Overgeared

People believed that Hayate was the strongest. He might be a character who only recently appeared and had never played an active role, but he was naturally recognized as the strongest. There was no doubt about it.

Dragon Slayer—the only Absolute in human history. Who would question his ability?

There was a section of Grid's 18th epic that portrayed Hayate as a frightened hermit, but people didn't care. They understood the solitude and fear of the Absolute, while naturally looking forward to the power of the Absolute. They purely welcomed Hayate and cheered for him, who relied on Grid to come out into the world.

It could be interpreted that Hayate's performance today was a response to their support. He bravely faced a dragon that caused a disaster with a single flap of the wings and in the end, he managed to protect the people. He fulfilled the responsibilities of Grid and the apostles while they were away from the surface.

"…Uwaaaaahhhhh!"

The place where the dragon left—it was only after Hayate put away his dazzling sword that people started cheering. They finally realized that the hellish battle was over. They surrounded Hayate as he roughly wiped away the blood on his body that had almost been torn to shreds. It was to the extent where they seemed like they would toss him up.

There was the sound of an explosion coming from the direction Bunhelier had left in and it was quite loud. However, the noise was only heard in Kraugel's ears. People didn't sense it and were excited. For them, the outcome of winning or losing didn't matter. The fact that they survived was the important thing.

"……"

Hayate's expression was as calm as always. He was very calm as a noble aristocrat. However, he was inwardly very puzzled. He had been fighting alone for over a thousand years, so he was very unfamiliar with the cheers of people. He might be in a daze, but his heart was tickled.

He was happy… he thought this expression could be used. Suddenly, he had a certain wish. He hoped that his colleagues who were fighting in hell would be able to feel the same way he was feeling right now.

'Please come back safely.'

Now they could stand proudly in front of people. A world had arrived where Biban didn't need to be in charge of cleaning the bathroom even if he went around the neighborhood and talked about his identity. It had already happened so they should enjoy it.

A series of explosions were heard from further away than before. It was the sound coming from the fight between Bunhelier and Nevartan, who had encountered each other. Fortunately, the battle took place in a remote location. It was according to Hayate's calculations. The dragons were instinctively drawn toward the forest where the magical remnants of the dead myth predator were drifting.

"It is you who defeated the Gale of the Great Forest," Hayate spoke to Marie Rose, who had just descended to the ground.

Marie Rose didn't answer. Her eyes were half closed as she picked up her parasol and opened it. It was even though it was late at night now. It was a sight that proved her parasol wasn't intended to block the sun. It was meant to cover up her beauty.

People were easily making this guess when Marie Rose merged with the darkness and disappeared. She didn't even look at Hayate and Kraugel. She didn't seem to feel anything even though they stopped the invasion of the old dragon together.

Hayate and Kraugel had expected her attitude. From the moment she fought Bunhelier to the present, Marie Rose's gaze had often been turned to one direction of the sky. It was the direction where Grid was being shown. Her only concern was for Grid. They were impressed by the way she smiled brightly and looked back at Grid every time she did something, like a child longing for praise.

"I am worried about Grid," Hayate stated after he stared at the spot where Marie Rose had disappeared. The people at the scene didn't hear him. It was because they were all bedazzled by their fascination with Marie Rose and were crazy.

On the other hand, Kraugel wasn't distracted and cocked his head in a puzzled manner. "Is there a need to worry? Putting aside her mature appearance, she is a woman with a pure side. I don't think she will harm Grid."

Kraugel was the player after Grid who had built up the most affinity with NPCs. As the former 1st ranked player, he changed his words and deeds according to the nature or circumstances of the subject. It meant he tailored his style so that he could easily get the affinity of the other person. Therefore, he spoke more politely than usual. It went well with the appearance of his dopo. He seemed like he was shooting a historical drama with Hayate.

Meanwhile, the people came to their senses and focused on the conversation between the two of them.

"You misunderstood. I am worried about Grid's attitude, not Marie Rose."

"What is Grid's attitude…"

"There are so many women by his side."

"……"

"The momentum is enough for him to have at least 10 people."

People listened even more intently. Grid's colorful love life with women had been famous for a long time. People expected that Hayate, who had lived for over a thousand years, to criticize Grid's attitude. They took the old tales as an example and believed that the more a person was a hero, the more they should give mature advice, such as to watch out for beauties or to be single-minded. They were already inwardly feeling refreshed.

However, Hayate's next words were very unexpected. "They come from various backgrounds. All their bloodlines are unusual, so it is expected that there will be a fierce battle for succession. In order to prevent a great disaster, it is necessary to hold the center so that the wives can get closer. However, he goes out too often."

"……"

"Of course, the world is also at fault for not leaving him alone, but Marie Rose isn't weaker than Grid. It isn't a problem to always have her with him wherever he goes. I can't easily understand why he is neglecting her."

Hayate was a nobleman from a thousand years ago. He might reject the custom of a man having multiple wives, but he didn't criticize it. Perhaps he had the most open mind in the modern world.

'Shit…'

'Grid is the worst man. Right?'

The moment that Hayate said something completely different from their expectations, the disappointed people trembled with jealousy. It was proof that their daily life, which had collapsed overnight, was faintly returning.

***

In the background of the people of the surface gradually regaining a bit of their daily lives, there was naturally the activities of the hell expedition. The situation in hell flowed in real time even as Hayate and Kraugel were fighting fiercely against a dragon.

The Overgeared Guild, the apostles, and the tower members operating in various parts of hell were gradually reducing the number of demons. There was hope in a situation where there had been nothing but despair.

That was just a little while ago.

'Ugh.' Mercedes swallowed back a groan. She discovered the location of the body of the hell moon with her Keen Insight and unexpectedly pierced the ground rather than the sky. Then she found a great deal of demons blocking her path. They were different from the great demons or Baal's henchmen and were closer to the original demons.

The closer she got to the hell moon and the deeper she headed underground, the more often the old demons appeared. They had gray hair and their skin was full of wrinkles. Their age could be felt just by looking at them. Maybe that was the reason they all had strong skills. It reached the point where the legs of the steadily advancing Mercedes came to a complete stop.

""This place… can't be reached… with that much…status…""

How long had it been since they opened their mouths? The dry voice that cracked every time they spoke gave her goosebumps.

Mercedes' expression became even more serious. Her face, which had hardened since discovering that the identity of the hell moon was a creature made of countless souls, suddenly cooled down. "What exactly is being done in this place?"

""You… aren't qualified… to hear it.""

Sword energy surged every time the demons waved their dry hands. It took the form of a clear sword and the color was green like the shade of a tree.

A forest of swords literally bloomed.

Mercedes' eyes twitched. Her transparent pupils became cloudy and tears of blood flowed down.

'This?'

The souls of the demons were overlapped. To be precise, it felt like another soul resided in the bodies of the demons. However, the souls were very similar to someone.

Biban.

'Sword Saint?'

It was the Matchless Swordsmanship, but it was a bit different from Biban's swordsmanship. This swordsmanship was being embodied at the fingertips of the demons.

The sword energy that formed the forest swept forward like a gust of wind as they responded to the demons' swords and Mercedes' blood scattered. Mercedes' body was pierced in its vital points and she was pushed back greatly. She barely managed to stop in place by sticking the bottom of her shield into the ground. Then she glared at the demons as if she was going to kill them.

She realized that the armor Grid had made for her with great care had become a mess. The fact that the black engraving next to her left shoulder had been erased made her angry. It was because Grid's initials there had been erased.

"It seems you have been experimenting with transplanting the souls of legends."

On the 'day' she fell asleep while looking at the magnificent view of the Chaos Mountains, which had been stained red with the blood of monsters, Mercedes had heard a story while being hugged in Grid's arms. It was a story about the Behen Archipelago. It was a great story, but Grid's expression was very gloomy. He seemed concerned that Pagma, who contracted with Baal, used the souls of the previous legends to create the death knights.

"It is an experiment based on the experience of the contractor."

""The order… is wrong. It is… a trivial reasoning.""

Shadows came. Mercedes responded by spreading out her silver wings and made the contrast clear. She read the path of the assassin rising from her shadow and stabbed her sword. However, she couldn't pierce the dark shadow. The fluttering cloth dulled the blade of her sword. It was surprisingly heavy. Mercedes grasped the material of the cloth with Keen Insight and was a bit flustered. It was because it was a metal fabric.

A stab resembling Grid's sword dance dug into Mercedes' side. At this point, the people on the surface also noticed what the old demons of this dark and deep crypt were doing. They were embodying the legends of human beings.

""Don't… overlook that… we are just… gatekeepers.""

They pretended to be kind, but a demon was a demon.

Seven demons completely surrounded Mercedes. They seemed to have no intention of letting her leave smoothly.

The situation of Mercedes, who was surrounded by seven legends, was serious.

"…Sigh." Mercedes' deep breathing stimulated the demons' sensitive senses.

The demons attacked Mercedes almost reflexively. The sight of the seven demons simultaneously using seven types of techniques that belonged to legends was overwhelming. It felt like the greatest moments of human history were being recreated simultaneously.

This sight was clearly captured in Mercedes' transparent eyes.

Keen Insight—the talent that even the gods were wary of fully bloomed and destroyed the legendary techniques, slashing at the demons' throats.