Bell was no novice. Wielding a jet-black dagger, he strode confidently into the forest.
"Buzz buzz buzz!"
Immediately, over a dozen Killer Bees swarmed him.
Bell's figure vanished in an instant, leaving only afterimages behind. Yet, the Killer Bees' bodies were already riddled with wounds.
None of the wounds were fatal, but each one was strategically placed—aimed directly at eliminating the Killer Bees.
The only downside was that these were Level 5 Bees, not Level 2. Higher levels meant stronger defenses, so what should have been a sure hit only left superficial scratches.
However, the moment Bell regained his footing, he disappeared again.
"Swish!"
He struck once more, this time cleaving the Killer Bees clean in two with a single slash.
After completing this, Bell replaced his dagger with a longsword named "Kuji Kanesada."
"Bang!"
Bell's hand gripping the longsword began to emit a white glow, accompanied by an inexplicable chime that echoed across the entire floor.
The moment the sound stopped, the monsters hiding in the forest could no longer contain themselves and surged forward. The massive swarm of Killer Bees took the lead.
But this time, Bell did not rush to kill them. Instead, he casually wielded his sword, dodging their attacks with ease.
"Bang!"
As the second bell tolled, the remaining hidden monsters in the forest could no longer hold back. Especially as they noticed Bell slowly advancing deeper into the woods, they sensed something was wrong.
Still, Bell made no move to retaliate.
Only the ringing of the bell continued.
"It's building up power."
Any experienced adventurer would recognize this as a signal that Bell was preparing to unleash a decisive strike.
The members of Hera's familia couldn't help but glance toward Alfia.
"By the way, doesn't the ability this child is using resemble your magic in some ways?"
Alfia's eyes were fixed on the projection, but she shook her head slightly.
"He's using abilities, not magic. My magic isn't as easily controlled as his abilities, and it certainly can't be wielded as freely as he does."
Alfia was certain that her magic had more than enough explosive power, but after that, she would be left in a prolonged state of weakness. She wondered if Bell's situation was similar.
Then, glancing at Bell following behind, Alfia appeared confused.
"So, how did that Bell appear later on?"
"I don't know. If Hera were here, she might have an explanation, but as for us..."
The Empress shook her head, helpless, expressing her frustration.
She wasn't arrogant enough to claim she could fully understand methods beyond the gods.
Alfia understood that well; her question was just out of curiosity.
"We can ask Hera when she returns."
Meanwhile, in the projection, Bell's bell had already tolled nine times, and the number of monsters surrounding him had reached 900, forming an almost impenetrable barrier.
Yet by this point, Bell's preparations were complete.
He paid no attention to the encircling Killer Bees, silently assuming his stance.
In that moment, the world turned a grayish-white, with only Bell and the Bell watching beside him remaining in color.
Simultaneously, Bell's breath overlapped space upon space, and countless versions of Bell appeared in that instant. Each one delivered a single, force-charged slash toward the surrounding monsters.
To the onlookers, it appeared as just one strike, but in that moment, countless blades sliced through the air.
The very fabric of space shattered, and time itself snapped back into place.
The Killer Bees froze, then shattered like shards of broken glass, each falling to the ground and dissolving into gray.
With that, all Level 5 Killer Bees were annihilated.
Those who witnessed the strike were left stunned by the perfect combination of skill and power.
"The combination of The Poor Man's Desire and Tsubame Gaeshi."
"Mastering the split-second between breaths, overlapping time and space countless times to reach the pinnacle of technique."
"I really did dare to dream big and act boldly back then."
Even the current Bell found this combo absurd.
While it might have started with the "Tsubame Gaeshi" technique, through his power growth and personal refinement, this move—almost a recreation of the Dimension Slash—had emerged.
Previously, Bell had discarded all his accumulated knowledge and techniques.
But now, everything was different.
He was witnessing "himself" fight, even using the "Tsubame Gaeshi" technique.
Bell understood it all now, his mind quickly processing these techniques. The principles behind them had become clear the moment he saw them.
Although Bell had discarded all past techniques, abilities, and strength, that didn't mean he had discarded his combat memories.
Memories not related to strength didn't need to be discarded.
So, by witnessing battle scenes, he could tap into muscle memory, quickly regaining his former techniques.
"Thirteen more."
As Bell muttered this, the remaining thirteen monsters—previously hidden—began to move.
First came the five Vouivre.
"Ah!!!!"
The concealed Vouivre unleashed sonic waves toward Bell.
Suddenly, three tongues shot out from the bushes, the ground, and the branches.
Bell's body was temporarily paralyzed by the Vouivre's sonic waves, allowing the three tongues to capture him.
Next, two Queen Bees sprayed large amounts of sticky substance from the air, trapping Bell along with the three tongues.
"Grin!!!"
Finally, three Firebirds descended, their wings spreading wide. Blood-red flames, reminiscent of purgatory, poured out from their wings.
The flames intensified upon contact with the sticky substance.
The three tongues snapped off, retracting the ones that had bound Bell.
The thirteen monsters, working together flawlessly, gave the impression that they had been specially trained for such coordination.
The thirteen monsters fully revealed themselves.
But at that very moment...
"Boom!!!"
All thirteen monsters were suddenly slammed into the ground, causing the earth to sink beneath them.
Eighteen special characters appeared in the sky, their light growing increasingly bright.
The blinding light brought only destruction.
Everything was consumed by the light.