[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
Chapter 24 – Receive This Power (1)
―Crack!
“Neferti!”
She was her most cherished junior. Not because she was a princess or a duke’s daughter, regardless of that.
She was a talented individual with the potential to lead the Empire’s future.
That Neferti was now flung into the air, struck by the monster’s spear.
Would she be alright? Was she even alive? Even if she survived, that kind of impact would surely take her out of the fight!
She wanted to rush over and check on her condition, to see with her own eyes if she was still breathing.
But she couldn’t. Right now, she had to continue this battle.
“You monster!”
She swung her sword with all her might.
Once, twice, thrice. She struck the monster with a series of attacks.
Blood splattered, and scars appeared. She had definitely inflicted damage on the creature.
“Not bad! For a lowly creature!”
But for the monster, it seed like nothing more than a few deep cuts.
She hadn’t managed to sever a limb or cause significant blood loss.
It was still strong, still fast, and she was clearly outmatched.
Gritting her teeth, Luciel once again shone her sword brightly.
No, this wasn’t shining, it was burning.
She was nearing her limit. Physically and ntally, she was breaking down.
This light was the last ounce of strength she could squeeze out.
The damage to her body would be considerable, but she didn’t have the luxury of worrying about that.
‘I am an Esper of the Empire, tasked with protecting its citizens from these wicked hordes. I will not allow them to defile another inch of this Empire’s land…!’
—Shhhhhhhh!
As the light grew brighter, Luciel’s face grew paler.
But she never stopped. She never retreated.
She simply moved forward. One step, then another.
This was also her romance and love. To wield a sword and protect the Empire. This was the fate she chose instead of living comfortably as a princess.
She would never betray that choice. She would never turn back!
“Haaaah!”
With a desperate shout, Luciel continued to attack the monster before her.
Blood trickled from her nose. Her vision blurred.
She felt like she could collapse at any mont. But she had to endure.
‘Just a little longer. Just a little more. Please, just one solid hit…!’
—Stagger
“Ah…!”
Was she going to crumble like this at such a crucial mont?
No, this couldn’t be… Her romance wasn’t over yet…
—Thud
Her falling body suddenly stopped.
Sothing unknown was supporting her.
It was firm, reliable, and strangely comforting.
“You can’t give up, Senpai. Not here.”
“What…?”
“Your dedication towards romance is truly beautiful. Beautiful enough that I want to protect it.”
Your romance. Beautiful. And I want to protect it.
Those three phrases echoed clearly in Luciel’s fading consciousness.
She wanted to say, but her lips wouldn’t move.
Through her blurry vision, she saw soone’s reliable embrace.
It was filled with a determination that words couldn’t express.
“Deus… junior?”
“Yes. It’s .”
“But why are you…? Wait a mont. I will help too…”
The man’s large hand covers Luciel’s shoulder.
Beyond it, the smiling man shakes his head.
“Why, why…?”
“Because this is my romance.”
“Romance…?”
[TL\N: Here, the word ‘Romance’ refers to a strong conviction or a belief.]
You too, carry a romance like mine?
The kind that others dismiss as absurd, foolish, and naive?
“That no one dies or gets hurt in my battles. That’s the romance I dream of.”
He told her to step back, that she had done enough, that she had worked hard.
His voice was gentle but firm, and she found herself nodding unconsciously.
“…”
Luciel stares blankly at the back of the man as he walks past her. For a very, very long ti.
***
To be honest, he didn’t have that kind of romance. He only had a covenant that prevented him from receiving help in battle… but it was true that he wanted to protect her romance.
‘I knew it. I knew this would happen.’
As he said, he knew all about reincarnation and regression. And it was a ‘truth’ that all sorts of incidents follow when one of the three cases occurs.
[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
Unexpected situations arise.
So things that shouldn’t happen do happen.
Or things that have never happened before occur.
Just like now.
‘It was strange from the mont only monsters ca out of the Gate.’
Wasn’t that how it always was? Early on, there were minor monsters for growth.
Then ca the wicked thunderbolt that struck the unwary.
And finally, there was the appearance of the real enemies who had never shown themselves before.
“Who the hell are you?”
Deus turned his head, staring at the massive monster in front of him.
Seeing the horns on its head, it certainly looked like a demon. Should he check if his guess was correct?
“Baal?”
That was the first na that ca to mind when he thought of demons.
The reason was simple: Baal was the final boss in “The Gate Opened on the First Day of the rcenary Group”.
“What?! A lowly creature like you know that na…!”
What was this? Was he right? Was it really from that faction? He thought this world had nothing in common with that novel. This was useful! Deus smirked.
“You!”
To the demon, that smirk seed like the confidence of soone who knew its secrets.
“Speak up! How do you know that na?”
From his words, it beca clear that he had been the initial adversary or at the very least, the first boss.
His presence was intended to instill unease in those who had grown overly accustod to their surroundings.
Yet, that was the extent of his role. Beyond that, he served no further purpose.
Deus had comprehended this flow quite thoroughly.
Particularly, he recognized that engaging in dialogue with a subordinate adversary such as this was futile.
“I have no reason to explain to soone who’s about to die.”
When he first possessed this body, he vaguely understood.
He didn’t know who the protagonist was, but he knew everything was just beginning.
There would be a tectonic shift that would surprise everyone in the world.
—Bam!
The beginning was marked by the presence of a creature known as a demon.
And as far as Deus knows, the initial demons don’t offer much information.
At best, it would only be evidence to the world that says, ‘Be on your guard from now on.’
To get the next bit of information, he needs to face the next boss.
One that clearly screams, ‘Oh, this guy is the explanatory type.’
‘The best thing to do until then is to skip through quickly.’
―Boom!!
The monster that had been standing confidently. No, the demon becos a falling star. Its body, which had soared high into the sky, soon crashed into the ground.
―Thud!
His fist feels stiff. This was the first ti he’d landed a proper hit. Not even against Tiamat or Luciel had he done this much.
Deus wanted to test just how far his full strength could go. To see where his limits lay. A fitting punching bag appeared before him. So, without hesitation, he swung. And he struck with all his might.
‘Seems like it hit well.’
Ha. Finally, the frustration built up in his chest was clearing away. He thought it might kill him from how stifling it was. He couldn’t believe he held it in for so long. As Deus wore a deeply satisfied smile,
“…Cough.”
Where had that earlier bravado gone? The demon, now a tattered ss, struggled to rise from the debris.
“Quite… ugh. Painful. Is this your best, you lowly creature?”
Best? Hmm. For now? Deus nodded. In response, the demon’s fury grew even more intense.
“Then taste this yourself!”
Incredible speed, unexpected from such a massive body.
With a screech like tal being torn, the demon thrust its spear at Deus with all its might.
The force was so imnse that the spear’s blade penetrated the ground.
―Crack!!
“De-Deus!”
Luciel, who had barely managed to steady herself, scread in shock.
It was a direct hit. A perfect strike. Deus hadn’t dodged until the very last mont. Nothing could survive being impaled by such a terrifying spear.
At best, he would be severely injured, barely able to move. At worst a part of his body would be completely torn off, or he might already be dead….
“Junior!”
Luciel struggled to move her barely responsive body.
The demon, finding this pitiful, burst into maniacal laughter.
anwhile, reaching the massive crater, Luciel called out his na again.
“Deus. Deus…!”
Please, just be alive. Just be alive. Please. Please…
―Tap tap.
“Yes, Senior.”
“…?”
Did she see things?
“You called for ?”
She was certain she saw that horrifyingly enormous spear pierce straight through Deus’s middle. She saw this massive crater, almost as if a teor had struck.
“It’s not like school uniforms are cheap. Geez.”
Why was that man, who had been brushing off dust casually, completely unscathed without a single wound?
“Senior Luciel.”
“Oh, uh?”
“I’m sorry, but I think you should move far away.”
Luciel, who had been staring blankly at Deus, hesitated for a mont before quickly disappearing.
“Hmm.”
It hurts. He would have been skewered if it weren’t for the first pact.
After roughly pulling himself together, he strengthened his legs.
He shot into the sky like a flash of light, then descended to the ground like a bolt of lightning.
[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
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