episode_0174

000

The sword completed by receiving the teachings of `Sword Saint` Tal Check, moves like a dance, creating great impact and sound with each collision. And it bounces off, scattering sparks.

Aine, covered in magic power like black blood all over his body, and with the appearance of a monster as if his skin had been peeled off, had become a grotesque figure that could no longer be called a swordsman.

Horns are growing on his head, and a tail like a devil’s is visible.

Although not all of these were real, but created by his magic power, there was no doubt that they were moving menacingly.

Also, physical abilities amplified to the extreme by the power of the drug. The muscles swell, and it’s unclear if blood vessels have burst, but even those wounds regenerate continuously.

The difference in height, which was already two heads taller than Cleon, has widened even further, now differing by 4-5 heads.

With such overwhelming physical abilities, and wielding a black greatsword as if it were an extension of his hand, Cleon felt as if his fingers were breaking every time he blocked it.

“Damn it…!”

One could avoid it, but the greatsword swung with enhanced strength was not something a human could possibly dodge at that speed.

Only Cleon’s instinctive defense, born from the experience he had accumulated so far, was the only means to block an attack he couldn’t even follow with his eyes.

“Cleon!”

“No, Quon! If you use recovery magic, this guy will come after you!”

Quon shouts for Cleon, preparing recovery and support spells, but Cleon raises his voice to stop her.

Just a moment ago, after Aine transformed into a monster, when Quon tried to use magic, he, now sensitive to magic power, immediately rushed towards Quon.

If Cleon hadn’t thrown himself to protect Quon somehow and used Iona’s divine magic as bait to make him look at himself again…

Quon would have been torn in half on the spot.

Eustace was in a similar situation, unable to get close.

If she were to intervene with her iron sword and weak equipment, she would be shattered instantly.

Not only her sword, but even her body.

It wasn’t just that, but even the pressure of magic power emanating from Aine’s body made it impossible for her to approach in her current state.

The greatsword is swung, aiming for Cleon’s right shoulder. But Cleon pulls his body back, blocking it with his red sword.

This is because the divine magic power of the Holy Sword Chevalier is more effective at cutting through the guy’s body covered in black magic.

Defend with the red sword, and cut with the Holy Sword.

Of course, it was also for her sake, as she would feel pain if she received an impact beyond what she could endure, even in the form of the Holy Sword.

“AAAAAAARGH──!!”

The greatsword aims for the right side once again. This time, it was the waist.

Barely managing to deflect it with the red sword while twisting his body, Cleon couldn’t help but frown.

“This guy…”

[He’s reading Cleon’s intended movements…]

This monster had clashed swords with Cleon several times, and now he was focusing his attacks intensely on the place where Cleon held Iona in his right hand.

It is naturally faster and easier to react by blocking attacks coming from the right with a weapon in the right hand.

However, realizing that Cleon was not using Chevalier for defense, but only using the red sword in his left hand to defend, he was attacking to induce unnecessary movements.

And once again to the right. This time, it’s an attack aimed at the eyes – no, the head.

Cleon hurriedly rolls his body to avoid the sword from the surprise thrust, but he felt blood flowing from his cheek.

[Cleon! I can endure it a few more times…! It’s dangerous, so use me for defense-!]

“Who knows how many ‘few times’ will actually be…!”

In this situation, Iona becoming incapacitated would be the same as throwing away any chance of victory.

Cleon’s eyes moved quickly, scanning the guy’s body.

The guy, who didn’t even try to avoid Iona’s sword when it was swung as a feint, still had traces of divine magic power remaining on the surface, but those shallow wounds didn’t hinder his movements much.

“Unless I pierce the heart, the magic organ….”

When the magic vision is activated, it is his heart that constantly heals Aine’s body and from which magic power gushes out to cover his entire body.

Cleon’s eyes scan the entire room. All that is there is a stone chair mimicking a grotesque throne. And bottles of alcohol and bloodstains.

He even thought about making him slip by stepping on a bottle, but with that size, it would probably just end with the bottle shattering even if he stepped on it.

Unless he can think of something, a way to-

“Cleon!”

Eustace, who had been watching the situation as Cleon was cornered to the wall without her knowing, raised her voice.

Cleon grits his teeth, no longer blocking the attacks, but instead charging forward to counterattack.

He lowers his body once, then uses Chevalier to slash upwards at Aine’s body.

Although he is simultaneously cut on the shoulder again by Aine’s greatsword, thankfully it didn’t reach the bone.

Riding that momentum, Cleon’s entire body, which had soared into the air, is covered in black magic power, just like Aine.

It was the form of magic power, like a black armor, that he had used before, when facing the superior earth spirit, entrusting himself to anger.

Originally, he had been saving it in preparation for accidents that might occur due to using black magic.

But that was a preparation that would be meaningless if he didn’t survive.

Thanks to that, he increases his speed by enhancing his physical abilities and releasing a portion of the magic power from the magic armor.

Black magic power is ejected like a rocket, moving Cleon’s trajectory in an impossible form.

Cleon, who accelerated in the air by one step, immediately soared to the ceiling, kicking off from there and slashing down on his body from behind this time.

Black and white flashes of light brushed past his body simultaneously.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH───!!!”

Aine’s painful scream echoed.

No matter how monstrously his body had transformed, he would have no choice but to writhe in pain if he was cut this deeply.

Cleon, who was thinking that, could see that the skin on his hands was slowly melting away as Iona’s divine magic power and his own black magic power caused a rejection reaction.

“Ugh…!”

[Cleon…!]

“It’s still okay…. Just a little more-!”

The moment Cleon said that and touched the ground.

Kiiiiiiing-!

A piercing sound rang out from under the ground. An uneasy premonition.

“Ugh!”

Quickly rolling his body away, a pillar of fire erupted from the spot where Cleon had been just moments before.

Without stopping there, pillars of fire can be seen rising from every spot Cleon moves to.

[Imperial army weaponry…! Why is it only reacting to Cleon…!?]

“My magic armor doesn’t stick to the skin like that guy’s, but covers my whole body with black magic. Inevitably, some of it is released outwards.”

That magic power was seeping into the ground, and the weapon that sensed Cleon’s magic power as soon as he set foot on the ground was attacking Cleon.

“…But, if I use this in reverse…!”

Cleon raises his voice as if he has finally seized a chance to win, and drawing Lubella’s swordsmanship from Iona, charges towards Aine with all his might once again.

Pillars of fire rise from the ground, belatedly, after Cleon’s movement, which even leaves behind black afterimages.

And, Cleon kicks off the ground once again and leaps into the air.

The form of spinning his body is undoubtedly the ultimate sword skill that can be said to be Lubella’s signature move.

However, rising into the air means giving up on evasion. Humans cannot move freely in the sky unless they use flight magic.

Aine tries to swing his greatsword at Cleon-

In an instant, Cleon’s body accelerated in the air once.

Just like before, he changed his trajectory in the air by dispersing the magic power of his black armor.

However, this time it was different from before. As a result of turning all the magic power he was wearing into propulsion for explosive acceleration.

The black magic power completely separates from Cleon’s body and falls to the ground. Towards the place where Aine is standing.

And-

Once again, the grating sound of the magic tool operating.

In the meantime, Cleon kicks off the ceiling and evades the range where the black magic power fell, and swings Chevalier.

“Sky Pillar…!”

Along with a shattering sound, the black magic power covering Aine’s body breaks, and blood bursts out from within.

And, a pillar of fire rises from the ground, engulfing Aine.

“AAAAAAARGHHHHHHH───!!!”

The monster’s scream returns like a human voice.

Aine howled painfully, engulfed in flames.

Cleon lands lightly on the ground, but immediately kneels on one knee, clutching his hand, where the skin has completely melted away.

[Cleon…!]

Iona quickly returns to her original form and breaks away from Cleon’s hand.

Gathering the divine magic power of her body, she tries to use recovery magic on his wound-

“No! Iona! Ugh-!!”

Cleon quickly pushes Iona away, and a burning hand flies towards Cleon’s neck.

Aine, who was on fire all over his body and on the verge of death, grabbed Cleon’s body in an attempt to take him as a companion, trying to strangle his neck.

“Cleon!!”

Quon’s voice was close to a scream. Cleon quickly tries to block the grabbed area by covering it with magic power, but the sound of something burning, `Chiiiiik-!`, didn’t stop.

Iona tried to tear Aine away from Cleon, but touching his body, which was on fire all over, would be insane, and she knew well that she couldn’t tear Aine’s hand away with her strength.

Iona is a wise human. She immediately thinks of the most optimal move.

“Eustace!”

Iona’s body transforms into a sword, and Eustace unknowingly runs over and grabs her.

And, through her ability, Cleon’s swordsmanship – and memories – are inherited by Eustace.

“──Ugh!”

Eustace is momentarily shaken by the sensation of her head being shaken, but soon moves her body at the sound of Iona calling her name once again.

“Haaaaaaaaaat!!!”

And, with all her might, she plunges Chevalier into Aine’s back.

In the end, Aine’s heart was pierced by Eustace’s hand.

With Eustace’s weak strength, it would have been impossible originally.

It was thanks to Iona’s power assisting it.

Aine lets out a scream of pain once again, but soon the power of the divine magic power spreading from Chevalier peels away the black magic power that had been strengthening his entire body.

Thanks to that, the flames that had been covering his body also disappear, but at the same time, his human functions completely cease.

As the power of Aine, who was strangling his neck, weakens, Cleon manages to break free from him on his own.

“Ugh… Haa…!”

As soon as Quon saw that scene, she approached Cleon and healed his body with all her strength with recovery magic.

Quon’s appearance was almost on the verge of tears.

“It’s okay… It’s okay… Quon…”

Cleon pats Quon’s back like that. Eustace watches that scene for a moment, then pulls Chevalier out of Aine’s dead body.

Iona, as soon as she could move again, returned to her human form and examines Cleon.

Cleon takes a few deep breaths, and as his body is completely healed by Quon’s recovery magic, he immediately approaches Eustace.

“Thank you. Thanks to you…”

“Cleon.”

Eustace, who was about to offer words of gratitude, makes eye contact with Cleon.

His eyes held confusion, sadness, and a hint of self-deprecating laughter.

“You are-”

“… …”

“… No, it’s nothing.”

In the end, Eustace turns away without saying anything, for some reason, her figure seemed even more fragile than she did this morning, when they were heading here.

In just a few minutes, it was as if she had become a complete woman.

“… …”

Cleon was about to chase after Eustace’s departing figure, but then turned his gaze towards Aine’s corpse.

If he was close enough to mourn Aine’s passing, that wasn’t the case.

However. The fact that he was an orphan, and one of the few peers who had treated him without discrimination in his childhood, made him a human being that he had kept in a corner of his memory.

Seeing him in such a corrupted state.

He couldn’t help but recall his former colleagues, who had lost their way and fallen similarly to him.

“Aine… my father once said that he was sentenced to forced labor in the North. So originally… he should be in the North…. If the North knew that someone like Aine had escaped, there would have been a great commotion.”

“Was Aine’s escape also the work of Ishtal?”

“Yes. Probably. But, using the Black Maker before that… must have been his own will.”

Cleon approaches him and confirms the Black Makers that he had personally possessed.

“… …This is a drug that should no longer exist.”

“I agree. And, this branch as well.”

Cleon nods and moves his feet to the center of the leyline.

The place where the crude throne-like stone chair is located. That was the center of the `Wind` attribute leyline.

When Cleon removes the throne, a large number of talisman-like objects, full of black magic power, were attached to the bottom of the throne and the ground.

Probably, this was how they were channeling black magic power into the leyline. And, even the black magic power generated when using the Black Maker.

“Quon.”

“Yeah. If it’s this much, we can purify it by removing the talismans and using purification magic.”

Quon quietly nods and embeds the purification magic tool she received from Ryla into the center of the leyline.

And, she places her hands on it, praying and drawing out divine magic power.

“…I’ll help too. Magic power control might be necessary.”

Cleon’s hands overlap on top of it.

Cleon is slightly better at magic power control, but just feeling Cleon’s touch made her feel reassured.

“…Eustace. Are you really alright?”

Meanwhile, Iona approaches Eustace, who shows a strange feeling, but Eustace remains silent for a moment before turning to Iona with a smiling face.

“Of course.”

However, that smile was a forced smile with too much bitterness mixed in.

Iona was surprised by Eustace’s face, but she couldn’t say anything more to her.

001

After the purification of the leyline was completed, the group took the two people who had been left in the prison and left the hideout.

Along the way, Iona and Cleon pulled out magic power lines from the imperial magic tool they discovered.

After confirming that everyone had escaped, they overload all the magic tools to collapse the hideout from the inside by channeling magic power into it.

The ground vibrated several times. The hideout collapsed as if collapsing, creating a large echo.

Kishi held the spring in his arms and couldn’t close his mouth as he watched the scene.

With the dust rising from the hooves behind them, the group returned to the royal capital.

“Then… I’ll take these two to the monastery. Cleon, properly heal your wounded body.”

“Y, yeah. Because Quon is here. I’m fine, but… Eustace. You-”

Eustace didn’t look back at Cleon’s words, heading towards the monastery with weak steps.

Cleon, who had been quietly watching her departing figure, then opens his mouth towards Iona.

“Eustace… why is she like that?”

Iona shakes her head as if she doesn’t know either, and Cleon can only stare at Eustace without being able to shake off his unease.

“Hey! Iona!!”

It was at that time.

At the voice calling Iona, the group turns their heads, and they can see an elderly man in armor running towards them.

The armor was a bit unique, but they could tell that it was armor worn by the Knights. That too, from the same intelligence agency as Iona.

“I heard! You went into Hoof Mountain without permission! People have been saying that there was a strange earthquake over there a while ago! You’re no longer a knight of the intelligence agency, so you can’t act without permission!”

“I, I’m sorry, senior…”

“I’m going to have to make you properly reflect this time! And you, adventurer! You went with Iona, didn’t you!?”

The man, called senior, turns his arrow towards Cleon as well.

“C, Cleon was trying to help me….”

“Does it make sense for civilians to interfere in the work of knights without a formal request! You have to come with us too! There are so many documents that you have to write with Iona!”

“D, documents~!? Senior~!”

Cleon sighs as he sees Iona, who usually likes to write something down, making a terrified face.

“…Sorry, Quon. Go home first…. I think it’ll take a while.”

“I, I’ll help too.”

“No. Ryla and Sasha will be waiting. Don’t worry and go in first.”

Cleon sighs and trudges behind Iona, who is being dragged away with a contorted face.

Quon watches Cleon’s figure like that, and sighs as well.

`…I, I wasn’t very helpful to Cleon this time….`

Thinking that way and clenching her fist tightly…. She soon shakes her head.

“No. If I do better next time…. Yeah.”

She somehow cheers herself up and returns home.

002

Eustace recalls.

When she grabbed Iona’s sword, the memories of Cleon that flowed in from her-

“Cleon. You are-”

In those memories, he was defeating monsters with Lubella and wielding his sword beautifully in the dungeon.

And, reprimanding herself-

“You are… Leona, that’s who you were…”

It was a voice that was somehow resentful yet relieved.

Only now did she understand why her chest felt heavy whenever she looked at Cleon.

She had been feeling it. Instinctively.

That Cleon was Leona, whom she loved and admired so much.

And, that directionality. That it was directed towards Cleon as she had become a woman.

“I…. What should I do….”

Looking at the moon rising in the sky, she mutters like that.

No one knew the answer.