I flew straight toward the Hero Faction executives.
"Master?! Wait! We'll handle it!"
"You said you'd leave it to us?!"
As I appeared, Sera and Hwaryeong shouted in panic.
Their voices held a mixture of frustration and self-reproach for showing their weakness to their master.
That aside, the Hero Faction withstood these two?
...How?
As far as I remember, even if you combined all those guys, they would be at a level where the Transcendent Ajuka Beelzebub could toy with them while sitting down.
Of course, Sera and Hwaryeong haven't been born for long, so they lack combat experience, but even so, there's no way the Hero Faction could withstand them when they are stronger than Transcendents.
"Hmm? Ah, so that's what happened."
Looking closely, purple spots had bloomed all over Sera and Hwaryeong's bodies.
As if they were poisoned by a deadly toxin.
Samael's Blood.
The poison of the Dragon Slayer that exerts absolute effectiveness against dragons, even Dragon Gods.
They were weakened because of that.
In that case, it makes sense that those guys held out.
I immediately activated the Grail.
Holy power resonating from within me wrapped around Sera and Hwaryeong's bodies, beginning to purify Samael's blood.
"Ugh... I showed Master such a pathetic sight..."
"I apologize... Master... I showed you something unsightly..."
The two lowered their heads deep, unable to meet my eyes.
"It happens. But keep this in mind. You are not invincible."
If they gained valuable experience through this failure, then that is enough.
Since they have never actually experienced danger before, this situation will actually help their growth more.
"Leave the rest to me."
"Yeah..."
"Yes..."
Sera and Hwaryeong bowed to me and obediently stepped back.
"Damn it, did Walburga fall?!"
"Cao Cao, it's impossible now! That monster stepped in personally! It's time to escape!"
"I see. We must be satisfied with having obtained new information."
Seeing that I had stepped in personally, the Hero Faction executives immediately grasped the situation and prepared to flee.
How dare they.
"Did you think you could invade my territory as you pleased and leave as you pleased?"
Hundreds, thousands of shadow tentacles shot out from my body, covering the space to tear them apart alive.
"It's futile!"
Siegfried, the wielder of the strongest Demonic Sword Gram, blocked the front, and the descendant of the hero Heracles and the successor possessing Jeanne d'Arc's soul supported him from behind.
They desperately slashed and crushed my tentacles, trying to secure an escape route for their comrades.
It was only buying time, but perhaps living up to the name of high-tier Longinus users, it seemed I would have to give up on catching them within the time limit.
"But, I'll be taking this."
"What?! Georg!"
While their attention was focused on the tentacles, another tentacle, which had erased its presence with Complete Invisibility, flew out and pierced the back of Georg, who was in the rear.
To forcibly plunder a part of his Sacred Gear, Dimension Lost.
"Gahhh──!"
"Georg, are you okay?!"
"Do I look okay...?! Anyway, escape route secured! Everyone, retreat!"
Georg squeezed out his last strength to activate Dimension Lost, and the remnants of the Hero Faction threw themselves into it and vanished.
"Dimension Lost... What an annoying ability. But I got about 1/3 of it..."
I couldn't steal the Holy Spear, but I succeeded in stealing 1/3 of Dimension Lost.
In a way, I gained a convenient ability to move anywhere in an emergency.
I should be satisfied with this.
I could chase them right now using the stolen Dimension Lost... but the flow of the original story weighed on my mind a little.
Cao Cao is still needed.
For the protagonist's growth, and because he's a figure who might become an ally later.
Even if the original story gets twisted because of me and he doesn't become an ally, it doesn't matter.
I can just go find him and take everything later.
'...Still, a failure is a failure.'
I quietly looked back at myself.
Have I become too lazy?
Trapped in the constraints of the "original story," did I place restrictions on my own actions?
Have I never, not even once, felt fear at the fact that the future is truly unknown?
Have I, perhaps, become too steeped in this peace?
Arrogant in my strength, I didn't give my all against any enemy.
"Master... From now on... I will never miss anything again."
"I learned this time that we are not absolute powerhouses. There will be no next time, Master."
From behind me, I heard the firm resolutions of Sera and Hwaryeong.
They, too, have grown significantly through this opportunity.
And they will become stronger in the future.
Let's be satisfied with that.
"Right, that's enough."
I nodded and brought out the new power residing within me.
The Holy Cross shone above my hand.
"Now, I have work to do."
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