Songs in the Void

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom, Royal Capital.

After being summoned to the throne room, James and the other students of the Hero Party were asked to be seated in lavish chairs designated for the Hero party, with Kouki seated closest to the king and James seated furthest away.

However, not only the Royal Family was present for this meeting with the Hoelscher Empire's envoy, but Ishtar, the Pope of the Holy Church was also present. And he glared at James as if he were his worst enemy as soon as he stepped into the room.

'Great, what is that old man doing here?' James asked internally. 'I'm already aware that the church is just a bunch of fanatical zealots. So, I really don't have an issue with killing them. But I really hope he doesn't force me to kill him in front of all these people. Killing my way out of a kingdom is not my idea of a good time.'

["Stop lying."] Ddraig shot back. ["You and I both know that you would love the opportunity to fight your way out of this kingdom. You just don't wanna become a criminal because roaming around the kingdom would be much harder. Especially since you're not good at [Transformation Magic]."]

'Jeez, Ddraig, you don't have to expose me every time, do you?' James asked while smiling internally.

While everyone got seated, James and Ddraig continued to chat about one stupid topic after another. All the while, James completely ignored Ishtar, who seemed to be trying to set him on fire with his gaze alone.

"Now entering, Lord Vesta, Envoy of the Hoelscher Empire and his entourage." An attendant standing near the throne rooms doors shouted, drawing everyone's attention to the doors.

A moment later, the throne room's doors were pushed open. And through the open doors, a small group of five men walked in. The two in the lead certainly looked the part of nobles while the three following closely behind appeared to be their guards.

Not long after entering the room, the group of five arrived at a respectful distance from the king's throne before stopping. Then, as one, the two nobles bowed with proper noble etiquette while the three guards stayed vigilant.

While most of the people on Heiligh's side only looked on with curiosity, there were two exceptions. Ishtar, after seeing one of the guards, twitched an eyebrow. Though, eh did not show much more than that.

And the other was James, who felt something was off about the same guard that seemed to catch Ishtar's attention.

'That guy… Mana is swirling around him in a weird way.' James thought to himself. 'And it all seems to be originating from his left ear.'

["he's probably wearing some kind of artifact that changes his appearance."] Ddraig replied. ["But what's more important than that, is why?"]

'No cluse.' James said while shaking his head internally. 'I'll just keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret.'

"Your Majesty, King Eliheid S.B. Heiligh, allow me to thank you for meeting us on such short notice." The leading noble, Vesta, a stout man with light blue hair and dark blue eyes, said after rising to his full height.

"Please, think nothing of it." Eliheid replied without changing his expression. "So, are We right to assume you have come to take measure of the Hero and his companions."

"You would be correct in your assumption." Vesta said with a nod. He then let his gaze roam over all the unfamiliar faces in the throne room. "And which of these strapping young people is the Hero?"

The veiled sarcasm added to the word "strapping" went right over most of the students' heads. However, the members of the Royal Family, with the exception of the prince, Lundel, who was too busy glaring at Hajime, who had been taking up all of Kaori's attention. However, there were two students that did seem to notice the hidden mockery.

The first was James who, as someone who grew up among those of high society had been trained to see through things like this from an early age. And the second was Shizuku, who was usually very perceptive. And when James noticed the slight furrowing of her brow at the hidden insult, he smiled to himself internally.

'Maybe Tatsuo was right.' James thought to himself. 'Making Amanogawa miserable by taking his other childhood friend away wouldn't be so bad. And the fact that she's so sharp is a bonus. Plus, I have to admit, she's pretty easy on the eyes.'

While that thought was going through James' head, Shizuku felt the stare. So, she glanced in it's direction. And when she made eye contact with James , he nodded at her approvingly, letting her know that he noticed that she caught the true meaning of Vesta's words.

"That would be me." Kouki said in response to Vesta's question while raising his hand like the student he was, having completely missed the exchange of glances between James and Shizuku.

"I see." Vesta replied as he and the rest of his entourage scrutinized Kouki. "Word of you and your companions clearing the 65th Floor of the Orcus Great labyrinth has reached our Empire. But how are we to believe such claims by rumor alone?"

'*sigh* They're gonna ask to duel Amanogawa.' James thought to himself.

"Well, I can show you the map of the 66th Floor if you like." Kouki replied while scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Although that is a possible solution…" Vesta said after taking a quick glance at the king with a grin on his face. "I believe there is a better way to ascertain your strength."

Vesta then stepped to the side and gestured to the guard who got a reaction from James and Ishtar.

"Why not have a mock battle with one of my guards?" Vesta asked as his grin widened into a smile. "That way, we'll be able to best get a feel for your current level through a demonstration of your combat prowess."

'Called it.' James thought to himself.

Taken aback by the suggestion, Kouki turned to look at Eliheid. However, without giving Kouki a response, Eliheid turned to Ishtar.

'Seriously, this is your kingdom, Dude.' James thought to himself. 'Grow a damn pair, why don't you?'

In response to Eliheid's questioning gaze, Ishtar nodded his head. Then, after receiving permission, Eliheid returned his gaze to Vesta.

"If that's what it will take to assuage your misgivings, then I see no issue." Eliheid replied confidently, as if he did not just ask for someone else's permission on the matter.

"Very well." Vesta replied with a nod and a smile. "Then, may I ask you to prepare a venue?"

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Haultina Sea of Trees, Verbergen.

At the same time in the Haultina Sea of Trees, a council meeting of all the beastman elders was taking place in the beastman's capital city, Verbergen. However, instead of discussing matters to protect their people from human slavers or improve the people's quality of life, they were listening to the report from the captain of Verbergen's scouting team.

Kneeling in the center of a large conference room, a middle-aged man with lean, streamlined muscles, dark brown hair, green eyes, a pair of wolf ears on the top of his head, and a dark brown bushy wolf tail protruding from his back spoke to the six beastmen, though it would be more appropriate to call them demi-humans, in the room.

"AS it turned out, Cam, the chief of the Haulia Tribe lied when he met Gil, the leader of the second guard squad." The wolf-eared man said while letting his gaze fall upon the five elders.

"Explain." A tall man with a burly build, a grey beard, brown hair, and a pair of bear ears on the top of his head demanded.

"As you wish, Elder Jin." The wolf-eared scout replied with a nod. "When Cam encountered Gil, he said that his daughter, Shea, had been captured by the soldiers of the Hoelscher Empire. However, while scouting the settlement they set up, which was already completed by the time I arrived, I saw her with them, sparring with a pair of seemingly human women."

*Bang!*

"How dare he!?" the large, bear-eared man, Jin Vanton, the leader of the Vanton Tribe of bear beastmen shouted as he brought his fist down on the conference table. "They don't deserve a place in the Sea of Trees for their treachery."

"Calm down, Jin." An elderly man with wrinkles that do nothing to hide his apparent age, long blond hair, blue eyes, and long, pointed ears said in a soothing tone. "More important than that, we need to know how they managed to hide Shea's and the humans' presences from the second guard squad."

The elderly man, an Elf, then turned his serene gaze to the wolf beastman.

"Now, tell me." The elderly man said calmly. "Do you have any idea who these humans are? Or how they could have possibly snuck into the Sea of Trees without being discovered?"

"Unfortunately, I do not, Chief Elder Ulfric." The wolf beastman said while shaking his head. "All that I know is there is one more human with them. Though, he and one of the girls smelled different from any human I have come across before."

"Hmm…" The elderly man, Ulfric Heipyst, the Chief Elder of the Verbergen Elder Council, hummed in contemplation while stroking his chin.

"what do you mean?" A short, middle-aged man with long, shaggy, red hair and beard asked as his brows furrowed slightly.

"I wasn't able to get close enough to tell for sure, Elder Guze." The wolf beastman replied. "But from what I could tell, they were different than normal humans."

"How is it possible that you could not get close enough?" Jin asked in an irritated tone.

"There was a large magic circle set up around the settlement." The wolf beastman replied. "And because I did not know what it's function was, I chose not to get too close."

"And that was a wise decision." Ulfric said while nodding his head. "Now, continue with your report."

"Yes, Sir." The wolf beastman replied. "From what I could tell, while the anomaly sparred with the two women, the man was training the rest of the Haulia Tribe. Also, I'm fairly certain that he noticed my presence."

"What makes you say that?" The short, red-haired man, Guze, a Dwarf, asked curiously.

*Bang!*

"Does that even matter?" Jin asked while once again pounding his fist on the conference table. "There shouldn't even be any humans in the Sea of Trees."

"Jin, let him finish." A middle-aged man with long white hair, slit eyes, white fox ears with red tips and a tail with the same coloration said. "We will be here all day if you keep interrupting.

"Lua is right." A muscular man with dark blond hair, golden eyes, black stripe-like marking son his face, and tiger ears and a tail added. "I'll have to have a long talk with Gil after this is over, though. I can't believe he let so many people sneak in under his watch."

"Continue with your report, Fenris." The only woman in the group, a young woman, despite having the title of elder, with boysenberry-colored hair, green eyes, feather wings growing in place of her arms, and talons in place of feet, said.

"Yes." The wolf beastman, Fenris, replied while ignoring Jin's snort of indignation. "The reason I say that I'm sure the man noticed me is because, while sparring with the entirety of the Haulia tribe, who seemed to be trying to kill him, he glanced in my direction, making eye contact for a brief moment. Then, he raised his right hand, showing off a ring with a circular design that had a cross engraved in the middle and mouthed the words, 'Tell your elders about this. I'm sure they'll decide to leave us alone.' All while avoiding what would have been lethal strikes from the Haulia Tribe."

*Bang!*

"Such audacity!" Jin shouted while once again slamming his fist on the conference table.

"Wait…! Is the pattern you described true?" Ulfric asked while staring at Fenris intensely.

"Ulfric, is there something about that pattern?" The man with fox hears, Lua, asked curiously.

Instead of replying immediately, Ulfric continued to stare at Fenris, waiting for his answer.

"I'm certain, Sir." Fenris replied.

Hearing that, Ulfric sighed while leaning back in his seat.

"Elder Ulfric, what's the deal with that ring?" The harpy woman, Mao, asked curiously.

"I doubt any of you, other than Guze are old enough to remember." Ulfric said while looking up towards the conference room's ceiling. "But that ring is a mark of the Liberators. A proof that one has completed one of the Great labyrinths."

"Indeed." Guze replied. "And according to ancient customs, we are to support anyone who has one of those proofs with all we have, provided they don't wish harm upon the Beastman Nation of Verbergen."

"Hmph!" Jin snorted disdainfully. "Of course they wish harm upon our nation. They're humans and all humans are the same."

"If that were true, then why are they training the Haulia Tribe?" The tiger beastman, Zel, asked. "And why did they set up the settlement so close to the Great Tree?"

"The answer to the second question is obvious." Ulfric replied. "They wish to explore the Haultina Great Labyrinth. As for the former, I'm not sure. But I think I'll take a trip to that settlement to find out."

With that, Ulfric stood from his seat and gestured for Fenris to follow him out of the conference room while ignoring Jin's protests. Meanwhile, the other four elders exchanged glances with a mixture of curiosity and concern in their eyes.

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom, Royal Capital.

Back in Heiligh's Royal Capital, all those who were present in the throne room had relocated to the knight's training ground. The same place where the students from Earth were trained when they first arrived on Tortus.

While most of the group were standing outside of the sparring area, Kouki and the guard from Hoelscher stood opposite each other with wooden weapons in hand.

And while most of his classmates were expecting Kouki to win this spar, James looked at the too combatants with a slightly furrowed brow.

"What's wrong, Alaverus?" Shizuku asked curiously after noticing James' frown.

"Something about that guy seems off to me." James replied. "I think he's wearing a disguise. I mean, look at him. His face is just too plain. So plain, in fact, if I look away, I kinda forget what he looks like."

Shizuku had actually noticed that too. But she just figured he had a totally forgettable face, something not so out of the ordinary.

"But what really bothers me is how strong he is." James continued. "and for some reason, none of you even noticed. And especially not Amanogawa, who undoubtedly judges people by his preconceived notions."

That was enough to make Shizuku opened her eyes wide before she looked at the guard with more scrutiny. And when she noticed just how relaxed and full of opening his stance seemed, she finally understood what James meant.

"Incredible." Shizuku praised. "Although it looks like he's full of openings, they're aren't actually any to take advantage of."

"Exactly." James replied with a nod. "And Amanogawa is too dim to notice."

And just as James said, when the spar started, Kouki, with no tension in his movements, dashed forward, leaving an after-image where he stood before swinging his sword at the guard's neck, intending to stop just before contact.

However, in the split second it took for Kouki to slow his sword's momentum, the guard flicked his sword upwards, parrying Kouki's strike before slamming it into his abdomen and sending him sliding back to his starting position.

"Is that all you got?" The guard asked as he rested his sword on his shoulder. "Or am I not worth being taken seriously?"

Hearing that, Kouki realized his mistake. He had been looking down on his opponent just because of how he looked. As a result, he showed an angry expression for a moment. Though, that anger was pointed inwards. Then, he put on amore serious expression and took his fighting stance again.

"You're right, that was unbecoming." Kouki replied. "Please forgive me."

Hearin ghat, the guard showed an expression of surprise for a moment. However, his expression soon turned to disappointment. Even so, he took his relaxed stance once again.

"Well, whatever." The guard said. "Let's just get back to it."

And that's exactly what Kouki did. Or rather, what he tried to do. Dashing forward once again, he swung his sword in a flurry of text book kendo strikes. However, despite his clear advantage in speed and strength, Kouki was not able to land a single blow, the guard dodging each of his strikes with minimal movement.

*Clack!*

*Bang!*

"*Sigh* if this is all you have, I'm sorely disappointed." The guard said as he blocked an incoming strike. He then continued after kicking Kouki in the abdomen and sending him flying. "Anyway, I think it's time to bring this farse to an end."

With that, the guard took an actual fighting stance for the first time since the spar began. At the same time, he released a dense and potent killing intent that made Kouki freeze in place.

"*Sigh* And this is exactly what I was talking about." James said loud enough for the rest of the class to hear while shaking his head. "Not only are none of you ready to take a life, but you're not prepared for the chance that your lives could be taken either."

As he spoke, James focused on the guard, who dashed forward, his speed much lower than Kouki's. Despite that, James knew that Kouki would be unable to defend himself.

And just as James thought, Kouki, completely afraid, managed to raise his sword to block the guard's first strike. However, the second strike knocked his arm out of position to block the third. And that third strike, if it landed, would, at the very least, leave Kouki seriously injured, if not dead.

However, just as James intended to move to intercept the blow, because despite how little he liked Kouki, he doesn't think he deserves to die for his idiocy, before he could take his first step, Kouki exploded with pure white mana as he reflexively swung his sword, much faster than any point prior, intercepting the more than likely lethal blow, and sending the guard flying at the same time.

"Oh, he finally unlocked [Limit Break]." James muttered while shaking his head. "Well, a near death experience can do that to a guy, I guess."

[Limit Break], a Skill that uses the caster's mana to enhance all their parameters by three times. However, once the Skill times out, the caster would usually end up debilitated thanks to the fatigue of overtaxing their body and their mana.

"Good." The guard said with a grin after seeing the terrified expression on Kouki's face. "It's clear you were no warrior. So, that calm and composed expression you had was quite annoying. This one suits a green horn like you much better."

"What are you talking about?' Kouki asked while starting to hyperventilate. "You could have killed me with that last blow!"

"Hmph!" The guard snorted. "Apparently, you don't understand the situation you're in. You're the Hero, the one who is supposed to lead humanity in the war against the demons."

"Of course I understand." Kouki said, thinking this conversation sounded kind of familiar. "I'll save everyone from the demons."

"Ha! You?" The guard asked in a mocking tone. "someone who can neither generate your own killing intent or handle the killing intent of your enemies? Don't make me laugh. Anyway, let's continue. I don't have time to waste on the likes of you."

With that, the guard once again took his fighting stance while intensifying his killing intent. He then tensed the muscles in his legs in preparation to dash forward.

*Swoosh!*

Before he could, however, he felt the small amount of weight provided by the earring in his left ear vanish while a wooden training sword rested on his neck.

"Alright, I think that's enough." James, the one interfering in the spar, said while examining the earring in his hand. "He was only a student like six months ago. You don't' have to try to kill him just because he's over confident and incompetent, right, His Majesty, Gahard D. Hoelscher?"