81
Chapter 81
Hero Claire, the tragedy.
To be honest, I had underestimated her.
I had never actually met her. Claire grew up quietly on the continent before meeting a miserable end in the Demon Beast Forest, and during that time, my previous self was confined within the family estate.
Thus, the Claire I knew was merely a few words in a history book. A pathetic hero without the brilliant achievements or flowery titles attached to other heroes. It was only natural that I looked down on her.
However, it seems I took her far too lightly.
"Ha!"
A well-honed blade brushed past me with dizzying speed. I almost lost an arm in a heartbeat.
"Is that Imperial swordsmanship? The authentic style?"
"You brat!"
"Your energy is meager, but your swordsmanship is impressive. You must have trained quite a bit."
It seemed impossible to bring Claire to her knees using cards alone. I could easily take her down if I used the [Joker] card, but I couldn't bring that out here. It would be a waste to use it on a mere pest like this.
But cards aren't my only weapon.
Thwack-!
"Gah!"
"Does it hurt? Does it?"
"A strange weapon...! Where did you hide a club like that...!"
I pulled the Magic Wand from Arachne's Bag and struck Claire's head. The skin on her head split, and a bit of blood sprayed. Claire grit her lower lip, swallowing the pain.
Though the Magic Wand's prestige had plummeted recently because of Aru, it was still more than enough to smash the head of a mere human.
"That mere stick! I'll slice it in one go!"
Whoosh-!
Claire swung her sword horizontally to snap my Magic Wand in two.
A well-refined strike, but my wand was not so fragile that it would be cut by a mere iron sword.
Clang-!
The clash of sword and staff rang out clearly. Clang, clang-clang. The sound continued. I swung the Magic Wand in time with the hero's tempo.
"Why can't you cut it? You said you'd slice it in one go!"
"Tsk...! Your weapon is quite sturdy!"
"The essence of Imperial swordsmanship is to cut through all 'matter'! You haven't reached that level yet!"
"Shut up! Why are you talking so much in a fight!"
Woooong-.
Judging that this wouldn't work, Solar energy—the same energy the hero had exhaled earlier—gathered on the iron sword. Golden flames, flickering as they enveloped the blade, surged forward.
The sword rose. The crouching sun revealed its true power. Even through my clothes, my thin skin felt a tingling sting.
I, too, had to pick up the tempo. I'll experience some overload later, but it's not impossible.
I poured Demonic Energy into the Magic Wand. The energy, surging through my veins, passed through my wrist and filled the thin stick.
Purple droplets dripped from the tip of the wand. Where the droplets touched the ground, white smoke sizzled—Sssss. Now, these droplets would heat up and sear the hero's bare skin.
"Spread!"
There's no law saying I have to attack by hitting. Don't be trapped by one-dimensional thinking. Nothing requires more flexible thought than a fight.
I gripped the Magic Wand like a whip and lashed out. The hero watched the wand swinging through the air with a confused look, but upon realizing the intent, she hurriedly jumped back.
"Ugh...!"
A stray droplet of Demonic Energy touched the blonde girl's hair. The sight of purple staining the gold was not a pleasant one.
Sensing that something dangerous would happen if the droplets spread to the skin, Claire used her sword to cut her own hair. The brilliant, long golden hair became a short bob.
"Your split-second judgment is good, Hero."
"You use such cheap tricks!"
"If possible, call it a creative tactic."
The severed hair corroded instantly, turning into purple ash. Claire glanced at the sight and swallowed hard. This was a perilous real-world battle where a single mistake could cost one's life. For someone who likely grew up sheltered in the Empire, this was probably a first.
I had no intention of giving her time to find a solution. Having confirmed the power of the scattered Demonic Energy droplets, I immediately lunged at Claire, and the second round began.
The Demonic Energy was strong, but the Solar energy was equally matched. No, in terms of raw power, the Solar energy was actually superior. After all, the Demon God, the root of Demonic Energy, was considered inferior to the Lord.
Clang-! Boom-!
However, the Magic Wand wasn't the only thing Claire had to worry about. Every time the wand and sword clashed, droplets of Demonic Energy exploded in all directions. Claire had to block or dodge every single one of them, preventing the fight from leaning heavily in either direction.
Yet, maintaining a stalemate actually meant I had the advantage. Claire poured massive amounts of Solar energy into every single attack, while I toyed with her using the minimum amount of Demonic Energy. Demonic Energy is the collection of the most foul and vicious essences.
Even a small amount possesses unparalleled lethality, forcing Claire to maintain extreme focus every second. If a single drop touched her skin, she would have to slice that part of her body off immediately.
I, on the other hand, simply lashed out with the energy as if playing a game. I was slightly pushed back during tests of strength, but fights aren't won with raw power. When I detonated the Demonic Energy like a bomb, Claire had to leap back instantly.
Naturally, I gained the upper hand as time passed. While Claire grew increasingly exhausted, I was simply enjoying myself.
Of course, I didn't plan to just play around thoughtlessly. Heroes are geniuses of growth. I didn't know when she might suddenly awaken and unleash Celestial Energy, the superior form of Solar energy.
Kaka-kak-!
"Haa, haa...!"
Oh, she seems exhausted already. The hero's breathing was ragged, like someone who had just finished a full sprint. It was no surprise; Solar energy consumes a vast amount of stamina due to its immense power.
"It looks like the end is near."
"Kuh, aaaah...!"
Kakagagak-!
With a weakened battle cry, the hero's sword locked onto my Magic Wand. I pulled lightly to retrieve the wand from her orbit, but it didn't budge easily.
"Is this the pinning technique of Imperial swordsmanship? That's a difficult skill; her technical proficiency is indeed impressive. If she had only awakened, she would have reached the level of an Absolute."
Gripping the sword with both hands, Claire pushed my Magic Wand downward. Since she used both hands, she had the advantage in strength, but it wasn't a particularly meaningful move. It seemed like a tactic to neutralize my defense, but how did she plan to attack?
Instead, it left me with one free hand. Just as I was about to throw a punch and shatter Claire's face.
"Haaaaap-!"
I saw it. A wide-open mouth occupying my field of vision.
She was planning to fire another beam from her mouth. The shout was to gather her energy, and pushing the wand down was to ensure the beam hit me directly.
She must have concluded that she would surely lose if the fight dragged on any longer.
"Quite the little trickster."
Solar energy gathered in Claire's mouth. An incinerating energy glowed in her throat, looking as if it would explode and burn everything in front of her at any moment.
I didn't stop my extending hand. Instead, I thrust it forward even faster.
Slam-!
"...!"
"But isn't this too complacent? Using the same technique twice? You're showing your rookie status far too much."
My palm slammed up into Claire's jaw. Her wide-open mouth snapped shut with a loud bang! Without stopping, I grabbed and held her mouth shut, ensuring she couldn't open it again.
Claire's eyes flew open. She struggled violently, but it was a futile effort. I am not such a clumsy hunter that I would let go of my prey once I've bitten down.
Kwakwakwakwang-!
"......!!"
"Wow, that's quite an explosion."
The sound of an explosion echoed from inside the hero's mouth. Claire's Golden Eyes rolled back as if she were having a seizure. I chuckled, holding her up by the mouth with one hand.
Kwakwakwakwa-!
The explosions continued. The inside of the hero's body was likely becoming a complete wreck in real-time.
How much time passed?
The arms and legs that had been convulsing finally went limp. Claire's eyes had turned white. She probably never imagined that the attack she prepared would detonate inside her own mouth.
I didn't imagine it either. I didn't think she would prepare such a stupid attack. This was because I had never experienced a life-or-death struggle where everything was decided in a single stroke.
I've experienced it now, but it's a shame. This will be Claire's final experience.
To make sure she was finished, I brought the Magic Wand to Claire's throat. Perhaps some final shred of consciousness remained, as Claire managed to kick me away with a burst of strength in her legs.
Thwack-!
"Ugh, you're quite sturdy."
"Kugh, ugh...!"
Having put some distance between us, Claire immediately gripped her sword and took a combat stance, but her two legs were shaking uncontrollably. My victory was clearly foretold.
Still, I had to be careful of the Solar energy. I had no intention of giving an almost defeated enemy a chance for a reversal due to a moment of carelessness.
Just as I resolved this and intended to ready my Magic Wand.
Thump-.
A short but heavy sound seeped into my ears.
Claire and I turned our heads at the same time.
"Kugh, uuh...!"
"My Lord, it is finished."
Where our gazes landed, Beatrice was driving her sword into the chest of the Great Warrior.
Blood burst from the Great Warrior's nose and mouth. Indifferent, Beatrice pulled the sword out, drew it back like a bowstring, and then...
Slash-.
With a swing of the blade that felt devoid of emotion, she simply sliced through the Great Warrior's neck. A brutal fountain of blood erupted. The Great Warrior's head rolled across the ground.
Beatrice wasn't the only one.
Grab-!
"Finally caught you! You arrogant brats!"
"Guh...!"
"Keugh...!"
"Now I shall counterattack! Though I doubt frail things like you can hold out for even a moment!"
The Hero Party's Elf Archer and Mage were caught in the King of Humans' grasp. It seemed they had managed to survive using magic and long-range attacks, but in the end, it was merely stalling for time.
The King of Humans' thick hands squeezed the slender necks of the Elf and the Mage. Immediately after, the veins in his hands seemed to turn red.
Crack-!
There is no mercy in death. Neither for the Great Warrior whose neck was severed by Beatrice, nor for the two lives just crushed by the King of Humans.
"You brat, you've finally knelt."
"Ack!"
The fight on Uriel's side had also ended. Perhaps out of consideration for being a fellow priest, the Hero Party's priest did not suffer the tragedy of a broken or severed neck. Instead, Uriel used Holy Power to bind the priest's arms and subdued her by wrenching them back.
I guess she's finally pulling her weight. How admirable, truly admirable.
Some puppies don't even show their faces when their owners are fighting, but Uriel, whom I thought was just a parasite, is actually doing her part. Maybe I should demote Aru to a pet insect and take Uriel in as a pet.
"Bayan! Arael! Rike!! Caroline!!"
A devastated Claire screamed their names at the top of her lungs. So those were their names; I'd rather not remember them.
She seemed to have lost her mind at the death of her comrades. Claire stumbled forward, walking toward where the corpses of the Great Warrior, the Elf, and the Mage lay.
Pshhh-!
"What are you doing! Have you lost it!?"
"Gah...!"
It was a foolish move. I didn't miss that moment of distraction, immediately lunging forward and piercing Claire's abdomen with the Magic Wand. Flesh and organs were crushed, and Claire tumbled miserably onto the ground.
Rolling away, Claire stopped right in front of the corpses she so desperately wanted to reach. Specifically, before the headless corpse of the Great Warrior, the first to be killed by Beatrice.
"...Ugh."
Claire gripped her sword in a reverse hold and stabbed it into the ground. She struggled to lift her broken body... no, to simply push herself up onto her knees.
Claire reached out to touch the rapidly cooling corpse. The chill of the dead reached even here. Finding it quite unpleasant, I quietly approached the hero from behind. To drive the Magic Wand into her neck while she was off guard.
"...Ah."
Having completely lost her sanity, Claire remained motionless with the corpse of the man called Bayan right before her. She only moved her trembling hand, stroking the clean cross-section of the Great Warrior's neck.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see Claire's face from my position, but her eyes were likely filled with a void of panic. She didn't even notice that I was approaching from behind.
Everything was going smoothly. Before long, I reached the back of the blonde girl and positioned myself to drive the Magic Wand straight through his neck.
Now, all that remained was the kill.
I didn't hesitate. Such an act was as natural to me as breathing. Feeling a small surge of thrill, I channeled Demonic Energy into the Magic Wand and lashed out.
Or rather, I tried to. If the hero hadn't spoken at that moment, if that heavy voice hadn't pierced my eardrums, I would have taken his life without stopping.
"Did you say I had lost my mind?"
"...Hm?"
The air turned hot. For some reason, the air entering my lungs felt stifling. The environment should have been cold due to the chill of the corpses, so this ominous change was strangely disturbing.
"Yes, you did."
"Wait, wait a second. This isn't what I think it is, right? Someone please tell me it's not."
"Seeing the death of one's comrades... how could one not lose their mind?"
"No, it's not that. It's possible not to. You never know how the world works. You shouldn't let your mind be swayed by something like that, kid. How do you plan to survive in this world?"
As I spoke, I quickly swung the Magic Wand. An instinct of danger made the hair on my body stand on end. I attacked as if I were being chased.
However.
Grab-.
"What... did you just say?"
"Damn, I messed up."
The hero caught my strike with far too much ease. The hand gripping the wand should have been burned away, but blue flames enveloping the hero's hand incinerated the Demonic Energy.
"'Something like that'? You call the deaths of Bayan, Arael, and Rike 'something like that'—?"
Whoosh-.
It wasn't just the hand. The hero's entire body was blazing within blue flames. His short hair, now dyed a vivid blue, surged upward.
The awakened form of Solar energy: Celestial Energy.
The power said to manifest when heroes reach the status of an 'Absolute Strong One' erupted from Hero Claire's body, blanketing the forest.
The very thing I feared had happened.
The hero's awakening. The death of her comrades had been the catalyst.
"My Lord! It's dangerous! Get away immediately!"
"L-Leader! This energy is unusual!"
"Demon! Get back! The energy is immense!"
"Cl-Claire? Claire! What's happening!"
"Everyone, stay back! It's dangerous!"
"Perish as you are, evil demon."
Along with the somewhat surreal sight of the vision being filled with undulating blue.
The deep blue flames engulfed me.
*****
Swoosh-.
A gentle breeze brushed past the Wolf Girl's cheek. The girl paused for a moment.
A faint sense of anxiety washed over her. She stopped in her tracks and looked back.
"My King, where does your heart wander?"
As the King's pace halted, the old, frail wolf also turned around. The wolf asked about the King's well-being.
"Is there perhaps something on your mind..."
The King nodded briefly, then resumed walking.
"No. Woof, let's go."
Though a wave of anxiety had struck, the King shook his head to cast it off. The most important ritual of a lifetime was about to take place; he could not be shaken by idle thoughts.