Richard's body was flung into the shadow of the purple light at almost the same time that the demon clenched his palm. Fragments of stone slabs scattered in all directions, stirring up the sound. The roar was so loud that it made my ears numb.

　In the middle of it all, Richard heard a familiar voice. Apparently, he was forcing me to push him. It was the same forceful way he had done it in the past.

　He opened his mouth, not caring that his right shoulder continued to spit out blood. His whole body was numb, and he didn't know why he felt so little pain. Maybe he was about to pass out.

...... You're too late. Did you hook up with some girl somewhere?

　There was a hint of resignation and regret in his voice. I'm sure no one noticed that. It was kept only in Richard's heart.

　Despite his words, Richard wished the footsteps had never come.

　Once they crossed blades, he understood everything. The witch is the very monster of myth. They have a different kind of heat than humans. It's a different kind of being that makes you dizzy.

　It's only natural to give a life or two if you want to win against them. The poison and the oil fire were not too much. In fact, in Richard's opinion, it was not enough.

　Still, maybe I can kill him like this. He could have saved himself a life.

　Idiot. Such words were muttered in Richard's chest. Burned by the fire, this place was now a deathtrap. His men had probably already escaped. How dare he set foot in the middle of that? I didn't mean to teach you that, I only meant to teach you how to live.

　As if to shake off Richard's thoughts, the footsteps, clad in purple light, said.

"Sorry, old man. I just promised a good girl a sweet night's sleep. I'll make up for the delay and be back early.

　He kept Richard on his knees and looked at the witch. There was no hint of hesitation in his gaze.

　The back he saw reminded Richard of Lugis when they had first met. A time that the Elven Queen who now followed him would never have known.

　A scrawny little boy, ignorant of the ways of the world, without talent.

　And so it was just as it had been then, when Richard thought he might die at any moment.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Hero Killer. I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

"So it's you. Althea's family. What will you do? Do we go to war again? Or have you decided to return my treasures quietly?

　I'm glad to hear it. The ruler, Drigman, said, shaking his head in a regal manner. There was no self-consciousness, no fear, no agitation. His appearance is as dignified as it ever was.

　Normally, it would be an outrage to recognize that the Lord is a member of someone else's family, but at this moment, Bokken was unaware of this fact. In fact, it didn't even seem to matter.

　After all, he understood. Not a single word of this demon had entered the Lord's ears. There was just something very, very hot running from the tips of his hair to the tips of his toes. Bokken knows exactly what that heat is.

　That's why he thinks. It's not good. Hao Jian heard the Lord unconsciously formulate the words.

"Don't talk so much! Dead men don't talk, do they?

　The moment the words were uttered, the sword drew a line of purple light and bit into the body of the demon. The flash of light that swung down gouged out the left shoulder and heart of the demon. The feeling of the sword cutting through flesh and organs clung vividly to the sword. The demon's blood stained the space in an instant.

　If it was just an iron sword, the demon's body would twist and bounce off the cause and effect, but this treasure sword was an exception.

　It was a miracle itself, carved from the soul of Althea, who had once strangled a demon and even a great demon. Great fangs. It was impossible for a body like a demon's to stop it.

　As if he forgot to even breathe, Lugis took a step forward and slashed at the demon's entrails. Drigman's eyes widened greatly. Each swing of the sword was too violent.

　The treasured sword ripped through the air with a mixture of emotions.

　Wielded by the Lord, it must be a supreme moment for the treasured sword to be able to overcome all difficulties together. It is only natural for him to have ecstasy in his blade at this moment. However, for now, I have one great complaint. It is that every blade that Lugis wields deviates from what the sword teaches and guides.

　Ever since the Treasure Sword opened its eyes, Rougis' blade has always been with the Treasure Sword. The Lord wields the flash that the sword teaches, and the sword gives the Lord all of its stored observations. It is the very pleasure the sword feels. You could say that it is the very essence of the interplay between you and your master.



　But at this moment, Lugis doesn't seem to be following the teachings. No, he can't even see it.

　With rage surging through his body, he wields his blade with only a vicious intent to kill. Ah, yes, rage. Now your master is in a rage.

　He has been trampled and insulted by the man who was his teacher and father. How humiliating that is. How beautiful it would be to be angry and furious for that.

　But not the Lord's. The jeweled sword flickered with the thought that it was not such a wonderful thought, but something far more dangerous. That's why it's not good.

　The Lord does not love himself in his essence. He doesn't even recognize its value.

　So the reason for his existence is always left to others. Sometimes it's the heroes around him, sometimes it's his parents, and now it's his teachers. It is for them that the Lord chooses to live.

　--So that if they are harmed. Everything else becomes irrelevant. Not even his own body.

　Drigman twisted his body and waved his arms while being exposed to the storm of purple lightning. His body is far from death, even as it spits out a great deal of blood. The power in his body does not allow him to die.

　Then it's only natural to strike back.

　He opens his palm and waves his arm to raise the earth far underground. With his blessing, even the slightest bulge in the earth can be transformed into a flesh-eating spear. Once upon a time, it exposed the corpses of many enemy soldiers to the earth. It can be done if there is a moment.

　But now I was not given even a moment to do so.

　His outstretched right arm was sliced in two, sending pieces of flesh and red bouncing around and losing its meaning. And so, without pausing, the purple lightning bit into Drigman's neck. It's not a very human move.

　No, in fact, it was not a human move. If a mere human were to make the same move as Lugis did now, there would surely be a crack somewhere. Joints would collapse, flesh and bone would distort, and movement would surely stop.

　Rougis' body is not safe at all. His whole body is still screaming at this very moment.

　Her muscles are torn, her bones are cracked, and her joints have collapsed many times. The only reason why he could still move was because the blood of a strong giant was circulating in his body connected by magic, and the grace of the spirit was covering his whole body.

　But even so, I don't know how long I can last. I'm sure Lugis himself has no idea how long he can move. A few more minutes. Or just a few seconds.

　But it doesn't matter. What does it matter?

　All you need to do is kill this thing right in front of you, every last piece of it. I'm going to cut him down and stomp him out and make his existence nothing more than a memory. That was all that mattered to Lugis.

　The unrestrained and devastating violence and the unstoppable will to achieve the goal. Perhaps that is the essence of Rougis. The only person who gave him a hoop to live by was his teacher. It was his words that once held me back.

　Now there is no such thing. There is only the existence that insulted the master. There is no reason to stop. Even if your body collapses and you fall into ruin.

　The treasured sword roars as it is wielded at Lugis' will. That's not good. Very bad.

　He seems to be overwhelmed by speed and violence, and yet Drigman will not die from this. He knows it, but he can't stop. The loss of his master is too much for him to miss. The body won't allow even a single breath.

　One moment. Bokken hesitated, and then he made up his mind. There was no time for confusion. If he didn't, Lugis wouldn't be able to stop him. What lies ahead is undeniable death.

　--Lord. It'll cost you. Humiliating.

　The sword is in Lugis's hand and for a moment its trajectory diverts him from his master's intentions. It's a small thing really. It won't affect many. However, it is clearly a very different behavior from the behavior of the treasure swords that had achieved the trajectory that Lugis had in mind.

　The strangeness of it caused Lugis's eyes to open for a moment. Her cheeks, bathed in the blood of the demon, shook. At that moment, his voice came through as if he had planned it.

"Rougis!　Oh my god, you can't help it, knight!

　The Queen of Elves said in a clear voice, and a black curse came out from her fingertips.