Chapter 263
Translator: uly
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: The Bizarre Onahole
I'd steeled myself mentally, but the shock hit me like a raging wave crashing over my entire body.
When I finally opened my eyes, though, the one stirring up the waves wasn't water—it was Neris.
Monsters surged in waves instead. It was impossible to believe this ripple had been caused by a single lancer.
Neris charged forward, smashing through them.
The orcs howled and counterattacked, but Neris was as unyielding as a chariot.
"Hah!"
Maker leaped into the monster horde clutching his staff, all on his own.
There wasn't even time to shout that it was dangerous.
I watched him with wide eyes.
These orcs were dangerous.
Their aggression surpassed even skeleton warriors.
They swarmed Maker en masse, swinging their crude weapons like a pack of starved beasts.
Yet Maker shoved back the oncoming bulk single-handedly with crisp efficiency,
and every swing of his staff unleashed shockwaves that sent armed orcs flying like fallen leaves as he dashed across the battlefield.
"Bro! What should I do?!"
"Kill whatever you see!"
"Got it!"
Apbet seemed to remember his role and leaped down from his black horse, grabbing two orcs barehanded and charging off.
Compared to his brother's skillful blend of technique and power, Apbet was far too reckless.
They were both bald, but you could tell them apart at a glance.
If I had to pick one to be on my side, it'd be Maker,
but if we needed to break through together, Apbet felt more reliable.
Seeing the two of them leading the charge filled me with confidence.
This might actually be okay?
No matter if there were a thousand or ten thousand foes, these grunts couldn't stop a hero party.
We'd gathered to slay the Demon King, after all.
It was obvious, but seeing it with my own eyes made it feel fresh.
"My lord. Hold on tight."
"Uh, yeah...!"
Neris donned her helmet and galloped ahead.
She could go even faster?
The black horse became a streak darker than twilight, mercilessly piercing through orcs and clearing a path.
The guerrilla squad members swiftly followed in its wake.
"Thanks for opening the way.
Leave the killing to us!"
Blam and Angel stepped up boldly.
Blam carved through enemies with nimble swordplay,
while Angel shattered the ground on landing, then smashed dozens of airborne orcs with his fists in a brutal display of brawling that overwhelmed the monsters.
"Chweeek! Chwek!"
At that moment, the orc horde stirred.
As if to prove they were trained, sword-and-shield wielders surged forward to crush us with numbers,
followed by a rain of arrows pouring down.
I felt a twinge of crisis as the arrows blotted out the sky above.
I summoned spirits to raise a barrier.
But then.
"Don't worry, my lord.
Herka is here on this battlefield."
"Wha...!"
I was stunned.
The arrows had all frozen midair!
Another of her unique spells. I'd never seen or experienced anything like it even in Melbrit.
Like gravity—or telekinesis?
Herka stood with hands in her pockets, gazing imperiously down at the monsters.
"This is the price you pay."
The arrows reversed course.
Straight back to their shooters.
I couldn't help but gape as hundreds of arrows scattered once more and the sky cleared.
The orc horde had been halved in an instant.
"As expected of Herka! So cute! The best!"
"Leader! Don't draw attention by yelling!"
I heard Oia chattering.
The tension melted away completely.
Neris's saddle was downright comfortable.
"That's enough! Ignore the remnants. We're breaking through!"
"Yeah!"
Maker, who had been swinging his staff wildly for a while, suddenly leaped high and remounted his horse.
"We're pulling out, my lord."
"Right."
The massive orc unit watched us leave in dazed massacre aftermath, utterly stunned.
Apbet laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Look at them!"
I couldn't help but laugh along.
I hadn't done much, but my spirits were soaring.
"You were awesome, Neris."
"Save the praise.
This is nothing even a cadet couldn't handle."
That coolness was her charm.
We pressed on without rest, repeating these battles.
We unilaterally slaughtered and broke through any monsters blocking the path.
The order shifted occasionally, but the basics were Neris piercing ahead, Herka dominating the field.
Deeper in, the monsters grew stronger and more varied, but this winning formula held firm.
"Gargoyle swarm with troll heavy infantry ahead!"
The scouts shouted.
Lisa didn't slow down. Neither did the rest of us following her.
Trolls were like massive green walls. Their grotesque skin texture and sheer size alone—
back in my adventurer days, I'd have turned tail without a second glance.
And flying beam-shooters in the sky to boot.
Fighting these absurd freaks made me realize just how deep we'd pushed.
Monster elite units?
"Haat!"
Melbrit's black flash.
The black light from Neris Rika toppled the steadfast trolls like dominoes.
Herka bombed the skies with mana blasts for mass slaughter.
And even dodged gargoyle beams while grinning leisurely.
"My ranged evasion is perfect, you see?"
It was like watching a cutting-edge fighter jet versus paper airplanes.
Herka's Geomka toyed with the gargoyles through overwhelming maneuverability.
Gargoyles she downed rained down like a shower, turning the ground into chaos.
"Whoa! Rocks falling from the sky, little bro!"
"Let's use 'em as weapons, bro!"
"Too gross, I'll pass!"
Gargoyle flocks and troll packs.
We broke through without much trouble.
But it had taken longer than the first time, that was true.
Lisa halted her horse only after the troll unit was far enough behind.
"Halt.
The horses are at their limit. We'll camp here tonight and set out tomorrow."
Time to part from Neris's ample chest.
A shame.
I dismounted the black horse and helped set up the tents.
The operation was going so smoothly it was eerie. The hero guerrilla squad's breakthrough power exceeded imagination—
even if I'd been the enemy, I'd have been at a loss and panicked.
But even the strongest party needs rest.
The horses that had run to their limits steamed like live grenades.
The rear support team immediately wiped down their sweat to prevent chills.
Herka worked on camouflage barriers to hide the daytime campsite.
Neris and I helped with the tents.
It was simple repetition of what we'd done before.
"Herka's an amazing woman, don't you think?"
Tonius said suddenly from across the way.
"There isn't a woman in our party who isn't."
"Hahaha! True enough.
That cute little dark-haired girl is especially so.
Herka's magic is straight out of a fantasy. And adorable to boot...
Barrier setup was my job, but now I've got nothing to do."
I was realizing it bone-deep now.
It was natural that Neris, who often helped hold defensive lines, was a strong fighter,
but Herka had already become indispensable in this unfamiliar terrain by fully showcasing her abilities.
It probably wasn't unrelated to Lisa not drawing her sword once so far.
"I'm at loose ends too.
Just helping with chores."
"Huh? What're you talking about.
We can all see how much the hero relies on you just by watching."
"..."
Oh, right.
I was the one basking in the hero's trust.
"You're overestimating me."
Oia waved from afar.
"De~cal!
The hero's calling you!"
Tonius grinned good-naturedly, like see what I mean?
"We don't think the hero's overestimating you.
Relax and show us what you can do.
Lead us down the right path."
"..."
The right path.
Yeah...
Anyway, I had work to do.
I headed to the temporary tent where the hero waited.
Lisa avoided my gaze.
Huh?
...Something felt off.
Oh, right—it was because I'd been chased out like that time before.
Was she feeling inwardly sorry about it?
I'd only hurried out because I was afraid I'd pounce on her.
"I called you to discuss strategy.
...Any issues?"
I could tell Lisa was awkward in moments like this.
It was cute that even the great hero found me intimidating.
Well, sure.
Lisa relied on me due to hypnosis,
but I was a man who rarely opened up.
The relationship tilted in my favor.
Without this, it would've taken ages to make a move on the hero.
"Nope."
I answered curtly.
Lisa shifted markers on the map as she spoke.
"We're executing a plan using the main force as bait to exploit the enemy's main units detaching,
sneaking in to raid their headquarters.
The stealth maneuver succeeded, and we're now infiltrating their base. Ideally, we'd storm the Demon King's castle in minimal time, but..."
"They've probably noticed by now?"
"Yeah. It's been a while since the first battle.
The Demon King has likely realized the diversionary unit has moved."
From here on, tough fights awaited.
We'd reaped the benefits of surprise so far, but the enemy wouldn't just breathe easy with a blade at their throat.
"The issue is the demigods haven't shown themselves yet.
I think it's time to narrow our targets.
Focusing on demigods forever will slow our responses."
"What do you mean?"
"We need to decide: push straight to slay the Demon King,
or lure and harass the demigods with disruption tactics."
We couldn't split focus.
If picking one, it was the Demon King.
I had no way to find where Seoyeon was.
Even if I asked gods like Siana or Bella for her location, she had wings.
Unless I made Bella my subordinate and chased her with dimensional magic,
capturing her would be incredibly hard.
Overfocusing there would stray too far from slaying the Demon King.
"One thing I want to ask.
What's your basis for pinpointing the Demon King's location in this vast land?"
"You're talking strangely.
The Demon King is in the Demon King's castle."
"What if the Demon King hides?
They know our goal plain as day. What if they set traps and vanish?"
Having lived in the modern world, I didn't know how authoritative the Demon King was among monsters.
But if they were humanoid-ish, couldn't they just run?
"Answering one by one...
We have to brace for traps.
We're invading their HQ to end this war quickest.
Expecting no countermeasures would be foolish."
...I see.
"Traveling with me means embracing death.
Feel free to scorn it as pathetic."
"Not pathetic.
It's perfectly heroic tactics."
We'll accept the traps.
Not wise, but it suits a monster-packed guerrilla squad with off-the-charts combat specs.
Of course, without my "hypnosis" trump card, I couldn't stay calm.
"Then, if the Demon King hides?"
"Bottom line: they can't hide because I'm going myself."
"What does that mean?"
"Just as the Demon King would recognize me,
I would recognize the Demon King.
We're each other's compass. I could find them at the world's end."
Cool.
Hero and Demon King destined to clash, huh?
Convincing.
So the Demon King would bolster fully and face the hero head-on rather than flee sloppily or use decoys.
That's what Lisa was betting on.
We'd fight at a disadvantage, but the chance to face the Demon King mattered.
She'd honed her swordsmanship for this unknown moment, to a level Sia would rave about.
But the Demon King's capabilities remained unknown.
"Ever fought the Demon King, Lisa?"
"Not directly."
"...Confident you'll win?"
"..."
Lisa sighed, looking at me.
"You ask a hero that?
The answer's obvious."
"You'll win?"
"Yeah."
"You could lose too, right?"
Lisa frowned.
"That's an unpleasant question, Decal. That's why I need your power—to make sure it doesn't happen."
"Then be honest.
The others don't need to know, but I do."
"..."
Lisa's eyes wavered.
"Your instinct for unseen threats.
Isn't that why you brought me here?"
"You're right.
I've seen the Demon King's magic. It's superior to mine.
Against a prepared foe, our odds are low.
But... I came here with resolve, Decal. I'll slay the Demon King and keep you alive."
Her resolute gaze
overlapped with her panting in my arms,
and unable to read the mood, I got hard.