The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Hannah's words were met with a thoughtful silence, not only from me but from Leona as well.

I could perish.

I could not imagine how much emotion she had put into those words.

"Do you think it was a mistake that the demon tribe has survived until today?

I don't think so. I just think that it would be better for them to perish than to be ...... shown any hope at all.

What the hell has this man seen?

He seems to be distorted somehow.

"Before the Demon Lord's resurrection, my hometown was in a very bad state ....... Often we couldn't even get enough food for the day, and above all,...... we all had to cheat and kick someone to survive."

"......"

"But as a child I was a fool. I had such good intentions in my daily life that I didn't need them."

Ms. Hanna, walking in front of me, turns her head and continues to speak.

Her tone of voice is somewhat indifferent, as if she is mentally unstable due to being cornered.

"I gathered nuts for my only sister, and then I gave my share to a child who ...... had fallen ill, and then I found myself hit on the head from behind..." she says. ..."

"...... Hannah?"

I call out to her, but she doesn't hear me.

"When I woke up, there was no child lying there. All the food I had collected in my desperation had been taken. ....... My sister hasn't had any food for days, and even that ......!"

Finally, Hannah comes to her senses and looks at me.

She held her mouth as if she regretted having told me something she didn't want me to know.

"Even if you have kindness, it will only be trampled on. That's why I became a deceiver. I want to live, no matter how dirty and abusive I am. ......"

"......"

"......I wonder what I'm talking about. Is this some kind of penance for what I've done to ...... the devil?

She laughs at herself and says nothing.

I let go of the fact that I was being treated like a real demon, and I was made to understand that demons have their own circumstances.

I knew this, but when I heard it, it was hard not to be troubled.

Then I noticed that Nair was trying to talk to Ms. Hanna.

"...... where's your sister?"

"She died."

Just one word, and with that word, my heart grows even heavier.

After that, everyone descends the newly found stairs without uttering a single word.

The stairs are very long and lead down to a wide passageway with marble-like floors and pillars.

We have descended the stairs several times, but the interior finally begins to look like a castle.

"How far are we from the Demon Lord?"

"If you go through this passageway and down the last flight of stairs, you will reach the bottom level. From this point on, it will be impossible to avoid the soldiers.

"...... You haven't encountered many soldiers so far, which is weird."

Yes, I could feel the presence of soldiers, but they seemed to be few in number.

There was no way they were concentrating their efforts on an upward search.

The most likely place for them to be would be the lowest level where the Demon King is, and the surrounding area...!

Please stop!

His sense of smell, enhanced by his assimilation of Bullein, detects the enemy's reaction.

Is it moving straight toward us?

Usato, what's going on?

A lot of people are coming this way. Among them---there is a very sweet smell, no less than Senpai's and Kazuki's. ......Felm, strengthen the assimilation."

<>

By strengthening the reflection with Bullein, I can grow beast ears on my head.

Hannah is next to me, shouting in surprise, but I ignore her and check their reactions.

There is no hesitation in her steps. The one in the lead is ...... probably a corps leader!"

He knows we're here.

Nair hears my detection and grabs Hannah by the shoulder, who is fidgeting.

"Can't you avoid them?"

"No, I can't. It's a one-way street, and you'll have to go a long way around to get to any other staircase than this one!

Then there is no other way but to fight.

Leona, still wearing her hood, turns the sword she had been carrying hidden at her waist into a spear.

I, too, pull back my beast ears for the time being and change my mind to be ready for a fight at any time while wearing a disguise of a demon tribe.

As I carefully proceed down the passageway, trying to look as natural as possible, a red-haired demon woman with a group of soldiers appears from the front.

"Hmm. For now, let's just remove her skin. ......"

As soon as my assimilation-enhanced hearing heard her mutterings, she pulled out her sword and before I knew it---Amira Berggred---was shooting huge flames at us that covered everything in front of us.

"Usato!"

"Yes!"

Leona, who had taken off her hood, held her spear as if she was going to reave it, and shot a wave of cold air forward.

I thrust my hands forward in time to release a healing blast wave, boosting the cold air and accelerating its momentum.

A wall of cold air covered with flames and green particles collides with each other, and a roar echoes through the air.

Looks like you got in pretty deep.

"Amira Bellegred!"

Amira steps forward, brushing off the steam, and frowns when she sees us.

The soldiers behind me, unlike those on the ground, are not the least bit afraid of me.

"I guess that means they are not afraid of Usato, who has terrorized the demons so many times as a demon. ......

"Sometimes I wonder if you guys are on our side."

It is terrible that you are seriously considering this.

I don't like doing the devil's move either!

But I agree with the word "elite.

Now that we are so close to the Demon Lord, the soldiers guarding him should be reasonably skilled and strong.

It's not just Amira that's a nuisance. ......!

"I was confident that you would come this far, but I didn't think you would come instead of the brave Suzune, Usato.

"...... I didn't want to fight you."

Worst of all, it's not a good match for Amira.

I can finally fight her properly now that I've assimilated with Ferrum, but I still don't like to fight her very much.

Amira gives a wry smile at my words.

"Really?　I've always wanted to fight you.　We both have exceptional teachers. We have a lot to talk about.

"Well, I'm sure there are a lot of them. ......"

Am I b*tc*ing?

I think it's more like nothing but complaints.

And I think there's only unreasonableness.

"And the ice heroes of Mialak. We did not have a chance to see him on the battlefield, but we have heard of his heroism in burying a large baldinak.

"......"

"And ......"

I look from Leona, who is silently holding her spear, to Hannah, who is hiding behind me.

"---I didn't expect to be captured by the enemy. Third Corps Commander."

"What?

I don't know if you're being threatened, but it's not worth it. I don't know if you're being threatened, but it's not very nice of you. ...... No, that's not something I can say, as a former commander of the third corps.

Seeing Hannah's upset, Amira smiles a self-mocking smile and immediately sharpens her eyes.

"But I wonder. According to the information above, I heard that you were extinguished by the magic of the heroes of light. ...... Why are you being held captive by them?"

Well, that's ......

"The Mad King already knew what you were thinking. But if he betrayed us and led the heroes here..."

Hannah is mumbling, as if she can't find an excuse.

From the flow of the conversation, she must have shown her subordinates a vision of her death and then fled.

Seeing that she can't even reply, Amira has a bitter look on her face for a moment before she points the tip of her sword at me.

"---Now there is no need for words. We will bury the traitor with the brave and the healer.

They're coming!

At that moment, flames burst into flame with such force that it could be mistaken for an explosion.

......!　What a fire!

At least, it is much stronger and hotter than the flames we have seen before!

While I was defending myself and Hannah behind me by creating a shield made of black magic to protect myself and Hannah from the hot wind, Leona, who was standing next to me, was stabbing Amira with a spear, cloaked in cold air. .

"This much heat!"

"You're a brave man of ice!"

A high-pitched metallic sound echoed through the aisle as the sword swung up in the air and collided with the thrust.

Amira smiles as she sees her weapon bounced away from her, and Leona's face turns grim as they exchange sword and spear blows.

"Interesting!!!"

"Strong ......!"

Leona and Amira.

Flames and cold air collide with each other as they swing their weapons.

As I try to cover them in the face of the gusts of hot and cold air---I don't know whether it's hot or cold anymore---Hannah, who was on her back in the aftermath of the battle, turns around and starts to run.

"Yes, you can go to ...... now!"

It was a reflex.

She turned her back on us and tried to run away, but I reached out and grabbed her arm.

"......!"

"Oh, ......!"

Her expression turns to one of despair when she sees my arm caught in hers.

At that moment, I remembered what she had said earlier, and with a little bit of conflict, I let go of her hand.

Turning around, she extinguishes the flames that Leona's magic couldn't offset with her healing magic bursting palm.

I don't remember becoming a demon in my heart!

"......Why ......?

"Thank you very much for your help so far!　The rest will be fine!

I tell her, stunned at the sight of my free hand and me.

Without looking back, I take off my disguise and put on Ferrum's dark magic.

"Usato!　Hannah's running away!

"You don't have to chase her!　Nair, assimilate!

"....... Yeah!　Okay!

Néa, transformed into an owl, dives into my body and assimilates me.

As I confirm that her presence is within, Ferrum calls out to me from within.

!

"Ferrum, are you ready!"

"Leona!　I'll cover you!"

I head toward Amira, who is fighting with Leona, regretting the words I accidentally uttered.