The one who made the first move was Kouki.

“Myriad of Soaring Wings, Reach the Heavens, 【Soaring Flash】!”

Curved slashes of light directly struck Behemoth with a thunderous roar. Previously, when using 【Heaven’s Might】, a higher tier skill than 【Soaring Flash】, he wasn’t even able to inflict a single scratch. However, as Kouki proclaimed that they could not remain as they were back then, the results held proof.

“Gurgaah!?”

Shrieking as it scraped the ground while retreating, there was a distinct diagonal sword wound running across the chest of the Behemoth, dripping dark red blood.

“Nice! We are definitely getting stronger! Nagayama’s team take the left, Hiyama’s team from its back, Commander Meld’s team on the right! Rear guards ready the magic! A high grade one, if possible!”

Kouki gave instructions in rapid succession. This is the result of Commander Meld’s training.

“Hou~oh, excellent instructions with no hesitation. Heard it? All members, follow Kouki’s commands!”

Commander Meld shouted as he led the knights and broke into a run around over to Behemoth’s right. Everyone started to move all at once and encircled the Behemoth.

The vanguards desperately put up their defensive lines to prevent the raging Behemoth from reaching the rear guards.

“Guruaaa!!”

Behemoth crushed the floor with every step as it began to charge.

“I won’t let you!”
“You shan’t pass!”

The two giants of the class, Sakagami Ryutaro and Nagayama Jugo grappled Behemoth like in a rugby scrummage.

“Here dwells the raging power to split the earth! 【Herculean Strength】!”

Using magic to strengthen their physical abilities, more particularly their physical strength, they slid across the ground as they caught Behemoth’s charge.

“Gaaaa!!”
“Raaaaa!!”
“Oooooh!!”

All three let out their respective roars as they mustered their strengths. Behemoth did not expect such puny humans to be able to completely stop and kill its momentum, as it stamped its feet in frustration.

The rest did not miss this chance.

“A flash of supremacy that tears apart everything 【Absolute Severance】!”

Shizuku’s quick drawing technique struck Behemoth’s horn. The sword artifact’s sharpness which had increased due to the magic cut halfway into the horn, unable to completely sever it.

“Ku, it’s still this hard!”
“Leave it to me! Shatter, Smash, Pulverize 【Grand Strike】!”

Commander Meld dived in, striking his own knight sword on Shizuku’s sword which was lodged halfway. The magically accelerated sword combined with his arm strength reinforced into a sharp, heavy blow that gave Shizuku’s sword the impact need to push through.

And finally, one of Behemoth’s horn was cut into half.

“Gaaaaa!?”

The shock from having its horn cut off made Behemoth rampage with all its strength, causing all four of them, Nagayama, Ryutaro, Shizuku and Commander Meld, to be blown away.

“Gentle light which embraces all 【Halo】!”

Countless rings of light came together to form a gentle net enveloping the four of them who were beaten to the ground and had their breaths knocked out. What Kaori used, was light defensive magic which killed the impact by changing its form.

Without delay, Kaori chanted the recovery spell.

“Heaven’s blessing Bestow healing upon the boundless children 【Reversal】”

As Kaori completed her chant, even though they were not touching each other, all four of them were simultaneously healed. That was a Mid tier light recovery magic which heals several people at the same time remotely. It was an improved version of the previously used 【Heaven’s Blessing】.

Kouki took a thrusting stance, and rushed straight at the still rampaging Behemoth. Then, stabbing his sword into the previously opened wound, he pulled the trigger for the end of the invoked magic that he finished chanting while he was charging.

“【Light Explosion】!”

The enormous magic power accumulated in the holy sword flowed into the Behemoth through the inserted wound creating a huge explosion.

“Gaaaaa!!”

Even with a gouged out wound causing massive bleeding, the Behemoth did not miss the slight opening of stiffening after using the skill, and struck Kouki with its sharp claws.

“Guuu!!”

Kouki groaned as he was blown away. The claws themselves were repelled by the holy armour artifact, but the impact transmitted inside caused a violent coughing fit. However, his suffering only lasted for an instance. Kaori immediately applied recovery magic.

“Heaven’s blessing Bestow power upon him once again 【Scorched Sky】”

If the recovery magic just now had its effects reduced in exchange for healing multiple targets simultaneously, this was a single target magic with increased recovery effects. Kouki was enveloped in light and made a complete recovery instantly.

During that interval when it got rid of Kouki, Behemoth put up a hard struggle, using its roars and shockwaves from its jumps to blow away the other members. Its broken horn unwittingly began turning red hot.

“…… It is able to use that even with a broken horn. That is coming!”

Shizuku’s warning came at the same time as Behemoth’s leap. Having experienced Behemoth’s unique magic, everyone was on guard. However, the Behemoth this time had an unexpected jumping range. It left Kouki and the others of the vanguard team in the lurch, easily leaping over their heads and reached the rear guards. At the battle of the bridge, it only made small jumps, being able to make such a leap over there with its huge body is beyond their wildest dreams. The vanguards displayed anxious expressions.

However, one of the rear guards broke off from chanting and stepped forward. It was Taniguchi Suzu.

“Herein a Sanctuary, The Enemy of God Shall Not Pass, 【Absolute Virtue】!!”

The light dome from the casted spell was completed at the same time Behemoth landed like a meteorite. The terrifying sound of impact and shock waves scattered around, smashing the surrounding stone floor into a spiderweb pattern.

However, the absolute defence that Suzu had put up firmly resisted Behemoth’s deadly attack. Nevertheless, forcibly invoking 【Absolute Virtue】 by omitting two of the original four verse incantation made it unable to manifest its usual power.

In fact, cracks have already appeared on the barrier. If not for Suzu, who held the Class 【Barrier Master】, it seems that the barrier would not have been invoked, much less resisting that attack. Suzu gritted her teeth as she continued to pour magic to make up for that two verse, while desperately placing both hands there, imagining an absolute barrier. A barrier without cracks. My barrier is absolute.

“Uuuu~! Like hell I will lose~!”

Just beyond the barrier, Behemoth pierced Suzu with eyes full of killing intent, her entire body was seized with fear and anxiety, her raised arms quavering. Frantically shouting to dispel her timidness, she was approaching her limits soon. Behemoth’s attacks has yet to cease, and she would be unable to hold for another ten seconds.

It’s going to break! That instant Suzu screamed in her heart,

“Heaven’s blessing Bestow mystery upon here 【Yielding Heaven】”

Suzu’s body was wrapped in light, and the magic power flowing into 【Absolute Virtue】 rose sharply as well. It was Kaori’s recovery magic. It was originally a magic that increases another’s magic power, however this time, it was casted while she was pouring magic power into a magic formation, hence greatly amplifying the amount of magic power that was originally flowing in. It was an application technique of 【Yielding Heaven】. It is a magic that only people who had Class 【Healer】, like Kaori, could use.

“This is it! ⌈¹⌋ Love ya Kaorin!”

Suzu poured in the originally required magic power for a four verse chant at one go while simultaneously re-erecting the complete 【Absolute Virtue】. The cracks on the barrier that was letting out a dry shattering sound restored instantly. Behemoth irritated at being unable to break through the barrier, scowled angrily at the brazen caster, but Suzu stood her ground and firmly returned the look.

Eventually, Behemoth’s red-hot horns began to lose their effects. Behemoth lost its momentum and fell to the ground. At the same time, Suzu’s 【Absolute Virtue】 also disappeared.

Behemoth has locked on to Suzu, who was having difficulty catching her breath, but the vanguards were already closing in on the Behemoth.

“Rearguards, retreat!”

The rearguards fell back at once upon Kouki’s instructions as the vanguards surrounded the Behemoth once again. As they continued to lead Behemoth on with hit-and-run tactics, the rearguard finally completed their chants.

“Fall back!”

As the representative of the rearguards, Eri gave the signal. Kouki and gang released a full powered blow and in one go, used the recoil to take some distance.

Immediately after that, the trigger for the high grade fire attack magic was pulled.

“““““【Scorching Sun】”””””

This was a high grade magic which requires five casters. An ultra-hot spherical flame resembling the sun that incinerates everything in its surroundings. The 【Scorching Sun】 that was formed directly above Behemoth instantly swelled to eight meters in diameter and immediately fell on the Behemoth.

An intense heat assaulted the Behemoth. Its power was so great that barriers were put up in a hurry to prevent allies from being damaged by that attack. The 【Scorching Sun】 didn’t allow Behemoth any time to escape, its sturdy outer shell was already melting.

“Gurugaaaaa!!!!”

Behemoth’s death cry reverberated across the hall. It was the same shriek they heard that day ⌈²⌋. The ear-splitting scream gradually thinned out, until it finally faded away like an exhausted flame.

Then, on the walls of the darkened hall, all that is left appears to be merely Behemoth’s remains.

“D-Did we win?”
“It seems like we won……”
“We won……”
“Really?”
“Seriously?”

Everyone gazed blankly at the place where Behemoth was, and little by little began to mutter their affirmation of victory. Similarly, Kouki, who was in a daze suddenly regained his senses and raised his holy sword directly above his head.

“That’s right! We are the winners!”

Kouki raised a shout of triumph as he brandished the shinning, glittering holy sword. With that shout, the reality of victory finally set in as cheers of joy erupted all at once. The guys were patting each other’s backs while the girls were embracing each other with faces full of delight. Commander Meld seems to be in deep emotions too.

Meanwhile, Shizuku called out to Kaori who was still gazing at the place where Behemoth was.

“Kaori? What’s wrong?”
“Eh, ah, Shizuku-chan…… Er, it’s nothing. I was just thinking that we came back here.”

Kaori replied Shizuku with a bitter smile. It seems like she was immersed in the powerful emotions having becoming strong enough to defeat the former nightmare.

“Well, we are definitely getting stronger.”
“Nn…… Shizuku-chan, if we go even further, then Nagumo-kun……”
“Didn’t you want to go and confirm? Isn’t that the reason you are trying so hard?”
“Eheheh, you’re right.”

The reason to advance. That is to specifically ascertain the possibility of Hajime’s safety. Fear of reaching the answer, leads to one becoming timid. Sensing that, Shizuku put strength into holding Kaori’s hands.

That power gave Kaori the strength to get over her timidness as she displayed a smile.

Kouki came over to the two of them.

“Are the two of you alright? Kaori has the best healing magic. As long as Kaori is around, there is nothing to fear!”

Kouki let out a refreshing smile as he thanked Kaori and Shizuku.

“Yeah, we’re alright. Kouki…… Well, we are okay right?” ⌈³⌋
“Nn, we’re fine, Kouki-kun. I’m glad to have been of help to everyone.”

The two of them returned similar faint smiles. However, Kouki’s next words casted a shadow over their hearts.

“With this, Nagumo can rest in peace. This is because the classmates that he had protected has subjugated the magic beast that had pushed him off.”
““……””

Kouki, lost in his deep emotions, failed to notice Shizuku and Kaori’s expressions. It seems like in Kouki’s mind, the reason why Hajime fell into the abyss was only because of the Behemoth. That is certainly not wrong. The direct reason is the impact of Behemoth’s unique magic causing the bridge to collapse. However, more accurately, the retreating Hajime had been struck down by magic.

Now, though there is an implicit agreement not to talk about what happened that time, but reality hasn’t changed. However, Kouki had either forgotten that fact or was unaware, thinking that as long as Behemoth was defeated, Hajime would be able to find peace. Basically, for Kouki who unconditionally believes in the good of people, it seems impossible for him to continuously reproach someone for their error. Needless to say, never in his wildest dreams would he think that it was an intentional act.

However, Kaori could neither forget, nor not care. She is able to endure since she don’t know “who”, but if she knew, she would certainly blame that person. For this reason, Kouki’s words which said nothing happened, caused her quite a bit of shock.

Shizuku sighed. Instinctively wanting to complain, but also knowing that as usual, there isn’t any ill will in Kouki. Rather, this statement was his best effort after he considered what happened to Hajime and Kaori. In a certain sense, it is even more vicious. In addition, their classmates were rejoicing excitedly all around them. Shizuku isn’t a girl who couldn’t read the situation, and bring up talk about that time at this timing.

With the somewhat delicate atmosphere in the air, the class energetic kid came flying in.

“Ka-ori~n!”

With such a bizarre call, Suzu ran over and hugged Kaori.

“Fuwah!?”
“Eheheh, I love Kaorin super much~! If not for Kaori’s support, we would have been completely flattened~”
“Hey, I said hey, Suzu-chan. Where are you touching!”
“Geheheh, does it feel good here? Or does it feel good here…… Argh~!?”

While Kaori is embarrassed over Suzu’s words, Suzu will ride on the mood and grope her body like a perverted old man. Shizuku responded with a hand chop. That slightly intense tsukkomi exploded on Suzu’s crown. ⌈⁴⌋

“Behave properly. Who are you saying belong to Suzu…… Kaori is mine!”
“Shizuku-chan!?”
“Fu~, I wouldn’t let you~, only Suzu can pii and pii with Kaorin!”
“Suzu-chan!? What in the world are you thinking of doing!?”

Shizuku and Suzu with Kaori inserted between them and busy playing the straight man. Before they knew it, the delicate atmosphere from before has already dissipated .

From now on, it is completely unknown domain. Kouki and the others shook off their past nightmare and advanced forward.