Pigalo, the hero of the sword.
Altamir, the Hero of the Bow.
Zester, the Heroic Hammer.

　The three of them led their respective parties to Rasperda Fortress.
　They were in front of it.

　It is a military base where the Demon King's army has fortified its defenses to the hilt.
　It is not built to be easily entered by the brave men who are its enemies.

　That's why they stop far in front of it and wait for the situation.

I'll be the one to bring down the fortress.

　One of the three brave men, Pigalo, the brave man from The Sword, said.
　He had the same overly confident manner as usual.

I'm not going to be able to get to the bottom of it. Then it's only natural that I should crush it. The legend of the defeat of the demon king will be told with me in the lead role!
'Not so fast, Pigaro,'

　Altamir, who is present, says in protest.
I'm a brave man of the bow.

It's a good idea to have a good time with them. It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends. Hey Sezter?
Of course.

　Although somewhat awkward, Zester also gripped his beloved mallet tightly.

It's a good thing that you have a strong grip on your hammer. Achieving this is the only way to inherit his aspirations.......!　But...!
Are you still on the fence?

　Altamir spoke to Zester in a whisper.
　Because he didn't want Pigalo, with his crooked nature, to hear it.

"What happened in that village. ...I know it's a shock to hear that my special move, which I worked so hard to create, is flawed, but...!
That's very kind of you, Altamir.

　Zester took her concern in those terms.

　Radie, who had once become a brave man in the form of holding them back.
　He also went to visit her to declare that he had caught up with her ahead of her.
I'm sure you'll be able to tell me that we are once again equal competitors with you.
　And yet, what awaited them was an absolute powerhouse who shattered the elation of their new start.

''What Lord Dariel pointed out to me in that village was completely correct...!　I wanted to improve the shortcomings of my profound technique, the 'Great Imperial Stiffness', and bring it closer to completion before heading to the actual battle...!

　There are circumstances that didn't give Zester that leeway.

　It was Pigalo.

　I'm not going to be able to get rid of it, but I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

　The same is true for Altamir, who also feels that impatience, and if truth be told, he wanted to stay in the village of Lax and have a long talk with Radhi.
　The reason she couldn't do that is because she was influenced by Pigalo's haste, and in the end she had no choice but to leave to chase him.

"If Pigaro's guy defeats the Demon King, it's all for naught...!
"Dear left.

　Pigalo, Altamir, and Zester each had an adventurer who was introduced to them at the nearest guild branch.
　They were all fierce A- or B-class adventurers, and the three parties that led them were formed.
　Only the brave men did not cooperate, and each of them would capture Lasperda Fortress by their own leadership.

　This was agreed upon when they departed from the center guild.

　Each of the heroes would not cooperate........or more precisely, they would not form a party and each of them would have to make their own decision to defeat the Demon King.

　This was decided in order to speed up the pace of attack by making the brave men aware of each other by competing with each other.

　The aim has been right so far, but the flip side of speed is sloppiness.

''Then I'm going to have to go out.

　It was still Pigalo who was the first to declare.

I'm not going to let you guys get in the way," he said. I'm not going to let you get in my way. You will be a living witness to my achievements.
'Don't be stupid!　I won't let you take credit for the fall of Rasperda Fortress!
"...and...

　They are three people who are unlikely to follow the order to 'cooperate' in the first place.

　Three parties attacked at the same time.
　This is the largest number of people the brave men have ever attacked in Lasperda fortress, but they are not coordinated at all and head for the fortress in pieces.

◆

The hero of The Sword, Pigaro.

Huh...!　You incompetents who don't know your place.

　He gloats as he makes his way through the wooded area leading to the fortress.

"I'm the true hero...!　That's why I'm the one who has to defeat the Demon King.　That fact was also unacceptable, and Altamir, Zester, and Radie who were frolicking in their temporary titles.......!

　The Rasperda Fortress, as an important base, became the stage of countless fierce battles between the successive heroes and the Four Heavenly Kings.
　That's why the terrain data is stored in both the human and demon camps, and is provided to the brave men and women unconditionally.

They are nothing more than a pseudo-fiction. I'm going to prove that I'm a true hero. We'll start with this Rasperda Fortress.

　If we analyzed the terrain data and cut through the forest on the right wing of the fortress, we would be able to get close to the fortress without being noticed by the defenders.

　It was Pigalo's strategy to stay as close to the defenders as possible and rush into the fortress in a surprise manner.

''I don't care if the Four Heavenly Kings are waiting for us inside the fortress. They are the same kind of lazy bastards who would be killed by Reedy anyway. The Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army of the day are probably all zakos.

　Ever since he heard the news that Radhi had defeated the Four Heavenly Kings Bashbarza, Pigalo had tried his best to think so.

　The current Four Heavenly Kings are incompetent.
　That's why the achievements of Radhi are meaningless.

　Pigalo's own accomplishments are meaningful to him, and the accomplishments of others should not be meaningful to him.

　I'm going to charge into the fortress and defeat the enemy leader, the Four Heavenly Kings.
　That was the only plan that was meaningful to Pigalo.

''Mr........Pigaro.
'What?　Didn't I tell you to call me 'brave sir' when you called me?
''Excuse me........?''

　The three adventurers were proceeding behind Pigalo, followed by three adventurers.

　Party members recruited from the nearest guild branch. As for Pigaro, they were only a handful of pawns to bring down the fortress.

''The fog is coming out........!
What about it?　When you're an adventurer, isn't it natural for you to change your movements according to the weather? Can't you understand that?
Well, that's not...
''Was it a mistake for the guild to recommend me as 'a fierce man of a hundred battles'?　It's a low-level guild that certifies you as a fierce competitor when you're only half a man!　Shut up and follow me instead of saying anything else!
..............

　A fog had begun to appear around them, and even Pigalo hadn't been unaware of it.

　A pure white haze was beginning to drift in the forest they were invading, filling the space between the lined trunks.

''........Tch!''

　Pigalo couldn't help but be aware of the poor timing.

　In the forest, the trees are so thick that it's hard to see anything, but when you add in the fog, visibility is completely reduced to zero.

　A true adventurer who knows the horrors of nature would stay put and wait for the fog to clear.

　However, the current Pigalo does not take any action that an adventurer should take, but simply pushes forward.
　It is Zester, Altamir and the other brave men who are concerned.

''What if they drop the fortress while I'm stuck in the fog? When you think about it, you can't help but be in a hurry.

"I'm the first.......I'll be the first to reach the fortress......!

　As I walk in a hurry, the fog doesn't clear, but becomes thicker and thicker.
　You can't even see your own hands.

　I'm not sure if I'm even walking in front of them at all, as my vision is completely lost.

"Pigalo........no, hero-sama, it's still strange.......

　A party member in the back says.

'Bother!　What?
That fog. The fog usually comes on in the morning on a cloudy day or even a sunny day, right?
Huh?
It's the middle of the day, a little after noon. Even the weather was clear...?

　It was foggy in weather that wasn't supposed to be foggy....
　A fog that couldn't have happened naturally.
　That is to say, it was caused by someone using some means or another.

　For example, by using magic.........

''You idiot!　Why didn't you tell me this earlier!　Are you a useless person or a scum?　Hey idiot, can you at least reply...?

　Pigaro curses at the party members who were late in giving him advice, but then he notices something else.

''Hey..., what's going on...?''

　There was no sign of the party members who should have been right behind him.
　I couldn't see anything due to the fog, but I couldn't feel any sign of my three companions who should have been there.

　Instead, from far away, you can hear 'Gyaaaaah! I'm not going to be able to get the same thing done. I'm not going to be able to get the same thing done.

"Nonsense!　No way...?

　Pigaro was suddenly all alone.
　You will be surprised and confused in the invisible space enclosed by fog.

''Hey!　Answer me!　Where are you and what happened?

　He called out to his friends who should be nearby, but there was no answer.
　I can't even hear them scream anymore.

''d*mn it, if you're going to die, take the enemy along with you to die, you useless...!

　While swearing at his companions, who were not safe and sound, Pigalo pulled out his sword.
　Because he had to admit that an attack from the enemy had begun.

''Oh dear, that's a terrible thing to say to your precious companions.
!

　A voice echoed through the forest, completely blinded by the fog.
　A voice completely unfamiliar to Pigalo.

'Who are you?　Come out, you coward!　Show up and fight fair and square!
Those who fail to care for their fellow man will be losers like Bashvaza. If you ask me to show you, I'll show you, but....

　The fog, which had been so thick and dense, was clearing as I watched.

　The trees that had been hidden by the fog reappeared, and even those that weren't there before the fog appeared were firmly in front of Pigalo.

''Huh?　You are.........?
''Zeviantes, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army, 'Huafu'. I'm going to teach you a lesson about defeat.

　While breaking in with the intention of taking them by surprise, they encountered the enemy's highest strength while divided and isolated from their friends.
　The formula for victory assembled by Pigalo. It fell apart completely.