With the group rescue mission underway, the Dimensional Chat Group's live broadcast feature was now unlocked for all members.
Back in the restaurant—
Misaka Mikoto was still ignoring Shirai Kuroko, watching the group broadcast instead. Originally, she'd thought no one else would accept the mission.
She just needed an excuse to brush Kuroko off.
But to her surprise, it had only taken moments for the so-called "ordinary high schooler" to accept the mission.
"Is he really just a normal student?"
She couldn't help but twitch her lips. Living in a modern society herself—and as a high schooler, no less—she understood what "normal" meant.
And yet...
In such a short time, his strength had skyrocketed to this level?
Even in Academy City, he'd probably be ranked a Level 3 esper by now. Watching his fluid and decisive combat style—
Mikoto posted in the chat group.
Railgun: That's no ordinary high schooler. If he really gained all that strength from becoming a Holy Sword wielder, then yeah... he's pretty impressive.
Mistress of the Butterfly Estate: These goblins seem weak. If I had the time to accept the mission, I'd be able to slaughter them easily.
Railgun: Don't view this from the perspective of a fantasy world.
Railgun: A typical high schooler's life revolves around studying. To get this strong in such a short time is honestly amazing!
"..."
Shirakawa had no time to engage in idle chat.
He pressed onward with Riselia, Lianne, and the adventurer party—refusing to split up and give the cunning goblins any chance to ambush them.
This rescue mission felt more like a reward dungeon—
A perfect opportunity to gather chat group points and level up his class.
As the party pressed forward, no more goblins emerged to hinder their path. Thanks to the illumination magic provided by the mage, they advanced steadily.
At last, they reached the heart of the goblin nest.
The cavern opened into an enormous chamber, its torch-lit walls barely holding back the oppressive darkness. The stench of low-tier monsters choked the air, saturating the hollow space.
Amidst the gloom, countless pairs of glowing red eyes stared from the shadows—watchful, hungry, and full of malice. The silence was suffocating, as though the very atmosphere were holding its breath.
"So many of them…"
Compared to their first encounter, the sheer number of goblins here made Riselia click her tongue. She glanced at the adventurers, now fully rested and reassembled.
Then—
Her gaze fell on Shirakawa.
Even her tone was slightly grave as she asked, "Can we win this?"
"We will," Shirakawa replied without hesitation.
Reinforcing his body with controlled mana output, he ensured optimal combat performance while minimizing energy drain. He had no intention of losing here.
Casting a glance toward the mage protected by knights and swordsmen, Shirakawa issued his next order decisively:
"You won't be fighting this time. Your role—"
"—is to provide full illumination."
"Understood."
The mage, a soft-spoken girl among the adventurers, obeyed without question. She had witnessed Shirakawa's strength firsthand—there was no room for doubt.
She quickly understood the strategy.
By flooding the area with light, they'd force the goblins out of hiding. She gripped her staff tightly, chanting the spell for the illumination magic:
"Shine forth—holy light!"
"What about me?" Riselia turned to Shirakawa with a questioning look.
"Does your magical device still have charge? If so, focus on covering the others."
With quick orders issued, Shirakawa once again surged his mana to its peak, amplifying his physical limits. He wasn't about to waste a second.
The spell's glow bathed the cave in blinding brilliance.
The goblins, accustomed to life in the pitch-black depths, were struck by temporary blindness—a perfect opportunity.
Shirakawa stepped forward—
—and vanished in a blur.
His form became a streak, a shadow dashing forward. The common goblins up close? He left those to the others.
His real target—
—was deeper within. The high-ranking goblins.
Basic goblins fought bare-handed and half-naked, but those with clothes—those that held weapons—were the elite of their kind.
Several tried to block his path.
But all they found was death.
With every swing of his blade All Things of Creation , goblins were torn apart in bursts of flesh and steel. None could halt his advance.
As goblin after goblin fell—
"There you are."
His eyes locked onto his true mark: a blue-skinned goblin in tattered robes, surrounded by an honor guard of its kind.
The blue skin alone made it stand out from the rest.
But more telling was the skull-topped staff it held—
A Goblin Shaman.
The nest's leader.
It chanted in a tongue twisted by dark mana. The skull staff pulsed with eerie green light, like ghostfire licking the bones.
"You can't even cast without chanting. No wonder you'll never amount to more than a goblin."
Shirakawa would give it no quarter.
He surged his mana output to maximum, his muscles screaming with strain, nerves tingling with a sharp burn.
But pain was fleeting.
What followed—was exhilaration. Battle was ecstasy.
With a single explosive step, he closed the gap in the blink of an eye. Crimson blade flashing, he cut down the shaman—and its entire guard in a single strike.
With the head of the nest slain, chaos erupted.
The goblins' previously coordinated harassment fell into disarray.
「You have slain Goblin Shaman. EXP +1370」
「You have slain Goblin. EXP +157」
「You have slain Goblin. EXP +130」
Behind him, the adventurers stood frozen at the spectacle.
Only when Riselia opened fire with her rifle did they snap out of it.
The signal had been given. The goblin purge began in earnest.
And in their minds, Shirakawa's words echoed:
"Can we win?"
"We will."