Why

This chapter starts from Aizawa's POV

"Hurry it up! The ground's starting to fall off!"

"Ah crap, there ain't even a window to jump outta from! The castle's layout musta shifted during the fight!"


I'm running with all my might to escape the crumbling castle of Demon King.
Dammit, it took us no time to get in here with that brat's shadow skill.
I'm so irritated at my own slow legs.


"Okama, quit movin' so slow will ya! You girls too, the hell yer' staggering about for!"

"Shut it! We got no stamina left after fighting Demon King, okay! We're already giving our all here!"

"I got none either after y'all siphoned my stamina! Less complains, more leg it!"


I could tell my Attributes went up several tiers after receiving the huge amount of exp from Demon King's defeat.
My level easily went up by ten just cause I stopped one spell. My Job changed to 'Sword King' too.
If even I got that much. Okama and his friends musta got over Lv100.

Your mana and life force replenish when you level up.
But not stamina.
I'm starving like never before, can't put strength in my running legs.

Used up all Stamina Potions I got on hands ages ago and ain't nobody's carrying around meals here.
But I'mma get crushed underfoot if I don't run, gotta use every trick in the book to deceive myself. No, I ain't feeling famished or lethargic.


"Haa, haa, haa... Hikaru, still, not up...?"


Alma is keeping up with our pace while carrying the knocked out Kajikawa-ossan.
...She's holding him in one hand like he's the lightest thing ever. How high did her STR go up after all the level ups anyway.

This old man dealt the finishing blow on Demon King... Heck, he prolly coulda beat him alone...
I'm kinda getting peeved up looking at him leaning on Alma but this ain't the time for that crap. I'mma settle our scores after we got to safety.


"I gotta ask, you sure this way's the exit!?"

"Baredo and Rasfi-dono are waiting outside! You can tell we're closing in on their mana reading, can't you?!"

"Oh, you're right! ...Huh? Is it just me or is there a huge mana reading coming our way...?"


Hearing Radia, I tried to Mana Search and sensed something heading in this direction for sure.
This reading, it's...!?


That thing came out of the dust cloud as we were dashing to safety.


『Giiyiyiiiii!!』

"Uwaah, what the heck!?"

"G-Goblin...? No, that ain't it!"


What showed up looked like an ordinary goblin at a glance.
But, that's wrong. Thing's way too fast for a goblin, and its mana pool is beyond any goblin.


"Watch it! This thing's a Unique Magic Beast that was summoned during the capital's defensive war! Not only it's Lv90, it can also copy its opponent's Skills!"

"I-is that the same goblin that attacked me while I was fighting aniki back then...!? Why's it here of all places!?"

"I bet Demon King brought it here! Was wondering where'd it gone off to. Demon King must've assigned it as the castle's guard!"


Hero (Okama) is making a racket while watching the goblin sham.
...Blast it, we ain't got the strength left to take care of this thing.

Over Lv90 means its Attributes should average around 3000-4000.
Double that if it uses True Beast Release. Ain't no foe we coulda handily beat regardless of our power up, all the more without Energy Control.


"What a pain in the arse, die already!"

『Gii!!』


I slashed at it with 'Mana Blade Gale' but it didn't feel like I cut at flesh.
Nah, the feedback felt hard followed by a sound of clashing metal.

Goblin sham was holding a sword out of nowhere. It used it to block mine.


"The heck it's hiding that thing at...!?"

"You idiot, what did you do that for! That thing can transform its bones into weapons! You've just let it copy Swordsmanship and Celestial Swordsmanship!"

"The hell would I know that! Why didn'tcha tell me!"

"I was about to before you jumped at him dangit!"

『Gigiii!!』


Goblin sham slashed at us while we were arguing.
Fast, the speed it swings its sword is on par with me.


"Kuh! Pretty cheeky for a goblin...!"

"Now that it's got your Skills copied, it might be a tad too much for us without our stamina. "

"Might as well we all go all out even if it means getting our Skills copied then!"

『Gii!?』


Radia slashed at the goblin with his daggers.
Hero and the girls next to him attacked altogether with spear and magic.

That's the correct choice.
Take it slowly and the castle will fall on us. If it's gonna copy our Skills anyway, we might as well gang up on it.


Just as we were all about to finish the goblin off----


『Giyii!!』


The goblin hit the ground below it with the magic it copied.
The blast blew everybody away. That should hurt itself as well but that was its best course of action in that situation.


"...Ah...!?"


The blast hit Alma and the old man who got blown away from Alma's arm.
A moment after he landed, the ground below him collapsed, taking him under the hole that opened.


"U, uaaaaa!!"


I caught Alma's arm just before she was about to jump in the hole without a moment of hesitation while screaming.


"H, hold it! Who knows where he went to!"

"Let go!"


A dull pain ran through my belly as Alma shouted.
Her fist sank in my stomach.


"Gah...! You'd, die, too, if you, jump, in there...!!"


I squeezed out the remaining air in my lungs to persuade Alma.
There ain't even a grain of me that wants to abandon the old man. I wanna go to his aid too.
But we really have no time left. We won't make it if we don't get out right away. The castle will go down while we're busy fetching him, game over.
Alma shook off my hands before I could put all that into word.


"...I won't abandon Hikaru. If Hikaru dies, I'll go with him."


Once she said that, she jumped into the hole after the old man.
I couldn't stop her. Not me.


"Al, ma..."


She didn't just say that in the heat of the moment.
Alma is prepared to... die along with that old man, Kajikawa.


"Dam, mit...!!"


I was about to jump into the hole as well out of pride but then the castle started exploding all over the place.
I got blown away by the shockwave and----



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



~~~~~~~Alma's POV~~~~~~~~~



I frantically look for Hikaru with Mana Search in the hole he fell into.

Why, why, why is it always Hikaru...!

He worked harder than anyone in preparation for the fight.
The one who saved Neora's group when they were sent into the future, the one who made the plan to defend against the demon invasion and the one who defeated Demon King was all Hikaru.
He ran himself ragged every single day and slept like a log came night. I can't even imagine just how hard it must have been for him.

It's time for him to get rewarded.
He should take a break now. He doesn't have to work so hard now. He already worked harder than anyone. He was doing his best more than anyone.

And yet, this is just, too much.
I absolutely won't accept it if he's the only person that doesn't come back alive.
I will rescue him, no matter what.


I have no regret if it means dying with him in the process.
Hikaru is going to get angry with me though. 'Why didn't you leave me behind'.
...I'm not sure if you can get scolded after death though.


I proceeded ahead and came out of the hole into a really big space.
Isn't this, the Demon King's chamber? Why here...?

...I can sense unusual mana readings all over the place.
The castle's structure transformed when Demon King entered his final form back then. Now that he's dead, everything must have gone haywire.

I saw Hikaru lying in a corner.
He must have gotten blown there after all the explosions from the goblin and the castle's collapse.


Then I caught sight of the goblin about to swing its sword down at Hikaru.


What, do you think you're doing!!


I reflexively activated my 'Finisher' and slashed at the goblin.


"Noooooooooooo!!!"


The biggest scream of my life came out of my mouth.
My view was dyed red. I know my face must be warping hideously from anger.


『Gigyaaaaaa!!?』

"Diee!! Die! Die!! Dieeeeeeee!!!"


I kept shouting as I swung my sword.
The sheer hatred and bloodlust I mustered up surprised myself.
I couldn't help shouting in anger.... As if I was the one facing the crisis myself.


『Gigiiyiiii!!』

"Kuh...!!"


As our swords kept clashing, the goblin's sword suddenly got wrapped in light.
That's 'Laser Blade'... It could even copy 'Magic Sword'.

The goblin apparently has activated True Beast Release as well. Its Attributes are slightly higher than mine.
With my energy depleted, I likely won't be able to defeat it before the castle entirely collapses.


Nevertheless, I will protect Hikaru until the very end.
I was always the one getting protected by him. Every time, I kept wishing I'd get stronger, strong enough to defend him.
...Yet he kept getting ahead of me, I never got the chance.

I could finally be on the protecting side now.
...With everything crumbling down, I can't extend that to his life though.
Till death do us apart, I will keep you safe, my dearly beloved----










"Move aside."

『Ba, gya...!!?』


The goblin's head suddenly popped off.


"...Eh?"


I couldn't help making that dumbfounded voice.
Someone is standing next to the headless body of the goblin.
The moment I understood that 'someone' was the one who killed the goblin, my head was filled with question marks and despair.


"W, hy...!?"


Why, is he here,
Why, is this man alive.
Why, did he kill the goblin.


The man standing in front of me is all beaten up yet his feet are firmly on the ground.

I could sense him converging mana in his hand while glaring hard at us.


"Get lost already."


Demon King shot a magic spell our way.
It's too fast. I can't dodge it. Can't block it. No, we're de----



Our bodies were wrapped in a blue light before vanishing.





I clearly heard the word Demon King murmured right before his magic hit us.










"Sorry for all the trouble, young 'uns."

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