Ch.296Chapter 296 – Dragon Slayer (2)

It happened suddenly.

The moment Kei touched Idea’s sword and collapsed in pain.

‘All of a sudden?’

Just earlier, Kei seemed to have planned to narrowly block the enemy’s attack and then go for the neck.

I understood his strategy—if left alone, Idea would persistently target the rear, so Kei was waiting for the moment when Idea would aim for him to finish this.

Considering Kei’s personality—how he absolutely hated seeing his companions get hurt—it made sense that he would choose such a risky option.

However.

‘He suddenly stopped attacking.’

Not only that, he focused entirely on evasion.

The timing was just barely not too late, as the opponent’s sword only grazed Kei’s chest slightly.

Normally, the sword would have been blocked by armor, but the opponent’s blade seemed exceptionally sharp.

Still, there was barely any blood flowing from Kei’s armor, and judging by the minimal amount of blood on the enemy’s sword, the wound couldn’t be deep.

It was clearly just a slight graze.

Yet Kei was writhing in pain.

‘Poison?’

Sia quickly analyzed the opponent’s attack.

The black lightning that had flickered on Idea’s sword earlier—she suspected it might be poison.

But he didn’t seem like the type to use such things.

Though he was an enemy, Sia had crossed swords with him and could trust that much.

‘…Could it be a chronic illness flaring up?’

She briefly considered this, but that wasn’t it.

Kei was dying, but it wasn’t because of illness.

More precisely, he was forcibly maintaining his life using magic to keep his dying heart beating.

It couldn’t be considered a chronic illness.

Sia formulated several hypotheses in that brief moment, trying to understand why Kei, who had no reason to be in such pain, was suffering so much.

And because of that, her response was delayed.

“Tch!”

This time, Sia deflected Idea’s sword as he tried to cut her.

She couldn’t retreat anyway, as Eve and Chris were behind her.

But Sia noticed something strange.

‘His sword has gotten faster than before.’

Of course, as a swordswoman of her caliber who experienced it firsthand, she could detect that it had become slightly faster, though from a distance it would have looked like the same speed.

But it had definitely gotten faster.

And stronger.

Looking at the shallow flow of blood, Sia clicked her tongue and checked her physical condition.

Thanks to that, she too was able to notice.

She noticed something that an ordinary swordsman would have missed.

“…The magic…!”

The magic within her body was leaking out.

And Sia realized that the leaked magic was being absorbed by the opponent’s sword.

‘So that’s why Kei…!’

Now she understood why he had suddenly been in pain.

It was the magic.

His magic had been stolen.

And of all things, it was the magic from his heart—part of the magic that was forcibly moving Kei’s heart to keep him alive had been taken.

And as if noticing Sia’s shock, Idea spoke quietly.

“Dragon Slayer.”

Idea said quietly.

“It’s a title people gave me for defeating a dragon.”

Idea showed his sword as he spoke.

“But originally, it’s also the name of this sword.”

“…And the sword’s properties?”

Though she already had a good idea, Sia asked.

And Idea answered with an expressionless face.

“It absorbs magic and strengthens its user.”

Idea looked down at the group as he spoke.

“It’s a sword that absorbs a dragon’s magic, allowing its user to overwhelm dragons.”

“Don’t tell me Kei is…!”

Belatedly, Sera also seemed to realize why Kei had suddenly become incapacitated.

And everyone’s faces turned pale.

For Kei, who was barely surviving on magic, this was a sword that shouldn’t even graze him.

And the opponent’s skill was superior to Kei’s.

For Kei, nicknamed the White Dragon, the Dragon Slayer was literally his worst possible matchup.

“Ugh…!”

“Get Kei over here!”

Eve, with a pale face, pulled Kei away, while Chris and Sera quickly tried to check his condition.

Meanwhile, Sia noticed that Vanilla, Gigas, and Domestica were no longer in sight.

‘That’s good enough.’

There was no reason or luxury to stay here any longer.

They needed to retreat quickly and provide proper care for Kei.

Thinking this, Sia tried to buy time until they could retreat.

And Idea quietly said,

“If you abandon that man, you could live.”

“Do you think we would?”

Sia replied quietly, without a hint of jest.

And Idea…

“I see.”

After saying just that, he immediately moved.

Detecting that he was targeting the rear again, Sia moved first to block his sword.

“You might fool me once, but not twice!”

She immediately followed with a series of strikes.

Sia clung to him tenaciously, using whatever means necessary to prevent him from getting past her.

“Sia!”

“Retreat! Hurry!”

Sia shouted with urgency.

In an instant, she and Idea exchanged dozens of blows.

“How long can you hold out with internal injuries?”

“I don’t know either, so let’s find out!”

Idea spoke indifferently.

And Sia immediately retorted while swinging her sword at Idea.

But soon she felt nausea rising from within.

‘…No way!’

“The patient moved too violently.”

Idea didn’t miss that momentary opening.

And he delivered a kick aimed at Sia’s stomach.

“Miss Sia!”

“…Damn it!”

Sia was sent flying backward.

She barely managed to avoid falling into the water, using all her strength to hold on, and immediately tried to get up.

And then.

“Kuhp…!”

In the end, she couldn’t hold out and coughed up blood.

Idea observed her for a moment.

And the next moment, his gaze turned to Sera.

“The most urgent matter was the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Sera felt a chill down her spine at Idea’s voice.

“I’ll be taking you.”

Idea saw someone rushing toward him as he reached out his hand.

And then, he noticed someone confronting him.

“I won’t let you take her!”

“Eve!”

Eve drew her sword and rushed at Idea.

Idea swung his sword at her with indifferent eyes.

And Eve moved a step ahead, barely avoiding Idea’s sword, and immediately thrust her sword at Idea, but…

“Still too slow, no matter what.”

With those words, Idea used his arm to knock Eve’s arm upward.

Her attack was instantly neutralized, and then Idea grabbed Eve’s head and threw her toward Sera.

“Lady Eve! Sera!”

Chris’s voice, almost a scream, rang out, and Eve and Sera barely managed to gather themselves and stand up.

And Idea quietly observed them and said,

“Even if you really can see the future, it’s meaningless if you’re weak.”

At Idea’s words, Eve silently stood up and pointed her sword.

Watching her trying to protect Sera, Idea quietly said,

“Step aside. If you don’t want to die.”

“I refuse.”

Eve said firmly.

“I absolutely cannot hand Sera over to you.”

“Very well.”

Idea answered mechanically.

And as Idea’s arm rose and Eve saw the next attack coming,

Suddenly, something massive flew in and struck Idea’s sword, the impact causing Idea’s arm to bend backward.

“You bastard, who are you aiming at…!”

“Tenacious.”

Kei was getting up, clutching his heart.

+

“Lord Kei, if you move…!”

“Cast a blessing on me!”

Kei answered with a growl to Chris’s words.

Chris, with a face that looked like she might cry, cast a blessing, and with that, I felt my body ease slightly as I stood up.

Meanwhile, Idea was quietly waiting for me.

“…While I’m still alive and well, who do you think you’re trying to touch…”

“A dying thing.”

For the first time, I could sense a hint of emotion in Idea’s voice.

Perhaps he was annoyed by my appearance.

But before I could explore that further, Idea turned his body, pointed his sword at me, and swung.

I barely managed to move my body to block Idea’s sword and deflect it.

The pain throughout my body made me feel like I might lose consciousness, but fortunately, my body moved as I wanted.

I could fight.

“Full of openings.”

“Kuh!”

However, while I could move, my reaction speed had decreased.

Pain, headache, and an anger that didn’t feel like my own made my mind chaotic.

As a result, despite being enhanced by Chris’s blessing, my speed had effectively decreased.

Still, I persistently blocked Idea’s sword and charged at him.

And during the exchange, I noticed one thing.

‘It seems the magic isn’t stolen unless I directly touch the sword.’

The worst-case scenario would be if it continuously absorbed magic within a certain range, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to have that effect.

It probably steals magic definitively each time the body touches the sword.

Still, with the user being such a skilled swordsman and the sword itself being extremely sharp, it easily pierced armor, so it hadn’t been a disadvantage until now.

In other words, if I had a means to block his blade, I could somehow prolong the battle.

‘…Thank you, truly.’

That was my thought as I looked at the sword in my hand.

The sacred relic that could transform freely wasn’t something that would easily be destroyed by touching the Dragon Slayer.

Moreover, I felt that the weapon itself had become sharper and harder than before.

‘Is it because of Chris’s blessing…?’

Since Chris’s divine power had caused changes in this sword, there might be something in it that responds to her divine power.

The sword felt slightly warmer, as if telling me to be grateful to it.

There was one more fortunate element.

“Tenacious.”

Unlike before, Idea was now actively targeting me.

Whether he thought I was easy prey because I was dying, or whether I had stimulated something in his mind,

Idea was actively attacking me as if trying to shake off something unpleasant.

Thanks to that, I could hold Idea back a little longer.

I caught a glimpse of Sia, who had barely recovered, trying to retreat with Sera and Eve.

“Why, why don’t you abandon him?”

For the first time, Idea showed a proper emotion.

Some kind of viscous emotion could be felt from him.

“Because I don’t want to become like you.”

At those words, Idea stared at me blankly for a moment.

Seeing the sudden large opening Idea showed, I quickly looked at Chris.

“Let’s retreat…!”

My physical condition was becoming precarious for continued combat.

The blessing from Chris was already wearing off, and it was better to use this distraction to escape.

Thinking that, I shouted to Chris, and she immediately put her hands together and shouted.

“Holy Light!”

Chris used the holy light, which normally eliminates impurities, to blind the enemy.

Idea immediately raised his arm to cover his eyes, and in that interval, I felt someone pulling me.

“Sia…!”

“Well done, let’s go!”

Sia pulled me and Chris, and I could see Sera and Eve already quite far from the bridge.

And Idea called out to us.

“Where do you think you’re going…!”

A voice that seemed quite angry.

And his sword was swung.

Sia tried to draw her sword, and Chris tried to use her divine power.

‘Shield…!’

I extended my arm and inwardly prayed for that.

And I felt all the blessing enveloping my body being imbued into the weapon.

And the sword transformed into a different shape.

A shield similar to what Chris usually summoned appeared on my arm.

-KWANG!!

With a loud sound, Idea’s sword was blocked by the shield.

His eyes widened slightly, and I saw Chris, surprised, start to use her divine power but then stop.

And Sia calmly swung her sword, forcing Idea to step back.

“Kuh…!”

“Whatever it is, it’s our chance!”

Sia shouted, and simultaneously, something flew from a distance.

As if reading the situation, Sera threw a bomb directly at Idea under Eve’s direction.

Idea immediately created distance, and an explosion sounded.

We saw the bridge between Idea and us being destroyed.

“Let’s go!”

Through the rising dust, Idea was watching us.

And he quietly muttered toward us.

“I won’t let you go.”

Magic began to gather in Idea’s sword.

Or more precisely, it would be the magic he had collected so far.

Soon, as it created a blade of black light, Sia shouted.

“What other function does that sword have…!”

Sia shouted, but there was no means to interfere.

Without any interference, Idea raised his sword with both hands.

And just as he took a step forward to bring down the sword,

-CHWARARARAK!!!

Suddenly, iron chains shot up from the water and wrapped around Idea’s arms and sword.

Immediately, Idea stopped his attack and swung his body forcefully to break the chains.

The chains broke easily, but they had perfectly disrupted Idea’s attack.

“What’s that?”

“Over here!!”

It was a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time.

It came from the bushes, a bit away from where Eve and Sera were.

A black witch’s hat and black hair came into view.

Recognizing who had appeared, Idea quietly muttered.

“…Mad Dog.”

“I don’t like that nickname, you know!”

And around him, balls of fire flew in.

The attack was aimed not at Idea but at the river.

Steam rose and obscured the area around Idea.

That would prevent Idea from targeting us accurately.

“This way!”

And with Eve and Sera joining in, they forcibly carried me into the bushes.

It was then that I saw the familiar face again.

“Beatrice.”

“Damn it, why did you come here…”

Looking at the face I hadn’t seen in a while, which for some reason looked like it might cry, I felt relieved.

“You’re safe…”

I couldn’t say more.

With excruciating pain, my consciousness ended there.