"Grr! How can this guy be so strong?! I already used Limit Break!"
“Luaaaaaaaaaa!”
Guanghui wore a pained expression. The horse-headed monster's power surpassed his own, who had activated "Limit Break," causing Guanghui to grow increasingly agitated. He knew this wasn't going to work, and decided to fight back even if it meant taking damage.
however……
「!?」
Before he could put his mind to the decision, his legs gave way. The time limit for Guanghui's "Limit Break" had finally come. Perhaps due to the drawback of using it twice in such a short period of time, Guanghui felt even more exhausted than before. He tried to take a step forward, but the strength was too weak.
Guanghui's entire body was limp, his balance off, and he was on the verge of death. Ma Tou, of course, wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, instantly punching Guanghui in the stomach with a resounding impact.
“Gah!”
Guanghui spat out blood, his body twisted into a U-shape and flew out, slamming into the wall again. Weakened by the side effects of his Limit Break, the blow easily knocked Guanghui unconscious, leaving him with near-fatal injuries. He collapsed to the ground, motionless. The reason he wasn't killed instantly was likely because the horse-headed monster had shown some mercy.
The horse-headed monster approached Guanghui, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him up. Guanghui lost consciousness, his whole body limp. The horse-headed monster held him aloft for the demon woman to see. After seeing this, the demon woman nodded with satisfaction and withdrew the demons that had entered the secret room.
After a while, Shizuku and the others appeared with caution, and saw a huge horse-headed monster they had never seen before, holding up a limp Guanghui in its hand. Their expressions were immediately filled with despair.
"You're kidding, right? Kouki... lost?"
“How, how could this be…”
Meaningless words come out of their mouths.
Even Shizuku, Kaori, and Kan were speechless and stood there in a daze. Seeing that they had lost their will to fight, the witch said coldly:
"Hmph, to think he could be fooled by such a simple trick. I thought this brat underestimated the world, and it seems I was right."
Shizuku's face turned pale, but she still asked the witch with strong will:
“…What did you do?”
"Hmm? That's it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the demon pointed at Captain Meld, still held captive by the false Brutal. Shizuku followed her gaze and, upon seeing the dying Captain Meld, she understood that he was being used as a distraction. Seeing someone she knew being captured, on the brink of death, would surely not remain indifferent; instead, she would lose her composure.
The demoness had probably already grasped Guanghui's straightforward personality during their previous battle. Furthermore, she had probably used the Chimera's unique ability, placing powerful monsters in ambush, waiting for Guanghui's excited rush to launch a surprise attack.
"...And then? What do you want from us? You've specifically let us live and are even talking to me. You must have something to ask for, right?"
"Ah, you're the one who can judge the situation the best. Actually, it's not a special request. Seeing your reaction last time, I want to persuade you to surrender again. It was you, the brave brother, who made the decision on your own last time, right? I see that there are some very talented people among you, so I decided to give you another chance. What do you think?"
After hearing the words of the female demon, several people reacted. Seeing this, Shizuku asked again without fear.
"...What are you going to do with Kouki?"
"Haha, you're quite clever... Sorry, I can't let the brave brother live. I don't think he'll join us, and convincing him is impossible, right? He's the type who won't accept other people's opinions. There's no reason for us to let such a dangerous person live."
"...If we don't agree, the same fate will happen to us, right?"
"Of course. How could I possibly let someone like that live, knowing he'd become a serious problem in the future?"
"Haven't you considered that we could pretend to obey first and then betray?"
"Of course I've considered this, so I'll have you wear collars. Ah, don't worry, they'll only make it impossible for you to resist, not take away your autonomy."
"So, they're extremely free slaves, they have free will, but they can't harm their masters, right?"
"Indeed, you understood quickly, which was a great help. It would be even better if we could have a different outcome from the conversation with the hero-brother."
The other members listened silently to Shizuku's conversation with the demon woman, their eyes filled with anxiety and fear as they exchanged glances. If they didn't agree to the demon woman's proposal, the monsters, even those Kouki couldn't defeat, would attack, most likely killing them. However, joining the demons would result in a collar, preventing them from fighting them again.
This essentially means they are no longer "Apostles of God." Even if they manage to return, will the Holy Church's protection be of no use to them... Will they be able to return to their original world...
No matter how I think about it, there won't be a good future, however...
"I, I think I should accept that person's invitation!"
Just as everyone was silent, an unexpected voice rang out. Eri, trembling, struggled to speak. Shizuku and the others stared at her with wide eyes in surprise.
Ryuutarou's face flushed with anger at Eri's desperate proposal, and he yelled at her:
"Eri! Do you want to leave Kouki to die?"
"babble!?"
"Ryuutarou, calm down! Eri, why do you think that?"
Seeing Ryuutarou's fury, Eri took a few steps back in fear. But Shizuku stepped in to stop Ryuutarou, and she reluctantly stopped, took a deep breath, and clenched her fists to speak her mind.
“I, I just… don’t want anyone to die… Regarding Kouki-san’s matter… I don’t know what to do… wuwu, wuwu…”
Despite her tears, Hyeri continued to speak. Seeing her like that, the other members' hearts began to waver. Then, one person agreed with Hyeri's opinion.
"I agree with Nakamura. We've already lost. There's no need to hesitate about the choice between total destruction and survival, right?"
"Hiyama...are you saying you're going to ignore Kouki? Huh?"
"Sakagami, do you want us to be buried with Amanogawa, who can no longer fight?"
"It's not like that! It's not like that!"
"If you don't have an alternative plan, shut up. What's important now is how to keep more people alive."
Hiyama's speech created an atmosphere where the proposal should be accepted. As Hiyama said, if you don't want to die, you have no choice but to accept the proposal.
Even so, they still couldn't honestly choose to accept it. They felt guilty for not saving Guanghui in order to save themselves. It was like sacrificing Guanghui for their own survival, so they couldn't make up their minds.
Just when everyone was hesitating, the female demon made another proposal at the perfect time:
"Hmm? Since you're worried about the hero... I'll let him live, right? Of course, I'll put a collar on him, but it'll be a powerful collar that can't compare to the one you wear. In return, you'll all join the demon side."
Shizuku couldn't help but smack her tongue when she heard this proposal. She could tell the demon had been planning this from the beginning. If Kouki was someone the demon absolutely had to kill, then it was strange that he was still alive. She could just kill him without a second thought.
She had spared Kouki's life, sparing him for this very moment. The demon woman, having witnessed their previous battle, had likely already determined that Kouki was a valuable asset. However, since even a conversation couldn't be established, she was certain Kouki would never surrender, though the same wasn't necessarily true for others. To win over those other than Kouki to the demon side, the demon woman devised a plan.
The first step of this strategy was not to kill Kouki right away to avoid causing resentment; the second step was to force Shizuku and the others into a life-or-death situation to reduce their choices; the third step was to guide their thinking, and when the students felt that "this had to be done", help them eliminate the problem.
In fact, after hearing that she would let Guanghui live so that he could survive without feeling guilty, the atmosphere on the scene was already leaning towards surrender.
There was no guarantee that the other party would actually let Kouki survive. After Kouki was killed, even if Shizuku and the others regretted it, they would no longer be able to resist the demons. Even so, accepting the proposal was still better than dying in vain.
Shizuku's heart began to lean towards taking the risk and agreeing to the proposal. She thought that if she could survive now, there might be a way to save Kouki.
For the female demons, acquiring Shizuku and the others at this time would be a significant advantage. The first benefit, needless to say, is the impact it would have on the human side. After all, if the "Apostles of God," humanity's hope, joined the demons, it would undoubtedly be a profound blow to humanity... no, it would undoubtedly bring deep despair. This would be a significant advantage for the demons.
The second benefit is replenishing combat power. The demoness' true purpose in coming to the Orcus Great Labyrinth was to gain immense power by conquering it. While the monsters in the previous labyrinth could be easily eliminated with the existing monsters, this wasn't necessarily the case further down. Since the number of monsters had been reduced by the slaying of Kouki and the others, the arrival of Shizuku and the others was perfectly timed to replenish combat power.
From the atmosphere at the scene, the female demon knew that if she continued like this, she would be able to get Shizuku and the others, and a smile appeared on her lips.
However, her smile was quickly wiped away by a sudden sound of pain.
"Everyone... no... don't agree to this..."
“Kui!”
"Mitsuki-san!"
"River of Heaven!"
The voice came from Guanghui, who was hanging in the air, and his companions all looked at him.
"...She's deceiving you... She killed Mr. Allen and the others... Don't... trust her... She'll force you to fight humans... You'll all be enslaved... Run away... Don't worry about me... As many people as you can escape... Run away quickly..."
Guanghui, dying, tells him about the dangers of this deal and suggests that instead of trading with the other party, it would be better to abandon him and escape, but Hiyama shakes his head in denial.
"...How many people do you think will survive in this situation? Look at the reality! We've already lost! As for those knights... this is a bloodbath! There's nothing we can do about it! If you want more people to survive, we have no choice but to agree!"
Hiyama roared angrily, gazing at Kouki, who still refused to back down. Hiyama simply wanted to survive. Even if the worst-case scenario ended with everyone else dead, as long as Kaori and he were still alive, that was all that mattered. Running away would be like gambling with your life; the chances of survival were slim.
Even if he joined the demon side, if he worked hard to show his usefulness, he would likely be valued and could even get Kaori. Of course, that would be while wearing a collar, restricting her free will. But for Hiyama, he didn't care whether Kaori had free will or not; as long as she was his, he was satisfied.
Hiyama's roar drew his companions towards a more certain future.
At that moment, another voice, though painful, yet powerful, echoed throughout the room. Though its deep voice was quiet, it somehow felt remarkably clear. On the battlefield, that voice had encouraged them countless times, constantly sustaining them. No matter the situation, it always made sound judgments and issued orders without hesitation. That towering figure, their role model, was so reliable. He was a man everyone respected, a father figure and brother to them—Captain Meld's voice resounded throughout the room.
"Uh uh... just think about how to survive... follow the path you believe in... I'm sorry... for dragging you into our war... The longer I spend with you... the more I regret it... So, you must return home alive... Don't worry about human affairs... Because from the beginning... this has been our war!"
Captain Meld's words weren't spoken as the leader of the Heilig Kingdom Knights, but simply as a man, Meld Loggins. These were Captain Meld's true words, regardless of his position. He spoke these words because he knew that now was the end of his life.
Guanghui and the others called out Captain Meld's name, and upon hearing his words, their eyes widened in surprise. Captain Meld's entire body glowed with light, and he threw off the false Brutal, rushing forward in one breath, and hugged the female demon.
"Demon...die with me..."
"! That's... Oh, you're going to blow yourself up? That's very brave of you. I don't dislike you."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
A radiant light enveloped Captain Meld. At first glance, it looked like a glorious "Limit Break," as if magical power could be seen gushing from within him. However, to be precise, it wasn't coming from his body, but rather from a jewel-like object hanging around his neck.
The female demon seemed to have knowledge in this area. The moment she saw the gem, she knew what it was and even praised Captain Meld's brave actions.
The gem was called "Last Loyalty," and as the witch had said, it was a magical item for self-destruction. Those in high positions within the nation or the Holy Church naturally possessed crucial intelligence. Since dark magic could, to some degree, read memories, those of high rank were required to carry this gem when deployed to the front lines. The purpose was to prevent their memories from being read in an emergency, allowing them to self-destruct along with the enemy.
This was Captain Meld's final attack, risking his life. The voices of Kouki and the others screamed his name like a wail. However, unlike Kouki and the others, the female demon remained calm and composed, despite the possibility of being caught in the explosion and killed.
Then, Captain Meld's "final loyalty" shone even brighter, and just before launching, the witch said:
"Devour it all, Abusod."
After the witch uttered these words, the 'Last Loyalty' that had been radiating intense light and reaching a critical state suddenly lost its brilliance at a drastic speed.
"What!? How could this happen?!"
A closer look revealed that the overflowing light seemed to be flowing continuously in a certain direction. Captain Meld, desperately clinging to the female demon, looked in that direction. There, a six-legged turtle-like monster appeared. Its mouth opened wide, absorbing all the light enveloping Captain Meld.
The six-legged turtle monster is named Absolde. Its unique magic is "Magic Storage," which allows it to absorb any kind of magic and store it within its body. This ability cannot absorb magic of multiple attributes simultaneously, nor can it reuse magic for different spells. At most, it compresses the magic and then releases it from its mouth. However, its storage capacity is large enough to absorb even higher-level magic, making it a natural enemy for those who rely primarily on magic.
The light of "Last Loyalty" that had enveloped Captain Meld rapidly vanished, ultimately transforming into an ordinary gem. His final struggle was halted by an unexpected method, and Captain Meld was lost in thought when a sudden impact struck him. It wasn't very strong. "What?" Captain Meld lowered his head and looked at the spot where he felt the impact: his abdomen.
A rough, reddish-brown blade emerged from there. More precisely, a blade formed from dust and sand pierced through Captain Meld's abdomen and back. The blade emerging from behind was stained bright red, and blood was dripping from its tip.
“…Captain Meld!”
Guanghui spat out blood and called out Captain Meld's name. Captain Meld heard his call and shifted his gaze from his abdomen to Guanghui. His brows knitted together, and he said "I'm sorry" with a regretful smile.
Then, with a horizontal swing of the Sand Blade, Captain Meld was sent flying, powerless like a puppet, collapsing to the ground. A pool of blood gradually grew on the ground, and anyone who saw it could tell it was a fatal wound. While it was astonishing that he could still move in such a state, everyone knew that this time, he was truly beyond help.
At the same time, even though she knew it was too late, Kaori immediately cast a healing spell on Captain Meld in the distance. Although the bleeding seemed to slow, Kaori's own magic power was running low, so the wound showed no signs of healing.
"Uuuu, please, get better!"
With her magic power almost exhausted, Kaori fell to her knees due to a strong sense of fatigue. Despite this, she still desperately cast recovery magic.
"I never imagined you could stand up and embrace me despite being so badly injured. As expected of the captain of the Kingdom's knights, your spirit is truly admirable. However, this time, it's truly over... This is one of the ways to end it. What are your decisions?"
The demon woman gently swung her blood-stained sand blade, looking down at Guanghui and the others. Seeing someone close to them die before their eyes once again, everyone, with the exception of a few, trembled. They knew that if they didn't agree to the demon woman's proposal, they would be next.
Just as Hiyama was about to speak to the female demon and accept the proposal on behalf of everyone—
“…”
Kouki, completely limp, was suspended in mid-air by the horse-headed monster, but he seemed to whisper something. He was clearly covered in wounds and shouldn't have posed any threat, but somehow, Hiyama felt an irresistible pressure, and he couldn't help but swallow his words back.
"What? What did you say? You're only half dead."
The demon woman seemed to have heard Guanghui's words, and thinking that he would probably just scream, she sneered and asked. Guanghui raised his head and looked directly at the demon woman.
She met Guanghui's gaze and gasped. His eyes had turned a brilliant silver, gleaming brightly. An inexplicable pressure forced the demon woman to step back. At the same time, she instinctively warned the horse-headed monster and gave it a command. She subconsciously decided that now was not the time to worry about whether it would be beneficial to subjugate Shizuku and the others.
"Ahatod! Kill him!"
"Ohhhhhh!!"
The horse head, no, Ahato faithfully followed the orders of the female demon, and launched the "Magic Shock Wave" with two fists from both sides, trying to kill the lingering light.
However, at that moment, light burst out from Guanghui's body as if it had exploded, and then turned into a torrent, sweeping towards the ceiling like a tornado. Guanghui swung his right fist and struck Ahato's arm, which was holding him, with a crackling sound, easily shattering it.
"Ohhhhhh!!"
Ahatod let out a scream that had a different meaning than before, and couldn't help but let go of Kouki. Kouki's movements were not at all like those of a wounded person, and he hit Ahatod with a spinning kick.
There was a roar like a cannon's impact. The glorious kick sent Ahatod's massive body tumbling into a U-shape, sending it hurtling forward with tremendous force, crashing into the wall behind. With a resounding roar, Ahatod shattered the wall, its body wedged into it. Perhaps the impact had overwhelmed its body, and despite desperate attempts to pull itself free, it could only manage a few brief movements.
Guanghui swung his body and stretched out his hand. The holy sword that had fallen to the ground instantly responded to the call and flew back to Guanghui's hand. Guanghui glared at the female demon, as if to shoot her to death with his gaze. At the same time, a tornado-like torrent of light gathered around Guanghui's body.
——This is the final derivative skill of "Limit Breakthrough" [+ Domination].
While the usual "Limit Break" can unleash power three times its base stat within a limited timeframe, "Overpowered Smash" grants five times its base stat. However, this is a forced increase in power during the Limit Break state. In Kouki's current state, it can only be activated for thirty seconds at most, and there will be significant side effects after the effect ends.
However, Guanghui had no idea of the consequences and rushed towards the demon girl in a rage. Now he only wanted to help Captain Meld get revenge - only revenge existed.
An anxious look crossed the demon's face as she commanded the surrounding monsters to attack Guanghui. Chimeras launched surprise attacks, Black Cat unleashed its tentacles, and False Brutal brandished its war club. However, Guanghui, without even a glance at the monsters, wielded his holy sword, neutralizing their attacks. He roared, his steps unfaltering as he charged towards the demon.
"You! How dare you kill Captain Meld!"
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