Chapter 20: The Death of Heracles!
"Swooosh—!"
"Who goes there?!"
Siegfried's voice tore through the air as he barked a warning toward the empty space.
He had already drawn a demonic blade, fine beads of sweat forming on his brow. This was an instinctive reaction born from his 'Sigurd Heroic Genetic Factor'—the primal sensation of being watched by a powerful, predatory beast.
Cao Cao shot a quick glance toward him. He didn't hesitate for a second; as a comrade, his trust in Siegfried was absolute.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
The sound of clear, rhythmic footsteps echoed, drawing the focused gazes of the Hero Faction members.
As the figure emerged, everyone, including Cao Cao, froze for a moment in surprise.
Standing before them was a mature woman with long, flowing orange hair. Her entire being radiated a 'soft' aura, the kind that unconsciously made people feel at ease around her.
"Oh dear, I've been spotted. But I suppose it doesn't matter. You're the members of the Hero Faction—all humans, right?"
"I am the leader of the Hero Faction, Cao Cao. And who might you be, milady?"
"My name is Quetzalcoatl. I've come here today for a spirited wrestling match with all of you!"
"Quetzalcoatl?"
Hearing that name, Cao Cao and the others began to rack their brains.
However, in their memories, there was absolutely no information regarding a woman by that name. It put them in a difficult spot; this woman had clearly come looking for them, which meant someone behind the scenes was targeting the Hero Faction.
"Forgive me, Miss Quetzalcoatl, but we have other matters to attend to. Perhaps we could speak another time?"
"I'm afraid not. I've heard all about you. Your name is Cao Cao, isn't it? The man who travels around challenging Gods and Buddhas to explore the limits of humanity—the one who believes there are things that can only be done by humans, and humans alone."
"Precisely. That is the shared ambition of our Hero Faction. To prove the possibilities of mankind. This world is vast; various gods, demons, and Youkai coexist, yet it is always humans who hold the leading role. Only humans can truly do so."
Every member of the Hero Faction was human, including Jeanne and Heracles who had inherited the souls of heroes; their own souls were, at their core, the souls of human heroes.
Humans were the weakest and most ignorant race in this world.
Countless races and deities drained the faith of humanity; in a sense, mankind was truly pitiable.
Yet, if one looked at it from another perspective—why is it that despite the existence of so many powerful gods and demons, humans still hold the center stage?
That point was deeply thought-provoking. There was no definitive answer, and Cao Cao wanted to find it himself.
He wanted to prove that even as a mere human, he could stand above the clouds. He wanted to prove that humans were not inferior to any other race—that they could achieve things no other race could.
"Exactly! This Onee-san feels the same way! Humans possess infinite possibilities, and that's why they shine so brightly. And since you want to prove all that, let this Onee-san help you see it through."
"What do you mean by that?"
"A Trial."
"A trial?"
"Yes! In the name of the 'Mesoamerican Goddess,' I shall grant you all your greatest trial!"
As those words left her lips, every cell in the bodies of Cao Cao and his comrades screamed a warning of extreme danger.
Quetzalcoatl, who just a second ago was smiling like a kind neighborly sister, underwent a drastic transformation in an instant. The corners of her mouth pulled back to reveal rows of sharp fangs, and the mana within her body began to rage violently.
"What—"
Bang—!
There was no time to react. In the blink of an eye, Heracles, who was standing at the very front, was sent flying by a colossal force.
"Cough—!"
A large spray of blood erupted from his mouth. In this world, now that Quetzalcoatl's Spirit Origin had expanded, she had even absorbed the faith and legends of the 'Aztec Mythology' present here. Her power had reached a Transcendental level.
Furthermore, because of the mythology of this world, Quetzalcoatl had also gained the Divinity of a 'Sun God.'
Without exaggeration, the current Quetzalcoatl was truly a walking natural disaster.
"Very good! You managed to take my hit without losing your ability to fight."
"You bitch... I'll kill you! Variant Detonation's Balance Breaker: Detonation Mighty Comet!"
Instantly, sharp thorns like briars sprouted from Heracles' shoulders, knees, and feet. Both of his hands transformed into giant, hammer-shaped offensive weapons.
This was the Balance Breaker developed from Heracles' Sacred Gear, Variant Detonation.
Though it wasn't a 'pure' Balance Breaker—since even if they appear frequently, it remains a forbidden realm of Sacred Gears that isn't easily reached—this was a Sub-species.
Sub-species Balance Breakers were another possibility developed by Cao Cao and his colleagues.
This was also a possibility that humans gave to Sacred Gears. The same artifact in the hands of different people would develop different Balance Breakers. Conversely, now even Sub-species Balance Breakers, which were equal in power to the originals, had emerged.
"A Sub-species Balance Breaker, hmm? Onee-san is really looking forward to this..."
"Then die while you're waiting!"
The enraged Heracles lunged straight at Quetzalcoatl, seemingly forgetting one crucial thing: his opponent had nearly killed him with a single strike. Her power was clearly on an entirely different level.
"Heracles, calm down!"
Cao Cao tried to stop him, but unfortunately, the current Heracles was beyond listening.
"Such passion! I really want to respond to it. But I'm sorry, from now on, my passion is reserved only for my Darling, so my apologies..."
Bang—!
Without any flashy movement, a single, simple punch landed squarely on Heracles' chest.
The power was not wasted. With perfect control over her strength, the blow instantly pulverized Heracles' internal organs.
This was the weakness of humans. No matter how powerful their Sacred Gear or how great its development, a human body remained incredibly fragile.
In the original records, Cao Cao—who only wanted to test Issei Hyoudou—ended up losing an arm.
Even though it was later restored with 'Phoenix Tears,' that incident exposed a massive weakness: the fragility of the human flesh.
"How... could... this..."
His face filled with utter disbelief, Heracles collapsed forward and died instantly.
"Heracles!"
"Damn it, she really killed Heracles!"
"Unforgivable!"
"If you wanted to provoke us, I can tell you—you've succeeded."
As comrades, seeing Heracles killed meant they could not just stand by.
Especially Cao Cao; these members were gathered with great effort, and now he had lost one just like that.
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