Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: The Raid (2)
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Everyone was faced with an unexpected situation. Myself included, and Barroc as well. What should have been a deadly battle to the death had, at some point, taken a strange turn.
The main cause, surprisingly, was Ilensia. Her role was to cover our allies from a safe position or snipe at Barroc.
I hadn't given her detailed instructions. I'd simply assumed, *she's an elf, she'll know how to shoot well,* and left it at that. As a result, everything had become a mess.
"Hey, knock it off!"
"These damn arrows keep messing up our rhythm..."
Baken and Crow openly voiced their complaints. Given that they had to fight the enemy up close, they also had to pay attention to the arrows fired by their own ally.
Although she was aiming for Barroc, perhaps because they'd never coordinated before, there were several situations that nearly resulted in friendly fire. Even our princess was giving the elf girl a cold glare.
"—!!"
Ilensia, looking wronged, flushed and flared up. She was trying her best, so how must she have felt, getting chewed out by her comrades?
Normally, she would have argued back, but given the situation, the sight of her holding it in and continuing to fire arrows was commendable.
From my perspective, seeing the bigger picture, I surprisingly had to admit the elf girl's innocence. It wasn't that she was bad; her archery was, as expected of an elf, exceptional.
Even if I treated her like a fool, she was still a talented prodigy once considered a Hero candidate. Her skills were only lacking in comparison, but her attacks were more than enough to threaten Barroc.
Well, she hadn't hit him once yet, but that couldn't be helped. It would be difficult even against an equal, but this opponent was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, someone far superior.
Every time Ilensia fired an arrow, Barroc twisted his body like a phantom. Despite the lack of any significant hits, I personally held the elf girl's archery in high regard. It meant her shots were threatening enough that a powerhouse like one of the Four Heavenly Kings had to dodge each and every one.
At some point, Ilensia's archery improved even further. She anticipated his reactions and even used wind spirits to aim tenaciously. When it came to archery, she possessed an outstanding sense for it.
Therefore, the problem wasn't her, but the others. Baken and Crow, in particular, were the culprits. Their eagerness alone got the better of them, ruining their coordination time and again.
The constant disruption to the flow of battle was entirely their fault, but for now, I had to let it slide. I could scold them later; until the battle was over, we had to maintain our formation.
Well, all this was within an understandable range. It's natural for some friction to occur in the first real battle. What truly baffled me was none other than Barroc's reaction.
"How utterly annoying! For something so insignificant to interfere at every crucial moment..."
He growled, glaring at Ilensia. I could feel he was genuinely pissed off. Was this something to get so angry about? Well, if I put myself in his shoes, I could understand it to some extent.
Towards Barroc, who was emanating an incredibly fierce aura, our elf girl responded not with fear, but with a flash of defiance.
"You think my attacks are pathetic? Then why are you dodging them?"
"Th-that's instinctively..."
"Whatever. If you're so confident, then take one. A Heavenly King should at least have that much guts!"
"..."
"Don't tell me you don't even have the nerve for that? And you have the audacity to look down on me? Hah, how ridiculous."
Her unbridled tongue left everyone, myself included, dumbfounded. Huh? What in the world? Was she always this good with words?
I analyzed the rampaging elf girl's behavior. Could it be because she'd been ignored by her comrades all this time? It seemed she had a lot of pent-up frustration. She was taking out what she'd suffered from us on the enemy.
"Very well. Shoot again. I will prove it to you."
Barroc spoke gravely. He made a bold proposition, as if accepting Ilensia's challenge. It seemed he intended to restore his wavering pride as one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings.
Ilensia scoffed, then immediately fired three arrows in succession. They moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, but...
*Thwip-thwip-thwip!*
Barroc displayed the divine skill of catching them with his hand without difficulty. For a moment, a silence fell over the area. Normally, I would have been amazed by such an incredible feat, but not this time. Ilensia let out a sneer, as if she had him right where she wanted him.
"What are you doing? I told you to take it, not block it."
"I-it's just that my body moved on its own..."
"Ah, I get it now. You were scared after all. Your mouth says one thing, but your body is honest, isn't it?"
"—!!"
The elf girl won by decision. It was merely a war of words, but she had achieved a complete victory against one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Her dazzling growth was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
At a glance, it might not seem like a big deal, but it absolutely was. The essence of a fight has always been to piss off your opponent. Regardless of victory or defeat, that was the most important thing.
"You insolent elf wench... Get down here at once! I will carve the terror of my being into you!"
He roared ferociously with all his might. The surrounding area trembled with immense pressure, but Ilensia paid it no mind.
"Hmph. Why should I? If you've got a problem, try and catch me."
She taunted him, flailing about like a fish in water. A girl overflowing with a provocative charm in a completely different sense. The elf girl looked different today. Seeing her so spirited, shouting like that, was actually kind of cute...
"Do you wish to cowardly shoot arrows from afar? As a companion of the Hero, you should fight fair and square..."
"What? Fair and square? You're the one who launched a surprise attack, and you have the nerve to say that? The Demon King's Army is as insidious as they say!"
"..."
She feigned disappointment, as if saying even someone of his stature was no different. If she were alone with Barroc, she would have immediately raised both arms in surrender... It was obvious she would have been crying and begging for her life.
But now, with the advantage of the situation on her side, she was running wild. Barroc, on the other hand, couldn't even get a word in. It seemed he'd realized he was no match for her in a verbal battle.
Hmm, is she his natural counter? At this point, she's practically his nemesis. This scene wasn't in the original story. What had changed? After a moment of thought, I came up with a plausible hypothesis.
Originally, Ilensia didn't use a bow at this point in time. I had encouraged her, advancing the timeline, and this strange result was the consequence.
This was an unexpected situation for me as well, so what should I do? The flow had shifted dramatically, but it wouldn't be bad to just let it be. If she could piss off the enemy, that in itself was a good thing.
However, I wondered if it was okay for a battle between the Hero's party and a Heavenly King—a battle that should be epic—to turn out like this. Its dignity was plummeting in real-time! There wasn't an ounce of class left!
Barroc was already thoroughly enraged, and the situation on our side wasn't much different. All seriousness had vanished, and I couldn't shake off the awkward feeling.
In that moment, Barroc's killing intent focused on a single point. He had decided to deal with Ilensia before doing anything else.
With that, the elf girl had drawn his aggro perfectly. I couldn't give him an opening to approach her. I tightened the encirclement with my comrades. If he ignored us and moved recklessly, he would suffer great damage.
But contrary to my expectations, Barroc stood still. He merely pointed a finger in Ilensia's direction; there was no sign of violence.
Still, I couldn't let my guard down. Would someone of his caliber make a meaningless gesture? Indeed, Barroc, befitting a powerhouse of a different league, showed us with his actions.
*Flash!*
A massive flash of dark mana, faster than light, instantly engulfed the place where Ilensia stood.
"Kyaa!"
With a single scream, the entire rooftop where she had been positioned began to collapse. Thanks to the distance, she seemed to have narrowly avoided a direct hit, but at this rate, she might be crushed by the debris of the crumbling building.
I wasn't too worried. An S-rank wouldn't die so meaninglessly. However, she would likely be taken out of commission for a while, either injured to the point of immobility or trapped in the rubble.
I mentally commemorated the elf girl's sacrifice (?). Our little fool... you did more than enough. I won't blame you for taking a good long rest.
No, really, she performed beyond expectations. Barroc must have consumed a considerable amount of mana with that last technique. Furthermore, shaking his mental state with their verbal spar was a significant achievement.
Of course, a Heavenly King was not to be taken lightly. He still had more than enough strength; this was just the beginning. As if to prove it, he muttered ominously.
"One down, for now..."
He continued to draw out his mana, as if he'd had his fill of the appetizer. It was a terrifying amount of mana that far surpassed our level.
Just as everyone was tensing up, Gale and Skadi joined us. They reported that they had roughly cleaned up the small fry. Barroc didn't show any anger at the news that his subordinates had been wiped out. Instead, he revealed his intention to end this quickly.
"...Right. I should deal with the Heroes first."
He spoke as if it were possible, and in fact, it was. Barroc's unique ability. To drag a specific target into his own domain.
An ability that was impossible to evade. You were unconditionally dragged in for a one-on-one fight. The only ones who could possibly endure it were the Heroes: myself and Esterize...
Barroc turned and extended his palm towards the princess. He intended to target the one holding the Holy Sword first. I quickly said to Luciel.
"Quick, cast all your buffs on Esterize!"
A brilliant light seeped into her. Luciel carried out my order without delay. Soon after, a curtain of darkness swallowed the two of them. Everyone was flustered by this strange event.
"Wh-what is that?"
"Ah! Esterize has been dragged away!"
"This is bad. Is this his unique ability...?"
"Everyone, hold your positions. We must remain calm, especially now. His ability probably won't last long. Don't take your eyes off them until Esterize comes out."
As the party's leader, I showed an unwavering front. My influence quickly calmed the chaotic atmosphere, but I myself felt like I was dying of anxiety.
Thinking of Esterize having to face a Heavenly King alone, I felt cold sweat trickling down my entire body. This was a development from the original story; according to my calculations, she would endure it safely, even if she'd be in a tight spot.
I had other reasons to be confident, but I couldn't help but feel anxious. What if something happened to our princess? It would be my fault, and that would lead to self-blame.
If she fell, I wasn't confident I could keep my sanity. With trembling eyes, I stared intently at the curtain of darkness.
Barroc's ability lasted for about one to two minutes... very short, but my impatience made every second feel like an eternity.
'If only I hadn't given her the Holy Sword...'
My past self, who had schemed to take the easiest path possible, now seemed pathetic. Even now, I believe it was right for Esterize to use the Holy Sword from an efficiency standpoint, but apart from that, it felt too selfish.
She must be fighting a life-or-death battle at this very moment... Getting seriously injured is unavoidable. It's greedy to hope to be unscathed against a Heavenly King. I just hope nothing irreversible happens.
In truth, I didn't need to feel this guilty. The next target would likely be me, so it was an ordeal I would have to face as well. Esterize was just experiencing it first.
Our princess... please, just stay alive! It's still hard for me to accept your heart, but I'm willing to accept your body a little, you know?
Of course, I mean that in a completely wholesome sense. As long as I didn't cross the line, it wasn't difficult to accept a part of her affection.
A moment later, the curtain of darkness I had been so anxiously waiting for began to recede. Was it because my earnest feelings got through? Esterize stood with the Holy Sword held high, clearly showing that she was unharmed.