Ch.45Moonlight’s Holy Sword

The situation ended in an instant.

The aftermath left the amusement park covered in thick tree trunks like a dense jungle, but that was merely a momentary happening compared to the current situation where not a single casualty had occurred.

“…Gulp.”

Lorensky himself had killed about 20 monsters with his own hands.

If you counted all the monsters that emerged from the six gates, there must have been well over 200.

‘He finished them all…? In just a few seconds?’

Humanoid monsters are fundamentally much stronger than ordinary monsters.

It’s said that very occasionally, some can speak human languages, and sometimes there are monsters that have existed alongside human history.

But how should one describe this?

A being that seemed to exist on a level above those “ordinary” humanoid monsters like the one seen in Jamsil before.

Yes, like those beings from ancient times before recorded history.

It was a completely different dimensional existence that once ruled not as a mere monster, but as a “god.”

That being—Amaterasu—showed no interest in other humans and slowly approached the fallen Kurumi, turning her back on Lorensky and the civilians behind him.

And then she spoke to the princess who was barely breathing:

「As. Per. Our. Contract. I. Will. Take. All. Your. Remaining. Life.」

“……Yes.”

“What?!”

He hadn’t thought she could summon such a powerful being just like that.

Even if she was a talented daughter from one of the World’s 10 Great Families, considered to be humanity’s finest bloodline.

But to think the price would be her ‘life.’

Lorensky had swum all the way from mainland Russia to Korea on his country’s orders to bring Princess Kurumi back.

If the princess, his objective, died here, it would all be for nothing.

But what could he do about it?

The tree trunks that formed Amaterasu’s body slowly began to grow, spreading to surround herself and the fallen princess before her.

If those tree trunks completely covered the two of them, his mission would fail.

But Lorensky didn’t dare to step forward.

He couldn’t even muster the courage to challenge “that thing” to a fight.

‘There’s an opening, but… I don’t even dare to touch it…!’

If there was anyone who could move in this situation, it would be one of two types of people.

First, a being equal to that god.

Second, someone foolish enough to act without knowing their place.

Unfortunately, Lorensky didn’t fall into either category.

The first was obvious, and as for the second, he wasn’t quite that stupid, just barely missing the cutoff.

Yes, if there was someone foolish enough to throw away their life here…

It would be none other than…

“Don’t you dare touch our company’s advertising model! You wooden-headed bastard!!”

「…?」

“P-Pink Lady?!”

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!

Only someone like Yoo Sihyeon could act so recklessly, as if she were the protagonist of this world.

“Who…?”

Amaterasu had been slowly growing her body, assuming no one would interfere.

Meanwhile, Sihyeon, who had regained her senses, had initially been playing dead out of fear.

‘T-the princess is going to die?!’

She was the one Sihyeon, the future successor of SG Group, had declared she would personally scout as the next advertising model in front of company executives.

The fact that Princess Kurumi might soon die infuriated her, and she rushed forward without thinking.

“I’ll carry you on my back!”

“W-wait! A human’s back is…! Uwup?!”

Above all, she was “special”!

By the time Amaterasu turned her head wondering what was happening, Sihyeon had already quickly passed by her side, somehow managed to get the fallen Kurumi onto her back, and arrived behind Lorensky.

“Uweeeeek-!”

“D-disgusting?! Princess. Surely you won’t do this during our CF shooting later…?”

“Uweeeeek…”

“Pink Lady… I’m genuinely amazed by your recklessness? Courage? Whatever that fearlessness of yours is…”

“Hmph. Of course. That’s because I’m ‘special.’ Someone as pretty, cute, and adorable as me—a true protagonist—couldn’t possibly die so easily, right?”

“……”

What kind of narcissism makes a person this reckless?

Lorensky was simply astonished.

But thanks to her, they had safely rescued Princess Kurumi.

…That was fortunate, at least.

「Hand. That. Over. Human.」

“Hmm… Is speaking human language a trend among monsters these days? But compared to the Little Monster Girl, your Woodman doesn’t give me a good impression.”

…No.

Even if they had rescued the princess, the situation was still dire.

Rather, having faced Amaterasu head-on as the price for saving the princess who was supposed to die, Lorensky felt his entire body trembling with a chill of death he had never experienced even in his homeland.

“H-hey, mister! You’re Russia’s National Authority-Level, right? That means you can win, right?!”

“Well… that might be a bit difficult?”

“Damn it! Just try to win! If necessary, I’ll cheer you on from behind!”

“…That’s absolutely useless help, Pink Lady…”

Anyway, now that it had come to this, he had no choice.

As Amaterasu’s body finally began to turn toward them, Lorensky took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Even a worm writhes when stepped on rather than just dying.

“Just… hand me over…”

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t my personal wish but my country’s order. I must decline.”

“I’m saving the princess of my own will! So you absolutely must appear in our company’s CF advertisement later. Got it?!”

Kurumi had already given up on life.

The two people beside her refused to give up on the princess, each for their own reasons.

And at that moment.

“That’s right, Princess. If you die like this, what would happen to Korea’s position after Japan asked us to take care of you?!”

Just like with Lorensky earlier, figures landed safely near the three people, cutting through the amusement park ceiling that was blocked by tree trunks.

Seeing one of those two people—specifically, one who was impossible not to recognize—not only Kurumi, but…

“…! You are…”

“I’m Lee Jin-ah, the branch director of the Korean Hunter Association. …Though I should say we’ve met before, haven’t we? Immortal.”

Especially with the arrival of reinforcements of his caliber, a smile finally appeared on Lorensky’s face.

“Jin-ah?! Why are you here…? No, more importantly, Korean branch director? I clearly remember you were the branch director of Pennsylvania in the United States…”

“I got fired from that position. I was caught entering the Hunter Headquarters’ basement without permission from the US President and the Hunter Director. So I was demoted and sent here.”

“S-Sir Lancelot?! More importantly, you can talk…?”

Jin-ah got down from Lancelot’s arms, who had carried her here in a princess hold.

And since they were from the “same generation,” Lorensky would surely have many questions to ask.

“Let’s save the chat for later over vodka in the underground prison. Immortal.”

“…! Tch, I wondered why security was so lax, but it turns out I was in your palm from the beginning.”

“Fufu. Of course. No matter how much of a daughter of Korea’s leading conglomerate you may be, did you think the Korean Hunter Association would so easily let you escape like some neighborhood punching bag?”

“Gulp!”

Sihyeon, whose eyes met Jin-ah’s smiling ones, sweated profusely and remained silent.

“Uweeeeek…”

Meanwhile, Kurumi, whose misanthropy had flared up again, vomited once more while being carried on Sihyeon’s back.

And then.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

With no time to reminisce, the evil god approached them, emanating a completely different “class” of power, its wooden body now completely swallowing the sun behind it.

「If. You. Interrupt. My. Meal. Die.」

“Sir Lancelot. That thing should be manageable compared to the dragons in the Arthurian legends, right? …Right?”

“……To be honest, I’d rather face a dragon. The thing is… no, this being is different from me in ‘class.’ I can sense we’re the same humanoid kind.”

Even Lancelot, their best hope, seemed to be yielding to Amaterasu’s aura—a being who was revered as a “god” even during the “prehistoric” era when monsters were said to be at their most powerful.

“My morale is dropping before we even start. Sir Lancelot. By the way, Jin-ah, where are the other National Authority-Level Hunters from Korea?”

“…One is coming with the military, and Rolling went to the Association to put on the Baekho equipment.”

“R-Rolling?! You mean Rolling is in this country too? Really?!”

The rest of Korea’s National Authority-Level Hunters.

Lorensky clenched his fist at the news that Rolling, a promising talent from the same generation, was among them.

“It’s coming!”

But would they be able to hold out until they arrived?

No, even if they did arrive, would they be able to subdue this thing?

「Ooh. Oooooohhh!!」

After walking slowly, Amaterasu suddenly began charging at them like a tree rapidly growing after being watered, and the three National Authority-Levels simultaneously took their stances.

“Ms. Yoo Sihyeon!”

“Y-yes! Me?!”

“Take the princess and run away for now!!”

Since she would only be a hindrance here.

Just before clashing with Amaterasu in earnest, Jin-ah gave an order to Sihyeon, who was standing blankly behind them, hoping she could at least do something useful.

And then.

“Lorensky, get out of the way! Jin-ah, step back for a moment!”

Shing.

Sir Lancelot immediately drew the sword from his waist.

“Haaah…”

Thump-thump-thump!

He didn’t yet know how effective he, a medieval knight, would be against that ancient god.

But the Round Table Knights to which he belonged.

The only one among them who had attained the position of magician had clearly told him:

“Sir Lancelot. Your sword can cut anything as long as there is no light.”

“Anything… you say?”

“Yes. That holy sword, bathed in moonlight, can only wield the power of light in darkness…”

“It is the holy sword of reality that cuts through illusions.”

The witch who always saw through the essence of everything with an expressionless face.

Merlin, the only magician of the knights.

All the Knights of the Round Table believed in her, the only one our king longed for until the end.

“I should thank you. Thanks to the tree trunks you’ve grown, no light can reach this place.”

「?!」

The realm of swordsmanship.

It was a world solely for battles composed of only black and white, without color.

In that world, Lancelot aimed his holy sword directly at the center of the charging god’s body.

“Haaah…”

Taking a deep breath as if timing his move.

Fwash!

Then, emitting a subtle moonlight glow from his blade in the darkened amusement park, he shouted:

“Activate – Arondight!!”

Like drawing a line with a swift stroke, a beam of moonlight shot from the tip of the blade in the blink of an eye.

“…!”

“Sir Lancelot!”

It had precisely pierced through the chest of Japan’s most evil and vicious god, who had believed herself invincible.