VS Hornigold

"Radamu!"

"Hurry up and get to the captain!"

"No!!"

Mortis bolted along the crumbling wall without hesitation. If she bailed now, there was no way Radamu could survive against Hornigold. Kid, gripping his harpoon, and Castella, wielding his magic sword, leaped after her as she plunged down recklessly. In the end, Hyacinth could only clutch his pistol sword, torn with indecision.

"Riko! Those handcuffs! What's their purpose?!"

"They block magic!"

"Come here!"

Confirming the keyhole on the handcuffs, Hyacinth pulled out a lockpick. He jammed it into the hole frantically, twisting it with jittery hands to free them. If he could just unlock one arm, the rest could be handled with rune magic. Time was precious—this situation could turn dire without him joining in.

And then, Radamu, who had fallen alongside Hornigold. As they tumbled into what felt like a training ground, he immediately unleashed [Deadly Queen]. A first explosion erupted from his hand, followed by a second that engulfed Hornigold.

'Think calmly.'

Circe had said her protection shielded against all deaths except those leading to true demise, but she'd told everyone that attacks up to the level of "not quite fatal" would still land. There was no such thing as an absolute power in this world. There had to be a weakness somewhere. Even the Maou had fallen to a hero, after all.

From the billowing smoke of the blast, Hornigold closed a 5-meter gap in a single leap, swinging his sword. Radamu blocked with the shield on his hand and sliced away at Hornigold's thigh with his spirit sword's blade. But just as he tried to reconstruct it, Cutlass flowed over the shield's surface like water, spinning gracefully like a ballerina before his tail whipped around Radamu's neck, slamming his head into the ground.

As his vision dropped low, Hornigold's kick came crashing down right beside his face. Radamu rolled desperately to the side, creating distance, and fired off a [Fireball]. He then unfolded a compound crossbow from his inventory, loaded it with an invisible touch arrow onto the string. With a click of it locking in, he loosed the shot. At the same time, he cast [Blind Light] from his memorized spellbook to blind Hornigold.

The sound of the arrow embedding, the exploding fireball's flames, and the blinding flash that swallowed its light. He tossed out a [Cursed Die].

'Does it take all three rolls to work?'

The die rolling on the ground showed 37; he nudged it with his foot to 49. Then Hornigold's kick slammed into his chest, sending Radamu crashing into the castle wall amid debris. The arrow hadn't even pierced, bouncing off his outer clothes; the fireball had no effect. Hornigold's eyes were closed—perhaps from [Blind Light]—but he was aiming precisely at Radamu despite supposedly being blind. Blood trickled down his arm or leg from the die's wound. Hornigold crushed the rolling die underfoot.

As he charged with Cutlass raised, Kid and Castella jumped in simultaneously to intercept. The ice magic sword swung, scattering snowflakes and freezing the surroundings into a frigid domain. Amid the world turning blinding white, Hornigold parried the prince's crow-winged sword dance with Cutlass, but frost rapidly crept over his entire body along the blade. As a Deynous, he should be utterly vulnerable to cold. Seeing his body freezing from afar, Kid charged with his harpoon raised, aiming a shallow swing at his back to peel off scales.

But the tail coiled around the harpoon's shaft, redirecting it and yanking Kid in instead. Castella, dodging the sudden harpoon thrust from the side, grimaced as his waist was sliced. Kid, now atop Hornigold after dropping the harpoon, rained punches on his head—but froze at the pirate's grinning face despite the blows to his crown and face.

"Hitting that weakly? I don't feel a thing, kid."

Grabbing Kid's leg in that position, Hornigold hooked a claw into his ankle and swung him in a giant swing. Castella curled up and thrust his magic sword at Hornigold's leg, but it only scraped the protective gear beneath the tearing pants with a futile metallic screech. As the attack failed, a kick smashed into his jaw. The spinning prince vomited blood, sliding across the ice he'd created like a top.

Bam—!

Mortis caught the flying Kid by hand, slamming him to the ground before charging at Hornigold with a heavy thud. She drew the mace hidden behind her back, hoisted her own head in one hand, invoked all blessings to radiate blinding light, and barreled toward him like a raging bear.

"Hornigold──!!!"

"That's more like it, sis."

The mace whistled through the air, deflected by Cutlass bending impossibly; the hook swung with a metallic clang, grazing Mortis's body. Even the glancing wound didn't mark her, but her head smashed into Hornigold's side—only shoving him sideways. He raised his leg and booted her away.

Clang—!

The heavy clash of steel sent Mortis stumbling back. Meeting her blazing eyes of hatred, rage, and vengeance, Hornigold spat blood and grinned, casually shaking Cutlass.

"Come on, sis. Don't make that 'I've lived a full life' face. Bow your head to the man who betrayed and killed your captain? Hell no!!"

His foot sank deep into the ground where he stood. Radamu, stabbing from behind with his spirit sword, cleaved only air. Tossing the [Cursed Die]'s final chance yielded a whopping 88. Blood erupted with a pop, spraying from Hornigold's entire body—splattering messily across every path ahead. Yet undeterred by the pain, he barreled into Mortis, shattering her conjured shield and kicking her through the wall, embedding her in the opposite rampart with devastating force. Laughing like a blood-soaked demon, he pivoted off her toward Radamu.

It was too fast to dodge now. A deafening boom rang in his ears, vision flickering as Radamu tumbled across the ground. Just before the collapsing wall's debris buried him came the alert [Disaster Approaches].

Kid dashed in, scooping him up with one hand and bounding down the wall.

"【The World of Fog 'Niflheim'】"

Space froze around the magic sword. As the prince unleashed Magic Sword Kia Frost's power, the entire training ground turned into a colorless white expanse. White mist drifted like fog, but it was deadly—freezing anyone it touched alive into ice blocks. In the absolute zero chill, the prince gripped his sword and charged an ice pillar.

Crack— But a hand burst from the pillar, seizing his magic sword without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hesitation.

"Wha—"

Clang—! Half the blade shattered and snapped. Staring at the pirate king's kick to the flat of the sword in shock, Prince Castella froze. Hornigold, emerging from the ice with a smile, pinched the broken blade between two fingers, thrust it into the prince's gut, lifted him, and drenched himself in blood.

"Whew, got a bit sleepy from the sudden cold."

"Guh... Wha... How..."

Shoving the broken blade deeper into the writhing prince's gut with incredulous eyes, Hornigold tossed him aside like trash. Wiping blood from his drenched bangs and slicking them back, he looked down pityingly and sneered.

"Nice sword, but worthless if the owner's weak. Can't even draw half its power."

"Impossible!"

No Deynous could move in that temperature. Radamu and the others charged together across the training ground toward the pirate king. As Radamu hurled the harpoon and Hornigold swung to deflect, Kid immediately reeled it back, grabbing his hand in a handshake. Icy cold enough to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠freeze Radamu's hand on contact filled the air—but it slowed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hornigold's reaction just enough for Kid's spirit sword swing to slice his shoulder.

Blood sprayed as he swung nonstop for the neck, but Kid lost balance, flailing midair after cleaving empty space. They could wound him, but not kill. Hornigold gripped Radamu's hand tighter as he tried to release, then hooked his shoulder. Baring his teeth defiantly, Radamu tried stabbing the harpoon into his gut—but [Disaster Approaches] rang out as his foot slipped on ice, staggering into empty air.

"What're you doing?"

The world spun again. Intense impact sent Radamu vomiting blood into the wall; Kid's ankle pierced by the hook, sprawled on the ground. Head-first into the frozen ice, he tried rising but inhaled the cold mist, shuddered, and slumped limp.

"...."

Radamu rose using his spirit sword as a cane. If wounding and bleeding him out, they might win. But their plan was escape right after rescue. No sign of Hyacinth—he was surely acting alone to save Riko and Zan. The smart kid just needed time bought. Hornigold loomed like a divine guardian, staring him down. Not even evil gods, Maou candidates, or elves exuded such presence. As he thought to rescue comrades and flee, Hornigold spoke.

"Ah, I see. Hiding your identity, huh... Hero?"

His mind went blank white. Thoughts evaporated; he looked up stunned. Hornigold smirked knowingly.

"──You thought I wouldn't know, Hero? That the witch was bound by an unfair pact with an evil god, and that evil god was the Succubus Lord."

Chuckling that long on these seas, even gods could be met and questioned. Shaking his head at his own slip-up from the start, Hornigold framed it as personal business and apologized.

"It was my life's work, everything poured into finding one woman. Only one man never mocked that dream."

Even now, closing his eyes brought that irritating laugh; his gaze held agonizingly intense emotion, laced with poignant regret.

"And I betrayed him. I chose the dream. He knew and still laughed."

Then he became the pirate king his friend desired. Ruler dominating these seas. Tyrant none could defy.

"But then, nobodies I ignored invade my territory, enter the Storm's Demonic Realm I couldn't, and sever Great Witch Circe's arm. Know how I felt hearing that?"

Killing intent swelled his veins with rage; Radamu's body recoiled instinctively. Glancing down in shock—his will overridden, distancing from the overwhelming fury. Air grew heavy, skin lacerated by the aura, body feeling torn apart.

"Wanted to free her. Let her roam her sea with family, not isolated on that remote isle. Dreamed of happiness erasing her melancholic, doll-like emptiness. Eons ago, yet never forgotten. For that alone, I conquered these seas."

Her life saved, fallen in love, drifting from the island—he'd given a potion vial so the child could live, never forgetting her eternally sad face. Even if she forgot him, loved another—now it didn't matter.

"So I had to kill. But this is our bond. No intent to tell."

He'd killed even the sole captain who believed in his dream for her.

"Show me, Hero. Even if the whole sea turns foe. Amid disasters, calamities, even if the Maou comes──prove you're the man who can protect her. Show me."

90 years of life, his sole desired treasure. Pathetic wish just to meet again, no guarantee of reward—a fool's love. If you hold it, prove you can protect what I threw everything for.

"Forget world fate, sea peace. I know you're the only man who can make her happy."

Exhaling hollowly, Hornigold smiled emptily. Utterly personal.

"So please, show me you're the man who can protect his beloved."

Only then did he realize why Hornigold held back despite chances to kill: he tossed his spirit sword to the ground. Retrieve Circe's severed arm, free her from eternal bonds—to the man who held what one threw his sole life for. The man before him demanded proof. What feelings gripped him, knowing all he'd done for Circe was futile? Power grown to protect her, seas dominated to bar approach—yet failed to safeguard her, saved by another.

Beyond the ruined wall, sunrise crept along the coast. Pulsing heartbeat and piano melody rode sea breeze from the kingdom. The hero—snow-white hair, rabbit ears, flowing dress—hoisted the massive red magic sword 【Bopal Weapon】 over his shoulder.

"Mock away. Yell at this fool who lived without reward's promise."

Self-mocking his life, the pirate king—no, Hornigold—raised his sword.

Truly, utterly personal. Not two men fighting over one woman. Not battle to reclaim her. Simple proof.

"I won't mock."

"Heh... I'm this sea's strongest! Can't protect her if you can't beat me!"

Cutlass and Bopal Weapon clashed. No pirate king, no hero here. Just one man's lifelong dream.

"Show me, Radamu Dice!! And kill to prove it!!"