Evilus

"Kufufufu... Hey there, Orario friends. The moon is quite exquisite tonight, isn't it?"

A short while later, a man donned in a black hooded cloak suddenly appeared from the corner a few blocks in front of them and spoke.

And along with his emergence, multiple figures with the same attire resurface from the corners and roofs, surrounding Ash, Kaguya, Lyra, and Ardi.

[*Appraising...*]

'A level four and a bunch of level two's and one's.' Ash thought inwardly after seeing the result of Wise's immediate appraisal.

There was no need to guess who they were since each of them was marked by Wise's map as the hostile party who attacked them just a moment ago.

And besides, they were currently the only ones who appeared to have Ash and the ladies intentionally targeted...

"Ladies, I assumed you know who they are, correct? Are they the ones you mentioned earlier? What was it again?"

Ash, with his hand still on the hilt of his sword, couldn't help but ask the ladies behind him when he remembered they mentioned something that he assumed was an evil organization earlier.

"...Evilus Bastards!"

Lyra hatefully exclaimed as soon as she saw them appear in front of them. Confirming Ash's suspicions about the hostile party's identity.

Although she couldn't make up their appearances clearly, as a veteran of dealing with the Evilus members, she could instantly recognize them just by their mere presence.

In fact, not only her, but Kaguya, Ardi, and every other adventurer within the city knew them very well.

Perhaps, it was also because of their shady get-up while lurking in the dark streets of the town after an attempted murder was already a dead giveaway.

"Indeed... an evil organization comprised and founded by several Deities and their familias. Their sole purpose is the complete destruction of the city and its people."

Kaguya added after a sigh while maintaining a serious expression on her face and turned silent afterward.

Ardi, on the hand, just stood there silently while gripping her sword tightly in her hand.

Although, if Ash would turn to face them, he would see Ardi biting her trembling lip due to something only she and the other ladies knew.

"... I see." Ash said after a brief pause on his part before proceeding to listen further to Kaguya and Lyra's words.

While Ash and the ladies continued their discussion amidst their current crisis, the cloaked man who was the first to appear suddenly spoke, ignoring Ash's presence...

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you miss us, ladies of the Astraea and Ganesha Familia?"

At the same time after finishing his words, the man removed the hood that was once covering his head down to the majority of his face and smiled at them.

"!..."

"Faceless fucker!"

"...Vito!"

As soon as the ladies saw his face and recognized him, they couldn't help but voice out their intense animosity towards him. However...

"Eh~? What's with those faces? Do you really hate me that much? It pains me to see you guys treat me like that when I took the effort of meeting you again."

Vito spoke playfully, feigning a pained expression from their hostility towards him. Even going as far as touching and squeezing his chest overdramatically to where his heart is.

But almost instantly, he regained his usual creepy smiling face and continued, "Just kidding. Hahahah-"

Although, his joyful laugh was interrupted by Lyra's sharp tongue, spatting profanities at his face...

"Cut the bullshit! Let's see if I don't wipe that smiling ass-face of yours with my bombs."

"Calm down, Lyra."

Said Kaguya while patting her shoulder after seeing Lyra blowing her top off to Vito. She knew how vile 'Evilus' can be. They wouldn't hesitate to use any despicable means to achieve their goal.

Thus, she tried to calm her down before Lyra could take drastic actions and might fall into a trap that would cause her or them their very lives.

Ash, on the other hand, just stayed silent while reading the current situation and paying attention to Wise's map after sensing something amiss.

'We're surrounded...'

He thought calmly after seeing a bunch of what he presumed their assailant's companions still hiding in the dark.

And at the same time, he was playing different scenarios inside his mind in order to immediately react to any possibilities that might happen the very next moment.

"Kufufu~ Well, as much I enjoyed this little reunion of ours and all... but we're currently in a hurry, so..."

Vito, who felt he had enough of playing around with them suddenly spoke and raised his hand.

And after a brief pause, several more people which swords, spears, and axes emerged at the corner where he came from, and even from behind them, cutting their chance of escape.

"Ara~ it seems a fight is inevitable... not that it's not in the first place. It's our job to cut down evil and enforce justice after all."

Kaguya while still in a drawing stance, spoke in her usual laid-back tone as if she wasn't fazed with the increasing number of Evilus members around them.

"Well then, what are we waiting for!? Let's blow their asses u-" Lyra impatiently stated and was about to throw her mini bombs at the 'Evilus' members.

However, before she could, she was interrupted by Ash's words, mumbling some warnings to them about the people who are still currently hiding in the shadows...

"Be careful. I'm not sure what they're planning but there are still some who didn't reveal themselves just yet."

Ash knew that they were confident enough and could take care of themselves since they were pretty much more or equally powerful enough compared to everyone in the vicinity.

"I'm not that surprised knowing how they operate..." Ardi said, earning a nod from the other two ladies.

Kaguya, as the most powerful out of the three ladies, knew that currently, it was her responsibility to lead them and was about to give her command when she heard Ash saying...

"I'll take the front and that guy. You can deal with the rest..."

Thinking that he was only a mere level three, the ladies were about to protest but...

"Let's make it quick, shall we?" Vito suddenly spoke and gestured his hand to commence the attack.

"Kill them all!"

"Raaaah!"

"Ahhhh!"

With that, the Evilus members dashed towards them from all sides with their weapons and battle cries.

"Are you sure about this, Ash-san?" Kaguya still wanted to persuade Ash of his decision.

Lyra and Ardi even glanced at him while furrowing their brows, expressing their concerns for him.

Ash, on the other hand, didn't respond to them right away and suddenly took out a wooden sword from his system's inventory which he bought on the spot.

'This should be enough to hurt them severely...' he thought, refusing to use his sword against a living person even if it was clear that the opponent's aim was to kill him.

Even if it has been that long enough since he arrived in the Danmachi world, his mentality from the world where he originated was still intact.

Sure, he had beaten some thugs black and blue somewhere before he arrived in Orario.

But not even once did he point his sword at a living person believing that there was no need to take a person's life for something so trivial.

Unfortunately, reality would soon slap him right in his face for holding on to this kind of mentality and naivety.

"We may have just met but I would ask you to trust me on this..."

He said, briefly glancing behind him to where the ladies were before assuming a low stance, at the same time, using the <Total Concentration Breathing> to exert his maximum physical capabilities.

Seeing the incoming multiple opponents in front of him and dashing towards them,-

Ash imbued the wooden sword with mana, coating it in a white glow, making it more durable and hard as steel before...

*Crack!* *Swoosh!*

The ground made up of bricks beneath him slightly cracked as his leg muscles contracted before launching himself, seemingly vanishing from his position, leaving only a gust of wind.

Soon it was followed by...

*Bang!*

"Argh!"

*Bang!* *Bang!*

"Bleurgh! Dammi- Argh!"

*Bang!* *Crack!*

"Argh! Motherf- Ahhh!"

A series of dull banging sounds, cracking of bones, and wailings of the Evilus members echoed from the vicinity,-

overlapping the sound of the clanking steel of clashing swords and battle cries on the ladies' side.

However, this didn't stop the ongoing battle from all sides as it progresses fiercer and fiercer as the moments passed.

Ash's vicious strikes on the opponents' vital points enabled him to easily put them on the ground. He was about to deal with the rest on his side when he was attracted by the sound of explosions...

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

Briefly glancing behind him to where the ladies' battle took place, he saw Lyra throwing the small round object he saw not long ago towards their opponents,-

blasting and severely injuring the poor Evilus minions while dodging and sometimes punching her small fists at them.

'Who knew that those small round objects I saw in between her fingers just moments ago would be that dangerous.'

He was also amazed by how Kaguya, with her swift swordsmanship and agile body, and Ardi, with her fists, acrobatic moves, and her own sword style were able to deal with their opponents one after another.