Chapter 51

It was just a small wound.

However, that wound had an effect beyond expectations.

“Giiiiiiiiii!”

The demon roared, swinging its arms and splattering blood.

Blood spattered onto my body as well.

I was a bit surprised.

After all, it was such a minor wound.

But, this body is so tough. For the demon, it must be a wound close to the first damage it has ever experienced.

In fact, the way it swung its arms seemed more like it was enduring pain rather than trembling with anger.

It wasn’t a wry smile. Laughter welled up inside me.

The demon, larger than any adult, was losing its composure due to pain.

The demon that had killed dogs, prey, and nearly killed me, was reacting this way to just a small wound in the palm.

However, that grotesque state didn’t last long.

The demon pressed its wrist and exerted force. Then, its fighting spirit activated. The thin light intensified, and the wound quickly closed up.

“...Haha...”

It was absurd.

Indeed, activating fighting spirit can speed up the healing of wounds. However, it should not be something that heals instantly.

The fighting spirit had an abnormal density, and because of that, this monster could perform such an unreasonable feat. Truly, the demon in front of me was a monster.

The demon smirked triumphantly and repeatedly opened and closed its hand, showing it could move normally again.

That gesture was like that of a cute child, and it made me laugh even more.

Why had I been afraid of this monster?

My body was more damaged than that small wound. Just from that small wound, the monster in front of me had panicked.

Why had I been afraid?

This demon. Just strong, fast, tough, and heals quickly.

A muscle-bound brute with no technique or wisdom. What was there to fear?

Strength returned to my limbs.

Right. This demon healed its wounds with fighting spirit.

I should be able to do the same, albeit to a lesser degree. I should be able to move again.

I believed this and activated my fighting spirit to the fullest.

This state wouldn’t last long.

It was like sprinting at full speed. It would end in a few seconds. However, it was enough to reduce the pain.

From a crouched position, I jumped backward. I adjusted my stance and took a breath.

Looking at it again, what had I been afraid of?

The demon was still powerful, but it seemed smaller than before.

I considered what I had learned and what I could do now.

Putting it all together, I realized it wasn’t an unbeatable enemy.

First, the demon was weak to pain.

Thanks to its hard body, it had rarely, if ever, been injured. It was strange that a small wound in the palm could cause such a reaction.

From this, I inferred that the demon relied entirely on its fighting spirit.

In essence, if the fighting spirit was eliminated, the demon would be just a regular creature, with no special toughness or healing ability.

Moreover, it probably had no experience living without fighting spirit, making it extremely vulnerable to external stimuli.

Eliminating the fighting spirit was also possible.

The demon had been dispersing its fighting spirit to nullify my magic.

Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Mixing fighting spirit and magic would cancel both.

If I covered the demon with strong magic, I could neutralize the fighting spirit in its body.

A mage’s attacks wouldn’t work on the demon.

A warrior with fighting spirit would need to have a stronger fighting spirit to land attacks.

But, I had a unique approach since I could use both.

Full activation of fighting spirit wouldn’t last long. It suppressed the pain, but time was running out.

I needed to finish off this demon quickly and treat my injuries, or I would die.

I was determined.

I might collapse from magic exhaustion. My fighting spirit might run out. My current plan might not even work.

But, doing nothing meant being killed by the demon.

What is this? Isn’t it the same as before?

When I ate the apple, it was a gamble between dying of hunger or being poisoned.

Then, I would win this gamble. This demon should be easy to defeat.

After all, there was no poison in that apple.

The demon lunged forward.

It seemed to dislike the distance and was likely to tackle again.

I wouldn’t let it.

I extended a magical arm from my shoulder and grabbed the demon.

It was being melted by the fighting spirit, but I could maintain it by pouring in more magic.

“Momotaro and the monkey are not here, and I let the dog escape. I am not a pheasant but a crow. Shall we go for the demon slaying?”

The demon’s lunge visibly weakened. It was slower than before.

This was manageable. I could counterattack.

“...Huh!”

I kicked the demon’s head, covered in magic. My fighting spirit was normal.

“Gah!”

The demon’s head jerked back, groaning.

I landed and slashed with a fighting spirit-infused knife. The wound was clean and easy.

Blood spurted out with a splattering sound. It was a shallow cut to the artery, but the bleeding was significant.

The demon was patting its chest, trying to wipe or stop the blood, clearly flustered.

However, I saw anger in its expression.

A chill ran down my spine. I crouched and jumped to the right.

The demon’s left middle kick passed where my head had been.

The movement was quite slow.

In that moment, I could have cut its leg artery.

Blood spread, forming a pool. The demon’s breathing was erratic, likely confused by the first serious injury it had ever experienced.

The fighting spirit increased. It was trying to heal, but I wouldn’t let it.

I increased the magic I was pouring in. This wouldn’t last much longer.

I had to finish it in this time!

I swung and slammed a broken log.

A log thick enough that I had to carry it. Normally, it would be nothing to the demon.

But, the demon without fighting spirit was just a muscle-bound brute. Moreover, it was not used to using its body.

The demon was easily knocked back.

Serves it right for throwing me around so many times.

This wouldn’t kill the demon.

I was in a frenzy.

I rushed to the demon, mounted it, and started punching its face.

The demon’s face distorted with a squish.

It was tough. If I pulled back, it would return to normal. However, the demon’s face remained distorted in pain.

I couldn’t maintain full fighting spirit activation. I was out of breath. But, I couldn’t end it yet.

My magic was almost depleted. My vision was turning white at the edges. I could feel nothing but the demon beneath me.

My fist, enhanced by weakened fighting spirit, and the demon’s body, enhanced to its limit.

Which would win?

It was a match.

“Oooooooooo!”

I couldn’t tell if the roar was mine or the demon’s.

I punched the face with all my strength.

I was desperate, unable to think of anything else.

The sensation of squishing and crunching transmitted through my fist. I couldn’t tell if it was my fist breaking or the demon’s face.

I punched repeatedly.

If this didn’t work, there would be no other way to counterattack.

I kept punching desperately.

Suddenly, the pain returned.

Severe dull pain in my abdomen, and sharp pain in my arm. My strength drained.

Not good, I couldn’t exert any more force.

My clenched fist loosened, and my elbow wouldn’t extend properly.

My hand hit the demon’s flesh with a soft thud.

I couldn’t maintain the mount.

The shock from the ground made me fall.

“Hey! Hey!?”

My cheek was slapped. Who is this? It hurts.

“Hey, you’re still alive!”

A carefree voice echoed in my head. No, the voice was definitely reaching my ears.

Blackness crept into my vision.

A slit appeared in the darkness.

Through the slit, I glimpsed the surroundings.

The smell of grass, the presence of people. The voice was Reshid’s.

I groaned from the pain all over my body, and the scene darkened again.

Just before it went dark, I thought:

I must have survived.