Chapter 334 - 334: Come Fight!

Spirits are the messengers of the gods. That was how later ages recorded the ancient era.

Whatever else might be doubtful, the records of the [Nidhogg] incident did state it plainly: "Six Great Spirits, at the cost of their own lives, called down the [Strike of the Gods] and annihilated the demonic dragon."

And there lay the question.

Had some god truly reached down and acted?

Or did the "Six Rings of the Spirits" — the technique the six Great Spirits burned themselves away to use — simply deliver a blow on par with Divine Power?

Or was it that the gods could only act because the Spirits summoned them?

The story never explained, and much of it remained impossible to know.

Which led to a very important question.

Namely: did the Great Spirits know that the gods existed?

And if they did, why had they never told the people of the lower world?

What was more, judging from Isagi's conversations with the goddesses — Astrea, Demeter, Loki, all of them — their accounts lined up perfectly.

The gods had been watching the lower world since the age when the Dungeon first appeared and Monsters ran wild across the continent.

It was only that, back then, the gods were split into several camps.

There were the gods of the dark side, who savored the whole catastrophe as a "feast."

There were the neutral gods, who held that the people below should handle their own affairs and that no one should interfere.

And there were the gods who argued for reaching down and helping the children of the lower world.

In the beginning, the neutral faction made up the overwhelming majority. So for a very long stretch of time the gods merely watched events unfold below, and only now and then would some god with poor taste in amusements toss a "Gift from the Gods" — a Divine Artifact — down into the lower world to indulge some small private quirk.

Under those circumstances, calling the Spirits the messengers of the gods was not really wrong at all.

Because from a certain angle, the gods who wished to help the mortals below truly were leaning on the Spirits' Strength to guide and lead the counteroffensive against the Monsters.

And that was also why —

when the Great Spirits had nearly all died and vanished from this world, when the line of [Hero]s in the lower world was broken along with them, and yet the Dungeon still stood, still spawning monstrosities as terrible as Behemoth, Leviathan and the Black Dragon —

more and more gods shifted from neutrality to action, descending to the lower world to help mortals fight the Monsters.

Laid out like that, it all made sense.

Isagi nodded to himself, the whole chain of cause and effect more or less clear now.

And here, in this moment, Aria and the [Empress] — with no way of knowing that gods would one day come down and grant mortals the [Falna] — were working just as hard on plans of their own.

Which were —

"We want more people to receive a Spirit's Strength."

So far they had only made preliminary attempts, and it was brutally difficult. But at least there was one success story: "Ais."

"You know how it works, right? A Spirit's Strength comes from her bond with a person… or, what, feelings? Trust? Ah… something along those lines, anyway," the [Empress] said softly.

She clearly had never received Aria's blessing herself, and Isagi caught a small, quiet trace of disappointment on the woman's face.

Hm.

Thinking about it, that made sense.

If a Great Spirit were traveling at his own side, everyone would surely become good friends.

But if the others received her blessing and could wield a Spirit's Strength while he alone could not, some small crack would probably open up inside all the same.

That was only natural. The [Empress] simply went on talking.

"Of the bonds, the one we're certain about is love. Spirits and [Hero]s usually end up as lovers, or drift that way eventually. That's why everyone believes a Spirit's blessing can only go to one person — because even if you can have many wives or many husbands, love, for most people, belongs to exactly one."

"Mm—"

Isagi didn't entirely agree with that, though for most people it was probably true.

"But! One day Aria saw a mother protecting her child. That feeling — that willingness to die so long as the other one lives — is no different at all from love."

Family love.

Isagi understood.

"So Aria took Ais in."

From the moment the golden-haired girl was born, she had been Aria's daughter. Blood tied them not at all, and still they were as close as any true mother and child — until, one day not long ago, Ais genuinely awakened a Spirit's Strength, and the blood of the Spirits surfaced inside her body.

Incredible.

"If this keeps up, maybe Aria can raise more Spirits. Or at least raise [Hero]s who carry Spirit blood and can wield a Spirit's Strength."

"I see. And if it works, then the other Great Spirits could also—"

"No. There aren't any."

The [Empress] shook her head, and something dawned on Isagi.

"Aria is the last Great Spirit."

So much for small talk.

Isagi and Lady Empress waited there a good while longer, and once they had confirmed no further Monsters were coming, they prepared to head back toward the city.

Except.

When he rose to his feet, he found the [Empress] beside him staring at him. With the dopiest possible look in her eyes.

Stare—

"What is it?"

"You seem a little different!"

"…?"

"Different from everyone I've ever met."

The Lady Queen possessed an intuition you could only describe as a Beast's!

Perhaps that was the root of why she could dream of danger before it came.

"You. You're strong, aren't you?"

"I get by."

Isagi pressed his lips together, terrified that the Lady Queen in front of him was about to demand a fight on the spot.

That would be extremely dangerous!

It wasn't that Isagi had lost his nerve. It was that the "customs" of the Amazon tribe were horrifying.

Especially when facing an Amazon woman who was confirmed to be far stronger than him, one he stood no chance of beating.

Because if he actually lost, he'd be dragged off and kept…

As has been said before — forget succubi, the Amazon tribe is really closer to Goblins!!

Danger danger danger danger danger—

That flawless face drifting closer and closer, that sweet, cloying scent that set the mind adrift.

Isagi could feel his heart accelerating all on its own.

[The Amazon tribe worships the strong. Most Amazon women will fall hopelessly in love with whoever defeats them.]

Granted, there were types like Tiona who regarded the whole thing as a backward custom — but they were a small minority.

Most Amazons still obeyed instinct. Tradition, in other words.

Which was exactly why the alluring woman in front of him felt so dangerous. And she, unfortunately, was very traditional indeed.

"Albert Waldstein and the others all refuse to fight me."

Phew.

The great [Hero]s were clever men after all.

"So do you want to fight me?"

"I can't beat you," Isagi said, perfectly honest.

"Is that so… but—"

The woman folded her arms beneath her chest, the wheat-colored skin there drawing a soft, proud swell. Then her eyes narrowed slightly, as though a thought had struck her, and a thoroughly enchanting smile spread across her lips.

"You said you can't beat me. You didn't say you wouldn't fight me!"

"…?"

Hold on, was she that addicted to this?!

Weren't Amazons only supposed to like people who could beat them? So why would she—

Isagi's mouth twitched, and in the next second all he could see was thunder detonating in front of his eyes — and that all-too-familiar sweeping arc of the woman's long leg.

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