Chapter 157 – Her (Amended Sep 3)

000

The road leading to the stench erases its traces as the material of the wall changes at some point. A rusty iron fence, a stone wall soaked in chemicals or waste, and a rotting corpse buried in garbage walk fast, not even thinking about whether it’s a human being or something else. The underground aqueduct in the back alley was as dark and filthy as the world above, raising doubts whether it was indeed the underground capital of the realm.

However, soon after thinking that the material of the wall had changed to metal, they realized that the passage they were walking through was not an underground waterway, but a passage to a huge ancient ruin sleeping under the ground of the kingdom. Now that the stench of poison that gave her head aches is gone, Gray quickly removes her gas mask from her. Seeing that, Amelia also carefully removed the bird’s beak mask from her face.

“…Whoa…”

No matter how much she blocks the stench, she gets a little stuffy after wearing the gas mask for close to 10 minutes. As she exhales, a cool sensation runs down the skin of her face. Amelia stares down at her naked mask her, then, with the hood of her robe pulled tight, she approaches Gray and hands her mask her.

“…Thank you.”

When I said that with the lowest possible voice, Gray looked at it and said.

“Anyway, when going up, you have to pass through that place again.

Exactly. Thinking so, Amelia nodded her head at Gray’s words and put her gas mask in her arms. Then she runs fast to where Rubera is and stands by her side of her.

Cleon and Ruba looked at her for a while, but she let out a sigh of relief as Gray didn’t seem to care much about her identity.

“Did you say Grey? You must have good dexterity.”

“Thank you. I’ve lived alone since I was young, so I naturally got better after making this and that.”

Gray wrung her fingers together and smiled, showing her teeth her. Rather than recalling the unfortunate circumstances of living alone, she seemed simply proud of being praised for her dexterity. However, if she had that dexterity, wouldn’t it be better for her to join an alchemist’s workshop somewhere rather than being a detective? Cleon thought so for a while, but she decided not to ask about that part, since people also have circumstances.

If you’re curious about anything more than that –

“You said you owed me.”

“Ah- that’s right. To be precise, it’s just a debt through Mr. Layla…”

Gray scratches the back of her head as if a little embarrassed by Cleon’s words her. The reason why Cleon asked Gray about it was that he didn’t really want to apologize for arousing guilt in Gray. She just wanted to know what kind of causal relationship there was between Gray and herself.

Gray met Cleon’s eyes for a moment, then she cautiously opened her mouth again.

“The first time Laila-san met me was when she was investigating her hero her, Albein.”

“… Alvein.”

When an unexpected name came out of Gray’s words, Cleon couldn’t help but react. The reason Lyla was looking for him must be that she was trying to gather the information she needed to take Albein to her academy.

And, based on the information Layla obtained from Gray, she planned a strategy to bring Alvein and came to Elesia.

“Right.”

“Hwa… Is the guide black? …I don’t know what to say, but I first investigated what Layla was trying to do after that. However, as a detective, doing more than what I was asked to do …”

Gray glanced at Cleon while talking. That said, he must have known that Cleon was expelled from the party after that. In the end, it was a good thing for everyone in the party, but at the time, Cleon really felt great despair.

But Cleon shook his head. As Gray said, he was only doing what Layla asked him to do. Cleon knew that even though he helped Lila, it wasn’t because he had any ill intentions towards Gray.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mean to blame you.”

“I-Is that true? I won’t change my words later!”

With a visibly relieved expression, Gray sighed and said, ‘Thank God!’ Cleon opened his mouth again at that reaction, which could be said to be a little excessive.

“…Is that something to be relieved of?”

Then, Gray nodded his head eagerly and looked at Cleon and talked.

“That’s right! Cleon-san, I’ve thought about it since the first time I saw him, but he’s taller than I’ve heard and has a great physique. He’s also a woman who goes beyond the limit, so I think he’s a very scary person.”

“…”

The voice seemed to be heard properly to where Amelia and Ruba were, Ruba said ‘foot’ and let out her snort, Amelia said ‘um…’ And she made a troubled sound as if she didn’t know what to respond.

“But it wasn’t. Mr. Cleon was a kind person.”

“… Is it?”

“That’s right! I was a little dubious that he was the one who changed Mr. Layla, but since I met him and talked to him in person, he’s much easier to deal with.”

When Gray spoke with a smile, Cleon smiled bitterly as he lost the energy to get angry at Gray’s rude words his.

“…Ah! That’s right! Miss Layla’s story reminded me of something! One of Cleon-san’s companions ku-“

“Cleon.”

At Ruba’s call, Cleon turns his gaze.

In the middle of the aisle where the darkness seemed to extend forever. It stood No, standing still would be a bit insufficient. While dragging something on the ground, towards the place where Cleon and the others are, slowly, slowly. ‘She’ was approaching as he sent out a warning that he could run away at any time.
Her height is one head taller than Cleon’s, and she wears a blue cloth over her clothes. Even though she was wearing a baggy outfit all over, she could tell that her figure was very voluptuous underneath. Her hair color is blue and long, like black paint. A black mask is worn over her face, and part of her eyes are covered with red jewels.

Horns sprouted from her head, and a great tail grew from her waist. Both sides of her are black, and the flow of her black magic her flowing from there does n’t make her mistaken for her ‘dragon’ even by mistake. It belonged to the ‘devil’ that Amelia, Cleonon, and Ruba knew well.

Again. Again. Every time the footsteps reverberated, the magical pressure of the dark magic that flew into the party made the skin of the whole body tingle. When the ‘it’she is holding in her hand she crawls out of the darkness to reveal an overall silhouette.

It was a long club. To be called a spear, the blade was not attached, and to be called a pole, the tip was blunt and swollen like a mace. The color tone was white, and it did not look like a metal material. Was it made by processing the bones of some kind of monster? What was certain, however, was that she would be able to wield it without issue, and she could easily crush human bones.

“Devil… No, it’s a bit strange to be called a devil. Of course, I can feel the powerful black magic, but at the same time, I can feel the elemental magic.”

As Cleon muttered, Amelia looked at Cleon in surprise. She must have felt something similar to Cleon.

“Maybe, it might be half-human, half-horse like Ishtal.”

“Probably, it is. I can feel that her presence is different from that of a demon.”

At Amelia’s words her, Cleon nodded her head, pulled out her Galatea, and stood in the way as if to protect Amelia. Lubera, who saw that, pulled out Barisada and stood next to Cleon.

“Cleon. Did you notice?”

“That’s right. That woman has no murderous intentions. Her antagonism her… Is light.”

What ‘she’ had on her lips was a smile. I raise my voice on purpose, come slowly, and wait for them to finish preparing to fight. Her attitude was quite different from the other guardians of the ruins she had met so far. Unlike them, who regarded intrusion itself as a sin and aimed at unconditional exclusion, she had the feeling of `attack if you dare’.
However, if you ignore her and try to pass by her, you’ll be swung at her club her right away. Everything around her—no, from where she stood and behind her—felt like her, her territory, her. She didn’t feel her flesh or hostility her from her her, but her her ‘her sympathy her for her strong man’ was palpable. It was what Cleon and Ruba had as well as the others.

“Something. I don’t like fighting 2:1…”

When Cleon says that, Ruba sees Cleon and lets out a sigh.

“Not really. If you want to show off that sort of male pride, I won’t stop you.”

“…Not really like that.”

Even as Cleon said that, he took a step forward from Ruba.

“… If the woman Kamala talked about, whom Ishtal fears, is that woman, don’t you want to check how far you can fight?”

Cleon’s hand holding the sword gains strength. Seeing it, Ruba asks Cleon a question.

“That. Which one are you talking about? That girl? Or you?”

“Both.”

The next moment, as Cleon puts all her strength her into her her feet her to jump in front of her, the blue-haired woman leaps forward and attacks Cleon from above. She was like a blue lightning bolt. Even with her big body her, the club that she swung down from above her, moving lightly like her Rubera her, seemed to crush Cleon’s head her with her her.

“Kuh…!”

Rather than block the sudden attack, Cleon chose to roll his body her to avoid it. In a fleeting moment, the eyes of Cleon and the woman meet with the illusion that time flows slowly. Beyond the mask with shining red eyes. And I could feel her composure her in the smile on her lips her.

Bang!

When the club hit the ground, fragments of the broken floor flew and bounced in all directions. Ruba quickly knocks it out with a barisada, saving it from flying to Amelia, but Gray scrambles to dodge her, uttering an ‘Oooh’ sound.

“Dude. Aren’t you doing it quite a bit? Most of the goofy grave robbers have been killed by what they just did, and have become food for the ruins.”

As for the woman, as if she had no intention of attacking except for Cleon, who stepped forward to face her, she picked up her weapon and threw it over her shoulder her, ignoring the nearby Ruba and turning her head towards Cleon. Turn

As expected, her monstrous strength her in lightly wielding her heavy weapon, which was as tall as her own her, was taller than Cleon’s, but it did not come from her feminine thin limbs her.

Was it enhanced with magical power or was it a racial characteristic? A blow with the weight of a mountain, speed like a gale. Cleon had to be grateful that she didn’t take her interest in anyone other than herself. With her first ambush her, if she had n’t aimed at herself, but at Amelia or Gray behind her, she might have had to sacrifice herself to save them.

“That one.”

That’s why Cleon, with the meaning of pure admiration, answered like that. She had already stood up and stanceed before her, but her eyes met Cleon, who was standing without a gap between her, and she did not want to miss Cleon’s breathing, pulse, and the subtle movements of her muscles . Observe her from head to toe. In the fight between the masters, the ‘gap’ means the beginning of the ‘sum’, and the ‘sum’ leads to the moment of life and death.

“Black hair. Black eyes. Fair skin. And, a beautiful sword. A magic swordsman from the Dark Demon family. The tip of the sword does not shake, and the body has been trained repeatedly. Dear, isn’t your name ‘ Cleon’ by any chance?”

As if trying to make a gap by talking to her Cleon her, Cleon unknowingly stiffens her body at her words her that came from her who opened her mouth. Did you take that as a positive sign? The woman did not stop from raising the corners of her mouth and opened her mouth to let out a laugh.

“As expected! Haha! I know your name well. A friend of mine has mentioned it several times. But… It’s straighter than I thought. The wick is upright.”

“…Are you trying to shake me?”

“Whoa. You don’t seem like a person who can be shaken to this extent. It’s not fair that I am the only one who knows your identity. It would be right for me to reveal your identity as well. My name is Flarous .I am the only descendant of Megiddo’s clan, and I am the only descendant of this ruin. The one who protects. And, the `guide of the throne`.”

It is Cleon who hears her revealing her true identity of her, but he only frowns at her.

“I don’t know anything.”

“Haha! That might be the case. But sometimes it’s faster to confront the body than to know the truth.”

In the next moment, Florous quickly closed the distance towards Cleon. Instead of jumping like before, it was a straight line, kicking off the ground and running. A low-pitched assault. Cleon clearly saw the ‘gap’ between them, but she didn’t poke it. That gap, she knew, was a trap.

When a weapon with a huge mass is swung at her, she twists her body to avoid being hit. Head, shoulders, waist, groin. And, a whirlwind of destruction aiming at the joints and hitting them. If you bring the sword to the track that dances dizzyingly in front of your eyes, even Galatea and Caliburn will lose their power.

“Mana Shock.”

That’s why, while concentrating on evasion, he casts magic to cut off the flow as if to contain it. When the lightning of black magic extends from his hand and strikes Florous’s arm-

[…

Something materially disembodied, in the form of a great owl, appeared and protected her body. Unpleasant shape. And the energy she felt there was the dark magic of hell that was thicker than she herself. She is a high-level demon that is more powerful than most of the minor demons.

“Andras.”

“Devil…! He himself is half man and half horse, but he is also a demon summoner.”

It did n’t disappear as it was, it rose from Flarous’s body his and scattered his feathers his with a large amount of black magic.

The flow of magical power entangled in each feather was a curse. If a curse with physical power hits the body, it will cause pain and adverse effects such as chills and numbness of the senses.

There was no way to completely avoid the rain of feathers spreading in large quantities. Cleon immediately switches his stance from evasion to counterattack and pulls out the Caliburn from his waist.

[Haam… Saint Blast]

Caliburn, who awakened with Cleon’s line on her handle her, exploded her divine power in all directions to deflect all curses flying toward her master her. It doesn’t just stop at erasing the curse, it goes ahead and erases parts of the demon’s body summoned by Flarous as if it were burning.

“Aha. You’re using the Holy Sword without any problems.”

As if he himself was shocked by the divine power, Flarous spoke while covering his exposed face his with his sleeve. Still, he showed no sign of nervousness. However. It was an obvious gap. Cleon immediately swung the holy sword and the magic sword in both hands as if crossing each other.

The two sword attacks took place almost simultaneously. The traces of her magical power her remained in the place where her sword her passed, and there seemed to be no way to block the sword as she was defenseless with her one arm raised.

“Andras!”

However, she boldly uses her higher level demons as a shield to block her sword her and the ensuing impact of her magical power her. When the owl’s demon scatters sparks and disappears with a powerful flash, a sphere of magical power with high heat that no one can touch appears between the two, but-

It was Cleon who jumped in first. Using black magic all over his body her like a suit of armor, he pierces through the light left behind by the disappearance of the demon, and charges at Flarous. If Florous also swings his weapon a beat late and blocks Cleon’s sword-

`Kagagak!!!`

And Cleon’s two swords and her weapon her gnaw at each other. As much as it was an attack that found a gap in her and stabbed her, it was Cleon who pushed through her, but her counterattack her was possible enough if her composition her was overtaken by her simple confrontation of strength.

[What a monster… ! Cleon!]

[I will pour out my magical energy without limit~ Be careful not to fly away~]

So, Galatea and Caliburn each decide to do what they can for Cleon. As if there was a heart, the two pulsating swords drew up mana from the hilt and covered the entire blade.

Seeing it, Flarous also poured a large amount of black magic from his body toward his weapon, turning his entire club black.

Black magic and black magic. And as the divine magic collides, the magic pressure gradually increases. The two of them knew that the one who collapsed first would be caught up in this pressure and fly backwards, losing as it were, so they did not take a single step back.

“It’s wonderful, I thought there was a human who could wield both a holy sword and a demonic sword at the same time.”

“…It consumes a lot of mana, so let’s finish it quickly.”

In the next moment, Cleon broke the balance of her magical powers. He had let go of the sword in both hands. Even Floraus could not help but be taken aback by that action, but the two swords that were struggling with the club did not come off. The magic sword and the holy sword. Because it is a sword with willpower, it can maintain itself to some extent even if it falls from the master’s hand.

And, a ray of light swung from bottom to top like lightning. Cleon removed his hands from her her two swords, took out the dagger she had been carrying, jumped into her arms her, and swung it.

Kwajik.

With her shouting her, the mask she was wearing over her face her cracked.

“Kuh… Was it shallow…!”

As soon as Cleon finished speaking, the magical pressure that had been held tight behind him exploded. And, with that recoil, the two of them flew in the same direction—

“Ooh, wow…!”

“Kuh…!”

Floraus and Cleon were thrown into the wall together.

Dust rises, and large cracks form in the walls. It was only natural that the tall woman and the tall man were both driven together with strong force. However, because Cleon was wearing a cushion called Flarous, he felt the touch of her soft body hidden under the cloth before the hard wall.

“…Sir…!”

Hearing her voice her, Cleon coughed and raised her head, revealing the red eyes hidden under the broken mask her. She hung herself and saw her blushing figure of her.

“Now, wait… I’m sorry, this is going too fast…”

And if you try to get away from her talking about something …

“…You have quick hands. Cleon.”

The sensation of cold cutlery was felt in the back of her neck.

001

“Ishtal… She still does that.”

Cleon brought out the name of her Ishtal her to Flous, who was barely forgiven for her own misdemeanor her (?) And admitted her own defeat her.

When Florouth heard her name her, he showed a look of surprise at first, then a little sad.

Her mask was already broken, so I roughly tore the fabric from her clothes her and used it as an eyepatch to cover her eyes her. For her, covering her eyes her seemed like a natural thing to do. She said that there is something she must do to the target she sees.

However, her Lubera her, seeing her her skill her, is wary of her and hides her Amelia her behind her.

“To put it bluntly, I want to borrow your power to stop Ishtal.”

“…Haha. Indeed, is that so?”

Flarous smiled dryly and grabbed Cleon’s shoulder hers. Her hand had a grip that was incredibly strong in her slender fingers.

“I’m half man half Maya. In her past her I was her her and her her ally her.”

After that, Rubera drew Barisada and aimed at Florous.

“Don’t worry. We’re properly hostile right now. So put down that cute knife.”

[They say I’m cute! Rubera!]

“Quietly.”

When Rubera reacts nervously to Barisada’s bullshit her, Cleon nods at her. Ruba lowered her sword as if she couldn’t help it.

“Ah-. Okay. You seem to want to ask me a lot of questions, so I’ll answer them. However, it will take a price.”

At Flarous’s words, Cleon had a bad feeling. He is said to be half man half horse, but a devil is a devil. If they ask for anything in return, he it’s usually a soul.

“… Shall we take the payment after the story is over?

Flarous felt Cleon’s gaze on his and slowly opened his mouth while raising the corner of his mouth hers.