A Worthless Wretch in a Noble Place
In this sacred place stood a wretched figure. The moment Elisa recognized the sharp fangs bared before her eyes, the relative composure she had maintained until just now vanished, replaced by a thick tension that seized her entire body.
It was an unforgettable, distinctive appearance. A beastkin brawler with crimson hair and bronzed skin. From that alone, Elisa immediately understood that the beastkin standing before her was one of the former members of the Hero Party—one of the warriors who had been the first to successfully reach the Demon King's Castle.
To think I would encounter a member of the Hero Party in a place like this… Does that mean… besides that bitch, the others might be staying here as well?
Given that they were comrades, the probability was quite high. And at that realization, for the first time since beginning this mission, a chill ran down Elisa’s spine.
As the Demon King’s personal guard and the strongest among the demon race excluding the Demon King herself, Elisa possessed overwhelming power. Yet she knew all too well that the warriors of the Hero Party were by no means weak opponents. Although she had never faced them in a proper battle—since the Hero had already collapsed before full combat could even begin—she had seen enough of their accomplishments to know that every single one of them was far from ordinary.
Of course, the Hero had shouldered the greatest burden, but the other warriors were estimated to possess strength comparable to the Four Great Commanders of the Demon King’s personal guard… or perhaps even greater. Which meant that right now, the beastkin female warrior standing before her likely possessed power on par with her own.
Unlike before, the beastkin woman now wore an unfamiliar green shackle around her neck. Her eyes were unfocused and hazy as she stared at Elisa. Seeing this, Elisa gripped her weapon tighter and began calculating at maximum speed inside her head.
An enemy whose victory cannot be easily guaranteed… and there’s a high chance her comrades are nearby. In that case… retreating is indeed the best option here.
Since she had already accomplished her original purpose for coming here, there was no reason to risk a dangerous fight. Moreover, somewhere in this vicinity was the Hero himself—the very one the Demon King had personally declared possessed strength equal to her own, regardless of the previous battle’s outcome. Even if combat became unavoidable, the correct choice would be to join forces with him first.
The moment she reached that conclusion, Elisa attempted to conceal herself within the shadows and escape. However—
“!”
In the next instant, a brilliant light suddenly shone from behind her. At the same time, the magic Elisa was trying to use to merge with the shadows was forcibly nullified. A deep look of bewilderment spread across her face.
To cancel my magic by force… Could it be that another member of the Hero Party has arrived?
Elisa turned her gaze slightly backward with sharp wariness. But what entered her eyes was not someone from the previous Hero Party. Instead, she saw an unfamiliar female general clad in armor that glowed with a blue hue.
Leading her subordinates, the woman held a sword and shield that emitted a radiant light. Elisa instinctively furrowed her brow, sensing that although this was not the Hero Party, an opponent who was no less formidable had appeared.
A human I’ve never seen before, but clearly a skilled warrior of considerable strength… So is this the one they call Cassandra?
The powerhouse she had heard about while sweeping away the guards earlier. It wasn’t as bad as if the rest of the Hero Party had shown up, but the situation was still turning extremely unfavorable. Elisa struggled to maintain her composure as much as possible.
In front of me is a beastkin whose power is at least equal to or greater than mine. Behind me is a human estimated to be no less dangerous… A head-on confrontation in this situation is absolutely impossible. Then…
In the end, the only remaining option was to escape by any means necessary. Yet Elisa judged that even that would not be easy in the current circumstances. Part of her magic had been sealed, and the light radiating from Cassandra’s weapon was driving away the darkness she needed to conceal herself. On top of that, the human soldiers Cassandra had brought were already surrounding her from all directions with bows and spears.
This moment truly deserved the phrase “surrounded on all sides.” Elisa began to realize that only one choice remained for her.
“Haa…”
Letting out a deep sigh, Elisa quickly pulled something from her bosom.
It’s a secret weapon that was extremely difficult to create… but there’s no choice now.
Before Cassandra and the others could stop her, she hurled the object in her hand to the ground with all her strength.
Then—
A high-grade magic tool that traps light and releases an overwhelmingly intense flash the moment it is unleashed, completely blinding the vision of everyone in the vicinity.
“W-what the…?!”
“Kgh! What the hell is this?!”
Along with the explosion came an intense light that momentarily engulfed the world. Cassandra and the others had their vision completely blocked. Taking advantage of that gap, Elisa immediately charged toward the encirclement.
A flashbang. It was a tool that condensed advanced light-sealing magic, and once released, it emitted a blinding radiance that severed the sight of everyone around it. Given that the opponent possessed the ability to emit light, this countermeasure was practically a perfect response. In fact, at this very moment, Cassandra and her soldiers were completely unable to react.
The point Elisa aimed for during the time she had bought was not where Cassandra or the beastkin warrior stood, but the location guarded by ordinary soldiers. While those two powerhouses might be different, overpowering regular soldiers whose vision had been blocked by a flashbang was an extremely simple task for her. Elisa sliced through the soldiers in a single breath and attempted to escape the area as quickly as possible.
However—
“Ugh!?”
In the next instant, an ominous killing intent suddenly pierced through her instincts. Elisa twisted her body in a panic and raised the sword she was holding forward.
At the same time—
—Clang!
A heavy blow filled with tremendous force followed. The impact was so powerful that Elisa nearly lost her grip on her sword. She staggered, losing her balance.
“Damn it!”
Elisa struggled desperately to regain her stance from her disordered posture. But just as she barely managed to steady her nearly toppling body—
“Gah!”
—Thud!
A sudden sharp pain struck, and Elisa was slammed straight into the ground. She felt one of her arms snap instantly from the impact. At the same time, she sensed something flying toward the spot where she had fallen.
Elisa forced strength into her one remaining functional arm, desperately trying to escape the area. And then—
—Boom!
An explosive roar rang in her ears, accompanied by flying fragments of stone. Realizing that the source of the impact was the exact spot she had been standing in moments ago, Elisa barely managed to evade it. A spine-chilling sensation washed over her.
That was dangerous… If I hadn’t forced myself to dodge just now…
As the effect of the flashbang began to fade, the result of the recent explosion gradually came into view. Where Elisa had been slammed down earlier, a crater roughly fifty centimeters in diameter had formed. At its center stood the very person she had been wary of from the beginning—the beastkin female warrior. She slowly raised a fist covered in falling stone fragments and stared in Elisa’s direction.
The blocked vision caused by the flashbang and the resulting chaos. The beastkin warrior had ignored all of that, relying solely on pure instinct to attack Elisa. As a result, she had successfully prevented her escape and even managed to break her arm.
The secret trump card she had prepared for emergencies had failed completely. Elisa realized that the beastkin warrior’s senses were far more extraordinary than she had imagined, and she couldn’t help but frown deeply.
I knew beastkin had exceptional detection abilities, but to pinpoint me so accurately even in that situation…
The opponent’s ability far exceeded what she had anticipated. A deep shadow of despair began to spread across Elisa’s face.
The soldiers who had been surrounding her and Cassandra regained their sight and began reforming the slightly disrupted encirclement. At the same time, the beastkin warrior with unfocused eyes was once again preparing to attack her.
Watching Elisa cornered like this, Cassandra shouted in a triumphant voice.
“…”
The beastkin warrior gave an awkward nod in response to Cassandra’s words, which carried a tone of genuine praise. Her movements, which had been so swift just moments ago, now seemed somewhat sluggish, as if that earlier speed had been a lie. Yet Elisa no longer had any room left to question it.
My last resort has failed… At this point, the only thing left for me to choose is…
Now that even the emergency measure known as the flashbang was gone, she no longer had any means to disturb this many enemies. No—even if she did, it would be useless against a beastkin warrior with such razor-sharp senses. There were no more escape routes. From now on, the only future awaiting her was to be killed by the enemy or taken captive.
Either outcome would mean suffering humiliation at the hands of the enemy. It was a disgraceful end. Having reached that conclusion, Elisa looked down at the sword in her hand and began to steel her resolve.
I cannot become a prisoner and bring shame upon everyone… Besides, I have already completed the critical part of the mission. I have no lingering regrets.
Having made up her mind, Elisa tightened her grip on the sword. Then she slowly turned the tip of the blade toward the place where her heart lay.
Your Majesty… May you enjoy eternal health and prosperity…
After offering her final greeting to her lord, Elisa began to move her arm—
—BOOOOM!!!!!
“!!?”
“Huh?”
The next moment, a massive explosion rang out. The hand of Elisa, who had been about to take her own life, froze in place. At the same time, the faces of Cassandra, the soldiers, and even the beastkin warrior—all of them—stiffened instantly.
From within the thick cloud of rising dust, someone slowly walked out. Clad in black armor that covered his entire body and holding a greatsword that emitted an ominous aura in one hand, he spoke in a voice clear and cold enough for everyone present to hear.