"SKRIEEE!!!"

The Magivores around Lucien Zevalis suddenly become agitated as a cruel grin manifests on his face. His eyes shine with malevolence, and although this may have just been my imagination, I noticed him glancing at me for a moment.

Could it be—?!

WHOOSH!

An entire horde of Cadre 5 Magivores charges towards all of us, with only a few dozen still hovering around Lucien Zevalis.

The creatures scream and cry, all of them rushing without any form of organization.

"Tighten your defenses! Get ready!"

Elma stands next to me at the left wing, per Richard’s instructions, while he maintains his position at the rear. Rias is positioned near him, but her placement is much closer to the right wing. Amnesis stands at the forefront, due to the necessity of his barrier, while Jamie takes his place at the center of his group as a result of his sphere of influence.

The formation is as airtight as it could possibly get.

Yet something feels wrong.

What could it be?

Not only is Richard capable of aiding everyone in the group from his placement in the group, but his own danger is minimized thanks to Rias’ immediate protection. Rias is very fast and powerful, so she can handle the right wing easily while also protecting Richard.

Elma is versatile with her Gale Force, so she can switch between offense and defense. She can also increase her range to cover me if I require it.

Jamie’s role is explanatory, as not only is he meant to obstruct projectiles that make it past Amnesis, but he is also responsible for dealing counters to the enemies with his corrosive attacks.

Honestly, the weakest link in this entire formation is me.

Still, I have a decent role of cutting down as many Magivores as I can with my Armament.

’But Golden Dawn is running out of juice, and its durability is reducing again. If I’m not careful, it could fall to the rank of B Grade after this fight...’ My thoughts trail for a moment, but I abandon the worry almost immediately.

Golden Dawn degrading even further would be bad, but it can’t be worse than losing here.

Right now, there’s no other choice.

We have to keep fighting—and that includes me.

I must give my all.

It’s the least I can do among all of these experts.

"Charge!!!"

Right as everyone begins to move, a sudden spike occurs in the speed of our adversaries.

They also begin to change their movements.

Almost... like they are in formation!

Seeing a portion of them suddenly change trajectory, switching from targeting the whole team to focusing on a single wing, everyone gasps, and one especially loud shout fills the air.

"No way! Javier!"

Before I can even react, I feel myself being dragged away from the group by an unstoppable torrent of Cadre 5 Magivores. The power they exude is too much to resist, and even as I swing my blade, I barely make a mark on the ocean of disasters.

I am already using Frontflow.

My Minute Layer has replaced my Second Layer.

I am sixty times faster than the world.

Yet—

"Gurgh!!!"

The deluge of fierce beasts ravages me, and I realize how futile my struggles are.

Pain!

Severe pain graces me from all angles at once.

It won’t even take a second before I am completely devoured by these beasts.

A second... which is a minute to me now!

How despairing!

I will have to endure such a horrid feeling for an entire minute before I finally perish...

... Or so I almost believe!

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

A sudden beam of light sears through the group of Cadre 5 Magivores, whittling down their numbers to an unprecedented degree. It isn’t enough to eliminate all of them, and many of these beasts are merely injured or blown away—not completely dead.

Still, this gives me breathing room.

Not long after, though, they begin to gather again, about to finish the job they started.

My allies are still far away from me.

The way I see it, only Rias will be able to reach me in time.

But if she leaves Richard’s side, it may be the perfect opportunity for Lucien Zevalis to take down our Caster.

In that case, it appears I am on my own.

What did I expect?

I joined a fight I wasn’t qualified for, so it’s no surprise that I’ll be the first to die.

Will these people even care if I perish?

I doubt it!

They are Leviathans!

Not only do they see human lives as trivial, but they probably look down on the weak as well.

Harbinger or not, I am merely a Witness.

I have barely made any contribution to this battle.

If losing me means they get rid of dead weight and will be able to operate with greater efficiency, these people will gladly accept my sacrifice.

Can I really blame them?

Should I?

Based on my principles... surely, such a thing would be acceptable.

I must reserve judgment.

Even though I am dissatisfied with this outcome, and I want—more than anything—to continue living in this world.

I cannot do anything about this situation.

I must...

... Accept...

... My predicament...

... Right?

"JAVIER!"

A sudden voice wakes me up from my reverie, and I hear loud whistles echo in the air at once.

Without realizing it, a gasp leaves my gaping mouth.

My parted lips remain suspended as I stare at the person who stands before me.

It’s the Captain!

—Alistair Wormwod!

"A-Alistair—?!"

"No one on my team is going to die here!" He yells, spreading out his hands at the horde of Magivores that encircle us.

WHOOSH!

Several more whistles taint the air, drowning the screams and cries of the Magivores.

Alistair’s limbs have turned into massive tree branches, and they release many large wooden spikes that assail the opponents on all sides.

"I’ll hold them back! Retreat to the Flying Bug Construct!" " He yells at me while focusing on the enemies he is taking down in quick succession.

A part of me wishes to protest.

But... I ask myself why I would do something like that at this juncture.

Beyond my expectations, I have been saved.

Alistair Wormwood has descended from the Flying Bug Construct—likely using Tracing—to save my life.

Now, he wants me to retreat.

Should I really be expressing dissent in this situation?

No!

Instead—

"Thank you, Captain!" I express my gratitude and quickly steer my injured, barely functional Floating Horse Construct in the direction of the thirty-meter flying caterpillar.

He doesn’t respond, but simply smiles.

A complex feeling rises within me, but I have no time to address it.

Instead, I continue to ascend.

Even as many Magivores try to bypass Alistair, he somehow handles all of them with the grace and precision of an Adept Leaper. Part of the reason for his efficiency must be due to his other Special Trait—Depth of Mind.

This ability, while not very powerful on the surface, is what makes Alistair very frightening.

It drastically improves his cognitive process beyond the physiological limit, allowing them to perceive, consume, process, and retain information at a much faster and more efficient rate. Based on what he told me, he can also remember things much more easily because of this Special Trait.

His mind’s efficiency allows him to coordinate, multitask, and come up with strategies very quickly. He didn’t give a precise number regarding the extent of this increase, but I would guess it would likely be at least five times the upper limit of his body.

Since he is an Adept, his base physical state is at least ten times the limit of a human.

That means his mind operates fifty times faster than normal human.

An absurd figure to consider!

This means Alistair himself is almost as fast as I when I use Frontflow.

Well, his mind is.

Using this Special Trait in conjunction with Wood Transformation—his second ability—he is able to take down several enemies with very little difficulty.

His efficiency in the utilization of Tracing is also greatly enhanced in the state as well.

Wood Transformation lets him turn a part or a whole of his body into wood, which he can then use to make constructs. These constructs include melee weapons as well as projectiles, which makes him extremely versatile in battle.

Even at that, the Captain has stated that he isn’t an expert at combat. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

In fact, his specialty is in Strategy and Support.

Actually, every Leviathan in Division C-07 has a specialty. This is apparently standard practice in their organization in order to maximize efficiency and ensure the team is well balanced.

Elma’s Specialty is Close-Mid Range Attack. Richard possesses a Support and Long Range Attack specialization. Jamie is a mid-range attacker with exceptional Crowd Control skills. Rias is a close-range combatant. Amnesis excels in Scouting and Defense.

In order to function optimally as a team, each Leviathan focuses on its area of expertise and strives to be as effective as it can in that domain.

But what about me?

I can’t particularly give myself a specialty, and it’s not like I am focusing on any field.

Since I possess no team, I can only strive to cover all my weaknesses.

I am a jack- of-all-trades.

This may sound appealing, but in a battle like this that requires synergy, I am a liability.

Since I don’t fall under any area of specialization, and I am subpar in every category, it’s difficult to give me an effective role.

This is likely why Alistair had to step in and initiate my early retirement.

’As expected... I’ll only hold everyone back.’

I steal one last glance at the battle before venturing into the Flying Bug Construct.

Once I enter, the walls of the structure turn frigid once again, and I find myself in the lounge.

With a bitter sigh, I look around me.

Then, I instinctively walk towards the Control Section of the Construct.

’This is the place that Alistair occupied. He controlled the Construct from this point. Does that mean the Construct won’t be able to attack any longer now that he has descended?’ While this question appears in my thoughts, I notice something on his seat.

It’s a note...

"Javier Aditi, I have a special task for you. You’re the only one who can achieve this goal now that everyone is occupied with the enemy." The moment I read the first paragraph, I shudder.

Then, I continue reading.

"Lucien Zevalis is extremely confident in his victory, but that doesn’t mean he is invulnerable. I have been coming up with different strategies while trying to take him down, but almost all of them are ineffective or contain flaws that he will undoubtedly exploit. Despite that, we must find a way to beat him right here and now. To achieve this, I have decided to use my authority as the leader of Division C-07 to grant you temporary membership. This is why you were able to enter this vessel freely, and also why you’ll be able to play your most vital role yet..."

My lips quiver as several thoughts swirl through my mind.

I had previously imagined that the Ouroboros Sect members would abandon me because I was so useless, but the Captain ended up saving me. I thought he sent me to the Construct because I was useless, but it turns out I still have some use.

It’s an important role that I couldn’t have imagined being bestowed upon me.

Glancing to my right, I observe a Potion.

To my left, I see an Armament.

Then, I take my gaze down and completely devour the message left behind.

My body instantly shudders at the full realization.

’C-could this be—?!’ I take a step away from the Command Center while marveling at the information, even nearly stumbling to the ground.

Suddenly, my back hits something sturdy.

Out of instinct, I turn to face whatever must have touched me when I freeze in place.

I can’t believe it!

’T-this is—!’