Chapter 13. Crisis and Opportunity (16)

Perhaps the fragment of holy power was larger than usual.

When I threw it at the demon, the demon let out a shriek and pulled back.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

But can you really escape when Ria is right in front of you?

Ria kicked it with all her might and drove it into the demon’s body.

“—!”

Another tearing shriek was heard.

This time, it wasn’t just the sound of a beast. Faina’s voice seemed to be heard from within her body, being consumed by magic power.

Ah, right.

Faina was resisting.

I don’t know if it’s because of love. Faina, who had said she had given up on everything, but were her last words sincere?

Looking again, her face and limbs were consumed, but her body was still in Faina’s form.

Is she being controlled like a puppet?

Confirming the light reflected by the holy power that touched Faina’s body, Ria and I exchanged glances for a moment.

We nodded at the same time and ran towards Faina with all our might again.

The sound of cutting through the air was heard.

Just like when I saved Ria’s body last time, the rain falling from the sky was turning into needles and rushing towards us.

A few of them were able to reach us. However, they couldn’t completely harm us.

Ria swung her sword, and I stretched my hands above my head.

Mediocre magic power cannot overcome holy power.

Moreover, a demon that has not even properly descended into this world yet.

Don’t worry.

Soon, I’ll make sure you can come out properly again.

Clang!

Ria turned her body and blocked an arm that was flying towards me. The black claws were cut off again. After that, attacks continued to pour towards us several times in an instant.

It was impossible to block them all.

Ria’s body accumulated more wounds from the demon’s desperate struggle. But Ria shielded me with her whole body, blocking them all, then, while bleeding, she turned back and swung her sword, severing one of its legs.

“……I can’t forgive this.”

I muttered through gritted teeth.

Ria looked down at me with a slightly surprised expression.

I hugged Ria tightly with both hands and poured holy power into her. The wounds on Ria’s body disappeared instantly.

I have no intention of leaving a single scar on this body.

My eyes met the demon’s.

Judging by the terrifying expression I was giving it, its eyes widened.

“Ria!”

“Will it be okay?”

It’s a little strange.

Even though we’re not speaking to each other, by being pressed against each other, I feel like I can somehow know each other’s thoughts. It wasn’t direct communication like the goddess said, but Ria seemed to immediately understand what I wanted and what strategy I was going for.

“It’s okay! If Ria rushes to me right away…!”

“……Alright.”

Before coming here, Ria couldn’t trust me. Of course, not as a human.

She had those thoughts because she was afraid I would sacrifice myself, or leave her behind and just disappear.

…….

Should I be honest?

I was happy.

I know I shouldn’t be happy. Because Ria must have been tormented by that thought. I shouldn’t be happy seeing someone I like suffer.

But, still.

Whether there’s a chance or not, I don’t know, but still, if someone I like worries about me- it’s unavoidable to feel that way.

Because humans can feel joy even in immoral acts.

……However, that doesn’t mean I should use that feeling.

At least for now, there seems to be no reason to do so. Because Ria believed my words.

Ria let go of my waist, which she had been holding tightly.

I ran forward with all my might. I don’t know how such strength came from my body.

Was it the power of the being above that allowed me to run like that on the sand where my feet kept sinking?

Bang!

Faina and I collided. Faina didn’t fall.

Her face smiled at me. As if the prey had willingly entered her embrace-

But that smile didn’t last long.

Because I was smiling too.

I grabbed Faina’s head.

Blood flowed from my hands and dripped little by little onto Faina’s body. In fact, my hands were already covered in blood.

“Aaaaaah-!”

The demon seemed to realize what I was aiming for then.

An arm flew towards my body.

Slice.

That black arm was cut off in the middle and fell.

At the cut end, I saw a human hand. Faina’s arm was unharmed. Ria had predicted the position appropriately and swung her sword.

As Faina’s hand touched my body, smoke rose.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

Although Faina’s pained voice was heard, I apologized inwardly and held on tight.

Crunch.

And then, I forcibly tore it off.

Faina also managed to stand firm. And in front of that face, something black came out little by little, little by little. The yellow eyes that had floated above Faina’s head also came forward, gradually materializing and flowing out.

Thump!

A sound that made my heart sink was heard.

“Ria!?”

“Keep going.”

I tried to turn towards Ria, but stopped at that voice.

“You are doing what you need to do, and I am doing what I need to do.”

Slice.

The sound of something being sliced and falling to the ground was heard. That sound hurt so much. Perhaps even more than the intense pain I felt in my hands.

But it’s as Ria said.

Ria does her part- her duty as my knight. I do mine- related to why the being above sent me here.

Although a mouth appeared as if to bite my hand, that mouth was blocked by a hand that came from behind me, holding it up and down. Seeing the red blood flowing from that white hand, I tightly closed my eyes.

“Don’t worry.”

Ria whispered in my ear.

“Just as you promised not to die in front of me, I have no intention of dying in front of you either.”

At those words, my heart pounded like crazy.

“If I die first, who will protect you?”

Ah, really.

I don’t know why the heroine is saying something like that.

Isn’t that usually what the male protagonist says?

…….

Well, if it’s Ria, she might be more suited to be the heroine than a side character.

Ria’s arms spread up and down, and her mouth opened.

Inside that mouth, I pulled out the black face.

Crunch!

With a somewhat unpleasant but refreshing sound, it finally poured out as if the tendons inside had snapped.

Although I was covered in black blood, that liquid turned into smoke as soon as it touched my body and disappeared.

“You guys!!”

The demon shouted.

“Ha, you’re more pathetic than I thought.”

The demon, which had crossed over to this world without possessing its full power, was like that.

Is this why they wander around looking for gates?

……Not gates connecting ordinary worlds, but worlds where demons like this live, where magic is far more dominant than ordinary matter.

What I held in my hand looked like a small animal.

Yes. It looked like the ‘offspring’ of the grotesque creature I saw in that illusion. Ironically, it reminded me of a newborn lamb rather than a carnivore that devours the world. It was just covered in sticky liquid mixed with magic power instead of amniotic fluid.

Ah, yes. It wasn’t cute like a lamb either. That could be considered a difference too.

“You… you bastards….”

“You’ve only been saying those kinds of things since earlier.”

Ria helped me up, and as I got up from lying on my back, I said.

“Or perhaps, you’ve finally realized that all those logics are useless?”

“I, I, I am not the end…!”

“I’m sure you’re not. It’s a regrettable situation.”

I said, looking down at it.

The creature, trying to stand up with its thin legs, looked like a headless lamb.

Or perhaps, a shape where its face was forcefully pushed back and crushed. …I think I saw something like yellow eyes and a split mouth on a face with growth rings inside.

“If you guys keep acting like that, I’ll have no choice but to send all of you to the heavens.”

Actually, its appearance doesn’t matter.

If these things didn’t intend to invade us, I could have lived peacefully as neighbors, even knowing about them.

They have the ability to converse, but no intention to do so.

That’s probably why we can’t compromise.

Swish.

Ria drew her sword again.

The sword imbued with my holy power.

“Wait… wait a moment…!”

The demon, seeming to have finally regained its senses, shouted.

It looked more like a monster than a demon.

I held Ria’s hand next to me.

The holy power flowing from my hand reached Ria. The wounds on Ria’s body disappeared, but the torn parts of her clothes remained.

Ria swung her sword. The demon’s head fell off.

Swoosh.

And soon, the monster’s body could not maintain its form in this world and scattered on the ground as magic power itself.

Soon, even its traces disappeared. Completely purified by holy power.

“…….”

I watched that scene for a moment-

Ah.

I think I’m pushing it now.

“Ria….”

I collapsed towards Ria.

Ria caught me and then collapsed backward herself.

We lay side by side on the sand and looked up at the sky.

The sky had cleared up by then.

…….

It’s over.

I need to check Faina’s condition. And if there are any remaining monsters.

But I had no strength.

“……Good job.”

Ria replied.

“Rest a little.”

“Ah.”

I hadn’t confirmed anything yet, but hearing Ria’s words, my tension completely dissolved.

Perhaps my tension was released.

Somehow, I imagined Ria pulling me closer and hugging me tightly as she lay beside me.

Perhaps I had already fainted by that point?