Assault

Roz, a short-haired inhabitant of the Demon World, stood before House Antwerp, his mana swelling to a visible, vibrating intensity. He gripped a sword in his hand, its blade catching the light with a sharp, ominous glint.

Suddenly, a black void tore open beside him, and monsters began leaping out from the darkness. Sham, watching the spectacle from the side, let out a long, weary sigh of surprise.

"Sending out a hundred High-level Monsters? I wonder what the Demon Race is thinking," Sham muttered. "If they’re going to go this far, wouldn't it be easier if they just showed their faces themselves?"

"I’m sure they have their reasons," Roz replied. "Not that they’d ever bother sharing them with the likes of us."

"And those reasons would be... what, exactly?"

"Likely to test just how strong the humans in this house really are."

At that moment, Kuro’s voice echoed directly into the minds of Roz and Sham.

[Roz-san, I’ve reached my position. There are ten humans inside the manor. Peach says they’re looking pretty damn strong.]

[That’s "Lord Roz" to you,] Peach interjected with a quick, lighthearted retort.

Roz ignored the banter, his voice quiet and focused. [Understood. Have you located the Artifact?]

[I’ve barely managed to pinpoint it,] Kuro replied. [But based on the placement, it’s definitely a trap.]

[I’m aware. We proceed according to the plan. And listen—if you’re about to die, retreat. That’s an order.]

[[[Roger!]]]

"I’m impressed. This is exactly what Cecil predicted," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yes," Cynthia agreed beside me. "Splitting up beforehand was definitely the right call."

She and I were lying in wait at the front entrance. We had hunkered down around the Artifact at the very center of the manor, surrounding it on all four sides. Lilith and Duke held the south; Allen and Shari took the west; Olynn and Carta were on the east. Cecil stayed at the heart of it all with the Artifact itself, while Tura acted as mobile support for everyone.

Every single one of them had reached a level far beyond anything seen in the Original Story. I’d even gone so far as to optimize the hallway layouts and paths of movement beforehand, ensuring we could scramble to assist each other the moment a chaotic melee broke out.

But even so, help wasn't coming this time. My stomach did a nervous flip at the thought. We were on our own.

[Everything is fine. We are going to win this.]

Cecil’s voice rang out, overflowing with a level of confidence I rarely heard from her. It was unusual for her to be so definitive.

I couldn't help but remember her warning: “Don’t come to save me.”

Ever since that battle with Neil and Priscilla, something in Cecil had shifted. She had been eaten alive by regret because she’d been taken down that day without being able to do a single thing. These words now—this display of confidence—were her way of showing me her resolve.

I activated my Dark Eye to peer through the walls. Outside, the enemy was systematically demolishing the grounds. They were smashing the Battle Universe Pieces, the fountains, the walls—everything was being reduced to rubble. I couldn't tell if they were trying to give the monsters more room to maneuver or if they were just trying to rattle us mentally.

Sorry to break it to you, guys, but we’ve been through way too much crap to be intimidated by a little property damage. No one here was going to break over something like this.

"UOOOOOOOOOOH! YOU BASTARDS ARE ABSOLUTE SCUM!!"

A voice that sounded like it was made entirely of pure, unadulterated muscle roared from the south side. I decided to ignore it.

Once the initial wave of monster spawns finally settled, the front doors were blown wide open, and an endless tide of monsters came surging into the entrance hall.