Chapter 20

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

We’re, we’re finally safe! But you took too long, Tina! — was what I would’ve said, but I promised not to say her name so I kept quiet.

Though, there was another reason I didn’t say anything.

The hem of her magic robe was a little burnt.

Everywhere else was fine, but that one bit told me all I needed to know.

She must’ve been fighting something else until now, and that was why she was late.

The witch she called Leonora sneered. “You’re a bit late to the party. I thought you were happy playing with dolls,” she said, supporting my theory.

“Your dolls bored me. So I broke them.”

“Well, that’s too bad.”

Tina glanced at me.

Is she trying to tell me something? She swung her right hand in silence.

There was no chant, but she was definitely doing something. Leonora smirked.

“You want to save the people of this country? Who are you trying to deceive?”

“It’s just a whim.”

“You think this will make up for the people you’ve killed?”

I couldn’t understand what the two witches were talking about, but I could tell Tina was affected by what Leonara just said. Oh no, is she angry?

I leapt backwards by reflex as the tip of a sword approached my nose. Too close! I spaced out for too long!

The redhead pulled back his sword and looked at me with his cold eyes.

“You think you can look away and win against me?”

I don’t. I’m sorry.

Tina was trying to drag the witch away.

With her barrage of magic, bit by bit, she forced Leonora back.

But Leonora knew that too, and she seemed to be enjoying her efforts.

One flame slipped through Tina’s barrier and hit an archer, instantly burning them to death. Tina looked a little hurt.

Ugh, now there’s too many people! They’re holding her back!

I glanced around me and moved, dodging a wave of magic heat. I repelled the redhead’s sword and thought.

I want to let the others run away, but I’d be suspicious if I was the only one who stayed back! What do I do!

No way I could let her fight two people at once. I had to at least take care of this self-healing guy.

Aw man, isn’t there anything else I could do? I can’t talk to her so I can’t discuss it with her either. Tina! Come on! Read my mind!

But panicking solved nothing.

I concentrated, raising my speed one step faster.

Dodge, block, dodge, block. Faster. I controlled the redhead’s movements, limiting his options.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I had never met anyone faster than me in close combat.

And this redhead couldn’t compete with my speed either. Confusion appeared on his arrogant face for the first time.

But how am I supposed to kill hiiiim!?

I drew the redhead’s attention to my daggers, then kicked him away. Once there was some distance between us, a strong wind blew by.

Surprised, I looked at Tina. I couldn’t tell what, but she was forming something with magic with her at the centre.

Distortions appeared in the space around her, forming a huge mirror that sucked the witch in front before growing even larger. That, that must be teleportation magic!

The redhead paled and hurried towards it. He ran to the mirror, not Tina, and disappeared into the other side.

Tina scanned the people still here.

“Come, only if you’re prepared to die.”

Yeah… she’s talking to me, right? I got your message loud and clear, Tina.

I sprinted to the mirror without any hesitation. She smiled at me for a moment when I passed by her.

What a blessing it is to live with a mindreader! In case you’re still reading my mind, Tina, I hate spring onions!

And thus, we faced the witch again, this time, in a different location.

I wasn’t the only one who crossed through the mirror.

Several officers, soldiers and archers had made up their mind to come with us.

The first-timers to teleportation magic were surprised they had come out to a desert, but it wasn’t the time to talk about that.

Leonora looked down on us from the sky and clapped with a smile.

Um, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you happy?

But with every clap, more and more huge wolf-like monsters appeared around us.

The officers gasped and gulped, but they had all crossed the mirror, prepared to die. This wasn’t enough to make them falter. They poised their weapons and faced the wolves.

My opponents were one wolf and the redhead behind it.

The redhead transformed his longsword into a strangely shaped bow and shot at Tina from below. Oi, stop!

I immediately slipped out of the ring of officers and headed to the wolf. It bared its fangs and leapt at me, but I dodged it by the skin of my teeth.

As it passed me, I thrust my dagger into its right eye socket.

It roared, loud enough to deafen my eyes, but I kept moving forward.

I approached the redhead from behind him and raised my dagger. He spun around and repelled my dagger with his bowstring.

Huuuh!? What kind of bow is that!? Don’t think I didn’t hear that screech right now!

It was originally a long sword though, so it makes sense. Not really.

The redhead changed the bow back to its sword form and studied my face.

“You still want to fight me?”

“Damn right I do!”

If I scurry home now, I’d get killed by Tina or Princess Iris!

Either way, I die huh… it must suck to be me.

But anyway, even if they wouldn’t kill me, you tried to kill Miss Dyna.

I won’t feel content until I beat you up! And I also want you to taste the pain I feel every day!

Blasts of explosions came left and right from Tina’s fight with the witch.

She’s not losing, right? Just hold on until I beat this guy to the ground!

His long sword came at me, slash after slash, giving me no time to rest. But I was faster.

I dealt with each strike, limiting his movements and watching for an opening. I began waiting—and thinking.

Okay, so poison doesn’t work, wounds are healed and his weapon’s pretty much unbreakable.

What should I do? How can I beat him?

He probably has a lot more stamina than me too! I’ll lose if this drags on! I need to do something!

I twisted my body to dodge his thrust.

When I saw his right arm, an idea hit me like a ton of bricks.

The small wounds I gave him healed instantly, but when I stabbed his right arm, he had to swing his arm to heal it.

Which meant he needed to concentrate on healing if it’s a deep wound.

I looked up at the redhead’s face. Goddamn, he’s tall.

I had discovered my winning strategy: Aiming for his brain so he can’t concentrate on healing.

Huge icicles rained on us from the battle above.

I dodged them as they rammed into the ground and threw a dagger at a wolf eating an archer.

I replaced it right away with another dagger—a thin one for thrusting that was difficult to use. This better do it!

I was at my wits’ end, with no time to spare.

Something deep inside my brain goes numb when I fight.

My mind worked, but it felt like I wasn’t thinking, and yet it also felt like I was thinking about the same things on loop.

Things like: How can I pierce the redhead’s brain, or what’s Miss Dyna doing right now?

Why is Tina on bad terms with that witch, or does she actually hate humans? Stuff like that.

And despite all those thoughts, my body kept moving—fighting.

That’s how I had killed my enemies and survived until now.

And I was going to keep doing so for the rest of my life.

I stepped in, right up to my opponent.

His sword was striking down at me, so I drove my dagger into the base of his blade to fend it off, making him stagger and lose balance.

I shifted to face him from the side and slashed his throat with a poisoned dagger.

And without a pause, I thrust my thin dagger into his temple—all the way in.

Any normal human would die from this attack.

The redhead’s eyes opened wide. He looked at my face in surprise… and collapsed.

I only remember feeling terribly fatigued after that.

I picked up a bow and arrow on the ground nearby and noticed a familiar design engraved on the arrow.

It was a magic arrow… something that should be banned in this country. I didn’t know how an archer had gotten hold of this, but I was grateful for it.

I nocked the arrow and looked at the skies, aiming at one of the two witches.

Tina was fighting desperately and her clothes were in tatters.

I’m here now. It’ll be over soon.

I shot.

Leonora must’ve only been concentrated on Tina, as the arrow pierced deep into her side.

She would never miss an opportunity. That’s why it’ll be over.

I put the bow down, exhausted, and took a deep breath.

And that was when the man I had killed pierced my chest from behind.

※

“… And thus, General Luvenis sacrificed himself to defeat the evil magician and became a hero,” Racky said, tears streaming down his face.

Everyone stared at him, knowing it was another one of his delusions.

But none of the officers said anything. Say something! I’m still alive!

I decided to speak up as no one else would. I bonked Racky’s head from behind.

“I’m alive! Quit it with your delusions already!”

“A, a ghost!? General Luvenis, have you returned to the world out of spite!?”

“I said I’m alive! And what spite!?”

“I understand. I’ll send you back to repay all you’ve done for me, general…”

“Don’t draw your sword, idiot! Someone stop him!”

Despite my cries for help, Yuan was all smiles as he drew his sword too!

You traitor! Not really because you’re barely ever on my side but still!

Time to retreat! I bolted out of the office.

On my way, I passed by Gyuteh. Racky shouted from behind.

“Sir Gyuteh! Please help me exterminate General Luvenis’ ghost!”

“I can kill him? Alright.”

“I hope you all die in a hole!”

If I hadn’t been healed with magic, they would’ve caught me instantly! Am I a toy to you guys!?

I escaped into the castle and snuck behind the first thing I saw.

Things were getting noisy outside, but I didn’t give a damn. I was determined to stay here forever until they calmed down.

As I crouched behind a box, footsteps approached me. Someone held out their white hand to me.

“Lu, is something the matter?”

The soft voice came from the person I love.

Fully aware that taking this hand will let them find me and make me suffer, I reached out and held her hand.

Back | Title | Next

Like this:Like Loading...

Related