The Fall of the Rose Sword

A piercing whistle cuts through the air as a crimson blade tip hurtles toward me.

Shattering the ice wall, piercing the pillar of flame, boldly slicing through the mass of venom flying at her—Charlotte's blade tip zeroed in on me, unstoppable.

It was all over in the blink of an eye.

All my pre-prepared countermeasures were breached in an instant.

No time to dodge. Her blade tip was right before my nose.

And what it targeted was me.

The central head.

The world slows to a crawl.

In this slowed time, the left head moves first.

Without giving me a chance to stop it, Left lunges forward, blocking my front and intercepting Charlotte's charge.

It unleashes ice magic in a flash and even deploys its Magic Eye, which has little effect on an SS-rank hunter like Charlotte.

Crunch—

Left's neck is gruesomely pierced right in the center.

Blood sprays.

Following Left, Right steps up next.

It shoves its own head between me and Charlotte's path before I can even protest.

The petrifying Magic Eye and scorching flames that had been harassing Charlotte nonstop throughout the fight block her advance.

Crunch—

One side of Right's head is mercilessly skewered.

Blood sprays.

Even after the sacrifice of my two partners, Charlotte's charge shows no sign of slowing.

Her golden hair flutters along the red trail of her extended blade.

Her clear blue eyes fix solely on me.

Dodge?

Impossible.

Block?

Impossible.

Then the only option left?

Counter.

The third eye opens.

The new ability of the Magic Eye, evolved to SA-rank.

An eye that kills with a mere gaze.

This power, which I've named Death Eye, unfortunately has little effect on powerhouses like Charlotte.

To kill someone like her, I'd have to stare for at least several hours straight.

My mana or eyes wouldn't hold out that long.

Still, weakening her to some degree is entirely possible.

By slamming all my mana into it at once, I can blunt that relentless momentum, even if just a little.

I pour every last drop of remaining mana into the eye.

A horrific pain like flesh being torn rips through me, but I endure.

I convert even that agony into fuel, focusing every nerve.

Before me stands the hunter trying to kill me.

I am the monster trying to kill that hunter.

The two who seek each other's death finally clash.

Shii——

Thud—

A massive body crashes down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The energy stored in Gluttony had long been depleted.

Not even enough strength left to twitch a muscle.

Yet I muster the last dregs of power to lift my head.

The fight isn't over yet.

"Huuu—."

A blonde hunter exhales softly.

The red petals clinging to her sword scatter on the wind, slowly fading away.

"...Impressive."

Charlotte turns her body slowly toward me and speaks.

Her face is deathly pale.

Clutching the wound at her waist pierced by my final counterattack, she forces out the words.

"Truly... truly impressive. I've subjugated multiple SS-rank monsters before, but this was my toughest fight yet. You're undoubtedly the strongest monster I've ever faced."

[You were the strongest hunter I've ever faced, too.]

"Heh... wonder if that'll hold true from here on out."

Murmuring softly, Charlotte drops to her knees with a thud.

Dark red blood gushes from her mouth.

Blood oozes relentlessly from the wound at her waist.

Leaning heavily on her beloved sword, I gaze at her silently before speaking.

[I lose...]

"...No. This is unequivocally your victory."

With those words, Charlotte coughs up another spurt of blackish blood.

[If you'd been fully equipped, it would've been my clear defeat.]

"...True. If I'd had even one elixir, I'd have been the survivor in the end."

Charlotte speaks calmly, then chuckles softly.

"But in the end, I was the one who couldn't hold out. I worked hard on poison resistance, but it was useless against your venom. Guess I relied too much on my gear all this time. What a shame."

Charlotte lets out a quiet sigh.

"A pathetic master who couldn't even avenge her disciple properly... If I meet her now, what would I even say...?"

[She wouldn't say anything. That's the kind of woman she is.]

"...Yes, Hana is that kind of woman."

Charlotte slowly lifts her head.

She gazes endlessly at the starry night sky and quietly adds,

"...What are your plans from here?"

[First, recover this body. Honestly, looking at the wounds, I'm in worse shape.]

Charlotte chuckles again.

"Surviving a fight with me is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impressive in itself. You can afford some pride. After all, you're the one monster who defeated this Charlotte."

She speaks playfully, then vomits another gush of blood.

Her body begins to tremble as her limits approach.

"Finally... if it's not too much, one last request..."

[What?]

"Don't torment France... my guild... humanity too much."

[I have no intention of antagonizing humans.]

"But you're not exactly friendly either."

I fall silent at Charlotte's immediate follow-up.

She exhales like a sigh.

"I know it's presumptuous coming from a monster like you... but please... humanity hasn't done anything wrong."

[Monsters haven't either.]

"...Fair point."

Charlotte smiles wryly.

"I've felt it before, but you really do have a serpent's tongue."

[I'm a proper snake, after all.]

"That too."

She chuckles softly, then abruptly drops her head with a slump.

Her sword, buried deep in the sand, trembles along with its master's convulsions.

Truly, the end is near.

I watch her for a moment before quietly speaking.

[No last words?]

"...How kind of you... Yes... a dying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wish..."

Charlotte slowly raises her head.

"Tell Hunter Amy who followed me: keep this incident quiet."

[......]

Quite unexpected. I gaze at her quizzically.

Meeting my eyes, the pallid Charlotte chuckles and adds,

"Otherwise, my guild will come after you."

[Can't deny that.]

Charlotte laughs again, then slumps forward as blood erupts alongside it.

Her shimmering golden hair falls limply onto the sand.

"I had regrets, but I'm glad my final fight was with you."

[Me too.]

With that quiet thought, Charlotte no longer responds.

One of the pinnacles of the world hunter scene.

France's pride and glory.

SS-rank hunter. The end of Rose Sword Charlotte Michelle.

I stare at her motionless form for a while before finally slamming my head into the ground with a thud.

Not a shred of strength left in my body.

The system alert, after quite some time, makes it crystal clear.

Yes, I won.

But I can't savor the victory just yet.

My whole body throbs with pain.

Pain and fatigue I haven't felt in ages.

I have no choice but to lie on the sandy ground for a while.

[Idiot—moron— you won and this is how you look! We should party!]

[Hun─gry─...]

Suddenly, the voices of my two partners, who sacrificed themselves to create this opening for me.

Though their heads took critical damage, since my main body survived intact, they did too.

...This time, I agree with Right. I'm really hungry...'

How long has it been since I last felt this gnawing hunger?

My body already aches all over, and now my stomach stabs like knives. I feel like I'm about to die.

[If you're that hungry, eat that at least! You idiots—!]

At Left's voice, I glance over.

Charlotte remains kneeling in the same pose, collapsed.

No, even so, that's a bit...'

[Yeah... even so, that's a bit... You're too heartless...]

At the rare agreement between me and Right, Left lets out a ferocious 'Kyaaa—!'

[You brainless fools! What does it matter?! When a hunter dies, isn't it natural for a monster to eat them?!]

...Still. The opponent we just fought so hard against... if possible, leave her intact...'

[Kyaaa—!!! Think logically! If she had killed us, what do you think would've happened? They'd have dismantled us, taking mana stones, scales, fangs—everything! Compared to that, swallowing her whole is downright merciful!]

-Right?! No?!

I silently concede to Left's savage roar.

It's true.

Hunters and monsters—that's the relationship.

No matter how admirable the opponent... no, precisely because she was, I need to settle it definitively.

The labyrinth is survival of the fittest.

I won. She lost.

As the victor, I must exercise my rightful privileges.

I recover some mana.

I divert all mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to regeneration.

Left and Right revive.

They were alive to begin with, but with their heads restored, they're twice as hyper as usual.

Right whines about hunger, Left just rages.

Shouldn't have prioritized regeneration...

As always, they latch onto my throat spectacularly.

And this time, Right's annoyed too and joins in.

The spot Charlotte hit has thin scales.

My neck feels like it'll snap clean off.

Hey, cut it out.

Anyway, wounds still linger, but I've recovered enough to move.

I glance at where Charlotte lay.

Her orphaned white sword remains stuck there.

Among everything, I at least want to return that properly.

Plus, I need to relay her final words, so shall I take it?

But to pick it up, I'd need Human Transformation, and honestly, I lack the mana for it now.

All went to regeneration.

Human Transformation consumes more mana than expected; feasible normally, but not now.

As I ponder, I sense approaching presences. Four of them.

Two S-ranks, the other two A-ranks. Rushing hastily, their auras waver unsteadily.

Come for the commotion?

To approach amid this chaos suggests strong confidence in their skills.

At that level, they'd help restore my mana nicely.

I wait quietly.

And who I encounter are obvious Westerners.

One's the female hunter from Charlotte's lodgings earlier.

Definitely the Amy she mentioned.

The psychometry user.

A shame.

They take one look at the surroundings, then spot me staring silently—and freak out twice over.

No intent to fight, so I point at Charlotte's sword with my tail tip.

The hunters scream.

As they charge at me, I use telepathic speech.

Target: Amy.

[No long talk. Charlotte's dying words: 'Keep today's events quiet.']

"Wh-what...?!"

To the bewildered Amy, I send another thought.

[You have psychometry, right? Read the sword's memories for details.]

After that, the stunned Amy hesitates, but steels herself and grasps the situation.

That she mustn't defy me now.

Ignoring her comrades' puzzled stares, Amy touches Charlotte's sword.

Tears stream from her eyes.

"...We're... going back..."

"What...?! Amy Hunter...?! What did you see? What about Lady Charlotte? Is she safe? That monster...?!"

"...We're going back... please... I'll explain later... just listen to me this time."

The four hunters depart, full of questions.

They glance back repeatedly, but trust Amy's judgment and take no action.

A bit disappointing.

Out of respect for Charlotte, I had no plans to fight, but if they'd attacked, I'd have gobbled them up.

Especially Amy's murderous glare at the end—quite amusing.

Ah, maybe I should've killed at least her?'

Psychometry might reveal some info, but if she learns a monster can transform human... could get annoying later.

I ponder briefly, then move.

No intent to kill.

Soon enough, the four hunters reappear.

They assume combat stances, but as I said, unless they attack first, I won't.

I lock eyes quietly with Amy, who trembles in fear yet harbors undisguised hostility.

Left exerts full force.

Her rank's A, no issue.

Leaving the baffled hunters behind at my sudden reappearance, I move on.

Now, I really just want to rest.