"I didn't expect her to achieve this so quickly..."
"So only Ottar is left?"
Within the Freya Familia, the silver-haired goddess sat in a bath, gently stirring the water with her hands.
"As expected, acting now was the right choice. If we let her continue to grow, then in the future, no one will be able to defeat her, will they?"
"Even the Familia of Zeus and Hera... even the Black Dragon..."
As if recalling something, a shadow fell over Freya's face...
"I will definitely have you!"
"Everything will be decided tonight!"
At that moment, the outside suddenly fell silent.
But that did not mean the battle had ended. Instead, it was like the calm before a storm, signaling that an even greater tempest was about to arrive.
...
"Leave everything to me!"
Ottar did not look back, because Hedin did not need that much time. Most of his magic required only short chants.
Even if Elise tried to attack Hedin now, she would not be able to stop his magic.
Hedin already understood the situation.
Even if every member of their Familia had obtained Stigmata and brand-new weapons, there was still a vast gap between them and Elise.
At best, they could restrain her, but they could not deal any effective damage. In Hedin's eyes, even the shattered Barrier of the Stars would recover in the blink of an eye.
"That is a monster that has stepped into another realm. It is not something we can compare to."
That was the only evaluation Hedin could give.
To defeat such a monster, what was needed was not a numerical advantage, but quality that could rival it.
The Gulliver brothers could not do it. Allen could not. Hogni could not. Nor could he himself.
The only one in the Familia capable of doing so was Ottar. Only Ottar could briefly catch up to Elise!
But even Ottar was just a fraction short!
"Though I hate to admit it, Ottar is indeed the strongest in the entire Familia, so..."
"The rest is up to you!"
In the next moment, as Hedin finished his chant, his magic was finally activated.
"Laurus Hildr!"
This was not a powerful offensive spell, but a pure support enchantment.
However, the enhancement it provided was extremely strong. Hedin rarely used this magic, because only those he acknowledged could receive such treatment.
Ottar barely met that requirement after reaching Level 7.
Moreover, this magic had a side effect: once it ended, Hedin would exhaust all his strength and collapse.
Even if Hedin enhanced his own attacks, he could not deal effective damage to Elise. Using this magic was already his final option.
"Ottar, you are the first to receive this magic."
Hedin gritted his teeth as he looked at Ottar's back, his eyes filled with deep unwillingness.
How he wished that the one to turn the tide at this moment could be himself—but unfortunately, he was still lacking by a single step.
"So, for the sake of our goddess, bring us victory!"
"Understood!"
Ottar's voice carried a reassuring power, even though he himself did not know whether he could truly accomplish it.
As the magic ended, Hedin collapsed. His magic power was completely depleted, and he lost all ability to fight.
Now, only two people remained standing in the battlefield—Ottar and Elise.
But at that very moment, a change occurred in Ottar.
Lightning, like armor—or armor made of lightning—appeared around his body.
For an instant, Elise was slightly stunned as a sense of familiarity rose within her.
Similar!
It was far too similar!
At this moment, Ottar looked just like the Raikage from Naruto, his entire body covered in lightning.
"So that means even normal attacks will carry lightning?"
Elise had not considered this method before, but now that she had seen it, a new idea formed in her mind.
"If I also attach elements to my body like this, could I achieve the same effect?"
But unfortunately, now was not the time to experiment. The priority was to defeat Ottar and bring her companions back safely.
"Then, let's continue!"
Ottar felt the surging power within his body and instinctively tightened his grip on the greatswords, pointing them at Elise.
"As you wish."
Elise responded in kind, raising her blade toward him.
Boom—
In an instant, a thunderous roar resounded throughout the entire city!
Ottar had used potions and was further enhanced by magic. As time passed, he would only grow weaker. If he wanted to defeat Elise, the shorter the battle, the better.
Elise also needed to end the fight quickly—otherwise, her companions would be lost.
The sacred sword and the twin greatswords clashed continuously in midair, producing destruction far beyond before.
Elise had clearly begun to fight seriously, while Ottar was desperately squeezing out every bit of his potential.
The sound of clashing blades blanketed the entire city. Whether it was Babel, the Guild, or the Pleasure Quarter, metallic collisions could be heard everywhere.
Even the sleeping citizens of Orario were awakened by the battle.
"What's going on? Why are there such sounds inside Orario?"
"Is somewhere under attack?"
"Look over there! The sound is coming from that direction!"
At that moment, countless gazes converged on a certain place in Orario—was that... the Freya Familia?
"Is Lady Freya under attack?"
"No, we have to hurry and support them! We can't let Lady Freya be sent back! We've already lost Lady Ishtar—we can't lose a second goddess of beauty!"
Countless Familia members and adventurers rushed toward the Freya Familia, but just as they were about to approach, they were stopped by another force.
"I didn't expect the Guild to appear here... Royman, shouldn't you give an explanation?"
A golden-haired figure who looked like a young boy stepped forward from the crowd. Alongside him were a green-haired elf and a sturdy dwarf.
This person was the captain of the Loki Familia—the hero, Finn.
They had rushed over the moment they sensed the aura of battle within Orario.
However, what they did not expect was that the Guild was already waiting here.
"Could it be that everything happening to the Freya Familia right now was orchestrated by the Guild?"
The current Freya Familia was at the height of its reputation in Orario. In Finn's eyes, it was the undisputed strongest Familia—far beyond what the Loki Familia could compare to.
Yet such a powerful Familia was now under attack, and the Guild just so happened to be blocking the area, as if they had known about this beforehand.
How could Finn not be suspicious?
But why would the Guild do such a thing?
Or was there some special circumstance behind all of this?
Even for a hero brimming with wisdom, without sufficient information, it was impossible to uncover the truth.
"This matter has nothing to do with me."
The Guild's chairman, Royman, turned to look at Finn, confusion also evident in his eyes.
"I only received orders to seal off this area and prevent anyone from entering. As for what is happening inside, I have no idea."
Hearing Royman's words, Finn frowned once again.
In Orario, the number of people who could command Royman could be counted on one hand. The one with the highest authority among them was the deity deep within the Guild—Ouranos.
What kind of secret lay behind all this?
Finn did not know, but the impact of this matter would undoubtedly be immense. It would all depend on how the Guild handled it afterward.
Afterward, like the others, Finn turned his gaze toward the center of the battlefield.
The energy erupting from there was something even he, a Level 6, could not imagine. If he were caught in that battle, he would likely be crushed into a bloody mist in an instant.
Just who was it?
Who could possess such terrifying strength?
Suddenly, a golden-haired figure surfaced in Finn's mind, causing him to freeze.
"Could it be her?"
...
Boom—
The battle continued.
Two monster adventurers far beyond Orario's current standards were engaged in a fierce close-quarters clash.
If one observed carefully, the abnormalities on their bodies would become apparent.
Ottar no longer looked like his usual self—he resembled a wild beast!
At this moment, Ottar had activated his beastification skill. Combined with Hedin's magic and the items taken from Elise's shop, only with all these buffs could he barely match Elise.
Wounds were continuously carved into his muscular body, blood flowing freely—but in the very next instant, both the blood and the injuries vanished.
It had to be said, the defensive power and recovery ability of a boaz were truly extraordinary.
The current Ottar might even be able to contend with Zald—or even Alfia?
On the other hand, Elise's Barrier of the Stars was repeatedly shattered, only to reform again and again.
Her condition appeared far better than Ottar's, but Elise knew clearly that if this continued, she would lose. Because Ottar had successfully stalled her—if she could not win, then it was no different from losing.
"Looks like I'll have to leave myself a backdoor when making items in the future..."
Watching the greatswords clashing against Est—cracks would appear, only to instantly repair themselves. It was practically like fighting another Ottar...
To put it simply, those two greatswords were growth-type weapons. They would become stronger as their wielder grew stronger, and could even inherit part of the wielder's abilities.
In Elise's hands, they were not among the strongest, because they relied too heavily on the user's own strength.
But in Ottar's hands, they were this troublesome?
It was like fighting an unkillable cockroach!
When Elise first gained the ability to create special items, she had been like a child with a new toy, wholeheartedly devoting herself to research and development.
She had only considered the strength of the items, ignoring everything else.
It was both confidence and curiosity.
Confidence that no adventurer in Orario could compare to her, and curiosity about just how far she could go.
Now it seemed that Elise truly possessed what could be called divine talent. The items she created with full dedication had even become troublesome for herself.
"If possible, I really don't want to hold back..."
Although less than ten minutes had passed since the battle began, Ottar could already feel his condition worsening.
He was gradually unable to keep up with Elise's speed, and even in terms of strength, he was beginning to be suppressed...
What was happening?
The potion's effect should still have plenty of time left.
"Confused?"
At that moment, Elise's voice reached Ottar's ears, causing him to lose focus for just an instant.
And in that very instant, Elise used her free hand to reach toward the hand holding his sword.
A white light appeared in her palm, further deepening Ottar's confusion.
Healing?
But what use was healing him at a time like this? His recovery ability had likely already surpassed the limits of his race—even if he healed...
Wait!
This wasn't healing?
Ottar's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him.
The balance that had allowed him to fight Elise through weapons, potions, and magic was collapsing far too quickly.
At some point, the two greatswords in his hands had been taken by Elise. The gap between them widened once again, as if returning to the days when Elise had trained him...
"This is purification!"
Facing Ottar's shocked expression, Elise calmly revealed the ability she had used.
"I know."
Ottar had received Freya's orders and had naturally investigated Elise. One piece of information stated that Elise possessed the ability to cleanse abnormal states.
But what no one expected was that even the effects of enhancement potions could be purified?
Yes, Elise had used purification on Ottar—removing the abnormal state affecting him so that he would not have to suffer the side effects of the potion.
But at the same time, the potion's effects were also nullified.
"The original purification couldn't do this. But for some reason, the one inside me seems to have grown stronger..."
"So the abilities it grants me have also improved. Though it still can't compare to a god's power."
Thud!
Elise drove the two greatswords into the ground and looked toward Ottar.
"You have no chance of winning anymore. Are you still going to keep fighting me?"
Ottar looked at his empty hands and slowly closed his eyes. A silver-haired figure gradually appeared in his vision.
"I will follow my goddess' will!"
Even without weapons, Ottar assumed a fighting stance and charged straight at Elise.
"Good!"
In the next instant, Ottar's eyes widened.
One of the greatswords had, at some point, pierced straight through his chest.
As Ottar's strength returned to its original state, Elise could defeat him with ease.
"This is your punishment!"
"Although you won't have to endure the side effects of the potion like the others, you won't be able to stand for at least a month."
A first-tier adventurer would not die even if their heart was pierced.
But their body would remain weakened for a period of time.
Thus, Ottar was pinned to the ground by Elise's sword, completely unable to move.
Having dealt with the final opponent, Elise no longer hesitated and lightly waved her left hand.
Four giant hands formed from Prana seized Alise and the others, carrying them along as Elise advanced deeper into the Freya Familia.
There, the silver-haired goddess was waiting for them.