A head materialized from the void as if welling up from nothingness. The face stretched across it belonged to Eudas, though the memory was hazy. However, it was utterly alien. The entire thing was a shimmering, polished silver, and only the massive head floated in mid-air. Its size was easily a match for a Haniwa Knight.
—Hm. Intruders, are you? Well, it saves me the trouble.
A repulsive voice emitted from the glittering silver head. It sounded like nothing more than a grating, metallic rasp, yet for some reason, its meaning was conveyed with perfect clarity.
But... intruders?
While I was struggling to grasp his meaning, the pitch-black space was suddenly flooded with a dazzling light. Something leapt into the void alongside that radiance.
"Ruto!"
"It seems you’re still in one piece, then!"
"Ren-kun! And Garna, too."
The newcomers were Ren-kun and Garna. Once the two of them confirmed we were safe, they turned sharp, piercing glares toward Eudas’s floating head.
"Eudas! You have done something truly unforgivable!"
—Eudas? Heh heh...
—We are no such trivial thing. We are the very Will of the God of the Outer World that shall consume this world!
Eudas’s face twisted and contorted. The expression might have been called a smile, but it was evil to the core.
"What’s the situation?" I asked.
Ren-kun’s expression turned bitter. "He’s linked this world to an outer dimension. He intends to use the Power of Silver to forcibly swallow our world whole!"
"What did you say?! Then, the world is..."
Rei trembled. Ren-kun continued with a solemn, heavy expression. "If this continues, they will destroy everything."
"No!"
Screams broke out. I couldn't tell who had shouted—perhaps it was everyone. They all understood just how dire the situation had become.
But it wasn't over yet.
"In that case, we just have to stop it here, right?"
"That’s right, Ruto. We have no other choice. The other gods have their hands full preventing the Principles of the World from being eroded. We have to handle this ourselves. Do you think you can do it?"
Ren-kun sounded like his usual self, but I could tell he was anxious. It was in the slight tremor of his voice and the way his eyes moved. Those were the same habits he'd had before... back before he became a god.
Thinking back, I was always the one being encouraged by Ren-kun in our previous life. I was sickly and couldn't live a normal life, so I had effectively given up. The games and novels I loved so much were all things Ren-kun had introduced to me. He taught me that life wasn't just a series of painful events, but that there were fun things too. He encouraged me to keep living. In the end, I didn't last very long, but the fact that I could look back and think it wasn't a bad life was entirely thanks to Ren-kun.
So, now it was my turn. I would be the one to support him.
"It’ll be fine. Leave it to me! Even if my own power isn't enough, if we all work together, I'm sure we can win."
"I see. You’re right. Let’s protect the world together."
Strength returned to Ren-kun’s eyes. And not just his—everyone else's as well. Everyone, that is, except for Halfa.
"Tort."
"It’s okay, Halfa. I’ll definitely go back to normal. It’s just that I need this power right now."
"Okay..."
I understood why Halfa looked so uneasy. Even I could feel the power overflowing from within me. This had to be the Divine Aura.
I have no intention of becoming a god, so having this Divine Aura is a bit troubling, but I was grateful for it now. With this power, I should be able to crush even the Will of the God of the Outer World.
—How foolish.
—The worlds are now joined; we can exert our full, absolute power.
—You can no longer hope to stop us.
The unpleasant, rasping voices overlapped, speaking one after another. They seemed incredibly confident, but I was different than I had been before, too.
"Go, Haniwa Knight!"
I pulled a Haniwa Knight from my Inventory. Unlike the typical dungeon areas, this space had no walls or ceilings. I could make full use of the giant’s capabilities here.
Of course, I didn't stop there. I took a Pandora Gift from my Inventory and unsealed it. I pulled out a new Haniwa Knight body and applied Golemification. That made two.
—That’s right... I remember now.
—It is always you who obstructs our plans!
—Then you shall be the first we crush!
When the silver head roared, tear-like droplets spilled from its eyes. Upon hitting the ground, they swelled and shifted their forms. The tear from the right eye became a Silver Dragon, while the one from the left became a Giant Silver Wolf. The dragon and the wolf lunged at my two Haniwa Knights.
"More are coming!" Lowell warned.
The silver head spilled even more tears, and two more silver monsters manifested. Naturally, I countered by beginning Haniwa Knight Mass Production. The enemy was making two at a time, but I wouldn't fall behind. Because of my high Dexterity, the process of unboxing and Mana Infusion was incredibly smooth. Once I got a bit more used to the rhythm, I felt I could increase my speed even further. At this rate, I could overwhelm them with numbers.
"Hey! Small ones are coming!"
"Eh?"
I’d thought this might end unexpectedly easily, but things were never that simple. Looking around at Shiroru’s shout, I saw Mouse-sized Silver Monsters scurrying toward us. It seemed the big ones were a distraction, intended to let the small ones sneak in through the gaps.
What should I do? Even if the big ones were decoys, I couldn't stop the Haniwa Knight Mass Production. The forces were currently balanced, but if I stopped, the giants would undoubtedly turn their full attention back to us. However, trying to fight off the small ones while summoning more knights...
"Tort, stay focused on your task! We’ll handle these!"
"Everyone, protect Tort!"
Lowell and Rei barked out orders. My companions formed a defensive circle around me, weapons at the ready.
That’s right. I wasn't alone. I had my comrades at my side.