By the time we arrived, the situation was already quite dire.

But we had made it—just in time.

If Ivy hadn’t urged us on, we might have been too late to fix things.

Sometimes, I wonder just how much she can see.

Of course, I know that even Ivy can’t possibly foresee everything about the future.

But still...

“Ivy.”

“Mii!”

BOOM!!

Together with Ivy, who had grown large enough to carry me, I fired a Light Arrow.

The monsters trying to advance toward us were wiped out in a single shot.

Thanks to Ivy’s earlier display of power, the monsters had completely lost their momentum.

There were probably more of them than in the Darkened Forest, but at this rate, we should be able to take them down without much trouble.

“Mii-mii!”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“Mii!”

Ivy signaled that we should leave this area to the others and move to another location to provide assistance.

And honestly, after that speech I gave earlier (which was pretty embarrassing, to be honest), morale was high, and the tide of battle had turned in our favor.

Many of the monsters had fled, so those still advancing toward us were coming in scattered numbers.

But if we left now, wouldn’t that be a problem?

“Mii-mii!”

Still, Ivy had a point.

Even if we completely suppressed the monster attack here, it would mean nothing if one of the other four locations was overrun.

Ivy was conserving her magic power as much as possible.

Even the time she spent in her battle form earlier had been brief.

We had already expended a considerable amount of magic using teleportation, and there was a high probability that we’d have to keep fighting after this.

She was preparing for any unexpected developments.

“If only we could check on the other four port towns...”

“...?”

“Mii!”

As I muttered to myself, Ivy tilted her head slightly before letting out an energetic cry.

...Wait, can you check on them?

“Mii!”

She nodded confidently.

Then, an unfamiliar sound rang out, and an unknown image appeared above our heads.

There were four images in total.

At first, I wasn’t sure what they were, but as I continued watching, I realized—they were probably live views of the other port towns!

“Mii!”

Apparently, that was exactly the case.

Staring at the images intently, I saw humans and monsters locked in battle.

Some were adventurers fighting against the monsters, while others were armored knights engaging in combat.

The images kept shifting quickly, making it hard to grasp the full situation, but none of the towns seemed to be successfully repelling the monsters.

From what I could see, some battles were on the verge of disaster, while others were more evenly matched.

But overall, humanity was clearly at a disadvantage.

The two most concerning locations were...

Especially the northernmost town—it was in dire straits.

Compared to our side, where the knights had been well-prepared, their situation was far worse.

If we were to go anywhere, it should be the northernmost town—Galaria.

But leaving here isn’t an option either...

If we abandon one, we might lose the other.

Even though the Mermen had lost momentum, their numbers were still overwhelming.

We should stay and fight here...

“In that case, I’ll stay behind.”

The one who raised her hand and spoke was Shannon.

...That’s right.

Just like last time when we repelled the monsters, there’s no reason we have to do everything ourselves.

We have reliable allies now.

So this time—we’ll leave it to her.

“Alright—we’re counting on you!”

“Leave it to your big sister!”

We bowed our heads to Shannon and set off for the next battlefield.

So please—hold the line, Shannon.

“Phew, looks like they’re gone...”

After seeing Bruno’s group off, Shannon turned back around.

Before her stood a massive horde of Mermen, their numbers diminished but still advancing.

She licked her lips, her mouth curling into a grin.

The feeling welling up inside her was—pure joy.

“Things have been boring lately...”

Ever since Bruno arrived, she had barely needed to risk her life in battle.

She had grown stronger from sparring with Ivy, and her role as Katya’s bodyguard had led to more jobs protecting noblewomen.

But deep down, Shannon yearned for it.

A battlefield where she could unleash her full power.

Any adventurer who reaches first-class rank is, to some extent, a little crazy.

They prefer danger over stability.

They seek battlefields over safe havens.

Shannon’s heart burned with an insatiable thirst for combat.

Behind her, the adventurers stood watching.

Some were relieved that Ivy had left.

Some were anxious about fighting the Mermen on their own.

Some doubted Shannon’s strength.

She needed to turn these lost lambs back into wolves.

Even as a first-class adventurer, she couldn’t fight an entire army alone.

What they needed now was overwhelming victory.

No—what they needed was pure, overwhelming power.

They needed to believe they were on the winning side, that they would be fools not to join in.

She had to drive them into battle.

For Bruno and the others who believed in her.

Shannon clenched her teeth.

A sharp crack sounded, and magic surged through her body at high speed.

“GRRAAAAHHHH!!”

A Merman King, lurking among the remnants, lashed out with its claws.

But without even looking, Shannon dodged by sensing its presence alone.

“Acceleration Mode—Third Form.”

In a flash, she unsheathed her sword and moved behind the Merman King in an instant.

With a sickening sound, its head rolled to the ground.

She kicked away the lifeless fishman king and roared.

“Adventurers, show your pride! From here on out—this is our prime opportunity!!”