Chapter 356

Haruto leaned against the side of the carriage, gazing past the rolling fields toward a faint gray silhouette on the distant horizon.

As the carriage continued forward, the outline gradually became clearer.

"We’re almost at Axel."

Haruto turned around to inform the others.

Hearing that, Kagura, Kanna, and Cecily eagerly poked their heads out of the carriage. Sure enough, the town of Axel was finally coming into view.

"We’re finally here!"

Cecily looked toward the town with considerable anticipation.

Before long, the carriage reached a wider main road, where the number of travelers gradually increased.

Most were adventurers wearing leather armor and carrying swords or other weapons. Some traveled in groups of three or five, laughing and chatting loudly, while others hurried along with barely a word.

Their equipment varied considerably in quality, and their expressions ranged from excitement to exhaustion.

This was everyday life around Axel, a town famous for attracting beginner adventurers.

Just then, Haruto’s expression shifted slightly.

A peculiar presence had entered his sensory range. It carried a gentle, sacred aura, although that aura had been cleverly concealed.

Haruto looked ahead.

Two young women were walking along the road.

The one on the left was a tall, blue-eyed blonde with an attractive, well-proportioned figure. Her brilliant golden hair shone beneath the sunlight, while her delicate features and faint smile gave her a distinctly feminine appearance.

However, she wore a suit of heavy plate armor that contrasted sharply with her graceful looks.

The armor gave her movements a certain weight, although it did nothing to hinder her mobility.

The young woman walking beside her had a considerably more athletic appearance.

She possessed short, neatly trimmed silver hair and wore blue shorts designed for ease of movement, leaving her long, toned legs exposed.

A faint scar marked her cheek, lending her an additional touch of rugged charm.

Unfortunately, despite her youthful appearance, her figure was remarkably flat, especially when compared with her generously proportioned companion.

Haruto naturally recognized both women.

The blonde wearing heavy armor was Darkness, a Crusader with extraordinary defensive abilities and the daughter of the prestigious Dustiness noble family.

She was also an outrageous masochist.

As for the short-haired girl beside her, she was Eris, the Goddess of Fortune, currently living in Axel under the alias Chris and working as a thief.

Unlike Aqua, who spent her days drinking sparkling wine, crying, and refusing to take responsibility for anything, Eris was conscientious, gentle, and kindhearted.

She was a goddess who genuinely deserved the devotion of her followers.

The two were practically complete opposites.

Almost at the exact moment Haruto noticed Chris and Darkness, Chris suddenly stopped walking.

Her eyes settled on the approaching carriage, and a trace of astonishment flashed across her face.

Darkness stopped beside her and looked over in confusion.

"Chris, what’s wrong?"

Chris did not answer immediately.

Instead, her attention remained fixed on Haruto, Kagura, and Kanna.

She could clearly sense an intense otherworldly presence emanating from all three of them.

But something was wrong.

Confusion filled her mind.

As far as she knew, the only heroes Aqua had recently sent to this world were Mitsurugi Kyouya and Satou Kazuma.

Furthermore, Aqua herself had descended alongside Kazuma.

The goddess who had subsequently taken over the responsibility of guiding reincarnated people had not sent another hero into this world since then.

So where had these three otherworlders suddenly come from?

Even more concerning was the nature of their auras.

Ordinary heroes might receive extraordinary abilities, but they still required time and experience to develop their strength.

These three were different.

Their presences were stable and extraordinarily powerful, exerting a faint but unmistakable pressure that even Chris, a genuine goddess, could sense.

"It’s nothing."

Chris quickly concealed her surprise and shook her head.

"Maybe I was imagining things."

She had no intention of approaching them just yet.

The three newcomers did not appear hostile, and she currently had something more important to deal with.

Once she had resolved the immediate problem, she could investigate their origins.

"Let’s go, Darkness."

Chris’s expression became serious.

"We need to find that demon as quickly as possible. We can’t let it get close to Axel."

"Right!"

Darkness nodded firmly, determination filling her eyes.

"Don’t worry, Chris! As long as I’m here, I absolutely won’t let that demon hurt anyone!"

At that moment, Kagura suddenly raised her head.

Her expression became unusually serious.

"Haruto, something powerful is approaching us from the sky."

Hearing that, Haruto immediately shifted his attention away from Chris and Darkness and looked upward.

A tiny black speck was rapidly growing larger in the distance.

As it approached, its appearance gradually became distinguishable.

It was an enormous demon standing more than three meters tall, with cold blue-gray skin that looked as hard as stone.

Its face was hideously twisted, with a mouth stretching almost to its ears and revealing rows of sharp fangs. A pair of long, curved horns protruded from its head.

Two enormous bat-like wings extended from its back, beating powerfully enough to generate fierce gusts of wind.

"Host?"

Haruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he recognized the approaching demon.

Host was a powerful upper-class demon with a rather unusual personality.

Despite being a demon, he had little interest in indiscriminately slaughtering innocent people.

His purpose in coming to Axel was remarkably straightforward.

He was searching for Megumin’s familiar, Chomusuke.

Flying overhead, Host naturally noticed Chris, Darkness, and the four travelers aboard the carriage.

However, his gaze merely swept across them without lingering.

As far as he was concerned, these low-level adventurers were hardly worth his attention.

All he currently cared about was finding Chomusuke.

Consequently, he had no intention of bothering anyone on the ground. He simply flapped his wings and prepared to fly over them toward Axel.

Unfortunately, Host had severely underestimated the enthusiasm of Axel’s adventurers.

"A DEMON!"

A tremendous shout suddenly rang out.

Darkness drew the enormous two-handed sword hanging at her waist and pointed it toward Host.

"Evil demon! I, Darkness, will never allow you to harm innocent civilians!"

Host faltered in midair.

An expression of profound helplessness spread across his face.

’Here we go again.’

He could not help complaining inwardly.

Why did these ridiculously stubborn adventurers insist on appearing wherever he went, shouting about killing him?

All he wanted was to find a cat!

Host sighed.

He decided to ignore the loudly shouting female knight and continue flying.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to move, a flash of cold steel suddenly streaked through the air.

A dagger shot straight toward his face with a piercing whistle.

An intense sense of danger made Host instinctively jerk his head aside.

Slash!

The sharp blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow, bloody cut across his rough skin.

Host’s expression darkened.

He slowly descended, his enormous feet striking the ground with a heavy thud.

The hardened dirt road cracked beneath his weight, leaving two deep footprints.

He raised his head and stared at the short-haired girl who had just attacked him.

"Who are you?"

Chris withdrew her throwing hand and immediately drew another pair of gleaming daggers from her waist, assuming a combat stance.

"I’m Chris, an adventurer from Axel! Demon, you’re not taking another step toward that town! As long as we’re here, you won’t get the chance to attack it!"

"Attack the town?"

Host blinked.

His expression became even more exasperated.

"Hey, hold on! I’m just looking for someone. I have absolutely no intention of attacking your stupid town!"

"As if anyone would believe a demon!"

Darkness strode forward, raising her enormous sword as she took her position beside Chris.

"All demons are evil! I’m going to destroy you today!"

Before Host could respond, Darkness released a fierce battle cry and charged straight toward him.

Despite the enormous weight of her armor, she moved with impressive speed.

Every step struck the ground with enough force to make the earth tremble faintly.

Charging forward with absolute determination and apparently no concern for her own survival, she certainly looked like a heroic knight.

Host watched her approach, his frown deepening.

He had never intended to waste time fighting these troublesome adventurers.

However, since they insisted on attacking him, he had no reason to stand there and let them do as they pleased.

"If you refuse to listen, then don’t blame me for what happens next."

Host snorted.

He raised his enormous right fist and delivered a devastating punch directly toward the charging knight.

BOOM!

A deafening impact shook the surrounding area.

Host’s fist struck Darkness squarely, sending enough force through the ground to make loose stones jump.

He had expected the blow to send the female knight flying, even if it failed to seriously injure her.

However, what happened next left him staring in complete disbelief.

The sensation was nothing like punching a human.

It felt as though he had struck an ancient glacier or a fortress wall forged from solid steel!

The tremendous force rebounding from the impact left his fist tingling.

And Darkness?

Despite taking the full force of his punch, her body had merely swayed backward slightly.

Several cracks spread across the ground beneath her feet, but she herself remained completely unharmed.

What truly horrified Host, however, was her reaction.

Rather than displaying the slightest sign of pain, Darkness’s cheeks developed an unmistakable flush.

Her eyes became unfocused, and an extraordinarily satisfied moan escaped her lips.

"Ahhh! Such incredible strength! Yes, that’s it! Again! Hit me harder!"

Darkness shouted excitedly.

Gripping her enormous sword with both hands, she summoned every ounce of strength in her body and brought the weapon crashing down toward Host.

"HAAAH!"

The massive blade tore through the air with a fierce whistle, descending directly toward the demon’s head.

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