Levia "I will protect you!!"

Translator's Note: At times, I referred to "status" as "attributes". E.g. Strength attribute

"Alright! Now we hold out until the main force arrives!"

At their commander's orders, hundreds of swords unsheathed from the soldiers' waists. The mercenaries also drew their weapons of choice, kicking the ground. Although the long-distance magic should have shaved off their numbers, the oncoming horde looked no different from before. The army was simply too large for there to be any noticeable difference.

"Aaaaargh!!"

Gants bellowed as he cleaved a nearing monster in half with his enormous battleaxe. His was a name that anyone in the same line of work had heard at least once. A hero of your wallet, that was who he was. Although he may not compare to the Sword Saint, Gants was a top-tier warrior. He could defeat lesser monsters with a swing, and plunge through shields and armor like twigs.

"Come at me, monsters! I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!"

A second swing, and a Howling Wolf was hacked into two parts. A third swing, and the Living Armor behind him was crushed out of shape. A fourth swing, and a diving bird-like monster was knocked from the air, dying on impact.

"Gaaaaaah!!"

He swung, and he swung, and he swung. The mercenary slaughtered any monsters that drew close, and the blood of his ever-increasing victims dyed his body red. In the blink of an eye, a mountain of corpses formed behind him, and it continued to reach for the sky.

"A—amazing! So this is the strength of the man known as the strongest mercenary…"

"What utter power…"

The soldiers' thoughts leaked out in admiration. At both his display of strength, and the immense gap between them. However, despite his unbelievable strength, he was still, in the end, human. The number of monsters was by no means infinite, and his remarkable power pushed them under. Mark my words, he was a ferocious warrior. However, his strength was but a small spark of hope against the might of numbers.

"Aaaaaah!"

"Guh, Johnny!"

Gants' comrade mercenary screamed in agony. A panther-like monster sunk its teeth into Johnny's Adam's apple and tore out his throat. The next moment, the poor soul was swallowed by a wave of monsters.

The battlefield was merciless. Whether you knew them or not, lives were lost all the same. The bright man that Gants chatted with just minutes ago was now a bloodied corpse. It was the harsh reality of the battlefield, something Gants had experienced time and again.

"You! How dare you!"

Wildly swinging his axe, Gants scattered the monsters that had swarmed Johnny. But he was too late. The twisted figure that Gants had glimpsed no longer resembled a human. Soon after, monsters that filled the space trampled upon the corpse, which would continue to disfigure.

"Aaaargh!"

"Eeeek!?"

Cries of pain filled the air, and soldiers continued to fall one by one. Though the enemy's numbers also fell, it barely made a difference. Even now, monsters sprung out from seemingly nowhere, and it was difficult to grasp their numbers.

"Tch!"

A human-sized mantis, an Amberterine, tore through Gants' shoulder with its sickle. Then, he winced in pain as he turned to make a clean cut through the Amberterine's neck. He was wounded physically, but more importantly, the earlier injury dampened his fighting ability. Although the arm still moved, it had undoubtedly weakened. Especially in a battle that would drag on for who knows how long, the minor cut might as well have been a fatal wound.

"Shit, how much longer will the main force take!?"

Gants cursed as he swung his axe, cutting down the monsters that jumped at him. Just how many minutes had passed, he questioned. How many more minutes would he have to hold out? Five? Ten? Maybe even more? As uneasiness settled in his heart, the mercenary's movements began to dull. His wounds grew with time and muscles began to tire.

This was the magical country's shortcoming. Suvell's abundant mana lured countless mages and sorcerers to its domain. However, the opposite was true for users of magic's opposing forces. Acolytes and priests that channeled holy power were a rare sight in the magical nation. These scarce numbers could be largely attributed to the fact that flugels, who made up a vast majority of these individuals, found the mana coursing through the country repulsive. In simpler terms, the military lacked healers. They weren't nonexistent, but their number was definitely insufficient. On the battlefield, this was quite the pressing situation.

"Gah!"

Gants sustained another injury to his foot, impairing his mobility. In addition to his fatigue, he could only exert half of his full power at best. The mercenary began to lose heart, and fear overtook him.

Was this as far as he goes? …Was this the end of the line? He could almost see the welcoming smile of his deceased wife, and the beloved figure of the daughter she had left him. Ironically, it was the thought of his clever girl that saved him. She was sure to be in the scholarly district, caught up in her educational endeavors. And so he brandished his axe once more and trained it at the monsters before him.

But before Gants could strike with renewed vigor, an enormous spear of water pierced through the horde.

"Wha—What the!?"

What followed was an incessant downpour of blades of water. Curiously, the liquid weapons curved back into the sky after striking down their targets. Tracing the magical assault back to its origin, Gants… no, every member of the battlefield saw it.

The figure loomed in the air, its jaw reaching over a hundred meters in width. Mana-infused water made up its transparent body, and its length ran around the entire Nation of Suvell. As the former lake that enclosed the entire country, it was more than likely that it stretched to miles of length. The water dragon conjured by Megrez, one of the seven heroes that overthrew the Black-winged overlord, had finally entered the stage.

Suvell's divine beast bellowed, its roars resounding through the battlefield and shaking the earth. The next moment, hundreds of monsters disappeared into the dragon's jaws.

"The-The Guardian Beast Levia… so the Guardian Deity finally makes its move…"

Riddled with wounds, the commander mumbled in surprise. The warriors of Suvell beheld the magnificent form with similar awestruck expressions. What beauty and dignity that the dragon embodied! This was Suvell's guardian deity, the impregnable defense that would lead them to victory. Just its enormous presence reassured its fellow combatants, instilling conviction back into the warriors' hearts.

"My fellow countrymen, you have done well in your efforts."

The voice that followed was that of another cornerstone to Suvell's defenses. All those who survived the brutal onslaught turned to face the speaker of those words.

There he was, silver hair dancing with the wind. His knowing eyes, housing centuries of knowledge, stared down at the battlefield. Spectacles adorned the beautiful features peculiar to his kind, and a white robe obscured the rest of his body from view. Although his confrontation with the Demon King had rendered his legs useless, not once did his abilities wane. Resting on a wheelchair was the regal form of a living legend—the "Wisdom King", Megrez.

"Oh, Lord Megrez! Lord Megrez has come to our aid!"

"The great Wisdom King! Guardian Levia! We're saved!"

"Hahahaha! That'll teach them to mess with Suvell!"

Levia tore monsters to shreds one after another, drastically reducing the enemy's numbers. Unparalleled on the battlefield, the water dragon wreaked havoc across the war front, turning the odds in Suvell's favor in an instant. The astronomical difference in level was plain to see as the Divine Beast laid waste to the enemy.

However, deluded by their Guardian Deity's presence, the warriors of Suvell failed to see what else was left in plain sight. Levia was the magical nation's last line of defense. Its appearance could only mean one thing: that their backs were against the wall… something they were blissfully unaware of.

・・・

Why do I feel so… unneeded? By the time Dina and I arrived at the scene, the battle had reached its climax. Telekinesis kept my "vehicle" aflight and overlooking the battlefield.

Levia's OP.

Two words that summarized the thoughts running through my head as Levia swallowed enemy forces at a terrific pace. And as enormous as it was, physical attacks did little to impede its liquid body. What's more, Megrez's constant healing patched up the dragon in all other respects.

Although golems are mostly immune to healing magics, their creators can restore their health through a certain skill. In other words, a golem within the range of a master alchemist is nigh indestructible. Meaning one with 180,000 HP under the constant support of the "Wisdom King" was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

"Oh? Looks like our presence may be unnecessary."

"So it seems."

Despite the monstrous force's overwhelming numbers, each unit averaged at level 50 at best—making them little more than fodder for a certain level 500 dragon's appetite. Quality over quantity—was not advice taken to heart while building this army. Most were common monsters with high birth rates, and posed little threat on their own.

Even if Aries were to make an appearance now, Levia may be able to fight him on equal ground. Although the level gap does tip in favor of Aries, Levia makes up for it with her monstrous attributes. The water dragon's tremendous vitality and Megrez's constant support make the Divine Beast more than its level might imply. Above all, Levia's affinity with her opponent was spectacular. After all, Aries was a fire attuned monster, something Megrez evidently came prepared for.

Speaking of Megrez, I might as well take a peek at his status. Although the [Observing Eye] is quite the handy skill to have, it is far from omniscient. Unless your own level is double that of [Observing Eye's] target, only their name and level will be displayed. Furthermore, if the target's level equals or exceeds your own, [Observing Eye] will fail to activate. That said, it never hurts to try.

【Megrez】

Level 500

Race: Elf

Class Levels

Mage: 100

Sorcerer: 100

Acolyte: 100

Seeker: 100

Alchemist: 100

HP: 29500

SP: 9400

STR (strength): 980

DEX (dexterity): 1250

VIT (vitality): 1028

INT (intelligence): 5720

AGI (agility): 723

MND (willpower): 4290

LUK (fortune): 1311

【Ill Status Effect】Lower Body Paralysis

【Ill Status Effect】Brand of the Vanquished

Much to my surprise, Megrez's full status flashed into vision. My first impression was that he had weakened significantly, and was carrying a few strange status effects at that. Brand of the Vanquished, was it? Lower Body Paralysis was pretty self-explanatory, though.

"Dina."

"Yes, Lord Ruphas?

"Megrez is carrying a strange status effect called the Brand of the Vanquished. Would you happen to know anything about it?"

I can always consult Dina about any troubling matters. That has always been my easy way out since coming to this world.

"Ah, that would certainly explain those rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Yes. Rumor has it that the Seven Heroes were cursed by the Demon King soon after their defeat."

A curse, huh. Sounds like another pain in the ass.

"Thanks to these restraints, the Seven Heroes are barely able to exhibit even half their original strength. That's why, if Megrez really is bound by a curse, then Levia truly is Suvell's last line of defense."

"…From what I can see, he's been stripped of both half his levels and classes."

"God, that sounds nasty… That would mean Megrez is no longer capable of producing golems of Levia's quality, wouldn't it?

I shuddered at the thought of hundreds of hours of gameplay disappearing down the drain. What a fearsome curse, that Brand of the Vanquished.

At a glance, Megrez's total level had been halved. His attributes also dropped in a similar fashion. After all, there was no way Megrez, who specialized in support, would have a lower INT attribute than I did. Moreover, half of his classes had vanished from his status. His former Esper and Archer classes were nowhere to be seen. This Brand of the Vanquished was ridiculous…

"Lord Ruphas, look. He's coming."

"Huh? Oh, Aries."

The very air constricted, threatening to suffocate the living. A staggering presence overtook the battlefield and pressed itself against every inch of my skin. Calmly, I traced it to its source.

In the distance, a dazzling coat of wool shimmered in the sun, scattering majestic rays of multicolored light. The ram reached a hundred odd meters in length, and intense killing intent oozed out of the whites of its eyes. The creature before me looked nothing like the gentle sheep of the past.

Aries of the Twelve Heavenly Stars, my former familiar, shook the earth as he approached the nation of Suvell.

・