(Yukito side)
Clang, clang.
The sound of our swords continuously clashing truly filled my ears.
This demon really left me unable to do anything. The same went for Luke, who had been helping me this whole time—we still couldn't manage to injure it even once.
Even though the two of us clearly had no chance of defeating it, at the very least, I wanted to wound it once.
That way, this battle would feel like something that helped me grow.
"Boost!"
This would be the last time I used that skill. My mana was already depleted, and my stamina was nearly gone as well, making it hard for my body to even move.
If I forced myself to endure its attacks for more than two more minutes, I felt like I would end up destroying myself instead.
Because of that, an idea suddenly crossed my mind—an idea to wound the terrifying demon standing before the two of us.
I turned toward Luke, who was wiping the sweat from his chin. He was already extremely exhausted.
"Luke, can you hold that demon back for one to two minutes? I want to try something," I said.
He looked at me for a moment without saying anything. He was probably thinking through every possibility of what I was about to do.
That was just how he was, and I felt it was a smart habit to have for the future.
"Are you sure?" Luke asked.
"Of course… maybe. But this is the only thing I can do, and it'll be my last," I replied.
My left arm… was almost completely numb now if it wasn't healed with magic within the next few hours.
"If it's just that, I think I can manage. But I'm not guaranteeing anything, okay?" Luke replied.
I nodded in agreement and let Luke take over holding the demon back.
When the demon tried to attack me again, Luke immediately shielded me and lured the demon into attacking him instead.
The demon was baited by Luke and focused its sword on him, even though it had originally intended to strike me.
—
In truth, I didn't have any backup skills or abilities left to use as a final move.
All I could do was rely on my Mithril sword, which I couldn't fully use unless its highest potential was unlocked.
Maybe five swings—no, probably fewer, considering how heavy my right arm felt.
I watched the duel that was completely dominated by the demon. Its movements were incredibly fast, but…
When I looked closer, the direction of its sword swings was almost always the same—the only thing that changed was the speed.
How could I possibly strike it with reflexes that fast—
Wait a second. I might be able to try that.
If I got lucky, I could avoid its swift attack and strike back.
By predicting the direction its sword would swing toward me, there was still a chance I could wound it.
But if I failed, my body would be "devoured" by it. It would probably immobilize me and let my blood spill out.
…Alright. This is the only thing I can do now.
I looked at my sword once again. Its blue color reflected my current expression.
I bit my lip briefly before focusing on the demon. I narrowed my eyes slightly to keep my gaze locked onto it.
I shifted my footing a little to adjust my position before attacking.
"LUKE!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs to get his attention.
He glanced at me for a split second while defending against the demon's attack.
This is it… time to end all of this!
I ran toward the two of them, and in an instant, I switched places with Luke.
Like a player substitution, I immediately took on the demon's attack.
It showed no reaction whatsoever on its face. It was truly looking down on the both of us.
Damn demon… I suppose now's the perfect time to hold a grudge against them for what they did to my left arm.
——
(Yuu side)
"Forn-san, I'll leave Hime with you. I want to go with Loki-san and the others to where Yukito-sama and Luke went," I said as I asked him.
Forn-san immediately nodded when he heard my request.
"Go. I think you really should go there and help them," he replied.
I nodded back, then left his side and joined Loki-san's group, who were about to depart.
After the enemy forces near the barrier had been completely defeated, the troops were given a few minutes to rest.
And once that time was up, they immediately set out—with me joining them.
Loki-san noticed me jogging over and called out to me.
"Yuusha? Why are you here? Don't tell me you want to come with this unit?" Loki-san asked.
"Yes. I haven't used magic at all today, so I'm sure you'll need my magical support," I replied confidently.
"In that case, alright. Oh, by the way—get on here," he said, pointing at something beside him.
Beside him, a horse suddenly appeared. Had I simply failed to notice it standing next to Loki-san all this time?
Ah, that must be it. I had been too focused on looking at Loki-san and the people lined up behind him.
——
...
Eventually, I got on the horse—of course, together with Loki-san.
Since I couldn't ride a horse myself, Loki-san took control.
This was my first time riding a horse directly, but even so, I never expected him to have one.
Earlier, he hadn't used it at all and had relied solely on his own legs to fight the monsters and demons.
"Yuusha, look over there!" Loki-san said, pointing ahead.
A few hundred meters from our current position, I could see a battle taking place. That meant we'd arrive soon.
When we reached the area, just as I expected, members of Yukito-sama's and Luke's unit were fighting the enemy forces.
Loki-san continued urging his horse forward through the battlefield, while the troops following us from behind joined in to assist the others.
After passing through the chaos, we saw something again further down the road.
Two people were dueling… no, there were three. They were all close-range fighters… was that Yukito-sama?
As the horse carried us closer to the three figures, my eyes widened slightly in shock at who they were.
Yukito-sama and Luke were fighting a demon—but instead of the two of them having the upper hand, they looked like they were being toyed with.
What? Yukito-sama is only using one arm?! What happened to his left arm?
"Loki-san, keep this speed. I want to chant a spell to help them," I said.
Loki-san nodded in understanding and maintained the horse's pace.
I had to help them from here. Otherwise, they would be defeated before I reached them.
I knew that much—the proof was how exhausted the two of them already were from fighting the demon.
There was no point thinking about anything else now. I had to focus on my magic.
I summoned my magic staff and aimed it at the demon.
"Scorching flames, lend me your mad power—turn that water-filled stone into a meteor."
"Destroy the enemy in your path, Fire Ash!"
——
(Yukito side)
I endured the demon's attacks once more with the last bit of strength left in my arm, searching for an opening.
"Weak humans. Is that all you're capable of? Running around like sheep chased by a wolf," the demon said, trying to provoke me.
I moved toward Luke and gave him a wink, prompting us to switch positions once again.
Crash!
I immediately looked toward the source of the sound and froze in shock.
My eyes widened as my body stiffened—somehow, Luke had fallen, ending up in the same position he'd been in when he saved me earlier.
Luke lay sprawled on the ground, completely unable to move. Luke!
Without thinking, I ran toward him and raised my sword as I ran. The demon noticed immediately and aimed its sword at me.
It's fine. I'll test my luck and clash my Mithril sword against the demon's blade.
CLANG
My sword was flung far away when I tried to clash with it, and my eyes filled with despair.
My body was slightly thrown back by the sheer strength the demon possessed.
"YUKITO!!!"
Once again, Luke stood up and slammed his body into the demon, sending both of them crashing to the ground.
Luke's body fell not far from mine, allowing me to confirm that they were both still alive.
"Stay calm, Yukito… just a little longer," he said.
I was confused by what he meant, until I finally understood the meaning behind his usual words.
From the demon's right side, a massive flaming boulder flew toward it at incredible speed, leaving it no time to react.
The demon reflexively raised its sword toward the huge rock, but everything changed the moment the blade made contact with it.
Boom!
The flaming rock exploded into a massive cloud of smoke.
When the smoke cleared, I could see the demon's clothes torn to shreds by the blast.
That spell… it worked! It actually damaged it! And now it couldn't move—this is my chance to defeat it!
I stood up, grabbed my sword, and ran toward the demon as it knelt on the ground after taking the hit.
When I was only a few steps away, my chest suddenly tightened, and my body felt like it was violently thrown back.
A jet-black barrier appeared around the demon, and just a few seconds later, both the barrier and the demon vanished.
What?! Tch, damn it! It escaped before I could finish it off.
That means one of its allies helped it escape, da—mn it.
Thud.
My body collapsed onto the road, and a few seconds later, my consciousness faded as I finally fell and lost consciousness.