CH 35.3

Although fresh crimson blood danced in the air, the beast master took half a step back just before his flesh was cut off.

—- No, slightly before that, Ren’s body was receding just a little bit.

(No…..!)

I thought the maneater had pulled his body back, but it wasn’t the case.

While I was thinking about it, the horse we were riding was running down a large rock. It seems that he wasn’t able to kill the momentum generated when he leapt up the big rock.

“Haa…… haa……!”

Licia’s condition continued to worsen.

Ren, who holds her, bites his lip and apologizes to Licia, feeling remorse for not finishing off the beast master.

“No…. it’s not your fault Ren…….”

The stouthearted reply caused more pain to my heart.

“Oh dear, that was a close call.”

Then Ren looked up at the beast master and huffed.

Ren also noticed the ivy, which should have pulled him backwards, on his back and furrowed his brow

“Ren Ashton. Don’t push me too hard, will you?”

“…… you.”

“I haven’t broken the seal yet and using natural magic without a staff is too much.”

That’s why he didn’t push too hard in my escape the other day and came here to finish things.

(Because I shattered the staff that time.)

By the way, the robe the beast master was wearing was cut open by Ren’s iron magic sword, revealing his hidden face.

He had long golden hair that reminded me of pure gold, and a smile on his neatly shaped face.

Ren remembers that face.

Although this is the first time they met, Ren knew his name.

“……Oh, so it’s you. You’re not just a beast master, you’re a nature magician.”

“You talk about me as if you know me.”

That’s right. Ren knew about him.

But what was the point of going through the trouble of telling him?

He had his doubts, but he couldn’t be caught off guard by the way he was looking.

There’s no advantage to flaunting the knowledge that he knew him, but now there’s no disadvantage either.

So, at the very least, as a way to get back at him.

I open my mouth and say gruffly, hoping to upset him.

“—- Jerukku. Why are you here?”

I say in a voice of conviction, and a startled voice rises above the big rock.

“How do you know my name?”

“…..Well, I wonder how.”

As he rolled up in panic, I could see irritation besides surprise in Jerukku’s face.

—- Jerukku, the beast master, is a master of magic.

He’s an elf born with a heart filled with cruelty and has a past that has taken a number of his people’s life in its clutches.

He’d normally have been executed, but since the elves of this world don’t have a culture of execution, he was banished with most of his powers sealed away.

In Legend of the Seven Heroes I, he’s also the boss that the protagonists fight in the middle of the story.

This is why Ren remembered all this information.

And it should go without saying, but Jerukku is not a Leomelite.

Anyone born in Leomel, no matter what race, is punishable by domestic law, but in Jerukku’s case, he was born on a different continent to begin with.

When he began his activities as an adventurer, he had already concealed his true identity.

(What surprised me was this one.)

Ren has thought about Jerukku many times since his rebirth.

The first time was when he learned that the wooden magic sword had a natural magic (small) effect, and the next, was when he fought Thief Wolfen.

Both had helped him learn how to fight Jerukku.

He couldn’t find any words for this. What an odd coincidence.

I can’t believe that the boss I was referring to in terms of how to fight would appear before me like this.

(So, why is that guy under Viscount Givens…..)

While thinking in his mind, Ren pointed his sword at the maneater who was crawling on the ground and approaching.

“Geeeeeee!』\

The maneater is wary of the iron magic sword, but unlike before, there’s a distance between the two.

The Maneater is only waving his arms around with a yell, but even so, he’s the equivalent of a D-rank monster, so I can’t let my guard down.

“Well, no need to show any mercy! Burn them!”

The remaining one opens its mouth again and spits out fire.

However, it wasn’t as vigorous as it had been a moment ago.

Whether it was because it was exhausted or because it had Jerukku by its side, this time Ren had enough time to escape on horseback.

“Ku….What are you doing?”

The frustrated Jerukku was waving his arms.

Looking at the crest on his arm, Ren muttered, “Oh”.

“You made a deal with Viscount Givens!”

“……!”

“You wanted information on who could break the seal! I’m telling you, it’s not going to be easy to break the elven seals on your arms!”

Jerukku’s eyes widened at these confident words.

“How did you know all that?”

“But I know something else! I also know that you’ve been traveling all over this continent to find a way to break the seal! That’s why you became an adventurer!”

The patterns on Jerukku’s arms are not tattoos, but powerful seals.

It’s a substitute that drains magic power and significantly lowers the status.

This is the reason why it’s difficult to use two skills at the same time without the aid of a staff.

(I believe he’s —-)

In the legend of the Seven Heroes, Jerukku turns to the wisdom of a certain person in order to break the seal.

It’s the dean of the Imperial Academy of Military Arts, who is said to be the best wizard in the world.

However, Jerukku is no match for him.

So he turns his attention to the students and targets the protagonists who have left the academy for extracurricular activities. He sets up many traps and battles with them, trying to take them hostage.

(Even so, it doesn’t change what needs to be done.)

Ren fought back and readied his iron sword.

“Haa…haa…haaa…”

Licia’s pained voice.

We have to end the fight as soon as possible, even if it’s just for one more second.

Ren holds his iron magic sword right next to him and rides his horse toward the big rock.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“It’s really the last time.”

After a quiet murmur, multiple sword flashes are released.

In the blink of an eye, the large rock is carved away, and Jerukku, who was standing at the top, crumbles at his feet.

“This! Abominable sacred magic!”

The collapsing rock broke into boulders, and Jerukku fell through it.

The horse is nearing the end of its rope.

Pulling on the reins with the hope that the horse would make one last effort, Ren threw himself into the falling rocks.

He finally found his way through the rocks, cutting them with his iron magic sword.

“I’ll end this!”

He flashed his iron sword and thrust the tip of the sword at Jerukku’s throat.

Instead, Jerukku screamed out.

“Protect me!”

He ordered the maneater, whose wing curtains were intact and was breathing fire.

Then the maneater appeared between Ren and Jerukku and tried to prevent his master from receiving a fatal blow.

“Giiiiiiiiiiiii』\

The maneater broke between the two men and was pierced by the iron magic sword.

But he didn’t die for nothing.

In the end, it hit the horse Ren was riding and blew it away.

As he did so, Licia, who was riding the horse, was thrown into the air.

“Make it in time……!”

Ren leaves the horse in midair and hugs Licia’s body while being thrown away.

Then the two of them fell to the ground with the momentum of being blown away.

Fortunately, the corpses of the monsters spread around them provided a cushion and there was no great impact.

The horse lying a short distance away made him worry, but Ren confirmed that it had not suffered any serious injuries.

The horse seems to have the blood of a monster in its veins, and its body seems to be sturdy as well.

“Licia-sama! Are you all right?”

“…….”

She was breathing. But she was out cold.

(The sacred magic was gone too. She was at her limit.)

Ren’s mind was buzzing.

One maneater was lying on the ground, but what if Jerukkku had the strength to summon it again—- and he grew impatient with the change in the war situation.

But soon there was a glimmer of light.

Jerukku was kneeling right next to the Maneater, who was lying on his side.

He was too far away to see clearly, but Jerukku’s shoulder had been pierced to a bone-deep level.

“Ku …… fufu…..”

Jerukku laughed as a large amount of fresh blood flowed from his shoulder.

“Did he get me?”

The maneater couldn’t prevent the thrust of the iron magic sword.

The sharp tip of the sword had pierced through the maneater’s body and reached Jerukku’s shoulder.

“Ha ha ha ha ha. That’s a lot of blood! This is all blood that came out of my body!”

Hearing the exclamations, a maneater crawled alongside Jerukku.

Realizing that his master will soon die, he looks at Ren and threatens him.

But that was not the point, Jerukku’s appearance was too eerie.

The sight of him laughing with bloodshot eyes made Ren’s skin crawl.

“I haven’t killed enough. I was hoping to break the seal that had eroded the bones of this arm and kill as many people as I had endured up until now…… Hah, now I won’t be able to kill any more.”

“That’s right. I told you earlier. You’re finished.”

That said, Ren’s body is almost at its limit.

That’s why he couldn’t get close to Jerukku, who is protected by the maneater.

“I’m finished?…… can’t kill you anymore……?”

Jerukku muttered all of a sudden.

“— no, you can’t kill me.”

He looked at Ren and then at the unconscious Licia, and smiled a sneer.

“I wonder why. I have an inexpressible pleasure when I see a person’s dying face. It’s a pleasure far more pleasurable than the physical contact of the opposite sex.”

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Fufu. I just wanted to tell you why I love killing.”　

Jerukku continued.

Incredible, suicidal one-liner.

His voice was terribly calm.

“Maneater. Eat my arms.”

Ren, exhausted, broke down in response to the deafening command.