Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Multicolored feathers fluttered in the air.

The parrot, pierced by the black thorns, fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Raymon! Charge!"

"Yes, yes!"

Raymon, having reset his erosion accumulation, charged forward.

I followed behind, using the [Clean] skill.

'Damn it!'

It wasn't a thoughtless charge driven by rage.

It was a well-considered decision.

The first reason I charged.

With the parrot dead, there was no one to come to our aid.

So now, with its health greatly reduced, was our only chance.

Second, because we're going to die.

If we retreat now, all we can do is ration our food and hope for a lucky rescue.

I'm not stupid enough to rely on such an absurd chance.

And the third reason I charged...

'It's infuriating.'

The new strategy is on the verge of failure.

The ridiculous reason the Demon's Shard started using the [Corrosion] skill.

The lost opportunity to obtain the hidden piece with the parrot's death.

And.

The tragic end of Luterus and the parrot's story due to my reckless strategy.

All of it.

Infuriating.

That's why I charged.

"Kehehe! Die!"

The Demon's Shard laughed. A laugh confident of victory.

But.

'I have a chance to win.'

I was about to play a move I've never played before. No, a move I should never play.

Specifically, the move of using 'me'.

"Just avoid the piercing attacks! Ignore the glancing ones!"

No response came.

Raymon was too focused on blocking the thorns.

'It's definitely possible. With our Raymon!'

The closer the distance in the game, the lower the evasion rate.

But Raymon is a special character. The opposite is true for him.

The lower his health and the closer he is to the enemy, the higher his evasion rate.

Meaning the increase in evasion is greater than the decrease.

'That's why he takes on the tank role in the late game.'

So he should be able to easily fend off the Demon's Shard's attacks.

Raymon's arm turned purple.

'First erosion.'

I was behind him, using [Clean], so I wasn't eroded.

Clang! Clack!

Raymon faithfully executed the orders.

Deflecting attacks that could pierce, and ignoring those that could only graze.

Being able to distinguish between them. I asked, but he's really incredible.

Swoosh! Swish!

"Ugh!"

A black thorn grazed my left arm.

An attack like a whip.

Despite wearing clothes, I could feel it. The skin where it grazed was torn to shreds.

Raymon was no different.

Arms, legs, body, cheek - there wasn't a single unharmed spot.

'Information window.'

The remaining 20pt.

I poured all the stats into stamina.

There's no time to be stingy. It's a matter of life and death.

'Hold on, hold on!'

Despite being injured, we kept advancing.

Part of Raymon's face turned purple.

Second erosion stack.

I picked up a rag and threw it, shouting.

"Raymon! Pass me your sword!"

Raymon, having deflected the last attack, passed me his sword.

The moment our eyes met, I knew.

He had no intention of retreating. Even with the second stack of erosion.

"Retreat! You'll get caught in the range of my attack!"

"Ah... Yes, yes!"

Only then did Raymon withdraw.

At the same moment I stepped forward.

"Ugh!"

A severe pain shot through my body, and my hand turned purple.

It meant I received the first erosion.

Meaning.

'I can still endure one more.'

The Demon's Shard was right in front of me. In game terms, about one and a half squares away.

I inserted the half-eroded sword back into its sheath.

Holding the protruding hilt tightly in my right hand, I slightly bent my waist.

At the same time, I activated [Eye Opening].

"Keke, you're making me step in. No choice then. Let me show you the real ‘One Flash’."

"...!!"

The Demon's Shard locked eyes with me.

The [Eye Opening] skill at extremely close range, and even Luna's [One Flash] stance.

All of its nerves were focused on me.

Crack-.

"Kuk!"

"Kehehe. That looks painful. Don't worry, I'll send the rest soon."

A second erosion overlapped on Rodelin.

Her hands and face turning purple, her veins swelling as if they would burst at any moment.

"Luna!"

Before I could even speak, Luna was already running.

Raymon and I ran too. But.

'It's too late!'

Whether it's the continuing spike attack or the third erosion leading to instant death.

There was no way for Rodelin to avoid death.

That's what I thought when.

"I won't be stopped by this!!"

Rodelin raised the sword she held in both hands above her head.

At the same time, she adjusted her stance, aligning her left and right feet.

Crunch!

In the process, the spikes embedded in her arm and thigh broke.

The eyes of the Demon's Shard filled with astonishment.

"This, this monster...!"

Blood gushed out, but Rodelin ignored it and moved into her next stance.

The middle stance, a fundamental of swordsmanship.

From there, she raised her sword above her head.

I then realized what Rodelin was trying to do.

"To the people of... the Lucid family..."

Rodelin's voice.

No, her firm vow echoed in the cavity.

I quickly kicked Raymon, who was running beside me, and threw myself at Luna in front of me, embracing her.

"A second defeat is not permitted!!"

As Rodelin's eyes shone, she brought down her sword.

Yes, that's it.

The fourth secret technique of the Lucid family.

Sky Splitter.

...

Rodelin swung her sword, but nothing happened.

Instead, a profound silence filled the air.

A quiet so unusual it felt strange.

"What is... this...?"

Creak.

Those were the last words left by the Demon's Shard in this world.

As it opened its mouth, its body split in half.

And then.

A storm raged through the cavity.

* * *

"Uh, ugh..."

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Luna's face.

Looking at her breathing softly in her sleep, she was irresistibly cute.

'If only she was this quiet all the time.'

I pinched Luna's cheek, and she let out a small moan.

Feeling satisfied with my little revenge, I got up.

A blue window appeared before me.

[You have cleared the hidden quest 'Defeat the Demon's Shard.']

[As a reward, you receive 300 exp and 30 gold.]

[You have been awarded the title, 'The One Who Mopped the Floor with a Demon.']

['The One Who Mopped the Floor with a Demon']

- Demons you encounter will fear you in multiple ways.

All stats of demons you face –3.

'Getting a title too. I'm lucky.'

This game allows stacking of titles.

The more, the better.

'Looking at the quest completion, it seems like the Demon's Shard is definitely dead...'

I looked around.

Next to Luna was Raymon, and beside him was a parrot.

"Keheuk... Kehuk."

The parrot was breathing heavily.

Its wounds were completely healed.

'Did Rodelin heal it? But it's not in good shape.'

This world, being a game, has items like 'potions.'

As a noble of a renowned family, Rodelin would naturally carry them.

But.

'...This is a problem.'

[Divine Imitation].

The hidden piece I sought, a skill.

This skill is completed by the death of the parrot.

What does that mean?

'In the game, the player clears the Demon's Shard, and at the same time, the parrot falls asleep beside Luterus.'

The parrot, already living beyond its average lifespan.

A natural death due to aging, but also an inevitable sacrifice for the completion of a touching story.

Thus, the parrot dies.

But now.

'It's too different from the game.'

Not only did it take a hit for me, but the Demon's Shard resurrected.

Lucid family's final secret technique, which was supposed to be available only in the latter part of the episode.

Everything has changed too much.

'What happens to the hidden piece now?'

A complicated situation in many ways.

That's when I was scratching my head.

"Zero, have you woken up?"

--TL Notes--

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading