“Pfft!”
Guanghui raised the holy sword above her head and swung it down without hesitation. The demon girl smacked her lips and immediately increased the density of the sand and dust to form a shield... The holy sword, wrapped in a stream of light, easily split the sand and dust shield, and she was hiding behind the shield and was cut diagonally across the shoulder.
Fortunately, when the female demon was creating the sand shield, her body also retreated and was not cut in half. However, a deep wound was cut diagonally on her body, and blood spurted out. Due to the force of the cut, she flew backwards.
Her back collided with the wall behind her, and the demon slowly fell from the shattered wall. As if to wipe away the blood on the sword, Guanghui swung the holy sword and walked towards the demon.
"It's so frustrating... Even in that situation, they were able to turn things around... It's like watching a cheap drama."
The clichéd plot of encountering a crisis triggering hidden power to reverse the situation seemed to make the female demon give up resistance. She stared at the approaching light with a sarcastic smile on her face.
Although the white crow beside her cast its own unique magic, her wound was too deep to heal immediately, and the light would not give her time to recover. The demon woman knew she was at the end of her rope, so she endured the severe pain, stretched out her right hand, and pulled out a small locket from her bosom.
Guanghui saw the pendant and a serious expression crossed his face. He wondered if she was planning to self-destruct like Captain Melt, so he rushed over. It wouldn't matter if only the witch died, but her self-destruction could affect her companions, so he had to defeat her before it happened! Guanghui delivered a final blow, but...
"I'm sorry... I have to go now... I love you, Mikhail..."
The demon woman wore a loving expression, gazing at the small pendant in her hand. Seeing her actions, Guanghui unconsciously stopped the holy sword. She had mentally prepared for the impact, but it didn't come. Confused, the demon woman looked up, only to find the holy sword resting a few millimeters above her head.
Guanghui's face was filled with astonishment, his eyes wide open as he looked at the fallen female demon. From Guanghui's eyes, it was clear that he seemed to have discovered something, and that he was also afraid and hesitant because of it.
Looking into Guanghui's eyes, the female demon understood exactly why Guanghui had stopped the holy sword and gave him a look of contempt. And that look made Guanghui even more shaken.
“…I’m truly defeated by you. You didn’t realize you were about to kill someone until now, did you?”
「!?」
Indeed, for Kouki, his understanding of demons was the same as Ishtar's teachings: cruel and despicable, intelligent monsters, or perhaps even their evolution. The fact that they, too, lived alongside and commanded demons reinforced Kouki's perception. Kouki never considered that they, like him, could love and be loved; that they, too, lived desperately for certain purposes, and were also "humans" who fought to survive. Or perhaps he simply didn't consciously consider that...
The demon woman's expression of compassion and the voice calling out for her beloved overturned Guanghui's understanding of demons. Guanghui inevitably realized that the person he was about to kill was not a demon, but a "human" like himself. He realized that what he was about to do was, in fact, "kill."
"I can't believe you don't even consider us 'humans'... How arrogant!"
“No, no… I don’t know…”
"Huh, you mean 'don't want to know'?"
“I, I…”
"Come on, what's wrong? This isn't even a battle for you, it's just 'hunting', right? There's a dying prey in front of you, huh? Hunt quickly, just like you've been doing until now..."
"...Let's talk... If we talk properly, it will definitely work..."
Guanghui lowered his holy sword and said this. Hearing Guanghui's words, the female demon gave him a look of deep contempt and did not answer, but instead shouted orders.
"Ahatod! Attack that female swordsman! All forces, attack!"
Ahato, having recovered from the shock, followed the witch's orders and advanced fiercely on Shizuku. While Shizuku lacked Kouki's charisma, she was the most capable of calmly assessing situations. In a sense, she was the most formidable opponent, and the witch ordered the monsters to attack her first.
The other monsters also attacked the members except Shizuku. The demon girl decided that instead of using the collar to control the talented people and force them to join her side, it would be better to use them to kill Kouki. This also meant that Kouki's final attack was a great threat to her.
“What! Why?!”
"You're such an unaware young master! What we're doing is a 'war'! You're so immature yet so powerful! You're too dangerous! I'm going to kill you here! Look! If you don't save your companions, they'll all be wiped out!"
Guanghui questioned the female demon who ignored his proposal, but the female demon did not respond.
Then, when Guanghui heard the words of the female demon and looked back, Shizuku was knocked away and her body hit the ground.
Ahatod was originally a monster of extraordinary strength, unmatched even by powerful monsters. Although it had been injured by the surprise attack of the Confucianism, even the Confucianism in its "Limit Break" state was overwhelmed by it, and Shizuku was unable to fight alone.
Kouki's face paled as he used the power of "Ba Kui" to momentarily block Shizuku and Ahatod, taking the blow of "Magic Blast Wave" at the critical moment. Then, as if to retaliate, he swung the holy sword backhanded, severing one of its arms.
However, when Guanghui stepped forward and was about to give it a fatal blow, as if the previous scene was replayed, Guanghui's legs went limp and he fell forward to the ground.
The time limit for "Ba Ku" has expired. Unfortunately, the price paid for constantly pushing her body wasn't just weakness; her body was completely paralyzed and unable to move.
“Of course, at a time like this!”
“Kui!”
To protect the fallen Kouki, Shizuku aimed a slash at the wound on Ahato's broken arm. Even with the wound severed, Ahato couldn't ignore it, screaming and retreating. Seizing that opening, Shizuku grabbed Kouki and tossed him to his companions.
Kouki was unable to move, and her companions were surrounded by a swarm of monsters. Just resisting the attack was already a difficult task. Shizuku thought... I can only rely on myself! Shizuku glared at the demon girl, her eyes filled with clear murderous intent.
"...Oh, it seems you have a strong desire to fight. You're more worthy of being called a hero, right?"
Thanks to White Crow's recovery magic, the witch seemed to have fully recovered. She stood up calmly and made this comment to Shizuku.
“…I don’t care what I’m called. It’s our fault that Kouki didn’t realize it, and I will bear the consequences of this negligence!”
Shizuku knew Kouki's straightforward and stubborn personality, but because they had never truly met in person before, she had allowed Kouki to become independent, not helping him come to terms with his perspective. This, in turn, had left him with the realization that what he was doing was murder. Shizuku blamed herself for this, gritting her teeth in regret.
Shizuku had no experience of killing, nor did she want such an experience, but since this was a war, that day would come sooner or later, and she had long been aware of it. When learning swordsmanship, Shizuku was also taught how heavy it was to hurt someone.
However, when that moment arrived, her resolve was easily shaken. The weight of what she was about to do filled her with fear, and she wanted to disregard her dignity and shame and burst into tears. Even so, Shizuku still gritted her teeth, desperately suppressing her fear of killing.
Shizuku took a stance, ready to activate "No Beat". She wanted to kill the female demon with her swift sword-drawing technique.
However, at that moment, a chill ran down Shizuku's back, her instincts giving her a strong warning. Shizuku instantly somersaulted sideways, backing away from her position, only to see the black cat's tentacles pierce through the spot where Shizuku had been.
"I didn't say to stop other monsters from attacking you. Your determination is impressive, but can you kill me while you still have to deal with other monsters?!"
“Hmm!”
"Of course I will kill you too." The witch said while chanting magic.
Shizuku, activating "No Beat," repeatedly accelerated and decelerated without any preparatory action, enduring wave after wave of attacks from the monster. She tried to find an opening, to try to get closer to the demon, but her expression gradually became filled with despair.
What was most agonizing for Shizuku was that Ahato had already matched her speed. Its massive body seemed unwieldy, but its eyesight was capable of accurately tracking Shizuku's movements. Even if Shizuku found an opening to charge at the demoness, it would catch up in an instant, delivering a powerful blow with a shockwave.
Shizuku, a swordsman class with a special emphasis on speed, had very low defense, so she mostly dodged or neutralized attacks. Even the aftermath of "Magic Rush Wave" would gradually accumulate damage because she couldn't completely dodge or neutralize it.
The accumulating damage finally caused Shizuku's movements to slow down slightly, which was the most fatal flaw in extreme combat.
“Grr!!”
Although Shizuku instantly blocked with her sword and sheath, Ahatod's fist shattered her weapon in half and grabbed Shizuku's shoulder.
It flung Shizuku's body horizontally across the ground, and she slammed hard against the ground. After sliding for a distance, she collapsed limply to the ground. Her right shoulder slumped, her arm bent at an odd angle, the bones seemingly shattered. The impact of the attack seemed to have penetrated her body, and every time she coughed, she coughed up blood.
"Shizuku-chan!"
Kaori called out Shizuku's name in an anxious tone. Shizuku, still clutching the hilt of the broken sword, simply lay on the ground, motionless.
At that moment, Kaori's mind completely forgot about her companions' formation, her own magic power was about to run out, or the pointlessness of rushing forward. All these thoughts were completely wiped out. She only thought, "I must get to my important friend."
Kaori impulsively rushed forward, her magic power nearly depleted, her body staggering and her steps unsteady. Even if someone behind her called out to stop her, she couldn't hear. She simply focused on Shizuku, attempting a foolhardy breakout. Of course, the monsters wouldn't let Kaori off guard, and their attacks swarmed in relentlessly.
However, all those attacks were blocked by the shining barriers. Countless barriers formed like passages, forming a connecting path between Kaori and Shizuku.
"Hey hey hey... you two should really be together."
The one who created that path was Suzu. Her face was pale, and her right hand stretched straight toward Shizuku. All the barriers were there to bring Kaori and Shizuku together. A faint smile appeared on her face.
Qian already knew in his heart that they were beyond help.
So, she wanted to use her magic to keep her beloved friends together until the very end. Of course, the defenses of her other companions would be relatively weak... Qian apologized to them in her heart. Even so, she continued to build a barrier for Kaori and Shizuku.
Leaning against the barrier of Qin, Kaori was somewhat injured, but she still managed to reach Shizuku's side. She gently picked up Shizuku who was lying on the ground and supported her body.
"Ka-Kaori...what are you doing...go back quickly, you can't be here."
"I won't go back. It doesn't matter where I am. So, I want to stay with Shizuku-chan."
"...I'm sorry, I can't win."
"I'm the one who should say sorry. I can only help you relieve a little pain. I have almost no magic power left."
Kaori supported Shizuku, her eyebrows drooping sadly, but she smiled and cast a spell to relieve Shizuku's pain. Shizuku also used her good left hand to tightly grasp Kaori's supporting hand, smiling as if she was helpless.
At that moment, a shadowy figure appeared in front of them—Ahatod. Its eyes were bloodshot as it looked down at Kaori and Shizuku, who were cuddling together. It let out a unique roar and swung its massive arm.
Although the barrier Qian had erected between Ahato and Kaori and the others at some point, attempting to prevent Ahato from approaching, it seemed unconcerned. It was certain that a single blow of its fist would shatter the barrier like a piece of paper, and the shockwave from the barrier alone would be enough to shatter Kaori and Shizuku.
Facing the hammer of death that was about to fall, all sorts of scenes flashed through Kaori's mind. "Ah, is this the revolving lantern before death?" She was unusually calm, immersed in memories, but the last scene that emerged caused ripples in her heart.
It was the tea party under the moon, the memories of their private conversations, the night they made their vows. He had smiled with embarrassment then, but now he was no longer there. Only when he was gone did Kaori realize she loved him. She still believed he was alive and pursued him.
However, this thought would also end here. "In the end, I'm going to break my oath again." Such thoughts unconsciously turned into tears, sliding down Kaori's cheeks.
If she met him again, Kaori originally planned to call each other's names.
So Kaori thought, at least call his name at the end... and blurted out naturally:
“…Hashi-kun.”
At that moment——
The ceiling above Ahatod collapsed with a loud noise.
The culprit was a huge black pile with red lightning flashing.
It was that huge pile that flew through the ceiling and came down.
The giant black pile, emitting electricity, struck Ahato directly below. The anomalous monster that had been ravaging Kouki and the others was easily pierced through, unhindered, and crushed like tofu, literally.
The giant stake, emitting red lightning, maintained the speed of flying out from the ceiling and plunged into the ground. More than half of the 120-centimeter-long stake was stuck straight into the ground. With the giant stake as the center, blood and flesh were scattered all over the ground. Those were the remains of Ahatod that were destroyed beyond recognition.
Needless to say, Kaori and Shizuku were right in front of them. As well as Kouki and the others and the monsters that attacked them, even the female demon, it was as if time had stopped, and everyone was frozen in place.
The entire space was dominated by a silence that was incongruous with the battlefield. No one knew what was happening and could only stand there in a daze. At this moment, a figure jumped down from the collapsed ceiling.
The figure landed lightly with his back to Kaori and the others, stepping on the wreckage of Ahatod and looking around disdainfully.
He turned his head and looked at Kaori and Shizuku who were cuddling each other behind him.
When that person turned around and Kaori's eyes met, a current suddenly ran through his body.
Kaori's heart had been frozen with grief. No, perhaps time had already stopped the day her important person disappeared. Now, as if it had been roasted by fire, her heart suddenly released heat and beat violently.
"...Your relationship is still just as good."
Seeing him say this with a wry smile, Kaori's heart was already filled with joy before she could even think.
Although the hair color, the impression given, the way of speaking, and the eyes are all different.
But Kaori knew, she could see it.
It was definitely him. He was the one Kaori firmly believed was still alive and the one she kept looking for.
That’s right.
"Hashi-kun!"
Volume 4, Chapter 5: The Incompetent Wushuang
"Eh? Hajime-kun? Nagumo-kun? Huh? What? What's going on?"
Hearing Kaori's ecstatic cry, Shizuku, standing nearby, was thrown into confusion, looking back and forth between Kaori and Hajime. While Kaori immediately recognized the white-haired, eye-patch-wearing, black-coated figure as Hajime, Shizuku's understanding hadn't caught up to reality yet.
However, despite her doubts, Shizuku still tried to overlap the boy looking back at her and Kaori over her shoulder with the image of Nagumo Hajime in her memory. She couldn't help but open her eyes wide and exclaimed:
"Eh? Eh? Is this true? Is this really Nagumo-kun? Eh? What? Is this true?"
"Uh, calm down for a moment, Yaegashi. Your biggest selling point is your calmness and composure, right?"
Shizuku, like Kaori, had been prepared for certain death, but then a series of unexpected events occurred. Even if Shizuku tried to remain calm, she was still thrown into confusion, forgetting the pain in her body and even speaking incoherently.
As Hajime called out to the bewildered Shizuku to stop her, he inadvertently sensed a presence from above. He raised his head, reached out his hands, and caught Yue, who had fallen from the sky, in a princess-carrying embrace. Bending down, he placed her at his feet, then, in the same manner, caught Shia, who had jumped down next, and brought her to stand beside him.
The last one to land was Endo.
"Hey, Nagumo! I'm talking to you! You'll be blown away by the aftermath! What happened just now? You actually broke through the maze floor without saying a word. What were you thinking!?"
Endo complained in frustration, glancing around. He noticed his friends and the swarm of monsters staring stiffly at him, Hajime, and the others. He let out a strange, mournful "Ugh!" Then, he heard a voice half joyful at a reunion, half blaming him for coming back in anger.
""Kosuke!"
"Jūgo! Kentaro! I've brought reinforcements!"
Hearing the words "I've brought reinforcements", Kouki and the other demons, along with the female demon, finally came to their senses and once again looked at Hajime and the two girls.
However, Hajime seemed completely oblivious to the surrounding gazes, with a slightly impatient expression on his face, as he quickly gave instructions to Yue and Shia:
"Tsuki, excuse me, but please protect those petrified creatures. Shia, there's a man in knight armor lying on the ground up ahead. Please check on him."
"Hmm... leave it to me."
"receive!"
Yue seemed to pay no attention to the monsters around her and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
He flew over the monsters in one breath and landed beside the collapsed Captain Meld.
“Hajime-san…”
Kaori called out Hajime's name again, her voice trembling, a cascade of emotions threatening to burst forth at any moment, yet she fought to suppress them. The joy of reunion was self-evident, but so was her growing affection, tinged with bitterness. Yet, alongside this molten passion, a chilling, bone-chilling sadness etched itself in her call for Hajime, perhaps because of Hajime's desperate situation. Though Kaori didn't understand the situation, the expression on her face clearly conveyed how much she wished Hajime would escape immediately.
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