After downing the vial in one gulp, Zhaviest wiped his mouth with his arm in satisfaction.


    "Refillingplete. I''m overflowing the most today."


    "Zhaviest…!"


    The hero gritted his teeth and red at Zhaviest. Even Exce could feel the air around tense up. Of course, Exce was angry, but the hero was even more furious. However, Zhaviest snorted with a look of satisfaction on his face.


    "The ''Heavenly Power'' was bestowed upon me after you came into this world. Inevitably, it''s a power more advanced than yours!"


    "Master Leelou said this. Human nature is about progress and improvement. Me as well—I''m no longer the same person as I was then."


    "In that case, let''s put it to the test, shall— we? Let''s see which of us is — STRONGER!"


    Tree peonies bloomed all around Zhaviest. The tree peonies'' petals gathered in front of Zhaviest and solidified to form a single giant flower.


    "This time, I will not disperse the power. I will concentrate my heavenly power on only one form."


    Exce had heard that huge flowers grew in the southernnds. But the flower in front of her eyes seemed more than that. From petals the size of a pond emerged a golden angel''s head.


    "From ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Peony Bloom Revtion</em>'' Gospel — ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Golden Great Seraph</em>''!"


    The head, then the chest, the angel gradually appeared, making Exce''s hair stand on end.


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0">(W-What size! That is no longer what you call an angel, but one at the level of a goddess!)</em>


    Exce looked up so high, to the point that her neck hurt, and she noticed that her legs were shaking. The golden statue of the goddess in its full glory must be fifty meters high. It moved slowly as if it were a living creature, and ced Zhaviest on its massive palm. Zhaviestughed loudly once he was over the shoulder of the statue of the goddess.


    "Magical attacks nullification and physical attack nullification! Your attacks on the spirit are no— exception, you know!"


    (I-It certainly seems to be impervious to any attack! I mean, does this thing even have feelings at all!?)


    The face of the golden statue of the goddess was as motionless as a sculpture. The statue of the goddess began to walk toward the imperial capital with a fixed expression on her face. The earth shook "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">zushin zushin</em>" with each footstep of her giant feet.


    "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Kakakakaka</em>! Trample everything!"


    And then, in front of the hesitant Demon Lord''s army, she swung down her massive arm. Then came a roar and a tremor. Limbs of demons flew off, and the earth copsed under the fist of the statue of the goddess. The impact was so great, that Exce fell on her behind just from the shock.


    (T-This thing, how are we supposed to defeat it!?)


    A huge crystal appeared in the distraught Exce''s vision. The crystal was already projecting Serphiano, not the hero, and her face was agitated. Serphiano had advanced her central army forces forward to attack Zhaviest after the annihtion of the 7,000 angels.


    The statue of the goddess smashed and crushed the demons that Serphiano sent forward.


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0"><strong>"R-Retreat! Sound the retreat!"</strong></em>


    The Demon Lord''s army left the front line at once. Everyone thought it would be easy to escape from the seemingly slow and heavy statue of the goddess. However, the mouth of the statue of the goddess slowly opened, revealing a dazzling ball of light in the mouth cavity.


    The rays of light emitted from the statue''s mouth hit the retreating demon lord''s army. Hundreds of demons bathed by the ray dissolved into sludge in an instant.


    "What the heck…! I never thought he was hiding such a powerful trump card…!"


    The giant crystal projected Serphiano gnashing her teeth. Seeing this, the Thunder-Lance Charge demons, including Nephira, also retreated.


    Now, there were no demons around the statue of the goddess. Except for one figure.———


    (L-Lord Hero!?)


    The hero was looking up at the towering statue of the goddess.


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0">(No… toward Zhaviest riding on the shoulders of a statue of a goddess.)</em>


    Nephira, realizing that the hero was not evacuating, also shouted from the rear, "Run away!"


    Nevertheless, the hero shook his head.


    "I will never forgive him."


    The statue of the goddess approached the hero. Like Nephira, Exce advised the hero to flee, but she noticed the hero in his holy garment was full of extraordinary determination.


    (He intends to stop it! All by himself! Just like during the Salvation Crusaders Invasion, when he returned the summoned spirit Ifreet without causing any harm to it!)


    "Pritis''s 48 Gestures—First Gesture, ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Upward nce</em>''!"


    From far up in the sky, the statue of the goddess turned her emotionless eyes on Suzuki beneath her feet. But she didn''t stop walking.


    (S-She ispletely devoid of feelings! Th-This is…!)


    Exce''s faint hopes were shattered. The hero''s Pritis, which destroyed 7,000 angels and changed the mind of the puppet doll Duma, had but a mere hair''s breadth chance of working on the statue of the goddess.


    "Please run away, Lord Hero! It''s impossible!"


    "That''s right! She''ll trample you underfoot!"


    Nephira also shouted at the hero. But the hero, as if he had not heard them, instead pursued the statue of the goddess toward the imperial city.


    (It''s dangerous to get so close to that thing!)


    Just as Exce had predicted, the hero''s legs got tangled, and he fell to the ground with a thud on his backside.


    "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Aahh</em>– hang in there, Lord Hero!"


    Still, he got up and started to run again, but at that moment, he fell again with a thud.


    "Suzuki fell again!"


    While Nephira and Exce were worrying about him, the hero pratfall on his buttocks for the third time today.


    "No!? How many times are you going to fall!? Is he a clumsy girl?!!"


    However, next to Exce, Aina shook her head. Aina spoke with strong words, even with her body that could only crawl.


    "You are wrong! He falls down on purpose to evoke sympathy! That''s Pritis''s 48 Gestures—Seventh Gesture, ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Mochi Rump</em>''!"


    "Eehh–!? Is that a pritis too!? He isn''t just a clumsy girl, is he!!?"


    "That''s far from being a clumsy girl act... that''s a PERFECT mochi rump! Even after ten years of desperately insane practice, I doubt I could ever perform such a beautiful mochi rump…"


    Aina looked at the hero with slightly moistened eyes.


    (Ah, huh? Miss Aina?)


    The always harsh Aina seemed to approve of the hero in this battle. However, while she was doing so, the hero continued to fall down.


    "Does it have any significance? <em ss="chakra-text css-0">THAT</em>!?"


    "The statue of the goddess has certainly not stopped moving forward. But, please take a closer look. The statue of the goddess has not tried to crush Suzuki into mincemeat or burn him with a ray of light, even when he''s scurrying around aimlessly underfoot."


    "Ah! Certainly! Does that mean it also thinks he''s a little cute!?"


    "I don''t know. But Suzuki''s love shot caused the angels materialized by Zhaviest to explode. It should have a simr effect on the statue of goddesses as well."


    Aina looked at the hero, who continued to fall down with eyes filled with determination.


    "Let''s BELIEVE in Suzuki! In the invincible Forty Eight Pritis Gestures that Lady Leelou devised!"


    "Yes!!"