Chapter 126
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Hero Stops the Demon King. (3)
BOOM! Crash!
The battle dragged on endlessly, and everyone was growing exhausted.
But that didn't mean there was truly no end in sight.
"I thought the rumors were exaggerated... but you're holding your own pretty well."
The one who'd been watching from the back, Chairman Stick, finally jumped into the fray.
His relaxed expression had long since cracked and shattered.
A few councilors lay incapacitated, staring death in the face.
"Haa..."
But our side wasn't faring much better.
I'd taken a minor injury myself.
Lin had suffered a serious wound, forcing Jenny to fight while casting healing magic on her.
"Sig, let's go!"
And the trickiest opponents weren't even Chairman Stick—they were Councilor Sig and Councilor Neoca.
The two fought as a pair: the burly Sig would tank with his body, while Neoca unleashed close-range spells for massive damage.
"We need to separate those two somehow."
Their long-range spells packed a punch, too.
But close-range magic was on another level entirely.
Mages, with their frail bodies, usually couldn't pull it off—but with Sig tanking, Neoca had nothing to fear.
"Haa, haa..."
Jenny, handling Chairman Stick almost single-handedly, was wearing down fast.
She and Lin had been tag-teaming him before, so it was only natural.
Not only had one fighter dropped out, but Jenny had to heal her mid-battle too...
"Lady Jenny, you okay?!"
"I'm fine, Big Brother Kane...! Don't worry...!"
She was breathing raggedly.
Still, she was the hero of heroes.
Her smile, as if refusing to fall here, eased my worries a bit.
But splitting her mana between offense and healing wouldn't last.
It'd be better to heal Lin enough to pull her out entirely, letting Jenny focus purely on fighting.
"I'll handle emergency treatment for Miss Lin here, so Lady Jenny, please focus on the battle!"
I rushed over with Lin, now stable enough, and that finally freed Jenny up.
"Thanks, Big Brother!"
"Don't worry!"
It was only possible because a few councilors had gone down.
If they'd all rushed us like before, no one would've had a moment to glance away.
"Phew..."
I sat Lin near a tree and treated her wounds while racking my brain.
How could we take them all down?
There had to be a way.
They were vulnerable to slow spells, but Lin's hadn't worked.
But we had someone who could cast an even stronger one.
Jenny.
Chairman Stick was deliberately sticking close to her, preventing her from casting— he clearly knew it too.
Stronger magic could backfire on them.
"Lady Jenny!"
Right now, our odds were slim.
Better to gamble on something that could tip the scales than whittle away blindly.
"Cast a slow spell! Your strongest one!"
"Now? The big ones take time to chant...!"
"We'll hold Chairman Stick off as best we can...!"
Mersenne was still locked with Parus.
Scarlett was handling Sig and Neoca.
So yeah, I was the only one left to block Chairman Stick.
I had no idea how long I could last against someone of his caliber.
And honestly, it terrified me.
He was way stronger than me.
But... I had to do it.
"Start chanting!"
"You dare...!"
Looked like it was the right call.
Chairman Stick's eyes gleamed—he'd just been playing tired before.
"Urk...!"
Blocking his rush was all I could manage.
Counterattacking? Not even a dream—it was that overwhelming.
"You think a puny thing like you can stop me now...? Pathetic!"
I barely held him back as he lunged for Jenny.
"...I shall not reach..."
Jenny began her chant.
"Where do you think you're looking?!"
"Argh...!"
His sword pressed closer, relentlessly.
I was hitting my limit just blocking.
"......Slow... Perceptual Deceleration."
Her chant ended.
The wide-area slow spell unfurled.
Not freezing or binding—just pure slowdown for all our foes.
"W-What the hell...!"
"What's happening...!"
We poured attacks into their panic.
Slash—
Chilling sounds echoed everywhere.
"G-Guh... I can't... die here... I must achieve... my... urk..."
Finally, Chairman Stick's head hit the dirt.
"Haa... ahh..."
Wide-area slow spells were tough even for her.
Jenny collapsed to her knees, spent.
"That... was close..."
Sweat poured off her like rain.
Proof of how much she'd pushed herself.
"Well done, Lady Jenny."
I rushed to support her, but...
"Urk..."
My legs buckled, and I crumpled beside her.
"...My legs won't move."
"You pushed hard too, Big Brother Kane. Let's rest... a bit... haa..."
Starting with us, everyone else flopped down one by one.
"...At least no one's chasing us now. We can head back to the Empire nice and slow."
Scarlett said.
"Yeah. Though right now we're too beat to move... Stuck resting among the corpses, kinda creepy."
"Corpses be damned. As long as I can rest, who cares? Ughhhh...!"
Scarlett sprawled out with a yell.
"...I agree this time."
Mersenne, who'd just beheaded his own father, flopped down too.
No pity or anguish for Parus lingered on his face.
Just pure relief.
"I'm... gonna die..."
I resolved to train harder from now on.
If Jenny's chant had finished even a second later...
I might've been skewered by Chairman Stick.
"Ah, whatever... Rest first..."
Too exhausted to think.
I just shut my eyes and waited for my strength to return.
#
It took a good while before everyone could stand.
Lin, who'd been hurt worst, woke up fine after Jenny finished healing her.
"Sorry. I wasn't any help at all."
Lin looked utterly dejected.
Everyone else bore the marks of brutal combat—I got it.
But she'd fought fiercely before collapsing all the same.
"It's fine, Miss Lin. You did plenty."
A major wound like that must've hurt like hell.
"Sir Kane... You're so kind."
Lin blushed faintly and smiled.
"Sun's coming up... Better move and rest properly. What do you all think?"
Scarlett cut in while I chatted with Lin.
"Eek... Did you have to barge in like that...!"
"Obviously~ With eyes that hot..."
"Hot? What're you...!"
Seemed everyone had recovered some energy.
They couldn't even bicker earlier.
Anyway, I agreed with Scarlett.
"Yeah. Let's relocate, rest up proper, then head out."
The chairman and councilors were dead.
They surely hadn't warned the Merra Federation army.
They probably hadn't even reported pursuing us properly.
Arrogant enough to think they'd win, no doubt.
Bottom line: no one left to chase us to the Empire.
"And eat a real meal. Sleep deep, everyone."
I smiled, and they all nodded eagerly.
"Was bracing for preserved rations the whole way. Whew!"
Everyone cheered up.
We moved camp and relaxed at last.
No corpses nearby made it easier on the mind.
Can't really sleep deep amid the stench of blood, right?
"This time, I'll take watch with Sir Kane!"
"No, I'm watching with Big Brother Kane firs—!"
No major threats, but deep in monster-filled woods—watches were essential.
I'd planned to rest first this time, though...
"I'm first...!"
"No, me!"
"You sisters are so selfish!"
"Selfish how?!"
They still had fight left in 'em...
Truly impressive.
Guess I need to step it up too...