Chapter 24 – Uphold! This Power!

—Crunch!

“Nefertiti!!”

She was his most cherished junior. Princess or daughter of a Duke be damned.

Beyond all that, she was a prodigy destined to safeguard the Empire’s future.

And now, Nefertiti was sent flying through the air, struck by the monster’s halberd.

Would she be alright? Would she even live? Even if she escaped with moderate injuries, this meant she was out of the fight!

He wanted to rush to her side, see her condition.

He needed to see with his own eyes if she still breathed.

But he didn’t. Not now. He had to continue this battle.

“You…!”

He swung his sword with all the strength he could muster.

Once, twice, three times. He slashed at the creature in rapid succession.

Blood splattered, wounds opened. He had undoubtedly hurt the fiend.

“Not bad! For a lesser life form!”

But to the monster, they were merely deep cuts, it seemed.

He hadn’t managed to sever a limb, or force significant blood loss.

The fiend remained powerful, fast, and Luciel was clearly outmatched.

Luciel grit her teeth, once more unleashing a radiant light.

No. It wasn’t unleashing so much as immolating.

She too, was nearing her limit. Her stamina, her body, were failing her.

This light was wrung from the very depths of her being.

The physical toll would be immense, but she couldn’t afford to think about that.

‘I am an Esper of the Empire. I bear the burden of protecting its people from these vile creatures. I will not allow them to defile one step further, one inch more of this sacred soil…!’

—Shiaaa!!

As the light intensified, Luciel’s face grew paler by the second.

Yet she would not falter. She would not retreat.

Only forward. Forward. One step, then another.

This, too, was her calling. Wielding her sword, defending the Empire.

The fate she chose instead of a life of ease as a Princess.

She would never betray it. She would never turn back!

“Haaah!!”

With a desperate yell, Luciel continued her assault on the monster before her.

Blood trickles from my nose, blurring my vision again and again.

I feel like collapsing any moment, but I have to endure.

‘Just a little. Just a little more. Please, just once, land a solid hit…!’

—Swaying

“Ah…!”

At this crucial moment, am I really going to crumble like this?

It can’t be. It can’t be… My romance is still, still…

—Thud

My body, falling backward, abruptly stops.

Something unknown is leaning into me, supporting me.

Firm. Reliable. I don’t know why, but it’s even comforting.

“You mustn’t. Sunbae-nim. You can’t fall here.”

“What…”

“Your romance is truly beautiful, you see. So beautiful, I want to protect it.”

Your romance. Beauty. And, wanting to protect.

Those three words remain vividly in Luciel’s fading consciousness.

I wanted to say, “You,” but my lips wouldn’t move properly.

Beyond the hazy vision, I could see someone’s trustworthy embrace.

Containing a resolve that words could not possibly express.

“Deus… Hubae-nim?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

“Why, you, why? Just wait. Wait for me. I want to, I want to help…”

A man’s large hand covers Luciel’s shoulder.

Beyond it, the man smiles and shakes his head.

“Why, why…”

“Because this is my romance.”

“Romance…?”

You, too, harbor something called romance, like me?

The thing that others call absurd, attaching words like foolish and idiotic to it?

“In my fight, no one gets killed or injured. That is the romance I dream of.”

So please, stand back. This is enough. You’ve done well.

At the calm but powerful voice, I unknowingly nod my head.

“….”

Luciel stared blankly at the man’s back as he passed me and moved forward. For a long, long time.

*

Actually, Sunbae-nim. I don’t have a romance like that.

Just an oath that prevents me from receiving any help in a fight.

…Still, wanting to protect your romance was real, though.

‘Just as I thought. I knew it would be like this.’

As I said, I know all too well about regressions, possessions, and reincarnations.

And if you find yourself in any one of those situations, all sorts of incidents and accidents are sure to follow – it’s practically ‘truth’.

An unforeseen situation might arise. Something that shouldn’t happen, happens.

Or, even more – something that has never happened before might occur.

Just like now.

‘I knew something was off when only monsters were coming out of the Gate.’

Isn’t it always the same? Weak mobs for growth in the early to mid-game.

Then, a scorching hailstorm of malice descends upon those who let their guard down.

Finally, the appearance of true enemies, ones that have never shown their faces before.

“Who… who are you?”

Deus tilted his head, staring at the giant monster before him.

Judging by the horns on its head, it’s probably some kind of demon.

Might as well see if my guess is right.

“Baal?”

The first name that came to mind at the mention of demons. The reason? Nothing special, really.

Because the final boss in “＜The Mercenary Company’s First Day, a Gate Opens＞” was that guy.

“What?! How does a lowly creature like you know that name…!”

What do you know. I was right? It really is from that lineage?

I thought this world and that novel had nothing in common.

Turns out it’s helpful after all! Deus smirked.

“You!”

That smile, to the demon, looked instead like the composure of someone who knows a secret.

“Speak, or I will make you! How do you know that name?!”

Judging by the “the lord” nonsense, it’s obvious. This guy’s just the first boss at best.

An existence meant to inject a sense of tension into people who were growing complacent.

But that’s it. There’s no other reason for his existence, just an ambiguous figure.

Deus knew this pattern all too well.

Especially that conversing with a being who isn’t even a mid-boss is a complete waste of time.

“There’s no reason to explain to a dead man.”

When he possessed the body, he vaguely knew.

He couldn’t tell who the protagonist was, but everything was just beginning.

A seismic shift would occur that would shock the entire world.

—Thwack!

That beginning is embodied by that guy. That being called a demon.

And as Deus knew, the starting boss doesn’t really give you anything worthwhile.

At most, he’s just proof to the world that “you better be on your guard now.”

To get the next bit of information, you need to face the next boss quickly.

Ideally, one who looks like he’s a walking exposition dump.

‘Until then, skipping ahead is the best.’

—BoooM!!

The monster, no, the demon that had stood so defiant, transformed into a shooting star.

Its body, which had soared so high, slammed into the earth.

— *Kugugung!*

My fist stung. For the first time, I’d landed a proper blow.

Not even on Tiamat-sensei, nor Luciel, had I gone this far.

Just where did my full power lie? What were its limits?

Deus had presented himself as the perfect punching bag to test it.

And so, I swung without hesitation. And beat him to my heart’s content.

‘Looks like that landed right.’

Haa. Finally, the knot in my chest unravels.

I thought I was going to suffocate from the frustration. I don’t know how I endured it for so long.

While Deus wore a deeply satisfied smile…

“…Kulukh.”

Where had the boastful swagger from moments ago vanished to?

The demon, now a tattered rag, pushed himself up from the wreckage.

“That was… kheeuk… quite painful. Is that truly the best you can offer, inferior being?”

Huh? The best? Well… for now, anyway? Deus tilted his head.

At that, the demon unleashed a torrent of furious energy.

“Then you shall taste the same torment!”

An incredible speed, unthinkable from such a massive frame.

With a screech like metal grinding on metal, he thrust the spear he held with all his might toward Deus.

The force was such that the spearhead pierced through to the very ground beneath.

— *Kwajijik!!*

“D-Deus!”

Luciel, who had just managed to get back on her feet, shrieked in alarm.

A direct hit. It had landed squarely. Until the very last moment, Deus hadn’t dodged.

If that fearsome spear had found its mark, nothing in this world could have survived unscathed.

At best, he’d be left with a crippling injury that hindered his movement.

Or perhaps a part of his body had been torn away entirely, or maybe his life had already…

“Kohai!”

I forced my body, which barely wanted to move, to stir.

The demon laughed maniacally at the pitiful sight.

Meanwhile, having reached the massive crater, Luciel called out his name again.

“Deus. Deus…!”

Please, just be alive. Just alive. Please. Please…

— *Tuktuk.*

“Yes, Senpai.”

“…?”

Am I…seeing things?

“Did you call?”

I definitely saw that terrifyingly enormous spear pierce him right through the center.

And this enormous crater. It practically birthed itself.

“This uniform costs more than a pretty penny. Seriously.”

Why is that man, casually brushing off dust, without a single scratch?

“Luciel-sunbae.”

“Uh, huh?”

“Forgive me. It might be best if you moved further away.”

Luciel, who had been blankly staring at Deus, hesitated before quickly darting away!

“Hmm.”

That stings. If not for the First Oath, I’d be a human skewer right about now.

Roughly sorting out his numb body, he put strength into his legs.

Becoming a streak of light, he soared into the air, only to fall like a thunderbolt upon the earth.