CH 53

—Keeping my body low, I ran as if I was diving into the demon king’s bosom, Then I unleashed the first blow, 『Thunder Rage』, which was within the attack range of the spear.

“Kuha, you have no tricks, Gustav!”

That linear attack was easily knocked off, however.

“I wonder…?”

“Huh?”

I had meanwhile taken the Demon King’s back. 『Thunder Rage』 is a feint. Taking advantage of the blinding effect of the lightning attribute of the attack and its high power to draw attention to the attack, I was moving at high speed at the moment I fired it.

“From now on! Your turn! You’re not coming!”

“Guh…?”

Kicking him in the back, continuous attack, continuous attack, continuous attack.

If the Demon King keeps reviving and regenerating, just keep destroying it at a speed faster than that. I’ll beat him with all the skills I’ve got.

In no time at all, the Demon King’s body is covered with holes, and his hateful mouth is so torn to shreds that he can’t afford to open it.

─ ─ “The skill level of 『Thousand Strikes of Fluid Thrusts』 increases. lv MAX. awakening kakusei skill released/acquired. 『Mystic Ice』.

‘Unleashes an ice attack that freezes everything with a single thrust’.

…It won’t stop. I can’t stop!

I can’t even spare a moment to breathe. If one attack doesn’t work, I pile on ten attacks; if ten attacks don’t work, I connect a hundred techniques; if a hundred techniques aren’t enough, I fold in a thousand more; if a thousand more are still not enough, then I use

“‘『Thunder Rage』 『Thunder Rage』『Thunder Rage』『Thunder Rage』『Thunder Rage』”

…I will burn the Demon King’s body to 10,000 pieces. Aiming at the pieces of flesh that have become so tiny that I hesitate to call them pieces of meat, I continue to release the ‘Rai Shadow’ to extinguish them.

─ ─ “Awakening skill released and acquired. 『Thunderbolt』 attack that shatters the target of the attack by causing a tremor in a medium range of space from the ground poked with the bottom of the spear.

As if in response to my heat, the spear becomes hot from the core, and one after another, new skills are acquired. It seems that all the rules, the laws, the gods of the world, and everything else are pushing me to win.

…I’ll decide with this!

I deployed the 『Thousand Spear Birth』 to the left and right, and gathered all the scattered pieces of the Demon King’s flesh into the center. Then, I poke the central piece of flesh with my new skill, 『Mystic Ice』.

─ ─ Zooooo, and. Waves of ice instantly spread out to the surrounding area, freezing all the materials in that area, including the spear that had been shot out with the Thousand Spear Mountains. The shards of the Demon King that had been frozen in ice… no longer regenerated.

“I will end this! Demon King!”

Cling! And the bottom of the spear struck the ground with a resounding, crystal-clear sound echoing into the throne room. The new skill 『Thunderbolt』 is activated. Immediately after the air trembled, a sharp, huge thunderbolt that seemed to split the space in front of you shot out in all directions.

─ ─ ─ Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! and the lightning shattering and falling, on everything and everywhere.

After a flash of light, there was nothing in front of me. The pieces of flesh that were supposed to be frozen, the spears that had been shot out at the Thousand Spear Mountains, everything had returned to nothing. The wind that blew in from the empty wall in the throne room carried away the blackened ashes.

…The demon king became dust particles.

“Hah, hah, hah… did I win…?”

I fell to my knees with a thump. My lungs ached. I was breathless and couldn’t remember how much I had moved in one breath. I had exerted all my strength to the extent that my memory was clouded. It was no longer possible to stand up satisfactorily.

…But still, if I could have won…

‘───Kuha…’

I thought I heard that voice coming from somewhere, and I looked up with a start.

‘Kuhahahahahahahahaha!’

Black ashes carried on in the wind, swirling and gathering at one point. It gradually formed a human shape, and then.

“Utterly, Utterly. It’s been a wasted effort.”

The Demon King rose again before my eyes.

“What, so…”

“I have told you from the beginning that only a hero can kill me.”

“!!!…”

“Kuhahaha! Kuhahahahaha! That’s it! Attaboy! A wonderful look of despair! That’s what I wanted to see, Gustav!”

The Demon King floats up with a high laugh. He then flies slowly towards the great hole in the throne room.

“…! Where are you going?”

“Kuhaha, there is no reason for me to stay here any longer. And soon the gates of the Underworld will be opened above the Royal Castle. I thought I’d be the first to witness it.”

“…Don’t be silly! Fight! It’s not settled yet!”

“I don’t care. I don’t care. At first I was going to keep an eye on the princess until the time was right so that she wouldn’t commit suicide, but… kuha ha ha ha! Gustav, now that you’re here, there’s no need for that!”

The demon king’s wicked sneering voice echoes.

“Gustav, you will not let Princess Leia die no matter what. Don’t you feel as if it were a curse? Because of that love, you will destroy this kingdom…!”

“Uhhhhh!”

With my last ounce of strength, I threw the spear in my hand at the Demon King with the skill 『Ballista』. It pierced through his heart for sure.

─ ─ ─ “The skill level of 『Ballista』 increases, Lv MAX, and the skill changes from 『Ballista』 to 『Catapult Arms』. 『Catapult Arms』 is an extremely powerful attack that fires an object in a straight line from its hand. The characteristic effect of the object from this attack is greatly increased.

…I don’t need any new skills now! So please, tell me that you’ve leveled up! Give me the word that you’ve defeated the Demon King…!

However, such a convenient wish cannot be fulfilled. Even as his body was pierced, the Demon King still did not break his smile.

“For the few remaining minutes until the gates of the Underworld open, at best, immerse yourself in despair.”

After saying this, the Demon King disappeared out of the throne room.

“Wait… wait…!”

I struggle to stand up, whipping my body, which is refusing to move at all costs. But my body is too deprived of oxygen and blood to move properly. Even so, I keep raising my voice.

“The fight isn’t over yet! I’m not finished, I’m not dead! Come back!”

I shout loudly. I screamed as if my throat was about to burst. But Demon king doesn’t come back. Only the last laugh he left behind seemed to stay here for a long time.

“Fight! Demon King Kaiser! Fight me! Fight me! Fight me!”

At that time, with a thud.

Something soft hit my back. It was a warm, enveloping feeling.

“Gustav-sama!”

At the sound of that voice, I realized that I was being hugged by Princess Leia. The Princess had a strangely calm voice.

“…Princess?”

Princess Leia does not answer. But instead, she moved her body away and stared at my face. Then she pulled my face closer with both hands. It was an unexpected move, and I was left to my own devices. Then Princess Leia also pulled her face closer, and then…

─ ─ My and Princess’ lips overlapped.

“—”

“—”

Princess Leia, who removed her lips from me, who was just stunned, gave me a very gentle smile.

“Thank you, Gustav-Sama.”

“…Princess?”

“That’s enough. Thank you so much.”

The princess slowly hugs me, this time from the front.

“You have fought enough for me. You can rest now.”

“—”

“You must be tired. Now, please close your eyes.”

I heard a crack and something taut snapped… and instantly, I felt so heavy that I thought my body was aching.

…Oh, yeah. My body had finally reached its limit….

The body that ate powerful magic attacks that could reduce a hero to ashes with a single blow is now almost falling apart. The belly where I was hit hurts as if my internal organs are twisting, and blood is flowing incessantly from my left arm.

“Good night, Gustav-Sama.”

…I’m tired, really.

I close my eyes as the calm voice admonishes me. …No, my eyelids fall in on themselves. Sleepy. A bottomless swamp of sleepiness envelops my whole body like mud. I could no longer resist anything, and I lay my head on the Princess’ shoulder.

“…Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“…Thank you for your hard work. I’m really a lucky person.”

“…Leave the rest to me and have a good night’s sleep. My dear, dear Gustav.”

Like that spring sunshine-warm embrace of Princess Leia, my whole body relaxes. My consciousness was cut off there.

─ ─ 52 seconds to go until the gates of the underworld open.

(TL: Gustav who once raised his levels like maniac. They are meaningless to him now.:/)