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Thank you for your continued support this year.
“——【Slash】——!”
Finally, Feld’s Combat Art caught Amor, slashing his upper body from under his armpit as if gouging out his heart. But—
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Even so, Amor did not die.
As a Magic Stone, halved, fell from his severed heart, it suddenly emitted a strong light, and drawn by it, Worms forcibly reconnected his body, covering the Magic Stone completely.
“I will not loseeeee!!”
“What…”
The moment Feld retreated, groaning, from Amor, who was roaring and changing his form, a gigantic, powerful arm slammed into Feld.
“Kuh!”
Feld instantly blocked it with his Greatsword. However, Worms scattered from the powerful arm attacked Feld, trying to parasitize him.
“GAAAAAAA!!”
At that moment, Nero’s whiskers unleashed an electric shock that struck Feld, incinerating countless Worms.
“Sorry, thanks for the help.”
Feld, with white smoke rising from his skin and suffering burns, offered his thanks. Nero responded by lightly flicking his whiskers without even looking at him.
“I have been reborn! As a hero!!”
Worms were repairing Amor’s wounded body. However, it was clearly beyond the scope of his Divine Protection (Gift).
And now, as a “hero” who knew no fear of death, his spirit, enhanced by his Divine Protection (Gift), had surpassed the realm of humans, and the Worms implanted by the demon were responding, trying to remake him.
The Worms, which were supposed to regenerate Amor himself, increased in number, multiplying and expanding as if devouring his flesh.
A Worm Giant—. Leaving only half of his head intact, Amor, whose entire body had become a collection of Worms, exceeded four meters in height, discarded his human body, and laughed loudly in a voice that was no longer human.
“Hahaha! This is the strongest power!!”
【Amor Claydale (Left)】【Race: –】
【Mana Capacity: 312/450】【HP: –/–】
【Overall Combat Strength: 3240】
【Super Regeneration】
—Retreat—
“Hey!”
Saying “retreat” to Feld, Nero scattered sparks of electricity as he headed towards Amor.
“Coming, you beast!”
“GAAAAAAA!!”
Doon!!
The massive bodies collided, and the roar became a shockwave that blew away the Undead in the vicinity, crushing several Undead caught in the blast.
The Worms could not penetrate Nero’s fur. He didn’t know what would happen if his eyes or mouth were targeted, but Nero understood that he had to be the one to face him, as he could incinerate them with electricity.
However, Nero also realized that he lacked the decisive blow to defeat Amor, who regenerated infinitely.
Nero and Feld were the only ones who could face Amor in his current state. That was why he had Feld, who possessed the “decisive blow,” retreat for the time being.
“Damn it, I’ll be right back!”
Feld slashed through the Undead of the Second Knight Order along the way, returned to the castle gate, and plunged into the Dandole Knights who were suppressing the invasion, entering through the slightly opened gate.
“Get him treatment immediately!”
“High Heal!”
The Dandole Magician who rushed over immediately began to heal Feld. Even High Heal, which instantly regenerated his HP and body, could not restore the lost blood, but Feld swallowed the nearby fruit wine, using it as a disinfectant, and stood up, holding his Greatsword.
“Lord Feld!”
Margrave of Dandole rushed over, and Feld turned his grim face towards the castle walls.
“Sorry. I’ll be back on the front lines soon.”
“But can you defeat that thing?”
It was no longer a battle between people. For Dandole, who had lived in the northern frontier where Monsters were abundant, he thought that enduring was easy, even if he couldn’t defeat a hundred or so knights, but an opponent who wouldn’t die even if killed was beyond the scope of the enemies he had imagined.
“But I’ll try.”
In response, Feld gripped the hilt of his Greatsword tightly, as if to encourage himself as a warrior.
Feld had been unable to fully attack the parasitic creature called Worms. However, Feld thought that it was not because of the difference between humans and monsters, but because his own power was insufficient.
The Dragon Horn Greatsword, which he still couldn’t say he had mastered. He glared at the Blade of the Greatsword, thinking that if he could master it, he could fight even Amor in his current state.
When he first slashed him, he saw a Magic Stone, halved, in Amor’s chest. The Magic Stone was the Undead’s weak point. But why was it halved? Feld thought that was the secret to his immortality.
But it would take power to cut it directly.
“Please… lend me your power!”
As he spoke to his Greatsword and gripped the hilt tightly, the Blade glowed faintly with the Mana that filled his clenched fist.
“GAAAAAAA!!”
Nero, roaring, slashed Amor with his claws, and the electric shock emitted from his whiskers incinerated the Worms.
【Nero】【Race: Kuaal】【Mystic Beast Rank 5】
【Mana Capacity: 212/280】【HP: 361/510】
【Overall Combat Strength: 2136 (Body Enhancement in progress: 2704)】
Their combat strengths were almost equal. Nero was slightly inferior to Amor, but considering his combat experience, Nero seemed to have a slight advantage.
“Ugaaaaaaa!!”
However, Nero, wary of the Worms’ parasitism, was unable to use his fangs, his greatest weapon, against Amor, whose wounds regenerated in an instant, and his HP was gradually being depleted.
He wanted a new “power.” Nero earnestly thought.
Beasts do not seek power. Beasts are “power” in themselves, and do not seek it.
Losing a battle simply meant that the enemy was stronger. He simply accepted that he was weaker than his opponent, and did not resent them.
But Nero abhorred losing for the first time in his life. At that moment, negative emotions other than anger were beginning to be born within Nero.
“Nero!!”
He heard a voice calling him, and Nero caught a glimpse of it for a moment. Feld, who had retreated once, was on top of the castle gate, wielding his jet-black Greatsword.
But his appearance was different from before. The strength of the Body Enhancement he wore was the same. However, a portion of his Mana flowed into the Greatsword, and the Greatsword roared as if trying to suck his Mana dry.
“Guu!!”
The muscles of Feld’s fist, gripping the hilt to suppress that power, swelled. He felt that the power emitted by the Dragon Horn Greatsword increased each time his Mana was absorbed.
“Gaa…”
Feld couldn’t move to suppress it. But Nero, seeing Feld’s eyes, understood what he was trying to say.
That was the power of “Darkness.” The Dragon Horn, which had become the material for the Greatsword, craved the user’s Mana in order to regain its original power.
The Earth Dragon, imprisoned by humans, transformed into a Dark Dragon with anger and hatred.
The attribute that governs emotions is “Darkness.” Nero felt it within himself as well. He was frustrated with his own inadequacy, and his body burned with a strong desire to gain strength. But it was not anger towards the foolish who opposed him.
—”Aria”— The light that illuminates the Darkness of the night. A girl who manipulates light and Darkness.
Something that he couldn’t reach even if he stretched out his hand to the sky…. But she called Nero her partner and chose to fight together.
There was a strong “desire” for the girl he wished to be with.
That strong desire even summoned a Spirit of Darkness, imbuing Nero with the same “Darkness” power as Aria.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
“What!?”
Nero’s figure disappeared, and Amor was shocked by it.
“Gah!?”
The next moment, Nero appeared and destroyed Amor’s arm.
“You bastard!!”
Amor screamed and struck with his other arm, but Nero’s figure disappeared into Amor’s “Shadow,” and Nero, who had jumped out from the Shadows of the surrounding Undead, tore Amor’s back with his claws.
Dark Magic, —Shadow Walker—.
However, Nero’s Dark Magic, as a “Mystic Beast” who was not human, connected all the Shadows around him, creating a barrier that surrounded Amor.
【Nero】【Race: Kuaal】【Mystic Beast Rank 5】
【Mana Capacity: 320/330】50Up【HP: 520/520】10Up
【Strength: 20 (30)】【Endurance: 20 (30)】【Agility: 18 (27)】【Dexterity: 7】
【Claw Attack Lv.5】1Up【Martial Arts Lv.5】【Defense Lv.4】
【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5】【Dark Magic Lv.5】New【Mana Control Lv.5】
【Intimidation Lv.5】【Stealth Lv.4】【Night Vision Lv.4】【Detection Lv.5】
【Poison Resistance Lv.4】【Slash/Pierce Resistance Lv.5】【Abnormality Resistance Lv.4】
【Overall Combat Strength: 2541 (Body Enhancement in progress: 3210)】405Up
“You beast!”
Amor, screaming, attacked the Second Knight Order, his subordinates, trying to erase the “Shadows” from Nero, who disappeared and appeared in an instant to attack.
“P-Please stop, Your Highness!”
Even as an Undead, being crushed by Amor in his current state would result in fatal wounds. At the very least, even knights who still had their will were turned into mindless corpses, and witnessing such a scene, the knights of the Second Knight Order raised their voices, trying to stop the rampaging Amor, but Amor glared back and roared.
“It’s because you lot are dawdling! Take Dandole already!”
“…Hah!”
Even if they are Undead, who knows what will happen if Amor, their source, takes away their power. At worst, those without will might remain as they are, so the Second Knight Order, those with will, headed towards the gates of Dandole with a deathly resolve.
Nero was occupied with Amor and couldn’t move. Feld, who was holding back the Greatsword, believing that Nero would create an opening, was in the same situation.
“Damn…”
Should he stop the Mana flowing into the Greatsword and intercept the Second Knight Order? But if he did, he wouldn’t have enough Mana to charge the Greatsword again.
While he was hesitating, a knight of the Second Knight Order, charging in without any defense, was pierced through the chest by a spear from a Dandole knight waiting in front of the castle gate, but still swung his broken sword and slashed at the Dandole knight.
There was no time. In a situation where he had to make a decision immediately, Feld bit his lip to make a decision—at that moment—
“Gah!?”
A giant spear, flying from the darkness, pierced through the Undead of the Second Knight Order.
“——’Spirits of Water and Wind!’——”
At that “voice,” the “Water” and “Wind” Spirits, in the form of maidens, entangled the Undead, tearing them apart and blowing them away.
Feld and the Dandole knights turned their eyes towards them. Dolton, who had released the spear from horseback, and Mira, who had cast Spirit Magic, were there, and two mounted figures plunged into the battlefield from their side.
“Finally, it’s my turn!”
Jesha, who had jumped in while shouting, cleaved through the Undead with her Two-Handed Axe in a single blow, and Viro, charging in with his horse into the gap in the battle line, ran around to further disrupt the battle line, causing the people of Dandole to raise voices of joy at the sight.
“——It’s the ‘Rainbow Sword’!”
Rank 5 Adventurers, the “Rainbow Sword”—they had received a message from Feld and immediately started to act, arriving ahead of the First Knight Order.
Even though there were only four of them, all of them being Rank 4 or higher, the Undead who were still consciously commanding became agitated by the attack from behind.
‘You lot!’
At that sight, Amor’s attention was momentarily diverted—at that moment—
‘Gaoooooooooh!’
Nero, diving into his own Shadow and leaping out from Amor’s Shadow, tore at him with his claws, and the shockwave blew Amor towards the castle gate.
“Uooooooooh!”
Seeing that, Feld released the Mana in the Greatsword all at once and shot out like a cannonball.
‘Feld, oooooh!’
Amor, noticing that, launched his powerful arm and Worms at Feld while losing his balance. But the Worms were corroded by the Darkness that Feld was clad in and scattered.
“——【Hell Slash】——!”
Feld was the same as Nero. He knew his own inadequacy and sought power. In order not to leave a single girl in solitude, in order for himself to stand in that place.
【Feld Ruin (Tungs)】【Race: Human♂】【Rank 5】
【Mana Capacity: 94/240】15Up【HP: 317/370】
【Strength: 17 (26)】【Endurance: 15 (22)】【Agility: 14 (21)】【Dexterity: 8】
【Swordsmanship Lv.5】【Spearmanship Lv.3】【Axe Combat Lv.3】【Throwing Lv.3】
【Defense Lv.4】【Martial Arts Lv.5】【Stealth Lv.1】
【Light Magic Lv.2】【Fire Magic Lv.2】【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5】【Utility Magic ×2】
【Mana Control Lv.5】1Up【Intimidation Lv.3】【Detection Lv.3】
【Abnormal Resistance Lv.3】【Poison Resistance Lv.1】
【Simple Appraisal】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1594 (Body Enhancement in progress: 2035)】100Up
‘Guahhhhhhhhh!’
Feld’s Level 5 Combat Art severed Amor’s arm and slashed through Amor’s massive body from shoulder to abdomen. But—
“Too shallow!”
Amor’s Magic Stone was exposed again, but Feld’s slash, slightly deviated by his arm getting in the way, only managed to crack the Magic Stone. But its power was not comparable to before, and the Darkness-attribute Greatsword burned the Worms from the wound, inhibiting regeneration.
Seeing that, just as Feld and Nero were about to launch a follow-up attack, Amor, with bloodshot eyes, screamed as if foaming at the mouth.
‘Not yet, not yet! Demon! Give me power, oooooh!’
A red-black light overflowed from Amor’s heart, and Worms overflowed from Amor’s Magic Stone, filling the wound, and the powerful arm that started moving again blew Feld and Nero away.
‘——Gah!?’
At that moment, a white hand grabbed the Magic Stone that was about to be enveloped by Worms again from behind, and a black-haired girl wore a delighted smile.
“I caught you♪”
Climax approaching!
What is Carla plotting…
Next time, the scene will return to Aria.
Book 3 and Manga version 1 are now available for pre-order.