<Goddess Vysis POV>

Late at night the temple of the Vysis Order.

In a room in the basement of the temples, several figures could be seen.

All of them were gathered here by me, Vysis.

[I have gathered everyone here to ask you to perform an important and top-secret mission.]

In response to my words, a man with the eye patch politely bowed.

[It is the greatest honor for us siblings to have been chosen for this journey.]

Braided blond hair.

He may look like a noble, but one could see the sloppiness in his appearance.

His beard was neatly trimmed.

His attire also shows the elegance and refinement of a noble.

And yet, one could feel sloppiness from him.

That is probably due to the fact that it hasnt been washed off his body.

Bloodstains.

[Us Fafnir Siblings also known as the Dark Walker For answering my summons, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.]

I expressed my gratitude.

Thereupon, the Fafnir sister bowed her head.

[Ahh Thank you very much! I- I. am confident that I am stronger than that White Walker b- but Im rather shy! Unlike them who loved making a name for themselves, I dont really like being at the c- center of attention! Thats why we ended up turning down so many requests! Im sorry, Im sorry! But when I heard that Whiet Walker had died I thought that serves them rightAhh! Im sorry, Im sorry!]

Tall woman with glasses.

Whenever she bowed, her tail-like braid swayed.

At her waist was a sheathed katana.

She is clad in a red outfit.

However, various shades of gray speckled in some parts of her clothing.

Those patterns were all said to be caused by the blood from the battles they fought.

[Elder Sister, please calm down.]

[B- But We had always refused Vysis-samas invitations because of my shyness Of course, I know that w- were excellent but I still feel embarrassed]

[Im sure it will be fine, Elder Sister. We apparently wont be in the public eye on this mission after all.]

[R- Really? Then, I guess I could do it]

The Elder Sister, Kaijin Fafnir.

The Younger Brother, Lancer Fafnir.

The Dark Walker is a pair of mercenaries.

They arent well known.

That is because they only do requests that dont reveal their names.

In the last few years, they have been especially hidden behind the shadows of the White Walker, and only a few people know their names.

I myself had been making sure that the fame of this siblings would remain as such.

For the past few years, I had intentionally prevented their name from spreading.

Even now Im still having second thoughts whether I should use them as pawns at this time.

After all, generally speaking, their mental instability made them even more difficult to use that Heroic Sword.

As expected, they arent as good as Ruin Seal and John Doe.

However, they are undoubtedly powerful pawns.

At that moment, a person standing in another place spoke.

[Even if the Heroes from Another World have their hands full with the battle against the Great Demon Emperor Under Goddess-samas command was Alions Thirteen Cavalries, including that Heroic Sword and the 6th Cavalry, right? And yet, for Goddess-sama to expressly gather us here Did something happen to them?]

A red-haired woman asked this question.

Just like Kaijin, shes a female mercenary.

Lili Adamantine.

Shes also the head of her own group of mercenaries, namely the Drunken Sword Party.

[The other day, we suffered a heavy blow in the battle against Mira.]

[I dont think this would be the case but youre not going to tell me they lost, right?]

With a heavy heart, I could only slump my shoulders upon her words.

[I hate to admit it, but yes]

[That Heroic Sword and 6th Cavalry.? Please wait a moment. Does that mean Ruin Seal and John Doe have been killed?]

[You had perceived their strength correctly so it wouldnt be surprising for you to be surprised. We havent yet definitely ruled out those two as dead, but I fear that its likely that would be the case.]

As long as no reports have come up so far from the two of them regarding the Faraway Country, I should assume that those two have been gotten rid of as well.

Ruin Seal holds faith towards me and is positionally dependent on me.

John Doe was given authority and freedom of action by me, as well as a reward waiting for him to redeem.

It seems unrealistic to think that those two would betray me.

At the very least, even if they had managed to pull Ruin towards their side, no one would be able to use that thing properly.

In John Does case, it was hard to believe that he would throw away this times reward without a second thought.

[I myself am also surprised that I feel like my eyeballs would pop out of its sockets]

Hearing this new information, Lili looked quizzical.

[Im a little surprised Mira had that much strength]

Indeed, if they had hidden that much power, it would be no wonder why they rebelled at this time.

[They were hiding their claws huh. In other words, they may have been cutting corners during the previous Great Invasion For example, just like in that battle at Magnars royal capital, Mira didnt lose much fighting force.]

[In short, you think Mira abandoned Magnar in anticipation of a later rebellion? If that were the case Im not really sure I like their ways]

[Indeed. While everyone was working together to fight desperately against the Great Demon Emperors army, only the Mad Emperor was working in anticipation of the current rebellion. Hes so self-absorbed that hes unable to defend his actions. What a disappointment.]

[So]

The core members of the Drunken Sword Party stood behind Lili.

[For you to gather us Drunken Sword Party, people who were weaker than Ruin Seal and John Doe, what do you want?]

[Before I say it, there are two more people Id like to introduce to you. First would be Emperor Zera]

[Emperor Zera?]

Lili seemed to be pondering upon my words.

[I think there was a past emperor of Mira with a name like that?]

[Fo fo fo.]

A dry, listless laugh.

Releasing such a laughter, a large-built, gray-haired old man appeared from behind the shadows.

His face was long and thin.

He was dressed in a loose white clothing that makes one think hes a man of high rank.

His long white beard hung down to his stomach.

However In the depths of his dark, hollowed-out eye sockets

If one were to look closely They would see dull, glittering golden eyes.

The old man stroked his beard, his face aloof and contorted with countless deep wrinkles.

[Indeed, we are the 26th Emperor known as the Exiled Emperor, Falken Dotzera Mira Dias Ordzit Fo fo fo. My ornamental name as an Emperor is long, so you can just call me Zera.]

[Huh? W- Wait, wait Hmmm?]

Looking rather confused, Lili lowered her head and put her hand on her forehead.

[I know the story of the Exiled Emperor. I believe he was reported missing after he was banished from Mira There were many rumors but its recorded that his corpse was never found. But in the first place the most important thing is that the Exiled Emperor, who was over 70 years old at that time, disappeared from the public eye]

Looking as if Lili herself doesnt understand what she was talking about

[over a century ago, right?]

[Fo, fo, fo. You sure are knowledgeable, young lass. However, I have no right to disclose the reason how this happened- Right, Vysis?]

[Thats right. Well, there are a lot of circumstances.]

Diverting that topic to the side, I clapped my hands.

[I am so glad that the Exiled Emperor has awakened for this mission. I have also grown up, and the time has come.]

[No, that wasnt really enough of an explanation Well, alright. The world is full of mysterious things after all]

Lili seems to have given up trying to get to the bottom of this matter.

She is that kind of woman after all.

The Drunken Sword Party, which she holds dear, is her top priority above all else.

If she steps in too far and is about to step on the tigers tail She will retreat.

As for me, I liked her that way.

[That old man looks strong.]

The one who whispered this was the Fafnir sister- Kaijin.

Glancing towards her, I saw her greedily sucking on her finger.

[I think Im stronger than him but I dont know I cant say for sure but I definitely feel like Im stronger Right, Lancer?]

[Of course, Elder Sister. Setting aside whether he is the real Exiled Emperor or not It feels like something about the nature of his existence itself was different from us or something like that.]

[Strong people can recognize strong people after all In other words, we are strong. So strong that Im sorry.]

After giving the Fafnir siblings a quick glance, Lilia lets out a sigh.

The other members of the Drunken Sword Party also seemed to have their own thoughts about this matter.

Some are startled and breaking out in a cold sweat.

Some held their breath.

Some remained composed and unconcerned.

Some even had smiles on their faces.

However, they arent blatantly frightened.

All of them trust Lili, the leader of their group.

As long as she is alive and well, they will never lose their will to fight.

Seemingly having thought of my earlier words, Lili looks to the corner of the dark room.

[So, Goddess-sama The one you still have yet to introduce would be that person over there?]

Everyone had noticed the presence of someone there the whole time.

He had too much presence, equal to or perhaps, even more than the Exiled Emperor.

[Fufufu. Well then, let me introduce you. His name is Shougo Oyamada! Clap clap clap~~]

At the sound of my claps, a young man with a large build emerged from the depths of darkness.

[As some of you may know, he is a Hero from Another World.]

[My name is Shougo Oyamada, and I have come to participate in this mission for my mother, Vysis-sama. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Mother is the best.]

With a neat posture, Oyamada bowed.

[You are- that Oyamada right?]

Lili looked perplexed.

The other members of the Drunken Sword Pary also seemed puzzled.

They knew who Shougo Oyamada was even before the battle in the Anti-Demon White Castle.

[Thanks to Goddess Mother, I have been reborn. I am ashamed of the rebellious and violent person I used to be. I am now willing to devote myself to the service of Mother. Everything for Mothers victory.]

[Ahh, Oyamada-san Sniff Mother is sincerely happy that you have become a respectable man, you know?]

[Mother Mother!]

His face glowing in delight, Oyamada embraced me, to which I embraced him in return.

Seemingly drawn away by his actions, Lili took a second look at Oyamada.

[I- Is this really that Oyamada? He looks the same, b- but he might as well be a different person What happened to him, seriously]

Moving my gaze away from Oyamada

[He has changed his mind through my cordial education. At first, it was only to heal the emotional wounds he had suffered in the previous battle, but, fufu, he gradually became this way Oyamada-san seemed to have been in a bad environment before he came to this world. From the very beginning, I should have taken care of him one-on-one.]

Emperor Zera hummed in response, stroking his beard as he observed Oyamada.

At that moment, Kaijin spoke.

[U- Ummm Will that person be a- any use?]

Moving his face off my breasts, Oyamada looks at Kaijin.

[Yes, I am a fine force to be reckoned with. My abilities due to Mother, my everything for Mother.]

[H- However]

Giving her a smile, just like a gentleman, Oyamada urged him to continue with his hand.

[Please dont hesitate to tell me. We are going on a mission together. We mustnt have any rifts remaining within our minds. Right, Mother?]

[U- Ummm I knew it Im sorry, but I knew what you did. Back in the Anti-Demon White Castle c- crying and screaming fleeing before the enemy pathetically A force that was of no use. E- Even among the Heroes I havent heard of you being strong at all So I was like, who is going to be a fine force again? I- Im sorry! I dont mean to offend you! Its just I wonder if you can really be of help? Wouldnt you just drag us down is what I thought. I- Im sorry! I guess I was being too honestHyiiihh!? I- Im sorry!]

[..]

Silently moving away from my body, Oyamada lowered his head.

Both shoulders were shaking slightly and his fists were clenched tightly.

Seeing Oyamada like that, I called out from behind him.

[Oyamada-san, are you alright?]

[My apologies!]

Oyamada was crying.

Huddling her body close, Kaijin turned her upturned eyes towards him.

[Crying, apologies? Thats too late now]

[Yes With all my heart! I was so ashamed of the me of that time!]

[U- Ummm, ummm Are you angry? I- Im sorry!]

[No, what you said is indeed true! Please rest assured, Kaijin-dono! I wont care about what you say about me! Rather, thinking of the future I should not look away from the past, and instead look back on it and use it as a reminder of who I am now! Rather, I think its a point I appreciate you for pointing it out! Thank you very much, Kaijin-dono! Congratulations, Mother!]

Feeling extremely moved by his change, I made a crying gesture.

[Uuuu Youve really come a long way, Oyamada-san. It was worth the effort to face it with enthusiasm and not give up Mother is sincerely proud of you Sniff.]

[B- But!]

Persistently clinging on to her thoughts, Kaijin points at Oyamada.

[Hes disgusting! G- Going on a mission with this guy is just impossible, or rather Please excuse me from that!]

[My apologies, Kaijin-dono! And also, thank you very much! That is another food for thought! And of course, I will always be Mothers food!]

[V- Vysis!]

Has she started to think she couldnt talk to Oyamada?

Kaijin turned her argument towards me.

[Are you o- out of your mind? T- To use such a Hero who is the epitome of failure are you insane!? H- Honestly Im disappointed in you, Vysis! Putting aside if were talking about Ayaka Sogou U- Using this fleeing rat this useless weakling! Y- Youre expecting this to be of any use in battle!? I havent heard the details of the mission yet but Im sorry, but he just seems like a liability! Vysis! I- Is your head working normally? Is your head still alright!? R- R- Rather, is it that!? Going down to this basement O- On that wall at the top of the stairs leading hear from the ground floor I- I had seen a deep dent and a huge crack there! Could it be, V- Vysis, pissed off because everying youre doing isnt going well, y- you dented those walls because of an outburst of anger!? I- I mean, you I may have said too much, and Im sorry for that- but youve been having t- that smile that looked so forced and s- s- seriously disg- [ < Bullet > ] Gofuuu!]

(T/N: Red fist / Bullet)

Crack!

Broken Bent

On the hard floor- lies Kaijin.

As for what happened?

Of course, I had seen it.

Oyamada moved in an instant-

And from above Kaijins head, he unleashed his inherent skill on her.

A massive impact bullet from overhead.

Caving in at an angle, Kaijins knees were limply crushed.

[Who is it Who the hell do you think youre talking to!? I dont care what you think of me, you malicious fool! How- ever to talk in such a way to Mother!? How dare you talk to Mother like that, you duuuuuunce! Aaaaahhhhh!? Ill freaking kill you! < Bullet > < Bullet > < Bullet > < Bullet >! Know your damn place, you shitty traaaaaash! < Bullet > < Bullet >!]

A series of red bullets pressed down on Kaijin- stripping her off a human appearance.

[Mugyuu, gyaa.! Gyuuu!]

Soon after, Kaijin was crushed to death.

However, Oyamada didnt stop attacking.

[El- El- Elder Sisteeeeeeeeeeer! You b*staaaaaard, Ill freaking kill youuuuuuu!]

Kaijins younger brother, Lancer, who seemed to not understand what just happened, seemed to have snapped.

He attacked Oyamada with the two chained swords in his hands.

With a burning desire to kill

Bang!

Sensing his approach, Oyamada, covered in blood, turned around with a pissed-off look on his face.

[Fushyuuu -[ <Bullet > ].]

(T/N: Heavy Fist / Bullet)

The new fist strike Oyamada released a red spherical fist bullet.

Fast as an arrow.

Lancer naturally takes evasive action with an agile reaction.

However, the spherical fist bullet burst apart.

The fist bullet turned into a scattering bullet in the middle of his strike.

[Guhh!?]

A scatter shot at close range.

Even Lancer wouldnt be able to evade it in time.

Several of the bullets that scattered about directly struck Lancers body.

However

[?]

Lancer checked his body.

He doesnt appear to be injured.

Indeed, he should have taken a few direct hits but

[-Whatever. Ill kill you right where you stand! Ill freaking kill you Oyamadaaaaaaa!]

A moment later, Lancers face distorted.

An uncomfortable expression appeared on his face.

[What!? My body- feels heavy!?]

[ < Bullet > ]

(T/N: Augmentation Fist / Bullet)

Do! Dododo! Dododododo!

Lancer looked puzzled.

[!? What are you W- What did you do!?]

He brought forth fist bullets in both of his hands.

Thereupon-

Oyamada brought them to his own chin and stomach.

[A- Are you out of your mind? No, that is!?]

There, Lancer realized.

Oyamadas body is covered with red magic power.

Moreover, the red light was getting stronger with each of his strikes to himself.

Eventually the fist bullets he strikes on his body stopped.

Next, the red light he was clad in gathered more and more towards his right arm

[Lets try this one on you!]

With his scream, the red light on his right fist became humongous.

(T/N: Im going to be honest here. With the way this sentence was written, I dont know if the red light that was gathering in his body became humongous ala Gons janken-attack, or that his right fist seriously became humongous like Choji. That red light over there wasnt mentioned in the sentence btw.)

[Kuh! V- Vysis!]

With an unruly expression on his face, Lancer called out to me.

[Stop him! And punish him righteously! Broken heroes like him are useless! Quickly!]

[Fufufu I had been thinking that if you had turned the tables on Oyamada-san, that would be the end of it. However, as expected of my beloved son. Hm Now that he made your sister like that, you will never forgive Oyamada-san. It would also be troubling if you betray me and go to the other camp like the Mad Emperor did]

[Y- You ..You trashy goddeeeeess! This is what I told, Elder Sister! Getting involved with this bogus of a trashy goddess is just]

[ < Last Bullet > ]

(T/N: Bloodstained Fist / Last Bullet)

Overpowering with pressure, the humongous impact bullet

was released.

Dooon!

[ ! Bugyaaahhh]

Boom- thud!

[..]

Para para para

It slammed to the stone wall.

Crash!

Coming unstuck from the wall, it crashed down to the wall.

That crushed thing that used to be human.

It had completely lost its original form.

What used to be Lancer has already turned into something.

[Fuuu Thats why, Ive already said it, right I dont care what you say about me but I will n- never allow you to insult Mother I will never allow you]

[I see]

In response to his declaration, I clapped my hands.

[You have grown strong enough to defeat the Dark Walker without difficulty! Thats wonderful growth, Oyamada-san!]

[Hah! I- I blundered! Im sorry, Mother! Towards the comrades who were supposed to be with me on this mission! Ummm They insulted Mother, s- so I couldnt help myself!]

[Hmmm Well, fine If that was their real strength, they seemed to be the weakest among everyone here in terms of strength. It also confirms that Oyamada-sans strength has risen to this level, right?]

[Y- You will forgive me!?]

Upon Oyamadas words, I approached him.

[Yes, of course Id forgive you. You were angry at them for insulting Mother, werent you? That makes Mother really happy, Oyamada-san.]

[Ahh, Mother.. sniff sniff How kind How kind of you, Mother]

Even if thats so, I brought my hands on the sides of Oyamadas temple and matched my gaze towards his eyes.

[How e ver!]

[Y- Yes!?]

[In the future, even if the people of the Drunken Sword Party over there or Emperor Zera says something insulting to me You must not hate them. You may not kill or attack them. I will allow them to say insulting things about me. Am I making myself clear?]

[Understood. If thats what Mother says. Motheeeer]

[Fuuuu I never expected your love for me to be so great. Ahh, Ill say this to everyone too]

Moving my gaze away from Oyamada, I called out to the Drunken Sword Party and Emperor Zera.

[Just in case Please be careful about making insulting or hostile remarks about me, okay? I did tell him that this time but as he was hastily educated after all the events that had occurred lately, his education may not be perfect yet.]

[If I may be honest.]

After watching the sequence of events earlier, Lili turned a smile towards me.

However, I could see how she had broken out in a cold sweat.

[That Hero is still mentally unstable, so Id like to opt out of whatever mission this is if possible. However, we cant really disobey your orders..]

Lili seemed like she still had more things to say.

However, she too had just witnessed what had happened.

Although I may have said it would be alright Shes probably still a little wary.

Thats why shes trying to choose the words she says towards me.

[The family of us Drunken Sword Party Including their whereabouts, Goddess-sama knows all about them]

They understood.

If they were to disobey me

Their relatives in the headquarters of the Drunken Sword Party, as well as those living in the royal capital and other places

All of them- will suffer.

They are wise enough to know that.

[It will be alright. Knowing about your relatives is only a kind of precaution For that, I have given you a fair amount of compensation when you and the Drunken Sword Party have lived up to my expectations, havent I? This time is no different from that. No If you succeed in this mission, I will guarantee you a position and a reward that will allow you all to live off of it for the rest of your life. You may consider this as your last assignment with this Goddess. After you complete this assignment You are free to go and live a life of abundance and peace.]

They should have known that when they were previously given the role of being the teachers of the Heroes.

The members of the Drunken Sword Party that took that on received a substantial reward.

Enough to keep all their relatives fed even if they took a break from mercenary work for at least a year or two.

I still gave Lili time to sort out her feelings though.

And so, after a reasonably long silence-

As if she had made up her mind, Lili let out a sigh.

[Putting this matter aside for the moment, lets get back to the important question. So, the reason why were teaming up with the Exiled Emperor over there and your son What were you having us do?]

The invasion towards the Faraway Country was foiled by Miras intervention.

Reports suggest that the two countries have joined hands.

From what I have heard, it seems that the Faraway Country also had a reasonable amount of strength.

And now, that Faraway Country has a motive to be against Alion.

Whether its considering the advantages of a future working at a united front

Or perhaps, it was in terms of getting their hands on the Forbidden Race

I guess the two countries will probably continue to join hands in the future?

If that is the case, the means to re-enter the key must be in the possession of the Mad Emperor.

If not, well, its that Mad Emperor after all

He must have Nyaki or Radis in his hand.

Incidentally, all the reports on the Faraway Country still havent completely arrived.

However, I already have a good idea of what was going on there.

If thats the case

[It is, of course the retrieval of the Divine Beasts or the acquisition of the key to open the door of the Faraway Country and]

There, I smiled.

[The elimination of the Mad Emperor.]

<Authors Notes>

This chapter was a bit long.

Anyhow, the will be from Toukas POV.