I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

People, especially men, tend to be drawn to primitive and childish questions. And those childish questions usually lead to imagining impossible fights and running simulations in their heads.

So who's stronger?

Starting with lions versus tigers, then moving on to alien monkeys vs bald psychics, giant gorillas vs radioactive dinosaurs, and eventually even pitting sci-fi movie battleships against each other - that's just how people are.

"Wow, these ogres are way more agile than I expected."

"Watch carefully. This is why knight orders hire mercenaries and adventurers to hunt ogres, even though the knights have excellent swordsmanship."

That's why Han Se-ah's viewers were munching on chicken and popcorn while watching firsthand how ogres would fare against an army in the world of Heroes Chronicle.

They could see rampaging ogres demolishing the well-ordered base through Han Se-ah's camera while listening to my explanations, seemingly directed at party members but really meant for viewers - how entertaining could it get?

Emotes flooded chat every time a warehouse or barracks was destroyed. The viewers seemed too stunned to type proper messages, spamming only exclamations and emotes.

"Despite their huge size, there's nothing they can do. Even considering they're berserker ogres, it looks rough."

"There's a reason some mercenary bands specialize in hunting giants."

"You sons of bitches-!!"

The ogres' aggro was drawn by the presumed mid-boss's shouts. Some immediately started pounding on the fortress walls, while others began tearing apart the halberd-wielding heavy infantry that had been harassing Ogre #2 like toys.

The heavy infantry skillfully wielded halberds about 4 meters long, roughly Manaashi's height. But they faced 10-meter tall ogres. It was oddly satisfying watching these elite troops, who should have been dominating with their overwhelming reach using chains, nets and halberds, getting crushed by the ogres' long arms instead.

The chains and nets seemed made for catching humans, far too small to restrain ogres. Though durable enough not to break or tear, they barely hindered the ogres' movements.

Of course, just like a human wearing a sturdy bracelet on one hand can still move their arm freely, these restraints designed for humans couldn't simultaneously bind all four limbs of a 10-meter giant.

"How dare a hero! A mage-!!"

"Both the hero and mage are women though."

-Is that really what matters lololololol This guy instinctively knows how to piss people off lololololololol

-Does he think Roland's the hero just by looking? Though teacher fits better than a bomb maniac

-Bark all you want inside, when dogs bark ogres still charge lololololololol

-All bark and no bite

-More like an old fart yelling into a megaphone than actually being loud

As I cheered on the ogres between Han Se-ah and Charlotte, the distant voice from inside the fortress suddenly cut off.

I muttered quietly wondering if he died from anger, making her giggle and poke my side with her elbow. Her lips curled up mischievously, apparently amused by my random comment. Good thing I didn't talk about games, since she was listening.

Just then the fortress gates opened, unleashing a barrage. The shells were quite flashy, seemingly loaded with various spells beyond simple damage.

"Hmm, their fighting style is similar to Hanna's."

"Wh-what? Like me?!"

"Using various magic tools and explosives strategically to compensate for lacking mana. You're both serious about creating explosives through alchemy."

"......"

-As expected of teacher, piercing straight to the core

-The hero=dark mage theory coming together like this lololololololol

-How's what you did any different from the dark mage? Throwing ogres like a true dark mage

-Hey don't ruin the mood, just laugh lololololololol

-How does it feel being acknowledged as a dark mage by teach? Put down those bombs in your inventory first lol

Blue flame explosives that vaporized ogre hide, freezing shells that froze arms with a whoom-, impact shells that knocked back ogres striding toward the open fortress gate.

While I was teasing Han Se-ah, all sorts of shells hammered the ogres as if an artillery battalion was packed inside the fortress. As the thick smoke cleared, an old man walked steadily out from inside.

If the previous lich had looked like a walking human skeleton, this old man's appearance was grotesque - as if a monster had been molded into human shape, or a human forcibly stretched out.

He stood well over 2 meters tall but was skin and bones without a trace of muscle. No, he looked like he didn't even have skin. With sunken cheeks and hollow eyes glaring at us, he resembled a walking mummy.

"You impudent fools, how can those calling themselves mages act so brutishly? What do your eyes see when looking at this beautiful workshop?"

"...Beautiful? What exactly is beautiful about this?"

Responding to the grotesquely gaunt old man leaning on a staff made of human bones was Irene, who had been quietly watching the ogres.

A debate seemed to suddenly open between the dark mage and saint candidate, with the collapsed wall between them.

※

The sudden confrontation between the mid-boss and Irene began.

True to her role as a Goddess Faith nun, Irene spoke of life's sanctity, while the mid-boss, true to being a dark mage, spoke of seizing others' lives and using them efficiently.

"Life is the Goddess's blessing upon this land. No one should carelessly take another's life!"

"How old-fashioned you are, nun. Precious things shine brightest in the hands of those who know how to use them efficiently. Don't you think lives that would meaninglessly fade away are more valuable in my use?"

The lich whose head was sealed in the temple after meeting my holy sword had felt like 'Life is finite so the Goddess is useless and only death is truth!', but this dark mage was more like 'Life force is precious so rather than leaving it be, I'll process it artistically!'

So how could Irene's righteous words reach someone who'd use others' lives like objects for self-satisfaction?

As he continued mocking Irene and blaspheming the Goddess, the trainee commanders and their hired forces who had been quietly waiting behind advanced toward the walls, waving their banners, unable to stand it any longer.

'The ogres depleted their artillery, and though the wall's open his guard forces remain. Maybe we should check his patterns with the trainee commanders, then land the finishing blow on the mid-boss before dealing with the boss monster. Good thing we brought ogres. Just how many shells do they have?'

A legion of adventurers and mercenaries charged forward, leaping over the fallen wall's debris. The mid-boss cackled with an eerie smile about humans being barbaric and ignorant as he raised the fallen halberd heavy infantry.

As his staff glowed an ominous purple, the units crushed by ogres rose again, apparently containing skeletons or ghosts in their armor. During this process, he crushed a dark purple crystal in his free hand.

...Wasn't that crystal made from human souls?

"Y-you monster...!"

Irene's fists trembled as she seemed to realize this. But having been raised so gently she'd never even learned to curse, all she could do was clench her fists and glare at the dark mage.

Even while preparing dark magic for the approaching adventurers, he noticed Irene's furious gaze and grinned grotesquely. His gaunt face twisted like a ghost's as his jaw stretched unnaturally with the smile.

I was starting to think I should step in to take him down and care for Irene's mental state... when a thought suddenly struck me.

'Where are the Ice Cross Knights?'

Olek, who had been shouting loudly at the front, was nowhere to be seen. I'd expected him to lead the vanguard since everyone charged out caught up in the moment, but only blood-painted banners flew high. Glancing back, I spotted the Ice Cross Knights gathered with the mages, talking in hushed voices.

After discussing something with Charlotte and Mari, Olek shook his head before approaching with determined strides, snorting steam from his nose with his characteristic 'decided' expression.

His unwavering steps led not to me or Han Se-ah, but before Irene. Alisa, who had hurried over, stood shoulder to shoulder with him as they addressed her.

"Sister."

"Yes, what is it?"

"You're frustrated, aren't you?"

"...Pardon?"

"Aren't you angry at that bastard? Just lining up barracks and acting like some great artist or mathematician, going on about efficiency and barbarism like those southern pigs."

Ah, seems they were triggered by something like regional prejudice.

The mid-boss's attitude probably reminded them of those who look down on the north that directly faces monster waves. Since they couldn't attack the divine mission of Imperial expansion, they seemed to disparage northerners as using brute force to push forward.

Facing the Demon Army, seeing dark magic, overlapping the mid-boss with human types they already disliked... For various reasons, Olek snorted steam through his nose in excitement while Alisa wore a resolute expression, as if unable to stop him, as they pulled something from their magic supplies.

"So let's hit him hard."

"I'll trust you, Sister."

A bomb vest I'd seen somewhere before.

...Goddess? Is this why you told me to bring them?