My allies have successfully scoured the st vestige of elder beings. It took intervention from the goddess herself to end their reinforts, but the sor alliance is still on my ass. They bme me for the beings of the beyond invading, when I was the one who saved them of it. My allies said they will sleep until they are needed again, I hope they never wake up. On the bright side, I have all spell pos o start the ritual. Once I make the being which reliably cast my spell, I will beat back the sor alliahey will not stop me in my pursuit of ultimate life.-Logbook of The Grand Stist

  Entering the arena bas, I spot Ky tapping her feet impatiently, while Eden is talking to a cloaked man. There's also a timid looking woman with round gsses, and a teacher outfit. She lights up when she sees me and approaches.

  "You are Esstrey, right? My students told me about you after they rescued you from Mazurio. I'm Ena Dalia, the teacher that was summoned alongside the kids." Right there was a teacher summoned alongside the students, she doesn't look to, but she's fidently standing in the same room as Eden and Ky.

  "That's correct ma'am, I am Esstrey of the Russiasnaz. Due to circumstances I physically ot provide you with more details, but if possible I could help, what do you need?" Ky and Eden both look at me like I ate something weird as I'm talking to Dalia.

  "Thanks, but no need. I mostly wished to see the person that was still alive after being summoned before us. Also, do you happen to know of a way we could return to earth?" She looks hopeful as she says that, but I have bad news for her on that front.

  "Sorry, ma'am, but my team was able to ascertain that this world doesn't have the resources to send us back to earth. Apparently, great amounts of dimensional mages would be needed for such a task." She looks dejected, but not too surprised.

  "That's a shame, then all I could ask of you is to please survive, dy Esstrey."

  "Don't worry about me, if you keep the kids safe, I'll foaking the world a better pce. That way, we at least have a future." She balls her fist iermination.

  "I will, and I am fident we will all make it out. Excuse me." She leaves having finished what she came here to do. I'm sure she keep the kids safe. Ky walks toward me in annoyance.

  "Esstrey! Why were you so o her? I have never seen you be that o anybody!" Eden also fialking to the cloaked man, and joins us.

  "Because she is from the same p I am. Us interdimensionals have to stick together, ain't that right, Cathy?" Ky and Eden both give fused looks between Cathy and me. Eden is the first to speak up.

  "What makes you think Cathy is interdimensional?"

  "She's a S??????????????h??????o??????????????g???g???????o???t???????????h????????????, my CO used to read Lovecraft and his work. Most of Cathy seems to align with those traits, so I'm mostly assuming here." My voice cracks up a bit as I say Shoggoth, making a weird sound remi of having a bad radio e. Ky and Eden both looks physically stunned. While Cathy turns a darker shade of purple.

  "Enough stalling Eden! Tell us what the fuck is up with that Magnus guy." Eden quickly pulls himself together.

  "Magnus Beltor is an old, retired war hero. He had retired over a decade ago to live peacefully, and donated most of his assets to the Empire. I was informed just now that he is participating at the behest of t Lifstein, and the t saw fit to equip him with some very high-end gear specifically to stomp us. It seems we have been stepping on some toes, and they were pnning to stomp us so hard it would prove that opposition to the Emperor is possible." Since when are we in the emperor's camp?

  "Well, what do we do then? If we let this guy do his thing, it would be rather annoying. It would be easy if I had my guns." Eden actually looks at me for a bit at that.

  "I didn't think you would be so open to the idea to work with me to hamper my opposition. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the help, but they are very much my enemies, and my enemies alone."

  "Don't think I don't know about the Emperor's men c my tracks. I also know that the information broker is one of yours, since my first targets were all tax-dodgers. The way I see it, the people opposing the Emperor are already including me in their list of enemies no matter what. As it stands, the way I see it, we o beat the shit out of Magnus to prevent this Liverstein guy from doing anything." I'm sure it was obvious to everyone who knew me that I have been going around killing sver, and in the same ma retty obvious someone was c for me. I have had way more heat from the guard at Quintillius.

  "Alright, so Esstrey will help, would you gals be amendable to provide help?" Eden looks to Ky and Cathy full of hope, unfortunately for Eden, I already know Ky's answer will be n-.

  "Sure, I'm not a big fan of Empire nobles myself. It's about time someourhem into modern art. I'll also send a message to get you those gonnes you want. You could use them better than I could. I'm guessing they will arrive in two weeks." My jaw drops, did Ky just agree to help a sor? All for free? And she's even givihe team's guns back, just like that?

  "I, too, will provide [assistance/aid/support]. Us interdimensionals are to [stick together/work together/ally]." And all that roughly trao yes, Cathy will provide help.

  "Alright, I have a pn, but we need someone who is a general ons expert, and has good battlefield awareness." As Eden says that, the eyes in the room turn to me.

  "What? What's the pn then? Spit it out quickly, because I'm up soon, and my oppo is Magny."

  "On this side of the ring, we have the stro man, the myth, the legend, MAGNUS BELLATOR!" I hear the crowd cheering fnus.

  "And opposing Magnus is the rgest mermaid you have ever seen, the titanic madwomarey The... Mad?" The annourips over his words, as I ehe ring. I feel the eyes of the crowd burning into me. Even Magnus seems to speak up.

  "You… why? How?" I smell a tinge of fear ing from Magnus.

  Instead of responding, I draw the bck fming bde, and the glowing golden shield. The flesh armor starts c my whole body in preparation for a fight. I hear it whispering all kinds of things in my ears. The armor tells me about bad retioween militant bureaucrats, and hive minded extradimensional refugees. When I foagnus, it switches its whispers over to how best to prepare this man's heart. The dark fming sword, and the shining golden shield are having a small battle between each other. The mana artifacts in my hands being on the brink of rebellion.

  I try to respond to Magnus, anything. Instead, I find myself only able give a guttural groan.

  "testants get set, ready, fight!" Magnus shoots out at me, intending to finish me when I don't seem mentally ready, but he is instead fooled as water burst from below, and blows him off course.

  Before he recover, I bst him with solid light. In response, he feeds mana into his right pauldron, which turns his whole body reflet. The armor whispers to me that he is equipped to ter both strong light and dark magic. With the io ter the two big pyers of the arena. I respond by sshing the bde in his dire, which sends a bck tear in his dire. His left pauldron fires a sort of light beam at it, some sort of point-defense system. This isn't going to work.

  I approach the man, he responds in kind with tower shield lifted. Whe in range of each other, he sshes at me, but draws back when he sees me trying to take the hit with my face. He jumps back a few meters, and lifts his facepte.

  "What are you?!" I feel a word on my tohe only word I could speak in this state.

  "NIGHTMARE!" I burst forth, and ssh at him with the bck bde. His pauldron tries in vain to deflect the artifact. Instead, Magnus is forced to put his shield iween us. I push down on the shield, and the bde start cleaving through. Using my superior heft, I rip the shield from his hands. The bde is now stu the shield, so I simply drop both behind me. I don't hat anymore.

  Seeing that I am without a sword, Magnus believes himself to have an advantage. He goes for an overhead ssh, wielding his bde in two hands. I respond by bashing his right shoulder in with the golden shield. As he takes the damage, he suddenly explodes into light, but I and the se armor to atta all dires. When the light lifts, I spot Magnus being more wouhan before. Time to finish this.

  I advan the man. Wheries to back up, I push him forward with water. He takes the moment to charge forward, and drives his sword through one of my kidneys. Instead of pushing the bde out of the wound, I and the armor to take a hold of it. I give Magnus a cle bst of light, his refleg entment having been disabled when I bashed him previously. I drop the shield to the ground while he recovers, and dig a to his right shoulder. My right cw emerges with another on in hand, a small mass-produced unented shovel. There is a st moment of fear as I start wailing into him.

  By the fifth hit, I am getting attacked from the sides by magis, but their bined air magic is no lorong enough to dispce me. The announcer hasn't called for the e, but I figure if they are trying to get me to stop, it's a win for me anyway. I drop the mauled man to the ground, his entments sparking dangerously. I shuffle back, and pick up the sword and shield. They aren't mine, so I'll have to return these.

  "E-Esstrey is victorious!" Medics start rushing in, and one sloroaches me like I'm some wild animal. I try to tell them to hurry up, but the armor is still blog my speech. I and it to unblock my head.

  "What the fuck are you waiting for? My kidney won't regrow itself, you know!" Goddammit, there's still a sword stu me.

  Prickly