Chapter 51

(Note) This is my second post of the day.

33

Tenchii, bleeding profusely from deep wounds, slowly fell backward. In front of him stood Shiran, barely supporting her own body with a blood-soaked sword as a cane.

Tenchii didn’t move at all after falling. A pool of red blood spread across the floor of the corridor. Seeing this, Lily, who was standing next to me, murmured:

"We won... right, Master?"

"Yeah."

I responded briefly and retracted Asarina, which I had extended. The long sword that had been entangled with Tenchii clattered and rolled on the floor.

We won. We definitely won. But the sense of relief that the incident was over was greater than the feeling of victory.

The victory was too costly. The many knights and soldiers who had been stationed in the fortress, the nine transfer students. Those who had died would never return.

Still, I wanted to believe that stopping Tenchii here had meaning.

Could I now refute Kudo’s words, filled with resignation, that this world is one where 'the strong can do as they please'? I wanted to offer this conclusion as a tribute to that poor boy and all the victims who had died.

"Master."

Hearing Lily’s voice, I turned my gaze. Garbela, who had lost two spider legs and was walking with difficulty, was approaching. Behind her, Shiran, with blood on her mouth, followed.

"You’ve been a burden, Garbela. And you too, Shiran."

"No, it’s nothing. We simply defeated our enemies. That’s all."

"This is the battle we were entrusted with to protect Chiria Fortress. You don’t need to worry, Lord Takahiro."

Still, it was hard to see them in such a battered state. Considering the tasks that still needed to be completed, it was even more difficult.

"We’ve defeated Tenchii, but there are still monsters in the fortress. Just a little more. Can you lend me your strength?"

When I said this, the girls’ faces broke into smiles, as if to say, "Don’t worry."

"Understood, Master."

"Of course."

"Aye. I’ll kick them away lightly."

Encouraged by their reliable responses, I smiled a little and began to think about our next actions.

At this point, Chiria Fortress had no remaining combat power to eliminate the invading monsters except for us. We had to clear out the monsters and protect the survivors.

However, since we were bringing Garbela, who couldn’t hide her monster form, we needed to make it clear to everyone that we were allies. With only Shiran, an elf, it would be hard to convince others, so we should join up with the allied knights who were waiting a short distance away.

With this plan decided, I called out to Lily.

"Lily, heal Garbela. Once that’s done, let’s join up with the knights."

Garbela is my strongest combat asset among my familiars. Even in a mopping-up operation, considering the possibility of unforeseen events, it would be prudent to heal her.

Garbela’s natural healing ability is already high. With Lily’s healing magic to accelerate it, the treatment should be complete within a few minutes.

During this short time, I decided to take care of the aftermath. Shiran, who couldn’t benefit from healing magic due to being an undead monster, also helped. I was grateful for this, as it wasn’t a pleasant task.

"A... a... I... a... d..."

To my surprise, Tenchii was still alive.

When Shiran had cut him down, he had lost consciousness due to the deep wounds, but he had regained consciousness shortly after.

His strong vitality as a warrior had kept him alive in this world. However, it wouldn’t last much longer. The wounds inflicted by Shiran were clearly fatal. A member of the exploration team who specialized in healing might have been able to save him, but there was no such person in the fortress.

All that remained for him now was despair and pain.

If there was any salvation for him, it was just one thing.

"... Lord Takahiro, may I behead him?"

Shiran, frowning, said.

"Even if he is a villain who has taken over a thousand lives, he should not suffer in vain."

"Yeah."

I nodded briefly and approached Tenchii with my sword in hand. A gurgling sound mixed with his voice could be heard.

"I... I... will... return... alone..."

A trail of blood marked the meter or so he had dragged himself.

There, lying there, was just a boy clinging to life.

"..."

I was the one who took action against Tenchii.

Shiran had actually struck the blow, but that didn’t matter. I had killed him.

So, feeling pity for his appearance would be a cruel hypocrisy.

Considering what he had done, there was no room for sympathy.

But I couldn’t help feeling something at this scene.

This was as I had told Rose before. No matter how much I had improved in combat, I could never become a hero or a monster.

I think that’s probably for the best. I had seen enough from Tenchii to know what would happen if I stopped feeling anything about the death of others.

"Lord Takahiro, if it’s too difficult for you, I can behead him..."

"No."

I shook my head at Shiran’s concerned offer. Part of it was resistance to shirking responsibility, but considering the aftermath, it would be troublesome if Shiran delivered the final blow. She was already an undead monster, and with an uncertain future, I couldn’t let her bear the label of 'hero killer.'

"This is my job."

I raised my sword.

... The weight of the sword felt heavier because the one in front of me was human.

Tenchii had never seen us as humans. But how I saw him was a different matter.

I would kill Tenchii.

I would carry the burden of this fact and continue to live in this world.

The sharp blade pierced the flesh, and blood spurted out.

The dull sound of life being cut off echoed low through the corridor.