2nd Volume, 6th Chapter 【The Blow of Resurrection】 2nd Part
「……Gu……ubue」
However, my hand couldn’t touch the body of the opponent.
For a moment, I didn’t know as to what had happened, but the vacuity of thought ended in an instant.
……Because my sense of pain was still functioning.
While my hand met but the empty air, my abdomen met the opponent’s knee.
If I said it punctured my body, it wouldn’t be metaphorical as my body had caved in.
「Albeit only slightly, your movement was unnatural, but I was alert……when you touched my body, did you find it fascinating?」
No good……this fellow……is too strong.
The opponent pulled her leg out of me, a.s.sumed a swaying posture——no sooner, she launched a lightning side kick on the spot which didn’t differ a tiny bit from the previous one.
Unable to mitigate the impact, I tumbled unsightly on the ground.
「A……ga……gu」
It was impossible to breathe. It was too painful……to die.
L-Light Magic, heal……
「……Fuu……haa……gu」
While slowly raising my body, I turned my gaze with the same hostile intent as before.
The opponent, who had turned around to deliver the final blow, stopped walking as an expression of surprise floated up her face.
「Hou, you really can use healing magic. Since you displayed brilliant swordplay, I was certain you were lying when you said you could use healing magic, but……」
「N-Now that you know I wasn’t lying, will you please leave quietly if I treat that mount……?」
「Fumu……」
Surprisingly, she fell silent as if contemplating.
However, there was no gap at all.
「I have a proposal, but.」
「What is it?」
「Earlier, I said I had no intention of accepting charity. If you let me keep you as a pet, you can keep your life intact, too. You must already know the difference in our abilities.」
「Keep me……as a pet?」
「You are quite young. A human who is so strong at such a young age is rare. It will be fun to keep you.」
「Keep me……like that mount?」
「That’s a friend, not a pet.」
「Then, I would be treated even lower than that?」
「What I’m saying is, if you become my pet, I’ll let you treat my friend.」
Pet……of a demon? How laughable.
I would be treated lower than even a mount.
You just want to make me cry, don’t you?
「That beastkin girl seems to be important to you. Then, if you want to be my pet, you have to kill her.」
「Wha……」
「So, how about it?」
No, absolutely not!
A human- no one wanted to die.
「Err……yeah. I have two things to say.」
「Speak.」
「First, although I may not look like it, I’m 18 years old. I’m not much younger than you.」
「But you look so young. I want you to tell me your secret.」
Even though it was cramped, it was a baby face nonetheless.
「Second……my answer is the same as before.」
「……」
「——How about you become my pet?」
「Ku……ahahahahaha! You’re one amusing human. Fine. In exchange for your making me laugh, I’ll keep my earlier words. I won’t do anything if that girl doesn’t turn her hands to me. You can die——in peace.」
The opponent stabbed the spear, which she was holding, into the ground.
While I was thinking as to what she was doing, she raised her hand to the sky.
On top of her palm, a ma.s.s of fire came into being and continued to grow.
……Huge.
And dangerous.
The 《Ball of Fire (Fireball)》 that I could create was not a match.
The Fireball that was as large as a human could easily burn me to death.
The air about the Fireball vibrated intensely.
So hot……even my bones wouldn’t be left if I were hit.
After those words, the huge Fireball was shot at me without any hesitation——……
It caused a great explosion.
Super hot flames burned the ground of the wetland belt.
The water evaporated. Dense steam floated up and obstructed the field of vision.
When the view cleared, nothing was left but the ruins of conflagration.
「……Dead?」
After saying merely that, she ignored Lim and Rook, and walked to her injured mount.
Lim was a smart girl.
Although she let her emotions take course and was about to move, she was not so immature as to let the life of someone, who had protected her with his body, go to waste.
Although her lips were quivering, and she was about to cry, she didn’t attack the demon like before.
She only kept glaring.
She would live……strongly……
——Wait, who’s narrating all this? I.
In other words, I was alive.
When the opponent was at the stage of refining the huge Fireball, I might not have been noticed, but I had completed preparations and was ready to invoke Water Magic.
The moment she shot the huge Fireball, I invoked 《Shield of Water (Water Shield)》.
Basically, there existed counter elements in elemental magic.
Fire and Water, Wind and Earth, Dark and Light.
Therefore, I used Water Magic. However, it didn’t mean that Fire was weak against Water.
Although they negated each other, if one was more powerful, the other would be outdone.
In fact, the water wall I created gave me barely enough time to escape before it disappeared.
By the way, I could contest with the same elemental magic. However, in that case, the losing side would be subjected to the consolidated energy of both sides.
Because my 《Ball of Fire (Fireball)》 had no way of winning, I chose Water Magic instead.
After escaping from the clutches of the demon’s huge Fireball, I concealed myself within the eruption of fuming steam.
Concealed——not metaphorically……
At the moment, I was under the effect of highly acclaimed 《Optical Camouflage (Light Hide)》.
However, as tears would appear if I moved, I was still.
Because it required full concentration, I couldn’t use other magic.
Therefore, without attempting any surprise attack, I planned on waiting quietly until the demon left.
Lim might be glaring at the demon, but she would soon return to the town as she was instructed.
Will I be walking all the way back on foot?
Well, the reason as to why I was idling and thinking over future plans——because I was playing dead.
Isn’t it uncool to brag after playing dead?
No, dying after bragging would be uncool.
Life was the most important.
Suicidal act was an absolute no.
With this, everyone would survive, so it was for the best.
The mount, which the demon was looking after……albeit weak, raised a cry.
It stared toward me and cried cautiously.
……If I remember correctly, don’t birds have extraordinary eyesight?
But I was invisible……how did it find me?
…………
……
——It couldn’t be sheer luck.
Suspicious, the demon woman took an alert stance and approached toward me.
It really was a faithful friend. Really.
「Hey, what’s up?」
I cancelled Optical Camouflage and greeted with a silly face.
From a distance came Lim’s, who was calling my name out, voice.
This reunion would have better been late.
「……You’re alive? What kind of magic was that? You came up with something very interesting.」
「It’s convenient……I don’t abuse it, though.」
「And what do you want to do?」
「I’ll return your words to you.」
「……I want to settle it.」