Chapter 20
Elior POV
Rashkel disappeared completely.
There wasn't even a corpse left behind.
In his place, a black-colored, old-looking book lay on the ground.
I stared at it for a few seconds.
"A Book of Zeref…" My voice came out on its own.
I slowly crouched down and picked it up.
The moment my fingers touched the cover, I felt a strange and unsettling magical presence coming from it.
'So, he was one of Zeref's toys.'
That realization made me narrow my eyes.
If one of Zeref's creations was capable of fighting at the level of an S-rank mage, then just how powerful was Zeref himself?
And more importantly…
How powerful was Acnologia if he was strong enough to make even Zeref fear him?
I had known those names before coming to this world.
I knew the story.
I knew what kind of monsters existed in this world.
But knowing something from an anime and actually standing in front of its consequences were two completely different things.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I truly understood just how weak I really was.
Sure, I had defeated Rashkel.
But it wasn't easy.
Not even close.
The biggest reason I had won was the surprise attack at the beginning.
I had managed to catch him while he was transforming and take away his left arm before he could fully understand what I was capable of.
That alone had drastically reduced his combat ability.
The second major reason was that my magic was basically a natural counter to his entire existence.
Rashkel was a demon.
A creature born from darkness.
And Light Magic was especially effective against beings like him.
My attacks interfered with his regeneration and caused far more damage than they normally would have.
If I had been fighting another S-rank opponent whose magic wasn't particularly vulnerable to Light Magic…
The outcome might have been completely different.
That thought made me clench my fist.
'I can't rely on having the perfect matchup every time.'
There would be enemies against whom my magic wouldn't have such an overwhelming advantage.
There would be people faster than me.
People stronger than me.
People with strange abilities I couldn't predict.
And eventually…
There would be monsters like Acnologia.
I looked up toward the sky.
The sun was still shining brightly above the forest, completely indifferent to everything that had happened here.
I raised my hand toward it.
"I've decided."
My voice was quiet at first.
Then I smiled.
"I'm going to reach the top."
My fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"I'll become the strongest person this world has ever seen."
My magical power began to rise.
"Strong enough that I never have to fear anyone."
The air around me trembled.
"Strong enough that I can protect the people I love."
A wave of overwhelming magical pressure suddenly erupted from my body.
The ground beneath my feet cracked slightly.
Leaves and dust were blown away from me in every direction.
The remaining unconscious bandits didn't even move.
My magical pressure lasted only a few seconds before I brought it under control.
I lowered my hand and took a deep breath.
'This…'
I looked at my palm.
'This overwhelming pressure could become a valuable weapon.'
There were beings in this world whose bodies or abilities could resist ordinary magic.
Perhaps one day, I would meet someone who could shrug off even my strongest Light Magic.
Against such enemies, overwhelming their spirit before the battle truly began could make a difference.
But I wasn't going to depend on it.
Magic.
Swordsmanship.
Physical strength.
Speed.
Perception.
Healing.
And this strange pressure.
I wanted to master all of it.
I wanted to become someone who couldn't be defeated simply because an opponent happened to possess the right ability.
I looked back toward the unconscious bandits.
"I suppose I'll deal with you guys now."
I had originally decided to kill every one of them.
After everything they had done, I didn't think they deserved mercy.
But now that I had defeated their leader, killing them wasn't necessary.
They could provide information to the Rune Knights.
They might know where they came from, whether they had other hideouts, who they had worked with, and how many other people were involved.
Information could save lives.
I created thick ropes out of Light Magic and tied the bandits together, making sure none of them would be able to escape once they woke up.
I glanced at the pile of unconscious men.
"You should be grateful I'm feeling reasonable today."
I picked up the black book and stored it inside my spatial ring.
I definitely wanted to examine it later.
For now, though, there were more important things to deal with.
I turned toward the cell.
The women were still unconscious.
My barrier was still surrounding the entire area, keeping them safe from the destruction caused by our battle.
I walked closer and examined them carefully.
They were alive.
No serious physical injuries.
But their minds…
That was another matter.
What they had experienced would leave scars.
I released a gentle stream of healing Light Magic.
Unlike the destructive Light Magic I had used against Rashkel, this was soft and warm.
I carefully guided the magic through their bodies, repairing small injuries, easing exhaustion, and most importantly, calming the fear and stress that had built up inside them.
I couldn't erase memories.
I couldn't simply make something horrible disappear from someone's mind.
But I could help their bodies and minds recover.
After several minutes, I noticed the first woman moving.
Then another.
Slowly, their eyes began to open.
The fear in them was still there.
I lowered myself to their level and smiled gently.
"Hello. I'm Elior, a mage from the Fairy Tail guild."
The women stared at me silently.
"You are safe now."
My voice was as warm as I could make it.
"The people who hurt you are no longer a threat."
One of them looked around nervously.
Another began trembling.
I stood up and extended my hand toward the entrance.
"Come with me. You don't have to stay here anymore."
They hesitated.
I couldn't blame them.
Trusting a stranger after what they had been through wasn't easy.
Eventually, one woman slowly stood.
Then another followed.
Soon, the rest carefully made their way outside.
The moment they saw the destroyed bandit camp and the unconscious men tied up in one corner, their expressions changed.
They finally understood.
It was over.
The fear they had been holding inside suddenly broke.
Some began crying.
Others hugged each other.
I gave them space.
There wasn't anything I could say that would magically fix what had happened.
Sometimes people simply needed someone to stay nearby while they cried.
After a few minutes, I spoke again.
"Come on. We should return to the village."
They looked exhausted.
Walking all the way back with so many people would take a long time.
I raised my hand.
Light gathered beneath their feet and formed a large platform.
"Get on."
They looked at the platform uncertainly.
"It's safer and faster than walking."
One by one, they climbed onto it.
Once everyone was aboard, I lifted it into the air.
I also attached the restrained bandits to the back of the platform.
They were going to have a very unpleasant ride.
Honestly…
They deserved it.
I controlled the platform and began moving toward Little Dale.
The journey took around half an hour.
The women remained mostly silent during the trip.
Some held hands.
Some stared into the distance.
But nobody tried to run.
When the village finally came into view, I spotted several people waiting at the edge of the forest.
The moment they saw the platform…
They recognized the people standing on it.
I lowered the platform.
The villagers rushed forward.
"You're alive!"
"Thank goodness!"
"You're finally back!"
Families reunited almost immediately.
People hugged one another while crying.
Some of the older villagers broke down completely when they saw their daughters and granddaughters again.
I stepped away and gave them some space.
I didn't need to be part of that moment.
I simply stood there and watched.
Then I heard a familiar sound.
"Kyuu~!"
My head snapped toward the forest.
There she was.
Luna.
The little white fox came running toward me as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.
The old man was following behind her, trying his best to keep up.
"Luna!"
I immediately crouched down and opened my arms.
She didn't even slow down.
She jumped straight into my chest.
I caught her and hugged her tightly.
She immediately began licking my face.
"Hey! Hey!"
I laughed.
"That tickles!"
She continued anyway.
"I told you I'd come back."
I hugged her even tighter.
"I am back, Luna. Just like I promised."
"Kyuu~!"
She nuzzled her head against mine.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
All the tension that had been weighing on my body finally began to disappear.
The exhaustion.
The anger.
The uncertainty.
The feeling of taking a life for the first time.
Everything became a little quieter.
I gently stroked Luna's soft fur.
"Thank you, Luna."
"Kyuu~?"
"For being with me."
She tilted her head.
Then she started licking my face again.
I laughed.
"Okay, okay. I get it."
I hugged her against my chest.
"I'm glad you're with me too."
"Kyuu~!"
For the first time since entering that bandit camp…
I smiled without forcing it.
Maybe becoming stronger wasn't just about being able to defeat powerful enemies.
Maybe it was also about having people waiting for me when I returned.
I looked toward the villagers.
Their tears were slowly turning into smiles.
Then I looked down at Luna.
"Let's go home."
"Kyuu~!"
And for now…
That was enough.