My name is Akatosh,

I seem to have found a way to hack in.

—4E, 201, Frost Moon, 6th, 10:54 a.m.

The "Ember Giant" – let's call it that way – is a massive, powerful, invulnerable, virtually magic-impregnable monster with an exaggeratedly large petrified tree trunk, and most importantly, Amir's ability to "kill all living things" is completely ineffective against this "ash creature" in a state of neither life nor death.

Even if Arthur couldn't bear it anymore and turned it into a dragon and smashed it to ashes, the next moment those ashes would begin to reconverge, and even if they tried to interrupt, they would reunite into an ash giant with no signs of weakening at all after a short time.

However, although this giant cannot be destroyed for the time being, it will only stare at Arthur's attacks, and the others will only need to clean up the "ash miners" that crawl out of the ground from time to time.

"Ahh——!h "The giant who reunited his body waved the trunk and roared loudly, it couldn't pronounce it accurately, but as a giant, it was rare to be able to speak.

"Once you've found a way, it's not hard to deal with," Zela said, looking at Arthur, who was struggling with the giant, "but the problem is that its very existence has sealed off this wasteland area and we can't leave, and we have to think of something else." ”

It's really not difficult to deal with, it's just very embarrassing, Lydia looked at Arthur, who was circling between the giant's legs, swinging his sword and slashing the giant's ankle from time to time, and sighed softly.

It was a dereliction of duty on the part of the guards to put the Baron in danger, but she wondered if she could be like Arthur who kept being in the blind spot of the giant's vision, making it spin around and smashing around with its trunk without touching the corners of her clothes.

As for the "area blockade", Ladia is not good at magic, but since the chief mage of Winterkeep has said so, there should be no mistake.

"Wang! If you want me to say, if the giant lies down directly, Arthur can't hide in the blind spot? Barbas commented rather irresponsibly.

“…… Shut up. Princess Emilia said to the earth dog in a cold tone.

"Don't worry, that guy doesn't understand what we're talking about." Babas lifted his chin confidently.

"Ah-Sa——! The giant continued to smash the tree as he waved it, and it didn't look like he wanted to lie down at all.

"Speaking of which, we haven't tried to 'knock it down' yet, the first few times we've killed it on stand-" Arthur responded from afar, "Lydia!" Come and help—"

"I'm right behind you!" Hearing this, Ladia immediately grabbed his shield and hurried towards Arthur.

"Wait, don't come to me yet—" Arthur slipped between the giant's legs again, "Listen! I'm going to lure it in a certain direction, and you're in charge of keeping it from taking the second step-"

"As you wish! My Baron—" Lydia held her shield and charged at a distance long enough, but didn't come into range of the Giant Tree.

"Hey! You fool who mistakes a yak for a mammoth! Arthur put it back on, cutting off both of the giant's toes.

"[Whew!! 】”

Although the wound immediately began to heal and regenerate as it had been on previous occasions, judging by the giant's roar, this attack was extremely effective at attracting hatred.

"Plus bubble grass and wheat ......" Zela, far from the battlefield, seemed to be talking to herself.

The red light in the ash giant's eyes grew even stronger, and he stared closely at Arthur, who was no longer scurrying under his feet but running into the distance after slashing his sword, and he took one step at a time, immediately catching up with half the distance he had run, and if he took another step, Arthur would be within the range of his giant tree.

Ladia wouldn't let it take this step, and as she leaned forward on the giant's body, relying on one foot to support her weight, she raised her shield and charged directly into the oncoming bone of that leg.

Squeak - click!

With the sound of tooth-aching fractures, the giant fell face down, and even the ground trembled a few times.

"Well done! Ledia! Arthur turned back, stabbing the giant straight into the back of the heart with his sword.

At that moment, Lydia felt that time was slowed down indefinitely, and it seemed that the phantoms of many acquaintances flashed.

[Brothers-in-arms, Knights of the Round Table Decision Start (Seal Thirteen Decision Start)]

【Confirm】Septin implied that he was reading his big book.

【Stronger Enemy】Ella aims with a bow.

[It's a badass] Sophie and Ria are having a race to eat.

[Not an Elf] Not very familiar Hestra stands in the shadows.

[Confirmed to be a single challenge fight] The three Wilcas brothers cooperate with each other to fight.

[Not for her own selfishness] Lydia saw herself raising her shield to face the dragon's breath.

[This battle is a battle to save the world] The figures of Jane Russe and Satya appear.

Go ahead, Arthur. Krako Whitemane smiled.

Time returned to normal, and Arthur's golden sword stabbed into the back of the giant's heart glowed brightly.

"Oath and Sword of Victory! （Ex~calibur）】”

In the golden light gushing like a tide, the fallen ash giant had no room to resist and turned into ashes, and just as the remaining small clump of ash tried to regather, a fiery red spiral sword fell from the sky and directly pinned it to the spot.

"I will stay by your side until hope is completely extinguished. Jagerag's avatar appeared around the newborn bonfire and smiled at Arthur.

"You ......" "Oops!" "There is an exit! Let me get out first! "Next time I believe in your teleportation spell, I'll write my name upside down!" "Oh hehehe......"

Lydia saw the avatar Shi Shiran take a few steps to the side, and then Arthur was crushed by a group of comrades who fell from the sky.

"[Welcome to Songgard, the world after death, spirits]" The black-robed lady with an eye patch opened her hands to the members of the Brotherhood who were still unclear about the situation: "[I am the god of order, 'Jagerag', and your guide. 】”

That's all she can say, right?

——11:43——

As a result of the new campfires, the fog in the vicinity of the battlefield was completely cleared, and the comrades, or rather, the "Knights of the Round Table" casually made up by Arthur but recognized by some kind of rule, immediately went into action.

Although he was surprised that Satya and Hestra were also coming, Arthur trusted their analytical skills and began to explain the current situation, and as for the incarnate lady who obviously knew a lot of things, but only reacted to keywords, he handed it over to Septin to imply the old gentleman to talk to him.

In addition, since it was close to noon from the time spell, the male members of the Brothers-in-Arms began to set up a simple camp and prepare lunch, and Sophie, who could only watch the ash animals all day and couldn't eat, was very happy.

"If Arthur is right, then I'm afraid we won't be able to act with you." Satya did not wear a maid's uniform but a capable riding costume when she went out this time, coupled with her calm bearing, words and deeds, which added a lot of credibility to the rumors of her "Red Guard Nobleman of Falling Hammer Province".

It's not that I don't want to, but I can't? Arthur didn't rush to ask why, but began to think.

If there is any difference between the two sides, it is the difference between where and how it appears and whether or not Zela can "confront Alduin", and the reason why Alduin has not yet appeared and can be directly seen and confirmed is ......

"You ...... Can't see the fog at all? Arthur asked.

"That's just one of the reasons," Satya nodded and shook her head, "According to you, we encountered the 'Ash Giant' not very far out of the woods before, so the forest should still be within sight, but we can only see the endless terracotta plain, the sky is very bright but there is no sun or any other light source, it can be confirmed that if we follow you to that forest, we will most likely think that the other party has disappeared out of thin air." ”

"This ......," Arthur remembered that the woods were neatly trimmed to the eerie edges, and he was somewhat convinced.

"Songgard is the realm of [Shure]," after finishing the sentence, Septin, who didn't know if he had gained anything, came over to join the conversation: "And Shure is the incarnation of the will of a certain fragment of Rock Khan in the first two Holy Spirits 'Time' Acre and 'Space' Rock Khan, and has almost no power, only certain rare races worship Him, Tiger People, Argonians, etc. ”

"Sounds like weak?" Arthur didn't know much about the divine system outside of the Eight Holy Spirits.

"Hmph, it's enough to deal with us," Satya replied, "To put it simply, although we are all face-to-face and can contact each other, we are trapped in some endless plain, and only you have the opportunity and ability to defeat the 'Alduin' who controls here...... Hey, that Zela's discernment magic actually works. ”

"Hmm......" Although he suspected that the magic was not made by Zela himself, Arthur felt that it was better to remain silent for the time being.

"It's not like we can't help you, though," Septin impliedly pointed to the Flame Spiral Sword that held the Giant's Ash, "After you arrive at Songard, it seems that we can teleport directly through it, but we can't be sure what the lady means by 'a little hot', flame?" ”

"Dad~Dinner~" Sophie waved her hand from afar around the bonfire, and the faint aroma of food came, obviously, the members of the comrade-in-arms group who had never seen the "bonfire" appeared used it as an ordinary bonfire.

"After lunch, you can continue on the road, don't worry, I have the confidence to pack up all the stunned boys in the comrade-in-arms group." Satya patted Arthur on the shoulder affectionately and then hugged him.

Not at all reassured, Arthur thought as he looked at Ella, who was staring straight at him, and Jane Lasse, who was full of eagerness.

Ladia and Emile, as always, and Hestra completely ignored them, as for Zela, who seemed to have suddenly awakened herself...... What does that thoughtful expression mean?