It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

39. VS Clovicas 3

───Should I have been more careful on the way here? No, it’s pointless to say that now. What’s done is done. Besides, with Sasha here, I feel more at ease.

“I’ll charge at Clovicas, cover me.”

“Go ahead, leave it to me!”

I’m dealing with the goblins that are attacking me, slashing or kicking them away as I head towards Clovikas. There are too many to handle, so I’m thinking of using “Flying Swallow” to create a path. Just then, a thick beam of light (Judgment) falls from the sky in the direction I’m heading. It’s Noelle’s magic.

Seeing over 100 goblins disappear in one hit makes me want to use “Meteor” too. I also want to take out the enemy with magic. But that’s not something I can think about right now.

“Elemental Sonic”

Sasha follows up with a seven-colored wind blade that cuts through the goblins in my path and blows them away, creating a path to Clovikas. With the two of them paving the way, I enhance my physical strength with magic and make a dash towards Clovikas.

“What a frustrating human you are.”

“Can’t you say anything else?”

As I close in on Clovikas, our swords and arms clash. He’s still pouring magic into his attacks, but even that can’t cut through. His magic power and control are extraordinary.

He doesn’t have a weapon, but his magically enhanced body is like a weapon in itself. Even a normal punch from him would be devastating.

I dodge Clovikas’ punches and kicks while swinging Durandal.

His observation skills are clearly different from those of other demons, and his judgment is accurate. He’s making instantaneous decisions to guard or dodge based on the magic infused in Durandal. He’s a seasoned fighter.

The goblins trying to get close to me and Clovikas are being taken down by Sasha’s magic, so I don’t need to worry about them.

“What’s wrong, is that all you’ve got?”

“You’re stronger than I expected, and it’s troubling me.”

“Aren’t you getting scared now?”

“No, I still think I can win.”

“Shut up, human sentiment!”

I knock down the tail that’s coming at my heart with Durandal and take a step forward, swinging my sword with both hands. Swinging with both hands is more powerful than with one. It’s only natural.

Clovikas responds to my swing with a kick. The sensation of his body hitting mine is unbelievable. Even so, the magic-infused blow I landed managed to deal significant damage.

“You bastard!”

I try to counterattack, but he whips his sharp tail like a whip, so I take a step back to avoid it. His facial expression suggests he thought he could block my previous attack with a kick. I also intended to cut him down, but he blocked it, which surprised me.

His tail is stretching out like a living thing, keeping me at bay. It’s clear that his tail is getting longer, but is that magic too?

“When the darkness falls, despair will manifest from the dark

Foolish saint, you who are weak. Your fate will be cursed and you will sink into the abyss”

Clovikas starts chanting magic. I need to stop him. I try to close in on him, but his tail is flailing wildly, keeping me at bay. His tail has a considerable amount of magic infused into it. If I make a wrong move, it could be fatal. I need to cut off his tail. I infuse Durandal with magic, and just then, Clovikas takes a big leap backward while continuing to chant.

Is he trying to create distance for his magic chant? I think, but that’s not it. He’s avoiding something. If he didn’t, even he would be in danger.

The reason for his avoidance becomes clear: the goblin corpses are falling from the sky like cannonballs, aimed at the spot where Clovikas was just standing. I think to myself, “If that hits, it won’t be just a scratch,” and look in the direction they came from to see Tora-san laughing loudly near the village entrance, having thrown the goblins. He’s still fighting while keeping an eye on the battle situation. What a formidable enemy.

While I’m focused on Clovikas, it seems the other side has already been taken care of. It’s probably due to Noelle and Sasha’s magic. The goblins that were scattered around are now only a few, and Tora-san’s figure has disappeared from view.

The situation is turning in our favor.

“Are you ready to disappear?”

As I turn my gaze back, the magic chant is finished. He must have finished it in an instant. That’s high-speed chanting.

A black magic circle is floating in front of Clovikas. The distance between us isn’t that great. Can I dodge it? Should I use my accumulated magic to strengthen myself and endure it? Which option should I take?

No, that’s not it. I realize that Clovikas’s ugly smile and the direction of his gaze aren’t aimed at me.

“Run!! Noelle!!”

I shout, and immediately, a black explosion erupts near the village entrance where Noelle is.

───The wooden fence surrounding the village for defense is blown away, and the guards engulfed in flames are collapsing to the ground. The area where Noelle was is still obscured by the rising black smoke.

“Kyle!!”

I’m startled by the voice from above. I recognize Clovikas’s tail coming at me and dodge by rolling.

“Hehehe, did two people die?”

Clovikas pulls back his tail, laughing in a carefree manner. My anger boils over at his words. Two people? It takes me a few seconds to understand the meaning behind his words.

And I realized. Tora-san was nowhere to be found.

In the place where the black smoke had risen, I saw the figures of my two comrades. Noel was safe. He was sitting on the ground, looking shocked, but he didn’t seem to be injured.

However, one person was different. Tora-san was in a terrible state. Before the magic was activated, he had instantly jumped out and become Noel’s shield. His body had multiple burns from the explosion and was bleeding.

What was even more terrible was that his right arm from the elbow down was gone. It seemed to have been blown off by the magic. Despite the pain, Tora-san was still smiling, and Noel was casting a spell on him.

“Hahaha! We didn’t quite finish him off, but with that, the cat-chan won’t be able to walk on all fours anymore!”

The voice was filled with ridicule and killing intent.

“«Croix»!”

My and Sasha’s voices overlapped. We hadn’t been this angry in a long time. It was time to settle the score.

Croix seemed to be enjoying our reactions, smiling and looking pleased.

“Don’t get angry. You’ll end up like me too. Regret the life you’ve lived as a demon.”

He began chanting again. I didn’t care about the magic. I closed the distance and aimed to cut off his head.

Leaving just a little magic power, I used all my magic to strengthen my body. Sasha and I exchanged glances. I would leave it to her. I charged towards Croix.

“Crawl on the ground like an insect!”

A black magic circle appeared, and about ten black sphere-shaped objects the size of basketballs emerged, flying towards me. I didn’t dodge. I kept moving forward.

“«Fireball»!”

Sasha’s fireball struck down the black spheres. I trusted her. I only looked at the enemy.

The distance between Croix and me narrowed. Sasha had struck down all the spheres. Now it was my turn to finish him off. Croix had just used magic, so he wouldn’t have time to use it again.

“You who are bound by fate, listen to my voice. Betray your lord and devour his flesh!”

Croix’s chanting voice was heard. He was using magic while chanting simultaneously. This guy was unbelievable. I really hated demons.

Should I dodge? No, I wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away. I would advance.

“That chanting… dodge it, Kail! It’s the «Subjugation Curse»!”

Sasha’s urgent voice reached my ears. I hadn’t heard her voice like that in a long time. Could I dodge it now? The distance between Croix and me was only a few steps away. It was too close. I wouldn’t be able to dodge. But if it was the Subjugation Curse, then I didn’t need to dodge!

“Fool!”

I didn’t try to dodge and took another step forward. Croix laughed mockingly and cast his magic. A red-black light shot towards me at bullet-like speed.

“Hahaha! With this, your body will be under my control, and you’ll kill your friends with your own hands…!”

Even though the magic hit me, I kept approaching Croix, who looked surprised. He tried to take a step back, but it was too late.

This time, I wouldn’t let him counterattack. I drew out the magic power I had accumulated over three days and poured it into Durandal.

Croix raised his arm to defend himself, but Durandal, wielded with all my might, easily cut through his arm and beheaded him. Croix’s head flew into the air.

“Fool… the Subjugation Curse should have worked…”

Even after his head was severed, Croix continued to talk, and I was interested in his vitality. The Subjugation Curse had indeed worked. But it was meaningless to me. If the magic he had cast earlier was different, it might have been effective.

“Sorry, but I’m immune to curses.”

Croix’s face twisted in displeasure.

“Cu…really… you’re a species loved by the gods… humans…”

His voice was filled with resentment, as if he hated the entire world. But with those words, he finally stopped moving. He was dead… I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment. Looking at Croix’s twisted, hateful face, I finally felt that it was over.

───I had avenged myself, Beriel.