And, on the other hand, the other of the pair who call themselves Inferno.

　How is the chain user named Avos doing?

''Uze ee!　Uze!　Uzeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　The chain is swung around frantically.
　That weapon, filled with an aura of hit (strike), bursts flesh and crushes bone if it hits.

　This is the chain attack that once raged in the Rasperda Fortress, but they attacked as if it were a lie.

''Ha!''

　Shield-wielder Satome properly held up her shield and blocked the approaching chains.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more information on this topic.

"Wha?
"It wasn't just the heroes who were training in Lax Village!　Dariel's rigorous training has given me the ability to add elasticity to my guard (defense) aura!　That's a 30% increase in solidity!

　It's not just Satome who specializes in defense.
　Sesha also makes his spear, which is his prize, turn in a great circle, and his wind pressure causes the chains to change their trajectory.
　As a result, not a single chain hits Sesha himself.

'The spear technique 'Whirlwind Willow Return'!　Not by force, that is, but by a technique of changing trajectory without going against the flow!
''d*mn it!

　Even the spearman, who is not a defensive specialist, dealt with me.
　That humiliation made Abos' head bleed.

　He himself knew it dimly.
　It's not as powerful as the chains he wielded in the past at Lasperda Fortress.
　Back then, he had received an inexhaustible supply of magical power from the fused Drismegian, and his power had jumped up several times over as he fused with his aura.

　But now, having lost his powerful boost by separating from Drismegian, Avos only wielded a chain that was only strengthened by his own aura.

　As a result, he was not even a brave man, and it took him a lot of time to get that attendant.

　The modern day heroes leading those guys went to reinforcements due to the inferiority of the other side of the war.
　It also means that they decided that they could deal with Avos with just their cronies.

"You treated me like a little fish, huh?

　That's what I thought, "You treated me like a little fish!
　Abos is a small fry.
　I'm not going to be the only one who can do that.

I'm not going to be the only one.　I can't believe these people have no respect for me!　You're gonna regret this!　I'm going to make you regret thinking I'm weak!

　The aura that erupts.
　The amount of aura that erupts is uncommon, enough to convince you at a glance that he is of the heroic class.

''Even without the magic power of the Doris Megian!　Take 'Black Rope Strong Blast!

　However, the chain assault is a normal aura, not a strange black aura like that of Rasperda Fortress.

　It is easy to be easily blocked by the defensive techniques of nature, Satome and Sesha, and be chewed out.

　Even though it was the same inferno, Avos was clearly a downgrade compared to Cernya.
　Even a brave party that lacked a leader was enough to corner him.

　Abos himself knows this.
　That he wasn't that powerful, having been cut off from Drismegian.

　In the first place, the Black Rope Stiffness Impulse that he had developed after training in hell was also said to be a failure by Drismegian.

　The truly ideal magic aura fusion color is red.
　Like Siegfriedgel's 'Encounter Splitting Sky'.

　It's completely incomprehensible to Avos, but he says there are stages of aura discoloration caused by emotions, and black is only the first stage.

　--Black is just the first stage, he said, 'Black is the color of proof that you're not in control of your emotions while letting them emanate. You can't defeat the demon king with such clutter.

　And.
　Still, Avos was able to escape from hell by joining one of the Inferno.
　His role was only that of a spare for Siegfriedgel, his real life aura user.

　That Siegfliegel was pathetically defeated by the aura user of this world, and he thought that he would finally get the limelight.
　He said he was the main one.
　And yet.........

''Ko-Oh!''

　A single giant man was scrambling through the chains and was closing in on him.
　I avoided the hammer swinging down on the verge of flying away.

''d*mn...!　That was close...!

　However, he is humiliated again when he is forced to flesh out and even retreat by an opponent he considers inferior.

　It seems that the giant man who has been fleshed out is an offensive role to replace the brave man.
　Because of this guy, the brave man left this battlefield.

''Inferno........If you say you're that red cape.......''

　The Giant Man tells Avos.
　The fact that this giant man's name was Zester was unknown to Avos.

He's also a fated opponent.
Oh?　What does that mean?　I don't know you, okay?
'You mean you've forgotten?　That's why I brainwashed the three of them and made them rob Mithril.

　It finally came to me when he pointed out that much.

'Ah!　Now I remember!　So, those are the three guys I gave you for the first time!　That's right, one of them was very gangly!

Pigalo, the hero of the sword.
Altamir, the hero of the bow.
　And Zester, the hero of the hammer.

　It seems like a long time ago that these three men were brainwashed by someone to commit the crime of robbing Mithril.
　In fact, it hadn't been more than a few months.

'There was only one person who became a thing then. For all the time and effort I put into it, it was just useless!
'One of them is Pigalo, isn't it?　What happened to him?
I ate you. I ate you. I crushed you up inside your head.

　A human being whose aura has been raised to the limit and whose mind has been dyed negative is the source of nutrition for the inferno.
　The brave Pigalo of The Sword, who met the conditions, was eaten alive and absorbed.
　Zester, who was captured in the same way, survived only because he didn't fit the conditions.

'Seriously, you're useless, Teme!　You can't be a hero, you can't even feed us, and now you're the hero's maid!　If you're not proud, you're not that far off!　That's the only thing that's lucky for you, isn't it?
To look down on a human being like that...

　Zester tells us.
　He too was once a brave man, albeit for a time.

'Is it because you're afraid of being disrespected by the humans?
Oh?
That's what happened to Pigalleo. He and you have a lot in common. I've just learned the truth about what you infernos are. If you are going to hell, you must have been a hero when you were alive.

　Zester pauses, then unhooks his hammer.

It's a strange weapon and a well-crafted strategy. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons to go for it. I'm sure you're not the only one.
Shut up.

　An aura of anger rises from Avos.

'Payback for your mental attack?　Why did I go to hell?　That's the kind of thing I want to hear!

　That might have been the catalyst that broke down what was coiling in Avos' mind.

'I am!　I'm strong enough to be a hero!　And then a scout comes along and says that I'm in the clear.　Then you're supposed to respond to it!　And I became a hero!　For a while it went by without a problem!　But!

　He said abruptly.
'Abos, you don't have the dignity of a brave man.

''What dignity?　A brave man only needs to be strong!　We just need to be strong!　And now you're talking to a bunch of hicks who aren't even going to fight!　Afterwards, they'll try to take the hero from me!　I was so pissed off that I killed them all!

　I'll tell you about the Center Guild Board of Directors at the time.

"Then the whole guild got me and executed me.　They're scum!　I'll prove it!　You can do anything if you're strong!　That's why I joined the Inferno!
That was more than a hundred years ago... when there was no selection test for brave men, and when they were thoughtlessly choosing brave men.

　Zester, hammering away again.

I understand your misfortune. But you were not chosen to be a hero. It's not just about strength, but more importantly, it's about bravery. There are more important requirements for a brave man.
What's that?　Don't make a big deal out of it, say it clearly!

　The deadly chains that attacked.
　The only way to avoid them is to collide with them head-on, as Zester is a huge man who doesn't have the same evasive skills as Sesha and Satome.

''Zester-dono!''
Gentlemen!　I'm sorry, but I'll leave it to one of us to take it from here!

　Zester says, "It's got to be settled on its own.

'That's the one he has to settle,' says Zester. It's the same brave, unworthy servant.
"Shut up!

　Dancing Chains.
　Now that the Drismegian's help was gone, it was a pure contest of strength.

　Zester hammered back at the chains, which buzzed and attacked from all directions.

'The strongest will be chosen to be the brave!　That's just as it should be!　But that's why knowing how to handle power is also a requirement for a brave man!
"f*ck!　You sounded like a dick!　I don't care if you're strong or not!
'Not well!　A brave man's strength must have meaning!

　Even if it's a token, even if it's just an idle sycophancy.
　For the strength of a brave man is to protect the innocent people.

'You have no idea what strength is!　I knew I shouldn't have been a brave man!

　Zester dives through the mad dance of the chains, sometimes snatching and blowing off a piece of flesh, but Zester is still in Avos' bosom.

''Hee!''

　This time, he doesn't have time to leap and escape.

''You're already a dead man!　With this blow, I'll break your unrequited love for the hero!

　The hammer was swung down and hit Avos in the brain.
　The head went straight into the chest, the cervical vertebrae were snapped into spikes, and the sound of the skull being smashed could be heard.

''Uwaha........?

　Both Sesha and Satome, who were watching from the side, were convinced at a glance.
　That was a fatal wound.

''What strength........?　After all, he was chosen to be a brave man, even for a time...?
''And he was personally disciplined by Arantzill-sama, right?　If it doesn't work, it might be stronger than Lady Radey...?

　The game was decided.
　It's a good thing that Abos was in a state where he could be called an instantaneous death, but he was still breathing, or maybe he was muttering.
　This is because it is an inferno that transcends life and death, or perhaps because it is surprisingly reluctant.
　Still, though, the cessation of death is already in sight.

"I........why.......did I become a hero.......?

　The rant was such a content.
　Little by little, my whole body relaxed and my knees broke and I collapsed.



　It was a canned statement of the oath the brave man would take at the inauguration ceremony.
　Why would Avos mutter it now?

''The powerless ... of the people ...''
Yes, it was the role of a brave man to be a shield for the powerless.

　Zester said sadly.

'You finally remember, brave Abos.