What kind of force does a heavy object generate when falling from a great height?
Shaka recalled the so-called "Rod of God" an iron bar dropped from orbit with impact force comparable to a small nuclear bomb. Of course, what had just fallen wasn't that extreme...
But you can't just smash it down right next to my head!
The moment the hammer struck the ground, Shaka felt the earth split beneath him. First came a storm of stones and dust, followed by a massive shockwave that sent him flying over 30 meters away before he could even cover his mouth and nose.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
He crawled out of the dirt, spitting blood as wails of monsters and the hum of levitation devices rang in his ears. His first glance was at the impact site.
Dekomori lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily.
"That idiot! Doesn't she know forces are reciprocal? Jumping from hundreds of meters up, she's lucky to be alive!"
It seemed the warhammer's spinning motion had acted like a makeshift propeller, slowing her descent. By the time Shaka reached her, she'd already pushed herself up, trembling like a malfunctioning machine, her whole body shaking in a strange rhythm.
"I... I... I..."
"Hnnngh,"
She spat out golden particles, her eyes vacant as she stammered, teeth chattering.
"G-good... good tremor... tremor... death!"
"I... I came to save you, O-old... Old Shaka..."
Shaka was stunned, then tears welled in his eyes. This kid might be a bit simple, but she did all this to save me...
True bros!
He pulled her into a tight hug: "Sorry it hurt so much. Let me get you help right away."
"No! No way!" Dekomori refused, her expression earnest and excited. "It was... it was..."
"Was what?"
"SO AWESOME, DEATH!!!"
"Huh?" Shaka stared blankly.
"Old... Old Shaka, I wanna go again!" Dekomori gave a thumbs up, blood still trickling from her mouth.
Shaka slapped his forehead...
I forgot she's under a paralysis curse. She can't feel pain at all.
A hash mark appeared on his head as he grabbed her collar and shook her violently.
"You bastard! Do you know how worried everyone was?! And I was only ten meters away you almost took me out too!"
"You idiot!!!"
Dekomori's face was full of despair, blood spurting as she wailed: "I'm gonna die! Gonna die! Really gonna die this time!"
"Now you realize that?! You're top of your class don't you know action-reaction?!"
"Waaaaah!!!"
She trembled as she pressed her hand to Shaka's face: "I... I wanna update my stats before I die... I finally triggered a bug! Let... let me go out in style!"
Shaka was stunned. That single strike had taken out at least a dozen high-level Level 1 monsters and even some Level 2s. The attribute points she'd earned must have been in the hundreds.
He realized then so long as these young fighters weren't afraid to risk their lives, their stats would skyrocket. Just like Shadow, who'd fought monsters nonstop to boost his durability to insane levels.
As they spoke, the giant beast in the sky slowly descended, wind pressure whipping Shaka's hair around his face.
"Is this... the 'School District'?"
It was his first time seeing an airship 700 meters in diameter, far larger than Qunyu Pavilion.
"This has to be the most advanced technology in the DanMachi world."
"So cool... deadly cool!" Dekomori chimed in.
Shaka's eyes narrowed as hatches on the airship's underside opened, revealing cannon-like devices. Purple light gathered at their muzzles, and intense heat beams rained down.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Scattered monsters turned to black ash instantly. The beast tide that had threatened Swordsmith City was wiped out in moments.
Shaka's eyes widened not with awe or fear, but with a different thought entirely:
"Could I build one of these?"
They watched as the "School District" turned and flew back toward the city.
Shaka's expression was calm: "Let's head back too."
"Mm... I think I can still be saved..."
Swordsmith City
When Shaka returned with his spoils, the massive airship was parked across the city gate, completely blocking the entrance with its 700-meter frame. He had to take a long detour to get inside.
Blacksmiths were already collecting the weapons they'd thrown during the battle each shop had unique markings to avoid confusion. When they saw Shaka, they called out warmly:
"Hey! Our hero's back!"
"Great job! As expected of the Astraea Familia!"
"Welcome home, hero!"
Cheers rippled across the walls. Shaka felt a little dizzy but couldn't help smiling emotions were contagious, and he found himself swept up in the joy.
The dwarves were so excited they tossed him into the air.
Meanwhile, outside the gate
"Why won't you let me in?! I'm wounded! I'm a hero!"
Dekomori was stopped by guards, who looked helpless: "You can't bring that in—it could knock down the walls!"
"This was custom-made for me by the School District, death!" She complained, loosening her grip. The giant hammer crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The guard swallowed hard.
Before anyone could react, Dekomori clutched her arm and screamed: "Ughhhh my hand! My hand!!!"
"What's wrong?!"
"Don't worry about me... Without the Black Flame Dragon Hammer's weight, the monster sealed in my right hand will..." She suddenly spat out blood.
The guard panicked: "I'll get a doctor right away! Wait there!"
Shaka, unaware of Dekomori's theatrics, said goodbye to the enthusiastic residents and approached the goddess.
"I'm back!"
She embraced him gently, stroking his head with concern: "Welcome home. Would you like to eat first, take a shower, or..."
I want all three!
Her warm embrace was as comforting as ever, and Shaka was tempted to accept but reason prevailed. "Not yet. Sora's here I need to talk to him about some things."
The battle had been a blur; though they'd won, many details remained unclear.
"That child..."
The goddess's expression was complex as she looked toward the other side of the square. Shaka followed her gaze to see thirty to fifty boys and girls in academy uniforms gathered around Sora, who was talking animatedly with a yamabuki-haired elf.
He stepped forward: "Who are you folks?"
The lead elf with chestnut hair bowed politely:
"You must be Mr. Shaka, leader of the Astraea Familia and hero who lured away the beast tide alone! We watched you fight from above. It's an honor to meet you. We're the 7th Squad of the 'School District'."
"My name is Lefiya Viridis."
She spoke politely, though with a hint of pride: "We received a combat request from Professor Leon to help clear any remaining monsters in the city."
Lefiya? That orange-haired sprite?
Shaka looked at the young elf—she still seemed childish, with the unmistakable pride of a top student. Like him, she wielded a magic, and she appeared unaware of what the future held. He couldn't help but be curious about her.
Rumor had it her magical talent was so exceptional that Hedin could judge her power at a glance. Magic in this world relied on mental strength, so what exactly did "perceiving magic power" mean? Did elves as a naturally magical race possess innate magical energy?
Lost in thought, he didn't notice a girl in glasses stepping forward, she looked like the class monitor type.
"Hey! You!" She blocked his path. "Why are you staring at Lefiya?"
"Arisa, that's rude!" Lefiya tugged at her sleeve.
Shaka quickly apologized: "Sorry this is my first time meeting someone with such incredible magical talent. I was a bit stunned."
"Is that so?" Arisa muttered, then shrugged confidently. "Well, it's fine you're just like that guy over there, coming up to Lefiya because she's cute."
She patted her chest: "Just admit it! Our Lefiya is super adorable!"
"Arisa!!!" Lefiya's ears turned bright red as she pulled frantically at her friend's arm.
Sora!
Shaka shot Sora a death glare, then hooked an arm around his neck and dragged him away.
"Excuse us, we need to talk for a moment."