"So you're still breathing, how tenacious." Alva walked over to Hinata, who after screaming Akira's name, now had her head lying down on the ground, mostly due to the five apostles that was restraining her.
There were five other apostles, two were next to Alva, one was watching Hinata's party, one was confiscating the Seiji's blades, and the last one was watching everyone else, who was held captive, and they all can only watch in despair as Alva stepped on Hinata's head.
"Pathetic." Alva spat, he loathed the girl for ruining his welcoming of his lord.
As she watched this scene, Yuka Sonobe clutched her hand in frustration. She couldn't believe she would ever see Hinata in this state. In her eyes, Hinata was someone invincible, someone who was...her hero.
'I did it again.' She thought to herself. She had always assumed Hinata would be able to fix anything, and that wasn't trust, it was freeloading, it's just like how she and the rest about Kouki.
They all thought Kouki was gonna be able to get them out of this mess, and back to Japan, but when Hinata appeared, they out that reliance on her instead. When Yuka dropped out of the fighting, knowing Kouki was still fighting, made it a whole lot easier to do.
'I'll pay you back my ass." She internally cursed, she had made that promise to Hinata back in Ur, but she's done anything but that. She had only ended up being saved by Hinata again.
She was weak, they all were, back in the castle, they all had kept talking how they all owed Hinata big time. And yet here they are watching and letting her get hurt. 'Well that stops now.'
Woth Alva and the apostles fixated on Hinata, She goes over to Endou. "Psst, Kousuke."
"Huh? Sono-"
"Shh, lower your voice." Yuka whisoered, she then conveyed her plan, her plan to save Hinata.
After hearing it, Endou looked at Yuka as though she was crazy. "You're kidding right? There's no-"
"Look, we don't have a choice, we owe it to Hinata to at least try!" Endou had greatly discouraged after he couldn't do anything to the apostles that attacked them, but after thinking back to what he said about making it up to Hinata, he concedes. "Fine, it's not like we have anything else to lose."
Yuka happily nods, and goes to her classmates one by one, explaining the plan, the ones who didn't already look like they gave up. She also went to Lily and Aiko, she would often say fake words of despair when the apostle looked at her.
"Ok, here goes, Lily."
The princess confidently nods her head and clears her throat. "H-Hold on!" She calls out to Alva, who paused from his taunting of Hinata and looks at her.
"What...?"
"Ehit said that he was gonna stain this world with the blood of every mortal, what did he mean by that!?"
Alva narrowed his eyes, but then shrugs. "Well, since you can't change your fate there's no harm in telling you. In three days time, our lord will send a invincible army to dispose every mortal."
"Everyone!?"
"Yes, humans, beastmen, and all living things. Soon, the world will be no different than that continent iin the west, Lord Ehit had taken it's mana to create the sanctuary."
"It...can't be, Ehit was the one who created the Gruen dessert!?"
Alva smiled at Lily's reaction. "Be honored Princess, your people shall be the first to die by god's hand, for the army will descend upon the divine mountain, once we are done stealing this world's mana completely, the sanctuary will be moved to the new world, where my lord will be the one-"
"We won't let that happen!" Everyone was surprised when Aiko suddenly shouted, it was then that they all noticed the magic circle on the back of her hand drawn by blood. "Bring light to the souls that have lost spark, Soul's Repose!"
Aiko had just used spirit magic which will cure any negative status effects, her pink mana showered over those who were affected by Ehit's edict, helping them recover.
"Hehe, thank you Aiko." Tio expressed his gratitude as he and everyone else got back on their feet.
"Huh? What the-" In the chaos, the apostles that had retrieved Seiji's swords realizes that the blades were gone from his hip. He then sees that they were in the hands of Endou.
"Hehehe..." Endou nervously laughed. It seems Yuka was counting on Endou's lack to presence to be strong enough to slip by a god and his apostles, and it paid off. "Yaegashi, catch!"
Endou tosses one of the blades a the direction of Shizuku, who catches it. "Everyone, get ready!"
"W-What!? But we don't have our artifacts!" Suzu screamed.
"So? You can still use magic!" Kaori replied while she begin healing her friends.
"Let's do this." Ryutaro pounds his fist together.
"Hehe, interesting, get rid of them." Alva ordered.
"Very well." The robbed apostle was eager to end Endou, but he was blocked by Shu, who grabbed the remaining sword in his hand.
"Quick, get Seiji to Aiko!" Shu commanded as he kept the apostle back.
"R-Right." Endou rushed amd dragged Seiji's still unconscious body towards his class, who were all inside Lily's barrier.
Once inside, Shu kicks the apostle away and makes a dash towards Alva, slipping past the apostles and striking down, only for his sword to be stopped by Alva's barrier.
"It's useless, there is no wa-"
CRACK
"Take this!"
Before Alva knew it, his barrier started to crack and eventually shattered, it was only due to his godly speed that he managed to dodge the sword, but he wasn't able dodge Shu's foot coming straight for his face.
"Guh!" Alva is knocked back and looks at Shu, he sees a blue aura covering his body, meaning Shu has activated his Limit Break. "You will pay for kicking a god, in the name of Alva, stop!"
Alva activated his edict just as Shu was charging at him, although Shu did stop for a second, the rabbit kept running towards him. "Impossible, someone other than the irregulars resisted the edict!?"
"Yup!"
Alva dodges Shu's strike, and calls out to his apostles. "I shall deal with this one, kill the rest."
"Yes, lord Alva." The apostles all said at once, the monsters that were left behind have also attacked them, it was another scene of pure chaos.
Shizuku and Tio had also activated their Limit Break, and used evolution magic. Shizuku was the sword and Tio was the shield, the two were fending off the apostles.
Meanwhile, Ryutaro was facing off the monsters with his bare hands and enhancement magic, Suzu and Kari were offering as many support as they can. But Ryutaro wasn't fighting alone, he had his close friend Jugo Nagayama, he also was able to fight bare handed, but only because his class was heavy knight, making him quite sturdy, and he had experience in judo.
As for everyone else, they were somewhat sitting ducks inside Lily's barrier, Aiko was trying to revive Seiji as fast as he can. As for the other students, like Yoshiki and Shinji, and the ones outside of Yuka's group that opted out of the fighting were simply cowering in fear.
But for the others, they were trying their best...
Unfortunately, those whose class revolves around a certain weapon couldn't do much but throw some pebbles at the apostles, those like the acrobat Yuka, and Kondo who is dragoon threw with all that might.
As the for the ones with classes that specialized in magic, their support was useful, albeit miniscule.
Ayako Tsuji, who is a priestess like Kaori, along with Mao Yoshino, a rejuvenist which specializes in support were giving Lily as many power as they can, but their mana was running out.
Nana Miyazaki, an ice mage was firing ice spears. Kentaro Nomura, a geomancer was trying to cast a petrification spell. Akito Nimura was an illusionist, and he was trying to confuse the apostles with his illusions.
Of course, the apostles easily warded off every single spell, but it was still a valiant effort. But that effort wasn't enough to stop an apostle from reaching them and easily breaking Lily's barrier. But fortunately...
"Get away from my friends!" A bright light appears as Seiji recovered, Aiko was still casting Soul's Repose just in case. Seiji manages to kick the apostle away, but he simply retaliated by firing his disintegration beam, and Seiji did the same.
Since they have the same body, it should've been even, but Seiji evolution magic, which made his stronger, and it engulfed the apostle. And after their struggle, Tio and Shizuku had managed to kill another one, it seemed things were going well.
But that victory was shortlived...
"This is a waste of my power." They all turn back their attention to Alva, who was holding an very hurt Shu by the neck. Although Shu was able to break through the edict, he needed a second to do it, and that second was all Arval needed to get the upper hand. "In the name Alva, stop."
This edict affected everyone and they fell to their knees, Seiji had only stayed conscious to due to Aiko. Arval throws Shu to the ground, and signals his apostles. "There is only one thing i can do to make up for my failure."
The remaining apostles start to use feather to form a magic circle, Shu and the others tried powering through the edict, but Alva simply assaulted by summoning lightning, and when they tried protecting themselves with mana. "In the name of Alva, accept your punishment."
They all had no choice to let themselves feel the full force of the lightning. The magic circle is now complete, and Alva's mana starts covering everyone, it caused some form of small pain. "All of you have an exceptional amount of mana, you are all fitting sacrifices for lord Ehit. Well, except for two of you."
With a snap of his fingers, Rome and Moku suddenly disappeared from the group of students and ended up in front of Alva. Alva created rings of mana surrounding Moku, and the merfolk boy is lifted up to the air.
"Moku! Let my son- Urk!" Rome tried to reach for his son, but he could not fight the edict.
Alva grins as he turns to Nagumo, who was still lying down on the floor and held down by multiple apostles. "Lift your head Irregular! Watch as i make your child suffer right in front of you!"
"Mama! Mama!" Moku cried out.
But Hinata remained still, not a songle part of her moved, and no sound was heard from her either. For a moment, everyone was horrified thinking Hinata was dead.
"Tch, lift your head Irregular! I know you're still alive!"
There was still no response.
"Grr, apostles."
The apostles nodded and one of grabs Hinata by her hair, pulling her up and showing her head.
"Now, wa- Ah!" Alva suddenly stumbled, unintentionally disabling his spell and dropping Moku. Everyone was confused by caused that reaction, and then they realize...
It was Hinata's gaze.
Hinata had no legs, no weapons, and her body was covered in wounds, someone in that state would never have been any threat to a god. And yet, she was able to cause one to flinch just by looking at him. Alva tried recasting the spell on Moku, but stopped when he saw his hand was shaking.
"K-Kill..." Alva was struggling to even order the apostles to kill Hinata, but hey got the message. They all either raised a blade or prepared a disintegration beam. But it was during that moment that Hinata finally said something.
"Die."
Alva noticed something flash underneath Hinata, and before anyone comprehend anything...
SWISH
Two apostles jumped away out off reflex, just as the other three were all sliced in half. They watch as the slashed apostles crumbled to even more pieces, eventually becoming a pile of ash. Then they see it in Hinata's hands, a dagger, a bright purple dagger, seemingly made of the same material as the marbel floor. It was made underneath her, and when five of the ten hands holding her was off, that was her chance to grab it.
"Lord Alva, stand back." All the remaining apostles gathered in front of the god as more mana swirled around Hinata's calves. Pieces of the floor started gathering and forming a pair of purple crystalline legs.
Hinata stands and glares at Alva. Her new legs looked similar to her dagger, but because it was connected to her leg improperly, blood started running down on it. It should have been excruciatingly painful, but it did the job, and Hinata didn't seem to care one bit.
"Mama...?" Moku and everyone else can tell something wasn't right.
"Quick! Detain-" Before Alva can even make an order, he watches as Hinata tackles one of the apostles down, and starts slaughtering him with the knife.
Another apostle tried to stab Hinata, but she simply took the ashes of the one she just killed and threw into his eyes. After being blinded, Hinata grabbed the apostle's head, slamming him to the ground, and stomping on his head and squishing it like it was a tomato, and then a smile was visible on her face as she continued.
"Lord Alva, please fall back." One of the apostles urged.
"Nonsense! Why should a god like myself retreat!?" Alva extend his hand. "In the name of Alva, I order you to- Aaaaaggggghhhhh!"
Before he can even finish his edict, Alva saw his arm fly off, and he screams, Hinata had dashed past them, she turns back and looks at Alva's face, and smiles. "Hehehe...HAHAHAHAHA!"
Hinata did her signature laugh, and everyone felt frightened. That shouldn't have been surprising, considering they've all seen Hinata shed blood in front of them, and heard that laugh before. But this time, it felt... different.
Alva and the apostles were also disturbed by Hinata's laugh, but Alva was scared for a much different reason. Since he was a god, his body wouldn't register most wounds as a threat, hence how he managed to survive getting shot in the head earlier. But now, for the first in ages...
He felt pain.
"HOW IS THIS HAPPENING!?" Alva screamed at his non regenerating arm.
"That dagger, it cuts and destroys anything it touches, nothing can defend against it." An apostle tried clarifying.
"Then why is she just using it now!? Why didn't she use it against lord Ehit!?" Alva asked in a panic.
"We do not know, Lord Alva, please retr-"
The apostle's head was sliced off Hinata, before he can finish.
Seeing Hinata, Alva felt another new emotion, fear. "Kill her...KILL HER!"
The remaining apostles and monsters charged at Hinata. Alva was preparing to fly away.
"Nuh uh." But before he could, Hinata kicked one of the monster she just killed, and it fell on top of Alva before it disappeared. The god can the can see Hinata leaping towards him, the knife in hand. He quickly rolls away, and the knife lands onto the ground.
"Oh no." With the magic circle gone, Tio and the others had recovered, but Shu was still unconscious. "Seiji, get everyone to the floor below!"
Seiji nods and uses his feathers to cut a circle around his classmates, the section of the floor falls to the lower level. "The rest of you, go help Meld."
Kaori's group follows Tio's orders, they managed to pull out Meld from the rubble he was buried. Meanwhile, Tio went and grabbed Moku and Rome.
"Tio, what is this!? What happened to Hinata!?" Kaori asked, concerned for her friend.
"I believe...that master is using Concept Magic." Tio concluded.
Only those that went with Hinata knew what Tio, and they were shocked. "Wait, what!? But didn't she needed Meld and Akira to do it ?"
"And to use it, didn't she also need a desire as strong as going home to use it!?"
"Exactly, Meld was out of commission, and Akira was gone, those events have pushed Master over the edge." It was no secret that Hinata had a short temper and a massive bloodlust, but she has always control over them.
But after what Ehit did...
"Right now, she is completely filled with the desire to make her enemies suffer." Tio explained. That's why her laugh felt so different. Back then, she did the laugh for taunting, laughing at people's idiocy and fear of her. But this time, she was laughing out of joy, joy of causing pain.
"Stay behind me!" Tio stood in front of the group. Hinata's dagger and legs were able to delete the existence of anything it touches, including a god. Considering her state, she might not hesitate about using it on them.
"Lord...Alva, we've failed you..." The last apostle muttered as his existence erased, most of the monsters had ran away out of instinct, so now, it was just Hinata and Alva.
Alva was hyperventilating, he tried firing lightning at Hinata and then run away with a portal.
"Oh no you don't." But Hinata simply tanked the attack and tossed her knife at the portal, destroying completely, and then calling the knife back. "Where do your think you're going?"
As Hinata approaches, the eyes of the frightened god travels towards Moku, realizing it's his only shot, he fires the strongest lightning javelin, one that even hurt himself, and he makes a dash for Moku. "If I can just get a hostage, then I can-"
"Nice try."
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Alva screams in agony as his remaining limbs are cut off. Hinata grabs him and tosses the god to remains of the steps to his throne.
Alva fearfully watches Hinata walk closer, as though she was death itself. "W-W-WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! STOP PLEASE!" He begged, but Hinata still walked closer. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT!"
Alva's begging has actually made Hinata smile even more. "Oh? A god begging for his life? So gods can die?" Her tone and expression were the complete opposite of Alva's.
"PLEASE, I-I WILL TALK TO MY LORD, I'M SURE HE WOULD LISTEN, YOU COULD HAVE THIS WHOLE WORLD!" Alva continued begging, his earlier arrogance and superiority was nowhere in sight. "I'LL EVEN BECOME YOUR SUBORDINATE! PLEASEEEEEE DON'T KILL MEEEEEEE!"
Hinata stopped in front of Alva and just stood there for a moment, her smile was gone as she looked the man before opening her mouth. "Do you...want to live that badly...?"
Alva was confused at the questioned, but being desperate, he answered it. "Y-Yes...Yes, I want to live-"
"Then die."
"Huh? Wai- AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Everyone watches the horrific scene as Hinata completely slaughter the god, stabbing him in the most brutal way possible. Rome had to cover Moku's eyes as Hinata opened up Alva's torso and started digging her hands into it, crushing his organs and bones as he disappeared. And soon, Alva's screams ceased, and so did Hinata's laughing.
"Master!" Tio called out.
Hinata turns around with a neutral expression on her face, she was covered in Alva's blood which disappeared shortly. Hinata than looks up to the sky, at the portal that Ehit. She can see multiple demons heading towards it on giant, black, eagle like monsters.
She started smiling again at the sight of more prey. She then makes a powerful jump, and starts making her way go to the portal. Of course, started to notice her. They immediately tried shooting her down, but those weak spells had no effect on her whatsoever.
She was about to reached them, but..
"Ack! What the." She was suddenly stopped in her path. "A barrier..."
One of the demons had a smug look on his face. "You fool! Only us, the chosen-"
Hinata sticks her knife into the barrier.
"Eh?"
The demons see cracks on the barrier, which traveled all the way up to the portal, and it was destroyed. It took them all a moment to comprehend what just happened, and then they were enraged.
"She destroyed the gate! KILL HE-"
The demon's head was instantly destroyed by Hinata's kick. Another one tried to shoot at her, but Hinata simply threw her knife at him, erasing his existence. As for the rest, Hinata simply activated Intimidate, it was so powerful that it caused heir mounts to freak out and start foaming in their mouths, the monsters and their riders all fell from the sky, plummeting to their deaths.
Hinata looks up at where the portal used to be. "Tch." She was hoping to break the barrier and then enter to kill that bastard, but since the barrier and the portal were connected, they both got destroyed by Hinata. She keeps looking, wondering what to-
"Master!"
She turns around and sees Tio flying towards her. "Master, that was very dangerous, we need to get back."
Hinata gave no response whatsoever, so Tio decided to simply pick up Hinata and go back to the throne room. Where everyone was, Aiko's group managed to make their way back to the throne room, Seiji and Kaori were focused on healing Shu and Meld.
"Sis, go help Hinata and Tio, I can take care of these two." Seiji directed.
"Right." Kaori nods as she goes to the two that just returned. She starts healing both of them,but Hinata never stops looking at the sky, concerning everyone. Suddenly a shadow cover them as they see more demons in the sky.
"Is that an apostle?"
"Thank goodness, I thought we were trapped."
"Humans...and a beastman? No matter, oh great apostle please pass judgement on these heretics and bring us to Ehit's promised land."
The demons descends on the throne room, they were about 20 soldiers an 30 civilians. Everyone prepares for another fight, but before thy can...another smile appears on Hinata's face.
As soon as the demons land, the man that ordered Seiji to kill everyone was easily cut to pieces. Before the demons can even process what happened, Hinata already decapitated 5 more soldiers. "Hahahahaha..."
When one soldier finally tried to attack Hinata, his stomach was then pierced right through by Hinata's hand. Everyone watches the massacre in horror, some students cried, some puked, either way, they were all scared. Hinata had often been called a monster due to her strength, but she is truly living up to that name now.
"Hinata, stop!"
"They're not our ene-"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hinata ignored her friends' callings and continued killing.
"Get your knees and put your hands in the air!" Shizuku implored the demons, hoping Hinata would stop if they surrendered. There's no way demons would listen to some human girl they just met, but after Hinata killed the final soldier, they gave up their dignity, kneeled, and raised their hands, one of them even announced their surrender.
Too bad it didn't work...
Hinata continues slashing the demons, but just as she was approaching a father, who was hugging his son, she feels a tug on her free arm.
"Stop it, Mama!"
Hinata's smile disappeared as she looked down on Moku.
"My Mama is a cool person, not something like this!"
"Let go." Hinata simply said.
"No! I won't-"
"I SAID LET GO, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Everyone gasps in shock as Hinata threw Moku back to the group. Luckily, he was caught by Seiji.
Hinata turns around and starts walking to the group, she was visibly angry, and glaring at Moku. "Do you think you have any right to talk? WHEN THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!?"
Moku starts tearing up, Rome immediately tried to comfort his son.
"I should've never bonded with you. I should've never agreed to Meld's dumb plan. I should have let you be Ilwa's problem!" Her voice grew louder with every sentence, until finally. "I SHOULD'VE JUST LET YOU DIE IN THAT FUCKING SEWER!"
And with that, Moku's heart was shattered.
"And if you're gonna get in my way..." She raises her knife. "Then just di-"
"Hold on now."
Hinata is suddenly lifted up in the air, she can feel the back of her hoodie being pulled up. Hinata tries to stab the person lifting her, only for the man to stop her by grabbing her arm. When she saw the man, her eyes widened. "Meld...?"
Everyone was shocked and realized that Meld had walked around without them noticing.
Meld simply threw Hinata's hand down and sighed. "Now why did you go on say something like that? I think you need a timeout." Meld proceeded to casually toss Hinata up into the air, he even used wind magic to make her go even farther up.
"EHHHHHHH!?" Everyone dropped their jaws, witnessing that Meld had just basically yeeted Hinata to the sky.
Meld smiles at his "grandson". "Moku, don't listen to her, your mother is just stressed at the moment." Meld looks at the rest of his party. "Keep an eye on the demons, I'll be back."
He then proceeds to launch himself off the ground with great strength. He soon reached the falling Hinata and catches her, he starts using gravity magic to slow their descent.
After that, Hinata glares at Meld. "Why did you stop me...?" She growled. "Don't you kno- Huh?"
Hinata was cut off when Meld pulled her into a hug. "Shhh, it'll be okay..." Hinata didn't out up any resistance, even as Meld started stroking her hair. "Daddy's here..."
To most people, Hinata probably looked like some deranged beast that needed to be subdued, but to Meld…
To him, Hinata was just someone that just got hurt, someone that just lost a friend, someone who was sad, someone who needed help, someone that needed the comfort of a parent…
She was….a child….his child.
As they continued to fall, Hinata's pent up emotions started disappearing, she started burying her face in Meld's chest. And soon...tears were coming out of her eyes…
"They took him..." She sobbed.
"We'll get him back, I promise." Meld whispered.
Hinata finally returns the hug, and the two of them slowly land back in the throne room. As they stood there, Hinata's legs and knife start to disappear, Meld was holding her up, but then Hinata's arms become limp, and her head falls back.
"Hinata?" Meld started to get worried, he tries listening to her chest.
There was no heartbeat.
"Hinata! Hinata!"
Hinata Nagumo had died.