Yuusha-sama no Oshishou-sama Chapter 55

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"No. I will not leave this girl alone. I know it's dangerous, but I won't run away."

"But Laura, you could get hurt."

"It's a demon, ya know? Its target is this girl and us adventurers. You shouldn't get yourself caught up in this too!"

Despite Paul and Louis' pleas, Laura refused to give in. Seeing how tightly she hugged Evelina, Oort guessed that she had grown attached to the avian girl. Oort examined his left arm, which had been healed with magic, while listening to the argument unfolding in front of the house.

"It looks like your injured arm will be fine."

"Yeah, thanks."

Oort turned to the smiling, young man in magician's robes. He was the sole magician among the knights who were sent here. The golden amulet engraved with a pentagram hanging from his neck signified his status as an Imperial Court Magician.

"I'm glad it healed up well."

Oort turned back towards the three people who were arguing.

"Seems like they couldn't persuade her."

"Yeah, looks like it."

Having given up, Paul and Louis dejectedly walked away, leaving Laura standing there defiantly.

"Well, I guess such a young kid would have gotten in the way during combat, so we needed someone to look after her anyway. But we can't guarantee her safety." The magician peered at Laura and quietly clicked his tongue.

"How surprising. I thought that the Imperial Magicians were all just prideful sn.o.bs. I didn't think you'd admit to the possibility of failure."

"Haha, good one. But just between us…" The magician lowered his voice and said, "The ones who get sent to battle aren't exactly high-status. We're essentially commoners. Well, there are exceptions, but…"

"I see."

The magician led Oort to the gra.s.sy plains adjoining Laura's fields. They were planning to fight the demon on the plains to minimize any damage to the surrounding area. As they walked beside each other, Oort felt several gazes upon him. The stares came from the five knights keeping watch on the plains. Upon receiving Oort's news about the demon, the Adventurer's Guild immediately requested for aid from the Knight Order. But their only reinforcements were merely five knights and a young magician.

Wait a minute! You're up against a demon, right? What were they thinking, sending so few people?! shouted Lilia the receptionist when she had found out.

Oort hesitantly asked, "…Do you think we have enough people to win?"

"I guess it'd be great if we could win with just us," replied the magician with a troubled expression.

Demons who served under the Demon Lord were split into three cla.s.ses based upon strength. The Demon Dukes, Marquis, and Counts were the strongest demons. Demon Viscounts and Barons formed the second cla.s.s while Demon Knights and Demon Soldiers were the third cla.s.s. Demons who held a rank of Count or higher possessed their own names. The higher their rank, the stronger the demon was. Once, long ago, a Demon Duke appeared and brought a thriving civilization to ruins.

In the present, five hundred years later, the border between the humans and demons had reached the country just northwest of Lemmroussell. Despite this, the only people in the Empire who felt any sense of crisis were the people who lived near the northwestern border and the soldiers on the front lines. To those deep in the heart of the empire, it was just a remote issue on the level of fighting off random monsters. Having never felt the flames of war, the Empire decided it was enough to simply send a few knights to the warfront whenever they were asked to support the continental war effort.

"Well, here's what the higher-ups think. Demons don't just randomly appear, even on the front lines, so your information must be faulty. They paid more attention to the fact that the demon looked like a giant kobold than the fact that the demon had the name Veldaroth. This case is unprecedented, so it's not too surprising that they didn't believe you," shrugged the magician, clicking his tongue a few more times. Oort guessed that the tongue-clicking was a habit.

"We may not be much, but as much as we don't want to, we'll give it our all."

"We'll be counting on you."

The two men looked on as the sun set over the horizon. The sky was dyed blood-red. The three-day deadline was over, and the third night was coming.

The sun had set, and dusk had arrived.

"Big Brother…"

The adventurers standing a small distance from the knights were the first to notice the disturbance. Laura hugged Evelina tightly to her chest. They had decided that they should come along, since they would have been in danger anyway, even if they had stayed back at the house. Leti's gaze was fixated on a single corner of the fields. She clung tightly onto Wynn. There was a pitch-black shadow in that corner.

"What the h.e.l.l? There's only this many of ya?" Veldaroth sneered as his body materialized from the shadow.

"That's no kobold!"

"That's a demon… It's definitely not a kobold!"

"d.a.m.n higher-ups! It's all because they didn't read the report!"

Wynn could hear the knights' groans in front of him.

"Y'all underestimated me. Hey. Are ya sure ya understood that this was gonna be a fight for yer lives? I ain't lettin' any of ya go, yanno?" Ignoring the panicked knights in front of him, Veldaroth issued a death sentence to the adventurers behind them. The same suffocating pressure from their last encounter enveloped the adventurers. The knights standing between them were not spared from his intimidating aura. Bone-chilling fear penetrated everyone present, causing them to shudder.

"T-this is…"

Is this it? Stopped with only his bloodl.u.s.t? Oort raised his shield as if trying to ward off the intimidating pressure. He glanced at Leti next to him. The girl was curled up, hiding behind Wynn's back.

Did she also feel this same bloodl.u.s.t last time? Oort was impressed by the girl's mental fort.i.tude. A more feeble-minded person would've lost consciousness by now. Although the battle-hardened knights and adventurers had shrunk back, they were still conscious. Oort noticed that Laura hadn't succ.u.mbed to the pressure either. She continued to hug Evelina tightly, enduring that fearsome bloodthirst. However, enduring was all they could do. Everyone, including the knights, were frozen in place, barely able to keep themselves from being overwhelmed.

Everyone, save for one.

Oort saw something move from the corner of his eye. Wynn strode forward, unsheathing his sword to point it at Veldaroth.

"…Som-someone like you… There's no way you'll win!" he boldly declared, red-faced as he protectively moved Leti behind him. His words freed everyone else from Veldaroth's spell.

"Tch! The enemy is a demon! We've prepared for this! Draw your swords! Move according to plan!" the magician ordered, leading the knights.

"I seek strength!" the knights chanted in unison, and their bodies were enveloped in light.

"Oh frozen ice, take form!" chanted one of the knights, and ice formed at Veldaroth's feet. At the same time, a spike sprouted from the ground and stabbed at Veldaroth's chest. The sharp tip would have penetrated through a normal human with ease.

"Oraoraora!" Veldaroth swung the same giant club he had last time. The magically formed spear was smashed to bits, sending shards into the air. The three knights who weren't chanting closed in. Their manimbued swords cut silver arcs through the debris.

"There was no impact?!"

"Hey, up here!" Veldaroth had jumped high in the air, and then his club came swinging down onto the three knights. There was a crash as the club smashed into their shields.

"They blocked it!" Oort exclaimed in surprise. The knights were able to endure the blow that had broken his left arm. Veldaroth was knocked back by the recoil from the blow, and tried to regain his footing.

"Oh l.u.s.ter of Steel! Rend the void with a thousand blades!" chanted the magician when he gathered enough mana. Veldaroth crouched into a defensive stance as countless glittering metallic shards appeared and rained down upon him.

"Whoa…" Someone's amazed voice reached Wynn's ears as he watched the battle breathlessly. Leti was also timidly watching the battle unfold from behind his back.

So strong! Amazing! So cool! The knights Wynn so admired were now fighting right before his eyes! His heart danced. The attack that the adventurers hadn't been able to endure didn't overwhelm the knights. Instead, they had even been able to repel such a strong blow.

"I knew it! Knights really are the strongest!" Wynn boasted to Leti, unable to contain his excitement. "So so awesome! I want to be just like them!"

Spears of fire, wind, and earth took shape and flew at the demon one after another. In the darkness, silver flashes of mana could be seen all around Veldaroth. Each time Veldaroth moved to attack, the magician fired a strong offensive spell at him. After each spell, the knights would immediately follow up with an attack. Their coordination was impeccable.

"But Big Brother, a scary feeling is growing from that dog person!" whispered Leti, her voice quivering as she looked at Wynn fearfully.

"Huh?" Wynn barely had time to comprehend Leti's warning before the situation turned for the worse.

"Whoa!"

Veldaroth's left arm suddenly shot out from the curtain of smoke created by the fireb.a.l.l.s, and gripped the head of one of the knights.

"W-wait!" For fear of hitting their comrade, the barrage of magic subsided for a moment.

Crunch

Veldaroth's other arm sank into the poor knight's chest. With a surprised cry, all strength left the dying knight's body, which was then cast aside. Veldaroth glared at the other knights. They leapt back to gain some distance, their reinforced legs allowing them to move more quickly. To any normal human, they would have appeared to vanish, but Veldaroth easily caught up to the knights.

"Yer too d.a.m.n slow!" Veldaroth shouted as his leg swept through the air. An audible crunch was heard as the demon's leg met another knight's head. His body flew through the air, as limp as a ragdoll.

Veldaroth appeared to be completely unscathed despite the barrage of attacks he had just endured. He bared his teeth, then bellowed in laughter, "Hey, I was just getting started!"

"Eliza, imbue our weapons with mana," ordered Oort quietly with a whisper. He wouldn't go down without a fight. With a thud, another knight was killed, his body sent flying, limbs splayed out.

Eliza had just begun chanting when she heard a scream.

"EeeaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Hey, Wynn!"

Wynn charged straight at Veldaroth.

"What?!" The Imperial Magician flinched, then tried to stop Wynn, but couldn't do so in time.

"Hey! You can't beat him with a normal sword! 'Oh blade, follow my will: Imbue the blade with my power!'" Wynn's sword shone with light.

"Well, if it isn't the brat from the other day! So you wanna be the first to die, eh?" Yet another knight's head was blown away, and Veldaroth turned to face the young boy.

"Tch. It won't last long, but… 'Oh magic, heed my orders! Flow into him! Show your strength!'" With another tongue click, the magician cast another spell. Wynn accelerated instantly. In the blink of an eye, he had reached Veldaroth's chest. Wynn made a diagonal slash. Pulling back the sword, Wynn stabbed at the demon. Veldaroth twisted sideways, dodging the thrust.

"Nice skills! You would've been a great swordsman if ya hadn't met me!" Veldaroth swung his fist down, and Wynn narrowly avoided being crushed. He crouched down, slashed at the demon's feet, then leapt back. Maroon light shot from Veldaroth's mouth at him. Wynn zigzagged as he retreated.

"d.a.m.n! There aren't any openings to jump in…"

"Can't you cast strengthening magic on us too?"

"Tch. I could if I had to, but it won't last long enough!"

"But, that boy Wynn is…"

"Yeah, I'm surprised too. It was more effective on him than I thought, but it won't last forever!" Oort's party had run over to the magician, but could only grind their teeth in frustration, unable to intervene. Wynn and Veldaroth were locked in a high-speed confrontation. They would clash, separate, then immediately clash again.

"I can't cast any attack magic like this!" Eliza interrupted her chant, unable to safely provide support fire.

"Stay still, d.a.m.n it!" growled Veldaroth as he shot one ball of light after another. The pace of his attacks had grown faster and faster. The fact that he was having more trouble than expected irritated him. One of the b.a.l.l.s of light hit the ground near Wynn's feet. He used the impact to drive himself upwards. The force of the explosion allowed him to jump higher.

"Tch! It's no good! Even if he lands a blow, the magic I imbued is too weak!" clicked the magician regretfully. Veldaroth raised his left arm, clad in maroon light, and blocked Wynn's attack. Wynn's blade never reached Veldaroth's body. With a single swing of the demon's arm, Wynn was sent flying through the air. He landed on his feet, but Veldaroth was already on top of him. A barrage of punches and kicks rained down upon the boy. Wynn desperately dodged each blow, unable to find a single opening to attack. Each time he tried to back away, Veldaroth closed the distance.

"It's over… The strengthening magic is going to…" The white light shrouding Wynn's body was gradually fading away. Additionally, Veldaroth's attacks were full of feints, trying to confuse Wynn. Veldaroth kicked at Wynn's left side. Wynn held his sword vertically, his left arm bracing against the flat of the blade, trying to weather the force of the kick.

"Can't you cast another strengthening spell?!"

"Tch! Only someone with more magic power than me can overwrite my spell while it's still in effect!" clicked the magician again as he answered Oort's desperate question.

"s.h.i.t! We can't do anything!" cursed Louis. Paul clenched his fists to the point of bleeding.

Suddenly, they all heard a song that felt out of place, given the tense situation. "What the heck?!" the adventurers exclaimed as they turned around.

"There is no way Big Brother will lose!" The source of the song was Leti. In the air behind her shone several magic circles. A blinding light blazed from Wynn's body.

As she held onto Evelina, Laura noticed something strange about the other girl, Leti. All she was doing was staring at the fight between Wynn and Veldaroth. Before Wynn charged into the battle, she had been timidly watching the knights fight from behind his back. When the knights began to be cruelly slaughtered, Laura had covered Evelina's eyes as she closed her own. But now, she just continued to stare blankly as the fight continued.

Whoosh Before her hand reached the girl, a gust of wind blew Laura's hand away. Buffeted by the wind, Laura squinted, trying not to lose sight of Leti. Countless intricate circular patterns of lights formed around Leti. The magician would have recognized it as a magic circle.

"…no way…" Leti stopped singing to whisper something.

"Huh?" Laura could barely hear her voice above the gale.

"There's no way Big Brother will lose!" The second time, she heard it clearly. The frightened Leti was gone. Her voice rang across the plains, and it seemed as if it could reach Wynn fighting in the distance. At the same time, Wynn's body glowed brighter.

"My magic is being overwritten?!" gasped the magician, shocked.

"Was it that brat?!" Veldaroth also noticed it. One by one, magic circles appeared around him. With a casual wave of his hand, b.a.l.l.s of lights shot towards Leti. Just as his attention was fully focused on Leti, she cried out, "Beat him up!"

Wynn's blade shone brighter than ever before. With explosive speed, he closed in and swung his sword, lopping off Veldaroth's defenseless arm.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" the demon roared. The knights' swords felt like flimsy toothpicks compared to Wynn's blade. His severed arm crumbled into dust.

"GrrrrrrrRRR!" growled Veldaroth as he glared at Wynn, his eyes burning with fury and h.e.l.lfire.

"ROAAAAR!!!" Losing himself to anger, Veldaroth let loose a beam of light, but Wynn vanished from his sight with a blur. Even the adventurers watching could barely follow his movements. They were astounded at how quickly Wynn adapted to his greatly enhanced physical abilities. Missing its mark, the beam of light blasted through a nearby hill, and into the forest. A moment later, there was a thunderous boom.

Everyone stared at the giant mushroom cloud, not wanting to imagine what would have happened if that beam had hit the capital instead. Unlike the rapidfire b.a.l.l.s of light earlier, that beam could have destroyed the entire city. Veldaroth was beginning to reveal his true strength.

Wary of such destructive power, Wynn moved in closer. He slashed his sword horizontally, then swung it down from above. Veldaroth didn't try to block the slash directly this time. The light from Leti's mana had honed the edge of Wynn's blade and could easily slice through the demon. He encased his remaining right arm in maroon light and punched Wynn's blade of light. When the maroon light collided with the white, the blade was stopped. The auras clashed with each other, negating the impact of the collision. Veldaroth tried to take some distance, moving at a speed surpa.s.sing that possible for any human. Or it should have been. However, Wynn kept pace with him.

Flashes of maroon and white light lit up the night sky as they continued to duel. The stalemate continued for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, Veldaroth crouched down, trying to sweep Wynn off his feet. The boy jumped back to dodge. Seeing that the demon was crouching, Wynn immediately leapt forward to stab at him. In that moment, Veldaroth opened his mouth, maroon light converging in it.

It was a trap! thought the adventurers, magician, and the sole surviving knight. Veldaroth's lowered body made his head seem defenseless, but it was merely a lure for Wynn. No matter how strong Wynn's body had become, no one could dodge in mid-air. A feral glint shone in Veldaroth's eyes. Making a split second decision, Wynn reached out even further with his sword. When the blade of white light struck the maroon light, it exploded. Wynn surely couldn't avoid such an explosion from that distance. However, he appeared from the blast unscathed, shielded by soft feathers seemingly made of light.

Leti turned her eyes away from Wynn to look at Evelina. The avian girl was standing, her pure white wings spread wide, red eyes glittering. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind as she had her right hand pointed straight at Wynn. Avians were a race considered to be almost divine, blessed with the protection of the wind spirit. Evelina had cast a spell to give him a similar protection. Leti didn't know exactly what had happened. All she knew was that Evelina did something. For the first time since they had met, Leti flashed a brief smile at the girl who was of the same age as her before turning back to Wynn.

In Leti's eyes, no one was stronger. No one was more n.o.ble. No one was more reliable. The girl watched as the boy picked up the sword that had been knocked away by the explosion. Veldaroth's head had been blown up in the explosion, but his body remained standing. Wynn's blade ran across the width of the demon's body.

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