Chapter 113
“Ugh, why?! My love, whom I’ve awaited for so long, why do you interfere between us?!”
“Indeed... I’m sad too, that things turned out this way.”
I said that, and for a moment, pretended to wipe away tears.
My sadness was genuine. *How many chances in my life would I get to directly observe sticky, intense sex? It might be an opportunity that would never come again.*
To think I had to end it with my own hands... tears blurred my vision. Of course, I couldn’t just leave them be. If I did, they’d clearly go on a rampage.
I raised my spear and aimed it at the demon. My body stung a bit from the light burns, but I could still move.
“Hoo... hoo, I’ve arrived.”
As we stood in a brief standoff, Sephiroth caught up to us from behind.
Perhaps because he had just erected a massive Ice Barrier, a hint of fatigue colored his face.
“I will provide Support. Direct combat... seems it might be a bit difficult for me.”
“That much is more than enough.”
I nodded. With that, the *Personnel* gathered in *This Place* totaled three. Nikki, Sephiroth, and I. It was a woefully small number of *Personnel* to face a *Demon*. However, I wasn’t particularly worried. Every *Person* gathered in *This Place* was formidable.
There were two *Key Executives* from *Lemegeton*, and I already had extensive experience fighting *Demons*.
And all of that experience was fighting them alone. Compared to then, this was more than enough. Of course, there was still something annoying.
*The heat that demon is emitting is a bit much...*
Although we were separated from Andras, the heat he emitted still lingered strongly. It was so intense that if I got close, my skin would turn red and blister.
Nikki had *Fire Resistance*, so she was fine, but I, who only had good *Regeneration* and no such resistance, couldn’t help but hesitate.
I’d touched it earlier, and it definitely wasn’t easy.
As I hesitated, my gaze suddenly fell upon Sephiroth. Come to think of it, she primarily used *Ice Magic*. I asked her.
“Do you happen to know any *Magic* that can block heat, like a *Barrier*?”
“I apologize. Such *Support Magic* is not my specialty...”
To think someone who used to be a *Tower Master* couldn’t even use something like that. I almost felt a little disappointed, but fortunately, her words didn’t end there.
“However, there is another method.” “...What is it?” “Freezing the entire *Surrounding Area*.”
She continued, “Wouldn’t the heat naturally dissipate then?”
I was momentarily impressed.
“I like that even better.”
As expected of a former <F1>Tower Master</F1>, she had grand ideas. The plan was roughly set. Sephiroth would perform her <F1>Incantation</F1> as before, and I would provide a <F1>Deterrent Maneuver</F1> from nearby. From a distance where my body wouldn’t get burned, of course. The real fight with the demon would come after that.
The problem is, this would put a lot of pressure on Nikki...
Sephiroth was *Incanting*, and I couldn’t easily get close, so Nikki would have to hold the front. I was a little worried, but... she was a *Manifestor* just like me, after all. If push came to shove, I could brave the heat and help her, and honestly, I was a bit curious about her *Skill*.
“...”
And so, I quietly began to observe Nikki’s *Combat*.
*
*CRACK!*
“Ugh...!”
As the claw descended, Nikki quickly blocked the *Attack* with the longsword in her hand.
Though it looked like a dainty, cat-like claw, the valiant strength contained within it was absolutely not to be underestimated.
It was literally crushing her. Nikki frowned and thought.
*Yor blocked that demon surprisingly easily...*
Because she had taken the hit herself, it was indeed not easy. For a moment, jealousy almost flared up due to the difference, but she deliberately pushed it aside.
This wasn’t a situation to get distracted. When she thought about it, she was currently in a situation where she had to block a *Demon* all by herself. Although it was unavoidable due to the flames raging around, she hadn’t expected to take on such a role.
*It’s fine, I can do this.*
Demons were the kind of beings that required at least a Unit of the Knight Order to even stand a chance against. The thought of blocking one alone made a slight unease rise within her... but she still tried to steel her resolve. Come to think of it, Yor defeated an entire Knight Order by himself, didn’t he?
So, Nikki took up her longsword and diligently held back the *Demon*. She painstakingly employed the *Swordsmanship* she’d learned as a *Mercenary* in her teens, *Evading* fatal *Attacks* as much as possible.
The fortunate thing was that only the claw was threatening; Flauros’s primary ability, the *Flame*, wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Even if the *Flame* touched her, it wouldn’t cause her much harm anyway. To Nikki, the heat surrounding her was merely a bit warm. Even if the high-temperature claw touched her, it would only sting a little and wouldn’t burn her skin.
Thanks to that, Nikki was barely able to hold on.
“Tch-!”
She bit her lip and swung her sword.
*WHOOSH!* And a red afterimage followed her *Sword Path*. It was one of her abilities as a *Manifestor*. When she delivered a *Strike*, a *Flame*-formed *Path* would follow it.
It probably wouldn’t affect the *Demon*, but it would at least obstruct its vision.
“...You.”
Flauros’s eyes narrowed slightly at the *Attack*.
And it was the same for Yor, who was watching from afar. Nikki, lost in the moment and focused on <span class="docx-char-style-1">Evasion</span>, didn’t seem to notice... but her <span class="docx-char-style-1">Attack</span> was remarkably similar to someone else’s. The way she used <span class="docx-char-style-1">Flame</span>, and the afterimages left by the <span class="docx-char-style-1">Flame</span>, was, right before my eyes, quite similar to Flauros's.
*Could it be...?*
Thanks to this, Yor made a careful guess internally.
“You are very annoying. If I let you live, you’ll clearly become a nuisance, so I must kill you here and now.”
Flauros’s *Attack* intensified. It was about time Yor considered intervening.
“It is done.”
Sephiroth’s <F1>Magic</F1> was finally complete. Mana, condensed into one spot, froze the surrounding air. After finishing her <F1>Incantation</F1>, she didn’t hesitate to <F1>Cast</F1> the <F1>Magic</F1>.
*CRACKLE!* Immediately after, everything around them froze.
*
*CRACK!* A spear flew in from somewhere. Nikki, who had been in a daze, noticed it belatedly. She was nearing her limit, and finally, support arrived.
A chill permeated the air from all directions, a cold so intense it seemed to swallow even the heat emitted by Flauros.
*Inhale- Exhale*, he took a breath, then grinned and spoke.
“Good. Perfect weather to catch a cold. Now I can really fight.”
Flauros, who had hastily retreated, scoffed.
“Hah, I wondered what you were up to... Is this all you prepared? Making it snow around us? Do you think you can win with just this?”
Her words weren’t mere bravado. Even though the surrounding heat had subsided, her *Combat Ability* remained unchanged. Her claws were still sharp and heavy. The *Flame* had only shrunk a little, but it was still more than enough to incinerate a *Human*.
From Flauros’s perspective, the addition of just one more *Human* wasn’t much of a threat.
“Well, I think it’s more than enough.”
Of course, Yor merely prepared his *Attack* in silence. He intended to finish the *Cleanup/Resolution* before the blizzard ended. As usual, he gathered his *Sword Aura*. He unleashed his *Blood Power Art*. Immediately after, he charged at the *Demon*.
It didn’t take long for the *Combat* to end.
*
*STAB!* As a hole was pierced through its chest, the *Demon*’s body slowly began to dissipate. The *Demon*, having sustained a fatal wound, was returning to the *Demon Realm*.
“Ah, no! Andras! Andras...!”
Perhaps because it was annihilated so soon after its descent, the death throes it let out were quite desperate.
Nikki watched the scene and thought Flauros had every right to feel wronged. After Yor joined the *Combat*, it was literally over in an instant. A few exchanges... no, it was even hard to call it a few exchanges. He had simply overwhelmed the *Demon* single-handedly, then, at the end, pierced its heart to annihilate it.
Nikki, who had watched the scene, was momentarily awestruck.
*What in the world...?*
He hadn’t hesitated because his *Opponent* was a *Demon*, and he’d used his abilities quite powerfully to finish it quickly... but it was truly an awe-inspiring presence.
*Was he always this strong...?*
It was enough to make her wonder, if only for a moment. He hadn’t seemed this powerful the last time she saw him. Although this was her first time directly witnessing him fight, she had heard many stories about him.
Stories had circulated even when he faced *Dantalion*. She’d certainly heard he was strong then, but not *this* strong.
While fighting the *Knight Order*, he must have gained something. Because of this, Nikki couldn’t help but have many thoughts swirling in her mind.
She felt that awe-inspiring presence and was momentarily impressed.
THUD-
As Flauros dissipated, something dropped to the ground. It was one of the items that appeared when a *Demon* was dealt with.
And what remained this time was *Flauros’s Claw*.
“...Hmm.”
Yor picked up the item. After all, the reason he had left his comfortable *Cave* to hunt *Demons* was precisely for items like this.
Just in case, Yor first held the claw against his body. He wondered if there would be any change.
“...”
But as expected, he only felt a faint heat remaining in the claw; no particular change was detected.
Well... it wouldn’t happen that quickly.
Yor wasn’t greatly disappointed. He hadn’t had much expectation to begin with... and this time, there was someone he felt this item would suit better than himself.
Yor gathered all the claws from the ground and handed them to Nikki.
“Here, take them.”
It wasn’t certain. He didn’t even know if this method was correct to begin with. But if there were to be a change, he was convinced that she would be the most likely candidate this time.