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In the interior of the former Demon King's City, the small population that composed Maria's village had managed to evacuate underground, with Mercury's sacrifice giving them enough time for evacuations. Maria's familiars swiftly closed the gates leading underground, while all Goblins, and former Slaves trembled in fear of what was happening outside.
"M-Maria… Maria is not here…!"
"Nobody is here but the Undead…"
"We're all going to die!"
It wasn't really their fault. They had been growing stronger on their own as well, but to face ridiculously strong enemies that people around the world doesn't normally face is not something they were training for, but merely to hunt or defend themselves from common monsters.
This wasn't something they had prepared for… simply because it wasn't something normal people even prepared for. This was all a scheme of Odin and the Gods to crush Maria's family and all those she cared for.
Nonetheless, the Undead were fighting bravely, even with only a few of Maria's Familiars around, they were doing their everything to protect their family, these people which they had grown so attached to… to simply say that without Maria they had no hope was an insult to them.
"Enough!" The former chief of the Goblins said, the Elder of the village. "Maria is fighting as well, with the Dwarves! Her allies are there too but that doesn't mean we are defenseless. If it wasn't for the sacrifices of the many Undead friends we have, we wouldn't even be alive right now!"
"E-Elder…"
"The Undead…"
"But…"
"No buts! We've all been training and growing stronger but… to simply compare with those monsters is insane. This is not something we normal people should had prepared for." Sighed the Elder. "Nonetheless, to say that without Maria we have no hope is as if you were insulting these Undead Friends sacrifices and efforts! Kuro, Mercury, Lancelot, Darkbound, all of them are working hard to protect us… The least you can all do is to hope for them!"
"That's right…" Sighed the Goblin Chief. "If we can't even fight to protect ourselves against such ridiculously stronger foes, at the very least we have to hope, to pray… As Maria said, if we pray for them, our power can be directed to them! It is something that she called Mana Conversion through Prayers."
"M-Mana Conversion.."
"But that's… can we do it?"
"I-I don't know… I am so scared… After having escaped being a slave, I thought I could finally rest as long as I did my best to support the village…"
"I know you're scared but…" The Goblin Chief sighed. "We need to put some weight ourselves! Even if we can't fight directly… A-At the very least!"
However, the people seemed really afraid. With hearts filled with fear, the power of Prayers and Mana Conversion could not be summoned. The Elder and the Chief were saying the truth but at the end, the people didn't seem to respect them enough.
Somebody needed to slap them in the face and wake them up a bit from their daze…
"W-What are you fearing so much about, you dumb idiots?!" Suddenly, a little young rabbit-kin girl stood up. "Are you seriously just going to give up?! Don't be useless and give them your Mana!"
"B-Bellerine!" Syllis tried to stop his little sister, but she was really annoyed.
"Yeah! Yeah! Don't be ungrateful! We've been given so much, and you're afraid now or something?!" Gofumin said angrily. "Don't be stingy!"
The people quickly became pissed… Much like how it happened in the dwarven city, it seemed as if little kids were much better at convincing adults through provocation than with grown adults' speeches.
"Y-You damn brat! I am not a coward!"
"Okay I'll do it! FINE!"
"Just shut it!"
"Tch, don't talk to your elders like that, young girl!"
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm FLUOOOOSH!
A wave of Mana surged from these people, as a magic circle some of Maria's Familiars had inscribed below activated. It seemed it was all ready. Although it wasn't near as much Mana as in the Dwarven Country… surely, it could be of some help.
.
.
.
With the force of Fenrir flowing across his body, Kuro clashed against Julio with everything he had. His claws imbued with the power of the Beast King himself unleashed countless slashing blows, forcing Julio to step back several times despite his greater strength. His heavy armor was easily slowing him down while Kuro was incredibly nimble and fast, capable of evading his sword attacks.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"Agh, you're pissing me off…" Julio said, his eyes glowing redder. "I guess I'll have to go a bit more serious. [Night Shackles]"
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Dozens of magic circles emerged around Julio, as they conjured chains made of darkness, and then they quickly reached Kuro, attempting to catch him constantly!
CRASH! CRASH! CRAAASH!
"GRAAAO!"
Kuro evaded them barely. But the more that fell into the ground, the more crowded the battlefield became and the harder it was for him to move around freely!
FLUOSH!
And just from within his own shadows, Julio emerged, swinging his sword several times mercilessly, stabbing the beast with monstrous strength of someone equal to an S Rank!
"[Endless Abyssal Suffering]!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLAAAASH!
"ROAAAAARRRGGH…!"
BAAAAAMMM!!!
Kuro fell into the floor, leaving an enormous crater and vomiting blood. The entire landscape was slowly being shaped by their battle. Kuro had been playing around with Julio using his swift movements, but he quickly realized the Hero was simply the one playing around.
"[Darkest Moon]"
TRUUUUUUMMMMM…!
A gigantic sphere of darkness overflowing with black light emerged on top of Julio's index finger, so big it could blow up the entire city behind Kuro.
"I am tired already. I'll just blow you up and your stupid city and be done with it. I've got some women back home waiting for me." Julio smiled. "Die."
FLUOOOOOOOOSSSHHH!!!
The enormous sphere of darkness, as big as a hundred meters, fell towards Kuro and the city behind him.
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