CH 38

–The arena has changed.

After communicating with Glace who was outside the city walls and getting an idea of the situation, Brad turns to Lionetta.

“Give up Lionetta, it seems the monsters have surrendered completely. You said that if I could protect everything, you would listen to me, right?”

In Final Quest, Lionetta once tried to destroy a country by attacking it with the Nightmare Mirage and a group of monsters. Thinking back to that time, her plan should have ended at this point.

(According to the flow of the story, there will be a battle here. …… Let’s see what happens.)

There is a big difference in the way Brad and the main character stopped Lionetta’s plot, including the timing and process. To be honest, I had no idea how those differences would affect the Lionetta in front of me.

I’m not sure if she’s just going to listen to what I have to say or if she’s going to come up with another move.

“…”

The next moment, Lionetta disappeared from his front.

(…… I see, you’re going to do this.)

A swinging dagger is aimed at him and Brad barely avoids it.

However, Lionetta’s overwhelming agility status makes the stab so fast that the tip of the sword scratches Brad’s cheeks and spills fresh blood.

Upon noticing this, Lionetta smirked and swung her dagger in quick succession. 

In fact, no ordinary warrior would be able to withstand this onslaught from Lionetta, and before that, the fight would have been decided with the first blow.

But even with such an onslaught…

(I have all five of Lionetta’s melee attack combo patterns in my head. And thanks to the leveling in Sky Mountain, there’s not much difference in ability. (It’s a much easier job than with Alberto, an easy game.)

Brad was calm.

After the first blow that grazed him, Lionetta’s sword never once reached Brad again.

Lionetta’s magic level was higher than Brad’s and she also has a buff of dark magic, so her overall status is one step higher.

But if that’s the extent of the difference, Brad has the experience and knowledge from his previous life in Final Quest. If you know how the next attack is going to come, it’s easy to defend and avoid it. This alone is enough to make up for the difference in strength. 

“I can’t believe it. This is amazing… he’s almost on the same level as the Demon General?”

“I knew he’d gained strength after watching him in the sword dance festival game, but I didn’t know it was this much. Incredible! How did he get this far in such a short time?”

“Brad-sama is amazing desu!”

Marie, Castral, and Rosie each raised their voices. Many people were also surprised and cheered.

“Tsk, that’s it then– ‘Multiple Shadow Avatar’.”

Lionetta appears to have given up using a simple melee attack to defeat Brad after giving him a bitter look. She decided to use a series of tricky combo attacks with magic such as Shadow Alter Ego, just like she did in her battle with Uru.

(same thing again?)

However, Lionetta’s combo attacks, which have probably defeated countless enemies in the past, do not work against Brad. The only thing he did was to read everything calmly as he always had, and use evasion and defense.

Then as Brad’s ability exceeded her imagination, Lionetta must have become impatient. She even unleashes a combo attack, which is only available when your HP is reduced to half of what it would be in a Final Quest battle and launches an onslaught on Brad.

However, Brad was able to survive the onslaught by taking to the air, using his Levitation to keep his people out of harm’s way.

After a long period of fierce aerial combat like a battle manga, Lionetta finally seemed to have exhausted all her combo patterns. She stopped moving in midair, breathing heavily.

“–“

The two people who have a history with each other in Final Quest, Brad and Lionetta, face each other again a few dozen meters above the ground.

After a few moments of silence.

“I can’t believe it. You’re telling me you can not only read my plans but even my attacks? Who the hell are you, Brad von Pistel? Even the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister of that country couldn’t read me this well.”

“If you ask me who I am, I can only say that I’m the first prince of this country.”

Brad shrugs in a carefree manner

I’m not sure they’ll believe me if I explain the situation to them, although the concept of reincarnation does exist in this world. It’s probably best to just let it slide.

More importantly, he looked at the ground.

“Are you all right, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, you’re the princess of Dastoria. I’m fine, thank you.”

I noticed that the princess of Dastoria, Carol, was in the dignitary’s seat, and many other magic knights seemed to be rushing to the scene.

The effect of Nightmare Mirage has been suppressed by Serie and the warriors who were struggling with the mob are now gathering in the arena.

“Our strength is gathered in this place. You can’t win. Think and listen. I can help your sister.”

When Brad held out his hand, Lionetta started to open her mouth – but she moved it as if she was struggling to say something, and then she stopped talking.

“I don’t believe …… you can.”

After looking at Brad’s hands for a while, she moaned painfully and shook her head.

“I’ve been betrayed so many times in my life by the countries I’ve served and the people I’ve met since. I can’t afford to make any more mistakes.”

There was something earnest and sorrowful in her face.

(deep-rooted huh)

Although not described in detail in Final Quest, Lionetta has been betrayed by too many people in her life.

In the first place, if you say something like this to your enemy, it’s natural for them to think it might be a trap. It’s not easy to get people who were in a hostile relationship to believe each other.

(But there is a chance ……)

On the other hand, Lionetta does not seem to be leaving the scene even though she’s in a disadvantageous situation. The more reinforcements come, the more difficult it will be to escape, and it’s obvious that she’s taking that risk to stay here.

This is probably because she wants to believe in Brad, and is hoping that he can really save her sister.

Brad was lost in thought.

“Why do you believe in Beelzebub even though you’re so skeptical of him? He’s an evil being. How can you believe that he’ll lift your sister’s curse? If I may say so myself, I think I’m still more trustworthy than him.”

Lionetta swept her gaze in a hesitant gesture, then said.

“That is… because Beelzebub has signed a “Sword Oath Contract” with me.”

She mumbled something like that.

(So that’s how it is)

-Sword Contracts-

This is one of the most advanced and binding magic contracts. It’s a life-threatening magic contract in which an insubstantial magic sword is stabbed into the chest in advance and if the contract is broken, the magic sword will materialize and pierce the heart of the defaulter.

It’s not hard to see why she would trust the evil Beelzebub if she signed such a contract. In fact, Beelzebub has a peculiar constitution that will not die even if his chest is pierced, so he’s not risking his life, but there’s no way that Lionetta knows that at present.

Anyway it became clear now that in other to win the trust of Lionetta, he had to do something that would cost his life.

(isn’t that easy?)

Brad smiled fearlessly in the face of such a difficult fact.

And then he put down his sword.

“Then stab me with the sword of oath.”

He said it so suddenly that Lionetta’s eyes widened in shock at what he was saying.

“Are you saying you’re going to put your life on the line?”

Brad nodded without hesitation “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

Lionetta raised her eyebrows.

“You can’t just say random things like that! The curse of my sister is one that I’ve never been able to break, no matter how much trial and error I’ve gone through and you are just going to bet your life so lightly? There’s no way …… that’s possible. What the hell are you trying to do?”

She pointed the dagger at my neck. She seemed to be losing her composure and at the same time her voice trembled.

“I’m not sure why I would want to plot something when I clearly have the advantage. I just decided that I needed to do that in order to win your trust.”

Lionetta listens to Brad’s words and keeps quiet as though she was digesting them.

“Sure, I can’t think of any reason why you would be plotting something, but on the other hand, I can’t think of any reason why you would want to take the risk of saving my sister. How are you going to explain that?”

“It’s better to save what you can. If you and I really go at it like this, there will undoubtedly be deaths. I want to avoid the misfortunes that can be avoided.”

Brad looks straight at Lionetta and conveys his feelings truthfully.

This was the reason why Brad did not leave this place to the Seven Heroes.

If there are two members of the seven heroes here, Lionetta can be defeated. On the other hand, if the “Heroes” and the “Demon General” fight with their full strength here, the damage to the people cannot be avoided. If Brad who understands the situation can try to convince her this way, he figured the damage will be minimized.

Lionetta fell silent again, and with a sour expression on her face, as if the fate of the world depended on it, she made a thoughtful grunt.

It seemed like his plan wasn’t going to work.

“Hmm, okay. Let’s make a contract. There’s nothing left to lose.”

Although I’m not sure what she’s thinking, I think she’s calmly decided that there’s no disadvantage to her in signing the contract.

After a few moments, he said whole-heartedly.

“Thank you, ……!”

When Brad smiles with relief, Lionetta blushes slightly and looks away awkwardly.

“It’s okay, let’s make the contract quickly.”

Then I started preparing for the contract.

Lionetta overflows with magic power from her whole body and when she converged it into her right hand with her superb magic power manipulation technique, she instantly created a translucent magic sword.

It was surprising that she has the ability to create a perfect magic medium so quickly.

While Brad was impressed, Lionetta bit her finger in a familiar manner, dripping her blood onto the sword.

“Can you drip your blood on the sword too?”

She gives the sword to Brad. The people watching screamed because it seemed as though she was aiming a sword at him. 

(I better get this over with.)

In his haste to get it out of the way, Brat bit his own finger, just as Lionetta had done, and held his hand out in front of him.

The moment Brad’s blood fell on the sword, the magic sword emits a crimson light.

I could see Lionetta gulp down her spit as she eyed Brad suspiciously as he prepared to sign the contract.

Then there were a number of questions and answers for the contract.

“Do you Brad von Pistel, swear by this sword to break the sleeping curse that consumes my sister Arietta Brunel?”

“I swear”

The moment Brad answered the question, the sword heard the oath and shone even more dazzling than before.

When the contract is ready, Lionetta slowly points the sword towards him.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Of course”

She seemed to be confused about Brad who answered without any hesitation, but she shook her head as if to clear the thought.

Immediately after that, she thrust her sword vigorously.

“…”

She stabbed Brad right in the chest but there was no pain.

Foreign matter enters his chest and there’s a sense of discomfort and suffocation to some extent. For a while, the sword blade slowly penetrates then disappears without a trace.

“The contract has been completed.”

Brad says with a big smile.

On the other hand, Lionetta was looking at Brad with an expression that said it was impossible and she still couldn’t believe it.

“No way… I can’t believe it! I thought you were definitely scheming something, but you really signed the contract!”

She said and apparently, she didn’t trust his words until the last minute.

“It’s best if things can be resolved peacefully. That’s just it. I’ll be sure to fulfill my oath, so it’s virtually risk free.”

Brad says while shrugging with a smile.

“No! it can’t be risk free!” Lionetta exclaims loudly “Arietta didn’t respond to any high grade potions or healing magic… she’s under an incurable curse. How can a Prince in the countryside possibly save her?”

According to Lionetta, there’s no sense regarding Brad’s behavior.

From Brad’s point of view, it’s definitely risk free as he already knows how Lionetta’s sister Arietta’s curse was broken in “Final Quest”

“Well perhaps there’s nothing in this world that can, but if it’s impossible, then I’ll just die. No problem.”

Brad jokingly says so, trying to fool her with his noble smile.

However, Lionetta makes a crying expression as though she was desperately holding back severe pain towards how Brad responded.

“I don’t understand the meaning of this. To risk your life so lightly for a person you don’t even know. Even we in the dark are afraid of death, but you don’t seem to be afraid.”

Brad was slightly impatient

“Even I myself am afraid of death. But there are things that are more disgusting than dying. It is my way to save people who can be saved.”

He behaved in a sincere manner and said so in a non-pretentious tone, but Lionetta still shook her head saying she was not convinced.

If we continue to talk like this, this will get dragged out longer.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard on your own until now. It would have been hard putting yourself amongst monsters at a young age. Leave the rest to me. I’ll never make you regret trusting me.”

Brad puts his hands on Lionetta’s shoulder.

That seemed to trigger her emotions as she crumpled and broke into tears.

“Please… tell me that after saving my sister.”

She quickly turned away to hide it.

At the edge of her eyes which looked bewitching and mature, large tear droplets were seen falling and Brad who was impatient at first seemed to calm down.

(Yeah, it must have been really harder than I thought.)

In “Final Quest” only the childish and cruel parts were mentioned, but she’s just a human being with weak points. In his knowledge of her from his previous life, she was often reluctant to give up and he felt sorry for her life.

“That’s right, I’ll save you first.”

Brad said while gently patting Lionetta’s head, remembering his cry-baby sister in his previous life.

Lionetta did not accept or reject the gesture, she just turned her face away.

Brad claps his hands after a while.

“Okay, let’s go to flame mountain together. I don’t know how to use spatial transfer. Can you take both of us there?”

“Flame mountain? Indeed I can do it, but what’s there?”

Brad turns to Lionetta who has a puzzled look on her face.

“Simply put… it’s a silver bullet. We’re going to have to take some risks.” 

He said and smiles mischievously.