Chapter 29 – Deadly Boundaries

Shouji slowly descended the long staircase and walked out into the square, watching the back of the『Torch The Blades』who were led by the leader, as they ran hurriedly. He could have taken this opportunity to run away, but he heard that the Priest he introduced to Leschia was the root of all evil, so he wanted to see it resolved.

In addition, the ruins―― looking around at the collapsed scattered objects while assessing their value―― there is nothing that can be stolen.

The remnants of the fire that had exploded were flickering and burning, and the smashed debris was piled up.

He could rummage through the catacombs looking for old artifacts, but the corpses smell was thick in the air. The atmosphere sends a shiver down his spine. It’s a perfect place for a spirits energy whirlpool, and perhaps wraiths will surge up soon.

Earthenware and stone tools may have archaeological value, but they are not worth a fortune.
The boring excavation work should have been done by the free laborer-adventurers.

「…… Hmm」

Behind the triumphal arcs, there was a vacant land with lead-colored soils.

The members of『Torch The Blades』stopped and confront the monsters. No, the girl with a giant wolf to be exact.

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She peeked at the silver-haired girl from below while being amazed.

「I’m『Karma Legs』Leschia Winter. And you are?」
「I am the Beast King Chateausea Totnakun. My head is equal to golds to you lot. But also be prepared to drown in a sea of corpses blood」

If her words were true, then―― She is not someone that should have been made into an enemy, but Leschia’s action was fast. She moved in an instant with almost no spare movements, and when everyone thought,「Ah」she kicked Chateausea in the abdomen and blew her to the rock walls several dozen meters away.

There was a belated whooshing sound echoed, and a cloud of dust emitted out from the rock walls.

The pressure was so violent that the rock slide rumbled, burying the Chateausea helplessly.

The sound of metal boots colliding with something hard still reverberated in the air.
Leschia, who had stopped moving in her kicking pose, slowly lowered her right leg.

「L-Leader…… A-Aren’t you going too far?」
「Sheila, a normal human would have been…… torn apart by that kick just now. But, she is not. Perhaps, it won’t work if I didn’t put my spirits」

It was probably the most powerful critical hit with special attack.

Shouji muttered as he watched.

Leschia is going to kill the Beast King.
She is planning to fight an opponent that humanity will never be able to defeat―― she is a cheerful woman as usual. Even though she knows it’s impossible, she sets the determination to do it.

The opponent is too bad, and every heroes knows that despite it is a journey towards death.

「Aww…… As expected, she is the real thing…… Umm, I had a feeling that she is. Why is she came to a place like this……」

A large rock was lifted and thrown to the side. It was as if she was unhurt. A deep burning divine flame, with a transparent barrier illuminating it. There was not even a speck of dust on her clothes. Her hands were also terrifyingly monstrous. She threw a rock that was tens of times the size of her own body with ease.

Her golden eyes glittered. Her red wet, lips smiled, and the smile was bewitching. She threw away the twisted hunting gun that she was carrying on her back. Her fighting switch seems to have been turned on. The force field is clamoring and whirling, creating a whirlwind under her feet.

「Everyone, retreat. Go help Sherika somehow after the Beast King hands her over to the man」
「Leschia-san, I will stay」
「I’m staying too」

Kielnir and Ludophine were the first to speak up as she talked about the aftermath, assuming her defeat.

The other members thought that she had settled the matter with a single blow, but they were gasping for breath, fearing that the Chateausea were closing in on them. There is no one in Error Knife who does not know how terrifying the Beast King is.

According to numerous anecdotes, most people become slaughtered corpses.
It is said that fighting should be avoided. And also said it is like committing suicide.

However, no members escaped. Leschia let out a deep sigh.
Nothing has changed, and their loyalty and trust is strong.

「Shouji, don’t just stand on the sidelines, you help too」

As he was called, Shouji had no choice but to emerge from the outer wall of the building.

He drank a combination of Perfect-Potion and Speed-Potion from his ammunition belt.

Something mysterious permeated his stomach. Chateausea, who had walked over, heard something from the giant wolf. The sparkle in her eyes increased. A glittering heat gaze is directed at Shouji. She has the look that seems like watching her prey before she kills him.

At this rate, he do not think he has a chance of surviving.

He knew he was being aimed by the beastmen, but he had not expected the Beast King, a divine being, to show up. The previous Hall Totnakun would not paid any attention to the street.

「Hey, Shouji. With three heroes, can we barely…… do something?」

Shouji’s loosened his mouth as he was filled with anticipation.

Even with her joking tone, he do not plan to lose, but he know that it is a dead end.

「I’m a realistic, you see. I don’t think there is anything we can do. If things go on like this, we all will be killed by that young lady the successor. There are no heroes that can win against the Beast King in battle. Everyone is on a direct course to the grave」
「You, look so happy…… Haaa, I don’t want to die though」
「If you don’t want to die, you should run away as fast as you can. That’s what a sage would do」
「Leschia-san! she’s is coming!」

They were chatting amicably when Kielnir shouted in jealousy.

Chateausea spread her arms wide and smiled as if to welcome those who stood up against her with generosity.

　※　※

With a burst of energy, Shouji sent a somersault kick at Chateausea. Once he flies into the air, his heels can easily crush rocks. Just before he hits her head, he is blocked by the Zero Force. She only turned her neat face upward, and did not feel any pain.

The extremely hard barrier, differ from magical barrier, it is different in quality.

It was almost like holy magic granted by the beast gods―― not even a crack, let alone a gap. Since ancient times, no method of breaking them has ever been devised.

Ludophine, the big man roared in front of Chateausea, he put his weight and made a horizontal cleave with his exquisite axe. The blow that would have taken her head off was blocked with a thud. The axe blade stops a few millimeters from Chateaussea throat. As Shouji flew backwards at that opening, the vanguards of 『Torch The Blades』 attacked in waves after Ludophine.

The next two people were doing a pincer attack.
The swords danced flashly in the air. There were eye thrusts, limb slashes, and spinning slashes―― a huge number of moves, but also planned well. The three of them split to the left, right, and the back, the reason their weapons do not collide is because they are working in harmony. The white lines of the blade draw multiple trails.

If she were a normal enemy, she would have been sliced into pieces of meat.

「How lukewarm」

Chateausea grabbed one by the head and stamped him to the ground.
A splash of blood flew from the face of the man who was slammed. Ludophine then aimed at Chateausea as she bent forward and swung his axe down on the back of her head with all his might.

As he struck, the frame of the axe was severely damaged. When he fought back the numbness in his arms, Ludophine’s lower jaw was suddenly hit. It was a low thin palm strike, but his jawbone made a crushing sound. Both of the big man’s legs was lifted off the ground, he flew through the air, then lied down in a sprawl and lose his consciousness.

The remaining person lost his will to fight and stood still.

Chateausea apicked up the broadsword that the man had dropped and with a gentle hand gently stepped aside from the trembling man. He did not even look like an enemy. The man in the vanguard fell flat on his back.

「I changed my mind. I forgive all of you except for Shouji Quikk over there. The rest of you can run away」
「Wait, why am I the only one being targeted? I’m sure I’m not as lawless as you descending, though」

The tip of the broadsword was pointed at him, and Shouji tilted his head doubtfully.

「No, you bastard have killed too many beastmen. I lost my face
「I was wondering about that myself, but I talked to the avian, Luck, and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it’」
「Seriously?」
「It’s a lie, Your Highness. Don’t be fooled so easily」
「Hmmm, what a man. He lies with an unconcerned face. It’s getting harder and harder to forgive him―― hm」

Suddenly, pillars were formed surrounding Chateausea.

It resembles a crystal and serves to seal off the movement of the target. She could see that it was a kind of sealing magic. The vanguards are only a wall. It was time for the rearguard magicians of the 『Torch The Blades』to get ready and bring their firepower.

The solid barrier was not just a sealing technique. It is also a way to prevent damage to the outside.

Knowing that it was a way to condense a wide range spell, Shouji ran through, grabbed the collars of the fallen men, and took them away from the spot. The woman was still chanting an extremely large spell, and from the amount of magic power she had, he felt his skin tingling because he remembered something.

「『Corrupt the hellfire! Drink up the blood of the sacrifice! Descend, fire god!』」
「Oh, this is…… amazing. I have never seen anything like this」

Sheila, the woman wearing pointy hat, constructed the symbol. Chateausea is happily striking the inner wall. As they chanted, they scattered, and several magic circles floating in the air were sucked into the crystal barrier. The moment it drifted into place, flames exploded on the inside.

The violent white light dissipated inside the cave.

The iron sword that Chateausea was holding melted and turned into garbage. The White that exceed red color is a super high temperature. The large explosion flame engulf the inside of the barrier and even lost its color.

「You guys, get away!」

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Leschia struck the『Karma Legs』from the sky.
The golden leg armor glittered faintly. The flickering roaring flames turned into sparks and scattered, even Chateausea were suppressed and buried beneath the ground.

The ground continued to shake as the invisible pressure overlapped on top of each other, creating a violent pressure.
It was a plan to sink Chateausea to the bottom of the earth.

The shape of the kick became a huge crater.
After more than thirty merciless attacks, the bottom of the gouged trench became dark.
The depth was too deep to see.

After using her special attack, the exhausted Leschia landed on the ground from the air even while being worn out.
She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath, she was exhausted as expected.

「So brutal」

Shouji looked at the missing ground and the puffing smoke around, and imagined what would happen if he were hit. The chances of being survive were slim. Even a dragon living in the depths of the sacred mountain would probably die.

He was certain that Leschia’s union was comparable to an army when it came to offensive power alone.

「Is she dead……?」
「I’ve allowed you to leave, but it seems I have to show you our power differential」

The owner of the voice was Chateausea.
She was standing next to the rearguards.
Let alone wound and injury―― there is no a speck of charcoal on her clothes.
Did she avoided it, or perhaps evaded it?

Either way, it was unpleasant.

Sheila’s left arm was quickly grabbed as she was stunned. The girl’s body was raised with ease as if swinging an object. She drew a half-circle lightly and slammed her back into the ground. She groaned miserably, her eyes went blank and she fainted.

The rest of the magicians put up defensive barriers, but a powerful side kick pierced the layers and sent them flying.

Only the girl in the jumpsuit responded to the situation. She turned her body and thrust her dagger into Chateausea’s neck with a clear movement, but the tip of the blade snapped off. Her cool eyes widened. A backhanded blow struck her in the face, knocking her into a coma.

「Demon Lord! I got your neck!」
「Mm」

The holy sword, held in the hips, is adorned with a holy crest―― Kielnir, which had been treating it as an amplifier for his special attack, was waiting for an opportunity to unleash the power of 『Rupture』. The blow that he believed in became a flying blade imbued with a holy light. The timing was generally correct. The timing was generally correct, because he aimed for the point where the opponent was standing still and taking it easy.

―― but.

「Yo」
「Wha-!」

Grabbing the hero’s special attack with her bare hands, Chateausea bring her face close to the whooshing light blade without a fluke. She raises and lowers her arm as if she were touching something unusual.

When she got bored, she clenched her hands and snapped them to pieces.

「You’re boring in spite of your bravado」
「U-Uwaaaaaaaa!」

Kielnir who was angry abused his special attack recklessly. The eliptical slashes became a series of blows. Chateausea marched on without a flick. The power of『Rupture』that was blocked by the nullifying barrier scattered into grains of light, which became countless light fragments and vanished.

Kielnir cowered in fear by a glare when Chateaussee came in front of him.

Her cold, vertical golden eyes showed no interest.
It was as if she was unfeelingly looking at a bug.

「Come back in ten years to challenge me again」

She grabbed his head and slammed his face into the ground.

The look in Leschia eyes changed at his apprentice’s predicament, and she tried to overcome her fatigue and act.

But, Shouji moved and restrained her shoulder.

「It’s no good as expected. Stop it, you can’t win」
「But, if I don’t….. in the first place, you’re being targeted!」
「Yeah, it seems so. That’s why I will do it. You guys who have nothing to do with it should just go」

Shouji stretched out his tongue―― then bit it off.

Blood spurted out from the root of his tongue. Holding his mouth, while he endured the intense pain. He converted the pain into hatred while shedding tears. he swallowed the remaining potion stock in his ammunition belt, stacking it up with the forbidden『Dragon Knight Fighting Method』. He cannot tell anything apart from the taste of blood, and he do not have time to enjoy the taste.

His vision became clearer. His muscles amplify and converge. His thoughts burn with overwhelming power.

His bloodshot eyes dance through the air, leaving a line of light. Shouji kicked the ground and ran underneath Chateausea. He shot a fist that break through the atmosphere layer. It smashes her defenseless abdomen.

The fist that came out of nowhere surprised Chateausea, but Shouji’s fist was not safe either. The fist lost its shape causing a spurt of blood and from the wrist down, it scattered away without a trace.

The woman’s slender body drew an arc, maybe a hundred meters away. It can be seen from a distance that she was flung towards the roof of the temple on top of the hill and crashed with a heavy thud.

The magic power of the Perfect-Potion emitted from his wound. The luminescence, glows as it regenerates the missing fingers and palm.

「Shouji, now…… will you run away together?」

Looking back, Leschia’s eyes were wavering. She keep an eye, she is moving towards the emotion of wanting to help her fallen comrades while she still could. It would be a few minutes before Chateausea returned. They would be able to escape in that time.

On the other hand―― her face also looks like she cannot leave the man in front of her without a fight.

With a sad expression, Shouji lowered his eyes on his regenerated right hand.

「It’s only my opinion…… Aren’t heroes are called heroes because they fight against those who are stronger than them. As a part of the Street Bravers, that is what I think. It’s not worthy if you don’t fight against a powerful enemy that you cannot possibly win. Otherwise, you can’t call yourself a hero. Just a bastard who likes to bully the weak…… Leschia, what do you think?」
「What’s that? Are you perhaps planning to die?」

Shouji laughed at her pale face and trembling question. That is not an answer.

A hero is a hero. She surely thinks that way.
It is natural because there are many ranks in the world.
Shouji’s way of thinking is the one that is more distant.

「It’s only between us, but I wanted to be a Guardian Braver. But I couldn’t. I made a mistake…… even with such high ideals, in reality I wanted to live a peaceful life, because I was weak…… maybe I couldn’t do it. I’ll take care of it here, go on, you should aim for an easy life」

He let out a loud voice so that the words could be heard by the members of the 『Torch the Blades』who had fallen down and were barely conscious.

After finishing his narration, the pretending Shouji sprinted toward the temple with his enhanced leg strength.

While everyone was looking at him with envy as a heroic man.
He made a pretext of defeating the Beast King.
Cunningly―― he do not forget to steal the treasure at this place, Kielnir’s Holy Sword, in the confusion.