Chapter 11

But the villain was defeated by the unexpected hero's performance, the heroine was saved from her fear of men, and the protagonist's harem gained a new member.

It's a typical plot like that.

But now, that's all coming to an end today.

"Here, this is the door leading to the innermost part!"

I arrived before the Mad Hatter did.

In front of me, I see a stone door just like the one in the anime.

The innermost sanctum of the Baptismal Shrine.

The destination where the artifact, the 'Baptismal Crown,' which bestows Gifts, is finally reached.

*

Kwang!

Olivia violently breaks the stone door.

Inside, the innermost part is visible through the dust.

A massive stone chamber, so large it could be called a plaza.

In the center, there is a monster.

A giant black dog, larger than a bear, enveloped in green flames.

[Warning. A powerful hostile interdimensional being has been detected ahead.]

Even without hearing Durandal's alert, the boss monster already looks dangerous enough.

Olivia mutters under her breath.

"A Zeta Rank interdimensional being, Hellhound... ."

It's convenient to have an explainer.

"This time, you might have to fight alongside me. That doesn't mean I'll abandon my responsibility. I'll do my best to protect you from the front, but if an unavoidable situation arises... ."

Olivia speaks with a serious tone.

She grips Durandal.

"I know."

Her eyes widen.

I'm not stupid.

I've already considered the possibility that I might have to join the battle, no matter what kind of boss monster appears.

But if it's a Hellhound, it's manageable.

"So just properly take the hits from the front."

"Y-You have to say it so cruelly!"

Just as Olivia shouted,

[Auuuuuuu!!]

The Hellhound's howl echoes through the innermost part.

I take a step back and say to Olivia,

"It's coming. Be careful."

"......I understand."

Olivia raises Flamberge.

Whoosh.

A magical flame engulfs the blade.

[Gr-r-r-r! Bark! Bark!]

The Hellhound charges, barking.

Boom, Boom!

The ground shakes as the massive interdimensional being runs.

[Kyaaaaaaa!!]

The Hellhound strikes Olivia with its massive front paw, enveloped in green flames.

Kwang!

A loud noise resounds.

"Ugh!"

Olivia gasps.

Her Flamberge, enveloped in platinum flames, resists the Hellhound's front paw.

"A mere interdimensional being like you... ."

Olivia grits her teeth and swings Flamberge.

Her Gift, the ability to produce flames, activates.

One, two, three, four, five, six platinum flame spheres form in the air and strike the Hellhound's eyes directly.

Kwang.

A loud noise resounds.

[Kyaaaaaaa!!]

The Hellhound lets out a pained howl.

With its vision blocked, the Hellhound swings its front paws wildly.

Swish, Swish!

Chilling sounds and trails of green flames fill the air.

Olivia narrowly avoids all the attacks while continuously launching thrusts to attack the Hellhound.

But both Olivia and the Hellhound possess fire attributes.

With the same attribute, the damage is halved, making it difficult to land effective hits.

'It's time for me to move.'

Ultimately, I have to act.

[Switch to Flight Mode.]

Psssh.

Steam hisses as boosters emerge from my back.

I push off the ground and fly up.

When I reach near the ceiling, I can see Olivia and the Hellhound exchanging blows below.

Loud noises, sparks, and flashes of light fill the air.

The ground shakes, and the air feels heated.

I grit my teeth.

Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom.

The mana pathways in my body heat up as I draw out mana.

Durandal greedily absorbs the mana. The blade trembles, and black mana envelops it.

I use an ability.

[Sync]

Zing.

My head rings, and my heart feels as if it's burning.

The Black Prince's talents and experiences are violently imprinted on my body and mind.

A new sense awakens.

My vision turns red.

I frown.

My head hurts like hell.

"......I can do this."

Still, it's bearable.

It's better than the first time I used Sync.

'The Hellhound's weakness in the setting book is its spine.'

The Hellhound is an interdimensional being that often appeared in the original work.

Naturally, I already know its weakness.

But the Hellhound isn't stupid and protects its spine, the weakness, with its unique green magical flames.

The power of those flames is enough to deplete a hero's mana field and make them fall.

With Kim Deok-sung's C-rank power alone, it would be impossible to target the weakness.

But with Durandal, it's different.

Durandal is a famous magical sword known for its indestructibility.

The legendary Durandal is equipped with abilities befitting its legend.

[Adamantine Indestructibility]

I activate the second ability after Sync.

Durandal's legend, the ability that grants the user absolute defense, activates.

Thump, Thump.

My vision distorts, perhaps due to the excessive power I've drawn.

I grip the hilt.

The Black Prince's talent guides the attack route, and the Black Prince's experience draws the sword path.

Now is the time.

I reverse the boosters.

I begin a rapid descent, the scenery around me changing quickly.

I fix my gaze.

The target is the spine.

Zzzzt!!

Black mana condensed on Durandal's blade sparks.

A bitter metallic taste fills my mouth.

Blood trickles from the corner of my mouth.

"Die, you bastard!"

I curse and plunge the blade into the Hellhound's back, near its spine, where the flames protect it.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!]

The Hellhound, struck at its weakness, lets out a terrifying howl.

Green flames surge and burn, threatening to engulf me.

My vision turns entirely green.

The mana field protecting my body dissipates instantly.

[Adamantine Indestructibility]

Zing.

The ability activates, and a black mana glow envelops my body.

The green flames' counterattack is over.

"Die!"

I curse and continue to pour mana into Durandal, which is embedded in the Hellhound's spine.

The sound of my heartbeat echoes.

Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

Just as the black mana I injected swept through the Hellhound's body,

Kwang.

A loud noise resounds from inside the Hellhound.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!]

The Hellhound's body stiffens.

The green flames that filled my vision quickly fade.

It's a signal that the Hellhound is dead.

"Mr. Kim Deok-sung!"

Olivia's voice faintly reaches my ears.

"We did it! We really did it!"

Damn, I can't lose consciousness.

The main dish is still left.

I shake my head.

First, I need to deactivate the battle mode that consumes mana like a horse.

[Durandal Offline]

I deactivate the battle mode.

The full-body armor disappears instantly.

As the ability fades, a wave of exhaustion washes over me.

My strength... is... fading...

"Ugh... ."

The world is upside down.

I slip off the Hellhound's corpse.

I'll get hurt if I fall like this.

But my body is too weak...

Just as I think that,

"Hehe."

A familiar lady's laughter, and a warm sensation on my limbs.

I lift my head.

Olivia is there.

She caught me in a princess carry as I fell from the Hellhound's corpse.

"What the... ."

It's a light novel-like development.

But with no strength in my limbs, I can't get out of it.

Just as a curse reflexively tries to escape my lips,

"......Good job. You."

Olivia whispers to me.

I shake my head weakly and close my eyes.

Yeah, just for a moment...

Damn

"What the... ."

Kim Deok-sung, muttering weakly in Korean, slowly closes his eyes.

His head tilts back.

He loses consciousness.

"Still, if only you could speak... ."

Olivia pouts.

Although she hasn't been learning Korean for long, she knows the meaning of the word he was about to say.

It was the first word she looked up in the dictionary out of curiosity about what Kim Deok-sung said when they first met.

"How could you, a noble princess of France, say such... things... ."

She was slightly shocked to learn that it was a curse word that street thugs would use.

As the forbidden fruit of the Bonaparte royal family and the heir to the Black Prince's legacy, she had no connection to such words.

"......Of course, it's my fault. But it was too much."

Olivia puffs out her cheeks in protest.

She carefully places Kim Deok-sung, whom she was holding in a princess carry, on the ground and looks around.

The innermost part of the ruins is damp and dark.

The ceiling drips with moisture, the floor is hard, cold, and uneven, and the eerie atmosphere is far from friendly to someone who has lost consciousness.

"Ugh...!"

Olivia's cheeks flush.

Her eyes tremble.

Olivia has the duty to assist Kim Deok-sung.

She can't leave him in such an environment.

"This is... purely out of duty as a personal maid!"

Olivia, her face red, carefully places him on her thighs.

A behavior known as a knee pillow.

Olivia, feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, tightly closes and then opens her eyes.

Kim Deok-sung's face, resting on her thighs, comes into view.

"Pervert, shameless... ."

She pokes his cheek with her fingers, acting spitefully.

But Kim Deok-sung doesn't wake up.

Clearly, he used all his strength in that one blow.

Olivia flicks her fingers.

Whoosh.

Her Gift activates, and a platinum fireball appears in the air.

To maintain Kim Deok-sung's body temperature, Olivia carefully adjusts the temperature and position of the fireball and places it beside him.

After taking the necessary measures, Olivia mutters in a low voice.

"I could have done it alone... ."

It would have taken a bit longer, but she could have won.

But he chose to use his full strength to help her defeat the interdimensional being.

"You said it was information from your homeland... ."

There's no response from the unconscious Kim Deok-sung.

Olivia didn't expect an answer either.

The potential value of the ruins is immense.

It's not something a mere C-rank hero candidate, who isn't even a current hero, could tackle alone.

But his homeland, the Republic of Korea, provided him with information about the ruins.

'That's practically an order disguised as a favor.'

Only heroes can tackle the ruins.

And in the small country of Korea, the only hero is him.

Kim Deok-sung never had the option to refuse.

That's why

He had no choice but to ask for her help.

Olivia thought so.

"It's too much. Your situation, and your homeland."

Information about Kim Deok-sung, which she had reviewed in the past, flashes through her mind.

An orphan, a lonely life without friends, sudden nationwide expectations, studying abroad in Japan... .