The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

After defeating Mr. Fegnis, I was going through the castle, explaining to Lucas and Eva about Nair, the messenger who had disguised herself as an owl along the way.

When I explained that Nair was half vampire and half necromancer, Mr. Lucas was very surprised.

Eva, on the other hand, seemed to be intrigued by Néa's transformation from an owl to a human.

"So Néa, you know the exact location of the curse, don't you?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm leading you here, isn't it?

Néa walks ahead in the form of a dark-haired, red-eyed girl.

Our footsteps echo through the castle, which is lit only by the light of our magic tools.

"Usato, I'm sure you know this, but let me make sure of something, okay?"

"Yes?"

"You two behind me, you should listen too."

Nea called out to me as she faced forward.

"It's me and Usato who will deal with the curse. You two can just watch from the back."

"...... I agree. Frankly, I'm only the king, and all I can do is watch."

If you know what you're doing, fine. Then let's talk about the next time you fail to destroy a curse, shall we?"

"Hey, Nea. ......

Seeing Master Lucas tense up at these words, he warns Nair.

But she looks at me as if she is glaring at me.

"There is no guarantee that the curse can be broken. So you have to be prepared for the worst."

"---But..."

"Don't worry, Usato. ...... keep going."

Mr. Lucas has a serious expression on his face.

Nair opened his mouth quietly.

"......Because you broke the bell that was the source of the magic power, the curse is on its way to extinction. Extinction is not a bad thing. No souls will be trapped and no Samaritan will be cursed. But Eva, your taken existence and soul will be lost forever."

"...... I see. That means I won't be able to live much longer. ......"

Her life has been cut so short that she may not even live a year at worst.

Eva grits her teeth as she mutters this in anguish.

"Well, this softy is trying to destroy the curse in order to prevent that from happening. But if it fails,...... for example, if it is difficult to destroy the curse, or if Usato is in danger, I will give up on destroying the curse."

If you find yourself in a situation where there is nothing you can do about the curse, you have no choice but to pull out.

"The risk is too great to begin with. We need Eva to stay close to us in order to recover her soul and her existence. But my resistance spell can only be cast on either Usato or Eva. And if the curse has a clear intention, it will always target Eva, who will be unprotected. ...... No amount of Usato can overwhelm hundreds of curses, can it?"

"......Yeah."

"...... Don't look so unconvinced. I don't like it either. If I'm going to ...... help you, I'm going to do my best."

I let out a giggle from the frown on my face when Nea says this as she looks forward awkwardly.

We were enemies just a few days ago, but now that I've gotten to know her, she's quite human.

Eva speaks to me with a somewhat happy expression on her face as she smiles at Néa walking in front of her.

"Usato-san and Néa, you are very good friends, aren't you?

"Not exactly good friends. It's more like trust."

"Hmph. ......"

Eva smiles a small smile, but it lacks power.

Maybe her body is not strong enough. If she does not regain her existence and life, she will have to live a short life without being able to move.

"Can I help you? ......?"

I smile awkwardly at Eva, who looks at me worriedly as I fall silent.

I don't even want to think about what happens after I fail.

I don't want to think about what happens after I fail, but there is no guarantee that I will succeed one hundred percent of the time.

Nair is right, I have to go and destroy the curse, considering the worst case scenario.

"Here we are!"

Lost in thought, Nair stops in front of a large door.

She stopped at ......!

"This door is ......."

Master Lucas's eyes widen in astonishment when he sees the door illuminated by the light of the grimoire.

"Don't tell me ...... that this is the place ......!"

"Yes. Yes. It was very easy to find. The king at that time had a strong sense of self-promotion.

There it is-- the throne.

When I was invited to this castle, the first place I met Master Lucas was where the curse that has been consuming the royal family of Samaritan was hidden.

"It was so close, but ...... I, we couldn't notice it ......?"

Stepping into the hall where the throne is located, Nair walks without hesitation to the back wall where the throne is placed. She touches the wall thoughtfully with her hand, nods her head, looks at me, and opens her mouth.

Usato, will you tear down this wall for me?

"Usato, will you tear down this wall for me?" "Don't make it sound like I deserve to tear down the wall. ...... Well, I'll try."

It looks like a solid wall, but is it easy to break?

I was a little worried about whether I could break the wall or not, but I started to run and kicked straight into the hard wall, and my foot penetrated into the wall more easily than I expected and the wall collapsed.

At the end of the collapsed wall, there is a spiral staircase leading to the back of the room, and an eerie wind is blowing.

"The reason why it broke unexpectedly easily was because there was such a space behind the wall. ......"

Since it was the king of the time who ordered the binding of the heroes, it is only natural that the body of the curse should be placed in a familiar place.

No wonder it was so easy to break...

"No, it's not that easy to break the wall. ......"

"Wow, Usato, you are awesome. ......"

"......"

There's a certain déjà vu in the reactions of the two people behind me: .......

Why does it remind me of the situation when I hit the target with Lukvis?

...... No, no, no, let's change our minds.

"Okay. Neah, turn into an owl. And Lucas, please stay behind me and don't let go of Eva."

"Yes, sir."

With a pop, Neah transforms and rides on my shoulder.

Master Lucas also holds Eva as if he is nervous, and steps back behind me.

"Well, there's a big curse under here. You better brace yourself, Usato.

"Yeah, I'll hit it as hard as I can."

Clenching my fists tightly, I said these words and began to descend the stairs, trying not to lose my footing.

I started to walk down the stairs, trying not to lose my footing.

A hidden room behind the throne.

We stepped into the spiral staircase inside the room, and nervously descended the stairs.

Nair had somehow managed to smuggle a magical tool from inside the castle to illuminate our steps as we descended the staircase.

I take a deep breath and step into the space where the light is leaking out.

"......!　This is ......."

The space where the light was leaking out was an altar-like place.

The whole place was covered with dust, but it was large enough to accommodate dozens of people. On the altar at the back was a crystal ball emitting a green light, as if to worship something.

Perhaps that is the core of the curse.

Nair doesn't have to tell us. I can see magical patterns moving in the crystal as if they were blending together, and above all, I can feel a bad vibe coming from it.

And then..,

"......usato"

"Yeah, he's here. And there are more of them than yesterday.

I know because I faced the curse last night.

It feels rough and weird, like a lot of stares directed at us.

It's like we're in the stomach of a curse.

"......"

Eva, are you okay?

Eva gasps, as if she senses the same thing I do.

Eva throws her voice at me as if she is trying to shake me off.

"Mr. Usato,...... I know ...... what this feels like."

"You know?"

I ask Eva without turning around, and her voice trembles with fear.

It's the same as in the dream. The same people who have been throwing words of hate at me and ......."

"You don't have to talk. I understand what you're trying to say."

"...... yes."

So the curse is what was giving her nightmares.

I knew that the people of Samaritan had a lot of resentment towards her, but how dare they try to hunt her down even in her dreams?

"...... wait. Then ......."

Who were the people who protected her in the dream that the curse may have shown her?

The people of Samaritan, who have a grudge against the royal family, would never protect Eva.

Could it be..,

"Usato!　I was right, the curse has a core!　Let's destroy it before the curse gets into full swing!"

"......, yeah."

Nair sees the crystal on the altar and flaps her wings excitedly as she says so.

"Can you break it just by punching it?　Don't you have to break the spell?"

"I was thinking of using it, but I don't need it. The crystal is a wedge that binds the soul to the world. Unlike magic, it was made by man, so if you break it, the souls that were bound to it will be released. ......

I'm a little nervous, but if that's what she wants, I'll go along with it.

But it's very like me to break it with my fist in the end. .......

"I've been saying I'll destroy it, destroy it, destroy it, but in the end, I'll do it with force. ......!

"What are you talking about now when all you can do is force ......"

That's rude. I've been thinking about it a lot when I hit you, you know?

Well, it's quicker because you don't have to think about it. Just smash the crystal in front of you without thinking.

As if sensing our purpose, skeletons appear from all over the hall in numbers far greater than those of last night.

>

>

"They're gathering in the straw. ......!　Nair, we'll take care of them in a moment!　Switch your resistance spells to me at the right time!　Master Lucas, Eva will be defenseless for a moment!　Call me if there's any danger!"

"Okay. You take care!

Yes, sir!

I touch Eva's shoulder lightly as she is lifted up by Lucas-sama.

With my resistance spells in place, I can ignore the skeletons' interference and go for the shortest distance to destroy the curse. That may leave Eva unprotected, but I'll destroy her before that happens. ......!

Now!

Shh!

Nair's spell is activated, and she leaps forward as fast as she can as the resistance spell covering Eva's body pops.

"Let's go, Néa!"

I know!

And then, her body is covered with resistance spells and her hands are covered with restraint spells.

The skeletons start to move in response to my sudden leap, but their movements are slow.

Some skeletons reach out from the ground..,

The skeletons attacking from the ceiling..,

All of them can't keep up with my speed.

"Hmph!"

"Gui,a......?

I deal with the skeleton floating in front of me with my healing restraining fist without any difficulty, and I squeeze my right arm as hard as I can and clench my fist tightly.

The distance to the altar is almost at hand.

All I have to do now is to directly hit it with my fist. ......!

That's it!

He clenches his fist tightly and swings it down toward the altar.

But that was as far as it went.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Gu, kii."

What?

Jingling!　Then, several skeletons came in between the fist and the crystal, as if they were a wall.

The fist that was supposed to hit the crystal was blocked by the wall of skeletons, and the direction of the fist was shifted.

What the hell?　The skeletons are being pulled by the chains connected to the wall. ......?

"What's going on?　What do you mean? ! Now the chains are moving, apparently without their will!　Usato, step back!　I think I may have made a terrible mistake..."

"It doesn't matter if you pull back!　I'll hit him again!　Hey!

Listen to me!

If you can't stop me, don't let me stop you.

He raises his fist again and tries to swing it down again, but the skeletons break in just like before, but this time he doesn't care if they block him, he's going to pound them with both arms until they break!

Ignoring Nair's attempts to stop me, I thrust my right fist out...,

"No, no, no!"

"Ah!"

A small, child-sized skeleton. It is pulled not in front of my fist, but in front of my face. It's not a scream, but a plea, and my fist stops in agitation.

They even use this kind of move on me. ......!

I pull my fist out and back away from him, and an agitated NEA turns to me.

"This is unexpected. I wish she was just willing. But this ...... is clearly something else that is disturbing us, something with a different will than the skeletons that want to be liberated!"

"Something other than a skeleton? ...... d*mn it!"

While avoiding the skeletons attacking from all around, I look at the skeletons guarding the altar in front of me---nay, being guarded.

The chains attached to those collars. They are forcibly moving the skeletons from the ceiling and walls. They are being forcibly pulled in front of the altar as if they were slaves, and I feel an inexpressible anger.

"You've got to be kidding me. ......!"

Is that what this is?　That there is an entity that is taking advantage of the people of Samaritan who are suffering from the curse that has bound their souls?

If we think it really is there and we can stop it from destroying the altar, what then?

As it is, no matter how many dozens or hundreds of skeletons you may summon, they cannot stop me, protected by the magic of Nair.

The only way to make me see an opening...

Usato, there's a curse on us!

Eva!

I turn around just as I hear Lucas-sama's impatient voice coming from behind me.

Eva is surrounded by many skeletons, and Master Lucas is holding her in his arms as if to protect her.

"I'm coming!

She turns to help, but suddenly her leg movement is impeded and she almost falls down.

Looking at his legs, he sees that the chains connected to the skeleton have somehow been wrapped around his legs.

"d*mn you!

The spell of resistance is limited to only <, so it cannot prevent anything else from happening.

We can break the chains immediately, but while we do so, Eva will be in danger.

Moreover, countless skeletons are on their way to you as well, to stop you in your tracks.

......There's no time to lose!

Nair, release the spell on me!

What?　You've got to be kidding me!　You know what will happen if I lift the spell that's protecting you here!

Please!

......　I know what will happen!　How did I become such a good-natured messenger!　d*mn!　Don't you ever die!

The resistance spells on me are lifted, leaving me defenseless against the curse.

I grab Nair who is standing on my shoulder.

"I apologize while I still can!　I'm sorry!

"What?　Why are you holding me and swinging me over your head ......?　This can't be..."

Take care of Eva and Mr. Lucas!

He throws Nair, who is holding it lightly, toward Eva and Mr. Lucas with great force. Hyah~?　Nair exclaims, but he quickly untransforms back into his original vampire form and lands near them.

She glares at them with teary eyes and waves to Eva and Master Lucas, who roll their eyes, and then activates her magic to keep the curse away.

"......?

I'm not long relieved when a skeleton with chains around my legs bites my leg and I get the same headache I had last night.

Immediately, I stomp the skeletons at my feet and shoot them down with my fists as they come at me from all directions.

---Kaka, kaka...

Every time a heap of shattered skeletons grows at his feet, he hears a snort of laughter tinged with derision.

---ka-kaka-kaka.

Compared to last night, the number and the playback speed are much faster.

I can't get to them in time, and there are two skeletons attached to my back and legs, their teeth baring down on me.

"---or ......!　This thing won't stop me with the same pain!"

--- ka!

I shake off the skeletons entangled in my body and smash them with a roundhouse kick, then grab a handful of skeletons and smash several of them together on the ground, shattering them.

---I grab a handful of skeletons and slam them to the ground and smash them to pieces...Is that too much to hope for?

"......!

A voice echoes in my head, not a sneer.

I try to find the owner of the voice, but the next moment, skeletons around me, holding the chains around their necks, all throw the chains at me at the same time.

"d*mn, this is ......!"

The chains flew at me from front to back and from left to right, moving like living creatures, and as if they had seen an opportunity to take advantage of my momentary inability to move due to the restraints on my limbs, the skeletons that I had just shot down bit down on my entire body.

"Gah,aagh......"

Skeletons entwining and biting with both arms.

The pain is so extraordinary compared to last night that I can hardly stand up properly and fall to my knees.

"Mr. Usato!"

I hear a sneer from who-knows-who.

Eva's voice calling my name.

The skeletons that attacked me filled my vision, and the next scene they showed me was literally a scene of death.