Is this the Hammer of Humanity’s specialized weapon?

Oren’s gaze fixed on the weapon in Javier’s hand, recalling descriptions from legendary tales. It was said that in ancient times, to perfectly counter non-human foes, Iris had designed a unique armament based on the beloved sword of his wife—Anna Elvis, the first queen of the Elvis Family.

The weapon Javier now wielded was the most fundamental prototype of that design. Dubbed the "Hammer of Humanity," this rune-engraved stone hammer had become so ubiquitous during the Ancient Epoch wars that even the knightly order adopted its name. Its unyielding weight crushed orcs and ogres, while the hidden silver blade within dispatched smaller threats like goblins and Elvenfolk with swift decapitations.

As Javier drew the silver sword from the hammer’s core, he began accelerating toward Oren’s group. After a shared glance, Oren and Lontan bolted—but Javier suddenly raised his hammer mid-charge.

***CRASH!***

The massive hammer slammed into the earth, cratering the ground. Lontan sidestepped just in time. Oren thrust his longsword upward, slashing across the knight’s chest. Black blood sprayed—but Javier didn’t even flinch.

The blow seemed to ignite Javier’s fury. Silver blade flashing, he lunged at Oren, who retreated step by step. Within the sword’s glint, Oren spotted Yamwen nocking another feathered arrow.

***TWANG!***

The arrow pierced Javier’s hand. Yet he ignored it, stabbing his silver sword into the ground. He ripped up a huge wooden plank and hurled it at Yamwen’s second-floor perch.

***BOOM!***

The plank shattered the balcony. As debris rained down, Yamwen flipped gracefully mid-air, drawing a short dagger from her waist. She landed lightly on Javier’s shoulder. Sensing her weight, Javier reached for his embedded silver sword—but Yamwen drove her dagger into the gap between his neck armor plates.

***SPLURT!***

Black blood erupted from Javier’s nape. Yamwen yanked the dagger downward, arched her body, then wrenched it sideways. A chunk of flesh tore free, splattering black gore across the stones.

*He’s finished this time,* Oren thought—until Javier discarded his silver sword, seized Yamwen’s collar, and slammed her to the ground. He pinned her shoulder with the silver blade.

"Tch!" Yamwen hissed, struggling to pull the sword free. But Javier lifted his stone hammer, aiming its head squarely at the embedded blade.

*Does he think he’s a carpenter? Nailing things down?*

A roar cut through her thoughts.

"DOWN!" Oren bellowed.

As the hammer descended, Oren’s longsword blazed with azure light. A blade of mana crashed into Javier, halting his strike. Yamwen scrambled up, hacking at his arm—but her sword lodged deep in his flesh. Javier swung the hammer sideways.

***CLANG!***

Oren deflected the blow, yanking Yamwen back. Her sword remained stuck in Javier’s arm.

Javier charged Oren next. Just as Oren braced his stance, a golden light streaked down.

***KRAKOOM!***

Like a meteor strike, the light slammed Javier into the earth. Lontan stood atop him, axe raised. But Javier swung his hammer upward blindly.

***CRUNCH!***

For the first time, Oren witnessed a human matching an orc’s brute strength. Lontan blocked the blow, but the impact launched him skyward like a ragdoll.

***THUD!***

Lontan crashed onto jagged rubble, vibrations shuddering up his axe. Before he could rise, Javier’s hammer bit deep into his side. Lontan howled, clutching the mangled wound. Ignoring him, Javier pivoted and hurled Lontan’s body like a projectile at Oren.

The combined weight of stone and man crushed Oren against the ground. His lungs emptied, tasting of iron. Gravity multiplied tenfold as his body slid limply downward. Lontan’s unmoving form pinned him.

*Move…* Oren’s vision blurred. Javier loomed, hammer raised high.

Just as the hammer fell, a shove sent Oren rolling aside—Lontan’s final effort.

"LONTAN!" Oren screamed.

***BOOOOM!***

Dust cleared. Javier’s hammer stood unscathed.

Blood pooled beneath Lontan’s shattered right arm. He scrambled backward on his elbows, but Javier lifted the hammer again.

"Tch!" Oren charged, longsword clashing against stone. Sparks flew. Cracks spiderwebbed across the sword’s mana glow.

*No way.*

Another crack split the blade. Oren angled his weapon desperately—Javier’s hammer cratered the earth beside him.

*The gap… is just too vast…*

*What even is this thing? Is he still human?*

Oren raised his fractured sword, eyes locked on the blood-gushing seam beneath Javier’s helmet.

*Sever the head. That’s the only way.*

Javier’s hammer descended. Oren’s blade flashed cyan toward the knight’s throat. Javier countered, silver sword lancing for Oren’s forehead—

A duel decided in one heartbeat.

***SHINK!***

The silver sword pierced Oren’s shoulder. He’d dodged the killing thrust by inches. His own blade carved a molten-red gash across Javier’s faceplate. Black blood sizzled in the gap. Javier staggered back, silver sword clattering to the ground.

*He’s dead.*

Oren doubted it. Javier had dodged the fatal cut—but blinded and burning, he couldn’t fight on.

The helmet split apart.

Javier’s face wasn’t human. Bloodshot eyes bulged from a twisted, screaming mouth. Matted hair clung to a skull half-caved in; one eye socket was hollow, the other filmed over with milky blindness. The stench of rot rolled off him in waves.

*How many years has he been dead?*

*That’s why he reeks of church incense…*

Javier took a shambling step forward.

***THOOM!***

A colossal magic circle erupted beneath his feet, swallowing the entire inn.

"Spatial magic!"

Javier looked utterly shocked. He snapped his head up and saw Dysaia standing on the second floor, drawing a magic circle. At that moment, Oren noticed Javier’s face twist into an even more distorted expression. Simultaneously, the shadow behind him suddenly expanded. A massive monstrous silhouette emerged from it.

“Demons…”

Yamwen, standing beside Oren, whispered softly as she watched the twisted shadow. Just then, Javier roared loudly, “Silver Dragon! I want—”

But before Javier could finish, Dysaia forcefully waved his hand. In the next instant, the huge magic circle snapped shut around Javier. With a deafening boom, it transformed into a colossal beam of light. When the beam faded, Oren saw a bottomless black void on the ground. Above, the clouds had been torn apart by the light.