Chapter 58: The Proper Way to Use a Hero
"In your eyes, which one am I right now?"
"Both, and neither," Gülie replied calmly. "Your souls are now highly integrated; they can no longer be separated. Your consciousness seems closer to Ariel, but your way of thinking is closer to *that* one."
"I see..." Ariel nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder. I was wondering why I'd become so optimistic; the old me was much more cautious."
"That was also called being cowardly and fearful," Gülie added blankly, dealing a verbal finishing blow.
"Urusai!" (Shut up!) Ariel glared at him in embarrassment, then began to perceive the memory fragments of the other half deep within her soul.
"...Reincarnators, huh..."
"So, what exactly are these 'reincarnators'?"
"Guests from another world summoned by Administrator D."
"I see..."
"Mhm. To change this world that is heading toward ruin," Gülie explained.
"The 'new wind' Gakia mentioned... so that's what he meant. Sigh~" Ariel gave a long sigh. "Truly a group of headache-inducing fellows."
"What do you plan to do next?" Gülie pressed.
"Perhaps influenced by the soul fusion, to be honest, my desire for battle isn't strong right now. But... this matter needs a conclusion."
"...Since you've decided, I'll send you there."
"Hou? Is the sun rising from the west?" Ariel asked, surprised.
"My subordinate caused you trouble. Consider this compensation." With that, a spatial portal leading to the battlefield opened in front of Ariel.
"Well... thanks~"
"Ara, I'm so sorry for interrupting your fun."
"Anyway, please die once, you two."
A smiling Ariel issued a death sentence the moment she arrived.
"Eek!!"
"We're doomed!"
Shiro was paralyzed with terror. Realizing things were going south, she prepared to grab Shirazawa and use Teleportation to flee.
*Hum!!*
However, an invisible Dragon God Barrier expanded from Ariel, instantly sealing off all escape routes. With a *bang*, the spatial mobility platform beneath their feet flickered and vanished under the interference. Without a foothold, the two plummeted straight from the sky.
"We can't run now," Shiro whispered bitterly.
"Don't worry, I'll only kill one of you." Ariel raised her palm, smiling radiantly.
"This..." Shirazawa felt a chill. The meaning was clear: the Body Brain (Shiro)inside Ariel had no hostility toward Shiro, but it had no such reservations about *him*.
"Dammit, Body Mind, where the hell are you?!" Shirazawa's sanity cracked. "HELP!!"
"Die!" Ariel unleashed a Demon Lord Breath. A beam of black energy shot straight toward the falling Shirazawa.
At the critical moment, a white thread appeared out of thin air, wrapping around Shirazawa's waist and pulling him away just in time to dodge the fatal blow.
"Aze, are you okay?" Shiro pulled Shirazawa close, her face full of concern. Then, she turned to Ariel, her eyes burning with a fierce rage. "You dare harm Aze, Demon Lord! Today, I'm putting everything on the line!"
Ariel's brow twitched, but she let out a sneer. "Heh. With just you?"
"You won't know until you try!" Shiro gritted her teeth.
"Then come!"
A massive surge of energy erupted. Ariel clenched her fist and swung toward Shiro. A terrifying air pressure swept away the sand and rocks on the ground as a black fist-print whistled through the air.
"Shiro, go find Julius!" Seeing the situation spiraling into chaos, Shirazawa threw Shiro out of the immediate blast zone and faced the Demon Lord himself.
*It's only 90,000 combat power... I've got over 30,000 now. I should be able to hold out for a bit.*
*BOOM!!*
The fist-print slammed into Shirazawa, shaking his entire body and sending him reeling back.
"Eh? You blocked it?"
Shirazawa was slightly surprised. His HP bar had only dropped by a third. *It looks like I can actually fight this!*
"Life Transition!"
Instantly back to full health, Shirazawa kicked off the ground and lunged at Ariel. He could burn through his SP and MP to stall the Demon Lord, hoping to hold out until the young Hero arrived.
Shiro, having been tossed out, seemed to grasp his intent. She immediately began scanning the battlefield for the little blue brat.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
The battle erupted again. "Hahahaha! How long can you keep up with attacks like this?" Ariel laughed wildly. An airtight barrage of fist-shadows blanketed the area, forcing Shirazawa to scramble and dodge.
The shockwaves swept the field, and countless "bystanders" were caught in the crossfire, perishing amidst desperate wails. A black and white blur flickered across the battlefield—the details of the exchange were invisible to the naked eye; all that could be seen was the two of them getting fiercer as the fight went on.
"No... if this keeps up, Aze won't last much longer." Shiro was frantic.
Finally, on a nearby hillside, she spotted Julius.
"Little Hero, forgive me!"
Without hesitation—while Julius was still dazed from watching the black-and-white clash—several white threads snared him. Then, while Julius wore a look of utter confusion, Shiro charged toward the center of the battle.
*THUD!*
A heavy kick from Ariel sent Shirazawa flying hundreds of meters, stopping only after he crashed through several hundred human soldiers.
[Experience has accumulated to a certain level. Individual: Zana Horowa Lv 49 → Lv 50. Evolution available: Arachne.]
The fully healed Shirazawa grinned. "The experience bar is finally full. No more worries."
"What?" Ariel teased. "Giving up the struggle?"
"Nah. I'm tired. Just let it all end," Shirazawa said, spreading his legs/arms in a gesture of resignation. *Hurry up and hit me; I'm in a rush to evolve. I don't have time for your house-playing games.*
"Stop!" a sharp, angry shout rang out from the distance.
Shiro grabbed Julius and tossed him into the air, then leaped up to grab his ankles. She performed a "1080-degree Super Invincible Great Whirlwind" and... *Yeet!*
"Go get 'em!"
"AHHHHHHH—!"
"You cursed monster, just you wait~~~~!"
Accompanied by a piercing whistle of air, Julius screamed, tears and snot flying, as he hurtled straight toward Ariel.
"..." Ariel.
The Demon Lord was stunned. *Is this how you use a Hero?!*
She didn't dare take a "Hero Cannon" head-on, fearing Julius might suddenly trigger the Hero's power. Left with no choice, Ariel retreated to avoid the impact.
Seeing the move work, the corners of Shiro's mouth curled up into a demonic smile more terrifying than the Demon Lord's.
"Come back!" She gave the thread a light tug, and Julius, mid-flight, was yanked back.
Then... "Go get 'em!"
"AHHHHH—!"
"YOU DEMON!!"
The little Hero was being used by Shiro like a giant yo-yo, hurled back and forth. For a moment, the Demon Lord was actually pinned down, looking quite disheveled.
Shirazawa watched with mixed emotions, lamenting the Hero's tragic fate. This kind of "child abuse" was almost too cruel to watch.
"Poor little guy... next to the Earth Dragon monument, there will definitely be a spot for you, Hero. That's my promise to you."
Julius: *Can I decline?*
Shirazawa: *Dame!* (No!)
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