Chapter 140

Author’s Note:

This is the third story to be updated.

If you haven’t seen chapter 138 and 39, please check them out first.

Dark magic of Koga Dingal, the leader of the Demon King’s Army’s Second Legion.

His fighting style was the easiest and most troublesome for me to fight.

“Hhhhhngh!”

“Hmph!”

I blocked Koga’s spinning kick with my gauntlet.

In return, I try to slam my left fist into his stomach, but before I can do so, his gouging hand blade closes in on me, forcing me to go on the defensive.

In my fights with him, I was always on the back foot.

Koga’s movements are unpredictable.

He runs, leaps, and throws sharp attacks that weave through gaps in the defense. I try to keep up with it, but I can’t seem to move into an attack.

“This is getting us nowhere.”

If I can’t go on the offensive at this point, I’ll have to change my approach.

Having made that decision, I unclenched my right fist, which was equipped with the gauntlet, and stepped forward with all my might.

“What the hell?”

If I can’t attack by planning and aiming for a counter, then don’t think and just go for it.

He won’t be able to jump and punch as long as he likes!

I defended against the kick, grabbed it, pulled it in and landed a healing punch to the stomach.

The healing punch that defeated Ferme’s dark magic should also work on Koga, who also has dark magic.

As I grabbed his leg to see his reaction, he looked up with a horrified voice.

“That stuff doesn’t work on me.”

I had a bad feeling, and just as I was about to let go of his leg, Koga’s leg swelled up and threw me off as if his strength had swelled many times over.

“W-what the hell!”

“Unfortunately, my dark magic isn’t the same as Ferme’s.”

I was speechless as I landed on the ground and saw Koga’s form.

His legs, which I had grabbed a moment ago, had turned into beastly feet that reminded me of wolves.

“What do I look like to you?”

Koga continued, turning his hands into sharp, thick claws and one thick arm.

I half shuddered at his words.

“A …… beast, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. My dark magic property is ‘beast’. Kind of plain compared to Ferme, right? I’m not as invincible as she is, so I have to be a little more creative. But even still———“

Koga was on the ground with all four limbs like a quadruped.

From the shadows beneath his feet, a black band stretches out, its sharp tip pointing at me.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds?”

“……!”

I chose evasion instead of defense against the black band that shot out all at once like rays of light. I avoided the oncoming band and ran across the square to try to find an opening for my opponent, but…

“Don’t let me distract you!”

“T-tsk, behind as well?!”

When did he move to the back? A powerful kick from his swollen, strong legs hits me in the back.

I landed on the ground with my healing magic on, gritting my teeth and bouncing off the claws with my fist, only to be hit in the side of the head with the back of my other hand.

My vision wavered, but he still didn’t stop moving to deal with the next attack.

“Guh!”

“Ora ora!”

“Damn you, you keep transforming into that ……!”

I thought he’d transformed, but then he’d transformed some more…what’s really going on?

I swore as I dodged Koga’s attack, but the other side had some words for me.

“It’s like you’re transforming out of thin air!”

“Of course not, you idiot!”

The situation was unprecedented and I was in a hurry, so I reflexively said something rough.

I’m going to go without any defense at this point! Even if I get hit a little, I’ll hold back and counterattack!

I ignored the attack and got into his back at once, and as a return for my earlier attack, I hit him in the side with a powerful knee kick.

However, I felt a squishy feeling coming from my leg.

I looked down to see that the spot where the knee had struck me was covered in layers of black strips that had appeared when he had attacked me.

“If you know where it hits, there’s nothing you can’t prevent.”

“As if!”

It was also put out when he first blocked my fist, but I didn’t think it was just a defense without any special abilities!　

It’s really not like Ferme’s magic!

I try to move away as quickly as I can, but I notice that my knee is caught in the belt.

When I look up, I see Koga raising his obi-clad claws to slash from below—-

“Ah shi—!”

“That gauntlet can’t protect you from this one!”

The claws and sash swung up like blades, ready to tear me apart.

The claws were barely defended by the gauntlet, but the band around my body was like a blade.

“To this extent!”

I hold back the pain with all my strength and use my unrestrained leg to kick and push Koga’s body to escape. In doing so, I slam my fist into Koga’s body in the form of a blow.

“I’ll hit you before you grab me!”

“Oh!”

I pull my fist back instantly, putting a certain distance between me and Koga, and I check my injuries.

There’s a little cut on my forehead, and it’s dripping blood, but healing magic can fix it quickly.

There are also a few cuts on my body from the bandages.

“…… Finally, it’s all torn.”

Looking at my shoulder, I saw a rather large cut in my uniform.

I’ve traveled and fought with them for a long time without tearing up, but …… it looks like that didn’t happen this time.

“I’m going to have to keep you company for a bit longer.”

I can’t help but feel hurt by the uniform.

I’m not going to be so effeminate as to lament it, and what I need to focus on right now is Koga.

He was focused on me as he temporarily put his limbs back together.

“I never thought you’d be able to follow my fighting style this far.”

“What?”

“Most of them, when they see my power, they want to fight at a distance, you know? It’s not that I’m not good looking, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to get close to me. They don’t even realize that distancing yourself from me…… is a bad idea.”

“I’d rather fight far away from you too.”

“Ha, that’s a terrible thing to say.”

Koga’s dark magic is a dark armor that transforms the user into a beast, a deformed being.

The black bands that make up its body can be used for both attack and defense.

If I tried to fight such an opponent at a distance, I would either be out of range of his physical strength or be pierced by a black belt like the one that attacked me.

…… Can I beat an opponent like this?

“……, no, no, no.”

I shake off the negative thoughts.

I can’t do anything if I’m losing my mind.

Every ability should have a weakness. …… I hope so.

“Well, let’s continue, shall we?”

“…… Sigh.”

Sighing, I faced Koga, who had once again turned his limbs into those of a beast.

Even though my injuries were mostly healed, it didn’t change the fact that Koga’s attack power was tremendous. The only thing I can do is try to avoid being caught in the belt as much as possible.

In order to find a way to survive, I once again challenge myself to an offensive and defensive battle on the edge of my limits.

I wonder how long it has been since this battle has started.

I sharpened my concentration and just went at it with Koga, but I couldn’t see any way to win at all.

I’ve been using a large area of the plaza and trying my best to outrun Koga’s attacks, but I still can’t figure out the bottom of this guy.

I mean, how long can he keep up his strength? Let alone me with my healing magic. I’ve been moving as fast as I can and I haven’t lost a breath.

I can’t tell what colour you are because of your mask. …… You’re not forcing me to move my body with magic, are you?　Please let that be it……!

Just as I was about to faint from the dizzying attack, a voice came from behind the black mask.

“Oh, by the way, how’s Ferme doing?”

“Huh?”

The sudden words made me shout in dismay even though I was in the middle of a battle.

What the hell, is this some kind of trap to get me upset?

“She’s fine enough to hit me every time she sees me though!”

From the outstretched hand blade, a black belt shoots out, piercing my head.

I ducked just in time and head-butted Koga’s mask as hard as I could. Perhaps it was an unexpected blow, but Koga stumbled back in surprise, but he still laughed happily.

“Hahaha, I see! That’s good! She just wanted someone to accept her!”

“What!”

“Herself!”

Laughing while being attacked is really too much.

Ignoring my somewhat withdrawn look, Koga continues talking.

“Dark magic ‘Inversion’. It’s a technique that turns an opponent’s attack right back at them. It’s a foul magic that can beat most people if you want to, but where do you think it got its properties?”

“I don’t know!”

“It’s loneliness! Aaahh~ No one loved me, no one saw me for who I was. I want someone to see me, to understand me, to love me, to touch me!　After trapping the emotions that I wished for from the bottom of my heart, that alien magic was completed!”

“……!”

At that moment, my mind recalled the image of Ferme in tears in her prison cell.

Why she cried, I didn’t know at the time, but …… well, she’s had a hard life too, hasn’t she?

I’m not in a situation where I can let my guard down enough to get sentimental about it now, though!

“Her magic is like a mirror. She returns hostility for hostility, malice for malice. You hit her with the kindness of healing magic. You can’t imagine how much of a shock that was to her.”

As if remembering, Koga let out a laugh.

I took advantage of the slight gap and tried to fight back.

“You’re such a chatterbox, aren’t you!”

“Oops!”

I tried to hit him in the jaw, but he avoided the kick.

He did a backflip to avoid it, and made a gesture as if wiping his mask, which was not sweating.

“I’m finally relieved. That she’s doing well?”

“You …….”

A relieved voice that I could tell even from behind the mask.

I could tell that it wasn’t the kind that enjoyed fighting like it had been.

“No, it’s just sympathy. There are only a few dark magic users in the world. As a former superior, I care about them enough to care about them.”

“What about you, ……?”

“What?”

“What is your reason for perfecting your dark magic?

This was the first time I had asked a genuine question that had nothing to do with fighting.

I knew that Ferme’s magic was the result of loneliness.

If that’s the case, then what kind of thing does Koga’s magic come from?

“Not as much as Ferme’s. I just wanted to be a beast, that’s all.”

“You wanted to be a beast?”

“A creature that fights and follows its instincts. My magic took on this form when I realized that the real me was probably the ugliest beast anyone could ever imagine.”

Koga pointed at his transformed self.

As I looked at him again, I saw that his appearance was severely distorted.

The mask that hides his true face.

A black belt that wraps around his body as if to restrain him.

And the deformed, beast-like limbs.

“That’s a lie.”

I naturally uttered those words.

Koga looked up in surprise.

“What are you truly holding? You’re not a beast, you’re just trying to look like one.”

“……”

I wasn’t sure.

But it seemed different.

“Ha…… hahaha.”

Koga started laughing, holding the mask with his hand that had returned to a human arm.

Did I just say the wrong thing? If so, I’m pretty embarrassed.

I start to panic, but when Koga’s laughter stops, I’m pulled back to my senses.

“I’ve been alone since I was born. Abandoned in the dark woods, living alone, robbing like a beast, I grew up not knowing human emotions. That’s why I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything except to fight.”

Then the mask disappeared, and Koga’s face was all but a smile on his lips.

“Yeah, I know. I lied to you. I didn’t want to be one. I was a beast from birth. Even before I woke up to this magic, I’ve been living like a beast, fighting alone.”

The smile was too painful to be called a fake smile, and to be honest, I couldn’t look directly at it.

“Ever since I became involved with the demon race, I’ve been suppressing myself as a beast. To those with normal sensibilities, I was an anomaly. I’ve spent my entire life in the world as a human, suppressing my beastliness. But I still couldn’t understand the joys of being a person.”

Living as a beast.

I don’t understand what it’s like to live as a beast, but I do know how horrible and sad it is.

This guy surely doesn’t know any other way.

“I’m having fun right now. Fighting you. There is someone in the Demon King’s army who is stronger than me. But he’s not looking at the person he’s fighting. He’s fighting someone who isn’t there. So you’re the first person who can look at me and fight me as an equal.”

I silently held up my fist.

I decided now. I have to fight and defeat this guy.

This guy really only knows how to fight. And he has no intention of understanding anything else. So the only way to end this fight is to defeat him.

I look sideways at Amako.

I get a little bit of courage from her, who is watching me from a safe distance, worrying about my safety.

“Koga. I really, really didn’t want to fight you, but I’ll fight you ……. In return, you might be in a lot of pain, so be prepared.”

“Maybe you’re the one who should be prepared? Now that you’ve exposed my secret, I can finally expose my animal nature and fight you.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

As he muttered this, the black band around Koga’s body loosely unraveled and flickered.

With that change, Koga’s hawk-like mask cracked, creating a mouth that split open to reveal cheeks with sharp fangs.

Well, I haven’t heard of another stage of transformation, is that even possible?

A full-blown monstrous form of Koga, his limbs poised on the ground.

“…… Oh well, it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to use it on the spot.”

I came up with the idea during my fight with Jinya, and without even trying it, I decided it was too dangerous and immediately sealed it away.

The truth is, I don’t want to use it.

This is a dangerous technique that is clearly out of the rescue squad’s style.

But I had to use it if I wanted to deal with this man.

“The next attack will be my last.”

“…… Ah.”

At the same time, Koga and I jumped out of the way.

As we run, a black band that has gained momentum approaches from Koga’s back in a zigzag trajectory.

I went straight ahead without any tricks and threw a healing magic random bullet, forcing the belt to change its trajectory and plunge into it.

“If you can shoot it, shoot it!”

I use my right arm to deal with the black band and claws that swing around like a tornado.

With his newly released power, Koga’s movements have changed to specialize in medium to close range with his black belt and limbs. If I fall back halfway, my defeat will be confirmed at that point.

Then there is no choice but to go directly towards him, even if it is a bit risky.

“Ohhhh ……!”

He catches the outstretched claw with a slap, grabs it from us, and swings it with all his might, knocking it to the ground.

As expected, Koger exhaled, but avoided my heel drop by rolling on the ground.

I can’t help but click my tongue.

“Cheh! You dodged it!”

“That was close! I’m a badass, but you’re a badass too! Especially your face!”

“Shut up! It’ll only hurt a little! Just be a nice guy and let me punch you!”

“I thought you were going to crush me!”

Despite the situation, you’re still talking too much.

You’re fighting with the intent to kill, unlike me who’s using healing magic.

He stood up using his belt as a support and unleashed his right fist with all his might.

In response, Koga also thrusts out his obi-covered claws.

“Oraaah!”

“Soraa!”

Claws and fists collide.

The air vibrated with chattering, and a deafening high-pitched sound rang out. The fist covered by the gauntlet destroys Koga’s claw, but it is instantly regenerated by the black sash it is clothed in.

“You’re out of your mind, aren’t you?”

“Huuuh?”

“That’s why it was the only way to win.”

What are you talking about?

Just as I was about to say that, I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder, stomach, and left leg.

As soon as I looked down, I saw three black strips sticking out of the back of Koga’s legs, piercing my left shoulder, stomach and left leg from the knee up.

“But, ho ……!?”

“You were completely focused on your hands. Well, that’s the only reason I did it. ……”

I was hit ……!?

The belt was pulled out from where it had been impaled, but the injuries I had received still stopped it from moving.

I stop moving for a moment, and he raises his claws, which converge on the belt.

Oh no! I have to avoid it or defend myself!

I try desperately to move with my head, but the inexorable rigidity of my body won’t allow it.

“I’m stunned, but this is the end!”

“……!”

I can’t, I can heal with healing magic, but I can’t avoid the next one.

If I take this, a fatal wound is certain. I really want to avoid it, but my body…!

Is this really the end ……!

Just as I was about to give up, there was a kind of explosion on our side.

“What the hell?

“The wall……”

In surprise, I looked over and saw that a section of the wall of flames surrounding us had been sliced open in a cross.

And from behind it, I could clearly see Arc-san, Bluerin, and Nea.

“Usatoooo!”

“Usato!”

“Usato-dono!”

“Guaa!”

Sure enough, I heard a voice calling my name.

Amako.

Nea.

Arc-san.

Bluerin.

The voices of my friends that I would never forget, even in the midst of my suffering.

“Oh, that’s right, isn’t it?”

I’ve always been able to move forward with the help of someone.

With that alone, an inexpressible power moves through my entire body.

After casting a light healing spell to close the wound, I put my left hand out in the opposite direction of Koga’s, keeping the right side of my body visible to him.

“Healing …… burst palm!”

“You accelerated in that position ……!?”

“Uooooooooo!!!”

I kicked the ground and slammed my right fist into Koga with all my might. The fist, which was covered by the gauntlet, slammed into Koga’s body, but it felt elastic.

He was narrowly blocked by the belt.

If you look at his feet, the belt was driven into the ground as if it were a stake, suppressing the impact of the blow itself.

“There’s no way you can’t predict an attack of that magnitude. ……!　No way, that’s the extent of your last plan! A guy as good as you is such a messy ……!”

“……”

I ignored his words, which showed some disappointment, and silently tried to force his body forward.

Koga is confused by my actions.

“Hey, didn’t I say it was useless–“

“You stopped me, didn’t you?”

“What?

You would have defended yourself the moment you were hit by my fist, and you would have steadied yourself so that the momentum would not knock you away.

That’s what I was aiming for.

“Please. Just hold on.”

“Huh?”

I warned Koga as I sincerely hoped he would.

Regardless of Koga’s dumbfounded voice, I unleashed a zero-distance healing flying fist from my gauntlet hand.

“Ugh!”

With an onomatopoeic sound, Koga’s body snapped, but he still looked surprised and tried to counterattack me.

“Yes, it worked, but that’s not enough to stop me—-Gaha!”

“You can’t do anything now.”

I silently hit him with a second healing fist, and some of the strips connected to the ground shredded.

He pushed his fist out with his body so that he would never let go of it, and the belt was stretched to its limit.

The third blow, with all the strips cut off, pushes Koga’s body out with his fist and starts running.

“Goooooooooo!　What are you doing to me, what the hell is that?”

“This was the only way to penetrate your defense! I’ll pour most of my magic power into it, so we’re even!”

“I can’t have such an unreasonable match! Goho!”

And as soon as the fourth blow broke through the band protecting his body, I silenced Koga and continued to unleash healing flying fist as he pushed forward in desperation.

“Ooohhh!”

The seventh impact: ……!　That finally breaks through Koga’s defense completely!

Now there’s nothing left to protect this guy! The only thing left to protect is the body!

With a shout, I pushed straight ahead, regardless of the intense pain that runs through my body.

“Go to sleep with this!!!!”

“Gah!”

As soon as my fist pierced his body with a cry of anguish, I clothed my fist with all the healing magic I could muster and slammed him into the wall of the square.

The wooden wall shattered, and I punched Koga away behind it, my hands on my knees to regulate my ragged breathing.

“I’m never, ever going to use a technique like …… this again. ……”

This is the forbidden depths of the healing punch, the second type of healing punch, “Rengeki Ken” aka “Healing Rengeki Ken”.

It’s a defensive healing punch where you slam your fist into the opponent and then repeatedly hit them with a healing flying fist from zero distance.

I just used it and found out how powerful it is, but I definitely don’t want to use this again. It consumes a lot of magic power, but above all, it is too dangerous.

I could use it because my opponent was Koga.

It was the only way to defeat him, and more importantly, it had to be done.

“Huh. ……”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I headed towards Arc-san, healing my body to the minimum with what little magic I had.

When I saw him earlier, he was also badly injured. I had to heal him first, I thought, and turned my back to Koga who was still lying on the ground.

“I didn’t expect you to be beaten up so badly.”

“!”

Turning around at the sound of a third person’s voice behind me, I saw the red-haired demon woman who had been with Koga looking down at the fallen Koga.

I can’t believe another demon race is coming this way …….

I’m not sure if the woman was hostile or not, but she sighed in disgust as if she was in a hurry.

“Well, it’s not something I can say. …… How long are you going to be down!”

“Ogee!”

Koga, who had been kicked by the woman, gurgled and rolled around, letting out a cry of agony.

When I looked at Koga, stunned by the situation, he was scratching his head apologetically.

“Sorry. I was really disoriented for a bit. I knew the world was a big place. I didn’t expect to get hit like this. Haha, you really were a …… crazy guy, weren’t you?”

“…… Are you still going to do that?”

I’m at my limit.

I’m in pain all over, and I have almost no magic power.

When I asked him what he meant by that, he shook his head with a satisfied expression.

“I lost this time, you know. I did lose a little bit, but I also lost consciousness. But, well, it was …… fun. I’m looking forward to the next time we fight, man.”

“I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“I can’t promise that.”

Standing up, Koga’s smile faded and he exchanged a look with me.

“Next invasion, I’m leaving too.”

“So what. It doesn’t matter.”

I said firmly.

I’m a rescue squad. I have much more important things to do than fight you.

Koga laughed hilariously at my clear reply.

“Oh, you’re right. He’s really not the guy you want him to be. Oh well, we’ll just have to drag him out when he does.”

“Huh.”

I’m not going to talk to this guy anymore.

I’ve got my eye on a nasty guy, I really don’t like him.

“Well, I guess I’ll be leaving soon. I’ve got my men waiting outside. Right, Amira?”

“Yeah, they’re good men who follow my orders.”

“You’re so sarcastic, you know that? Until we meet again ……, be strong.”

After saying that, the two of them jumped up from the spot and disappeared in a flash.

I was left there, and after looking around and finally realizing that it was safe, my strength drained from my body and I sat down.

“It’s over, isn’t it? The Wicked Dragon’s successor or something doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, does it? In fact, the curse that lies beneath the country won’t be awakened, right?”

I don’t know why I’m saying this, but I’m physically and mentally exhausted to such an extent.

Today had been a day where too many things had happened.

Who could have predicted that I would be going head to head with the commander of the Demon King’s side of the army?

“……, But we still have things to do, right? Oh man.”

I stood up, whipping my body, and turned around to walk away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my friends rushing towards me.

“…… Truly, these are the friends I can rely on.”

It wasn’t just my strength that allowed me to fight back then.

The sight of the girls made me think of this once more, and with a smile on my face I made my way to my trusted friends.

Author’s Note:

This is the end of the battle.

In Volume 6, I was finally able to bring out Usato’s rival-like existence.

Hmm?　Healing Rengekiken(Continuous punch)? I just did something like a pile bunker in the flesh (paralysis).

This is the end of the update.