Chapter 61

As each battle begins, the perspective changes rapidly. Please be aware of this.

"Well, what should I do?"

The battle with Kousha and the others has ended, and I'm now considering what to do next.

My immediate goal is to defeat the black-robed ones, but perhaps I should go to Yūhi first.

I've taken a bit too much time, but he should be fine. Still, I can't underestimate the unique mage.

I should at least check on the situation.

"!"

The moment I took a step in the direction Yūhi and the others went, I sensed something coming at me with incredible speed from behind, and I jumped to the side.

Something splattered where I had been standing.

It looks like a human form... but is this the same raincoat that Kousha and the others were wearing?

The hair is black and short, and the build suggests a male.

...This outfit might belong to a classmate.

However, I can't be sure because this guy's face is unrecognizable.

It's crushed... he must have been beaten up multiple times.

He's definitely dead.

"Hmph... I was killing the fools who were running away from the battlefield, and then I met an interesting guy."

As I was examining the corpse, a voice spoke to me.

Behind me was a young man.

I've never seen his face or his form before, but I recognize his voice.

"Are you Kagerou?"

"...I don't know who told you, but... that's right, Setsu."

"Make sure to wear your black robe, I didn't recognize you for a moment... Hey!"

I didn't wait for him to finish speaking and kicked off the ground, closing in on Kagerou.

I then struck him with a sudden black sphere.

But...

"I'm not the same as before... you really underestimated me."

"...Huh."

Kagerou was blocking the black sphere with a black sword.

I thought I could end it with this one hit, but it's not that easy.

Come to think of it... the Kagerou at the wedding was a clone.

"! And the black sword is similar to the black sphere! I'll destroy it!"

"Try it if you can! With that big sword of yours!"

"Ora!"

I took a step back and swung the black sphere with centrifugal force.

Kagerou deflected it with his black one-handed sword.

I put a lot of force into it, but it was deflected perfectly.

Damn... as expected, I can't take these guys down with a simple move.

"...I don't like you."

"Huh?"

"Why do you care about others when you have such power?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking why you protect the weak!"

Kagerou used the momentum from deflecting my sword to counterattack.

I kicked off the ground lightly and dodged to the back, and Kagerou closed the distance as if he wouldn't let me escape.

Our swords clashed again, and we entered a blade lock.

"Weak... what are you talking about?"

"For the past few minutes, you've been occasionally paying attention to something behind you. Is there something... that would be bad if I found out?"

"...Well, let's see."

This guy has a sharp intuition.

Indeed, Kousha and the others are lying behind me.

Given that this guy was killing the classmates who ran away, he might kill them as well.

I've already extracted the information, so they're no longer useful, but...

"Well, if I lose this, my important girl will be sad. So, I'll protect them while fighting you."

Even if I say it like that, if Kousha and the others die, Yūhi will be upset.

There's no need to make him sad.

Besides, this handicap is almost negligible.

"Important girl... for the sake of your comrades?"

"Hah! For the sake of my comrades? That's a joke! I move for my own sake. I protect her because I don't want to see her sad face."

To avoid seeing that, I have to protect the people behind me.

If that's the case, it's a small price to pay, and I'll protect them as much as I can.

This kind of thinking is far from that of a hero or a brave person.

That's more fitting for someone like Kousha, who cares about his comrades, is honest, and shines.

So, I don't need to be a hero.

I don't want to be a hero who saves everyone.

I just want to protect the people I need around me.

"Besides, I don't like you. So, I'll defeat you. Got it? Selfish, right?"

"Hmph... That part... I can understand!"

We agreed on that point, and then disagreed.

Our swords clashed again in the rain, making a loud noise—

With a loud explosion, two women kicked off the ground.

One was causing continuous explosions, and the other was continuously dodging them. They didn't stop moving until they reached a nearly deserted place.

"You're persistent... I need to take care of that man."

"There's no way I'll let you. I have to crush the pests targeting Yuki-kun."

"You're calling me a pest...!?"

The anger from being insulted made Luna's magic power surge explosively.

Yūhi watched calmly, with a quiet flame in her hand.

"I'm an exterminator! I'll kill that damn bug... I'm a messenger of justice! In the name of Fuyuma-sama, I'll crush both you and that damn bug!"

"...I've decided. I'll kill you for real."

The battle between the woman who was releasing intense anger and the woman who was burning with a calm rage began.

"This presence...!"

Desastor stood up from the throne.

His face, which had been difficult a moment ago, was now filled with joy.

"Finally, Setsu. I can sense you even at this distance."

"Yes, and with the former companions, and even Roa..."

"Roa?"

"She's my dear friend. She's very strong."

"Heh... That's a relief."

The faces of the two in the demon king's castle brightened.

Just their arrival was already changing the tide of the battle, tilting it in favor of the demons.

Perhaps because of this thought... they didn't notice something approaching them quickly.

Suddenly, a hole appeared in the floor of the king's room.

The shattered floor pieces scattered in the room, and dust rose.

"!? Enemy attack!?"

"Hehe... Lucky! Finding both of you together is such a stroke of luck!"

A green-haired girl emerged from the hole.

She wasn't particularly short, but her innocent expression made her look young.

Furthermore, she had a tattoo under her eyes, which added to the imbalance.

Unsettling—If I had to describe her with one word, that would be it.

The black robe she wore clearly indicated that she was the enemy.

"I assume you know... I'm going to take both of you into custody!"

"Hmph... You're putting on airs for a human. If you can, try it... Levi?"

Levi was looking at the girl with a shocked expression.

At the same time, she was clenching her fists so hard that blood was seeping through.

"Why... are you on their side... Earth God?"

"What!?"

"Hey? It's none of my business who I side with, right? ...Sea God, Sky God?"

"I see... So you are the Earth God."

Desastor, called the Sky God, said the name with a face that looked like he had bitten into a bitter bug.

"That's right, I'm the Earth God, Gaia. Nice to meet you, ladies."

The girl who called herself Gaia smiled cutely and said so.