Chapter 45

45 – Mankind’s Strongest

Bella didn’t die in vain.

She succeeded in notifying her allies of the existence of Gra-la and Kimaris.

Of the five Monsters that I summoned, four of them have been revealed.

It’s troubling but I can’t seem to find the remaining one due to Gra-la’s invisibility ability.

No wait, found her.

A pack of Hellhounds who closed in while invisible is now visible because they have gotten close to the enemy.

Lily immediately abandoned her bow and switched to a hatchet. She prides herself on her bowmanship but she wouldn’t fuss over it to the point that it would slow down her technique. With her deft handling, she slashes at the Hellhounds, sometimes slicing off their heads.

Hellhounds’ attacks are low. In order to respond to them, one must naturally take a low stance. But in doing so, this exposes your back to attacks, so she must adopt a difficult stance in order to be vigilant of her surroundings. Either way, her mobility is reduced.

On top of that, there’s Black Magic. Good ole Blank Space and Confusion.

「…Ngh. If I knew it was coming, I could have resisted it…!」

The magic resistance and Magical Energy organ possessed by Elves surpasses that of Humans.

That’s why even my adjusted Black Magic is being somewhat resisted.

Due to that, she’s able to fend off the Hellhounds.

But, her movements have been soundly reduced.

It should be enough, right?

It appears that Leraje thought so too.

「Argh…gh…!」

An arrow is sticking out of Lily’s side. A pale light of Magical Energy is supposed to leak out of a wound, but because of Leraje’s poison, it becomes muddy. The corrosion begins to spread from the wound, her skin slopping away as it melts.

At that time, Fenix’s field of vision was being blocked by the hellfire spewing from Naberius’ three heads.

「Th-this is…that archer’s…」

「That’s Leraje to you, Elf huntress. It’s difficult to fight while under the effects of Black Magic, is it not? To be slaughtered with all of your opponent’s might while you yourself cannot exert your true strength. What a joy it is to be able to share the pain that we have felt.」

Goes the voice of Leraje from the shadows of a pillar.

「…are you saying…that Lem’s Black Magic was like this?」

「No, probably stronger. Lord Chief of Staff adjusted the effectiveness so that you could continue to fight.」

…Even when I fought Leraje, I adjusted my Black Magic so that it would look like normal Black Magic to the viewer, but it’s not the right time to tell her that.

It’s also not a bad thing to raise the evaluation of Lemegeton.

「…You still hold a grudge over missing your arrows, don’t you?」

Lily quickly glanced over at her bow.

「A foolish taunt. But I accept your challenge, Elf woman. Pick up your bow. Lord Glasya-Labolas!」

Leraje’s form is revealed.

…She cooperated in order to ensure the victory of the Demon King Castle Monsters but at her core, she truly loves a head-to-head contest, huh?

The Hellhounds looked to me for instructions, so I raised my hand to instruct them to wait. Fellow invisible allies are able to see each other so it seems my instructions were conveyed.

Meeting Leraje’s eyes, I canceled the Black Magic that affected Lily.

Compared to winning via a surprise attack, winning via a fair bow and arrow match is certainly the desire of other Dark Elves or Hunter Monsters.

Still keeping vigilant, Lily takes her bow in hand.

They both reach for their quivers at the same time.

The one who fired their arrow first…was Lily.

As expected of one of the only three Godspeed users in the world.

But…

「Speed isn’t everything.」

From the beginning, Leraje didn’t plan for this to be a contest of who can fire the fastest.

She leapt to the side with all her might.

With her body flowing through the air, and Lily’s Godspeed all but used up, Leraje readies an arrow and releases it while she was falling.

「Khh-」

Lily couldn’t take evasive action.

Leraje’s arrow pierced her throat and began to corrode.

「Without Lord Black Sorcerer’s aid, all you have is your speed. Train your accuracy and learn some tactics.」

…Leraje seems to have carelessly added「Lord」to Black Sorcerer. Perhaps because she knows that it’s actually me underneath the mask but she is supposed to be the hated enemy of the former Fenix Party.

Fortunately, Lily wasn’t in a state to worry about that.

Since she got hit in the neck, she was finished.

Falling on her knees, she collapses.

Very slowly, her body disintegrates into particles of light.

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And then there was one.

It’s just you, Fenix.

◇

「Please do not protect me.」

Said Lily in a small but sure voice, after Bella dashed out.

The Monsters standing in my way probably won’t break their promise of fighting me one-on-one but the Monsters besides them will most likely aim for Lily.

If I were to move in a way that protects Lily from that, I might take unexpected damage.

Allies help each other but Lily came to the conclusion that fighting individually in this situation will have the highest possibility of victory.

I…also thought the same.

It is difficult to wield the full power of flames with my ally at my side.

I would have left her in the care of Bella but I don’t want to waste her determination. Especially when our opinions align.

My field of vision is filled with flames.

The hellfire of Naberius, a savage three-headed dog who is proud of his horse carriage sized frame.

But my clothes had nary a scorch mark on them as I pushed through the flames.

This is the divine protection given to those who formed a contract with the Fire Spirit.

The temperature is controlled personally, and cannot invade the body.

「It appears that your Hellfire is not enough to grill me.」

「Tsk! Then how about these fangs…!」

「Well I do not possess a divine blessing that guards against being pierced by fangs but…」

From within the flames came a giant head. I pierced it with my holy sword.

It was the middle of the three heads that tried to bite me.

「…it won’t be a problem if I defeat the enemy before they bite me.」

「Gah…」

The remaining two heads stop spewing fire.

I remove the holy sword that was pierced in the middle head’s forehead and walk under his armpit.

「Wa-wait…! I’m not through with you yet…ngh!?」

In a moment, his body burst into flames and was soon eliminated.

The body combusting and carbonizing in an instant was too much for the Avatar to handle.

「Next is Sir Marchosias, yes? Oh, that’s right, there’s Sir Glasha-Labolas as well, my apologies.」

While turning, I brandish my blade, swinging low.

The forelegs of Glasha-Labolas, that were about to stab me in the back just now, were severed and flames began to spread to his body from there.

Then like Naberius, he was engulfed in flames.

「How about you two, Sir Kimaris and Madam Leraje? Your allies have been felled, so you would be glad to do battle with me, no?」

Kimaris extinguishes his ghosts and walks forward by himself.

「Let us have a bout then.」

「My apologies, but I do not have a sword other than this one.」

「Hmph. No matter. Twas mine own decision to dispel my ghosts.」

「Well then, shall we?」

Although he was a necromancer, his sword skills were outstanding. Honest, powerful, and fast swordsmanship backed by solid study.

However, he has no chance against a holy sword. All that come into contact with its blade shall melt.

Kimaris tries to dodge my downward swing but fails to jump to the side.

For at his feet the floor did blaze a pure red and melted.

「I can see why Bella lost. That was splendid swordsmanship.」

With his stance faltered, I bring my blade down upon him, bisecting him in two.

An arrow flew towards me.

I burn it to ash before it reaches me.

Leraje let’s loose arrow upon arrow as she approaches.

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「Lem is an excellent Black Sorcerer. I can declare that with pride, having fought alongside him all my life. However, I am a Hero. It matters not if I don’t have the world’s best Black Sorcerer or how excellent of a Chief of Staff or Black Sorcerer the enemy has. No matter what the enemy, no matter how determined they may be. I. Will. Win.」

Leraje threw away her bow and unsheathed her scimitar.

Before she could close the distance, her body was engulfed in a pillar of flame.

When the flames died out, nothing remained of Leraje.

Her Avatar was completely destroyed.