The Forsaken Hero

She swung her war sword.

She wasn’t careless with her attack, making certain that it would land a killing blow through its nigh-invisible speed. Due to Minamoto having a special ability that allowed her to increase her sword’s hardness to the limit, however, she managed to deflect the blow and change its directory a small margin.

… Even so, it sliced right through her right arm.

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

Her death wails echoed through the room. Even so, the devil wouldn’t wait.

“Devil Flame.”

Scores of royal rank b.a.l.l.s of fire appeared in the air. With a wave of Leadred’s hand, they all shot out at once.

“O’ water spirits! Become the shield that protects me! Water Wall!”

Mahara erected a shield in practically the same instant, but her attack wasn’t so weak as to be blocked by a mere soul rank magic. The fireb.a.l.l.s penetrated through the wall and rained fire down upon Mahara and Minamoto.

“Uaaaah!!”

“Kyaaaaah!?”

This room was a re-enactment of the final staircase room from Rigal Den. Minamoto and Mahara making it through this was practically impossible.

Even I’d barely managed to tie against Leadred back then. They didn’t even match up to my status combined, there’s no way they could win.

The current situation actually proved that.

“Haah! Haah!”

“F*ck, it huuurts…!”

Mahara was so bad off that the only reason he was still breathing was thanks to the magic he’d used. Even so, just doing that was all he could manage. How pathetic.

Minamoto had already lost her will to fight. I mean, obviously. She’d lost her sword arm from the elbow down, after all.

“Hey now… that’s all ya b.a.s.t.a.r.ds can manage…?”

Approaching them was a devil shouldering her bloodstained war sword. Leaning her head back somewhat as she looked down on them, a fiendish feeling filled the room.

“Dammit! O’ water spirits!”

“Devilish Aura.”

Before Mahara could finish casting his magic, Leadred invoked her unique ability and took his mana.

Out of gas, Mahara’s magic didn’t activate.

“Wh-What…. ugaah!?”

Finding himself unable to use magic, Mahara panicked. In the instant he looked away from Leadred, she closed the distance between them and struck him hard.

Slamming into the wall, he vomited and crumbled down.

“You’re filthy.”

Leadred grabbed Mahara by the hair and threw him once again into the wall he’d hit.

I used stamina recovery magic on the wide-eyed, careless, half-dead hero.

“Uh… y-you…”

“Enjoying your grave, Mahara?”

“Wh-What are you—!?”

Something shot over into the wall immediately next to Mahara, followed by the sound of a person sliding down the wall. It was Minamoto, her head was hanging forward limply.

“Eh, wha… M-Minamoto…?”

Mahara crawled over to her on all four like a baby, it looked like he’d dislocated his back.

However, the devil came from above and stopped him.

“Ah! You recovered, huh!?”

“Aheee—!?”

His eyes meeting hers, Mahara foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Seeing her eye to eye with no mana to speak of left to use, it was a natural enough reaction, not to mention the mayhem she’d wrecked against them just a moment ago.

Well, it’s not like we’ll just let him sleep though.

“Hero.”

“Yeah, I know. O’ spirits of light, bring serenity. Magic Heal.”

Once I recited the mana recovery incantation, a light wrapped around Mahara, waking him up.

Leadred kicked him before he could get a hold of himself.

“Ugoh—…!”

Sounded like some bones broke, one or two of them.

“Leadred. I got this guy, so I’ll leave Minamoto to you. Ah, and don’t kill her yet. Just beat her up.”

“Got it.”

Leadred looked happy.

She was probably lumping these heroes together in with those that defeated her in the past.

“Now then, maybe I should just kill you now…”

Pulling out my long sword, I thrust it through Mahara’s leg so he couldn’t get away.

“Aaah—!?”

The pain caused him to fully wake up from the haze still clouding his mind. His face was quickly covered with tears.

I stamped my foot down on his head and ground it against the floor.

“So? How do you like kissing dirt?”

“Wh-why… Why are you doing this!?”

He answered my question with one of his own.

“What’re you answering me with a question for? Didn’t you learn to not do that in elementary school? Whatever, sure. I’ll let you know since I’m in a good mood right now. Open.”

I took my foot from his head and lifted him up by his hair just enough to see my status.

With that, his face paled.

“Y-You’re… K-Katsuragi…?”

“Yeah, I’m Katsuragi Daichi, the person you guys all bullied. I take it you get my reason why now, yeah?”

I took my sword out of his leg and held it against his throat.

Understanding dawning on him, Mahara bowed his head and begged desperately.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t have a choice back then!”

“Why?”

“Because Samejima would’ve targeted me instead! R-Really, I didn’t want to do any of that either! I apologize for everything, I’ll do anything! So please, forgibuuu—!?”

I struck the top of his head with an axe kick, my heel hitting his skull.

“Shut up… You know? Have you put any thought into it? I mean, wouldn’t Hayase, someone who didn’t do anything, also have been one of Samejima’s targets?”

“W-Well…”

Mahara started mumbling, probably trying to figure out what excuse to say next. So stupid.

“It’s fine. Die.”

“P-Please, wait! Please… please don’t kill me! I-I’ll do anything!”

Mahara clung to my feet in desperation.

Comical. Honestly, it amused me.

So I gave him an option.

“Sure… I want to rape Tamaki. Give me a hand with that.”

“I-I…”

“If you don’t want to, you could always just die?”

I pierced his shoulder with my sword. Mahara shook his head back and forth.

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Please let me help…!”

He kept on pleading desperately. Handing over his beloved woman for his life… seriously, he’s hopeless. Well, seeing him like this does make me a bit happy.

“Oh well then. Sure. I’ll let you live.”

“Th-Thank you so much…”

Hearing that he could live, Mahara looked relieved. He was thoroughly experiencing the joy of being alive.

“Hey, stand up.”

“O-Okay.”

I reached my hand out to Mahara, who looked like he wouldn’t be able to stand with his own strength. He took my hand and stood up.

—And I rammed my sword through his gut.

“… … Eh? Huh?”

Mahara looked like he couldn’t understand what had just happened.

“Wh-Why…? Y-You said, if I helped…”

“Oh, that was a lie.”

I answered back with a smile. Pulling my sword back out, I pushed him back.

He landed on his backside.

“A… lie…?”

“Yeah. Unfortunately, I already have the one woman I’ll ever need. I don’t feel anything for Tamaki. You thought I was serious?”

“No… way…”

The burst of hope he’d gained was quickly replaced with despair.

Mahara looked like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Hero. I’m done over here. Ah, she fainted, though.”

“Got it. Sorry, mind bringing her over here? Line her up next to this one.”

“Alright, understood.”

Leadred gripped Minamoto by the neckline of her now-tattered shirt and threw her forward to land next to Mahara. A weak groan came from Minamoto.

“S…. save… me…”

“P-Please… stop…”

Ignoring them, I lined my sword up with their necks. I’d clad the blade with wind-type magic, so it was plenty sharp enough to cut through these guys’ bodies.

“Sure. I’ll make it quick, don’t worry—die.”

I gave it my all and swung my sword.

Bright red blood and two heads rolled down through the air.