[Alstein!]
[In the end, the existence of beasts became a variable.]
[Because of that, foreign substances entered the shell.]
“Cough… hack, crack…”
[Why did the apocalypse disappear?]
[Why do you keep disappointing me?]
[Is there something I couldn’t do for you?]
“Huff… cough—I’m sorry…”
[Are you going to say sorry again?]
“Ugh… sniff… No, I’m not…”
[You said you sent Kalt, right?]
“That’s right…!”
[Did you bestow the ‘Blessing’?]
“Huff… Ugh… As for the blessing… I have thoroughly bestowed it.”
[I understand.]
[This time, I have no choice but to use the ‘Blessing’ to retrieve the apocalypse.]
[There won’t be a next time.]
“… Thank you…”
[So, retrieve the apocalypse.]
[Don’t let it fall into the hands of arrogant challengers.]
[Eliminate the variables.]
[Unconditionally.]
“I understand…”
*
Hephaestus immediately jumped off my back and dashed toward the tree roots extending at the summit.
“Hey, hey! Pinky’s gone mad…”
Following her, Charlotte and Rubia also ran.
I stopped in my tracks and expanded my senses.
Riding the thorny roots that looked like they could slice through anything, I continued to extend my perception.
Passing through the sticky liquid here and there, my senses moved relentlessly over the beast’s flesh.
At the end of the roots, I envisioned someone entangled in vines.
In that moment.
A sound calling Yuria echoed through Carahan.
Slowly, I assessed Yuria’s condition.
The first thing I perceived was a faint heartbeat that seemed like it could stop at any moment.
Next was her arms, with the skin hanging off, and twisted legs.
The hole in her side, and the gash that ran from her right shoulder down to her left thigh.
Though drawn through perception, she was in a terrible state.
I took a deep breath and slowly took a step forward.
Yuria, as I saw in the game, was strong.
With the title of Druid, she skillfully manipulated plants, healing herself with the life force drawn from them, and possessed the ability to summon animals after establishing a bond, making her a character known as a one-person legion.
She was truly a paragon of offense and defense.
But to have suffered to such an extent…
Hephaestus’s wailing struck my eardrums.
Rubia’s divine power poured out incessantly into Yuria’s body, while Charlotte was pouring all sorts of potions onto her.
“Ugh… Yuria… No… Please, please…”
Hephaestus, unable to do anything, sat in front of Yuria, constantly shedding tears.
A moment later, Yuria’s heartbeat began to gradually return.
The dangling skin on her arm was being restored, and her twisted legs were slowly regaining their form.
The hole in her side was healing slowly, and the deep gash also began to close.
However, the rest of the group seemed oblivious, consumed with healing her crazily.
Thinking it would be better for her to recover quickly, I turned my back and expanded my senses.
To the extent that I started to feel a headache, which I hadn’t experienced for a while.
With a headache that seemed it would split my skull if I didn’t stop, I continued to extend my perception.
Blood surged up from my insides, spilling out of my nose and mouth.
I kept expanding.
In the middle of it, I saw dozens of adventurers.
None looked strong.
Hastily, I released my grip on the hilt of my sword and picked up a fallen leaf to wipe away the blood.
“Urgh… Spit.”
After spitting out the blood pooling in my throat, I turned around and gripped the hilt of my sword.
With even a slight aftershock, my head ached, but I endured and examined Yuria’s condition.
She definitely looked more… human now.
Hephaestus’s wailing had grown softer, and Rubia’s divine power had also lightened.
Charlotte was counting the bottles of potions and calculating the costs…
“Thank goodness. If we had been any later…”
Rubia, seeming to have hurt her legs, finally sat down on her rear and comforted Hephaestus.
“Ugh… Cough… Sniff… So relieved… Huff…”
Hephaestus’s careful hands tidied Yuria’s tangled hair.
“1523 gold… This is a disaster… Ugh.”
Charlotte… seems like she’s genuinely in big trouble…
Behind the deep sighs, Yuria’s broken moans could be heard.
“Sigh… It seems your consciousness is finally returning.”
Only then did Rubia remove her hands and wipe the sweat dripping down her neck.
I slowly approached Rubia from behind, lifting her long hair.
I also have long hair, so I know… this feels amazing on the nape of the neck.
“Ah… Thank you, Noah. Huff, that feels nice.”
Rubia turned to me with a smile and relaxed against my leg.
“You did well, Rubia.”
Even in this cold, she was sweating profusely, and the area where our bodies touched was damp.
But that too quickly dried thanks to her divine power.
As I inhaled the faint sweet scent mixed with Rubia’s sweat, I expanded my senses in preparation for any unknown situation.
*
“Water… give me some…”
After a while, I heard Yuria’s voice as she turned in discomfort.
“Yuriaaaaaaa!! Waaaaah!”
Hephaestus began to cry again.
“Yuria, you little… Haa, I’ll make sure to collect the cost of these potions… First, 19 top-grade potions—”
Charlotte listed the types of potions she had used and abruptly threw a water bottle.
“Ha… Damn, I almost died… Sob… Huff!”
Yuria gulped down the water and began rummaging through the roots again.
“Yuria… Yuriaaaa…”
“This tiny speck, when did you… cough—how dare you call my name so casually? Huh? Wanna die?”
“Waaaah! Good… I wanted to hear it so much, sniffle…”
“Ha, this is crazy.”
Pushing Hephaestus away while rummaging through the roots, Yuria eventually pulled her hand out, letting out a sigh of relief.
In her hand was an old book.
“By the way, why are you here?”
“Sniff… I came to see Yuria… I thought something had happened… Cough…”
“I said to stay home… By the way, why is Charlotte here?”
Finally realizing the situation, Yuria began looking around, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision.
“I couldn’t see because my eyes were blurry… M-Mistress…?”
“Haha… Yes, hello. I’m sorry for the awkward introduction, but please forgive me for sitting while greeting you. I’m a bit tired…”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ve just been lying around all this time.”
Yuria was flustered by Rubia’s polite greeting, waving her arms around.
With every wave, crunching sounds came from her arms… but she diligently continued waving as if nothing was wrong.
And then…
“So, who’s the person behind you?”
Here it comes…
Finally, it’s my turn.
I can do this!
Noah, you can do it!
I began murmuring the greetings I had thought out since arriving in Ursphere.
“Ah, hello there… I’m Noah, a gold-ranked adventurer…! I’m twenty years old… uh… my career is two months, no… now it’s three months, and, um… what else…?”
Out of nowhere… my turn came and my mind froze…
What do I do…?
“Pfft- Hahaha”
Sweat pouring down as I tried to recall my greeting, Rubia made a strange sound while shaking her shoulders.
She’s laughing at me…
Naughty Rubia!!
She shouldn’t be laughing when she can’t help!
“Noah… Noah… black hair and great sword… Ah.”
While mumbling my name, Yuria continued her words, lighting up a thought bubble above her head.
“Blood Demon?”
…What?
“B-blood demon…?”
“Hehe… Snicker—Hahaha!”
Rubia, who had been holding back her laughter, finally burst out.
Charlotte and Hephaestus nodded as if in agreement.
After some time, when Rubia’s laughter finally subsided, Yuria brushed herself off and stood up.
“Huh… First, I have a lot of questions, and I’m sure you all do too, but it’s dangerous to talk here, so let’s explain while going down.”
Then, she put the book back in the roots and looked at her clothes, now in tatters.
“Ugh dang it. Charlotte, give me a robe.”
“5 gold.”
“You crazy girl.”
“1 gold.”
“I’ll just take it off and leave.”
“… Damn.”
Charlotte clicked her tongue and handed over the inhibiting robe.
“Shall we set off then?”
Yuria, wrapped in the robe, smiled tenderly at us.
“Hephaestus. You get up too.”
“Aah! It hurts!”
“Stop your whining.”
Hephaestus was forcibly pulled up by Yuria’s hand.
“So… it was Kalt?”
Charlotte, exhaling deep smoke, offered a cigarette to Yuria.
“Yeah. That bastard.”
Yuria, holding the cigarette, lit it with a flick of her finger.
So she can use ordinary magic too…
“Huff… Ah, nice.”
“Where did you escape from?”
“Over there.”
“The Isella Forest?”
“Yeah. But I managed to escape cleanly, so it’ll take them quite a while to find me.”
Smirking, Yuria took a puff of her cigarette and reached out for Hephaestus.
“Let’s go, my little one.”
Without a word, Hephaestus shyly touched Yuria’s fingertips.
“Shall we also go?”
Whether she noticed that or not, Rubia also reached out her hand towards me.
“Damn, what the hell.”
Charlotte spat out a cigarette and contemptuously spat.
For some reason… holding hands in this atmosphere felt a little embarrassing.
Just when I was about to reach out to hold Rubia’s hand—
I felt a killing intent that tore through my whole body.
My mind went blank.
My body began to tremble coldly.
I bit my tongue, regaining my mind.
I drew my great sword.
The roots wrapped around Hephaestus.
Charlotte unleashed her magical power and raised her shield.
I sharpened my senses.
Head? Neck? Waist?
No.
This entire area.
Shoving Rubia aside, I poured every ounce of strength into my great sword.
THWAANG!
Steel clashed against steel.
The shockwave exploded forth, tearing flesh.
The roots were crushed, and the shield shattered.
The trees were uprooted and vanished, and the rocks were torn apart.
The fierce wind pressure blew away all the falling leaves around.
The clouds split, and even the air evaporated.
“You managed to withstand my sword.”
The skin on the hand gripping the great sword tore.
Bones cracked and splintered.
My shoulder creaked as my waist bent.
“Impressive.”
CRACK- Armor moved.
A thin blade pushed the great sword away.
My legs buckled.
Blood poured from my eyes, nose, and mouth.
The blade is pushed back.
Strength is pushed back.
Momentum is pushed back.
Everything is pushed back.
“But.”
The sword disappears.
It scatters.
Becoming a flickering shadow.
And seeped into my body.
Then.
SHWOOSH!
Burst forth.
“That’s all there is to it.”
Amidst the showering droplets of blood.
For eight years, never having won even once.
Beyond the limits of humanity.
As a being deemed a calamity.
The master.
The black knight, Kalt, was drawn.
