Chapter 96 – Nothing Changes

A powerful foe. A formidable opponent. A being who wouldn’t fall, no matter how many times you slashed and struck.

Giving it her all was all that mattered. Either she would die, or he would.

Despite the countless small wounds covering her body, Shabel recalled that thought, and smiled brightly.

Some might call strength a privilege, a gift, but she didn’t see it that way.

This is duty. And simultaneously, a curse. The dreadful calamity that dictates they and I can never be the same.

I am whole, but others are not. I cannot reciprocate even the sincerest feelings of another.

Even my best efforts are useless, so fighting my own inertia becomes a daily routine.

For Shabel, who became a warrior out of love for the sword, nothing could be more agonizing.

“But then you vermin appear, and my joy knows no bounds!”

I am permitted to kill. That thing is not a fellow adept but clearly an enemy of this world.

I might die. The concern shouldn’t be controlling my power but worrying about the opponent’s.

But there is no need to fret. Even if I truly die, there are many juniors now whom I trust to carry on.

—*Swish, swish, swish!*

Countless unseen blades spring forth from her hands, cleaving the demon’s flesh.

Some are so swift they’re invisible; others, though visible, are inexplicably impossible to evade.

They strike downward, then thrust upward from below, sweep from left to right—nay, from right to left. Nay, simply tracing the trajectory of the blades becomes an impossibility amidst the downpour of attacks.

Even Etendal, who was pressing the demon alongside her, was momentarily stunned, lost in admiration.

A testament that the title of the Empire’s finest adept was far from hollow.

Amdoosas parried some of the blades, blocked others, and even allowed a few to land, all while searching for an opening.

‘I must escape, quickly, and rejoin the others. Levent might be on his way even now!’

His anxiety intensifies. The concrete specter of death draws near.

If he truly committed, fought earnestly here, and slowly whittled her down, he could certainly prevail.

Though the lowest of demons, that was only by demon standards. In this world, he was undoubtedly an equal or even superior to Shabel.

But the first reason holding him back was the nagging fear of a rear attack.

And the second, the presence of that persistent fellow who materialized whenever he found a chink in their armor.

—*Thwack!*

“Hahaha! Thank you, Protector-General! Thanks to you, I can focus more on offense rather than defense!”

Shabel might have minor injuries, but none were fatal. Because each time, Etendal intervened, nullifying or absorbing Amdoosas’s attacks, or even preemptively hindering the demon.

They had never fought as a team, yet skilled warriors often communicate with just a glance.

Without a single order or word exchanged, the two were exhibiting perfect synergy, driving Amdoosas into a corner.

“Kuh!”

Amdoosas, forced to retreat yet again by Etendal as he aimed for Shabel.

The Protector-General watched him for a moment before addressing the swordsman behind him.

“I won’t abide any further injury to you. Shabel. It seems about time to end this.”

“Already? I am not yet sated!”

“Have you forgotten? There may be more than one enemy. Are you so consumed by the fight that you’d neglect what we must protect?”

At Etendal’s stern tone, Shabel uttered a suppressed groan.

He was right. He was, admittedly, far too caught up in the immediate battle.

He had given his all, but had yet to execute a single, decisive blow.

Because he wished to savor it a little longer. To feel this exhilarating sensation for just a moment more.

“No matter, then. Let us be off, Protector-General. Finish this, then go assist the juniors.”

He adjusts his twin swords. Then, he joins the hilts together.

If Deus were to witness this, he would likely erupt in a cry of, “oooh!”

To join two swords after mastering the double blade! Is this not the very essence of romance?!

“You have every right to be proud. You’re the first to have led me this far! Ah, or perhaps the second, to be precise? Of course, the first time, I refrained, lest it impact the career of a junior colleague!”

“Just a thought, but were you truly concerned about impacting this ‘junior colleague’, or were you perhaps stepping aside because you feared Sir Shavel’s imminent collapse?”

“Hahaha! Indeed, the Guardian General! Yes! You’re right! To be frank, even that path didn’t promise much success, so I desisted! Satisfied?!”

“You b*stards!”

Amducious roared, enraged by their idle banter in the face of him.

They were making a grave mistake. Did they truly believe he was so weak?

He was merely being cautious, unsure of when the dawn would break. He assumed they were stalling for time.

But if they showed their trump card first, didn’t that mean the opposite?

‘The dawn won’t break for me, at least not immediately. Their actions are proof!’

Thinking like a true demon, Amducious came to that certainty and swung his iron mace.

The shield-bearer was troublesome, but a well-placed blow should create an opening.

If he could eliminate that annoying fly of a woman, this battle would be his victory.

*

“Kuh!”

“aaargh!”

Pus was the weakest of the three demons sent through the gate. In other words, he was the laughingstock of Hell.

When word spread that he was crossing over, every demon thought, ‘That one’s as good as dead.’ No, they *knew* it. (And those demons who thought that were all now dead.)

But even Pus, the weakest of demons, could rampage like a rabid beast against mundane humans.

And now, the espers, though in pursuit, were reaching a point where they couldn’t handle the mounting casualties.

“This is unsustainable. Any further pursuit and we’ll have fatalities, not just injuries.”

“But we can’t just let him…”

“Everyone’s exhausted. We can’t pull everyone off gate and monster duty, either.”

“Damn it!”

What were espers? Those burdened with the duty of protecting this empire, no, this entire world, from unknown threats. A duty they had never, not once, failed to uphold.

When gates appeared, they went. When monsters confronted them, they fought. They never retreated in the face of the enemy. That was their life, from the moment they awakened their esper abilities until yesterday.

But now, they had to set a precedent they had never considered. Further pursuit was impossible.

Protecting the world was paramount, but they also had to prevent the escalating losses among their own kind.

These espers were an asset for the future, and they couldn’t be wasted.

“Continue the pursuit, but avoid engagement. Just keep him occupied. Under no circumstances should he escape.”

The outcome of the overall situation remained uncertain. They needed to prepare for the worst.

In the end, the espers had no choice but to loosen their pursuit of Pus.

And for him, it presented a golden opportunity.

‘Sayre’s aura is close! I’ll join him first, then find Astaroth, or perhaps even Amducious!’

The ones following were nothing but gnats. Insignificant creatures. Even if he was the weakest of demons, he could slaughter them with a single strike.

But what then? What if that dawn-whatever-it-was was closing in? If he was caught up in swatting flies, what would happen if he was overtaken?

Driven by that fear, Pus focused less on eliminating the espers and breaking free of the pursuit, and more on finding other demons to increase his speed.

Soon. His efforts bore fruit.

“Sayre!”

He had arrived at the side of a demon embroiled in a fierce battle with three schoolgirls.

A grave matter. Another demon approaches.

Luciel is preparing for her next strike. Nefertiti is busy assisting her.

The moment that fiend joins the one they’ve barely cornered, all their efforts will be in vain.

“Haa, haa.”

Her body burns. And her heart burns even hotter. Excitement, elation, and rage inflame her eyes and set her mind ablaze.

She had suffered many wounds. Alas, her body was not as resilient as the one she yearned to touch.

As the enemy struck, her skin was cut and torn, and from within flowed crimson blood.

Each wave of pain brought forth the fear she had been suppressing, and she had to shake off the terror that threatened to engulf her whenever her vision blurred with exhaustion.

‘Absolutely not.’

Yes. Absolutely not. I will no longer run. For the sake of the one who believed in me.

And for the sake of those who fight alongside me. Even if I am afraid and wish to flee.

Yurisiah gathered her breath. She briefly clutched her chest, then exhaled a fierce gust of air.

Come, my regrets, and my fears. Today, I will overcome them and move one step closer.

That instinctive savagery that Deus had marveled at upon first sight. The demon’s battle was now about to begin.