Chapter 325-326: Progress

And so, back to the present.

The running Uriel, the chasing Sasae-chan, and me chasing after them; I didn’t think we would go all the way from Ishtar Blaze to Hydra Ville like that!!

“Something like that happened?!” (Karen)

“The small and cute Sasae has become so voluptuous?!” (Mirack)

“What crazy boob size! This is not on the level of being bigger than yourself! It surpasses imagination itself!!” (Celestis)

Karen-san, Mirack, and Celestis who had been listening to the events that led to this were unable to hide their agitation, but what agitated them the most was apparently the boobs of Sasae-chan that had grown far from expectations.

It is to the point that, if those were watermelons, being this big would be excessive moisture and it wouldn’t be suitable for sale.

“Damn it! The sparks have swallowed us as well!” (Michael)

“Uriel! Don’t get scared over there and help us out! This is a calamity you brought yourself, right?!” (Gabriel)

“Save me! Save me~~!!” (Uriel)

On the other hand, even though the Demon Lords have increased to three, Sasae-chan still acted as if nothing.

Swinging her giant scythe as if it were a meteor shower, she overwhelms the three Demon Lords.

“She is not being pushed back even when she is going against three Demon Lords?! Even if she has become a God Hero, is that even possible?!” (Mirack)

“Or more like, isn’t Sasae-chan the one pushing them back?! Michael and the others can’t keep up with the speed of Sasae-chi!!” (Celestis)

“This is not good!” (Karen)

Karen-san panics.

“Let’s participate! Let’s save the Demon Lords!” (Karen)

Eh?

“Gotcha. Sasae obviously looks like she is not her normal self, and this can’t be wrapped up without a fight!” (Mirack)

“But the current Sasae-chi is definitely not normal. Can we come out of this unscathed?” (Celestis)

No no no no!

Am I the weird one for thinking that what Karen-san and the others are saying is strange?

“Uhm, Karen?” (Haine)

“What is it, Haine-san?! I will be asking where you were with Yorishiro-sama after we stop Sasae-chan, okay?!” (Karen)

“That in itself is scary, but…! More importantly, I want to confirm this but, are you really going to stop Sasae-chan in order to save the Demon Lords?!” (Haine)

Am I the one in the wrong to think that it should normally be the other way around?

Because you know, we went through hell in order to bring back Mantle so we could defeat the Demon Lords, you know?

“…Haine-san, I understand what you are trying to say.” (Karen)

Karen-san says heavily.

“But in the time Haine-san was absent, the situation changed. We can arrive to an understanding; we can finish this without having the monsters and humans fighting; those possibilities have appeared.” (Karen)

“That’s how it is, Haine-chi. Even for me, Gabriel is a character I wouldn’t like dying here.” (Celestis)

“I also wish for a conclusion that Michael can be okay with. For that sake, it would trouble me if he were to die here!!” (Mirack)

What a turn…

To think that even Mirack and Celestis also agreed with this. This isn’t a situation that can be summarized as having a personal difference in opinions.

…Humans and monsters reaching an understanding, she says.

I did hear about the events that transpired at Muspelheim and Hydra Ville from Nova, but until I actually experienced it now, I couldn’t have even imagined it.

To think humans would be able to interact with monsters in a way Gods had no idea was possible; humans are truly amazing.

“And that’s how it is. Let’s go! Mirack-chan, Celestis-chan!” (Karen)

“Got it. All three…!” (Mirack)

“God Hero Mode, activate!!!” (Celestis)

…

Silence.

Obviously, nothing happened.

“Oh no~! The same mistake!” (Karen)

“We can’t become God Heroes without the Gods in the vicinity! This time, not even that cow is here! What should we do?!” (Mirack)

“Jumping into that blade hell in normal mode would be suicidal! Coacervate-sama, come back!!” (Celestis)

Is what Karen-san’s group wails about.

Right, the God Hero mode cannot be activated unless they link with their respective God.

But the Light Goddess Inflation and the Fire God Nova have returned to their own capital, moreover, the unmanageable Water God Coacervate has become a mass of goodwill due to being distilled and, with that overflowing goodwill he has, he flew out and there’s no clue as to where he is.

With this, the three won’t be able to become God Heroes and can’t help in this crucial moment.

So the God Heroes had such an issue!

“…Issue?” (Haine)

I feel like I heard that word not that long ago…

When I search my memories, I check my own pocket. And then, I take out three gems that look as if they would fetch quite the sum of money if they were to be sold.

“…Uhm, Karen-san.” (Haine)

“Aaah… Could it be that I will end up being a side-character again?! Wait, what is it, Haine-san?” (Karen)

“This…” (Haine)

I place the transparent gem that Yorishiro gave me on Karen-san’s palm.

“Wa?! What is this expensive looking thing?! A gem?! Could it be a wedding ring?!” (Karen)

Karen-san, that’s just pushing it.

In the first place, it is a gem in the raw. There’s nowhere to put your finger in.

“Mirack is a ruby and Celestis is an aquamarine.” (Haine)

“Oh, oh~?” (Mirack)

“Uwa~! Looks expensive! It is hard to find jewelry with such big gems, you know!” (Celestis)

Don’t say it as if it were a big potato you found in your stew.

At any rate, a while after the gems of the Gods touched their respective heroes…a bright light was released from the gems.

“Kya?!” “Oh?!” “What in the world is…!”

White light from the diamond; red light from the ruby; blue light from the aquamarine; with these lights radiating from them, the gems were absorbed by the holy sword, the fire knuckles, and the robe of the heroes and disappear.

It was as if they had fused with their divine tools.

“What what? What in the world happened?” (Celestis)

Everyone was surprised by this and, finally, the result was shown.

A fierce amount of divine power was released from the bodies of Karen-san, Mirack, and Celestis-san as they all turned into God Heroes!

Karen-san released dazzling light from her whole body, Mirack had fire cladding her body, and Celestis had become transparent like water.

“What is the meaning of this? We turned into God Heroes without the permission of the Gods?!” (Mirack)

This is the meaning of those gems.

In order to solve the inconvenience of not being able to turn into God Hero mode unless you have the God by your side, they create a path between the God and the hero.

So those gems were for the sake of creating that path in the divine tools huh.

“I don’t really get it, but this is incredible…!” (Karen)

The shining Karen-san mutters.

“With this, the time for the God Heroes to join forces has come! Mirack-chan, Celestis-chan! Let’s go!” (Karen)

“Yeah! Or more like, this is the first time we see the God Hero figure of Karen!” (Mirack)

“For a moment, I thought you were lying to not be left behind! With this, all three of us God Heroes are on stage!!” (Celestis)

The three God Heroes charge to battle.

The God Hero mode that was thought of in order to defeat the Demon Lords is now being activated in order to save them.

Should I call it irony? …No, this is definitely what is called as ‘progress’.

Something unbelievable was occurring in front of me.

“No way!!”

The battle should be in our overwhelming favour.

Michael, Gabriel, Uriel; three Demon Lords; Karen-san, Mirack, and Celestis; three God Heroes; with a total of six of the strongest in the world, they are still unable to defeat the God Hero Sasae-chan?!

“[Phoenix Hammer]!!” (Michael)

“[Pleiades Burst]!!” (Mirack)

A simultaneous attack of the Fire Demon Lord and God Hero was well done to the point of being called teamwork, and yet, this wasn’t a threat at all for Sasae-chan.

The fire attacks have high firepower, but are slightly slower, so with Sasae-chan’s speed and body technique, she easily evaded it.

“Not a single attack is hitting! We have no choice but to attack from close range!” (Karen)

“Don’t, Karen-chi! There’s nothing the current Sasae-chi can’t cut with that Earth Scythe! The moment you enter her range, you will be cut in 17 pieces at the very least!” (Celestis)

“The elemental affinities still apply between Demon Lords and God Heroes. We as water element users can’t deal with her earth element!!!” (Gabriel)

“Save me, save me~~!!” (Uriel)

Even if Celestis and Gabriel are afflicted by the disadvantage of element, there’s still six there, and yet, even with that, they can’t do anything. That’s just weird.

As I thought, Sasae-chan is at a place that surpasses that of a God Hero.

Mantle didn’t just give a part of herself, she has poured her everything into Sasae-chan.

The current Sasae-chan is completely fused with a God?!

“Damn it! Let’s also tackle with elemental affinity! If we talk about earth element, it is wind! Is there no reports of Hyue-chi becoming a God Hero yet?!” (Celestis)

“Raphael! Where did Raphael go?! Uriel, do you know? You get along with that guy, don’t you!” (Gabriel)

“I don’t know! He is also in the middle of planning his attack to the humans!!” (Uriel)

Unable to find an effective way to break through this situation, the new alliance of Demon Lords and heroes that are supposed to be the strongest were panicking.

…Now that it has come to this, it can’t be helped.

“[Dark Matter, Set]!!” (Haine)

I also step into the battlefield where blades were dancing wildly.

The shield I made out of dark matter stopped the Earth Scythe that supposedly can cut anything.

“No way! Haine-chi stopped that scythe?!” (Celestis)

“As I thought, that man alone, I can’t gauge him. As long as Kuromiya Haine exists, the victory of us monsters won’t be possible.” (Michael)

The scythe of Sasae-chan can cut anything because the earth divine power affects the solids and is providing ultimate toughness and sharpness.

That’s why there’s no way the all-erasing dark matter shield wouldn’t be able to stop it.

On top of that, with the second property of the dark matter, gravity manipulation, I repel the scythe that rained upon me.

…The attacks of Sasae-chan were at a level where I have to use both properties of the dark matter in order to block it!

“Stop it already, Sasae-chan!!” (Haine)

I was about to spread the dark matter and cover her in order to capture her, but Sasae-chan retreated speedily before that happened and escapes from the grasp of the dark matter.

She read what I was going to do?!

You are incredibly troublesome to deal with, Sasae-chan!!

“At any rate, this is as far as you go! Stop the fight! It looks like the situation has changed so, in order to properly grasp the current state of things, you have to undo your God Hero mode!!” (Haine)

“Why?!”

?!

That way of speaking!

What came out from the mouth of Sasae-chan were words that were clearly not of Sasae-chan.

This way of speaking…Mantle!

Could it be that by completely fusing with Sasae-chan, she has taken over her body?!

“The Gods have decided it, right? In order to protect the human-sans, we have to eradicate the Demon Lord-sans. That’s the reason why we are giving the hero-sans the power of Gods. That is a God Hero.” (Mantle)

“…”

“The Demon Lords will be defeated by a God Hero. What is the wrong about this? It is good timing that there are three Demon Lords here. Isn’t this the time to defeat them all at once?” (Mantle)

What Mantle was saying with the mouth of Sasae-chan was correct.

It is in her nature to go in a straight line the moment she is determined to do something.

“What’s that?! Is that really Sasae?” (Mirack)

“It’s as if a completely different person is inside her and speaking! I can’t feel a single bit of Sasae-like talk of it!” (Karen)

“Her outer appearance is also like a completely different person. Isn’t this just a completely different person from the very beginning? Did Haine-chi just make a mistake?” (Celestis)

Karen-san and the others began to notice the abnormality and were confused.

Mantle had poured all of her instead of just a part of it, and because of that, the very conscious of Sasae-chan had been pushed away somewhere and the control of the body had been changed!

“…Light, Fire, and Water hero-sans, I am Mantle -Mother Earth God, Mantle.” (Mantle)

“““?!”””

Mantle spoke directly to Karen-san and the others?!

“I have heard about your achievements from Nova-san and Coacervate-san. You are doing your best for the sake of the people. That’s worthy of praise.” (Mantle)

“Ah, thank you?” (Karen)

And they weren’t able to keep pace of the conversation due to the characteristic atmosphere of Mantle.

“I will also learn from you people and be of use to the human-sans this time for sure. I will do my best to eradicate the Demon Lord-sans so, can you please not get in the way?” (Mantle)

“No no no no!!” (Karen)

As expected, they couldn’t just let that slip by.

“Please wait! It is true that the Demon Lords and humans were antagonistic at first, but it has changed! A new possibility has appeared, a path where there’s no fighting!” (Karen)

“In order to cross that path, I want you to please stop the battle right now! Oh God, we ask of you!” (Mirack)

“Or more like, the Mother Earth God is talking from the mouth of Sasae-chi. Doesn’t that mean her body has been taken over?! Isn’t that the same as what the dirty Coacervate did to Gabriel?!” (Celestis)

As expected of Celestis, she noticed that part.

Mantle places a finger on Sasae-chan’s cheek and says.

“Is there any good for the human-sans in walking that different path?” (Mantle)

“““Eh?”””

It was difficult to answer immediately at this question.

“When asked suddenly about that…I don’t know what to answer!” (Karen)

“Humans and monsters coexisting, right? What kind of effect this will bring… I haven’t really thought that far yet.” (Mirack).

“It would become a complex problem in terms of society. Philosophically as well. What is life? What are the standards that separate a living being from one that is not? What about the cycle of hate that has transpired until now? The more I think, the more convoluted it becomes!!” (Celestis)

Karen-san and the others were thrown into a labyrinth of thoughts!

On the other hand, the line of action of Mantle was incredibly clear.

“The Demon Lord-sans are really dangerous existences planning to destroy the human-sans. That’s why I will eliminate them. If I save the human-sans from danger, I will be of use to the human-sans this time for sure!” (Mantle)

Now that I think about it, in the incident with Grandma Wood, the actions of Mantle were simplistic to a fault.

In order to live, humans work, fight, and shoulder pain. ‘If I take away that pain from them, they can become happy’, that logic of hers was incredibly simple. However, humans can’t be defined only as simple. Living has suffering in it, but there’s also happiness and joy.

She compiled them all into suffering and thought about taking it all away. That’s way too rash.

That’s why Mantle and I were unable to reach an understanding and I had to erase her into the Black Hole.

Her simple-mindedness was so strong that anything complicated couldn’t enter her head.

Are we going to be at odds again because of her simple-mindedness and end up having no choice but to continue the path where humans and monsters have to fight until one side perishes?

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