Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~-Chapter 710: The heart of Nestirad

Dogora was indignant at Shea's devil-may-care act.

(Ohh, his heart is in one piece?...And this situation, well, there certainly is no way to support Shea's reckless act, but...)

Allen gazed at the Nestirad's pulsating heart where he was taken down, but seeing that the weight of Shea's matter was more, he focused on Shea and Dogora.

A fleeting, but unmistakably, smile appeared on Shea when she felt Dogora's gaze and replied.

"...It's because everyone had so naturally fit in their roles. You could say, it also spurred me to ride on the wave. I also wanted to be fit with everyone else. Or well, maybe it would be correct to say I was given my 'answer' already."

She didn't shy away from talking about her actions.

Even Peromas, whose job Merchant was a far cry from any support or combat oriented jobs, found his role in the play. There were doubts if everything would go well in his first battle, and yet, just as the plan had dictated, they managed to gain the upper hand.

She had already found the 'answer' beyond that. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

(I assume, she must have concluded there's no guarantee they will succeed, but her intervention would surely make a break for them?)

In the pressing situation where they must deliver an attack to sustain the combo, she must have myriads of thoughts.

"Huh, what are you blabbering? You're already one of us!!"

Still, Dogora didn't buy Shea's excuse. Allen hurled a gaze at Sophie to placate the situation. He knew once he was mad, that potato face would never listen to him.

"He's right. You're already one for us, Shea. And you too, Dogora-san. Please try to understand that Shea-san just wanted to be a help to us."

When Sophie chimed in with her advice, Dogora looked back at each of his comrades, and noticed they're looking at him with anxious gazes.

"So like, no one shares the same thought?......Geez, fine. But do not pull that crap again, Shea!"

Dogora wasn't convinced, but he was willing to back off for now.

"Anyway, what's that 'answer' you found, Shea?"

"Ah, yes. To put it simply, Nestirad's fighting style was quite similar to Garam-sama. Well, I wouldn't say much, but my body just acted on its own when I thought so."

(Luvanka. Do you know what she's talking about? Recalling back, the battle against Garam had also turned to stake everything on combo huh.)

«Hmm? I don't know. If anything, you should've known if there was an answer to it, Allen-dono. My memories are already shared with you. Perhaps, it's something that happened after I was taken down.»

Maybe he thought the answer lied in Shea's final trial, where he couldn't have shared the vision due to the barrier, Allen probed Luvanka, but it appeared he had no memory of it since returning back to the summoning slot in grimoire.

Allen had to save her at the end. But now, it had once again turned into a battle to vye for combo, but was it all the reason? Allen looked at Shea for a possible answer.

"Garm-sama never broke his combo, withstanding all of our attacks, which even gave us the window to build a combo too. So I thought I should myself to take the same action..."

She explained the epiphany she had felt while slowly approaching the beating heart on the ground.

*Thump-Thump*

"I see..."

(So this is the heart of Nestirad huh? I am surprised it's still beating.)

Ultimately, there were some who were bitter about their style of winning among his comrades, but concluding the topic for the day, everyone gathered around the pulsating «Nestirad's Heart». Allen also followed them and joined the circle.

Nestirad's heart was at least 2m big when he was alive, but now, it had turned into almost dodge ball size, much like any other S-rank magic stone.

(All of his flesh has been destroyed, and now, it's just his heart that's left behind huh? This is a save. If even heart had been destroyed due to divine technique, Cecil's wrath would've made Dogora's mood from earlier like a breeze. Heck, she would have chew me out. ---Wait, I might be wrong, but is the heart's... pulsation getting stronger?)

Of all the physical existence of Nestirad, his flesh had burst apart, and the soul floating in the sky as a light bubble, leaving the heart behind.

Allen silently rejoiced at the news. The safety of heart means Cecil would no longer hound him. But---

"Hey, hey. Why is the heart still beating when we have already defeated it? It's creepy to be honest. No, wait. Do you feel like it's beating is growing stronger?"

It appeared Keel also noticed discrepancy, alongside Allen, and muttered out.

*Thump-Thump*

*Thump-THUMP*

*THUMP-THUMP-THUMP*

"What's happening?!! Hey, wasn't it supposed to die after receiving Shea's divine technique!!?"

The entirety of Allen's team was now taken aback by the spirited beating of Nestirad's heart.

"The spiritual power is... Nestirad's soul is returning to its body! How could this be, my divine technique should have destroyed him for good! What to do, Allen!?"

*Fwoomp*

The spiritual power that had been scattered around, a.k.a Nestirad's soul, had begun to return to his heart. Gradually, what should have been the dodge ball size heart suddenly grew over 1m akin to a balance ball.

The floating light bubble also slipped inside the heart, and soon, it even began to construct the body. Within a moment, it crossed the three meter mark as it formed the shape of a male figure, who had then began to collect his flesh.

*Thump-Thump*

Perhaps due to being newborn, his flesh showed a translucency akin to jellyfish, but disregarding all, the giant took his steps and once again turned to fumble for something.

«I-I must find it. For the people that looked up after me, that I left behind helpless...»

With the passage of time, the translucency of flesh dimmed down, gaining the dark color they're familiar with.

"A-Allen. What's this, do we have to defeat him again?"

«*Graaawww...*»

Kurena inquired while rubbing Haku's tip of nose to calm him down as it appeared he was bewildered by the situation.

"Perhaps. It's like its body is undying... or maybe, he's just immortal? But if that's the case, any number of battles would be..."

Soon, everyone's gaze also centered on their party leader, seeking for the next course of action.

They would be in trouble if Nestirad managed to completely recover his body, and beyond that, they would fail in acquiring his heart.

(If I have to guess, he's just doing a blind search with no direction or aim... it's like, he is being driven by intense lingering emotions of his past, alive self. Almost like a Dulhan. But what is he searching for? And how long has he been in it for, ten thousand years? or hundreds of thousand years? Just how's it going to find it.)

The last he knew, Nestirad had been loitering around the spiritual disturbance zone of Heavenly Sandal Kingdom for several thousands of years predating even Merus's existence, who had been around for hundreds of thousands of years at the minimum.

Yet, Nestirad showed no stance to hear any words from Merus, while sweeping any approaching force with his strength.

In the meanwhile Allen wondered how what could calm Nestirad, Nestirad's body had surpassed and expanded above 5 meter....And the key point, all the damage they'd inflicted appeared like it made no different.

They could fight him again, but what if he had the memories of earlier battles up to his fall? They would most likely fail in a re-match since Nestirad would not give them another chance to form combo.

Perhaps, now was their only chance to take him down while he still had to completely recover to his peak. But, the question remained for Allen; what was the point of endless battle against an immortal enemy?

«It's you bastard again!!»

"Ack, damn! He clearly remembers us, it seems, Allen!!"

Luck was so frightened he almost fell on his knees.

Seemingly regaining his ego at last, Nestirad howled when he took notice of Allen and his team. It left no room for doubt. He obviously remembered them.

A wave of tension spread between the team as Nestirad took a battle stance, fearing a premonition of another battle.

"We have already exhausted our methods, and despite its success, there's no other way out. We're retreating. There's no point in engaging without a way to kill him for good."

(Alright, and... hmm? A magic circle?)

Anything they do would be useless if their opponent was immortal, and reaching the conclusion, Allen judged a retreat was the way, and he was about to invoke the skill when suddenly a magic circle appeared behind their group.

Allen had been keeping a view of the entire situation with Bird E, so he promptly noticed the changes.

«Please wait. You have done your share of lifting. Truth to be told, I am astonished that you have managed to put all the conditions in order.»

«Lup...to-sama!? What brought your esteemed presence here?»

Out of the magic circle, the persona that showed himself was First Angel Lupto. She appeared with three of her subordinates, Archangels Aura, Lemia, and Moura.

«Nestirad must be defeated at least once to interact with his consciousness... Perhaps, it is the cost with the target being an imperishable being with immortal attributes. Either way, you have managed to achieve it, Allen.»

With a flick of her three pairs of wings, Lupto closed the distance with Allen in a blink of an eye and explained, ignoring the exclamation of her twin brother Merus.

A wave of emotion momentarily seized Merus, but ultimately he surpassed them and turned to monitor Lupto's action, who appeared to be in some kind of hurry.

«Teleportation Magic is working as intended. Teleportation from the Old World is available.»

«A fixed barrier has been firmly applied.»

«However, we must make haste. The reality altering barrier can only sustain itself for few moments.»

Aura, Lemia, and Maura positioned themselves around Nestirad, and with him at the centre, they released every ounce of their spiritual aura, constructing a giant magic circle.

«Thank you for the hard work. Well, there doesn't appear to be any further problem. Then---please make your appearance, Garm-sama.»

"Garm-sama?!"

Everything happened so suddenly that Shea was still confused by the situation, and let out a befuddled voice in reflex when she heard the familiar name.

As soon as Lupto's voice echoed, a flash of light suddenly dominated everyone's vision for a moment and someone appeared on the magic circle.

«You really think this is a good idea, to invite me into the New World? I wouldn't believe Elmea is going to turn a blind eye for this one.»

Bearing a resemblance to an old chimpanzee, and being 120 in length at top, the newcomer was Beast God Garm.

«The God of Law Auxilion has regained his Soul Beast form. Please make it haste, Garm-sama.»

«Hmm, I got you. But good grief, so this is what you're planning all this while by pushing things on trial, or putting out divine technique huh. I'm the sacred beast that pays his tribute to the Superior god - God of Law... I am not someone a bratty angel can boss around...»

«We can talk about this later, just hurry up, please.»

«Shut up, and just watch. It wasn't on my plan to step up here no matter how many times you take him down. I just didn't think we would arrive at this juncture when the trial was passed down to the beastkins.»

«So, it's a yes, righ---?!»

Lupto once again pressed for the help, but immediately shut on her words when Old Garm gave her a sharp glint.

It appeared superior gods only required a glance to shut even the First Angel. Allen mentally jotted down.

«......It's me, Auxilion-sama. O, what have you turned to...»

«Grrh? This voice... my beloved monkey, is it you?»

(Uh, this conversation bears such a resemblance to the conversation with God of Arbiter in the Patlanta.)

The scene reminded Allen of Arbiter God Pharnemes, and the conversation with him during the event of Evil God Resurrection by Kyubell.

«......Yes, this one is indeed Garm.»

«You're here, at last!! Why were you not by my side? What happened to everyone else!?»

«Uh... err, they're. Everyone is---»

Garam tried to explain the situation, but this brought down the buried memories, and caused him to choke on his words.

«Please, Garm-sama. Please touch the soul of God of Law, and restore the order of the world.»

Seeing Garm stopping on his tracks, Lupto further urged him with a sense of urgency.

«Why wasn't I on my post, you ask? I must look out for them. My adorable monkey, come. Search along with me. Help me find where everyone has disappeared to, leaving me behind. We can't leave them behind in the current moment of struggle where our childrens are rampaging around.»

(Hmm? Nestirad remember who he was? But with how he's fumbling around... it appears that's the only thing he remembers. An ego without memories, relying only on the soul? I see, so this is what it is. Either way, he's at least willing to talk now.)

In the meanwhile Allen was confused about Nestirad's contradictory action, Nestirad once again started to grope around the surroundings for his search.

«Everyone has... already turned back to sanctuary.»

«Hnn? Is it correct?»

«Indeed. They're all awaiting your return, Auxilion-sama.»

«Ah, ahhhh!! So they've returned. It's great. Huh, so there's no need for me to keep searching for them. Then I must return to the Sanctuary to meet them.»

*Schlick* *Thwack*

The flesh that had been expanding under the soul's guidance once again started to fall apart.

«Allen, prepare the soul beast stone quickly! Absorb the soul of God of Law before the opportunity passes!!»

(Woah, wait a minute. Anyone at least explain what the hell is going on??)

«We do not have time. It's only at this moment the condition to [Summon Beast God S] has perfectly been cleared!!»

"The what?!"

Allen was baffled by the sudden command of Lupto, but as soon as he heard the details, he hurried to fish out the Soul Spirit Stone from his grimoire.