“–I guess we can’t defeat him just by cornering him once, but that’s a Demon King for you. However—“
I advanced undaunted towards the Demon King, who had sprouted a huge upper body from his tiny body, like a fairy tale of a Demon God coming out of a lamp. Then a huge sword, matching his physique, swung sideways at me. First of all, this guy…! ?
“Get down!”
I intercepted his sword with the back of my [Dawnbreaker] , a single-edged sword, while shouting behind me. However, the power of the five-meter sword was just as fierce as it looked, and my small body was easily knocked away like dust in the wind.
“Uuoooohhh!?”
If I let myself go with the momentum, I would go off the stage and crash into the black wall. I hurriedly thrusted my sword into the stone floor and stayed just in time, immediately activating the [Hermes Dash] to get to Tia and the others. In the meantime, the Demon King was about to deliver a devastating slash to Tia, but just as it hit the target, a silvery white light scattered, and the Demon King’s sword was lightly flicked up.
“Thanks! Are you okay!?”
“Yeah, somehow……, but it’s difficult to do it in a row. If it’s only me, I’ll be fine, but the [Blessing] I granted to Tia-san would be shattered by a single blow.”
“Roger. I’ll go on the offensive, and Reil, you take care of the defense.”
“I understand.”
Without waiting for Reil’s reply, I stepped in front of the Demon King again. Then he swung his sword again to slice me …… or rather smash me, but I don’t intend to repeat the same mistake twice.
“Goooohhh….!”
His slashes came pouring down on me like a storm and I intercepted each and every one of them with my [Dawnbreaker]. My whole body was making an unpleasant sound, but I didn’t have time to worry about it.
“””Kokakokekikikokokakikokakokekikakoki”””
“I don’t know what you’re saying!”
While complaining about the mysterious cry, I endured the Demon King’s aggressive but half-hearted attacks.
The main body of the Demon King was probably that small body that I was fighting with just a moment ago. The upper half of the body that grew out of it had an opening due to its enormous size, and honestly, if it were just me, I could run in and attack the main body below.
But in that case, if the two people behind me were to be attacked, I would have no way to protect them, and more importantly, I alone would have no way to deal with the black miasma that the Demon King wears.
Therefore, Endure. Endure, for now. Because … the opportunity will soon come.
“–Manifest, [Star Hastur]!”
Tia, the only one who had been chanting the entire time, completed her magic, and the storm-clad star pierced the Demon King’s huge body. But the gurgling black miasma converged towards the large hole in his chest, and in no time at all, the Demon King had regained his original form.
“…..Not good enough, huh”
“I think the top is not the main body. I think his power has been reduced, but it’s impossible to defeat him without hitting the bottom.”
“Looks like it. Okay, I’ll prepare myself.”
Tia then took out a bow using her [Single Bank] skill. The particular one that was given to her when she saved the village of elves was a powerful magic tool that could carry the power of spirit magic on the arrow that it launches.
“Well, I’ll do my best too. Riel, please.”
“I understand.”
The pain disappeared from my body with the restorative magic. I can’t get rid of my fatigue, but it’s too late for that.
“Hey, you little balloon bastard! I’m gonna play with you some more!”
“””Kakakakokakokikekokakokakokakeki”””
Thrice I stepped forward, and a giant slash poured down on me from the DemonKing. This time, at the same time, his wings flapped and countless feathers pierced the floor, and seconds later, they exploded one after another.
“Is it necessary to use it now? Well, Fine by me!”
If there were more people or if the party members were dispersed, it would be one thing, but I don’t think an AOE attack would be effective with only three people in two separate roles. So is it possible that he is changing his attack method based on the damage he takes, rather than thinking about it? It’s somewhat concerning, but it’s a big help to me because the frequency of attacks with the sword were slightly reduced because of it.
“Hey hey! What’s wrong! You’re not putting your back into it!”
““““Kakokakokakokikikikikikikiki””””
However, the situation was actually not good at all. In the first place, his sword strikes were too strong to be received by a human body, or at least a shield, but I was receiving them on the back of my long sword. Thanks to the foresight of my master who gave me the single-edged sword [Dawnbreaker], I’ve been able to keep up for now, but I was approaching my limit slowly.
“Goo… uh… not yet!”
A nasty buzzing sensation informed me that the blood vessels in my arms and legs have been severed. I could neither see them nor had time to look at them, but under my clothes, I was sure there were dark stains spreading all over my body.
Then Reil’s recovery magic, but it wasn’t enough to keep up. And it seemed that the exploding feather attack, which I thought was pointless, was exquisitely cutting down on Reil [Blessings]. That side was out of my control, so it would be arrogant, not to mention extravagant, to ask for more.
It’s hard for all of us…. And finally, a move to break through this painful situation was completed.
“–Manifest, [Star Hastur]!”
Tia’s spirit magic was activated again. In conjunction with it, I ran forward, but…
“”””Kakakakakakakakakakakakakakakaka””””
Holding his hands in front of his chest in a defensive posture, the Demon King’s huge body blocked Tia’s magic. The Demon King’s victorious blow landed right on top of my head.
“ED-SAN!?”
With a screeching voice, Reil hurled a [Blessing] at me. It did indeed bounce off the Demon King’s sword, but at about the same time, countless feathers fell densely on me and my surroundings, causing a huge explosion. In the midst of the billowing smoke, I was shocked by the lethal blow…that’s why I grinned and shouted.
“Tia!”
“IKKEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
A silver light arrow was shot out from Tia’s hand. The silver spirit sword, which was strengthened by imparting spirit magic, was launched as an arrow, and it became a flash that pierced through everything and pierced the Demon King’s main body.
“”””Kakakakikikikiki!?””””
The silver spirit sword that pierced him shattered, but the black miasma that the Demon King wears also disappeared. Of course it immediately began to heal itself, but … I was faster than that!
“HAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
During this trip, I never once used my combat banishment skills. Assuming that everything was known to the Demon King, and making him think that my true strength was only this much.
But now, I nullified the attacks with [Invincible], healed all the wounds with [Regenerate] and using the impact of the feathers from earlier with [Orbit Reflector] in conjunction [Hermes Dash], I jumped out of the way……. Flesh and bone ripped and bones shattered, the whole body a mere sack of blood, yet the sword pierced straight through the Demon King faster than sound.
“””KoKo… Koki?”””
With an unexpectedly hard response, my sword … Master’s [Dawnbreaker] pierced through the chest of the Demon King. At the same time, the black miasma that the Demon King was clad in suddenly dispersed into the surrounding area, finally revealing the Demon King’s true form. ――――――――
“…………….Huh?”
Someone’s voice, but all of us shared the same feeling, echoed softly. The black miasma had been removed, and the Demon Lord was about the same size as an average adult male, with a human face that could be found anywhere.
He was about the same height as me, about the same shape as me, and–
“…… Ed?”
“Ed…san?”
“…………………… what the hell”
The Demon King had the same face as me.
(T/N: HAAHHHH!!??????)