However, despite Hans’s promise, Cluna and Clara were burning everything they had as they pressed forward. Normally, someone would have stopped them, but no one did.
To be precise, Revel was controlling them just enough not to die. Anyway, it’s a fact that their actions were helpful. Right now, the Anti-Demon Alliance was in a situation where it was being attacked by three Blood Demons.
Even if Revel could handle two of them somehow, if three of them got attached to Revel, the Alliance would have to face annihilation. In the midst of that chaos, Cluna and Clara were rampaging.
Naturally, two of the Blood Demons targeted Cluna and Clara, allowing Revel to regain some leisure. However, it would be problematic if they died, so he couldn’t just leave them alone.
‘But even considering that, they have been rampaging way too much recently.’
In the past, some compromise was possible, but recently they were starting to ignore everything and act however they wanted. Of course, this didn’t mean he was planning to say anything about it.
In fact, thanks to Cluna and her daughter rampaging, the power of the Blood Demons was greatly weakened. The burden on the Blood Demons had also increased significantly, and just one thing. If he could wish for something, it would be for them to fight to the end and die…
“I have nothing else to wish for.”
When Cluna and her daughter were weakened enough to fall, the Alliance would be able to stabilize its position. At least that was Revel’s judgment. Cluna was aware of this as well.
But Cluna didn’t care. On the contrary, she liked that Revel wasn’t interfering. Let’s just use each other and not cross the line. We’re not comrades, right?
Even though there were no feelings for each other, the cold actions driven by self-interest became the reason for their collaboration. An alliance that could break apart at any moment.
Clara was even more intense than Cluna. Unlike Cluna, who read the situation and chose the best method, Clara outright refused to ally with the demons. She was furious.
“Why should we join hands with those trash?”
“I completely understand your anger. But we need to compromise.”
“……”
“If we die like this, it’ll be nothing but a miserable death.”
Cluna’s words were a fact. No matter how strong they were to stand against the Blood Demons, facing the other demons together was like committing suicide, or worse.
The demons could even use the corpses of their opponents. It could become a hindrance instead. Considering all of that, Cluna swallowed her humiliation and chose to join forces with the demons.
“For now, just swallow your humiliation.”
“……”
“After all, I can just kill them all later.”
“True, that point is spot on.”
However, what Revel hadn’t anticipated was that the hatred towards the demons was building up far beyond imagination. Was it just for revenge? Or was it from venting their frustration somewhere else?
They probably didn’t even know themselves. The uncontrollable hatred and anger continued to stack up. It would eventually explode, but at least until now, they had been persevering somehow.
Their actions, burning themselves as they advanced, were rather close to firewood. And it hadn’t changed even now. They would burn every life to kill all the demons.
“Looks like the trash has arrived.”
“Seems so, a clean-up is in order.”
“Not bad. I was just getting uncomfortable.”
Clara rose from her seat with blazing eyes. Cluna, trying to stop her instinctively, found her empty arm unable to intervene.
Not even having a prosthetic was her will. A will of revenge that vowed never to forget him. And every time she saw Clara, her anger only grew. The demons were her sworn enemy.
They took away her mother’s arm and even the commander’s life… Soon Clara reflexively shook her head. The commander wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead. Desperately trying to compose herself.
“They’re here. What are you thinking of doing?”
Even though Revel clearly knew what they would do, he unusually came to ask the mother and daughter this question. It felt somewhat provocative. Were they really going to rest even though the enemy had come?
“I’m going to kill them all.”
“Well, the answer was obvious, right?”
“Alright, but don’t stare at me like that.”
After the ongoing battles left scars all over Clara’s body, she looked more like a fiend than an elf. Clara forcefully brushed past Revel’s shoulder. Revel smirked.
“Well, I might just wish you some luck.”
If you die, it would be a huge loss for us.
*
The next morning.
Hans woke up and was gathering his equipment. No one knew how long they would stay here. He had to conserve his gear and save food as much as possible. That was Hans’s thought.
He didn’t think Maquenis would teleport them here for no reason. There must be some purpose. If that’s the case, they should be nearby. Hans swallowed dryly.
Awaiting their reunion since three years ago, now that he actually thought he might meet them again, it was unavoidable that he would feel tense. Just as Hans was tidying himself up.
“Something’s coming over there.”
“Something’s coming this way?”
“Yeah.”
Looking in the direction Lua pointed, Hans raised his head. Once, Lua had hidden away in a place where no one was around out of annoyance. Yet, despite that, Lua managed to find Hans and come close.
‘How do you find me?’
‘I can see quite a distance ahead.’
‘You can see that far?’
‘Yep! My mom said it’s called clairvoyance.’
Clairvoyance. It was a very high ability to see far away. Could it be that Lucy knew about this and connected him with Lua? Hans let out a deep sigh. If so, she could have told him.
“But what’s coming…?!”
At that moment, time stopped. Everything around him turned gray, and in that moment, Hans saw it. An arrow passing right by him. It was clearly aimed at him, but it missed.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like it was meant to hit him. But it must have almost killed him with its sheer momentum, triggering the time stop. What the heck was going on?
In Hans’s mind, there was only one person capable of shooting an arrow like that. If that were the case, it meant he found the right place. But first, there was something he had to do.
Hans quickly grabbed Lua’s side and fled the spot. At the same time, the time stop was released. Subsequently, the rain of arrows destroyed the surroundings.
It was called an arrow. In reality, its destructive power was closer to that of a shell. Hans frowned. What on earth happened in just three years? No, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
“Do you know the direction from which that arrow came?”
“I saw it earlier. Someone was fighting.”
“Good, let’s head that way.”
Without hesitation, Hans dashed forward. He could finally reunite with them. In this situation, there was no reason to hesitate any longer. Though he had some concerns.
What should he say first when he sees them? Or is it more correct to help them first? Just as he was deep in thought, Lua, who was clinging to him like a burden, shouted.
“Someone is coming ahead!”
“Tch! Interfering pests.”
“?!”
Hans’s eyes shone fiercely. At that moment, he moved as if he were lightning. A line appeared before him as he beheaded all the monsters in sight. Hans grumbled.
“Don’t disrupt us when you have no idea what’s going on.”
The monsters posed no threat to Hans, who had completely subdued the Dragon Heart. Clenching his teeth, he continued to charge forward, even as monsters continued to obstruct him.
It looked like they were trying to prevent him from reaching her. However, even they couldn’t stop Hans, who had completely mastered the Dragon Heart. He shook the blood off his sword.
As he kept running forward without resting, Lua finally reacted. However, her expression wasn’t very good, but Hans didn’t have time to check her.
Because her appearance caught his eye. Her hair, flowing with a gray hue unlike before, sharp ears, and numerous scars. She looked certainly different than before.
Even so, Hans recognized her at a glance. He knew Clara. And it seemed she recognized him too. Even with the enemies directly in front of her, it might have been because she heard Hans’s voice.
Clara’s gaze turned directly in Hans’s direction. As if the enemies before her didn’t matter at all. Soon, the moment she recognized Hans’s face, she managed to smile.
“Wait, ahead…!!!”
“Looking back when enemies are right in front of you? Are you asking to be killed? Huh?”
In that split second, Hans reacted. Though it was a brief moment, it was enough for him to respond. An unusual motion where his index and middle fingers clashed. However, unlike usual, this time he didn’t stop.
“……Huh?”
The time stop didn’t activate. Instead, Hans saw it. The scene of Time smiling behind Clara. And simultaneously, a massive scythe swung down, severing Clara’s neck.
The smile on her face fell to the ground.
That head rolled like a ball until it reached Hans’s feet.
As Hans stared blankly at the severed head, he heard a familiar voice.
“Now you need my help, right?”
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