spider made 5 people close to level 200 retreat.
Hibiki's reputation, instead of falling, actually rose. Normally when you meet that black spider it's the end for you. It's a high level threat that even the adventurer guild gathers high ranked adventurers that are affiliated with the country to make a magic division and bombard it with long ranged attacks to make it retreat.
This talk surprised the kingdom and it pushed the name of hero Otonashi Hibiki higher.
All of this happened a day before Makoto liberated the black spider from its hunger.
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Author note:
There is a certain difference in time between when the heroes got summoned.
More concretely speaking, the order is: male hero, female hero and then Makoto. Think of each one having a difference of 1 month.
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Hibiki's party leg count: 2
Makoto's leg count: Enough to rebuild Tokyo Tower.