Chapter 95

We stood at the entrance of the labyrinth within the stone walls, facing an endless horde of monsters, struggling to survive amidst the overwhelming numbers.

Above us, tremendous forces clashed.

There, Noll, Lala, and Ines were fighting.

The ground shook continuously with the thunderous roars above, and with each thunderclap, massive fissures opened up on the ground.

As the ground became increasingly unstable, everyone fought desperately.

"【Blazing Extreme Flame】"

When Rien's massive fireball obliterated the horde of monsters, everyone could catch their breath for a moment.

But this was futile.

The monsters kept surging, no matter how many were defeated.

The invasion of the horde of monsters that emerged from the "Labyrinth of Sorrow" seemed endless.

Despite everyone's desperate efforts, the rate at which the monsters emerged seemed to increase, responding to the emotions of the monstrous entity floating in the sky.

The monsters in the labyrinth, though similar in appearance to those on the ground, seemed to be entirely different creatures.

I tried to communicate with them several times to stop their movements, but they had no "heart" that I could connect with.

So, while everyone fought desperately, I could only run around, trying to draw the monsters' attention and then escape, repeating this futile struggle.

"Hey, kid."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

"...What are you doing, running around like that?"

The speaker was Sigil, one of the "Twelve Holy Saints," who was fighting alongside us.

"What do you mean... I'm just running around. It's all I can do."

I thought it was better than doing nothing.

"You're deliberately diving into the horde of monsters and then running away? ...Are you kidding? If you're going to run, stay in the back and be quiet."

"...I'm not kidding. Besides, I don't think it makes much of a difference whether I'm in the back or not."

As we talked, several monsters circled behind us, but I dodged their charges, leaped over their heads, and then drew their attention with my erratic movements, evading their attacks and running for all I was worth.

During this time, Sigil used his dual swords to decapitate the monsters, clearing the area around us.

"Kid... if you can move like that, why aren't you fighting? ...What happened to your weapon? Did you lose it?"

"I don't have a weapon. More accurately, I can't hold one."

"What do you mean?"

I rolled up my sleeve slightly to show the bandages wrapped around my arm.

Beneath the bandages, countless scars, resembling patterns, were visible.

"Are those... scars?"

"Yeah."

Sigil seemed to understand what this meant.

My hands, having been injured since childhood, had the grip strength of a young child.

While it didn't significantly hinder my daily life, the deep damage to the muscles necessary for exerting great force meant I couldn't hold anything heavy.

These injuries couldn't be healed.

During my growth, my body had accepted this as a "natural state," and attempting to heal them would only make things worse.

Sain, known as the "Healing Saint," had told me this.

So, the only thing I could hold with my strength was a small, light wooden sword.

But even that wasn't practical for real combat, and I would easily drop it.

My grip was so weak that I couldn't even handle a small bow properly.

I couldn't hold a weapon.

"Use this."

Suddenly, Sigil threw something at me.

"...What?"

I caught it hurriedly; it was the gauntlet he had been wearing.

"What is this...?"

"This gauntlet is a magic item. It has an 'Enhancement' enchantment that boosts grip strength. It might not fit, but you should be able to hold a short sword."

I was bewildered by his actions.

"...Why?"

I was part of the race that the people of Misra despised and hunted, the "Demon Race." Why...

"Your race, the Demon Race, is inherently 'evil'... history has proven this."

Sigil continued, seeing my confusion.

"You have brought many disasters. The town where I was born and raised was completely burned down by your kind, the residents were killed, and the fields were left barren. As a result, my hometown became a barren land where famine was common... Therefore, the Demon Race is born evil."

Sigil stopped and turned to face me.

"But... kid. What are you, exactly...? Why are you here?"

"Why am I here...?"

I didn't understand the question and asked for clarification.

"Stop playing dumb.

That 'Disaster Dragon' was summoned by you, right? With that much power, why don't you use it for yourself? You could have escaped on it at any time. Even now, you could. Yet, why don't you run...?

...And why are you trying to help us? Even those who are your enemies and continue to hunt your kind. This situation is a perfect opportunity for your kind to take revenge on us.

Yet, you are risking your life to stay and fight with us... Why?"

Repeating the question, I was left bewildered.

"You are a Demon. But are you truly the 'evil' I should slay? ...I can't tell anymore. At the very least, someone who chooses to stay in such a place shouldn't die easily."

I was unsure how to interpret his words and stood there for a moment.

Then, a voice like a scream of anger came from behind.

"...Hey, Sigil!? What are you two standing there for!? We're fighting for our lives here, and you two are just standing around!?!"

The voice belonged to Miranda, a woman in a mask.

She and her group were about to be overwhelmed by the horde of monsters.

Sigil glanced at the situation, then offered me one of his dual swords.

"Take the sword, kid. Prove whether you are evil or not with your own hands... At least for now, I won't be your enemy."

I was bewildered again, looking at Sigil's face, which was hidden by the mask.

"Hurry up. We don't have time to talk anymore."

"...Okay."

I took the dagger from him and put on the gauntlet.

To my surprise, it fit perfectly, and I could feel a newfound strength in my hand.

It was a strange sensation.

Strength that had never been in my palm was now there.

Gripping the dagger he gave me, I could feel the strength even more clearly.

"...Amazing."

For the first time in my life, I felt the sensation of gripping something with great strength.

While I was marveling at this, I saw a group of monsters approaching Miranda and the others.

"Let's go. You'll figure it out as you use it."

"...Okay."

Sigil and I ran almost simultaneously.

I followed his incredible speed, gripping the dagger and crouching as low as possible.

Sigil charged into the horde of monsters, and I dove under their feet, aiming for their legs.

Even with the weapon, I couldn't properly slash them with my strength.

But at least, I could try to cut one leg.

With all my might, I swung the dagger, and the short sword Sigil lent me cut through the monster's leg with surprising sharpness.

Not only that, it severed multiple legs around it.

Yet, I felt no significant recoil in my hand.

Feeling the strange sensation in my hand, I continued to slash the legs of the monsters standing in front of me, one after another, in a frenzy.

In this way, I broke through the horde of monsters, and when I looked back, I saw the monsters collapsing to the ground, their heads rolling away.

"...Kid, is this your first time wielding a sword properly?"

I realized Sigil was standing next to me.

"Yeah."

"...For a first-timer, you did well. But don't recklessly charge in just because you have a weapon... In group battles, always be aware of your allies' positions. Don't think you're fighting alone... Otherwise, you'll die in an instant."

"...Okay."

"...Hey, Sigil...? Isn't it a bit strange for you, who always acts on your own and charges ahead, to be saying that?"

"...Miranda, you talk too much. Just cast your spells... If you don't want to die, move your hands instead of your mouth."

"That's something you shouldn't be saying! And why are you giving that kid a weapon...? That sword is a treasure bestowed by His Holiness! You never even let me touch it..."

Miranda, despite her complaints, continued to cast spells and defeat the monsters.

Then,

"【Blazing Extreme Flame】"

After a moment, Rien's fiery ball, like a scorching sun, obliterated the horde of monsters in its path, clearing them away.

Compared to Miranda, who was supposed to be an excellent spellcaster, Rien's magic was of a different magnitude.

"...That kid is really strange. The power of her spells is something that would take a dozen mages to achieve. She's already fired over fifty of them... How is she still standing...?"

Rien had been continuously firing fireballs that could decimate a thousand monsters, without a break.

While we could catch our breath for a moment after her fireballs, she continued to fire them without rest.

The power of her fireballs never waned, and they continued to decimate the horde of monsters.

Yet, I could see the deep fatigue on her face.

She was being pushed to her limits, and it was clear she was struggling to even speak.

I felt that she was approaching her limit.

If she fell here, we would all be doomed.

As I felt the approaching end, I took a deep breath amidst the brief silence and said,

"...Thank you, Sigil."

I thanked Sigil as I caught my breath.

"Say that after you survive... Besides, I don't deserve thanks. I gave it to you after calculating the overall combat effectiveness... And remember, that dagger is a treasure bestowed by His Holiness. You must return it."

"Okay, I understand."

"The next wave is coming... Prepare yourself."

Sigil and I ran into the horde of monsters again, and I followed his lead, swinging the short sword.

As I repeated this, I gradually got used to wielding the sword, and the number of monsters I could defeat at once increased.

The horde of monsters before us gradually decreased, and we began to feel a slight sense of relief as the situation improved.

"...What is that?"

A change occurred in the body of the monstrous entity floating in the sky, and an unknown black shadow began to cover the entire sky. At the same time, the horde of monsters emerging from the labyrinth increased explosively.