“Gh!”

 

After smashing down the door and going into the demon lord’s throne room, I fixed my posture and readied Echsdarc.

 

“How admirable of you to have come here, pitiful intruder”

“ …Sadore, was it”

“And you would be Hero Adel isn’t it?”

 

Sadore, who was sitting on the throne and acting as if he owned the place, slowly stood up while showing an uncanny smile.

 

“I’m sorry that you’ve reached here after sacrificing your allies, but Luke is not here”

“ …”

 

Now that he mentioned it, it’s true that I could not see Luke in this room.

What Sadore said seems to be true from the fact that there were no signs of Savers.

 

“Then… where is he?”

“I suppose he’s entertaining your ally heading to the basement around now. You heading to the basement is within our expectations after all. In order to make sure we are not short-handed, I had Sir Luke personally act as a guard”

“Gh!”

 

Sadore so declared with his usual grin.

 

“But really, I do not know as far as who went to the basement, but it is unfortunate for them. There’s nobody anymore who has a chance against him, who is holding the sacred sword”

“Damn!”

 

I was moved by the unpleasant premonition running through my back and turned around.

However, the door that I should’ve smashed down returned to normal before I was aware of it, blocking my way.

 

“It’s useless. This place has a system whose purpose is to make sure not to let the enemy slip away in the case we allow them to invade. You would be able to destroy it, but… that is, if there are no obstacles”

“Hk!?”

 

At the edge of my vision I saw something sparkling.

I immediately lowered my head, and something passed over my head.

Immediately after, it entered a crack in the wall behind me.

 

“Unfortunately, I will be your opponent. How about you play with me, until your allies are trampled?”

“Don’t joke around…!”

 

I readied Echsdarc and leaped at Sadore.

The guy in front of me must be defeated immediately, no matter what it takes.

 

(Eleira…! I’m asking you, please be safe!)

♦

 

Some time ago――

 

“ …So we were completely in the palm of your hands”

“Now, I wonder about that. There is a chance that this time we were unexpectedly right on our expectations”

 

Where Eleira was headed to was the basement prison.

At the center of the corridor continuing to the prison stood that man, Luke.

 

“Will you run away? I can pretend not to see you for a moment if it is now though”

“Please stop it with your jokes”

 

Eleira immediately drew her sword and thrusted at Luke.

 

“It would lighten Mr Adel’s burden if I were to defeat you here. I won’t run away”

“ …I do not dislike strong women, but I like it much more to make those sort of women submit to me”

 

Luke drew out the sacred sword Savers and took a natural posture.

There were no side streets beside the one on Luke and Eleira’s side, and there were no other rooms.

There was an escape route behind Eleira, but it would mean that she would have no way to protect herself of something like a flying sword except by stopping it. 

 

(I understand that my chances at winning is low, but… It’s better to buy time for a small hope than to escape here and be killed without doing anything)

 

She took one deep breath and then switched to small and short breaths.

In doing so, it would be possible for her to decrease her openings whenever she breathes.

Although it was a slight change, she would be killed instantly if she did not worry this much.

That much of a threat was the man in front of her eyes.

 

“You’re not coming? Then, allow me to start!”

“…!”

 

Luke kicked the ground and closed in on Eleira.

That speed of his was evidently great.

Eleira, who improved the part of her skill that could not be overcome with feat of strength.

However, even with those reflexes, having stopped his attack was a miracle all the same.

 

“Really, I’m impressed you stopped it”

“Kuh…”

 

Metallic sound resounded in the corridor.

Barely, Eleira defended against Luke’s attack.

If she was just an instant later in her decision, then her entrails would have scattered around her.

 

“Okay, shall we play a little longer then!”

“Gh! Don’t underestimate me!”

 

Eleira returned his sword by twisting it upwards and then running her blade towards Luke.

 

“Woah”

 

That too was easily stopped; Eleira slightly leaked out her breath.

She was not at all losing in sharpness of technique.

What brought forth the overwhelming difference was, after all the existence of the sacred sword Savers.

This sword raised Luke’s physical ability and threw up his natural ability.

Nearly all the people would have no chance of defeating him, who was a powerful person in the first place, once he held this sword.

 

(What about that…!)

 

“Just because I have no chance of winning”, fleeing was not among the options left for the current Eleria.

She could not live as long as she could not bring him down.

 

“Demon style sword art – Cutting step! Dragon claw!”

 

Eleira’s sword blurred.

That attack was a fourfold linked attack which included a feint.

Due to starting with her body around, her slash completely sucked into the other side of his guard.

 

“Mh”

 

The attack certainly should have hit an opening.

Even so, who responded was this man called Luke.

He turned around his wrist and caught Eleira’s slash.

But, her slash was not just quick.

 

“Haaaah!”

 

The emotion Luke held first was surprise.

Dragon claw, like its meaning, held power identical to a dragon’s attack.

Never mind stopping it head-on, what would happen if he stopped the blow on the spur of the moment――――

 

“Kah…!”

 

As if struck by a giant iron ball, Luke hit the wall horizontally.

Luke spat out all of the air in his lungs by the attack that could create a fissure in the wall.

 

(If I’m going to kill him, then now is the time!)

 

The attack showed such power even on top of his guard.

Even if only a little, it put burden in Eleira’s arm as a demerit.

Muscle pain and some numbness.

Ignoring that, Eleira began her follow up.

Pointing the tip of her sword to Luke, she cut off his throat――is what it seemed, but at that time.

A flash of light filled Eleira’s field of vision.